The power of discipline – Part 2

When you are indiscipline in mind, body and spirit. The enemy can only perceive you as weak and inconsequential.

When you are highly discipline. It is to be allied to the most power force in this universe. It is so powerful that by just being consistently discipline one can even demoralise and melt the resolve of one’s enemy and render him benign. As to be discipline is the most powerful form of psychology warfare.

By the same logic when one is discipline this can only inspire confidence, trust and belief. As since most people are crave for structure and symmetry in their lives…they will only follow a disciplined leader.

Nothing in this planet can be accomplished without discipline!

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‘The Roman legions are not big. Infact they are very small. If you don’t believe me. Go and read Tacticus. But what magnifies their effectiveness is their iron discipline – the line is solid, it will never break, not even under the strongest application of stress at any point, so it is like a relentless machine that can go everywhere and do many things.

The British during the days of empire emulated the Romans. They too numbered very few, but their skill of arms contrary to popular myth was not credited to either their Navy or their technology. It was the quality of their discipline that gave them an unparalleled advantage to cement every corner of empire. It couldn’t have been their food, as the British are the most uncivilized race when it comes to what they put in their mouth. Rather it was the steadiness of their iron discipline that perpetuate the notion of empire.

In the same way when we look at man or even the broader shpere of organization. It is merely a microcosm of this idea, no more or less. If there is good discipline all our train blues will disappear like lemon drops. If there is good discipline the diabetes problem will be an non event…that is how powerful it is. So if you are not a very smart fellow like myself who didn’t manage to go to all the right universities – don’t worry, as there is redemption and it is simply to be found in one word…discipline. Even if you are born with an IQ of five below idiot never mind, with discipline alone you will win in life!

Disicipline is the great equaliser…it is medicine for the mind, body and spirit.

Being discipline may not be able to solve all your problems in life, but at least you don’t have to worry about the 99.9%. As that is taken well care of by allying yourself with the most powerful force in the universe…discipline.

I will not mince my words that is why people with no discipline are poor and seldom respected. As when we talk about mastery over the self, it all begins and ends with discipline.

The power of discipline

Last week I came across a group of environmentalist who were camping in the northern section of my lands. The leader asked me why didn’t seem interested in engaging them in a discussion – I told him straight in his face. You are lazy, unfocused and undisciplined. Look at how messy your camp is….there is so much plastic and rubbish here that it’s even worse than Chernobyl.

When I walked away the leader shouted out….why are you so afraid to engage us. I told him, if you want to change the world start by cleaning up your room first…don’t talk so much.

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‘If you ask yourself what is the most impressive trait in a person or organization – it boils right down to one thing and very little else…discipline.

If you want to really know why some people are poor, look like shit and no one in their right mind wants to fuck them. Again it boils down to only a few reasons like they’re lazy, lack focus and don’t feel it’s necessary to invest time and effort in seeing things to the very end and again all that can be explained in one phrase, ‘no discipline!’

Of course these days if you go around telling these indisciplined people all these things – they are likely to call you all sorts of charming names. But this doesn’t alter the reality that they are still undisciplined.

That is why when I come across people who tell me – they want to make a difference in the world. Usually I look them up and down and after a few minutes of talking with them. I realise they are very far off the mark…their shoes are dirty, their shirt looks as if it was baked rather than carefully pressed and the way they conduct themselves demonstrates they accord very little respect to people and institutions to even suggest they don’t even respect themselves….so usually I tell them, go start by cleaning up your room first…it looks like a place where clothes and pizza go and die!

You all better remember this! How you conduct yourself in public is a reflection of what’s happening inside and around you. The way you dress need not be stylish and expensive…but it should come across as neat, presentable and conventional. Your fucking phone should be switched off during the meeting! And above all you should at least take the trouble to arrive fifteen minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin.

Basic courtesy cannot even keep and then wonder why the serious men of this world simply have no time for your sloppy pariah dog zero discipline bochap attitude. No wonder people throw the whole file across the conference table!’

What it means to be truly independent

Not long ago a group of landowners invited me to join their consortium. At first I played along. Eventually when I could no longer play for time by delaying the matter any longer I told them that I much preferred to wing it all by myself.

One of them turned to me and said…why do you always have to make life difficult for yourself and everyone else…why can’t you be like others…do you realise you will stand alone…that is always dangerous.

I told this person, I rather rule in hell than be ruled in heaven.

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‘I reckon the hardest thing for a man to do is to stand alone. This I imagine will always be difficult in so many ways. As firstly the act of standing apart from one’s fellow men is quite an unnatural act and does not come without some intervention in one’s previous life. Not at all. Man after all is a social animal and it’s only too natural for him to derive comfort and a sense of security by standing alongside other men.

The idea of close to the bosom of other men, even if they are fools hardly matter – it’s a primal instinct that palliates fears.

Standing alone may at times present all manner and forms of complications. For one it is not unusual for one to run the gauntlet of being labelled all sorts of charming names by one’s peers…everything from a lousy team player to a recalcitrant.

The paradox is – it’s not that most men despise those who choose to stand apart from them. No. It only seems that way to the untrained eye. In truth the only reason why most men regard such an act as a slap to their face and even feel justified to react so strongly to those who seem inclined to stand alone is simply because deep down.

They know standing alone requires a certain degree of confidence and quality of character that they may not quite possess.

It must be very intimidating to be in the company of a man who does not feel the need to belong. Someone who is beholden to no one…except maybe the sum of his being.

I once came across a lone climber half way up K2 climbing without ropes…..the very sight of this tortured soul proceeding upwards steadily with just his muscles and sinews filled me with such indescrible feelings of horror that I buried my face into the darkness of a crevice and cried like a baby…I could not bring myself to look at him and whimpered like a lost soul. As to look even fleetingly would have first required me to confront the sum of all my fears. I cried…as I had never seen such a beautiful sight before. I cried tears hot like blood as I realised that I could never aspire to conquer my fears in such a perfect way that mythical being did. The purity of will…the finality of his repudiation of life itself that reduced everything into a single act that some how managed to unify man and nature was so beautiful….it was so beautiful, yet the horror…the horror of knowing deep down one would always be weak no matter how hard one tried.

I do admit, it certainly does come across as a tad narcissistic. None the less, once the list of disserta has been exhausted as to how one comes to this trait – which naturally would involve speculating on whether it might have been a legacy that came from an epic fall from grace. A scandal perhaps. After all why doesn’t he feel the omnipresent need to belong..to be a part of…surely it has to be a cultivate taste like acquiring a liking for goat cheese or preferring to drink coffee without sugar or milk. Or maybe it’s much more macabre. I once read a story about a group of shipwreck survivors who managed to survive their ordeal only because they summoned something unmentionable in themselves to consume human flesh. Every year at a certain agreed date these survivors would meet and feast on some dearly unfortunate….it was a form of vampirism, one which they could neither deny nor suppress…it was as if they had all crossed a mythical line somewhere in their heads. Only to arrive at a point of existence that could mark them out as different from the rest of humanity with a finality that only the damned would ever comprehend.

Or maybe I am just reading too much into this idea of why some men choose to stand alone.

Maybe they know something that all other men are unaware of…the greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong completely to yourself.’

Rain

Finally rain broke this afternoon at around 2.30. A decent rain.

Always mistrusting the mind to keep it open

A man asked me some time back ago, whether I trust my judgement. I replied resolutely yes. Then he asked another question – how can you be so cock sure? I merely quipped, it’s very simple, I don’t ever trust whatever my mind tells me.

He was so very confused.

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‘If you share with people in the west that there is conspiracy occurring somewhere in between their heads. The first thing you will notice is they will get angry and insist they can trust themselves absolutely. The second thing they are likely to believe is that you are trying to disable them intellectually.

But when you go on further to ask how can you be so certain that you can trust yourself. Usually they will say without ever bothering to think deeply – because I trust my mind….and in my years solitude in the jungle there is certainly a fundamental error of logic here.

As when you think about it – it is only when we are ALWAYS suspicious, mistrustful and even mindful that our mind cannot be completely trusted to serve us reliably without fear and prejudice that we can remain alert, vigilant and continue to always interrogate and true our thoughts.

Most people if you notice are a right mess as they fail to recognize how so often their minds can literally turn against them and consume their sense and sensibilities. They only think they are strong mentally, but in reality they are very vulnerable and weak as they do not how to keep their minds truly open and flexible.

This is the primary cause of the closed mind – as since these sufferers do not really have a real conversations. As the moment they ask a question they already have all the answers in their heads and all they are really doing is ticking off the box to confirm that you will echo what is already cut and dried. Even if what you have to say differs from their standard answer, they will try to squeeze a square peg into a round hole to make it fit.

An open mind however is always fluid and above all suspicious of how the mind works…it is constantly interrogating the mind to ask – whether this an ego decision or is it really from the real me. Recently a CEO of a public listed firm asked me to supply proof that he should not be so Gung Ho to trust his mind – this man was very angry with me for sharing with him what I have learnt from my years of solitude in the wild. He even took what I said as a personal attack. I told this block head – if you want proof all you have to do whenever you read an email that rubs you the wrong way is to type what is in your mind there and then and instead of sending it off, store it as a draft copy for a period of 24 hours. After that cooling off period when you read it again the first thing that will strike you is how silly and immature you were to have written what you did.

Two weeks later this CEO called me up and said, you are so right farmer! Of course I am…as I never trust my mind.’

Don’t let people manipulate you

Few days ago I received a call requesting me to attend a meeting. I told them if nothing important comes out I will be keenest to attend. Today when the organizer called up and asked me why I didn’t attend…I told them something more important came up.

One big trap waiting for me. Now many frustrated people are wondering why their plan didn’t go thru.

End of story.

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‘Absolutely nowhere is it written in the game of life that you have to play just because everyone expects you too. If you don’t like it – you can choose to walk away from it.

Knowing and having the confidence to say No! is to be proficient in using a power word. As No! is not an ordinary word, like Ohm, it has a certain resonance and weightness.

Not long ago someone asked me do you get angry. I said everyone has that capacity and potential, but the difference between me and most people is I don’t simply give this power to anyone to either make me happy or sad or angry.

Are you crazy…why would I want to ever devolve my power to strangers who I hardly know?

My state of mind is mine alone to exercise full control over. It does not reside in the hands of others, if they believe otherwise they can certainly try but after a while they will find that I am not there, as I have gone. It is as simple as that.

Once you begin to see your emotional state as YOURS and only YOURS alone and not something like buttons in some twenty cent slot machine in an arcade that can be pushed at will by others. Only then will you begin to take full responsibility over your words, thoughts and actions.

Immature people do not know this. Mature people on the otherhand have always known this all along.’

How globalization and not Trump or religious extremism leads to radicalisation

Q: Many years ago, you came up with this theory that democracy as we know it would be redundant. According to you the world would move progressively towards radicalism in all shapes and form. How do you see your theoretical construct panning out in the backdrop of Brexit, Trump and the advent of ISIS?

A: I would not call it my theory per se. Only let us try to take stock of the whole idea of globalization since it’s inception in the late 80’s as a theoretical science. During the initial stages there were many thinkers such as Kenichi Ohmae who forwarded the construct of the so called borderless world. According to him and other adherents of globalization and free global trade the world would get smaller by virtue of the convergence of two constructs. The first is technology, the second was the idea of the free market that effectively shifts manufacturing and services away from their countries of origin.

In a sense when we look back at what was discussed in the early nineties there can be no doubt that technology has compressed the world in the palm of one’s hands in the ubiquitous form and shape of either the smartphone or ipad. So in a sense this idea which was once propagated by globalist is certainly true.

The paradox if I may call it as such. Due to no better reasoning other than the fact that I cannot seem to find an appropriate word to describe what I am about to say is while it is certainly anecdotally true that technology has managed to connect mankind in ways that history has never imagined before.

Humanity as a collective psyche mass is not nearly as homogeneous as it was first imagined by the globalist during the 90’s. It could even be said that these days instead of mankind being a citizen of the United States of the world. There are so many divisions in the world today that it even precedes what was once experienced thru out the entire history of mankind.

This should prompt one at this point to ask, isn’t this counter intuitive? After all we know for a fact technology has successfully managed to connect humanity in ways and means like never before. So the question is why is the world still so balkanized and divided like never before? Why hasn’t a new citizenry of global man or woman emerged right out of this global experiment of marinating humanity into one glob?

Now if you think about it sensibly this whole idea of Brexit, Trump and ISIS are all abberations to this idea of a world where people are connected by shared interest. It doesn’t make sense. And that is exactly my point, unless we drill deeper to find out why the outcome is so different from what was once predicted and envisaged. I don’t think we can ever get near to the root of cause of extremism or radicalism.

I have been asking this question for the last fifteen years. And every time I do so, everyone labels me a troublemaker.

Q: Do see the rise of religious extremism, arabification, religious inspired violence as a natural bi product of globalization.

A: I don’t think that’s a right way to structure a question to get good results. Firstly extremism has little or nothing to do with Arabification. But let us move on.

It’s commonly mentioned in circles that like to character assassinate me that I am dead against globalization. I am not. But what must be understood here is very little resources or mental input has been invested to determine good and bad methods to globalize. For example if thousands of natives are displaced from the workplace in the name of globalization, then I say that’s a very disruptive and radical interpretation of globalization that may not be so good. If on the otherhand globalization facilitates much needed change in steady increments that doesn’t provoke anxiety and fear thru out the social economic landscape in a way that respects people and planet, then I say it’s a great force for change.

As to your question – Do I see the rise of religious extremism, arabification, religious inspired violence as a natural bi product of globalization? It is certainly an accreation of globalization, but the question would it be a better way to describe all this as a reaction or response to globalization.

As far as arabification is concerned. This is a phenomenon that is experienced by virtually every single country that has a significant Muslim population. It doesnt really matter whether it is occurring in Kuala Lumpur, Aljunied, Riau, Istanbul or even the French quarter of the fifth arrondissement in Paris. Now to my understanding this is not new as much as old dressed as new. As we saw all this happening during the late seventies in Imperial iran under the Shah.

Of course many reasons were forwarded as to why Iran turned it’s back on modernity and instead opted for parochialism, insularity and what many can only describe as a backward way of life. But if you ask me, one reason may have to do with the frenetic speed of the social economic change that Iran was going thru during that period. Many Iranians at that time perceived these changes in society as a form of foreign cultural appropriation or chelating of their identity that was closer to predition than salvation.

I think we may well be seeing exactly the same phenomenon today as well. As the world becomes more globalized, everything is dumbed down into one great homogeneous mass and what must be registered is all these can so often come across as intimidating and scary to people. I guess talking in such terms may not really make sense to most Singaporeans. Because Singaporeans are very accustomed or should be to sudden shifts of change. But what you must recognise is not every part of the world is like or can be like Singapore. Neither should one be so presumptuous as to assume that change is always necessarily seen as a good thing either even if it promises progress.

I mean if people feel that they are losing their identity and so they respond stronger to the stimuli of holding on their some semblance of identity. Even if it is not theirs, they don’t mind. But at least it gives them the power to differentiate themselves from what they see as the threat of being subsumed into the faceless majority where they may not even have the right to voice their aspirations and hopes. Culture, identity and the sense of belonging certainly features in this complex social equation, though I must admit I don’t quite know where it all starts and begins. It’s very very complicated and I don’t for one moment pretend that it is can rendered clear cut easily.

Q: I want to move on to one of the earlier topics that was raised that is your prediction that democracy has outlived its practical use. Tell me, are you serious?

A: Very serious. And let us not pretend why democracy as a theoretical construct is no longer as robust as it used to be. I am not saying it is dead and gone. No, democracy is well and fine in certain parts of the world. But in other countries notably the US, UK and in some Scandinavian countries, let us say that it is not as self confident as it used to be. The reason why I say this is because democracy as a political theory can really only work if the sum total of what unites a nation is always stronger than what may divide it – but as we can see from both the US and U.K – these are not only very divided countries, but you can even say the divisions are so serious that one segment of the country has absolutely nothing in common with the other to even sustain the idea of nationhood.

Q: Do you blame Trump for all this?

A: No! I blame the zealots of globalization. These are people who laid the cap stone for a character like Trump to come into power. They single handedly created the right conditions that allowed the far right in America to step right in and squeeze out whatever good there is in the democratic system. I don’t think it’s fair to blame Trump. He may be the first radical president in the US, but just like the first primates blasted into space. No expect monkeys to design the next space ship to go to Mars. We all know they’re just there for the ride.

Q: How do you think Trumpism will alter the way politics is conducted in the US and the world?

A: That is a very good question. I think for the last one hundred years the US has been the gold standard of democracy. The system as we all know was far from perfect, but in the past at least their policies made sense and there was even a semblance of coherency that was at least guided by some thoughtful ideology. But in the age of Trump. We are starting to see something that is not only incoherent, but also a polyglot of policies that doesn’t seem to suggest the thinkers are winning the day in either Capitol Hill or the White House. I will be honest, I don’t even know where the US stands any longer. And I don’t think it’s worth speculating either, it’s all up in the air and it is this malaise of uncertainly that has the power to disturb.

The reversal of fortunes is really quite startling given that it has all occured in such a short period of time. You know recently when I was watching the 19th congress of the Chinese communist party. For the first time in history Xi Jinping came across like the president of the US. As his vision and grand plan is something that we would usually expect from the US, but when I checked YouTube Trump was embroiled in sandbox politics with menial issues concerning what he meant to say etc etc. My point is if a Mr nobody farmer like me can experience a sinking feeling about the US today, then I can’t possibly imagine for much more profound and demoralising it is for a leader who is traditionally allied to the US…it has to be very depressing.

Q: Coming back to the issue of radicalism and extremism. How big of a threat do you see this and what might the suggested solution be?

A: It’s sharpening. The threats are real and present in my opinion. As for the solution. You don’t have to look too far for inspiration fortunately. The Indonesians seem to be handling the problem very competently in my opinion but what is curious is their success given the significant size of their Muslim population doesn’t seem to attract that much scholarly attention. I often wonder why. You really have to take a closer look at Indonesia for yourself and not rely on me to spoon feed you – just a few points, observe how they have leveraged on the Pancasila and NU to blunt radicalism. This is a two prong strategy where they are fighting it at a level of the madrasahs thru continuous truing of clergy philosophy and constitutionally via ideology. So to the Indonesians this gives the executive, judicial and legislative very strong powers of legitimacy to say plainly to these iron mullahs, hello you Salah lah! No where on this planet will you find such clarity that can be underpinned at the level of the Hadith. I don’t know any other Muslim country that is blunting radicalism at such an intellectually effective level, not even the West comes remotely close to how the Indonesians are tackling this problem. In my opinion they deserve a lot of credit – the perrenial problem that I see with most Muslim countries besides Indonesia is they lack clear lines of delineation between how religion naturally finds its way into power and politics – so it’s a right mess where you may have certain radical factions that have managed to create fiefdoms by garnering a significant number of voters and this complicates things as when things are not clear then no one in authority has either the legitimacy or resolve to say this is right and that is wrong. That is why in other Muslim countries all sorts of impromptu means are used. But the Indonesians don’t seem to have that problem, exercise of power is clear and unambiguous – they are the only Muslim nation where an authority can say definitively, you Salah! Now please shut the fuck up and stop spreading your poison….reason A to Z! I feel this is something that should be discussed at a deeper and more meaningful level – having said all that, I am a realist, it is still uphill simply because religion is leeching slowly into Indonesian politics whether you like it or not and so long as that trajectory keeps its course, it’s really only a matter of time before it too will alter how politics is conducted in that archipelogo.

Q: What are your thoughts on arabification – do you see this as an unsettling development?

A: You know a lot of people take the course of least mental resistance when they see this happening. But what is seldom ever discussed and should be in my opinion is the underlying motivation – it would seem on the surface all this has to do with religion, but what is ironic in my opinion is how so few people ascribe all this to plain business strategy and the allure of the profit motive. You know I happen to know a Pasar malam vendor in the kampung who sells Arab pharaphelia, I asked him one day hey Mahmud what’s with all this stuff. He told me plainly, hey stupid, it sells like hot cakes. So there you go. I bought a Keffiyeh from him and use it as I am not like Chuando, I don’t know how to use sun block. It’s effective against the sun. My point is don’t overreact. To me this is not a big issue, it only seems that way – but for me I see the quest or yearning for identity, culture and sense of belonging as a continuous process of experimentation so I don’t read into things. I think everyone needs to be given space to be what he or she wants to be to find a place that they can truly call their own in this globalized world. After all it’s very crowded and even impossible to stand out of the crowd.

Dumb criminals

This afternoon while driving along a deserted plantation stretch of road. I came across a man lying on the middle of the road. I did not get out of my car. As I observed something very funny about the whole scene, first it was staged to look as if it was an accident….as a motorbike was lying on the side of the road. But how could the body be lying at a perfect right angles to the road?

The problem in the kampung is too many criminals watch looney tunes cartoons – they actually believe that life is so straight forward and simple that if they fake a scene. A Good Samaritan would actually step out and all they have to do is sneak out from a nearby bush and wallop them over the head with a stick and proceed to rob them.

But what if they choose to drive right on?

Steamed fish recipe

You will find many many ways to steam fish in the internet, but this is the right way.

The first rule is this – the fish absolutely has to be Super fresh. If it is that way 90% is as good as done. If it otherwise, you can be the best cook in the world, but it will only end up so-so. So learn HOW to choose a fresh fish.

Secondly, the fish needs to be dry and at room temp before steaming. A common mistake is to take it straight out of the fridge and steam, no good.

Thirdly, plate needs to be heated. Important.

Fourth, fish needs to be dried of excess water.

Five, underside of the fish needs to be lifted from the plate with scallions to allow the steam to pass thru. After steaming fish solution must be discarded.

Six, Soya sauce should not be ladled directly over the fish, but should only be spooned to the side of the dish to prevent the fish from absorbing it and end up being too salty.

Seven, hot oil is used to infuse fish with scallion and coriander flavour.

I usually flavour my oil with garlic, cut really small and browned golden before pouring on the fish. I also give my fish a light wash of Chinese cooking wine (use sherry) before steaming.

Chuando doesn’t eat 7 hours before sleep.

Some of you might remember Chuando, a 50-year-old Singaporean photographer who looks to be in his 20s. Apparently to stay young he doesn’t chow on anything seven hours before bed time.

That means I can never look like Chuando. The reason is very simple. If he doesn’t eat anything for seven hours before bedtime – that means he probably has to go to bed hungry. I can’t sleep when my stomach is growling. So not only will I end up sleep deprived, but when you add up the seven hours with the eight spend sleeping, that’s fifteen hours of starvation. If I incorporate that regimen in my lifestyle, there is a distinct possibility I will end up with gastric and ulcers and probably die as well.

That’s no good.

So looking my age is OK lah!

The art of invisibility – the hunter

Palms are planted at intervals of 30 feet apart in equilateral triangles. Knowing this allows the bow hunter to calibrate for distance and elevation without the need for a range finder.

There are at least four distinctive light conditions during the day that require four different hunting methods. This would all depend on the age of the palms. When hunting in plantations where the trees are over eight years – the hunter should proceed in a zig zag manner intersecting only the centroid of palm triangle. Doing so will make him invisible in the following ways, he will not cast long shadows during movement, he is noiseless as he would not need to step on the interow front pile and most importantly he cannot be visually detected – as he is hidden from both the horizontal and vertical axis of the planting row.

The prey should only be taken out along the horizontal axis where the trench line runs. As this offers the clearest opportunity for a clean kill that allows for accurate calibration of distance and elevation. Trying to do the same along the vertical axis will reveal your position and severely limit your ability to take a clean shot. As the interval between palms from that position is only 15 and not 30 feet…from that position you are unlikely to get a second shot.

Young palms below five years offer the best conditions for camouflage and undetectable movement that is why they are often preferred hunting grounds for animals, but visual recognition of prey is less reliable as the overhanging fronds obstructs a clear line of sight and makes distance and elevation difficult to judge. Movement cannot be stealthy. Under these conditions it is best to take a static position and wait for the prey to come to you. Do not try to move towards the prey. Instead proceed along the boundary line only at the pheripehry and wait for the prey to break out.

When stalking prey. Do so only in the hours of dawn and dusk. This is the period when mosquitoes are most active and since they will bite the ears regions of most animals – they will mask the sound of your movement. Fresh tracks are malleable like plascecine, old tracks are crumbly and brittle along the edges. It’s not uncommon for animals especially hogs to follow the scent of other hogs along the same route. One must be mindful of old and new tracks. If the hoof prints are only partial with deep indentations to the front or rear and run in straight lines. The prey is probably moving fast. Don’t pursue as it has the advantage…if the hoof prints are full and equally distributed between front and hind quarters and appears to be arranged in concerntric circles, this means the hog is looking for either food or water. This is ideal. As it will be distracted. Go around it. The bigger your arc the better. Your goal would be to try to cut it off ahead. From there close in using a zig zag pattern. Never walk in a straighline. As the rhythm of your walk can be easily picked up. Keep the sun always to your side to avoid casting long shadows. Stay down wind.

Once you spot the prey don’t move. Remain still. Wait.

The strategy of inaction

Grand strategies usually involve boldness and initiative. But as soon as one who has every reason and motivation to proceed forward comes to a sudden stop and comes across as listless…that too is a form of action.

Only this time….it is very difficult for one’s opponent to figure out what will come next or even why this should be so.

It is the sudden and unexpected creation of nothingness that forms the tip of the spear of this strategy….nothingness is not formlessness, it is like a fog….it is none other than voidness. When one cannot fathom what is ahead. It’s best to drop anchor and wait it out till things clear up.

When executed skillfully this strategy will throw even the best plans of your enemy into disarray…they will not have the confidence to proceed further. Since what is done is counter intuitive, it can only come across as incomprehensible.

Nothingness is a form.

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A hopeful truce

A truce is defined as such…..When two warring sides decide to call it quits — an agreement to end the fighting. It is not a peace agreement, it’s just an expression of intent to cease hostilities.

That is all it is…what comes after the truce is based entirely on how one conducts negotiations for the eventual peace agreement.

Today I stop here….I will not move forward another inch….for the moment at least.

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‘South where the two rivers met to join as one to make its journey out to sea. This is where I will undertake not to cross the line. I have made it very clear that I will not expand beyond this line. I have issued tacit expressions to my business rivals that I have every intention to keep to all the covenants to keep my business only to the other side of this line. Meanwhile I have made it clear that I will not concede one millimetre to any of their terms on this side of the river. I bow to no one…I am the master and commander of this other domain that stands on the other side this river. No one should ever dictate terms as to how I choose to conduct my affairs on this side of the river.

Recently someone asked me – can we not try to set aside our differences and work together? I told this person let us take it one step at a time…after all what’s the need to rush? We have been fighting for so long that is all I can ever seem to remember….fighting and very little else. Now when you speak of setting our differences aside it is like some fairytale faraway country that I cannot even bring myself to imagine….it is not that I do not have inclination to share in this aspiration. Only it seems too far from where I am standing…let us take it one step at a time. If it goes well, I see no reason why another step will not come naturally.’

Dealing with people who don’t love you any more

When someone who you love does not love you any more. It is very natural for one to strive to revive back that lost love. But a better way would be to just strive to understand why such an approach will only end up destroying both parties. This is not a defeatist attitude. If anything striving to understand what has happened requires absolute sincerity and above all selflessness to put that person who you love before your own interests. As if you truly love someone. You will want only the best for them. You will want them to enjoy happiness, wholeness and live life to the fullest.

If these things you cannot provision for those who you claim to love…then you must honestly say this to yourself before the mirror and not seek to blame them for wanting to seek fulfilment elsewhere – as if you genuinely love this other person it will be very easy to put this person’s interest before yours.

You should be the last person to stop them from seeking it from those who can fulfill their deepest yearnings and dreams.

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‘I don’t think love is like this…if you love me then you would do this and not do that. To my understanding that is emotional blackmail or worst still manipulation. Neither do I think love is like this either….I have done so much for you and if you really love me, you will not do this or that. Again that is just a clever form of guilt tripping and possibly even asking the person who you love to redeem their IOU’s….I think this the closest thing to love…I want you to be happy and if I cannot or do not have the courage to make you happy. Then I will not stop you from finding it either. I will always wait for you to return to me. I will never ask. Never! I will just wait quietly…as that is my nature.’

Learning to ignore the self destructive mind

The self destructive mind is not so different from getting too close to toxic people.

The very moment you engage the self destructive mind. Even so much as a bit. Soon you can only be sucked in head first into it’s vicious narrative of hate and getting even.

But if you ignore it and don’t feed it…..or better still occupy your mind by thinking about something else and don’t give it the nourishment, time and attention. Then all these negative thoughts can only grow smaller and be so very silent.

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‘Past hurts and resentments are like very dry tinder wood. They need to be handled very carefully. As once a spark ignites it, it can suddenly catch fire and soon it will be almost impossible to put the fire out.’

Every politician who denies climate change should be a farmer

Historically October is the wettest month in the entire calendar year for the northern districts. It is usually so wet that out of thirty days, it averages at least twenty one rainy days. But this time round we have had only three miserable days of showers…..it’s bone dry and very hot.

During my replanting many people in the farming world expressed great shock that I saw fit to dig deep and long trenches along the entire length of my lands at every interval of five row of trees. When they asked me why…I simply told them…I may not be able to change the prevailing attitudes of gamblers who play Russian roulette with the future of people and planet. But I can certainly change the way I farm…that is really all I can do…exercise control over the things that I have the power over.

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‘Farming can in my opinion make one a more considerate and sensitive person. As when one’s destiny is inextricably fused with the land and what happens in this planet. Then it’s only natural for one to take a closer look at things. Suddenly everything acquires an uncanny precision and detail, the wind, clouds and even the small alterations in temperature and humidity thru out the day are not merely casual observations – they’re suddenly significant and somewhere in all this one begins to appreciate how tenuous and fragile the relationship is between people and planet.

I think people remain callous and indifferent about climate change not because they’re simply ignorant. No it’s not just about loading stuff into their heads. The only reason why they remain bovine is because they have never had to grow anything to gainfully support themselves before. So they don’t ever know how impossibly hard it is to grow produce when the Mother Nature decides to have a bad hair day.

But if you give a hardened climate change denialist a shovel and a veggie patch and ask him to live off the land. Then maybe he would get angry after plowing, sowing, tending and still not being able to reap a bountiful harvest. Maybe he might even shout out really loud something like what the fuck are you people doing to this planet! Can’t you see it’s all messed up!’

Maturity in relationships

I always share with those who seek my advice as to what sort of man or woman they should look for – in every case, I tell it as such.

If you have only the emotionally maturity of a twelve year old. Then seek out either a mature man or woman and let this person take the lead in your life…be his or her disciple. Let us not talk about equality. As how can an immature mind stand at parity with a mature mind.

Because if an immature person seeks union with another immature soul – there can really only be a celebration of immaturity. Things may start off with a bang at first, but as time goes on since the relationship is not nourished with maturity it can only lead to suffering.

This is the Dao. The way of the farmer.

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‘When we ask ourselves what is maturity. It has nothing whatsoever to do with age or having lived X or Y number of years on this planet. Age by itself does not have the capacity to impart maturity anymore than living in a cave necessarily makes you a geologist. That is why if you care to look around there are so many old people who are still behaving like twelve year olds….so there is much more to maturity than meets the eyes.

Maturity simply means one understands the nature of things for what they really are and not what others say or claim it is….to do just this alone requires courage, maturity and intelligence. As this means going against the grain – specifically how the world usually makes sense of organisational and personal success. This is usually the hardest thing for one to do…to simply say to the world that’s way not mine…no thank you…you go your way…I will go mine…that is why when you come before a mature soul.

He is usually not of this world….there is always an off set detached feel about him that suggest he is very much in his own trajectory, pace and rhythm that is completely out of synch with the world. Often this is interpreted as dysfunctionality, but nothing can be further from the truth…it is simply a very perosnalised way of seeing oneself alongside the world.

It is for this reason that mature people will always go into the essence of things and people…they are not easily seduced by what usually appeals to most people. A mature person for instance will still love you the same even should you look like an old dried up prune as he saw it all in the very moment of your youth….that is to say within the idea of maturity is the implicit acceptance nothing is ever what it is…everything changes, that is not necessarily bad, it is just what life is all about and it’s constant process of one thing bowing out and another coming in that gives life depth, complexity and meaning…what I am about to say may disappoint you terribly. But a mature person doesn’t need anything from you. He will not take. As he already has everything that he needs in life…it’s all to be found in the receptable of himself. So there is need to control. No need to possess, covet or even own….only perhaps the act of appreciation for the moment lived and experienced. But what most people cannot come to terms with is the idea that a truly mature person will always be alone….he will be alone even when he is with you…as that is the default nature of people who always look within themselves for nourishment, strength and wisdom….do not feel disappointed or even worthless as what I say is simply something that is and will always be with matured souls.

I wish well. I knew this day would come…I saw it all in my minds eye.’

Whenever I talk about the merits and demerits of climbing gear…..

I always get alot of flak. It would be OK if these comments originate from seasoned climbers. But most of them seem to be emerging from ‘climbers’ who don’t know a mountain from an ant hill.

That is a problem.

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‘If you want a favourable response. Then please don’t start a conversation with a condescending line of questioning like – have you ever used a Peltz SHUNT before. Of course I’ve had climb time with this kit. If not how can I say definitively that it is a lousy kit. Yes, my set up was coupled with a STOP descender. What do I think about the SHUNT. Well after using it I buried it. I didn’t even give it away. That was how hazardous I considered the SHUNT.

If some of you kamikaze weekend warrior climbers think the SHUNT is such a great product then please write in directly to IRATA and OSHA and ask them why they are no longer conducting any of their climb courses using this particular kit.

Doesn’t that seem odd. Coming to think of it please consider writing to Peltz and ask them why they have opted to discontinue the production of the SHUNT.

Please go!

What do I think about the Peltz STOP range of descenders. I think what that product offered for it’s time was a significant improvement from what was commercially available to the climbing fraternity which was the friction rail or ladder descender.

Is the STOP a good product, for its time, it was an improvement to what was commercially available. Good is not the right word to describe the introduction of this kit into the climbing world. Even today many climbers much prefer the STOP. But as a seasoned user of this descender. I can say, it did certainly have plenty of issues, such as the necessity for the discipline to tie off during mid stops, rope creep was also a very big issue if the tie off was sloppy and incorrectly tensioned, along with the confusion related to spooling the rope correctly into the switch back mechanism before a climb and most notably for inexperienced climbers who instinctively grab their devices when they fall, it was certainly a very big concern.

I do not consider the STOP descender to be a novice or even intermediate level climb tool. It was way too finicky. It’s not a plug and play kit. One needs at least one hundred climb hours in very different climb conditions to truly develop the muscle memory to have confidence with it along with gaining an appreciation of it’s strengths and weaknesses. IMHO the STOP will always be a professional level tool for only the most experienced climber.

However if one compares the STOP to the new ID range of descenders. I would say the ID corrects all the faults of the STOP. I have done a review on the ID range and in my opinion it is as close to excellent as descenders can ever get. I cannot for the life of me see what else there is to improve on and it comes highly recommended.

As for the new range of ASAP fall arrestors, they are a vast improvement to the world’s most useless and dangerous SHUNT which in my opinion was universally hated by every climber who ever used it!

This video is self explanatory. Want to quibble, please. Go there! Don’t take issue with me. Go! Talk to those people who climb day and in and out to put food on their table for their families and don’t want to fall.

Please try or at least pretend to be a real man…go! Vamos! Que passé contiguous tio? Much gravitas Bueno! Adios amigos! Now vamos!

To lose is to also find – a study in human contradiction

This afternoon while lunching all by myself. The proprietor came over and sat with me. This is a very unusual occurrence as in all the years that I have known her, she is by nature a very reserved person. As we were talking the subject turned to her husband.

Suddenly as if thinking aloud she murmured, when I first met my husband. He was always so attentive and interested in me….these days all he seems to do after work is read the newspapers….we hardly ever talk any longer. I feel sad. It seems the magic has left our relationship.

At one point she asked do you happen to know of any love potion that can revive the spark in our relationship….i so want it to be like before when we were so excited to be together.

I directed the lady to a nearby palm that grows to provide shade by the shop and I told her. When I first came to these parts this was just a small seedling. At that time do you remember how vigorous this tree was – it was growing so vigorously in all directions that it even needed constant pruning. Do you remember the moment when you asked me to send one of my workers to help you keep it in shape. Now that it is an adult tree. Do you see that it has settled down quite nicely, it is no longer growing all over the place. Instead it seems quite content to spend most of its time and energy reaching quietly towards the sky….it is still the same tree, but it is a very different from the tree that it used to be.

Yes…you can say it has changed, but this is the Dao of all things that are part of the natural order. It is simply another phase of life that requires a new way of appreciation….do not fret…what you lose will always come back in a different shape and form….it is not gone forever.

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‘Maturity comes only from deep understanding of how all things follow a natural cycle of life – it is the capacity to deeply appreciate of this cycle of change that is very much an indelible aspect of understanding the human condition. Do not be clingy to the past. As that is the opposite of maturity. It is very far from understanding things for what they really are and should and must be. Take the case of a woman who gives birth to a child and becomes a mother….she is a new creation is she not? The woman has always existed, but the mother is entirely new. As the mother figure never existed before the child came into the world. Same goes for a man who comes into fatherhood. Same goes as well for the newbie farmer and the farmer who has seen the coming and passing of countless seasons – everything changes.

So do not cling to the past. As when things and conditions change it does not necessarily mean that the spark has all but died out in your relationship…it simply means that fantasy moment you once experienced in the beginning was never meant to last…it is like the vigor of a young seedling that seems to be dissipating all its energy in every possible direction. That sort of intensity cannot possibly be sustained….it doesn’t exist. As for a tree to grow well without being pear shaped, it has to abide to the natural laws of harmony. So when a tree matures with age and time…it doesn’t mean it offers less of what it used too…like the mother who emerges from the woman, it is simply a reincarnation, but to appreciate this new state of being also requires a new sort of understanding otherwise all this evolutions of life can only be seen as a loss or deficit. That is why fruit connoisseurs much prefer the harvest of older and mature trees. As the taste is much more complex and nuanced, hardly bright and full bodied like the vapid produce of young trees.

When one sees things in this holistic way then even two people sitting beside each other in silence can only be a very beautiful thing as that sort of energy is not indifference. Rather it is the fruit of perfect harmony and understanding….this is what I mean by the Dao. Only by appreciating this insight can one begin to discard the fantasy of the past and learn to savor the nuanced and deeper alterations at each phase of life….only then will one begin to see that nothing ever loses it’s freshness or vigor or rhythm…as what one seems to lose always returns in a different shape and form.

To know this is the highest form of maturity. Not to know of this insight is to suffer unnecessarily as one will always feel short changed in life.’

Petlz – ASAP fall arrestor

A very significant improvement to using a manual ascender as a fall arrestor. I know that Petlz came out with the SHUNT before this. But I considered it to be designed so badly for the user that works at heights, in my considered opinion it posed a hazard requiring me to switch back to the old school JUMA fall arrest which I considered to be much more reliable….this new alternative, the ASAP with its rotational acceleration cam lock appears to offer a much safer, unencumbered and user friendly solution to the fall arrest challenge.

I look forward to using the ASAP fall arrestor and will write a review.

Disclosure: I get nothing for free. Infact I practice a policy of declining freebies. I buy it all at retail prices just like you with my hard earned money and you are assured a bullshit without fear or favour review. If a product is good. I call it out as such. If it’s good for nothing. Ditto.

ALWAYS CLIMB WITHOUT YOUR EGO. SAFETY FIRST!