When is a Link a Link?

[note: Editor's Post]

To follow up on the issue of Links...

• When is a link a link?
• How can you tell if a link is good or bad?
• How can you tell if a link that worked 1 minute ago will work in the next minute?

The answer is: you can't.

There is no way for "us" to know if a link works or not. Even if the results appear to be the same as before that may not be true. A link can change in a nanosecond and "we" would never know about it.

In fact, we are not supposed to know or notice.

It's all part of the complicated underbelly of the internet. Far too complicated to explain in detail but I will try to give a summary of why any link can never be "fully trusted". Even ones you use everyday and have never had any issues with it.

The URL (Uniform Resource Locator)¹
note: I have added some spaces to prevent the actual link from forming

At the top of chain is the URL. This is the address you are trying to get to. It looks like:

• https: //
• http: //
• www

After that section comes a name (or a number) the represents the place you want to. It looks like:

• mrsbizzyb.net
• schneier.com
• guardian.co.uk

The two parts form the address of where you want to go and look like this:

• http: //mrsbizzyb.net/
• https: //mrsbizzybsayshello.blogspot.com/
• https: // www. schneier.com/
• https: //www.guardian.co.uk/

By itself it is just text. It means nothing. It does nothing. However, when placed in a browser address line, the browser scans the text and deciphers it into various internet protocols and if all goes well you get the page view you wanted.

Meaning: you would see MrsB's blog, you would see Bruce Schneier's security blog or the Guardian internet newspaper.

That's IF it goes right. But it doesn't always. And THAT is the problem.

REDIRECT and now where are you?²

Just like people move to new addresses, so do websites. They move all the time. So in order to find the right page, the internet has a "forwarding" ability to find where the page you want is now located. It isn't in the original location or for other reasons the page returned isn't the one you asked for.

If you live in the USA and you type the UK address for the Guardian, looking for the British Edition, you will get the USA one instead.

WHAT???

This:

• https: //www.guardian.co.uk/

becomes this:

• https: //www.theguardian.com/us

It ain't what you asked for but it's what you got.

You got REDIRECTed.

In the case of the Guardian, it's not malicious per se, it's because they can read a crapton of metadata about you and your computer and your history ad nausea and know that if your computer is in the USA you MUST want the US Edition and you stupidly asked for the UK one.

They are being helpful.

But many people do not enter the address at all. They use DuckDuckGo or Google or click links on webpages instead. They may never really notice the address being offered up and just click the link. Sort of a blind trust. You presume the link goes where you want but if you don't look carefully you can end up... well, where no one wants to go.

Just because the text says "Giraffe Cam" doesn't mean it goes there.

Links can be mistyped by accident or on purpose. They can be tricksie to figure out because of the way the destination keeps their pages.

These could look like:

• http: //mrrsbizzyb.net/
(2 r's)

• https: // www. schnier.com/
(dropped an "e:)

• https: //mrsbizzybsayshello.blogspot.com/2017/04/giraffe-cam.html
(changed the date)

• http: //www.reuters.com/article/usa-internet-privacy-idUSL2N1H61ZY ³
(where the heck does this go? }

People are trusting. That's a problem. One exploited viciously.

This is just the top layer of the cake. The part you can see. Under all that fondant is whole crapton of technology that can do the same thing but you won't notice or you are not supposed to notice.

Good Guys and Bad Guys

These days there is no difference between the "good guys" and the "bad guys". They do the same thing, with the same methods, for the same reasons.

One claims National Security the other claims your bank account.

They want what you have.
They know you won't give it to them.
So they take it.

Taking something without permission is generally called THEFT but in the internet: it's advertising data and you agreed to it even if you didn't agree to it.

Once you press the enter key, the speed of light happens and all kinds of equipment and locations and providers and satellites and all sorts of stuff takes place. I am not going to attempt to explain this part other than in a simpler metaphor.

Think of your request as taking a taxi.

Normally we expect the taxi driver to know how to get to our destination. We expect the trip to be fast, convenient and cheap. We expect to arrive alive and well. We expect the car to drive on roads, obey traffic ordinances and not run over pedestrians. We expect the driver to be able to talk to us or at least understand when we give the destination address or be able to read if the address is written on a paper. We presume that the roads are paved and that the traffic signals work and the GPS won't send us off a cliff. We expect the driver to accept common forms of payment and to be able to give change if needed and accept a tip for superior service. We expect the taxi to haul all our baggage too. That the trunk will accommodate all the items we are transporting and that nothing will be broken in the handling. We expect the doors to be opened, seat belts in place and air conditioning.

We expect a lot.

Even with a taxi, None of the Above happens. For every expectation, there are cases were the results are unfortunate. Sometimes it's just a laugh later about the red light that didn't turn green but sometimes it's life threatening if the driver doesn't know how to get to the hospital quickly because your health insurance company won't pay for the ambulance.

Once you press ENTER, your data is on Mr Toad's Wild Ride and you do not know where or how the request is processed.

This is by design. Techno Nerds think you are too stupid to understand, so they hide it from you.

The problem is: hiding things makes changing things very very easy.

The Good Guys and Bad Guys know all about how to change things.

• This is what they do.
• This is their career.
• This is how they get paid.
• This is how they think.
• This is what gives them pleasure.
• They like changing things without your knowledge.
• They think they are more clever than you
• They think they are more clever than the person sitting next to them
• They think they are more clever than any organization, business or government

And they are right.

So..

What to do Percy? What to do?

First Understand the easy parts: the top of the cake.
Learn to read URLs and do not go to those you cannot figure out. Reuters is a responsible company but their news identification system means you really cannot "trust" it.

Second Practice better web safety: STOP CLICKING on STUFF.
Just because someone sent you an email with a link in it DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO CLICK IT.

Ok, so those Cats and Cucumbers are funny but is it worth your bank account?

Third Do Not Trust.
Sad to say, Do Not Trust. Spear phishing and Social Engineering ⁴ are common methods of giving your stuff to them. These come from "trusted sources".

• My friend would never send me malware...
• Your friend was hacked and the haxors got your email from that.
  The message is not from your friend.

Fourth Become Educated.
Yes that means LEARN SOMETHING. Knowledge is your only defense because the Good Guys are NOT coming to the rescue here. They are part and parcel of the problem.

• They created them.
• They maintain them.
• They have every reason not to change.
• They will object, lie, distort, falsify and more to distract from their duplicity.

While links may not be trustworthy, there are experts worth reading, even if you understand only 1/10th of the topic. Bruce Schneier is one to learn from. You do not have to agree with everything or understand 100% of what he writes about.

He published an Op Ed piece about the upcoming changes to how USA ISPs can sell your web information. ISPs have a special position in the taxi ride: they are the roads. They know every taxi and every destination.

Snoops may soon be able to buy your browsing history. Thank the US Congress
Bruce Schneier
Thursday 30 March 2017 06.00 EDT ⁵

Fifth YOU are THE key.

You can make a difference. You can influence changes.

Because without YOU, they are NOTHING.


KimB Editor


References

1 The URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL

2 REDIRECT and now where are you?

http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_redirection

3 where the heck does this go?

Reuters.com
FRB | Wed Mar 29, 2017 | 4:54pm EDT
Vote to repeal U.S. broadband privacy rules sparks interest in VPNs
By Stephen Nellis and David Ingram

4 Spear phishing and Social Engineering

https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing
https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(computer_security)

5 Snoops may soon be able to buy your browsing history.

Snoops may soon be able to buy your browsing history. Thank the US Congress
Bruce Schneier
Thursday 30 March 2017 06.00 EDT
[note: This is an active link]
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/30/snoops-buy-your-browsing-history-us-congress

What can telecom companies do with this newly granted power to spy on everything you’re doing?
...
They can snoop through your traffic and insert their own ads. They can deploy systems that remove encryption so they can better eavesdrop. They can redirect your searches to other sites. They can install surveillance software on your computers and phones. None of these are hypothetical.

They’re all things internet service providers have done before ....
...
Surveillance is already the business model of the internet, and literally hundreds of companies spy on your internet activity against your interests and for their own profit.

Your e-mail provider already knows everything you write to your family, friends, and colleagues. Google already knows our hopes, fears, and interests, because that’s what we search for.

Your cellular provider already tracks your physical location at all times: it knows where you live, where you work, when you go to sleep at night, when you wake up in the morning, and – because everyone has a smartphone – who you spend time with and who you sleep with.

And some of the things these companies do with that power is no less creepy. Facebook has run experiments in manipulating your mood by changing what you see on your news feed. Uber used its ride data to identify one-night stands. Even Sony once installed spyware on customers’ computers to try and detect if they copied music files.

Giraffe Cam

For a number of days I've been watching the giraffe cam at the Animal adventure Part in Harpursville, N Y.

April, a 15 year old giraffe is about to give birth to her 4th calf. Hundreds of thousands have been watching her since February, and the birth could happen at any time. The team of vets confirm the count down as started, but the actual birth could happen at any moment, any hour, and maybe, another day.

The calf will weigh around 150 pounds and will be 6 feet tall at birth. The front hooves will come first, followed by the snout. After the baby is born, there will be a contest to name it. April will raise it; the weaning will take place between 6-10 months, which is a documented range of captive weaning. The keepers will not rush the process, but after weaning, the calf will go to another facility to start a breeding program there. Retaining the offspring would lead to incestuous mating and would undermine the genetics of the program and species.

The keepers go into the pen ad clean it and give April treats. She likes romaine lettuce and carrots. They do not give Oliver, the father treats. He is 5 year old bull and the only things a bull likes to do is fight and mate. This will be his first calf. Giraffes eat an oat hay and specialized diet.

The team of vets are on stand by and will update the comments on the web came page as the day progresses. I'm going on about my day, but will check the cam often. I hope I'm lucky to see April birthing a new calf.


[Editor's Note: Link to Web Cam Removed]

We removed the link to the live cam feed because there is a possibility that the link may have been hijacked. We recommend you use safe web practices to find the live feed.

Without changes to the internet and increased privacy protections along with strong encryption and secured exchanges, anyone can be victimized by a hijacked link even if it looks OK or behaves OK for awhile.

April the Giraffe is extremely popular as many people watch and wait for the new calf to be born. This means the link is also of interest to "others" who may not be as interested in the giraffe as they are in your computer, mobile phone and bank accounts.

Reports of anomalies in connection may or may not be malicious but because we value your privacy, we are removing the link at this time.

KimB Editor

Ripples 10 by KimB

[Editor's Note: Ripples is a serial story.
The author makes no guarantees as to completing the serial.
Publication dates are located in the left side menu.]

10 Branching Out

Phones flashed in the sun.

Clustered around her, they displayed their treasured assets. Enthusiastic descriptions and exchanges about features and functionality ensued. Goal line arguments about best and better as they pointed, punched, and stroked at screens. An eager game of one-upmanship.

Carefully she looked at the proffered examples.

Do this to get that.

Push here to go there.

This plug fits this socket.

That works this way.

Ports and connection points, shape and surface size. She asked about different aspects; listening to the varying explanations.

The litany and demonstration of techno-prowess implied all you needed to do was: Click your heels 3 times and repeat, "There's no place like home".

"So," she asked, "what happens if you lose your phone?"

The avalanche of information continued.

"Well... "

"Just buy another!"

"Yeah, the service companies can recover your information and put it on the new phone quick."

"That! Plus you can get a better phone at a discount if you buy that upgrade package."

"Totally worth it! I got a better one. See??? I got a Fruit Fone!"

She reached out and took the Fruit Fone and looked at it closely. Turning it over in her hands several times. Smiling, she handed it back to it's proud owner.

She didn't even need to take the folded drawing from her pocket to know the many benefits of fruit.

Fine Time Art 05 by Marion 2017

Fine Time Art 05 by Marion 2017

Fix'n

It wasn't broken, but they had to fix it. Something in our genes makes us create complexities we call 'updating'.. We can't seem to leave things in a simple state if its at all possible to change the involvement of a procedure. Take for example, checking out a library book to read on a kindle.

In the old days all you had to do was ask the librarian at your local library for a card with your name and a number on it, which gave you the privilege of borrowing a book, free of charge, for so many days. If the book was returned late, there was a fine of several pennies for each day the book was over due. The card never expired; it was good for as long as you continued to use it at this particular library.

Then along came the internet with its digital universe. Using a computer to scroll thru a library digital catalog and downloading an ebook to a digital device was a lure too hard to resist. One of my favorite activities had been going to the library, browsing the stacks and rummaging thru the books on the sale table, then going home with an armload of books to read. I liked holding a book and turning the pages, but when I received a kindle as a gift, I gave in, and gave up trips to the library.

I was pleasantly surprised at the ease and convenience of downloading an ebook to my kindle at any time of day or night. Several years went by without a hitch until the digital gods would no longer accept my library card.

What to do, Percy? What to do?

It turns out that the powers that be decided to upgrade the system. The routines had been too simple. Complexities had to be created. Card numbers expired and had to be replaced. Scrolling the library digital catalog now requires clicking and choosing from a myriad of photos and instructions before even getting into the library. Further clicking is required to narrow the search by choosing from a long list that includes which device, type of subject, and availability,

It took me almost 2 weeks of trial and error to download a book to my kindle, even after phoning the library for 'how to'.

The first librarian was brusque, but told me to click on a particular photo, then 'go from there'. I did as told, but 'going from there' didn't work for me.

The second librarian I talked to was more explicit, but mentioned the steps so fast I had trouble jotting down the steps involved before she hung up.

It was by chance and by golly that I finally downloaded 2 ebooks....
I hope I can do it again.

Ripples 9 by KimB

[Editor's Note: Ripples is a serial story.
The author makes no guarantees as to completing the serial.
Publication dates are located in the left side menu.]

09 Fleas

The car parked discretely in the dirt lot, she began transferring her wealth.

Nearby, noises of others doing the same. Soft bangs and crunches as crates, boxes and bundles were transported towards the street. Arrays of colorful tents and awnings ringed by chalk, lined the gutters. Folding tables unfolded. Contents staged according to each seller's hopes of a buyer.

Vendors carefully watched as their neighbors and competition set up stalls.

What did they bring?
What would it be priced at?
Will a buyer stop there first?
Did they get a better location?

Jealousy. Fear. Envy. Subtexts swirling through the circuit of tables.
Wealth is only wealth, if it brings the price of a meal.

She did not move towards the colorful street marked with chalk outlines, choosing instead a corner just beyond the traced boundaries.

Already, others were there. Mimicking their counterparts just a few steps away. Cautiously unpacking their limited wealth. A few items here and there. Worn packaging, thrift store treasures and dollar store notions set on upended cardboard boxes.

She placed the blanket in an open spot, marking it as hers, and began arranging the driftwood sticks. Cardboard placards with neat lettering described the names of the woods: Oak, Madrone, Redwood and Pine. Satisfied with her arrangement, she opened a battered tool carry, recycled from other projects, now holding a few tools and a stack of sandpapers. Selecting a sandpaper and one of the driftwood sticks, she rubbed away the rough splinters.

She mused about who might come to buy today and what price she would place on various woods. Each type appealed to different buyer. Long straight pieces might be selected as walking sticks. Twisted and gnarled ones were preferred by wood crafters who fashioned them into lamps or turned them on lathes. Pocked marked pine might be selected as a home accent, a testimonial of bark beetle ravage tastefully placed in a flower arrangement. Then there were some who didn't want the wood at all but would slip a banknote in her hand before moving on.

Curios for Gentrifiers.

The early morning parade of lookers passed by. There were the Early Birds, determined to Get There First scanning for their specialty items then hurrying towards the next offering, fearful that another might get there before them.

After the first wave, came other vendors. Not looking to buy but to check pricing; a quick survey of the competition. Rivalries subdued under faked smiles and false wishes for A Good Sale Day.

By mid-morning the Early Birds had fled to other venues and vendors had retreated to their own stalls. Trickles of potential buyers moved slowly through the lanes of merchandise. The calls and chants hyping various items droned in the background.

The pace slowed.

The morning gone, she knew there wouldn't be many more sales this day. The funds she secured in her purse would provide fuel and food for the week. A victory .

Now she could visit. The corner proffered a combination of survival with companionship. Casual friendships lasting from one week to the next, bonded by the weekly gathering, severed when even the cheapest notions became too dear or misfortune forced departures to elsewhere,

Her good friend was sitting nearby. An Old Timer of the corner.

Sales over, her friend was now squinting intently at a phone. Watching her friend's fingers stroke the glass surface, the screen shifted left, right, up, down. A mysterious ballet of choreographed movements; an arabesque performed by Touch under the vigilant direction of Sight.

It was a starting place. A good starting place.

Fine Time Art 04 by Marion 2017

Fine Time Art 04 by Marion 2017

“In The Devil's Garden” Review and Commentary by D. Vour Part 4 of 4

Review and Commentary by D. Vour
Gourmand and Food Critic at “The Home“

“In The Devil's Garden” - “A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food”
Ballantine Books
by
Stewart Lee Allen

Chapter Four – Conclusion

How we prepare foods is a big part of the food taboo story. Rules and recipes abound on precise ways to make, bake and prepare things 'legally'. Variations – authorized or unauthorized – have caused chaos, and all hell breaking loose when food violations occur. The Roman Catholic church, and Greek Orthodox church for example. Someone added yeast to the recipe to the communion wafers, and made little mini loafs instead of wafers, and war broke out between the factions 'til they split, a schism lasting over 900 years, until resolved in the 1960's... all that drama over a touch of some yeast bacteria - it's quite a remarkable story!

Great Chefs are almost a modern form of high priest today, but they have always held special places in society throughout the centuries. In some cultures the highest chef was even made the King-Priest! There is a direct symbolic relationship to a priest giving a wafer, and a chef serving a meal! Chefs are our modern high priests! Each one teasing us with greater and greater culinary heights and delights, vying with each other in social acceptance, and celebrity, like modern day gunslingers, each pulling us into their orbit of gastronomic experimentation with nearly spiritual food experiences! Each modern bite prepared by these wizards of food prep, can be virtually a quasi-religious-spiritual and orgasmic experience at once! Modern chefs are expanding culinary horizons to places seemingly without rules .. can this mean the end of civilization as we know it, or are new rules evolving? Perhaps the yardstick has simply been temporarily pulled out, like a golf flag, and will be moved a bit farther out ?

Every food we enjoy today has been banned in history at some point. Garlic and onions could bring a death penalty, as have at one time or another, eggs, all types of meats, vegetables, almost every spice, many methods of preparation, and even what ingredients may, or may not, be used to 'correctly make' something - some even had punishments worse than instant death for the hapless chef (often in horrible ways related to the ill used food.. boiling in oil, roasting in an oven, or flayed and cooked along with the meal, or buried in salt!) The famous French Chef to Louis the 14th – Vatel, is noted to have committed suicide by falling on his sword when the fish to be served arrived a half hour late for the Kings dinner !

Each of the seven sins is well covered here with great erudition and wit .. and it reads easily and quickly .. perfect for a kindle and limited read time .. short segments tied together for easy chapters on Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Greed, Envy, and Anger, and he even offers an intriguing 8th sin – “When Everything Is Allowed, And Nothing Has Flavor.” !

This whole idea of forbidden foods bumps up against a future where we currently have vast foodie 'lawlessness' – where the classic rules are tossed out in ever more adventurous culinary feats. In severe contrast, this trend is fighting against a growing wasteland of corporate food conformity.

Modern attitudes to dining, encourage creative chefs to reach out and try new things; allowing, and encouraging the meeting of disparate ingredients not traditionally used together, breaking new ground, and food laws too, whilst seeking exotic flavor profiles, and ever more complex taste horizons. These valiant modern priest-chefs seek to sate the demand for 'Amuse-bouches' that are more over the top than the previous efforts. Battalions, and cadres of new young chefs work to fulfill ever exotic culinary demands by modern gourmands – in some irony – or homage – mirroring the extreme explorations of olden time chefs trying to meet the demands for sumptuous meals and feasts of their own times. Now, good foods are in reach of everyone, and no longer consigned to the rarefied dining of only the aristocracy.

However, on the other side of that approach, could we just as easily be facing a looming and darker corporate food future in the not too distant future; one fraught with the dangers of mass food conformity, trying to feed the increasing masses? This portends a dreary corporate sterility – a world without many food options – everything cardboard flavored, but “approved”? (Soylent Green comes to mind !?)

We have to be watchful about our modern food rules, laws, and taboos. We could just as easily be evolving to a place where the only foods being offering are those officially approved! No other foods need apply! Whoever controls the food chain controls this issue.

Where do you stand on food conformity, or genetic modifications, or mass production of your grub? The western food supply lines are getting more and more tenuous, in spite of the amazing range of seeming abundance, and choices that we enjoy in fancy western markets. Will our modern western cornucopia endure forever? Genetic modifed grains, droughts, sever weather and storms, global climate changes, all will play a role in our food supply in years to come. Are we prepared for it?

What about places in the world that barely have one item of food for the masses; limited local grains, rice, or corn - and that's it!? Do we need to have guilt about our abundance of choice, while others have none? Is this a form of subjugation that we unwittingly play a part in ? Food laws and taboos are ever evolving, and challenging us all to stay alert and aware.

There are forces at play that want to control your food, and all your ideas about food, thus controlling your thoughts and emotions especially, so that you buy and eat what “they” want you to. Food taboos and laws are the means to control you !

It's a crazy, modern, adventurous, and even dangerous food world out there, but delicious and exciting, good, and wholesome foods still await the adventurous – enjoy, but be sure to follow the rules, and remember, only allow your “right” foods in !

End

In The Devil's Garden
A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food

“In The Devil's Garden” Review and Commentary by D. Vour Part 3 of 4

Review and Commentary by D. Vour
Gourmand and Food Critic at “The Home“

“In The Devil's Garden” - “A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food”
Ballantine Books
by
Stewart Lee Allen

Chapter Three – of Four

Food is a powerful tool, for good and evil; used to control people through virtually every civilization, religion, region, state, and even across continents. Throughout history for example, limiting – or preventing – certain foods has allowed subjugation of the poor.

The true story of the white potato is heartbreaking .. and I thought I knew about the Irish potato famine. I learned the tragedy was put in motion many years before, when grains were restricted, or priced out of reach, or forbidden. The English - used the white potato to subjugate the Irish, and control them. Believing the white potato was not fit for humans, it was forced by law, as the only crop allowed to be grown by the 'subhuman' Irish. Grains were virtually non existent, and at times illegal to posses, making the lowly 'tater the only food source. When the potato blight hit, destroying all the potatoes, and ruining the only food source, it doomed millions to perish from starvation. There was no grain to fill the void! The resulting migration to 'greener pastures' brought millions to North America, and anywhere that wasn't Ireland. The Irish were amazed at our 'land of plenty', which was certainly a remarkable, and welcome, contrast to the old country. It's no accident that the early Irish in North America settled where grains grow!

Who you feed, invite to dinner, or don’t invite, has each been the cause of wars and social unrest. Religions with castes for example; if one invites another from a higher caste, they have just redefined that person as a caste lower! .. and in some cases such an invitation can bring a death penalty. It pays to know your place – literally .. in the 'food chain' ! Surprisingly, food has even been used in lieu of wars – to prevent fighting – there is an anecdote about a state that believes whoever throws the biggest most lavish gluttonous feast wins – when the last person can't put in one more morsel of food!

Food has been used to pit one religion against another – or even within a religion. I was unaware that the Roman Catholic Church, and Orthodox Greek split apart for over 900 years over the serious philosophical argument about the use of 'yeast', or 'no yeast' in the baking of communion wafers!

We begin to see food as a primary force, moving, shaking, controlling, and shaping history. There have been food laws in every time and place throughout history; Aboriginal, Native American, European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and every known place around the globe. You name it, and virtually every society, culture, religion and civilization, has rules or laws about foods. There are laws to 'use', or 'not use', almost every ingestible ingredient in history. Food has played a dominant role in shaping the times, and places of history, and even all human evolution !

Everything that can be ingested has been used to control manipulate, or stimulate, in some way in its past -- you name it – there are factions on both sides of it ! Virtually every single thing you get at a modern grocery store or restaurant, has detractors, or proponents: for good or bad, either currently, or in the past. In ancient times, many things that you can't even believe could be eaten today, were prized and controlled. All foods have had their unique moment in time, and place.

End of part 3 ... to be continued..

In The Devil's Garden
A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food

“In The Devil's Garden” Review and Commentary by D. Vour Part 2 of 4

Review and Commentary by D. Vour
Gourmand and Food Critic at “The Home“

“In The Devil's Garden” - “A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food”
Ballantine Books
by
Stewart Lee Allen

Chapter Two – of Four

We all have favorite foods, and some have traditional places in time, season, or related superstitions ... have you ever tossed salt over your shoulder? Ever been curious why bacon, eggs, toast, and cereal are considered just for breakfast? They weren't for centuries. How did that evolve? We have classic and traditional holiday meals – Turkey feast at thanksgiving comes to mind, or a Christmas Goose, Ham at Easter, even 'Day of the Dead' feasts for the Mexican culture. We all have foods made to celebrate various religious dates. This goes back past ancient Egypt, the Romans, and Greeks.. who have each successively co-opted the others holy day feasts … unto modern times.

Many years ago I saw an intriguing documentary on foods – exploring the idea that food was a big factor why the ancient Roman soldier was so successful. They contrasted what the Roman army ate against the sumptuous banquets and the omnivorous diet of the aristocracy; warrior food, versus royal food. They recreated the soldiers recipes from ancient cookbooks, prepared, and reviewed the flavors of the foods – even checked nutritional values – It was all quite different than modern times I assure you. The food and flavors would never be accepted today, - using herbs, and plants,and ingredients that in modern days would never cross your lips, but were popular favorites of the Roman troops of the day. Flavors that would make a modern person gag. Overripe and putrid foods, and just 'nasty stuff'. Some dishes and sauces were too nasty and not edible by the TV crew. However, the idea that one type of food was only acceptable to certain classes was an eye opener to this omnivorous writer … I never followed up on this interesting idea until this book arrived .. but I digress..

I will try to give a sense of the depth and scope of this insanely fun, informative and equally challenging tome. There is a remarkable range of food information covered, and I doubt that I will ever think about any food in the same way ever again. The author - Steward Lee Allen – makes wonderful and remarkably intriguing connections, and tells amazing and fascinating stories of how foods have been used to shape history. He utilizes a clever format for the sections, the seven deadly sins. He ties these sins to an incredible array of foods and ideas; religious, political, and social. He offers great anecdotes about how these foods have come to associated with the appropriate sins. With 10 pages of fine print bibliography, it is very well researched. Reads like a travelogue around the globe through time and places, past and present, covering the four corners!

Each chapter starts with an appropriate menu to that sin, and there are a few incredible recipes offered from the menus, all done with a delightful bit of tongue in cheek wit liberally applied, reflecting a modern twist on some interesting old foods or drinks – all worth trying at home. Absinthe with Champagne sounded pretty interesting. All look fun, some for curiosity, some because they still taste great ! .

This is a complicated tale of how food has played a role in evolving everything – all aspects of history -- not just physical history, but the whole evolution of our core religious, sociological, anthropological, political, emotional and psychological beliefs! It's a tale of how these ideas and beliefs can be manipulated by society, social organizations, corporations and religions, to affect what we believe, and thus ultimately in modern times : how we buy, eat and see the products we get – often symbolically.

Ketchup, is our modern metaphor for 'blood' (representing a fresh kill when we go out 'hunting' for food -ie driving for a burger). We learn that salads are traditionally 'woman’s food'. As an historical fact, at one time in the 1800's, women were only allowed to eat salads.. meat was forbidden, thus today, commercials selling salads feature women, because we have been inculcated by time and DNA, and traditions, that salads are for 'women folk'.

Conversely, meat is for men. We only see 'He-men' at a BBQ grill in TV meat commercials ! (how would you feel seeing a woman grilling a steak, or a football player eating a dainty salad in those commercials?) - these feelings are created and manipulated to make us think a certain way, by promoting or prohibiting foods! We even have had restrictions on what we can eat on certain days; meatless Monday, fish on Friday. Marketeers know that everyone likes to break rules .. so if it is 'forbidden' or Taboo, you will crave it. We tend to give higher marks to food we feel guilty about. Ever feel guilty eating something? That was because you were manipulated to feel that guilt.. and guilt sells! If you put a warning label on food .. the sales surge ! Why?

This book helps us understand a lot of those why's !

End of part 2 ... to be continued..



In The Devil's Garden
A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food

“In The Devil's Garden” Review and Commentary by D. Vour Part 1 of 4

Review and Commentary by D. Vour
Gourmand and Food Critic at “The Home“

“In The Devil's Garden” - “A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food”
Ballantine Books
by
Stewart Lee Allen

Chapter One – of Four

I just finished reading one of the most interesting books I've ever come across. I found it completely by accident . As these things usually do, I was looking for another book with a similar title, but mistyped the search, and by pure synchronicity 'The Devils Garden' popped up. I saw that it was a history of forbidden food .. which immediately caught my fancy, how fascinating .. I checked it out from the library, and started reading the prologue. I was hooked, … line and sinker! I could see that I was going to be caught up in an exciting maelstrom of swirling, new ideas to me about food: Taboos ! Food as social engineering – who knew?

How could we not be fascinated with forbidden foods? What foods are forbidden? I quickly wondered to myself – hmm … religious food bans of course … (or curse) .. but nothing else came to mind. After reading a few paragraphs, I realized that this was covering way more than just 'don’t eat pork'! I saw a comment about being a taboo to enjoy, and a taboo to not enjoy, eating!? This begs the question, if it's a sin to enjoy food, and a sin not to enjoy food – which side are you on: Saint, or Devil ? With food, don’t both views have some allure?

I love food and cooking stuff, and have always had a curiosity about foods people have eaten in bygone days. Likewise, I've been curious why certain foods are always identified with people or places; think of sauerkraut, and Germany comes to mind, think wine – et voila La Belle France, and pasta is of course “Italian”. Of course today, these items come from everywhere, but we still think of them as things related to those people or places.

What do you think of first, if I say 'watermelon', 'garlic', curry, or 'sweet potato pie' ? I suspect that cultural factors reflect your personal view of these; We ate Chinese food on special occasions. Garlic, when I was a kid, was avoided in school as being for 'Italians, as was the dreaded salami sandwich – garlic breath is death'. Curry was 'foreign food'. I didn’t eat curry 'til I got to college. Watermelon somehow ascribes to black southern culture, as does 'fried chicken' – even while both are readily available anywhere around the world and equally popular or famous ! What about the poor and oft maligned sweet potato, and sweet potato pie, which is not as quite popular as its' Pumpkin pie cousin. The lowly sweet potato was once a product allowed for European royalty only, and now in modern times, it is thought of as something more for 'poor folks'. In spite of this, the sweet potato is becoming respectable and trendy with modern foodies again. The sweet potato, and other veggies are seeing a re-surging popularity among the hip young organic crowd. You could not give kale away 10 years ago. Its only use was decoration on a salad bar. Now kale s everywhere, and in everything !? Our ideas about food are constantly evolving!

We do assign our belief structure to our food. Would you eat a live baby octopus ? Apparently, this is quite popular in Korea – but not so much here in USA.!? My point exactly!. One mans meat is another mans throat choker - err - I mean 'poison'! Snail, grubs, brains offal, sweetmeats, organ meat, wild game, bush meat : how do you feel about eating these ? What emotions are stirred pondering a bite fried insects? These emotions are used to control us, by making certain foods approved, or taboos.

This tale is brilliantly told with compactness and alacrity. The scope is remarkable, making connections, and contrasts with the ancient and modern views on our constantly evolving and changing attitudes, rules, and laws about food, and food items. There are amazing and incredible histories and anecdotes into the whys and wherefores of how these taboos, superstitions, and traditions have come about … and usually not what you previously expected or believed !

End of part 1 ... to be continued..



In The Devil's Garden
A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food

Ripples 8 by KimB

[Editor's Note: Ripples is a serial story.
The author makes no guarantees as to completing the serial.
Publication dates are located in the left side menu.]

08 Ties of Time

The phone and Whatsit chip joined the residues of a different time.

The plastic containers holding the reminders of her life now held the reminder of another's life.

Outside, along the slim walkway, she sorted through her harvests of driftwood. Tangled heaps in varying states: wet, drying and dried, inversely mimicking her hopes: today, tomorrow and the next.

Selecting pieces of the dried wood, she tied them into a bundle using a worn rope. She didn't think much of the rope. Unraveling and frayed, a pale yellow betraying its age, yet still strong enough to be useful. She had found it on the beach. Another piece of jetsam brought in with the tide along with other trash, much of which, would be washed away on the turn.

A continuous cycle of: Trash in. Trash out.

She placed the bundle of dried wood in the back end of an old car. The car had once been new ... for someone else. Like herself, it had traveled the roads and turnings that make up time coming to rest, at least for a short while, in her possession. It would remain for only as long as she could pay the costs: fuel, license, insurance and the never ending repairs needed to keep an old vehicle running. While you might get a modicum of moral support or token financial allotment for caring for an aged person, caring for an aged car was unique and there wasn't any support for that anywhere. Old cars, like old people, just died. Few cared either way.

Collecting a jacket, a blanket and a recycled plastic baggie with some food in it, she placed these in the car too. Intended as lunch, the baggie was secured with a mangled green twister saved from a grocery visit. Verifying she had already stowed a folding chair, she returned to the kitchen.

Taking the paper from the worn table she folded it neatly and placed it in her pocket.

She picked up her purse; locking the door as she left.

Fine Time Art 03 by KimB 2017

Fine Time Art 03 by KimB 2017

Ripples 7 by KimB

[Editor's Note: Ripples is a serial story.
The author makes no guarantees as to completing the serial.
Publication dates are located in the left side menu.]

07 Whatsit

The stub of a pencil traced the new information on the paper.

She compared her drawings with the phone: front and back. Arrows pointed to the location of tiny connection points. She did her best to copy the stenciled patterns.

She set aside the phone and reached for the tiny plastic container.

Tipping the contents into her hand, she examined the tiny black and red object.

It was certainly small. One side had some symbols on it and the other side had golden stripes. Avoiding the golden stripes she turned it over. She knew what it was or at least she thought she knew. It was old school now. She smiled, rather like herself. Old School.

Using the magnifying glass to see the tiny symbols, she copied them onto the paper. Funny looking symbols. Broken circles, buckets, numbers and stylized lettering crowded the tiny surface. Notches, dog-ears and crop outs formed its irregular shape. These she carefully added to the paper.

Satisfied that she had copied all correctly, she dropped the tiny object back into the container and snapped the lid tight.

She examined the finished drawing.

Something was odd.

Her eyes scanned the drawing several times.

Something was not right.

She picked up the phone, compared it with her drawing. Turing the phone over and around, looking at it from all angles to confirm.

She hadn't missed anything. The drawing was correct.

There was still something wrong.

The golden bars on the object, now locked inside the plastic container, were there for a reason. They allowed the object to be slipped into a matching slot. But this phone had no such opening. None. The tiny object had been sandwiched between the protection case and the phone. It had fallen out when she pulled off the protector.

It wasn't part of the phone.

Fine Time Art 02 by Marion 2017

Fine Time Art 02 by Marion 2017

Ripples 6 by KimB

[Editor's Note: Ripples is a serial story.
The author makes no guarantees as to completing the serial.
Publication dates are located in the left side menu.]

06 Peppers and Pins

From a drawer, she retrieved a small plastic container and lid.

The kind you get at fast food places for holding hot peppers or dressings. Once washed, they become useful for holding the miscellany that seem to accumulate in every drawer: odd coins, paper clips, brads and push pins. Packaged with cork boards, now long discarded, the colorful pins never seem to get thrown away. Lingering on in drawers; loose pins waiting for an unwary finger.

Carefully, she placed the tiny black and red item in the container and snapped the lid on. She placed it next to the phone.

Now she had two items to consider.

She frowned to herself for a moment then returned her attention to the phone.

Big dogs first, she thought.

With the protective cover removed, she could see more details. Faint engravings. A logo. A manufacture's name. Stenciled patterns. On one edge, neatly hidden in the stenciled stippling, some barely discernible text.

Through a scratched magnifying glass, retrieved from the drawer while avoiding some colored pins that had escaped their repurposed container (the lid having popped off), she peered closely at the minuscule text.

She could see:

A name followed by a mixture of numbers and letters.