Our Middle East Muddling 2.0

 I've written about the Middle East on a few occasions.

There is a monumental lack of understanding on the
part of the West as we clutch retentively to our deep
seated self image.

1. Understand this globally:

China sees the world from a
mountaintop 6.000 years high.

The Middle East sees the world from a
mountaintop 4.000 years high.

Europe sees the world from a
Mountaintop 2.000 years high.

The US sees the world from a
mountaintop 245 years high.

2. We are not fighting an army of
one million soldiers. We are fighting
one million armies of one soldier each.

3. We embrace the delusion that the
people we demonise are rejected in their
own lands. And some do reject them.
However, others embrace them.

4. I once thought that other people
did not want American Style Government, they
only wanted American style freedom. I was
wrong. They see how too often, freedom
for one means freedom for the other. And
freedom for the other impinges on their own freedom.

5. Other peoples have cohesion
The EU is fractious, but that among nations
We are fractious among ourselves
That is not a sustainable model

6. The many may oppress the few. But the few may
not oppress the many--not for very long anyway.

7. It happens because no one believes it can
happen. Until it does.

8. "Everybody knows what everybody knows."
Quotations of Slim Fairview


9. They are not afraid to fight for their survival
& make no apologies. Again, they have cohesion.

10. "Abundance is the mother of complacency."
Slim Fairview.

11. In our country, the Generals serve at the
pleasure of the President. In many other
countries, it is the President who serves at the
pleasure of the Generals.

Caveat:
Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush
Didn't actually get it wrong. Everyone in the
West gets it wrong

Simplistic to say,
"Generals should advise Presidents on
fighting wars because it is The People
who need to understand this."

You can rest assured, whoever is President, 

The Middle East Isn't Going to change.

Sincerest regards,

Slim.

You Can't Fool the Lion:

The Quotations of Slim Fairview

© 2021 Robert Asken

All rights reserved

How AAPL Was Really Started--The True Story

 

One day Steve Jobs was moping around the house looking all sad and dejected and--well--looking for pity.  

After a few heavy sighs, his Dad finally lost patience and said, "What's bothering you, Steve?"

Steve let out a heavy sigh and said, "I want to invent the Apple Computer and change the world of technology."

"Well, why don't you, Steve?"

"It's all your fault."

"How is it my fault?" his Dad asked.

"Because we don't have a garage.  Mr. and Mrs. Wozniak have a garage. Why don't we have a garage?"

"Listen to yourself, Steve. Do you hear yourself?  Do you even pay attention to some of the things you say?"

"What?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Wozniak have a garage.  Why don't you just mope over to Steve's house and you can ask Mr. and Mrs. Wozniak if you and Steve can use their garage?"

"I don't know.  I don't like to impose."

"Well, you're starting to get on my nerves. Now buck up and go over to Steve's house and annoy his parents with your existential crisis."

"Existential Crisis?" Steve asked.

"If you don't know what it means, Google it."

"Google hasn't been invented yet.  And do you know why? Because Larry Page's parents don't have a garage."

"And Serge Brin's parents don't have a garage either.  But the Wozniaks do, now get moving."

Well, Steve Jobs decided to take his Dad's advice and loped over to Steve Wozniak's house to talk about it.  But before he left he decided to put on a white turtleneck to make a good impression.  

However, his white turtleneck was dirty, so he looked for another one.  But they were all balled up and stuffed under his bed. So he grabbed a black turtleneck because he knew it wouldn’t show the dirt, and off he went to the Wozniaks' to talk to his friend Steve.

"What do you think, Steve?"

"Well," Steve Wozniak said, "we'll never accomplish anything sitting around talking about it. Let's go ask my parents."

"You think they'll go for it?"

"Who knows?  Besides, the worst that can happen is they'll no.  But I don't think that's going to happen.  My Dad is getting tired of me cluttering up the dining room table with all my tech stuff.  Come on. They're out in the garage right now."

And, out to the garage they went where, quite by coincidence, Mr. and Mrs. Wozniak were having a clear out.

When Mr. Wozniak saw them, he asked, "Did you boys come out to help me and your Mom do a little cleaning up?"

"Well, actually, Dad, Steve and I came out to ask you if we can use the garage to start a business."

"Oh, good grief," his Dad said. "You boys aren't going to start selling drugs, are you?"

"No, Dad."

"I'm not going to have you selling drugs out of my garage."

"Dad, we're not going to sell drugs."

"Oh, good Lord, you're going to start a garage band.  I'm not going to have you running a garage band in my garage, so you can just forget it."

"Dad, we're not going to start a garage band and we're not going to sell drugs."

"Then just what is it you boys intend to do? From what I've seen so far, all you two boys can do is make a mess. True, a battery operated mess, but still a mess."

"Well, Steve and I want to start a computer company.  Steve and I want to invent the Apple Computer and transform the world of technology."

"A computer company, huh?  Well, I guess you can't cause too much trouble with that."

Mr. Wozniak looked at his wife. "What do you think?"

"Well, I do want to call Mrs. Jobs to find out if it's okay with her and Mr. Jobs. Steve, do your parents know you're here?  But more important, and not more importantly, do they know what you're up to?"

"Yes, Mrs. Wozniak."

"Okay, if you have your  parents' permission then Steve has my permission.  Besides, Dear," Mrs. Wozniak said to her husband, "I think it's nice that the boys are taking up a hobby. And they do get along so well."

Mr. Wozniak thought a moment.  "Well, I guess it's okay.  At least you'll be where your Mom and I can keep an eye on you."

"Gee Dad, that's swell. Thanks a lot."

"Yes, thank you Mr. Wozniak.  And thank you Mrs. Wozniak.  I promise you, we won't make a big mess and we won't make a lot of noise."

"Just one thing," Mr. Wozniak said.  "If you boys want to use the garage, you're going to have to help me and your Mom clean it up first.  I want to get this mess cleared out, put things away, put the tools back, and sweep up."

"Wow, this is so neat," Steve Wozniak said.

"Hand me that hammer so I can hang it up on the wall."

"We're going to tech icons."

"Give me the hammer, Steve."

"I can't wait to get started.

"You can't pick up the hammer, can you?"

"That's okay," Mrs. Wozniak said.  "You boys are going to change the world."

And that is how AAPL was started.

The moral of the story is simple.  

If you want to be a success in the world, you won't let anything stand in your way.  

And if you want to be a success in the tech world, go into your parents' garage and invent something.  

But if your parents don't have a garage, find a friend whose parents have a garage and ask them if you can use their garage.

Best of luck.

Sincerely,

Slim.

If you find this tale truly inspiring, please don't hesitate to send me a really tricked out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you.  Slim.

Thank you. 

Sincerest regards,

Slim.

Bob Asken 

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

The Satire of Slim Fairview

Copyright (c) 2018  Robert Asken

All rights reserved,