Tag Archives: Alan Watts

Privately amorphous, he moulted….

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Ffolkes,

“Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.”

~~ Matsuo Basho ~~

simple

Simple Beauty


Hajime…. The day ahead of me gives the appearance of being stuffed full already, and I have yet to complete this Pearl…. I also need to apologize to some of the blogs I follow, for not getting there often enough to keep up. As my body continues its journey back to good health, I find myself getting weary earlier. This has sent me to bed by 8 PM now for a few weeks, and it’s eating into my reading time. I’m sure I’ll eventually be back to a higher energy level, but, for now, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, and, now we can go on….

Since we are again somewhat late getting started, with little properly done, I’ll make this short. How short? Well, this short…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Drop the question what tomorrow may bring,
and count as profit every day that fate allows you.”

~~ Horace ~~


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Morning muse

    I feel like something jumping and raucous today, so, you’re just going to have to settle for what you get, and like it. If you enjoy good, loud, driving rock & roll, you’ll be fine, If not, well, don’t turn it on, because these guys have way too much fun to keep your feet still…. It isn’t too long, but, they rock the entire time. It’s from a concert in 1973, & the video isn’t too sharp, but the sound is fine….  Enjoy, ffolkes….


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Elvin Bishop

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We the People...

Freedom = Responsibility


I find it a noisome fact to realize, if one asked any modern American to explain the meaning of the above equation, they would be relatively unclear, both in their own mind, and in their explanation, as to how to do so. They may have some idea of what freedom means, but, cannot easily come up with the very simple answer to what the responsibility entailed may be. I say simple because we were actually all given ample warnings about how certain elements of humanity would try to abrogate our freedoms for their own benefit, in plain language, such as this:

“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson

Those Gentle Readers who have been here often know this is a subject upon which I tend to harp, as it is, in my opinion, the major failure of the American public, now, and for the past 200 years. However, rather than rant today, I’m going to send you to read two posts online, one at Salon.com, and one here on WP. The first is an article exploring the exact issue outlined in Jefferson’s statement of responsibility. The second shows quite clearly the result of this failure of responsibility, and how the American public has failed to earn the liberties they have lost….. The article on Salon I found here:

https://lobotero.com/2016/03/07/why-the-right-hates-american-history-salon-com

This is the article for you to read:

http://www.salon.com/2015/02/26/why_the_right_hates_american_history_partner/

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The second article is from Dean Baker, whose work you first saw here yesterday, with a very fine poem. Today you’ll get his take on the Trump phenomenon, with erudition, accuracy, and humor….

https://tormentingthemonkey.wordpress.com/2016/03/06/t-rump-is-a-symptom-not-a-solution-the-trump-dump/#comment-1139

You can find more of Dean’s work, and buy his books, at CreateSpace.com, here:

https://www.createspace.com/5995746


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Comedy_Tragedy

Haiku

Only a Pearl now
to bring us a bit of space;
no less and no more.

~~ gigoid ~~

Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday

A baleful lump of ironic introspection
 sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.

Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.

Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.

Too many culprits exist to count just one;
 all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.

Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.

Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/3/2015


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pearls_3

    Our final old-school pearl is a rather elegant nine-star necklace, with some observations on what it takes to be a complete human…. Well, in my book, anyway…. Enjoy!…

“You must create your own world.  I’m responsible for my world.” — Louise Nevelson

“Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye.” — Austin O’Malley

“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii

“The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.” — Cicero

“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”– Ancient proverb

“Self-improvement is a dangerous form of vanity.” — Alan Watts

“The one unforgivable sin, the offense against one’s own integrity, is to accept anything at all simply on authority.” — Maureen Johnson Long

“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” — Confucius

“Who then is free?  The wise man who can command himself.” — Horace

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Given the twenty-minute break to serve as a tree limb for a cat in serious need of a cuddle, the mere fact we are done is enough to amaze. But, then, I’m pretty easily entertained. Regardless, we’re done, so, I’ll not torture y’all any further today, but, will save some of it for tomorrow…. Oh, not to worry; I’ll be here. Nobody seems to have figured out how to stop me, so….. See ya….

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

Dozer


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Scrap all the intricate filigree…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.”


~~ Bob Dylan ~~


Angry bird


The Original Angry Bird




Hajime….. Since we begin with a such a cogent quote from one of our society’s most prolific and long-lived bards, I’ll have to try to keep this within the parameters thus implied. We’ll see how that goes, what with insomnia, curmudgeonly reaction to same, and an extended period of cat training yesterday, I’m in a bit of an odd mood. Sometimes that works well to improve the results here; other times, not so much. Whichever it might be, we’ll use our advanced sage training to make it palatable…. You know, good & bad don’t exist but in our minds, that sort of thing…


Of course, that presupposes I have the chutzpah and general wherewithal to pull of that kind of advanced philosophizing; the hour of the day can affect that heavily. I guess I just wait for the correct moment to apply the fix; once I’ve got enough coffee on board, that should be an obvious jumping-off point we can use to our advantage, such as we may. Otherwise, what happens could turn on us, making it hard to cash your checks, er, get y’all home in one piece….


Having thus assured us all the bozoid tendencies upon which we rely are firmly in place, we can, I think…. no, make that we must, I think, get ourselves out of this convoluted mess I call an intro, and on to the oyster beds, before it gets any more slippery/slimy than it has already gone. In fact, I’m going to use one of the new tricks I found in another drawer in the Tardis…. It’s pretty cool; all it does is this…..


Shall we Pearl?….




“To be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough;

the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.”


 ~~ Descartes ~~




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The_Death_of_Socrates_cropped




The Death of Socrates



Image from en.wikipedia.org via Google Images




Today’s video selection is not musical, but, rather a sublimation for ranting, as it were. The social phenomenon that is Last Week Tonight showed, in the recent past, how powerful a tool the internet and media can combine to fashion, a tool that can actually change the course of societal events. I’ve included a link to the show’s You Tube page, where about 50 or more of the episodes are listed; the one with which we begin is a recent show, dealing with some of the issues we are seeing in today’s news…. I won’t say enjoy; I will say, pay the fuck attention…. It’s all stuff you’ll do better for knowing….







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John Oliver

Last Week Tonight

















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le penseur-rodin




“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Professor Bernardo de la Paz


I am not sure when I first read the above statements from the professor, but, I know it was before the age of twenty. Even then, it struck a deep chord of familiarity, as if it were something I had always known. For sure and for certain it is I have lived my life by this standard, ever since my earliest memories…. It may have come from my family environment, or, perhaps it’s just a lucky gift of nature; I don’t much care, nor, worry over how it came to be, for it has made my life, if nothing else, my own, which, as far as I can see, is pretty rare.


I have a feeling it came from my father and mother, who taught us about personal responsibility; this was enforced by having four siblings, all of whom insisted on their own brand of individuality. Since we had the example set by our parents to follow, we all learned to accept life as it came, without the more obvious problems that can arise…. Oh, not to say it was paradise; no Army family of seven is ever completely peaceful. But, none of us ever suffered injustice or dishonesty from anyone at home, which gave us armor against those dangers in the world away from home.


Having this ‘advantage’, it makes it easy for me to see how lacking such a background could cause problems for people, both as individuals, and for society at large…. But, having put off completing this piece too long, I no longer have the urge, or the time to explain that statement…. For today, and now, let it suffice to say, the lack of ability to take personal responsibility for one’s actions, without causing undue inner struggle or conflict, is the primary reason our species cannot seem to find any peace. I see this failure of morality/ethical training as our single most telling flaw, one which, if we do not/can not discover how to negate, will eventually kill us all.


As I see reality, we have a choice. We can change our ways, and assume the weight of responsibility for our acts, and find a way to survive the coming cataclysmic environmental events. Or, we can die, ignobly, as the poet said, not with a bang, but a whimper. To my mind, it is that simple. Not, by any means, a simple task, but, a simple choice…. I’m not sanguine about which choice we’ll make…. For now, here are a few pearls which speak to the matter, in their own way…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s easier than listening to another of my interminable rants….


“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits… For my part I would as soon be descended from [a] baboon… as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies … treats his wives like slaves … and is haunted by the grossest suspicions.” — Charles Darwin


“Despite its suffix, skepticism is not an “ism” in the sense of a belief or dogma.  It is simply an approach to the problem of telling what is counterfeit and what is genuine.  And a recognition of how costly it may be to fail to do so.  To be a skeptic is to cultivate “street smarts” in the battle for control of one’s own mind, one’s own money, one’w own allegiances.  To be a skeptic, in short, is to refuse to be a victim.” — Robert S. DeBear, “An Agenda for Reason, Realism, and Responsibility,” — New York Skeptic — (newsletter of the New York Area Skeptics, Inc.), Spring 1988


He’s not a politician.  He’s just ethically challenged.” — Morality Bee


“Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.” — John Adams


“Humanity has in the course of time had to endure from the hands of science two great outrages upon its naive self-love.  The first was when it realized that our earth was not the center of the universe, but only a speck in a world-system of a magnitude hardly conceivable…  The second was when biological research robbed man of his particular privilege of having been specially created, and relegated him to a descent from the animal world.” — Sigmund Freud


Okay…. I’m feeling generous; five is enough…. We’ll speak on this again, trust me…. For now, go enjoy the poem….


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Comedy_Tragedy




    It’s been a while since we heard from this poet; it’s time…. Enjoy! He’s a bit crusty, but, always hits people where it counts….




air and light and time and space


‘-you know, I’ve either had a family, a job, something

has always been in the

way

but now

I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this

place, a large studio, you should see the space and

the light.

for the first time in my life I’m going to have a place and

the time to

create.’

no baby, if you’re going to create

you’re going to create whether you work

16 hours a day in a coal mine

or

you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children

while you’re on

welfare,

you’re going to create with part of your mind and your

body blown

away,

you’re going to create blind

crippled

demented,

you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your

back while

the whole city trembles in earthquakes, bombardment,

flood and fire.

baby, air and light and time and space

have nothing to do with it

and don’t create anything

except maybe a longer life to find

new excuses

for.


~~ Charles Bukowski ~~




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About Hopi Indian Symbols




    Today’s final pearl, old-school variety, is special, but, don’t ask me why. Instead, read it, let it percolate a bit, then, decide for yourself why I might say that. I even gave y’all a clue, at the top of the section. If you require it, call it homework, or a challenge. Anything you want….. I call it




Esoterica/Life at Large




“You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 596


“Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, viii, 51


“We are being educated when we know it least.” — David Gardner


“All conversations with a potato should be conducted in private.” — Wilner’s Observation


“The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.” — Shirley MacLaine


“How you do anything is how you do everything.” — Zen proverb


“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.” — Edward Abbey


“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.” — Antoine de Saint Exupery


“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” — Anais Nin


“But my dear man, reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.” — Alan Watts




Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds.


~~ Bob Marley ~~




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What an ordeal! Suffice it to say, again, it’s done. It was such an ordeal, I’ll not bore you further, but, will take my leave, stage virtual. I will, however, leave you with the knowledge of my return, tomorrow, should Fate be kind…. Of course, we make our own Fate, so, well, you get the picture…. If nobody stops me, I’ll be back…. See ya…..




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….





		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
The forecast is for extremely fluffy….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.”


~~ Pythagoras (BC 582-507) ~~


Triple full moon over Vallejo


Triple Full Moon Over Vallejo








G’day…. Given the state of my life over the past month or two, it’s rather nice to feel even a moment of hope, even one based on what may or may not be an omen of things to come….. Ooh, I like that, it’s wonderfully obscure, yet gives a sense of intimacy that encourages further interest. More good omen material…. Omens of good have been sadly infrequent of late, so, twice in one paragraph, even if both are completely unidentified, is, well, a good sign….


It may have to do with the relief of being back online, at home, though the mere presence of relief indicates a dependency I’m not sure I entirely can be comfortable with. Nonetheless, it’s nice not having to go drink somebody else’s coffee to get posted. It’ll sure make sticking to the diet easier, too; way too many pastries lately have taken up the entire morning’s calorie count, leaving me starving until dinner time. Ah well, I’m a sucker for a blueberry muffin, what can I say?


Okay, enough innocent chatter; it’s not really our style anyway. We’re gonna go Pearl now ffolkes. I’ve been waiting too long to do this from home, again, so, I’m a bit impatient (Could you tell?…). In fact, so impatient, we’re skipping all the usual folderol, in favor of just getting on with it…. How does that look? Like this….


Shall we Pearl?….


“When you said “HEAVILY FORESTED” it reminded me of an overdue CLEANING BILL..  Don’t you SEE?  O’Grogan SWALLOWED a VALUABLE COIN COLLECTION and HAD to murder the ONLY MAN who KNEW!!” — Zippy the Pinhead


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weird_al




Weird Al


Image from riverfrontimes.com via Google Images






Here’s another artist who needs no introduction; all that is required is to enjoy!….








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Weird Al Yankovic
















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We the People...




“If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns.”


~~- Edward Abbey ~~






Mr. Abbey, with this short statement, nails my opinion on gun control right on the bloody head. My entire objection to the fools who cry out to “take away the guns” from everyone, (so, what, this will ensure nobody will ever die? Right….), is exactly the point he makes. None of the advocates of disallowing citizens to own guns seem to think about this point; do they really believe the government will give up THEIR guns? Really? I’d be really interested to hear from which planet they came to visit us here on Earth?….


Of course, most Earthlings have trouble bumping neurons together; it’s not just an immigrant problem…. Most earthlings, for some unknown reason, choose, soon after birth, to stop using their brain as a tool for making their life better, choosing instead to use it merely to transport their ass from one toilet to another…. I am often amazed at how many people, who are of an age to reproduce, seemingly can’t formulate a complete sentence, unless it has the word “fries” in it, or, have yet to learn the actions involved in tying their shoes. And, please, let us not begin to discuss how many lost brain cells it takes to follow the current street style of wearing one’s pants around the thighs rather than the waist, necessitating the use of one hand just to hold them up….


But, then, that’s just how the elite want the public to be; distracted and stupid. These asininnies want the average person so busy trying to just maintain their current place in life they have no time to inspect all the ways they are being controlled by their own ignorance, and their inability to use their imagination to see beyond their immediate needs…. Our world-wide society has three characteristics which, to me, indicate just how sick it is…. The belief that Mankind was made by a god…. By accepting this sort of belief, one’s mind is left open to other false truths, which allow the perfect vehicle for manipulation of behavior by those who do not believe, but, play the part for the reward of power over others, and a complete lack of personal responsibility for how others are affected by their acts.


Second, this belief in a delusion allowed the predatory members to convince everyone that money actually exists, and has some sort of real power over reality…. This, of course, is ridiculous. Money is simply an idea, a way to organize barter, by placing an artificial value on a person’s time and effort, when, in fact, it has only the value we give it. It is only important because we believe it to be, not because of any inherent real value…. This idea, though, is probably too complex for those who have given up the right to think, and operate totally on the theory of doing whatever is the most expedient….


Then, for the final insult to our humanity, the concept of government as a beneficial facet of society, to ensure the ‘safety’ of all, is thrust upon these unsuspecting fools, who are already primed to believe anything someone in a ‘position of authority’ (preacher, teacher, policeman, elected official, etc…. bureaucrats and sycophants, all…) tells them to believe…. That’s the whole problem, right there, in a nutshell…. If you believe the first false idea, the rest of them form the remaining cords of their slave collars…. and, the saddest part is, most of them never even know they’re slaves at all…


I could, no doubt, carry on in this vein for a long time; there are a thousand examples in daily life of how the average person has no clue as to how easily they are controlled by the forces who wish to have power over others…. But, I’m getting tired, and, am well aware most of those who will read this are NOT part of those who can be controlled; they don’t end up here very often, somehow…. If they do, they don’t talk much…. For the rest of us, I’ll show some pity, and finish off with a 13 star pearl with as many indictments, and examples of how things got the way they are…. Enjoy!….


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“In morals, what begins in fear usually ends in wickedness; in religion, what begins in fear usually ends in fanaticism. Fear, either as a principle or a motive, is the beginning of all evil.” — Mrs. Jameson


“No people in the world ever did achieve their freedom by goody-goody talk and moral suasion: it being immutable law that all revolutions that will succeed, must begin in blood, whatever the answer afterward. If history teaches anything, it teaches that” — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)


“These PRESERVES should be FORCE-FED to PENTAGON OFFICIALS!!” — Zippy the Pinhead


“The amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry, no idol is more debasing.” — Andrew Carnegie


“The missionaries go forth to Christianize the savages–as if the savages weren’t dangerous enough already.” — Edward Abbey


“Ignorance is the soil in which belief in miracles grows.” — Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)


“Our safety, our liberty depends on preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate.  The people of the US are the rightful masters both Congress and the courts – Not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution” — Abraham Lincoln


“Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” — Denis Diderot in “Dithrambe sur la fete de rois”


“Have in readiness this saying of Solon, “But we will not give up our virtue in exchange for their wealth.” — Plutarch — How to profit by our Enemies


DEBT, n.  An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slave- driver.


As, pent in an aquarium, the troutlet

Swims round and round his tank to find an outlet,

Pressing his nose against the glass that holds him,

Nor ever sees the prison that enfolds him;

So the poor debtor, seeing naught around him,

Yet feels the narrow limits that impound him,

Grieves at his debt and studies to evade it,

And finds at last he might as well have paid it.~~ Barlow S. Vode~~




 — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”




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Comedy_Tragedy




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 ~~






Written 7/22/2013.


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About Hopi Indian Symbols


    An odd little pearl, with seven excellent statements to help us find some meaning in Life. Of course, if you’ve already found meaning that works for you, you don’t have to do it again…. Those are the rules…. I think. Anyway, enjoy!….


“The value of passion, like fire, is judged finally by the amount of warmth and light it creates. Fanatics, like forest fires, burn bright but destroy all in their path that is tender and green.  To be useful, fire must be confined. To live passionately, we must develop discipline; to love powerfully, we must forge bonds of commitment. Passion is inseparable from compassion.” — Sam Keen


“You can’t get wet from the word ‘water’.” — Alan Watts


“To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.” — Plutarch


“The happiness and unhappiness of the rational, social animal depends not on what he feels but on what he does; just as his virtue and vice consist not in feeling but in doing.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, ix, 16


“Truth that has merely been learned is like an artificial limb, a false tooth, a waxen nose; it adheres to us only because it is put on. But truth acquired by thought of our own is like a natural limb; it alone really belongs to us.” — Arthur Schopenhauer


“As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.” — Diogenes


“If you don’t laugh at all, you’ve missed the point. If you only laugh,  you’ve missed your chance for illumination.” — Robert Anton Wilson


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Since I’m back online a day before I’d thought to be, I’ll end this here, in the proper spot, and get it posted. This also means I’ll be back tomorrow, unless something historically compelling, like a revolution, gets in the way….. See ya then, ffolkes; count on 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










Featured Image -- 2780




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Unwilling to swim, it sank….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




"If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand."


~~ Confucius ~~


leeloo 1 026


LeeLoo, hard at work.




Good morning.... We are not happy. In fact, we are not we, but, nonetheless, we aren't happy. Nor would you be, if your plans to garner a bit of sleep fell through as thoroughly as have mine. It is now 0129, according to the microwave clock. That's too frigging early, even for me. I had hoped to make it all the way to 0400, but, it seems my body prefers for me to experience TD q4h, whether I am ready for it or not. (TD = tardive dyskinesia, the bane of all opiate junkies and victims of medical abuse, to wit: me....) I don't know about y'all, but I just LOVE being up all fucking night, shaking and pacing! Can you think of a better way to lose weight?.... Well, actually, I can....


Ah, well, not long to go now.... My stay in Hell should only last another eight or nine days. Piece o'cake, ya think? And, hey, I've gone this long without ripping anyones tongue out with my bare hands, so, it's looking good for making it through this without any jail time. Bonus! Mom would have been proud....


Now, of course, I am in even deeper doo-doo.... How can I save this, without resorting to outright cheating, or perverse manipulation of the sort we all must endure from the BRC and those of their ilk? (I sure am glad I'm in a different ilk....) (Exactly what IS an ilk, anyway?.... Never mind....) I suppose I could write a quick fictional opening, but, the reality based crap at the top kind of aced that idea. How about some.... no, better not. That didn't work out well the last time we tried it. Maybe we could.... nope. Forgot; we lost our license for that. Hmm.... this is getting sticky, isn't it?


Ah, I know. I'll break out an old #4. It works every time. It's also our cheapest method for getting us out of here, as it's simply too fast and effective to be illegal, thus saving us a small fortune in legal fees. As those of y'all who have been here before know, y'all should hang on to something solid, and, for heaven's sake, put down your drinks.... Luigi, it's a # 4; hold on!....


Shall we Pearl?....


"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with." -- Mark Twain


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




    White Rabbit mode kicked in, for some reason; hence, the default musical selection for today reverts to our standard.... Enjoy!....







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Classical Music


















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220px-Pogo_-_Earth_Day_1971_poster


Pogo, by Walt Kelly




Those among you who have read the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig will know what I mean when I say I've been on a personal chautauqua, seeking the path to my own center of being. It's been a long journey, as I had apparently wandered much further than I had imagined, which, when one stops to think, is only natural, given the whole concept of losing one's way.... Any who, I'm getting closer, and can feel both poetry and prose percolating, with the promise of copious floods of nonsense, verbal trickery, and a bit of philosophy yet to come. For now, in place of the rant which would usually grace this section (a bit o ego there, yes?...), here is a nine-star pearl, with some thoughts on how it all got to be the way it is today, in this crazy old mode of existence we call Reality.... Enjoy, ffolkes....


"Humankind cannot stand very much reality. -- T.S. Eliot


"And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the bible were used to beat plowshares into swords..." -- Alan Watts


"Prejudice is the child of ignorance." -- William Hazlitt


"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible." -- Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals


"The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase: 'My religion alone is true.'" -- Ramakrishna, Hindu saint & reformer


"Most of the dogmatic religions have exhibited a perverse talent for taking the wrong side on the most important concepts in the material universe, from  the structure of the solar system to the origin of man." -- George Gaylord Simpson


"Any religion...is forever in danger of petrifaction into mere ritual and habit, though ritual and habit be essential to religion." -- T.S. Eliot, Selected Essays, 1927.


"Before you have sex you have to be elected to a high government position." -- Zippy


"Grown men, he told himself, in flat contradiction of centuries of accumulated  evidence about the way grown men behave, do not behave like this." -- Douglas Adams


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






Comedy_Tragedy


When life calls, ready or not....




Memories are all we have sometimes

to keep our sanity intact,

with learned phrases and subtle rhymes

lessening life's vicious, vibrant impact.


Presently all seems composed and intent

in stark contrast to hollow day,

forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,

fill up night's bower, leaving hell to pay.


Such vigorous and elevated temper

brings us rare moments to ponder,

filled with lessons all need to remember

lest base perception lose valued wonder.


Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast

leaving shameless anger in its wake.

Let bygones pass quietly into the past

reaping only what is left to take.


Final words of wise imagination

tell us living well's the best revenge, it appears

ever eluding choirs and congregations

finally finding home, never buried in tears.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 9/10/2015.


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





Yin-Yang-symbol-sun-and-moon



    Today's final old-school pearl speaks to our humanity, and, how to go about being the best human one can be.... Pay attention, ffolkes; this one is bound to be on the Quiz....




He not busy being born

Is busy dying.


~~ Bob Dylan ~~




"Anyone who has had a bull by the tail knows five or six more things than someone who hasn't." -- Mark Twain


"No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see." -- Taoist Proverb


"Down in their hearts, wise men know this truth: the only way to help yourself is to help others." -- Elbert Hubbard


"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need." -- The Rolling Stones


"In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside." -- Epictetus -- Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxvi


"No amount of ability is of the slightest avail without honor." -- Andrew Carnegie


"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." -- Albert Einstein


"It's like brother Nietzsche said--being human is a complicated gig, so give that dark night of the soul a hug and howl the eternal yes." -- Chris, the Philosophical DJ on the TV show, Northern Exposure


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


Since it's taken nearly three days to get this done, I'd best take it the way it now, before I decide to start over (no worries, not gonna happen....). In point of fact, I must go out today, into the BBR, to take LeeLoo to her first visit to the vet.... No telling when, but, I will be back.... Meanwhile, stay alert, keep your powder dry, and question authority; you know, the basics.... See ya....




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí....



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Look! It’s a roly-poly, wholly holy jellyroll!…

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

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Ffolkes,




The path is the way.


The way is the truth.


It is found, but not held;


walked on, but not followed.


~~ Tao Teh Ching ~~


Mixed days 047




Scenes from a train IV….




Good morning…. Making such a grandiose statement so early, before actually seeing any of the day, is, perhaps, somewhat optimistic, but, I figured a bit of positive attitude can’t hurt…. We’ll see how that goes…. Given the hour (0200), my physical status, (shaky, with pain at about level 7 much of the time), and the state of my mind (sleepy, grumpy, and other dwarfish adjectives… to wit: funky…), a lot of the optimism may be unwarranted, but, hey, life’s tough, and then you die. So, how else to react, than to shake our heads, sip, breathe, sip, and trundle on?….


All you can do is all you can do…. Therefore, that’s what we’ll do….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Before he became a hermit, Zarathud was a young Priest, and took great delight in making fools of his opponents in front of his followers. One day Zarathud took his students to a pleasant pasture and there he confronted The Sacred Chao while She was contentedly grazing. “Tell me, you dumb beast,” demanded the Priest in his commanding voice, “why don’t you do something worthwhile? What is your Purpose in Life, anyway?” Munching the tasty grass, The Sacred Chao replied “MU”. (The Chinese ideogram for No-Thing.) Upon hearing this, absolutely nobody was enlightened. Primarily because nobody understood Chinese.” — Camden Benares, “Zen Without Zen Masters”


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





Peace76




    Today is a national holiday, designed to celebrate nationalism, a subject I tend to avoid/ignore as much as possible…. However, it does give me the opportunity to include an iconic American band for your listening pleasure…. Today’s choice is one of the finest acoustic performances, ever…. Enjoy!….




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Crosby,Stills,Nash,& Young














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Dont keep calm




“Silence can be the biggest lie of all.  We have a responsibility to speak up; and whenever the occasion calls for it, we have a responsibility to raise bloody hell.” — Herbert Block


“… so long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.” — Voltarine de Cleyre


One might think, being up so early, I’d be able to rant; however, such an event requires a delicate balance of energy and angst. A lack of either one can sink a rant before it begins. Such is the case today; I got so little sleep, I’m too tired to think clearly… THAT is why you get an archived discussion today…. It is on a subject near and dear to my curmudgeonly heart, and, not to shabby, all things considered…. Enjoy, ffolkes, for what it’s worth….


From 3/15/2013:


“Republican views of the world differ from Democratic views of the world. The reason for this is that these views are based on different compilations of misinformation.” — Smart Bee


There are moments, such as this one, when I believe the people, or person, who put together the database known to me as Smart Bee, is perhaps the most intelligent creature on this planet….. I’ve been ranting about politicians for years, trying to show people how dangerous it is to believe ANY of the stuff that either party is slinging at us to try to convince us they are worthy of our votes. Now, in one short aphorism, of two lines, we are given a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of the crap we hear from them…. Essentially, this says that every one of them is full of shit, and everything they say and do is destined to fail, because it is ALL based on incorrect information, or, to be more accurate, on unwarranted assumptions about reality…..


The most important part of this description is its impartiality of indictment. Both parties are brought into scrutiny, and found wanting, of any real knowledge of the truth, because they are both basing all of their premises on false beliefs, just for starters. Add to that, since they are politicians by choice, their genetic predisposition is to self-aggrandizement, and they show an inherent inability to tell the truth. It becomes rather easily seen why our society has become, well, insane…. It’s a short trip to crazy from where they begin the journey…. and they don’t take any detours on the road….


You see, both parties are convinced of a complete falsehood, one with which humanity has been struggling for centuries…. This lie is so basic, it colors and affects everything they do to try to manipulate the world into going the way they wish it to go. As long as they continue to try to do this, our society is doomed to failure in the long run, for the lie goes against the very nature of reality…. Simply put, these people believe they can legislate morality…. They believe that they can make laws, and people will go against their very nature to follow them, in spite of the fact that the law they propose is contrary to what comes naturally to humans, to wit: self-centered, grasping behaviors that only benefit the perpetrator, and no one else…..


We have laws against stealing…. and the most accomplished thieves we see in our culture wear suits and live in Washington D.C. We have laws against killing each other, but, people still get killed, and, if the killers do so while wearing a flag, or a badge, they are considered heroes, no matter how many they kill. We have laws that supposedly protect women, children, and the aged, from suffering abuse, but, just look around you, and you will see no end to the depredations that society allows to be perpetrated upon these three most vulnerable members of our society, all very much within the legal limits of the public morality, as given in the law books….


“[…] For all our conceits about being the center of the universe, we live in a routine planet of a humdrum star stuck away in an obscure corner […] on an unexceptional galaxy which is one of about 100 billion galaxies. […] That is the fundamental fact of the universe we inhabit, and it is very good for us to understand that.” — Carl Sagan


The people who get involved in politics, and religion, for much the same reason, believe they are special, and entitled to take all they can from the universe, because they are the be-all, and end-all of the evolutionary ladder. It says so right there in the Bible….. They don’t care that reality says differently, because their sense of denial has been fine-tuned since shortly after they were born, and they are capable of ignoring facts right up until they slap them in the face…. (Witness the Republican melt-down in the last Presidential election, when the Republican party got slapped in the face by their own lack of contact with reality…..)


In spite of all the massive amounts of evidence to the contrary, these folks believe in their own divine entitlement as the lords of creation, chosen by God to do with this planet as we would, without regard for any of the other creatures that live here with us, or for the beauty and balance of the land that sustains us. As far as they are concerned, other people and animals, and natural resources, are theirs to do with as they wish, with God’s blessing…. The fucking assholes…..


I apologize for the vulgarity, to my readers, but not to those at whom it is directed…. To them, I say, fuck you, and fuck you again…. I regard all politicians, priests, preachers, police, lawyers, judges, and corporate misogynists of all shapes and sizes to be INSANE…. floridly, and viciously insane, without any of the moral standards that the rest of mankind embraces. These assholes are responsible for our imminent demise through environmental destruction of the ecosphere, as well as for the endless preying on the weak and vulnerable to suit their own depravity, and lack of moral fiber.


“All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.” — Joseph Conrad


Sexual slavery, corporate collusion to fix wages and prices, legislative corruption and oppression, judicial malfeasance and more corruption, governmental incompetence, religious repression and collusion with politicians, all serve the purposes of the ruling class to a T, no matter how much suffering it causes to others…. As long as they have what they want, nothing anyone else says or does matters at all….


I hate to be a harbinger of bad news, but, I call ’em as I see ’em, and I see what is real…. None of what is wrong in the world will change, until the major portion of mankind makes a change of spirit, and the people, as a whole, decide that the few among us who are bold enough to act must, in fact, act. The evil among us will not go away, or stop, of its own accord, and waiting for them to come around to a more amenable state of mind isn’t going to work, as that just isn’t going to happen.


If we wish to survive, they have to go, and mankind must find a new way to get along with each other than the out-dated ways we have been trying for millennia… Those old ways leave too much power in the hands of people who will give in to the temptation that goes along with such power over others, and must not be allowed to happen any more, not if we wish to survive to see any future at all….. The universe doesn’t care one way or another, so we’ll have to be responsible for our own actions…. as we have always been, and have always been afraid to admit….


“If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will not produce food either.” — Joseph Wood Krutch


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Comedy_Tragedy




Relative Cynicism, with Caramel Sauce


Absolute stillness follows violent movement,

  it can happen during a downhill race,

as an immovable piece of asphalt pavement

  meets the once handsome racer’s face.


Yuk, yuk, yuk, said that asshole Moe,

 after poking both of Larry’s eyes,

bashing face, head, & crotch of Curly Joe

  and only ever got hit with pies.


Lonely moments never really come along

  when Murphy’s got us in his sights.

Not for money, love, or siren’s song

  will he abrogate his natural rights.


All we can do is sigh, or laugh in pain,

  as Life portions out our ration of shit.

Silver linings melt in the slightest rain,

  so we may as well learn to live with it.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 4/7/2013.


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





ankh




    As it turns out, it’s a good thing I was up so early; SB decided to go on strike again…. I managed to pull out a decent nine-star pearl, commenting on Life at Large, but, I have to say, it was much like pulling tree stumps…. I can testify, it ain’t easy…. Enjoy, ffolkes; these are probably, if not actually on the Quiz, required prerequisites….


“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anais Nin


“The believer is happy. The doubter is wise.” — Hungarian proverb


“He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.” — Cicero


“They say dogs ignore their reflections in mirrors because they can’t smell them. Dogs, unlike people, are not fooled by what they see.” — Theodore Sturgeon


“Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. … Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.” — Lao Tzu

“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.” — Bertold Brecht


“I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.” — Alan Watts


“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet


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


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


Well…. I suppose, since I’m done, I can say this: fucking assholes!. There. I feel better now…. To whom do I refer? I refer to those assholes who call themselves doctors, that’s who. It’s too late to explain right now, but, take it from me, they’re assholes…. Regardless of that, I’ll be back tomorrow, provided nobody in a uniform gets in my way…. I’m NOT in the mood to fuss with them, and might get a bit testy…. See you then, ffolkes, as long as my computer boots up….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Portraits of affable wallet accessories….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“In the dark time will there also be singing?”


“Yes, there will be singing about the dark time.”


~~ Bertolt Brecht


foster-moonbase


Artist’s rendition of proposed EUSA Lunar Base


Image from Space.com






Good morning, ffolkes…. The new, minimalist method I’ve developed for the intro section seems to have worked out fairly well… If I have aught to say, well, I can…. If not, such as today, it’s perfect…. Let’s let it do its thing, okay?….


Shall we Pearl?


“Passive activity income does not include the following: Income for an activity that is not a passive activity.” — IRS form 8583, Passive Activity Loss Limitation


And, don’t you forget it!….


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






mighty mouse


Image from wikipedia via Google free images




This little guy was my childhood hero; I never missed one of his cartoons on Saturday, for as long as I can remember…. Enjoy!….




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Mighty Mouse











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Dont keep calm




“Written laws are like spiders’ webs, and will like them only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful easily break through them.”

— Anacharsis (f1. c. 600 B.C.), Scythian philosopher — Quoted in Plutarch, the Lives of the Nobel Grecians and Romans, Solon


I decided NOT to produce a fresh rant, though I certainly could; there’s plenty of stuff going on out in the BBR at which to pick…. But, I found this older piece that works just fine with the above stimulus quote, from a few years back…. It’s actually two pearls from the Pearl posted in March of 2012. Enjoy, ffolkes! It’s all real, not to mention still relevant….


From 3/27/2012:


“And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the bible were used to beat plowshares into swords…” — Alan Watts


“…You don’t have many suspects who are innocent of a crime. That’s contradictory.  If a person is innocent of a crime, then he is not   suspected.” — Edwin Meese


Viewed in light of the first quote, if one may assume its veracity, even temporarily, for the sake of argument, the second quote, while disappointing in the extreme, is not as surprising as it might otherwise have been seen. Oh, where to begin a response to such an outrageous display of ignorance and bigotry? I count only 26 words here, and can think of at least 14 ways this is just wrong, just off the top of my head. It piles one false assumption on top of another until any glimmer of possible relation to the truth, or reality, is completely obscured. Unfortunate as it is, this mind-set is still all-too-common, especially amongst the political pundit review currently on parade.


As a matter of fact, this mind-boggling distortion of our actual laws on the subject, reminds me very strongly of three of our esteemed Republican candidates being followed avidly by the news-mongers, especially Mitt the Twitt…. in the last week alone (post Etch-A-Sketch), he has made, (and I, along with a fairly large number of bloggers & citizens keeping track, counted), at minimum, 19 apparently deliberate lies that involved vague accusations of impropriety by the current administration.  Each and every one of these statements, when checked against reality, or what was reported in other media sources, was obviously made up on the spot, or completely in reverse of what actually occurred. He is so desperate to appear to be confident and forceful, he is completely oblivious to the fact that no one is buying into his nonsense any more; in response his lies get more and more removed from any connection to reality or truth.  His two closest challengers are no better; they make a habit of making statements that have absolutely no bearing on the subject under discussion, or accuse the media of playing favorites to distract the audience from whatever question they attempting to avoid answering by doing so.


All of these men have lost touch with reality in a lot of areas, and their denial of this fact serves as further evidence of that loss. Their belief, that they have their finger on the pulse of the American people, is so far removed from the truth it approaches the realm of delusion. They have completely lost track of, or denied, any connection they may have once had to the rest of their countrymen, insisting that their out-dated, ignorant policies, that didn’t work 45 years ago, or 90 years ago, will nonetheless work in today’s changing face of global politics, while completely ignoring the mountain of evidence to the contrary. They have assumed the mantle of the fanatic, a segment of the population that has previously been clearly identified as those folks who, when they have lost sight of their goal, redouble their efforts. Sad, and a terrible waste of everyone else’s time and energy to have to even listen to such nonsense. They have given up their place in the human tribe, and don’t even know it…… Pathetic, if you ask me…..


Mi taku oyasin.  (We are all related.) — Lakota belief

___________________________________


There are times when the pearls I find that stimulate me to want to write about them are found in clusters. Several at once, all closely related, or similarly themed, just throw themselves at me, clamoring for inclusion. On these occasions I’ve learned to let them have their way. It is just as effective a lesson as my comments usually can claim to be, and has the added bonus of requiring less actual work on my part; the authors I choose have all done my thinking, and expressing for me, and usually much better than my discussions. Below are some observations on politics, patriotism, and the price of liberty, from some pretty well-respected political observers……


“In a state-run society the government promises you security. But it’s a false promise predicated on the idea that the opposite of security in risk. Nothing could be further from the truth. The opposite of security is insecurity, and the only way to overcome insecurity is to take risks. The gentle government that promises to hold your hand as you cross the street refuses to let go on the other side.” — Theodore Forstmann


“My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one’s country, not to its institutions or its officeholders.  The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)


“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” — Thomas Jefferson to A. Stuart, 1791


“I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.” — H. L. Mencken


“I don’t pick on politicians. They ain’t done nothin’.”– Red Skelton


“Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.” — Kin Hubbard


(Don’t ask…. it just fit, that’s all…)


and finally….




Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

  Men were deceivers ever,–

One foot in sea and one on shore,

  To one thing constant never.


~~ William Shakespeare


~~Much Ado about Nothing — Act ii, Sc. 3~~ 


(Will was obviously channeling George Carlin…)




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





Comedy_Tragedy




    Since I haven’t had it in me to rant much of late, here’s a poem about ranting….




A Few Words of Note




In place of ranting and raving about assholes every day

maybe I’ll try something more fun.

Rather than throwing words at all the assholes on public pay

I’ll switch to shooting at them, with a gun….


Should I actually hit one, purely by mistake,

maybe it would wake them up.

Maybe, if they had to think, or actually cut us a break,

we’d see a chance to win at life, to take a step up. 


Our nation, such as it is today, was founded by men who told the truth;

that morality disappeared long ago.

Simple ethical strength so bright, so prevalent in our country’s youth

was soon corrupted, corporate interests now run the show.


Nothing would please me more than to fire off some rounds,

if only to gain their attention.

But, I can no longer run, I’ve gained too many pounds;

so, my keyboard and intellect must serve to fulfill my intention.


I won’t stop, of that you may be sure

I love my freedoms, and the philosophy from which it springs.

Tom, and Ben, and John, and Pat, those patriots pure

gave me their example, and the inner peace it brings.


If bullets won’t persuade our elected liars to toe the ethical line,

I’ll throw my most powerful words…..

If nothing else, it will make them wriggle to escape, or voice their pitiful whine,

thus exposing themselves for what they are…. plain and simple turds.


~~ gigoid ~~




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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    Ffolkes, THIS is a pearl; in might even be called a prototypical pearl. It’s a wonderful nine-star collection of some of Life’s lesser known lessons, couched in less than ordinary terminology, wrapped tightly in extreme metaphor, yet, each one with a valuable piece of information, each essential to getting the whole picture of Reality as it is, not as we guess it might be… Most are stuff you either already know, or, ought to; if not, well, there’s still time to learn, even for slow-learners…. not that I’d ever suggest any of MY Gentle Readers could be such…. All of them, I’m sure, will chuckle right to the end, then just go, “yep…” Well, the polite ones will…




“Ah said, pay attention, boy!” 


~~ Foghorn Leghorn ~~




“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head.” — Pooh, in Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne


“Life is pleasant.  Death is peaceful.  It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” — Isaac Asimov


“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.” — The Vatican Sayings, Epicurus


“It ain’t loafing unless they can prove it.” — Dick Brown


“I only took the regular course.” “What was that?” inquired Alice. “Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied; “and then the different branches of Arithmetic — Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.” “What else had you to learn?” “Well, there was Mystery,” the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the subjects on his flippers, — “Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography: then Drawling — the Drawling-master was an old conger-eel, that used to come once a week: HE taught us Drawling, Stretching and Fainting in Coils. I never went to the Classical master, though.  He taught Laughing and Grief, they used to say.” — Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”


“If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.” — Edith Wharton


“Nothin’ ain’t worth nothin’, but it’s free.” — Kris Kristofferson




“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?” 


~~ Steven Wright ~~




See. ffolkes? I’ve always told you, it’s all in the wrist….


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


Yet another day’s duty done; it’s not a bad feeling. In fact, it’s so good, I’m taking it, and my leave…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided the Apocalypse isn’t scheduled for tomorrow….




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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








Kowabunga!




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Bluffing on a busted flush….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“He is able who thinks he is able.” 


~~ Buddha ~~


Two


Road Trip


Image stolen from unknown Internet site.




Unburdened by the rigors of coherent thought, I sit to begin another Pearl. I sincerely wish, too, I could claim credit for the opening sentence; sadly, I stole part of it. Beautiful, though, isn’t it? The part before the comma is the part I stole, which is why I wish I’d said it; it is, in almost every sense, a perfect expression of my state of being almost every day as I start this process. Process it is, too, beginning with will power sufficient to arise from bed, (always a challenging exercise, these days….), stumble to the coffee machine to turn it on, then, walk to the computer to attempt to find the tiny button to turn it on….


About ten minutes later, having somehow waited to get the coffee into my system, (often performing completely unconscious physical actions to do so…. I seldom remember FIXING the coffee, only consuming it…), I look at the screen to see if, maybe, I wrote something worth keeping while in my semi-conscious state. At least THAT is consistent…. it’s never there…


Today, the process is complicated even further by the vertigo I’ve been gifted with of late. In case you’ve never experienced it, let me assure you, it’s no picnic. Any sort of motion seems to stimulate it, which makes the process of writing somewhat problematic, as the head makes natural movements while thinking about them…. To be honest, it’s getting to be a bit of a bother…. and, yes, that’s sarcasm….


But. I got some of this done yesterday, so, I’ll push through, pretending I’m tough. I really did used to be tough; I just need to remember how to go about it…. Shouldn’t be too hard; I’ve played with pain, or other issues, all my life…. I’m not going to let it keep me from doing what I need to do now…..


Fuck Murphy….. and the fucking white horse he thinks he rode in on….


Shall we Pearl?


“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total oblivion. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me and turn my inner eye to follow its path. When the fear is gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” — The Litany Against Fear (Frank Herbert, -Dune-, 1965)


Good timing on that one…. it’ll come in handy today….


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three tenors


Image from scotsman.com via Google images




I am NOT an opera fan, at all. However…. I AM a big fan of the human voice; I learned to play guitar so I could sing along. This isn’t to say I’ve the world’s best baritone; in fact I’d say any one of these three gentlemen are much better, without any fear of disagreement, from anyone but my dog, which I don’t have. And, they’re tenors, not baritones, which goes to show you how good I might be…. When all three of them are hitting a top note, it is, literally, spine-tingling…. Enjoy, ffolkes….







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The Three Tenors In Paris ~~ 1998




















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le penseur-rodin




    As might be surmised, a fresh rant is out of the question, unless I want to start in on Kaiser, HMO’s, and Big Pharm; I think I’ve built up enough angst over them to rant for a week with stopping…. For now, this little exercise will do….


From 9/2/2013:


“The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this very afternoon.” — John F. Kennedy


What a great little anecdote! I love to see a great life lesson told in a few short words…. Here is a perfect description of the attitude one requires to achieve happiness…. Yes, happiness, an old word, one bandied about much by the uninformed, and the unhappy…. Happy people never need to use the word itself, as they are just…. there. There is little need to think about being happy, when you are, and in fact, not thinking about it is one of the keys to holding it, once found…. But, it is a rare person in today’s world who can maintain any long periods where they feel happy the entire time; the world intrudes too much into our lives to give us leave to be happy, unless we know the secret…..


Yes, there’s a secret….. Of course, it’s the kind of secret that is hidden right in plain sight, like Poe’s Purloined Letter. It only requires that one be willing to accept it, and to allow it to enter into one’s spirit, suffusing the world in the less harsh light of contentment, rather than the cold, hard light of resentment. People tend to be like the gardener, blocking their own happiness by finding all kinds of reasons to NOT allow it entry into their world. As humans, we are taught at young age to view reality with stoicism, and mute, unquestioning acceptance of our lot; we are shown all the ways to look ahead, to see the worst of what can happen, in order to be prepared….


But, there is another way to approach the matter, one little known, and therefore little taught…Reality is a tough go, for sure, but, with a little bit of mental effort, much easier than the alternative, one can be in control of how it (Reality) affects one’s life. In short, Life treats us all like shit; what determines how much of it gets in our sandwich depends solely on us, and how we react to that shit…. We can slap the shit between two slices of bread, and choke it down…. or, we can use it as fertilizer, to grow some rather nice weed…. potent, and good for you….


Whatever one decides, the choice remains, as long as one is aware of the options. The problem with most folks is, they don’t see the options, or they don’t believe they will work, as their attitudes keep them from even trying a lot of new ways to do things. I won’t say it is this way for all people, but the greatest majority of people I see in the world are unhappy, without ever realizing that a) they don’t have to be unhappy, and b) being happy is within their power to choose…. It’s too bad, really, because that unhappiness is part of what makes people go wonky, losing integrity, honor, and any sense of morality, in order to reach for an illusion, an illusion of happiness that, even if grasped, will drift away and vanish, like smoke in a breeze….


This little mini-diatribe was intended to be more…. more clear, more inspiring, more helpful in getting people to think in different ways…. However, I seem to have lost that thread, and it’s getting a bit obscure, and thick…. So, I’m going to switch to old-school, and politely ask Smart Bee to give me the right words to accomplish that intent, without having to subject y’all to another thousand words of pedantic persuasion…. Well, that’s how it’s supposed  to work, anyway…. If not, at least it will have been more palatable, with more chocolate chips….


“Going to bed with a woman never hurt a ballplayer. It’s staying up all night looking for them that does you in.” — Casey Stengel


“Pizza is a lot like sex.  When it’s good, it’s really good.  When it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.” — Smart Bee


“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


“Man errs as long as he strives.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust


“‘T is but a part we see, and not a whole.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 60


“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” — Mark Twain


“Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke.” — Hermann Hesse


Okay, so, that works, sort of….. My apologies…. It’s not as clear as I’d hoped, though it’s quite good, in its own small way…. Not bad directions, if one is accustomed to pearls…. I’ve got it! Here is an example of how happiness works, and is available for use by anyone who wishes to use it….


I’m happy now…. I’m done….


(That’s it…. that’s the secret….. No? Not clear yet? Ah, well…. Well, we’ll try again later, ffolkes…. just remember, you CAN be happy, any time you wish…. It’s all a matter of choice….  Bonus? Nobody can take the choice away from you….)


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Comedy_Tragedy




Retrospective, defined in folly….


Yesterday

I wrote a poem.


It bled out of my head,

like I’d been struck with

an axe,

right through the artery, 

in the neck,

spraying blood around

everywhere,

like a pulsing garden hose….


It hurt, at first,

then came the feeling,


of quick relief,

of timeless beauty,

 

of pain avenged,

of lust aroused,


of outrage aflame,

of deep compassion,


of endless empathy,

of truest love….


Now it’s gone, cast away

like pearls before twine.


(Grin…)


You thought

I was going to call you

a pig,

didn’t you?


Hah!


Well, you’re not.

You’re a person.


I know, because

you’re reading this poem…

if that’s what it is.

I think it is, 

so,

maybe it is. 


Or, maybe,

it will be,

someday, when it

grows up, 

and learns to rhyme.

Whew…

Just in time…..


That’s all.

Reality often sucks wind,

y’know?


S’okay, though….

It keeps us busy,

and out of some of the

mischief,

so much part

of our 

nature.


We all can do

only what we

do.


Or, don’t.


Two sides, one coin.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 8/31/2014


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Peace76




    Today’s old-school pearl is pretty simple; it’s made up of good advice on how to live your life in a manner of your own choosing…. In short, it’s mostly stuff you already know, for peace is ALWAYS there inside all of us, just waiting for us to realize we are connected to the Universe at all times, if only we can remember….


“Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.” — Edward Abbey


“It is the edge and temper of the blade that make a good sword, not the richness of the scabbard; and so it is not money or possessions that make man considerable, but his virtue.” — Seneca


“. . 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


“Think all you speak, but speak not all you think.” — Smart Bee


“You can’t get wet from the word ‘water’.”  — Alan Watts


“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson


“We must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.” — Indira Gandhi


“When I was born, death kissed me. I kissed it back.” — Rainer Maria Rilke


“The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose.” — Plutarch — Of the Training of Children


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There! Did it….. A great sense of relief infuses me; getting this done is almost made worthwhile by so feeling, I must say. Have said so, I’ll torment you no further, but, rather, take my leave, while the leaving is good…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; as can be seen, it will take a lot to stop me…. Let’s just hope the PTB continue to ignore my intransigence, chalking it up to insanity…. Yeah, that’s the ticket….




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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Wild to be born….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




Thales said there was no difference between life and death.


“Why, then,” said some one to him, “do not you die?”


“Because,” said he, “it does make no difference.”


~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Thales, ix ~~


3-1-2015 011 (2)

Reel Art, by Ferdinand de Faux




Mornings scuk. Or, skcu. Hell, they uksc. Damn, what’s up with that? Mornings SUCK! There, that’s better….


I haven’t a clue as to why that word refused to be typed correctly until it was shouted… It did get the point across though, that point being the suckitude we are experiencing today…. It is, perhaps, too early to be coining new words, perfectly relevant though they may be; I do like this one, though. “Suckitude” has a lot of chutzpah, telling a story of misery and blahness quite accurately…. Hey, look, it’s another new word! I’d better be careful, I think; we haven’t filed any papers on any of these, and the grammar nazis can be fierce here on WP….


In fact, I think I’ll stop taking chances right here, right now. I’m not in any kind of space to deal with those protectors of modern English; they get too fanatic for me…. In fact, I don’t have much at all today, not in the way of bright, or clever, or even rational. In fact, I’ll be very fortunate to be able to pull this Pearl into any sort of reasonable shape to get posted. In the interests of getting that chosen Duty done, I’m going to ruthlessly employ our most efficient, most eco-friendly, and, most importantly, our cheapest method for moving us along, to wit: emergency tool #4, which, as y’all know, works like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“I find television very educating.  Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx, 1890-1977


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Today’s video isn’t for fun; it does fine as entertainment, but, the subject matter is a bit more relevant than that…. I won’t suggest you enjoy it, but, you would do well to pay attention…







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 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Infrastructure (HBO)


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http://youtu.be/Wpzvaqypav8


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Dont keep calm


    I have nothing. This one, from the archives, will have to do….


From 2/10/2014:


“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” — Oscar Wilde


It’s almost certain now…. I’m convinced the government is actively restraining themselves in this past week, deliberately trying to NOT do anything that makes the news…. The only articles in the past few days are all just follow-up stories on other older news, or what are called ‘fluff’ pieces, designed merely to take up space on the page, without actually serving up any real information about anything important…. Kind of like the “Dumb” Starbucks story today in the SFGATE headlines…. You know there is probably a conspiracy to control the news when the primary article on a Monday morning has to do with a corporate logo dispute in Southern California….


Now, one might surmise that this means that the psychopaths who inhabit the halls of government in this country are busy carrying on the business of the nation, out of plain sight in order to avoid distractions…. It would be more accurate, I’d think, to say they are definitely involved in the hatching of new schemes, er, making of plans, plans for making progress in their chosen task, that of total world domination…. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh…. But, you can bet your bony ass that whatever they’re up to, will benefit themselves more than it does anyone else… They can’t help that, it’s a genetic imperative for them…. They are preconditioned to selfishness, and a complete lack of compassion for others….


Oh, these sickos we have in our elected offices are slick, though, aren’t they? To look at them, and to hear them talk, you’d think they did nothing but sit around all day and worry about how tough things are for you, and the rest of the common masses over whom they preside, with the implied purpose of spending all their time looking for ways to improve your lot…. It often astounds me just how many idiots in the mainstream of society will talk as if what I just described is the gospel truth, and goes to describe their own chosen heroes in the public eye….  They will go to any lengths to convince others of their candidate’s sterling qualities, often going so far as to claim a touch of nobility upon the brow of their champion….


I no longer bother even telling those folks how stupid they are, because they’re already addicted to the sugar that is poured into their ears, to take the place of real information, or actual intelligent ideation…. Hell, even when one speaks to them, they refuse to listen to anything that disagrees with their own misconceptions…. I used to try to convince them of how they were hurting themselves with their blind obedience to a shadow, but, I got tired of bandaging my forehead, after beating it against the wall of their stubborn ignorance….


Instead, I started making Pearls, and, in the solace of that task I found the peace my mind needs to continue to think clearly, as well as the means to say what needs to be said, even if I’m the only one who knows what the hell I mean…. Hence, it becomes clear that I have once more completely pulled wool over the eyes of those present, as all of this is merely a way of introducing the following group of pearls, forming a pearl, whose parameters, if I’m lucky, will match what I’ve written above…. and, if not, well, we can always shoot for funny…. Enjoy!…..


“Those who are clever, who have a Brain, never understand anything.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne


“Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.” — David Searls


“It is the mark of our whole modern history that the masses are kept quiet with a fight. They are kept quiet by the fight because it is a sham-fight; thus most of us know by this time that the Party System has been popular only in the sense that a football match is popular.” — G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England. 156


“Don’t confuse me with the facts – my mind is made up.” — Joe Average, NYC


(In a 1998 study, in which random people on a street in New York were asked to pick, out of four statements, the one that described their Congressman the best, this was the favorite, by a factor of 28…. Truth…. Yes, it is…. no I’m not lying, trust me….) (Okay, yes, I am…. but, it SOUNDS true….)


“The NY Times is read by the people who run the country.  The Washington Post is read by the people who think they run the country.   The National Enquirer is read by the people who think Elvis is alive and running the country…” — Robert J Woodhead (trebor@biar.UUCP)


“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.” — G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, 9/11/09


“All cruelty springs from weakness.” — Seneca


Okay, so it came out a bit more comprehensive in scope than I first intended it to be, but, it works anyway…. The politicians are in there, for sure (See the first, third, fourth, and fifth pearls above for proof of that)…. But, the parameters widened up on me, mid-search, so, a few more ideas are included than we bargained for…. bonus!


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Here is a poem from the archives, to keep the blame for all of this where it belongs….






Random Exposure


If I only knew what I was doing here,

I could give others a clue.

Reality gets stranger every year,

and I’m not sure what I should do.


Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,

gives me a lot of pleasure.

I’m only glad I can still make a choice,

to look at life, to take its measure.


Memorable moments keep passing by

gilded, framed in precious emotion.

I never have to ask anyone why,

no need for a stronger potion.


Everything in life is clear, to me

there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.

We’re all good, as you can see,

members of Life, in good standing.


Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;

the right path is there for each of us to take.

That choice is often a difficult one;

pay close attention to the choice you make.


~~ gigoid ~~




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Today’s final pearl is the closest to our normal material we can offer…. It’s an excellent seven-star pearl, giving us some great advice on how to live a Life Well Lived…..




A little Madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King.


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~




“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” — Anne Mc Caffrey


“The wake does not drive the boat.” — Alan Watts


“Give, expecting nothing thereof” — St. Thomas Aquinas


“A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.” — Smart Bee


“It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 780




“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?


Can you remain unmoving till the right actions arises by itself?” 


~~ Lao Tzu ~~




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I have fulfilled my vow. It’s done, though I haven’t a clue as to how; gladly, it matters not. With no further ado, I bid thee adieu for another day; we are hoping tomorrow is less of a challenge. Our hope, though precious, is small…. Ta, then, ffolkes…..




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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3




 À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Oh, look, honey, the aurochs are nictating!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“He should not vow to walk in the dark, 


who has not seen the nightfall.”


~~ Elrond ~~


American Falls-Niagra-Ontario-2015-6F- Lindsay Dedario-Reuters-2

Niagra Falls, February, 2015 ~~ Photo from Weather.com




Today’s intro section will be just that, and nothing more. I’m tired of trying to figure it out, so I’m taking a hiatus from doing so…. Our only purpose here today is to get this done, so we can get on with it. Too much going on to even explain, so, in the interests of maintaining honesty, we’ll go immediately into emergency exit #4, which, as y’all know, works like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“Pardon him, Theodotus, he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.” — George Bernard Shaw


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nimoy-spock-star-trek-obituary


    Spock passed from this world yesterday…. Leonard Nimoy, who became Spock in the eyes and minds of the world, died at the age of 83, having lived long, and prospered. We’ll all miss him, that’s for sure…. Here is my own small tribute, in a slightly different vein than most you’ll see today…. This one celebrates the fun he gave us, along with the wisdom… Enjoy!….






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Star Trek – Blooper collection















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Up late; can’t think. This will do…. It ain’t up to Sartre, or Kierkegaard, but, it’ll do….


From 8/29/2013:


“But my dear man, reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.” — Alan Watts


I enjoy the words of Alan Watts, and have done so since first reading one of his books in college, many years ago. His command of English is so deep and wide that he is somewhat hard to read, due to the weight and depth of both the material under discussion, and of the words he chooses to use. But, working one’s way through to the end of what he writes is well worth all the effort, for he explains the complex, and yet simple, wisdom of the Eastern religions and philosophies, in Western terms, so they are comprehensible to those same Western thinkers, with a clarity heretofore unseen. This particular line is one of his most simply written, yet is still deep and insightful…..


With one swift phrase, Reality is laid bare for all to understand, showing its flexibility, it’s malleable nature able to become whatever we perceive it to be. Each of us has our own interpretation of what we perceive as reality, and it is often very different than what others may believe it to be. Sometimes, I am absolutely amazed at the variety of perceptions that people describe, and feel a lot of satisfaction, on one level at least. That is the level of interaction…. I think it is just wonderful, that people from so many different backgrounds, and so many different ways of looking at the same thing, can still live together on one planet in relative harmony.


It would seem apparent that so many differing viewpoints would cause a lot of trouble, and to some extent that’s true…. There is a lot of trouble on this world, and Reality is not a place for the weak or timid to hang out safely. But, mostly, all the various attitudes and outlooks on life seem to shuffle along without much conflict, at the personal level, compared to what might be expected. One of those little unexplained miracles in life that we often don’t see, or appreciate….. The phenomenon is even more pronounced in institutions such as mental hospitals, where the visions of reality are of such a nature as to seem limitless in their variety. I was always impressed at how people from so many different parts of the galaxy were able to live together in peace….   🙂


For me, the best part about the nature of Reality is this chameleon-like quality: it can be anything we want it to be. We can accept the perceptions it sends us, and even see, and understand, what those are describing to others, thus making it convenient for us to communicate about it. Or, we can choose to alter those perceptions, either in the way we receive them, or in the way we interpret them; either method gives us control over exactly how we view what is now a somewhat questionable form of Reality.


(It occurs to me that maybe I should use the capitalization technique, as with the words ‘pearl’, and ‘Pearl’…. Yeah, that’s the ticket… Okay, so ‘Reality’, capitalized, is what we all agree to see, and ‘reality’ is what each of us sees personally, with the word ‘see’ used to indicate ‘perceive’ because it’s a shorter word, took less time to type, and allowed me to further obfuscate matters in order to create the need to clear them up….. That should help clarify where we are in a sentence, even if it doesn’t actually simplify things at all…..)


Speaking of knowing where we are, this discussion seems to have reached a point where the next destination may be out of reach. Oh, not that the reality of it is too abstruse, or complicated, or even merely disgusting. No, it’s just too esoteric for me at 0815 in the morning, after already composing a couple thousand words on human nature and and the nature of Reality. It is almost a depressing come-down to have to consider ending this, since it was flowing so well, but, the perfect closing pearl showed itself, and I’m not one to argue with Smart Bee, or Zippy….. Stay alert, ffolkes, Reality can suck, and it can bite, when it’s not being nice…..


“I guess it was all a DREAM..  or an episode of HAWAII FIVE-O…” — Zippy the Pinhead


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Gasp! Need something to uplift me! Quick, some Emily….




A thought went up my mind to-day

That I have had before,

But did not finish,–some way back,

I could not fix the year,


Nor where it went, nor why it came

The second time to me,

Nor definitely what it was,

Have I the art to say.


But somewhere in my soul, I know

I’ve met the thing before;

It just reminded me–‘t was all–

And came my way no more. 


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~




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A-laughing-girl-and-her-camel


    Y’all should get a clue as to the ultimate nature of what you will find below, from the picture adorning the top of the section; for the moment, I’ll pretend it’s just another elephant in the parlor….


Since today’s old-school pearl came together so easily, forming a nice, rounded description of most of the important points we all need to learn in our lives, yet, managing to maintain a not entirely straight face, I’m going to let it go without even worrying about whether it leads anywhere useful…. It was too much fun putting it together to throw out…. All of the following is good stuff, even if it lost all sense of sobriety at the end…. It fits…


“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato, The Republic. Book II. 377B


“Heaven embraces the horizon. No matter how jagged the profile, the sky faithfully conforms.” — Deng Ming-Dao


“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein


“Among mortals second thoughts are wisest.” — Euripides


“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” — Frederick Douglass


“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!” — Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (Page 7,023)


“The virtue of all achievement is the victory over oneself. Those who know this can never know defeat.” — A.J. Cronin


“Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.” — Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters to a Young Poet


“This life is a test. It is only a test. Had it been an actual life, you would have received further instructions as to what to do and where to go. You may or may not be issued an actual life later.” — Smart Ass Bee




buddah-out-to-lunch_s


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Having thus completed my Duty in tolerable fashion, I shall take my leave, to go forth into the day, clueless…. See y’all tomorrow, if I can find my way back home 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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3




 À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Billy was fired, with enthusiasm….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.” 


~~ Udana Varga, c. 500 B. C. ~~


o-HIGH-DEFINITION-EARTH-PICTURE-900


     Having again greeted the day with a groan, I arose from bed, left arm aching, left hand numb, only to find my head swirling like the proverbial spinning top. Fortunately for me, I hadn’t already taken a step, so I didn’t fall very far, just sitting back down on the bed. Ah vertigo! Such a fine way to greet the day. So, here I sit, spinning rapidly through space/time with my eyes spinning like little slot machine cherries, fighting the need to swallow, in case my stomach…. well, you get the picture. If I took that any further, all of us might spew…. I’m not in the mood to have to take the computer apart to clean it…. I can barely see yet!


Okay, complaints done. It’s another day, which is quite enough to say about it. If it’s going to continue in this vein, I might just go back to bed, & wait to try again tomorrow, but, first things first. If I don’t get this done first, I’ll feel like crap all day & night; I’ve become rather addicted to this process, I guess; I can’t seem to get comfortable in my head if I don’t post…. Since this process has kept me sane, if not happy, for going on four years, I have made it part of my persona, so to speak; the day just isn’t complete without it….


Since I have the added complication of a left hand wanting to go numb every other word typed, I’m going to replay the intro from a few days ago, to save some time, and misery. To do so, we’ll resort to an early application of emergency exit technique #4, which works like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the bible  were used to beat plowshares into swords…” — Alan Watts


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I’ve mentioned in previous Pearls how I enjoyed the alternative comics that were such a part of the art scene during the 1960’s; perhaps the most well-known of the artists who drew them was the man in the following interview… Robert Crumb, author of the most successful of all the New Age comics that came out at the time, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Phineas, Franklin, and Fat Freddy, all residents of Haight Ashbury during its prime era of hippiedom…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this man was not only THERE, he drew us the pictures we now have in our memories….




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The Confessions of Robert Crumb (1987) 















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Dont keep calm


    Here, then, to soothe my panic for something to put here, is an archived politirant, from sometime after the election in 2012…. actually, quite a bit after…. this one is from April 21, 2013…. not much has changed, in truth, so, it’s all good….


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“A good indignation brings out all one’s powers.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson


Ah, yes, it does indeed….. This is the principle of human nature I exploit when I rant…. Well, I try, anyway…. It seems as if Ralph Waldo had the inclination to rant strike him on occasion, and, competent observer that he was, he examined how it made him feel, and act when he was in ranting mode. When in full flight, ranting makes one feel ten feet tall, able to leap arguments with a single quote, impervious to sarcasm or belittling remarks, and capable of chewing up the toughest pundit and spitting him out, before breakfast….. Whether or not one could actually do so doesn’t matter in the slightest, for it is what we THINK we can do that determines what we CAN do…. Like the dragons of Pern, who could lift any weight when flying, as long as they thought they could….


“Whenever you eliminate the inedible, whatever remains, however unpalatable, must be food.” — Smart Bee


Now, this is a truism; much as it seems like levity, it is quite serious, being a disguised version of a truth uttered by Sherlock Holmes, about Truth, to wit: “As I have previously stated, Watson, when one has eliminated the impossible, what remains, however unlikely, must be the truth.” (God, I hope I quoted it right… I’m lazy, and used the version in my head, rather than googling it to make sure…. but, I’m 100% positive that my paraphrase, if it be such, is completely accurate, in terms of meaning…..) Ranting is an area where this principle is key; it really doesn’t make sense to rant about something that isn’t true, unless the falsity is the actual subject of the rant…. as the following aphorism implies….


“It is a substantial advantage for any philosophy to be based on the truth.” — George Santayana


Of course, this doesn’t mean that being right will make reality conform to how we wish it to be. Much of the world, if not all, is controlled by a group of people who lie, constantly, without shame, completely indifferent to how it affects others, as long as their own needs are met first. But, they only do so because most of the public believes their lies, for the simple reason that it is too hard to believe otherwise. If they begin to see the truth of how they are controlled, they become frightened, often to the point of violence, because they don’t want to know the truth…. unless it comes from a suit on TV…..


“Given a sufficient number of people and an adequate amount of time, you can create insurmountable opposition to the most inconsequential idea.” — Devyver’s law


This is truth, too, sad as it may seem…. The general public will believe just about anything they are told, usually without any sort of critical thought applied to testing its veracity, if it is presented in a manner to which they are accustomed to being told what to do…. If the guy on the six o’clock news says it will rain money, most folks in this country would start looking for a barrel to catch it in, and wonder if it would rain in bills, or in coins… I kid you not…..


This may seem as if I have a poor opinion of the average intelligence of the average American, and in that estimation you would be absolutely correct…. I can say this with complete confidence, as it is a proven fact that the average American’s IQ is below the average for the human race at large….. fact, ffolkes, not supposition…. Of course, I could be lying, but, if so, you can just chalk it up to their bad influence…. If they can use untrue ‘facts’ to prove their assertions, I can, too….


Besides, I can show you almost 50 MILLION pieces of proof of my assertion, without having to look further than the Presidential election last year…. In that election, almost fifty million people voted for Mitt Romney, proof positive that they would believe ANYTHING…. How else could they decide to vote for a man who was PROVEN to have lied during the campaign (independent fact checking organizations showed that he lied just about 50% of the time, or, put more simply, every other time he spoke, he lied…), and indicated, on tape, his complete disdain for over half the people in the country?


It is such an incredibly huge number, it just isn’t possible to understand how gullible people can be, when one sees this statistic, (50 million votes for an asshole….). It is equally hard to believe that so many of our peers are this incredibly dumb, but, truth will out, as it always does….. It also speaks to the number of truly bigoted, racist people that are still in this country, hiding behind their cowardice, and their misguided, ignorant patriotism…. but, that’s a subject for another rant….. (All stupid people aren’t bigots and racists, but ALL bigots and racists are stupid people…..)


“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” — Lazarus Long


You won’t get a better, more clear warning than that; on that note, I proclaim this rant, such as it was, to be complete…..


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In 2013, I participated in the National Poetry Writing Month challenge, to write a poem a day…. Here is what I came up with on 4/22/2013…. I hope you enjoy them…. The haiku is particularly appropriate; the poem sorta fits, too….




Haiku XI


Mindfulness is hard

in the early morning light.

Fuzzy eyes and ears.


~~ gigoid ~~


Random Exposure


If I only knew what I was doing here,

I could give others a clue.

Reality gets stranger every year,

and I’m not sure what I should do.


Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,

gives me a lot of pleasure.

I’m only glad I can still make a choice,

to look at life, to take its measure.


Memorable moments keep passing by

gilded, framed in precious emotion.

I never have to ask anyone why,

no need for a stronger potion.


Everything in life is clear, to me

there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.

We’re all good, as you can see,

members of Life, in good standing.


Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;

the right path is there for each of us to take.

That choice is often a difficult one;

pay close attention to the choice you make.


~~ gigoid ~~




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I just don’t have it today, ffolkes. I’ve already had to go to the archives for a rant, and for a poem…. Now, we’re going to have to go back there for an old school pearl, too…. Oh well next time, I’ll save myself the effort, and just re-blog a good older Pearl. For now, this will do nicely….


From 4/22/2013:


So, there I was, cruising around Smart Bee, looking for pearls, when it occurred to me that I was engaged in a futile pastime, from the standpoint of the Universe…. I mean, what do I hope to accomplish with this stuff I write?…. Nobody’s mind will be changed, nobody will stop the carbon monoxide from getting pumped into the air, nobody is going to get mad enough to throw out all the assholes who are screwing us all…. This makes what I’m doing an exercise in mental masturbation, essentially, with as much hope of changing society as….. well, there is no hope for society, so I can’t think of a metaphor for it…. Nor is there any hope of anybody taking any of this seriously, even if read…


Having thus determined the absolute uselessness of our pastime, I will continue, fully cognizant of how lame it is…. I’m calling this a Pearl of Forlorn Lost Hope…. sort of…. Actually, it’s a subliminal pearl, and will worm its way into your head, where it will work on your attitudes, polishing and brightening them without you ever noticing…. By late this afternoon, you will have done a complete 180 from wherever you were, and will enjoy the rest of the day (that’s a subliminal post-hypnotic suggestion….)  Enjoy…..




But sure the eye of time beholds no name


So blest as thine in all the rolls of fame.


~~ Alexander Pope (1688-1744) ~~


~~ The Odyssey of Homer, Book xi, Line 591 ~~




“Does history repeat itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce?   No, that’s too grand, too considered a process.  History just burps, and we taste again that raw-onion sandwich it swallowed centuries ago.” — Julian Barnes


“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” — Marcus Aurelius


“But whether there’s some grand design really matters little to me. My only hope was this: to see what might be, to believe that it should be, and then to do all I could to bring it to pass, whatever the cost. When a life spins out as joyfully as mine has done, then the price, once paid so painfully, is now recalled in gladness. I have received full value. Here among the shepherds, my cup is filled with the water of life; it overflows.” — Orson Scott Card, “Treason”


” It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had believed to be true since my earliest youth.  And since that time, I have been convinced that I must once and for all seriously try to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and begin to build anew, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure for my beliefs.” — Rene Descartes, Meditations


“There is no cure for birth and death other than to enjoy the interval.” — George Santayana (1863-1952)




The human heart has hidden treasures,


In secret kept, in silence sealed.


~~ Charlotte Bronte ~~




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Okay, so, I cheated. A lot. S’okay, ffolkes, it’s done, and I’m not yet at a point where anyone is in danger, unless they come right to my door. Since I’m staying in today, to avoid just that possibility, I’ll finish up, and be out of your hair…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t talk myself out of it…. I don’t try very hard, so, see ya then….




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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.




“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….