Tag Archives: Bob Marley

Rampant displays of misguided altruism….

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Ffolkes,

“It is the ability to choose which makes us human.”

~~ Madeleine L’Engle , “Walking on Water)” ~~

b and b on the bay

East Brother Light Station, SF Bay….

http://www.ebls.org/  Photo by gigoid….

Hajime…. Though up late, & mildly overhung, somehow, all the properly aligned elements of a standard Pearl (modern version) are present & accounted for, if not justified by any rational means. To support such inordinate efficiency, as well as to applaud the will power displayed, I’ll truncate this intro, rather unmercifully, compressing & editing it to within an inch of insanity. Getting close to that is, for me, a snap, as I usually hang out right around the corner, anyway. You may ask yourself, why bother at all, but, then, you’re not the one who has the obsession to get this done, before attempting any other of Life’s activities of daily living, as to do so tempts Murphy, and Fate, neither of whose kind attentions are well-liked in these parts…..

You may also ask yourself how I intend to extract myself from what has already turned viciously overblown, when I can’t even seem to find the wherewithal to stop typing such gratuitous nonsense without the appropriate degree of shame…. and, you’d probably be right to ask…. But, I do happen to have, right here in my bag, a trick, a touch of sleight of hand, so to speak, which should settle matters quite nicely. What is it? Why, it goes like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

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

~~ Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen” ~~

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

Yield_Logo

Today’s musical selection, while default in nature, was still picked purposefully, mostly because I like this version of Bob Marley’s song… I hope you enjoy it, & consider making a donation to this organization; I do, for they are doing good work…. Abondanza!….

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Playing For Change
One Love

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Comedy_Tragedy

A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.

Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Further notes on Life at Large

*******

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. xxiii ~~

*******

“Trust your hunches.
They’re usually based on facts filed away
just below the conscious level.”

~~ Dr. Joyce Brothers ~~

*******

“Life is the sum of all your choices.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

It was not like taking the veil.
No solemn adjuration of the world.
I only went out for a walk
and finally decided to stay till sundown.
For going out I found that I was really going in.”

~~ John Muir ~~

*******

“Everything is leaf,
and through this simplicity
the greatest diversity becomes possible.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

“The power to stand alone
is worth acquiring
at the expense of much sorrowful solitude.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

*******

“Those who are mentally and emotionally healthy
are those who have learned
when to say yes,
when to say no, and
when to say whoopee!”

~~ Willard S. Krabill ~~

*******

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

Some day, I’ll do this, and will NOT hear that little voice in the back of my mind, saying, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Stanley”, if only because my name is not Stanley. On that cryptic, yet simple-minded note, I will take my leave for another day, with the usual caveats…. As they ARE usual, I won’t even add them. Instead, I’ll just say, see ya, ffolkes, & leave you to your own devices for the remainder of the day…. So be it…. Be well, be happy as you may, and for pity’s sake, be real….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 13694

À bientôt, mon cherí….



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Telling curious tales, in situ….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“In’I no expect to be justified by the laws of men.”


~~ Bob Marley ~~


near sunset


Near sunset on SF Bay….


Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is another in a long line of oddnesses I’ve managed to engender over the years I’ve been doing this. It’s complete, in terms of the current formatting & content standards I’ve established, though it does tend to be a bit obscure in spots. That, I would guess, is nothing new for what one generally sees on this site. It’s also quite late, compared to when I usually get posted; that is simply due to my duties yesterday, while babysitting, having kept me from working on any of it until this morning, when I decided, yet again, not to worry about how much time it took, or how late it got posted…. The mere fact it is done, and will get posted, is the most exemplary part of its charm, if any can be claimed at all….


All that, having been said, to our usual lack of concrete purpose, ‘twould, no doubt, behoove me to do what is needed to just “do it”. Far be it from me to deny the critical implications of using the word “behoove”; we’ll just pull up our pants, roll up our sleeves, set our faces with grim resolve, & get it done, just as if that were the original plan. Who’s gonna know, right? Only me, & I ain’t tellin’…. I am, however, finding it easier every time I use it to employ the ruthlessness I’ve developed in truncating this intro section of late. Today, that looks like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“To live only for some future goal is shallow.

It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.”


~~ Robert M. Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” ~~


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


cream 2005


Cream ~~ 2005, Royal Albert Hall Reunion


Whenever I’m in a ‘mood’, I seem to turn to old rock & roll for soothing. Since the concerts this group put on in 2005 for their reunion contained some of the very best live performances ever seen on a stage, it ends up on my speakers a lot. I figured, since I definitely am in the proper ‘mood’, why not? And, indeed, why not listen to the best?….. Enjoy, ffolkes; if you know anything about musicianship, you’ll enjoy this….


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Cream ~ Live Reunion

2005






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Comedy_Tragedy


Neurons/Parade Rest


Forlorn, he thought, but, then,

no, not really so.

Old, sad, strong; polluted by time’s red pen.

Nowhere left, to be, nor to go.


Tricks, not treats, forever remote,

strike fear into hearts fettered in fog.

Biting deep, stinging, we simper by common rote,

mired eternally in such bilious bog.


Torturous vision, bloody, capitulates in duplicate;

don’t ask for whom the spell trolls.

Ambiguity is real, impossible to extricate,

that’s how it rocks, then rolls.


Spiteful instruments offer no respite, patently.

Filigree lacks properly significant doubt.

Alternative answers formulate motivation, elegantly,

portraying reality as a vulgar lout.


Poltroons, there’s a good word,

for idiotic farmers, enthusiasts who borrow

time, filled with the blood of a bird;

solitary, the trickster cannot follow.


Affable moments trip the light, fantastic;

salacious intimacies fill a shimmering bower.

Night falls, eventually, monastic;

eternity calls with irresistible power.


~~ gigoid ~~


8/11 – 8/15/2016


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


pearls_3




Naked Pearls


Notes on Life at Large….


*******


“Do you have the patience to wait

till your mud settles and the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving

till the right actions arises by itself?”


~~ Lao Tzu ~~


*******


“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”


~~ Aristotle ~~


*******


“Between the vision and the act lies the shadow.”


~~T. S. Eliot ~~


*******


“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”


~~ Albert Camus ~~


*******

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.”


~~ Voltaire ~~


*******


“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed,

and in such desperate enterprises?

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

Let him step to the music which he hears,

however measured or far away.”


~~ Henry David Thoreau, “Walden” ~~


*******


“There are worlds out there

where the sky is burning and the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream;

people made of smoke and cities made of song.

Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice,

somewhere else the tea’s getting cold.

Come on Ace, we’ve got work to do…”


~~ The Doctor, “Survival” [Last lines of last episode] ~~


*******


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


I’m not sure if this isn’t the latest I’ve posted a Pearl, ever; if not, it’s damn close to it. Which, of course, means nothing, in the larger picture; it just means I have a choice. I can end it here, and, now, with some aplomb. Or, I can draw it out for some time longer with some of the bullshit I keep handy. Since I’m in a “mood”, (not always a bad thing; today’s version isn’t particularly negative, just ‘odd’…. if that word still has any meaning around here….), I’ll choose the former, mainly because I can then apply the word ‘aplomb’ to myself. That’s enough incentive for anyone, I’d say. Works for me, anyway. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as reality refrains from getting too fractious…..


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


Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
It all seems suitably combed….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.”


~~ Jean Anouilh, Ardele, 1948, (2, translated by Lucienne Hill) ~~


spider-sighting


Spider!….


Hajime…. It used to be I’d sit here, staring at a blank screen, wondering where, and when, I’d find anything in my head worth setting down for others to read. Now, I sit here, wondering which of the various approaches I’ve developed over the past five years of blogging to use to begin the day’s mess. Perhaps the one I choose is what makes it a mess, or an offering. Or, perhaps, it’s my own attitude. Ya think? Oops, cover pulled….


Okay, we’ll use the cat method for that one. It never happened, I didn’t say it. So be it. To avoid any possible reenactments, I’ll go back to an older method, though, not far, as it actually was employed (or, is that ‘deployed? Ah, well, no matter…), yesterday. It’s our most ruthless intro format, and it looks pretty spartan, if elegantly smooth and simple. It works just like this….


Shall we pearl?….


“What is the first business of one who studies philosophy?

To part with self-conceit.

For it is impossible for any one to begin to learn

what he thinks that he already knows.”


~~ Epictetus — How to apply general Principles to particular Cases ~~


~~ Discourses, Book ii, Chap. xvii ~~


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


nationlism-meme


Image from https://thefreethoughtproject.com


This is what I call a WSYIWYG rant. The meme you see above from the Free Thought Project pretty much says it all, though to be completely accurate in describing my thoughts, it would include all religions along with nations as being worthy of being fucked….. but, that’s just me. We don’t NEED any of it….


‘Nuff said.


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


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


We are going simple today, with a mix of classical music someone collected as a means of encouraging students to study. Works for any kind of reading, so, enjoy!…..


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Classical Music




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








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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Dreaming, I wait….


In the most patient moments of rationality

kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,

fallow thoughts speed first from equality

to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.


Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law

shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,

intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,

falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.


Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,

it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,

foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,

alive, always eager, willing, and pale.


Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few

with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.

No solemn royal version may pass in review,

true love for man, never to remain unhidden.


Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,

calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,

With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,

swimming in the oceans of natural delight.


When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,

roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,

Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,

and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.


Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night

aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart

Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,

tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art.


~~ gigoid ~~


8/18/2013


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


pearls_3



Naked Pearls


Serving the truth….


*******


“I am the shadow my words cast.”


~~ Octavio Paz ~~


*******


“In’I no expect to be justified by the laws of men.”


~~- Bob Marley ~~


*******


“Brains first and then Hard Work.”


~~ Eeyore, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~


*******


“It is one thing,

to show a man that he is in an error,

and another,

to put him in possession of truth.”


~~ John Locke ~~


*******


“The human condition is such

that pain and effort are not just symptoms

which can be removed without changing life itself;

they are rather the modes in which life itself,

together with the necessity to which it is bound,

makes itself felt.

For mortals, the ‘easy life of the gods’ would be a lifeless life.”


~~ Hannah Arendt ~~


*******


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


~~ Anais Nin ~~


*******


Costing not less than everything.


~~ T.S. Eliot ~~


*******


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


Well, there you go. A bit esoteric in spots, but, altogether, a fine little Pearl for your consumption. I’ll skip any comments on process, or program, or even potential quality, and just say, see ya tomorrow, ffolkes. It seems to be a habit I can’t break…. Not that I want to, mind you…. More to follow….


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


Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Affability can be an asset….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“In the moment between stimulus and response lies freedom.”


~~ Steven Covey ~~


dfw-leelu


Grrr….


Hajime…. Sometimes in the morning, one receives a lesson. Today is not such a day. Any lessons I might have learned this morning would have been fruitless, as my mind resembles nothing more than a colander; most everything is leaking right out. In order to successfully produce today’s Pearl, I will be shortening this intro unmercifully, since anything I write would be suspect. How merciless are we going to be? Well, I’ll show you….


Shall we pearl?….


All that is harmony for thee, O Universe,

is in harmony with me as well.

Nothing that comes at the right time for thee

is too early or too late for me.

Everything is fruit to me that thy seasons bring, O Nature.

All things come of thee, have their being in thee, and return to thee.”


~~ — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 23 ~~


Today, while appreciating this sentiment from our old friend Marcus, all I can say is, “I wish”….. Onward, he said, grimly….


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


Bob Marley


During the process of yesterday, (you know, getting by, getting through….), I had occasion to use one of Bob’s best lines, to wit: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, …”, etc., (from “Redemption Songs), in a comment on FB. Since I have a touch of OCD about such, using it required looking up the exact wording, which took me to a page with ALL his video mentions in Google, i.e., the Google playlist for his work. I began to listen, naturally, whereupon I decided the mix of songs was perfect for today’s Pearl. Hence, Mr. Marley…. If you listen long enough, you’ll hear everything of his there is to hear, some more than once…. Excellent….


Following the music from Bob, I’ve included a video of an unknown street performer, somewhere unknown in the world, which I found while cruising You Tube. You will NOT believe how good this man is on the guitar, or why you have never seen nor heard of him…. Watch, and try to keep your jaw from dropping; you don’t even have to know anything about guitar to see what a genius he is….


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



Bob Marley




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







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







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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Choosing a Theme


Powerful words playing hide and seek in my mind,

teasing with subtle cruelty, pretending to be kind.

Grand visions and flowery verses of beauty and truth

evaded my inner eye all through the days of my youth.


Affable interludes interspersed with allegorical wit

softened the crimes, against all reason, to finally acquit.

Time became at once an enemy, and an ally

Never once compelled to provide an answer why.


Giving gifts of simple kindness are their own pay,

spreading ripples of compassion are felt far and away.

Love given freely is precious, we are ever told,

increasing love received, more than a hundred fold.


Living long and with passion has centered my soul,

allowing me room, and time, to choose my own goal.

Now that I’ve gone past any need to pretend

I love everything in life, even knowing it will end.


~~ gigoid ~~


10/21/2012


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Who knew?….


*********


“Reality is a cliche from which we escape by metaphor.”


~~ Wallace Stevens ~~


*********


“Who are you?”


~~ Curious Bee ~~


*********


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

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


~~ Lao Tzu ~~


*********


“If you would hit the mark,

you must aim a little above it:

Every arrow that flies

feels the attraction of earth.”


~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~


*********


“Do thou restrain the haughty spirit in thy breast,

for better far is gentle courtesy.”


~~ Homer ~~


*********


“Gli arcobaleni d’altri mondi hanno colori che non so.

Ma lungo i fiumi d’altri mondi nascono fiori che non ho.

[The rainbows of other worlds have colors I don’t know.

But along the rivers of other worlds flowers are born that I don’t have.]”


~~ Fabrizio De Andre ~~


*********


“The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.”


~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~


*********


“What is man’s chief enemy? Each man is his own.”


~~ Anacharsis (f1. c. 600 B.C.), Scythian philosopher ~~


~~ Stobaeus, Flor., II, 43 ~~


*********


“In every enterprise consider where you would come out.”


~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 777 ~~


*********


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


Following the prophetic words from Publius Syrus, we have come out precisely where we intended. Since the ruthlessness displayed in the intro was so effective, not to mention efficient, let’s carry on with that here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I’m still breathing, and able to type….. good odds on that….


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


Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Intricately crafted examples of metaphoric paradox….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Ignorance doesn’t kill you, but it makes you sweat a lot.”


~~ Haitian proverb ~~


what now


Did you say ‘chase paper’?….


Hajime…. I’m posting very late again today, but, not for any bad reason. On the contrary, it’s been a fine morning. I would share it, but, it’s still too intimate an experience to do so; I’m greedy sometimes, & want to savor it for a time. The time I spent will, eventually, be a big part of my personal cache of memories, in the folder simply labeled “joy”. Can’t say exactly why ’tis so, but, gift horse, right? Don’t want to examine it too closely….


Rather than torture all of us by trying to create some grandiose, compelling intro today, I’ll make these two paragraphs do as a sublimation for the real thing. I doubt seriously y’all will miss it, any more than will I. We also will not be discussing any of the personal quirks, and/or mental issues which would tend to complicate matters in the normal course of events. Of course, around here, there is no such thing as a normal course of events, but, we won’t talk about that, either. Instead, we’ll just do this….


Shall we pearl?….


“Get thee down. Be thou funky.”


~~ Retro Bee ~~


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fiddler celtic woman mairead nezbitt


Máiréad Nesbitt


Image from http://www.celticwoman.com via Google Images


Today’s musical selection features an Irish artist, a fiddler, who currently plays with the Celtic Woman group. I’ve seen the group on stage a couple of times; each time, this woman’s performance, for me, made the show as special as it was. Quite simply, her performance is infectiously joyous, sharing her own pleasure at playing her music to such a degree it is tangible…. I hope you enjoy it….


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Celtic Woman


Máiréad – Granuaile’s Dance



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


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


Plato-Aristotle


“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”


~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~


*******


“No slave is ever freed, save he freeth himself.”


~~ Bob Marley, paraphrased ~~


Today’s rant is self-directed, as it should be, given the opening quotes…. Enjoy! Oh, and, keep an open mind on this one; you’ll need it….


From 5/6/2015:


Dubiousity, Redux


In the virtual world, I call myself gigoid, the dubious, for specific reasons…. Rather than use my own words to delineate/describe those reasons, here are some of them, in the form of pearls, (naturally….), as collected by Smart Bee, just as an exercise…. It turned out to be a nice, eleven-star pearl, all centered around the concept of doubt as a function of wisdom…. It seems I’m not the only person in history to put my faith in doubt, rather than the other way around, so to speak…. There are a lot of big names here, and, I only went through the first half of the collection….


Pay particular heed today, ffolkes; these little bits of shiny stuff are more subtly important, to you, than you may realize…. Oh, and, ALL of this will be on your final Quiz…. Don’t blame me, I didn’t make it up….


Shadow and sunlight are the same;

The vanished gods to me appear;

And one to me are shame and fame.

They reckon ill who leave me out;

When me they fly, I am the wings;

I am the doubter and the doubt,

And I the hymn the Brahmin sings.


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Brahma ~~


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


“A lizard ran out on a rock and looked up, listening no doubt to the sounding of the spheres. And what a dandy fellow! the right toss of a chin for you and swirl of a tail! If men were as much men as lizards are lizards they’d be worth looking at.” — D. H. Lawrence (1928)


“Authority has every reason to fear the skeptic, for authority can rarely survive in the face of doubt.” — Robert Lindner


“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.” — Voltaire


Modest doubt is call’d

The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches

To the bottom of the worst.


~~ William Shakespeare ~~


~~ Troilus and Cressida — Act ii, Sc. 2 ~~


Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom. — Smart Bee


“Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.” — Bergen Evans, The Natural History of Nonsense (1946)


“If you understand, or if you don’t. If you believe, or if you doubt. There is a universal justice and the eyes of truth are always watching.” — Enigma


“Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.” — H. L. Mencken


My guard stood hard when abstract threats too noble to neglect

deceived me into thinking I had something to protect.

Good and bad I defined these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then;

I’m younger than that now.


~~ Bob Dylan ~~


Ah, yes, indeed…. I AM younger than that now….. so, there will be more on this subject later…. Ta, then….


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Retrospective, defined in folly….


Yesterday

I wrote a poem.


It bled out of my head,

like I’d been struck with

an axe,

right through the artery,

in the neck,

spraying blood around

everywhere,

like a pulsing garden hose….


It hurt, at first,

then came the feeling,


of quick relief,

of timeless beauty,


of pain avenged,

of lust aroused,


of outrage aflame,

of deep compassion,


of endless empathy,

of truest love….


Now it’s gone, cast away

like pearls before twine.


(Grin…)


You thought

I was going to call you

a pig,

didn’t you?


Hah!


Well, you’re not.

You’re a person.


I know, because

you’re reading this poem…

if that’s what it is.

I think it is,

so,

maybe it is.


Or, maybe,

it will be,

someday, when it

grows up,

and learns to rhyme.

Whew…

Just in time…..


That’s all.

Reality often sucks wind,

y’know?


S’okay, though….

It keeps us busy,

and out of some of the

mischief,

so much part

of our

nature.


We all can do

only what we

do.


Or, don’t.


Two sides, one coin.


~~ gigoid ~~


9/1/2014


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Not so obvious truths….


*********


“I think, therefore I am… dangerous, that is…”


~~ Master Bee ~~


*********


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


~~ Anais Nin ~~


*********


“Do what you love.

Know your own bone;

gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.”


~~ Thoreau ~~


*********


“A man cannot speak but he judges himself…

no man thoroughly understands a truth

until he has contended against it.”


~~ Emerson ~~


*********


“In walking, just walk.

In sitting, just sit.

Above all, don’t wobble.”


~~ Yun-Men ~~


*********


“Really to see the sun rise or go down every day…

would preserve us sane forever.”


~~ Thoreau ~~


*********


“… as sight is in the body, so is reason in the soul…”


~~ Aristotle — Nicomachean Ethics, Bl. I, Ch. 6, 10966, lines 29-30 ~~


*********


“I have realized that the past and future are real illusions,

that they exist in the present,

which is what there is and all there is.”


~~ Alan Watts ~~


*********


“If it had been a bear it would have bit you.”


~~ Jonathan Swift — Polite Conversation, Dialogue i”


*********


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


Did it. Down, dirty, done. Moreover, got nothin’ left to say, so, I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow. I’m as certain of that as I am of anything in the world…. Fair warning, I’d say….


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


Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Snippets of old, sad songs….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery;

none but ourselves can free our minds.”


~~ Bob Marley ~~


Liverpool 003


Random Building, Liverpool, England


Hajime…. I’d thought to begin today’s effort with a fictional opening. The resulting morass of insanity created in my mind was too much, even for me. Rivers of blood, fires raging, world’s colliding, dogs & cats mating; not going there so early in the morning. Besides, I figured, given the explosion of Gentle Readers who came by yesterday, I’d best come up with something a bit more, shall we say, attractively intellectual, if I hope to see any of them again. Of course, finding anything resembling intellectual in this head may be asking a bit much of reality, but, hey, it was a thought…. Not all of them can be good ones….


Since any elegance has been shot down so effectively, maybe I should wander off into nonsense for a while. It’s one of my best things, especially on a day like today, when Murphy hovers over my shoulder, tapping random fingers to create typos, and the forces of chaos are standing ready to bury anything resembling coherence. Trying for ANY directed thinking is probably not going to work; entropy rules apply on all levels during such a storm of inanity. I suppose I could shoot for sheer insanity, but, that always makes it hard to get back to even a semblance of normalcy. Maybe today isn’t the best time for that.


Oh, well. So much for thinking my way out of this. Leelu isn’t helping either; her only answer to my queries is, “Aren’t you going to throw that paper?” She’s kinda focused on routine at this time of day. Damn! It sure can be a pisser, ffolkes. Trying to come up with a compelling intro every day is NOT as simple as it may seem, especially for someone with my proclivity for self-abnegation, combined with an extreme talent for waffling. Hey! Wait! There’s the ticket! Yeah, that’s it; we’ll smother the whole thing in syrup! Then, nobody will be able to even tell how awful it was…. I knew I could figure it out….


On that odd little note, I think we’ll go on, before this becomes any more impenetrably obscure. I think, if we go on right now, we may be able to save this. It’s worth a try. We’ll just use this ruthless little number right here, which will get us out of here practically before I can fini….


Shall we Pearl?….


All of us who are worth anything,

spend our manhood in unlearning the follies,

or expiating the mistakes of our youth.”


~~ Shelley ~~


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


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


Yep. You guessed it. Today is a default music day. How do I know this? Well, it may come as something of a shock, but, I just know. So be it. Give yourself half a chance, & you’ll enjoy it. A whole chance could lead to even bigger things, but, I don’t want to spoil any surprises, so, just listen up, & pay attention. All will be well….


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



Classical Music



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



https://youtu.be/TC94iWNzmaQ



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







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


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


Dont keep calm


“Religion; humanity’s greatest folly, greatest curse.”


~~ Kevin Harris ~~


In the past five years or so, while writing this blog, I’ve discussed this concept any number of times. In doing so, I have progressed in my thinking from a tentative agnosticism to a firm atheism regarding the idea of a God. All my explorations and research into the subject have confirmed my initial unease at accepting the generally accepted view, to wit: I find absolutely no convincing evidence in reality to support the idea there is some supernatural being sitting up in the sky, who created all we perceive, and actively gives a crap about what happens to us. Sorry, but, that’s the truth; there just isn’t anything to be found to make that true; this makes believing in it a delusion, as far as I am concerned.


Once that is accepted, it becomes easy to see just how bad the whole idea has been for humanity. The difficulty arises from the simple fact that those who choose to believe such nonsense make a couple assumptions, neither of which is true, but, if held as such, cause the believer to act completely contrarily to all common decency, because they have made themselves separate from the rest of humanity, by choice. One false assumption made is to believe the idea that only they possess the actual truth about such matters. This gives them a false sense of entitlement, while simultaneously giving them permission to cease all rational thought, both of which are disastrous for society at large.


I could, and probably should, continue in this vein for some time…. However, to keep from overdoing it, I’ll retreat into the archives to finish this small indictment…. Here is a relatively short, but sweet, treatise on this subject, from a slightly different starting point, though nonetheless cogent for that. It will do until I build up enough new angst to finish this off properly. Plus, it will move us along, so we aren’t stuck here in today, forever…. Enjoy!


From 12/5/2012:


One day a gate breaks down between heaven and hell. So St. Peter arrives on the scene and calls out for the devil.


And the devil saunters over and says, “What do you want?”


And St. Peter says, “Satan, it’s your turn to fix it this time.”


And the devil says, “I’m sorry. But my men are too busy to worry about fixing a mere gate.”


And St. Peter says, “Well, then, I’ll have to sue you for breaking our agreement.”


And the devil says, “Oh yeah? Where are you going to get a lawyer?”


— Soupy Sales


It occurs to me, Soupy’s next line from St. Peter would have to be…. “I don’t need one, I’ve got a fix in with the judge….” That would give not only balance to the argument, but would accurately reflect the actual level of corruption implied in the picture of the universe painted by the Judeo-Christian model of religion. It would also probably more closely reflect Soupy’s sense of humor, which was much more pointed than he got credit for…. People just thought he was a little strange sometimes, not recognizing lines that were making active fun of the establishment (as we old hippies were wont to call the mainstream of American society…..).


In reality, this joke is another example of the bad press that the Devil always gets; it isn’t often you’ll see a joke that ends up with Satan coming out on top. No, he is always given the role of the asshole, the manipulator, the one who wants to drag us down into Hell for eternal torment. Everyone seems to forget that they have ascribed omnipotence, and omniscience to God, and that He is the one who a) made the Devil the way he is, and b) could change it if he wished…. which seems to indicate that he DOESN’T wish to rid us of Satan, but prefers he be around to tempt and distract us…. That sounds to me like just a bit of manipulation in itself; how ’bout y’all?….


The preachers would have us believe that God allows Satan to exist out of his sheer benevolence, forgetting this is the same God who, in the Old Testament, sent forty bears to a town to kill all the children, just because a few small boys made fun of one of His prophets. He is also the one who threw Satan out of Heaven for objecting to some of what He had done on Earth, then turned around and allowed him free access to us humans, just so He would have a ready-made way to test us at His convenience. Just a little self-serving, don’t you think? This God, to my way of thinking, acts more like a spoiled little kid than a deity capable of creating universes…..


Okay, I’ll quit now. It’s really too easy to shoot at dogma; it never tries to hide, and just stands there, looking dumb, as you sight in on its forehead. But, hey, it’s a necessary job, and somebody’s got to do it…. Boy, it sure would be nice, though, to see humanity grow up, and learn to face reality without crutches, and without having to invent a supernatural being to explain away the stuff that isn’t clearly understood…. But, I guess it is job security, in that sense, because it means I’ll always have something about which to write….


“I’m RELIGIOUS!! I love a man with a HAIRPIECE!! Equip me with MISSILES!!” — Zippy the Pinhead


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Momentary Terror


Absently casual, memories pester endlessly

leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.

Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.


Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,

shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.

Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.


Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe

save for Fate’s busy hands.

Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.


Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black

such beauty brings us to our knees.

Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..


~~ gigoid ~~


2/4/2013


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Truth in advertising…


*********


“A man that should call everything by its right name

would hardly pass the streets

without being knocked down as a Common Enemy.”


~~ Lord Halifax ~~


*********


“Driven by the force of love

the fragments of the world seek each other

that the world may come into being.”


~~ Teilhard de Chardin ~~


*********


“Everything that I understand,

I understand only because I love”


~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~


*********


“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are for.”


~~ John A. Shedd ~~


*********


“For age is opportunity no less

Than youth itself, though in another dress.

And as the evening twilight fades away,

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

It is never too late to start doing what is right.

Never.”


~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~


*********


“Nowhere is now here.”


~~Nakagawa Soen Roshi ~~


*********


“Around existence twine,

(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)

ropes of twisted vine.”


~~ Basho ~~


*********


“An it harm none,

Do what ye will.”


~~ Wiccan Credo ~~


*********


“Do you love it do you hate it

There it is the way you made it”


~~ Frank Zappa, “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It” ~~


*********


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


Okay, ffolkes. It’s done. Not only is it done, but, upon reading it, I have to say…. Now, THAT’S a Pearl! Full of smarm, nonsense, sense, and some pointed sarcasm, too. Not bad for an old fart with flat feet, flatulence, and a funny red nose. Since I don’t think I can possibly do any more damage than I’ve already done, I’ll leave you here, sans any further torment. I will, however, issue the usual caveat and disclaimer, to wit: it’s not my fault! If you can believe that, my work here is done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; just try to stop me….


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….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Doubtful dreams, dubiously delivered….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”


 ~~ Anais Nin ~~


ugly beauty


Beauty can be found even in ugliness…






Hajime…. I am empty of words. Those five you see in the previous sentence are the best beginning I could think to write, which goes to show just how empty I am at this moment. In spite of the unexpected sleep that I got, I’m tired, and grumpy, and just not in the mood. For anything.


Since there is nothing to say, I suppose I’ll go with the flow, and try to get a Pearl done without any sort of input from any sort of creative force. Talk about trusting the process…. Now we will see just how reliable the process has become, or, we’ll see an even greater mess than usual. The only fair way to judge it will be from the other end, so, we’ll go there, as quickly as possible. In fact we’re leaving now….


Shall we Pearl?


“Those who really deserve praise are the people who, while human enough to enjoy power, nevertheless pay more attention to justice than they are compelled to do by their situation.” — Thucydides


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





Bob Marley




    Today I feel like hearing from a revolutionary artist. This man’s music is the best example I can think of, for he lived, and made his music, for the people…. He was Jamaican, but, his attitude about humanity was perfectly Irish, for he believed implicitly in their belief, to wit: It is in the shelter of each other that people live….. Enjoy, ffolkes; and, live up to the lyrics….







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


















Bob Marley

Legend

















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































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




























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




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





Sandclock .jpg




    Since I’ve nothing fresh to say, here is a discussion of morality & ethics from the archives; it will do just fine for the mood I’m in….


From 2/12/13:


I am an asshole. A jerk. A prick. A foul-mouthed, misbegotten excuse for a human being…. I, as is true of virtually all seven billion of my peers on this planet, am nothing more than a hypocrite, deserving of eternal residence in the lowest pits of hell for my perfidy….. What, you might ask, prompted this viciously personal outburst of self-denigration? Well, let me tell you….


Most of us, at some point or another, sit down from time to time to think about our actions, those we are considering, and those we have acted out in the past, to get some perspective on how those actions have conformed to our ethical and moral beliefs. In other words, we sit in self-judgment; whether we do so to praise or to chastise doesn’t matter, ultimately, as long as it is an honest appraisal, and we do not flinch from owning up to our baseness where it is found…..


This is why I am forced to curse myself…. Because I’m not a Catholic,  or any other faith that espouses such mummery, (I don’t mean to pick on Catholics…. some of my best friends, etc…..  😆  ….. They’re just an example everyone recognizes, and can relate to as similar to their own….)….  Any who, because I’m not of that Tribe, I don’t have the luxury of confessing to a priest, who would then reassure me that I am still one of the Chosen Ones, and send me on my way having learned nothing but a false sense of entitlement.


I can’t just pass off what I may have done in my life to some faceless butthead in a dress, who, no doubt, has a great laugh at the expense of the penitent, when he and the other priests get together in the rectory for a few drinks, passing around all the latest tall tales and outtakes from the confessional booth…..


I consider myself to be a morally upright person, and hope that my actions reflect that. But, I know for certain that, like every other human being who ever lived, I don’t always live up to those moral beliefs, and fall from grace on occasion…. If I were a less honest man, I’d say that there were mitigating, or at least explanatory reasons for my failures to hold to my own standards, but, if I tried that, my Dad would kick my ass from now until Thursday the next time I see him, so I’m not going to take that chance…. I take full responsibility for my actions, base and cruel as they were, and no one can hold me in lower regard than I do….


I had considered using this venue as a confessional, to air out my transgressions on the stage of reality, but, I don’t think that would be any more ethical than confessing to a priest…. Confession may make a difference to the penitent, by absolving him/her from any lingering guilt that could adversely affect them (i.e., they feel better about themselves after receiving absolution…), but, in truth, it doesn’t mean a damn thing, as nothing is done to balance the scale, in a karmic sense, especially for whatever creature or person that was the victim of the cruelty. The only act that would mean anything would be for the perpetrator to use the experience to motivate them to two things….


One, to try to repair whatever hurt or pain they have caused another creature…. man, animal, doesn’t matter…. They don’t deserve to be victimized, no matter their form, and ALL one can do, to fix any harm they have caused, is the least they should do…. Second, use the experience as motivation to make a change in themselves, to act with greater understanding, greater compassion, and greater control over themselves and their feelings…. which is what guilt is all about, right?…. The difference is that, when one confesses to a priest, and receives absolution, there is no motivation to make any changes in their actions…. They know none is necessary, since they can relieve themselves of any guilt they may feel by confessing…. so, why bother?


On the other hand, when one assumes the responsibility for their own actions, the guilt doesn’t go away…. I will never forgive myself for some of the things that I’ve done in my life (nor will I share them in any attempt to gain forgiveness from anyone else…. it’s none of their fucking business….)(Besides, that whole confessional thing just sounds too much like a blackmail scheme…. the people who confess are sure putting their fate trustingly into the hands of those priests, aren’t they?). That simple fact is what keeps me from falling into the same ethical trap I did when I lost my cool, and acted without thinking,  or took my feelings out on innocent bystanders….. Not going to happen again, a sentiment which, I’m sure, is NOT what you can expect from any religicos after confession….


You will note that there are no pearls associated with this discussion…. That’s because I am such an asshole, none were needed to stimulate me into spilling my guts, so to speak…. Besides, I couldn’t find a proper pearl for the beginning of such a somber subject by the time I was ready to write about it…. But, Murphy must have liked the way I dissed myself, because, hunting for an appropriate closer, afterward, I found these two, which, together, make a grand finishing touch for this subject…. Think of them as bookends….


“Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.” — J. C. Watts


Boy, that hits the nail on the head, doesn’t it?…..    I’ve got these two quotes reversed in the order in which they make the most sense, but, given the state of things here, that isn’t surprising, is it…. This is the one that probably should go at the front of this piece, so, just put it there in your mind, okay? Thanks….. (Note from 2014: Actually, you may, or even should, ignore all of these final comments about pearls, as they are currently out of context, given the fact the pearl that now graces the front of this discussion is so perfectly suitable….)


“We tell lies when we are afraid, . . . afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.” — Tad Williams, Spoken by Dr. Morgenes, To Green Angel Tower (part of — Memory, Sorrow and Thorn)


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





Comedy_Tragedy




    This is an older poem of mine, about an old friend of mine, my constant companion, pain…. It’s one of many, I’m afraid….




Denial of Comfort 


Baleful chairs become the enemy, heralded in red

seemingly welcome softness beckons with a smile,

waiting, content with slaughter, they are finally led

screaming in agony, deluged in venom all the while.


Desperate distraction becomes such a friendless fire

for all the patterns of autumn’s pale dismay,

leaving sincerely latent trails in spirals of twisted wire,

while memory insists, again, upon failure, palpably evil, and fey.


Fat, jaded tears would have fallen in good time,

if only the suitable suitor had scaled the garden’s wall.

Credence for discounted prices luckily in their prime

bring only fascinated eyes into such a hallowed hall.


Searching for answers is ever a clever portrayal

with studious accouterments to fulfill each common rule.

Arguably patient pictures of science and honest betrayal

shall evermore languish, in light of passion so elegantly cruel. 


~~ gigoid ~~


9/6/2012




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





Morning muse




    I don’t know, so, please, don’t ask. It’s just the way it came out, so, deal with it as if it were actually a real pearl…. It’s all I can suggest….




`The time has come,’ the walrus said, `to talk of many things.

 Of shoes – of ships – of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.

 And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings.’


~~ Lewis Carroll  ~~


~~ The Walrus and the Carpenter, from Alice Through the Looking Glass ~~




“By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like a dot; by thought I encompass the Universe.” — Pascal, Pensees, n. 265


“Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win.” — Lazarus Long


“A wise man first determines what is within his control; all else is then irrelevant.” — Epictetus


“You should hammer your iron when it is glowing hot.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 262


“The great consolation in life is to say precisely what one thinks.” — Voltaire


“And that’s the way it is…” — Walter Cronkite


“‘Scuze me while I kiss the sky…” — Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze


“Bert? Are you awake Bert?” — Ernie


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


Well, it’s done, and that’s the best I can say of it. Moreover, I won’t try to make any excuses or apologies. I’ll just go now, and try to do better tomorrow, should that prove possible, or even imaginable. So be it. See y’all then, should I live through the day & night…. Odds are good….




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….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Winsome wiggling only on Tuesdays….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“It has been said that man is a rational animal. 

All my life I have  been searching for evidence which could support this.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


famine memoria


Irish Famine Victims Memorial ~ Galway




Hajime…. Fortunately for me, the process I’ve developed over the years continues to stand in good stead for my muse, who is, apparently, on sabbatical. Until she/he/it has returned, I’m on my own, a sure recipe for disaster, let me assure you. To avoid any such less than optimal outcome, I’ve put together a relatively heavy (don’t worry, heavy in weight, not intensity) Pearl, which, though it may take some time to wade through, will nonetheless provide ample food for thought, and some damn find music, if naught else. Where else could you get all that for this price, eh?


I think, before anyone actually comes up with an answer to that query, I’ll use my recently discovered brevity bone to take us out of the intro in a hurry. I’ve found that doing so will, at the very least, put a damper in any pending lawsuits; something out the air at the oyster beds keeps the process servers away…. Of course, the air there HAS been rated by government agencies as “miasma”, so, perhaps they have something about which to complain…. not that we care at all, but, it gives them something to do besides pick at each other.


Now, where was I, before I so rudely interrupted myself? Oh, right. We’re outta here…. See ya down the page ffolkes, and, I’d suggest you use the conveniently located handholds on the wall…. It’s gonna get bumpy…..


Shall we Pearl?




“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult

words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”


~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~




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





Yield_Logo




Playing For Change




Today, I feel generous; hence, a double shot of love, from some of the world’s best street musicians and singers, all with one message of peace. Enjoy!….




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


















One Love











Blues of People

















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






























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




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





Sandclock .jpg




    I’m still working on a new rant, so, bear with me, as we go with one from about two years ago, which, as with all of my rants, seems to be still valid, in all it says…. Enjoy!….


From 3/16/2014:


“…when all government… in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821


Before we begin, please read the article attached to the link below; it contains information that will be necessary to a full appreciation/understanding of the discussion to follow…..









After reading this article all the way through, I came perilously close to puking, only resisting the urge, strong as it was, because I wasn’t in a place where it would have been convenient….. However, I WAS able to determine, immediately upon completion of the article, that I would definitely be ranting on this one, for sure and for certain…. This CRIES out to discussed, and, who am I to destroy the wishes of such a plaintive, compelling cry for social justice?


Did you catch the key points in the report on these asshole bankers and their naked avarice? To me, one of the key points in the article, which shows just how ridiculous the whole thing becomes when examined in ANY light, is the sentence imposed on the banks for admitting their guilt…. Essentially, the decision says this: a) the banks were guilty of defrauding their customers (again)…. they admitted it without a qualm; b) they only have to pay back PART of what they stole by doing so, and c) they don’t have to go to jail, they get to stay in business, and keep ALL of the profits they made by this theft.


You know, it makes me wonder…. I’d wager serious money (if I could cover the bet…. I’m not a bank, and I bet with honor….)….. very serious money, that the banks, when they planned out their campaign of theft in this instance, included in their plans a certain amount of money to set aside to pay the legal fees involved in defending themselves once they got found out and sued for the fraud…. I BET they knew before they started that, eventually, the SEC and their counterparts (ie, government thieves….) in the BRC would catch them in their thievery, and take them to court, so they set aside a percentage of the profits to be made to cover that, and proceeded with the plan to steal from their customers, (i.e. US, you and me, and all the other little investors whose money they steal on a regular basis….), knowing ahead of time that they’d never do any time in jail, and could count on a certain amount of profit on the deal…


I don’t think anyone would take that bet, unless they’re stupider than they look….. Ffolkes, how much more proof is necessary? How many times do we have to let these assholes fuck everyone else in the world, and let them get away with it, before we do something about stopping it? Personally, I’ve about had it up to here (makes motion at neck…) with their sheer gall, to carry out a scheme like this, in full view of the public, knowing they’ll be able to not only get away with it without ever spending any time in jail for their crimes, but will make a decent profit by doing so…. a profit they, of course, feel is their RIGHT to make, just because they want it…..


It’s not the money…. though, of course, it would help a lot of people if it wasn’t stolen…. No, it’s the sheer effrontery, the gall, the entitlement that gives these assholes the idea they can do this with impunity that bothers me the most…. It’s the kind of thing calculated to piss me off enough to take some action, even if that action isn’t necessarily the one that will help the most…. No, I’m tempted, almost beyond control, to go buy a gun, and a LOT of bullets that go with the gun, so I could start picking off bankers, and politicians, and judges, and police officers, and all the other assholes who dump their loads of BS all over everyone else in the pursuit of their own agendas, never caring at all how many others they harm in the process…


Yep, ffolkes, the time is drawing nigh when my patience will be at an end, and I’ll actually DO something that will, if nothing else, make me feel as if I’d helped in a small way to put a stop to the bullshit going on all around us…. It may not change society, but I’ll damn sure feel a lot better, you betcha….


Bah, humbug! Writing about this has gotten me as worked up as reading the article did originally; I’m sitting here vibrating with anger at the corporate assholes who are constantly degrading life for the rest of us, and wishing there were some way to speed up the time until I can afford to buy a decent weapon (by “decent” I mean, of course, that it will do all I want it to do….)…. I have a feeling it won’t be terribly long now until that day actually arrives…. and I can’t wait, to tell the truth….


I’m too worked up to rant further about this, though I can feel a lot more inside me that needs to be released…. So, I’ll finish off with a little five-star pearl, using as a parameter the same subject upon which we’ve been gnawing…. Hey, it’s a quick, legitimate way to bring this to a dignified, if choppy, ending….. Enjoy….


— How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? Four, one to change it and the other three to deny it. — Smart Bee


“Dealing with the government is like kicking a 300-pound sponge.” — Finagle’s Law of Government Contracting


“We are hypnotized into believing that two TV sets will make us twice as happy as one TV set.” — Laura Huxley (wife of Aldous)


“The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.” — John E.E. Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), — “The History of Freedom in Antiquity”


“I don’t want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap.” — Spanish Proverb


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Comedy_Tragedy




Penance, Made Simple 


After all the dross is sent away

a celebration can begin,

time will face up to space, to stay

willing, to shine from within.


Anger and confusion come in to share

brushing reason aside,

eager to welcome all that is fair,

alert to danger, eyes wide.


Re-gift the wicked with their own pain

stand with the just;

fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,

living in honor, the only must.


Standing fast in the face of wrong

is its own prize and reward.

Holding on to truth makes us strong,

well worth working toward.


Little is left to chance by fate

our lessons are never free of cost.

Seldom does reality make us wait

only when alone, are we lost.


~~ gigoid ~~


10/23/2012




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pearls_3




    Since the beginning, I’ve known some pearls are more, well, coherent than others. This one is, in the final analysis, pretty transparent, while simultaneously exhibiting a certain dignified sobriety, which, to me, enhances the message it carries, as a whole. But, then, I created it, so, who’s to say if any of that will be so? I suppose, as always, that may be taken as part of the point of this exercise…. A clue: this is all stuff seldom considered, but, all fairly significant, in its way…. Don’t worry, you’ll see….


“And sometimes the bear eats you.” — Realist Bee


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


“Sleeping alone, except under doctor’s orders, does much harm. Children will  tell you how lonely it is sleeping alone. If possible you should always sleep with someone you love. You recharge your mutual batteries free of charge.” — Marlene Dietrich


“Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know them you must find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and

hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That’s the fun part.” — Drew Marold


“No matter where you go, there you are.” — Buckaroo Banzai, Buckaroo Banzai – Across the 8th Dimension


“I’m the one who’s got to die when its time for me to die, so let me live  my life the way I want to.” — Jimi Hendrix


“The only people for me are the mad ones.” — Jack Kerouac


“All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.” — Edgar Allen Poe, from the poem “A Dream Within a Dream”


“You have taken yourself too seriously. Knock it off.” — Cheeky Bee


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


I’m a bit surprised to have finished this with as much aplomb as has been the case. Rather than make the seriously bad mistake of trying to explain that comment, I’ll leave you in suspense, thus obeying the old adage about leaving ’em with something to think about. I will, in spite of all attempts to stop me, or dissuade me, be back tomorrow, to do this again…. I can’t seem to stop myself….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Scrap all the intricate filigree…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




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


~~ Bob Dylan ~~


Angry bird


The Original Angry Bird




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


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


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


Shall we Pearl?….




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

the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.”


 ~~ Descartes ~~




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The_Death_of_Socrates_cropped




The Death of Socrates



Image from en.wikipedia.org via Google Images




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







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John Oliver

Last Week Tonight

















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le penseur-rodin




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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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





Comedy_Tragedy




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




air and light and time and space


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

has always been in the

way

but now

I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this

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

the light.

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

the time to

create.’

no baby, if you’re going to create

you’re going to create whether you work

16 hours a day in a coal mine

or

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

while you’re on

welfare,

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

body blown

away,

you’re going to create blind

crippled

demented,

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

back while

the whole city trembles in earthquakes, bombardment,

flood and fire.

baby, air and light and time and space

have nothing to do with it

and don’t create anything

except maybe a longer life to find

new excuses

for.


~~ Charles Bukowski ~~




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About Hopi Indian Symbols




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




Esoterica/Life at Large




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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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




Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds.


~~ Bob Marley ~~




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


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




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch












À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Sneering in bafflement, he punted….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“The cat would eate fish, and would not wet her feete.”


~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) ~~


~~ Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi ~~


Leelu the berzerker


Leelu in Berserker Mode




Hajime…. Life sure can be funny. Since I’m a complex sorta guy, that’s actually a complex statement, as the word ‘funny’ can be construed to mean a lot of different sorts of things about life, not all of which are at all funny, or fun. It’s also why English is such a powerful tool for communicating, as well as a barrier to the same communication. Two people with a different understanding of, and, skill in using the language, may very well not be able to understand each other, at all, though they both share intimate knowledge of it, having grown up using it. Environment, background, education, intelligence, imagination, all can play a part in how the language is used by anyone, and, no two people share the exact same degree of similarity in ANY of those categories.


All of which being said, I am compelled by my own nature to wonder, how the fuck we ever wandered this far out of the trees? C.S. Lewis, I believe, once made the lament,


“Five senses; an incurably abstract intellect; a haphazardly selective memory; a set of preconceptions and assumptions so numerous that I can never examine more than minority of them – never become conscious of them all.  How much of total reality can such an apparatus let through?” — C. S. Lewis


Add in this most-accurate assessment of the human mind’s ability to perceive the universe, and one has to feel a sense of astonished surprise, not only that we have created a world-wide society, but, have done so without ever achieving any sort of world-wide understanding of our own nature….. To observe the antics of the naked apes who infest the surface of this planet, is very similar, in “look and feel”, to watching an old Roadrunner cartoon on Saturday morning. In fact, watching the Roadrunner makes much more sense than much of what I see passing as socio-political activity around the world….


Did y’all ever wonder, as I did, about the two most puzzling things to me about Wile E. Coyote? First, why, when he was obviously the stupidest creature on the planet, was he called “wily”, a word which, even at age four, I understood couldn’t possibly apply to the stupid beast….. I mean, even if he WAS indestructible, (our first lesson in the fiction vs. reality issue…. How many of US could live through a 5000 foot fall, followed by the arrival of a five ton rock on our head? Hell, it would give Superman a moment of pain, if he couldn’t fly….


Second… Why didn’t the idiot ever just start ordering FOOD from the Acme Co.? It seemed to me, as a young, already half-trained consumer, if the company made that many different products, of such amazing variety and complexity, how easy would it be for them to deliver some fried chicken, or even fried rattlesnake, which, I am told, tastes like chicken… But, then, doesn’t everything but beef and lamb taste like chicken?….


But, NOOOO…. Mr. Smart Guy Coyote keeps ordering weapon after weapon, none of which ever worked the way he expected. Which comprised our second lesson in reality vs. fiction, though, as it turns out, that’s pretty much how ANY corporation operates….. S’trewth, swear to god….


SIGH…. I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Ranting in the intro, when I tried to start out looking for ironic humor…. See where good intentions will get you? Oh, well, next I’d have to move on to more lamentations about human nature, and how virtue has all but disappeared from the public arena… Hell, I even found the perfect pearl to go with such a discussion, showing EXACTLY what happened, at least, here in the US…. It is also from C.S. Lewis, one of the more flexible-minded, and, honest Christians to ever pick up a pen… He said, regarding virtue, this:


“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.” — C.S. Lewis  _The Screwtape Letters_


But, that’s a rant for another day, unless, of course, we pick this up in the third section. Who knows at this point? If I did, well, I’d say so; that means simply that I haven’t decided yet. Nonetheless, and, notwithstanding, such is now moot, as Guido has entered the cockpit (don’t even think it….), and we’ll be taking off any moment…. Let’s just do so quietly, and calmly, just as if we knew what we were doing here, okay?….


Shall we Pearl?….




“A gentleman is one who doesn’t demand a lady prove that she is.” 


~~ Solomon Short ~~




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




    Though I have plenty of energy, I’m lazy. Since that is true, I’m going with my own default choice of music, which, if you’ve been reading here for any time, you’ll know what that means; you’re gonna hear some classical music…. It was about twenty or more years ago I got fed up with the current crop of music bombarding the airwaves and musical venues. I began to listen to classical music, and have felt the rightness of the decision ever since. Rather than listening to the last 65-plus years of what has been produced (some of which is good, but, mostly, it’s crap…. see Sturgeon’s Law….), I now have several centuries worth of music to explore, from all over the world….. Sturgeon’s law still applies, but, the statistical universe of available music has been filtered for quality for a LONG time; what’s left is a much higher percentage of the good stuff….


Bonus!….. Enjoy, ffolkes…. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt, even if you have perfect pitch…… As is my habit, the compilation I picked simply had the most attractive picture, for my taste….




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gigoid’s Musical Default


















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Dont keep calm




What do we do? We have lost our way.

From afar, the Demon cries out,

He is leading us astray.

…

Skyward soar the whirling demons,

Shrouded by the falling snow,

And then the plaintive, awful howling

Fills my heart with dread and woe.


~~ Alexander Pushkin ~~




Gee…. I wonder if that means more ranting about the present state of world affairs? What do you think? Should we continue in the vein in which I began today’s Pearl, or veer off in another direction? Hmm… Let’s see what the magic 8-ball says….


Oops. Forgot; broke my 8-ball a long time ago. Oh, well. I think I’m not in a mood to rant at the moment. Hang on, & I’ll go see if I can find something to tip the scale in one direction, or another… Don’t worry, I’ve got a Tardis, and this isn’t real…. so, it’s like, you’ll never notice I was gone….


Okay, got it. That actually didn’t take long at all…. Of course, I COULD be lying, but, we wouldn’t want to pick up any bad habits…. It took only a moment, to find this:


“The land of the free!  This is the land of the free!  Why, if I say anything that displeases them, the free mob will lynch me, and that’s my freedom. Free? Why I have never been in any country where the individual has such an abject fear of his fellow countrymen.  Because, as I say, they are free to lynch him the moment he shows he is not one of them.” — D. H. Lawrence


Now, if THAT isn’t a great start to pick up where we left off above, I don’t know an oyster from a mussel. And, I do. Know the difference, I mean. In fact, I also know, being a chef, while mussels, steamed in white wine, fish stock, garlic, and a bit of butter, lemon juice, & parsley, is as close as people ever really get to heaven, only oysters, those ugly, yet somehow noble bivalves, can make pearls. Besides, the only way the oysters themselves are REALLY edible, is breaded, deep fried, and smothered with a LOT of Tartar, or seafood cocktail sauce. Otherwise they’re a lot like eating old shoe leather, unless eaten at ONE specific moment upon cooking. Before, or after that moment, they are virtually inedible… Even for those with ALL their teeth…


But, hey, pearls, you know? Which brings us back to the completion of this section today. I’ll quit fooling around, amusing as it may be, (or not; not my call….), and get to the meat of today’s piece.  I’ll start with an old graphic pearl from one of my most consistent sources for wise, witty comments, to wit:





Albert E & true sin






This statement is possibly the clearest I know, to describe WHY our world is the way it is today. Albert put his finger on the root cause of every problem we face today, i.e., courage in the face of evil. Personally, I have given up any hope of making enough changes in society to protect us from ourselves…. Hope, as Emily D. pointed out, is something that, being human, never goes away…. But, my hope is about gone, for I don’t see us humans finding the understanding which can save us before the planet itself kills us for our effrontery……


Rather than expose y’all to any more of my own negative conclusions, I’d like y’all to read the following article, which my news reader provided to me, and with which I can only agree wholeheartedly. It’s brilliant, to be honest, and, if there is any justice in the world, will go viral quite soon…… It’s by an author named Elizabeth West, and she has hit upon some strong truths…. Don’t try to decide from reading the title; just trust me, & go read it. You won’t regret it…. Not even if I close out the section with my own take/interpretation, (though voiced with a power of expression I can only dream of achieving some day….) of the most probable, ultimately final decision Reality is going to make about the human race… Ms. West might convince you otherwise…..




http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/04/abandon-all-hope/


This is the way the world ends,

This is the way the world ends,

This is the way the world ends,

Not with a bang but with a whimper.


~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men” ~~




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Comedy_Tragedy




Choosing a Theme


Powerful words playing hide and seek in my mind,

teasing with subtle cruelty, pretending to be kind.

Grand visions and flowery verses of beauty and truth

evaded my inner eye all through the days of my youth.


Affable interludes interspersed with allegorical wit

softened the crimes, against all reason, to finally acquit.

Time became at once an enemy, and an ally

Never once compelled to provide an answer why.


Giving gifts of simple kindness are their own pay,

spreading ripples of compassion are felt far and away.

Love given freely is precious, we are ever told,

increasing love received, more than a hundred fold.


Living long and with passion has centered my soul,

allowing me room, and time, to choose my own goal.

Now I’ve gone past any need to pretend

I love everything in life, even knowing it will end.


~~ gigoid ~~


10/21/2012




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





ankh




Naked Pearls IV


*********


“Everything you know is wrong.”


~~ The Firesign Theater ~~


*********


“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” 


~~ Edwin Hubbel Chapin ~~


*********


“Virtue is beauty.” 


~~ Shakespeare ~~


*********


“There are two kinds of egotists: 1) Those who admit it;  2) The rest of us.” 


~~ Psyche Bee ~~


*********


“Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as it is leaping.” 


~~ Julius Hare ~~


*********


“In war and life, either fight to win or don’t fight.” 


~~ Warrior Bee ~~


*********


“She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, …. or, internal difficulties.” 


~~ Michel de Montaigne — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty ~~


*********


“A misery is not to be measured from the nature of the evil, but from the temper of the sufferer.” 


~~ Joseph Addison ~~


*********


“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” 


~~ Hugh Downs ~~


*********


“Don’t worry about a thing because every little thing is gonna be alright.” 


~~ Bob Marley ~~


*********


However many holy words you read,

However many you speak,

What good will they do you

If you do not act on upon them?


~~ Buddha ~~




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Well, it’s done. All that remains is to go post it, which will be harder than usual today…. I put a lot into this one, even though the poem isn’t new, and the major rant belongs to another author. Nonetheless, I don’t believe I can do this any better than this turned out, so, I hope y’all enjoyed consuming it as much as I enjoyed putting it together…. I’ll be back tomorrow, to see if I can do it this well one more time….Why not? That would make a total of at least four, over four years…. Not bad, for an amateur…


Spoiler alert: Things ’round here may change some in the near future…. Y’all stay alert, y’hear?…. It could mean your sanity, and mine…. Oops. Maybe not yours…. really. I mean that, or, rather, I didn’t mean that…. Well, never mind, you’ll see….. Just, be careful, okay?…. C 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




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À bientôt, mon cherí….