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.
Here in this article we will look at the events of mid-January 2022 in Zhuhai, China where a serious outbreak of five people caught the coronavirus. We discuss how it came about, the rules and laws supporting the suppression of the virus, and MM my first-hand account of the entire wiz-bang. I hope you find it interesting and enlightening.
The opinions / scaremongering of the Western media…
The “news” is all filled with nonsense about how terrible the Chinese “social credit scoring system” is. It is presented in such a way that the individual looks upon it in horror. And from a lone, independent individual, it is a horror. It’s a bunch of added (and seemingly) unrealistic restrictions on one’s “freedom”.
All true, but all out of context.
But China is NOT a nation of independent individuals. So you cannot look at the Chinese system from that lens or viewpoint. You must look at things as they actually are. Not as you fear them to be (from your limited point of view).
China is a nation of communities.
There is the large “big” community of the Han race. Then, under that, is the (also big) community of the Mainland China nation. Then, under that, are the regional communities. Such as Guangzhou, Wenzhou, etc. Then within each of those communities are further smaller communities, and so on and so forth. Eventually, drilling down to your local community. Which in my case is my six building housing complex within the JiDa subsection of the Zhuhai city proper.
When you are part of a community, you are special.
You are not alone.
You are surrounded by others like you. Sure, you might be having a hard time, but YOUR community will not allow you to suffer. They will come to your aid. The community is self-serving. This is why you have volunteers, and this is why it’s hard to find beggars and homeless in China. The communities will not allow it to occur.
You must obey the rules of being in that community. Membership has privileges. But, you must obey the rules, and you must participate, and you must be helpful, and you must be a good citizen.
No littering, kids cannot graffiti up the streets. The community self-polices behavior. The community provides you help when you need it. You are not alone. You are never alone, and if you are in trouble and require help, you reach out to YOUR community, and they will do whatever is necessary to help you.
During the United States bioweapon attacks (2018 through 2021), and now the aftermath of the Covid-19 attacks resulting in rampant global coronavirus pandemics, China has maintained a posture of DEFCON ONE / TWO.
It’s a state of military readiness.
It’s a state of civilian readiness.
It’s a mandatory emergency state of affairs. China does not want to be like the clusterfuck that America is, like the UK is, like Australia is. China needs to support and protect its people.
And that means abeyance to rules and laws during a period of emergency.
This is enforced by the social credit scoring system. This system polices behavior and tracks people by AI to identify misfits, malcontents, people with poor social skills, sociopaths and psychopaths, as well as those who think they are being “free” when in reality they are just social misfits.
Why so many people have this negative idea aobut the social credit scoring system…
It is right across the bay from Hong Kong / Shenzhen. (I can actually see Shenzhen from my living room window), and the massive (and famous) HK- Macao -Shenzhen bridge is right at my doorstep.
Map of my local region showing transportation options.
Hong Kong is part of China. Just like Macao and Taiwan are. Only it is administered at the local level differently. It is more than that. It “feels” different. It doesn’t feel “Chinese”.
It feels “Western”, which can mean many things.
The airline “Cathay Pacific” has routine flights in and out of Hong Kong. It’s a great airline, and it is (perhaps) my favorite airline to fly in. Second only to the Australian Qantas airline.
Cathay Pacific
Due to Chinese law, all crew must either stay on board their planes, or disembark to a quarantine area when landed. They are not permitted to exit that quarantine area as they are considered to be potential carriers of the Covid-19 virus.
They left their hotels in defiance of the rules. They then went out and visited the sights of Hong Kong. They traveled in the subways, visited the many, many malls, ate at a restaurant and returned. Their absence was recorded, date stamped, observed and traced.
They were found out.
But not until afterwards. But by then the damage had already been done.
They lost their jobs. Obviously.
They were also arrested. They are both in jail now. They not only defied the rules. They broke the law during a time of emergency.
Maybe the Western press will not report it as such, but China has been at a state of military readiness at DEFCON ever since John Bolton / Donald Trump carpet bombed China with bioweapons in 2019 CNY. It’s a military emergency inside of China. It’s not “just another Vaxx scare”.
It’s a military state of readiness.
It’s serious, serious business.
How big their fees will be, and whether they will be charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, terrorism, and military sabotage has yet to be determined.
But, you can be guaranteed that they are facing some SERIOUS charges…
If one person gets Covid-19 and goes into ICU the former stewardesses can be expected to be hit with terrorism charges.
If someone dies, it will also include manslaughter charges.
If one of the sick people are a member of the government or military, it will ratchet up to sabotage charges.
So...
At best case, they are looking at the loss of their jobs, fines and fees, jail time, and destruction of their careers, as well as perma-banning ever to visit China ever again.
At worst case, they could spend years in a hard-labor mainland Chinese labor camp to include mandatory organ harvesting.
And, yeah, sure enough, they were carrying the virus, and they spread it all over Hong Kong.
Two women, with their three children, caught the virus and brought it back to their homes in Zhuhai.
How do we know?
The women and their children were all in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is popular with the mainland Chinese, and many make frequent trips back and forth. Even now, in this period of pandemic.
The women weren’t feeling well about two weeks after they left quarantine. (You have a two-week quarantine period going back and forth from HK, unless you have a special residency permit.) Neither were their children.
Anyway, they ordered some throat medicine through the internet.
But you know, all medicine purchases (in China) are tracked.
The AI tracked their medicines, and their movements, and their actions and their behaviors over the last few months. It crunched the numbers. And so it then identified them as possible carriers.
Within hours of placing that order in Taobao (a popular Chinese app for purchases. Sort of like Amazon.com on steroids.) a medical team was dispatched to their homes, and they were tested in their living rooms on the spot.
Taobao.
How the local city reacted
They were told to stay in their homes until the results were cleared. They didn’t have to wait long. They found out hours later.
At the SAME TIME…
Their entire section of the city was shut down. Everything went into lock down, and everyone started to get their tests. Road blocks were set up. No entry or egress to stores, restaurants, or businesses. Everyone was in lock down and tested.
There were no “discussions”. Nor were there any back and forth calls and meetings to figure out what to do. It was simple and straight forward.
An outbreak had occurred.
Full lock-down protocols were engaged.
And, just like that (image of MM snapping his fingers) everyone’s QR went orange.
Snapping fingers.
How do I know this is what happened?
China is 100% transparent on it’s domestic issues.
The people and the government believe that the way to confront problems directly is to look them in the eye and deal with facts. Not what you want to see or present but as they actually are.
They do not have to lie.
There are no citizens to maniplate. No polls to jive up. There are no reasons to hide facts. They don’t need to look better, or present a better face to the public. They just tell you how things are and that’s that. (MM slapping his hands together as if washing them.)
Notification
So when the individuals were discovered, everyone inside of Zhuhai was alerted in real time.
Zhuhai, China alert notice.
And here is the translation of the above. Part 1…
And, part 2…
What is a QR code scan?
First of all, a QR code is common inside of China. It’s everywhere. It’s a funny little box of pixilated dots that you scan with your phone. It can open up apps, webpages, download things, and do all sorts of “neat-o” things.
QR codes to apply.
When I refer to a QR, I am actually using slang. I am referring to one of the multiple “Medical access QR applications”. You scan them to get into buildings, to use taxis, or DD (the Chinese version of Uber), to go into stores or malls or to enter and leave various complexes.
When you scan, it will compute and connect your movements and your interactions with the rest of society. It will see if you are up-to-date with your testing, injections and so on and so forth.
If you have been inoculated, and up to the regional testing protocols, it will be green.
My green QR.
Consequences of an orange QR
If your QR is not green, but rather orange, you are a potential virus carrier. You will need to immediately bypass any testing clinics and go straight to the hospital. Each hospital has set up a separate (and isolated) “orange” wing. You go there and get tested or inoculated.
Until you do so, you cannot go anywhere, visit any place, or do anything. You are disabled and disbarred from entry.
Consequences of a red QR
Red is not good.
You report to the hospital and follow their instructions.
What happens if you break quarantine inside of China…
What happens?
Bad things happen. That’s what.
Well, aside from the fines, fees, code red listing, and jail time… you get to be paraded in your community to show the entire world what a fucking selfish dipshit you actually are. Video 4.3MB
Enter my Chief Engineer
So I get a call from my Chief Engineer.
He tells me that he is under lock-down. He is confined to his house, and cannot go outside except to get tested in the front of his building. He tells me that he gets five tests a day. And that this will continue for the duration of the lockdown.
Uh. Oh.
Initially he told me that it would be for ten days, but now that number has been revised to three weeks, possibly longer.
Since this is right before CNY, just like in 2019, it looks like there will not be any Chinese New Year celebrations this year.
MM is drinking wine, and getting ready for bed
One day later…
I’m drinking wine, typing some. Listening to a show in the background (Two broke girls.) while my daughter is playing with legos, (a selection of) dolls, and an abacus. We get a knock at the door.
It’s 9:30 at night.
Who would be knocking on our door? We’re the only family on the floor.
Well, there were two volunteers from the local community and they told us to go downstairs and get tested for the virus.
But, you know, we were drinking and in our bed clothes. My wife told them that we had already been tested, and we went to bed.
Snooze sounds. Z z z z z z
The next day; Uh oh!
Phones are orange. QR code is orange. Apps won’t respond.
Uh oh!
So we go downstairs and there’s a tent in front of our complex.
Some details...
Testing tents are set up on every block. These are blue tents manned by volunteers all in full hazmat attire.
It goes without saying that everyone is wearing a mask. Everyone. There are no exceptions.
So we go and get tested.
Well… Off to the hospital
But…
But…
We do not have a green QR. So we cannot use the regular testing qiosk. Instead, we need to go to the hospital.
One of the volunteers in hazmat garb flags down a taxi and we get in, and are whisked off to the hospital.
Zoom…
Of course, in front of the hospital are all those testing qiosks as well. But we cannot go and use them. No sir. Instead, we have to go to the “orange wing” of the hospital.
Once we found it…
..I mean, it was way off and around the back of the hospital and far away from everyone. And it was deserted. There were scores of chairs set up and long weaiting roped off lines, but no one was there.
We jsut walked in as the only ones to get tested.
So we QR scanned, Were assigned a number and nasal swabbed, and off we went…
We went home.
By the way. It’s all 100% volunteers.
They are not being paid to do this. They are volunteering their time and their efforts. And it is appreciated. video 30MB
Later on, everything is green
Phew! It took about five hours.
But now we are all “green”.
Sure the resturants and stroes and malls are all closed, but we are no longer shunned “orange people” we are now fully green!
Woo woo!
Some videos
Here’s some that I took of the testing in front of my home… video 22.7MB
So now you can understand the meme’s used in China
And thus you all can well understand these memes that’s been floating around the internet. Maybe not in the United States.
Most of the USA videos seems to be about massive urban mob-take-downs of trains, police shootings, fat black women in tights shaking their enormous posteriors, and Blinkedin and Biden discussing their 3.5 trillion dollar domestic spending bill (on top of the 2 trillion dollar military spending bill). Plus a few notible funny cat videos and some “ow my balls!” videos. It’s a real mix. But nothing at all about actually dealing with the virus.
Here’s two of the Chinese memes regarding the terror of the orange QR…
Meme 1.
And…
Meme 2.
Compare all this to America
That’s what I do. After all, I’m still an American. Here’s what the equivent American line up looks for getting a Covid-19 swab. video 34MB
This next video is a line up to get checked for Covid-19 at a clinic. In the USA they don’t have free testing centers on every block staffed with volunteers. You have to go to a clinic and get tested instead.
Obviously one of those people (who made the video) who believe that Covid is a “hoax” is yelling at them.
Hoax, eh?
Well, my brother Daniel in Boulder, CO had this “hoax” for four weeks. He lost 34 pounds and hallucinated the entire time. And my first cousin died from it. She was five years younger than myself.
Life will go on. We won’t have emuch of a celebration this year unfortunately. Already I have canceled the Company CNY dinner. Half my staff are in quarantine, and all public areas are shut down.
It’s gonna be one heck of a strange year it seems…
Conclusion
And that is my first hand account of what happens when someone gets Covid-19 inside of China. This is it. The real deal. I hope that you see what is going on, how China handles it and what it is like for us experiencing it first hand.
No. We are not being welded shut in our homes.
No, we are not pining away for “freedom” and “democracy”, and no we are not starving with empty and bare shelves. It’s all pretty normal, just really mellow and calm. It’s sort of like how after 9-11 all the New Yorkers walked in silence towards the outside of the city.
Calm and peaceful.
That’s us.
The longer that I am in China, the longer I have come to embrace the fact that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. And that we must all work together in our own little, tiny ways, so that our world… our bubble of existence… our streets… and our friends are all better, cleaner, healthier, and happier. The future does belong to the Rufus.
Be that kind of person. Be that Rufus. Video. 20MB
Yeah, I get it. Donald Trump is running against Biden. It’s neck to neck,and coronavirus is ravishing America, and soon global warming (or is it cooling) is going to destroy the world as we know it. We must do something! Everyone screeches! And of course we have the underlying themes of “China is evil, bat eating, monsters”, and America must get involved in the Middle East, with Turkey and fight Iran, or some other such nonsense. And of course, a few billions of dollars in a train line that will connect Alaska with California is being considered as long as the right “palms are being greased”. Yawn.
Well, sit back.
“Pop a top” off your favorite ice cold beverage (if it’s wine it can be room temperature), and put on some easy tunes in the background.
We are going to discuss some really nice (and unappreciated) subjects right now. We are gonna talk about pies.
Pies.
Yup.
Pies.
Delicious, and tasty pies. You know, those things that are so delicious that most Americans now only get to sample a mere few times a month. Pies.
Wondrous.
Delicious.
Pies.
Almost every culture around the world has their own variation of a pie, whether it’s handheld or baked in a pan. Historically, pies have been favored not only for their delicious flavors but their ability to preserve their fillings for extended periods of time. This was especially useful not only during the winter but for long sea voyages as well.
In some places, pie underwent various transformations in public opinion, running the gamut from being praised to being considered deadly. But ultimately, pie has come out on top and is often brought out as a favorite treat during holidays.
The very first pies were primarily filled with meat, more often than not a type of bird. But before long, pies had conquered every flavor from savory to sweet. They now come in every imaginable shape and size and have transformed in every culture that they’ve come into contact with, creating a worldwide range of pies that is changing and coming up with new combinations of flavors every day. This is the long history of pie explained.
Memories…
An Australian or New Zealand meat pie is a hand-sized meat pie containing diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a takeaway food snack. The meat pie is considered iconic in Australia and New Zealand. It was described by former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr in 2003 as Australia's "national dish". New Zealanders regard the meat pie as a part of New Zealand cuisine, and it forms part of the New Zealand national identity.
-Wikipedia
The one thing that I will forever remember is the delicious “meat pie” that I used to get in Australia. There was this woman who would drive over an sell these “meat pies” to any one in the office. These were so delicious and she carried three different types and kinds that she manufactured at home in her kitchen.
Delicious home made Australian meat pie. One of the best things about Australia. You haven’t lived until you had a fresh home-made Australian meat pie.
She was my “meat pie lady”. And Lordy, I was her meat pie man.
Australian meat pie.
If you have never tried one, then you are truly missing out of one of the great pleasures in life. How Australians can keep such a wondrous thing so secret is beyond me. It has to be one of my most favorite things about Australia, and believe you me, I have many, many things that I love about Australia.
Traditionally, Aussie Meat Pies are made with beef sirloin, minced quite small along with other vegetables such as onions, carrots and mushrooms. (Although some Aussie Meat Pie are just onions and beef.) For our recipe, we went with beef loin choice sirloin tips – keeping the beef in larger chunks for cooking.
-Aussie Meat Pies - A Family Feast
So why is this important?
Well, have you read the “news” lately? It’s all full of doom and gloom. The world is apparently falling apart at the seams, and “something must be done!”. But not to worry, there is a hero on the sidelines that will set everything right. Everyone must just obey him and the world will be good again.
Does all this “news” make your life better in some way? Do you feel like you are happier, more energized, and in complete control of our world and the world around you?
Well, I will have to keep the last article in mind the next time that I have a heart attack. I’ll get the cute EMS chick and tell her to have sex with me right then on the spot. You know! For humanity!
Today, where I live, it’s raining.
The rain is falling down in a light drizzle.
The neighborhood kitty-cats are are chillin’ out and look at each other between the hedges, the shrubs and the bushes. maybe something along the lines of this…
Cats being cats.
And you know what?
Do you think that they care anything at all about all this “news” going on? Do you think that they give a damn, or care a “rat’s ass” about anything going on in Washington DC? Do you think they care what is going on with the NFL, or Donald Trump? Nope.
They do not.
Nor does the rest of the world either.
And the rain still gently falls…
…
It’s days and times like this that are perfect to go into a nice local diner and get yourself a nice cup of coffee. No. I am not talking about the Starbucks franchise where you pay just under $10 for a coffee. I am talking about sitting at a counter, getting a nice cup of ‘Joe and a slice of pie (with a scoop of ice cream) for half that amount.
Nothing goes better with coffee than a nice freshly baked pie.
So what defines a pie?
A pie is considered to be any sort of pastry shell that has a filling, either meat or sweet, and is covered with a top crust.
Simple, eh?
The top crust is an essential component in traditional pies, for according to Everything Pies, without the top crust, the pastry simply becomes a tart. (A tart is a pie without a top? Who would of known?)
A delicious American meat pie. It’s not just Australians that get to enjoy this wonderful treat, don’t you know.
While a tart may be considered a subset of a pie, most American pies would be considered tarts in England. This discrepancy emerged when pies transformed in their travels to America.
The word "pie" started being used in Medieval Latin around 1300. It's likely related to "pia," meaning "pastry," and is also believed to be connected with the word "pica," which refers to magpies. This connection is thought to be because of the birds' habit of collecting random objects, often like the ingredients that went into pies.
-Online Etymology Dictionary
While purists will maintain strict definitions of what counts as a pie or not, almost every culture has a version of a pie, especially ones that are handheld and portable.
Pies around the world
Rightly so, pies have proliferated around the world. While the form may vary across cultures, there seems to be a consistent urge across the globe to fill pastry shells with some sort of savory or sweet filling.
American Blueberry pie.
Hand pies are especially prolific, because who wouldn’t want a pie that’s portable?
While most hand pies have a semilunar shape, they can be found in all shapes and sizes around the world. Most hand pies are smaller versions of traditional meat pies, but no two are entirely alike.
Empanadas and Jamaican patties are arguably the most popular hand pies in the world, but spanakopitas and samosas come in at a close second.
-The Takeout
Bastilla, also known as pastilla, is an example of a Moroccan meat pie that brings together the two ends of the pie spectrum, sweet and savory, into a rich blend of poultry, cinnamon, almonds, and sugar.
Even pizza masquerades as a pie. But no matter where one travels, pies have surely gotten there first.
Hieroglyphic pie recipes
The earliest known dish resembling a pie comes from the Neolithic period in ancient Egypt, as far back as between roughly 9500 BCE and 2000 BCE.
I can well imagine some Ancient Egyptians chillin’ out under the trees, and smunching on a fine pie. (In those days, Egypt was not a desert. It was forested with woodlands, wet lands, and a great diversity of wildlife. All under a bright blue sky.)
According to the BBC, one example of an ancient Egyptian pie was made out of barley, oats, rye, or wheat and filled with honey. The crust is thought to have been rather dense, and since the crusts of some of the early pies weren’t meant to be eaten, it’s possible that this crust was meant to hold the filling rather than be eaten itself, similar to a bread bowl.
Well…
That’s what they think, eh?
According to What’s Cooking America, drawings of pies that used fruits and honey can also be found on the walls of the tomb of Ramses II, who ruled from 1304 to 1237 BCE. And who would of known that Ramses the Great was a pie lover?
Ancient Egyptians also made classic meat pies as well, with a chicken pie recipe being found carved in hieroglyphs on a tablet. The first recorded use of yeast occurred around roughly 2600 BCE, so it’s likely that they were making bread-filled pastries around the same time.
Chicken and dumplings couldn’t have been far behind…
Feteer meshaltet is thought to have appeared in a semilunar form at one point as well, and it’s believed that the semilunar feteer meshaltet traveled to France, where it transformed into the croissant. Probably brought over by some of those French Soldiers that were busily conquering Egypt for the Great French Empire.
You know, back then France had to conduct these “police actions” in the middle East, or else they might suffer the fate of… (well, no one really knows what they would suffer from…)… but they had to do it… for the children (don’t you know) and for other reasons that I just cannot say because of “national security”.
You know the drill.
Feteer meshaltet
Pies for all of history
From ancient Egypt, pies made their way into ancient Greece by the fifth century BCE.
According to Visit Greece, pies were part of the everyday diet of ancient Greeks. They loved their pies. It was almost a national obsession. Greeks and pies were inseparable. You know, like olive oil and wine.
And every city and village, whether on the mainland or on an island, has their own version of a pie, with different fillings, sizes, and shapes.
According to Cycladia, the Northwestern region of Epirus is the most famous region for Greek pies, likely due to its high population of sheep, which produce a wide variety of cheese, and its plethora of herbs and vegetation. Spanakopita is likely the most famous Greek pie, known for its savory spinach and cheese layers.
Spanakopita a traditional Greek pie.
The Greek poet Philoxenus writes in his poem “The Banquet” of the hosts of a party serving a pastry made with honey and milk that was baked like a pie. Pies are even mentioned in the plays of Aristophanes, with multiple descriptions of small pastries filled with fruit.
Well, the Romans had some ideas. And they believed that debauchery is best served with delicious pies, members of the opposite sex, and lots and lots of wine. And maybe some surprises…
And so, the Romans took the concept from the Greeks and made their pastry shells specifically for encasing and preserving the taste of the filling, rather than to be eaten. It was this version of the pie that made its way through Europe and to Britain.
History and Pies
I know, I know. I get it.
Why would anyone give a care or concern about early pie design? Who care what the Egyptians, the Greeks or the Romans ate? Why does it matter now? After all, this is the “most important time in history” don’t you know. We have been told this over and over and over. How America is so wonderful, and if it wasn’t for the great works of America, China and Europe would be nothing.
Well…
Maybe. Maybe not.
The rest of the world aren’t some kind of pale shadow that sit in the dark recesses of the curtains and await for the latest news out of Washington DC. The rest of the world just doesn’t care. It just doesn’t care.
And you shouldn’t either.
So I am gonna illustrate why you should care more about what the ancient Greeks ate and drank than what the “news” out of Washington DC says…
Ohhh. So much strife. So much bad news. So much SHIT being piled up upon you all in big smouldering piles.
Is the news actually real?
See all these “reporters” who are monitoring and reporting on the horrible abuse of the poor defenseless freedom-loving pro-democracy protestors. You can see just how ugly and terrible the HK police is, now can’t you?
I argue that all “news” is fake and intentional manipulation.
I also argue that there is no longer any “alternative” sources for news and opinion. They are all controlled by the government. Yes, that mans not only the “mainstream press”, but also the Alt-Right and the Alt-Left press. To see just how insane this all is, you need to step out of your environment and look in. You know, like an outsider would.
Let’s try this exercise, shall we.
Let’s step out side and look in.
Let’s look at what the Indian Press is reporting on. As I have, for the longest time been preaching that the American CIA under Mike Pompeo controls the Indian press, and Indian “news”. So what is the Indian press reporting on…
Yeah. The “war drums” are beating really loudly in India.
Bet you weren’t aware of that, were you? That’s because the news is for Indian consumption, not for American, Chinese, or Russian consumption. The Indian news is to direct the mood, and motivations of Indians for easy control by their government.
Just like it is for the American news media. It is for control of the American population. It is not the “truth”.
Makes me want to chill out and have a pie.
When the world seems out of control, it’s a sign that you all need to go ahead, sit down and have nice delicious pie.
And that is the truth.
You see…
The entire world is trying to twist you, turn you, manipulate you. It is trying to fleece you with a billion tiny hands on your wallet, and using your emotions to force you to do things and move in certain predetermined ways. The ruling oligarchy knows this, and they are not concerned. They know that it’s all bullshit.
So what happens when…
…when you are so caught up in the pains of “modern life” that you don’t know what to do? Well, the answer is simple.
You go out and get a pie.
When the world seems out of control, and everything is hard, harsh and gloomy, you can always count on a fine cup of coffee and a fresh pie.
And pies…
Well, it doesn’t need to be a pie. It can be a ice-cold butterscotch milkshake. It can be a few hours fishing. It can be a bicycle ride down the quiet residential streets of your community. It can be carving some wood. It can be a nice quiet ride in a canoe. It can be just chilling our with your dog under your tree in the back yard, with a ice cold frosty beer in your hand.
It can be anything.
And for me…
…on this rainy day, it’s pies.
Pies get medieval
In medieval Britain, pies were primarily filled with meat, and the pastry shells weren’t necessarily eaten, like in Rome. The biggest appeal of pies was their ability to conserve space and preserve food for a longer time, especially on long sea voyages. These pies also had significantly more crust than filling and were known as “pyes.”
According to Slate, the pie crust was solely functional and was intended to be a hard shell that had to be broken open to get at the delicious filling inside. The crust was made to be incredibly thick so that it was able to withstand being baked over a fire for several hours. And funnily enough, the pie crusts themselves were referred to as “cofyns,” which just means “box.” This especially emphasizes the pie’s ability to store food, since the thick crust also helped keep food fresh for longer.
Of course, the need to make an easy food that is portable remains to this day. In the more remote and mountainous areas of China, the food still has to be transported up the mountainsides and through inhospitable terrain. It is important that the food be easy to eat with one hand while the other hand holds the ladder… (Click for the movie to pop up in a different tab.)
During this time, the most common filling was crow, and it’s rumored that the feet were used as handles. Birds in general were often used as filling, and songbirds especially were considered a delicacy. But according to Pie: A Global History by Janet Clarkson, it’s not clear exactly what the recipes for medieval pie crusts were. Medieval cookbooks weren’t intended to be instruction manuals and were instead more for those who were tasked with provisioning the kitchen, rather than the cooks themselves. And since pies were so commonplace, almost every cook knew how to make the crust in their sleep.
Eating crow is a colloquial idiom, used in some English-speaking countries, that means humiliation by admitting having been proven wrong after taking a strong position.
The crow is a carrion-eater that is presumably repulsive to eat in the same way that being proven wrong might be emotionally hard to swallow . The exact origin of the idiom is unknown, but it probably began with an American story published around 1850 about a dim-witted New York farmer.
-Eating crow - Wikipedia
Breaking out of the pie shell
Medieval pies sometimes included dinner and a show. Known as animated pies, a large crust would be baked over a wooden scaffolding with a hole in the bottom, from which the cook would afterward seal in live birds and a cooked pie. This way, when the top crust was cut open, the live birds would fly out of the outer pie. This custom is still referenced today in the nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence.” Live birds weren’t the only things that burst out of pies. According to What’s Cooking America, other small animals, such as turtles, rabbits, and frogs, were also frequently incorporated.
Never a dull moment, don’t ya know.
Sometimes, people would also pop out for entertainment. One such person was Jeffrey Hudson, who was known for his small stature, reportedly standing only 18 inches tall at age seven. According to The Vintage News, when Hudson was seven, he was presented to King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria in London, bursting through the crust of a pie dressed in knight’s armor. Queen Henrietta was so amused by Hudson’s small stature that she took him on as her court dwarf.
What an honor! Wouldn’t you just love to be the royal court dwarf?
While there were some versions of sweet pies, in medieval Britain, they were distinguished from meat pies as tarts. And since sugar was expensive and rare, it wasn’t commonly used as an ingredient, so medieval sweet pies might not be considered sweet to a modern palette.
Personally, I would find them rather disgusting.
The queen always tries first
While Elizabeth I isn’t necessarily remembered for her role in the legacy of pie, she’s actually involved in the story of what’s thought to be the world’s first cherry pie. According to the BBC, the first cherry pie was reportedly baked for Elizabeth, although no one knows whether or not she enjoyed it.
When was the last time that you had a fine and delicious cherry pie? For me, it was far too long ago. Sigh.
During the 16th century, pies also continued the tradition of having appearances in plays. A pie plays a pivotal role in William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, becoming a literal coffin for Chiron and Demetrius after they brutalize Titus’ children. Titus not only kills Chiron and Demetrius and bakes them into a pie, but he goes on to serve that pie to their mother before murdering her as well.
Pies were also a popular snack for people in the upper classes to eat while watching the plays of Shakespeare. According to The Star, those who sat in the gallery often enjoyed meat pies in addition to crabs and dried figs. People in lower classes who watched from the yard snacked on oysters instead.
And, yes. No wonder there was a problem with over-population in the lower classes. heh heh.
Pies travel the Atlantic
As the British invaded and colonized North America, they brought pies along with them. I always envisioned that the reason that the British wore coats of red, was to cover up the pie stains that they would have from their massive intakes of delicious and wondrous pies.
While the popularity of pies wouldn’t explode until the 1800s, colonists often made pies in order to preserve the foods that were used for filling, which would keep during the winter months. According to Time Magazine, despite the fact that apple pie is considered to be quintessentially American, even that came over from England. And until sugar became included in the recipe, it was a far cry from the sweet treat known today.
Mark Twain, also known as Samuel Clemens, was reportedly a big fan of pies, and when he visited Europe, he apparently disparaged the food he encountered, longing instead for the many different kinds of pie to be found back home in the United States.
Mark twain on censorship.
According to Slate, it was during their travel to America that the difference between tarts and pies became lost to the Americans. It was also around this time that sweet pies began to be more popular. With the establishment of sugar colonies in the Caribbean, sugar became much more common than it had previously been. And thus…
The rise of sweet pies
During their occupation and colonization of the Caribbean, the British established hundreds of sugar colonies that were kept running by the enslaved people kidnapped from Africa. On most of the islands, upwards of 80 percent of the population was enslaved. And you know why they needed to do it. It was “for the children”, and while the records are either missing or sealed, we know that it was because of “national security”.
The spread of sugar plantations led to the proliferation of sugar across Europe and North America, demonstrative in the rise of sweet pies. According to Pie: A Global History by Janet Clarkson, while fruit wasn’t entirely absent from pie recipes before the inclusion of sugar, it was rarely the primary ingredient. Most pies were made of a mixture of meats and the newly acquired sugar from the slave plantations.
America became a new world full of wondrous delights and fun and frolic.
By the Victorian era, mince pies, made of an assortment of dried fruits and spices, were also a common sugary treat, and soon, “mincemeat” didn’t even have to include meat. And recipe books began including meat-free versions alongside traditional meat pie recipes, allowing for the proliferation of hundreds of different types of pies. With the spread of dairy and eggs, cream pies also rose in popularity alongside fruit pies.
The criticism of pies
As pie became more popular, it also came under attack in the mid-1800s. According to the Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Magazine published an attack on pies in 1866, which hyperbolically claimed that, “Pie in countless varieties waits upon us through life. Pie kills us finally.” Claiming that the dough of pie crusts was indigestible, dietary reformers continually tried to steer people away from eating pies.
Why “there ought to be a law”…
According to The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, dietary reformers claimed to be interested in the science of nutrition, but a lot of their attacks seemed to be geared toward immigrants and low-income people. Claiming that if people changed what they ate, then the American spirit wouldn’t be weighed down by so much dough, people like Sarah Tyson Rore, food editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal, made sure to frequently warn people about how pies took too much energy to digest. I am sure that she had the “best interests” of the people in mind.
Don’t you?
You all don’t want that insatiable “American spirit” to die and drown out under a gluttony of pies.
The Century Cookbook, published in 1895, decided to include the comment that, “The American pie is perhaps the most ridiculed of dishes. […] The mince pie, probably the most indigestible of all, is the one universally accepted as a treat, and seldom refused by the scoffer.”
According to Smithsonian Magazine, some even believed that eating pie was a cause of divorce, like alcoholism.
Eating a pie was the first step towards alcoholism.
Eating a pie was the first step to a divorce.
Eating a pie, and suddenly the women would want to smoke cigarettes.
Eating a pie, and before you know it, woman’s ankles will be exposed to the public!
But with the outbreak of World War I, eating pie became a patriotic activity. Pies became a symbol of that which soldiers missed while they were off fighting in foreign countries. This association with patriotism would continue.
Eat a pie and fight the evil German horde!
The easiest people to manipulate are those that believe that they are avoiding manipulation by reading “alternative media” like Alt-Right or Alt-Left publications.
The alternating popularity of pie
According to Slate, during the Great Depression, Ritz crackers began including recipes for “mock apple pie” on the backs of their boxes. Made with the times in mind, the recipe suggested soaking the crackers in vanilla, lemon, and cinnamon to be used instead of real apple filling, since apples were in short supply and too expensive to indulge in.
1936 advertisement for Ritz Crackers.
By the mid-20th century, however, the popularity of pies began to rise again as canned fruit and instant pudding mixes made it easier to make filling. Ready-made pie crusts also drastically simplified the pie-making process, and with the spread of home refrigeration, chilled pie recipes also became increasingly common.
But, according to The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, simultaneously, the amount of pies being made started to dip as a result of urbanization and industrialization. As more and more women joined the workforce, the act of making a pie every week was too laborious an activity, so it started to become more of an occasional undertaking for special occasions. Like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
All the same, pies continued to persevere as a symbol of America. According to Smithsonian Magazine, when Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev went to New York City in 1960, someone sent an apple pie to his Park Avenue address. The American pie was meant to represent all the layers that America had, while “the Communist pie is nothing but crust.”
Communist China meat baozi. It’s a small palm sized pie that is steam and served piping hot and full of delicious and tasty juices.
After being called “an American evil” and an “unmoral food [sic]” by Kate Masterson in The New York Times in 1902, pies have remained a classic of not only American cuisine but of cuisines around the world.
Back in the day, having a pie thrown in your face was considered the height of comedy.
Pies have even become punnily associated with Pi Day, celebrated on March 14 due to its resemblance to the mathematical number.
But it seems that the exact definition of a pie still eludes us. According to Slate, Emily Elsen, founder of the pie shop “Four and Twenty Blackbirds,” her European customers call her pies “cakes,” and the debate of pies vs. tarts seems endless.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, the phrase “as American as apple pie” didn’t appear until 1924, when it was used in an advertisement for men’s suits. But no one culture has a monopoly on pies. Pies have transformed in every culture they’ve engaged with, and even if no one can determine exactly what counts as a pie, few will pass up a free slice.
And why this matters…
It seems like everyone, around the world, loves a good pie.
They are made everywhere, and if there is an argument between two people, the surest way to stop the argument is to offer them a free slice of pizza pie.
But you don’t have to do that, don’t you know.
You don’t have to wait until there is conflict or arguments or turmoil, or strife to take action. You can go out right now and get yourself a fine tasty pie. And what’s stopping you? When was the last time you went into a diner and got a slice of pie? Or is the only pie that you eat from McDonalds?
What is stopping you?
Stop waiting. Start doing.
And …
And…
Why eat it alone? Why not ask that cute chick out for a free slice of pie and a cup of coffee, or your friends, or maybe you next door neighbor? Why not? What’s stopping you from driving over to your grandmothers house, and telling her that you want to take her out to get a fresh hot pie and a cup of coffee. Why not?
No.
You are not going to do it, are you?
You like the pre-birth world-line template that you are on right now, and doing something like this is way out of your character. Isn’t it?
Admit it.
isn’t it?
Or…
Maybe you have something better to do. Maybe the grass needs to be mowed, or the “news” is on and there is some urgent breaking news about the President! Or maybe there will be a hurricane, a tornado, or global warming (or cooling) will come forth and crush your life. Ya gotta be prepared. Don’t you know.
Look out the window.
It’s beautiful out there.
Beautiful.
There’s a beautiful world out there. Maybe you need to go forth and enjoy it some.
And…
Well, for me the drizzle ended. It’s in the evening, and the sun is starting to dusk out. People are going out and relaxing. Some school kids are playing basketball out, and I can see a few couples strolling along the beach with their dog. I hear the school kids playing outside my building. It’s nice.
In fact, this time of the day is my favorite (well, one of my favorites). It’s when things start to get cooler and a nice breeze kicks up. The lights offer a rosy yellow gold glow to the deepening blue of the sky and the deep shades of the lush trees are soft, deep and dark.
At this time of the day, I usually toss the trash out.
Yeah, I know. Boring, eh?
Then we either go out to eat, or stay in. Not that I am hungry right now, but a fine glass of wine and some delicious food is always welcome. And that is what it is all about, isn’t it.
I can see some folk eating Shao Kao next door. This is the Chinese version of BBQ. You can smell the chicken cooking, and the hot peppers (yeah, it’s a thing. You put the hot peppers on a stick and you cook them. They lose about half of their hot spiciness, and get a little sweet.) The guys are starting to have a few beers with their meal. Nice.
You know.
All around the world we are the same.
The Chinese aren’t that evil bat-soup slurping group of evil heathen, and Americans are not pristine knights in white satin doing the good work of Jesus. We are just people. Living life. Having fun. Making friends. Enjoying the moments together.
I like to believe that there is a woman for every man, and many people that share the same interests that we all hold inside…
So…
What’s stopping YOU?
Is it that you don’t think that you want to meet other people, other gals, or do other things? Is it because you are so caught up in your own easy and comfortable routines? Is it because that that you are so addicted to the news media that you NEED to stay inside to “get your fix” on the latest “news” and pronouncements?
Well…
That’s all a lie. It’s a nice comfortable lie that sticks you all to the pre-birth world-line template like a fly stuck on fly-paper. If you all really want your dreams and wishes to manifest, you all will need to break off and out of that artificial environment that has entrapped you.
And this environment is complex. It involves many things…
Your habits, that prevent you from deviation off your world-line trajectory.
The “news” that constantly programs and reprograms your mind.
Your friends and associations that repeat the “news”.
The music you listen to and the movies you watch.
And these are the things that await you once you become self-actuated…
Pretty Girls
Whether you are in a relationship now or not, everyone deserves to have more friends. They add color and depth to our life. As well as maybe helping to point out the “door handles” that lie upon the “hallway of life”. Click to see the movie in a different tab.
And or , maybe someone like this…
Click on the picture (like the above) to see the movie in a different tab.
The thing about all this is that our universe is the most colorful, exciting and wonderful when we are interacting with others. With other people. Not with other things. So that illusion that you can conduct business from behind a computer monitor, or have a Zoom chat instead of a face-to-face meeting is pretty much a lie. Real people interact in time-honed interpersonal ways.
So self-actuate.
Go forth and interact with others.
And maybe you have “had it” with people! I am one person who absolutely understands. But what about our other friends, or pets; our dogs and cats in our lives. You know…. Like this…
Click to see the movie in a different tab.
Or maybe your life has become a little too predictable, too stale. Too boring. maybe you need to go to a KTV and liven things up. Maybe something like this… You know, more my speed. Heh. Heh.
(Taken outside one of the KTV rooms. Click to see the movie in a different tab.)
Or like this on the inside.
Here’s a chick singing Gee Gee Gee, LOL. Yeah. It’s all sort of like this.
Or perhaps you are not American, and your idea of social interaction and belonging is different. that is not a problem. No matter how you feel, and no matter how you express yourself, you all should do it and do it your way. Do things your way, and on your terms. Just do it.
Here’s from the Samoan Islands. Grand. Just Grand.
I do miss my friends there. I really do. There are some really fine, fine folk in American Samoa. I’ll tell you what.
I guess that the point that I am trying to make is that life is about experiencing the adventure of it. But by the nature of our consciousness and our reality, it is so very easy to get fixed and comfortable on a life-line vector that is fine and comfortable.
I think that the greatest amount of fun might happen when you do something different.
Not drastically different mind you, but different enough.
Like getting a pie and a cup of coffee in a diner or a local restaurant. Not a fast food “joint”.
It’s your life, and your choices. You choose. You flick the new “switches” and set your world-line vector to new directions and buckle up your seatbelt. Because the moment you start to deviate off of your comfort zone, you SLIDE to new realities, and then…
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This is the full text of law #9 from “The 48 Laws of Power” written by Robert Greene. This specific law is titled “Win through your actions, never through argument.” I personally believe that this most basic of laws should be taught in elementary school. Once you master it, you realize that your life is in your hands and under your control. For only with you doing things, and taking action, can you win any argument. This law is not for the passive. This law is not for the sheep. This law is for the self actuated that live among us within society.
This law is something that I have learned and appreciated over time. Don’t explain. Demonstrate.
And if people “don’t get it”, well then… it’s not your problem.
And while I am at it…
Alpha Males never explain or justify their actions. They are never on the defensive. They never try to convince any one of any thing. The weaker beta-males do.
Be yourself. Anything less is below you.
LAW 9
WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT
JUDGMENT
Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW
In 131 B.C., the Roman consul Publius Crassus Dives Mucianus, laying siege to the Greek town of Pergamus, found himself in need of a battering ram to force through the town’s walls. He had seen a couple of hefty ship’s masts in a shipyard in Athens a few days before, and he ordered that the larger of these be sent to him immediately. The military engineer in Athens who received the order felt certain that the consul really wanted the smaller of the masts. He argued endlessly with the soldiers who delivered the request: The smaller mast, he told them, was much better suited to the task. And indeed it would be easier to transport.
The soldiers warned the engineer that their master was not a man to argue with, but he insisted that the smaller mast would be the only one that would work with a machine that he was constructing to go with it. He drew diagram after diagram, and went so far as to say that he was the expert and they had no clue what they were talking about. The soldiers knew their leader and at last convinced the engineer that it would be better to swallow his expertise and obey.
After they left, though, the engineer thought about it some more. What was the point, he asked himself, in obeying an order that would lead to failure? And so he sent the smaller mast, confident that the consul would see how much more effective it was and reward him justly.
When the smaller mast arrived, Mucianus asked his soldiers for an explanation. They described to him how the engineer had argued endlessly for the smaller mast, but had finally promised to send the larger one. Mucianus went into a rage. He could not concentrate on the siege, or consider the importance of breaching the walls before the town received reinforcements. All he could think about was the impudent engineer, whom he ordered to be brought to him immediately.
Arriving a few days later, the engineer gladly explained to the consul, one more time, the reasons for the smaller mast. He went on and on, using the same arguments he had made with the soldiers. He said it was wise to listen to experts in these matters, and if the attack was only tried with the battering ram he had sent, the consul would not regret it. Mucianus let him finish, then had him stripped naked before the soldiers and flogged and scourged with rods until he died.
THE SULTAN AND THE VIZIER
A vizier had served his master for some thirty years and was known and admired for his loyalty, truthfulness, and devotion to God. His honesty, however, had made him many enemies in the court, who spread stories of
his duplicity and perfidy. They worked on the sultan day in and day out until he too came to distrust the innocent vizier and finally ordered the man who had served him so well to be put to death. In this realm, those condemned to death were tied up and thrown into the pen where the sultan kept his fiercest hunting dogs. The dogs would promptly tear the victim to pieces. Before being thrown to the dogs, however, the vizier asked for one last request. “I would like ten days’ respite,” he said, “so that I can pay my debts, collect any money due to me, return items that people have put in my care, and share out my goods among the members of my family and my children and appoint a guardian for them.” After receiving a guarantee that the vizier
would not try to escape, the sultan granted this request. The vizier hurried home, collected one hundred gold pieces, then paid a visit to the huntsman who looked after the sultan’s dogs. He offered this man the one hundred gold pieces and said, “Let me look after the dogs for ten days.” The huntsman agreed, and for the next ten days the vizier cared for the beasts with great attention, grooming them well and feeding them handsomely. By the end of the ten days they were eating out of his hand.
On the eleventh day the vizier was called before the sultan, the charges were repeated, and the sultan watched as the vizier was tied up and thrown to the dogs. Yet when the beasts saw him, they ran up to him with wagging tails. They nibbled affectionately at his shoulders and began playing with him. The sultan and the other witnesses were amazed, and the sultan asked the vizier why the dogs had spared his life. The vizier replied, “I have looked after these dogs for ten days. The sultan has seen the result for
himself. I have looked after you for thirty years, and what is the result? I am condemned to death on the strength of accusations brought by my enemies. ”The sultan blushed with shame. He not only pardoned the vizier but gave him a fine set of clothes and handed over to him the men who had slandered his reputation. The noble vizier set them free and continued to treat them with kindness.
-THE SUBTLE RUSE: THE BOOK OF ARABIC WISDOM AND GUILE, THIRTEENTH CENTURY
Interpretation
The engineer, whose name has not been recorded by history, had spent his life designing masts and pillars, and was respected as the finest engineer in a city that had excelled in the science. He knew that he was right. A smaller ram would allow more speed and carry more force. Larger is not necessarily better. Of course the consul would see his logic, and would eventually understand that science is neutral and reason superior. How could the consul possibly persist in his ignorance if the engineer showed him detailed diagrams and explained the theories behind his advice?
The military engineer was the quintessence of the Arguer, a type found everywhere among us. The Arguer does not understand that words are never neutral, and that by arguing with a superior he impugns the intelligence of one more powerful than he. He also has no awareness of the person he is dealing with. Since each man believes that he is right, and words will rarely convince him otherwise, the arguer’s reasoning falls on deaf ears. When cornered, he only argues more, digging his own grave. Once he has made the other person feel insecure and inferior in his beliefs, the eloquence of Socrates could not save the situation.
It is not simply a question of avoiding an argument with those who stand above you. We all believe we are masters in the realm of opinions and reasoning. You must be careful, then: Learn to demonstrate the correctness of your ideas indirectly.
OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW
In 1502, in Florence, Italy, an enormous block of marble stood in the works department of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore. It had once been a magnificent piece of raw stone, but an unskillful sculptor had mistakenly bored a hole through it where there should have been a figure’s legs, generally mutilating it. Piero Soderini, Florence’s mayor, had contemplated trying to save the block by commissioning Leonardo da Vinci to work on it, or some other master, but had given up, since everyone agreed that the stone had been ruined. So, despite the money that had been wasted on it, it gathered dust in the dark halls of the church.
This was where things stood until some Florentine friends of the great Michelangelo decided to write to the artist, then living in Rome. He alone, they said, could do something with the marble, which was still magnificent raw material. Michelangelo traveled to Florence, examined the stone, and came to the conclusion that he could in fact carve a fine figure from it, by adapting the pose to the way the rock had been mutilated. Soderini argued that this was a waste of time—nobody could salvage such a disaster—but he finally agreed to let the artist work on it. Michelangelo decided he would depict a young David, sling in hand.
Weeks later, as Michelangelo was putting the final touches on the statue, Soderini entered the studio. Fancying himself a bit of a connoisseur, he studied the huge work, and told Michelangelo that while he thought it was magnificent, the nose, he judged, was too big. Michelangelo realized that Soderini was standing in a place right under the giant figure and did not have the proper perspective. Without a word, he gestured for Soderini to follow him up the scaffolding. Reaching the nose, he picked up his chisel, as well as a bit of marble dust that lay on the planks. With Soderini just a few feet below him on the scaffolding, Michelangelo started to tap lightly with the chisel, letting the bits of dust he had gathered in his hand to fall little by little. He actually did nothing to change the nose, but gave every appearance of working on it. After a few minutes of this charade he stood aside: “Look at it now.” “I like it better,” replied Soderini, “you’ve made it come alive.”
Interpretation
Michelangelo knew that by changing the shape of the nose he might ruin the entire sculpture. Yet Soderini was a patron who prided himself on his aesthetic judgment. To offend such a man by arguing would not only gain Michelangelo nothing, it would put future commissions in jeopardy. Michelangelo was too clever to argue. His solution was to change Soderini’s perspective (literally bringing him closer to the nose) without making him realize that this was the cause of his misperception.
Fortunately for posterity, Michelangelo found a way to keep the perfection of the statue intact while at the same time making Soderini believe he had improved it. Such is the double power of winning through actions rather than argument: No one is offended, and your point is proven.
THE WORKS OF AMASIS
When Apries had been deposed in the way I have described, Amasis came to the throne. He belonged to the district of Sais and was a native of the town called Siuph. At first the Egyptians were inclined to be contemptuous,and did not think much of him because of his humble and undistinguished origin; but later on he cleverly brought them to heel, without having recourse to harsh measures. Amongst his innumerable treasures, he had a gold footbath, which he and his guests used on occasion to wash their feet in. This he broke up, and with the material had a statue made to one of the gods, which he then set up in what he thought the most suitable spot in the city. The Egyptians constantly coming upon the statue, treated it with profound reverence, and as soon as Amasis heard of the effect it had upon them, he called a meeting and revealed the fact that the deeply revered statue was once a footbath, which they washed their feet and pissed and vomited in. He went on to say that his own case was much the same, in that once he had been only an ordinary person and was now their king; so that just as they had come to revere the transformed footbath, so they had better pay honor and respect to him, too. In this way the Egyptians were persuaded to accept him as their master.
-THE HISTORIES. HERODOTUS. FIFTH CENTURY B.C.
KEYS TO POWER
In the realm of power you must learn to judge your moves by their long- term effects on other people. The problem in trying to prove a point or gain a victory through argument is that in the end you can never be certain how it affects the people you’re arguing with: They may appear to agree with you politely, but inside they may resent you. Or perhaps something you said inadvertently even offended them—words have that insidious ability to be interpreted according to the other person’s mood and insecurities. Even the best argument has no solid foundation, for we have all come to distrust the slippery nature of words. And days after agreeing with someone, we often revert to our old opinion out of sheer habit.
Understand this: Words are a dime a dozen. Everyone knows that in the heat of an argument, we will all say anything to support our cause. We will quote the Bible, refer to unverifiable statistics. Who can be persuaded by bags of air like that? Action and demonstration are much more powerful and meaningful. They are there, before our eyes, for us to see—“Yes, now the statue’s nose does look just right.” There are no offensive words, no possibility of misinterpretation. No one can argue with a demonstrated proof. As Baltasar Gracián remarks, “The truth is generally seen, rarely heard.”
Sir Christopher Wren was England’s version of the Renaissance man. He had mastered the sciences of mathematics, astronomy, physics, and physiology. Yet during his extremely long career as England’s most celebrated architect he was often told by his patrons to make impractical changes in his designs. Never once did he argue or offend. He had other ways of proving his point.
In 1688 Wren designed a magnificent town hall for the city of Westminster. The mayor, however, was not satisfied; in fact he was nervous. He told Wren he was afraid the second floor was not secure, and that it could all come crashing down on his office on the first floor. He demanded that Wren add two stone columns for extra support. Wren, the consummate engineer, knew that these columns would serve no purpose, and that the mayor’s fears were baseless. But build them he did, and the mayor was grateful. It was only years later that workmen on a high scaffold saw that the columns stopped just short of the ceiling.
They were dummies. But both men got what they wanted: The mayor could relax, and Wren knew posterity would understand that his original design worked and the columns were unnecessary.
The power of demonstrating your idea is that your opponents do not get defensive, and are therefore more open to persuasion. Making them literally and physically feel your meaning is infinitely more powerful than argument.
A heckler once interrupted Nikita Khrushchev in the middle of a speech in which he was denouncing the crimes of Stalin. “You were a colleague of Stalin’s,” the heckler yelled, “why didn’t you stop him then?” Khrushschev apparently could not see the heckler and barked out, “Who said that?” No hand went up. No one moved a muscle. After a few seconds of tense silence, Khrushchev finally said in a quiet voice, “Now you know why I didn’t stop him.” Instead of just arguing that anyone facing Stalin was afraid, knowing that the slightest sign of rebellion would mean certain death, he had made them feel what it was like to face Stalin—had made them feel the paranoia, the fear of speaking up, the terror of confronting the leader, in this case Khrushchev. The demonstration was visceral and no more argument was necessary.
The most powerful persuasion goes beyond action into symbol. The power of a symbol—a flag, a mythic story, a monument to some emotional event—is that everyone understands you without anything being said. In 1975, when Henry Kissinger was engaged in some frustrating negotiations with the Israelis over the return of part of the Sinai desert that they had seized in the 1967 war, he suddenly broke off a tense meeting and decided to do some sight-seeing. He paid a visit to the ruins of the ancient fortress of Masada, known to all Israelis as the place where seven hundred Jewish warriors committed mass suicide in A.D. 73 rather than give in to the Roman troops besieging them. The Israelis instantly understood the message of Kissinger’s visit: He was indirectly accusing them of courting mass suicide. Although the visit did not by itself change their minds, it made them think far more seriously than any direct warning would have. Symbols like this one carry great emotional significance.
When aiming for power, or trying to conserve it, always look for the indirect route. And also choose your battles carefully. If it does not matter in the long run whether the other person agrees with you—or if time and their own experience will make them understand what you mean—then it is best not even to bother with a demonstration. Save your energy and walk away.
GOD AND ABRAUIM
The Most High God had promised that He would not take Abraham’s soul unless the man wanted to die and asked Him to do so. When Abraham’s life was drawing to a close, and God determined to seize him, He sent an angel in the guise of a decrepit old man who was almost entirely incapacitated. The old man stopped outside Abraham door and said to him, “Oh Abraham, I would like something to eat.” Abraham was amazed to hear him say this. “Die, exclaimed Abraham.”It would be better for you than to go on living in that condition.”
Abraham always kept food ready at his home for passing guests. So he gave the old man a bowl containing broth and meat with bread crumbs. The old man sat down to eat. He swallowed laboriously, with great effort, and once when he took some food it dropped from his hand, scattering on the ground. “Oh Abraham, ” he said, “help me to eat.” Abraham took the food in his hand and lifted it to the old man’s lips. But it slid down his beard and over his chest. “What is your age, old man?” asked Abraham. The old man mentioned a number of years slightly greater than Abraham’s old age. Then Abraham exclaimed: “Oh Lord Our God, take me unto You before I reach this man’s age and sink into the same condition as he is in now. ” No sooner had Abraham spoken those words than God took possession of his soul.
-THE SUBTLE RUSE: THE BOOK OF ARABIC WISDOM AND GUILE, THIRTEENTH CENTURY
Image: The Seesaw. Up and down and up and down go the arguers, getting nowhere fast. Get off the seesaw and show them your meaning without kick ing or pushing. Leave them at the top and let gravity bring them gently to the ground.
Authority: Never argue. In society nothing must be discussed; give only results. (Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881)
REVERSAL
Verbal argument has one vital use in the realm of power: To distract and cover your tracks when you are practicing deception or are caught in a lie.
In such cases it is to your advantage to argue with all the conviction you can muster. Draw the other person into an argument to distract them from your deceptive move. When caught in a lie, the more emotional and certain you appear, the less likely it seems that you are lying.
This technique has saved the hide of many a con artist. Once Count Victor Lustig, swindler par excellence, had sold dozens of suckers around the country a phony box with which he claimed to be able to copy money. Discovering their mistake, the suckers generally chose not to go the police, rather than risk the embarrassment of publicity. But one Sheriff Richards, of Remsen County, Oklahoma, was not the kind of man to accept being conned out of $10,000, and one morning he tracked Lustig down to a hotel in Chicago.
Lustig heard a knock on the door. When he opened it he was looking down the barrel of a gun. “What seems to be the problem?” he calmly asked. “You son of a bitch,” yelled the sheriff, “I’m going to kill you. You conned me with that damn box of yours!” Lustig feigned confusion. “You mean it’s not working?” he asked. “You know it’s not working,” replied the sheriff. “But that’s impossible,” said Lustig. “There’s no way it couldn’t be working. Did you operate it properly?” “I did exactly what you told me to do,” said the sheriff. “No, you must have done something wrong,” said Lustig. The argument went in circles. The barrel of the gun was gently lowered.
Lustig next went to phase two in the argument tactic: He poured out a whole bunch of technical gobbledygook about the box’s operation, completely beguiling the sheriff, who now appeared less sure of himself and argued less forcefully. “Look,” said Lustig, “I’ll give you your money back right now. I’ll also give you written instructions on how to work the machine and I’ll come out to Oklahoma to make sure it’s working properly. There’s no way you can lose on that.” The sheriff reluctantly agreed. To satisfy him totally, Lustig took out a hundred one-hundred-dollar bills and gave them to him, telling him to relax and have a fun weekend in Chicago. Calmer and a little confused, the sheriff finally left. Over the next few days Lustig checked the paper every morning. He finally found what he was looking for: A short article reporting Sheriff Richards’s arrest, trial, and conviction for passing counterfeit notes. Lustig had won the argument; the sheriff never bothered him again.
Conclusion
Why do you argue?
Is it because you want to show someone your point of view? Is that why?
But they don’t see it because they have different experiences and a different mindset. So don’t bother wasting your time. Your time is too valuable.
Act and live your life on your terms and forget about everyone else.
…
Story time…
I well remember the last time when I gave a fuck what people thought.
I was in a KTV, in China (of course).
Chinese business KTV, a pretty standard practice.
I had two girls with me (bought for me, don’t ya know). One was on my left thigh feeding me (those green sweet) grapes and the other was singing some sobby love ballad (in Chinese, that I had no clue about) on my right. I was enjoying the moment, chewing on some grapes and drinking Johnny Walker Red with Green Tea (long story, not too popular these days) and checking my social media.
It was a long day where I had ate this fantastic meal of lord only know what, and signed some contracts and made some agreements. Now it was time to relax and celebrate.
What was I doing?
Dumb-ass me was checking my social media. Back then, I was still addicted to it.
At that time, I was commenting on a website called “Free Republic” (I have since been kicked off of it, too bad – their loss) and some jackass was riding on all my comments. He just went on and on about on how filthy, stinky and polluted China was. He said he knew because he visited it back in 1998, and he knew what he was talking about. He had spent four long days in “that filthy cesspool” and couldn’t wait to leave.
And you know what?
I didn’t respond.
But, I did stop eating the grapes and slid my right hand on the chick to the left of me’s dress and cupped her soft breast. She smiled (as they all do when I do that) and I started to nibble on her neck. (KTV’s are all “hands on” and all the time. It’s pretty much a normal, not a lecherous thing, to do.) That got the singing gal to come over and start massaging my back. Oh … yeah. things got really fun after that.
Soon afterwards, I was up there singing “Better than I used to be“, and while everyone was clapping and cheering me on, I’m sure that no one knew what I was singing about. But my aide did know English, and she couldn’t get over the lyrics to “MacArthur Park”. LOL. Heh. he. (She kept on saying… “do you know what you are singing? Do you know what the song is about?”)
“Someone left the cake out in the rain, and it took so long to make it, and took so long to bake it, and I’ll never have that recipe again! Oh no!”
And you know, that’s a part of what my life is. Don’t you know. It’s fun. It’s spending time with interesting people, and playing with them. It’s about eating delicious food, and just being who you are and not giving a rat’s ass if you are politically correct or not.
Anyways. That was one of the last times I commented on that site.
Because I was the one having fun, and the rest of the people on social media, well, there were all just full of horse shit. To them, everything outside their house was gray, dark and dirty. When they turned on the movies, it’s all war, war, war, or FBI investigates serial murders, or child abductions by pedio’s or magic superheros who got bit by radioactive spiders…
It’s nonsense.
And when they try to communicate to me; the person outside their box, they cannot possibly imagine what it is like. Because they have been PROGRAMMED to fear everything outside.
So, fuck him.
What he right or wrong? Was I good or bad? I don’t know. What I do know is that I was having fun, and he was probably at home alone typing in the dark trying to convince me that I was wrong to enjoy China like I do. And, well, he would never, ever believe what happened later on that night, and up until six am when they both turned into pumpkins…
Actions.
Always remember that your life becomes [1] what you think about, and [2] what you do. And in that calculus, lies no one else. And if someone doesn’t like your behaviors, well, fuck them. You owe nothing to strangers. Just go forth and have a great time. And let it be well understood that that is what I am actually doing.
Life is too short not to enjoy life.
Go forth. Make new friends. Have new adventures, experience all the wonderful things that life has available for you. That means good food, great drink, fun companions, and “memory makers”. Ah. Memory Makers like this fine young lass here…
Do you want more?
I have more posts along these lines in my Happiness Index here…
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