Ffolkes,

“A wise man first determines what is within his control; all else is then irrelevant.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

Gate into Trinity College, Dublin….

Hajime…. Good morrow, ffolkes. I am currently extremely busy out in the BBR, as I have a friend staying to visit for the week. Posts here may become sparse, but, that remains to be seen. Putting this one together was a bit problematic, but, since I was able to get it done, perhaps I can do so again later in the week. If not, you may see some re-blogs from the archives. Either way, know I am busy, but, always have this process in mind, and regardless of how many distractions are offered by reality, I’ll be back to regale y’all with the dross and drivel so copiously created by my incredibly confusing mind… count on it.

In the meantime, let’s get started with the process of posting today’s mess, and get on with the rest of the day, and week. I’ll use good ol’ number 4, which is currently undefeated. It works pretty quickly, and quietly, so, hang on & stay alert….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Always obey your superiors–if you have any.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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The Grateful Dead ~ Image from Dead.net via email

In my life, I’ve been to a dozen or more concerts by the Dead, ranging from 1969 to sometime in the 90’s, when I saw them the last time before the passing of their leader, Jerry Garcia. Though the band continues on, with new faces, the legend, and the experience lives on, with a multitude of choices to listen and watch, on You Tube, or on various sites, including Dead.net…. Enjoy, ffolkes; maybe you had to be there, but, there is NOTHING like a Dead concert…..

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Live Dead

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While cruising through some old Pearls, I found this. It’s fun, and won’t hurt anyone, unless you try to follow too closely; it makes some abrupt turns and stops, so, stay alert. Oh, and, try to enjoy the stretch….

From 1/20/2013:

“Nothing unreal exists.”

~~ Kiri-Kin-Tha’s Law of Metaphysics ~~

For the uninitiated, this is from Star Trek, a line from the fourth movie, The Voyage Home. It is the answer, and question, posed to Spock by the computer, near the beginning of the movie, just before it asks him, “How do you feel?” Though the quote, and its author, are part of a fictional story, and do not, as far as I know, exist in real life, the idea is nonetheless a potent philosophical assertion, and deserving of some meditation upon its implications, and ramifications. I like it, as it creates a series of doorways, one after another opening for welcome, inviting me to come in and examine its furnishings for their value…. A bit fanciful, perhaps, but then, it IS from Star Trek….

“Trekkies” have always taken the concept behind the show and movies much more seriously than most of us, and have created an entire panorama of alternate universe stories, legends, and characters as an adjunct to the original tales. I am certain that some fan, somewhere in the world, has put together a book that lays out Kiri-Kin-Tha’s philosophy for study, complete with Laws, Axioms, and Arguments. They probably even included material from other fictional works from the ST venue, weaving them into a coherent treatise, all of which is completely fabricated….. People can be pretty amazing when they are obsessed, indeed…..

“Nothing unreal exists.”….. fascinating, as Spock would say. It is reminiscent, in a backwards fashion, of the question posed by the door to Ravenclaw Tower, in the final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows, when Professor McGonagall is queried, “Where do Vanished objects go?” by the door, in order to gain entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. “Into nonbeing, which is to say, everything.”, she answers immediately. “Nicely phrased”, replied the door….. I say backwards only because the ST movie came first in real time, by about 25 years or so…. As can be seen, however, the concepts involved in the two similar episodes are more than mere ideological throw-aways, but have some valid basis for their existence…

This is the power of Imagination at its finest, in my mind. People will take a good idea, and run with it into landscapes where it has never before been conceived, turning it into passionate variations on the original theme whose quality rivals that of it progenitor. At the height of the frenzy over the Harry Potter movies, a few years ago, I visited a site called MuggleNet.com, curious as to what the fans of the movie and stories were doing.

I was completely astounded by the prolific writings by fans, who wrote entire novels, short stories, and alternative plots by the dozens, all populated by the characters from the books by J.K. Rowling. Romances between the various characters abounded in the imagination of the fans, as well as the creation of new characters, and kinds of magic. The variety and depth of talent displayed is incredible, and goes to show how powerful is the influence of obsession on our imagination.

And hence one master-passion in the breast,
Like Aaron’s serpent, swallows up the rest.

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 131 ~~

Of course, obsession has the unfortunate tendency to go beyond the bounds of reasonable action in pursuit of its object of attention. It can easily consume all of the mind’s available store of common sense, submerging it in the raging river of passionate belief in whatever idea has emerged as the passion of choice. Pope was speaking no more than simple truth when he wrote these lines, which point again to the same fatal flaw that exists in other areas of human nature, the weakness of will that makes us choose paths that are self-destructive in their intensity, or in their ultimate logical end. Too many of us tend to make our choices in life without using even the most basic of mental tools we have, including imagination; the use of those tools can be hard, in the sense that it is harder to think than it is to allow others to think for you…..

Thus, we come to another point where the subject under discussion can be expanded, and further explored. Or, we can leave it here, with the ideas already discussed as a springboard for private consideration. I have a feeling it could get a bit esoteric from this juncture, and I’d lose a lot of ffolkes to the fatigue factor. I am feeling that a bit meself, having now been sparring with this Pearl for a bit over three hours. I should have eaten some philosophical oatmeal, to increase the fiber content of my output, I guess….

Rather than go any further down that road, we’ll bring this pearl to a close….. Perhaps you can take a bit of what we discussed with you, and chew on it later…. it doesn’t seem to get any less crunchy over time, so it can’t hurt…. Fewer calories than jerky, and it won’t require flossing afterward…..

“You can get anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant (‘ceptin’ Alice).”

~~ Arlo Guthrie ~~

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Most days, if I don’t have a new poem to share, I’ll put one of my older poems here, to avoid contaminating anyone else’s reputation by proximity to my own work. I wouldn’t care to impugn anyone’s status inadvertently. But, I simply like this little piece of doggerel from the Trilogy of the Rings, so, it’s been chosen to adorn today’s poetry section.

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,
Of Meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see,
For still there are so many things that I have never seen:
In every wood in every spring there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago,
And people who will see a world that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think of times that were before,
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~

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Naked Pearls

Notes on process and program….

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“You are the Skeptic. You have the power to Doubt.”

~~ Dubious Bee ~~

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“Prosperity tries the fortunate: adversity the great.””

~~ Pliny the Younger ~~

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“A man ought to do what he thinks is right.”

~~ John Wayne ~~

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“Pay attention to your enemies.
They are the first to discover your mistakes.”

~~ Antisthenes ~~

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“He who limps is still walking.”

~~ Stanislaw J. Lec ~~

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“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. xxiii ~~

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“The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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I’m taking it as a victory to have finished this one, what with the current status around here. Don’t ask. Let it suffice to say, it’s done, and I’ll be back to do this again. The schedule on that is not yet firmly established, so, I’ll confine myself to saying, see y’all later….

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….