Ffolkes,
~~ East African Proverb ~~
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and the First Cup of Espresso in Space
NASA Image from Space.com
Good morning…..
I had something to I’d intended to say, but, never mind; we’ll do the right thing, & get going on this….
Shall we Pearl?
“After a while he realizes that she is beautiful – he just hadn’t noticed it at first.” — Lazarus Long
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If there is a superstar in classical music, Yo-Yo Ma fits that bill; Isthak Perlman has been my favorite classical violinist since I first saw him on the Ed Sullivan show in the early 60’s. I never knew of Daniel Barenboim until I heard him play with these two, but, obviously, he’s pretty good at what he does, or he wouldn’t be playing with them…. Enjoy, ffolkes, as three of the very best play Beethoven….
Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim
Beethoven’s Triple Concerto
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To begin today’s discussion, please follow the link below to read the following blog post. It’s a bit hard to read, if one has any sensitivity at all, but, everyone in this world, especially the men, would do well to understand this issue. As a starting point for discussion, this is a very clear statement about of one man’s reaction to being confronted with incontrovertible evidence of the problem of abuse in our society, a reaction which, in my firm opinion, needs to become a universal response among ALL men…. Read it, please….
https://p33d33.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/unlocked/#comment-208
I had intended to write about this, but, instead, I’m going old-school to have my say; trying to write put me in a nasty place. All I could think about was what sort of gun I should buy…. In the link above, you see comment #208… which is from me, wherein I told the author of the post I would have held his coat for him while he took care of his business…. I envy the author, and find myself wanting to go hunting…. For now, let’s pearl on it….
“For BOTH sexes, abuse derives from powerlessness, not power.” — Smart Bee
“Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.” — Socrates
“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits… For my part I would as soon be descended from [a] baboon … as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies … treats his wives like slaves … and is haunted by the grossest suspicions.” — Charles Darwin
“Tell me why are we so blind to see that the ones we hurt are you and me?” — (Coolio) Gangsta’s Paradise
“But crushing truths perish from being acknowledged.” — Albert Camus — The Myth of Sisyphus
“If you don’t like yourself, you can’t like other people.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
“It is dangerous to make man see too clearly his equality with the brutes without showing him his greatness. It is also dangerous to make him see his greatness too clearly, apart for his vileness. Is still more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both. But it is very advantageous to show him both. Man must not think that he is on a level either with the brutes or with the angels, nor must he be ignorant of both sides of his nature; but he must know both.”
— Pascal, Pensees, n. 418
“A ferret in the trousers is worth two in the bush.”– Smart Bee
Okay, so, sorry ’bout that last one; couldn’t help myself…. I had to do SOMETHING to lighten the mood a little…. You can always trust a ferret for that…. Here’s one a bit more appropriate to use as a closer…
“What most people need to learn in life is how to love people, and use things, instead of using people, and loving things.” — Smart Bee
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This poet should need no introduction….
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean’d my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen’d grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starr’d face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;–then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
~~ John Keats ~~
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These are the pale deaths men miscall their lives.”
~~ Paul Gerhart ~~
The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against the accidental and the unforeseen, and is not apt to fall.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, vii, 61
“When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.” — Jim Elliot
“That’s the way things come clear. All of a sudden. And then you realize how obvious they’ve been all along.” — Madeleine L’Engle
“You should hammer your iron when it is glowing hot.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 262
“If the sight of a beautiful rainbow no longer excites you, than you had better prepare to pack it in – you are already dead.” — Smart Bee
“Failure to understand reality is not reality’s fault.” — Bill Henneman
“People who matter are most aware that everyone else does, too.” — Malcolm Forbes
~~ JD Salinger ~~
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I can’t say much about this pearl; it was neither the worst, nor the best, and very little like one in between, in re: putting it together in a smooth, timely fashion… Regardless, it’s done, so, I’ll take it…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, whether I like it or not….
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
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
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
gigoid 
Thanks for linking to my story. Your comment on my blog was part of the motivation to write another story in a similar vein, which I’ll post when it’s done. A small spoiler alert: you’ll get to hold my coat and I’ll return the favour.
Cool, I’m looking forward to both; story, and minor workout… And, thanks… I’ve always wanted an opportunity to get my hands in on this issue; I’ve got sisters, and a daughter, so, it’s something I feel EVERY man should be feeling the urge to do… I’ve even got a distinct category for the subject, entitled A Plague of Evil. which I tag onto every rant on the sex trafficking, and abuse of women and children so common in our society today…
Good on ya, and I’ll look forward to that story; if the first was any indication, I’ll enjoy it… if only for the sublimation…
🙂
Blessed Be, brother…
gigoid
Here’s the link, gigoid. This one’s rather long at around 5,000 words but if you have time I hope you enjoy the story.
https://p33d33.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/psychosphere
Thanks again, your character is inspirational.
At the risk of sounding Rush-like: regarding your last line, ditto….
Thanks, I’ll definitely read it, though it may take me a while; not up to a lot today… Most likely, when I’m done, I’ll have something to comment. Actually, it’s hard to shut myself up, so….
Take care, my friend….
gigoid, the dubious