Sauté, flambé, it all ends up in the fire….

Ffolkes,

“Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?”

~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~

More Galway 005

Monument to the Victims of the Great Famine in Ireland

Galway


Hajime…. The monument you see is quite a moving experience in person; the events of that time were horrendous, as well as misnamed in the official history of the time. Even the name of the monument, in my mind, isn’t as it should be, for the Famine was not a famine; it was attempted genocide by the British government. Now, such a statement may not match what the world was told, but, it resembles reality much more than the story that eventually was agreed upon, which is all history really is….

Gosh…. That’s pretty heavy, eh? Well, it’s a heavy monument, so, there’s nothing unusual, or wrong about that. I shan’t continue in such a vein, for it’s already hard enough to see the keyboard, but, everyone alive should take a moment often to remember the victims of such crimes, which happen every day, in almost every country in the world, at one time or another. Man’s inhumanity to his fellow man is a subject that’s been covered by greater minds, and writers, than I, so, I won’t bother to try to cover their work, either. What I can do is put together a Pearl, as best I may. So be it.

Hell, we’ll just go do that now. Take us away, Luigi, before anyone notices….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A sky as pure as water bathed the stars and brought them out.” — Southern mail, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1929

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leon and willie

Image from amazon.com via Google Images


I never was privileged to see Leon play live before he was gone, but, I’ve seen Willie a couple times, here & there over the years. They played together a lot back in the day; here’s a concert from 1979 I missed, being busy preparing to get married at the end of the month, in California….. Nice to get to hear it now; hurray for You Tube, and old hippies….

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Willie Nelson & Leon Russell
Live in Passaic, NJ, 3/1/79

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Dont keep calm

“I like the way ONLY their mouths move..  They look like DYING OYSTERS” — Zippy the Pinhead

I’ve seen a lot of the Zippy books & cartoons, but, not this one, so, I don’t know for sure if he’s talking about a choir, or, almost anyone on the floor of the US Senate during almost any session. But, then, he COULD be talking about what I used to do, which was to watch the news without sound. The Zipster’s fond observation could describe practically every newscast team, as well, but for the weather folks, who are generally the most interesting, especially without sound. And, please, don’t get me started on the politicians, or police spokesheeple, or other members of the BRC, (you know, the Asininnies) being interviewed; let’s just note Zippy nailed them in one….

I had intended to rant upon the political group, using Zippy’s quote as a springboard, but, circumstances preclude much besides the sort of thing you see in the first paragraph. So, rather than subject y’all to any more of my occasionally infantile humor, (it happens most often in this situation, after the fourth day of not sleeping; the damn cat gets 20 times the sleep I’m getting…. But, I’m not complaining, just explaining the whyfor….), I went searching in Smart Bee for some off the wall, or ‘different’ thoughts with which to entertain y’all, with each one relating in some fashion to my own thoughts on why we’ve ended up in such a mess….

And, what the hell, because  I can….

“More comfortable seeing 2 men holding guns than holding hands?” — Sardonic Bee

“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleges, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.” — Tolstoy

“A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs…” — Epicurus

“If you think the United States has stood still, who built the largest shopping center in the world?” — Richard M. Nixon

“Q: How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?  A:His lips are moving.” — Sarcastic Bee

“How many gun control advocates does it take to screw in a light bulb? Let the police do it – private citizens can’t be trusted with light bulbs !” — Smart Alec Bee

de-moc-ra-cy (di mok’ ra see) n.  Three wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner. — Realistic Bee

“For neither men nor angel can discern hypocrisy – the only evil that walks invisible.” — Milton, “Paradise Lost”, iii:682-684

“Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.” — Lily Tomlin

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Comedy_Tragedy

Momentary Terror

Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
   leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.

Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
   shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.

Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
   save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.

Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
   such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 2/4/2013.

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ankh

    Sometimes, Smart Bee is a moralist about Life at Large; today was one of those days. We did manage to find some pretty cogent thoughts about the whole shebang, for what they’re worth. In my mind, that isn’t an insignificant value…. You decide for yourself….

“I grow old ever learning many things.” — Solon

“I certainly wasn’t happy.  Happiness has to do with reason, and only reason earns it.  What I was given was the thing you can’t earn, and can’t keep, and often don’t even recognize at the time; I mean joy.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

“Hunger is the best seasoning for meat, and thirst for drink.” — Cicero

“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson

“Fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke.” — J. R. “Bob” Dobbs

“It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs.” — Eric Hoffer

“The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth.” — Chinese proverb

“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 3

“Better clean death than dirty life.” — Frank Herbert

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It’s done. The mere fact of its doneness is a testament, to be sure; whether to my will and perseverance, or to obsessive-compulsiveness, is both unclear, and, ultimately, unimportant. To me, anyway, because, hey, done. We’ll try it again tomorrow, ffolkes; one of these times I’ll get it right…. Sure I will….

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Don’t flatter the sycophants, Eddie; they’ll start preening….

Ffolkes,

“Don’t take life too serious. It ain’t no ways permanent.”

~~ Pogo, by Walt Kelly ~~

Galway abandoned church

Subtle colors on an abandoned church ~~ Galway


Hajime…. I’m beginning to like the martial opening we’ve been using lately; my life, for the past nearly thirteen months, in retrospect, seems to have been one long battle with my own body, simply for the sake of expediency on the part of a corporate slave, mistakenly labeled a doctor. I have hopes the battle is nearing an end, but, in the meantime, I remain in a position of being an insomniac for days at a time, in spite of all I have tried to do to hasten or mitigate the process of surviving this external assault upon my health. Tonight is looking as if I’ll be up again until dawn, at which time I’ll either collapse, or find a pocket of energy to pass a semi-normal day. Ah well, at least the pain relief part is working; that’s a big plus….

There. The whine has been served; sorry there aren’t any crackers to go with it. We’ll have to make do with a bit of cheesy humor to cut the acidity a trifle. Hmm, how ’bout this?

What did the chicken say when she laid a square egg?….

“Ouch!”

If that isn’t cheesy enough for y’all, I’ll just have to consider myself a failure, because it’s the best, or, in this case, the worst I can do. Hey, it made a young pitcher smile during a game, many years ago, when I told it to him to calm him down after two straight walks. If it got a smile out of a stressed-out young athlete in the middle of a game, y’all can certainly give it at least a raised eyebrow, or maybe a snicker. Snickers are good; I sure wish I could still eat them. Sadly, the nuts would cause way more trouble than a few moments of bliss is worth.

Okay, so, let’s see how we’re doing…. A bit of complaining disguised as introspection, check. A strong touch of silly, check. Cool childhood memory, check. Surreal non-sequitor following a VERY odd segue from smarm to candy in one and a half sentences, double check. Not bad for somebody who’s been up for, hmm, let’s see now…. oh, right. About 64-plus hours, and counting. Let’s see YOU be funny that far into the throes of clinical insanity! Hah!

I see now, it’s time to get on with this. If I don’t, I’m liable to do, or say something I’ll regret, and, like Lazarus said, “When the ship lifts, all bills are paid. No regrets, ever.” I’m not sure what he means by that (yes, I am….), but, it sounds pretty intelligent, and right now, it’s also the best I can come up with. Rather than try again, I’ll merely say this: Luigi! Get us the hell out of here, now!

Shall we Pearl?….

“I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.” — Samuel Johnson

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asleep at the wheel

Asleep At The Wheel

Image from amarillo.com via Google Images


I remember growing up on the music style epitomized by this band, later learning to play quite a bit of it myself, when my friend Tommy and I would get together to play guitar. The style is called western swing; this group has epitomized the sound for as long as I can remember…. which is getting to be a pretty long time now…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s called easy listening….

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Asleep At The Wheel

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mars-curiosity-rover-mineral-stew

Rocky Outcrop on Mars

Image by NASA’s Curiosity Rover, November 2015, from Space.com


You may well wonder why an image from Mars adorns the top of today’s ranting section. Since I’m the one who put it there, I suppose that makes me responsible to tell y’all WHY I would rant about some random piece of rather unattractive real estate on another planet. SIGH….

Well, if I MUST explain something so obvious, I’d best be about doing it, hadn’t I? Okay, it’s like this. The article on Space.com mentioned the picture was causing some excitement among scientists, as it seems a great many of the rocky soil you see is just jam-packed with all sorts of useful minerals, metals, and other substances of industrial use to Earthly technology. In other words, Mars is an untapped treasure chest of materials which are growing scarce on our planet…. Is it becoming any clearer? Does that suggest anything rantable to anyone?

I hope so, for it certainly does to me. Our species has almost turned this planet into one large desert; give us a century or two, and there won’t be a growing thing left on Earth, but for in greenhouses, possibly underground, using solar power to run the machines, since, without plants, the climate and landscape would not be somewhere anyone would wish to live. The resources on Mars means we have an entire NEW planet to rape, and pillage, and turn into another vast series of skyscrapers, freeways, and parking lots.

Oh, joy….. Get it now? When you or I look at such a picture, we see the endless vista as a chance for exploration, and the possibility of increasing our understanding. There are many in our world who will look on it as land to be developed. And, if, as the report mentions, the rock on this hill is a treasure mine of a group of valuable substances, you can bet there is some oligarch or speculator type out there in the banking world who is already looking into securing the mineral rights, and the right to build McDonald’s signs all the way to the horizon….

“Well, they paved Paradise, put up a parking lot, with a pink hotel and a swinging hot spot….” — Joni Mitchell

While I wish I could finish this rant, circumstances have intervened to preclude further diatribe. I know, you’re disappointed. So am I. But, it’s now a bit after 3 AM, and my brain is officially off-duty at 3. Anything I tried to logic from here could turn ugly, so, we’ll leave it for another thyme. It’s nice having access to a Tardis, I’ll admit; even when I fall asleep at the wheel, it takes me where I need to go, which is not Mars. Not today, anyway.  I may end up there, should my presence be required, but, that’s a pretty long shot, I’d say.

Basta. Let’s go see what happens down below, before we get silly, and spoil the whole tenor of the section….. Ranting in soprano, or baritone, for that matter, isn’t as easy as it may sound…. Especially in the thin atmosphere on Mars….

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Comedy_Tragedy

    I’m not certain, but, I’m pretty sure this one was written on a day much like today has been/will be, may the memory of it fade quickly from my ken…. again. It’ll do, for now, again….


Dead Hands,Typing…

Puzzled anew by anomalous blocks of pain
caught, bemused, chained to routine, insane.
Stilled within breathless beauty
 Engaging epiphany, insistent, called to duty.

Knees bent in lieu of a faithful rendition
suffuses, confuses, locked into stale perdition.
Clearing corrosion with hands encased in stone
Singular frozen follicles, masked by bone.

Partial focus brings unfiltered flavors to light
coloring each particle in simple delight.
Forlorn, novel conceptual artists singing in tune
nine notes in harmony, soft as the moon.

Honed blades of carbon steel flash in rhyme,
filling sensual receptors well past closing time.
Borrowed from neighbors in a week-old game
still bloody, without a proper name.

No flooded memories can justify such cost
no simple stationery, bilious, afraid, lost.
Ten times ten will never be enough
To fill so empty a stolen trough.

Bartering simplicity takes well into the night
solidly temporary pillars turned bright.
Unknown to all the pretty children who came
none were called, none had any remaining flame.

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 2/25/2015

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pearls_3

    This one is a classic pearl; short, pithy statements, deep, wide, and clear. Of course, you have to follow the bouncing idea ball, but, hey, I can’t do everything! Don’t worry, you’ll see; this one’s easy…..

How admirable, he who thinks not,
Life is fleeting,
When he sees the lightning!

~~ Basho ~~


“Wonders never cease, as long as you never cease to wonder.” — Reflective Bee

“If you do not wish a thing heard, do not say it.” — Klingon proverb

“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.” — Descartes

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

“Ignorance of one’s misfortunes is clear gain.” — Euripides

“There is no God. But it does not matter. Man is enough.” — Edna St. Vincent Milay, Conversation at Midnight

“Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.” — Edward Abbey

“Everything is simpler than you think and at the same time more complex than you imagine.” — Goethe

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Though I have little recollection of doing so, it seems to be done. I’ll take it, as it’s getting hard to stay focused. I think I’ll go pace a while. Y’all can go do whatever you like; me, I’m going to pace, and dream of sleep….. See y’all tomorrow, unless I AM sleeping….

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


C’mon, we’ll ask the elevator elf….

Ffolkes,

“Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose.”

~~ Garrison Keillor ~~

Leelu 11-2015 002

Leelu demonstrating some serious relaxation skills….


Hajime…. The battle begins anew, but, with true Sun Tzu-like efficiency, ’tis already won. Most of what you see below is done; what I’m writing now is fresh. But, those are two separate occasions in time, as much of the material below, though ALL fresh as the day, was done at various times in the past two or three days, as the urge struck, or an idea grabbed me & pulled me to the keyboard (which, I might add, both Leelu and I think is pretty odd behavior….)

It’s odd. I mean, even for me. I can’t think of a single nonsensical thing to say. I mean, other than just saying that. It really doesn’t make much sense to say I can’t make nonsense, when saying so is nonsense itself, now, can I? No, of course not. That would be rude, and possibly could be construed as literary pandering, of the most egregious sort. We’d never do that sort of thing to OUR readers. Of course not, so, just put it out of your minds.

What I can say about it is this; diddly-squat is still diddly-squat, six syllable words or not, right? So, I think, given our predilection for using them gives us the cache, if not the legal right, to use either sense, or nonsense, at our discretion, should we ever find any. We are, after all, not only trained professionals, we are now hopelessly stuck in the royal ‘we’ mode of speaking. Such a bother! We hate when that happens.

Okay, I’ll stop now. I don’t much like the royals, anyway; too many ties to some rather nasty people for my taste. But, that’s neither here, nor there, nor anywhere, which, I believe, is exactly where we are now. Take your pick. Me, I’m going to take my leave, for bigger and better things. Well, other things, one may hope. Luigi will take y’all where you need to go, and, I’ll see you at the closing section…. Oh, you might want to put down your beverages; Luigi gets a bit rambunctious when he’s on his own….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.”

~~ Gray ~~


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JANIS_JOPLIN_pearl_album_cover__

Pearl, Herself

Image from rollingstone.com via Google Images


I read somewhere about a rumored new biopic of Janis’ life and/or times. In honor of that possibility, and, as an excuse to listen to this again, here is possibly her best album, with, I hope, some decent quality sound. It has to be LOUD, you know, to get the full effect, and all the nuances of her voice…. Enjoy, ffolkes; there was nobody like Janis Joplin. Ever.

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Janis Joplin
Pearl

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Dont keep calm

“I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have [no laws] at all than to have them in so prodigious numbers as we have.” — Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xiii

Mssr. de Montaigne, with his plaintive observation of the events of the sixteenth century (in the midst of the Renaissance in European history), he sends an eerily appropriate message to us who live in the twenty-first century. I, too, have come to the firm opinion that anarchy would be preferable to much of what I see happening in the world today. From all I can see, there isn’t much of a future for our species, unless we make a significant change in the way we A) treat our planet, and B) treat each other…..

The only question in my mind at this point is which of these two severely explosive issues, each of which can conceivably lead to the total extinction of our species, will come first to a point of no-return. Both are rife with the possibility of imminent explosion, into such conflagration the world has not seen since the last time this happened (if it did; some say so, though, I don’t see a lot of physical evidence, just racial memory….).

If the society of the world reaches flash point, there are SEVEN BILLION people, all of whom will revert to the law of the jungle in a heartbeat, if it comes down to “me or them”. With the weaponry and technology available today, there is little doubt anyone left living will live at a level similar to how our species lived before the age of electricity.

If the environment reaches one of a number of critical points, there will be no way to stop whatever occurs from happening, for we cannot know exactly how it will happen, nor what will stop what we don’t know of…. All we do know is, if one of two or three events occur, our planet will no longer support life in our form…. at all. It is entirely possible we won’t even be able to breathe the atmosphere that remains on the planet, if certain chemical reactions reach a critical point…. It’s possible there wouldn’t be any oxygen in it to breathe….

“Animals can be driven crazy by putting too many in too small a pen. Homo sapiens is the only animal that voluntarily does this to himself.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s — “Time Enough For Love”

What we are witnessing today, every day, is a very real, graphic example of the truth of this assertion from Lazarus. I’m sure all of us remember the high school science class where we read about, or saw the film about, what happens when rats are put into cages and allowed to breed indiscriminately; the resultant pictures were anything but pretty. Imagine the scenes from our future, if we continue to stretch the resources of our “cage” as we have been doing, without any thought for the future, for many too many centuries…. We have acted as if it was all ours to use as we saw fit, and what we saw has been anything but fit…..

“Hello…  IRON CURTAIN?  Send over a SAUSAGE PIZZA! World War III?  No thanks!” — Zippy the Pinhead

People are going to reach the same point as did the rats; count on it. (Especially when they figure out they can’t order any pizza!….) And, there are a LOT of us our here who don’t want to die. So, it’s going to get ugly, ffolkes; I don’t see much of any way to avoid what is coming, because the forces of history, and of climate, are too large and ponderous to stop in time…. Negative, yes; also realistic. All we can do is all we can do, and that’s be prepared, to live, and to help those we care for to live, long enough to see if the light of reason will ever shine again in this world gone dark.

I’ll tell you one thing. I don’t intend to go down easily; I’ll be using the lesson one of our greatest poets gave us, when he wrote,

“Do not go gentle into that good night

but rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

~~ Dylan Thomas ~~


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Comedy_Tragedy

    For me, some poems bleed out; some just leak. Others have to be squeezed out, but, this one, this sort of oozed out last night as I sat thinking about…. well, stuff. Don’t ask me what it means, not yet. I’m not sure anything I tell you would be anywhere near the truth…. All I know is, I feel better.

Infidelia

There’s a certain
panache,
almost a feeling of
glory,
one feels
upon returning

from

Hell

to

Purgatory.

Or,
so those say,
who say those
sorts of things,
I guess.

I don’t know,

for sure.

I didn’t go

there.

I only went

to

Hell.

I only live

in

Purgatory.

But,

I like it.

Right now,

anyway.

Other times,

not

so much.

It’s not bad,
if I don’t
think.

Sigh.

Too bad.
I
do.

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 11/17/2015.

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magicat

    I hardly know what to say of this pearl; all of those chosen were offered up without any particular difficulty by Smart Bee, and, each and every one of them is a gem of particular value, in terms of pearls of virtual wisdom. Heck, I could easily write a thousand words in support of each, or, use any one to illustrate some point about modern society. Together, I can’t quite grasp what they are attempting to convey; perhaps y’all have an idea. I had one thought, which is to, perhaps, switch them around a bit, to find the order that brings them all into focus…. At any rate, just thinking about any of them tends to work the mind in a way that can’t hurt, unless one is not accustomed to such activity…. Have fun, it’s a nine-star glittering gem, with a crashing great final pearl…. Well, I think so….

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” — Aristotle

“One does evil enough when one does nothing good.” — German Proverb

“You should go to a pear-tree for pears, not to an elm.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 674

“The more one judges, the less one loves.” — Honore de Balzac

“I love to doubt as well as know.” — Dante

“In art as in life, form and subject, body and soul, are one.” — Edward Abbey

“I change myself, I change the world.” — Gloria Anzaldua

“The supreme irony of life is hardly anyone ever gets out of it alive.” — Robert Heinlein

“Death the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.” — Sir Walter Scott


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There you go, ffolkes. I can’t do it any better than that. I’m not even going to TRY to top any of it here in the closing section. I’ll merely note my relief, and happiness y’all made it this far, and, without any injury, or reports of impending litigation. NOW I’m done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, for sure and for certain. How can we be certain? Well, it’s like Charles Schulz (Yep, him; ‘Peanuts’) once said, “Don’t worry about the world ending today; it’s already tomorrow in Australia.” Ta, then, luvs….

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Plus or minus, it doesn’t add up….

Ffolkes,

 

Dharma: “What is the greatest mystery of all?”

Yudishthira: “That each day, death walks the earth, and we continue to live as though we were immortal.”

~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~

Galway pub

The Crane Bar, Galway, Ireland


Hajime…. Since any sort of schedule seems to be currently inoperable, the hell with it. I’ll post late, and hope any of my Gentle Readers will understand…. You see, I slept. Normally, and for a full eight-plus hours. Leelu got worried at my usual time to get up, but, she’s a cat, and understands wanting to roll over and go back to sleep…. She settled right back down for another nap….

Now I’m up, with all this energy, let’s not fool around & waste it. I’ll see if I can cobble together some decent material, and let ‘er fly. In fact, we’ll go do that now. Luigi, fire it up. Yeah, I know, we’re early, but, we’re late, so, it’ll even out. Don’t worry that little head of yours; just fly the plane…. Here we go, ffolkes….

Shall we Pearl?….

“God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent- it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks, please. Cash, and in small bills.” — Lazarus Long

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george-harrison-03
George Harrison

Image from clipartzebra.com via Google Images


George Harrison was one of rock & roll’s most beloved icons; the entire world mourned his death. This concert, put together by his friends, among whom numbered some of the world’s best musicians, of ALL types, was a fitting tribute to his memory. It still makes me weep to watch his son, who looks exactly as he did at that age, playing on stage with Clapton, Ringo, Paul, and a host of other famous rock stars who came to play for George. Enjoy, ffolkes, this one is unique….


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Concert for George

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Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent
Aristotle


“Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” — Laurens Van der Post, The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958)

I’m really sorry I don’t have the time or energy to rant on the above; it’s so perfectly apt for our current situation in America. But I don’t, so, we’ll make do with a short discussion from 2012, taking a few shots at one of our favorite targets…. our Beloved Ruling Class….

From 9/9/2012:

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “The one I feed the most.” — George Bernard Shaw

This is a wonderful anecdote, and one I feel very firmly about, as it is one of the clearest lessons in self-awareness I have ever seen. This one is so simple an idea, that even the ignorant asses who make up the political scene in this country would be able to understand it. They probably couldn’t do it, as they never, ever think about themselves other than as an important person, who doesn’t need to make changes in himself. Anyone who does think of themselves would never, ever consent to be put into a public office…. the two things (introspection vs. public office) just don’t mix…. That is because of the following, from a pretty smart fella, who lived quite some time ago, but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders….

“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.  For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)

“…he who is neither good nor wise” is a perfect description of anyone who wants to be President of this country. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again, because it bears repetition, that anyone, anyone at all, who actually WANTS to be President can be classified as clinically insane, usually a paranoid schizophrenic, with grandiose delusions of adequacy…. NOBODY is adequate for that job… nobody. And anyone who thinks they are is simply not all there…..

 

And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there~~ Box of Rain by Phil Lesh & Robert Hunter ~~


Ah me…. politics and politicians are such an easy target. If it wasn’t so much fun, I might call it a naughty habit, and leave them to their devices, which surely are many….. Since we’re pressed for time today, we’ll leave them be, and just caution y’all to watch out, because their antics can be dangerous, if they are left without supervision for long….

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Comedy_Tragedy

Retrospective, defined in folly….

Yesterday
I wrote a poem.

It bled out of my head,
like I’d been struck with
an axe,
right through the artery,
in the neck,
spraying blood around
everywhere,
like a pulsing garden hose….

It hurt, at first,
then came the feeling,

of quick relief,
of timeless beauty,
 
of pain avenged,
of lust aroused,

of outrage aflame,
of deep compassion,

of endless empathy,
of truest love….

Now it’s gone, cast away
like pearls before twine.

(Grin…)

You thought
I was going to call you
a pig,
didn’t you?

Hah!

Well, you’re not.
You’re a person.

I know, because
you’re reading this poem…
if that’s what it is.
I think it is,
so,
maybe it is.

Or, maybe,
it will be,
someday, when it
grows up,
and learns to rhyme.
Whew…
Just in time…..

That’s all.
Reality often sucks wind,
y’know?

S’okay, though….
It keeps us busy,
and out of some of the
mischief,
so much part
of our
nature.

We all can do
only what we
do.

Or, don’t.

Two sides, one coin.

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 8/31/2014.

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pearls_3

“I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word I am saying.” — Oscar Wilde

Sometimes, when constructing these pearls of virtual wisdom, I feel much as Oscar described; often it’s the fault of Smart Bee, which can be a fractious program (remind me to tell you about software sometime, and how it can act just like any other inanimate object, taking on the characteristics we give it with the application of our will upon it….), but, just as often, it’s my own fault, for letting my mind wander while collecting the pearls. Believe it or not, this process DOES take some focus, or it doesn’t work. Trust me. This one, in spite of my waffling, didn’t wobble, so, enjoy!….

 

“What’s hard is simple,
 What’s natural, comes hard. Maybe you could show me,
 How to let go,
     Lower my guard,
 Learn to be….free.

 Maybe if you whistle…
 Whistle for me.”

~~ Stephen Sondheim, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE  ~~


“Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” — Erica Jong

“Ah, what a dusty answer gets the soul when hot for certainties in this our life!” — George Meredith

“It is not a man’s duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support. If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man’s shoulders. I must get off him first, that he may pursue his contemplations too.” — Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience

“Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.” — William Saroyan

“No pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage-ground of truth.” — Francis Bacon — Of Truth

“It’s easy to come and go… The hard thing is to remain.” — Subtle Bee

“It is a good thing to be rich and strong, but it is a better thing to be loved.” — Euripides

 

How small of all that human hearts endure
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
Still to ourselves in every place ensigned
Our own felicity we make or find.~~ Samuel Johnson ~~


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Well, I did it. Not that I’m completely convinced of whether or not I SHOULD be doing this, but, hey, I was never one to pay much attention to ‘should’. Lazarus taught me at an early age, when he pointed out, quite accurately, that when you hear that word, it is ALWAYS something someone ELSE told you, or thinks you ought to do, or think, or be…. No thanks…. Instead, I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow; count on it….

 

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Perspective ALWAYS matters….

Ffolkes,

“According to the proverb, the best things are the most difficult.”

~~ Plutarch (46-120 AD) ~~

~~ Of the Training of Children ~~

Galway garden path

A Garden Path in Galway


Hajime….  We take drugs very seriously at my house… Now, before anyone goes off on some weird tangent, I’ll say this: first, I found the statement in Smart Bee, and it fit so well, I had to steal it…. Second, it’s perfectly true, but, not in the way most folks would think it might be construed. What I mean by such a statement is exactly what it says; we take them, and very seriously.

That being said, we may now proceed on to more important things, such as getting this fucking Pearl done, as it didn’t get done yesterday, thanks to some levels of pain I haven’t experienced in over a decade…. What great fun we had, remembering back to those days of yesteryear, when life was shit, with no cherry, on top or anywhere else….. ‘Twas indeed a day to remember to forget…..

Fortunately for us all, pain, like any memory, fades in time, and, though this morning bodes ill for another such day, I have my plans to deal with it, involving yet more drugs…. But, don’t worry, they’re legal in this state. I mean, OF COURSE, they’re legal, if reluctantly. I’m quite sure, if the Big Pharma companies had their way, it wouldn’t be, for the use of these “drugs”, which have been used my mankind since the time we lived in trees and caves, promises, in time, to put them out of their very lucrative business, which involves keeping everyone sick, so they can sell them more poisons.

End of mini-rant. Let’s go on to the rest of today’s mess, shall we? It promises to be a little more pleasant, at least in tone, if not quality. But, then, if you wanted quality, you’d be somewhere else, now, wouldn’t you? Yep. Don’t worry, I know exactly how good all this is, compared to the general run of things online, so, don’t worry you’ll hurt my feelings. Besides, me and pain, we’re old friends…. For now…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes. Keep this in mind; it may offer a way to make him your friend.  If not, you can kill him without hate -and quickly.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

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royalty-free-clip-art-vector-logos-of-black-and-orange-floral-acoustic-guitars-by-seamartini-graphics-6573

    Yep, you know what that picture means, don’t you? Yep. Classical music, which is all I can think of to play right now…. might have something to do with the Grateful Dead jam I’m listening to, which sounds much like a long classical, bohemian piece….. until now, as they begin to break into a jauntier tune, (I Know You Rider), in a famous jam from 1979 or so….. Ah well, you can’t hear it, anyway, unless you’re a Deadhead, and go download it yourself…. But, you can enjoy this collection of great older stuff…. Your choice, as always…..

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Classical Music

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Albert E & true sin

    I don’t have it in me to rant, but, given the above statement from Albert, I think we can put together an old-school pearl to show just how the world has been put into the position we now find ourselves, as well as who is to blame, and, how we can make the necessary changes…. Quite a lot for a few quotes, isn’t it? Well, you’ll see…. Enjoy….

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” — Oscar Wilde

“The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true.  It is the chief occupation of mankind.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)

“You cannot conquer a free man, the most you can do is kill him.” — Lazarus Long

“Forbid a man to think for himself or to act for himself and you may add the joy of piracy and the zest of smuggling to his life.” — Elbert Hubbard

“As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy.” — Christopher Dawson, “The Judgement of the Nations”

“It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.” — H. L. Mencken

“For every disease that doctors cure with medicine, they produce ten in healthy people by inoculating them with that virus which is a thousand times more powerful than any microbe: the idea that one is ill.” — Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

“The highest treason, the meanest treason, is to deny the holiness of this little blue planet on which we journey through the cold void of space.” — Edward Abbey

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Comedy_Tragedy

    Since yesterday was one of my worst days ever, I thought a poem written on a very similar day might work. You tell me….

Gauges of Pain

Consciousness devolves in pools of gripping fears
holding hostage any hope of serenity,
sharp stabbing motions and greedy tears
nary a moment passes without common calamity.

Always a surprise, nothing soothing ever found,
leaving only breathless clinging pain,
salvation seemingly absent, it muffles all sound,
bringing ever more sadness and rain.

Solitude is ever present to claim my time,
lonely hours and relentlessly long days,
no radio plays such music in secular rhyme
happy, vibrant voices belong to elder ways.

Life can be justified it seems to say,
by hopeful favored moments of pleasure,
seemingly friendly, pointing out the only way,
to bring back happiness in minimal measure.

Days of horror and embarrassing tears
serve ever to drive wretched hours to withhold
promising naught but sorrow in coming years,
black, bitter memories that never grow old.

Cold, cold the days fly by,
can it really be our only token?
Never to say, or know just why
the pain never stops, even when spoken…

~~ gigoid ~~

(Yes, yesterday was NOT a good day…. why do you ask?…..)

Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.

~~ John Donne ~~


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About Hopi Indian Symbols

    I’m somewhat surprised at how this pearl turned out; it was mostly serendipity at work, I believe, which dictated the icon you see adorning the top of this final section. It’s a long pearl, with 13 gems shining out with some brilliance. The opening from Keats, and the close by Bryant may, at first seem out of place with the rest of the pearls, but, in truth, the form the perfect bookends to the ideas between, marking a section with some of the more off the beaten track when it comes to advice on living life with some style to go along with the virtue we all seek…. (Sure we do..) Enjoy!

In a drear-nighted December,
  Too happy, happy tree,
Thy branches ne’er remember
  Their green felicity.

~~- John Keats ~~

~~ Stanzas ~~


“A priest advised Voltaire on his death bed to renounce the devil. Voltaire said, “This is no time to make new enemies” — Attribution unclear

“A gift of flowers will soon be made to you. Don’t eat them this time.” — Cute Bee

“First, learn to love yourself, and then you will learn to love others.” — Chen-It Ong

“Waiting is.” — R.A. Heinlein, ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’

“Think it more satisfactory to live richly than die rich.” — Sir Thomas Browne

“Smile, but sharpen your knives.” — Found without attribution; probably a Fremen proverb (the original would have said “chyrsknife”)

“None but a fool is always right.” — Hare

“It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another; it is one  damn thing over and over.” — Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

“Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live; death is nigh at hand: while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus  — Meditations, iv, 17

“Character is a victory, not a gift.” — Our old friend, Anonymous

“Courage conquers all things.” — Ovid

The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year,
Of wailing winds and naked woods and meadows brown and sear.

~~ William Cullen Bryant ~~

~~ The Death of the Flowers ~~


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It’s done. In the final analysis, that is all that can be said of it, as it should be. Having fulfilled my self-imposed duty for the day, (while making no claims of quality, lest we find ourselves in court), I’ll take my leave, post-haste, to go begin the process of consuming sufficient herbal oils and essences to mitigate my agony…. Wish me luck, ffolkes, I’ll need it…. See y’all tomorrow, come Hell, or High Water…. I’ve been through both of late, so, that’s no empty promise….

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

The least lamentable alternative must suffice….

Ffolkes,

“It is not the one with many possession  who is rich, but the one who has no needs.”

~~ Philoxenos ~~

Memories of Spring

Memories of Spring


Good morrow…. Today we will be once again, truncating the normal process, as I slept more than 8 hours for the first time in recent memory. I’m still feeling under the weather, altogether, recovering, I think, from the physical ordeal I’ve been going through for over a year now, thanks to the lack of compassion and ignorance of the modern medical model, which has its head so far up its ass as to be, well, quite a ridiculous picture to contemplate. Ugly, too.

Any who, the upshot of all this is, I’m up very late, without a Pearl ready. So, to sublimate sufficiently to assuage my misplaced sense of duty in this matter, I’ll give you what I’ve got, and let it go at that, saving what little wherewithal I do possess to make the attempt again for tomorrow morning. For today, this will have to do. All you get is one skinny, seven-star pearl, and that’s it. We’ll all have to deal with it the best we can.

In order to get that accomplished, I’ll stop this meandering blurb here, and go directly to the rest of today’s mess. Enjoy, what little there is, is all there is. I hope it will do for the nonce….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Happiness is the only good, reason the only torch, justice the only worship, humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.” — Robert G. Ingersoll (American lawyer and orator)

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pearls_3

    As you see, it’s not the most robust of pearls; it will do, even if the meaning is a trifle obscure. I’m operating under some rather severe handicaps at the current time, so, I’ll offer my apologies, with the caveat that tomorrow, and the remainder of Pearls to come, will be back to their former size and content…. SIGH…. I hate feeling weak…. Ah, well, this too, shall pass….. Enjoy!

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius (B.C. 551-479)

“There are fine things which you mean to do some day, under what you think will be more favorable circumstances. But the only time that is surely yours is the present, hence this is the time to speak the word of appreciation and sympathy, to do the generous deed, to forgive the fault of a thoughtless friend, to sacrifice self a little more for others. Today is the day in which to express your noblest qualities of mind and heart, to do at least one worthy thing which you have long postponed, and to use your God-given abilities for the enrichment of someone less fortunate. Today you can make your life –  significant and worthwhile. The present is yours to do with as you will.” — Grenville Kleiser

“If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxv

“Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Return of the Jedi”

“Perish discretion when it interferes with duty.” — Hannah Moore

“Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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Th, th, that’s all, ffolkes. I’ve shot what little wad I had, so, I’ll be on my way with no further ado, to try to put myself back together. It will be good to feel good, I think. I’ve missed that….. See y’all tomorrow; count on it…..

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Maggie, I swear that penguin winked at me!….

Mornin’, ffolkes,

I’m still not up to a Pearl, though things are showing some improvement, as my plan is executed. Hopefully, I’ll have a fresh Pearl by tomorrow. In the meantime, this is a damn good one, so, enjoy!….

gigoid

gigoid's avatargigoid

Ffolkes,
And then, I woke up….. wobbly. That’s wobbly, in the Doctor Who, Tardis-like sense, as regards Time and Space, not the old, rusty bicycle wheel type, that has only to do with one’s progress down the road….. In this sense, wobbly assumes new meaning, much deeper and more relevant to reality than its previous incarnation as a word of note. In this case, wobbly means….. well, wibbly-wobbly.

I know, it’s early for silliness, but, what else can one do when one awakens all giddy and bemused, from having slept to a decent hour, indicative of a number of positive life-events?…. I was so rested and relaxed, I was able to get in a full-body stretch, without falling into a paroxysm of back spasms and leg cramps, for the first time in recent memory, recent being defined as about five years….

Since the universe seems to be in such a…

View original post 1,994 more words

Uncertain signs of capitulation….

Ffolkes,

Bad day, worse night, and not over yet. I didn’t have the wherewithal to complete anything, much less a Pearl, so, here’s a good one from 2012… Enjoy!..

gigoid's avatargigoid

Ffolkes,
Well, I’ll tell ya…. there is nothing quite like being shot from sleep into instant wakefulness by a leg cramp. It’s not too pleasant, either, to spend the first couple moments of that wakefulness screaming in pain while trying to ease off the cramp. Fortunately, it was in the calf, rather than the thigh. I don’t know if I could stand a thigh cramp…. how do you get it to stop? With the calf, you can grab the toes and pull up hard… this will usually stretch the cramping muscle enough to cause it to stop. But, a thigh? How are you going to remember how to stretch it while screaming in pain?  Gotta be worse ways to wake up, but, I’m not aware of them….. thankfully….

Well, now that I’m up, and while I’m waiting for coffee to brew, whom should I assassinate, character-wise? The curmudgeon in me…

View original post 2,008 more words

Chicken bones for dessert….

Ffolkes,

Xenophanes said,

“I confess myself the greatest coward in the world,

for I dare not do an ill thing.”

~~ Plutarch ~~

~~ Of Bashfulness ~~

PK Leelu

A Storm on the Horizon

Leelu in full PK mode


Hajime…. For any Gentle Readers who are wondering why I’m continuing to use the Japanese opening for today’s Pearl, well, I’ll tell ya…. It’s like this: As I write this, it isn’t morning. It isn’t even evening, really, as it will be, in a short time, what is best described by Eric Clapton in his song, “After Midnight”…. That’s pretty clear, right? It’s the fucking middle of the night, again, and, here we sit, me & Leelu, working on a Pearl instead of sleeping, as my body/mind would REALLY like to be doing.

Why I’m up again isn’t important, though it’s probably relevant. But, any sort of discussion would just set me off again, I’d start ranting, and we’d never get out of the intro. So, I’m passing on that, and we’ll go straight to something more fruitful, or, at minimum, less offensive and rude. We do like to avoid rude, whenever possible. Mom wouldn’t like it if we were rude…. We don’t like to disappoint Mom, do we? No, of course not….

The question now, however, becomes once more problematic, as we are proscribed from using the same trick twice. My box of literary tricks is rather empty right now; what with all the recent time spent finding my way back from Hell, I haven’t had a lot of time to read, or study, or, for that matter, think as much as I’d like. Though we are both body and mind in one, the body’s complaints sure seem to take precedence when they occur; this makes it hard to use the mind to balance whatever is happening…. One can persuade one’s self Reality isn’t actually happening for only so long; at that point, Reality switches tools, from a scalpel to a sledge hammer. and has its way, regardless of whether we can fool ourselves, or not….

I’m pretty good at fooling myself, as are most of us human types. This doesn’t mean I like it; I can just accept it…. Now, where were we? And, where were we going? Oh, right, intro. Okay, it looks as if we have enough to satisfy the licensing board, so, why don’t we let Luigi have some more fun, and use the turbo booster? Everybody strapped in? Okay, Luigi, it’s all yours…. (Don’t worry, ffolkes; if we crash, we’ll just switch over to the Tardis, travel back to this instant, & start over….)

Shall we Pearl?….

“Skeptics laugh in order not to weep.”

~~ Anatole France ~~


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tom_waits_stencil_by_theMIVC-1262

Tom Waits ~ Stencil by The MIVC

Image from 8tracks.com via Google Images


Unique. It’s the only word for Tom Waits; his voice, his musical talent, his lyrics, his persona. Another of mankind’s treasures, to my way of thinking. You can decide for yourself…. This was his debut album, released at age 24; on the page listed below, you can find all of the rest of his body of work, with extras…. Enjoy!….

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Tom Waits
Closing Time

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We the People...

~~ Bruce Sterling ~~


Though I’m afraid he’s right, Mr. Sterling’s assertion does require some definition of terms; “moral relativism” just BEGS to be misinterpreted, in the sense that each person will filter the concept through their own moral viewpoint. So, in order for us to discuss it wit any degree of confidence, I’d best delineate why my own opinion runs, if not parallel, at least in the same quarter of the compass as his statement. Why don’t we do that? I dunno, why not?

Okay. I believe it, moral relativism means exactly what I described above. Each of us has our own moral code (hopefully); we view the world, and its activities, with that code coloring our perceptions. For example, a person who holds the belief they have the duty to help others will view a business transaction entirely differently than one who feels they are entitled to do unto others, first. One will sell their products at a fair price. with service given to each customer. The other will consistently overcharge for cheap products, and act as if they are doing a favor to sell at all.

You see, to me, that’s what moral relativism is; when people make a decision about how to interact with others, for whatever purpose it may be, a certain percentage of our species tends to think it is just fine to rationalize ANY sort of behavior, if it leads to them getting what they want. They can justify lying, stealing, even killing, in the pursuit of their desires, without any compunction, or, really, any thought at all about how others might be affected by their actions. Moreover, many of them are canny, and have learned how to manipulate others of their kind, who have a tendency to be violent, to do their bidding…. They call them ‘police’ these days….

“Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties, and to take none of them from us.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1816

As Tom’s observation from the early days of the Union show, the problems we face today have their origins in that very same beginning, as those who serve only themselves worked their lies and manipulations to gain control of government almost before the ink was dry on the Constitution. He recognized in this, and other writings, how the bankers and preachers had conspired, naturally, as is their nature, to pervert the legislators from day one of the first Congress, lobbying to have their own wishes made law….

And they’ve done it. Our world today is under attack by large corporations, and their owners, who number far fewer than many might believe. They wish to control everyone’s habits, and finances, and health, and every other aspect they can seize. They have made sure the laws favor them over any other member of society, and now have almost free rein to attempt to order everyone’s lives, so we all live in the same houses, watch the same TV shows, eat the same poisonous foods, go to the same doctors who feed us more poisons, then send us to church on Sunday to celebrate our slavery, by worshiping a delusion who promises us our next incarnation will be better.

Bah, humbug! Not for me, thanks…. I’ll take it the same way it’s laid out in the Constitution of this nation, as written. Period.

    gigoid, the dubious, has spoken.

    So be it.

“When, in the course of human events,…. etc.”

~~ Declaration of Independence of the United States of America ~~


Dont keep calm

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Comedy_Tragedy

    For some reason, this one, though recently created, seems to fit in with today’s rant; since I can do what I want, here ’tis….

Mad Dogs at Bay

Wicked, angry, red scenes of imminent demise
haunt my dreams each night.
Fearful visions of destructive surprise
leave me sweating in terror, as well they might.

Small, mean, ugly, with beady little eyes,
pundits gather like maggots, bloated and vile,
grunting, snuffling, mumbling outlandish lies,
enslaving the ignorant with patience and guile.

Society’s denizens exist as volunteer slaves.
Living and dying by script, completely blind.
Never allowing any resentment, no making waves.
Never knowing joy, nor any peace of mind.

Free men will not be controlled, ’tis said;
No coercion, no illusion can cloud their sight.
No threats, no pain, no fear they dread;
their only duty to keep to the right.

Dreams are mere reflections of our inner fears,
whispering, close against doors shut fast.
Mocking our mostly  irrelevant tears,
clearly marking the future as our sordid past.

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 7/15/2015.

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pearls_3

    What follows is what I would call a true pearl of virtual wisdom; in fact, in this case, it approaches the real thing. Most of it will definitely be on the Quiz, so, if I were y’all, I’d take notes, at least…..

“Reality is a group hunch.”

~~ Frank Zappa ~~
———-
“We do not perceive reality. We conceive it.”

~~ Oskar Haeml ~~
———-
“If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”

~~ Native American Proverb (Minquass) ~~
———-
“Never pretend to be something you’re not.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
———-
“Be and not seem.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
———-
“Truth never tranquilizes.
The defining property of truth is its ability to disturb.”

~~ Solomon Short ~~
———-
“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

~~ Erich Fromm ~~
———-
“When someone loves you for a long time,
really loves you, then you become Real.
Generally, by the time you are Real,
most of your hair has been loved off,
your eyes drop out,
but this doesn’t matter . . .
when you are Real you can’t be ugly.”

~~ The Velveteen Rabbit ~~
———-
“Do not go gentle into that good night
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

~~ Dylan Thomas ~~


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Some of you may have noted, or, not, I failed to actually tell y’all why I used the opening word; it shows how easily we humans can be distracted by them, adding more evidence to yesterday’s discussion of Socrates thought on the use of language, and how it can be evil when used improperly. Which is, again, a digression. Each Pearl you’ve seen, and continue to see, has been a fight to produce; I’m in sad shape, in a lot of ways, and the mere fact it’s getting posted at all is a victory, in a way. It means I survived another fight, which, at times, is the only possible way to win at all.

Since it’s been such a daily fight, we begin as every Judo, Karate, and Japanese martial art of any sort begins a match…. The irony, of course, is we are done now,  but, it does mean I’ve survived this far, at least. Now I post, then, begin the fight to survive to do it again tomorrow…. Considering my record so far, the odds look good again…

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 2780


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Too late for palliative measures….

Ffolkes,

“Misfortune shows those who are not friends.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

Last of Eire 2015 012

Leaving Galway on a Train


Hajime…. There are times, such as today, when I wonder why I push myself to do this. Then, I just do it. That’s what we will have to do today, ffolkes, thanks to some physical issues demanding attention, and, the realization that Reality is about to step on me, big time. I’ll let y’all know if I live through it.

In the meantime, I got most of this done last night during one of my insomniac periods during the night; even so, some of it is rather truncated, due to well, taking on more than I was prepared to handle. So be it. I have no more to say, until the end, so, let’s start working our way down to that end….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” — G. K. Chesterton, ILN, 4/19/30

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flintstones

Out on the town in Bedrock

Image from free-extras.com via Google Images


Yesterday, I made a slip of the fingers, typing ‘Fred and Wilma’, when I meant to type ‘Fred and Ethel’, referring to the Mertzes, of course. Since it reminded me of this show, which I had not used previously, I figured it would work today, which, oddly enough, it does. Enjoy!….


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The Flintstones

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socrates

“The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.”

~~ Socrates ~~


Today’s rant will be more of an ‘exploration’ of an idea than our usual ‘explanation’ of how an idea functions, and the resultant angst that function creates in me. If you think about it, a rant is more of the latter, and thinking is what I’d like to encourage with this particular piece, in myself, and in the Gentle Reader, if you acquiesce. Otherwise, it may get a bit boring, or, at least, uninteresting, two related, yet, not equal states. The second is not necessarily a choice, the first always is…. but, once again, I digress. The idea Socrates brings up in the above quote is our focus, so, let’s examine it while I have the wherewithal, and the urge….

In this assertion, Socrates echoes an opinion I’ve seen expressed by other sages, to wit: the language we choose to use in our speech influences our thinking, thus affecting our behavior, equally as much as the process works the other direction, with our thoughts influencing speech. When we choose, as we often do, we humans, to allow our feelings to guide what we say, rather than what we may think, it tends to roughen our language; it becomes simpler, perhaps, and plainly expressive, but, with such feeling attached, often negative, it becomes vulgar. This can lead to allowing feelings to dictate behavior as well, so, the common use of vulgarity tends to encourage that indulgence. To maintain a rational level of sustainability for all in our interactions, upon which our behavior is such a vital factor in the outcome, we must learn to detach ourselves from the feelings involved, and that is best encouraged by using language that does not retreat into either excessive passion, or vulgarity.

Not to say vulgarity doesn’t have its place in language; anyone who DOESN’T cut loose with some serious vulgarity when a carbon-steel hammer comes down unexpectedly on their finger is missing out on the best way to release the frustration, if not the pain. And, if they HAVEN’T done so, well, quite frankly, I’d put down serious money to bet they’re lying about that…. We all have our secrets, especially those who deny ever having evil thoughts, or having never made a moral or ethical mistake i.e., a bad choice, of words perhaps most often…. Since much of the language I hear in the mainstream culture to which I’m exposed is pretty vulgar, as a whole, when not merely perverse and ignorant, I would say Socrates’ point has been made rather graphically.

So, now we know evil is rampant in the world, as evidenced by the language you can hear any/every day, in the news, movies, on TV, on the radio, on the net, all of it together makes up a picture of culture, and, by all I can tell, this one is pretty well fucked. I mean, just look at religion, and the stranglehold it has, and has had on society for practically forfuckingever…. I’m  not the only one to have noticed you know; just read some of the lesser known passages in the Bible, describing the victories the ancient tribes had in their wars to spread the word of Yahweh, the bloodthirsty asshole… Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to get vulgar…. Let’s see what somebody else has/had to say on the subject….

“Strange, because they are so frankly and hysterically insane — like all dreams: a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice and invented hell — mouths mercy and invented hell — mouths Golden Rules, and forgiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man’s acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him!” — Mark Twain, _The Mysterious Stranger_

I’m afraid this rant has gone a bit south on me; I keep finding pearls which, though they fit in with the overall theme, exploring how society has gone wrong over time, also seem to want to go all over the map to find those responsible for much of it…. For example, while thinking of how to next demonstrate the principle we’re dealing with, i.e. how our language reflects our attitudes, and thus, our reality, Smart Bee gave me the following pearl, defining another class of people who have caused more than their fair share of damage to others…. our old friends (NOT!…), solicitors/counsel/officers of the court, to wit: lawyers, or as most of us here on the streets call them, fuckheads in suits…..

Q: What do you call 5000 dead lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A: A good start! — Smart Alec Bee

Lawyers, of course, once they have rotted on the vine for a while, generally become politicians, so, Smart Bee came up with the following pearl to show his diverse talents….

“Anyone can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.” — Cicero

Gee, does this remind y’all of anything you may have seen/heard before about the post-larval lawyer class? For example, in the news lately, we see how the US government, at the behest of, and in collusion with the Big Pharmacy companies, have conspired to keep the knowledge of how powerful a cancer drug cannabis is, for more than 40 years. The FACT that cannabis cures cancer has been withheld from the American people and the world for all that time, the secret held by a few traitorous politicians and their pet scientists. In short, all of the more than 20 million people in this country who died from cancer since 1976, when the research was classified, have been, essentially, murdered by their own government….

http://www.naturalnews.com/051881_cannabis_oil_cancer_treatment_Big_Pharma.html

Okay, I’m sick of talking about those assholes, the scum of our species, the oligarchs, politicians, preachers, pimps, police myrmidons, professional military assholes, and especially lawyers, who prey upon their fellow man… To finish off this now epic diatribe, let’s go 180º, and find some pearls to show us how things COULD be, if we just kicked their asses to the curb….

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” — Greek Proverb

“The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.” — Henry L. Mencken

“It is our duty to make the best of our misfortunes, and not to suffer passion to interfere with our interest and public good.” — George Washington

“Let us face a pluralistic world in which there are no universal churches, no single remedy for all diseases, no one way to teach or write or sing, no magic diet, no world poets, and no chosen races, but only the wretched and wonderfully diversified human race.” — Jacques Barzun

That’s all, ffolkes. I’m done, having bitten off more than I can chew. At least I spit it out….

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Comedy_Tragedy

Fine and Good, Good and Fine

A pig in a poke’s got nothing on me,
cuz I’m as confused as a man can be.
This ol’ world’s got me spinnin’ around
cussin’ and spittin’, a penny for a pound.

Forty ‘leven times since I was a kid, well,
I’ve fallen in love, ‘least too close to tell.
Every damn time, it all went to crap,
Forty ‘leven times I’ve felt like a sap.

‘Course, each time it happens, I forget the last;
why not? I’m havin’ such a blast….
Livin’ in each moment, filled with joie de vivre,
’til it’s all gone away again, nothin’ left up my sleeve.

Don’t want y’all to think I’m sad or blue,
life’s full of sorrow, lots for me, and/or you..
T’other side of that coin, we can be glad,
is joyful love, and that ain’t at all bad.

My road’s been littered with parts o’my heart,
each one colored with trust, which ain’t always smart.
Yet, long as I don’t lose my connection to joy,
I’ll find my own true love, and be a happy boy.

It’s been some kinda fun, even when I’d take a fall,
and doin’ it over makes no sense at all, at all
Day after day, I keep on keepin’ on, as it’s said;
Guess I’ll keep on doin’ that ’til I’m dead.

‘Nuff said….

~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek….


Written 3/23/2013.

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About Hopi Indian Symbols

   

    It’s a pearl, and that’s about all I have to say at this point. It does have a meaning; I’m just not up to explaining it. Enjoy, anyway, please….

“Some people are, through no fault of their own, sane.” — Smart Bee, talking about gigoid again

“A dead man cannot bite.” — Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)

“Fortune is unstable, while our will is free.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Epicurus, xxvii

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.” — Doug Larson

“A man makes no noise over a good deed, but passes on to another as a vine to bear grapes again in season.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, v, 6

“Think not that thy word and thine alone must be right.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Antigone, 706

“It’s not what we don’t know that gets us into trouble, it’s what we know that ain’t so.’ — Will Rogers

“Dreaming permits each and everyone of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.” — Charles William Dement

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It’s done, and that’s the best I can say of it. Moreover, it’s all I SHALL say, for I am, for once, out of words. See y’all tomorrow…. I hope.

Y’all take care out there,
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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 2780


À bientôt, mon cherí….