Ffolkes,
At 0607 in the morning, I don’t expect my reaction time to be at maximum, nor am I be surprised to find my mind less than fully awake and prepared for immediate use, at least not for any use of sustained duration, or of a complex nature. But, it is a bit embarrassing to sit here and watch the screen-saver come on, while vacantly staring at the screen, and to still be frantically searching the empty, echoing corridors of my thus-far uninspired mind for an opening statement or idea. I have the screen saver set to come on after 3 minutes of no user activity, so I am forced to admit that I sat here and blankly stared for at least that long. Pathetic…..
On further reflection, however, I can see that having the screen-saver pop on has acted as some sort of release, or stimulation, if you will, and the words are now flowing. I guess serendipity comes in different colors and shapes after all…. whatever the case may be, I’ll take it.
I’ve learned not to question such little gifts from the universe; if I did, they might cease to happen, and so far, they’ve been responsible for some of my best work (and, in fact, have often been responsible for the creation of ANY work at all…..). Now, if I could only see what to write about next, I’d be good to go…… can’t have everything, I suppose. As Steven Wright said, “Of course you can’t have everything. Where would you put it all?”
Since I already lack sufficient storage space, we’ll just get on with the business at hand….. shall we Pearl?…
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We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. — Proverb
This is the sort of pearl that is much, much deeper than it appears at first glance. (Note: It seems common to find the most complex and deep issues described or related in very short sentences. Hmm…. probably something to do with K.I.S.S., which the universe believes in strongly…) Applied as a metaphor for human interactions with reality, the proverb assumes an even greater degree of relevance, as it implies both choice and hope. Both are always present, but not always in view; such aphorisms as this can help one to find where they are standing, hidden in plain sight…
It is clear to most by now that reality does not adjust to our desires; any adjustments made must be on our part, as we have absolutely no power to change any aspect of reality other than our response to it. A hard lesson, one that many never learn, or come to terms with, and one which guarantees they will find life to be one long struggle, as they spend their days in doomed attempts to make what is into what they wish it to be. To use the analogy provided, they never learn to trim the sails of their vessel, and find themselves constantly fighting with, and cursing, the wind, never realizing their own lack of understanding is what sends them into uncharted waters.
Thus, from simplicity does great wisdom arise; to reach our desired destination in life, one must learn to trim and adjust the sails of our vessel, to make the best use of the wind that the universe sends in our direction. Or, more plainly, we can only make changes to ourselves, not to reality. Learning this one simple lesson can turn a life out of balance completely around, and give it the direction and stability it has ever sought, enabling the most troubled soul to sail into the light, and out of the darkness that engulfs those who argue with reality…..
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“I think the sky is blue because it’s a shift from black through purple to blue, and it has to do with where the light is. You know, the farther we get into darkness, and there’s a shifting of color of light into the blueness, and I think as you go farther and farther away from the reflected light we have from the sun or the light that’s bouncing off this earth, uh, the darker it gets … I think if you look at the color scale, you start at black, move it through purple, move it on out, it’s the shifting of color. We mentioned before about the stars singing, and that’s one of the effects of the shifting of colors.” — Pat Robertson, The 700 Club
At last! The true, unacknowledged, but obvious, proof of how the concept of Christian Science came to be…… This has to be one of the finest examples I’ve ever seen of a man who, a) had no idea when he started to speak of what he meant to say, and b) opted to “fake it” and just make something up. Pat has apparently been listening to his own hype, and is convinced that, if it comes out of his mouth, it must be divinely inspired….
I imagine that the God that Pat claims to speak for lets him get away with shit like this because He is too busy laughing His divine Ass off to do anything about it. No point in throwing the lightning bolt too long after the causal event; no one would get the lesson. Plus, why give up such a cheap form of entertainment?….. It’s not like Hee Haw, or Laugh In, is still on the air….. and I imagine even God needs a break every so often from listening to Pat, or Oral, or Jim-boy, to keep from frying them in their tracks on live TV…. even He thinks twice about scaring the cattle, er, paying customers, er, congregation……
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“The greater your need to make a good catch, the greater the probability your partner will deliver his worst throw. (If you can’t touch it, you can’t trick it.)” — The Ninth Commandment of Frisbee — Dan Roddick
Ah, sweet memory! I’ve previously mentioned my status as a hippie, forged during the late 1960’s in Berkeley, at the UC where I attended post-high-school. My life and times in the birthplace of hippie culture during this era of societal change imbued me with a true and complete set of hippie skills and attributes. I play guitar and sing folk music. I wear my hair long. I am politically active, dedicated to peace, brotherhood, and love. And, I am a master of the Frisbee. Well, used to be. Now I’d probably throw myself into a world of hurt if I even made the simplest toss, even if I warmed up first. But, back in the day, (what does that mean, exactly? Which day?….. slang is funky sometimes….) trick catches were one of my specialties, and I can attest to the accuracy of the Ninth Commandment.
One of my best tricks involved a softly hovering throw that approaches the catcher on a level about waist high. I would first kick the disc in the center, on the fly, knocking it straight up, but keeping it spinning in a hover. I’d then step under it, and bump it as it came down, right in the center again, with the top of my head. It went up again, and as it came down, still spinning, I’d strike it with one finger, again in the center, to send it back up again. On the fourth time the disc descended, I would catch it on one finger, in the center, and watch it spin there until I flipped it up and grabbed it with a flourish, or just let the spin run out and let it hang on the finger as it stopped.
In reading back over that passage, I can see that it would definitely be more impressive to see than it is to read…… but, it sure felt good when I nailed the trick, and it invariably impressed any girls in the vicinity; at 19 or 20 years-old, that was key….. especially if I hit the immediate throw back to my compatriot with a double-skip, right to his moving target…. Always a crowd-pleaser, the double-skip…
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A programmer from a very large computer company went to a software conference and then returned to report to his manager, saying: “What sort of programmers work for other companies? They behaved badly and were unconcerned with appearances. There hair was long and unkempt and their clothes were wrinkled and old. They crashed our hospitality suite and they made rude noises during my presentation.”
The manager said: “I should have never sent you to the conference. Those programmers live beyond the physical world. They consider life absurd, an accidental coincidence. They come and go without knowing limitations. Without a care, they live only for their programs. Why should they bother with social conventions?”
They are alive within the Tao.
Yesterday, a short discussion was posted here on the subject of hacker culture, and the myths and philosophy popular among those who program computers, the ones who write the programs the rest of us use every day…. This pseudo koan exemplifies the type of thinking that permeates the culture, perfectly describing how true hackers see themselves.
As a group, hackers are highly educated in comparison to the general population, and share a certain predilection for science fiction and fantasy literature and media, mythology, philosophy, (particularly Zen Buddhism and Taoism), and properly spoken and written English (very important in computer programming; computers are VERY literal, and precise use of the language is a key element of creating successful programs, i.e. programs that actually perform as requested….) Hacker jargon assumes a deep knowledge of the subjects pertinent to them, and shows not vicious, but amused disdain for “normals”. Ambitions among hackers involve successful hacks, or writing the code for a major OS, or some other piece of programming that achieves industry-wide acceptance and acclimation; to become a demi-god is the ultimate goal, one whose name is familiar to anyone who writes code.
Contrary to many segments of society at large, where too much education creates mistrust, and the most admired qualities are simplicity and acquiescence to being average, in hacker culture, complexity, elegance, wit, a defiant roguishness, and strong math skills are qualities admired by all, and the status of demi-god is sought after assiduously by every individual who considers themselves to be a true programmer…. and demi-gods aren’t required, or expected, to act like normal folks….
“The computer programmer is a creator of universes for which he alone is responsible. Universes of virtually unlimited complexity can be created in the form of computer programs.” — Joseph Weizenbaum, _Computer Power and Human Reason_
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“And if it please you, so; if not, why, so.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), The Two Gentlemen of Verona — Act ii, Sc. 1
Okay, so we all know how Will the Thrill failed to make my most wanted list by now, so I won’t go into that. But, more evidence in my argument’s favor keeps cropping up, and this is a fine example. Though I know it is likely a bit clearer if taken in context to the surrounding action in the play, still, this line is just about as obscure as can be. I’m certain that the reaction from the audiences who first were exposed to this was the same as mine; I immediately thought, upon reading it, “HUH? What did you say?” My next thoughts were, in approximate order, “Let me outta here! I’m late for an appointment! I hear my mom calling! I’m on a mission from God! Anything! Just don’t make me listen to that again!”
Perhaps I can make myself clearer re: this opinion by making a small analogy. If Will The Middle English Thrill were alive today, who do you think he would most resemble, in terms of his fame, his literary and/or entertainment skills and accomplishments, and his overall status as a celebrity? In my inner eye, a picture of Michael Jackson and Madonna fight over who is to pop up first. That frightening image is replaced by Stephen King, which is even more frightening. In a final attempt to find an acceptable comparison that is also accurate enough for my purposes, my third thought was “Aha!” followed by an old image of Yoko Ono sitting with John Lennon on a white bed….. I suppose John Lennon isn’t such a bad comparison, but Yoko Ono? Please… spare me…. and please spare me from any more Shakespeare…. that overblown twit….
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Well, it’s another fine mess I’ve created here, now, isn’t it? Fear not, I’m nothing if not accommodating; you’ll find a box of handi-wipes by the door as you leave the building. I’ve found it to be a well-appreciated amenity after sessions such as this one. Just remember, please, to dispose of them in the proper receptacle, also placed near the exit door for your convenience, and painted a bright orange so you can’t miss it…..
In the words of the prophet, ta ta, then, luvs….. y’all take care out there…..
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid
Kowabunga!
gigoid 
Love the way you hop from one thing to another&even if they’re disconnected, none would notice; waiting for what-comes-next…
I enjoyed the coloring lesson:)
Mira Jay…. thanks! I do try to stay random, but connected; nice to hear I hit it now and again… 🙂 Yeah, Pat’s a hoot, isn’t he? Totally spaced on the other colors in the spectrum, never got past blue…. of course, that assumes he knows the remaining four elements, an unproven assumption…. typically hilarious for him….take care out there…..
On your section about adjusting the sails, I call that the difference between content and context in life. I teach, and believe, that we cannot always change the content in our life, but we do have the power to change the context of how we view the content.
I so agree that it’s an exercise in futility to attempt to control the wind when it is just as easy to trim the sail. But, as you pointed out, we have to know the difference and make concious choices. Thank you for sharing this much needed lesson.
Thanks! This is a subtle and difficult lesson for a lot of folks, and I discuss it, in various permutations, fairly often. One of the quotes that always brings the point home for me is that quote from the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna tells Arjuna, “All anger arises from obstructed desire.” I hold this to mean that we can change our desires, thus eliminating our anger. And that is the MOST we can do…. but, it’s enough to give us control of our own lives, and feelings…. thanks for responding; it’s always nice to know I’ve stimulated a response… 🙂
Another fine example of what is REAL in writing, thanks! 🙂
🙂 Thanks! I do try to remain in the vicinity of real in my work… but feel compelled to point out that, for me, reality itself is a slippery slope, which in my experience shows more of the characteristics of mercury in its pure liqud metallic state than it does of a slab of marble, or granite. It can be easy to lose track of what is really real at times in my world, but, I have always managed to find my way back to the one we all share consensually…. I’m glad you’re enjoying what I write, it’s always great to hear, and like a good golf shot, will help get me out to play, or write, again tomorrow…
I do enjoy your writing…and by “real,” I mean that I can feel it all percolating as you continue to write. You write what it is in the moment, at least it seems that way. I’ve always wished I could write like that, so effortlessly and so easily. I’ve always been one of those writers who agonizes over every word (not in short comments like this, but in essays, or more meaningful pieces of writing). I love it when I can see that a writer’s thoughts are flowing onto paper so easily as yours. And, by the way, I went to UC Berkeley too. We must be made of a bit of the same fabric…there’s an old hippie who lives inside of me too. 🙂
Thanks! Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth without Novocaine, but I’m glad that I’m staying in the moment; that is the goal, for sure, because that is where my muse speaks to me…
Cool, another hippie girl from Cal! Excellent! I have to say, I might have known, having seen the wide variety of material from which you draw your posts… it’s a dead giveaway, now that I think about it… Well met, indeed! How ’bout them Lady Bears on the courts this year? Not bad…. At my age, though, I must also add that the hippie that lives in me is young… I’m just the old fart who is still dressing the part…. 😉
That is so funny…and yeah, I guess people can pretty much see right through me. I’m still dressing the part too, long hair and all. Some things just never die I guess. 🙂
So true… i adjust my sails often….
It’s a good idea, especially on today’s rough seas….
the art of negotiation
I was shocked, shocked to find instead of a second pearl only a big steaming pile of BS! Then I saw who the quote was from. Truly Who- and/or What- ever(s) are responsible for the cosmic heap we are part of have a magnificent sense of humor. How else can the likes of Robertson be explained. Or the people he fleeces, no leads, er inspires…
All that being said, I have a deep appreciation for many forms of BS. Twain was a master of using it to point out our foibles, or worse, too bad Robertson doesn’t admit to the humor he creates. Perhaps someone should send him a fools hat, to help him unleash parody for his cause.
Sail on my friend.
🙂 Gotcha, didn’t I? When you come to my blog, you gotta remember to wear your high tops, ‘cuz you never know where we’ll end up…. I always enjoy taking shots at televangelists, and feel no guilt at all, at all, even though they provide such great material for free…. I agree Pat would look appropriately silly in a fool’s hat, like the one the Joker in a pack of cards wears… but I like to picture him in one of those Goofy hats that Disney makes…. perfect! Matches his hair, too…
Twain was indeed a master of BS; a good portion of Tom Sawyer consists of him giving in to that demon in him to spin his yarns…. I have a long-standing respect for BS, and some facility in using it, as I had an older brother and an older sister, and learned very young to grasp the prinicple behind the old saw about “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit…” Saved my ass any number of times long enough to get back to the protective presence of witnesses (i.e. Mom & Dad…) Much strong magic in BS, for sure and for certain… as this entire response helps to prove… 🙂
Here here! A toast to bullshit!
Indeed! Skaal! Prost! Naz drovya! Take your pick, or we can use them all…. 🙂
Ned. I have to say that Michael Jackson is way more talented than the over-rated John Lennon. As a part of the Beatles he was wonderful but on his own he was a big huge yawn! Which is just the opposite of Michael Jackson.
🙂 Okay…
Linda…. didn’t mean to be so brief above, I was just following a policy of never arguing with a friend over something about which they feel so strongly. It can lead to often to bad feelings, and I’d never allow that to affect my relations with any friend.
I will say that I have ideas that both agree and disagree with what you opined about the two tragic icons who will never see their potential as artists fulfilled…. In some ways, they were both over-rated; their popularity was, to my mind, a result of their common ability to appeal to those feelings that were a part of the culture of their time, to engage the hearts of the people who listened to them. The PTB that control the media are the ones responsible for taking that ability to the masses to such an insane degree, in the name of overweaning avarice… Yes, Michael and John got rich, but the folks who sold them got even richer…
They also had similar traits in ther artistic sources, in that their genius sprang from the pain of their younger selves, demanding of them that they go beyond what they came from…. they both succeeded, but at a great cost. Michael, broken in his mind from a young age, with arrested development symptoms apparent his entire career. John, getting lost in his own mind, aided by drugs and hard living, his very popularity contributing to his own death at the hands of a man himself broken by life… Both were genius’ in their own right, and in their own style of music (apples and oranges in my mind), and both would likely have brought much more great music to the world had they not died.
But, none of that had really crossed my mind at the time; I was looking more for a comparison for Will’s unwarranted popularity in re: quantity, rather than comparitve quality….
There… I feel better.. I hope this doesn’t offend you, my dear, for it’s not intended to… your comment just stimulated a long train of thought that meandered through my head most of today, and I wanted to get it down before it started to fester….. whew! Thanks for reading and commenting… it’s always a pleasure to hold dialogue, especially with you…. take care, & Blessed Be….
First of all, I don’t take offense very easily and I have never taken offense about anything you’ve ever commented or written about. If my comment came across a little confrontational it was most certainly intended in the spirit of a good fun debate! I wondered when I got your one-comment back if maybe you weren’t feeling very well today 😀 Ha ha LOL! But I’m happy to see you are in fine form as usual and I enjoyed your rebuttal as to the apples and oranges of the two talents. I definitely have to agree with your conclustions. You’ve expressed yourself most elequently as usual, Ned! Take care — have a great evening! 🙂
I keep having to sew my sails because the winds of change have been blowing so damn hard in my life for the past three years. I’ve got my hand on the rudder, and I’ll be damned if I’ll allow another accidental jibe.
Pat Robertson is just proof that God himself invented the word “shithead.”
Lightning just struck somewhere, but I’m still typing…thanks for the pearls…
lol… The winds get stiff, don’t they? Me, I’m a landlubber, so the wind isn’t an issue too often, as long as I pay attention to its power and perogatives…
Pat cracks me up, I can’t help it… I almost hate to pick on those guys, they’re such easy targets, it borders on abusing the disabled….
As for lightning, Lee Trevino had the best solution I’ve seen, “Just pull the one iron out of your bag, and hold it over your head as you walk toward the green. Even God can’t hit a one iron.” 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying the pearls; always nice to hear…..
Mr. Jenn liked that one…he can’t hit a one iron either..
Well, I have, sort of… I hit a tree on my back swing with it, and once I used it to hit a snake by the creek where my ball was…. I only grazed the snake, though, and never found the ball….
I’m impressed. Mr. Jenn doesn’t even own a one iron. I hate a snake…
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. — Proverb
It is so true ain’t it – we need to fit in and flow.
Yet in human relations, most try to change the other person. I’ve heard youngsters (those purportedly in love) – oh, don’t worry, he’ll/she’ll change (meaning, I’m confident of changing him/her) once we’re married…yeah, sure – and how long have you been trying to give up smoking or from losing your temper?
I concur that in a love relationship, expecting to change the other dooms it from the start… once the change occurs, they’re not the same person that fell in love…
The last questions, though I’m not sure what prompted them, are easy, in terms of providing accurate answers… I’ve been trying to give up smoking since about three months after I started, 45 years ago…. I quit every night; the hard part is not starting again the next day….
I’ve been working on temper for about 10 years longer than that, from age 6 or so, when I realized that getting angry ended in bad things happening far too often. I didn’t get a handle on it for about 10 years later, age 16 or so, when I read the Bhagavad Gita the first time, and had an epiphany when Krishna told Arjuna, “All anger arises from obstructed desire.”
The light flashed on over my head, and I realized the key element was that I could change my desire, and the anger would disappear. So, I’ve had pretty fair control of that paricular emotion, mostly, for many years now. Of course, I AM human, and so have experienced plenty of exceptions to that control, especially during my children’s teen years… not a time conducive to parental serenity. But mostly, it hasn’t given me nearly as much trouble since that day of partial enlightenment…..
You take care, my friend, I’m going to crash for a few hours….Blessed Be….
I like the way you circle back around and put your critical eye on what you wrote. I would like to know all the Commandments of Frisbee.
Hattie,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it…. well, I would too. At one time in my youth, I had them all memorized, but with the advent of EOA (Early Onset Alzheimer’s) they have long since retired to an area of my memory that is not available for conscious retrieval. But, it is a grand idea, as I haven’t looked at them all at once in a long time. So, I will avail myself of the power of google, and note them down for inclusion in a pearl later this week…. always good to have material to write from… thanks for the idea!… And it will be a nice trip down memory lane…. I do remember one of them that has to do with the nature of the Frisbee itself, in that when a throw is badly made, the frisbee will seek out the absolute center of the nearest automobile, furthest away from every edge where it might be seen or reached without having to climb under the vehicle. That one is a natural law of physics, and essential knowledge on the path to mastery of the Art…..
So, come on back & check that out when you get a chance, & thanks for stopping by to read and comment… always appreciate hearing from new readers…. 🙂