Ffolkes,
~~ Matsuo Basho ~~
Simple Beauty
Hajime…. The day ahead of me gives the appearance of being stuffed full already, and I have yet to complete this Pearl…. I also need to apologize to some of the blogs I follow, for not getting there often enough to keep up. As my body continues its journey back to good health, I find myself getting weary earlier. This has sent me to bed by 8 PM now for a few weeks, and it’s eating into my reading time. I’m sure I’ll eventually be back to a higher energy level, but, for now, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, and, now we can go on….
Since we are again somewhat late getting started, with little properly done, I’ll make this short. How short? Well, this short…..
Shall we Pearl?….
and count as profit every day that fate allows you.”
~~ Horace ~~
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I feel like something jumping and raucous today, so, you’re just going to have to settle for what you get, and like it. If you enjoy good, loud, driving rock & roll, you’ll be fine, If not, well, don’t turn it on, because these guys have way too much fun to keep your feet still…. It isn’t too long, but, they rock the entire time. It’s from a concert in 1973, & the video isn’t too sharp, but the sound is fine…. Enjoy, ffolkes….
Elvin Bishop
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Freedom = Responsibility
I find it a noisome fact to realize, if one asked any modern American to explain the meaning of the above equation, they would be relatively unclear, both in their own mind, and in their explanation, as to how to do so. They may have some idea of what freedom means, but, cannot easily come up with the very simple answer to what the responsibility entailed may be. I say simple because we were actually all given ample warnings about how certain elements of humanity would try to abrogate our freedoms for their own benefit, in plain language, such as this:
“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson
Those Gentle Readers who have been here often know this is a subject upon which I tend to harp, as it is, in my opinion, the major failure of the American public, now, and for the past 200 years. However, rather than rant today, I’m going to send you to read two posts online, one at Salon.com, and one here on WP. The first is an article exploring the exact issue outlined in Jefferson’s statement of responsibility. The second shows quite clearly the result of this failure of responsibility, and how the American public has failed to earn the liberties they have lost….. The article on Salon I found here:
This is the article for you to read:
http://www.salon.com/2015/02/26/why_the_right_hates_american_history_partner/
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The second article is from Dean Baker, whose work you first saw here yesterday, with a very fine poem. Today you’ll get his take on the Trump phenomenon, with erudition, accuracy, and humor….
https://tormentingthemonkey.wordpress.com/2016/03/06/t-rump-is-a-symptom-not-a-solution-the-trump-dump/#comment-1139
You can find more of Dean’s work, and buy his books, at CreateSpace.com, here:
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Haiku
to bring us a bit of space;
no less and no more.
~~ gigoid ~~
Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday
A baleful lump of ironic introspection
sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.
Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.
Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.
Too many culprits exist to count just one;
all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.
Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.
Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/3/2015
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Our final old-school pearl is a rather elegant nine-star necklace, with some observations on what it takes to be a complete human…. Well, in my book, anyway…. Enjoy!…
“You must create your own world. I’m responsible for my world.” — Louise Nevelson
“Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye.” — Austin O’Malley
“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii
“The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.” — Cicero
“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”– Ancient proverb
“Self-improvement is a dangerous form of vanity.” — Alan Watts
“The one unforgivable sin, the offense against one’s own integrity, is to accept anything at all simply on authority.” — Maureen Johnson Long
“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” — Confucius
“Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself.” — Horace
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Given the twenty-minute break to serve as a tree limb for a cat in serious need of a cuddle, the mere fact we are done is enough to amaze. But, then, I’m pretty easily entertained. Regardless, we’re done, so, I’ll not torture y’all any further today, but, will save some of it for tomorrow…. Oh, not to worry; I’ll be here. Nobody seems to have figured out how to stop me, so….. See ya….
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
À bientôt, mon cherí….
gigoid 
Thanx my friend for the inclusion….the American people have NO idea what the word freedom actually means….they have some convoluted BS from Infowars or such….none will take the time to educate themselves…they want others to do it for them….laziness, pathetic laziness….chuq
Laziness of mind, encouraged from birth by programmed parental units, preachers, teachers, and authority figures, all of whom will punish for original thought… Tough row to hoe, unless, like us, one ignores their BS….
gigoid
I am glad I had free thinkers in my family….they taught me to do my own thinking….chuq
Aye, me, as well; too few out there, sadly. Plus, the natural BS detector which we are born with gets shut off by most parents too soon…. Ah, well, all we can do….
gigoid
At least my granddaughter is getting the benefit of my age….she is doing well…..chuq
At least some of us are doing our duty to them…Good to hear….
gigoid
Sun Shining
or Earth receiving
reflections oF otheR
Stars briGhTeNinG
uP.. for wE are both..
receivers and givers
oF liGht or dARk..
aLL
spectrums
In SHades
grey and
color hues..
for truth and liGht
or dArk of lies.. iN duSt
we stay and fail to liGht..
as Stars wE are as Stars do
Shine.. iN fALL of WiNter
SpRinGs iN SummeR
seaSons
wE shine
togeThEr
OnE..aLL..
Ocean Free..:)
Mea maxima culpa? Caesar si viveret ad remum dareris! (If Caesar were alive you’d be chained to an oar!)
Get well and stay well, brother. Your Pearls and incisive commentary often lead to peace. Well, they sort of prevent me from belting the tripe out of some deserving soul. Speaking of which, here’s a serenity prayer:
“God, grant me patience, because if your grant me strength I’ll just punch someone in the face.”
Ah, my friend, good to see you. I’m glad my ‘stuff’ can be of help; I know exactly what you mean, as I find myself, when I go out into the Big Blue Room, forced to apply severe self-control in order to get home without leaving bodies behind me….especially days such as today, when I have stuff I need to do out there, and begin the day with a grump on…
SIGH. Oh, well, I’ve avoided jail time thus far. so, it works for me….
😉
I promise I’ll be by soon, to catch up; I’ve been remiss, though with some reason. Spent most of the last quarter of 2015 in a deep part of Hell, but, all mostly better now, and happy to be improving daily….
See you soon, brother….
gigoid
Forgot to mention… the mood I’m in today, Caesar were alive, I’d stuff the oar up his ass….
😉
gigoid
Here!
