Ffolkes,
Somnochirgraphy or no, this may turn on us, so I’d advise wearing the Kevlar-lined cold weather gear, not the lightweight stuff…. You’ll recognize the symptoms, I’m sure, if it does go wonky on us, so I’m leaving you here as a sentry, to guard our back trail, as we work on finding today’s pearls…. One can’t concentrate adequately when distracted by having to watch out for the stray bander snatch, or worry about whether or not their vorpal blade is sharp enough to penetrate the armor we’ll face later on….
Okay, break time; coffee’s ready…. Somnochirographism, as you may or may not remember, is the word I coined a few days ago, to describe the typing I found myself doing in my sleep…. It is a word drawn from the Greek, I believe, with parts that follow the same rules as other coined words, to wit: Somno meaning “sleep”, and chirography, meaning “writing”, thus matching another word common to our species’ perverted nature, somnambulism, or, sleep walking….
As may be surmised from the opening paragraph, somnochirographism is no simple problem; the effect on people can be drastic, and daunting, to say the least…. not the least of which is knowing that one has developed a completely new perversion, er, condition….. Moreover, it’s a bit of a facer to realize, not only is this condition new to society, it is new to reality; in fact, since I coined the word, and I made up the condition, one might be able to convince SOME folks that it isn’t a real condition at all, merely another figment of an overactive imagination….
Not only that, but, the word was coined PRE-INJECTION OF COFFEE!….. Now, I realize that a claim like that is liable to create a bit of a stir among the not-so-faithful; that’s okay…. My readers, bless their souls, would never hold that against me, even though they know it adds time and energy to the process of digging ourselves out of the hole we tend to fall into; no, they’d just smile and nod their heads, and go on to the next section, because they know that, eventually, we’ll find our way back to, at least, a semi-current point in reality, from whence we may proceed to regain what little dignity to be found in a post-apocalyptic world….
Actually, to be honest, today’s Pearl may just turn out a little odd, even for me…. I can’t seem to shake off the post-slumber-mode yawns, or get my eyes all the way open…. Add in the right thumb’s insistence on letting the strained ligament voice its complaints in a loud, abrasive tone, which translates into a sharp, stabbing pain, like a needle into a nerve, in the base of the thumb, every time I type another letter (it doesn’t seem to care that it isn’t being abused…. it just hurts every time it moves….), and the overall shape, tone, and nutritional content of this missive could conceivably take a turn for the dark side, if I’m not careful….
All whining aside, ffolkes, it looks as if I’ve rambled incoherently long enough to fulfill the obligatory intro section requirements; five complete, if strange, paragraphs is two over the minimum, so, we’re good to go in that respect….. Now, if I can find even a shred of intelligence in me somewhere, and persuade it to help out, we may just get through this without having to kill any of the hostages…. or, maybe not. We’ll see how it goes, I guess…
Shall we Pearl?…..
“Every one wishes to have truth on his side, but it is not every one that sincerely wishes to be on the side of truth.” — Whately
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For a couple of days I’ve been collecting headlines from the news…. As you know, I use them as a springboard for ranting, or for discussions of some idea or another that is stimulated by the article’s contents…. I’ve found, in the last two days, so many egregious examples of all that is wrong with this world, I can’t make up my mind as to which to use to as a jumping-off point…. So, I’ll let y’all create your own angst, and anger, and even your own rant, by letting you read them (I did….) and figure out how each one represents another nail in humanity’s coffin….
There are a lot, so we’d best get on with it…. I might make a comment or two along the way, but, mostly, just realize HOW FUCKING CRAZY the world is getting out there, ffolkes, and be alert…. As you know, the world can always use more lerts….
http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/GOP-presidential-hopefuls-met-with-donors-on-sly-5442909.php
(Politicians, meeting shadowy corporate interest lobbyists in the dark…. why, who would believe it?….)
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Ryan-holds-meeting-with-black-members-of-Congress-5443187.php
(More than just a little arrogant, don’t you think? Plus, why is it still an issue? Why does a white conservative Congressman feel he needs to abase himself before a token organization, one whose very existence hearkens back to the day when racism was the law of the land? Gosh, do you think they (rich, white men….) are finally cluing in to the fact they are NO LONGER the demographic majority in this country?….)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/02/world/europe/us-and-germany-fail-to-reach-a-deal-on-spying.html?_r=0
(This might fit better in the international group, but, it came first, on the front page…. When you read this article, you’ll note that our beloved leader didn’t even bother lying to Ms. Merkel…. he just said they’d stop listening to her…. but, nobody else was mentioned…. Golly, y’think they’re serious about not wanting to offend anyone with their data collection? Nope, I don’t think so, either….)
http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2014/05/01/judge-rules-state-farm-does-not-have-to-pay-for-exploding-corpse/?cmpid=hp-hc-bayarea#20571101=0
( !!!!!! At first, I didn’t even WANT to know about this, but, it IS another example of how business interests always come first now, ahead of what may be right for an actual flesh and blood person….)
And, finally, a quick synopsis/summary of the day’s international headlines, as seen from the eyes of the editors of SFGATE, on the left coast of the USA…. What do you suppose those editorial idiots use as parameters for picking which stories will be written? Given the nature of the stories I found, it seems that at least ONE of those parameters is that there must be blood, or death in the story, or it isn’t news….
http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Ukraine-strikes-at-east-2-helicopters-shot-down-5447270.php
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Toll-up-to-19-dead-in-car-bomb-in-Nigerian-capital-5447483.php
http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Attacks-in-Egypt-kill-4-including-police-soldier-5447351.php
http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Seoul-subway-trains-crash-scores-injured-lightly-5447451.php
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Nigeria-police-276-abducted-girls-still-missing-5447560.php
Well, there you have it ffolkes, yet another NOT-A-RANT, structured for your convenience, perfectly set up for rapid, accurate consumption, and ease of comprehension…. Too bad it makes such an ugly reflection of Reality, isn’t it?….
“It’s not that we don’t have enough scoundrels to curse; it’s that we don’t have enough good men to curse them.” — G. K. Chesterton, ILN, 3/14/08
“There is a case for telling the truth; there is a case for avoiding the scandal; but there is no possible defense for the man who tells the scandal, but does not tell the truth.” — G. K. Chesterton, ILN, 7/18/08
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I’ve used this in the past, because it is one of my all-time favorite poems, by one of my favorite poets…. This is deeper than it seems, and is as close as they came in Ogden’s day to criticizing the monied elite… something that only poets may get away with…. It is just as apropos today as it was when it first appeared, pre-1960 or so….
This is a song to celebrate banks,
Because they are full of money and you go into them and all
you hear is clinks and clanks,
Or maybe a sound like the wind in the trees on the hills,
Which is the rustling of the thousand dollar bills.
Most bankers dwell in marble halls,
Which they get to dwell in because they encourage deposits
and discourage withdrawals,
And particularly because they all observe one rule which woe
betides the banker who fails to heed it,
Which is you must never lend any money to anybody unless
they don’t need it.
I know you, you cautious conservative banks!
If people are worried about their rent it is your duty to deny
them the loan of one nickel, yes, even one copper engraving
of the martyred son of the late Nancy Hanks;
Yes, if they request fifty dollars to pay for a baby you must
look at them like Tarzan looking at an uppity ape in the
jungle,
And tell them what do they think a bank is, anyhow, they had
better go get the money from their wife’s aunt or
ungle.
But suppose people come in and they have a million and they
want another million to pile on top of it,
Why, you brim with the milk of human kindness and you
urge them to accept every drop of it,
And you lend them the million so then they have two million
and this gives them the idea that they would be better off
with four,
So they already have two million as security so you have no
hesitation in lending them two more,
And all the vice-presidents nod their heads in rhythm,
And the only question asked is do the borrowers want the
money sent or do they want to take it withm.
Because I think they deserve our appreciation and thanks,
the jackasses who go around saying that health and happi-
ness are everything and money isn’t essential,
Because as soon as they have to borrow some unimportant
money to maintain their health and happiness they starve
to death so they can’t go around any more sneering at good
old money, which is nothing short of providential.
~~ Ogden Nash ~~
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One of the blogs I follow is posted by a teacher, one Ivon-san, who has an appreciation for the beauty to be found in the world, and for the mindfulness that can be found everywhere, if one leaves themselves open to find, and use it…. He recently posted the poem below, in the format you see, with the drawing of the warrior embedded in the text…
I think the poem is, perhaps, the finest expression of the state of being one seeks as a “Warrior of the Light” that I’ve ever seen, taking into full account how the flaws in our nature can be used to find our strengths…. I’ve included a link to the post on Ivon’s site, as well as reproducing here the most excellent picture, with the accompanying powerful text message…. Enjoy!….
http://ivonprefontaine.com/2014/04/30/every-warrior-of-the-light-paulo-coelho/
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In spite of, or, perhaps, because of the handicaps under which this morning’s Pearl was constructed, it came together quite efficiently….. The whole shebang took only an hour and a half, rather than the usual 3 or so hours; since it’s done, I’m not going to look in the horse’s mouth, but will just accept the gift as it is intended, or, as it is found…. That might be somewhat indulgent, but, hey, I’m retired, so, I’m allowed… Regardless of any such inanities, the silly thing IS done, so, I’m outta here, with the hope you enjoy today’s effort…. See you tomorrow, given half a chance…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark, and Theresa…
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid the dubious
gigoid 