The parable of the three houses

Instead of splitting Russia from China, the U.S. has unintentionally done its best to push them into a deeper alliance. It was the most severe strategic error the U.S. could make.-b

I just received a comment from a reader that said that I was “butt hurt” and hated the United States. Well, maybe I am, but I don’t hate the USA.

Instead, I simply tried to explain that I just see the bigger picture and I don’t like what I am seeing.

What I am seeing is all the makings for World War III, and the American citizenry are all actively participating in it.

Like zombies. Just going ahead allowing the rot to get worse, letting the buildings fall down, and reelecting the psychopathic to boss them into submission.

So I am going to create a parable.

It’s the parable of the three houses.

The Three Houses

Once up a time there were three houses in a town. They were all well known throughout the town as they were the biggest and largest homes in the community.

Oh, certainly there were many homes in the town. Nearly 200. But most of the homes were much smaller and inconsequential. Some were opulent, like Frans. Some were poor like little Bang A Desh. Some were complex like the house of Mex, and some were trying to fix things up like Zimmy Bob’s.

The biggest of the three was owned by a big, burly, bearded man who went by the name “Big Russ”. He was a big lumberjack and had this enormous bear for a pet.

The other two homes were roughly the same size, but one had many more children. That home was always lively and active. The kids were always playing and talking, laughing and singing.

That home was owned by a very short, quiet man named “Mr. Lee”. He was a quiet, studious man, who always spoke soft and gently. His hobby was making things, and he was always welcoming others to trade with him. When he wasn’t making things, he was always practicing his martial arts in the peace of his backyard garden.

And the last of the homes was one that sat on top of the biggest hill in the town. It was perhaps the richest of all the homes.  Everyone, for years, would look up at the home and want to live there. As it was a truly exceptional home; a mansion really.

That home was owned by a man whom everyone called “Uncle Sam”.

Some History

Now, Uncle Sam, being so tall, strong and incredibly handsome, usually got his way in everything that he did. For years, he has been able to strut around the town without confrontation.

He was so accustomed to getting a “free pass” in everything that he did that he started to brazenly offend the rest of the good townspeople.

He would go inside the other homes, raid their refrigerators, take things that he wanted and sleep with the daughters. No one liked that behavior (with a few exceptions), but no one was able to do anything about it.

And over the years, being so accustomed to being the biggest and baddest person in the town, “Uncle Sam” started to believe that it was the natural order of things. He started to believe that he was able to do this because “God favored him, his lifestyle, and his arrogance”.

He believed that he was the exception to all the rules.

He believed that he could define the rules for all the other houses in the community to obey, and that he would have his own rules; his own “exceptions”.

He started to tell this to everyone.

“I am exceptional” he said.

“I have a big shining house on the hill,” he said.

The other two big houses

Now, Uncle Sam had, from time to time, visited the homes of both Big Russ and Mr. Lee. But, he wasn’t ever welcomed, and over the years they have been getting rather antagonized, and infuriated with his actions and activities.

Realizing that, Uncle Sam pretty much stayed away from those two big homes.

Instead, he preferred to frequent the smaller homes in the less affluent section of the town. This included the homes on Mid-East Avenue, and South-Am Road.

As well as all the homes of the Stan Clan.Uncle Sam has really been active there.

Which included him having to be forcefully removed from both Aff Gan, and Kaz Is’s homes.

But, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t want to go visit Big Russ and Mr. Lee from time to time. But the thing is, that when he visited, his table manners were atrocious. His body odor was foul, and his behaviors were rude and distasteful.

What ever he once was, what he is today is something different. Today, he’s a wife beater, a child molester, an alcoholic drunkard, who has a passion for shoplifting, petty crimes, and rape. When he’s not practicing arson, getting into drunk brawls, or taking “a dump” in other’s yards, he’s out having sex with their dogs.

No one really wants to have much to do with him, because as everyone knows, once you let him in your life you won’t ever be able to get rid of him.

As of late…

The children of Uncle Sam has been busy raising all sorts of ruckus. And what’s more, they have been all over the town doing so.

Mr. Lee complained about it.

He told Uncle Sam to take his children, and get out of his backyard. He told him to get off his front porch. He told him to stop peeking into his windows. He told him to stop sabotaging his car, pouring salt in his garden, and pulling up his tulips. He told him to get his dogs and chain them up. He no longer wanted to hear them barking day and night, digging up his bushes, and having his children race around and around the home in loud muffler-less motorcycles.

Big Russ complained about it as well.

He told Uncle Sam to get off his porch, stay out of his backyard. He told him that he no longer wanted those children to set fires to the neighboring yards, stealing the lawn ornaments, and playing their rock-and-roll music at all hours of the day and night.

Uncle Sam heard both of their complaints.

He thought about them.

And said “no”.

The reactions…

Well, Big Russ told Uncle Sam that there would be repercussions. But, took no overt and obvious action.

He sent his children out (in secret) to the yard of Uncle Sam. Then, he sat back and smiled. No firecrackers. No noise-makers. No barking dogs. No loud motorcycles. No. Those children all silently, and sternly, went off to the house armed with dangerously lethal ten-gage shotguns.

No “fun and games”.

And Mr. Lee, always kind and quiet, smiled and sat on his porch with an 8-gage shotgun (which, is a very large gun, don’t you know).

His children, and were told to stay in the house and practice their martial arts, cleaning their long-guns, and reading up on the book “the art of war”.

But Uncle Sam, seemingly an idiot, doubled down.

“Do as I say” he roared!

“You WILL obey me! You will listen to me, and you will pay homage and tribute to me!”

And he sent his children, and his toadies over to the house of Mr. Lee. And, now, almost all of his children are going around and around the house of Mr. Lee. They are revving their engines and making as much noise as they can possibly create. Poor Mr. Lee is really getting “rattled up” with his windows shaking, and the dishes falling on the floor. His tulips all decimated, and his gates town and broken.

And, well Uncle Sam has also started to send his other remaining children to camp out on the porch of Big Russ. There they are lighting campfires on the “welcome mat” and tossing firecrackers at all hours of the day and night. Giggling, sticking out their tongues and making rude sounds and laughing.

It was noisy for years.

Really years.

And then Mr. Lee and Big Russ held a party.

It was a big party and it was held in the dead of Winter. Everyone was invited except Uncle Sam and his “toadies”.

And at the meeting, they announced that the entire town cannot grow and live in peace as long as there is a big bully in town, and that all of the townspeople must gather together and start committing to their promises, agreements, and rules. And that they would take the lead.

Everyone in the party agreed. The welcomed the inclusiveness of it, and their equal participation in it. And of course, they too hated the rude behaviors and the bullying behaviors of Uncle Sam.

The entire town rejoiced in a defined, sensible plan for dealing with the town bully and his toadies.

Now, let me ask the reader a question…

Looking at the big picture…

  • What action should Uncle Sam take to defuse a tense, potentially catastrophic event train?
I would suggest, sending his kids back home. Paddling them until their butts are red and sore, and selling off all those motorcycles, barking dogs, and firecrackers.

Then apologizing in public to the community.
  • If you were Big Russ, what action do you think you should take?
Would it be against the children on the porch; a continuous game of "whack a mole", or would it be against Uncle Sam himself?
  • If you were Mr. Lee, what action do you think you should take?
Would you wait until more children arrive and get louder and badder? Or would you lay down systems to disable those motorcycles? Or would you burn down the gas stations, so the motorcycles couldn't get any more gas?
  • Do you think that making an announcement at that party was a goo thing to do?
Words without action are meaningless. This is a solid framework that requires tasking. Is the rest of the town up to handle the challenge?

And that is how things are.

And MM here is just trying NOT to pick sides so much as I just want the entire town to live together in peace and harmony.

I live in the house with Mr. Lee. It’s a pleasant, peaceful, kind and calm place. I want to keep it that way. Don’t you?

video. My home in China. 11MB

MM Special Message

Life is fleeting.

Please, please make the best of what you have RIGHT NOW. Maybe there are evil psychopathic people, idiots and nasty malcontents. But you are in control of your bubble of reality. You can affect your own life.

You can make the world a better place. Please do so.

Video 7MB

Show care and concern to those around you.

Especially your family.

Really.

Do you really spend enough time with those that you love? Do you have a family that spends happy and sad times together? Is your life rich with pets, friends and savory food?

Video 7MB

Spend time with family, friends, or just have fun…

Likten to me.

I know it’s so easy to get caught up with work, needs, goals, objectives and all the rest. I, too, spend a lot of my time scrubbing dog shit off the floor, changing baby diapers, and fielding calls at midnight to Salesmen in Canada and the United States, but you all must start spending more “quality time” (such an overused expression)… more “fun time”.

Here are some ideas for your inspiration…

Dancing… video 5.6MB

Or maybe something like this. This is in Africa.

Video 10.4MB

Play a video game in full immersive simulation. video 6.3MB

You do know that the technology is really advanced in China these days. Like this. Video 2MB

We must be more than ourselves…

Yeah. Having fun is what relaxes us and adds the taste and spice to our lives. It’s really important, and terribly underutilized. Instead, it has been replaced by media, and social networking.  I think that we should always look at the bigger picture.

Like what?

Food.

Tasty long cooking food (not the fast food). Delicious. Food. Like your grandmother used to make. Food. Like baked fish, city chicken, scalloped potatoes, corned beef and cabbage and Beef Stroganoff. Food. Stuff that are difficult to get in restaurants. Stuff that your wife and family members can experiment with and make signature dishes that feed and nurture.

And then relax.

Chat over the food. Talk about your day. About her day. About your friends. About what needs to be done. About hope. Dreams. Plans.

Conversation.

Not television.

Don’t wait for others to make it happen. It’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Act in control of YOUR life. Stop waiting for others to do things… to agree on things… to endless debate things. Just do it.

You be the guiding light.

You.

YOU.

Start carving out a place in the table of life, and YOU start inviting others to share in your little piece of Heaven.

GOod friends. Good family. Good food and drink.

You start it. You make it happen.

Beef Stroganoff.

It will happen.

So will a nice, safe, secure home. Cozy, warm. Dry. Tastefully decorated. Your wife is in charge of everything domestic.

She’s the boss.

Like on an aircraft carrier. There is a Captain, and then there is the XO. She’s the Executive Officer, and you are the Captain. Be the Captain; steer that ship to a fine safe harbor and prosper there.

I’m giving you all the keys, don’t you know.

You will get, also, because of your lower stress and improved organization, a group of friends where you BELONG. You will get participation in life. Pets. A cat or two. Maybe a dog.

You will be invited places. You will have good walks. Good times. Great conversation, and people who make special occasions becuse…

…well…

…because (insert lame excuse here).

You will get other things as well.

A hobby. A pleasure or two.

And care about our surroundings.

Watch out for the kids, and the pets that run in front of us from time to time.

video 3MB

And just kind of live life.

Why not live life?

Watch good movies, enjoy art. Touch sculptures.

Have a hot fudge sundae.

Visit historical places. Enjoy the day on the beach or a snowy mountain hike. Play with your pets, or friends. Just start getting engaged in discussions about all sorts of interesting and curious things.

Sit on the porch with an inviting porch light on. Invite neighbors over for a game of checkers, or cards. Have beer available, or iced tea.

Check out interesting things and discuss them.

video 2MB

Please know that you can make your life in a real paradise on the earth.

You really can. You just have to manufacture it.

You run your prayer affirmation campaigns and implement them in accordance to your fate forecasts. You follow the guidelines on being a Rufus, and participating in the community.

You get your home life in order. You divide responsibilities. Stop trying to run the whole world and carry it on your shoulders. Stop that egotistical nonsense.

Share the responsibilities.

The wife is in charge of all finances and all domestic, you (if you are a man) are in charge of earning money and fixing things. You earn it. She spends it.  It’s the natural order of things.

You give her all the money you make, and she hands back a living allowance. Things are much calmer and better that way.

No worries.

I tell you (men) that once you do this, you will forever never have to worry about food, bills, or disputes EVER again. She will take care of everything. You won’t have those worries. Never again.

You will eat WELL. Really, really well. You will have a larder, and a freezer full of premade meals, and canned goods.

Your stress level will go WAY down. There is nothing like daily meals of good fine delicious food, good conversation and an evening of winding down in cool soft relaxation.

And you will be able to focus on your job.

And your life will really start to look like this…

video 8MB

And really, isn’t that what you want?

Do you want more?

You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

New Beginnings 3

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The Dragon by Ray Bradbury (Full Text)

Here's a nice short story to provide some brief moments of pleasure. I do hope that you enjoy it as much as I have. - MM

THE DRAGON
By Ray Bradbury

The night blew in the short grass on the moor; there was no other motion. It had been years since a single bird had flown by in the great blind shell of sky.

Long ago a few small stones had simulated life when they crumbled and fell into dust. Now only the night moved in the souls of the two men bent by their lonely fire in the wilderness; darkness pumped quietly in their veins and ticked silently in their temples and their wrists.

Firelight fled up and down their wild faces and welled in their eyes in orange tatters. They listened to each other’s faint, cool breathing and the lizard blink of their eyelids. At last, one man poked the fire with his sword.

“Don’t idiot; you’ll give us away!”

“No matter,” said the second man, “The dragon can smell us miles off anyway. God’s breath, it’s cold. I wish I was back at the castle.”

“It’s death, not sleep, we’re after…”

“Why? Why? The dragon never sets foot in the town!”

“Quiet, fool! He eats men traveling alone from our town to the next!”

“Let them be eaten and let us get home!”

“Wait now; listen!”

The two men froze.

They waited a long time, but there was only the shake of their horses’ nervous skin like black velvet tambourines jingling the silver stirrup buckles, softly, softly.
“Ah.” The second man sighed. “What a land of nightmares. Everything happens here. Someone blows out the sun; it’s night. And then, and then, oh, God, listen! This dragon, they say his eyes are fire. His breath a white gas; you can see him burn across the dark lands. He runs with sulfur and thunder and kindles the grass. Sheep panic and die insane. Women deliver forth monsters. The dragon’s fury is such that tower walls shake back to dust. His victims, at sunrise, are strewn hither thither on the hills. How many knights, I ask, have gone for this monster and failed, even as we shall fail?”

“Enough of that!”

“More than enough! Out here in this desolation I cannot tell what year this is!”

“Nine hundred years since the Nativity.”

“No, no,” whispered the second man, eyes shut, “On this moor is no Time, is only Forever. I feel if I ran back on the road the town would be gone, the people yet unborn, things changed, the castles unquarried from the rocks, the timbers still uncut from the forests; don’t ask how I know; the moor knows and tells me. And here we sit alone in the land of the fire dragon, God save us!”

“Be you afraid, then gird on your armor!”

“What use? The dragon runs from nowhere; we cannot guess its home. It vanishes in fog; we know not where it goes. Aye, on with our armor, we’ll die well dressed.”

Half into his silver corselet, the second man stopped again and turned his head.

Across the dim country, full of night and nothingness from the heart of the moor itself, the wind sprang full of dust from clocks that used dust for telling time. There were black suns burning in the heart of this new wind and a million burnt leaves shaken from some autumn tree be- yond the horizon. This wind melted landscapes, lengthened bones like white wax, made the blood roil and thicken to a muddy  deposit in the brain. The wind was a thousand souls dying and all time confused and in transit. It was a fog inside of a mist inside of a darkness, and this place was no man’s place and there was no year or hour at all, but only these men in a faceless emptiness of sudden frost, storm and white thunder which
moved behind the great falling pane of green glass that was the lightning. A squall of rain drenched the turf; all faded away until there was unbreathing hush and the two men waiting alone with their warmth in a cool season.

“There,” whispered the first man. “Oh, there…”

Miles off, rushing with a great chant and a roar – the dragon.

In silence the men buckled on their armor and mounted their horses. The midnight wilderness was split by a monstrous gushing as the dragon roared nearer, nearer; its flashing yellow glare spurted above a hill and then, fold on fold of dark body, distantly seen, therefore indistinct, flowed over that hill and plunged vanishing into a valley.

“Quick!”

They spurred their horses forward to a small hollow.

“This is where it passes!”

They seized their lances with mailed fists and blinded their horses by flipping the visors down over their eyes.

“Lord!”

“Yes, let us use His name.”

On the instant, the dragon rounded a hill. Its monstrous amber eye fed on them, fired their armor in red glints and glitters, With a terrible wailing cry and a grinding rush it flung itself forward.

“Mercy, God!”

The lance struck under the unlidded yellow eye, buckled, tossed the man through the air. The dragon hit, spilled him over, down, ground him under. Passing, the black brunt of its shoulder smashed the remaining horse and rider a hundred feet against the side of a boulder, wailing, wailing, the dragon shrieking, the fire all about, around, under it, a pink, yellow, orange sun-fire with great soft plumes of blinding smoke.

“Did you see it?” cried a voice. “Just like I told you!”

“The same! The same! A knight in armor, by the Lord Harry! We hit him!”

“You goin’ to stop?”

“Did once; found nothing. Don’t like to stop on this moor. I get the willies. Got a feel, it has.”

“But we hit something!”

“Gave him plenty of whistle; chap wouldn’t budge!”

A steaming blast cut the mist aside.

“We’ll make Stokely on time. More coal, eh, Fred?”

Another whistle shook dew from the empty sky. The night train, in fire and fury, shot through a gully, up a rise, and vanished away over cold earth toward the north, leaving black smoke and steam to dissolve in the numbed air minutes after it had passed and gone forever.

Do you want more?

I have more stories much like this one in my Ray Bradbury Index here…

Ray Bradbury

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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.

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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.

 

Introduction to the art of Kai Carpenter.

Kai Carpenter is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York, United States who has created magnificent artworks with traditional gouache painting… His list of clients includes Wizards of the Coast, LEGO Systems, Anderson Design Group, and Harper Collins publishing. Let’s take a look at some of his amazing artworks styled in an Art Deco flair, these adventurous scenes are sure to inspire and bring a smile.

Kai Carpenter 0
Kai Carpenter is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York, United States who has created magnificent artworks with traditional gouache painting.

Kai Carpenter’s elegiac scenes mine the myth and history coursing beneath the whole of human consciousness. Occupying the nebulous space between waking and dreams, his subjects hover just at the edge of our collective understanding.

Like figures emerging from mist, they are both seen and unseen, their presence more intuited than perceived. Carpenter’s portrayal of nature and the human form harkens back to the very roots of Western culture.

He embraces the ideals of the Romantic, offering art as a conduit through which we are meant to both contemplate and celebrate the mysteries of life.

Kai Carpenter 00
Kai Carpenter’s Paintings are driven by a love of drama and beauty —and their convergence in a great visual story. The Seattle-based Carpenter’s work is jam-packed with color and storytelling, so much so that you might assume these works are digitally created.

W hen it came to painting of Redwood National Park for an ambitious centennial art book, Kai Carpenter decided to “turn the saturation way up”—use bright exaggerated colors—with his palette of oil paints.

The Brooklyn-based illustrator hadn’t set foot in the park, but had been commissioned to paint a stylized rendition of it, along with 11 other parks.

After speaking with people who had been there and studied photos of the park, Carpenter thought a bold color scheme would convey the sheer size of the place. He conjured a giant redwood, drenched in red and burgundy, towering above two small travelers, with more giant trunks receding into the background.

Kai Carpenter 000
Early advertising posters from the 20th Century were pasted onto walls to grab public attention as busy people passed by. By necessity, good poster composition included bold color, contrast, iconic imagery and easy-to-read type.

“I was going for the look of old lithographs with those great color palettes,” he says. He referred to the early 20th century art deco travel posters, which featured happy couples exploring Technicolor versions of far-off locales: Visit Fascinating Fiji! Fly with Trans World Airlines! “And I was taking a lot of cues from the parks themselves, they’re already so vibrant.”

Kai Carpenter 0000
“I was going for the look of old lithographs with those great color palettes,” he says. He referred to the early 20th century art deco travel posters, which featured happy couples exploring Technicolor versions of far-off locales.

Five years ago, Joel decided he wanted to pay homage to the iconic Works Progress Administration posters, created between 1938 and 1941 for 14 national parks to encourage Americans to explore the great outdoors.

He started recruiting artists he’d worked with through his Nashville firm, Anderson Design Group, who generally specialize in that retro travel poster style. To achieve that look, most ADG art is hand-lettered and drawn or painted before it’s given a final polish on the computer. 

Kai Carpenter 5
Inspired by the stylized art of the early 20th century, artist Kai Carpenter has created original paintings that turn drama and beauty into great visual stories. Vibrant colors and well-crafted lettering add to the calendar’s retro style.

“We studied the WPA posters to make sure we were plowing new ground,” Joel says. “Luckily, the parks are so vast that it wasn’t hard to find new landscapes and color palettes.”

All 71 works in the book draw from styles that characterize the Golden Age of Poster Art: rich colors, hand-lettered text, timeless scenes like a cowboy in Saguaro National Park or a couple canoeing through the Everglades.

Kai Carpenter 6
“We studied the WPA posters to make sure we were plowing new ground,” Joel says. “Luckily, the parks are so vast that it wasn’t hard to find new landscapes and color palettes.”

Three weeks after completing all of the paintings in September, Carpenter and his older brother road-tripped from Brooklyn to Seattle, stopping over two weeks at three of the parks he’d painted: Zion, Yosemite, and Redwood.

“I was worried I was going to be devastated that I butchered all of these places,” he says. “But I was surprisingly happy with how they turned out.” Especially the Redwood poster: “I’m really glad that I went bananas with the colors,” Carpenter says. “It feels that way when you’re there. Like you’re maybe seeing something you’re a little too small to be seeing.”

Kai Carpenter 7
The Seattle-based Carpenter’s work is jam-packed with color and storytelling, so much so that you might assume these works are digitally created. However each one is effortlessly painted in oil on canvas.

The Seattle-based Carpenter’s work is jam-packed with color and storytelling, so much so that you might assume these works are digitally created. However each one is effortlessly painted in oil on canvas. 

Kai Carpenter 8
Five years ago, Joel decided he wanted to pay homage to the iconic Works Progress Administration posters, created between 1938 and 1941 for 14 national parks to encourage Americans to explore the great outdoors.

Inspired by the stylized art of the early 20th century, artist Kai Carpenter has created original paintings that turn drama and beauty into great visual stories. Vibrant colors and well-crafted lettering add to the calendar’s retro style.

Kai Carpenter 9
Kai Carpenter’s Paintings are driven by a love of drama and beauty —and their convergence in a great visual story.

KAI CARPENTER’S oil paintings use archetypal imagery to explore psychological themes. Drawing on a variety of influences both ancient and contemporary, his work invokes the storytelling ethos of myths, legends and fairy tales to express emotional realities native to dreams and memory.

Kai Carpenter 10
“I was worried I was going to be devastated that I butchered all of these places,” he says. “But I was surprisingly happy with how they turned out.”

Inspired by a collection of vintage citrus labels…

… reflect the art styles seen throughout 1900-1950 with an influence of the Works Progress Administration.

This period included persuading Americans to travel to the great outdoors as advertised by the automobile and railroad industries, and later influenced by the art boom of the depression.

Kai Carpenter 11
Kai Carpenter’s Paintings are driven by a love of drama and beauty —and their convergence in a great visual story.

Kai Carpenter’s Paintings are driven by a love of drama and beautyand their convergence in a great visual story. The Seattle-based Carpenter’s work is jam-packed with color and storytelling, so much so that you might assume these works are digitally created.

Kai Carpenter 12
This period included persuading Americans to travel to the great outdoors as advertised by the automobile and railroad industries, and later influenced by the art boom of the depression.

Early advertising posters from the 20th Century were pasted onto walls to grab public attention as busy people passed by. By necessity, good poster composition included bold color, contrast, iconic imagery and easy-to-read type.

Kai Carpenter 13
His amazing artworks are styled in an Art Deco flair, these adventurous scenes are sure to inspire and bring a smile.

Links

Art Related Index

This is an index of art that I have found profound, interesting, beautiful or enlightening. In any event, I find that art soothes my soul. I enjoy painting figurative and portraits in oils using the more traditional Flemish technique, but it never really brought me the kind of money I need to live off of. Such is the life of a painter today. Please enjoy.

An experiment of a bird in a vacuum jar.
Robert Williams
Todd Schorr
Mitch O'Connell
Greg (Craola) Simkins.
Mark Ryden
Alan MacDonald
Tokuhiro Kawai.
Jesus Helguera.
Michael Tole
Martin Wittfooth
Ania Tomicka
Bob Dob
Chris Peters
David Lebow.
Jason Limon.
Iva Troj.
Kisung Koh.
Kayla Mahaffrey.
Peter Ferguson.

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.

  • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Introduction to the art of Jesus Helguera.

This is an amazing artist, and I feel moved by his art whenever I look at it. His technical ability and eye for beauty is astounding. Were I to be able to perform such feats! Ai! He is celebrated all over the world as others, just like myself, have also come to appreciate his brilliance and skill.

Jesus Helguera. 0
This is an amazing artist, and I feel moved by his art whenever I look at it. His technical ability and eye for beauty is astounding. Were I to be able to perform such feats! Ai! He is celebrated all over the world as others, just like myself, have also come to appreciate his brilliance and skill.

Jesús Helguera (May 28, 1910 – December 5, 1971) was a Mexican painter. Among his most famous works are La Leyenda de los Volcanes, La Leyenda, Popocapetl & Ixtaccihuatl, Hidalgo, “Rompiendo las Cadenas”, El Aguila y la Serpiente, and Juan Diego y la Virgen de Guadalupe.

Jesus Helguera. 1
Jesús Helguera (May 28, 1910 – December 5, 1971) was a Mexican painter. Among his most famous works are La Leyenda de los Volcanes, La Leyenda, Popocapetl & Ixtaccihuatl, Hidalgo, “Rompiendo las Cadenas”, El Aguila y la Serpiente, and Juan Diego y la Virgen de Guadalupe.

Jesús Enrique Emilio de la Helguera Espinoza was born to Spanish economist Alvaro Garcia Helguera and Maria Espinoza Escarzarga on May 28, 1910 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Jesus Helguera. 2
Jesús Enrique Emilio de la Helguera Espinoza was born to Spanish economist Alvaro Garcia Helguera and Maria Espinoza Escarzarga on May 28, 1910 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

He lived his childhood in Mexico City and later moved to Córdoba in the state of Veracruz.

Jesus Helguera.3
He lived his childhood in Mexico City and later moved to Córdoba in the state of Veracruz.

His family fled from the Mexican Revolution to Ciudad Real, Castilla la Nueva, Spain and thereafter moved to Madrid. Jesús first gained interest in the arts during primary school and would often be found wandering the halls of the Del Prado Museum.

Jesus Helguera. 4
His family fled from the Mexican Revolution to Ciudad Real, Castilla la Nueva, Spain and thereafter moved to Madrid. Jesús first gained interest in the arts during primary school and would often be found wandering the halls of the Del Prado Museum.

At the age of 14, he was admitted to the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes and later studied at the Academia de San Fernando. Helguera later married Julia Gonzalez Llanos, a native of Madrid, who modeled for many of his later paintings and with whom he raised two children.

Jesus Helguera.5
At the age of 14, he was admitted to the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes and later studied at the Academia de San Fernando. Helguera later married Julia Gonzalez Llanos, a native of Madrid, who modeled for many of his later paintings and with whom he raised two children.

Jesús first worked as an illustrator at the Editorial Araluce working on books, magazines and comics with many of his published works done in gouache.

Jesus Helguera.6
Jesús first worked as an illustrator at the Editorial Araluce working on books, magazines and comics with many of his published works done in gouache.

He became a professor of visual arts at a Bilboa Art Institute at the age of 18 and worked for magazines such as Estampa. Helguera was forced to move back to the Mexican state of Veracruz due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and following economic crisis.

Jesus Helguera.7
He became a professor of visual arts at a Bilboa Art Institute at the age of 18 and worked for magazines such as Estampa. Helguera was forced to move back to the Mexican state of Veracruz due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and following economic crisis.

Upon his arrival, mural making was en vogue and he was hired by Cigarrera la Moderna, a tobacco company, to produce calendar artwork printed by Imprenta Galas de Mexico.

Jesus Helguera.8
Upon his arrival, mural making was en vogue and he was hired by Cigarrera la Moderna, a tobacco company, to produce calendar artwork printed by Imprenta Galas de Mexico.

Much of his work reflected his own fascination with Aztec Mythology, Catholicism, and the diverse Mexican landscape. His paintings showed an idealized Mexico and it was his romantic approach that gave his paintings the heroic impact that eventually made him famous.

Jesus Helguera. 9
Much of his work reflected his own fascination with Aztec Mythology, Catholicism, and the diverse Mexican landscape. His paintings showed an idealized Mexico and it was his romantic approach that gave his paintings the heroic impact that eventually made him famous.

In 1940, he created what is arguably the most famous amongst his paintings, La Leyenda de los Volcanes, which was inspired by the legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. It was later purchased by Ensenanza Objectiva, a producer of didactic images for schools.

Jesus Helguera. 10
In 1940, he created what is arguably the most famous amongst his paintings, La Leyenda de los Volcanes, which was inspired by the legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. It was later purchased by Ensenanza Objectiva, a producer of didactic images for schools.

Many of his paintings would later be reproduced in a variety of different calendars and cigar boxes reaching households and businesses throughout Mexico.

Jesus Helguera. 11
Many of his paintings would later be reproduced in a variety of different calendars and cigar boxes reaching households and businesses throughout Mexico.

Helguera continued to paint privately and illustrate for various clients until his death on December 5, 1971. Jesus Helguera continues to be celebrated in Mexico, Spain and the United States.

Jesus Helguera. 12
Helguera continued to paint privately and illustrate for various clients until his death on December 5, 1971. Jesus Helguera continues to be celebrated in Mexico, Spain and the United States.

His artwork are numerous and profound. The space limitations on this blog are many. I can only cram so much art into it. Here are some last minute additions…

Jesus Helguera. 13
This is an amazing artist, and I feel moved by his art whenever I look at it. His technical ability and eye for beauty is astounding. Were I to be able to perform such feats! Ai! He is celebrated all over the world as others, just like myself, have also come to appreciate his brilliance and skill.

And…

Jesus Helguera. 14
Upon his arrival, mural making was en vogue and he was hired by Cigarrera la Moderna, a tobacco company, to produce calendar artwork printed by Imprenta Galas de Mexico.

And…

Jesus Helguera. 15
Much of his work reflected his own fascination with Aztec Mythology, Catholicism, and the diverse Mexican landscape. His paintings showed an idealized Mexico and it was his romantic approach that gave his paintings the heroic impact that eventually made him famous.

Links

Movies that Inspired Me

Here are some movies that I consider noteworthy and worth a view. Enjoy.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.
Jason and the Argonauts
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

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.

Link
R is for Rocket
Space Cadet (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
Link
Link
Link
Correspondence Course
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
The Last Night
The Flying Machine
A story of escape.
All Summer in a day.
The Smile by Ray Bradbury
The menace from Earth
Delilah and the Space Rigger
Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby’s Is a Friend of Mine
Life-Line
The Tax-payer
The Pedestrian
Time for the stars.
Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
Starman Jones (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein.
The Lottery (Full Text) by Shirley Jackson
The Cold Equations (Full Text)
Farnham's Freehold (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
Invisible Boy (Full Text) by Ray Bradbury
Job: A Comedy of Justice (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
Spell my name with an "S" by Isaac Asimov
The Proud Robot (Full Text)
The Time Locker
Not the First (Full Text) by A.E. van Vogt
The Star Mouse (Full Text)
Space Jockey (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
He who shrank (Full Text).
Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein
Uncle Eniar by Ray Bradbury
The Cask of Amontillado

My Poetry

My Kitten Knows

Art that Moves Me

An experiment of a bird in a vacuum jar.
Robert Williams
Todd Schorr
Mitch O'Connell
Greg (Craola) Simkins.
Mark Ryden
Alan MacDonald
Tokuhiro Kawai.

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.

  • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Snapshots of Summer in Asia (part 8).

Myth-Busters Debunked

The American reality-television show titled “Myth Busters” so-called “proved” that jet-packs could never work. They had an entire show debunking the claims that jet-pack plans that you can find on the Internet were just a hoax and that if you built those plans, your contraption would never fly.

Myth busters on jet pack design.

They concluded that only government approved mechanisms could fly and anyone who was going to try and build their own rocket-pack was a stupid dupe. That instead you should listen to the American government and not have someone steal your money.

So… Americans listened to them.

The sales of on-line jet-pack plans plummeted and so were the incidents of failure, problems and injury. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, those not under the American propaganda machine did their own thing without fear. So now you have jet packs being flown all over the world… except in America.

Here’s a jet-pack flying over Singapore…

Too bad that the American government will not support innovation, and good-old “elbow grease”. Instead, Americans have been bombarded with a “it cannot be done” narrative.

Fishing.

I do love to fish. Did you know that in China you don’t need to get a fishing permit, or ask permission to fish? Yup. Heck, you can even fish at night. Can you believe that?

Fishing at night in China.
Here we have an old man fishing cormorant at night. It is a long held tradition to fish, and all Chinese like fish, to fish and everything about fish. It is absolutely beyond the ability for the Chinese to wrap their arms around the concept of paying taxes or fees to be allowed to fish.

It takes a little bit of getting used to. I well remember trying to ask some Chinese friends where I needed to go to get a fishing permit. They had no friggin’ idea what I was trying to ask. They kept on trying to figure it all out. They could not understand why or what the purpose was to ask about being able to fish.

It was crazy. Finally after conferring among themselves they figured out what I was asking. They told me that the government did not treat fishing like driving a car. They explained that the odds of me hurting myself fishing, or hurting another person was not considered (by the Chinese government) to be serious enough to warrant a policing agency and laws.

People that is what freedom is.

Here is a video showing people fishing.

Boss

Bosses are treated quite differently in China, and in Asia than they are treated in the United States. In America a boss is just some one who makes just a little bit more more money than you, and who has just a little bit more respect.

A boss is treated differently in different nations.
A given role or position in a company comes with a different level of respect associated with it depending where the company is located. In general, bosses in China enjoy far more authority, respect and appreciation than any counterparts in the West, including America.

In China, however, the rate of difference is not linear. It is exponential. Here we see a Chinese boss entering a banquet for her company.

A Glimpse at Modern Contemporaneous Chinese Culture

Here is a video of a girl wearing traditional Han clothing. This is very typical. Traditions are celebrated in China. Not disparaged as “racist” and “homophobic” as they are in America and out West in the UK.

I would like to point out some things, that the average viewer might miss…

  • Sword
  • Hard Alcohol drinking
  • Beautiful
  • Long, flowing comfortable clothing
  • Beautiful girl

All of these are contemporary elements of modern Chinese culture. Including swords. In fact, there are classes on how to fight with swords, and they are often used during morning exercises.

Cool videos, eh? Yeah. I think so. There’s more here…

Continued-graphic-arrow

If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

Links about China

Here are some links about my observations on China. I think that you, the reader, might find them to be of interest. Please kindly enjoy.

Popular Music of China
Chinese weapons systems
Chinese motor sports
End of the Day Potato
Dog Shit
Dancing Grandmothers
Dance Craze
When the SJW movement took control of China
Family Meal
Freedom & Liberty in China
Ben Ming Nian
Beware the Expat
Fake Wine
Fat China
Business KTV
How I got married in China.
Chinese apartment houses
Chinese Culture Snapshots
Rural China
Chinese New Year

China and America Comparisons

As an American, I cannot help but compare what my life was in the United States with what it is like living in China. Here we discuss that.

SJW
Playground Comparisons
The Last Straw
Leaving the USA
Diversity Initatives
Democracy
Travel outside
10 Misconceptions about China
Top Ten Misconceptions

The Chinese Business KTV Experience

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.

KTV1
KTV2
KTV3
KTV4
KTV5
KTV6
KTV7
KTV8
KTV9
KTV10
KTV11
KTV12
KTV13
KTV14
KTV15
KTV16
KTV17
KTV18
KTV19
KTV20

Learning About China

Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Ugly girls? Here we discuss what China is like by looking at videos of pretty girls doing things in China.

Pretty Girls 1
Pretty Girls 2
Pretty Girls 3
Pretty Girls 4
Pretty Girls 5

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.

Part 1 - Popular Music of China
Part 3 -Popular music of China.
Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5B - The popular music of China.
Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
Part D - The popular music of China.
Part 5E - A happy Joe.
Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5F - The popular music of China.
Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 10 - Music of China.
Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

Parks in China

The parks in China are very unique. They are enormous and tend to be very mountainous. Here we take a look at this most interesting of subjects.

Parks in China - 1
Pars in China - 2
Parks in China - 3
Visiting a park in China - 4
High Speed Rail in China
Visiting a park in China - 5
Beautiful China part 6
Parks in China - 7
Visiting a park in China - 8

Really Strange China

Here are some posts that discuss a number of things about China that might seem odd, or strange to Westerners. Some of the things are everyday events, while others are just representative of the differences in culture.

Really Strange China 1
Really Strange China 2
Rally Strange China 3
Really Strange China 4
Really Odd China 5
Really Strange China 6
Really Strange China 7
Really Strange China 8
Really Strange China 9
Really Strange China 10
Really Strange China 11
Really Strange China 12
Really strange China 13
Really strange China 14

What is China like?

The purpose of this post is to illustrate that the rest of the world, outside of America, has moved on with their lives. That while they might not be as great as America is, they are doing just fine thank you.

And while America has been squandering it’s money, decimating it’s resources, and just being cavalier with it’s military, the rest of the world has done the opposite. They have husbanded their day to day fortunes, and you can see this in their day-to-day lives.

What is China like - 1
What is China like - 2
What is China Like - 3
What is China like - 4
What is China like - 5
What is China like - 6
What is China like - 8
What is China like - 8
What is China like - 9

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.

  • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Really Strange China (Part 14)

Let’s continue on exploring China from the point of view of odd, strange and different from that of the “West”.

Please kindly note that this post has multiple embedded videos. It is important to view them. If they fail to load, all you need to do is to reload your browser.

Chinese Malls

Chinese malls are everywhere, and they tend to be enormous. A mall is generally a sign of a healthy and functioning middle class. Before China kicked out the progressive liberal communists, there just weren’t any malls in China at all. Then, when Mr. Deng started to introduce Reaganomics (though under a Chinese-friendly name), the economy flourished, and malls started to pop up everywhere.

Here’s a typical mall. I think this one is in Hong Kong, if I am not mistaken.

Youngsters performing

I personally love this video. It shows some young drummers performing in front of an audience. It’s pretty cool.

Education for the children

In China, every spare moment that a child has seems to be packed into learning. This can be exhausting, and many children want to play some computer games to escape from “the grind”. You cannot blame them, can you?

Well, a number of Chinese parents figure that if you want to play a computer game, how about one where you can actually learn something. Thus, there is a market for business simulation games. This is a small, but growing niche, where you can become a farmer and eventually become a real estate tycoon. Or maybe try your luck moving a factory making widgets into a global enterprise. These simulations help that.

Here, a young elementary student can relax by running a farm and trying to make a profit…

RV Rental

In China you can buy, or rent recreational vehicles. You can do so just like it is done in the USA. Here’s what it looks like…

Chinese Roads

As I have alluded to previously, the Chinese don’t waste their time going up and down hills. They just build over them, and if there is a mountain in the way, they just plow straight through it. They do not mess around.

China is a nation with an enormous population.

Never forget that, eh? There was a reason why China instituted limits on the number of children that you can have. While they have removed this limitation, many Chinese has opted not to have too many children as they are unwilling to take on the increased tax burden.

And that is it. I hope that you enjoyed this posting of the strange and unusual life of China as compared to America.

Thank you for visiting. I hope that you enjoyed this post and maybe learned something new in the process. Have a wonderful rest of the day!

And, may your days and nights be filled with happiness.

Thank you.

If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

Links about China

Popular Music of China
Chinese weapons systems
Chinese motor sports
End of the Day Potato
Dog Shit
Dancing Grandmothers
Dance Craze
When the SJW movement took control of China
Family Meal
Freedom & Liberty in China
Ben Ming Nian
Beware the Expat
Fake Wine
Fat China
Business KTV
How I got married in China.
Chinese apartment houses
Chinese Culture Snapshots
Rural China
Chinese New Year

China and America Comparisons

SJW
Playground Comparisons
The Last Straw
Leaving the USA
Diversity Initatives
Democracy
Travel outside
10 Misconceptions about China
Top Ten Misconceptions

The Chinese Business KTV Experience

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.

KTV1
KTV2
KTV3
KTV4
KTV5
KTV6
KTV7
KTV8
KTV9
KTV10
KTV11
KTV12
KTV13
KTV14
KTV15
KTV16
KTV17
KTV18
KTV19
KTV20

Learning About China

Pretty Girls 1
Pretty Girls 2
Pretty Girls 3
Pretty Girls 4
Pretty Girls 5

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.

Part 1 - Popular Music of China
Part 3 -Popular music of China.
Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5B - The popular music of China.
Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
Part D - The popular music of China.
Part 5E - A happy Joe.
Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5F - The popular music of China.
Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 10 - Music of China.
Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

Parks in China

Parks in China - 1
Pars in China - 2
Parks in China - 3
Visiting a park in China - 4
High Speed Rail in China
Visiting a park in China - 5
Beautiful China part 6
Parks in China - 7
Visiting a park in China - 8

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.

  • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Really Strange China (Part 13)

Here we continue with our various videos of life in China, and how strange it must appear to a foreigner.

Please kindly note that this post has multiple embedded videos. It is important to view them. If they fail to load, all you need to do is to reload your browser.

Inside a bullet train

Bullet trains are all over China. There is an enormous network of them. They are very comfortable to ride in, and their cost is reasonable.

I looked at various sites on the internet, and it’s a hoot how everyone tries to justify the superiority of Amtrak compared to China’s bullet trains. They imply that China’s bullet trains are nothing to be proud of.

It’s funny, but sad too. You know, the first step in recognizing you have a problem is to face up to it, and announce that you have a problem. (12 step program for those of you who don’t know the reference.)

They do one on one comparisons and come to the conclusion that they are similar. What a laugh. The trains are similar. How can you possibly come to that conclusion?

The one article (linked above) starts off straight forward enough…

Comparision of China's bullet train to amtrack.

But then it starts to show a bunch of photos how they are really just pretty similar, aside from the price, and speed. As if the train stations are identical. (Have you been to an Amtrak train station lately? Talk about a run-down 1960’s era ghetto.)

Really?

Here’s a screen capture from the article listed above.

amtrack comparison 1
In the comparison they say that the two systems are pretty much the same. After all, it is the politically correct thing to say. Right?

What’s what the article says. Then, it shows this following picture.

Is that the only difference?
Is that the only difference? Really? Are you so dumb founded blind in political correctness not to notice the differences right in front of your face?

In China, the stewardesses are all female. They are all attractive, and rated in beauty, physical appearance, and weight. They are all under 35 years of age.They are trained to be demure and act very respectfully.

In America on Amtrak, there are no age, appearance, weight or gender requirements. The attendants can be polite or not, fat or not, ugly or not, burly or not. In the progressive reality that is America today that is the reality. But don’t deny what is right in front of your eyes just for the sake of political correctness.

This is what the interior of one looks like…

And here’s the view outside…

Oh, and while I am at it, here is what the over all appearance and image that the Chinese bullet trains have in China and around the world.

In contrast Amtrak is viewed as sluggish, antiquated, and brutish. Check out the video and then go ride on Amtrak to see what I am talking about.

Train Stations

Here’s a quick comparison in train stations.

First, we check out Amtrak’s stations. The photo below is a historical station known as Sandpoint. Now, don’t get the wrong idea.

I do happen to love history and American rail has had so many absolutely awesome train stations. What about the one on Allegheny avenue in Pittsburgh, or the massive complex in Detroit? Ah, but they are all gone now.

American rail.
American train station – Sandpoint station. This is typical of what remains in the United States for railroad stations for passengers.

All that remains are little quonset hut kind of affairs. You know the kind used to give the impression of progressive advancement by tearing down the old. Sad.

Now, let’s look at the train stations that you would encounter were you to board a train in China. This is from the 3nd tier city Tianjin. It’s third tier, ya all! It’s just a little Po-dunk city.

Chinese train station.
Chinese train station in Tianjin, China. It is new. Well taken cared for, and well maintained. There are no beggars and the floors are so clean that you could eat off them.
China high speed rail.
Chinese high-speed rail. Look at all those bullet trains. How many billions and billions of dollars was spent for the California high-speed rail, and what? Only 15 miles were completed, and not one single train was fabricated? What a waste. America is much better than that.

Ask yourself how, and why can China do this, but much bigger, and better USA cannot? Maybe fighting eight simultaneous wars and spending 65% of welfare benefits on illegal aliens has something to do with it. Eh?

Maybe. But I also like to think that part of it is because China is a meritocracy.

America has so much to be proud of, yet we have let our achievements grow fallow, and our leadership become corrupt. We, our parents, and our grandparents are all responsible for the sad, sad state of affairs in America today.

Pittsburgh train station.
Pennsylvania Railroad Station Pittsburgh

How bridges are made in China

Once you visit China, you will notice that everything seems to be above the ground. All the highways seem to go over the houses and through the mountains. This differs from the United states, where the roads must curve around and get permissions to build and put roads in. Not so in China.

They just build over everything. It’s sort of like this…

Classes and testing in China

Classes in such a populous nation as China can get to be pretty enormous. The same is true for tests and testing. Here is sort of what it can look like…

Uses for a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

The Chinese people do tend to be a bit innovative. This is especially true in the rural countryside. Here we see how an old Harley is being utilized on the farm, as it were.

And that is about it for now. Let’s continue with our exploration further, shall we…

OK. At numerous videos for this part, let’s go and move on to the next post which covers even more strangeness inside of China this month…

Continued-graphic-arrow

If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

Links about China

Popular Music of China
Chinese weapons systems
Chinese motor sports
End of the Day Potato
Dog Shit
Dancing Grandmothers
Dance Craze
When the SJW movement took control of China
Family Meal
Freedom & Liberty in China
Ben Ming Nian
Beware the Expat
Fake Wine
Fat China
Business KTV
How I got married in China.
Chinese apartment houses
Chinese Culture Snapshots
Rural China
Chinese New Year

China and America Comparisons

SJW
Playground Comparisons
The Last Straw
Leaving the USA
Diversity Initatives
Democracy
Travel outside
10 Misconceptions about China
Top Ten Misconceptions

The Chinese Business KTV Experience

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.

KTV1
KTV2
KTV3
KTV4
KTV5
KTV6
KTV7
KTV8
KTV9
KTV10
KTV11
KTV12
KTV13
KTV14
KTV15
KTV16
KTV17
KTV18
KTV19
KTV20

Learning About China

Pretty Girls 1
Pretty Girls 2
Pretty Girls 3
Pretty Girls 4
Pretty Girls 5

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.

Part 1 - Popular Music of China
Part 3 -Popular music of China.
Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5B - The popular music of China.
Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
Part D - The popular music of China.
Part 5E - A happy Joe.
Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5F - The popular music of China.
Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 10 - Music of China.
Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

Parks in China

Parks in China - 1
Pars in China - 2
Parks in China - 3
Visiting a park in China - 4
High Speed Rail in China
Visiting a park in China - 5
Beautiful China part 6
Parks in China - 7
Visiting a park in China - 8

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.

  • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Really Strange China (Part 10)

Here we continue our exploration of the various amusing and strange parts of China that are quite amazing to Westerners. Please enjoy.

Please kindly note that this post has multiple embedded videos. It is important to view them. If they fail to load, all you need to do is to reload your browser.

The cool KTV environment

The KTV is a place to enjoy yourself. There are many different types, from KTV’s for children, to families, to friends, to businessmen. It consists, basically, of a rental room that is decked out for a party.

KTV’s are often quite elaborate, and ornate. With flashy colors and patterns being the norm. Here is one with a LCD flooring that is becoming quite popular all over China.

Robotic Luggage

Yup, it was only a matter of time don’t ya know. You have robotic self-driving cars, and robotic lawnmowers. Why not robotic luggage. Well, you are starting to see this in Chinese Airports. Crazy huh?

Not in the USA, though. I would imagine the Democrats would try to ban them for one reason or the other. Oh, and don’t get on my grill about that fact either. They love to ban things. They are first and foremost busybodies of the highest order. (See link below. It opens up into a separate tab.)

Link

Anyways, check out this robotic luggage that you can see in China…

Night Light Shows

All over China, and most especially in the big cities, structures are made to appeal to the people living there. It’s an initiative from Beijing that mandates that the purpose of government is to provide for the social well being of the people. Thus you have some pretty spectacular light displays at night.

Here’s a bridge. It’s pretty typical.

Here’s some buildings. This is in Shenzhen.

Here is Shenzhen again. Only please kindly take note of that stuff moving about in the sky. The stuff in the sky are drones that fly in formation and are lit up by computerized sequence at specific times.

Statues to the Chinese Past

The Chinese honor their past and erect monuments to keep the memories alive. Those progressive SJW who tried to erase history, tear down the statues, and take over the government have all been arrested and are in reeducation camps to cure their illness.

Here is a particularly magnificent statue. I believe that it is Sun Tzu.

Aside from his legacy as the author of The Art of War, Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu, and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing. 

This general was pretty awesome. He turned fighting into an art. He expanded what could be considered warfare and considered actual fighting to be evidence of failure.

He wrote, “In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people’s fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril” (2.19-20).

Sun-Tzu had no patience with the protracted games generals seemed to enjoy playing with each other. Once hostilities had erupted, one’s priority was to defeat the enemy, not indulge oneself in chivalry which could only prolong the conflict and cost more lives.

Water Slide

The Chinese have water parks just like we have in the Untied States. Only they tend to design them differently. They like to incorporate natural elements, trees, and flowers to provide a more impressive aesthetic.

Drinking Culture

China is a nation with a strong social structure.

I am constantly reminded of this when an American friend comes to visit me in China, and we sit down for dinner and drinks. An American might have one glass of wine or one bottle of beer. A Chinese person might chug two or three bottles of wine, or five or six cases of beer. The difference between the two cultures are that stark.

And of course, the American won’t smoke, and will actually be a bit startled that I would light up at the dinner table inside a public restaurant. A public restaurant of all places! “Have I no shame?” they wonder. It just blow their minds!

  • Possessing a lighter that can generate fire!
  • Smoking the terrible tobacco.
  • Drinking more than a socially approved quantity of alcohol.
  • Bringing “outside” alcohol into a restaurant.
  • Allowing my dog to join us inside the restaurant.
  • Telling the waiter how to cook our food.

That’s just how conditioned Americans have become to living in a progressive prison camp. The idea of doing anything outside what is “normal and expected” is like a harsh slap in the face to them.

Do you want to see just how conditioned Americans have become?

Go to a Starbucks. Watch what happens when they order a coffee or what ever Starbucks passes for coffee these days. The barista will get a paper cup, write a name on it, and set the order moving forward.

Starbucks coffee
Your typical Starbucks coffee as presented to the customer. People, this is not how you should EVER accept coffee.

This happens automatically, even when the order is to be inside the coffeehouse.

People, when I order coffee from Starbucks, I want it in a real proper coffee cup with spoon. If I am going to pay that kind of overcharged money for a simple cup of coffee I want it done right and correctly. Do NOT give me a disposable paper cup if I am going to stay, and sit inside.

Would you feed your grandparents on paper plates on Christmas?

The rest of the sheep can eat out of the trough. Let them keep their paper coffee cup. To learn to reclaim our heritage, we need to start demanding our respect back.

Coffee cup as it is supposed to be.
The proper way to serve coffee. Never forget that this is the real way to serve coffee. If you go to a restaurant, then you should be served properly and with respect. Oh, and BTW, if I want tea at a fast food restaurant, don’t give me a paper cup of hot water and a tea bag. you friggin make it for me.

Anyways… back to China.

At six videos in this section, I do believe that it is time to move to the next post. Sorry if it took a while to load some of these.

OK. At numerous videos for this part, let’s go and move on to the next post which covers even more strangeness inside of China this month…

Continued-graphic-arrow

If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

Links about China

Popular Music of China
Chinese weapons systems
Chinese motor sports
End of the Day Potato
Dog Shit
Dancing Grandmothers
Dance Craze
When the SJW movement took control of China
Family Meal
Freedom & Liberty in China
Ben Ming Nian
Beware the Expat
Fake Wine
Fat China
Business KTV
How I got married in China.
Chinese apartment houses
Chinese Culture Snapshots
Rural China
Chinese New Year

China and America Comparisons

SJW
Playground Comparisons
The Last Straw
Leaving the USA
Diversity Initatives
Democracy
Travel outside
10 Misconceptions about China
Top Ten Misconceptions

The Chinese Business KTV Experience

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.

KTV1
KTV2
KTV3
KTV4
KTV5
KTV6
KTV7
KTV8
KTV9
KTV10
KTV11
KTV12
KTV13
KTV14
KTV15
KTV16
KTV17
KTV18
KTV19
KTV20

Learning About China

Pretty Girls 1
Pretty Girls 2
Pretty Girls 3
Pretty Girls 4
Pretty Girls 5

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.

Part 1 - Popular Music of China
Part 3 -Popular music of China.
Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5B - The popular music of China.
Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
Part D - The popular music of China.
Part 5E - A happy Joe.
Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 5F - The popular music of China.
Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
Part 10 - Music of China.
Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

Parks in China

Parks in China - 1
Pars in China - 2
Parks in China - 3
Visiting a park in China - 4
High Speed Rail in China
Visiting a park in China - 5
Beautiful China part 6
Parks in China - 7
Visiting a park in China - 8

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.

  • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
  • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
  • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
  • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.