Ffolkes,
~~ George Iles ~~
Wow! So many birds!…
Hajime…. Today’s version of a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom will be somewhat unique, if such a concept can be applied to our work at all. It’s been cobbled together on a morning of broken routine, with the cat complaining, and the author wandering about his own head in a confused state. Since I have no excuse for it, having slept like the proverbial baby (hmm… does that mean I awoke every two hours, hungry and/or wet?…. Oh, well, figure of speech…) for about eight solid hours. Yet, here I am, completely clueless, with a blank screen in front of me, in a state of utter panic.
Not really. I gave up on panic years ago. Actually, I’m fairly content with how things are progressing today, though the complaints from Leelu regarding her share of my attention are true enough. She objects to how much time the computer gets. But, she’ll get over it with one piece of crumpled pager and some play time, so, we’ll finish up, and get to that forthwith. In the interests of maintaining some peace in the house, I’ll cut this introduction short again today, so as to soothe her fevered brow, so to speak. Watch this one, ffolkes; it’s a new toy I found in the Tardis, and is almost too fast to use…. By the time I can say, onward, we’re already go…..
Shall we Pearl?….
And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.”
~~ W. Somerset Maugham ~~
********************************
Okay, so, I’m giving in to the hullabaloo surrounding the recent passing of Prince, by including a live concert from 1982 today for our video selection. I have yet to check it out for sound quality, but, it was recorded live, so, we’ll see. Otherwise, it should prove to be a good example of why he was considered to be one of the most original artists we’ve ever seen…. Enjoy!….
Prince Live in Concert
1/30/1982
********************************
********************************
********************************
********************************
The rant upon which I’ve been working keeps changing & growing in different directions on me, and isn’t done, obviously. Here is another piece from the archives to get us down the page today…. I hope our little trip into the archives, yet again, fulfills your expectations. If not, well, that’s what you get for having them…. *grin*
From 12/7/2012:
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” — Mark Twain
As is his stock in trade, Mr. Twain once again give humanity a solid poke in the ribs, in a humorous, even comfortable way that makes us want to laugh about our all-too-human foibles, instead of crying, which would really be more appropriate. In his assessment of both the character of most men, and most dogs, he is absolutely correct, and shows in one simple, sardonic phrase, just how ugly people can be. In fact, I can honestly say that, in my life, I have met many more dogs who deserve to go to Heaven, than I have men or women. Of course, I wouldn’t wish that on any dog, but, you know what I mean. Dogs are better ffolkes than most folks, in the world I see around me….
And this leads me into a perfect ranting jump-off point…. “Heaven goes by favor” This is all too accurate; in order to get into the club, one has to meet a certain standard, that of faith. Of course that standard is pretty easy to meet, as all it requires is a verbal commitment ( accompanied, I suppose by a heart-felt commitment….) that one believes in JC, or Mohammed, or Buddha, or whomever, and will try to follow their teachings. No pressure to actually do so, just commit to it, and you’re in. Or, go ahead and live your life walking the path of evil, then convert on the deathbed, and you’re in…. according to their rules…. Or, in other words, it’s all who you know…..
“An ancient buddha said, Mountains are mountains; waters are waters. These words do not mean mountains are mountains; they mean mountains are mountains.” — Dogen
I’ve recently been reading an author whose work I had read in my youth, when I was devouring science fiction on a daily basis. Samuel R. Delany has written some powerful novels, as well as shorter works. The most recent I read, Babel-17, uses the structure and meaning of words in language as the basis for the plot. In the book, he relates how important perception is to meaning, and how the way we use language can actually work to program the brain, just like the organic computer it is. What struck me is how the process he describes, which is what can be observed in people, if you look closely, shows just how powerful a tool language can be, when used in full consciousness of what it means, and what it CAN do…..
People base their entire existence on a few words, and what those words mean to them. If someone else (say, a preacher?) is able to influence the person’s choice of the words that have that power, then that person becomes the willing slave of whomever supplies him with the words. This is a subtle process, that operates below the level of consciousness that most folks are aware of; they don’t realize how they are being manipulated by the very words they use, into thinking along certain lines, and in certain ways, all of which benefit the manipulator in some way, much more than they do the one whose thoughts are being channeled.
“This is Daddy’s bedtime secret for today: Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.” — Eugene O’Neill
Mr. O’Neill was a decent playwright, but as a philosopher, he sucked, plain and simple. This is merely the parroting of basic Christian dogma, and as such stands as a perfect example of how religious institutions tend to lie to their constituents….. I can say this because I have my own secret for today: Man is NOT born broken; he is born as a blank slate, and what is written upon it is only what they are taught to write. Since the first premise is false, the rest of the train of thought becomes irrelevant, and you can easily see where it is just an attempt to get people to accept the untruths, and keep their patterns of thought within the boundaries drawn by dogma….
Sorry if such an idea is offensive, but, I don’t need to be “born again”, I did just fine the first time. I’m not broken. I’m not guilty of original sin, any more than is anyone else. That single concept, original sin, has been the most destructive idea that Man has come up with in all of our long history, and is responsible for much of the torture, warfare, and egregiously evil events of the last 3000 years. I kid you not…. That simple lie, that we are all somehow born inherently sinful, and guilty of something, is pure hogwash, and is the most blatant falsehood to have been thought up, and perpetrated upon the rest of mankind, EVER!
What a ridiculous idea! To think that a newborn, of any species, should bear the guilt for an action performed before their birth, is just plain stupid, and self-serving. Not to mention that the act we are supposedly guilty of is the acquisition of knowledge, which is, to me, NOT something for which we should be punished, but rather deserve to be rewarded. Of course, knowledge is its own reward, so that really doesn’t matter, or shouldn’t. But, in order to gain control over others, preachers have, since the beginning of history, tried to convince the rest of us that they are the only ones who have the right answer, all based on a bald-faced lie, and a false assumption….. And, since a large percentage of mankind is too lazy to think for themselves, or to risk thinking independently of others, THEY FALL FOR IT! It almost makes me ashamed to be human, to be truthful….
But, we have dogs as our companions, and they love us, so we must not be ALL bad…. right? Right…. so, just follow your dog’s example, and just BE moral, don’t try to follow what others may tell you is moral. You’ll do a lot better, in life, and when it counts, after life…..
“Go back. Everything you need to know is in the first seven axioms.” ~~ Peruaosophy, Axiom #8, by gigoid
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But you shall not escape my iambics.
Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.
Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.
Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.
Uncertainty will be our sole companion,
as the search for hope yields no result.
The lamentations of the gods
shall sound the elegy for Man,
who never learned to see the gift that was made,
so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past;
thus will we pass this plane of existence
as we came, baffled and afraid….
~~ gigoid ~~
2/2/2012
********************************
Today’s final old-school pearl is another odd one. Don’t blame me, SB is the one who’s been in a mood. This one appears to be a series of observations on Life at Large, some of which are rather esoteric in nature. Others, not so much. All in all, it works, and the final pearl is a classic, tying it all together for us with a nice bow…. Enjoy!….
“You are not what you think you are; but what you think, you are.” — Subtle Bee
“Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism.” — Albert Einstein
“I will show you a philtre without potions, without herbs, without any witch’s incantation – if you wish to be loved, love.” — Seneca
” ‘He deserves death’. ‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them ? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.’ ” — J. R. R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings
“He who has the courage to laugh is almost as much a master of the world as he who is ready to die.” — Giacomo Leopardi
“And sometimes the bear eats you.” — Realist Bee
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
~~ Tao Te Ching ~~
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Well, it’s done, and, that’s the best I can say of it. I’m not even going to THINK about the quality today; nope, not going there. All I know is, it’s done, and I’m rather glad it is, for it’s been a struggle. I will, however, make another attempt tomorrow, as long as I’m still half-crazy. Odds on that are pretty good…. 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 
Excellent choice of music….excellent advice on the dog and morals….and Leelu looks like she saying…so little time to rid the ‘hood of those feathered riff-raff….(kinda sounds like a Trump slogan, huh?) Sleep is overrated…LOL…..cat naps and caffeine is a far better friend to me than sleep….Voltaire and I have something in common…or was it Descartes? Have a good day my friend…see ya later….chuq
Thanks, amigo…. you have a good one, as well… I’ll be by to get snarky in a while….
gigoid
As always I look forward to your visit chuq
Did I ever tell you my grandfather’s philosophy on life? He called it a dog’s philosophy…..”If you can’t eat or f*ck it then piss on it”…..has worked for me over the years.chuq
Mostly, dogs have it right, and, way more often than we do….
See ya….
gigoid
so, did you let the cat out?
LOL! I wish I could…. but, no, sadly, I live in a place where she can’t be outside, on the corner of two major city thoroughfares for police, ambulance & fire. She came to me as a small kitten, & letting her out would have been cruel, as the noise of the engines would have panicked her into running, probably under the tires of one of them…. So, until I can move, she’s an indoor kitty…. I have to spend a lot of play time with her to sublimate for going out…. She’s worth it; not many Siamese/calico cats around that I’ve seen… and she’s incredibly loving, loyal, & smart….. She fetches paper, and will jump up on command, at only nine months. She often sits on the corner of the table as I’m working on the comp….just to be close.
She’s a great photo generator, too; very photogenic, and love the attention of getting her picture taken….
Glad you enjoyed the mess today; thanks for stopping in & commenting….
gigoid, the dubious
Gospel of Thomas
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/thomas.htm
3) Jesus said, “If those who lead you say, ‘See, the Kingdom is
in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they
say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you.
Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.
When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and
you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living
Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty
and it is you who are that poverty.”
113) His disciples said to Him, “When will the Kingdom come?”
“It will not come by waiting for it. It will
not be a matter of saying ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is.’ Rather,
the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men
do not see it.”
Luke 17:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
John 14:12 King James Version (KJV)
12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Problem with most all Sacred Texts is folks
cherry pick what they like
and leave out the
rest.. and yes..
often the same
applies to ‘religious’
text in science abstracts…
For me.. i go by what i experience..
by what i taste.. touch.. hear.. smell..
see..propriocept.. and feel through emotional
heARt.. and eXpreSsinG/Interpreting Miirror Neuroning
those emoTioNs/senses/kNoWinG ways
of i and others
through
what science
describes noW as
cognitive and affective empathy
and associated sympathy and
compassion in “Layman’s”
terms as iS sTiLL
iN/aS A ‘common’
human way..
some folks
do not experience
empathy in this way..
either by choice or innate
reality.. in brain structure
and other body way..
and then there
is soul iN mind
and body balance
making the archetype
of feminine and masculine
iN innate human being one
again.. after separated by the
language of culture if indeed that
language separates the innate unity
of what can be a BalanCinG hUman
animal.. anyway.. LiFe is Good when
real and natural as evolVING FREE AT
the heiGht oF ALL experience
we kNoW.. SeNse.. and FeeL
that CAN be the human
one in the Kingdom
of Nature
now God
one and same
as aLL.. but yes..
the tool of written language
is a bRain washing tool in both
mind and body way whether or not
we reFuse to see this reaLITy from
cultUre to religion to politics
to philosophy
or not..
Nature has
all the answers
in uS.. outside Us..
above us.. all around
US as by GOD.. GOD iS
God oF dArk of LiGht..
Of Moving Dance
and InsPiRinG
Sound of
SonG
thaT iS real LiVinG
as pLay of liFE… so noW
when i want to view/sense/feel MORe
of God iN action than dead words Now
oF print.. and Walls and Ceilings that
do not breathe and bleed.. or eat..
sleep.. sense.. feel.. and
MoVe and SinG A SonG
oF LiVinG kNoWinG..
i leave the Condos
of the Beach behind..
the buildings in front
of forests gone..
and Breathe..
Dance and
SinG wITh
Dragon
Fly WinGS that
can flow with God
at 60 miles per hour
wITh WinGs of Magic
more than any hUman
has ever seen sensed or felt..
i can only imagine this experience
and eXpreSS what those of Nature
do so much more than i.. but anyone
with half a FucKinG ‘iF yoU sEEk iN God’ bRaiN..
sees the star duSt oF God they are and worships
the God oF Nature STANDING
TALL AS
bY GOD
tO LiVE
IS TO LiVE PROUD AND
FREE.. OF WHAT ALL OUR
ANCESTORS STRUGGLE THROUGH
FROM WinGs oF Dragons Flying
to the
prickly
spiny legs
of cockroaches
StiLL surviving after
300 to 400 million years
before we ARE an after
Dance and SonG
oF the
Seed oF aLL
of NatUre that iS
God.. sTiLL BLooMinG
STiLL FloWeRinG iN poTenTiaL
when WiLd and Free and wITH
all that said.. friEnd gigoid.. i’m
up to 123K words of my
newest Nautilus
SHeLL or so..
through August
of 2015.. 7 more
months to go.. over
200k before the now
of that milestone comes..
but by God i am more inspiRed
by the WinGs of 300 to 380
million year old
sETs oF
Dragon
Fly WinGs
that can flY
60 MPH.. at
tHeir minuscule size..
than sky scrapers that
takes billions of humans
in collective intelligence to
produce as many humans
cooperating together now..
the Dragon Fly is already
‘Superman’..
without any
FiN
HuMaN
written language..
culture.. religion..
politics or philosophy
in collective so-called
F iN Intelligence that is
raping the resources of the
Earth.. wHiLE God SPeeds aWay
STiLL iN AngEL
Dragon WinGS
wHere the Love oF wE
iS the God dam thing
that makes us advanced over
the Dragon.. who cannot hug
and feel
the clouds
oF comfort iN
noW SinG SonG
oF heARt iN SpiRit
waY.. but by God thAT
Dragon fly has perhaps
the greATest Longest proven
MiNd and BoDy soUL iN Balance
oF aLL tHe
creation oF iS
wE FLY for Now..
whom has already
inherited the Earth
as Meek WitH
WinGs
oF SuperGodFReED..:)
Gospel of Thomas….
The Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.
When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and
you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living
Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty
and it is you who are that poverty.”
True.
First you have to overcome the dominance of the ego..
Jesus said:
“Grapes are not harvested from thorn trees
nor are figs gathered form thistles,
for these give no fruit
A good man brings forth good from his storehouse,
a bad man brings forth ill
from his wicked storehouse
which is in his heart,
and he speaks ill:
for out of the abundance of his heart
he brings forth ill ”
The Gospel of Thomas.
😉
SMiLes..
FriEnd..:)
Okay…. for reply, I’ll defer to Lady P…
*wink*
Not into gospel at all, bro. Read it, dismissed it as delusional… Too self-serving, all the way through….
gigoid
SMiLes.. i’m into
Nature all the rest
is illusion and
Nature as
WeLL..
No Real
Separation
Unless we
Create that
Illusion
Of Real..:)
“What a ridiculous idea! To think that a newborn, of any species, should bear the guilt for an action performed before their birth, is just plain stupid, and self-serving”
Grin
Not if one believes in reincarnation…..old boy!
Infinity..
A long
Journey
With
No beginning
Or end but now..
Now.. What a breather
When
frReED..:)
Sorry; to me, reincarnation, while probably closest to what actually may happen, still bears the mark of human ego in it…. Who the fuck is keeping score? I don’t happen to believe there is anyone up there who gives a shit about me, or humans in general, much less keeps score of our misdeeds. We need to just fucking be responsible for ourselves, now, in THIS lifetime…. young lady…
*wink*
gigoid
Hahaha…
Of course not,no one is ‘up’ there ….we are not gods yet…
the ego predominates…..pretty much always….it is a given.
So,leave behind the ‘others’ and work on yourself…..in this way lies change.
old man….grin.
Very well, old woman….
*grin back*
gigoid
i do not thInk i would have experiencED
almost complete dissolution of ego..
if not for life threatening illnesses..
over a period of 66 months..
Emotions Drive ego..
in terms of
self-esteem..
social conforming
for most all social
animals.. in terms
of hierarchy.. in dominance
and submission… for gaining
reproductive rights.. and subsistence..
including Food.. Water.. and Shelter..
The tool of those who dominate
others is shame and
fear.. and Lord
knows i for one..
was truly dominated
most of my life.. in that
hierarchy as i neither was
comfortable in my own skin..
in ways of regulating emotions
or integrating senses.. in a life spent input
more in Books.. Lectures.. Electronic Media
and Entertainment.. more than moving.. connecting
and creating output of something new.. Pain taught
me the silliness of staying with the same.. and change
was the best solution oF aLL.. in new.. however.. how
to lose the shame of the hunch back of Notre
Dame.. locked in a bedroom for
66 months.. without contact
with humanity
whole in flesh and
blood.. weLL i decided
i WiLL Survive.. at all
costs.. according to
Donna Summer..
folks like
Lady
Gaga..
Miley Cyrus
and other artists who finally
go out on the branch oF a TaLLer
tree and take a chance at bEinG
so much more free without
shame and fear
of what others
might think
or feel about
one’s different freedom than
they.. but truly the ability to gain
a Zen Art of Changing Ego to suit
one’s self esteem of feeling good..
in Serotonin comfort.. is also an illusion
away from Nature that technology provides
for we who no longer depend on others
as much for the
Interdependent
Relationship for survival
now.. i’m truly not impressed
with the Zen and Buddhist
leaning goal
of
Ego Dissolution
as a way of being..
sure it can work in a bed
room closed in or a monastery
but Social Survival for an animal
in the Wild or Work World Working
with other folks requires it in the
pecking order of Social
animal hierarchy of
dominance and
submission
and all the ‘tween
for subsistence and survival..
all the ivory tower talk of monasteries
Basements of Mom and Dad’s living
arrangements.. will not change
the fAct of Nature
when social
cooperation
is pARt of
the Social Animal Game..
So.. i’m Financially Independent
and can sWinG the gAMe of Zen
Ego.. howEver which way oF loose
i choose to go.. but i have no
illusions of what would
have to be
if i entered
the Government
Work World of tightly
white collarRed ways
of Social Norm BeInG..
so.. truly this aberration of
liFe of free makes folks like Eckart
Tolle.. Miley Cyrus.. and Lady Gaga..
and yes me.. and so many other folks..
N0W possible.. but this aberration is coming
real greater as another illusion of reaLITy
REAL.. AS WE no longer depend
on each other as much
for subsistence
and survival
but oh no..
we ‘normal’ hUman
beings.. per se.. STiLL have
the innate.. instinctual.. and
intuitive need of acceptance
for the human touch.. And that
my friend is part of the reason.. at
least that suicide rates.. are much higher
in so-called technologically advanced first
world countries.. One can think they escape
Mother Nature in submission to what is tHeir
Nature.. but Nature is the Realist Deal of aLL..
one can balance this Nature within with relative
free will.. but when one thinks they can
escape iT with
illusions
like total
dissolution
of ego.. aWay
from emotional and
sensory needs.. desires
and all the sweet stuff that
drives life.. usually tHeir is a
REAL Karma iN Now of Action
Consequence In terms of Sweet
and SoUr LiFe.. trUly what is good
and what is bad is all relative
to nature..
to master
iT iS juSt
an ongoing
practice of what
Maslow describes
as self-actualization.. it seems..
and that my friend.. that balance
of what Nature iS iN me.. iS an ongoing
education oF Art and Science that is getting
fUn more aS i lEarn to master iT iN a balance
of Dancing with the PLaY as WiNd and
Water and
Zen Art of Ego
in feeLinG and senSinG
all the healthy Social Animal
Will do in a liFE WiLd and Free too..
My God iS Free and so i am.. but sure
i have a healthy respect for that God of Nature
wHere iN mY opinion the true ego would be to
suggest
that no
ego is a goal aT aLL..
itTs much more fun to walk
with head held high in the gyms
of life and jungle sidewalks too..
than to live life in submission
of false
humility too..
To give and share
is humility to me..
and pARt of that is to
walk tall and fearless with
close to zero shame of what one
is at core.. free and balanced..
it was very hard for me..
to finAlly
lose those laughs
that were at me.. as silent
utterances of someone who
likely would never feel or sense
the Freedom i have now.. but sure
once one becomes truly free in Loving
Fearless Balance oF aLL oF liFe.. including Zen
Ego.. as metaphor of course not to offend
the so-called Zen officials
of this
way or
that way
of bEinG now..
one tries to help raise
others up no matter who
they are or what they’ve done
as one understand they are just
duSt in the wind too.. whether Floating..
Sinking.. Soaring up.. or even Epic like ME..
but i earned iT friend.. every FucKinG grey hair..
word.. step.. smile.. laugh.. so
i have zero
shame
for what
i am now..
and truly that
advice for whomever
wrote the Gospel of Thomas
about treading on one’s clothes
and getting back to Nature.. iS the
best advice for me.. butT after
i already
did it..
all innately..
instinctually,,
and intuitively
too.. Culture is complicated..
Being a social animal in a very
complex culture is even more complicated
but returning back to Nature after escaping
is not that
hard if one..
sTiLL to me.. at least..
moves.. connects and creates..
now leave any pARt ouT iN Flesh
and blood liFe.. including healthy
self esteem and Ego.. and theRe
is a price i for one.. see.. to pay to the
REAL MASTER OF
natUre..
THAT NONE
oF uS likely
wiLL ever escape..
at least for what i kNow
and FeeL oF iT noW.. in tHis
little illusion.. and sliver of Heaven
that iS REAl.. and more real than these
2-D letters and words.. that ends as FriEnD noW…:)
Excellent; I knew her remarks would do this. Well said, my friend… Can’t wait for the next installment, from Lady P…
*grinning wink*
gigoid
Glad Leelu’s an indoor cat!