I don’t often reblog, but, this is a video you MUST watch!…. Possibly the most brilliant comments on modern culture available today…. Clear, to the point, and frigging brilliant….
gigoid has spoken. So be it….
Ffolkes,
they pass & are done; but there is that which remains.”
Liber al vel Legis 2:9
comet-lovejoy-dark-energy-camera
It has finally come to pass; I am so bereft of ideas for any opening material, I am going to cheat in the intro…. Here is the intro section from the Pearl posted a bit over two years ago, on 2/15/2013. It’s perfect for today, as it matches my current state of mind quite closely…. We’ll see if we can’t find something a bit fresher for the rest…. for now, this will have to do, or we won’t get started at all…. and, no comments from the peanut gallery about such an event maybe being a good idea…. I have all the help I need, thank you very much….
Let us begin….
Ffolkes,
Once again, fear strikes deep into my soul, faced as I am with a blank sheet of paper and an empty mind. That’s figuratively speaking, of course, as we’ve progressed beyond the paper stage, so it’s actually a blank white screen I’m looking at…. The mind remains empty, alas, and the fear grows….. Well, literal or figurative, we’ve got some issues to deal with, so, I’d likely do well to follow my usual policy in such cases, and go take a break now…. I’ll be right back….
In the usual state of affairs around here in the morning, such a break would solve any difficulties I am encountering in getting started, but today seems to be resisting normality a bit more than is standard. Of course, ‘normality’ is rather scarce here anyway….. The paper/screen is now a bit less blank, thanks to my gift for producing something from nothing, but still with no indications of anywhere brilliant to head off to…. I’m going to have to figure something out here pretty quick, as we’re now two paragraphs in, and still not a single clean idea, or literary device, to be seen…. The brain cops are going to want me to move along soon, so let’s try this….
Howdy, ffolkes! How are y’all this fine morning? It’s 0458 here in Northern California, and I’m once again up, eyes wide open, and rarin’ to get going on today’s Pearl, having already had coffee and a session of worship at the porcelain throne! Why I am up at this hour remains a mystery, but, since I’ve been arising at 0400-0500 now for the last six days or so, I suppose I have to accept that arising at this insane hour is becoming a new routine, that my brain has decided upon without any input from my conscious mind. I’ve tentatively come to terms with it, as I don’t seem to be able to sleep past those hours, no matter when I crash….
But, that’s okay! I’m fine! I’m happy! I’m absolutely fucking crazy!…… Well, maybe not quite that far yet, but, if this keeps up, it won’t be long before that latter statement becomes reality….. Come to think of it, though, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing….. If nothing else, it might give me a whole new set of ideas for intro sections, coming at the issue from a totally new, and unpredictable direction every day! Hmm…. well, for now, I’ll keep total insanity in reserve, as a backup procedure, such as I had to use yesterday, when it was necessary to break down and use Emergency Procedure #4….. I think I’ll call this one the Bell Jar Procedure, in honor of Sylvia Plath….
And, see, it works….. or, rather, it worked today…. Without having to actually go totally batshit crazy, and without actually having to write anything particularly coherent, or sensible, I’ve completed a five-paragraph-intro….. without you ever noticing what I was doing! Amazing, eh? And so creative! And, if I keep on with the exclamations, and the back-patting, I’m going to hurt myself, so, maybe we’d best get on with the rest of today’s effort…..
Shall we Pearl?…..
“I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.” — Steven Wright
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Few people of my age will need any introduction to this artist; it is a very great shame today’s young people do not know of him, or of his music, or his influence on the world we now live in…. This is not unusual, as much of mankind is never aware of the greatest among them. I didn’t see it here, but, if any of y’all ever get a chance to hear it, Frank cut an album (actually, a 3 disc set) of pure instrumental music, playing most of the instruments himself, as well as performing much of the musical engineering and mixing on the album. All 3 discs are pure Zappa music, with no lyrics…. amazing stuff, showing off a side of him many never knew….
He was. without a doubt, one of the premier artists of the latter twentieth century, whose influence, though forgotten by many, remains evident throughout every level of music today, from hip hop, to jazz, to rock, to contemporary pop…. all of them felt his imprint…. Enjoy, ffolkes; we will never see his like again….
Frank Zappa
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“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long
Lazarus, in his most excellent iteration of the inherent flexibility of the human condition, gives us a very good idea of what a human needs to do to live up to potential. He very studiously avoided amending the list with any of those habits and/or characteristics we should avoid, due to their well, sheer stupidity… Oh, he didn’t forget them, I believe; he just didn’t mention any of them here, as being counter-productive to his point. I think, however, he managed to portray the “look and feel” he was shooting for while leaving the door open to addendum….
To my way of thinking, (admittedly different than many….) one characteristic of our nature is necessary as a precursor to all of the above, to wit: curiosity, tinged with doubt…. Critical thinking, in my mind, comes first, before ANY other facet of our nature; if we don’t possess the ability to determine the veracity of what we perceive, none of our efforts will come to fruition, for we have failed to account for Reality, or the very powerful influence of Chaos, and Entropy upon the universe in which we live…
Sadly, the greater portion of Mankind fails at this juncture; mostly all of the people I’ve met, and seen, in this world are about as gullible as Goober Pyle; I often wonder how so many people survive to breeding age. Of course, those among us who ARE aware of reality’s demands make sure they never learn how to tell what is true, and what isn’t, by brainwashing almost everyone before they even get to the age of reason, coloring their perceptions with perversions of truth until the poor fools never even know their own self-worth, but, are content to allow almost anyone tell them how they should think, and believe, and behave….
“Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was He before creation? How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression … Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end.” — The Mahapurana, Jinasena
Throughout history, some of those who can see have tried to share their wisdom with the masses, such as with the following pearl. But, so few of those in the mainstream are capable of even grasping reality, most of them are never heard by anyone but those of a like mind….
“In English, “I beseech you, my brothers, _remain faithful to the earth_ and believe not those who speak of supernatural hopes. Poison mongers are they, whether they know it or not.” — Nietzsche, “Also Sprach Zarathustra”
The Beloved Ruling Class (BRC) learned ages ago how to distract the public, to keep them occupied with shadows and illusions, convincing them of their own inability to protect themselves, playing on their fears until they are cattle, easily herded from this field to that, at the mention of a threat they cannot see…. It’s actually quite simple, when one looks at the issue with eyes free of delusion, but, for most of our population, such clarity of sight is not possible, nor even conceivable….
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.” — Thomas Pynchon
Once the people have been indoctrinated to believe anyone in authority, reality becomes less understandable…. For those who cannot see, or think for themselves, the following is either a cup, or, it is two faces, about to kiss….. Which do YOU see?….
Rather than limiting oneself to seeing Reality as merely ONE viewpoint, one learns to see the above as “a loving cup”, merging the two diametrically opposed images into one reality, of our own choosing….. Thus, one learns to examine ALL of what we see, or are told, for truth; we learn to see Reality as it is, not as we are told it is…. Thus we are freed from the influence of illusion….
“The popularity of conspiracy theories is explained by people’s desire to believe that there is -some- group of folks who know what they’re doing.” — Damon Knight
The truth of this statement by Mr. Knight cannot be doubted; there is too much proof readily at hand. We CAN learn otherwise, though, if we can find it within ourselves to let go of all we were taught when young…. One man who has done so is the following columnist, Mark Morford; his periodic columns are regular calls to let go, to try the new, to throw off the yoke that is placed around our necks by our misconceptions and untruths, learned from an early age.
In this column, he offers another way to see the world, one that just MIGHT change everything you believe…. IF you can let go of prejudices held for too long, what he relates here can literally change your world…. It’s a great picture, too, isn’t it? I got it from the article, so, you can, too….
I’ve tried today to keep from getting too “rantish” (wow, Spell Checker didn’t react to that word…), attempting to keep it light, not so dark. Hopefully, I’ve succeeded. I had to try something, to keep myself from feeling like nothing I say is being heard…. It gets a bit frustrating to be able to see what is wrong in the world, to keep trying to share it, and watching it all fall apart anyway…. SIGH…. The following pearl says exactly how it feels at times….
“You are elevating futility to a high art. There is nothing you can do to prevent the catharsis of spurious morality.” — Valeyard, The Ultimate Foe
Another way of saying I’m preaching to the choir, I suppose. Ah well…. I guess I COULD be one of those old fogeys sitting around the park, ogling young girls and complaining about the youth of today… At least this way I get it all out of MY head, and that, if nothing else, will do….. Okay, ffolkes, I’m done blathering for today….
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Once again, we’ll go with one of mine, to save embarrassment for anyone else….
The value of wit is often said to cause harm,
for those who think, such is its greatest charm.
The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled
if innovation and change is left unwilled.
Society behaves at its base as a mob
conformity and submission its primary job.
Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule
is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.
Intellect and talent are looked at askance,
expressing artistry stands nary a chance.
To stand out from the rest of mankind
is fraught with danger, for body and mind.
Often I stand to watch in solemn dismay
as beauty and joy are left by the way,
ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses
who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.
With shouts of derision the normals make known
their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.
They hope to stop all semblance of progress;
for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.
The world struggles on in spite of all opposition,
managing to maintain its advanced position.
Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,
helping each to learn the survival dance.
Hard though it may be to keep up with the future
genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.
In the final analysis, those who live by reason
enjoy life the most, season to season.
~~ gigoid ~~
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This is one strange pearl. I don’t have a clue as to what it may mean to anyone else; to me, it speaks quite coherently about a great number of the people I’ve seen in my life, in one way or another. It also speaks of how to avoid some of the very nastiest mistakes we can make in dealing with that life, in a very real sense…. But, then, I’m strange, too…. Enjoy the trip, if nothing else, even if you don’t know where you end up….
“Some people are born idiots, but many more become stupider as they go along.” — Smart Bee
” — I’d love to, but… I’m doing door-to-door collecting for static cling.” — 14 of 101 Easy Ways To Say NO
“You have the capacity to learn from mistakes. You’ll learn a lot today.” — Smart Bee
“Hang sorrow! care ‘ll kill a cat.” — Ben Jonson (1573-1637) — Every Man in his Humour, Act i, Sc. 3
“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.” — Quintus Ennius
“Therapy helps, but screaming obscenities is cheaper.” — Smart Bee
“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” — Mark Twain
“Don’t overestimate the decency of the human race.” — H.L. Mencken
“Well, it just seemed wrong to cheat on an ethics test.” — Calvin
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Well, that was something; I won’t even TRY to say what. In fact, I’m going to get myself out of here before anyone catches on to what I’ve done today…. I’m content; it’s all relatively fresh, aside from the intro, and y’all know I gave up on that ages ago…. Ah well, so much for another day’s folly…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, with one more try to get it right….
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ Ancient Simian Proverb ~~
Soon to be inundated due to rising waters from global warming.
You gotta love serendipity. Well, maybe YOU don’t, but, I do. Especially when it applies to these Pearls….. Once again, my brain is on early-morning strike, in a manner of speaking, making the creation of today’s mess problematic to an extreme degree. Fortunately for all of us, the Pearls at the bottom of the page have furnished me with enough archived material, appropriate to the day, to use today to complete my chosen duty. Hallelujah!…
You see, I’ve got way less than nothing today; I don’t even have any excuses. My pain is present, yes, and so is the usual angst; this provides the impetus to go into literary trance-mode, which keeps me from giving in to depression…. it’s quite an effective routine, when it works. But, getting into the trance state can be a problem when…. well, that’s just it. I don’t KNOW when it will happen; it just does…. Thus, having material to fall back on becomes a saving grace…. and just in time, too….
But, we won’t go any further into the process now, as we need to get on with this…. I hate to use it again, but, nothing works quite so well as our old standby, emergency method #4, so, we’ll go with that, just so we can say we tried. We’re going to try a new maneuver today, a special route down into the oyster beds, which we’ve not used before; it involves a bit of aerial acrobatics that may cause some spillage, so, please make sure your adult beverages are securely fastened to the clips provided, and the lid is on tightly…. You’ll like it better if you do…. Okay, hang on, ffolkes, here we go….
Shall we Pearl?
“What Chinese prophet did we annoy? Interesting times, my ass.” — gigoid, paraphrased by SB
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Somehow, for today’s Pearl, this seems most appropriate; go figure…. Ladies and germs, I give you the world’s strangest mind…..
Steven Wright Special (1985)
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From 2/15/2013:
“How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes a really long time and the light bulb has to want to change.” — Smart Bee
Boy, if it wasn’t for the power of metaphor, I would be lost!….. This statement, though presented in a manner that makes it obviously a joke, is actually quite serious in its relevance to sanity, psychiatry, and how the mind works, in general. I worked for many years in the field of mental health care, as a therapist, and I can tell you quite honestly, that this is absolutely true, in many cases of what the rest of society terms insanity….. a word, and a concept, that most of society avoids at all costs, and completely misunderstands, for the most part…. You see, every person who lives in this society on Earth today is just a little insane, with some of them reaching higher levels through their own efforts to excel…… 🙂 Society itself is insane, you see; one needs to be the same in order to effectively cope….
It may surprise some ffolkes to know that they are insane; I know it surprised me when I first became aware. We all go through our lives with a certain image of ourselves; very rarely does the image in our minds look insane. But, let me assure you, there really isn’t any visible way to be able to tell if a person is insane, as it is completely invisible, under most circumstances, as long as the person isn’t speaking, or acting in some way that provides a clue as to their inner state of mind. Even for those of us trained in recognizing its presence, through the use of observation of other defining characteristics, there is no guaranteed method for spotting someone with a mental condition, unless they give it to you up front by acting out in some overt fashion.
Sure, there are tells, as a gambler would say…. when one eye is happily spinning in the opposite direction as the other, it’s a pretty good sign of some inner turmoil…. Pacing and mumbling to oneself, back and forth in a small area, while ignoring all around them, can be another dead giveaway of someone who is experiencing a few extra perceptions in comparison to the rest of us. Sometimes, really bad grooming can be a sign that the person’s mind isn’t focused on how they affect others, and staring at a wall, holding what appears to be a conversation with oneself, can be another indication that not all is well in that person’s world….
But, without some overt signs such as these, you just can’t spot mental illness; in addition, it’s extra hard to see it in one’s own image, since we tend to clean that up before we look at it, or try to share it. And, since EVERYONE ELSE is also insane, at least a little, it can be hard to spot, for the same reason one cow in a herd is hard to pick out. You may have heard the old saw about “one in four people are insane, so if you have three sane friends, it’s you”….. What would be more accurate to say is, “all of you are insane, but three of you are coping well with it in an effective manner, and one isn’t…. ”
It’s helpful to know that the overt signs one may see are indicative of the severity of the condition, i.e., the more acting out one observes, the more severe the break in the mental state. But, that isn’t always accurate, as normally sane folks, acting in the grip of strong emotion, can show the same kind of acting out, with the difference of not having it occur all the time, but only when provoked. Thus, it can be seen, it can be very difficult to judge whether a person is insane, or merely temporarily out of control…..
This is where I bring it all together, by referring back to the original pearl…. Coping with life can drive anyone crazy; it does so, every day….. Some cope with it better than others; those are the people who are considered to be sane, as they can deal with reality without resorting to outlandish ways of dealing with their fears. Those who cannot find ways of coping with their fears, arising from what reality gives us to deal with, often end up acting in ways that are strange and uncomfortable for the rest of us. Often, as well, their behaviors become dangerous, in a physical sense, for them, and, for those around them…..
In all my experience, with every kind of mental illness I observed, in almost 30 years working in mental hospitals, the primary characteristic of those who got better was clearly due to the simple process of making up their own minds to do so…. That’s it…. Simple as it may seem, deciding to give up the methods they used, and make a change, was always based on a personal decision on their part; it was, clearly, THE key ingredient in the regime of ideas, medicines, therapies, and treatments used to combat their illness. In other words, it took a long time, and they first had to want to change….. Without that, nothing worked…. It is a well known aphorism among mental health therapists that, “they get better IN SPITE of what we do, not because of it….”
So, if you’re getting worried about your own coping skills, just keep in mind that to remain sane, it means you have to want to do so…. But, that’s all it takes, if your are sincere, for you will do whatever else is needed, once your will power has been engaged…. That’s what people do….
“Great minds think alike, apparently so do we.” — D. Bennett
“Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?” — James Thomson (1700-1748) — The Seasons, Summer, Line 67
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Here is a poem from one of my absolute favorite poets; I’ve never seen a poem from her that didn’t have a strong effect on the reader. I am not sure exactly why, but, her words are, somehow, even more powerful than they seem to be…. Whatever it is, it makes for some incredible poetry, such as this….
“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)”
~~ Sylvia Plath ~~
Brilliant! Absolutely, insanely brilliant!
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Not too shabby for random parameters, I think… Today’s final old-school pearl is comprised of some good stuff; observations on living which, if not already present in your goody bag, should be amongst the stuff you’ve learned this far into the game…. If it’s all stuff you know, well, it’s always good to remember…. and, remember also; practice helps, because the mind is much like all your other muscles and organs. It works best if used a lot, and well….
“If you don’t care where you are, you ain’t lost.” — Rune’s Rule.
“I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free.” — Nikos Kazantzakis
“Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910) — Inscription beneath his bust in the Hall of Fame
“No man steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus (540?-480? B.C.)
“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” — J.K. Rowling, The Man with Two Faces, — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997, — spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore
“Of all the strange “crimes” that human beings have legislated out of nothing, “blasphemy” is the most amazing–with “obscenity” and “indecent exposure” fighting it out for second and third place.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”
“A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book i, Chap. xxxviii, Of Solitude
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I love it when I beat the odds; they weren’t very good at the start of today’s effort. Since it came out so well, as such things go, I’ll apply the “gift horse” theory of acquisition, & take my leave post haste. If things go anything like I’ve planned, I’ll see y’all tomorrow; if not, well, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, bloody and bowed though I may be…. Ta, then, luvs….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ Steven Wright ~~
American Falls, Niagra, Ontario: 2/6/2015 – Lindsay Dedario- Reuters
Okay, so, YOU try writing with vertigo…. It wouldn’t be so difficult if the keyboard would stop spinning while I’m trying to hit the correct keys…. or, if I could tip my head forward without feeling nauseous. Even though I know how to fix the issue, it’s still a pain in the not-so-proverbial ass…. But, then, whining about it won’t get it done… I’ll be back after the physical therapy fix is applied…
Okay, here’s the deal. I’m just not up to this, but, my sense of duty won’t allow me to completely forgo posting. This, of course, means we cheat…. I’d reblog an old one, but, that always seems like an even more cowardly response than mere cheating…. So, we’ll use archived material to fill in…. We’ll also, once again, use the ever-popular method #4 to get us out of here, so we can get this done sometime today, before my panic-mode activates…. Y’all know how this works, I believe, so, if you would kindly put down your beverages until we have come to a complete stop, it would be helpful, as well as cleaner…. Hang on, ffolkes, it’s bound to be bumpy…
Shall we Pearl?
“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 598
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Only one video will do for today; perfectly appropriate, wouldn’t you agree?….
Vertigo (1958) Full movie
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Here is a discussion from back in the day…. It will do….
From 7/10/2012:
“If you sincerely desire a _truly_ well-rounded education, you must study the extremists, the obscure and nutty. You need the balance! Your poor brain is already being impregnated with middle-of-the-road crap, twenty-four hours a day, _no matter what_. Network TV, newspapers, radio, magazines at the supermarket… even if you never watch, read, listen, or leave your house, even if you are deaf and blind, the _telepathic pressure alone_ of the uncountable normals surrounding you will insure that you are automatically well- grounded in consensus reality.” — Rev. Ivan Stang — High Weirdness By Mail
Humanity exists, and anything that exists can be expressed with mathematics. For our purpose here this morning, we will use the mathematics of demography of the intellect. When looking at the whole body of people that comprises mankind, if you divide the different levels of intelligence, as rated by IQ, you will immediately see that as a whole, mankind can be expressed as a bell curve. Broken down most simply, there are about 5% of people who are genius’, about 15% slightly above normal, 60% average, 15% slightly below average, and 5% very, very slow thinking folks. It’s a bit simplistic, but it is accurate, believe me….. I’ve done the math…..
“The world is crazier than we think.” — MacNeice
In light of this, the statement from the Reverend Stang becomes a truism, as well as pretty good insight. One cannot say they know what humanity is all about without including those who exist on the fringes, the 5% genius, and the 5% slow. This is obvious…. What is not so obvious is that one can use the same bell curve, and percentage breakdown, to describe the morality of mankind. We have 5% very ethical, morally upright folks, who act rightly, from right thinking. We have about 15% who mostly do good, and mostly try to be moral. We have 60% who very seldom consider either concept (morals & ethics) but generally act from right thoughts taught to them by their parents and peers. Again, there are 15% who act immorally a lot of the time, and 5% who are the actual acolytes of Satan, so to speak….
“Does history repeat itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce? No, that’s too grand, too considered a process. History just burps, and we taste again that raw-onion sandwich it swallowed centuries ago.” — Julian Barnes
What is unfortunate is that the 5% who are totally immoral, or rather, amoral, comprise the largest part of our beloved ruling class. They are joined by the 15% who mainly act immorally; this group is where you will find most priests and others in the sadly patriarchal hierarchies of the religion institutions. This grouping is, to me, the most egregiously evil of all of them. Priests and preachers, in general, counsel their parishioners to obey the beloved ruling class, knowing full well that they are condemning them to slavery. I find this to be reprehensible, but the indoctrination given these people is so strong, they never even realize what they do; they even believe that they are being helpful.
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright… — Psalms 7:10
I believe that people should be treated with respect, right up until they provide evidence that they are not deserving of such, at which time, I place them into the bottom 20%, and figure they are fair game. This policy has provided me with numerous opportunities to puncture some of their balloons, when those silly fools come to the door wanting to proselytize to me about their religion. I have a great time with them, quoting to them from their own bible (whichever one it may be; I’ve looked through all of them….), and using their own premises to show them the fallacies. I’ve sent many a troubled young LDS elder back to the fold with a head full of doubts, and really enjoy the image that puts in my head about the next time they speak with THEIR elders…. the more discord and doubt I can sow in that fecund field, the better I like it.
So, I heartily agree with Reverend Stang, though probably for different reasons. I find it a bit unusual for a Reverend to recommend diversity in education at all, but, hey, no matter why, if he gets folks to at least look at the fringes, it can teach them a lesson or two they would never get in Bible Study classes…. and that is a good thing…..
Besides, I couldn’t resist writing about this, as the good reverend used the term “consensus reality”….. That, after all, is what I do…..
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This poet needs no introduction, especially for such a piece as this…..
I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name;
There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;
But the tear that now burns on my cheek may impart
The deep thoughts that dwell in that silence of heart.
Too brief for our passion, too long for our peace,
Were those hours – can their joy or their bitterness cease?
We repent, we abjure, we will break from our chain, –
We will part, we will fly to – unite it again!
Oh! thine be the gladness, and mine be the guilt!
Forgive me, adored one! – forsake if thou wilt;
But the heart which is thine shall expire undebased,
And man shall not break it – whatever thou may’st.
And stern to the haughty, but humble to thee,
This soul in its bitterest blackness shall be;
And our days seem as swift, and our moments more sweet,
With thee at my side, than with worlds at our feet.
One sigh of thy sorrow, one look of thy love,
Shall turn me or fix, shall reward or reprove.
And the heartless may wonder at all I resign –
Thy lips shall reply, not to them, but to mine.
~~ George Gordon, Lord Byron ~~
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This is the only fresh part of today’s Pearl; in the interests of complete disclosure, parts of it were collected yesterday in moments of peace…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s the best I can do today….
“Every one is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 26, 12
“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
“You can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right; but spelling isn’t everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn’t count.” — A.A. Milne
“Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.” — Things We Can Learn From Dogs
“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.” — Benjamin Franklin
“But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” — Arthur C. Clarke — Profiles of the Future (1962; rev. 1973) — “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination”
“It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 785
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Well, it’s done. Further, deponent sayeth naught. Not only that, but, I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can find the wherewithal…. Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I’ll be back…. and, that is NOT a threat. It’s a promise….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ Seneca ~~
Since this will be, possibly, the latest Pearl ever, I see little point in worrying overmuch about this intro. The cat in the picture will be sufficient, I believe, to get us down the page; who doesn’t like cats? (Well, we know there are SOME who don’t, but, we consider them to be sub-humans, who wouldn’t be reading this anyway….) Pair it up with a quote with the power of Seneca’s statement, and, you’ve got something…. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the Gentle Reader to ascertain what that something may be….
Me, I’m going to meander on down to the next section, & pick out a video for us all to watch, or listen to, as we finish the rest of this mess today…. Me, while I type, and, y’all, as you read and ponder, or laugh, or cry out in disgust at what you may find here today; I’m sure whatever I find will be just fine for that purpose…. Okay, you’re right, the odds are no better for that than for any other pearl, but, hey, who would bother if I didn’t show a bit of enthusiasm, eh? A blog’s gotta have readers, right? Right….
Now we’ve settled that, I’m going to again apply our fast-becoming-famous method #4 to get us out of the intro; it should be an interesting ride today, as we got our monthly maintenance report, and we know the vehicle needs some work. The stress and strain of using a #4 today COULD put us over the edge there, but, hey, the insurance is paid up, so, even if we lost ALL of y’all, your families would be taken care of…. Small chance of that, though, I’m counting on the safety foam…. Either way, we’re going in, and we’re going in NOW….. Somebody hold on to the chickens, would you?….. We don’t want them to fly up in the pilot’s eyes just now….
Shall we Pearl?
“We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.” — Charles Darwin (1809-1882) — The Origin of Species, Chap. iii
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Today’s video selection is more than meets the eye…. Yes, I know such is often the case here on ECR, where we play fast and loose with metaphor, not to mention how we treat the slippery slopes of Reality; today, it’s even more true…. Little introduction is needed for this one, as everyone in our culture knows The Zone. Anyone who doesn’t is either younger than five, or has been living in a cave for a long while…. Besides, it fits in perfectly with my mood today…. which is, to say the least, a bit strange…. Enjoy your little trip into fantasy, ffolkes….
The Twilight Zone
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As related in yesterday’s intro, I went to meet my newest grandchild. I got some pix, but, they’ll need some editing, as the lighting wasn’t the best. Here are the three best, which you may treat as a sublimation of today’s usual rant…. Lucky you…. Ffolkes, here is Zoey, with her dad, and her grandpa, doing what she currently does best…. (Mom & the sisters weren’t up yet….)
Much better than a rant, eh?…. Short, and sweet….
~~ Alexander Pope (1688-1744) ~~
~~ Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 289 ~~
gigoid has spoken
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Since I’m so late, I’m filling in from the archives, just because I can….
Fried eggs got nuthin’ on me
Ah’m not even sure of mah name,
or how Ah come to be;
no idea from where Ah came.
Ah does like a mystery tho’,
puzzlin’ things out so’s Ah knows,
good from bad fo sho,
Ah sho don’t want no rock pillows.
If’n Ah cain’t figure out what’s best,
Ah just falls back on mah Daddy’s words,
seems he knowed just whut’d stand the test,
‘n how to gentle the scaredest birds.
‘Course, he’d lived a good long time,
‘n had lots of stuff go on by;
Went to a war, n’ lost a piece or two,
never once used it fer an alibi.
He tol’ me once Ah’d best learn to learn,
school’s only cool if ya ain’t already a fool.
Yer own good measure you can earn,
by startin’ yer learnin’ with the Golden Rule.
Always seemed to me as Ah growed up,
he mostly only spoke if it wuz true,
‘n by doin’ that clued me to what’s up,
kept me from stuff that’d a made me blue.
Without ever sayin’ the word itself,
Ah learned ’bout honor, ‘n helpin’ others
not some fake stuff from some shelf,
but, knowin’ whut’s right, ‘n that we’re all brothers.
Ah’ve been around long enough now, Ah think
to get around the block at least two times.
I s’pose long as my head don’t shrink
Ah’ll keep on doin’ right, ‘n makin’ these rhymes…..
~~ gigoid ~~
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In case y’all couldn’t tell, I pretty much gave up on this Pearl a while back…. For some of you, there was a clue; for others, a higher degree of confusion was the most probable result, if not outright nausea. However, I will now proceed to hand over the reins to SB for the final section, so, you can’t blame this one on me….. Let’s see what happens….
“If what the philosophers say be true,–that all men’s actions proceed from one source; that as they assent from a persuasion that a thing is so, and dissent from a persuasion that it is not, and suspend their judgment from a persuasion that it is uncertain,–so likewise they seek a thing from a persuasion that it is for their advantage.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xviii
“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” — Roger Miller
“Man is not disturbed about things, but by his opinion about things.” — Epictetus
“Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.” — Lazarus Long
“Thou seest how few be the things, the which if a man has at his command his life flows gently on and is divine.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, ii, 5
“The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), What Is Man? (1906)
“On the other hand, life can be an endless parade of TRANSSEXUAL QUILTING BEES aboard a cruise ship to DISNEY WORLD if only we let it!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
Okay, well…. not too bad, I think. The last line MAY have pushed it over the top. but, otherwise, I’d say it works just fine as an appropriate ending note for today’s misshapen mess…. I believe, as well, one more pearl is necessary, to make this a truly unique, eight-star pearl, while simultaneously bringing it to a complete, crashing halt….
“Nobody leaves here till they sing the blues.” — Albert King, to Elizabeth Shue, in “Adventures in Babysitting”
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I would be derelict in my duty to comment upon this Pearl, as is patently obvious. In fact, I’m going to bail right here, and right now. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, hopefully in a more timely fashion….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ The Eagles, “Taking It Easy” ~~
Faux Spring, Blooming
Well, this is another fine mess I’ve created…. Today’s Pearl is not happening. I am finally going to see my granddaughter, after two abortive attempts. In the process, I’ve left myself with no time to create a Pearl…. and, for the first time in memory, will not be posting anything other than this note, to let y’all know I’ll be back tomorrow….
All there will be today is one section, containing one old-school Pearl, from the days when Pearls only HAD one section…. all the rest will have to wait until I’ve met Zoey….
So be it. gigoid has spoken…..
Shall we Pearl?
“To Harmodius, descended from the ancient Harmodius, when he reviled Iphicrates [a shoemaker’s son] for his mean birth, “My nobility,” said he, “begins in me, but yours ends in you.”” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Iphicrates
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From 9/17/2011:
Ffolkes,
Picking out today’s Pearls turned out to be a marathon. Just couldn’t find the right stuff to lead off a lazy Sunday. So, we’ll have to wing it…. Hmmm…..nothing is rising to the surface. Even stirring the contents briskly has nothing sticking to the spoon. I suppose we could take a few moments here for an advertisement disclaimer, but, it being Sunday, I don’t much feel like diving back in to the oyster beds to find where I left it. I could go nonsensical; that’s always fun. But Lewis Carroll did that already, and I don’t much feel like trying to out-Jabberwock a dead author.
I suppose I should find a newsworthy event to share, or comment on the current political scene, but I also don’t feel like putting on the necessary high-top boots for wading around in that filthy pool. It stinks, also, and I’m out of nasal plugs. Well, this means we will be going to last resort tactics, saying just this; today’s Pearls are being brought to you by your generous donations, and by a grant from the Idiosyncratic Corporation, makers of fine eccentric philosophies, which come complete with a full line of optional accessories……
“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me. Neither of us liked what we saw.” — Smart Bee
“Adulthood, one could say, is when it begins to occur to you that you may not be leading a charmed life.” — Adam Phillips
~~ William Cowper (1731-1800) ~~
~~ The Task, Book iv, The Winter Evening, Line 86 ~~
“Beware the man of one book.” — St. Thomas Aquinas
“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin; the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Lazarus Long, from “Time Enough For Love”, by Robert A. Heinlein
WARNING: The Meaning Of Life Is Subject To Change Without Notice.
Whoa, there big fella! Whew! Almost couldn’t get it to stop…..’tis a fine day for nonsense, don’t you think? Have fun with it, and y’all take care out there….
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I declare this Pearl complete. Tomorrow, you should see a more modern, fresh, and complete version of this mess…. for now, I’ve got a granddaughter to meet…. See ya, ffolkes….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
Artist’s rendition of Mars One Colony’s first landing. Picture from Space.com
We all must, at one time in our lives, or another, learn to deal with disappointment. Today is one of those times…..
You see, there is no time to complete this Pearl today; I have urgent business to take care of today, and this blog isn’t QUITE important enough to take precedence over Reality. Of course, that has not always been the case, but, today we have to pay attention, if we hope for any kind of successful resolution to the issue…. All that being said, what this means is another day of cheats….
I feel compelled to point out, however, we could have said nothing about it, letting y’all believe we were being fresh and creative today, instead of merely dutiful. So, if y’all want a less honest blog, well, you’re out of luck there, as well…. Of course, such honesty has no actual effect on the issue, but, it does make me feel better about all of it, so….
That’s all, ffolkes. We’re bailing early again, using #4 method like it was candy….. I’m kind of digging it; how about y’all? Well, either way, we’re outta here for today, so, grab the closest handhold, and we’ll go directly to our destination, where we can begin today’s dive…..
Shall we Pearl?
“Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to be always a child. If no use is made of the labors of past ages, the world must remain always in the infancy of knowledge.” — Cicero
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The exploration of our own solar system seems to be progressing nicely, in spite of all the crap going on back here on Earth, in most other areas of human endeavor, such as politics, culture, and, our mad rush toward extinction via environmental disaster, created by our own hand…. It is projects like this in which our salvation as a species exists, in my humble opinion…. We are destined for space, if we can live long enough to get there….
Dawn Probe Orbits Dwarf Planet Ceres: Full Coverage
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As promised, here is one from the archives…..
From 3/2/2013:
“He who imitates evil always goes beyond the limits of the example, whereas he who imitates what is good, always falls short.” — Confucius
Perfect! If ever a quote could be applied to fit one group of people, this one would; it fits the folks who occupy elected office in this country like the proverbial glove. Ooh! Ooh! Here’s another one…
“Ignorance: When you don’t know something and somebody finds it out.” — Jethro Burns
Okay, that’s a good start…. Now, we all know that politicians lie to us…. It’s what we’ve taught them to do, by our calm acceptance of all the other lies they’ve told, from the very beginning. We expect them to lie… then, when we catch them at it, there is this huge public outcry, as if it had never happened before. Sometimes, the behavior of the American public toward the political beast reminds me of a shark…. to wit: no memory of the past to slow down their willingness to rush into dangerous situations….. For millions of years, sharks and dolphins have lived together in the oceans. For just about all that time, whenever a shark attacks a dolphin, it gets killed, unless the dolphin is injured in some way, or, it is a baby inadvertently left alone. Always, if things are even, the shark dies, because the dolphins are smarter, and faster swimmers.
After millions of years, you would think the sharks might learn to let them alone, but, they don’t, which is evidence of their lack of ability to learn. The American voting public has the same problem…. they never learn to expect to be lied to, and always seem surprised to learn that their elected officials are, shall we say, less than perfectly honest? It, quite frankly, drives me nuts…. What is it about people that does that to them? Why are they so unwilling to use the mind that sits between their ears, rather than just carrying it around from toilet to toilet, which is all most folks seem to do with it? (Almost forgot it was a question….) I wish I knew….
“There is one way to find out if a man is honest–ask him. If he says yes, you know he is crooked.” — Groucho Marx
I’m starting to feel a bit of anger, actually, and I have a hard time not letting it out on the voting public, the idiots. But, it really isn’t all their fault, as the people who run for office are the ones who are actively imitating evil, and, obviously, exceeding the limits of their example. And the voting public can’t help never being able to quite reach the good for which they reach. This is why I get angry about it…. The folks who run for office tell the public they are going to work for the people when they are elected; we all know they are lying, but we elect them anyway. Now, how stupid is that? Pretty stupid, in my book…..
On the one hand, the stupidity displayed by the politicians is deliberate, in its adherence to principles of theft and prevarication; on the other hand, the stupidity displayed by the voting public is, perhaps, not deliberate, but at minimum, misguided, and, ultimately, just as evil, in placing its trust in evil people. In the dispassionate view held by the universe, stupid is as stupid does, and the sentence of death is the same for both types of stupidity, deliberate and unconscious. It doesn’t care about why, it only looks at results….
What can be done about this? Not a damn thing…. Not only do I find that most people are unconsciously stupid, but they are stubborn about it, even when it is clear how being stupid is hurting them. Rather than use their minds to find a new way of dealing with these issues, they retreat into platitudes and dogma, and run right back out to vote for another idiot who promises them manna from heaven, or, more accurately, from Washington D.C. If confronted with their idiocy, they become even more stubborn, as they are unwilling to accept they might be wrong, and refuse to either examine any evidence of being wrong, or, will deny its existence altogether.
The politicians, who choose to live in stupidity, by lying and cheating and stealing from their own people, don’t even WANT to choose otherwise. Why should they? They’ve got it easy, with a ready supply of host bodies on which to practice their symbiotic parasitism, a body that not only accepts all their lies, but encourages them to even further depredations with their complete acquiescence with whatever the politicos want. All the politicians have to say is that the public is in danger, from this, that, or the other, and the public will allow them to do whatever they choose, as long as they feel safe from whatever fictional fantasy they have been told is dangerous…..
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift; the rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” — Albert Einstein
It’s an interesting spectacle to observe from the sidelines, but it arouses in me a strong feeling of sadness, with the anger underlying, as I watch, day after day, as so many millions of foolish people get taken advantage of by a few assholes. It definitely makes me want to buy a gun, even though I would only use it if pressed; I have a feeling I may get pressed some day, if I continue to make noise about all this.
I’m fairly well protected thus far by a lack of notoriety; the BRC and the PTB aren’t going to worry about me until I have an audience a lot larger than a couple of hundred folks, of which perhaps fifty regularly read my work. If what I am saying began to gain popularity, and was being read by millions, I’d be in danger; until then, I’m as safe as I can make myself with the tools at hand… which, if I say so myself, are not entirely inconsequential…. If I said any more, I’d be giving away my precautions, and that wouldn’t do, so, just rest assured… I am ready to deal with anything short of assault weapons, with what I have on hand…..
“Many, if not all, of my presidential opponents are certifiable idiots.” — Miriam Defensor Santiago — The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1993
See? I’m not completely alone! Actually, if you pay close attention, you will note this was uttered by a politician, about their peers, so it really doesn’t count as support of what I’m saying here. What, exactly am I saying here? Hmm, okay, since I’ve already written about 1200 words or so on this, it’s a good place to wind it up…. so, here goes…
Ffolkes, you are being lied to, daily, and hourly, by those who have been elected to office to look out for your interests. I hate to tell you, but those folks never intended to do anything of the sort. So, it would be a good thing if everybody in this country would OPEN THEIR FUCKING EYES AND GET A DAMN CLUE!!!!!….. I don’t think I can say it any clearer than that….. That’s all, for now…..
“Ignorance kills daily. “– Smart Bee
gigoid has spoken
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I wonder if they bore it long,
Or did it just begin?
I could not tell the date of mine,
It feels so old a pain.
I wonder if it hurts to live,
And if they have to try,
And whether, could they choose between,
They would not rather die.
I wonder if when years have piled–
Some thousands–on the cause
Of early hurt, if such a lapse
Could give them any pause;
Or would they go on aching still
Through centuries above,
Enlightened to a larger pain
By contrast with the love.
The grieved are many, I am told;
The reason deeper lies,–
Death is but one and comes but once
And only nails the eyes.
There’s grief of want, and grief of cold,–
A sort they call ‘despair,’
There’s banishment from native eyes,
In sight of native air.
And though I may not guess the kind
Correctly yet to me
A piercing comfort it affords
In passing Calvary,
To note the fashions of the cross
Of those that stand alone
Still fascinated to presume
That some are like my own.
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
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Here’s a cute little pearl, a seven-star gem, which seems to be talking about Life at Large….
“There’s always a bigger fish.” — Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Episode I
“The crash of the whole solar and stellar systems could only kill you once.” — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
“Cato said the best way to keep good acts in memory was to refresh them with new.” — Francis Bacon (1561-1626) — Apothegms, No, 247
“If a rock falls on your head it does positive harm, but shame, disgrace, reproaches, and insults are damaging only in so far as you’re conscious of them.” — Erasmus
“For some, reality is an illusion.” — Smart Bee, talking behind gigoid’s back, again…
“He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros
“I feel better about world problems now!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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‘Tis done. Nothing else matters, though attempts are made which cannot be dismissed. Rather than do so, we will take our leave, without any sort of explanation as to why we are stuck in the royal “we”…. We will try to lose it by tomorrow…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if we get the chance….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
~~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ~~
Terry Virts, US Astronaut, in tribute to Spock, from the International Space Station
NASA picture, above Leonard Nimoy’s home, Boston, Massachusetts
Yes, thank you, I do know I’m late. Yes, there are things I can do to mitigate that. The question remains, should I? The next question, naturally, brings with it more responsibility, and, more inner conflict, arising out of the state of concrete, the substance my brain resembles the most at this moment in time, to wit: does this mean there won’t be any toast points?
Now, many of you, seeing such a demanding philosophical euphemism, will think I’ve slipped right round the bend for good. In that, you may be correct, but, it doesn’t preclude the need to find some sort of order, if we are ever to make it out of the intro section. If nothing else, we’ll need to find all the VR helmets, to provide the alternative reality you are entitled to, according to the small print on the back of your ticket…. If we can’t find them, I don’t think we’ll be able to float this boat today…. not that the Universe gives a good fuck….
If it did, it wouldn’t make me sleep so long, or feel so confused upon arising from the almost five hours I managed to put in pounding my pillow. Since it doesn’t, we’re going to fight fire with fire, and get pissed of right back….. Oh, wait. That’s probably not a good idea; we never did find that last group, from the last time this happened…. I almost forgot about that. Well, the insurance won’t cover another lost group, so, I suppose we’ll have to figure out something else today….
I know…. I’ll just give up. I haven’t tried that yet, so, it’s worth a shot….
Hmm…. I don’t know if I actually know how to do that; I can’t recall ever doing so previously. Okay, we’ll just play it safe, and use our ever-faithful emergency method #4 again…. Y’all know how this goes, right? Right. Hang on….
Shall we Pearl?
“Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it: men come to be builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts, we come to be just; by doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we come to be brave.” — Aristotle
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Google Images
Today, we will go for soothing…. This piece is, without any doubt, the concerto I consider my favorite of all the classical music I’ve heard…. This is the literal truth; I can spend hours listening to it, over, and over….. It’s one of those pieces of music one never gets tired of hearing…. Enjoy!….
Four Seasons ~ Vivaldi
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I am so late, cheating is allowed; it’s all part of the mitigation process, ffolkes…. No worries, this one isn’t too long, and is perfectly appropriate for this time of year, coming up on April 15, the date that lives in infamy…. Well, in this country, anyway….
From 12/22/2014:
“It seems a little silly now, but this country was founded as a protest against taxation.” — Smart Bee
This rant has been percolating for some time; the quotes you will see scattered throughout the text were collected over the course of several days, during Smart Bee sessions looking for other material to support different sections. These all had some connection to the same politireligirant, the same one I’ve been working on so long, my spell checker doesn’t even blink at the word any more….
The pertinence of the opening quote struck me with considerable force, as it coincided with receiving a bill from one of the huge corporate entities so familiar to us all today; the logo of this particular fake person closely resembles the Death Star, strangely enough, which is probably enough for you to identify it…. In this bill, I noted that the figures quoted to me, as pertaining to a service I ordered, had been inflated in the final tally by a number of taxes, from local, state, and federal agencies, none of which had been mentioned as part of the price…. This didn’t count the “surcharges”, or the mandatory “monthly equipment rental fee”, also added on to the price without mention.
I once read a blog post by another person which tallied up all the different taxes to which we, as American citizens, are required to pay at one time or another during our lives…. There were well over a HUNDRED taxes listed, such as Death taxes, (we get taxed for dying?….), Inheritance taxes, (a tax on the survivors of those who have died….), Sales taxes, Use taxes, from every level of government, and a host of others, some of which I’d never heard of, but, are on the books…. It’s astounding to see how we Americans have BECOME the very people our ancestors warned us against becoming, to wit: slaves of the corporations and churches….
“… men say the gods have a king because they themselves either are or were in ancient times under the rule of a king, For they imagine not only the form of the gods, but their ways of life to be like their own.” — Aristotle, Politics
Here we see, perhaps, part of the reason for the apathy most Americans display regarding the responsibility for governing their own lives; it is easier for them to just accept all the lies. Finding truth can be a difficult task, which most people learn to avoid early in life, thus giving control of those lives into the hands of any who will manipulate them…. Plus, there is a large percentage of our species who not only don’t like to think, but, spend a large portion of their time on this planet ensuring that nobody else does so, either….
“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer
For the most part, though, people just don’t care, because they don’t have the time or energy to spare for anything other than the bare essentials of living; finding shelter, food, and companionship takes up 99% of their minds and attention, leaving little time to wonder about whether or not any of what they do is helpful, or will actually do anything to make their lives better…. So, they listen to anyone who will tell them what they want to hear, who will fulfill that need to have someone else do the worrying about the future…. This, of course, only gives the predators more control….
“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” — Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States, 277 — U.S. 479 (1928)
I’ve been pounding this point for a couple years now, with little effect, beyond the release I feel for getting it out of my head. That’s a big help to me, but, it isn’t having much of an effect on the overall picture, nor will it, until human nature itself undergoes some radical changes…. If I weren’t such a realist, I’d hold out some hope for that, but, quite frankly, I don’t see it happening….
I’ve run out of steam; the combination of futility plus pain plus dying hope makes any further comments I might relate completely superfluous…. not that they were ever critical in any sense…. other than in their essential truthfulness. But, this is already long enough, so, I’ll just dump y’all right here, and finish off the rant with a short set of pearls to drive the point home…. IF it strikes y’all, feel free to spread the point around… It can’t hurt, and it just might help. One never knows, do one?….
“Everybody in this room is wearing a uniform, so don’t kid yourself…’ — Frank Zappa
“A statesman is what politicians call themselves.” — Smart Bee
“No matter how often a lie is shown to be false, there will remain a percentage of people who believe it is true.” — Law of the Lie
“Will Rogers never met Rush Limbaugh.”– Smart Bee
“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.” — Max Lerner
gigoid has spoken
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The following is not a poem, technically; however, it’s still poetry, in my book…. And, yes, I know the picture is Buddhist, and the quote is Taoist…. I don’t think either Lao Tzu, or Gautama Buddha will mind…..
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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The following pearl is of a very special sort…. it chose itself. I have nothing to do with it, other than functioning as a pair of hands for my subconscious mind, working in close conjunction with Smart Bee, to produce a pearl of great obscurity, and great power, I suspect…. This is one of those pearls which will work on us unconsciously, in the dark corners of our minds, hiding the conclusions until the proper moment comes, then bursting into our awareness like a meteor across the sky….. Well, maybe that’s just me…. I think y’all will enjoy it, though, as long as you don’t try to fight it….
~~ Lewis Carroll, “Jabberwocky” ~~
“Tighten ’til it cracks, then back off half a turn.” — Mechanics’ Rule
“There’s something you don’t see every day.” — Ghostbusters
“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.” — Steven Stills
“I am not a number. I am an unbound variable.” — Smart Bee, speaking for gigoid
“When the wind blows, worship its roar.” — Pythagoras
“You cannot teach a crab to walk straight.” — Aristophanes
“In the jingle-jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you.” — Bob Dylan
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
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All things considered, today’s Pearl can be considered a victory. Now, all we need to do is find a place to hide the bodies….. While I do that, y’all can get on with your day, knowing we’ll meet here again tomorrow, as long as the authorities don’t catch on to what we’re up to….. See ya, ffolkes….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
“Why, then,” said some one to him, “do not you die?”
“Because,” said he, “it does make no difference.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Thales, ix ~~
Reel Art, by Ferdinand de Faux
Mornings scuk. Or, skcu. Hell, they uksc. Damn, what’s up with that? Mornings SUCK! There, that’s better….
I haven’t a clue as to why that word refused to be typed correctly until it was shouted… It did get the point across though, that point being the suckitude we are experiencing today…. It is, perhaps, too early to be coining new words, perfectly relevant though they may be; I do like this one, though. “Suckitude” has a lot of chutzpah, telling a story of misery and blahness quite accurately…. Hey, look, it’s another new word! I’d better be careful, I think; we haven’t filed any papers on any of these, and the grammar nazis can be fierce here on WP….
In fact, I think I’ll stop taking chances right here, right now. I’m not in any kind of space to deal with those protectors of modern English; they get too fanatic for me…. In fact, I don’t have much at all today, not in the way of bright, or clever, or even rational. In fact, I’ll be very fortunate to be able to pull this Pearl into any sort of reasonable shape to get posted. In the interests of getting that chosen Duty done, I’m going to ruthlessly employ our most efficient, most eco-friendly, and, most importantly, our cheapest method for moving us along, to wit: emergency tool #4, which, as y’all know, works like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx, 1890-1977
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Today’s video isn’t for fun; it does fine as entertainment, but, the subject matter is a bit more relevant than that…. I won’t suggest you enjoy it, but, you would do well to pay attention…
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Infrastructure (HBO)
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I have nothing. This one, from the archives, will have to do….
From 2/10/2014:
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” — Oscar Wilde
It’s almost certain now…. I’m convinced the government is actively restraining themselves in this past week, deliberately trying to NOT do anything that makes the news…. The only articles in the past few days are all just follow-up stories on other older news, or what are called ‘fluff’ pieces, designed merely to take up space on the page, without actually serving up any real information about anything important…. Kind of like the “Dumb” Starbucks story today in the SFGATE headlines…. You know there is probably a conspiracy to control the news when the primary article on a Monday morning has to do with a corporate logo dispute in Southern California….
Now, one might surmise that this means that the psychopaths who inhabit the halls of government in this country are busy carrying on the business of the nation, out of plain sight in order to avoid distractions…. It would be more accurate, I’d think, to say they are definitely involved in the hatching of new schemes, er, making of plans, plans for making progress in their chosen task, that of total world domination…. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh…. But, you can bet your bony ass that whatever they’re up to, will benefit themselves more than it does anyone else… They can’t help that, it’s a genetic imperative for them…. They are preconditioned to selfishness, and a complete lack of compassion for others….
Oh, these sickos we have in our elected offices are slick, though, aren’t they? To look at them, and to hear them talk, you’d think they did nothing but sit around all day and worry about how tough things are for you, and the rest of the common masses over whom they preside, with the implied purpose of spending all their time looking for ways to improve your lot…. It often astounds me just how many idiots in the mainstream of society will talk as if what I just described is the gospel truth, and goes to describe their own chosen heroes in the public eye…. They will go to any lengths to convince others of their candidate’s sterling qualities, often going so far as to claim a touch of nobility upon the brow of their champion….
I no longer bother even telling those folks how stupid they are, because they’re already addicted to the sugar that is poured into their ears, to take the place of real information, or actual intelligent ideation…. Hell, even when one speaks to them, they refuse to listen to anything that disagrees with their own misconceptions…. I used to try to convince them of how they were hurting themselves with their blind obedience to a shadow, but, I got tired of bandaging my forehead, after beating it against the wall of their stubborn ignorance….
Instead, I started making Pearls, and, in the solace of that task I found the peace my mind needs to continue to think clearly, as well as the means to say what needs to be said, even if I’m the only one who knows what the hell I mean…. Hence, it becomes clear that I have once more completely pulled wool over the eyes of those present, as all of this is merely a way of introducing the following group of pearls, forming a pearl, whose parameters, if I’m lucky, will match what I’ve written above…. and, if not, well, we can always shoot for funny…. Enjoy!…..
“Those who are clever, who have a Brain, never understand anything.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
“Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.” — David Searls
“It is the mark of our whole modern history that the masses are kept quiet with a fight. They are kept quiet by the fight because it is a sham-fight; thus most of us know by this time that the Party System has been popular only in the sense that a football match is popular.” — G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England. 156
“Don’t confuse me with the facts – my mind is made up.” — Joe Average, NYC
(In a 1998 study, in which random people on a street in New York were asked to pick, out of four statements, the one that described their Congressman the best, this was the favorite, by a factor of 28…. Truth…. Yes, it is…. no I’m not lying, trust me….) (Okay, yes, I am…. but, it SOUNDS true….)
“The NY Times is read by the people who run the country. The Washington Post is read by the people who think they run the country. The National Enquirer is read by the people who think Elvis is alive and running the country…” — Robert J Woodhead (trebor@biar.UUCP)
“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.” — G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, 9/11/09
“All cruelty springs from weakness.” — Seneca
Okay, so it came out a bit more comprehensive in scope than I first intended it to be, but, it works anyway…. The politicians are in there, for sure (See the first, third, fourth, and fifth pearls above for proof of that)…. But, the parameters widened up on me, mid-search, so, a few more ideas are included than we bargained for…. bonus!
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Here is a poem from the archives, to keep the blame for all of this where it belongs….
If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.
Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.
Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.
Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.
Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.
~~ gigoid ~~
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Today’s final pearl is the closest to our normal material we can offer…. It’s an excellent seven-star pearl, giving us some great advice on how to live a Life Well Lived…..
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” — Anne Mc Caffrey
“The wake does not drive the boat.” — Alan Watts
“Give, expecting nothing thereof” — St. Thomas Aquinas
“A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.” — Smart Bee
“It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 780
Can you remain unmoving till the right actions arises by itself?”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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I have fulfilled my vow. It’s done, though I haven’t a clue as to how; gladly, it matters not. With no further ado, I bid thee adieu for another day; we are hoping tomorrow is less of a challenge. Our hope, though precious, is small…. Ta, then, ffolkes…..
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
Ffolkes,
(Nodody has more imagination than reality.)
~~ Miguel de Unamuno, “El Espejo de la Muerte”, 1941 ~~
Artist’s rendition of Mars One Colony, picture from Space.com
Today’s post is going to be a strange one, though, not to any degree unheard of in our case. That being said, we will also notify y’all we will NOT be engaging in any of our usual angst over the intro, since there won’t be one…. at least, not in any ordinary sense. What you see is all you get today, as I am operating under extreme conditions of hurry-up, without even the opportunity to explain why we are altering Reality in such an arbitrary fashion… In fact, we have to leave, now…
That’s all, ffolkes…. anything else is just going to have to wait…. For now, we are outta here, and on to the meat of the matter, such as it is….
Shall we Pearl?
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” — Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) — Churchill’s Commentary on Man
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This video is one of my favorite pieces of musical tribute, with good reason, as it contains music from a great many of the world’s finest modern composers and musicians, all in tribute to a world cultural icon…. Plus, it was handy, making it quick, and perfect for today…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it doesn’t get any better than this…..
Concert for George [2003]
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Since I don’t have time to rant, here are enough headlines from the last few days to depress anyone…. Y’all can fill in your own nasty remarks regarding the BRC and the Asininnies you may see in the following articles from the mainstream media…. I won’t say enjoy, but, I will say, stay alert…. You might even find a surprise!….
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31719043#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/04/alabama-judges-halt-same-sex-marriages#rssowlmlink
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/03/the-results-are-in-study-reveals-average-penis-size
That’s all, ffolkes…. any more would ruin the whole day…. Sorry ’bout that last one; I couldn’t resist….
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In the interests of speed, one of mine will have to do….
Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.
Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
chance manifests, as it does, again.
Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
as another snitch drops his dime.
Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
turning love to brilliant rhyme.
Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
peace comes only when we lose our fear.
~~ gigoid ~~
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This is the other group of pearls introduced yesterday in the fifth, old-school section of the Daily Pearl; chosen with carefully random parameters, this one seems to be a group of observations/instructions on life, very powerful taken together, with no little degree of snark to add some flavor, without actually detracting from the otherwise solidly dignified advice…. or, something like that….
In truth, as always, any true conclusions are left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…. As you may have observed, everything I have to say is generally either the whole and complete truth, the occasional false trail, or blather…. Hey, it’s better than ending on a rant, right?….
“Do not be overly emotional. All people have emotions, but do not be overcome by them as children are. Always guide your energy in the right channel without rushing over the rim.” — Ni Hua Ching
“Live your own life, for you will die your own death.” — Latin Proverb
“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.” — Thomas Carlyle
“The best rule of friendship is to keep your heart a little softer than your head.” — George Santayana
“When an opponent come forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.” — Morihei Ueshiba
“One sits down first, one thinks afterwards.” — Ah Yes, famous Dubioid scholar
“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.” — Aristophanes
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Well, I feel…. soiled and unclean…. I cheated so much, I’m going to have to go shower off when I finish…. Oh well, it’s done, which is all I care about just now…. I’ll do better tomorrow, ffolkes. Well, I’ll do it, anyway…. One way or another…. See ya….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
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