A most acute and sinful pleasure….

Posted on August 14, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

Cedars of God, Lebanon ~ 4500+ years old

Image from the UK Telegraph

Good morning…. Of late, I’ve been feeling something of an ethical/moral/social conundrum, over which I am apparently, well, dithering. Can’t seem to make a final decision on it, even though time is becoming a factor. I suppose I’ll have to suck it up here soon. Ah well, 2 AM is most likely not the best time to be making such a far-reaching decision, especially since there will be a definite effect on Reality, as well as a number of ffolkes, and a great many folks of lesser, shall we say, mindfulness? We shall….

That said, with what I am proud to say is a fine degree of obscurity (details are unimportant at this time…), which may, or may not, affect the final outcome, (Ya can never tell exactly in this modern, sucky world. There’s a good word, eh? Sucky? It’s not a real word, yet, I don’t think I would need to define it for anyone, as anyone can define it accurately for themselves; it’s one of those consensual reality issues we all share so unconsciously. Trust me, when I say ‘sucky’, y’all know what I mean, don’t ya?….), I think maybe I’ll slip into something a bit more coherent, or, at least, more transparent.

Now the problem is, I didn’t expect to have to come up with transparency, and I don’t have an eraser handy. Or a hedge trimmer, but, that wouldn’t be of much help anyway. I suppose we could start a…. no, better not. Last time we did that, Luigi quit (again….), & I had to drive the plane myself. Nobody enjoys that, since I never did learn how to do that landing part very well; the noise in the main cabin gets a little intense during the descent, as the cabin lackeys scream louder than the clientèle.

Wait! Okay, cool. We won’t have to go through any contortions after all. Somebody keeps forgetting to put this old #4 escape tool away, so, why not take advantage of their temporary senility? Y’all know how a #4 works, right? Like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it’s best, night and day to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human can fight and never stop fighting.” — e.e. cummings (1894-1963), “A Miscellany”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Image from http://www.behance.net via Google Images

Today’s video selection will be a little different. I’m not a big fan of ballet, though that’s probably only because I’ve never seen one live. I like to dance. enjoy watching good dancing, and love good classical music, so, what’s not to like? Here’s one of my favorite pieces, by the young Felix Mendelssohn, in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play for the ballet stage…. I hope you enjoy it…

***********************

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Complete Ballet

***********************

https://youtu.be/Q3zzdCjVaZM

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There comes a time in the life of us all when we must lay aside our books or put down our tools and leave our place of work and walk forth on the road to meet the enemy face-to-face. Once and for all and at last.” — Edward Abbey

I’ve been a student of history for most of my life. It wasn’t anything planned, I just liked to read, and history was always so interesting. It’s not ALL I’ve read, or studied, but, everything I read, and have observed in Life, leads me back to its historical significance, as the pageantry of human existence progresses through time. I am forced to conclude the time Mr. Abbey speaks of so eloquently, and so truly, is fast approaching…. Read the following article, and you’ll see part of the reason I believe this to be true….

https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/families-of-911-victims-on-verge-of-proving-government-cover-up-in-court/

“O liberty! O liberty! What crimes are committed in your name!”

~~ Mme. Jeanne (Manon) Roland (1754-1793) ~~

I believe there are a very great many Americans who feel much as I do, that our country has fallen prey to the very real usurpation of power from the people at large, as our government was designed to work, to the hands of an elite few, all manipulated and controlled by the influence of those with control of the money and resources of society, to wit: the oligarchy….

Many will scoff at such an idea, but, the evidence is right before our eyes, every day. The founding fathers of this nation left warnings of this very thing, and I, along with those aware, mindful patriots like me in this country, have watched with growing horror and dismay as freedom after freedom is blithely dismissed from our daily life, legally, without a whimper or whisper of protest from a mostly clueless population of ignorant fools, the greatest number of which are handicapped by their life-long insistence on believing in a delusional supernatural being who will make it all right after they die, if only they agree to live as cattle rather than human beings….

If you think I’m joking, or mistaken, let me use a graphic, which I found at a fellow blogger’s site; he won’t mind my using it without telling him, as he’ll probably see it anyway…. Directly below this paragraph you will see a list of evidence, all of which you can identify and verify easily, merely by reading any mainstream newspaper, or online news outlet…. Each of the items on the list can be seen in any average day’s news….

I could spend a lot of time explaining any of these to those who might question it, but, instead, I shall do my thing…. I’ll simply show you a group of pearls to serve the same purpose, most of which come from one of the men responsible for us having the freedoms we are watching disappear…. He seemed to be precognitive in that respect, identifying exactly those entities we should have been watching more closely…

“I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.” — Thomas Jefferson

“When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, “This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,” the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives.” — Robert A Heinlein, “If this goes on –”

“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Freedom is meaningless unless you can give to those with whom you disagree.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Corruptissima republica plurimae leges. [The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.]” — Cornelius Tacitus, 56-120 A.D., Annals III 27

“A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.” — Thomas Jefferson

“To disarm the people – that was the best and most effective way to enslave them ….” — George Mason ( Framer of the Declaration of Rights, Virginia, 1776, — which became the basis for the U.S. Bill of Rights ) — 3 Elliot, Debate at 380.

To verify my assertions, check off each of the items on the list against the quotes; then compare the results to any day’s news, and, it will be obvious to anyone with more than 3 functional neurons that we are in deep shit…. and, the trouble coming is not going to be confined to just one country. The entire world is undergoing the same sort of issues, with those in control of the money and resources attempting to ever more strongly control the political and social events that take place, using every form of unethical, immoral behavioral manipulation they think of to maintain the status quo, and keep the rest of the world in a position much akin to slavery….

We have, sadly, nobody but ourselves to blame, either. This is not just hyperbole, or despair, but, reality. A small bit of chalk on the side of a building, somewhere in an inner city, tells the story very clearly….

“There is no They, Only Us.”

~~ Graffiti ~~

Now, each of us who believes in the principles of honor, and liberty, upon which this nation was founded, will have to make a personal decision, as outlined at the beginning of this rant, by our old friend, Ed Abbey, whether to continue to accept the indignities heaped upon us as free men by a small group of avaricious, amoral assholes with no honor, or to stand up as free men…. We only have those rights we can defend…. Will you live as a slave, and allow your loved ones to suffer the same fate? Or, will you take the responsibility for your own life into your own hands? Only time will tell the tale….

So be it.

gigoid has spoken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m a bit lazy after all the fresh material today, so, here’s a poem I wrote in February of this year, just because I can….

Dead Hands,Typing…

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 2/25/2015.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent

Truth is pretty big in my world, probably because it’s so closely related to the concept of honor; honor is hard to come by if one avoids the truth. It would take a very long time to go into why that is true, time better spent on moving along here in the final section, so, we’ll move along…. Here are some thoughts on truth for your consideration, which may serve the same purpose, anyway…. Enjoy!….

Urge him with truth to frame his fair replies;
And sure he will: for Wisdom never lies.

— Alexander Pope ~~

~~ The Odyssey of Homer, Book iii, Line 25 ~~

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” — Aristotle

“Truth exists for the wise, beauty for the feeling heart.” — Johann von Schiller

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.” — Albert Einstein

“Truth is not determined by majority vote.” — Doug Gwyn

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Always speak the truth quietly, listen with an open mind when others speak, and remember the peace that may be found in silence.” — from The Desiderata

Yet truth will sometimes lend her noblest fires,
And decorate the verse herself inspires:
This fact, in virtue’s name, let Crabbe attest,–
Though Nature’s sternest painter, yet the best.

~~ Lord Byron ~~

~~ English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, Line 839 ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m content with what has transpired here. It took some time and care, but, I think it came out well. Now, we’ll post it, and see if the blogging world agrees with me…. Besides, it’s done, which, as we know, is all that really matters around here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, when we’ll make another attempt to make some sense out of this beautiful, ugly world we live in…. Stay alert!…..

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….

An affair to dismember….

Posted on August 13, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The more I learn, the less I know.”

~~ Smart Bee, stealing Truth from history ~~

Mars Colony

Artist’s rendition by Ville Ericsson via Gizmodo.com

Good morning…. Fabulous! What’s fabulous? Oh, nothing, really. It just sounded like a good word to start with today. Whenever I see it, I hear it in my head in the voice of Ricardo Montalban, of Corrrinthian Leather fame…. I guess a lot of ffolkes will think of him as Hervé’s sidekick on Fantasy Island, but, I remember him for that Cadillac commercial, and his sheen of lizardly schmooze…. Fabulous!

So. How’s it going? Me, I’m fabulous. Got a good five hours sleep, in only two sections, last night, so, I’m pretty much good to go for the day…. Too bad it’s only 2 AM; I’d kinda hoped to make it at least to an hour when a restaurant opened up, but, it looks like I’ll be cooking my own, unless I want to wait…. and, why the HELL am I talking about breakfast, when I’m still half-groggy, & still short of the required quantity of coffee to obtain/acquire/achieve some degree of coherence? To listen to me babble, one might think, well, I don’t even want to know….

That’s because I’m an Amurrican! I don’t want to know…. anyfuckingthing, if it makes me think at all…. God knows I’m not trained for it….

Oops, no ranting in the intro…. Hmm…. Now what? Hey, I know! How about we just get started? I know, duh, right? Okay, we’ll do that, since nothing else seems to be presenting itself as an alternative…..

Why look! Here’s that #4 we left here a couple days ago. We’ll use that. Hold on, ffolkes, #4 can get a bit bumpy….

Shall we Pearl?….

“As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.” — Josh Billings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image from the UK Telegraph via Google Images

I’m in the mood for silly; I don’t suppose it’s too hard to understand, given the hour and my state of mind. I’ve always liked this movie, with which I became very familiar during the time my kids were growing up; it was one of their favorites…. Terrible acting, of course, but, the story holds it all together. The song “Portobello Road” is part of what gave me the urge to go there when I visited London…. They’re right; you can find ANYTHING on Portobello Road…. Enjoy this little foray into sheer fantasy, ffolkes; you’ll need it to get through today’s rant….

***********************

Bedknobs & Broomsticks

***********************

https://youtu.be/hDTga2nThwE

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m still working on the epic rant begun yesterday; it’ll be a doozy. For today, here’s a pretty thick one from early last year…. It’ll be a good warm-up for the new one in a day or two….

From 4/5/2014:

“In God We Trust.” I don’t believe it would sound any better if it were true.” — Mark Twain

Boy, it sure wouldn’t, would it? But, you can add that particular phrase (“In God….”, etc.) to all the others coined by the snakeheads, and the BRC, to justify their social interactions, all of which serve THEIR ends, not yours…. Having the populace believe the above makes for a very easily manipulated group of people, all of whom are primed to believe whatever they’re told, by someone on TV wearing a suit with a flag pin, or up in the pulpit…. Now we’re supposed to believe them when they talk to us about spying, and lying, and generally being the assholes they cannot help but be…. ( Hmm, a bit awkwardly phrased, but you get my drift, right?…)

http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Senate-committee-OKs-release-of-CIA-torture-report-5375716.php

Following this line, in summary of the most critical of the information contained therein, I have copied an excerpt from the above article, a brilliantly obscure statement of compliance (?), kinda sorta, from some guy who works at the CIA. That critical excerpt, taken directly from the above, is this:

“CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said his agency would “carry out the review expeditiously,” but suggested the process may be difficult.”We owe it to the men and women directed to carry out this program to try and ensure that any historical account of it is accurate,” Boyd said….”

That’s right, that’s what he said, right out there in public, where it was recorded by numerous reporters…. This person, this… Boyd person, is the mouthpiece spokesman for the CIA, an agency whose very existence, (its raison d’etre, its excuse for being part of our world at all), is to provide intelligence (in the form of information, a task that does not necessarily require significant levels of IQ in its operatives…. Flexible morality, yes, but, not IQ points….) from outside the borders of the USA, by inhabiting, and exploiting, the world of shadow, the battlefield of covert operations in other countries, using techniques and methods of operation based on illusion, misdirection, misinformation, and lies…. This is common knowledge, and not subject to debate…. look it up in their charter documents….

This Boyd person, and I use the term loosely, by making this statement, obviously expects us to believe that his agency, whose very existence is rooted in lies and the spread of misinformation, is ready, and willing to give us, or anyone else, an ACCURATE picture of what they’ve been up to? I don’t know about y’all, but, I’m insulted….

In fact, I can’t recall at the moment anything more egregiously untrue, or as insulting, since Nixon’s “I am not a crook!” back in the 70’s…. Or, maybe, Shrub, Senior’s “Read my lips… no new taxes.”….. Since the sheer illegitimacy of both of those statements has long been a forgone conclusion, no longer a matter of debate, I’d say it’s a fair assessment to make of this particular little piece of verbal bullshit…

http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Cuban-Twitter-heads-to-hearings-in-Congress-5375669.php

Then, searching further among the headlines of BS we are supposed to buy into, we come to the LATEST of the clandestine shenanigans our beloved Barry, and his “transparent administration” has been up to in the last few years…. Without bothering to actually TELL anyone, some government lackeys, encouraged by the “Arab Dawn” phenomenon in the Middle East, an event whose roots were nourished by the social networking capabilities of Twitter and Instant Messaging technology, decided to attempt to foment rebellion in Cuba among the youth of that country, by deliberately setting up a social network of their own, using it to not only encourage dissent, but, also, (they like to multi-task…) to gather information about the users in Cuba…

Well, I’m shocked…. just shocked, I tell you…. What a surprise, eh? To think that our Beloved Ruling Class here in America, land of the FREE (white Christian minority) would stoop to such egregiously deceitful and deliberate influencing of public sentiment to further their own interests, why it just makes me feel so…. slimed…. Which is how the Cubans must have felt when they found out it was all a sham…

Boy, there’s sure nothing like going around the world making new friends and influencing people, right?…. Christ on a crutch, what the fuck were they thinking? Have these assholes become so blinded by their own sense of entitlement they can’t see just how STUPID that is? Apparently not, which is what will come out, I think, in these hearings…. More stupidity, that is….

It’s all a big clusterfuck, just another example of entitlement gone wild and crazy, making the pundits and elected assholes at every level believe they can be as stupidly obvious about their self-serving avarice as they wish, and nobody will ever care, or catch them at it…. which is a concept, given today’s world, that is not only easily seen as more than just a little stupid, it approaches the level of severe mental retardation…. Having spent a lot of time, (3+ years), taking care of people whose average IQ hovered around 4, I can testify that this sort of belief is about the only sort of which they are capable…..

They’re all a bunch of smarmy, self-serving, avaricious assholes…. and THAT, my friends, is me being NICE!….. I merely used a bit of vitriol, with only one questionably unwarranted word of insult…. I COULD have been extremely nasty, turning viciously vulgar, without breaking a sweat, or becoming at all disconcerted…. Yep, I could have said, fuck them all, really hard, right in the ass, (unless, of course, they LIKE that….); then, kick their sorry asses right down to the lowest levels of the hell they so richly deserve…. but, I won’t say that….

gigoid, the dubious, has spoken. So be it….

“…. I’m IMAGINING a sensuous GIRAFFE, CAVORTING in the BACK ROOM of a KOSHER DELI –” — Zippy the Pinhead

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Accentuated Lessons

Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.

Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.

Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.

Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/27/2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s final pearl is a groovy little collection of pearls describing many of the more valuable qualities of a human being…. Well, a human being as I see them, anyway…. You could call this a Lazarus pearl, as it begins and ends with some very basic wisdom from the Eldest…. Pay heed, young paduans!….

“Beware of the “Black Swan” fallacy. Deductive logic is tautological; there is no way to get a new truth out of it, and it manipulates false statements as readily as true ones. If you fail to remember this, it can trip you – with perfect logic. The designers of the earliest computers called this the “Gigo Law”, i.e. “garbage in, garbage out”. Inductive logic is MUCH more difficult – but can produce new truths.” — Lazarus Long

“Our strength grows out of our weakness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.” — Aristotle

“A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.” — Oscar Wilde, “The Picture of Dorian Grey”, 1891

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” — Marvin Gaye

“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” — Josh Billings

“It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which give happiness.” — Thomas Jefferson

“We are the miracle of force and matter making itself over into imagination and will. Incredible. The Life Force experimenting with forms. You for one. Me for another. The Universe has shouted itself alive. We are one of the shouts.” — Ray Bradbury, “G.B.S. – Mark V”

“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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Without going too far into how it may have occurred, it is clear we’re done. At any rate, there is something appropriate in each section, so, I guess that counts. For what, we shall not speculate, having reached an age where we know better. Since I can’t think of any more nonsense to throw around, I suppose I’ll go try to find something to do for the three or four hours until the rest of the world around here gets going. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; as has been amply demonstrated, resistance is futile….

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….

Paleontological exhibits of ancient rigatoni….

Posted on August 12, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Ah said, pay attention, boy!”

~~ Foghorn Leghorn ~~

Curiosity on Mars

Image from http://gizmodo.com/a-fan-stitched-together-the-best-selfie-of-curiosity-ye-1723085310

Good morning…. Or, so it says here on the label. Personally, I’d hesitate to wager on that, as the hour does tend to take away some of the shine; that’s going to happen at 1 AM, especially when arising at such an ungodly hour was NOT on the agenda for the night…. Ah, well, rather than piss & moan about it, I’ll just start today’s mess…. It’s always a cleaner mess when I have this much time to spend on it…. Let us hope the gods of Entropy will cooperate to some degree…. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll be nice enough to keep the Murph off my back ’til I can get it done….

More likely it’ll just piss him off, and tomorrow morning will, no doubt, manifest as one we will all regret having experienced…. unless I can figure out a way to buy him off…. Yeah, that’s the ticket! Now, all I have to do is figure out what the hell I can give an iconic force of nature to make it go away…. Piece o’cake…

Now we’ve indulged in a morning descent into fantasy, why don’t we stop fussing around, and be off to the oyster beds, to gather enough pearls to complete today’s effort? I think that would be SWELL!…. But, then, it’s 1:13 AM and I’m about half-way to insane, with a one-way ticket clutched in my hot little hand…. what the hell do I know?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again.” — TV listing for the movie, The Wizard of Oz, in the Marin Paper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image from allexpress.com via Google Images

It’s been a long time since I listened to ‘The Boys’, and I thought I’d try to find some live cuts for us to enjoy. What I found is over an hour of live music, all Beatles music…. but, it’s a bit strange. It was supposedly a concert in Russia, in 2014! There are a number of different songs, each with its own costumes. The players LOOK very much like them, and the music is very close, but, I can’t tell yet if it’s real, or computer magic…. You tell me, if you figure it out, okay? Otherwise, there are a lot of other REAL Beatles live cuts on the page the link will take you to…. Enjoy!….

***********************

Bootleg Beatles ~ Live

***********************

https://youtu.be/ydn2-V0rWXU

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m working on an epic rant, that isn’t quite ready for posting. To sublimate the (quite strong) urge to rant which so often occurs at this hour, (must have something to do with the resentment at my doctors for causing the conditions which cause me to be up… thank you very much, you assholes…), here is a discussion of human nature from early in 2013…. Enjoy!….

“Custom does often reason overrule and only serves for reason to the fool.” — John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester

This aphorism is one that I think most people would accept as true, at least part of the time. It also points up what I see as a basic flaw in human nature, a characteristic that everyone possesses, and few overmaster. It has to do with our core beliefs, and the attitude we assume as our method of perception, the orientation of our world-view, as it were. We all perceive what is out there in the universe, but we are not capable, at this time, of understanding, or even noting, all that is there to be perceived, as we are limited to what we can see, hear, feel, touch, taste, or deduce, in our immediate vicinity…. We don’t yet know how to include the input of anything not in our physical presence, other than vicariously (via TV, radio, books, etc…..).

We do, however perceive what we are near, and what we do with those perceptions is what determines how the events of our lives will proceed. What is more, each one of us perceives all of this IN A DIFFERENT WAY….. Two people can look at the same article, or event, and see two entirely different things; just ask them….. We use the same senses, the same KIND of brains to process the data, at the same time to observe the same event, yet the interpretation of those events will vary, by as many degrees as there are people perceiving them. This unique ability, to process data in a completely new and different way from anyone else’s method, is, as might be guessed, both a blessing, and a curse….. It is the latter that concerns me today…..

In order to coexist in the same place and time, people have learned to accept certain perceptions as being identical, for the purposes of communication, e.g., everyone knows what “fire” is, and knows not to touch it barehanded…. (Note: in a way, this blog is all about the process of such communications…. we explore the reality that is consensual, that we all agree to deal with as being the same for all of us…..) This is the blessing it gives, the opportunity to increase understanding, to allow people to work in tandem, making both much more capable, making two more than just one plus one….. This is a very useful tool in the real world, and has helped our species achieve the degree of civilization we now enjoy….

But, the other side of this characteristic has an equal part in our destiny, and may in fact be the more important of the two, in the ultimate sense….. You see, we are all herd animals, and desire the approval and company of our peers; without it, we suffer, much more than we even know. It is not “human” to remain alone too long…. Oh, there is nothing wrong with solitude, and much great thought is achieved when one is not distracted by others….. On the other hand, a human who is alone for too long becomes a pale imitation of his/her true self, without the presence of other minds to test his/her theories, to discuss and share their feelings and accomplishments, to vent their frustrations, to experience love….. Without these things, our spirits become small, and lose their moral compass, leaving us adrift in a reality that seems dark, and dangerous….

This dependence on custom (which I define as the total construct of human society, the set of rules and regulations, all unwritten, by which all of us shape our behavior in respect to each other…..) is so strong that, as the aphorism states, one becomes willing to set reason aside, in order to keep and maintain our feeling of having a place in society. We will assume whatever mask that society demands, at times, in order to not have to wear a mask of our own devising, one that we do not find comfortable…. This is the curse of which I spoke….

You see, there are a number of people who have no compunctions whatsoever in using this human characteristic to their own ends….. They don’t believe in any of the crap they spew, but will say or do anything to make sure that others do, because this is how they control the general populace… They spread their lies, fast and often, until they are believed…. these lies promulgate fear amongst the uneducated and timid, who then demand that “something be done!” by those in charge…. which is exactly what those people wanted, for they can now proceed to further fan the flames of fear, while surreptitiously looting the public treasury to make it seem as if they are doing something constructive…. “Hey, they’re stealing our oil! Let’s spend a few billion to bomb the crap out of them so we can keep driving SUV’s, with great cup holders!”

Oh well, I guess that’s all the rant I’ve got in me today…. It’s kind of mild I know, but I was trying to be scholarly, rather than controversial and accusatory…. I think I’ve succeeded in that, but, it doesn’t quite give the same thrill and/or release as a good, nasty rant, with some great name-calling… Well, I can always call them assholes, because, hey, it fits, and it’s easy to type…. Any who, I’ll stop now, right on the edge of illumination, and allow the Gentle Reader to follow the train of my thought to its obvious conclusion…. For those too busy, or too lazy to do so, I’ll summarize….

Don’t listen to what anyone else says, not about YOUR perceptions. And, for sure, kick the asses of anyone who tries to convince you of their integrity in an elected capacity, or any position of authority…. A lot of people, on every level of society, are just trying to control you for their own purposes, and deserve any ass-kicking that comes their way….

Be like a cat…. cats don’t give a SHIT what anybody thinks, they just are….. No apologies, no fuss, just leave me alone, because I’m busy being a cat….. This is good advice, so, listen up, I’m trying to do you a favor….. 😆

“We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound or offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him.” — Michel Eyquem de Montaigne _Essays_, bk. III, ch. 11 [1595]

Written 4/13/2013.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honorable Request

Days, filled to a brim with fluff and time, pass
dimly into memory, bit by combative bit,
ever mournful, yet loud with life and sass,
only in dream do we meet, and dance, and flit.

Souls, spinning ’round in gleeful wonder, comply
as they must, nev
er given a reason,
somberly proper, yet limber and quite spry,
dancing on to greet each bright new season.

Storms, angered by apathetic care, rage
proceeding into ministerial glare, unknown,
clothed in colors, purified solely with sage,
past an infinite future, already flown.

Life, plumbed to its depths and secrets, keeps
flowing with currents, strong and fairly found,
love stands, asking release, as it slowly weeps,
seeking refuge unasked, to stay honor bound.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 10/13/2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He only earns his freedom and his life

Who takes them every day by storm.

~~ Goethe, from Faust ~~

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh”, said Piglet at last, what’s the first thing you say to yourself?” “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?” “I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing, he said.” — A. A. Milne, “Winnie the Pooh”

“Don’t forget that compared to a grownup person every baby is a genius. Think of the capacity to learn! The freshness, the temperament, the will of a baby a few months old!” — May Sarton

“A man who carries a cat by the tail is getting experience that will always be helpful. He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful. Chances are, he isn’t likely to carry the cat that way again, either. But if he wants to, I say let him!” — Mark Twain

“Do not confuse ‘duty’ with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect.” — Lazarus Long

“The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” — George Eliot

“The moment in which you confront your own death is the moment in which you are most totally alive.” — Solomon Short

“Let honor be as strong to us an obligation as necessity is to others.” — Pliny the Elder

My guard stood hard when abstract threats too noble to neglect
deceived me into thinking I had something to protect.
Good and bad I defined these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I must go seek some dew-drops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.” — William Shakespeare

So goes another late-night/early morning Pearl…. I’m thinking of making a new category, for Insomnia Pearls. Probably won’t, though; that’s just giving in to the assholes, the way I see it. Fuck ’em. I’m tired. I want to sleep, for more than two hours in a row. Now I’ll quit the whining, and take us out of here, as is my last duty…. It’s been real, ffolkes, that’s for sure. See y’all tomorrow…. I won’t bother with anything like , ‘same place, same time’ as that would just tempt Murphy AND the gods of chance. As long as no charges get filed beforehand, I’ll see y’all in the mornin’…..

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….

A less volatile raisin dance would be in order….

Posted on August 11, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If you get confused, listen to the music play.”

~~- Robert Hunter ~~

Stumpy the Rorschach Owl

Nature Imitating Art

Good morning…. Horrors! What is THAT?…. But, wait! There’s more!…. No, there’s not. Yes, there is. No, there’s NOT!…. Take that!…. Hey! That’s mine! Come back here!…. Son of a bitch….

Whoops! Sorry, ffolkes, had a hoodoo in my chair; had to drive it all the way down the block, before it dropped my stolen coffee cup. I might not have gotten quite so mad, if it hadn’t grabbed that…. NOBODY fucks with my first morning cuppa; not without a fight. And, the unmitigated gall of the damn thing! Typing away on my computer as if it belonged there…. I about took it’s head off; of course, it grows a new one in a couple minutes, but, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Now all the excitement is past, perhaps we should take this opportunity to slip off to the oyster beds, before anything even more disruptive has a chance to happen. Mornings like this, when Murphy has big plans for us, can be a bit shifty, if you know what I mean, so, it’s probably best if we just go….

Oh, shit!…. Luigi! Take us up, mon! We got to go now!…. And, I mean now! Go, go, go! That damn hoodoo’s back, and he brought friends! Get us the hell outta here, NOW!….. Hang on, ffolkes…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“If a lawyer and an IRS agent were both drowning, and you could only save one of them, would you go to lunch or read the paper?” — Smart Aleck Bee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image from Yahoo.com via Google images

Whew! Close one; I’m glad Luigi already has the engines warm; coulda got a bit sticky there. I counted six hoodoos, and I only had five bolts…. Ah, well, all’s well, etc…. Let’s listen to a bit of music, shall we? Yesterday, a friend sent me a video, of some Blues…. It was good, but, maybe something with the word ‘Blues’ in it, I think…. Yeah, this will do fine…. Enjoy!

***********************

Blues Traveler ~ Live

***********************

https://youtu.be/mcIzwYArbpM

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Such a perfect opening pearl deserves a good rant. Since I don’t believe I have one in me this morning, here is some art, a graphic infogram in the form of a cartoon…. It demonstrates perfectly what has happened in this country, in re: secrecy, as carried on by our Beloved Ruling Class…. Enjoy….

“You humans are all alike.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Graphic image from the UK Guardian, Edward Snowden series, 2013.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s an Emily Day….

‘Twas the old—road—through pain—
That unfrequented—one—
With many a turn—and thorn—
That stops—at Heaven—

This—was the Town—she passed—
There—where she—rested—last—
Then—stepped more fast—
The little tracks—close prest—
Then—not so swift—
Slow—slow—as feet did weary—grow—
Then—stopped—no other track!

Wait! Look! Her little Book—
The leaf—at love—turned back—
Her very Hat—
And this worn shoe just fits the track—
Herself—though—fled!

Another bed—a short one—
Women make—tonight—
In Chambers bright—
Too out of sight—though—
For our hoarse Good Night—
To touch her Head!

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a hard time picking the right picture to adorn this section today; the pearl, though quite obvious in its intent, is somewhat amorphous to try to define with any description. I’ll just let it speak for itself, and you can tell me if the right picture got chosen….

“Nature, whose sweet rains fall of just and unjust alike, will have clefts in the rocks where I may hide, and secret valleys in whose silence I may weep undetected. She will hang the night with stars so that I may walk abroad in the darkness without stumbling, and send the wind over my footprints so that none may track me to my hurt: she will cleanse me in great waters, and with bitter herbs make me whole.” — Oscar Wilde — “De Profundis”

“. . is to attempt seeing Truth without knowing Falsehood. It is the attempt to see the Light without knowing Darkness. It cannot be.” — Frank Herbert, Dune

“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Reality is for people with no grasp of fantasy.” — Smart Bee

“I never like to think of the future. It comes soon enough.” — Albert Einstein

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” — Buddha (B.C. 568-488)

“In the days when Sussman was a novice Minsky once came to him as he sat hacking at the PDP-6. “What are you doing?”, asked Minsky. “I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-Tac-Toe.” “Why is the net wired randomly?”, asked Minsky. “I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play” Minsky shut his eyes. “Why do you close your eyes?”, Sussman asked his teacher. “So that the room will be empty.” At that moment, Sussman was enlightened. — AI koan

Because right is right, to follow right
Were wisdom in the scorn of consequence.

~~ Alfred Tennyson ~~

~~ Oenone ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This went so smoothly, I’m a bit nervous. It seems to be okay, though, so, we’ll trust the process, and let it fly. Since that’s the case, I guess I’m done here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; it’s now a given, I should think….

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….

Trapped again in durance vile….

Posted on August 10, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.”

~~ Jules de Gaultier ~~

Blue Moon July 2015

Image from Space.com

Good morning…. For those ffolkes new to ECR, I should explain the titles of these Pearls of Virtual Wisdom. You see, the title is random, whereas the posts are not, hopefully. They mean nothing, and certainly have nothing to do with what is in the post. Each morning, before beginning to write anything in here, I make up the title out of my head, with no intent to connect it to the material I’m using. In fact, I try hard to make each one new, and completely odd, or as much so as my feeble brain can come up with upon first attempting to function… So, don’t worry if today’s title sounds a bit dark, or depressive; it has nothing to do with us; in fact, it has nothing to do with anything at all…. Sort of like this whole process, eh?….

All that being said, I’m making an executive decision to get on with the rest of today’s mess with no further nonsense, or sense, for that matter. In point of fact, we’re going to use the old #4 we found yesterday, which worked so well for us then, we’re employing it again today…. It works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“How ridiculous and unrealistic is the man who is astonished at anything that happens in life.” — Marcus Aurelius

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Don’t mess with my kids….

Today’s video selection will push unmercifully upon your “Aww” buttons…. There is an old saw about how cats are suspicious of babies, but, I don’t think that old tale is true; it was made up by a jealous dog lover, I think, because all the cats I’ve known in my life were VERY good with babies and small children. They can be a bit grumpy, when older, but, will always be careful not to hurt a child, even when striking out in anger at tail- or ear-pulling. Here as proof is a video that will have you saying “Aww” every few seconds….. Enjoy!…. Oh, and, if it isn’t quite enough, there are LOTS more like it on the page where the link below will take you….

***********************

Cats protecting babies

***********************

https://youtu.be/5MuQweOv9q8

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“TAPPING? You POLITICIANS! Don’t you realize that the END of the “Wash Cycle” is a TREASURED MOMENT for most people?!” — Zippy the Pinhead

It took me a few days, but, I finally found the perfect quote from Zippy to cover any comments I might make regarding the recent fiasco on Fox, wherein the gazillion wannabe candidates for the Republican presidential nomination were gathered together into two groups to answer a bunch of soft-ball questions from the most corrupt, biased news source in the entire world. Sometimes I don’t know why they don’t just include their news broadcasts in their lineup of Reality TV shows; the so-called debate had about as much to do with actual Consensual Reality as does the life-cycle of aquatic diatoms…. Come to think of it, that might be more entertaining….

“Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is always a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs.” — P. J. O’Rourke

Here’s another accurate observation that serves to point up my point. What’s my point? Ah, okay…. forgot that part, didn’t I? Well, most simply put, it’s this; what a load of horse shit!….. None of these men, or, rather I should be accurate, and say, all of these rich, ignorant, misogynist, racist white males, none of whom fit MY definition of a Man, have any real idea of, or any real connection to, the lives of the common citizens of this country.

Each and every one of them is, and has always been, completely insulated from any of the actual stresses and pressures felt by those average citizens; they’ve never been hungry a day in their lives. They’ve never NOT had a job, or a roof over their heads, or wondered where they were going to find the rent money for next month…. They simply have no idea, other than, possibly, as a remote concept someone once told them about at a party, of what the reality of life is for the majority of the people they are clamoring to ‘represent’ in Washington….

When I began this rant, I intended to spend more time taking some personal shots at the Asininnies who piss me off on such a regular basis….. However, I’m getting a bit tired of always preaching to the choir, so, I’ll finish this indictment with some old-school pearls from some of history’s most coherent philosophers and books…. well, and some not so coherent, but, nonetheless pertinent…. Some of the entries may prompt a comment from yours truly….

“Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” — New Testament — Matthew xxiv, 28

(Many people are not aware, or are in denial of the fact that eagles, even the iconic Bald American Eagle so commonly associated with America, are scavenger birds, who prefer their meat well-aged. They are NOT efficient predators, though some are good fishers….. Any who, the quote does show how our political class resembles the species of, well, vultures. whose nature they display so readily….)

“Who is worse: Lawyer, Politician, Reporter?” — Smart Bee

“The tendencies of democracies are, in all things, to mediocrity, since the tastes, knowledge and principles of the majority form the tribunal of appeal.”
— James Fenimore Cooper

“Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“Why are we surprised when politicians play politics? It’s not like they are supposed to be real adults… they are, after all, politicians and don’t have real jobs and aren’t playing around with their money.” — Max

“Politics has reached the level where we’re goin’ some if we can even get good, efficient people to vote, to say nothin’ of runnin’ for office.” — Kin Hubbard

“I know one committee I don’t want — Judiciary. They are going to be dealing with all those issues like abortion, bussing, voting rights, prayers. I’m not interested in those issues and I want to stay as far away from them as I can.” — Senator Dan Quayle (from “What a Waste it Is to Lose One’s Mind” — the Unauthorized Autobiography)

“It really doesn’t matter who is President. They all end up sitting in the Oval Office, sticking pins in a Dan Rather doll.” — Smart Bee

“Capitalism did not arise because capitalists stole the land, but because it was more efficient than feudalism. It will perish because it is not merely less efficient than socialism, but actually self-destructive.” — J. B. S. Haldane

“I’ve heard enough of your twaddle, Ringleader. We’ll settle this the American way — with our fists!” — Mighty Mouse, “The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse”

“Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words;” — Diogenes Laertius — Cleobulus, iv

There you go…. I can’t make it much clearer than that….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I said earlier the titles have nothing to do with any of this material, and that remains true…. This poem, though, may test that contention a bit, as it is as dark as the title…. Not intentional I assure you; the title is fresh today, while the poem was first written on 8/18/2013….

Future Shocked:

Weeping, I wake;
waking, I weep, I weep.
I weep for the ages to be lost,
for the children never to be born.

Time comes calling, strident and spare,
nudging us toward the future with bony hands.
No pausing, no waiting, always away,
Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.

Spirits are dark, afraid.
And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel,
seeking out the weak, and the foolish.

We all weep now…..

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have nothing to add to this pearl; it’s damn near perfect…. This one will most certainly be on the Quiz, ffolkes; I’d suggest taking notes today….

“Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words.” — Fr. Jerome Cummings

“A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.” — Buddha

“Morality is truth in full bloom.’ — Victor Hugo

“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.” — G.K. Chesterton

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“To extend your limits, you must push them… and it often hurts.” — Smart Bee

“Appearances often are deceiving.” — Aesop

“Time will explain it all. He is a talker, and needs no questioning before he speaks.” — Euripides

“If birth is a miracle, is not death also a miracle?” — Philosopher Bee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All things considered, not too shabby. I’ll take it, warts and all. Gosh, it must be ‘lerve’…. Now I’ve cleared most of the dross and drivel out of my head, I think I’ll go back to bed. Better yet, maybe I’ll go find some bureaucrats, myrmidons, or some other category of mundane to torment for a while…. I’m feeling particularly curmudgeonly today…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I figure that’s fair warning….

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….

No, no! Tar first, feathers last….

Posted on August 9, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Be happy while y’er leevin,
For y’er a lang time deid.

~~ Scottish motto for a house ~~

Dark Side Transit from 1 Million Miles

NASA Image from nasa.gov

Good morning…. Bolting up in bed, ripped from sleep by the collision alarm, Blake struggled to focus. As the alarm, certified to wake anyone dead less than 3 years, continued to blast away, he wished, again, he had taken his uncle’s advice, and gone into the family business. At that moment, making goat cheese looked VERY attractive…..

Okay, that’s enough…. Too much, too early…. Howdy, there, ffolkes. It’s me, gigoid, the dubious, awake once more, against all reason, at 2;17 AM, wondering what I did in my former life to have deserved such a karmic whipping. Then, of course, I have to stop, and regain some perspective, lest I fall into the trap of past regrets. I’m a lot better off than many people my age, who have far fewer resources upon which to survive…. Then, of course, the embarrassment and shame of feeling like a whiner sets in…. This naturally boots me out of the self-pity mode, and relative balance can be regained…. It’s ugly, it’s stupid, but, it gets me where I need to go in my head….

It’s also probably entirely TMI for so early in the day…. I suppose it’s too late for a [dignified silence] to be effective; it would just sound surly at this juncture. Silliness is probably not going to work, either, as I’m just not feeling silly (though I can’t say how I look; I haven’t been brave enough to look in a mirror yet….). I’d use my AI writing-bot, but, naturally, the batteries are down. Damn! It looks like we will have to…. Wait a minute! What’s this?

Look, ffolkes! It’s one of our old emergency escape packages. And, better yet, it’s our best design, a # 4. Tighten your belts, please, we’re going to use it. It works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.” — Socrates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On mornings such as today, I suffer from indecision; my subconscious KNOWS nothing pisses me off more than dithering, in myself, anyway. After enough time to frustrate me thoroughly (as if I didn’t have enough handicaps already), I made the only logical decision, to go with what my spirit needs, and be done with it…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. hopefully, it will chill me out a bit; can’t seem to find my balance today…. I found a collection of classical tunes designed for cats, which sounds just right…..

***********************

Classical Music for Cats

***********************

https://youtu.be/SoI8EoxfCRs

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As indicated by the picture, we’ve retreated in Time. I was going to produce a fresh rant, but, the aforementioned dithering is getting in the way. Hence, another trip to the archives. Today we’ll keep it relatively short and simple, with a bit of discussion of Albert Einstein’s wisdom, as seen through admiring eyes….

From 4/3/2012:

“A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.” — Matz’s Maxim

Upon reflection, although this is a fine pearl, I’m not going to discuss it now. I’m already tired, so here is my conclusion on this: he’s got a good point. Now, let’s start this section over…..

“A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires sooner or later always leads to bitter disappointment.” — Albert Einstein

Now, there’s a pearl! Albert Einstein is generally regarded as one of mankind’s most brilliant members, but most people do not have the capability to see how or why this is so, other than knowing that he was responsible for E = MC². If, however, one takes the time to look past this bit of common knowledge, to look at some of the statements of philosophy and life attributed to him, it becomes clearer, the key to his genius lay in the simplicity of his thought processes.

Albert looked at the world, and the universe at large, through eyes that refused to look away from the simple elegance of the underlying nature of reality. Instead, he focused on the small, basic thoughts, ideas, or physical properties that best described what is real and true. He also did not add superfluous judgments or unseen factors to what he perceived, focusing rather on the most relevant part of the concept, not those parts extraneous to the purpose. This quality enabled him to see further into the nature of reality than is common to the rest of us, who are prone to complicate our perceptions with our prejudices and or misconceptions.

His statement, above, is a perfect example of this quality; it looks directly at human nature, showing us how our own attitudes and desires can potentially be the cause of our own difficulties in life, thus giving us the opportunity to turn our efforts in a direction that will ultimately be more beneficial. The statement clearly lays the responsibility for the tenor of our lives right in our own laps, where it belongs, but, does so without condemnation or insult, merely dispassionate truth. Albert was truly one of humanities greatest treasures, in my mind; his words will, hopefully, continue to help guide people through life far into to the future…. provided there is one….. but that’s a different subject altogether…..

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” — Albert Schweitzer

(I know, I know….. not the right Albert. But, it was deliberate, and I’m just doing what Murphy wants….. as is sometimes common, as soon as I finished the above section, the absolute perfect ending pearl pops up. I think Herr Schweitzer was thinking of Herr Einstein when he related this thought….. Albert Einstein was a happy guy; I have pictorial proof, which I have shared below…..so there…..)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is my forehead bleeding?…. No? Okay, good. I have no more excuses, or complaints, or suggestions. All I can do is all I have done. Here; try this one….

Gently Came a Wounded Child

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 ~~

Written 2/2/2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What we have here is a failure to communicate…. It’s that, or Smart Bee is in full revolt. Either way, the resulting pearl seems to be possessed of a somewhat tricky nature… I’m pretty sure it’s a good one; I am just not in a mental state to be able to judge adequately…. None of my alarms are going off, though, so I’m pretty sure it won’t injure anyone. If it doesn’t make any sense to you, don’t fret; I’m pretty sure that’s what SB intended….

“Truth exists. Only lies have to be invented.” — Georges Braque

“One of the greatest advantages in the world is enjoyed by the person who says and insists that they are telling the truth, when in fact, they are telling the truth.” — Smart Bee

“What you think of yourself is more important than what others think of you.” — Seneca

“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. . . The truly wise person is colorblind.” — Albert Schweitzer

“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am large, I contain multitudes).” — Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

“The next sentence is true. The last sentence was false.” –Smart Bee

“Well, it just seemed wrong to cheat on an ethics test.” — Calvin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well. I think it’s done. Perhaps I should check, to make sure…. Hmm. Okay, so, better than I’d thought it would be. I’ll take it. I have to; otherwise, I’ll end up feeling like a kitten in the litter box of life. Wouldn’t want that, would we? Nope. Any who, see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I’ve left myself little choice but to return to clean up the mess I made today…..

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….

Overt simplicity: Bane, or Boon?….

Posted on August 8, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page.”

~~ Saint Augustine ~~

The Baddest Raccoon in the World

Image from the UK Telegraph 8/5/2015

Good morning…. I think. The odds have improved a bit; without going into boring detail, suffice it to say I’m up, and have slept adequately for the purposes for which we had hoped to so obtain. Boy, that got a little convoluted, didn’t it? Let’s try to stay within the loose parameters set by our nearly nonsensical title today, by keeping it simple. In fact, let’s keep it simple as pie…

Cool picture today, eh? That is one BAD ASS raccoon, boy howdy! If he’s bad enough to have a croc for a limo, can you imagine who he’s got for a bodyguard? Definitely somebody you wouldn’t want to mess with, I should guess…. Okay, enough about me….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If you can’t speak softly, just use the stick.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I might have mentioned the laziness I feel today; if not, well, I am. I don’t even feel like expending the energy to go look for a video, so, instead, here are a few really cool pictures, from the same article where I found our Bad Ass Raccoon for today’s opening picture, a photo spread in the UK Telegraph on 8/5/2015. You can find the rest of the pictures by simply Googling the date and newspaper name…. Enjoy!….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s rant will be from the archives…. It’s not that I don’t have anything to rant about; in this crazy world full of assholes and butt wipes of all kinds, finding material is not a problem at all. No, it’s merely my own laziness, combined with a serendipitous find of an old rant on a currently hot-butto subject, to wit: gun control, a term which has a number of different meanings, depending on whether you’re speaking to someone from the NRA fanatics, or from the AABH Gumbies (American Association of Bleeding Hearts). My own opinion is…. well, don’t worry, it’ll be clear in a few moments….
Enjoy!….

From 7/24/2012:

Gun Control – the belief that government, with its great wisdom and moral superiority, can be trusted with a monopoly on deadly force. — Smart Bee

This short statement, which I sadly found unattributed, states perfectly why I resist all the efforts that people make to change my feelings about guns, and how society should deal with them. In 61+ years, I have never, ever seen one convincing argument that can even tempt me to believe that the government of this country is either morally superior or possesses great wisdom. In fact, all of the evidence I can find tells me the exact opposite.

If any of these people advocating that all guns should be made illegal to possess by a common citizen can provide me with ANYTHING, just one thing, that indicates that I am wrong in this matter, then let them show it. I’ve seen NOTHING that tells me that the government has ANY morals or ANY wisdom…. and I’m supposed to trust them with guns? I would as soon turn my back on a hungry leopard…..

I’m serious about this, as most of us are when speaking of deadly force and weaponry. But what I meant is, I am serious in my invitation to the people who advocate gun control,which I happen to believe in; my definition is just a bit different than the common conception. But, if they could provide me with even one piece of information to support their belief, then I’m willing to listen to it, and consider its validity, or lack of same. I’m fairly certain they cannot, or will not, do so, but I try to keep my mind open to new information. They have not provided any….

I don’t think that common citizens NEED to own automatic assault rifles, or bazookas, or tanks. But, access to these types of weapons CAN be regulated, in such a way, and firmly enough, that number of people who obtain them for nefarious purpose, such as what happened in Aurora, Colorado recently. (And in Orange county…. you just didn’t notice that near massacre because it was the police doing the shooting…. at scared women and children….) I can see requiring that a person wishing to obtain such weapons undergo psychiatric testing, and registering the guns so the police know where they are, and how many. Regulation is possible, and in the case of weapons capable of mass mayhem, desirable.

But, I DO NOT believe, for even one second, that any government in the world, including this one, can be trusted with a monopoly on deadly force… from that point to tyranny and slavery is one short step, as has been amply demonstrated throughout our bloody, violent history. “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We have all heard this, from the time we were small. It is a truism that nobody even bothers to try to disprove, as it has been proven to be true so many, many times, and it is so widely accepted as truth no one even knows anymore who said it first.

So, when I hear the outcry that always comes after an incident like the one in Colorado, shouting that “guns are bad”, and “get rid of the guns”, I sigh, and shake my head, and wonder at the naivete of the people who believe that the government could be trusted with that kind of power. But, I guess it’s no more naive than the folks who believe that Mitt the Twitt wants to help make their life better…. and no less dangerous a belie to hold…..

“Remember kids, if there’s a loaded gun in the room, be sure that you’re the one holding it.” — Captain Combat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the recent past, I’ve been too lazy to even go look for any new poems by anyone else. While cruising old Pearls for material, I found a good one, which I haven’t posted for three years, which ought to be long enough for a recycle job…. Enjoy!….

A Last Confession

What lively lad most pleasured me
Of all that with me lay?
I answer that I gave my soul
And loved in misery,
But had great pleasure with a lad
That I loved bodily.

Flinging from his arms I laughed
To think his passion such
He fancied that I gave a soul
Did but our bodies touch,
And laughed upon his breast to think
Beast gave beast as much.

I gave what other women gave
That stepped out of their clothes.
But when this soul, its body off,
Naked to naked goes,
He it has found shall find therein
What none other knows,

And give his own and take his own
And rule in his own right;
And though it loved in misery
Close and cling so tight,
There’s not a bird of day that dare
Extinguish that delight.

~~ William Butler Yeats ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took a bit of persuasion, but, SB came through in the end. This is what I’d call a typical Taoist pearl, with some pretty standard, not to mention excellent, thoughts on how to live one’s life in harmony with the universe…. Using these concepts as a guide can most certainly allow on to achieve, at the very least, a reasonable facsimile to harmony, which is, needless to say, better than the alternative, n’est pa?…..

“By letting go, it all gets done.” — Tao Te Ching

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.” — Albert Einstein

“Rotten wood cannot be carved.” — Confucius (Analects, Book 5, Ch. 9)

“Who does not trust enough will not be trusted.” — Lao Tzu

“Democritus said, words are but the shadows of actions.” — Plutarch — Of the Training of Children

“Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.” — Thomas A. Kempis

“One who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” — Lao-tzu, _Tao Te Ching_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As is perfectly normal, a bit of a struggle ensued when I attempted to keep this process moving; SB always has something to contribute, and usually, it’s got a lot to do with whatever Murphy’s been whispering when I’m not paying attention…. Brute force and threats worked just fine today, though, meaning we saved a bit on bribes, always a good thing. I think it would probably be best now if we go, before I say something subject to litigation. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; Mom says I have to….

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….

Biscuits, briskets, and red grenadine , hold the tea cakes….

Posted on August 7, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If if, then then.”

~~ The Theorem Theorem ~~

Pausing to Pose

Good morning…. Forty-eight minutes later, as he sat staring at the blank, white screen, it occurred to him, perhaps some sleep might help. Maybe if sleep had not become an elusive boon, he wouldn’t find it so difficult to wake up enough to put more than two words together in a line. Since it had, however, he has no choice, but to carry on, as best he may…. Maybe, if he tries really, really hard, the gods of perseverance will reward him with a rational, coherent thought….

Or not…. Since there don’t seem to be any of those floating around anywhere in my head, I think it will be best if we skip the rest of whatever may have taken place, had we not decided to take advantage of our one remaining advantage, to wit; power over Time. We’ll just activate the Tardis, and let it take us where we need to be…. Boy, I gotta say, that thing has paid for the leasing fees several times over already…. Now, if I can find the keys….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

~~ Dorothy Gale ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Given the issues I’ve had the last few weeks with getting some sleep, I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me earlier…. Chalk it up to the distraction of never having a completely clear head…. SIGH…. Enjoy, ffolkes, and, please, join me in hoping it works….

***********************

Classical Music for Sleep

***********************

https://youtu.be/vAqLStH6E6s

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve got nothin’…. No thoughts, no angst, no nothin’…. Rather than bore y’all with yet another archived rant, let’s do this…. Here is the philosophy of Life I created sometime in the latter part of the 1980’s, (naturally, I forgot to write down the exact date…), just after attending computer school. I won’t go into the etiology just now; instead I’ll just let it speak for itself…. This is what I’m all about, ffolkes….

Peruaosophy

The wisdom of pearls…
(The world is my oyster; which way to the pearls?)

Axioms

1) I think I am; that’s close enough.

2) The nature of the Universe is Change.
Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm.
If you have a problem with this, you’re in for a rough ride in Life.

3) Thou art God, you know. Let’s do lunch.

4) Excellence is its own reward.

5) Girls think differently. So do boys. Don’t fight it.

6) Axiom #2 X axiom #5 = And God so loved the world, He said, “Quit whining!”

7) Do your Duty. Respect Life. Honor the Truth. Share your Love.

8) Go back. Everything you need to know is in the first seven axioms.

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s archived poem appears not because I am late, or, for any other reason other than sheer laziness; I just don’t feel like spending the effort to go look for something appropriate…. We’ll all just have to deal with it…. Hopefully, you can enjoy it anyway….

Playing by the Rules

All my days I looked for love,
And found it everywhere I looked.
The years were joyous and fully booked
Seemingly by command from Above.

In return for all of the beauty in Life I found
I played life by the Rules that we all know,
It was from my father I learned the how,
Honest love, given freely, hand-fasted, gladly bound.

It seemed a while as if it were all real,
that fulfillment and contentment could be
as real as the children given us to oversee,
to teach them of Life and Love, and how to feel.

Then storm clouds of grievous change arrived, unbidden
Insidious, deceitful, three steps forward, then one back.
Tearing holes in our beautiful cloth, a heart heard to crack,
Gleeful demons eating life’s bounty, fangs dirty, and hidden.

Pain and sorrow grew, in defiance of all I tried,
Sanctuary turned into a reluctant scene of ritual battle,
Love still lives, but is herded like doomed and pitiful cattle,
While the keening of my soul sounds as if I’d cried.

Betrayal in love is, allow me to assure, no small pain to take.
Time has no power to reduce its place in my heart or soul.
My truest love became a stranger, a powerfully sharp toll,
Solitude has become my lot, no killing time for necessity’s sake.

Love yet surrounds me, everywhere; I’m not one of those fools…
Children are forgiving, I’m glad to be able to say,
They show me life’s solid purpose, the old, right way,
I guess don’t know any other way, than to Play it by the Rules.

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yep, it’s another pearl about Life at Large…. This one’s a little abstruse, I’d say, so pay attention, or you’ll miss the best parts…. Whoa! That’s a pretty good metaphor for Life, right there! “…. so pay attention, or you’ll miss the best parts.”….. Fancy that!….

“Life is only as long as you live it.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” — Socrates (470?-399 B.C.)

“There was once a man, Harry, called the Steppenwolf. He went on two legs, wore clothes and was a human being, but nevertheless he was in reality a wolf of the Steppes. He had learned a good deal of all that people of a good intelligence can, and was a fairly clever fellow. What he had not learned, however, was this: to find contentment in himself and his own life.” — Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf

“Oh you who are born of the blood of the gods, Trojan son of Anchises, easy is the descent to Hell; the door of dark Dis stands open day and night. But to retrace your steps and come out to the air above, that is work, that is labor!” — Virgil, The Aeneid

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

“For it is the doom of men that they forget.” — Merlin

“When the body sinks into death, the essence of man is revealed. Man is a knot, a web, a mesh into which relationships are tied. Only those relationships matter.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1953

“…happiness is the highest good, being a realization and perfect practice of virtue, which some can attain, while others have little or none of it…” — Aristotle

Any nose
May ravage with impunity a rose.

~~ Robert Browning ~~

~~ Sordello, Book vi ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, it’s done. I can’t say exactly how it got that way; my involvement seemed to be rather peripheral. But, there it sits, with a bit of something in each section; I’ll make no claims of any sort as to the quality of any of it. I will, however, take this opportunity to make my escape, in the hopes I can figure out a way to get some sleep, so this won’t be such a hassle to get done…. Ah well, life goes on, until it doesn’t. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; there doesn’t seem to be any way to get out of it….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

No, thanks, it’s already limp…

Posted on August 6, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea…. if it’s the only one you’ve got.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Whither bound, mariner?

West by west, against the tide…

Good morning…. Welcome to ECR, and, the creation of today’s Pearl…. Bolstered as we are by the boon of an appreciable period of time in the arms of Morpheus, big plans have been formulated, none of which, naturally, will ever see the light of day. We’re up, though, and reasonably well-rested, having had almost enough sleep to require TWO hands on which to count the hours…. Almost….

It will have to do, though, and, we are grateful for what we were blessed to receive…. Hell, it only took three hours of chewing, swallowing, pacing, and twitching, along with about $200 worth of marginally illegal drugs to get it, but, hey, who’s counting, right? Not us…. Just kidding, of course; we’d never consider using illegal drugs for anything….. Well, anything other than emergency backup, anyway. One can never be sure one is getting what is promised on the street…. Of course, the very same can be said of what we get from pharmaceutical companies, can’t it? I don’t think I trust their good intentions any more than I do my local street dealer…. At least I know where to find him if I have an issue….

Too snarky? No? Good. We wouldn’t want to get stuck in snarky-mode this early, though, it’s not a bad idea sometimes. A bit of erudite caricature, combined with some snide realism, can make for a funny segment…. But, since we’re already dealing with being stuck in the royal “we”, perhaps we’ll not go into any of that…. Obviously, we are already confused. We have no clue why we are stuck here, but, we’re doing as well as we can…. Perhaps if,…. No, better not. Never mind.

Clearly, the process of putting together a fresh Pearl is going to be a bit of a struggle, given the apparent handicaps under which we are obviously ~~struggling~~ operating…. A mind too clear, a perceptive-mode tilted about 20º off plumb, and, a daunting view of vast vistas of blank white space, may just be more than we are prepared to cope with; we can do no less than try our best, though, for it is our chosen duty…. SIGH….

That being the case, perhaps we’d best be on our way…. Luigi, if you please…. You know what to do….

Shall we Pearl?….

When the dream came, I held my breath with my eyes closed.
I went insane, like a smoke ring day when the wind blows.

~~ Neil Young ~~

~~ “On My Way Home”, Buffalo Springfield ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of the very first videos I chose to post here, once I figured out how to do it on WP, is/was this one. It is also one of the best concerts, ever, in my opinion, offering a joyous blend of music from East and West, with some of the finest musicians alive, playing their hearts out in memory of one of their friends…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…..

***********************

Concert for George

Royal Albert Hall ~ 2002

***********************

https://youtu.be/LG5EdoxBVt0

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before beginning this blog on WordPress, in August of 2011, I wrote for a site called GoodBlogs. The rant below is one I wrote for them; technically it’s theirs, but, I wrote it, so I figure I can use it when I want, law be damned. I’m an American, and, damn it, I can make decisions according to selfish expediency if I want; everyone else does it, because it’s been a valid excuse for humans since cave days…. Besides, I’m lazy, and didn’t feel like ranting today…. Enjoy, it’s a precursor of a lot of what I’ve written here on WP…. sort of an embryo rant, so to speak….

Written 7/17/2011:

How Seriously Twisted People Stole Your Votes

“It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but, actually, it’s more true to say power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable.” — David Brin, The Postman

Is it just me, or does anyone else out there feel this country is being hijacked toward a future we never contemplated, one in which we have increasingly fewer and fewer rights? Since the advent of the Patriot Act back in 2001, we, the American people, have had a significant percentage of our liberties curtailed by the backlash of fear that gripped the country at that time. Without a whimper or any sound of protest, we have allowed the government to abrogate several of the freedoms that the founding fathers attempted to secure for us, including rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution. Ironically, it is purportedly done all in the name of “homeland security”. I thought “homeland security” was guaranteed for us by the Bill of Rights, which gave us the right bear arms. A 12-gauge over-and-under Winchester is all the “homeland security” I need.

Now, I know some folks will ask, “well, but what about terrorists?” My answer would be, one can only be terrorized if they give control over their emotions to someone else. When I first heard about the attacks taking place on 9/11, I too felt a moment of fear, along with the anguish and sadness that came with the reports of casualties. But fear passes, always, whereupon, reflection allowed my reason to re-assert control. When we allow our fears to dictate our actions, we are acting out of weakness, not strength. Acting out of fear can only exacerbate what is already an unstable situation.

In my estimation, this loss of liberties can, unfortunately, be laid right in our own laps. The American public, over the last century, and into this one, has consistently voted for people (men and women) who lie to us without remorse. Every president we’ve had since 1950 has lied to the American public; this is a documented fact, not a supposition. Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, Reagan, Clinton, Bush I, Bush II, Obama; all of them have been caught in lies, reported in the news (you’ll note Mr. Carter was not included; he may be the best man we’ve ever had in that position. It’s too bad that the rest of our government was made to look bad in comparison; his integrity was unforgivable to them, so, naturally, they sabotaged all his attempts at reform). Not one of them has ever admitted to these lies, though there is ample documented proof of them.

As long as the American public refuses to admit their own complicity in re-electing all these “tyrants” (see quote, above), then we will continue to have to combat further degradation of our rights, because the way the politicians see it, they can continue doing exactly as they wish, because nobody is ever going to take them to task for it.

We need to stop electing people who want the job. They want the job because they know it gives them free license to steal from the American public, which is not a bad gig, if you can get it. I can’t see how we can keep our freedom, when we keep electing people who want to take it away. Think about it! Is it sane to want such power over others? No, it is not. It is insane, and insane people should not be allowed to control our destiny.

“No man who needs a monument ever ought to have one.”

~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne ~~

End of rant…..thanks for listening…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In keeping with the theme as presented in the ranting section, here’s a poem I wrote in January of this year, in much the same/sane vein….

gigoid’s lament

Not a bit of all the pain I feel
is worse than all I see;
all worldly truth, solid and real,
has faded away, never to be free.

Honor stripped of all regard,
while compassion simply fails;
Ignorance , powerful, hard,
crows as reason wails.

Crushing resistance, mandating the vote,
selling illusion, smiling all the while.
Pundits, speaking purely by rote,
arrange all the lies in a tidy pile.

Stupidity ’tis said, is a risky choice;
the price is always the same.
Reality has no pity, no warning ever voiced,
only a gravestone, carved with, our name.
,
~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s final pearl promises to be a bit strange… If you’ve been around here for long, you’ll know, that’s saying something….. When I sat down to begin searching for pearls, I left it open, allowing SB to set the pace…. The very first pearl shown was this:

“This mind intentionally left blank.”

Well!…. You can see I why I was initially taken aback…. But, then I decided to let SB have its head for once, so, what we get is what we get…. Let’s see how it goes, shall we?…

“Awright, which one of you hid my PENIS ENVY?” — Zippy the Pinhead

(Oops! I knew this was a mistake…. Oh, well, too late to turn back now….)

“I prefer to remain anomalous.” — Smart Bee

“Bow to no patron’s insolence. Rely on no frail hopes; in freedom live and die.” — Seneca

“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes, rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.” — Aristotle

“Time carves all. Let yourself be carved to attain your true nature.” — Master Po

“Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.” — Native American Proverb (Blackfoot)

“What you see is from outside yourself, and may come, or not, but is beyond your control. But your fear is yours, and yours alone, like your voice, or your fingers, or your memory, and therefore yours to control. If you feel powerless over your fear, you have not yet admitted that it is yours, to do with as you will.” — Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen”

“He sleeps well who knows not that he sleeps ill.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 77

“All things considered, insanity may be the only reasonable alternative.” — Smart Bee

I’m not going to comment on how it turned out. I will say, we’ll think twice about doing this again….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As suspected, it came out with a few wrinkles; I don’t believe any of them will detract from the overall view, though, so, we’ll let them be, in the interests of compassion for our still fragile condition…. Let me merely add, DAMN!…. I’m sure glad that’s done! I think I may have strained my brain….. Fortunately, I have a full 24 hours to recover, before starting this process all over again…. And people say I’m not consistent!….

See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. There doesn’t seem to be anything logical, rational, or compellingly threatening enough to stop me, so…. what the hell? Why not?….. Ta, then…. Oh, and, remember to be excellent to each other….

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….

Anecdotal scenes from the Ugly Bug Ball….

Posted on August 5, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.”

~~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky ~~

Rorschach Rock

What do YOU see?

Some of y’all may note today’s opening looks slightly different than it has been lately. Good eye….. Not that it means much, there’s no prize or anything, but, hey, credit where credit’s due, I always say. What may not be as apparent is the reason for the change, but, I doubt you’re going to want to spend a long time trying to figure it out, as I’m not going to say, and, we have to go on almost immediately, so, no time for questions…. How ’bout that? Funny how that works, eh?….

S’okay, we’re all used to being ignored, or abused, & expected to just swallow it; our society finds a way to do that to each and every one of us each and every day…. But, I digress…. Ranting in the intro is no longer allowed, as we know, yet, somehow, the rage I’m feeling right now has grown past my ability to sublimate, or repress, or even understand…. I’m very close, emotionally, at least, to my limit. I’m a tough old coot, but, even I must have a limit to how long I can keep myself from firing back at the assholes who make our lives so difficult, in a way that gets their attention….

“I am grim… and harsh… and ripe with fury! I fight and kill and howl and get *all bloody*! I go bowling whenever I want!” — The Carrot’s statements on life…

I promised myself (during the FIRST time I was up last night…) I wouldn’t whine, no matter what. So, instead I’ll be aggressively vituperative, in a figurative sense, toward all things asinine, a word which, as we know, forms the basis of our name for our Beloved Ruling Class, and their Masters, those premier assholes of humanity, those servants of evil….. Yes, it’s the Asininnies, those small-spirited, egotistic, misogynistic, buttheads we know and love so little…. I suppose merely verbal, or, in this case, written vitriol won’t really kill the urge, (or, them, sadly…), but, it will help by not spilling it on anything or anyone undeserving of such honors, and help me keep my word to myself, thus abusing y’all less…. It can’t lose, as long as I can keep myself under control….

To assist myself in that task, it would be best to get on with the rest of today’s mess….

This introduction has been brought to you by the makers of tardive dyskinesia, medical science’s most annoying side effect, and, by Insomniacs International…. They’re ALWAYS up, for something or other…. All insults, accusations, indictments, assertions, founded, or unfounded, and, of course, all ridicule, is intentional, and, patently, well-deserved.

No spitting allowed without a permit; limit of three victims, all must be of different category…. snakehead, pundit, dogma dog, or myrmidon, which regulations require be clearly marked on the identification-toe-tags included in your kit. Please provide the caliber of your weapon to the stewardess, and ammunition will be provided….

Let’s do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Laugh, and the world ignores you. Crying doesn’t help either.”

~~ Smart Bee, the Realist ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the risk of being accused of living in the past, I’m going there anyway, for a specific reason…. I’m in the mood, as mentioned, for some serious ass-kicking. This is the kind of music one should have playing, at full volume, (the level should threaten eardrums for a quarter-mile….), while laying about with one’s weapon of choice…. Mine is a katana, or, perhaps, a staff…. Hell, a bag of rocks will do in a pinch….

As the old mountain-man hard-ass, (Brian Keith, in a BRILLIANT cameo appearance), in “Young Guns”, who rode slowly, sleepily up to the group of gunslingers on his donkey, stepped down, grinned, and, said, as he opened fire with both guns,

“Let’s dance!”….

***********************

Boston Live 7/29/2014

***********************

https://youtu.be/G0UU4yyKmyI

***********************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If any man have an ear, let him hear.”

~~ Revelations 13:9 ~~

Today’s rant will be of a slightly different format, simply because it’s all I could handle at 0330, (the SECOND time I got up last night…). I’ve got a lot of angst (translation: RAGE) built up in me, thanks to insomnia, dramatically increased pain level, and the living hell of tardive dyskinesia q4h like fucking clockwork, all thanks to the kind ministrations and completely asshole nature of my doctors, thank you very much. Assholes.

That said, my need to blame is assuaged, but, the rage is not. I’m not sure I could produce a coherent rant in this state; too many conflicting images of a homicidal nature keep intruding whenever I think about any of the issues I normally choose as the outlet for my dreaded outbursts (dreaded by me, for the adrenalin rush…. I don’t mind the energy, or the anger so much; it’s the hours of coming down that is an ordeal…. almost as bad as the TD….). So, we’ll go with a method I developed a couple years ago, but, never used much. It will work today; the comments I make are shorter….

Here then is the result of my attempt to get all the dross and drivel out of my head, and onto the screen, where it doesn’t cause so much trouble for me….

“Whenever, therefore, the profession of arms becomes a distinct order in the state….the end of the social compact is defeated… No free government was ever founded, or ever preserved its liberty without uniting the characters of the citizen and soldier in those destined for the defense of the state…Such are a well regulated militia, composed of the freeholders, citizen and husbandman, who take up arms to preserve their property, as individuals, and their rights as freemen.” — Richard Henry Lee

Can there be any doubt, in any reasonable mind, our social contract has been dissolved?…. Not only have our armed forces become organizations of professionals, run by hereditary families of warriors, and career students of War, loyal only to their sworn superior officers, not to the people of this country…. Even the National Guard has become a tool of government against the people; remember Kent State, back in the 60’s?

In addition, this professional militarism has spread to the no-longer-civilian police forces in every state, county, and town in this country, even going so far as having the government armed forces share equipment of war with those police forces, spreading their older, unused weaponry and accessories around to those departments, which now view the public as their enemies, not their neighbors…. The people now fear the government, rather than the other way around, as our system was designed to work….

“Deceit in the conduct of war outweighs valor and is worthy of merit.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

Can you think of a better example of how the political mind works differently than that of the public? This, to me, demonstrates perfectly how little the needs of the common man concern those who seek power; it doesn’t even enter into their calculations at all. Why would it, when their ethical/moral model of reality is the exact opposite of that espoused by our most revered scholars and sages, who regard Truth as an inviolable habit for the honorable man….

“Unfortunately, the people of Louisiana are not racists.” — Vice President Dan Quayle, regarding David Duke’s candidacy, 10/12/90, (reported in Esquire, 8/92)

No need for much comment here; Dan speaks for himself. This is included primarily for a bit of comic relief, much needed, I assure you…. Gad! He was/is SO stupid! It makes me cringe, every time I think of how close he was at times to being the President of this country…. I mean, what if the Junior Shrub had choked on some broccoli, or something? Wouldn’t THAT have been perfect irony?…

“Those who voluntarily put power into the hands of a tyrant or an enemy, must not wonder if it be at last turned against themselves.” — Aesop

Another way of reminding ourselves we only have ourselves to blame for all of this…. Sad, hard to swallow, but, true….

“The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.” — Baltasar Gracian, “The Art of Worldly Wisdom” 1647

I would suppose it’s becoming more than clear I’m feeling a bit snarky today…. All I can say is, so fucking what? Whenever I think of all of the SHIT that flows out of Washington D.C., the truer the above statement becomes to me. I regard all politicians at the national level to be psychopaths, clinically insane, as proven by the mere act of running for an office at that level. Only insane persons WANT that sort of power over others, so, I regard their ambition as concrete proof of their lack of morality, ethics, or standard levels or intelligence, for that matter, all of which goes along perfectly with their incredibly delusional view of Reality….

Damn! I got so hyped up typing that last paragraph, my left hand fell asleep, from typing too fast for too long, as all that vitriol poured out without pause. I’d hoped to carry on for a bit longer, to at least seven pearls, but, it looks like five will have to do….

I’m pissed, ffolkes, if it wasn’t made clear. Just thought you should know…. I guess I’m done for now. I know I didn’t accomplish much, but, I think I got enough crap cleared out to at least get something done today along more constructive lines…. If nothing else, having thus completed this ugly, but, necessary self-imposed duty, it gives me the wherewithal, and the authority, to finish this pearl in the approved manner, with a short statement in summary….

“I came, I saw, I went back into the house.”

~~ gigoid ~~

~~ Wednesday 2015 ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is one of the first poems I wrote back in 2012, during the period of time my 35 year hiatus at writing in verse came to an end…. Even now, I still think it’s one of my best…. It’s certainly one of the most personal….

Raging at Aging

As old as you feel, we are told, is old as you are,
custom assures such vision will carry us far.
Reality begs to differ, may it be so bold
it is really quite painful, and very, very cold.

The power and strength felt in our halcyon youth
desert us with age, yet another unwelcome truth.
Irony rules our time here on this bountiful earth
as we reflect the changes over time since our birth.

As physical powers fade from this fragile shell,
we learn our mind can serve us quite as well.
The strength that once filled our bones and hearts
is now applied by our will, to more arcane arts.

Life’s greatest gift is our freedom of choice
no matter how often we forget, we still get a voice.
Energy, or apathy, by our will we may choose,
failing to do so, our only way to lose.

Each of us lives in the grip of time and space,
always seeking our balance, our own chosen place.
One must accept reality, for it is true at the core,
all we can do, is all we can do, and nothing more.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 10/17/2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Relatively Consensual Reality

Image from 123rf.com via Google Images

This pearl came together in a rather odd fashion; in the end, it’s a pretty good range of concepts, all of which have to do with some of the more important parts of Life as we know it…. Well, I guess a qualifier is called for…. That would be Life as we dubioids know it; don’t worry, if you are one, you’d know (the big, round, honking nose is a dead giveaway). If you don’t, (know, that is…), that’s fine, too, because, hey, you’re a dubioid, and, thus, protected from the worst vicissitudes of Life by your very nature….

See how that works? No? Ah, well….

“If you shut up truth, and bury it underground, it will but grow.” — Emile Zola

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom, in the pursuit of truth as in the endeavour after a worthy manner of life.” — Bertrand Russell, “An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish”

“The laugh of a child will make the holiest day more sacred still.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” — Albert Einstein

“Courage conquers all things.” — Ovid

“To teach is to learn.” — Japanese Proverb

“The deed is everything, the glory is naught.” — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“Surely every human being ought to attain to the dignity of the unit. Surely it is worth while to be one, and to feel that the census of the universe would be incomplete without counting you. Surely there is grandeur in knowing that in the realm of thought you are without a chain; that you have the right to explore all heights and all depths; that there are no walls or fences, or prohibited places, or sacred corners in all the vast expanse of thought; that your intellect owes no allegiance to any being, human or divine; that you hold all in fee, and upon no condition, and by no tenure, whatsoever; that in the world of mind you are relieved from all personal dictation, and from the ignorant tyranny of majorities. Surely it is worth something to feel that there are no priests, no popes, no parties, no governments, no kings, no gods, to whom your intellect can be compelled to pay a reluctant homage. Surely it is a joy to know that all the cruel ingenuity of bigotry can devise no prison, no dungeon, no cell in which for one instant to confine a thought; that ideas cannot be dislocated by racks, nor crushed in iron boots, nor burned with fire. Surely it is sublime to think that the brain is a castle, and that within its curious bastions and winding halls the soul, in spite of all worlds and all beings, is the supreme sovereign of itself.” — Robert Green Ingersoll, “The Free Soul”

There you go…. I’m pretty sure I can’t make it any clearer than that, which is too bad, because that’s pretty obscure, isn’t it? Oh, well, c’est la vie, as they say in Paris…. That’s in France, which is why…. oh, never mind…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Difficult as it may be to believe, I’m done. For a bit there, it looked as if I might never get enough out to save my ass from another f’d up day in paradise; fortunately for all of us, I did. Y’know what? I’m gonna go buy some champagne, bring it home, pour it in a glass, and toss it down the sink… I HATE champagne! Hmm, maybe I won’t. Maybe, instead, I’ll just go on with the day, and see what happens…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I don’t seem to be able to find a way to keep it from happening….

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….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

View Full Profile →

	katiemiafrederick on Are those Foster Grants to blo…
	katiemiafrederick on Funk-o-matic accessories are o…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on But…. but…. what a…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: