Affable to the last, he concurred….

Posted on September 29, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

The picture placed the busts between
Adds to the thought much strength;
Wisdom and Wit are little seen,
But Folly ‘s at full length.

~~ Jane Brereton (1685-1740) ~~

~~ On Beau Nash’s Picture at full length between the Busts of Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Pope ~~

The Last Manchu ~~ Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi

Image from You Tube via Google Images

Good morning…. Head down, breathing. Enduring. Another hour until the next chance at peace; two, if you count in real time. Time goes twice as slowly, from a personal perspective, when in a trance, the only possible method to get through the minor taste of major hell in which I’m caught, like a fly in amber….. By the time any real sort of peace can possibly be achieved, it will be light, hopefully in my soul, as well as in the Big Blue Room…

Ah well, so much for the best laid plans, eh? Little did I think, during all those years I worked and struggled to make my way in life, I would, at this point, be alone, but for my familiar. I had hoped to have found a partner, a helpmeet, my own true love…. Alas, she is nowhere to be found, it seems, so, I carry on by myself, trying to find some purpose for this existence I find myself inhabiting…. As one of those men hardwired for family and home, it’s a bit of a disappointment, to say the least….

Oh, not that I have any regrets; that sort of mental aberration isn’t one to which I’ve ever been prey. To regret means one made the wrong choices, which is silly, as they are already made, and cannot be changed. Wrong and right are only human judgments; the universe doesn’t work that way, so it’s a waste of time and energy to fall into that trap. But, I can say it would be much more comfortable, and fulfilling, to be able to share what I am doing with a like-minded partner….

I suppose that’s the problem, right there…. “Like-minded” seems to be the issue, I’d guess. My own mind is a bit, shall we say, different? Finding someone who can both appreciate it, and tolerate it, seems to be more than any woman seems willing to undertake, or experience. Which is okay; everyone has their own standards and preferences…. But, I sure could wish there was ONE woman willing to take the risk; it would also be helpful if she were to be somewhere in my immediate vicinity, and be, at least, amenable to the idea….

It has been said, many times, all things come to he who knows how to wait; I can only hope it is true. Until my waiting is done, I’ll be here, maintaining, and hopefully, building what remains of my life into a structure worth living in…. Now, if I can only shake this bullshit physical weakness crap, all will be well, and all will be well, in the end…. For now, we’ll do this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Don’t try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.” — Arthur Freed

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Artist’s rendition of the New Horizons Spacecraft near Pluto

Image from Space.com

Today’s video is a compilation of the photos taken by the New Horizons spacecraft as it flew past Pluto in 2015, strung together to give a view of the entire trip’s purpose, to gather data on our Solar System’s most distant planetary body. It’s pretty cool, and the page where it resides will furnish a number of other interesting videos on the mission…. Enjoy!…..

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Pluto Flyby ~ 2015

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https://youtu.be/Ks9LnFV5skE

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“Money is the root of all evil”

How many times in your life have you heard this statement? Most of us have heard it repeated since we were children; I believe it is one of those statements that has been present in our language and culture since the beginning of recorded history, which, oddly enough, coincides with the invention of the concept of money…. Yes, invention, that’s what I said. Money, you see, doesn’t exist in the real world; there is no physical equivalent anywhere in the Universe one may point to which represents the idea; yet, this idea is the basis for almost every act of evil perpetrated by one person upon another….

This means, of course, we are all slaves to an idea, one which really has no actual meaning in Reality. How stupid is that? Well, I’ll tell ya, ffolkes…. that’s pretty fucking stupid, in my less than humble opinion…. In fact, it is awfully close to being DELIBERATELY FUCKING INSANE, rather than merely dumb. I can’t think of anything less intelligent than allowing a mere concept to control our existence, yet, this is what almost every member of this species falls for, right from the cradle….

It’s hard for me to believe we’ve been to the moon, when we can’t seem to find our way out of a simple illusion…. especially since it is all just a lie, told to us by manipulative predators, who have no interest in anything other than the fulfillment of their own desire, which generally involves the acquisition of power, and more resources than is their fair share, and has nothing to do at all with helping others. Insane, sociopathic, as well as psychopathic predators, with no more humanity than an amoeba….

What we see then, is this; money doesn’t exist. The only reason it has any meaning at all is because we give it such; no other reason is needed, and, for the purposes of those who wish to control, forms the essential first step to enslavement. Once a person believes money exists, and has importance, they become vulnerable to their own desire for it, which allows the predators to manipulate those desires for their own benefit, through the use of more lies, based upon the belief in the first, most basic lie…. Once enslaved, the slave has no idea they are even in chains, for they are only focused on the money, which doesn’t exist….

Also, even if they are made aware of the anomaly, the refuse to change, because of a lack of courage, to admit they have been wrong. As well, they would have to assume responsibility for their own beliefs, and the Universe can be a scary place. Most have never used their minds to look beyond their own needs and desires; it takes courage to face up to Reality. Only those with the courage to face it, and learn, are able to survive without the collar, for they meet the universe on even terms…..

There is a basic flaw in the plan of the predatory class of humans, though; since money doesn’t really exist, it cannot possibly be used to maintain the status quo forever. There will always come a time, when the very weight of the lies used to build the structure of society, will cause the entire house of cards to simply fall down, a victim of gravity, killed by the weight of the illusions it professed to believe. For, when the lies no longer serve as a means to describe what they see before their eyes, the illusions will always become obvious to those in thrall…. When they realize how they’ve been fooled, there will be nowhere on the planet the so-called masters will be able to hide, from the more than seven billion ANGRY people they tried to kill with their selfish desire to be ‘special’….

Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

~~ Cree Indian Prophecy ~~

“Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.” — P.J. O’Rourke

So be it.

gigoid has spoken.

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Given the mini-politireligirant in the above section, this poem of mine, written last summer, seems to be perfectly appropriate, to take up some of the time until the next one leaks out of the vein I’ll be opening soon… Enjoy!. Funky as it may be, it’s one of my faves…..

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 ~~

Written 7/19/2014.

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Today’s final pearl, as indicated by the icon, speaks to some of the lesser known facets of Life at Large, as related by quite a variety of contributing authors, some of note, some of antiquity, some modern and kinky, some staid…. All of them are spot on, when it comes to being good advice for living that Life with the greatest possible degree of virtue, and joy…. while still appreciating their opposites…. Well, sort of….. Ah, hell, you tell me what it says, then….

But we, who name ourselves its sovereigns, we,
Half dust, half deity, alike unfit
To sink or soar.

~~ Lord Byron — Manfred, Act i, Sc. 2 ~~

“Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.” — Albert Schweitzer

“Sanity is a cozy lie.” — Susan Sontag

“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?” — Zippy the Pinhead

“There’s always a bigger fish.” — Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Episode I

“When asked what learning was the most necessary, he said, “Not to unlearn what you have learned.” — Diogenes Laertius — Antisthenes, iv

“Is it pain that makes you real?” — The Goo Goo Dolls

“The mountain remains unmoved at seeming defeat by the mist.” — Rabindranath Tagore

“[T]he earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” — Chief Seattle, 1854 (c.1786-1866)

It’s funny how, sometimes, the proper ending pearl makes the whole thing make sense, even though during its construction, I hadn’t a clue where it would end up…. Subconscious direction, I suppose; that, or incredibly lucky whimsy…. Who cares which? I don’t; it works for me…

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I don’t care what anybody says; it’s a Pearl. Also, it’s done. That makes it time to post, and get the hell out of Dodge. See y’all down the road, ffolkes. Can’t say when it will be fresh again; this one took four or five days. But, I’ll be back, trust me. I ain’t no Senator’s son….

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….

Inherent doubt = innate curiosity….

Posted on September 26, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Artist’s rendition of the SpaceX Dragon Descending to Mars

Image from Space.com

Good morning…. I’m not one for taking advice too often; as a doubting curmudgeon, it’s an occupational hazard, one I’m generally happy to avoid. However, I recently received one piece of advice I’d be willing to try out, if nothing else, as it sounds like it would work for me…. It goes like this: “Start the day with a smile. After that you can be your nasty old self again.” Sounds perfect, right?

Okay, so, I’m being snarky. Chalk it up to the hour; it’s tough to be nice at 0400, having been up an hour already. But, I’m not complaining, as it’s my own damn fault, for sleeping well enough to sleep through the time to take the pill that would have kept the dyskinesia from starting up, strong enough to awaken me, and prevent falling back asleep…. Bozoid tendencies DO tend to strike at inconvenient times; it’s the nature of the beast…. Let’s try something a bit different here, shall we?….

That was certainly different; a two day hiatus between paragraphs…. Looks like the new paradigm has arrived, and is configuring itself, in a manner of speaking…. Here we are again, only it’s the day after tomorrow, at 0230….. which just slipped through another little time-warp, to bring us up to the relative present, to wit, now, Thursday, September 24, at 1235, shortly after noon….. The intervening eight-plus hours have slipped into the mire, without incident, or reportable event taking place, so, we can go on from here, should I feel like buckling down to work. Since I don’t, let’s see what happens next….

I’m not certain I like this new paradigm; perhaps I’d best shoot for a paranykuhl, instead. As half a paradigm, maybe, the transition process wouldn’t be as complicated. Nor as hard on my physical being…. For those who aren’t keeping up, (which, no worries, includes yours truly….), it’s now Friday, at 0145. That’s in the A.M. For the past three nights, in this last month of titrating off opioids, it seems the pattern is to include insomnia, to go along with the regular bouts of dyskinesia, as my body complains/reacts to the ever-lessening supply of medicine in the bloodstream. A true joy it is…. NOT.

Wait…. What was that? What the….? We dropped another day, somehow. It’s now Saturday, the 26th; last I knew, it was Thursday…. Hmm…. I’d better get the Tardis checked out….. We’re dropping days like they’re bad habits; not good. Handy, but, not good….

No complaints, though. So be it. I gotta say, though, it’s getting tough to avoid homicidal fantasies…. Ah, well, fuck it. Let’s go dive for pearls, okay? I always feel better for it…. Luigi, help us out here, will ya?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros

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LeeLoo in PK Mode

Rather than a video today, I’ve decided to show some pictures of my new familiar. As I’ve related, she showed up one morning a week or so ago, demanding to be let in the house, & emphatically informing me she would be moving in. She’s established herself as the soul of the house, and, little by little, we have been bonding, and learning each other’s habits & demands….

To give y’all an idea of her personality, below you’ll find pictures of her doing what she likes best, (like any cat, that, is, of course, sleeping….), as well as some shots of her playing and/or looking for trouble. She’s got a strong PK mode (that’s Psycho Kitty mode, for the uninitiated….). Oh, and, those crumpled up papers you see? Those are her prey; she is part Siamese, and has already learned how to fetch those papers for me to throw for her…. She also likes to sleep near my feet, or against my back, always wanting to be close… a true familiar…. Enjoy the pictures, ffolkes; LeeLoo’s a natural show-off….

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Preparing to edit documents as I type

Killing Paper Tigers

In her favorite sleeping pose…

Variations on the same theme….

Checking out the shredding pile….

The aftermath of destruction ~~ fatigue….

I’ll keep y’all updated on her progress, as we each explore the depths of our burgeoning partnership…. Here we go again, ffolkes; she’s just dropped her favorite piece of crumpled paper at my feet, and is staring up at me expectantly….. She wants to play fetch again…. wish me luck; this could go on for hours….

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“Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile!” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

One of the most common characteristics of fundamentalist religious fanatics is their denial of the effects of humanity’s insanity on the world’s environment, especially as a cause for the climate changes we are witnessing every day. This inability to use their imagination has been one of the major factors in our inability to make any progress toward a viable culture, one which MIGHT enable us to survive our own stupidity. Alas, I don’t see it happening; nor did I see it last year, when I wrote this rant…. Enjoy! It’s all still completely valid and relevant, if not more so than when written….

From 2/18/2014:

http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/John-Kerry-mocks-those-who-deny-climate-change-5239626.php

Wow…. I am, as much as I ever am, impressed, in a good way, by this statement from one of the administration’s most important lackeys…. I read what John K. said yesterday, or the day before, doesn’t matter…. and for once, the tenor and strength of the message, which is about the imminence of the environmental crisis we face in the near future, is nearly strong enough to get through to some folks, and any ffolkes who see or hear it will be encouraged, if somewhat bemused by this typical jump to join in the fight, onto a bandwagon they should have been driving TWENTY-FIVE FUCKING YEARS AGO, but, instead, act as if it’s a brand new model, which they, of course, claim as the first to seen driving in town….

Of course, so far, I haven’t actually SEEN any action on this by the administration, but, boy-howdy, when they decide to jump on the wagon, they do it with both feet…. He actually used the word ‘sacrifice’ I think, or maybe it was ‘danger’…. regardless, he made a good effort, for a first try, to get the message out there, that we have to act NOW, rather than later…. which is the most important key, if we are to have ANY chance to make any difference in the eventual outcome of events….

Personally, I don’t believe, not for a minute, that they’ll do enough, or be able to cut far enough into the influence of the corporate masters to make enough of a difference; no so far as to change the eventual outcome…. But, hey, they’re at least acknowledging that it needs to be done…. I just don’t think they can do it, not before they are blocked by those who hold the purse strings, and who are making a HUGE profit on global warming, as well as on the use of fossil fuels….

To be honest, I really don’t much feel like ranting today, even with the advent of good news about which to speak, or the importance of spreading the knowledge of the imminence of the problem…. I guess I’m in too mellow a mood, having slept long and well again…. Therefore, I’m going to finish this section with an old-school collection of pearls, to try to gain some perspective on this latest flip-flop by the political machine currently in power in Washington D.C…… Let’s see if SB has some good stuff in there for us today, shall we?…. But, hey, I know!…. Let’s let SB fire the shots randomly, so we can see some of the fat cat preachers do some dancing around, too, dodging figurative bullets alongside the politicians and corporate assholes….

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

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” — George Orwell (1903-1950), “Animal Farm” 1945

“I don’t know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn’t.” — Jules Renard

“We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.” — Aneurin Bevan

“Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.” — Herodotus

“The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance…logic can be happily tossed out the window.” — Stephen King

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Stolen Child” ~~

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Funny Bones

Dreaming the way home, lost, unseen,
from the dance, where
he felt so free, and clean.
Sorrow couldn’t find him there.

Waiting, filling up the hours, hoping,
some connection can be found
keeping busy as bees, coping.
Love creeps in, without a sound.

Fat days, skinny nights, passionate
visions of semi-conscious entities,
cannot seem to fully illuminate
or hide our innermost frailties.

Resolute, find the perfect sense, codify
simple rules with every breath
never waiting, anxious to modify.
fear nothing in life, not even Death.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 5/13/2013.

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It’s a bit esoteric, if not downright obfuscatory, but, it will do nicely, I think. It fits in well with the tentative nature of the rest of this mess…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

For a true master,
Sitting on a throne
Is no different than
Sitting on dirt.

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.” — The Cowboy’s Guide to Life

“Don’t try to have the last word. You might get it.” — Lazarus Long

“A good place to start is where you are.” — Charles Wolf, Jr.

“No harm can come to a good man in life or death.” — Socrates

“By doubting we come at truth.” — Cicero

“We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” — Titus Livius

“Indeed, what is there that does not appear marvelous when it comes to our knowledge for the first time?” — Pliny the Elder — Natural History, Book vii, Sect. 6

“Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible.” — Sun Tzu

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It’s only taken five or six days to complete this Pearl; ah well, so much for the best-laid plans. I don’t seem able to find any part of me that cares much; I’m still fighting my own battles, and can’t find any spare angst, or much of a shit to give. So be it. It’s done, and, at this point, that’s all that matters…. I’ll see y’all in a day or three, ffolkes. I’m making a little progress, so, there’s hope…. Ta for now….

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….

“Committing the Sin of Indolence” — a retrospective….

Posted on September 21, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I cannot teach anybody anything,

I can only make them think.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Pluto as seen from the New Horizons Spacecraft

Image from the UK Guardian 9/17/2015

I had forgotten just how deeply embedded this process has become in my existence…. It seems the creation of a Pearl is more important to my degree of sanity than I’d previously admitted; if I don’t sit down to write for a while, I feel “off”. Once I’ve cruised through SB for a time, using my mind in a familiar way, some of the angst I seem to build up over the course of the day dissipates, leaving me better able to think introspectively, which is where I need to be just now…. So, I’ll write…. but, I may not post…. We’ll see.

For now, I think I’ll go make some coffee. It’s 0230 (almost) so, why not? It looks like me and LeeLoo will be up a while tonight…. Don’t know why insomnia struck tonight, but, I may as well take advantage of it to get some thinking & planning done…. Or, perhaps, I’ll gather up some pearls, and see what they have to say….

When I told myself, and y’all, this process would be changing, I didn’t realize just how many alterations the change would encompass. No complaints at all; I seem to have misplaced some of the angst I’ve typically carried around with me. Whatever the case may be, it’s slowed this down to a crawl…. The two paragraphs you see above were written yesterday. Since then, most of this Pearl has been finished; only some entertainment left to find now. Yet, I’m not even worried at all whether I get it posted today, or not…. which may be good, or not. We’ll see about that, too, I suppose. For now, I think I’ll go cruise You Tube & find something fun to watch, whenever this gets posted….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The laws of physics have no basis in reality. They describe the operation of the human mind.” — Robert Anton Wilson

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I don’t believe I need to say anything at all to introduce this artist/philosopher/social critic. Simply, he was the best of his time….

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George Carlin
It’s Bad For Ya ~ 2008

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https://youtu.be/vLjJxMyJXXg

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“If the truth offends — too bad.”

~~ Hard Ass Bee, with gigoid’s full agreement ~~

Okay, so, I lied. I COULD say I didn’t lie, so much as I misspoke, as any number of politicians would say. And, have said, repeatedly. (e.g.: “I just didn’t say it.” — Ronald Reagan — Associated Press, 10/5/66)

Actually, what I did is underestimate how long it would be until I was struck by the urge to write about the world at large, when I’m having my own troubles with the world inside the shell of my consciousness…. But, as I cruised through SB for entertainment, the following pearls kept jumping up, practically shouting at me, to insist on being included in a long, involved indictment of men of evil intent, who usurped the government of this nation almost before the ink was dry on the Constitution…..

Their efforts have resulted in the world we face today, where all the rules are made by those who insist on controlling the lives of all they see, without ever considering how others may feel about that…. 90% of the world’s population live as no more than slaves, threatened with poverty and destitution at the slightest emergency or accident in their lives, at the mercy of the bankers, and the predatory politicians, the fat-cat lawyers, the faceless myrmidons (i.e., police) who enforce the will of the masters, and the religious dogma dogs who encourage the slaves to respect those who oppress them, for the promise of a better life after they die.

I was raised by a man who went to war in 1941, to protect his family and home, thinking he was fighting for the liberties he believed he had, and that he believed would be the legacy for his children. He raised us to believe in those same principles, of liberty and freedom for all, upon which he, and we, were supposedly brought up….

If he were alive today, he would be as pissed off at what has taken place as I am, for, since the creation of the National Security Agency during WWII, every one of the Bill of Rights, and, all of the protections of our Constitution, have been abrogated, one after another, in the name of security and ‘national interest’, two concepts the definition of which the beloved ruling class reserves solely for itself…. Neither of those two concepts have anything to do with protecting the interests of American citizens; they only serve to protect the status quo. How else does one explain such statements as the following:

“You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence.” — Charles Austin Beard, American Historian, 1874-1948

This is the absolute truth. We see this every day, in irrefutable evidence provided by videos of how using the words our forefathers used can get an American citizen shot by the police, ‘for resisting arrest’, or, for ‘disobeying a lawful order by an officer’…. It’s pretty hard to refute visual/auditory evidence, but, time after time, people continue to die, and no police officer is ever charged…. It is a disgrace, and, a national shame, one my father would have deplored with every fiber of his being…. I share that disgust, and, intend to never submit to such treatment myself, without making it clear it is a mistake to assume that a free man can be oppressed…. Whoever tries to take my rights will find I only have those rights I am able to defend…

In the meantime, here are a bunch of other statements that cover the same subject, from various angles, by various contemporary and historical figures; some are examples of how things ought to be, others point out the nature of the problem, or, at least, some of the motivation behind it…. All are, to my mind, spot on….

“If Congress can determine what constitutes the general welfare and can appropriate money for its advancement, where is the limitation to carrying into execution whatever can be effected by money?” — South Carolina Senator William Draden 1828

(Oops! Another warning missed by the general public, from someone who apparently saw what was happening, right from the start…. Typical….)

“Annoy a Fundamentalist: Tell him the truth!” — Sardonic Bee

“Any person under the age of thirty, who, having any knowledge of the existing social order, is not a revolutionist, is an inferior.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Solon gave the following advice: “Consider your honour, as a gentleman, of more weight than an oath. Never tell a lie. Pay attention to matters of importance.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Solon, xii

“Conservative: Proof that evolution is not an exact science.” — Polly Sci Bee

“This is the Nineties, Bubba, and there is no such thing as Paranoia. It’s all true.” — Hunter S Thompson

“Capitalism in the United States has undergone profound modification, not just under the New Deal, but through a consensus that continued to grow after the New Deal. Government in the U. S. today is a senior partner in every business in the country.” — Norman Cousins

“We have watched American democracy at close hand for many years and we believe few governments are institutionally so susceptible to dictatorship as this one.” — Gerald Johnson

“The statesman shears the sheep, the politician skins them.” — Definitive Bee

“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshiped anything but himself.” — Sir Richard F. Burton

“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” — Jacquin’s Postulate on Democratic Government

“Is it fair to hold politicians to the same standards as humans?” — Snarky Bee

Books are burning
In the main square, and I saw there
The fire eating the text.
Books are burning
In the still air
And you know where they burn books
People are next.

~~ “Books Are Burning”, XTC ~~

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Sublime Indifference

Faces tell such stories

as these,

we know.

No one saw,

ever.

No one sees,

ever.

But, we know.

Forgotten,

deliberately bought

with

consistent threats

of Sitcoms,

Paisley Ties,

yes, and,

Lava Lamps;

proof offered

unbidden

of Death.

Only

of Death.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 5/21/2015.

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

In my world, pearls such as this are the standard. As far as any philosophy goes, other than my own, Taoism is the closest attempt made by mankind to describe Reality, period. Beginning, and ending, a lesson/pearl with Taoist principles is a sure way to ensure the balance, and accuracy, of whatever is created…. Add one in the middle, and, it’s unassailably perfect. Go ahead, try to refute ANY of it…. Enjoy!….

My teachings are very easy to understand and very easy to practice.
But no one can understand them and no one can practice them.
In my words there is a principle.
In the affairs of men there is a system.

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

“You don’t know how much you don’t know until you know a lot.” — Nick Holland

“While all things have their opposites, it is also true that in each the spirit of the opposite exists.” — Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sufi writer

“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

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” — Carl Jung

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” — Albert Einstein

Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.
I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.

~~ Tao Te Ching ~~

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

I see it is done. Clearly, time to post; what the hell, it’s only two hours (and two days….) overdue, according to the previous paradigm. Good thing a new one is under construction…. For now, I’ll merely say there WILL be more Pearls; when that might occur is anybody’s guess. If the past two days are an indication, it shouldn’t be too long. See y’all then, ffolkes; you can 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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Planting truth in fallow fields….

Posted on September 19, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Within the oyster’s shell uncouth
The purest pearl may hide,
Trust me you’ll find a heart of truth
Within that rough inside.

~~ Mrs. Osgood ~~

Pluto as seen from the Dawn Horizons Spacecraft Mission Flyby

Image from the UK Guardian 9/17/2015

Good morning, ffolkes. I’m tired, even after having slept a solid 8 hours for the first time in ages. I am also way, way off center, due to a concatenation of circumstances, many of which were not in my control, though in my possible sphere of prediction (had I been, naturally, more centered to begin). As a result, I find myself in the position of needing to make some alterations in lifestyle and routine in order to return to, and stay at my center of being, such as it is….

All that said, (with some difficulty I might add…. LeeLoo’s newest trick is to lick my hand, then drape herself comfortably across my wrist, leaving my fingers free to type, literally, as I am typing this while she lays there, purring contentedly, as if she had nothing more important or valuable to do but lie on my hands watching me type….. SIGH….) I am going to make a few changes here on ECR, as well. For some days after today, you may see some re-blogs, complete Pearls, from the archives…. Those will be the days I am avoiding any outside contact, as I intend to hunker down again, drawing myself into myself, until I find my center, and nail it to my forehead…. Other days, you’ll see nothing at all; those days I’m hiding, probably from myself, as well as the world…

So, these posts may not be as fresh as usual for a while…. Who knows? Maybe it won’t take long, and I’ll be back on track by tomorrow….. More likely, based on experience, we’re looking at a few weeks, while I go through my internal contortions, those necessary to realign my self to the universe, as I understand it…. At least this time I won’t be carrying around a beach ball on my belly…. It’s all gone ffolkes…. I weighed 179.8 lbs today, for the third day running. That is a weight I haven’t seen in over 25 years, and I’m not stopping there; I’ll quit worrying about it at all when I get back to 160 lbs., which is my natural weight for this age and height…. I’ll be buff again!….

Or, a reasonable facsimile of buff; much healthier, anyway…. For now, let’s get today’s Pearl done, since the cat seems to have fallen asleep on my wrist…. Take it away, Luigi!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.” — Isaac Asimov

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

Not only am I far from center, I can’t even figure out what direction to start searching for it. So, here’s the deal…. I’ll put together one old-school pearl, with as many good aphorisms as SB will give me, and be done with this for a while…. Obviously, (to me), I need a break, to recharge my batteries, or some such odd analogy…. which just goes to show how much I need this…. Here’s what I could find, ffolkes…. The first one probably gives away where I am heading; the rest are for show, though not insignificant in their own right/light…..

“Nothing is more useful than silence.” — Menander

“Experience is the only prophecy of wise men.” — Alphonse de Lamartine

“Life without music would be an intolerable insult.” — Edward Abbey

“After I’m dead I’d rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one.” — Cato the Elder

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” — H.H. the Dalai Lama

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) Essays: First Series (1841) “Self-Reliance”

“If you can see a thing whole… it seems that it’s always beautiful. Planets, lives…But close up, a world’s all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life’s a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. You need distance, interval. The way to see how beautiful the earth is, is to see it as the moon. The way to see how beautiful a life is, is to see it from the vantage point of death.” — Ursula K. Le Guin, Dispossessed

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

I’m done. Literally, and, figuratively. I may, or may not, post tomorrow; don’t be at all surprised if I don’t post for several days…. I need…. a lot. I want more…. Both are not good, and, thus, must be dealt with…. Not to worry, I’m tough, and I’ll be fine. I just need to NOT for a time. I’ll be back when I AM….

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….

Wait, sir! Squeegees are NOT allowed….

Posted on September 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Live a life worthy of the things that will be said of you when you’re dead.”

~~ Ambidextrous Rex ~~

Stealth Rock Surfacing to Fire Weapons

Good morning…. Life can sure bring us new challenges…. Has anyone else noted how little we generally expect them when they come? It’s always a surprise, even though the same sort of events have occurred many times throughout our lives. I suppose it’s the same sort of amnesia women get after childbirth, that allows them to make love again, knowing the risks…. That’s a joke, by the way. I suppose it might not have fallen so flat were it more of a logical progression, rather than the usual male short-sightedness…. Ah, well, chalk it up to a routine shot to shit….

This morning, that routine has centered around a small extortionist, who insists this time of day is when I should pay attention to HER, not the computer. When I sat down to begin today, LeeLoo came over to the computer & sat directly on the keyboard, staring at me as if to say, “Well? What about ME?”…. She refused to be distracted, & I ended up sitting with her in my arms, purring, while I thought of all the time I was wasting….. until I fell back asleep…. SIGH…. Bloody little tyrant, she is…

I suppose this means this intro section will be turning into a morning report on cat antics, as I can see this is to become the new routine, with me attempting to furnish the cat with activities to distract her from the computer, so I can rush to put out the morning Pearl, in the MORNING! It promises to be a series of Keystone Kops episodes, to be sure…. For today, we’ll call this an intro, even though it barely makes the grade. Luigi is here, though, and we’re all set to go, so, let’s get it done, while LeeLo is buy tearing up the magazine I gave her….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The apple cannot be stuck back on The Tree of Knowledge; once we begin to see, we are doomed and challenged to seek the strength to see more, not less.” — Arthur Miller

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

This is the goal.

Image from Pinterest via Google Free Images

In keeping with the theme as described in the introductory section, here is some music designed to help our furry friends find some peace, for long enough to give us some respite…. Enjoy! As I sincerely hope LeeLoo does….

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

Relax My Cat

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

https://youtu.be/Myp1lut5LmA

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

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

Image Stolen from TalesfromtheConspiratum.com

“History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love (1972)

I’m really late; I had intended to give myself enough time to write about religion today, as I found the above meme on a friend’s site, and found the perfect quote to go with it…. But, I’m too late, and, now, too tired to get it done, so, I’ll do what I always do in such cases; cheat. Here’s a religirant from the archives…. I’ve done quite a few of them, so, it doesn’t take long to find an appropriate entry…. Enjoy!….

From 4/17/2013:

“A thing is not proved because no one has ever questioned it…Skepticism is the first step towards truth.” — Smart Bee

As I was cruising through Smart Bee this morning, looking for inspiration for section 3, I came across this little gem, unattributed. It sounds like it could have come from a number of different philosophers, all of whom are noted for their wisdom and perspicacity (another great word….). It is also a part of the human flaw that has contributed to many of the problems we face as a society, and as a species.

Actually, it might be more accurate to say that the lack of this in humans is part of the flaw; most people one talks to would not agree with this idea, as stated. In fact, it is directly opposed to the educational premises of many cultures, especially those heavily influenced by religions, such as those in Mexico, Central and South America, where Catholicism is a powerful factor in society, and in the governing of that society. India, and much of the Eastern Hemisphere, too, have societies that are heavily influenced by religion, though with more participant sects than is true in the Western Hemisphere; Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, to name a few, are always a contributing factor in the political events that have shaped history.

“The common dogma [of fundamentalists] is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence.” — G Gaia

As a result of this influence, many people tend to reject skepticism, as it doesn’t fit in with what they have been taught, which is to never question anything told to them by persons in positions of authority. Churches tend to encourage this sort of attitude, as their outrageous claims of divinity, and supernatural events performed by their deities, do not stand up well to scrutiny by an objective eye. The leaders of the churches thus play right into the hands of the Beloved Ruling Class, as they counsel their flocks to obey worldly, temporal authority as readily as they are conditioned to obey the secular variety…..

“I just stepped on a factoid!” – Zippy the Pinhead

Thankfully, not all of humanity is defenseless against this sort of conditioning. There are many ffolkes out there who don’t buy into the sort of psychological blackmail being promulgated by the preachers, priests, imams, and shamans of all shapes and sizes around the world, and a large number of them seem to end up blogging, right here on WordPress…. So, I end up preaching to the choir pretty often. But, that’s okay, too, because I know that occasionally, one of those folks who do believe in what they are told, without any questions or doubts, will read this, and, if nothing else, will think about what I’ve said…. Who knows, maybe I’ll go viral, and the whole world will remember that WE ALL ARE GODS?”…… (Remember? Axiom # 3…. “Thou art God, you know…. Let’s do lunch….)

“Youth of today! Join me in a mass rally for traditional mental attitudes!” — Zippy the Pinhead

I suppose that’s a note from my subconscious, to let me know I’ve gone far enough off the rails for now, and should let these good people get on with their lives, rather than wandering around in mine…. Goodness knows where we’ll end up…. So, anyway, just remember to cultivate your sense of doubt, your “crap detector”, as it were, and never, ever take anything “on authority”, without tangible proof…. You’ll find Life to be less confusing that way; certainly, it makes it a lot easier to look yourself in the mirror in the morning…..

“This is patently absurd; but whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.” — Bertrand Russell

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

In 2012, I began writing poetry again after a hiatus of almost forty years; this is one of the very first I created after breaking the barrier I’d built between me and that part of my soul…. I hope you like it….

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/27/2012.

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

Our final pearl today is a rather standard group of aphorisms on Life at Large…. It’s all good advice, ffolkes, so, pay heed, if you would live your own life well….

“Be virtuous and you will be eccentric.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

“Honor is the reward of virtue.”

~~ Cicero ~~

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.”

~~ Robert Cody ~~

“There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.”

~~ Christopher Morley ~~

“There is only one universal goal: a gracious death with no regrets.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

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

~~ Cicero ~~

“Do not settle for less than the best your own excellence can command.”

~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~

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

Well, it’s done. I’m pretty sure, anyway. I suppose I better check; hang on a moment….

It’s a damn good thing I checked. I had completely forgotten to complete one of the sections! Ah well, chalk that one up to LeeLoo, who picked the moment I found the missing section to knock over my almost full cup of coffee, just to give me something to do, more amusing for her than watching me type. Hilarious…. not.

But, NOW it’s done, and I can try to get it posted before she finds a way to set something on fire…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the building is intact…. Oh, shit, there goes the corner bookshelf!…. 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….

Ice the melon, warm the brandy….

Posted on September 17, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.”

~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~

NASA Spitzer Telescope Calendar Pictures for 2016

Good morning…. The cat finally let me pick a name for her. She has reacted to only one name, and, as is the usual case, it’s a perfect fit. She is Leeloo; pronounced just as spelled, it’s the name of the female lead character in a Sci-Fi movie, The Fifth Element. The whole movie was a very long drawn out metaphor for the concept that Love is the final element of harmony in our Universe, so, considering the cat’s personality, it fits the metaphor quite well….

The character in the movie was very catlike, anyway, so, it’s all good…. She has signaled her approval of her name by settling down on the edge of the mouse pad to doze while I’m typing this…. Of course, that doesn’t mean a flood of words is filling my head, encouraging me to choose just the right ones to thrill and amaze y’all with my new-found brilliance; in fact, nothing of the sort is happening in this head, or any other head in the immediate neighborhood. Even Leeloo has gone to sleep, finding this missive, thus far, to be less than stimulating….

I’m afraid I’ve been thrust into the grasp of a new learning curve, and will be manipulated into adjusting even more of my writing habits to suit the needs and/or desires of a small creature who is fascinated by every move I make at this computer. Already, as is patently obvious, the content has expanded exponentially, to include her antics, and progress in the molding of the household to her standards. SIGH…. I was JUST getting comfortable the way I was….. Axiom #2 in action, I would say….

Now we’ve received the morning metaphor from the Universe, it might be a good idea to get this slow on the road…. I know, let’s do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I’ve reached that age when a good day is one when you get up and nothing hurts.” — H. Martin

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

Milla Jojovich as LeeLoo in The Fifth Element

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

The movie from which LeeLoo’s name was chosen is still protected, so, to see it, you’ll need to find a copy yourself… I’ve included a You Tube exploration of some of the movie’s lesser known anomalies, on a page where you can see any number of clips from the movie, to get an idea of why I’ve named my cat after a fictional genetically enhanced goddess, in the role of a metaphor for the power of human love…. Enjoy!….

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

9 Things You Didn’t Know about The Fifth Element

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

https://youtu.be/EdKSKeBqmEw

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

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

I’ve spent a lot of time, and words, detailing what I believe to be wrong with human nature, and, with the loss of integrity, honor, and sense of personal responsibility displayed by the vast majority of Americans, both in and out of government. I’m not in the mood to rant about it, because I’m in a lot of pain, and it might color my words to the point of irascibility, which detracts from its power of persuasion…. Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Here, instead, is a short, seven-star pearl to accomplish the same purpose; each of these is something either missing from the American character, or, is all-too-present to do anyone any good….

“Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!” — Albert Einstein

“Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others.His culture is based on “I am not too sure.” — H.L. Mencken

“You’ll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.” — George Bernard Shaw

“I know of no book which has been a source of brutality and sadistic conduct, both public and private, that can compare with the Bible.” — Lord Paget

“One of the most frightening things in the Western world, and in this country in particular, is the number of people who believe in things that are scientifically false. If someone tells me that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, in my opinion, he should see a psychiatrist.” — Francis H.C. Crick

“One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty in finding someone to blame your troubles on.And when you do find someone, it’s remarkable how often their picture turns up on your driver’s license.” — P. J. O’Rourke

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

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

Blithely Untitled

A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.

Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.

Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.

Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.

Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 27/2014.

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

From 2/28/2013:

Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled
About the center of the silent Word.

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

I’ve always been fond of this little snippet from T.S.; it has a certain charm to it. I find to be pleasantly complex, while yet describing a very basic idea. Of course, it’s not a rantable item, nor particular helpful in any sort of self-improvement activities. But, I don’t much care, I just like it, so there….

Actually, I’ve included it where it is as a filler; Smart Bee is being particularly uncooperative this morning. It’s almost as if it were suffering from what I am, and is trying to tell me, to wit:

” — Bother! said Pooh, as his fur turned gray and he began losing his memory.” — Smart Bee

So, in the face of such obstruction, I have only one defense, and that is to go old-school, reverting back to the type of pearls as demonstrated in section one today…. I give you therefore, the next in a seemingly endless parade of aphorisms, all pointed in one direction, or at least, one dimension….. Let’s see what we find….

Content if hence th’ unlearn’d their wants may view,
The learn’d reflect on what before they knew.

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Criticism, Part iii, Line 180 ~~

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” — William Jennings Bryan

“Our genetic heritage endows each of us with a series of emotional set-points that determines our temperament. But the brain circuitry involved is extraordinarily malleable; temperament is not destiny.” — Daniel P. Goleman

“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” — C. W. Leadbeater

“I have learned this at least by my experiment: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”

“Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment – that’s how you train dogs, not develop people.” — Deng Ming-Dao

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

Not bad, a seven star pearl, in less than a hundred clicks…. I’ll take it, and run…..

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

This process has become even more of a struggle to complete; perhaps it will settle down a bit as the kitten requires less attention, though, that may take a while. Ah well, it’s done, and only about 3 hours later than usual… I must say, it’s nice to have LeeLoo sleeping on the mouse pad as I write, even if I have to move the mouse elsewhere…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, come what may….

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….

Inexorable notions of impropriety….

Posted on September 16, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“We say the cows laid out Boston. Well, there are worse surveyors.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), “Wealth” ~~

Yep. It’s Luna.

Good morning…. Yet another day spent slipping into the mire…. As I sit here, I find myself having to defend the keyboard against the imprecations of a psycho kitty, who thinks she should have some input into what I’m typing today. Her main problem, I think, is not knowing the entire alphabet; otherwise, I’d probably be watching her type this, rather than the other way around…. Fascinating!….

Ah well, it’s just another adaptation, I guess, one I have to deal with if I’m to ever get this Pearl posted. I’ll not tempt Fate, nor will I push my luck; instead, we’ll just go on, as if I knew what I was doing…. Luigi is going to ‘gently’ convey us to the oyster beds, where we shall hope to find what we need for the day…. Let’s do it now, okay?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

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

Image from arzapizza.com via Google Images

It looks as if I’ve given up on maintaining my reputation as a crusty, irritable old curmudgeon with these cute animal videos, doesn’t it? Oh, well, what the hell; I like them, so, fuck it…. Guess it won’t be too long before the new psycho kitty has company…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. and, for any Asininnies who MAY be reading, pay attention to how well our companions on the Trail of Life get along together when we don’t interfere with our own idiocy….

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

Dogs & Cats Playing Together

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

https://youtu.be/YSC9kKpmx40

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

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

I came across this statement from Edward Abbey last evening, while searching for pearls. It is the clearest statement of reality in this country today I know of, though. it was first uttered in the last century; I know not exactly when… I am compelled to say I would agree with each and every word….

This, ffolkes, is the statement of an American patriot. The only real kind I know of, a man the men who formed this country would understand. It’s also the statement of a man with whom I’d be honored to stand…. any time, anywhere.

“The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state controlled police and military are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy. Not for nothing was the revolver called an ‘equalizer’ Eqalite implies liberte. And always will. Let us hope our weapons are never needed — but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government — and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.” — Edward Abbey (1927-1989)

Nothing I could add would say it any better, so, I’ll just leave it there…. After all, what else is there to be said?

So be it.

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

I am not sure why, but, this poem seems appropriate for today, as a representation of my recent ordeal overseas…. Too much of the trip was spent in a state similar to this, so, let all memory of that time be gone with this posting….

Dead Hands,Typing…

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 2/25/2015.

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A simple little pearl about Life at Large to finish the day’s effort…. Pay heed, and enjoy Life better!….

Who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own
Self in all beings, loses all fear.

~~ Isa Upanishad ~~

“The older we grow the greater becomes our wonder at how much ignorance one can contain without bursting one’s clothes.” — Mark Twain

“Don’t be ashamed to say what you are not afraid to think.” — Montaigne

“All is flux, nothing stays still.” — Heraclitus

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” — Saint Augustine

“Cease to be ruled by dogmas and authorities; look at the world!” — H.G. Wells paraphrase of Roger Bacon’s works

“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.” — Socrates

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Well, there you go. Late again, thanks to the regularization of my life, and the literary advice of a small fur-bearing critic. Now, if I can persuade here to move long enough to post, we’re good to go…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, like it or not…..

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….

Kowtowing to the inevitable….

Posted on September 15, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Weary is the path that does not challenge.

Doubt is an incentive to truth and patient inquiry leadeth the way.”

~~ Plato Bee ~~

Miss Cthulthu Invasion

Good morning…. Yesterday, I took a short walk in the morning, as I’d been having a bit of trouble getting the brain going. Upon returning home, I approached my porch steps, where I heard the unlikely sound of a kitten desperately mewling…. I took two steps up, to be greeted by the above face, eyes latched onto mine, yelling at me to “open the door, NOW!”, as only a young, ferocious kitten can… She entered her dominion eyes straight ahead, then asked to be picked up and cuddled for a while, purring like a tiny locomotive….

The picture gives a good idea of her; I think she’s possessed….. Actually, she’s a sweet little Siamese mix, with more than a bit of the devil in her. I suppose she’s been deposited with me to keep me occupied, like I had nothing better to do than cater to a small, fur-bearing extortionist. Ah well, what are ya gonna do? Obviously, I’ve been appointed as her keeper by Bastet; so much for my plans to get a dog!…. Hmm…. come to think of it, a puppy may be just the thing to keep her in line, or, at minimum, give her somebody ELSE to wrestle with; my old skin is already picking up scratches galore….

So, now you know why I’m late, and, why I’ve had a bit of trouble establishing a routine for blogging since my return…. Since yesterday morning, my new routine has a new, vital factor to take into account, one who insists on having her time at her convenience…. So be it…. For now, let’s see if we can get a Pearl done, or, faked, if necessary…. Luigi, take it away!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Let a man in a garret but burn with enough tensity and he will set fire to the whole world.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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

Yes, it’s my typing chair

And, yes, the house looks like a two-year-old moved in…. Everything on the floor is now a toy.

Anyone who has been here before knows what is coming. The rest of y’all can just enjoy!…..

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

Cats

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

https://youtu.be/wyZsB_JnWDc

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

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

Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent

“That which is incapable of proof itself is not proof of anything else.”

~~ Shelley ~~

I’d hoped to have at least a mini-rant, or a discussion of philosophy this morning; the cat has other plans. Here is a pretty good little piece from the early days of this blog, which may serve the purpose as well….

From 9/19/2012:

“Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.” — George Santayana

This observation by Mssr. Santayana seems to me to explain most of the movies that come out of Hollywood, or anywhere else. Each of us, though we cannot always say what we see as beautiful, knows what it looks like when we encounter it; every movie made is an attempt to attract people with visions of commonality, beauty that all can agree on, and, of course, pay money to see. It’s a manufactured market, only there because people want to experience those feelings, and are convinced that they can by participating in the public viewing of someone’s idea of beauty (or comedy, or evil, or any other intriguing related emotional experience)….

It reminds me of the concept of perfection…. We all have heard that “nobody is perfect”, or “nothing is perfect”, and there are numerous philosophical treatises that attempt to prove that perfection is beyond human attainment. My question for these people is this: if there is no such thing as perfection, then why do we have its image in our minds? It seems more logical to me that perfection is merely very rare, but examples of it are bound to occur, just by the law of averages, and when it does, we have the perceptive ability to see it, to acknowledge and appreciate its perfection….

The statement also can be viewed as another way of looking at the nature of reality, or the Tao of life. Is not the very first line of the Tao Teh Ching a paraphrase of the above? “The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao.” It touches on the very base of natural law, of how reality is not what we can say of it; it is more than just the description of it. By observing what is real, our perceptions remove the part of what has occurred that gives it body and substance, what makes it real…. If Albert Einstein’s God is the true one, then He left clues to this aspect of reality all over, but especially in physics, as noted by the famed Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which so poignantly points out the folly of placing one’s total faith in what is perceived…. because by seeing it, it has already changed, to suit another of reality’s aspects, Change….

Axiom # 2 of Peruaosophy states: “The Nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you are in for a rough ride.” Since Peruaosophy is my own philosophy, I can tell you, without fear of lying, that the axiom is absolutely true. It has been tested by every method I could think of, all through my life, and I can assure you that it is a factual statement. Trust me….

Okay, so you don’t have to take my word for it…. test it yourself. If you can find a single time when you can say that it is untrue, you document that, and send it to me. I’ll check it out, if any are sent in, but I have serious doubt that I’ll get any replies, as I’m confident of the axiom and its veracity. It doesn’t mean it is better, or more real than any other viewpoint or world view, but I’d wager it stands up to any of them without flinching or looking away….

Now see what I’ve done? I’ve talked myself into a corner, and can’t figure out how to tie all this mental meandering together with any aplomb. I’m sadly short of quotes, so we’ll have to make do with whatever I can come up with on short notice….. let it suffice to say that I believe in beauty, as little as it can be described, and I believe in perfection, in reality, and in the nature of everything…. After all, to be perfect, one would need to also be perfectly imperfect, else how would one tell? And I know for a fact that many of us are imperfect; at times, I am so myself, on rare occasions….. 🙂 Besides, nature itself is full of examples of perfect beauty, anyway…. just take a walk in a garden when it is blooming with roses, and you will find any number of physical examples of the concept……

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart: the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned….

~~ William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming ~~

His head,
Not yet by time completely silver’d o’er,
Bespoke him past the bounds of freakish youth,
But strong for service still, and unimpair’d.

~~ William Cowper (1731-1800) — The Task, Book ii, The Timepiece, Line 702 ~~

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

Gauges of Pain

Consciousness devolves in pools of gripping fears
holding hostage any hope of serenity,
sharp stabbing motions and greedy tears
nary a moment passes without common calamity.

Always a surprise, nothing soothing ever found,
leaving only breathless clinging pain,
salvation seemingly absent, it muffles all sound,
bringing ever more sadness and rain.

Solitude is ever present to claim my time,
lonely hours and relentlessly long days,
no radio plays such music in secular rhyme
happy, vibrant voices belong to elder ways.

Life can be justified it seems to say,
by hopeful favored moments of pleasure,
seemingly friendly, pointing out the only way,
to bring back happiness in minimal measure.

Days of horror and embarrassing tears
serve ever to drive wretched hours to withhold
promising naught but sorrow in coming years,
black, bitter memories that never grow old.

Cold, cold the days fly by,
can it really be our only token?
Never to say, or know just why
the pain never stops, even when spoken…

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2012.

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

I really don’t think this pearl needs explanation; all ya gotta do is enjoy it, just as if you were a camel, or a little girl….

Discourse on virtue and they pass by in droves.
Whistle and dance the shimmy, and you’ve got an audience.

~~ Diogenes ~~

“Save your breath, you may want it to clean your glasses later.” — Julius Tannen

“If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave man, I guess I’m a coward.” — Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey

“Careful, Mister. Old Zeek is liable to fire that sucker up!” — Gaffer Bee

“If one studies too zealously, one easily loses his pants.” — Albert Einstein

“God must love assholes — She made so many of them.” — Druidic Bee

“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.” — Geeky Bee

“I don’t think Mr. Ranger is gonna like this, Yogi…” — Booboo Bear

Do what you wanna, do what you will;
Just don’t mess up your neighbor’s thrill.
And when you pay the bill, kindly leave a little tip
To help the next poor sucker on his one-way trip.

~~ Frank Zappa, “You Are What You Is” ~~

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

Well, it’s a Pearl. It’s got all the necessary parts, anyway, so, I’m going with tradition, & pronouncing it done. That being the case, and the cat being asleep for a while (thank Bastet for cat naps….), I’ll try to post this before it spoils in the heat…. I’ll try again tomorrow, ffolkes; perhaps we can even find something relatively fresh in my head other than mush & blather…. Fat chance, but, hey, hope springs eternal…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; damn it, anyway!….

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….

Absent gestures of high regard….

Posted on September 14, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Man has made use of his intelligence, he invented stupidity.”

~~ Remy De Gourmant ~~

Cows is Cows ~ These are Irish Cows

Good morning…. I could, in view of the actual nature of Reality, express that sentiment much more accurately, but, what fun would that be? Nobody really wants to know, anyway, right? So, what’s the point? None. And, if we can do nothing else around here today, let us at least try to have a point….

Wait. Do we really want to set a precedent like that? Maybe we should rethink that for a moment; it’s not as if there’s any real money riding on the decision, so, nobody will pay any attention. In this society, money talks, bullshit walks, as it is said in many places, all of them financially certified as bankable, the ultimate test of reality for an oligarch. Oops…. How did we start ranting so quickly? I wasn’t even feeling any particularly sharp angst anywhere, were you? Hmm…. the urge must be getting pretty strong…

It will have to wait, though, as I’m not done here in the intro….. Or, wait a minute…. Am I? Let me just check this little gauge right over here, and…. well! I’ll be damned! (No doubt on that one, is there?…. Ha!) According to this, we ARE done! There’s a bit of nonsense, a greeting, of sorts, some mini-ranting, or facsimile thereof, and some general confusion. Yep. That’s all of them…. Okay, then. Luigi, it seems we are finished here; take it away, as soon as you…..whoa! Hang on, ffolkes…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“There is no sun without shadow and it is essential to know the night.” — Albert Camus

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

Ireland’s Best Feature ~ The Irish

I’m not in the mood to search You Tube today, so, I’ll put in some of the pictures I took in Ireland/Europe…. I didn’t get as many as I wished, being a bit under the weather, and I’m grateful for the help I received in getting as many as I did…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

Galway B&B

Gaelic/English Road Signs

Common Sight on any walk in Ireland

Monument to the Famine Victims ~ White Strand Beach, Galway

Monument to the Famine Victims II

Abandoned Church in Galway

Typical Irish Colors for Buildings

Scenes from a train ~ Leaving Galway for Dublin

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

I had thought by now I’d feel like ranting; I even let a bit of angst out in the intro as a precursor…. Now I’m here, it’s all gone, and I don’t even care. I’ve got a few little indictment style shots I’ve collected, which, if SB will cooperate by augmenting with a couple more, will serve our purpose ‘sufficient unto the day’, as it were…. And, if not, well, it will have to do, anyway….. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s all true as the day….

1. No matter what they’re telling you, it’s not the truth.
2. No matter what they’re talking about, they’re talking about money.

~~ Todd’s Political Principles ~~

“There is not enough love and kindness in the world to permit us to give any of it to imaginary beings.” — Nietzsche

“Any system of religion which has anything in it which offends the mind of a child cannot be a true system.” — Thomas Paine

“By definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more.” — Albert Camus

“Make money and the whole nation will conspire to call you a gentleman.” — George Bernard Shaw

“It’s hard to decide if T.V. makes morons out of everyone or if it mirrors Americans who really are morons to begin with.” — Martin Mull

“Mankind… infests the whole habitable Earth and Canada.” — Ambrose Bierce

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

Serendipity Morning

My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.

Love hovers, always patient,
   seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
   only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
   heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written April Fool’s Day, 2013.

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In order to get this done, I’ve gone to the archives. Believe it or not, this Pearl has taken more than seven hours to produce…. Something must be done. Damn! Guess who gets THAT job? Yep…. SIGH… We’ll see how it goes; for now, this will do….

From 6/24/2013:

All things considered, it’s been a good morning…. This isn’t to say it hasn’t been without its difficulties, but, I’m trying really hard not to be a whiner, so we’ll pass over all that, and get on with it…. Here is a seven-star pearl for your delectation, lovingly selected over the last hour from Smart Bee, who has been a bit off, but, came through in the end. The point of this is related to the above rant, but, not so’s you could tell at first glance…. Don’t sweat it, it’s all good stuff, even without the point, and who wants a point that’s all belabored, anyway, right?…. So, make sure you have your chopsticks, the protective bib provided for your convenience is in place, and you should be able to get through it without any new laundry bills…..

“You can best serve civilization by being against what usually passes for it.” — Wendell Berry

“All things come round to him who will but wait.” — Henry W. Longfellow (1807-1882) — Tales of a Wayside Inn, The Student’s Tale

“Against those skilled in the attack, the enemy does not know where to defend. Against the experts in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack.” — Sun Tzu

“What matters today is not the difference between those who believe and those who do not believe, but the difference between those who care and those who don’t.” — Abbe’ Pierre

“If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you.” — Don Marquis

“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say.” — Marshall McLuhan

“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Eden Phillpotts

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It’s done; no more can, or should be said of this one. I won’t detail all the weird stuff that kept it from getting done before this, but, it includes cats, and hats, and that’s that. Enough, I’m outta here, and I MIGHT explain tomorrow, should I make it that far…. See y’all 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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Tinny pegs, and tall….

Posted on September 13, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Fortune is unstable, while our will is free.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Epicurus, xxvii ~~

Deeper Dreams/Eireänne

Good morning…. I use the term, not JUST loosely, but, in full knowledge it’s unreasonably optimistic, even now, when any good at all would be, well, good.

Hmm. That didn’t come out quite right, did it? Not quite as planned, either…. Oh, well…. So be it, anyway.

Hi, there. I’m back. Sort of. Are we confused yet?

Oh, good. Me, too. But, it’s okay, because at least I’m home to BE confused. Here, if and/or when I must spew, I know where to go, whether the need(must!) be mental, physical, or spiritual…. Each, as you know, of course, requires a different receptacle, all designed to prevent cross-contamination, of which none wish it so…. No, we all wish to keep them separate, in sturdy, attractive, thoroughly-tested nocturnal urns of great beauty, which I keep in numerous handy locations at home. (Doesn’t everyone?) In public, or on the road, as we’ve/I’ve been recently, one can’t always arrange matters so neatly, not ahead of need, anyway.

I wasn’t sure whether to go into moderate piles of detail, a lot of detail, or no details at all, at all, regarding my recent trip; there is certainly a LOT of stuff I need to process in my own mind about what occurred while I was gone. For the moment, since I’m still pretty effing tired from the rather extreme effort I had to expend to reach home, I’ll forgo any long diatribes, merely alluding to the entire episode as my Latest Slip/Slide/Ride Around the Learning Curve…. It has a nice, obscure, yet enticing ring to it, I think…. How ’bout y’all?….

Oh, don’t worry…. I don’t expect a lot of comments on that. Almost purely rhetorical, it was, so, relax. mates…. But, feel free, of course, to add one at the end, should you be so moved. No blockage encouraged here; we don’t even like the word. We like the word moved better. Speaking of which, if I DO decide to discuss the trip, you should find it in the ranting section, since I’ve already perused the news, observing nothing upon which I would comment, other than a lack of stuff on which to comment…. Ahem.

There. That will do. It will have to do, because that’s it for the intro…. In fact, look, it’s an old #4! Better duck, hang on, or go back to sleep….

Shall we Pearl?….

“When you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” — Bishop Desmond Tutu

Well, maybe that’s a little grim for a first day back; let’s try again, shall we?….

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” — George Bernard Shaw

Better…. Let’s do this….

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15112676-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart-1756-1791-on-engraving-from-1908-one-of-the-most-significant-and-influential

To keep from overtaxing my brain, which is not yet fully recovered from our ordeal (See? Getting there…. it’s OUR ordeal now, which means the various parts of my shattered psyche are now within shouting distance of each other; first time in days…), I’ve chosen a rather mundane, average, unknown to me mix of our default music from You Tube, simply because I know it will do for our purposes today…. And, who knows? I can use all the healing power I can get…. Enjoy, ffolkes…..

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

The Mozart Effect
Heal the Body

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https://youtu.be/7vL3kHYZIDQ

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

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

Typical Irish Pub in Galway

Being the sort of person I am, I could easily write a million words about my trip to Ireland. In my head, I’ve already done so…. Sadly, I don’t think I can keep up with all that typing, as the little bit so far required today has taxed my rusty skills, and my carpal tunnels. So, here is a short, two pearl rant on my thoughts re: the oligarchy, and its ubiquitous attempts to shove its collective ass in everyone’s faces, all the time, everyfuckingwhere in the everfuckingworld…. There are only two, remember, so, try to keep up….

“There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.” — Will Rogers

“Once, there was NO fun… This was before MENU planning, FASHION statements or NAUTILUS equipment… Then, in 1985.. FUN was completely encoded in this tiny MICROCHIP…. It contains 14,768 vaguely amusing SIT-COM pilots!! We had to wait FOUR BILLION years but we finally got JERRY LEWIS, MTV and a large selection of creme-filled snack cakes!” — Zippy the Pinhead

There you go. Now we can get on with the small amount of detail I am allowed to share regarding my time away…. Who’s saying what’s allowed? Oh, no worries, I am…. Who here would care what THEY would allow? Hah! Give me a break…..

Sorry, cheap hack crap, I know. Let’s start again, or, over, or, something….

So, I went into this pub in Galway, where I proceeded to have pizza. Wait. It wasn’t a pub. Walked around the Spanish Arch FOREVER looking for a relatively quiet place for a bite, but, could not find any, it being the night prior to their local version of the Super Bowl, to wit: the Irish Football championships, with Galway playing Kilkenny for the premier league title, for the 8th year in a row (Galway having lost the previous 7 times….). Needless to say, the place was jumping, and, yes, finding a seat anywhere was a challenge.

It took so long, I apparently reached what I discovered was the very end of my rope. Feeling tired but normal, I ordered a second glass of wine after a decent pizza marguerita in an Italian restaurant (in a place called the Spanish Arch, in an Irish town, with a Romanian waitress and a Polish bartender….). I took one sip of that wine, then, stood up, & quickly retired/teleported myself to the nearest restroom, where I proceeded to toss the entire remaining contents of the day’s consumption into the commode, calling desperately for RALPH! With the help of relative strangers, I made it to a taxi, back to the B&B, and into bed, where I remained, essentially, for days….

Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

SIGH…. At the time, I’m afraid the sheer genius, and truth, of Lao Tzu’s famous lines left little impression on me, though, now, it makes perfect sense why my subconscious mind chose it for that spot in this missive. Naturally, there was no one else who could make the necessary decisions, so, with the aid of one particularly strong, compassionate person, I was able to get myself home from Galway before I, a) died, b) killed someone, c) first b, then a, d) a+b+c, or, e) started the revolution right there and then….

So, without getting into too many details, other than to say, gee, thanks, doctors, you fuck heads…. I’ll just say this…. Trying to exist without perpetrating violence upon STUPID sheeple for 28 hours straight, while confined in a closed space, with intermittent, all-too-frequent, alternating chills, nausea, muscular twitching, severe stomach pain, and, periods of panicked anxiety, all enhanced by various painful joints, muscles, and/or every single molecule in my body on full alert…. but, don’t move around the cabin!….

Great fun…..

End of rant, and, end of complaints. It’s all getting better, little by little, as I rest, applying the missing pieces to the puzzle of why it happened…. which I do happen to know, and am dealing with in my own fashion…. I’m hoping another day or two of rest will do the trick; it will take that long just to get my internal clock right, I should think…. Ah, well, so much for the world traveler, eh?…. More later on all this, ffolkes….

“I grow old ever learning many things.”

~~ Solon ~~

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

Stray Cats

The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept….

~~gigoid~~

Written 4/12/2013.

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This is a really old-school old-school pearl, which I now don’t have time to explain….. It’s okay, though, because this one will stand up no matter what…. Go ahead, try to knock it over….

“Deem not life a thing of consequence. For look at the yawning void of the future, and at that other limitless space, the past.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 50

“Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms … but a *dying* culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Loss of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.” — Friday’s boss, Mr. Two-Canes Baldwin, from “Friday” by Robert A. Heinlein

“Most people would rather give than get affection.” — Aristotle

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” — Ovid

“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” — Maya Angelou

“To cheat oneself out of love is the most terrible deception; it is aneternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity.” — Soren Kierkegaard

“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” — James M. Barrie

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No, I don’t know what happened; all I know is I’ve been at this for hours, and it’s done…. Now to see if I can post it…. We’ll try again tomorrow, ffolkes, if I’ve regained some energy, or, have decided to give in to the demands of Fate. Hmm…. Not bloody likely, I think. We’ll see….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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