We are just a group of retired spooks that discuss things that you’ll not find anywhere else. It makes us unique. Take a look around. Learn a thing or two.
Life can be really silly. You find a magnificent house on the beach. The price is really reasonable. It is large and airy. It has an outstanding view facing the morning sunrise over the ocean. It is remodeled with new appliances, and everything. It is convenient with stores, shops and establishments within an easy stroll, and high-end “five star” luxury hotels on both sides. There’s only one catch.
Funny how the realtors failed to mention this…
Background
I have lived in China for some time now. When you decide to retire you can choose where to live. So, no longer is my residence dependent on where the work is. I can live where I want to live. If I wanted to live in Florida, I could move there. If I wanted to live in San Francisco I could move there. If I wanted to move to Bora Bora, I could move there.
You decide based on a host of factors. Price and affordability is one such factor. Standard and quality of life is another factor. For me, there has been a host of factors that I have had to take into account. For me, based on my situation and ability, as well as my inherent MWI training, I have configured my life to retire in China on the Southern coast.
Yeah, it’s not for everyone because we all live individually in our own lives. In my situation, I have found this location to be the best location for me, at this time, in this reality.
Though it does have its issues…
Dancing Grandmothers
Dancing grandmothers typically take part in any open area. Typically it is a plaza or a parking lot. They will dance anywhere they feel like it.
“The line dancing craze has swept the nation over the past decade, with informal groups of primarily female retirees gathering at dusk and dawn to dance on any spare piece of pavement. Chinese media has estimated that up to 100 million people take part in the activities — known as “square dances,” for the public squares and plazas where many gatherings take place.The loosely associated groups often have a leader who hauls out a boombox blaring pop hits and folk classics. The women work through a handful of dance routines, with grizzled veterans usually taking up positions at the front and beginners tentatively following along in the back rows.”- Matt Sheehan
Now, the reader probably has no idea about what a “dancing grandmother “is, but don’t fret. Let me explain.
We moved to a new house. We loved the house, and made arrangements to move in. It took all day moving our goods from “up North” and we finally collapsed on the sofa around three o’clock in the afternoon. We had moved our goods in. The house was filled with boxes and furniture. It would most certainly be a few more days until we were all permanently moved in.
Our windows were all open, and we were enjoying the nice sea breeze as the house began to settle down at dusk.
At six o’clock it began…
The “dancing grandmothers” wearing their colorful uniforms gathered in the open area under our house. It was a public space, certainly, about the size of a basketball court. It sat on the grass under the palm trees that lay in a strip separating the ocean and beach from the road in front of our house.
A group of the grandmothers, aged between 50 and 90 pushed this huge set of speakers onto the plaza.
These speakers looked like they must have come from a Mick Jagger concert. They were huge! They sat upon a wheeled platform that looked like the back of a “flat-bed” truck with the cab and engine removed. About six grandmothers had to push it out from a car garage where they stored it.
Once they wheeled it out, and got it positioned so that the speakers faced my house (not the ocean), they then plugged it in the public electrical socket. Then one of the ladies put a four-hour mix tape in the player at the side of the platform. The mix-tape was worn from twice-daily use. The adjusted the volume.
They pressed “on”.
The dancing grandmothers gather together in the local squares and plazas. They frequent the same place every day, two times a day. It is good and healthy social exercise for them. The only problem is the loud noise that accompanies it.
Suddenly, the entire house shook. It was like an earthquake. We slammed all the windows shut, but it hardly made a difference. The windows rattled and shook. Every item in the house vibrated to the beat. The clothes on the hangers swung to the beat. The mirrors in the bathrooms vibrated in such a way that your image looked like it was pulsing in and out. The LED light bulbs flickered to the beat.
Our windows were shaking with each verse of "Ni she wo de xia ya shao ping guo". And in front of it had to be around 200 dancing grandmothers (obviously with hearing problems) going through their dance routines.-My Dancing Grandmother Nightmare
It was horrible.
I lived in a house of stoned out crack-addict teenagers in Boston, and their parties were nothing like this. This was different. They only had a loud stereo. This was a rock concert outside my house. It was on a scale, about twenty times louder, and far more irritating.
The grandmothers were out there. They were all dancing to the memorized routines. They were all totally oblivious to the disturbance to the rest of the community around them. They moved and swayed to the songs. Songs that, after one year, I had completely memorized word for word. They never changed the mix-tape nor their routines.
The dancing grandmothers often have uniforms that they would wear so that they feel that they are part of a community. It is so very China; unstructured with structure.
The problem was that they did this two times a day. They began in the morning. Five o’clock in the morning – that is, and played all morning until nine o’clock. And, then they repeated the procedure at six o’clock running until ten o’clock in the evening. Heck, do you (the reader) have any idea what this means? My entire waking moments while at home (outside of work) was poisoned by a rock concert.
We later discovered, to our dismay that the "dancing grandmothers" rocked out to the same tape at two times every single day. Their dancing routine began at 5:00 am until 9:00am, and then they walked back home to sleep. Then they returned and rocked out from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. No wonder they were healthy. Four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening.Also, it was no wonder why they were hard of hearing.-My Dancing Grandmother Nightmare
I would wake to the music. Brush my teeth to the music. I would dress to the music, eat breakfast to the music and leave work to the music. After I left the house, they would stop and the music would go off.
Then, I would return home from work. As I walked down the street, they would wheel out this huge set of speakers. By the time I entered my front door, they would turn it on. I would change, take a shower and eat dinner to the music. I would have to listen to the television wearing ear phones. I wouldn’t be able to rest until they finished up. Which gave me peace and quiet after ten o’clock in the evening. Just about the same time for me to turn in and get some sleep.
I live about 300 meters away from a nightly group of grannies 40-50 strong who crank the volume wayyyy up. I called the police once and they came, checked decibel level, it was 90. That requires ear protection in some circles.Needless to say the cops couldn't make any money from this situation and promptly left. Grannies still blasting music 7:30-8:30 every night. I can't even see them, they are across street and down a ways about 5 minutes.Ridiculous how people are rationalizing this phenomenon, it's outright noise pollution that can damage ears and cause stress for ALL residents. You can't deny this. Fuck them.
-Rampaging_Bunny
A number of times, the police came out to tell them to shut it off. Typically, I think they had the dial set at 80% on the amplifier, but sometimes, they had it set even higher. This would be totally unacceptable. It wasn’t just us who were irked, but all the tenants at the hotels to the left and right of our house were upset as well.
There are often multiple venues and places for the dancing grandmothers to dance. The group size can vary from just one or two up to thousands.
From what I gather, none of them gave any thoughts to their surroundings or how it would affect those in their communities. They were of the generation that were raised under Chairman Mao, and in their youth they were exposed to the “revolutionary fever” that loud music and dancing would provide. To us, they were like little children with no concept of anything other than what they wanted. The whole rest of the world could go to Hell as far as they were concerned.
Good luck with that. I honestly mean that, there's a nighty gathering directly below my balcony and I'm this close to resorting to water balloons.There are so many groups in any given city and the problem is that they turn the music too loud. Just set a legal decibel limit, and most importantly start enforcing it!, and all is fine.-Icouldshitallday
“It's in your face, in your ears, in fact, right bang in your home. One man bouncing his infant daughter says he fears the first words she will speak are the saccharine lyrics that waft in daily through the walls and windows. Another worries about the health of his pregnant wife, who says she is just unable to rest due to the constant blare of The Beautiful Rainbow Fills My Heart.Stand amidst the Dancing Grannies and you know that however you measure it, you are mired in what is no doubt a public nuisance. But exactly how many decibels and what one should measure it with remains unclear. The absence of clarity means no authority can intervene with a legitimate penalty.Regulations also designate authorities responsible for specific misdemeanors in specific areas. But when push comes to shove, no authority is prepared to get heavy-handed with a bunch of retirees who are just out to have a good time in the only way they say is available to them.It's a different story unofficially. Wuhan residents made headlines in the last few months after they showered feces on a group of boisterous Dancing Grannies. Just weeks ago, a man in Beijing unleashed three Tibetan Mastiffs before firing a rifle into the air.”-China Blog: Dancing Grannies raise a ruckus
The dancing grandmothers always perform choreographed dance routines to structured music. This requires a music player or sound box.
What I Did About It
Whether it's waltzing, line-dancing, rock n' roll style jigging, or just free-style bumping and grinding, the dancers have at least two things in common: no one is usually aged much below 45, and the music is loud enough to blow out an eardrum. They are called the Dancing Grannies. And their passion is for the Guang Chang Wu, roughly translated as Public Square Dance.-China Blog: Dancing Grannies raise a ruckus
There is an old American saying that “You can’t fight City Hall”, which is directed against the government, but can be applied to any large problem larger than an individual to handle. For me, as a foreigner, there was little I could do.
We thought about our options. We could break out of our housing contract and lose three months rent, or we would endure the pain and plan an escape. We opted for the cheapest option. We endured and planned. By the time the lease was up we knew what to do and wasted no time at all moving out.
Where I live is smack dab in between Macao and Hong Kong. There is ocean everywhere and it is really very easy to find a house on the beach or the coast. They are everywhere. Since both Macao and Hong Kong are geographically small, the reader can consider that I live in a “near” suburb of Hong Kong for all practical purposes.
I lived out the housing contract and moved. I moved down ocean. My new house was larger, bigger, and most importantly, quieter. I made sure that there were no dancing grandmothers anywhere around my place. Today, I live on “Billionaires’ Street”, which is an upscale community on the ocean. No grandmother would even dare to upset anyone on this street. They might run over them in their Bentley’s or Ferrari’s, or even hire someone to “take care of the problem”.
China affords a great lifestyle at the fraction of the cost compared to a comparable place in the United States. This view would be easily millions of dollars in America. Of course, there are sacrifices. You cannot get a thin-crust pepperoni pizza at Pizza Hut, or a bagel with creme cheese. These are the terrible prices that you must sometimes pay.
Life in China is quite different than that in the United States. It is a different culture, and a different lifestyle set of expectations. Indeed, there is “Rich” and then there is “China Rich”.
None of these gals dared set foot int this neighborhood. It’s peaceful and quiet. It is well-policed by local and private police. The entire area is under constant surveillance and it would be very difficult to roll a huge set of speakers down the road to the public park areas.
Two Years Later
Opera House complex in Zhuhai, China. At night it glows in a movie of different colors. It is very beautiful.
The first few months of running across them I'm sure my reaction was pretty typical... aw, isn't that great, those little old ladies socialize and stay active together.There is a dancing square near my work and I gotta listen to that shit blaring every night. Now, it's not too bad for me because I am far away, but the fact that they play the music so damn loud that it can be heard 3 blocks away, just shows how damn selfish they are about it.-Hopfrogg
Beijing has since make rules and guidelines for public dancing. It is not forbidden, but the guidelines are certainly enforced. Music must NOT be loud. The times for when you can occupy a public space to do this kind of dancing is restricted. Violators are punished severely by the “Corruption Police“, if the local police is unable to handle the situation.
As a result, things have settled down considerably.
Today, at my old house there are absolutely NO dancing grandmothers anywhere near that plaza. Every morning and evening it is a quiet and peaceful spot with couples walking up and down the boardwalk arm in arm. Dogs play with balls in the park, and adults fly kites over the ocean. It is really nice.
The dancing grandmothers moved to plazas in front of a number of mall areas. However, they are not permitted to wheel any “Rock Concert” sized speakers. They are permitted to have a small “boom box” with a strict enforcement of the rule of law. In China, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. If you are even suspected of violating the noise limits, the police would take your music machine, and you will NEVER get it back.
So, today, when you drive past these dancing grandmothers, you can’t hear anything. You can see them dancing, which is fine. You can see that they are exercising and being sociable. That is just great. They are doing so without disturbing the peace of everyone else. It is a good thing and everyone benefits.
Zhuhai Opera house is much like the Carrier dome in Syracuse, NY in that it is lit up at night and makes a real nice impression.
If this was the United States, the issue would still be under study by a “Blue Ribbon Panel”, and then millions of dollars would be poured into their solutions, and still the problem would not be resolved. It would only change form. Ah, you’ve got to love China.
The Lesson(s) and the Take Aways
Before you lay any money down, you sure as heck better make sure that there are not any “surprises”.
If the prices sounds too good to be true, maybe it is.
When the Chinese confront a problem they attempt to solve it. They do not try to use it as a “political football” to obtain some kind of political advantage.
In China, the grandmothers really love to dance.
The SJW’s during the 1966 Cultural Revolution are now grandparents. They believe that the behaviors they were got away with during their youth would still be tolerated by modern Chinese society. They are wrong.
People behave differently when they are part of a large mob.
Chinese grandmothers like to dance, if you want to join them you can.
FAQ
Q: What are “Dancing Grandmothers”?
A: This is a phenomenon that describes what grandmothers do in China. They organize as a dancing troupe. They come in different sizes and shapes, but for the most part there are two things that they have in common. Firstly, they are all older than 45 years of age, and secondly they play the music super loud.
Q: Why is the music played loudly?
A: I personally think that constant exposure to loud music damages your hearing. I just think many of them can’t tell that it is too loud. However, others follow the belief that they are following the superstition that loud noise chases away bad spirits and bad luck.
Q: Why do they dance?
A: Dancing is fun. They get exercise and they get to spend time with their friends.
Q: Why can’t you just let them dance? They aren’t bothering anyone.
A: They are very loud and they do bother people nearby. In America you hear about people complaining about living near a bar that gets rowdy at times. This is a group of gals with a mobile “Rock Concert” that sets up in your front yard. They aim the speakers at YOUR house and wake you up at five in the morning, and play all evening.
Q: When did the dancing grandmothers start this activity?
A: They have been doing this for years. However, during the last few years they have been getting loud about it. Previously they would use a singular CD player or cassette player for their music. However, with the advent of cheap electronics, they have been able to purchase enormous sound machines. This has enabled many of them to have very loud mini-sized “Rock Concerts”. As such, they have become a nuisance to everyone around them.
Q: Are the Dancing Grandmothers organized?
A: Yes, they are. Typically, in China, when a group of people get together there is always someone who take a lead role. It is a natural progression of events when ever a group of Chinese gathers together. In the case of the dancing grandmothers, a person always takes the lead and organizes the events. If they are out for some reason or the other, there will always be someone else who will automatically take their place.
This is the
real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British
tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This
is the reality. Read or not.
Learning About China
Contemporaneous Chinese Music
This is a
series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It
is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I
am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series
of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and
enjoyment.
This is part two of a two part post. It concerns the calibration and training that I was part of . I needed this training to complete my mission parameters as part of MAJestic. Now, of course, none of this is supposed to exist. You can go anywhere on the Internet and type in “majestic” or “MJ-12”, and the first fifty or so sites will all be about it being a hoax or something that appeals to the “tin foil hat” fringe. You can believe them, right? After all, everyone knows that you can trust Google. You can trust them like you can trust CNN.
Anyways, if you believe them you don’t belong here. You can go away. Don’t waste your time here. Because it WILL be a waste of your time. There are no “secrets” or extraterrestrials out there in outer space. It is all just delusion. Right? Now, fucking leave. Thank you.
This post discusses a period of specialized training that I underwent in support of my role within MAJestic. It concerns “calibration” and “adjustment” exercises for a number of probes and devices that were implanted inside my brain. These devices consisted of three “sets”. One set, was extraterrestrial in nature and performance. The remaining two were terrestrially derived MAJestic implants.
All of the “training” and calibration exercises could ONLY be conducted within a specialized chamber, while all three probe “kits” were engaged.
Programming
There was a certain degree of “programming” I had to be involved in. I do not think that this had anything to do with the terrestrial core kit #1 or #2 probes. Rather, I think that it had to do with the interface with the core kit #2 probes and the base extraterrestrial probes. I was not instructed in the entire programming language. I was only taught the bare minimum of what I needed to know.
Numbers
For starters, instead of numbers, two means of conveyance are used. [A] Numbers were conveyed using a set of funky “O” shaped symbols (It was a base-8 octal system using (from what I can tell) seven symbols plus an “empty” symbol. Though I can be wrong, after all that was all many decades ago.) when used to identify a location or object. When used to convey an amount of a measure, [B] a set of lines were used. The lines looked like a comb, and could be presented in either a straight, curved, overlaid or stacked appearance. The closer together the lines were to each other was a measure of the mathematical power of the value. The height of the lines denoted proximity and / or magnitude. However, at no time were any words or sentences visible. It was all graphic.
The numbers were not based on a base-10. They were based on a base-8 system. (Luckily for me, I learned how to compute using base-8 in Middle School. Seventh grade, maybe eighth grade, I believe.) I suppose that my eighth grade teacher would have a heart attack, knowing what I was using what they taught me, for.
Cut-scene
As strange as this might seem, while under the ELF field, I underwent a “cut-scene” image of why the icons looked like they did. The reader must remember that, at that time, cut-scenes did not exist except in movies. I went through an event that was very much like a cut-scene in a video game. However, as I witnessed or viewed the scene, it was as if it was a memory to me.
This is how I learned. This is how I was taught how to use the symbols.
In the “cut-scene”, I could see a short hand with three very long fingers. (One thumb and three long fingers. The fingers were similar to our own human fingers, but much longer. Perhaps twice as long! They had fingernails, and knuckles, and a smooth complexion.) The hand hovered over some (highly reflective) soft tan sand on a very bright yellowish day.
It was like everything was sepia (Sepia tones are used in photography; the hue resembles the effect of aging in old photographs, and of older photographs chemically treated either for visual effect or for archival purposes. Most photo graphics software programs and many digital cameras include a sepia tone option.).
Then, very slowly, the index finger made long (easy and relaxed) movements in the sand. It went down and traced a long slightly curved line in the sand. Then the hand went and made another line perpendicular to it, and yet another, and finally depressed it’s long finger in the sand. That action made a “dot” that had a longish (miniature “I”) shape.
That was how and why many of the icons had long easy curves. It was a naturally easy thing to do. That is why the icons look like they do. They duplicate the writing method of the “parent species” that devised this system of pictorial icons.
That is how I learned. I “participated” in memories that instructed me as to what the symbols represented and why.
For numbers, the (four fingered) hand took the index finger and pressed it into the sand. It then dug a shallow hole with the hand. Then, it went and dug another shallow hole, but this time it put a pebble in it. Again, it went and dug another shallow hole. This time it put two pebbles in it. This continued until there were eight holes. Each hole was filled with pebbles or a oriented “dash” that was representative of them. Thus, the iconic depiction of an “O” was really a representation of the hole, and whatever was placed inside the hole.
During my training, I utilized numbers for certain roles and functions. However, they were unfamiliar. Instead of being base 10, they were in base 8. They also used these odd iconic glyph for them.
They based their numerical system on their eight fingers. Much like we based our numerical system on our ten digits (four fingers and a thumb on each hand).
Graphic Icons
Everything was in graphics through the use of graphic icons.
This wasn’t any kind of programming language using words as we would use today (in Basic, Java, C++, or Pascal). In computing languages today, they use commands that were derived from English words. This was NOT the way my graphical program worked. Here is a typical C++ line of code;
Here is a line of typical computer code. No matter what specific language a person is using, from Basic to C++, the code will always be in this form.
Things were quite different. No derived English words were used. Graphical pictures or symbols were used instead. For instance, functions came between these funky brackets that looked like a cross between fat bumper-car bumpers and a colon ( : ). Control of physical properties of physical items was denoted by a kind of bent “L” shape. Control of the material behaviors of specific elements (the “defaults” that we ASSUME are fixed in this universe ruled by the laws of physics) were denoted with a group of two symbols that reminded me of an “S8” appearance.
Orientation of the symbols was critical. There were also post and pre command modifiers that would affect the function within the brackets. Commands within the It was a coding language not unlike APL, but instead of automating functions, it created “ladder diagrams” to control the operation of various aspects of my implants.
Most of what I was involved with involved the selection of range modifiers for set controls. I didn’t actually write control stack language. However, I could as the option was there, but it was way, way beyond my skill set and ability. Instead I only knew the basics and adjusted what I was directed (by the facility manager) to adjust.
In function, he was simply reading to me over the microphone. I would then confirm when I had completed the instruction. I would imagine that the facility manager was simply reading typed instructions from a document to me, without any comprehension, what he was reading. Then, once completed, he more than likely shredded the document.
In every instance, I was able to do the exercises that were presented to me. I was able to run diagnostic scans, operate the limited debugging tools provided, switch in and out of secure communication links, secure a command and lock it in place. I was able to make certain abilities “soft” and then “harden” them into place, where necessary (float above and then sink into clay). Unlike conventional windows, no pop-up window or box ever appeared. Instead, the indicating icons would appear overlaid on the base overlay. Strangely enough, this never obscured the working desktop presented in front.
Once I completed a specific sequence, a new image would fill my visual cortex. I would need to complete the entire new sequence before I could exit. In other words, there was no “abort” key, or “exit” command. I do not know why this is (was) the case. Once a sequence was set in motion, I had to go through the entire sequence before I could exit it. Otherwise, it just sat there waiting for me to do something.
The calibration segment consisted of setting up presets and learning the basics on how to individually program the probes within an ELF environment.
Setting Up Presets
Setting up the presets was very easy as most of the presets were already set in place. All I needed to do was make minor corrections. These tended to be a matter of degree. For instance, one of the presets revolved around the scope or amplitude for the field. I had set it “close”, but later on, during my retirement, I wanted it to be more comfortable, and I changed the setting with the techs that came to retire me. Like stated previously, it was just a simple matter of moving a hovering or floating reticle over a specific setting and then hardening it into “clay”.
The presets were probably the most critical part of this segment. Programming wasn’t really ever used. (Once, I modified the code to enable entanglement.) In fact, I can honestly say that I never used the programming as part of my role. So, it really didn’t make much sense to train me to be able to access the “source code”. It was simply a great coincidence that I had the ability to reprogram the probes.
Programming
In general, in programming the various features of the probes, I had to learn to conduct rough “function chains”. These were just ladder diagram commands. They were identified with a start command symbol (looked like a big plump four-pointed star) and ended with an end command which kind of looked like a leaner and smaller four-point star. (Yes, I know the symbology is odd.) However, this was not always the case, while line functions always started with the “big star”, it could be “open ended”. That means that there would not be a closing “small star”. Instead, a “goto” command would exist. There were numerous icons for this command depending on what the function would go to next.
Unlike conventional programming, which runs in a line from left to right, I was taught to program from bottom upwards. Once completed, the program line would be presented in a horizontal fashion. It was read right to left. In other words, the “big star” icon would be at the far right, and the “small star” icon would be at the far left.
Further, the “surface” that this programming took place on was not flat. It was not like a piece of paper, a computer printout, or a nice organized surface inside a monitor. It was three dimensional. Elements or sections of “code” could be moved forward or backwards relative to my point of view. Thus, if I were to take a two-dimensional snapshot of the programming, you could see code in different sizes. From HUGE code “up front”, to unbelievably tiny code way in the back.
There were “objects” or “features” that I could manipulate. These looked like orbs, balls or concentric circles. They were connected to other “objects” through the use of lines. The lines would follow the curve of the larger objects that the smaller objects would be part of.
On top of all this, the programming was not in front of a monitor. It was all in my head. It was conducted while I sat down on the chair inside the ELF chamber at China Lake. The way these symbols materialized and moved about was by thought. Each one had an associated “feel”, “presence”, or “memory” (for lack of better terms) that I could “understand” and which helped me use the symbols. When I focuses on the component symbol, I would also access the associated “memory” or “abilities” that it possessed.
To me, they “felt” like thick cookies that fit together like dominoes. There were laws or rules that restricted placement. It was sort of like moving magnets around each other. The feelings, understandings and movements of the component glyphs only lased while my attention was focused on them.
Components
Within this command sequence were two major components. This consisted of [1] the program action itself, and [2] the objects to modify or manipulate. The objects to modify were themselves placed within a kind of bracket system that looked like plump baby bumpers. The objects themselves can either [1] be “named” by use of these kind of funky “O” shaped designs, or be [2] a set process that is described using other characters. Often these other characters would look like (backwards) curvy “L” or other odd shapes. Often, but not always, these objects were associated with a “position” within another process. In this case, they would utilize a queue icon (location within the ladder chain), which looks like a capital “I” with a dot in the middle of it.
All of the symbol glyphs that I accessed had a structure. Each structure had a purpose, and even a history. I could automatically understand an entire history and utilization of each symbol when I focused my attention onto it. Reader please note that the picture is derived from my memories, nearly 40 years ago. I drew up these symbols from memory using MS Visio. They are NOT what I used. Instead they are a pictorial representation of what I remember them to look like.
Naming of Objects
Each probe had a specific name (address or location finder) associated with it. When a given function would access the probe or groups of probes, a set object identification pattern would manifest. It would always be between the two (plump baby bumper) bracket icons. This can be [1] assigned or [2] accessed as part of another function. When assigned, the first line of “code” always specifies these objects first. Usually they were graphically larger than the rest of the code. When displayed horizontally, it was read left to right.
To the left of this object assignment, was an “assign object” code. It was always smaller in font text. It would consist of two icons. A “start assignment” icon which looked like a backward “L” (with a curved backward back) with a little “foot” (at the left end) that was upside down. This icon was also present to the left of the code that enumerated the objects identification code. Only it was a mirror image. The second icon was a “end assignment” icon. It looked like a backwards “L” with a curve backwards with an equal sign though it. It also was at the end of the object naming.
Here is a small example to show and indicate how all the symbols within the programming glyphs fit together. They are all designed around concepts and established understandings honed over centuries. We, as humans, are unfamiliar with these terms and concepts. However, that does not mean that they don’t make sense when we obtain understanding of them.
Example of assigning an object code
Here is the basic format that we used when assigning a code for a group of objects. This can be anything from a single individual probe, to a group of multiple probes, to a specific characteristic of a device or artifice.
Here is an example of assigning a numerical identification code to an object, a process or a sub-routine. No matter what the data involved, it always seemed to take on this general form.
As described previously, when assigning a particular identification to an object or function, it is made larger than the rest of the code. Further, it is preceded with a command that specifies that it is being made. The “to make” command has associated parameters associated with it. A specialized set of “brackets” are used to identify what is going on and why.
Throughout the programming code, the use of a given sequence of icons can be referred to or modified by the start-condition parameters as defined within the object / process definition segment.
Here is an example of assigning a numerical code within a pipeline of the process tree. Note that the entire location or “address” is identified by two thick “baby bumper” icons;
Here is an example of how an object “address” and or location is assigned within a process tree. Note that it is a two part operation that is placed between two plump “baby buggy bumpers”. Thus four iconic glyphs are used for this process. There can be other modifiers that can make the address variable, and these would be placed within the appropriate “bumpers”.
Functions
After the object, came the function. Many of the symbols used in the functions were easily understandable. For instance, a backward “L” (with a curved backward back) with a little “foot” (at the left end) would be “click” then an icon that looked like “two curved swords over a road”(like in the city of Baghdad) would mean “hold” This might be followed by an icon that would look like a stylized equal sign at a 45-degree angle would mean “share” or “interface or act” Finally, an icon that would look like a slash (an oblique slanting line) stylized with a dash next to it would mean “release”. This entire command sequence must be programmed into the system to work, so you would place a queue icon (that looks like a capital “I” with a dot in the middle) next “queue”.
Command Nomenclature
Commands would be read right to left instead of left to right like in English. So the command above is a simple “FETCH” command broken down into a series of icons. Like all functions, f(x) you need to specify the variable (x) or the object that will be modified by the command. This is placed within brackets (big fat ones like baby bumpers) before the function.
You “engage” the process by the “click” command, and then let the process actuate under the “hold pause and continue” command. It works a lttle like a “one shot”. Once the process is completed it then interfaces or runs or collects functions or data. This is the “share” command. Once the task is completed, you “release” of course. The entire process needs to be programmed, so you “queue” with respect to another action. Where and how it performs depends on the relationship of adjacent icons. In the example below, I used an “open arms” icon that means “accept input”, or in other words, I have to specify, what the values would be (or tie to another function that would provide those values).
Example
For instance, the below shows a very simple use of the fore mentioned fetch command. Here, one of the (characteristics) of one of the probes (identified by name, and shown to be part of a process queue) utilizes the fetch command to interface with another process. It assigns properties based upon a list of options. (The options come from the queue index in the object section.)
Here is an example of using a subroutine to institute a “fetch command”. You specify the location of the address and then specify at which point on the ladder tree it is accessed. You then run the function. In this example, we have a simple “fetch” command where “x” of f(x) = “fetch from”.
In the example above, we can see that the entire sub-program is a function. It references a location in the ladder diagram. This location is positioned between the two “baby bumpers” with a queue index icon in the middle of the location address. Then the actual code is specified. This is the function section. Finally, the entire sub-function is identified with a start and an end star.
When looking at the entire programmed function, the first thing that you can see near the end of the function is the objective of the function. Then to the right is the actual sub-program function. Finally the object to be programmed, or the sub-program that is to be modified.
Here is a typical function from above without the address component. It always seemed that the address contained all sorts of modifiers that would result in a much larger subprogram depending on how it was accessed. Here is the basic “fetch from” command all by itself.
The entire set of implants contained reams and reams of codes like this. However, access to specific lines of code was easy. You simply thought about what you wanted to do, and relevant code would appear. For instance, if I wanted full access to all of my memories, I would just simply think about “assess the code associated with my memories” and it would appear. Like all the code, the values for the objects and address location were pretty much meaningless to me. However, I did “understand” what they represented when I thought about it.
Strangely, I thought about it in a kind of 4D manner. I could imagine it moving and changing with different values and aspects as I thought about the function. It was cool, neat and baffling all at the same time. Specific icons (and the associated values and functions) could also be changed. However, if I wanted to change something that might be prohibited for some reason, I would not be able to change anything. There seemed to be a sort of “fail safe” editing command structure inherent in the program.
Initially, I gave a lot of thought as to what this was all about. After all, even though I now was able to retain my memories of the implant procedure, I did not have a clue as to what the overall purpose or what my role would be.
A very abbreviated overview of operation
In short, the programming for the probes was mathematically based but used a system that was employed to control the functions of complex aggregate machine-like artifices. Thus, it was neither a pure ladder diagram, nor a software programing language. It was something altogether different. As my ability to program software is rather primitive, the terms that I use herein is mine own and should not be confused with standardized conventions. The reader should also recognize that my impressions are that of a technically trained engineer that only understood what I needed to understand at the time. I was not, nor was I ever, an expert in this. Additionally, the ravages of time have corrupted my memories and what I think is correct could very well be incorrect. Never the less, I place it here, for the reader to ponder, in it’s impure state.
Functions
A function is what the purpose of the devices do. They can be programmed to do different things. Since we were programming ELF probes, and their interface with a biological artifice, it would make sense that the programming would alter or control the aspects associated with this purpose. In short, a function is a software communication method that would program mechanical devices to behave in certain ways. For our purposes, lets define these “ways” as “functions”.
In general it would take (iconic) arguments (that bracketed the operation command on one or both sides) and would return a specific action as a result. The functions can be;
Primitive – built-in and represented by a single iconic glyph. These icons had fixed operations and functions. They could not change or be modified by other functions or controls.
Defined – as a named and ordered collection of program statements. This functional output is whatever is defined in the parameters established near the objects identification code, and modified by the proper modifiers.
Derived – as a combination of an operator with its arguments.
Arrangement
The functions can be arranged in certain defined manners. These defined manners change the appearance of the specific code. In general, there are three different arrangements, each with a set or limited array of outcomes.
Niladic– not taking or requiring any arguments.
Monadic – requiring only one argument; on the right for a function.
Unary – requiring only one argument; on the left for a function.
Dyadic – requiring both a left and a right argument, binary.
Ambivalent – capable of use in a monadic or dyadic context.
Whereas, in our software code we tend to have binary responses (yes or no), this software code results in far more options than that. Each option can be “flavored” by the associated parameters provided by the objects identification parameter settings.
Operators
We also have a system where you can go “backwards” and derive a function. Here, it would consist of a operation or mapping that takes one (left) or two (left & right) function or an array-valued argument (operands) and derives a function. An operator may be [1] Primitive: built-in and represented by a single glyph, or [2] Defined: as a named and ordered collection of program statements.
Control
Why all this programming if we were implanted to be a robot? Certainly slaves, or robots are not provided with the means for independent control. The reader must recognize that at this time, I still had no idea what my “purpose” was. While it was all pretty cool, interesting and exciting to me, I still had no idea what all this would lead to.
I initially thought that at the most basic level we were to become a robotic slave to the commands issued to us. We were, after all, allowing the person at the other end of the transmitter to control our brains and thus ourselves. Oh, how simple I was then!
That was not the case, we were more valuable than that. They really didn’t need to pull out highly trained Naval Aviators, who have mastered multiple degrees, passes rigorous testing, and meet difficult levels of achievement to turn them into brainless robots. You could do this in other ways and use other people who were not so expensively trained.
Remember, to train a Naval Aviator cost over a couple of million dollars, so we were too expensive to turn into a household appliance. Whether it be as a mindless zombie to pick up a gun and shoot up a school, or to innocently walk into a meeting room and stab a CEO of a company. You did not need the kind of background and training that we had to do these things. The skill level requirements did not match; they were incompatible.
That does not, however, mean that the ELF technology and system isn’t used for those other kinds of tasks and assignments. I can only adequately comment on MY role and how the technology was used concerning my own life. I am quite confident that the technology is also used for other assignments and tasks of a different clandestine nature than mine own.
So, instead of simply being a remote controlled cyborg, we were taught how to reprogram our mind under certain conditions using the ELF signals. We could communicate as if we had Wi-Fi always in our heads, and we had access to control of our bodily functions at a level that was unprecedented previously.
Materialists like Daniel Dennet, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris immediately dismiss the possibility of an immaterial soul or mind that interacts with the brain and the physical body. Ah, what is seen in the physical is all that there is. Nothing else exists. Oh sure, there are radio waves, but that too can be explained as a hidden component of the physical.
They argue this on the grounds of classical physics. In this argument, the activity of the soul or any other immaterial entity, placing influences upon the brain violates the law of conservation of energy. They conclude that matter is the fundamental reality of human beings and of the entire Universe. They conclude that nothing else exists. Hogwash!
What is often ignored today is how Dennet, Dawkins, Sam Harris and the materialists fail to realize that the universe is not so simple. It is comprised of many other things that require effort to understand. These lazy folk do not want to leave 1900-era science. Their entire argument for materialism and the denial of the soul is based on an outdated “classical physics” paradigm. This paradigm was overturned in the 20th century with the advent of quantum physics.
The general thinking of many people, however, is still shaped by classical physics and for this reason alone, materialism seems like the most scientific worldview. It is not. Not by any degree of understanding. How in the world can you use a “smart phone” or an iphone and still hold this world view? Those appliances utilize quantum physics to operate gosh-dammit! Thus any comments in support of the materialist argument (against soul-body dualism) falls apart in the face of contemporary physics.
Here’s a quick review. At the quantum level, subatomic particles like electrons do not exist concretely; instead, they exist in a state of potentiality. For example, the electron at the quantum level does not occupy a fixed position or a momentum. Instead, the electron occupies an entire range of possible positions – and the evolution of these possibilities over time can be described by a wave function called the Schrödinger equation. It is only the act of measurement or observation by a conscious observer that [1] assigns concrete probabilities to each possible position, and [2] selects one of the possible positions of the electron and actualizes this possibility as a physical event. Prior to observation, there is no “matter stuff” but only “possibilities”.
Thus the key point; Material substance, as such, does not exist without an observation or act of human consciousness. Consciousness generates thought. Thought creates order of quantum potential. Ordered potential creates our reality.
It is therefore nonsensical to argue that material substances, like the aggregation of atoms, molecules and neurons can produce consciousness. Material objects, prior to conscious observation, exist only as wave-like potentialities and nothing more. The act of observation or measurement by a conscious agent is what reduces the potentialities into actualities, as Schrödinger himself writes about some particle x when it is observed at position K – prior to which particle x has no definite existence except in a cloud of potentialities.
Ah, but I digress…
Big Changes
Now that’s about all there was to the programming section of my training. In the grand scale of things, it didn’t last very long. I was at the ELF facility for maybe a handful of months. I “awoke”, and was taught how to program. I then self-programmed my probes and set the required defaults. Then I was reassigned to work off-base.
Only this time, I received instructions and communication straight from the source. No one needed to tell me anything. I instantly “knew” what to do.
I started to see (feel) immediate changes in myself physically, mentally and emotionally. I learned, then (quite early) that you just do not mess around with certain things. What I was involved in was a serious business that could have negative consequences if you were not careful.
I learned quickly what my skill set was.
I also learned that there were multiple world-lines. As such, I was taught how to adjust world-line programming. This also included time, the passage of, and the (apparent) direction of it. However, each time I ran through the “episodes” associated with the reading by the ELF station manager, it seemed like preprogramed memories would describe what was possibly transpiring at the time the changes were made. It was almost like I was performing within a cut scene and living out the consequences of my activities. This included both world-line alterations and time manipulation.
The capability remained present. Why anyone would want to invoke changes in time is beyond my comprehension. However, it is possible under the proper conditions. Indeed, this aspect is something that even now I am really confused about.
Off Base
I learned and was trained to invoke certain sequences for “advantage”. This training was substantial and is the subject of another post. In short, I learned how to navigate the MWI using link-access.
Anyways…
Bullshit
According to the Internet, there isn’t any extraterrestrials, world-line travel is a hypothetical fantasy, probes inside the brain is a fantastic illusion brought about by people with mental illnesses, and the idea that the United States government would be involved in such things is considered fringe lunacy.
The way things actually are has no bearing on what everyone thinks. In most cases, what everyone things is absolutely and positively in error. Many times it is based on assumptions that are flat out WRONG. Thus, when someone is exposed to the possibilities of truth, they recoil back in horror and dismay.
So, anyways, that’s about it for now. You can believe or not. I personally don’t give a flying fuck. If you want to believe that I spent my 1980’s wearing parachute pants, wearing a mullet, and watching “The Golden Girls”, so be it.
Global warming is a hoax used to siphon more money into programs that are saturated with “kick-back” schemes. Here is a typical example. Here is scientific data that PROVES that climate has been warming. There’s only one tiny problem with it. NOAA didn’t have any satellite data to support these findings. But, you know what, during the Obama Administration, you could get millions of dollars in funding if you could prove that global warming was real. What a scam! Yet, you can believe it if you want. No skin off my back, just don’t expect me to go along with your delusions. Just like I don’t expect you, the reader, to go along with everything that I am saying either.
You can believe everything CNN tells you. You can believe all about Global Warming. You can believe that there are 55 genders. You can believe that you are not paying enough in taxes, and that more taxes are needs “for ma roads!”.
My probes were not passive devices. They are interactive devices that required programming and calibration.
I can only program under the influence of an ELF field in a specialized chamber.
The probes were terrestrial (human) in nature, and they interfaced with extraterrestrial probes that were also inserted within my brain.
Retirement only disables my terrestrial probes. It has no effect on my extraterrestrial probes.
The probes permit certain abilities and advantages.
One such ability is MWI world-line travel.
FAQ
Q: Why did you have probes installed?
A: All members of MAJestic have probes installed. I had two “sets” or “kits” of terrestrial probes. The second kit interfaced with a special set of extraterrestrial probes that most MAJestic members do not have. This kit required a kind of specialized calibration and training.
Q: What was your mission?
A: I really can’t give out specific information. I can only talk in generalities. It was humanistic in nature. It supported the development of the human species in sentience growth. It was not like anything that the reader would think. It was actually pretty boring and dull. It was like selecting potatoes out of a truck-load of potatoes. It was nothing important at all.
Q: Who did you report to?
A: I worked independently and took commands from my probes and our extraterrestrial benefactors instantaneously.
Q: Have you ever used your programming skills since?
A: No. It was a one-time event. I learned how to mess around with the programming of the probes. I set up the defaults, and lived with the results ever since.
Q: Why do you say such nonsense?
A: Why do you read it?
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Let’s discuss my training. This wasn’t the kind of training that you would give to a new class of aviators every few months. This wasn’t the kind of training that involved textbooks, and a class instructor. It was something else entirely. It was alien to anything that I have ever experienced previously. Here, we discuss what I did at China Lake NWC, and how I underwent training for my particular role. This training was unique and different; the location itself was unique and different as well. The entire base was situated up high on top of a raised plateau high up in the mountains. Perhaps one might go as far as to consider the place to be equivalent to the Chinese Tibet.
Living in the “High Desert” was a wonderful experience, but not as great and unique as what transpired during my training. It was during the training that I became more than what I ever thought I was, or ever could be. This training and events appear impossible to comprehend, but they did happen; over four decades ago…
This post discusses a period of specialized training that I underwent in support of my role within MAJestic. It concerns “calibration” and “adjustment” exercises for a number of probes and devices that were implanted inside my brain. These devices consisted of three “sets”. One set, was extraterrestrial in nature and performance. The remaining two were terrestrially derived MAJestic implants.
All of the “training” and calibration exercises could ONLY be conducted within a specialized chamber, while all three probe “kits” were engaged.
Training Overview
The training mostly consisted of sitting in a chair inside a huge anechoic chamber.
Vintage head thing or device. How do you program or change one’s brain? Do you open up the skull and cut up the “grey matter”? Do you zap it with radio waves to induce electro-chemical changes internally? Do you flash it with waves? Well, in my case, probes were installed in strategic locations, and then the probes were calibrated and adjusted by ELF radiation.
An anechoic chamber (an-echoic meaning non-reflective, non-echoing or echo-free) is a room or chamber that is designed to completely absorb reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. They are also insulated from exterior sources of noise. The combination of both aspects means they simulate a quiet open-space of (apparent) “infinite dimension”, which is useful when exterior influences would otherwise give false results. These chambers are quite usefu for testing any item that is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation.
In fact, there wasn’t any formalized classroom training at all. There were no teachers, or teaching aides. There were no textbooks, notebooks, or classes. I only had but one “class mate” which was Sebastian (not his actual name). This kind of training was unlike any kind of training that I have ever had.
Training Center
The anechoic chamber was located deep within the China Lake Naval Weapon Center complex. It was located inside the complex within its own compartmentalized region. Of course, this base within a base had its own guard and fences as well. To reach it you had to go through the various checkpoints and guard stations. You would show the guard your badge and then the guard would log in your identify and cross reference it against a list of approved people who were on the access list for the day. As you enter into the more restricted and secret areas of the base, the access list becomes more and more exclusive. Thus allowing for more scrutiny on who goes in and out of the facility.
Once inside the restricted are, you had to enter yet another high security area. This was the region inside the security zone that was compartmentalized within the research base. Like all the other guard posts, your identify and your badge is checked against a clearance list to verify that you are who you are represented to be. Since this is a US Navy base, all the guards are marines. Wearing desert camo uniforms and carrying holstered 9mm side arms and combat rifles. (The M9 has been the standard sidearm of the United States Navy, United States Army and the United States Air Force since 1985, replacing the Colt M1911A1 in the Army and Navy and the Smith & Wesson .38 Special in the Air Force. The M9A1 is also seeing limited issue to the United States Marine Corps.)
They were typically young and in their 20’s. They always carried loaded weapons and side arms. They were always friendly and professional, but I have no doubt that they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me dead if I were not who I was supposed to be.
All Naval bases are guarded by United States marines. At the time of my involvement, they wore desert camouflage clothing. I would pass through three gates when I went to the test facility on base.
They would always check the contents of the car we were driving in, or the bag that I had with me. In those days, I often rode to the complex on a motorcycle. It was great riding my motorcycle out in the desert. As long as it wasn’t too hot, I would ride to “the Pinnicles” (a curious rock formation) off base, or ride the twisty road to Trona and pass by the “painted dinosaur rocks”. They would thus, check my backpack to see if I was bringing in or out any forbidden or suspicious items.
More than one (contractor) left behind briefcase or bag was detonated “sight unseen” for the purposes of safety. (In those days, we typically carried a rectangular briefcase of the traditional 1960’s style. A handful of people carried a backpack, but they were rare at that time.) Mostly, I just carried a homemade lunch with me in my briefcase. I typically strapped it to the back of the motorcycle using bungee cords. I never had any problems with the guards.
Usually I ate baloney, cheese and tomato on plain white bread with mayonnaise or yellow mustard. Usually I ate it with Lettuce, (yellow) onion, and (sweet) mayonnaise (Miracle Whip), but the heat of the desert tended to warm the sandwich and spoil it. So, I oftentimes I simply ended up eating hot peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead. For the interests of total disclosure, I also tended to eat leftover spaghetti in a sandwich with peanutbutter and tomato. My friends and coworkers thought I was nuts, but it was good and I liked it. Perhaps I was a bit unconventional, but you could chalk that up to personal eccentricity.
As an aside, I love tomatoes. In fact, one of my “little pleasures” has been to grow tomatoes at home. Not the hard, tasteless tomatoes genetically modified to be transported to supermarkets, but rather the soft, huge and sweet tomatoes. These went by names of “Big Boy”, and “Better boy” tomatoes and grew to huge size. Nothing tastes finer than a fresh homegrown heirloom tomato on fresh Italian bread with mayonnaise. One of my pleasures, indeed.
When I rode up to the gate, they would want to see my badge. They would then look at it, and then compare it to the clipboard. Then note when I arrived or left in the log. Then they would wave me forward and beyond. I would say that it never really took more than a minute or two for them to process me. The particular zone or region that I was part of was not a very heavily traveled location. There might be a handful of people with access to that area. Perhaps a total of twenty or so. So they would look on the clipboard, and see that I was who I was and let me go.
The waiting was usually due to all the other people in the various cars and trucks before me. The base was very large and sprawling and as such, there were many, many people that would go in and out of it. It was the duty of the marines to make sure that access was restricted to only those who had legitimate business on the base.
At that time, I lived off-base in Ridgecrest. I rode a black Yamaha 550 cc Vision motorcycle. It was a water-cooled engine, but actually had some problems due to the dust in the desert.
On entering or leaving the base there was generally a small line of cars and trucks that had to be “processed”. This meant a check of the ID badge, and confirmation of our purpose on the base. They also would check our bags, the trunk of a car or the back of a truck. It didn’t take too long. At most, I would say perhaps fifteen minutes would pass while I sat there on my black motorcycle sweltering in the hot desert sun.
The facility that I was trained at was an anechoic chamber located within a special ELF test range. (A test range is a special name that simply refers to an area where tests are constructed. They may or may not have distances “ranged out” for calibration exercises. For instance, like a “rifle range”.) It was NOT a dedicated teaching facility. It was an engineering test facility that was used to test experiments.
During my stay at the facility, it was repurposed for ELF calibration and training for specific MAJestic members (in this particular program) so equipped with Core Kit #2 probes. Our roles were truly unique as no other members required this kind of “training”.
Like many high tech facilities, this was located in a remote part of the base. (The base was divided into ranges, or test centers, often separated from each other by miles of open desert.) It consisted of a simple little cluster of buildings in the middle of an immense stretch of flat desert. To an outside observer you might not have any clue as to what it was. On the outside, it looked like any cluster of buildings in the desert. Moreover, like the desert in the Mojave, all the buildings were surrounded with boxes, crates, strange equipment, debris and a mix of old and new things that never rusted or corroded in the hot desert heat. Everything looked new, though they tended to be faded and dusty.
To get to the complex you drove on this flat road that went far off into the distance in the wide and desolate desert. This road, aside from a couple of turns around some more or less low hills, was straight. Once you reached to the top of a local crest, after the last security gate, you could see the road stretch off into the distance like a straight arrow. Off in the distance it would continue towards another group of low hills. On both sides of the road were the low shrubs, sage brush and rocks, stone and sand so characteristic of the local region. Eventually, there in the middle of the desert sat a cluster of buildings, stationary vans, and portable offices. From the crest it looked like a small remote pin point of objects. As such, it would take a good fifteen minutes to drive to it. The buildings and gear all clustered around a big warehouse prefab building that housed the chamber, and the two electronic labs that occupied the space.
As you rode down the hot asphalt road (on the way to the test facility) you would see the cluster to your right. It sat off a moderate sized parking lot. With perhaps, three to five cars parked there typically. Often times, I was nearly alone at the facility. If I had no scheduled training, and no one was there, I would often sit there inside, reading a manual or killing time waiting for others to arrive.
High Technology in the Desert
Hollywood likes to present a stereotypical image of secret, high technology programs. They envision heavily armed guards, men and women with black sunglasses, ear phones, and lots and lots of gates, fences, and glass. Glass everywhere… it seems. Nice and shiny chrome or brushed metal electronics. Hollywood makes you think that this is what high technology and research are. They give you the impression that there are attractive scientists and specialists who operate this equipment.
Stereotypical Hollywood, from the movie “Independence Day”. In this scene, the President meets up with the chief “Scientist” (actually Aerospace Engineer) who has been sequestered at Area 51 reverse engineering extraterrestrial spacecraft.
Maybe there is a quirky or colorful person who is brilliant, but a little eccentric there. They portray an area that is all high technology with all kinds of cool and mysterious scientific apparatus, with plasma and LCD displays, with brilliant white sterile hallways, and device filled dark rooms and all kinds of cool people wearing trendy clothes and white lab coats. Always very attractive, with usually a “hot” blonde girl who was brilliant but unobtainable (from a dating point of view).
The geniuses tend to be in the early 20’s typically just out of college, and anyone who is older is portrayed as really old with white hair, balding and “out of touch” with the rest of the scientific community. Such is stereotypical Hollywood. They give you the impression that it had all kinds of electric eye and key-activated pass-codes and things like that…
But, I tell you the truth, Hollywood hasn’t a clue! The reality was really, really different. Well, at least in the 1980’s it was.
In the world of Hollywood, the stereotypical scientist and engineer wears a white lab coat, a magnetic card reader badge, and tends to be a bit eccentric. They are the geniuses of the sterile metallic and glass monoliths that they inhabit. They are portrayed as geniuses who are completely out of touch with the world outside their sterile domain.
Well, for one thing, the hallways were plain. They were government hallways for goodness sakes! For those of you who have never been inside a government building in the 1980’s, it was a speckled white linoleum tile floor with two tone, (lower) light pastel green walls / (upper section) off-white, walls and fluorescent lights on the ceilings. The doors were all heavy gauge steel with a stainless steel kick plate and robust knobs.
All the offices used office furniture that was maybe ten to twenty years old, and possibly even older (for the mid-1980’s, placing their manufacture in the 1930’s through the 1960’s). I saw some wooden desks from the 1920’s there, but for most of the base, it consisted of heavy-steel grey desks that were mass produced in the 1940s through to the 1970s. The new equipment were mostly the electronics that we used, (1980’s style push-button) telephones, and (huge black & white non-color print ability) copy machines. Faxes were just becoming popular, but still not prevalent. The use of computers were for specialized projects and for the engineers and techs, not for the secretaries. No word processors were used. This was a time that was way before Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office came into popular use. We used electric typewriters. The labs used state of the art equipment and machinery. However, that tended to be off-the-shelf high-end HP diagnostic and design equipment.
The base was populated with spread-out frame buildings that sat in the hot desert heat. Many were plain and nondescript. You couldn’t tell their purpose from the outside. Some possessed signs, while others just sat there mutely.
The people were government employees.
Brilliant scientists and engineers, but they all dressed conservatively. Typical dress was casual with a white or polo shirt over blue jeans. In fact, they dressed in the western style. Some wore cowboy hats, most wore cowboy boots and jeans. Lee’s, Levi’s and wrangler jeans were the most popular at the time. Plaid shirts and collared T-shirts were the norm. Many wore polyester shirts and pants (this was the 1980’s after all). The wearing of ties was quite rare, though Texas style bolo ties would periodically make their appearance. (At this time, not too many people wore collared polo-shirts. We all tended to wear white or white patterned cotton/polyester blended shirts.) There were very few people in uniform, as most people were civilian employees or contractors working for the government. Many, if not all, had prior active military service.
Most of the people there at the local satellite facility were men. I don’t recall ever seeing a woman there. There were no janitor staff or maintenance staff there, unless on special assignment. Thus the place ended up getting a dusty and cluttered look. As projects came and went, the debris of prior projects would accumulate one on top of the other for months, years, and even decades. In the lab would be industry calendars that would be a year or two out of date. They don’t make these calendars anymore, because they are deemed sexist and inappropriate. But we all loved them. They would often portray an attractive woman, often in a swimsuit, holding some kind of industrial supply or tool. For instance a typical calendar might show a red haired busty girl holding a wrench and leaning against a compressor.
In a male dominated workplace, the most effective means of advertising tools is to utilize imagery that appeals to men. During the Bill Clinton (D) administration, there was a move to make everyone “equal”. In so doing, all efforts to appeal to a anything other than female or neutral gender was discouraged. Know your history.
In the post-President Bill Clinton (D) world, anything deemed to be sexist or demeaning was removed from the American work place by presidential decree. I think that this was a political move initiated by his wife; Hillary Clinton. It was an effort to gain political support by a major feminist voting block that was of significant importance to his Democrat political party. As such, he introduced, what later on become known as, “feel-good” legislation.
I personally think that this was and still is a suppression of “free speech”, but his supporters didn’t. In their eyes is was one of a continuing series of small steps and efforts to build a “more perfect world” in which everything that is objectionable to his electoral block of supporters is suppressed and made illegal.These were rules, or guides, or even laws that mandated the removal of all items that were deemed sexist or demeaning to women in the workforce. Today, you can never see these objects in an American workplace, while they are however still common in other nations.
As an aside, I was once lambasted for having a “Weekly World News” calendar on my desk.
Each day would be a new article from that amazingly funny newspaper. Each day was an outrageous front page article from this newspaper. One day, HR called me to their office at the end of the day. They complained about my calendar. Apparently in it was a picture of an article that it had describing a girl who gave birth to a 54 pound baby (I forgot the actual weight).
I thought that it was funny, but HR did not at all. I was firmly told that the calendar was demeaning to women and that I had to remove it and write a formal apology to go into my permanent record or suffer suspension and loss of my job.
The ELF Substation
The test substation was nothing more than an island of buildings on a hot flat desert plain. There were no trees. Mostly what you would see would be low brittle shrubs and sagebrush. The ground was always covered in a fine sand of coarse rocks, brittle twigs and debris. (This always included these multi-pointy star shaped seeds and burrs that seemed to always grab hold of my trousers and socks no matter how hard I tried to avoid them.)
The desert itself was mostly flat with various groupings of boulders placed haphazardly throughout the terrain. Always, it seemed, that the boulders were grey and the sand was golden. All of this was often framed against a pristine, robin egg blue, sky. In the distance you could see the faded light Blue Mountains (typically a hazy blue tint) obscured by the daytime heat. The Panamint Mountain Range were always viewable from the base no matter where you stood. They seemed to always be covered with snow at their peaks, even in the hot, hot summer sun.
The cluster consisted of one large blue prefabricated building that was perhaps two stories tall, surrounded by a number of smaller trailers, sheds and structures of unknown purpose and function. Many of the cement structures in the surrounding land were former test stands, or facilities that were part of previous research and test projects. Many which were cancelled or killed over the years. The projects, abandoned after being recorded and archived. Their equipment cannibalized for other purposes and projects.
Many people do not realize that in the R&D field, more than 80% of the projects that scientists work on are routinely killed or discarded. The reasons vary. Some [1] are simply due to funding cuts, which is a political matter. Other reasons include a [2] change in research direction, a [3] key individual leaving the program or a [4] decision made elsewhere to focus on something else. The Mohave desert is full of the broken dreams of many an aspiring engineer and scientist.
The Panamint Mountains as viewed from China Lake NWC. Pretty impressive. No matter where you go, you will always be able to see these mountains.
No matter where you were on the base at NAS NASC China Lake, you could see the mountains in the distance. This is what they looked like. In the distance they appeared with a bluish tint. It is an atmospheric phenomena that I cannot explain adequately to the reader. The reader must realize that for the most of the time, it was hot and dry desert, and the view reflected that fact. What was most interesting however was that the valleys as shown in the picture above all had a small stream in the middle of them, and if you followed the valley up higher to towards the top of the mountain the streams got wider and life began to manifest itself in the form of small trees, weeds and grasses.
All the sheds, buildings and trailers were surrounded with all kinds of unused electronics, scientific apparatus and military devices of god-only knows what they were for. (There would often reside many delightful objects of curious contraption inside of numerous cardboard boxes, many of which were never even opened once.) The reader has to understand that it rarely rained, so a person could set the stuff outside for storage and nothing would ever happen to it. So there were piles and piles of boxes of computer and electronic components, wires, containers of all sizes and shapes and gizmos and gadgets of an electronic pedigree of some sorts lying about. To get to the complex (as well as leave it), you had to go through 3 gates with armed guards. So, no one was ever going to steal the stuff…
The electronics varied from scavenged avionics to entire mainframe computers. There were boxes of disassembled antennas, submarine sonar systems, and missile tracking radar. The boxes would hold such things as reams of wire in different gauges to boxes of nuts and bolts. In a way, it was like a cross between Home Depot, a yard sale, and a Military surplus store all located in an old trailer park.
Every time that there was a project, the engineers on the project would store their gear outside. That was usually because there wasn’t enough space inside the offices. Outside were cardboard boxes, some open, and some closed. There were boxes that had never been opened, but had been sitting there for years. Often these boxes were loaded with all kinds of electronics gear. Some boxes would have PCB panels, while others would contain wires. Still others would hold parts of antennas. There were boxes of screws, resistors, and all manner of junk that made the place look like the cross between a hardware shop and a flea market.
As odd as this might seem, generally no one would scavenge for parts unless they obtained permission from the original owners of the components first. This was a small community on the base, and everyone knew everyone else. At least, as far as the grizzly old timers, and managers were concerned. Transient engineers, other contractors, and those individuals like myself were excluded from the good-old-boy network that persisted at the base.
But, while I did not know it at the time, my role in MAJestic was a very unique and important one. I am sure that were there any need to defend me or support me in my role that the entire weight of the MAJestic organization would bear down on anyone who would interfere in my training and purposes there.
The portable office buildings were simply work offices. There were file cabinets, air conditioners, and some even had a sink and fridge. Inside were desks, conference tables and just the normal brick-a-brack associated with any kind of business or work. Mugs with Naval and Weapon Systems logos on them abounded. I well remember one that I used (don’t remember where I picked it up, probably next to the coffee pot – an orphan mug) a CBU-78/B with a picture of some weapons system and some flashy logo design was quite common. We used the port-a-potties that were on the edge of the parking lot for the most part. Though, at least one of the trailers had a fairly decent restroom. All of the buildings were cooled by both Air Conditioners and Evaporative coolers. The most common method of cooling was the evaporative cooler, which we all liked to call a “swamp cooler”.
Here is a typical mobile office. It would hold perhaps three or four rooms and a bathroom. In many cases that meant a central conference room, two offices, with a bathroom at the end.
There were about four large office buildings there and one smaller one. These were usually occupied by other people who I did not know, doing work that I knew nothing about. When I would stick my head in the office to use the head, we’d nod and say hi, but that was about it. One the side of each of the office buildings and the main prefab buildings were numerical designators, or address that things could be delivered to them. There was a mail box in front of the parking lot, and a large dumpster on the edge of the parking lot. There was nothing extraordinary concerning the layout of the complex. It was a typical industrial layout that could be seen anywhere in the United States or in the world.
Off the road in front of this complex was a small parking lot big enough for about thirty cars, though it was mostly empty with no more than five to eight cars there at any given time. It the far end was an area for motorcycles. On the deck were metal plates for the rider to use to put the kickstand upon.
Off from the parking lot was a set of cement steps that led to the main building. Next to the side door was a coke machine. Though, I never saw anyone ever fill it up. I suppose that you would have to have a high security clearance to fill soda machines in this area.
The Test Chamber
The main building, as far as I was concerned, was the big blue prefab warehouse building. It housed the anechoic chamber that I did most of my training in. It was a dual use facility and was used to test and calibrate various munitions at the base. Inside was a really messy control booth, raised up about 10 inches above the floor with cabling below it. The control booth contained a long curved, “L” shaped console desk. In the desk were various knobs, dials and electronic modules. There were also voids and gaping holes in the metal of the desk were modules were removed and not replaced. In these holes, sometimes wires would protrude and they would dangle out of the hole like some kind of colorful dusty snake. Surrounding the desk were rack mounted electronics that controlled the “horns” that would be beamed at us when we were in the chamber.
As strange as it might seem, the ELF control station looked a lot like this abandoned old power station. The colors, the dust, and the various electronic panels in disarray was typical.
Photo is of an abandoned power plant control station. Never the less, the control room to the ELF station looked remarkably similar to this (cluttered, but not so littered. There wasn’t any trash on the floor, etc.). The dim lighting, the greenish-grey colors and the dusty panels were identical to the control station. Off the side were large equipment racks with files of wires that cascaded downwards, and many panels were removed or open so that the workers could access the controls at will to modify, repair or access the equipment inside. It was a wonderous cluttered dim dusty mess.
There were a large number of horns. They ranged in size to big units the size of a small car, to tiny hand held units that could fit into your hand. Each one was labeled and identified and rolled for storage in every nook and cranny of the building. The smaller horns sat on dusty shelves, while the bigger horns were wheeled into the dark hallways surrounding the chamber.
Typically, most horns were unpacked and stored as is. Sometimes they were covered with a tarp of a sheet of plastic, and other times, they just sat there collecting dust. Like everything on the base, there were various tags, labels, and documents that provided code numbers used to track the devices and their ownership.
This is a typical horn used to radiate ELF radiation. They came in different sizes and shapes. The large ones were enormous and were stored elsewhere. The smaller ones were the size of an (old fashioned) bread-box.
A “horn” is a kind of electronic speaker, looking a lot like an old fashioned horn, which radiates different radio frequencies. There are small ones (like tweeters) and large ones (like Bass speakers). But these horns dealt with Extra-Low frequency signals, so they tended to be a different shapes and sizes than you would see in home speakers. For us, and for the military devices being tested, different horns were used. But for us, they were much smaller than the horns used to test missiles and weaponry. (This was a dual use facility, with all kinds of Ordnance lying around).
The horns were controlled by a collection of custom electronics and modified off-the-shelf gadgets on the base. The control room looked like the basement of a mad scientist, with all kinds of junk everywhere. With wires of all kinds snaking about. It was a wiring nightmare, as most of the electronics were custom made on the spot, apparently in the labs nearby. They were all wire wrapped, instead of soldered, and if one came loose, the training had to halt until we repaired it again.
“Wire-wrapping” is a technique that is used to electrically connect electronic components together. Today, most electronics on a given PCB are placed there by “pick and place” automated machines, they then go through a system that melts the solder in the very tiny joints on the electrical board. But there are other methods. One very famous method is to use “wave solder”. This technique connected “wire leaded” electrical components by washing their lower portion into a small stream of liquid lead solder. The wire wrap technique does not use molten solder, instead it relies on the wrapping of a very small wire over the length of a long pin.
Directly adjacent to the chamber was the control station, and next to that was a large electronics lab where parts would be assembled and manufactured. We usually had the entire facility to ourselves. People would come and go while they worked on various projects. Only once was there a spot check whether I belonged there. And that event passed uneventfully.
The control station consisted of a raised plywood deck approximately one foot high off the floor. Under it snaked all kinds of wires, plugs, and cables that serviced the equipment that was used to run the chamber and operate the horns. On the platform were metal consoles that looked identical to that which were used in the SLICK-6 control booths to launch the space shuttle. These desks had wires, chairs and were often cluttered with dusty papers, tools (typically to include a screwdriver and a flashlight), and unused coffee mugs with the logos of various military programs on them. Next to the stations were electronics racks that held a large number of custom made electronics and other elements of modified electronics as well.
In the adjacent electronics lab were the standard workstations. These included work tables, a rack of spools of multicolored wire, cabinets of electronic components, and cabinets of specialized components. There were the standard array of oscilloscopes, power supplies, tool boxes, lams and a litany of miscellaneous debris. These were objects consisting mostly of papers, pencils, half completed projects, and Bric-à-brac of an indescribable nature.
Wire-wrapping technology. You utilized a small tool that looked a little like a tiny pistol and “shot” the wire around posts.
Of course, we all helped get the equipment to work, and my background and training was put to good use on the equipment.
The ELF chamber was huge and dark. It could have fit a small bus easily inside. There was a single incandescent light high up in the ceiling, and a plywood walkway that stood over the triangular cones that lined the floor. The cones themselves were dark grey and covered with a rough finish to absorb all sounds. It was spooky-quiet in the chamber. The door to the chamber was thick and it was easily ten inches thick and studded with cones on the inside. On the outside of the door was an indicator light. This red light would be lit whenever a test sequence was going on. It was a standard 60 watt incandescent bulb with a red (instead of clear) bulb surface. That would warn people to stay away and not go inside. Going inside the chamber would be hazardous if the wrong horn was powered on.
Inside the chamber was empty, but it had an area that permitted large ordinance (it was often used to test the radar and emissions properties of missiles and rockets) to be wheeled in and tested. In my case, an ejection seat was wheeled in and placed in the center of the chamber. It was mounted on to a welded frame and could be wheeled about as needed. This seat was pulled out of a dark corner, dusted off, set in place and secured to the floor. The idea was for it to be located exactly in the proper place in the chamber. The seat itself, was an ordinary enough object, no doubt scrounged from a previous project or obsolete program.
Waking up
Up until the middle of (that) summer, I still had no recollection of my true and real purpose. I had “forgotten” everything. I had no memories of what transpired while I was in AOCS.
All my memories were lost, occluded and hidden from me. I could not access them at all in any way. As far as I was aware, my time in the United States Navy was a brief experience. It was a mistake. In my mind, according to my memories and feelings, I had experienced a small taste of what it was like to fly and I did not like it. I had absolutely no desire to fly, go into space, be a fighter pilot, or any kind of pilot for that matter.The memories that I had were artificial…
There were real reasons for this. It was important for various reasons that I not have access to these memories. Most of the reasoning behind it was hidden from me. Though, over the years I have speculated on the various reasons, and thus I have come to the obvious conclusion that those whom made the reasons had access to information and knowledge that I was not privy to. I obviously needed to be oblivious to my purpose, and to the reasons why I needed to be trained. I needed to blend in to the world around me, and I needed to be average and typical. I was not to “stand out” in any way. No attention was to be directed towards me.
Memories reside outside the physical reality. Thus, the consciousness can access them when they take on wave properties and migrate outside the physical body.
Experts will tell you that memories reside within certain parts of the brain. They know this, they explain, because they have mapped how the brain reacts when certain memories are triggered. However, they make one critical ASSUMPTION. They assume that ALL of the activity associated with memories occur ONLY within the brain. As such, under this assumption, they can map the way the brain behaves when thoughts are triggered. However, the truth is that this assumption is wrong. Memories do not reside within the brain. They reside elsewhere, and the brain accesses them using certain techniques. It is the access of the non-resident memories that scientists have mapped. Not the repository of the memories themselves.
While I have just (now) stated that I had no recollection of my memories, it was not precisely true. In fact it was not entirely true at all. I did, indeed, remember every single one of my memories. It is just that I never thought about them.
This is very confusing for many people to understand. It has to do with how the mind accesses the memories. It has to do with the process involved in memory recall. It has to do with the way that memories reside in the quantum cloud surrounding the body. In short, I never forgot my memories, but access to them was denied.
So for me, I had no conscious remembrances of anything associated with the program. Conscious states or mental events lack the spatio-temporal properties of material objects. Therefore, it becomes difficult to physically identify what had transpired during key events.Yet I still retained the memories associated with those events.
My Assignment
To be authorized to be on a military base, and especially where I was to be trained, I needed to have a secret clearance. No one ever went to the regions where my training took place without one. Yet, secret clearances are not just given away to anyone who asks for it. It is extremely selective. The system is designed that way.
Specifically, it requires a purpose and functional role that has to be associated with a given activity. Each activity that the worker is assigned had to be placed under a specific project. Each project had a level of secrecy associated with it.
However, to everyone else, I was “just” an engineering contractor. (The reader must realize that there are many kinds of contractors. Some have extremely restrictive security clearances. There is no such thing as a “standard” engineering contractor.) I could not, for instance, say that I was a member of a secret program, and needed a clearance. I could not say that I was required to have a special clearance because I was part of a SAP. These programs are secret. No one knows about them; even the people on the bases that also held similar clearances.
There is no “James Bond style” secretary to the head boss “M” that knows all the agents, and all their assignment (Miss Moneypenny.). That is just Hollywood fiction. Again, to remind the reader, real and actual secret programs are secret.
Therefore, I needed to [1] be assigned a “visible” and tangible project that [2] required that I do work on the base facilities. [3] I had to have access to the inner (more secure) regions of the base. [4] I also had to be given the secret clearance necessary to do the work. Finally, [5] the process of obtaining my secret or confidential clearance must not betray my actual role.
Thus, I could not simply claim that I was a “top secret W(U)-SAP agent” that needed additional training because I had an association with MAJestic. (The reader must recall that I myself had no recollection of the memories of that role. So for me, I was, for the first time, applying for a secret security clearance. Not remembering that I already had the highest levels of military clearance through MAJestic.) I had to apply through local military and civilian government channels to get the basic military clearances.
That is how it is done.
When a person in MAJestic; with the highest clearances available needed to work on a military facility, or government base, they would reapply as a civilian for “lesser” clearances. No one would ever know their true status. So to get a person, who was part of the MAJestic team onto a base you find a reason to hire that civilian. Then apply for the necessary paperwork and clearances. Thus the solution was simple, and quite common, then as it is today.
In practice, you simply hire the individual to work on the base as a “military contractor”. This is also known as a “carve out”. It moves government control away from a government program. (You “carve it out” of the highly scrutinized and politicized, government budget.) That way it cannot be politicalized. It cannot be “used” as a “bargaining chip” to pass one sort of legislation or the other. It cannot be used as some type of “political football” to further the needs for the political elite. It is protected, insulated and isolated from all of that.
Most military contractors had a technical background of some sort. All of the members of MAJestic had a technical engineering background. In fact, this was one of the selection criteria. It is pretty smart when you think about. You cannot join MAJestic unless you possessed a technical background.
There is no way that you can get it without having to PROVE that you have a technical ability. It effectively screens out “community organizers”, “political appointees”, and “liberal activists”.
As, then as now, people who tend to be workers, who tend to apply themselves to a project, often also tend to be traditional or conservative regarding many issues. Then, once hired, the contractor obtained the security clearance specific to the work that needed to be conducted.
My initial work at the facility was as an electrical technician to help support the staff at the facility. This was the lowest level of involvement that I could obtain to access the base.
It had, associated with it, the smallest number of questions regarding what I was to be involved in and what my tasks were to be. Everyone who works on a military facility needed to obtain clearance to do so. The smaller the number of questions asked, the better (for us), as our background was such that no “red flags” would be permitted to be visible. Our training had to be conducted surreptitiously. For other positions, and other clearances, more questions and more detailed examinations would have to be conducted.
This might be confusing to the reader, but it is very simple. As a degreed engineer, I should have been hired at a much higher rate. That would be a GS-9, or even a GS-12 (to start). However, with every increase in pay grade comes an associative list of (more extensive) questions and inquiries. All of which require detailed subsequent background stories (and investigations).
Additionally, it is best that once I obtained my “training” that I remove my history from China Lake as quickly as possible. Over time, it just becomes a simple footnote in a CV. That would not be so easy if I held a more substantive position on a military base.
The reader must remember that this was in the 1980’s under President Ronald Reagan. Security was taken seriously, and only the most worthy obtained clearances. (Ah, and still, mistakes were made.)Fast forward to the President Obama (D) administration fiasco where it seemed like anyone could get a high paying job, and get a security clearance. They were being handed out like candy at a parade. All you need to do is fit the approved criteria.
This criteria was quite simple. It was never written down officially. For if it was, it would constitute treason.
However, in general it seemed like all you needed was to [1] be Muslim, [2] be a member of an approved minority, [3] commit no more than 200 crimes, and [4] show allegiance to a globalist agenda. (Sorry for the vitriol.) Yet, there is truth in these words. The security systems in place at the time of this writing are mere pale shadows of what was in place during the 1980’s. At that time, people had to prove that they deserved to know something. The term “need to know” was taken seriously and implemented seriously.It is almost like “need to know” was replaced with “must be diverse”.
(Ah, what the fuck do I know? He had an agenda and he followed through with it skillfully, and the sheep followed his sanguine song. I just see the mess that he left, and shake my head, because I actually know what it means in the BIG PICTURE. Sigh.) But, you know what? It’s No Longer My Business.
So, I was hired as a GS-5 pay grade military contractor.
To make up the difference in pay level, my company provided me a generous Per Diem allowance that (when) combined provided me with an adequate salary during my training period. So, in truth, I was being paid as the engineer I was, but for my technical clearance and all other issues regarding the government, I was just a lowly tech. I rated somewhere above janitor, but below engineer.
Like all base contractors, I had to perform my stated labors, and I did so without complaint. Thus, I helped [1] debug the equipment, and [2] repair it when necessary. I [3] helped to calibrate the units, and [4] run drills and [5] tests as needed. Indeed, I spent much of my time in the [6] control booth and in the [7] nearby electronics lab. I [8] learned how each and every one of the test units worked, and [9] I was able to debug it electronically.
Most of the controls used wire wrapped components. This was a wiring nightmare. It looked like thin spaghetti in a maze of colors and shapes. Often these wires would come loose, or would be accidently pulled out of place, and we would have to go and repair the damage. Sometimes the parts and components would fail, and we would have to repair and replace them. Sometimes we would have to make our own replacement boards and units. This was typical of the work myself were involved in while awaiting our training sequence.
The work was easy. (We were just way overqualified for the work. It was of a technical nature, and there was no question that we could do it.) It was just tedious.
In addition I helped to [10] test the units, and [11] perform manual labor associated with testing the equipment at the lab. It often involved the moving of equipment, recording the test results and conducting setup and tear-downs of various testing configurations. From time to time, I would also be called upon to do other related engineering tasks; such as [12] drafting checking, [13] basic drafting, and CAD design (on early CAD systems; notably CADKEY).
This is a typical building at the China Lake NWC. Most of the buildings were of pole and metal construction.
Total Memory Recall
Every day was spent helping the staff at the facility test ordinance in the ELF chamber. That continued for months up until one day when I was asked to help install a chair inside the chamber. It was just sitting off to the side behind one of the partitions, and rested on a wheeled plywood platform. It was just a chair or a seat. There was nothing special about it. I suppose a “folding chair” would have the same utility.
After we had installed the seat, I noticed that the rest of the staff at our little island cluster of buildings had left for off-site meetings, thus leaving us three alone. (That, in itself wasn’t really unusual. People came and went. But on that day, and the subsequent days, the local ELF facility parking lot was absolutely empty.) It was just myself, Sebastian and the Engineer who ran the facility remaining. We chatted a while, and after we finished our cokes, I was told to sit there patiently and not to get up for any reason. Sebastian helped close the door and I was left alone in the chamber waiting quietly.
The door to the chamber was then closed and sealed and the indicator light (This was a 40 watt red-colored incandescent light bulb that was in a light fixture outside the chamber, residing above the door to the ELF chamber.) was turned on. The indicator light was always used in the event of a test, but I had never been inside the chamber during a test. It was eerie and quiet. Inside the chamber is enormously quiet. (The interior structure of the ELF chamber was designed to absorb sound, radiation and light. It is the nature and purpose of the chamber.) Anyone who has ever worked with these kinds of chambers will be able to confirm that fact. It was dark with one lone 60 watt incandescent light bulb dangling from high up near the ceiling. It was cool however, the chamber was at the same temperature as the rest of the air-conditioned building. Even though there were no vents inside the chamber, I felt comfortable sitting there. Though, in hindsight, maybe I should have brought a book with me.
It began with silence, and peace. Then I began to feel an irritation. It began to feel like all kinds of little tiny insects were crawling in my body. Of course, it only felt that way. There were no actual tiny insects. It felt like every one of my nerves were alive and vibrating, and that gave me the impression that there were little things crawling inside of me.
And, before I knew what was going on, I heard a strong ringing in my head and there was a sequence of flashes and I lost control of my eyesight. Instead, the long-ago yet familiar pastel map from the NAS NASC Pensacola Florida ELF facility at NAMI flooded my vision. And at that very moment, at that exact instant of time, I had a total and complete resurgence of all my repressed memories associated with the W(U)-SAP (MAJestic) program.
I was lucky enough to locate a photo of the interior of the test chamber where I was trained. The only differences was that instead of a missile and frame, the area was empty, and a chair rested there for me to sit on.
The reader needs to understand that the consciousness is NOT the same thing as the soul. Likewise, memories are not the brain, nor do they reside inside the brain. They are something separate that is accessed by the brain. As such, the brain and the consciousness that controls it, the soul and memories are all separate entities with different purposes and behaviors.
The core kit #1 probes were engaged.
It lasted for one or two minutes and then the field was turned off and my eyesight returned. I sat in the chair and did not move. I now remembered everything. I had a complete and total memory recall of all the events leading up to the meeting with the Commander at the base, and everything subsequent to that. It was stunning. But even more stunning was fitting the fragmented pieces together and merging my “apparent” life that I have been living with the “true and actual” reality that had been hidden from me. To me, it was enormously stunning. I just sat there and did and said nothing. I was overwhelmed.
The reader must recognize just how much a shock this was for me. The reader needs to remember that I had absolutely NO recall of my meeting with the Base Commander, or meeting Sebastian. While I recognized Sebastian when I met him, I did not KNOW him. However, upon the reemergence of my memories, it all came back. I remembered everything. Remember, a number of years had elapsed since when I joined the program and “officially” left the US Navy. During that time, I lived a disillusioned life; a life where I (and my family) believed that I had failed AOCS and that I did not have what it took to be a Naval Aviator. That belief certainly colored and affected my subsequent decisions. The knowledge that I was selected for the MAJestic program out of the Aviation Officer talent pool was hidden from me, and now as the information and memories returned, it was truly an earth-rolling shock to my emotions and mental state.
Eyesight under the field effects
Sitting in the NAS China Lake ELF chamber was unique and different than anything that I had experienced at NAMI in NAS NASC Pensacola, Florida.
For me, under the influence of the field, everything appeared different. While I still retained the ability to see properly, my vision was changed. The most noticeable aspect was that I saw the harmonics and cavitation effects of the ELF waves in my visual cortex. All waves have harmonics and interference patterns. We see that in water when you make waves by splashing. But we, as humans, never see this effect in the air. But, if you have the implants, and are under the effect of the field, you actually do physically see the effects. You can actually see the extremely long waves bounce and hit the physical objects surrounding you. You can see it with your eyes. I do not how this happens, or what the mechanism is, but that is what happens.
Cavitation effects made visible. The horn would produce radiation, and the radiation would bounce about and go through the various walls in a way that was visible to those with the probes installed.
The cavitation effects appear as dark lines or crescent troughs and ridges that overlap in the room where you sit. They are obviously affected by the surrounding physical geometry of the room, as their appearance changes as you walk around the room into another area. Always sharp corners, right angle protuberances, and flat surfaces make the wave shape most distinct. Soft and rounded surfaces dilute the cavitation effects. It also is apparently affected by the mass of the physical objects. For instance a cement wall will have a greater influence than would a small wooden chair.
In the darkened anechoic chamber, it was still difficult to see. As there was only one light bulb in the entire chamber. But, I could see the interference patterns reflected in the chamber and affected by the thousands of triangular cones that dotted the walls and ceiling. The most pronounced and obvious patterns were associated with the corners in the room. If I failed to look at the corners, I would have failed to see the cavitation effects in the chamber. (Thirty years later, while I was in my cell, I could easily see the grey cavitation effects. The walls were all white, and it was very easy to see the effects.)
I could see the effects because I was implanted. No one else could see the effects.
Turning ON
It took me a few minutes to compose myself. After all, no matter how one looks at it, it is a shock to your system to know that you haven’t had the ability to access you memories. It most certainly shocked me, and caused me to sit upright in my chair and vocalize “What The Fuck?”. (Yeah, it was just like that.) The team in the control booth (might have) realized this and asked me if I needed a minute to compose myself. They even handed me a can of coke from the window next to the horn mounting clamps. I said thanks and went and got it. They let me drink it in quiet contemplation.
The team at that time (aside from me) consisted of [1] Sebastian, [2] the manager of the ELF “training” program at the facility, and [3] a military contractor who assisted in the setup and break down of the test equipment. This person was quite old (from my perspective at the time) being a retired military and who was working there part time. His experience and knowledge in the field was, to put it simply, vast.
I sat thinking about my life, and resolving the conflicting emotions I had. I was actually a bit miffed that I had to believe that I failed at being a naval aviator, when the truth was that I was asked to do something much more significant. Well, the Commander said that it would be much more significant. But, really, was it? I was an unemployed engineer working as a low grade technician in an isolated research facility in the middle of nowhere. That was, I must tell you, hardly significant in the least.I had endured self-doubt, and discouragement partly because everyone (and I do mean everyone) told me that I had failed, and partly because I too believed that I had indeed failed. We are always influenced by those around us, even when we refuse to acknowledge it. I believed what everyone else said to me. I believed their lies, and adjusted my life accordingly. I endured the criticism of my parents and siblings who reinforced to me the notion that I could not fly or to ever amount to anything significant. I began to believe that all I could be was “just” an engineer. I began to believe that the most I could ever accomplish would be to buy a house and a second hand car. I began to believe that I was a low-achiever. I began to live a life where I accepted the mediocre as the normal, when the true reality was far more important. I was, to put it mildly, quite miffed.
I sat and thought about this for perhaps as long as 40 minutes (Yes; it sucked. But, pragmatically, what are you able to do about it?) and then knocked on the control room window and told them that I was ready to proceed. I think I said something like, “OK, let’s get going.” Or something similar, and took two fingers pointed in the air making a circular movement.
Actually, the basic calibration of the core kit of probes was rather quick and straight forward. It only involved two different sized horns (Perhaps to test and calibrate for each kit of probes installed. I really do not specifically know why two horns were used for two kits of implanted probes. I surmise it is one for each kit, but it is possible that each kit communicated using signals on different frequencies.), and a recording of the readings from the instruments. I sat in the chair rather passively and let them run the calibration tests. I felt nothing at all. I had full access of both my eyes and my memories. Why this testing and calibration was needed, I do not know. The core basic kit of probes was a topic that I never got to explore or investigate.
After a while the ELF field was turned off, and the door was opened and I left the chamber. What is curious is that at the conclusion of the test, my memories were yet again compartmentalized. I left the facility at quitting time with the belief that I conducted just another everyday series of tests. From my point of view, I just sat in the chair and waited a few minutes and then left. I failed to notice that three hours had passed, not only three minutes. I had no memory of anything else. I then drove home and stopped for some KFC take out to bring home. There was nothing spectacular in any way about the day that I could recall.
Anyone who does not know what KFC is leads a sheltered life. At that time, I would go home and pass the KFC on the way to my house. Typically, I would get a bucket of chicken with mashed potatoes (and gravy), biscuits, and coleslaw. It was always a great bucket meal. Then, at home, we would rent a video (we watched videos on Betamax at that time.)On that day, for your curiosity, I bought a bucket of chicken with sides of mashed potatoes, coleslaw, gravy, and biscuits. We had beer in the refrigerator at the apartment. At that time a case of Budweiser had 30 cans, not the 24 cans that a regular case of beer would contain. (It was a promotional item at the time.) So we tended to drink Bud instead.KFC is popular in the USA, but it is super-popular in China. However, the menu is quite different. For one thing, chicken breast is considered “too fatty”, and thus is undesirable. So it is pretty cheap. They also serve other parts of the chicken not normally found in the states, like chicken feet. But, thank God, they still serve mashed potatoes. Yum!
Calibration
The next day began like any other day. I went to work by driving through the three gates of the base on my motorcycle. I parked my motorcyle in the corner of the parking lot and placed one of the steel metal squares under the kick stand and went inside.
The parking lot was paved with black asphalt. In the hot sun the asphalt would get hot and take on a semi-liquid state, after all this was the desert. If you failed to put a metal plate under the kickstand, the bike would fall on its side, and the localized pressure of the weight of the bike on to the hot asphalt would cause the kickstand to sink into the pavement. The solution was to evenly distribute the load of force, and to do this often time a flat steel plate was used. They were always around the base. And, I never had any trouble finding any to use when I parked my motorcycle.
I was the first to arrive, like always. It was just like any other day at work, except that now we were putting a new horn in place. This horn was different from the other two horns that we had used earlier. Since it was relatively new, we had to unpack it out of storage. It was stored differently than most horns, which were mounted on coasters and moved about when not used. This horn had some additional devices hooked up to it, and it required the addition of a new module that plugged into the equipment rack to the right of the control booth.
Here is a technical note.The horn used to wake me up was not the same horn that was used to calibrate and train me. These were two different horns. This implies that they produced two different signals. Two different signals suggests two different frequencies and / or wave patterns.
Again, I went inside the chamber, and the door was closed like before. Also like before, there was a brief period of discomfort as the field was turned on, but that quickly went away. When the field was turned on, I also regained my memories. But this time, the pastel map appeared (discussed elsewhere) and so did the reticle cursor (also discussed elsewhere). Since this projection flooded my visual cortex, I knew what to do. In which I automatically moved it to the appropriate spot on the map. When I did so, there was a moment where it got “locked in place”, and then the map disappeared.
Again, with a full set of memories, I sat in the chair for about five hours as the calibration process was conducted. I noticed that the calibration process for the specialized implanted probes was substantially different than for the core kit. Apparently, the probes worked differently from each other and thus had different calibration procedures.
At the conclusion of the calibration procedure, the field was turned off, and shortly after that I again lost all my memories of my ELF related past. This included the calibration test that I was just involved in. Instead, just like the day previous to this, I remembered it as just another typical day at work. We all said good bye to each other, and went home at the end of the day as if nothing strange was going on.
I don’t know if the manager, who operated the machinery realized what it must be like for me not to remember anything. Or if he understood the issues with the compartmentalization of the memory. He was certainly a talented person. He was a career government employee. The manger was an engineer like myself, with a prior military record. The person helping him; Sebastian, however knew exactly what it was like, as our training was identical. But none of us talked about anything.
This compartmentalization was maddening. As all of us were highly skilled and had the necessary secret clearances to conduct our tasks, but I wonder if we really needed to have our memories compartmentalized so drastically. It wasn’t my call, as I was not in the decision process. But, my guess is that those who sponsored the program did not.
We conducted two separate bouts of training. One for myself, and another one for my colleague Sebastian. Neither of us talked about our experiences afterwards. We simply pretended that none of it ever happened.
Configuring the interface
The next work day was different. This was now day three of my training. But, this time when the field was turned on, and I had a full recall of my memories, something different happened. Instead of the pastel calibration map appearing, an overlay appeared over my field of sight. This overlay was transparent. I could see the chamber that I was in and look at my hands, but overlaid over my sight was an image. That image was fixed and did not change at all, no matter where I turned my head or moved my eyes.
To my great surprise, the image that was overlaid on my field of vision was the album art of the album that I selected as my favorite album back at the ELF facility in NAS NASC Pensacola, Florida a few years ago. (In NAS, NASC Pensacola, Florida at NAMI, we were given a questionnaire to fill out. On it were many questions. One of the questions was what was my favorite song. The song that I selected came from a specific music album (as did all songs of that time). Unlike today were the reader would immediate know the MTV music video associated with a song, in those days we all knew the album art, and interior sleeve details of a given song instead.)
This album art was for Al Stewart’s “The Year of the Cat”. It was not the external outside album art, but the more detailed inside sleeve art (Inside vinyl record packaging was a thin paper envelope that held the vinyl record. Often times this paper envelope was decorated with designs and symbols reflective of the outside cover art work. In the case for the album, “The Year of the Cat”, the inside sleeve artwork consisted of a wallpaper like design motif that had rows upon rows of the items illustrated on the outside of the album. This was a two color design; Black line art on a light blue paper background.) that was portrayed inside my visual cortex. I must completely tell the reader that seeing it was pretty surprising to me. (I wonder if this was [1] a construction of my mind, or [2] if some engineer had to physically program that control dialog JUST FOR ME to experience. It’s an interesting thought.)
This is the album art (front cover) for the album “Year of the Cat”. I discussed (covered elsewhere) how I had established a list of my interests, likes and dislikes, when I had first entered MAJestic and after my core kit #2 probes were installed. This was the album art for the album that I specified on the handout.
This was years before Microsoft introduced the Windows operating system. Everyone was still using MS DOS. But, the characteristics of this HUD (Heads Up Display)[i] was nearly identical to that of the later day Windows OS interface.
The projected image was collimated which made it appear to be overlaid in front of me.
Collimation – The projected image is collimated which makes the light rays parallel. Because the light rays are parallel the lens of the human eye focusses on infinity to get a clear image. Collimated images on the HUD combiner are perceived as existing at or near optical infinity. This means that the person’s eyes do not need to refocus to view the outside world and the display...the image appears to be "out there", overlaying the outside world.
I found that, like the pastel map earlier, a reticle (of a different type and appearance) appeared and I could move it about with my mind. By thinking certain thoughts, spoken by coached direction from the booth, I was able to pull up various icons and figures that I had the ability to manipulate.
The Menu
The process and training was simple. Once the overlay entered my visual cortex, I could move a (semi-transparent) reticle over an icon that would reside on the display in front of me. I could then activate or “click” on it by will power. This would cause a kind of menu to appear. The menu was not in English, but was rather in additional symbols of basic shapes and forms. I was taught how to control various elements of the icons through a pre-graphic interface by thought alone. Then “set” them in place and move forward to the next icon. I believe that what I was doing was nothing sort of configuring my second kit of probe implants. Because, once I configured them, and then locked them in place, I never returned to that portion of the screen again.
To better explain how this worked, the reader must recognize that it was different from the GUI that we currently use on Windows software. Here, the reticle “floated” over and above the background menu. The menu, of course, was the shapes and forms superimposed over the album artwork. I could move the reticle over the shapes (by my thoughts) and when I selected one (also by my thoughts), the reticle would “land” and “harden”. It looked like it was making an impression in soft clay.
Once that was completed, I was taught how to perform some higher level “tweaks” and manipulations to the system. This was, I suppose, the operating system for the second core kit inside my brain. And, that was the core extent of my training during this period. By listening to their coached directions (That they (no doubt) were reading from a manual or handout.), I was able to learn how to use and configure the basic operating system. This was the source code germane to the Core kit #2 implants. This was a very powerful skill set and certainly very important.
Quantum processes attributed to the human soul work in partnership with the brain.
This is the observable neurological processes that seem to work to “produce the experience” of human consciousness. However, one is not completely dependent on the other to function. Essentially, the human brain is a quantum computer, and the informational state of qubits are influenced by the human soul.
Stuart Hameroff (Professor Emeritus at the Department of Anesthesiology and Psychology and the Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona) and Sir Roger Penrose (mathematical physicist at the Mathematical Institute and Wadham College and University of Oxford) believe overall brain function derives from quantum level microtubule vibrations.Consciousness does not originate from within the brain. It originates outside of it, and occupies the physical brain through particle alignment. This opens a potential Pandora’s Box, but our theory accommodates both these views, suggesting consciousness derives from (link to the body through) quantum vibrations in microtubules, protein polymers inside brain neurons, which both govern neuronal and synaptic function, and connect brain processes to self-organizing processes in the fine scale, ‘proto-conscious’ quantum structure of reality.”In other words, they believe they’ve found scientific evidence for the human soul. They believe that it is something that is formed and originates from the brain. However, they are quite wrong. Point #1; the soul is not the same thing as consciousness. Point #2, consciousness is birthed outside of the physical and enters the brain to actuate thought generation within an empty “reality”.
This is the second half of the outside album art for Al Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” album. The interior sleeve art is similar in style, but different in appearance.
The first objective of the training program was to be able to access my source code and manipulate it, to a limited extent. To this end, I spent a period of time, approximately three weeks, learning how to use this software. I did not learn every code, sequence or every function possible. I only learned the most basic commands and their purposes. During this time, I also learned how the unique kit that is implanted in myself interfaces with the Core kit (Kit #1).
Unlike conventional software, such as used today, the software routines that I used to debug and modify the probes were all graphic in nature. They consisted of little pictures. Similar to Chinese symbols, but quite different. It was truly a graphic interface.
Keep in mind that this was in the 1980’s at a time when the concept of a graphic interface and the use of a mouse was just entering mainstream use.
Information was stored on paper-thin “disks” that were known as floppy discs and only held one MB of information or so. The “mouse” was a “new” technical innovation, and most computers did NOT have one. You needed to navigate using the arrow keys on the keyboard. In a way, the graphical interface seemed to represent a collection of PLC sequences and ladder diagrams. The interface and commands were simple, but maybe it only appeared that way to me because I was somehow programmed to think that.
Symbols and their use
There were perhaps 150 or so basic symbols that I needed to memorize (Out of maybe thousands.). The impression that I have is that they are but just a small part of an overall “library” of symbols. Additionally, the orientation of each symbol had a particular meaning and role. This included [1] rotation of the symbols, [2] mirror images of the icons, and [3] a combination of both. This is unlike what we do in our romance languages today. We have fixed fonts. (That is the same in China, the shapes of the icons were fixed, but if you reverse them, they would hold a different meaning. Like the character “fu” which means “fortune”. People put it upside down on their doors during Chinese New Year to signify holding the fortune inside.)
One of the most widely seen Chinese characters in China is 褔 fú the character for good fortune or luck. You see it painted everywhere: on wind chimes, pots, posters as a decoration. A look at its origin gives a feel of the complexity and longevity of symbols in Chinese culture. It also represents the God of Fortune (Fu) who is part of the good luck trinity of Fu, Lu and Shou.Chinese CharacterThe character for good fortune consists of the radical for auspicious or heaven sent to the left. The separate right-hand symbol for wealth or abundance also pronounced fù 富 but with a falling fourth tone itself comprises of three elements. At the top is a roof, underneath is the abbreviated form of the character for high and at the bottom is the symbol for field 田 tián. Taken together the three elements have the meaning of storing produce piled high from a good harvest; the most ancient and potent indicator of wealth and good luck. It is usually written in black ink on lucky red paper.Upside-downFu is widely seen on Chinese New Year posters. In many cases the poster is deliberately hung upside down. This needs a bit of explanation as there are several stories explaining how this came about. Firstly if you look at the character fu there is a certain vague resemblance to the character for upside down dao. The character dao can mean both 倒 dǎo upside down or fall and 到 dào arrive only differing in tone. Combining the meaning of dao and fu gives the idea of good fortune raining down from the heavens. So placing fu upside down is increasing the possibility of good fortune. It may also have something to do with bats that hang upside down. This is somewhat similar to the European custom of lucky horseshoes ; it is a symbol for good luck one way up but if placed upside down is an ill omen as the luck falls out of the horseshoe.
Once I memorized the symbols and the orientation rules, everything became very simple. Indeed, the symbology was very simple and I could “read” the symbols that I would “see” before my virtual eyes.
Take Aways
The terrestrial probes for my role in MAJestic needed to be calibrated.
Calibration was at China Lake NWC.
Calibration required an ELF facility.
Memory access can be controlled by the probes.
Only people with a technical background could enter the test and calibration facility.
Only people with a military background could enter the base.
When the core kit #2 probes are activated, the harmonics and cavitation shadows of the ELF environment are made visible.
The extraterrestrial probes did not require calibration.
The interface between the extraterrestrial probes and the terrestrial MAJestic probes required calibration and a certain degree of programming.
FAQ
Q: What is the “pastel map” that you refer to?
A: It is a visual depiction of “terrain” that represents the interior of my brain when it was initially mapped at NAMI. I use it to help locate certain parts of my brain in order to conduct certain specific exercises.
Q: Why did you need to be trained at China Lake NWC?
A: I do not know. Maybe it is because I required the use of a specialized ELF horn, test chamber, and trained staff to assist in my calibration and programming. Maybe they felt that it would not be secure if I went to a college or university campus. (Provided they had these resources, of course.)
Q: Why was the calibration important?
A: Why is a car tune up important? If it isn’t tuned up properly, the car won’t run very well. The same is true with the ELF probes.
Q: Do you miss the desert?
A: No, not really. However, I would really like to take a trip out there for old-time’s sake and hike around the hills and those huge piles of boulders that seem to be scattered about on the desert floor.
Q: Why are you able to talk about this this?
A: I was retired and put in a monitoring program in 2011. My MAJestic ties have been severed, and memory lockouts have been put in place. I now only have an active link with the extraterrestrial probe(s). They have given me approval to release this. Actually, it is more like PESTERING ME to do so.
Frankly, it is a royal pain in the neck, and I welcome approval to shut the fuck up about it.
I have resolved my past and all the missions and efforts that I have been part of. There is no need to transcribe anything to anyone. However, I think (personally believe) that THEY believe that SOMETHING needs to be released. And, thus my role herein.
From what I gather, all programs that I have been part of are now over. MAJestic has been transformed into something else all together. The remaining active programs are now just isolated “mission specific” carve outs. I am a walking fossil, and thus I am free to talk about obsolete technology and histories of another time and place.
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Today, Americans have taken so much for granted. We look at our life and think that it is as it has always been. Indeed, it is assumed that the way things are today have always been that way. Yet, the simple and plain truth is that America has changed. Over the last few decades there has been tremendous changes at all levels of American society and culture.
For instance, it is a recent phenomenon that restaurants can charge $8 for a cup of coffee. Or, that we have to take a urine sample to get employed. Casual day on Friday, or having a “co-pay” on your medical insurance was unheard of just a few decades ago.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on our shared past. Let’s look at what it was like to work for a company in the 1960’s. Just because things have changed does not mean that they have changed for the better.
Now, of course, I am talking about “real” work. Here you work for a private business or company. I am specifically NOT talking about working for any government or state agency. They are a completely different thing altogether.
"All federal workers will be ordered to spend 75 percent of their time on government work"
-President Donald Trump's (R) "cruel" executive order demanding that Federal Workers must actually work inorder to get paid. If they do not work the bare minimum, they can be fired.
Today
Mr. Waturi: But can he do the job. I know he can get the job but can he DO the job? I'm NOT arguing that with you. I'm not arguing that with YOU. I'm not ARGUING that with you. I'm not ARGUING that with you Harry! Harry... Harry... Yeah Harry... but can he DO the job. I know he can GET the job but can he do the job?
Today, finding work and going to work is quite different than what it was four decades ago.
Today, you might find a position on a “Job Board“, or through a recruiter. You might look up the company on an appraisal website or on Google. You might investigate the company and the people by going to LinkedIN. You might communicate via email and perhaps have an interview over Skype. Then, after a criminal background check, a credit check, a e-verify, and a check to make sure that you are not doxxed, you can run over and go through a drug screening.
Well…
Let me tell you how it was done in the 1960’s.
It was a much simpler process. You walked over to a company. You asked if they had an opening. You filled out an application, and maybe got an interview that day. If hired, you began work the next week.
Coffee
"I’ve never seen the soul-sucking despair of a bad job summed up better than in this scene. And as if that hellish circular conversation isn’t enough, there’s the green light, the buzzing flourescents, the coffee that can best be described as ‘lumpy’, and the coworkers, who are just as sad and defeated as Joe. Watching this, I’m reminded of all the crap jobs I’ve taken to pay my bills, which I can only assume was the point: rather than the fairytale careers of most rom-coms, JVtV was trying to dig closer to the exhaustion that lies at the heart of American capitalism. Against this despair, Joe makes only a single palliative gesture: bringing a musical lamp in as a Band-Aid to a gushing wound."
-Preparing Myself for Death with Joe Versus the Volcano
One of the things that has evolved over time is how companies treated coffee in the work office.
The reader would probably be surprised to know that back in the 1960’s and the 1970’s, coffee was provided free to the employees in companies. Back then, there was typically a coffee pot in each department. This tended to be a large multi-gallon cylindrical tureen affair with two handles at the top, and a spigot at the base. There would be someone assigned to make the coffee in the morning, and it was permitted to be on all day. They staff would then simply access the coffee as needed.
A 30 cup aluminum coffee urn. This was a typical fixture in all corporate offices up until the advent of the coffee services. Coffee was a free perk that everyone enjoyed.
Sometime during the 1990’s, the big tureen began to be replaced in many companies.
It was replaced with a coffee “service”. This service would provide a set of burners and coffee pots. Instead of day-old thick coffee that had been brewing all day, now coffee was brewed on a as-needed basis. Each pot was good for perhaps ten cups of coffee, and thus it tended to be fresher. The only problem with this is that the “service” NOW cost more than just a can of coffee. By subscribing to a service, the company now had to pay for the coffee, the machine rental, and the bi-monthly visits by the “service”. The costs for providing coffee to the employees now tripled or quadrupled.
Companies began to pass these costs on to the employees.
Eventually, it became commonplace that the employees would have to pay for the coffee that they would consume. This was the case even if the company did not utilize a coffee “service”. So, all across the United States, from large companies to small, employees began to pay for the coffee that they would drink at work.
Joe Banks: And Frank, the coffee. It stinks. It tastes like arsenic. These lights give me a headache; if they don't give you a headache, you must be dead, so let's arrange the funeral!
Now there were different ways that this was implemented. Some companies would organize a contribution collection, others would deduct an amount out of the pay check, while still others would buy coupons to a nearby restaurant for a cup of coffee (outside of work hours of course).
This resulted in some interesting evolutionary trends in the work force. Sometimes, there would be complaints. Often a non-coffee drinker would complain. Obviously they resented having to contribute to a coffee fund when they didn’t like coffee. Thus, out of the blue, sometime in the mid-1990’s, decaffeinated coffee began to appear in corporate offices.
In the last decade there has been a small trend where certain employees would bring their own instant coffee, or beverages to work. They would keep the jars in their desk drawers and make their own beverage as they felt best. You can see these individuals mixing up their own concoctions in their cubicle, and then going to fetch some hot water to mix it up with.
To the reader, all of this doesn’t seem like a big deal. It’s “just” part of corporate life. So you mix up your own powdered coffee at your work station, what is the harm in that?
If I could teleport an office worker from 1968 to 2018, a period of fifty years, what would they have to say? Well, I can tell you what they would say. Indeed, the worker would be surprised that employees today are expected to be waitresses and waiters, in addition to their normal day to day job requirements.
The point is that coffee was once a perk freely given to employees. Today it is a characteristic measure of how poorly companies treat their employees.
The Month of Christmas
In the past, the Christmas season was important. The entire month of December was filled with events and seasonal activities. Obviously the year-end bonus, and the Christmas office party were important and noteworthy. However, there were many other events and rituals that made this month special.
There would be many parties during the Christmas season. Some would be for the entire company, while others would be for groups of employees and departments. Note that the employees are at an office. Note the ashtray on the table. Note the champagne that they are drinking and the cans of beer on top of the file cabinet. On the far right you can see the girl is wearing “go-go boots” which pretty much dates this photo from the late 1960’s. And, yes she obviously wore a mini skirt and go-go boots to work.
For instance there were the organized trays of snacks and soda that would be brought in by the office staff. These trays of snacks would often vary from a simple bag of chips and dip to reheated pizza rolls, and all sorts of casseroles, cakes and cookies. There was always the company Christmas tree, and the various luncheons (paid by the company) for various groups of workers. All of whom ended up quite “buzzed” and drunk by 3pm.
(BTW. Drunk workers are happy workers. Don’t believe me? Check out THIS study. LOL!)
Typically, workers would take time off from the day to go Christmas shopping. Long lunches were common during the December month, as was such things as “Secret Santa” and various house parties. I really don’t know what went wrong, but all these activities and things seemed to disappear during the 1990’s.
Personally, I attribute it to corporate greed and the completely selfish mercenary business practices of the latest crop of MBA graduates. What the Hell were they teaching in schools?
The absolute drop in company related functions for the workers hit suddenly and alarmingly. Companies not only severely curtailed Christmas activities, but they eliminated just about every other event for the employees as well. Company picnics and trips all started to be eliminated. Meanwhile the profits of the owners of these companies reached stratospheric levels.
In fact, they began to disappear during the rise of the corporate cubicle life.
I think some companies in America might still send out Christmas cards. Though, judging from the behavior of my interns, I rather doubt it. Heck, they treated saying “Merry Christmas” as if it was some kind of insult. Like calling a black person a nigger, or pulling your pants down and shitting on the carpet. I guess that is what you get when you have a radical Muslim for President for eight years.
Anyways…
Work was considered a PART, a fundamental part, of one’s life. Today it is considered a separate thing that you do. Today, in today’s corporate world, everything is considered to be separate from each other. You have a hobby that is separate from your career. You have a wife and family that are separate from your community. You have laws that are separate from your personal actions. You have a salary and money that are separate from your spiritual life. Today, everything is separate.
In the past, everything was interconnected.
This separation of everything into little pieces is a SIGN and an indicator of a serious breakup of society. It is almost like something took a huge sledgehammer and smashed up the life that Americans had. It is now broken up into many, many tiny isolated things. As such, it is divided and easy to smash into other,even smaller, pieces.
America is now at a dangerous point. Without unity, without the “glue” that holds the nations, society and our soul(s) together, we can be divided and destroyed. It is almost like there are forces that are forcefully trying to break everything apart.
It wasn’t that way before.
Previously we all had unity. Workers drank, smoked, swore and made off-color jokes to each other. We joked how fat someone was or whether or not they were “getting enough” at home. This included girls as well as guys. Hell, we did this to each other’s faces. No problem.
During the company Christmas Party many people would get drunk and have all kinds of interesting adventures.
Things have certainly changed.
Year end bonuses began to get phased out in the 1980’s. The year-end bonus used to be equal to at least one months pay. If you were a high-performer it could get much larger. I had co-workers who were getting bonuses equal to a half-years pay.
When it started to end, the bonuses started to decrease in size. First it was equal to one half a month’s salary. Then it became equal to one week’s salary. Then it became equal to a fraction of that. Then, when it was phased out all together, it was replaced by a “door prize” at the Christmas party.
But…
Company parties began to end in the 1990’s, and they began to phase out alcohol from the office during this time as well. Heck, we would always make up cocktails at the office during the final few days before Christmas eve, and if we worked on Christmas Eve, it was period of drunken mistakes and humorous situations.
There were many scandalous events that would occur during the office Christmas parties. People would do the silliest things, and the gossip it would fuel would last years. I love the smoking in the office, the office “romances” and the hard alcohol mixers that were common in the day.
Bringing trays of food to the office seemed to go away after 9-11, and the idea of home-made Christmas cookies seemed to end about that time as well. The idea that HR needed to police the staff so not to violate any work-place rules or corporate standards is a more recent event and can be directly attributed to the Obama Presidency.
Now, I don’t know if he was directly responsible for this or not. I do know that he held various seminars about workplace rules and behaviors. These were directed to corporate HR heads, and other major companies. While I can’t positively point a finger at him personally, there is some strong evidence in support of this perception.
"When updating handbooks, don’t include separate baby-bonding rules for mothers and fathers, Kochman said. While employers can include differing standards for mothers regarding the physical limitations imposed by pregnancy, they should use genderless terms such as “primary caretaker” in their parental leave policies."
-Society for Human Resource Management
I don’t know what is celebrated in American companies during December today. I can imagine that the department Christmas tree was thrown away years ago. I can also imagine that the funding for any kind of special Christmas event has been severely curtailed, and I would imagine that alcohol is pretty much banned.
It was a different time. The workplaces were friendlier and the people got along better than they do today. Having a yearly Christmas party was an accepted part of the American ritual. I most especially like the Catholic cross over the office door. Can you just imagine what a modern HR manager would have to say about that!
Of course, people would drink a little too much. But, so what? There is nothing as humbling as coming to work the next day or two suffering from a hangover and being the target of an office scandal. AH! Good times, good times. Let me tell you!
There are those who like everything to be sterile and bland. It’s the same kind of mentality that changed the colorful atmosphere in T.G.I.F. into a bland sterile airport lounge. These individuals think that it is great that everything looks clean, crisp and similar. They like the blandness. They relish in the predictable. Their idea of excitement is a potato. Their idea of a good time is standing at a urinal. Their idea of a great date is sitting in a dentist waiting room.
Here, read how the changes are promoted as a wonderful and great thing…
"The biggest changes, and where the restaurants will benefit the most, are from refreshed interiors that make the dining experience feel less like being in the worst episode of Antiques Roadshow and in a place where you don’t mind sitting down and enjoying pieces of meat smothered in Jack Daniel’s sauces along with oversized alcoholic drinks."
-Thank Goodness it's Getting Better
How dare we think that we are better because we have eliminated Christmas and it’s celebration from our lives. I contend that making everything bland and sanitizing everything that we are omitting a key aspect of our lives that colors our motivations and enhances our appreciations.
It’s great to “get down” with our co-workers and share some humbling experiences together. It’s a good thing that the company would pay for a batch of hotel rooms for the staff. Ah, such stories I can tell you what!
Today we have computers, email, voice mail and all sorts of electronic tools to better complete our work. We work within a nice corporate office environment that allows us to function as a perfect little robot; a nice perfectly tuned clog in the great machine that pays us money for our devotion to the corporate machine.
Are we better or worse off? Personally, I really do think that we are actually worse off.
One of the fixtures of the “old” corporate environment was the “mail boy”. Indeed, working in the mail-room was a fundamental first step when you started work in a company. Here, you learned where everyone worked and what their role was. Your job was simple. You sorted and delivered the mail to the staff.
Of course this was before email, so of course, those twenty emails that you would get in your inbox used to be letters and memos a few decades ago. Which was, of course, why we had an “inbox” and an “outbox” on the desks.
To be fair, many companies still employ an internal office mail room and a staff that moves things around the various buildings and facilities on campus. However, it is truly a pale reflection of what it once was.
Dress Code
Dress codes have changed substantially over the years. I would guess that it would depend on what industry you were in, and where you lived. Some companies provide uniforms for their employees, but for the most part, us “white collar” employees had to purchase our own work clothes according to the dictates of the HR manual where we worked.
Yeah. Have the lowly workers buy and pay for their uniforms. Just, don’t refer to it as a “uniform”. Call it something else, like a “dress code”, and offer “guidelines”. Yeah. You don’t want the serfs (oh, excuse me, “professional workers”) to figure out their true and real spot upon the stratified workplace environment.
California
When I lived out West, in California, the general dress code for engineers and other office workers was along the lines of short-sleeved polo shirts and a nice pair of slacks. Blue jeans or denim was forbidden. Thus the meteoric rise of tan colored cotton slacks.
You know, things might be different in California today.
When I lived there, we had “Fred R-Rated” selling all kinds of electronics at ridiculously low, low prices on television. We had some little old grandmothers driving around wondering “where’s the beef?” And, we had this (new and improved) “New Coke”. Oh my goodness! No, that was a mistake of the grandest scale. Here, an ambitious MBA manager decided to toss out the old coke formula as soon as the owner of the company died.
So what I have to say is just a little dated by two or three decades at least. Heh, heh.
Many workers wore short-sleeved shirts with their ties. They always seemed to be white or an off-white color. Polyester and nylon were pretty popular. The big scandal at the time was wearing some other pattern other than stripes on their ties. Let me tell you, no one ever really stepped out of line wearing something “off the wall” like a dark blue shirt or (heaven forbid) a black shirt with a white tie.
The Mid-west region near Chicago maintained white long sleeve shirts and ties for decades. Your status and rank were embodied on the type of tie that you wore. Only the managers could wear yellow ties. Most office staff would wear a red tie, with some creative individuals wearing off-color or odd colored ties.
The Mid-West was always considered to be Conservative. The area was settled by Conservative European immigrants and their values and ideas about things were handed down generation by generation to their children. As a result, the Chicago you see today is a direct extension of the results from this kind of long-running conservative traditions. And, Yes, it has resulted in a highly corrupt liberal city.
Anyways, for the most part, the corporate dress code in the Mid-West is quite standardized.
The Deep South
In the deep (deep) south, professionals wore long white shirts and ties as well. However, it was a completely different situation. There, professionals were treated special, and if you walked into a “Jiffy Lube” or a Post Office wearing a “corporate uniform, you were given VIP treatment and you would be pulled out of the line and handled directly.
There, the long-sleeved white shirt and tie was a sign that you were a member of the “professional class”. You, of course, were treated special. You had an education. You had authority. You possessed money and skill. Up North, everyone was equal. But, in the South the culture is stratified.
Your attire is a symbol of your social status.
The North East
In the North East, things were slightly different. Boston and the surrounding New England area also had more relaxed dress codes. We would wear collared polo shirts and other casual but professional dress. For me, if I was working in one of the labs, I would go and grab my white lab coat and put it over my office attire. Typically I would have my access badge on a chain that went around my neck, so I didn’t need to clip it on the lab coat.
The lab coats always tended to get dirty. The problem for me is that once I washed them the pesky things would shrink! It was terrible. So I would end up buying a replacement. I would also get one or two sizes larger fully expecting them to shrink. Typically lab coats had three pockets. Two huge pockets on the side and one breast pocket. I typically left them empty, but for some reason, I would always pick up my pen and put it in the white pockets…
Which meant that at the bottom of all the pockets in the lab coat had black and blue ink stains at the bottom. (That, and the perpetually present little balls of lint and odd debris, such as broken bits of pencil lead, metal shavings, and a spare resistor or two.)
You don’t mess around with a Mad Scientist. Who knows what creative solutions he may come up with to counter your nefarious activities.
I always kept a spare set of safety glasses in my pockets. Ha! I inherited a set of safety glasses from my father. It was a very old style that looked like it came from the 1950’s. It had that horn-rimmed look. So when I would accidentally leave those glasses lying down on a workbench, desk or piece of machinery, I would always find them right back on my desk in my office. Like magic! Ha! I couldn’t ever seem to get rid of them.
Nobody wanted those things!
China
Anyways, here in China, the dress code is very casual. The southern end of China is very hot and humid all year round. So typically you can wear very comfortable loose clothing. Tee-shirts are normal. Now the dress would vary by your role. As a Laoban (Boss) you would need to wear expensive “high end” tee shirts such as Armani or Louis Vuitton.
Typically, when you go on a business trip within China there are dress rules and behaviors that you should pay attention to. Thus, if you are performing some type of high-end business negotiation over some baijiu (53% grain alcohol), and smoking “555” brand cigarettes, you will carry a “man’s purse” with the cigarettes placed on top on the table. The cigarettes will be the most expensive cigarettes you can buy. You don’t need a lighter, as everyone will offer you cigarettes and light them for you. If you do need to light them yourself, you need a full-on “BOSS lighter”. This is a very manly and authoritative lighter.
Typically, the factory will have a girl assigned to you to take care of you and your needs. She pretty much will help you with the chopsticks (if you are having trouble), and keep your glass filled with your beverage of choice. Typically you might wear a wooden bead bracelet (very popular here in China) along with a Giorgio Armani watch.
If you are going to a factory, heck, jeans are perfectly acceptable. And, of course, all men are judged by the shoes you wear.
Yul Brynner was a famous actor that had a great stage presence. He was also a snazzy dresser. Men, listen up, we need to be as presentable as possible. We need to look good and feel good. This means pay the money for good fitting, comfortable clothes.
Donuts
In the United States, from time to time, someone would buy a box of donuts for everyone to share. I always liked this ritual. You really don’t see it in China. As everyone just gets some Congee or a Baozi and smunches on it at their desk.
If there is a good thing about corporate life in the United States, it is the donuts!
Modern life for “professional” workers is being chained into a “cubicle”. This is often a little grey box. The furniture and colors are all bland so that there wouldn’t be any distractions. It is considered the ideal work environment for the brainless worker caste.
The work environment during the 1960’s and the 1970’s was quite different. Cubicles didn’t start to become popular until the 1980’s. Up until they began to dominate corporate life, people worked either in “the pits” or they had their own offices (with a privacy door).
Today, the cubicle working environment of sterile blues and grays is the norm. There is a movement towards a “open work environment” were everyone sits at long cafeteria style tables and works at a bare work environment free of distraction and color. I guess people like it. You have eliminated all private space. Now people work in the open where they are the perfect drone.
Today, there is a great “buzz” about swapping out the “cubicle farms” for an open office plan. This is not a new idea. Indeed, many offices had an “open plan” layout during the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Essentially, the office would be one big room with desks laid out like a High School room. The manager of the department would sit at the head of the room and would observe every worker to make sure that they kept in line and didn’t stray far from the business objectives.
When I first worked at Edgewater Steel company back in the early 1980’s, both the Finance and the Sales and Marketing departments were laid out this way.
Workers in a large, open-plan office, USA, circa 1955. (Photo by FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
The “Pits”
When I first started working we worked in the “pits”. I basically consisted of a big room with rows and rows of desks. Next to each desk was a drafting board. It was, in a way, similar to the “open workspace” concept that is gaining popularity today.
Here, everyone had a desk with lockable drawers and their own personal file cabinet. They had their own lamp, drafting board, and storage area. In today’s “open office” layout all these elements of personality and personal space are missing. Drones and robots don’t need it, the argument goes.
SHORPY photo of bell labs drafting pit. This was the starting zone for many technical office workers int he 1960’s and the 1970’s. Here each worker would be assigned their own working space.
Office Romances
Then as now, there are office romances. Of course, back then, it was frowned upon but NOT prohibited. Today there are all kinds of rules and behavior standards that one must obey. They are all tied one way to the other to state or federal law. So the HR group tends to take a firm policy stance on these issues.
Ah, the good old days…
There were always one or two very attractive girls who worked in the office. Often these girls would have office romances or flings with the more powerful members of management. Of course, often these ladies initiated the relationship though overt flirting activities and other actions that were noticed by the rest of us in the company. However, the real truth is that while there was a lot of gossip and speculation, the real romances (if any) were hidden from everyone.
Supervisory and Management Offices
Now, once you worked down in the pits or in the general office, and got promoted, you could move up to your own office. It was certainly considered a perk of your hard earned work. With the position came pay increases, improved and expanded bonuses, and an “entertainment budget”.
Offices, at least during the 1960’s and the 1970’s had the following defining characteristics;
A private wall that tended to be sound proof.
A private door that usually had a lock and key.
A transom above the door to let fresh air circulate.
The room had it’s own air conditioner.
A window to view the outside with.
A large desk with an “executive” chair.
A potted plant.
A painting on the wall.
Wall decorations, such as paneling or an Interior Designed layout.
Carpeting.
A sofa and one or two soft chairs with armrests.
A coffee table.
Depending on the company and your role and rank, you could also have the other amenities;
Stand-alone smoker’s ash tray.
Credenza with bar.
Sink.
Refrigerator.
In the coal mines, the supervisory offices tended to be rather spartan. While they tended to have the basic necessities, they all tended to be dusty and dirty with age and use. The same is true in any of the dirtier industries. The more removed from the factory floor, the cleaner the offices were.
Offices during the 1960’s and the 1970’s were quite different than business offices today. Indeed, in many cases, they resembled living rooms and lounges. Today most management offices are a sterile affair with bare white walls, a big circular table, and a nice plain desk.
Most of these older style offices were discarded and replaced with cubicle farms by the 1990’s. However, I do remember being stunned to walk into one or two a few times when I went on business trips to Milwaukee. It gave the impression of a dying world; a world of the past that was still hanging on to previous glories.
Never the less, I personally thought the offices were AWESOME!
There was always a lot of coarse jokes about the use of the sofa in the Manager’s offices, but there really wasn’t any proof to back it up. Yet, at every company, there was always a sort of “gold digger” office chick who would flirt with the management. I can’t help but imagine the kinds of interesting situations that those chicks would get themselves into.
Here is a scene from the television show “Mad Men”. Even though it is Hollywood, the interior decor is actually pretty accurate. As is the smoking and alcohol drinking.
The Three Martini Lunch
Having long lunches that involved alcohol was common place during the 1960’s and the 1970’s. It was a rare person indeed who did not indulge. Further, management often had a budget that they could use to “bond” with their employees. These “bonding” sessions were just as efficient as the various “incentive programs” that became popular in later years.
I suppose that some explanations are in order. For there are many things that I grew up that were normal, that is considered outrageous today. One of them is the three-martini lunch. The three-martini lunch is a term used in the United States to describe a “leisurely, indulgent lunch enjoyed by business people”. Back in the day, this was a common enough practice. If you were in management, part of a sales team, or even a supervisor, these kinds of lunches were quite common. Indeed, many times, the boss would come back after 3:30 pm from a long lunch and be quite “sauced”.
Now, according to Wikipedia, it is ONLY a perception.
“It refers to a common belief that many people in such professions have enough leisure time and wherewithal to consume more than one martini during the work day.”
Ah. Nope, my dear clueless millennial. It was not a perception. It was a reality. Drinking at work was commonplace. At least in the steel, coal, and appliance industries, it was. I don’t know about the other industries.
Now, since business matters are usually discussed at them, three-martini lunches can be considered a business expense. Of course (which includes travel, meals, etc.) and thus can qualify for a tax deduction. The people involved would remember to collect their receipts and turn them in at the end of the month for reimbursement. They would get money back, and the receipts were kept in a ledger to account for all the costs related to business expenses.
Typically, if you worked in the office during the 1960s and the 1970s, you would go out and have a “three martini” lunch with your fellow workers. Often this would be in a lounge. Sometimes we would go to a local bar and have a chili and beer.
In those days, all managers, and of course sales staff, had an entertainment budget. The manager would have free latitude in the determination of how to spend the money, and it was often considered a perk. The manager could spend it with employees to offer them incentives and to build up the working relationships, or use it for work-related tasks with other companies and people.
Wikipedia does have it right in that the three-martini lunch is no longer common in the United States. However, it is, thankfully, quite common outside of it. Yeah! Baby!
“The three-martini lunch is no longer common practice for several reasons, including the implementation of "fitness for duty" programs by numerous companies, the decreased tolerance of alcohol use (Hum… speak for yourself), a general decrease in available leisure time for business executives, an increase in the size of the martini, and a decrease in the size of the tax deduction.”
America for the modern businessman certainly blows!
President John F. Kennedy (D) called for a crackdown on such tax breaks in 1961, but nothing was done at the time.
Then another Democrat, Jimmy Carter (D) condemned the practice during the 1976 presidential campaign. Carter portrayed it as part of the unfairness in the nation’s tax laws, claiming that the working class was subsidizing the “$50 martini lunch”. (Of course, use the “class struggle” to divide Americans. It’s a time-honored Democrat tactic. The theory is because a “rich businessman” could write off this type of lunch as a business expense.)
By the time Bill Clinton (D) came to office, there wasn’t much that still needed to be done. So he concentrated in the elimination of all vices from the work environment (except for elected officials, of course) and the banning of cigarettes, and drinking proceeded apace.
Not to be outdone, Barrack Obama (D) started to tie health plans to tax breaks. In one fell swoop, he connected all of the industry, the medical industry, the insurance industry together, weaponized them as tools of the Federal government. Then he made the collection of personal medical information (formerly private and privileged information protected under the 4th amendment) a mandate of the dreaded IRS.
The only people who still had three-martini lunches were the “fat cats” in Washington, D.C. Today, I don’t think any company still has the three-martini lunches or even a single beer at lunch. Heck, after the Obama-era workplace rules, drinking a beer during lunch might actually end up getting you fired.
Commercial Break
Now, let’s take a break from this narrative to enjoy a little bit of advertising from my generation.
Your Mom wasn’t your Dad’s first. (I’ll bet.) Let’s keep things real here. Let’s break out from all that PC sanitized nonsense and recognize that people are people. Let’s recognize that no one is perfect, and that differences between all of us is a really good thing.
Drug Screening
The major federal law governing the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace is the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. This Act basically states that any employer who receives federal grants or contracts must be drug-free, or it risks losing the federal funding. The Act does not, however, contain any provisions that specifically allow for workplace drug testing.In addition to the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act, other federal laws also touch upon and concern drug use in the workplace, such the Americans with Disabilities Act (which classifies alcoholism as a protected disability) and the Family and Medical Leave Act.Specific federal agencies or departments may also have drug-testing policies in place. For example, the Department of Transportation has regulations that require drug testing of more than 8 million different employees, such as truck drivers.
-FindLAW
Drug screening was a big thing in the day. As I recall, it was an initiative by Bill Clinton (D). The idea, or so they said, was to curtail drug abuse at the workplace. None of us, at the time, thought it was a big thing. However, that wasn’t the case according to the big newspapers of the day. It was an epidemic that needed to be squashed. Their solution?
Deny work employment to anyone doing illegal drugs.
Apparently some big Washington “think tank” or “Blue Ribbon Panel” came up with the idea to pre-screen everyone before they obtained work. You wanna bet that these same people had some strong political connections to the sponsors of this ruling? Ah, “Blue Ribbon Panel”, oh yah we know your pedigree.
Of course, it does not apply to unemployed people trying to get welfare benefits, government employees or elected officials. They are the special protected class. It only applies to the serf-class; the working “stiff” who must work for someone else in order to support their family.
So today we now have the rules that make you have to pee in a cup before you start work, and suffer periodic unannounced random drug screenings. Hey dudes! What about the fourth amendment in the “Bill of Rights”, oh yeah…
I thought that the USA was the freest nation on the earth. Yet it is the ONLY nation that drug tests its employees. This people is NOT freedom. No matter what the excuse. The United States led the work in industrial production. It had the best workers in the world. What happened to flip everything upside down?
However, the reason why you HAVE to have a drug screening before you work at a company is now quite clear. It is because they will refuse to hire you unless you waive your American protections under the Bill of Rights. You need to voluntarily waive your rights to get a job. Yeah! Free country my fucking ass!
Yes, so that is correct. What a great “end run” around the protections offered by the Bill of Rights!
Each state has its own body of laws governing workplace drug testing or monitoring. For example, Alaska has no mandatory drug-testing laws, but does have voluntary drug-testing laws that employers must follow if they choose to conduct drug testing of job applicants or employees.In many states, employers have the legal right to test job applicants for drugs or alcohol, provided that the applicants know that the testing is part of the interview process for all employees. In most cases, the testing cannot be conducted until the applicant has been offered a position.
-FindLAW
In America today, you have to sign a paper that says you voluntarily wave your rights GUARANTEED under the Bill of Rights. You do this so you can work. Hey, is it just me, or doesn’t this sound very, very, VERY wrong?
It’s the same sort of thing as the “designated free speech areas” used to circumvent the First Amendment Protections. Oh sure, you can speak your mind. You just cannot do it anywhere where people can see or hear you. Kind of defeats the purpose of the Bill of Rights. Doesn’t it?
How the first amendment to the Bill of Rights is implemented in America today. Is a “Free Speech Cage” really the exercising of your rights?
Medical Insurance
Today, it is a given that if you work over 40 hours a week in the United States, that you would be offered an employment package that would include a medical plan. As such we tend to think that things have always been this way. While we discuss the premiums and deductibles involved, we have forgotten the history of getting medical attention as part of our employment package.
OK, so here is the forgotten history…
Up into the early 1970’s. Companies provided access to a free doctor at the factory. Employees were permitted to bring their families in for treatment as needed. Yup, this was exactly the way things were during the “Peace and Anti-War movements” during the 1960’s.
Mid 1970’s. Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy (D) decides to “improve” American health care by implementing HMO’s. Based on his speeches you would think that the world was falling apart and things needed to happen, and quickly! Funny for a fellow that never worked for a company in his life, to feel this way. Odd thing, I’d say.
Early 1980’s. The company doctor was replaced by a nurse, and family visits were discouraged. Maybe he was right. I don’t know, but there were certainly some changes going on in terms of the way that companies handled the health of their employees.
Early 1990’s. The employee was provided with a free health plan. There were no deductibles, no co-pays. The company picked up the entire bill. Let me repeat; the company paid for EVERYTHING, including all prescriptions. The employee never had to pay anything.
Around 1993 to 1997. Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy (D) continuously pushed the idea of HMO’s, in order to “control” the “outrageous” medical costs. By the late 1990’s under President Bill Clinton (D), new changes in the law greatly expanded the HMO program reach. Most companies started to implement HMO’s for their employees. Read about the changes HERE and HERE.
Late 1990’s. Shortly afterward, companies began to have employees pay a fraction of the cost for company sponsored medical care.
Middle 2000’s. Co-pays on medical insurance were implemented and became a permanent fixture in the industry. Generic medications started to be provided as a low-cost option to medicines.
Late 2000’s. Deductibles and co-pays were spiraling out of control. President Barrack Obama (D) implements ACA ObamaCARE. People are permitted to opt out of it, but they have to pay a terrible fee for doing so and have to report their medical history to the dreaded IRS, the most feared agency in the United States.
The IRS is used to police Americans. While the US Constitution FORBIDS use of the military on American soil, President Obama equipped them with state of the art military-grade weapons and authorized their use against Americans without trial or Habeas Corpus. In fact, the IRS has their own court system, with no oversight at all. It is almost identical to the court system that Saddan Hussian had in Syria. It runs independently and reports to no one.
The argument behind all this is that, “Hey! If you don’t want the health care, then don’t take the job.” Whatever, it is just the way things are.
Now nothing is black and white. There are no clear cut-off dates when doctors were replaced by HMO’s and when rates started to spiral out of control. It varied from region to region and from industry to industry. This is just a rough summary based on my often faulty memory. In my case, it is all true. When I first started working, I had free healthcare by my company doctor.
I don’t think that anyone in the United States has this experience today.
Corporate Roles
Just a handful of decades ago there was a real stratification of positions and titles at work. As you climbed up the “corporate Ladder”, you would be awarded with substantial pay increases and a collection of perks that ranged from your very own potted plant, to complete company-paid vacations. This included such things as where you got to park your car, and how you entered the office.
Today, there just isn’t much thought given to the entrance locations for the company employees. In fact, it’s almost considered a joke.
When I worked at Poulan-Weedeater, they had a line (on both sides of the walkway leading into the offices) of chainsaws being tested. You had to walk through the gauntlet of noisy running chainsaws (behind a chain-link fence) before you can enter the building. It was a horrific and noisy way to start work.
However, back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, there was actually some thought devoted to how the employees would enter the work environment. Typically there was a separate parking area with a secluded (and often shady) tree-lined path to the employee entrance. There would be a security guard there who would say “hi” to you.
In the past there were two kinds of employees;
Hourly
Salaried
The hourly employees were paid by the hour. Their job was work. They exchanged their time for money. The salaried employees, on the other hand, were paid monthly regardless of the time that they spent in the office. They worked at a career. As a result of this greater devotion to the company, salaried employees would get “perks” and a far greater degree of leeway in their hours, actions and work environment.
In those days, there was a distinction between salaried workers and hourly workers. The salaried workers would have their own parking spaces, they would have their own “smoking lounge” which would have a television, and other amenities that the rank and file workers would not have. They would also have the “golden key” to the executive bathroom.
Today, this is unheard of.
Here is a funny cartoon by Randy Glasbergen. Hum, do you suppose that he once worked for a company that had restrictive vacation rules? I do. It’s a common enough situation in today’s crazy upside-down work of corporate American life.
I am sad to say that today, salaried workers are treated identically (in the United States) as hourly workers are. There are no discernible differences. Both are drones working in a corporate environment with the only difference being their job titles and pay scales.
With the hollowing out of the middle class in the United States, where the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, came an identical trend in corporate America. The associated perks of education, experience, and advancement have all but dissipated. Now, what is left is a corporate aristocracy. They rule from above and the rest of us occupy roles as drone serfs, living paycheck to paycheck, with no exit-ramp from the treadmill.
How can we escape this nightmare? Is there a way out? Is it even possible, today? It seems like the laws and rules have created an entangled web that looks more like a straight-jacket than any kind of free life. We need to get off this treadmill.
Wellness Programs
Ah, that sounds so “nice”. A “Well-ness” program. Why it sounds like the government really cares, and companies really care about how us “working stiffs” live.
We are strongly “advised” to “participate” in a wellness program…
I am reminded how the Nazi Germans convinced all those millions of Jewish Germans into the cattle cars. They told them that it was a "relocation" program where they would be sent to special communities where they could be "protected" from those who would hurt them.
The government is really good at providing misleading names to programs to garner approval for otherwise bad and shitty initiatives. How about the absolutely misnamed “Net neutrality” effort, or the “Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act” which ended up practically starving millions of school children.
Beware of anyone who offers you a great-sounding deal or name for a program. This is “Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act” food tray. Yum! When I was attending school we ate twenty times better, and we didn’t need some Washington bureaucrat telling us what to serve and what to eat.
Often it uses the “carrot and stick” approach to get workers to participate.
Hey, maybe I am missing something, but…
But, don’t you think that you are giving enough at work? After all, you devote at least 40 hours a week, plus commute time to your company. You wear their pre-approved clothing uniforms. You sit where they tell you, you do what they say. You pay money to further your education for THEIR benefit. Often times, you interrupt your time with your families to deal with work-related issues and problems.
You stand there an take it while a superior or manager berates you. You stand there and take the fucking awful 360-degree performance review. (Only a pure evil, sadistic person would come up with such a horrible and degrading event.)
Now they want you to change what you eat, how you conduct yourself outside of work, and your personal interests.
Here is a fine meal at a diner. I see nothing wrong with this. However, the way things are going, it won’t be long before what you eat (when you are outside work) will be monitored and connected to your paycheck. This is dangerous. This is really dangerous.
Don’t you think that this kind of request is way overboard? Don’t you think that it is an imposition on who you are as a person, and an imposition on your family as well? I do.
I really do.
Blood Drives
I remember when I worked at one of the divisions of General Motors. They had this yearly “blood drive” for the local blood bank. I think that it was a good thing to help the local blood bank. However, I also think that it was a very terrible thing to force all the workers to give blood or risk losing their job.
That was the rule, though. You had to participate and show evidence to your superior. He would then log it in and add a notation into your personnel file. your participation would be weighed against other factors as part of your yearly review. Failure to participate might result in no pay increases and possible termination.
Yep, strange as it might sound, many American companies expect you to spill blood for them. I guess it is actually a distraction from upper level incompetence.
Americans get very little in the way of holidays of vacations days. At most, in all the companies that I worked, I would be offered from one to up to two weeks paid vacation per year. Of course, the manual clearly stated that you would get an additional week for every five additional years of service… Ha! How many people work at the same company for fifteen or more years?
All of this is quite interesting, but let’s stick to the issue at hand; which is the vacation time that Americans get compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the world. You know, the first time that I encountered this situation (where I was comparing myself to my peers) was when I started working with Brazilian, and Australian engineers. I was astounded that while I had been working at my company for four years, and I was lucky to have one-week vacation, my counterpart in Australia (who had only been working for one year at his company) got four weeks off. Another team member was off and away on a two-month vacation, and he was at the company for maybe ten years. It didn’t seem fair.
And it wasn’t.
No problem. It was one of those things that you don’t bother fighting against. I mentioned it to HR. I reflected on it with my superiors. Later, when I had the means and some planning, I just left the United States and went elsewhere to companies that took better care of their employees.
Joe Banks: You look terrible, Mr. Waturi. You look like a bag of shit stuffed in a cheap suit. Not that anyone could look good under these zombie lights. I, I, I, I can feel them sucking the juice out of my eyeball. Suck, suck, suck, SUCK...
[makes a sucking noise]
Joe Banks: For 300 bucks a week, that's the news. For 300 bucks a week, I've lived in this sink, this used rubber.
Mr. Waturi: You watch it, mister! There's a woman here!
Joe Banks: [shouting] Don't you think I know that, Frank? Don't you think I am aware there is a woman here? I can smell her, like, like a flower. I can taste her, like sugar on my tongue. When I'm 20 feet away I can hear the fabric of her dress when she moves in her chair!
Joe Banks: And why, I ask myself, why have I put up with you? I can't imagine, but now I know. Fear. Yellow freakin' fear. I've been too chicken shit afraid to live my life so I sold it to you for three hundred freakin' dollars a week!
Credit and Criminal Reports
Americans have no privacy. Over two hundred years algo, the framers of the United States Constitution thought that they would protect the privacy of Americans by the 4th Amendment. They believed, wrongly, that those who would be elected to office would [1] obey the Constitution, and [2] enforce the Bill of Rights. They were wrong.
The American Bill of Rights has withered and died on the vine. It died from a lack of care and watering. The people who’s very job was to nurture these freedoms have instead sold them for cash to others at a profit.
Today, you cannot obtain work in the United States unless you are investigated. This investigation comes in many forms. From credit reports to criminal reports, to reports on your social media usage and presence.
We are (perhaps) slightly irked by this. Heck, in today’s society we are just happy to get a job or the potential promise of one. We put up with this situation because many of us have not been denied employment because of a report. So we think that it is not a big or major problem. We assume that it will never be a problem.
But, you know what,? As you get older, as you travel around more, as you experience life more, as you meet more people and have more opportunities… you will experience things that others won’t understand. Those experiences can, and you know that they WILL, be used against you.
Which is why privacy is so fucking damn important.
At least the EU, and China takes privacy seriously. Thank God!
As time moves on, I am getting more and more convinced that I am just an old grizzly fossil. My experiences, my belief structures, and my attitude really seemingly has no place in modern American society. The way I look at American culture, and business today is through the eyes of a jaded old man. I just don’t fit in.
It’s truly sad.
Here is that point that I am trying to make. I wish that I had the ability to speak as clearly and plainly as others. I tend to get a little long-winded. Yet, here is my point. Are you living the life that you were meant to live?
Thankfully for the good of everyone, I am well removed from the realities of Corporate American life. I live in Asia where the culture is more…” traditional” and where I am able to “fit in” better. I am comfortable here, and maybe that is a good thing.
Lately, I have been reading how the huge corporate coffee exchange; (“Starbucks” for those of you who don’t know what I am referring to), is letting unemployed homeless hang out inside the restaurant, use the WiFi and the bathrooms. As someone who also was once homeless (heck, more than once) I do appreciate their symbolic gesture. But, you know what, there are “perpetual homeless”, and then there are “apparently homeless” folk.
Maybe it might have been a better gesture to offer them some free coffee for an hour’s worth of work. Maybe.
I don’t know… I’m not in that position. There are no easy answers. I do recall trying to use the Corpus Christi public library when it was overrun with homeless folk. It became a cesspool, and I needed to accompany my wife when she went to the bathroom so that she wouldn’t get accosted. When you give something to someone freely, they don’t appreciate it. It has no value to them.
Anyways, restaurants are quite different here in Asia. Different is good. Especially when you share the same point of view and culture.
This is a Japanese restaurant chain. I love the attitude, the appearance, and the overall “feeling”. It appeals to me. It is happy, positive, and pleasant. It isn’t contentious or corporate like the American-based Starbucks is.
Take Aways
Well, if there is one point that I do want to make, it is DO NOT FOLLOW THE HERD. You are better than that. While there are companies that are good and companies that are bad, you (as an individual) can choose how you can live your life. I suggest you be choosy. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Question it.
Work culture has changed substantially over the last few decades.
The American government has interfered in how companies are run.
Busybodies typically run the HR groups in large corporations.
Americans are cheated out of vacation time, compared to the rest of the civilized world.
Coffee used to be free.
Workers used to have fun together.
People used to say Merry Christmas to each other during Christmastime.
Workers in the Federal Government do not need to do any kind of actual work today. It has been this way ever since John F. Kennedy (D) implemented his EO10988.
Bad bosses have always existed, but today’s corporate environment allows them to thrive.
No person, company, government, or policy should dictate how you are to live your life on your personal time.
FAQ
Q: What is a “common sense” dress code?
A: The new CEO of GM (Mary Barra ) startled everyone by replacing the huge and thick stack of rules on how to dress at work with just two words; “dress appropriately“. This caused an absolute tremor in the corporate world. How dare she? Yet it worked, and many other companies are following in her tracks. You need to realize that in many instances, professionals have a brain. They do not need to follow set hard rules carved in stone.
After replacing GM’s 10-page dress code treatise with a two-word appeal, Barra received a scathing email from a senior-level director. “He said, ‘You need to put out a better dress policy, this is not enough.’ So I called him—and of course that shook him a little bit. And I asked him to help me understand why the policy was inept.” The director explained that occasionally, some people on his team had to deal with government officials on short notice, and had to be dressed appropriately for that.“Okay, why don’t you talk to your team,” Barra replied. “He was an established leader at GM, responsible for a pretty important part of the company, with a multimillion-dollar budget. He called me back a few minutes later, saying, ‘I talked to the team, we brainstormed, and we agreed that the four people who occasionally need to meet with government officials will keep a pair of dress pants in their locker. Problem solved.’”
Of course, I think that this is brilliant. But you know, busybodies and easily manipulated millennials can’t find common ground in this. They want hard and fast rules to control everyone and everything. Read this…
While Barra’s intentions are surely to make GM more inclusive, not less, a “dress appropriately” policy might inadvertently open the way for managers to use it against employees of certain genders, races, cultural backgrounds, or other identities.
If the only “appropriate” dress code is one that excludes “other” demographic groups, it’s not supporting an inclusive culture.
In an ideal world, this wouldn’t happen, but given what we know about diversity and inclusion in corporate America, it is still a good idea for company policies to put checks on this kind of exclusive behavior and make sure employees enjoy the psychological safety to bring their “whole selves” to work.
Q: How did pop culture in the 1970s influence work?
A: It really didn’t. At best there was always a (terribly) photocopied picture of Clint Eastwood holding two pistols with the words “Go Ahead, make one more change” taped to a drafting board or a filing cabinet.
I once had a secretary who had a “pet rock“. Work dress fashions come and go. I did like the mini-skirts and go-go boots. Big hair was pretty cool. The negros would wear “afros“, and the gals would have these enormous “dos”.
I also once had a secretary who had a big umbrella with a big yellow smiley face that said “Have a Good Day.” written on it. You could wear “earth shoes” to work, though I was unaware of any safety-toed boots that were “earth shoe” compliant. I had a co-worker who wore a “mood ring”.
Q: Did the drug culture in the 1960s influence the working environment?
A: I don’t think so. At work and off work, we would tend to drink and engage in the vices of the day such as smoking and chewing gum. Smoking the dreaded “reefer stick” did not become common until the 1970’s and at that, it was kept quiet and hidden. It was never part of your work life.
I know that certain people at China Lake would use “crank”, and others might drop a tab of acid or two, but that was about the extent of it. In the other industries, such as food or construction, there were those who would indulge in other kinds of recreational drugs. However, all in all, it was not really commonplace.
Q: What is the best workplace coffee machine?
A: Pour Over Chemex Coffee Maker. I love the simplicity of it. I love how it requires your attention and I most especially love the great cup of coffee that it makes. For me, I strongly urge the reader to use “Chock Full of Nuts” brand coffee. No, it doesn’t taste like nuts. It just has the most unfortunate name in the world. But, in taste tests with real coffee drinkers, there is absolutely no question that this is THE BEST brand of coffee ever made.
Chock Full O’ NutsApparently, this brand is living up to it’s “heavenly” jingle, because it comes very highly rated- scoring a 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon Reviews. It typically costs between $5.19 and $5.79 for a 10.5 ounce can, depending on where you buy it.
However, it has been a while since I was in the States. Reports are that there is new management in the company and that they are apparently replacing the Arabica beans will the less expensive Robusta beans. If this is truly the case, then I will need to look elsewhere for my coffee needs. Reader, listen up, you want 100% Arabica beans for your coffee.
Q: Is it ok to say “Merry Chrismas” at work?
A: Oh my yes. Everyone here in China says “Merry Christmas”, and it’s not even a Christian nation. If you are taken aside by HR and told not to express yourself, report that HR manager to the CEO of the company. They are way beyond their mandate.
Comments on Free Republic
In July 2018, this article was presented on Free Republic for comments. You can read the comments HERE.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
Our solar system is but one small place within a much larger (physical) community. This community is our galaxy, also known as the “Milky Way” galaxy. Here in this post, I place what I know of our galaxy and mix in what has been presented to me through MAJestic. It is a hodge-podge of conventional science and the outrageous. All together it paints a rather comprehensive general picture of the history of our galaxy…
“Our sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of billions of galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living things in that enormous immensity.”
-Wernher von Braun, Text of the Address by von Braun Before the Publishers' Group Meeting, The New York Times Text of the Address by von Braun Before the Publishers' Group Meeting Here 29 April 1960 L. 20, column 2 Wells (April 29, 1960), l. 20, column 2. (This is a dated comment, as the galaxy is now known to be more than 7 times as large.)
Many readers, no doubt, have no idea what a galaxy is, and thus need to know why it is so important to me.
Duh! What is a “galaxy”?
Before we begin, I must repeat a core principle to the reader; There is an “invisible world” that is part of our lives. This “invisible world” goes by many names; heaven, dark matter, MWI, to name just a few. What I describe here is the barest edge of what we know to be the reality in our physical world. I discuss the physical reality of this universe centered around our tiny planet.
For many people the word “galaxy” conjures up the same kind of meaning as does a “star”; they are both objects from outer space. When I first started to write about my experiences, I came to confront a harsh reality. It surprised me. Indeed, it still surprises me. People, for the most part, are ignorant of science. It is true.
Most people are totally ignorant of science.
Sadly, not everyone understands the terms and phrases that I use so routinely.
While I have tried to “dumb down” my writings to the most basic level, I am sure that there will be individuals who will still fail to grasp what I am trying to convey. No; this is not an elementary text on astronomy. But, in my own way, I wish to make the complex simple and easier to understand in the context of the world that I experienced.
Where we live
We live on a planet called earth that is in orbit about a star that we call the sun.
A star is a hot collection of gas and light that (seems to) sits apart in the vast universe that we live in. A star can get pretty darn big. Our sun is a star. Contemporaneously, it is considered to be an “average” star. It’s not too big, and not too small. It’s just about right (for us).
However, other species do NOT consider it to be “average”. They consider it to be a little on the “hot” side. In their minds, the most common stars are much cooler and smaller than our sun. They like to think that it is the cooler “K” and “M” class stars that are “average” and “common”.
Our sun and earth is part of a neighborhood that consists of other planets also orbiting the sun. We call this a solar system.
For our purposes, EVERY star has a solar system.
Yay, now maybe some of those solar systems might only consist of some dust and an asteroid or two, while others might consist of a complex and dense collection of all sorts of planets. The point is that we can make the broad assumption that each star has its own solar system of orbiting planets.
A Galaxy
A galaxy is a collection of stars that are bound together by gravity.
Galaxies come in different sizes and shapes. Depending on the history of the galaxy, it can look like a huge fuzzy mass, or a spinning top and anything in between. Our galaxy is also average. It is a little on the “big” side comparatively, and spins around forming a shape and features known as “arms”.
The above picture represents the most accurate representation of our galaxy so far. Each little “pin-sized” dot of white is a very hot and large star. The cooler stars are not shown. What we see outside of our solar system is limited due to the location of where our sun is relative to the huge mass of stars which surround us. Further, there are areas of obscuring dust and gas that confound our ability to accurately map the galaxy in its entirety. On the Internet one can find various depictions of what our galaxy is believed to look like. This is by far the most accurate portrayal as of 2015.
Our sun resides within “our” galaxy. We call it the “Milky Way” galaxy because (I suspect) it looks like a splash of milk in the night-time sky.
We live in the Milky Way Galaxy.
We are not in the center of it, nor are we off on the outer edges. Our sun (and solar system) lie in a pretty average and typical section. Our surrounding neighborhood contains both young and old stellar neighbors. As is true with most of the universe, most of the stars that surround us lie hidden. We cannot see them. Those stars that we do see are actually just the big and bright stars only. The vast bulk of stars around us are small and quite dim.
The vast bulk of stars around us are small and quite dim.
The Size of our Galaxy
“How did it communicate? I have no idea. It did move its arms a lot. Almost like giving instructions! I heard no voice communications. The helmet was not as large as our two NASA astronauts, and had a viewport to look forward. It had a small, perhaps a communication device, attached only to the right side of the helmet!
I saw no oxygen tank(s). It had a wide belt like wrapping around it..
It did not appear to be tethered as the two Astronauts were to the sides of the shuttle structure. I observed nothing that appeared to be a weapon. The time of this amazing scene was one minute and seven seconds, I timed it on my Astronaut chronograph watch.”
-Clark C. McClelland, a former ScO of the Space Shuttle Fleet commenting on a scene he witnessed. He claims he personally observed an 8 to 9 foot tall extraterrestrial (ET) on his monitor while on duty in the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Control Center (LCC).
He claims that the ET was standing upright in the Space Shuttle Payload Bay having a discussion with two tethered US NASA Astronauts. He also claims to have observed (on his monitors) the spacecraft of the ET as it was stabilized safely in orbit to the rear of the Space Shuttle main engine pods.
Let’s talk about the “Milky Way” galaxy.
Stars do not lie alone in the great vastness of space. They are not scattered about like grains of sand on a beach. They clump together. They gather in groups. They collect together.
These collections are called galaxies.
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains maybe 600 to 750 billion stars (plus or minus 250 billion) that lie mostly in a semi-flattened (with wavy planar ripples) spiral disk of some 70-100,000 light-years (ly) across, with a central bulge of about 10,000 ly in diameter.
I said, “Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains maybe 600 to 750 billion stars”. This is debatable.
There are those whom still hold to the 1960-era belief that there are only 100 billion stars in the galaxy.
Others, through ignorance (perhaps), subscribe to the 1985-era belief that there are 400 billion stars in the galaxy.
While still others maintain the more conventional belief (1995-era) that there are no more than 600 billion stars in the galaxy.
If you consider the T and Y class dwarves to be stellar bodies then the number could well exceed 1000 billion stars. This is a 2015 era belief.
Also…
I said, “spiral disk of some 70-100,000 light-years (ly) across”. Apparently, our galaxy is pretty much on the larger side of my estimate.
The size was upgraded in the March 10, 2015 edition of the Astrophysical Journal.
This brings the Milky Way's size up to that of Andromeda. The Milky Way's small radius in comparison to Andromeda's larger radius has always puzzled astronomers because the two galaxies have roughly the same mass.
I can see the nerds in the reader audience nodding. However, the galaxies as portrayed in fictional software games are not a true representation of the actual size of a galaxy. For instance, the game stellaris (at most) might have a galaxy of a mere two thousand solar systems. 2000 is not 750,000,000,000.
(I would guess that the game limitations are due to the computer technology, as well as the general interest of the player. Afterall, a boy starting the game would end up as an old man before he would even begin to consider finishing it.)
Anyways…
Our Location in The Galaxy
“The number of habitable worlds in our galaxy is certainly in the tens of billions, minimum, and we haven’t even talked about the moons. And the number of galaxies we can see, other than our own, is about 100 billion.”
– Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at California’s SETI Institute
Our sun; Sol, lies less than halfway out (26,000 ly) from the galactic center in Sagittarius. It resides on the core-ward side of one of the galaxy’s spiral arms named Orion. This “arm” is some 2,000 to 3,000 ly thick.
There are numerous arms in our galaxy. (This figure seems to change, as scientists can’t seem to make up their minds between the major and minor arms.) As of 2017, it is considered that there are four “major” arms in our galaxy.
Here is a nice picture of what our Milky Way galaxy looks like if you were to view it from an angle far away. Selected “arms” are identified and labeled. The Sun is shown as a reference.
Roughly 6,000 light-years separate “our” Orion arm from the Sagittarius-Carina arm on the inside (towards the center of the galaxy) and the Perseus arm on the outside (outer rim of the galaxy). From our perspective, the galactic rim is in the direction of Auriga and Taurus.
Do not be deceived. The space between these arms is NOT empty of stars. They are full of stars. It is only that the vast bulk of the stars are the dimmer dwarfs that give off scant light that it appears that the voids are empty. The “arms” are composed of more hot and bright stars than what is found in the spaces between them.
The closest spiral arms to our solar system within the Milky Way galaxy. The sun’s location is provided for reference.
Our sun, Sol, is located 67 light-years north of the galactic plane. We are not in the middle; in the thick of the galaxy disk. We lie above it. We lie within a roughly 200-light-year wide oval band that is rich in gas, dust, and newborn stars.
In this region are associations of extremely bright, bluish, and massive O and B stars, with emission nebulae (H II). These are the (bright) stars that we see at night.
All those stars that we see at night are not typical. They just happen to be the stars that are easiest for us to see. Some are big. Some are bight. Some are visible because they are nearby to us. Often, these are the very young stars that people claim to be the home for extraterrestrial species. Heads up; they are not. They simply glow and light up the night sky for us. They are what we see. They are what give our galaxy the shape that we perceive. They are what help us define the “spiral arms”.
Voids between the Spiral Arms
The apparent voids between spiral arms are not empty space. They are not empty at all. It certainly looks like it, but that is because we are unable to see the dimmer stars. In truth, the “voids” of nothingness between the spiral arms are actually “chock” full of dimmer, redder, and less massive stars like Sol. (G, K, and M class.) Not to mention the huge numbers of “brown dwarf” stars and their respective solar systems.
The truth is that these voids are where the BULK of intelligent extraterrestrial species come from. This is where the more advanced civilizations in our galaxy exist. They do not lie inside the (visible) arms; where the young and hot stars lie, and where the gaseous and dusty spaces proliferate. No. They tend to lie in the safe, unexciting, and relatively quiescent spaces between the arms.
Here is Bode’s Galaxy. It is listed as Messier 81. It is very similar to our galaxy in overall shape and form.
The Milky Way has two four (x4) major and two (x2) minor arms that spiral out from the long bar of stars, as well as near and far arms that lie along both sides of the central bar more. There are also some “trivial” galactic features that could be classified as “offshoots” of the arms. These are distributed throughout the galaxy.
To some, the naming of these various features is important. Yet the truth is that the stars group together in clusters of various sizes, shapes, and intensity of brightness. How we view these clusters defines our naming conventions.
Some Notes;
A 12-year study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has confirmed that our Milky Way Galaxy has four spiral arms, following years of debate that it has only two arms.
First there were four arms, then there were two major arms with two minor arms, now we are back to four major arms again! Jeeze! Here’s a good write up on all the arguments.
"Using NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Telescope to sample light from some 30 million stars in the Milky Way, astronomers observed a long bar of relatively old stars spanning the center of the galaxy. Stellar bars are known to exist in some other spirals, and researchers have long pondered the possibility that one might reside in ours. They were unsure, however, of whether the heart of the galaxy would contain a bar structure, an ellipse or both.
The new observations paint the clearest picture yet of the Milky Way's interior and reveal the apparent bar in unprecedented detail. The feature is some 27,000 light-years long (7,000 light-years longer than expected) and sits at a 45-degree angle to the galaxy's main plane."
The Center of the Galaxy
Looking in from a point outside the Milky Way, we would see the luminous parts of the galaxy; a dense concentration of mostly old stars that fill the central bulge. Whose brightest stars are generally [1] red giants of relatively low mass or [2] big bluish stars recently born from gas. In the center of our galaxy is a very interesting and complex structure known as Sagittarius A* that is probably a black hole massing about 2.5 million suns.
Evidence has been uncovered for the presence of a jet of high-energy particles blasting out of the Milky Way’s super-massive black hole known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). This image of Sgr A* and the region around it contains some of the data used in the study, with X-rays from Chandra (purple) and radio emission from the Very Large Array (blue). Jets of high-energy particles are found throughout the Universe on large and small scales. The likely discovery of a jet from Sgr A* helps astronomers learn more about the giant black hole, including how it is spinning.
The central bulge is not a central point. It is not spherical in shape. Indeed, it is shaped like a long rectangular or oval bar. Its shape actually extends in the form of a 12-18,000 ly long “bar” (2-3 times longer than it is wide). From that, it “extends” to four bluish spiral arms on opposite sides. (Quite an unusual object, indeed.)
These “arms” wrap around the bulge and each other outwards through the dimmer and redder galactic disk. They possibly include broken arm segments; (these) yellowish arms where most short-lived OB stars have already perished and spurs off the arms (for example, the Orion Arm containing Sol, may actually be a spur that might have once been a part of the Perseus arm).
It is a dynamic and energetic place. With large streams of energy, vortexes of gravity, plasma, and other gasses interspersed the enormous stars and stellar debris of the region.
Galactic halo
Surrounding the Milky Way’s spiral disk and bulge is the slightly flattened feature known as the “galactic halo”. It extends far out and away from the galaxy. It acts like a large envelope that contains the entire galaxy and encompasses other stellar objects.
This halo consists of stars. It generally consists of very old stars, averaging somewhat lower in mass than our sun. (G, K, M and brown dwarfs for the most part.)
The halo of the Milky Way Galaxy. It is comprised of two elements; there is an inner and an outer halo.
Within the galactic halo is a relatively small number of individual stars and about 200 or so globular clusters. A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars. They tend to clump together and orbit the galactic core as a satellite “mass”. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, which gives them their spherical shapes and relatively high stellar densities toward their centers. These clusters are spread evenly about the halo; roughly half above and half below the disk. The reader can think of them as dense warts on an imperfect face.
These densely packed groups of stars may make excellent cradles for complex space-traveling life to evolve. However, we do not know this to be the case. We can only hypostatize.
My belief is that life springs up throughout the universe quite easily.
Di Stefano presented his research at the 227th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. His key point was that globular clusters are massive groupings of millions of stars in a region only 100 light-years across. The clusters date back to the early life of the Milky Way (nearly 10 billion years ago). (For comparison, the universe is approximately 13.5 to 15 billion years old.) Although these clusters' age raises some questions, it also provides ample time for civilizations that emerged to evolve and become complex.
In this case, the older age of the stars is an advantage. Di Stefano and Ray noted that bright stars like the sun would have been born, lived and died, leaving behind only faint, long-lived dwarf stars. These dimmer stars would require planets to orbit closer to their sun in order to maintain liquid water on their surface — a key requirement for the evolution of life as we know it. Their close orbits could help shield them from interactions with passing stars, according to a statement from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
The reader should recognize that there are studies that claim that these environments may be too harsh for life. In all cases, there are studies that say one thing and studies that say the opposite. The truth, like everything else, lies somewhere in between both extremes.
“If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.” ― Bertrand Russell
The Ripples or Grooves in our Galaxy
There are ring-like structures of stars wrapping around the Milky Way’s outer disk. These structures appear to belong to the disk itself. As a result, instead of the galactic disc being a thin “structure”, it is much larger than that. We now know that the disk is about 60 percent larger than what we had previously thought.
Not only do the results extend the size of the Milky Way, they also reveal a rippling pattern. This is a very unique feature. As such, it raises some really intriguing questions about what actually sent wavelike fluctuations rippling through the disk.
The Milky Way Galaxy has an apparent pattern of “waves” in the basic disc. This is a curious observation and suggests a complexity of galactic formation that was not initially obvious.
The researchers who discovered this feature suggest that the likely culprit was a dwarf galaxy. They have suggested a theory that the dwarf galaxy might have plunged through the Milky Way’s center long ago, sparking the rippling patterns astronomers have now detected. It would be similar to the waves on a lake or pond when you toss a pebble into it.
Other Structures
There are other structures that are associated with our galaxy. They too are quite interesting. One of which is the Monoceros Ring.
Our galaxy has numerous curious features or collections of stars. They greatly extend the size of our galaxy and indicate a complex dynamic in the formation of our galaxy and the interactions of the stars inside of it.
We know about these features due to the work of Yan Xu. Xu is an astronomer at the National Astronomical Observatories of China. Xu, colleague Newberg, and other colleagues studied the problem of a group of stars beyond the disk’s outermost edge. (The so-called Monoceros Ring.) They used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to determine the actual shape and behavior of this structure.
They found four (4x) total structures in and just outside what is currently considered the Milky Way’s outer disk. The third structure was the Monoceros ring, and the fourth structure was the Triangulum Andromeda Stream, located 70,000 light-years from the galactic center.
All four structures alternated with respect to the disk. They went from above it, to below it, to above it, to below it. Newberg, who was in the tidal stream camp, was surprised that the ring and three other structures were actually a part of an oscillating disk.
I really love stuff like this. It’s really great to read about and consider the wonders of our universe.
The hidden reality of our galaxy
Our luminous galaxy, because of the Galactic Halo, appears to be embedded in a larger and much more massive, but unseen, spheroidal halo of mostly non-luminous (or low luminosity) material (Brown dwarves, planets, gas giants, planetoids, asteroids and other mysterious bodies that we have not yet been exposed to.).
As described previously, this halo extends the physical dimensions of our physical galaxy substantially. The Milky Way may actually contain as much as the mass of a trillion suns like Sol, although the 600 billion, estimated luminous stars mass only about 175 billion suns. Thus, most of the galaxy’s mass must be composed of “dark” matter, of which brown dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, gas, and dust are estimated to make up only a minor share. The nature of the galaxy’s non-luminous matter is still unknown.
Stars of our Galaxy
This illustration compares the different masses of stars. The lightest-weight stars are red dwarfs. They can be as small as one-twelfth the mass of our Sun. The heaviest-weight stars are blue-white supergiants. They may get as large as 150 solar masses. Our Sun is between the lightweight and heavyweight stars. The red giant star at the bottom of the graphic is much larger than the other stars in the illustration. Its mass, however, can range from a fraction of the Sun’s mass to a few solar masses. A red giant is a bloated star near the end of its life. In this brief phase, a star’s diameter expands to several times its normal girth. (Image Source.)
Although as many as 5,800 to 8,000 of the Milky Way’s stars are visible from Earth with the naked eye, it is seldom possible to see more than 2,500 stars at any given time from any given spot. Most of the stars that we do see are not typical stars. Not at all. We cannot see “typical” stars.
Our eyesight, even with most telescopes are simply not good enough. Instead, what we see are the very rare, bright and young hot stars. All of which possess more mass, a higher luminosity, and a greater diameter than our own sun. While we might well (possibly) see them, they only represent a very tiny percentage of all the stars present to our eyesight.
We cannot see the bulk of the stars, the vast majority of stars in our local neighborhood are dimmer than our sun; too dim to be observed with the naked eye. Although dim and reddish M-dwarf stars constitute more than half of the population of our galaxy’s stars, none are visible to the naked eye. We just cannot see them.
In fact, it wasn’t up until the last decade or two that we “proved” that “brown dwarfs” actually existed. Up to that time, it was all just a theory. The statists strongly argued that “it doesn’t exist unless I can see it!“.
Physical Conclusions
Every day we are learning more and more about our galaxy and the space that lies around us. There will be many more discoveries and the science books are constantly being revised with the latest discoveries and theories.
When we meet and communicate with other species and other intelligences, and others that are extraterrestrial in nature, we discuss things from our point of understanding. That is very limiting because for the most part, not only do they see things differently than we do, but they have created sciences and technologies that are based on those understandings. They are alien to us.
For instance, a species that sees clearly in the infrared spectrum (apparently a common thing) see a different kind of sky at night. Their understanding of our galaxy is somewhat different than ours. For they see it in a far different way than we can.
The reader must understand, for a successful transfer of information and technology from one species to another, there has to be a uniformity of understandings and perceptions. Oh, forget that Hollywood bullshit about mathematics being the language of species communication. It isn’t. At least, that has been my experience.
We can only understand things within a common framework.
This limitation has been one of the problems that MAJestic has had with our extraterrestrial benefactors over the years. It is also why myself and a handful of others were tasked with our roles. So when information is presented herein, it is based upon an understanding of our “established” understandings with the presentation of new ideas and concepts that are alien to us.
With that being stated…
The History of our galaxy
Here is the “unwritten” actual history of our galaxy.
In many arguments concerning the Fermi Paradox, it is often discussed in terms of the physical universe. It always boils down to transport of one extraterrestrial species from one “home planet” to another “colonization planet”, and the relative probability of it occurring and being sustainable.
There are a myriad of arguments and discussions on this, and all of them are quite interesting.
I do not have the entire and whole story, and I am not even able to provide a sweeping overview. However, I can make a handful of statements that might give the reader some pause to consider. All of this involves only our galaxy alone. I know absolutely nothing about other galaxies. This information is tenuous. It does not involve the sheer totality of our universe.
So this is the complete catalog of what I know regarding our galaxy. I am sorry that it is so abbreviated, and perhaps a bit obtuse, but it is all I know about the galaxy that we live in. Please accept my apologies in this matter.
The Very Beginning
In general, the physical universe is around 13.7 billion years old.
Shortly afterward, gas, dust and other odd objects formed.
Their gravity would bring them in contact with other gas, dust, and odd objects. Eventually, they started to form primitive stars and collections of stars.
The earliest proto-galaxies formed rather early on, and they were huge in size. In fact, very large and very old galaxy clusters existed roughly 2.5 billion years after the “big bang”.
Some Notes;
The age of the universe at 13.7 billion years is debatable. But why quibble about fractions of a billion years that occurred around 14 billion years ago, that is silly. For our purposes, lets just simply say that the universe is a nice round 14 billion years old. (Anyways, time isn’t what we think it is anyways.)
“In physical cosmology, the age of the universe is the time elapsed since the Big Bang. The current measurement of the age of the universe is 13.799±0.021 billion years within the Lambda-CDM concordance model.”
Astronomers have found distant red galaxies—very massive and very old—in the universe when it was only 2.5 billion years post-Big Bang.
“Previous observations suggested that the universe at this age was home to young, small clumps of galaxies long before they merged into massive structures we see today. We are really amazed — these are the earliest, oldest galaxies found to date. Their existence was not predicted by theory and it pushes back the formation epoch of some of the most massive galaxies we see today."
-Carnegie Observatories Ivo Labbé
These red galaxies are very interesting. Astronomers have been particularly surprised to find very old, red galaxies that had stopped forming new stars altogether. They had rapidly formed massive amounts of stars out of gas much earlier in the universe’s history, but then suddenly starved to death. This behavior has raised the question of what caused them to die so early. (Such “red and dead” galaxies may be the forefathers of some of the old and giant elliptical galaxies seen in the local universe today.)
In addition to the old “dead” galaxies long past star formation, there were other red, dusty galaxies still vigorously producing stars.
"We're detecting galaxies we never expected to find, having a wide range of properties we never expected to see." Apparently, the early universe was already a wildly complex place. It's becoming more and more clear that the young universe was a big zoo with animals of all sorts. There's as much variety in the early universe as we see around us today."
-Carnegie Observatories Ivo Labbé Go HERE.
The Formation of Our Galaxy
No one really knows how OUR particular galaxy was formed.
Contemporaneously, there are debates on the age of our galaxy. In fact, there are those who claim that our galaxy is almost the same age as the “Big Bang”.
As of 21MAY18, the overall consensus is that the totality of our universe is about 13.7 billion years old. Contemporaneously, based on measurements of the element beryllium in two stars within a globular cluster of stars called NGC 6397, our Milky Way galaxy is considered to be one of the oldest galaxies in the universe. Using this dating method, those involved puts the age at 13.6 billion years.
Or, in other words almost the same age as the universe itself.
Now, this conclusion is based on the assumption that the globular cluster NGC 6397 formed at the same time that the entire Milky Way galaxy formed. It’s a pretty big assumption. It really is, as there is no indication that this is true.
This kind of assumption is like looking at an old man with a young girl and assuming that they are the same age because they sit in the same car together. I would kindly and respectfully suggest that further work needs to be done on this matter.
Now, there are other things and other evidence that also suggest that this is true. For instance, they have found very ancient stars at the very center of our galaxy.
So, is our galaxy really as old as the universe?
How our Proto-Milky Way Galaxy was Formed
I posit that the universe was created and afterward, various stars, globular clusters, and proto-galaxies formed. These proto-galaxies and stars moved about and interacted with each other. I contend that there was a period of around 3 to 4 billion years where the proto-galaxy of our Milky Way galaxy formed.
After the “Big Bang”, during a period of 3 to 4 billion years, numerous “objects” and items formed. They all became gravitationally attracted to each other. This collection of objects created the proto-galaxy that eventually became the Milky Way.
During this period, the first 4 billion years after the “Big Bang”, older stars interacted with the dust and material that eventually became our galaxy. Therefore, our galaxy is comprised of a number of proto-galaxies, older globular clusters, and some very old stars. Yet, the bulk of our galaxy started to form around 3 to 4 billion years after the “Big Bang”.
Our galaxy is typical; it is an aggregate of early formed stars, and clusters, gas and debris that formed in huge proto-galaxies, and collections of gas and debris that eventually formed the bulk of our galaxy as we know it today.
Our Galaxy – The early days
Our complete galaxy; the Milky Way galaxy, formed solidly about 5 billion years after the “Big Bang”. (With its proto-galaxy coming into existence around 3.5 billion years from the Big Bang. Say 1 to 1.5 billion years of formation.) In the early years it didn’t look anything like it does now, and even today, as then, it is constantly changing and evolving. Actually and truly; it is but a physical manifestation of the quantum world that surrounds us all.
What we are discussing is the earliest beginnings of our galaxy. There was no specific point in time where the galaxy came into being. Rather it formed through a coalescence of material into a collection of dust, debris, and stars. At some point, it became large enough to be called a galaxy. So for our purposes, let’s just say that the galaxy that we know it formed about 3.5 billion years after the “Big Bang”. Prior to that, it was something else; a proto-galaxy.
Let’s not quibble as to what constitutes a proto-galaxy and a mature; evolving one.
There have been approximately four generations of stars in the universe, (that is) if you discount the super-hot and short-lived stars, that are but transient events of insignificant duration. For our purposes, we can consider that our galaxy has had two complete generations of stars. (On average.) The very oldest stars in our galaxy are all that remains of the first generation.
A stellar generation is similar to that of a human generation. A star is born, grows and dies. That is the first generation. A second star is born out of the debris from the earlier star. It grows and dies. This is the second generation. A third star is born out of the dusty debris of the second star. It grows and dies. This is the third generation. Finally, a fourth star is born out of the debris from the third star. It grows and then eventually dies. This is the fourth generation.
Generations of stars were born, lived their stellar lives, and then faded into dim obscurity or died. The galaxy has been quite dynamic. (They move in orbits inside of a twirling and spinning galaxy. They flash into and out of existence. They form from collections of dust, and flash as radiation is released.) Stars form and die all the time.
When we look through our telescopes we see this dynamic interplay. Stars have a much longer lifespan than humans, so it appears that they never change. However, that is an illusion.
Galaxies Smash into Each Other Too
During the formation of our galaxy, and during the first of time, up to now, there was a rather serious change to our galaxy. Another much smaller galaxy; a dwarf galaxy, plunged headlong into our galaxy. It disrupted the tidy orbiting paths of the stars and altered the shape of our galaxy. Some stars from the dwarf galaxy were added to our galaxy, some of our stars were tossed out of our galaxy.
Given the huge distances involved, there probably were not too many stellar collisions. (We assume.) The galaxy just passed through ours, and the gravitational waves influenced the orbital structures of the galaxy.
First Intelligence’s
After the big bang, the physical world began to appear. This came in the form of proto-galaxies which included all sorts of planetary bodies.
The plain and straight fact is that the first quantum intelligence’s (non-physical) began to occupy the quantum sphere of the galaxy relatively early on; approximately in the first billion years of substantial galaxy formation (about 9 billion years ago). To be clear, intelligence formed long before physical bodies (containers) evolved.
Consciousness and intelligence formed long before physical bodies formed.
These life forms were with intelligence and understanding.
They created thoughts and formed quantum-level artifices, but they did not have physical forms. Our galaxy at that time was mostly somewhat an organized proto-galaxy with the very beginnings of physical organization. There were rocky planets, but most were too unstable to host any kind of physical life. The galaxy; and the universe at that time was emerging. It was nothing like we see it to be today.
What the physical manifestation of our galaxy was, at this time, a large collection of gas and dust. With a rather lumpy composition containing regions of dense and not-so-dense gas in the vast spaces.
The life forms were all quantum-based intelligence’s and thoughts. Most manifested in simple forms of lattices and strange mixtures of garbons and unusual alignments of swales. There were no specific archetypes and no really strong and stable avenues of intelligent growth.
As a result, many intelligence’s came into being and then quickly morphed into other things. These were both good and bad. Neutral alignments were rare. It was a world of the strong and organized quanta taking over that of disorganization. But ultimately the chaotic environment began to stabilize and the first intelligence’s of organized thought began to manifest.
First Physical lifeforms
For our purposes and understandings; the vast bulk of physical life (as we understand it), however, did not begin to manifest until much later; around three billion years later (about 6 billion years ago) after the very first tentative formations of the galaxy.
This, of course, relates to the “organizational threshold” that must be reached in order to blossom uniformly through the galaxy.
Certainly, there were minor pockets of microbial life that were established in the earliest years of galaxy formation (Within the first billion years of planetary formation.) Nevertheless, for various reasons, these were anomalous and really did not contribute to the “organizational quantum threshold”. The truth be told, it manifested in pockets (Roughly associated quantum signatures with physical locations at various points.), scattered about relatively uniformly in the “halo” of the galaxy. This early life was microbial and had simple physical forms.
I urge the reader not to get too confused. When I refer to the “Halo” I mean a uniform distribution though out the galaxy which includes above and below the plane of the elliptic. There are stars out there in the nether regions; far removed from the well-known and dense “arms” of the galaxy. The life began to form in an even distribution pattern. It formed everywhere; not just in the plane and not just in the arms where the most active and energetic stars lay.
Over a period of one billion years, the life tended to grow in spurts throughout the galaxy. Some life would become extinguished as the planetary environment changed, while other life would grow through periodic planetary extinctions and yet still survive and adapt in the physical forms. Meanwhile, other life began to crop up and live starting at the smallest microbial stages.
The simple physical life represented the simplest of physical manifestations. Upon once a life took root on a given planet, it began to propagate and evolved, over time into other forms.
The evolution of life, on a given planet, was never clean and pristine. The various life forms needed to evolve. To do that, they required periodic planetary changes that ultimately caused the life forms to grow and adapt to change. It should be interesting to the reader to note that planetary global extinctions are common throughout the universe. The effect on life as observed on Earth should be considered to be atypical to general evolutionary trends. Please note that the extent of global planetary extinctions present in a given solar system is directly related to the size of the solar system.
If the star is large and hot, such as O, B, A and maybe F class stars, any rocky planets (and shepherding gas giants) will be plummeted by large asteroids and periodic bombardment. In fact, given the short lifetimes of these types of stars, the planetary bombardment will be rather (more or less) continuous during the solar system life.
If the star is a little cooler, there will still be planetary bombardment, but it will become less and less frequent over time. This would pertain to F and G stars. That is because the gravitational influence of the star is not as great, and the size of the solar system is not as large.
If the star is even cooler than that and thus smaller, there will also still be planetary bombardment, but it will be small in influence (relatively speaking) and like the F and G stars will become less and less frequent over time. This will pertain to K, and M class stars as well as Brown Dwarfs.
Complex solar systems involving binary, trinary and larger systems are much more complex. As such, the relationships between global periodic extinctions will vary and fall under complex formulas. It is beyond what I know at this time. I am sure that some intelligent scientist will one day come up with a set of rules and guidelines that would effectively delineate these complex relationships.
Bipedal Intelligent lifeforms
Within a billion years, about 5 billion years ago, bipedal intelligent life began to occupy a number of worlds. This was about one billion years before the very beginnings of our solar system.
There are numerous civilizations in our galaxy. They all follow development patterns. This chart summarizes the growth of populations of galactic civilizations as a function of time.
However, there were no specific quantum archetypes and when these species began to develop the sciences and technologies necessitated by survival, they often caused quantum disruption and great chaos when they crossed the vast gulfs of space between the stars. This disruption became very serious; almost catastrophic, and needed to be curbed and culled. This was because entire civilizations were slowly being innocently entangled with different levels of quanta. They became confused and unstable.
It is not that simple. The term “levels” is a catchall phrase. It represents different types of disorganized quanta clumps. These non-stable garbons and associations are dimensionally unstable. When they confront other quantum arrangements the ones with the greatest quantum entropy gains mastery. This caused a great deal of consternation.
This was a chaotic period.
Various species advanced technologically and spread across the galaxy. They met other space-faring races and periods of confusing confrontation occurred. There really wasn’t much in terms of overt physical warfare (while some did actually occur), most of the problems had to do with incompatibility of various levels of quantum integration and thought manifestations. (Civilizations met and interacted, but the different quantum influences adversely affected the “weaker” or more “exposed” species. This eventually altered the physical world of both species. Typically it resulted in various catastrophic effects.)
It was a difficult time.
Inferior species without robust quantum configurations were easily overtaken by species with superior quantum organizations. The conflict happens outside of the physical and takes place over a generally short period of time. Over a few generations, the weaker lifeform tends to die off or be displaced.
I do not know the details. However, this period lasted around one billion years and ended about 4 billion years ago. This was about ½ billion years before the formation of our solar system. At that time, a number of (the strongest and most stable) organized species and races began to establish themselves in our galaxy. These races and species were all space-faring and very powerful. I believe that the progenitor race was one of these races.
The age of our solar system is under revision. Researchers studying bits of a meteorite discovered that the space rock was 4.5682 billion years old, predating previous estimates of the solar system's age by up to 1.9 million years.
Stabilization and Organization
At about three billion years ago, the galaxy was stabilized and set groups or organizations began to run it and control it. Over time they began to become more organized and better prepared to interact with each other. These organizations continue to this day. (Some mature, while others retire and evolve into other things…)
The area (of the galaxy) that we are in, has the form of a structured government, administered by a kind of federation (of sorts).
Each organization of races or species has established nurseries where they permit the cultivation and growth of “approved” and desirable quantum soul archetypes. We are in one of these nurseries.
The reader might be amused to know that there are five such nurseries in our general physical location. Thus, there are four other nurseries for sentience cultivation nearby. One of which is extremely close to us physically.
I believe that the established list of “approved” archetypes occurred around 1.5 billion years ago. The primary characteristic of this listing is to prevent one species from entirely disrupting another species because their (emerging) quantum soul is too prone towards disruption.
Key to the stability of a quantum configuration is a well-established sentience.
Since all quanta (in the species “Heaven”) are all interconnected, mixtures of different kinds of sentiences detract (take away from) the stability of the group quantum makeup. Uniformity of quantum configurations is desirable for stability of the sentience of the whole.
Now, every creature has a different soul. A dog has a soul. A cat has a soul. A tiger has a soul, and a three-eyed critter from Tralfamadore has a soul. Each soul is attuned to a unique “Heaven”, which is the “universe” in which it resides.
In “Heaven” is a uniformity of form. All human souls occupy a “human Heaven”. All cat souls reside within a “cat Heaven”, and so forth. However, each individual soul has an “awareness”. Thus, in a specific Heaven are different beings.
Each soul can create different consciousnesses within different realities to obtain experiences with. As long as the experiences build upon the overall “growth plan” of the soul, all is fine. However, when the experiences are disjointed, or irregular, discordant sentiences result. Discordant sentiences can terribly pollute and damage a given “Heaven” or quantum makeup of a species.
The key to prevent this from occurring is to create a “safe space” for a given species to grow within. This is a nursery from which a group of souls can acquire experiences and lessons.
Our Nursery
Our nursery is a relatively recent event and was established around 540 million years ago (more or less). The moon was relocated and put in orbit around the earth (As strange as it might seem, the purpose was to simulate the tidal effects that planets have that orbit smaller K and M class stars.) Additionally, specific native lifeforms were eliminated, while others were cultivated. Monitoring of the solar system began during this time. The exact periods of their involvement are unknown to me, but if I were to query our benefactors, I am sure that they would tell me.
My overall “feeling” is that there was a less than organized implementation of this nursery and that the primary “observers” had a greater latitude in their behavior (early on) than what we experience with them today.
The nursery was established by a group that I prefer to refer to as the “Progenitors”. It is monitored and observed by a different species. That species works directly with MAJestic in the policing of this nursery.
Ken D. Olum has some thoughts…
Ken D. Olum, using some inflation-based ideas and the anthropic premise that we should be typical among all intelligent observers in the Universe, arrives at the puzzling conclusion that “we should find ourselves in a large civilization (of galactic size) where most observers should be, while in fact we do not“.
In this note, he discusses the intriguing possibility whether we could be in fact immersed in a large civilization without being aware of it.
This is pretty much in line with what is being provided herein. The basic conclusion is that this possibility cannot be ruled out provided two conditions are met. These conditions are [1] that we call the Subanthropic Principle and [2] the Undetectability Conjecture.
The Subanthropic Principle states that we are not typical among the intelligent observers from the Universe. Typical civilizations of typical galaxies would be hundreds of thousands, or millions, of years more evolved than ours and, consequently, typical intelligent observers would be orders of magnitude more intelligent than us.
The Undetectability Conjecture states that, generically, all advanced civilizations camouflage their planets for security reasons, so that no signal of civilization can be detected by external observers, who would only obtain distorted data for dissuasion purposes.
Dispatch from our nursery will not be permitted until our sentience is established. Otherwise, our discordant-sentience could escape our quarantine and disrupt the rest of the galaxy much like a plague.
The Progenitor species will not permit humans to leave the nursey until our sentience is homogenious amoungist the bulk of humanity. Then, our souls will be reconfigured into a galatically approved archetype that would best fit our sentience.
Graduation
The reader must realize that we will never be permitted to leave this nursery until we, as a species, have mastered our ability to control and mitigate our quantum selves and souls. Therefore, we are an intermediary stage in evolution. Progression off-world means that we must either [1] cultivate a “service-to-others” sentience, or [2] devolve into a “farmed” sentience such as dictated as “service-to-self” entities.
That is the “battleground” that humans are fighting today. (The reader should not confuse the periodic “turnings” of social human behavior with quantum sentience.) The sentience that wins will determine the future direction of the human species.
Signposts for Service-For-Self Sentience
When this happens, there will be some telltale signs that will appear that will indicate a kind of foreboding as to what will transpire. [1] Firstly, humans will start to alter or “improve” their DNA and genetic structure. [2] First, in secret, and then publicly, there will become genetic stratification of human types.
There will be Indian-style caste systems put in place and defined by genetic manipulation. The lower castes would be genetically bred for certain functions, while the upper castes would have other genetic attributes incorporated to make them more “superior”.
[3] Laws will be put in place to control the behaviors of different castes of people. [4] Finally, once the service-to-self caste system is well entrenched, the entire human population will be absorbed by a more advanced service-to-self sentience, and all humans will find their genetic makeup altered over time to become a “farmed” sentience.
Age of our galaxy
The Milky Way appears to be poised to enter middle age.
While many younger galaxies can be grouped into “blue galaxies”, older galaxies can be grouped into “red galaxies”. Recent observations using infrared wavelengths indicate that the Milky Way appears to be of an intermediate color, which means that it can be grouped into relatively rare “green valley” galaxies.
Blue Galaxies – This name applies because their vigorous star formation at this stage of evolution produces many young stars that are massive, bright, and bluish. Thus, the galaxy appears to be very blush in color.
Red Galaxies – Here, the galaxy is dominated by the longer-lived red stars. The short-lived, bluish stars have expired to leave the redder, dimmer, less massive stars behind.
These types of galaxies are thought to be changing from blue to red as star-formation waning over 1.5 billion years (based on model simulations). If observations and model simulations are correct, star formation in the Milky Way will end within five billion years.
This will occur despite the gas compression and star formation impact of a predicted merger with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy (M31). That event is anticipated to initiate beginning in 2.2 billion years and taking five billion years to fully assimilate. The Andromeda galaxy also appears to be transitioning into a green valley galaxy that is relatively poor in the cold gas needed for star formation.
A plot of stellar mass and galaxy color. Our galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy is currently in the “green valley”.
My Conclusions
“There are objects in our atmosphere which are technically miles in advance of anything we can deploy, that we have no means of stopping them coming here . . [and] there is a serious possibility that we are being visiting and have been visited for many years by people from outer space, from other civilizations. . . . This should be the subject of rigorous scientific investigation and not the subject of ‘rubbishing’ by tabloid newspapers.” – Lord Admiral Hill-Norton, Former Chief of Defense Staff, 5 Star Admiral of the Royal Navy, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
The reader might be surprised at my conclusions. But, given what I do know, our galaxy is simply teeming with all kinds of intelligent life in all kinds of shapes and sizes. It is full of life; life at every stage of development. This goes from the earliest and simple microbes to highly advanced civilizations that are millions of years old. And, at that those are only the physical creatures, I didn’t even begin to mention the great diversity of (invisible) quantum creatures that are about and surround us.
We should not at all be surprised to know that there are well way over a million intelligent extraterrestrial species in our galaxy.
Truthfully, if the reader could “get inside my head” and know what I know, experience what I have experienced, and been exposed to what I have seen, they would be surprised. Not at all the wonderment of nature and the capabilities of technology, but rather at how silly the arguments are that we humans are “alone” in this universe.
They are just so silly and trivial.
In fact, the galaxy that surrounds us is not a wild, empty and untamed wasteland just ripe for exploration and colonization. But, rather, it is a well patrolled and policed manicured world of great color and complexity. Not to mention dangers and pitfalls. Humans are fortunate to live in this protected nursery that we call the earth.We humans do not understand so much, what is necessary in regards to our universe. Were we to leave it, in our infantile state, we risk serious conflagration of our soul makeup. We are so ignorant, that we don’t even have an inkling of our ignorance.We need this protection. We need to understand the reality of ourselves and how we fit in the universe.
Take Aways
Our galaxy is typical in the universe.
Our galaxy is roughly around 9 billion years old in a universe that is approximately 14 billion years old.
Consciousness and sentience in our universe occurred prior to the formation of the physical reality that we observe.
The physical manifestation of intelligence in our galaxy began around 9 billion years ago. This was at the start of the formation of the Milky Way galaxy.
First biological creatures began to inhabit our galaxy around 6 billion years ago.
During a time period lasting approximately 2 to 4 billion years ago, there was a restructuring of sentience during a competition period for sentience domination.
Our solar system was formed around 4.5 billion years ago.
The galaxy stabilized with sentience standardization protocols and established archetypes starting around 1.5 billion years ago.
About 1 billion years ago, a system of approved sentience archetypes was established, and a policing / enforcement group was established in support of it.
Native life began to evolve and populate the world around 600 million years ago.
The solar system that we live in was established as a sentience nursery around 540 million years ago.
Numerous sentience’s have been cultivated within this nursery. Humans are the latest biological creatures to be so cultivated.
RFH
I am open to updates on the latest theories and information regarding our galaxy. As with everything else, what I understand is based on what I know. I welcome comments and suggestions to better help flush out the past in our galaxy.
FAQ
Q: What type of galaxy is the Milky Way Galaxy?
A: The Milky Way galaxy considered to be a “barred spiral galaxy“, as such it resembles the Hubble classification type “Sbc“. This is how the galaxy looks at this point in time. In the past, the Milky Way galaxy looked quite different. Galaxies change their shape over time.
Q: How big is the Milky Way galaxy?
A: Yah. It’s pretty darn big. It’s huge. In fact, scientists are just falling over themselves in amazement as to how big it is. The galactic disc is at least 150,000 light-years across. As time moves forward, we find ourselves constantly revising the size of our galaxy ever larger.
Q: How old is the Milky Way galaxy?
A: As of 21MAY18, the over consensus is that the overall universe is about 13.7 billion years old. Contemporaneously, based on measurements of the element beryllium in two stars within a globular cluster of stars called NGC 6397, our Milky Way galaxy is considered to be one of the oldest galaxies in the universe. Using this dating method, those involved put the age at 13.6 billion years. Or, in other words almost the same age as the universe itself.
I contend that elements within our galaxy is as old as the universe, but most of the galaxy did not come into being until around three to four billion years later.
Q: What do you know about Roswell?
A: It is a town in New Mexico. There is all kind of lore regarding that area. Some people claim that an extraterrestrial vehicle crashed there and that it has been “covered up” by the United States government. Hogwash! Nothing is ever covered up by the United States government, why we have the open and most transparent president in the history of the world; Barrack Obama telling us that there are no extraterrestrials. You can believe him, right?
Q: Why is sentience important?
A: Our universe is controlled by thought. Sentience funnels and directs thoughts. Unless the sentience is policed, great disruptions to the fabric of our universe can occur. Thus it is critically important that humans have a unified sentience, and eventual genetic reprogramming to a approved archetype.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Everyone, most especially Americans, know about bread. It is an American staple. We simply cannot picture a meal without bread. Breakfasts have toast. Lunches consist of either a sandwich or a hamburger. Dinners usually have some kind of bread, whether it is a loaf of white bread or some dinner rolls. The point is that we, as Americans, consider bread to be an important part of our day to day meals.
As such, we don’t appreciate bread.
We take it for granted. We buy loaves of pre-sliced bread off the store shelves. We eat hamburgers using preserved hamburger buns. We eat hotdogs using a package of pre-made hotdog buns. Dinners use (at best) instant frozen buns. We never really give any thought to the IMPORTANCE of having fresh, crusty bread served daily.
I would like to talk about this…
Growing Up
When I was a little boy, we (of course) ate bread. My mother would pack us a sandwich made out of white bread (usually Wonder Bread) and put it in a little lunch box that I would carry to school with me. I had a couple of lunch boxes over the years. I had a Flintstones, a Diver Dan, a Fireball XR5, and a Jetsons lunch box. I even had a Beatles lunch box, but I gave it to my sister as she really wanted it.
Each lunch box would have a small thermos inside. My mother would fill it with soup. We would have various kinds of soups. Almost all the time they were Campbell’s soups. We typically have tomato, chicken noodle, chicken rice, vegetable, and beef vegetable soups.
The sandwich would be either a baloney, ham, chicken salad, egg salad or peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It would always be cut diagonally into two halves. It would be packaged within a plastic bag and sat there with a napkin, and a piece of fruit; usually an apple. Other fruits included bananas, peaches, plums, grapes or a box of raisins.
At that time, I really didn’t know much about food. I grew up with white-bread sandwiches and didn’t give them a moment’s thought. My sister and brother, on the other hand, had very strong feelings about the bread used. It just HAD to be “Wonder Bread” brand of sliced bread. They absolutely refused to eat anything other than that particular brand of bread. Eh? Who figures?
Dinners were always served with bread. Typically it was also white bread. My mother would place the plastic wrapped loaf on the table and we would help ourselves to whatever bread we wanted. Butter was always on the table in a rectangular glass dish. For the most part, it was salted butter, but she switched to margarine because the cost of butter was getting too expensive for casual family use.
She would make homemade bread on major holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. She would also buy frozen rolls from Pillsbury, and bake them in the oven.
For me, my experience with “real” fresh bread and rolls occurred when I visited my grandparents in Pittsburgh. For there, they had access to bakeries. We didn’t as we lived in the country.
Bakeries
Both of my grandparents lived in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. One was on “Polish Hill” which was a hill overlooking the “main drag” of Pittsburgh known as Liberty Avenue. The other set of grandparents lived in Lawrenceville. It was a Northern suburb that served various industries up-river.
A evening scene from Polish Hill. Polish Hill is a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a community that was founded by Polish immigrants that went to Pittsburgh to find work in the Steel Mills there.
Polish Hill was great. It was settled by immigrants from Poland and it had a kind of old-world European flavor to it. I was just about related to everyone there. There were various bars, bakeries, grocery stores, and small family run establishments up and down the streets. Of course, the Catholic Church dominated the hill, and the Polish Falcons club was on a side street.
There was a bakery that was just down the street. On the weekends, my grandmother would walk down and buy two dozen hard rolls. Thus, when we would visit them, we could eat our fill of fresh hot hard rolls and salted butter. She would get a selection of rolls that would include poppy seed, sesame seed, onion, and salt rolls that we could choose from. Typically, I would eat them with good strong black coffee that I used to drink with sugar and cream.
If we were having a brunch, she would lay out some cold cuts. We would then make us a sandwich out of the hard rolls and the cold cuts. She (well, both of my grandmothers) would lay out a “spread”. This would include fresh Lettuce, onion, sliced tomatoes and a big jar of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise. We would them make us a sandwich from those fixings. It would end up something like this;
If were were going to stay for lunch, often times my grandparents would allow us to make our own sandwiches. Here, they would lay out a “spread” of cold cuts. We would then make sandwiches and drink soda while our parents and relatives would drink beer.
Lawrenceville was similar. They also had a couple of bakeries that they would frequent. However, instead of buying rolls they would buy a loaf or two of bread and have the bakery slice it for us. Typically an Italian loaf, a thick loaf of Rye bread, or a crusty black loaf were what my other grandmother would buy.
In this case, the sliced loaves would be laid out on the table and we could make sandwiches out of the slices. The layout was similar, except there would also be pickles, olives, coleslaw, homemade potato salad, sausage, mustard, and horseradish on the table. For some reason, my relatives from that side of the family really liked to make sandwiches with coleslaw on it. I have tried it a number of times and I must admit that it really was quite tasty.
My other relatives would allow us to make cold cut sandwiches using sliced bread. Here the bakery would slice rye or fresh “farm” bread. We would then use it to make our sandwiches out of. Typically we would eat ham, and baloney. We would also have bacon and cheese slices as well.
Both grandparents had different ways of doing things. My grandparents from Lawrenceville would lay out a spread, and the entire family would sit around playing cards, snacking, and chatting. Us kids would be running around in the back alleys and jumping from rooftop to rooftop over the narrow alleys. (My mother lost her 14-year-old sweetheart that way; he fell and died when he didn’t make it to the other roof.) We would go down into the basement and get a bottle of soda and continue playing.
My grandparents on Polish Hill would do things differently. There it was coffee, buttered rolls, newspapers, and television. We could go out and play. Typically, I would go out with my cousins and hang out at their homes, listening to 45 records on record players, and reading comic books. Like all homes (well, maybe most homes) there was always a case or two of glass bottled soda (in a wooden box) sitting on the basement stairs for us to get at will and drink.
There was something else too. For some mysterious reason, most basements in Pittsburgh had a commode sitting in the middle of the basement floor. (Read more about it HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.) Which was handy if you needed to go to the bathroom, but uncomfortable as it was like taking a dump in the middle of a basketball court.
“The "Pittsburgh Shitter," as I've heard it called -- and not just when readers suggest alternate names for CP -- is a treasured bit of local folklore. Basement toilets have long been celebrated as a connection to the city's industrial legacy; they've even been featured in Rick Sebak's recent documentary Underground Pittsburgh."The story is that you came home from work in the mill, and you used the basement to wash up before you tracked grime all over the house," says Ron Baraff. An archivist and historian at Homestead-based Rivers of Steel, it's Baraff's job to delve for local working-class history. Obviously, he finds it in a lot of basements.Frequently, he says, "If you go into these older homes, there's often a cast-cement tub down there as well. I have heard from dozens of steelworkers and their families that this was the daily routine -- especially before the 1950s, before there were big shower rooms installed in the plants themselves."Still, he says, while the bathrooms are rare, they are not unheard of: "I know of other towns where people have the same sort of thing. You tend to find them in a lot of working-class towns" -- including Cleveland, where a toilet in the basement arguably seems a little redundant. But "there are older towns in Oregon where they have them as well," Baraff says.Pittsburgh's basement toilets are somewhat unusual, Baraff allows, because they very often don't feature amenities like, well, walls. "They're just right out in the open. It's the fact that they are stand-alone facilities, with no walls or anything else.”-Chris Potter
Many Pittsburgh homes have a commode in the basement. This seems to be native to Pittsburgh. While the story goes that the commodes were used by the workers to clean up and wash, when they came home from the steel mills, I do not buy into that. The reason is that a shower head is more important than a commode for cleaning up. The truth is that in Pittsburgh, typically the men had their own bathrooms. The women folk had their own bathrooms that they shared with the children. Thus, the basement was the domain of the men-folk. That is the real reason for the commodes in the basements of Pittsburgh.
It might not be politically correct, but up until the 1960’s and 1970’s, men (in Pittsburgh) had their own areas or domains. As did their wives and the ladies in their lives. The women had control over the “upstairs” bathrooms, the kitchen and the laundry room. The men had control of the “basement” bathroom, the work area, and the storage area. Everything else was shared.
It worked out well that way. The woman folk always had the bathrooms clean, tidy and sanitized. The menfolk would have privacy and peace in their own bathrooms.
Ah. Today is a different time, and we have forgotten the workaround that older generations used to cohabitate together. Today we think that everything was equally shared and equally maintained. Ha! No such chance. The men had their own areas, and the women had their own areas.
My Own Experiments
I have to say that as much as I enjoy eating bread, my attempts to make it have been abject failures. I would follow the instructions. I would add the yeast properly, and pound and knead the dough just like the instructions said. I would let it rise and then put it in the oven. Yet…
Yet…
They never seemed to come out as good as the hard crusty loaves of bread that we could get at the bakery.
They were bread. That much was clear. They smelled like bread, they even tasted somewhat like bread. But they weren’t the tasty loaves that I could buy at a bakery. What was I doing wrong? I have never been able to figure it out. I followed the instructions, but each time I did it, the loaves just turned out…um, plain.
The bread never became hard and crusty. The nice big pockets of air never materialized. The taste was never, at all, like what I was expecting. Ah, this was a big disappointment. Let me tell you.
I know that it is a big disappointment when my dog just sniffs it and then turns his back and walks away from it. I know that there is something wrong when my wife refuses to be in the house with me when I am making the bread. She can’t stand to see all the mess and the big disappointment on my face when the loaves are finished. I know that it is a big disappointment when I try to give it away to my staff, and then they go around and just throw it away in the trash can.
I guess that baking bread isn’t one of my strengths. Sigh.
Hamburger & Hotdog Buns
Let’s chat a little bout hotdog buns and hamburger buns. You know one of my favorite quotes is from the movie True Stories (This is not the “Bulletproof Monk” quote. They stole it from the original movie.);
"It's like how hot dogs come in packs of 10, and buns come in packs of eight or 12 - you have to buy nine packs to make it come out even."
-Quotes from "True Stories"
I remember watching this movie for the first time. It was during my MAJestic training at China Lake. I was living in Ridgecrest, California at the time, and when I would leave the base after a day of training in the “chamber”, I would come home to beer and watch a movie rental. I believe we watched it in BetaMAX at the time.
The cult classic 1980’s oddball movie “True Stories”. Why it’s all about “specialness”. If you, the reader, have the opportunity, I would strongly suggest you watch this oddball movie. (Maybe you like the music group the B-52’s, eh?) Ah, the Huffington Puffington Post has an answer to this. If you want to read their justification, it’s up to you. For me, it’s just the way that it is. They seem to have stumbled on some sort of global conspiracy between the wealthy oligarchs, and the FDA with the innocent housewives trapped in the middle. Oh, My!
Anyways…
You know, even though I grew up with them all my life (hotdog and hamburger white bread rolls), I really don’t think that they are all that good. Certainly, the rolls can be improved somewhat. If you eat them alone it is like eating a rather bland sponge.
Don’t you think?
The simple truth is that a hamburger bun at the grocery store is the same as a hamburger bun at a cub scout gathering, a picnic, a McDonald’s restaurant, or a typical diner. They are all the same. There is nothing special about it, and no special attention is given to the selection of the bun.
It’s a shame. It’s really sad.
Portuguese Rolls
Which brings me to the joy of eating “Portuguese Rolls”.
Milford, Massachusetts is a wonderful small town. It has everything. It feels like a small town, but is very close to downtown Boston. In fact, you can drive over to the town next door and take the “T” all the way into Boston. Photo credit to Cathy Leite Photography. What a great photo, don’t you think? I think that have a certain ability, or talent. Here are some other examples of their work. Beautiful.
You know, I was first introduced to the joys of Portuguese Rolls while I was living in Milford, Massachusetts. There, in the surrounding area, was a sizable community of immigrants from Portugal. The town of Milford was really quite nice. When I lived there, it was in the mid to late 1990’s and it still had the Mayberry RFD “feel” about it.
There were numerous bakeries there. I would get to eat fresh rolls, bagels, Italian bread, and of course, Portuguese Rolls.
I remember the event quite clearly. We were making up a crock-pot full of sweet Italian sausages with cut up onions, peppers, and tomato sauce. We added some basil, garlic and some oregano for flavor and let it cook away for around five hours or so.
Ah… the house smelled marvelous.
There is something simple and delicious about sweet Italian sausages cooked in tomatoes with onions and peppers. It is absolutely wonderful if you put it on a nice hard crusty bread.
We had bought some Portuguese Rolls from the bakery, and we thought they might be good with the sausages. Boy was we in for a treat! The rolls were tough and crunchy on the outside, but warm and moist on the inside. They were not circular like a normal hard roll would be. Instead, they were more like a football shape. They were also a little small.
Nothing beats some fresh hot Portuguese Rolls. It is most especially delicious when eaten with sweet Italian sausage and peppers.
I fell in love with them the first time that I tried them. They were so absolutely delicious. It was sort of like eating a hard roll, except that the skin was just a little bit crunchy. That, and the skin ran deeper. It was thus, a little chewier. It was amazing when you coupled it with the sweet Italian pepper sauce. Yum!
Fresh Baked Italian Bread
Tutuila island has some of the most spectacular colors and views in the entire world. It is an area of fresh air and amazing people. This photo is not photoshopped!
I have always enjoyed freshly baked bread. In fact, my favorites have been both French and Italian baked loaves of bread. Of course, that is pretty difficult to come by outsides of Europe, though there are some pretty good bakeries around the world.
One of the best moments that I ever had regarding fresh loaves of bread occurred in the tiny town of Lli’ili (yeah, it’s a pretty odd name) on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa. I was there working as a Project Engineer building a medical complex near Pago Pago. After the day’s work, we would hop into the truck and drive to the market and get some beer. We could get it at just about any small store, but we liked to go to our favorite grocery store.
We would go get our groceries from a market in Lli’ili. They had a pretty big selection of food, which was pretty hard to come by (and expensive) since we were living on a remote and distant island in the middle of the South Pacific.
Tutuila is the biggest island in the American Samoa islands. To the West of it is the other (non-American) Samoan islands, known as West Samoa.
Every day they would bake fresh Italian bread. Fresh. When you pulled in from the road and walked into the grocery store, your nostrils would fill up with that wondrous aroma.
My wife, Chinese, has never been a big fan of bread. She buys them and eats them with me. However, for her, she prefers seafood such as conchs, and snails. (After all these years, I eat them, but they are not my favorites.) Yet, when she tried this bread she fell in love with it. It was so delicious and tasty. We ate it with real salted butter. The butter would melt inside the soft white moistness of the warm interior. It was delicious and so wonderful.
We went and bought two loaves, and scarfed them both down with Ice cold Valima beer.
Valima Beer is manufactured on the Western Samoa islands. It is exported to American Samoa. It is a good beer and quite tasty. It is a big size as all Samoans are big people.
Bread in China
Speaking of my wife’s preferences in food, are you aware of what constitutes bread in China? Yeah. It’s quite different than what is “real” bread back in the States, or out in Europe.
BreadTalk is a chain of bakeries that operate within China. It has taken the McDonalds fast food environment and adapted it to the production of Chinese style loaves of bread and pastries.
Yes, they do have bakeries. Yes, they also carry a wide selection of loaves of bread, pastries, and confections. Bakeries are actually a pretty common thing in China. You actually can’t visit a town or city without running into one every other city block.
In general, Chinese bread is typically [1] sweet, and [2] very soft. It is like eating sponge cake. That is pretty much what it is like. Imagine sponge cake made into rolls, biscuits, cakes, cookies, and long loaves of bread.
Imagine each bread or pastry having different flavors as well. While there are the common flavors such as cherry, blueberry, lemon, banana and other well-known fruit sensations, they also have other tropical flavors to suit the Chinese palate. They have durian, mango, papaya, guava, and star-fruit flavors as well. Of course, they also carry a wide selection of cakes.
One of the odd things about Chinese bakeries is that they tend to use this kind of strange pork dust flakes that they really like to sprinkle on everything. They especially like to sprinkle it on loaves of bread. So you can get a cherry flavored (sponge cake) bread, for instance, with pork flakes on top of it. Who’d figure?
It’s odd, I know.
The bread in a Chinese bakery is typically soft and sweet. It more closely resembles sponge cake than anything else. Here are some typical loaves of bread that can be found at just about any bakery in China.
No pies though. It’s difficult to get a pie in China. The closest thing to a pie is at McDonald’s fast-food franchise. There you can get a McDonald’s red bean pie, instead of (the American staple) an apple pie.
There is good news, however. Most bakeries in China do know how to make long French bread. Most will have this kind of hard bread on sale. The typical cost varies from 6 yuan (approximately $1) for a loaf all the way up to 12 yuan ($2) at the more expensive stores.
Fresh Italian Bread with Dinner
Now with this in mind, we typically buy a loaf or two at the store. We cut it up and put it in the freezer to eat with our dinner. Not every meal that we eat is a Western meal, so we typically only eat the bread with a “Western Style” meal.
The best loaves of bread, I think, come from fresh and hot Italian bread right out of the oven. The bread is permitted to harden somewhat. It is delicious with real salted butter.
If the meal is Western, it is served with bread. We buy a loaf or two of “French bread” from the local supermarket (D, RenRen Le, Carrefour, Taste or Park n’ Shop). There they make “real” crusty bread, not the super soft sweet bread that is so common in Chinese bakeries. Typically we purchase it beforehand when it is made fresh and then we freeze it. We take it out and heat it up in the oven or microwave as necessary.
Salted Butter. We eat bread with REAL SALTED butter. This is one of the little pleasures that I missed over the years. In the rush to make everything “healthy” in the United States, everyone switched to unsalted butter and margarine. Bullshit. You lose the taste, and you still die early. It’s all nonsense. In my house, we cut the bread, heat it up in the oven, and place it in a bowl covered under a cloth. It is served with the formal family meal.
The selection (and presentation) of butter is very important. The butter is in a large glass butter container (twice the size of the one we had as I grew up in the 1960’s) and is left out for a few hours to soften up. Butter is ALWAYS “salted” butter (which we buy on the internet), in a pinch, we will use “lightly salted”. We absolutely never use “unsalted” butter.
Now, this is how bread should look. Crusty on the outside and nice and fluffy with voids inside. Note that the voids are in different sizes and shapes. I have always treasured this feature.
Hard Crusty Rolls on a Sunday
Back in the day, I went to Syracuse University to study Aerospace Engineering. When I was attending university, I lived off campus. I lived on the “East Side” of Syracuse in the “German Section” of South Salina street. This area was a cultural enclave of German immigrants who moved to Syracuse from Germany. At that time, I lived with a German family who rented a room out to me.
They were good folk. Heinz came to the United States with his wife Gertrude after the collapse of Nazi Germany after World War II. He was hard of hearing because of a war wound. (He was a military police officer on the Russian front.)
Ah, the stories they would tell me! They would talk about the collapse of society and the war. Gertrude would tell me about the awful, awful things the Russian soldiers would do to the German girls, and Heinz would tell me about the struggles that they had escaping from Germany during the collapse.
Heinz had built a secret room in the basement behind a fake set of shelves. He told me that you should never expect things always to be good and great; that you should always prepare for the worst. He kept a couple of firearms in the house in hidden locations, and always made sure that the “emergency safe room” was always stocked up and safe. Now, as far as I know, he never ever needed to use that room. Good thing, I am sure.
Anyways…
Every morning I would get a fine German breakfast. It consisted of toasted bread, peanut butter, cut up lettuce, tomato, and onions. I would also get a soft boiled egg and some coffee. It was actually very delicious. Sometimes there would be some liverwurst that I could spread on top of the toast. It has become one of my fondest memories.
Now the bread was just normal store-bought bread. Sometimes, it would be a rye or a wheat bread. However, for the most part, it was a plain white “everyday” bread.
German breakfast spread (Image source.)
They always gave me a great breakfast. I would take my time making the toast and putting all kinds of things on the bread. It was most certainly delicious.
However, for some reason, Sundays were different. Gertrude liked to watch a religious television show at the time. I think it was called the 700 club. During the show, I think it ran all the time, but on Sundays, she was “glued” to the set in the living room. As such, she couldn’t make me my regular or “normal” breakfast meal.
Instead, she or Heinz would bring a paper bag of hard rolls from the neighborhood bakery and place them on the table. I could help myself to a few rolls, some sliced tomatoes, butter, cream cheese, and coffee. It wasn’t the same as the regular German breakfast spread, but it was just as nice.
Hard rolls from the local bakery down the street was a little enjoyment that I have come to miss. We would get a dozen warm rolls, and eat them with real salted butter. This is a wonderful thing to have with coffee.
In fact, I must confess, I have taken a real liking to hot hard rolls with real salted butter, and fresh (from the garden) tomato slices with salt and pepper. Thus, the reason for this post, don’t you know. You just cannot get these rolls here in China. It is simply not possible. As such, it is one of those little pleasures that I have come to miss terribly.
The Importance of a Local Bakery
So what is more important, having fresh hard loaves of bread or being able to go next door and get them? Well, you would think that (of course) bread is a food that you eat. So, therefore, to eat the bread is the most important thing. I disagree. I think that the most important aspect of having a good, high-quality meal, is to have a local bakery in your neighborhood nearby.
Forget about all that “modern” 1930’s gibberish about the “new, modern and progressive” life. It never materialized. Forget, also, the siren song of the convenience of the 1960’s. It materialized and ended up as a horrible out of control monster.
The lofty dreams of the idealists got us tomatoes that taste like water-filled cardboard, plastic wrapped bread that tastes like a clean mop head, and fake butter that makes your face break out in pimples. Oh, but they meant well…
The best and most important aspect of personal satisfaction is how we control our lives. That means ourselves and of our families. We need to have a stress free life. We need to have a life that is filled with happiness and contentment. We need to have a life that is filled with good things, and one that is all around us. Yes, we need to have a life where those things that matter to us surround us.
yes, we need to have a bakery nearby.
It is those small things that we take for granted. We have forgotten the importance of the small local neighborhood bakery, and how much it can enhance our lives.
Bagels
Now speaking about bakeries, let’s talk about the joys of bagels. Now that is one food that I haven’t eaten in years. Literally…years!
You just cannot find bagels in China. Not commonly, that is. There was a small expat bakery in Shekou (a suburb of Shenzhen) for a while. They made bagels. I also heard that you can get bagels in some of the more upscale regions of Shenzhen. However, real and fresh bagels have eluded me. Ah, this is such a shame.
A basic bagel with creme cheese. It is so delicious when hot right out of the oven. What I like is to slather fine salted butter, and creme cheese inside a sliced bagel. I used to eat these most delicious items at an American chain restaurant known as Panera Bread (with coffee, of course).
When I was in Boston, I couldn’t walk five feet without running into a bagel. (Well, obviously that is an exaggeration.) However, it is true that you could get them just about anywhere. They were good, hot and FRESH. There is nothing so tasty as a fresh hot bagel with creme cheese. Of course, I would drink it down with some coffee. Ah, good times. Good times.
Peanut Butter Bagel with Peanut Butter
One of the most amazing experiences that I had (and one that I will never forget) was when I went through a drive-through at a bagel hut (sort of like a Pizza Hut, only for bagels) and ate a fresh hot peanut butter bagel with slathered peanut butter. My God! It was like I died and went to peanut butter heaven!
Who figures? Right?
After that most amazing experience, I started to go to the company cafeteria where I worked. I would order a toasted bagel with butter and creme cheese as a mid-breakfast snack. Now, of course, this was just a pale reflection of the “real thing”. The butter was actually unsalted margarine (for the employee health), the bagels were store bought in bulk and not crusty at all, and the peanut butter was generic (not Jif). It wasn’t really all that good, but you make do…
Which is the point behind all this discussion…
We tend to accept things as they are and don't fight for the Little things that really matter to us. We accept things blindly without even thinking about them.
We don't miss the good things in life, because we have forgotten their importance to us.
When we do actually remember their significance, we tend to substitute cheaper (and pale) alternatives blindly. We fail to realize that the substitution degrades the value of our experience.
Crumpets (English Muffins)
I always liked “English Muffins”. My mother would buy them from the grocery store. It was all that I knew. They would come packaged in a plastic wrapped rectangle. Inside the bag would be six muffins that were about the size of an open hand palm.
They toasted really nice. The butter would melt on them quite readily and they were delicious.
Later, when I would go on business trips with my father (I could go on selected trips in my early teens) we might stop at a restaurant and get an “eggs benedict” which would be a poached egg on an English muffin.
Classic eggs benedict. Here there would be a poached egg placed on top of ham over a toasted English Muffin and covered with Hollandaise sauce. (Image Source.)
So imagine my surprise when I discovered that China, Hong Kong, and Macao all had Crumpets!
I actually had to do some unlearning at that stage. For me, the Lander’s brand of English muffin was the “Gold Standard”. I didn’t know that it was a mass-produced and down-sized crumpet for the American consumer. The English crumpet is actually larger, and thicker than their American cousins.
They were also fresher.
The crumpets were made locally, and thus they tended to be (at most) a few days old, as opposed to the American versions that were often weeks old. This resulted in a better taste. This also resulted in a greater appreciation for the crumpet that I did not have previously.
English crumpets are a substantially different creature compared to their American cousins the “English Muffin”.
Since it is larger, it needs to be cut up into individual pieces to be eaten properly. The American version is tiny and you can eat it in the hand as a sandwich. You know, just like the famous McDonald’s breakfast sandwich is.
English Muffin Pizzas
I think everyone knows about this DIY hack. You make a mini-pizza out of an English Muffin. It’s a great little trick, and if you don’t know about it, then you are truly missing out.
One of the little hacks that I learned during my Senior Year in High School was how to make an English muffin pizza. This is a great little DIY trick and wonderful to teach your children to do.
I was introduced to this DIY hack by a girl that I was dating in High School. I once visited her family while they were hanging out on a Friday night. (They had a house that they were building on the river. They were from Pittsburgh, and they were making the house to be a weekend home. They pretty much were living in the basement, while the father and uncles were building the upper floors.) I came over and was offered these amazing little mini-pizzas. At the time we were playing pool on their pool table. I fell in love with them the first time I took a bite.
They couldn’t get over the fact that I had never had one of these before.
However, the truth is that my family didn’t really make pizzas at home. At best we would get a frozen pizza, or a pizza kit and make up something. Pizza was a food that we would go to a restaurant for. At that time, the nearest “decent” pizza restaurant was all the way in Pittsburgh, which was a two-hour drive for us. So we only ate pizza on special occasions.
Then, when I was a Senior in High School, they opened up a Pizza Hut franchise in the nearby city of Butler, PA. Once that opened up we could get thin crust cheese and pepperoni pizza and a large pitcher of coke. I do wonder if they still offer that kind of pizza in Pizza Hut in the States today. I can tell you that, here in China, it is very hard to get a Pizza Hut thin-crust pepperoni pizza without paying extra for it. All the meals are pre-packaged “kits”. If you want something different, you will need to pay a premium for it.
Polish Bread Pizza
English Muffin Pizzas are very similar to a well-known (in my family) Polish food. Here we can talk about the Polish Open-Faced Sandwich (Zapiekanka). We eat Polish food as a way to explain our heritage to our children, and anyone else who wants to listen. Indeed, all Polish dishes serve as an opportunity for me to explain our Polish-American heritage.
Hey, I am Polish-American. Though I don’t hide behind it and ask for handouts like my liberal and progressive friends. I do try to keep some of the heritage alive.
We can make Zapiekanka here in China. The only ingredient missing is the authentic sauce. That is the most important part of the open-faced pizza. However, we do manage to make a reasonable alternative.
Polish open-faced sandwiches (also known as French-bread pizzas) are popular street food in the bigger cities of Poland, not to mention my old family stomping ground in Pittsburgh (Polish Hill). They’re known as zapiekanki (plural) or zapiekanka (zah-peeyeh-KAHN-kah), which is singular. Most zapiekanki sandwiches start with French bread, sautéed mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup, but there are Greek-style with olives and feta cheese, Italian style and many more.
What makes the open-faced sandwich authentic is a thick drizzle of Polish ketchup across the top, no matter what cuisine the zapiekanka is trying to emulate. That’s the secret.
Home-made Submarine Sandwiches
How can we possibly talk about good fresh crusty bread without talking about subway sandwiches? Here, for those of you who are unaware like my wife (was), it is a sandwich that is made from an entire loaf of hard crusty bread and filled with cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables. There are variations that include meatballs (one of my favorites), shrimp, tuna, and lobster. It can be heated or eaten cold.
Needless to say, subway sandwiches are awesome!
I personally love a good Italian subway sandwich. There is a nice mixture of cold cuts and vegetables in a loaf of fresh bread with a nice slather of mayo. Heck, I get hungry just thinking about it.
There are many kinds of subway sandwiches. There are “Hero sandwiches”, “Subway sandwiches”, “Hoagie”, “Grinder”, and “Po Boys”. It depends where you live.
Here is a fine Hoagie sandwich. It goes by many names. There is “subway”, or “Hero”, or “Po Boy”. All pretty much describe the same thing. All are delicious.
Sub sandwiches. This is short for Subway sandwiches. However, not every place know this. This is a pretty common way to ask for a submarine-style sandwich. If you were to go to a restaurant in the United States and asked for a “Sub Sandwich”, the chances are that they would know what you are talking about. Yet, if you start talking about a “Subway sandwich”, some places might actually not know what you are talking about at all.
Subway sandwiches. Many people know what a subway sandwich is because of the subway sandwich food chain. It is true shame that they have downsized and cut back on their business. I have always enjoyed the food and the fresh ingredients. I think that they are not appreciated as much as they should be.
Hero sandwiches. It’s another name for this most amazing of sandwiches. Personally, I think that it’s use is limited to certain geographic regions in the United States. In general, I would consider the term “Hero sandwich” to be a backup term for “Subway sandwich” that is in use in about 60% of the United States.
Hoagie sandwiches. The same is true for Hoagie sandwiches. It is a term that seems to be limited to certain sections of the United States. For the term “Hoagie”, it seems to be limited to the North East area. This is strange because this area also uses the terms “Grinder”, and “Torpedo” for these sandwiches.
Grinder. A “Grinder” is never called a “Grinder sandwich”. It is always a “grinder”. It is common in Massachusetts. In fact, the first time that I came across this term, I didn’t know what the heck they were talking about. You know, grinders can be egg and onion as well as the standard hoagie fare. When I ate grinders, the meat tended to be cut up in smaller pieces compared to what you would normally assume to see in a subway sandwich.
Wedge sandwich. This is a name that I am not at all familiar with.
Zeppelin sandwich. This also goes by the name of a “Zep sandwich” which is obviously a short form of ‘Zeppelin sandwich”. Apparently, it is common in West Central Pennsylvania, though I have never heard it used that much.
Torpedo sandwich. This is a regional name variant for a subway sandwich. I only heard it used once before in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was a scorcher of a day, and I went inside this small establishment at the side of the road and ordered a subway sandwich. They said “what?”, and then I explained it to them. Their response was, “oh, you mean a torpedo sandwich”. The sandwich was pretty good. It was a crawfish torpedo sandwich.
Po Boy Sandwiches. This is common in Mississippi and Louisiana. These are just different names for subway sandwiches, except that there tend to be more regional variations. In Mississippi, for instance, there would be catfish po boy sandwiches, lobster, and shrimp sandwiches as well as the normal selections that you might find elsewhere.
The joys of Rye Bread
One of the things that I miss (being here in China) is rye bread. It’s true. You can’t get rye bread anywhere.
Which is a real shame. Oh, how many times have I eaten a breakfast in the United States and the waitress asked me what kinds of bread that I would like to have, and I would choose wheat instead of rye because it was (supposedly) “healthier”. Really?
Why miss out on such great goodness? Because some “expert” conducted a “study” that stated that wheat bread was healthier for you to eat! Really! I was such a darn fool! I fell hook, line, and sinker for that nonsense!
I strongly suggest the reader enjoy the toasted goodness of hot rye toast with salted butter. Life is too short to deprive yourself of such goodness.
Look, next time you have an opportunity to eat toasted rye bread do it! Let those “experts” pontificate all they want. When it comes to your little enjoyments, I say let your hair down and indulge!
Potato Bread is best for Toast
Did you know the secret about potato bread? It’s perfect for toast. It really is. It makes the best crunchy bread out of the toaster. Who would figure? Eh? You might think that it would taste like a potato or something odd like that. But, it doesn’t.
Potato bread is idea for toasting. Somehow the potato strengthens the bread and leads to nice and even toasting qualities. It is not what you would expect, but it is true.
The first time that I ever tried this bread was through an argument with my mother. I must have been in my middle teen years and she was buying bread at the grocery store. I wanted some raisin bread, but I knew that she was tired of me asking every week for it (I was in a teenage phase at the time.). So I tried to be a little passive-aggressive. I told her, “Let’s try something different this time.”
So she bought a bag of potato bread.
Now, no one in the family would eat it. I didn’t and towards the end of the week, she complained that no one was eating the bread that she bought. So, out of guilt, I went and grabbed two slices and put them in the toaster. Wow! Was I surprised. The crust was so nice and even. It was even crunchier when toasted than regular white or wheat bread. Yet it was still soft and nice and warm inside.
It was amazing to me, and it quickly became one of my favorites at that time. That and pickle loaf from the deli. (BTW, it was a different time and different place, don’t you know.)
Coffee
Now, one of the things that I would like to do is enjoy a bagel (with creme cheese), or a well buttered fresh roll with a nice cup of coffee. Talking about coffee is something that I have reserved for another post. However, I would like to say a few words (just a small number, please) on the coffee cup that coffee is served in.
My words are simple, and my opinions are strong. Coffee should be served in a thick, bang on the counter-top, (off) white coffee mug. Anything less is a disservice to the drinker. I NEVER get a cup of coffee out of a paper cup (unless it is McDonalds) of course.
Coffee should be served in a thick coffee mug. I like to call it a “bang on the table” mug as it is just about indestructible. This kind of mug used to be very common, but it has somehow gotten out of fashion. Which is quite sad. Don’t fret though, you can still pick them up in yard sales and bargain basement stores.
Bread in the ADC
For a period of time, I lived within the confines of the Arkansas Department of Corrections. This is also known as the “ADC”. We always had rough bread. The bread was made of a mixture of 50% white flour and 50% horse feed. Make no mistake here. I am not exaggerating.
While it is possible that this was done to save money, I would actually guess that it was done to create a “tough” environment inside the prison. Actually, how much money can you possibly save by buying horse feed instead of flour?
The ADC mixed horse feed with the flower to make a nice crunchy hard bread. I don’t think that it would really hurt or kill us, even though the bags were labeled with “not for human consumption” on it.
Therefore, I am convinced that it was done intentionally to create a very harsh environment to make prison as uncomfortable as possible. After all, when Bill Clinton (D) was Governor he set up the “Punishment” rules that that ADC now implements.
The bread was made from horse feed and whole-wheat flour. I know. I worked in the kitchen. It was written on the sacks that the feed came in. It said (in all bold letters, in Arial font) “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION”.
The result was tough crunchy bread that belonged on Beowulf’s table. I laugh now, but the bags of food in the kitchen all were marked “not for human consumption” on them. I am sure that the prison officials would argue that this was not the case, but I can tell you that this is EXACTLY what we ate. I did work in the kitchen and I can attest to this fact.
In life, what is supposed to happen, and what actually happens are often diametrically opposed.
Just because something is not supposed to occur, does not prevent it from happening.
Bread in the ADC looked a little something like this. It was made from a mixture of normal flour and horse feed.
The bread was hardly tasty, and we only ate it as a last resort. It would hurt our teeth. Some inmates would take the bread and put it in their cup and fill it with milk. Then by adding something sweet like stewed tomatoes, or crushed up candy, they would be able to eat it as a kind of poor man’s dessert. We would never get fruit, ice cream, puddings or Jell-O. Those were truly luxury items for us.
The guards that worked the kitchen were generally humane and understood that they couldn’t always serve us gruel (in the ADC, they served us institutionalized gruel called “Global”.) After all, if they continued to do so, riots or worse might occur.
Life in prison was always a balance between how much punishment they could dish out before we would revolt. Thus they tended to break up the meals so that every day or so there would be biscuits made of real bread, or real meat, or decent vegetables as a side. It wasn’t always so horrible.
For instance, sometimes we got raw onions that we could mix with the beans. That was always a treat. Or at other times, we would get a hamburger and there might be a pickle or ketchup on the side so that we could make a sandwich. (Ah. Good times!)
The ADC always gave us a good great meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The same was true for the 4th of July. Truly, the guards were pretty decent folk. However, aside from the major holidays, some days were truly a waste of time marching down to the mess hall. We would grab the tray and just deposit it into the cleaning booth without even trying it.
Again…
You do not appreciate what you have until you lose it.
Summary
All this talk about bread… what’s the “big deal”?
You don’t appreciate things until you live without them. We take them for granted. Oh, sure you are far to busy to visit your grandparents today. maybe next month. Right? Yeah, sure, you can visit them next holiday. Not today. You have far too many things to do. After all, you are exhausted and tired, and just don’t feel up for the ride.
Oh, and a sandwich is just a sandwich. Why pay the extra two dollars at that nice family restaurant for a Montie Crisco sandwich, when you can go to McDonald’s and buy a number one meal effortlessly?
Why do we settle for less than what we deserve? Why don’t we treat ourselves just a little bit better? Why do we “nickel and dime” ourselves in little ways without appreciating our time, our money, our friendships and our relationships with others?
Besides, everything takes time. Everything costs a little bit more money. Everything comes with a cost. You can save money, and you can save time. You just go for fast-food. You just purchase the readily available “off the shelf” loaves of bread at the supermarket. It’s not a problem.
You can save the money and save the time…
The Montie Cristo sandwich is a simple example of what we deprive ourselves of in order to “improve” our lives. We sacrifice taste for convenience. We neglect our friends and family for the time that we can give to our employers. In the end, we just hurt and deprive ourselves.
Take Aways
Bread is an underappreciated item.
We sacrifice our time and our money on trivial things instead of devoting them to quality items.
We do not appreciate things until we live our lives without them.
We think and believe that what we have now will always be there for us.
We need to appreciate what we have now, and relish it.
I like fresh bread with salted butter with coffee.
If there isn’t any coffee, a nice dry red wine, chardonnay or an ice cold beer would go great with fresh warm crusty bread.
FAQ
Q: What are loaves of bread like in China?
A: Typically, the Chinese manufacture commercial loaves of white bread for supermarkets just like what is done in the United States. However, there are some differences. Typically they are smaller at half the length. They also tend to be larger. Maybe 20% larger in size. They taste the same, however, which is like a bland sponge. They also make loaves of long Italian or French bread as well.
Q: What is the best kind of bread?
A: Fresh crusty bread, fresh out of the oven that is still hot. I like Italian, French and Russian loaves of bread. I think that bread is meant to be served warm and fresh. The idea that we can package week-old bread in a supermarket is an idea from the 1930’s that has really damaged the quality of meals in the United States over the last half of century or so.
Q: Why are sandwiches so popular?
A: Oh that is an easy question with an easy answer. Sandwiches are popular because they are made with bread. Fresh and toasty bread enhances everything… even vegetables.
Q: What is the best way to eat bread?
A: I personally believe that the best way to eat bread is to have it warm out of the oven (or reheated) and served with real salted butter.
RFH
I wonder if there is anyone out there who knows the secret for making hot warm crusty bread. My efforts have been complete failures. I really don’t know what I am doing wrong, but uniformly I just cannot bake bread at all. I really do not know what it is.
I guess that I am not made for making bread. I am just good for eating it.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
There is evidence of an extraterrestrial presence all around us. All we need to do is look at what we see with new eyes. Indeed, the earth has been visited many, many times over huge spans of time; hundreds of millions of years. We have evidence of buildings, constructions, debris, interaction(s), and ruins.
Today, I would like to concentrate on the discovery of the remains of a fuselage embedded deep within the sandstone rock of Victoria Falls.
Of course, the statists don’t consider this anything other than naturally formed rocks. After all, the argument goes, humans are the most advanced species in the entire universe. It has always been that way, and it will always be that way. Anyone who thinks differently is just a simpleton.
Don’t ya know…
More reasonable people suspend judgement. They recognize that a mystery is exactly that; it is a mystery. They understand that nothing ever fits “nicely” in a set easy-to-label box. They understand that there are things older than us, that there are mysteries that are suggestive of technologies beyond our comprehension. To them, rather than labeling something “solved” with a nice “pat” answer, they label it as an OOPART and hope that someday, someone will be able to illuminate the truth behind the objects in question.
Enter Metallicman…
Here we get to shine some clarity on this mystery, based on other things that are understood within MAJestic.
Crash Debris
This relic is what I like to refer to as “crash debris” or if not precisely vehicular in nature, then “ruins in isolation” that I am sure had an interesting history.
It is considered an OOPART; an “out of place artifact” simply because it is “inconceivable” that anything was able to design, fabricate, assemble, train, fly, and crash a vehicle hundreds of millions of years before proto-proto-humans ever set foot on the earth. Humans have only been in possession of a written language for 6,000 years. While there have been various evolutionary stages of humans, it’s contemporaneously understood that the most significant contributions of humans has only been within the last 2,000 years.
Humans are, the statist belief goes, the smartest and most capable beings in the entirety of the universe. Anything that suggest otherwise is inconceivable.
It is simply, and in every other way, inconceivable.
Truly, what is written herein is just inconceivable. It just doesn’t match anything that is customarily associated with reason or understanding. It is far too outrageous for the typical reader. It is all fantasy. For, if humans don’t have the technology to do something, no one does.
Some History
Victoria Falls in Scotland. It is a nice waterfall formation that is lush and is a great place to visit with friends and family.
On June 13, 1880, a reporter for the Inverness Courier named Walter Carruthers was vacationing near Loch Maree and Victoria Falls, in Scotland. We can well imagine that he went on various walks and climbs. The area is very scenic and is a great place to walk, smell the air and explore. Being an amateur rock hunter (like my brother) he decided to explore the geology of the area.
During the day he went into the surrounding countryside and collected stones of personal interest to him. After a while he went towards waterfall in the area; Victoria Falls. Between 300 and 400 yards above Victoria Falls (the part were the water tumbled down the cliff), and immediately beside the last of the three lesser falls on the west side of the stream, Carruthers noticed peculiar impressions in the rock there. These impressions were obviously not natural. Indeed, and most perplexing; the rock was a 16 x 16-foot exposed surface of Torridon Red Sandstone, dated to the Cambrian age.
In geology, the term Torridonian is the informal name for the Torridonian Supergroup, a series of Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic arenaceous and argillaceous sedimentary rocks, which occur extensively in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.
Overhead view of the Victoria Falls region in Scotland. It’s a beautiful area and well worth a visit.
The Discovery
The impressions consisted of two continuous flat bands side by side. They were about 1.375 inches wide and about 0.25 inch deep. They ran in a unnaturally straight line through the flat layers of sandstone in situ. This was perfectly distinct for 16 feet, disappearing on the west side under the superimposed rock, and broken only where portions of the sandstone had been weathered out.
A few weeks later the curious “bands” were also observed by a colleague of Carruthers; Mr. William Jolly. He wanted an expert opinion from an authority in the region. Mr. William Jolly was exactly that. He was Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools for the region. He was specifically invited to observe the curious feature and offer his opinions.
Carruthers had thought the impressions to have been the creation of some highly unusual living creature, but Jolly recorded that;
"the continuous even breadth and square section of the bands would seem to render this impossible."
Jolly further noted,
"The double band resembles nothing more nearly than the hollow impression that would be left by double bars of iron placed closely together."
Iron Bars Placed Close Together
Clearly, the expert at the time, Mr. Jolly felt that this was exactly what it appeared to be. He believed that the evidence was strongly suggestive of double bars of iron placed closely together in parallel.
Jolly’s observation was corroborated years later when micro-specks of iron oxide were taken from the impression cavities.
So, low and behold, the forms were actually made by some form of iron. Now, the reader should note that iron is not naturally pure. it comes from iron ore. Thus, the irons bars were [1] smelted from iron ore, and [2] formed into bars, and [3] obviously alloyed with something to make them useful, that were [4] placed evenly and exactly. Further, somehow, they [5] managed to find themselves embedded within rock and stone that is (around) 640 million years old.
Since it is inconceivable that this could have been smelted, fabricated, assembled, arranged, placed long before proto-proto-humans ever walked the earth, other solutions must be presented. Always a cautious man, Mr. Jolly offered some ideas on what they could actually be.
Alternative Speculations
The superintendent thought, however, that perhaps the iron bands had at one time been inserted into the rock, “to clasp some structure to it”. It seems like a reasonable explanation. Metal, particuliarly steels, are often embedded within stone and rock to mount other structures to them. We see this all over the world.
Unfortunately, other findings discount this.
First, the bands occur high above the Falls in an almost totally inaccessible place, where a “structure” would serve little purpose.
Second, the bands are only one-quarter of an inch deep, so that anything “clasped” to them would not hold for long.
Third, parallel on either side of each band are tin-like ripple marks in the sandstone, indicating the presence of the original iron bands had caused turbulence patterns in the sand during the time the sand had been laid down by water, and before it had turned to stone.
Fourth, the sandstone in the impressions show tiny striations which are really the preserved grain marks of the iron – again, indicating the metal had been impressed in the primordial sand, before solidification took place.
And finally, fifth, one portion of one of the bands bends back into the subsurface, and careful excavation revealed the presence of iron oxide totally encased by the surrounding sandstone. Thus the (partially complete) actual original iron band was actually found inside the rock where the band bent inward.
Other Evidence
The expert, Mr. Jolly, also found other band impressions in the same locality:
There is a third band that runs alongside the other two, but is much less distinct and is not continuous.
Two more lines, about 2 feet lower down on the rock surface, are only 7 feet long, and two more are higher up, running 3 feet long.
Jolly also saw still more bands on an outcropping of the same sandstone on the other side of the stream, again parallel to one another – one 3 feet, another 6 feet.
He also found smaller portions of several others nearby.
The Victoria Falls OOPART as discovered. All elements from the debris site are not shown. Only the aspects relative to this article are shown.
Suggested Layout
All of this suggests a number of broken sections of panel with supporting iron alloy bands evenly spaced. The panel had apparently broken up in numerous places and the parts all lay near each other in disarray. Upon the corrosive activity of time, the panel disappeared, leaving the supporting rib members to tell the story of what once must have been the side of a vehicle or wall panel of some sort.
What other purposes these iron bands served, we can only guess.
What we do know, however, is that all the bands were very uniform in width and thickness, with squared edges, and the grain marks they left indicate they were rolled and cut – all of which points to precision manufacturing by machine production.
There are numerous constructions that employ square cross sectional tubing. These include such things as fences, specialized mechanical and processing equipment, and vehicle walls (marine and aviation). From an engineering point of view, there are many structural reasons for incorporating long transverse bars to strengthen walls in vehicles. That is why they are used in both marine ships and aircraft (and spacecraft) contemporaneously.
This photo is of a 747 showing the cross section during demolition at a scrap yard. The transverse bars used to strengthen the walls are clearly indicated. It is possible that the Victoria Falls debris came from some vehicle similar in wall cross section as this.
By reading this report, I have come to imagine what the area must have looked like when the iron fabrications were still intact. I have come to the conclusion that numerous structures were lying on the sandy ground at that time. They all possessed long frames constructed of steel (and iron alloy containing small amounts of carbon by percentage).
These constructions, whether they were part of a construction site, or portion of wreckage, is unknown. But clearly, the impressions were made by the heaviest items deposited in the sand at that time. Given the possible location of the geology, it seems to me that the anomalous items found are but a sandy impression of washed up flotsam on an ancient Cambrian beach.
As such, since Iron or steel is heavy, the impression is supportive of a large panel or bulkhead with metal reinforced ribbing. For that is the only way the metal bars could have been washed up on to the beach. It would need a large surface area to keep the heavy metal rods buoyant. The panel itself has long since disappeared, but the heavy ribbing has survived in the impressions in the sand.
Formation of Sandstone
"Sandstone forms over the course of centuries, as deposits of sand accumulate in rivers, lakes or on the ocean floor, and the sand blends with calcite or quarts and then undergoes compression. After enough time goes by, the pressure pushes all of these elements together to create sandstone. Because not all sand is identical but instead comes in a variety of colors and grain textures, each formation has a unique appearance."
-How is Sandstone Formed
The forms in question, the rocks of Victoria Falls, were formed by the buildup of beach sand over many millions of years. As things were washed up by the ocean currents of that time, they became encased within the sand, and eventually buried within it.
Over time the metals rusted away leaving only the impressions made by the thickest and heaviest parts. The cavities made by thin wall sections would have collapsed many millions of years ago and there would be no trace of them today.
We do know that when the debris settled in place, that water splashed upon the surfaces of it. The impressions of the erosion and paths of water were at once clearly evident all around the impressions. This tells us that the debris was influenced by the water borne movement of sand on a shore.
Here is a section of fuselage found around the midway islands. It is approximately 75 years old. I contend that the remains might have looked something like this prior to compete corrosion.
What the Sandstone can tell us
Like any good forensic detective, we can identify the environment of the rocks to tell us a little about the history of the objects in question. The following insights are from ThoughtCo…
The sand grains in sandstone give information about the past:
The presence of feldspar and lithic grains means that the sediment is close to the mountains where it arose.
Detailed studies of sandstone give insight into its provenance—the kind of countryside that produced the sand.
The degree to which the grains are rounded is a sign of how far they were transported.
A frosted surface is generally a sign that sand was transported by wind—that, in turn, means a sandy desert setting.
Various features in sandstone are signs of the past environment:
Ripples can indicate the local water currents or wind directions.
Load structures, sole marks, rip-up clasts and similar features are fossil footprints of ancient currents.
Liesegang bands are signs of chemical action after burial of the sand.
The layers, or bedding, in sandstone are also signs of the past environment:
Turbidite sequences point to a marine setting.
Crossbedding (truncated, tilted sandstone layering) is a rich source of information on currents.
Interbeds of shale or conglomerate may indicate episodes of different climate.
Using this information, we can infer that the impressions were made by some object that was washed up on a sandy shore, that later became hard sandstone. We can tell that the object displaced the movement of the water in such a way that the wave and water washed in and around the heavier sections of the object. This gives us the impression that the heavier bars were attached to a lighter section that is no longer obvious to us.
To understand how the sand at a beach would eventually turn into a rocky outcrop and a water fall, we need to take a look at the time when that rock was formed.
The Cambrian Age
"The Ediacaran and Cambrian periods witnessed a phase of morphological innovation in animal evolution unrivaled in metazoan history, yet the proximate causes of this body plan revolution remain decidedly murky.
The grand puzzle of the Cambrian explosion surely must rank as one of the most important outstanding mysteries in evolutionary biology.
Evidence of early representatives of all the major animal phyla first appear abruptly in the Cambrian (starting 542 million years ago).
This spectacular morphological diversity contrasts strongly with Precambrian deposits, which have yielded a sparse fossil record with small, morphologically ambiguous trace fossils or the enigmatic but elegant creatures of the Ediacaran fauna. Following the Cambrian, despite a rich fossil record that documents impressive morphological diversification among animals, no new body plans have been revealed, leaving the Cambrian as the apparent crucible of metazoan body plan innovation."
-Creation / Evolution Headlines
The rocks and strata are highly suggestive that the remains date from the Cambrian period. That is a very long time ago. In fact, it is around 541–485.4 million years ago. (Let’s simply refer to the date as 540 million years ago.) At that time, the earth was mostly ocean. The continents were, as we can best tell, centered around the south pole. Leaving a comfortable bulk of the world covered by ocean.
The earth was, at that time, a ocean world with some notable mini-continents.
The earth at the time of the cambrian was of a mostly ocean covered world. The major land mass was centered at the South pole.
It was a mild time. The overall world weather was rather mild. There wasn’t any glaciation. The various landmasses present at that time were scattered about. (This all was a result of the fragmentation of the super-continent Rodinia that had existed in the late Proterozoic.)
There were a number of (more or less) significant landmasses. Though, most of the of the continents were joined together to form the super-continent Gondwana
A map of the Cambrian at around 500 Ma. The world was mostly an ocean covered world with mild climates, calm seas, no glaciers or ice covered poles. The land masses were mostly devoid of life. The oceans, however, were teeming with life. (Image Source.)
Prior to the Cambrian, the earth was not at all like we would assume it to be. It consisted of a very lively aquatic biosphere, and a terribly barren terrestrial land biosphere. The land masses were all barren and devoid of most life.
There were no animals. There were no insects. There were no flowers. There were no trees, nor grasses. There might have been a moss or two about, but that was about it. The differences between the two biospheres were too extreme. Nothing in the aquatic biosphere could breach the shore and make it’s way onto land.
Then suddenly something happened…
The Cambrian Explosion
This period of time; the Cambrian Period, was a very important point in the history of life on Earth. It was notable in that it was the time when animals first began to appear. This event is sometimes called the “Cambrian Explosion,” because of the relatively short time that the animals began to appear.
It was around a half a billion years ago. (I would say that 540 million years is pretty close to half a billion years.) Now, this is a very, very long time ago.
Prior to this time, most life came from the seas and oceans. There, the life grew and flourished. However it took some time for the life to leave the shores. At that time the oceans were teeming with life. There were jellyfish, marine creatures of all shapes and sizes and fishes. Yet the land was barren except for some life near the coasts.
Then SUDDENLY, out of the blue, life began to appear. It wasn’t that it started to appear from zero to full and dense populations. No. Instead, when we refer to life appearing; we actually are referring to “life appearing on land”.
You see, up until the Cambrian period, the earth consisted of two completely separate biospheres. There was the [1] aquatic biosphere, and there was [2] the land biosphere. They were independent and distinct. Fish did not walk on the land, no shellfish climbed up on the hot rocks near the water. No life was on the land.
The [1] aquatic biosphere was relatively easy to start early life within. It was a crucible. We know, now today, that when you have water and heat, you can generally generate microorganisms. Over time they can increase in number and diversify.
The [2] land biosphere was something different. There just wasn’t any kind of crucible or nursery for the growth or evolution of land life. The only way that this could occur was through transport from the [1] aquatic biosphere. That could not happen.
There was no mechanism to ignite life on the barren soil of the [2] land biosphere.
A Need for Tides
The time immediately before the Cambrian period is suggestive of a period when there just wasn’t any moon present. The earth sat alone without any large orbiting bodies. As a result, there were no tides and no waves. The ocean was a large still body. The only movement on the water was through the sea and ocean currents and the climate at the time.
Tides are created when a large planetary body is near another planetary body. This can be like the moon orbiting the earth, or more commonly, like a planet in close orbit around a red dwarf or class K star. The gravitation of the nearby body causes the liquid on the neighboring planet to move. This in turn, causes tides that ebb and flow. It causes periods of wet and dry surfaces where creatures from the [1] aquatic biosphere can evolve to move to a [2] land biosphere. Indeed, large planetary masses are necessary for biological evolution.
Large planetary masses are necessary for biological evolution.
The moon works with the sun to create tides. The tides create movement of the world’s oceans. This causes a rise and fall of water. This exposes aquatic creatures to brief periods outside the water. The creatures evolve, and eventually leave the aquatic environment.
I contend, for many reasons not listed here, that the moon was “placed” in orbit around the earth during the Cambrian. This placement created an environment that was friendly for the evolution and porting of life from the [1] aquatic biosphere to the [2] land biosphere.
I would suggest any one interested in following this “theory” further, please read my blog post about The Hollow Moon.
Indeed, there is strong evidence that numerous softshelled Ediacaran organisms ventured onto land during the Cambrian. In so doing they produced the trace fossils Protichnites and Climactichnites . These trace fossils are not of any specific creature, but rather the tracks made by them when they ventured forth in the sand. These tracks indicated that they had legs, tails, and perhaps some kind of articulated arms or claws.
Sketch of an euthycarcinoid. The top left (the left front) is removed to show the inner construction. This was a soft shell creature that was able to leave the seas and venture on land.
Protichnites is an ichnogenus of trace fossil consisting of the imprints made by the walking activity of certain arthropods. It consists of two rows of tracks and a medial furrow between the two rows. This furrow, which may be broken, set at an angle, and of varying width and depth, is thought to be the result of the tail region contacting the substrate.
Fossil evidence suggests that euthycarcinoids, an extinct group of arthropods, produced at least some of the Protichnites.
Climactichnites are the tracks of euthycarcinoids (we think). Because these creatures were soft-shelled, we have no idea what they actually looked like.
Fossils of the maker of Climactichnites have not been found; however, fossil track-ways (see above) and resting traces suggest a large, slug-like mollusk. Probably with a soft caprice or shape that is not readily mineralized. One should imagine a large (football sized) slug that looked a little like a “potato bug” but without a shell; crawling along the sand with gecko like speed.
Climactichnites is an enigmatic, trace fossil of a slug-like organism, thought to have moved by crawling to on-shore surfaces, or near-shore, or burrowing into the sediment.
I personally like to consider these creatures proto-trilobite creatures.
Life in The Cambrian
At that time, we can well imagine that the world was just beginning to experience the gravitational effects of a nearby moon. The contents began to migrate over time, and the effects of the tides began to result in the movement of sea life onto land. At that time, life began to form near the oceans and the rivers.
The oceans, of course were well populated with life. Reefs, coral, and sea life were in abundance. The first early life on the land masses were just starting. This would include such things as early ferns, mosses and basic plants. Simple land creatures became dominant, of which my personal favorites, the trilobites became abundant.
Some Cambrian trilobites on the shallow seas. Their legs enabled them to scurry about under the sea. Then when the moon started the movement of tides, the trilobites began to move about on the coast. They were one of the first species to move on land from the aquatic biosphere. (Image Source.) BTW, I would strongly advise the reader to visit the amazing artwork of this artist in Deviantart; go HERE.
"Trilobitesare one of the few major groups of organisms thatspanthemajority of thePaleozoic Era. The greatest numbers of trilobite speciesoccurred during the CambrianandOrdovicianperiods, after which trilobiteextinction trends exceeded radiation events."
-Trilobite Geological Time Scale
I have always had a special place in my heart for these little guys. I like to think of them as what the first hardly life looked like when ambulatory creatures started to leave the [1] aquatic biosphere and enter the (off limits) [2] land biosphere. They were tiny things. In a lot of ways, sort of like a non-insect version of the cockroach.
They ranged in size from small insect-size “Potato bug” appearing creatures to larger ones that look like large tail-less horseshoe crabs. Some species became rather large. As shown here…
The trilobites could get very large. Here is a very nice graphic of some of the larger of this species. (Image Source.) The website is one of the BEST sources for trilobite information. I would strongly suggest the reader visit it.
The Presence of the Moon Changed Everything
In contrast to later periods, the Cambrian fauna was somewhat more restricted; indeed free-floating organisms such as jellyfish were actually rare during this time. This was quite unlike the earlier era where there were large swarms of jellyfish, in many sizes (including super-jumbo).
Those earlier life forms that did survive ended up living on or close to the sea floor. Due to catastrophic events that affected the native life forms, mineralizing animals became rarer than in future periods. This was due, in part, to the unfavorable ocean chemistry prevalent at the time.
One of the mysteries of the Cambrian is why there was a jump in the concentration of sulphate in the world's oceans. However, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Canfield and Farquhar attribute the rise in sulphate to the onset of bioturbidity.
Or in other words, the burrowing, sluicing, pumping and mixing caused by masses of worms, clams, crustaceans and other animals that began to appear around this time in Earth's history.
Personally, I sit amusedly on the sidelines on this argument. I think all the theories are quite interesting, though a bit over my head. I graciously leave the arguments to those scientists that are far better versed to make these determinations than I am.
The Big Picture
With all this being said, let me color in the situation as I understand it to be. Please stick with me as it will sound absolutely outrageous.
The way things actually are has no bearing on what everyone thinks. In most cases, what everyone things is absolutely and positively in error. Many times it is based on assumptions that are flat out WRONG. Thus, when someone is exposed to the possibilities of truth, they recoil back in horror and dismay.
If this is too much for your sensibilities, I would suggest you put on some Robin Trower, King Crimson, Yes, Traffic, Gentle Giant, Stone Temple Pilots, or Led Zeppelin. Chill out. Listen to the music for a spell. Break the hold of contemporaneous knowledge and assumptions. Just break it. Realize that we grow and change. Change is good. We need to see where we can from to understand what we are doing were we are today.
Ediacaran Earth
Around 600 million years ago, the earth was a planet that held great promise. This was the Ediacaran period (630 million years ago). The reader must understand that at this time the Earth was a bare and desolate place. Our solar system was mostly free of the huge dust disks and debris field of the earlier 2 to 3 billion years. (Although most of the dust and debris dissipated within the first billion years or so, there were elements of concern for at least a billion years later.)
Our star had matured during that time and became much more stable. But stability is a relative thing; the earth was cooling down. The core and mantle were settling down. Indeed, the surface of the earth was cooling and a thick gaseous envelope of various dusty gasses surrounded it.
Outside the Earth, the other rocky planets were also beginning to cool down and life was just beginning to form in the most unlikely of places. This included the smoggy Mars, and Venus, as well as some of the larger moons of Jupiter (because Jupiter was somewhat closer to the Sun then as it is today).
It showed promise.
Ediacaran Life
Now, the reader should well understand, the earth was a pretty barren world, but the oceans were teaming with all sorts of life. It was a jellyfish world. There was a great diversity of, and sizable numbers of, all sort of soft skinned creatures who roamed the oceans.
The oceans provided the environment that was a common crucible for naturally evolved life.
It was during this time that the (so called) Ediacaran biota flourished. Then the world consisted of very large and shallow seas. These shallow seas permitted the growth of various simple organisms. Simple trace fossils of possible worm-like creatures; known as the Trichophycus became common, as well as the very first sponges and trilobitomorphs (the early ancestors of trilobites).
The creatures of the earth at this time were simple in design and structure. They were the earliest naturally evolving creatures of the earth and consisted of very simple proto-fungi and very simple proto-creatures.
At this time there were no insects, birds, or even flowers. The earth was a land of proto-fungi and small simple creatures. The reader should consider the land at this time to be rather bare and rocky, with the earliest fungi and simple creatures clustering around the shorelines.
Now, just because the earth had native and naturally evolved life in the oceans, does not necessarily mean that it would be a viable candidate for long term habitation and perhaps colonization. Many planets go through stages of evolution that eventually die out. (This is due to many causes.)
Contrary to what you might see on a Hollywood movie or read in a science fiction story, there are many planetary and solar system influences that affect who we are. Migration to other planets in other places is not as easy as the Star Wars movie franchise might give the impression of.
Enter the Progenitors
Other species, much older and technically advanced, saw promise in our solar system. I said “promise”, I did not say “perfect environment”. Yah, the star was warmer and more energetic than most of the (at that time) known inhabited solar systems, but it possessed a singular world that could be brought into the fold with some planetary modifications.
The creatures, we can call them “The Progenitors” for now, decided to do what they had done on other similar solar systems. They decided to re-engineer the solar system to increase the potential for naturally evolved intelligence’s.
They, using their advanced technologies, moved the moon and placed it in orbit around the earth.
It is absolutely, positively, undeniably, and in every other way, inconceivable.
The Earth gets a Moon
At a time, around 540 Million years ago, plus of minus 20 million years or so, the presence of the moon created the Cambrian explosion where life began to exist upon the barren landmasses of earth. The moon did not suddenly come into being. It entered orbit with long elliptical swings coming close to the surface of the earth and then swinging away from it. This period of orbital instability lasted millions of years.
There is evidence, of course considered to be outrageous and inconceivable, that the moon was purposely relocated into a perfectly circular orbit to support (and improve) the habitability of the earth. At that time, there were all sorts of support vehicles and craft that assisted in this effort.
During the movement of the moon, there was a great deal of vehicular traffic in and around the earth.
One of these vehicles had an accident and the debris washed up on a sandy beach shore. It eventually was buried by the sand and turned into sandstone. When discovered it became a much overlooked OOPART.
It became our Victoria Falls OOPART.
The Extraterrestrial Narrative
“Americans Can’t Handle The Truth.”
-George Bush Senior On UFOs. In October 2015, a man asked former President Bush if he had any information on UFO’s and extraterrestrial life. The man that asked the question has been identified as Adam Guelch, an active member of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), which credits itself as being the world’s oldest and largest UFO phenomenon investigative body.
Now, the reader should well recognize that everything stated here is my own opinion. Officially, there are no extraterrestrials. The United States has no relationship with any of them simply because they don’t exist. Therefore there really isn’t a need for any kind of secret organization in support of that relationship. Don’t you know…
However, were they to exist…
They would have achieved spaceflight capability billions of years before our solar system solidified into rocky planets. (Our solar system is only 4.5 billion years old, while our universe is around 15 billion years old.)
They would have had enough time to fully explore this galaxy. (At least 6 billion years, if you assume that it took them four billion years to evolve during the first generation of stars. We are now at the fourth generation of stars, in case you were not aware.)
As such, they would have settled and cultivated this galaxy to suit their needs.
They would have developed their technologies on a grand scale.
The movement of planets to improve the habitability of specific regions would be within their grasp and ability.
As with any and all species, accidents and mistakes can and do happen.
We can see, detect, and observe some of these mistakes around us. All we need do is listen close enough to what the stones at our feet are trying to say.
However, this is all speculation. Don’t you know.
“Not every discovery has been announced.”
— Dr. Farouk El Baz, NASA scientist.
Summary
There are ruins and debris suggestive of intelligent manufacture all around us. By looking at it with new eyes, we can add it to a collection of other things that we know. Thus, based on some pretty broad assumptions, we can compile some theories that describe answers to our reality.
The Victoria Falls artifact is one such object.
A vehicle crashed or broke up in the oceans of the Cambrian.
Fuselage debris washed up on the sandy beaches of what is now Scotland.
Over millions of years, the debris became encased in sandstone.
As such, let it be understood that…
The time associated with the accident is associated with the Cambrian explosion.
The time of the accident is associated with the general time period where the moon entered earth’s orbit.
An Adventure Trip
One reader decided to take a trip out to the falls to see the oopart up close first hand. This is her story...
Hi MM
Thought I would share our expedition to discover the oopart at Victoria Falls as mentioned in your article.
One article I had overlooked, thinking that Victoria Falls related to Africa not Scotland, so a recent read about the fuselage fuelled our interest and now that lockdown is easing in Scotland, time to travel north (merely over an hour or so away from home!)
Wow, it turned into an epic adventure!
Off we go in the camper, heading through the ancient landscape of Torridon and along Loch Maree to the car park at Victoria Falls. Members of the party included me and my partner and our elderly collie who made a phenomenal effort through the tangled and thick vegetation which grows around the bed of the river above the falls – horsetails, heather, birch and rowan, long grasses, woodrush and the company of dragonflies.
First afternoon we clambered over deadwood, fallen trees and all with our beloved dog who has a partially paralysed back leg disappearing in the undergrowth. We searched the riverbed up from the falls until we reached a hydro station which seemed abandoned, with powerlines trailing in the river.
It is here that we abandoned project, and my partner took a walk further upstream to look, while I waited with our tired collie.
Nothing was particularly visible to us apart from the noticeable changes at the side of the bank where the hydro station stood – this was approx. 300 to 400 yards up from the falls. So we returned to the camper and had a refreshment and then I went back for another look further upstream past a deer fence and explored the river up there (photos incl.) This was high above the falls now and it was spectacular with the rocks and small falls plunging down, a female red deer disturbed by my presence ran uphill.
So we abandoned the project, went down to Loch Maree where we camped at Slattadale, and vowed to take another look in the morning. Midges were ferocious but the setting overlooking Slioch is spectacular so we hung out by the lochside as long as we could.
In the morning, we returned to the falls and our dog refused to go! So my partner went back by himself armed with the camera, and walked from the top of the falls up the river bed 300 to 400 yards and more. At this point is the disused hydro and approximately 70 yards of the west bank have been built out with large boulders covering the bedrock.
So our assumption is sadly that the oopart may be buried under the boulders on the west bank where the hydro site is. We researched a little about the hydro and found it was built late 80’s and abandoned for a new project with a greater MW further downstream below the falls. We can’t help but wonder if the building of this old hydro on possibly the very site of the oopart might have been intentional to conceal it. But this obviously is unprovable. It seemed to us more than a coincidence that the hydro now abandoned was deliberately placed.
Thank you for your article as it encouraged us to have a wilderness adventure and a great time had, although disappointed not to be sharing the oopart pictures with you – and certainly sad for Scotland loosing a significant piece of prehistory yet again.
I enclose some pics for you all the best
Anonymous Jane
RFQ
I would really appreciate a field trip to Victoria Falls to take pictures of the various objects and features. I would really like to see samples of the iron oxide, and to have a chemical analysis conducted of it. I would welcome a study of that entire area to see if there were any other elements of debris that could tell us much more than what has been handled down to us.
To me, a forensic study of this area might tell us some very interesting things.
But, then again, you can follow the statist explanation. It’s nothing. It’s just a natural formation, and the grooves are just geological fracture lines, or paths made by some kind of long extinct animal… that shit out iron oxide.
What ever makes your boat float. You define your reality. If you want to live a nice settled comfortable lie, go for it.
FAQ
Q: What is the Victoria Falls OOPART? A: This is an impression in the sandstone rock. The rock was formed during the Cambrian, so the object that made the impression had to rest in and on the sand at that time. The pattern that was made in the sand is suggestive of only on thing; a torn up section of aircraft fuselage. Since this object (which made the impression) predates mankind, it is considered an Out of Place Artifact (OOPART).
Q: Why are the grooves at Victoria Falls considered an OOPART? A: There simply isn’t a natural explanation for the manufacture of the kinds of impressions and features discovered in this object. Since it cannot be explained, more reasonable people don’t try to explain it. They name it as an OOPART and leave it at that.
Q: Are there other explanations for the Victoria Falls grooves? A: Some explanations include [1] a fossil trail by an unknown extinct animal, [2] a hoax, [3] an unknown but natural geologic process, [4] carved structures made by man for purposes unknown, [5] natural weathering.
Q: Why was the moon relocated in orbit of the earth during the Cambrian? A: Our solar system was chosen by the Progenitors as a crucible for intelligent evolution. Once the various life forms evolved, some became intelligent, and the Progenitors worked with other entities (not mentioned at this time) to help direct and guide the evolution of the emergent life. Today, the earth remains part of a cluster of “nursery” solar systems used to assist in the evolution of man. The biggest issue before man today is sentience. Our species can have only one sentience.
Today we have three sentience’s, and that mixture has resulted in all kinds of problems and turmoil over the years. In a way, you can simplify the sentience’s as this;
Service-For-Others – Be good and kind. Help others. Be generous. Be saintly. This is “Heavenly” behavior and it results in a well adjusted soul within a stable “Heaven”.
Service-for-Self – Do everything for your own personal benefit. You can do anything. There are no limits. If people and others suffer, there are no consequences. This can be considered evil or “Hellish” behavior. This behavior is associated with a different “kind” of “Heaven”. The way the quanta group themselves together for this kind of sentience is different, and evolutionary migration has a different vector to travel upon.
Disrupted – You think that you are a Service-for-Others sentience, but your actions and motivations are Service-for-Self. This is a disrupted sentience, and it is the most dangerous as it adversely affects the soul composition and structure.
Q: What was the Cambrian Explosion? A: The term the Cambrian Explosion refers to a short period of time when the moon tides permitted life (adapted to an aquatic biosphere) to migrate up onto land. As it did it began to evolve quickly.
Q: What are the Projenitors? A: They are a non-human species that preceded mankind. They are very old, very wise and are tasked with the growth of mankind. Physically they are quite different from humans. They are invertebrates. They are biologically similar to insects, but you wouldn’t know that from meeting them. They are often considered to be angels. Yes, in the Biblical sense; “angels”.
“Angels therefore are not vertebrates or derived from vertebrate stock. The implications of this are profound. The only winged invertebrates are in the Class Insecta insects [Insecta].”
- A theologian discusses the etymological implications of biblical angels.
Do you want more?
I have more articles in my MAJestic and OOPART Indexes here…
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Please kindly help me out in this effort. There is a lot of effort that goes into this disclosure. I could use all the financial support that anyone could provide. Thank you very much.
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Everything that I need to know about Democracy, I learned in High School. It’s true. By the time I started work at 14, I had a very good understanding about how democracy worked.
Now, this wasn’t by sitting down in Civics Class. It wasn’t by listening to a teacher instruct us. It wasn’t by reading a book on politics. No. It was by my experiences on Student Council.
You know, it is absolutely amazing to me that I received such a profound understanding at such an early age. Even my father, a staunch liberal democrat, couldn’t wrap his arms around my perception of it. He thought that they must have been teaching me some very strange things indeed. Yet, here we were. I would come home from school with a perception of governance that was alien to everything that he believed In.
Let’s spend some time and take a look at what I learned.
Student Council was Comprised of the Most Popular Boys and Girls
While I cannot speak for every single school in the 1960s and 1970s, I can most certainly state that at my school this was true.
The most popular boys and girls were always able to get elected to class office.
In my school, the members on the student council were primarily the most popular students. Gender had no bearing on this. If you were a popular football player, or a popular cheerleader, your entry into Student Council was near guaranteed. Those who were not major figures in school sports and activities were always attractive.
We can see this clearly in the United States federal elections.
Consider who the winners of the Democrat Party have been. Let’s go back to when I was a little boy and have a gander, shall we;
John F. Kennedy
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
Barrack Obama
All were young and youthful when elected. All, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, was considered by the media as a sort of sex idol. The stories of the sexual escapades of John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton are all over the place.
If they were all attending middle school together, I could easily see them on Student Council together.
John F. Kennedy would be the Football quarterback who was always joking around. The same would be true for George Bush.Jimmy Carter would be the quiet one who would be the first one in the meeting, and the last one to leave. He would have a notebook, pencil and a pocket protector.
Bill Clinton would enter the room like a talk show host, with one girl on each arm.
Both Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan would be outside in the hallway getting their pictures taken and signing autographs.
Then, old Barrack Obama would arrive about fifteen minutes late. He’d smell of marijuana smoke. He would grab a seat at the table, lean the chair against the wall. He’d put dark sunglasses on and tip his hat to cover his eyes. He would sit there and not say anything.
Elections were Won by those who Gave Away Things
One of the first lessons that I learned was that you got elected by giving things away. As amazing as this it, it was my most important lesson. It is true.
The first rule of getting elected is that you buy your votes. You can provide tangible benefits or gifts. Barring that, you can provide promises.
My next door neighbor was always getting elected to office in her class. She was one grade below me, and she must have been President for six or seven years in a row. I remember well talking to her about this. That was when she told me her secret.
Before each election, her parents would buy her a bag of candy or lollypops. Then she would give everyone a candy of lollypop if they voted for her!
It’s true, and more than that, it actually worked. They would go vote with the candy in their mouths. They would fill out the ballot sucking on the tootsie-roll, or lollypop. If she won, they were guaranteed to get another candy or maybe two after the election.
We can see this today.
Everyone who runs for election promises things to their constituents. Look at Bernie Sanders, for instance. He wants everything to be free. Of course he doesn’t mention or detail how it will be paid for. Maybe it’s from a big magical Santa Claus, or more than likely form the “evil” rich people.
Socialists and communists always have support of the arts. That’s one surefire way to tell who and what they are; if they have artistic political posters.
Of course, one of the most important lessons that I learned was that a promise means nothing. No one ever kept their promises. Even when there were friends and classmates that kept on reminding them of their promises.
At best they would say that things were more complicated than they thought at the time before the election. Or, more often than not, simply did not respond to the accusations. Some of the smarter ones would say that they were “working on the issues”, but of course, they never produced any results.
Endorsements Worked
I noticed that when a popular person endorsed you, you would get votes. I also noted that if a hated person, or disliked person was your friend, you would lose votes comparatively.
Cheerleaders were always popular. An endorsement from one of them would just about guarantee election success.
One year my younger brother ran for office. To help him get elected, my sister came to his rescue. At the time she was (perhaps) the most popular girl in school. She was smart, attractive, the head cheerleader, and was going “steady” with the captain of the football team. Yeah, by High School measurements, she was pretty “hot” stuff.
So my sister went to my brother’s home room, not once but numerous times. She mingled with the boys and girls there and make friends. Then she would tell them that her kid brother was running for election and that she would REALLY appreciate it if everyone would give him their vote.
Needless to say, he ran and won.
Vote Stuffing was Common
Of course, we always needed to recount the votes. In fact we needed to have different people counting the boxes of votes. And they needed to be watched carefully. Every election had fraud.
One of the most common frauds was that in a class of 400 people, there would be 500 votes counted. People from other classes would vote. Some people would vote twice. And, some votes were counted twice by those counting the votes.
It’s not the people who vote that count. It is the people that count the votes. It is a great quote by Joseph Stalin.
Another thing was that sometime students would get to bring cousins or friends to school with them. This was not a common occurrence. However, during key elections there would be an increase in these visits, and often they would be able to vote right along with the rest of the class. Even when they didn’t know anyone, they still voted. Often time, they would be instructed on whom to vote for.
It was common that the class with the most voting fraud was also the ones who said that there wasn’t any vote fraud at all. It seemed like there was a direct correlation; if you were trying to rig an election, you would be the one to shout “discrimination” the loudest.
Today it has become so easy to rig an election. As many voting machines are electronic. A person with the right software can easily reset the machines to vote for anyone.
Followers went around People who had Something to Offer them Personally
Another thing that I noticed was that certain people had followers. I am sure that the reader has noticed this. Some people have followers. These people hang around them, and nod in agreement with every word that they say.
If the boy was a star quarterback, for instance, he would be surrounded by other popular football players. He would have some attractive cheerleaders around him as well. If the girl was particularly attractive, she might have other girls, not necessarily cheerleaders, who wanted to hand out with her.
Some people end up having followers or groupies. Anyone can be a follower. That can include newscasters. I am sure that this gal would do anything that this man asked.
These followers weren’t there because they were being paid. No. Instead they were there because the followers would gain something from latching and attaching themselves with the person. Plain girls would suddenly become more popular if they hung around with a popular and attractive girl. Guys might be invited to some get-togethers and parties. Some would benefit in other ways. For instance, one of my friends was always able to get a ride home from the school by hanging around with more popular kids with cars.
We can see that today.
Look at the Clintons, for instance. There is a term “the cult of the Clintons” that describe this phenomenon quite aptly. It is just like in High School, except on GMO-steriods.
“By the Cult of Hillary Clinton, I don't mean the nearly 62 million Americans who voted for her. I have not one doubt that they are as mixed and normal a bag of people as the Trumpites are. No, I mean the Hillary machine—the celebs and activists and hacks who were so devoted to getting her elected and who have spent the past week sobbing and moaning over her loss. These people exhibit cult-like behavior far more than any Trump cheerer I've come across.Trump supporters view their man as a leader "fused with the idea of the nation"? Perhaps some do, but at least they don't see him as "light itself." That's how Clinton was described in the subhead of a piece for Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter. "Maybe [Clinton] is more than a president," gushed writer Virginia Heffernan. "Maybe she is an idea, a world-historical heroine, light itself," Nothing this nutty has been said by any of Trump's media fanboys."Hillary is Athena," Heffernan continued, adding that "Hillary did everything right in this campaign… She cannot be faulted, criticized, or analyzed for even one more second."That's a key cry of the Cult of Hillary (as it is among followers of L. Ron Hubbard or devotees of Christ): our gal is beyond criticism, beyond the sober and technical analysis of mere humans. Michael Moore, in his movie Trumpland, looked out at his audience and, with voice breaking, said: "Maybe Hillary could be our Pope Francis."Or consider Kate McKinnon's post-election opening bit on SNL, in which she played Clinton as a pantsuited angel at a piano singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," her voice almost cracking as she sang: "I told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya." Just imagine if some right-leaning Christian celeb (are there any?) had dolled up as Trump-as-godhead and sang praises to him. It would have been the source of East Coast mirth for years to come. But SNL's Hallelujah for Hillary was seen as perfectly normal.”
-Reason.com
Followers surround a person or celebrity precisely because they will benefit from it in some way. Indeed, there are “groupies” that follow elected officials around. The gals will volunteer for any and all work, just to get near a noted personality. Of course, there are other activities that take place in private that involve these groupies and followers.
When I ran for student government, I would make banners, put up posters and go from room to room making speeches. Others, didn’t need to. It was almost like they didn’t need to do anything. They were elected automatically.
Some were elected because they were part of a dynasty. They had older brothers and sisters who were popular and attractive. When their relatives or younger brethren ran for government, they were often associated with the more popular children, even if they weren’t popular at all.
Some just had a reputation. If you were part of an unpopular group, you were always associated with that group. Even if you tried to distance yourself from it. No amount of posters, or speeches could change that fact.
Some were elected because a popular person had a relationship with them. One friend was elected because he had an ongoing relationship with the head cheerleader. He wasn’t anything special to look at, he wasn’t smart. He wasn’t popular. He wasn’t a football player. However, he had a very popular and attractive girlfriend. That was enough.
In short, none of these individuals were elected based on any tangible ability. They were elected on association. Either they had relatives that were popular, or they had friends that were popular. If they were associated with something unpopular or unattractive, they were shunned.
Governance had Nothing to do with Ability
At no time was anyone elected to school council based on ability. No one showed their report card. No one compared grades, sports scores, or participation in extra-curricular activities.
They were elected by mob rule based on the factors that appealed to the mob.
We see that today with many people in government, and most especially elected officials, completely ignorant of the law. They do not know even the basics of the United States and how it is structured. That includes Federal Senators that should know better.
How else can you explain the clowns that are constantly being elected to Congress today?
Power was Easily Abused
One of the first things that you learn in High School is that when you are elected, you get to make up the rules. As Class President, I was able to set aside meetings, and pronouncement. I could control whether or not a club could have money for a parade float, or how the Senior Prom would be constructed.
As a result, I discovered that I had many people coming to me asking for favors.
These favors could be given at will, or for a price. The bigger the request the larger the price I could ask. I quickly learned that I could trade favors for advantage. If I wanted to be popular with a group of girls (for instance), I could help them out in things that appealed to them. Once, there was a group of girls who I enjoyed study-hall square-dancing with, by granting them the freedom to decorate the “Home Room”, I garnered favor with them. That favor was translated into a positive reputation for all of their friends.
Heck, I even got a free pizza out of it! When a group of pretty girls take you out and buy you a pizza, that’s big news when you are 17 years of age!
Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I like the New York style pizza. It’s a nice and tasty think crust pizza. I also enjoy a nice Chicago “deep dish” style pizza. That is very delicious. I like sausage and pepperoni and olives. I also have to admit in enjoying hamburger on it was well.
Today, as an older man, I can easily see how power is constantly abused and misused. This can be anything from using government airplanes, to skimming off the top and getting kick-backs on funding.
Many Opportunities for Embezzlement
I well remember that when I became Class President, I inherited a class budget of $240 dollars that had been collected over the years. During the year, I make sure that no money was spent on anything. Which, to the distain of the cheerleaders, was quite a negative. Never the less, they were able to, somehow fund their sock-hops, dances, car-washes, and parades. However, at the end of the year we only had $25 in the till. The Class Treasurer had no idea where the money went. It just disappeared.
Obviously someone’s hand was in the till. But whos? We’ll never know.
Which makes me remember all through that particular year. Numerous groups in the school wanted me to raise class dues. At that time, the dues were an enormous $5/year. It might not sound like much today, but at that time, it was considered rather excessive. They wanted to increase it to $10/year. Later, I found out that they really just wanted it to be $8/year, but they were aiming high and negotiating downward.
They had stated that the increase was to take care of basic class materials that was not covered by the school. This included such things as disposable paper plates and plastic tablecloths for a planned outing and class trip. It also included such things as snacks and fixings for sandwiches.
I later noticed, when I went through the purchased groceries that many of the items were tagged “buy one get one free”, yet only one item was included in the package that I reviewed. For example, there was a large bag of Lays potato chips. On it was a sticker that said “two for the price of one” and a green piece of tape that was clear evidence that another bag was attached to it. Yet, the other bag was missing. Where did it go?
Obviously the person who bought the items kept some of the items for themselves. Also when reviewing the items, I noted that there were some items that were paid for, but that were not given to the class. These things included cigarettes, some candy bars, two bags of potato chips and some other minor items.
One can only imagine what these individuals would do if they had access to a multi-million dollar budget.
Pallets of $100 bills were flown to Iran in unmarked planes and given freely to them by President Obama. This was done without approval by Congress or the Senate, and without any signed agreement with Iran.
Friends were promoted to Positions of Power
Another thing that I noted had to do with friends and associations. If a task needed to be done, and it was a desirable task, friends were elected to do it. For instance, once we needed to take a ride out to a nearby town and buy some paint. The lucky people who were to do this had no time limit on getting the paint. As such, they could actually take the entire half of the day off to do that simple one hour task.
Obviously, friends were selected to assist them in these tasks.
Isn’t that the same way today. Look at the “deep state” that is dogging every single thing that President Donald Trump is trying to do. Yet, they had no problem implementing every program or task the President Obama was involved in. We can also well remember the fiasco with the “Travel Office” when Bill Clinton was in office. Of course, his presidency was not free of controversy. Consider the issues found HERE and HERE.
Ah. Just another day in politics. Yuck.
Perks of Office could be Expanded Upon Easily
Another thing that I learned was that I could create perks of my office. I could also expand upon those perks.
For instance, the class president did not get anything other than a title. Yet, I noticed that in a grade below me, somehow the class president was able to get to use an unused closet as a storage location. Using that as a precedent, I was able to convince the school to let “us” students on the school council have access to an unused room in the basement. They granted us that ability.
High School in the 1970s permitted us a lot of free time to get involved in various school activities.
Using that, we were able to decorate it. As I was the president of the oldest class, I discovered that I was able to “boss around” or influence the other class presidents. I was able to dictate how the room was to be decorated, and who got to use it and what times they could come and go. I soon discovered that only my class was the only class using that room.
Using our influence, we were able to convert that room into a class lounge. It was used for our class only, and none of the other students outside of our class could have access to it.
Blue-Ribbon Panels were set up to Justify the Status-Quo
Since we now had a class lounge, a method of being able to leave class and visit the lounge needed to be put into effect. So, in short order we created a series of automatic “get out of class” privileges which enabled us to go to the lounge provided the student met certain criteria.
Eventually we negotiated to get the criteria dropped, and we even set up a committee (a “blue ribbon” committee) to determine who could have access to these vaulted hallway privileges.
Of course, the entire game was rigged. Our friends and associates could access the hallways and roam at will. Others would need to provide us favors or pay a small fee to get let into the game. This could include cash, but more often or not it involved a pack of cigarettes or a six pack of beer.
Now, you can’t tell me that this doesn’t go on in Washington, D.C. can you?
Checks and Balances were Weak or Nonexistent
One of the great things that I discovered was that aside from the regular day-to-day student life, no one was policing our actions. With the understanding that we were members of the Student Council and that we had various student related “things” that we were involved in, we could leverage that knowledge to our advantage.
For instance, I could take time off and visit my friends at a vocational-technical school socially (and get them out of class). I would just make up an excuse and there we could meet. I could roam the halls at will. I could skip out of class early and arrive late. I could take long lunch periods and I could have access to forbidden areas of the school, such as the locker rooms, the weight room, the school yard, and the parking lot. All without trouble.
Having the title gave me privileges.
Even though there were other students who saw the scam, and enemies or jealous students tried to curtail my efforts, they were ineffective. For the school teachers point of view, as well as the administration, I had the right to do what I was doing. It did not matter how far I pushed the envelope, as long as it did not interfere in the education of the rest of the school.
As such, I did take full advantage of this.
My Father Didn’t Understand
My father was unable to understand why I was not a liberal democrat like himself. I think that he took it as a personal affront, or maybe he thought that I was “brainwashed” by the school. Yet the truth is that the school afforded me an education that no book-learning in Civics Class could ever do. It gave me the opportunity to see how governance worked within a democracy.
For that is exactly what was provided in school; democratic elections were each person got one vote.
It was mob rule by disinterested classmates. Many of which couldn’t care less who was going to be the class president or the class officers. They actually were (in some cases exactly) the “unwashed masses”.
Here’s to my father. He meant well, but he did not understand human nature very well. The United States is not a Democracy, it is a Republic. It is not, and should not ever be subject to mob rule.
Now my father was always trying to impress upon me that being in political office was a big responsibility. He wanted me to understand that I could do great things while in office. He wanted me to appreciate the opportunities that it gave me to help others and to better the lives of my fellow man.
Heck, I just needed the experience so that I could qualify for the United States Air Force Academy.
Take Aways
Human nature does not change when a person becomes an adult.
Democracy is actually organized mob rule.
The person who can best control the mob, can rule over them.
The United States is a Republic, not a Democracy.
The individual states that comprise the United States are set up as Democracies.
All of the problems that I experienced in student government, manifest in State and Federal governments.
Those whom enjoy money, power and fame gravitate to politics.
Most politics in America today is mostly as a specator sport.
RFQ
Does anyone have a better idea?
All my life, as an American I was taught the superiority of a republic. I was also taught how important (and great) that America was a democracy. That way, everyone had a (theoretical) say in the governing of their life. I was taught the dangers of socialism, and particularly communism. I was told the benefits of democracy in making America great.
However, as I have traveled, lived life, experienced life, and generally lived in places that were considered Hell-holes (when I was growing up), I have come to question this narrative. I am not the only one, either…
"Certainly there are more clever and nefarious, but the fact that imbeciles like Maxine are actually voted into policy making, authoritative positions, demonstrates that we have failed miserably."
-1981XLS Comment
In fact, I have come to ask some pretty blistering questions. These are questions that I would have never asked earlier.
Is “democracy” a superior way of governing a society? Obviously the founders of the United States didn’t think so. Read the Federalist Papers. They despised democracies.
Is a “republic” a superior way of governing a society? With all the ills that America has today, especially in light of it actually being a oligarchy for all practical purposes, perhaps it really isn’t.
Is “free market” communism a superior way of governing a society? It seems to be working quite well for China. At least, mind you, for now.
Is a “theology” a superior way of governing a society? After all, both the Vatican, and Iran are theologies. I never hear about starving children in either of those nations, nor do I hear about crime or any of the ills that seemingly plague America today.
Now, the reader should not misunderstand me. I am not throwing out the American constitution with the “bath water”. I am just questioning things that I have always (up to now) took as immutible truths.
"It is indeed a slow motion train wreck......there comes a point when the level of retardation has momentum of its own, not easy to turn around by any means. Such are the forces of history and crowd psychology. Another evolutionary cul de sac of yet more ideas that were hijacked and rammed into the ground by the same group of psychopaths, and their dumb followers.
The institutions mankind created with the birth of "civilization" a few thousand years ago, - namely the state, propaganda, banking, religion and military, have morphed into monstrosities, hijacked by sociopaths at every level. Mankind went from the tribal collective connected spiritually with the Earth, to a mass manufactured plantation farm, disconnected from its Earthly roots. There are bubbles of freedom here and there, for those of us who actually know what freedom means, but most are hopelessly enslaved zombies.
Freedom come with caveats, like, responsibility, - something most people wish to escape from. While the "leaders" invented the limited liability corporation to avoid accountability of their own actions, and forego skin in the game. Many of these institutions enable bad decision making.
Many people don't even know what to do with freedom, so they fall back onto the lame, default expectations of mainstream society and its stupefying culture."
-Brazen Heist Mon, 05/14/2018 - 18:16
Perhaps we need to take a good hard look at what America has actually turned into and what it is today. We need to see the influences on governance, and how they affect the bulk of Americans in society today. We need to really understand our global role as it is [1] ill defined, and [2] manipulated substantially for [3] the gains that do not benefit the average American.
We need a top-down rethinking of the American governmental structure.
We need to take in account;
The needs of the individual.
The global relationship of America to other nations.
The Rights all humans have, and a way of protecting them from elected officials.
Controls to prevent mob rule.
Controls to prevent tyrannity.
Controls to prevent the government to being an all-powerful entity.
The role of justices and courts and how to enforce universal fairness.
Controls to prevent rules, laws, bureaucracies, and out of control spending.
The individual need for privacy in our personal papers and day to day life.
I, myself, have no easy answers. What I do know is that older civilizations and cultures do not utilize democracies as stable vectors for long-term governance of their societies. I would like to hear your view on this.
FAQ
Q: Did you ever make a student council speech?
A: Yes. Of course I cannot remember it. I do remember that I spent about an hour on it, and I was amazed how well thought out it sounded. I also remember how it was delivered. It would have been fine except that there were audio problems at the time. Audio problems, I later found out was actually sabotage by a rival confederate.
Q: What were the student council positions available to you?
A: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Master at Arms, and archivist. I only ran for president when I was running for anything. My motivation was positions that looked best on school records.
Q: What were student council elections like?
A: Mimeographed sheets of those who were running for government was presented to all of us. Those who were running were not permitted to vote. So we stood outside in the hallway while the votes were in process. The voter would check off who they would want for each position. Only one vote per position was allowed.
Q: How often were the meetings for student council?
A: I seem to remember that they were held about once a month. However, they could have been easily head weekly. It all depended on who was in charge at the time.
Q: What were class elections like?
A: They were the same as the Student Council elections, only that everyone could vote. This would include the candidates. Prior to the vote there would be a chance for each of us to make a speech or a pitch as to why they would make a good candidate. When I ran for class President, I ran on a platform with a VP, treasurer, and a master of arms.
Q: Did you hold any elected position in your class?
A: Yes. I was the class President.
Q: What happened to your High School?
A: It was incorporated with another school in a bigger town in the 1990’s. The school building was abandoned for about five years, and then the town repurposed it for the town offices and civic storage.
Q: Do you think that State and Federal elections are the same as the elections that you had in school?
A: Yes. The only different is in scale. The rewards are greater, as is the potential for fraud.
Free Republic Posting
This post was introduced to Free Republic on 27JUL18. You can read the comments HERE.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
There are many mysteries in this world. Naturally, people yearn and search for nice tight and straight answers to these mysteries. No one wants to feel small, insignificant or living within a world run amok. We want a safe and orderly world. We want a world where everything has a nice answer, and has a place within our world that we well understand and accept.
Alas, not everything is so orderly and clear. Some things are. But not everything.
There are things that appear to defy our understanding of reality, but they are only illusions. For instance, the Dorchester Pot Artifact seems to be a misidentified smoking lamp holder. There are other OOPART objects that also just misidentified hardware. It is not just objects that have been discovered. Some discoveries actually revise our understanding of history. For instance, there have been many visitors to the Americas before Columbus “discovered” it.
However, some artifacts are not so easy to explain away. I would like to take a moment to look at one such artifact, an “OOPART” artifact that seemingly has no place in our tight and ordered world. I would like to take a look at the so-called “London Hammer” artifact…
A Quick Introduction
This particular OOPART came to my attention by the highly unusual material used in the object. Until this post was first written, no one gave the unusual material any thought. The contemporary statists were all over the place arguing that this was just an everyday steel hammer.
It’s not made of steel.
Steel is an alloy of iron with carbon.
The Hammer is six inches (15.24cm) long with a diameter of one inch. The metal has been identified as consisting of 96.6% iron, 2.6% chlorine, and 0.74% sulfur. Believers point out that this hammer has not rusted since its discovery over sixty years ago. This is certainly a unique blend of metallurgy which some claim be a lost technology of ancient man.
-Historic Mysteries
And that is what is interesting.
It’s made out of a highly unusual alloy of iron. This material contains no carbon, but contains a sizable percentage of the highly reactive chlorine. Which pretty much points to a very special and unique metallurgical process in the manufacture of the object.
By looking at the unique and unusual metallurgical properties of this OOPART we can learn a lot. We can understand the manufacturing process used, and the technologies invested in the creation of a corrosion-free iron hammer.
A Hammer found inside a Stone
In June 1936 (or 1934 by some accounts), Max Hahn (1897-1989) and his wife Emma were hiking along Red Creek near London, Texas. They discovered a rock while they were walking. Rocks are not typically something that you would pick up. They are heavy. They are dirty. Moreover, if you like the rock, you would need to haul it back home, which would be a major exertion. Most people leave rocks alone. Especially big ones.
Except for geologists, and rock hounds, like my brother…
Anyways, the Hahns found this odd rock sitting loose on a rock ledge beside a waterfall. We can assume that any possible abutment in the area was compromised by the waterfall. The general area primarily consists of Eocene (33.9 to 56 million years old) rock. This differs from all other reports available. Other reports state much older dates for the rocks. (Which could possibly be true. There are areas of much older strata within the general area.)
According to the GIS database, London Texas sits in the middle of Eocene strata. You can see the geology of Texas using this viewer. Here is the location of London, Texas on a geologic map as provided by the Texas Almanac;
The geologic map of Texas showing the location of London, Texas relative to the prevalent geology in the region.
The Hahn’s, noticing that this weathered rock had petrified wood protruding from it, went and collected the stone. Like anyone else, once they saw the wood protruding out of the rock, they proceeded to break the wood free of the rock. As such, they broke the stone open, exposing what was clearly a hammer head affixed to a wooden handle. Thus, the tale of the so-called “London Hammer” artifact was born.
Battle Lines are Drawn
Well, we cannot have our nice ordered life thrown out of kilter, now can we? “Everyone knows” that a metal hammer cannot possibly be found within a rock. Most especially within a rock that is many tens of millions of years old. Thus, we have the OOPART presented; an object that is impossible to explain away using conventional explanations.
This is the (more or less) famous “London Hammer”. An OOPART that is claimed to resemble an ordinary mining hammer.
However, that doesn’t stop the Scientific Statists. They hurriedly hopped up upon their great white horses and began to beat the drums loudly. They shouted “This is just an ordinary hammer. The age of the rock is incorrect. Everything else is nonsense.” They went to great lengths to explain this object away. However, they tend to miss the obvious.
My definition of scientific statism;
A concentration of a set scientific theory in the hands of a closed elite group of people. Often they have direct ties to a highly centralized government. To alter or change that theory to revise it to meet new discoveries or data often requires government derived politics and peer-group approvals.
They failed to study the manufacturing process. In this particular case, to the statist investigators, a steel is “just” a steel. Wood is just a “typical ordinary” wood. A shape is just a shape. A hammer is “only” a hammer. There is nothing else that be derived through observation of composition, shape and shape.
They are wrong. There are many things that can be learned through study of this object. Most notably HOW the hammer HAD to be made tells us a great deal about the hammer itself.
Thus, this particular post…
There are metals, and there are steels and there are “high end” specialty grade materials. Utility steel is made using the most common and easiest processes. More durable and corrosion resistant steels require extensive processes. They take time, are expensive and difficult to manufacture. In fact, many of the specialty steels were just being invented at the time of the discovery of this artifact.
How it was made is important.
Any hammer made out of metal would have been produced within a mold. The mold would have been used at a factory using the available technologies to make that particular composition of metal. Further, wood cannot be fossilized in less than one hundred years. (Maybe a few thousand years, yes. Not in a few decades.) Finally, radio carbon dating has limits that make dating this artifact impossible.
Ah, then we have the other extreme point of view.
In this opposing point of view, anything that does not fit the established narrative must fit snugly inside THEIR narrative. So as a result you have people who believe in “The Great Flood”, “Biblical Historical Reality” and “Spacemen who came to Earth” using this artifact to justify their versions of reality.
I counter that the reality is somewhere between the never-changing very-organized world of the (government-sponsored) scientific statist and the out-of-the-mainstream alternative “fringe” theorists. I do not know what the truth is. Both could be correct, and both could be wrong. One could be correct while the other could be very wrong.
I counter that reality is not at all what we think it is. As such, this object can be used as a “sign post” to show us the way towards the true reality. (Whatever it may be.)
"Always be suspicious of those who pretend to know it all, claim their way is the best way and are willing to force their way on the rest of us."
-Walter E. Williams
The Arguments
In almost every OOPART object, the process is always the same.
An object is discovered that does not fit the established narrative. People, often well-intentioned, but lacking in resources try to come up with answers and theories to try to explain the object. They announce their ideas to the public. The public responds with ridicule, and a handful of scientific statists work hard at denouncing the theories.
That is certainly the case with the London Hammer.
What we know of the Surrounding Rock
The first place we need to look at is the rock strata where the artifact originated from. Unfortunately, there is confusion as to the age of the rock strata where the hammer was found. Here is a quote from a scientific statist attacking the evolving theory related to the age of the rock found;
“A report in Creation Ex Nihilo (Mackay, 1983) stated the hammer was "in limestone dated at 300 million years old" (which would make it Pennsylvanian).A subsequent CEN article (Mackay, 1984) stated that the hammer was in "Ordovician rock, supposedly some 400 million years old" (although that age would make it Devonian, not Ordovician).In yet another CEN report (Mackay, 1985) stated, "the rocks associated with the hammer are supposedly some 400-500 million years old" (which would include part of the lower Devonian, all of the Silurian, and most of the Ordovician Period).Baugh and others (Wilson and Baugh, 1996) continued to claim the rock was in Ordovician or "Ordovecian [sic]" rock, even after researcher John Watson, according to Helfinstine and Roth (1994) pointed out that the rock outcrops at the Red Creek site were actually Lower Cretaceous (Hensell [sic] Sand Formation), to which they ascribed (incorrectly) an orthodox age "near to 135 mybp."”- Glen J. Kuban
Where is a good geologist around when you need him?
To me, this all looks more than just a little silly. It is like a man going to eat dinner at an expensive restaurant, and gets up screaming and throwing plates about and yelling at the waiter simply because his toothpick is broken. Ya, it is broken, and the point is what? In this case, yes, there are different dates. What does this prove, or show? Why, it only shows that the theories evolve over time.
That’s a good thing, right?
Anyways, does it really matter? If you left the cake out in the rain, would it matter if it were out for one week or one year? Or, a decade? After a point of time, the relative value of the article no longer becomes an issue. A wet cake that is one year old as opposed to a wet cake that is ten years old has the same value. Which is… absolutely worthless.
Now, based on data from the GIS database, most of the strata around the London, Texas area are associated with the Eocene. This is a time period that is from 33 to 56 million years ago.
But, what does this mean?
Who’s to say that the rock was formed just exactly where it was picked up, or that it traveled along the water and fell from the nearby water? Who’s to say that some wandering native Indian didn’t pick up the rock and carried all over Texas as a good luck charm, and dropped it when he encountered a rattlesnake? (Which would have been either a Caddo, Atakapan, or a Tonkawa Indian.)
We just don’t know.
Whenever you encounter an odd object, you need to study it just as it is found. That is not always possible. In the case of this artifact, it was removed from where it was found, broken open in place, and the parts of interest were returned home.
If we had studied the area of whence it was found we would be able to make a determination as to how this object became encased in stone. We could determine, for instance, how a fifty-year-old hammer (or so) could get encased inside of clay, and then come up with theories on how the clay turned into stone. We could see the geology of the strata that it was removed from. We could identify various aspects of the material that surrounds the object, instead of saying that it was found in a rock outside of London, Texas.
This photo shows the London Hammer with the part that was initially broken off when it was first discovered.
All we know is that the rock was nearly identical to the nearby strata. (If not absolutely identical.) As such, give it’s placement, it is assumed to tumble out of the strata as some point in time, and was picked up at a place not too far from whence it has been entombed. All of which is a pretty reasonable assumption.
Don’t you think?
Age
For our purposes, let’s simply keep with the standard narrative and state that the regional rock was “old”. For Pete’s sake the hammerhead does look ancient, doesn’t it? It is not your typical rusty hammer sitting in the basement. (Hint; the way metal corrodes can tell us quite a bit. Just like how a dead body decays. Ever watch the television show “The Forensic Files”?)
The appearance hasn’t changed much since it was discovered. How a scientific statist can look at this object and say that is a normal contemporary hammer that is only a few decades old just boggles my mind.
Have they EVER been to a junk yard?
American junk yard showing components that have been exposed to the air for a few decades. The iron and the steel are obviously rusted. they are old, but are NOT aged. (Image Source.)
While the London Hammer does appear “old”, it more accurately appears “ancient”. The photo of a junkyard above shows the rust and weathering effects of some fifty years exposed to the elements. In any and all events, the hammer appears much older than the fifty year old metal in the photo above.
Further, we can elaborate and say that the rock surrounding the hammerhead appears older than 500 years, and thus predates the production of any conventional mining hammer. Thus, unless someone can prove that native Indians used similar hammers, we can say that the object appears to be an OOPART were it to come from the surrounding strata.
It could be as old as 33 million years if we date to the youngest strata that are found in the area. Or, we could date to and age of 56 million years if we date to the oldest strata in the local area. We could, if we wanted to, point to older outcrops scattered all through Texas and lay claim to various other dates. (Which is what has often been done previously.)
The date from the start of the Eocene to the end consists of a pretty long time period. A lot can happen in 23 million years. Since it is impossible to provide an exact date for this object, I suggest that we date it to the local strata found nearby. (We can always revise later on.) I suggest a date of 44.5 +/- 11.5 million years before present if we measure to the local strata.
Ai Ya! That is a HUGE span of time.
In so doing, we can further state that it appears that the rock belonged to the strata nearby, but that it was not found in it. Therefore, there is the possibility that the object might be in some kind of rocky inclusion formed amongst older strata formations. That inclusion could be as young as 1936, the date the rock was discovered.
At this point in time we can say that the object can either be...
[1] contemporaneous to 1936, or
[2] an OOPART ancient to 44.5 +/- 11.5 million years before present.
What we can do is study the object
The object in question is a hammer.
As such, it has a metal head that is used to pound or hit an object using muscular force. It also has a handle that appears to be made out of some kind of wood. The handle is broken. We do not know it’s true length. The material in it is fossilized. The design and shape of the hammer can also tell us things about the purpose of the hammer and what it was used for. Within the little of what we do know about this object, we can study the knowns, and come to some conclusions about how the hammer was made, what it’s purpose was, and maybe why it was found where it was.
What we do know is that the formation that it is in is actually stone. It is not hard clay, cement or some kind of tough dirt. The stone has the shells of aquatic creatures on it. The area that the rock was found has similar strata that are dated to around 40 million years ago when the area was under the water.
We know that it was found in the 1930’s in the Texas desert near a waterfall.
Studies on the Metal Used
To verify that the hammerhead was actually made of metal, the investigators cut into one of the beveled sides with a file. The bright metal in the nick is still there, with no detectable corrosion. The unusual metallurgy of the hammerhead is 96% iron, 2.6% chlorine and .74% sulfur.
96% – iron – Fe
2.6% – chlorine – Cl
0.74% – sulfur – S
0.0% – Carbon – C *** NO CARBON ***
This is not “typical” or “everyday” steel. This is NOT an everyday utility hammer. The hammer head is NOT made out of steel, which is something very special and very, very rare.
This is a specialty iron metal alloy that requires a very comprehensive and exacting equipment to produce.
The hammerhead material is uncommon and unique.
This is an odd chemical composition. In fact, it is an extremely odd combination, as for one to create a hammerhead of this style; one would have to have an unusual understanding of metallurgy, and the advanced technologies to forge it.
Typically, iron is a very soft metal, and it is mixed with small quantities of carbon to make steel. Yet this alloy has no carbon in it at all! There are other alloys, of course. Yet none of these other alloys match the composition of this odd hammer.
Why it was alloyed with chlorine and sulfur remains a mystery.
Alloying elements can play a dominant role in the susceptibility of cast irons to corrosion attack.
Silicon is the most important alloying element used to improve the corrosion resistance of cast irons. Silicon is generally not considered an alloying element in cast irons until levels exceed 3%. Silicon levels between 3 and 14% offer some increase in corrosion resistance to the alloy, but above about 14% Si, the corrosion resistance of the cast iron increases dramatically.
The most common alloys with iron include the aforementioned carbon, silicon, manganese, chromium, nickel, copper, and magnesium.
If one wanted to make a strong and durable hammerhead, one would certainly use one of the more common materials to alloy with it. The use of the chlorine as an alloy is a significant mystery as it is difficult to mix and work into a usable alloy because chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent.
People, this is not “rocket science”.
Contemporaneous Hammer Design
Iron is inherently corrodes.
If you add carbon to it, you make it hard, and it becomes steel.
But steel rusts just like iron does.
So you can add chromium to it to prevent it from rusting.
But this is NOT the product development route used in this OOPART object. The makers of the hammer did not intend it to be hard-at-all-costs like steel. They wanted reasonably-hard with ductility. They wanted a corrosion-less utility grade hammer with ductile properties.
Unique and Unusual Hammer Design
You take a soft ductile iron.
You make it hard and durable by adding sulfur.
Then during processing you add chlorine, and the material no longer rusts.
If you are going to make a common utility object (such as a hammer), you would make it using utility grade materials. You would not make it out of rare alloys that require specialized and expensive facilities and materials. The material composition is very odd. As such it is either suggestive of a special purpose, or a society that considers this particular material composition to be used in common utility.
I find it hard to believe that a Texan or a Mexican would treat a chlorine infused iron as a utility grade material.
Unusual Sulfur (S) Content
Sulfur is always present in iron ore in small quantities. Typically a small percentage of sulfur in both iron and steel is inadvertently introduced through iron ore and fuel (coal and coke). This smelting process results in the creation of small quantities of sulfur. To remove the sulfur is a very tedious and difficult process. Therefore, it is typically left in just as is.
Conventionally, the acceptable rates of sulfur in iron and steel are rather low. For instance, common alloy steels contain no more than 0.04 % Sulfur. Anything over 0.04% is considered excessive.
The percentage of sulfur in this hammer however is larger than an residual sulfur inclusion. Instead of 0.04% it is 0.74%. It is much, much higher.
When I make the statement that this sulfur percentage is rare, I mean that it is unheard of.
The closest examples that I can find regarding the use of sulfur in iron and steel is this…
IronThe effect of sulfur on gray cast iron
(1) Because sulfide can be used as the base of eutectic graphite nucleation, and at the same time can inhibit the growth of eutectic cluster, but sulfur is an element that promotes the formation of white mouth in cast iron, therefore, an appropriate amount of sulfur is beneficial. From the perspective of reducing white mouth, when the sulfur content is 0.041%, the white mouth width is the smallest, whether it is inoculated or not, but the number of eutectic clusters is in an intermediate state.
(2) The test of the influence of sulfur on the mechanical properties of gray cast iron shows that whether inoculated or non-inoculated cast iron, when the content of sulfur not more than 0.04%, the brinell hardness increases rapidly with the increase of sulfur content, when the content of sulfur more than 0.04%m the hardness is the increase slows down, when the sulfur content is 0.06%, there is 40% pearlite in the matrix, and when the sulfur content is 0.04%, the pearlite content is 100%. Regardless of the inoculated or non-inoculated gray cast iron, the tensile strength is SO, it reaches the maximum value between 0.04-0.06%, and the relative hardness reaches the minimum value, at the same time, experiments have shown that when the sulfur content of gray iron is less than 0.04%, it is difficult to make Sr-containing FeSi play a role in incubation.
Steel
There are no commercially made steels, of any type, in any nation, that makes this composition with such a high concentration of sulfur. Here are some of the designations for high sulfur content in American steels; Free machining resulphurized carbon steels in the AISI/SAE 11xx series contain 0.08 % to 0.13 % Sulfur, but the AISI/SAE 12xx series carries up to 0.24 % to 0.33 % Sulfur (and 0.04 % 0.09 % P). Resulphurized stainless steels, such as types 303 and 416, contain up to 0.35 % Sulfur. And, that’s about it folks.
Those stainless steels that are used all over the world have high sulfur content. However, this hammer has double that sulfur content. It is extraordinary. And it isn’t even a steel.
We we do know is that the hardness of iron increases rapidly with an increase in sulfur content. Thus, given [1] that this is an iron with no carbon, and [2] that the percentage of sulfur is extraordinarily high, we must conclude that…
The sulfur was intentionally added to make the iron very hard.
Intentional Metallurgy
This strongly suggests that the percentage of sulfur was increased intentionally.
While not commercially used in the manufacture of irons, we know what happens when it is added to steels.
Many steels are intentionally resulphurized to allow for post casting machining. It allows for proper chip formation. Thus, the parts are easier to cut and shape on a lathe.
Resulphurization is normally performed in the steel teeming ladle. It is added under strict quality controls, and can be controlled relatively easily, though it tends to stink to high heaven. Typically, the sulfur is added as wires, blocks or sodium or in other forms.
The problem with steel with high sulfur content is that the sulphide inclusions lower weldability and corrosion resistance. The presence of sulfur may also lead to development of tear and cracks on reheating the steel. Once you add sulfur, your ability to weld decreases. So parts made out of high sulfur steels are intended to be standalone castings. They cannot be welded or have any other post casting process.
What the sulfur in the hammerhead tells us is that the head was cast and then machined. Because of the uniqueness of the material composition, it was used in a batch process. As such, the hammerheads were mass produced in a batch and machined to shape.
The Presence of Chlorine (Cl)
Another curious aspect of this hammerhead is the percentage of chlorine in it.
The addition of chlorine is used to improve the “stainless” properties of corrosion-less steel. Typically, one can expect around 12% of Chlorine to be present in a stainless steel. However, the chlorine levels in this metal object aren’t that at all. It is only 2.6%.
The use of Chlorine during the melting processes improves the passivation of the iron. This is something that has not been well studied, and it is something that we learn from this OOPART.
Passivation, in physical chemistry and engineering, refers to a material becoming "passive," that is, less affected or corroded by the environment of future use. Passivation involves creation of an outer layer of shield material that is applied as a microcoating, created by chemical reaction with the base material, or allowed to build from spontaneous oxidation in the air. As a technique, passivation is the use of a light coat of a protective material, such as metal oxide, to create a shell against corrosion. Passivation can occur only in certain conditions, and is used in microelectronics to enhance silicon. The technique of passivation strengthens and preserves the appearance of metallics. In electrochemical treatment of water, passivation reduces the effectiveness of the treatment by increasing the circuit resistance, and active measures are typically used to overcome this effect, the most common being polarity reversal, which results in limited rejection of the fouling layer. Other proprietary systems to avoid electrode passivation, several discussed below, are the subject of ongoing research and development.
-Wikipedia
All the evidence points the to Chlorine to be used in a very reactive process during the melting of the iron ore. This resulted in substantive anti-corrosion properties to the iron without the addition of carbon, or chromium.
I have yet to find a standardized SAE or related standard that calls out such an odd percentage of chemicals in either an alloy of steel or an alloy of iron.
What the reader needs to understand is that in our reality everything is standardized. That plastic in your microwave is specified by standard and meets testing requirements by government approved testing labs (UL, ESL, NOM, and CSA for example.) Steels, aluminum, and all metals are made to exacting specifications and tested as such. Factories do not go “hog wild” and develop their own formulations “willy nilly”. They use handbooks and select the best alloy for the application in question. These handbooks, notes, and rules have been honed over the centuries since the Industrial Revolution. Every material formulation is use today has an identification number, a test specification, and manufacturing protocols.
While it is true that they might have been some early formulations developed before the standards were released and set in place, it is unlikely that they would do so using the materials in question. Chlorine is a very difficult material to work with. It requires very elaborate and specialized equipment. There would be very exacting specifications for this material were it to be commercially viable.
You ever look at the appliances in your home, the cellphone, and the electronics? Do you know what the ESL mark means, the FCC mark, and the UL mark means? They all mean that the design, systems, production, and material specifications are all safe and approved for use by the public. If this hammerhead was made during this last century, it would have been made to commonly available metal standards.
That means that the zero carbon iron was hot forged, possibly oil quenched, and heat treated. If it does not fit the known technology of the 1800’s then it truly is an OOPART.
Why not Chromium (Cr)?
Well, for starters… there isn’t any carbon in it. It’s not a steel.
It’s an iron alloy.
Duh!
It’s a common enough misunderstanding. A young “wet behind the ears” high-school know it all pops in with a Holier-than-thou attitude and says that somehow I am mistaking the chemical composition.
Without carbon, chromium isn’t going to be of much benefit as an alloying element. Go enroll in university and take a few classes in basic metallurgy. The secret is in the carbon.
Chromium is critical in the manufacturing of stainless steel.
Most stainless steel contains about 18 percent chromium; it is what hardens and toughens steel and increases its resistance to corrosion, especially at high temperatures. The chromium oxidizes quickly to form a protective layer of chromium oxide on the metal surface. This oxide layer resists corrosion, while at the same time prevents oxygen from reaching the underlying steel. Other elements in the alloy, such as nickel and molybdenum, add to its rust-resistance.
Oddly, the material has no chromium in it,
Which is WHY this particular post was written.
But let’s talk about steel…
…You know, if there was carbon in the alloy…
…which there isn’t…
…but what the fuck….
Eh?
The dominant corrosion-free iron in use today is a steel using a percentage of chromium.
The corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steel is mainly due to the fact that…
… chromium in stainless steel promotes the passivation of steel…
… and maintains the steel in a stable and passive state under the action of meeting material.
In austenitic stainless steel, chromium is an element that strongly forms and stabilizes the ferrite, narrowing the austenite zone, as the content of the steel increases, ferrite (δ) can appear in the austenitic stainless steel Organization, research shows that in chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel, when the carbon content is 0.1% and the chromium content is 18%, in order to obtain a stable single austenite structure, the minimum nickel content is required, about 8%.
In this regard, the commonly used 18Cr-8Ni chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel is the most suitable one for chromium-nickel content.
Chromium steel : According to IFL SCIENCE, an invention that dominated the late-20th Century was in fact made 1000 years ago, not 100 years ago as historians originally thought.
It turns out that Chromium steel (which is very similar to what we now consider tool steel) was actually made in Persia, not Europe, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.
The discovery was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, and was supported by a number of medieval Persian manuscripts. Dr. Rahil Alipour (UCL Archaeology), who was the lead author on the study, said, ‘Our research provides the first evidence of the deliberate addition of a chromium mineral within steel production. We believe this was a Persian phenomenon.’
As well as providing the only known evidence of chromium steel dating back to the 11th century, it is said that this research also provides a chemical tracer that could help identify crucible steel artefacts in museums or trace archaeological collections back to their origin in Chahak or the Chahak tradition.
According to several historical manuscripts from the 12th to the 19th century, Chahak was once famous for its steel production. Although it is the only archaeological site known to exist in Iran at that time, its location is still a mystery, as several villages have the same name.
Today, stainless steel plays an important role in our lives. The use of steel mixed with chromium and other metals provides protection against rust, which means it is used in ways that could never have been imagined in the past.
It was originally thought that this way of using steel was first discovered in the 1800’s and became more popular during the mid-19th century. However, evidence proves that advanced steelmaking actually came into play much earlier.
Previous discoveries of trace amounts of chromium in ancient steel weapons and tools have often been thought to be an accident. But according to Dr. Rahil Alipour, the Persians were steelmakers for hundreds of years and were very adept at it.
The evidence doesn’t just come from the ancient steel itself. It is also apparent in a manuscript titled “al-jamahir fi Marifah al-Jawahi” (‘A Compendium to Know the Gems’, 10th-11th c. CE), written by the Persian polymath Abu-Rayhan Biruni.
This manuscript was particularly important to researchers, since it provided the only recipe known for making steel in a crucible. It is also the only existing document dating back to an era in which steelmakers were largely illiterate.
Professor Marcos Martinon-Torres (University of Cambridge), the last author on the study, said that the process of identification can be quite long and complicated.
Mainly because the manuscript is recorded in a different language, but also because the terms used to describe the technological processes or materials may not be in words that we would use today.
Also, at that time, writing and education were usually reserved for the social elites. You wouldn’t usually find a tradesman who was literate, which means there may have been errors or things missing from the text.
Abu-Rayhan Biruni (author of the manuscript) referred to a vital ingredient for steelmaking. But, due to the passage of time, it has been unclear to scholars which ingredient he was referring to. However, in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Dr. Rahil Alipour argues that the vital ingredient was chromite.
He says, ‘Our research provides the first evidence of the deliberate addition of a chromium mineral within steel production.’
1000 years ago, rust resistance wasn’t important in the way that it is today. At that time, it was more important that the goods made from steel (such as weapons for soldiers) were sturdy rather than rust-resistant. However, if the ancient method had been preserved, modern steel-making techniques could have been developed long before they eventually were, in the 19th Century.
-Chromium Steel was NOT Invented in Sheffield: Persians Added the Element to Steel 1,000 Years Before
In austenitic stainless steels, with the increase of chromium content, the formation tendency of some intermetallic phases (such as δ phase) increases.
When the steel contains molybdenum, the chromium content will increase and x will form equal, as before as mentioned, the precipitation of σ, x phase not only significantly reduces the plasticity and toughness of the steel, but also reduces the corrosion resistance of the steel under certain conditions.
The increase of the chromium content in the austenitic stainless steel can make the martensite to hydrocarbon temperature (Ms ) Decreases, thereby improving the stability of the austenite matrix. Therefore, high-chromium (for example, more than 20%) austenitic stainless steel is difficult to obtain a martensite structure even after cold working and low temperature treatment.
Chromium is a strong carbide forming element, and it is no exception in austenitic stainless steel.
Generally comes, as long as the austenitic stainless steel pipe maintains a complete austenite structure without the formation of delta ferrite, etc., only improves content of chromium will not have a significant effect on the mechanical properties, and chromium will affect austenite.
Chromium improves the performance of steel’s oxidation resistance medium and acid chloride medium; under the combined action of nickel, molybdenum and copper, chromium improves the resistance of steel to some reducing media, organic acid, urea and alkaline media; chromium also improves the resistance of steel to localized corrosion, such as intergranular corrosion, pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, and stress performance under certain conditions.
It has the greatest impact on the sensitivity of austenitic stainless steel intergranular, the factor is the carbon content in the steel, and other elements.
In the MgCl2 boiling solution, the role of chromium is generally harmful, but in aqueous media containing Cl- and oxygen, Under high temperature and high pressure water and stress corrosion conditions with pitting corrosion as the origin, increasing the chromium content in the steel is beneficial to stress corrosion resistance. Chromium can also prevent austenite stainless steel and alloys that are prone to appear between the grains due to the increased nickel content. The tendency of type stress corrosion, the effect of chromium on stress corrosion of open causticity (Nq0H) is also beneficial.
Sanity Check
One way that we can prove that this hammer was contemporaneous to 1933 or earlier is to identify a local factory producing chlorine infused white iron. Then, from there, we could identify the mold shops that would turn the ingots into utility grade tools.
The closest is Texas Iron and Steel. But, they are a new factory, and they were established in 1990. At that, however, they do not work with any kinds of chlorine infused iron, as it is far too exotic a material to work with. To see what kinds of iron were produced or manufactured prior to 1933 that might be applicable to this hammer, we need to look deeper.
Now, during the American civil war there were many iron factories and steel mills in the South. They produced many types of carbon steels and decorative iron used in grillwork’s, and such things as bathtubs. For instance, there was the Birmingham Iron and Steel Company. There was the Sloss Furnace Company, and The Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company (TCI), from the Sequatchie Valley near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Others included The Woodward Iron Company, Pioneer Mining and Manufacturing Company, and The DeBardeleben Coal and Iron Company. They maintained the “cutting edge” iron and steel mill technology at that time.
To further investigate the potential of factories to make this type of specialized white iron, the reader is encouraged to go to the “Foundry Database” and point out which foundry had the ability to cast such a unique hammerhead prior to 1933 This is of course, as comprehensive list as you can get today. As such, however, it is not 100% complete.
Since the technologies used to make chlorine infused iron, are rather elaborate, only the larger and more established mills would even have a “shot” at. With this in mind, the reader is encouraged to study the following mills. I have not been able to identify any one that had that ability. Maybe you could. Seriously, go for it.
A&N – A&W Mfg. Co. – Chicago IL Ahrens & Arnold – Wapakoneta OH Abbott & Lawrence – Philadelphia PA American Brass & Iron – Oakland CA The Ace Co. – St. Louis MO Adams – The Adams Co. – Dubuque IA Adams & Britt – Cincinnati OH ADCASCO – Goshen IN Advance – Aga Stove Co. – Elizabeth NJ A.G.P. – Columbus OH A.H.W. & CO. – Pittsburgh PA Alabama Pipe Company – Anniston AL The Alb Co. – Bellville IL Albert Mfg. Co. – Los Angeles CA Albert & Zola Mfg. Co. – Los Angeles CA AMICO – A.M. Andersen & Co. – Chicago IL Alfred Andresen & Co. – Minneapolis MN Arcade Mfg. Co. – Freeport IL Arcole Foundry – Buffalo Arnold & Bacon – RI A.S.& N.W. Co. – Philadephia PA Atlanta Stove Works – Atlanta GA The Atlas-Ansonia Co. – New Haven CT Attalla Fdy & Mch Co. – Attalla AL Auger & Lord Chester – CT Aunt Jemima Meal – “Axford” – San Francisco CA
B&P – Baccellieri Bros. Mfg. Co. – Philadelphia PA L.S. Bacon – A. Baldwin & Co. – New Orleans LA C.W. Ball & Co. – Cincinnati. OH Ball & Davis – Cincinnati. OH Ballard & Ballard Co., Inc. – Louisville KY E.T. Barnum Iron Works – Detroit MI Barrows Savery & Co. – Barstow Stove Co. – Providence RI J.G. Baxter – Louisville KY Baxter Kyle & Co. – Louisville KY Baxter & Davis – Cincinnatti OH Baxter & Fisher – Louisville KY B.E. & Co. – E.L. Beale – Springfield OH W.E. Beckmann B. & C. S. – St. Louis MO Belknap Hardware And Mfg. Co. – Louisville KY Joseph Bell & Co. – Wheeling WV C.S. Bell Co. – Hillsboro OH Joseph Bell & Co. – Wheeling WV “Belmont” – Louisville KY Albert Benchoff – Menard TX “Best Made” – Chicago IL Beveridge Mfg. Co. – Baltimore MD Birdsboro Casting Co. – Birdsboro PA Birmingham Stove & Range Co. – Birmingham AL Blackhawk Product – Blacklock Foundry – South Pittsburg TN Blue Valley Fdry. Co. – Kansas City MO Bluff City Stove Works – Memphis TN S.H. Boardman – Boston MA Bonnet, Duffy & Co. – Quincy IL Boothmac – Bowers & Snyder – Richmond VA A. Bradley & Co. – Pittsburgh PA Brendlinger & Co. – Boyertown PA Bridge Beach & Co. – St. Louis MO Bridgeford & Co. – Louisville KY Brighton – Brilliant – Brinkmeyer & Co. – Evansville IN Britt & Folger – Cincinnati OH Brooklyn Broiler – Brown-Bowman – Troy NY Bennet, Sloan & Co. – New York NY Buck & Wright – St. Louis MO Francis Buckwalter & Co – Royersford PA Bussey Clexton & Co – Troy NY Bussey & McLeod – Troy NY Buxton Co. – Milwaukee WI
C. Mfg. Co. – Rocky Hill CT CA – Charles Cage – St.Louis MO Cahill Iron Works – Chattanooga TN Campbell Foundry Co. – Harrison NJ Cannonball Ware – Canton Cake Griddle Co. – Canton OH F.S. Carbon Co. – Buchanan MI Carlisle – Cast Iron Products Inc. – Richmond VA Central Oil & Gas Stove Co. – Gardner MA C.F. & M. Co. – Providence RI Job Chandler – New York NY Chattanooga Roofing And Foundry Co – Chattanooga TN Chemung Hollow Ware Works – Elmira NY Chicago Hardware Foundry Co. – North Chicago IL CLENO – Cleveland Stove Works – Cleveland TN Cline & Co. – Philadelphia PA Club – C. N. & CO. – Cochran, Hackett & Co. – Louisville KY Colbertson & Fisher Foundry – Wheeling WV The Columbus Hollow Ware Co. – Columbus OH Columbus Iron Works – Columbus GA Comstock & Co. – Quincy IL C.W. & C. – Conklin, Willis & Co. – Baltimore MD COOK N TOOLS – Tulsa OK Corning & Goewey – Albany NY A.&J. Cox – Philadelphia PA Cox Foundry – Atlanta GA Cox, Whiteman & Cox – Philadelphia PA M.H. Crane & Co. – Urbana OH Wm. M. Crane Company – New York NY Crescent Foundry Co. – St. Louis MO W.P. Cresson – Philadelphia PA Cresson, Stuart & Peterson – Philadelphia PA S.J. Creswell – Philadelphia PA L.B. Crittendens – Cruso – Culbertson & Fisher Foundry – Wheeling WV
John P. Daleiden Co. – Chicago IL Dandy – Dangler – J. M. B. Davidson & Co. – Albany NY F.P. Davis & Co. – Cincinnati OH W.C. Davis & Co. – Cincinnati OH J.H. Day & Co. – Cincinnati OH Israel Derr – Hamburg PA Detroit Iron & Brass Mfg Co. – Detroit MI Detroit Stove Works – Detroit MI Dighton Furnace Co. – Taunton? MA Dixie Foundry Co. – Cleveland TN Dixie Mfg. & Sales Co. – Kansas City MO G. W. Dodsons – I. Droege & Co. – Covington KY Durawear –
Eagle – Hope AR Eagle Foundry – Greensboro NC Eagle Stove Works – Rome GA Early Fdy. Co. – Dickson PA Eclipse – St. Louis MO E.F. Co. – Wm. Enders – St Louis MO “ERIE” – Erie PA The Estate Stove Co. – Eureka Griddle – Excelsior Mfg. Co. (G.F. Filley) – St. Louis MO Excelsior Stove & Mfg. Co – Quincy IL Excelsior Stove Works – Quincy IL
Fair, Day & DeKlyne – Knoxville TN Falkirk – Famous Stove Ware – Fanner Mfg. Co. – Cleveland OH Favorite Stove And Range Co. – Piqua OH “THE FAVORITE” – Columbus OH “FAVORITE COOK WARE” – Chicago IL “FAVORITE PIQUA WARE” – Piqua OH F B & Co – “G. F. Filley” – St. Louis MO R.R. Finch s Sons – New York NY Fischer, Leaf & Co. – Louisville KY B. Fisher. Star – Foundry – Wheeling WV Fisher Bros. & Co. – Lewisville KY Florence Machine Co. – Florence MA Ford & Co. – Concord NH Foster Stove Co. – Ironton OH Foxell & Jones – Troy NY Foxell, Jones & Millard – Troy NY Foxell, Woodnorth & Jones – Troy NY Francis, Buckwalter & Co. – Royersford PA Freidag Mfg. Co. – Freeport IL Frimaster The Kitchen King – Lansdale PA F.S. Co. – Reading PA Fuller, Warren & Co – Troy NY
A. J. Gallagher – Philadelphia PA Garfield Cake Griddle Mfg Co. – Boston MA Garland Ware – The Michigan Stove Co. – Detroit MI Gasco – E.B. Gates – Gay Nineties Wafer Iron Company – Columbus GA Geddes & Marsh – Lewisburg PA General Housewares Corp. (GHC) – Sidney OH Gibson & Lee Mfg. Co. – Chattanooga TN Gibson Love Mfg. Co. – Chattanooga TN The Gladd Co. – Minneapolis MN G.T. Glascock & Son(s) – Greensboro NC J.A. Goewey (John A. Goewey) – Albany NY Gene Goff – Dallas TX Graff & Mugun – Pittsburgh PA M.N. Grasby – Lacrosse WI Gray & Dudley Co. – Greenwood Stove Co. – Cincinnati OH J. Greer & Co. – Greer & King – Dayton OH Griswold Mfg. Co. – Erie PA G & S Metal Products – Cleveland OH
H & Co. Limited – Pittsburgh PA William Hailes – Albany NY J. Hamilton & Co. – Wheeling VA Hamilton & Clark – Wheeling VA Hanks – Rome GA Harbster Bros. – Reading PA Harco – Hardwick Stove Co. – Cleveland TN Hare, Leaf & Co. – Louisville KY John B. Harker & Co. – Minneapolis MN The Harker Mfg. Co. – Columbus OH Chas. L. Hartmann – Hartue – Wiley Co. – Pittsburgh PA Harwi – Haslet, Flanagen & Co. – Philadelphia PA Haverty s – Frank W. Hay & Sons – Johnstown PA “Hearthstone” – Sidney OH Hemenway s – HF Co. – Highland Foundry Co. – Boston MA Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. – Chicago IL Higgins, Mcloud & Martin – Troy NY Highland Foundry Co. – Boston MA Hill Whitney Co. – Boston MA Hinckley & Rollins – Bangor ME Hollands Mfg. Co. – Erie PA Home Comfort – The Malleable Iron Range Co. – Beaver Dam WI The Home Griddle Mfg. Co. – Buffalo NY Hunger Mfg. Co. – Erie PA The Hunter Sifter Mfg. Co. – Cincinnati OH
I.A.S. & Co. – Philidelphia PA “Ideal” – Illinois Griddle Co. – Morris IL Indiana Stove Co. – IN Indianapolis Stove Co. – Indianapolis IN A. Ingraham & Co. – Troy NY “I.O.A.” – Iowa Griddle Co. – Sioux City IA Iron Age – Iron Craft – Freedom NH Ironwood Cookware – Otter Lake MI Irwin Mfg Co. – Louisville KY
Jagger, Treadwell & Perry – Albany NY E. A. Jeffrey – New York NY Jesup & Sterling – NY Sherman S. Jewett & Co. – Buffalo NY Jewett & Root – J J C & R – J.K. Jr. & Co. – Baltimore MD John C. Johnson Co. – Birmingham AL Jones –
The Keeley Stove Co. – Columbia PA Keen & Hagerty – Baltimore MD Kenton Brand – Kenton Harware Company – Kenton OH Kentucky Griddle Co. – Lexington KY Kentucky Stove Co. – Louisville KY J. Kern Jr. & Co. – Baltimore MD Keystone Food Chopper – Boyertown PA C. Kieffer – Lancaster PA King Stove & Range Co. – Sheffield AL Kingery Mfg. Co. – Cincinnati OH A. Klauer – Dubuque IA Klyne – Knoxville TN Knox Stove Works – Knoxville – B & I – Foundry – Knoxville TN S S Kresge Company –
Landers Frary and Clark – New Britain CT Langdon – Lanier & Driesbach – Cincinnati OH Lawler Machine & Foundry Co. – Birmingham AL Lee Hardware – Salina KS Lehigh Stove Co. – Lehighton PA Leibrandt & McDowell Stove Mfg. Co. – L H & F Co. – New York NY J.S. Lithgow – Louisville KY Lithgow Mfg Co – Louisville KY Littlestown Hdwe & Fdry Co Inc. – New York NY Lodge Mfg Co. – South Pittsburg TN The W.J. Loth Stove Co. – Waynesboro VA Lutton, Bradley & Co. – Cincinnati OH
MacDonald – Magee Furnace Co. – Boston MA Majestic Mfg. Co. – St. Louis MO Makomb – March, Sisler, & Co – Lawrenceville PA Marietta C. Co. – PA Marion Stove Co.(or Works) – Marion IN Martin Stove & Range Co. – Florence AL The Master Bake Pot Co. – Bloomfield NJ Matthai, Ingram & Co. – Baltimore MD McClure Bean Soup – Medina – Menard Mfg. Co. – Menard IL M H & E Co. – Marietta PA A. G. Miller – Minneapolis MN M.J. Miller & Co. – Oneonta NY Mission Foundry & Stove Works – San Francisco CA Modern Fdy. & Mfg. Co. – Mascoutah IL W.W. Montague & Co. – San Francisco CA Montgomery Ward & Co. – Chicago IL Morgan M F G. Co. – Kalamazoo MI Mound City Foundry – St. Louis MO Mt. Penn Stove Works – Reading PA Mountain City Stove Co. – Chattanooga TN
NAC & Co. – Nashville Casting Co. Inc. – Nashville TN L.E. Nelson – N. Nelson – Lacrosse WI New England Butt Co. – Providence RI New Era – N & N Mfg Co – Bangor ME Cha s Noble & Co. – Philadelphia PA Nordic Ware – Minneapolis MN North, Chase & North – Philadelphia PA Norths, Harrison & Chase – Philadelphia PA Noyes & Hutton – Troy NY Noyes & Nutter Mfg. Co. – Bangor ME W.J. Noyes – Albany NY “NUYDEA” – N.Y. Holloware Co. – NY M.L. Nyberg & Co – Erie PA A.T. Nye & Son – Marietta OH
Oberman s Perfection – O Brien & O Brien – Chicago IL Ohio Stove Co. – Portsmouth OH Olde Ironsides – O.P.& Co. – Orr Painter & Co. – Reading PA J.F. Osborn & Bro. – Clarksburg WV Otter River Foundry – Otter River MA A. Overbagh – Hudson NY “Ozark” – St. Louis MO
Pagoma – Omaha NE Daniel E. Paris & Co. – Troy NY Parisian L & D M.F.G. & IN. O. – N. Patterson & Co. – Cincinnati 0H Patterson & Co. – Gervais OR Patton Mfg. Co. – Columbus OH P&B Mf g Co. – Nashville TN H.S. Pease – Cincinnati OH J.S.&M. Peckham – Utica NY Peerless – Penn Mfg. Co. – Hulton PA Perfection Waffle Baker – Perin & Gaff Mfg. Co. – Cincinnati OH C.P. Peterson – Richmond IN G.H. Phillip s & Co. – Troy NY Phillips & Buttorff – Nashville TN Pitty Pat s Porch – Atlanta GA Plymouth Iron Foundry – Plymouth MA P&M Self Cooker – NY Pocasset Iron Works – NY Pomeroy, Peckover & Co. – Cincinnati OH Portland Stove Foundry Co. – Portland ME Portsmouth – Portsmouth OH PPP – PPS – Prairie Flower – Premium Hollow Ware – Richmond VA Preston – Lowell MA Primus – Prizer-Painter Stove Works – Reading PA P.S.F. Co. – Portland ME P&W – Pyne Hacket & Co. – Louisville KY
Q.M. Broiler –
R & Co. – Marrietta PA Rainbow & Co. – Pittsburgh PA S.H. Ransom & Co. – Albany NY J.F. Rathbone & Co. – Albany NY Raymond & Campbell – Middletown PA R&E Mfg. Co. – New Britain CT J.M. Read – Boston MA W. Reed & Co. – Cincinnati OH Reid s – Renfrow Ware – Los Angeles CA W. Resor & Co. – Cincinnati OH “REV-O-NOC” – Chicago IL Rex Mfg. Co. – Richmond Stove Co. – Richmond VA Ripley Cake Griddle Co. – Ripley OH E. Ripley s – Troy NY Ritch & Pidge Mfg. Co. – Fultonville NY J. C. Roberts – Bedford PA W.F. Robertson & Co. – Beverly OH J.H. Roelker & Company – Evansville IN Roelker Blount & Co. – Evansville IN L.H. Rogan & Co. – Knoxville TN Rome Hollow Ware & Stove Mfg. Co. – Rome GA Rome Industries – Peoria IL Rome Stove Works – D. Root & Co. – Indianapolis IN Roper – Rockford IL Rosenbaum & Co. – Cincinnati OH Roys & Wilcox Co. – Astberlin CT RS Co –
S. Mfg. Co. – New York NY Sampson & Tisdale – New York NY J.A. Sandstrum – Portland OR D.E. Sanford Co. – Los Angeles CA Sanford & Clute – Schenectady NY San Francisco Stove Works – San Francisco CA Savery & Co. – Philadelphia PA B.M. Savery – New York NY Savery, Shaw & Co. – Albany NY J. Savery s Son & Co. – New York NY S.B. & Co. – Scandinavian Importing Co. – Boston MA SCF Co – Schofield s – Macon GA S.C.T. CO. – H. Seabury – Albany NY Selden & Griswold Mfg. Co. – Erie PA Shaeffer Griddle Co. – Canton OH Shantz & Keeley – Spring City PA Shapleigh Hardware Co. – St. Louis MO Shepard Hardware Co. – Buffalo NY Sheppard – Philadelphia PA Shinnick, Hatton & Co. – Zanesville OH Shinnick & Co. – Zanesville OH Shinnick, Woodside & Gibbons – Zanesville OH Fred. L. Shoch – Philadelphia PA “Sidney” – Sidney OH Sidney Hollow Ware Co. – Sidney OH Sidney M f g. Co. – Sidney OH Silver & Co. – E.C. Simmons – Simmons Hardware Co. – St. Louis MO Jos Simpson – Columbus OH Skinner Safety Kettle Co. – Erie PA S M Co. – Pittsburgh PA Smith, Francis & Wells – Springville (Chester Co.) PA Smith & Seltzer – Philadelphia PA W.B. Smith s – So-Co-Op F dy Co. – Rome GA South Pittsburg Hollow Ware Works – South Pittsburg TN Southard, Robertson & Co. – New York NY Southard & Co. – New York NY S.P. & Co. – S-P Co. – S & P Co. – Philadelphia PA D.R. Sperry & Co – Batavia IL E. Spoors – New York NY Springville Stove & Hollow Ware Works – Springville PA “S.R. & Co.” – Chicago IL S & T Co. – Standard – Standard Gas Equipment Corp. – New York NY Standard Mfg. Co. – Monongahelia PA Star Foundry – Wheeling VA E. C. Stearns & Co. – Syracuse NY Stewart – F. M. Still – NY Stove Co. – Scranton PA Stover Mfg. Co. – Freeport IL H. Strickland & Co – Butler N. Strong – Chatham CT Stuart Peterson & Co. – Philidelphia PA J.A. Studabaker Hardware – Bluffton IN Sullivan & Herdman – Zanesville OH Superior Cleveland – Cleveland OH Supreme Fdry-Mfg Co. – Belleville IL Susquehanna Iron Works – Middletown PA S.W. Co. – Philadelphia PA Sweeney’s –
J.A. Talbo – Cassopoli MI F L Tarbell Mfg Co – Chicago IL Taunton Iron Works – Taunton MA Tecumseh – Techmseh MI Tennessee Agricultural Works – Nashville TN Terstegge, Gohmann & Co. – New Albany IN Texaloy Foundry – Floresville TX Thomas, Roberts, Stevenson & Co. – Quakertown PA Thompson & Parkins – Philadelphia PA T.I.W. Co. – Tremen & Bros – Ithaca NY Triumph – TRS & Co – Philadelphia PA Trumbore Hromsco – Tuthill & Avery – Easton MD
F.M. Van Etten – Chicago IL Victor – Vitantonia Mfg. Co. – Cleveland OH Vollrath Mfg. Co. – Sheboygan WI Vose & Co – Albany NY
Waffledog Corp. – Washington DC Wagner Mfg. Co. – Sidney OH Walker – Geo. W. Walker & Co. – Boston MA Wapak Hollow Ware Co. – Wapakoneta OH Montgomery Ward – Warnick & Leibrandt – Philadelphia PA N. Waterman – Boston MA W.B. Co. – Bangor ME House Of Webster – Rogers AR Weed & Cornwell – Savanna GA H. Wells & Bro. – Martinsferry OH Western Foundry – Leavenworth KS The Western Foundry Co. – Chicago IL Western Importing Co. – Minneapolis MN Western Stove Mfg. Co. – St. Louis MO Mrs. Wheelock s Wafer Irons – St. Paul MN Thomas White – Quincy IL Wilton – W.I.R.CO. – Wrought Iron Range Co. – St. Louis MO Witte Hardware Co. – St. Louis MO W.M.C. Co. – William M. Crane Company – New York NY Wolters & Bergerman – Pueblo CO Wood, Bishop & Co. – Bangor ME Wright & Bridgeford – Louisville KY Wrightsville Hardware Co. – W. S. & Co. Arcole Iron Works –
Canadian Sources Provinces: NB=New Brunswick, NS=Nova Scotia, ON=Ontario, QC=Quebec Amherst Foundry Co. – Amherst NS A. Belanger Limitee – Montmagny QC “Bhouka Grill” – Granby QC Clement & Co. – Toronto ON Coral – Granby QC Eaton’s Housewares – Eatonia Housewares – Enamel & Heating Products Limited – Sackville NB Fawcett’s Stove Works – Sackville NB Findlay – Carleton Place ON General Steel Wares – Toronto ON Javelin – Joliette QC L’Islet – L’Islet QC Lisser – Mayfair Housewares – McClary’s – London ON Menard & Cie – Montreal QC James Smart Mfg. Co. Limited – Brockville ON Taylor Forbes – Guelph ON
If the London Hammer was contemporaneous as the statists state, then one of the factories listed above would have a record of making it. They would have [1] a record and a [2] manufacturing procedure, as well [3] as the tooling to infuse chlorine into purified iron. This isn’t just paper records, boys and girls, this is hard equipment that you can walk up to and touch with your own hands. If the London Hammer is contemporaneous with 1933, then the equipment that made it would be available for all to see.
The reader must recognize that the hammers that you see in stores today, and the irons used during the American civil war are two completely different “animals”. They have decidedly different qualities. Not only in material composition, but in grain form, shape and density.
"All of the existing companies in Birmingham produced "pig iron," which was formed in molds laid out in a pattern resembling piglets nursing at the belly of a sow, hence the name. Pig iron has a very high carbon content and as a result is very brittle and difficult to work with and therefore has limited use in manufacturing. Steel is an alloy, or mixture, of iron and a small but crucial amount of carbon that (depending on the quality of the iron used) produces a highly workable metal that was more suitable for shaping into rails for the expanding railroad industry. Birmingham's local iron ore was high in phosphorus, which produced inferior steel."-Encyclopedia of Alabama
So, even if any of the mills were able to produce (by some miracle) chlorine infused white iron, the quality would be poor. There would be high percentages of carbon and phosphorous in the metals. Something that is not seen nor found in the London Hammer.
This tells us something significant. Any iron or steel produced prior to (say) 1900 would contain impurities. These impurities would be a “fingerprint” that could identify where the iron or material came from. The problem is that this London Hammer does NOT contain impurities, it has a fixed and homogenous composition.
It has no forensic “fingerprint”!
To really appreciate this discovery, one really needs to understand what iron and steel actually is, as well as to understand the difficulties in manufacturing the hammerhead that is found in the London Hammer. With that in mind, let’s cover this subject briefly…
Iron Alloys
Most utility tools in the world are made out of steel. Obviously there are variations in the types of steels. There are specialty materials that will prevent spark formation, and resist corrosion. Never the less, it is quite rare for a tool to be made out of a utility grade iron.
The alloy used in this hammer is known as “Alloyed Iron”. What is so darn confusing about the hammer is the material selection used. Why use such a hard alloy to manufacture, and one that has properties that don’t seem to fit the narrative of a simple “Mining hammer”? A mining tool made out of white iron instead of steel is unheard of. It really is!
"Not only was iron cheaper and easier to get than bronze, it also made better tools. With an iron sword, you could slice as well as stabbing with the point. Iron armor was lighter and stronger than bronze. Iron knives and scissors were sharper than bronze ones and stayed sharp longer. Iron fish-hooks were stronger and lighter and sharper than bronze or bone hooks. Iron cooking pots weighed less, got hot faster, and held heat better than clay pots. Iron bars were stronger and could hold more weight. In India, by the 1000s AD architects were even making iron beams to hold up the roofs of big temples."
-History of Iron
In general, the term “cast Iron “ is a generic term that is used to define any iron alloy that does not have the presence of carbon in it. The six types of “cast iron” are [1] gray iron, [2] ductile iron, [3] compacted graphite iron (CGI), [4] malleable iron, [5] white iron and [6] alloyed iron. The “London Hammer” has a hammerhead that is made out of “alloyed iron”.
Basics
The basic strength and hardness of all iron alloys is provided by the metallic structures containing a crystalline allotropic form of carbon. Which is what makes it really difficult to track from whence this material came from. Almost all irons have some graphite inside of it. The carbon graphite gives the iron the properties that we so know and love about steel.
By controlling the type of carbon, and how it is added, one can significantly improve and enhance the properties of the metal. It can range from those of soft, low-carbon steel (18 ksi/124 MPa) to those of hardened, high-carbon steel (230 ksi/1,586 MPa). Indeed, the modulus of elasticity varies with the class of iron, the shape of the cast part (sphericity) and volume fraction of carbon inside of it. All of which is a knowledge base that helped to greatly expand the steel industry in Pittsburgh and the Ohio valley.
Other minerals can be added to iron to add other properties as well…
"Huge amounts of iron are used to make steel, an alloy of iron and carbon. Steel typically contains between 0.3% and 1.5% carbon, depending on the desired characteristics. The addition of other elements can give steel other useful properties. Small amounts of chromium improves durability and prevents rust (stainless steel); nickel increases durability and resistance to heat and acids; manganese increases strength and resistance to wear; molybdenum increases strength and resistance to heat; tungsten retains hardness at high temperatures; and vanadium increases strength and springiness. Steel is used to make paper clips, skyscrapers and everything in between."
-It's elemental (Iron)
Now all this excitement about the hammer not corroding is really “much a do about nothing”. So what? It is precisely because of their relatively high silicon content, cast irons inherently resist oxidation and corrosion. Until you add carbon…then it starts to rust. So that is why Stainless Steels were such a big thing back in the day. It was a method by which carbon could be added to the steel, to make it hard, and a process put in place to reduce corrosion.
Heat Treatment
Properties of the cast iron family can be adjusted over a wide range of various alloys and can be further enhanced by heat treatment. This heat treatment is done in different ways, though I am most familiar with oil quenching under pressure. You cart the iron in to a huge pressure cooker filled with oil. Clamp it down, and raise the temperature and pressure. Let it “cook” for a while and then control the cool-down process.
Here are the various types of commercially available irons. Note that they all utilize carbon in one way or the other. While we all like to call them “cast iron”, the truth is that they are quite different from each other.
Gray iron – Engine blocks
When you add graphite in the form of flakes to molten iron, you get “Grey Iron”. This iron has a microstructure with a very strong grey color to the microfractures. While you can’t see it using the naked eye, you can see it under a microscope. That is how it got it’s name.
The flake graphite (carbon) provides gray iron with some very desirable properties For instance, there is the all important machinability, and signifigant hardness levels. It is the hardness that produces superior wear-resistant characteristics. This includes the ability to resist galling and excellent vibration damping.
This makes it ideally suited for machine bases and supports, engine cylinder blocks and brake components. This type of iron is often classified in accordance to its tensile strength. If ou want to find out more, you can reference ASTM Standard A48 and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard J431 .
Ductile iron – Decorative, Castings & Pipes
Ductile iron is very useful for pipe fittings and decorative pieces. An unusual combination of properties is obtained in ductile iron because the carbon graphite occurs as spheroids rather than as flakes. The factory can produce different grades by controlling the matrix structure around the graphite. They can do this either as to how it is cast or by how it is heat treated.
Five grades of ductile iron are classified by their tensile properties in ASTM Standard A536. SAE Standard J434c (for automotive castings and similar applications) identifies these five grades of ductile iron only by Brinell hardness.
Ductile iron has the ability to be used as-cast. That means that it is really easy to make simple cast parts and have them last for a long time. It might not be the toughest iron, but it is often good enough. It has a tensile strength comparable to many steel alloys and a modulus of elasticity between that of gray iron and steel. As its name implies, it has a high degree of ductility. It can be cast in a wide range of casting sizes and section thickness.
Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) – Modern Engines
In CGI, the carbon graphite locally occurs as interconnected blunt flakes. It is all about the shape and form of the carbon. The compacted graphite shape also is called quasi-flake, aggregated flake, semi-nodular and vermicular graphite. CGI is an alternative to both gray iron and light metals in heavily loaded applications. It combines much of the strength and stiffness of ductile iron with the thermal conductivity and castability of gray cast iron.
The microstructure definition of CGI is formally specified by ASTM Standard A842 as a cast iron containing a minimum of 80% of the graphite particles in compacted form. The grades of CGI are 250, 300, 350, 400 and 450, based on their tensile strength. The lowest strength is ferritic, and the highest strength is pearlitic.
White iron – Brakes, bearings
This is an iron without any carbon.
Phase diagram of iron and steel. This is a very great chart that shows (obviously) how the material changes when you add carbon to the molten iron. (Image Source.)
White iron is hard and essentially free of graphite. The metal solidifies with a compound called cementite, which is a phase that dominates the microstructure and properties of white iron. The carbides are in a matrix that may be pearlitic, ferritic, austenitic, martensitic or any combination thereof.
“White cast irons are usually made by limiting the silicon content to a maximum of 1.3 percent, so that no graphite is present and all of the carbon exists as cementite (Fe3C). The name white refers to the bright appearance of the fracture…”- https://www.britannica.com/technology/white-iron
High-chromium white irons are used for elevated-temperature service. High-chromium white irons and nickel-chromium white irons (Ni-Hard) are used for abrasion-resistant service. Other alloyed irons are used for corrosion resistance or elevated-temperature service. This iron is unique in that it is the only member of the cast iron family in which carbon is present only as a carbide. The presence of different carbides, depending on the alloy content, makes white iron hard and abrasion-resistant but also very brittle.
Malleable iron – Cast Iron Fittings, Brackets, Clamps
In malleable iron, the graphite occurs as irregularly shaped nodules called temper carbon because it is formed in the solid state during heat treatment. The iron is cast as a white iron of a suitable chemical composition to respond to the malleabilizing heat treatment. ASTM Specification A220 defines eight grades of pearlitic malleable iron with increasing strength and decreasing ductility. Specification A47 is for ferritic malleable iron, which has the lowest strength and highest ductility. Malleable iron is ideal for thin-sectioned components that require ductility. Ferritic malleable iron is produced to a lower strength range than pearlitic malleable iron but with higher ductility. It is the most machinable of cast irons, and it can be die-strengthened or coined to bring key dimensions to close tolerance limits.
Alloyed iron – The London Hammer
This classification includes gray irons, ductile irons and white irons that have more than 3% alloying elements (nickel, chromium, molybdenum, silicon or copper) but no carbon.
Malleable irons are not heavily alloyed because many of the alloying elements interfere with the graphite-forming process that occurs during heat treatment.
These irons are classified as two types: corrosion-resistant and elevated-temperature service.
Corrosion-resistant alloyed cast iron is used to produce parts for engineering applications that operate in an environment such as sea water, sour well oils, commercial organic and inorganic acids and alkalis.
Elevated-temperature service alloyed iron resists formation and fracture under service loads, oxidation by the ambient atmosphere, growth and instability in structure up to 1,100F (600C). The ability to cast complex shapes and machine alloyed irons makes them an attractive material for the production of components in chemical processing plants, petroleum refining, food handling and marine service.
The only thing that would benefit a tool being corrosion-resistant is if it were to be utilized in a marine or otherwise wet environment. Obvious, if the selection of the material was intentional, as it most certainly was, then the hammer was intended for use in areas where corrosion would be an issue. That implies that the hammer was designed for use in marine environments.
This hammer was designed for use in a marine environment.
Hammer Head Density
Density tests indicated that the casting was of exceptional quality. The density of the iron in a central, cross-sectional plane shows the interior metal to be very pure, with no bubbles. Obvious this object was cast from a mold and was done so in a facility of great metallurgical capacity. This must be the case as it is not easy adding chlorine gas to molten iron. Think about the problem. How would YOU add dangerous and corrosive chlorine gas to a cauldron of molten iron?
The people that made this hammerhead did so with many years of experience with this particular alloy. If this is a contemporaneous material in a contemporaneous hammerhead, then there would be other products, not necessarily hammerheads that would use this exact formulation of metal alloy. Are there?
I ask the reader to try to identify other examples of this particular alloy so that we can close out this matter.
Processing & Fabrication Concerns
It is not just that the material composition is odd, well it is VERY odd, but that it needed very specialized equipment to fabricate the part. It’s not that it was cast, but it had post machining processing as well. It is obvious that this part was not made in some crude backyard factory, or blacksmith shop. It was made in a well-equipped processing facility.
The London Hammer as found before the section was section was broken off. Handle showing the section of the rock that was broken off. (Image Source)
The part needed to be cast. That was easy; sand casting has been around for a long, long time. The problem is that there is an unusual quantity of Chlorine involved.
Chlorine is not an everyday material that you just add to the molten material in the ladle. Chlorine is dangerous and very corrosive. Exposure to chlorine is irritating to the eyes, nose, throat, and mucous membranes. At high enough levels, exposure could cause serious injury or death. It is highly corrosive and reacts violently (think explosion) with petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, oil, solvents, and turpentine.
Chlorine can also react with carbon monoxide and other combustion products to make highly toxic and corrosive gases. You DO NOT smoke around chlorine, nor do you have any kind of smoke, soot or petroleum vapors near it.
Thus, any manufacturing process that adds chlorine to the steel must do so in a very safe and cautious manner. No leakages of the gas can be tolerated. There needs to be extensive quality controls, and the insertion of the deadly gas into the molten iron must be carefully conducted.
The reader is reminded that the “London Hammer” was found in the early 1930’s.
When the London Hammer was discovered, the world was entering a period of great technology. Wireless was invented. People started to drive Model A automobiles, and ice-boxes were just starting to be replaced with huge refrigeration units. High Technology in the 1930’s (image Source)
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Iron and steel factories in the 1930’s were dark, dim and smoky places. Gas fumes were everywhere as you had large locomotives carting ore and ash. You had internal combustion engines motoring about, and dusty working conditions. Carbon monoxide was everywhere. (Not to mention smoking workers on their cigarette breaks.) These kinds of gasses react explosively with chlorine gas. This was in the 1930’s remember. If this hammer was made before then, as the statists presuppose, then the conditions were much, much worse. I guess that the statists have never been to a steel factory, eh?
The environment inside a steel factory up to the last decade or so, has been far too dirty, and dangerous for injection of chlorine into the ladle of molten iron. When chlorine gets near most gasses and smoke, the chlorine undergoes a serious change and typically explodes violently. To control this, the insertion of chlorine must be in a sterile, clean and controlled environment. (Image source.)
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In short, in 1933 the production environment was too dangerous to even attempt to add chlorine gas to molten iron. It is highly unlikely that there was a safe, sterile, clean environment to infuse iron ingots with the deadly, toxic and dangerous chlorine gas during the American civil war.
Stainless Steel
Steel that would not rust was unheard of until 1913.
If there was some factory producing any kind of iron objects that would not rust, they would have been well known. Obviously there weren’t any, as the hunt to find non-corrosive steel continued in earnest until the invention of stainless steel.
It is reported that the first true stainless steel, a 0.24% Carbon, 12.8% Chromium ferrous alloy, was produced by Brearley in an electric furnace on 13 August 1913. He was subsequently awarded the Iron and Steel Institute’s Bessemer Gold Medal in 1920. In 1924, Hatfield patented the 18-8 stainless steel, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This austenitic stainless would soon rise to become the most popular and widely used type of stainless steel. Adding titanium to the 18-8, Hatfield is also credited with the invention of 321 stainless.
The material in the head of this hammer is a “stainless” steel, but it is NOT any known alloy of steel. The Chlorine and Sulfur in it prevents corrosion. However, that is not the way stainless steel is made anywhere in the world today. It is a “stainless” iron alloy.
The London hammer as viewed from the “top”. Notice the size of the thumb of the person holding the hammer. The hammerhead is about the thickness of a thumb and the length of the striking surface (the face) along the “neck” is quite short. Top view of the hammer. (Image Source.)
Wood in the Handle Grip
The handle eye is partially fossilized and coalified with quartz and calcite crystalline inclusions, oval shaped, and roughly 1″ x 1/2”.
The wood has not been identified.
There hasn’t been any kind of studies that I am aware of on composition or radiocarbon analysis. However, I caution the reader on this. The accuracy of radiocarbon analysis decreases with age and is only good for 50 thousand years or so.
"Despite its usefulness, radiocarbon dating has a number of limitations. First, the older the object, the less carbon-14 there is to measure. Radiocarbon dating is therefore limited to objects that are younger than 50,000 to 60,000 years or so."-Carbon Dating
While I know that anything is possible in this world, I find it difficult to believe that a piece of wood can become fossilized and coalified within a few years. For after all, that is the statist argument. The argument is that this object of metal was [1] of recent manufacture (to the 1930’s), and [2] local conditions somehow fossilized the wood and [3] turned the material surrounding it into rock.
Wood petrifies when it is buried in silt deposited by flooding rivers or seas and silicates, such as are found in volcanic ash, dissolve and impregnate it. These substances replace the hydrogen and oxygen portions in the wood and begin the petrifaction process by silicification. This may produce very solid opal or quartz minerals. The final product is approximately 5 times as heavy as common pine wood.
Fossilized wood can be found all over the world. Obviously they are very difficult to radio carbon date, being stone and all. Not to mention, the fact that there is no carbon left in the mineralized structure left to date! (Image source.)
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It is difficult to determine which kind of wood was used. The wood is fossilized, and the photographs available do not permit the kind of study that is necessary for full investigation of the wood. However, we can make some general determinations. Based on the photographs, the “tree rings” shown at the eye of the hammer appear to be near to each other (less than 1mm from each other) and thus, resemble a hardwood.
Today, tree rings that are close together are typically suggestive of hard woods. While tree rings that are far apart are typically suggestive of soft woods. This is interesting, but it doesn’t tell us much, except to say that the wood could have been similar to a modern softwood. Also, from what is observable, there are no knots in the wood.
Yet, even this tells us something…
History of Wood 101
Let’s take a look at the wood used in the handle. Well, back in 2011 discovery in the Canadian province of New Brunswick yielded the earliest known plants to have grown wood, approximately 395 to 400 million years ago. So we do know that there were wood trees long before the time of the formation of the local strata. This is refreshing in that it puts a “new face” on what the plant life was at that time.
At the beginning of the Permian, plant life consisted of various ferns, mossess and similar plants. Eventually the swamps and low areas full of huge ferns and similar plants were replaced by new types of plant life. In many Permian forests the tree canopy became dominated by cordaites, tree ferns like Psaronius and horsetails like Calamites. Back then, most of the plant life still looked much like ferns and mosses. However, they began to evolve.
Typical plant life during the early Permian.(Image source.)
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Seed ferns (Pteridosperms) like Medullosa also accounted for a good percentage of the plant life while the role of lycopsids decreased. The best-known seed plants alive today are the conifer trees such as pine, spruce and larch. Indeed, these seed plants, such as conifers became more diverse and more abundant towards the end of the Permian. In some locations Dadoxylon, are among the largest and most numerous of tree trunks found in this time period. I have read that Arizona’s “petrified forest” was a forest of the first conifers, or gymnosperms. And, all those exposed fossilized logs are the crystallized remains of the tree species Araucarioxylon arizonicum.
In my mind, I like to think of the Permian (300 to 250 million years ago) to be when the first softwoods began to replace all the tall ferns and grasses. They quickly began to dominate the forests. Within a few million years, many softwoods populated the forests all over the world. This continued until the evolution of the hardwoods came about.
The advent of the hardwood (angiosperm) began about 150 million years ago in the early Cretaceous. That was a 100 million years after softwoods. They appeared at about the same time geologists believe that the earth started to break apart from the single continent called the Pangaea. Early into that Tertiary period, hardwoods exploded and diversified themselves on each new continent.
If the London Hammer was made and lost in the Eocene, then it is very possible that the handle could have been made out of some sort of hardwood.
Those claiming earlier dates older than 150 million years cannot support the contention that the handle is made out of hardwood.
Those claiming dates older than 300 million years cannot support the contention that the handle was made out of either hardwood or softwood, as before that time, all plant life consisted of ferns and fern like plants.
Dating of the Wood
I, of course, would absolutely welcome the dating of the wood. Though, it would be pretty fucking difficult noting that it is a fossilized stone, and there are limits to radio-carbon dating.
You fucking cannot perform radio-carbon dating on a God-damn stone. For Pete’s sake! So, imagine my interest when I read this;
“A recent radiocarbon-dating test was performed on a sample of wood removed from the interior of the handle. The results showed inconclusive dates ranging from the present to 700 years ago.”-Ancient-Wisdom.com
I followed their link for proof, and poof! It dead ends. Bummer!
Well, that wasn’t helpful. So I went a looking elsewhere.
The current owner of the hammer is Mr. Carl Baugh at the Creation Evidence Museum. He has NEVER authorized any testing of the wood in the handle. Nor has there EVER been any testing on the wood. Anyone who makes claims that the wood has gone through testing is lying.
No one has ever tested the wood. So…
I guess that if the scientific statists can’t convince anyone of their narrative, they must resort to lying.
Sheath around the Hammer Head
The portion of stone surrounding the hammerhead also seems to present abnormalities. There seems to be a cavity of sorts that suggest that there might have been some sort of sheath covering the hammer. The sheath has since disappeared for one reason or the other. We are unable to determine anything about the sheath other than it might have been some sort of wrapping.
Shellfish
Surrounding, connecting, and attached to the rock containing the hammer are a number of shellfish.
These are bivalves that clearly have the same appearance and shape as bivalves of the Eocene. For those readers that don’t know the difference, bivalves evolved over time. Creatures all evolve over time, and general appearance can be helpful to identify a specific point in time.
A seashell from 50,000,000 years ago looks quite different from one found on the beach outside your house today.
By looking at the shells that are embedded in the rock surrounding the hammer, we can date the evolution of those creatures. And low and behold! They match the strata of the rock that the hammer was found in.
Imagine that!
In any event, shellfish no longer thrive in the London, Texas region. They only thrive in open water, not in hot and dry desert regions. Unless someone carted this rock from the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico and placed it on the rock ledge, the shellfish that covered the rock of the London Hammer were from the Eocene.
Shellfish evolve over time. Those that study these creatures can easily determine the age of the shells that attached themselves to the hammerhead. Photo from a museum showing shellfish from different time periods. (Image Source & Permissions.)
Protective Coating
"research continues into the unusually shiny transparent layer which surrounded the hammer when it was discovered and why it did not corrode for several months."- Mackay, John (ed). "Ordovician Hammer Report". Creation Ex Nihilo Feb. 1984. Vol. 2, No. 3.
I know nothing about this. What I do know is that surface treatments of the early 1930’s did not include thin transparent or clear surfaces.
The Eye of the Hammer
All hammers need a mechanism that holds the wooden handle in place near the hammerhead. This device or mechanism is called the “wedge”. It is typically a metal sliver or wedge shaped piece of metal that is hammered into the top end of the wooden handle near the hammerhead. This particular area is known as the “eye”.
Typically, it is a cast metal part, though it can actually be just about any kind of material as long as the material is harder than the wood handle. Typically, it is hammered or more often, pressed into place. The material conventionally is often steel or a cast iron part.
Looking at the eye of the hammer tells us that the wedge had a width around 10mm to 15mm. We do not know the depth of the wedge, nor the thickness. We can guess proportionally based on contemporaneous conventional wedges. That doesn’t help us much.
A study of the eye of the London hammer also shows clearly that only one wedge was used. It was located in the center of the handle end within the “eye”. However, it has since disappeared. We can only assume that the wedge disappeared after the time the London Hammer was lost. Otherwise, the hammerhead would have detached from the hammer, and the two parts would not have been found together in the state that it was discovered in.
Therefore, there is a high probability that the wedge was encapsulated along with the entire handle at the same time. As such, and because the wedge was not found when the rock was cracked open, it is highly reasonable to expect that the wedge corroded into dust while encapsulated within the rock.
This fact tells us some important things;
The wedge was made of a different material than the hammerhead.
The wedge had a different negative electropotential than the hammerhead, and thus possibly acted as a Sacrificial Anode comparatively. This is much like the way zinc is used on steel ocean vessels.
The galvanic series table clearly shows that corrosion resistant metals have a cathodic (or more noble) role in the comparative chart. This tells us that when two metals are placed in close proximity to each other, the metal that is anodic (or less noble) will corrode first. From established tables we can see that there are many materials that are less noble than corrosion free materials.
Thus, it is probable that the material that the wedge was made of was possibly made of plain carbon steel, aluminum, zinc, or magnesium. (Though other materials are also a possibility.)
If the London Hammer was contemporaneous, as the scientific statist’s state, then we know…
Production quantities of aluminum were available as early as April 2, 1889, when Charles Martin Hall patented an inexpensive method for the production of aluminum.
It was extremely expensive, and not used in any kinds of mass produced products.
It was considered a precious metal until 1914.
Limited applications for aluminum filtered into specialized products beginning in the middle 1920’s.
Since the London Hammer was discovered in the middle of the 1930’s, it is highly unlikely that production quantities of utility-grade aluminum wedges were used in a utility hammer, and that aluminum completely corroded into dust within a ten-year span of time.
Which leaves us with magnesium. Magnesium would need to be in some form of alloy and given it’s cost and material properties it is highly unlikely that it would ever be considered as a wedge in a hammer. it is decidedly NOT a utility grade material.
Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the wedge was made either out of simple low carbon steel, or aluminum. If it was made out of aluminum, it is unlikely that it is a contemporaneous object. My bet is on a different alloy iron (either as a low carbon steel, or something else), or barring that as an aluminum. In any event the metal or material in the wedge was more anodic than the hammerhead.
The metal or material in the wedge of the London Hammer was more anodic than the hammerhead.
Conventional Hammerhead Design
Today, and for the last one hundred years, hammerheads have been made of high carbon, heat-treated steel. This is for strength and durability. They are also heat treated. The heat treatment helps prevent chipping or cracking caused by repeated blows against other metal objects. Certain specialty hammers may have heads made of copper, brass, babbet metal, bronze and even rubber.
The steel hammerhead is conventionally made by a process called hot forging. A length of steel bar is heated to about 2,200-2,350° F (1,200-1,300° C) and then die cut in the shape of the hammerhead. Once cut, the hammerhead is heat treated to harden the steel.
The problem with this particular hammerhead is that the apparent manufacturing process was completely different. The hammerhead is not made of steel, it was apparently not hot forged, and it was not heat-treated. Instead, it was cast out of a mold using an unusual metal compound, allowed to cool and then machined to shape. After machining, it was apparently coated with some kind of clear coating. It is an unconventional manufacturing process for metal parts.
The hammerhead on the London Hammer was fabricated using a very unusual and unorthodox manufacturing process.
I would welcome a metallurgical study on this hammerhead to help us identify the process involved. As I am sure that it would tell us much more than I can presuppose.
18th Century Miner’s Hammer
There are those (scientific statists) who claim that this is just your ordinary hammer used by miners in the 18th century. If so, then it was an awfully tiny mining hammer. If I would have used this hammer when I worked the mines, I would have been relentlessly mocked.
I am sorry to use coarse vernacular, but this isn’t a fucking mining hammer.
At best, it’s a jeweler’s hammer. It’s way, way, WAY too tiny. Maybe it was designed for the seven dwarves to mine gold with.
“The hammer in question was probably dropped or discarded by a local miner or craftsman within the last few hundred years, after which dissolved limy sediment hardened into a nodule around it.”- Glen J. Kuban
And,
“Cole also concluded that, judging by its style, the artifact is a 19th century miner's hammer.”-John Cole as reported in rationalwiki
Apparently, the intellectuals have made their “official” pronouncements.
I guess that they figured all this out while they were drinking a latte in Starbucks. I’m sure they might have gotten a second opinion from the pretty girl behind the counter with the nose piercing large enough to drive a truck through. Or maybe they simply yelled upstairs and asked their mother what her opinion was.
"What I learned is that it's arrogant to be certain of anything. The world is a complex place and only idiots or assholes think they know it all."
-Lisa Gardner
Yessur.
That’s a “mining hammer” said the young’un who wouldn’t know the difference between a dragline, a break line, Gunite or a tipple maul. Probably never worked a good lick of work in their life.
No dirt between the God-damn fingernails, I’d guess.
Hey, I’m just being “real”.
How about doing this; get a “Jewelers Hammer” (which is approximately the same dimensional size and hammerhead weight) and try to break a chunk of granite, basalt, or limestone with it. I am serious. Do it. Every single one of these statists who claim that this is a friggin’ mining hammer has NEVER picked up a hammer and even tried to break up a rock with it. Yet, here they are. Professing their knowledge to the world when they haven’t even doing the physical work that they so profess to know.
This reminds me of an instance when I lived in Mississippi.
One of the projects that I was working on was designing a new coffeemaker. It was intended to revolutionize the coffee industry. (it, like so many other design projects, eventually gets canned or canceled. In this case Sunbeam-Oster bought a large company up North called Mr. Coffee, and the project was shelved.) Anyways, I had hired an Industrial Design firm to help us brain-storm some ingenuous solutions in packaging (external design) of the new coffee maker.
After paying them around $50,000 they came back two months later with a great presentation. They had all kinds of ideas. They had a very nice presentation. They had nice slides, and a great brochures.
However, they had not even bothered to try any experimenting with coffee beans. They did not bother to cook the coffee, or roast their own coffee beans. Not one single person had ever had coffee made from raw coffee beans, or a “French Press”, or anything other than “drip coffee”. Only one had ever had “Percolated coffee”.
They were “book smart” but had no physical “hands on” experience. They did not go out of their way and actually experiment. They just sat behind their computers and spewed out ideas. It was useless. It was worthless. We couldn’t use any of their ideas. Have you, the reader, ever had a similar experience?
To understand something you need to be able to touch it, taste it, feel it, smell it. You need to see it with every one of your senses.
To understand the size of 1 mm, you need to look at the thickness of a dime. To understand what the length of one inch is you need to look at your thumb. To fully appreciate how heavy one hundred pounds is, you need to lift it and carry it across the room.
Typing meaningless words on a university campus is worthless and helps no one.
Hey guys! This is what a real and actual “mining hammer” looks like…
This is what a real mining hammer looks like. It is not called a hammer. It is called a maul. Most modern-day mauls have replaced the wood with a steel bar (the wood breaks, and cracks). This is the real-deal folks. The tiny hammer found inside the inclusions doesn’t look anything like this. It just doesn’t.
Stylistically Similar Hammers
In almost all of the scientific statist articles, they lay claim that the London Hammer is “similar in style” to contemporaneous mining hammers. Yet, they don’t provide any examples to go by. You would think that it would be an easy thing to do, now wouldn’t you?
For something to be “identical” to something else, ALL the major characteristics must be the same.
For something to be “similar” to something else, MOST of the major characteristics must be the same.
The defining major characteristics of the London Hammer, as best as we can determine, are;
The hammerhead dimensional relationships. (The proportions of the length x width x height x cross sectional area of the face x thickness of the bell/poll x eye width within the hammerhead.)
The length of the hammerhead.
The width of the hammerhead.
The hammerhead weight.
The shape, dimensions and the unique features of the hammerhead cheeks.
The hammerhead material composition.
The face and poll construction.
As far as I can determine NONE of these characteristics match those on any contemporaneous mining hammers. Which, of course, is one of the reasons why I rant on so much about the scientific statists. Their claims are like saying that a cement-mixer is the same as a Porsche 911 simply because they both have wheels.
Here is another mining maul. This was taken at a work bench near the primary lift. The maul was sitting on the table with other tools. Again, the handle was replaced with a welded bar. Yet the maul head is similar.
My Search
If these statements are true then there should be records of similar hammers in catalogs from that period. It goes without saying. Yes? If it is typical…
So, I went a looking. My first stop was Sears & Roebucks. Which was, and continued for nearly a hundred years, the first stop in outfitting mining expeditions. I found nothing. I then searched Montgomery Ward & Company. Also, no luck. Then Bloomingdales. I couldn’t find anything. While I did find hammers, and I did find small mining hammers, none of the pictures illustrated shown a hammer in the same style and shape as the London Artifact. I also tried to locate vintage or antique hammers for sale on eBay. Nothing at all resembled this hammer. Which is odd as there are Scientific Statists who note,
“That the hammer is stylistically consistent with typical American tools manufactured in the region in the late 1800s.”
If so, then there should be some examples of “stylistically consistent tools” that the “experts” are referring to. I myself could not find any. I would most certainly welcome some examples.
(As an aside, what is an “expert” in this particular matter? Is it someone who has actually used a mining hammer? If so, then I actually am an expert. For I have actually used a mining hammer to mine with, and got paid for using it…not much, mind you, but yes, I am an expert in mining hammers.)
Remember boys and girls, termites look like ants to most people. However, they are not ants. They are completely different. We should never make snap judgments based on appearance alone. We should look at all aspects of a given mystery. We should not devote the bulk of our efforts to disprove the conclusions of another. Instead, we should study the mysterious object alone and not encumber ourselves with the opinions and thoughts of others.
"The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it."
-Rajneesh
In the interests of science, perhaps there is someone out there that can find this object advertised in a vintage catalog so that we can put this matter to rest. It would be a welcome relief.
You have to give the statists some credit. Maybe they have seen examples of this particular tool lying about. So, I just had to do some investigation. So, I fired up the old internet search engine and went a looking. Here is what I found;
Photos of Vintage Hammers
I went on the internet and started to look for vintage or antique hammers used in mining. I tried numerous key words to this end, and I used different search engines. In almost all of the results that I have managed to compile, the hammers are substantially larger than the London Hammer is. Typically, the London Hammer is tiny, it is half the size of almost every single (single handheld) mining hammer or mining pick that I found.
Stylistically similar hammers to the London Hammer that can be found throughout the world. In each and every case, the only stylistically similar feature is that the objects have a handle, and a head made out of metal. In all cases the metal hammerhead is a low carbon steel. None are made out of chlorine infused, high sulfur white iron. This includes, hammers, mawls and picks.
Why is this? If this is actually a hammer used in mining, then the people who used it were either dwarfs, children or tiny people of small stature.
This is what miners look like to scientific statist and the liberal idiots that inhabit the “Ivory Towers” in our universities today. They are all way, way out of touch with reality. They live a life of sipping overpriced soy-latte coffee with their pinky up and checking the internet for the latest news out of Salon, and the Washington Post, all along eating their (100% all natural) avocado on gluten-free whole-wheat toast listening to some trendy jazz. Woo woo!
Vintage Catalogs
As stated previously, I also looked into some vintage catalogs to see if there were any hammers that were similar to the London Hammer. I was a bit disappointed. As the catalogs were line drawings, with no comparative scales shown. They had some rough drawings that could possibly look something like the London Hammer, but they could also resemble any of the above hammers just as easily.
Vintage catalog illustration showing mining tools of the last century. Note that none of them resemble the London Hamer. At best, you have a hand mawl. However the hammerhead is significantly larger than the head on the London Hammer. Mining Tools (Image Source). Item #h appears to be similar to the London Hammer, except that the hammerhead design is all wrong. Item #g is a heavy hand-sledge, which indicates a mass six to four times the weight of the London Hammer’s hammerhead.
Man, for something that “easily resembles local mining hammers”, I sure as heck couldn’t find any examples anywhere.
I guess that my definition of “easy” differs from that of the arm-chair statists.
"Keep learning; don't be arrogant by assuming that you know it all, that you have a monopoly on the truth; always assume that you can learn something from someone else."-Jack Welch
Photos of Miners
I also went looking at vintage photos of miners. In every case, I was unable to find a miner holding a hammer that looked like the London Hammer. Most miners used large sledgehammers and picks to break the rock up. The smaller hammers were used in tight spaces and confined areas.
When you mine, you need strong, heavy and robust tools. That is because you need to break up the rock and stone into gravel sized bits that can be shoveled away into carts. The London Hammer is far too small for this work. It is designed for hitting objects that are already small in size. Perhaps the objects are about the size of a handful or smaller. Coal Miners (Image Source)
Of course, if you have never worked in the mines, or used a hammer to break rocks up you wouldn’t have any idea of their utility. After all, unless you tried to smash two stones together, you just couldn’t appreciate the importance of a hammer.
The only way that you could get an idea of what a hammer was or how it is used is from your friends or family who work in the mines. You might listen to their stories and try to imagine what a mining hammer might look like. Barring that, your only window to mining might be through the lens of Hollywood.
I pretty much believe that this is where they got the idea that this was a mining hammer…
Most people who have never worked with their hands have severely retarded ideas of what labor is like. This is true about everything, especially about mining. People who’s idea about work is limited to pushing keys on a computer keyboard might get their impressions of what mining is like from Hollywood movies. Here is a typical Hollywood example of a miner. Note that he too has a hammer on his belt. Notice how tiny it is. Why it is almost the exact size and shape as the London Hammer. Imagine that! I just cannot help but think that this is where all the statist experts got their ideas of “stylistically similar” mining hammers from. Hollywood (and scientific statist) idea of a miner, from Hollywood.
The internet has made the opinions of everyone available to the world. As a result the internet is flooded with ideas and opinions, of which most are based on a fantasy. That is ok. There is nothing wrong with living a fantasy. that is, of course, up until your fantasy hits the “brick wall” of reality.
Dudes, if you want to believe in evil shape-changing reptilians, and enlightened spiritual beings from Sirius, just go ahead. If it helps you through your day, I say go for it. But if you really want to understand our reality, and YOUR role in it, then you had best broaden your horizons a tad bit.
The world is NOT at all what most people think it is.
Mines
You would think that a scientific statist would do their “due diligence”, right? That they would do their homework. If you are going to say something is a particular item, you would present examples. You would discuss where it was made and how. You would show how it was used and where.
However, NOT ONE SINGLE scientific statist did that. They just pull out some passages out of context, and arrange it in jargon filled treatise.
Texas is full of mines.
So, it should also be full of hammers.
It should be full of photos of people using hammers. It should be full of old used hammers. It should be full of abandoned mines with “stylistically similar” hammers discarded and lying about for anyone to pick up.
That is not the case.
You would think that the difficulty in finding exact duplicates of an obviously mass produced object would be easy to do. Especially in Texas.
Well, let’s not waste any time. Get your gloves, sturdy working trousers, a GPS and get started searching. Here is a link to a map of every mine in Texas. Go for it. Let’s find duplicates of the mystery OOPART London Hammer; Let’s go!
One of the most common things that occur in the mines is to use an ordinary sledgehammer, and cut the wood down to one-fourth the length. (You saw it down with a wood saw. One knee holding the handle down on the ground.) It becomes a “handsledge” or “hand mawl”.
In Pennsylvania and West Virginia, we simply referred to it as a “mawl” or the “handsledge”. This makes it easier to knock out the rocks and debris in tight locations where a normal sledgehammer could not fit.
A handsledge has the exact same style and type of a hammerhead as a normal sledgehammer has. The only difference is the length of the handle is much shorter. Of course, the hammerhead for both types of hammers is quite heavy and robust.
I can see where a village idiot might think that the London Hammer was a handsledge. Maybe for a dwarf or a midget, it is. However, seriously the proportional variances from the hammerhead length, to width and cross section are not stylistically compatible with anything.
The “face” of a handmawl is around four to six times (4x to 6x) that of the face of the London Hammer. The “head” of a handmawl is around two to three times (2x to 3x) as large as the face of the London Hammer. Dimensionally the London Hammer has no business inside a mine or part of any kind of mining operation. At best, it is suitable as a jewelers hammer inside of an office space in downtown Cairo.
My Opinions
This artifact has collected the opinions of everyone who has encountered it. There are those who discount it as “just an old mining hammer”, yet they fail to provide even the simplest examples of what they are referring to. You would think that they would dredge up a picture of a vintage mining hammer to illustrate their point. (Like they did with the Dorchester Pot.) Now, wouldn’t you?
I would. But, then again, I actually WORKED for a living.
Well, as you can see. I did all the “heavy lifting” in this regard.
There are others who state that this artifact exists as evidence to support their claims for their own narrative. This narrative can be prior civilizations of great technology, pre-flood Biblical environments, and extraterrestrial visitations in the deep past. As much as I truly enjoy these alternative speculations, I am afraid that there isn’t much that the hammer can used to support these assertions. All that it can do is point to a time outside of the accepted norm where there was someone who designed, made, and used a hammer. I am sorry guys.
The closest hammer that it looks like is a “tack hammer”.
The size and configuration is not suitable for looking for rocks and chipping away at them. If the hammerhead were thinner, it might resemble a miniature “Railroad-spike maul Hammer”. However, it is obvious that it is not any of these known hammer types.
The hammer is small. It is tiny.
It is substantially smaller than most of the single-hand hammers that have ever been used for mining. This also goes for hand-held picks. It is too small. That in itself should mean one of two things. Either [1] it is not a mining hammer, and instead used for some time of specialized work, or [2] it is a hammer, but the people who used it was of small size.
The hammerhead has a small dome on one end, and what appears to be a kind of concave end at the other. The presence of these features clearly states that the object had a specialized purpose.
This was not a general utility hammer.
But what was the purpose?
The closest thing that I can think of is as a hammer to knock off shellfish (such as clams, mussels and oysters) off of rocks at low tide.
Here, in China, we commonly see locals using small hammers such as these to collect and gather shellfish. They go down into the water at low tide. Then with the water up to their knees, they stand by the rock. Using a hand to brace themselves, they use the other with a hammer to solidly tap the shellfish loose from the rock. Sometimes they also use a small screwdriver (with a bent end like a tiny claw) to pry the shellfish off. Which, if you think about it, looks a little similar to the concave end of the artifact hammerhead.
The problem with this possibility is the mystery of how a shellfish hammer ended up in the middle of a Texas desert in the 1930’s. The last time this area was near shellfish was during the Tertiary period around 40 million years ago.
This is curious. It is curious because this happens to be not only the age of the rocks in that area, but also indicative of the shellfish found attached to the stone that the hammer was found in.
At this time, the area was covered in a low shallow sea. The tides would rise and fall, and the rocks in the area would support all kinds of shellfish.
Now, 40 Ma is a long, long time ago. It was when mammals just started to evolve. At that time they were mostly smaller and with longer legs. This was after the age of the dinosaurs, but before the time of the large mammals. Early humans did not exist though there were proto-primates at this time.
Proto-primates looked a little like a cross between a monkey and a squirrel.
What that means is that humans had yet to evolve from apes. This is because apes had yet to evolve from proto-primates. Yes, that was a really long time ago indeed.
So thus, we have our mystery.
How can a specialized (by the head design) marine-grade (by the composition of the hammerhead) hammer designed for dislodging shellfish (size, shape, and design) be designed, fabricated, used and lost in a shallow sea long before the progenitors of proto-humans ever existed? This is the question that should be asked when we study the material composition, fabrication concerns and style of the hammer.
This OOPART is a specialized shellfish dislodging tool. The metallurgy of the object is very interesting and very telling. The head of the tool has a hardness generated by the unusual percentage of sulfur, and anti-corrosion properties due to the passivation of chlorine during the casting process. It was cast, forged, machined and possibly heat treated using an oil-quenching process under pressure. As the object was located encased in shellfish remains, at local geographic strata dated to 40 million years before humans walked the Earth, it is reasonable to conclude that it was lost during the harvesting of the local shellfish in the region. It is considered an OOPART because humans are arrogant and cannot believe that other tool-making creatures lived on the earth long before humans evolved.
And, that is my opinion.
Woman harvesting shellfish in China. She uses a short hammer. In this case the hammer is the exact same size as the mystery hammer, except that the head is pointed like a pick-axe.
A final word
This is pretty much what a 75 to 100 year old hammer looks like…
Request for Help
I have a tendency for sarcasm, I know that. However, I would like to know what the story is on this hammer. I tend to get sarcastic when someone just dismisses something away without at least addressing that there are some issues or mysteries that need to be resolved.
If you want to say it looks like something, then pull that object out so we all can compare.
If you want to say that it is stylistically similar to a certain design, then show us the designs and styles that you are referring to. Let us all see the stylistic elements that you are referring to. Enumerate them.
If you want to say that a ten or twenty year old piece of wood can be fossilized, then show us examples of a ten or twenty-year old section of fossilized wood. Don’t reference a journal discussing a 45,000 year old example.
If you say that the metal is common then, go ahead and [1] show everyone examples of the same metal being used elsewhere. Show us [2] the factories that used that process, and [3] what the process was. Then, of course, [4] show us the molds used, and [5] other examples of such an obviously mass-produced object.
Don’t just make a statement, and run away like a coward or a five year old petulant child.
Man up.
Cowards spend all their time trying to disprove things. Only cowards do this. They are the people who sit in their “Ivory Towers” and figure out things for others to do. Meanwhile it is us workers that have to get our hands dirty. We’re the ones carrying the water. So don’t piss on our legs and tell us it is raining.
I worked in the mines. This is not a fucking hand sledge. I’m not a God damned idiot. Neither is anyone else. If you don’t know, then shut the fuck up. It is the leaders; the makers, and the shakers that open up doors, and show us the truth. Be a leader.
Let’s see [1] how chlorine was added to molten iron around the days of the American Civil War. Let’s see [2] photographs of the process used to add chlorine to the molten iron. These process are documented, you know. Pull them out. Do your homework goddammit.
Let’s see [3] photographs of miners using this ridiculously small hammer at the mines. Or, barring that, [4] ANY type of tiny tool in a mine. And, please pictures of the seven dwarfs from Walt Disney does not count. Let’s [5] identify the species of the shellfish that was found clinging to the metal hammerhead.
To this end, I would hope that others help all of us out here.
Can someone find a photo, and advertisement showing the contemporaneous “mining hammer” that this is supposed to be kin to?
Can someone provide examples that show that this hammer fits a regional style or shape common at one time in this area? Then can you point out and enumerate the stylistic similarities for us? (For instance, the [1] hammerhead dimensional relationships, the [2] hammerhead weight, the [3] unique features of the hammerhead cheeks, [4] the hammerhead material composition, and the [5] face and poll construction. All five characteristics must be identical in “stylistically similar” hammers.)
Can someone assist in the determination of the wood composition and history?
Can someone please help in the heat treating and secondary operations of the metal?
Can someone point out the local mining operations in the London, Texas region so that we can investigate the sites directly?
I am not a God. I cannot do this alone. I welcome any and all assistance in solving this mystery.
Maybe it is contemporaneous. Maybe it is from a time before the Biblical flood. Maybe it is from an extraterrestrial visitor. I don’t know. However, there are people out there (in internet-land) who do know some of these answers. I humbly request your help.
Conclusion
This object has a very unique material composition that is uncommon and difficult to manufacture. This object shows aging, and a presence within a rock that is suggestive of great age. While it has a general contemporaneous appearance, that alone should not be a reason to ignore the other curious aspects of this object. Those willing to discount this object as a modern object do so without proper study of the materials used in the object. The study would include not only the materials, but also how the materials and objects were manufactured and fabricated.
This object can tell us quite a bit about our reality and our world. All we need to do is listen to what it is trying to say to us with an open mind.
Thus…
A hammer designed to dislodge shellfish in marine environments was found encased in shellfish within rock that dated to when the area was a shoreline. It’s millions of years older than mankind.
The people or creatures that used this hammer were smaller, and had a smaller grip, but they knew their metallurgy, and possessed a very sophisticated method of iron alloy manufacture. This tool is specifically designed for the task of dislodging shellfish, particularity the types present on the shoreline 40 million years ago. Which would be mostly bivalves, and Cerith. We know this by the shape of the hammer bell/poll and face.
Take Aways
The metal in the hammer is uncommon.
The material in the hammerhead is not the same as what has been used in American-made hammers ever.
The process used to make the hammerhead intentionally added sulfur to ease in machining.
The material in this hammer does not contain enough carbon to consider it steel.
Chlorine was added to the hammerhead, and that required a very elaborate and advanced production facility. That level of complexity was unlikely prior to the 1940’s.
The combination of Sulfur and chlorine in iron suppresses the oxidation of the hammerhead. That is why it will not corrode like a low-carbon steel.
The hammer was cast in a mold, and the metal alloy head was machined afterwards.
The corrosive-less hammer was found approximately ten years after stainless steel was patented. It is not made of stainless steel but of a different composition that was not patented.
The hammer was found in a hard mineral deposit resembling rock.
The metal in the hammerhead is suggestive of an intended marine working environment.
The rock contained bivalve fossils from the Eocene time period.
The handle was partially fossilized and coalified.
The handle appears to be made of a hardwood.
The eye of the hammer possessed a wedge of a different material than the hammerhead.
There are no similar hammers sold in any vintage catalogs that I have been able to research.
This object is not easily explained away as a contemporaneous relic as its composition is suggestive of unique and comprehensive technologies not available in the 1930’s.
The object appears to be a specialized “Shellfish Hammer” and appears to be quite ancient.
All of this is speculative.
It would be interesting to see if someone skilled in Psychometry or Retrocognition would have to say when holding this object.
FAQ
Q: What is the London Hammer? A: It is an OOPART (Out Of Place ARTifact) that cannot be explained by conventional knowledge and understanding. It is a hammer that was found within a rock. The rock is much older than humanity is.
Q: Who made the London Hammer? A: No one knows. Evidence is suggestive of a great age for the object. We (officially) have no knowledge of any civilizations older than humanity. Thus who made it is speculative. It comes from a time long before human history.
Q: How old is the London Hammer? A: The hammer was located in strata that have been dated around 40 million years. Scientific statists refuse to accept this, and argue that the object is contemporaneous. They have even gone as far as to make up stores that it has been tested and that the dates are contemporaneous.
Q: How big is the London Hammer? A: The metal hammerhead is approximately 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and has a diameter of 1 in (25 mm). The wooden handle is broken so it is difficult to determine what its original length was.
Q: What is the London Hammer made out of? A: The hammer has two components. The hammerhead is an iron alloy consisting of 96.6% iron, 2.6% chlorine, and 0.74% sulfur. The wooden handle material has not been identified, but appears to be a hardwood.
Q: How was the London Hammer dated? A: It was never dated. There were no tests on the hammer that could be used to obtain a date. The rock from whence it was extracted from appears to be 40 million years old.
Q: Does the hammer prove that there was a Biblical flood? A: No. It does not prove anything.
Q: What should we do if it is discovered that this hammer was contemporaneous and lost in the 1930’s? A: Well, we should find the owner. They would be old, but might still be alive. They could tell us how they lost the hammer and what they did to it to make it look so old. Maybe they pissed on it after eating saltpeter and that fossilized the handle.
The internet is filled with stories of enlightened beings. Often these beings provide information and advice to selected contactees. They provide instructions on how to live your life in a full and beneficial manner. Often they are said to come from Sirius. Yet, are there really intelligences that live in the Sirius solar system? Let’s take a look at this curious situation.
One of things that we fail to do is look up at the sky at night. It is just an oversight to us. We know there are stars. We know that they inhabit the dark, dark night sky. We know that they are different and look like points of light. However, for most people they are just an uninteresting aspect of the world around us. When finally, we are out at night, and we just happen to look up in the sky, we often don’t see anything. For either the sky is cloudy or the view is obscured by nearby lights (as is the case in all cities). We never see the stars that we read about.
The largest and brightest star is Sirius. As such, it has obtained near mythical significance. Today, if you surf the Internet you can run across all kinds of articles on this fabulous star. Many are filled with glowing stories of great-enlightened beings, while others are dry tomes listing raw astronomical data. No one has ever tried to personalize this star. This article is my lonely attempt to do so…
Some Basics
Sirius is the colloquial name for a solar system that is visible from our planet. It is a binary system, which means that it is really two stars. It is close to us, so we can see it pretty well. One of the stars is very large, so it is unusually bright.
In the world of astronomy, the largest star is given the Bayer designation of Alpha Canis Majoris (α CMa). It is often referred to as Sirius A. It has companion star that is much, much smaller (and dimmer) that is called Sirius B. They are pretty close together. Sirius B orbits around Sirius A in an elliptical orbit.
The orbit of Sirius B around Sirius A as viewed from above. The orbital plane is tilted relative to the earth, so we view the orbits as elliptical paths.
One easy way to measure distance is by comparison. (As is the most common method used by humans to learn about our surroundings.) We can compare the distances in the Sirius system with the distance of our planet Earth from our sun. That distance is known as one AU. This is one “unit” of distance. Since we are talking about astronomical issues here, it is one “Astronomical Unit” or 1 A.U..
Thus, when the Sirius binary pair is closest together (known as the perihelion) they are 8.2 AU apart. This is around the distance that Saturn is from our sun (9.58 AU on average). At the farthest point, they are apart by 31.5 AU. (This is known as the aphelion.) This distance is about the distance of Pluto. (Typically this is a distance of 27.9 AU at the closest approach.) The pair rotates about each other with a period of around 50 years.
In general this orbits of this pair lie on a two dimensional plane. That plane is at an angle to us. Therefore, to us, it seems that the stars are moving towards us and then moving away from us. We cannot see the visual paths clearly. They need to be mapped out over a fifty-year span.
Distance
The Sirius system might be the most visible and the brightest, but it is not the closest star to us. There are other stars such as the nearest system; Alpha Centauri. There are also a number of some small dim “Red Dwarf: stars as well.
Because stellar distances are so large, we don’t measure them using AU. If we did, the values would be too large to be meaningful. (How many cups of water are in the Pacific ocean? I don’t know. Does it even matter?) We measure them using LY. This means “Light Year” and it is a measure of the distance light travels in physical space. As such the Sirius system is approximately 8.6 LY from us.
The Sirius solar system is 8.6 light years (approximately) from our solar system.
Star Classifications
All stars are classified by what we can measure. Since we are way out here on Earth, it is pretty darn difficult to know much about stars. The only way that we can learn about these objects is to observe them and compare our observations with other things. For the most part, we can classify stars from the light that we observe. This is because the type of light we see can be broken down into its spectra. (Think about a glass prism and how it takes light and breaks it down into a rainbow.) From these spectra we can determine what materials the star is made out of and exactly how hot it burns.
The composite spectral composition of the Sirius solar system.
Over the years, we have identified patterns within the stars. We know how they are born. We know how they age, and we know how they die. Depending on how they are born, they can become just absolutely huge stars, or tiny hardly visible stars. In general, stars are born from gas. At some point in time, the gas ignites and a star is born. Over time, the fire burns and burns until all the gas is used up. Then the star dies a slow, long and cold death.
This is a simple pattern, and it works for the vast majority of stars. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. It depends on many factors. Some stars are too large initially, and burn too hotly, and too brightly, and too fast. They die out really quickly. Some stars burn up and move into a kind of “fatso phase”. There they get really large and huge. Sometimes they explode. Other times they simply chill out and die.
Further complicating this process is how the stars relate to other stars. Some stars feed off other stars, and steal their gas. The point being that stars age, just like people do. They grow up, they become mature, and then they die. What we observe depends on the age of the star (and solar system) that we are observing.
Today, when we look at the Sirius solar system, we see two stars. The largest, Sirius A is classified as a “white main-sequence star of spectral type A1V”. The much smaller star, Sirius B, is classified as a “faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2”.
About Sirius A
Sirius A is a “main-sequence” star. This means that the star looks like it fits within a typical stellar aging process. The reader should not get confused. Just because a person looks happy, doesn’t mean that they have a good home life. The same is true with stars. Many stars go through many changes and disruptions before they enter the “main sequence”.
Today Sirius A is a hot, big star of “early” A with a surface temperature of 9,950K. It burns bright and hot. Due to its enormous size, it is a very visible and noticeable star.
It is also very young. We have estimated it to be only 240 Million years old. In the world of astronomy, this isn’t just a baby. It is a newborn infant. We know, from studies and computer models that the star grew from a huge molecular cloud. When it was about 10 million years old, it began to run self-sustaining nuclear reactions and thus ignited and became what we see today. However, evidence suggests that there is a distinct possibility that it could have been different in size, shape and appearance.
We are able to predict what will happen to this young’un. We have predicted this based on observations of other similar stars. After a billion years it will get enormously fat (as what happens when it runs out of hydrogen) and become a “red giant”. Then, it will slowly die and become a tiny little dim white dwarf. This means that the star will be very short lived. Our own star is over four billion years old, and it is just reaching stellar adulthood. The most numerous stars, the cooler ones, live for many billions of years.
The life sequence of Sirius A was typical for a very large and youthful solar system.
About Sirius B
Sirius B is a “white dwarf”. It is tiny, and very very hot. As far as white dwarfs go, it is considered to be on the heavy side. As far as I know, it is one of the most massive white dwarfs ever found. It is tiny but compact. It is about the same size as the earth, but has the mass of our sun. It is also mind boggling hot. At 25,000 K it is almost three times hotter than Sirius A, and 4.3x times the temperature of our own sun.
It is important to note that as a white dwarf is very hot when it forms, because it has no source of energy, it will gradually radiate its energy and cool down. Eventually it will become very cold over the great gulfs of time.
We do know a little about this star as well.
We know that it is about 240 million years old. It is the same age as Sirius A. It too is awfully youthful. We know that when it was younger, it was much larger than it is today. In fact, we estimate it to have been five times larger by mass. We know that about 120 million years ago it exited the “main sequence”, and became very large and entered the “red giant” evolutionary stage. Then it collapsed to the star that we see today. It will eventually die a long cold death many billions of years in the future.
The life cycle of Sirius B is similar to Sirius A. However, we view the solar system at a point in time where the entire solar system is still youthful.
Aptian Extinction Event
Since the Sirius solar system is very youthful, compared to our solar system, being only 250 million years old, and the time when Sirius B turned into a “red giant” is estimated to have occurred 125 million years ago, we can make a conjecture that there MIGHT be an extinction event that would be a direct result of this time period. After all, the Sirius solar system is very close to us. It is only 8.2 LY from us.
That would be sometime around the Mesozoic Period (250 Ma). Also around this time, but about 100 million years later, is the second best candidate for the effects of a nearby stellar event is the Aptian extinction event. (Given the vast gulfs of time, it is immensely difficult to ascribe a date to this event.)
The Aptian extinction was an extinction event of the early Cretaceous Period. It is dated to c. 116 or 117 million years ago, in the middle of the Aptian stage of the geological time scale. This event has sometimes been termed the mid-Aptian extinction event as a result. It is classified as a minor extinction event. This is different than a major event like the famous Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (that brought about the end of the “age of dinosaurs” and the Mesozoic Era). Officially, no one knows what caused it, and numerous theories have been present, but none of them have been generally accepted by the majority (of the scientific establishment.)
The Aptian event is most readily detected among marine rather than terrestrial fossil deposits. In this event, large numbers of shellfish and marine creatures died due to inadequately explained events. That is pretty strange. As it suggests that something affected the oceans in such a way as to cause mass extinctions. Perhaps it was a rising of ocean temperature. But, who really knows?
Thus, perhaps the stellar changes in the Sirius solar system 125 million years ago can help shed some light on this mystery.
The Life Sequence of the Sirius System
Knowing what we know, we can piece together the known history of the Sirius solar system. We can see that it is a very young system that grew too big very early on. We can see that both stars interacted and continue to interact with each other in a dynamic manner. Finally, we can see that in the past there has been material transfer of gasses from one star to the other due to the orbital proximity of each other.
The Sirius solar system is composed of two stars; Sirius A and Sirius B. Each has their own history, and each interacts with each other over time.
The Period of Transformation
A very interesting aside is that when the star was in its “red giant” phase it could have very possibly transferred some of its mass to Sirius A. The problem is that we don’t know for sure, and can’t possibly tell from observation after the fact. However, it is probable that when the Sirius B (as a “red giant”) approached Sirius A, streams of hot gasses would move from it to be absorbed into Sirius A.
This means that when Sirius B blew up to the size of a gigantic star, it lost its mass through cannibalization to Sirius A. These transfers of gasses made Sirius B smaller, and made Sirius A larger. This would occur sometime from 120 million years to (maybe) a few thousand years in our past. We just don’t know when the gas transfer ended.
When Sirius B was a “red giant” it blew up to an enormous size. How big is up to speculation.
We typically believe that our sun will enter the “red giant” phase having a diameter of 1 to 3 AU. We know that the progenitor star for Sirius B was five times larger than our sun. Thus, it is quite possible that the “red giant” version of Sirius B could be from 5 AU to 15 AU in diameter. (Multiply by five.)
We know that at the perihelion (a distance of 8.2 AU) where Sirius B is closest. Therefore it is very possible that both stars touched each other when close. If is also possible that large streams of gasses moved from Sirius B to Sirius A during long portions of the orbit.
Material transfer from Sirius B to Sirius A during the first 500 million years of the solar system, as viewed from earth.
This would be an impressive sight to behold. Firstly because, as viewed from the earth, it would be quite bright and very visible. While today we can’t see Sirius B, as a “red giant” it would be very visible a few million years ago. It would also be impressive. Ancients who viewed the star could see it changing within their lifetime. The orbital period is 50 years after all. They could actually see the light waxing and waning. They might even be able to see the streams of gasses to their naked eyes. After all, the sky at night was (we suppose) much darker then.
About those Ancients…
Everyone knows… Ah yes, everyone knows that historical records only go back 6,000 years or so. Yet, we have found remains of implements dating as far back as 300,000 years ago. However, there are those that refuse to accept that as a factual possibility. I would hazard a guess that human kind is far, far older than we are led to believe.
Nevertheless, is the human race millions of years old? Wow, that is quite a stretch. Isn’t it?
Well, we do not know when the transfer of gasses ended. It is very possible that they might have ended mere seconds before the invention of the telescope. Why not? If so, then ancient man could have actually watched the heavens and saw the strange behaviors of the Sirius system. And if so, could they not have recorded it in their customs and passed the information down, generation by generation?
Maybe so…
Enter the Dogon Tribe
The Dogon are a tribe of Africans that have a culture that worships the orbits and behaviors of the Sirius system. A number of books have come out and describes this interaction in detail. The key points of interest are that they knew that the Sirius system was a binary system. They knew the orbital behavior, and seemingly witnessed the exchange of gasses during the “red giant” phase of Sirius B. It seems impossible because “everyone knows” these natives are “primitive”.
“The Dogon tribe of West Africa believes that the starting point of creation is a star that revolves around Sirius and is known as the 'Digitaria star'. Their understanding is that this star is small, but heavy, and contains the building elements of creation."Two French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen studied the Dogon tribe that live in an isolated mountainous region of Bandiagara, south of the Sahara Desert in Mali, West Africa. Mr. Griaule wrote about their discoveries of the Dogon tribe in his book, "Conversations with Ogotemmeli", published in 1947.”- The Dogon Tribe Of Mali West Africa,The Nommos and The Sirius Stars
Today, Sirius B is too small and tiny to see with the naked eye. However, if it were a “red giant”, it most certainly would have been visible.
The studied customs and traditions seem to indicate that the Dogon witnessed and recorded in their culture the behavior of the Sirius system. In fact, it appears that their traditions record the orbital interplay during the gas exchange phase after Sirius B became a “red giant”. It seems impossible as that phase began 240 million years ago.
Of course the believers of the stable, unchanging universe, have “proven” that this possibly cannot have occurred. I like to call these people “defenders of the changeless” or statists. (Not to be confused with Ayn Rand’s definition.) They have even made money writing books on it. From my point of view it all seems just more than a little bit silly. Observations were made at the dawn of humanity describing astronomical events that could have certainly been visible from earth. The only opposition to this fact are the statists that refuse to revise their tidy understanding of history.
My definition of scientific statism;
A concentration of a set scientific theory in the hands of a closed elite group of people. Often they have direct ties to a highly centralized government. To alter or change that theory to revise it to meet new discoveries or data often requires government derived politics and peer-group approvals.
Statists, Revisionists, and Cultists… Oh my!
Sometimes I just want to hit a statist on the head and tell them that what we observe now is NOT how things have always been. The physical world is dynamic. That means it changes. What is not visible today could have been highly visible in the past.
Aside from statists, there are also revisionists who look for excuses to justify everything that does not fit nicely in the preferred historical narrative. They search for alternative explanations for these nasty elements of confusion. Because of the Dogon and their culture, many believe that it is proof that earth was visited in the past by extraterrestrials from Sirius. As a result, some of the more inspired members take what they know and run rampant with it. As a result many believe all kinds of things in regard to this. Now you know, there is nothing wrong in searching for alternative explanations. I only posit the most likely one as I see it.
Along with the statist historians, and revisionists, are the “new age” cultists whom associate everything with the spiritual realm. Again, there is nothing wrong with that either. I myself strongly believe in intelligences that are beyond human understanding. However, that does not necessarily mean that they come from Sirius. Sirius is a physical system that is very hot, young and inherently hostile. It is bright and visible in the night sky, but being obvious does not make it compatible with biological life. To understand what I mean, we must first do what humans do best. We compare things.
Comparative Ages
Let’s compare the Sirius solar system with our own solar system. We need to do that because that is the only solar system that we have studied in detail. As such, it is reasonable to assume that there are degrees of similarity between the Sirius system and our own solar system. Based on the similarities, we can make reasonable conclusions regarding the physical environment around Sirius. We call the base of our comparative endeavors the “Earth Model”.
According to the Earth model a solar system has to be a minimum of 2.5 Billion years old to have any planets that might house an oxygen based atmosphere. Further, to expect to have native flora and fauna traipsing about on any planet in the system, it needs to be at least (bare minimum) 4.5 Billion years old. Our planet was nearly 5 Billion years old when man started to think and hunt.
The needs to understand that the (so called) “Earth-model” is but an assumption. It is based on the idea, theory, or even statement that the development of life on our planet earth is typical in this universe. This model establishes that life begins when situations and conditions are ripe for it to occur. According to the model, life on a planet orbiting Sirius would begin approximately at the same period in time as when it occurred on the earth.
Sirius is Youthful
We know, through our investigations on earth, at what ages that life developed around our star. We know what the environment was within our solar system at different times. We know what happens to planets within our solar system over the years, and the migratory forces that create a dynamic environment that advances (and stunts) biological growth. We know all this because our solar system is over 4.5 billion years old. While the Sirius solar system is only 25% of a billion years old. It is a mere infant compared to our solar system.
Let’s compare what we know about our solar system with that of the Sirius solar system.
Development of planets
We know that planets formed at about the same time that the sun ignited. Although those planets were not really what we would consider to be hard, solid planets. They were more like hot molten masses of dirt, metals and rock. We also know that they took a while to cool down. The first shape of the molten earth occurred during the Hadean Eon, and as the earth cooled down, about one billion years later, it entered the more stable Archean Eon.
The Hadean Eon is so named because earth at that time looked like the Biblical version of Hell. It was hot, molten, gaseous, rocky, dirty and full of fire and brimstone. Hey guys, that’s what the Sirius system looks like today.
The Hadean Eon lasted from stellar ignition until around one billion years of age. Since we know that the Sirius system is only a mere 250 million years old, it goes to understand that any existing planets in the system would be very primitive. We do know that during this period the earth was hot and still in formation. Water just began to form around 125 million years, and the very first hardy microbes began to form around 250 million years. These were simple single celled organisms of the most primitive sort.
What this means is that if the Sirius solar system followed the same evolutionary model as our solar system that any planets there today would be near molten, hot and quite inhospitable. Water might just now be forming in the atmosphere. It might be in the form of steam, or in the form of ice crystals. In any event, due to the temperatures and pressures on the surface, it is highly unlikely that any life aside from microbes would exist.
Development of life on planets
We do know that on the earth, microbes have been found from the early Hadean Eon. The earliest are simple single cell organisms that somehow managed to develop on the hot molten and crusty surfaces when the earth was about 250 million years old. We know that this was after around 125 million years of water formation. The water was certainly present in various states. I tend to believe that the microbial life began when the water was in a liquid state, but that is just my own personal belief.
If there is any native life in the Sirius solar system, it would most certainly be microbial. It would be of simple construction and probably located in isolated regions on any planet that could possibly have free standing water.
Frequency of extraterrestrial bombardment
We know in our solar system that the formation of it was not pristine. That is to say that during the formation of the solar system from the initial debris disc that all kinds of planetary bodies formed. These bodies varied from large gas giants, to rocky planets, to small planetoids, to even smaller asteroids, and ice bearing comets. We also know that over the years, these bodies would slam into our planet.
Initially, especially during the Hadean Eon, the bombardment was quite excessive. Over the years it tapered off and dissipated. There is evidence that over time that the impacts seriously affected the development of life on our planet. When life eventually recovered, it was stronger and more adaptable.
However, the key point in regards to this is a measure of the planetary bombardment and how effective is the migration and evolution of the binary solar system affected the orbits of other planetary bodies. Were they absorbed by the orbital companion star or were they trapped into small close spiraling orbits that negatively influenced planetary development? We don’t know. Speculations on this are of most curious concern. However, the fact is this; any planetary bombardment during a Sirius-style Hadean Eon would be of moderate influence.
Migration of planets
This will probably anger the statists, but it is true. Things change. They really do.
This is true for people. This is true for houses. This is true for nations. This is true for animals over the ages (a nod to Darwin). This is true for fashions. This is true for relationships (a nod to Elizabeth Taylor). This is also true for solar systems.
Immanuel Velikovsky wrote the book “Worlds in Collision” in 1950 and was immediately ridiculed by the statists in power of our educational and government institutions. While there might be some debate on some of his examples and more radical ideas, the concept is quite sound. Planets migrate over time. As they migrate they are influenced by the gravitational orbits of other planets and this causes all sorts of changes to the solar system composition.
We know that in our solar system that the larger gas giants migrated outward from the sun. We know that the tilt of planetary bodies change over time. We know that there are asteroids that orbit in all kinds of orbits in our solar system, and that they often influence other planetary bodies. In fact we even witnessed an impact on Jupiter, which was quite spectacular.
We can’t possibly know what the migration of planets would be around Sirius; however we do know that that Sirius B already went through a huge “red giant” phase. This phase would have certainly “cleaned up” the environment around that star. We can also presuppose a high probability that the orbit around Sirius A was enough to shepherd, if not complete eviscerate, whatever hot molten planets orbited Sirius A.
It is quite reasonable to expect that the planetary changes and migrations over the last 250 million years in the Sirius system seriously altered the development of planetary bodies in that system.
It is my personal belief that this system has no planetary bodies of any importance. Any planetary bodies are probably small rocky frozen masses in the Oort cloud of the Sirius system. Closer bodies, independent of size, were hot and inhospitable. They might have showed promise, but the rapid growth and changes in Sirius B most certainly caused them to be absorbed into the corona of either Sirius B or Sirius A.
Habitable Zone around Sirius A
Is there a zone where human habitable planets could exist around Sirius A? Yes. But the reality is that there probably wouldn’t be any planets in that zone that would be inhabitable. It is my guess is that the odds are zero to unlikely. There are, I believe, no planets in the system that would be deemed habitable by ambulatory humanoids such as humans are today.
With an age of 250 million years, the reader must realize that Sirius is still a very young star, but this time would have been more than sufficient for terrestrial planets to begin form. Those who still hang on to the belief that there are indigenous intelligent creatures in this system would be welcomed by the knowledge that Sirius has a very wide and broad habitable zone. Due to its enormous brightness, the habitable zone of Sirius would be very broad, ranging from 2 AU to about 5 AU. So Sirius might be orbited by three or even four (potentially) habitable worlds. Of course, the term habitability might (at best) mean (imported, not evolved) creatures. It is unlikely to have complex (indigenous) vertebrates.
So theoretically, the potential habitable zone might look something like this;
The habitable zone around the various stars of Sirius (Sirius A and Sirius B) provided that one discounts the contentious history of the relationship between these two stars, the youth of these two stars, and the time required to generate a stable planetary environment.
Of course, it assumes many things. It assumes a statist, non-changing reality. It assumes no gravitational influences on either star. It also assumes water and a nitrogen and oxygen environment on a planet, which we know is not possible during the first billion years of existence.
Any potentially habitable planet of Sirius would have to be a very hot and young world, covered by warm, shallow oceans. It would be scarred, rocky and suffering from tidal effects and the intense radiation of the primary star. If any continents could have formed already, they would be small, (comparatively) un-eroded and volcanic. The planet would have to be shielded by a thick and very humid atmosphere, and this entire scene would be dominated by a bright, violent sun. At the bottom of the oceans, protected from the sterilizing ultraviolet light, simple forms of bacterial life may find their niche, nourished by hydrothermal vents from the planet’s interior. Any future explorers to this world should not forget their Sirius glasses, because the radiation from the star is relentless.
Any kind of life on our (hopeful) model planet will die before it ever had a chance to grow. Sirius will leave the main sequence in only 700 million years at best, destroying all the planets it may have. For this reason, stars of type A are routinely excluded from the search for extraterrestrial life.
Comparison with the Earth Model
There are those who talk about habitable planets around (or even on) Sirius. Yup, they really do. They discuss these things with great passion and authority. However, it is all nonsense. At best, the Sirius solar system is a hot inhospitable place, suitable only for the hardiest primitive organizations that somehow managed to grow on some free standing water attached to a passing comet or body in the Sirius Oort Cloud. Which, I must add, is pretty darn unlikely. (You think Pluto is cold? You ain’t seen nothing yet.)
It takes time to develop and evolve physical life. We can simply look at how life developed on the earth to see this. A simple comparison tells us that the Sirius solar system is today a much more dangerous and energetic system than earth in the Hadean Eon. This can be interpreted as very hostile to biological physical life today.
The youth of the Sirius solar system is never taken into account when one discusses the possibility of naturally evolved life on a planet around one of these stars. The odds of it actually occurring is rather small. The Sirius system is very youthful.
If you compare that it took around four billion years to develop native life on earth, that it is pretty unlikely that life developed around Sirius. Really. It should be pretty clear by looking at how life developed on our planet that the idea that life has developed independently around Sirius is pretty unlikely.
This is in regards to what we know through observation. This assessment is based on other factors, and does not include our feelings on this matter. Certainly this universe is a large place. Anything is possible. However, from what we can observe, this system is very young and quite dangerous.
There are no physical white robed intelligences that migrate to the earth and teach us the “wisdom of the ancients”.
Contrary Views
Of course, these are only my opinions. I have never been to the Sirius solar system. I have never met anyone who claimed to be from that system. I have never “felt” that someone from that system was trying to contact me. That means nothing.
There are others who say otherwise.
Here are some examples of the various people who claim that intelligences in various forms live in and around the Sirius solar system. They also almost universally claim that these intelligences interact with humans on earth. I find their claims fantastical, as I have absolutely no experiences that validate their statements.
“The planet Xylanthia is located in the Sirius Star System, which is comprised of three stars; Sirius A, B and C. Sirius A and B orbit around Sirius C. Planet Xylanthia orbits around Sirius C, which is a black dwarf star. Xylanthia is the home-planet of the extraterrestrials that visited Earth and founded Atlantis.”- http://xylanthia.com/
Many people associated with UFO and extraterrestrial contact experiences claim that many of the extraterrestrials came from this solar system. They are, of course, wrong.
In a like way, the Dogon in Mali, the so called “Nordics” and other races associated with abduction phenomena claim that this system is a major origination point. That is absolutely false.
This region is among the most toxic to biological life in our neighborhood. As a nod to those whom make these claims; any extraterrestrials who come from this solar system can only do so at a much higher (potential) energy state of density and vibration.
In general, anyone who states that they (as a wholly physical biological entity) came from a habitable planet around Sirius is telling a falsehood. It is extremely unlikely that this statement is true.
While I, for one, do not believe that there are any indigenous life forms in this system. However, there are many who actually believe that this is the case. Since, I have never been to the Sirius system, nor have I ever been outside our solar system, I can’t validate or discredit their belief structures. Therefore, I present what I have learned through the Internet, in context with what I currently know, for your own investigative pleasures, and possible humor.
Here I present some well-known extraterrestrial lore concerning the (so called) “Sirians”. While I cannot confirm, nor deny their statements, I do NOT believe them. I do not believe them at all. I have many reasons for this, but primarily because I am highly skeptical of the evolution of native life in the region around the Sirius solar system.
Alex Collier
According to Alex Collier (a very well-known author who writes about extraterrestrials, visitations and abductions), there are a number of human looking extraterrestrials from Sirius B. Alex Collier describes extraterrestrials from Sirius B as follows:
“The cultures around Sirius B have a very controlling vibration. Some of the humans are red, beige and black-skinned. The planets around Sirius B are very arid and generally occupied by reptilian and aquatic-type beings… The society is more obsessed with political thought patterns instead of spiritual attributes. “-Alex Collier
Alex Collier explains the role of this group of extraterrestrials in technology exchanges with national security agencies:
“Those from Sirius B have come here and really messed with our heads, and they are the ones who originally gave our government the Montauk technology.”-Alex Collier
While I cannot vouch for anything related to “Montauk technology”, whatever the fuck that is, I can positively state that ABSOLUTELY no intelligences provided technology to MAJestic outside of the “core group”. Anything outside of this was either derived through reverse engineering, or developed independently.
Anyways, this “exotic technology” was provided for the purpose of encouraging national security agencies to develop offensive military capabilities vis-à-vis possible extraterrestrial threats. This technological assistance even involved biological weapons research according to Collier who claims:
“The biological material that has been added to the Ebola [virus] was given to the government by the humanoids from Sirius B. I don't know if was one of their viruses that they picked up somewhere or whether it is actually from them.”-Alex Collier
Personally, I think that this is all nonsense. I think ol’ Alex has a great thing going with his books, lectures and writings. It’s a nice income stream. I respect that. I should have set something up like he did. Maybe I would get a large following and have numerous books to my name. Maybe.
Yeah. I most certainly need that. That is for sure. Living off Social Security sucks when you have no pensions or 401(K)’s.
Sorry, I gave up making a lot of money when I joined MAJestic. None of us are paid well. We are left to our own designs to scramble for money like every other smuck in this world.
Paul McCarthy
Paul McCarthy, Channel for the evolved Star Beings and the leading Star Seed Teacher, offers classes to teach everyone about the wonderful “Star Beings” that surround us. He has some ideas about the “inhabitants” of Sirius;
“The Sirians are another wonderful civilization of christed ETs. They are more advanced in the metaphysical sense as Sirius is one of the more advanced training centers or universities to which the Ascended Masters travel.Sirius has a direct link with our solar system and the Sirians have been amongst us since the time of the Mayan and Egyptian civilizations. They gave the Egyptians much advanced astronomical and medical information and also gave the Mayan race advanced knowledge. They helped the Earth during the time of the cataclysmic period in Atlantis.Sirius is a star system which is a meeting place for Earth beings who wish to continue their spiritual studies The Sirians helped to build the Pyramids and temples of Egypt and they are involved with helping Earth into this new Golden age.-Paul McCarthy
I do believe in non-physical entities that reside within the non-physical realities. However, the odds that they cluster around the Sirius system is remote. Me thinks he too, like Alex, are just milking a system for profit.
Preston Nichols
Preston Nichols claims to be a ‘whistleblower’ who participated in a clandestine project at Montauk that involved a number of extraterrestrial groups. (Everyone is talking about the “Montauk” experiments and such. It’s all nonsense. All technical work related to extraterrestrials and MWI are focused in geographical areas in Ohio, California, Kansas, and some others.)
A (so called, and yet unidentified) “independent investigator” found Nichols “to be a very reliable and solid witness and that for myself, his information checked out across the board–right down the line; to the extent that it was at all possible to verify particular information.”
The humans from Sirius B, according Nichols, played a role in providing exotic technology such as time/inter-dimensional travel to clandestine government agencies involved in both the Philadelphia Experiment and Montauk Project.
“Steve is apparently from Arcturus and has lived on Earth eight times: as a non-dual monk in Atlantis, a community leader in Biblical times, a formulator of mathematical principles and sacred geometry, a warrior, the founder of a religious order, and a helper in the development and spread of the printing press. This lifetime he works as a communicator serving Archangel Michael and the Divine Mother.”
“As the Pleiadians, the Sirians are part of the alien-cultures who assist Earth and all her inhabitants (Humans, Animals and Nature).Sirians are spiritual warriors, and strong connected to life-forms of dolphins and whales. Lot of people feel familiar with these life-forms, because they lived in those forms as well, and perceive those entities as loving friends.”- Steve Beckow
Pretty cool stuff. Hey, can I wear “love beads”, smoke some of that marijuana, and have free sex with tattooed girls in dreadlocks as well?
Daniel Salter
According to Daniel Salter another “whistleblower” with long military service which included a period in the National Reconnaissance Office, extraterrestrial related issues drive human-extraterrestrial cooperation in a clandestine organization in the National Security Agency called the Advanced Contact Intelligence Organization (ACIO).
According to leaked information from an alleged whistleblower on a website called the Wingmakers, information which Daniel Salter affirms to be accurate, ACIO is cooperating with a consortium of extraterrestrials to develop sophisticated time travel technologies for future extraterrestrial threats.
According to the Wingmakers website:
“Blank Slate Technology or BST … is a form of time travel that enables the re-write of history at what are called intervention points. Intervention points are the causal energy centers that create a major event like the break-up of the Soviet Union or the NASA space program.BST is the most advanced technology and clearly anyone who is in possession of BST, can defend themselves against any aggressor. It is, as Fifteen [leader of the Labyrinth] was fond of saying, the freedom key.Remember that the ACIO was the primary interface with extraterrestrial technologies and how to adapt them into mainstream society as well as military applications. We were exposed to extraterrestrials and knew of their agenda. Some of these extraterrestrials scared the hell out of the ACIO. “-Wingmakers Website
According to this source, it is likely that this consortium of extraterrestrials includes those from Sirius B who allegedly provided some time travel/inter-dimensional travel technology for the Montauk Project, and assistance in researching biological weapons.
According to Daniel Salter , the Sirians do not appear to be closely connected to the Gray or Reptilian groups that have been the main extraterrestrial groups involved in technology transfers. The Sirian interaction with the shadow government appears to have been an independent initiative designed to provide an alternative source of extraterrestrial technology.
Ugh. What can I say? It’s nonsense like this that give actual agents bad names. You know, everyone has an “angle”. Everyone is trying to scrape some of that ash to put in their wallet. Everyone is trying to snare some pretty girl or two or directionless groupie. I understand and respect that.
However, it is easy to be led astray when all you see is either the statist viewpoint or the more incredulous fantasies of these individuals on the periphery.
My Opinions
From the point of view of an “extraterrestrial enthusiast”; Sirius has merits. For one, [1] Sirius is a great name. It is short and simple. It is easy to remember. It’s got a rememberable “ring” to it.
Not only that, but [2] it is visible in the night sky. People can see it. It is tangible. It is something that someone can point to, and look at. It is also predominant in the night sky of the Northern hemisphere on earth. (This is where most of the largest human cities lie.) [3] Other people have heard the name before. It is vaguely familiar. It is comfortable, and convenient. It is thus, no wonder why many people choose this as a source of origin for extraterrestrial races.
However, I personally think that many people who believe in physical intelligent beings from the Sirius system are more than just a little bit confused.
This is a big universe. It has elements of both the physical and the non-physical in it. It could very well be possible that some of these individuals were confusing physical contact with non-physical events. This is because there are certainly many things that we humans cannot perceive.
Additionally, there are those whom try to profit from other people’s belief structures. They offer promises and hope to people in need for it. These searchers and dreamers are easy prey to those with a good story and an open pocketbook. I think that it is horrible that someone would try to fleece the needy, the weak, the troubled and the hurt. They need to be offered real hope, not some lie no matter how interesting it sounds.
Sirius is a very interesting solar system. Its close proximity to our planet has had an influence. The extent of that influence is up to debate. However, I dare say, it is unlikely one involving intelligent extraterrestrial guidance.
Take Aways
Sirius is a nearby solar system, not a planet.
The Sirius that we see today is a very young and hot, and dangerous place.
Sirius went through massive changes 125 million years ago.
These changes were visible from earth.
Primitive humans could have witnessed the Sirius changes.
It is unlikely that native extraterrestrial life exists in the Sirius solar system.
There are people who claim that the Sirius system is inhabited.
These inhabitants are claimed to influence human behaviors.
I am skeptical of these claims.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your thoughts on the Sirius solar system. I would welcome your comparisions to other stars in the early stages of life. I would welcome your thoughts on the presence or lack of debris discs. I would be very interested in your thoughts about the Dogon Tribe. Do you have any thoughts to contribute?
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Who are the Sirians?
A: They are the supposed inhabitants of worlds in orbit around the stars of the Sirius solar system. They are typically considered to be carnate beings, though some insist that they are incarnate creatures.
Q: Who are the bright enlightened beings?
A: I do not know. I have never met any.
Q: Does Sirius have intelligent people or civilizations?
A: Probably not.
Q: Why do the Dogon worship Sirius?
A: They have a history and traditions that appear to describe the behavior of Sirius when Sirius B entered the red giant phase. If their ancestors witnessed this event then that tells us that we need to take a serious relook at the history of mankind (personkind for you Progressives out there).
Q: Is there a habitable zone around Sirius?
A: There is a habitable zone around both Sirius A and Sirius B. However, it is unlikely that any habitable planet would exist within that zone given what we know about the system.
Q: Are the reptilians from Sirius?
A: It is unlikely.
Q: Are the Nordics from Sirius?
A: It is unlikely.
Q: Do the Zeta Reticuli aliens travel to Sirius?
A: I do not know, though I think that it would be a dangerous trip.
Q: Are All Aliens Enlightened Benevolent Beings?
A: No. Every specie has their own interests and ways of obtaining their needs and desires.
Q: Where are we, as humans, heading as a species?
A: This is a very good question. We are being cultivated. Cultivation is not a bad thing. Cultivation is a sort of rearranging of the stuff that comprises our souls. I have other posts on this subject that covers this issue in great detail.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Maybe they actually did. The evidence is certainly suggestive of it. For reasons of my own, I have embraced the concept and idea that there have been creatures from other planets, with other intelligences, and different technologies that have visited our planet. This belief was expanded upon by the books by Erich von Däniken in the 1970’s. Oh, of course there are armies of people that dismiss this belief. I’m unfazed. Everyone can believe what they want in regards to their own realities.
As such…
Given what little I know about reality, I can see some patterns. As such, these patterns are quite interesting. One such pattern is the development of colonies, or remote societies that settle away from the main cluster or home. America was birthed from thirteen colonies that were established by European colonists. Australia was birthed from cantankerous Englishmen. Brazil was birthed from Portuguese colonists. If we humans ever want to leave this little planet that we call our home, and venture elsewhere, we will need to set up colonies on other worlds.
In a like way, if some creatures came from another planet and wanted to move to earth, they would need to set up a colony first. Yet, what would this colony look like? Would it have skyscrapers and color televisions? Would it be peopled with creatures with tentacles and five eyes? Or, would it look something out of the Wild West, with stockades protecting strange and unusual people with technologies that we cannot understand? I would guess the later.
With this in mind, let me introduce the reader to the Andaste Indians (The Susquehannocks)…
Introduction
I would like to begin this discussion with an unusual group of people who used to live in and around Pennsylvania, in the United States. This group of people was known as the Susquehannocks / Andaste Indians.
To begin with, however, we need to understand that this tribe or race of people is now long dead. We only know of them through ancient records. These are the writings of the explorers who ventured into early America and encountered these people. Indeed, what they wrote about was quite amazing and spellbinding.
It was a different time.
As such we need to touch on the time period for a spell. When the Pilgrims were first standing on Plymouth Rock, this race was engaged in aggressive trade. All the local Indians feared them. The king of the Susquehannocks was the Negan of their day. (As an aside, have you ever been to Plymouth Rock? Let me tell you that it was quite a disappointment. It was more like a shallow well, than a rock. But, anyways, the town is quite quaint.)
What American Indians were REALLY Like
Today most American people are unaware of the life of the native inhabitants of America. At best, they have an idea of cone shaped Teepees, and bare chested men on horseback with some feathers in their hair. They might have some “scalps” tied around their waist, and a vest of sticks around their chest. They might sit tall on a white and black spotted horse, and have an attractive “squaw” waiting for them in their Teepee. Hah! Indeed, the truth of the pre-European colonization native life in America is now hidden and secret. It is not really adequately covered in American textbooks.
However it really should be…
During the Middle Ages, plagues ravaged Europe. These plagues were devastating. They killed many people, and in certain communities, most of the inhabitants. Entire towns became empty. A visitor would enter these deserted communities and find horses, chickens and pigs, but all the humans would be dead. It was a devastating time. As such, many people chose not to travel about, but to hide behind walls and seek protections and safety. Europe, during the post plague “dark ages”, was a land not unlike a Hollywood apocalypse.
Instead of a handful of survivors battling it out against zombies in abandoned ghost towns as portrayed in “The Walking Dead” and other apocalyptic movies, the survivors in Europe hid in walled towns, fortresses, and ventured out only when absolutely necessary. They didn’t know what caused the plagues. They thought it was due to their sins and wrong doings.
Of course, today we know the causes as diseases carried by the insects on rats and mice. However, at that time, no one knew the causes.
While Europe was beginning to rebuild, the survivors of the plague started their life anew. They did not realize that they had grown immunities to many of the (associative) sicknesses and illnesses that ravaged the European countryside. Then, later when they began to set sail for foreign lands and search for new lands and new beginnings, they carried the plagues and sickness that they were immune to.
When the explorers first arrived in “the new world” they were astounded by what they found. It was not as many contemporaneous Americans assume; a heavily wooded land with sparse communities located here and there in the mist of untouched natural beauty. It was not like that at all. For instance, a sailor named Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed up the East Coast and described it as “densely populated” and so “smoky with Indian bonfires” that you could smell them burning hundreds of miles out at sea. America was densely populated.
These were not the primitive savages as portrayed by Hollywood; no matter no noble, they portray them.
American Indians were Civilized
The Indians lived in wood homes, with good solid wood floors. They lived in both log and bark houses. Some even created stone buildings, many of which are still mysterious and have no discernable purpose. They created huge networks of stonewalls. This was true not only in New England, but in California as well. They were (and are) all over North America. (Don’t buy into the simpleton narrative that they were built by early American colonists. The walls do not match the land ownership and titles at that time.) The native Indians had a developed and active commerce that involved trade all through the Americas. They used the various rivers to move about and trade.
I know that there are those who find common everyday answers to the stone ruins that existed prior to the European arrival. They say the Warwick tower was a windmill, and such. Has the reader actually been there and looked at it? Well, if it was a windmill, it must have been a really tiny one.
About this “mystery”…
Why set up a windmill when a nearby river (the most common place to grind grain) was nearby. Streams are far more reliable as a motive source. Winds are periodic. Thus, steams are better places to locate gristmill facilities. Especially as they are a “mature technology” and financial viable. The only reason that windmills are used in the Netherlands is that constant free flowing water under a head was not available. Think people. Think!
Remember, boys and girls, things must have a purpose and a reason for being made. Stones are heavy. It takes time, requires people and funds to make.
Then, if it is a business, it needs to have customers and records. This is from Colonial times, for Pete’s sake. If you want to prove that, a tower is grain-grinding windmill, then show who owned the land, who built the structure, the commerce that derived from it, the customers involved.
As is true throughout the Internet today, and in general culture (though that is an argument for another day), people posit the most ridiculous things. They get away with it, because “everyone knows” that is the most “logical” answer. That must be, you know, because native American Indians were “savages”.
Don’t you know…
All of this is certainly a far cry from what many Americans have been led to believe.
America was the Home of Many Nations
So when the first explorers from Europe entered North America they entered a very well established and ordered society. America was the home of many Indian nations. These nations were just as valid as any European nation. They were not primitive but large, with their own distinct cultures and societies. As the first explorers ventured forth, they brought many things with them. One of which was the plagues and sicknesses that previously ravished Europe.
The first explorers, without even trying, set in motion a biological apocalypse. It In the decades between Columbus’ discovery of America and the Mayflower landing at Plymouth Rock, the most devastating plague in human history raced up and down the Eastern Coast of America. It was horrific. It devastated entire communities, Indian nations, and cultures.
So, by the time the first thirteen colonies were getting established, they moved about in the immediate aftermath of a full-blown biological apocalypse. Reports suggest that a mere two years before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, the plague wiped out about 96 percent of all the Indians in Massachusetts.
The Plague
There are very few reports of what it must have been like. Within a period of years, the deaths of significant numbers of the population must have been horrific. One can well imagine the shock and horror that it must have gripped the native inhabitants. As diseases such as smallpox covered everyone from head to toe with painful pustules, and the survivors fearful of contact with others who might be affected by this scourge, the environment must have been very tense. We can only guess the fearful respect that the local Indians would have for these new strangers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Using your history books to understand what America was like in the 100 years after Columbus landed there is nearly impossible. This is a history that was never taught. It’s like trying to understand what modern day Manhattan is like based on the post-apocalyptic scenes from “I Am Legend”.
Historians estimate that before the plague, America’s population was anywhere between 20 and 100 million (Europe’s at the time was 70 million). The plague would eventually sweep West, killing at least 90 percent of the native population. For comparison’s sake, the Black Plague killed off between 30 and 60 percent of Europe’s population.
History and Historians
There are always reasons why history is not reported accurately. Sometimes it’s because the knowledge is lost and filled in by later historians with their own personal biases. However, it is mostly because the government, which creates your “free education”, actually has an objective that they wish to enforce through a historical narrative.
In fact, many historians believe that the pre-colonization plague was the single most important event in American history. But, you know, it’s just a little more fun to believe that your ancestors won the land by being the superior culture. (History is always written to persuade and manipulate.)
Actually, the European settlers had a hard enough time defeating the remaining stragglers of the once huge Native American population. The survivors must have been some seriously hardy people. The closest thing that I can picture is a scene out of one of the “Mad Max” movies. You need to remember that the American Indians did not mess around. When the Vikings tried to explore North America they got their collective hides handed to them on a platter. Those few that managed to escape the fury of the natives, never returned back.
Within the devastated countryside lay many proud Indians. The lone survivors were something both amazing and frightening at the same time.
At the time of the colonization of North America and the thirteen colonies, the European settlers started to meet and interact with the native Indians. Those they met were a hardy bunch indeed, but terribly weak after their society collapsed. One such group that they met was a society of unique natives located in Northern Pennsylvania.
The Andaste Indians (Susquehannocks)
This group is a former American-Indian tribe located in North Central Pennsylvania. (The French called them Andastes.) They no longer exist. All members of the tribe were exterminated through armed conflict approximately 400 years ago. As far as I know, they neither bred with the neighboring indigenous Indian tribes nor inter-married with any of the European colonists whom encroached onto their claimed territories. They were an isolated community surrounded by other Indian communities that they traded with, but would not breed with.
The name Susquehannock is derived from the word Sasquesahanough. It is a descriptive term used by Captain John Smith’s Algonquian interpreter (in 1608) to mean “People at the Falls”, or alternatively as the “People of the Muddy River”. (Which might be suggestive of the name “The people from Niagra Falls”.) Two other names that were used to refer to them were “Andaste” (particularly by the French) or “Minqua,” “Minques,” or “Minckas” by the Dutch. Additionally, there seems to be many other names used as well.
Indians in Pennsylvania
Most people haven’t a clue as to what American Indians are. When most people think of the Native Americans that lived in the Pennsylvania and New York regions they usually think of the Iroquois. However, the most fundamental truth is that the Iroquois didn’t live in this region. Well, that is, not until relatively recently.
Specifically, the Susquehannocks lived in the Pennsylvania region for around 15,000 years. That is one long stretch of time. Around 1400AD the Iroquois started to show up. It would take them a couple of centuries before they set up settlements. They started to live in the region, and battle with the Susquehannocks, about the same time that the Europeans started to arrive.
The entire Middle to Eastern Pennsylvania and the bulk of Southern New York area was fully controlled by the Susquehannocks. They were a huge, powerful and frightening people. To put this into perspective, the dangerous and fierce Iroquois Indians are said to fear only one people; the Susquehannocks. Many accounts say they were very warlike. Not one report says otherwise.
Records and evidences support the notion that they were much larger than average people were. We have historic records that show that they were responsible for winning many battles against the Iroquois and wiping out many smaller Native American groups along the Susquehanna. They were ruthless. They were the Khmer Rouge of their day.
This race of fierce and terrifying Indians had full control of the entire region and they controlled it with an “iron fist”. In fact, they didn’t give up control of their territory to the Iroquois until the late 1600’s. This was about the same time as the Americas were devastated by European transported illnesses. It is my guess that the Iroquois leveraged biological warefare to their advantage.
An Extraterrestrial Colony?
So what? There were just a bunch of Indian savages that eventually were subdued by the superiority of the European settlers. Right?
This particular article is an investigation into the REMOTE possibility that the Susquehannocks might be the remains of a colony of extraterrestrials. (Here we discuss the possibility, and why it could be. Not that it is. So there shouldn’t be any reason for “knee-Jerk” scientific statist responses.)
These individuals can be considered a typical embodiment of what an extraterrestrial humanoid colony would look and behave like. We have named them as “American Indians”, but they did not act, look like, or behave like any other Indians elsewhere in the Americas. They stood unique. This is both physically and figuratively.
From my own personal point of view, I hold this belief upon the known information that I have on them. Consider the curious circumstances surrounding them. They were [1] totally unique; they stand apart in culture, behavior and appearance in the region, and they had [2] various skills and abilities that were noteworthy in themselves. Their [3] physical appearance was different, and they maintained [4] technological skills that were different from that of the surrounding region.
Characteristics of the Andaste
Therefore, of all the examples that I provide herein, perhaps one of the most interesting was that of the characteristics of Andaste Indians. I found them fascinating due to their physical appearance, plus the fact that I once visited a museum that displayed some of their skulls, which made an impression on me in my youth. I was 13 at the time, and travelling with my father. He was doing engineering sales and was driving though the Pennsylvania countryside visiting factories and companies all over the territory. I went along for the ride. Sometimes he would pull over and we would visit an obscure museum or park, way off the “beaten track” in the hinterlands.
"Of many points of historic interest in our valley, perhaps none has attracted more attention or roused more speculation, from the earliest times to the present, than the mound called Spanish Hill. This prominence is due not only to its unusual position (isolated from the hill ranges and regions), but also to its odd outline, the remains of fortifications on the top, and its present name."- Louise Welles Murray -"History of Old Tioga Point and Early Athens -"1908.
Today, if you look up this subject on the Internet you will find very little information. It is, alas the case with most studies of American Indian archeology. For most Americans, the study of Americans is one of arrowheads, animal-hide teepees, and a hand-full of dirt mounds and stories of the Wild West.
This is unfortunate, because prior to the invasion of the Europeans in the 1500’s, North America was a thriving and heavily populated region divided into many nations, all of which were engaged in trade, wars and the various aspects of civilization. Few actually lived in tents. Most lived in large log houses, with wood floors, doors, furniture and stone fences. They traveled the world on worn paths and by river travel using well-made boats. They maintained a large and complex intercontinental trading arrangement and had mastered regional herbal medicines and localized agriculture.
In the Americas were numerous Indian nations, and within these nations were federations of tribes and sub-cultures. Many had similarities but often they were peppered with unique cultural and societal customs and behaviors. Yet, there were more than a few surprisingly isolated and biologically unique “Indians” who were part of these nations, but remained aloof from them.
These are the kinds of potential extraterrestrial colonies that I would like to investigate.
History is being Forgotten
At one time there was quite a bit of information about this “Indian Tribe” known as the Andaste. But time, the lack of interest, and the lack of funding have resulted in the dissemination of many of the relics of this colony. What remains is but a precious few items. When one searches for tangible information on this race, one is confronted with an amazing slew of disbelief and incredulity. It is typically discounted off hand by the ignorant. It’s a photoshop hoax they pontificate. It’s all nonsense, they argue. It just possible cannot be true.
For the record, this is neither a hoax, a fabrication based on a single specimen (Over 80+ skeletons have been found of this race. They all confirm the size, facial structure and (yes) horns as described herein.), or a wild outlandish story. The race did exist. They had their capital in the Bradford area for a very long time; over fifteen centuries, and (I suggest that) they did originally settle in the area (possibly) from an extraterrestrial location.
“After very careful study of all accessible facts, I unhesitatingly commit myself to the conclusion that Spanish Hill is nothing more or less than this ancient fortified town, the stronghold of the Carantouans" -John S. Clark
Their Nation
The Indians had nations. These were identical to the nations of Europe. They possessed armies, borders, society and a form of taxation on the various communities within the nation.
The Indian tribes, community, and social traditions of the Eastern early United States. Early Indian nations. (Image Source.)
The first historic records by Europeans indicate that the Susquehannocks were a nation made up of several villages. These communities ruled a large area that included parts of present day New York, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Researchers claim that the Susquehannocks were made up of 5 to 6 principal tribes. These tribes were spread out and divided amongst approximately 20 villages along the Susquehanna river.
As an amateur, I personally find it hard to understand what a “tribe” is relative to an “Indian nation”. I am sure, than an expert in these historical matters could explain much better than I ever could. As far as I have been able to make out, a “tribe” is a collection of similar people that occupies a regional area. To best understand this arrangement, the reader should consider a “tribe” as a state. Just like the original colonies were comprised of thirteen colonies that eventually became states, these tribes can be considered as individual states within the nation of Carantouan. Thus, the nation was divided into five or six states, or sub-regions.
The extent of this nation was unknown until a surveyor from the European colony at Auburn NY, by the name of General John S. Clark mapped out their communities. He determined that their most Northerly village was Carantouan (Spanish Hill). He determined that they were the people of the nation of Carantouan . The first European explorer to visit this site was Etienne Brule in 1615.
Physical Dimensions
“In 1822, while digging a cellar on the farm of General McKean, excavations came to what was supposed to be "an impenetrable rock, but striking it with a crow bar it gave forth a hollow sound."They re-doubled their efforts, and at last the stone broke and fell into a vault. And now, with visions of long-buried treasure flitting through their minds, they carefully removed the earth from the arch, speculating the wile as to the probable extent of the "treasure-trove," and the amount of salvage the General would be likely to claim.On removing the cap they found "not what they sought," but a sepulchre.A careful examination of the sarcophagus reveled it flagged at the bottom, the sides artistically built up, and a flat stone laid on the top. The sarcophagus measured nine feet in length, two and a half feet in width, and ten feet deep.In it was found a skeleton measuring as it lay, eight feet and two inches in length.The teeth were sound, but the bones were soft and easily broken. There were ten of these sepulchres within the space of the cellar, one of which had a pine growing over it three feet in diameter.”-Source: BRADFORD REPORTER, Towanda, Pennsylvania Aug 14, 1884 - article on Burlington Township.
The first thing that sets this tribe apart from the other tribes in the area was the physical appearance of the members in the community. They did not act, look or behave like any of the Indians associated in that region. Not only was their [1] physical appearance different, but [2] they dressed uniquely and acted differently, as [3] well as spoke a completely different language.
Tall Beings with Horns
These individuals were very tall humanoids with males uniformly standing over seven feet tall. In fact, many males often reached heights of 8 to even 9 feet tall. This is amazing when one considers that most local Indians and European explorers stood around 5 feet tall. To put this into perspective, the reader must realize that these individuals were almost twice the size of the people surrounding them.
Not only that, but all the males had horns. That is right; they had horns! The horns were proportionally and genetically disposed to grow out of the upper forehead region in a set of two distinct and prominent horns. These were not one-inch long stubs, but rather 5 to 9 inch long protuberances! They were shaped like very long and thick goat horns!
Furthermore, these were not coincidentally abnormally tall and thin men either. They were husky, fully proportioned men of significant girth and strength. Records from that period described them as “impressive”, “awesome” and “breathtaking” in appearance.
As if that wasn’t enough, however, the fact that their skin color was a decidedly reddish color (Their skin was not a dark reddish-brown like the Iroquois, but a decidedly different color.) would make most anyone go into shock. Imagine the sight of bright red giants with horns that were twice your size. They were indeed a most noteworthy race.
Age
There are reports that suggest that the race was not a long-lived one. Adolescence came early, and so did death. By all accounts very few of the race lived past 40 years. This is odd, as all humans have the potential to live up to their early 100’s. This race was considered to be lucky if it lived to 50 years.
Size comparison between a susquehannock male and a European man. Height comparison with the Andaste Indians.
At the time of the apparent height of the Andaste culture, the local Indians stood a mere 4.5 to 5 feet tall, and the Andaste Indians stood between seven and eight foot all. This has been confirmed by the excavation of their remains and substantiated the local Indian legends.
Think about that for a minute.
That would be around at least two feet taller than any “normal” man at the time. And it would still be considered to be HUGE by our contemporaneous standards today. After all, the supremely tall Shaquille O’Neal is only 7 feet 1 inch, and weighs 315 lbs. These people were taller, and much heavier. Oh, and did I mention that the men all had horns?
Women and Children
It is curious that none of the females, or the children had horns. While all were of gigantic size and proportions, the females were of smaller stature than the males. And, of course the children began as a normal infant and grew into manhood through a normal growth development curve. As such, we can imply that the adolescent males grew horns in their teens and the horns were in some way associated with the attainment of manhood.
Everyone, including the females had a distinctly strong reddish pigmentation to the skin. Depictions of them show a hairless body with long flowing head hair, but we do not know if this was genetic or cultural. None of the descriptions includes beards or other kinds of facial hair.
". . . 60 of those Susquehannocks came to us . . . such great and well-proportioned men are seldom seen, for they seemed like giants to the English . . .these are the strangest people of all those countries both in language and attire; for their language it may well beseeme their proportions, sounding from them as a voice in a vault.Their attire is the skins of bears and wolves, some have cassocks made of bears heads and skins . . . The half sleeves coming to the elbows were the heads of bears and the arms through the open mouth . . . one had the head of a wolf hanging from a chain for a jewel . . . with a club suitable to his greatness sufficient to beat out ones brains.Five of their chief wereowances came aboard us . . . (of) the greatest of them his hair, the one side was long and the other shorn close with a ridge over his crown like a cocks combed . . . The calf of whose leg was half a yard around and all the rest of his limbs so answerable to that proportion that he seemed the goodliest man we ever beheld!"-Voyages of CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH (of Jamestown, Va.) during the Years 1607-9.
There is no doubt in my mind that after reading numerous accounts of these gigantic skeletons being found throughout this area, that this is not a mere “legend,” it is a fact. These Susquehannocks (Andaste) were GIANTS especially to the men of average height (4- 5.3 feet) of that time period, but also seemed “huge” to the people who dug them up over the past 100 years. The Andaste’s AVERAGE height seems to be between 6 and 7 feet, with some exceptional human specimens being recorded to be about 8+ feet in height.
Susquehannock women were smaller than the men, but still significantly larger than the male European colonists. Susquehannock women were quite large but were normally proportioned.
Trade and Commerce
They were terribly warline, but they DID maintain trade relations with their neighbors. They were clever and known to be shrewd traders and businessmen. Their single and lone colony occupied a fortified bluff or small (natural) hill (This hill was very unique as it had nearly vertical harsh cliff sides and a very flat “tabletop” apex.) with steep sides that overlooked the convergence of two rivers. Both rivers, by the way, were major trade arteries for the local Indians in that region. (Rivers, prior to the expansion of the American colonies, were the major trade, communication and travel routes. They were the highways of that time period.)
We do not know much about the trade agreements that they had with other races in the region because that information has been lost through the passage of time. However, the local legends of the nearby Indian tribes suggest that this nation consisted of individuals who were extremely shrewd businessmen and would engage in commerce in a very strict and formal way. They would always warn that those engaging in business dealings must first make sure that they knew exactly what kind of agreement that they were getting into. As there would be “most terrible” consequences if the agreement was not followed exactly “to the letter”.
You must be careful when dealing with the Andaste and susquehannock Indians. Be careful when dealing with the Andaste. (Image Source.)
The Only Known Colony
Instead of thinking of the Susquehannock “Indian Nation”, for our purposes let’s consider them an extraterrestrial colony. As such, their only known existent colony was in the United States.
The capital complex was located in what is now Bradford County located in north-central Pennsylvania near the New York state line. This colony was located near the town of Sayre, which is at the intersection of two rivers; Chemung river and the Susquehanna river. Because of that, they are sometimes referred to as the “Sayre Giants”. This colony was located on a lone hill with steep sides and a very flat top that overlooked the river.
Today, Sayre is a pretty small town located in the Pennsylvania countryside.
Over time, 15,000 years to be frank, they set up colonies “down river”. These colonies were similar to the main Bradford site. These people were all giants. However the presence of horns on top of the heads apparently are limited to the Bradford area. Culturally they all shared a common culture.
A skull of a male Andaste susquehannock unearthed in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Andaste skull unearthed in Bradford Pennsylvania. (Image source.)
The Andaste Indian males all had horns, while the children and the women did not. The horns started to develop during adolescence in young boys when they began to reach maturity. The horns were all uniform and grew out of the upper forehead approximately at the hairline.
Proportionally the horn length varied from individual to individual but was typically at least 6 inches long. Horn diameter also varied considerably with diameters at the base of the horns varying from one to two and a half inches in diameter. Excavated remains suggest that the horns would sometimes be damaged and would break off, suggestive of combat of some type. (Maybe. Maybe…)
A Fortified Community
This “Indian Tribe” occupied a fortified hill strategically placed nearby, which was once, a major intersection of Indian trade routes. They had no other villages or settlements. There were no other similarly sized or culturally similar races nearby. They were unique and occupied a lone fortified hill.
The fortification; “Onnontioga” (Tioga Point) is located where the Susquehanna River and the Chemung river join. The hill was renamed “Spanish Hill” by the European settlers to the region. The name referred to the shape and style of the fortifications and ramparts at the hill. They were decidedly different than any of the other local Indian ramparts. These were more reminiscent in appearance to those associated with known Spanish fortifications. Early explorers to that region remarked how impressive and advanced the fortifications were.
This is a significant point. The Onnontioga fortifications were substantially more advanced, technologically engineered, and superior to locally manufactured Indian fortifications; some could argue that it was equal to the superiority of Spanish fortifications of the time.
Other Colonies
Were there other colonies of these people elsewhere in Pennsylvania? No. Apparently they were a unique and isolated group. That stands apart as significant, and is worthy of discussion.
There are legends of these creatures all over the globe. Much of the folklore about the red devil with horns, and the signing of contracts (could possibly) indirectly originate from these people. When one comes across the legend of a huge people with horned skulls, red skin and who were very shrewd in business, one must consider the possibility of interaction with this race.
If true, then it has become obvious that they have tried to set up other colonies on the earth over the last 10,000 years, with the colony at Sayre being the longest lasting one. But none of their other colonies ever seemed to stabilize. Eventually they all died out, or were assimilated with the indigenous peoples. Apparently, if true, they had established colonies in other places as well to include Western Russia, and of course the Americas.
Vintage newspaper article describing the discovery of Indian bones of the susquehannocks who used to live in the area. Vintage Newspaper article.
Weapons
There is indisputable evidence that the Sayre race that lived here were not simply tall, horned, red skinned humanoids. They had access to firearms as well! One must keep in mind that these reports come from the year 1500. At that time the export of gunpowder from China had just then reached Europe. Its use was just beginning to displace that of the crossbow and long sword. The Europeans were just getting their first exposure to the precursors of modern firearms, so one must truly imagine their surprise when they encountered enormous red horned giants with rifles!
"There is, however, undisputed evidence from the earliest settlers (Shepards, Hannas, and others) that when they came the Indians remaining in this locality… …stood in awe of the hill, and avoided ascending it""Early in the last century, Alpheus Harris settled at the foot of the hill. An old Indian was a frequent visitor, but when asked to ascend the hill he always refused, saying a Great Spirit lived there who would kill Indians. That he spoke with a thunderous voice and made holes through Indians bodies. This suggests muskets or cannons"- Louise Welles Murray 1908:62, 64
We also have reports that some of their weapons were quite large. These larger weapons were considered to be cannons (!) by the European settlers to the region.
"Lalemant now describes the warfare which had continued between Canadian and other tribes and the Iroquois.The latter attack the Andastes, far down the Susquehanna, but find that the villages of this tribe are defended with European cannon; and, moreover, the Andastes are a match for them in cunning — seizing twenty-five Iroquois spies, and burning them to death in the sight of their own army.Not only do the invaders meet disaster, but their own villages are ravaged by smallpox, and their fields remain half tilled. Thus menaced, the Iroquois plan to form an alliance with the French, hoping that the latter may help them against their enemies; but they abandon this scheme, upon hearing that the king of France is about to send many soldiers to Canada, to crush the enemies of the colonists. Meanwhile, some souls among them are saved; for certain captive Frenchmen baptize over three hundred children, and some adults who are dangerously ill."-The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents Volume 48
The Colony Layout
"The fortifications of all this family of tribes were, like their dwellings, in essential points alike.[1] A situation was chosen favorable to defence, the bank of a lake, the crown of a difficult hill, or a high point of land in the fork of confluent rivers.[2] A ditch, several feet deep, was dug around the village, and the earth thrown up on the inside.[3] Trees were then felled by an alternate process of burning and hacking the burnt part with stone hatchets, and by similar means were cut into lengths to form palisades. These were planted on the embankment, in one, two, three, or four concentric rows, those of each row inclining towards those of the other rows until they intersected.[4] The whole was lined within, to the height of a man, with heavy sheets of bark; and at the top, where the palisades crossed, was a gallery of timber for the defenders, together with wooden gutters, by which streams of water could be poured down on fires kindled by the enemy.[5] Magazines of stones, and rude ladders for mounting the rampart, completed the provision for defence.The forts of the Iroquois were stronger and more elaborate than those of the Hurons; and to this day large districts in New York are marked with frequent remains of their ditches and embankments."-Francis Parkman, "The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century". Edited for readability with the addition of numbered points.
The tribe lived within a Fortified Village or Citadel.
Inside the walled complex was a geometric array of housings and facilities. It was surrounded by reinforced ramparts of wood and dirt ditches. The various houses were strategically spaced apart and away from the ramparts. All the houses were of bound live wood. (Tolkien elf style.) The interiors were of log construction with multi-tiered wooden floors. Though the building system was different than contemporaneous European methods, it was not inferior. They used bark over live saplings instead of cut and processed logs. Which is much like how traditional homes are constructed in Japan and throughout Europe. It was a superior system for as the settlement aged, the houses became older and stronger. As the early saplings grew into large mature trees.
The houses were aligned in an orderly geometric arrangement suggestive of a military garrison. A comparison of ancient Viking settlements and their longhouses show a distinct similarity. (I wonder if this was a characteristic of warlike peoples…)
Because of its size, shape, and location, Spanish Hill has been believed to be an excellent location for a defensive stand for an attack. Thus, in defense of my proposed narrative, would naturally have been used by early civilizations for mere survival. It also has a view of many miles in each direction around it because it stands alone on the flat land surrounding it. For this reason, many believe that Spanish Hill was either a Susquehannock village site or site of refuge during attacks during at least the 1500’s and 1600’s. Evidences of campfires, and village remains have been located on the hill to include “hardened fortifications” which also support this school of thought.
There is no question that there were stockades built around the top of this hill (fortifications) around the 1600’s, and a moat or ditch was built around the bottom. It is known that some Indian villages had two or three levels of stockades built around them, and this hill may have had more than one as well. I have also been told by several historians that were involved in “excavation digs” on the hill that there was a covered stockade area going vertically down the hill on the west side to a natural spring that was about 1/2 down the side from the top. This meant that the entire fort had access to clear and fresh spring water, and did not depend on the nearby rivers for drinking water at all.
Living Arrangements
What we know of how they lived is through documented records and journals.
"They covered a space of from one to ten acres, the dwellings clustering together with little or no pretension to order. In general, these singular structures were about thirty or thirty-five feet in length, breadth, and height; but many were much larger, and a few were of prodigious length.In some of the villages there were dwellings two hundred and forty feet long, though in breadth and height they did not much exceed the others.- Brebeuf, Relation des Hurons, 1635, 31.
In comparison, their homes were quite large. They were far larger than any homes made by the European settlers to the region. They were larger than the impressive public and religious structures in Europe at the time.
“Champlain says that he saw them, in 1615, more than thirty fathoms long; while Vanderdonck reports the length, from actual measurement, of an Iroquois house, at a hundred and eighty yards, or five hundred and forty feet!”To put this in perspective, an American football field is 360 feet long (120 yards long). Thus, an actual measurement of an existing Andaste house was much longer than a football field. This is an enormous size, and was most especially impressive in that it was constructed by using live trees interlaced with each other and covered in an array of bark.“In shape they were much like an arbor overarching a garden-walk. Their frame was of tall and strong saplings, planted in a double row to form the two sides of the house, bent till they met, and lashed together at the top. To these other poles were bound transversely, and the whole was covered with large sheets of the bark of the oak, elm, spruce, or white cedar, overlapping like the shingles of a roof, upon which, for their better security, split poles were made fast with cords of linden bark. At the crown of the arch, along the entire length of the house, an opening a foot wide was left for the admission of light and the escape of smoke.At each end was a close porch of similar construction; and here were stowed casks of bark, filled with smoked fish, Indian corn, and other stores not liable to injury from frost.Within, on both sides, were wide scaffolds, four feet from the floor, and extending the entire length of the house, like the seats of a colossal omnibus.”- Francis Parkman, "The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century"
This differs from other native American Indians. Often, especially among the Iroquois, the internal arrangement was quite different. The scaffolds or platforms were raised only a foot from the earthen floor, and were only twelve or thirteen feet long, with intervening spaces, where the occupants stored their family provisions and other articles. Typically, five or six feet above were yet another platform, often occupied by children.
One pair of platforms sufficed for each family, and here during summer they slept pell-mell, in the clothes they wore by day, and without pillows. But the Susquehannocks were different.(The platforms) “These were formed of thick sheets of bark, supported by posts and transverse poles, and covered with mats and skins. Here, in summer, was the sleeping place of the inmates, and the space beneath served for storage of their firewood.The fires were on the ground, in a line down the middle of the house.Each fire sufficed for two families, who, in winter, slept closely packed around them.Above, just under the vaulted roof, were a great number of poles, like the perches of a hen-roost, and here were suspended weapons, clothing, skins, and ornaments.Here, too, in harvest time, the squaws hung the ears of unshelled corn, till the rude abode, through all its length, seemed decked with a golden tapestry. In general, however, its only lining was a thick coating of soot from the smoke of fires with neither draught, chimney, nor window.So pungent was the smoke, that it produced inflammation of the eyes, attended in old age with frequent blindness. Another annoyance was the fleas; and a third, the unbridled and unruly children. Privacy there was none. The house was one chamber, sometimes lodging more than twenty families."-Francis Parkman, "The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century"
Social Structure
The Susquehannocks seemed to follow, a more or less conventional Native American Indian social structure, as far as I can tell. Yet, the reader must be made aware, the reports on this are few and far between. They naturally reflect the biases of the reporter of that time.
"In the organization of the savage communities of the continent, one feature, more or less conspicuous, continually appears.Each nation or tribe to adopt the names by which these communities are usually known is subdivided into several clans. These clans are not locally separate, but are mingled throughout the nation. All the members of each clan are, or are assumed to be, intimately joined in consanguinity.Hence it is held an abomination for two persons of the same clan to intermarry; and hence, again, it follows that every family must contain members of at least two clans.Each clan has its name, as the clan of the Hawk, of the Wolf, or of the Tortoise; and each has for its emblem the figure of the beast, bird, reptile, plant, or other object, from which its name is derived.This emblem, called totem by the Algonquins, is often tattooed on the clansman's body, or rudely painted over the entrance of his lodge.The child belongs, in most cases, to the clan, not of the father, but of the mother. In other words, descent, not of the totem alone, but of all rank, titles, and possessions, is through the female.The son of a chief can never be a chief by hereditary title, though he may become so by force of personal influence or achievement. Neither can he inherit from his father so much as a tobacco-pipe. All possessions alike pass of right to the brothers of the chief, or to the sons of his sisters, since these are all sprung from a common mother.This rule of descent was noticed by Champlain among the Hurons in 1615. That excellent observer refers it to an origin which is doubtless its true one. The child may not be the son of his reputed father, but must be the son of his mother, a consideration of more than ordinary force in an Indian community."
-Francis Parkman, "The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century"
Opinions of the European Settlers to the area
The earliest “locals” referred to the remains of fortifications as “Spanish Ramparts” and it is said that the Indians in this area would not go up on to the hill because there was something that made a thunderous noise and made holes in those that dared to climb the hill.
The earliest description known is that of Duke Rochefoucault de Liancourt, a French Traveler in 1795, who, while enroute to the tow of Niagara, saw the hill and thus wrote of it:
"Near the confines of Pennsylvania a mountain rises from the bank of the river Tioga (Chemung) in the shape of a sugar loaf upon which are seen the remains of some entrenchments. These the inhabitants call the Spanish Ramparts, but I rather judge them to have been thrown up against the Indians in the time of M. de Nonville. One perpendicular breastwork is yet remaining which, though covered with grass and bushes, plainly indicates that a parapet and a ditch have been constructed here."-La Rochefoucald-Liancourt 1795:76-7
The End of the Colony
The colony eventually died out in sometime in the mid 1750’s. (Mr.La Rochefoucald-Liancourt reported that ruins, devoid of inhabitants, were still visible standing on top of the hill in 1795.) It exactly coincided with the encroachment of European settlers to the region. Obviously, many of the inhabitants were killed by the European settlers, either directly or through transmitted diseases. As are all records from that time, secretive combative activities were never recorded. So no one knows their true fate. What we do know is that the colony completely died at exactly the same time as the European settlers moved into the region. One must logically assume that the community died out as a direct consequence of the European advancement into that area.
Why consider them Extraterrestrial?
The point of this discourse is to consider them to be an expert example of what a true and real extraterrestrial colony would look like.
Whether they actually are, however, is speculative. I, myself, consider it to be speculative, and the reader should as well. We must not underestimate the creativity and uniqueness of diverse peoples and humans of various backgrounds. Just because they are different does not automatically imply that they are extraterrestrially derived. But, at the same token, they indeed could be.
Why even bother with this kind of consideration?
For this work, I wish to introduce the possibility that they were but an extraterrestrial colony of expats. Of which their home world is unknown. Indeed, if true; it is not known where they came from. Their genetic makeup was odd and unusual. Thus, they could have entirely been members of an extraterrestrial colony that was established on the Earth in numerous locations globally.
Or not.
After all, simply because they look different than “normal” humans do not make them extraterrestrial. There are many regional variations of humans. Look at the comparative differences from that of an inhabitant of Zambia to one of Norway. But nowhere is the genetic variances so pronounced, and so isolated. That in itself should signify that there is something significantly odd about them. This oddness should be considered and investigated.
The Reasoning
Consider this reasoning. Any extraterrestrial colony to a planet that hosts “native” humanoid bipedal entities would stand out as different. There would be a number of obvious tell-tale signs and indicators of this.
For instance, they would be [1] physically different from the local races. Their size might be different, their skin color or hair color might be different. [2] They might speak a different language or have a different set of sounds that they would make. [3] They might possess technologies or do things using different techniques than those in the surrounding regions. [4] They might create fortifications and structures designed to protect them from others because they would be so different. [5] Finally, they might interact with the surrounding local natives in ways suggestive of trade, or collaborative ventures.
All of these points are obvious regarding the Andaste Indian race. So, while they are classified as the Susquehannocks (Andaste) Indian tribe associated with the Indian nation of Carantouan, I suggest that they could simply be an extraterrestrial colony allied with them.
It is a certainly interesting proposition.
I do not have any proof of this belief. But everything that I have read seems to be indicative of this. Therefore, I suggest that the reader consider the possibility that these people might actually be the remains of an extraterrestrial colony. I suggest the reader do this because this is exactly what a true and real extraterrestrial colony would look like.
Where are the Spaceships, then?
There are quite a few misconceptions regarding an extraterrestrial colony. One must consider the realistic expectations of any colonist whom comes to earth. Any colony on the earth would NOT have futuristic spaceships and equipment. It would not. They would equip themselves with renewable and replaceable resources in every case. They would not rely on irreplaceable manufactured devices that would become useless when faulty. Instead it would depend on the local materials and flora and fauna to sustain itself. After all, getting spare parts for your contrivances would be impossibility. Space travel, except for the most advanced extraterrestrial races is not something that is taken lightly. It requires assets, investments in time and labor, and a steady commitment over decades.
The residents would maintain their culture and a small select collection of mechanical contrivances, but they would not decidedly cart with them high-tech gadgetry. This is because those very items would be useless when damaged. In fact, this is one of those truisms that many have forgotten. When a race creates an expat colony in another planet, they effectively isolate themselves from all sorts of support structures. They must rely on local vegetation, and wildlife to exist. (Obviously, if the equipment to travel large distances is difficult, the more likely the colony is to rely on native resources.) They would adopt native modes and forms of transport, and appear in many ways to live just like the American Indians did; in complete harmony with the surrounding land.
Their End
The last thing that we know about them is how they met their demise. In the middle 1700’s (around 1750) the last remaining 20 Susquehannocks were living in peace in Conestoga, PA. They had relocated to a smaller settlement after being devastated by European sickness, and wars with the Iroquois Indians and Europeans. There they lived peacefully and apart. In 1763, the entire community was slaughtered by the Paxton Boys in revenge for Indian raids that these specific people had nothing to do with.
Today
With the spread of disinformation on the Internet, it is a wonder that anyone can find anything of value today. The investigator might end up finding sites that promote incredulity, and those that might end up in investigative “dead ends”. But to truly search and research these mysteries one need simply visit the local sites in question. Just go there and see for yourself.
Today, one can see the skulls, relics and history of this race at the Tioga Point Museum in Athens, PA. They are open from 10 – 1pm on Saturdays, and 1-8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays (570-888-7225.) There are some amazing things there and it is indeed worth a visit.
The museum was founded in 1895, by historian Louise Welles Murray 1854 – 1931. To celebrate the formal opening, she helped open the sepulcher that was about 3 feet by 5 feet in diameter – covered with 2 Devonian fossils that made up the tomb for a man who was most likely an Andaste chief, and “six feet or more in height.”
In 1908, historian Louise Welles Murray wrote a book called “Old Tioga Point”. It was published with an extensive amount of information about the Andaste Indians and Spanish Hill. Copies of this book are for sale still at the Tioga Point Museum. Spanish Hill is also a state recognized Indian site in Bradford County with the ID number – 36BR27.
Other Links and Articles
There are other links and articles regarding this most interesting of subjects. I would suggest that the interested reader visit spanishhill.com which is where most of the following links originated from. The author of this site Deb Twigg is an expert in all matters regarding this group of Indians. (Although she might be aghast that I would consider them as possible extraterrestrial immigrants.) This site is the first stop and the most important source of information on this subject.
Take Aways
If an extraterrestrial species were to set up a colony on earth they would appear unique.
The Andaste Indians at Tioga Point were a community of “Indians” that were unique.
These people were giants, had red skin, long substantive horns and possessed firearms.
The women were also large.
They disappeared at the same time that European settlers arrived.
All that is left of their culture is a museum in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
FAQ
Q: Where are the extraterrestrials?
A: They lie hidden from most humans. As far as most humans are concerned, they do not exist.
Q: How many extraterrestrials are there?
A: We do not know. Conventional understanding is that there are no extraterrestrials at all. Those who have reported that they have met extraterrestrials tend to claim that there are many extraterrestrials all over the universe.
Q: Why would extraterrestrials want to come to Pennsylvania?
A: They would settle in an area or colony that would be comfortable for them and that would meet the needs of their society. Besides, Pennsylvania has great apples. The corn in Pennsylvania is fantastic. The people are wonderful, and the women are very attractive. What is not to love?
Q: What did the Andaste Indians look like?
A: They looked like huge giants with bright red skin, had long horns on the top of their heads and carried firearms.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
When I was growing up, I used to watch spy shows, adventure shows, and War movies. In each of which the hero would be asked to join a special organization, or obtain special “secret” clearance so that they could be briefed on their tasks and projects. When I got older and was actually offered a role in one such program, I was surprised at how different it was from the Hollywood narrative that I had so expected.
Hollywood is NOT reality.
Here, I would like to take a moment to discuss how Top Secret programs are actually implemented in the United States. Now, of course, all that I can state is all that I know, and do so relative to my very narrow understanding of it. As such the reader can do with it as they will. Most of what I relate can be found elsewhere, by I am sure, better people than myself. When I was exposed to all this, all I was told was what I needed to know to perform my role, and nothing else.
I entered the program blindly on promises, and gave up my role as a Naval Aviator in the process.
As such, I maintained this new role for over thirty years, and was then retired. I learned a lot during my stint, even though it was narrowly defined. Here is my attempt to disseminate the information that I learned, provided that I do not jeopardize any secrets in the process. It is important, I believe. For, to best understand what we humans are, where we are going, and our place in the universe, you will need to know a little about my role and the program that I was in. You will need to know a little bit about MAJestic.
Not the popular narrative, mind you, but the “real deal”.
That’s going to be a hard sell. Because, in the United States, everything is placed in compartments or boxes. Only a very limited group of people have access to any of the boxes, and often they can only have access to but one box only. Within each box, are other levels or compartments. Your role within the organization that you are part of will determine what compartments you can access.
This system of boxes, and internal compartments, are collectively known as “Special Access Programs”, or SAP…
When Pigs Fly
The truth is that the United States government has a very sophisticated system in place regarding secrecy. No longer are secrets simply handled by oaths, and promises.
(SAP programs are) “so sensitive that they are exempt from standard reporting requirements to the Congress”.-A 1997 US Senate report
No longer are they classified only as “confidential” and “top secret”. (For those are just general classification groupings.) Instead, they are classified as “access to information” routes. People only know the absolute minimum of what they need to know, and no more.
To repeat; no one person knows everything about anything. We are all just ants working on our little tiny role in the construction of the anthill.
For our purposes, let’s construct a fictitious secret program. Let’s call this program the “Flying Pig Program”.
For instance, imagine that you are in a top secret program. In this program, you would be part of a team designing a system so that pigs can fly. Now, you don’t know why you are doing it. At best, you might be told that it is for “National Security” concerns. Nor do you know who authorized the program. Though, you might be told that “it was authorized from within the highest levels of the government”. You would not know any of the background information’s of who, what, why or where.
Naming the Program
Instead of giving this program a name like “Operation Pig Flight”, you would give it a much different name. You would call it project N5638U11.
Ah, good old program N5638U11. It just rolls of your tongue. Doesn’t it?
Now, since this is a very important program, and it regards issues of the upmost interest to the national security (or at least that is how it has been explained to us), members wouldn’t work together or collaborate either. People collaborate on all kinds of things as needed. But not in absolutely-secret programs. For, after all, it is a REAL secret program. (Ah… there are secrets and then there are SECRETS.)
There’s not a secret place where meetings are held. Nope. Sorry. Nor are there coffee mugs with cool logos and mission patches either. You won’t have a mission patch of a pig flying with fire out of its ass and an inscription in Latin saying something like “flying pigs to the stars”. (ad astra volantem porcos.) It just won’t happen.
Need to Know
You, as a very important member of this team, would only know just what you needed to know and no more.
Now, let us suppose that you would be involved in ignition thermodynamics. In your role, you would be in charge of the ignition system of pig farts. The idea being that once ignited, that the pig would have the necessary propellant force to fly about in the sky. As such, that is all that you would know. It is the only thing that you would know as well. You would have no idea about navigation, landing, sustained flight, or anything else. All you would know was how to ignite farts.
Your role would be carefully specified and narrowly defined.
That way, if some nefarious mad scientist wanted to capture you and extract all of the valuable pig information that you had, they would have a hard time. As such, they could only get (at most) the limited amount that you know and nothing else. That way they cannot extract your information and the information from the entire team. They could only learn about the combustive properties of pig farts. They could only learn about your personal opinions on bacon, and maybe a tale or two about your opinions of notable pig personalities on television (like Arnold the pig, on “Green Acres” or “Miss Piggy“).
Cells of Three People
To keep it secret and so that they don’t go after your other team members, you would only know two others. You would work independently within a “cell” of three people. Further, where possible, you would also be isolated geographically from the others, and only contact them when it was absolutely important to do so. You might be located in Paducah, Il, and your nearest cell member might be in Kalaupapa, HI. So there wouldn’t be a company with a sign out front that says “Flying Pig Industries, Inc.”, nor would there be a webpage, a twitter account, a toll free number, or a LinkedIn profile. Real secret programs operate in parallel with other processes.
A Secret Life
You would be working in your “secret” role while you were working at “ACME Widgets”.
In that case you might be a line supervisor officially, and a “pig fart expert” secretly. Which brings up one of the most important points in this dialog, real secret agents work two roles simultaneously. They must juggle two roles at all times.
The secret role is known to no one. Not even the wife of the pig scientist. The boss at ACME Widgets wouldn’t have any idea that his star employee is also designing flying pigs. Your friends wouldn’t have a clue, and when ever you went out with them for a beer, you wouldn’t even bother to mention it.
Let me repeat this very important point. Real secret agents maintain two roles. One is their “white”, and obvious role. It is the role and work that everyone knows that they do. The other is their “black’ and secret role. No one knows this role except the two other members in their cell. No one else. Not even their family.
They live like Batman. Or, like Superman. They have a obvious life, and a secret life.
Surreptitious Communication
Because of this, and the nature of the work, communication would be surreptitious. In fact, you would use a form of secure communication. It would be encrypted, and possibly only able to broadcast and not receive. It would involve something way different from normal radio, internet or conventional communication techniques. Let other people try to hack into the internet. Let others try to peer into radio waves. You communicate using a totally different method altogether. Maybe you use smells, fruit or temperature gradients.
Your method of communications would not look anything like communication. It would be unhackable. Because no one would be aware that anyone could even be able to communicate using these other methods.
Again, boys and girls, real secrets are SECRET.
The Aggregator
There would be one person in the project that would know everything about it. This person would be the aggregator. He would compile the information, distill it into a viable program. He would direct tasks, set up milestones and organize the entire operation. Ultimately, he would create an executive summary (summarizes and makes recommendations) to HIS supervisor. The supervisor would monitor all such programs, but would not know any of the details. Only the aggregator would know all of the details of the project. Because the aggregator would be in possession of such important information, they would be kept isolated and apart from everyone else. Their role would be the most important, and because of it, they would be the most isolated.
The supervisor would at best only know the rough outline of any of the programs under his purview.
None of the agents would ever know who the supervisor was, or who the aggregator was. They would only know the three people within their team cell. They would not know the roles of the people either. They would only know that they worked on pig farts at the same time that they clock into work at “ACME Widgets”. They would report their findings through the secure communication method and work independently.
They would work in secret and live their life. They would have a black and a white life. The program would exist for a set defined period of time. It would have goals, objectives, and a sunset. Once the program is over, it would close down. But, now you have a problem. What is going to stop the agent from going about and talking about the program?
Program Shut Down
It’s easy enough to do while the agent is still working the project. He is still connected to the organization. He is constantly monitored and observed. Of course the agent will keep quiet.
How do you keep the agent quiet, once the program is shut down?
What you do is put him in a monitoring program.
That is right. You would [1] monitor him, and all his communication, where he lives and who he associates with. You would also [2] do something that would make him shunned. You don’t want him to have close friends either.
You want to keep him isolated and monitored, for after all you don’t want an evil organization to get their hands on thirty-years of information on pig farts.
Well, the monitoring of Americans is pretty much illegal. (I know, I know, with Facebook, DHS, the FCC, and the NSA. But these systems did become capable until after 2000.)
There’s only two ways to monitor the agent. You either [1] slam him in jail, and keep him there for a nice long time, or [2] you put him in a strong monitoring registry. Now, it’s going to be pretty difficult to put a person in prison unless you have a dead body lying around. You need some kind of mechanism that will make it easy to accuse an agent, arrest them, and put them in prison. Then, you will need to keep them shunned from society, and then monitor them for a long time after release.
This is not the television show “The Prisoner” where the retired agent is sent to an isolated island. You cannot do that. That is far too visible a solution, and while the retired agent is quite isolated from the general society, he is part of a community of other retired agents.
No. What you need is a system that makes the agent completely shunned by everyone. You want to make it so that every time the agent opens his mouth, he is shut down and silenced. When he says something… immediately no one even hears what he says. You must make a cartoon out of him. You must paint him as a pariah.
There is only one monitoring registry in the United States; it is the sex offender registry. So what you would do, when it is time to retire your agent after thirty years of service, you would arrest him for sex crimes and place him in a lifetime monitoring program.
The moment the retired agent opens his mouth, you just scream “SEX OFFENDER” at the top of your lungs and point at him. No one will ever pay any attention to what he has to say.
And that dear boys and girls is how a REAL SECRET program operates.
Top Secrets and REAL Secrets
Now, the reader probably doesn’t have a clue as to what I am talking about. Because we know that there are secrets that are being released in the United States daily.
Look at all the leaks in the White House. Look at WikiLeaks. Heck, we know that Hillary Clinton even made her own computer server-farm and vacuumed up every secret she could get her hands on, and successfully sold them to foreign agents for huge wads of money. The money then accumulated into a huge “slush fund” that her family drew upon to live a kingly life. Ah, she was investigated, and the investigator Comey couldn’t find a motive which made her innocent. Duh! As if pure raw greed isn’t a motive! And, the need for a motive was more important than the crime itself! My Gawd!
But I digress.
Now, let’s not get confused. This particular article isn’t about how secrets are kept in the United States. It is about how REAL secrets are kept within MAJestic. As such, you all had best pay attention as this is not how everyone thinks things work. Those “leaks” out the White House are no more than (unofficial) releases of confidential information. Those documents found by Wikileaks are “secret”, and many might even be part of a SAP. However, they are not SECRET. Real secrets are something else altogether.
When there are REAL secrets that must be kept secret, you don’t mess around. You put real strong systems in place.
Which is quite different from what everything thinks. In fact, I am quite surprised about it. Even though many people are aware of Special Access Programs, and they know that a big nation like the United States has secrets, everyone still treats things as if all you need is to take an oath and put your hand on the Bible. Well, maybe for the State Department it is that way. Maybe for certain military operations it is that way. But not for REAL secret programs, and most certainly not for MAJestic operations.
There are Secrets and there are SECRETS
There are many levels and types of access programs, and this particular post deals with the subject in some level of detail. Thus to understand my story, one must understand the system.
The reader, like all typical Americans, knows about “secret government programs”. Indeed, the three-tier standard government security clearance levels are well known: confidential, secret and top secret. There are of course, other systems, as well. While at NAS China Lake we used that basic system, as does all contractors, by a color coded system. You can tell by the color of the badges. For instance, confidential access is shown as a green badge color.
However just having a clearance at anyone of these levels does not automatically give access to any information at that level. You can have a “Top Secret” badge and still not have access anywhere. There must be a demonstrable “need to know” in order to be briefed or read in on a given project, program, facility or intelligence product. There are thousands of “Top Secret” programs. Does a person in one “top secret” program have access to another “Top Secret” program? No, of course not. Each program is identified by a specific identifier and only those assigned to that identifier can access it.
This system seems to work pretty well.
Outsiders are Always Compromised
The problem with this system is that there are people and organizations outside the program that might know of the existence of the program. (Therefore, how can they be actually and ultimately “secret”?) For instance, the person who makes the badges and puts them together, knows that a particular person has “Top Secret” clearance. This includes the clerks in Washington, D.C. who process the various piles of paperwork that the particular person signs. So, yeah. It can get difficult to keep secrets. Everyone can, in one way or the other, touch on the works of a “secret” operation.
These people generally also include the elected Congress and Senators who rotate in and out of government circles and are highly subject to compromise in various forms. In fact, I urge the reader NEVER to trust an elected official. They have already been compromised.
Which is why the MAJestic organization DOES NOT includes elected officials in the organization. (There are always rare…rare exceptions, of course.) That knowledge by those people is dangerous in that it comprises the program at its most fundamental level. Therefore this system is merely the visible side of the security system.
Example
Here is an example of a Federal Judge…
First some background. In a period of time ranging somewhere between 1975 and 1979, Peter Gersten, a lawyer representing CAUS (the Citizens Against UFO Secrecy) sued the NSA after its refusal to release requested files via FOIA (the Freedom Of Information Act). In 1980, the chief of the Policy Office for the agency, Eugene Yeates, sent a document larger than 20 pages to Gerhart Gessell, the Federal Judge who was overseeing this particular case, explaining why the files in question must remain classified. This is known as the Yeates Affidavit. But, this document was classified as well. The judge was not authorized to read the actual content of the files, but the letter itself convinced him alone.
Here is what he said.
“The public interest in disclosure is far outweighed by the sensitive nature of the materials and the obvious effect on national security their release may well entail.”-Gerhart Gessell, Federal Judge, when explaining why the government would not release any information regarding UFO’s.
Systems that Control Systems
There has to be a system that controls “outside” knowledge of the secret programs from everyone whom might discover the presence of such programs. Therefore, there is a massive secret “black” (non-visible) system as well. The existence of which is known while the details (naturally) is deeply hidden. This structure has been described (by some) as a “shadow military” existing in parallel with open or overtly classified programs. It is designed for programs considered to be too sensitive for normal classification measures.
These “black” programs are called Special Access Programs (SAPs).
SAP – Special Access Programs
These programs are protected by a security system of great complexity.
In fact, many of the SAPs are located outside of the United States government. Instead, they are located within technical industries directed and funded through special contracts. In the United States, this occurs under arrangements known as “carve-outs”. Here, such programs and funds become removed from the usual security and contract-oversight organizations. After all, how can you compromise a given secret program, if you don’t even know where the heck it is?
The way to keep them secret is to move them outside government control and reporting structures. You “carve them out” of the huge government organization.
We know, for example, that in 1997 there were at least 150 SAPs. Thus, there were at least 150 programs that NO ONE in the government knew the details of. All they knew was their alphanumerical designation and the necessity of funding them.
Levels of SAP
“The way things are supposed to work is that we’re supposed to know virtually everything about what [government officials] do: that’s why they’re called public servants.They’re supposed to know virtually nothing about what we do: that’s why we’re called private individuals. This dynamic - the hallmark of a healthy and free society - has been radically reversed. Now, they know everything about what we do, and are constantly building systems to know more. Meanwhile, we know less and less about what they do, as they build walls of secrecy behind which they function. That’s the imbalance that needs to come to an end. No democracy can be healthy and functional if the most consequential acts of those who wield political power are completely unknown to those to whom they are supposed to be accountable.” -Glenn Greenwald
Just being in a special access program is not enough. There are also levels of SAP, the first being a division into acknowledged and unacknowledged SAPs. All SAP’s can be classified into belonging into one type or the other. These types are “acknowledged” and “unacknowledged”.
Special Access Programs can be divided into acknowledged and unacknowledged.
What the point here is whether it will EVER be admitted that this program exists. An “acknowledged” program, can and might eventually be recognized as a program of importance to various people. However, an “unacknowledged” program never will be recognized as existing at all. It never; ever will be. It will forever be kept secret and the members will keep the knowledge of its existence to their graves.
As the reader can tell, there are all kinds of designations for the government to collect information. But that is not really what I am referring to. Instead, this is what I specifically refer to dig down deeper and involves much more serious issues.
A “Black Program” is slang for a SAP. (SAP).
A “Deep Black Program” is slang for an unacknowledged SAP. (U-SAP).
Any program that is more secret than a U-SAP is waived from all reporting and has no slang designation. (W(U)-SAP). It is a waived unacknowledged special access program.
An unacknowledged SAP is so sensitive that its very existence is a “core secret.” Indeed, some unacknowledged SAPs are so sensitive to the extent that they are “waived” (a technical term) from the normal management and oversight protocols. My program; the one that I was in was a “waived” unacknowledged Special Access Program. I tend to refer to this as a W(U)-SAP, but this is my own nomenclature.
It’s pretty serious stuff.
Appropriations Committees
Indeed, even members of Congress on appropriations committees (the Senate and House committees that allocate budgets) and intelligence committees are not allowed to know anything about these programs. In the case of a waived SAP, only eight (8) members of Congress (the chairs and ranking minority members of the four defense committees) are even notified that a given program has been waived (without being told anything about the nature of the program). Such a program is certainly a deep black program.
American appropriations committee going over the funding for Special Access Programs. Appropriations Committee.(Image Source.)
The number of people with access to multiple SAPs is deliberately very limited. Most members of a SAP are involved in ONE and ONLY ONE Special Access Program (SAP). Such as myself, I was only involved in one W(U)-SAP.
This assures that no one knows what is going on in another program.
Black programs are often covered by white (normal classification system) or unclassified programs. For instance, the U2 spy-plane was covered by a weather-research aircraft program. The Roswell crash was also covered by a Weather balloon. (Such was the mindset in the 1960’s.) Such covering allows technology to be relatively openly developed until such time as it is ready for application to a black program. The overt cover program is then usually cancelled, having accomplished its purpose.
The X-30 NASP
Indeed, this happened to the X-30 National Aerospace-plane project (NASP) in 1994. To the media and the public, it appeared to be an unrealistically ambitious program that was eventually cancelled, but was in reality a cover project. The media had a “field day” making fun of Ronald Reagan’s (R) “Orient Express” as he politically named the program. They praised Bill Clinton (D) for killing the program. When the real truth was hidden from the American people; the program was a stellar success.
That narrative and dialog was promoted by the military DARPA and their spokesmen, with the objective being to have the United States media parrot what they wanted everyone to think. The truth was that the program was a success, and showed far more promise than they expected. What we know now, decades later, is that this project went “deep black”. Indeed, this is a project for what is almost certainly a black-world hypersonic aircraft.
The X-30 NASP National Aerospace Plane was a successful program that existed the “white” world and went “black” for geopolitical advantage. X-30 NASP. (Image Source.)
Very Secret SAP – Unacknowledged
So far, we have discussed some black programs. These are normal, “everyday”, and typical SAP’s; diplomatic relationships, secret funding methods, gun running, and other “everyday” enterprises of the State Department. In addition there are the more secretive aspects of technology; a cutting edge spy plane, the recovery of an extraterrestrial spaceship, and a LEO ferry vehicle. These are things we can understand. While there are hoards of deniers, and skeptics, these things are all understandable. They are vehicles, machines, and technologies that are plausible. Even if you refuse to accept the idea of them.
Now, let’s put that all aside for a minute. Let’s get to REAL secrets.
Here is a world that is very far beyond what “normal” people consider reality. It is a world where there are extraterrestrials, science, technology, and abilities far in advance of what is considered to be normal. Oh, there a science fiction movies about this kind of reality. Time travel, dimensional doors, and mind control are all popular themes. But they could never actually exist… right?
It’s all just science fiction. Right?
Right?
Passive Measures
It is important that secrets be kept secret.
Someone read in on an unacknowledged SAP would be required to deny even its existence, i.e. even a “no comment” would be a serious breach of security. It can also happen that someone, such as a general or admiral (ostensibly responsible for certain types of programs or areas of technology) would be kept ignorant of the program. Indeed, they would not even be briefed on the existence of a program. Even if it was within his jurisdiction.
The towering wall of denial in the deep black world can thus be maintained. It can be accomplished by both deception and a deliberately crafted lack of cognizance. That way, the head officials can truthfully deny the existence of any deep black project.
Active Measures
In addition to passive security, active measures can also be deemed necessary. You know, keeping all the key people ignorant only goes so far. What happens when a farmer stubs his toe on a buried extraterrestrial fuselage? What happens when an agent has a hernia operation and starts reciting code to the startled nursing staff? What happens when an agent starts to phase in and out of reality while being interviewed on television? Yikes!
These include [1] disinformation, and of course [2] probe implantation.
Discrediting Binder
One disinformation ploy is to divulge both real and fabricated information of equal apparent credibility mixed together to someone or some group. The fabricated information can then be used to discredit claims, individuals or organizations.
A discrediting binder is attached with all MAJestic members to enable and instigate a formalized, exacting plan to complete discredit anything that they say or do. Part of this discrediting protocol is retirement of W(U)-SAP agents though the Sex Offender registry. (No one ever believes a sex offender. They are shunned, and automatically discredited even before they even open their mouth to speak.)
This is a highly effective way to keep a major secret. Make it so that no one ever listens to an ex-agent. Make it so that they are shunned, isolated, and ridiculed.
Probe Implantation
When you join a deep-black program you are implanted. Everyone is implanted. There are no exceptions.
The implants control memory access among other things. These probes are put within your skull. They come in different “packages” or “kits”. The most basic is a simple system that controls your ability to recall certain memories.
Everyone who is part of MAJestic is implanted. EVERYONE.
E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E.
Of course there are other kits with other purposes and abilities. These other kits provide “keys” that enable the implanted person to access certain “dimensional doors”. There are also kits that enable a given agent to be entangled with other devices, artifices, and creatures for various purposes. There are also kits that provide one with the ability to switch world-lines.
Like I stated previously, deep back SAPs are the stuff of science fiction.
Now, boys and girls, this is also the litmus test for membership in MAJestic. If you are going to disclose anything of importance regarding actual extraterrestrials, then you will have these memory probes. They can be viewed on an MRI, and with an X-ray. If you don’t have them, you were never in the organization. It’s very cut and dry and very clear. I have them. In fact, I have three complete sets, all with very specialized purposes.
So when someone makes claims of “space marines”, and top secret MAJestic projects, test them at a hospital. Otherwise forgetaboutit.
Carve Outs
You never keep real secrets within the government. All governments are compromised. So you put them elsewhere. You keep them out of the government, and put them within private companies.
“Careful consideration of the record as it is available to us leads us to conclude that further extensive study of UFOs probably cannot be justified in the expectation that science will be advanced thereby.”-1968 University of Colorado report to the Air Force.
Deeply buried programs in contractor facilities are called “carve outs”.
As such, and in the case for most of MAJestic operations, you will need to have a technical background to even be able to walk into the door there. For what it is worth, you would need a university degree and membership in some military organization before you would even be considered to go near any MAJestic program. So when I see these non-technical people spouting off nonsense about MAJestic on the internet, I just end up shaking my head. The two fundamental requirements to work in MAJestic are that you must be part of the military (at some point in time) and have a technical degree.
What is truly ironic is that the Hollywood actors that pretend to be members of a W(U)-SAP are paid millions of dollars, when the actual and real members are generally not paid at all. Or if they are, the agents are paid in small amounts. Matt Damon played the role of a person in a Hollywood version of a U-SAP and made millions of dollars in doing so. However, I was the “real deal” and the most I made while in training was $9/hour. WTF?
Ah, just keeping it real you know.
The reader should realize that the MAJestic umbrella consists of W(U)-SAP “carve outs” that operate as IRAD entities. These entities are outside the government, but operate under their protection elements. They operate in the Military-Industrial theater, and are managed by former military with technical backgrounds.
Selection for inclusion in MAJestic is under the purview of a non-human species. MAJ membership must first obtain permission prior to implantation.
“I find it hard to imagine something as explosive as recovered alien technology remaining under wraps for decades. So while I have no reason to believe there is any recovered alien technology, I will say this: If it were me, and I were trying to bury it deep, I’d take it outside government oversight entirely and place it in a compartment as a new entity within an existing defense company and manage it as what we call an “IRAD” or “Independent Research and Development Activity.”-Christopher Mellon
Duration
Political leaders come and go, pandering to the masses for votes. As such, all of us have varying degrees of respect and trust for them. Deep black programs are quite independent of any given administration. What this means is it would certainly be unrealistic to assume that a given president has been briefed on every SAP.
A president does not automatically have a need to know.
“Read the books, read the lore, start to understand what has really been going on, because there is no doubt that we are being visited. . . . The universe that we live in is much more wondrous, exciting, complex and far reaching than we were ever able to know up to this point in time. . . . [Mankind has long wondered if we’re] alone in the universe. [But] only in our period do we really have evidence. No, we’re not alone.” – Dr. Edgar Mitchell, ScD., NASA astronaut (6th man to walk on the moon)
I do not know of any fundamentally limiting factors in the potential longevity of a program. The extreme compartmentalization and limited oversight would tend to keep a program in existence, perhaps indefinitely. Most programs that I know of seem to indicate a total lack of [1] program management audits, [2] performance measurables tied to longevity, and [3] sunset procedures.
Most importantly, Freedom of Information Act requests cannot penetrate unacknowledged special access programs. So, to the reader, all I can say is “good luck” in trying to get an FOA to penetrate MAJestic secrecy.
Would the President be Briefed on a W(U)-SAP?
If the reader expects that “someday” a United States President will tell the truth of MAJestic and the knowledge of extraterrestrial life, they are seriously in error. It will never happen. The presence of the organization, it’s missions, it’s purpose and it’s activities will NEVER be disclosed. EVER.
NEVER. N-E-V-E-R.
Elected officials, with some notable exceptions, are never privy to this information. They are, and properly so, considered to be compromised. The best bet or likelihood of a disclosure would be from a Presidential candidate who has strong military and aerospace connections. Typically, that would imply a Republican elected official. That is the truth and the facts, no matter how disgusting the concept might be to the reader.
Hillary Clinton (D)
On January 6, 2016, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) announced she would “get to the bottom” of the mystery behind UFO’s. CNN reported this as a humorous joke, but others took it seriously.
Well, I personally wish her the best, but the truth is that she is exactly the kind of person who is banned from knowing anything about MAJestic. The reason is quite simple, her political philosophy is in direct opposition to the interests of the industrial leadership that is part of MAJestic. Further, she is not secure. She has a wide ranging web of political and financial ties in which she is indebted to. She is thus easily compromised. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, her sentience does not fit the sentience requirements for MAJestic. I say this knowing just how apparently well-connected she is. She does not have, nor will ever have, the qualifications to be privy to many of the secrets of MAJestic.
Those in MAJestic consider her (as well as most Republican political players as well) as a serious threat to the security of the organization.
In MAJestic we all view our tasks at a level far above that of the petty squabbles between nations. Sure, we are often personally affected by the decisions and laws of the nations, but our role and purpose is of a much higher order. A Presidential candidate such as Hillary Clinton would turn the great and grand effort into something far less; a temporary media circus, and eventually disassembly into components that could be sold off to the highest bidder for short-term political gain. No. People and individuals such as herself are forever banned from the fountain of knowledge that is MAJestic.
She can promise the world to her loyal followers, but her ability to deliver substantive results is minuscule.
“This thing has gotten so highly-classified…it is just impossible to get anything on it. I have no idea who controls the flow of need-to-know because, frankly, I was told in such an emphatic way that it was none of my business that I’ve never tried to make it to be my business since. I have been interested in this subject for a long time and I do know that whatever the Air Force has on the subject is going to remain highly classified.” – Senator Barry Goldwater, Chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, discussing his attempts to find out exactly what the US government knows about UFO’s.
Jimmy Carter (D)
In 1976 presidential candidate Jimmie Carter promised the American people that he would open any government UFO files that might exist. The reader might also recall that while governor of Georgia, Carter had a UFO sighting and actually filed a report. Then, after winning election to President, Carter met with CIA Director George H. W. Bush seeking a briefing on the topic. There was no question that the new President wanted answers and the full extent of the United States involvement with extraterrestrials and/or “UFO’s.
Could you blame him?
I am sure that the wanted to find out what those things were that were flying about. Perhaps he might even has suspected that there might have been a recovery of one or two craft. Of course, that is so laughable. MAJestic has been working with the caretakers of this planet for many decades.
However, as the reader has probably guessed, Mr. Bush turned him down, claiming that neither [1] as President nor as [2] Commander-in-Chief did he have a “need to know.” Obviously this was a severe “let down” for the new President.
This seems rather harsh and blunt, because the common misconception is that the United States President is the highest authority in the land. However, that misconception is flawed and very, very wrong.
The President is the highest authority of only one of the three branches of government (the executive branch), and the highest authority of the military. Unless the program is tied to the executive branch, or the military, the President has no authority over it.
In extraterrestrial matters, our extraterrestrial partners select who has access to their programs. Not us. They specifically exclude certain individuals for specific reasons.
Elected officials who have not met the sentience requirements are routinely disbarred from participation in the programs.
Anyways, back to Jimmy Carter…
A few months passed.
Once, firmly in office, Carter turned to NASA for information. It was his hope that the Space Agency would be able to help him in ways that the others were unable or unwilling to. To this end he directed presidential science advisor Frank Press to ask NASA administrator Robert Frosch to “form a small panel of inquiry” to investigate the UFO situation. (Ugh! Yup, another one of those “Blue Ribbon Panels” to unearth secrets and investigate with solutions. Yeah, I have a personal distain for these political panels full of borderline losers who managed to climb to undeserved positions of power and authority.)
However, to the surprise of many in the UFO field, nothing at all came of this.
The story of “the great thud” was recounted by Richard C. Henry — then a young astrophysicist (now a prominent Johns Hopkins professor) working as a deputy to the director of what was the Astrophysics Division at NASA headquarters . It was on his desk this “hot potato” request landed.
When asked about this request, and what actions the “Blue Ribbon Panel” took to resolve the questions asked by the President, Richard C. Henry couldn’t say. For five months, NASA went through some amusing twists and turns, recounted by Henry, before politely declining.
The exploratory panel found out nothing. They investigated nothing. They wrote no summary’s, and provided no answers to the President at that time.
The information regarding UFO’s, extraterrestrial species, treaties with them, their technology, and the social implications of communication with them are not, and never was, part of the administrative functions of the President of the United States.
They would only become an issue with the President when it became a matter of National Security involving military personnel.
This was the case during the formation of MAJestic with Truman, and when Ronald Reagan became involved in the program. In both cases there was a concern about military intervention using military forces. Other than that, relations with the core extraterrestrial species have been cordial and did not require presidential participation.
“I recall instances when White House officials sought briefings on highly compartmented DOD programs and were flatly refused. Access to such programs is on a need to know basis. In general, nobody outside DOD, including the Secretary of State, is deemed to have a need to know. Officials like John Podesta and Secretary Clinton can easily serve for years in senior positions and be avid consumers of classified intelligence analysis but never obtain access to DOD’s compartmented programs, which mostly relate to new weapons systems. Information about such programs rarely leaks because it doesn’t circulate, unlike the constant stream of leaked information regarding classified intelligence activities.”-Christopher Mellon
The Extraterrestrial issues
Our relationship with known extraterrestrials is via their conveyance. They control the technology egress. They control our lives, and they control us. They have reasons and purposes for operating here on the earth. Their sole concern is to help the human sentience establish itself into a quantum configuration that is galactically approved.
When you lie on your resume and still get the job. In general, American elected officials do not quality for MAJestic membership. Most American Presidents are not qualified to join MAJestic. (Image Source.)
With that being stated, they control [1] how we interact with them and [2] what information is dished out to the human population in general. [3] They control MAJestic, and they control [4] the membership of MAJestic. It is important for them and the success of the program to do so.
Thus, from their point of view, it makes no difference what the person’s role or position is in the earth human society. They do not care. It does not matter if they are attractive, famous, rich, intelligent, powerful, or popularly elected. They have a completely different set of criteria by which to make a determination of who will be involve in MAJestic and what their role would be.
Here is the truth.
If a newly elected President wants to know all about extraterrestrials and their role in the world of UFO’s and society, they will first have to meet the requirements of acceptability by the governing extraterrestrial species. Their requirements are specific and unwavering. No exceptions are permitted at all. These participation requirements are;
Must have a “Service to Others” sentience. Every single person in the MAJestic organization is of the same sentience. There is no blending of sentience’s for diversification purposes. Humans in general are confilicted with three types of sentiences. The organization requires homogeneous sentience’s. This is an extraterrestrial requirement.
Must have a fairly “clean” or “pure” quantum cloud envelope. This is also an extraterrestrial requirement. More about this later on.
Must be willing to give up a part of their soul towards the good of the human species. To join you must give up a part of what you are and who you are. It is a sacrifice, but I like to think of it more like a “down payment”. This is a fundamental extraterrestrial requirement.
Must place the well being of the human race before any government or nation. Of course, this is an extraterrestrial requirement.
Must not be part of any entrenched political machine. This is because they might “owe” some favors that might compromise the good of the program. It is an extraterrestrial requirement.
Must not be famous or well-known. (Group thoughts are terribly polluting to the quantum cloud.) It is a requirement, though I am not sure if it is wholly an extraterrestrial requirement.
Examples
The reader might doubt the policies of MAJestic. They might question the reasoning behind why a given political personage would be forever barred from joining the organization. They might argue that the President absolutely must be the most secure person to hold a secret. This would simply be because of his position.
However, the arguments are completely and wholly inaccurate.
Hillary Clinton and Membership in MAJestic
Consider the 2016 Presidential Candidate; Hillary Clinton. Here is a famous “Service to self” candidate. Well known, and much beloved by her followers. Her political strengths are legendary. Her connections and experience are outstanding. Yet she would be denied membership in MAJestic, and forever barred from any MAJestic related information. Why?
Well, aside from her sentience type (all MAJestic members are of one set sentience), the mere fact that she is a politician is reason for concern. Politician’s do not keep secrets. They are unable to. The mainstream population might think and believe that everyone in the Whitehouse holds and keeps secrets, but that is not the truth; nor the reality.
As of early 2016, at least a dozen email accounts handled the “top secret” intelligence that was found on Hillary Clinton’s server and recently deemed too damaging for national security to release. Officials said the accounts include not only Clinton’s but those of top aides – including Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan and Philippe Reines – as well as State Department Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy and others. Secondly sources (not authorized to speak on the record) said the number of accounts involved could be as high as 30 and reflects how the intelligence was broadly shared, replied to, and copied to individuals using the unsecured server. As of 2017, we were collectively shocked to discover that the number of “mishandled” secret documents was much, much higher than that. This sort of rampant mishandling of classified material cannot be minimized. This is actually a rather common practice, and well understood by the MAJestic leadership.
She was “cleared” by the FBI Director Comey due to political concerns. However, the aligned extraterrestrial leadership would not be so understandings were they to judge her actions.
Political personages CANNOT keep secrets unless they believe in a higher order or purpose. This is impossible for “service to self” sentience. Most, if not ALL, service to self sentience DO NOT BELIEVE in a higher purpose. This is true no matter how much they pretend to believe in a God, or in Nature, or in an improved social order. They only believe in one thing; THEMSELVES.
It is precisely because of this kind of behavior that certain classes of human sentience are forever disbarred from information access with MAJestic.
MAJestic Agents
When you first join MAJestic you are typically young and in your 20’s. You make commitments, and receive training. You are then set loose to live your own life. That might be anything from being a CPA to working as an engineer in an appliance company.
You are just let loose to build up a life.
You get married. You have children. You go from job to job as the markets expand, contracts, and society carves it’s tentacles into your life. You get promoted, and your career expands. You get fired, and you suffer losses. You have divorces, and accidents. You have children, and train them to be good citizens. You have parents that get old and pass on. Life continues for everyone. It doesn’t stop. It doesn’t stop if you are a member of a secret organization either.
Life happens to everyone.
While all this is going on, the agent is expected to work in his role. Whatever that role might be. Situations will arise to make it easier for the agent to their role. Even though agents are left to fend for themselves, there is a sort of support arm that makes it possible for the agent to survive and maintain their dual roles. Though the support arm could certainly be improved somewhat.
For instance, the engineer working on the “Flying Pig Program” might lose his job at “ACME Widgets”, and end up being a manager at a Burger King restaurant. He might work long shifts. He might be involved in a corporate expansion program, and might be dealing with twin daughters. When he is not doing his “day” job, he is taking care of his family responsibilities at the same time that he is working as an agent. He will receive communications, process tasks, and report to his cell-mate. No one will know the difference.
He will be the master of hamburgers in the day, and the creator of flying pigs in secret.
The MAJestic W(U)-SAP
Let’s talk about MAJestic.
Overall, it is a very close-knit and secretive organization.
Members at my level of involvement were all members of three-man cells, in addition to all of us being implanted. That was just how secretive the organization was / is. No one knows the entire extent of this organization. I don’t. Nobody knows.
September 24, 1947MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSEDear Secretary Forrestal,As per our recent conversation on this matter, you are hereby authorized to proceed with all due speed and caution upon your undertaking. Hereafter this matter shall be referred to only as Operation MAJestic Twelve.It continues to by my feeling that any future considerations relative to the ultimate disposition of this matter should rest solely with the Office of the President, following appropriate discussions with yourself, Dr. Bush and the Director of Central Intelligence.-Harry Truman
Those whom wish more details can find other books on the subject elsewhere. In all cases, public knowledge is greatly retarded. No one person knows the full extent of the organization. No one person knows the full extent of the program No one does. This includes the highest levels of the organization itself.
Anyone who says that they know all about the organization is lying.
What happens when a technologically advanced culture meets a technologically inferior culture? Absorption, modification, enslavement, or genocide? It happens all the time. Which is why it is important that emerging sentience’s be protected in a planetary nursery and policed by extraterrestrial guardians. Superior culture meets a primitive culture. (Image Source.)
Interesting photo this. It looks like it is from the “Golden Age of Travel”. At that time, the world was still a big place, and many regions maintained their own culture, customs, dress, and history. The more advanced cultures and nations provided outlets for exploration and adventure using the modern contrivances of that time. During such adventures culture encounters were varied and meaningful.
The MJ-12 “MAJestic” Committee is tasked with the study and management of all extraterrestrial events and phenomenon. This is an organization that does actually exist. (To repeat; this is an actual organization that functions within the framework of the United States government.) It is not a figment of some kind of “tin foil hat” conspiracy. It is a real and actual organization. It does exist.
While I know very little about its initial formation and earlier incarnations, I do know about the manifestation of what it had evolved into while I was involved in it. This was from 1981 through to 2006. (What it is today, and how it works today, is unknown by myself at this time. I exited from the active participation in the organization in 2006, and exited from my “retirement” in 2011.)
Conspiracies do exist. In the 1920 and 30s, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and countless other major American cities had sprawling electric streetcar rail systems until General Motors, Standard Oil, Phillips Petroleum and Firestone bought up a controlling interest in National City Lines.Once the monopolizing companies owned the railways, they shut them down, forcing Americans to buy cars or ride GM-manufactured buses, fuelled with Standard Oil and Phillips Petroleum, and fitted with Firestone tires.This deliberate campaign to kill the electric-powered streetcars is known as the General Motors conspiracy. The full story didn’t become public knowledge until a Harvard Law began investigating the conspiracy in the seventies and took it all the way to the Senate.During the hearings, which brought forward the proposal to restructure the automobile, truck, bus, and rail industries, General Motors was described as ‘a sovereign economic state’ and affirmed that the company played a major role in the displacement of rail and bus transportation by buses and trucks.By the time the Justice Department caught wind of what was going on, National City Lines had already acquired and taken control of 46 transit network lines. In 1946, nine corporations were indicted in federal district court, accused of “conspiring to acquire control of a number of transit companies, forming a transportation monopoly” and “conspiring to monopolize sales of buses and supplies to companies owned by National City Lines”.Five corporations, including GM and the usual suspects, were convicted of conspiring to monopolize the sale of buses and related products to local transit companies controlled by NCL; but were acquitted of conspiring to monopolize the ownership of these companies.General Motors was fined $5,000.GM treasurer H.C. Grossman was fined $1.The General Motors conspiracy is also frequently dismissed however, claiming the corporations’ did nothing that wasn’t already happening to a bankrupt system which was already being dismantled across the country. An in-depth Vox article on the subject (one of the vocal mouthpieces of the oligarchy) points out that
From publicly disclosed information (that is contentious), apparently MJ-12 was first authorized in 1947 by President Truman.
This program was kept secret and entirely hidden from the public for many decades. It wasn’t until a surreptitious public disclosure (Released by request upon the death of one of the original MJ-12 members.) was made that others became aware of it. (Hotly and fiercely disparaged by NSA infiltrators and vocal statists.)
Disinformation Campaign
During my time in the program, no one knew about our organization or our involvement in it. Thus, when it’s existence was disclosed, it sent shock waves through the UFO and conspiracy-minded community. As a result, it forced an immediate debunking and disinformation campaign.
This continues to this day, with many (of the more popular and well known) conspiracy and UFO web sites and organizations touting the official government party line.
“…ongoing research indicates that many, possibly all, the so-called MJ-12 UFO documents were officially fabricated as instruments of U.S. covert psychological warfare . . .”-International Space Sciences Organization (ISSO)
DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.
What can be Told
The reader should not be deceived by the disinformation campaign. This program is real and quite active. Though what form and designation it currently has contemporaneously is unknown to me at this time. Some important considerations must be taken into account;
About nomenclature;
MAJestic falls under the MAJI (the Majority Agency for Joint Intelligence) umbrella.
I prefer to refer to this organization as “MAJestic” simply because that was the terminology used at the time of my entry into the program. I do not know what it is actually called today.
Only the top members of the organization referred to it using the MAJestic nomenclature. Everyone else in the organization referred ONLY to their specific part within the organization. Typically using slang or their alphanumerical designator when necessary. Personally, we referred to it as “the program”.
This program is often confusingly referred to as “MAJestic”, “MJ-12”, “MAJI”, “MAJIC” or as “MAJestic-12”. The various names used all refer to specific areas of procedural interest, but are often used incorrectly though inadvertent ignorance.
This program has hundreds of tiny sub-programs that all have dedicated membership.
The umbrella organization operates “programs” and “projects” that are unaware of the overall parental control.
The above should be quite understandable, no great secrets are being disclosed. I think that the reader can come up with this information on their own if they looked hard enough. It’s really all over the internet, no matter what efforts were put forth by disinformation experts. Now, to further elaborate on some of the secrecy aspects…
In most specialized sub-programs, all direct and active members operate in 3 man cells. No one person knows the full extent of the program.
Most members are not told anything other than what they immediately need to know to accomplish their tasks.
All members in this organization are part of the W(U)-SAP security classification.
It is not a political organization. Political members are typically considered to be security risks, with only the ones with the strongest religious or national values even considered to participate.
Officially, the United States government disavows all knowledge and involvement in this organization. But it does exist. This is why a W(U)-SAP has the “U”. All involvement is denied.
None of this should be a surprise. Again, all of this can be found on the internet in one form or the other. All real genuine secret programs operate this way. To continue on some of the more uncommon or UNKNOWN aspects of MAJestic secrecy…
All members in the organization, from the very top to the lowest member are implanted with probes into their brains. The minimum requirement is a Core Kit #1 set of probes. I know of NO member who was not implanted. If you fall under the MAJ umbrella, you are implanted.
Individual members typically stay within one project for their entire stint within MAJestic. There are absolutely no cross-project transfers.
Members in possession of Core Kit #2 probes have to alter their “normal human” behaviors and lifestyle as it might interfere with their operations. This behavioral “lock out” is maintained through various methods and is only released upon retirement.
Members are in the organization for life. Retirement typically involves memory lock-out and a lifetime of monitoring (such as the sex offender program).
Any risks to the security of the organization results in termination of the individual without debate. There are no exceptions.
Now, why this organization exists in the first place. This information can be derived through the internet to some extent, though most of the available information is incorrect or in error.
Here is the real deal.
MAJestic was established to work with the various extraterrestrial species that humans would encounter for [1] geopolitical concerns and to [2] acquire advanced technology. The idea was to obtain technological advantage so that global world-wide leadership could be maintained.
MAJestic has since made an agreement to assist certain extraterrestrials in the monitoring of this planet. They did this in exchange of certain technologies and geopolitical advantages.
Extraterrestrials work with MAJestic to assist in the policing and maintenance of the “human sentience nursery”.
It is tasked with the coordination of ALL things extraterrestrial around the world. This includes all relationships, treaties, interaction, science exchanges, and reengineering efforts.
Some MAJestic projects involve the [1] biological aspects of extraterrestrials, while others were involved [2] in their technologies. Some are involved in [3] projects that assist in maintenance of the human nursery.
Now, perhaps some word can be said about the projects. I know nothing about other projects, there are some things that one can (through extension) figure out.
About the projects…
The organization is quite large consisting of various “projects”. Each project has a bland alpha-numeric designator.
It is wholly a United States organization, though it does have relationships with other nations.
The senior level or executive management in MAJestic is the only level with any idea of the scope and extent of the organization.
Executive management does not know any of the details. They only know a simplistic overview. No one person knows everything about the organization. Not even the top head of the organization.
Details of the “projects” are limited to the various heads or project managers of the projects. This is an extraterrestrial requirement.
Now, to best help differentiate between the bullshit on the internet, and some real hard intel, let’s talk about membership. Let’s talk about personnel and selection…
Every person that I know of who was directly associated in the program had a technical background. To be in direct contact with extraterrestrials, one needed to possess a technical background. There are NO exceptions.
Every person that I was aware of, in the organization, had [1] a minimum of a four-year college education in the sciences, and [2] a military background of some sort.
Membership is carefully selected and culled. Most, if not ALL, members come from the military community, either directly or indirectly. All must be approved by our extraterrestrial allies. (Actually, the extraterrestrials select the candidates first, and then MAJestic recruits them.)
Membership to the organization can only come from approval AND selection from our extraterrestrial allies. At no time will a person be selected for membership without extraterrestrial approval and vetting.
All MAJesticmembers, are “service to others” sentience.
About the membership…
The organization is entirely separated into isolated groups. No one person knows the full extent of everything. NOT ONE PERSON.
The MAJestic organization has a top level steering committee within the highest levels of the American government. But they only know the basics. Their understanding about things is laughingly simplistic.
The individual projects has one person who functions as the aggregator. They know everything regarding one very specialized project.
Agents within MAJestic are very specialized and are the only ones that interact with extraterrestrials personally and directly.
Most MAJestic activities, that do not involve extraterrestrial interaction, are farmed out and placed under U-SAP program “carve outs”. They might handle artifacts, and conduct studies. They might be involved with reverse engineering efforts, but they do not interact with the extraterrestrials directly. No matter what you read on the internet to the contrary.
Retirement is handled outside of the MAJestic sphere, and is monitored by non-MAJestic personnel.
Finally, about THIS disclosure…
Disclosure of MAJestic information, without prior approval by our extraterrestrial allies, will result in the death of the person disclosing the information. (Including everything posted by myself if it is not already preapproved.). That means myself. So NOTHING herein is NOT preapproved.
I only post, and carefully vet, what I am approved to release. I say this TWO TIMES.
In no way, was I in a leadership or management position in the program.
I held a very specialized role within the program.
In a way, you could actually say that this blog is my ULTIMATE task within the organization. The MAJestic membership, and our extraterrestrial friends both see a need to release SOME basic information to the public. Provided that the information released does not compromise any ongoing efforts.
This posted article was APPROVED for posting. I made sure of it.
Most of what is published on the Internet regarding MAJestic is fabricated nonsense.
Key Points
We, as agents of the program, have always referred to this program as the “ELF program” or the more simpler version “The Program”. However, that is a misnomer.
ELF refers to the mandatory implant procedure to control thoughts and memories of agents.
“MAJestic” refers to the parent organization (old name and description) that oversees the specific program and the ELF implantation procedure. To this date, MAJestic has continued to exist in various forms and names depending on who was involved and what their role was. I am not absolutely sure of what its current incarnation is.
This organization is one huge (multiple compartment) black-budget program that answers to the highest reaches of the American Political-Scientific-Industrial cabal.
Depending on who is President at the time, they may or may not be included in MAJestic membership. Even if included, their access to the true scope of information and issues regarding MAJestic would be severely limited.
This is a huge organization.
All members of this organization, except those at the very top of the administration pyramid, are implanted. They enter the program, usually via military channels, and are implanted and instructed that they are entering a “Special Access Program”, or SAP.
Depending on their particular involvement in the program they might fall into various subsets of access and authority. Those involving direct contact with extraterrestrial technologies and individuals are generally classified as an “Unacknowledged Special Access Program” designator, or U-SAP. Those involved in much more serious and controversial projects, such as ourselves, answer only to the highest levels of administration and are given the “Waived & Unacknowledged Special Access Program” designation, or W(U)-SAP.
Conclusion
There is an organization that is embedded deep within the United States. It was initially set up by President Truman, but is no longer under Presidential authority. While it operates internally to the United States, it operates independently of it.
The organization is known as MAJestic.
All agents work as an element of a W(U)-SAP. They enter through a very careful vetting procedure. They are all implanted for memory control, and retired after thirty years of service. Agents are typically retired as sex offenders. That way they are carefully monitored and their actions are controlled.
MAJestic agents assist the maintenance of this sentience nursery that we consider to be our planet.
Take Aways
If you read the news in America today, it is full of “leaks” and stories of “hacks”. It seems odd that real serious programs never seem to be breached. Maybe that is because either [1] they don’t exist, or [2] they do exist, but their secrecy is of upmost importance.
I suggest the second answer;
There are secrets, and then there are REAL SECRETS.
Real secrets are maintained most carefully.
Agents are selected carefully, implanted, and trained for their roles.
Agents are monitored at all times through probes.
Agents are retired after thirty years.
After retirement, the probes are turned off, and agents are monitored as sex offenders.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. Perhaps it is lead by Tony Soprano. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot inside of crystal castles in the sky. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.That is the situation that I find myself in.I can talk about how the cha cha might be improved if horses danced it. I can talk about how to grow “magic beans” in chicken poop. I can talk about OTHER crystal castles in the sky. I can talk about many things about my life. But I cannot divulge anything that might compromise the project I was part of.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your thoughts on how Hillary Clinton had thousands of SAP documenation on a home made server, and wasn’t killed on spot when it was discovered. I would welcome your thoughts on the structure of very secret organizations, and why the USA maintains organizations without “sunset” clauses. I am “all ears”.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Does MAJestic operate fleets of patrol vessels or a military force of some type.
A: No. Not that I am aware of. My role did not involve anything that looked like that in any way.
Q: What can you tell us about your role in MAJestic?
A: I am sorry, but
[1] I cannot divulge anything that would compromise my project, nor [2] any existing projects.
I can [3] explain some things that I have been exposed to that were not part of my project.
I can [4] put together already known public knowledge in a form that presents clarity.
I can [5] introduce the reader to an overview of the true reality, provided that it does not compromise MAJestic in any way.
I can [6] summarize certain things in a distilled narrative for (pre-approved) public consumption.
Everything posted is scrutinized by my handler and edited appropriately. Let it be understood that my program is no longer active. I am retired, and my handler is a non-human entity. I only post what has been approved. You the reader can think what you may. I don’t give a shit.
Q: Is MAJestic involved in reverse engineering efforts of extraterrestrial hardware.
A: Yes and No. They have a broad degree of control over the disposition of any item of extraterrestrial origin. However, agents themselves are not involved in any type of reengineering.
That task is “farmed out” to other groups that fall within a SAP.
For instance the C.A.R.E.T. program was one such program. The engineers working there were not members of MAJestic. However, the supervisory and management staff all had to have SAP clearance.
Q: What is the overall role of MAJestic?
A: The initial tasking was as an organization to monitor, control, and utilize any information, experience, or technology that could be obtained from other extraterrestrial intelligences.
Over the years, as we have become more familiar with our role in this galaxy and the role of humankind, MAJestic has been tasked with assisting in the monitoring and growth of the human sentience in the sentience nursery that we call the earth.
Q: What was your role?
A: You know, what is conventionally understood about extraterrestrials via Hollywood, and the esteemed brilliant minds in their ivory towers are not part of the reality at all. I am reminded of the pictures of robots at the turn of the 19th century, and how people pictured the future. It was wildly incorrect.
This is what people thought computerized cars would look like at the turn of the century.
Turn of the century robot, and what people thought automated cars would look like. In a similar way, this is the image that Hollywood paints of extraterrestrials. (Image source.)
I am also reminded about a movie titled “Defending your life”. The guy is in Heaven, and he’s trying to understand how everything works there. So he asks his assigned angel to tell him what he was doing. The angel tells him, and it makes absolutely no sense to him. The reason being, of course, is that his understanding of the physical reality is completely different than is understanding of the absolute reality. The two are not the same.
Yeah. I gave up being a trained rocket scientist and a naval aviator to join MAJestic. They couldn’t tell me what my role was going to be because even the MAJestic management couldn’t understand it’s utility. The reader should ask themselves WHY a person of my background would be chosen, and for WHAT particular role would I be assigned.
Nope, it was NOT about reverse engineering of technology, I can certainly confirm that. Nor was it about being a pilot of the “Space marines” or something like that.
Sorry that is all Hollywood nonsense.
What I can say is that physicists are publically divided into the reality of MWI. While they are arguing back and forth, back and forth, seemingly endlessly, others have just moved passed the debate stage. Indeed, there are others who have the funding and resources to work with extraterrestrials in these fields of debate.
But of course, MWI is unproven. Extraterrestrials don’t exist. Man has no place in the universe outside of this planet, and the government is always looking out for our best interests.
Don’t you know…
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Consciousness can migrate about in and out of the physical world. A truly advanced civilization and culture recognizes this fact. For us to grow as humans we must also recognize this fact.
For me to perform my operations relative to MAJestic, I needed to migrate my consciousness. As such, I was exposed to numerous technologies involved in this action. Fundamental to that is an understanding of what soul is. Here, I would like to introduce the reader to the reality of soul. Yes, boys and girls, souls do exist. There is a reason to life.
Of course, this post, like all my other posts, is going to ruffle some tail feathers. Hey, no problem. You can leave if you don’t like what I have to say.
Contrary what you (the reader) might be expecting, I am not going to repackage any of the teachings of the major religions. Nor am I going to point out an approved “scientific” narrative, either. What I am presenting here is what I have learned through entanglement experiences. As such, it can be wrong, because what was taught to me was in error, or it could be wrong because my understanding is faulted. It can also just be a bunch of nonsense. You the reader can decide.
You can read it or not…
Elementary Summary of History
Here is my very simplified explanation as to how Heaven came about. It was pretty simple.
There was a point of beginning. The reader can think of it as “The Big Bang”, but for reasons that I cannot get into at this moment, I think it was something else. Let’s, for now, just consider it “The Start”. It was very similar to the “Big bang” in that there was nothing, and then there was something.
Heaven was created after the start of all there is. It did not come before.
When the “The Start” erupted, the universe was flooded with quantum strings. Over time, the quantum strings began to interact with each other. They developed into different forms and shapes. They also developed into different energy states. Within this place were all sorts of these weird quantum strings. Over time, as they interacted with each other, they created a stratified place. (In the picture above, this stratified place is shown as a color gradient.) The different energy states and different behaviors of the quantum strings occurred within a strange reality. It is one that our minds cannot grasp. It is a reality where there just isn’t anything known as time, and anything known as space. It was, for lack of a better word, a “place”. It is NOT the universe.
That place can be considered to be “Heaven”.
At this time, nothing existed except the presence of the quantum strings.
Since it was stratified by energy potential, certain combinations or configurations of strings started to “drop out” or “fall into” a state of comfort or stability. They did so suddenly, as if on cue. The lowest or less energetic of the quantum strings found a point of stability and created a “bubble”. All of the lower order strings migrated towards that “bubble”. We call this event ‘The Big Bang”.
Now, many scientists wrap the “Big Bang” together with “The Start”. It is as if, they were one and the same. Maybe they were. I don’t know. What I do know is that the “Big Bang” came after the formation of “Heaven”.
The “Big Bang” occurred after Heaven was created. We do not know the amount of “time” that passed. All that we know is that the universe that we recognize occurred after the creation of Heaven.
We exist within this “bubble”. To us, it is all that there is. It is the universe as we observe it. The highest energy potentials are beyond range of our human ability to perceive.
What is not clear to us, but should be obvious, is that other collections of quantum strings formed other bubbles. In many ways, these bubbles were similar to the one that we now consider to be our universe. However, that is where the similarity ends. These other bubbles or “other universes” are all different from ours in strange and unusual ways.
More than one “universe” was spawned from our “Heaven”. There were many other universes. Each one was different, with different attributes, and rules.
Just as the slower and denser arrangements of quantum, strings precipitated out and became our universe. Other collections of quantum strings arranged themselves into new orders and migrated into other “bubbles”.
Many collections of quantum strings formed “arrangements”. They fell into ordered shapes. They became ordered quanta. As such, over time they began to develop sentience. As such, they migrated into bubble “universes” that was attractive to them. For humans, when the quantum strings began to form a human-like sentience, they all migrated to a new “bubble universe”. For lack of a better term, I call this universe the “Human Universe”. And, for lack of a better term, I call the parent Heaven as the “Zone of Unordered Quanta”.
To prevent confusion, it is important to distingush between primordial Heaven, and contemporaneous Heaven(s). Primordial Heaven is a realm of unordered quanta.
This is the way the universe works. Our physical bodies reside within a physical universe. Our souls reside within a “Human Heaven”. We know that there are other “Heavens” for different types of sentience. There is a “Dog Heaven”. There is a “Cat Heaven”. There is even a “Turtle Heaven”.
The Human Soul
Most Americans know what a “soul” is, though they would be hard pressed to explain it. The problem with this is that it is difficult to describe and measure in three-dimensional Newtonian terms. That is because the mathematics of how the brain functions describe a multi-dimensional existence (more about this later.).
I think that everyone, including the reader, must understand the reality of soul. They must understand that it has form. That it also has a function and features that can be defined and measured if one has the proper tools and equipment. It’s not some kind of imaginary spiritual feel-nice flowery “stuff”. It is a major component of who and what we are. Just because we, today, are having trouble pinning it down today does not mean that it will always be impossible to do so. We, as humans, just simply don’t have the proper equipment yet to do so.
The soul is quite real.
We are having trouble trying to detect it because it does not reside within our physical reality. It exists outside of our reality. The only thing that we can detect is our consciousness. Luckily, for us, our consciousness is a part of our soul. They are intimately connected.
The Soul Resides within Heaven
The (human) soul exists in a higher dimensional state, which we commonly refer to as “Heaven”. (From now on, I will use shorthand notation. “Heaven” will always refer to “Human Heaven” unless specified otherwise.) It does not exist in the physical world. Instead, it creates a “connection” or “link” to the physical world. The link or connection is our consciousness.
Souls exist within a Heaven. Human souls exist within a Human Heaven. Cat souls exist within a Cat Heaven.
Souls exist in “Heaven”. In the illustration above, it is clear that while all souls exist within a “Heaven”, they are NOT equal. They occupy different energy states or states of being (ability). In the picture above, soul B has a coarser or denser energy level compared to that of soul A. That does not mean that soul A is “better” or “more spiritual” than soul B. It simply means that they are different.
Those differences between the two souls are meaningless. It holds no understanding for us as physical beings existing as we do, within our physical reality.
In truth, there are numerous characteristics of a given soul. These characteristics are defined how the “stuff” that souls are made out of (ordered quantum strings), interact with the “stuff” that Heaven is made out of (unordered quantum strings). Thus, we have different energy potentials, different entropic states, different sizes, different arrangements of quanta, and different resultant post-formulation self-constructions.
Heaven
No one (human) really knows exactly what “Heaven” is. For our purposes, we shall keep it simple. “Heaven” is state of existence that lies outside of our physical reality. Its dimensions, shape, composition, and limitations are unknown to us.
Thus we know of two states of existence. There is the one state that we reside in. It is our reality. It is all that we know. Then, there is a second state of existence. It lies outside of our reality. We know nothing of this state, except that it exists.
How do we know that it exists? Because we, as consciousness, know and understand that there is something “out there”; something bigger and grander than the reality that we exist within. We don’t know anything more than that. We just know that there is something “else” once our physical body dies within this reality.
While we do know that Heaven is composed of unordered quanta, we do know that it is self- segregated. We do know that within “Heaven” are states, or “levels” of existence. Some might refer to this as “energy levels”, “power”, “entropy”, “purity”, or some other means that would help express the concept of Heaven to us humans. Some religions break these regions into “planes”, or “levels” of Heaven. We, as physical mortals do not know what they are. We only know that they exist.
Our minds put these various regions in a two dimensional existence. When in reality, instead of a two dimensional (up and down, with better or “more” spiritual states up top, and lesser states below) there are multiple components regarding this state situation. (The picture above shows the two dimensional concept.) When in reality it might look like something much more complex. (Please see the picture below.)
Heaven is a very detailed and complex place. It is a realm where quanta takes on forms that are beyond our understandings at this time.
Souls exist in a “Heaven” of unique complexity.
Composition of Souls
Within Heaven are Souls.
Souls are also not well understood. In fact, it is still under debate by many well-learned scientists. For our purposes, we will define both Heaven and Souls to be made up of the same “stuff”. We will define the “stuff”, makeup or composition of both Souls and Heaven to be the smallest and basic elements of the known universe. That is “strings”. Both Heaven and Souls are composed of quantum strings.
To continue, and to greatly simplify, the “stuff” of Heaven can be considered to be “unorganized” quantum strings. While Souls can be considered to be “ordered” or “organized” quantum strings that have obtained sentience. Within this environment, souls with the proper experience and training, can take unordered quantum strings and create order.
Thus, in this most simple explanation of our universe, we have a universe that is composed of ordered and unordered quantum strings, and within this are souls. With Souls consisting of ordered quantum strings that have obtained sentience.
A soul is a collection of quantum strings that have obtained sentience.
Sentience is the first step in growth of a soul. There are many other steps. In order to grow and achieve these other steps or levels, we need to expand soul. This is accomplished by adding and arranging ordered quantum strings.
As stated previously, ordered quantum strings are a consequence of experience.
Realities are Constructs to obtain Experiences
Within the world of Heaven, it is very difficult to configure, compile and grow Souls. Souls grow by attachments and relationships between quantum strings.
In short, it is rather very simple to explain. Souls grow by the attainment of experiences. With each experience, the soul can configure, grow, adapt, and learn.
Souls create realities so that they have a “place” where they can acquire experiences.
Soul A creates a “Reality” so that it can obtain experiences in.
Experiences, and most especially how we handle them, determine the quantum attachments we make. Therefore, it is very important to watch our behaviors and control our actions. This not only concerns actions, but our thoughts as well. I will cover this in more detail later. For now, the reader just needs to note that thoughts and actions together define the shape our reality takes on. That reality, in turn, translates into the type of quantum entanglements that our consciousness collects.
When our soul collects entanglements via the consciousness, it can use them build upon, create and expand with. In general, the soul wants the best “quality” entanglements. Poor quality entanglements retards growth.
The best way to obtain high quality entanglements is to [1] be active and be outgoing, [2] think good thoughts, [3] be a moral person, and [4] be kind to others (including animals). Intention is everything.
To obtain the largest amount of entanglements, you need to out and be around a lot of people. We, as humans in the physical world, are like huge vacuum cleaners, entangling with everyone and everything we meet. To obtain the highest quality of entanglements, we need to be around good people, in a good environment. Now, we can be around bad people, but we must be good and positive around them. We must not let them affect us in a negative way.
The reader can think of it this way;
You walk down a road at night. A robber mugs you and you hand over your wallet. He leaves. You are one wallet poorer. That entire event was an experience. Like it or not, that experience is now part of who you are.
However, how you react to that experience will determine the shape of the quantum attachments that you collect. If you are angry and hold on to it, the attachment gets courser, and more primitive. You attract other events and people of a similar nature. The longer you hold on to it, the worse it gets. If, however, you let it go. You forget about that event and move on with your life, you will chalk up that experience and benefit from it. It didn’t change who you are, and you have learned from it. It became a positive growth experience and you have benefited from it.
Control of thoughts and actions is there most important thing that we can do on this planet within our reality.
One Reality per Person
There is only one reality per person. It is set up by the soul specifically to obtain experiences from. We do not share our reality with anyone. It only looks that way. We might think that we are sharing it with our loved one. We are not. It is an illusion. We are sharing it with the version of them within our reality.
To facilitate educational growth, Souls create “Realities”. Realities are a classroom that Souls can grow through a surrogate “human” (If you are a human. Different realities exist for different animals.). In each reality (or world-line), there is but one physical reality with but one person existing within it. (This is not what everyone thinks. We all believe that we share our realities. We do not. We share the universal “template”.) The Soul connects to this reality through a mechanism known as “Consciousness”.
This “connection” or “link” is known as consciousness.
Consciousness
Sentience is meaningless in of itself.
Souls can partition their sentience into small groups known as “consciousness”. These smaller elements are set forth to inhabit a physical reality. This is done in order to acquire experiences. Each body that the consciousness acquires needs to have a physical component of sentience. There is no word for this in the English language. Therefore, we are stuck with the confusion resulting from two types of sentience. One is a GOD-level sentience, and one is a physical-level-sentience.
Soul places an “interface” within the constructed reality. This interface is known as “consciousness”.
Soul places an “interface” within the constructed “reality”. This is known as “consciousness”.
The consciousness, when it resides within the physical reality can move about freely. It takes on wave behavior. As such, it can move in and out the constructed reality. The reality (of course) has both a physical and non-physical components. The consciousness can move about both quite adeptly.
However, that really isn’t very useful. The consciousness is not able to interact with anything. In order to gain experiences, and attract quanta (it’s like a big vacuum cleaner, don’t you know…) the consciousness must interact with other physical things within the reality construct. The best way to do this is for the consciousness to occupy a physical body.
To occupy the physical body, the consciousness needs to leave the wave state and enter a particle state. Once in the particle state, it can interact with the physical body. It can move the physical body, learn and grow.
Souls create realities from which to create events by which experiences can be obtained. To acquire those experiences and learn from them, the soul creates a consciousness within that reality.
Souls create “Realities” to obtain experiences.
Thus the soul, in this “Heavenly” environment, it creates various “realities” or “bubbles” of realities from which to learn and obtain experiences. Experiences are how souls grow. They collect quantum particles and form them into shapes that create advancement of soul states. When the soul wishes to obtain an experience, it creates a consciousness that it assigns to a physical body within one of the realities.
A soul is NOT a consciousness. A given consciousness is but a small part of a soul that is dispatched into a “reality” to learn and acquire experiences. Consciousness is a part of a soul that is allocated for physical education.
Each reality can be segregated into the physical and the non-physical reality. The physical reality is well known and understood. It is the Newtonian reality that we have all been taught in school. The non-physical reality is (currently) the realm of the “spiritual”. It is the world of the unseen. It is also the home of the spiritual worlds such as evidenced by “astral projection” and the various other planes of existence.
The consciousness is not imprisoned within a body. The consciousness can move within the physical reality so created, or with proper training, enter into the non-physical realities surrounding the reality bubble. It is a matter of changing the quantum state of the quantum particles that form the consciousness component of the soul. (Particle dynamics change to wave dynamics; more about that later.)
However, it is always limited to one specific reality at a time.
The soul creates an environment to learn from.
Consciousness is a “Passageway”
Consciousness can be thought of as a “passageway”.
We like to think of it as “who we are”. However, that is not what it is. It is something else entirely. So instead of thinking of it as a set being or entity, consider it as a long road. Think of it as a window or path that connects your physical brain to your non-physical soul. As such, your consciousness connects your physical reality to heaven.
It is a passageway.
It is a passageway from your soul to your present reality. This reality is NOT a shared reality that you share with others. No. It is to a specific “reality” that resides within the universe. This reality is but one of the many, many possible combinations of what can, did and will happen in our universe.
Consciousness is the passageway or “tunnel” that connects the physical reality to the soul.
Consciousness should be considered a “Passageway” or “Tunnel” to our soul.
The Universal Template
The universe is, fundamentally, a template from which a reality can be constructed from.
This is NOT what we think it is. We consider the universe to be fixed, and never changing. We all think that we all share the same universe at the same time. We do not. That is just what it appears to be while we exist within it. We share the same universal template. From that are spawned various realities as needed.
Individual realities tend to cluster. They are not that dissimilar.
This is both for different souls, and for given particular lessons. For must humans, the realities are constructed from a universal template that centers around the earth. Experiences are drawn from different variations of experiences in different time periods. Yes, so the idea that we all share the same experience in the same place at the same time is wrong. It only appears that way.
The universal template consists of every single human, and every possible action that they were involved in, from the earliest dates to the end of humanity. The soul selects individual realities out of this universal template. It then positioned a consciousness within a physical body, which lies within a reality drawn from this physical template.
Reality is spawned from the universal template.
Your reality is spawned from the Universal Template.
As such, a reality can be mixed up and taken at random as needed. It does not need to follow a sequential “arrow” of time. If a given soul needs the experiences of a baker working in Paris in the year 1850, it will construct that reality from the template. Then it will send a consciousness into that reality so to obtain experiences.
Once the experiences, and the lessons, are finished the consciousness leaves the physical reality. It returns home to soul.
If the soul then wants to have other additional experiences (as is often the case), it reinserts the consciousness in another reality that it constructs. Perhaps, it might want to have the experiences of an American aviator fighting in the South Pacific ocean during World War II. It then would spawn a new reality from the universal template. It would then insert the consciousness into that reality. As such, it would then obtain those experiences.
Once the experiences (and the lessons) were finished, the consciousness would leave the body. It returns home to soul yet again.
Now, let’s suppose that the soul wants to have the experiences as a slave involved in the building of one of the pyramids in ancient Egypt. It can most certainly do so. As such, it would pull a reality from the universal template and reinsert the consciousness into that reality. It can do this because “time” doesn’t really exist. It only appears that way to us who are within an extracted reality.
Thus, through continuous manipulation of realities, and the movement of consciousness, the soul grows and rearranges quanta. Each time it improves itself. It keeps progressing and doing so until it can reach the next stage of existence for the soul. (Whatever that might be.)
Putting it all Together
So far, I have introduced the reader to the reality of all there is. The reader should now know what a “Human Heaven” is like, and how it came about. The reader should now also know what the universe is, and how it came about as well. The reader should also understand how souls use the Physical Universe” to select “Realities” from which the soul can obtain experiences.
So, putting everything together, it looks something like this…
The timeless universe is the universal template. The soul uses this template from which to create realities from.
And, ladies and gentleman, that is exactly how the universe works. As you can see it is quite different from what is taught in churches, and in schools. Never the less that is the way it is.
A brief set of summaries are in order;
Heaven is a place that best suits a set of organized quanta that has obtained sentience.
As such, there is a Heaven for each creature that has obtained sentience.
Heaven was created by the “Big Bang” after an event which I refer to as “The Start”.
Our souls exist in Heaven.
They create “realities” so they can obtain experiences.
Experiences allow souls to organize unorganized quanta and thus grow and advance.
We do not share realities.
Each reality is unique to the consciousness that inhabits it.
Because each reality is unique, we as consciousness can change it…
From which I would like to segway to some aspects of my role within MAJestic; World-Line travel.
World-Lines
The idea of world-lines is a very simple concept in regards to this.
There are a (near) infinite number of world-lines that a consciousness (person) can experience. However, it is only beneficial for the person to experience a different world-line as long as it guarantees the same level of learning (of the Soul) will be obtained.
A “world-line” is a variation of a reality that a consciousness inhabits.
There is NO physical movement from one world-line to another. It is after all, the same reality bubble. (The reader is advised NOT to get confused in this regard. Some of the illustrations might give that impression. It is not the case. In the absolute reality of the soul, world-line travel is not really travel at all. Instead, it is a change in the composition of reality.) What changes are the entropy presets that are associated with the reality bubble. More about this later on.
Consciousness can migrate from one reality to another reality. This is often referred to as world-line travel.
Consciousness can migrate from one reality to another reality. This is commonly known as world-line travel. The consciousness would migrate from one world-line reality to another world-line reality.
The only benefit in the migration is relative to the experiences that soul can obtain. For now, in this section, let’s keep our focus on the human soul as viewed by a human within a bubble reality.
In the above picture we can see that a person is living within a reality. The soul then decides to move or migrate the consciousness to another reality. It can happen ONLY as long as the experiences are similar or “better”. So the reader can imagine that he / she is living within a reality where they are a taxicab driver in New York City. If the soul wanted to, or if the conditions and technologies were acceptable, the consciousness of the taxicab driver could migrate to a world-line where he is the CEO of an Ice Cream company in Hartford, CT.
Consciousness migration can change EVERYTHING within that reality.
Typically, in the “real world” (the reality that I happen to inhabit at this point in time), most contemporaneous world-line travel is limited by the technologies utilized. These technologies limit the travellers to world-lines were they share the same (approximate) physical body. If you are a white male named “Fred” in the first reality, you will move to a new reality where you are still a white male named “Fred”.
By changing certain defaults and energy settings an entire world of change can manifest during world-line travel. This is typically known as a “Level Three” migration. It’s not for the faint of heart, however. When the vector coordinates change radically, so can find yourself in a new environment with little in the way of commonality. You might leave the first reality as a “Fred” and enter the new world-line reality as a “Susan”. While your memories won’t change (they are stored in the non-physical reality) yourself within the new reality might take some getting used to.
Types of World-Line Migrations
There are numerous ways that world-line migration can manifest for us humans. I know of only five ways. Most of them are beyond the capabilities and experiences of most humans as they require specialized equipment, and training to conduct.
Typically, the most common changes are rather simple.
Level Zero Migration
The most common, and simple migrations are achievable by everyone. That means YOU, the reader. You can manifest these changes yourself. These are “Level Zero” migrations. Here the alterations are very simple and hardly noticeable. They take time to manifest. Typically six months to three years. Nevertheless, if you are careful and persistent, they will always manifest. These are changes in the reality of less than a fraction of a percentage. For instance;
Slight alterations of friends and nearby people’s behaviors
Changes in the reality that surrounds you physically.
General alterations in people, places and things.
Specific alterations in furniture, money, luck or skill
Minor changes in weather
As such, these changes help to bring about desired experiences and lessons. They are but “tweaks” that are useful in obtaining the necessary experiences that a given consciousness needs. Most consciousness’s experience these kinds of tweaks due to subconscious direction, or verbal affirmations that directs the individual power of intention. Level zero migrations are achievable by everyone and do not require any technology to accomplish.
The power of prayer is a “level zero” migration.
Most people do not know how to pray. They ask for things. That is not how to pray. You must visualize what you desire to alter. Then impress it with emotion. Perform this ritual for a set period of time, maybe ten minutes every day for two weeks or something similar, and then release it. Let it go. It will manifest… eventually. Don’t wait for it.
As such, it is very powerful. Just because it is classified as a “Level zero” migration, does not diminish it’s significance. This, of course, only pertains to self-prayer. Or, prayer that is directed to the person making the prayer. Prayer directed outwards is another issue altogether and another thing entirely. It does not work. The only types of prayer that will manifest for you is ones directed at you, by you.
Level One Migration
However, given mastery of certain (assistive) technologies, a consciousness with a given reality can migrate automatically and autonomously. This can be considered a “Level One” migration ability. This can accomplish greater experiences and learning exercises.
It does requires technology to accomplish. That means an actual machine.
There is a lot of this going on. Those that possess this ability typically waste it on “time travel” activities. Which is pretty silly when you really think about it. As such, the person so empowered can change the following attributes during reality migration;
Geographic location
Date and time
Weather
Culture
These are the most common changes during world-line travel. But that is only because the changes and influences were small. Here a person can go back in time (apparently) and return (apparently). These changes will have corresponding alterations in culture and society the greater the delta deviation from the baseline to the origination point is. Any changes will alter their reality. It will not alter your reality as you are occupying a different reality.
Now, when a person gets involved in level one migration they can (possibly under certain conditions) enter realities where other “versions” of themselves might share the reality. This can include examples of older or younger versions of yourselves. This can included examples of different versions of yourself. This type of migration can certainly get very confusing.
Level Two Migration
“Often people claim to remember past lives; I claim to remember a different, very different, present life. …I rather suspect that my experience is not unique; what perhaps is unique is the fact that I am willing to talk about it.”
-Philip K. Dick
To obtain large-scale experiences and radical changes, much greater deviations can occur. Here, a person (Consciousness) can migrate to far different realities. This would be a “Level Two” migration ability.
Like a Level One migration, technology is required. However the technology level is similar. What differs is the manipulation of the target coordinates. It is much more comprehensive and complex.
This is the most important type of world-line travel, as the benefits to consciousness is the most advantageous. However it is also the most dangerous, as the risks are quite large. Here, we can add the changes of;
Revised historical pasts (What if Hitler won World War II…)
Altered cultural and scientific advancements (What if McDonalds was a car wash…)
Changed behaviors and cultural norms (What if people rubbed their butts instead of shaking hands when they met…)
This is the kind of travel that one would experience when one would move from drinking a Starbucks coffee in a San Francisco under the presidency of Donald Trump to drinking out of a water fountain filled with Bondo (it has electrolytes!) in a “charge by the hour” ear massage room (near a McStarbucks) located in New Stalingrad under Vice-Queen Lady Gagagaga the third.
I have had a brief taste of this during my training at China Lake. It can be really really startling.
Again, since level two migration is more involved than a level one migration, that all the complexities of a level one migration is maintained and expanded upon. It can become very disorienting and very disturbing.
Level Three Migration
A level three migration changes the physical person who is involved in world-line migration. You exit a world-line as one person and you enter a new world-line as a different person. You will ALWAYS migrate as the same species. This can include, gender and appearance. This can include occupation, and age. This can include everything EXCEPT the apparent associated memories of the new world-line. You will arrive in your new location with your previous memories.
For instance, you might be a thirty year old female software programmer. As such you might be married, have a pet dog, and have some friends that you like to go out with and have a coffee. You would speak English and watch football on television. Once you migrate, you might end up as an overweight 55 year old Russian male who lives alone in the basement of his parents’ house. You might be unemployed and on welfare and taking Zoloft for depression.
Because of this, this level four migration is a very difficult thing to do and very uncomfortable. I have never been involved in this. I do not know of any person who has ever done this.
Level Four Migration
Level four migration combines a level two and a level three migration together. Why anyone in their right mind would want to do this is beyond me. The risks are significant. Remember, the ability to migrate is a function of technology, and the selection of destination coordinates is not that easy. While you might want to end up in some place in some type of new reality, the result could easily turn sour and go very, very badly.
For instance, you might be a twenty five year old male who is busy working as an engineer at Google. After work, you like to go and have pizza and beer with your friends at the local bar. You ride a nice Harley Davidson motorcycle and you are very stylish with the latest iPhone and APPs. The president is Donald Trump and the news is talking about “Russian collusion”. It is a nice sunny day.
After a level four migration, your life might look something like this;
You are now a 67 year old transgender feminist who is a vocal supporter for the new King; Justin Clinton. You are supported though your owner (as you are actually a short-term slave), who allows you one night off a month to go to the elephant races at the other end of South Berlin. There you eat your favorite food; oysters and jellied duck feet hamburgers. Then you come home to your master who usually have “some tasks” for you to do before you turn in for the night. The news is all excited about the new taxes that are coming out of Beijing this year. As normal, it is a dreary, foggy day.
Like I said, you never know what kind of life that you will end up with. Life might be a box of chocolates, but what happens when you change the box?
Memories do not Migrate
The reader might question why the memories do not migrate. The answer is simple. The purpose of our physical reality is to obtain experiences. Each experience that we have obtained helps shape our quanta and helps build and construct our soul. The realities that we inhabit are but training grounds by which we can acquire these experiences. It would defeat the purpose of obtaining an experience in the first place if this were to occur.
Also, and I will cover this in another post, memories are not retained within the brain. They are processed in the brain, but they are not retained there. Memories are retained and stored outside the physical reality. The memories are used to help us adjust and learn from the experiences that we have had during the time within our reality.
But… but…
Scientists have identified places where the memories are retained. Isn’t that correct? No it is not. They have identified places within the physical brain where memories (that lie outside of our physical reality) are accessed. They have just located the access points and the methods of accessing them. They have not identified the actual memories.
What can you do?
I hope that this was helpful. Understanding the reality of our life helps us to better control it and shape our destiny. So, to keep it simple;
There is a “Hell”, no matter what the Pope says. It is a different “universe” or “Heaven” if you want to use that nomenclature.
Our physical reality is constructed through our actions and thoughts.
Action and thoughts create and modify our physical world. To best be the master of it, we must master ourselves.
Be good. Be kind. Be helpful. Be just and be fair.
Everything you do is recorded by memory. These memories lie outside of our constructed reality.
All actions will be tallied at the end of our life. If we behaved poorly, then that will adversely affect our soul’s construction.
As such, many of us need the help of others to go about our day to day activities. We need to be helpful, supportive and positive in every way. Life can be hard, but if just one person can do one small thing, it can make all the difference in the world. Surprise others with small acts of kindness, and be the ray of light in this often dark and gloomy world. What do you do?
Conclusions
I know that most people will not care about souls and Heaven outside of their religion. So all of this can just be considered to be nonsense.
I know that officially MWI is only considered to be a theory. That’s fine. It’s treated very seriously by those in control of this world that we occupy. It is also FUNDED. There are many, many things that are well understood by those who are permitted to understand them. Like I said, you can believe me or not. I really don’t care.
I also know that world-line travel is not contemporaneously accepted as a reality. Fine. Believe what you want. The reality template what we all base our realities off of is a very interesting place. To understand it, you will need to undo all of what you think you know. This is how the universe works.
You can believe it or not. It’s no skin off my back.
Take Aways
Every person lives within his or her own reality.
Realities are constructs of the soul.
Realities are drawn from a Universal Template.
Consciousness is a bridge between the soul and experiences in the reality.
Souls consist of organized quantum strings that have obtained sentience.
With the skill of intention, a person can tweak their reality.
With the utilization of technology, one can alter their reality substantially.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your thoughts on soul composition. I would welcome your understanding of MWI in relation to multi-dimensional soul structure. I would welcome your thoughts about the soul structures of other creatures. I would welcome links to other websites of interest, or videos of interest.
This is my call out, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between souls vs. consciousness?
A: Soul is the entire being of a given entity. It includes everything. It includes all physical histories, memories, and energy states of that entity. It resides within Heaven. Consciousness is a part of the soul. It is partitioned from it and resides within a physical construct within a reality. It is a mechanism from which experiences are obtained.
Q: What is the highest level of spirituality?
A: In this narrative, the highest level of spirituality is one in which the soul transcends Human Heaven. Each Heaven is constructed for a specific animal or physical construct type. Therefore, to achieve the highest level of spirituality means that the soul exits a “lower state of Heaven” and enters a “higher state of Heaven”. In other words, it exits one Heaven and enters into a different and “better” Heavenly realm. This would mean, of course, that it now occupies a Heaven associated with a different physical animal or being.
Q: What is the relationship between quantum theory and consciousness?
A: Soul is comprised of ordered quantum strings. It creates a consciousness to occupy a set physical reality in order to obtain experiences. Consciousness is the pathway for the soul within the physical reality it has created. The quantum consciousness takes on a particle reality when it occupies a body, and takes on a wave reality when it lies outside of the body.
Q: What are the levels of the soul?
A: The soul is very complex and holds many attributes that our physical science and spiritualists do not understand. In order to help us understand things, they have often divided things into levels or gradients. The truth is that there are many aspects of soul that just cannot be simplified into simple layers or levels.
Think of a soul like that of a race car. Is the speed of the race car the most important thing, or is it a combination of handling ability, maintenance, acceleration, energy efficiency or the driver’s ability?
Q: How does quantum physics reconcile itself with the soul?
A: The soul is comprised of quantum strings. They can be ordered and unordered. The ordered strings become entangled with other particles and form arrangements. Eventually these arrangements attain sentience.
Q: What are the levels of consciousness?
A: Consciousness has one level of understanding when it inhabits a physical body. At that point of time it behaves as a particle. When it leaves the body it behaves as a wave and can take on different levels of behavior. The behavior of consciousness depends on the lessons and experiences that the soul wishes to impart.
Experiences are very important. Each time a quantum particle meets up with another one, they become entangled and related in various ways. If a group of particles meets up and interacts with other particles the situation can be greatly enhanced. These relationships are the experiences that build up (or tear down) a given soul. Therefore it is critical that consciousness learn and interacts with the surrounding reality properly.
Q: What are the differences between consciousness, spirit, and soul?
A: Soul is the center of all that we are. That is the sum total of everything at every moment relative to the (apparent) vector of time. Conscious is a portion of the soul that is assigned to a reality so as to acquire experiences. Spirit is sometimes considered to be the consciousness as it enters a wave form instead of a particle form within a given physical body.
Q: Where does the Bible say that soul is a collection of ordered quantum particles?
A: It doesn’t. Where does the Bible say that the soul is not a collection of ordered quantum particles?
Q: Is world-line travel possible?
A: Yes.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
"The Philippines press enjoys all the freedoms of the US system but fails the people: a wildly partisan press helped Philippines politicians flood the marketplace of ideas with junk and confuse and befuddle the people so that they could not see what their vital interests were in a developing country. And, because vital issues like economic growth and equitable distribution were seldom discussed, they were never tackled and the democratic system malfunctioned. Look at Taiwan and South Korea: their free press runs rampant and corruption runs riot. The critic itself is corrupt yet the theory is, if you have a free press, corruption disappears. Now I'm telling you, that's not true. Freedom of the press, freedom of news critics, must be subordinated to the overriding needs of the integrity of Singapore and to the primacy of purpose of an elected government.
“Singapore’s domestic debate is a matter for Singaporeans. We allow American journalists in Singapore in order to report Singapore to their fellow countrymen. We allow their papers to sell in Singapore so that we can know what foreigners are reading about us. But we cannot allow them to assume a role in Singapore that the American media play in America, that of invigilator, adversary and inquisitor of the administration. If allowed to do so, they will radically change the nature of Singapore society, and I doubt if our social glue is strong enough to withstand such treatment."
-A Third World Perspective on the Press. RH Lee Kwan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore. C-SPAN, APRIL 14, 1988
Every day I take my dog out for a walk. I actually do it twice a day. It is first thing in the morning and at the end of the day after the evening meal. We live on the beach, and there is a nice long park right in front of the house (it is a boardwalk) with an absolutely magnificent view of the ocean and the skyscrapers of Macao in the distance. While we are out there enjoying the morning air and watching the joggers on the beach, our dog is nose-to-the-ground and smelling everything like a canine vacuum cleaner. He really enjoys it. He cannot wait to smell the latest news on the road, and contribute a post or two of his own.
Every morning, I too much check out the latest news. However, as of late it is so boring and predictable that I just simply scan the headlines. It’s always the same old news, just repackaged. Buy more stuff! Support a war! Be afraid! Hate Trump! Pay higher taxes! Oh, and don’t forget Global Warming! Russia! Russia! Russia!
Are we any different? Humans are just as bad as canines. This has gotten me thinking…
About Dogs
I personally like dogs. While I am, I suppose, a “cat person”, dogs are very special to me personally. There is nothing better than coming home from work, and my loyal buddy (Shao PiPi) is lying down at the door waiting for me. (I know, my wife takes photos to show me. He gets in position about a half an hour before I arrive home. Cat’s too. But my little buddy is special.) Then he gets so excited, grabs his little toy (an old sewed up sock ball), and wants to play with me with it. Then he is all over me in happiness. It’s the best!
Here is a scene from a great movie about a dog in Japan. The dog’s name is Hachiko, and it is a true story. If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to.
Animal haters won’t understand.
Dogs are wonderful creatures. From when they are puppies to their old and grizzly old age, they are wonderful, loyal and quite compassionate. However, you and I both know, they are not human. No matter how much we may want to dress them up in clothing, teach them to “speak”, take them out and tell them not to eat out of the trashcan, the fact remains, dogs are dogs. For them, poop is wonderful, trash (the smellier, the better) is an adventure, and there is nothing better than smelling another dog’s ass.
(BTW, someone had best describe this to the folks in China. They don’t treat dogs as dogs. They treat them as little children. They just love to dress up their dogs in clothing including underwear, hats, socks, and shoes. Well yeah, even my dog has socks and shoes. But, really, it does tend to be a little strange, especially with all those ever-changing doggie hairstyles that seem to come and go with the local doggie fashions of the day. Indeed, China can sure be weird at times. The Chinese, for the most part treat their pets as family members. Oh, one more thing… Dog lovers far outnumber the dog eaters in China. Don’t fall for all the anti-China propaganda.)
Anyways, dogs are dogs. That is neither good nor bad. It is a statement of reality. Dogs, regardless of the breed, are members of the canine family. They have certain individual differences depending on which breed, but overall they will all act like dogs. You can dye their hair fashionable colors, and dress them up in outfits. You can put socks and shoes on them, and give them eyeglasses and a LV handbag, but you can’t change who they are. Dogs are dogs.
Dogs can do things that humans cannot. We might not want to recognize this fact, but it is (after all) a fact.
Dogs can Smell
Duh!
What I know about dogs come from personal experience. I never studied anything about our canine friends. What I have learned about dogs comes from the Internet. (In addition, perhaps an odd television program or two as well.) So the reader can take my opinions however, they want. I am decidedly not an expert. I am at best a generalist who has the ability to put various “puzzle pieces” together in very interesting ways.
I’m just an average dog lover. Maybe like you? Eh?
You (the reader) should realize this, but many people do not. Dogs can smell much better than humans can. Whoa… let’s replace “much better”, with “unbelievably, superbly, and stunningly better”. It is really true, and I am not at all exaggerating in the least. In fact, a dog’s brain is specialized for identifying scents.
While we need room in our brains to think, and work, dogs use a huge portion to analyze scents. We use our brain to help us think and reason. They use their brain to smell. We use our brain to better understand the universe. They use their brain to smell better. We use our brain to try to fix and repair things. They use their brain to best understand the ways of smelling.
Dogs can pretty much smell anything. They can be trained to find scents that represent danger and serious medical conditions. Photo is from a National Geographic article published in 2014 (Go here to read a report on the article.)
There are all kinds of reports and studies on just about how much better a dog’s sense of smell is than ours. The problem is that there are so many variables that it’s nearly impossible to quantify or perform comparisons. In a true sense, it is like comparing a black and white photo of an apple, with a freshly baked pizza hot out of the oven. There just isn’t really any good and real way to compare the two.
Real Estate
A dog’s sense of smell may be much better than over 1000 times better than ours, making it the most sensitive (and vulnerable) part of its body. (Other reports place this figure much higher.) Comparatively, if you look at the mechanism of smell between humans and dogs, you can see a striking difference. The human nose has only three-square centimeters of olfactory membrane. While, compared to dogs such as Bloodhounds, can have as much as 150 square centimeters of scent-sensing material in their noses. So that means, we have three (3x), and (some) dogs has one hundred and fifty (150x) cm squared of area to smell with. More is better, right?
A small parabolic dish might be able to pick up a satellite signal with come careful positioning, but a larger one will have a much better change in getting the signal and locking on to it. The same is true with dogs. Their snozes give them ability.
Brain Power to Process the Scents
Dogs also have forty times more scent processing cells in their brains than humans. They need this computation power to be able to handle the enormous sensory input from their huge snoozes. It’s never just an issue with size, it’s an issue about what you can do with the larger members and capacities. (No sexual references, here please.)
“Dogs can smell 100,000 times better than humans. In tests, dogs have been able to detect a chemical in a solution diluted to 1 to 2 parts per trillion. The human brain has a large area devoted to vision, while dogs have a large portion dedicated to olfaction, in fact, 40% more of a dog’s brain than a human’s is committed to smell. The average person has 5 million smell receptors, while the average dog, depending on breed, has 125 to 250 million smell receptors. The Bloodhound has an incredible 300 million smell receptors! Dogs can smell things up to 40 feet underground. Dogs can even smell human fingerprints that are a week old!”- The Incredible Sense of Smell in the Dog
We who hang around dogs, know that they can “feel” or sense our emotions. If you are around dogs (or cats) and haven’t noticed this, I would be truly surprised. It’s a very common thing. Not only is it common, but research seemingly proves this as well. Indeed, it’s quite likely that dogs can actually smell emotions. (I would say that it is a given, but you know there are always exceptions to the rule.) Dogs can smell fear, anxiety, even sadness. The flight-or-fight hormone, adrenaline, is undetectable by our noses, but dogs can apparently smell it. In addition, fear or anxiety is often accompanied by increased heart rate and blood flow, which sends telltale body chemicals more quickly to the skin surface. Oh yeah, your dog will most certainly know your feelings. Not only that, but there are indications that dogs can even smell if you have cancer.
“Dogs read about the world through their noses, and they write their messages, at least to other dogs, in their urine.” - Stanley Coren
Doggie Facebook
I know, I know, the dog is spending way too much time smelling a fence post, or a pile of shit. You are getting impatient, and want him to get a move on. But, he is just there, oblivious to the world around him, just totally absorbed in what he has just “discovered”. I know that it’s tempting to drag your dog away from that pile of shit. I have actually done so myself (when we used to walk him out on a leash).
But… even though he’s sniffing everything with an annoying slowness, maybe we should give him a break and let him spend some time at that post (get the pun?). Let him have some time to smell the local neighborhood gossip. And, if he is satisfied with it, let him give a “like” to it. Let him do a posting on his own.
Dog urine is the “ink” of the dog social-network. Think of it as an exciting blog post on Facebook or your favorite social networking platform. Instead of “Face-book”, it’s “Doggie-ass” and just as important.
Information is Hidden within Scents
When dogs start sniffing each other’s asses, the chances are that they’re really learning a lot. It’s far, far more than what we can comprehend. Indeed, it is obviously much more than just simple idle chitchat. The ability to smell given the geometry of the nose, and the ability to interpret that information in the brain can lead us to some interesting conclusions.
Exactly what the dogs are learning, and what they do with that information, is unknown. As of this writing, no one has figured it out yet. (No one is even studying this, as far as I know.) Many people claim that it is “simply” just “marking their territory”. However, it’s probably much more than that. In fact, it’s very likely far beyond “this is my territory, keep out!”
I really don’t know. But, I would guess that it’s probably more along the lines of, “Oh, you’re a nice male dog, 3.26 years old. You are a collie and beagle mix. And… I notice that you’ve been hanging around the park on Dixon Avenue again, you had some baked chicken wings recently (that you found on 8th street), and you like to sleep on your left side.”
Links
Here’s some great links on dog’s ability to smell;
Stanley Coren on Understanding a Dog’s Sense of Smell
While dogs communicate through the sense of smell, humans communicate through the written word. (Yes, I know that there are other mediums. Let’s not get off track here.) We communicate through writing our thoughts down in printed media. This can be electronics or on paper.
It wasn’t always that way. It used to be carved in stone, but that is rarely done these days.
In the “old days” people would chisel their writings into stone for everyone to know and remember. These records would spell out major events, and accomplishments. They would tell stories and help us understand our relationships with the Gods of Heaven. It was written and carved to be everlasting.
Kings and rulers used to carve their deeds, rulings, laws, and pronouncements into stone so that no one could misinterpret them, or rewrite them. The only way that the history could be forgotten was if the stone or writing was physically destroyed. (Image Source.)
Ah, but you know, Humans are a mercurial lot.
When individuals come to power, they want something that is easily erased and written over. In the old days, they would have to chisel off the names of their predecessors on all the temples and government buildings. It took a while, and left garish scars on otherwise beautiful structures.
For what ever it is worth, let it be well understood that the Egyptians were pretty bad at this.
OzymandiasPercy Bysshe Shelley, 1792 - 1822
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Now, let it be known; the printing press really rocked our world. Not only could things be printed on paper and mass produced, but governments and individuals in power can host periodic burning of books and records. They could rewrite history to fit their new narrative. (Maybe sort of, like how a dog will try to over pee another dog’s urine.)
Ah. Yah don’t say…
Book burnings are very common. They go by many names. Progressive liberals and their established socialist governments always have book burnings. It’s their thing. It’s kind of like how they like to wear white sheets, hate Catholics, and use masks to cover their faces.
The progressive socialist nationalists of Germany (Nazi for you under-educated folk) held massive book burnings. They really took the time to make them impressive. They would have uniforms, orchestrated dance and march movements, flags and special effects. It must have been impressive. Huge barn fires rising up into the Heavens. People dancing around in uniforms with crazed people throwing books into the fires.
The Nazi’s really loved to use school kids to do it. They would organize these rallies and allow the school children to leave the school. The kids were, of course, happy to do so. There, the kids would gleefully destroy their own history.
Progressive Socialist Democrats in Germany (Known as NAZI.) having one of their many book burnings. These were often festive affairs with music, speeches, and youth that gleefully toss their collective histories into the fire. Book burnings are ALWAYS associated with power struggles. (That and other things such as statue desecration, and politically correct types of speech.) When one movement ascends to power they start to rewrite history. (Image Source.)
The Chinese which is also a progressive liberal government structure (officially socialist with Chinese characteristics ) held massive book burnings during the Cultural Revolution. They also used children to promote their agendas. This included the full range from gun control to destruction of history, to (of course) book burnings. Unlike the Germans, who able to recover about two decades later after a global war, the Chinese took around four decades to recover, and in many ways the cuts and destruction were too deep. Various aspects of the Chinese culture never really recovered.
Darn those progressive democrat socialists. Always trying to mess up everyone else’s lives!
In many ways, the Antifa movement is a cross between the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and the German Socialists of the 1930’s. (I do cover this in another writing elsewhere.) You know, you don’t really need to be a student to history to know any of this.
You just need to be awake and listening.
Which, I am sad to say is a real rarity today. For the record, book burnings occurred in the Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, and Argentina as well as just about any other nation in the world.
One of the best books to describe how history, rules and laws are rewritten is the book by George Orwell titled “Animal Farm“. As history is always being rewritten in order to manipulate people into doing things that go against their well being.
Now that everything is migrating to the internet, the ability to erase and rewrite history has never been easier. Indeed, the internet is like one large “white board”. You erase what you don’t like, and rewrite it to fit your new revised narrative. There are all kinds of examples. I have covered one myself on the subject of Calexit and the American Civil War by President Obama.
It is the way that it is done. There isn’t too much that we can do about it. Except change our behaviors and be skeptical of all the news. Especially to take notice to avoid any kind of pre-approved or “fact checked” news deemed worthy by others. Indeed, that is the most dangerous.
News in America in 2018 has completely gone full-on Orwell. George Orwell well predicted the American media in his book “Animal Farm”. Good is bad. Happy is sad. White is black. American media in 2018 is absolutely off the charts in insanity.
Have you noticed any trends? Man, I’ll tell you it seems like everyone is writing on and on just how bad Russia is, and that there will eventually be a world war between the great powers. How can that be? Bill Clinton was paying Russia to keep it’s military intact through most of the 1990’s. Now why would they want to nuke us now? Didn’t Hillary Clinton just give them 25% of our nuclear stockpiles? It just doesn’t make too much sense.
We’d make a far better trading partner than an enemy. But, anyways… Now what do you all think is gonna happen once, the USA and Russia nukes each other? It’s a great question. It’s one that deserves some thought. What do you think is going to happen once the USA gets involved in a nuclear war?
Nuclear war is terrible and it is nothing to take lightly. If a nuclear war were to break out, there would be many things that would be nearly impossible in a post nuclear-exchange United States. Things such as easy cell phone access, nope the War Powers act will limit that. Things such as your Starbucks coffee are also going to be changed as the headquarters would be reduced to radioactive glass. Nope, a nuclear exchange will impact YOUR life in ways that you are unaware of.
Do you believe that the world will be over? Is that what you really think will happen? Do you believe that since the USA is number one, that the rest of the world will just scurry under rocks or something? Is that what you think? Ha!
Not. Going. To. Happen.
What do you think China will do while both Russia, Europe (of course the EU, as they are driving this war narrative), with the USA are in ruins with radioactive rubble for cities?
Do you think that the rest of the world will continue to live like a scene from a “Save the Children” commercial? Do you think that it will make a big difference in the lives of other people in Sydney, Australia? How about Osaka, Japan? What about Sao Paulo Brazil?
Hong Kong is a very western Chinese city. It is very modern and very crowded. I like it, but I can only take it in small doses as they use Western pricing and it tends to be too expensive for my tastes.
Do you think that they will care…?
The rest of the world has a vibrant middle class. There are factories, farms, subways, tollbooths, ATM machines, and McDonalds all over the world. They have toothpaste, football, cars, cable television, and the internet. If American shuts itself off from the rest of the world… the rest of the world will go on as if nothing happened. America will just be a footnote in the latest Wikipedia entries as maintained from Beijing servers…
So…
Do you think that the USA will still be able to project “it’s interests” globally? Do you think that the domestic issues, internally, will be just the same-old same-old script? Nope, boys and girls, it is going to be awfully hard for most Americans. Especially those from the cities.
Most especially for those urban or suburban folk.
What are they going to do when Starbucks runs out of coffee? When Wi-Fi has zero hot spots, or when girls will need to “put out” for a half-bowl of pea soup? Know your history people. How do you think that the young lasses of Germany survived when the Russians moved in through the devastated countryside? How do you think the people of Cambodia, and Burma survived? I cannot predict the future, but I can report on what happened in the past when this situation raised it’s ugly head.
Nuclear tipped ICBM’s are nothing to take lightly. Yet, here we are with the media promoting war as if it was just “another” issue like “racist peanut butter and jelly sandwiches”. Ugh!
Oh sure, the surviving Americans will try to leave the glassed rubble of their cities. Though, I doubt that they will make it very far into “deplorable land”. You know with all those squads of “good ol’ boys” hunting down all the urban folk escaping from all that glassed wreckage.
Oh, their Prius or Tesla might make it a few hundred miles into “flyover country”. They might even get some militia assistance. Oh, some will make it to FEMA camps. There, of course they will be pre-screened and set to work.
Ain’t nothing for free in this world. We all will have to pay the tolls. The tolls will, or course, be guarded by men with guns.
While the USA is all busy straightening out it’s house, the rest of the world will continue as if nothing happened. Since the exports to the United States account for around 11% of what China makes, there will certainly be an impact.
However, it won’t be life-threatening. China will survive. The nuclear exchange between the USA and Russia will be noted. Maps will be redrawn with huge “Forbidden to Enter” areas marked in red. But that will be about it.
If the United States were to get involved in a hot nuclear war, those nations that do not participate in the war would benefit. Many of these nations, such as China, South Africa, Europe, Dubai, Tokyo and many others are just as advanced as the United States is and would thrive if competition from Los Angles, San Francisco and New York were to end.
China will take over. Not a bad thing. I’ll tell you what.
War with the President
Oh but not all the news is about trying to get people to go to war. Jeeze! This is not 1960 people! While America might be populated with half-asleep sheep, they do know when they are being manipulated. At least the older ones do. The news is really pretty obvious. The only way that you wouldn’t notice the obvious propaganda is if you were on some kind of drug like a painkiller, or an anti-depressant…
Anyways, the other news concerns president Trump.
It’s a non-stop hate fest. I have never seen such vitriol and hate from the American propaganda mills. These idiots actually believed that Hillary the Horrible could actually be elected. They thought that the game was rigged in her favor, and even if she did manage to become President that no one would bat an eye and it would be accepted. Hah! I’ll tell you, these people are absolutely delusional.
So, when I see the “Russia, Russia, Russia!” anti-Trump narrative, it just bores me. It’s not news. There just isn’t any news there.
It’s just a bunch of attractive actors reading scripted lines, and being paid large bucks to make up news.
I’m beyond bored with it. I will honestly say that I haven’t seen ABC, NBC or a CBS newscast in over a decade. It’s all just junk. CNN? Give me a break. I was turned off from them way back in the 1990’s when they were caught staging a protest.
CNN staging a fake protest. In this case they reported that a huge groundswell of Muslims were protesting Islamic terror. Those individuals weren’t even’t actual Muslims. They were paid actors. Jeeze!
It’s all propaganda with a set agenda that benefits the richest people in the world.
That is why it is important to read grass-root reporting. Read from small-time bloggers, and get your news from other sources. Of course, the powers-that-be don’t want you to do that. No sir ree! You can bet that those in the oligarchy want their control over all thought, ideas and media. You will follow their directions or not at all. The Bill of Rights, and the first Amendment can just go to hell as far as they are concerned.
Here is Democrat Senator Diane Feinstein on her attack on people who have a “five dollar blog”…
Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein making a formal statement that the Bill of Rights does not apply to American Citizens. She makes the case that it ONLY applies to elected officials. Therfore, it is important to prevent citizens from writing or blogging on the Internet using their “five dollar blog”.
Diane Feinstein talking about the need to only allow properly vetted, government “approved”, people to have “Free Speech”. Doesn’t she look like the teacher from Hell? (Image Source.)
I wonder why there are no progressive liberal attacks. I guess that it is just ok to take away freedoms… how about we start with Facebook, then Tumblr, Pinterest, Google, Snapchat, for starters.
Unless you have lived under a rock for the last ten years, what constitutes news out of the United States today is anything but news. It has become a complete political propaganda machine that is populated by highly paid actors and actresses reading scripted lines. There is a science to this, and there is a feedback loop that dictates what propaganda that should be dished out to the American population at which specific times.
American media is just propaganda. Nothing that you see is real and truthful. It is all distorted lies and partial-truths.
Real news would tell us details about the hidden cavity in the Great Pyramid, or a review of NASA funding for the next fiscal year. It would cover topical news; a protest here, a murder there, and a car crash there in brief one or two sentence bites. When a President speaks, they would play his entire speech, not show him speaking with the audio off and then translate for us what he is saying.
They would not have “panels of experts” who are just actors with nice titles (not nice titties, or… um I take that back), farmed out by rich organizations for propagandized purposes. They would provide balance of different viewpoints (if they wanted a broad viewership base). Or not have any dissent on the editorial sections if they wanted to become the foremost expert in their political narrative.
This reminds me of an incident in my own house with my own dog…
Our floor is mostly hardwood and tiled marble. It’s the Chinese way. That is unlike the States, where the floor is carpeted (wall to wall) over a plywood floor if the house was built after the 1980’s. In China, most houses have a stone floor. The stone is typically cut at a ¼ inch thick sliced tile, polished, and provided into two feet square sections. Most floors use a light colored granite or marble. In upper-scale homes, wood floors are provided in the bedrooms. Cheaper flooring methods such as linoleum or carpeting are never used.
As such, we have a few throw rugs to lie down and make the house a home.
Now our dog knows, absolutely knows, that peeing in the house if forbidden. We have a rule that he must pee and crap in the bathroom (if not outside). We have trained him to use a blue mat (Indoor/outdoor carpeting that is blue instead of green.) just for this purpose.
In fact, the reader should know, that the way we trained him was that we got a really large mat, and put it in the shower. (In China, the showers do not have a tub. Therefore, the shower goes straight down to the floor.) Once the dog knew that he could do all the peeing and crapping he needed to do, on the shower, that is where he went. Over time, we cut the mat down smaller and smaller. It was one yard by one yard, then it became two feet by two feet. Then one foot by two feet, then one foot by one foot. We kept cutting it down. Finally it was one square inch, and you should have seen him trying to aim and hit that tiny little mat.
Anyways, long story short, he knew that he could only pee in the shower.
Well, we also have a few throw rugs. We decided to not use them when he took up the (terrible) habit on peeing on them.
Now, I really don’t know why he would pee on them. Maybe it was because he was trained to pee on mats due to his bathroom training. Or, perhaps, maybe he wanted to make the house feel more lived in and “doggie friendly”.
Whatever.
One day, we decided to lay down this black and white shag rug that we have. (Yeah, I know that it is shag, but it fits with our modern Asian décor.) We wanted to make the living room area more comfortable, and that would include a rug nested in between the sofas and the various chairs. However, we were very concerned because our dog had a propensity to pee on the rugs.
So we laid the rug down. We told him, in no uncertain ways, that it was “off limits” to pee upon. We then watched him like a hawk.
I can tell the reader that he knew not to do anything. He would walk near the rug with a hunched back look, and with tail down. He was afraid to do anything with that rug. Indeed, he would walk around it rather than walk on it.
All was well. Then one day, the wife saw him do a “dryless pee” on the rug. That I mean to say is that he pretended to pee for a split second, but no pee came out. She chalked it up to him getting old, and let it fly. Of course, the reader might say, “Hey, why don’t you simply lift up the rug, you moron?”. Well, we couldn’t. The rug was under this massive marble coffee table. It is an enormously heavy sheet of brown veined marble (Also known as Adobe Granite, Golden Brown Marble, Canadian Mahogany, or Deer Brown granite.) that is at least one inch thick, with beveled sides. It weighs a ton. It is far too heavy for me to move alone, or even to have two people move it. You actually need four strong men to move this friggin’ coffee table.
Well, the design (with the cold gold metal sides, and the glass bottom) looks a lot like a KTV table. Which wasn’t our intention, but hey the wife picked it out and now we have it. Anyways, the other ends of the rug are buried under large sofas and leather chairs. So for us to move everything about, would take a lot of effort. It wouldn’t be something that we would ever do casually. So, we just let it slide.
A few days later, I thought that I smelled pee, but the rug was dry. It must have been my imagination, I reasoned.
A few weeks later, my wife too smelled something. It was driving us crazy. The rug was dry, but the smell of urine was unbearably strong. We had been watching him carefully but he wasn’t doing anything. When it looked like he would pee, nothing came out, and so we took no action. So, to us, it was very perplexing.
Finally, around six o’clock on a Saturday, we couldn’t stand it any longer. We moved the sofas out, and the (enormously heavy) coffee table away. Then we lifted up the rug.
My God! The entire underside was wet and saturated with dog urine! Somehow, the shag carpet stayed dry on top, no matter how wet it got. But the underside acted like a massive sponge. It absorbed the urine and just collected it there. It was absolutely horrid and disgusting. Weeks of moldy pee saturated the matting making it look and smell like an outdoor shithouse in the middle of August.
Apparently what had happened was that our dog knew that it was wrong to pee on the rug. However, when it wasn’t punished for tiny efforts to pee, it thought that it could pee at will as long as it wasn’t caught. We were delusional in thinking that the dog would not do this. The end result was that our intention (of a pee-less rug) never materialized. Our dog thought it could pee away… as long as it could not be caught.
I guess that is what happens when we let people get away with things that are wrong. Unless we stop them in the early stages, their behavior will get worse and worse over time.
I have seen that this is true, and I am sure that the reader knows examples of this. Perhaps with children. Maybe with criminals. With classmates, and with other things as well. It just seems that if you do not have limits, it is within our nature to treat things as without limits. As such, we tend to keep pushing and pushing until we start to hit some roadblocks.
News and Politics
Which of course, brings us back to the Democratic Senator from California, Diane Feinstein and her attempt(s) to ban the first amendment. (Now, she like any other “good” Democrat is off trying to ban everything from ice cream to baby pacifiers. It’s in their nature. However, for now, let’s just focus on this one particular instance, and not get sidetracked.)
You know, she (and others of her ilk) believes that they can get away with their actions simply because no one is stepping up and stopping them. Like our dog, who needed a good hard paddle after his first attempted pee, this woman needed to spend five years at hard labor when she first started to suggest banning a Right. It would have stopped her dead in her tracks, and served as a notice to others who might try to follow in her footsteps.
Newsflash to everyone; Senators are just like everyone else. The only thing that they have that you (the reader) do not have is a title, and a good PR firm. They must follow the rules. It doesn’t work that way of course. But it should.
Ah…
The young millennial asks “what rules, and what laws are you referring to?”
To this, I must teach the reader something that is a very well-kept secret. Yes, it is. Why it is the “Preamble to the Bill of Rights” of course. This is one of the most secretive documents in the entire United States. Everyone tries to hide it, because it clearly and plainly says what a Right is, and what the purpose of a Right is. Hey! Surprise! Here it is so you can read it for yourself.
THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.
And, for those of you who only have a public education, let me translate for you.
The Bill of Rights is a special set of rules inside, yet set apart from the Constitution. It is designed to prevent the Constitution to be used to harm the citizens of the United States. It offered protections in that it clearly stated that no elected official, nor anyone appointed by them, could influence, takeaway or disparage any of the RIGHTS listed in the Bill of Rights.
That’s correct.
No one, let alone a Senator can even consider taking or limiting a right. That means ANY right, for those of you who are confused out there. Now there are ten Rights. The first group of Rights is in a collection known as the first amendment. One of these rights is, of course, the Right of freedom of speech. Which means that you can say anything, or write anything, or even think anything NO MATTER WHAT. You offend someone… tough cookies. You swear or use profanity…meh. You call a person a bad name, or say something that someone doesn’t like… no problem.
The RIGHT to speak your mind; America used to stand for this freedom. Not anymore apparently.
Ah… but I digress yet again.
Bad Behaviors
Wouldn’t you think that being a Senator, and not following the Constitution is wrong? Wouldn’t you think that it is a “bad behavior”? I would.
But, you know, defining what “bad behavior” is and what isn’t is really meaningless unless there is an enforcement arm.
When we were all children, we knew that there were things that we were not permitted to do. If we crossed the line, and did those “naughty” things, our parents would get angry and punish us. Now, we all had friends who could seemingly get away with anything. Their parents apparently didn’t care in the least. They were always on our case, acting like bullies or worse. Their parents were either oblivious, or defensive of their actions. It was truly frustrating. However, now that I am much older I see where the lack of discipline and parental guidance led the kids. It wasn’t pretty.
I would guess that perhaps one of the reasons why the United States is in such a mess today is partially because there just hasn’t been any enforcement to follow the Constitution. People could seemingly get away with anything. As such, they never would get in trouble. Look at Louis Learner, and the rest of her ilk, and how they were never punished.
This all reminds me of my dog, and when he’s acting poorly.
Being in the Dog House
Here in China, it is very crowded. As such, there is a necessity in making sure that everyone follows certain basic rules. Because, one or two odd balls behaving badly can cause all kinds of trouble in a crowded environment. Now, that is not to say that China has their act together, as there are many things about China that could use some improvement. However, there are things that they do right.
One of the things that they have in China that just isn’t so popular in the United States is security guards in every building for the purposes of keeping order. That differs from the United States, where security is used to enforce laws. In China, while laws might be enforced or not, the primary purpose of a baoan (security guard) is to keep order.
In a crowded place, especially a residential building, excessive noise is not tolerated. If you think that you can jam with your stereo up all night long and not have the rest of the building lynch you, you are sorely mistaken. You will have a baoan knock on your door, and if you are not corporative, they will pick up your stereo and toss it of the 65th floor below. If you complain, they will arrest you and in China, this is decidedly NOT a good thing.
Anyways, back to my dog.
For a while we had two dogs. Our current dog (Pipi) and a younger dog named “Super”. Super was a beautiful dog. The problem with him is that he hated my guts. He just could not stand me. When I would come home, he would bark at me all night long. It would continue hour after hour. He would be bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, and his voice would be hoarse, but he would keep it up like it was his duty. He would bark like there was no tomorrow. You could hear his voice getting hoarser and hoarser. It would crackle and dry up, yet still he barked. Then when I would leave the house, he would collapse in his bed from exhaustion. I know, as my wife would show me pictures of him collapsed from exhaustive barking. He would lay there on his back, his mouth open and his tongue out exhausted.
For my wife, she loved the loyalty of the dog. However, she saw that it was a problem. On more than just a few instances, we would have the guards knock on our doors to get the dog quiet. One time they were going to toss him off the 63rd floor, if we didn’t get him quiet. Indeed, for a long time it was a real problem. That is… until we consulted a vet about what to do.
When confronted with this problem, many Chinese simply cut the vocal cords of the dog. That way, they can live their life normally, but they will no longer be able to bark. Now, before any reader has a heart attack, please relax. We didn’t do any such thing. Instead we turned to technology for an answer.
We put on a barking shock collar on him.
Whenever there was a loud sound the dog would get a three second beep. If the barking continued, there would be a shock. The collar would then wait for five minutes. If there were additional loud sounds in those five minutes, there would be four louder beeps and a louder shock. This continued up the scale to ten. If the dog were still barking after fifty minutes (10 x 5 minutes = fifty minutes) of barking, a very loud shock would be released.
Super was a smart dog, and quickly discovered how the system worked.
Anti-barking training device used to train dogs to stop barking. This particular model is available in the United States. Chinese models are (ahem) more efficient.
Anti-barking shock training collar for dogs. (Image Source.)
Problem solved. Right?
Now Super whispered his barks. Instead of BARK! BARK! BARK!, it was bark… um, bark, … bark. (Timidly.) It was cute, and it did work. Our dog had figured out how it worked and realized that he could no longer bark in the house. There weren’t any more visits from the building guards. Great right? Of course it wouldn’t work if the dog were not bright or slow. But Super was smart, so it worked.
But then, again our other dog (Pipi) was smart as well.
And he too discovered how it worked. He discovered that he could shock Super by barking at him. Super could be sleeping, and our dog would walk up to him and bark right into his collar. What a shocking way to wake up! Oh, my goodness! What hath we wrought?
One day we came home to barking and howls of pain from Super. Our other dog Pipi was pacing around Super barking crazily, and watching him get shocked. Then he gleefully would start up again, to watch it all over again.
We had to put an end to this mess.
We initially didn’t know what to do. We were afraid that if we removed the collar that Super would start barking again. There was a real and serious risk that he would find out the hard way how to fly. We needed to do something. We discussed it back and forth, over wine (as was our preference) and decided a solution. We put shock collars on both of them.
That’s right. Now it wasn’t fair. But it was the best thing to do.
We had a small cage for both of them, and put them both in it with shock collars. We then put on a camera and watched them from our cellphones, and left the house for dinner.
Sure enough, our one dog would start barking and Super would start to cower in fear. The only difference now was that both collars started to beep. Now, both dogs got a shock. Our dog didn’t know what was going on, so he started to bark and attack Super. Then off goes the stage-two beeps…then shock. It continued, and then Super started to fight back. He started to bark back. There was a mess of fighting, howling, beeping and electric shocks. It took maybe two hours before they all collapsed from exhaustion.
Neither dog would bark after that.
After that one massive battle, everything went quiet and peaceful. Neither dog barked. Though, they didn’t look at each other either. They would take turns eating and they would stay in separate rooms in the house. The good news is that Super wasn’t thrown out the window, no dog had a operation to stop barking, and the Baoan never visited us again. Mission accomplished.
That makes me think…
I must admit that I am pretty sick and tired of Congress. Not one of them are acting the interests of their constituents. Not one of them. They are self-serving and evil.
It makes me think that maybe we should have shock-collars for everyone in Congress. The moment they start to put restrictions on people and any of their Rights, that they get graduated electric shocks. Maybe that would teach them that they couldn’t violate the Constitution no matter what their excuses are. Try to ban free speech, get a shock. Try to ban guns, get a shock. Try to ban religion… get a shock. Try to ban large sodas… get a shock. Try to ban straws… get a shock. Try to ban bikini’s… get a shock. Try to ban chewing gum… get a shock. Try to ban bacon…get a shock. Try to ban knives and forks… get a shock.
It’s a win-win situation!
When does information stop and propaganda begin
Well, isn’t that the way life works. You start talking about dog shit and end up talking about putting shock collars on American Senators. Ah, my goodness, life as an American.
People say that we live in an “information age”. I disagree. We live in an “age of manipulation”. I say this because never before have we ever been so assaulted upon by propagandized media, and surveilled so severely. Face the facts.
All, the totality of, American media is owned by only six people.
Everything that you see on the “mainstream” media is directed and spoon fed to you by the desires of six people.
Why use propaganda unless you want to manipulate, and why utilize surveillance if you have no intention about using the information you obtain. The answers to both questions point squarely towards manipulation.
This being stated…
How does the news benefit you?
Really, how does the “news” benefit you? If you were to go without watching, reading, or listening to the news for a week, would your life collapse? Would your quality of life decrease? Would your income drop?
Do you like being afraid of the latest pandemic being shoved right before your morning coffee?
I am willing to bet that your quality of life would increase. Your stress level would definitely decrease, and your levels of happiness would increase. I think that maybe we have become so addicted to the news that we have forgotten it’s relative importance in our lives. Since most of the news is used to manipulate and alter your way of thinking, it is refreshing to ignore it.
People who ignore the news, and the warnings about all the wars and troubles in other nations, go out and are happy outside of the USA. They are not afraid.
Those who ignore the news, don’t know that they cannot do certain things, so they do them anyways. They survive and succeed. News in many cases, is like a big weight around your neck that weighs you down and holds you back. It holds you back.
So, like a dog, I would suggest that you ignore that big pile of shit on the sidewalk. Let other dogs smell it. There are other trees to pee on. Other places to run and play. Don’t let anyone tell you that you must smell that pile of shit and no others. You can choose your very own pile of shit and do with it as you may.
You, yes YOU, can choose your own pile of shit to smell. Don’t let anyone tell you what shit to smell.
What you can do
To steal a quote from the movie “Forrest Gump”, life is like a box of chocolates, you don’t know what you are going to get. But, my dear friends, you can most certainly choose the box. Don’t listen to the propaganda.
"Ben Rhodes from Obama’s national security apparatus made the comment that your average journalist today is 27. They don’t know anything; they believe everything we tell ’em. It was a snap.
It was right out of the page of Jonathan Gruber, who was the architect of Obamacare, who after it was signed into law, ran around the country bragging about how easy it was to lie to the American people about it because the American people are essentially ignoramuses."-Rush Limbaugh
Likewise, don’t do what all the other dogs do. Don’t go towards the biggest and most popular pile of shit. Be different, be selective in which shit that you smell. Only pee where you want to be.
Don’t go from tree to tree peeing indiscriminately. Use some thought and planning. I am sure that your life would benefit from some judicial peeing responsibility.
We cannot change the world, and maybe we shouldn’t even try. All that we can change is ourselves.
If there are something’s that I urge the reader to do, I would suggest the following;
Stop watching, reading, and viewing all the “major” media outlets. (CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS, etc.)
Replace the time with something involving food, fresh air, friendships, or animals. (Oh, sex and pizza with wine would be a good thing also.)
Now, that should take care of most of your need to take medication (if you are an American). Now, in addition I would also suggest a phased approach of the following suggestions;
When you go on the internet, do not visit any of the “minor” news sites. (Drudge, Huffington Post, Forbes, WaPo etc.) Give yourself a break.
Avoid sites that promise to tell you “the truth”. Or “fact check”, they will just inform you of what the truth is relative to the person who paid them. They are always lying for financial gain. While Snopes is perhaps one of the most famous, all of them utilize a financial model that promotes one version of the truth over others for financial gain. There is nothing free out there. You have to pay a price for everything. Being “educated” so you are manipulated is the price that you must often pay as an American.
Avoid “Social media”, like Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, or any of the others. If you need to go on it, pledge to stop using “likes”, and responding to posts.
Go there, do your task, and leave. A kitchen timer helps too.
The goal to all of this is to simplify your life by removing the anxiety and excitement of the internet from your life. You don’t need it. It hasn’t helped you at all, and it has only made your life miserable. Forgetaboutit.
I’ve noticed that in my rush to check out Tumblr, that I ended up acting like my dog anticipating a great pile of stinky poop. I just couldn’t wait to what was on my feed. But you know what? It’s just another addiction. It doesn’t really matter. Don’t be like my dog that just cannot wait to smell the freshest pile of shit in the park. Then he just has to pee on top of it. You don’t need it. It’s addictive, and other people know that you are addicted to it, and use that to control you.
Other people control you this way.
Some Final Comments
This being my opinions, and with the world populated with others, there will be some disagreements. Maybe some readers won’t like my comparisons between American news and dog shit. But, you know, that is exactly how most of America views the media, reporters, and those who are on the news shows. We think that they all stink.
Idea: 689,003 Facebook users participated in a social experiment during which researchers wanted to see what would happen if people started reading bad news every day. For an entire week, some users had to view news posts which had negative information, some of which were incredibly stressful emotionally. The opposite was also tested out by using positive news instead of negative posts.
Result: Like a lot of us instinctively predicted, reading lots of negative news over 7 days changed Facebook users' behavior online. Not only were they more prone to posting similar information as in the negative news more often, they were also more likely to emphasize negative emotions. Meanwhile, positive news stories made people feel happier, act more compassionately and kindly towards others. In other words, the news that we consume on social media shapes how we react because, on some level, we feel that what we see and read happens to us in reality.
Maybe some readers will take offense on what I have to say about Nazi’s, Liberal Progressives, and similar organizations like the Antifa and the KKK. Well, heck, that is what the First Amendment is for; the ability to speak your mind. Or to paraphrase the good Democrat Senator, “to express non-approved ideas on my five dollar blog”. Well, there is a solution that will prevent you from getting upset. Don’t read any of my opinions. Leave. Thank you.
This entire article is based on one thing; the musing that I had while I was walking my dog along the beach in front of my house. I noticed how excited he was smelling crap and his urgency to pee everywhere. In turn, I too wanted to see what the latest feed was on the news. And then, for a brief second of clarity, it became totally clear to me. Dogs and humans are the same.
We are the same, and you cannot convince me otherwise.
In my desire to keep my dog focused, and to keep him from getting hit by a car, I would often need to direct him. He cannot crap in the middle of a road, and not run blindly across a road to smell a fire hydrant. It is dangerous in many ways. As such, I need to help him and to protect him.
Isn’t that the same with us humans?
If we blindly react to the canned news that is fed to us, and the manipulative narratives that tug at our hearts and souls, we can get ourselves into a great deal of danger and hurt. I suggested the Russian narrative that is really being pushed by CNN, MSNBC, and Drudge. But other narratives are just as dangerous. America has been at war for over two hundred years. Don’t you think we all ought to give it up and chill out some? Really!
Take Aways
Well, there are some take aways from this dialog;
Dog poop is stinky.
Dogs like to smell things, and what they smell is more than we humans can understand.
News can be compared to dog crap.
There is no reason for us to be so interested in the news, as MOST news does not affect us personally.
News or Social Media is addictive to humans. It is like stinky shit to a dog.
Addiction to news can be dangerous, and it MIGHT be a contributor to the opioid problem in America today.
Manipulation of the news is equally dangerous, and could result in a most terrible turn of events.
I think that it might be a good idea to have Senators wear shock collars
FAQ
Q: Do you think that all news is bad? A: No. I am just concerned that all news is used to manipulate. Our addition to news and Social Media might be harmful to us.
Q: Do you hate dogs? A: No. I actually love them. I also think that they should be permitted to smell all the stinky stuff they want. They just need to be careful so that they don’t get hurt in the process.
Q: Do you hate Senator Feinstein? A: No. I think that she is more than a little confused.
Old age does that, you know. You forget things and your sense of judgment tends to be distorted. She came to Congress when telephones had dials and hung on walls. There was no such thing as computers, and people wrote letters with “Bic banana” pens. Everyone was saying “Groovy”, and the movie Jaws just came out. I think she should have retired three or four decades ago. Like when Microsoft DOS first came out.
Q: Do you read the news and listen to it? A: Yes I do. However, I have been actively trying to reduce the impact of it in my life. I think that I have been far too involved in it in the past. Looking back, I can see how silly it has been.
Posted On Free Republic
This article was posted on Free Republic in the chat section on 31JUL18. It was edited as the language was deemed improper. It used the word “shit”. The comments can be read HERE.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
There are all kinds of extraterrestrial facilities in our solar system. All one needs to do is look for them with an open mind.
No, I am not referring to things that have a similarity to contemporaneous human articles. Like a lizard on the Martian surface, a statue, or a bone of an ox. Those are just fun optical illusions that some folk take quite seriously. It’s all just fun and silly nonsense. No, instead, I am referring to actual “brick and mortar” structures constructed by extraterrestrials that are viewed, photographed, and exploited by MAJestic.
This post is in regards to one of the facilities; the Oxia Palus facility on the planet Mars.
This facility is very interesting in that it is an active factory. It is a complete “stand alone” full-purpose facility with mining, habitation, water source, tunneling, and fabrication constructions. It is also occupied and the relationship between MAJestic and the occupants is a very interesting one. As such let’s just take a general look at this facility.
Now, of course, it’s not supposed to exist.
Humans are alone in this universe, don’t ya know. It is just like the narrative that extraterrestrials do not exist, and that Americans aren’t taxed enough compared to the rest of the world, and of course that great knee slapper; Hillary Clinton never had anyone murdered. (You can read about it here, here, here, here, here, and here.) Those are realities that are dismissed off-hand by the ignorant, and those paid to do so. At this point, I must comment that if you (the reader) believe any of that “official” nonsense then you really just don’t belong here. This place is all about what I know, from my point of view. As such it does not fit into the narrative designed for general public consumption.
Ok, am I clear on this? So let’s go ahead and talk about this facility…
Location
As stated previously, the facility is located on the planet Mars. It is not on the Earth. The specific physical location for the facilities(s) can be found at 3°7’17.34” North, 19°27’46.01’ West. It is in the Oxia Palus region of the northern Mars hemisphere, slightly above the Martian equator. (Thus the name.)
It consists of a number of satellite facilities, also large, but significantly smaller than the main base facility. Most of the complex is under the ground. The only visible portions are the two external domes, gas discharge ports and ejection tubes, and the North-East Sally port to the main underground habitation area.
You can see it on Google Earth (Mars option) at coordinates M11-00099. The last time that I checked using Google Earth, this area was censored.
3°7’17.34” North, 19°27’46.01’ West
The following is a screen capture of Google Earth showing the censored area. Luckily, there are other photographic references that can be used. The United States is not the only nation which has mapped Mars don’t ya know. Even India has sent spacecraft to Mars and orbited it. (Phew!)
Google censorship of the Oxia Palus facility on the surface of Mars. Google Earth censorship. (Author screen capture.)
The censorship is so bad (or obvious) that they have needed to make public statements regarding it. According to Google, things on Google Earth are censored by local governments, and that most censorship by the American government ended around 2005. Conveniently, that was right before Obama was elected president (in 2007). After all, he’s the most “transparent president”. (Bah Ha Haw!)
Today they claim that any and all censorship is driven by the needs of local governments to protect people’s privacy. Ah. There is no need to dispute that. Google is well known to censor the search items, and all of their products for all sorts of reasons, by all sorts of organizations, including the American (and other) governments. (All you need to do to accomplish this is to pay them enough money or offer them personal incentives. They are rather mercenary, don’t you know. I can’t blame them. They have gotten quite wealthy by observing the dictates of the “powers that be”. Same for Snopes, especially for Snopes, but that is another story for another time.)
That’s why Mars was censored; to protect privacy.
They now claim that in most cases the censorship is due to the quality of the images that they receive. In the case of the various Martian orbiters; Mars Odyssey, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and the Mars Global Surveyor all simultaneously presented garbled images on every one of their multiple overpasses over this particular geographic location. You know, there are many articles praising the high quality images taken of Mars, and the high-resolution photos. Yet, for some reason, they never seemed to make it to the Google headquarters. Me thinks that someone had best wake someone up at that massive Google complex and tell them to clean up their act.
Now the truth be told, you and I both know that they were instructed to censor this location. We also know that the United States government are particularly anal about how private companies are able to disclose instructions from the United States government. I am sure that the employees at Google would love not to censor, but their hands are tied on this matter. So, no hard feelings you Googlers, you.
Well, Google is of absolutely no use. That should be expected So good luck finding anything of significance from any large American software company or any United States agency. They only provide censored and sanitized images for common folk that fits a common, conventional narrative. They’ve got to keep the illusion alive don’t ya know.
Luckily, there are other photos available. Don’t use Google. It is a slick “user friendly” interface that provides absolute false and misleading information. They do not do anything without permission by the American government. All those visits between the upper management and President Obama were for a reason. Young man, you need to go elsewhere.
Other Map Resources
There are other sources that the interested reader can turn to. Here are just a few that are available;
Bing Image Search. Note that the site scans for images, and only posts images that it can find. Looking for a specific photo here is often like looking for a “needle in a haystack”.
JPL. This is the site where the photos to follow were obtained from. However, finding the proper image is rather difficult.
The reader can find the location and zoom into it. The photo below shows the general location for the Oxia Palus facility as viewed from high orbit.
General location of the Oxia Palus facility on Mars. The general location of the facility. (Image Source)
Mapped Region
The following is a map generated from a different photograph of the same region on Mars. This map was taken on the 16 March 2000 and released by JPL. It was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor.
This is the raw image feed of the Oxia Palus facility. It is uncensored, and without modification; thus “raw”. It’s pretty difficult to find unedited Martian images on the internet today. So the reader needs to be careful. Raw Photograph of the Oxia Palus base. (Image Source)
The above is a (formerly) publically available photograph of the base taken and released to the public prior to the discovery of the facility. The reader should note that at this time the facility was not dormant. It was still generating heat, operating the furnaces, ejecting hot gasses, and discharging slag.
I ask the reader if they remember when Bill Clinton was President of the United States. Do you remember? Well, the photo above was taken during his presidency.
General Layout
The Oxia Palus Facility is located in the Oxia Palus quadrangle. Its approximate location is considered to be at 20° west and 3° north in the northern hemisphere of the planet Mars. This area is along the Martian equator.
There are numerous advantages for launching from a site near the equator, and it is suspected that these advantages were considered when the initial base was constructed. There is evidence that one (of many, obviously) of the first considerations in the construction in this facility was the conservation of delta-V during operation. This is an observation that suggests that their overall space flight technology was not nearly as sophisticated as their planet side construction ability. This concern might be illusionary, however.
The exact location of the center of the triangle formed by the three major complexes is at 3°7’17.34″ N, 19°27’46.01″W. This facility is amazingly ancient. It is ancient from the point of view of human experience, as well as from the point of view of geologic time.
The Oxia Palus base is divided into three primary sections. These sections consist of a [1] Main habitation area that lies underneath a large hill, and two externally exposed domes [2] and [3]. The underground habitat is (by far) the largest part of the facility. It is well protected from any kinds of harmful radiation that might bombard the planet by the layer of protective dirt. It also extends deep downward into the soil and rocks below.
The main habitation area houses the bulk of the living quarters for the residents of the base. It also contains the life support, food, recreation (what is determined to be “recreation” resources), and living quarters. Access to interplanetary vehicular transport is through the sally port closest to the domes. The upper exposed domes house the industrial facility as well as the power support structure.
Of the exposed domes, the one that houses the power plant and supply facilities is the oldest dome. It also houses the remains of a now obsolete or nonfunctional manufacturing facility and ejection chamber with the associate systems. The former now lies in disused ruin outside the dome. It cannot be repaired or reused, as there is a section that is completely damaged.
Next to this dome is a newer “secondary” dome. Inside of it is an expanded manufacturing facility that was constructed during a later phase of occupation. The two domes are connected underground seamlessly such that it appears that this is one large self-contained facility structure, and not the two domes as the outside view would suggest.
Narrated view of the Oxia Palus facility showing ejection ports, domes, sally port and associated middens. View of the main complex and the two external domes.
This is an overhead view of the Oxia Palus base. This photo was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor on 16 March 2000. You can get the full sized image at Malin Space Imaging Systems. (You’d best hurry before they take it down. People like YOU shouldn’t have access to this kinds of information, don’t you know.) This image is courtesy of JPL.
The primary dome resides under the small hill to the left of the picture. The two industrial and power domes are to the right side of the picture. The ejection nozzles from the facility can be clearly seen. The photo is from NASA and I am sure that the rank and file employees did not know that was going on at the time. The photo was taken at one of the moments when there was material ejecting from the dome. Thus the bright white plume of gasses during ejection.
During ejection, the gases also carry away some debris and small particles. This is borne aloft by the local weather and tends to travel away from the ejection port. Typically, there is a Northwest trajectory for the gas plume during discharge.
The ejection nozzle(s) consist of a large tube that leads from the dome, crosses through the hill(s) in an excavated trough and then is on stilts like a railroad bridge above the Martian surface. Each time the hot gasses are discharged, there is a degree of wear and tear on the pipe. This eventually will damage the tube so that repairs are periodically required. It is not a safe activity, and repairs in the Martian atmosphere, high above the ground is not something that is taken lightly.
Geology
The Oxia Palus base is located near an ancient Martian lakebed. Surrounding the area is a fluvio-lacustrine environment indicative of standing water in the remote past. There was no indication that the flow of water occurred after the facility was created. There was no apparent external evidence of water-type erosion on any of the facility structures at all. However, evidence of airborne particulate erosion and damage was prevalent throughout the facility.
There was extensive evidence for the remains of ancient lakes, springs, and valleys that formed deltas where water once flowed a long, long time ago. The local area was composed of both various compositions of clays and rocks.
Most of the rocks, we believe were carried off from distant areas during a wet period in the distant Martian past. The rocks vary from slightly rounded pebbles (formed from abrasive water action) to imbricated rock clusters. In this region, the rocks are mostly exposed with patches of hard crusty and compacted soils rich in minerals.
Generally, most rocks had sharp edges and were split in patterns indicative of the types of rocks found. Apparently, the flow of water in the remote past was not of a long enough duration to create extensive water erosion on the rocks. There weren’t beds of rounded pebbles like one would see around Earth Side Rivers. Instead are found splintered and jagged rocks with slightly rounded edges.
Generally, the rocks are eroded by either water or air, and have an overall grey appearance. But that is not obvious to the casual observer. They are typically covered with a fine reddish dust that permeates everything in the region. The rocks are typically layered with water erosion creating an exposed surface. Most of the rocks near the facility were andesite’s however, ore bearing stone was found in ample quantities near the primary ore processing facility.
Water Under the Surface
The layering of rocks showed the encapsulation of ice within alternating layers of rock that are typically three meters thick (from nine to ten feet thick). In some areas, especially where there was evidence of clays and prior water flows, the layer thickness approaches 20 meters thick (that is around 90 feet). Within the clays and gravels are encapsulated pockets of ancient water / ice containing a high concentration of salts and minerals.
There is also evidence of previous hot springs in the area as is indicated by the presence of Opaline silica bearing ores and gravels. It is strong evidence for this that one of the apparent sites of liquid water to the site originated from an underground aquifer or possible hot springs site at one time. It remains to this day a curious avenue of investigation, as are some of the mine tunnels most certainly mine(d) the ice found there.
Occupants
The current occupants are NOT the ones who have first constructed the facility. The species that made the facility abandoned it a long time ago. When they abandoned it, and who they were has never been ascertained.
It is currently occupied by humanoids with a “similarity” to contemporaneous earth-humans. These individuals are there for the duration. They can never return back to their point of origination as they are now. They have been changed.
The occupants do not really understand the technologies at the facility and are learning as best they can. The facility is old and the equipment does tend to fail and malfunction. There are very few spare parts available to the staff there.
It is an ordered, semi-military / scientific / industrial environment there, but the staff does not wear military uniforms. Instead, the occupants wear uniforms of a bluish color. The occupants have two sexes, with males being the dominant gender. Leadership is hierarchical through merit, and is all male. The few females that are present are involved in scientific and medical roles. Everyone there has multiple roles and multiple duties. The work hours are long. There are few days (off) for rest or relaxation. It is something that is not allowed or permitted for the current occupants.
While this facility is uniform of one species type, they do interact with other extraterrestrial species from time to time.
In general, the occupants are not a happy lot. This is not the biological environment that their physical bodies require. There is little in the way of entertainment. They spend much of their time during the occupation of this post engaged in work that was promoted to them as for the “betterment of their species”. There are no efforts to breed or grow families. This posting is a functional one and not a colony.
Access
Access to the facility is via a portal. There are numerous portals. The primary personnel portal is located underground in the main habitat. There is also a utility portal located in the older dome, off to the side near the power generation area. It is a larger portal and is used as needed. The portals are not doors in the conventional sense, they are points of access where things can enter and leave from one geographical place to another.
Whenever there is interplanetary transport involved, the transports land next to the sally port and are accessed externally from that point. There are no other points for external access.
The vast bulk of visitors and supplies transit through the ports. Vehicular landings are rare. As are efforts related to egress from the facility, and external maintenance tasks.
Dome Wall
The two domes are constructed of an interesting material. It is the same for material for both dome walls. The material is not transparent, but is actually opaque. The thickness of the material apparently varies over the total surface of the wall, with the thicker sections being closest to the (lower) local Martian topography. They are thicker at the base than at the apex. The thickness is also neither uniform nor regular in any way. This is a confusing attribute and suggests an organic construction methodology. The thickness varies from just over three cm (an inch thick) at the apex to over 0.6 meters (two feet) thick at the base.
Typical cross section of the dome wall(s) at the Oxia Palus facility.
The most outwardly visible aspect of this base, as well the reason how it was discovered in the first place, are the two external domes. These domes are large structures, which from the outside appear to be smooth, featureless surfaces.
However, the appearance is deceptive. It is not actually true. The outer skin of the domes shows signs of wind borne weathering. This was especially noticeable when one stands outside the domes and can physically observed the surface close up. A person can feel the roughness even through their gloved hand.
The shapes of the domes are not spherical. Instead they are elliptical. This is not only in regard to the overall top projection, but also in terms of the cross sectional views. This too, lends one to conclude that the manufacturing and construction methods used were more of an applied organic technique of some significance and utility.
The domes did not interface with the surrounding Martian bedrock as one would assume. On the earth we use a poured concrete foundation solidly located upon a prepared flat bed, but apparently this was not the case at all. Here, they actually used some kind of technique that would cause a merging or transmutation of the dome material with that of the surrounding bedrock. It is unknown how this was accomplished.
Dome Material
The dome material is apparently a closed-cell ceramic-appearing composite material. Yet its composition was neither entirely a metal, nor a ceramic. It was something altogether different. The material is currently opaque, but possibly was translucent at one time. Apparently the weathering of the outside domes affected this property. Both domes have weathered differently over time.
Structurally it is a polyaromatic amide. That is, it contains aromatic and amide groups. One could say that for the most part, the individual polymer strands of the wall material were held together by hydrogen bonds that form between the polar amide groups on adjacent chains. The aromatic components of the polymers in the material had a radial (spoke-like) orientation, which gave a high degree of symmetry and regularity to the internal structure of the fibers.
What was the most unique characteristic of the material was that silica tetrahedron. This tetrahedron is composed of a single silicon atom surrounded by four equidistant oxygen atoms, all seemed to be embedded within “pockets” that were structurally oriented around the polyaromatic amides. That was confusing. Generally, the silica structure is the basic structure for many ceramics, as well as glass. It has an internal arrangement consisting of pyramid (tetrahedral or four-sided) units. Four large oxygen (0) atoms surround each smaller silicon (Si) atom.
When silica tetrahedrons share three corner atoms, they produce layered silicates (talc, kaolinite clay, mica). When silica tetrahedrons share four comer atoms, they produce framework silicates (quartz, tridymite). But, by being embedded within malleable “pockets’ the material was able to link the individual polymer strands of the wall material on adjacent chains. Thus a situation of enormous strength was achieved, while at the same time the ease of manufacture of clay-like products was facilitated.
At least that is the theory. No one has ever tried to duplicate this engineering feat. At least, I am not aware of it. But, then, what do I know? No body ever tells me anything.
If samples were to be taken at various points in the dome wall structure, one would notice Frenkel-defect’s in the lattice arrangements of the crystals near the upper most portion of the dome. This is a characteristic of both domes, with the primary dome (the oldest) having the most defects.
Obviously the material consisted of degraded aramid fibers, fragile ionic bonding, and strange material forms that made no sense altogether. We should not bother with this kind of dedregration, and simply label it fossilized junk and leave it at that.
Ah, but all this is speculative. Don’t ya know…
Purpose
The initial intended purpose of this facility was to process ores into raw material. It is primarily a smelting facility. It has since been repurposed for scientific study, and some other specialized activities.
There are actually two factories at the location. There is [1] an original factory, and [2] a newer replacement factory.
Each facility lies under a dome that is constructed at the side of the hills at that location. Each facility has a gas ejection port that is elevated above the ground and leads away from the facility proper. When gas is ejected, it is discharged away from the facility and shielded by the low hills.
Slag and other residue are carted out of the facility through a port that lies under the old (initial) dome. The newer facility utilizes the port in the older facility. It is a “shared” port for slag egress. The ore is carted down a pathway and discharged into numerous piles or middens.
All contemporaneous operations are conducted out of the newer facility. The older facility was scrapped and the parts that could be reused were incorporated into the replacement facility. All what remains now are the foundations under the dome, and the long gas discharge tube.
Both facilities were created by the original builders of the facility. The entire facility was abandoned at some time in the past, and is now repurposed under new “management” with a different species.
Mines
Currently, the open space under the original dome holds storage and processing equipment. It is also, where the mines open up and access the processing facility. Under the facility is a warren of mines that plunge down deep into the Marian rock. These mines have numerous levels, and they branch outward from the facility. All of the tunnels connect to the original dome and use the main elevator system located there.
The elevator system is dissimilar from what one would find on Earth under human construction. It utilizes a completely different system of transport. However, stars and ramps are often quite similar to their human counterparts. The only difference is the step height, width, and breadth is quite uncomfortable for human use.
When ore is mined, it is carted to the original facility dome, stored until needed, and then delivered to the new replacement facility dome next door. Once processed, the slag is discarded through the port under the original dome into piles of middens. The processed material is stacked and organized under the original dome.
Process
The smelting operation is functionally not that much different from what is conducted traditionally on earth. Ore is mined and collected. The ore is then undergoes redox to free the desired minerals from the ores. In the Oxia Palus facility, the process involves heat and pressure. It generates gas, and that hot gas needs to be discharged carefully away from the facility.
During the process, there is a tremendous amount of heat that is generated. Not only inside the equipment involved in the smelting process, but also inside the protective dome, that surrounds the facility. During the operation, this heat builds up, and causes a kind of condensation on both the inside and the outside walls of the dome, and wispy vapors in the thin Martian atmosphere. Inside the workers need to be very careful. While the dome itself is amazingly robust, periodic checks must occur to guarantee that the stability of the facility is maintained. The temperature and pressure cycling of the dome is typically very uncomfortable for the workers there.
Temperature swings of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius is not unheard of. So if the ambient temperature of the interior (new) dome is say 20 degrees Celsius (around 68F), the temperature can become a very uncomfortable 70 degrees Celsius (around 150F) when the facility is in operation.
The equipment primarily consists of a huge chamber that combines the ore, heat and pressure together. There is equipment to add various other materials to the molten mix after the smelting operation. This equipment can add materials in solid, liquid and gaseous states. Materials to add are provided in ingots if solid, and within elliptical containers if in a gaseous or liquid state.
The equipment has problems and often breaks down.
Part of the reason for this is age. Part of the reason is due to the inexperience of the present staff.
Age
This facility is ancient. It was constructed a very, very long time ago.
No one has been successful in dating the facility. As the aging process on earth is different than on Mars simply because the atmosphere is quite different. No serious investigator has considered a recent date for this facility. It is old, but not just “human old” it is “geologic old”. The age of this facility defies the human experience.
Further, the illusion of the passage of time as perceived by humans varies from planet to planet. The gravitational effect of the planet and the orbit contributes to the perception of time. When you change the geographical location, you will also change your perceptions. Time is not what we think it is. Nor is reality.
With that in mind, it is impossible to place a comparative age on the facilities present at the Oxia Palus facility. It is truly like comparing apples with bananas.
What we can do, however, is speculate on the age of the earth at the time of when the Oxia Palus facility was constructed. This is easier, though the illusion is temporary. Time passes differently on Mars for biological creatures, especially transplanted ones. Please understand that everything is relative from the point of view of the observer.
There are those who suggest that the age is relatively recent, while others posit a much older date. From what little we know, and what we can conjecture, it is all just a “crap shoot”. There is nothing at the facility that would be able to give us any idea of when it was constructed relative to what was going on around the earth at that slice of time.
For my own reasons, I have my own opinions that place the first construction of this facility many millions of years in the past. However, those are just my thoughts based on things that I cannot disclose at this time. As far as the reader is concerned, it is simply a very ancient facility.
So what?
I think that it should be enough to know that there are other intelligence’s “out there”. One of the problems with secrecy is that no one knows where to put limits on it. Sure we do not need to “let the cat out of the bag” regards to specific technologies and things that can provide us strategic advantage, but some basic rudimentary truths should not be harmful to anyone.
We don’t need to waste time trying to figure out “are we alone in the universe?” We aren’t. In fact, the galaxy is a very ordered place. This is especially true in our local area (A spherical bubble with a radius of around 25 LY.). It is like a well-tended and well-manicured garden. It’s not some kind of wild expanse where we can grab habitable planets as soon as we are able to travel to them. We just cannot do that. We need to ask for and obtain permissions.
Listen up, people.
Our galaxy is really much like a baseball game in a jam-packed stadium. The game has been going on all afternoon. The crowd is all involved in the game. There are people selling hotdogs, soda and beer. Nearby are some fans chatting about the game. Some people are comparing player stats. While other people are just chatting with each other talking about the game, the weather, and other trivial matters.
Meanwhile, we humans are like a baby sitting in a child-carrier on one of the stadium seats, totally fixed on the pacifier that is in our chubby little hand.
Conclusions
This facility was not intended to be anything other than a smelting operation. It was discovered, and occupied by interested local parties once proper permissions were obtained. (Permission needed to be obtained, and assistance was needed to transport staffing to the facility.) The staffing involves trained individuals who were recruited after their secondary education. The site was repurposed for scientific study.
Americans are not to be told of the existence of this facility.
Take Aways
There is an extraterrestrial facility located at Oxia Palus on the planet Mars.
This facility is a smelting operation.
The facility is ancient.
It is currently repurposed as a center for study of the technologies of those whom built the facility.
The American government believes that it is important to keep the knowledge of this facility secret.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your thoughts on this matter. I would welcome your theories as to why Google censors Mars. I would welcome your ideas on what an ore processing facility is doing in Oxia Palus. I would welcome your ideas as to the location of the deposits of ice under the surface. I would welcome your thoughts on the possible repurposing of this facility.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Do extraterrestrials exist?
A: Yuppur, but don’t tell an American that. They are not to know anything. How do I know? All American government agencies make a point to censor all information. They do not do this on their own. They do it under direction.
Q: Will man ever walk on Mars?
A: The question is framed poorly. Perhaps it should be “Has man ever walked on Mars?”.
Q: What is a smelting operation?
A: To smelt is to take a rock, and apply temperature and pressure until a metal drips out. The metal is then collected and the waste is thrown away as “slag”. The process says pretty much the same from whence early man started to smelt tin and copper. There has been advances in technology, most certainly, but the process is still pretty much unchanged.
Q: What is done with the material that is collected at the facility?
A: It is formed into set predefined shapes and shipped elsewhere where it is used for various construction projects.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Sometimes we are exposed to dark secrets when we are little. It isn’t until we are much older when we realize what we were exposed to. Ah. When I was a young boy, perhaps five or six years old, I used to play around in our neighborhood. There is nothing strange about that. All the children did it…
As a Young Boy
Children play. That is how they learn. At that time, childhood was spent either outside alone in “free ranging” play or in front of the television set.
At that time I lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut. If there is one thing that I can say about it is this; it was quite different from what it is now. At that time, it looked a little like “Mayberry R.F.D”. Our neighborhood was all Caucasian. My school mates were mostly Catholic, and the immigrant children that I played with came from Germany, Poland and France. Today, well it looks quite different indeed.
Which, of course, was something that we most certainly did.
The Abandoned Building Next Door
Adjacent to our housing complex was an abandoned flower garden. It was wedged between our housing complex and a (then new) school complex known as the Kennedy Center. There, we would play our childhood games, and explore the ruins. We would play “Army” and shoot at each other with plastic guns. We all had snap-cap pistols that resembled six-shooters. We would wear them in a holster that draped around our waist. We also had various larger toy arms. The Thompson tommy-gun was popular, as was a M1 carbine, and my favorite was the M14 with action sound. If we didn’t have our toy guns with us, we would cut down some branches with our cub scout knives and pretend that they were guns instead.
There, we would hunt each other in the brambles, bushes and ambush others from the tree tops. It was a time of running around on broken glass and exposed nails. In fact, I even ended up stepping on a protruding nail and had to get a tetanus shot as a result. Yeah, I ended up crying from the pain. It went right up through the sole of my shoe and was solidly lodged in my foot. Never the less, as a five or six year old, we loved all the debris and ruin. It was one huge playground to us.
The flower garden was more than just a small patch of overgrown weeds. It had, at one time, been a small working farm. On the property was a small craftsman-style bungalow, and behind it were rows and rows of straight cement paths that were used to plant roses and other flowers that were sold in the bungalow office. The flowers were still there. They were a colorful mess of tangled brambles, weeds, and odd flowers. It was obvious, even to us children, that the property was used to grow and sell flowers. In the decaying garage were stacks of clay earthenware flower pots (covered in green moss), bags of mulch (or something equivalent) and mechanical implements used in the tending of shrubs and flowers. We would climb in and out of the broken windows and even push ourselves up onto the roof. Occasionally we would jump down to the ground, and it hurt!
Pretty ballsy for a five year old, eh?
As a ruin, the structure was pretty typical. Thick rusty red water poured out of the faucets when you opened them up. The windows were all broken. The front door was open and the outer screen door was just a wooden frame with tattered collapsed rusty screening. The front lawn was overgrown and to us kids, the grass was as high as our waists. In and buried within the grass were bits of broken everything.
The second floor in the bungalow consisted of two rooms, and both were flooded with paper and unopened letters. That was it. It was a fully empty area filled with bags of unopened mail. As kids we would open the letters to see what was inside. They were just bills and boring letters. There just wasn’t anything exciting there.
The first floor consisted of a rear kitchen painted yellow with white trim, with windows over the sink that overlooked the rear gardens. The ancient white refrigerator was outside lying on its’ side. It was of the antique type with condenser coils on the top. It lay there like some kind of beached whale. The entry rooms were filled with piles of debris which seemed to be mostly display cabinets and a handful of chairs. The bathroom was outside. It was an outhouse with two toilet “holes” that were side by side. You know, for family or close friend use. On the floor were old ears of corn. Needless to say, we didn’t play in that.
The most interesting feature of this bungalow was its basement.
The Basement
Off from the kitchen was a nondescript door. It opened up to a staircase going down into darkness. Alongside the walls of the steps were old rusty cans of paint, dusty and cobweb covered mops, wires wrapped on nails, and boxes of rusty nails. The stairs plunged into pitch black darkness.
When we were able to brave the darkness and go downstairs, the stairs opened up to a landing in a large single room. It was a big open room made of cement cinderblocks. Light illuminated the dirty floor through low and dusty rectangular windows set at the sides of the cellar. There really wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the place, as it was filled with rubbish and rusty metal shelving containing empty wooden boxes, cans and empty glass bottles. There were piles of clutter. Even to us children, the clutter was dirty and uninteresting.
The clutter contained such things as cheap paintings of clowns (Why?), and oils of cats with enormous big sad eyes. There just wasn’t any toys of interest there. The closest thing was a speckled finish set of bongo drums, minus the drum covers. Even as a young boy, I didn’t want to touch the greasy filthy rubbish. It was a place where rats, mice and black widow spiders lived. I wouldn’t have anything to do with it.
Looking around, we soon discovered that set into the wall was a hidden door. The door was made out of matching cinderblocks. It rested on a rusty frame that pivoted outwards, and was stuck and frozen in place. When closed, it was obvious that you wouldn’t be able to see that there was a concealed door at all. However, now, we could easily see the door as it was stuck in the open position and held in place with a dirt floor. The door did not have an obvious handle. It looked like it could swing open and be bolted in place with a heavy rusted steel bar.
What was most interesting to us was what lay behind that hidden door.
The Gorilla Cage
For set in the exact middle of the room was a low cage. It too had a door that was frozen in the open position. The lower parts of the cage were all buried in the dirt of the floor. The bars were quite thick and were maybe ¾ inch thick. The top also had bars. It stood about five feet high, large animal size, and was maybe 5 feet by 5 feet square.
The door was set in the middle of one side. A rusty chain with a rusty padlock was affixed to the front door above an old keyhole lock.
We called it “the gorilla cage”.
It was empty. The floor of the basement had somehow flooded at some point in time and a layer of dirt covered everything.
We would play around this cage as children. We would take turns standing inside of the cage, and play “tag” inside the building. Like the other room, this room also had windows, but they covered with slats. The light would shine through the broken slats and fall flat upon to the dusty floor. It would give the dirty and dingy basement a medieval feel.
I know nothing about the cage, or why it was there. As such, the cage is just a dusty mystery that has been forgotten over the years.
Analysis
It wasn’t until decades later that I began to ponder the cage. Was it where a gorilla was kept? No, most certainly not. That was just a name coined by our childhood friends. As I grew older I began to wonder about that cage. What was it doing within a secret room? Indeed, why was there a secret room under a flower garden in the first place? What was its history?
Could if have been used to illegally import banned animals? No, not very likely. In the United States in the 1950’s and 1960’s there really wasn’t much in terms on legal restrictions on the importation of animals of any kind.
Perhaps the owners of the house had a pet lion, or tiger. Perhaps that was where they kept it. They would keep it down there and play with it from time to time. Maybe they actually had a pet gorilla, or maybe a monkey that they would take out with an organ grinder music box and have the monkey collect change from passers’ by. Perhaps they used the cage as some kind of safe. The bars were strong and thick. They were the bars used to hold convicts, not casual animals in a pet store. They obviously kept it well locked. After all, it had both a locked chain and a keyhole lock on it.
It has remained a mystery to me.
Today it is a long forgotten history. In fact, if it wasn’t for this post, this history would have ended when the building was torn down in 1964. As such, it is a personal curiosity. It is something that I experienced and offers yet another mystery of the past that will never be solved.
I tend to believe that the world is filled with such mysteries and secrets. Many times curious and strange events and actions are kept secret from others. The secrets remain with the observers, and when the die the histories behind those secrets die with them. This is but one small example of one such secret.
What do you think?
Some people have suggested that this might have been used for nefarious purposes in the past. Others suggest that maybe it was used to hold the most valuable roses and flowers, or the secrets to their growth, within that locked cage. Still others think that it was nothing of consequence, just a set of bars that just looked like a cage.
I don’t know what to think. Anyone have any ideas?
Take Aways
Many children can play in abandoned buildings and not die.
Someone, at some time, played bongo drums under a flower garden.
People used to think that paintings of clowns were attractive decorations.
Discoveries made as a child can develop into mysteries as we age.
There are things that we will never know about, and can only speculate on.
It is mysteries like this that fuel our imaginations.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned and experienced. I use it to tell stories so that others can learn and grow from my experiences. So I have to ask, what are you (the reader’s) experiences? Are they similar to this? Have you also found paintings of clowns in long forgotten basements? Have you ever played the bongos? Maybe you have recited poems while playing the bongos? What stories do you have? Don’t let them die when you pass on. Share them, we all are listening.
FAQ
Q: Can children play in abandoned buildings?
A: Yes, they can, but caution is strenuously advised. A parent certainly needs to teach the child how to behave and what to watch out for prior to any excursion.
Q: What is a cage doing in the basement?
A: That is the big mystery.
Q: Can the cage hold people?
A: Yes. Anyone locked in the cage would have a very difficult time getting out.
Q: Can people have a gorilla as a pet?
A: Not in the United States today. Pets and animals are regulated for personal use.
Q: Can you have a pet monkey?
A: Sure. You will need to check with the local ordinances in your city or town.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
The American Civil War was a tumultuous time. A number of states were very unhappy with the federal government and wanted to leave the union. The federal government would have none of that. Instead, they wanted the states to obey the dictates from Washington. Is that any different from today?
Let’s look at Calexit from a historical perspective.
When I was in school I was quite the history buff. Indeed, one of my most favorite classes was history. I would read my textbooks for fun, and I completely absorbed the information there like a sponge. It didn’t matter what I was reading. I loved it all…
As a Boy Growing Up
Like all boys my age, I was interested in everything. My historical interests varied considerably. It was everywhere from giant man-eating dinosaurs (or so I believed, heh heh) to buried temples of gold. It ran the gambit from the German experience on the Eastern battlefront against the Russians, to the mysterious tunnels under the ground in South America. Like most other children, I devoured reading about the mysteries of the past, the huge cities buried under the sand in Egypt, and the American Indians. When I grew older, I went and visited many of the earthen mounds built by the various American Indians. I visited historical reenactments of Civil War battles, and would go out and search the fields for “arrowheads” and other evidence of a life long gone.
The area where I grew up was filled with history. No, it wasn’t the same kind of history that one would find in the streets of Rome, or in the mountains of Peru. It was local history. It was the lore of the families that lived where I lived. As it was a very colorful place. People such as Davy Crockett, and Johnny Appleseed trundled through the woods in the past. Others would paddle by canoe up and down the river trading in animal hides. Battles were fought against the French, and the British. Indian tribes came and went. Industry grew, and then collapsed. The hills were alive with secrets. These were secrets that my friends could only whisper about. Least their parents found out.
There were isolated (and well-hidden) caves with shackles hammered into the low stonewalls. There were aged and overgrown platforms, often in inaccessible sections high up on the sides of cliffs. There were hermits living in tumble down sheds living with a pack of dogs. There were old men, living alone, who eked out a living with their lone oil well. Thrashing through the woods, we would sometimes run across an old millstone, or an abandoned train tunnel; dark and cool with water dripping down from the ceiling.
Local Lore
As a boy, we all knew about local lore. We knew about the early smelting furnaces that dotted the sides of the Allegheny River. For that is how American steelmaking began. It started in Western Pennsylvania. As there were all the elements necessary for the dawn of the steel industry. There was iron ore. Coal, and easy water transport. Ore was transported by river to the furnaces, smelted, and turned into iron ore. Then the ore went downstream to the emerging metropolis of Pittsburgh where it was turned into steel.
We would ride our bicycles (“banana seat” Schwinn with “drag strip” rear tires and “ape hanger” handle bars), along the old train tracks and dirt roads to the now abandoned communities alongside the river. Then, once we would visit the long overgrown communities, we would explore. We would collect one hundred year old bottles, crawl in and out of the decaying wood structures, and walk along the ancient stone walls and decaying “spring houses”.
The nearest abandoned town to us was Sara Furnace, but there were many others. This included such communities as Redbank Furnace, Allegheny Furnace, Cornwall Furnace, and Sligo Furnace. These were communities that revolved all around a central smelting furnace. These were large stone structures, which resembled an Egyptian pyramid in shape. I have another article totally devoted to this subject, and the reader can get their fill of this most interesting tidbit of Pennsylvania lore HERE.
Obviously, I grew up in the coalfields of Western Pennsylvania.
The Earth was filled with History
My interests weren’t limited to one or two centuries hence. I loved all history. This included mysteries and secrets from long, long ago.
For instance, when I was around ten years old, there were renovations at a pool that we attended. While my family was out swimming, I would go through the shale that the diggers unearthed. (Yeah, I was very weird.) In the shale, I would find images of forgotten plants and animals, and fossils of a time long before the introduction of man. I would collect these rocks. Let me tell you, it drove my mother crazy. In no time, I had my walls and bedroom shelves filled with the patterns of millions of years old leaves, twigs, and plants. Who knows where these rocks are today. They were probably dumped at the side of the road when I left for college.
The past has always been an interest of mine.
"I've never owned, or was a slave, and a large percentage of our forefathers weren't wealthy enough to own one either. Please stop blaming me because some prior white people were idiots -- and remember, tons of white, Indian, Chinese, and other races have been enslaved too -- it was wrong for every one of them. "
-Ted Nugent
Western Pennsylvania was known for its coalmines, and steel mills. Like everyone there who worked in mines, were tales of all sorts of things that would fall out of the rock and shale that we dug up. Things such as metal pins, nails, chains, parts of metal pots and other odd things were always falling out of the coal chunks. They would leave behind their impressions in the rocks, like a mold. These were not borderline curiosities. No. These were complex metal parts; formed, machined and cast metal parts that somehow found their way into rock hard chunks of coal.
This is not just hearsay. When I was in my teens, I worked at the rock crusher at the coalmines. I saw it happen numerous times with my own eyes. I felt the coal and rock. I ran my finger along the natural molds that the parts came out of.
Many times the parts would be tossed. After all, who wants to pocket a nail, or an oddly shaped screw, or an unusual shaped metal part? We certainly didn’t. Now we might have kept these items if they resembled a coin or an arrowhead. However, when an interesting part would tumble out of the chunk, it usually went to the tipple supervisor. My supervisor (Barney) actually had a small collection of various metal constructions that resembled doll-sized teapots, splayed leg holders, and shined-side metal pan lids.
Back then, my job was to make sure that the rock would enter the crusher and not get hung up. To this end, I would stand above the rock crusher, standing on metal slits, and would use a pole to push the coal chunks into the crushing machine below. It was quite dangerous work. As numerous times I had slipped and fell below onto the coal as it was entering the rock crusher. I would need to crawl back up to the top of the bin so that I would not get eaten by the crushing jaws below. I would quickly scramble upward and grab hold of the slats and pull myself up through the bars. It was frightening, but after a few times, it was no big deal. It was fine because no one ever got hurt. Though, I did lose a hard hat or two as they were chewed up into tiny bits.
We worked alternating shifts. About half the time we worked “the tipple” which was where we stood above the rock crusher, and fed the coal into the maws of death. The other half of the time, we worked below underneath. Here we would sort out the junk that came out from the crushed rocks. The crushed rocks would enter the top in huge chunks the size of a washing machine. Then once it was crushed, it would be in the size of a toaster with many pieces of gravel-sized debris. This would consist of chunks of clay, and all sorts of things. Not only rocks, gravels, and tree limbs, but also everyday-trash tumbled down below. This would include anything from beer cans, to doll heads, and bent up license plates.
I, myself, have seen odd things fall out of a cracked block of coal. These were impossible things. Such as worked screws and nails. Things that were too impossible to exist. As we humans are only a few thousands of years old, don’t ya know.
Yah. Don’t ya know…
It was my interest in history that caused me to take additional classes in history and anthropology while I was attending college. In fact, one of my favorite classes involved a summer excavation of the remains of an Indian community on the banks of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania. There, I would joyously excavate cm by cm a one-meter square plot of ground. I found scrapers, “arrow heads” (which really weren’t for arrows, but rather the tips of spears), and various implements used in the grinding of corn.
Ah, but that is a story for another time…
A Fan of History
The point is that I am a fan of history. I cannot say that I am an expert, but I have more than just a mere passing interest in it. You, the reader, can consider me an interested amateur.
To me, history is about people.
It is not about dates, rules, laws and places. It is about the hopes and dreams of those whom have come before. I would read their stories and imagine what I would do if I were “in their shoes”. I could imagine myself building a log cabin in the woods. I could easily picture myself as a Roman soldier with my legion. I could see myself sailing around the Grecian islands. I could even picture myself wearing a funny white powdered wig and dancing in a palace in Paris. I always enjoyed reading about historical events. I am the kind of guy who would buy a book on an interesting segment of history. This included such things as war, adventure, romance, and science.
I have collected books on a wide and diverse range of subjects. These things were all over the place. From a guide to ancient Roman fashion, multiple old school texts, and translations of Samarian clay tablets. In fact, I would collect former history textbooks that I picked up in yard sales and repurposed them for casual bathroom reading. I used to have a stack in “my” bathroom full of old history books, copies of Discover and Omni magazine, old copies of the “Freak Brothers”, a tattered old “Last Whole Earth Catalog”, and some ancient “Men’s Magazines” (such as “Men’s Adventure”) and a “Mad Magazine” or two. Which is the reason, don’t you know, among others why this post is written.
I like to read, and I especially love stories from history.
I enjoy history. It holds meaning to me, and helps to explain to me the trends and behaviors of modern culture. I say this because contemporaneous American culture and society is perplexing to me. The only way that I can sort it out is through the prism of those who have come before us. I look at the lessons of the past to help understand the complexities of the present. And, unless you have been living under a rock, life today is very complex.
As stated previously, this post is written as a knowledgeable fan of history and NOT as an expert.
History has been Rewritten and it is Insulting
My current concern is the manipulation of the historical record for political gain.
"Mr. Obama never missed an opportunity to sew racial divide. During his term in the Oval Office, racial relations literally went off the cliff. Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle promoted the false narrative that white America was literally guilty of hunting down blacks with glee. They whipped up resentment in minority communities against the police, even though a Harvard study found that blacks are no more likely to be killed by police than whites."
-L. Todd Wood
Ah, it is true. History is constantly being rewritten. There is a saying that the history of war is always written by the victors. I tend to agree with that. You don’t have to be an Egyptian pharaoh to chisel away the records and deeds of your predecessors. All you need to do is to hit the reset button and rewrite the dialog. For today as in the past, history today is defined by those in power. This means, unfortunately, that those who have the most money get to define what our past was.
So that anti-social nerd that you laughed at in school, you know the one who is now worth billions of dollars, can direct the narrative of your past. That über -rich American-Hungarian Nazi collaborator can now direct how your children learn history. That lazy dope-smoking ignoramus from the back of the school classroom who is now in government can dictate what to put in textbooks.
My gawd, the world is being run by imbeciles.
We all know (or should know) that historical perspectives vary from geographical narrative to geographical narrative. The American “War of Independence” is described quite differently to students in Britain.
A perfect example of this is in China. What is being taught in Chinese schools is quite different than what is taught in American schools. For example, in China the “Cultural Revolution” in China is described quite differently (in horror as a great mistake) than what is being taught in American universities as a massive success of liberal progressive ideals.
We all can see this. There should be nothing surprising about this at all.
Look about how Stalin had airbrushed people out of photos. Look at how China discusses Tiananmen. Look at how ISS treated museums. And all of this is only about published books, journals and magazines. Now consider adding the Internet to the mixture of sources that can be manipulated and rewritten. In fact, the Internet is one big “whiteboard” (Blackboard, for those older readers.) that is constantly being rewritten to fit whatever purposes deemed necessary by those with the funds, time, and resources to do so.
However, it would take time. Typically, it would take a decade to change public opinion. It would take about one generation to bring people about.
That is, until the Internet came about.
Where once it would take a full generation before the revised history could manifest. It can now be accomplished within weeks. Or, months at the latest. In the past, old texts would be discarded and replaced with new texts. The changes and revisions were slight. They were small, and were too insignificant to be concerned about. However, that is all different today. Within weeks, or at worst, months, a complete new narrative can be concocted and presented as the “truth” to an unwitting public.
To justify the attack on the Falkland Islands, Argentina needed a massive propaganda campaign to convince the citizenry that war was justified. To round up and kill Jews, Hitler spent years readying the German people through propaganda and targeted attacks. In the United States, the War on Drugs spent enormous amounts of money on propaganda. Indeed, if history tells us anything it is this; in order for the population to be compliant with changes in society, they need to be primed and acquiescent.
It’s fine when you have uneducated people walking around in a daze, for they are easily manipulated. The problem comes when not everyone is asleep.
Used car salesman, coming up with all kinds of persuasive techniques to get you to buy his junk. (Image Source.)
Imagine that you, the reader, are going to buy a used car. While you are waiting in the Sales Office, you hear the salesman cracking jokes about how stupid you are. You overhear how you are going to pay over three times the amount that the dealership paid for it. Further, to make matters worse, you actually had already signed the paperwork. It’s too late to make changes. You are stuck with a deal that you know is bad for you.
That’s how it is when you actually know a little about history.
You know the past. You can “feel” the past. You know the history, the reasons, the people involved. While you might not have been there, you can at least understand what “went down”. You understand that the past was complicated. You know that things happened, and often the events were complex and confusing. You realize that there is never a simple answer for the events of the past. Decisions were made by people who are now long dead. They made those decisions based on what they knew.
So it is an insult when someone tries to ram down a simplistic political narrative down our throats. We know better.
We know that life is complex and wonderful. We know that smoking one marijuana cigarette will not turn most people into heroin addicts. We know that not every illegal immigrant is a member of a violent drug gang. We know that listening to rock music will not turn us into worshippers of Satan. We know that we won’t die if we refuse vaccinations. We know that wearing cute and sexy clothing is not an invitation to rape someone.
There is an American saying in regards to this. “Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it is raining.”
Contemporaneous Manipulation of History
One of the things that have upset many people in the United States today, and which contributed to the election of Donald Trump, is an overt contempt for the American people by those in the federal government. And, as such, it’s so open. It’s so brazen. It’s so provable and beyond question. It is an insult to my intelligence. As such, I am absolutely aghast at the political rewriting of history. Not that it is being done, but rather where it is being done. It is being done in America.
Of course, what I am talking about is changing the historical record.
The ignorant can’t possibly notice. They never paid attention during history class. They don’t read. They have no interests in anything other than the latest fashion, and popular culture. They are interested in the trivial. It doesn’t matter who the most popular person or issue is. It could be Kim Kardashian or Soopy Sales. It could be anything. They are mostly just attractive people with a good PR firm. They are mostly actors and people of moderate talent who have managed to charm the likes of the billionaire oligarchy that runs the American media. (I wonder how they manage to get into the spotlight?)
However, those of us who know history are actually aware of the changes to the historical record. It is disturbing, and when coupled with other rampaging alterations to various narratives, upsetting.
That awareness hurts.
Changes to the History of the American Civil War
The history of the Civil War is under revision.
Just like the removal of historical Statues, and the desecration of graves, American history is being altered. It’s blatant and “in your face”. It is organized. Popular television shows are cancelled and access to them is getting to be impossible. Speaking up, even the slightest smidgeon, will result in an army of enraged water buffalos (figuratively) stampeding towards you.
Before any SWJ or BLM has a conniption fit, let me make myself perfectly clear.
The reader is cautioned that I was not alive during the time of the American Civil War. In fact, my ancestors were not even Americans at the time. That’s right, so throw out your messed up ideas about my “White Privilege”. I had no privilege. I friggin’ worked. My entire family worked, and at best eked out a middle class lifestyle. At best, that is. (If you need to know, I friggin’ mined coal underground, then worked in a steel mill. So, cut the shit!) My ancestors weren’t in the United States, and they had nothing to do about the Civil War or any of the issues that surrounded it. Instead, they had their own problems to worry about.
My relatives were too busy struggling with a potato blight in Ireland , and having to get drawn into servitude to escape it, and enslavement by the Russians in Poland. Don’t know about that, do you? It doesn’t fit the desired political narrative. Yeah. Just like your pampered baby who cries when it tosses it’s food on the floor. Life is hard. Get over it.
Get. Over. It.
What I opine about is not about the things that I personally experienced regarding the American Civil War. As I have no experiences, have you? Nope. The American Civil War ended a long, long time ago. Everyone who participated in it is now DEAD. They are dead. If you did dig them up, you will see rotting flesh and foul odors.
You make the best of your life with what you have, and don’t cry over the failures of people long dead and gone.
This is not in defense of slavery. I think slavery is despicable. This is not in defense of separation from the Union. Though, it is clear that the grievances raised by the Southern States were not addressed by the federal government. This is not about what the actual causes were. This is not about who was involved. It is not about their skin color. It is not about the terrible things that happened during the war. This particular post is about one thing and one thing only; that history can be rewritten and is constantly in the process of being rewritten.
This is about HOW past history can change.
The Causes of the American Civil War
I choose to use the “causes of the American civil war” as an illustration of this.
Why? It is because it is an excellent example. I contend that for political reasons, that it is expedient to change the historical narrative. In the historical narrative there is a significant change. Starting in 2008, and culminating in 2013, the historical narrative went from “many causes with State’s rights being predominant” to “only one main cause being slavery”.
Pause. Think about it.
I contend that prior to 2008, most published books state the reasons for the American Civil War involved a host of issues. (Don’t believe me? Get any school textbook published before the year 2000. See for yourself.) All of the issues fit within a single overriding issue with the tenth amendment. This is known, collectively, as “state’s rights”.
I further contend that after 2008, through to 2016, the narrative changed substantially. It became something else. The reason became “slavery”.
I am not alone in this belief. Indeed, former first-wife Michelle Obama herself expressed a need to change the historical narrative regarding American history. She said it. She told everyone. She let the “big secret” out of the bag. The narrative changed to show that America is and was always a racist, bigoted nation. She said that we needed to change our history.
“We are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history; we’re going to have to move into a different place as a nation.”-Michelle Obama, May 14, 2008
In their race to change history, I’m sure for good reasons, they have actually implemented it very sloppily.
As such, the changes were implemented too quickly. They were too obvious. They were easy to crosscheck against. They did not do their homework. What they should of done first was preceded the implementation of the new historical narrative with mandatory book-burnings and various purges of libraries. That always happens before a new social narrative takes place and is implemented. Mostly it is conducted in secret. Books are collected. Newspapers are bought up and their records purged.
Obviously they didn’t know how to implement this new narrative properly. They should have studied history, and learned from the experts. Come on, it is obvious. Before you change the past, destroy all evidence of it.
It is the first thing you do when you establish a liberal progressive utopia. You erase the past. Then you construct a new past that allows your “reforms” to be implemented.
An Interesting Time
The change in narrative is about a specific singular issue regarding the American Civil War. It is concerned with the causes of the war.
The build up to the American Civil War was a very interesting time. (Let’s not get caught up in any of the other interesting aspects of this time. Let’s stay focused.) In fact, there are many parallels to what is going on today. (This is why this post was written.) The decision of the Southern States to leave the American Union was not an easy one. In fact, there were years of debate over it. It did not happen overnight. There were years of activities that eventually resulted in discussions for leaving the Union. The American Congress and the Senate endlessly debated the issues that eventually led to the rupture of the North and South.
“One method by which to analyze this historical conflict is to focus on primary sources. Every state in the Confederacy issued an “Article of Secession” declaring their break from the Union.Four states went further.Texas, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina all issued additional documents, usually referred to as the “Declarations of Causes," which explain their decision to leave the Union. The documents can be found in their entirety here.”
This debate clearly framed the causes and reasons why the South left the Union. It’s all there. Just read the historical record. Don’t take my word for it. Read what is in the actual transcripts. Read, for yourself, what the Senator from South Carolina had to say. Read for yourself, what the Senators from Mississippi, and Virginia had to say about this matter. Don’t listen to the conventional narrative. Read the transcripts yourself. You read the texts yourself.
It’s a federal record.
A Note of Warning
That being said, anything found on the Internet is suspect. The link above directs us to transcribed versions of the original documents. It does not direct us to the actual documents. It directs us to transcribed versions. Versions, I must add, were created at the same time when revisionist history was assaulting established history. Instead, the reader should always use the original historical documents and NOT the transcribed versions. Read the originals. Avoid all transcribed versions when possible.
The state of Georgia drafted up Declaration of Causes as to why they left the union. What the State of Georgia had to say is interesting. They mention slavery but in terms of financial interests. Here’s what they had to say about that;
“Northern anti-slavery men of all parties asserted the right to exclude slavery from the territory by Congressional legislation and demanded the prompt and efficient exercise of this power to that end.”
The Northern states demanded that the Southern states abolish slavery. That is pretty clearly stated. However, they were very concerned about commerce and financial issues. While the issue about slavery consisted of three (rather long) sentences, the bulk of the document revolved around paragraph after paragraph after paragraph after paragraph solely devoted to commerce and financial interests that were being suppressed by the Federal government. But don’t my word for it, you can read it yourself.
“The material prosperity of the North was greatly dependent on the Federal Government; that of the South not at all. In the first years of the Republic the navigating, commercial, and manufacturing interests of the North began to seek profit and aggrandizement at the expense of the agricultural interests. Even the owners of fishing smacks sought and obtained bounties for pursuing their own business (which yet continue), and $500,000 is now paid them annually out of the Treasury. The navigating interests begged for protection against foreign shipbuilders and against competition in the coasting trade.
Congress granted both requests, and by prohibitory acts gave an absolute monopoly of this business to each of their interests, which they enjoy without diminution to this day. Not content with these great and unjust advantages, they have sought to throw the legitimate burden of their business as much as possible upon the public; they have succeeded in throwing the cost of light-houses, buoys, and the maintenance of their seamen upon the Treasury, and the Government now pays above $2,000,000 annually for the support of these objects. Theses interests, in connection with the commercial and manufacturing classes, have also succeeded, by means of subventions to mail steamers and the reduction in postage, in relieving their business from the payment of about $7,000,000 annually, throwing it upon the public Treasury under the name of postal deficiency.The manufacturing interests entered into the same struggle early, and has clamored steadily for Government bounties and special favors. This interest was confined mainly to the Eastern and Middle non-slave-holding States. Wielding these great States it held great power and influence, and its demands were in full proportion to its power. The manufacturers and miners wisely based their demands upon special facts and reasons rather than upon general principles, and thereby mollified much of the opposition of the opposing interest. They pleaded in their favor the infancy of their business in this country, the scarcity of labor and capital, the hostile legislation of other countries toward them, the great necessity of their fabrics in the time of war, and the necessity of high duties to pay the debt incurred in our war for independence. These reasons prevailed, and they received for many years enormous bounties by the general acquiescence of the whole country.But when these reasons ceased they were no less clamorous for Government protection, but their clamors were less heeded-- the country had put the principle of protection upon trial and condemned it. After having enjoyed protection to the extent of from 15 to 200 per cent. upon their entire business for above thirty years, the act of 1846 was passed. It avoided sudden change, but the principle was settled, and free trade, low duties, and economy in public expenditures was the verdict of the American people. The South and the Northwestern States sustained this policy. There was but small hope of its reversal; upon the direct issue, none at all.”
The problem, it seems is that the Federal government was too busy dictating what the State of Georgia was to do. This was unacceptable to an “independent” state. As such, Georgia did not like it one bit. As the tenth amendment gave Georgia independence in manners related to everything not specifically laid out in the US Constitution.
“With these principles on their banners and these utterances on their lips the majority of the people of the North demand that we shall receive them as our rulers.”
They were correct.
Why is this important? Well, look to our contemporaneous issues. Where in the United States Constitution does it say that California must pay taxes to the Federal government? Why can’t California keep all of its tax revenue itself? It certainly needs it. Where does the Constitution say that California must fund, build and maintain a wall to keep people out of the USA? It doesn’t. Yet, here we have the Federal government dictating to California what it must do.
Then, as now, the issues were the same.
Georgia recognized these issues as serious ones. They did not want the federal government telling them what they could and could not do with their own laws; with their own finances, and their own people.
Why did Georgia leave the United States? Was it because of slavery? The answer is right in front of our eyes. We don’t need Al Sharpton to tell us. We don’t need President Obama to tell us. We don’t need Maxine Walters to tell us. We can simply read the reasons directly from the people who made those decisions.
They gave their reasons. They most certainly did. They spelled it out quite clearly. Here is why…
“Why? Because by their declared principles and policy they have outlawed $3,000,000,000 of our property in the common territories of the Union; put it under the ban of the Republic in the States where it exists and out of the protection of Federal law everywhere; because they give sanctuary to thieves and incendiaries who assail it to the whole extent of their power, in spite of their most solemn obligations and covenants; because their avowed purpose is to subvert our society and subject us not only to the loss of our property but the destruction of ourselves, our wives, and our children, and the desolation of our homes, our altars, and our firesides. To avoid these evils we resume the powers which our fathers delegated to the Government of the United States, and henceforth will seek new safeguards for our liberty, equality, security, and tranquility.Approved, Tuesday, January 29, 1861”
It seems to me, after reading what Georgia had to say, that the issues were complex and involved. The issue was not a singular and simple issue. It was not only slavery. There is not one single word stating that slavery was a reason for leaving the union. That should be clear to anyone with an intelligence IQ over 5.
In short, they did not like the federal government and the Northern states telling them what to do. They reasoned that the tenth amendment limited the powers of the federal government and that they could do what they wished within their own territory. That included everything, including and not limited to, slavery. They felt that the federal government was involved in substantial overreach, and they could no longer tolerate it.
Isn’t that true today… only worse?
Mississippi
Every state had their reasons for leaving. They were all different. Mississippi was a major slave-holding state. What did they have to say? Their Declaration of Causes was quite blunt.
“In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin. That we do not overstate the dangers to our institution, a reference to a few facts will sufficiently prove.”
Ah, so in the case of Mississippi, the major cause of their departure from the Union was actually slavery. By outlawing slavery, the economic foundation of Mississippi would collapse, and the state government could not accept that.
They continued by listing the various concerns, but the message is clear. If they continue along the course and direction from the federal government, the state government would be a mere shadow of its former self. It would be a “puppet government” under the control of the all-mighty federal government.
Isn’t that what happened?
It looks like what they were afraid of, actually happened. They were right. They were correct.
“In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin. That we do not overstate the dangers to our institution, a reference to a few facts will sufficiently prove.”
South Carolina
They were not too happy with the federal government either. They also drafted up a document describing their reasons for leaving the Union. You know, dear reader, for all the stuff on the Internet saying that the one lone cause of the American Civil War was slavery, why don’t they simply post the actual documents. They say it better than any simplistic singular reason could ever do.
Yes. Why not post the originals? The answer is simple. It is the same reason why CNN, MSNBC and WaPo never shows unedited videos of President Trump speaking. They just have a GIF loop of him talking, while their newscasters tell us what he means. Same thing.
“Thus were established the two great principles asserted by the Colonies, namely: the right of a State to govern itself; and the right of a people to abolish a Government when it becomes destructive of the ends for which it was instituted. And concurrent with the establishment of these principles, was the fact, that each Colony became and was recognized by the mother Country a FREE, SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT STATE.”
Ouch.
They argue that they always have the right to govern themselves independently of the federal government and that right cannot be infringed upon. They rejected the overreach of the federal government. In fact, they went into great detail regarding the legality of the agreement with the federal government and that they had the right to live their lives as they seemed fit.
Finally, paragraph after paragraph after paragraph after paragraph, we eventually get to the part about slavery. They wrote;
“These ends it endeavored to accomplish by a Federal Government, in which each State was recognized as an equal, and had separate control over its own institutions. The right of property in slaves was recognized by giving to free persons distinct political rights, by giving them the right to represent, and burthening them with direct taxes for three-fifths of their slaves; by authorizing the importation of slaves for twenty years; and by stipulating for the rendition of fugitives from labor.”
Ah, thus they argue that state revenue would collapse if slave owners no longer had slaves. This was because slave owners paid taxes on the slaves. They go on to describe how the federal government assists in the abolition of slavery and how this affects the state income tax derived from the slave owners.
After reading the South Carolina Declaration of Causes it is clear that they wanted to revert to the status of an independent nation again. Unlike the Georgia declaration that listed a multitude of reasons, and the Mississippi declaration that rested upon slavery, this declaration revolved around the reasons why South Carolina joined the United States in the first place, what they expected what would happen, and what actually did happen. They obviously wanted no part of it.
If I were California and wanted to leave the United States, I would model my declaration of Causes from the South Carolina model. Pay attention Calexit activists.
Texas
At the time of the Declaration of Causes Texas was still quite new to the United States. Indeed, they had only joined the Union a mere fifteen years earlier in 1845. They begin clearly stating that the United States PROMISED that Texas could remain free and independent.
Hah! It didn’t happen. Oh, once you make a deal with the devil, it’s very difficult to get your soul back.
“The government of the United States, by certain joint resolutions, bearing date the 1st day of March, in the year A.D. 1845, proposed to the Republic of Texas, then *a free, sovereign and independent nation* [emphasis in the original], the annexation of the latter to the former, as one of the co-equal states thereof,The people of Texas, by deputies in convention assembled, on the fourth day of July of the same year, assented to and accepted said proposals and formed a constitution for the proposed State, upon which on the 29th day of December in the same year, said State was formally admitted into the Confederated Union.Texas abandoned her separate national existence and consented to become one of the Confederated Union to promote her welfare, insure domestic tranquility and secure more substantially the blessings of peace and liberty to her people. She was received into the confederacy with her own constitution, under the guarantee of the federal constitution and the compact of annexation, that she should enjoy these blessings.”
But, but… is that what actually happened? They promised, don’t ya know…
“The controlling majority of the Federal Government, under various pretenses and disguises, has so administered the same as to exclude the citizens of the Southern States, unless under odious and unconstitutional restrictions, from all the immense territory owned in common by all the States on the Pacific Ocean, for the avowed purpose of acquiring sufficient power in the common government to use it as a means of destroying the institutions of Texas and her sister slaveholding States.By the disloyalty of the Northern States and their citizens and the imbecility of the Federal Government, infamous combinations of incendiaries and outlaws have been permitted in those States and the common territory of Kansas to trample upon the federal laws, to war upon the lives and property of Southern citizens in that territory, and finally, by violence and mob law, to usurp the possession of the same as exclusively the property of the Northern States.
The Federal Government, while but partially under the control of these our unnatural and sectional enemies, has for years almost entirely failed to protect the lives and property of the people of Texas against the Indian savages on our border, and more recently against the murderous forays of banditti from the neighboring territory of Mexico; and when our State government has expended large amounts for such purpose, the Federal Government has refuse reimbursement therefor, thus rendering our condition more insecure and harassing than it was during the existence of the Republic of Texas.These and other wrongs we have patiently borne in the vain hope that a returning sense of justice and humanity would induce a different course of administration.”
Wow. It seems like the federal government was not holding up to its end of the bargain. These were the reasons. Like South Carolina, one has to read a number of paragraphs (again, paragraph after paragraph) until we eventually… eventually… eventually we find slavery mentioned. This is what they had to say about that issue.
“They demand the abolition of negro slavery throughout the confederacy, the recognition of political equality between the white and negro races, and avow their determination to press on their crusade against us, so long as a negro slave remains in these States.”
With that being stated, the declaration further discusses that causes of all the wrong doings that the federal government has engaged in. It’s quite a long list. Slavery is listed as one of the reasons. However it is not the sole and only reason.
“They have proclaimed, and at the ballot box sustained, the revolutionary doctrine that there is a 'higher law' than the constitution and laws of our Federal Union, and virtually that they will disregard their oaths and trample upon our rights.They have for years past encouraged and sustained lawless organizations to steal our slaves and prevent their recapture, and have repeatedly murdered Southern citizens while lawfully seeking their rendition.
They have invaded Southern soil and murdered unoffending citizens, and through the press their leading men and a fanatical pulpit have bestowed praise upon the actors and assassins in these crimes, while the governors of several of their States have refused to deliver parties implicated and indicted for participation in such offenses, upon the legal demands of the States aggrieved.
They have, through the mails and hired emissaries, sent seditious pamphlets and papers among us to stir up servile insurrection and bring blood and carnage to our firesides.They have sent hired emissaries among us to burn our towns and distribute arms and poison to our slaves for the same purpose.They have impoverished the slave-holding States by unequal and partial legislation, thereby enriching themselves by draining our substance.They have refused to vote appropriations for protecting Texas against ruthless savages, for the sole reason that she is a slave-holding State.And, finally, by the combined sectional vote of the seventeen non-slave-holding States, they have elected as president and vice-president of the whole confederacy two men whose chief claims to such high positions are their approval of these long continued wrongs, and their pledges to continue them to the final consummation of these schemes for the ruin of the slave-holding States.In view of these and many other facts, it is meet that our own views should be distinctly proclaimed.”
Again, the reasons list federal overreach. The Constitution clearly states what the federal government can and cannot do. The Bill of Rights clearly state that what is not explicitly stated in the Constitution is RESERVED for the states.
I can see that the slavery issue was one contributor to the decision to leave the Union, but in no way was it the only reason.
Virginia
Virginia also wrote up a Declaration of Causes as to why they left the union. They clearly were not happy with the federal government. In fact, they believed that the federal government has perverted and abused the Constitution. They felt that the federal government was not acting in the interests of the citizens of Virginia. It was the first thing that they described in their declaration;
“having declared that the powers granted under the said Constitution were derived from the people of the United States, and might be resumed whensoever the same should be perverted to their injury and oppression; and the Federal Government, having perverted said powers, not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slaveholding States.”
This declaration was short and sweet. It did not ramble on like the other declarations. It just announced that they would not be part of a government that did not follow the Constitution, and then left.
Slavery or State’s Rights
The big disconnect is in the narrative.
Prior to 2008 every (well, nearly every) hardcover, paperback, and newspaper listed the reason(s) for the American Civil War as “State’s Rights”. They clearly explained that each state had their own individual issues, and chose to join the rush to get out of the United States based on those reasons. Collectively, of all the reasons listed, slavery was but one issue out of many.
After 2008, generally around 2012, it began to change. By 2013 to 2014 the changes were all in place. At least on the Internet they were. (Don’t believe me? Check out the Wikipedia history for entries regarding the American Civil War. In fact, in many cases all entries prior to 2013 vaporized. It is as if they never ever existed before. The only way that you can find them is to use the “wayback machine”.) Although, there is now evidence that even the wayback machine is subject to alteration of the past. Ugh!
In all cases, a multitude of causes were replaced by the most simplistic cause possible; Slavery. Its great simplicity was easily understood by simpletons and ignoramuses alike. This effort was supported, and served as a major platform for the radical BLM movement. While the “true believers” might like and accept the “narrative of choice”, the rest of us just scoff at it in silence. We know better than to argue with the village idiot.
This Should Not be a Surprise
When one group wants to separate from a larger body, there are always multiple reasons. There isn’t just one reason. There NEVER is only one reason. Certainly some reasons weigh more heavily in the minds of the populace than others. However, to simplify things as one big “catch all” is just insulting. The primary cause of the American Civil War was not about slavery. It was due to a long list of grievances that were worsening over a period of years.
Don’t believe me? Consider other separation movements.
In Brexit, the discussions pro and con for leaving the Union persisted for months, if not years. It is clear for anyone willing to take the time to read the actual discussions. According to the EU (European Union) the entire Brexit movement is a misguided selfish effort based on xenophobia. When in reality, there were many reasons to leave.
Californians have long wanted to leave the American Union. I cannot say I don’t blame them. They are completely out of step with the rest of the nation. This is neither good nor bad. It depends on your point of view. Obviously, they have grown in a different direction. They have a different set of values and do things differently than the rest of the country. They are big enough to maintain their own national status, and if it wasn’t for the precedent of the American Civil War, I am sure that they would probably be an independent nation today. In fact, if I had any say in the matter, I would let them leave and give them the best wishes bye bye.
I have MANY conservative, and liberal friends who feel the same way.
The idea of a huge power all-controlling central government is a very old and outdated concept. It has its roots in the movements of the 1920’s, but time has proven how inefficient it is. It only benefits the global elite, those with delusions of grandeur and the perpetually selfish (aka “busybodies”). Ask any Chinese person if they want to go back to the central policies of Mr. Mao. Ask any Russian if they think that the Soviet Union was a better place than modern Russia. Ask any escaping North Korean. Ask any one from Venezuela.
Why does California want to leave? Is it because of one particular reason? It is because of illegal immigration? Is because of related issues? As that is what it seems like if you read and watch the news. Or, is it due to multiple reasons?
Fact Checking the Causes
No, I am not talking about using “fact checking” websites, software, and paid “experts”. They are anything BUT impartial. Many, if not all of them, are propaganda arms funded by wealthy individuals who wish to maintain a political narrative so that they might benefit from it’s implementation.
George Soros was an early contributor to Snopes, and has provided financial backing to the organization for years.
In the case of the “causes for the American Civil War”, it is pretty easy to check. Not everything is ONLY on the Internet. There are textbooks. There are books on history written before President Obama came to be President. There are tombstones, carved in stone. There are Federal transcripts. There are state transcripts. There are books by the participants in the war on both sides.
One need not limit themselves to reading what is found on the Internet. (A one-sided narrative, this.) You can go down to a used bookstore and purchase an old history book. You can get speech and debate transcripts from the Federal government. You can go down to the state courthouses and get copies of their floor debates.
You aren’t limited to Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton to find out what caused the American civil war. You can find out what really caused it. For starters, I would suggest any one of the following books as a good starting point. Read what they have to say and then read what is on the Internet. In particular, take special note to the revision history of Wikipedia during the Obama administration. That will tell you all that you need to know.
If anyone can find an (hardcover) American textbook dated before 2000 that states that the cause of the American Civil War was only due to slavery, I will post that information here, and offer a redaction in support of the new information.
So, you internet sleuths, go forth and prove me wrong. Go for it. Make money in the process too. It’s a “win – win”. It’s a “no brainer”. To quote a famous television character; “it’s easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!”
Key Conclusions
It is obvious that there were multiple benefits for redefinition of the narrative. It pushed the attention away from federal overreach and onto racial issues. It helped supply racist-narrative ammo to various progressive groups. It enabled President Obama to greatly expand federal power and overreach to levels that were unheard of, even during the “overreach king” President Bush.
By distraction and redirection, the new narrative was able to squelch the Calexit movement, and take away any hope that they would ever be able to move against the all-powerful federal government. The truth be told; they wanted full control without any dissent. The murmurings of succession needed to be squelched immediately. As such, they actually were. The “fingerprints” are everywhere. President Obama kept the United States intact and prevented a breakup that would probably have a domino effect throughout the United States.
If California were to be broken up, the congressional voting block that is now democrat, would end up being diluted by republican voting districts. The break up gives power and a voice to the conservative counties in California. This needed to be squelched by President Obama.
At that time, Calexit was about breaking California into six states. The vast majority would have been “red states” (Republican and Conservative leaning).
When Obama was president, the threat of breaking up California into six states, the majority conservative, was worrisome. (Image source.)
Guest Comment
Civil War . . . How do civil wars happen?
Two or more sides disagree on who runs the country. And they can't settle the question through elections because they don't even agree that elections are how you decide who's in charge. That's the basic issue here. Who decides who runs the country? When you hate each other but accept the election results, you have a country. When you stop accepting election results, you have a countdown to a civil war.
The Mueller investigation is about removing President Trump from office and overturning the results of an election. We all know that. But it's not the first time they've done this. The first time a Republican president was elected this century, they said he didn't really win. The Supreme Court gave him the election. There's a pattern here.
What do sure odds of the Democrats rejecting the next Republican president really mean? It means they don't accept the results of any election that they don't win. It means they don't believe that transfers of power in this country are determined by elections.
That's a civil war.
There's no shooting. At least not unless you count the attempt to kill a bunch of Republicans at a charity baseball game practice. But the Democrats have rejected our system of government.
This isn't dissent. It's not disagreement. You can hate the other party. You can think they're the worst thing that ever happened to the country. But then you work harder to win the next election. When you consistently reject the results of elections that you don't win, what you want is a dictatorship.
Your very own dictatorship.
The only legitimate exercise of power in this country, according to Democrats, is its own. Whenever Republicans exercise power, it's inherently illegitimate. The Democrats lost Congress. They lost the White House. So what did they do? They began trying to run the country through Federal judges and bureaucrats. Every time that a Federal judge issues an order saying that the President of the United States can't scratch his own back without his say so, that's the civil war.
Our system of government is based on the constitution, but that's not the system that runs this country. The Democrat's system is that any part of government that it runs gets total and unlimited power over the country.
If the Democrats are in the White House, then the president can do anything. And I mean anything. He can have his own amnesty for illegal aliens. He can fine you for not having health insurance. His power is unlimited. He's a dictator.
But when Republicans get into the White House, suddenly the President can't do anything. He isn't even allowed to undo the illegal alien amnesty that his predecessor illegally invented. A Democrat in the White House has 'discretion' to completely decide every aspect of immigration policy. A Republican doesn't even have the 'discretion' to reverse him. That's how the game is played That's how our country is run. Sad but true, although the left hasn't yet won that particular fight.
When a Democrat is in the White House, states aren't even allowed to enforce immigration law. But when a Republican is in the White House, states can create their own immigration laws.
Under Obama, a state wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom without asking permission. But under Trump, Jerry Brown can go around saying that California is an independent republic and sign treaties with other countries.
The Constitution has something to say about that.
Whether it's Federal or State, Executive, Legislative or Judiciary, the left moves power around to run the country. If it controls an institution, then that institution is suddenly the supreme power in the land. This is what I call a moving dictatorship.
Donald Trump has caused the Shadow Government to come out of hiding: Professional government is a guild. Like medieval guilds. You can't serve in if you're not a member. If you haven't been indoctrinated into its arcane rituals. If you aren't in the club. And Trump isn't in the club. He brought in a bunch of people who aren't in the club with him.
Now we're seeing what the pros do when amateurs try to walk in on them. They spy on them, they investigate them and they send them to jail. They use the tools of power to bring them down.
That's not a free country.
It's not a free country when FBI agents who support Hillary take out an 'insurance policy' against Trump winning the election. It's not a free country when Obama officials engage in massive unmasking of the opposition. It's not a free country when the media responds to the other guy winning by trying to ban the conservative media that supported him from social media. It's not a free country when all of the above collude together to overturn an election because the guy who wasn't supposed to win did.
Have no doubt, we're in a civil war between conservative volunteer government and a leftist Democrat professional government.
-Jack Minzy was in the Department of Education, at Eastern Michigan University.
Take Aways
I contend that history is always being rewritten. As such, it is rewritten to meet certain objectives. The objectives typically have a political foundation.
I have used the stark deviation in the “causes for the American Civil War” from pre and post-Obama presidency to illustrate this fact. This is because there is a very clear delineation from the printed word and the words available on the Internet. The narrative is starkly different.
The reasons for war are NEVER simple. They are often quite complex.
I further contend that to follow the simple narrative is to risk manipulation. The manipulation is designed to achieve various political objectives.
In this particular issue, the narrative was used to hold the United States together under a controlling federal government and eliminate any thoughts given to succession.
As such, the Obama presidency used this revised narrative to squelch the Calexit movement.
If you really want to know what will happen if another civil war were to occur, then stop dreaming about it, and measure the pro’s and con’s. Read this most excellent article on the subject.
In conclusion, President Obama did what President Lincoln could not; he prevented succession of states from the United States union. He did this without any bloodshed in battle during a period of rapid federal expansion.
FAQ
Q: What is Calexit? A: Calexit is the movement for the state of California to leave the United States.
Q: Will there be a civil war if Calexit leaves the USA? A: Probably not. However, I cannot forecast the future. There are numerous advantages that the federal government has by keeping California part of the union. There are also numerous disadvantages to the government as well.
Q: What was the cause of the civil war? A: According to the Declarations of Causes given by the states, the primary reason was encroachment of the federal government on the rights of the states. They argued that they were protected by the tenth amendment to the Constitution which prevented the federal government from the behaviors and transgressions that it was involved in. The only outlier to this is the state of Mississippi, which stated that the primary reason was slavery.
Q: Why don’t schools teach the causes of the civil war? A: They used to. The teaching of the causes for the American civil war was changed during the Obama presidency. It has since been replaced by a simple one-word narrative.
Q: What history books say that the causes of the American Civil War were due to State’s Rights? A: All of them. (Oh, well all of them prior to the year 2008.)
Free Republic Posting
This post was introduced to Free Republic on 22JUL18, and can be viewed here. The comments are interesting.
I believe Salmon P Chase found a way to put the last nail in the coffin of secessionism.
Before 1869, secession of a state was considered a state right, After the Civil War, Chase refused to give Jeff Davis a “Treason” trial in fear he might prove secession constitutional.
So in 1869, Chase used the Texas v. White, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 700 (1869) as an excuse to deny states the right to leave the Union.
-posted on 7/22/2018, 8:01:21 AM by Ruy Dias de Bivar
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
The world that we live in is filled with all kinds of interesting things. Some of which are simply curious, while others give us time to pause and reflect. Still other things make us sit up straight and yell WTF! That’s what life is all about. It’s those things that really shake up our world.
I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes our world needs a good shaking or two. It helps cull the herd, so to speak.
Today, I would like to discuss “our” moon. This is the moon that orbits our planet. We call it “the moon”. We know that it is a cold, desolate and lonely place. It is an icy cold rock. It is covered in deep grey dust, and has both mountains and valleys.
It is also quite hollow…
How Planets Form
I would like to take a moment to discuss the hollow moon, and why it is hollow. However, first we need to lay out some real basic information in regards to how planets form. Because, if you know how planets form, you might end up having a better idea of how a planet could eventually become hollow.
Now, to most people, the idea that a planet could be hollow is a real stretch. It really is. We know that all planets are solid masses, and that most of them have hot molten cores. The cores are compressed under intense pressure and it takes a long, long time for them to cool down and solidify.
We know this. Not because we have been there. Not because we have tunneled down and touched the surface of the core. We know this because we assume it to be that way based on our current understandings of planetary formation.
Ah, we assume such things. And, because so many people assume the same thing that “everyone knows” that that is the way it is everywhere for all situations.
Well, let’s look at the contemporaneous theories of planetary formation, and then let’s take a look at what we know about the moon. We can put the two together and get a better picture of how the moon could actually become hollow. Right?
With that being stated, let’s look at the theories. We have a general idea about how planets form. Obviously we weren’t around when the solar system was first being formed. Our knowledge about such things is through observations of other stars. Most particularly younger stars and the dust that surrounds them.
Debris discs
Personally, I first started getting interested in debris discs when I started to follow the news about Epsilon Eridani, Fomalhaut, and Groombridge 1618. Now, I know the reader probably wants to go straight to all the “good stuff” about the moon. But, please indulge me. How can you talk about the moon and any voids inside of it, without discussing early planetary formation?
We know about early planetary formation through observation. We have observed the formation of planets within nearby youthful solar systems. Indeed, there are many youthful and young stars near our solar system. Some of my favorites include;
Of course, this is not a complete list. There are just elements out of my own personal collection of interesting local solar systems of great youth (less than one billion years in age). And, yes, I do maintain files on solar systems that interest me. All of these nearby stars can well educate us on how stars are born and solar systems are created.
Yeah, I’m a bit strange. Once a nerd, always a nerd. I guess.
Young solar systems are dangerous. Whether they have managed to have planets, or not, they still have to contend with meteoroid and comet bombardments, not to mention a stabilization of gravitational orbits. On our planet, we needed four billion years to create physical ambulatory life. Many of the stars and systems on this list are a mere fraction of that age. Thus, suggestive of very hot molten planets if any exist at all.
Stars age just like humans do. Of course, they are much older. Our sun (Sol) is almost middle age. It is around 4.5 billion years old. Age of stars compared to human aging.
Scientists have watched these younger stars (and many, many others) and tracked the development and evolution of the dust around these stars. We have watched how they behave, and watched how they clumped together to form planets.
This clumping action is believed to follow a model (or technique) known as “spontaneous dust traps”. This theory, or model, suggests that the dust starts to clump together when a property of the dust, known as “aerodynamic drag back-reaction” starts to clump the dust together into “spontaneous dust traps”. Anyways, that is the theory put forth by a French-UK-Australian team working on this problem.
As the dust starts to clump, it gets larger and larger, forming masses or clouds that rotate around the parent star.
If you were to take a photo or snapshot of this period of time, the solar system would look very strange. There would be the young sun (of course). It would no longer be a proto-sun. (The gasses that coalesced to form the star would have ignited.) The star would be blazing away, but like all youthful stars, would be very unpredictable. It would possibly have large solar flares, and numerous properties making it a very dangerous place to be around. It wouldn’t be as nice and stable as our sun is today.
Surrounding the star would be numerous “belts” or rings of asteroids, dust and gas. They would tend to lie within a plane of rotation. This plane of rotation would be similar to that of the rotation of the star. These belts or rings would possess the various clumps of dust and gas. The solar system would also start to see the formation of asteroids and comets. They would go around the star in long elliptical orbits depending on the conditions of the solar system at the time. Eventually the clumps of dust and gas could form into planets.
Let’s look at three very interesting examples of young solar systems with observed debris discs. These are nearby systems. They are considered to be “local”, and all have debris discs that will eventually one day turn into planets. They are Epsilon Eridani, Groombridge 1618, Zeta Leporis and Fomalhaut.
Epsilon Eridani (BD−09°697)
The first star in our discussion is Epsilon Eridani. Epsilon Eridani (ε Eri, ε Eridani) is a star in the southern constellation Eridanus. It just happens to be a nice K-class star, which is of immediate interest to those of us who live around the sun; a nice G-class star.
As such, it is a main-sequence star of spectral class K2, which is slightly smaller and cooler than our sun, with an orange hue. Also, as a K-class star it is worthy of special consideration, as we, as humans, have evolved to live around class G and class K type stars.
It is important. All stars of G and K classes have attributes that significantly are compatible with our individualized biological archetype. (Apparently, that is not necessary the case with many of the other extraterrestrial species that we have come in contact with. They seem to prefer the cooler K and M class stars. It is an interesting subject, and I will devote a post to it later on.)
However, this solar system is not truly perfect for the needs of contemporaneous humans.
It is a young solar system. Indeed, its age is estimated at far less than a billion years. (Our own sun and its associated solar system is 4.5 billion years old.) Therefore, it is considered to be a young system, even infantile in construction.
Because of its youth, Epsilon Eridani has a higher level of magnetic activity than the present-day Sun, with a stellar wind 30 times as strong as our suns. The reader should understand that for young stars the internal organization of the sun is complex. there are internal “battles” and “reorganizations” of internal components depending on the star size, shape, orientation and many other factors. These changes manifest in many ways. All of which are hostile to organic life.
At less than a billion years of age, any rocky planets would be rather hot and inhospitable places; provided they follow the earth evolutionary model. One should not place too high expectations on this solar system as it is probably hazardous to spaceflight. The density of gas and dust in the system would probably be very high compared to our solar system. Fast, unprotected or unshielded, travel would be ill advised.
Planets
Because it is a nearby K-class star, astronomers have taken a greater than average degree of interest in this system. (Who figures? It’s a young star. It’s like being interested in the construction of a bakery because in two years they might start making crusty bread and rolls.)
Anyways, to this end a great search for planetary companions has been under way for some time. Because of this, there have been some discoveries of note. The system is believed to contain a number of planets and two belts of rocky asteroids: one at about 3 AU and a second at about 20 AU from the star. (One AU is equal to the distance of our earth from our sun.) Our asteroid belt is around 2 to 3 AU distant.
Knowing what we know about the formation of our own solar system; over time, many of the rocky bodies from these asteroid belts would eventually land on the other rocky and gas planets. Thus creating the craters that we now see on the moon and on Earth, and the “spots” on the gas giants. Any evolutionary efforts in this system at this time would be severely handicapped and retarded by the periodic bombardment of planetary bodies onto the potential habitable worlds. We call these events Periodic Mass Extinction Events.
It is believed that the structure of the outer asteroid belt may be maintained by a hypothetical second or even third planet, Epsilon Eridani b and Epsilon Eridani c.
Aside from the inner asteroid disk, and the outer asteroid disc, Epsilon Eridani also harbors an extensive outer debris field of remnant planetesimals left over from the system’s formation. This would manifest as an outer area of a surprising number of asteroids, comets and other planetary debris. As mentioned earlier, this solar system might be problematic to travel within.
For all practical purposes, this youthful system should be considered to be off limits to humanoids and consist of a dangerous region of dust, rocky debris and hot new planets.
BY Draconis variable
Epsilon Eridani is classified as a BY Draconis variable because it has regions of higher magnetic activity that move into and out of the line of sight as it rotates. Observations have shown that Epsilon Eridani varies as much as 0.050 in V magnitude due to star-spots and other short-term magnetic activity. The reader should understand that [1] high levels of chromospheric activity, [2] strong magnetic field, and [3] the relatively fast rotation rate of Epsilon Eridani are characteristic of a pretty young star.
Because of this, the age of Epsilon Eridani is estimated to be about 440 million years, but this remains subject to debate. Most age estimation methods place it in the range from 200 million to 800 million years. Compared to our earth, this would place any planet in orbit around the star to be a rocky planet with a heavy and dense gaseous body swathed in vicious storms that shrouds a very hold, mostly molten planet surface. On the planet, particularly around the pole might be some early rocky continents with bleak mountains punctuated with volcanoes and extreme seismic activity. Not really a very hospitable place to live. The closest earth-similar geologic comparative would be the Hadean Eon.
In any event, this is a particularly young star and system. As such it is only marginally of interest towards habitability considerations. Of course, that doesn’t stop most people from looking up (on the internet) what the potential habitable zone would be around this star. (You can see one at Sol Station for Epsilon Eridani here.) It’s seems rather silly, doesn’t it?
I mean to say, yes in theory you can drive a road listed on a map near an active volcano. But, whether that road is clear and has a drivable surface is another issue altogether. The same is true with (potentially) habitable zones around really young stars. The data associated with the (so-called) zone of habitability is only appropriate in stable solar systems. It is not appropriate for young, growing, and immature solar systems.
The Epsilon Eridani system showing the observed dust and debris disks.
Kuiper belt
Surrounding Epsilon Eridani is a compact dusty disk structure that is considered to be the Solar System’s Kuiper belt. From Earth, this belt is viewed at an inclination of roughly 25° to the line of sight. Dust and possibly water ice from this belt migrates inward because of drag from the stellar wind and a process by which stellar radiation causes dust grains to slowly spiral toward Epsilon Eridani. This is known as the Poynting–Robertson effect.
Multiple Asteroid belts
Observations from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that Epsilon Eridani actually has two asteroid belts [1 & 2]. In addition it has a [3] cloud of exozodiacal dust. This dust is an analog of the zodiacal dust that occupies the plane of our Solar System.
One belt sits at approximately the same position as the one in our Solar System, orbiting at a distance of 3.00 ± 0.75 AU from Epsilon Eridani. This belt consists of silicate grains with a diameter of 3 μm and a combined mass of about 1018 kg. If the planet Epsilon Eridani b exists then this belt is unlikely to have had a source outside the orbit of the planet, so the dust may have been created by fragmentation and cratering of larger bodies such as asteroids, or small moonlets.
Age and probability of life
The age of the star can be a useful data point when it comes to habitability. Here we look at the timescale on which life arises, a challenging issue because all we have to work with is what we know of life’s development on Earth. In general planets in the habitable zone of F, G or K stars should see the last wave of giant impacts on their young surfaces at around 100 million years. Given that impacts likely sterilized our planet for several million years, this is an important issue, and stellar age, if known, can factor into the question of habitability.
It is thus my opinion that the system is too youthful for meaningful potentially habitable planets. There is no chance of naturally evolved life greater than a germ, and the presence of the two large asteroid belts suggest that periodic bombardment of asteroids and comets are a regular occurrence. This would be a great place to visit, not a place that anyone would want to call home.
Planet Hunting Efforts
Epsilon Eridani is a target for planet finding programs because it has properties that allow an Earth-like planet to form. However, if any planet has formed in the system it would be very young and inhospitable to human life. It would resemble the earth during the early Hadean time period.
Habitable Zone
The orbital radius at which the stellar flux from Epsilon Eridani matches the solar constant—where the emission matches the Sun’s output at the orbital distance of the Earth—is 0.61 astronomical units (AU). That is within the maximum habitable zone of a conjectured Earth-like planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani, which currently stretches from about 0.5 to 1.0 AU. However, the presence of a large planet with a highly elliptical orbit in proximity to Epsilon Eridani’s habitable zone reduces the likelihood of a terrestrial planet having a stable orbit within the habitable zone (at this stage in the solar system’s life).
All told, the likelihood of any kind of Earth-like or marginally habitable world in this system is extremely remote. The youth of the solar system, coupled with the dangers inherent in a dust and rock strewn system, not to mention the wide variability of orbits all create an environment that is absolutely not conducive to human life.
UV Radiation
A young star such as Epsilon Eridani can produce large amounts of ultraviolet radiation that may be harmful to life. The orbital radius where the UV flux matches that on the early Earth lies at just under 0.5 AU. Epsilon Eridani’s proximity, Sun-like properties and suspected planets have made it a destination for interstellar travel in science fiction stories. Unfortunately, the authors of these fictional stories have failed to take into account the dangers of living in a UV saturated environment. As such, most, if not all, biological life would be irritated into sterility in short order.
Reports of Extraterrestrial Life
There have been statements made by numerous people concerning life in this system. As such, I present these reports here for your curiosity and amusement. For the record, I do NOT believe any of these reports. I do not believe a single one of them.
There is absolutely no native evolved life in this solar system.
Reports that imply or state directly that there is native, naturally evolved life around this planet are false. Additionally, reports that state that there is an established colony of some kind of transplanted intelligent life around this solar system is also false. At best, there might be a periodic visit by interested scientific parties, but that is about it.
I have collected some of these statements for the reader to consider. I do not believe any of them.
Wendelle Stevens
Wendelle Stevens mentions an extraterrestrial civilization in the Eridanus Constellation:
"Another contact that has been going on since October of 1969, and still continues, involves a life-form from another atmospheric planet orbiting a sun some 20 light years away near the star we call Epsilon Eridani. We believe the star indicated to be 82 Eridani as this is a G5 star quite similar to our own sun which is in spectral class GO and is about the right 20 light years distance away. These creatures were larger, like 7 to 7.5 feet tall, and were covered with wrinkled skin and had very large arms with 3 fat fingers on the end. The skin has plates and wrinkles, something like crocodile skin. They had strange faces and a large mouth and very large ears, but they, like the Iargans demonstrated a highly advanced technology."- Wendelle Stevens
Branton
The Branton material, in Mojave II, quotes the “Ufo Journal of Facts, Spring 1991” that tells the story of the recovery of a crashed craft with a Mediterranean or Latin American looking alien.
"His skin was a bronze color, reminiscent of Mediterranean or South American cultures. His hair was similarly brown and very short in a Roman or crew style cut. The only real difference in appearance from earth humans were that his ears were slightly pointed." -Branton
The inhabitant was “confirmed” to be from Epsilon Eridani.
“Bashar’s Lab”
It seems like everyone has an opinion. Here is an instance of a “channeled entity” if you go into those things. (Means if you believe in the possibility of this occurring.) The movie “Bashar’s lab” discusses many universal principles, and at the end of it, Bashar went through a list of nearby star systems where he (or it) said that intelligent alien life existed at this time. One of them was Epsilon Eridani.
“Epsilon Eridani - 10.5 light years away, one indigenous civilization”-Bashar.
Victor Martinez
Victor Martinez, the e-mail information coordinator, is a former federal employee with an interest in space, defense and current affairs. Recipients of his e-mail news items include a wide variety of people interested in emerging and leading-edge scientific and other developments. He is somehow tied together with this Serpio issue (hoax or not). Meh. You can read about it here. I don’t know what to think, but he was NOT in MAJestic.
Martinez quoted one of his alleged established contacts, one of a handful of current or former officials of the DIA, regarding any new or updated information on extraterrestrial encounters that would be of interest to the public. A source reportedly stated to Martinez that the home world of the alleged hostile alien species, the Trantaloids;
"…is the third planet out from the star Epsilon Eridani in the constellation Eridanus at 10.5 light-years away. Although somewhat cooler and fainter than our sun, it is very similar."-Victor Martinez
My Opinions
This system consists of very active BY Draconis variable star. It is a very young and dangerous physical system. It fries the planets surrounding it with UV radiation. There are no naturally evolved native life (that we would recognize as such) around this system. Anyone claiming otherwise is deluded, or worse.
Groombridge 1618 is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. It is also located close to Earth, at a distance of less than 16 light years. It is an orange dwarf star of spectral type K8 V.
Groombridge 1618 is a young K-type main sequence star that is generating energy by fusing hydrogen at its core. It has 67% of the mass of the Sun, 61% of the Sun’s radius, but radiates only 4.6% of the Sun’s energy. The effective surface temperature of the star’s photosphere is about 4,000 K, giving it an orange hue. To our human eyes it would appear much dimmer than our sun.
It is also a BY Draconis variable with a surface magnetic field strength of 750 G. The chromosphere is relatively inactive and possesses star spots comparable to Sun spots. However, like the star UV Ceti, it has been observed to undergo increases in luminosity as a flare star. It has a greater luminosity than most flare stars, which are typically red dwarfs, but is less active. The level of activity suggests that this is a somewhat youthful star.
Debris Disk
A search for an excess amount of infrared emission from this star by the Infrared Space Observatory came up negative, implying that Groombridge 1618 does not possess a debris disk (such as Vega). Which would normally be a good enough reason not to include it in this calculus.
However, observations using the Herschel Space Observatory showed a small excess suggesting the presence of a low temperature debris disk. The data can be modeled by a ring of coarse, highly-reflective dust at a temperature below 22 K orbiting at least 51 AU from the host star. If this star does have a companion, astrometric measurements appear to place an upper bound of 3–12 times the mass of Jupiter on such a hypothetical object (for orbital periods in the range of 5–50 years).
Planetary Companions
According to Marcy & Benitz (1989), a possible periodicity of 122 days has been detected, inferring the potential presence of a massive planetary object with minimum mass 4 times that of Jupiter. This candidate planet has not been confirmed and the signal the authors had found could have been due to intrinsic stellar activity from the star’s young age. If confirmed, the planet would be located at the outer edge of the star’s habitable zone.
Habitable Zone
Since Groombridge 1618 is sort of like a distant cousin to Sol, some speculate whether it might just be bright enough to support Earth-type life on a planet “lucky enough” to orbit in its habitable zone.
Estimates provided by the NASA Star and Exoplanet Database indicate that the inner edge of Groombridge 1618’s habitable zone could be located around 0.354 AU from the star, while the outer edge lies around 0.691 AUs out. The distance from the star where an Earth-type planet could have liquid water on its surface is centered around 0.523 AU — between the orbital distances of Mercury and Venus in our Solar System. At that distance from the star and assuming that it has 0.64 Solar-mass, such a planet would have an orbital period of nearly 173 days (or close to half an Earth year).
Which is just great. You have a planet that looks like a Biblical version of Hell located in an area where water and breathable atmosphere might form… Maybe, in around a billion years, that is.
Zeta Leporis
Zeta Leporis is located about 70.2 light-years from Sol. (Therefore, it is perhaps rather confusing to place it herein. Eh? But, you know, our extraterrestrial associates consistently reiterate to us that physical distance is not at all the barrier to travel that we make it out to be.) It lies in the northeastern part of Constellation Lepus, the Hare.
In 1983, astronomers used the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) to determine that the star has a remnant, circumstellar dust disk. Subsequently, astronomers announced in June 2000 that abundant, warm dust around this star was strong evidence of a massive asteroid belt. This feature might also indicate that planets are or have already formed in this system.
The Star
Zeta Leporis is a bluish-white main-sequence dwarf star of spectral and luminosity type A2-3 Vann. Zeta Leporis has a stellar classification of A2 IV-V(n), suggesting that it is in a transitional stage between an A-type main-sequence star and a subgiant star. The (n) suffix indicates that the absorption lines in the star’s spectrum appear nebulous because it is spinning rapidly, causing the lines to broaden because of the Doppler effect. The star has about 1.46 times the mass of the Sun, more than 1.7 times its diameter, and over 15 times its luminosity. At least one past spectroscopic analysis has suggested that the star might have a binary companion.
Age
It appears to be very young, probably only around 100 million years old but could be anywhere between 50 and 500 million years old. This is far too young to develop cool rocky planets from which to establish any kind of known planets or planetary bodies. Any planetary companions will be rather hot, dusty and gaseous. Think of planets like a completely molten Venus, or a very hot Jupiter.
Hey, maybe if you landed on one of these planets, and picked up a pick axe, and thrust it into the rocky soil… a plume of molten magma would ooze out.
Asteroid Belt & Dust Disk
In June 2001, astronomers announced that Zeta Leporis is enveloped by swirling dust in substantial quantities and at elevated temperatures. These observations appear to indicate that solid rocks are colliding and generating dust in an asteroid belt shaped ring. This might be similar to the one surrounding our own Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
By observing at two infrared wavelengths, the investigators estimated that the average temperature of the dust around the star is around 340 K (150 F or 65 C), hot enough to suggest that the dust grains may be as close as 2.5 AUs to the star. This is approximately the same distance as the asteroid belt is to our sun.
The history of this discovery is interesting.
The star was initially found to have a ring of dusty debris in 1983 along with some other young stars. This was very curious, and resulted in other subsequent studies of the solar system. After a period of observation, in 1991 astronomers learned that this debris ring was unusually warm and close to its parent star. This was quite unlike other disks (found in other stars) that are much farther out and substantially colder.
This dust, given its known properties, should spiral into a star within 20,000 years, according to current theories of physics and star formation. Since Zeta Leporis is much older (than the other “early stars” that had been studied previously), its observed dust grains were not there when the star first formed, and so they must be generated through some secondary process. Such as collisions between larger objects. These presumed asteroids could be the size of small or large boulders, which collide and grind against each other to form micron-sized grains.
From the strength of the infrared signature of the dust, the astronomers estimate that the mass of the asteroid belt may be about a thousand times (1,000x) that of the Main Asteroid Belt in the Solar System lying between Mars and Jupiter.
The ring of debris appears to be confined to a region between 2.5 and 12.2 AUs from the star. Previous research reported in 1999 suggested that these circumstellar dust disks tend to disappear when a star is about 400 million years old which is towards the upper end of the age estimate for Zeta Leporis.
Solar encounter
Calculations from 2010 suggest that this star passed as close as 1.28 parsecs (4.17 light-years) from the Sun about 861,000 years ago.
Earth like planets
The orbit of an Earth-like planet (with liquid water) around Zeta Leporis may be centered around 3.9 AU (around the central orbital distance of the Main Asteroid Belt in the Solar System) with an orbital period of several years.
Even if an Earth-sized planet has already formed around young Zeta Leporis, it is unlikely to have cooled off sufficiently to have formed crustal rock. After it cools off enough for life to develop, only primitive single-cell, anaerobic bacteria is likely survive under constant bombardment by meteorites and comets as Earth was for the first billion years of existence.
Since there is unlikely to be free oxygen in the atmosphere of such a planet, it probably would not have an ozone layer (O3) although Zeta Leporis puts out a lot more hard radiation (especially ultraviolet) than Sol. Astronomers would find it very difficult to detect an Earth-sized planet of this star using present methods.
Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini, Alpha PsA, α Piscis Austrini, α PsA) is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars in the sky. It is a class A star on the main sequence approximately 25 light-years (7.7 pc) from Earth as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite.
Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. It is classified as a Vega-like star that emits excess infrared radiation, indicating it is surrounded by a circumstellar disk. Fomalhaut, K-type star TW Piscis Austrini and M-type star LP 876-10 constitute a triple system even though the companions are separated by several degrees.
Fomalhaut holds a special significance in extrasolar planet research, as it is the center of the first stellar system with an extrasolar planet candidate (Fomalhaut b) imaged at visible wavelengths. The image was published in Science in November 2008. Fomalhaut is the third brightest star known to have a planetary system (as viewed from Earth), after Pollux and the Sun.
Fomalhaut A
At a declination of −29.6°, Fomalhaut is located south of the celestial equator, and hence is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. Fomalhaut is about 45˚ south of Alpha Pegasi, with no bright stars in between.
Properties of Fomalhaut A
Fomalhaut is a young star, for many years thought to be only 100 to 300 million years old, with a potential lifespan of only a billion years. A 2012 study gave a slightly higher age of 440±40 million years. The surface temperature of the star is around 8,590 K (8,320 °C). Fomalhaut’s mass is about 1.92 times that of the Sun, its luminosity is about 16.6 times greater, and its diameter is roughly 1.84 times as large.
Fomalhaut is slightly metal-deficient as compared to the Sun, which means it is composed of a smaller percentage of elements other than hydrogen and helium. The metallicity is typically determined by measuring the abundance of iron in the photosphere relative to the abundance of hydrogen. A 1997 spectroscopic study measured a value equal to 93% of the Sun’s abundance of iron. A second 1997 study deduced a value of 78% by assuming Fomalhaut has the same metallicity as the neighboring star TW Piscis Austrini, which has since been argued to be a physical companion. In 2004, a stellar evolutionary model of Fomalhaut yielded a metallicity of 79%. Finally, in 2008, a spectroscopic measurement gave a significantly lower value of 46%.
Fomalhaut has been claimed to be one of approximately 16 stars belonging to the Castor Moving Group. This is an association of stars that share a common motion through space and have been claimed to be physically associated. Other members of this group include Castor and Vega. The moving group has an estimated age of 200±100 million years and originated from the same location. Unfortunately more recent work that has found that purported members of the Castor Moving Group appear to not only have a wide range of ages, but their velocities are too different to have been possibly associated with one another in the distant past. Hence, “membership” to this dynamical group has no bearing on the age of the Fomalhaut system.
Debris disks and planet
Fomalhaut is surrounded by several debris disks.
The inner disk is a high-carbon small-grain (10-300 nm) ash disk clustering at 0.1 AU from the star. Next is a disk of larger particles with inner edge 0.4-1 AU of the star. The innermost disk is unexplained as yet.
The outermost disk is at a radial distance of 133 AU (1.99×1010 km; 1.24×1010 mi), in a toroidal shape with a very sharp inner edge, all inclined 24 degrees from edge-on. The dust is distributed in a belt about 25 AU wide. The geometric center of the disk is offset by about 15 AU (2.2×109 km; 1.4×109 mi) from Fomalhaut. The disk is sometimes referred to as “Fomalhaut’s Kuiper belt”. Fomalhaut’s dusty disk is believed to be protoplanetary, and emits considerable infrared radiation. Measurements of Fomalhaut’s rotation indicate that the disk is located in the star’s equatorial plane, as expected from theories of star and planet formation.
On November 13, 2008, astronomers announced an object, which they assumed to be an extrasolar planet, orbiting just inside the outer debris ring. This was the first extrasolar orbiting object to be seen with visible light, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. [A planet’s existence had been previously suspected from the sharp, elliptical inner edge of that disk. The mass of the planet, Fomalhaut b, was estimated to be no more than three times the mass of Jupiter but at least the mass of Neptune. There are indications that the orbit is not apsidally aligned with the dust disk, which may indicate that additional planets may be responsible for the dust disk’s structure.
However M-band images taken from the MMT Observatory put strong limits on the existence of gas giants within 40 AU of the star[ and Spitzer Space Telescope imaging suggested that the object Fomalhaut b was more likely to be a dust cloud. In 2012, two independent studies confirmed that Fomalhaut b does exist; but it is shrouded by debris, so it may be a gravitationally-bound accumulation of rubble rather than a whole planet.
Herschel Space Observatory images of Fomalhaut reveal a large amount of fluffy micrometer-sized dust is present in the outer dust belt. Because such dust is expected to be blown out of the system by stellar radiation pressure on short timescales, its presence indicates a constant replenishment by collisions of planetesimals. The fluffy morphology of the grains suggests a cometary origin. The collision rate is estimated to be approximately 2000 kilometer-sized comets per day.
Observations of the star’s outer dust ring by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array point to the existence of two planets in the system, neither one at the orbital radius proposed for the HST-discovered Fomalhaut b.
If there are additional planets from 4 to 10 AU, they must be under 20 MJ; if from 2.5 outward, then 30 MJ.
Fomalhaut b is one of the planets selected by the International Astronomical Union as part of their public process for giving proper names to exoplanets. The process involves public nomination and voting for the new name, and the IAU plans to announce the new name in mid-November 2015.
I suggest the name of “Commode” for Fomalhaut Ab. It belongs on this table.
Fomalhaut B (TW Piscis Austrini)
Fomalhaut forms a binary star with the K4-type star TW Piscis Austrini (TW PsA, Fomalhaut B).
TW Piscis Austrini lies 0.28 parsecs (0.91 light years) away from Fomalhaut, and its space velocity agrees with that of Fomalhaut within 0.1±0.5 km/s, consistent with being a bound companion. A recent age estimate for TW PsA (400±70 million years), agrees very well with the isochronal age for Fomalhaut (450±40 million years), further arguing for the two stars forming a physical binary.
The designation TW Piscis Austrini is astronomical nomenclature for a variable star. Fomalhaut B is a flare star of the type known as a BY Draconis variable. It varies slightly in apparent magnitude, ranging from 6.44 to 6.49 over a 10.3 day period. While smaller than the Sun, it is relatively large for a flare star. Most flare stars are red M-type dwarfs.
Fomalhaut C (LP 876-10)
LP 876-10 (Fomalhaut C) is also associated with the Fomalhaut system, making it a trinary star.
In October 2013, Eric Mamajek and collaborators from the RECONS consortium announced that the previously known high-proper-motion star LP 876-10 had a distance, velocity, and color-magnitude position consistent with being another member of the Fomalhaut system. LP 876-10 was originally catalogued as a high-proper-motion star by Willem Luyten in his 1979 NLTT catalogue, however a precise trigonometric parallax and radial velocity was only measured quite recently.
LP 876-10 is a red dwarf of spectral type M4V, and located even further from Fomalhaut A than TW PsA—about 5.7° away from Fomalhaut A in the sky in the neighboring constellation Aquarius, whereas both Fomalhaut A and TW PsA are located in constellation Piscis Austrinus. Its current separation from Fomalhaut A is about 0.77 parsecs (2.5 light years), and it is currently located 0.987 parsecs (3.2 light years) away from TW PsA (Fomalhaut B). LP 876-10 is located well within the tidal radius of the Fomalhaut system, which is 1.9 parsecs (6.2 light years). Although LP 876-10 is itself catalogued as a binary star in the Washington Double Star Catalog (called “WSI 138”), there was no sign of a close-in stellar companion in the imaging, spectral, or astrometric data in the Mamajek et al. study.
In December 2013, Kennedy et al. reported the discovery of a cold dusty debris disks associated with Fomalhaut C, using infrared images from the Herschel Space Observatory. Multiple-star systems hosting multiple debris disks are exceedingly rare. The disc is roughly from 10 to 40 AU.
Summary
We can summarize the known debris discs on nearby stars. We can also compare them to the discs that orbit our star. Here is a quick and handy summary;
Star
Distance of Inner Disc
Distance of Middle Disc
Distance of Outer Disc
Sol
2 – 3 AU
2K – 5K AU
Epsilon Eridani
3.00 ± 0.75 AU
20 AU
Groombridge 1618
51 AU
Zeta Leporis
2.5 AU
Fomalhaut A
8–12 AU
35–133 AU
133–158 AU
Fomalhaut C; LP 876-10
10 – 40 AU
Planets
The importance of debris discs should not be underestimated. It is from these rings of dust and debris that planets form.
Now, once the dust and debris discs start to form into clumps, it is only a matter of time before the clumps start to form into planets. On a geologic scale, this activity occurs rather rapidly. The gas and dust collects and then compresses as it rotates and swirls during it’s rotation around the star. As it does so, the compression draws the gas and dust towards the mass. It starts forming into a ball. It get hotter and hotter as the dost and gas fall into it. But, unlike stars, it fails to ignite. It just forms an “almost star”, a planet.
For our purposes, we can best classify them simply. They can be as either “rocky planets” or “gaseous planets”. A rocky planet might or might not have an atmosphere. A gaseous planet would be one that would have both a gaseous atmosphere, and be rather large. In our solar system all of the “outer planets” are gaseous planets, and all of the “inner planets” are rocky.
There is a dividing line between these two types of planets known as the “frost line”. It is considered to be well understood, but after viewing other solar systems, we find that is riddled with all kinds of exceptions. It is a theory that works well for our solar system, but seems to have a few bugs when we look at other solar systems. (But then again, my understanding of it might be flawed.)
The evolution and birth of planets around very young stars; showing the frost and soot lines. The conditions of the protostar determines the orientation of the frost line. (Image Source.)
Over time, the planets age. They go through stages or eons. This is much the same way that people age. They are born hot. As such they are very uncomfortable. The environment is hot, the atmosphere, if any is toxic and unstable. The magnetic field and other attributes such as planetary rotation, pole tilt, and orbital inclination might be subject to change.
Most planets will go through an aging process much like what we have seen on the earth. These periods are in general;
Hadean . Most planets look like the medieval idea of Hell.
We really haven’t come up with older time periods because we are trapped on the earth, and we do not know enough about planets older than our planet. What we can assume is pretty much a stabilization of the planet over time. As the solar system stabilizes, so does the planets orbiting within it. Over time the risk of planetary bombardment decreases. Over time the star becomes more stable (except for O, B, and A stars for the most part), and that affects the planets as well. With planetary and stellar stability comes native life.
We know that life pretty much can crop up anywhere. There are those who are still looking for “proof” that this is possible. Fine for them. I’ll let the reader into a little secret; Yah it’s damn common everywhere. You don’t need too much effort to get it all started.
While life is scurrying about on the planet surface, the planet ages like anything else. It gets colder. The internal heat that kept the interior nice and toasty eventually starts to cool down. Eventually, it will cool down enough that the core becomes solid and the planet sort of “dies”. Now those on the surface of the planet might not be aware of it, but that is what happens. It’s like a tooth where the root dies. It might be salvaged with a “crown”, but the old tooth is gone. It is dead.
The aging process of a rocky planet such as the earth or the moon.
All planets age.
We are still learning about this. However, as the planet ages, the amount of heat inside the planet decreases. It cools down. That means that there is a decrease in the fluidity of the interior, a decrease in the magma movement, a decrease in the convective currents, and a noticeable decrease in the resiliency of a given planet. Once the planet cools down sufficiently, it becomes a cold, solid rocky body.
The closer a planetary body is to a star, the longer it will take to cool down. The further away it is from the star, the quicker it will take to cool down.
Anyways, the life that we see on the planet all round us is what happens after around 4.5 billion years of planetary growth. It didn’t just spring up out of nothing. It formed over time.
How the Moon Formed
Now there is a minor debate on how the moon was formed.
The scientific method should be used to consider all issues regarding the moon, not selected issues.
Here are some of the theories, with the “giant impact hypothesis” being the strongest contender. Initially, when people started to ponder the construction of “our” moon and why it is there, they came up with various theories. The first of which was the most obvious. It is known as the Co-formation hypothesis.
Co-formation hypothesis
Of course, who is to say that the moon did not form at the same time as the earth did? That is the key premise behind the co-formation theory. In this theory eddies and tides formed as the dust and gas started to create the earth. One such collection of dust and debris began to from near the earth and entered orbit around it.
Such a moon would have [1] a very similar composition to the planet earth, and [2] would explain the moon’s present location. This, and the fact [3] that this seems a logical extension of planetary evolutionary theory makes this a very attractive scenario.
However, there is a problem. While both the earth and the moon are pretty much composed of the same materials, they do not share the same density. That’s right. The moon is significantly less dense that our earth. This would not at all be the case if both the moon and the earth started out with the same materials during formation.
Which brings us to the Giant Impact hypothesis…
Giant impact hypothesis
To refine the theory regarding how the moon came to be, and to take into account its’ odd density, scientists have come up with a different theory.
The prevailing theory, which is supported by the scientific community, is one known as “the giant impact hypothesis”. This theory suggests that the moon formed when an object smashed into the early Earth. This would have been really early on during the Hadean period. The earth was hot, semi-molten, and constantly bombarded with dust, gas and meteoroids. After all, during that time period the early solar system was awash in all kinds of clumps of early planetoids, proto-planets, and just plain masses and clumps of “stuff”.
The theory believes that the original earth was much larger than it is today. As such, it was bigger in size, with a stronger gravitational pull.
The theory has even named the object that apparently collided with the earth. It has been named as Theia. According to the theory, Theia was the size of (present day) Mars when it collided with the Earth. Now, of course, such a collusion would have been quite messy and spectacular. Obviously you would not want to be present when this occurred. It would have been very unhealthy.
When it hit the earth, it threw up vaporized chunks of the earth into space. These chunks would find orbits around the sun. These chunks might be anything from gravel sized rocks, to huge blocks of crust looking more like humongous planetoid-sized orange peels than anything else.
Over time, the orbits of many of these objects would boomerang them back towards the earth. They would enter into orbits that would cause them to be gravitationally bound to the earth. Over time, these chunks would then again be drawn together. Since these elements came for the lighter material of the earth’s surface, and not from the heavier material inside the earth, they formed a large planetary object. A planetary object containing elements of the torn earth and Theia. This object became gravitationally bound to the earth. It orbited it and became the moon that we know of today.
Of course, the assumptions regarding this theory has some issues that do need to be addressed. For instance, why would the debris clump together and form the moon, and not fall back into the earth instead? If you believe and follow this theory, they you would come to the conclusion that it is easier to form a moon than to be gravitationally attracted to the earth.
But hey, what do I know?
They theory has many believers. Firstly because the apparent composition of the moon is suggestive of this theory, and secondly that as the material drew together around what was left of Theia’s core, it would have centered near Earth’s ecliptic plane. This ecliptic plane is whereupon the path the sun travels through the sky. It is also which is where the moon orbits today.
This theory, also has its problems as well.
Most computer models suggest that most of the moon (over 60%) should be made up of the striking object; Theia. These models are based on classical dynamics. As such, it is surprising to note that actual rock samples from the Apollo space missions indicate otherwise. Either the samples from the missions are of something else, the computer simulations are wrong, the presumed material content of Theia is incorrect, or the entire theory is just bunk. Ah, such is the bane of the theory-of-the-day.
"In terms of composition, the Earth and moon are almost twins, their compositions differing by at most few parts in a million. This contradiction has cast a long shadow on the giant-impact model."- Alessandra Mastrobuono-Battisti, an astrophysicist at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, as interviewed by Space.com.
Since the actual findings of the rocks brought back from Apollo do not agree with the Giant Impact hypothesis, maybe there are other theories that might.
One team, quoted above, the Mastrobuono-Battisti’s team, was able to create a model to do just this. Their model suggests that Theia and the Earth shouldn’t be as widely different as previously believed.
Their theory is that instead of one huge planet named Theia smashing into the earth, many smaller objects did so. This was a rain of small debris that kicked up the earth’s crust into orbit. Over time, the debris entered orbit around the earth and collapsed together forming the moon. Their belief suggests that there was a constant rain of debris that collided with the proto-planet. This debris ended up forming the moon as well now know it.
This theory has been named the “Multiple-Impact hypothesis”, but I find it a poor naming convention. I prefer to consider this theory to be more like a “dribble of debris” rather than a “Multiple-Impact hypothesis”. After all, the impression that you get from the naming convention is a number of larger objects colliding into the proto or early earth. This is instead of a “dribble of debris” that splashed into the molten, early earth kicking up a large disc of debris that orbited the earth and eventually became the moon.
Well, that is all well and good. However, I am still having some trouble getting my arms around that most basic concept of the theory. Which is that orbiting objects would prefer to form a moon rather than fall towards a larger gravitational sink; the earth.
The Multi-Collision hypothesis
Perhaps some of the problems with the theory might be explained away by having multiple bodies that plunged into the earth. In 2012, researcher Robin Canup, of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas, proposed that Earth and the moon formed at the same time, much like the co-formation theory. However, it was not due to swirling eddies of gas and debris that became gravitationally bound. Rather it was when two massive objects, both five times the size of Mars, crashed into each other.
"After colliding, the two similar-sized bodies then re-collided, forming an early Earth surrounded by a disk of material that combined to form the moon. The re-collision and subsequent merger left the two bodies with the similar chemical compositions seen today.”-NASA said.
In the “Capture hypothesis”, Earth’s gravity managed to attract and capture a passing planetary body. This thesis has many advocates, as that was exactly what happened with many other moons in the solar system. Examples include the two moons of Mars, and numerous moons around the outer planets.
The capture theory solves and answers many of the perplexing questions that arise with other theories. For instance, it would explain the differences in the composition of Earth and its moon.
However, is also a problem with this theory as well. Typically, from what we know, captured planetoids are often oddly shaped. They are not spherical bodies like the moon is. Additionally, their orbital paths don’t conveniently line up with the ecliptic of their parent planet. Which is something that the moon does.
Apparently, the capture took some time with the moon starting in long elliptical paths where it would swing close to the earth (far closer than it does now), and swing far out and away from the earth. Eventually the orbits settled down into what we observe here today.
"Present-day nautilus shells almost invariably show thirty daily growth lines (give or take a couple) between the major partitions, or septa, in their shells.
Paleontologists find fewer and fewer growth lines between septa in progressively older fossils. 420 million years ago, when the moon circled the earth once every nine days, the very first nautiloids show only nine growth lines between septa.
The moon was closer to the earth and revolved about it faster, and the earth itself was rotating faster on its axis than it is now. The day had only twenty-one hours, and the moon loomed enormous in the sky at less than half its present distance from earth."
-Earth’s days used to be just 18 hours long, but the Moon changed that
The Placement hypothesis
Of course, if you go through the “approved” search engines you can find the above theories quite readily. Like anything else, if you hit 100,000 websites talking about the “Giant Impact hypothesis” you might be under the impression that that is most prevailing theory. So when you come across an odd-ball theory, there is a tendency to discount it as “radical”, “out of the mainstream”, or just plain “nonsense”.
So, here is the ruler for all of you out there in Internet land; all theories are just theories. Some have more validity than others, based on their observed and measured attributes.
Here is a theory that deserves consideration. Especially, in light of other characteristics that will be addressed later on. This theory, which goes by the name “The Placement hypothesis” concerns that (outrageous) idea than an advanced spacefaring society intentionally placed the moon in orbit around the earth.
“The world, we are told, was made especially for man — a presumption not supported by all the facts.” ― John Muir, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf
Hum. Is that so?
You think?
Currently, conventional scientific theory holds that the Moon was born from earth during an early period of formation. This is a theory based on some solid and compelling information, but it is a theory and not without its problems.
To go along with this theory would require some pretty steep proof. For not only would the moon have to be composed of the same kinds of isotopes found in our solar system, but it would need to have a different composition than the earth. Which some of the other theories also address. Yet, this theory must ALSO indicate the following more problematic characteristics;
Firstly [1], that there are other extraterrestrials “out there”, that [2] have the technical ability to actually move a planet or planetoid in an orbit around the earth, [3] that they did so hundreds of millions of years ago, and finally [4] they have a reason to do so.
Because these four characteristics are considered to be “outlandish” by the scientific statists, the theory is ignored and neglected as not even worthy of comment. But others have asked this question. I contend that we should always ask questions. Especially if the answers to those questions point into new directions of thought and investigation.
I get very disturbed when I see a bleaching of the internet to only the “approved” versions of scientific discourse, and the government policy, with no regard to anything else. This falls into the category of book burnings, and the Nazi-like behavior at American software companies of “approved group mind-think”.
My definition of scientific statism;
A concentration of a set scientific theory in the hands of a closed elite group of people. Often they have direct ties to a highly centralized government. To alter or change that theory to revise it to meet new discoveries or data often requires government derived politics and peer-group approvals.
It is in light of this premise, I present this “outrageous” theory.
The theory contends that the moon formed within our solar system, but was “placed” as opposed to “captured”, in orbit around the earth. In many ways this theory is an extension of the “Capture hypothesis”, in that it is identical in the core statements, but add the additional three characteristics to help answer some strange facts about the moon.
Let’s begin with a statement by author Isaac Asimov. Isaac Asimov, stated,
"It’s too big to have been captured by the Earth. The chances of such a capture having been effected and the moon then having taken up nearly circular orbit around our Earth are too small to make such an eventuality credible."
Conventionally, it is considered that the material the Moon is made from came from the outer surface of the Earth and left a shallow hole that filled with water and we now call the Pacific. This rock left the Earth to produce the Moon very quickly after our planet had formed around 4.6 billion years ago; or very early during the formation of our solar system. This Earth- spurned Moon theory is a seductive one.
Let’s look at this “outrageous theory’, the “Placement hypothesis”. The moon was formed the same way the earth was formed, and was formed using many of the same materials. It is believed that if the moon was formed in our solar system that it is contemporaneous with the same approximate location as it resides today; the “inner” rocky planets. However, that, for reasons not clear, it migrated outbound and entered into a long elliptical orbit about the sun. Eventually it was captured by one of the gas giants. There, it orbited for a few billion years. Later it was relocated into a stable parking orbit around the earth.
For that is why theories exist; to help answer as many attributes of a mystery as possible.
“Could it be that the Moon is artificial? Could it even be hollow? And does the Moon really exist through some happy accident, or is a blueprint apparent – and if so, who was the architect? “– New Dawn
Granted, it’s a pretty outlandish theory.
But it meets all the criteria of what we observe in the moon today. It covers material composition, location, orientation, rotation, and other attributes that we should address now.
You know, the more conventional theories address the basics. They don’t really address the mysteries. This is unfortunate, as the moon is full of mysteries.
The outrageous “Placement hypothesis”, for all of its faults, does address the full extent of the mysteries of the moon. It also explains something else; it explains WHY there was a sudden and rapid “Cambrian Explosion” around 500 Ma.
The moon and it’s mysteries
Over the years, we have learned quite a bit about “our” moon. All you need to do is go to Wikipedia and look up the moon and start investigating all that is known about it. Yet, with all that we know, there are certain unknowns or mysteries that are worth noting.
Total Eclipses
The reader must consider that Moon is not only extremely odd in its construction; it also behaves in a way that is nothing less than miraculous. It is exactly four hundred times smaller than the Sun but four hundred times closer to the Earth. Therefore, both the Sun and the Moon appear to be precisely the same size in the sky, which gives us the phenomenon we call a total eclipse. Whilst we take this for granted it has been called the biggest coincidence in the universe.
No other object in the universe, that we know of, has this ability. None. Not one single body.
The moon creates eclipses. This is not naturally occurring behavior, as it occurs NOWHERE else in the universe. The Moons unusual planetary alignment.
The location of the moon is truly unique. From the point of view of an observer on the planet surface, the moon can eclipse the sun given the correct orbital alignment. This is a truly rare alignment and the reasons for this are unknown.
I cannot help but think that it was set up so by intelligent design, rather than coincidence. It seems impossible, doesn’t it. How can it possibly be coincidence?
The early sun & a possible moon influence
What I find most interesting about eclipses is that they are regular enough events. In fact, Solar Eclipses (shadow of the Moon partially or fully blocking the Sun) can occur two to five times a year, but the majority are partial eclipses. Total eclipses occur about once every 18 months, and affect a very limited area. The maximum coverage of the solar disk lasts between 6 and 7.5 minutes.
The only other astronomical events that have similar event cycles to eclipses are variable stars.
If the sun was once a Cepheid Variable it’s variation might have well matched that of the eclipses of the moon.
Now Cepheid variables are very luminous stars, 500 to 300,000 times greater than the sun, with short periods of change that range from 1 to 100 days. They are pulsating variables that expand and shrink dramatically within a short period of time, following a specific pattern. Obviously, if there was a relationship between the variable star and the moon, it must have occurred early on in the solar system. Perhaps in the first billion years of our solar system.
For me, speculation of the early life of our sun is enjoyable. No, our sun did not start out a G-class star. It grew into the star that we see today. We don’t really know what it was when it was young. Some of my ideas of candidates of what our sun might have been in the distant past are;
The reader need not be confused. I am only suggesting a possible correlation between the timing of the eclipses and a variable star. Perhaps there is more to this mechanism than we are aware of. Perhaps there is some kind of deeper relationship that we are unaware of. Perhaps it is something else.
Anyways, it sure is a fun thing to ponder.
Mirrors the Star
Furthermore, the Moon mirrors the movement of the Sun in the sky by rising and setting at the same point on the horizon as the Sun does at opposite solstices. For example, this means the Moon rises at midwinter at the same place the Sun does at midsummer. There is no logical reason why the Moon mimics the Sun in this way and it is only meaningful to a human standing on the Earth.
Thus, it assists in the belief that the moon is a special gift to mankind. This alignment is only meaningful to an intelligent person residing upon the surface of the earth. All in all, it’s pretty odd, and cannot be explained in light of the behaviors of other bodies in our solar system.
No other planetary body does this. For all the centuries of study on planetary bodies, and stars, not one other object in space has this ability. Not one.
Maybe this too is just a coincidence…
Strange Age
The idea that the moon formed within the solar system is a very seductive and alluring story for the formation of the moon. Unfortunately, that idea also has its problems. Studies of the rocks returned from the moon indicate that the moon originated outside of our solar system. As such, it is easily one billion years older than the earth.
The oldest age for the Earth is estimated to be 4.6 billion years old. However, the moon rocks were dated at 5.3 billion years old, and the dust upon which they were resting was at least another billion years older. The dust on the moon has been dated to 6.3 billion years.
This discrepancy is one that is often dismissed with a smirk. Oh, the smirk implies, the rocks and dust on the moon are not PART of the moon, they are from elsewhere. Oh, how convenient. Ah, just keep on adjusting the facts until they fit your pet theory or prevailing hypothesis.
The fact is that the dust on the moon, as well as the rocks obtained from the Apollo moon landings indicate ages much, much older than our solar system. If we take them as face value, then we need to accept the fact that the moon might be from outside our solar system.
If so, then we really do not know from whence the moon originated from.
Possible Candidates
If the moon did not originate from our solar system, then where did it come from? Well, luckily, there are numerous candidates that offer the possibility that one of the planets around another star might have been attracted to and relocated to our solar system. Some of the candidates include;
Perhaps it was part of the Gamma Microscopii system, when it came close to the solar system. Backwards extrapolation of the motion of γ Microscopii has shown that approximately 3.8 million years ago, it was only around 6 light-years from the Sun.
Perhaps it was a member of Scholz’s star. Estimates indicate that the WISE 0720−0846 system passed about 52,000 astronomical units (0.25 parsecs; 0.82 light-years) from the Sun about 70,000 years ago. 98% of mathematical simulations of the star system’s trajectory indicated it passed through the Solar System’s Oort cloud, or within 120,000 AU (0.58 pc; 1.9 ly) of the Sun.
Perhaps it came from Zeta Leporis. Bobylev’s calculations from 2010 suggest that this star passed as close as 1.28 parsecs (4.17 light-years) from the Sun about 861,000 years ago.
Or maybe it came from Gliese 208. Calculations from 2010 suggest that this star passed as close as 1.537 parsecs (5.0 light-years) from the Sun about 500,000 years ago.
In any event all of the above candidates are really rather young. The oldest of the lot, Gliese 208 is still only 2.7 billion years old. To help answer this mystery, the star and solar system would need to be at least 5.5 billion years old.
The Chinese Rescue
But…
But, wait! The Chinese are not going to let this mystery stand. They took the rocks obtained from the lunar excursions and reexamined them. They came to the conclusion that NASA and their team of expert American geologists were all wrong. They had made a mistake! Yessur. The Chinese have retested the rocks, and low and behold they find that it almost exactly agrees with the age of our solar system. Imagine that!
“A new analysis of lunar rocks brought to Earth by Apollo 14 astronauts in 1971 suggests that the moon formed 4.51 billion years ago — just 60 million years after the solar system itself took shape.”- Xinhuanet 2017-01-13 14:48:59
It’s sort of like how Democrats keep on finding more and more ballots after they lost an election. And, low and behold the ballots are all voting democrat! Imagine that!
The Cold Core
If the moon is the same age as the rest of the solar system, then there is a real problem with the fact that the moon is no longer geologically active. Because from what we have observed, the moon’s core should still be molten.
If the moon was the same age as the earth, the inner cores, while different in size, would still be similar. Since the earth’s core is molten, then it goes to follow that the moon’s should be molten as well.
However, that is not the case.
The core of the Moon cooled substantially earlier than any of the inner planets or planetoids.
Which means that either the moon was;
The same age as the solar system, but occupied a substantially colder orbit before it was located where it is today.
Is a different age than the solar system, and thus being older, the core has since solidified.
The Tungsten-182 Mystery
The mystery of an ancient moon is very perplexing. It is very, very strange. Because we do know (or at least we think we know.) that the moon actually did come from our solar system. We know this, we believe, through a study of isotopes.
Researchers have [1] presented evidence that the chemical similarity between the earth and the moon is due to a violent mixing of material that occurred when Theia hit Earth. Another study [2] presents evidence that an alternate explanation (that against all odds, the far-flung Theia happened to be made of similar stuff to our Earth) may be more plausible than previously assumed.
The authors of the first two studies looked at tungsten in Earth and the moon, tracing how much of a particular isotope has formed in each body. The isotope, Tungsten-182, doesn’t come from these basic building blocks. It’s created by another element as it decays. So by comparing the ratio of the parent element to the daughter element (in this case tungsten) the researchers were able to work backward and establish that the moon and the Earth had the same isotopic compositions when they formed.
So one of either two situations support this;
The moon was formed in our solar system.
All solar systems generate similar isotropic signatures.
As such, the mystery is this; how can the moon be older than our solar system, if the isotropic signatures are similar?
Completely Circular Orbit
The moons orbit is intentionally designed to be completely circular. It’s orbit is not elliptical like the vast majority of stellar objects. Our moon is the ONLY moon in the solar system that has a stationary, near-perfect circular orbit. Maybe that is because of the size of the moon relative to the size of the earth. Maybe it is due to some under examined attribute of the earth, or you know, maybe it is just coincidence.
Yah. Maybe it is just another coincidence.
Unusual Center of Gravity
Stranger still, the moon’s center of mass is about 6000 feet closer to the Earth than its geometric center (which should cause wobbling), but the moon’s bulge is on the far side of the moon, away from the Earth. On rocky planetary bodies, the center of gravity is almost completely centered in the middle of the core. This is what assists in stable rotation, like a (child’s toy) top.
Once the CG is not located in the center, it will create an off-center and off-balance condition. Much the same way you would topple over if you tried lifting up a heavy boulder. The weight throws off your center of gravity, and you need to support yourself and brace yourself to lift that boulder up properly.
Now, this might be due to other things, like a massive bombardment of very heavy masses into the moons crust. But if you look at the gravitational map, the mass variations are pretty much evenly dispersed. Indeed, the moon has a strange gravitational map.
Bizarrely, its concentration of mass are located at a series of points just under its surface – which caused havoc with early lunar spacecraft. It is NOT at the center of the planetary body. Looking at the map can tell us a lot about how the moon came to be what it is today.
This is an accurate gravitational map of the moon accurate to 2017. The unusual gravitational map of the moon.
It sure looks like the moon is composed of areas (or spots) that have heavy, while most of the moon is rather light. Further, there seems to be some evidence that heavy objects plunged into the moon and formed craters.
Tidal Influence
Every schoolboy and girl knows that the moon creates the tides. The ocean moves; it raises and falls because of the gravitational tug and pull of the moon. We all think that this is natural, expected and normal. That is because the entire human race has lived with this effect since the dawn of man. We never think about it, or it’s significance.
The kind of effect that we see and experience is only possible with a large moon orbiting a planet in the configuration that we observe with the moon. For instance, the moons of Mars would have quite a difficult time trying to replicate such an effect. This effect, provides movement of the seas. This movement permits coastal creature evolution from that of an aquatic being to that of a land-dwelling creature. I cannot imagine that kind of evolutionary leap on a world with a quiet quiescent placid ocean.
If you think about it, the moon seems to be specifically designed to create the same kind of tidal effects that are present on a planet (with a moonlet) that is in close orbit to a red dwarf star. Interesting, very interesting.
Magnetized Rocks
The presence of magnetized rocks on the surface of the moon, which has no global magnetic field, has been a mystery since the days of the Apollo program. You can well understand how this would be a mystery. The moon is cold, geologically dead, and lifeless. It has no magnetic field. Yet, when the Apollo team returned back to the earth, they hauled back rocks that were all heavily magnetized.
The only way that these rocks could have been magnetized was if the moon was close to another body with a large magnetic field, like the sun, Jupiter or Saturn.
“Based on their calculations, the researchers estimate the lunar magnetic field might have lasted for about a billion years, somewhere between around 2.7 billion and 4.2 billion years ago.”-Space.com
While there have been efforts to take into account this strange situation, they all follow the same prescription. You take the prevailing theory of the moon formation, and then come up with new techniques, new processes, and new things to explain away the elephant in the room.
Truly, that is what is going on.
The easiest explanation is that the moon was in a periodic (maybe short lived) orbit around a very strong magnetic generator, and then moved (somehow) to its current position around the earth. The problem with this is that it doesn’t fit in with the prevailing populist theories of moon planetary formation.
All of the internet was abuzz with the apparent blind acceptance of a theory that seems to solve the magnetization mystery. Yet, I see no subsequent tests to validate this theory, nor any examples of other planets or systems that seem to maintain this narrative.
It’s just blind acceptance. At that, I must admit that I am flabbergasted.
Intentional or Intelligent Design?
Stepping back from the moon, for a brief spell, and taking a look at the big picture, we can see some “special characteristics” that our solar system has as opposed to the other solar systems that we have observed. If, our solar system was crafted or tailored as a “special place” for “special purposes”, then perhaps the odd characteristics found on the moon might teach us about our role in the universe, and the role of our solar system in all of this…
“We find that the properties of the planets in our solar system are not so significantly special compared to those in exosolar systems to make the solar system extremely rare. The masses and densities are typical, although the lack of a super-Earth-sized planet appears to be somewhat unusual. The orbital locations of our planets seem to be somewhat special but this is most likely due to selection effects and the difficulty in finding planets with a small mass or large orbital period. The mean semi-major axis of observed exoplanets is smaller than the distance of Mercury to the Sun. The relative depletion in mass of the solar system’s terrestrial region may be important. The eccentricities are relatively low compared to observed exoplanets, although the observations are biased toward finding high eccentricity planets. The low eccentricity, however, may be expected for multi-planet systems. Thus, the two characteristics of the solar system that we find to be most special are the lack of super-Earths with orbital periods of days to months and the general lack of planets inside of the orbital radius of Mercury.”- Martin and Livio, “The Solar System as an Exoplanetary System,” The Astrophysical Journal Vol. 810, No. 2 (3 September 2015)
Just saying…
Now let’s get to the number one curiosity that I have devoted this post towards. The fact that the moon is hollow.
A Hollow Moon
The Moon does not have a solid core like every other planetary object. It has a unique, and even strange kind of core. It is either hollow or has a very low-density interior. Possibly the strongest evidence for it to be a “hollow object”’ comes from the fact that when meteors strike the Moon, the Moon rings like a bell.
More specifically when the Apollo crew in November 20, 1969 released the lunar module, after returning to the orbiter, the module impact with the Moon caused their seismic equipment to register a continuous reverberation like a bell for more than an hour. This ringing effect is simply the sounds travelling from one surface to the opposite surface. That is how one obtains a ringing sound. That implies an empty void of some unknown dimension.
The moon’s mean density is 3.34 gm/cm3 (3.34 times an equal volume of water) whereas the Earth’s is 5.5. What does this mean? In 1962, NASA scientist Dr. Gordon MacDonald stated,
"If the astronomical data are reduced, it is found that the data require that the interior of the moon is more like a hollow than a homogeneous sphere."
Nobel chemist Dr. Harold Urey suggested the moon’s reduced density is because of large areas inside the moon where is “simply a cavity.” MIT’s Dr. Sean C. Solomon wrote,
"the Lunar Orbiter experiments vastly improved our knowledge of the moon’s gravitational field... indicating the frightening possibility that the moon might be hollow."
In Carl Sagan’s treatise, Intelligent Life in the Universe, the famous astronomer stated,
"A natural satellite cannot be a hollow object."
On November 20, 1969, the Apollo 12 crew jettisoned the lunar module ascent stage causing it to crash onto the moon. The LM’s impact (about 40 miles from the Apollo 12 landing site) created an artificial moonquake with startling characteristics—the moon reverberated like a bell for more than an hour.
This phenomenon was repeated with Apollo 13 (intentionally commanding the third stage to impact the moon), with even more startling results. Seismic instruments recorded that the reverberations lasted for three hours and twenty minutes and traveled to a depth of twenty-five miles, leading to the conclusion that the moon has an unusually light—or even no—core.
But, how could this be?
The answer is right there for all of us to see. It is just that no one wants to consider it. To answer this question we have to go back to elementary school. That’s right. Now I really don’t know what they are teaching in schools today. I suspect that it is something along the lines of…
“Now, boys, and girls, and transgenders… Water is wet. Brando has electrolytes. That’s it for science.
Now let’s talk about important things. Let’s talk about how you feel about Muslims not being as privileged as White people are.”
Yeah, it’s that obvious.
Anyways, let’s talk about iron. You know, that stuff that (over time) migrates to the center of a planet. Well the properties of iron is pretty well known, and the various alloys have all been mapped out. To understand what happens to the iron core as it cools down we need to look at a phase diagram for iron. Here’s a pretty decent one. It plots the phases of various steel / iron alloys by temperature at a constant pressure (Ugh! Unfortunately, we’ve got to assume 1 atm pressure in this chart.).
Phase diagram of iron and steel as a percentage of carbon. This is a very great chart that shows (obviously) how the material changes when you add carbon tot he molten iron. Phase Diagram for Iron (and Steel). (Image Source.)
If there is one thing that should be clear in this diagram, it is that regardless of the concentration of residual carbon in the iron matrix, a ball of liquid molten iron will solidify. It will go from liquid to solid. Now this is pretty much well known, especially in astronomical circles. What you need to take into account is pressure as well as temperature. To this end, here is a nice chart showing at which temperature and pressure that iron in the core of a planet goes from liquid to a solid state.
P-T diagram showing the phase state conditions for planetary iron. The inner core can be a solid even at very high temperatures. Great article this. (Image Source.)
And, what is most important to this discussion is that when iron goes from liquid to solid it shrinks. Now, this should be common knowledge. Most metals shrink when they get cold.
The amount of shrinkage varies from alloy to alloy and material to material. The rate of shrinkage changes as well, and depends on many, many factors. If the reader is so inclined, you can look at the shrinkage of steel under thermal contraction as it solidifies HERE. It’s good stuff, but a little too dry for casual reading.
Now, metal shrinks in stages during the cooling process. It doesn’t just shrink all of a sudden. An observer wouldn’t be stunned or startled when it happens.
In the solidification of molten metals, there are three separate degrees of shrinkage. These degrees or stages, include [1] liquid-to-solid shrinkage, [2] liquid shrinkage, and finally a process [3] known as patternmaker’s contraction.
Liquid Shrinkage
“During solidification of a metal, the density of the material changes due to cooling of the metal in both liquid and solid state as well as due to the solid to liquid phase transformation itself. Phase transformations in the solid state during solidification may also cause a volume change which will affect the solidification process.”-On the shrinkage of metals and its effect in solidification processing, by Anders Lagerstedt.
The first stage is not too exciting. What actually happens is that the molten metal starts to contract, while it is still liquid. If you had a container of molten iron on your desk and you kept cooling it down, then there would be a point where the iron was still liquid, but the amount of liquid would decrease. The liquid itself would shrink. This is known as “liquid shrinkage”.
If you were astute, and noticed this, you might think that the molten iron evaporated into the air. (Like how a pan of boiling water eventually gets less and less over time. However, this is not the case at all. The actual liquid iron shrinks.
Liquid to Solid Shrinkage
The second stage is called the Liquid-to-solid shrinkage. As the mass of metal changes from the fragmented molecular particles into the integrated blocks, it starts to shrink. It is a process involving the molecular arrangement of the substance. Of course, the amount of solidification shrinkage varies from low to high shrinkage volumes as well as from alloy to alloy.
There is an entire science to this process, and it is extremely interesting. However, for our purposes, let’s just keep it simple.
Patternmaker’s Contraction
After the solidification of the metal is complete and cooling is to ambient temperatures, the contraction that occurs is known as the Patternmakers Contraction. The proportions of the mold cavity are changed by this contraction from those of the molten metal in the cast to that of the alloy’s grade of compression. This is a problem that all people experience when they try to cast parts out of iron. The iron shrinks during cooling and it becomes smaller than the mold that it was cast out of. If the mold maker is not careful, there will be distortions in the final part.
This diagram shows the cooling curve and states for a pure metal. All metals follow these rules with variations in temperatures, duration and properties. The cooling curve of a pure metal/ (Image Source.)
A moon with a contracted iron core
Which brings us back full circle to our moon.
Most planets in our solar system, with the exception of the smaller planetoids, asteroids and comets have a warm and hot interior. At the center of most of the planets in our solar system reside hot molten liquid cores. The mantle and cooler surfaces of the planets surround these hot cores. But that is not the case with our moon.
A long time ago, when is unknown, the moon cooled down and the hot and molten interior normally associated with planets became cold and lifeless. As it cooled down, it shrank.
All metals, and metal ores shrink when they cool down. The interior center of the moon was mostly iron, and so when the hot molten iron cooled, it shrunk. As it shrunk, it created numerous gaps. One of which was the largest and most predominant gap.
This was much like the core of a peach. When the seed inside a peach shrinks, it creates a void or space gap inside.
In the case of “our” moon, the heavy iron core was much denser than the Moon’s outer mantle and thus it was more apt to be affected by the Earth’s gravitational attractive forces. The gravitational pull on the moon (by our earth) eventually caused the cool iron core to displace.
This displacement tugged the core to one side of the hollow void. It tugged the core towards the Earth, thus creating a displaced center of gravity. And, thus helped to make the Moon tidally locked in place. (The core of iron was “flattened” in addition to being displaced.) This movement caused the void to change shape. Thus making the existing void larger and greater in height.
While we do not know the absolute composition of the core of the moon, we do strongly suspect that it is of iron composition.
Meteoritic Iron
Until someone bores down into the core of a planet, there is really no way for us to know what the composition of iron is at the core. For reasons of my own, I like to think that the best approximation of the iron composition of the core of the moon is something resembling meteoritic iron.
“Meteoric iron, sometimes meteoritic iron, is a native metal found in meteorites and made from the elements iron and nickel mainly in the form of the mineral phases kamacite and taenite. Meteoric iron makes up the bulk of iron meteorites but is also found in other meteorites. Apart from minor amounts of telluric iron, meteoric iron is the only naturally occurring native metal of the element iron on the Earth's surface.”-Wikipedia
Without getting into too much detail, we can clearly see that Irregardless to the percentage of kamacite or taenite in the core of the moon, the core will eventually phase change into a solid mass eventually. There is a variation on when this occurs and how, depending on the amount of nickel, but this doesn’t change the fact that the core will eventually go completely solid.
Phase diagram for kamacite depending on the percent of nickel. Phase diagram for kamacite and taenite, as a percentage of nickel. (Image source.)
The iron core, of some unknown alloy (probably a mixture of kamacite and taenite), contracted when it cooled. It shrank. From what we know about the shrinkage of iron (and iron alloys) it underwent stages of shrinkage. If the behavior of cooling iron in a planetary core is similar to that of cooling iron in a metallic mold, then we know that the iron core would delaminate from the interior core of the planet.
This would be exactly as what is observed by the “Patternmaker’s contraction”.
“Most iron meteorites are thought to come from over 50 asteroids 5-100 kilometers in size that were melted, differentiated into metallic cores and silicate mantles, and broken open by impacts long after they had slowly cooled. However, we find that the cooling rates for one group of iron meteorites (dubbed the IVA group) and other irons require a much more complex history and much larger parent bodies. The IVA metal was probably derived originally from a body at least 600 kilometers in diameter, and possibly much larger, that was dispersed by an impact leaving a molten metal body 300 kilometers in diameter. The molten metal body solidified and cooled slowly with scarcely any enveloping silicate mantle. This history supports several recent theoretical studies that infer that differentiated asteroids and meteorites are debris from protoplanetary collisions, that protoplanets were abundant in the asteroid belt, and that parent bodies of iron-rich meteorites were broken up early.”- Edward Scott (Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology), Jijin Yang and Joseph Goldstein (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) from the article titled “When Worlds Really Did Collide”.
While no one, that I know of, has ever worked on the behavior of the metallic iron that would exist at the core of a planet, the team of Scott, Yang and Goldstein have come close. They studied the microscopic cross-sections of meteors and meteorites to learn about how they cooled. They concluded that…
“Our only clues to their sizes come from the thermal histories of meteorites as the larger a solid body, the longer it took to cool. Most cooling rates for meteorites have been obtained from studies of Fe-Ni metal grains, which on cooling from 1000 to 700 K change their crystal structure. For iron meteorites, which are mostly derived from asteroidal cores, this structural change produces the well-known Widmanstätten pattern of crystallographically oriented kamacite plates in taenite.”
They studied the taenite grains with an electron microprobe. From this, they then plugged the observed data into a computer program that reproducing the data with computer models for kamacite growth together with diffusion rates and equilibrium mineral compositions at 1000-700 K. This produced a computer model that simulates the formation of the Widmanstätten pattern of oriented kamacite plates.
It is a very, very interesting subject. However, rather than getting down and deep into all the dirt concerning this, let’s skip all the chapters and go to the end of the book.
After all their analysis, they derived a chart showing the cooling rate of an iron core within a planet (as a function of nickel percentage). This is the “quick and easy” chart;
There is an apparently linear relationship on the cooling rates of planetary iron as a function of nickel percentage. (Image Source.)
They, however, are concerned with the accuracy of this study. They do not think that it would be applicable to cooling within a planet. “Since two different techniques show that the IVA irons cooled at very diverse rates, they could not have cooled in a mantle-covered metallic core.”
Each curve in this diagram shows how the cooling rate changes with falling temperature at a specific location inside the metallic body. Our IVA cooling rates, indicated by the two straight lines, suggest that the IVA irons were located between 0.4R and 0.97R, where R is the radius of the body (150 kilometers). In other words, the meteorites come from depths 97% of the way to the surface (0.97R) from the center to only 40% (0.4R).
A Shrunken Core
The details have far too many variables for us to nail down exactly what happened. What we do know is that the core of the moon went from a hot molten mass to a cold metallic mass over time.
We believe that the amount of time that it took to occur was due to the composition of the core. This depended on the amount of kamacite and taenite, as well as the percentage of nickel at the core. Other influences included the thickness and composition of the mantle.
We know that today, with an age of 5.5 billion years, the moon’s core is cold, lifeless and dead. We also know that at one time, it was alive and active. We do not know how long that it took for it to cool down to a lifeless rock, and as such we don’t know exactly how long the core has been cool. It is strongly suggested that this amount of time exceeded that of the age of our solar system.
What is of most interest to us today, is what the shrinkage rate is for kamacite and taenite. For that would give us a rough idea of the size of the core when it was molten, compared to the size of the core now that it is cold and solid. The general rule of thumb in calculation of shrinkage in industry is to multiply the total volume by .06 to find out the total shrinkage.
Of course, this isn’t truly accurate. The rate of shrinkage will vary from metal to metal. Here is a comparative chart;
Typical Shrinkage Allowances for Important Casting Metals
Metal
Contraction (per cent)
Contraction (mm per meter)
Grey cast iron
0.7 to 1.05
7 to 10.5
White cast iron
2.1
21
Malleable iron
1.5
15
Steel
2.0
20
Brass
1.4
14
Aluminum
1.8
18
Aluminum alloys
1.3 to 1.6
13 to 16
Bronze
1.05 to 2.1
10.5 to 21
Magnesium
1.8
18
Zinc
2.5
24
Manganese steel
2.6
26.5
Since we believe that the core was composed of an alloy of iron, mostly containing kamacite and taenite with an unknown percentage of nickel, we can reasonably assume that it is a variation of “white iron”. Thus, it has a shrinkage rate of 2.1%, or 21 mm/meter. (That is about a inch for every yard of iron.)
A Debate on the Core
Not everyone believes that the moon has a dead, solid core.
There are those who believe that it is still geologically active. As such, they envision the core to be identical to that of the earth, only much, much smaller. Their computations on the size of the core are based on this assumption. As such, if the moon has a core like that of the earth, they reason, it MUST be completely out of step with every other planet in the solar system. For it to fit their models, it has to be very tiny.
The argument goes a little something like this. The lunar core is, by latest accounts, 1 to 3% of the total mass, but Earth’s core is 33% of the total mass. The Moon’s core is, in fact, proportionately smaller than the cores of any of the inner planets in the Solar System. Why this must be so has never been worked out, and there are no theories to explain it.
However, if you ignore the statist arguments that the moon has a geologically active core, and embrace the idea that the moon is far older than the earth (as proven by the rocks), and thus the core has one or maybe two billion years longer to cool down, then we can accept a hypothesis that matches observed data. The moon has a normal core, of a normal and “typical” size. The only difference is that it is dead and no longer hot and molten. As dead, we consider it to be 3% of the diameter, and not 33% of the moon’s diameter.
What the Core looks like
At this stage of the game, it is very difficult to identify the amount of shrinkage that the iron core underwent. It is also difficult to determine what percentage of the cavity was produced during the shrinkage process, and what form it took on. Certainly there would be areas of geodes and pockets of various sizes and shapes.
Additionally, the migration of the shrinking core would be towards the largest nearby planetary body, the earth. The solid iron core would more than likely rest along the inside of the cavity nearest to the earth. As such it might compress the inner cavity walls somewhat, making the void slightly bigger opposite it.
Ignoring their statist studies (spending time to make things fit an established narrative), and working out our calculations based on observations from all other planets in our solar system, we come up with the following baselines;
The moon diameter is 3,476.28 km / 3,471.94 km = 3,374.11 km.
The geologically active core diameter is 33% of the moon diameter = 1,146.46 km.
The dead core diameter is 3% of the moon diameter = 104.22 km.
The shrinkage of the core is 2.1% = 2.18 km.
Since we have to assume that the earth provided a gravitational influence during the shrinking process, there would be movement of the core during the shrinking process. The core would move closer to the earth. The movement would equal that (or be very similar to) that of the shrinkage.
Movement of the center of gravity = 2.18 km.
This makes me feel really good that I am on the right track. Apollo 15 and 16 both used laser altimeters to navigate the moon. To the surprise of everyone in NASA, the center of gravity of the moon was determined to be offset by around 2 km. So, my calculations are absolutely confirmed by actual readings. I calculated an offset of 2.18 km, and actual measured offset was “approximately 2.0 km”.
The shrunken metal core sitting inside the cavity that remains. The iron core went from a molten state to a solid state. As it did so, it shrunk. The result was a cavity created when it was molten, and now empty as it has shrunk and delaminated away from the edges. The core now sits on the earth side of the cavity, and exists as the “sky” for a huge internal cavity that is larger than the surface area of the state of Massachusetts. Shrunk iron core sitting inside a cavity inside the moon.
Radiation
What I find interesting about this whole situation is the idea that there is this huge cavity inside the moon. What would it be like? Would people there be weightless because they are in the middle of a planet? No, not likely. Chances are that they would walk on the surface of the largest gravitational attractor. This would NOT be the solidified core. No. It would be on the solidified mantle.
The solid core would be above them in their “sky”.
Further, even with a solid core, it would still take a long, long time for the core to go completely cold. In other words, the solid iron ball in the “sky” would be emitting heat and light in the IR range (via “black body” radiation) for a long time. This radiation would keep the cavity temperature warm, and provide light to those creatures adapted to that kind of radiation.
So, to an inhabitant inside of the cavity, there would be a large “sun” that would illuminate the ground around us all. This sun would emit heat and light in the IR range. To a creature who could see in the IR range, it might look a little like this…
The views can be amazing. It all depends on what eye cones a given species has. For species that evolve around dwarfs, they must have eye cones that can see in the infrared range. This leads to some very beautiful images when we explore this realm. Here we see what it would look like if you could see in both the IR and the blue range.
This is similar to what it is like in a steel mill. If you were standing near an Electric Arc Furnace when the steel is poured, you would feel pretty hot. This is because the hot furnace is sending out infra-red radiation. This is part of the electromagnetic spectrum – with a wavelength slightly longer than visible light. You cannot see it, but boy can you feel it. The same is true for ingots that are pulled right out of the mold. They sizzle in heat, but if you didn’t know better, you might walk up to them and touch them and maybe lose an arm in the process.
When the infra-red radiation hits your face or hands, it is absorbed and warms you up. The hotter the molten iron, the more intense the radiation and the hotter you will feel.
A species, from say a red dwarf, would be well suited to seeing in this wavelength. To them, it would be like bright daylight on a summer day.
Were a civilization were to be established on a planet around a brown dwarf, the inhabitants would need to see in the infrared spectrum. To them, the life would be the same as the life that us humans have. It is only that they would perceive it differently. Perception is everything, and ti molds the scientific advantages that a civilization can muster.
Putting it all Together
No one will ever know for certain, the story behind the moon and how it ended up where it is today. At best, we can come up with theories.
The theories that seem to solve all the of the mysteries of the moon, do seem to be the most outlandish. After all, to believe in the certainty of the more outlandish theories is to accept the insignificance of the human species.
Which brings up a point that is worthy of consideration. If the earth is important enough to warrant repositioning of a planet, then the species capable of doing so, must also still be involved in this planet to some degree.
Is it really too difficult to believe that the earth is indeed a special place? Is it too difficult to consider that either by [1] intelligent direction, or by [2] a coincidence of rare events, that the earth is truly unique?
Consider the possibility;
The Moon was formed outside of our solar system.
The moon formed close to a star or a large body like a Jupiter sized gas giant.
After the first one billion years during the formation of the solar system it migrated outward for reasons unknown.
Many of the rocks on the moon are magnetized because of the large magnetic field associated with the star / gas giant that it orbited.
During the movement process, the Moon collected (or had) a large number of orbital companions that fell into a more or less unstable orbit around the former Moon equator. These minor planetary bodies eventually fell to the moon and created a banded cratering effect.
The moon location around the earth relative to the sun is intentional. The reasons for this is not altogether clear. Perhaps we can speculate that it was because (at the time the moon was moved) the sun was more active or variable and thus the moon had to “protect” the earth.
The presence of a huge underground void caused by the displacement of the core is a significant feature of the Moon and does absolutely create a secure underground habitation were a species capable of the technology to harvest that advantage.
The presence of the moon considerably changed the development of many naturally evolved creatures on the surface of the planet. As without the tides, the evolutionary sequence of many creatures would be vastly different today.
Conclusions
The moon is no longer geologically active. It is a large and dead object that orbits our planet. It is an interesting object that has more than just a few mysteries.
There are many theories on how the moon came to be, but the most outrageous theories are the ones that actually fit the observed data and characteristics.
A comparison of selected theories on moon formation and whether they fit the observed characteristics of the moon. The theories that fit the largest number of observed characteristics are the ones that are considered the most outrageous.
The moon possesses a hollow cavity that is very enormous. It was formed when the iron core solidified, and during the shrinking process it delaminated from the primarily silicon mantle. At the widest point, the ceiling for the cavity is at 2.1 km, or 6889.76 feet. This is a huge volume of space. As such it can contain stratus, stratocumulus, and cumulous clouds and rain (given a proper oxygen atmosphere with water and nitrogen).
The surface area on the iron core surface is also enormous. At over 32,685 km, it is bigger than the state of Massachusetts.
Now, for the kicker, if the moon was placed in orbit around the earth through the “placement hypothesis” by an extraterrestrial intelligence, then they would also have the technology to detoxify the inner void present inside the moon. They would occupy it, and create a stable and safe environment from which to monitor the earth by.
It is unknown how long this void would have been inhabited, however it is reasonable to assume that creatures and fauna presently now long extinct, could have continued their existence within that chamber and evolved in different ways over the time from their earth brothers and sisters. That is, were the inhabitants of the moon’s interior desirious of the creation of an internal natural habitat.
Take Aways
All this being stated;
Nobody knows how the moon was formed. All we have are theories.
Nobody knows why the earth and the moon have such an unusual relationship. No one is brave enough to provide any reasonable hypothesis.
The moon is old, much older than our solar system. No matter what the latest study from China purports.
The moon is not precisely hollow, it has a large void instead.
The void was formed by the solidification of the iron core, and a delamination during the “Patternmaker’s contraction”.
The gravity of the earth displaced the core towards the earth by 2.1 km.
The early life of the sun and the solar system is very interesting, but hasn’t really been given the study it deserves.
If the earth has a role in the evolution and development of the human sentience, then the moon would play an important role in it.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.
That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome calculations that are more accurate on the displacement of the moon. Or, perhaps the radiative heating of the chamber void. I would welcome a discussion on the possibility of our sun once being a variable star. I would welcome a discussion on what kinds of large body would be able to magnetize the rocks thus found on the moon. I would welcome a relook at the Chinese study that claims that the moon is not as old as the rocks portray.
This is my call-out, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Is the moon hollow? A: The moon has an enormous void deep in the center of it. This void is over the size of the state of Massachusetts, and is large enough to have clouds and a stable atmosphere.
Q: How was the moon formed? A: No one knows. We had best believe that it formed using typical processes, and migrated to its current position in some manner that we are unaware of.
Q: How old is the moon? A: The rocks obtained by the Apollo team, at various and numerous landing sites, confirmed that the moon was at least one billion years older than our solar system. The dust that they collected was one billion years older than that. This suggests that the moon originated outside of the solar system.
However, the Chinese have determined that NASA’s calculations were all incorrect. The actual age of the moon absolutely agrees with the age of the solar system.
Q: What is the significance of the magnetized rocks on the moon? A: The presence of magnetized rocks points to a very strong magnetic flux. This can only occur when the moon was in close proximity to a star or large gas giant. Close proximity means in close and very tight orbit around it.
Q: Was the moon positioned around the earth intentionally? A: The only theory that describes some of the more perplexing attributes of the moon is one that suggests exactly this.
Q: Is the moon inhabited? A: If you had the ability, the technology, and the desire, the moon would make a very nice and stable habitat.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
Did you know that the tomato is a fruit? It actually is, you know. It certainly does not taste like one today. Though, it really used to. Tomatoes used to be sweet and delicious.
That is, until the 1920’s in the United States. What in the world was going on then? All that damned “Progressivism” and trying to change America into a utopia ruled by a benevolent wealthy class. Nonsense. Oh, yes. They implemented the Federal income tax, and they banned alcohol and did all kinds of things (like giving the right to vote to woman) to turn the world into “Heaven on Earth”. Yup. That’s why they dragged us into a war in Europe (one that our founders promised and vowed that we would never ever get tangled up into again…).
Oh, but I digress… after all, they meant well.
In part of the rush to make America a utopia, numerous programs were set in motion. One of which was reengineering the tomato. The bland, sterile, and cardboard-tasting tomato is the result of what happens when well-meaning people tries to improve something. Progressive millennials please take note.
Let me tell you all the secret story of the destruction of the humble tomato…
The Early History
From what I can gather, the tomato originated in the Americas.
They probably came from a geographic area around Peru. (Some reports place it at the extreme Southern section of South America.) As such, wild tomatoes can still be found in the Andes Mountains. We do not know if the Incans cultivated the tomato. However, we know that by the time the conquistadors came to Central and South America, there was widespread cultivation of tomatoes. I can well imagine an Incan, wearing one of those funny black hats, smunching on a tomato next to his favorite lama in the misty fog swirled mountains.
It was Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés who first fell in love with this plant. From records, we know that he was exposed to it after he looted the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. I can also picture him. Dressed as Aguirre and wearing the armor of that time, eating a tomato in his gloved fist; the red tomato juices running down his arm. While his armed force stands nearby with their flags and crosses. When he returned back to Europe he managed to carry some seeds back with him, along with coco, tobacco, gold, slaves…
Aguirre was the king of his domain. His domain included gold, cocaine, slaves, monkeys and tomatoes. Aguirre was the king of his domain. (Image Source)
The seeds grew rapidly in the warm Mediterranean climate. For various reasons, the Spanish government started encouraging its production. As such, production began in both Europe and the various Spanish colonies. We know that during the 1540s the tomato started being produced in Spanish fields. Therefore, it can be assumed that it was begin grown as a food.
A Dangerous Poison
While the Spanish had an obvious love for this wondrous fruit, the other European nations did not.
All throughout Europe and England, it was considered a dangerous poison. It was viewed as an unhealthy plant of which the red tomato fruit was a lethal poison. Thus, instead of treating it as a fruit, they used it as a tabletop decoration. This continued through the 17th and 18th centuries. As a decorative fruit, they cherished their appearance and beauty. To get the best-looking tomatoes, they experimented with selective breeding. As a result, there was an explosion of tomatoes of many colors and shapes.
Why did everyone in Europe consider this a dangerous poison?
There are two primary reasons. One of which is the appearance. There is a striking resemblance of tomatoes to the deadly nightshade plant. This is not something that can be taken lightly. Nightshade is extremely lethal. Back then, they did not have the same kinds of medical care that we have today. If you digested deadly nightshade, you would die.
Secondly, most Europeans thought that the tomato was poisonous because many of the wealthy people who ate it got very sick afterwards. This had nothing to do with the plant. However, it had everything to do with the plate that the tomato was ate off of.
It all had to do with the way plates and flatware was made in the 1500’s. Rich people in that time used flatware made of pewter. Pewter is a metal that has high-lead content. What happens is that foods that are high in acid, like tomatoes, would cause the lead to leech out of the plates. So if a tomato was on the pewter plate, the lead would leach into the tomato. This of course would result in lead poisoning and death. Because poor people, who ate off of plates made of wood, did not have that problem it was obvious what the problem was; the tomato. Today we know the truth; it was a tomato on a pewter plate.
This is the primary reason why tomatoes were only eaten by poor people until the 1800’s, especially poor Italians.
Changes during the 1800s
Apparently, Jefferson grew tomatoes on his large farm. As such, all of his daughters and granddaughters used them in numerous recipes. They did what many of us do today, they pickled them for storage. Jefferson’s son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, mentioned that though tomatoes were hardly known ten years prior, by 1824 everyone was growing and eating them. So, maybe Jefferson was an outlier, or maybe he was a trendsetter. We don’t know for sure. All that we knew is that he liked tomatoes. Hey! Anyone who likes tomatoes can’t be all-bad.
The popularity of tomatoes increased during the 1800’s. We don’t know why. I personally think that the American Civil War had something to do with it. When the carpetbaggers headed South to take advantage of the devastation caused by the war, they brought tomatoes and tomato seeds with them. Soon, the entire South was a bloom with tomato plants. The world was made right again!
Thank God for tomatoes!
Around the same time as the Civil War Reconstruction period, there was an interesting period of immigration from Italy. It is true. During the 1800’s there was a mass immigration from Europe to America. Europe includes Italy, which is where the idea for pizza comes from. Indeed, how can we not talk about pizza when we are discussing tomatoes. For what is pizza without a tomato? Why it is nothing more than just bread and cheese. Indeed, there is no pizza without tomato sauce, and pizza was invented around Naples, Italy in the late 1880’s.
(According to history, the story is that pizza was created by a forgotten chef in Naples. For one reason, he must have thought that it was a good one, he wanted to celebrate the visit of Queen Margarite. This queen was the first Italian monarch since the French conquered Italy. The chef made the pizza from three ingredients that represented the colors of the brand new Italian flag. These colors were red, white, and green. The red is the tomato sauce, the white was the mozzarella cheese, and the green was the basil topping. And that my dear boys and girls, is how Pizza Margarite was born.)
As popular tomatoes were, they were difficult to grow and harvest. They were mostly grown at home for personal and private use.
“There was not in the United States at the time an acre of tomatoes from which a bushel of uniformly smooth tomatoes could be gathered,”
- Alexander W. Livingston.
Oh, we know about Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Both of whom brought electricity to America and the world. But, what of the other great scientists and inventors and their contribution to society? Are not the others important? You betcha they are!
The so-called “modern age” of commercially grown tomatoes started as the brainchild of Alexander W. Livingston. He was an American botanist and scientist who dedicated much of his life on “improving” the tomato for commercial use. In his labs he managed to cross breed different types of tomatoes. He used the selective breeding of various types for his own nefarious ends. For he wanted to make the tomato an easily farmed plant. As such he was quite successful. It was he who developed the first commercial viable tomatoes. His 1870s breed called “Paragon” became an instant success. With this, followed a large tomato industry that eventually made the tomato one of the most popular fruits in America.
Joseph Campbell of Campbell’s soup came out with condensed tomato soup in 1897. With pizza and tomato soup firmly in place on Americans dinner table, the humble tomato became a solid fixture of the American diet. Everyone was eating tomatoes.
Ah, you can’t have progress without limits, don’t you know?
Enter the Progressive Utopists
Starting in the 1870s, tomato breeders have been using traditional, non-GMO breeding techniques to develop the best tomatoes. They wanted tomatoes that would look ripe (nice and red), without any green portions, blotches or soft spots on the skin. They also wanted a thick skin that would not break during picking and transport. At that time, most tomatoes were grown on small farms or at home. Tomatoes needed to be harvested often, and carefully. They fell off the vine rather easily when ripe and tended to break easily because they had a thin skin. This needed to change.
Around 1920 or so, numerous teams (often located in universities or colleges) began to implement programs to “improve” the tomato. Of course, their idea of improvement was not to make it taste better. Rather, instead to make it easier to grow, ship and sell. As such, the implementation of strong reengineering programs for the tomato began in earnest. As the tomato “improved”, so did the ability to harvest it commercially.
Initially, large-scale production of tomatoes was mostly limited to the East coast of the United States. This continued, and production spread into California after World War 2. The seasonal workers in California were able to pick the tomatoes, but it would not last for long. By the early 1960’s, there was a shortage of skilled tomato pickers. As a result there became a need to utilize mechanical pickers. These machines could pick the tomatoes off the vine quicker but they had some problems. Most notably, they couldn’t select between green and ripe tomatoes, and they also tended to damage the tomatoes.
In those days, the machines would rip and tear the tomatoes. It would crush them. It would bruse the skin. The machines would get clogged up with the juices of damaged tomatoes, and time needed to be devoted to repairing the machinery.
Selective breeding all through the 1960’s was devoted to making the tomato easy to harvest and to ship.
Tomatoes became beautiful. They became a uniform red. No green skin or splotches anywhere. They became round, instead of plump. They became firm instead of juicy. They became thick skinned instead of thin skinned. They became perfect for harvesting and shipping.
A tomato is nothing if it is not used for smunching. I would suggest that a nice club sandwich (as pictured) be a suggested venue to eat the humble tomato. Yum!
However, all this came at a cost. They became tasteless, boring, bland and tough. They lost much of their sweetness. They lost their aromatic smell, and they lost their taste.
This was not lost on the producers who used tomatoes in sauces, stews, and soups. To compensate for the degradation of the taste in tomatoes, the industry started to add sugars and corn syrup. Thus, by the end of the 1970’s tomatoes and tomato products were almost completely reengineered to be mass-produced and shipped in mass. All that remained were a few spots where “radical” holdouts treasured their own unique tomato plants. These were called “heirloom tomatoes”.
As a result the tomato today is a bland, red orb. It is no longer the juicy delicious tasteful plant that it once was.
How Tomatoes became Bland
Luckily for us, other people have noticed that tomatoes have started to taste terrible. For me, of course, I have stopped buying them in the grocery store. When I buy tomatoes, I go for the smaller tomatoes, and whatever local “heirloom” tomatoes that might be available. Other than that, I grow them next to the bamboo in my yard. Together, we have formed a silent group of tomato affectionados that demand tomatoes that have flavor.
Through study and evaluation, we have discovered why tomatoes taste so bland.
There are numerous reasons. Firstly [1], tomatoes were bred to be easy to ship. Secondly [2], tomatoes were bred to ripen evenly. Thirdly [3] they are not permitted to ripen on the vine. Finally, fourthly [4] they are bred to be plump and full of water, not full of tasty volatiles.
Easy to Ship
It turns out the problem with tomatoes today is that the genes that give tomato taste has been bred out of the plants. Over the years, the tomatoes have been bred to behave more like a shipping box, or a cardboard box. Of course this was done for shipping concerns. In the past, tomatoes had a hard time surviving the road to the market. They needed to be bred to act like a shipping box, or cardboard box. Which pretty much explains why they taste that way as well. Duh!
Tomatoes were bred to ship like a cardboard box. They were designed to be sturdy and have a maximum shelf life, as well as a long display time. Indeed, the ideal tomato, from the point of view of a store, is a cardboard box.
Researchers into this problem have discovered a “genetic switch” within the tomato. This switch is responsible for much of the sugar production within the tomato. In the breeding efforts to make the tomato easy to transport to the grocery store, the growers have turned off that switch. All the efforts to bred the tomato for hardiness destroyed the ability for the tomato to taste good. It bred out the sugar. This can make chewing on the tomato like eating a piece of rubber. The mutation to make the tomato act like a shipping box inadvertently turned off the sugar production switch, making the tomato bland.
Researchers discovered that a protein called GLK helps to create the sugar within the tomato. It also regulates photosynthesis in the plants, which also contribute to the production of sugar. This protein can be found near the stem and also tends to delay the reddening of the tomato skin. So all those nice red tomatoes in the supermarket contain either less or no GLK proteins, meaning the tomatoes taste bland. Yes. So if you see a nice evenly red tomato, smell it. If it has no smell, it will also have no taste.
Now comes the frightening part.
It’s not just in the United States. It’s all over the world! Indeed, researchers tested over 25 commercial tomato varieties from all over the world. Every single one of them contained the genetic switch mutation. None of them had any decent quantities of the GLK protein.
"The mutation they describe in their paper is in literally 100 percent of modern breeds sold in grocery stores today,"-Harry Klee, a molecular geneticist at the University of Florida, Gainesville
Even Ripening
Just like the genetic switch to make tomatoes easy to ship, a genetic switch was found to make them ripe evenly.
As stated previously, commercial tomatoes are selected for uniform ripening. It was discovered early on that shoppers would select the ripest and reddest tomatoes in the grocery store. People bought red tomatoes. They shied away from green tomatoes, and tomatoes with imperfections. People came to associate red tomatoes with ripeness and large quantities of sugar. This is what happened, even though that is not what was actually happening.
Today, unripe (commercial) tomatoes are a light green color that turns into a uniform red when ripe. This is how it is with the breeds today. However, this was not always that way.
Heirloom tomatoes grew differently. When they ripen they do not do so evenly. They often have a dark green coloration near the stem even when the fruit is fully ripe. This is the secret to flavor. This top area of the tomato is known as the shoulders. It is what makes the tomatoes tasty.
Green shoulders on tomatoes are what makes them taste good and sweet. It is too bad that this feature has been bred out of commercial tomatoes.
The big problem, and the reason why it was genetically bred out, is that green shoulders make it harder to tell when the fruit is ripe and ready to pick.
Shoppers and grocery stores were often unhappy with green shoulders. That is, until 1937. In 1937 a “miracle tomato” appeared. This tomato, called “All-red” had the curious ability to ripe evenly. It was bred at the North Dakota State University Agricultural Experimental Station. The “All-red” tomatoes ripened to a bright uniform red with no green shoulders. This trait was called the ‘uniform ripening’ trait. It revolutionized the world of tomatoes and was immediately incorporated into all of the commercial tomatoes worldwide.
Yah. But like any horror movie, there are tradeoffs that you need to confront.
The so-called ‘uniform ripening’ trait avoided green shoulders by turning off a very important and key tomato gene. This gene, known as SIGLK2, increases chloroplast production in the tomato plant. Chloroplasts make energy through photosynthesis. They also turn tomato fruit a darker green. They ripen more evenly, which makes them more visually pleasing to consumers, and it’s easier to tell when they’re mature. This trait is governed by a cluster of genes called the “uniform ripening locus” or simply “u”. But…
But…
These chloroplasts to tend to make the important stuff. They manufacture sweet sugars and yummy carotenoids. In fact, the non-commercial tomatoes; the heirloom tomatoes receive 25% of their sugars from the chloroplasts in the fruits and 75% from leaves. So surprise, surprise! Those green shoulders on tomatoes are actually a good thing. They are a visual indicator that the tomato has more carbohydrates and more flavors. By breeding out the green, growers were breeding out the flavor.
Ignore the Vine
Today’s commercial tomatoes ignore the vine. The tomatoes are not permitted to ripen on the vine, which as everyone knows, is the best way to enhance flavor in fruits and vegetables.
Instead, they are picked green and stored in the dark. In order to give them that nice uniform red color, the unripened green tomatoes are gassed with ethylene. This is a nice trick that modern farmers use. It is a way of painting the tomatoes a red color without using red paint. The ethylene gas reacts with the tomato skin. When gassed, the tomatoes develop a red coloration. Which is, of course, the appearance of ripening.
Store bought tomatoes are not ripe. They just look like it. Real tasty tomatoes are vine ripened. Vine ripened tomatoes develop more sugars and thus more flavor.
Finally, all (if not most) commercial tomatoes are usually refrigerated. Refrigeration damages both fruit flavor as well as texture.
Full of Water instead of Volatiles
Aside from the tasty sugars, modern tomatoes were bread to be full of water. The volatiles were bred out of them. The key to a good tasting tomato is the volatile compound. This is a chemical that easily becomes a gas and therefore can be smelled. It is the volatiles, which are sorely lacking in most mass-bred tomatoes. They are a primary source by which a tomato acquires its sweet taste.
Now, the stores that sell the tomatoes, and the farmers that grow the tomatoes do not care at all about the taste. They want the biggest and heaviest tomatoes possible. That is because the heavier the tomato, the more money that they can sell it for.
Once a truck is loaded with tomatoes at the farm, the buyer of the tomatoes weighs the truck with and without the tomatoes. The difference is the weight of the tomatoes. The heavier the tomato, the more money the farmer makes.
This is a case of bigger is better. So the breeders turned on a combination of genetic switches that turned off volatiles, and bred the tomatoes to be water containers.
Volatiles were bred out of most store-bought tomatoes. Instead of volatiles, water has become the dominant component. What this means is that not only do mass-produced tomatoes don’t taste very good, but they don’t have as much nutritional value either.
There are six major volatile compounds that add the important flavor to a tomato. This was identified by Harry Klee, a biologist at the University of Florida. In research, he and his colleagues identified six volatile compounds that work together to impart better taste in a tomato. What is most interesting is that they do not particularly create sugars. Instead, these compounds add a sweet taste to the tomato without adding sugar.
Klee, experimented with 100 tomato varieties with 13 panels of 100 people. Each one rated each tomato according to taste and sweetness. The researchers used a technique known as gas chromatography to vaporize the tomato samples and sort out their molecules. This resulted in a list of chemicals and their concentrations within each sample. It was through this study that they found out that chemical compounds known as volatiles are very important. Volatiles are released as we chew and trigger a response in the olfactory system, contributing to overall taste sensation. By comparing the consumer panels’ tomato preferences to their chemical profiles, the team came up with a list of 13 chemical compounds strongly linked to likability.
Surprisingly, much of that taste came from the volatile compounds and not from sugar. Klee found that the volatiles, working through sensors in the nose, convinced the brain that a certain tomato was sweeter than another. Thus, when a tomato has both volatiles and natural sugars, the taste in a tomato really pops out.
Unfortunately, volatiles have been bred out of all the commercial tomato varieties.
Today
Today all of the commercial tomatoes no longer make sugars in the tomato meat. They get them from the leaves. They are unable to make their own sugar because the SIGLK2 has been disabled. They have no taste because they have no volatiles. They produce less carotenoids than heirloom tomatoes. This means that they have no interesting flavors (sweet or not sweet). Commercial tomatoes have less carbohydrates, less carotenoids, no volatiles, and less sugar.
But they do look better.
The ideal tomato from a vintage advertisement. Nice big, plump and red with no green shoulders, no imperfections, and no taste. (Image source.)
Enter the Busybodies
Much as I hate to say it, there are a number of busybodies that want to destroy the chances of you (the reader) ever getting to eat a “real” tomato. The EU, out of Brussels wants to ban it. Leaving everyone in the EU stuck with eating cardboard tasting commercial GMO “improved” tomatoes. They have come up with excuses to justify this decision, but as you should know by now, there are reasons and then there are true REASONS for doing anything.
In America, certain liberal progressives are out at it again. They too want to ban Heirloom tomatoes. According to Jane Black, commercial tomatoes taste just as good, if not better, than the heirloom tomatoes. Of course, I disagree. I think it is because I have a greater appreciation of food than those busybodies. But, you know, it’s only my opinion. Ah, but what else would you expect from WaPo? Eh?
Modern tomato compared to the “improved” progressive tomato
Ah, like all busybodies, they have their excuses. However, like all busybodies, they tend to keep their real reasons secret…
What Can We Do?
The first thing that I would suggest is to start ordering and planting heirloom tomatoes at home. In the summer, stop buying them at the grocery store. Every chance you get, complain to the grocer and the manager of the vegetable section how terrible the tomatoes taste and that you refuse to buy them. If enough people do this, perhaps we can one day reverse this deplorable situation.
I buy mine off taobao. The link will take you straight to the tomato seed section. Remember that one USD dollar is around 6.3 yuan. So take the cost and divide by six to figure out how much the seeds cost in dollars.
I am curious what others think about this. Perhaps you too have noticed that store-bought tomatoes taste like water filled baseballs. Maybe there are people who have grown their own tomatoes and have some hints on how much better they are. Maybe there are people out there in internet-land who, like me, also love the tomato sandwich. Come on. Don’t be shy.
I would also like to know about your tricks on planting seeds. We cannot buy tomato sprouts here in China, and I am just having a real dickens’ of a time trying to get them to grow. I’ve followed everything recommended here, and here, but they just sort of never make it past germination. Right now, today at the time of this writing, I have a plastic egg container filled with chicken poop with various Chinese heirloom seeds in it. I keep them moist and in the sun. It’s been ten days, and still no sprouts. Why?
—UPDATE—
It turns out that seeds in China are all coated with a plastic paint. This prevents the seeds for germinating in hot and humid weather. You need to scrub the paint off prior to planting the seeds. You let the seeds soak in warm water for around ten hours, and then you rub the paint off. Then once the paint is off, you can then plant them.
—END UPDATE—
It’s a tough world out there, and tomato lovers need to stick together against the onslaught of tomato haters, busybodies, and the armies of ignorant fools.
I believe, and I say, there are certain things that we need to fight for. These things are important to us, and we need to draw a line in the sand. I say that if we cannot have a tasty tomato, then what is the point of eating them! Gosh Darn It!
Links
Here are some links to buy some great heirloom tomato seeds;
One of my all-time favorite things to do, in the summer, is to enjoy a tomato sandwich. This is a very simple affair. It is just a big slice of a big juicy “Big Boy” or “Better Boy” tomato between two slices of plain white sandwich bread and gobs of Miracle Whip salad dressing.
Unfortunately, tomatoes have been getting less tasty over time. Initially I didn’t notice it so much. But when you taste a “real” tomato and then experience a “commercial tomato” the difference is astounding. Look, I don’t just mean “Hey, that’s a pretty tasty tomato.”, I mean “WTF! WTF! Holey Heck! What is the Friggin’ heck going on with this tomato! “ It is that noticeable.
Talk about Heaven on Earth! How about properly cooked bacon on rye bread, with fresh heirloom tomatoes, with salt and pepper and Miracle Whip . Yum! (Image Source.)
Those that have written about this phenomenon tend to down play the significance. They shouldn’t. It’s a serious issue.
While I might joke about the millennials who want a utopia where unicorns prance about on fields of clover in the bright sunny light, I too wish for a perfect life. However, my idea is a much simpler one. I dream for a nice fresh heirloom tomato sandwich on Miracle Whip slathered bread and an frosty cold bottle of a good golden beer. I can only pray that this becomes a commonplace reality.
There is Hope
From an article from Sci-News;
Tomatoes are one of the most eaten vegetables — although they actually are fruit botanically — with a worldwide annual production of 182 million tons, worth more than $60 billion.
U.S. tomato consumption per capita was 9.2 kg (20.3 pounds) for fresh tomatoes in 2017 plus an additional 33.2 kg (73.3 pounds) of processed tomatoes eaten per person. They are the second most consumed vegetable in the United States after potatoes.
While cultivated tomatoes have a wide range of physical and metabolic variation, there have been several severe bottlenecks during its domestication and breeding. This means today’s tomatoes have a narrow genetic base.
The tomato pan-genome helps identify what additional genes beyond the reference might be available for crop breeding and improvement. It includes all of the genes from 725 different cultivated and closely related wild tomatoes, which revealed 4,873 genes that were absent from the original reference genome.
“The pan-genome essentially provides a reservoir of additional genes not present in the reference genome. Breeders can explore the pan-genome for genes of interest, and potentially select for them as they do further breeding to improve their tomatoes,” said co-lead author Dr. Zhangjun Fei, a researcher with Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service.
“One of the most important discoveries from constructing this pan-genome is a rare form of a gene labeled TomLoxC, which mostly differs in the version of its DNA gene promoter,” added co-lead author Dr. James Giovannoni, a molecular biologist with Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service.
“The gene influences fruit flavor by catalyzing the biosynthesis of a number of lipid-involved volatiles — compounds that evaporate easily and contribute to aroma.”
In addition, the researchers found a new role of TomLoxC — it facilitates production of a group of apocarotenoids that work as signaling molecules influencing a variety of responses in plants including environmental stresses. The compounds also have a variety of floral and fruity odors that are important in tomato taste.
The rare version of TomLoxC was found in only 2% of older or heirloom cultivated large tomato varieties, although the version was present in 91% of currant-sized wild tomatoes, primarily Solanum pimpinellifolium, the wild predecessor of the cultivated tomato. It is becoming more common in newer varieties.
“It appears that there may have been strong selection pressure against or at least no selection for the presence of this version of TomLoxC early in the domestication of tomatoes,” Dr. Giovannoni said.
“The increase in prevalence of this form in modern tomatoes likely reflects breeders’ renewed interest in improved flavor.”
The results are published in the journal Nature Genetics.
_____
Lei Gao et al. The tomato pan-genome uncovers new genes and a rare allele regulating fruit flavor. Nature Genetics, published online May 13, 2019; doi: 10.1038/s41588-019-0410-2
Take Aways
Tomatoes are a fruit.
Tomatoes taste like a vegetable because the sweet taste was bred out of them.
The reason that tomatoes taste this way is due to greed.
Mast people, and science agrees, that heirloom tomatoes are tastier than commercial tomatoes.
Liberal progressives in the EU and America want to ban tasty tomatoes.
I like fresh tomato sandwiches and icy cold beer.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my years of life. I like to talk about things as I have experienced them, and I am always willing to listen to what others have to say. (Though when it comes to tomatoes, I do have some very strong opinions.)
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your stories. Tell me how you came to love tomatoes, and how to grow them. Tell us your secrets on getting the sprouts started, because that is one thing that I am having a very difficult time doing. Tell us all how you use them, and why you think that it is just “OK” to ship and sell cardboard tasting tomatoes in stores. Share with us your theories as to why the EU is trying to ban any seeds that are not being used by the top food-producing mega-corportations. Share with us, because we want to know.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: What is a “heirloom tomato”? A: A heirloom tomato is a tomato variety that was NOT bred for mass consumer sales and distribution. As such, it was bred for taste, appearance, and smell. Because heirloom tomatoes are difficult to pick and ship for the mass market, they are seldom found in grocery stores. They can (for the most part) be obtained by growing them yourself by planting seeds.
Q: What is the history of the tomato? A: Tomatoes originated in South America near Peru. They have been bred over the years as a consumer product. As such, they are now treated as a vegetable instead of as a fruit. This is because the sweetness and volatiles have been bred out of them. They are used in the most important food dishes in America; the pizza and hamburger.
Q: What is a tomato festival? A: A tomato festival is a place where people display and sell their own (often non-commercial) tomatoes. These are various home-developed heirloom tomatoes. It is an excellent place to sample different types of tomatoes, chat with other tomato lovers, and buy and trade tomato seeds.
Q: Why do you like beer? A: Icy cold beer tastes great after a long hard day of work and labor. It relaxes you. It lets your tension go away, and it tastes really, really good with fresh heirloom tomatoes. (Oh, so does wine, but you drink it differently. Hillary Clinton is a big Chardonnay fan. I can’t fault that, she does have good taste in wines. Though I am a dry red wine fan, myself.)
Q: Can I drink wine with a tomato sandwich? A: Let me say this clearly. Tomatoes taste good anytime, anywhere, and prepared in any way. Wine goes great with just about everything. Hillary Clinton is a big Chardonnay fan. I can’t fault that, she does have good taste in wines. Though I am a dry red wine fan, myself.
Q: How do the Chinese eat tomatoes? A: The Chinese people love tomatoes just like Americans do. They use the tomatoes for all sorts of dishes, but the most important one is the “tomato with egg” dish. This is an AMAZING dish that every single American who has visited China has fallen in love with. It is not what you think; just scramble eggs with tomatoes. No. You prepare the tomatoes with some special spices and then mix in eggs. It is glorious!
Q: What is the best use for a tomato? A: I think that the best use for a tomato is to eat it. I really don’t think that it can compete against the rose as a decoration. When eating it, I would suggest that it be picked off the vine fresh. I do prefer vine ripened tomatoes. A good tomato tastes great just as is. I often add a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor, but that is just me. If you need to add sugar, then you know that the tomatoes you are eating are a commercial variety.
FR Posting
This article was posted on free Republic on 5AUG18. You can read the comments HERE.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are
some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you
might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up
in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society
within communist China. As there are some really stark differences
between the two.
Posts about the Changes in America
America is
going through a period of change. Change is good… that is, after it
occurs. Often however, there are large periods of discomfort as the
period of adjustment takes place. Here are some posts that discuss this
issue.
More Posts about Life
I have
broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones
actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little
different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are
reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly
impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal
library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come
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necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money
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because I just don’t care to.
Chinese playgrounds are different from American playgrounds. They are fundamentally different. In China the playgrounds are designed to instruct while children engage in play. In America playgrounds are designed to be safe at all costs. Here we take a look at the two differences in intent.
USA = Safe at all costs.
China = Designed to teach, instruct while having fun.
When you live in another country, you cannot help but make comparisons from your “home” country and your new home. Some of the comparisons are sad, while others are hilariously funny. While some just cause you to simply shake your head. I personally think that when you step out of your home country and experience another reality, you can more clearly see the benefits and the faults of where you have come from.
These comparisons can be stark and astounding.
There are many things that we can compare. In this article, I would like to compare playgrounds. Because, after all, all children learn through play. Play is the “work” of children. A “playground” is an environment, set up by the community to help the children play. It is designed, or at least was initially set up, for “free range” unaccompanied play.
Let’s take a look at playgrounds…
Children Need to Play
The great Fred Rogers once made a statement that play is the work of children. He was absolutely correct. Children learn things rapidly when they are interested. The key to holding that interest is to involve play. Often that is some kind of role-play.
Boys enjoy construction, fabrication, organization, animals, military, hunting, searching, hiding, running, jumping, catching, hitting, practical jokes, and individual play. Girls might also enjoy these things, but they do seemingly have interests in home organization, cooking, fashion, childcare, animals, and group play.
This observation is true no matter what country where you live. You will find young girls playing with dolls in the Sudan, China, Argentina, and the United States. You will find boys playing sports, and military games all over the world. You know, they all also seem to have a fascination with heavy earth-movers and building things.
“This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be learned when kids aren’t told what to do,” said Dr. Michael Yogman, a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the call to arms. Whether it’s rough-and-tumble physical play, outdoor play or social or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go, he said.
The advice, issued Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, may come as a shock to some parents. After spending years fretting over which toys to buy, which apps to download and which skill-building programs to send their kids to after school, letting them simply play — or better yet, playing with them — could seem like a step backward.
The pediatricians insist that it’s not. The academy’s guidance does not include specific recommendations for the dosing of play. Instead, it asks doctors to advise parents before their babies turn 2 that play is essential to healthy development. It also advocates for the restoration of play in schools.
“Play is not frivolous,” the academy’s report declares. It nurtures children’s ingenuity, cooperation and problem-solving skills — all of which are critical for a 21st-century workforce. It lays the neural groundwork that helps us “pursue goals and ignore distractions.”
When parents engage in play with their children, it deepens relationships and builds a bulwark against the toxic effects of all kinds of stress, including poverty, the academy says.
-Doctors Orders
Play is based on Interest
Without interest, the child will soon be distracted and go off elsewhere. The key to early learning is interest. It is important.
If left alone, a child will find things to play with. They always do. Their interests will generally depend on their gender. (Uh oh! Sound the alarm! politically incorrect statement here!)
That means one of two genders for all of you confused millennial’s out there. Here’s a quick review for those who are confused. It should have been taught to you in elementary school, that is if you were too stupid to figure it out for yourself.
Boys have a penis.
Girls have a vagina.
Humans with a mixture of both are known as a Hermaphrodite.
Boys with a penis that identify themselves with female interests are known as Homosexuals.
Girls with a vagina that identify themselves with male interests are known as Lesbians.
Anything outside of these five conditions is very, very rare. They are what is known as an “Ambiguous Gender”, and are typically treated as someone with a medical disorder.
Now, as far as children goes, there are many exceptions to gender roles.
Some boys like to play house. Some girls like to fight and play war. Many like to do both. The point is that children like to play. If left alone, they will start playing with things in regards to their interests.
Just like you. In fact, exactly like you.
If a boy wants a book on space, don’t force him to rent a book out of the library on butterflies. (Here’s a shout out to the poor kid in Melbourne, Florida who’s mother wouldn’t let him read about rocket ships, and gave him a book on butterflies instead. True story, this.) If a girl wants to read about the latest fashion, don’t make her read about hunting deer.
This should be obvious stuff. A measure of how low our culture has sunk is evident in that I need to explain this most basic premise out.
I remember a post written by a young millennial (on Tumblr) who was upset at her sister. Apparently, her older sister was raising her girls in a more or less traditional manner. She gave them dolls, let them play house and have “tea parties” and dressed them up cute. This upset her younger sister; the young millennial.
When she was asked to “babysit” the girls, while her sister was out, she sprang into action. This was her opportunity. Or, so she thought. So in order to “reverse the damage of gender indoctrination” she bought some toy trucks for the girls. Then she took away the dolls that the girls were playing with. Then after giving the toys to the girls, she let the girls play alone in their room.
An hour later, she went up to check on the girls. She found them there in their room having the time of their lives. They had put the toy trucks to bed (in doll beds) and were reading bedtime stories to them…
The Purpose of an American Playground
Remember when playgrounds were fun? Sure, there was a pretty good chance you’d be scalded by a hot metal slide, or walk away with tetanus, but that’s what memories are made of.
The ground wasn’t coated with soft recycled rubber or sand as most are today – they were asphalt. Remember being hurled from a spinning merry-go-round, then skidding across the gravel at full speed? Good times.
I remember my school playground had a metal ladder “wall” that I swear went up three stories – it didn’t connect to a slide or anything. It was literally a ladder to the sky. I remember fully believing the oxygen was thinner at the top. One false move and I’d have been a flesh colored stain on the asphalt.
We are making playgrounds so safe that they actually stunt our kids’ development. So, while blood was spilt and concussions were dealt on the playgrounds of the 1970s, we were at least in a developmentally rich environment – and we had the bruises and scabs to prove it.
-8 Reasons Children of the 1970s Should All Be Dead
A playground is an area set aside for “free range” unsupervised play. At least that was the initial intention. Today, there are all kinds of playgrounds. Some are supervised, and some are not. Many have benches for adults to sit on and watch the children (at least in the United States they do). China always has places to sit down, as it is usually the grandparents who end up watching the children.
Playgrounds in the past had many elements no longer present. (Well, as far as American playgrounds, that is.) They had “monkey bars” (a construction of bars that children can climb on), “seesaw’s” (a device to move up and down with a partner), “merry-go-rounds” (a large spinning disk that children can push and experience centrifugal forces with), and “slides” (a large structure that a child can slide down on).
Children playing on Monkey bars during the 1960s. They really loved climbing and scrambling on the bars. It was a source of play and amusement.
The elements each provided an element of play. In making the playgrounds safer, these “dangerous” elements were removed, and no adequate replacements were substituted. In America today we have playgrounds without these critical elements. They are boring and bland.
They are sterile.
History of American Playgrounds
In the old days (about 100 years ago around the time of the Great Depression), every community seemingly had a playground. These playgrounds consisted of “monkey bars”, swing sets, seesaws, and other simple outdoor childhood entertainments. Typically, they had sand at the bottom of the metal (and often concrete) structures to mitigate any cuts, scrapes or broken bones. There was sand at the bottom of the monkey bars, sand at the bottom and end of the slides, and sand below the swing sets.
Old American playground around 1900. Only the strong survived recess, obviously.
You can read about the history of playgrounds elsewhere. There are some great articles about how playgrounds got started in the city of Boston. As well as how they got started in Chicago , San Francisco and New York City.
Playgrounds become quite popular as a means to keep children off the roads and out of trouble. The advantages of play were obvious, but I am certain, given secondary importance. Back in the day, children were allowed to go out and explore and play. The idea was to create places to keep the children off the streets. Which ended up benefiting everyone. As such, the development of playgrounds continued apace. This continued into my parents’ generation and mine as well. However, over time, the playground equipment became more standardized and mass-produced.
My mother routinely left me alone in the car at a young age while she ran errands. Today, this will literally get you arrested. You see, once upon a time it was okay to leave your kids for long periods without supervision (remember the so-called “latch-key kids” of the 70s?), or let them free roam without constant surveillance. Today, parents won’t let their kids go out to get the mail alone, and any fun with friends has to be scheduled, closely monitored “play dates”.
On summer break or weekends in the 1970s, parents kicked their kids out the front door and didn’t let them back in until the sun went down. “Go play,” were their only words, and you were left to your own devices for hours upon hours. Neighborhoods looked like Lord of the Flies.
-8 Reasons Children of the 1970s Should All Be Dead
This is an American playground in the middle 1960’s. Note the colorful slides, swing sets, and happy children.American playground in the 1960s with slides and swing-sets. (Image Source.)
Though there were efforts that were still made to make them interesting. In Ridgecrest, California, the playground was designed to look like spaceships and a place of adventure. That was the theme in the nearby China Lake military research center. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, there was a playground that looked like a pirate’s ship. The children could climb up high to the “crow’s nest”. These were not isolated instances. Many communities “dressed up” their playgrounds around themes.
This lasted up until the mid-1980’s.
By the time the 1980’s rolled around, there were numerous small community organizations formed to make playgrounds “safer”, and “better”. These “improvements” resulted in making the playgrounds nice, safe, and very boring. The idea was safety at all costs. Sometimes there was a secondary attention given to exercise, but in all cases there was zero attention to the idea of imaginative play.
For instance, slides became lower. Instead of two stories high (16 feet) during my parents’ generation, and one story high (8 feet) in my generation, they now became four feet high (4 feet) or eliminated altogether. The images on a Google Image Search now apparently show an average of two foot high slides. (16 feet to 2 feet!) “Monkey Bars” became smaller and lower to the ground, if not eliminated completely. Even seesaws and swings became smaller. These “improvements” were welcomed by all the (over) protective parents in their respective communities.
There was only one problem.
The structures were boring and did not challenge the children. They were instead suitable for mentally retarded and handicapped children, infants, and overweight mothers.
My gosh! Children should be challenged while in a safe environment, not coddled until they become an adult.
“…today’s default playground (is the) “the McDonald’s model”: an unchallenging, standardized unit of tunnels, slides, and decks.
“Things like taking risks, learning to fail, learning to master something, to plan ahead, to develop deep friendships, none of those could take place on most playgrounds today.”
- Susan Solomon in “The Science of Play: How to Build Playgrounds that Enhance Children’s Development” as quoted by Ruth Graham, 28MAR14, in the Boston Globe.
Many people in the United States resent what has happened to playgrounds. They yearn for a “simpler time” when children could just go out, run, sweat, climb, play games, and just be a kid. All without breaking some law, or rule.
Most Americans think that just because this trend of playground safety has manifested in the United States that it has manifested everywhere else. (Afterall, the United States is the cultural “leader” of the world…don’t you know.) At least that is the impression that Ruth Graham has. She made the statement that playgrounds in the United States are the same as those in Thailand. But she is quite wrong.
Playgrounds in other nations are NOT sterile and designed for retarded toddlers. They are robust and designed for active children to play in.
All animals like to play. Dogs and cats like to play just like children do.
All children, kittens and puppies like to play. (GIF Image source.) Here’s a dog for you cat-haters out there…
Dogs and cats like to play. In fact, everyone likes to play. When we are young we enjoyed ourselves and pretended what it would be like when we grew up. Play is an important part of learning and our personal development.
I strongly believe that children, like cats and puppies, should be encouraged to climb, fight, sing, dance, and do other tasks that involve a moderate level of risk. Playgrounds, like everything else, should be permitted to have some moderate level of risk. It is better to climb in a park near your house than on a mountainside hours from a nearby hospital. If you catch my drift.
“When the first public playground guidelines from the Consumer Product Safety Commission arrived in the early 1980s, the classic playground’s fate was sealed.
By the 1990s, the height and size of new equipment shrank, climbing opportunities disappeared, and guardrails were installed everywhere imaginable. “There’s not as much that’s challenging,” said Colorado photographer Brenda Biondo, whose photographs of classic American playgrounds form the basis of a nostalgic forthcoming book titled “Once Upon a Playground.”
“They’re taking out swings in a lot of places, which is really sad.” Biondo’s book documents now-vanished implements like “stationary jingle-rings” and “giant waves,” plus tall slides and seesaws, prone to cracking kids on the head. Sand itself, the foundational element of those first playgrounds in Boston, fell victim to disability-access regulations and paranoia over junkies’ needles and general dirtiness.
American playgrounds had become dull and homogenous, geared to toddlers more than athletic older kids and dominated by uniform models from catalogs.”
- Ruth Graham, 28MAR14, in the Boston Globe.
Today, there are playgrounds in America. However, they are sterile affairs. They are not stationary toys that children can play upon. They are but arrangements of metal that are called a “playground”, but are anything but that. They are not places where children can play. Compared to playgrounds in the 1960’s, which was full of screaming and running happy children, the playgrounds of today are mostly empty and unused.
Playgrounds in The United States today – Safe
Safe American playground is suitable for the most incompetent children and retarded idiots that America can produce.
In America today you can find many playgrounds. They have been made “safe” for children. There are no hard surfaces. Nothing is high or tall. There are no moving parts. Though they are typically painted in delightful colorful colors.
Indeed, many of the things that used to be a part of playgrounds in the past are now absent. There are no “monkey bars”. There aren’t any slides, merry-go-rounds, or seesaws. If you are lucky, you might be able to walk up some wheelchair adaptable steps to a two foot height. There are no moving parts. There isn’t much there to inspire creativity. In fact, there really isn’t much of anything there to do at all.
Keeping the picture above in mind, let’s have a look at playgrounds in China…
Playgrounds in China Today – Play
In China, play is considered an important part of childhood development. They use the techniques of play to teach, for education is the most important aspect of a Chinese child’s life.
Unlike the United States, Chinese schools don’t have playgrounds. Instead, they have open areas for group sports and exercise. Most Chinese live in urban areas. In the urban centers, playgrounds tend be located in the most frequented areas; inside the malls and town centers.
While in America, malls have vaporized along with the American middle-class, in China they are quite popular. China has a very robust middle-class. Many malls have playgrounds inside for children to play upon.
Chinese playgrounds are designed for fun. They teach and inspire in equal measure. Yes, this is a Chinese playground. There is a lower age limit. Toddlers can only play if accompanied with a parent.
I was reminded of this by an event in a local park here in China. There were some children (five and six year old) being taught repelling and climbing skills by a small group of instructors. It turns out that many malls and store complexes in China have these huge climbing complexes of ropes, and netting that children are permitted to go “nuts” over. They are very popular here and are well maintained and monitored. They also offer excursions in local mountainous parks.
If you are ever in China, I would strongly advise all parents to utilize this resource. Don’t limit your child’s development to what the neighborhood busybodies think is appropriate. (They really believe that they have the power over your children. Go to the busybody central; Kid Safety Network.)
While these complexes do not have the kind of seesaw’s that we grew up with as children, they have similar devices with similar purposes. Only this time it is more like a big top that a child or group of children can get inside and toss and spin about in. Monkey bars have been replaced with a network of ladders, ropes, steps on ropes, tires on ropes, and woven tunnels hanging five stories high for the children to play about in.
All Chinese playgrounds are supervised to allow the children to play in safety.
All Chinese playgrounds are supervised. Image Source.
All Chinese playgrounds have supervision. There are always workers who are paid to make sure that safety is maintained. This does come at a cost, though the cost is small and quite reasonable. The children must wear protective gear and harnesses so they will not fall to their death from six stories up.
The Chinese provide their children with a fine place to climb and explore. Sure there is an element of risk, but there are trained instructors and safety harnesses and helmets provided. Compare that to a modern American playground. There simply isn’t any risk. There isn’t any opportunity to explore and have adventure. It is typically in one or two colors, it consists of a few fences and railings, and some stairs to climb up. It is also very safe. It is the opposite of what is available in China.
The differences between the two playgrounds.
The differences are stark. But, don’t just take my word for it. Just compare the product offerings from playground manufacturers in China to those in the United States. You can see what they make and who they market to. The reader should note that American companies tend to market domestically almost exclusively. While Chinese manufacturers market their products internationally.
Indeed, this is pretty amazing stuff. Climb ropes and and networks of cages suspended from above, then slide down multi-story rides! Can you imagine? Slide down five story tall slides! Get lost in huge wire baskets, and swing from monkey bar complexes that tower up into the stratosphere! Wow!
Fun for kids of all ages…
The companies in China make their products and ship all over the world. That is, almost everywhere EXCEPT the United States. Other nations, not only China, let their children climb, have fun, and play. However, in most instances, the Chinese companies just doesn’t bother to ship to America. I wonder why?
Here you can find the makers of the playgrounds that are made for American cities. You will find nice soft surfaces, small and safe slides, a couple of grab bars, lots and lots of hand railings, and some nice safe steps to walk on. Many of them have a platform that is over two feet high that children can stand on. Whoo Hoo!
Let’s face it. Today American playgrounds are pathetic.
Why American Playgrounds became so pathetic
It all began in 1978. Jimmy Carter was president. (But, it really wasn’t his fault.)
An 8-year-old boy by the name of Frank Nelson was playing on a slide in Chicago. He fell and hit his head and the fall resulted in some very serious injuries. The damage resulted in brain damage. It paralyzed his left side and cause speech and vision problems. He also needed to wear a helmet. The attorneys for his mother settled out of court. As such, he was awarded a minimum of $9.5 million (and possibly as much as $29.8 million if he eventually lives to be 75.)
It’s a pretty sad situation. Accidents do occur, and children can get hurt or die. When I was in fifth grade a classmate died when he fell into the ice covered river. My first wife’s uncle died when he was seven. He too fell into the ice covered river. It was something our community knew well, as every five years or so, a child would die under the ice in Winter.
Anyways, back to the child in Chicago…
As a result of this, the city of Chicago decided to tear down all the (so named “tornado”) slides in the city. (This was the mechanism which contributed to the accident with the small boy. They also decided to generally make the playgrounds safer, as they could not afford too many expensive lawsuits.
This settlement, of course, caused a chain reaction.
A tidal wave of lawsuits began the plague the nation. After all, attorneys made BIG money on these kinds of lawsuits. My attorney (when I lived in California) got 90% of any “out of court settlement”, and 60% of the settlement if we took it all the way to court. It was a great racket in the 1980’s, and it still is today.
The lure of big, fast and easy money was seductive.
Attorneys started to look for ways to sue various cities, and there were all kinds of people who wanted to make quick easy cash. Accidents that normally wouldn’t be reported now became national news. For instance, there was the 5-year-old Michigan girl who was strangled on a slide in January when the drawstring from her coat became tangled in one of its bars. In 1988, a 10-year-old Washington, D.C., boy suffered brain damage after falling from an 8-foot climber onto the asphalt below. He was awarded $15 million, which is believed to be the largest settlement of its kind.
To prevent this, many cities started to take preemptive action. They began to make the playgrounds so safe that no one could ever get hurt. They started to ban everything from tires on a rope to slides. They didn’t go six sigma. They went infinity sigma! It’s “zero tolerance” run amok. It was safety at all costs. Who cares about fun. Who cares about child growth. Playgrounds must be SAFE!
Busybodies to Erase Play
Enter an army of busybodies who have one goal in mind; change the purpose of a playground from creative play into a “safe space”. Consider the American organization NPPS, which stands for the National Program for Playground Safety. Their objectives are many, but primarily are directed to reengineer playgrounds so that they are safe for children.
The only problem with this is that there are no thoughts given to the purpose of a playground.
Safe at the expense of play pretty well defeats the purpose of a playground.
You can make claims that the modern American playground designs improve motor skills, and help exercise various muscles. That is all fine and good. However, no one will be exercised if the playground is not utilized. The number one ingredient missing from American playgrounds is something that fires up the imagination of children. Without creative imagination, play is not possible. Without play, there can be no benefit of any playground no matter how carefully it is designed to provide physical exertion.
Here’s how it works…
• Children learn through play.
• Play requires creative imagination, not direction.
• Spaces or places that inspire creative imagination are magnets for playful activities.
• They used to be called “playgrounds”.
This reminds me of a similar progressive initiative by former presidential wife Michelle Obama and her “School Lunch Program”.
Here she mandated healthy food choice for all American children as dictated out of Washington, D.C… Yah, it was healthy, and good for you. However, there was one real problem. No one ate it. The students would get the food and then throw it away without even eating it.
You would think that the damage would be obvious by now.
Who really wants to play on one of these monstrosities?
Ah, but the busybodies are not stopping. There is an entire army of busybodies that wants to bleach out play from playgrounds. They want short, safe and boring locations where children can be parked and not worry about them getting hurt.
In a way, I kind of feel sorry for these people. They mean well, but they can’t understand the basic ingredients necessary to utilize a playground cannot be removed. You need things that inspire and assist in PLAY.
What happens to a cake if you try to make it without flour?
You make it exactly to the ingredients in the recipe, but instead of flour you substitute ground up dog food. You follow the directions on the recipe. You take the “cake” out of the oven. Is it a “cake”, or is it something else? What if you omitted the eggs all together? What if you used orange juice instead of milk? All cakes, regardless of the type, require eggs, milk, flour and sugar.
Playgrounds, regardless of where it is located, should inspire the imagination of children. It should allow them to run, climb and exercise at will. It should also be safe so that MOST children (not ALL children) won’t get hurt. It is after all, a PLAY-ground.
Failure to provide for these needs have created the situation that the United States has found itself in today. We now have playgrounds where “free ranging” play cannot be inspired.
Organizations Against Playgrounds as places for Play
There are numerous (American) organizations involved and concerned about playgrounds. Some, to my disdain, want safety at all costs. Others see the folly in this absolute. They are trying to come up with means and balance. Others are searching for alternative playground options, and how to regulate them out of existence. While still others are trying to introduce some foreign playground ideas on to the American scene. Here are some other related organizations that are trying to figure out what to do about American playgrounds.
I am sure that everyone in these organizations has good intentions. That is not the point. The point is that you should NEVER make changes to any plan, program or structure that detracts from its overall purpose. What is the point of safety if children can’t PLAY in a playground?
The point is you can design a car that is so safe that no one is ever killed. You know how? You remove the wheels and let it sit in the driveway. How often do you think that people will use that car?
A safe car.
Employment Opportunities
Today in America, you can become a certified playground inspector. That is correct. Your job is to make playgrounds sterile and bland of fun. It is all done in the interests of saving the city from frivolous lawsuits. I think the prune face, long crooked nose, and pointed black hats are optional.
Other Places & Other Ideas
One of the problem with us, and I mean all of us (myself included), is that we tend to only look at what is right in front of us. We fail to think of alternatives. You, the reader, know this is true. Honestly, have you ever thought about making a playground out of ropes and woven baskets before? Nah. I didn’t think so. Instead, we have a tendency to think of playgrounds in the traditional way. We fail to look at it in other ways.
We need to look at playgrounds as a [1] safe place for children, to [2] play using their imagination.
If we open our eyes just a little bit we can see how other nations, and other peoples, provide opportunities for their children to play. While some of the ideas might seem too dangerous for our American sensibilities, I tend to believe that we have become far too fearful of a nation. We need to let children play on their own a little bit. We need to let them go out and PLAY.
Here are some ideas of things done right elsewhere in the world…
Junk Playgrounds
When I was growing up, I played where I was. If I was in a playground, I played on the things that I found there. This included “monkey bars”, and “swings”. If I was climbing though an old abandoned building, I ended up playing with the junk that I found there. If I was in the woods, I would play in the trees and bushes that grew there. Children will pay with anything. They key is that you need to provide them a safe place to play in.
Enter the concept of “Junk Playgrounds”. Here, an area is set aside full of junk and discards so that children can play in and about it. It’s a great concept, and the children absolutely love it. Here are some great links to get your ideas flowing…
Why play with junk when there are beautiful trees to climb, brooks to splash in, and meadows to run upon? There is a movement that believes that nature can prove elements of creative play just as well as any formal or structured playground could. Of course, this idea did not originate in the USA. To follow this train of thought and explore these opportunities for childhood adventure, one must look outside the USA prism.
I am specifically NOT referring to sanitized ultra-safe American style playgrounds that are dressed up to look like trees.
I am specifically referring to real parks and areas that are designed for children to play in. Some are nothing more than rustic versions of the ultra-safe American playgrounds. I suggest a little bit of risk, a lot of nature and a safe central area for access.
Many of us, well we sit back and just accept things as they are. We argue, “Hey that is the way things are and there is nothing that I can do.” But this is very wrong. This is “wrong-headed” thinking. There are many things that you can do. There are many levels of engagement.
1. Look at what kinds of playgrounds are near you. Are any of them actually being used? If so, then how? We need to look at playgrounds from the prism of both safety AND fun.
2. Find out who is responsible for the playground. This might be something as simple as talking to the town board in your community, or the people who actually own the property that the playground is on.
3. Talk to them. Do not be some kind of radical who demands everyone change everything immediately. Suggest minor (and I do mean minor) changes to improve it. If it is not safe, improve that aspect of it. If it is not fun, then concentrate in that aspect. Remember the goal is to make playgrounds BOTH safe and fun for children to play in.
4. Concentrate on a balance. The tomato at grocery stores today taste like a cardboard box because it was bred to ship like a cardboard box. No one paid attention to the taste of the tomato. In a like way, by concentrating on safety at all costs, you lose the primary purpose of a playground; individual imaginative play. Strike a balance on having both elements at the playground at the same time.
5. Ask for help. Sometimes you cannot do things alone. Yet there are many others who might want to work with you. Let them.
6. If you hit a blank wall, go your own way. Create your own park / playground. Do it your way. There are many “experimental” types of playgrounds that are designed for interaction with nature, or pile of junk or anything in between. Do your own thing; your way. Then tell us about it. Do not be shy!
7. Remember what it was when you were a kid. I well remember spending hours playing in the nearby stream. I remember what it was like to climb trees. Maybe that is all you need is a place with lots of trees to climb and a sign that says “kids can play here and climb all they want”.
8. Beware of the busybodies. They will try to threaten you, and try to get your involved in the fear of legal action. Put up disclaimers and protect yourself. If you have the financial resources, organize neighborhood monitors to keep things safe.
9. Do it your way. Finally, and above all else; don’t follow what other people do. DO IT YOUR WAY!
Take Aways
Here are some important points that need to be underlined;
Playgrounds should be places to inspire children to play.
An accident in Chicago, and the judicial failure to put limits on the monetary awards, resulted in a sterilization of all American playgrounds.
America has altered playgrounds to be safe at the expense of play.
Other nations do not follow the United States model.
In China, playgrounds are set up quite differently.
America needs to redesign playgrounds to fit the purpose for them.
It is profitable to make playgrounds sterile and boring.
Anyone can make their own playground.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and experiences of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my own personal experiences. I am not the best person in the world, indeed, I am quite faulted. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my unusual understandings.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your stories about how playgrounds are beneficial. I would welcome any stories about playgrounds in other nations. I would welcome a discussion on the positives and the negatives of playground design. I would welcome ideas on new ideas, construction techniques and ways to stimulate a child to be involved in creative play. I would welcome stories about creative and useful playgrounds that you have encountered. I would welcome thoughts on things that children would like to play with.
This is my callout to you, the reader. I am sure that you have some stories or ideas that can help pull us out of the big “tar pit” that playgrounds have become. Please feel free to comment.
FAQ
Q: Are American playgrounds safe?
A: Yes they are.
Q: Can people get hurt in playgrounds?
A: Yes, they can. However, most serious accidents at a playground are extremely rare.
Q: Does China have playgrounds for children?
A: Yes they do. They have different types depending on the age range.
Q: Is it ok to allow children to play in playgrounds unsupervised.
A: Yes it is.
Q: What are the differences between Chinese and Americans in playground use?
A: The Chinese train their children to take risks. They make sure that the children are trained and instructed properly. They then provide opportunities for the child to use the skills learned. Once they have demonstrated competency, the child is left to fend for themselves. In America, the child is continually supervised. They are not trained, nor instructed. They are also not expected to make decisions on their own.
Q: Does childhood playgrounds influence Chinese culture in America today?
A: It is an influence, among other factors. In general, the Chinese parent expects their child to learn, and then apply what they learn. Playgrounds are used as a controlled location for the child to explore and utilize their learned skills.
Q: Is the Chinese American lifestyle similar to the Chinese lifestyle?
A: It is similar, but there are notable differences. The Chinese child is permitted much more freedom than their Chinese American counterpart. Both are expected to learn and work hard to achieve very high goals and parental expectations.
Q: Do the Chinese in America today prefer American or Chinese playgrounds?
A: I really do not know. However, I would be very surprised if any Chinese American parent would forbid their child to play in a Chinese playground. It is viewed as a learning resource. It is not considered a place of play
Other Great Articles on Playgrounds
The best one that I have found so far is HERE. It is titled “Playground Fun” on the RetroJunk website. It’s a fun read, with ample pictures. The author is a little bit like myself. Lots of pictures, and stories. Read it.
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Now what do you suppose this Mad Scientist is up to? Image source.
As a young boy, I dreamed of being a “Mad Scientist”. At that time my imagination was fueled by Vincent Price movies, the gadgets of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, and of course the reading of “The Mad Scientist Club”. Later, as I grew older, I actually had opportunities to work in laboratories, work in top-secret facilities, and design and cobble together all kinds of curious and interesting gadgets. I think that it is a yearning of most boys to build, create and utilize inventions. Let’s take a look at this underappreciated need…
Vincent Price and His Movies
To people today, the name Vincent Price is meaningless. However, to children of the 60’s and the 70’s the name had meaning. For these were the movies that played during lazy Saturday afternoons, and during late night scare-fests. Vincent Price was more than just an actor, he was a legend. He, in some ways, defined a generation of children. He introduced us to monsters. He introduced us to the evils of man. He introduced us to ideas and concepts that were not taught to us in school. He introduced us to B-grade movies and the “Mad Scientists” the inhabited them.
“The Professor is working on something, and won’t tell anyone what it is. He’s got a secretary with the kind of attitude that makes it seem she was weaned on a pickle, and who looks a bit like a gene-spliced offspring of an elderly Betty Davis and Vivian Vance. To make this comparison more apt, her character is called “Ethel.” To make things even more spooky, the actress’ real name is “Viv!” “-SATURDAY AFTERNOON B-MOVIE CRAPFEST: “The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues” (1955)
This actor was quite a significant player in my boyhood. His movies, aside from “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” and “Dr. Phibes Rises Again” were just typical horror / Science Fiction flicks. (Maybe it’s because I had crush(es) on his amazing assistants.) The movies were easy on the eyes, and fun for a ten-year-old boy to watch.
One of my favorite Vincent Price movies was the Dr. Phibes series. Here he is with one of his pretty assistants.
It wasn’t only Vincent Price who participated in those movies. There were many other actors, yet they all shared a basic similarity. The laboratories were all seemingly set in basements, often with hidden or heavily bolted doors. Behind those doors were often evil experiments. One movie might have evil Hitler Nazi’s being woke up from cryogenic sleep, while another might have brain transplants. Some were involved in the reanimation of the dead, while others involved the creation of strange huge machines that would revolutionize or destroy the world.
Indeed, the role of Nazi’s in these movies was quite significant. For instance, you have King of the Zombies where zombies are used to conduct Nazi operations against the United States. There is The Frozen Dead where a scientist reanimates frozen heads of Nazi war criminals to revive Third Reich. There is They Saved Hitler’s Brain where Nazis in South America kidnap scientist to maintain living head of Adolf Hitler in order to revive the Third Reich. In Shock Waves we have an Island-shipwrecked party who encounters former SS commander leading zombie storm troopers. Yikes!
This theme continued with The Boys from Brazil where a Nazi hunter discovers doctor’s plot to revive Third Reich by cloning Hitler in Paraguayan jungle. Death Ship where a Nazi prison ship sails the seas since end of war luring unsuspecting victims aboard. Not willing to give up on this theme, we also have such movies as The Keep. Where the German Army and “Einsatzkommandos” occupy Romanian citadel with demonic forces.
There were two Dr. Phibes movies. Each one used a different assistant. I was in love with both. Yikes! Image credit to Metro Goldwyn Mayer for their promotional photo.
The underground lairs always involved some kind of nefarious laboratory. Inside there were always these big clunky switches that took your entire hand to pull down or push up to engage. In the dark corners of the lab were always these arc generators with bolts of electricity shooting through the air. (I believe it was there to keep the air nicely ionized for personal health and longevity.) There were always counters full of glass vials, beakers, and glassware filled with colorful liquids percolating away over lit Bunsen burners.
These movies were inspirational in that they led a boy, such as myself, to believe that a single lone individual with a dream can make it happen. Oh sure they were portrayed as villains. However, I am quite sure that the reason was because they just weren’t very well understood. You know, each and every one had a reason, which in their mind was just and good. All that you need to do is learn science. Study hard. Focus on your dream and apply yourself.
All you need is a dream, and to study and apply yourself to make that dream happen.
The Mad Scientist Club
The Mad Scientist Club is a series of stories (and books) written in the 1960’s which fueled the imagination and adventures of us children in the 1970’s. (The son of the author has a website. You can visit the website HERE.) These stories inspired me. They inspired my dreams and led me down the path towards technical excellence.
The cover from the first book of “The Mad Scientists Club”. This is a classic book for all young children entering their early teens.
The boys in the stories used science to create all sorts of pandemonium and mayhem in their little town. They applied themselves to using science to make devices and gadgets. They played pranks. The books showed how a boy could engineer a device from techniques that they learned in school. They made balloons, talked on ham radios, devised electronics, and they did it all on their very own.
The beauty about all this was that they never asked for help or permission. They took the initiative and did it on their own. They applied themselves.
Indeed, these stories are special. But, don’t take it from me. Read what others have to say.
“This is the best kids book ever.… In a way it saddens me when I re-read it. I don't think our kids today have as much freedom as these did (or my generation). I remember staying out until dark, riding my bike EVERYWHERE, clubhouses on vacant lots...Or maybe it's responsibility. Kids today have freedom but little responsibility. I'm getting off my soapbox now. but this is a cool book and it will make your kids fall in love with science. I imagine the Mythbusters grew up like this- or maybe their dads did!! ”-Holly commentary on the book. Found at Goodreads.
I am afraid that Holly is correct. American children (and adults) don’t have as much freedom as we all used to. (It’s our fault, you know.) These books are for kids and inspires them to accomplish things through study and action. These books are not about getting a group together and finding a group consensus. It’s not about how to cautiously speak so as not to offend anyone. Nope. It is about getting things done and raising hell in the process.
It’s books like these that inspired many of us to study science and engineering. It certainly affected me. It also affected others. I am not the only one who studied about rockets and space…
“This was simply a great childhood book for any inquisitive kid who likes science, haunted houses, dinosaurs, flying machines, etc. I read this book in about seventh or eighth grade and actually a couple of times since. I believe this book helped me on my career to being a rocket scientist but it also gave me many ideas as I was growing up.Brinley managed to capture the perfect mid-west US town and the guys in the book were great caricatures of fun loving, science minded boys with a bit of good natured mischief up their sleeves. Then Brinley took this setting and boys and produced a series of wonderful stories capturing so many things that so many boys growing up find so intriguing.I bought a copy recently for a nephew and he was enraptured by it. The follow-ups while good never really reached the level of this first book but were fun in their own right. It will always hold a special memory of growing up back in the '60s.”-Robert commentary on the book. Found at Goodreads.
He’s right you know. The stories certainly inspired me.
I like to think that there is inspiration in stories where you find adventure, freedom and independence. These are things that are absolutely missing in the modern realm of politically correct stories. Which, by the way, is a very important point. By following a “Politically Correct” narrative, you retard the growth of young boys. To paraphrase Clint Eastwood, you turn men into pussies.
“We live in more of a pussy generation now, where everybody's become used to saying, "Well, how do we handle it psychologically?" In those days, you just punched the bully back and duked it out. Even if the guy was older and could push you around, at least you were respected for fighting back, and you'd be left alone from then on.”-Clint Eastwood
A parent has a responsibly to PREPARE their children to venture out and grow. They need to go forth and carve a life out of the wilderness. But that is not what is happening today. Instead we have children that never leave the nest. Young men, in the United States, live at home until they are in their 30’s. Instead of investing their time in building, workings, making, and creating, they are too busy looking at cat videos on the Internet while they post their latest latté on Facebook. Boys must be taught to aspire to be Men, not to be a woman’s version of a sensitive man.
Pussies.
No amount of tattoos, unique hair or beard, or cool urban clothing style is going to make you into a Man. It comes from within. Education alone won’t do it. Money and wealth won’t do it. Polite conversation won’t do it. It comes from inside. It comes from deep down inside. It comes from a place that says “you can, and must do what you need to do”. You don’t ask for permission, or consensus. You go out and carve your life out. Alone.
By clutching on to your children like over protective mothers, the children don’t grow up. Physically they might age, but the brain and the emotions are still that of a young child. How else can you explain the SWJ mentality that demands a protective overseer? Which is what they want, you know. They demand to be coddled and taken care of by a big parental government Bernie Sanders style. Because, that is all that they know. They don’t know how to be independent. We don’t teach that anymore.
These books break us out of that mold…
“A gem. Almost unknown; but one of the most hilarious and memorable laugh-out-loud books you could ask for. It's never mentioned by anyone; it's never recommended, placed on book lists or chosen by reading-groups. This just might be because it's a series of books, which represents a 'philosophy-of-parenting’, which has fallen out of favor. That's my suspicion, anyway.I mean, just think about it. These stories are about kids who are unmonitored; who are allowed to just go off on summer afternoons and hang out on their own; and do whatever they want.... because they are trusted by their folks. Today, this is the last thing parents want to hear. No one in today's control-freak, micro-managing America wants to imagine that children can be trusted like this.Books for very young children ('Little Prince' or 'Giving Tree') are in abundance on Goodreads. They're sweet and harmless. There's also a new genre called 'YA' ('young adult'). But guess what? They're all very sanitary, careful, cautious, and timid. Antiseptic. Content-supervised and Content-controlled. They always instruct youngsters on the 'correct' thing to do, the 'sensitive' thing to do, the 'courteous' thing to do...blah blah blah.'Mad Scientists' is different. Instead of caution, the author praises problem-solving, solidarity, daring, and initiative. It's a book written for kids illustrating how NOT to follow the rules. It’s a book, which shows that rules are made to be flouted.These stories are from a time when today's endless complexities and anxieties just weren't around. It’s a book that deals with kids just... having fun. I say, there need to be a LOT MORE books like this.The gang of boys in Brinley's tales are pre-teens; somewhere between 11 and 14. This is a strange interval in a boy's matriculation, when they need to figure out a lot of things about life (and it’s also a time when adults have the least relevant advice to offer). This is the space Brinley plays in: the theme of personal responsibility.Teens NEED to create a few genuine catastrophes in order to learn the weight of 'cause' vs 'effect'. 'Intention' vs 'outcome'. 'Actions' vs 'harm'. They need to learn the ins-and-outs of friendship and loyalty and paying-one's-dues.The 'Mad Scientists Club' (this is the name carved on their clubhouse door) demonstrate these themes grandly. These young scamps are precisely in that age where you learn how to make a mess and how you clean it up afterwards. By yourself!The crazy scenarios which afflict these affable 'troublemakers' reminds us--should remind everyone-- that this process can be fun. Making mistakes and learning from them. The best way --nay, the ONLY way--to shape character.Far cry from today, huh? Yeah. Today, we don't let kids have 'secret clubs', 'hideouts', codewords, or 'mysterious friends'. We don't let them play with equipment or tools. They must not 'wreck' anything of ours. They're certainly not allowed to 'gallivant all over creation' (love that phrase).Modern parents are rule-mongers and control freaks. When our kids want to play, we take them to 'Sesame Place' and we monitor their nutrition and we deck them in flashing sneakers and put them in helmets and on leashes. We place them in soccer, swim class, softball, karate, dance, gymnastics.The result? Modern kids have no idea what real 'freedom' means. We never give it to them. They turn out to be vegetables.But Brinley's kids show the other way it can be done. This boy's club makes their own fun. They don't 'ask for permission' to do stuff--they just do it! They embrace wildness, zaniness, and unpredictability. The outcome? Well, they aren't brought up on charges from the Department of Homeland Security, for the trouble they cause. That's for sure. This is a part of small town-Americana we've let slip away.Just one example: in one of the adventures undertaken by the Mad Scientists, they build their own hot-air balloon (using scraps from a local junkyard) and they enter it in the town's annual homemade hot-air balloon race. With no adult supervision at all. Once aloft, (!!) they engaged in an air-battle with their arch-foes and fire potato-cannons and slingshots back'n'forth in mid-air. Finally, they manage to send the enemy gang's balloon into the lake! Can you stand it? I can't friggin' stand it, can you?This book reminds us that children used to be perfectly capable of taking care of themselves if we let them...if we weren't all scared out of our wits by molesters and semi-automatic weapons and drugs and porn and stalkers and computers, we'd still remember the kind of America found in this hilarious read. It's to our shame that we can't.”-Feliks commentary on the book. Found at Goodreads.
Let me simply posit this; to all those men (not to intentionally exclude women, but I am a man addressing myself to other men) who have made something of their life. Maybe you are a barber, a motorcycle mechanic, a car salesman, or a cook, isn’t it true? To make it in this world, you need to stretch your neck out. You need to take risks, bend the rules a little. You need to apply yourself.
The cover to the book “The New Adventures of the Mad Scientist Club”. This is the sequel to the first book. It is also good, though personally, I really prefer the first book overall.
Those times when life got tough, did you go and get permission? Did you go and ask for consensus? Did you politely ask for others opinions, or did you just go out and do whatever it took to achieve your goals? Was it easy? Nope, I’ll wager that it was hard, or at least uncomfortable. You might have to make sacrifices. Right? Right???
Part of the need to accomplish these tasks were goals. These goals were like this golden orb that lay there, just out of reach that you needed to obtain. You would work towards those goals. You would keep those goals in mind while you fought and persevered. A goal might be a car. A goal might be the love of your life.
A man is nothing without a goal.
A goal might be something more honorable and important, like saving the world. As everyone can’t be an evil villain like George Soros. Or, a wealthy trillionaire like Bill Gates. Someone needs to wear the mask of a hero…
Speaking of heroes…
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In the 1960’s, most Americans were worried about the “Red menace”; Communism. Yikes!
Here, in pockets around the globe, progressive socialists had gotten control of various governments and were implementing progressive social “utopias”. This included the Soviet Union, “Red” China, Northern Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, and other socialist paradises.
In these utopias, everyone lived in a progressive liberal society.
In these nations, in these societies, everyone was equal. There wasn’t any racism. Everyone knows what they can speak about and what they dare not say. Everyone wore approved clothing so not to offend anyone. Everyone conformed to society for the good of all. All they had to do was give all their possessions, body and soul to the all-powerful central government…
…and the citizens were quite miserable as a result.
Ah, but that didn’t stop them from expansion. They were out to take your (American) freedom away, don’t ya know. They sent out spies, and agents of destruction. As a result, we had to set up spy networks to counter their spy networks. We had to be ever vigilant against the evil of liberal progressive socialism. This meant a network of trained and motivated experts.
Enter “The Man from Uncle” where a special force of well-trained agents went to fight the roots of the evils that manipulated governments. Because, while we were all busy fighting the “Red Menace”, the true evils laid hidden, for they were the REAL levers of control behind the scenes.
Here, the secret agency (named U.N.C.L.E.) went to fight a very sinister agency that was set on destroying the global world order (named T.H.R.U.S.H.). In many ways it is sort of a cross between the Clinton’s financial network and the George Soros organizations.
The Man from Uncle was a television show that united the cold war foes into an organization that would fight the “Deep State”. For it was recognized then, as well as now, that the “Deep State” was the source of all the ills that befell Mankind.
Against this backdrop were groups of evil villains. For, after all, there are more powerful people than well-established individual nations.
These villains would form their own networks of confederates and together they would implement all kinds of mischievous and dangerous activities. Movies and shows about this emerging phenomenon were everywhere in the 60’s. We have secret agent James Bond fighting all kinds of evil doers like Doctor No.
Evil has no borders, and calls no nation home.
We had agent Flintsaving the world from militant feminists who were hell bent on depose the ruling American patriarchy with a feminist matriarchy. Ah, Mr. Flint. There were others, of course. We had Alec Leamas, Joe Turner and Harry Palmer.
As a boy I would watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with my father. He would sit there with his wine and cheese wedges, and I would eat my potato chips while we watched television together. For me the shows were all black and white, but that was because at the time our television was a black and white TV set.
My father liked the main character, Napoleon Solo while I preferred his Russian counterpart Illya Kuryakin which reminded me of the singing group “The Beatles” who were quite popular at the time. We would watch them operate in secret, while fighting the equally secret evil organization T.H.R.U.S.H.. Of course, they had all these secret codes, interesting devices, gadgets and inventions. As a boy, I was quite enraptured by them. I would imagine what it would be like if I too were a secret agent, using these contrivances and fighting evil to save the world.
What better thing for a young boy to aspire towards?
Prank Central
However, as exciting as it all looked, my attention was elsewhere. For I was young, and boys like being mischievous and playing tricks. It’s a boy thing I suppose. (I just don’t remember any girls doing these types of things. Though, I am quite sure that they were involved in more cerebral activities playing “head games” with other girls.) Boys like to see the physical results of their torment. They want to see girls react in horror to a toad. They want to light firecrackers outside people’s bedrooms, and set bags of dog poo on fire on people’s porches.
When I was growing up, we would find these types and kinds of advertisements inside of our comic books and magazines. They would be full of all kinds of fun things to amuse a young child.
I remember as a boy how we had somehow come across a gadget catalog that was advertised in the back of one of the comic books that we would often read. You know the kind. Pages and pages of things like magic tricks, pranks, books on Black Magic, fake (pellet shooting) fingers, trick buzzers, masks and ”pea shooters”. As a kid, we loved it and wanted everything. We must have circled over a hundred items in that catalog.
I think that it is an interest of growing children to expand and explore these tricks and devices of prankster humor. Too bad that the days of yodeling pickles are long gone. Indeed, you need to leave the ultra-sanitized United States to find some politically incorrect playthings for your child to enjoy.
…Or, do you?
Let me introduce the reader to the Archie McPhee store.
This is the kind of place that is a young boy’s wet dream. Inside the store (physical as well as the Internet version) are absolutely enormous assortments of useless pursuits. They’ve got boxing nuns and bacon scarves. They’ve got yodeling pickles and finger hands. Don’t know what a finger hand is, well then go HERE to find out. They have stuff that only a madman could think of.
“Less talk. More monkey.”
How about rotisserie chicken flavored candy canes, emergency inflatable toast (why?), rubber chickens (big and small), and propeller beanies. Ah we all wanted one of these as a kid. They have trick gum, Holy toast, and bags of busted businessmen. They carry x-ray glasses (yes, you wanted these didn’t you?) and hypno-glasses, wind-up lederhosen, and strange action figures to include horrified movie victims. They’ve got everything from plastic arks, to singing fish. It’s a childhood delight. This store brings out the little kid in all of us. It’s many things, but above all, it’s the go-to place for plastic poop.
I just can’t stop! It’s such an amazing place.
“If there’s a heaven for the deranged, Archie McPhee is probably it.”
-Josh B in Seattle
There is a store in Seattle. The rest of us are limited to visiting their (most comprehensive) website.
Do yourself a favor. Let your child buy something from this store. Give them ten dollars to spend, and wait while they go back and forth, back and forth deciding what to buy. It’s all in good fun.
Build your Own Gadgets
When the children are old enough, or for you adults that just never grew up (like me, heh heh) there are outlets for obtaining the tools and supplies to build your very own mad scientist lair. Over the years I have bought from these various outlets and cobbled up some pretty interesting gadgets. In the past I have made such things as television bicycles, remote control automobile deactivators, electronic snooping equipment detector, remote control devices for insects, and all kinds of household appliances.
If there was ever a catalog for inventors it is this. It has everything from hardware to materials (that can be bought in small quantities). To use these parts, you will need to have an idea of what you want to build. Then you go through the catalog to find parts or components that you can use. It is wonderfully, and functionally illustrated. Additionally, most of the parts have PDF drawings, and CAD drawings that you can export to your CAD system and made up on the computer. I, of course, highly recommend it.
“The best way to describe McMaster is to say that they carry everything you need to build anything. Items that you could normally only order through factory distributors, or materials that could only be ordered in large quantities, are easily available in any size and quantity, no matter how small. (No minimum order, either!) Their prices are excellent and they tend to only carry good merchandise. Amazingly, when I order stuff at 5:30 p.m., it arrives the next morning with their normal shipping. Their catalog has long been difficult to get because you had to be a reasonably sized business with a Dun and Bradstreet number and established credit to have them mail it to you. But now that they have added an online service, everyone can easily order from them with a credit card.”— Alexander Rose
As a point of curious interest, they used to have a large thick catalog in a bright yellow cover. I used to keep an old catalog, I think it was #93, in my bathroom and would spend my time looking through all the cool stuff while I was on the throne attending to my needs. As I stated previously, this is the go-to-first catalog for emerging Mad Scientists.
If you have an idea, a concept, a gizmo that you want to build; well Mc Master is your first stop. It is where I go to get the parts I need to cobble together designs and make specialized parts.
When I was a boy, I used to read the Scientific American magazine. In the 1960’s the magazine was appropriate for most people, including myself, interested in science. (Then during the 70’s and 80’s they just became another mouthpiece for the professional elite in the ivory towers in universities. The articles became too specialized and dry for casual reading.)
Anyways, back in the 1960’s the magazine had a section titled “The Amateur Scientist” which was a wonderfully illustrated section describing how a hobbyist can make their own gizmos and gadgets to explore scientific principles with. This website is sort of the modern day equivalent.
Here is a sample page from the section in Scientific American titled “The Amateur Scientist”. Just by reading the articles I believed that I too could make my own scientific experiments and inventions.
This site “Science Hobbyist”, should be your first stop if you want to begin cobbling up devices, and making interesting stuff. For starters, I would suggest this section on projects to start a project or two that you might be interested in. You can go HERE to find out some projects for practical jokes. You can go HERE for some really strange projects (after all that’s what Mad Scientists do). This should be a starting point for Tesla coils and other interests such as lasers and infrared goggles.
When I was growing up, Radio Shack was THE place to get parts and supplies for all sorts of cool stuff. In fact, when I was in High School around 1974 through 1977, it was almost the ONLY place where you could get computer parts and accessories. Indeed, around 1977 they cornered the PC market with nearly 100% market share.
Of course, poor management caused that market share to fall like a rock, and the CEO was sacked a few decades alter when the market share was under 1%. I wonder why that won’t happen to those in charge of the Federal Reserve. Oh, but I digress…
Anyways, Radio Shack has these cool little books and booklets called “The Engineers Notebook”, which is sort of a “cookbook” for playing with electronics. You can cobble all kinds of cool things together using the easy to read instructions and diagrams. Want to make a countdown times for a self-destruct button? Want to make a bug to listen on to what others are saying? Want to make a gadget to shock your friends? All here. Go for it…
The Engineer’s Notebook is a great source of information for students, kids, mad scientists, and loony troublemakers. It is well worth the few dollars it costs.
The Art of Electronics
Speaking of electronics, if you are really interested on playing around with electronics, then don’t go for a boring text book. Go for a text book that was written by an enthusiast. Read “The Art of Electronics“, and get the LAB book as it is amazing!
"Far and away the finest book on the subject of electronics ... in the last decade. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone whose research or experiments require some electronics."
Optical Engineering
"A delightful book...The circuits actually work, the schematics are all readable."
Review of Scientific Instruments
"This book is filled with a tremendous diversity of valuable information. More importantly, this book is a joy to read...It's not at all like studying--it's too much fun."
EDN (News Edition)
"This book provides a painless way to learn about electronic design. It is also a good read for those already experienced in electronics."
EDN (Magazine Edition)
"..it comes as close as any book we've seen to fulfilling the promise inherent in its title...written as though to educate the novice, but practicing engineers will encounter many useful tidbits they didn't know, hadn't thought about, or had long forgotten."
Analog Dialogue
This book was written as a joy by someone who took a real pleasure in cobbling things together. It is super easy to read, and very interesting to boot. If you have the slightest interest in electronics, you will totally relish this tome.
The Art of Electronics. Here is a stack of the various editions by a fan. Trust me, if you love cobbling things together, then you WILL become a fan.
Websites to DIY Gizmos
In the internet today, it can become pretty daunting if you do not know the correct “buzz words” or Google-approved code words to use in your searches. If you are not careful, you will be sent to websites that are nothing more than product stores offering cool geeky products, but nothing that would interest a true Mad Scientist.
Normally, I really do not like many of the websites on the internet. Basically, you have some millennial who constructed a website for profit. They googled similar terms and packaged it in some kind of “hipster” presentation of the day. It’s all packaged nonsense for a profit.
What is missing is HEART. That is to say; websites written by people who LOVE… LOOVVVVEEEEE the subjects that they are writing about. They can go on and on and on about them. Sort of like me and what I like to write about. For instance, HERE is a website that has some heart. That is different from these other websites…
The people who made up these websites don’t eat and drink and love gadgets and gizmos. It’s just a job to them. They are setting up a business model and their plan is to create an income stream off of it. Never the less, they DO have some benefit, if they can help point you in the right direction.
Go visit these two sites, and you will see what I mean…
There are many places where you can get parts for your inventions. The best place is at companies that specialize in the purchase of excess inventories at factories. You can pick up radar dishes used on military ships, the inner workings of laptops, and all kinds of stuff for a mere fraction of what it costs to make. There are stories galore about these places. One man in Canada used military surplus to open up dimensional doors. Another used the equipment to build a personal submarine. While still another blew up his garage by pressing the wrong button. You got to be careful, don’t ya know.
This should be your first stop when looking for cheap parts, and orphaned mechanisms to use in your creations. You can find things from cameras used in cell phones to robotic parts here. The only problem is that most of the parts do not come with instructions or schematics. However, a little bit of experimentation and simple observation can help determine what goes where and how. I especial like the “grab bag” of who-know-what that you buy really cheap…
Surprise box of parts from the Electronic Goldmine.
I once took a sensor board used for checking microwave leakage from appliances, it cost me a dollar, and turned it into a bugging sensor. You know, all electronics emit radiation. So, this little device was able to go over a wall or automobile and find out where electronics are. Heh heh. Another time, I took a speaker and turned it into a low frequency generator that I used to attract fleas with. (It was more sanitary than a bug bomb.)
Here is another website that offers surplus stuff. It has a different set of products and some are quite interesting indeed. You can make a pretty impressive telescope from the parts here. They mostly seem to carry things related to optics. This site is very good if you want to fry an ant’s nest.
There are other places on the Internet from which you can order amazing things. May I also suggest another very interesting store, the American Science and Surplus store. It’s most especially good for young boys and girls who have a mad scientist interest. Here are a mixture of chemistry sets, military surplus, industrial surplus, jokes and gizmos, and just plain strange stuff. You can make your own chewing gum. You can grow crystals. You can make all kinds of liquids and potions that glow. You can start on rock collecting, or get started making mechanical gizmos. Explore and have fun.
This would be where you can get toys and gear for your growing children. There are all kinds of scientific goodness here.
This website, Fair Radio, is a great source for used military electronics and equipment. It’s really not the place to purchase parts to cobble up designs. It is the go-to place to obtain things related to really big projects. I once knew someone who bought the laser rangefinder out of a tank from them. Their stuff can be quite eclectic. With all kinds of things ranging from mine detectors to weather balloons. Never the less, it is worth a look.
There are all kinds of interesting things that you can buy, as long as you know where to go.
I once lived in an apartment in Milford, Massachusetts. It was an old Victorian mansion renovated into six apartments. I really liked the place, the location and the convenience. That was, unfortunately, until a section eight family moved in and had the entire neighborhood over for all night teenage parties to six in the morning. You know, it’s one thing wanting to help out low income people, but it’s another thing entirely when your rent is very large (because you work) and your neighbor gets a much larger apartment and pays nearly nothing for it (because they don’t).
For some reason, our new neighbors decided to host teenage parties in the apartment. (I remember knocking on her door at 4:30 am asking them to turn the music down. The woman looked at me in a daze and asked “Oh, you need to work tomorrow?” It was only Monday night, for Pete’s sake!) Anyways, teenagers could come over starting at 9pm and play basketball inside the living room. (On the wooden floor, in the firggin’ living room.) They would crank up the music to level that made it impossible to think, talk on the phone and sleep. They would do drugs; typically smoke “crack” that would fill up the entire house with smoke. When the parties would get large, over thirty teenagers, the noise would be excessive, and police would come. They would break up the parties. Book the juveniles, and arrest the tenants. The peace and quiet would last one or two days, and then it would repeat. It was a nightmare.
It was really a problem, and the laws in Massachusetts could not do anything about it. My landlord couldn’t do anything either. Once they moved in they refused to pay rent, and the State protected them for six months until they could be forcefully evicted. (What a scam, huh? You get someone to take you in. No financial deposit. No first, lasts rent and security deposit. Just a paper from the welfare office. You don’t pay rent, and you can’t get evicted. It’s legislated squatting.) The youth and their instigators were protected. They were starting to break the windows in our vehicles parked outside, and were engaged in all sorts of hyperactive activities that were too rowdy for a quiet neighborhood. I could not sleep. When I would arrive at work, I would be sleep deprived, and terribly irritable. After about two months of sleepless night, I took matters in my own hands. I devised a contraption to put an end to their rock concerts.
I took a furnace igniter from Fair Radio, and placed two long wires in it. Then put the device on a five-minute timer starting at 10:30 at night. (After 10:30 it would turn on and off in five minute intervals.) The result being that I had a device that was an unshielded electric arc generator. I made a Jacob’s Ladder. (How to make one can be found HERE.) Being unshielded meant that all their loud electrics would get fried by noise. Thus when they blared their music, after five minutes a horrible howl full of static would assault their ears and blow out their speakers.
The first time it was used was amazing. It was wonderful. W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L. There must have been sixty teenagers (60) next door. There couldn’t have been anywhere to stand inside. Kids were crapping and urinating outside our bedroom windows, and sitting on all of our cars and vehicles. The music was thumping. It was mostly black urban rap at jet engine noise levels…. It was still early. At 10:30pm, I plugged in the Jacob’s Ladder. Turned on the timer and let it rip.
The screeching howl must have permanently damaged the eardrums of each and every teenager. This continued for about thirty seconds. Then it stopped. They turned off the stereo. They mulled about. Talked some. Brought another keg of beer over. Then, they turned on the music again. For five minutes it played on. Then, I hit the “on” button to the gizmo. The howling screeching was horrible.
This continued for about an hour. They would wait. Turn on the stereo. Five minutes later, I would turn on the device. They would shut everything down…. Heh heh. This continued for about two hours and then they broke up and went elsewhere.
Needless to say, they eventually had to find other places to hold their youthful teenage celebrations. Sometimes, when the system fails you, and you need to do something, a creative (and unexpected) solution is always preferred.
You don’t mess around with a Mad Scientist. Who knows what creative solutions he may come up with to counter your nefarious activities.
This is a great source of supply for motors and generators and all sorts of gears and stuff. I once worked with an electrical engineer in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He used the electrical motors from here and put them in an old car without the engine. He added some batteries and made a fully electric car. It was pretty darn cool. H&R is a pretty good place for motor controllers, decent low-priced motors and the like.
If I wanted to make a two story tall robot (Japanese style), or a mechanical metal spider the size of a truck (Russian Style), I would get the parts from this store.
AllElectronics is not a surplus store. Rather it is a regular store that sells electronic parts and individual assemblies. It is quite useful for throwing together some prototypes and making things work from scratch. For instance I used the voice module in a prototype for a room air purifier I was working on. When the filter became too dirty, a voice would come on saying “Please change the filter.”
You know, we first experimented with a man’s voice (one of the techs) but it sounded too ominous. It sounded like Boris the Great was coming to eat you. Then we asked the group secretary to do it, and it sounded hilarious. This was because she had a strong Brooklyn accent.
You can find things like strobe modules, and power strip modules. All would contain instructions and hook up diagrams to help in the installation into your projects. There are also all kinds of project boxes and other kinds of hardware that are quite useful in your mad scientist creations.
Inspiration
As a boy, I was inspired by Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein. If you have teenagers, I would suggest you buy them one of both of these two Ray Bradbury books, and let them devour them. They are filled with awe, mystery and excitement. They are works of art that inspires and directs.
DREAMERS! BE ENCOURAGED. YOU ARE UNDERSTOOD.
Ray Bradbury’s R is for Rocket is a book about and for dreamers… and those who truly desire to understand them. A common character type in his work is the wide-eyed, yearning dreamer who reaches too high, often for a dream beyond his capacity, and who inevitably teeters on the brink of success and failure.
It’s no surprise that Bradbury produced so many pieces that gave voice to themes of blue skies since he himself was a dreamer, a voracious reader and enthusiastic writer from an early age, a man who thrilled himself (and his fortunate readers) on the wild imaginings of his literary soul.
In R is for Rocket, the story “The Rocket” is an excellent example of the author’s heartfelt kindness and sympathy for — and identification with — the hopes and heartaches of a dreamer, in this case one Fiorello Bodoni, a middle-aged, married-with-many-children man obsessed with dreams of rocket travel and space exploration in the face of those who are quick to discourage him.
Excerpts from the story:
“I will ride up in one someday,” said Bodoni.
“Fool!” cried Bramante. “You’ll never go. This is a rich man’s world.” … “No! We live in shacks like our ancestors before us.”
“Perhaps my sons—” said Bodoni.
“No, nor their sons!” the old man shouted. “It’s the rich who have dreams and rockets!” … “No, Bodoni, buy a new wrecking machine, which you need, and pull your dreams apart with it, and smash them to pieces.”
The old man subsided, gazing at the river in which, drowned, images of rockets burned down the sky.
“Good night,” said Bodoni.
“Sleep well,” said the other.
I have read and loved Ray Bradbury’s stories for over forty years because his prose is beautifully delivered and because, as a dreamer myself — who often reaches too high for his own good — I identify deeply with his wonderfully tragic heroes. There were many times that his captivating tales allowed me to escape from grim childhood days and nights, and for that I say to him, now in the Great Beyond for Great Writers: “Thank you!”
This review was written by Kevin Polman, author of THE EXTRA KEY and STORIES.
What you can do…
If you have children, I would strongly advise you let them play.
This does not mean sit them down in a structured environment and teach them how to do some kind of organized activity. I mean set them down with a broken radio, give them a pair of wire cutters and let them go to town. Let them go explore an old abandoned building. Take them to a state park and walk and explore there. Let them know about the Indians who used to live there. Walk them to a junk yard, and let them spend all day at it. Go to a local stream under a bridge, while you take a nap, let the kids play.
Spend time with them. Let them know that it is just fine to go about and throw things together. Give them the resources and then stand back. Give them some room. Let them figure it out on their own. Let them be children without supervision.
Take Aways
Boys like to build things.
Boys like to watch the reactions of others when they do something.
Funneling these interests into fun and innocent activities can be rewarding.
In the past, boys were free to build and experiment.
There are avenues to keep this interest alive if you know where to look.
A thinking person can use their scientific skills to provide answers to pesky problems.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my life.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your stories about the shows and movies that you watched growing up and how they influenced you. I would welcome tales about how you did “experiments” with your chemistry kit, or made electrical devices to pull practical jokes with. I would love to hear about your various adventures.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Who was Vincent Price? A: He was an iconic actor who made many famous horror movies in the 1960’s and 70’s. He greatly influenced culture at the time as his movies were typically B-grade horror flicks, and thus were provided free for children to watch at home.
Q: What is the Mad Scientist Club? A: It is a series of stories written for children in their pre-teen years. It describes a normal life of a boy in the 1960’s. Today the behavior of the boys would be considered criminal, and the DHS might come and arrest the parents.
Q: What is the Man from Uncle? A: This was a spy vs. spy television show that was popular during the 1960’s. It was full of spys and technology and top secrets of the day.
Q: Is it fun to be a mad scientist? A: It is worth a try. Everyone has a little bit of crazy inside of them. Tools, and a little bit of creativity can create wondrous things, and great pranks.
Q: What does this have to do with MAJestic? A: This has nothing to do with MAJestic. I am permitted to chat about anything that I am interested in. I like science, gadgets and playing around. So here you are. Perhaps reading this might enable you to get a little into my head. So that you can see that I am just a normal guy (or asshole, if you prefer).
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
Articles & Links
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
The mystery of the Lapulapu Ridge is a very interesting subject. Indeed, our world is filled with all kinds of interesting things going on. Some can even possibly be considered an extraterrestrial riddle. Even if it is wholly terrestrial in nature. All we need to do is take a good look at what surrounds us. Because, if we look at things with open eyes, and with an open mind, we will see new things, and come to new understandings on our world, and what is just going on within it.
With the advent of new technology, we are able to peer into regions and places that used to be denied us. Today, using such technologies as Google Earth, we are able to peer into the shroud and explore all kinds of things that we didn’t even know existed. Some of it is amazing. Some of it is frightening. Some of what we see can be curious, while others can tell us just a little bit more about ourselves. All we need do is listen to what we find.
Today I would like to discuss a very odd thing that is going on at the Lapulapu Ridge.
For those of you who don’t know, the Lapulapu Ridge is an undersea formation that lies outside of Saipan. Saipan is a small group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is terribly isolated and remote. It’s also part of the United States. (I’ll bet that you all didn’t know that.) The point of interest here is not the abundance of coconuts on the Saipan island, or the history of the island during World War II. What is so interesting about this place is that someone, or something, has been busily mining that area for some time. Most certainly for years, probably for decades, and maybe even for a century or longer! What is so odd about this is that it is impossible to do so. At least, using known conventional technologies, that we humans possess.
Let’s have a look at this curious situation…
Introduction
"We still haven't explored the deep oceans or the inner crusts of Earth."
-Dr. Wolfstatement in regards to the extraterrestrial presence on the earth and their activities.
Let’s take a moment to look at what is going on in our planet. We humans like to believe that we are the “owners” of the planet, and that we are in full control and knowledge of “our” planet. We like to believe that we are at the top of the food chain. We like to believe that we are in full control of technology and have the power and dominion over this planet.
That is wrong. We have no power, we know very little, and we know “jack shit” about the history of this planet. In fact, we actually know very little of the planets past and whom actually “owns” the planet that we reside upon. Yet the evidence of the real “owners” of the planet are everywhere, we need just search for the evidence and study it with an open mind.
I would like to take a look at some such “object” or area of evidence. It can be considered a terrestrial or even an extraterrestrial mystery. I would like to look at the Lapulapu Ridge Mining efforts near and around Saipan. I refer to it as a “mining” effort only because the tracks suggest displacement of soil. The only reason for the displacement of soil that I am aware of is part of either mining or construction efforts. (Constructions that are suggestive of long linear lines are more akin to roads then they are for buildings.)
Therefore, let’s look at what is hidden deep under the ocean under the waves. Let’s look at evidence of large-scale (possibly) robotic automated mining operations under the surface of “our” oceans.
The Lapulapu Ridge Formations
The following are filtered images from Google Earth.
The filters remove the reflective waveform obfuscation layer characteristics of the oceans from the Google images. I want to give Google the benefit of doubt and attribute the reflective quality of the ocean surface to be a truly natural obfuscation.
However, once the images are filtered to remove this sort of waveform obfuscation layer a series of patterns emerge. This is truly puzzling, as one would expect to see resolved undersea details. You would expect natural features to parallel that of the native landmasses. Such things as mountains, rivers and other natural geologic structures would be expected to be shown, or more accurately, their undersea equivalents. But instead, one can clearly see enormous scaled undersea (apparent) surface mining evidence. Once removed, one can clearly see the presence of unusual tracks and movement.
There is absolutely no way that this can be considered to be natural geologic evidence at all.
The Mystery of the Lapulapu Ridge is one of a city-sized mining operation under the ocean. A 388 mile long underwater site showing extensive geologic mining activity by large (huge) vehicles on the Lapulapu ridge near the Saipan islands.
Undersea mining operations NE of Saipan. (Image Source.)
These features shown are near the Saipan islands. Of which the specific coordinates are 16°27’31.55”N 147°14’19.51”E. I provide just a mere handful of images to illustrate my point here. The reader is encouraged to pursue their own investigative activity to whatever conclusion it leads to.
These are NOT natural geologic formations. Nature does not follow straight lines unless they go through fissures or regions of internal stress. Nor do they make 90° bends, and 180° bends. Nor do they repeatedly follow parallel paths of operation. There is absolutely no way that these features are natural.
Non-Natural Features
I was never briefed on these features, nor was I introduced to them through any kind of program or manual. These constructions were discovered as a natural bout of investigative journalism. Indeed, it is characteristic of obtaining supportive documentation for my own contentions. All that one needs to do is look around themselves to the world about us. In so doing, one can see the hidden secrets that lie submerged and hidden.
I do not who or what formed these features.
They might, remotely, be naturally made. They could be constructed by some surreptitious government project of great secrecy and complexity. They could be all that remains of some great underwater public works project. I don’t know at all. But to me, these structures are clearly intelligent driven. They seem to suggest large-scale underwater mining efforts. That is the basis of my discussion here. That these apparent features are but part of large-scale construction made by a race with the capability to do so.
These features are not limited to the Saipan region, but exist in other undersea locations. For instance, they can be found at 47°47’46.16”S 107°15’00.93”E as well. Of course, the form and shape is different. But whom would expect large scale mining west of southern Tasmania?
If human, then we really need to take a good hard look at what our fabrication abilities are. Because if we can mine or perform these kinds of undersea activities, then we can most certainly create a facility on another planet. If these formations are not human, then we need to reconsider who is making them and why. Remember, boys and girls, extraterrestrial activity, of huge extent, can be found throughout our solar system. We only need look below the surface and take a hard look at what is presented to us.
Statists say these features are just normal
After the initial discovery by a poorly named group known as “SecureTeam10”, the scientific statists came out with their pronouncements and statements.
“Large parallel lines = tectonic fissures, naturally occurring sorry. The curvy line is likely the pathway of a underwater current and deposition field of said current.”- YouTube Mikitan Fox
Now of course, the Scientific Statists have to crawl out from under a rock and “explain” to us that all of this is of no concern. They hurriedly hopped up upon their great white horses and began to beat the drums loudly. They shout, “This is just an ordinary fault line. Anything else is incorrect. Everything else is nonsense.”
My definition of scientific statism;
A concentration of a set scientific theory in the hands of a closed elite group of people. Often they have direct ties to a highly centralized government. To alter or change that theory to revise it to meet new discoveries or data often requires government derived politics and peer-group approvals.
Tectonic Fissures
Well, it’s just like those pesky statists to make a pronouncement and run away to hide in their mother’s basement.
The fracture mechanics model of the tectonic fissures do not permit the kinds of fractures and behaviors that are clearly observed in this instance. I suggest anyone interested in the formation of faults and their behaviors read “Formation and Development of Fissures at the East Pacific Rise: Implications for Faulting and Magmatism at Mid-Ocean Ridges“. It can be read on line at Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA.
By understanding the fracture mechanics involved in geothermal processes (especially those in the Pacific rim) one can clearly see that these “tracks” are absolutely not tectonic fissures. Tectonic fissures? What a laugh! Compare these images with the fault lines found in California here.
From the paper;
"The Griffith theory assumes that crack initiation occurs from the points of highest tensile stress on the surfaces of these microscopic flaws or "Griffith's cracks" in brittle material (in a biaxial stress field), and this has since been elucidated by the theoretical and laboratory studies of Bieniawski [1967] and Huang et al. [1993]. Joints, lava flow contacts, and tension cracks may be regarded as the macroscopic analogy to "Griffith's cracks" [Gudmundsson and Bäckström, 1991]."
Our understanding of crack formulation in brittle and ductile materials is quite mature. In fact it is one of the most common mechanical and civil engineering undergraduate courses that engineering students take. Oh, I surely remember the days during my classes in the”Mechanics of Deformable Bodies” class. LOL. In the case of the formation of cracks in the Pacific rim, it is obvious that the formation is absolutely straight forward for compressive fissure formulation.
Now, stress lines and their associated fractures for geologic features in the Pacific Rim are influenced by the elastic moduli, tensile stress and tensile strength of the host rock. As such, we know that hosted stresses, are in turn, a function of the grain structure of the materials.
Lattice structures on steel showing the relationship of the various phases of state as a function of impurity composition / percentage for alloyed iron.
I well remember the days as a young engineering student. We studied the material properties of various materials and how the grain and lattice structures influenced the lines of stress inherent in them. One day we went to the lab and we observed the clean and cut fractures of sample steels.
The professor took numerous samples of SAE 1045 and SAE 1018 and placed them in a machine that pulled them apart. The deformation of the parts were at a nice clean 45 degree angle. This was quite along the lines of the crystal grain structure of the materials themselves. No matter what material, and no matter how fast or how slow, the fracture was always identical. It ALWAYS followed the lines of stress inherent inside the material.
We can see this everywhere. We can see this on the earth, and we can see this on other planets such as the moons of Jupiter. Here is a NASA slide showing the tectonic stress lines on Europia.
Tectonic activity on Europia, one of the moons of Jupiter. Notice how the lines match the lattice formation of the grains of the material that is under stress.
Fractures form along the principle lines of stress inherent in the material grain composition of the materials that make up the undersea mountain ranges of the Pacific Rim. This, in turn, is a function of the grain structure of the surrounding rocks. Thus the reason for straight lines,and precise angles of exact (and repeatable) angular measurement.
When a material undergoes stress, especially tensile stress, the fracture is along a line of least resistance; or stress line. This line follows the grain pattern of the material. This is also known as the direction of slip, or slip direction. Prior to fracture, there is a period when the base rock goes through a period of plastic behavior. During this time the twinning direction also follows the slip direction as a function of crystal structure.
However, while many of the track lines observed in and around the undersea formation known as the Lapulapu ridge are straight, they do NOT follow material stress lines. Just having straight lines, and angular fractures alone does not qualify an observation to be that of a tectonic stress line. As NOWHERE in the world do tectonic lines of stress manifest as 90 degree bends, followed by another 90 degree bend. No do they manifest as pure radii that rounds a straight 90 degree bend at tangential points. These are clear VIOLATIONS of the laws of deformable bodies.
Tectonic plates follow the lines of stress. They do not make nice round circular features that follow an inner radius to correct to a 90 degree bend. That is something a tractor trailer rig does, not what a stress line does. Note also the displacement of material during the bend; it overlaps previous material. In fact, through a study of the overlap we can easily see that the object make a turn left to displace previous material as opposed to a turn right.
Ha, that pretty much rules out the kinds of behaviors observed in these tracks now doesn’t it?
About the Environment
These features and the corresponding events are taking place at a mind-boggling depth. At that depth the water is pitch black and the pressure is devastating. At the depth of 11,300 feet the water pressure would be a crushing 5000 psi.
To put this into perspective, most unclassified information place “safe” submarine depths at under 800 feet. We do know that submarines can dive deeper. However there is a difference between maximum dive depth and crush depth. World War II German U-boats generally had collapse depths in the range of 200 to 280 meters (660 to 920 feet). While modern nuclear attack submarines like the American Seawolf class are estimated to have a test depth of 490 m (1,600 ft.), which would imply a collapse depth of 730 m (2,400 ft.).
The depth of these tracks are at twice that depth.
It is as if it was on the surface of another planet. For instance, the crushing atmosphere of Venus is at 93 bar or around 1350 psi. Good golly, this is four times that!
German U-Boat washed ashore and amusing those enjoying the beach.
Anyone or anything that can manufacture such a structure and place it where it is, can do so in just about any rocky planet in our solar system. (Of course, gas giants are another animal all together, so let’s not consider them.) The technology to make such a device is far advanced, and beyond anything that we humans can construct.
Track Behaviors
One of the first things that you can note from these images is the paths or trails that are constructed. The tracks go up entire sides of undersea mountains.. When the mountain is steep, the device that creates these tracks continues to try to go upwards, even if the vehicle slides down the hill sideways. It tries to jockey up the side.
The trails indicate complete U-turns that make a 180-degree turn, and then follows alongside the initial path or track.
The trails indicate intelligent decision. Ninety-degree turns are made, seemingly at random points. Obviously there was some sort of decision tree and direction that was provided to the engine that creates these tracks.
Mining evidence of the mining of the Lapulapu undersea ridge near the Saipan islands. Here one can clearly see the movement of the object creating these tracks had trouble going up and down steep underwater cliff faces. The device or vehicle that made the tracks had to jocky back and forth .
Southern end of the Saipan evidence site.(Image Source.)
Track Characteristics
The tracks are all the same. Aside from areas where they seem to go through mountains, the tracks are a uniform width. They create a line of debris that runs perpendicular to the track direction, and that line of debris is uniform with other lines with it. In the center of the track are a set of “inner tracks” that follow the main track line.
Goes Through Mountains
Apparently it, whatever it is, has the ability to go through mountains. This is very interesting.
Does it actually go through the mountain, or does it dematerialize before it, and rematerialize after it? It seems that it actually went through the mountain and the tunnel has since collapsed leaving a shallows and separation of one island into two.
Note that the tracks are also different. The tracks start to narrow down like an arrow. This is suggestive of a process that is unknown to us.
A study of the tracks and the paths lead some interesting findings. For instance the tracks as they relate to the Saipan and Tinian islands is very interesting. It suggests that perhaps the engine went under the island, created a kind of tunnel, that eventually collapsed. Thus forming a shallow area and two separate islands instead of one large island.
Going through mountains and islands. (Image Source.)
Intelligent Control
It is obvious that there is some degree of intelligent control over the vehicle or thing that creates these tracks. It makes 45-degree turns, 90-degree turns, and 180 degree U-turns. It is as if it is searching for something.
Closeup of the southern evidence of tacks on the Lapulapu ridge near the Saipan island chain. The tracks make 45 degree turns, 180 degree turns and 120 degree turns. These are not natural processes.
Intelligent Control over the undersea vehicle. (Image Source.)
Tracks show clear evidence of turns and reversals, as well as search efforts that comprise 90 degree bends and turns.
The device operates over enormous regions. Here is the overall general appearance of the most visible tracks around Saipan.
The tracks involved in the mining of the Lapulapu ridge show a pattern of obvious mining efforts. In fact, they almost look a map of the type of tunnels that one would make in an underground mining operation.
Obvious mining of the Lapulapu Ridge around Saipan.
Whomever or whatever is mining this area, they most certainly are focusing on the Lapulapu Ridge. The tracks clearly indicate an interest on the top of the ridge. While there are forays off the ridge, the tracks indicate an abrupt series of ninety-degree bends to return back to the ridge. I wonder what is so valuable on the ridge that requires such extensive mining at such a deep depth.
A study of the angular relationships of the tracks and the associated features of the tracks.
The angles associated with the large undersea tracks along the Lapulapu Ridge near the Saipan islands. They are certainly curious Large-scale formations. With accurate and exact 90 degree bends. The spent debris mounds are formed at a curious angle. The angles are similar but differ. The image above indicates a 76-degree and a 79-degree debris mound.
Evidence of Mining in a Grid-Like Formation
There is evidence that seems to point to the idea that the device operates following a grid or similar map.
Undersea mining operation near the Saipan islands showing rectangular exploratory behaviors.
Rectangular features forming perfect squares. (Image Source.)
As the mining vehicle moved away from the Lapulapu ridge, it discovered fewer minerals of interest and thus was forced to make a 360 degree turn and followed a parallel path back toward the ridge.
Large scale, large distance, grid-like mining.(Image Source.)
Possible vehicle
It’s pretty difficult to track down a vehicle actually making these tracks. However, if you are careful you can find one. I like to call it the roving orb under the ocean.
A large object has been observed crawling along the undersea surface at a depth of over 3000 feet off the California coast. Unlike the “official” explanation for the Lapulapu Ridge Mining operations, this movement is more “organic” and seemingly random. The object, which observers say looks man-made rather than natural, is estimated to measure more than 2.86 miles in diameter. It is a dome shaped structure (as it must be to sustain the enormous pressures on the ocean floor). It moves along the floor and displaces dirt and debris as it moves.
The object was brought to the attention of (UFO, strange event, and alien) investigators known as “SecureTeam10”. Tyler, who helps run the internet investigations site, said:
“There are certain areas of the ocean that are obviously blurred out. But what better place would there be for another race or another group of beings to hide than in the deep of our own oceans? … While we are up staring at the sky all day and worrying about what’s up there we have 90 per cent of our oceans unchartered.”-Tyler at SecureTeam10
Other comments include;
“We see a large circular object and an obvious path or trail created by it – and it disappears into a blurred out area – how convenient.”
Large undersea object that is ambulatory that seems to be associated with the undersea tracks.
Diagram of the mysterious roving orb that tracks the mysterious mining tracks at enormous depths in the ocean.
It is pretty big. At 4.61 Km.
To put this into perspective, imagine that an American football field is 100 yards long (roughly 100 meters). You could fit 46 football fields end to end inside this object. It is huge. In fact, it is the size of a small city. It is around 66.5 square kilometers in surface area. It is one half the size of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (151.1 square kilometers.)
What we can learn from this orb is rather simple. It is associated with the linear tracks, but does not follow the tracks. It makes its own tracks, which seemingly appear to be of random movements. It is also smaller than the width of the linear tracks.
The mystery orb creates it’s own tracks which differ from the more linear and wide tracks found alongside it. This movement is odd and apparently directionless.
There is no question that it is moving about and leaving tracks.(Image Source.)
Abandoned Orb at the base of Lapulapu Ridge
An abandoned orb at the base of an undersea mountain near the Lapulapu ridge.
Another orb “parked” on one of the Lapulapu mining lines? This one looks like it is collapsed somehow. (Image Source.)
Close up of an abandoned orb that seems to be parked next to an undersea mountain. It looks like it has been there for a while. Notice that the top of the orb is open and suggests an interior with some type of complex layout. It is too bad that it is so deep, it would be really interesting to go and visit. I wonder what stories it could tell us.
The abandoned orb. The top appears to be open and there is something inside.
Uh oh. The Orb frustratingly disappears into an obscured area.
There are features under the ocean that defy known geologic processes. They are suggestive of undersea mining by an enormous undersea orb. Attempts to describe this away as a natural process are laughable. I don’t know what it is, nor do I know why it is there.
The only thing that I know is that the reality that we think of, is just an illusion.
It is entirely possible that this observed structure is something piloted by an intelligence for purposes that have no bearing or relationship to humans at all. As such, it is offered to the reader as nothing more, nor nothing less, than an intelligently piloted object that apparently defies the limits of human engineering.
Take Aways
What can we learn from this;
There are mysteries that exist under the ocean.
Not everything can be explained away as normal geologic processes.
There are huge mobile constructions that can move about under intense water pressure.
They create paths that appear to be searching or looking for something.
Other Opinions
I received this comment off-line by an influencer.
I think those “machines tracks” are an artifact of the SONAR scan, it’s called Phase Shadowing in the RADAR world. Check out Google Earth ocean bottom off the east coast of the US, say between NYC and Bermuda, it’s all over the place. I’d bet money it’s just an artifact of the signal processing but I’m only 95% sure.
I think that this is a valid observation. However…
It wouldn’t explain the roving orb phenomenon.
It wouldn’t explain why the sonar doesn’t influence the orb.
It wouldn’t explain the jockeying back and forth on the sides of the undersea cliffs.
It wouldn’t explain how some right angles are crisp, while others have a radius.
It wouldn’t explain how the tracks go under the Saipan islands and then collapse them into the sea.
It wouldn’t explain how dust and debris can obscure the tracks in certain areas.
This type of searching for answers is an important part of our role in understanding the world around us. While I have mentioned numerous “objections” to this solution, my ignorance in the way the sonar scan works should be obvious.
That being said, in my mind, it could very well be very possible that these are somehow associated with a sonar scan. I just do not know.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your thoughts on this matter. What do you think about the plausibility that the orb and the tracks are natural geologic events? What are your thoughts about the idea that the US Navy already studied the orb with the open top? What are your thoughts on the levels of technology that must be achieved to perform these kinds of operations? Please, you are welcome to contribute.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: What is causing the lines or “tracks” under the sea? A: I do not know. There are geologic processes that can create lines around stress faults, however these lines do not look like any that we know if. If they are part of a geologic process then it would be a new and interesting geologic process. One that deserves study and investigation. To me, as a layman, they appear to be tracks with nice linear debris trails. However, human technology has not advanced to the stage where we can mine at such deep depths. We just do not have that ability. Thus we have ourselves a mystery that perplexes us.
Q: What is the orb? A: No one knows, of if they do know, they are keeping it secret. It is a large, no huge, structure that is roving about on the ocean floor. It seemingly follow or retraces the linear tracks made earlier, but instead of following the path already made, it just seemingly moves randomly.
Q: What can we learn about this odd event? A: Someone or something thinks that the Lapulapu Ridge holds some valuable items or minerals. They have devoted time (obviously), and effort (certainly) to mine these elements. It is unlikely that they are human, because known human technology cannot reach the working environment that the objects operate in.
Q: Why isn’t someone investigating this? A: What makes you think that no one is investigating this? Just because CNN, WaPo, Salon and the Huffington Puffington Post thinks that there is nothing here, doesn’t mean that is actually the case. From a technical point of view, the suggestion of technologies that would enable us to mine the ocean deeps, as well as to provide military advantage for naval submarines is reason alone to investigate this mystery. Remember, boys and girls, real investigations are never publicized. They are kept secret and the work is collected and accomplished in silence.
MAJestic Related Posts – Training
These are posts and articles that revolve around how I was recruited for MAJestic and my training. Also discussed is the nature of secret programs. I really do not know why the organization was kept so secret. It really wasn’t because of any kind of military concern, and the technologies were way too involved for any kind of information transfer. The only conclusion that I can come to is that we were obligated to maintain secrecy at the behalf of our extraterrestrial benefactors.
MAJestic Related Posts – Our Universe
These particular posts are concerned about the universe that we are all part of. Being entangled as I was, and involved in the crazy things that I was, I was given some insight. This insight wasn’t anything super special. Rather it offered me perception along with advantage. Here, I try to impart some of that knowledge through discussion.
Enjoy.
MAJestic Related Posts – World-Line Travel
These posts are related to “reality slides”. Other more common terms are “world-line travel”, or the MWI. What people fail to grasp is that when a person has the ability to slide into a different reality (pass into a different world-line), they are able to “touch” Heaven to some extent. Here are posts that cover this topic.
John Titor Related Posts
Another person, collectively known by the identity of “John Titor” claimed to utilize world-line (MWI egress) travel to collect artifacts from the past. He is an interesting subject to discuss. Here we have multiple posts in this regard.
They are;
Articles & Links
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
Hey! Just for fun, I went on Google and typed the words “Democrat ban”. Why are democrat busybodies so active in banning things? It came back with millions upon millions of entries. I did it on Bing, Duckduckgo, and a few others. In every instance, the results were astounding. Heck! Why are busybodies permitted to go on like they do? What do these busybodies expect to accomplish by to taking people’s money away and banning things? What is their malfunction?
Now, to be fair, the Republicans are also out to ban things. It is just not so frantic, crazed, and so active at it as the Democrats are. If the internet is to be believed, Democrats are over one hundred times more likely to ban things than a Republican is. Nevertheless, that means nothing. Not really. Both political parties are run by crazed busybodies. Ah, that is why I like Libertarians and Libertines. They just want to be left alone and don’t give a darn what anyone else wants to do about their own life.
The beliefs of other people really shouldn’t matter to anyone, if we are in the kind of society that America was initially set up as. However, that is promised really not our present reality. The United States does not operate at all as if it was intended; as a guaranteer of freedom and liberty.
Rather it has been run as an empire run by the wealthiest people in the world (many who are not Americans) who have set up serfdom where they successfully milk the American citizenry for financial gain.
American are Controlled
In order to keep the “rank and file” Americans in line, they have setup a system of fears, rules and laws. Each and every single one is an encroachment of individual liberties and freedom.
To put this in perspective, you (the reader) must understand what “freedom” is. It’s not taught in school. It’s hardly ever discussed in a political speech (except by a handful of notable exceptions). What is freedom? Freedom is the ability to do what you want without impediment.
You want to eat sunny-side-up eggs? If you can eat them, then that is freedom. If you cannot, such as in certain places in New Jersey, that is not freedom. It doesn’t matter what the reasoning is for banning something. (A person can come up will all kinds of reasons to justify any action.) Fundamentally, when you take an ability away, you limit freedom.
When you cannot do something, you do not have that freedom. It is gone. It is obliterated.
The Impossible Dream
Ah, the incredulous internet millennial responds; “So you are telling me that I can kill someone else and that is freedom?” My response is very simple. If you can do SOMETHING, without any barriers by society and government, then you have freedom.
Now, let’s not get silly.
No one should have the ability to infringe on other people’s freedom. Killing a person would do that. Therefore, you do not have the freedom to remove other people’s freedom.
Which is, if you think about it, the primary purpose of society and governments instituted by men (“people” for you progressives out there, as well as Microsoft word affectionados). It’s all in the fundamentals.
What about the Constitution?
What has become of the freedom and liberty that was promised to us in the Constitution? This is both the State Constitution as well as the Federal Constitution. The government should be the guaranteer of liberty and freedom, not the arbitrators of it.
The government is not your parent, or some autocratic leader who hands out gifts to favored individuals (a nod to former President Barrack Obama).
As intended, the United States should let people be people. Then, while people are doing what people do, stand back and let them live life unencumbered.
That is not the way it is.
Busybodies Run our World
The fact is that America is filled with “busybodies”. They are everywhere. From the five year old bossing their classmates around to the coworker from Hell. All they way up the scale to organized (and funded) Democrat busybodies and beyond. They occupy almost every single position in society, and tend to pester and aggravate everyone else.
Unfortunately, in the United States, they have become organized into huge busybody collectives. Which go by such names a BLM, Antifa, and “deep state“.
As such, they are a royal “pain in the neck”. They demand to tell us how to live our lives. They want to do so many many miles away from us. Those that are already established with a rich support network, such as billionaire George Soros, live in wealthy enclaves. They use surrogates to perform their street-level activities.
George Soros was an early contributor to Snopes, and has provided financial backing to the organization for years.
Indeed, it can be summed up quite simply. They want to take your money to fund their lavish lifestyles while they pronounce edicts to limit what you can do.
They call themselves many names. They justify their actions in many ways. However, the sad and factual truth is that they are nothing less than busybodies. Oh, excuse me, busybodies with great PR (if you have been paying even a smidgeon of attention to American media today).
Today, I want to discuss one of the biggest organized groups of busybodies in the United States today; the Democrat party. (We will also spend some time discussing some aligned offshoots such as the BLM, SJW, and Antifa movements.)
In particular, I would like to take the opportunity to concentrate on their love for bossing people around, meddling into other people’s business, and generally destroying freedoms every single chance they get. They are amok. They are like a spoiled child that is throwing food all over a room. They are like a rabid dog, all out of control.
Let’s take a look at their busybody activities…
America is Complicated
There are many articles about Democrats in the United States today. You simply cannot watch any news without some democrat, or a democrat aligned organization, trying to redefine things, stripping freedoms away, or generally trying to take your money.
I’ve got to tell you all, it’s out of control.
They have become more than just a simple nuisance. They have become the enemy of freedom. Oh, they have their excuses! Moreover, what excuses they have become! My gosh, you’ve got to have an IQ of a snail to actually believe some of the excuses.
“It’s for the children.” That’s a famous line from former President Bill Clinton. He used it quite often.
“It’s to stop racism.” Poof out of thin air, sometime around 2009 EVERYTHING in the United States became racist. It’s a manufactured narrative. I have other writings on this curious sequence of events. Stay tuned.
“It’s for your own good.” Ah, the “take your medicine and shut up defense”. This is used by dictators all over the world. Ah, the list can go on and on…
There are so many things that are going on in the United States today, that it is just impossible to enumerate every single one of them. I am not going to bother. If you are offended by this, then go away. America today is what it has evolved into. This is neither right or wrong. It just is the way things are.
Some people say that American has gone to “Hell in a hand basket”, while other says it’s just fine as it is. They say America is an exceptional place; a worthy place. It is a place of greatness. Both narratives have their followers. I can actually see both points of view. As such, I would argue that it is both and neither of those two extremes. What America is today is complicated.
America is complicated because we have permitted that crazy busybody down the street to tell us what we can and cannot do.
America was never structured that way. Our founders assumed that their children would recognize a “spoiled brat”, a thief, a crazy person, a misfit, a megalomaniac, a radical, and a busybody. They believed that our children (us) would have the “Brass Balls” to deal with the insolent before they got out of hand and created some “real” damage.
“There is such a large difference in the experience of generations growing up in the post WWII era and those growing up today that it is almost impossible for most youngsters of today to understand and accept as truth a grandfather’s tales of “the way it was”.That 1950’s style childhood freedom might still exist to some extent in small towns and for kids raised on farms but it isn’t even a believable tale for most kids of today.Kids today who aren’t permitted to walk to the corner store or a few blocks to school cannot comprehend what it was like for children their age to walk back and forth to schools a mile or more away or walk a paper route of several miles every day.It wasn’t unusual to see a couple of young boys walking down the street carrying their rifles to go shoot some squirrels in the woods or plink at rats at the local open dump.Today they send kids home from school for making the letter “L” with their thumb and forefinger.”-14 posted on 2/3/2018, 6:55:18 PM by Vlad The Inhaler (The only trannie I want to see is a Muncie 4 Speed M-22 Rock Crusher)
You might not like what I am saying because it is so blunt. However it is very true.
Look at the people in who are demanding changes to the society. They want multiple genders. They demand equality by punishing non-conformance. These people would have been locked up behind bars just a few years ago. They would be considered a danger to themselves, as well as a general danger to the public good. All of them have obvious mental disorders and you would need a DSM handbook to classify many of them.
Listen to what they are saying. Listen to what they are demanding. These are Busybodies of the lowest order. I do not care about their reasons, their excuses, or their justifications. Do not give me any excuses. They are busybodies. Period.
American Rent-a-Busybody
Just who are these “busy bodies” that want to control your and my life? Who are they really? What makes them get up out of bed and come all the way over to your town? What makes them want to interrupt YOUR coffee and donut? Why do they block the road while you are off trying to make it to work? Why?
Often times they don’t live locally.
They do not live “down the street”. Instead they are often in another state often geographically far removed from where we live. They are typically bused in to the protest location, taught how to protest, fed, provided with signs and “battle gear” and instructed in strategies to utilize. They are “rent a radical”, they are “paid protesters”. They are pawns in a huge game of chess. They are the cat’s paw used by the people who really control all of us.
The Internet has made it easy to recruit protesters for hire. You just put an ad in the paper or blog ,and people flock to you. Now of course, the Soros-backed Snopes will disagree saying that this is all just a hoax or a misunderstanding. In fact, almost all the media is now parroting the “grass-roots” organic creation of these protests, but it’s all a lie. People have come out admitting that they were paid, showing bank statements and agreements that they signed, and legal action has even started against protest organizers who failed to pay the protesters that they had actually hired.
Busybodies are bused in to where you live. They are paid to influence YOUR life. They are paid to disrupt your life and are permitted to break laws without consequence. Their media support arm protects them every step of the way. They work hand in hand to achieve combined objectives.
Meanwhile, they and those who support them, promptly surround their property with fences and guards, if it wasn’t already in a gated community, that is. Then, safe and secure, they dictate their poison and spew their hate. Why are they so fixated in what we do? What is their problem? What is their malfunction? What compels them to think that they know better than I do?
Why it is Out of Control
They ARE out of control, and the society of Americans inside America isn’t doing anything to stop them. There just aren’t any controls. There aren’t any brakes on their behaviors. There are no punishments when they commit crimes, and there aren’t any consequences when they hurt or damage others, property or lives.
The argument is that, “…well, it’s their freedom of speech”.
The truth is that Americans are enduring a constructed reality. It is a reality and a situation that was put in place by powerful and rich oligarchs with a set defined objective. That these individuals pay off people and police to look the other way, that they pay off the media to report on things selectively, that they pay off the protesters. All this money and all these funds come directly for you; the tax payer. It is recycled out of your pocket to manipulate you.
It is designed to change the society that you and I live in.
26th of 48 laws of powerKeep your hands clean
You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency, your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.
This has happened before. It has happened in other nations. It always is successful in it’s short-term goals. However, the long-term changes are often a surprise to the oligarchs which manufacture this construct.
The results of all this will be a surprise.
Let’s look at another time, and learn from it. Let’s look at the consequences of the aftermath of the American Civil War. For that was one horrific and bloody war. It split the United States into pieces and brother fought brother, and there were many a crippled and emotionally damaged person afterwards.
Let’s look what happens when a mentally deranged busybody rises to a position of power, and what happens when the checks and balances of society fail to stop their madness.
Let’s look at a typical busybody and what motivates them. As there are many, in different sizes and shapes. Some are just loners who hide behind the curtains in their homes and make “anonymous” complaints against others. Some are more brazen, and show up in public surrounded by a mini-mob or supporters. Others, take a even more active role they go into politics.
For now, let’s take a look at what happens when a busybody gets power. Let’s look at prohibitionist Carry A. Nation. After all, she, nearly singlehandedly, “improved” America by banning alcohol.
Prohibitionist Carry A. Nation
Here, a “busy body”, with obvious emotional issues managed to galvanize a nation against drinking alcohol. There are many articles about her and the chain of events that she set in motion. I will assume that the reader understands that for about a decade (1920 to 1933 in the United States) it was against the law to make, drink or sell alcohol.
This is the woman who started this event.
Let’s look at who she was and what her motivations were. For obviously, in her mind, she knew what was best for everyone else. She was better. She was superior. She was smarter. She was more spiritual. She was above everyone else.
Sounds like some people in government today, eh? Any other public person comes to mind? How does someone embrace such a mental illness and get away with it?
The answer is very simple. We let them.
Progressive busybody Prohibitionist (and crazy woman) Carry Nation was permitted to convince Americans of the importance of absence from having fun. Prohibitionist Carry A. Nation.(Image Source.)
She had a Failed Marriage
Why? My goodness, why did she go about trying to change America? Why did she believe that banning social gatherings and taking away drinking would benefit America. How did she think it would improve America? Why did she insist in fundamentally changing America?
Well, for starters, she had a mental illness.
Yup, she really most certainly did. Now, historians have blamed her failed marriage for the sickness. However, I have other ideas. You have to realize that mental illness is never caused by one lone single event. It is caused by a collect of events that contribute to a fixed mental state over time. Yes. She had a failed marriage, but her sickness ran much deeper than that.
She lost her slaves, and her family plantation. She lost her family, and her loved ones. She lost her status in society. She lost her social network, and everything that mattered to her. Then, at an early age married a heavy drinker. I am sure that there were other contributors, things that were never written about at that time in history…
Carry Nation went quite mad after her family lost everything during the American civil war. It must have been a great shock to her system. Her world turned upside down. One minute she is a sweet Southern Belle who is part of a wealthy slave-owning family on an enormous plantation, and then after losing everything she is a single commoner living far, far away in another area with strangers.
She had a sad life. She has my sympathy. It’s tough sometimes, especially when you are alone and no one knows your hurt.
However, rather than focusing on her contribution to the failure, she went outward. She blamed others, and other situations. It is sort of like Hillary Clinton trying to blame everyone else for her 2016 Presidential failure. It doesn’t work. It never works. (Oh, her followers might disagree. You know, Hitler, Stalin, and Vlad the Impaler had followers too.)
When things go wrong you need to see what happened, you identify what you could have changed and what was beyond your control. Then you make adjustments and better your life. At least that is what “normal” people do.
We need to Confront our Demons
You cannot grow as a person unless you confront your failures. That is how humans learn. That is how we grow.
This is a woman who came from the hills of Kentucky. She was a spoiled, pampered girl who grew up in a large slave-holding family. We know that her family was quite “well to do” and that they owned a large farm with a lot of slaves, according to the State Historical Society of Missouri. She was probably attended to by her own house slave as was common at the time.
Yup, she was used to giving orders and lording over other people.
When she was 21, after the Civil War, her family lost their farm. They lost the main house, all the outbuildings, and all of their farm equipment. They lost their house slaves. They lost their field hands and all of their field slaves. They lost everything except their lives.
So they bundled everything into their lone remaining carriage and abandoned the ruins of their home. They left everything they knew and all that they loved.
They then chose to relocate to Missouri, where she married Charles Gloyd. He was a young doctor who had served in the Union Army. However, he had his own demons, as he was an alcoholic who couldn’t hold down a job or support her.
Shortly after her marriage, she became pregnant. (As was quite common at the time. First time sex and nine months later she pops out a baby.) She left her husband and went back to her parents. Her daughter Charlien, named after Gloyd, was born in September, and her husband Gloyd died just a few months later.
Carry Nation became a busybody as a means of adapting to her madness. She could not handle just how radically her life changed, and so she lashed out. Being used to wealth and attention, the change to being a poor “nobody” was a real shock to her.
So here is a pampered Southern Belle whose life was turned upside down by the American Civil War. Her parents fled the ravages of their plantation and started life anew. She was a young woman then, and fell in love with a doctor. He was young, full of “piss and vinegar”, and had his own issues. She gave birth to a child and her husband died.
All in all, it sounds like she had an awful life.
Although she rebuilt her life, becoming a teacher and eventually remarrying to a lawyer named David Nation, the memory of her first dysfunctional marriage influenced Nation. Though, I would bet that it was just a focus for many issues that haunted her life. Nothing in this world is the result of one singular issue. That is a “black and white” narrative. Everything is a combination of many factors. It is often complex.
You know the world can be a tough and a difficult place. Sometimes those who have to endure it are scarred for life; they are scarred in ways that others cannot see. They hurt deeply and tragically. They carry this hurt around with them deep down inside.
If she were alive today, my guess is that she would be overweight, shaved away one side of her hair, and dyed the remaining hair a bright color. She would also have many tattoos and piercings. The costumes change, the looks change, but the people stay the same.
It is the socially acceptable look of an angry woman bound down by the chains of her past.
She was a Religious Zealot
“The reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be only a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and jails into storehouses.”- Billy Sunday
As she got older, Nation began having “visions” and became increasingly religious. (For those of you who are unaware, there is a series of mental illnesses that describe this condition.) Yah, she was a sick person for certain.
Having “visions”, eh?
Her husband also became a preacher, the historical society writes. They moved to Kansas, she found other women who also had demons to slay. She found an audience who would listen to her. She found listeners. She found followers. In them, she found strength. With these followers, she organized a local chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Carry Nation wasn’t the only person who had suffered. Others had lost husbands, siblings, and family during the American civil war. Many had lost their homes, and with that all of their slaves. She was able to unite many angry and frustrated people who were dealing with the aftermath of a horrible war. They became busybodies and their answer to control was through the banning and control of the actions of others.
The union, founded in 1874, had the singular goal of banning alcohol. Of course they had a reason. They said that it was because of the suffering it caused to families. They specifically organized to protect the women and children whose male relations drank to excess. Oh yes, you read that right…
They did it for the children.
It was a Different Time
27th of 48 laws of powerPlay on people’s need to believe to create a cult-like following
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.
Now that was a different time. At that time, women lacked many legal rights that we take for granted today. They had to depend on male breadwinners for some or all of the family income. If the primary breadwinner was an alcoholic (and perhaps violent) it was a really big deal.
Unfortunately, the anti-alcohol crusade quickly came to also encompass other perceived sources of social “impurity”. They expanded to ban such things as smoking and sexual promiscuity. (Lord knows that no male in his right mind would want to date an angry woman who would not let him drink. My guess is that she and her followers probably didn’t get enough loving. This does not necessarily mean sexual activity, but compassion and understanding. Without this physical need fulfilled, they lashed out in anger over it.)
They took to politics.
Their union proposed to cure these vices through empowering women to vote. Then with the power to vote they could leverage a huge voting bloc. With this power they could revise the laws so that they would benefit women and woman’s causes. They could move the nation away from being a nation ruled by men to a nation ruled by women! (Though they most certainly promoted it as a nation ruled by both men and women.)
Ah yes. The world domination theme.
Sound familiar, or maybe you saw this in a Hollywood movie. Or maybe you have been watching Washington, D.C. politics. You become a political power and ENFORCE your desires on your fellow citizens through the blunt force of law.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s everyone considered evil people to be very rich, powerful, in control of many things, and obsessed with world domination. Does this sound like anyone in modern politics today? Hum?
The Bolder the Better!
28th of 48 laws of powerEnter action with boldness
If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous, better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.
As a leader, Carry Nation, took a more direct-action approach to the prohibition crusade than many of her followers who surrounded her. Noting all her supporters, she became emboldened. She felt that she was above the law.
She believed that through her divine understanding that she could do what she wanted.
So, in 1900, she grabbed a hatchet and barged right into a bar and started to swing it about wildly. She started to smash things, including tables, chairs, bottles, and the men who were quietly minding their own business alone in the bar. This particular episode in the bar at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas made her famous. She was arrested, but…
“Nation, who was released shortly after the incident, became famous for carrying a hatchet and wrecking saloons,” -History.com.
She discovered something important. The news media will promote you for free. All you need to do is be outlandish, and do outrageous things. You need to be a train wreck. Like Charlie Sheen, she was the train wreck of her day.
She made Money by Promoting Prohibition.
Carry Nation knew that she had to have rituals and brands that she could take and popularize. For starters, she had her unusual name (which is also spelled “Carrie” in some accounts) trademarked in Kansas.
This was a very unusual thing to do. It simultaneously illustrates both her genius and her madness. Nation, who was almost six feet tall, used her commanding presence (at that time, most people were typically short in stature) to promote her movement and her desires. She also moved outside of Kansas, where the sale of alcohol was already technically illegal, and brought her vision (along with her trademark hatchet) to other places.
“Her behavior provoked a tremendous uproar and sent her to jail repeatedly for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. Later, fines were paid by the sale of pewter hatchet pins, Nation wielded her voice as effectively as her hatchet, eloquently speaking her mind and inspiring others on numerous occasions. Even sworn enemies acknowledged her success with compelling enforcement of prohibition laws and spreading her message.”
Nation and her husband divorced in 1901. I am sure that it was for good reason. Divorce was very rare at that time. So to grant a divorce there had to be a really good reason. After the divorce she went on a number of speaking tours throughout the rest of her life. It’s an easy way of making money.
Barrack Obama, and both the Clinton’s do this today. It’s an excellent way to collect huge sums of money for little physical exertion. (The truth be told that there wasn’t really anything new that she could say. People went to the rallies to give her money . That was the mechanism, and they might get the opportunity to meet her in person as a result of it.)
I am not judging, just saying.
Her efforts enabled her to buy a small farm in Arkansas. We know that she intended to turn it into a prohibition school to teach her followers how to be an obnoxious busybody and fight for the “good cause”. Luckily, she died in January 1911. Her train wreck of a life was finally over. However, her followers persisted. She started a trend that soon grew into a tidal wave of support.
Around a decade later, the Eighteenth Amendment was passed.
Consequences of her Insanity
In the United States, everyone associated with alcohol became a criminal. That represented a huge swath of the nation. In fact, I dare say, that all Americans at that time in one way or the other were breaking the (various) laws set up to create an American utopia.
This was, of course, a utopia driven by and manufactured by people with serious personality flaws. These were flaws so egregious that they were strongly suggestive of mental illness. Here are some of just a few of the other problems that resulted when we permitted her insanity to influence us;
Racism became common under prohibition. Yeah. You “cure” one societal ill, and you make others much, much worse.
Organized Crime Flourished. Only organized crime represented the needs of the American people. The police became the “bad guys”. The government became the “club” of the ultra-rich and they became more and more dissimilar to the “rank and file” Americans each and every day.
Decline in amusement and entertainment industries. Prohibition’s supporters were initially surprised by what did not come to pass during the implementation of their utopia. When the law went into effect, they expected sales of clothing and household goods to skyrocket. They figured that with men no longer going to bars and spending money on booze, that they would spend it on clothing and furniture for the children. That did not happen. Other people hopping on to the prohibition’s “band wagon” were surprised as well. Real estate developers and property owners expected rents to rise as saloons closed and neighborhoods improved. Chewing gum, grape juice, and soft drink companies all expected growth. Theater producers expected new crowds as Americans looked for new ways to entertain themselves without alcohol. None of it came to pass. Instead, the unintended consequences proved to be a decline in amusement and entertainment industries across the board. Restaurants failed, as they could no longer make a profit without legal liquor sales. Theater revenues declined rather than increase, and few of the other economic benefits that had been predicted came to pass.
Prohibition Criminalized Everyday People. Until that time, most people thought of the police as always “on their side”. The police were people who helped you out when you need it. By making everyone a potential criminal, the entire dynamic of the United States changed. Now, as it still is in many places, it’s “us” versus “them”.
It forced the expansion of the Income Tax. On the whole, the initial economic effects of Prohibition were largely negative. Apparently, the only people who prospered during this time were those “running the show”; the followers of Carry nation and their ilk. The closing of breweries, distilleries and saloons led to the elimination of thousands of jobs, and in turn thousands more jobs were eliminated for barrel makers, truckers, waiters, and other related trades. It completely wrecked an entire industry, and all the other industries that supported it. The unintended economic consequences of Prohibition didn’t stop there. One of the most profound effects of Prohibition was on government tax revenues. Before Prohibition, many states relied heavily on excise taxes in liquor sales to fund their budgets. In New York, almost 75% of the state’s revenue was derived from liquor taxes. With Prohibition in effect, that revenue was immediately lost. At the national level, Prohibition cost the federal government a total of $11 billion in lost tax revenue, while costing over $300 million to enforce. Prohibition lasted from 1920 until 1933. The most lasting consequence was that many states and the federal government would come to rely on income tax revenue to fund their budgets going forward. The federal income tax, and well as many State taxes expanded during this time. If you are unhappy doing your taxes come April, you should start screaming that the crazy bitch who forced them into your life, not the taxman.
Corruption of public officials. Prohibition led to the growth of widespread corruption of public officials by organized crime. This enabled gangsters to conduct their illegal operations. The extent of the corruption was a national scandal. There were other effects as well. Prior to Prohibition, most people didn’t give firearms a second thought. However, during Prohibition, organized crime started to arm themselves with military grade weapons. They began to be equipped with Tommy guns, and BARs.
Extension of US Naval territorial waters.The U.S. government began to push for an extension of the area of the ocean over which governments have jurisdiction, from 3 miles to 12, which would make it much more difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous to run liquor in from the larger ships. The U.S. eventually succeeded in pushing its national borders outward, expanding national sovereignty over oceans, another unexpected consequence of our anti-alcohol policies.
The Rise Of Cocaine And Heroin. Cocaine was taken by people in the United States long before Prohibition came into effect, but it experienced a spike in popularity in the 1920s, particularly among the jazz scene of the time. Whether or not this was due to Prohibition or pure coincidence is unclear. However Prohibition was probably a major contributor.
Court System breakdown. One of the main reasons that Prohibition ultimately failed was the pressure it placed on law enforcement, the courts, and prisons. By the time it became apparent that people would not simply abstain from alcohol as largely expected, US law enforcement was at its breaking point, the court systems were backing up, and the prisons were getting full. You can thank this full-on crazy bitch for making the Prison a household word in America.
Well, let’s look at the checklist for this famous busybody.
She had a failed life.
Unable to reconcile it, she turned outward.
She became a religious fanatic, and set up a profitable business around her religious message.
Using the money she made and her huge following, she was able to pressure the government to do her bidding.
They prohibited alcohol.
In the process they hurt America and it, to this day, has not recovered. Indeed, the rest is history.
About fuckin’ time. (Image Source.) Prohibition finally ended after ten long, long years of living under the rules set up by busybody Carry nation. Today, it has been over one hundred years since the 16th amendment (Income Tax) was passed. You would think that Americans would do something about it by now. You would think. Her efforts to ban things, like all busybodies, are just like the Democrats today.
How they get away with all this
It does not matter what their “cause” is. It does not matter who they are, where they are, who they influence or what manner that they go about wreaking havoc. They get away with it when good men stand aside and do nothing.
When laws are not enforced.
When repeat offenders are not monitored.
When the mentally ill are permitted to organize.
When an issue / cause get’s promoted in the media.
When they are funded, and those funding their behaviors face no consequences.
Such is the case today in the United States. While crazy lunatic Carry Nation disrupted the lives of Americans for a couple of decades, it is the SWJ movement that is really out of control.
Social Justice Warriors (SJW)
Here is a real “pain in the ass” group of “busy bodies”. They are called “Social Justice Warriors”. Or, SWJ for short. They are busybodies on steroids. Not only that but they are funded by powerful financial interests, and allowed to fester in incubators such as university campuses.
Need I remind everyone that this was the exact same breeding ground for the 1989 pro-democracy movement in China. What happened to those SWJ’s? Anyone?
Anyone remember what happened to them? Anyone?
Tanks were called in to a very large public rally and they were all machine gunned down. Those not at the rally were hunted down, rounded up and put into hard-labor camps. Many are still there. Working in the mines, eating lard and fish heads, and having their organs harvested.
American SWJ; following in the footsteps of their China SWJ brethren…
They are pretty active now at the time that this article was being written. It might be due to the water, or maybe global warming. Whatever the reason, they are really a problem. Here, it is not one person, but an organized onslaught created with a sole purpose and objective in mind; a Social Utopia run and managed by “Busy Bodies”.
They want a utopia where they can sit up on a throne and tell everyone else HOW to live their life. They want to control other peoples speech, actions, activities, interests, dress, thoughts and religion. They want to control their thoughts. They want to control their actions. They want to control their appearance. They want to control everything.
Obviously they do not believe in America, freedom nor liberty. Obviously.
I have looked up and down the internet for a half decent description of what an SJW is. Everyone that I could find seemed to concentrate on one or two characteristics of the group. However, nothing really came close to defining exactly what a SWJ was. For most people, apparently, SJW fit whatever you wanted it to be. This wasn’t helpful.
That is like saying a busybody is a person who is busy with their body.
However, I have eventually found a very good description. A very good, detailed, description of what a SJW is can be found reprinted from “What Is A Social Justice Warrior (SJW)?” written by Roosh on 6OCT14. It’s pretty good;
Social justice warriors believe in an extreme left-wing ideology that combines feminism, progressivism, and political correctness into a totalitarian system that attempts to censor speech and promote fringe lifestyles while actively discriminating against men, particularly white men.They are the internet activist arm of Western progressivism that acts as a vigilante group to ensure compliance and homogeny of far left thought.The true definition of SJW is up for debate, but most generally it has become a catch-all term that describes feminists and liberals who actively try to solve the perceived social injustices of modern society by organizing in online communities to disseminate propaganda, censor speech, and punish individuals by getting them terminated from their employment.They have also been successful at positioning themselves in the upper echelons of universities, media organizations, and tech companies.
I do have to agree with this.
There are people who have come up with different definitions for what a Social Justice Warrior is. Their explanations vary from the point of the view of the author.
To some, they are heroes and heroines. They will make the world right, and everyone will be happy with rainbows, and unicorns prancing about in fields of bright green clover. Men will turn into hermaphrodites. Everyone would be the same, and all would think and act exactly like the leadership; ah, the leadership of a mentally unstable person.
32nd of 48 laws of powerPlay to people’s fantasies
The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert, everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.
Personally,I think those people need to read a little more history. Especially the Cultural Revolution in China in 1966, and Pol Pot in Cambodia. If you play with fire, you can and will get burned. Thank God, Americans still have their firearms!
Then there are those, like myself, who find them a potentially dangerous nuisance.
SWJ in China
Luckily for me, I live in China. There aren’t any SJWs out here. Not any longer.
Now you know, they began to make a little noise a few years back. Do you remember the “Tiananmen democracy protests“? (Yeah, let’s force China to become a democracy! Woo Woo!) Well, that didn’t go down very well. The government tried to negotiate with them, but they wouldn’t have anything to do with it. They wanted all or nothing.
The time was around 1987 to 1989. (It had been fomenting underground for a year or two.) Now the Chinese government well-learned the lessons of the Cultural Revolution. (Yet, another SWJ effort, only this time being lead out of Beijing itself.) Now that event happened around two decades earlier. It was still FRESH in the minds of everyone. They remembered it as an AWFUL time.
That is because it actually WAS an awful time.
It was a terrible mistake that almost threw China into the dark ages. It resulted in the deaths of millions of people and just about destroyed the Chinese heritage. During that event, the SWJ’s were permitted to run amok. As a result they devastated the nation. They destroyed so many good things about China and almost ruined the nation to a point where it could NEVER recover.
The Chinese government quickly summed up the situation.
These SWJ’s had no intention on working together for change. They wanted things their way on their terms. They wanted to repeat the Cultural Revolution, only this time it was THEIR turn. And they would do it right. They wouldn’t make the same mistakes. (Oh, where have we heard that before?)
The SWJ’s felt that they had global public opinion on their side. They believed that if they could control the media, that they could control the Chinese government. As a result they started to work hand-in-hand with CNN and other western media outlets. CNN told them, instructed them, what to do and how to act. They started to attend specially constructed and staged photo-opportunities.
Well, CNN and their sister organizations weren’t doing the SWJ’s any favors. Over a short period of time, it became clear that powerful forces OUTSIDE of China wanted the SWJ movement to succeed.
Thus the Chinese government knew that they had to take action and move quickly. Like it or not, they moved internal military forces in and took control of the situation promptly. The radical SWJ’s were all rounded up and collected. Public punishments were necessary for stability and to maintain social harmony. They were all thrown in prison back in the early-1990’s during the Tiananmen event.
Do not fall for the pro-democracy propaganda from the fake-news media in America. America is not, and never was, a democracy. These people were NOT peaceful protesters who wanted liberty and freedom. They were something else. They were radical SWJ who wanted and demanded a “seat at the table” so that they could set up a “new” government with THEM in charge.
Yeah. Do not fall for the Western propaganda.
Their behavior is not tolerated here, nor is the behavior of ANY busybody. You try to act as a SJW here, and you will be put away and organ harvested while you do hard labor. The same goes for BLM, AntiFa, and the myriad of similar organizations. China and the Chinese people have zero tolerance for this nonsense.
In China, organ harvesting is a way to recoup the costs necessary to deal with busybodies. It costs money and takes time to deal with SWJ disruptions. There are lost wages, inefficiencies in labor, and all kinds of economic problems as a result. They only proper way to deal with these individuals is to have them pay for the costs that they incur. As most are unskilled, or at best under-skilled, the only way to recoup the costs they incur is through organ harvesting. That is the most efficient and humane way of recouping losses that they generated.
Yes. You read that correct. Do NOT fall for the media propaganda, and it is propaganda. Those involved with the Tiananman event were anti-society busybodies who wanted to turn the nation on it’s head, and take over and make China into a Utopia with them in charge of it. CNN and the leadership only made it appear that they wanted a democracy. They wanted full tyrannical control using democracy as the means to obtain it.
Anyways, today China has ZERO tolerance for busybodies.
It doesn’t matter what their intentions are. It doesn’t matter how wonderful their idea of Utopia is. It doesn’t matter how many think-tanks, blue-ribbon panels, or studies that they arm themselves with. It doesn’t matter if you have contracts with CNN, Facebook, Google or any other large global software organization. It doesn’t matter if you have talked to the King of Social Upheaval, Barrack Obama the First. The Chinese don’t give a rat’s ass. If you are a busybody in China you will be segregated from society, punished, and if necessary, killed.
If you see an SWJ on the street, or they call you at work, or try to harass you in any way it’s easy to take care of. Just dial 119. Bye bye SJW, say hello to a country that DOESN’T MESS AROUND.
China does not mess around. If you try to be a busybody, and you try to start messing with society, the government will arrest you. They will convict you. They will punish you. And, they will harvest your organs. Which is why you will not see any SWJ, BLM, Antifa or George Soros minions in China. (Or in Japan, or in Korea, or in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia or even Thailand or Burma.) They are never allowed to fester and rot the fabric of society. Do you think that this chick will go protest on the street, harass a government official, burn a police car, topple a statue, or act as an on-line troll after she leaves confinement? What do you think? It’s gonna be hard to do without her liver.
Not only that, but they will seek you out if you live in another nation. If you even try to fuck around with the Chinese social structure, you will be sought out. One person, or one hundred businesses, it doesn’t matter. They will come FOR YOU. You will be hunted down. You will be carted back to China, and you WILL suffer the consequences.
There is no where to hide if you mess around with the Chinese. They will find you. They will get you (legal or not), and they will bring you to China for swift justice. These folk thought that they were safe in the EU. It doesn’t matter, you cannot hide from the Chinese.
Ah, you’ve got to love China. This is a nation that knows what it’s priorities are and does not mess around.
Humans are not equal
Hey! Here’s a newsflash: no one is equal. We are all different. We look different. We act different. We have different strengths, and desires. The only time when we should be treated equal is in regards to proportion exercises. Other than that, fuhgeddaboudit.
And, while I am at it, don’t lecture me on my “white privilege”.
I sure as heck didn’t have any. My life was HARD. When I was fourteen I was hauling coal under the friggin’ ground and then loading them into railroad hoppers at the crack of dawn. We rode busted hoppers down inclines with faulty brakes. We rode the underground train to blast sites and stood by while we blew out coal shutes. What were you doing?
When I got older, I stood under hot molten steel while it was being poured into molds that I had to hold upright with metal poles. We inhaled toxic gasses, and were allowed a ten minute break to grab some fresh air and a smoke before we had to go back and stand under that blazing cauldron. What were you doing?
After work I had to go to school, and all the time I was being picked on because my family were Polock Catholics. Yeah, I was called names. So fucking what? Yeah, I was crappy playing basketball, and I was the last one picked on school teams. So fucking what? What the fuck have you been doing with your worthless life? How have you been contributing to your family? To your friends? To your society?
Life is hard. Get over it.
I most especially don’t want to be lectured by a fat, obese chick that hasn’t taken a bath in a week, thinks tattoos on the face are beautiful, has nose plugs the size of quarters, and is unemployed. I do not appreciate being yelled at while you try to shove your fat obese body up to me. Do not think that I will not punch you back in the face when you do so.
Just leave me alone.
There are those of us who have ABILITIES, far in excess of what people expect. We are nice. We are kind. We look nice enough to pet. However, we can be very dangerous. Do not mess with the tiger.
Back to Roosh and his discussion of SWJ
Roosh goes on and breaks down some significant characteristics of SJW “warriors”. He has done quite a good job on this. (Warning, if you are under the age of ten, you might get “triggered”. I suggest you either leave, or take a Valium.)
Remember, boys and girls, the quotes are from Roosh and are HIS own opinions. They are not my quotes or statements. So if you are triggered or angry then you will need to take a stress pill and relax.
This all might be too stressful for you. I would advise you to take a stress pill and relax. What is written herein are my opinions. They do not have to be part of your reality.
Roosh goes on, in his very opinionated way, about SJW’s and the value that they place on the view of other people. Ok. It’s his opinions. But all busybodies, no matter where you live, hold this same belief…
Being a SJW is a badge that says “I am a busybody, and I am in your face about it! I am better than you. Bow to me. Because I am the silver clad knight protecting and righting the wrongs of the past!”
Using a “privilege” hierarchy, SJW’s calculate the worth of a human being based on perceived injustices or wrongs that group has suffered since the time of ancestral man, using selective and narrow interpretations of history.SJW’s elevate groups that they believe have received the least amount of “privilege” in the past, and then use internet activism in the form of mobs and community purges to target those who are determined to have greater amounts of privilege. The idea of privilege is so essential to SJW ideology that a common debate tactic they use is to say “check your privilege,” which roughly translates to, “you must immediately halt or change your speech because your ancestors may or may not have done bad things to women or minority races.”For example, if a notable white American male makes a joke about a lesbian black woman who practices Islam, SJW’s will coordinate using a combination of blogs, Youtube, and social networking to dox him (publish his personal information, including where he works). They will then pressure the man’s company by flooding it with calls and messages with the goal to remove his source of income while engaging in a mass reporting campaign to get his online accounts suspended.Their ultimate goal is to silence all speech that they don’t like and which they find offensive while also punishing the speech offender by removing his source of income. As they grow in power, the acceptable range of speech that would trigger an SJW witch hunt is becoming more narrow, and those who are high up on the privilege hierarchy (white men) have to speak through a careful filter if they don’t want to be subject to an SJW attack.
Roosh has a point. It is very difficult to argue against this. Numerous examples of this are everywhere. And yes, by selectively targeting people based on their exercise of American free speech, they actually are being selective in how they treat, attack and judge people.
They can make up the criteria on the spot out of thin air. They do not need to follow any guidelines except how the accuser SWJ feels.
Of course, none of this would actually be an issue, if the governments enforced the law, monitored radicals, and imprisoned people trying to upset social harmony. Luckily there are still nations that have concern for their citizens.
China does not mess around. If you think that you can can hide in Taiwan and try to disrupt the harmony of some one who lives in China, you are sorely mistaken. The Chinese will come for you. They will get you. They will give you a trial and a fair sentencing. You will then learn what real justice is. You don’t mess around with a country that takes SWJ activity seriously.
If you are a SWJ in Taiwan, you are not safe. The Chinese will come and get you. As they have many, many times previously.
Consensus is Better than Objectivity
It is the end of the individual. It is the end of private and personal opinion. It is the end of free speech. Everything that a person must do or say must be approved by the group collective. These busybodies use popular opinion while they have strength in numbers to push their agenda, whatever it is at the moment. In earlier times this was called “rule by mob”, or simply shortened to “mob rule”.
SWJ use groups of people to form mobs to influence others. They browbeat others. They attack, attack, attack and make life pretty miserable if you do not bow before them. They are the kings. They are the Gods that YOU must OBEY.
SJW’s do not believe in objectivity. Instead, speech and ideas must be viewed relatively depending on the source and its intended audience. The feeling of the statement must also be taken into account, which can be affected by current news, cultural moods, and pop trends.For example let’s consider the statement “Asian people are nerds.” If a famous white man uttered this phrase on Twitter after a major Japanese earthquake, a punitive SJW witch hunt may be triggered, but if a popular gay black female Youtuber said the exact same statement, no action would be taken.The reason is because the black woman is low in the SJW privilege hierarchy and therefore has a greater range of free speech that she could give before triggering a witch hunt.The white man, who is at the top of the privilege hierarchy, has no leeway to make a joke about any race since he is not in a protected SJW class. He would be decried as racist and a bigot, in spite of the fact that a statement like “Asian people are nerds” has low ambiguity regardless of the race or status of the person who said it.The lack of such objectivity in SJWism is by design. It’s borrowed from Cultural Marxist thought, which argues that objectivity and the idea of right or wrong is less important than consensus. The reason is that consensus can be easily accomplished by controlling the narrative—cultural facts, ideas, and memes that are possessed by a specific population.
There are serious roots that are tied closely with Marxist thoughts and beliefs. It is the method that enabled the decline of many societies to the enrichment of a mere handful of people.
SWJ is not about what they talk about. They are following the same formula. It is the overthrow of the status quo by powerful interested people who wish to remain hidden.
Obviously, the leadership in the SJW movement believe that they too, one day, will profit and benefit from the direction that the movement takes on. Indeed…
If one can manufacture consensus by controlling this narrative through domination of the media or by swiftly eliminating speech which goes against what “should” be believed, specific beliefs can be held even if they go against proven scientific thought or basic rationale. SJW tactics evolved by necessity to keep their ideology alive in a modern climate where science—even 100-year-old science—contradicts the bulk of their ideas.For example, a basic tenet of SJW thought is that there is no difference between men and women besides their physical bodies, that evolution stopped at the neck for human beings and gave both sexes an identical brain. Human biology can not sustain this notion, so when a person tries to state that men and women are different to a large audience, the SJW does one of three things:(1) Attempts to censor the speech through mob action(2) Calls the person a misogynist who hates women to inoculate the general population from considering the accurate information presented(3) Destroys the livelihood of the person by contacting his employer so that he is less able to exercise his free speech
Now, none of this should be a surprise to anyone. These are well known and well documented techniques. They are using techniques that have been proven to work in the past. They are using them with modern communication techniques, support and funding from very wealthy individuals and with a support network that includes selected government officials and a compliant media operation.
You’ll often encounter SJW debate tactics trying to use consensus to persuade you: “How can you think X when so many people think Y?”
As you may already know, consensus is a poor judge of facts or morality. Consensus used to believe that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the Earth. Sadly, many great men were imprisoned or executed for going against consensus on beliefs that we know are true today.
Consensus in America also supported the institution of slavery, which of course didn’t make it right. And not long ago consensus believed in segregation between whites and blacks, even in the north where slavery was not practiced. Consensus has been shown to be a dangerous method to validate ideas or behavior.Observers will note that information control is a huge component of SJW ideology. They have no other choice—their ideas do not hold water to basic science and logic so SJW’s evolved mechanisms where they must control and censor speech which goes against their beliefs.
By controlling what arguments or ideas people are exposed to, they have a greater chance of convincing others through manipulation and outright bullying of their world view to create the consensus they need to affect societal change. Some individuals buy into their cause because opposing viewpoints were hidden from them, often labeled as “hate speech.”
I have to tell the reader, I wouldn’t be able to devote such a large amount of time dissecting the way or techniques busybodies employ. For me, it is just enough to know that busybodies exist and how to avoid them.
All this talk about group think and group consensus is something right out of a George Orwell novel. All of it. It is like America has become some kind of crazy dystopian novel. However, the craziness is confined to the United States and similar nations.
Here in China, the SWJ’s are kept at bay. They know better than to try to disrupt the harmony of the Chinese society. In fact, if I were so bold, they are particularly sensitive to SWJ activity. The moment that there is any evidence of an SWJ trying to mess around in China, the entire weight of the Chinese legal system (and military) is mobilized. They go after SWJ’s no matter where they are. Even if they are hiding in South America or Mexico.
No use trying to be anonymous in the Americas. China will find you and come and get you. In the past, neither the United States, Canada, Mexico stopped the Chinese efforts to capture SWJ fugitives.
There is no where to hide. Even the vaulted United States will stand aside while the Chinese come and get a listed Chinese enemy. In fact, in the United States, federal agencies will even assist in the effort. See that guy on the left wearing the sunglasses. The Chinese never act alone. They always get assistance.
The messenger is Most Important
SWJ believe that they are important. They are the messengers of truth; the guardians of what is good and right.
There are many elements of this that are indicative of mental illness. Indeed anyone who runs entirely on emotion, with little in the way of mental reasoning are traditionally thrown into a mental hospital as they are unable to exist in any semblance of normalcy. Intellect alone can be dangerous. Emotion alone can be dangerous. Wisdom is a careful blending of both.
Unfortunately, an inability to proportion out intellect and emotion is a mental illness. Roosh continues…
A big chunk of their activism depends on subjective feeling and perceived value of the parties involved. Before an SJW can make a decision on what is right or wrong, she must first know the race, gender, and sexuality of the involved participants so that she can decide whether or not to be outraged. A statement or idea in isolation is not enough for them to come to a conclusion on the acceptability of a statement. For example, consider the following statement:“Abortion should not be used as a method of birth control.”An SJW could not definitively respond to this statement unless they knew who uttered it. If I—a Caucasian man—published this statement on a popular site like CNN, the outrage would be immense. Most comments would accuse me of hating women and wanting to control their bodies. A petition would be started to prevent me from ever writing on CNN again. On the other hand, if a popular feminist like Jessica Valenti said this statement in the same publication, the response would be more balanced. She would receive some criticism but even support from individuals who would try to destroy my life had I said the exact same thing.A person who believes in the scientific method would not be swayed by the messenger. They would analyze the statement and attempt to either verify it or not based on logic. SJW’s avoid such objective behavior.
Emotion fuels the actions of SWJ. Emotion. This is the same energy-cell that fuels crazy people. It is the exact same source of power that got all of Hitler’s followers killed. It was the source that resulted in the deaths of millions in Russia, in China, and in Cuba.
SWJ is not about what they talk about. They are following the same formula. It is the overthrow of the status quo by powerful interested people who wish to remain hidden.
Only China and Russia recognizes the dangers of SWJ’s. Americans are fat, lazy and stupid. They do not stand up for their nation, their culture, and their history. As a result, they are at the risk of losing it all to some wacked SWJ nut-cases embolden, financed and powered by the enemies of the United States.
I am reminded of a science fiction story by Ray Bradbury, where an alien race wants to invade the Earth. They don’t know how to do it because humans are so strong and powerful. So they find out a method. They decide to use the children, and in using them, they take over the world.
SWJ’s attack america by using our laws and our fears against us.
Groups are More Equal than Others
In many ways, SJWs are modern day “Brown Shirts”. For those who don’t know, the Brown Shirts were an organization called The Sturmabteilung. They were a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. In fact, it was the Brown Shirts that helped Hitler rise to power in Germany. (Then he had the leadership all killed during the “night of the long knives”. Ah, yes. Know your history.)
Know your history.
The Sturmabteilung or SA men were often called Brown shirts because of the color of their uniforms which were similar to Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts. Oh, they had their glory days. I think it lasted for under two decades. Then they were all killed. That’s life. Know your history, especially if you are trying to duplicate it.
SJW’s make a big show of wanting “equality,” but as the Animal Farm quote goes: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”They absolutely do not believe that a man deserves the same treatment that should be given to a woman of his same race.When they say “equality,” what they really mean is to apply special benefits to protected groups in order to create equality based on their subjective perception and feeling. They even go so far as to claim that women and non-whites can not possibly be racist against white men.If a black woman calls a white man a cracker, honky, redneck, hick, or peckerwood, she’s correcting historical wrongs and injustices, not being a racist individual.Since they have no objective measure or guide of equality, it is only achieved when they feel it has been achieved, but then that would destroy the very reason for their existence, meaning that their war on inequality is similar to the war on drugs or terrorism.It’s a perpetual war that will never be won in their minds because there will always be the creation of a new group needing privilege and equality. If you substitute the word “power” whenever they use “equality,” you’ll come to a more accurate descriptor of what motivates their activism.If you want to do a simple test that hurts an SJW’s argument that she is about equality, ask her the following: “Do you believe a black woman is equal to a white woman?”They will squirm mightily and may look to the left and right at their SJW friends to know what they think first before giving you a muddled answer that is inconsistent with their other stated beliefs.
You know, it’s going to get really interesting to see what happens to all these SJW individuals in the next ten years of so. If they become more powerful, then there will be a very nasty surprise for the SJW leadership. If they fade into the black, then the cultural impact will adversely affect the industries that support this behavior. It will be most certainly curious.
Of course, the Chinese here will not care if you are hiding out in a suburb of liberal San Francisco or off on one of the islands of the Philippines. They will go and come after you. There is zero tolerance for disruption of social order.
The Chinese will go anywhere to get criminals. SWJ and their ilk are considered to be criminals. If you try to hide behind the internet, a telephone, a black mask, or a darkened car, they will consider you a threat. They will come for you and it will not matter where you live.
People must be Labeled
The tools of all tyrants.; depersonalize, demonize, and attack. However, you know what? We are all sick and tired of being labeled.
Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
Now, we wear it as a badge of honor. President Donald Trump’s former adviser, Steve Bannon, told French far-right nationalists accused of racism to “wear it as a badge of honor.” Name calling, like swearing loses its’ effectiveness through overuse. Don’t ya know…
If censorship is not an option, SJW’s attempt to destroy the reputation of the speech offender by labeling him a racist, misogynist, creep, bigot, xenophobe, homophobe, or transphobe.This is one of their most reliable tactics to prime the general public against listening to individuals they don’t like because of the negative weight that such terms still carry. I personally have been called every label under the sun and a site I operate, Return Of Kings, was denounced in mainstream blogs sympathetic to SJW’s and then put on blacklists.While labels are still effective today, SJW’s are diluting the power of them through overuse.If the majority of men are decided to be “misogynist,” the general public will become desensitized to hearing it. We are already seeing signs of this whereby SJW’s have to escalate the labels to outright crimes. A tactic I have been seeing lately is accusing men of “sexual harassment,” which is often when a man did nothing more than factually criticize a woman or flirt with her.
Progressive art to make radicalism and change trendy. Listen to me, there is nothing sexy about getting blown up by a grenade.
Even worse, SJW’s have started labeling men as rapists based on anonymous internet allegations, even when the supposed victims never reported the crime to police.It doesn’t matter that a conviction is not present via due process of law, and “rapist” labels persist against men even when authorities refuse to file charges.This eradicates the presumption of innocence whereby an individual is innocent until proven guilty, a basic right used since Roman times and included in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.It’s possible that we may reach a point where all men are presumed to have raped a woman, and when a men says something improper, this label will be used against him to limit his speech.
It’s already happened.
A Busybody is Always Right
There is no doubt about this. Read campusreform if you want a hundred or so examples.
There is no open debate with SJW types. It’s the same with other busybodies of the past like Carry Nation. She was right and there was no argument with her. You’d better watch out, or she’d pull a hatchet out on you.
One of the foremost characteristics of a busybody is that there do not like to debate, discuss or talk about things. They just end up yelling and screaming rehearsed and memorized mantras at the top of their lungs. Really, it is like a five year old child who can’t have a lollypop.
Another feature of the SJW is their total unwillingness to engage in a civilized one-on-one debate instead of mob action through what they call “campaigns” or “pressure groups.”Unable to take criticism or consider factual evidence, a lone SJW will respond to having her arguments defeated by playing the victim card (“Stop attacking me!”, “Stop triggering me!”, “Stop shaming me!”) or engaging in one of numerous argumentative fallacies.These tactics are used to buy time before fading back into the power and safety of her large mob group.SJW’s avoid engaging in debate because they do not have the logical tools that an objective discussion requires.If your beliefs are held together by subjectivity, feelings, and the perceived worth of an individual based on an imaginary scale of privilege, it would be impossible for you to debate someone else who uses facts.The lack of educational rigor in SJW communities means they are more comfortable re-blogging content on Tumblr or sharing funny images than sifting through scientific data to find proof of what they claim.On university campuses, it’s common for SJW’s to obstruct speakers they can not defeat with facts.To some observers, this behavior may resemble a child putting his fingers in his ears and yelling as loud as he can. They have no choice but to silence someone else’s speech because their own speech can not properly counter arguments that go against their world view. They simply don’t have the intellectual rigor to do so.
All the reader need do is watch videos of SJW in public. There are many examples of this.
SWJ is not about what they talk about. They are following the same formula. It is the overthrow of the status quo by powerful interested people who wish to remain hidden.
No Morality
A life without morals is a life living as a wild animal.
Which is one of the benefits that I had living in a Catholic “God fearing” household. We were taught morals, and rules of behavior. We learned what right and wrong was. Not today. Now the SJW can say that anything they don’t like is wrong. Likewise, anything that they actually like is right. It is all arbitrary.
Thanks to the subjectiveness of their ideology, SJW’s lack morality or virtue. The reason this is a feature and not a bug to the SJW is because accumulated knowledge, morals, and wisdom of the past was developed and promoted by white men, who are seen as the harbingers or pain and doom to the classes that they want to protect.Even if Aristotle, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, or Henry David Thoreau had valuable wisdom that continues to help how millions of people live today, the information derived from their work must be completely discarded since they were white men.Since white men were at the forefront of advancing humanity for the past several centuries, especially after the decline of the Egyptian, Persian, Mongol, and Ottoman empires, this precludes the bulk of moral guidance that we can use to determine right and wrong.SJW’s invent their own moral code but it is often based on what they are upset about in the present moment. It does not serve as a guide for more than a month or two, suggesting that their book of code would have to be written in pencil.The biggest exception I’ve found to their discrimination against white men is Steve Jobs, inventor of the iPhone, a gadget that SJW’s prefer to use. The irony of this is that SJW’s are against “greedy” capitalism in favor of socialism or communism, but iPhones are made with low-cost labor in Asia where some workers have committed suicide in the very factories the phones are produced because of horrid working conditions. SJW’s are capable of applying blind spots to their most cherished ideals so that their consumer lifestyle is not inconvenienced.SJW’s don’t believe in god, have no belief in the heterosexual nuclear family as the principal unit of human organization, and have no sense of local community as opposed to ones that exist solely on the internet.Instead of reading historical texts for guidance, they read Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and Reddit.A significant amount of them gets their information from image-based memes that they share enthusiastically on Imgur and Facebook.They are pagans who worship women, minorities, homosexuals, and other non-capitalistic or non-Catholic features of humanity. Since their belief system is based on trends and feelings, an SJW will display rapidly shifting thought from one month to the next depending on what is “hot” or not in SJW discussion forums.As of late, homosexuality—an alternative lifestyle at best and the disseminator of HIV at worst—seems to be the centerpiece of their activism, especially as the homosexual marriage issue has become suddenly more urgent in America in the past five years.Some predict that the bulk of their activism will now move onto transsexuality, and one must wonder how the movement will handle so many fringe groups that are angling for least privileged status.
They don’t read. They don’t know history. They are enraptured in the present and enraptured with the artificial world as spoon-fed to them by the propagandized media.
Busybodies are Mentally ill
Evidence does seem to point to the idea that busybodies are mentally ill to one degree or another. We know that Carry Nation was traumatized when she lost her personal slaves, and then had to move to a small house many miles away. We know that she married a man who did not treat her like she expected to be treated…
Which leads me to ask, what does a pampered Southern Belle who lost all of her personal slaves expect to be treated in the post-Civil War reconstruction period?
Ah, life was not as she expected it to be. And this caused some very interesting actions by her. Of which some were combative and argumentative. These are sure fire signs of mental illness. Roosh says it quite clearly…
Many SJW’s readily admit to serious mental illness and being bullied or mocked as a kid.They have gone on to be bullies themselves on the internet, a platform where physical strength, courage, or defined identity is not needed to be an effective activist.Even though they are confused about how to live their own lives thanks to the lack of values they possess, and many deal with suicide, cutting, or other mental issues that prevent them from reading certain articles without a “trigger warning” to act as a disclaimer to reality, they have no problem telling society how to live.It’s unclear why they respond to their life problems in such a manner instead of seeking professional help or reading self-help, but we can speculate that they seek to control others to compensate for the lack of control they have in their own lives.SJWism is a form of treatment to their problems because they can focus on the perceived problems of other people instead of their own.A common problem SJW’s have is confusion about their own sexual identity or outright biological sex.Most of them find out about SJWism when they are in their teen years and not yet absolutely certain of their sexual preference. Once exposed to SJW writing that presents the theory that two sexes don’t exist, proven biology is wrong, and that you are free to place yourself on a kaleidoscope of gender including multiple kinds of homosexuality and transsexuality, the newly SJW activist mixes and matches her sexual identity to seek approval within her new group.
Mental illness struck SWJ’s early in their life. They never had the opportunity to grow up properly. They are like a stunted plant that will never bear good fruit.
SJW’s have invented new sexes and sexual preferences, the most popular of which being pansexual, the definition of which can vary depending on which SJW you ask but which comes close to bisexuality.Other inventions include polysexuality, genderqueer, pangender, skoliosexual, and the most curious one of all which assumes a new mammalian life form that science has yet to describe—trigender.While many of their members are plain vanilla heterosexual, they despise any sexuality or behavior that comes from the straight male.A male is someone exhibiting offensive privilege when he rates a girl on her attractiveness, exhibits a preference for thin women, or flirts with a woman he wants to have sex with, but when a woman does the same things, she is making an empowered display of her sexuality and must therefore be encouraged.The male sex drive is considered dangerous and oppressive to women but the female sex drive is wonderful, natural, and deserving of firm praise.It’s worth noting that some in the SJW community believe that all penis-in-vagina sex is rape, even when the sex is consensual.Masculinity exhibited by men is dangerous and criminal, but masculine behaviors in women (cutting their hair short, becoming burly in body size, cursing, sexually pursuing other women) are promoted. Again, this highlights the subjectivity and inequality of SJW thought.
Oh Roosh is quite blunt. However, can you really argue with his points? Have you been paying attention to the cultural collapse in the United States? Busybodies don’t get that way by living in a nice and healthy environment. They get that way after being hurt and emotionally damaged while their self-image is still under formation.
SWJ is not about what they talk about. They are following the same formula. It is the overthrow of the status quo by powerful interested people who wish to remain hidden.
How did they become a powerful force?
Today they are a powerful force. Their rise came about during the Obama administration, and the organization and implementation of their belief structures is most certainly curious. I suppose that there are many others who have documented this rise. It is certainly interesting. Indeed, how does any busybody become a powerful force?
Obvious it is NEVER a “grass roots” organization. It needs direction from a skilled community organizer, and funding from a group of large wealthy donors. It needs objectives and a long term strategy. These truths are obvious.
In America today, someone and something is instigating the overthrow of the core American values to replace it with a dictatorship disguised as a social utopia.
We can only speculate why an ideology that is so removed from science and Western values has established roots in America. One theory is that their ideology is soma for confused people who have been disappointed in life or have failed in achieving their goals.It’s easy for these sub-performers to flock to an ideology that says, “You failed because you were held down by the white patriarchy, who still maintains invincible privilege and is robbing you of your daily bread and happiness.”
Sounds like “The Wave” experiment, doesn’t it? Yeah, I wouldn’t be too surprised.
Obviously, it’s a much easier job to blame others or play the victim card than to solve the individual problems of your life.Hard work is not as valued in today’s society as in the past, so when you give someone a choice between expending effort on one hand to complaining and mob bullying on the other, it’s not hard to see how many (as in millions of people) pick the latter option. It’s also more satisfying to their egos from a power standpoint.That leads to the question of why straight white males become a part of the SJW movement, since it would be similar to a Jewish person joining the Nazis. Most of these men are shy with low confidence and low muscle mass. They have social anxiety issues and simply want to be part of a co-ed group that increases their access to women. It turns out that white men are carrying the water of SJW’s who would denounce them in a second all for the hopes of getting sex.The male sex drive is so strong that a man is willing to throw his entire race and sex under the bus in order to possibly fornicate with a woman.Even though men are usually the targets of SJW’s, it is not uncommon for them to turn on their own. For example, if a white woman, a protected group in SJW ideology, offends a transsexual, who is more protected on the privilege scale, SJW’s may attack the white woman, even if they may have defended her previously (this happened with Laci Green, a protected feminist who once used the word “tranny” and was threatened with death by transsexual SJW’s). Since SJW’ism is so subjective, at whim to constantly shifting winds, an SJW who is on the right side of SJW thought today may find themselves on the wrong side tomorrow.
Now Roosh has a tendency to be rather blunt. I think that there is an element of this in all males, and indeed we all go a little nuts when we fall in love with a lovely lady. However, this point and belief of his might be a little more extreme than I wish to sign on to.
My point is that a nation must protect it’s own people. America is not doing so. It permits these crazy people to go disrupt the social fabric of the nation. Many Americans bash China, most especially Conservatives do. They shouldn’t. China is doing things right. When someone tries to attack the nation, they go after them.
Suspects involved in telecom fraud walk off a plane after being repatriated from overseas, at an airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2015. China Daily/File Photo via REUTERS
What do SJW’s want to achieve?
For most of them, they don’t know.
They are lashing out at everything and everyone. The more evil amongst them have conspired and have put forth plans and goals. (With a significant profit motive, of course.) I don’t know what their goals are. Roosh has some ideas, however…
Their goal is power and domination over the Western cultural narrative to manufacture a consensus that is aligned with their extreme far-left ideology.Since their ideas are so far removed from science, logic, and rationale, this requires a complete control of information to disseminate their immoral world view along with the complete silencing of those who contradict them.It is not clear what their end game is when it comes to the white men who they believe are a bane to planet Earth, but it’s not a stretch to predict violence in the future assuming their mobs grow in size, anger, and power, which would put them close to being classified as terrorists according to the FBI.Currently their main strategies are bullying, spreading propaganda, and censoring opponents.A growing way they have been accomplishing this goals is by installing SJW activists in prominent institution and communities.Many are now active moderators on popular forums, leaders in campus groups, tenured professors, or popular bloggers and entertainers who have huge audiences they spread SJW propaganda to.Some SJW’s, like Zoe Quinn, simply achieved prominent status by having heterosexual sex with men who have access to information that they want to modulate.Since most feminists, progressives, and liberals are sympathetic to the SJW cause, it’s easy to see how they have reached a stunning amount of influence in America to spread their message.
SJWs are a threat to Western values
They, like their historical counterparts, are a danger to society. In their angry march toward radical change, they will destroy things that have endured for centuries.
SJW’s utilize censorship, discriminate against white men, and disagree with basic human rights concerning due process that has existed in the Western legal canon for centuries.They are against free speech as granted by the US Constitution and don’t believe that all men are created equal.They disregard science and wrongly apply labels, accusations, and criminal allegations to those who dare cross their path.They have determined that some groups should be elevated to receive more benefits and speech rights than others, and have been successful in silencing the speech of those whom they disagree with through their internet witch mobs.They continue to infect every group, platform, and community that they come into contact with.Their goal is not to add value or to create, but to control the flow of ideas and thereby thought. Their values are opposed to Western values.
SJW ideas have reached a critical mass in America. University students are indoctrinated with progressive thought that is becoming aligned with SJWism, and even students in grade school are becoming exposed to SJW ideas through feminist-friendly teachers who read the same sites as SJW’s.
Infowars covers this subject extensively. The SWJ’s are all out of control, spouting nonsense, and are being indoctrinated into clone-robots to spout nonsense in equal measure while being groomed to become debt-slaves for life. Pretty soon those pretty gals will be putting out for half a bowl of pea soup unless they are careful. (Image source.)
My fear is that their efforts at censorship and cultural domination will become more onerous as they cement positions in prominent media companies, Silicon Valley, universities, and even in politics. If your belief system is against that of SJW’s, it would be prudent to take measures to protect yourself from their witch hunts, because there is no sign that they will be weakening in power anytime soon.
The comic artist Ben Garrison has summarized how “the powers that be” and other aligned agents use the periodic SJW movements for their own purposes. Nicely done, Ben. Nicely done.
They are a nasty group of individuals who have found a way to exert power over others. Here’s some examples;
Students Sign Petition To Ban “Offensive” Valentine’s Day.
“Amid a brave new world of sexual consent forms and rage over the "patriarchy," Formula 1 and its FAI ruling body has decided to ban the use of promotional models, known as "grid girls," from its events because they don't "resonate with [the] brand values [of F1] and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms."
Whose societal norms? Has anyone checked out a college campus lately?”
“LAFAYETTE, Colo. - A Boulder Valley School District teacher now faces child abuse and assault charges for allegedly forcing a child to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance earlier this month, CBS Denver reports. Lafayette police say Karen Smith, a physical education teacher at Angevine Middle School, grabbed a boy by his jacket, lifted him to his feet and took him out of class on February 1. Police were called.”
…and shuts down anything where a Caucasian person would get a lead role. It’s a war on gender, tradition, and white people. It’s Mr. Mao ‘s cultural revolution all over again. Just like the armies during the Chinese “Cultural Revolution”, political SJW agents are all out busy rewriting the English language. It is getting pretty darn ridiculous.
It’s hard to pin a leader for the SJW movement. It is pretty obvious that it serves only the ruling elite. Though I suppose it could be a number of activist feminists. I suppose that you could lay partial claim that Hillary Clinton is one such leader. She’s something else. Did you know that Hillary Clinton says that Climate Change is sexist?
“It's unclear what responsibilities men will shoulder after the climate catastrophe has arrived in the future envisioned by Clinton.“I would say that particularly for women, you’re absolutely right, they will bear the brunt of looking for the food, looking for the firewood, looking for the place to migrate to when all of the grass is finally gone as the desertification moves south and you have to keep moving your livestock for your crops are no longer growing, they’re burning up in the intense heat that we’re now seeing reported across North Africa, into the Middle East, and into India.”“So yes, women once again, will be the primary…primarily burdened with the problems of climate change."-Hillary Clinton
Clinton made these remarks during a speech at Georgetown University. Oh, she didn’t stop there, she also griped about how endemic misogyny was responsible for her embarrassing loss to President Donald Trump. Which is (to anyone with a brain bigger than a toads) a continuing practice of never accepting responsibly for her failures. You know, I can see her frustration. She believed that she had successfully rigged the election. Of course she was going to win. She held all the cards.
The pandering is pretty bad. Uh huh.
“The Ruling Elites loves political correctness, for it serves the Elite so well. What is political correctness? Political correctness is the public pressure to conform to "progressive" speech acts by uttering the expected code words and phrases in public.Note that no actual action is required. This is why the Ruling Elite loves political correctness: conformity is so cheap. All a functionary of the Ruling Elite need do is utter the code words ("hope and change," "we honor diversity," "thank you for your service," etc.) and they get a free pass to continue their pillaging.”- Charles Hugh Smithvia OfTwoMinds blog
A Modern Busybody
With this in mind, let me present a SJW (Social Justice Warrior) who is hell-bent on enforcing his version of perfection on an unsuspecting public. Let him be an illustration of the kind of people who possess the destructive behaviors that hurt society. In their minds they want to “improve” the world, but in all reality, they are just worthless and useless. Do not be like this jackass.
Ah, not all SWJ’s are college students protesting with signs, and putting black masks on their faces. Many hold respectable and responsible positions of power. They campaigned for those positions. They were elected or appointed for those positions, and once in place, they try to make the world a better place based on THEIR ideas of perfection.
Did you know that there is a terrible battle within the state of Wisconsin? It is over how laws are enforced over the quiet people of the Amish religion.
Up to now, they’ve successfully dodged Uncle Sam (the United States government) as they are exempted on religious grounds from a great many “manditory” state and federal laws. These laws include such things as the presence and use of seat belts and child safety seats in all motor vehicles.
Their horse-drawn buggies lack motors, of course, as well as seatbelts and child seats. They don’t have air bags or back-up cameras or tire pressure monitors, either. The Amish don’t believe such things are necessary and therefore do without. They also believe it’s their decision, their business and as such, they just want to go about their business, leave others alone and be left alone in turn. After all, they’re not harming anyone else. And if they harm themselves, the Amish take care of themselves.
It seems reasonable enough.
But not by everyone. Indeed, there are those who can’t stand FREEDOM and independence.
Let me introduce a SWJ by the name of Bill Winch. (He should win the “Asshole of the Year” award.) He is a member of the Wisconsin Rapids Board of Supervisors. He is a perfectionist. He is a busybody. He uses whatever power he can wield to implement his vision of perfection. In regards to the Amish, who live NEAR (not IN) his community, he believe that he can tell them how to live their lives. He does not think the Amish ought to be exempted from anything . Anything, including other laws requiring driver’s licenses and mandatory insurance.
He has proposed a new law precisely to that effect.
Amish buggy and horses riding peacefully in the rural back roads of America. They will not be able to much longer, if the SWJ busybody assholes have any say in the matter. (Image source.)
Winch goes further. The buggies of the Amish should also be fitted with automotive safety glass, windshield and side glass. It does not matter what it costs the Amish and how impractical it is to install such things in a horse-drawn buggy. In his mind, there should be rear view mirrors that must be electrically heated (so they don’t fog up). Speaking of fog, of course the buggies must have fog lamps, and a backup alarm.
After all, no one wants to get crushed by a horse drawn buggy backing up! The list goes on and on. Why not include anti-lock brakes, GPS tracking, and mandatory safety seats for young children?
For their safety. Of course.
Their horse-drawn buggies should also be required to have headlights and turn signals. The argument goes; just like everyone else’s car. If this requires expense, so be it. And new buggies manufactured after a certain date surely ought to be required to have at least driver and front seat passenger air bags and comply with some sort of government crash test regime.
I can see it now; a test in a government testing facility where a horse races towards a brickwall. Slams into it, and the flight of the “crash test dummies” is recorded in slow motion.
Think of it. It’s necessary! Lord only knows the danger that might befall the passenger of a horse-drawn buggy were he to go speeding and run his team of horses into a cinderblock wall! Safety glass, airbags, seatbelts, child-restraining devices, electronic auto-locking buggy doors, all needs to be included in all horse-drawn buggies. Of course, they will have to be tested, and inspected yearly… at a cost. You know the drill…
…to pay various fees to the government. For the children… don’t you know?
Additionally, Amish teenagers must not be allowed to “operate” a buggy until they have attained a certain government prescribed age, and then only when accompanied by an adult, and never accompanied by other teens, unsupervised. There will need to be a special type of license. One that you get after you can prove that you can operate a standard automobile.
Logically according to this SJW busybody, as a matter of principle, either all of us and not just the Amish should be left in peace to go about our business or no one should be left in peace. It’s all or nothing.
Why should the claim of the Amish that seatbelts and insurance and all the rest are against their Rights, be any different than what other claim? Why should it be different than a Libertarian who sees no need for the government to tell him how to sit in his car? Or the Christian who refuses to bake a cake, simply because they don’t want to?
Why should the government dictate anything… anything at all unless it is specifically specified within the Constitution?
So, here we are. Either, [1] Winch is absolutely correct. Or [2] he is a consistent authoritarian control freak. You know, like those elected to Washington. (After all, how could you explain 30, 40, and 50 year’s terms of office for multi-millionaires in the Senate? You can’t, unless you classify them as control freaks that love power.)
BTW. As an aside. The argument is that you have to have an amendment to limit the terms for someone to serve in the Senate or in Congress. I propose something simpler. Any public official who has diminished faculties due to age, or in possession of a age-related illness (such as dementia) shall be removed from office. Simple, huh?
The Amish, no matter how pious, are not immune to the forces of nature.
If an Amish buggy driver wrecks his buggy, he might be injured just like anyone else. And if he is not buckled up , if his buggy lacks shatterproof automotive safety glass , his injuries could be more severe than would otherwise have been the case. Undeniable facts of physics.
There are those that believe that it is role of government to tell people how to live their lives. They believe that the government’s role is as a parent that oversees lesser people.
Amish road accident. Would any kind of modern safety equipment have prevented this accident? How would the lives of the Amish and those around them be improved? What is the benefits and cost benefits?
So why should the Amish, but not the rest of us, get a break?
Why should they get to live a simple, unencumbered, exempted life? What makes them so very special? Why are they free? Why are they free of not just government busybodyism but also the financial pressure of having to constantly earn money in order to pay for all that busybodyism?
The Amish man can farm his land. He can raise his crops. He doesn’t have to worry about coming up with thousands of dollars every year to pay for mandatory this and tax that. He deoesn’t have to worry about Social Security and Obamacare taxes. Or air bags and seat belts and back-up cameras and shatterproof safety glass. He has no dealings with the DMV.
This makes him a very free man.
Which is very unfair to the rest of us. It is an outrage! No one should be free in the United States. We all must follow the rules set forth by our leadership. The Amish are, indeed, throwbacks
If the rest of us can’t be free, well neither should the Amish..
It’s not just because of their buggies and beards. They are living fossils of a species almost extinct: The Free Man. They’re not interested in your goods and don’t want to control your life. If you’re interested in their lifestyle, you’re free to emulate it and even to become Amish, if that is your desire. In return, the Amish only ask that you leave them free to be Amish. Let them live their lives their way.
But that is too much to ask for busybodies like Bill Winch.
Democrat Busybodies
Well, I do hope that [1] I have managed to express my belief that there are busybodies in this world. I hope that [2] my explanation as to how they became busybodies, and [3] why they are still busily being busybodies makes some degree of sense. I also provided [4] contemporaneous examples of busybodies who are all trying to enforce their version of “who knows what” on an asleep public. I have [5] quoted from Roosh, who tends to be much more radical than myself. Yet, he has made some good points, even if it makes some people uncomfortable. (That’s how you grow don’t you know.)
Now, I want to take a moment to get to the heart of this matter and address why this post was written in the first place.
Being a busybody can be enormously profitable.
Which of course is why American Democrats are all, without ANY exception, involved in being a busybody. They can make money! In fact, by latching on the right cause, they can become enormously wealthy! All they need to do is find someone willing to pay them cash in exchange for them for implementing unpopular laws.
You can boss people around AND get paid for it at the same time! Imagine that!
Democrats want to Ban (or Control) Everything
You know, how can I possibly write anything without offending someone? I really do not know if it is possible? Yet the truth is the truth.
Today it is a Democrat that wants to ban motorcycles (of all things).
What is their friggin’ problem?
Well, there is [1] a part of me that wants to believe that they are well intentioned, but think that everyone else is stupid. That belief is one where they believe that they are better, smarter, and greater than everyone else. (Sound like an SJW? Hum?)
Then, [2] there is a part of me that believes the truth; that there is a money angle involved. Some business, or foreign nation, comes to the representative and pitches a new law or two. In exchange for the promotion of that law, the represent can get a huge sum of money. This sum of money might be public (like a campaign slush fund) or private (as in a brown bag full of cash). As time move on, I am more and more convinced that the reasoning is the latter.
Hey, I grew up in Pennsylvania, and the potholes in the roads are STILL not fixed. You think that it is a minor oversight? Why do you suppose that is the case? Do you think that graft doesn’t exist?
"I believe a self-righteous liberal with a cause is more dangerous than a Hell's Angel with an attitude. "
-Ted Nugent
Anyways here just some of the things that Democrats want to ban. This list includes individuals who are registered as Democrats, as opposed to official policy positions of the DNC. I know it’s an incomplete list, but I don’t have all day, and the point is pretty much being made anyways. Each attempt by Democrats to ban something has a link for verification efforts. I am not making any of this stuff up.
Ban hotdogs in public schools (All processed meat is bad, don’t ya know…)
Ban hotdogs in children’s hospitals (Hum. It seems like there is a trend here…)
Ban hotdogs and all meat from public schools (Oh no. It’s the vegetarian arm of the DNC!)
Ban the betel nut (No shit! Have you ever tried it? Good golly, it was banned because they couldn’t find advantages in it. Not because it was dangerous!)
Ban Christians from public office (Ok, this is a Bernie Sanders ban, and he is a “progressive Independent”, not a “Democrat”. That what is in a name? After all, he did run as a Democrat primary candidate.)
Ban riding bicycles on Iowa roads that are used to move food from farm to distribution points (Organized by the Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa (CFSC)… sounds like a George Soros organization. Eh?)
Ban men masturbating (as an act against an unborn child)
Hey, is it just me, but has anyone else noticed a trend here?
Busybodies do not realize who and what they are. They justify their behaviors by being righteous and just. They think that they are making the world a better place, and threat they are contributing to society. When the fact is that that are doing none of these things. Instead their ego has taken over and deluded themselves to cover up the fact that they are just horrible, horrible people.
Busybodies always have a reason, a justification or a need to fulfill. When they are children, it is to show just who is better, stronger or more powerful. If they are smart, they become a “know-it-all”. If they aren’t, they become a bully. It is almost always associated with some emotional issue.
Today, as adults the motivations are not so clear and obvious. I personally think that it is more related to them coveting a new mansion or two, myself. Their excuses are pretty much predictable. “It’s for the children.”, or “It’s to put an end to racism.”, or it’s to “make the country safer”, or “it’s to end the divide between one group of the other”. Ugh! Nah. It’s all just bullshit excuses.
I am not the only one who noticed this.
“In fact, you probably did five illegal things before breakfast without having a clue about it, which you'll find out about the moment some liberal decides you have to be put in your place and looks for a way to do it. Liberals control what you eat, what clothes you wear, what TV you watch, what kind of car you drive, what size soda you can drink, and even what toilet or light bulb you can use in your house. Complain about it and you're accused of wanting to end restaurant inspections and safety standards that prevent cars from exploding.”-John Hawkins
Even my father, who was a life-long staunch Democrat, questioned the actions of these radical progressives. Now that he is dead and buried, I am sure that he will still be voting Democrat, even though, his heart is no longer in it.
LOL!
The truth is plain as the nose on your face. They have no interests for anyone else except themselves. Someone gives them some money, and they use their power and influence to do their donor a favor (or two or three… for a price.) They come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, but come on… please. It is obvious that they are just busybodies that have found a way to get rich being a stingy busybody. What a racket!
Both Republicans and Democrats are Busybodies
For the sake of fairness, here are some links to things that Republicans want to ban. After all, we should look at the entire picture. Both are busybodies. There is something about about politics that attract busybodies. It is just that Democrats are more active at it. Republicans just act like fat cats in their mansions and collect the money from “donors”. Heh heh…
Republicans want to…
Ban abortions (I think that by now all Americans are aware of this. After all, the United States media is pretty fixated on this one issue, that and guns.)
As such, the reader can see that individuals on both “side of the isle” are busybodies. While all the news coverage might give one the idea that Republicans are out to ban everything, and Democrats are opposed to the efforts that is just an illusion. The media has flooded the networks and internet with huge quantities of articles on the same tired subject.
For instance, there might be one hundred thousand articles on Republicans wanting to ban abortions, but only two articles on Democrats trying to ban pickles. It’s all just an illusion.
The truth is that both people are busybodies.
The political party that one ascribes to is just a formality. They just choose the one that has the greatest chance of them getting power. If they think it will be under the “Democrat Flag” then they become Democrats. (Like most politicians in New York City, for example.) If they think that they will have a better chance as a Republican, they become one, yet they will still vote like a Democrat. Good examples of this are John McCain, and Arlen Specter.
As far as being a busybody is concerned, those with a “D” after their name are much more aggressive at it. Those with an “R” after their name have to deal with an enormous media that will make an issue of everything that they do. Combined, this gives everyone a slanted coverage of who these people are and what they are doing.
Obviously, the media is not doing their Constitutional responsibility. But, that is an article for another time…
Obviously, those elected to office isn’t taking their responsibilities seriously either…
Taxing what you can’t ban
When I was compiling this list of things that Democrats want to ban, I can across a smaller, but significant list of things they want to tax. It is almost like “if you cannot ban it, then tax it.” then, if they cannot tax it outright… “rename the tax as a use fee” or some thing similar. It’s almost like Bizzaro World…
Taxing tap water
NEW JERSEY (FOX5NY) - Never short on ideas for things to tax, lawmakers in New Jersey are considering a tax on tap water.
The proposal is being floated by State Sen. Bob Smith D-Middlesex, who is trying to say it's not actually a tax but a 'user fee'.
"It is a user fee based on volume," Smith told Fox 5's Chasing New Jersey.
What you can do?
Hey, I am always open for new links to things that people are trying to ban. Please collect them and post them here. I will add them to the list.
Many of the things that we deal with now, are the result of an effort by a busybody to ban things. If you the reader have a link to an article regarding this, please post them here. I am really interested in collecting them.
You know, you do not want to mess about with critters who are not afraid to fight. They do not yell, and enjoin in non-combative arguments, they just go lethal from stage one. So while everyone just seems to be tolerating this nonsense, please kindly be advised that the fuse is almost run out and the explosion will get ugly.
For instance, which government official got Jarts banned? Or how about the genius that put those stupid “child protective caps” on pill bottles? Which official insisted in making analog broadcasting of video television illegal, and forcing digital on us? Who’s great idea was it to make sure that shirts and shoes needed to be worn inside a restaurant?
Heck, you go to another country, and they have none of these bans. Yet, life goes on and people are happy, productive and living life. What is Americas’ malfunction?
Busybodies. Always trying to improve our world. Taking one freedom away at a time.
Conclusions
What is the point of all this?
Busybodies are everywhere.
Crazy / evil people use other people (often young) as tools to further their agendas.
They organize them, finance them, and provide support in terms of media propaganda, and use of aligned confederates.
The agenda is usually towards major changes in society or governance.
The general population is typically slow to react to this type of attack.
When there is eventually a response, the result is typically contentious and disturbing.
We know all of this because it has happened in the past. In fact it has happened over and over in the past. The playbook has not changed, even though certain elements of conflict has advanced technologically.
As such, in China…
China experienced a SWJ event around 1966. This was known as the “Cultural Revolution”. The communist leadership used the movement to control unrest and strengthen it’s power base.
The movement was a disaster, and almost destroyed the nation.
A second movement began in 1997. It was also led by SWJ leadership. It was known as “The Pro-Democracy Movement”.
It was supported and partially financed for powerful non-Chinese forces. They wanted to change the government and leadership of China.
The Chinese government suppressed this activity, and hunted down all the leadership and their followers.
Surviving remnants of the “Pro-Democracy moment”, set up cells within traditional Chinese organizations. Thus the SWJ take over of the “Falun Gong” began.
China suppressed this movement and all elements of it.
Today, China has zero tolerance for any SWJ activity.
Meanwhile in the United States…
Active “Progressive Democratic” / “Socialist” elements have taken over the American political party known as Democrats.
They have infiltrated all levels of society and have virtually full control of most American media outlets, court systems, congress and many support organizations. They operate as a “Deep State”.
They have organized into “movements”. These movements are all SWJ but each has their own objective. They include (unorganized) SWJ, BLM (Black Lives Matter), AntiFa (a socialist organization that advertises itself as anti-Nazi), as well as smaller splinter groups.
There is apparently no action being taken to suppress the activities of thes organizations.
Will we ever get rid of busybodies? Nope. I find it unlikely. However, I do like the Chinese method of controlling busybodies. They put them down humanely. (Three years of organ harvesting, then death. The family is then billed for the cost.) The Chinese society is too large, and too complex to have such interruptions and disruptions. They have well learned from their last mistake when they permitted Chinese SJW’s to run reckless and rampant. It was ugly. As such, it will never be permitted to reoccur.
One can only hope that soon the United States will recognize the kind of threat that busybodies represent before it gets out of hand.
Take Aways
Busybodies are everywhere (except in China).
Historically, busybodies cause great damage to the societies that they influence.
Busybodies are either mentally ill, or are using the venue for selfish purposes.
Busybodies hate being called that name. They prefer to be called something like “Hero of the people”.
In the United States today, busybodies have organized into two major and aligned groups; the Democrats and the SJW. Other groups include the BLM, Antifa and any organization with the word “democratic” in it.
Being a busybody can be profitable, as long as the people are unaware of your intentions.
In general, busybodies can become very wealthy at the expense of the destruction of society.
Busybodies are not tolerated in China.
FAQ
Q: What freedoms do busybodies restrict? A: All of them. There are no limits to the restrictions that a busybody can try to limit.
Q: Is America free? A: America was initially designed to be a place where everyone was free. Over the years, that freedom permitted busybodies to behave badly. In so doing, they started to infringe on the freedoms of others. As a result, over the years, many freedoms have been taken away or severely limited. Today, America is a place where freedom barely limps along.
Q: How does banning something limit freedom? A: It works like this;
• Freedom is an ability to do what you want. • A restriction is an inability to do something that you want. • A ban takes a freedom and turns it into a restriction.
Q: Why do Democrats, and SJW people want to restrict freedoms? A: They justify their actions in many ways. However, if you tear away all their excuses it boils down to either [1] ignorance though propagandized education, [2] mental illness, or [3] greed.
The person who banned sand on playgrounds did not have a loved one get hurt on sand. The person who banned candles did not have their home damaged by a candle fire. The person who wants to ban motorcycles, doesn’t ride one. The person wanting to force the Amish to put anti-lock brakes on their horse drawn carriages is neither Amish, nor interacts with any of them.
They often have OTHER REASONS for their actions.
Q: What does SWJ’s have to do with MAJestic? A: Nothing. It has nothing to do with MAJestic. Our extraterrestrial benefactors couldn’t care less about how we run our lives. Their primary concern is the battle over sentience dominance. The ultimate result of this nursery is to have one primary sentience for humans so that we can evolve into an approved archetype. Until that happens, we will remain segregated in this nursery.
Q:Why all this talk about China and Busybodies? A: In the United States, the media and the Internet is all “lit up” over the SWJ phenomenon. Yet, it is all either cheering on the SWJ’s or reporting with prejudice. No one is discussing what to do about these people, the forces behind all the terror, and what laws or rules would be best served to control those trying to turn society on its’ head. No one seemingly know what to.
Yet, China had this experience in the past. The first time was 1966, and the people and the government stood by and let it run it’s course and the nation almost collapsed as a result. Then, in 1989 it reoccurred again. This time, China knew what to do and took steps to suppress all the chaos.
America, and the American citizens are different from the Chinese. Yet in many ways we are very similar. Rather that sitting alone in our own propaganda-filled “fake news” echo chamber, Americans should look at China and copy their very effective techniques. As I stated previously, China does not mess around.
Prisoners in China. No easy life for those whom violate the laws in China. Perhaps there are things that the United States can learn from China. China is many things, but you cannot say that it is not trying to take care of it’s own people. The Chinese monitor and police society to make life better for it’s citizens.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
Articles & Links
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
Double-checking the people who were banning the items required some effort. It turns out that most articles did not state the political alignments of the people who were involved with the ban. Therefore, I would need to go find out the actual individuals involved, if the articles did not specify them, and then research what their political policy alignments were. Obviously, this took a long time. This particular article was first drafted in 2013 and resided in an “active” folder for years until I repurposed the information towards a blog post.
Updated 11APR18.
Internet ready 21APR18.
Edited per request 22APR18.
SEO check 6MAY18
Edited by request 8MAY18.
Added additional bans, all from Democrats unfortunately. 7JUL18.
Added link on Chinese AI to recognize anyone in the world. 10JUL18.
We all need to be appreciated. That is where rewards come into play. The method of communicating appreciation is through reward.
As such, there are different rewards for different stages in life.
As many of us work, we find that a corporate reward is important. Indeed, as a worker, we often discover that a corporate reward is the only way that we get positive feedback from the boss, and as such, it is important to us. Life is more than just money, we need appreciation as well. How we are rewarded varies from company to company and nation to nation.
It depends on how we live our life.
When we work, we enter into a daily cycle that our biology conforms to. We get up. We brush our teeth. We shower and shave. We eat breakfast. We rush to work. Then, at work, we have a morning coffee and go through our email. This is a routine that is followed by millions of office workers all over the world. But what about the end of the day…
Routines
This is true of all people. Depending where I lived, I had different routines. For life is actually like a bunch of individual rooms strung along like a train. You exit one room and enter a new room. Each room is different. Each time you move, change friends, get married, obtain a new job, or live in a different city, you enter a new reality. It is a new “room”. Within that new reality, you have new friends, new places, new activities, and new interests.
The realities change depending on your age, and where you live and what you do. There are no corporate rewards in school, instead your grades act as your reward mechanism. Later, after you graduate you start working either for yourself, or for someone else. If you work for someone else, chances are, they will provide you with some kind of incentive to keep on coming to work. Whether that is as simple as a friendly smile, or monthly dinner, it is and acts as a corporate reward. It is a way of providing you incentives to continue to show up to work.
Each reality, and each situation; each company that we work at can be considered a “room”. It is a “room” within a long chain of “rooms”. Each with it’s own set of rewards, benefits, and trials.
Consider the differences of the “rooms” as you grew up. For me, they varied considerably.
High School Student
In my early years, as a growing boy, I would wake up, get cleaned. Put on clothes and head off to school. I would stay at school all day. I did what everyone else did. We all did this. The school defined my educational routines. At that time, my routines were further subdivided into structured periods known as “periods”. There I would study, go to the gym to weight lift, or sit bored in “study hall”.
There were no rewards. It was what I did. The concept of rewards or even corporate rewards did not come much later; until after I graduated from school.
My first “real” job was as a temp worker in a coal mine. My first part-time job was as a stock-boy at a grocery store at 14 years of age. Then in the summer, I worked full-time in a steel mill.
At the end of the school day, I would leave the school and go to work. For I, unlike most of my classmates, worked after school. Depending on the year, I either worked in the coalmines, packed groceries in the local supermarket, or fought forest fires. (These were the only options to me at that time.)
After school and my work, I would then go home. My arrival would be around 9 or 10 at night. A plate of Saran wrapped table scraps was made by my sister and awaited me in the refrigerator. (She had to be repeatedly scolded, as the portions were perpetually meager.) When I arrived, the first thing that I would do is get the food. Typically the portions were unusually small. (It was a nasty sibling rivalry thing.) For instance, if the family had pork chops, my serving would be something like this; it was one tea spoon of corn, one tea spoon of potatoes, one pork chop and one tea spoon of applesauce.
Typically I would arrive late at night to a dark house. The rest of the family were either out or in their rooms. As such, I would turn on some lights. Get the food. I would pull it out and heat it in the microwave. I would eat it alone in front of the television set. At that time, I might catch a glimpse of ‘The Love Boat”, “Mork and Mindy”, “Three’s Company” , “Magnum PI”, “Hart to Hart” or “Remington Steele”. Then it was my toilet routine (clean, brush the teeth) followed by sleep.
There were variations to this routine. However, it was for the most part, pretty darn consistent.
College Student
College years were different. They changed as a function of which semester I was attending. However, the vast bulk of time the routine went something like this.
First, I would wake up. Then roll out of bed and then on to the floor. Two hundred pushups followed by two hundred sit-ups. (That was my routine. I was pretty darn muscular back then. You know, I needed to be ready to fight the “Red Menace”.) I would then change into my running clothes and run three miles. (I was very big on personal fitness back then.) Then back to a cold shower (The house where I lived was run by some “old school” German immigrants. They didn’t believe in hot water. It was too wasteful of energy.) The woman of the house would then have a nice breakfast made and waiting for me.
As a traditional German, the breakfast (das Frühstück) would consist of buttered toast with peanut butter, liverwurst and braunschweiger. She would have cut up onions, tomatoes and spices in oil that I would always put on top. I then would add some fine German mustard. Alongside this was typically a hotdog and soft-boiled egg. I would also be given a cup of strong coffee to drink. We would sit down together and chat a little.
German breakfast spread. Photo by Erin Porter. (Image source.) You’ll notice that the Germans don’t tend to offer the potato as a breakfast food.
It was my little morning pleasure.
Afterwards, I would hop on my motorcycle and go to the university. I rode a small used 250 cc Yamaha that I bought from my best friend for $200. I studied Aerospace / Mechanical Engineering which was more or less concerned with the propulsive and environmental systems on rockets and spacecraft. Yeah, I was studying to be a “Rocket Scientist”. When I arrived at school, I would then attend class. Have lunch and then study until dinner.
I am educated as a “Rocket Scientist”.
Dinner gave me a chance to spend time with my friends. We would relax and talk. Then we would head out to the library to study. Typically we would study past 11pm. Often, but not always, we would go to the law library to study as it was open after 11. We would call it quits at 2am. We would then go our separate ways, and I would head home to sleep. Typically, that meant munching on some “Cheez-It” crackers while I did my homework, then watching some late night shows until I went to bed.
At that time, a case of 24 cans of Genesee Cream Ale (beer) cost $1.
Married and Working at a Corporate Job
Of course it all changes when you get married and have a corporate job. You enter a new reality. Different jobs, different wives, different bosses, different roles all represent different “rooms” that you inhabit.
For me, I can confirm that there was a degree of similarity between different companies and different locations. You get up out of bed, shower and dress. Then hop in the car and off to work. I would typically grab a cup of coffee and a morning snack on the way through a drive-through. It was Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and a bagel when I lived in Boston. Whataburger coffee and taquito when I lived in the South. And, Carl’s Jr coffee and breakfast sandwich when I lived out West.
I think coffee is a great drink to have for breakfast.
That was then. Today, I can well imagine that it must be a (smushed) avocado on whole-wheat germ toast and a Starbucks latte in Seattle.
Work was work. For the most part, it was a life in a cubicle farm. It was a corporate hell. Oh, sure they tried to justify the mandatory blood collection drives, and the paltry 1% salary yearly raises (when the rate of inflation was 6%), and the absolutely humiliating HR policies. However, it was the life that I trained for.
Here’s a quick summary; Go to work and make it to my cubicle. Drink coffee while I scan my emails. If there is a “Green Sheet” newspaper by the door, grab a paper and review it over coffee. Answer emails. Get ready for a meeting. Fast food lunch. Back to the cubicle, then late afternoon meetings that began at 5:00 pm and lasted way past “quitting time”.
If you were important enough, you might qualify for a corporate reward. This corporate reward could be anything. Typically, it is a cheap pen with some “inspirational” logo and saying on it. Other things might include a little “trophy” that would have the company mission statement on it, or if the corporate reward was for a group, it could include a nice framed motivational poster.
Corporate Rewards during the 1980’s consisted of a cheap pen with an inspirational saying if you saved the company a million dollars.
Drive home.
Dinner with the wife. Do some chores or take part in a hobby. Usually this meant fixing the house, mowing the yard, or a household project. Then, watch some television. Play games on the computer, then off to bed.
It did not matter who I was married to, where I lived, what company I worked for, or what my job title was, this was pretty much my routine. I think that all of us have routines. There is nothing good or bad about them, they are just what we do out of convenience and situation. It sure does not sound all that exciting and adventurous, but that was my life.
I am sure that there are readers who have had a similar life. Maybe you would go fishing after work. Maybe you would go out and play some baseball with your kids. Maybe you would go take the dogs out to the park to run around. Maybe you would have a night out with your friends. There are many variations of this.
The reality that you inhabit is what you experience within your “room”. So, if you change your job, your city, or family, you will change your life. If you want big changes to your reality, you will need to make big changes to parts of your life. This might mean moving to a different country.
There is too much to discuss here about corporate life and the corporate reward scam that was oh so popular when I lived in the states. Here are some links to better expand on this subject;
When I first arrived in China I tried to find work in my field (Engineering management). I was unsuccessful. So while I was “pounding the pavement” looking for work, I took on side work to put “food on the table”. Those coming to America might find work driving a taxi, babysitting or working as a nanny. The same is true in China, except that expats need to find other venues to work. For me, I worked at what I was able to do, and provided a service. I taught ESL English to Chinese adults at a training center.
My routine during this phase of my life went something like this;
Up out of bed by 7am. Shower. Breakfast of noodles, baozi, mantou, or Congee. Coffee. Then off to work. I would arrive before nine as I was one of the most popular teachers at the training center, and was fully booked up.
I would teach ESL English one-on-one face-to-face with students and help them with their English. Depending on the student and the need, I would teach various things to them. Each class required a detailed study plan. In China, where I worked, if you wanted a student you needed to go out and compete against other teachers, other schools, and other (often cheaper) costs. Each student had to be obtained by my own personal sales charm.
Typically I would work a 12-hour day. That is 9am to 9pm. No break for lunch.
The classes were 50 minutes on the hour. That gave me ten minutes free time. That was enough time to go to the bathroom, or scarf down some delivered food. When I was free, I would either be involved in a sales conference (to obtain additional students) or making lesson plans. The entire time that I was doing this, I also was active in a job search for expat engineering positions. That involved quite a lot of work.
I would close up shop a little after 9pm.
We, well everyone in China, would also get a “corporate reward” for good work. Instead of a pen, or a coupon for a coffee in the company canteen, it would be a “red envelope” full of cash. The Chinese believe that rewards, especially a “corporate reward” would be best served in the form of cash. This was true for all the working staff, as well as for the students themselves. They would often provide me with gifts such as bottles of red and white wine, choclates, tea, fine china, or red envelopes full of money.
Anyways, once I was finished working, I would leave a little after 9 pm, and lock up the offices. For some twist of fate, I was often the first one in the office, and almost always the last one to leave.
Dinners, of course, varied. Being in a city (Shenzhen), we were able to eat BBQ outside. This would be a nice table on the sidewalk were we would eat anything from seafood, to chicken, to mutton. BBQ (shaoKou) is always best washed down with cheap cold Chinese beer. Otherwise, we might go to a “family restaurant” (A restaurant run by a family where they lived in the back.) There we would eat our fill of seafood or other dishes. Then off to the house for some wine and fun. Typically, I would go to sleep around 3am.
As the reader can see, life in China was quite different from my life in the States. Was it better? Was it worse? Like everything else, it was give and take; bitter sweet. Some things I missed. Other things I did not, and some things were simply outstanding compared to my life in the United States. The one thing that remained constant was that things were different.
Project Engineer in Pago Pago
For a time, I worked as a construction supervisor building a hospital in American Samoa. For those who are unaware, American Samoa is a small island in the South Pacific ocean. There, I entered a new “room” and began a new life with new friends, new routines, new habits, and new behaviors.
Typically, in the morning I was up before the sun rose. I would quickly shower and change into my work vest and hardhat, then hop into the truck to go to the company “tailgate” meeting. There all the employees would meet at 5am with the boss. It was held outside under a roofed pile structure with open sides. There were around one hundred of us there and you could tell when the meeting was held by all the pickup trucks and jeeps that were gathering about.
There, at the meeting, we would talk about the day and the various issues. Breakfast sandwiches would be served which varied from tuna fish, to hotdogs to hardboiled eggs. We’d go get a coffee and eat while the sun started to rise. Everyone would talk in Samoan, so I just sat there and pretended to know what was going on. Chickens, roosters and dogs would pace in and around all of us while we attended this meeting. There was always a daily prayer to start the day off right.
Then we would break and go off to the job site.
There, I would supervise the activity and make sure that everything would meet code and client expectations. They were a great group of guys. Let me tell the reader this; the nicest people and the hardest workers are the Samoans. If you ever have an opportunity to hire one, do it. It will be the best decision that you could ever make in your life.
Work would end around 3:00pm with a general cleanup and site lockup. I would then take some of the crew back to their houses. I would then go home.
At the house, I would pick up the wife and we would take a ride to one of the smaller towns and hang out on the coast. We would talk and watch the waves. Then back home for dinner and watch movies via the Internet. Then eventually we would be in bed to sleep before 11pm.
Even in the remote Pacific location, there was a corporate reward structure. Every few weeks or so, the boss would call us over to join him for a meal. He would have this big feast that we would get to participate in. In that case, the corporate reward was in the form of food and sharing a meal with the Boss.
As the reader can see, life in Pago Pago was quite different from my life in China. Again, some things were good and some things were bad. No, I cannot say that everything is good or that everything is bad. The only thing that I can say is that things were different.
Fast forward to today…
Life as a Boss
It doesn’t matter what you do, what you know, where you are, who you are with or what your dreams are. Eventually you will enter these “rooms” and your life will be different.
My life today is quite different from any of the previous roles.
I work at my own pace, on my own terms, to accomplish my own goals. I bike ride to work. It’s an easy ride, and very healthy unless it is raining. (Then you have a problem.) I arrive to work, say a nice cheery hello to everyone and take care of the issues of the day. Ah, the “issues” of the day. Let it be known that most “emergencies” are artificial. That is to say that most things deemed critical by one person, aren’t really critical at all.
A client wants some things made before a certain deadline. Fine. However, they wait until the last minute to place the order. They take their time. Then, they use a timeline with no room for mistakes or problems and complain when problems arise. These problems generate a string of activities that quickly devolve into “issues” in need of attention.
Sound familiar? I am sure that others have heard of these things.
The funny thing about this is that the arrogance of certain customers all disappear when they meet me face to face. Business relationships are based on personality and friendships. If you have a corporate environment, staffed with drone workers, it bleaches out the relationships. People forget who they are and what they are doing and why. In order to compensate they are often under stress and make poor decisions which tends to bind up all the projects under their purview.
Work is a task that needs to be accomplished to help generate income for all participants.
With this in mind, my end of the day routine is rather typical. I make sure that everything is being accomplished and responsible authorities are put in place. I have to admit that our staff is quite good. They are generally hard working and attention minded. All are Chinese and consist of various groups of people from Marketing, Engineering, Customer Service, Quality, Testing, and other Logistics related roles.
Due to the nature of the work and our various situations, I have the cleaning lady come in and clean the office at 5pm.
She’s a typical Aiyi; meaning she is older and is under-educated. She knows how to clean and owns a small business where she cleans various offices. You could call her an “old school” entrepreneur. She’s a traditional Chinese gal, and as such she shows me due deference and respect. For, after all, I am the LAOBAN. (The interesting history of this term can be found HERE.) In China, the boss gets a far greater degree of respect than elsewhere in the West. The boss is treated like a king. It is a show of respect and honor.
When she comes in to clean, she comes to my office. Knocks on the door. Then enters when I say it is fine, and give me my end of the day potato. This is one of her most peculiar habits, and I am not sure of the origin of this tradition. My staff tells me that she does this out of respect for me. I don’t know quite what to think about it. My wife would be furious if I ate the potato, as I would be too full to enjoy a meal with her.
Yes, my corporate reward was a hot potato.
The potato itself is a standard potato. Truly there is nothing special about it. Often it is the size of a large hand that she carefully washes and cooks at home. Then she warms it up in the work microwave. She presents it to me on a tissue right in front of my work keyboard. It is presented plain. No salt, no pepper, no butter. It is just a plain baked potato.
Apparently, according to the (very interesting) history of the potato in China, it was at one time considered a very valuable and tasty uncommon dish. Now, of course, it is quite common. Every KFC serves French fries and mashed potatoes. (Here’s a fascinating article on the Chinese KFC marketing strategy.) But when it’s all said and done, let’s face the facts. A potato is a potato is a potato.
Or, maybe it can be much more than that, if you are a kitten…
Kitten playing with a potato. Cats and kittens like to play with their food. Though, I have never actually seen a cat eat a potato…
An Overview
My entire life I have been educating myself, obtaining experiences and knowledge. I have been working to improve and better my life. Today, now as I brush against my retirement years, I have reached the pinnacle of all that I have worked for. Yes, it is true. I have reached that point in my life where others show honor, respect and reverence to me.
I now receive my end of the day potato.
So, with this in mind, are you the reader working towards that special moment in your life? Will all that you have made, experienced and built upon culminate in the kind of honor and respect that you deserve? Will you finally achieve that wonderful moment when you will be shown respect by others? Will you too, at the end of the day, receive your golden potato?
We can only hope.
How are you Rewarded?
All throughout the world people are rewarded for their efforts. If you are in a corporate job, say at a place like Google, that you are rewarded handsomely. I hear that they even let you have free soda. I also hear that at places like IBM you can actually wear casual clothes on Fridays. I am not at all kidding! I’ll tell you, it’s a new world out there.
Corporate life can suck you dry unless you look at it in a humorous way. Here is a great parody on corporate life. (Image source.)
A corporate reward varies from company to company.
When I worked at Delco Electronics, (at that time, it was part of the General Motors automobile empire), we were permitted to wear yellow ties once we entered the management ranks. Now, not everyone could wear the yellow tie, mind you. Only those with an office. That was a corporate reward (though some might call it a corporate perk).
In fact, there was an entire hierarchy of rewards and perks as you would climb up the corporate ladder. If you were able to “go yellow” (wear a yellow tie), the next step up was a potted plant. Not only could you have one, but also it would be taken cared for by the company at no expense to you! The next step up after that was a door for your office. The step above that was a window in your office, and the step above that was a corner office.
If, somehow you managed to advance beyond that level, you entered “mahogany row”. This was a cluster of offices in its’ own section. It was so named by the wood paneling in all the offices and hallways. It has its own secretary, and secretary pool. Its own car pool, and breakroom / snack bar, and other amenities that were only whispered about…
Yeah, different companies offered different perks or a corporate reward.
In California, at Comarco WSD, we were permitted to use the microwave in the lobby to heat up our lunch. It doesn’t seem like much of a corporate reward, but there you have it.
In Louisiana, Poulan-Weedeater allowed us to purchase shirts that had the company logo on it (at full price). Which was a nice corporate reward, it just didn’t seem like a reward if you had to pay for it.
In Indiana, Magnavox gave us a pencil (or a pen) that had the Magnavox logo and a motivational saying on it. But, of course, you needed to prove that you had saved the company one million dollars first, to qualify for it. This was a conditional corporate reward. Apparently it was a big thing in the day. Some jackass wrote a paper (purported to be an in-depth study) that showed that employees were motivated by small gifts provided often as opposed to large monetary rewards.
Meanwhile, in Boston at Pollak, the managers would get a real cake during their birthdays, and not the plastic one that we rank and file engineers ended up with. In that reality, the corporate reward was stratified. However, that is not the way at every company. Only at some companies. For instance, Holmes Products gave their managers a nice spiffy leather bomber jacket, and the rank and file got a pretty cool baseball style cap.
It depends on where you live and the culture at your company.
I am curious about the benefits and perks at other companies. What you they give their management, and their rank and file workers. I have read some things on the internet, but I find it really hard to imagine. For instance, I have read about some software companies allowing the workers to play ping-pong at work, while other ones let them park their bicycles from the ceiling. Still others give their workers free passes to movies and games. The corporate reward program varies from company to company and from place to place.
What does your company do? I would really love to hear about it.
Take Aways
Life can be considered to be a series of “rooms” that we enter and occupy.
How we live within those “rooms” determine what the next “room” will be like.
The rewards given by life vary from person to person.
If you work hard and strive, you too will be given your end of the day potato.
FAQ
Q: What is so special about a potato?
A: There is nothing special about a potato. It is a basic food that is full of starch and nutrition. I do happen to like French-fried potatoes, potato chips (the traditional type), and mashed potatoes. A good baked potato is often quite nice with sour cream, salt, pepper, and some nice melted cheddar cheese.
Q: What makes a great Corporate Reward?
A: I think that the best corporate reward is a monetary amount. After all that is why we work for antoher person within a corporate setting.
Q: Why were you gifted a potato at the end of a day?
A: I do not know. I think that the maid either honors me out of respect, or maybe has a crush (love interest) on me and that is her way of signaling interest. Aside from that, she was just your normal house cleaner. I just cannot imagine anything would be particularly favorable or special about a potato.
Q: Do you ever get any other gifts?
A: Oh yes. I have gotten lechee, peanuts, and sliced white bread as well.
Q: What do you do with your potato?
A: I carry it home and throw it out when I reach my house. Typically, there is a trashcan before you enter the lobby, so I just toss it there. The problem with this is that I need to carry it all the way home first. If I threw it away in the office building, one of the cleaning ladies would notice, and there would be quite a scandal. You know, they all talk amongst themselves.
Q: Why is your life so different?
A: Everyone’s life is different; I just choose to expose the various aspects of my life to illustrate a point. In this instance the point is that through hard work, and effort anyone can rise up, make a life for themselves, and get the rewards that they so justly earned.
Q: What does this have to do with MAJestic?
A: Iife is like a series of rooms. Each time you enter one, the previous room becomes a memory. You take on a new life. Thus each “room” in your life is a stand-alone learning exercise. You eat new foods, you have new friends, you have new problems, and you have new pleasures. You have different experiences.
The same can be said for reincarnation.
Each life that you have creates a series of new experiences for you to experience. These new experiences affect your thoughts and thoughts are what create our reality. Thoughts are what organizes and builds upon our soul. You are what you think. You become your reality.
This is the
real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British
tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This
is the reality. Read or not.
Learning About China
Contemporaneous Chinese Music
This is a
series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It
is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I
am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series
of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and
enjoyment.
One of the things that I have come to appreciate the most was the family meal that we had when I was growing up as a child. During my early childhood we would hold formal “sit down” meals in the Dining Room. Us children each had our own roles / chores in regards to this. On Sunday we would have the largest and most elaborate meals. Mealtime was the opportunity when we could all talk about our day, our hopes and dreams, and things that interested us.
At the time, I didn’t realize how important it was.
Then, during the 1970’s everything changed. Both of my parents had to work. (You can thank the American Federal Reserve for the decline in the value of the dollar that necessitated the breakup of our families.) A formal family meal was replaced with “help yourself” fix your own meals, out of a pot on the stove, or “make yourself a snack” out of the refrigerator. We would then scrounge something up, and eat it alone watching television.
Communication was via notes on the refrigerator.
Now that I am much older, I can see clearly the value of a family meal as well as a community meal. As such, I now dictorially enforce an observance of this tradition within my own home. This post is about what I think about this matter. Of course, like anything else, it is all opinion driven.
My own, obviously…
Formal Family Meal
“Family meals. There’s nothing magical about gathering the family for regular meals; it’s what you do with them that matters. Use mealtimes (it doesn’t have to be dinner) as a chance for your family to slow down, get together face-to-face, talk without distractions, cement your values, create a feeling of support, and build loving bonds.”
- The 3 Families Every Young Man Needs to Grow Up Well
One of the most important events in my family is the hosting of “formal sit-down meals”. Every day we have a “sit down” meal. I like to refer to this is a “Family Meal”. We try to do this at dinner time. The most important meal is the Sunday meal, which may or may not be outside in a restaurant.
Living in Seattle we are surrounded by Liberals. And the public schools of course. It was (and is) a drag. The kids would come home and learn something and we would talk about it at dinner.
(Yes- we always had dinner together around the table.) Lots of learning goes on there, and LOTS and LOTS of opportunities to teach.
“So - you gave up the pennies you found hidden to others that didn’t find as many. And what did that teach you?”
Having twins in different classes it was interesting. In one the teacher hid pennies around the room and the kids went looking. Of course some found a whole bunch, and others not so many. So then the teacher asked the kids what they should do to make it fair. Second grade or so.
My one daughter said “So we voted, and we all decided that those that had a lot would give some to those that didn’t have many, and we made it all fair!!”
The other daughter said “Yeah - that’s what we did too. But I didn’t think it was fair. Some boys were just goofing off and didn’t find any. I argued why should they get any? But of course I got out-voted.”
My other daughter looked at her and said “Hey - you’re RIGHT!” We had a long talk about just because things are equal doesn’t make it fair.
As lousy as it is in Seattle, all three of our kids are staunch Conservatives now, and prepared them for when they are on their own. The one goes a more conservative state for college. Lots of friends from small western towns have complained how liberal the college is. My daughter laughs. “I think it’s great - I bet 30% of the kids here are conservative! Back in High School it was me, my sister and about 4 other kids out of 700!”
-Free Republic
The truth is that we did not plan things out this way. For the longest time we ate out all the time. In order to save some money, we started to cook our own meals. In a short period of time, we discovered that we actually preferred it. Over time, we started to mix up restaurant meals with formal home meals. The restaurant meals are now, not an afterthought. They are planned, and treated special.
We pretty much never had sit-down family meals, and if we did it was from a restaurant, we ate in silence, and then we’d just wander off from the table one by one to watch TV or go on the computer or something. It’s not that we hate each other or anything, it’s just pretty much the way it’s always been.
PolkaDotsOnThursday
Call me old-fashioned if you will, but I consider a family meal together as an essential component of our family unity. We try to do it every day, but that is not always possible.
A typical breakfast in the early 1960’s. The housewife enjoys a cup of coffee and a smoke. The table is laid out with orange juice, and possibly bacon and eggs. Let’s not forget the fully salted butter. A Family Meal is very important.
Breakfast in the 1960s. Orange juice, coffee, cigarettes, toast, bacon and eggs. (Image Source.)
As a father, it is my role to pace and lead the family. It becomes an easy thing to do when you have rituals, routines, and roles. As such, I always lead the Family Meal.
In our house, we have rules. These rules are there for a reason. My rules might not work for everyone. As such, they are the rules that fit us. Rules are there to make sure that we all can concentrate on the food and fellowship together as a family. The outside media, and other distractions have no place at our dining table. Other people and other families might have their own rules. Here are my rules.
For us, in my family, we follow these rules…
We eat dinner in our Dining Room. The table is cleared and setup for dinner. The Family Meal is ritualized and treated special.
All cell phones are power-off, and are nowhere near the dining table. I know that many readers might not understand this rule, but it is very important. In my house all electronics are powered off. That includes the TV, games, monitors, all cellphones, or tablets if they are present.
The reason for this is that there is a purpose to a family meal that is defeated by electronic interruption. The family meal is to spend time together communicating to each other.
The fact is that you just can’t do that when you’re all silently staring at the TV or (more commonly) while everyone has their eyes glued to their phone. For us, it is a rule that is carved in stone. In fact it is the most important rule.
We started this rule when the children were really young. They grew up with this rule; without having any distractions at the table. However, their friends and others haven’t, and as a result, often some explanations are necessary.
(Sometimes we actually collect the phones, powered off, and put them in a basket in the kitchen. We explain that this is the way things are done in Top Secret military operations. That both amuses and silences the critics.)
All telephones (if not cell phone) are not answered. If they ring, we hang up and leave the receiver off the hook. (We no longer have a wired phone, but the rule stays intact never the less.)
Dinner time is OUR time. We form a “protective bubble” or “zone” that we exist in and NO ONE is permitted to interrupt it. Over the years, I have bent this rule from time to time, and it always gets misused. Today, every piece of electronics is powered off. No one cares about our family time. It’s up to me to enforce it. Otherwise, we are just sheets in the wind, and subject to the wants and desires of others outside of our household.
No one is permitted to interrupt our family meal.
Soft background music is preferred, usually jazz or soft Chinese love songs (but that is just us). We typically select a “station” on YouKou and let it play in the background (you’ve got to download the player first). Alternatively, we also use KouGuo for our streaming music needs. Both downloaded players will hang up during loading. You will need to disable your anti-virus programs if you use American anti-viral programs. You cannot use non-American government approved media sources, don’t you know…
The table is adorned with a table cloth. (Typically it is a linen table cloth, with an under-cloth to protect the table wood surface.) Typically it is a white or off-white color. We NEVER use a disposable plastic table cloth. Perish the thought! Additionally, we use special coverings for unique holidays. Such as a woven throw for Christmas, or for Halloween. It’s REALLY nice. If you make something special and you utilize ritual, it does eventually become very special.
Everyone follows ritual. This means that Western manners are followed. No one sits down until the father and mother sit down. Everyone says “please pass the…”, and when someone needs to get up and leave the table they ask “May I be excused?” and “Excuse me…”. This is not “guard the food during prison chow call”, but rather how to behave in polite company. I expect our children to know how to behave when they take on leadership roles. If you want your children to be everyday mill-workers, you can permit them to be crude and uncouth. It’s up to you. This is a formal Family Meal, after all.
“Formal” place settings are established for all participants. Each setting has the proper utensils. If we are eating Chinese food, then chop sticks (kuai zi) are provided on a cloth napkin (we purchased cloth napkins and tablecloths just for this reason). If we are eating American, then we lay out formal knife, fork and spoon. Everyone gets a glass for their beverage. Out of tradition, each place setting has a glass of water. People seldom drink from it, but it is provided never the less. On special occasions, we even lay out extra tableware (such as individual salad forks and soup spoons) so that the children can get accustomed for a higher class of life, and so that they are comfortable with it. A Formal Family Meal is an important learning and teaching opportunity.
Wine glasses, or VSOP (I am equally prone to drink “jin Jiu” (Chinese herbal alcohol) as I am to drink VSOP. It is healthier, don’t you know.) in a glass tumbler (with ice) for me (the head of the family). Hot tea for the wife, as it is her preference. Children get ice filled glasses and the beverage of their choice. (Nothing is more noteworthy than a frosty ice-cold coke.)
Dinner is the ONLY time when the children can drink soda or soft-drinks at home. Other than that, they must drink pre-approved beverages. This typically consists of milk or various teas. Dinnertime is a special treat for them. It is when they can drink soda, and have ice cream. We adults prefer dry red wine. Typically we drink mid-range red wines from China such as “Great Wall”, or from Australia such as “Yellow Tail”.
Family Meals is not only a time for togetherness, but it is also a time to relax and speak openly, freely with others. When my children start to work they will also earn the privilege to drink alcoholic beverages, just like I was granted that privilege when I turned 14 and began to labor.
I like to drink wine because it tastes great, makes me feel good, and it is good for me (at my age). Heck, when you the reader reach your sunset years, don’t allow anyone to tell you what you can do with your own body. It’s none of their friggin’ business.
Family Only, or occasional guests. If we have the housemaid make the dinner, she NEVER participates in it. She is forbidden from interrupting us during the meal, and does not interrupt for any reason. She is useful to answer any phone calls during the meal and tell them to call back later. (She is not part of our family, so she never participates in our family meals.) A family meal is for the family, and not shared with the domestic help no matter how friendly we treat them.
Prayer. All western meals have a Catholic blessing of grace. We all hold hands, and someone recites grace. (We take turns.) My in-laws just can’t get their arms around this ritual. My wife has explained to them that it is a American way of honoring Buddha. That seems to be enough to suit their inquiries. LOL!
Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
End of Meal Walk. If the Aiyi (housemaid) makes the dinner, and the weather permits, we have a short walk outside. The family meal can extend to an after-dinner “cool down” period. We take the dog, and everyone gathers for an evening stroll along the ocean while she cleans up. We would go along the boardwalk and talk while the lights of Macao twinkle in the distance.
Dogs and cats are NOT fed from the table. (If you start doing so, they get all excited and make a real distraction during the meal. Cats will jump up on to the table, and dogs will try to eat off your plate. Dogs will pace around frantically, around and around the table, whimper and cry. It’s really terribly irritating.) For a while we put the dog outside. Now he knows that he must wait on the porch, or sleep in his bed quietly.
Everyone knows this rule, except guests, and we never give them the opportunity to spoil the critters. The rule is this: animals DO NOT eat with human family at dinner time. (They can eat at other times, depending on the individual. But that is a special human-dog or human-cat thing, and has no bearing on this particular discussion.) The family meal is for the human members of the family.
We have family discussions. Always they are of a light subject matter. Nothing emotional or serious is addressed while we all are eating. Here, everyone takes turns sharing something positive and negative that has happened to them during the day. I enforce this, and take the subject “off line” if it is important. It is impossible to digest food when someone is emotional. For the most part we talk about school, work and friends. We also talk about movies, hope and dreams, plans for the future and things we like or hate. The family meal is a time for sharing.
No fast-food. Meals that resemble fast-food are discouraged unless it is part of the meal “theme”. (Themes that are exceptions include the Baseball theme, or a birthday theme.) Typically, we spend time in making each meal a “theme”. This is true even if the “theme” is “just an everyday after work and school meal”. Everything must have a theme.
Warm food is preferred. We NEVER eat cold food as the main family meal. Everything must be hot or warm. We can have a salad, or a dessert that is cold. Drinks can be cold as required, but the meal itself is hot or warm.
Friends are fine. Children’s best friends are sometimes invited, as are their parents. (Dinner is a family event, but in China it is also a social event.) However, Man’s best friend has to stay outside on the porch.
Cigarettes. If we are eating Western style, an after dinner coffee and cigarettes (typically 555 brand) are served. The ash tray is clean. At the bottom of the glass ash tray is a folded disposable kitchen-paper-towel, moistened with water. Typically, this is when guests arrive. I myself prefer to smoke a pipe, and I only do it when I am relaxing after dinner.
Formal ritual in presentation. During the family meal, presentation of the coffee and cigarettes is very formalized. Coffee is presented in cups with saucers and its own (tiny) spoon. (I wish that I could say that we make it fresh, but this is China, we often settle for instant. Shutter…) Sugar is brown cane sugar in individual packets, and we use individual packets of creamer. These reside inside a crystal glass bowl, and we simply move it to the table when the moment approaches.
Chinese guests. If we are eating Chinese food, and we have guests, we offer them white wine (Bai jiu). Not the cheap stuff, either. We don’t want to lose “face”.
Bread. If the meal is Western, it is served with bread. We buy a loaf or two of “French bread” from the local supermarket (D, RenRen Le, Carrefour, Taste or Park n’ Shop). There they make “real” crusty bread, not the super soft sweet bread that is so common in Chinese bakeries. Typically we purchase it before hand when it is made fresh and then we freeze it. We take it out and heat it up in the oven or microwave as necessary.
Salted Butter. We eat bread with REAL SALTED butter. This is one of the little pleasures that I missed over the years. In the rush to make everything “healthy” in the United States, everyone switched to unsalted butter and margarine. Bullshit. You lose the taste, and you still die early. It’s all nonsense. In my house, we cut the bread, heat it up in the oven, and place it in a bowl covered under a cloth. It is served with the formal family meal.
"I don't want to eat or drink anything with the words light, lite or fat-free on the package."
- Ted Nugent
The selection (and presentation) of butter is very important. The butter is in a large glass butter container (twice the size of the one we had as I grew up in the 1960’s) and is left out for a few hours to soften up. Butter is ALWAYS “salted” butter (which we buy on the internet), in a pinch we will use “lightly salted”. We absolutely never use “unsalted” butter.
We also never use margarine. I tell the reader this; try it. Get a loaf of French bread, cut it up, and heat it up. Then, butter it using real fully salted butter. Taste it. Go ahead, take a nice bite of that crunchy goodness. (Pat your lips with a tablecloth or napkin.) Then try a loaf of white sandwich bread with unsalted margarine. There is no comparison.
Now, the truth is that things have changed somewhat. My wife wants to control her salt intake. She read an article on the Internet that advises against too much salt. So she gets her own unsalted butter. The rest of us eat the real thing.
Time. The most important aspect of the dinner is TIME. People, please pay attention to what you are doing. If you want to have a special meal for the people that you love (your family), then give them the best and do not skimp on anything. The pennies you save is not worth it. Family meal dinners should be about the best you can do for your family. It’s also about the little things.
We always have dessert. Usually it is some chocolates, cake, ice cream, pie, or pastry. We NEVER use cheap chocolates. These are for young children. Instead, we provide expensive high quality chocolate in small amounts. It becomes a most special treat. Let the riff-raff eat the cheap stuff. When it is family meal time, my family gets the best we can afford. The rest of the world can go to hell. BTW, my children absolutely LOVE dinner time with the family. It is the time when they are a part; an equal part of the family, and they get the best and are treated special.
Leftovers are seldom used for dinner meals. They are reserved for lunches, and special breakfast concoctions. There are exceptions. For instance, a formal turkey dinner can be recycled into a “diner style meal”. A leftover chili dinner can be made into breakfast omelets, chilidogs, or chili-pockets.
Toothpicks. Everyone uses toothpicks at the end of the family meal, and uses a formal (polite) hand-over-mouth action to clean their teeth.
Alternatives. If we are too busy for a formal sit-down meal for dinner, we will go outside to a local “family” restaurant. In China, the “family restaurant” is a local family-owned restaurant that has really decent prices and great local prices. We never skimp on family meal time.
Meals like this take a minimum of one hour, with a two-hour meal being normal. Long meals with friends and family is (of course) much longer.
Themes for the Meals
I thought everyone who celebrated Christmas had a whole three-day celebration starting on December 23rd. You see, we have Ham Day (23rd), Turkey Day (24th), Christmas Breakfast (25th). We also get together New Year’s Day to eat pork chops and sauerkraut. That idea isn’t so weird, but the part that gets me some looks of disgust is when I mention how we pour maple syrup on the sauerkraut.
eclantantfille
The idea of having themes for a major family meal sounds very strange, but I believe it is a necessity. Food is a glorious and wondrous thing, and (at least in the United States) has evolved into a second-class status with the prevalence of fast-food restaurants. Indeed, during much of the latter half of the 1970’s, family meals were missing, and replaced with notes on the refrigerator. That DOES NOT happen in my household. Not if I can help it.
Formal meals always have a theme. Here are some of the themes that we have had in the past;
Thanksgiving meal (traditional turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes). Try getting a turkey in China. It’s darn near impossible. We need to order ours online.
The first time my wife saw it, she darn near had a heart attack. She thought that we were tying to feed the entire block. “How in the heck are we supposed to eat that?” Then she went on to complain about the huge size of the wings, the impossibly huge size of the drumsticks, and what to do with the neck and gizzards. Ugh! When I explained to her that the entire drumstick would go to a person who liked that part of the bird (dark meat), she was incredulous. “Who in their right mind would eat such an enormous piece of meat?”
Birthday celebration. (A favorite food, followed by cake.)
Chinese New Year Eve dumpling feast. (Along with after dinner fireworks.) Most Chinese families make homemade dumplings. We don’t bother. Ours are frozen. However, in China the tradition is to make dumplings the “old fashioned way”, which is from scratch. That will happen, I am sure, when we are older. However, for now, we use frozen pre-made dumplings.
Beowulf (Dim the lights, candles, and eat with greasy fingers.) This can be anything from chicken to mutton or pork. No silverware. No chopsticks. (We play some Richie Blackmore medieval and Renaissance music in the background.)
Kids get super chilled Root beer or extra-strong Ginger beer. Ginger beer is the key. It originated in the 1800’s in England and, at that time, it actually did contain a small percentage of alcohol. Around 100 years later, the ginger ale we’ve come to know and love was developed and came to be known as Canada Dry. The difference? Ginger beer is actually brewed and fermented while ginger ale is essentially a carbonated beverage made from water and ginger.
Ginger beer often has much more of a “gingery” flavor and because it’s fermented, is less carbonated. When someone drinks it, the look on their face is precious! Listen to me; Kids LOVE the experience! (They actually announce that they are eating “Beowulf” at home, and then they show up with five or six friends! LOL!)
Hunan spicy Chinese. We typically eat out for this. We have numerous traditional restaurants where we go. We get our own room typically and have a feast. In China, most restaurants have private rooms to eat in. We pick or reserve one. Then we enjoy the experience. To repeat; when in a resturant, family meals are held in a private room with it’s own bathroom. The television is kept off, even when the waitress turns it on.
Halloween. The misses bought some white porcelain skull bowls one year. They look like a skull, and we ate spaghetti out of them. It looked like we were eating brains. (I don’t know where the bowls are today. I think we only used them once.) There’s also bloody fingers in a bun (hot dogs) that are a big hit with the kids.
Christmas Eve baked ham, fresh baked bread and snack food spread (cheese, cold cuts and vegetables) with homemade Egg Nog. (Impossible to find in China.) This is a carry-over from my mother. We would have cold cuts and fresh cut bead that we would snack on with fresh baked ham. I continue this history.
Other families might be different. I have Spanish friends that describe a different meal and religious routine that I would love to participate in. I have Mexican friends who describe a similar type meal that is outstanding and my Lithuanian friends describe some food traditions that make my mouth water. Ugh! Trust me, that there is nothing wrong with family meal rituals and traditions.
In Zambia they eat this amazing fish with a kind of rice / potato that they eat with their fingers. My God, it is excellent! It helps make the family stronger.
Wenzhou steamed shellfish and snails. All Wenzhou dishes provide us an opportunity to explain our Chinese history and the nature of Wenzhou business practices.
For our children to “make something with their lives” they must think as business people. They need to believe that is normal and achievable.
For us, all the kids must be able to say, in wenzhou hua (the local Wenzhou language), “I would like to collaborate with you in a business venture or two. Here is my business card”. And yes, they do have their very own business cards made up. They got to design them themselves.
Polish Open-Faced Sandwich (Zapiekanka). We even play some polka music, though I am not a big fan. All Polish dishes serve as an opportunity for me to explain our Polish-American heritage.
Hey, I am Polish-American. Though I don’t hide behind it and ask for handouts like my liberal and progressive friends. I do try to keep some of the heritage alive.
Polish open-faced sandwiches (also known as French-bread pizzas) are popular street food in the bigger cities of Poland, not to mention my old family stomping ground in Pittsburgh (Polish Hill). They’re known as zapiekanki (plural) or zapiekanka (zah-peeyeh-KAHN-kah), which is singular. Most zapiekanki sandwiches start with French bread, sautéed mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup, but there are Greek-style with olives and feta cheese, Italian style and many more.
What makes the open-faced sandwich authentic is a thick drizzle of Polish ketchup across the top, no matter what cuisine the zapiekanka is trying to emulate. That’s the secret.
Mexican theme with tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. We can get the real deal in Shekou (a Spanish expat region of Shenzhen), but the hassle to get there makes this a low priority theme.
"At least once a week, I'll put out all the parts of the dinner separately and have my husband and son make their own version of whatever it is we're having.
With taco night, for example, I'll put out corn tortillas, refried beans, Spanish rice, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cheese, salsa, meat, and cheese. My husband and son love it because they can make their own taco combos and I love it because I don't have to be the one to do all the work.
Build-a-dinner works great with pasta, burritos, pizza and even dessert with company such as a make-your-own sundae bar."
--Jill Houk, Chicago
1930’s style “diner meals”. (Hot Turkey Sandwich with homemade fries with gravy, etc.) We typically buy pre-made beef or pork gravy off the Internet. The misses has yet been able to master American style gravy. Her idea is to add soy sauce or vinegar to “make it taste better”. Ugh! (But she is still learning… Sigh.)
Fondue. Fondue is idea for a special family meal occasion. For those of you who don’t have a clue, Fondue is a Swiss condiment of melted cheese served in a communal pot. The pot is usually placed in the center of the table and heated with a burner or open flame. Usually, for cheese fondue, there is a mixture of melted cheese, wine and crème simmering away in the pot.
It is eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was popularized in North America in the 1960s. It seemed like every family had one. However, it became disused during the 1970’s. When you dust one off and use it, it becomes a very special occasion.
During the 1960’s fondue became very popular. It seems that for a while, every Christmas tree had a fondue set sitting under it. Families would host “fondue” parties. This seemed to trail off into disuse during the 1970’s. However, today it makes a perfect special treat during a family meal.
Fresh baked bread, cheese and homemade soup (Typically, but not always, a heavy cream soup.) The wife goes along with this, but she’s afraid the children will get fat, but I insist. Typically, we use Campbell’s soup (of the crème kind) and add milk instead of water. We thicken it with cheese and crackers. Of course, I insist in “real” fresh bread and real salted butter.
Pork Chops (American style) with Country & Western Music playing and applesauce. Forget the political progressive narrative. This is a typical 1970’s meal. We duplicate it to a “T’. If you don’t like it you can go to hell.
Crock-pot sweet sausage and peppers, with real rolls. The crockpot will cook for two to five hours, and the result is amazing. If you don’t know how to make this amazing dish, don’t worry. You get peppers, sweet Italian sausage, onions, tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce. You add everything together in a crockpot and let it cook. It is that simple. Yum!
Hotdogs, fries, pork & beans with a baseball game playing in the background (via the Internet). Wine or VSOP is replaced with beer, super chilled and served in a cold glass. (The kids get a genuine glass bottle of Coke-cola super chilled (about 20 minutes in the freezer), and they drink from a straw.)
Sometimes it is the simple attention to details that make all the difference. Let your children have the frosty ice-cold coke in a glass bottle experience while smunching on a freshly cooked hotdog. Yum!
Homemade pot of chili. We eat it as a thick soup or with rice. In it we use Chinese spices, which has the exact flavor as the imported expensive American spices. Typically we eat it with saltines or cheddar cheese. It makes for a great semi-formal family meal.
Chili meals are always on the informal side. To make it more formal, we will provide homemade bread and soft salted butter. (I have heard of it being served with Doritos or Frito chips, but they are too expensive in China to use.) Next time we are in Louisiana we will get a bowl using Doritos and add some New Iberia hot sauce too. That’s um good, you betcha! yah.
Deli sandwich with kosher pickles (This also tends to be a little expensive.)
All in all, I have read and I do believe that parents who have a strong marriage, better relationships with their kids, and set more guidelines for them, were more likely to have family dinners. As a result, they are more likely to have well-adjusted children.
What you can do
All this being said, I look back in my life.
I well remember the 1970’s. That was a time of many changes. I wore bell bottoms, had my hair below my ears and bangs that fell over my eyes. My parents hated it, but I was very fashionable. Oh, baby!
Fresh milk was delivered to our porch daily. It sat inside a small galvanized metal box cooler specifically designed for that purpose. We didn’t lock our house doors. We left the car keys in the ignition. We would say “Hi” to our neighbors and play with their kids. We would make “forts” out of the cardboard boxes that home appliances were shipped in.
I carried a pocket knife with me, and used it to cut small branches and to chew on twigs from a birch tree (it tastes like root beer). I was very shy with girls, and not so great at sports. However, I was a fantastic swimmer, an average golfer, and an active tennis player. I was a member of the cub scouts, and rode a gold Schwinn “banana seat” bike with “high bars” and a “drag strip” (non-tread) rear tire.
We ate “soft serve” ice cream from the local Dairy Queen stand, or had banana malt milk shakes. The news that played on the radio concerned our exploration of space and the Vietnam War. We watched Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom”, and “The FBI” (Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr) after the Walt Disney hour on Sundays. If I wasn’t watching television, I was building plastic scale models, or experimenting on my Gilbert chemistry (and electrical) sets.
I wore a “mood ring” that I found in an old “mason jar” filled with old pennies, marbles, and campaign pins (I picked it up at a yard sale for twenty five cents.). I also wore a catholic ring of Saint Christopher that I picked up at a church sale on “Polish Hill” in Pittsburgh. I wore “Beatles style” hair with bangs that were always covering my forehead and falling in front of my eyes, and often would go into the local “woods” to dig for “old bottles” (in long disused trash dumps, often 100 years old) that I would then clean and collect.
Then, when I would arrive home, I would sit down and eat a family meal.
At that time, I really didn’t appreciate the importance of it. I did not understand the importance of a family meal. However, later… Yes, when both of my parents were working, I did miss the meals. I didn’t know it at the time, but I needed a formal sit-down family meal.
My life had changed, and it wasn’t for the better. Instead of eating with my mother and talking with my father. Instead, I sat alone in the TV room with a bowl of cheerios in my hand, heavily laden with sugar. I watched all kinds of television shows, but around dinner time, I watched The Flintstones. It was mindlessly entertaining for me.
Looking back, I truly see what a waste of time it was.
So, I ask the reader, does this sound like your family? Instead of sitting together during a family meal, is everyone off in their little worlds on the smartphone? Are they checking their likes on Facebook? Are they reading the news on Drudge or Zero Hedge? Are they looking at the goings on with the rich and famous on CNN and the Huffington Post? When you do go out to eat together, is there any discipline? Do you all sit down, look at each other and just talk?
Hey… Listen up! Family meal dinners is the time for everyone to talk, communicate and share with each other. What’s wrong with that? Most of the complaints that I get from people who are having marriage difficulties stem from either financial problems, or communication problems.
You are a family. Take the time to TALK. Take the time to look at each other face to face. Take the time to relax with your family. That is what a family meal is all about.
Indeed, I say this two times, one of the complaints that I hear from many young married millennials is that they don’t communicate enough. They don’t talk. When they do, it seems light, trivial and meaningless. The complaint is that people no longer seem connected. Why is this?
I am not a doctor, nor am I an expert on these matters.
However, I would suggest that some effort be taken to bring everyone closer together. This effort need not be the dining table. This need not be at a family meal. This can be something else. However, whatever it is, it must be free of distraction. No television, or media on. No cell phones. No crying babies that need your constant attention. You need to set aside time (on a regular basis, if possible) for close and real communication.
So, I have to ask? What do you do to maintain your family?
Dinner as “Quality Time”
I spend “quality time” at dinner. We maintain it with rituals and rules. The rules and rituals are for one purpose only; building our relationships through communication. I consider it important. I know that others don’t, but I do. We use the family meal as the vehicle for this.
Here are some ideas what you and your loved ones can do to build, sustain or create relationships together…
Involve food. Everyone loves to eat. I only met one person who did not. He was in a mental hospital in Boston, MA. (Stoughton, Massachusetts actually.) He was a truly miserable person. Who in their right mind doesn’t like food? Well, he was an example of one. That is perhaps why he is in a mental hospital. When in doubt, cook “breakfast food”. Everyone loves breakfast food. A family meal can most certainly be made out of breakfast food. Ever hear of pancakes, eggs, bacon, baked beans, toast? Make it special. Put out all kinds of things to put on the toast. Provide cut up tomatoes, peanut butter, chopped lettuce. Make it special. make it noteworthy. The family meal can be anything at all, just include food.
Talk without distraction. Do not permit things to interrupt your train of thought, or to drown out the words of people who are trying to talk with you. Music should be of low volume and not jarring. Music sets the pace of eating. Let it be relaxed, slow, casual and friendly.
Set up a routine. It cannot be done once or twice and then forgotten. Make it a regular event. If not daily, at least weekly.
Give it your best. This period of time during the family meal need not be long, but it MUST be the best time. Give your attention 100%. Do not skimp on anything. Make it special. It’s for you and the ones you love. You can always make more money, but you can never make more time.
Have fun. The family meal is the time when your children get to see you laugh. My memories of my mother always include the times when she was singing alone in the kitchen on Christmas day. This should be a special time. This is the time when everyone can feel free to talk without being told to “hush”, or “you can’t say that”.
"Come In. This is Liberty Hall; you can spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard!"
-Commander John Grimes
I sincerely hope that people start to appreciate what they have, instead of looking outwards for more or better. The things that matter to us are right there. We just need to reach out and treasure them. I would urge everyone to start now, today and do it in small ways.
Some Paternal Notes
It wasn’t until I was much older that I fully began to appreciate the total value of a family dinner. Over time I saw examples of it being done right, and other examples that were not to my liking. I have witnessed families getting together at 7:00 am before school and work eating breakfast at McDonald’s together. The dad is there in a business suit, and the kids are there with their school bags and uniforms. It’s pretty cute.
There are some rules that apply to the parents, and especially to the “Man” of the house; the Father. I have followed these rules for the last five years or so, and they work for me. I suggest you, the reader, give them some consideration.
The father always smiles. I do. I fake it sometimes, but I always smile.
No yelling and no arguments. That is enforced. I simply say “we will take that off line after dinner. Then you can explain to me what is going on.”
No one can break off from dinner early. It is formal. They have to ask to be “excused”, and more often than not, the answer is “no”.
Nothing is placed on the table. Books, pens, games, electronic devices, a race car.
Dinner is a happy time with good, warm food, no worries, no problems, and no troubles.
I maintain these rules, even when there are indeed, some serious things to talk about.
Some Fun Links
Those that study this issue concluded that while family meal dinners alone won’t prevent your kids from turning into cigarette-smoking urban turbaned transgender youth, the ritual can serve as a valuable part of family and the bonds of a family. It is the set of habits, routines, and practices that can contribute to a well-rounded person. While I have always felt this way, others with better communication skills than myself have written articles on this subject in great length.
I would suggest that the reader read their articles and come to your own conclusions.
9 Scientifically Proven Reasons to Eat Dinner as a Family
There are other articles on the importance of a family dinner. There is nothing new about this, what is different here is the importance of a family meal to stabilize a cultural island within a wholly different cultural environment. Our children are American & Chinese. If we do not maintain the importance of their American heritage, they will lose it and become totally absorbed within the Chinese hive (To reference the Star Trek Borg Collective narrative.). Our family meals is our way and means for cultural stability.
We need to do this. Not every family does.
Do you, the reader, see the neighborhood children doing activities that you don’t want your children to get involved in? Are they doing things that you do not like? Are their habits, dress, actions, and behaviors disturbing to you? Well, communicate to them, get involved.
Don’t let the community dictate behavior. You do it.
Have family rituals. Do not expect the neighborhood community to raise your children better than you can. They can’t, no matter what the media tries to ram down our collective throats.
Hillary Clinton tells us (in her book “It takes a Village”) that parents are not really that important. It is the collective society that is important. I can see how well this has worked out in Baltimore, Detroit and similar enclaves such as Ferguson.
I choose a different route. I chose the radical direction; I chose the traditional method of raising children.
I note that while Hillary Clinton made some money on this ghost written tome, she did not follow the advice she so professes. Her child ate formal family meal dinners at home just like my children do. Do as she does, not as she professes.
“Kids are the same now as they were a hundred years ago – petulant, brave, arrogant, earnest, frightened, and cocksure. It’s the parents who have changed. It’s the parents who have put their own happiness above the best interests of their kids. It’s the parents who actually believe “the village” will raise their kids, when the village is profoundly incapable of doing anything of the sort.”
-Mike Rowe
Now for some VERY harsh words. If you, the reader wishes to raise your child progressively – go for it. I am not going to stop you. Your children will serve the food that my children will eat.
It is true, and you know it.
Read your history. Now, you might be offended by the truth, but you’ve got to face the facts. The leaders of today became that way through the teachings of their parents. So give your old man some credit, and take a special moment to thank your mother. You turned out alright, didn’t you? Maybe they did something right. Copy them.
Now it’s your turn.
Take Aways
A family meal is a very important part of a family.
Children who are raised with formal (family meal) dinner meals perform better than their classmates do.
Dinnertime should always be treated as a special event.
The best dinners always follow a set of fixed rules.
Rituals are important, and your children will remember the rituals more than the events.
The most important gift you can give your children is your time.
Everything here is my opinion.
Free Republic Posting
This article was posted on Free Republic for comments on 20JUL18. You can read the comments HERE.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my life.
I don’t suppose that others might agree with me. However, I am sure that there are people who have ideas, experiences, and thoughts to share. I, for one, am willing to listen to them. Please let this be an opportunity for you to contribute to the community dialog. Don’t be silent. If you have something to say, then please share it. Thank you.
FAQ
Q: What are the benefits of family meals together? A: Spending time together brings us closer. That is the most important part of a family meal. We are able to communicate and everyone knows how each other is doing, both the good and the bad. Additionally, it is a refuge of support and a feeling of belonging. One of the problems with today’s electronic society is that people have lost that feeling of membership. Instead, they post “likes” and snapshots of desserts instead of talking to people and bonding face to face.
Q: What is the importance of a family meal together? A: There are few things more important than a family. It is your support group, your strength, security and financial fallback plan when life becomes too difficult to endure. You children will learn that no matter how difficult the world is “outside”, home is a place of acceptance and a good hot meal.
Q: Meals are fine, but what is the importance of family DINNER together? A: The dinner is the most important meal for social and family interaction. Breakfast is a good way to start the day and wake up. Lunch is a time for the mid-day recharge, but dinner is a time for relaxation and social interaction. Dinner is the end of the day “rewind and relax”. A family meal can be held at any time of the day and with any kind of food.
Q: What is the overall importance of families eating together? A: People need to do things together, as it creates bonds. Everyone needs to eat. By combining food with togetherness, a family can build bonds and strengthen existing ones.
Q: Do other families in China eat meals together? A: Yes they do. The Chinese culture is very supportive of communal meals and spending time together. It is the most common way to bond with people. The second most common way is to share a cigarette. The third most common method is to share a drink (beer or something stronger).
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
Articles & Links
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
What happens to our pets when they die? Do they go into a dark nothingness? Do they go to Paradise? Do cats go to Cat Heaven? Does the soul or spirit fly free? Are there others that help them? Will our loved ones be able to remember our times together? These are questions that all pet owners ask when their beloved pal dies. Here, I will try to answer these questions in the only way that I know how. Through my MAJestic entanglements.
I am a pet lover. I love my dogs and my cats. When I was young, we had birds, turtles, rabbits, and hamsters. Although, the truth is that I wasn’t really close to any of the smaller critters. I was only close to my dogs and cats. You know, when you get attached to your pets, you begin to bond in special ways. Dare I say it; spiritual ways.
And, when they pass on, well there are (sometimes) events that point to a life outside of the corporal…
Introduction
When a loved one dies, there is a period of grief.
This is true whether or not it is a human person or a beloved pet. Since most people have no attachment with their spiritual selves, they think that the relationship ends upon death. They believe that we are just the physical and nothing more. Death is a mystery to these people. To them, you are either alive or gone. To them, once you are gone you are forever gone. To them, your grief is a normal psychological condition. It has no other importance at all.
They are very wrong.
Spirit is REAL
There is a very important spiritual component to our being. You can call it religion or quantum physics. These are just names. For the record, there is a soul. It is not only consciousness. We all have it. That includes me. It includes you, the reader.
Our companions on the road of life can take many forms. They don’t need to be humans. They can be dogs, cats, and even turtles. While they share our lives together with us, they influence our feelings, our emotions, and our life. When they pass on, we end up missing them terribly.
It also includes our pets. Yes. Contrary to what certain religions preach, all ambulatory entities possess souls. Though, their souls and their spiritual realities are quite different from ours. They do have spiritual elements to their lives. As such, we can see that they live on and even return back to us in another body!
I have some experiences that prove this.
Religion
What I have to posit herein is what I have personally experienced.
But, beware; it is presented in accordance with my own personal experiences. As such, those experiences necessarily gave me a VERY DIFFERENT point of view compared to everyone else. What I was involved is really, well, strange.
Anyways, that really doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that I present some of the things that I have learned and experienced. The things are wide, diverse and unusual. I have learned about souls, Heaven, and the makeup of our reality.
I know a few things about human heaven, cat heaven, and even dog heaven. I hope others will benefit from it. If you don’t, well you can move on. There are other things out there for you.
Because of that, it will get many people angry.
What is REAL is often Hidden From Us
According to everyone, scientists, experts, government officials, religious leaders, and the mailman down the street, there is nothing but what we see. There are no spirits, no good and no bad. There are no morals. Our life is just what we see and nothing else. As such, there is nothing you the reader need to concern yourself with.
You just keep reading the government approved media. They will tell you all that you need to know. They will label what you are not to read as evil. Just obey. Keep paying your taxes.
The government will take care of you.
As such, if you listen to those people, there is only one reality and we are in the center of it. There are no souls, and no spirits. There is nothing except religions, and unless you follow Mohammed, all religions are bunk anyways. After all, that is what was crammed down our throats for the eight long years under Obama. (Ah, now everybody, don’t get your tail feathers all ruffled up. Obama wasn’t all that bad; it’s just that I never bought into his vision of what America was, and what it now should be.)
They are all wrong.
Don’t be a Fixed and Closed Mind
What I have to say will anger those who demand set nice and scientific answers and mathematical proofs. It will anger those who follow a set and formalized religion or two. It will anger those who disagree with me.
I am sorry, but this is what I know.
I have no desire to spend the time writing something that I don’t believe in. It would be a waste of my time, as well as a waste of your time to read it. It would benefit no one. Therefore, I only write what I know about and what I believe is true.
This particular subject is what I believe it is to be true.
Not a Rehash of Conventional Lore
This is a post for cat lovers who have lost someone that is near and dear to their heart.
Therefore, what is presented here is not a rehash of conventional religious lore. (Someone quotes a passage from the Bible and elaborates on it regarding a specific issue.) Neither is it a new look into the world of quantum physics. (We see this all the time on popular science publications. It’s just a rehash of well-established lore repackaged for commercial distribution.)
It is instead what I have learned though my MAJestic entanglement. (Not my actual mission events, but rather an understanding associated with it.) So, it’s going to sound pretty strange to most people.
To prevent the reader from getting too upset, I would suggest they stop reading and go no further. It will not be comfortable to those with fixed belief systems.
This is a post for cat lovers who have lost someone that is near and dear to their heart.
Now, after all that lengthy background information, let’s get to my illustrative stories.
My first story concerns a cat named “Phelie”. (I use cats because I only had cats during my entanglement. So can only draw my experiences from my relationships with them.) As such, let’s look at this experience of mine…
The story about my cat Phelie
At the time, I was living on the Indiana – Kentucky border along the Ohio River there. I was living with my first wife. We had a place in the valley along the river there. In fact, there was a highway right along the river, and our house was right there next to the highway. (Well, you had to drive down a gravel driveway to get to the road, but it’s really the same thing.)
We lived in a mobile home. (Doesn’t most people in Kentucky?) It wasn’t a “double wide”. It was a 14-foot wide by 60-foot long home built in the middle 1970’s. We lived in a trailer park, and it was really cheap. We only paid $40 a month for park space rent.
For those who are unawares, it was the middle of the summer. And, trust me, along the river in Kentucky was hot and super humid could be unbearable at times.
A Stormy Night
It was around 10:00 in the evening and there was a rainstorm out. This wasn’t just an average rainstorm. It was a torrential downpour. It was raining buckets.
I for one was very happy to be in. Outside the weather was horrible. Thunder and lightning was crashing all around us. It was one of those nights where you were completely glad that you were safe and warm inside.
We had finished eating dinner and the wife was sitting down watching television.
Then suddenly she arched her back. She stared straight ahead. Goose-bump pimples covered her entire arms.
Then she snapped out of it.
My Wife was Called Upon
She looked at me with this expression.
I really don’t know how to describe it. It was part fear, and part worry. Her eyes looked at me imploringly.
She told me. No, I take it back, she ordered me. We absolutely needed to go out. We needed to leave right then and there. We had to get cat food. We just HAD to. She kept saying that we needed to feed the cats. We needed to keep them warm and safe. We needed to help the cats.
I responded. I told her that our cats were fine. They were all around us resting. They were doing cat-typical behavior. They were all there with us “chilling out”.
A Call for Action
She got up off the couch and started running all over the house looking for her shoes. It was like she was electric. She was on fire and it was as if every alarm bell in her soul was going off!
She couldn’t find an umbrella, but she started to go out anyways. I stopped her. I told her that we had plenty of cat food. She didn’t care.
We had to leave THEN and NOW!
Well, we argued for a few minutes. Reluctantly I went and got the car keys and put on my shoes. I knew better than to argue with her. (As do all married men. Sooner or later, you learn that there are some things that you do not question, if you want to have a good and stable life.) If she put her mind to something, that was it!
Off to the Car
We ran out to the car in the rain. I am not going to lie, I was drenched. Just the fifteen second run to the car and everything I wore was soaked through and through. We shut the doors, and turned on the ignition. My wife was leading with me. “Hurry!” she said. I told her that “We’re going. We’re going”.
We pulled out in what must have been the rainstorm of the century. It was like something you would find in Southern Louisiana. It was so fierce. We drove down the gravel road, the windshield wipers furiously trying to keep the window clear. We drove down to the end of the gravel road to the highway.
As we went down the small rainy incline to the highway, the head beam lights fell onto the highway surface. And there, there right in front of us was a dead cat. Right in front of us it lay. Dead. Lifeless with rain pouring down.
A Dead Cat
The reader might not understand, but I am not going to let a dead cat lie right in front of my driveway. Even in the rain. I mean, it was right there. Smack dab in front of us. It blocked our route out.
So, in the rain, I exited the car and went to the cat. Yup. There was no question at all about it. It was dead. The side was crushed and it was absolutely dead. The little guy was off in Cat Heaven. It was still warm, but had been dead for a few minutes at least.
I picked it up.
The car headlights helped me see my way around that storm from Hell. I gingerly picked it up and carried it off to the far end of the road and set it down in some tall grass. Rigor mortis had not yet set in, and the dead cat hung limp in my arms.
I set it down softly and respectfully. “Poor little guy”, I thought.
The poor guy is off on his way to Cat Heaven.
In the Rain
I stood there for a moment, and then sighed and turned back to the car.
The headlights were shining on me in the rain. Mini rivers were forming on both sides of the highway from all the rain. I waited for a car to pass by, and then I splashed through the moving water and then headed back to the car. But…
But…
Before I could open the door, I heard a faint meow. I stopped and listened again. Meow. This time it was still faint, but a little louder. I went to look for it. I just didn’t know where it was coming from.
And I found it.
A tiny kitten had somehow managed to make it to a low shrub at the side of the highway. It backed away from me. It was wet, and cold. It shivered terribly and its little cries were pathetic against the constant drumbeat of the rain.
A Tiny Kitten
It was a wet scrawny little thing.
I grabbed it by its tiny little neck. And, I dragged it out from under the pathetic little shrub. It fit within my wet hand, and I carefully carried it to the car. I handed it to my wife and she put it close to her chest and kept it warm.
Then I went out and looked to see if there were any others. I looked. But, I couldn’t find any.
When I got back into the car, my wife was calm. She was holding the little kitten close and said softly for me to go and see if I could get some milk or something at the store.
The little kitten was traumatized and in bad shape. So we drove to the local store and I bought a small can of condensed milk, and then we drove home.
We cleaned the little guy up.
It was a female grey-striped mainecoon with white mittens who was so young that it was still nursing. So we fed it out of an eyedropper. My wife held it all night. She was no longer hysterical and in worry. It was like a light switch was switched. Now, she was very, very calm. She lay in bed holding it. It was our fate.
Thank You
Now, here is the curious point.
That night, she told me that she felt like a giant mother cat was on top of her and kneading her chest with her paws. Left and right. Left and right. Left and right. Softly and purring.
This was pretty darn strange. What in the world? I have never heard of such a thing. A giant invisible cat? And what’s this smashing her chest? Crazy and strange stuff for certain!
So, I asked her “seriously”. She replied to me matter of factly,”absolutely”.
And, you know what? I believe her.
What happened
Friends have told me that it was just coincidence that we found the kitten at the same time as my wife’s urgent need to get cat food. They say that I am reading too much into this event. They say that I am crazy to believe in things that I cannot see.
I disagree.
Somehow, the mother cat found us. Maybe it was because we already had four cats. Or maybe it was because my wife was a very “sensitive” person. But I do believe that when the mother cat died, it must have been carrying the little kitten across the highway. And, then somehow it “connected” to my wife.
It didn’t connect to me.
Maybe it was because my wife was a female. Or, maybe it tried to connect to me, but I couldn’t sense anything.
Whatever, there was a connection. I actually saw how my wife reacted when the connection was made. I know that this kind of experience is subjective. To those who don’t believe in the reality of the soul, this story is fantastical. Yet it is completely and absolutely true.
As such, it can tell us many things…
What this can tell us
Look at this little story, and it is a true one. It really, really is. It happened exactly as I recalled it. There are a couple of things that we can learn from it.
The mother cat was dead, but it managed to communicate with my wife.
The mother cat was not yet in Cat Heaven when it died.
The communication was not physical. It was spiritual. My wife “felt” a panic. She felt a need to protect and feed the cats. She felt an urgency. She felt pure concern.
The information conveyed was specific. Get food. Feed the cat. Keep the kitten safe. Do it immediately. It is an emergency.
After the kitten was rescued, the mother cat said “thank you” and told my wife to feed the kitten.
All these things can provide us with some important insights…
The consciousness lives on after the physical body dies.
The consciousness cares for the loved ones and leaves messages when necessary.
If you are sensitive or “attuned” to something or a situation, you can be made aware of situations as they develop.
The rest of the story
The reader can rest assured that the kitten grew up to be a beautiful black and grey striped mainecoon. She was always on the small size, but she ended up being the boss of the household. She traveled everywhere we went, and lived a nice ripe old age of sixteen. She was a good cat. When she passed on, it was through old age.
Aside from the first moment we found her, we never had any other contact with the spirit cat.
I do understand the relationship that you can have with your beloved cat. I do understand. I know that it hurts when they are taken from you.
The Lesson about Texie
Here is another story about a cat. As I stated previously, my experiences concern cats.
While Phelie was my “wife’s cat” (if you know what I mean), this cat was “my cat”. He was my little buddy. Here is a story about an incident that I had with him. This story illustrates reincarnation of spirit and how a loved one will always return to their families.
Before we begin, however, we need to talk about an earlier cat; Samantha Panta.
My first cat after marriage
I used to have dogs (Siberian Huskies) and cats while I was growing up. Then during my college years, and my stint in the US Navy and my MAJestic training, I didn’t have any pets.
Eventually, a cat walked into my life.
It was a big fluffy orange and white mainecoon. We named him Samantha Panta, and he was our cat. He would go on walks (Yes, we would go on hikes for hours at a time, and he would walk with us.) with us and do everything with us. We developed a very good and close bond with him.
The Fields of Indiana
At that time, we lived in Indiana.
Now, for those of you who are unaware, Indiana is frightenly hot and humid in the summer and frozen and windy in the winter. Springs are glorious, but you have to endure two to three months of living among fields of mud as far as the eyes can see. Fall is also a very special time. What this means is that the winters are too short to invest in a wood burning stove, and the summers are too short to invest in an air conditioner.
For us, we used central kerosene heating in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer.
At that time, it was the late 1980’s. I was a youngish man in my late 20’s and we were trying hard to save and make a life for ourselves. In order to save, we cut corners. One of the ways that we did it was not to use an air conditioner.
Instead, when the weather got too hot, we would take rides in the car with the air conditioner on. We would ride the back-country roads of North Central Indiana, visiting cemeteries (the only free places to visit) and listening to music.
Of course, that was how we dealt with things at that time. I am sure that the reader is much more intelligent than we were then. So you probably never needed to handle things like we did. We were so silly.
Chillin’ Out in the Countryside
Anyways, often we would ride to a quiet spot and park there with the AC and the radio on. Again, in Indiana there are precious free spots to park and relax. It is all owned by someone. It is all farmland consisting of soybeans and corn as far as the eye can see.
If you wanted shade, you would need to find an isolated cemetery and park under one of the trees there. It sounds boring, but unless you lived there you have no idea how we were able to cope with the heat. Indiana could become like a terrible furnace in the Summer. That’s just the way it was.
Music
Now, we would often listen to cassette tapes while we rode in the car. (This was before CD’s, USB’s and Satellite Radio.) We had a box of them.
Most radio stations in Indiana at that time had been bought up with media mega-corporations. As such, they toned down the music programming to a bland pop 40 or pop 100 on constant rotation. If you don’t mind listening to Rod Stewarts’ “Maggie May” every five or ten minutes or so, it was ok. For me, who preferred more alternative musical tastes, it drove me crazy. So we would order music out of music clubs and listen to the tapes in the car.
Some songs were so-so, but some were notable.
At that time, I happened to like “Tears for Fears”, “Corey Hart” and “Squeeze” among others. Some songs we would sing to, and others we would listen to and it would make us sad. Music in that little car of ours with our little cat was our “special time” together. We rode in a beat-up little white Mazda RX7. It was a two seater and big enough for all three of us. My cat would hang out in the back (on the middle hump) where the AC would blow on him.
A Special Moment
There was one special moment that I would like to do almost every day. I would put the cassette tape of “Baby Love” in the radio player. My little cat Samantha Panta would crawl up on my lap and I would sing to the cat. As I would sing, the cat would close his eyes half shut and purr. It was a loving moment. It was a moment that he and I shared.
(Of course, there were other songs. I used to sing “Fool for my Kitty!”, which was really the Foghat song “Fool for the city” with my own custom lyrics. LOL! I would sing it when I was in a very playful mood. Never the less, the most memorable and loving song was indeed the song “Baby Love”.)
(I didn’t only do this for my various cats. I also do this for my dogs as well. In fact, my dog Shao Pi loves to sing with me. He really does! He will just whimper and bark along with me, I am not at all kidding.)
My cat liked to play when I would make the bed. He could love to get under the sheets when I would make the bed. Such a guy!
Back to Heaven
Unfortunately, my little cat did not live long.
He contracted feline FLV. He started to die. I had no experience with a pet dying and I refused to “put him down”. I just did what I could trying to keep him alive. It took a full really long month for him to die. It was sad and painful. After three short years of life, he finally took one last breath and died. He left us and went to Cat Heaven.
We carried him across the frozen farm fields near our house on an icy January night. It was terribly cold. The ground was rock solid hard. I carried him to a wooded area and set his body under a fallen tree there. We said “good bye” and that was that.
Two Years Later
A couple of years passed.
One spring day, some guys drove up to the house in a convertible. They had a kitten with them, and they were told by someone that I liked cats, and I would take him in.
I was in the yard, and they asked me if I wanted a kitten. They handed the kitten to me. I looked at him. He was maybe two or three months old.
He was a tuxedo cat. This means that he was a black and white shorthair. He had one bad eye that had a full white cataract on it. However, he was very affectionate.
I told the guys that I certainly liked this little guy.
But, I said, I already had a bunch of cats. I just couldn’t take the little guy in. I was sorry, but I had no room. They drove off, and I went inside the house.
Well, he stayed around
Later on, I went out to empty the trash. There was the little kitten. Those stinkers! They left it at the house anyways. Ugh!
So, I took it in, and let me tell you, there was an immediate bonding between both of us. He was my little cat. We named him “Texie”. Why? I don’t know. It fit him. From then on, this cat and I were very close. Maybe you the reader have a close relationship with your dogs or cat, well it was like that. This guy and I were inseparable.
He was my little buddy.
Five Years Later
About five years after first getting Texie, we were living in Shreveport Louisiana. We had relocated from Indiana, to Kentucky, to Mississippi and finally to Shreveport, Louisiana.
I had been upsized, downsized, resized under corporate restructures, company buyouts, hostile takeovers, and just plain bad bosses. Being a design engineer during the 1980’s and the 1990’s was NOT a stable occupation.
I had a new position in Boston, Mass. So I had bought a class “A” motor-home with the hush money the company paid me.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
(For those of you that are unawares, many companies break the law routinely. To get around the laws, they make you sign to NDA’s and other documents that will allow you to get unemployment benefits, and even cash bonuses if you agree to not say anything.)
The company that I worked at in Shreveport gave me a lump sum of $10,000 to keep my mouth shut. This was in the early 1990’s, so the amount might be around $60,000 today. I took it, and used it to purchase a motor-home.
We were sorting through our things. Some things we were just throwing out. Other things we were putting into storage. While other things were going into the motor-home. I was in the motor-home putting stuff away. My little cat Texie was there with me.
Old Music
I had found a box of old cassette tapes that we had put in storage many years earlier. The tape on the box was yellow with age and a layer of dust was on it. Inside were the tapes that we used to listen to when we lived in Northern Indiana. I would say that I hadn’t seen those tapes in at least a few years.
So, of course, I put some of the tapes in and was listening to them.
A Cryout!
I well remember this event. I was in the back of the RV. I was there sorting stuff under one of the beds there. My cat Texie was on the sofa at the kitchen dining table. On the radio was playing a cassette from “Pebbles”. Then the song “Baby Love” came on. The first bars of the song began to play…
As soon as it came on, my little cat goes “MEOW!”
He leaped off the sofa as if it was electric. He ran to the driver’s seat, and got on it. Sitting there, with his two paws holding the rear of the seat, he shook his head and looked at me. “MEOW!” he yelled!
I got up, and asked “What’s up Texie? What do you want?”
He then got on his back on the seat and exposed his belly. He started to purr and coo.
So, I said “What? You want me to hold you?”
He just looked at me with loving eyes. So, I went and picked him up and sat down in the driver’s seat. Then a funny thing happened. He took on the exact same body language of my older cat Samantha Panta. He lay there in my lap. He purred and had the same half-closed eyes as my old cat. I started to sing to him the rest of the song.
His purring got much louder. MUCH louder. His eyes closed and we listened to the rest of the song together.
The Song Ended
When the song ended, he let out a calm sigh. Then he stood up on his rear legs and put both paws around my neck. He then rubbed his face all over mine and gave me a kiss. Then he got down and jumped off my lap. Then, like nothing happened, he walked down the RV kitchen area and exited through the side door.
I just sat there stupefied.
Our cats are always there for us. They do not leave us when they die. They still love us and love brings us all back together.
What this can tell us
Again, this little story is true. People can argue that it is just coincidence. However, I know different. This really happened. From this experience, I have drawn the following conclusions;
The consciousness from my old cat found its way into a new cat.
Consciousness can occupy different bodies yet retain access to all the memories.
It took some time before the new cat came into my life.
The appearance of the old cat and the new cat was very different.
The relationships between me and both cats were similar and very close.
I immediately “felt” a bond with the new cat.
From these conclusions, we can also identify some rules of spirit;
Cats can reincarnate.
If cats can, other creatures can as well.
Reincarnation reappearance occurs when a creature has a close bond with another.
The bond that can result in directed reincarnation can be either good or bad.
If the bond is good, then a good relationship can continue.
If the bond is bad, then a bad relationship will continue to fester until it is resolved.
So, I tell this to the reader; if you have lost a loved one don’t be sad. They will return to you. Or, barring that, you will return to them. It is your love for each other that acts like a big bright signpost that will attract you two back together.
The rest of the story
Texie lived on. He was doing well in Massachusetts. I had to go away for a two-day trip, and left him and two other cats alone at the house. When I returned, I found him there crying loudly. His neck was swollen terribly. His nose was white instead of pink. We took him to the vet first thing on Sunday morning.
The vet told us that his white blood count was zero and they had no idea how he could possibly be alive. They suggested we get blood transfusions, but no hospitals we contacted could help us. As such, we made the difficult decision to put him down. My wife and I held each other and he lay there in the valley between our two chests. We all gave him our goodbyes and we gave him as much love as we could. Then we handled him to the doctor.
Going to Cat Heaven
The doctor said that she had never seen such a loving cat, and really had a difficult time putting him to sleep. Finally it was done. He died and went up to Cat Heaven.
We went into the car. Sad and shocked. You know, we expected to heal him, not to have to put a dying cat down. As we sat there in the car, staring out at the lush greenery of the parking lot, we both suddenly felt a wash of love and care. It was like a pleasant warm towel of love around both of us, then it went away.
Best picture. Indeed.
Communication between Individuals
One thing that we need to understand is that we don’t just communicate by words. We use body language. We use intonations. We use special word combinations. We also use ways to communicate by “feelings”. Anyone who is married can attest to this. Your partner is not taking and is maybe in the other room. But, you feel that something is wrong. You don’t know what it is, but you know that something is not right.
These feelings should not be discounted.
One of the most important things we need to understand is that there is a [1] physical reality and a [2] non-physical reality.
A person who is sensitive can detect changes in the non-physical reality. For lack of better terms, the non-physical reality is the realm of quanta in various state of wave properties. While the physical reality is the realm of quanta in various states of particle behaviors.
Newtonian Physics = Only the physical exists.
Quantum Physics = The Physical exists alongside the non-Physical.
A sensitive person can detect changes in nearby wave behaviors relative to their personal relationships with others. This can be between people, and this can be between us and our pets…
Lesson from Smokey my “Little Toke”
I once had a grey cat named Smokey. I called him my “Little Toke”.
He was a great cat. He was a pretty lanky cat. He had two characteristics that were noteworthy. Firstly, he was this very nice grey color. His entire body was grey. He was a short hair, and his hair had a very nice sheen to it. The second thing about him was that he had fangs. These were not vampire fangs. These were saber tooth tiger style fangs. They lung down from his mouth in a nice proud manner.
When he got older, he had a paunch. That is to say, that he had this flap of fat that hung down from his belly. The thing that I remember the most about him was that he always tried to enunciate. I would ask him if he wanted to go out. He would always take the time to say, as clearly as he could; “I…want…out.” Really, it was so cute. However, it would be pouring rain outside and I would have to open the door and let him see for himself. “Not this time”, I’d have to say.
He was a great cat, and when I broke up with my first wife, he ended up being with her. Which was a good thing. She had moved to a house on her parent’s land in rural Pennsylvania. The cats that went with her had an entire forest to play in. When I would visit my ex-wife, I was always happy to see the cats. They had made a very good life for themselves there. They were always busy going about and doing cat stuff.
A Life Apart
Smokey was not “my cat”. He was a part of our cat family, but shared both my wife and myself as “his” humans.
He was a member of our cat household. When we broke up and he went off with my ex-wife, he would still say hello to me when I would visit. Initially, he found the move too shocking, and as such, he spent the first six months hiding in the bedroom closet under the clothes. However, soon enough he migrated outwards. Once he was able to get out and explore, he fell in love with the place.
I would come and visit, and there he would be crossing the cow pasture and heading straight toward me. He always wanted to say hi.
Our relationship was that we were “good friends”. Where Texie and I were “best buddies”, Smokie and I were just “good pals”. It was a relationship, and a good one. I would stop by and say “hi” to him. He would come up to me and rub my hand, and then go away. As if to say “I like you very much, but I’ve got things to do and places to be.”
An event after Shopping
I was living with a girlfriend at the time. I hadn’t seen Smokey in six months. Though I did call my ex-wife every month or so. She was doing well. My cats were also doing well. So I moved on with my life.
That’s life, you know. You grow and change. Sometimes those who are close to you grow and change in different ways, and in different directions than you do. There is nothing bad about that. That is life.
One day, I had just come back from shopping. I had a bag of groceries in the passenger side of the car, and I was driving home with it beside me. The radio was on, and I was near our house. As I got close, I suddenly “felt” a presence with me. I felt like a cat had just joined me in the car and was crawling onto my lap. In fact, it felt like it was going around and around trying to settle down into my lap.
It was very clear.
I Get a Visit
I turned off the radio. (I wanted to concentrate on my impressions and feelings.) I distinctly remember saying this out loud; “Now, who are you? Which cat are you? Hum?”
The feeling persisted during the balance of my trip to the house. Here there was this invisible cat that lay there on my lap. I didn’t know which one it was, but I knew it was one of “my” cats. It felt like one of my cats. He was dead, but his spirit was there with me. He had yet to go to Cat Heaven.
When I pulled into the driveway, I continued to stay in the car. I didn’t want the feeling to go away. I must have sat there for ten or fifteen minutes, until my girlfriend came out to yell at me. “What the heck are you doing? Aren’t you going to come in? What’s the matter with you?”
So reluctantly, I got up and exited the car. I didn’t feel the cat come with me. It just sort of disappeared, and I took the groceries into the house with me.
Two Weeks Later
Two weeks later, I got a frantic phone call from my ex-wife. She was worried about our cat Smokey. He hadn’t come back and he had been gone quite a long time. Two weeks for him was quite a long time. My ex-wife was quite worried and besides herself.
I told her, not to worry. “Smokey visited me. He’s dead. He is in Kitty Cat Heaven.”
She asked, “Are you sure? How do you know?” So, I explained.
What I Knew
She asked me what happened. (As if, I would know.)
Obviously, I didn’t know.
However, I had a distinct impression that he was attacked by a large animal, probably a dog. It was a quick death. He was caught off guard while in the woods near a tree and was surprised, as soon as he noticed the large black dog, it was all over. The impression that I had was quick and sudden surprise.
She said that couldn’t happen, her parent’s dogs were all beagles and they would never hurt her cats. I told her that I didn’t know who did it. I just had the distinct feeling that that is what happened.
Now, of course anything could have happened. I think that most cats die a death on the roads by automobiles. But, the impression, or the “feeling” that I had was that it was by a large dog in the woods near a tree. It was not on a road. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I do.
My ex-wife could not understand why he would visit me, and not her. I have no answer for that. Except to say that there are probably numerous reasons for it. My ex-wife, who was unusually sensitive, now needed to take medicine to keep a mental illness in check. Perhaps that medicine blocked her sensitivity to some degree.
Anyways, he never returned. Obviously, because his spirit came to me when he died and said goodbye.
Cats and kittens are very loving creatures.
What this can tell us
As with all events, we need to take a look at the situations and conditions. We can learn from them. Of course, the statists and those who don’t believe in anything other than what they see with their two eyes think that I am crazy.
That could never happen, they argue. You just cannot “feel” anything.
They argue this simply because THEY never could feel anything. Ever. After all, they argue, every human is the same. We are all equal, with equal experiences. We all have equal abilities, and equal knowledge. Since they haven’t experience what I did, I must be in error.
Hah! As if, they were equal to me. Or, better. Yeah. Right.
We all have different abilities. Sensitivity comes with age, training, attention and experience. Just because a person cannot drive a car, does not mean that no one can drive a car. Some people can drive, and others cannot.
Don’t say that no one can do something just because you yourself cannot.
Just because you don’t know how to fly, a plane does not mean that others can’t do so. Just because you don’t know how to read Chinese doesn’t mean that no one can read it just because you personally cannot. That is silly.
It is like that.
We are all different, and if you are open and sensitive, you can feel things associated with those who are closest to you. Many people can’t. But, some people can.
What we can Learn
This is what we can learn from this event;
We can sense spirits in quantum wave (non-physical) behaviors.
The spirits can be associated with us in various ways.
We might not know how important are associations are with others from their point of view.
You do not need physical proof to know something has occurred.
If a person is open and sensitive, they can see things that others (who rely on only the physical) cannot sense.
Finally, the most important point…
My dear friend Smokey had a consciousness that lived after his physical death.
He did not disappear into nothingness when his physical body died.
Lesson from Snowball
Finally, I will wrap up these stories with the littlest member of my once large cat family. This is a little kitten that I named “Snowball”.
Snowball was the runt of a litter of cats. A cat next door had a bunch of kittens and they managed to give all the kittens away. All, that is, except one. This one was the runt of the litter and no one wanted it. So, one day the neighbor came over and gave the kitten to us to take care of. They were just planning to throw it into the dumpster, and let it fend for itself. Yikes! I just couldn’t permit that.
About Snowball
Now, I have to tell the reader that I immediately took a shine to this little guy. He was really young and well… not really all there. He wasn’t as sharp as the other kittens for his age. He was like a kind of slow cat or maybe a little retarded. But he was a cutie and really adorable. He had this habit or crawling up my leg and my back and always sitting on my shoulder on my neck. In fact, that was his most common position.
I would come home from work and there he would be. He would crawl up onto me and set himself on my neck and not go anywhere else. He lived on my shoulder. My neck was his home. That was were he stayed. It did not matter what I was doing or involved in. If he was nearby, he would join me on my shoulder and hang around my neck.
His time with us was short. He was only with us a few months when he ended up dying. Luckily, it was so quick. It was painless. Before he knew what was going on he was up in Heaven.
How he died
One Saturday, I was in the yard, and the neighbor called me across the street. So I walked over to them. I crossed the street. Now, I didn’t realize it, but Snowball started to follow me. He was like a laser beam. When he had a target, he just went forward and paid no attention to the world around him.
So, here I am walking across the street. Suddenly I felt a “startle”. That is the best way that I can describe it. I spun around and looked at the road.
I turned around and a SUV was speeding though the 20MPH residential zone on some sort of emergency errand, and my beloved Snowball was lying on the road. I went over to Snowball. I said “Now why are you sleeping on the road?” And, then I realized the truth. He was just killed by the SUV. He was off on the way to Cat Heaven.
Of course, I was shocked and stunned.
Spinning and Spinning
The odd thing was that from that moment on… from the moment he died (the “startle”) and until late in the night, I felt him spinning around and around my neck. He was there. I could feel him. I could not see him. His body was dead but I felt him. He went around and around my neck.
The next morning, I woke up and I no longer felt him around my neck. I got washed up and showered and went to work. I will tell the reader, I was very distressed over this. It was really upsetting to me.
A Message from “Above”
A few days passed, but I was still not over the death of Snowball. I was so sad. It was difficult for me. I couldn’t bear life. I had no appetite. I was so darn sad.
It was such a thick sadness. It was thick.
Then one night I had a dream. It was a “special” dream. Now, the reader needs to understand that dreams come in packets. [1] Many dreams are just nonsense. They are just the brain relaxing and reacting to various daily events through imagination. Other dreams [2] hold learning purposefully. These dreams come in groups of threes. In other words, these dreams will have the same theme for three nights in a row. The only way that you can follow them is through recording your dreams. Yet, other dreams are [3] portals. They are windows that allow us to send and receive messages from others in the spirit worlds.
If we are aware, we can identify these “special” dreams and isolate them away from the normal dream clutter that typically occupies our nighttime adventures.
Anyways, I had a “special” dream that night.
A Special Dream
I dreamed that a “guardian”, “angel” or “representative of humans” took me to another Heaven. There he met another entity. This was also a “guardian”, but he was a “representative of felines”.
Together they both led me to this place.
I like to think of that place as cat Heaven. I refer to these entities as guardians, but others might refer to them as angels. They were intelligent (non-human) entities who helped take me to a special place.
Cat Heaven
It was a flat and rather boring place.
They led me to it, and there in the middle of this place was a shallow depression. It was like a low shallow bowl. Inside the depression were four kittens. Each in the shape of a kind of long oblong egg. They were all asleep.
I immediately recognized Snowflaker there. And in my dream, I cried out. At that moment, I completely understood what was going on. My cat was busy going onto his next reincarnation. He was safe and moving onward, and I too needed to move on.
Of course, when I tell this dream to others, I am laughed out of the room. In a way, it makes me feel bad. Can I not relate my experiences and dreams? Am I always to be laughed at and made fun of, before anyone can really take a good hard look at what is going on? Never the less, I consider this “special” dream significant. As such, I would like to lay out some key points for worthwhile consideration.
What this can tell us
Here is what I think that this can tell us;
There are other spirits that acts in ways to help us when we need it. We are not alone.
These spirits have roles.
There is a Cat Heaven. It is different than a Human Heaven.
To visit it we need permissions, or more accurately, assistance.
Cats, like humans, will move on in their lives to obtain experiences through reincarnation.
My friend Snowball moved on with his life.
Mind and Spirit
Without going through all kinds of scientific proofs, let me lay things out this way…
Our souls exist within Heaven. We, as people, exist on the earth. The earth is our “reality”. It is what surrounds us. Heaven is not the earth. They are two different places. They exist in two separate and different universes.
But…
Our soul is always connected to us. The way that our soul connects to us is body through consciousness. Soul and consciousness is not the same thing. They are two different things altogether. You can think of consciousness as a temporary “set of self” that the soul uses while it utilizes your body. But I think that that description can be misleading. Consciousness is more like a tunnel that bores from “Heaven” to our physical “Reality”.
Consciousness is like a tunnel from the soul to our mind.
My idea of happiness.
Consciousness is like a Tunnel
Many people like to think of it as a nice long tube or hose that connects to your body from Heaven. I suppose that is as good as an explanation as any. Certainly, Mr. Monroe would agree with me on this point.
Now, the point of disclosure should be made clear. I have never seen this structure either with my physical eyes, my mental visualizations or spiritual perceptions. I just know that it exists. It is the way that soul connects through consciousness to reach the physical.
The soul connects to the body through consciousness. It bores through the physical and the non-physical realities in a kind of tunnel like appendage.
So far, the reader should be following me. It’s really not that difficult to visualize, is it?
How it works
But, there is a problem with this. Soul resides in a Heaven that is fundamentally different than the physical world that we inhabit. Heaven is not the same as our physical world. It just isn’t. Therefore, you just cannot make a simple pipe to connect the two.
Think of this analogy; think of Heaven as a place full of water, and the earth as a place full of electricity. A pipe would not work very well because all the water gushing through the pipe would damage all the electricity on the earth. There needs to be a mechanism along that pipe that converts the water into a form that the electricity on the earth can utilize.
Luckily, there is a mechanism.
Quanta
It turns out that everything is made up with something called quanta. These are the smallest forms in the universe.
Fundamentally, they are like tiny little strings. They fit together and form particles. These particles then fit together that build up atoms. Atoms, if you might recall, fit together and build up to form things. Now quanta can take on different forms, shapes and energy levels. The problem is that the [1] energy levels and [2] forms of the quanta in [A] Heaven are different than [B] the forms of the quanta on the earth.
Souls are made up of quanta.
Everything in our universe is comprised of quanta. This is super small stuff that the building blocks of atoms are made up with. Quanta is so small that it can behave either as a very small and hard marble (called a particle), or like a wave which is like all other waves. Depending on the mode of behavior; particle or wave, the quanta has different abilities.
The Forms of Quanta
On the earth, all the quanta can be in two distinct forms.
They can be either [1] in the form of particles or [2] in the form of waves. They can be one or the other. They cannot be both at once. There are many, many discussions on this.
You can find out about wave particle dualityHERE. It’s an interesting subject, but we need not get too bogged down in it. The point is NOT that the quanta itself changes, rather the perception of it does. Sort of like this…
It is not that a quanta changes, it is how the observer views the quanta that makes the change. Our soul controls consciousness. Consciousness can be in different states depending upon the point of view of the person (the observer).
The soul, and sometimes the consciousness (with training), can alter the perception of self. Or, to phrase it better, it can decide to go from wave to particle forms. Or, go from particle to wave forms. It can decide what to do when it wants to.
Souls can change their quantum behaviors
Quanta and Consciousness
Now, with this in mind, we need to consider how the consciousness can exist within the physical reality. To occupy and operate the physical body, the consciousness needs to operate on the quantum level as its point of control. For after all that is what it is. As such, it takes on a “particle” aspect of behavior. It operates as a particle. This is a very important point.
Consciousness takes on particle behavior to control a physical body
If it is a particle, it can interact. It can move about, hit, absorb and mix with other physical items. So if the quantum particle wants to interact with the physical world, it takes on particle behavior. If it wants to leave the physical world, it takes on wave behavior. Then it can “fly”, “soar about”, and visit the other “heavenly worlds”.
So, let’s put this knowledge to use.
Within a Reality
A soul can exist within a given reality as a “consciousness”. In order to be able to occupy a body, and move about the world, it needs to take on particle behavior. That is the only way that consciousness, and by extension the soul, is able to occupy a physical body. Afterwards, when the body dies, the consciousness can change form and take on wave behavior. It can then fly away and go about the world and the heavens as needed.
Consciousness takes on wave behavior to leave the physical body.
Spirits
With this in mind, we can thus identify some really interesting “unexplained” events such as spirits and the like.
Let’s consider a “spirit” (a ghost) that one can occasionally come in contact with. If you can see it, or it actually moves things around physically (such as knocking books off shelves and such), then the associated quanta is behaving like a particle. That is the only way that it can interact with the physical world.
If you “feel” the presence of a “spirit”, but you cannot see it, and there is no physical interaction, then it is taking on wave behaviors.
With this in mind, we can well imagine a spirit that might have a combination of both behaviors. Where part of it might behave like a particle and we can see it, like the head for instance. And, where there are other parts of it that might be able to go through walls and such like a wave.
But, I digress…
When something dies…
When a person, or an animal dies, the behavior of the quantum particles change. It goes from “particle behaviors” to “wave behaviors”.
The consciousness form changes.
However, it is still here. Just because the consciousness is no longer in a particle state, and the physical body is dead, the consciousness is still there. It is in a wave state.
It is in a wave state instead of a particle state. As such, it can move about within the physical realm without using a physical body. It can also move about in the non-physical realm that surrounds our physical body.
I must ask the reader to remember what Einstein said when asked if believed in Heaven. He said (and I am paraphrasing), “I do not know what happens when a person dies. I do not know what Heaven looks like, or what it is like. However, I do know one thing. In this universe, nothing is ever destroyed. It only changes shape.”
Nothing really dies, it just changes shape.
An Introduction to Soul types
Now all of this is interesting, but what does it mean to us? Hum. Let me introduce the reader to the idea and concept that souls are complex, and that they differ from species to species. It’s a pretty big leap for most people, but it shouldn’t be.
Souls are complex.
One of the problems with us humans is that all we know is all we know. The scientific method places theories based upon our observation. Yet we can only observe things from the point of view of a human. If we cannot observe it as a human, then we cannot observe it at all. Thus, everything that we know of in this world of ours comes from our knowledge as a human.
Now that was a really deep paragraph, but it is entirely true. We can only observe, interpret, and consider things that our mind allows us to. If we need to see things in the way that they really are, then we need help. (Which is partially why I was in MAJestic in the first place.)
Anyways, how we view things is always colored or modified by the environment that surrounds us.
Our reality is Influenced
Indeed, it is further altered by religious studies and the theories of others. As a result, we have a tendency to believe that humans are the greatest and the best intelligences in the universe. We think that the world, and the universe is ours for the taking. We believe that we are the dominant creatures, as defined by God in all eternity.
It is very egotistical, and terribly wrong.
All species have their own realities that they occupy and learn from. As such, with each reality, they have a corresponding spiritual reality as well. This, like ours, involves a sort of “Heaven” as well as a non-physical reality that surrounds their reality upon this life that we share together.
Souls are nothing but organized quanta that has obtained sentience.
We as humans have an “individual” soul configuration. Which means that we often feel alone because our soul acts independently from other humans. We are not connected. When our soul occupies this physical container; the body, we yearn to connect with others. There are many reasons for the development of the soul in this manner.
What I know
OK. I’m not going to regurgitate the Biblical lore, and some scientific mumbo-jumbo. I was in MAJestic. Here is what I know. If you don’t like it, you can leave.
What I know is based on my MAJestic entanglement.
Other species, those older, smarter and more experienced than us, have mapped out the science of souls. For them they understand multi-dimensional interactions over time. They know things that we don’t know. Meanwhile we are very primitive. My God, we still use the internal combustion engine for transport, and a chemical reaction in bullets for killing other creatures. How dare we consider ourselves advanced. (OK. I will get off my “high horse”.)
The human soul is an intermediary form.
Our Human Soul is an Intermediary Form
For now, let’s keep it simple and simply say that our soul is an “intermediary form”. We need to “improve it” through growth to hit a “stable archetype”, or approved form configuration. This is a very important point to understand. It is because of this that our memories of previous life incarnations are intentionally withheld from us so that we can develop and grow. This is not the case with other creatures.
In our galaxy, intermediary soul forms must grow in a “nursery”.
Yah, I know. It’s too much to grasp.
Now other animals have different soul configurations. As they should. Souls conform to a given physical shape and configuration. Both dogs and cats have a “hive” or shared soul. Their soul configuration is stable. It is not an intermediary form like we humans have.
As such, cats and dogs for instance are fully aware of their previous incarnations.
Memories are stored in the non-physical Reality
Since memories are stored outside of the physical reality, the access of it is possible in certain ways. For access of physical memories related to a specific physical body in a set reality, they can be accessed directly by the consciousness by using particle behaviors. For access of non-physical memories from previous incarnations, access is only possible through wave behaviors. As such, humans can’t remember previous incarnations. However, creatures with hive souls can access memories from previous incarnations. (As would explain the experience with my cat Texie.)
It is very much like it is portrayed in the movie “A Dog’s Purpose”. I strongly recommend the reader to go rent this movie on Netflix or download a torrent of it. In regards to this movie, I would like to “underline” a number of key points;
The dog remembered its’ previous incarnations.
The dog went through numerous reincarnations.
The dog was always attracted to those people, places and things that were meaningful to it.
When the dog reincarnated it would take on a different appearance, sometimes a different gender, and possibly different attachments.
All of these things are very true.
An Explanation of the Soul
What we refer to as “the soul” is actually nothing more than “consciousness”.
It is a self-understanding of being. This is a quantum state. There are those who believe that actual consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects in the microtubules in the cells of the physical body. This is known as the “Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory (Orch-OR)”. However, for this to be true, it implies that consciousness needs a physical body to exist, when it is the exact opposite that is occurring. The physical body is what precipitates at lower energy states from the thoughts and desires of a given soul form.
Not the other way around.
Heavenly Relationships with the Physical Reality
Actual consciousness, and thus soul, is a manifestation of quantum gravity effects independent of a physical body. In low energy states, the creation of a physical body occurs through precipitation of the energy state. In that environment, the quantum gravity effects due to the quantum particles attach themselves to the microtubules in the physical body. This then, is the actual description of what soul is. (If you were to use conventional nomenclature and contemporaneous descriptors.)
In conventional and colloquial speech, the soul is often referred to that part of the human body that is not physically observed. That is truly disingenuous, because the soul is actually the sum total of every experience of your consciousness, regardless of space or of time. It includes the physical self, and the spirit self. It also includes all thoughts and experiences that the person has. Since it is timeless, it also includes all events that the soul experienced. This includes events prior to birth, and events that occurred after death of the physical body. This also includes all previous reincarnations.
Experiences and how we react to them is what shapes our soul.
Experiences are the Mechanism by which Souls can Grow
Experiences are the reason for why we are on the world. Experiences are everything. Both the good and the bad experiences are what matters. Ultimately, it is what defines our sentience. As I will elaborate upon later, they will determine what shape construct our soul manifests in the physical. Experiences are nothing less than entangled quantum particles.
Experiences create entangled quantum particles.
These are particles that alter the formation and behavior of the quantum gravity effects. Thus, it is desirable to have a physical body of the lower density levels to constrain the microtubules in the cells. This is why the physical body exists, and why it is so important for a given soul or quantum entity to acquire experiences in the physical world. This helps to add shape and definition to the experiences that a soul or entity experiences.
Life is like a hallway with many rooms. The life once lived can be in a mansion with many rooms or in a one-room shack. It is the experiences you live that determine what you get out of life.
The experiences you have determine what you will get out of life.
Everything Has a Soul
Every physical item, animated, intelligent, or inanimate, has a soul. Dogs and cats have souls. True, they are different from human souls, but they still exist. Since there is no thing such as physical space, that is just a perception due to the limitations of our brain, we are all connected and our souls fit together like pieces in a complex multi-dimensional puzzle. All souls are different and they all connect together differently. But they do connect to each other. We are all interconnected.
On an ancient tombstone in England, there is this inscription:
“Heaven will Heaven never be
Unless my cats are there
to welcome me.”
Organized quantum “clumps”
I am quite sure that the reader did not expect to get into such a deep “rabbit hole”. You probably wanted a much easier (on the eyes) story. But to appreciate the story, you need to understand what is going on and why.
In Heaven, the Soul is not some kind of evenly distributed mass with quantum particles. Like a swarm of bees. Or like a pot of hot water with a lot of salt in it. Instead, the soul is lumpy. It has clusters or clumps of multi-dimensional quanta that interacts with other clumps and clusters.
The soul is a “lumpy” mass that resides in an area without physical form.
We need to understand that the quanta that comprises a soul (quantum cloud –individually associated) is composed of smaller clumps of organized quanta (clusters). Humans have ten (10) such major clumps (clusters).
Garbons
These clumps are known as garbons. These clumps of quanta; these garbons, are discrete. They form building blocks, and many such building blocks are used in other soul shapes and archetypes.
Now other religions have identified aspects of being. They roughly associate with garbons, but they are NOT the same thing. The reader should not bet confused.
A garbon is a stable discrete cluster of organized quanta.
The forming of these “clumps” is though one basic process; accumulation of experience. The more experiences that a given entity has, the more quanta that are accumulated. How it is accumulated is determined by the [1] types of experiences that the entity has had, as well as [2] how they react to those experiences.
Souls are made up of clumps of quanta, called garbons.
The accumulation of experiences do not necessitate the formation of new garbons. But rather help establish the behavior of the garbons with respect to time (entropic change) and dimensional placement of the lower energy components (they tend to drift about MWI dimensionally).
Matrix lattice arrangements
How the clumps interact with other clumps is known as a “compound lattice” or a “matrix”. (Do not get confused with the movie of the same name. That is not the case here. The term was used in the mid-1980’s to describe these events well before the movie of the same name was released.)
There are attachment points, or more accurately, interactive exchanges between the “clumps”. Yes, these garbons work together in various ways.
Swales
In the human individual soul, there are 22 major interactive exchange lanes between the cluster groups and clumps. These attachment points transmit quantum-entangled information. They do so using different states. These states are also discrete.
The connection points within a lattice are interconnected with pathways known as swales. The arrangement and function of the swale varies considerably from specie to specie, but is an actual function of the net experience base of the total cluster as a whole. It varies over time. It varies in capability, and in configuration.
Swales connect garbons together to form a lattice (or matrix).
All souls, human or otherwise, consist of a lattice. The lattices all consist of garbons connected by swales.
The Tree of life (Kabbalah) is very similar to that of the garbon lattice or matrix of the human soul. However, it is not the same thing. Both are diagrammatic representations of how major components of who and what we are work together to form a human soul.
Terms & Calculations
Now I describe things herein is not necessarily the same as how quantum physicists or other scientists describe things. Thus, my simplistic description can easily be misunderstood. I want to avoid that.
For all practical purposes, the mathematics of souls are well understood. It is just that they are not applied in the same framework of understanding towards that of the soul. The reader must understand that aside from the nature of the discussion; a borderline theological rather than pure scientific discussion, I have greatly simplified the content and organization of souls.
Locality
The key to achieving this simplification is a principle called “locality.” Any given quantum particle only interacts with its nearest neighboring particles. Entangling each of many quantum particles with its neighbors produces a series of “nodes” in the network. Those nodes are the tensors, and entanglement links them together. All those interconnected nodes make up the network. A complex calculation thus becomes easier to visualize. Sometimes it even reduces to a much simpler counting problem.
(Which is exactly why we obtain “experiences” within this “reality” that has a physical dimensional component. Without that component, it would be very difficult to define “locality”.)
Indeed, as I have stated previously that there are many kinds of souls; there are also many different types of tensor networks, but among the most useful is the one known by the acronym MERA (multiscale entanglement renormalization ansatz).
MERA
Multiscale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA) works is a rather straightforward manner; Imagine a one-dimensional line of particles. Replace the eight individual particles — designated A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H — with fundamental units of quantum information (qubits), and entangle them with their nearest neighbors to form links.
A entangles with B, C entangles with D, E entangles with F, and G entangles with H. This produces a higher level in the network. Now entangle AB with CD, and EF with GH, to get the next level in the network. Finally, ABCD entangles with EFGH to form the highest layer.
“In a way, we could say that one uses entanglement to build up the many-body wave function,”
-Román Orús, a physicist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany
The use of entanglement can build up and create different kinds of entanglement systems; and thus different kinds of nodes; orbs, lattice networks, swales and garbons. Overall, these networks demonstrate how a single geometric structure can emerge from complicated interactions between many objects. This emergent geometry can explain the mechanism by which a smooth, continuous space-time can emerge from discrete bits of quantum information.
And that, boys and girls, is how unorganized quanta becomes organized through experience.
Physical location of the soul
We, as humans, are so accustomed to treating the “soul” as something “else” that it is difficult for us to understand just where it resides. We tend to think that it is here, there, or everywhere. Alternatively, we might think that it resides in another dimension or universe. Yet, as strange as it might seem, these answers are both correct and very wrong.
The soul is a collection of many consciousness’s.
The consciousness is nothing less than the accumulation of thoughts, over many many reincarnations. Since thought has a physical manifestation as the multi-dimensional aspects of quanta, it can be considered to have a physical component.
Yes, it resides in multi-dimensional states, and (for our purposes) in the “universe” (speaking figuratively) of the physical and the “universe” of the spiritual. As stated previously, the Soul resides in a universe called “Heaven”, and the physical body resides in a universe called “The Physical Universe”. To confuse things, they are connected. So, as I stated, it resides in both and either.
Our physical body is a mere percentage of the entirety of our soul. The soul has a physical and spiritual aspect. In relative location with the physical body, the soul is part of every single cell. There is no specific point of residence of the soul.
Attachment Point
However, the soul matches certain physical locations or attachment points. These are well known as chakras. The history and the religious acceptance of their purposes are pretty well defined and pretty much accurate. However, the main control center, or the primary attachment point is located within a tiny gland within the brain. The exact same gland (This is the pineal gland, which is located in the epithalamus, near the center of the brain.) that my ELF probes (installed at NAS NASC Pensacola, Florida) accessed. (Yeah, more MAJestic nonsense. You can ignore this all, if you feel so inclined.)
The pineal gland is located within the brain, and it is the primary connection point of the consciousness in the physical reality to the soul.
Um. Remember boys and girls, I just didn’t pull all this information out of my ass. It came from somewhere. There’s a lot of fakers out there. If you want the real deal, then here it is. Surprise! It’s not what you thought it would be, is it?
The pineal gland is a pretty well-known source of control. It has been known for many years, and scientists and researchers are constantly trying to learn from this gland and its effects on the soul and on people who try to do physically related soul calming activities. For instance, a team of neurologists, directed by Dr. James Edward Monroe and Dr. Waheed Langhani, spent three years studying this gland. They studied thousands of scans obtained with a technology called Functional magnetic resonance Imaging (FMRI), which enables scientists to see images of changing blood flow in the brain associated with neural activity.
While studying the numerous FMRI scans, the researchers noticed that every time they asked a patient to pray or meditate, the brain activity suddenly concentrated around the epithalamus, more specifically in the pineal gland. After thorough testing and investigation, they were able to determine that the small endocrine gland was the center of all spiritual and religious thoughts and beliefs, within the brain, acting as the headquarters of spiritual activity that receives information and sends “orders” to the other structures of the brain. The exact functions of the pineal gland and the nature of the relationship between the “soul” and the body remains unclear, however, because the extremely intense level of brain activity and its concentration make the data harder to analyze.
“We first noticed that when the patients began to pray, their pineal gland became completely hyperactive. This seemed really unusual, since this gland was known to have a low and constant level of activity. We were finally able to determine that every time a patient prayed, meditated or even read a holy book, the brain activity was clearly centered on the pineal gland and the thalamus. There is so much activity at times, that it almost glows on our scanners, and it’s hard to see exactly what’s happening.”
-Dr. Monroe and Dr. Langhani
The reader should understand that this attachment point is a very important one, but not the only one. Removal of the gland will NOT detach a physical body from its soul component. This gland only functions as the control of the PHYSICAL ASPECTS of a given soul. To tear the physical body from that of a soul, all the chakras have to be immobilized.
Souls of other entities
Now, finally after all that boring basic stuff, we get to the heart of the matter…
The way that a soul is constructed depends on the quantum makeup of the species. Some souls are simple; such as tables and other inanimate objects. While others vary in complexity from that of plants, simple organisms, simple creatures all the way up to higher order mammals. But it doesn’t end there, as there are very complex entities in far greater and higher states than humans. (Consider of “angels” for example.) These other souls and quantum configurations can vary in shape and layout.
The layout, configuration and shape of a soul varies greatly.
The physical body represents less than 5% (in accumulated volume) of the quantum entity. The rest, hidden from view by humans, is both enormous and complex.
Contemporaneous human quantum physicists are just now recognizing that the quantum spirit exists; imagine what they would be able to understand given 200,000 years of study! (Like some of our extraterrestrial friends.) Many of the attributes and trending fields associated with the soul are so alien to the human existence that there are no words to describe them. For purposes of simplification, we assigned simple broad reaching nomenclature and symbolism to represent, what was to us, extremely sophisticated technological understanding of complex processes and states of existence.
To understand what a soul is, one must first understand that the concept of it runs counter to that of conventional Newtonian science. The physical laws and reasoning behind Newtonian science do not apply. Souls occupy the world of Quantum science.
Types of animated biological entities souls within Heaven
“All you really need to know for the moment is that the universe is a lot more complicated than you might think, even if you start from a position of thinking it's pretty damn complicated in the first place.”
― Douglas Adams
There are many kinds of souls.
In each type, the behaviors and interactions of the quantum particles interact with each other differently. It all depends on how the quanta interface with each other. This ability to interface with each other has similar analogs in the physical world.
For instance, fish live in the sea, and birds fly in the air.
The interface and occupation of various attributes are constrained by the limitations of the physical universe and the inherent thought (components) that manifest the environment that is created. The reader must realize that the ability to interface with similar event attributes eventually colors the construction of a given quanta cluster. How the cluster is constructed regulates whether it can be self-propagating.
Self-propagating soul clusters become animate in the physical world.
Individual Soul
Let’s start with what we know and understand. Let’s discuss the “individual soul” construct.
The human soul is an individual soul. That is to say that the relationships that we have with each other are not hardwired in the quantum connectivity between the core quantum arrangements in the basic unit of the soul. Each basic quantum soul stands alone and apart from others. It can communicate with them, and can share ideas, information, thoughts and experiences. But it cannot own or hold those elements of another soul. They can only be passed from each other through a secondary means.
Of course, as humans we communicate by writing, talking, body signals, behaviors, scents, and many other ways. There are a rare few who can communicate using PSI ability, but they are pretty rare. Depending on the previous religious experience, or education that one has, there might be some confusion in what is discussed here.
For our purposes, an “individual soul structure” is equivalent (in name only) to the “jiva-atma”. In the Upanisads it is explained that there are two types of souls which are technically known as jiva-atma and param-atma. Jiva-atma, or the individual soul, is the living entity and param-atma refers to the Supreme Lord who expands Himself as the Supersoul, who enters into the hearts of all living entities as well as all atoms.
Thus, ultimately we feel the universe as an individual. We feel alone, and not connected to others. We yearn to connect, and to become part of other peoples and communities. Yet, through our latent quantum ability, we can connect with others through various quantum techniques.
We are unique and separate individuals. But all of us possess the ability to reach out and touch the quantum bodies of other individuals. For we are all simply quantum vibrations in our most fundamental state.
Hive Soul
"How you behave toward cats here below determines your status in Heaven."
—Robert A. Heinlein
On the earth are other kinds of souls. Let’s look at a common soul archetype that humans interface with.
Both dogs and cats have Hive souls. This is a soul arrangement that permits the core quantum soul elements to be shared with other souls of the same species. It manifests, to us humans, as physical containers.
In this arrangement, a given dog or cat body might have one, two or even more than three personality clusters. A personality cluster is a set sub-cluster of quantum elements. They stand alone and are shared between other soul groups. For us humans, we can only conceive of but one personality cluster per physical body. And, thus we assume that all animals are like this. This is not true at all. Dogs and cats can share their personality clusters with each other. And thus, enable one dog soul for example, to inhabit or share the body of a different dog.
It only works interspecies. A cat cannot share its personality soul cluster with a dog and vice versa.
The discrete soul pattern or archetype for a feline is different than for a canine. Thus, they are unable to cross interact. However, both archetypes are of the same general form which is a hive soul cluster.
Patterning
Fundamental to this is the concept of “Patterning”. Hive souls, and to some degree, matrix souls tend to fall into discrete patterns that surround the physical manifested body. Thus, this patterning has a benefit of permitting the inertial makeup of a soul to find its least potential entropy through interaction with a neighboring soul.
That is why you might see cats and dogs that copy movements. They will copy the movements of those that they are close to.
If you lay down a certain way, your dog or cat might do so as well. If you have two pets that are friends, you might notice that they tend to behave and position themselves in exactly the same way. This trait is known as patterning.
Cats have the ability to pattern behaviors of other creatures that they have an emotional bond with. This has to do with their garbon orientation within their soul structure.
Switching
Cats can do some amazing things with their hive soul. One of the most startling is that they can perform “switching” activities. They can occupy the physical body of another cat. Thus a given cat’s body might have the soul that the owner is used to, and an occasional “visitor” cat soul. This is amazing stuff, and not at all well known by the human race.
Heck, I might be the very first person to write about this.
In fact, an owner of a cat who died, and then gets a replacement cat would find that the former cat’s soul would come back and occupy the new cat’s body. Cats can migrate in and out of Heaven at will. Often times completely displacing the original cat who moved on to other locations and places. That is why the cat behaves, acts, and even “feels” different when it moves into a new household with new people.
Gravity Manipulation
Some hive souls can alter localized gravity. This is very strange, and it is not known how they do this. Cats are one of the species that have this ability. They can decrease their weight at times and under certain conditions. It enables them to “seemingly” defy gravity. This permits them to jump higher, and to leap farther than what would normally be considered normal.
Cat owners can attest that the cat might (at times) feel lighter then when they are held than at other times. This is a manifestation of this ability. (Come on, cat owners, you know that this is true. Speak up.)
Cats have the ability to manipulate gravity by making themselves lighter. This can benefit them in hunting, and attacking prey as this GIF clearly shows.
Cats can manipulate gravity. They can be lighter or heavier at will. (Image Source)
Dogs do not have this ability.
What can we learn from this?
I have provided my stories relative to my knowledge of souls and Heaven. As far as most conventions, my experiences and my stories are pure nonsense. They mean nothing.
Just like the Catholic Pope believes that there is no Hell. We all have our own points of view. For a given person, we could be correct, or we could be false. It doesn’t really matter. It is what you, deep down inside, believe. For me, I am sharing my beliefs. I know that many people will not agree with me.
That is fine too.
In my mind, they are significant. And, so I have shared them. If I can help just one person, just one, then this article was worth it. The world is full of people who will laugh at you, and will disparage you. It need not be this way, but that is the way it is.
The Loud and the Ignorant
I remember a story that I read on the Drudge Report back in 2014. A mother was alerted that her six year old boys were posting nonsense on the Internet degrading women, and just tearing up the chat rooms with all kinds of nonsense.
The mother found out about this, and made a public apology. I like to think that she tore the boys a new asshole.
Never the less, the point needs to be made, just because there are people who disparage your message, it does not mean that they are authorities or that they have the ability to be given any attention. Those that behave like children, might actually be nothing more than that.
That infantile response is typically made by someone with an infantile brain.
Indeed, prior to the internet, people could see just who they were talking to, and who was calling them out on their comments. If it was a person deserving respect, they were listened to. If they were not, they were ignored. We cannot replicate this environment on the internet, though I have tried to put some protections in this blog.
I have related what I know about souls, and placed it in context with my own personal experiences. They are my experiences, and they DID happen. You might not believe it, but it is the truth.
Further Readings about Heaven
I would suggest the following books for those who truly want to understand what happened in the stories that I have related;
When I am down, I like to go on walks in the woods. This isn’t always possible. If you are inside the house, and are sad here is a website or two that might put a smile on your face;
Here is my question to everyone who does not believe my experiences: “Did you buy groceries ten years ago? Seriously. That is my question for you. Now, please answer it. Did you buy groceries ten years ago. Yes or No?
Yes/No. Well, great. Fantastic.
Now prove it to me.
Because, like you, I demand cold hard facts. I need witnesses, proof, receipts, and Xeroxes from your ledger. Unless you can provide them to me, everything that you say is just nonsense. It’s just hearsay. As such, you could be making it all up. I don’t know because I wasn’t there. I didn’t see it. I have to take your word for it.
Does anyone have similar experiences?
I would hope that there are others out there who have had similar experiences. If so, I would really welcome you to take the time and share them with me in the comments section.
There are people out there who are hurting. They are hurting really, really terribly. They have just lost a loved one, and they think that they are alone and their little pal is gone forever and for good.
It’s not true. But that is how they feel.
Heaven is not as far away as it seems. Heaven does exist, and we all connect to it. I would really welcome anyone to place their stories here to share and to help others who visit this page for support. I just can’t possibly be the only person who has ever had these experiences. I just possibly can’t be.
Bible Thumpers
Oh, …and don’t just be a “hit and run” “Bible thumper”. If you want to use a Biblical passage to illustrate something, that is fine. We all welcome it. Just don’t lay down some passages and scurry off. It’s not really compassionate. It’s lazy. It’s pretending to be someone doing something, when in reality all you are doing is nothing. Let’s have some real stories and a point that you want to make. Then, please post the passages in context how they helped you personally.
Oh,… and while I am at it, I pretty much edit the comment section. When it comes to comments, I am GOD.
So if you want to devolve into racist rants, are offensive, talk about Jews, or try to tell me how I too can get rich on the internet, I will delete your posts. Remember, nothing gets posted UNTIL I read it and approve it. So don’t even try. OK?
I hope that I have made myself clear on this point.
Conclusions
Please believe me, you are not alone.
We are more than what we see. There is an entire world out there that we cannot feel. It extends outward to include our friends and family. When someone dies or leaves we are still connected. There are various ways that we can meet up again and connect. Please believe me, we will meet up with our little pals in the future.
I know. I mean to say, I REALLY know about this subject.
If there was ONE thing that I am absolutely convinced of, through my MAJestic entanglement, is this simple truth. We will always meet up with our loved ones when we perish. They will join us in Heaven.
I promise you this, that when you meet your beloved cat in the future it will be like this…
When we die, or one of our loved ones dies, whether it is a cat or a dog, we will meet again. There is no such thing as time, and everything in this universe is never destroyed. It only changes shape.
There will be many happy reunions in the spirit world. (Image Source)
Take Aways
Well, I really gave the reader a huge information dump didn’t I? You expected a nice light hearted or heartwarming story about how cats live in Heaven, and instead I gave you this; a dissertation on the soul and examples how it manifests.
Now, I don’t expect the reader to understand all of it. Or, maybe even a small part of it. What I do want to do here is to provide the reader with the most basic information so that they can live their lives fully, and not be emotionally distraught when a loved one dies.
So here are my “bottom line” lessons that I can give to the reader;
We all, every creature on the world, has a soul.
The soul resides in a Heaven.
The soul connects to the physical body through a mechanism called consciousness.
Memories are not stored in the physical body, they reside outside of it.
Movement of consciousness in and out of the body is a function of the quantum state.
There are two quantum states of importance; particle and wave.
The particle quantum state permits the body to be alive and ambulatory.
The wave quantum state permits out of the body travel.
Outside of the physical body is a very big world and universe.
Nothing ever dies. It only changes its’ quantum state.
And, finally,
When a loved one dies, they still exist. They actually DO remember you and your times together.
If your love and relationship was strong, they will return back to you.
You might not recognize them because they will appear physically different.
I truly hope that this post / article was able to put some hope in your troubled mind.
RFH
How about a Request For Help? I tire of busybodies and statists who poke fun at the ideas and theories of others. They offer no constructive dialog. Rather they just make fun, ridicule, and then scurry under a rock.
I use this forum as a way to disseminate some of the things that I learned though my thirty years of involvement in MAJestic. However, I am forbidden to posit my knowledge directly. I cannot tell the interested, the “secrets of the universe”. The best that I can do is share my opinions about things that interest me, and flavor it indirectly with my forbidden understandings.
To help put this in perspective, put yourself in my shoes…
Imagine that you are working at a company with a brutal NDR. You cannot divulge anything about what you are involved in for any reason.
Now, let’s suppose that for thirty years you were involved in training unicorns to dance with bigfoot. To help with your training, the Lock Ness Monster would gather “magical beans” that you would award the unicorns when they did a particularly impressive dance move; like the cha cha or a nice rendition of the samba.
Now, there is no way that you can talk about unicorns, bigfoot, or the Lock Ness Monster. But, the NDR doesn’t cover “magic beans”. So in the best interests of society, you might want to posit your thoughts about growing “magic beans” and how they might be of interest to imaginary creatures.
That is the situation that I find myself in.
So, if you, the reader, were so interested, I would welcome your stories. Tell me about your loved ones. Tell me about how you coped with their loss. Tell me about how the Bible helped you through your grief. Tell me about any dreams or spiritual experiences that you have had. Tell me about how you have coped. You are never alone in this. We are all here to help each other.
This is my callout, to you the reader, to assist all of us in solving these mysteries. After all, this is a far better use of the internet than for looking at Justin Bieber videos.
FAQ
Q: Do cats go to Heaven? A: Yes absolutely. Now, you need to understand a few things first. Initially, they will hang around the physical world. They will fly about in the quantum wave form and explore all kinds of things. They will hang around for a little while, but soon they will be all over the neighborhood. Eventually, they will move on. They will migrate to the “Cat Heaven”.
It is a place that the quantum soul for the cat; it is their true and real home. They will then go here and stay a while. After a while they will decide to return back to the earth. If your relationship with them was strong they will return to you. This can be in numerous ways. Often it is through a shared body with another cat, or completely occupy the body of a new born kitten.
Q: What will happen to my pet when they die? A: Most cats don’t stay around the physical for long once they die. Once their quantum shape changes and they enter wave behavior they are free to go anywhere, and so they do. If they are particularly attached to you, they will hang around with you. But, even that will not last for longer than a day. Then they will go to more interesting and comfortable places; their version of Heaven. This is a “Cat Heaven”.
Q: My cat died, what can I do? A: Well, the first thing that you need to do is say “goodbye”. You need this. The cat does not. The cat knows how you feel. They really do. They also know that they cannot stay too long near you, as it would disrupt your life. So, often they will leave rather quickly.
They seldom hang on longer than a day. They tend to quickly find their way back to Heaven. Once you say your goodbyes, then you need to get rid of the dead cat’s body. You can bury it yourself, or give it to the vet for disposal. They will usually charge a small fee. You can also throw it in the trash. This sounds terrible, but the cat’s soul does not care about the body any longer. It has moved on.
Q: I miss my cat, it died, is it ok? A: Of course. We will always miss those whom we love and care for. The longer we are with them together, or the strength of the intensity of our love will determine the grief that we will feel when they leave for Heaven. It is always ok to feel a certain way. Do not allow anyone to tell you that what you feel is wrong, bad or misplaced. It is a very personal thing.
Q: Will I see my cat in Heaven? A: When you die, you will always be able to reunite with loved ones. You might not share the same species, but all of us are made up of quantum strings. Of course we can meet up. The difference, well it’s a minor technical point, is that we will have to cross some minor barriers to meet. However, the good news is that there are systems in place that will allow you to do just that. You will be able to meet again. I promise. There are bridges in Heaven between the Human Heaven and the Cat Heaven.
Q: Will I see my Cat again? A: If you had a good relationship, the answer will be yes. We always return through reincarnation towards our attachments. This can be good attachments if we are good people, and bad attachments if we are poor in our relationships. The returning cat will not look like your former cat. But after a while you will feel a special bond. Pay attention to your feelings. Close your eyes and do not be deceived by appearance.
Q: What is Cat Heaven like? A: I don’t know. If my one dream was an accurate portrayal of heaven, then I would have to say that to my soul it appeared empty and bland. My guess is that Heaven is what you make it. Within a Cat Heaven, it is probably filled with things that are of great interest to cats. Just like a Human Heaven is filled with things that are a great interest to humans.
Q: Is my Cat spirit ok? A: I am sure that he is just fine. We have to stop thinking that only what we see is all that there is. You cannot see radio waves. Does that mean that television and the internet does not exist? You cannot see feelings, does that mean that there is no such thing as love? You cannot see what is going on at the other side of the world. Does that mean that nothing is going on? Of course not.
Q: I had to put my pet asleep. Will it hate me? A: No. However, that being stated, the emotions that you feel regarding this is everything.
I have needed to put many loved pets down. It is never easy. It tears my heart to remember those times. Please know that their soul moves on and forward. Your love for each other still exists in other forms and other ways. The quanta never goes away. Those relationships that you have built up still exist. They will enable you two to reunite again in the future. It can be in Heaven or it can be on this earth in your reality.
Q: What you say does not agree with the Bible. Why not? A: The Bible is a great religious book. Inside of it are many truths. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for many to believe that what is inside of the Bible is all that there is, and anything outside of it is false. That is not the case.
My rebuttal to this statement (and question) is that a person needs to read all of the books of the Bible and derive their thoughts from the sum total. They should not limit their Biblical studies to only a few books of choice. That’s like going to a restaurant and saying you are only going to eat carrots. Well, there are a lot of good things about carrots, but other foods also have their merits as well. You end up really limiting yourself and your experiences.
Finally, my most important point is this. My God is a limitless God. It is capable of great love and great power. I find that when someone tries to use the Bible to say that “God would not let…”, or “God would never permit…” they are trying to put limits on God. I won’t have none of that.
God has no limits. In this universe, under this God EVERYTHING is possible. All you need is to accept and believe in faith.
Q: No one understands my relationship with my pet, what can I do? A: You do not need to explain yourself to anyone else. So do not even try. A relationship is only between two individuals. This is whether or not they are of the same species or not. It does not matter your gender or anything else. I have seen dogs and cats that have been lifelong friends, and then when one passes on, the other just pines away in lonely sadness. Of course they will be reunited. In this universe, nothing ever is destroyed. It only changes form. Thoughts are something. They are something. Feelings are something. How you feel, and what you think are important parts of who you are. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Q: I feel guilty that I wasn’t good enough for my friend, what can I do? A: We always feel this way when a loved on passes on. It is a rare person indeed, who feels that they have lived a long and complete life with those they loved. Do not worry about it. I am quite sure that your relationship was good enough given all the issues and situations involved.
Q: I didn’t bury my pet, is that bad? A: No that is fine. Their spirit could care less. They moved on. Burial is only for your emotional needs. Your pets do not need any such reassurances.
Q: Am I bad for moving on with my life? A: No. Not at all. We all need to grieve, and then put closure on an old life and move forward. We should never think of life as all that there is. It is much more than that and very complex. It has both the physical and the non-physical elements. As such, we absolutely need to move on, and our pets understand that.
Q: Will I see my pet again? A: Of course. There is always a good chance of seeing it in the physical, and there is a near certainty of seeing it in the Heavens. Though, to access meeting your pet cat in the Heavenly worlds will require assistance. Though when you are off in the spirit realms you will most certainly be able to make the necessary arrangements. It will not be hard at all. It will absolutely happen.
Q: How will I know if my pet will ever reincarnate near me? A: You will get “nudges”. These are feelings of a sort. Our physical reality is surrounded by a non-physical reality. Souls in the wave form can “play” with that reality. You would feel it as a “nudge” or a feeling to do something.
Maybe you might have this urge to go to a certain place.
Maybe you have a special attraction to a pet in the pet store. All I can say is this; listen to your feelings and nudges.
To repeat, if you have a “feeling” or a “nudge”, or encounter a situation (like a cat rescue) or something unusual… listen and take action.
Stop thinking. Start doing.
This kind of thing happens all the time.
HEREis a story about a boy who lost a cat that he loved, and so he volunteered at a cat shelter. Then one day, out of the blue a cat took a liking to him and they instantly bonded.
This is exactly how it happens.
“Austin fell in love with his new buddy and begged his mom to keep him, during the event. Gizzard who looked like the kitten version of Diddle (the older cat), lay on Austin the same way Diddle always used to do.”
Or HERE, where this couple goes to a shelter to get a cat after theirs died. They discover one of the cats won’t leave them alone and insists on going home with them.
Funny thing. This cat has the same name as their former cat.
Stephanie started recording that adorable moment where the kitty threw himself at his human friend, clutched onto him and snuggled up a storm. Once he noticed Stephanie, he climbed over to her shoulders, standing on his tippy toes, kneading and purring away.
“We asked what his name was and found out it was Oliver, just like our recently passed cat. It had to be fate! Our hearts melted and we knew we needed to add him to our family,”
Girl bursts into tears when she finds a kitten that “feels” and looks just like her former cat that passed away. The crying is happiness. Not sadness. . And HEREis the video when her mother bought the kitten and brought it home to her to have. .
Q: Can I get another pet or cat when my pet died? A: Sure. That is fine. If you beloved cat wants to be with you, it will find a way to return to you. Either it would join with the new cat, or take over the body. Often it might just end up coming around, and now you might end up with two cats instead of one. You never know.
Your loved ones will return back to you. Opportunities will present themselves. Just relax and be of open heart.
Dreaming with my cat
This is from a fan. -MM
I used to dream with my cat, literally.
The first time it happened, he was sleeping next to me, as we did, I was using his little rump for a pillow, and he had pulled my hand close to his head, laying it on my hand.
We were both asleep.
I had a dream (or he did) that a bird flew by, diagonally, from the lower left to the upper right. As the bird flew by, he startled me awake by waking up, shooting his head up and looking in the direction of the bird that I had just dreamed flew by.
I’ve never been so close to a soul in my life.
I lost him, at the young age of only 11, just 3 and a half weeks ago. His name was Makana. It means ‘gift’ in Hawaiian.
He certainly was.
I’ll miss you forever. 🙁
Kitty dream time.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Articles & Links
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
Here I would like to place some opinions on liberty and freedom that I have about China. There is a great deal of politically motivated inaccuracies regarding China in the United States. For if, you think that China is a full-on totalitarian communist regime, and America is a freedom-loving Republic you will be wrong on both counts. Names have no bearing on realities. Here I would like to opine on this subject.
"Before coming to China, I had this idea that China was rigid which in some ways it is, but in reality it is brutally chaotic because there are no rules it is the pure rule of the jungle with unconstrained might imposing their will and all others ignoring laws to behave as they see fit with no sense of morality or respect for right."
-Balding's World
The reasons behind this are many, and I won’t go through the lengthy list. That is for others to parse and explore. From my point of view, I wish to discuss the opinions that I have formed about China since I have left the United States.
Now, please note that most of these opinions are comparative. That is to say that I cannot help but compare my life in the United States with the life that I lived while in China. I must admit that this is an emotional subject with me, and therefore, the reader will encounter strong emotive opinions on this matter…
Travel as a Necessary Part of Growing
“Americans should travel internationally, especially in Asia. When they return to the States they will see what a police state it has turned into.”-roddy6667 Jan 8, 2018 3:19 AM
Yeah. It becomes obvious.
I apologize in advance for any radical or offensive opinion that I hold regarding this subject. The reader is cautioned that my opinions are all a product of my unique experiences, and should be viewed as such. All that I am doing is a comparative study of what I have experienced. This is not a formal study by someone sitting in front of a computer in a university. This is not some kind of research paper that was pulled together using tabulated data from “Think Tanks”. This is not a rehash of the conventional narrative that “everyone knows”. This is something much different.
This is what I have experienced.
First of all, because of my experiences overseas. I spent twenty years on the outer reaches of empire and understand very well the nature of empire. The mask of empire was ripped off and I watched the empire function in Latin America, in Africa, in the Middle East. And so the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves were exposed. You can't go through that experience and come back to the United States and accept the myth of American exceptionalism and of American virtue, which you know full well do not exist.
- Chris Hedges: Princeton or Harvard Are Schools that Have Always Existed to Train the Ruling Elites to Manage the System of Corporate Capitalism
I love the USA
Now this is also not a “bash the old USA” post. I love America. After all, I gave up a large portion of who I am just to join MAJestic. Yeah, I gave away something to contribute to the good of America. I am a believer. I am a true and real believer. I always was. I still am. So hear me out.
What I put together here are my opinions. It is based on my experiences and observations. It is visceral. While I speak about what I know and what I have experienced, let it be known that I am not alone in my opinions. These have been verified and validated by others who have actually studied the economic data. (If you actually need that kind of data stream.) Read, “Is The United States Still The Best Country In The World? Think Again” . So, I ask the reader to chill out, have a beer and listen to what I have to say. This is not going to be what you all expect.
This is about Myself
This is all about MY growth.
Yes, in this case it is all about me. It is about my growth as a person. It is about how I have come to grips of the shock that one feels when they leave the United States, and move to China. Ugh. Not just China, mind you; communist China. A communist nation, of all places!
I wanna be a Naval Aviator...
I wanna fly that F-14...
I wanna fly with the canopy open...
So I can hear those commies scream...
-Cadence that I learned while at AOCS
How we live our life, and what we make of it is of absolute concern to us.
Crappy Jobs and Crappy Bosses
Have you ever worked at a crappy job? You know the type; the boss is a jerk. You are always being tripped up, cheated on, swindled, and shortchanged. Your coworkers were idiots, and the weather, food, and environment sucked. It was like a scene from the movie “Joe versus the Volcano.” Have you ever been in this situation?
In America, bosses can be real jerks at times. For some reason, I seemed to experience the lions share of them. Whether it was picking up a chair and having it thrown at you, to mandatory blood drives on your weekends, to having to work Christmas eve and Christmas day, bosses who abuse their positions are prevalent everywhere.Have you ever worked for a boss that you just hated? (Image Source.)
I think many of us have been there.
Now, do you remember the shock and emotions when you finally left that awful job? Do you remember the relief? Do you remember somehow feeling that you were sore all over the day after? (It was because you were so stressed that your body became so tense.) Do you remember your nervousness, yet the relief that you were no longer working there?
The Feeling of “Release”
Well, my move to China was something like that.
It wasn’t that the United States was bad. It wasn’t that China was so great. It was that there were so many things about my life in America that I just took for granted. That I no longer paid attention to them. I thought that everyone in the world lived this kind of life. I was used to the bars on my cage. I was comfortable with the chains around my ankles. I thought that the cleanliness of the handcuffs was a sign of being a good citizen…
This included such things as always looking down at my speedometer when I noticed a police car.
This included watching what I would say so that someone wouldn’t be offended. This included making sure that I would stock up on beer before Sunday, because the stores couldn’t sell on that day. This included having to show two forms of ID to cash my paycheck. This included being careful not to have HR get angry over what is on my desk at work. This included such things as undressing when you took a plane, and having to pee in a cup at a new job.
They were all little things. These were things that I just adapted to. They were things that I took for granted. Much like Pavlov’s dog.
When they were no longer part of my life, it was as if a big cloud was lifted off of my shoulders. It is precisely that moment of enlightenment that is significant. It is precisely that feeling, and those emotions, relative to my move that I would like to discuss.
It is only through my travel that I became aware of this.
I wonder how many people, not just Americans but those in other countries, have come to the conclusion that the United States today is a less free and less aware society than the societies in the dystopian novels of the 20th century or in movies such as The Matrix and V for Vendetta.
Just as people in the dystopian novels had no idea of their real situation, few Americans do either.
-Paul Craig Roberts
We all NEED to Grow
For us to grow and advance in both the physical and spiritual aspects of our beings, we need to adapt to the changing circumstances that surround us. We need to adapt to the environment as we find it. We need to do this with acceptance, and without trying to alter or change the environment; for it is only us who will be able to change. We can only change ourselves, not the environment around us.
In my case, I left the United States, and I moved to China.
As such, I needed to adapt to the Chinese way of doing things. Which was, in many ways, very different from what I have come to expect. This shock to my system, and what I have learned from it was eye opening. As such, I wish to write about some of the things that I have learned. Though, I will have to tell you (the reader) that many of what I will relate will not make any sense, and you will probably not believe me anyways.
“Most people do not believe traveller’s tales.”-Glory Road
Differences are always good
What a boring place the world would be if all we could eat was salt-free oatmeal, and warm water. Even for you oatmeal lovers out there, it would be boring. Day in and day out. The same old… same old. Lucky for us, it isn’t that way. We can choose to eat ice cream, pizza, pork chops, bacon, and French fries. What a wonderful situation!
It is wonderful to have choices. Yet, many times we do not realize that we have choices. We are stuck in our groove of conformity. We always get a McDonalds burger, or a Starbucks coffee. We don’t think of alternatives. I argue that we should. For that is how we grow. Picture is of a Philly Cheese sandwich.
If we wanted to, we could eat chicken fried steak with sunny-side-up eggs. We can eat butterscotch milkshakes and brownies. We can eat thick pan, double-stuffed pizza and wash it down with a pitcher of icy cold Budweiser. We can eat bagels and cream cheese and a wash it down with a nice hot cup of coffee with real cream. My goodness! Isn’t it great to be able to have choices?
That means, boys and girls, having choices is a good thing.
You can live in Boston if you want bagels and coffee from Duncan Donuts, or live in California if you want taquitos and coffee. You can live in Florida if you want nice sunny skies, or you can live in Wisconsin if you like ice fishing. Choices are good. Having different choices in different places are good.
That’s pretty important.
That is why it is so great to live in Europe. A two or three hour ride will take you to a different part of Europe with different customs, languages and lifestyle. Well, it used to. That is until the progressive started to run Brussels and dictate conformity throughout the EU. Anyways, I digress…
Different things are really great.
It doesn’t matter what it is. Not really. Different types of food are nice. Like, for instance, getting a cup of coffee at the Café du monde in New Orleans as opposed to walking into a Starbucks franchise. Or having different pets. Having a few dogs around the house to liven it up, and having a few cats to mellow things out and keep everyone in line, is a good thing. Or maybe having different cars. Like having a beat-up pickup to go mudslinging, or a cheap car to commute to work back and forth, or having a nice big Lincoln to go out to the lounge in the big city.
Different is good. It is really, really good.
We need to Broaden our Experiences
Now, I contend that the greater your experiences are with different things, the broader your personality becomes.
For instance, I never had any Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food until after I graduated from university. Yet, when I had my first taco and burrito, I became hooked. How I could, I possibly live in a world without refried beans, melted cheese, and tacos? Since then, this type of food expanded my experiences. It made me a better person. And, perhaps, a little thicker around the middle.
It doesn’t mean that all that I ate before (my discovery of Mexican food) was bad, it is just that I found another food that I like just as well as (stuffed) pork chops, pizza and double tomato hamburgers. It was equal.
Later, when I experienced “real” Southern cooking and had my first “real” BBQ in Mississippi, I added yet another food to my list of favorites. Shortly after that, I added deep-fried catfish, pickled tomatoes, and hushpuppies. Some of the things that I was exposed to completely replaced the old “standbys”. For instance, once I had “real” Southern mint iced tea, I never bought a regular “iced tea” from a fast food restaurant ever again.
My experiences expanded me.
That is a good thing. We have to keep on constantly pushing, striving and working on growth. Instead of just ordering the same $5 pepperoni pizza from Domino’s pizza, mix it up a little and try a Greek gyro with salad and French fries. Instead of a number #2 meal out of Burger King, order their new “signature” special and try it out for a change. Instead of drinking a Coke out of the 7-11, go a little nuts and drink a Dr. Pepper. Let your “hair down”, live a little bit.
Not all hamburgers are the same. Fast food is NOT about a basic McDonalds hamburger. It can be anything. There are choices out there you know. You have choices. You can decide what YOU want to eat. Your choices are not limited to either [1] a cheeseburger, [2] a big mac, or [3] a quarter pounder.
Step outside your comfort zone. The world is filled with all kinds of things that are are quite different from what you have grown accustomed to. Different is good. Listen to me, different is GOOD.
It’s not only about food either. It’s about everything.
This includes different types of personalities, different fashions, different styles of buildings, different weather, different ways of doing things. Each one has their good and bad aspects. There is no “best” way to do anything. You can select and you can choose.
Don’t fall for the busybody narrative that there is only ONE best way to do things (their way). You are your own person. You can make your decisions and you own choices.
"I certainly had no idea about sex until I was 52 and living in Asia. But I didn’t understand what I was missing either, so can sympathize with a lot of the white guys living in their home towns. I don’t even bother telling my pals back home about sex out here, they just claim I’m lying, or at best think I’m lying."
-John
We need to Push and Strive
You have to push to learn and improve your life.
Unless you push, strive and experience, you will become fat and lazy. We have to constantly push ourselves to be better people. To do this we need to strive. Strive to be good men. Strive to be good fathers. Strive to be great employees. Strive to do what is the best. Strive to learn.
"Of course the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you--if you don't play, you can't win."-Robert Heinlein
In most cases this will not happen if all you do is sit on your lazy-boy and play video games all day. You need to break out of what you know and enter the realm of what you don’t know. You need to go “outside” and experience other ways of doing things, and other ways of thinking. This might mean that the way pizza is made in Chicago tastes better to you, than the way pizza is made in New York City. Or not. Maybe you end up liking both types of pizza. (Like I do.)
But there will be one take-away from your comparative experience. That is, at least you will know the difference between a pizza in Chicago and one in New York. That knowledge is a good thing.
With that in mind, there are no absolutes here. China is NOT the best, but then again America is not the best either. Both nations have their own ways of doing things. Just like the EU does. For me, and after all this is my own comparisons, I find that some things that America does is fantastic, and other things that China does are fantastic as well.
That is how we grow.
We experience life. We make decisions, pass judgments, and move forward.
Different places have different ways of doing things. That is neither good or bad. It all depends on what you are used to. In Boston, you could not pump your gasoline yourself. I found that a shock. Then, after a while, I came to appreciate that law. We learn, we experience things and we grow.
If all you know is only one place, you will be convinced that it is the best place in the world. That is because that is all that you know. You have nothing to compare it against. You are stuck with whatever your environment lays out for you. You will repeat everything that everyone around you says. You won’t need to push yourself and think. You will just parrot it, and believe (mindlessly) that everyone will agree with you. Because you will surround yourself with people who will mirror you and echo what you say.
"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." — Robert A. Heinlein
Liberty & Freedom in China?
When I first started to work in Mainland China, I came across the following advice:
“If you have visited China for one month, you can write a book. If you have visited China for a year, you can write a chapter. If you have been in China for 10 years, you can only write a sentence with nine words. The sentence is- China is a big country with a long history.”
China is an awfully big place.
It is not only different from the United States in many ways, but it has regional differences as well. There are places of just amazing beauty, as are places of pure desolation that look like a scene from some dystopian novel. China has amazing mountain ranges, huge pristine beaches, and islands that rival Hawaii. China has a network of super-fast bullet trains, a major highway grid, and all sorts of airports and ferries. It is just like the United States in infrastructure, but much much larger.
The Chinese People
In general, the Chinese people are really nice. They all tend to really like Americans. You know, on a personal level, Americans and Chinese have a lot of things in common. We really do. We have far more things in common than say a person from the Middle East has.
The Chinese like to party and have a great time. They love sports, and go nuts over basketball. They love their families, friends and outdoor sports. They love to eat, and drink, and play with pretty girls. They believe in hard work. They believe in doing your best, striving and learning. They think that the family is the most important aspect of their lives. They respect older generations and honor them. They love new technology and like to play electronic games and communicate on social media. They love their cars.
They think that Americans have their act together, though they are not too sure about the American government. They think that America is a great nation, and they would like to visit it, but they really don’t want to live there.
They don’t think that they can be themselves in the United States.
Why Not?
“My name is Angus, originally from England, I have now been in China almost 6 years, working as a teacher.
Why did I choose China? Simple, life is better in China as a foreigner than it was in England as a businessman, constantly having to deal with our corrupt government.
Life is what we make of it in China. I don't know about you but I find I have more freedom here in China than I had in England.
Admittedly the standard of living is lower as is the income. But on the upside there is no pressure except the pressure I put on myself to do my job professionally.
I have been to many countries and worked in some. For me Cuba and China are the best places, I would never eat Chinese food in England because it is awful. But Chinese food in China is a wonderful culinary adventure. Everyday I try something I have never had before, sometimes I enjoy it, other times I don't.
Learning to cook real Chinese food is relatively easy and great fun. If you ask you will find some of your Chinese friends are very happy to show you, they love sharing their culture with us.
The only real problem I had had to face in China are the bad employers who ignore the contract and agreements and feel they can impose their will on all their employees. Because there are so many illegals working in China Employers have been able to do as they please with their foreign workers. I have actually taken legal action against one such employer and won. If you are legal and have problems with your employer you will find the Arbitration service is wonderful. If your illegal you haven't got any protections and it is your own fault.”
-Angus
Which is sort of why this post is written in the first place. Why don’t the Chinese people (that I know) want to become Americans? Oh sure, everyone wanted to immigrate back in the 1990’s, but in case you haven’t been paying attention to current events, that was over three decades ago. China has changed a lot since then. Back then, there was a President Reagan, a President Bush and a President Clinton. It was a different time. Since then we have had a totally different crop of presidents, with a completely different set of values. President Bush II, and President Obama had changed the United States to “improve it”. But, I dare say, the changes end up in taking something away from the American citizens, and giving it instead to the rich elite.
Many Chinese fear that if they move to the United States that they will lose their freedom.
This is not a debatable subject.
It is a truth. For instance, in China, no one, not even the government can seize your bank account. In China, right or wrong, the only person who can take money out of a bank account is the person with your thumbprint. That is it. No legal retainers, documents, negotiations, or changes to the law will alter this fact. Which is why, in nations such as Saudi Arabia, that the government might hold you “captive” under house-arrest, until you agree to hand over your money. If you don’t want to part with it, they cannot get it. Period.
In many parts in the rest of the world, banks guard YOUR money. It’s not the property of the government. Not so in the United States. Americans think that the all-powerful American government can do just about anything it wants with you. Examples of Americans are made all the time, to help reinforce this narrative.
At least China believes in 4th Amendment Protections
For all the bad things that you can say about these nations, you have to at least give them credit that they follow the American 4th Amendment, and allow individuals to keep their personal affairs and money private.
Look at the actions that the EU took against Facebook.
Look at the actions that China took against Facebook, Google and their aligned Silicon-valley oligarchs. Do you believe the American-media generated narrative that it is to limit the “freedom” of the Chinese people? Or, are you willing to see the truth that the Chinese respect the privacy of their citizens more than the United States does?
Ouch! The truth hurts.
In America, the opposite is true. Just about anyone can seize your assets. It starts at the IRS, and branches out to everyone else. There is no fourth amendment, and no one even considers it, ever.
Many of my Chinese friends tell frightening stories of other Chinese who have moved to America and had ended up losing entire bank accounts, getting their houses repossessed, and having all sorts of problems. Once they became a citizen they risk losing everything. Don’t be under the impression that the Chinese are unaware of this. They know about it quite well, and it is disturbing to them. They look to me imploringly; “how can the government possibly freeze your property?” they ask. “It is YOUR property.” They state.
They consider this ability; the government to take something of yours, to be a loss of freedom.
America is Different than China
Yet, in America it is not considered a loss at all. It is considered the price that you must accept to “live in the greatest nation on the earth”. America has the “Bill of Rights” that are always protected. No one will ever try to take away the freedom to speak, or your guns, or your ability to worship as you wish. Not in America! So, many Americans just can’t understand why any Chinese would feel this way. It’s just the price you must pay if you want to be an American.
Which, of course, leads me to think about things.
So, in comparison with my Chinese friends, I have discovered that I have more freedom in China than what I had in the United States. Here in China, the IRS won’t come smashing my door down at three in the morning with an armored vehicle. Here in China, the FDA will not shut down my business because of some complaint. Here, the DHS will not freeze my papers and subject me to household detention for undisclosed reasons. The FDA will not require me to have a doctor write me a prescription. The FCC will not limit my bandwidth on my cell phone. The NSA will not be monitoring, recording, and indexing all my computer activity. The CIA won’t be trying to blackmail me with some attractive prostitute. The FBI won’t be monitoring my email, or smashing down the offices of my attorney.
Anti-Chinese Propiganda
Now, I caution the reader not to buy-into the propaganda that the Chinese government can do anything it wants. The Chinese, if there is one thing that they do actually do, it is follow and obey rules. They don’t bend them like they do in the United States. They simply do not have the same kind of militarized domestic police forces like what is maintained in the United States. They just do not.
There is an answer. Though, most Americans will not believe it.
The Reason WHY the Chinese don’t Suffer through the many ILLs that Americans endure
Well, fundamentally it is because those people who are trying to change things (for the better or worse) are known as “Busybodies” (爱 管 闲事). And in China, “busybodies” in China are put to death. (Actually, organ harvested for three years and then put to death.) While in America they are embraced and allowed to dictate policy. (Heck, we even elected one to two terms as President, Barrack Obama.) China is a land where it is against the law to be a busybody.
It is so very refreshing.
China has zero tolerance for busybodies. While in America busybodies are celebrated as “Justice Warriors” who are “improving” the world through regulation, laws and banning things outright. China experimented with that popular trend in the 1960’s and 1970’s and the entire nation suffered as a result. Today, they don’t mess around. If you are a SWJ, BLM, Antifa, Soros minion, or even just a vocal Democrat, you are pretty much rounded up and killed. In China, busybodies are killed after organ harvesting. (Image source.)
You see, what I refer to as a “busybody” is some person who wants to change how another person lives their life. They come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. The most famous is “it’s for the children”, but there are many others. For instance, to make the parks safer, or to make tomatoes easier to ship, or to increase the size of an ear of corn, or to protect children while riding in cars, or to prevent children from getting familiar with guns. There are laws to make children eat healthier, rules to make walking on stairs safer, and guidelines to guarantee that no ones’ feelings are getting hurt. So many reasons. Each time there is a restriction on a liberty, it is done and fabricated by a busybody.
Busybodies are the scourge of the decade.
In China, there are no busybodies. The only way that someone can have the authority to dictate policy is through the government only. In China that means the Chinese Communist Party. Individual members are not permitted to do it. There must be total and complete agreement on the changes and restrictions. Then once something is proposed, studies are conducted and the merits discussed and evaluated.
In America, the MEDIA promotes Progressive Social Justice
The problem in America is that busybodies are promoted by the mainstream media. They are praised. They are applauded. They are noticed, and the loudest and most ignorant get the greatest airtime. If they cannot find a report of a busybody doing something they quickly make one up.
CNN is notorious for this. They are always crafting reports about busybodies doing one thing or the other. But of course, they don’t call them busybodies. They call them something else. Like “proud gay parent”, or “hero of the student movement”, “community organizers”, “a concerned citizen”, “survivor of a school shooting”, “community activist” or “an unnamed official”.
CNN staging a fake protest. In this case they reported that a huge groundswell of Muslims were protesting Islamic terror. Those individuals weren’t even’t actual Muslims. They were actors. Jeeze! Not one single Muslim went on on the air to protest terror. That is the truth, but CNN felt that it would be better to convince people otherwise. Why?
The media promotes busybodies through propagandized fear and manipulation.
Before the reader “has a cow”, let it be understood that what I am discussing is day-to-day freedom and liberty. This is the freedom and lifestyle that you experience every day. This is how you live your life in doing your normal activities. These are the simple things in life. These things include working; eating, spending time with your family, travel, saving money, and spending money. These are the comparatives. These are the measurables and the deliverables that one can use to actually determine how free they are. As well as comparatively determine their overall standard of living compared to the rest of the world.
In America, citizens are controlled by fear and regulation. The media plays a major role. Today the media is aligning to software giants to forge major alliances to alter the fundamental makeup and structure of society so that the richest 1% may rule unopposed. In China, this is not permitted. There is only one government, they do not take kindly to usurpers.
The American media is wholly devoted to division and fear. (Image Source.)
For me, liberty and freedom concerns what I eat, and how I eat it. It concerns how much money I get to keep after I work a good long day of work, and how afraid I am (or not) when I go outside. Remember, boys and girls, a life lived in fear is a life not lived.
Someone Rigged the Game
When I was younger, maybe 10 or 11, I remember playing a game of Monopoly with a friend. We had spent all day out at the “boney dumps” (slang for strip-mined wasteland) and were shooting off some of the .22 that we had bought earlier. The day went well, aside from a pair of dead mice that we found stuck in a bottle, and we had gone to a friend’s house. His father was out running a dragline and so we had the kitchen to ourselves. We pulled out the Monopoly game and started playing.
I was never a Monopoly expert, but I was doing well. At least I thought I was. I owned some major property (Park Place and Boardwalk), and a red plastic hotel. I was pretty well convinced that I was ultimately going to win the game, but I was still losing. No matter how profitable my real-estate dealings were, and no matter what my luck was in the cards that I drew, I was still losing.
It took me a while, but eventually I realized that my friend, who was acting as the bank, was cheating. What he would do was to secretly move money from the bank over to his own pile. It took a few turns, but, once I figured this out, I quit the game.
Dude, why play a game when it’s impossible to win?
In a nutshell, that’s what’s happening to us in today’s America. Throughout your entire childhood, you were told about the American Dream, and how if you worked hard and did the right things, you could build a good life for yourself. But you know, something went wrong: Either someone’s cheating, or they changed the rules without telling you.
That is, I am very sorry to say, is exactly what happened.
They changed the rules on you. The game has changed and it is no longer in your favor. The busybodies have taken over and rigged the game in their favor. No matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try. No matter whatever you do, you will never be able to get ahead. You will never be able to save money. You will never be able to live the kind of lifestyle that your parents had.
It is Sad
Yeah. It is sad.
I know it is sad. The generations before us actually did have a real shot at achieving their dreams. Yet, you know, over time, so many people cheated. They looked for shortcuts to achieving their own dreams. In the process they ended up changing the game. They rigged the game. They rigged it in their favor. And now… now that it is your time to play, they’ve made it almost impossible for you to win.
Now, of course, this is not something that is told to the American people. Instead Americans are told that they are the best; that they are exceptional. All Americans know how fantastic and exceptional that the United States is. All Americans know that every other place in the world is a shithole. All Americans know this. They have seen “Save the Children” commercials, and CNN news articles on the oppressive smog in Beijing. MSNBC likes to talk about the protests in Hong Kong, and the protests in Tibet.
In fact, this is what Americans are told about China;
“This is all nonsense! Everyone knows that there is no freedom in China. You cannot protest. You cannot have LGBT bathrooms, same-sex marriage, and firearms. There are no open borders, and no refugees are ever allowed in unless carefully vetted. Heck, they expect immigrants to actually learn Chinese. Imagine that! Completely crazy!You can’t do anything worth anything in China!The people live in squalor and ride bicycles everywhere. Only the very rich have a great life and their lives are so different from that of the average person. It is beyond anyone’s comprehension that you would live in a place where factory workers routinely jump off the roofs of the factories because they can’t take the pace of work. It is a place where people are begging to leave.I know. I read the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Guardian, CNN, and Salon. I even double check it with Snopes. They tell me all that I need to know. They are the guardians of the truth.”
And here is an example of what people do when they say something along the lines of “look, you really got to stop talking shit about China, and visit it.” Here, a caller to the Rush Limbaugh show says this, and while Rush admitted that he never visited China; he just ignored the points being made. Instead, he listed a litany of the same-old American propaganda. Do not be like El Rush Bo.
Go and see it yourself, with your OWN eyes.
“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.”-Rose Luxemburg
Go to China YOURSELF. See it YOURSELF.
Don’t make judgments based on what other people tell you. Their realities are not yours. They just aren’t. El Rush Bo was complaining about Tibet, and “President for Life”, and saying that Obama liked the Chinese infrastructure. So fucking what? Really. So what?
Go through Chinese airport boarding procedures, and then go through American TSA.
Go through Chinese customs, and then go through American customs.
Fly on an aging old decrepit American airline with fat ugly women stewardesses, and then fly on a state-of-the-art new Chinese airline with attractive young waitresses.
Make your own comparisons. Don’t take my word for it.
Do not take my word for it.
With that well established as the conventional narrative, everything that is written here is going to ruffle some tail feathers. There are going to be those who have never stepped out of the USA parroting the contemporaneous narrative. Yeah, it’s gonna be something like “America is exceptional, and there is no other country like it. So, I refuse to listen to anything else. So there!”
On top of that, you will have a handful of those who have taken a five-day trip to one of the factory zones in China supporting it. For instance, you might have an engineer who traveled to Dongguan say that “I’ve been there, it’s a slimy hell-hole”. Yeah, and I can say that about Baltimore and Detroit as well. Every nation has factory areas, and they all typically stink. What the Hell do you think an industrial area is supposed to look like? Have you ever been to Torona, California or Petrolia, Pennsylvania? Just like every nation also has areas of beauty as well.
According to the American media, China is a dirty smog-filled third world cesspool. When the exact opposite is true. But don’t take my word for it. GO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.
Shanghai is a very beautiful city. (Image Source.)
But this post is not about convincing anyone of anything. It is only my opinions based on my own unique experiences. So don’t believe me.
Go to China yourself and see it from your own eyes.
You Decide, Do not Listen to Me
Just because I have these opinions does not mean that you will agree with me. In fact, I have a friend from NYC. He’s been in China for at least five years. He likes it. He is always cavorting with Russian models in Shenzhen, China and is always going to clubs and having such a great time. His long dreadlocks, olive skin, and huge smile are always appealing. But, he does not agree with me. In his mind there is only one, and one only, place to live. That is New York City, baby. Nothing else even comes close.
So, these are my opinions, and I do believe that you (the reader) will have your own. This is an important point, as I was raised as a “flag waving” American citizen. I was an American who believed in the promise and, most importantly, the practice of freedom and liberty. However, over the years, with the encroachments of various laws and legislative actions, those freedoms have whittled away to nothing.
Busybodies Run the USA Today
It began oh so “innocently”.
Firstly, they took away our “freedom to save money” by passing the 16th amendment. Yup. So, now “oh yeah” you can save money. But first, you have to give 15-30% of what you make to the federal government. Then you have to pay your state tax (0-8%). Then you have to pay your mandatory social security and Medicaid taxes (8%+8%), then you have to pay your mandatory Obamacare taxes (>0, obviously). Whatever is left over you can save (although it too is also subject to tax).
Then, secondly, they took away our ability to travel freely. Now you need a driver license to get about. (If you want to drive, but now you also need it to board a train, or get on the bus. Thank you DHS.) Along with that are all kinds of restrictions that you need to follow to keep that “privilege”. You can’t drink, smoke or text in the car. You must wear a specially approved restraining device, and your children must have a specially constructed and approved safety seat.
The list goes on and on.
Oh, sure we take the removal of our freedoms as “given”. It is the price that we pay for “living in the best nation on the planet”. It doesn’t matter if you need to get a license to paint your own living room or if you can lose everything and share a prison cell with a mass murderer because you picked a plant in your backyard and smoked it…
“The US Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to criminalize marijuana. Thus, the question of whether marijuana is legal is one of the many issues reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment. If the Constitution gives Congress the power to ban marijuana, then why was it necessary to amend the Constitution to give Congress the power to ban alcohol?”-Ron Paul
Freedom used to mean something. People used to proudly say that they were “free” in the United States. They really, and honestly, used to say this. I am not kidding in the least. People said it and really believed it.
Ah, how quaint.
Freedom Used to be Important
The transformation will be absolutely complete when they take away guns. Then, only the rulers will have weapons. Oh, what a dangerous time that will be. (Have you ever wondered why people in the Democrat party are so absolutely focused in disarming the population? Well you should.) Then, once the people are disarmed, then the “real” changes can take place.
Know your history. This is what really happens when a particular group comes to power and their enemies are disarmed. It is never pretty.
The REAL changes.
Oh, this will be a dangerous time to be an American, I’ll tell you what. I shouldn’t need to tell you what will happen then. It will just be a repeat of what has always happened once people are disarmed in a nation that is an oligarchy.
If you have been paying attention, you the reader, should know all the arguments. “(That) one’s individual freedom is not nearly as important as the needs of the defenseless children.” Anyways, the point is that the United States government is dismantling our rights one by one and offering nothing in return except empty promises.
American RIGHTS are being dismantled one by one, and NOT ONE PERSON is defending them.
Americans are treated as Cattle
To keep us in line they promote all kinds of fears, distractions and divisions. A person listening to the American news today would be petrified to leave the United States, as the outside world must be horrific! (Which of course, explains the reaction that my father had when I told him that I was going to move to China.)
Americans lie to each other about what America is and what other nations are. If you really want to be serious about the reality of our life, then you need to accept the reality of what America was intended to be. America today, is not at all what it was intended to be…
“The word Republic has all but disappeared from our political lexicon. It has erroneously been replaced by Democracy. The Founders must be turning over in their graves. They had nothing but contempt for democracy. They sought to, and did, create a constitutional republic, but not before doing their homework. Unlike today's politicians, talking heads, and academics, the Founders had an acute, in-depth, and nuanced understanding of history and political systems. Prior to the 1787 constitutional convention, James Madison undertook a comprehensive study of every known republic in recorded history to ensure that the Founders didn't repeat their mistakes. The Founders as a group were also well studied in democracies. They knew that every democracy in recorded history disintegrated in a pyre of chaos, tyranny, and mob violence. The word democracy does not appear in any of the Founding documents: the Declaration, the Articles of Confederation, nor the Constitution. For good reason: the Founders had no intention of creating a democracy. They wanted to fashion a mixed republic of constitutionally infused checks and balances which incorporated elements monarchy, aristocracy, and popular consent. Monarchy would manifest itself in the Office of President, aristocracy the senate, and popular consent, the House of Representatives. The checks and balances are both vertical and horizontal. The division of the government into the executive, legislative, and judicial constitutes one form of checks and balances. The "division of labor" among the federal, state, and local levels of government constitutes the other. This division of labor was made law in Article 1, Section 8, and the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution. The Founders drew much of their inspiration and thought from Baron Montesquieu's "Spirit of the Laws." Montesquieu (1689-1755), a Frenchman, was a political philosopher and man of letters. He is one of the central figures of the Enlightenment. Published in 1748, the Spirit of the Laws is a comparative study of three types of government: republic, monarchy, and despotism. Montesquieu held that government powers should be separated and balanced to guarantee individual rights and freedom. It is considered one of the most influential political studies of all time. The Founders would agree, and some 40 years later, would incorporate much of Montesquieu's masterpiece in the founding of our Republic. I'll bet very few Americans can cite the differences between a republic and a democracy, or care for that matter. But even high-level politicians and prime-time political commentators continue to refer to "our democracy" rather than "our republic." Spread the good word---we don't live in a democracy; it's a republic, thank you.”-Artful Dilettante
So now, today most Americans now have strangely warped ideas about life and life in other nations. This is a direct result of the onslaught barrage of propaganda out of the United States media and the oligarchy that controls them. This can be irritating, because most Americans believe the lies because that is all they know. Those of us who live outside of the echo bubble framed by the American media machine know differently. And, over time, the gap between our reality and the American narrative keeps getting wider and wider.
“Around mid-November 2017, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a shocking report detailing China’s gay conversion problem.Powerful first-hand accounts expose how state-owned hospitals are using electric shock machines and medication to convert gays back to some form of 'normalcy'. The practice is an open secret in China, where a majority of gays are forced by their families into hospitals, because the culture labels it as a curable-disease. Even the World Psychiatric Association has come out denouncing the practice as “unethical, unscientific and harmful”.”
What in the Lord’s name are they friggin’ talking about? Theres nothing even similar to this, in any way, in China. There just isn’t!
Yet, who is “Human Rights Watch”? Who is publishing this nonsense? Well, you’ve guessed it… None other than George Soros, who worked with President Obama to create a contentious relationship with China. Want to read about the activity in this area, then check it out.
Yeah, it’s all exposed. However, the United States Mainstream media are all controlled by Soros, so you won’t see any reports there. Have to admit the absolute BULLSHIT from the Soros minions is getting pretty darn deep. You need some pretty tall boots to slug through all of it. Ya! You bet! Here, you can read more fear generating anti-China Soros propaganda here.
Don’t believe me? Then fact-check it using a Soros-based Fact-Checking internet site like Snopes…
George Soros was an early contributor to Snopes, and has provided financial backing to the organization for years.
Why all this Propaganda?
Why is every single instance when you turn on any media it is always about how great the United States is? It’s not that I don’t think the United States is great, it is that you don’t give any other nations any credit. It is as if the entire rest of the world is nothing but scenes from a “Save the Children” commercial. Gawd, you’d think that the rest of the world walks around barefoot, sorts through trash, lives in windowless houses, and prostitutes’ children. It’s really a very lopsided view of the world.
On the top of the list is China. China is always maligned.
Don’t believe me, eh?
Ok. Here, try this. (I am serious. Please stop reading and do this “sanity check”.)
Do a picture / image search for “dogs in china”. One is a United States search engine; Bing. The other is a Chinese search engine; Baidu. Now look at the difference in the photos found. Big difference indeed. If you search using American search engines, and American web sites you will get the idea that the Chinese hates dogs. You would get the idea that they eat them and treat them brutally.
The photo results when using an American search engine (Bing) for the term “Dogs in China”. Pretty terrible. Eh? The Chinese must really HATE dogs. Don’t you think?
When the real truth is that the Chinese love dogs like their very own children. They dress them up in clothes, including socks and shoes. (Even my dog Shao Pi has sock, shoes, a coat, underwear, sunglasses, a cap and his very own backpack.) They have hairstyles and perms that they give the dogs. They groom them in pet salons, and offer them high-end doggie hotel accommodations, complete with dog-friendly television shows. It is a completely stark mind-blowing difference.
Yet, you know you would think that the US media would WANT to show this bizzare behavior to the American public. It is, afterall, newsworthy. But they don’t. Anything that shows China in a positive light is suppressed.
The photo results when you use a Chinese search engine (Baidu) for the search term “Dogs in China”. You know, the Chinese really love their dogs and treat them as children.
Here are two videos to make this point. Both are from an APP that is very common in China. (It is called IesDouYin,(Not a very English-Friendly name, I am afraid.) you can get it HERE. It is a kind of You-Tube in a Twitter kind-of format. It’s pretty cool and super popular in China. Heck, if you really want to get a taste of what China is actually like, then watch the videos.)
You know, part of the reason for this anger directed at China is because of Walmart.
Yup, good old Walmart. They, through their greed, was the engine that introduced shabby products to the American middle class. I know, I was in the appliance industry in the late 1980’s when Walmart was dictating terms to all the manufacturers. They wanted cheap at all costs. Yet, Walmart maintained a baseline margin of 30%.
So here we were, a factory dealing with a 3% profit margin over costs, and here was the retailer demanding a plump 30% profit margin. If we couldn’t hit their sales prices, we were out of the game. The American companies couldn’t compete. Oh, Sears tried. Oh others tried. But the only way that we could still be able to sell our products was to have them made in China. And that, my dear boys and girls, is why I first started to come to China in the first place.
Walmart sent me.
So, anyways, the cheap stuff got made in China and shipped to the USA. Meanwhile the high quality stuff was also made in China by shipped elsewhere. It was shipped to England, Japan, Russia, France, and Germany. So an American might think that they are buying some really high quality stuff out of Japan, when in reality they are still buying stuff made in China, just redirected via Japan.
Yah. It’s a global world we live in today.
Global Manufacture
Yet, for all the supposedly “junk” that China makes, Americans sure as heck like to buy it. Hey! You know that iPhone you use; made in China. How about that nice Japanese car; made in China. What about that expensive German camera; made in China. What about that high-end gaming computer; made in China. What about the HDTV in your living room; yup, made in China as well. How about that Porsche or Mercedes Benz; both made in China. Just because Walmart sells junk does not mean that junk is all that China makes. It isn’t.
In fact, America is NOT the only buyer of Chinese products. China sells to the world. So while a lot of products leave China and arrive on American shores, it is only around 11% of all Chinese exports. So, for all of you who like to believe the unicorn dream that tariffs on Chinese products would harm China, you are in for a rude awakening. It’s not going to happen.
China exports products all over the world. They manufacture everything. Their quality varies from poor to exceptional. Just because the only exposure to Chinese products is Walmart does not mean that that is all that they make. It isn’t.
Nice Pie-chart of where China exports to. (Image Source.)
It’s just that the average American cannot afford anything decent any longer. They shop at Walmart and the Dollar Store to purchase “affordable” products. Which is really the super cheap junk, now mostly made outside of China.
Made and Sold in the USA
Now, here is the most important part of this post, so please pay attention. Which is now my pitch for “Made in the USA”. Listen up. Look everyone, good products can be made just about anywhere. But if you want something made that is high quality, and is reliable, and is worth your good hard money to buy… don’t go to Walmart. Go to your local hardware store, and buy American.
It is not that China only makes junk, it is that Americans allow mercenary business practices to set the pace for American product quality. This needs to end. Your first stop; buy American. Your second stop; buy local. Go to businesses that employ the people in your local area.
So turn off the propaganda. China makes good products, but they are out of the price range of most Americans. Stop buying junk. Stop shopping at cheap stores. Buy only a few things, and what you buy… make it of the highest quality. If you really want to make a difference, buy American.
Turn off the propaganda. So the argument is always the same;
"Well, maybe China makes all the products, but they are just junk. And, of course, well maybe Japan has all the cool gadgets, but who really needs them. Let’s not forget the argument that China is Communist, not a wonderful and safe “Democracy” like the United States is."
America is a great place, and full of wonderful people. It is just that America has allowed truly bad people; truly evil and corrupt people to run the government. They in turn have permitted busybodies to meddle. They were allowed to meddle in everything. Now the USA looks like a playroom where toddlers had a food fight in it.
This is true, and you the reader knows this.
Sigh.
American Laws and Rules
Oh, the reasons and intentions were always, supposedly for the best of intentions. Seat belt laws requiring (forcing) us to wear seatbelts while in a moving vehicle is to protect the vehicle occupants. Anti-smoking legislation is supposedly to prevent lung cancer in the population. Forcing people to purchase ACA insurance is to help those who cannot afford medical insurance. The banning of wood-stoves is to prevent homes from catching fire and to preserve trees. The list goes on and on.
However, the truth is that the reasons why laws were written is often not the real purpose and reason why they were put in place.
Their overall accumulative effects were anything else. And thus, when a person steps out of the United States, for the first time, and is exposed to another way of life… Well, the absence of freedom that Americans have becomes overwhelmingly obvious. It really becomes clear. It is just beyond obvious. It is frightening. It is mind-boggling. It is amazing. How in the world can a person be free in Communist China, and why do I, a real “red blooded” American, feel this way?
I am not the only person who has noticed this.
Americans are like the boiling frog. How do you cook a frog? You put it in cool water and then slowly turn up the heat. By the time the frog notices that something is wrong, it is too late.
“Americans should travel internationally, especially in Asia. When they return to the States they will see what a police state it has turned into.”-roddy6667 Jan 8, 2018 3:19 AM
Yeah. It becomes obvious.
Landing in China
Beautiful Shenzhen. Ever hear of it? You should, as it is easily four times the size of New York city and is the “Silicon Valley” of China.
When I landed in China, the first thing I noted was that people were living their lives in a way that was alien to what I had become accustomed to. They smoked in restaurants! They drank beer in the street! They slept wherever they felt like it – and no one even took notice. No, this was not some third-world banana republic where swarthy brown-skinned natives walked barefoot and wore cone shaped hats. No. They were as modern and erudite as modern Tokyo, and lived their lives as they saw fit.
The government did not tell them what to do and how to do it. No, the Chinese government DID NOT tell their people how to live. They were not controlled by the wealthy; those in power, and the corporate army. They, themselves, decided.
“Liberty, the right to be left alone, is at the top of the Constitution’s hierarchy.”-Bruce Fein
Only the most ignorant or uninformed American still believes that the USA is “free”. Oh, at one time, Americans were free, but that time was over 200 years ago. The freedom eroded over time and now it is all just an empty promise. It is all but empty air.
Here is something found on the DNC server by Wikileaks. Apparently all of the donors to DNC 2016 Presidential Candidate recognize that the USA is neither a Republic or a Democracy;
From: "Sandler, Jim" <james@sandlerfoundation.org<mailto:james@sandlerfoundation.org>>
Date: August 24, 2014 at 5:43:34 AM EDT
To: "Sandler, Herbert" <hms@sandlerfoundation.org<mailto:hms@sandlerfoundation.org>>
Subject: Princeton Study: U.S. No Longer an Actual Democracy
I guess it takes a study to point out the obvious.http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longer-democracy
Sent from my iPad
While those who control the government understand this fact quite well. Most Americans don’t understand. They don’t see it. That is precisely because they don’t understand what they see. They have nothing to compare things against. They don’t leave the country and compare their life with that in other nations.
Yet, as an American who leaves the USA… oh, what a shock it truly is!
To Learn you need to Compare
Yes, I am aware that many people are still trying to desperately enter the United States. For them, the image that Hollywood portrays is seductive. The proclamations made by our political leaders during political posturing is seductive, and the “cult” of “American greatness” is alluring. “Free healthcare”, “Free housing”, “Free education”, and a high standard of living without having to go to work or labor for it. What a seduction! A nation where every single thing is FREE!
Free stuff. You never have to work, and everything is just given to you. What a wonderful place. You don’t even need to learn English. Just come in and register for all your free stuff.
America is a place where everything is FREE!
America is a place where everything is FREE!
You Get What You Pay For
But the truth is, the reality of what awaits them in America compared to what they left is not as great a disparity as one would believe. While the American standard of living has declined, the standard of living in other nations has increased. Today the difference is not that striking. When they arrive, their life is not at all what it is portrayed in the media.
For many Americans when they leave the protected shores of America (Canada and Mexico do not count. As they are more or less American-protectorates.) they go into shock and surprise. How can this be? Your mind recoils in horror, and as time presses, you become more and more understanding. All of this increases every day until, well, until one day it all comes together. And, in a blazing flash of light, you see the real hard and stark truth.
“You learned the dry-mouthed, fear-purged purging ecstasy of battle and you fought that summer and that fall for all the poor in the world against all tyranny, for all the things you believed in and for the new world you had been educated into.”-For whom the bell tollsby Earnest Hemingway
You see that many things are simply, out and out, wrong with the United States. There are things wrong with what it is supposed to be, and what it actually is. In fact, it is a complete cluster-fuck, and it is so bad that there has to be a logical reason behind it. How did the USA get into such a terrible mess, and why has it deviated so far away from the core fundamental principles on which it was founded. When you look and study it, you see how terribly wrong everything is… you see the evil… you see the greed… you see the threats and danger… and you just explode!
Hong Kong is a very western Chinese city. It is very modern and very crowded. I like it, but I can only take it in small doses as they use Western pricing and it tends to be too expensive for my tastes.
I spent a considerable amount of time in China. I did this (of course) as an American expat. And China is, possibly, the antithesis of the United States. Yet, it is refreshingly free. How can this be?
I, like all Americans, have been taught that China holds the world’s most repressive government. That the people in China are poor, starving, and in need of American help. We are told that they eat fish-heads, and rice; not because they like it, but because that is all that the government will let them eat. Americans are constantly reminded of every single anti-government protest in China, whether it is about Tibet, or the Hong Kong Democracy movement. They are constantly alerted to every downturn in the Chinese economy. They are constantly told every bit of bad news that hits the American news wires. But those events, even though they do exist, are not reflective of the true reality of what China is.
The actual reality of life in China is really, really different than what we Americans are told. Why? Why is reality so different from what we are told?
Well, for starters…
China is Communist in Name Only
“The balls on this guy! You looted Haiti like a peg-legged pirate. You, your crooked wife, and your cheesy slush fund “foundation” worked in concert to turn it into the shithole it has become. #BagmanBill#ClintonFoundation#Haitihttps://t.co/kPRxesS72C”A comment on former President Bill Clinton’s statement - James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 13, 2018
Most Americans consider “mainland” China to be communist. After all, the communist party runs the nation, right? So it is communist. Right. It is all “cut and dry”.
No. That is not the case at all.
When America was founded, we believed in liberty and freedom. You could make your own whiskey and sell it to whomever you wanted. You could ride on the roads and not have to pay for a permit to do so. The nation pretty much did not get involved in all the wars in Europe at the time. American was for its people.
Presidents, Senators and Representatives made decisions based upon the needs of the American people. It was not based upon the needs of wealthy foreign agents. Well, is this the case today? No it is not. America has changed.
“Our leaders engaged in nation building abroad while they failed to build up and replenish our nation at home. They undercut and short-changed our men and women in uniform with inadequate resources, unstable funding, and unclear missions. They failed to insist that our often very wealthy allies pay their fair share for defense.They neglected a nuclear menace in North Korea, made a disastrously weak and incomprehensibly bad deal with Iran, and allowed terrorists such as ISIS to gain control of vast parts of territory all across the Middle East. They put American energy under lock and key. They surrendered our sovereignty to foreign bureaucrats in far-away and distant capitals. And over the profound objections of the American people, our politicians left our borders wide open.Our leaders drifted from American principles. They lost sight of America’s destiny, and they lost their belief in American greatness. As a result, our citizens lost something as well. The people lost confidence in their government and eventually even lost confidence in their future.”-President Donald Trump(R) on 18 December 2017
The same is true with China. China has changed as well.
Mr. Deng
争先恐后 (zhēng xiān kǒng hòu) is an expression that describes modern Chinese society after Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms – everyone is “struggling to get ahead” because they are “afraid they will be left behind”.
Contrary to what everyone thinks, the modern architect of China is not Mr. Mao, but a Mr. Deng. He is the reason why China is such a dominant power in the world stage today. “What?” You, the reader, might say, “How can this be?”. Yet it is true.
Trump is the reverse. He's not a conservative either, but a Dengist, as in China's Chairman Deng Xiaoping (one of the most positive figures in the twentieth century for almost single-handedly overcoming Maoism), who abjured ideology and famously said "I don't care if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice."
-Why the left is having a nervous breakdown
The story is an interesting and important one…
Back in the 1980’s when China was getting “back on its feet” after the turmoil of the 1960’s and 1970’s (with armies of young progressive SJW), there were all kinds of power struggles going on in Beijing. It was an interesting time for certain. To boil it down and distill it into its most basic form, let’s just simply say this. (Here comes the simplified overview that describes everything. I suggest the reader actually study the history to get a true overview of the situation at hand.)
There were two groups within the communist party at that time.
One group [1] was a “progressive” wing. They wanted central government, central management, and Beijing running everything along the principles of classical communism. Their plan was almost exactly like the DNC plan under President Obama. One central government in control of EVERYTHING. This group was led by Mr. Mao and his followers.
The other group [2] was a “free market” wing. They wanted Beijing to establish a structure from which everyone would work under. But, when they operated under this structure they would implement “free market” activities. People would be “free” to do what they could to make money. The government would step back and not interfere. This group and effort was led by Mr. Deng.
This “free market” wing eventually became dominant. This is because it was so darn successful.
Free market economies will perform much better than socialist models on all levels. (Don’t believe me? Compare the nation of Venezuela (socialist paradise) with China (free market economy).) Today, China is a “American Conservative Free Market” “wet dream”. It is the reason why China is leading the world on so many levels. China runs the nation like an American Conservative would.
We can all thank Mr. Deng for this.
The Chinese utilize American Conservative “free market” policies for economic growth. They do not follow any socialist or communist models in this regard.
Free market policies are utilized in Chinese business practice. (Image Source.)
Life in “Communist” China
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”— Thomas Jefferson
The USA media bashes China. They claim that China is terrible, repressive, and that people have no freedom there. They point to the Tiananmen incident, the pro-separation protests for Tibet, and western media crackdowns as evidence of that. They makeup statements and reports, some of which I can actually verify and double check the validly on, (after all, I am right here) that are absolutely made-up bullshit. The media is just propagandizing, and the content that they provide is just full of nonsense.
China is filled with beautiful cites that are enormous by American standards. Most are at least the size of Chicago, All of them are modern and large. China has embarked on “life style” initiatives which place an emphasis on improving the livability of a city over economic growth. So, as a result, the visitor will be, and always is, amazed at the large number of parks and the constant attention given to trees, shrubs and flowers. This city is Chongqing.The Chinese city of ChongQing. (Image Source.)
Modern China
Day to Day Freedom
Actually, in America, most people do not engage in protests on Wall Street every day. Most people do not write anti-government propaganda every day. Most people live quiet lives where they go from work to their families. That is what is the most important. That is also what is most important to me. It is the ability to live one’s life how you see fit. It is to be able to just live without anyone telling you otherwise. And, what matters to me is living this simple life in Freedom and in Liberty. Their political influence is typically restricted to voting efforts in an election and an occasional letter to their congressional representative.
"In the state of nature, liberty consists of being free from any superior power on Earth. People are not under the will or lawmaking authority of others but have only the law of nature for their rule.”- John Locke
Perhaps that is why I wax so vociferously on this subject. When one experiences the absence of something so precious, one cannot help but get emotionally connected to its meaning and it’s significance.
All Americans must carry identification on them at all times. These “papers” consist of driver’s license, or residency card, social security card, passport (if they have one) or Insurance cards and registrations. This is not true in other nations, where a person can go for months at a time with no one asking them for identification. Some links;
People; we are all the same. All over the world we are the same. We all want to go about our business, and not worry about the police pulling you over when you drive. (And, you and I both know how true this is in the United States.)
American Facts of Life
This is a fact of life in the United States. When an American drives and they see a police car, they wonder, is he going to pull me over for some infraction. The American driver looks at his speedometer to make sure that he is going slower than the posted speed limit. This is a uniquely American phenomena. You NEVER experience this in other countries. The police just leave you alone. (Except for countries like North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan.)
Wearing a seat belt is mandatory in the United States today if you ride in a vehicle. If you are caught without wearing one your risk a fine, or even jail time depending on where you are arrested. This is only in the United States. Other nations might also have laws of this nature, but they are rarely enforced, and often ignored.
We want to work at a job, and get 100% of our earnings paid to us. We do not want some invisible person, or agency, removing money from our pay out before we see it (Impossible in the United States.). This basically means that we can order a hamburger and not worry about whether or not we should have a slice of cheese on it. (Can we afford the extra 25 cents today, we wonder?) We want to live our lives without anyone telling us that we have to wear a seat belt, buy insurance, or show our ID to buy beer. (In fact, today in America even the failure to have an ID on your person can get you thrown in jail.)
One of the highlights of President Obama’s administration was “providing” “FREE” healthcare to Americans who did not have it. How this was implemented was that he made a law requiring all Americans to buy healthcare. Those that could not would pay a stiff fine. Today, if you do not have mandatory medical insurance you must pay the fine and it is enforced by the most feared federal agency in the United States; the dreaded IRS.
The IRS is used to police Americans. While the US Constitution FORBIDS use of the military on American soil, President Obama equipped them with state of the art military grade weapons and authorized their use against Americans without trial or Habeas Corpus.
Not only that, but President Obama gave the IRS military weapons, tanks, and a complete SWAT team. All to be used against tax evasion. But, only American citizens pay taxes, so that means that all these military weapons are being used domestically against Americans.
The Internal Revenue Service had in its weapons inventory 4,487 guns and 5,062,006 rounds of ammunition as of late 2017, according to a report published this month by the Government Accountability Office.
Included in this arsenal, according to the GAO, were 15 “fully automatic firearms” and 56,000 rounds of ammunition for those fully automatic firearms.
The same report–“Federal Law Enforcement: Purchases and Inventory Controls of Firearms, Ammuntion, and Tactical Equipment”–says that the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services had 194 fully automatic firearms and 386,952 rounds of ammunition for those fully automatic firearms.
We just want to be left alone. (I ask the reader; for you personally, is this not true? Or do you welcome having the nosey neighbor two blocks down the street telling you want to do about your front yard?) To be left alone and to live your life as you see fit; that is the forgotten key component of liberty.
“Human life is one long struggle for Freedom. People struggle individually for Freedom from different personal things in their lives. You have your personal struggles and I have mine. But there is a struggle for Freedom that is paramount in importance to our personal ones. It is the one Freedom which binds us all together. It is Freedom from the bondage of another individual or the bondage of a big overbearing, regulating government. It is the Freedom of living the way you desire to live in happiness, and the Freedom to pursue that happiness. If we find ourselves without this Freedom, none other matters. Death would be better than suffering the consequences of the loss of this Liberty. That’s why Patrick Henry muttered those profound words, “Give me Liberty or give me death.””-John Porter
In an effort to “improve” the United States; to make it safer, more secure, and “better”, we have stolen from our most basic of principles; that of Freedom and Liberty.
Other People have Other Ideas
You know, my ideas about China and the United States are my own. Maybe you (the reader) might think differently. Maybe you will love it absolutely (like some of my friends), or hate it terribly (as I have read on the internet). So, get yourself a passport, and see for yourself.
Never take my word for anything. The reader must come to their own conclusions. Get a passport, and go to China. Visit Xiamen, visit Shenzhen, visit Tianjin, and visit Shanghai. Just go and come to your own conclusions.
All in all, different nations do things differently. The people in different countries think, act, and dress differently. I think it is best to appreciate the differences and relish in them, rather than try to change others to your own ideal.
I enjoy the differences.
So now, though all that I have experienced, I tell the reader that there are changes going on globally. There are shifts in power, and changes in dominance globally. These things will continue to play out over time. One can argue that I am wrong, but it will happen. How it eventually affects the reader will lie upon their thoughts that react to the persistent and eventual changes.
A map of the Chinese city of Wuhan. Ah, look at all that water. It is indeed a very beautiful place.
Chinese city of Wuhan. Look at all that water! Look at all the parks! (Image Source.)
“I'm Chinese American, and honestly, this video reflects SO MUCH on my initial views of china when I first went as a tourist back in 2010 (all of my family moved to America, so my mom and i had little connections left in China). To be honest, I actually found China to be quite liberating from all the political mess in America. Most citizens don't care about international "politics" per say, but rather care about events. Like you said, they care less about the well-being of individuality, and more as a collective local community (for example, the richer gated communities in Beijing will support one another), much like the poorer communities there. People are also more open to understanding other views within reasonable bounds (except for bigots of course), as they want to hear/learn more about foreign ideas + experiences. Anyways, i really thank you for posting this video. I appreciate it :)”-ronzalpha
Musings on Liberty and Freedom
“Americans must stop convincing themselves that nothing is wrong and that the United States is still number one in the world…. The first myth to be dispelled: we are no longer the world’s largest economy when adjustments are made for purchasing power parity. On the basis of purchasing power (and not by converting everything into dollars), China overtook the United States at the end of 2014. At the end of 2014, China accounted for 16.48% of the world's purchasing-power adjusted GDP (or $17.632 trillion), and the US made up 16.28% (or $17.416 trillion) (Bird, 2014). The United States will continue to shrink if changes are not made.”-“Is The United States Still The Best Country In The World? Think Again” by Hershey H. Friedman at the Brooklyn College - Department of Business Management, and Sarah Hertz at the State University of New York (SUNY), Empire State College. June 24, 2015.
Most of my current belief circles around the principles of FREEDOM, LIBERTY, and being HAPPY, and WORKING towards PROSPERITY. These are all things that everyone in the world aspires to. And these things have become into sharp focus as I travel about outside the confines of the United States. That is simply because other nations are not as controlled, manipulated, and policed as the American people are.
This is how the American government works;
First they break your legs.
Then they sell you a wheelchair to “help you” at ten times the price.
They then tax that wheelchair.
They then regulate your use of that wheelchair.
Finally, they assures you that without their help (the government) that you would not be able to get around at all.
When you die, they tax your children for inheriting your wheelchair.
Forget what you, the reader thinks, about which is the best government. It really doesn’t matter as much as the behavior those whom occupy leadership positions within that government. In fact, if I were to be so bold, a kind and caring despot in a dictatorship is far preferable to that of a democracy where the leaders are all selfish, evil crooks.
It’s true when you really think about it.
It is the people who control the operation of the government, rather than the government type itself that influences the lifestyle of the people. Now, one would think that a democracy would be ideal. (Which is the non-stop drumbeat in America for the last four decades.) That way, we could (by majority rule – rule by herd), select who will run the government. But, my dear reader, please take note…
“The ability to choose one’s masters, is not freedom.”-Unknown
Stuck where we were Born
The reader should recognize that governments have formed over periods of time involving years, decades, and even centuries. We cannot select which government we were born into. What we can select, to some degree, is where we can migrate towards to achieve happiness.
Our selection of such a place to live is an important one. While there are many who desire to stay in their birth nation and change it to fit their desires, others decide to move towards nations where they can be free and happy. For some, happiness means safety and protection. (Such is the desire of many American women, and children.), while others happiness means freedom to just be yourself. (Which is my desire, and which is shared with other men typically.)
Ah… you DO know that men and women ARE different.
While we might have different sentience’s and different cultures, we are all human. As such, regardless of the language, we all can understand each other. That is, as long as we remain insulated from manipulation by others.
I see this every day. I see it in all people. Whether the person comes from China, or whether they are visitors from other nations who do business in China. We are all the same in regards to the basic traditional roles. Whether you come from Dubai, Cuba, France, England, Australia, or Iran it is a basic truth. Most people want to be left alone, and they want to make their own decisions at their own pace, and not answer to anyone. One of the most shocking, eye-opening experiences that I have had since I moved to China is how much freer the Chinese people are compared to Americans. This has greatly shocked me.
“Where you find the laws most numerous, there you will find also the greatest injustice.” -Arcesilaus (315-241 BC)
But, is being “freer” actually “better”?
Trust in the Government
My father, a life-long Democrat really didn’t trust the government at all. However, he felt that America was the best because our government (at least) listened to its people. We had “representatives” and ‘Senators” that would do what we asked. That that was, as he explained to me, one of the reasons why America was so great.
He would tell me that we were lucky that we didn’t live in some African “hell-hole” run by a dictator that forced people to do things. He explained to me that everything in the United States is voluntary. Even taxes were voluntary. He even pulled out a 1040 form that clearly said so on the top page. He explained to me that the only things that the government made us do were for our own best interests. For instance, like Social Security, seatbelt laws, prohibition on buying liquor on Sundays (this was Pennsylvania), and “no-fault” auto insurance. Only a dictator would force someone to buy something, or make them do something that they didn’t want to.
Only a tinhorn, dictator out of an African “hell-hole” would impose his views on Americans…
My Immediate Impressions
China is a huge place with a very long history. Naturally, you would expect countless number of good things and bad things. In fact, if one was to list all the positives, you could easily make a book thicker than the bible. However since there is so much anti-China propaganda about the present-day China, it may be worthwhile concentrating on only those positives relating to the present-day China, so as to counter some of the negative publicity. There are many positives in today’s China. However, the Western media has made it impossible for anyone to list these one by one without attracting serious condemnations from all directions. Not only is China portrayed as an evil, but incredibly even some of the positives in China are also turned into negatives by the media! Just consider the following examples (positives that were turned into negatives by the Western media): The West says China mistreats and suppresses its minorities... But China is the only country I know of that under its rule, the minority’s health, literacy rate, education level, and life expectancy have all improved dramatically. (In the case of Tibetans, even the wealth of the average person has also improved dramatically) The West says China carries out cultural genocide... But China is the only country I know of that under its rule, (1) the minority’s language is formally recognized, and all government documents that concern them would be printed in their languages, and all education is carried out in their languages. (2) All important minority festivals are formally recognized, AND public holidays are granted to celebrate those festivals. (3) All minorities are encouraged to wear their traditional costumes. AND government grants are provided to ensure these traditions are preserved. The West says China doesn’t share its wealth with others... But China is the only country I know of that, as soon as it has shrugged off poverty itself, it has immediately turned itself into a major foreign aids provider. The West says China is a hostile ambitious country... But China is the only major world power I know of that has settled land disputes by giving away large chunks of land in return for peace. The West says China was militarizing space... But China was actually one of the first 2 countries in the world to lead a campaign against militarizing space back in the 1980’s at a time when the West was supporting America’s militarization of space. (By the way, the anti-satellite missile was not a space weapon. It was designed to fight against space weapons) The West says China is the biggest carbon emitter... But China is actually one of the smallest carbon emitters per capita (and per capita is the ONLY realistic measure). And in any case, it is the demand, rather than the production that drives the carbon emission. So even if you close down all factories in China, carbon emission will not be lower because another poor developing country will have to be brought in to produce them. The demand is actually driven from the West.”-A comment found on Yahoo Answers
Since I moved to China, I have never had to show my identification, I have never been stopped for a body check, or gave my cell phone to the authorities to scan. I never had to have a urine drug test, or a background check, or a financial report. I never showed my driver’s license for anything.
When I order a beer, they simply just give it to me. (The last time I was in the United States, I ordered a beer in a Tex-Mex restaurant in Pennsylvania. Despite the fact that I had graying hair, and dressed like an older gentleman, the waitress insisted that I be carded. She said it was store policy. Why? Because in the USA, a restaurant can lose their liquor license for the slightest offense. No one wants to take the risk.)
That is freedom in America today.
When I want to smoke, I pull out a cigarette and smoke right there on the spot. (Try doing that in your work office in the USA, or in a restaurant, or even in your own car or truck.) In China, it is just A-Okay to smoke at your desk.
Sanity check: Check out your freedom…
Light up a cigar at your desk at work.
Ah, you laugh! Don’t be silly. “I’d get fired.” You say. And I respond. “Thank you; you just proved my point.”
A place that allows you to smoke at your desk is FREER than a place that does not.
If I want to walk into a restaurant without a shirt on, or shoes, no one will stop me or say anything to me. Not only is this impossible to do in the USA, but there are often signs specifically stating so. In fact, one of the first things I noted, on a return visit to the USA, was the presence of these signs. Disgusting and disturbing. The second thing I noticed was that you had to PAY for Internet access.
What decade is the USA in? Jeeze!
If I want to bring my dog into the restaurant with me, no one says anything. (Actually, the waitress staff is often playing with the dog, taking selfies, and rubbing his nose. Oh, he’s a real chick-magnet.) No one cares. No one looks at me with disgust, or tells me to step outside. It just never happens; never.
Sanity Check; Check out your freedom...
Bring your dog into a restaurant.
Set him on the chair, and place an order. Can you do it without being asked to leave, or having the police called on you?
A place where you can eat with your pet is FREER than one where you cannot.
Let me elaborate this point again. No fat American woman arches her back, sticks out her chin and says “Excuse me!” with disapproval. No policeman looks you up and down in any way. (They are too busy chatting with the pretty girls, or playing on their iPhones.)
Americans LOST our Freedoms – We just don’t realize it
No company demands that I fill out a W-2 form, sign up for a urine or background check, puts down a long list of dress codes, demands that I have a cell phone so that they can have 24 hour access to me when they want. I have never been asked (with negative consequences if you don’t comply) to “donate” blood, participate in fund drives, or donate my time to some special event during my “off hours”. These things are all unheard of outside of the United States.
I thought that the USA was the freest nation on the earth. Yet it is the ONLY nation that drug tests it’s employees. This people, is NOT freedom. No matter what the excuse. The United States led the work in industrial production. It had the best workers in the world. What happened to flip everything upside down?
In the USA, everyone drug tests their employees. (Image Source.)
Meanwhile in China…
In China, you are NOT compelled to buy or purchase anything or be forced to pay fees or fines otherwise. Of course, under President Obama you MUST purchase government health insurance, and pay into it monthly. Additionally, if you fail to buy insurance, you will be penalized financially.
You do not have to report your earnings every year to the government.
That’s correct. This requirement is absent from most other nations. Other people, elsewhere in the world NEVER have to report anything to their government. They don’t spend any time doing so. They don’t hire anyone to help them in the reporting effort. They don’t try to do the reporting themselves by purchasing “taxation software”. They don’t even buy stamps to mail a letter to the government. They are FREE to live their lives and not tell the government anything. WOW!
Imagine that!
You do not have to fill out forms to the federal government if you want to move large sums of money out of a bank. If you want $25,000 from your bank, you just show your thumbprint and get it. It is that simple. There are no forms to fill out. There are no questions. It is that simple.
(Just remember to bring a big bag or suitcase. The largest denomination in China is a 100 RMB note.)
It’s not just banks, but it is everything as well. You do not have to ask permission to cut down a tree in your yard, haul things with your car, dig a well, add a room to your house, or fly a flag. So many restrictions of freedom in America are simply not present outside the American borders.
Sanity Check; Check out your freedom...
Buy a beer in the afternoon.
Open it up and drink some.
Then go to a mall or in and out of various stores holding the opened bottle in your hand.
A place that allows you to consume adult beverages at will, is FREER than a place that doesn’t.
I most especially like the concept that if you buy a house it is yours. No government can tax it for any reason. When you die, no government can take it and give a portion to your children. No government can take it and tear it down to preserve the habitat of the endangered tiger-boob-dodo-fly. Finally, no government can require that you submit bank and real estate appraisals as part of your annual income. The concept that what you earn is yours! It’s wonderful! But, yet so un-American.
Anywho, I blog about this all the time(American bashing). I hate their laws, legal system and almost everything about America. I was raise and lived my entire life in NYC but has since moved back to my place of birth in the Caribbean.
One will only know how bullshit America is when they actually visit other places on the globe.
Americans segregate themselves to just America, and they’re unable to see true freedom.
Here in the Caribbean(and almost the entire globe),I can walk around with 100 cans of beers and drink them unconcealed all I want to, and I don’t have to worry about BS tickets.
Kids can go into liquor stores and buy alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Not that they use them, but let’s say I as a father cannot make it to buy some booze, I can just send my 10 year old son to do that.
The list goes on and on. America falsely prides itself on freedom, but it has no freedoms compared to almost every nation on the glob.
It’s like a guy bragging about having a huge dick, then when his pants come down, his 2 inches is exposed. That is America,hypocrisy to the 10th.degree. And one will only know that America has ZERO freedoms only when they begin to travel internationally.
-SocialKenny
In America, what you “own” is actually owned by the Government. You are just a tenant. You pay the government rent. You don’t really own anything. You just have a name on a paper that permits you to live in a certain location as long as you pay your fees and taxes on time to the proper authorities.
Young milennials protesting the system. Their answer? Socialism. Take away guns. Free money, free healthcare, free iPhones and free coffee. Ye Gods, boy are we in for a ride!
The most appropriate protest sign ever. (Image Source.)
Chinese Taxes
“It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it's just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or being elected president. And the same thing applies to governors, and U.S. Senators and congress members. So, now we've just seen a subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect, and sometimes get, favors for themselves after the election is over. ... At the present time the incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody that is already in Congress has a great deal more to sell."-Former president Jimmy Carter (D).
Most Chinese enjoy a flat 3% – 10% tax on income with no other taxes, what so ever. In China, there is no 16% SS tax (8%+8%), no unemployment tax, excise taxes (except for cars), state taxes, federal taxes, local taxes, school taxes, inheritance taxes, taxes on gasoline, soda, beer, cigarettes, housing taxes.
They are very upfront and pragmatic about taxes. It is a (for practical purposes) flat tax (Officially it is not. It is graduated. However, for the vast bulk of Chinese people who work it actually is a flat tax. That is what matters, yes? How MOST of the citizens experience life in their country. You pay your share. There are no complicated rules that favor the wealthy, or a “protected” group of people. It is a minimal tax scheme that enables the people to subsidize their governmental programs and projects. This freedom from taxation has enabled the Chinese citizen to save money. This very freedom, in turn, enables them to invest into their own businesses and futures.
But, that being said let’s look it up oficially. While most Chinese (95%) pay a flat tax, the weathliest (5%) pay more in taxes. Yes…
Officially and Actually…
It is actually a graduated taxation scheme. (Brownie point for the Progressives in the audience.) However there is a difference between what is supposed to work, and what actually works in application. Thus, for all practical purposes, the vast bulk of people pay the 3% to 10% tax rate.
This means that for 95% of Chinese people pay this rate. At higher income levels, it becomes graduated and thus more complicated. Thus “officially” it is a graduated tax scheme, but for 95% of the population it is a flat tax scheme. I am trying to keep things honest with the reader. One can always delve in the nuances of a given situation, but often times ignoring the true impact as to who is affected.
This kind of camouflage is used to confuse the true nature of American issues. The News Media might spend the bulk of their airtime discussing political affairs that affect only the richest 0.1% of Americans, thus giving the impression that what they discuss affects everyone. Yet they quickly gloss over issues that affect the majority of people by using minimizing language.
“Tax cuts for the rich!”, the Progressive talking heads scream. “Oh, that is so unfair”, the observer shakes their head in disgust. Yet, whether it affects THEM is not really an issue, is it? What affects YOU is the real issue.
If the change or plan will not affect you, then why get so hot and bothered about it? (“ Oh, but you don’t understand, if they are helped, it will hurt ME!” OK. I’ll bite. How will it hurt you? How?)
In other words, to use American political lingo; the individual Chinese have a flat tax on their income for the vast majority of people in the nation. If your income is somewhere for the top 5 or higher it becomes graduated. You end up paying more because you make more. There are no complicated exceptions or deductions. They have no other taxation schemes. It’s a pretty straightforward system.
Super-Rich Chinese Want to Move to America
While most Chinese are happy to stay in China, there is a movement of the “Super-Rich” that want to leave China. These are not “just” millionaires, these are the enormously wealthy Chinese. China taxes them harshly. While in America, the Super-rich end up protected from excessive taxation.
That is also why many super-rich Chinese want to move to America and Canada; The tax schemes in the Americas benefit the super-rich. They do not like being singled out to pay much more than the rest of the nation.
China Tax Rates 2014; The tax on an individual's income is progressive. An individual's income is taxed progressively at 3% - 45%. The corporate tax rate for domestic and foreign companies is 25%. Small companies pay 20% corporate tax in certain cases. Hi-tech companies pay 15% corporate tax.
American on the other hand, not only have to pay a multitude of taxes, under different schemes and names, but if they reside overseas, must pay double taxes; firstly to the nation where they reside, and of course all the taxes to the US government.
“ ...in 2014, the IRS mandated all U.S. taxpayers with offshore accounts totaling more than $10,000 had until June 30 to file a new Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Form 114 or else be subject to a penalty of as much as 50% of their assets.The fact is most foreign banks do not want deposits from U.S. citizens. This is increasingly the case in traditional destinations, such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom, because of increased aggressiveness from the IRS and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Foreign banks are only willing to devote so much time and energy to courting American clients, and very few have the type of compliance department that can handle complex U.S. regulations and heightened scrutiny.”- The Tax Implications of Opening a Foreign Bank Account
Additionally, it should be noted, that many companies institute “creative” work-arounds so that the Chinese worker pays a very small amount of tax. This varies from having two incomes (a taxed income, and an “under the table” income) to permitting the salary to be broken up into different parts and put in other people’s names (obviously you must trust them). Therefore, what you might read on the Internet in regards to Chinese taxes is very misleading. If you are someone reading about Chinese taxation from some “official” think-tank or agency on the Internet, you can pretty much accept the fact that it is a fantasy and does not reflect reality at all.
Again, most of what you see and read in the United States is fake news.
Hemingway in China. Ah, now that is a colorful man. Eh?
In China you can save money. You do pay taxes, but it is a straightforward amount that everyone in your tax bracket pays, and there are no exceptions at all. You do not have to report your income, and no IRS will ever audit you. All of this, the ease and simplicity of it all, is far easier on the shoulders. There is no stress involved at all.
How can this “flat tax” be implemented in China? Well, the answer is simple. China is run as a “Communist nation with Chinese influence”. Or, in other words, as an American Conservative entity. They implement “flat tax” solutions, and a “free market” business environment.
Work
“An analysis of government data released this week from the Pew Research Center reveals that in 2015, for the first time in more than 40 years, middle-income households stopped being the economic majority in America.”-Liz Dwyerquoted from Takepart.com December 11, 2015 7:26 PM
You are never free working for someone else. This is true regardless where you live or work. Once you are employed, you give up some of your freedoms in exchange for money. You lose various freedoms. They tell you what hours you work, and what you wear, and how you behave. They decide how long you can work for, and whether you are meeting their requirements for you. Your value is only what you can give them. You are never valued for your real and true actual worth. Instead your value becomes equal to the cost to replace you.
For purposes of understanding, perhaps we need to review just what work is. Work; what is it actually? What does the word “work” mean to a typical American who is “working” in the United States? What does it actually mean?
Over the years, Americans have forgotten what work is and have blurred the lines of distinction between the various forms of work and labor. Americans call themselves workers with a degree of freedom, but in reality, this is not actually the case. Many times, Americans are simply subsisting and are involved and engaged in other labors under the name of work, but which is truly something else altogether.
Let’s take a brief look at this interesting situation
Indentured
“I don’t think the issue of income mobility receives the attention it deserves. It is a foundational element for a well-functioning democratic society and provides evidence about the ability of an economy to provide opportunities for its citizens. While income mobility in the United States has been relatively unchanged, it remains well below several other nations. According to Stanford economist Raj Chetty, the probability of moving from the bottom quintile to the top quintile is 7.5 percent in the United States, as compared to 11.7 percent in Denmark and 13.5 percent in Canada—two countries with relatively high levels of intergenerational mobility. So effectively the chance of achieving the American Dream is not the highest for children born in America.”-Bill Dudley， President of Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
When someone withholds some of the money that you earned from you, you are not free. You are tethered. You are indentured. You cannot sever the work relationship without experiencing some kind of loss. (In the USA, because money is withheld, it is a financial loss.)
Thus, to efficiently labor to your contractual obligations, you must either accept the loss of financial income or labor in the hope of getting the loss recovered. Thus, one must work for the duration of your contract, and only at the termination of your agreement can one be free. (Although, most Americans do not work to work-contract agreements. They work at the behest of the company that can fire them, or terminate their employment at any time, for any reason. Most of the states in the USA are “right-to-work” states, and can hire and fire with impunity.)
Former Senator Tom Coburn had some very harsh words for Congress;
“Some of you may have read it (A report on the economic realities of Americans), some of you may not have, but it tells me where we are today in our country, And having been in 21 states the last year, and 15 already this year, and what I’m hearing, I’m hearing what Tocqueville described back in the late 1700s.”
Coburn cited Tocqueville observations that centralized power of
“small, complicated rules, minute and uniform” leads to the “will of man … not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided.”… “Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd,”
Many Americans do work in this role. In fact, I would say almost every American works under some form or variance of being indentured. When part of your pay is withheld from you, you are indentured to the person who holds that pay. This could be from your employer or the government or both, not to mention the costs incurred by attending a university.
As Americans, we have grown accustomed to having taxes withdrawn from our paycheck. We understand the need. Part of it is to maintain the roads, and post office. Part is to help the poor people. Part of it is a savings program for our retirement (Social Security). However, all of this is a lie. These are simply just excuses.
None of the money ever goes to precisely those reasons.
You know, in my High School Civics class we were told that Congress, and not the President controlled how money was spent. I was also told that the government collects that money to help us Americans. Now it is the other way around. Isn’t it?
Anyways, how did any of this help Americans? I don’t know about the reader, but NONE of this many helped me or my family, or my extended family, or any of my friends in ANY way.
Not one single cent of the billions of dollars gifted to South Africa benefits me, my family or my extended family. It does not benefit my home state. It does not benefit my military. It does not help R&D to make America strong, and it does not provide America geo-political advantage.
It did not. He just gave it away…”because”. Within that one paragraph (above) is hundreds of billions of dollars that could be used to rebuild Detroit, fix the problems in California, lower the tax burden of many Americans, and refurbish our collapsing infrastructure. Yet it wasn’t used that way. It went elsewhere for other purposes.
Imagine you are 10 years old. You go mow the lawn of a neighbor for $10 dollars. When you finish, he pays you six dollars. He explains that he will “set aside” the $4 that he took, and he promises you that he will help your family get things done in the future. Maybe he will watch out the window to protect your sister. Maybe he can talk to your dad’s boss. He promises that if he sees a good deal or a store coupon, that he will cut it out and give it to you!
He promises to keep all these promises and more, all as long as you keep on mowing his grass. The moment you stop, all bets are off, and he will terminate the agreement. In any event, you will never see the $4 that he withheld from you.
That is exactly how the USA is set up today.
"I have never, ever borrowed a penny. So I have zero credit record. No loans, no mortgage, nothing. Ever. When I had no money, I rented. I have an allergy to borrowing and a scorn for people who are in debt, and I don’t hide it. I follow the Romans’ attitude that debtors are not free people."-Nassim Taleb
You are indentured. The promised value of the $4 taken from you will go to zero if you break the work – labor agreement. You have two choices, agree or lose the promised value of the money so withheld. Withholding tax is, in its purest form, a form of indentured labor.
During World War II, Congress introduced payroll withholding and quarterly tax payments with the vote of the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943. The U.S. Department of Treasury describes tax withholding;
“This greatly eased the collection of the tax for both the taxpayer and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. However, it also greatly reduced the taxpayer's awareness of the amount of tax being collected, i.e. it reduced the transparency of the tax, which made it easier to raise taxes in the future.”
-Wikipedia
I’ll bet! Up until this was passed, ONLY indentured workers had money withheld from their pay. When this legislation was passed it turned all Americans into indentured slaves.
Most Americans have money withheld out of their pay via a mechanism known as the W-4 and W-2 forms. These documents removes money from the employees pay and gives it to other entities for a variety of purposes. Make no mistake. When a worker has ANY money withheld from their pay, they are working under an indentured labor contract. This is how a person can determine if they are indentured or not.
Indentured workers have money withheld from their pay.
Americans tend to believe that it is fine and all right to work under this situation. They reason that it is because the Federal and the State government allow this, and the monies go to pay their taxes and other good deeds. This can be roads, mail services, police and other visible and obvious purposes. However, the fact is, dear fellow Americans, that not all countries do this. It happens in the United States all right. It is not normal. It is not moral. It is not right, nor is it just. (Remember that America had roads, a military that fought wars, the post office and street lights all functioning perfectly, before the passage of the Income Tax law. We DID NOT need the law to fund roads and bridges; the common dismissive argument currently used by statists…)
While Americans might argue that they are not working off a “boat passage” to enter a foreign country, therefore, they are not indentured, they are deluding themselves. The withholding of any money from one’s pay for whatever reason is a form of indentured servitude. The worker is NOT paid what THEY earn. The money is withheld from them and they become chained to the promise of its return or legalized justification for its withdrawal. So, yes, unlike being indentured to pay for boat passage, Americans are indentured as citizens.
If you want to be a USA citizen, you MUST become indentured.
This reminds me of the movie (and the book) “Dune” by Frank Herbert. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, head of House Harkonnen tells a new recruit that everyone must get implanted with a “kill switch” that will kill them at will. If you wanted to be a part of House Harkonnen, you had to be ready to give up your life. To be a citizen in the United States you must become indentured FOREVER to those who run the nation.
My dear reader, when someone takes the money you earn, and decides to use it in ways that you might not agree with, then you are indentured. You must work as a serf, for a fraction of your value while others determine what to do with your earnings.
Serfdom
“The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.” - Ron Paul
When the money you earn goes directly into food, housing, and weekly debts and necessities without anything left to save, you are not free. You are a serf. It is, at the very core, a system of enforced serfdom. You make enough to live on, but if you cannot work, you become a liability. That is what a serf is. That is the mechanism of serfdom. You make just enough to live, but [1] not enough to save or [2] substantially improve your standard of living.
A measure of serfdom is a measure of one’s ability to save their earnings.
If one cannot (realistically) save money, but they are employed (and are able to work), they are a serf.
A measure of how many American people are participating in a program of serfdom, measure the welfare and social service roles. This is an accurate appraisal of just which Americans are not able to exist without government intervention. (You cannot actually get welfare or food stamps if you have savings. Thus, this true measure can be used in this calculus.)
They (Those on these government programs.) cannot save, and they do not have enough money to eat, live and stay healthy. Any work that they have must be supplemented by the government. It is not a measure of the success of these programs to provide assistance, but rather a measure of just how many Americans live a life of servitude as a serf.
Last time I checked, in 2014, over 60% of Americans qualified for this category (Obama administration 2016).
Serfs are workers who are unable to save money.
It is indeed a sad state of affairs. I am not the only one waking up to this situation. Below is a quote from Charles Hugh-Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,
“We foolishly thought we were “middle class” until we realized we were nothing but debt-serfs.”
Finally, and very interestingly…
Additionally, and of great curiosity, is the fact that medieval peasants had far more vacation days than the average American today. The peasant, although often toiling in fields with back-breaking labor, would only work about 150 days of the year, according to a report from Juliet B. Schor, an author and professor of sociology at Boston College. Peasants generally received anywhere from eight weeks to a half-year off. At the time, the Church considered frequent and mandatory holidays the key to keeping a working population from revolting.
“That house you live in, the car you drive, the small (or not so small) acreage of land that has been passed down through your family or that you scrimped and saved to acquire, whatever money you manage to keep in your bank account after the government and its cronies have taken their first and second and third cut...none of it is safe from the government’s greedy grasp.
At no point do you ever have any real ownership in anything other than the clothes on your back.
Everything else can be seized by the government under one pretext or another (civil asset forfeiture, unpaid taxes, eminent domain, public interest, etc.).
The American Dream has been reduced to a lease arrangement in which we are granted the privilege of endlessly paying out the nose for assets that are only ours so long as it suits the government’s purposes.
And when it doesn’t suit the government’s purposes? Watch out.
This is not a government that respects the rights of its citizenry or the law. Rather, this is a government that sells its citizens to the highest bidder and speaks to them in a language of force.
”
-Authored by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute
So why do we often consider working conditions now better than ever before?
In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into effect. The law initially limited working hours to 44 per week, which dropped to 40 by 1940. The passage of the act however, was not revolutionary. It was reactionary. Worker’s revolts and union strikes in the early 20th century had aimed to restore a standard of life that was taken away by the Industrial Revolution. Before the invention of the lightbulb and the growth of factories, workers enjoyed a fairly leisurely and balanced lifestyle.
Before electricity, workers were limited to how much they could work by the rising and setting of the sun. Then, workers were limited by the amount of hours they could spend in the office. In today’s digital culture, workers can meet deadlines and check in from around the world, no matter what time. In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by 2030, Americans would enjoy such great lifestyles that we would all enjoy more leisure than work time—which, at this point in history, seems very unlikely to happen.
I am not the only person who feels this way. There are many others, on both sides of the political spectrum. It is a problem. For more links on this subject;
“Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors, and U.S. senators and congress members.”– Former President Jimmy Carter
When you are told how to do your work, when to do it, how to dress when you do it, what to say and how to say it, you are not free. You are a slave to whatever that person promises to give you. A company might justify their policies, and the worker might agree to obeying the policies out of necessity, but the fact remains that they agree to participate in various elements of slavery in exchange for financial benefit.
Slavery is labor for another person, with very little in the way of compensation. It differs from serfdom in that serfs can often choose their clothing, and set aside small amounts of money and time for their own purposes. Slaves do not have this option. Their activities, free time, clothing and food are all regulated.
For those of you who don’t think that slavery is the norm in an American corporate environment, then consider my experience. Delco Electronics told me that I was FORBIDDEN to drink beer on my weekends and holidays. Guardian Glass told me that I had to have my telephone on and free from use whenever I was at home, and if I went elsewhere for lunch, that it had to be no further than 5 miles away from the factory. Poulan Weedeater told me that they didn’t want me eating fish for lunch. GM insisted that I sell or give away my car and buy an American made car. You are never free if someone can tell you how to live your life outside of work hours.
Slavery is labor for another person, with little compensation.
Under this most simplified definition, we can see that the distinction between slavery, serfdom, and indentured service are all practiced in the United States to various degrees. The lines of distinction has been blurred over the years, and there is a great deal of confusion as to what these names actually mean. But functionally, and most accurately, most Americans fall into the three categories. Very few labor under their own terms and manage to do so successfully. (Perhaps the top 0.01% does so. However, theirs is an exclusive club, and entry into it is most formidable.)
“ Clinton was, however, generous enough to allow inmates from Arkansas prisons to work as unpaid servants in the Governor’s Mansion. In It Takes a Village, Hillary Clinton writes that the residence was staffed with “African-American men in their thirties,” since “using prison labor at the governor’s mansion was a longstanding tradition, which kept down costs.” It is unclear just how longstanding the tradition of having chained black laborers brought to work as maids and gardeners had been. But one has no doubt that as the white residents of a mansion staffed with unpaid blacks, the Clintons were continuing a certain historic Southern practice.Hillary Clinton did note, however, that she and Bill were sure not to show undue lenience to the sla…servants, writing that “[w]e enforced rules strictly and sent back to prison any inmate who broke a rule.” ”-Current Affairs, 06JUN17 “The Clintons Had Slaves”
Americans have forgotten that there was a time when most families had their own businesses and labored under rules that they (themselves) controlled. They wore the clothes that they chose and worked in an environment of their own choosing. In so doing, if they wanted to toil at their labors all day, they did so. If they wanted to smoke while they worked, take a noon nap, or drink while they were discussing business they did so. We have forgotten this reality, but it is never the less quite true. This should not be a shocking concept.
Smith's Neofeudalism Principle #1: If the citizenry cannot replace a dysfunctional government and/or limit the power of the financial Aristocracy at the ballot box, the nation is a democracy in name only.
As recently as three decades ago this was the norm. Watch old movies, or even not so old movies. Look at them. Watch the 1980’s blockbuster movie “Ghostbusters”. So what? Well, watch it. But, watch it with a critical eye towards the movie-viewers reaction to depictions of home and work life. Notice how the characters are [1] always smoking at work, [2] drinking beer during work, and yet work still got done. This wasn’t such a shocking thing to the movie audiences during the 1980’s. It was common place, and thus, no one was shocked.
Let me tell the reader; drinking during lunch hours was common at one time. That ended during the 1990’s, but it used to be very common. But today, after the slow creeping political correctness of government control over workplace behaviors, it has become shocking. Watch movies from 3, 4 or even six decades ago. Look how the work place is depicted. Compare that to your work place today. Who has freedom of behavior? Do you? Really?
“Perhaps the lack of quality journalism is related to the way the average urban Kiwi appears scared of speaking out – crazy in a country where there is freedom to speak your mind and it was the #1 thing we learned at school – to say what you truly believe, come what may. We Kiwis always stood up for what we believed in. Not today! There are whispers and mutterings in private, but people just don't speak out like they once did. As someone who refuses to shut up, I'm seen as a renegade and a danger to the status quo. No doubt I am seen as a threat. My feeling is that it all comes back to the fact that so many are mortgaged to the hilt and are petrified of speaking out and saying something that may cause them to lose their job, which in turn could mean they have no money, cannot pay their mortgage, lose their house and then their family and they are on the road to ruin. The strong, confident type has been replaced by meek weaklings afraid to open their mouth. A few times people have told me to ease up when I say what I think, but without a day job, a mortgage or a wife, I have nothing to lose. I'm still getting used to how things are today in modern New Zealand, but that hasn't stopped me from saying what I think. I just have to accept that even people who may agree are scared to say anything. That has taken some adjusting to.”-Stickman
Few Americans can say this today.
What is Freedom?
Prior to the Presidency of Bill Clinton (D), Americans were free to live life on THEIR terms. If they wanted to smoke, they would smoke. If they wanted to drink, they would drink. If they wanted to eat sunny-side-up eggs, they did so. If they wanted to drink a large size soda they did so. If they wanted to ride in their car without a seatbelt, they did so. The busybodies at the end of the room would just sit there and fume.
Prior to President Bill Clinton (D) smoking was an accepted part of American life. (Image Source.)
Over the years Americans have forgotten what the differences are between [1] working for someone else, [2] laboring as a free man, and [3] working as a slave or an indentured servant. The terms, and the laws have become so blurred that right now, most Americans still consider themselves free when they themselves do not exist in a state of freedom.
If you are employed and must fill out a W-2, you are indentured.
If you have less than six months of savings in the bank, you are also a serf.
If you have difficultly changing the above two situations around, you are a slave.
Freedom is the ability to do what you want, when you want, and how you want without anyone telling you otherwise. Liberty is the ability to be free without government intervention.
Both the United States and China employ workers. But there is a significant difference in how they are employed. In China, the workers know that working for someone else is a temporary income solution. They do so to save money, and then start their own businesses later on. But that is different by a wide margin compared to the United States. In the United States one works towards a career. A career, mind you, is a lifetime of servitude by working for someone else. Americans today, work and labor, for the well-being of others. They exchange their time and efforts for money.
Thus, the Chinese are constantly starting new businesses. This can be a small restaurant, or a factory that makes buttons. In every case a group of classmates and friends would band together and form a company. They would share in its formation and share in its problems. That is why China seems to be advancing so quickly in comparison to the United States. The people work and strive for their own goals and purposes, and only work for others temporarily.
Americans go to college to become an indentured worker.
True and Real Freedom
“Well, 'They Live' was a primal scream against Reaganism of the '80s. And the '80s never went away. They're still with us. That's what makes 'They Live' look so fresh - it's a document of greed and insanity. It's about life in the United States then and now. If anything, things have gotten worse.”-John Carpenter
True freedom lies in establishing your own rules and finances.
True freedom is independence from the influences and restrictions placed on you by others. The best way to do this is through your own business. The Chinese know this, and that is why they are beating the heck out of the USA for new business start-ups. They save their money, and then with friends, they create their own businesses. In the USA, we have been taught that success lies in getting the necessary skills to work for someone else…
The movie Idiocracity really described the President Obama (D) America. Like it or not, the election of Donald Trump was a big middle finger to the anti-American political parties of both the Republicans and Democrats.
In 2016 Barrack Obama was the President of the USA. (Image Source.)
China has had centuries of errors, mistakes, corruption, wars, dictatorships and servitude. China has had a most tumultuous history. They know, by now, what is truly important. Survival of the family is their top and primary consideration. They don’t place their faith in government. They do not. They absolutely do not.
They place faith in their own abilities. They invest time and effort in education. They save their money. They obtain skills; network with friends and family, and create alliances. China is a nation of nerds. They work and study hard, and do so while saving money. At a critical point, they setup a company and then aggressively pursue the obtainment of a new market niche.
“Based on a comparison to multiple developed countries around the world, the U.S personal savings rate of 4.8% as of September 2015…”
In the USA, it is “every man for himself”. Many Americans consider themselves “independent” lone wolves. They believe that their success (if these is any) was due to them and themselves alone. They do not attribute it to luck, their social connections, or their partners. Many, who do not ascribe to this belief think otherwise. They believe that their work brought them to their current “successful life”. It is this belief structure, with a so-called benevolent government keeping everyone in line, which America aspires to.
Americans like to consider themselves “lone wolves” that join a pack of others with similiar interests to accomplish goals. They do not view themselves as part of a larger community with shared values and objectives.
Americans like to consider themselves as wolves working alone or in a pack. (Image Source.)
How, really think about it, just how can an American compete globally? You can’t. Instead you work as an indentured slave. Yes, how many Americans own (fully paid for) their house, car, furniture, their education? Really, how many? How many have enough savings to maintain their current lifestyle for six months without working? Not very many, I am afraid. Especially for a middle-class white American under a Democrat president. (Offended? Yeah, the truth stings, doesn’t it?)
"The liberals and the leftwing are mainly concerned with inventing new rights in the Constitution for 'victim groups' as defined by Identity Politics. These new rights, of course, cancel out rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights that was incorporated into the Constitution as Amendments. For example, the right of a preferred minority not to be offended cancels out the freedom of speech. While the government has destroyed habeas corpus and due process, the leftwing has destroyed freedom of expression. Together they have given us a police state."-Paul Craig Roberts
True freedom is the ability to say what you feel without censorship. It seems odd that I can experience this in China. However it is true. The only kind of censorship that the Chinese government makes is those whom are critical about the government. Otherwise they simply just leave you alone.
The PC chains that shackled Americans under the Obama Presidency is pleasantly absent in China. It’s wondrous.
“Who are these people? Where do they get off assuming the right to sit in judgment of everybody else? You know, why does everybody have to justify what they say, do, or think to these people? I resent this whole notion that there’s a bunch of speech police and propriety police out there.”-Rush Limbaughon 21 December 2017
The Necessary Evils
“Congress [in implementing the Sixteenth Amendment] went beyond merely enacting an income tax law and repealed Article IV of the Bill of Rights, by empowering the tax collector to do the very things from which that article says we were to be secure. It opened up our homes, our papers and our effects to the prying eyes of government agents and set the stage for searches of our books and vaults and for inquiries into our private affairs whenever the tax men might decide, even though there might not be any justification beyond mere cynical suspicion.”“The income tax is bad because it has robbed you and me of the guarantee of privacy and the respect for our property that were given to us in Article IV of the Bill of Rights. This invasion is absolute and complete as far as the amount of tax that can be assessed is concerned. Please remember that under the Sixteenth Amendment, Congress can take 100% of our income anytime it wants to. As a matter of fact, right now it is imposing a tax as high as 91%. This is downright confiscation and cannot be defended on any other grounds.”“The income tax is bad because it was conceived in class hatred, is an instrument of vengeance and plays right into the hands of the communists. It employs the vicious communist principle of taking from each according to his accumulation of the fruits of his labor and giving to others according to their needs, regardless of whether those needs are the result of indolence or lack of pride, self-respect, personal dignity or other attributes of men.”“The income tax is fulfilling the Marxist prophecy that the surest way to destroy a capitalist society is by steeply graduated taxes on income and heavy levies upon the estates of people when they die.”-T. Coleman Andrews(He served as commissioner of IRS for nearly 3 years during the early 1950s. This was his statement made directly after his resignation.)
The ignorant might argue that taxes are needed to create roads, to finance the police and fire departments, and to provide social services for the common good. This is partially true. Actually, they are useful to create roads and infrastructure. They are not needed to do so. (Or else how can you explain the huge growth of American infrastructure prior to 1913?) The issue is really how much is needed? Roads? The USA collects enough taxes to pave the entire world (including the oceans) over, each day and still have money left over!
Up until 1913, Americans kept 100% of their personal earnings. Despite this, America still had schools, colleges, roads, railroads, streets, subways, the Army, the Navy, and Marine Corps (who managed to win 8 wars and fight one (the war of 1812) to a draw. Yet now, after the passage of the 16th amendment, the entire financial structure of the United States is in shambles. The value of the dollar has plummeted. American can no longer save, no one truly owns real-estate, or property, and the government controls everything.
In the United States, the government owns you.
It is true. They permit you to rent such things as a house or transportation, as long as you pay your dues, obey their rules and act as they see fit. Americans are not happy with this arrangement, but at least for now, they are starting to wake up and snap back a little bit.
“What you don't understand, leftist Bernie/Hillary/Obama person, is that you are endlessly prying your way into our personal lives – and we don't like it. We've had enough of your activist invasion into our interior private lives. We don't like your ideas imposed on us, your stupid bright ideas, the damn reckless Obamacare scars you've left on our wrists, the lethal cuts Hillary's forced single payer will impose. We don't like your overall cockiness. Your intrusiveness. Your victim cult crybaby legislation. Your nauseating me-first European socialist entitlement demands for more free stuff, from college to health care to pregnancy and sick leave to free child care. You represent everything that quantum physics warned us about: a dangerous black hole, an event horizon, an endless wind tunnel, a vortex of infantile and unworkable demands that someone else has to pay for because your undeveloped character cannot accept a world where effort is involved.You are a moral perversion, a virus to the individual who just wants to be left alone – but you won't leave us alone. You want to continue to extract from us and others who make a nickel more than you, because you are an amoral basket case.”-Andrew Solomonvia AmericanThinker.com
So, here is a warning and a lesson to everyone who is confused about what freedom and liberty are. There is NOTHING in this world that is free. There is always a price to pay. Sometimes we don’t mind to pay. Sometimes, we are forced to pay because we inherited a mess left over from our predecessors. No matter. We now have to deal with the situation as it is presented.
Nothing is ever free. You will eventually need to pay a price.
Nothing is ever free. There is always a price. Beware of the “free things” from the United States government. There will be a very steep price to pay for them.
Beware of free things from the government. (Image Source.)
The Federal Reserve
“The Gini coefficient (or index) is the most commonly used measure of income inequality. It ranges from 0 (a state of perfect equality) to 1 (where all wealth is held by one person, or a state of perfect inequality). Countries with the most serious problems of income inequality are Chile (Gini = .501), Mexico (.466), Turkey (.411), United States (.38), and Israel (.376).”-Quote from “Is The United States Still The Best Country In The World? Think Again” by Hershey H. Friedmanat the Brooklyn College - Department of Business Management, and Sarah Hertz at the State University of New York (SUNY), Empire State College. June 24, 2015.
The Federal Reserve was created, along with the “Income Tax” during the imposition of the 16th amendment under suspicious circumstances during 1913. The Federal Reserve is a group of wealthy bankers who are not Americans and who have bled America dry for over a hundred years. They own us. They own everything. In fact, Americans don’t have any money, and it is just an illusion when one puts money in an American bank account.
“…the IRS may seize a person's bank assets if it discovers a pattern of frequent transactions under $10,000. Banks are required to report cash transactions over $10,000 and it's a crime if one tries to avoid that reporting by purposefully keeping all transactions below that amount.”-CNN Money
Up until the 16th Amendment, Americans saved, the dollar was stable, and the average man and family worked and were able to own what they bought. They could and would save money; invest in business; and pay for college without taking out loans from banks. They did not need to obtain loans. They did not need to borrow money to go to college. They did not need to obtain a loan to obtain transportation. They paid in cash. That all changed with the passage of that 16thamendment.
“...Numbers don’t lie. From 1790 to 1913, when the federal government existed without a Federal Reserve to print money and lend to the government whatever it wanted, the value of the dollar rose by 8 %.
From 1913 to 2011, in the 98 years we have had a Federal Reserve, the value of the dollar has decreased by 93%."-Judge Andrew Napolitano
The decline of the USD since the Federal Reserve was established. Today the value of a dollar (2018) is less than one cent compared to what it used to be.
Decrease in the value of the USD since the adoption of the Federal Reserve.
Today, the value of a United State dollar, comparatively to that of a pre-1913 dollar is less than 0.03% in value. Less than 0.03%! Where did all the value, worth and substance of the American economy go? It had to go somewhere. Where?
"Anyone who claims to stand for free markets, free trade, and limited government but who attempts to defend the existence or importance of the Federal Reserve or central banking is a liar. Either you support free markets and freedom of pricing or you support central bank price-fixing and creeping socialism. There is no third way or middle road — socialism and the free market are mutually incompatible. A little bit of socialism in the form of price-fixing is like a little bit of gangrene, if left unchecked it will eventually infect and kill the whole." - Paul-Martin Fossvia The Mises Institute
Now the United States has a situation where people, indeed even Senators, believe that American citizens should not be trusted with money. Instead the citizens should work and toil and give it all (every last bit of it) to the all-power central government. Then the government, in its benevolence, would hand out money to the people on an “as needed” basis. Those in government would then decide whom needed it and who did not. Here is a tweet from one of the top Democrat Senators; Nancy Pelosi basically repeating what was just explained;
Democrat Senator Nancy Pelosi believe that Americans are not entitled to the money they earn. She believes that it is the property of the government, and use of the money is only granted to elected officials.
Democrat Senator Nancy Pelosi believes that Americans are not entitled to the money they earn. Wow! 5,000 “likes”. Want to bet that most of the “likes” are from software bots? (Image Source.)
International Taxation
“It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it's just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or being elected president. And the same thing applies to governors, and U.S. Senators and congress members. So, now we've just seen a subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect, and sometimes get, favors for themselves after the election is over. ... At the present time the incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody that is already in Congress has a great deal more to sell."-Jimmy Carter. On July 28, 2015, Thom Hartmann interviewed former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and, at the very end of his show (as if this massive question were merely an afterthought), asked him his opinion of the 2010 Citizens United decision and the 2014 McCutcheon decision, both decisions by the five Republican judges on the U.S. Supreme Court. These two historic decisions enable unlimited secret money (including foreign money) now to pour into U.S. political and judicial campaigns. This was his response.
Oh, the USA has taxes! My God, does the USA have taxes (including taxes on water). There are so many taxes and they under so many different names, and administered by so many different organizations that it is difficult to quantify just how much taxes Americans pay.
America taxes everything.
If there isn’t a tax on it, sure enough, some idiot (typically a Democrat) will propose that it be taxed. From purchases, property to tips, and even death. Americans are the only people in the world that have to report their income to the government no matter where they live.
Even if they haven’t lived in the USA for decades; even if they have a foreign employer, bank, house, life and pay foreign taxes, the United States wants it’s cut. Americans must tell the government what they have and what they are doing with it. Which pretty much says it all. You as a citizen own nothing. You are the property of the all-mighty American government.
Of course, it was a group of democrats that came up with this law, though it was passed by members of both parties. It’s called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is intended to ensure that the Internal Revenue Service obtains information on accounts held abroad by U.S. taxpayers at foreign financial institutions.Under the law, U.S. taxpayers are required to file if they held one or more foreign accounts totaling more than $10,000 over the course of a year.
To a school child, or a student, the idea of taxes doesn’t seem too bad. (After all, they know nothing of taxes. They don’t pay any. It isn’t until after most children exit college that they experience the full burdensome oppressive weight of taxation.) To them it an illusion or it is a kind of abstract idea. Certainly something that seems remote and not important.
Here's how I teach my children about taxes; I buy them an ice cream cone. I tell them that they have to pay taxes on it. I ask them if they want American or Chinese taxes. Then I eat the taxed amount.
But they are important. Americans pay between 65% and 80% of their income on taxes in one form or the other. Do not fall into the trap that the only tax is the Federal Tax.
It is most certainly NOT. Like the Atlantic Magazine or Liberal think Tanks would want you to believe. That is not REALITY.
“In 1913, the average personal income was $621. Only 2 percent of the population was liable for the [income] tax between 1913 and 1915. Eighty percent of the returns were filed by people involved in business; 17 percent were in the professions, 3.3 percent in agriculture, and 0.5 percent were laborers. Businessmen reported 85 percent of the income and paid almost 90 percent of the revenues.Given the level of incomes in those days, it was a tax aimed strictly at the richest people in the country. If the system were in place today, a single person making less than about $65,000* would pay no tax. A couple earning less than $86,000* would pay nothing. Incomes up to $430,000* would be in the 1 percent bracket. Someone would have to make $11 million* before paying the top 7 percent rate. In [2013] dollars, the exemptions of 1913 would be worth $65,000* for single people and $86,000* for married couples.”— Sheldon Richman
You only notice … truly notice how high you are being taxed, when you compare your income to that of a comparable worker in another country.
That is precisely why I am waxing on so aggressively on this issue.
It is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue. It is an American issue. Other nations, (and) in this case China, are not shackled or handicapped by excessive taxation. And because of this, their people can live and aspire towards great things.
"An increasing number of Americans appear to believe that having a U.S. passport or long-term residency isn't worth the hassle and cost of complying with U.S. tax laws," -Andrew Mitchel, an international lawyer who analyzes IRS data, told the Wall Street Journal.
Why can other people, in other nations save more? How can they travel, every year, to a different country? Why do they get a paid 4 or 6 weeks off every year? Why is their medical insurance so cheap? How can they afford a house, a summer house, as well as a house for their parents? Why can’t Americans do this?
This is not mere speculation. All of my Chinese, Australian, Russian and Brazilian friends travel globally every year. They all save money. They all eat well. They all have medical insurance and send their children to private schools, and they all earn far less than their American counterparts do. How? (Moreover, don’t chicken out with the propagandized answer that they only eat fish heads and rice, ride bicycles, and live in houses the size of refrigerator cartons. That is not the truth.)
The Chinese travel.
Every year most Chinese travel on group tours at least two times. I have friends that do far more often, like perhaps six times a year. I have one, Sara, who travels globally around one nation every three weeks. She’s young too. She’s only 24 years old.
The Chinese have money to spend on travel. (They also get from four to eight weeks off a year. Eat that, corporate America.) So they use the opportunity to do so. The Chinese believe that travel is a form of education and thus they support it enthusiastically. However, how many Americans travel internationally? Not many, I am afraid since less than 30% of Americans have a passport.
Comparatively, I would hazard a guess that 80% of Chinese travel internationally.
You cannot travel if you don’t have the money to do so. You can’t save money if a hefty portion of your salary goes into taxes. You just simply cannot.
"Enter 6 percent of the smaller of line 40 or the value of your Archer MSAs on December 31, 2015, including 2015 contributions made in 2016. Include this amount on Form 1040, line 58A or Form 1040NR, line 56B." -A Fine Mess
China has taxes. Of course they do. China collects excise taxes on vehicles. China taxes companies. The big difference is that they control where the taxes go. They allocate the resources carefully, and review the outlays to prevent fraud. Because they know that a lot of corruption takes place. But, they are doing things to keep it in check. Unlike the USA with a newborn baby owing the USA government $ 1.6 million just for being born on USA soil!
Real Freedom
“We have a tremendous lack of knowledge of (just) how far we have gotten away from the Constitution of the United States. Democrats and Republicans alike have taken us away from the original intent. You see, I believe in this document (just) as our founding fathers intended it (to be).”-Paul Broun
True freedom is messy, dirty and stinky. It is not neat and organized. The most organized and clean countries are Socialist like Norway, or communist like North Korea. In communist China, with all the baggage about being a single party run capitalist republic (it is really different than the communist state of the 1960’s under Mr. Mao), you get to experience true and real individual freedom.
True freedom is being able to go sit down in a restaurant with your dog, smoke a cigarette, order a beer at nine in the morning all without confrontation. (Commonplace in China, Iceland, and Thailand to name just a few places. Uncommon in repressive North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela.)
True freedom is working and keeping how much you make secret from the government, your neighbors, and the busybody down the street. (You don’t have to be Hillary Clinton to have this ability. It should not be reserved ONLY for the richest in the United States.)
True freedom is being able to go into a store and not worry that you are being observed by the police, recorded by the NSA, or monitored in any way.
True freedom is not having to submit to questions WHY you did such and such on some date, or why you have so much money in your wallet…
Freedom is FREE. Is that really too difficult to understand? In a free country, no one questions you. No one.
“Not all the rules are here to protect us.”— Neurons to Nirvana(via elote-princess)
No one asks “why”, or the follow up questions of “how”, “when”, “where”, or “with whom else”. In a free country you can live your life without reporting to anyone. In a free country, you can drive and not worry about a “sobriety checkpoint”, a “speed trap”, a “random drug test”, or any other violations of basic civil liberties. (For the non-Americans reading this, these are common phrases and names describing random American state and federal police checkpoints.)
I bring this up because Americans have forgotten what “freedom” actually is.
“I’m going to tell you what freedom is not. Freedom is not having burdens or responsibilities. It’s not having a job you must go to. It’s not having a girlfriend who is expecting you to call, or having a standing date with friends where your absence must be explained with an elaborate excuse. It is not having to give some type of prolonged notice to terminate a contract or job. It is not owning so many possessions that you need a storage unit. It is not having a wallet full of so many cards that your life turns upside down when you lose it.I’m reminded of my freedom when I’m on a bus to another city. All my possessions, my summer and winter clothes, my dress clothes and two extra pairs of shoes, are in the undercarriage riding along with me. No one knows where I am and no one cares. I’m going to a city I’ve never seen before as a complete stranger, with no obligations to see anything or visit anyone. I have no worries, no bills, and no tasks. I’m reclining on an old chair, but I might as well be floating above the street, with no string wrapped around my neck pulling me back to where I was. I could die on the autostrada, in between villages whose names I don’t know and which are not announced with pleasant signs, and it would take several days for anyone who knows me to find out. Or my bags could go missing and within a couple weeks I could easily have the contents replaced. This is freedom.I wouldn’t trade these bus rides, of having to answer to no one, for all the money in the world or for all the women in the world. I lay back, close my eyes, and let my thoughts and dreams go wherever they want, with no stress or anxiety disturbing them. There is no rush and there is no hurry. I am free. The whole world can demand something of me and I can laugh them off. My own government can take all my money from my bank accounts but they can’t find me on this bus.Maybe I will stay a while in my destination or maybe I won’t. Maybe I will invent a new identity with the locals I meet or maybe I’ll be me. Maybe I will get laid or maybe I will work. Maybe I will take a tram or maybe I will walk. I was not free when I lived beyond my means, when I depended on the income that the man would grace me with every two Fridays. But I started to spend less than my earnings, and over the course of years it has given me my freedom. The only person I have to answer to is myself. I can vanish tomorrow, and nothing will happen. If I never check my email, never answer my phone, if I just disappear—I’ll do just fine. If you can’t simply close your eyes, and say goodbye to the world, you are not free.”-Roosh
Americans today do not know what “freedom” is. Decades of social and cultural reengineering has “perfected” America. It is now a sterile wasteland where conformity reigns supreme. Smoking is banned or shunned. Drinking is limited to certain exclusionary areas, and then only within certain time periods. How you dress, act, behave, and even talk are regulated and even enforced by a PC crowd of “do-gooders”. This has become the norm.
The only ones happy in this environment are the rulers, and their enforcers. Oh, and the dumbed down ignorant masses that know nothing else (to compare against).
We have forgotten what “freedom” really is.
My generation was free to live their life as they wanted to. Nothing was to prevent Americans from being free to live life on THEIR own individual terms. Oh, how this has changed.
My Generation was free to live life just how we wanted to. (Image source.)
The Rewriting of American Culture
“Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.”— Frank Zappa
The rewriting of American culture has been nearly complete. Most Americans don’t even know what Freedom is. They believe it is safety, toll booths, ATM machines, or sanitation. They say that they are so happy the “America is free”. “Look at how smoothly the red lights change, and how clean the Post Office is.” They point to ATM machines and Starbucks as indicators of America’s greatness.
They do so in complete ignorance that all these things are commonplace throughout the world. They are not endemic to America in the least. And in justification of this, they continue in their belief structure and blindly follow the rules without questioning them.
This is all crazy. It is poisonous.
Only a fucking idiot would say that this is good for a society. It isn’t. To say that it is alarming is to minimize the seriousness of the issue. It is almost as if America has stepped on a bullet-train towards North Korean style progressive Communism. To make matters worse, the mainstream media acts as a cheer-squad promoting it, with SWJ’s clobbering everyone on the head that stands in their way. With fat hippopotamus BLM ready to scream and disrupt anything and anyone with their huge lard filled asses and amazingly pitiful IQ.
“The state-corporate programs of the past 35 or so years have had devastating effects on the majority of the population, with stagnation, decline and sharply enhanced inequality being the most direct outcomes. This has created fear and has left people feeling isolated, helpless, victims of powerful forces they can neither understand or influence. The breakdown is not caused by economic laws. They are policies, a kind of class war initiated by the rich and powerful against the working population and the poor. This is what defines the neoliberalism period, not only in the US but in Europe and elsewhere. Trump is appealing to those who sense and experience the breakdown of American society -- to deep feelings of anger, fear, frustration, hopelessness, probably among sectors of the population that are seeing an increase in mortality, something unheard of apart from war.”
- Noam Chomsky
But, you know, everyone knows that America is exceptional because we have highways, fast food, ATM’s, and cell phones…
This is what exceptional America looks like today. Is it beautiful? Is it healthy? Is it free? Is it a sign of progress?
This is what America has become. Is it good? Is it bad? I do not know. What I do know is that the accumulative thoughts and behaviors of mass groups of people can affect the reality that we all experience.
Americans think that nothing is wrong with taking a [1] urine drug screening (for employment purposes), or [2] submitting to random traffic stops (to catch DWI violators, or illegal aliens, or terrorists). Americans gladly [3] undress in public building to enter them (Putting everything in their pockets in public view, taking off their shoes, and coats, and allowing to be “patted down”.). They [4] show their ID to write checks or use a credit card! (In the rest of the world, you just use your credit card with a secret pin number of finger print scan.) Show their ID… Think about how Orwellian this all is!
In China you never have to show your identification.
In fact, most Chinese people leave their identification cards at home. This is a fact. All Americans [5] MUST carry their ID with them. This includes two forms of picture ID. Typically a driver’s license and a social security card. (If you do not, and the police question you, they have the right, by law, to detain you for up to three days to “investigate” you and your behavior.)
“People feel tremendous cultural condescension directed at them, and that their values are being smirked at, laughed at by the political and media elite…”- GOP strategist Steve Schmidt.
Americans point to having the largest military in the world as a sign of greatness. Even though it is largely redundant, unnecessary given the current political situation, and wholly antiquated given the current threat matrices involved. (As I write this, there is yet another “global threat” that Americans must fund. This time it is the ISIS. What will be next after they are vanquished? Russia?)
They point to the great accomplishments of the past; that we had landed on the moon some 50 years ago, that many people still yearn to migrate to the USA (Many do, but not the kind that provides economic advantage for the nation.), and that we (supposedly) have the tallest buildings in the world.
Too many activities—a growing number—have quietly transformed from rights that we quietly exercise at will into privileges requiring state approval.
"As a general rule, until 1941, U.S. citizens were not required to have a passport for travel abroad," the National Archives report.
On a similar note, only about 5 percent of American workers needed licenses to do their jobs in the 1950s.
And, "In 1930, only 24 states required a license to drive a car and just 15 states had mandatory driver's exams. South Dakota was the last state to begin issuing licenses (without exams), in 1954," the History Channel tells us.
Those bureaucratic develMore and more of what we do depends on government permission".opments, all justified as improvements in safety and national security, put people increasingly under the thumbs of government officials and make us incredibly vulnerable to pressures and penalties that are entirely unrelated to our supposed transgressions. Get on the wrong side of a vindictive official or a mindless bureaucracy, and you're effectively subject to house arrest and an economic knee-capping.
Such government control over vast areas of our lives makes it very difficult to pretend that we're free. Free people don't fret that they may lose government permission to work and travel.
-Reason extracted from "More and more of what we do depends on government permission."
Only in America, will companies, banks, rentals, real estate, police, and government agencies process full background checks on everyone. (The reasoning is that it is quick, low cost and “easy” to do. But no-one dare mention that it flies directly in violation of the need for a person to maintain privacy and dignity in their life. This, at least, is still recognized in Europe.)
This only happens in the USA.
Only in the USA will you be questioned why you have a cigarette lighter, and where you work. You will be asked why you are traveling, and for how long you will be gone, as well as where you will stay there. That never happens in other countries. It never happens… well, maybe in North Korea… But, in Communist China, it never happens.
In the USA, most Americans must have a Social Security Card, a picture driver’s license, a bank debit card, and an ACA “Obamacare” insurance card. You can argue that it is needed. But, if so then why do people in the rest of the world not need to do this?
Why can they exit their house without an ID? Why can they go to a store and buy a beer without having to prove that they are of legal drinking age? Dudes, I hate to tell you this, but that is NOT freedom. Those are just links to the shackles around your legs, and the handcuffs around your wrists. These kinds of actions and activities are not sustainable in the long run.
In China, if I want a beer, I call up the local 7-11 downstairs and have them bring me up a case. It is hand carried to me. No one ever asks me for my ID. I can pay in cash or use Kangeroo or E(r)-Le-Ma. They are never questioned by the police why they are carrying beer (a regulated substance), and are never stopped for the violation of some law or obscure rule that just happens to be selectively enforced that day.
The Rat Pack enjoying a drink and smoke with friends. Real mean acting like real men. No excuses. They lived life on THEIR terms. They did not apologize for any of their behaviors EVER.
My generation could drink at will without concern. (Image Source.)
Remember that only 75 years ago, Americans did not need to carry any kind of identification at all. They did not need to, nor were compelled to; carry any kind of identification on them. It was only the military that had to carry identification. Civilians never had to.
“The perfect dictatorship would have the appearance of a democracy, but would basically be a prison without walls in which the prisoners would not even dream of escaping. It would essentially be a system of slavery where, through consumption and entertainment, the slaves would love their servitudes.”-Aldous Huxley1931
We are now ruled by the velvet-gloved, technologically savvy, militarized iron fist of what Bertram Gross termed “friendly fascism” or fascism with a smile. Under fascism, the government (As the reader goes through this list, think about all the policies put in place by President Obama.):
Is managed by a powerful leader (even if he or she assumes office by way of the electoral process).
Assumes it is not restrained in its power (this is authoritarianism, which eventually evolves into totalitarianism).
Ostensibly operates under a capitalist system while being undergirded by an immense bureaucracy (now known as “the Washington swamp”).
Emits powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism through its politicians.
Has an obsession with national security (IRS, DHS, NSA, CIA, and DHS).
Constantly invoking terrifying internal and external enemies (ISS, terrorists, and now Russia!)
Establishes a domestic and invasive surveillance system and develops a paramilitary force that is not answerable to the citizenry.
The various agencies (federal, state, and local) develop an obsession with crime and punishment (this is over criminalization).
Becomes increasingly centralized while aligning closely with corporate powers to control all aspects of the country’s social, economic, military, and governmental structures.
Uses militarism as a center point of its economic and taxing structure.
Is increasingly imperialistic in order to maintain the military-industrial corporate forces.
Compare that to America today where, as economist Jeffrey Tucker rightly observes;
“Every industry is regulated. Every profession is classified and organized. Every good or service is taxed. Endless debt accumulation is preserved. Immense doesn’t begin to describe the bureaucracy. Military preparedness never stops, and war with some evil foreign foe, remains a daily prospect.”
Fascism thrives by hiding behind the entertainment spectacle that is partisan politics. As Tucker points out,;
“It’s incorrect to call fascism either right wing or left wing. It is both and neither… fascism does not seek to overthrow institutions like commercial establishments, family, religious centers, and civic traditions. It seeks to control them… it preserves most of what people hold dear but promises to improve economic, social, and cultural life through unifying their operations under government control.”
In this way, American-style fascism is deceptively appealing. It appears friendly.
The news media covers the entertainment and political trivia. The basic forms of government remain intact. The legislators remain in session. There are elections. Consent of the governed, however, no longer applies. Actual control has finally passed to the oligarchic elite controlling the government behind the scenes.
Yet the most crucial ingredient for fascism to succeed in America is that the majority of the people would have to agree that it’s not only expedient but necessary for the government to assume greater powers in order to keep them safe and secure, whether it’s by militarizing the police (Done), stripping them of basic constitutional rights (Done), criminalizing virtually every form of behavior (Done), or spying on their communications, movements and transactions (Done).
When you really drill down to what the various presidential candidates believe about the issues that will impact the future of our freedoms long-term—war, surveillance, civil liberties—you’ll find that most of them support the government’s position, which conveniently enough, profits the corporate sector.
This is not freedom.
It is despotism, and when the votes have all been counted, “we the people” will be the losers.
I know that this is offensive to all “red blooded” Americans. But there is validity in what I am opining upon. Do not get caught up in the gut revulsion and horrid nauseous throw-back response. Don’t go screaming back at what I have written with a blanket attitude of disgust. Think about my points. Perhaps I am mostly wrong. Perhaps my belief is colored by my experiences.
But listen to my points.
Get a passport and visit other countries and compare their lifestyle, household savings, to your own. Just do it yourselves. Compare by experiencing, not by reading government propaganda.
"You may know society is doomed when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors; when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you; [and] when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice." -Ayn Rand, "Atlas Shrugged", 1957
Do not believe me. Do not take the statements that I am making at face value. Get a passport and see for yourself. You decide. Don’t listen to my opinions and accept them blindly. Go see for yourself.
Shanghai at night. Shanghai is but one of maybe a hundred other cities of similar size and beauty in China.
You, the reader, should get a passport and see the world. Then you come to your own conclusions. How come China has better roads, trains, bridges, infrastructure, internet, and phones than the USA does, and yet only collects a mere tiny fraction of taxes from the people? How can this be so?
Why, according to the American mainstream media, taxes are needed for roads and bridges…
Political Correctness
"The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy." - Conclusions to a study titled "Testing Theories of American Politics," and it was published by Martin Gilensand Benjamin I. Pagein the journal Perspectives on Politics, issued by the American Political Science Association in September 2014.
One of the most dangerous things that is going on in the United States today is “Political Correctness”. This is the fear of speaking your thoughts and ideas for fear that it would offend someone. This is a recent phenomenon that began during the Clinton Presidency and grew up to dangerous proportions during the Obama Presidency. In fact, it is beyond Orwellian (“Right think” anyone?), but it is the direct opposition of the 1st Amendment to the United States constitution. It is currently thriving on college campuses all over the United States.
“First of all you have to ask yourself, why is there political correctness? The only answer is because you’re afraid to say what you honestly believe. Well, what a fucking shame that you can’t say what you believe in America. This place stood for that at one time.”-Kurt Russell
At America’s colleges and universities today, a movement is arising, (apparently) undirected and driven largely by students, to scrub campuses clean of words, ideas, and subjects that might cause discomfort or give offense. This is a wholesale, large scale, invasion of political correctness that is being implemented in the United States.
And, what happens when PC runs rampant and everyone can get an education? What are the consequences? Consider;
“But the primary incentive for flight had to do with the caliber of students I was required to instruct. The quality of what we called the student "clientele" had deteriorated so dramatically over the years that the classroom struck me as a barn full of ruminants and the curriculum as a stack of winter ensilage. I knew I could not teach James Joyce's Ulysses or Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain since they were plainly beyond the capacity of our catechumens – mind you, all old enough to vote and be drafted. The level of interest in and attention to the subjects was about as flat as a fallen arch. The ability to write a coherent English sentence was practically nonexistent; ordinary grammar was a traumatic ordeal. In fact, many native English-speakers could not produce a lucid verbal analysis of a text, let alone carry on an intelligible conversation, and some were even unable to properly pronounce common English words.”- David Solwayon American Thinker.
This new climate is slowly being institutionalized, and is affecting what can be said in the classroom, even as a basis for discussion. During the 2014–15 school year, for instance, the deans and department chairs at the 10 University of California system schools were presented by administrators at faculty leader-training sessions with examples of micro-aggression’s. The list of offensive statements included: “America is the land of opportunity” and “I believe that only the most qualified person should get the job.”
I pause at this with incongruity. Boy, will these students be surprised when they leave the protected shores of the university and enter the “real” working world.
The press has typically described these developments as a resurgence of political correctness. That’s partly right, although there are important differences between what’s happening now and what happened in the 1980s and ’90s. That movement sought to restrict speech (specifically hate speech aimed at marginalized groups), but it also challenged the literary, philosophical, and historical canon, seeking to widen it by including more-diverse perspectives.
The current movement is largely about emotional well-being.
More than the last, it presumes an extraordinary fragility of the collegiate psyche, and therefore elevates the goal of protecting students from psychological harm. The ultimate aim, it seems, is to turn campuses into “safe spaces” where young adults are shielded from words and ideas that make some uncomfortable. And more than the last, this movement seeks to punish anyone who interferes with that aim, even accidentally. You might call this impulse vindictive protectiveness. It is creating a culture in which everyone must think twice before speaking up, lest they face charges of insensitivity, aggression, or worse.
Two terms have risen quickly from obscurity into common campus parlance. Micro-aggressions are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless. For example, by some campus guidelines, it is a micro-aggression to ask an Asian American or Latino American “Where were you born?,” because this implies that he or she is not a real American. Trigger warnings are alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response. For example, some students have called for warnings that Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart describes racial violence. Or let’s not forget and omit that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby portrays misogyny and physical abuse. After all, we need to be careful so that students who have been previously victimized by racism or domestic violence can choose to avoid these works. We don’t want to risk a “trigger” resulting in a recurrence of past trauma.
What nonsense!
“In his novel 1984, George Orwell imagined a future world where speech was greatly restricted.He called that the language that the totalitarian state in his novel created “Newspeak”, and it bears a striking resemblance to the political correctness that we see in America right now.According to Wikipedia, Newspeak is “a reduced language created by the totalitarian state as a tool to limit free thought, and concepts that pose a threat to the regime such as freedom, self-expression, individuality, peace, etc. Any form of thought alternative to the party’s construct is classified as ‘thought crime.’”-Infowars.com
Luckily “political correctness” is primarily an American phenomena. When you leave the shore of the United States people will tell you what they think about you, and they will not care one iota if your feelings are hurt in the process. The Chinese, or course, will always be polite…
…But they will not tolerate nonsense.
Today, America possesses under-currents of nonsense that affect and alter the ways that Americans interact with each other. Americans are polite and cautious, even timid. But that is not an effective communicative tool in the world of business and politics. As a result Americans find themselves, often, at the tail end of a business deal or operational situation.
If you want to know why the Chinese are so successful in business; and why the Wenzhou Chinese are so successful look at what they do that Americans don’t do. There is no such thing as political correctness with the Chinese.
Here’s a nice narrative concerning this experience;
True story; When I was in China, I would periodically employ young interns to perform basic tasks for us in exchange for work experience. Once, around Christmas time in 2016 I told my Marketing Manager to set up and send out some Christmas Cards to our current client base. To do so, she pulled in a couple of interns that were working for us at the time. They were from the New England area and attended a college in Rhode Island. They were, and maybe still are, completely politically correct.While they were doing this, a period of confusion ensued. Apparently, the young interns had a real problem with having Christmas Cards saying “Merry Christmas”. They thought it was racist, bigoted and was not inclusive of all people. I couldn’t take it anymore and I stepped in. (Not something that I normally do. I tend to delegate in a “hands off” manner. They reported to my Marketing Manager.)I interrupted the lively discussion and time stopped. No one questions the boss. I just stood there for a second, while they all stood there with jaws dropped. (The boss does not interrupt, and it is significant when I do get involved.) This is China, after all.I told them in no uncertain words that [1] at our company we celebrate Christmas and not a generic holiday. I [2] pointed out that all of our customers were in Christian dominant nations that [3] we were operating in a communist country, where they themselves celebrated Christmas. [4] In China you can buy Christmas trees, [5] buy Christmas decorations, and most [6] business offices were decorated with Christmas trees. Every Chinese [7] knew who Saint Nick was, and [8] everyone also said “Merry Christmas” to each other. [9] Moreover, they did this in English, no less!She gave in inaudible gasp.(Ok, maybe I am being dramatic. But she was taken back.) Yes, I told her. [10] The name “Jesus” is not a bad word. It is part of our culture. (Again, the dull look of incredulity in her eyes spoke volumes.) I then told them that political correctness creates an isolation bubble that is toxic, and if maintained in a business environment would cause exclusionary behaviors. Businesses cannot not afford that. As such, our company would not participate in such nonsense.Then I told them. “Deal with it. Make it happen . I want results in three hours.” I then went back into my office. Sufficiently rebuked, the staff generated Christmas Cards and completed their task.
I am a human, and it is my right to be a dick, if I select to do so. I am also their boss, and I am fully responsible for the well-being of the company and relations with our clients. If our clients were in predominantly Muslim nations, I would wish them happy Ramadan when the instance arose. However, it is pretty unlikely that that will never happen. All Muslim-majority nations are always in various stages of conflict and turmoil.
Dudes, you gotta know your history!
People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!— Donald J. Trump(@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017
The tweets were in response to an ongoing argument there is a “war” on Christmas, and that people are encouraged to say “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas. However, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released right after the 2017 Christmas season, more than 75% of Americans believe the issue was “made up for political purposes” rather than a real substantive issue.
America, at one time, stood for the ability to say whatever you wanted. Being able to “speak your piece” was one of the most cherished core beliefs of Americans. Americans could say whatever they wanted.
They could also worship whatever they wanted. They could do whatever they wanted. It all changed when egotistical “busy bodies” took the reins of power and “fundamentally changed” America into their image of perfection. Which is a place where people are afraid to talk. It is a place where people are afraid to worship. It is a place where people are afraid to be themselves.
“We are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history; we’re going to have to move into a different place as a nation.” — Michelle Obama, May 14, 2008
Being afraid to say “Merry Christmas” is a horrible, horrible situation. I do not care if President Obama and his wife promised to erase American traditions, and replace them with progressive values. I think it sucks. I know what freedom is, and it is not what the Progressives want us to believe it is. A person who is free is never afraid.
A person who is FREE is never afraid.
Here’s a shout out for FREEDOM!
Here is a shout out for real freedom. There is nothing better than living life on your own terms, and doing so without guilt or regret. That is what true and real freedom and liberty is all about.
Here’s to the freedom to speak your mind without fear! (Image Source.)
The war on Christmas propaganda “machine” is in full engagement. From college and university campuses to the mainstream media, all are working to remove all vestiges of tradition from America. Heck, even disputing that this is going on gets you labeled as a the-filled racist. You can read about the attacks on this truth, here, here, here, here, and here. hey! If it wasn’t true, then why are the reactions so harsh?
I’ve found, throughout my life, that the harshest responses to a statement or an argument are those that are driven by emotion. Further, an emotional response is always associated with a personal belief or conviction. Obviously there is something here for the interns to act so oddly about a traditional holiday, and for the American media to go so bat-shit loony over it.
The mainstream media is particularly busy. Their stories get progressively more ridiculous each season. Here’s one from of the main players in mainstream media CBS, and their article titled “‘Christmas Tree Syndrome’: Doctors Issue Health Warning For Real Tree Owners”. Ah, the comments are precious! (Update 6MAY18 all the comments have been taken down. Ha! I guess that the couldn’t take what people actually thought about the story, the news media and the reporter.)
Americans watch the news that is completely filtered, and the information that is presented to Americans are always false. Americans are constantly being manipulated for one reason of the other. So, I completely urge Americans to look at their life and China in a new light. Here is an interesting video regarding this;
“…can be found in John Quincy Adams's "Jubilee" Address;oveliberty2, delivered, by invitation of the New York Historical Society, in New York City in April 1839. That Jubilee Address magnificently explained the reasons for the Framers' choice of republic over that of a democracy.If you want to have handy for constitutionally-illiterate Progressives who may call this a "democracy," then you want to read that Address.Today, in 2018, when confronted with a decision between individual freedom and slavery, otherwise known as liberty and tyranny, Americans who prefer freedom must be armed with ideas and principles which are "self-evident" and plain. Otherwise, they cannot fend off the onslaught of the "counterfeit ideas" of Progressive ideologues.When America's Founders and Framers of their Constitution wanted to convince ordinary farmers and citizens of the merits of a written "People's" Constitution to limit the powers of those to whom they entrust the powers of government, they published and circulated 85 essays, known as THE FEDERALIST.”-loveliberty2comment
So, to answer the question; is America better than China, I will have to disappoint.
I do not know.
I really do not know. In my life, and in my circumstance, I think that it is better in certain ways certainly. But I don’t really know if it is actually better overall.
Most Americans that I know of are quite happy to pay their taxes every April. They kind of brag about how easy it is. All they do is buy some tax software, or hire a person and it gets done. They also tell me that it doesn’t matter to them about smoking and drinking because that part of their life is long behind them. They tell me that they don’t really care if they need to carry their papers with them everywhere they go. They just leave it in the wallet, and forget about it. They think that I am just being a little bit foolish and silly.
They tell me that taking a urine test before starting work at a company is just a little thing of no consequence. You do it once and then forget about it. The same can be said about TSA screening at airports, and all the different kinds of roadblocks and police stops. I am told that it is necessary to be able to live in a “free” country. I am told that we need taxes to pave our roads. I am told that we need all this surveillance to keep us all “free”. I am told that without the FDA that everyone would die from the unregulation of medicines and food.
I am told that all that talk about banning guns is just talk, that nothing will ever come of it. I am told that things are far better today than they were a century ago; with child labor, race riots, and white privilege. I hear that everything is far more convenient today, with the internet, home computers and cell phones. This convenience has ended up making America the greatest nation on the earth. You just have to pay a small and trivial price for that freedom. It’s just a tiny amount, automatically deducted conveniently, from your paycheck. All these other things like rules and regulations about rainwater restrictions, woodstove banning, and banning of lead are needed because we now live in the 21st century. They are all obsolete just like the pocket watch, and the superfluous pocket watch in a pair of bluejeans.
It’s a big thing to me, but maybe I’m just making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe…
There are many things that I do miss about the States. I do miss eating a hotdog and having an ice-cold beer out of a keg at an afternoon baseball game. I do miss cruising around in my GTO and listening to BTO, and partying with my friends. I do miss going out into the woods and finding a stream to get some nice “brook trout”. I miss hunting, especially bow hunting. I miss my Walter P99. I miss watching a football game with my friends on a Sunday, going swimming at the local club, or just going “mudslinging”. I miss diners, and a nice cup of coffee on a cold blistery winter day. I miss these things, and truthfully I haven’t been able to do any of them since I left. I miss that terribly.
I really do.
However, I have picked up other activities. I now eat out much more than I did before. I eat well, and have many Chinese friends. Beer is good, cheap and cold. The Chinese do know how to party, and it is glorious. We go to KTV’s and sing our hearts out. Maybe I could one day be a Country and Western singer…LOL! Late night BBQ is the norm, and you know, nothing beats roasted chicken on the grill. The cigars, whiskey, and people are all awesome. The girls are fantastic here, and they do know how to take care of us boys.
The girls in China a lovely. That includes all of the Han Chinese throughout Asia. They really know how to keep men happy.
So overall, I can’t say that China is better than the USA. I can only say that it is different. And, I suppose that different is good because that is how we grow.
Summary
Now that I have opined about my thoughts about freedom, Liberty and China, I’d like to summarize it all. Because there are many people who are just like the frog sitting in the nice warm water. They can see that the water is getting warm and uncomfortable, but they are afraid to leave it. Why? Well it is because being outside the water is really terrible. They know. They have been told this.
I love the United States, but the way the United States is today is not the freedom loving world that I grew up in. There are so many things that I love to do, that are now much harder to do. In fact, I would dare say that America today; more closely resembles the Communist regime in Bulgaria (in the early 1970’s).
The mere idea that I, of all people, need to explain this point is disturbing to me.
Now I live in China. China is really different. However, in many ways it resembles what America was in the 1970’s. You have many freedoms in China today that are way beyond the dreams of most Americans. These things that I like and enjoy are what appeal to me.
But, I am considered awfully strange.
The things that I like are not what appeals to most Americans. (Like most Americans thinking that Michelle Obama being one of the most attractive woman in America, or that we need higher taxes and more, more, MORE regulation.) So you can really say that I am out of step with most Americans. I am really, really odd.
I just want to be left alone with my beer, my dog and the family.
So, you all can pretty much ignore what I have to say. What makes YOU happy is all that matters in life. I am happy, and I have read that many people are very happy back in the States with Obama and all that. So, with that being said you need to move to where you are happy. You need to do what makes you happy where you are happy.
Take Aways
Well, what can we summarize about this rant?
China is not run in a traditionally Communist manner, it is run by Chinese “Free Market” Conservatives.
America is run like a socialist nation. It is similar to an African version of Bulgaria.
Comparatively there are more “day to day” freedoms in China than in the USA.
Freedom means that you do not need to ASK to do something.
The reader can light up a cigar at their desk at work to test how free they are.
Most Americans think that Michelle Obama represents true female beauty.
BBQ chicken tastes really good with an ice cold beer.
Liberty is the freedom to be yourself even with there is someone who is offended.
Liberty is the ability to live the life as YOU see fit, even when there are others who are offended. That is a freedom of self. America and France used to be all about liberty. Now it is about something else.
FAQ
Q: Is China free? A: The popular narrative is that it isn’t. The way this is determined is whether or not they have democracy and popular elections. Yet, the United States is not a Democracy either. It is set up as a Constitutional Republic that has become an oligarchy.
Progressive liberals, in the United States, argue that China is not following the true Marxist ideals, and needs to be “improved”. They offer incentives to push China in directions that they find favor with. These incentives range from trade advantage to financial rewards.
American Conservatives argue that China is communist and must change it’s government to be more democratic. They offer the threat of war, and trade restrictions to force China to become more like a member of the American geopolitical sphere of influence.
Q: Is America free? A: The popular narrative is that it is. The way that this is determined is if there are popular elections, and the elected officials actively represent the people who elected them. However, studies have shown that this has not been the case for many years.
三人成虎（sān rén chéng hǔ）, or “three people can turn into a tiger,” warns that a repeated rumor can become fact, or at least believed by the public at large.
America is an oligarchy. It is run for the wealthy elite globally. These are the 1%.Those who are not wealthy fall into three catagories. They are either serfs, indentured, or fully enslaved. They represent the vast bulk of Americans. They represent 90% of Americans. The remaining 9% are the monied elite who work as pawns in support of the oligarchy.
For the vast bulk of Americans, America is NOT free. There are restrictions on just about everything a person does. Their money is siphoned away in thousands of little ways. The Bill of Rights is not protected, and functionally, Americans have no rights at all.
Q: What is better China or America? A: America, to me was the best in the 1970’s. We had earth-shoes, bell-bottoms, the Eagles, cars that had power, and cheap beer. Then, after the Clinton, and Obama years, it went straight downhill. Over the years, the busybodies have been allowed to gain power, and tell other people how to live their lives. None of the elected officials defends the Bill of Rights, and as a result, many Americans have functionally lost their rights.
During this period of time, China has been moving away from the tyrannical socialist policies of Mr. Mao. Instead, China has embraced Republican-style “free market” policies, and the result is that many people in China are living a pretty nice life. Today, China is a pretty nice place to live.
Compared to the United States, Chinese have more savings, own their own homes, own their own cars, and own their own furniture. Americans don’t; they rent. The Chinese do not mortgage away their child’s education for a questionable future. American’s do. Many places in China are constantly under improvement with parks, and public works constantly under construction. When was the last time that the reader seen a new park being constructed? A set of new trees aligning the roads, or a town that pays workers to plant flowers, bushes and shrubs? The only new construction in America is related to wealthy people, and banks.
The only new construction in America is related to wealthy people, and banks.
You know. There is a saying in China that us expats use. It goes something like this; “You know, there is rich, there is RICH, and then there is CHINA RICH.” The point being that even the (so called) “rich” people in the United States have no idea of the power, lifestyle and way of life that the wealthy people in China has.
And it is attainable. It really is. All this being said…
However,… I am a just simple man. I think that freedom is a place where I can take my dog, drink a beer and smoke a cigarette all without being hassled.
In period France you were free. You could go to a public restaurant and drink and smoke with your dog and no one would bother you. Too bad that this is ILLEGAL in America today.
I can do that anywhere in China; including the high-end restaurants. You simply cannot do that in the USA. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself. That is the sanity check for freedom. The sanity check is this;
Go to a restaurant.
Take your dog and put him on the chair next to you.
Order a cold beer, and drink it.
Take out and smoke a cigarette.
A measure of your freedom is the reaction of others to how you live your life. A measure of your freedom is the reaction of others to how you live your life. Yes, let me say it one more time; A measure of your freedom is the reaction by others on how you live your life.
It is not about the political structure. It is not about the rich people. It is not about the fashionable people and the toys they play with. It is about you, and how YOU can live your life and do so with your preferred lifestyle. It is that simple.
It is a fundamental difference in viewpoint. In America, anyone and everyone can tell everyone else what they cannot do. That is called “freedom of expression”. (Which is strange in that no one is permitted to tell people what they CAN do. That is forbidden.) At least this is what America has evolved into. It has evolved to a point where you cannot do anything without offending someone. In China, there are a very strict and exacting set of rules that everyone must follow. Failure to follow the rules will result in punishment. The only people who can make the rules is the government. If you try to make your own rules, you will be treated as a busybody and punished.
America used to be set up like this. Now, in the United States, the laws are considered “guidelines” instead of rules. These are guidelines that are subject to change at will. After all, you have the 9th Circuit Court reinterpreting laws to fit what ever progressive agenda is on the table.
China won’t have any of that. A rule is a rule. A law is a law. There is no room for negotiation. If you break a law, you will suffer the consequences. Which, can be very harsh.
In China busybodies are executed after a period of mandatory organ harvesting. The family is then billed the cost of the bullet. In this picture you can clearly see the pistol being raised to end this particular problem. This gal was a drug activist. You do know that drugs are against the law in China. If you want to change the law you go through the proper channels, you don’t take matters on in your own hands. That’s a big no no.
Do you remember what it was like going to High School in the 1970s? I do. I most certainly do. In fact, the older I get the more removed that I am from it. As time passes, it starts to look like some kind of a scene from “The Twilight Zone”. The truth is that the kind of life that I had growing up is really alien to the way kids grow up today. That is worrisome, and it really concerns me.
When an American intern comes in to work for me, I am stunned just how absolutely helpless they are. They do not realize that they must go to work before the start of the working hours, and cannot leave until the workday is over. They don’t realize some of the most fundamentals regarding self-initiative is totally missing from them. American kids today are robots, or maybe zombies. They need and expect constant supervision. They are afraid to do anything.
Now this only pertains to my American interns.
The interns that I get from Germany, France, Singapore, and England are just fine. What is wrong with America? What are they teaching in schools there? Ugh. I think that I will devote another post to cover that subject. As it is truly alarming.
Whenever I berate an intern about something that they did wrong, I often use examples from my childhood. I use them to illustrate key points. Such as, [1] you need to eat breakfast at home before you come to work. [2] Showers are not optional. [3] Don’t check your Facebook when you are in a meeting with the boss. [4] Lunchtime is for one hour, and long lunches are not an option. As well, as a pet peeve of mine, [5] you must do the work assigned to you whether you want to do it or not.
Where in the Hell do they get this idea that they can argue or debate with the boss? A task is a task. You are assigned it and you must do it to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, many American interns think that they don’t have to do an assigned task, if they don’t want to. WTF?
When I was growing up, man we HAD to work. It wasn’t an option. Moreover, when I turned 18, I was on my own, or in college. And if I failed, I would be on the streets. This is literally. My family would be too ashamed to have me hide in their basement. A man needed to work.
Granted, I realize that not everyone had the same experiences that I had. My experiences were of a different time. I had the experience of fighting forest fires, working in coalmines, and laboring in steel. Today, they work as barristers in Starbucks, code games on laptops in “open work” environments, and drive uber taxis. Never the less, there is something very important about being able to earn your own money. There is something important about putting in a good, hard day’s labor. There is something very important about carving out your life by your own effort, alone.
To this end, let me talk a little bit what it was like for me growing up. I am sure that everyone has other experiences, and perhaps other ideas of what it was like. This is what it was like for me…
Growing up in Pittsburgh
I am a normal guy.
While I was born in the Connecticut Valley in Bridgeport, CT, I spent the bulk of my youth and High School years in the Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh was, at that time, the center of steel manufacturing. Surrounding it were miles and miles of coalmines, and timber. America is a very big nation, and as such, it is culturally subdivided into regions. I was part of the Pittsburgh (or “Western Pennsylvania”) region. I was an “Iron Steel Baby” (So named because of the local “Iron City” beer and the steel mills up and down the major rivers in the region.).
America’s cultural enclaves. America is not a homogeneous society. It is a collection of social-economic regions. America’s cultural enclaves. (Image Source)
Over the years I have lived in many other areas. Each area was very different. I have lived in the Central Florida, the Rio Grande, the Los Angles, the Fresno, the Memphis-Little Rock, the Louisville, the Cincinnati, the Indianapolis, the Upstate NY and the Boston New England regional areas. I wonder what cultural enclave that you, the reader, is from?
When I was little
When I was little, my father worked in a steel mill. To improve our life, he would go to night school. Eventually, he was able to get his diploma and degree. With that, he was able to get a better job, and we moved into a house that he was finally able to buy. My mother was a housewife, and she watched us kids.
I played “cops and robbers” and “cowboys and Indians” when I was little. I played with fireworks, climbed cliffs and jumped off them into muddy water in the long hot summers. We would often put a penny on railroad tracks to watch the coal cars flatten it into a long oval copper plate. You can’t really do that with pennies today. That is because pennies are made out of plastic. Instead you can use a dime or a nickel. Both of these coins have a high percentage of copper in it.
I had a “tree house” that I would hang out in with my cat Sedgwick, and played “tug of war” under the willow tree with my pet husky and a big “bull rope” that hung down from one of the limbs. (This is an awesome tree that had flowing branches that fell to the ground. You could go inside the tree and it was like you were inside a tent. Though in the spring, it was filled with bees and other insects attracted to the flowers.)
I had a “fifth finger toy gun”. It looked like a pointing finger, and it shot this little plastic pellet. I also had this “joy buzzer” that you could “shock” your friends with (by giving them a handshake). Other toys included “Chinese handcuffs”, which was this woven contraption that you would stick on the ends of your fingers.
“let’s see, I slept outside in a tent almost every night during summer vacation, played lawn darts, shot arrows into the air and we would scatter like doves for the cover of a roof, sled riding down steep tree lined hills. Jumped ramps with our bikes (damn near lost one of my man marbles doing that though) climbed trees, built tree houses, floated down the swollen stream on a telephone pole after a 100 year rain storm. drove the flat bottom boat behind river barges to ride the wakes. Jumped off roofs with a homemade parachute (didn't work) played with matches, played with matches and gas, played with matches gas and fireworks, had a wrist rocket, bb gun, bow and arrow, went to a catholic grade school with hard ass nuns. I should be in kiddy Gitmo still.”- booboo Feb 2, 2018 9:55 PM Permalink
Quicksand
We played “quicksand”, usually holding on to tree limbs and trying to avoid touching the sidewalk. (It, like many other things, turned out not to be as serious a threat that we thought it was when we “grew up”.) Talk about a disappointment!
Yeah. When we grew up we were in for some surprises…
The world that we envisioned was nothing like what we saw on television. We never got to fight secret agents. The rocket ships to the stars never materialized. None of us ever got to tour the nation in a multicolored school bus and play musical numbers in different high schools . Our friends were never as organized as Spanky and his gang , and we never were able to harness a donkey with a carrot. That truly would have been awesome! The truth is, to this day, I have never come across a spot of quicksand. What a shame. What a true shame.
However, the reader need not give up hope on their childhood. There still is a Archie McPhee . Thank God for that!
Hats
I, like others of my generation, (in my pre-teens) usually wore a hat when we went outside. (The same was true for the ladies and the girls of that time.) There was even an entire set of rules and behaviors associated with these hats. The church pews even had these little spring-loaded contraptions to hold the hats in place when in church. (This pretty much fell into disuse in the early 1970’s, along with eating fish on Fridays.) Coat racks in offices, dental offices, and insurance offices all had a shelf along the top of the rack to place your hats on. For standing racks, there were also “pins” for holding one’s hat.
Take off your hat (civilian, that is) whenever you are indoors, except in a synagogue and except in places which are akin to public streets: lobbies, corridors, street conveyances, crowded elevators of non-residential public buildings (department stores, office buildings). Apartment house elevators and halls are classed as indoors, and so are eating places!
Take it off whenever you pray or witness a religious ceremony, as at a burial, outdoor wedding, dedication. Take it off whenever the flag goes by. And fergodsakes take it off when you have your photograph taken for the place of honor on her dressing table – and take it off before you kiss her!Lift it momentarily as accompaniment to courtesies when hello, goodbye, how do you do, thank you, excuse me or you’re welcome are expressed or understood. The gesture is to grasp the front crown of a soft hat or the brim of a stiff one, thus to lift the hat slightly off and forward, and simultaneously to nod or bow your head as you say (or smile) your say.Whenever you perform a service for a strange woman, or ask one—when, for example, you pick up something she has dropped on the sidewalk, or ask her (indirectly) to get her bundles the hell off that vacant bus-seat—you tip your hat to acknowledge her thanks or to give yours. Whenever you greet in passing or fall into step with a woman you know (your wife included), you tip your hat. In fact, the tip of the hat is a must for all brief exchanges with women, known or unknown.A man rates your hat-lift, too, when he has performed some service for the woman you’re with—when he’s given his bus seat to your wife, for instance (in which case you should give him a card to your psychiatrist, as well). And also when he has been greeted by your woman companion, you tip your hat whether or not you know him. If she stops and if she introduces you, your hat comes off—but this is because you are standing and talking with a woman.- From Esquire Etiquette: A Guide to Business, Sports, and Social Conduct, 1954
Boys and Girls liked to Play
When I was young, we all played together. Boys and girls played together. Boys would tend to want to play “army” or “sports”. Girls would tend to want to play “Barbie” or “house”. I really don’t think it was due to the way that we were raised. It was our interests at the time.
Anyways, we grew up normally. At that time, it was considered normal for boys to like girls, and girls to be interested in boys. But, apparently today, that view is not shared. Today there is a “zero tolerance” for anything deemed sexual harassment in young children. Which means that boys just cannot tell a girl he likes her. Today it is deemed “sexual harassment”. Sigh.
Please, why can’t you just let children be children?
We Played
If a boy wants to play with a toy gun, well then let him. If he wants to play with a Barbie doll instead, well then let him do that instead. If a girl wants to play football, I say go for it! If she wants to play house and dress up, good for her! Just let children be children. One of the things that has surprised me is the ever growing list of prohibitions that American children cannot do. Let’s see…
Can’t play with toy guns.
Can’t play with fireworks.
Can’t play knives.
Can’t play with slingshots.
Can’t play with tree-houses.
Can’t play with fire.
Can’t ride their bike alone through town.
Can’t stay out late after dark.
Can’t walk by themselves to school.
Can’t be in a playground without supervision.
Can’t go into a store without a parent.
This lack of play has had an absolutely devastating effect on the young millennials just now in college. Since they have never been on their own, and used their own self-guided imagination, they are retarded in certain significant cognitive abilities. It is truly worrisome.
Girls of the 1970s would play dolls with their friends. Girls liked to play with their barbie dolls, and hang out with their girl friends. (Image Source.)
My Kid Sister
Consider my kid sister.
I have a niece who is a girly-girl. She loves clothes. One Easter Sunday my mother bought her this really nice Easter dress. My sister, totally hated it, and did not want the girls (I have numerous nieces) to have anything to do with it. However, my nieces, being strong willed, went out and got the dresses out from the closet anyways. The oldest niece, well she was a “Tomboy”, and refused to wear the dress that was bought for her. However, the girly-girl niece grabbed her dress and ran through the house with it.
As she ran, her socks went off. Her shoes went off. Her pants came off, then her top. She shinnied on the dress and went running outside in the yard in bare feet. The dress flying in bright white, and pink with ribbons floating. She ran, jumped, and leaped. She was the happiest girl in the entire world at that moment. She was totally absorbed in living that moment.
You just had to see it. The sky was blue and clear. The air was cool but sunny. The grass was a fresh lush green and the girl with her rosy happy smile on her fantastic sunny face was a picture of the Sun itself. Ah, such a very wonderful time, and a wonderful day…
I first went to parochial school, and then later, attended public school. In parochial school we were taught how to write in cursive, memorized poetry, studied basic Latin, learned how to perform mathematics using only a paper and pencil, and studied our collective history. Indeed, when I attended school we learned history, and we were expected to understand it well enough to write a paper on it. In fact, one of the seemingly yearly events all through middle school into my high school years was writing a paper on history. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Ah, history can tell us so much, and can be a real joy to read about if taught properly.
History has continued to be one of my favorite interests. I personally think that many people don’t know anything about history because it is really not being taught properly.
Coffee
My childhood is a tale of coffee. Coffee was the cheapest thing that you could buy in America. As such, everyone had a coffee pot, and we all drank it 24-7. We would cook it in percolators, and the smell of coffee and the sound of percolating coffee was the way most American woke up to in the mornings. There was even a television commercial that had a jingle that sounded like a percolating coffee pot.
As a child, I didn’t really drink coffee. It wasn’t until I was around 12 or so when I started to share a cup with my parents. That was two full years before I started to work. It started to “put hair on my chest”.
The coffee was so cheap. In the movie, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” the main character is down on his luck in Mexico. To underline just how poor he was, he asks a passing stranger “Hey can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee”. That’s pretty down. Coffee was offered freely throughout the USA and Mexico. I’ll bet that the significance on that statement was pretty much lost on the reader when you watched the movie, eh?
I well remember the time when the coffee suppliers began to jack up their prices. It was insane. I was working as a stock clerk in a grocery store at the time, and the prices just getting higher and higher. It kept going up…up… and up. First, it was 20%. Then another 20%. Then another 50%. Then 200%. Then 1000%. There was no stopping it.
The customers were angry. Then frustrated. Then crying. Nevertheless, still they bought the coffee. By then, the entire United States was addicted to it. The coffee plantations in Columbia, and Venezuela, and Mexico saw profits, and just took advantage of it. Wow! With all the billions and billions of earnings that the companies (and owners) raked in, you would think that the nations would now be rich paradises. You would think…
I wonder why not…
Maybe it’s because they are all progressive socialist democracies, and only the rich get the money. Yup. We all know how that all works out. Look at all the wealthy and successful people in Cuba. Look at all the successful and wealthy people in Kenya. Look at all the wealthy and successful people in North Korea. Yuppur! Those progressive socialist paradises really know how to do things, now don’t they?
Not every potato chip came in a bag. In Pennsylvania they came in a tin can. The potato chips we ate while we were in 1970s middle school. (Image Source.)
Grandparents
Every weekend we would visit our grandparents. There, we would often sit on the metal porch glider and have bottled soda and cold-cut sandwiches. Both of my grandparents would buy a case of soda in large glass bottles, and I would spend my entire visit drinking it. It would normally be placed in the cellar. That was a cool spot in the house, and it kept the soda cool, but not cold. As is typical for the Pittsburgh area, the basement had a commode located smack dab in the middle of the basement. It’s a Pittsburgh thing that I could never quite figure out. (Same with the idea of putting chairs in front of the house to reserve a parking space.)
Many Pittsburgh homes have a commode in the basement. This seems to be native to Pittsburgh. While the story goes that the commodes were used by the workers to clean up and wash, when they came home from the steel mills, I do not buy into that. The reason is that a shower head is more important than a commode for cleaning up. The truth is that in Pittsburgh, typically the men had their own bathrooms. The women folk had their own bathrooms that they shared with the children. Thus, the basement was the domain of the men-folk. That is the real reason for the commodes in the basements of Pittsburgh.
Adults could drink their fill of beer. We always had beer in various old refrigerators, or boxes full of ice. When I started to work, at 14, my father figured that I was going to work like a man, then I could be treated as one as well. From that moment on, I was able to drink beer at all the family gatherings. Which was pretty cool. I was able to get tipsy, and then go to my room to sleep it off without making a scene.
My childhood was all about learning how to be a MAN.
The television was often on with a sports program or two in the background. They, of course, had a large picture of the “Last Supper” on the kitchen wall overlooking the table there. In fact, just about all of my friends had a similar picture. Today, I rarely see it, and absolutely NO television shows have this symbol of Americana displayed. We also had a painting of the “black Madonna” on the wall near the fireplace, and a statue of the Mother Mary in prayer inside a half buried cast iron bathtub in the back yard.
We ate well, and my mother insisted that we have fresh milk every day.
Fresh milk was delivered to our porch daily. It sat inside a small-galvanized metal box cooler specifically designed for that purpose. It was delivered early in the morning and one of the routines was for my mother to fetch the milk and put it in the refrigerator promptly. The bill (for the milk) was left in an envelope inside the metal cooler box, and my parents would put money in the envelope inside the box to pay for the milk. It was a system that worked well then. I wonder how it would work today.
In the 1970s, milk would be delivered to our house in a metal box that sat outside on our kitchen porch. Milk Box (Image Source)
Crime
We lived in a very safe neighborhood. I grew up in a small town. The town was big enough to have an elementary and a high school. Though, it was too small to have a middle school. It was a great place to grow up in.
Oh, we heard about the crime in the urban areas of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but that was a world that was way beyond our experience. We didn’t lock our house doors. No one did. In fact, the front door lock was often stubborn from disuse. That went for the cars as well. We left the car keys in the ignition. Everyone knew everyone else. All the mothers knew each other.
In the 1960 and 1970s, most people had a traditional family. In a traditional family, the husband works, and gives all of his earnings to the wife. The wife in turn, budgets the money, provides fresh and healthy meals, makes sure that the house is clean, and that everyone is happy. She is in charge of the education of the children, and supervises it and runs off to the school if anything does not pass her muster.
All of the men knew each other. Maybe they did not work together, but they were all members of the various social clubs like the Rotary, the Elks, and the Moose. (As well as the Polish Falcons.) There would be a meeting or two at the lodge each month and my father would attend. Because everyone knew everyone else, no one was trying to take from each other.
For us kids growing up, the entire town was like one big playground. It was most certainly like a scene out of Mayberry RFD. If you want to know what it was really like then read “The Mad Scientist’s Club”. It was exactly like that.
We would say “Hi” to our neighbors and play with their kids. “Hi, Mr. Baley.”, or “Hi, Miss Cambell.”. We all played baseball in the neighborhood ballpark, and rode our bikes all over the town. If someone bought a new appliance, then we would make “forts” out of the cardboard boxes it came in, and play with that.
Boyhood Essentials
I always carried a pocket knife with me, and used it to cut small branches and to chew on twigs from a birch tree (it tastes like root beer). It was a blue Cub Scout knife with three blades. I carried it everywhere. My father bought it for me when I was six years old. Ah, it was a male rite of passage.
One of the things that has surprised me is that NONE of the male interns that have worked for me (from the United States) ever owned their own pocketknife. Most have heard about it, and knew what it was, but none had ever owned one. It really stuns me. My male interns from France, England, and Germany all have owned pocketknives. I just cannot get over the fact how retarded that American boys have become. It is almost like they have turned into girls.
Anyways…
Bicycles
I was very shy with girls, and not so great at sports. However, I was a fantastic swimmer, an average golfer, and an active tennis player. I was a member of the cub scouts, and rode a gold Schwinn “banana seat” bike with “high bars” and a “drag strip” (non-tread) rear tire. Every one of my friends owned a bicycle. My sister had one with a white plastic basket in the front. My bike had these long streamers of plastic that plugged into the handles. I eventually tore those things off. But I would put a card (from a deck of cards) and attach it to the bicycle with a wooden clothes pin. That way my bicycle would make some “cool” sounds when I rode fast. It had a huge red circular red reflector on the back, right under the white “banana seat”. Like the GTO I would later drive when I was in High School, the bicycle was an orange color.
We would all ride bicycles when we grew up. Which is different than kids today. Instead, today their parents drive them from event to event, instead of expecting them to get there on their own. A 1970s childhood. (Image Source)
My bike was a personal selection. When my father took me to a store to pick it out, I chose a really simple and rugged model. There were no front or rear brakes on the handlebars. To brake, you would just use the pedals. There also weren’t any gears. There was one gear only. It came with a rear view mirror, that soon broke off, and that was about it. My friends all had more complicated bicycles, and over the years, they were perpetually repairing their bikes and trying to fix them. For me, I never had that problem.
Chores
Every Spring I would help my father take down the “storm doors” and put up the “summer doors”. These doors had mosquito mesh instead of glass. It allowed fresh air to get inside the house, but kept the bugs out. To swap the doors was an easy chore. All you needed was a large screwdriver. Once I proved my mastery of that task, my father made sure that I did it every spring and fall. (Whoops! Roped in to another chore again!)
In a traditionally run family, everyone had roles that they had to take on. For the boys, like myself, this meant chores. I was almost entirely responsible for all the outside chores, such as care and feeding of the animals, tending of the lawn and garden, and trash, and snow removal duties. My sisters were responsible for domestic matters, and learned how to cook and care from the clothing and the house from my mother.
Ice Cream
We ate “soft serve” ice cream from the local Dairy Queen stand, or had banana malt milk shakes. My father would always take us out for a ride on Sundays after dinner. (Sunday dinner was the most important dinner of the week, and the most elaborate.) We all would hop into the car and ride over to the local Dairy Queen stand. There I would get a large vanilla (soft serve) ice-cream cone. Everyone got one. Even our dog Belle who was a husky. She would get hers’ in a little plastic dish.
During the 1960s and 1970s we attended BBQ cookouts exactly like this. We would eat pork and beans, or bacon wrapped hot dogs. Corn and watermelon would be served as well. I attended family barbeques exactly like this.(Image Source.)
We ate plump, real ground beef hamburgers and bacon-wrapped hotdogs. We would eat a fine can of pork and beans, and let’s not forget the buttered corn on the cob, potato salad, and the macaroni salad as sides. Us kids would have an iced cooler full of all the soda we could drink and the parents drank all the beer they could muster. (Typically, Iron City, Bud, PBR, and Michelob.)
News
I would watch the news reluctantly. For me it was pretty boring.
However, I did follow the news about space. You couldn’t miss it. Everyone was talking about space, and the moon. That is all you heard aboout as a child of the 1960’s. The television shows also helped to maintain this theme.
As the news that played on the radio concerned our exploration of space and the Vietnam War. Of course I didn’t know what was going on. It was a takeover of the United States government by dark forces embedded deep inside the United States government. When JFK was shot, my father insisted that I watch the television. He kept telling me that this was the most important thing to happen to the United States since the Civil War. He was a lifelong Democrat and he had real concerns that there was more to the story than what the government was saying. Later, after he died and President Trump released the transcripts, it turned out that my father was right after all.
The “Deep State” murdered our President.
“This fucker, johnson should be dug up and pissed on, and torn apart. Every modern ill can be traced to him.”
-sowhat1929
On Sunday we watched Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom”, and “The FBI” (Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr) after the Walt Disney hour. If I wasn’t watching television, I was building plastic scale models, or experimenting on my Gilbert chemistry (and electrical) sets.
The A. C. Gilbert Company was an American toy company, once one of the largest toy companies in the world. It is best known for introducing the Erector Set to the marketplace. A chemistry set is an educational toy allowing the user (typically a teenager) to perform simple chemistry experiments.During the Bill Clinton presidency (D) all sales of chemistry, electronics, and mechanical kits were put under investigation as possible routes for “home grown” terroristic activities, and were subsequently suppressed, if not outright banned. Over the Bush years (R), they resurfaced and eked out a small living. However, by 2017 most hobby kit suppliers went out of business. Ramsey electronics, Heithkit electronics RIP.
Little Treasures
I, like my contemporaries, had my little treasures. Some of my friends collected baseball cards. Others, collected Indian arrowheads, and still others collected comic books. I had one friend with quite an impressive collection of comic books, and Doc Savage paperback books. I ended up buying his entire collection for $10 when he moved out of state.
I owned (but rarely wore) a “mood ring” that I found in an old “mason jar” filled with old “Indian head” pennies, marbles, and campaign pins (I picked it up at a yard sale for twenty five cents.). I also wore a catholic ring of Saint Christopher that I picked up at a church sale on “Polish Hill” in Pittsburgh.
I was pretty stylish. I wore “Beatles style” hair with bangs that were always covering my forehead and falling in front of my eyes. My parents absolutely hated it.
Bottle Collecting
My favorite thing to do when I was around eight or nine would be to go “bottle collecting”. Here I would go into the local “woods” to dig for “old bottles” (in long disused trash dumps, often 100 years old) that I would then clean and collect. We had a couple of “dumps” that we frequented. One of the best, with the most impressive bottles, was near the river next to an old railroad spur. It was the home of many a “whittle marked” bottle, old time bitters, and about a hundred thousand Lydia Pinkham bottles. (I guess that the local woman folk must have had a lot of “womanly” problems.)
Our parents let us kids go out and play.
“I used to puzzle over a particular statistic that routinely comes up in articles about time use: even though women work vastly more hours now than they did in the 1970s, mothers—and fathers—of all income levels spend much more time with their children than they used to. This seemed impossible to me until recently, when I began to think about my own life. My mother didn’t work all that much when I was younger, but she didn’t spend vast amounts of time with me, either. She didn’t arrange my playdates or drive me to swimming lessons or introduce me to cool music she liked. On weekdays after school she just expected me to show up for dinner; on weekends I barely saw her at all. I, on the other hand, might easily spend every waking Saturday hour with one if not all three of my children, taking one to a soccer game, the second to a theater program, the third to a friend’s house, or just hanging out with them at home. When my daughter was about 10, my husband suddenly realized that in her whole life, she had probably not spent more than 10 minutes unsupervised by an adult. Not 10 minutes in 10 years.”-The Overprotected Kid
Ah. My bedroom was a collection of old colorful bottles, scale models of tanks on shelves (and planes hanging from strings from the ceiling), as well as a quite a large collection of paperback books and comics. I had stacks and stacks of magazines. Magazines included “Lost Treasure magazine”, “Men’s Adventure”, “The Good Old Days”, “Mechanics Illustrated”, “Popular Science”, “Popular Mechanics”, “Mad Magazine” and “Analog”. In fact, the upstairs bathroom had a closet, and the bottom two shelves were devoted to all sorts of magazines and comic books.
Money and Costs
Things were cheaper then.
In fact, most things could be paid for using coins. If you ate at a restaurant, you would rarely need to use any bills. Just a handful of coins (from a coin purse) was all you would need. Indeed, my father carried a coin purse and a money clip. Wallets didn’t really become popular until the 1970’s. (When inflation had jacked up food prices to obscene levels.)
I would fill up the air in my bicycle tires with air from the local gas station. (For free. Paying for air didn’t become vogue until the 1980’s.) It was a white building with two (gas) pumps outside, and an open garage bay where the owner would typically be fixing the cars of the local townspeople. Inside were dusty pin-up photos of sexy girls taken from magazines (like playboy, the “open spread” foldout format was well suited to wall-poster applications.) and industry calendars which always had a picture of a topless chick (or nearly topless) holding a wrench or hammer.
In a male dominated workplace, the most effective means of advertising tools is to utilize imagery that appeals to men. During the Bill Clinton (D) administration, there was a move to make everyone “equal”. In so doing, all efforts to appeal to a anything other than female or neutral gender was discouraged. Know your history.
I drank from a lawn hose in the summer when I was thirsty. It tasted like warm plastic.
If I was off away on a farm, or near a dirt road we would stop at a well and get a drink of spring water. At sometime in the 1960s all wells in Pennsylvania had to be covered up (so that no one would fall into them). Instead the placed these large iron hand-pumps (often painted red of green) that you could pump the water up and drink. The water was free to whomever needed it. Which is so unlike today where even common tap water is bottled by Walmart for a profit.
I was typical, and not a “bad boy” at all. When my friends started to smoke cigarettes, I refused. When I started to work, and was offered beer by the older boys, I drank and soon discovered that I was a “light weight” and numerous embarrassing events ensued. My friends chewed tobacco and often had a can of “chew” in the back pocket of their jeans (often creating a round circle of wear). I didn’t do this. For the most part, my serious engagement of vices occurred much later… after my retirement.
Television
Television was rather primitive.
While we did have a color television, we still needed to walk across the room to change the channel. Imagine that! Remote controls were not available until the mid-1970’s. On top of it were “rabbit ears” until we were able to subscribe to cable in the late 1970’s. My grandmother had her “rabbit ears” with aluminum foil wrapped around it. She said that it improved her reception. Maybe it did. I don’t know, her reception really sucked, so it must have been really, really terrible.
I had full toy replica M-14 with “action sound” back in the day. We would go around the neighborhood playing war with the other kids with their (own) toy guns. Let’s see, I had a toy M1, a tommy gun, a grease gun, a Beretta that shot projectiles with a suction cup at the end, and a large collection of cap guns and water pistols. Not one parent had an issue. Not one snowflake triggered. Not one police call. Even the girls loved it.
“I remember when toy trucks (Tonka) was made of metal. When automobiles were made of steel. When a carton of cigarettes cost $5, when there where phone booths, a gallon of gas was 45 cents, a postage stamp was 5 cents, a bottle of Coca-Cola was a dime, a nickel-bag of weed was $5, the Sun was yellow. I remember a time when you could find starfish and beautiful shells on the beaches of the Atlantic ocean. I remember when our skies where blue, not hazy white. I remember when slot machines paid out silver dollars. I remember a time when children could play safely outside.I remember when kids could sell lemonade without being arrested. I remember when you could crack your child's ass in public for being a brat and not being arrested. A lot has indeed changed.”-Hugh MannOct 21, 2017 1:34 PM
Lemonade Stands
Talking about selling lemonade, it was a method that introduced business techniques to children. The schools didn’t have any courses on how to start and run your own business. The boy scouts taught self-initiative and independence. If you wanted to know how to start your own business, and the basics on how it worked, your parents would teach you by allowing you to sell lemonade. It was a method by which a child could learn the basics of business management, and production.
Of course, during the Obama administration, this was forbidden. Moreover, a war on young children, their lemonade stands, and the parents who would teach children about work began. The result was a decimation of the understanding of the basics of industry to an entire generation of children. Read about some of the thousands of instances here;
Here is an American police officer frisking a child on the television show “Cops” showing how important it is for Americans to obey the law. American cop frisks child for breaking the law. (Image source.) You would never see this in the 1960s and 1970s.
Meals
We ate formal meals.
That is to say, that we ate in the “dining room” with a fully laid-out table with tablecloth (and undercloth), china dishes and silverware. My father sat at the “head” of the table, and my mother sat at the other end. Us kids, sat in the middle. Household meals always had a meat or a fish with sides of mashed potatoes, a salad, cooked vegetables and bread. Meats would include pot roasts, pork chops, Salisbury steaks, roast chicken, and ham. We ate fish on Fridays. We only ate pizza or hamburgers when we ate outside or at a restaurant. (We rarely ever ate pizza, or “junk food” at home. We ate “real” “sit down” formal meals.) With an intact family-centered life, we ate far better than Americans do today.
We acted like kids, and participated in the activities normal for that time. Most of our time was divided between school and play. Of that, we enjoyed playing the most. With our days filled with outdoor activities (such as hiking and bike riding) followed by evening television viewing. Whether it was “the Rat Patrol”, or “Chilly Billy Car dilly” on “Channel 11” showing low-grade “B” horror flicks, we watched them all.
In fact, I must say that I was a big “Ultraman” fan “in the day”. But, overall, I was Vincent Price fan.
During the 1970s one of my favorite Vincent Price movies was the Dr. Phibes series. Here he is with one of his pretty assistants. Valli Kemp with Dr. Phibes. (Image Source.)
I really liked all of the Vincent Price movies. These were often B-grade flicks made in the 1970’s which you would watch on a cold and snowy winter weekend afternoon. In fact, I would say that my all-time favorite movies are the Doctor Phibes series. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it’s because of the mechanical gadgets. Maybe it’s because of the tales of creative revenge. Or, maybe it’s because I always had a crush on his beautiful assistant(s). LOL!
There were two Dr. Phibes movies. Each one used a different assistant. I was in love with both. Yikes! Image credit to Metro Goldwyn Mayer for their promotional photo. Virginia North with Dr. Phibes. (Image Source.) We all loved these movies int he 1960s and 1970s.
I was a good kid, though a bit “nerdy” compared to my classmates.
Nerd
I had other interests, which tended to be on the nerdy side. For instance…
During the 1970s I used to play Avalon Hill’s board games such as Panzer Blitz and Squad Leader. Here are the counters from the Advanced Squad Leader game set. Advanced Squad Leader Counters (assorted). (Image Source.)
I played Panzer Blitz and Squad Leader board games. (But only with the handful of friends who actually knew how to play the complex games and enjoyed strategy.) Board games were popular, and it took the entire computer industry to demolish the stranglehold that strategy games held. Games would last hours, even an entire day.
“I was just over at ebay scanning the wargames (because of threads in this forum such as the demise of boardgames) and seeing AH Panzer Leader there brought back fond memories. I am sure I had one box at one time, have to find it. I remember in high school, my friends and I had three Panzer Leader and two Panzer Blitz games plus some made up boardmaps, put them all together for a massive tactical wargame that lasted throughout the summer. Our german opponent, stuck in the middle in a replay of 1945, was able to keep the Sov and US units from meeting. Amazing.”-AnimalAl
I also was very interested in the “computer revolution” that was just getting started. I had taken some basic programming classes, and excelled in them. However, my father thought that there would not be any kind of future in computers. So he STRONGLY recommended that I take something practical. He suggested that I go to university to study something that had potential. Engineering most certainly, but not anything related to computers. He felt that it was a passing fad that would soon go away.
We had a nice long “sit down” chat about my future, and he believed that I would be best served if I went to a military academy to reach my dream of being a spaceman. I believed in it. While it might sound crazy today, it was a reality during the 1960s. and 1970s. I tended to agree with him, and with that in mind I took High School classes that would be beneficial for me to attend the Air Force academy.
Telephones
There were no cell phones; indeed most phones hung on the wall, and fully 50% of them had dials instead of push buttons. Our home had two phones. One was an old Bakelite black phone from the 1920’s hidden away in the basement. I loved the feeling of it. There was a weight to it that you just couldn’t get during the 1970’s. We also had a “main” phone in the kitchen. It had an extra-long cord. My sister was always “hogging it up”. So one year they bought her a phone for her room. She still spent most of her time on the phone, it’s just that she wasn’t talking in the kitchen all day.
Sunday mornings were very much the same during the 1960s and 1970s. This included the children in PJ’s, the coffee, and the pets. Sunday mornings were stereotypical.(Image Source.)
In the house we wore “house clothes” also known as PJ’s, with a robe. Mother would make sure that there was always a pot of coffee brewing, and us kids would always fight over who would get to read the comics section of the paper first. Of course, our dogs and cats merrily participated in the morning ritual. Picture above is not the ideal, it was the actual.
Chores
From the time I was five years old I needed to pull my weight at the house. I had chores.
I would use a push lawn mower on the weekends to mow our grass (with no breaks until I was finished), and rake the leaves in the fall (with a break drinking apple cider). No respite during the seasons, as I even had to shovel the snow in winter (with a break drinking egg nog on Christmas Day). (Such was the life of a typical boy in the 1970’s.) Us boys all had chores that we had to finish before we could go out and “play”. When we became old enough, typically 16 years old, we went and got our first job working for someone else. It was what you did if you were a male boy. (Eh. I started at 14, as my father insisted that work would make me into a man.) So, I went to school until it ended, and then off to work from 4 to 9 every evening. Most of my life consisted of 12 to 14 hour shifts at work.
So, of course, I am going to take offense at the idea that I had “white male privilege”. And, I really get more than just a little hot under the collar when some female SWJ tries to make that point. There was no “white male privilege” in scrubbing out the filthy toilets in a coal mine, getting covered with dirty grease while you climb up a dragline, or being dressed down just because you are young and don’t know anything yet.
I was a typical boy. While many of my friends got to play football and other sports, I worked. I was bred to be a great work horse. That was the experience of boys of my generation. The experience of girls was quite different.
Girls were treated differently. My sisters all got weekly allowances. This enabled them to go out with their other friends and buy the latest fashions. They were all members of the various cheerleader organizations, and participated in all the local events sponsored by the school.
Poetry
In my early school years (grades 1 through 3), I attended private parochial (Catholic) schools. They offered and provided a superior education compared to the public schools that I attended afterwards. I learned the Latin language as well as my English grammar. In fact, one of my most significant “loves” was introduced to me in first grade.
Here we were told (forced) to memorize poetry. (Oh, and boy did I hate it at the time. I would cry and cry. My father would record my complaints and play them back to me. Oh, I hated it. I HATED it.) Now, today, I really appreciate that memorization. I memorized Robert Frost, and Taylor Coleridge.
These are poems that I have NEVER forgotten.
The Road Not Taken - Poem by Robert FrostTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wear,Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to wayI doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
There is a certain timelessness about this poem. I always loved the sound of it, but it wasn’t until I was much older did I appreciate the meaning. You know, when you are in elementary school, you haven’t lived long enough to experience decisions and consequences. However, when you are older, that is something else altogether. Today, the poem speaks to me like no book or movie can. And that is what poetry is all about.
The poem speaks to me personally. I can well guess that it might speak to you (the reader) as well. We have chosen paths that other people didn’t. They took us to interesting places. They have altered our lives in ways… special and significant ways.
Here is another timeless poem by Robert Frost;
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I knowHis house is in the village, though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow.My little horse must think it queerTo stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen lakeThe darkest evening of the year.He gives his harness bells a shakeTo ask if there is some mistake.The only other sound's the sweepOf easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.
Poems are wonderful. Now that I am older I really appreciate all the effort that the nuns made to force me to learn these poems.
Girls never seemed to care that I could recite poems. So it really wasn’t an issue about getting chicks. The girls of High School seemed only to care about the football players, and hot cars. The poems made a difference in my life when I got older. Then, the complexities of live began to take its toll, and it was poetry that became my refuge when the world spiraled out of control.
Whenever I am stressed at work, and there is some just outlandish and power crazed manager spouting nonsense (remember I worked in a corporate environment during the 1980’s and 1990’s), I would stand off to the side and recite a poem or two. It calmed me down. Because, no matter what role my boss would have, and no matter if he controlled my income, I could recite poetry, and he simply could not.
That fact always put a smile on my face and comforted me.
It also ended up being a great way to “break the ice” in China. I would offer a toast. Then, I would recite a poem. The Chinese, especially the English speaking ones, are always absolutely amazed. As are the beautiful Chinese ladies. Chinese poetry is different, but just as beautiful.
Kubla Khan - Poem by Samuel Taylor ColeridgeIn Xanadu did Kubla KhanA stately pleasure-dome decree :Where Alph, the sacred river, ranThrough caverns measureless to manDown to a sunless sea.So twice five miles of fertile groundWith walls and towers were girdled round :And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;And here were forests ancient as the hills,Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slantedDown the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !A savage place ! as holy and enchantedAs e'er beneath a waning moon was hauntedBy woman wailing for her demon-lover !
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seethingAs if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,A mighty fountain momently was forced :Amid whose swift half-intermitted burstHuge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail :And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and everIt flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motionThrough wood and dale the sacred river ran,Then reached the caverns measureless to man,And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from farAncestral voices prophesying war !
The shadow of the dome of pleasureFloated midway on the waves ;Where was heard the mingled measureFrom the fountain and the caves.It was a miracle of rare device,A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice !A damsel with a dulcimerIn a vision once I saw :It was an Abyssinian maid,And on her dulcimer she played,Singing of Mount Abora.Could I revive within meHer symphony and song,To such a deep delight 'twould win me,That with music loud and long,I would build that dome in air,That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !
And all who heard should see them there,And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !His flashing eyes, his floating hair !Weave a circle round him thrice,And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,And drunk the milk of Paradise.
Not one American intern, boys or girls, could recite a poem. Any poem. What in the heck do they teach at schools today? Many times, but not all, they do not even know a poem or could name one. What a sad, sad, state of affairs. It is almost like a part of their life is missing…
How far American Education has Degraded
Just for fun, let’s see if you (the reader) can take a simple 8th grade level test from 1912. Now this is from 1912. This is the kind of test that our grandparents, or in some cases, our great-grandparents took. My parents were constantly harping on how the educational system was dumbing down. Moreover, that was in 1960! One can only imagine what they would think of schools today.
Now, I have passed this test on to my (senior-year university) interns, and they constantly fail it. They justify their failure. Which is something that I teach them NOT to do, and thus the reason for having the interns take the test. Their excuses range from “the computer spell checks for me”, “I don’t need to know trivia”, to “that’s why Wikipedia exists.” Sigh.
Let’s see how you, the reader, can do…
The test begins with a spelling exam. The teacher would recite each of the following words. They would recite it three times. The student taking the test would then need to spell the words correctly. There are forty words in total.
Exam for eight grade students in 1912, but even I could pass it in the 1970s.
Here is the reading and math sections of the 1912 eighth grade exam. Heck, even I could pass this in the 1970s.
Math and Reading questions from the 1912 eighth grade test.
Grammar portion of the 1912 test for eight grade students. While I could pass it in the 1970s, it is highly unlikely that anyone could pass it today.
Geography questions expected of eighth grade students in 1912. This was quite similiar to the kinds of tests that we were expected to pass in the 1970s.
Physiology test section of a 1912 test given to eighth grade students. I was able to pass similiar tests in the 1970s.
Civil Government test questions given to eighth graders in 1912. It is very similiar to the kinds of tests that I took during the 1960s and 1970s.
Civil Government questions given to eighth graders in 1912. Note the questions given to 11 year olds. Today, numerous liberal and progressive sections of the United States wish to make voting possible for 16 year old’s, yet not one could be able to answer any of these questions. Heck, not even our Senators could answer these questions. Can you imagine Senator Maxine Walters (D) answering them? Hah! In fact, I wonder if she slept through class or skipped school. Indeed, this exam is very similar to the kinds of tests that I took during the 1960s and 1970s.
History section of the 1912 exam for eighth grade students. It is very similar to the kinds of tests that I took during the 1960s and 1970s.
Conclusion of the 1912 exam given to eighth grade students. It is very similar to the kinds of tests that I took during the 1960s and 1970s.
We wrote in script, and printing out answers was discouraged (and frowned upon). A measure of one’s ability to communicate was penmanship. (Indeed, there is a scientific correlation between writing in script, poetry and improved thinking processes. This was something, I believe, that gave me advantage over my public-school educated peers.)
In the 1960s elementary school we were taught to write in script. This continued through into the 1970s. All of our written tests were timed, and thus the ability to write in script clearly and quickly gave us advantage over those who could not. We wrote in script. (Image Source.)
When the New Year was upon us, we would go out and buy a “Farmer’s Almanac”. It was filled with all sorts of interesting things. However, I believe that my mother would use it as a guide as to when we should till the earth, and plant our garden. It is still being printed. Thank God!
We wore bell-bottoms and nylon shirts with big-puffy sleeves, and wide collars. I also wore a tight collar around my neck made out of white beads. It was called a “choke collar”.
Hamper Migration
I was pretty much a typical boy, and got dirty a lot. When the clothes were dirty, we threw them into fashionable “hampers”, not the large super cheap polypropylene baskets that are sold in Wal-Mart today. In fact, we have seem many things go the same way as the “hamper migration” of the last few decades.
American hamper migration from high quality, long life articles to cheap and disposable furnishings. American Hamper Migration. Migration began in the 1960s and 1970s and persisted into the new century.
In regards to the function and design of the hampers. I suggest that the reader pay attention that there was a migration in overall quality, utility, and appearance over time. Indeed, this also translated into longevity as well. The older products were better made, lasted longer, and were designed for function AND appearance. Somehow, and we all know why, American products became obsessed with cost savings at the expense of everything else. Why? It was NEVER this way before.
The answer is simple.
It all is because of the passage of the Income tax and the Federal Reserve. Before the Federal Reserve was established, Americans ate quality food, bought quality clothes, furniture and housing. After the Federal Reserve was established there was a sudden drop in the value of the US dollar. This affected everything. Most notably the purchase power of American citizens.
With non-Americans controlling the American money supply, they could use it as they deemed fit. They ran the value of the US dollar into the ground. As a consequence, both parents needed to work. Families became dysfunctional. People could only afford the cheapest food. Butter became expensive, and so people bought margarine. As a result, people got fatter. Greed ruined the core of what made America great.
Inflation ensued.
As the US dollar lost its worth, people could no longer afford what they once could. Thus, stores that provided the cheapest products and solutions to home management dominated the industry. (Such as Wal-Mart, and the Dollar Store.) The devastation of the value of the dollar can be traced back to one and only one sole cause. That is one of the many consequences of the imposition of the income tax and establishment of the Federal Reserve…
Ah, but I digress (yet again.)
Partylines
The interns that I employ act as if everyone has a smartphone and it is a requirement to own one. Heck, it wasn’t until the 1990’s that companies started requiring their employees to have a phone. When I was growing up in rural Pennsylvania, many people shared a phone line. This was known as a “party line”. When you picked up the phone, if someone was using it, you would have to wait until they got off before you could use the phone. Seriously, that is the way it was.
Things are so different now.
The problem, as I see it, is that Americans only know what they know. Since many have never experienced furniture made out of real hardwoods, and real solid metals, they don’t think anything of it. They think that just because Walmart is popular today, that it has always been popular. They think that because they need to buy water at a supermarket today they you always needed to buy water at a supermarket. And, finally, they think that just because coffee at Starbucks is expensive that it always was expensive.
No it wasn’t. In fact, until coffee was monetized, coffee was THE cheapest thing that you could buy in America.
This trend towards higher prices and cheaper products is not a random occurrence. It is systematic and has been going on for a long time now. It’s just that you don’t really see it unless you have lived for a while. Then you can see the differences. You can see things changing and then you can compare your experiences with the changes and come up with conclusions.
I blame the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve and the Decline of the USD
As the value of the dollar decreased, both parents needed to work to support the family. Children no longer had parental guidance, and problems came about as a result. The dollar’s value continued to plummet. So people could only afford the cheapest products. Still, that was not enough. The dollar still continued to plummet. Soon, people had to purchase things in credit to just get their basic needs met.
But don’t believe me. Look at the graph yourself. It is obvious whoever is running the American monetary supply is doing a FUCKING PISS POOR JOB at it. This is an obvious fact. It means that the entire system must be scrapped and replaced with one that maintains it’s value over time. If our elected officials were actually doing their job, they would have noticed a problem at the very start of this fiasco.
The decline of the USD since the Federal Reserve was established. Today the value of a dollar (2018) is less than one cent compared to what it used to be.
The Value of the US Dollar since the establishment of the Federal Reserve. The performance of the first ten years should have told everyone what a huge fucking mistake that they made. The truth is for the last 90 years, the value of the USD has had an unstoppable downward vector.
Door to Door
It was a time when door to door salesmen would sell young couples a huge multi-volume encyclopedia that would take months to pay off. (One can come across the huge collections in yard sales and estate sales. Maybe on eBay. Perhaps one of the greatest influences of my childhood was an illustrated encyclopedia for children that I would spend hours perusing.) My father saw what an interest the illustrated encyclopedia had on me that he considered it to be a great idea to get a full “adult” set. This was a great set, however it wasn’t for elementary children to read. As such, I really didn’t touch it or have any interest in it until I hit my teens.
Today is so different.
Back then we could play in parks. We could climb trees there. We could play games on the “monkey bars”, and slide down the slide. We could ride on the “see-saw”, and splash in the pond. That was what their purpose was. It was for fun. Yet, today it is something else entirely. Today “playgrounds” are no longer about play, they are about being safe. They should be called “safegrounds”, or even better “safe spaces”.
This is how Americans have come to celebrate freedom and liberty on the one day that represents freedom and liberty. It is so sad. America today. Enjoy your holiday! (Image Source.) All of the things banned today were permitted in the 1960s and 1970s.
Porch Lights
It was a time of innocence. I wore a tee-shirt that had a big yellow smily icon, and the words “have a Nice Day” under it. My sister had a baton that she would practice twilling all day. (She also had a “Hula Hoop”. I could never get the hang of that thing. I guess that I just didn’t have the hips for it.
In the rural sections of the nation, porch lights were used to show “openness” to visitors. If you were lonely or just wanted to meet up with someone and talk, it would be pretty hard to do in the country. There just wasn’t any restaurants open, or places to gather around others. The roads were desolate and empty of cars at night. You could walk down them in total silence. It could be a little depressing.
So what people would do, if they wanted to be with someone else, is to turn on their porch light.
The porch light being on signified on of two things. Either [1] you were waiting for someone to arrive, or [2] you were open for visitors. It was a way to keep everyone in a closed-knit community together with face-to-face communication rather than relying on telephones. Of course, the first thing you would do, when a person knocked on your door, was to lead them into the kitchen and put a fresh pot of coffee on. It was the neighborly thing to do.
In the 1960s and the 1970s we rode our bicycles all over the town regardless of the rain or snow. Our parents did not cart us from event to event. Instead we were on our own. We all rode banana-seat bicycles even when it showed out. (Image Source.)
In a small community, everyone knew each other. It was a great way to meet up, make friends, and renew friendships and just chat. Other ways to do so included church, the various fraternities and clubs, and of course, the Scouts.
Cub Scouts
I was a cub scout up until I entered my teenage years. Every week we would attend meetings in the homes of one of the scout mothers (called “Den Mothers”), and they would help us work on our “badges”, and get ready for the various events. These events included picnics, hikes, plays and social get togethers. We would proudly wear our uniform during parades, or on holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. We would salute the flag in school and lead the Pledge of Allegiance at school in the mornings. (Big change from today, when you have multi-millionaire NFL stars refusing to stand for the US Flag. I find it completely reprehensible and disgusting. But, then I am from the “old school”.)
One of the first things that I got when I joined the Cub Scouts was a blue uniform. I well remember my mother teaching me how to put on my yellow scarf. In addition, I got to have my very own hand axe. It was a Rite of Passage for me. Here at seven years old, I could carry a hand axe. I was taught how to use it to cut trees, and how to throw it (just in case I might come across some desperate Indians…).
My first axe was given to me when I was a cub scout. I used it throughtout the 1960s and 1970s. I learned how to throw it, and how to use it. It was a rite of passage of all young boys. A boy’s first axe. (Image Source.)
While I went to elementary school in the 1960’s, it was my experiences during the 1970’s, which influenced my personality. Indeed, it is my feelings and experiences that reflect that period in time.
High School
Through most of my high school years, I wore “bell bottom” pants, and wide-collared polyester shirts. Our biggest source of entertainment was our television. We listened to the radio, and for me I would read or build plastic models in my bedroom while listening to FM radio on my “mult-band” radio receiver. At that time, listened to WYDD, which was the “alternative radio” of the day. I also had a “Lava lamp” that was given to my father by a drunk friend who stole it out of a bar and didn’t know what to do with it.
We drank Orange Crush soda, along with Tab, Sprite and 7up. Our parents would drive to the “State Store” or “Beer Distributor” to buy the booze for the week. In Pennsylvania, the government had a monopoly on the distribution of alcohol. I guess that they reasoned that it would better” protect” the people of the commonwealth, or maybe they justified it by promising to fix the roads (snort!). Still promising (from what I gather from friends and family). Yep. One day the “potholes” all over the Pennsylvania roads will get fixed. Yessur.
In the 1960s and 1970s, boys and girls were free to drink and smoke as they were growing up. This all changed when the Democrats took control of various state legislatures and enforced vice laws. Until Democrats took over the state legislatures,, children were able to drink and smoke with parenteral permission. (Image Source.)
Ashtrays and Chairs
Cars had cigarette lighters and ashtrays. In fact, even airplanes had ashtrays built into the armrests of the seats. (This all began to disappear during the Bill Clinton Presidency.) My grandparents both had standalone ashtrays that were their own piece of furniture. They consisted of a large glass ashtray on a metal pedestal that sat next to the “Man’s chair” in the living room. In my family, as well as the families of all my friends, the father always had “his” chair that he sat in. While us kids might manage to use it, we would always get off of it and defer to our father once we walked into the room.
By the way, if you are dating a girl who says that she does not see the need for a man to have his own chair, run like the wind. I once dated a girl like this. Man, did she have father issues. She eventually dyed her hair a bright sickly pink-orange, shaved the left side of her head, put a nose ring that belonged in an ox’s nose, and went full-on militant feminazi.
Everyone in a household should have their own “space”.
It might be a bathroom that is “hers”. It might be a chair that is “his”. It might a dog that might have his own “special” toy. When you meet someone who believes that everything is equal, and that there are no differences, and no privacy, then you know that the person is mentally ill. Everyone needs and deserves some privacy. Everyone. If you are with someone who does not understand this most basic human needs, then you must avoid them. Avoid them.
How can one talk about the 1960s and 1970s without mentioning the televisions show The Partridge Family? Everyone wanted to be a part of the Partridge Family.(Image Source.) Hey! Doesn’t the mother look a little like a younger version of Hillary Clinton? Maybe that’s part of her appeal? I will tell the reader that I did have quite a crush on Susan Dey. My Lord!
Work and Play
My sisters were cheerleaders in school. All my friends played High School football. I didn’t. I had to work. My parents were pretty unique in that regard. Most of my classmates got to have fun playing football, basketball, or baseball. However, my father strongly felt that I needed to be a man, and that meant that instead of playing after school, I should learn how to work and to provide for a family. Well, in a way he was right. But, in a way he was wrong too.
“The older I get, the more I realize how fortunate I was to grow up in the 70's (graduated HS in '78). It was just one simple, easy time. The stress of the 60's and all the racial/revolutionary crap that came with it was over. The greed of the 80's hadn't hit yet.There wasn't crap on TV, and no computers or video games, so we spent our time just hanging out with friends, listening to 8-tracks and drinking beer (was actually legal to drink and drive in Texas in the 70's). If we were underage and were caught by the cops with beer, they just made us pour it out and go home.Like an earlier post mentioned, "Dazed and Confused" really does capture those times well. I look at kids growing up today, with a federal government that's a a joke, police forces that nobody wants to trust, trillions of dollars wasted in "wars" we had no business fighting, college costs through the roof, and... well.. damn.. look at me.. I guess i turned into an old fart after all.”-Reddit quote
Anyways, to my father, sports were just a game. You couldn’t really make any money off of it. Though, a decade later, my classmate Jim Kelly sure as heck was raking in some real money being a football quarterback. Ah, but that’s a story for another time…
Sports were more about social interaction than play. And, work, well… my history strongly indicates a disconnect from the traditional working models in favor of a debt-slave relationship to a powerful person or group. But… more about that later…
Square Dancing and Weight Lifting
My favorite time during high school was during “study hall”. There, if we had finished our homework, we could participate in other activities. There wasn’t much at our school, but my two favorite activities were weight lifting (at the high school “Universal Gym”), and “square dancing”. There, believe it or not, the girls would come over and ask and invite me to join them dancing. It was great because there were only a precious few boys who would go dancing with the girls. LOL.
The Idols
I had a poster of Farah Faucett on my wall. She was smiling with this amazing smile, and her huge hair. We all had a crush on her. That, Loni Anderson and Rachael Welch as well.
Farah Faucett was every 1970s boy’s dream. Just about everyone had a poster of her on our wall or doors in our bedrooms. Farah Faucett was every boys’ dream. (Image Source.)
I had numerous posters on my wall. One was the mandatory “black light” poster on velvet. (It glowed under UV light.) One was a picture of Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple) performing a guitar solo. (I had super imposed a F-14 on it for combined imagery. After all, space and high-performance aircraft and rock n’ roll was my dream.) One was a Roger Dean poster (anyone remember the group “Yes”?).
Raquel Welch was another popular actress that graced the bedrooms of many a boy during the 1960s and 1970s. (Image Source.)
Overall, I had a great childhood. I grew up in the 1960s and attended high school in the 1970s. It was a great time, and not at all what is portrayed in conventional American media today (as a time of “racism and bigotry”). It was a time of family values, productivity, and freedom. Black, white, yellow and red. We were all Americans.
All of us lived, more or less, the same lifestyle. (Don’t believe me? Go to your grandmother’s house and go through her family albums of photographs.) Our fathers worked. Our mothers stayed home and tended to the house, the budget, and us kids.
What? Do I feel a bitching sesson coming on…
During high school, bell bottom jeans were very popular in the 1970s. Elephant Bell-bottom style jeans. (Image Source.)
We were all Suffering through the Incompetence of Washington, D.C.
That was at a point in time before the Federal Reserve still hadn’t completely decimated the US Dollar. It was still worth around twenty cents. As the dollar kept on losing value, both parents needed to go to work. This fact, forced the breakup of the American family. The family had to break up, as the mother had to work as well as the father.
“I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country.A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.
We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men."
- Woodrow Wilson. Quoted in “National Economy and the Banking System," Senate Documents Co. 3, No. 23, 76th Congress, 1st session, 1939. The origional quote was published in "The New Freedom" in 1913.
There is a lot of debate on this particular quote. You can look at watch the sparks fly as the debate a rages on. Oh, my goodness! It is all so silly! One side says “here is the quote”, and the other side goes “Oh, No no no. He never said it! It’s all revisionist history. The Income Tax was wonderful!” It really is silly.
Here is my take.
The value of the USD (United States Dollar) was pretty stable. It had it’s ups and downs, but for the most part it was pretty consistent. It was stable. Then, after the passage of the 16th Amendment, the value of the USD dropped like a stone. It plummeted to 50% of its value within a ten-year span of time. It dropped 50% in a decade. That is horrifying!
Only a fucking idiot wouldn’t regret the decision to establish the Federal Reserve.
You have a fairly stable dollar. Some “friends” and “associates” convince you to change the system that is working just fine, and replace it with a different system. So, low and behold, you put a new banking system in place. Then suddenly, right before your eyes, the value of the dollar collapses. It goes completely to shit. Every year it gets worse and worse!
So…
[1] So, ok, maybe the former President didn’t say that quote. If so, then he was a fucking idiot. He was evil and selfish and couldn’t read a simple chart. That is the only conclusion that you can come to, if this quote did not belong to him. Because that is, what the statists are arguing. They are saying that the President was just fine and dandy and happy with what happened with the imposition of the Income tax and the Federal Reserve. He saw the result of the change, he saw the value of the dollar collapse, and agreed that it was all good and well.
[2] If the quote is indeed accurate, then he is a normal person who is able to read charts, and ended up with regrets. This is what a normal and sane person would be. They would see that what they put in place went to complete shit. This would be what a normal person would do. Personally, I can live both concepts. And you, the reader, should as well.
Anyways, with the collapse of the USD, now everything became more and more expensive. Both parents now had to go to work.
The Breakup of the Family
Both parents now had to go to work. As such, there were periods of no parental supervision after school. That is how American society began to fracture. The parents were absent and replaced by the reality as portrayed by television, and narrated by the people in power.
As such, we LOST many of the important things that really mattered to families. We lost such things as “jobs for everyone”, the ability to save, and formal family meals.
At the end of the day we had formal “sit-down” meals where we would all gather around a multi-dish meal and discuss the events of the day. We kids would talk about the events in school, and our parents would talk about their day. My father would sit at the head of the table. Then, once the meal was complete, we would retire with some coffee and ice cream, and us kids would clean the table and do the dishes. Dinners were great. It was one of the things that I miss most from my childhood.
At that time, in both the 1960s and 1970s, it was important to participate in your family. It was important to participate in your school. It was important to participate in local events, and to become a meaningful participant in society. My, how quaint and outdated that seems today.
"Elephant-leg, hip-hugger pants, halters and platform shoes were the biggest fads.”-- Lori West, graduated in 1976 from West Forsyth High School in Winston Salem, NC
Fashions come and go. But I always had a fondness for tube-tops, bell bottoms, and those two zipper front jeans that the girls used to wear. The tube-tops showed off the soft curves , and the “painted on” jeans showed off why guys like to look at girls. For a while, platform shoes were very popular, and I ended up having a pair that made me feel like Richie Blackmore on the stage.
Guns
All my classmates owned guns, and many hunted. My father was a very liberal Democrat, and he forbade me from learning how to shoot. (Of course, today he would be considered a Right-Wing Conservative.) The attempts at disarming the American people dates way back, but it wasn’t until the very successful efforts in the 1990’s did Americans start to FEEL the repression of the Federal Government.
Back in the 1960s and into the 1970s, Americans used to be able to buy any kind of gun or rifle. The limits on weapons didn’t really start to take hold until the Democrats took control of the State Legislatures. Americans used to be able to buy all kinds of weapons. (Image Source.)
The second amendment was considered important. Mass shootings using firearms DID NOT occur until government started campaigns to take away guns. There are those who think that this is not really a coincidence. I, for one, KNOW that there is no such thing as coincidence. “Coincidences” are simply pre-positioned “signs” by others who have constructed elements of our fated existence. But then again, that is just MAJestic speaking.
Anyways… Know your history. Americans are being dumbed down to become cattle. (And you do DO know what happens to cattle, don’t you?)
In the 1960s and 1970s, gun safety was an important part of growing up to become an adult. In the High Schools we all learned gun safety. My first class on gun safety was in elementary school in the 1960s. Then, just about every year afterwards we would have courses on safety and hunting safety. The first classes on how to use a gun occurred in Middle School.
Ah, television then was geared towards “most” Americans. (When I refer to “most” Americans, I am actually referring to the MAJORITY of people. It was not focused on capturing a minority.) That is to say that this was prior to the reorientation of television programing in the 1970’s. The reorientation changed what was presented on television, and marketed directly to the black urban communities. Before that, television shows were about straight white males and reflected the world at that time. (As America was, and still is, a Caucasian majority nation.)
“The "rural purge" of American television networks (in particular CBS) was a series of cancellations in the early 1970s of still-popular rural-themed shows with demographically skewed audiences, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970–71 television season. In addition to rural themed shows, the purge also eliminated several high rating variety shows that had been on CBS since their beginning of television broadcasting. One of the earliest efforts at channel drift, CBS in particular saw a dramatic change in direction with the shift, moving away from shows with rural themes and toward ones with supposedly more appeal to urban audiences.”-Wikipedia
The shows we watched were funnier than what you see on television today. And, maybe, just maybe a little more innocent. “The Bob Newhart Show” was typical. The humor involved day to day situations and NEVER mentioned race (compare that to today), and had a real twisted surrealistic sense of humor. Consider “Mary Hartman. Mary Hartman”, or “Green Acres”. You can find out more here.
Iconic characters from the Bob Newhart show that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Hi! I am Larry, and this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl. (Image Source.)
Ah, you’ve got to hear about the three yokel brothers in the (very surrealistic) 80’s “The Bob Newhart show”. I loved these guys. They might have been the highlight of the show. Heck, they could have had their own show (hint. Hint.)
“…discovering that a witch is buried in the basement of their Vermont inn. They want to find out who she was, but they also want her 300-year-old grave dug up and removed.
The silly-from-next-door tells him he knows some guys who`ll do anything for a buck.Next thing, three goofy-looking, backwoods brothers from the genetically weak side of Vermont show up. “Oh, Lord!” says Bob, getting a whiff. Larry--the only brother who ever talks--hands Bob their card.“We`ll do anything for a buck,” it says.”- Larry, Darryl And Darryl Are `Newhart` Hits
They were quite good hearted, and obviously lived a strange, strange life. Afterall, clubbed weasel was their idea of good eatin’. Larry’s totally deadpan delivery of some very bizarre lines was always a highlight of any Newhart episode. “We went to the bakery ’cause they were advertising ‘bear claws’, but it turned out to just be a come-on.“
Ah. Good times. Good times.
Movies and television portrayed westerns (with “white men” taming the wilderness), war adventures (mostly involving world war II fighting the evil Nazi army), space exploration (such as Lost in Space, Star Trek, Fireball XL-5, Thunderbirds are Go and Land of the Giants), and Spy Adventures (against the Soviet Union or against fictional organizations such as T.H.R.U.S.H.).
Ah the 1970s
Kitchens had olive colored (baked porcelain steel sheet) appliances (at least in my family), not the brushed silver (aluminum) that is so fashionable today. Men wore polyester and nylon shirts with wide striped ties; carried briefcases not backpacks, drank soda instead of bottled water, and listened to the Air Supply and Firefall on the AM radio. We wanted Peter Frampton to “show us the way” because we (most certainly) “felt like he did”.
Today, bottled water is everywhere. You can go into a local 7-11 or similar store like circle-K and get a water. It is cheap. However it is STILL more expensive than the water that I had when I was growing up. Water was free, and we drank from water fountains. Today you can easily buy a bottled water it is often less than a dollar. That wasn’t the case when I was growing up.
Water was free.
Quickie Marts and other fast stores…
In fact, we didn’t even have convenience stores. When they first started to appear, everyone was making fun of them. Why anyone would want to pay so much money for the snacks and sodas that they offered there, we asked. We soon found out that they would offer low prices for gasoline, and we could get our pictures developed by filling out special packages that were right there on the counter. It was most certainly a different life and a different time.
The local hardware store actually possessed a “cigar store Indian” statue. Which was pretty darn cool. I wonder where the Indian from “Cambells Hardware Store” is today. High schools taught firearms handling and safety. You could purchase these huge plump-tire motorcycle tricycles and everyone was driving them about (Until a Democrat had them banned.). We saved “Green Stamps”. Schools taught FORTRAN. Calculators were just becoming available and our sliderules were starting to gather dust in our desk drawers. High school bands carried (fake) guns (painted white) when they marched.
The slide rule was a device that was used before hand held calculators became available. It was used extensively in the 1960s and 1970s. The first calculators started to be available when I was in tenth grade. Slide rule. (Image Source)
Drugs in the late 1970s
Drugs hit mainstream America in the middle to late 1960s and was all the rage in the 1970s. Ecstasy (MDMA) and other so-called “designer drugs” did not make their appearance until the 1980’s. During the 1970s the most popular drugs were weed (marijuana), LSD (blotter, and microdot), mescaline (or dried mushrooms), hash (processed marijuana), speed (tiny “white cross” pills) and Valium. (Cocaine did not hit the American culture until the 1980s.) All of this drug use (abuse) affected our culture. All one would need do is view the television shows at that time to appreciate this fact.
Why is marijuana against the law? It grows natural upon this planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit...unnatural? - Bill Hicks
Now there are all kinds of theories as to WHY a common enough weed was made illegal in the United States. I have my own theories. Here are my opinions.
Ah. What began in the 1920s and 1930s as a technique to imprison non-Americans and lower-society tier African-Americans (as most “typical” Americans did not enjoy these substances at that time) fully blew up into a nightmare. Moreover, thus began the downward slide of our culture, way of life, and everything that we believed in.
You take away the idea that the police are “on your side”, you will forever become an outlaw. Which was, if you think about it, the theme of the 1960’s and 1970s.
When I was growing up marijuana was highly illegal. It seemed crazy to me then. It was a “harmless” drug, surrounded by more dangerous, but legal drugs. I, like the rest of my generation, chalked it up to a stodgy previous generation. At that time, we all smoked it.
The movie “Dazed and Confused” very accurately portrayed what High School was like in 1976 and 1977. The vast majority of my 1970s generation used drugs. (Image Source.)
I would say that a full 80% of my High School class smoked the stuff. Some were habitual. Others were one-time users. Indeed, the television show “That seventies show” routinely depicted the lifestyle of our generation. There, they are shown sitting around a table and smoking marijuana. It was in every episode. However, for PC reasons, it was never shown where the smoke came from. I guess that there are some things that you cannot show on television…
This depiction is quite clear in the movie “Dazed and confused” as well. Both video presentations accurately depicted what it was like growing up for my generation.
It took 40 years, but it seems that that ban on one of the most common plants in North America is beginning to crack. I am not going to say whether or not the decision to do so is actually good or bad. What people do in California or Colorado is none of my concern, as I live on the other side of the world.
What I will say is that people deserve FREEDOM. That includes the freedom to stupefy yourself with drugs. My take is the decision to ban marijuana was a control method, put in place in the 1920s to make it easy to arrest and incarcerate blacks and Mexicans when other laws were not available. Truth this.
The “War on Drugs” was in full swing in the 1960’s and the 1970’s, but you couldn’t tell it by participating in youth culture. A sizable percentage of teenagers participated in the culture. The older generations were oblivious to that fact. In their minds, it was only a small minority of people who were smoking marijuana. They lived within their own bubble of reality. Much like many people do today about other things.
Our Grandparents believed that only Negros and (illegal) Mexican “wet-backs” (What “illegal aliens” were called before they became an important part of the Democrat strategy to win elections.) smoked the deadly demon “weed”. They believed that eventually the users would end up in the “crazy house”; locked up for life as the deadly poison worked its way through their brains. First in the mouth, and then in the brain. Before you knew it you became a crazed sex fiend always doing whatever it took to get your “fix” from the local “pusher”.
Our parents believed that only the rebels and the dregs of society smoked the illegal cigarettes. They felt that it was a given that the users would find themselves behind bars in jail. As this was characteristic of the behaviors of the misfits of society.
Well, what they failed to realize is that [1] you do NOT ban anything in a “free” society, and [2] times and people change.
What was just fine and dandy for the policing of Arizona in the 1920’s fell flat on its face during the 1960’s and 1970’s. What only made things worse was that very powerful people, including those in government started to use the “drug issue” for everything. They capitalized on it, and used it as a resource.
“So some people want to smoke some pot once in a while in the land of the free.”-knuklesKarl Marxist Jan 5, 2018 5:21 PM
Then, as now, older generations have problems understanding the youth that is slowing taking over their society. They just did not understand. (And, I must add, I can see why. Now that I am older, I too am having trouble with the youth of today. In short I find many terribly ignorant of history, devoid of basic work skills, interested in the most trivial of things, and basically very shallow.) Not everyone mind you. Just many of whom that I have come in contact with.
“The war on drugs to me is a war on liberty I concentrate on the issue of freedom of choice when doing things that are high risk. We permit high risk all the time. Generally we allow people to eat what they want. We do overly concentrate on what people put in their bodies,”-Ron Paul
Indeed, how can we actually say the USA is “free” if we are told what we can and can’t do with our very own bodies?
Being told what you can and cannot do is NOT freedom. I don’t care what the excuse is.
This was a fundamental disconnect that our parent’s generation, and (most especially) our grandparent’s generation (Those idiots that thought up the 16th amendment.) had with those people who founded America.
The belief structures of both our parents and our grandparents were not the same as those of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Madison. They were something else entirely. They, instead, possess a more “modern” and “progressive” point of view. One where “the smartest men” in the nations had the power to tell YOU how to live your life.
"People should have the right or responsibility of dealing with what is dangerous. Once you get into this thing about government is going to protect us against ourselves, there's no protection of liberty."-Ron Paul
You tell them, Ron.
Black People were a Minority
When I show these images of my life to young millennials today, I usually get a harsh response. They claim that it is nonsense, and that I am being racist for not having images of non-white people. Yeah. Really. WTF?
"Most foreigners are amazed there are not more blacks in the U.S. They assume there are black and brown people everywhere from watching our TV and commercials and that they are systematically kept down."
-Zero Hedge
At which I must remind everyone, that up until the 1980s, black African-Americans were a small MINORITY. That means, that they represented a very, very small segment of the population. When I grew up, the first time I saw a African-American was when I attended college. I did not meet a SA (Spanish-American) until after I left the US Navy and was in California. My first class with an Asian-American was in college.
In my 1970s High School we had no non-whites. We had one part Eskimo, and (of course) I was something like 1/10th Iroquois Indian. The vast majority of students were of white European lineage. My High School was all white, and there might have been less than 20 colored kids in the entire county. (Image Source)
While they weren’t common anywhere near where we all lived, we certainly were familiar with them. When I was growing up, I did see people from other races on television. In fact, one of my favorite shows was “Soul Train”, and I would really enjoy watching the American Negros dance and jive. They sure had “the moves”. I would try to get up and dance as well (as long as no one else was watching). It must have looked so silly. This gangly ten-year-old boy trying his moves to soul and disco music!
I have to admit the hair looked cool too.
Everyone was wearing “afros” which looked like a big ball on the top of their heads. Man, people had style back then. Some of the best dressed people were negro and they handled themselves with a way and manner that is rarely seen today.
In fact, one of my heroes of the Rat Pack; Sammy Davis Jr. was an absolutely AMAZING man. Let it be known that he would never allow his pants to fall down and show his butt-crack like some of the ethnic youth do today. He was cool, panache, and had real style.
Men of real class; “The Rat Pack”. Men who made no excuses for their behaviors. The Rat Pack (Image Source.) These were “the men” of the 1960s and 1970s.
When Disco started to become popular all of my friends hated it. But I actually loved it. I would try to do some of the fantastic dance moves that I learned from Soul Train, but I don’t think I was good enough. In any event, the girls liked the fact that I was brave enough to shake some body, and that was a good thing.
I lived in the rural hills outside of Pittsburgh. We never, and I do mean NEVER, talked about “niggers”, and race. We just did not. The closest I ever came to it was being called a “Pollack”. (A lot.) The “issue” about race is (today) a politically motivated narrative. And, as such, it was constructed over the last eight years or so with defined objectives. It’s a pile of manure that we are all expected to believe.
Frankly, I am pretty tired about hearing about it all. It’s NEVER been part of my life. To me, it just sounds like a bunch of wining babies complaining. Wahhh! Wahhhh! It really does. It’s irritating.
Here I am in China. I am always and forever an outsider. I am ALWAYS called by racist names (weiguren or laowei) and I don’t complain and use it as excuses, and you shouldn’t either. It’s below us. It’s stuff that little children do when they don’t want to eat their spinach.
“Our rulers don’t seem to understand just how tired their white subjects are with this experiment. They don’t understand that white people aren’t out to get black people; they are just exhausted with them. They are exhausted by the social pathologies, the violence, the endless complaints, the blind racial solidarity, the bottomless pit of grievances, the excuses, the reflexive animosity. The elites explain everything with “racism,” and refuse to believe that white frustration could soon reach the boiling point.”-FR comment
Listen up. Real men do not complain about their hardships. They keep quiet about it, and they fucking TAKE IT. If there is one thing that is attractive to women it is that men are strong and quiet. Remember the Johnny Fontane scene from the movie ‘The Godfather” when the singer was begging for the part in the movie and crying about it. Do you remember what the Godfather had to say about it?
Crying and whimpering about stuff that happened to others long before you are born, and using that as an excuse is…
…pathetic.
Just because the urban areas are NOW dominated by non-whites does not mean that it was ALWAYS that way. What you see today is a result of the decimation of the African-American household structure in the 1960s and the population explosion that resulted. Read. Learn. Understand. For goodness sake, read your history books.
And that’s all that I need to say about that.
Cruising in our “Rides”
We loved our cars.
Cars were a big part of life when you were a teenager in the 1970s. For us, our cars were everything. (Image Source.)
My buddies cruised around in (decked out) “shag carpeted interior” Camaro’s, old Ford and Chevy pickup trucks (Usually with a cooler full of beer in the back and empty beer cans rolling about on the deck.), and a (periodically) roofless International Harvester Scout. We drove around in my decked out GTO known affectionately as “the goat” that we might race on “the flats”.
My first car was a 1970s Pontiac GTO. It was passed down from my parents to me. I fixed it up and customized it for parties with my friends. Of course, it had a “kick ass” stereo and shag carpeting. My first car. Pontiac GTO. (Image Source.)
If the reader wants to know what it was like going to High School in that beast, watch the opening credits to the movie “Dazed and Confused”. Same. You’ll see my old car cruising into the High School parking lot. Otherwise listen to Kid Rock’s “First Kiss”.
Yeah, this was me…
Cruising in the “ride”, listening to music from Peter Frampton, Boston, Led Zeppelin, and Robin Trower. Smoking, drinking, and meeting up with friends. I owned a GTO that I would cruse in. Ah, life in the 1970s. (Image Source.)
My brother drove a Vega (the aluminum engine block nightmare) named the “solar boat” from a song of the same name by Ray Manzarek. He had the old engine removed and replaced it with a “sooped up” 360. I had friends who drove a Pinto (a plain but long lasting vehicle). And when my GTO died of a car crash (an icy Pennsylvania bridge in March), I replaced it with a AMC Pacer (it was like riding around in a big epic glass greenhouse). <smile>
It was a step sideways. Financially, I could only afford what I could buy with the insurance money. So, for a while I rode a Yamaha 250cc motorcycle (also orange!) and then got the pacer. (I needed money for college. It was a matter of priorities.)
My brother’s ride; “The Solar Boat”. He bought it off of my sister’s husband. He put a new engine in it, and customized it. My brother’s ride; a Vega with a retrofitted small block 360 engine. (Image Source.) He drove this car after I graduated in the 1970s.
Automobiles were a big part of our life back then. In fact, unless you had your own car, it would be pretty difficult to get a date. (It could happen, but it was much harder.)
We would typically work and use the money to buy a car and “fix it up”. Then, once the car was able to be driven, we would go “cruising”. At that time, We would travel the back roads and highways of Western Pennsylvania and the mountains of West Virginia.
Often we would do so with the music “cranked up” loud.
Perhaps the premium “cruising” music of the day was “Boston” (“More than a feeling”), Pink Floyd (“Another Brick in the Wall”, “Money“, and “Time”), Led Zeppelin (“Stairway to Heaven”) and Peter Frampton (“Do you feel like we do?”). The trunk was a mobile ice cooler. We would fill it with bags of ice, and put two or three cases of beer there. We drank anything that we could get our hands on. Most of my friends drank Miller (in eight-pack pony bottles), Budweiser, and Iron City Beer.
We used to fill the trunk of the car with ice and beer. Then we would go out drinking, smoking, partying with our friends. (Image source.) Oh, this scene was so typical during the 1970s. Today you could get arrested for it, and spend time in prison.
At the time I was in my Senior Year in High School, vans were just getting really popular. Here, we would fully deck out the interiors into these mobile party machines. They would have shag carpeting inside, red mood lighting, comfortable seats, a kick-ass stereo and a big cooler of beer. Dodge and Chevy vans were the most popular.
While movies might give the impression that, the youth of my generation went to discos all the time, and acted like John Travolta, that was not really the case. (That was the case for many urban youth, but it was not at all representative of the whole.) We pretty much worked part time jobs to support our on-going obsession with our cars. Each paycheck was devoted to a new “cherry bomb” muffler, or a custom carburetor, or some nice rims for our cars. Then, all fixed up, we would cruse the roads. We lived the life of the movie “Dazed and Confused”, as that was a very accurate portrayal of my generation.
This love of cars was not limited to white kids in the country. Everyone loved their cars. In the cities, such as Syracuse and Pittsburgh, urban blacks would spend all their hard earnings to buy the best and biggest Lincoln or Cadillac available. Then they would deck them out (or “pimp” them out) into the most elaborate super-cool riding coaches. They sure had style back then. Those were the days for certain.
Not to mention REAL music.
It was a time of funk. Let me tell you all, modern music just doesn’t have that kind of free wheeling happiness, and muscle moving music as the funk of the 1970s did. Indeed, it was a really sad day when people started to talk about the death of funk. Though there are those who somehow think that modern music is just an advanced style of funk. I happen to disagree.
And that is my opinion on this matter.
Guys and Gals
Role models for men included John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Charlton Heston, Burt Reynolds and Sean Connery. Men who were MEN! Men were manly; they worked, fought when necessary, and provided for their families. (Yeah, we would ride around in these “sooped up beasts” and talk about our heroes on television. If we weren’t cruising around listening to “tunes”, we were in the weight room “pushing iron”.)
In the 1960s and 1970s, many Americans lived in suburbia houses much like this. We pretty much thrived in that environment and it was safe and a pleasant lifestyle. With solid families all run in traditional households with the wives all keeping an eye out for all the neighborhood kids.
For me, I would lift weights in the High School gym. There was a “Universal Gym” that I could use. I wasn’t a member of the school football team as I had to work after school. Some of my friends owned real sets of “free weights”. They would have a weight bench outside in the back yard, and I might go out and lift with them. My parents had bought me a cheap set of “free weights”. These consisted of weights, not out of cast iron or steel, but rather of plastic disks filled with cement. They did not last as long as their more expensive steel counterparts, but they did do their purpose.
I kept them in our basement. They sat alongside the furnace. Next to it was my father’s old childhood shoebox (he used to go out and shine shoes for a buck or two when he was a boy). It still had his shoe polish, brushes, cloth and other tools of the trade. It was painted light green, for some reason now lost in the mists of time. On the top of it was a platform, tilted at a 45 degree angle, where the customer could place their shoe so that he can shine it.
Both my weights, and my father’s shoebox, sat in front of my great grandfather’s toolbox. He was a carpenter who would make furniture. Back in the “old days”, he would haul the toolbox out to the countryside. His potential customers would judge his skill at furniture making by looking at his toolbox. They would note the condition and craftsmanship of his tools. As such, if the tools were well maintained and clean, and the workmanship was of high quality, he would obtain work to make commissioned furniture. Back in his generation, at that time, most of his work was custom furniture to fit the needs of the local townspeople in Germany and Poland in and around the Bug river area.
There in the basement were three generations of male tools and brick-a-brack. Our female companions never cared too much for the emotional value and labor that these items represented to us men. They only appreciated the money that was derived from efforts using them. (And, for me, NOPE I just never became a famous body builder.)
“Beginning in the 1980s, American childhood changed. For a variety of reasons—including shifts in parenting norms, new academic expectations, increased regulation, technological advances, and especially a heightened fear of abduction (missing kids on milk cartons made it feel as if this exceedingly rare crime was rampant)—children largely lost the experience of having large swaths of unsupervised time to play, explore, and resolve conflicts on their own. This has left them more fragile, more easily offended, and more reliant on others. They have been taught to seek authority figures to solve their problems and shield them from discomfort, a condition sociologists call “moral dependency.”-The Fragile Generation
Roles for us men were different than roles for women. Because, after all, we are quite different.
(Quick recap for those of you who didn’t learn this in first grade. There are two genders. They are boys and girls. If there is a mixture of genitalia on a person, they have a rare condition known as a hermaphrodite. The construction of other genders beside these precious few is not biologically sound, and is used as a political construct for greedy people to get power. If you follow their narrative, you will eventually get hurt.)
Men and Women
Men and women are different. That is a good thing. Different is wonderful.
1960s and 1970s male roles models were men who acted like men. They carried guns, spoke what they felt, and worked hard. Male role models. (Image Source.)
Television role models for women were different.
Women had a different series of standards and interests. At that time, women were regarded and cherished as “different” from men. Men and women were not, never were, and never will be, equal.
In a traditional household, the woman of the house runs the financing, budgeting, and all aspects of the family life. She is totally and completely responsible for the family. She tells the man what to wear, and how to act. She will then budget out the money for him to carry in his wallet, and he will dutifully earn money for the family. She will be responsible for the health and education of the children. It is HER and her responsibly alone.
Heroines for women included Elly Mae, June Cleaver, Mary Anne, Anne Marie, Samantha, Lisa Douglas, and Jeannie. They were all women who acted like women and lived their lives on their own terms. From my discussions with women (Attribution below.), they all seem to agree that television promoted woman as strong leaders.
Consider Elly Mae from the television show The Beverly Hillbillies. She’s pretty but doesn’t know it and doesn’t care, can talk to animals and beat the living crap out of boys if she wants to.
Or, June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. From what I hear, June Cleaver was the perfect woman. “How fabulous were her clothes? Her little suburban life? Her shiny appliances? Her squeaky clean kids? Her “hunkahunka” husband? Her cocktail hour and her perfect little dinners?”
Mary Anne, from Gilligan’s Island was wholesome, nice, pretty, athletic, fab body, smart, and loyal.
Samantha from Bewitched was beautiful, magical, so in love with Derwood that she’d give up everything that makes her special, could get anything she wanted by wiggling her nose.
Fun and Games
One hobby that we loved to do was go “dirt biking” which involved a specialized motorcycle that was specifically designed for “off road” use. It would not have a head light or turn signals, and would be lighter. We would ride these “beasts” up and down all through the woods and the “boney dumps” (strip mined regions devoid of trees). Good times. We just “kicked it up in the sticks”. Why is everything so kid-safe today?
I had many friends who had pickup trucks. Typically they were older vehicles with many dents, dings and rusty panels. At that time, CB Radios were very popular. It would be on and we would listen for “Smokey Alerts” (Police Traps). Another fun activity was to go “mud slingin’”. Here, we would often take a “beater” truck and run through the local bogs and swamps with it. As one could expect, the truck would “sling mud” everywhere. We would often keep a cooler of beer in the back (Typically in cans. Our parents drank from bottles.), and drink and party to loud rock music, or (yes) country music.
Gas was cheap. Food was cheaper. A dollar could buy you five McDonalds hamburgers, while a music album would cost you $20 (though, it might only have eight songs on it).
Music and Television
Television was a big part of our life.
It is difficult for someone in this day and age to appreciate the grand influence of television had on society during the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Today we realize that everything is tied, one way or the other, to the Internet. Well, at that time period, everything (while not “tied”) was most certainly revolving around the television set. Oh, it was a much simpler time because the government controlled the media, there were only a handful of media companies, and no one knew about the ties between the two. It was an open secret.
Music and televisions were big.
In the 1970s and 1980s we used to go “Mud Slingin'” in the woods. Mud Slingin’. (Image Source.)
We watched Walter Cronkite on the evening news, enjoyed “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman”, “Three’s Company”, reruns of “It’s about time”, and weekly installments of “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island” on television. Also included such classics as “The Gong Show”, Reruns of “Adam-12”, and “The Brady Bunch” / “The Partridge Family”, and other retro-1960’s shows like ‘The Mod Squad”, “Julia”, and “Maude” were still getting air time. So we watched them along with other 1960’s and 1970’s era shows. Of course, we all loved The Three Stooges.
Honorable mention to television shows that influenced me personally at this time included “The Time Tunnel”, “Star Trek” (Of course), “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”, “Supercar”, and “Fireball XL-5”. Finally, “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits” defined our generation at that time. The cold war influences were all blended together with the emerging post nuclear sciences that indeed really shaped our opinions and thoughts on life.
“I had a .22 Bolt Action Rifle and single shot .410 Shotgun when I was eight years old. I also rode my Schwinn Stingray without Wearing a Bike Helmet. I’m not even going to get into the many years my Parents drove me and my Brother around in a four wheeled death machine with no Seat Belts and a Dashboard made of steel. How I’ve lived to tell the tale is obviously a miracle.Did I mention the Chemistry Set I got for Christmas when I was ten years old? Isn’t Mercury fun to play with?’- 2/3/2018, 2:56:02 PM by Kickass Conservative
Television was a staple for my generation, but that was not the case for my parents’ generation. We absolutely lived off it. They used it to augment their personal activities. Whether it was knitting (my mother), or smoking a pipe and drinking a glass of red wine or cocktail (my father) my parents considered television to be a supplement to their lives.
Music was always playing and the televisions set was always on. My father would come home from work at the Steel Mill, and my mother would prepare him a cocktail while dinner was being made. We would have the “late edition” of the Pittsburgh Press (newspaper) delivered, and he would read it in “his” chair (all men need to have “their” chair) as he drank his preferred beverage. We kids would watch the television. When it was time to eat, we all would put what we were doing aside and go to the dining room. There we would have our daily meal together.
Yes, we collected albums, and listened to them on record players, or very expensive audio components known as “turntables”, “receivers”, “amplifiers”, and “tape decks”. (We would even buy an album containing 10 lousy songs because we liked one track.) Music, then as now, was a big part of our life.
Television was our primary source of entertainment. Everyone had one, and we all watched it. Many households had the television on most of the day. Though, for the most part, we only had access to from four to five channels of various quality. (This was before cable services.)
A well stocked 1970s album collection. In the time before CD’s we listened to albums on turntables. A well-stocked album collection. (Image Source.)
Is that a Chicago album I see? How many albums can you, the reader, identify? I see Alice Cooper’s Muscle of Love, Neil Young’s Harvest, and a Three Dog Night, a Boston with a BTO nearby.
Briefly, we had an “8 track” player installed in our family car. Here we could switch between four (4) locations in the “album” so we could rapidly listen to a different song if we did not like the one that was playing. We had a collection of these in the car. As I recall, we had a “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and an “America”, and an “Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. The problem was that the inside of the car got hot, and the “8 track” tapes were made out of ABS plastic, so sometimes they would melt in the heat of the car If you left them on the dashboard.
Belief
At that time, we believed the media. We believed what we saw. We believed in the government, and we believed in the promises that were made to us.
This was the style of the dining room furnishings that my parents had. They bought them sometime around 1965. During my entire childhood and 1970s teenage years we would have family meals at this table. My household furnishings. (Image Source.)
We believed the Democrats when they told us that our social security money (taxes) went into a “lock box” (actual term as they used) and would never be “touched” (used for other purposes). Then, right after they made those promises, they went around and started handing the money away to non-contributors like candy. Anyone could get it. Just like pensions. All gone. Bye bye.
WTF?
We believed that when we paid state taxes that they would go into fixing the terrible “pot holes” that littered Pennsylvania roads.
We believed that they would not go into the big unions of Philadelphia that operated like mob bosses of yore. But we were wrong. We were really, really, wrong.
Instead, the fat mob bosses just got fatter. The rich guys “on the Hill” (The Mayor and his toadies.) got richer, and our money seemed to get smaller and smaller. Every year the costs for things increased. Every year we were told that this was “normal” and we needed to accept things, but they “had a plan”. Always, the plan turned out to take more money from our wallets, and put it into theirs.
My father, a staunch life-long Democrat strongly believed that once the entire state was controlled by Democrats that the world would be pure, easy and everything would be perfect. He really believed in what they promised. Even when it was found that they had stolen his pension. Even when it was found out that his 401(K) was looted. Even when he found out that they “lost” the monies that they promised to fix the roads with. He still believed.
Pennsylvania “pot holes” still never got fixed.
A Simpler Time
We might have been “simple”, but at least we possessed some “common sense”. We at least knew what a boy was and what a girl was. That is unlike the confused children of today. (And, wow are they confused!) We knew that if you possessed a penis you were a boy. If you had a vagina, you were a girl. If you couldn’t tell the difference you were confused. Though at that time we would of simply called you a fucking idiot, and laughed at you until you ran home crying to your mother.
If you wore a mask to cover your face, you were a bad guy and doing something reprehensible. (Something, I might add, that you are ashamed to associate with your face.) This included Bank Robbers, Train Robbers, Stagecoach Robbers, the KKK, and the Black Panthers. They were not looked upon as righteous heroes such as what is being portrayed in the media today with the BLM, SWJ, and Antifa movements. They were considered criminals.
My First Job
I well remember the first time that I got a job. I had just turned 14. It was in the local grocery store, and I was hired at minimum wage to stock shelves and bag groceries. I used to wear a white short sleeved shirt and a red bow tie. Over this, I wore an apron. My hair must be over my ears and not touch my collar. No face hair was permitted.
I was ready for my first job. However, before I could work, I needed to get a “social security” number. Here is my experience about that event…
I asked my father, why do I need a social security number? His response was, you need it because you need to save some money away for when you get old. This will help you accomplish that.We were riding in the car, and as we crossed over the East Brady bridge I looked at him, and asked him; “OK, I understand. But, why does the United States government have to do this? Can’t I just save the money on my own?”He just shook his head. “This is the way it is son. You have to give part of your money away to the government. They know better than you do, and they will take care of you when you get older…”My trustworthy father told me the way things work in the United States. He said the United States government will take care of ME when I get older…
I AM older. My government ain’t doin’ JACK SHIT.
It was my father’s generation, and his father’s generation that got us in the financial position that the United States is in today. Reread his answer. At the time… he really…REALLY believed what he told me. He was a life-long Democrat, and to the day he died he could not understand why, with all the taxes being collected, that the government could not (or would not) help the common citizen.
Back then, taxes were much lower than they are today. Yet, I well remember my surprise when I received my first paycheck. I expected to be paid in full, and was surprised at the size of the amount deduced from my paycheck…
Getting the first paycheck and seeing the deductions of taxes, fees, contributions, and services from the paycheck. An American tradition: watching the expression on the face of someone getting their first paycheck and seeing all the taxes taken out. (Image Source.) I experienced this during the 1970s. I can only imagine what a shock it must be today.
It didn’t matter what job I was doing, the taxes always had to be set aside. No matter what the media said, I just never was able to get any of the “freebies” (reference law#40 on the 48 Laws of Power) and deductions that was promised to me.
I was 11 when I had my first job. Summer job working at a restaurant. I’d be out by 12:30pm and would head to the beach with my friends.
My first pay check was $236 for 40 hours. I’d figured around $280 and was expecting it. I took my paycheck to the manager. I explained to him there were several deductions on it which I felt deprived me of my due compensation for the work I’d done. He explained how it was normal and everyone had it on their paychecks. He even showed my his pay stub with much larger deductions. I was shocked. It was theft. How could all these people put up with this?
I concluded -who steals from an 11 year old?
This is the point at which I became a conservative.
-Justa on Free Republic
Later, when I worked in the coal mines, there was talk about credits for solar panels. Even President Jimmy Carter put solar panels in the White House. But, that credit was not for me.
Then, when I was working in the steel mills, our union steward told us that if we voted Democrat that we could pretty much guarantee a lifetime pension and a great future for ourselves and our families. That never materialized either. My father was particularly upset with this change of events. Sigh.
When we were on the Forest Fire Crew, we would discuss the “rebates” that were promised to us by (then President) Jimmy Carter. Nah. They NEVER materialized. Maybe some privileged group or major Democrat voting block got some, but we never saw anything. I guess that we weren’t important enough, or maybe it was because we just didn’t complain loud enough.
When I watch the news today, I can well see why those in power don’t want the youth of today to read and know their history. They want to keep them fat, dumb and stupid.
As I get older, I can plainly see the same old “bag of tricks” being recycled for use on an ignorant public. Yeah… yeah…. Vote Democrat and we will fix everything this time. You can trust us! Yah… yeah…
Oh, and the Republicans are just as bad. Don’t think that they are going to get a free pass from me. In my mind they are every bit as bad as the Democrats. But at least they are pretending to try. The fact is that both Republicans and Democrats are working from the exact same playbook; Rule # 31 & 32 of the 48 laws of power.
Families & Vices
In those days, parents were responsible for their children, and if a child misbehaves the entire family would lose face. Parents made sure that children behaved. This was before the coddling movements of the 1980’s where everyone gets a participation prize at school, and those that excel are punished.
In the 1960s and 1970s, children smoked with parental permission. This all ended when progressive democrats took over the state legislatures and began to re-engineer society to make it “better”. Childhood before social re-engineering efforts. (Image Source.)
The popular television shows reinforced this narrative. If you misbehave, your family would suffer. Consider the television shows “The Brady Bunch”, “The Partridge Family”, and Happy Days”.
Television commercials promoted both cigarettes and booze. The hard liquor ban has been in effect since 1936 for radio and 1948 for television. The ban on selling “soft liquor” (beer) has been a “darling child” of the progressive left since the days of Bill Clinton. At the time of this writing the fight is still active. Perhaps, by the time this gets read the liberal progressive Democrats will succeed in banning it.
The “vices” of the past were once considered unsavory habits. Today, they are considered to be serious crimes. Indeed, it was just simply “fine” to smoke, drink and have a cocktail at lunch. Though there were limitations; for instance only Management and Sales could go for a “three martini lunch”, the rest of us had to limit it to one or two beers.
The phrases “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.” Or, “I’d rather fight than quit” were famous catch phrases for cigarette advertisements on television at that time.
Cartoon characters smoke, drank, fought and were very politically incorrect. Being homosexual was frowned upon, and there were absolutely NO portrayals of them in the media. No one knew what a LGBT person was, nor cared about it either. I ask the reader this; have you seen a gay person on “The Jetsons”, “The Flintstones”, “Deputy Dog”, “Captain Kangeroo”, “Lost in Space”, “Petticoat Junction”, “Hee Haw”, “F Troop”, or “Ba Ba Black Sheep”?
Now, today, you cannot find a single one without one. Even the science fiction staples such as “Star Trek” and “The Orville” all have multiple characters presented.
If you got pregnant before getting married, it was frowned upon, and while abortion was available, its use was discouraged. The social norms were reinforced by the media. They were not trying to redefine them.
The Three Martini Lunch
I suppose that some explanations are in order.
For there are many things that I grew up that were normal, that is considered outrageous today. One of them is the three martini lunch. The three-martini lunch is a term used in the United States to describe a “leisurely, indulgent lunch enjoyed by businesspeople”. Back in the day, this was a common enough practice. If you were in management, part of a sales team, or even a supervisor, these kinds of lunches were quite common. Indeed, many times, the boss would come back after 3:30pm from a long lunch and be quite “sauced”.
Now, according to Wikipedia, it is ONLY a perception.
“It refers to a common belief that many people in such professions have enough leisure time and wherewithal to consume more than one martini during the work day.”
Ah. Nope, my dear clueless millennial. It was not a perception. It was a reality. Drinking at work was commonplace. At least in the steel, coal, and appliance industries it was. I don’t know about the other industries.
Now, since business matters are usually discussed at them, three-martini lunches can be considered a business expense. Of course (which includes travel, meals, etc.) and thus can qualify for a tax deduction. The people involved would remember to collect their receipts and turn them in at the end of the month for reimbursement. They would get money back, and the receipts were kept in a ledger to account for all the costs related to business expenses.
In those days, all managers, and of course sales staff, had an entertainment budget. The manager would have free latitude in determination of how to spend the money, and it was often considered a perk. The manager could spend it with employees to offer them incentives and to build up the working relationships, or use it for work related tasks with other companies and people.
Wikipedia does have it right in that the three-martini lunch is no longer common in the United States. However, it is, thankfully, quite common outside of it. Yeah! Baby!
“The three-martini lunch is no longer common practice for several reasons, including the implementation of "fitness for duty" programs by numerous companies, the decreased tolerance of alcohol use (Hum… speak for yourself), a general decrease in available leisure time for business executives, an increase in the size of the martini, and a decrease in the size of the tax deduction.”
America for the modern businessman certainly blows!
President John F. Kennedy (D) called for a crackdown on such tax breaks in 1961, but nothing was done at the time.
Then another democrat, Jimmy Carter (D) condemned the practice during the 1976 presidential campaign. Carter portrayed it as part of the unfairness in the nation’s tax laws, claiming that the working class was subsidizing the “$50 martini lunch”. (Of course, use the “class struggle” to divide Americans. It’s a time-honored Democrat tactic. The theory is because a “rich businessman” could write off this type of lunch as a business expense.)
By the time Bill Clinton (D) came to office, there wasn’t much that still needed to be done. So he concentrated in the elimination of all vices from the work environment (except for elected officials, of course) and the banning of cigarettes, and drinking proceeded apace.
Not to be outdone, Obama (D) started to tie health plans to tax breaks.
The only people who still had three-martini lunches were the “fat cats” in Washington, D.C.. They were “different” don’t ya know, and laws don’t apply to them. Most especially if they are Democrats.
Cigarettes
When I was a kid one of the most popular marketing brands was for Camel cigarettes. I can remember wanting to “walk a mile for a Camel” although I was too young to appreciate it’s meaning. This was a “dated” slogan, as it dated back to 1921. Everyone smoked, except me. LOL!
There were cigarette vending machines everywhere including the high school. It sat right next to the Coke machine in the school cafeteria. The vending machine had a long lever that you pulled outwards to discharge a pack of cigarettes. Matches were common everywhere, and many stores and restaurants gave away free matches with their address on it.
1960s and 1970s childhood icon Fred Flintstone smoking. Of course, smoking and drinking was commonplace until the social re-engineering efforts by democrats. Our cartoon heroes all smoked. (Image Source.)
In the 1990’s during the Bill Clinton presidency, it changed to the “Joe Camel” advertising promotion that became wildly popular. (Since the Democrat party had no way to skim off some of the huge profits that the advertising promotion generated, they went ”full on” to ban it. After all, if they couldn’t get their cut in the profits, no one could get anything. Oh, they promoted the ban to help “the children”. But of course, what we now know about the Clinton pay-for-play schemes, we know this to be painfully true. But, like everything else, this is just my opinion.)
I guess that I am full of “nonsense” opinions. Right? Well, look at this from my point of view then…
In March 1992, the “Coalition on Smoking or Health” (a Democrat Progressive social-engineering platform) petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to ban Joe Camel.
However in June 1994, the commission decided not to take action against R.J. Reynolds, because the record did not show that Joe was attracting kids to cigarettes. After all, if you want to ban something you have to show a reason behind it.
This need; to find reasons to ban things, all ended during the presidency of Bill Clinton. (And look at the nonsense it hath wrought.) Bill Clinton implemented law #33 of the 48 Laws of Power.
In May 1997, after a change in personnel (the Bill Clinton administration changed the staff at the FTC precisely because they did not do as he wished) but no change in the relevant evidence, the FTC reversed itself, voting to seek an order that would keep Joe out of children’s sight.
Yup, you throw out the people who are “not on the same team”, and put your guys in. This is true for all politicians, not just Democrats.
Though, President Trump is kind of slow in learning this political lesson…
Why did it get banned? The evidence did not show a connection. The change in makeup of the FTC was changed by Bill Clinton, that is a fact. Why? To “save the children”, from what? Where is the proof? I am not, will not and cannot buy those excuses. Especially related to a mega-rich uber-billionaire and his family who has no obvious sources of income except a presidential salary and well known for their famous “pay-me-money” for access and favors schemes.
Joe’s critics did not need evidence. Wasn’t it obvious that R.J. Reynolds was targeting children? Joe Camel was a cartoon, after all. To which R.J. Reynolds replied that Snoopy sells life insurance and the Pink Panther pitches fiberglass insulation, but no one assumes these products are aimed at kids. The company insisted that hip, irreverent Joe was designed to attract young adults who considered Camel an old man’s cigarette.
The demise of advertising for cigarettes on television, as well as banning cute advertisements aimed at youth (Joe Camel), was part of an anti-smoking initative initiated by the Democrat Party and specifically Bill Clinton (D) in the early 1990’s. I suppose they wouldn’t have gone so aggressively against the “big” tobacco companies if they contributed more money to the Democrat party election coffers. But that is a different subject for a different time.
The way this works is obvious to everyone. Especially today. If you want to keep the SJW, Antifa, BLM, and busybodies off your back, you pay them off.
In America you PAYOFF the busybodies.
Furniture
We had furniture that was made out of real hardwood. The cheap softwood furniture started to replace the long-lasting and durable (and very beautiful) hardwoods in the 1970’s. This lasted for a decade, and then the 1980’s hit. Everyone was trying to “make a buck”. As a result even cheaper furniture started to make it’s appearance. This consisted of plywood furniture. The plywood would have a laminated layer of nice attractive hardwood.
This lasted for about a decade, up until the decade of Bill Clinton. At that time, the uncontrolled spending by Congress reached new levels, and the resulting hit on the value of the worker’s dollar was substantial. Wal-Mart became very popular and powerful. As it offered the cheapest products for families trying to maintain their standard of living while the value of the dollar collapsed. This resulted in the cheap “sawdust and glue” furniture (Particleboard) that is so common today.
Changes in the use of materials in American furniture since the advent of the Federal Reserve. As the USD depreciated in value, Americans were forced to buy progressively cheaper and cheaper furnishings. THis trend accelerated during the 1960s and 1970s.
Lawyers didn’t yet advertise for class action law suits. Not until the Clinton presidency. That presidency implemented so many social revisions that are too numerous to mention. Some may argue that it was certainly for the best. But, I argue the oppose. All you need to do is look at what constitutes a playground in America today to see the fallout from this folly. All you need to do is take a bite out of a tomato that tastes like a cardboard box filled with bland water. All you need to do is try to speak your mind today and see the vitriol and hatred directed back at you.
Indeed, restrictions on one’s ability to do what they please is a restriction on FREEDOM, and is tyrannical in nature and substance. No matter what the (stated) intention was..
Anyways, while there were many things changing over the years, one of the most notable was the phone sex hot lines that were all the rage during late-night commercials. These things were just a passing fad that made some people enormously wealthy in a very… very short period of time.
The networks were dominated by the big three; NBC, CBS, and ABC and they controlled everything that we saw and many things that we read. There was no Internet, if we wanted to watch something out of the ordinary we would watch Public Broadcasting, or one of the small local startups that tended to appear and disappear after a few months. (Thanks to them, instead of the dominant American networks, I was introduced to Bennie Hill, Monty Python, and belly-dancing.)
“If you’re over 40, chances are good that you had scads of free time as a child—after school, on weekends, over the summer. And chances are also good that, if you were asked about it now, you’d go on and on about playing in the woods and riding your bike until the streetlights came on.Today many kids are raised like veal. Only 13 percent of them even walk to school. Many who take the bus wait at the stop with parents beside them like bodyguards. For a while, Rhode Island was considering a bill that would prohibit children from getting off the bus in the afternoon if there wasn’t an adult waiting to walk them home. This would have applied until seventh grade.”-The Fragile Generation
All of the interns that I get from the United States are walking progressive robots. Which is fine, as long as they do their work. Just do you job, eh? The problem is that they have no idea what work is. They think it is talking about their feelings over coffee. What the fuck has happened to America?
Here is what work is;
I tell you what to do, and you do it.
You do it to the best of your ability.
You ask questions if you are not sure.
Once your assignment is completed, you have someone review your work.
Then you ask for more work.
Then you are paid or rewarded for your efforts.
Somehow, the young folk out of the United States never learned this. Their ideas about what work is looks more a scene from the television show “Friends”, or the inside of a coffee shop. Maybe they feel at ease parroting Ellen Degeneres. Many are totally useless at work. It’s their education.
You know, the entire reason for this post was due to a young intern. She had the gall to suggest that I (her supervisors boss’s boss) was in my role because I was “privileged” growing up. She had the fucking gall to tell me that I didn’t know about their “struggles”. Her “struggles”…. Give me a fucking break will you!
Well, I didn’t hold back in my response. I’ll tell you what. She probably has nightmares about me now. (Sigh). Look, life is full of good things and bad things. But life is what YOU experience. It is not what you hear about, read about, or watch in a movie. It is what you personally experience. Unless you have gone through what I had to endure to be where I am today, then SHUT THE FUCK UP.
Politics are both silly and dangerous. I wouldn’t be so fearful except that politics is used to change governments. Here is the basic recipe;
They take a stable government and turn it into a “democracy”.
Then, they obtain power by manipulation of the people. (This has many facets.)
Finally, they devolve into tyrannical governments.
Once in power, these governments then turn on their own people. They turn against them.
The most important step towards tyranny; you disarm the people.
Then you separate the people into groups; favored and unfavored.
Which is why, those of us who actually READ, support the second amendment.
Those that want to change the government are often well-meaning, but easily manipulated by tricksters. Those “tricksters” often manipulate their followers to obtain their ultimate goals of power, control, wealth and fame. Then, once they have obtained power, they kill their top leadership and their top followers. This happens each and every time. It happened in Germany, in China, in North Korea, and in Cuba. The techniques are well known and well documented. If the reader is interested in this, maybe you too want to control your own nation someday, you can read about it in the book the 28 laws of Power.
Politics never reflect reality.
American politics is a very complex subject. Here is a simplified explanation. American politics explained. (Image Source.)
Politics were black and white. Democrats supported the governments of Communist Russia, and Communist China. (That is one of the reasons why all of the old symbols of the Democrats were red.) Even the Democrat / Confederate “battle flag” was red with the crossed bars. The KKK was, and for the most part still is, a Democrat organization. Let’s not forget that the Grand Kleagle (LOL!) was Senator Robert Byrd Democrat from West Virginia! I’ll wager a bet that you all didn’t know that.
My father, a life-long Democrat, constantly talked about how “one day” the Democrats will get in power and change things. Yessur! The people will rise up and the “little guy” (himself and all his white middle-class friends) would get a chance to “sit at the table”. Hah! Was he ever so disappointed in President Obama. I think it broke his heart.
Now, even though he is long dead and buried, he still, to this day continues to voteDemocrat…
Democrats were for free speech EVERYWHERE by EVERYONE. (Speech was more than just talk, but included behavior. Indeed, Democrats wanted to “let it all hang out”.) Yikes…! At that time, it helped further their agenda.
Which was, and still is, a phased plan to rewrite the Constitution.
First step…claim that the Constitution is a “living document” subject to change. Make it so that the rules are constantly and easily bent.
Second step… make changes to “improve” things. Put your own judicial interpeters in power. Have them implement rules to fit your narrative only.
Third step… repeat the narrative over and over and over. So that everyone calls it a Democracy. You know that you are “over the hump” when elected officials start to parrot this.
Then, fourth step… change a Democracy into a Social Democracy. Like the Nazi’s, or Communist China, or the Soviet Union.
Fifth Step. Make it nice and “Progressive”. Say you are doing it for just causes. Limit speech. Have a nice long list of things that you cannot say or talk about. Reference law #32 of the 48 laws of Power.
Sixth Step. Then the most important step… disarm the population. They can’t have their “pitchforks” and “torches” . That’s right, get rid of all those guns (then see what happens). Take every opportunity, get the children to march for it. Punish them if they don’t go along with the plan.
Seventh Step. Finally,… setup a rulership of the 1% presiding over a disarmed ignorant mass. Make sure the police have the latest in military technology. Call them something different, like “protectors”, “guardians”, or “peace officers”. Make the names fierce like the SS, or IRS. Use the military against your own people. Even if you are not permitted to, do it anyways.
Eighth and Final Step. Once you have control, you must RULE! Show everyone just who is Boss. Go full-on Negan!
Once, you obtain power, and you know that there is a large segment of the population that does not support you, you need to RULE. You need to show who is boss. You go full NEGAN. (Image source.)
Politics
Now politics is such a large part of American culture, that I just can’t leave it out.
Here’s the truth. It doesn’t matter if it is 1970 or 2010. Republicans were just sick and tired of all the political nonsense and wanted everyone to leave them alone and stop paying so much in taxes. However, since the Democrats controlled the media they controlled popular culture. No matter how one felt, the barrage of progressive indoctrination was incessant. Even the music that we enjoyed and listened to (at that time) was interspersed with progressive propaganda.
Democrats in the 1970’s followed time proved socialist techniques. They supported peaceful protests and “sit downs” for such things as labor unions (automotive, steel, government and education), and free access to the soft drink “Tab”. Republicans wanted to stop the apparently never-ending cycle of “walkouts”, “strikes” and “labor organization” (for substantial pay increases).
It was always attack, and Republicans defend.
Attack… defend. Attack… defend.
Attack… defend.
By the mid-1980’s, a union steel worker (high school graduate, with no subsequent post-education) with ten years in the union, would be able to make almost two times the salary of a degreed engineer with ten years’ experience. It was really outrageous. (Yeah, but for my generation, it wasn’t so great. After they worked ten years or so and were laid off, they were fucked.)
Fucked over…big time.
Hey! You “I always vote Democrat because they will protect me and give me a pension”, how’s that working out for you? Now that non-Americans can get your jobs? It feel really good? It feels like your have been vindicated? Eh?
Anyways, all of this was pretty hard for industry at that time, where the production line could shut down at a moment’s notice on the most trivial of reasons, and the factory couldn’t do anything about it (that was until globalism…) The Democrats used the unions because they represented a huge voting block. They always manipulated huge blocks of people. Now, here today we know exactly just how far that utility lasts. So, the lesson here is that the Democrats turned their backs on the unions so that they could take more, in bigger bundles from foreign governments. It was all in the name of “Globalism”.
My father could NEVER get over that harsh reality.
Democrats wanted to burn bras (which was something even my mother did) and I never had a problem with it either, and have free love with everyone (and everything). That also sounded good to me too. Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Who doesn’t like sex? Sex is fun.
Things were so different then. It was a different time indeed.
For today, if you are not from an urban ghetto, or a member of one of the (approved) “oppressed minorities” you are maligned. And, for the record, we all think it’s terrible inaccurate and very, very unfair. So when you are trying to label and box Trump supporters into such things as “uneducated, white males”, or “deplorables”, we all take particular offense at that.
We are not. So shut the fuck up.
“The schools you send your kids to have been trying to inculcate your kids with all kinds of rotgut, perverted junk under the guise of enlightenment. And you’ve had to sit there and take it. You’ve had to sit there and listen to the never-ending, increasing profane rants and having all of this stuff pushed right in your face and down your throat. You’ve been forced to shut up. You’ve been forced to say nothing in reaction for fear of losing your job or being chastised, humiliated, or what have you, in social media.You’ve been forced to accept the cultural rot that the American left has imposed on you and your kids. You have to sit around and listen to your religion be mocked. Your religion is laughed at, your religion is made fun of and criticized, openly and with malice, and it is done with impunity. People who mock and applaud and insult you and your religion are praised as brilliant artists. You are called hicks. You’re called white racists.You’re called bigots. Sometimes they call you prudes. Sometimes they call you Bible thumpers. You’re an idiot. You’re small-minded. You’re a moral twit. And these are the people having a fit over Trump saying something? These people who have put themselves in charge of infiltrating crap throughout our culture and our society? These people who have been responsible for injecting drivel and bilge throughout our society claim to be upset and outraged and offended over the use of a word — slang for a toilet — by the president of the United States, in a private meeting?”-Rush Limbaugh
Anyways, all the seeds of political unrest was planted during the 1970’s. The seeds are sprouting up today, and they aren’t pretty. It is sad.
It’s sad, but you know what, I no longer live in the USA so it’s not my problem.
You’ve got Democrats and you’ve got Republicans. They are both identical creatures with similar objectives. They pretend to be ideological, but they really aren’t. They just act that way. When it benefits them, they simply switch political parties. That way their objectives are maintained.
Yeah. It’s not my problem.
College
Then, college was where an intelligent and scholarly person would migrate to after high school. At that time, only a few people could afford to go to college, and they were very picky as to whom they would select. At that time, the wealthiest, and the smartest went to college. Then, after the implementation of the G.I. bill, room was made for those who earned their “place at the table” through merit (risking their lives in war). Thus, obtaining a college degree was significant and factored large in the overall standard of living that one could hope for.
That is totally the opposite of what college is today, where EVERYONE can get a college degree. It is where the content of the degree is so watered down as to become meaningless. It is where those people whom graduate have to fight a flood of entry-level applicants for a scarce few positions. It hardly seems worth the time, and doesn’t seem to be worth the money, or the investment.
That is because, today, it just isn’t worth it. Looking at the big picture, it is almost like colleges and universities have become large institutions that turn young people into debt slaves – serfs. Unless they quickly obtain a high paying position, they might never leave that role.
Maybe that is the reason why President Obama made college so accessible… I wonder… Using it [1] as a propaganda machine, and [2] to turn the majority of the educated American masses into debt slaves.
I went to college, as that was what young upwardly mobile families did in the 1960’s and 1970’s. For me, I had always wanted to be an astronaut. My only way to become one was through hard discipline, a strong technical background, and a clear vision.
Leaving the Mines to Better Myself
I applied and came in second place for the Air Force Academy. My grades were outstanding, and our scores were tied. Exactly tied. However, my family apparently didn’t have enough political pull, I guess. So my friend Brian got the open slot. (You know, if you two take the same battery of tests every weekend for six months, you do eventually get to become friends.)
It was a disappointment. But, I picked myself up off the floor. Dusted myself off and went to plan “B”.
You can still do everything right, and still lose. It does not mean that you failed. It is just the way life is. It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.
The reader should never take on the unrealistic belief that if they work hard, and be careful, and do everything right, and have everything go in their favor that things WILL work out to their advantage. There are no guarantees. Truth is that there are always things and aspects of any particular given situation that is beyond one’s control. These aspects may or may not be in your favor. Indeed it is quite possible to work hard, and make no mistakes and still lose. That is life.
I had been saving all the money that I earned in the coalmines and at the steel mills so that I could be able to afford to go to college. I knew that I didn’t have enough for a full four years, but I did have enough for the first two. I had hoped that maybe I could supplement it by working part time while I attended university. My plan was to sell my car, buy a motorcycle and work part time to fund my education.
I applied to MIT and was accepted. I was going to enter their aeronautical engineering program, but at the last minute changed my mind and went to Syracuse University instead. They had an innovative aerospace engineering program that really appealed to me. They also offered to employ me part time as well (which was something that was not available to me at MIT). The program that I would eventually enter was a joint mechanical / aerospace engineering degree, which would specialize in the thermodynamic properties of rocket engines, and spacecraft design. So, I went to Syracuse. I went orange.
My dream was not dead. Just dormant.
My plan was to attend college, become a Rocket Scientist, and then enter another branch of service to obtain a flight slot. That way I could then eventually become an astronaut. It was a simple plan. All I needed to do was study hard classes, with a degree of persistence, all would work out. I would need to keep my focus clear and then with the skills, training and discipline, I would then enter one of the rare flight slots.
Conclusion
Well, I did attend university, and I actually did become a “Rocket Scientist”. I graduated on a sunny May day in 1981. My class was the first graduating class within the “big Syracuse marshmallow” (as opposed to the”big glowing green caterpillar”.)
The reader should know, that I also was accepted by, and joined the US Navy and trained as a Naval Aviator. (I passed the testing for a NFO, but my scores were so exceptional that they opened up a pilot slot for me. Woo Woo!) Indeed, shortly after I graduated, I found myself in the middle of training for a Naval Aviator down in NAS Pensacola, Florida.
All of my goals after years of hard work and labor started to finally pay off.
These are stories for another time. However, let it be known that opportunities to go into space DID present themselves to me. And I, well, I TOOK the opportunities presented to me. It was my dream, and I would never let anyone steal my dream away from me. So, yeah, I did get to explore the outer reaches, it’s just not at all what I expected…
And, as I have stated earlier, that will be a story for another day.
Take Aways
What can we learn from my experiences growing up?
I have strong opinions based on my experiences.
Growing up in the 1960s and the 1970s does not match the current narrative as promoted by the American media. Cherish the thought!
People had more freedom than they do today.
People ate better than they do today.
People played better than they do today.
Furniture was made out of higher quality materials than they are today.
Water used to be free.
Democrats and Republicans are identical. Don’t let their verbal “policy positions” distract you.
I had a knife when I was six years old.
I had long hair, had a white “choker collar”, wore bell-bottom jeans and drove a orange GTO in my Senior Year.
I like pizza.
All this should indicate that my experiences are totally different from what young people experience today.
Which means that when I talk to an intern, I need to explain to them some basics that they should have learned while they were growing up. The fact that they did not learn them, and that the families and the schools have both failed them is a troublesome worry. For they are not equipped to compete globally for any work at all. Let alone basic janitorial work.
Outrageous Then.
Outrageous Now.
Being Gay, or LGBT.
Drinking cocktails at lunch.
Not working until you are thirty.
Working at 14 years old.
Getting ANY assistance from government.
Having a free glass of water with your meal.
Free condoms to students.
Cigarette vending machines in school.
Paid cable service.
Free Torrents.
Not having a Christmas Tree during Christmas.
Halloween costumes depicting black people.
Not punishing a child for screaming in a restaurant.
Punishing a child in public.
Paying more than $0.10 for a cup of coffee.
Paying less than $2.00 for a cup of coffee.
Not being a member of the local lodge.
Having your wife make you a cocktail after work.
Going to school on the first day of hunting season.
Smoking in a restaurant.
Having your parents watch you play.
Unsupervised play.
Pumping your own gas.
Full-service gas stations.
Manditory blood collections at work.
Refusing to carry a cell-phone on you.
Comments on Free Republic
In July 2018, this article was presented on Free Republic for comments. You can read the comments HERE.
FAQ
Q: Why is Senior Year important in High School? A: Senior Year is the last year that you can be a child. You are nearly an adult. You might have a girlfriend or boyfriend. You might have a car, a job, and some money. You have well established friends, and a future of some sort mapped out for you. You are in peak health, and are just ready to begin a new stage in your life.
Q: What was High School like in the 1970s? A: It was a blast. I would imagine that it was like school in other generations and at other times. The 1970’s, were boring we thought. However, looking back, we can see just how absolutely great they were. Someday, you too will write about your experiences in school like I have here.
Q: What are the differences between High School in the 1970s and today? A: Freedom. We could smoke outside the classrooms. We could drive our cars to and from the school. We could carry knives. Lunches were ok. We had a main dish, with two sides, a dessert and a drink. I see what constitutes a Michelle Obama school meal and I end up shitting my pants. What the hell was she thinking? Oh, and the music was awesome.
We often complained, back then, that the High School students in France got to drink wine during lunch time. Paid for, of course, by the school. We, us poor Americans, had to wait until we got home before we could drink. Looking back, the differences between then and now are astounding.
Q: What was segregation like in the 1970s? A: I just don’t know. No one was segregated in the counties where I lived. I heard that there was still some “unofficial” or underground segregation going on in the deep south. But, in my neck of the woods, it was unheard of.
Q: Did everyone in high school drive cool cars? A: Yes. I drove an orange 1970 Pontiac GTO. Many of my friends rode cool cars. My friend Clyde drove a Chevelle SS. Like the movie “Dazed and Confused”, where Wooderson drives a big-block Chevelle nicknamed “Melba Toast.” He had an Edelbrock intake on his 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 454. Ohhh the 454, now that was an engine. Other cars included a Ford Mustang convertible, a Ford MACH 1, and a Plymouth Duster driven by the “Brackey Boys”. Heh heh.
Q: What was elementary school like in the 1960s and 1970s? A: We would play outside before school started. We would play hopscotch on the sidewalk. We would mark out the numbered blocks with a stone and scratch it into the cement. Then we would file in. First thing after roll call was the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we would have a pretty much typical class.
Though there was often some education about the upcoming Global Cooling that would change the earth into a solid ice cube.
We would then go out on organized field trips to collect donations for the cause, and help clean up the local streams and countryside. I don’t know who got to pocket all the money we collected. All I remember is that we used to raise buckets of money for the cause. Literally, they were buckets and boxes of money. Afterwards, the teacher would sing on the guitar with some songs typical of that era, like “If I Had a Hammer”, and “Kumbaya”.
Posts Regarding Life and Contentment
Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.
More Posts about Life
I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.
Stories that Inspired Me
Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.
