On Friday, September 18, 2020 at 12:56:12 PM UTC-5, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Friday, September 18, 2020 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-4, dsi1 wrote:
> > On Friday, September 18, 2020 at 2:06:22 AM UTC-10, Gary wrote:
> > > dsi1 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I like to boil my pork clean for 20 minutes and then dump out
> > > > the nasty porky water.
> > >
> > > But aren't you also dumping out much of the pork flavor?
> > >
> > > Worked with a guy once that claimed he made the best grilled
> > > chicken in the universe so I asked him how he did it.
> > >
> > > He boiled his chicken for about 20 minutes before
> > > putting them on the grill. He didn't even save the water
> > > for broth. Needless to say, I didn't try his method.
> > You are indeed dumping out pork flavor but it's a tradition. My auntie taught me that one. She said that pork is a dirty meat. It's not necessary these days but I like to follow tradition. God knows what happens if you don't follow the rules.
> Generally speaking, nothing. Most traditions are pointless and should be abandoned.
> Their purpose is to identify members of a "tribe" and to cement the relationship of
> each person to his/her tribe.

And they extend far beyond that. Traditions are part of the framework that justifies extant
power structures. Sports teams play in stadiums where the wealthy eat jumbo shrimp in
skyboxes, while the hoi palloi chow down hot dogs in the bleachers, feeling more unity with
the wealthy fans of their own team than with folks of their own station who root for the
team that happens to represent a different city. In larger societies, sports fandom obfuscates
the class interests of the average Jane/John, who might otherwise feel more affinity with
their natural allies. That's OK in a society that is reasonably egalitarian, but it's dysfunctional
in one that has run amok with economic inequity.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

--Bryan