Tag Archives: Animal Pictures

Darkness has an odd coefficient….

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Ffolkes,

Enjoy the present hour,
Be thankful for the past,
And neither fear nor wish
Th’ approaches of the last.

~~ Abraham Cowley (1618-1667) ~~

potd-hippo_uktel-8-4-15

Please! Everybody take your seats so we can get started!

Image from the UK Telegraph 8-4-2015


Those readers who have been here consistently will know right away something is up. Those who have not will merely feel a slight bit of uneasiness, without knowing why. Those who are here for their first taste of Consensual Reality, gigoid-style, are in for an epiphany, of sorts; the direction it takes is completely ruled by their own inner needs. The rest of us, well, we’re going out for breakfast….

Of course, breakfast will consist solely of a bit of smarmy dialogue, but, they don’t know that. I’ve decided, as is by now obvious, to sever all connections we had to normal reality, and spend the day out on the fringes. There wasn’t a damn thing to write about where we were, so, it became necessary to move the encampment out to the suburbs of sanity, where things start getting a bit random…. There’s more variety here to choose from, which appeals to my basic laziness….

Since there will be no rhyme (well, maybe one or two) nor reason (I think you’ll agree that won’t be a problem today…), perhaps we’d best not dally here in the intro. Randomness and silly, when combined in such quantities, can easily overwhelm the ballast pumps, causing us to wallow a bit. No wallowing allowed, of course, so, we’ll be monitoring that particular system closely today. All part of the service….

There, I think that brings us to the required point of insanity. Luigi is getting a bit impatient, so, let’s all tighten up those seat restraints, make sure all beverages have been placed in the appropriate holders, with lids firmly attached, apply makeup, and be on our way…. We’ve got a long way to go today, and Luigi always likes to go slow on Wednesdays…. Tuesday is his day off, and he’s always a bit sluggish the day after moulting….

Shall we Pearl?….

“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.” — Voltaire

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

    If you’ve been here before, you’ll know I love the guitar. Leo Kottke is a virtuoso of the instrument, most famous for his work on the 12 string. I’m not familiar with Mike Gordon, or Phish, as I’ve gotten a bit out of touch with modern artists and music, but, the band (Phish) has a good reputation, and, if Leo sat down to play with him, I imagine he’s pretty good; this should be a good little piece of entertainment for those of us who appreciate live music… and, who doesn’t?…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. there’s no reason NOT to do so….


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Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon (Phish) Live

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Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent

“Money can’t buy happiness.”


I have, naturally, applied the science of dubiousity to this axiom, one I’m certain everyone has heard; hell, it’s so ubiquitous, I didn’t bother with any attribution…. I’m happy to say, after a period of serious cogitation upon the issue, it is possible to add a few words which would demonstrate this idea to be, if not false, at the very least, amenable to mitigation. Let’s try it this way:

“Money can’t buy happiness, unless spent in service to others.”


In other words, it is the act of gathering money, or, more accurately, the avarice which leads to gathering and hoarding money, with its attendant lure, of giving power over those who don’t, which absolutely precludes bringing happiness to those who acquire it for the purpose of serving themselves. Money is merely a symbol, of the value people place on their time; by giving it to others, these “normal people”, (I contend such philanthropy is the instinct of a ‘normal’ human being….), increase their positive karmic burden, thereby freeing themselves from ego, and the suffering so natural when one becomes attached to ‘things’.

Our world is currently embroiled in a conflict covering the entire planet, one which has been raging for centuries, since the very beginning of our first attempts to build a culture. The conflict is a direct result of the duality of human nature, and can be held responsible for every moment of suffering, and of joy, experienced by mankind. The very duality of our nature, which reflects the duality of reality, sets us at odds with each other, as the two sides of us war for dominance….

One side is our lust for life, the other is our reason; those who live by the dictates of the first are those who act from their ego, who desire money, and power over others in order to feel as if they are a success in life. Those who live by reason have no such appetites, understanding that it is only by helping one another, we all may survive the complexity of this terrible, yet wonderful Reality in which we have been dumped….

Dumped? Well, that’s a bit harshly phrased. and, I don’t mean to imply there is anyone responsible for that; no, I just meant we are here, and we don’t have any idea why, or how we got here. Truthfully, neither of these questions is really important, not to the Universe. But, for some reason, they are important to us humans, so, we have to discuss them endlessly, such as here, in blogs such as ECR…. Funny how that works, eh?…

Any who, we see, now, how the duality of our nature keeps us in conflict with each other; the two camps of human attitudes will be forever at odds, until one or the other has become ascendant…. If it is those who live by their base nature, by desire and ego, well, I don’t believe the species is long for this world…. I’m pretty sure, if we don’t turn the other way, toward reason and compassion toward life, well, we are ALL doomed, regardless of how much anyone WANTS it to be otherwise….

That’s enough darkness for one morning…. I actually didn’t plan to do this, but, hey, that’s life in the blogosphere, right? Right… I’ll leave you with a final thought, then we’ll wrap up the rest of this, forthwith….

“You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you ever risked disapproval? Have you ever risked a belief? I see nothing particularly courageous in risking one’s life. So you lose it, you go to your hero’s heaven and everything is milk and honey ’til the end of time, right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That’s not courage. Real courage is risking something that you have to keep on living with, real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one’s cliches.” — Tom Robbins

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Comedy_Tragedy

Painful candor

I sit, and ponder, then try to write…
seeking always to keep from sounding trite.
My record so far is less than grand;
we’ll not be striking up the hometown band.

Poems come to me, with cadence and rhyme,
that’s the easy part, every time.
Finding words of wisdom herein to include,
makes short shrift, however, of my attitude.

Still the words keep floating up in my head,
harbingers of danger, of wisdom, of dread.
Challenge is issued. in the weight of persuasion
Fey shadows of intent for any bright occasion.

Following along becomes habit and routine,
which naturally tells us where we have been.
New vistas beckon just out of sight
Pulling me forward, from day into night……

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 9/19/2012.

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A-laughing-girl-and-her-camel

    Today’s final pearl is, at its core, perfect. I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. I was building a group based on the principles of Karma, and, lo and behold, what I got is Karma embodied… Even the final line, which may SEEM inappropriate, is perfect. All you have to do is think about it with the correct twist in your shorts…. and THAT makes it perfect for today’s Pearl….

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” — Moliere

“He only profits from praise who values criticism.” — Heinrich Heine

“A thick head can do as much damage as a hard heart.” — Smart Bee

“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” — Josh Billings

“If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.” — Baba Ram Dass

“One should count each day a separate life.” — Seneca

“Say the secret word and the duck is yours.” — Groucho Marx

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Okay, well, that went pretty well. Since it did, I’m going to perform a rapid exit, virtual stage left, so as not to tempt fate. It’s been rather a good day, hasn’t it? Smooth as a baby’s bottom. On that odd note, I shall bid thee adieu for another day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the ferry makes it across the channel….

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….


			

			
								

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Soft reasons for hard times…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“As empty vessels make the loudest sound, 


so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers.” 


~~ Plato (428-348? B.C.) ~~


scorpion





I am indeed a sucker for beauty, especially dangerous beauty, as this little piece of photographic art shows quite well…. Part of the London Daily Telegraph photo section feature, the Animal Pictures of the Week, from a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help saving it for my own files, so I could see it flash by now and again on my background, or screen saver, both of which use my photos as a slide show…. Such a tiny bundle of powerful destiny will always make a compelling subject for such a study, and serves to remind me of how dangerous life can be, both for those who seek out such beauty, and for the object of such beauty itself….


Since it is a bit early for such a deep subject, we’ll refrain from going any further in our exploration; damn good thing too, as I felt a huge rant there under the surface of those statements, just dying to come out to play…. Oops, time anomaly…. Duck!


Well, that was fun…. NOT! During a wrinkle in time that just happened here, I left the house to go attempt to persuade the Kaiser 24 hour pharmacy to give me my ordered medication and some diabetic test supplies. I spent over $20 and an hour and a half of my most productive time of day, for nothing but aggravation…. They refused to acknowledge any responsibility for their policies, and would NOT take the time to help me, though the evidence of their responsibility in the matter lay in the computer…


I am so angry, and frustrated, I can no longer contemplate writing today’s Pearl, beyond what is already done…. I’ve been working ahead a bit of late, so, most of it is done, but, it will just have to do as is, because I don’t have it in me to push past his anger right now…. So, if the rest of this mess looks a bit incomplete, or somewhat light relative to our usual product, well, sorry ’bout that, but, oh, well….


In fact, since there is an opening right there in front of us, we’re taking it…. I’ll try to at least proof what I’ve done so far, but, no promises…. Hold on a moment, ffolkes, we’re going in, so we can get done….


Shall we Pearl?


“According to my calculations, the problem doesn’t exist.” — Bumper Sticker


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Today’s video choice will have to take the place of both section one’s usual video offering, and section two’s usual rant…. I’d write more on this subject, and will do so eventually, but, right now, this is what you get…. It’s actually good news, and actually gives me hope for a reasonable outcome from the FCC…. They’re under a lot of public pressure to get it right, and not cave in to big business…. Having the White House come out so strongly behind the people’s case will add a powerful voice to the cacophony…. I’ve included an article from the UK Guardian, which gives a decent rundown of the pertinent issues….







After receiving more than 4m comments from the general public, the FCC had reportedly been discussing a “hybrid” solution that would have allowed tiered services but imposed stricter rules to protect customers. The proposal met with stiff opposition from net neutrality supporters, who now have the backing of Obama.




President Obama’s Statement on Keeping the Internet Open and Free

































 




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You got it…. since I don’t want to take any time to search, it’s one of mine again…. deal with it….




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 ~~




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THIS is a very odd pearl, with parameters unknown to me…. Smart Bee picked these out all by itself, and I haven’t a clue as to what it means….


“Philosophy, means, first, doubt; and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means, the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance, the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility. The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.” — Henri Frederick Amiel


“Juliet’s so happy and in love, but at the same time so sad and lonely. She’s totally neurotic. I could really relate.” — Alicia Silverstone, Actress, on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, 1995


“Perfection is a minor virtue.” — Edward Abbey


“A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind…” — Gibran


“If there is happiness on earth, it must be sought in the abode where we live.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) French Philosopher


“True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read; and in so living as to make the world happier and better for our living in it.” — Pliny the Elder


“And so the little freighter sat upon the sea, and, though Africa came closer day by day, the freighter never moved. She was old and weather-weary, and she had learned to let the world come round to her.” — Beryl Markham, West With the Night


Hmm… Well. There you go…..


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That’s all ffolkes… That’s all I’ve got in me, other than a shitload of anger, which y’all don’t need, don’t want, and won’t be burdened with, beyond this slight bit of whine here at the end…. I’m sure tomorrow will be, if naught else, different…. See ya…. I’m gonna do this before I lose my nerve….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….







		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
It’s only a bastardized version; there’s no glaze….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Time is like money; the less we have of it to spare, the further we make it go.”


~~ Josh Billings ~~


surfin


     I love this picture; I don’t think I even need to say why, as it’s pretty self-explanatory. It was taken from the London Daily Telegraph, from their Animal Pictures of the Week feature last week. They always post a lot of good pix, so, what the hell? It gets us started right?….. Right….


That said, I had a long day yesterday, with more exercise than I am used to; my plan to diet and exercise more is going pretty well. It did, however, leave me rather tired and sore today, meaning I’ll need to go walk off the stiffness, so it conditions the muscles, rather than just collapsing, and letting the good I managed go to waste….  What that means for y’all is a shorter Pearl, and less wandering blather here in the intro section….


In fact, I am going to employ my newly developed ruthlessness in this regard, and send us on to the next section without further delay. Look, see? There is our opening, right there…. Hold on, ffolkes….


Shall we Pearl?…..


“Imagination creates reality.” — (Wilhelm) Richard Wagner


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humans-mars-sample-analysis


Picture: Colonists on Mars, from Space.com’s article on the company proposing to colonize Mars by 2026. Artist’s rendition.




“The challenge of space exploration and particularly of landing men on the moon represents the greatest challenge which has ever faced the human race.  Even if there were no clear scientific or other arguments for proceeding with this task, the whole history of our civilization would still impel men toward the goal. In fact, the assembly of the scientific and military with these human arguments creates such an overwhelming case that in can be ignored only by those who are blind to the teachings of history, or who wish to suspend the development of civilization at its moment of greatest opportunity and drama.” — Sir Bernard Lovell, 1962, in “The History of Manned Space Flight”


A very astute observation; if it not for other factors, apparently unseen, or, perhaps, uncredited, by Sir Bernard, this would be true…. He forgets to mention, however, that, even should we accept the challenge of achieving manned space flight in the near future, it will have to be made on an emergency basis, with us being FORCED to retreat into space, because we have made this planet unlivable for any species with our physical requirements for life. If we DON’T make it into space, there is a very good chance we won’t survive, as a species, at all….


I have come to the conclusion lately that we have little hope of saving this planet; if we wish to survive as a species, space is our destiny. I am thinking that this whole environmental crisis that has evolved may just be a stimulus, an unconsciously directed push, by our species’ gestalt, to get us to grow the fuck up, and start doing what we were always meant to do; our real destiny lies in travelling to the stars…. The first step toward achieving that destiny is to colonize this solar system, thus removing extinction from our menu of choices, should we fail to save the planet from our foolishness over the past 5000 years….


Here then, for today’s video, an educational video from NASA, a look at this beautiful home of ours, from space…. Think of this as pictures from Home, as we travel the wormholes to the stars…. Provided,of courser, we can stop killing ourselves long enough to build the ships we need….







NASA | Vital Signs: Taking the Pulse of Our Planet






















































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I’m going to be a nice guy again; it’s not natural, I know, and doesn’t fit with the image I generally try to create, but, I’ve been ranting so much, I figure y’all could use a break….. However, in keeping with the spirit of this section, today’s ranting will be provided, free of charge, by the world’s current most influential comic/social commentator, one Russell Brand, a self-made intellectual and societal critic, a self-styled revolutionary who has recently called for a world-wide revolution against our corporate masters….


The video I’ve embedded today will show you a good example of his style, and the link I’ve put in will connect you to Mr. Brand’s own You Tube page, where he posts a video almost daily, commenting, in his unique style, on the daily events of note around the world…. I enjoy the hell out of him; from all I can tell, most of what he says, minus the hyperbole, is pretty right on…. See for yourself, ffolkes…, and, enjoy, please…. perhaps tomorrow, you’ll find another of my rants here, depending, of course, upon my mood at the time… See ya…




Russell Brand Destroys MSNBC Talk Show Host – Discusses Bradley Manning And Edward Snowden






















































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Here is a poem of mine; it is here simply because I haven’t been out of town farther than about 35 miles for almost a year now; I’m getting restless to be on the road…. When I do get there, one of the places I intend to go first lies to the east, across the big pond we call the Atlantic Ocean, a beautiful green island, which one may trip over on the way to London…. I speak, of course, of the home of a large number of my ancestors, the Emerald Isle…. It isn’t my best effort, but, is one of my favorites, because it’s also my most sincere pieces, for certain….




Days and Nights of Eire


Comforting, a dream creeps oft into my mind

On the elven hills of Eire lives the vision I find.

Elegant, gracious, everlastingly draped in beauty 

Just payment of simple homage lives as joyous duty.


Fairies and druids walk abroad in ghostly parade

Gracing each hearth with its own welcoming shade.

Castles and heroes yet live in tale and song

Proving love for the land in each heart strong.


From cold of winter into glorious young spring

Brown, and gray, to emerald green songs to sing

Soft rains always follow winter’s great tempest

Eire dons its emerald coat from east to west.


Old and strong, connections call out in dreams

Nothing that was known remains as it seems.

Immersion in ancient runes and battle hymns

Offering sanity in place of grievous whims.


Time and place can tell a much different tale

Judgment should never be a final sale.

Yet something solid and real calls me to go see

Where dreams of loving beauty may actually be….


~~ gigoid ~~


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This is a very special pearl, ffolkes…. I had collected a few of the included pearls before beginning this morning, but, when I sat to complete it, Smart Bee came up with the remainder in under one minute, possibly a new record, with only one rejected offering…. It is one of the finest indictments of the political AND religious beasts I’ve ever seen, bracketed with comments on human nature which explain/justify the others…. Solidly, it kicks them right in the ass, with sufficient force to drive their assholes right up onto their face…. Enjoy!  I sure did…..


“Liberals, in that they are required to love entire groups, lose their rights to hate individuals within those groups. Racists, in that they are required to hate entire groups, lose their rights to love individuals within the groups they have to hate. I am neither a liberal or a racist and reserve the right to call a son of a bitch a son of a bitch regardless of race, creed or color, one son of a bitch at a time.” — Smart Bee (Google says so….)


“I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State.   My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.” — George Carlin


“God created sex. Priests created marriage.” — Voltaire


“Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government; it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare–most people want to run things but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat-driver syndrome.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”


Do you know Presidents talk to the country the way men talk to women?  They say, Trust me, go all the way with me, and everything will be all right.    And what happens?  Nine months later, you’re in trouble!” — Murphy’s Discovery


“Bourgeois morality is largely a system of making cheap virtues a cloak for expensive vices.” — George Bernard Shaw


:Whoever invented the eraser had the human race pretty well sized up.” — Smart Bee


See? If there were any politicians in the room, they would be bleeding from a dozen wounds….


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Rather than tempt Fate any further, I’m going to do a quick proof, then get this posted, before Murphy wakes up…. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided we are all still here…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….




 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
What are you doing with that ferret?….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




Freedom = Responsibility


Attribution is not required for an Unarguable Truth


If you feel you MUST argue it, well, bring it on…..

 

~~ gigoid ~~






potd-mantis_3059577k


    The most excellent picture, which highlights the absolutely perfect form displayed by these two small warriors, is from The Daily Yell (London Daily Telegraph) Animal Pictures of the Week, 10/3/2014. Notice the strength of the stance, with four legs firmly gripping the limb, perfectly balanced, and the formidable knife-like spikes on the forearm and hand sections, held in perfect position to strike…. Their sifu would be proud….   *modest smile*   Perfect tong long tong long bu…. preying mantis style kung fu, straight from the source….


One might think, given the week I’ve had, I’d be more, or less, insane…. In either case, more, or less, it would seem I’ve made a case for the newest format here on ECR, even if it is less than rigidly structured, or perfectly designed. Both of those qualities wouldn’t work well around here, anyway, so, it’s just as well… I suppose, since y’all have already had your tickets punched, you feel we’ve some sort of obligation to provide some of that sort of service…. but, you’d be wrong, both in reality, and in theory….


You see, service, and obligations, only happen when there is some sort of transaction, with real money exchanged; since we only charge the going rate for a blog (to wit: nada damn thing….), that never enters the picture, and such expectations from y’all is kind of disappointing…. One would think, after the exposure y’all have had to the process of actually USING the mind, rather than just providing a means for your ass to get from toilet to toilet, you’d have more sense, or, at least, more street cred…. TANSTAAFL, ffolkes, remember? But, then, Americans DO tend to believe that doesn’t apply to them, as a matter of course….


Not all their fault, of course, as the Asininnies are continually pounding the message into the thick skulls out there that they ARE entitled to all they can steal, so, it’s only natural there would be some sense of entitlement, even if it IS completely unwarranted, and unearned…. But, all the preachers, and all the political pundits, are forever trumpeting how special we are, and how we have the rights to do whatever we want to other nations, and/or people, without ever having to answer for our actions….. How else to explain our willingness to bomb almost anything that moves, if it will make us seem more important in our own eyes….


Bah, humbug! I’m ranting again, in the intro, aren’t I? Ah well, it’s just so easy to do, and such a natural thing to do, when confronted with all the BS and nonsense that goes on each day out on the world stage…. But, doing it here makes it hard to keep the process smooth when we actually get to the section where the ranting is appropriate…. It DOES, however, get us far enough down the page to call the intro complete, such as we see today…. Funny how that works, isn’t it? I suppose y’all think I plan it that way…. HAH! Fooled ya!….


But, since we did make it this far, and without shedding any blood, to speak of, we may as well use the escape clause that is presenting itself… In fact, I think, if we jump right here, it should all work out fine….


Shall we Pearl?…..


“As for courage and will – we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry through trials which may lie ahead.” — Andre Norton


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I’m late today, having actually gotten some decent sleep; I have no idea why it happened, it just did….. Since I haven’t had time to even look at the news, I’ll use an appropriate piece from the past…. Besides, it’s been a while since we discussed the process of Pearling, so, it’s time…. Here is a bit of explanation of this whole deal, just in case it seems important to y’all…. or not…. Don’t fret, it’s not a rant, and it’s not too long, so, it makes a nice change of pace, I think…..


From 3/28/2012:


“All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.” — Federico Fellini


It has been a while since I talked about Pearls, so when I stumbled upon the above quote, I knew it was time….. Pearls of Virtual Wisdom come with a caveat and disclaimer, to wit: These Pearls consist of ideas and concepts, and even procedures, that are Virtual Wisdom. They should never be confused with, or used as, Real Wisdom; the results can be somewhat unpredictable, have been known to cause injury, and in one case, (my own), have resulted in months of severe depression. 


(Of course, that depression may not be due strictly to the intrinsic differences in the Pearls themselves, but rather a direct result of inattention to which variety I was using at the moment)  Regardless of how real Pearls of Virtual Wisdom may appear, or how shiny they look to the untrained eye, the author assumes no liability for failure to heed this caveat.


That being said, let us for a moment consider pearls as incarnations of jewels, as the precious gems of rare beauty and great value they become when freed from the oyster, the shelter which created each layer of the pearl’s beauty out of its own pain…. The soft sheen of a fine pearl, luminescent in the dimness, glowing in the light, has captivated the eyes and imaginations of men and women since the first oyster was plucked from the sea bed to become someone’s supper, and has inspired those who fall under its spell to acts of great sacrifice, and acts of great cruelty, in the quest to possess these timeless treasures from the sea.


Thus the metaphorical nature of the Pearls of Virtual Wisdom becomes apparent, as we see that although virtual wisdom looks just like real wisdom, the difference may be likened to the difference between naturally produced pearls, and those that are cultivated in laboratories.  One is shiny, and of great value for its rarity and beauty, naturally endowed; the other is shiny, but of lesser value, due to lesser rarity, and a somehow lesser beauty, as made by the hand of man. 


The subtle differences are of little note, except to Reality, which always knows which wisdom is which, as it knows which pearl is which; hence the caveat and  disclaimer, to avoid any conflicts with Reality due to negligence on my part…..so, please use these Pearls with appropriate caution, and they will bring you joy for years to come…..


“Did an Italian CRANE OPERATOR just experience uninhibited sensations in a MALIBU HOT TUB?” — Zippy the Pinhead


Note from 2014: There…. that should help make things clearer… and if not, well, so what, eh? It’s not as if you spent a lot to get in, is it?….. Right…..


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Very little needs to be said about these two gentlemen, or the music they created together…. Serendipity, indeed…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. this is one of the greatest concerts ever…. with music that will never again be created just this way….




IN CONCERT ” SIMON AND GARFUNKEL ” LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK 1981 



















 


 




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As I heard quoted in a movie recently, “I think Wordsworth is sometimes underrated.”….. So do I….




The Solitary Reaper


Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.


No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.


Will no one tell me what she sings?–

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again? 


Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o’er the sickle bending;–

I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more. 


~~ William Wordsworth ~~




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It’s been some time, but, here is an old-school pearl, of the type that has lasted the longest…. It is merely a grouping of comments on Reality, Life, and how to approach both with some dignity, and a bit of style….and, in the process, perhaps, teach us a bit about ourselves, and our inner nature…. It helps if you pay attention….


“A candour affected is a dagger concealed.” — Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) — Meditations, book 9.


“I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face.  Don’t trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it.” — Charles Dickens


“Make your enemies by choice, not by accident. The same applies to friends.” — Xavier R. Quinton


“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.” — Smart Bee


“Nothing can come out of nothing, any more than a thing can go back to nothing.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 4


“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.” — Herb Caen


“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.” — Francis Bacon


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


Not too shabby, for a Pearl thrown together on the fly, and in a massive hurry…. In fact, it came out rather well, all things considered, and we know better than to look at the teeth of any horse in the stable, no matter where it came from, or what wagons it may have dragged in behind it…. whatever that means, metaphorically, euphemistically, or, practically…. Of course, in this case, only the latter counts…. Since that is true, I’m outta here, and y’all can’t legally stop me…. though, why you’d wish to try, I haven’t a clue…. That last statement may just cover the whole business, and before we find out…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….




 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Maybe we should use another connotation of “stiff”…..

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“The supreme irony of life is hardly anyone ever gets out of it alive.” — Robert Heinlein




portly puffin




Ffolkes, I don’t know about y’all, but, it’s my considered opinion that’s one damn silly looking puffin. Between the fat little body (which only appears that way; he’s actually about right for a seabird living in the cold Atlantic ocean…), the mouthful of dead fishies, (which goes to show it’s a pretty efficient fisher….), and that silly expression (do birds really HAVE expressions? If so, how do they do that without eyebrows?) Most importantly, why am I even THINKING about any of this, when I’ve got a Pearl to write?….


Oh well, such is life here at ECR…. I should probably tell you the picture came from the London Daily Telegraph, out of a weekly feature of theirs, called the Animal Pictures of the Week…. There are always some good shots in there, but, this one was irresistible…. If it wasn’t a wild creature, you’d want to take this little guy home with you, wouldn’t you? I know I would; he’s about as cute as can be….. Of course, no wild creature should ever be caged, in my opinion, nor made into a “pet”…


I do enjoy going to the zoo, but, in my heart, I grieve the entire time, for the loss of freedom for creatures who are made to live in the wild. I always end up sad, feeling their sadness, too, the sorrow felt by all those prisoners, of Mankind’s overbearing, completely misplaced sense of entitlement, SUPPOSEDLY given him by that first part in the Bible, that manual of idiocy spawned by a number of fanatical fear mongers over the course of centuries, wherein some asshole made the absolutely false statement that convinced everyone that we have “dominion” over the other creatures with whom we live…. It is especially hard for me to watch the large predators, such as bears, or the big cats, who, after a time, become neurotic and crazy from being confined their entire lives….


I know, it’s probably a little early to start a religirant, especially when it’s an attack on a book revered by such a large percentage of people. But, some days, my anger, at those bloody manipulative assholes, who make up the whole misogynistic structure of modern religious thinking, is just too huge for me to keep inside…. Jimmy Carter made what I consider one of the most cogent statements I’ve ever heard, about how men have perverted even religious dogma, one that SHOULD have been echoing back and forth across the world when it was made…. but, nobody paid any attention…. It went like this….




jimmy sez


     It is a small step from treating animals like property, to do with as we wish, to treating women, children, and anyone who will submit as if they are of no importance, as if the rights of one aggressive, confused person are more valid than the rights of a woman, a child, or an animal…. All it takes is the innate cowardice  that enables one to completely abjure any sort of true humanity, choosing instead the path taken by religious assholes for millennia, thus perpetuating the myths and false assumptions upon which the entire society has been built, and ensuring that women, children, and animals will suffer the perils of persecution and cruelty from men with no scruples….


Ah me…. There is no doubt that I’ve created a monster here; I kind of wish I had an explosive nuclear device with which to kill it, but, it’s rather amorphous, without shape or form one may grasp & hold, and may be hard to destroy…. I know, we can always laugh at it; that always seems to work on bullies, so it should work on these guys, for sure…. Of course, then we have to deal with the mess they always leave behind, but, that’s better than the alternative, for sure…. In fact, that’s such a grand idea, I’m going to make a unilateral decision here, by kicking us completely out of the intro, on into the next section….. I’ll do that, right about HERE….


Shall we Pearl?….


“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free your very existence becomes an act of rebellion.” — Albert Camus


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


I think I hurt myself, ranting like that before I was even awake…. Now, when I consider trying to work up the chutzpah to rant some more, I experience a sense of crushing fatigue, and extreme reluctance to get started….. In short, I’m feeling lazy…. To try to appease my sense of duty, we’ll put an old-school pearl in this section, then make another field decision later, when we get as far as section three…. It’s probably futile, but, it sounds like a plan to me, so, off we go, diving for dollars, or, more accurately, pearls of virtual wisdom….


“Men only learned to walk upright cause they put beer on the top shelf!” — Smart Bee


“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty–power is ever stealing from the many to the few.” — Wendell Phillips


“The tragic lesson of guilty men walking free in this country has not been lost on the criminal community.” — Richard M. Nixon


“And we are told in the Scriptures that at the beginning of time the Lord  said, “Let there be light.” But I’ve checked this out with a number of eminent biblical scholars. The Lord’s complete statement was as follows:  “Let there be light. Well, maybe not all day.” — Steve Allen


“Sin is a dangerous toy in the hands of the virtuous. It should be left to the congenitally sinful, who know when to play with it and when to let it alone.” — H. L. Mencken


“A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, “Maxims” 1804-1815


Okay, so here’s the deal….This last little part is the perfect lawyer’s joke, as it takes aim at them from a number of directions, each striking well at their pointy little heads…. It doesn’t really fit the usual image of a pearl, but, it just went so well with the rest, I couln’t resist…. Here then, I give you our very fine closing pearl for today….


A lawyer shows up at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, “Normally we don’t let you people in here but you’re in luck, we have a special this week. You

go to hell for the length of time you were alive, then you get to come back up here for eternity.”


The lawyer says, “I’ll take the deal.”


St. Peter says, “Good, I’ll put you down for 212 years in hell …”


The lawyer says, “What are you talking about? I’m 65 years old!”


St. Peter says, “Up here we go by billing hours.”


— Orson Bean


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First, here’s a haiku, fresh….




Complete


I am, at last, done.

Nothing more to say, not now.

I shall go away.


~~ gigoid ~~




Now, to give this joint a little class, here’s a classic…






Witch Burning


In the marketplace they are piling the dry sticks.

A thicket of shadows is a poor coat. I inhabit

The wax image of myself, a doll’s body.

Sickness begins here: I am the dartboard for witches.

Only the devil can eat the devil out.

In the month of red leaves I climb to a bed of fire.


It is easy to blame the dark: the mouth of a door,

The cellar’s belly. They’ve blown my sparkler out.

A black-sharded lady keeps me in parrot cage.

What large eyes the dead have!

I am intimate with a hairy spirit.

Smoke wheels from the beak of this empty jar.


If I am a little one, I can do no harm.

If I don’t move about, I’ll knock nothing over. So I said,

Sitting under a potlid, tiny and inert as a rice grain.

They are turning the burners up, ring after ring.

We are full of starch, my small white fellows. We grow.

It hurts at first. The red tongues will teach the truth.


Mother of beetles, only unclench your hand:

I’ll fly through the candle’s mouth like a singeless moth.

Give me back my shape. I am ready to construe the days

I coupled with dust in the shadow of a stone.

My ankles brighten. Brightness ascends my thighs.

I am lost, I am lost, in the robes of all this light.


~~ Sylvia Plath ~~


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My reluctance to get started on a rant has not merely continued, but grown since last we spoke on this, above in section one…. Rather than subject y’all to yet another obscure grouping of pearls, we’ll go with some artwork…. Here are some pictures I’ve collected from the Net in the last few days &/or weeks, some with animals, a gorgeous landscape, and one brilliant political meme…. The attribution for these pictures is either SFGATE, the London Daily Telegraph, or the UK Guardian, which are my primary sources for news and pictures on the web…. Enjoy!…..




mantis howdyfrogmouth owlSolent News & Photo AgencyPOTD_Golden_Gate_2968182kget the lens cap eddiebrilliant Perry memewhat is that chameleon doing

I would caution you to NOT anthropomorphize the last picture…. It would be very easy, but, completely WRONG, so don’t do it….






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Well, that was interesting…. and I mean that in ALL of its senses…. I’m not going to fuss with even thinking about how it turned out, as it sort of got away from me rather quickly today…. I’m trusting my instincts just to post this, knowing it could be the end of all my hopes and dreams…. Well, that’s probably a bit dramatic, and overblown as to risk, but, hey, hyperbole can be fun, when used with some care…. Since that isn’t going to happen around here, I’ll find my way to the exit, and we’ll all be happy….. Well, until tomorrow, when I get up, and do it all again….. See y’all later, ffolkes…




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


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