Tag Archives: Bobby Matherne

On the path to adventure….

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Ffolkes,

“Art is the process of destruction.”

~~ Bobby Matherne ~~

shadow

My only selfie….

Hajime…. While searching for pearls to use today, the gem adorning the top of today’s post, from Mr. Matherne, came first. After choosing my selfie as the opening picture, (for reasons which shall come clear….), & having decided to forgo a complete Pearl for the day, I began to search for a closing pearl. This is the first one SB showed me today, to wit:

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence,
and I learn, whatever state I may be in,
therein to be content.”

~~ Helen Keller ~~

It seemed to be apt, as it describes, in more than one sense, my recent path, which has been, seemingly, seeded with traps, deep holes which open up at my feet during my headlong rush to find. as the aphorism states, contentment. I know, full well, the path is an illusion, a metaphor for the journey within we all pursue, to find what we already know; in truth, the traps are of my own making, as they are for us all. Yet, like the silly human I am, I continue to search, rushing along a path I seem not to know, though ’tis my of my own design, leading only to places I already know…. Is it any wonder I am confused?….

Having written the above, my mind proceeded to go blank, in a relative sense. In point of fact, I fear am losing my urge to blog at all; I’ve been spending more time in the Big Blue Room outside the place the computer lives than I have at the computer, enjoying that time more than what is spent surfing, or even writing. My sanity seems intact, for all that, which makes me think creating Pearls is no longer so critical to staying in touch with consensual reality. Now, if that’s so, it could be a good thing, or, not, depending on whether I think too hard about it. Keeping track of sanity is, as might be surmised, a tricky proposition, at best; it seems rather like a Heisenberg issue, y’know? When one focuses on it, it slides away, becoming something else entirely, right when we think we’ve put our fingers on it.

If it hasn’t become obvious by now, I am suffering from a lack of creative energy. More accurately, the energy which, for so long, has been channeled into this process is getting used in other ways/places in my life, and the need to write is becoming diffused. At this point, I’m unsure of what will ensue; moreover, I’m not inclined to try too hard to keep things the way they were, as I am feeling more pull toward the outer world than I have in a long time. I suppose, in a very real sense, actions are speaking louder than words, & I can’t find any reason not to continue on that path….

So, for at least the foreseeable future, posts here on ECR may not happen every day; in fact, they may not happen every week. I don’t believe I’ll stop entirely; the poetry needs to keep leaking out, if nothing else. Searching out good pearls of virtual wisdom will also continue to occupy some of my attention, as I need to read as much as I need to breathe. But, I don’t feel as much compulsion to post, as the process of doing so occupies more of my attention (read: my OCD tendencies) than I currently wish to give. So, posts will be rather hit & miss, at best. I’d say I am sorry, but, I wouldn’t mean it, so, I won’t….

For today, this outburst is all I’ve got; my poem is stalled & the blue sky is calling me to go walkabout…. I guess I can only say, I’ll see y’all when I see you. I love you all, and hope your life will proceed in a manner which pleases you; the answers we all seek are right there for us to find, within, so, we all have the same opportunity to find our own peace, if we can only learn to listen to those little voices in our heads. Oh, not the ones arising out of our fears; the ones which arise from that unconscious part of us which is ALWAYS connected to the universe, and knows all we need to know…. We’ve always known the answers, you know; we just get distracted & forget to listen….

Me, I’m gonna go listen to the trees, or the waters, or the wind…. where the answers are echoed, and sung as part of the music of the spheres…. Yes, I’m a little strange, but, that’s no worry; I have always been so. I can’t say when, but, I’ll be back, soon enough….

“Because I could not stop for Death —
He kindly stopped for me —
The carriage held but just ourselves
And immortality.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

***********

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 -- 14532

À bientôt, mon cherí….



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Ffolkes,


“Always do what you are afraid to do.”


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~


Ireland 021


Fish? Where?….


(Photo by Lady P….)


Hajime…. I spent yesterday geeking with my computer, but, found it still confused this morning. I managed to get it up & running, and am only here long enough to get this posted. I will be infrequently present for the next few days, & don’t know if or when I’ll have time to write, or post. I will try to at least re-blog each day, but, can’t promise anything, as I have some critical business to deal with out in the BBR, that cannot wait.


Since I will be busy most of today, dealing with all of it, I’ll forgo any trickery here in the intro; even today’s old-school pearl is truncated to five entries, as I don’t have time to find another pair to fill it out. So be it. There IS a new poem, which I hope you enjoy, &, as always, some rather fine music, to go with the first section’s journey into a past Pearl to share some personal views on living…. That’s it, though, and all you’ll get for a while. I’ll be traveling, to see a friend who went into hospice, so, I won’t be worrying much about anything else, until I’ve seen him, & made contact before he travels on to the next world….


For now, that’s all I’ve got, ffolkes. I’ll see you in a day or two, or, whenever I can get back to relative normality…. Onward….


Shall we Pearl?


“A human being should be able to change a diaper,

plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building,

write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying,

take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations,

analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,

cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects.”


~~ Robert A. Heinlein, “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long” ~~


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From 6/9/2012:


My life, described in six words….


“Looked for love, found it everywhere.” — gigoid, to KDFC DJ Hoyt Smith, 2009….


While listening to the radio one day, the DJ was talking about a meme activity he had been told about via an email earlier that day from a listener. The challenge was to describe your life in exactly six words; he gave several examples of those who had already responded, and asked the listening audience to call in with their own. After a couple of moments the above six words floated to the surface of my mind, almost unbidden, so I called in, and, to my surprise, my call was taken, and my quote was put out over the air.


For life, with all it yields of joy and woe,

And hope and fear (believe the aged friend),

Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,–

How love might be, hath been indeed, and is.


~~ Robert Browning ~~


(1812-1890) — A Death in the Desert


Considering that what I said to Hoyt in the above six words, upon reflection, is something I can, and still do, say is as true as the day, it felt kind of good to have it shared over the air…. Fortunately, it didn’t lead to any more than 15 seconds of fame, the time it took to say my name, and my contribution…. It isn’t as if I was hoping it would lead to an appearance on Letterman or anything, but it did feel pretty good, as I am proud of the quote…. (Still am, in fact, and it still rings true…. gigoid, from the future, which is now the present, but used to be the… Oh, never mind….)


Of course, though finding love has never been difficult, I’ve never found the rest of the secret, the other part, about getting love to stay, other than that love between friends that is so important. Our culture, so tenuous in its support of monogamy, provides people with so many ways to leave a relationship without penalty, no one seems interested in making them last an entire lifetime any more. It’s like, “Oh well, that didn’t work… there’s lots of fish in the sea….”, and off they go into the dating world again…. Frankly, it makes me dizzy….


I can’t say I know what the problem is in society that dooms relationships these days; if I did, then it wouldn’t be a problem, as I’d know what to avoid…. What I do know is that on (at least) five occasions in my life, I’ve given my heart to a woman, and spent all my energy giving my all to that relationship, faithfully and fully. On all of those occasions, the woman eventually decided, for their own personal reasons, that they didn’t want to continue, and left. I guess they like Will Shakespeare more than I do… as they seemed to take on his attitude…..


“I dote on his very absence.” — William Shakespeare ( Though I hold most of his work to be crap and nonsense, even he came up with something coherent occasionally….)


I’ve been fortunate, I guess, in that, of those five times, only three were painful in their intensity, leaving my heart shattered, my life in tatters; two of them were relatively amicable breakups. (Sure they were; that’s what I keep telling myself….) But, I’ve just gotta say, it hurts when a woman I’ve loved for 23 years, and intended to die with, decides she’d rather pursue other options; it hurts, and it hurts a lot…. I can testify, from the evidence of a more recent nature, it also hurts when a woman has said she loved me for ten years, and has been lying the whole time…. That kind of betrayal brings a very lasting pain, and is slow to pass…


I hear you reproach, “But delay was best,

For their end was a crime.” Oh, a crime will do

As well, I reply, to serve for a test

As a virtue golden through and through,

Sufficient to vindicate itself

And prove its worth at a moment’s view!

. . . . . .

Let a man contend to the uttermost

For his life’s set prize, be it what it will!

The counter our lovers staked was lost

As surely as if it were lawful coin;

And the sin I impute to each frustrate ghost

Is–the unlit lamp and the ungirt loin,

Though the end in sight was a vice, I say.


~~ Robert Browning ~~


(1812-1890) — The Statue and the Bust


Pain is an old friend of mine, though, in all its various guises, and I know it always passes in time. Now I am looking for love again, in my own time, still trying to find that one woman who can be both loving and honest. The ones I’ve known so far have all had a problem with that last part…. it’s not something our society teaches well. But, until I find her, I’ll have to make do with the pain…. But, I know she is out there, somewhere….. There’s got to be some woman who would enjoy being worshiped by an old, fading, but faithful, romantic curmudgeon with a soft spot for dogs, cats, kids, & a good laugh, along with a severe case of wanderlust to complicate the issue….


In the desert a fountain is springing,

In the wide waste there still is a tree,

And a bird in the solitude singing,

Which speaks to my spirit of thee.


~~ Lord Byron ~~


(1788-1824) — Stanzas to Augusta



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This was found along with the above discussion; it’s too good to NOT include, so, you get it today, as a bonus pearl…. It’s pretty much a stand-alone anyway, requiring nothing to make it whole and complete….


The thought manifests as the word;

The word manifests as the deed;

The deed develops into habit;

And habit hardens into character.

So watch the thought and its ways with care,

And let it spring from love

Born out of concern for all beings.


~~ The Buddha ~~


I can’t think of a single thing that needs to be added here, so I won’t….. As Nike says, “Just do it….”


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playing-for-change


I’m in a hurry, as noted, so, here is one of our default music selections to help move us along the necessary path…. Enjoy!



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Playing For Change





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Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave.

Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;

Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.

I know.

But I do not approve.

And I am not resigned.


— Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music”


Comedy_Tragedy


*******


Motif en passant…


Death becomes me, I shouldn’t wonder;

or, perhaps, she merely beckons?

Ah, well, perhaps ’tis both, or, neither;

knowing how, now, might give pause,

or rise to such crescendo

exposing the crack in reality’s mask.


Such a burden to bear only comes

to those who wear the dark’s mark;

murder, slain by Cain’s evil twin,

on a Tuesday, of course;

Mondays have always been reserved

for expedience, the blessing of the coin.


Allegory chases metaphor around the parlor table

as eternity scoffs at such paltry buffoonery;

for those waiting upon the latest schedules

intricate mazes with traces of sincere regret

forgive the sins of all who travel, bereft

of any claim to legitimacy.


Patterns in simple fabrics wear better,

whenever reality intrudes.

Fabulous notions simply will not make the grade

until fashion completes a viable task.

All the petty reasons devised in haste

fall gently into place, softly saving grace.


~~ gigoid ~~


3/5/2027


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Five notes on Life at Large….


*******


“He that will not reason is a bigot.

He that cannot reason is a fool.

He that dares not reason is a slave.”


~~ William Drummond, “Academical Questions” ~~


*******


“I wonder why. I wonder why.

I wonder why I wonder.

I wonder _why_ I wonder why

I wonder why I wonder!”


~~ Richard P. Feynman ~~


*******


“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs

as clothes do against cold.

For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases,

it will have no power to hurt you.

So in like manner you must grow in patience

when you meet with great wrongs,

and they will be powerless to vex your mind.”


~~ Leonardo da Vinci ~~


*******


“It is easier to pull down than to build up.”


~~ Latin Proverb ~~


*******


“A hug is a heart to heart talk.”


~~ Bobby Matherne ~~


*******


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Not only am I in a hurry, I’m in a big hurry. So, I’ll merely say, see y’all later, & leave it at that. Be well, be as happy as you may, and, be cool. There’s no sense go out without some dignity, & that is about all we humans have left….


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….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
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Ffolkes,


“Believe nothing,

no matter where you read it, or who said it–

even if I have said it–

unless it agrees with your own reason

and your own common sense.”


~~ The Buddha ~~


More Galway 018


Great Famine Victim’s Memorial, Galway, Ireland


Hajime…. It’s been said, with some elegance by Mr. Pope, hope springs eternally in the human breast. At this moment, I can tell you, that is NOT a consistent event, by any means. In fact, in my breast this morning, hope is non-existent; moreover, it seems completely out of the realm of possibility. Yesterday, about half-way through the day, I dropped into a hole I didn’t see, and have been ‘in the dumps’ ever since, mostly, with short periods of distraction, never lasting long enough to establish any sort of direction pointing out of the hole…..


In order to get this done at all today will require a bit of cheating; in and of itself, that’s nothing out of the ordinary. The only real bad part of that is the guilt I feel for failing to create something fresh, since there is certainly no lack of material in the real world upon which to focus my attention. Hell, what with the post-Brexit mess over in Europe, the email scrum going on over here, and the general state of chaos all over the world, there is a plethora of issues to examine with a critical eye. None of it interests me in the least today, as my sole task for today has narrowed down to keeping myself from committing homicide….


It helped to speak with my friend in Europe; she always brightens my day, if only to know there is at least one person out there who is on the same page; that’s a powerful motivator for those of us who limit our intake of other humans. So, I’ll quit whining about stuff I can’t currently change, and get on with trying to put this Pearl together into a consumable format, with something worthwhile to consume. I guess we’ll just have to trust the process, and see how it turns out. Since I can’t think of any more blather, or nonsense, or sense to put here, I guess we’ll just go do the best we can…. After all, all you can do is all you can do…. You may have heard that before….


Shall we pearl?….


“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself.

Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving,

it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.”


~~ Thomas Paine ~~


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norah jones last fm


Norah Jones


Image from http://www.last.fm.com via Google Images


Todays musical selection needs little introduction; her fame in today’s world is secure. Here is a live concert, from not too long ago…. Enjoy!….


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Norah Jones

Live in New Orleans



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Plato-Aristotle


There is no point in waiting.

The train stopped running years ago.

All the schedules, the brochures,

The bright-colored posters full of lies,

Promise rides to a distant country

That no longer exists.


~~ Linux Songs Poems no. 570 ~~


Since I’m not in a ranting mood, here is an archived pearl from a day on which it seems I was in the mood…. Enjoy!….


From 4/18/2014:


As noted above, I am in the mood to rant…. However, the depth of my anger today is beyond all reason; I’m feeling extremely homicidal…. It will take ALL of my will power to NOT become proactive…. Think about that, and you’ll see I’m not in a very good mood at all; in fact, it’s been hard to keep myself from casually booting the cat through the window, or some other powerful release of what is bubbling and churning in my head and gut…. To go there, in a real sense, I would have to have already purchased the weaponry that is part of my ultimate plan, which, sadly, I haven’t completed yet…. It’s harder than it seems to find just the “right” weapon(s) for the purposes to which I plan to put it/them….


“Frankly,” he said, “I’m just trying to get to the end of my life without becoming an asshole again.” The Buddha couldn’t have said it better. — Slomo, aka John Kitchin, San Diego, last lines of the Mark Morford column, 4/16/14…. ( http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/04/15/the-saddest-job-in-the-world/)


“Me, too”, he said…. The above article is a good one; it kept me from killing anyone for three whole days, before I had to replace the old restraining thought patterns that keep me from breaking down, & carrying out one of the many fantasies that parade through my head whenever I start thinking about the BRC, the Asininnies in general, or the state of the world at large…. It makes me positively homicidal….


Every time I look at the big picture, extrapolating what I perceive out into the future, I see our species ending its short stay on Earth in the all-too-near future, ignominiously choking out our last painful breaths of a now toxic atmosphere, dying in sheer agony, in a world gone mad, broken and sad, from trying to contain our common insanity….. I see the real world, full of uncaring, selfish, avaricious thieves who prey upon the rest of mankind, to the detriment of all, knowing, but not caring how much pain and misery they cause others….


When I look at these images in my mind this morning, I am enraged…. so much so, I must go take a short break…. When I return, I’ll put together an old-school pearl…. Maybe that will allow me to calm down enough to make them fit just the way I like…. I’ll be right back, ffolkes, after I calm down a bit…. God! I HATE adrenalin….. I spent way too much of my life under its influence, and it just pisses me off when it rears its ugly head again…. Ah well, I’ll be back….


“… And yet the true creator is necessity, which is the mother of invention.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”, Book II. 369C


There! I feel better already…. finding a good pearl, that describes reality so closely in our current state, is always a good thing, in my book…. For the remainder of this group, let’s see what rant-like material regarding my favorite targets we can find today…. Enjoy…. and you can thank me later for not ranting….


“Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there.” — P. J. O’Rourke, Parliament of Whores (1991)


“Democracy can learn some things from Communism: for example, when a Communist politician is through, he is through.” — Jacoby Smirnoff


“In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it.” — George Bernard Shaw


“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin; the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Robert A. Heinlein — Lazarus Long


“The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” — Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)


“Government [is] an illusion the governed should not encourage.” — John Updike, Couples


“I am Porky of Borg. You will be assim…bdeh…assim…I’m takin’ over!”– Smart Bee


This is, perhaps, the strangest pearl I’ve ever composed….. I like it….


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Comedy_Tragedy


Visible life


Forty-two days of pressure and internal rain,

leave marks of salvation, often in pain.

Such sharp reminders of yesterday’s remorse

fight heavily to keep a straight course.

Rash moments, bright, and routinely immense

Give us pleasure, bereft of common sense.


Still the night comes soft and eternally dear

to bring out wishful dreams so vitally clear.

Life’s myrmidons give freely in protest

lifting with skill, soul pieces first to infest,

Loudly brash, with no such voices to remain

Sealed in infamy, branded ugliness all too plain.


Now come brave signs of chapter and verse

Shielded by ignorance, irritable and terse.

Gravid portions of in-between retaliation

leave only pale marks of initial gestation

With hope even pallid warriors grow brave

Leading all humanity, to a warm, stale grave.


Hope never falters, nor leaves any trace

Yet lingers forever in a welcoming space.

Cheerful faces yet shine out of time

for tricking and fumbling sweet melody sublime.

Fill in the spaces with a long, strong retort

life is ever visible, if only as last resort.


~~ gigoid ~~


6/6/2015


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Fun


*******


“Dreams have wings,

And other things

That smile like butterflies.”


~~ Bobby Matherne ~~


*******


“The miracle is not to walk on water.

The miracle is to walk on the green earth

in the present moment,

to appreciate the peace and beauty

that are available now.”


~~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~~


*******


“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”


~~ Han Suyin, “A Many Splendored Thing” ~~


*******


“A merry heart lives long.”


~~ William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Act II, Sc. 5 ~~


*******


“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals.

The struggles within yourself —

the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us —

that’s where it’s at.”


~~ Jesse Owens ~~


*******


“I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end.

But that’s all right.

When you set out on a journey and night covers the road,

you don’t conclude that the road has vanished.

And how else could we discover the stars?”


~~ Nancy Willard ~~


*******


“YOW!!! I am having fun!!!”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


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


It came as something of a surprise to find myself here at the end, yet, when I went back to look, there it was, a complete Pearl. Not too shabby, either, if I’m any judge. I’ll go post it, and we’ll see what Consensual Reality has to say about that….. For now, it means we’re outta here, as I’ve certainly caused enough damage for one day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; who knows? Maybe there will be something new and fresh…. never can tell….


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 -- 8916


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
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Ffolkes,




“He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”


~~ Elrond ~~


First shots 002


Faded Beauty




Good morning. Maybe…. Even in the quite curmudgeon-like space currently defining my presence this morning, there is no room for nicety. When I think of the general run of people in today’s world, my teeth yearn to bite, my hands to throttle; the mere thought of their pain fills me with an sense of unbridled glee I cannot contain…. Have I gone mad in my sleep? Where is my center, my serenity? Gone, replaced with sheer, bloody rage at the machine…..


Well, that was fun… NOT. It seems all the angst I usually put into ranting has been building up inside, in the past few weeks I’ve been over-using the archives. And why not, I say? It had been a while since I ranted, but, yesterday, a short exchange with a new blogging friend stimulated a fresh rant against our beloved ruling class (I’ve stopped capitalizing it; they don’t deserve the honor….), which you’ll find below, in the appropriate section…. It felt good, too, I have to say….


Rather than wander around too much here, we’ll get on with today’s mess; in the mood I’m in, we could easily end up with two or three fresh rants, and, I’d like to see if there’s a poem in there that might bleed out. If the process of opening up a vein will let it out, cool. If not, well, we’ll see what happens… In the meantime, we’d best be on our way, before I say something that sets off a rant…. It’s a bit early yet for that…. Onward….


Shall we Pearl?


“All the secrets we may be able to keep from any and every god and human being do not in the least absolve us from the obligation to refrain from whatever actions are greedy, unjust, sensual, or otherwise immoderate.” — Cicero, On Duties


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Bob Marley


Image from mytinyphone.com via Google Images




In my mind, this man was one of the top three songwriters of the era in which he lived…. A true societal icon, his music did more to create a bond between the feuding races of Man than any religion has EVER done…. The love this man had for his fellow man shone through every note he played…. Enjoy, ffolkes….




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Bob Marley















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Dont keep calm




“I don’t believe there’s any problem in this country, no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they roll up their sleeves, can’t completely ignore.” — George Carlin


Since I regard George Carlin as the premier social philosopher of the latter half of the twentieth century, I appreciate him giving me the perfect opportunity to speak to an issue which, to be frank, pisses me off no end…. Yesterday, during a chance reading of a fairly new blog, with a subject something to do with clowns, I made a smart-aleck comment about how clowns are evil, going off on a mini-rant about commercialism of holidays, which led to another comment about the huge elf at the top banner of the blog; you know, the one from that insane propaganda movie, about the 6 ft. tall elf in NY who saves Christmas, or something…. Will Farrell, I think is the actor’s name; can’t be sure, never actually watched anything but the innumerable commercials and trailers for it….


Well, as became patently obvious, the subject flicks my ranting mode switch; when the blogger, a very creative young woman, commented with a “Santa?”…. I went off, ranting for several paragraphs, which I include below, to begin today’s rant, which will continue the theme, if I can do so strongly…. Should be easy, this one really fucks with my sense of justice and outrage….


The comment, as shown below, can be found here, where you can read the whole comment thread, and the original article prompting the conversation:



http://livelovelaughdotme2.com/2015/06/20/childhood-destroyed/comment-page-1/#comment-18066 


Oh, honey-chile, I hate to be the one to burst a bubble for you, but, although Santa Claus (as a concept) used to be fairly innocuous, mostly harmless in terms of any psychic brainwashing was concerned, the whole concept of Christmas, and Santa himself, was hijacked by the bankers and businessmen, all the way back in the 1920’s, with roots going back even further in our history; it’s part of why the Great Depression happened…. Then, all the other holidays were turned into Hallmark days, so the businesses that depend on that sort of sales could potentially sell more ‘stuff’, during those months when no ancient, or religious holidays occur….


Mother’s/Father’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, President’s Day, Memorial Day, (originally just an observance for the dead in ONE battle…. Now, a person who doesn’t fall into the celebration can be accused of not being patriotic, for failing to buy beer, or watch a game of some kind, to honor all the LIVING brainwashed myrmidons, placing their lives at some risk while they’re off bombing and killing citizens of other countries all over the world, so our bankers can sell their plastic crap to the natives of those places….), virtually every holiday in every month in this country is either a complete fabrication of the government to stimulate business, or an ancient/religious holiday perverted for the same purpose….


I know many holidays are the only chance people today have, to feel good about their lives, and take a break…. So, what does the beloved ruling class do? They inundate the public with advertisements to buy this, that, or the other for the holiday, thus spending more than they can really afford, for a crap-load of stuff, all to celebrate something supposedly worthwhile, which they could easily accomplish without the costly manufactured needs…


Sorry to be a bummer, but, the subject of holidays, cute little elves, and all the other stuff used to convince people they just HAVE to participate in the ongoing economic frenzy of buying, all for stuff you will eat in one day, or throw away afterward…. Well, it just burns my ass to watch our entire society throwing money down the drain, for nothing important, except to fulfill what they BELIEVE to be the customs of the society, which have, in reality, been perverted into a travesty of anything honorable, or even reasonable…. It’s all an illusion, little one, deliberately created to convince people it’s important enough to waste their money on it….


But, then, maybe that’s just me…. It’s not Santa, young paduan; it’s what they’ve turned Santa into that lights my fuse….


gigoid, the sincerely dubious….




———————————————




I think the reason this subject angers me so much is connected to two reasons. First, it’s all so transparent, to me, yet, seemingly, there are millions upon millions of otherwise intelligent people who refuse to look at how brainwashed they have become. The opening quote from George takes on new meaning, when one considers how much strength of will it takes to deny evidence that slaps you in the face EVERY DAY….


It implies a choice. It tells me that most people in this country, rather than using their minds for what they were designed to do, have abrogated all their honor, and dignity, for the sake of a safe, secure existence wherein they are not required to think, or make any more effort than the minimum required to survive, in a world made soft and palatable, without danger, or challenge, or need for any imagination….


The second part. which angers me even more, is that we were warned this would happen, by the very men who gave their lives and fortunes to ensure we had the few rights we do…. Thomas Jefferson said it best, I think, though others of his time said much the same…. In fact, it seems Tom had something to say about just about everything happening in today’s news headlines, nailing exactly what has happened to our rights…. For those with tunnel vision, I’ll add a modern example of exactly what Tom was referring to in his statements….(in parentheses)


“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)


(The Koch Brothers. Super PAC’s. Corporate personhood. 55% of US Senators are millionaires…. Big Pharma/HMO’s. Walmart.  )


“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson


(Citicorp. Bank of America. Chase. Rothschild, Rockefeller, Kennedy, Dupont, Krupp, Takahashi, Windsor, Chang, Wang, and the other 0.02% who own ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD)


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


(Gee, does that sound anything like the programs gathering metadata by the NSA, or the FBI, authorized by the good ol’ Patriot Act, one of the most ironic catchphrases they ever came up with….)


“I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” — Thomas Jefferson


(Current US government debt is more than 700 TRILLION dollars, and counting….)


“…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


(Need I even say anything here? Okay, just for a recent example…. Obamacare….Another? Okay. The Supreme Court decision allowing rich people to buy politicians through PAC’s…. What did one of the dissenting judges on the Court say about that? Let’s see….)




Ginsburg on CU 8-20-2014






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


(Patriot Act again…. Secret courts. Torture as a legitimate tool. Police killings. Police militarization. Drone spying on domestic targets. All proven with evidence, yet denied by officials….)


“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.  It is it’s natural manure.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to William S. Smith, Paris, Nov.  13, 1787


(Sadly, this one is no longer possible, I think…. Not enough true patriots of liberty left; they’ve all become zombies, or bought into the lies, and are in complete denial of their slavery….)


Okay, that’s enough…. As you can see, Tom, and others, warned us of ALL of this…. But, thanks to laziness, to the common man’s lack of willingness to be responsible for their own lives and actions, the majority of Americans not only don’t realize they are no longer free at all, but, deny it when confronted with incontrovertible evidence….


SIGH…. Fuck ’em…. I won’t go down without a struggle, you can be sure of that…. Others may do as they like…. And, yes, I KNOW the NSA will eventually see this…. So what? I’m not going to lie, and become like them….




gigoid has spoken.


So be it.




“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.”


~~ Plutarch ~~


~~ Of the Training of Children ~~




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Comedy_Tragedy




    I’d hoped a poem was ready to bleed out, but, it ain’t happening…. Here is yet another from the archives….






When life calls, ready or not….


Memories are all we have sometimes

to keep our sanity intact,

with learned phrases and subtle rhymes

lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.


Presently all seems composed and intent

in stark contrast to hollow day,

forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,

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


Such vigorous and elevated temper

brings us rare moments to ponder,

filled with lessons all need to remember

lest base perception lose valued wonder.


Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast

leaving shameless anger in its wake.

Let bygones pass quietly into the past

reaping only what is left to take.


Final words of wise imagination

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

ever eluding choirs and congregations

finally finding home, never buried in tears.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 9/10/2012.


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





Sandclock .jpg




    I put the following pearl together, but, I don’t know exactly what it all means…. I mean, I do, but, I don’t…. See what I mean? (What IS the mind? More to the point, what does the mind MEAN?….)


Ah well, they’re all such good pearls, it has to mean something good, right? Or is that a bit too Pollyanna-ish? Or, maybe, Pavlovian…. Perhaps so; I don’t think any of it will affect the Space/Time Continuum, anyway, so, I think we’ll be okay…. If not, well, see y’all in the next Universe….




And now someone’s on the telephone desperate in his pain

Someone’s on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine

Someone’s got his finger on the button in some room

No one can convince me we aren’t gluttons for our doom


~~ the Indigo Girls, “Prince Of Darkness” ~~




“Whip me such honest knaves.” — William Shakespeare, Othello — Act i, Sc. 1


“Better to have illusions of a reality where everything is real than to have a reality of illusions where nothing is real.” — Bobby Matherne


“As the sword of the best-tempered metal is the most flexible; so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors.” — Fuller


“Those who fear death most are those who enjoy life least.” — Edward Abbey


“One idea spoken truly, even in a cave, can change the world.” — Buddha


“Food, sleep, fear, propagation; each is the common property of men with brutes. Virtue is really their additional distinction; devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.” — The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.)


“Of all the benefits that virtue confers upon us, the contempt of death is one of the greatest.” — Montaigne




“I say love, it is a flower; 


  and you, it’s only seed.”


~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~




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


Well, I can’t do any better, or think of anything else to add; I guess that means we’re done here. Whew! It’s been a long life…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t think of anything better to do….




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….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Omigosh! It’s muddling again!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Th’ MIND is the Pizza Palace of th’ SOUL”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


pannacotta_478x345_tcm13-22636


Pannacotta


Or so it said. Looks more like Zabaglione to me….




Good morning…. Here we are again…. Since I don’t have anything particularly compelling to say right now, we’ll just get on with the scheduled mess, without any feeble attempts at wit so early in the day…. In fact, we’ll do that right now….


Shall we Pearl?


“Though one must first learn skill and ethics thoroughly, one must come to embody them so completely that they become subconscious. Reacting to a situation by asking what is right and wrong is already too slow.” — Deng Ming-Dao


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






Doc-Watson-RIP


Image from blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org via Google Images




When the best guitar players in the world get together, it isn’t easy to get them to agree on much of anything. But, when you ask any of them to name the best flat-picker who ever lived, the only name you will ever hear is this man’s…. He was, before his death a few years ago, the acknowledged Master of that style of playing, with, literally, no one else who came close….. Enjoy, ffolkes…..




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Doc Watson















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Dont keep calm




“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the rights of the people by the gradual & silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” — James Madison, Virginia Convention 1788


I am still not quite full of enough angst to prompt a fresh rant…. To sublimate my always-present anger at the BRC, however, I’ve found a pearl from a couple years ago to fill in. It’s a rather fun old-school indictment of the pathological liars who inhabit our governments hallowed halls these days, as Mr. Madison warned us about, having abridged the rights of the people by their “gradual & silent encroachments” upon the basis of our freedom. In short, the assholes have already screwed us….


Gee, I guess there IS a bit more angst in there…. Ah well, this will help…. Enjoy!…


From 8/6/2013:


Yesterday, Smart Bee was a bit off center at times, but, with good grace, and a willing heart, it managed to get me what I needed, and threw in a few extras for today’s post, which I dutifully saved, recognizing them as the lustrous gems they were…. I’ll now go search out a few more, to fill out the dimensions for a proper indictment of the beloved ruling class, and the panorama of human folly we call “politics”, which, as, I believe, Ambrose Bierce pointed out, is a combination word, coming from “poly” meaning “many”, and “tics” meaning “blood sucking insects”….. a perfect description of the general run of that sport’s participants….


“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” — H.L. Mencken, “Little Book in C major”, 1916


“Can there be a republic that does not slump under the weight of so much human desire?” — Michael Scully


“Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. . . . the human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive.” — Frank Herbert, Dune


“‘Tis better to be alone than in the company of fools.” — Bobby Matherne, American Philosopher (1940-)


“I had too much to dream last night.” — Electric Prunes


“In our society, the Republicans set out to prove that the Democrats can not  be trusted to run the government. And the Democrats set out to prove that the Republicans can not be trusted to run our government. The real problem here is that both the Democrats and the Republicans have come up with  something which is absolutely true and perfectly correct. This means that the people get to pull some sort of horrible trick on themselves and live with their choice for four years.” — Smart Bee


“Now I’m concentrating on a specific tank battle toward the end of World War II!” — Zippy the Pinhead


Okay, silly, I know…. but, look closely, and you’ll see how true all of them really are, when compared to reality…. Here, if it’s that big a deal for y’all…. here is a final word, that pretty much says it all… but, without the buffer of humor….


“…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


—————————–


Note from 2015: There…. doesn’t that feel better? To finish off this indictment, here is one last thought on our beloved leaders, an actual FACT, of which they are all fully aware, utilizing to their advantage on a regular basis….


“Crime does not pay … as well as politics.” — Alfred E. Newman


There you go….


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





Comedy_Tragedy




    Here’s one of mine we haven’t seen for a couple years….. Enjoy!….




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 ~~




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





ankh




    Today’s finals pearl is what I’d call an esoteric pearl about Life, (hence the ankh). Each of the individual pearls speaks to a part of Life important to living well, but, from a direction one often doesn’t remember to view….. Enjoy!…..


“Cato said the best way to keep good acts in memory was to refresh them with new.” — Francis Bacon (1561-1626) — Apothegms, No, 247


“Although war is cruel and brutal, it is also dangerous and stupid.” — Yakko Warner


“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.” — Alexandre Dumas


“A child is a person who can’t understand why someone would give away a perfectly good kitten.” — Doug Larson


“A bone to the dog is not charity.  Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” — Jack London


“Doth perfect beauty stand in need of praise at all? Nay; no more than law, no more than truth, no more than loving kindness, nor than modesty.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 20


“For a man needs only to be turned around not once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost…. Not til we are lost…. do we begin to find ourselves.” — Thoreau, Walden


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


I have fulfilled my vow…. Well, at least, for another day. I’m tired now. I think I’ll go back to bed, & start again in a couple of hours…. Hopefully, this short episode of creative reverse peristalsis won’t have gone sour by then…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided Fate doesn’t have other plans for 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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
A slight limp is more noticeable….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“With virtue you cannot be entirely poor… 


Without it you cannot be really rich.”


~~ Chinese Proverb ~~


ISS solar array


Solar Array on the International Space Station


Image from NASA.com




    Good morning…. One is allowed to hope, anyway, since it’s a new day. I’m late, again, but, we’ll forgo any discussion of the reasons, as it would only depress us all…. Instead, we’ll just head on down the page, where we might find a solution, or, at worst, a change of scenery…. You could do worse, on a Tuesday in May….


Shall we Pearl?


“It has long been known that one horse can run faster than another – but which one?  Differences are crucial.” — Lazarus Long


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Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent




    Some of my Gentle Readers, who aren’t as familiar with my mind as some others, who have been here longer, won’t quite get why the following video is here today, given the general run of stuff you will see. That’s okay, I’m willing to explain this time, if briefly…. The picture is of Aristotle, arguably Mankind’s most influential teacher/polymath/scientist/philosopher, considered by many to be the founder of Western civilization, with only a couple other candidates (Plato, possibly Homer…). Aristotle, a true polymath, was, nonetheless, a man who frequently admitted his ignorance, in order to demonstrate to his students the proper frame of mind with which to approach any new knowledge.


Today’s very short video demonstrates a very simple idea, which merely takes the very old, simple principles involved in lacing one’s shoes, the traditional way, then, performing an even simpler reversal of the idea, in space, and in thinking, to produce a technique for securing footwear securely, more quickly, more cleanly, and more safely than the old method…. Bloody brilliant in its simplicity is what it is, and I commend the person who came up with it…. I can’t wait to change all my shoes with laces….


See, I’m not such an old dog, am I?….







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Ukrainian Lacing











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About Hopi Indian Symbols


And the wind shall say, 


Here were decent, godless people

their only monument the asphalt road

and a thousand lost golf balls.


~~ T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) ~~




Yesterday evening, while waiting for the pain to recede far enough to go to bed, I was struck by an irresistible urge to rant. This is what happened….


My passion has become subsumed in anger; I spend, it seems, the major part of my days battling with physical issues, almost every one of which can be attributed to one medical clusterfuck…. This, I think is why I haven’t been able to collect enough angst built up against the machineries of evil as a whole, other than one specific part of it, to provide enough emotional drive to rant effectively, or, at all, mostly.


That simple fact, the simple inability to fire back at my tormentors, pisses me off, especially, as I can ascribe all of it to the lack of courage, and slavish ignorance of two young people with degrees in medical science, an M.D. and a D.O., both of whom have been brainwashed to believe they are physicians, when they are merely practicing what they’ve been taught to believe is medicine. In reality, it’s a pretty narrow picture of all the medical knowledge available in the world, especially now, in these days when we all have access to the medical information of every culture, in every country in the world.


Losing my passion as a side effect of their clumsy manipulation, apparently, is a tough nut for me to swallow, (not to mention the mixing of metaphors it makes me commit…); I can’t seem to get past the sheer cruelty they have both unwittingly, (mostly… I have to assume that, or I’d have to kill them…), put me through, by their insistence on enforcing a policy of the HMO, which they both know to be ill-advised, due to a) having NO medical justification; b) necessitating a breach of medical ethics; c) ignoring patient rights; and, most egregiously, d) directly causing aggravation of existing conditions, including pain, stress, and, a serious loss of quality of life.


If I were a doctor, or wanted to pretend to be one, I don’t think I’d be able to sleep at night, even if I only had to do this to ONE person; I know for a fact I am NOT the only person to whom this is happening. I’ve talked to them. I’ve talked to their lawyers, and the people who have submitted their complaints, all of which are ignored, completely, by the HMO, which has paid many legislators over the course of many years to pass laws ensuring they cannot be stopped from doing what they do, whatever it is, to ensure their bottom line profits…. This includes making the process of even filing a complaint difficult, complicated, and ultimately, completely useless, as, strangely enough, they NEVER find they’ve ever done anything wrong, in any investigated complaint…


Nor have they ever been found to have done anything wrong by any of the agencies who are supposed to oversee them, and protect the rights of patients…. I can tell you, from personal experience, having talked to all of those agencies, the system is rigged to favor the powers that be, and even IF a private citizen had the time, the money, and the energy (remember. these are sick people, who AREN’T getting the treatments they need….) to be able to follow through on the several levels of appeal, each of them is more complicated, and harder to begin, much less finish, than the one before…. In short, it is impossible, and it’s meant to be that way.


(Gee… y’know? This situation all sounds a bit familiar in its general outline, I think…. Does it remind anyone else of the current situation with the misdeeds police are guilty of committing? I seem to recall hearing a recent federal court deciding a case that indicates that no police officer can be held legally responsible for the death of ANYONE while on duty, and probably when not…. Same, same, all same, same, sounds like to me….)


To protect the rights of the patients? I may be skeptical enough to deserve the sobriquet of ‘the dubious one’, but, even the most trusting soul in the world must be able to see what is happening here; the only entity the laws are made to protect is the corporations, who pay the lobbyists, who bribe the politicians…


Of course, now, thanks to having bribed the Supreme Court many years ago, and finally getting a majority of assholes, er, honestly insane judges on the bench, the corporate powers who influence the making of laws can contribute directly to the politicians, cutting out the lobbyist contingent altogether…. Guess whose money gets saved there…. Yep… Not mine, or yours, that’s for sure…. Nope, now the corporate entities can pool their money, and give it directly to whomever will vote their agenda… Sweet, eh?…


So, what does all that mean? Well, who the hell knows… I sure know how I feel about it, and that is most easily, and succinctly stated as consistently enraged. But, rage is pretty useless, as emotions go; the only time it really works for us is to save our asses in the middle of a fight, to wake us up to do whatever we need to do to survive…. channeling the berserker, I call it… Or, in my case, that would be the bozoid berserker…. Basically, though, any other time we feel rage, it is difficult to keep the consequences from being regretful…. dead bodies are SO inconvenient, and so is having to move to another country…. again….


Just kidding…. I hope you knew that, right? Well, if not, that’s okay. I like to keep folks guessing, because all the ffolkes I know would get it without being reminded, or having it pointed out…. I haven’t had to move to another country in many, many years, and, to be honest, have yet to leave any dead bodies behind me, that I know of…. Left a few in a bit less than pristine condition, but, no dead ones, I’m pretty certain….


So, how ’bout them Giants, eh? What, I can’t change the subject? I was done with that one anyway…. That, you know, was NOT a rant…. It was more what I’d call a vent. Having thus removed at least a portion of the bilious crap that collects so quickly, along with all that other noxious shit in my head, (better out than in, I always say….), I suppose I should stop teasing/torturing y’all and get on with whatever comes next…. It can’t be any worse than this, and there is a distinct possibility it could be better…


SIGH…. Okay…. Who am I kidding? We all know it will be…. Ah, well, I’m nothing if not tough…. tough, stubborn, who cares? We all made it this far, didn’t we? What’s to complain about?….


“A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.” — Lazarus Long, The Notebooks


SHHHH! Please, don’t say anything, okay?….. I owe the lawyers enough….


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Comedy_Tragedy




    Miss Maggie Mae  (maggiemaeijustsaythis.com, aka, mmijst.com) has graced these pages a number of times over the last almost four years; she’s one of my favorite modern poets, whom I found on WordPress many moons ago…. I think she was one of my first ten ‘follows’ after signing up here.


Her poetry is, quite simply, incredible…. Sharp, incisive, powerful, filled with metaphor, exploring the darkest feelings a human can experience…. and, by the power of her words, implying the presence and power of light, that she just can’t keep from shining out from within her….Enjoy!….




To That


inch of time spent over the sea,


dragging your dead body back

from the sharks I fed you to. 


There should be enough salt

to drown in. Now that is something

you don’t hear of!

But, I have heard of Buddha,

and Gandhi,

and what great advice for the

blonde girls in white dresses,

not scratched by hands of

light drinking, or hard gunfire;

the girls untouched by

living a dead life, waking under floorboards

built by their mothers. 


Your heavy photograph burns to

my tongue. I spit. I curse you out

of your newly dried grave.

I am ecstatic for your corpse,

it grows on me like tough leather.


Now for her.

I carry a monsoon to her driveway.

She is lit up. A bright pumpkin

ripened for plummet.

She dresses in honeysuckle,

and flickers like whiskey.

I haven’t thought of her name,

she is black as a canvas; a new galaxy

before energy matters.

If her heart happens to

do that, I will carve it out. 


I will take it back to July in my teeth

where the desert is waiting for me,

it’s Queen.


~~ Maggie Mae ~~


http://maggiemaeijustsaythis.com/2015/05/17/to-that/




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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    I’d call these “lesser known” pearls of wisdom; they all give some really strong advice on living life as we choose, but, in ways, and about seemingly small factors, that aren’t common…. Works for me….


“Nature is not benign. Natural laws have no pity.” — Lazarus Long


“It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders.” — Ben Stein


“A hug is a heart to heart talk.” — Bobby Matherne (American writer, 1940-)


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


“Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity.” — William Hazlitt


“The little girl expects no declaration of tenderness from her doll. She loves it – and that’s all. It is thus that we should love.” — DeGourmont


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


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


Okay, well…. I can see I’m going to have to think very hard about this…. But, we’re done, so, that’s for another day…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as nobody comes up with a good enough reason not to do so….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch






Kowabunga!




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Damn fine socks, mister….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” 


~~ Socrates ~~


Animal Pictures of the Week London Daily Telegraph 
Animal Pictures of the Week
London Daily Telegraph




     “I am especially grateful to Saint-Expury for bringing out a paradoxical truth which seems to me of great psychological import: that man’s happiness lies not in freedom but in his acceptance of a duty.” — Andre Gidet, 1931, in the preface to Saint-Expury’s “Night Flight”, called “Flight to Arras” in the English version.


Serendipity can be of great help when one is floundering, if one is able to put aside any confusion to notice its presence…. I am in a deep funk, one brought on by a resurgence of PTSD symptoms, in reaction to some stressful issues with which I’ve been dealing over the last few weeks…. The details are not important; nor is any real discussion of my own neurotic/psychotic tendencies of any help that I can see…. 


However, the process of finding one’s center, and the inner balance to maintain one’s position there, is often helpful to discuss, if only to point out those ideas that may bring some relief, to myself, or anyone else, from the issues at hand…. In this case, the above quote from Mssr. Gide reminded me of something I already knew, but, lost track of in my floundering around in my head…. Easy to do, methinks, especially for those of us who dwell in our inner spaces a lot….


How does all this relate to a Pearl? Well, the fact is, I’m seriously considering NOT Pearling for a while…. The duty I have in life now is not one of my own choosing, in one sense, though there is, of course, another sense which always knows that ALL of what we do, and all of what happens TO US, is all our choice…. But, right now, I’m dealing with more pain and misery, for reasons found in the state of my own physique, than I ever imagined, much less thought to feel; having been healthy all my life, I didn’t imagine ever having my own body betray me…. I suppose that goes to show how little we actually know, and how much we need to learn to pay closer attention….


In any case, it seems to me that I’ve become too sedentary; my whole life these days revolves around the process of creating these Pearls…. The routines I’ve built up all are centered on the early morning period when I write; the rest of my day is generally taken up by methods of passing the time without increasing my pain…. In fact, my entire existence, including the writing of Pearls, is designed to keep my pain at a level that can be managed…. By pain, I am referring to both the physical pains I feel, from arthritis, diverticulosis, and the aftereffects of a life spent in hard labor (so to speak….), and the internal, mental pain that plagues me when my PTSD flares up….


It’s hard to say which is more debilitating; the physical pain is tough, especially when it all kicks in together, but, I can usually push past it to do stuff…. The mental pain is, perhaps, a bit harder to deal with, as when it strikes, I don’t want to do ANYTHING, not even think…. The chemical means I use to manage both types of pain are helpful, but, there are times when the pain pretty much IGNORES anything I take, and will push through all chemical barriers to make itself known…. Those times, while illuminating in terms of what one learns about one’s self, are NOT pleasant…. a word which, in this case, may be termed as reverse hyperbole….


As can be seen, today, my hands and joints are better; I’m typing without a need for long breaks, and the magic cream is working fine. Hence, this long, wordy, wandering intro section, all just to say that this may be the last Pearl you see for a time…. I am not sure. but, the statement above, re; duty, has caused some deep resonance in my spirit, and I feel I may be taking a hiatus from writing to go find my duty…. It’s that simple for me, you see…. I’ve always known that I am duty-driven, as any man worth his salt is…. Whether we like it or not, it’s the way we’re built, and we don’t do well without a purpose, one we have chosen to fulfill….


So, bear with me, ffolkes…. This could get maudlin, or it could get brilliant (less likely, I’m sure, in my current frame of mind….); what it WILL get is DONE, one last time, if it kills me….


Shall we Pearl?


“A hug is a heart to heart talk.” — Bobby Matherne (American writer, 1940-)


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


In order to keep with the theme today, here is some gorgeous music from a brilliant artist, playing music designed for the instrument he plays…. Enjoy!….







 


Yo Yo Ma… The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach 











































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


I definitely don’t have a rant in me today, other than one against reality, which is totally useless…. So, here is a discussion from the archives, that takes life down to a pretty simple level….


From 9/15/2012:


“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations


See? There, now, I’ve been saying this for years, and here’s old Marcus Aurelius, that Roman cogitator extraordinaire, putting it straight out there, way back around the time of J.C.’s failed attempt at societal reform. A very cogent, yet poignant description of human nature and the preponderance of Ego that drives most of humanity to act out of their own ignorance, rather than consider the veracity or usefulness of someone else’s ideas. This format for stating this answer to one of the great questions is one that all the best philosophers choose when creating aphorisms; clear, simple language and brutally honest self-examination provide us with true wisdom, like it or not……


What particularly gets me about people at large is the high percentage of folks who fall into the trap that Ego sets; for some reason, people seem to prefer the cozy blindness with which ignorance can cover them to the cold, harsh light of self-knowledge. The very ego that sets them apart from the rest of the animals who inhabit this planet becomes also the greatest threat to survival, when it is allowed to dictate how one views reality.


The state of society in today’s world rests on the brink of total collapse; any number of issues currently in play in the world can lead us to upheaval unseen since the last Ice Age. Pollution, created by mankind, is pumping tons of carbon monoxide into the air every minute, and all those precipitates are eventually bound to cause changes to climate that we will have no power to stop, or reverse.


The economy of the world is constantly on the verge of collapse in these times, due mostly to the unacknowledged crimes of the 1% of mankind who controls 99% of the money and resources. These crimes arise, again, out of Ego, as the elite of the world believe that they are “different” from the rest of humanity, and deserve to make all the decisions, which oddly enough, are only beneficial to themselves….. again, the power of Ego trumps virtue…..


I’m a smart guy, pretty much, but this is a problem for which even I cannot find a solution, other than the age-old, time-worn, and always ineffective war between the classes. That solution has been tried innumerable times throughout history, and each time the same structure of society re-settles into the same old shape, with a few people at the top, making all the important decisions for the rest of humanity. All because we, as individuals, and as a species, cannot learn to control our ego, to persuade it to act for the benefit of all, rather than just looking out for itself….. I figure that whatever happens will be what we deserve, and I can’t say that I think it will be very pretty, for the species….. or for a lot of individuals…..


Maybe there is a solution…. as a matter of fact, there is one that has been around for as long as mankind has been writing stuff down…. and it’s always the same little piece of advice, a little idea that can change one’s entire life and world-view….. but only if it is accepted, and believed, and applied to reality…… Everybody knows this, but, how many actually live it?…..


“Do unto all as you would wish to have done unto you, and reject for others what you would reject for yourself.” — Mohammed


That’s right, the Golden Rule…. a basic tenet of EVERY philosophy that Mankind has ever formulated; even most religions will acknowledge the wisdom of this, though it doesn’t serve their interests as well as they would wish. But, throughout history, we have always known what is the right way to act…. we’ve just always chosen not to apply the principle in interacting with others…. Instead, we allow our ego to dictate how we behave, thus bringing us to the current world, with all of its problems and dangers…..


SIGH….. It’s really quite easy, and it’s the only answer that will work, in the long run. It really is too bad that most of humanity isn’t buying into it, isn’t it?……


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


I’ve been inundating y’all with my own poetry, so, here is one we all have seen before, at one time or another, from a poet who needs no introduction from me….




The Arrow and the Song


I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight. 


I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For who has sight so keen and strong,

That it can follow the flight of song? 


Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of a friend. 


~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~




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


Above, I stated I don’t have a rant in me…. but, that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything about which I want to rant. It only means I don’t believe I’ve got the mental acuity to do it right…. Smart Bee, however, seems to be in fine fettle, now that it has gotten over whatever snit it was pursuing there for a while….


This pearl speaks about modern society, in this country specifically, but with relevance to the entire gamut of human culture today…. Follow the bouncing idea ball to the perfect resolution to the issues brought forth by this most excellent indictment…. I couldn’t have done better if I’d tried….


“Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.” — Smart Bee


“Democracy is a form of government that substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. In democracy, what you get generally is bad government by a bully, tempered by the pen of several newspaper editors.” — George Bernard Shaw — Man and Superman (1903) Maxims for Revolutionists: Democracy


“But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.” — Frederic Bastiat, The Law


“It doesn’t require any particular bravery to stand on the floor of the Senate and urge our boys in Vietnam to fight harder, and if this war mushrooms into a major conflict and a hundred thousand young Americans are killed, it won’t be U. S. Senators who die. It will be American soldiers who are too young to qualify for the senate.” — George McGovern


“The history of most countries has been that of majorities – mounted majorities, clad in iron, armed with death, treading down the tenfold more numerous minorities.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes poet, novelist, physician 1809-1894


“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


“We’ve got to end this foolishness.” — Smart Bee


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


“So as this only point among the rest remaineth sure and certain, namely, that nothing is certain. . .” — Pliny The Elder


Pliny the Elder, in many of his works, tended to lean a bit toward the fantastic, especially when it came to biology, a science of which he knew very little, but said much… The above, however, is perfectly true, and is a good place to end today’s missive, as it fits right in with my mood…. Most days, at this point, I would say, see y’all tomorrow…. Today, all I will say is, be real, and wish me luck, in finding some peace of mind…. See ya….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Yet another display of consistently obscene pathology….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


I suppose it all comes down to whether or not one is willing to put up with the universe’s demands upon our time and energy, when deciding which of the many different types of cereal to have for breakfast. I mean, there’ the question of sugar versus aspertane; the question of rolled oats versus wheat or corn flakes, the  question of puffs versus flakes, or the whole concept of cut-up fruit, and other accessories to the breakfast experience. And, then, just when you’ve decided on one thing or another, they ask you whether you want home fries or hash browns with that!…..


Life is hard, isn’t it? Decisions await the application of our will around every corner, every hour of the day; we can never really get away from the need for making hard decisions in life. Trying to do so only causes further difficulties, as Murphy has an entire department of imps just waiting to help us make decisions in life that are guaranteed to drive us insane, by feeding us false, or erroneous data about what we have to decide, thereby ensuring we make the wrong decision, thus, affording him and his minions hours of free entertainment, as we gnash our teeth and wail out our complaints to an uncaring universe….


Me, I stick to coffee in the mornings, leaving the decision-making to other folks to enjoy. I refuse to give Murphy the opportunity for any more free shots at me than he already takes. If I want to eat, I stick to pastries, or other stuff that won’t cause a big mess in the kitchen. That room is too full of too many dangerous objects; knives with sharp edges, fire, heavy pots, scalding hot liquids…. No, thanks, I’ll pass on all that in the morning, in lieu of making weekly trips to the emergency room to deal with Murphy’s latest version of what he thinks is funny, which, naturally, frequently causes me to leak one kind of body fluid or another…. another image I probably could have skipped using…. SIGH…. Oh, well, I can’t be responsible for the state of people’s stomachs ALL the time…..


Hmm…. compared to what generally passes for an intro in the mornings around here, this is pretty mild, and actually somewhat engaging, if you have any interest at all in breakfast cereals…. If not exactly your cup of tea, well, we’re serving coffee, over there in the corner, where Murphy and the gang are, of course, taking advantage of my hospitality by hogging all the condiments; you’re free to join them, at your own risk, naturally. He’s already had his way with me today, so he’ll be glad of the company. Me, I’m going to go pearling, as if it were the most natural thing in the world…..


Shall we Pearl?…..

_____________________________


Yesterday, Smart Bee was a bit off center at times, but, with good grace, and a willing heart, it managed to get me what I needed, and threw in a few extras for today’s post, which I dutifully saved, recognizing them as the lustrous gems they were…. I’ll now go search out a few more, to fill out the dimensions for a proper indictment of the beloved ruling class, and the panorama of human folly we call “politics”, which, as, I believe, Ambrose Bierce pointed out, is a combination word, coming from “poly” meaning “many”, and “tics” meaning “blood sucking insects”….. a perfect description of the general run of that sport’s participants….


“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” — H.L. Mencken, “Little Book in C major”, 1916


“Can there be a republic that does not slump under the weight of so much human desire?” — Michael Scully


“Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. . . . the human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive.” — Frank Herbert, Dune


“‘Tis better to be alone than in the company of fools.” — Bobby Matherne, American Philosopher (1940-)


“I had too much to dream last night.” — Electric Prunes


“In our society, the Republicans set out to prove that the Democrats can not  be trusted to run the government. And the Democrats set out to prove that the Republicans can not be trusted to run our government. The real problem here is that both the Democrats and the Republicans have come up with  something which is absolutely true and perfectly correct. This means that the people get to pull some sort of horrible trick on themselves and live with their choice for four years.” — Smart Bee


“Now I’m concentrating on a specific tank battle toward the end of World War II!” — Zippy the Pinhead


Okay, silly, I know…. but, look closely, and you’ll see how true all of them really are, when compared to reality…. Here, if it’s that big a deal for y’all…. here is a final word, that pretty much says it all… but, without the buffer of humor….


“…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

_____________________________


Poetry is sometimes so powerful, it only takes a few meager lines to impart an incredible amount of inspiration, wisdom, and beauty….. Emily was a master of this principle….




Because I could not stop for Death —

He kindly stopped for me —

The carriage held but just ourselves

And immortality.


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~




“We have art that we do not die of the truth.” — Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

_____________________________


I’m still feeling a bit silly, so I’m going to give in to the impulse to let that out into the light of day, and go with another old school pearl, this one gathered with the idea of ‘smiling’ in mind…. Let’s see what SB has to say on the subject…..


“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.” — Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm (1844-1900)


“Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.” — Joseph Wood Krutch


“If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.” — Murphy’s Eighth Law


“OH, STOP YOUR WHINING!” — Smart Bee

(ref: Peruaosophy, Axiom #6, to wit: Axiom #2 X axiom #5 = And God so loved the world, He said, “Quit whining!”)


* Greatest number of citizens who have actually boarded a UFO

* Many newspapers feature “JUMBLE”

* Hourly motel rates

* Vast majority of Elvis movies made here

* Didn’t just give up right away during World War II like some countries we could mention

* Goatees & Van Dykes thought to be worn only by weenies

* Our well-behaved golf professionals

* Fabulous babes coast to coast


— David Letterman’s “Things we can be proud of as Americans”


“The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool.  — Jane Wagner”


“A day without a laugh is a day wasted.” — E.E. Cummings

_____________________________


I love it when a plan, etc…… Due to time constraints imposed upon me by the BBR, (Big Blue Room, for those with memory impairment issues….), I had to sort of rush through this morning’s post… Sometimes that affects the quality, or, at least, the format that is employed in creating the pearl. Today, I think it went well, so, let’s see…. 


cute owlYes, yes, this pleases cute owl! Well, it pleases me, anyway, and that’s all that counts in the ultimate sense. Cute owl is only here as a hired consultant…. Now that I have demonstrably gone completely around the bend, I’ll leave you to treat your wounds in peace….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you….


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


dozer3



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
“Mea culpa” he said, in a dismal voice, “Mea culpa maxima….”

			
						

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Ffolkes,


I’d like to begin this morning with an apology, of sorts. In the last few weeks, even before going to Alaska, my time spent reading the blogs I like to read and follow has been severely limited, a fact that has probably been quite obvious by the lack of comments made. Usually, when I can spend the time to read, I will also comment, since, as is patently obvious from reading this blog, I can seldom shut myself up….. Of late, though, I’ve been having a hard time sitting at the computer for long periods, due to my back pain, with its new companion, hip ache, and have ended up sacrificing my time spent reading as a result…..


This doesn’t mean I don’t read, as I am as addicted to reading as I am to breathing; it just means I’m not doing it at the computer as much. As a result, the number of ffolkes who stop by to read this blog has also fallen off a bit, though the number of followers seems to keep growing. As it has been since beginning to write here on WordPress, a good percentage of readers come to read according to how much one time one spends on other blogs, making their presence known by either “Likes” or comments…. If they don’t see you at their blog, they don’t stop by yours, and it is perfectly understandable, given the platform we all use…. Time is, after all, our only resource….


There are about 12 to 24 people, apparently, who come by here practically every day to check out what I’ve done, and to them, I offer my heartfelt gratitude, for always letting me know they appreciate what I’m writing. Not all stop by every day, but the same icons keep appearing below the blogs, so I know who has been by, and who liked what was done…. Beyond the obvious stats available in those indicators, I have no idea how many are coming, nor does it affect what I write, or how often I write…. That is still all about keeping sane, as always…..  I just like to know, for my own curiosity….. Not knowing is frustrating, and is the only reason I care, as it creates stress for as long as I fret about it….


Fretting is something I didn’t do much of for most of my life, and still don’t much care for, but, since the advent of my PTSD about 30 years ago, I tend to worry more, until I can get hold of myself and dump such nonsense into the trash bin, where it belongs…. More folks have died of worry than ever bled to death, so I try to avoid it whenever possible…. but, there are times when my anxiety gets the better of me, and I fret, until I either resolve the worry, or remember to keep perspective, whichever comes first. And yes, I’m easily amused by reality….. easily distracted, too…. Where was I?…..


Any who, I wanted to apologize to all those bloggers, and, yes, friends, who keep dropping by, without any reciprocation by me…. Y’all are the rainbows in my daily existence…. (see below’s poem…) Have faith, my friends, I will be by to check out what you’ve been up to, it may just take a while. My back pain has been somewhat ubiquitous of late, and has caused me to wage a constant war with gravity, just to get done what is necessary to live; unfortunately, that doesn’t include reading at the computer for long. I’m hoping that it will calm down a bit before the end of next month, when I will be moving to a new place, getting Patty and I out of this erstwhile Peyton Place….


For now, I see I’ve blathered sufficiently for one morning, and should get on with the rest of the day’s effort, so…. Shall we Pearl?


Triumphal arch, that fill’st the sky

When storms prepare to part,

I ask not proud Philosophy

To teach me what thou art.


— Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) — To the Rainbow

_____________________________


Smart Bee seems to have its own idea of what to include in this section today; the following five quotes pulled themselves out and made themselves obvious in a short span of about three minutes….. Who am I to argue with such confidence? I believe it is a short observation of the perils and joys of parenting, with some pithy comments about how much FUN it can be….. And, yes, that was supposed to be ironic…. or, at least, sardonic…. Don’t worry, though, no matter how critical or sarcastic discussion of it may be, parenting remains our most challenging, and most rewarding, human pastime…. provided, of course, one lives through it….. Enjoy!…..


“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” — Mark Twain


“‘Tis better to be alone than in the company of fools.” — Bobby Matherne, American Philosopher (1940-)


To be clear… this is not about the company of children, but a general lesson I tried to pass on to my son, as it came from my father to me….


“There are more horses’ asses in this world than there are horses.” — Grandma Soderquist’s conclusion


Another lesson I received, and hopefully, passed on….


“Children aren’t happy without something to ignore, and that’s what parents were created for.” — Ogden Nash


“Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.” — Oscar Wilde


Remember, Oscar was a cynic of the first degree, and didn’t, as far as I know, have children of his own, so his comments need to be filtered through that data…. Perfectly truthful, though, as he seems not to have realized how difficult is the task of raising a genius, with an uncompromisingly honest, if injured, personality such as his own, a task uncomfortably endured by his own parents….


“I hope I never get so old I get religious.” — Ingmar Bergman


Oops! How did that slip in there? Sorry, ffolkes, Smart Bee thought it would play me for a fool, and slip in its own advice…. which, in this case, is just fine… It doesn’t make any sense, but it is still good parenting advice, so it can stay…. Now, for one last zinger….


“No matter what, they’ll always be your babies.” — Mom’s Hint #065


Okay, so it isn’t a zinger…. it IS, however, the whole point, though, isn’t it?……

_____________________________


My own poetic output is still blocked up, but I always know where to find something worth including…. funny how it is almost always from another century…..




A Bard’s Epitaph


Is there a whim-inspired fool, 

Owre fast for thought, owre hot for rule, 

Owre blate to seek, owre proud to snool, 

Let him draw near; 

And owre this grassy heap sing dool, 

And drap a tear. 


Is there a bard of rustic song, 

Who, noteless, steals the crowds among, 

That weekly this area throng, 

O, pass not by! 

But, with a frater-feeling strong, 

Here, heave a sigh. 


Is there a man, whose judgment clear 

Can others teach the course to steer, 

Yet runs, himself, life’s mad career, 

Wild as the wave, 

Here pause-and, thro’ the starting tear, 

Survey this grave. 


The poor inhabitant below 

Was quick to learn the wise to know, 

And keenly felt the friendly glow, 

And softer flame; 

But thoughtless follies laid him low, 

And stain’d his name! 


Reader, attend! whether thy soul 

Soars fancy’s flights beyond the pole, 

Or darkling grubs this earthly hole, 

In low pursuit: 

Know, prudent, cautious, self-control 

Is wisdom’s root.


~~ Robert Burns ~~


_____________________________


“No matter how cynical you get, it’s impossible to keep up.” — Lily Tomlin


Yesterday, I began the day with a rant of considerable length, and threatened to expound further in future blogs. It would be, and will be, relatively easy to come up with one, given the state of the news I’ve seen since returning to reality from the cruise ship. The Zimmerman trial is over, and justice was NOT served; Texas, along with more than 10 other states, is attempting to pass legislation that will put the cause of women’s rights back fifty years, with the apparent blessing of the Supreme Court. Drones are still being employed to spy on American citizens in their own homes, and the NSA and FBI are diligently monitoring the communications devices of Americans along with those of the rest of the world, gathering data about each and every one of us, all without our knowledge, and, hopefully, without our approval…..


These four issues are only a small part of what is going on in the world today, as the forces of the corporate masters continue to befuddle and confuse the public, spewing their lies and misinformation all over the TV, radio, and internet, using the very technology that can free our minds to control them. The internet, used correctly, can be a liberating influence on the human mind, but, only if its use is unrestricted by all, not just by those in authority. When we allow the government to stick its fingers into the media pie, whether print or digital, we give up our only hope of keeping track of what our ostensible leaders are up to, and may as well just hand over the keys to our entire lives to them…..


“The capitalist can only make a whole people go to war — want war, clamor for war as, again and again, we have seen whole peoples doing — by capturing the popular will. The only prophylactic against that situation is to make the public aware of the way in which it is being misled.” — Sir Norman Angell (1872-1967)


Obviously, this principle is not new…. yet, when the government’s malfeasance is confirmed by evidence for people can see, they act surprised, and can’t believe their own leaders would do that to them! Even the media we have, who ignore so much of what transpires, can’t help but give clues in the news each day; they do, however, try to downplay any suggestions of wrongdoing by those who are in power; it doesn’t do to annoy the entity that feeds you, and the media is fully aware of their own complicity. They just don’t care, any more than the sociopaths who are in the government….


You may have detected a certain degree of bitterness in my writing today; good catch. I’m right pissed is what I am. I’m getting tired of how those in positions of authority seem to no longer even care if they are caught lying, or cheating; they just blithely go on doing what they’re going to do, offering up some weak justification that doesn’t make any sense, knowing the public cannot DO anything about it. Once in office, there is very little recourse for us voters; we just have to live with whatever we’ve voted in…. Sadly, that is becoming more and more obviously intended to our detriment, not our benefit, but, hey! We voted, didn’t we? You betcha….


Not like our votes meant anything, when both sides of the political scene are corrupt, and intent on carrying out their own agendas, which have nothing to do with benefiting the public. No, as my lady said yesterday, our votes don’t really mean anything, and won’t, until we make at least a start at reforming our corrupt government…. beginning with the elimination of the electoral college, a device most useful for hiding the true purposes of the powered elite. Intended as a protection for the landed owners who framed the constitution, it guarantees that only those with sufficient financial resources can ever truly control the outcome of elections, making the popular vote a mere sop to the collective conscience of the public, as it has no real final effect on who gets into office…..


Bah, humbug! That’s enough for one day…. None of what I’m saying is particularly hard to figure out, or to see, if one is a careful observer of society. But, none of it will convince most folks that they are trapped in an  untenable position, unless they are willing to admit their own complicity in creating the issues. We all are a part of the problem, and it will take a great number of ffolkes a lot of effort to get us out of it, if we possibly can. Sadly, I don’t see a lot of hope for mankind as a whole. Our species is killing itself, by fouling our own nest, making it, at the least, more difficult to live in, and, ultimately, making it impossible to survive…. The evidence is clear, for those with eyes to see….


“Real eyes realize real lies.” — Anonymous: seen on a wall in a combat zone somewhere in the middle east…..

_____________________________


“I love KATRINKA because she drives a PONTIAC.

We’re going away now.

I fed the cat.

Zippy”


— Zippy the Pinhead


I’m rushing a bit to get done with this, as I’ve got a dental appointment later, and need time to fret about that…. Not really, but, I do have other stuff to do first, so let’s see how this went today….. Be right back…. Well, I’m pleasantly surprised…. it’s better than I’d hoped…. I hope y’all agree, and, if not, well, feel free to tell me why not…. remembering, of course, as would all MY readers, to refrain from vituperation or loss of emotional control… I hates drama….   😆    Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..


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


dozer3