“Where there is much light there is also much shadow.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
A moment of peaceful contemplation…
Hajime…. Below, y’all will find a Pearl. It’s a good Pearl. It’s been created in the past couple days, bit by bit, as the opportunity to sit arose, or was noted as necessary, if not exactly condoned. Suffice it to say, it’s done, and will do for the nonce. I don’t have anything else to say, really, so, I’ll forgo the usual amount of nonsense, & limit myself to this lone paragraph. Y’all can tell me sometime later whether you think it works, or, not. Of course, that makes the assumption, perhaps without warrant, that I’ll actually pay attention. But, life is full of uncertainty, isn’t it? Why, yes. Yes, it is. For now, what is certain is, I am done with this, and we can now get this slow on the toad…. Watch closely, or, it will shoot right past, without anyone noticing….
Shall we Pearl?
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams.
Who looks inside, awakens.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
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Edie Brickell
Image from Pinterest via Google Images
Though I’ve heard this lady’s music on the radio, I never pursued any of it beyond that; I see now that was a mistake, for she’s done some rather fine work. In addition, she seems to find a lot of rather excellent musicians to play with her, as well as being married to Paul Simon, not a bad performer himself…. Ah, well, we can’t listen to it all, but, I’ll be listening to her more, for sure…. Enjoy!….
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Edie Brickell & Friends
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Dreaming of Calliope
La belle dame sans merci speaks aloud through endless night,
torturing dreams, with powerful words and stentorian phrases.
Manifest visions bathed in unbearable grace and light,
destroying all direction, standing lost, in unfathomable mazes.
Fate plays a part, one that will never face denial,
as fear and courage eternally vie for ascendancy.
Conflict becomes valid, gifting strength in open trial,
but honest emotion wears no costume so fancy.
Blood, sweat, and tears stroll on avenues of gold,
unlikely heroines heralding as in ancient lore;
Sharp, competent knives cut through tales untold,
eternally shifting reality past the naked shore.
Drifting toward origin, bereft of mandate or cause,
finished, nay, abandoned, tied with a figurative bow.
No simple gift from muses to give comfort or pause,
save that all we need to know, we already know…..
~~ gigoid ~~
12/13/2012
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Naked Pearls
Subtle notes on process & program….
*******
“First things first, but not necessarily in that order.”
~~ Doctor Who, MEGLOS ~~
*******
“Any fool can know.
The point is to understand.”
~~ Albert Einstein
*******
“We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”
~~ Robert Frost “The Secret Sits” 1936 ~~
*******
“Always store beer in a dark place.”
~~ Lazarus Long
*******
“Are all your stars shining?”
~~ JD Salinger ~~
*******
“I think it’s good that everyone becomes food.”
~~ Hobbes, the Tiger ~~
*******
“It’s a fool’s life,
a rogue’s life,
and a good life
if you keep laughing all the way to the grave.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
********************************
Today’s Pearl is, in at least one respect, a most efficient, and iconic example of the genre. Moreover, I’ll not detract from that pristine nature by waxing overly philosophic, or extensively, here at the end. Instead, I’ll merely say, I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll do it again, soon as I can. Meantime, y’all be alert, stay as happy as you may, & all will be well. How else can it be, but what it is?…..
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.
Hajime…. As one whose life and experience has left him with a number of opinions and beliefs uncommon to the major portion of humanity, I tend to regard the current crop of holidays with a large dollop of skepticism, as being more accurately defined as distractions, designed to keep the ignorant mundanes busy chasing illusions & dreams, spending money they can ill afford to spend on frivolity, to join in what is purported to be a celebration of new possibilities, presented to them in shiny, colorful packages of short duration, which will keep them busy and happy doing exactly what they cannot afford to be doing….
But, that’s just me; everybody else takes it as a chance to drown the sorrows of the past year, in hopes the next will be different, though they will make no particular effort to make any changes in themselves, this being the only thing that might produce changes in the lives they lead… or, more accurately, are led through, by the nose… an organ which, if properly employed, COULD be a valuable tool for them, in sniffing out the lies and illusions they so readily adopt as their own… Then again, I don’t suppose it’s easy to alter a lifetime habit of NOT using their innate abilities in ways that might help them, having been trained since birth to deny they even have them….
Ah, well, so passes another year, in a fashion arbitrarily decided upon by the narcissistic sociopaths who manipulate our society on Earth for their own benefit, to their own purposes, at the expense of all those mundanes who refuse to consider their own ignorance a handicap, thus handing control of their minds to the unscrupulous scoundrels, who possess no humanity, and no concern over the consequences of their actions upon anyone, or anything other than themselves. But, it’s their lives, and, if they want to spend them as a mental slave to delusions fostered upon them by clever assholes, well, that’s their choice…. The problem is, they don’t realize it IS their choice, having been convinced at an early age to surrender their right to choose… In my mind, this is what makes a human being, and NOBODY is going to take my choices from me…
I really didn’t intend to rant first thing this year, but, what the hell? Why not, eh? And, now, I’m done, & we can move on to something less disturbing to anyone’s sense of guilt or regrets. Hopefully, anyway. Why don’t I use this old trick, so we can do that without further delay?…. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?
“The greatest sin is to be unconscious.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
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Since it’s a new year, why not start it out with some of the best music I know? In my experience, it doesn’t get much better than what came out of this event in 2002, when a great many of the world’s best musicians got together to pay tribute to another of their peers, one who left an indelible mark on the world, in more ways than merely artistically…. Enjoy, if you will, Ravi Shankar, his daughter, and a fine Indian orchestra, who join some of the biggest names in entertainment for a tribute to George Harrison…
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Concert for George 2002
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Seeing is Conducive to Belief
Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.
Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.
The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.
Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.
Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/11/2012
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Naked Pearls
Basic lessons in living large….
*******
“The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”
~~ Keanu Reeves ~~
*******
“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment
to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”
~~ Charles DuBois ~~
*******
“Is dishwater dull?
Naturalists with microscopes have told me
it teems with quiet fun.”
~~ “The Spice of Life” — The Listener (1936)
*******
“Entropy requires no maintenance.”
~~ Amanda Walker ~~
*******
“Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.”
~~ Jules de Gaultier ~~
*******
“Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.”
~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
*******
“How can you be two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?”
~~ Firesign Theater ~~
*******
“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”
~~ Will Foley ~~
*******
“Most of all, I’ve learned that
a good time to laugh is anytime you can.”
~~ Linda Ellerbee ~~
*******
********************************
I am suffused with a sense of accomplishment, not without a certain degree of pride; it’s done, and done pretty well, all things considered, (a list which includes some standard confusion, cat-hammock duties, and, a demon or two, as well as a number of picayune PITA’s of no particular value…), for which I can be grateful to my own stubborn nature. I believe I’ll start the year off right, & leave it at that, so as to make at least one effort to change something in the new year…. I doubt seriously my nose will grow less round, or less red, and, it certainly won’t quit honking, so, don’t worry. Normality, while not encouraged, always seems to find its way into our lives, like it, or not. Around here, it’s mostly not, but, we’ll see how it goes tomorrow, when I’ll try this again…. See ya, ffolkes; stay alert, it’s getting pretty strange out there….
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.
“He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness
by changing anything but his own disposition
will waste his life in fruitless efforts.”
~~ Samuel Johnson ~~
Iconic Golden Gate Bridge, with boat….
Hajime…. Since there is time (Always… Tardis, remember?), we’ll take a break, first. Hang on; I’ll be back….
It’s been some time since I went for a walk before dawn. In retrospect, it was much the same as all the other times I’ve done so in my life, in that I always find the rest of the world quiet, and, for as much as it can be, at peace, if only on the surface. Such instances of solitude out in the BBR are rare, and it is wise to absorb as much of the calmness into one’s spirit while one may. If naught else, it provides us, or, me, anyway, some inner strength to face the other times when peace is not as readily found. That would be pretty much all the time one spends dealing with society, so, a good stash of inner peace is always welcome.
Now, then…. If I’ve managed to keep any of those who began this mess thus far, I’ll note today’s Pearl is pretty standard. The old-school pearl is pretty special, in some ways; the message it contains is fairly standard, but, the path it takes to get there is rather less so. You’ll see. The poem speaks to the same issue as the previous paragraph, in its way, and the music is Mozart. Not the most engaging of menus, I would guess, but, up to our usual standards, and, thus, acceptable, if only in our dreams. Dreams are, after all, as big a part of our reality as is the flesh and blood world in which we spend the greater portion of our time. I often wonder if the Australian aborigines don’t have it right, when they profess to believe dreamtime is when we are most real, and our standard reality is the true dream. Sounds fairly coherent to my way of perceiving; it’s at least as much so as any of the common religious philosophies people tend to cling to, don’t you think?
Well, I think so. Before we get any further into what conceivably could turn into a controversy, let’s get on with what we have for y’all today. I can’t say it is the best we’ve ever done, but, it ain’t crap. On that elegant note, let’s see what’s down there to find….
Shall we Pearl?….
“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
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You had to know, given what you’ve seen already, this was coming. Try to enjoy it, anyway, okay? I know I will….
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Classical Music
********************************
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Today’s poem is, again, one of mine; it’s been a while since I last posted it, and the message it delivers is our point for the day, hence, no shame. Enjoy!….
Accentuated Lessons
Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.
Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.
Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.
Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.
Peace lies within, always…..
~~ gigoid ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Clearly obscure….
*******
Just Say “Know!”
~~ Realist Bee ~~
*******
“For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.”
~~ Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” ~~
*******
“The fact that an opinion has been widely held
is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd;
indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind,
a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.”
~~ Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals ~~
*******
“There is what there is and what we wish there was.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“Tiger gotta hunt. Bird gotta fly.
Man gotta sit and wonder why, why, why.
Tiger gotta sleep. Bird gotta land.
Man gotta tell himself he understand.”
~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ~~
*******
“There is no birth without pain.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
*******
“There are worse things than dying.”
~~ Kalas ~~
*******
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Though we don’t like to keep stats, I’m sure this one fits right into some category; I wouldn’t presume to even guess which it might be. In fact, the degree of how much I don’t care should be expressed in Celsius, to keep the figures smaller; otherwise, y’all might think I don’t even like myself. I do, though, so, rather than get any further into such irrelevant material, I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow, when we’ll make yet another effort to break completely free of the chains of sanity. Go figure, eh? Be real, ffolkes; there’s really not much choice if you don’t….
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.
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
Irish Butter Factory ~~ 50 miles east of Galway
Hajime…. “Begin” is, today, the most appropriate way for us to start; using the Japanese word indicates the beginning of a battle in Judo, Karate, or any other martial arts match in Japan, or any dojo world-wide. Since I awoke engaged in a battle, it seems apropos. For some reason, yet to be identified, my first emotion upon awakening was rage, full-blown and unstoppable. Leelu probably thought I’d gone starkers, as I raged about the house, completely losing my cool for a good ten minutes before gaining some small degree of control…. This, of course, has left me/us completely out of balance, as well as well behind schedule, a combination which also, as you see, has killed all signs of creativity in my mind….
Getting this Pearl done has thus become another morning conundrum, which is best answered by cleaving tightly to routine. The difficulty in that is the sheer impossibility of finding the routine, which went right out the window, fleeing, no doubt, the heat of temper with which I began the day. I did manage to find my way here, to get started on this, but, now, I’m at a complete loss as to how to get it done with any sort of style or grace, those qualities being off the list for today’s use. It’s definitely what the Brits would call a ‘facer’, I think. I suppose it has to do with having to face whatever it is, but, it doesn’t make it any easier to know that, nor any less of a hassle in my current state.
Since that state isn’t anywhere close to being amenable to manipulation, I guess I’ll trust the process enough to just get on with it. I’ve got some done, from yesterday, so, it won’t take forever; it will merely feel that way. I’d best get going on that, so we have half a chance to be done before lunch time. I’ll even forgo the use of any toys or tricks; instead, I’ll just say, let’s get this slow on the toad….
Shall we pearl?….
“All nature is but art unknown to thee.”
~~ Alexander Pope ~~
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One of the more convenient parts of being in this state is that I don’t much care about how anyone feels about what is seen here today. I need the soothing grace of quiet, peaceful music, so, that’s what we’ll have. The only genre I can trust for that is classical music, so, that’s what we have today…. Enjoy, if you will, or, skip it & go on; I’ll be listening, and trying to let it soothe the savage breast….
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Classical Music
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Plato vs. Aristotle
*******
(1) You can’t win.
(2) You can’t break even.
(3) You can’t even quit the game.
~~ Ginsberg’s Theorem ~~
Every major philosophy that attempts to make life seem meaningful
is based on the negation of one part of Ginsberg’s Theorem. To wit:
(1) Capitalism is based on the assumption that you can win.
(2) Socialism is based on the assumption that you can break even.
(3) Mysticism is based on the assumption that you can quit the game.
~~ Freeman’s Commentary on Ginsberg’s theorem ~~
In short: you live, then you die. Everything else is all in your head.
You know what? That’s probably enough…. Once one comes to terms with the elements of thought which comprise the line above this one, there really isn’t a whole lot to say, especially considering all that might be said, at all, that doesn’t already fit into the purview of the second sentence, i.e., it’s all in your head.
Today, my head is jam packed with angst and bile, so, we’ll pass on ranting any further…. Besides, I may have, inadvertently, but, nonetheless effectively, created a brand new Zen koan, a perfect idea upon which to expend our powers of cogitation. The more I think on what I wrote for the first line, the more it resonates with depth…. So, I’ll merely repeat it. so y’all can let it circle around in there, where it can do some good….
You live, then you die. Everything else is all in your head…..
gigoid has spoken.
So be it…..
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Given the start to my day, this one just seems like the one to go with…. I hope you enjoy it, such as it is….
Future Shocked:
Weeping, I wake;
waking, I weep, I weep.
I weep for the ages to be lost,
for the children never to be born.
Time comes calling, strident and spare,
nudging us toward the future with bony hands.
No pausing, no waiting, always away,
Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.
Spirits are dark, afraid.
And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel,
seeking out the weak, and the foolish.
We all weep now…..
~~ gigoid ~~
7/22/2013
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Naked Pearls
Living Large
*******
“I went in search of my art, often in danger of my life.
I have not been ashamed to learn those things
which to me have seemed useful —
even from vagabonds, barbers, and executioners.
For we know how a lover will go a long way
to meet the woman that he loves.
How much the more, then, will the lover of wisdom
be tempted to go in search of his divine mistress!”
~~ Paracelsus ~~
*******
“There are as many nights as days,
and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course.
Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,
and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning
if it were not balanced by sadness.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
*******
“The idea of absolute freedom is fiction.
It’s based on the idea of an independent self.
But, in fact, there’s no such thing.
There’s no self without other people.
There’s no self without sunlight.
There’s no self without dew.
And water.
And bees to pollinate the food we eat…
So the idea of behaving in a way
that doesn’t acknowledge those reciprocal relationships
is not really freedom, it’s indulgence.”
~~ Peter Coyote ~~
*******
“No man is free who is not master of himself.”
~~ Epictetus ~~
*******
“Believe me!
The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness
and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!”
~~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche ~~
*******
“Everything in excess!
To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks.”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
*******
“Don’t take life too serious. It ain’t no ways permanent.”
~~ Pogo, by Walt Kelly ~~
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Thanks to a process developed over the course of nearly five years, it’s done. I’m not going to question any of it, nor will I comment upon any claims of quality. It’s done, and it’s on its own from here. Me, I’m going to go find some peace of mind, if I have to kill somebody to do it…. Just kidding, of course; killing somebody would only keep me awake. Instead, I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow, given half a chance….
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.
“The shoe that fits one person pinches another;
there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
221B Baker Street, London
Hajime…. I am not certain exactly when, but, I’m coming up on five years here at WordPress, sometime in July, or August, I think. I should check. At any rate, it’s been a while. I’ve attempted to post every day, at least once; though I haven’t quite made that goal, I’ve come pretty damn close, with well over 1500 posts to my credit. While I can regard that as a satisfying accomplishment, I must be honest enough to say, not all of it is what might be called fresh, as I’ve recycled a fair amount of what I’ve written for new posts. I call it cheating, though, with the caveat I’m only stealing from myself. So be it.
Today, I’m still busy, and without my usual sense of unease with not making the deadline I’ve set for myself each day. This has allowed me to fall completely into cheat mode. Below you’ll find a fresh pearl, composed of material previously posted, including my longest-ever rant. It’s all fairly standard stuff, for around here, so, no surprises there. I’ll even go so far as to let it speak for itself from this point on, as I intend to cut this short, Moreover, I’m doing that now, before I lose my nerve. I’ll just push this button, right here, and….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Education is about the only thing lying around loose the world, and it’s about the only thing a fellow can have as much of as he’s willing to haul away.” — George Lorimer
George needs no introduction; quite simply, he was the best. Ever. You can argue if you like, but, that would not be a stellar use of time…. Instead, just listen to the proof…..
One of my Gentle Readers complained of no rant yesterday, so, today, I’m making up for all the rants I’ve missed the past week or so. This may be the longest rant I’ve done, though that’s a guess. It is pretty long, and, though written early in 2014, it all remains perfectly valid, as far as I can see…. I hope you read it all, and pay attention, because it’s all about stuff that affects you directly…. Enjoy!….
From 10/18/2014:
“He must needes goe whom the devill doth drive.” ~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. vii ~~
“As you know, I planned a trip out there for some time, so it fits in very nicely.” ~~ president George Bush, on his trip to LA after the riots ~~
“Nobody goes to bed hungry in America” — R. Reagan
“Politicians aren’t born, they are excreted.” — Cicero
“That it should come to this!” ~~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act i, Sc. 2 ~~
The above five-star pearl is a lead-in group, mostly aimed at those with whom the following discussion is concerned. Below you’ll find two links to articles discussing two separate, but related issues from the news yesterday, found in the UK Guardian’s US edition online. They are both in-depth pieces, with a bit of egregiously egotistic back patting in the first one, but, both are more involved, in-depth, and in tune with the truth than any news organization from the US I can find, with the most important issues made clear, the culpability of the responsible parties made obvious, and the downright evil prevarication by the FBI director laid out for all to see….
After those first two articles, I’ve also included an excellent column on the same subject by one of the Guardian’s staff opinion writers, named Trevor Timm. He gives a good summary of the exact points I wish to cover in his opening paragraph, which I’ve included as an excerpt, below the link. After that, I’ll have a few comments, and we’ll see how it goes from there…. Hitch up your belts, & make sure your backpacks are secured ffolkes, this could take a while…. but, as Lord Peter has been known to say, “This ain’t a joke, Charles! It’s important. Damn important!”…..
“Whisper acknowledged that it researches the location of specific users it believes are posting newsworthy information, but emphasised it typically uses GPS data.
Whisper stressed the IP location data it uses for people who have asked not to be followed is rough and unreliable.
“We occasionally look at user IP addresses internally to determine very approximate location,” the company said. “User IP addresses may allow very coarse location to be determined to the city, state or country level.”
It added: “Whisper does not request or store any personally identifiable information from users, therefore there is never a breach of anonymity. From time to time, when a user makes a claim of a newsworthy nature, we review the user’s past activity to help determine veracity.”
The company strongly rejected any assertion of wrongdoing. “The Guardian’s assumptions that Whisper is gathering information about users and violating user’s privacy are false,” it said. “The privacy of our users is not violated in any of the circumstances suggested in the Guardian story.”
Four days later, Whisper rewrote large sections of its terms of service and introduced an entirely new privacy policy.
Whereas the previous terms and conditions described all of Whisper’s tracking of user location as “voluntary”, the new terms now warn users to “bear in mind that, even if you have disabled location services, we may still determine your city, state, and country location”.
Since becoming aware that the Guardian planned to publish its story, the anonymous app has also inserted a new line into its privacy policy.
It now warns users that turning on the app’s geolocation feature may “allow others, over time, to make a determination as to your identity”.
“…he recognised their embrace of encryption responded to “perceive[d]” market pressures in the wake of Snowden’s disclosures. But Comey suggested that end-to-end mobile device encryption amounted to a safe haven for criminals.
“Are we no longer a country that is passionate both about the rule of law and about their being no zones in this country beyond the reach of that rule of law? Have we become so mistrustful of government and law enforcement in particular that we are willing to let bad guys walk away, willing to leave victims in search of justice?” he said.
Comey acknowledged that the Snowden disclosures caused “justifiable surprise” among the public about the breadth of government surveillance, but hoped to mitigate it through greater transparency and advocacy.
Yet the FBI keeps significant aspects of its surveillance reach hidden even from government oversight bodies. Intelligence officials said in a June letter to a US senator that the FBI does not tally how often it searches through NSA’s vast hoards of international communications, without warrants, for Americans’ identifying information.
Comey frequently described himself as being technologically unprepared to offer specific solutions, and said he meant to begin a conversation, even at the risk of putting American tech companies at a competitive disadvantage.
“Where we may get is to a place where the US, through its Congress, says, ‘You know what, we need to force this on American companies,’ and maybe they’ll take a hit. Someone in some other country will say, ‘Ah, we sell a phone that even with lawful authority people can’t get into.’ But that we as a society are willing to have American companies take that hit. That’s why we have to have this conversation,” Comey said
“FBI director James Comey wants a US government-mandated backdoor into your iPhone and your Google account. But Comey doesn’t want to call his proposed privacy invasion a backdoor. He doesn’t understand how it would work. And he expects everyone who has been horrified by the NSA’s mass surveillance to just sit back, weaken their personal security and trust that the government will never abuse it.
Comey also claimed on Thursday that the “Post-Snowden pendulum” needs to swing back in favor of the government, neglecting to mention Congress has passed literally zero laws reigning in government surveillance. In fact, the main reason the major tech companies are pushing forward with encryption is because the government refuses to follow the will of the people and curtail the NSA’s powers at all. If Comey wanted a careful debate about the right balance of privacy and security before decisions like Apple’s are made, like he also said on Thursday night, maybe he should’ve advocated for that when the NSA was massively expanding their powers for years in complete secrecy.
Twitter tweet October 16, 2014: “Comey’s right: Deployment of strong crypto should be preceded by thoughtful debate. Which we had & correctly resolved 15 years ago.— Julian Sanchez (@normative)
So while we break out the world’s smallest violin as Jim Comey complains about the “Post-Snowden pendulum”, remember: the US government, through its own secret actions, brought this on themselves.”
“Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Star Wars”
I can’t say, with any degree of accuracy, but, I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard such a load of pure bullshit, straight from the bull’s butt, in a very, very long time…. When Richard Nixon raised his peace sign fingers, and stated, “I am not a crook.”, was probably the last time…. I swear, this man, this Comey, who heads up the FBI, obviously has the lowest opinion of the American public’s intelligence of almost anyone I’ve ever seen…. The demon-spawn from hell, Newt Gargoyle, or Gribble, or Grinch, Grngich, or whatever his weird-ass name was, came close on a regular basis, as did that ghoul, Dick Cheney, but, this Über-cop, this gestapo at the head of our nation’s largest domestic police force has, I believe. taken the cake….
Moreover, he implies that anyone who doesn’t support his, and the government’s, grab for power over every aspect of our lives is unpatriotic, a cowardly enemy of American principles, which, according to HIM, start (and, by implication, end…) with submissive respect for the “rule of law”, suggesting that the American public should feel privileged to allow them to have access to ALL of their private information…. Of course, the implied insult here is that only criminals and other unsavory characters should have something to hide from them, and their oh-so-perfect moral position….
What a crock of shit! I can’t say it any plainer than that…. and, I’ve probably said enough by now, anyway…. I’ll leave you with one last wake-up pearl, to think about when you’re assigning blame for what is happening in today’s world….. The FBI director, in his remarks, asks what he considers a rhetorical question, to wit:
“Have we become so mistrustful of government and law enforcement in particular that we are willing to let bad guys walk away, willing to leave victims in search of justice?”
I can only answer with a resounding “Yes, we have! We have lost ALL trust in the police. and the government, with good reason. I wouldn’t trust you to tell me the correct time!”
Well, I might not say that last part to his face, maybe, but, I can assure you, I’d want to, very badly, and would have to exert significant effort of will to refrain from doing so…. though, why I would bother, I don’t know…..
“Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Star Wars”
I was going to leave it at that, but, as I finished, I received an email from EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit activism organization made up of people, like me, and, hopefully, y’all, who are concerned with keeping the internet free of corporate influence and government oppression, to guarantee the open, free interchange of ideas and communication that characterizes how it is supposed to be, as intended by those who created it…. They are one of the entities who brought suit against the government about this issue, in a suit which is now about to be heard by the Supreme Court, along with several others they have supported, or helped to organize…
Below, I have included three links to articles on their home site, which speak to the information and issues of which we spoke above in this section. Each article clearly explains how the government and other entities are trying to subvert the internet, making it a tool for oppression, rather than a tool for expanding human knowledge and culture…. These explain how the government, and their myrmidons, the police, are working to take away the usefulness of having such a means to spread knowledge, wanting instead to keep it for their own use, which involves the control over our lives they so desperately desire….
Good info, ffolkes, well researched and written, very clearly presented…. I’ve donated to this one, which I don’t do, as a rule, but, they’re working hard to protect US, that is, YOU and ME, so, they deserve my support…. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of how the situation stands today….
“The best way to lose freedom is not to do anything.” — Smart Bee
********************************
A Dubiously Soft Morning
Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.
Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.
Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.
Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.
~~ gigoid ~~
7/26/2013
********************************
Since we’re cheating full out today, here is an old, old-school pearl, with a rather ironic beginning, just to keep things confusing, as if today’s effort here weren’t enough. It’s a good one, though, so, enjoy!….
From 9/18/2014:
In order to say there is at least one fresh section today, I offer for your consideration the following old-school pearl, a random, harlequin style, with no obvious parameters…. often, these turn out to be the very best kind, so, we can hope…..
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they cannot find them, make them.” — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
“Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense.” — Robert Frost
“You can’t make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you’re doing is recording it.” — Art Buchwald
“Certum est quia impossibile est.” [It is certain because it is impossible.] — Tertullian (160-240 AD) — De Carne Christi, c. 5
“One truth stands firm. All that happens in world history rests on something spiritual. If the spiritual is strong, it creates world history. If it is weak, it suffers world history.” — Albert Schweitzer
“Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart – the dark apology for every error. The strong and virtuous admit no destiny. On earth conscience guides; in heaven God watches. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one and dethrone the other.” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton
“He declared that he knew nothing, except the fact of his ignorance.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Socrates, xvi
Works every time…..
********************************
‘T is done, and, done to death, I’d say. I’ll skip the usual witty repartee, if such as this can be so labeled, and leave you to the rest of your day. I hope you enjoyed this little journey through the past. I’ll be back tomorrow, most likely, but, hopefully, with some material a bit fresher than today. In any case, we’re outta here, and now…. See ya, ffolkes. Count on it…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.”
~~ Terry Pratchett. ~~
The Road Goes Ever On….
Hajime….. The process here at ECR has become a bit choppy, in terms of how smoothly it progresses. This, in turn, may, or, may not have an effect on the Pearls. Either way, I don’t really care, as long as they’re done. Quality, as you know, is NOT job 1 around here; we leave shit like that to Ford. I do make every attempt to make it as good as I can, but, hey, I’m human, and definitely bozoid, so, I know better than to expect reality to match my expectations…. Hell, I’m damn close to having none, anyway, what with the state of affairs on this sad old ball o’mud…..
Without going into THAT subject, which would, no doubt, keep me here relatively indefinitely, we’ll go for some brevity again, & cut this short. In fact, we’ll cut it REALLY short, & end it here. Surprise!…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.”
~~ Euripides, Orestes (408 BC) ~~
********************************
We’re going default today, because, for some reason, I am now running quite late. Don’t know why, but, what is, is. This compilation comes from page seven of the You Tube list of choices in this venue, with the picture that drew my eye…. Enjoy!….
I’m not late, particularly, but, the piece I’m working on for this section keeps growing on me. Here, to sublimate, is an older piece, from the day after my 63rd birthday, that came out pretty well…. Try to enjoy it, ffolkes; it’s all we’ve got today…. Oh, and, don’t fret about the time/space anachronisms you see today; we were shameless in using the Tardis to get this done, so, I don’t believe ANY of the times will match, or even resemble each other…. Oh, well….
From 11/2/2013:
According to my usual modus operandi, this section would, and may yet be, a rant of some nature. It’s been a while since I took any real shots at the churches, but, then, they are a bit less of a worthy target than are the politicians of the world. Let us not even begin to think about how the shadowy master class of corporate vampires deserve all the disdain, vituperation, and vicious criticism we can heap upon their nasty little heads; whatever we do will never be enough to pay them back for the damage they’ve done to others, and to our world in general…. No, I’d say I have no real lack of usual targets for my critical regard…. What I have is a lack of angst and/or emotional drama to drive that big ol’ truck…. The one I’d like to flatten them with, as they cross my road to the future….
It would be simple to cruise over to a news site, and pick up a current headline or two to work with; there’s no lack of material there, for sure. Even that doesn’t attract my interest; I guess my birthday gave me a good enough chance to get a lot of that out, and there’s not enough left today to drive any further attempts at ranting…. Too bad, actually, as I did have some rather interesting introspective moments yesterday, as the import of my increasing age grew in my thoughts, taking on a deeper meaning than is usual for me during my day…. I love when that happens, though, even if the contentment and serenity it brings me is such that I don’t want to write about it…. It feels too good to talk about it…. Kind of how a joke is like a frog; if you take either one apart to try to figure it out, they both die….
Since I wouldn’t want anyone with the discrete sensibilities of my Gentle Readers to be confronted with that kind of issue, I’ll just fade back ten yards, and punt…. Here is another old-school pearl for your delectation…. Since I’m not ranting about anything today, I’ll let Smart Bee pick out which pearls it thinks should be included, with, possibly, a few comments of my own, in parentheses to avoid any further confusion….. Remember, ffolkes, this is VIRTUAL wisdom…. don’t try to use it as if it were real….
“If you dig a deep enough hole, someone will want to jump in.” — Smart Bee
(It’s always good to start off strong….)
“My indignation, like th’ imprisoned fire, pent in the troubled breast of Aetna, burnt deep and silent.” — Thomson
(SIGH…. if only it had, we’d have a rant today….. 😦 ) 😆
“The silence drew off, baring the pebbles and shells and all the tatty wreckage of my life. Then, at the rim of vision, it gathered itself, and in one sweeping tide, rushed me to sleep.” — Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar
(At first I thought this was here just because it’s so bloody brilliant, in both content and style of execution… Astounding imagery, and powerful yet simple language, expressed with such beauty, the heart aches with it….. It also stretches beyond that, into the outer reaches of credibility and connection, to form a tenuous bond with reality, right here in this pearl…. Amazing, isn’t it?….)
“When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong. The minority are right.” — Eugene V. Debs
(Mr. Debs, a political activist and reformer in the early twentieth century, had a lot of interesting things to say, many of them equally as true as this one…. If you have the time, look him up; smart guy…..)
“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.” — C. G. Jung
(Yep….)
“We would like to apologize for the way in which politicians are represented in this programme. It was never our intention to imply that politicians are weak-kneed, political time-servers who are more concerned with their personal vendettas and private power struggles than the problems of government, nor to suggest at any point that they sacrifice their credibility by denying free debate on vital matters in the mistaken impression that party unity comes before the well-being of the people they supposedly represent, nor to imply at any stage that they are squabbling little toadies without an ounce of concern for the vital social problems of today. Nor indeed do we intend that viewers should consider them as crabby ulcerous little self-seeking vermin with furry legs and an excessive addiction to alcohol and certain explicit sexual practices which some people might find offensive. We are sorry if this impression has come across.” — Monty Python
(Actually, this sums up my opinion of 99% of the politicians I see in public, with incredible accuracy….)
(No apology from me is, or ever will be, tendered for making these assertions, either…. fuck ’em all……)
(When I say, “fuck them all”, I’d like to be clear that I don’t intend that in any positive way at all…. What I mean is, FUCK THEM ALL!!!…. and the white horse they say they rode in on, too…..)
“And never, ever cut a deal with a dragon.” — Smart Bee
(I’m with SB on this one…. The last pearl brings all the rest together perfectly, while at the same time reminding us that we already know the important stuff… I mean, it’s just common sense, right? Any dragon master knows this…..)
********************************
Time, and again….
Life, and/or love, will seldom fit
into any box we keep for them to sit.
Loose and limber, without any reason,
always somewhat out of season.
Surprise, surprise, they seem to say,
we can’t help it, it’s just our way.
If only you would learn, instead of know,
maybe you’d find yourself with one to show.
Deal, just the way it is, now and here,
follow the path, on the other side of fear.
Finding the future isn’t all blood, sweat, and pain,
far, far more than mere joy we stand to gain.
The sages all say not to try, just do,
sounds as simple as putting on a shoe.
I’d say we could really go places,
if we could but learn to tie up the laces….
~~ gigoid ~~
11/1/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Getting There….
*********
“The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.”
~~ Mencius ~~
*********
“You can easily judge the character of others
by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.”
~~ Malcolm Forbes ~~
*********
“They may forget what you said,
but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
~~ Carl W. Buechner ~~
*********
“It costs so much to be a full human being
that there are very few who have
the enlightenment or the courage to pay the price…
One must abandon altogether the search for security
and reach out to the risk of living with both arms…
One has to embrace the world like a lover…
One has to accept pain as a condition of existence…
One has to court doubt and darkness
as the cost of knowing.
One needs a will stubborn in conflict,
but apt always to total acceptance
of every consequence of living and dying.”
~ Morris L. West, “Shoes of the Fisherman” ~~
*********
“The highest condition takes rise in the lowest.”
~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 781 ~~
*********
Life at its noblest leaves mere happiness far behind;
and indeed cannot endure it. .
Happiness is not the object of life:
life has no object:
it is an end in itself;
and courage consists in the readiness
to sacrifice happiness
for an intenser quality of life.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw, Letter, Dec. 1900, ~~
*********
“I exist as I am, that is enough.”
~~ Walt Whitman ~~
*********
“Soon you will have forgotten the world,
and the world will have forgotten you.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius, “Meditations” ~~
*********
Happily may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.
~~ Navajo Night Chant ~~
********************************
It’s done. Beyond that, deponent sayeth naught. Not only that, but, I’m dropping y’all like a hot penny today, right here, and right now. Well, now…. no, make that now…. Okay, so, when it’s done, it’s done, and I’m outta here…. Bye! See y’all tomorrow, should I survive my own chutzpah until then….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime….. I know, I know; the picture is a repeat. I don’t care, because it’s so cute. Besides, I’m up too late, again, to worry about it now. I did manage to get most of this done yesterday, leaving only one section undone for this morning. That, however, has since gone beyond my current capabilities in its scope, so, we’ll be archive diving for that. Go figure. Other than that, we’re good to go…. Also a go figure….
I suppose I COULD wander around a bit, make up a bit of nonsense, or, just blather a bit. But, I’m really not in a space to do that, either; my sleep isn’t what it could be of late, & I find myself pretty tired a lot of the day, not having stored up sufficient down-time to fully recharge the batteries. But, duty calls today, so, fatigue is irrelevant. Ah, for the days of my youth, when I could throw it off like a cheap coat in the sun! Now, it’s more a matter of moving a small mountain in order to get out of bed…. SIGH….
There. Obligatory complaining out of the way, we can get on with this mess. We won’t even bother excusing ourselves for using such abrupt measures. Our insurance is all paid up, so, to hell with the collateral casualties!…. On to the oyster beds, ffolkes!….
Shall we Pearl?….
“If you judge, investigate.”
~~ Seneca ~~
********************************
The Harp Twins Image from Tumblr.com via Google Images
I love finding new music, especially instrumentalists I’ve never seen or heard before. I once saw a harpist play a solo gig at a bar in Napa, CA, who was, quite frankly, the best I’ve ever seen, playing all the band parts alone for the songs she included. She could make the harp sound like a piano, a guitar, a violin, and even horns…. amazing. These two are pretty damn good, too, from what I’ve been listening to while typing…. Enjoy, ffolkes. it’s some damn fine music….
As promised, a discussion from the archives, on a subject near and not-so-dear to my heart, sanity/insanity….. Enjoy!….
From 2/15/2013:
“How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes a really long time and the light bulb has to want to change.” — Smart Bee
Boy, if it wasn’t for the power of metaphor, I would be lost!….. This statement, though presented in a manner that makes it obviously a joke, is actually quite serious in its relevance to sanity, psychiatry, and how the mind works, in general. I worked for many years in the field of mental health care, as a therapist, and I can tell you quite honestly, that this is absolutely true, in many cases of what the rest of society terms insanity….. a word, and a concept, that most of society avoids at all costs, and completely misunderstands, for the most part…. You see, every person who lives in this society on Earth today is just a little insane, with some of them reaching higher levels through their own efforts to excel…… 🙂 Society itself is insane, you see, and one needs to be the same in order to effectively cope….
It may surprise some ffolkes to know that they are insane; I know it surprised me when I first became aware of this fact. We all go through our lives with a certain image of ourselves, and very rarely does that image in our minds look insane. But, let me assure you, there really isn’t any visible way to be able to tell if a person is insane, as it is completely invisible, under most circumstances, as long as the person isn’t speaking, or acting in some way that provides a clue as to their inner state of mind. Even for those of us trained in recognizing its presence, through the use of observation of other defining characteristics, there is no guaranteed method for spotting someone with a mental condition, unless they give it to you up front by acting out in some overt fashion.
Sure, there are tells, as a gambler would say…. when one eye is happily spinning in the opposite direction as the other, it’s a pretty good sign of some inner turmoil…. Pacing and mumbling to oneself, back and forth in a small area, while ignoring all around them, can be another dead giveaway of someone who is experiencing a few extra perceptions in comparison to the rest of us. Sometimes, really bad grooming can be a sign that the person’s mind isn’t focused on how they affect others, and staring at a wall, holding what appears to be a conversation with oneself, can be another indication that not all is well in that person’s world….
But, without some overt signs such as these, you just can’t spot mental illness, and it is extra hard to see it in one’s own image, since we tend to clean that up before we look at it, or try to share it. And, since EVERYONE ELSE is also insane, at least a little, it can be hard to spot, for the same reason one cow in a herd is hard to pick out. You may have heard the old saw about “one in four people are insane, so if you have three sane friends, it’s you”….. What would be more accurate to say is, “all of you are insane, but three of you are coping well with it in an effective manner, and one isn’t…. ”
It’s helpful to know that the overt signs one may see are indicative of the severity of the condition, i.e., the more acting out one observes, the more severe the break in the mental state. But, that isn’t always accurate, as normally sane folks, acting in the grip of strong emotion, can show the same kind of acting out, with the difference of not having it occur all the time, but only when provoked. Thus, it can be seen, it can be very difficult to judge whether a person is insane, or merely temporarily out of control…..
This is where I bring it all together, by referring back to the original pearl…. Coping with life can drive anyone crazy, and does, every day….. Some cope with it better than others, and those are the people who are considered to be sane, as they can deal with reality without resorting to outlandish ways of dealing with their fears. Those who cannot find ways of coping with their fears, which arise from what reality gives us to deal with, end up acting in ways that are strange and uncomfortable for the rest of us, and are often dangerous, in a physical sense, for them, and for those around them…..
In all my experience, with every kind of mental illness I saw in almost 30 years working in mental hospitals, the primary characteristic of those who got better, was that they made up their own minds to do so…. That’s it…. Simple as it may seem, deciding to give up the methods they used, and make a change, was always based on a personal decision on their part, and was THE key ingredient in the regime of ideas, medicines, therapies, and treatments used to combat their illness. In other words, it took a long time, and they first had to want to change….. Without that, nothing worked…. It is a well known aphorism among mental health therapists that, “they get better IN SPITE of what we do, not because of it….”
So, if you’re getting worried about your own coping skills, just keep in mind that to remain sane, it means you have to want to do so…. But, that’s all it takes, if your are sincere, for you will do whatever else is needed, once your will power has been engaged…. That’s what people do….
“Great minds think alike, apparently so do we.” — D. Bennett
“Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?” — James Thomson (1700-1748) — The Seasons, Summer, Line 67
********************************
Today’s poem first appeared on ECR the same day as the discussion above, since it fits in so well with the subject matter….. It’s always been one of my favorite poems, by one of my favorite poets…. Enjoy!
Mad Girl’s Love Song
“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)”
~~ Sylvia Plath
Brilliant! Absolutely, insanely brilliant! 🙂
********************************
Now, THIS is a pearl of virtual wisdom! Nine classic gems, forming a necklace of peerless brilliance… I think I’ll call it….
Naked Pearls
Use it, or lose it….
*********
“He who ceases to learn cannot adequately teach.”
~~Headmaster Bee ~~
*********
“Mere longevity is a good thing
for those who watch Life from the side lines.
For those who play the game,
an hour may be a year,
a single day’s work an achievement for eternity.”
~~– Gabriel Heatter ~~
*********
“I think the one lesson I have learned is
that there is no substitute for paying attention.”
~~ Diane Sawyer ~~
*********
“If you’re going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.”
~~ Whimsical Bee ~~
*********
“The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so.”
~~ Nicholas Boileau-Despréaux ~~
*********
“There are as many nights as days,
and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course.
Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,
and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning
if it were not balanced by sadness.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
*********
“Laughter is by definition healthy.”
~~ Doris Lessing ~~
*********
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift;
the rational mind is faithful servant.
We have created a society
that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift.”
~~ Albert Einstein ~~
*********
“Life is not meant to be easy, my child;
but take courage — it can be delightful.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
********************************
I suppose it isn’t a surprise to learn cats don’t understand deadlines. Ah, well, she’ll have to learn, I guess, for we all must bow to the gods of necessity at times…. even cats, though they would have us believe otherwise. That said, to our common cause of no good purpose, we’ll take our leave for another day, to see if we can find out why we keep falling into the royal ‘we’, when we write…. SIGH…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, whether we figure it our, or not….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Up a bit late, & running smoothly, he sits to write, ever clueless in pre-coffee state…. “What are you doing, trying to type before the first sip?”, he cries, piteously. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?” Shuddering with the memory, he hunches his shoulders, rises, & walks off into the nether regions of the mortal coil, attempting to shake off the sense of foreboding sitting heavily on his left shoulder, trying to make him turn to look at his fears…. Moaning softly with the effort, he shuffles into the loo, to sublimate the blues….
Not too shabby, I’d say, for a first effort, pre-coffee…. We’ll play it as it lies, too, since it’s laid up so close to the hole. A tap in for a birdie, we can hope. Not that we’re concerned with our handicap; no, it’s more the challenge of playing a game in my head as I write I enjoy. Since, however, we are not here to enjoy ourselves….. Wait! That is what we ARE here for! What was I thinking? Oh, right….
Well, never mind, I’ve wandered & blathered sufficiently to soothe the monitors, so, we’ll just be off to the oyster beds without further fussing. In fact, we’ll get this slow on the toad with some style, and cruise over in the Tardis. Sound good? Good. Let’s do it, before the warranty expires….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” — Carl Jung
The band needs no introduction. Suffice it to say I was at one of their concerts earlier in the year this show finished off, which I have on my computer to watch again whenever I like…. I listened to this show live, as well…. It’s a good one, as many were….. Enjoy, ffolkes….
The discussion I’m working on isn’t done, and I’m too late today to finish it before posting. Here is a discussion from 2012 to fill in for the day…. I hope you enjoy it; it’s from the early days of ECR, when I was still feeling my way to the form it now shows….
From 915/2012:
“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?……
********************************
Between what I see and what I say
Between what I say and what I keep silent
Between what I keep silent and what I dream
Between what I dream and what I forget:
Poetry.
~~ Octavio Paz (1914-1998) ~~
*********
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 ~~
9/15/2012
*********
Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.
~~ John Donne ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Human, done right….
*********
Between those who use their neighbors, and those who use a cane.
Between those in constant power, and those in constant pain.
Between those who run to evil, and those who cannot run.
Tell me which ones are the cripples, and which ones touch the sun.
~~ Ceili’s Muse “What you do with what you’ve got” ~~
*********
“There is only one nature
the division into science and engineering
is a human imposition,
not a natural one.
Indeed, the division is a human failure;
it reflects our limited capacity
to comprehend the whole.”
~~ Bill Wulf ~~
*********
“If you make a mess, clean it up.”
~~ Mom ~~
*********
“No man, for any considerable period
can wear one face to himself,
and another to the multitude,
without finally getting bewildered
as to which may be the true.”
~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850) ~~
*********
“A possum must be himself, and being himself he is honest.”
~~ Walt Kelly ~~
*********
“A person is not given integrity.
It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.”
~~ Anonymous Bee ~~
*********
“Men can only be happy
when they do not assume
that the object of life is happiness.”
~~ George Orwell ~~
*********
“I searched into myself.”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
*********
In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
********************************
It will be okay; I know it will, if I can just wait. So, we’ll post it, and wait to see what happens. Trust the process, Luke! Okay, Ben, back off, now. And leave the pastries….. Hmph. I hate when my head goes all strange like that. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day, theoretically. I’ll see y’all then, unless I regain my senses before then…. Fat chance of that, right?…. Right….
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.
Mountainous ice shoreline on Pluto Image by NASA via the New Horizons Spacecraft
Hajime…. Today, I’d like to begin with a paean. Don’t worry, context will let you figure it out, if’n you don’t already know. It’s a paean to people, of course, because, hey, people here, myownself. And, I don’t even care if my, or your, spellchecker hates that word. It’s not very many people, so it’s not a very big paean, but, it IS sincere, so, I have to do it. I’m funny like that, I guess….
I LOVE these people. Quite simply, and, quite truly. I’ve never met any of them in the flesh, yet I know of them, and their lives, their ideas, their families, just as they know mine, by having read their blog for more than four years, minimum; the reverse, naturally is true. There are about forty or fifty people I still see regularly, perhaps more, and, always some newbies.
These ffolkes, on the other hand, have been here every day they were healthy enough to be at a computer, or were otherwise prevented by simple non-access to the Net. They, of course know who they are, so I don’t have to say it; all I want to say is, I love you, and thanks for being. I’m old enough now to know there are never any wrong times to tell those you love that you do; how many times have you passed up the chance?
I try not to pass them up when I think of it, and, this paean of gratitude, and sappy emotional stuff that DOES count in the final Quiz, is for them, the people I consider my WordPress family….. May whatever light is left in the world shine on all of us, for as long as we can hold the darkness at bay…..
Now, you may wonder what prompted today’s emotional outburst, other than the PTSD I live with each day? Well, easy. I wrote a Haiku. That’s all. It’s a damn good one, and, it’s placed where it happened when it leaked out of whatever part of my brain had been holding it. You’ll see, if you’re strong enough; it’s not really hidden, just put where it has to be. It was prompted by two things, yesterday’s Pearl title, and, the sight of one of the aforementioned family friends icon appearance, from where I know he lives, across the world…. I had to smile, and, there it was, right in front of me… Trust me, it’s a good haiku….
So, how’m I doing with the new, mysterious intro technique? Is it holding your interest? No? Ah. Oh, well. ‘S okay, we’re done here anyway. Even if YOU aren’t dazed and confused, I certainly am, so, we’re good to go. Luigi has been practicing, because he heard what a good job Guido did while he was off on his vacay…. Let’s see if it takes…. Luigi! Let’s do it!…. Hang on, ffolkes; I’m a little nervous myself, if the first paragraphs didn’t clue you….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.”
~~ Robert Heinlein ~~
********************************
Wolfie Image from sumwear.com via Google Images
Whenever I experience my deepest moments of personal darkness, I turn to the music of this man, and, in particular, this piece. Some consider it the finest music anyone in our species ever created; I am not judge enough to say. All I can say is, listen, and enjoy…. If you don’t, well, you might consider joining another species….
I’ve included only one video version, but, two links. The second is to a longer version, written and recorded on a separate You Tube page. Enjoy either, or both, your choice…..
“Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and, above all, love of the truth.” — H.L. Mencken
I knew there was a reason I liked Henry’s work; it appears his mind and mine traveled on some very familiar paths in our personal journey in search of the Truth. This statement is one I could have easily made myself, if he hadn’t already said it over a hundred years ago. But, I will happily agree with every point he makes in it, without reservation, and with absolutely no regret….. Should anyone, anyone at all, take umbrage thereby, well, all I can say to them would be, tough shit. It’s the plain and simple truth, so, deal with it. Or, shut up….. Oh, sorry, forgot one part…. Put up, or, shut up….
Sorry, don’t mean to be rude; I do get tired of fundies, who can shout anything except an actual thought of their own, and, it seems they all have some sort of religion. I know, strange, huh? To think, in this day and age, people still fall for that stuff…. I’m sure glad I don’t have to put up with it too often any more….. Okay, I’ll stop, I know it’s getting deep. But, I think y’all know of whom I speak, and if not, well, I can point you to a human representation, not even a religious figure, but, one who has utilized and perfected ALL of the same sort of sleight of hand language and outright lying to fool people into believing what they say…. Any politician would do as an example, especially in this year’s GOP crop, but, of them all, the Trumpette is probably the absolute worst example I can think of, showing what a dildo a human being can become, by living their lives completely on illusion.
SIGH…. I remarked recently to a fairly intelligent doctor I met, “You know, reason is losing the battle.” He just smiled & said, “I know what you mean….”
‘Ere you go. You know, that’s probably enough of a rant for one day. If I get any takers to my challenge, I can make it a piece for this section at a later date. Hmm…. not much, is it? Oh, okay, maybe a few pearls, just to fill up the space…. We’ll see what we can find on the BRC, or one of the categories of Asininny we use…. Ooh, ooh, I know! I found an old pearl, from the early days here on ECR, and it’s perfect as an accompaniment for today’s rantless rant….. It’s one of my finest older pearls, and I hope you enjoy it. It takes some nasty shots at the BRC…. Most of it is from our old friend, SB, since he’s a pretty Smart Bee….
From 9/4/2012:
So there I am, cruising along in the database, and all these little pieces of observational excellence from Smart Bee keep popping up in my face. I figure that he (Smart Bee) must have something he wants to get across to the readership out there, and who am I to argue. If I don’t do this, I could spend years trying to find a new quote there…. Smart Bee is very insistent when he gets a wild hair like this…. So, just follow the bouncing thought ball to the conclusion that is most obvious….
Sex! Lies! Drugs! Money! Power! Corruption! Man, I love Congress! — Smart Bee
Gun Control – the belief that government, with its great wisdom and moral superiority, can be trusted with a monopoly on deadly force. — Smart Bee
It has been determined that most teenage girls lose their virginity during the summer months. This stands to reason, since congress is recessed at that time. — Smart Bee
Vote Democrat. It’s easier than thinking. — Smart Bee
Vote Republican. It’s easier than thinking. — Smart Bee (honest, both are in there….)
Congressional National Bank. Ours bounce higher and farther! — Smart Bee
“Crime does not pay … as well as politics.” — Alfred E. Newman
That should get the proper point across…. you may now smash face on keyboard to continue……
********************************
Today’s poem was written only recently, but, fits in so well with the apparent theme for today (which is never obvious until I’m nearly done), I couldn’t resist using it again. It’s a lamentation of current reality, thus, perfectly complements the rest of the Pearl…. Enjoy!….
Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday
A baleful lump of ironic introspection
sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.
Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.
Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.
Too many culprits exist to count just one;
all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.
Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.
Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/3/2015
********************************
Our final pear for today is old-school, as always. This one came out a little strange; it wanders around through a number of currently problematic issues in society, while still managing to describe reality as it is, and should be….. proving the ultimate lesson to be learned about reality, to wit: it is what it is, and that’s all it is….. Enjoy!…..
“Everything you can imagine is real.”
~~ Picasso ~~
“Humor is the best antidote to reality.” — Funny Bee
“There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” — Carl Jung
“You must be either the master or the servant, the hammer or the anvil.” — Goethe
“It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.” — Voltaire
“That God is not other than the universe…does not diminish God but rather elevates the universe….those who choose to make an attempt to overcome their egoism find their efforts aided by forces outside their conscious control….the movement toward self-realization is inherent to the structure of the universe….The Mayhayana Dharmakaya radiates love and compassion to all, impersonally like the sun.” — David Loy
“I … reject the argument put forth by many fundamentalists that science has nothing to do with religion because God is not among the things making up the universe in which we live. Surely if a necessity for a god-concept in the universe ever turns up, that necessity will become evident to the scientist. “– physicist Ralph Alpher, Theology of the Big Bang, Religious Humanism, Vol. XVII, No. 1 (Winter 1983), pg. 12
“Difficulties are things that show what men are.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxiv
Mind Food
Lies can taste very
good sometimes. But the truth can
fill you up, always.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/6/2015
(for Ashi-san)
********************************
It’s a little bit of a bother lately; it seems my routine must alter itself, to become accustomed, again, to sleeping on a regular basis. Who knew one could completely destroy, or at least, ignore, our circadian rhythms so strongly? I had apparently become used to being up 24/7, and am finding it a bit of a struggle to fit sleep into the picture…. Oh, well, I guess I’ll get back to normal, some day…. Or, as close as I’ve ever been to normal, anyway, which, to be honest, isn’t terribly close…. In fact, I’ve never even been in the same room with normal, so, it should be a new experience….
See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I’d call it a promise, but, some might take it as a threat, so, we’ll just leave it alone, and say, see ya!…
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Pluto as seen from the New Horizons Spacecraft Image from the UK Guardian 9/17/2015
I had forgotten just how deeply embedded this process has become in my existence…. It seems the creation of a Pearl is more important to my degree of sanity than I’d previously admitted; if I don’t sit down to write for a while, I feel “off”. Once I’ve cruised through SB for a time, using my mind in a familiar way, some of the angst I seem to build up over the course of the day dissipates, leaving me better able to think introspectively, which is where I need to be just now…. So, I’ll write…. but, I may not post…. We’ll see.
For now, I think I’ll go make some coffee. It’s 0230 (almost) so, why not? It looks like me and LeeLoo will be up a while tonight…. Don’t know why insomnia struck tonight, but, I may as well take advantage of it to get some thinking & planning done…. Or, perhaps, I’ll gather up some pearls, and see what they have to say….
When I told myself, and y’all, this process would be changing, I didn’t realize just how many alterations the change would encompass. No complaints at all; I seem to have misplaced some of the angst I’ve typically carried around with me. Whatever the case may be, it’s slowed this down to a crawl…. The two paragraphs you see above were written yesterday. Since then, most of this Pearl has been finished; only some entertainment left to find now. Yet, I’m not even worried at all whether I get it posted today, or not…. which may be good, or not. We’ll see about that, too, I suppose. For now, I think I’ll go cruise You Tube & find something fun to watch, whenever this gets posted….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The laws of physics have no basis in reality. They describe the operation of the human mind.” — Robert Anton Wilson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t believe I need to say anything at all to introduce this artist/philosopher/social critic. Simply, he was the best of his time….
Okay, so, I lied. I COULD say I didn’t lie, so much as I misspoke, as any number of politicians would say. And, have said, repeatedly. (e.g.: “I just didn’t say it.” — Ronald Reagan — Associated Press, 10/5/66)
Actually, what I did is underestimate how long it would be until I was struck by the urge to write about the world at large, when I’m having my own troubles with the world inside the shell of my consciousness…. But, as I cruised through SB for entertainment, the following pearls kept jumping up, practically shouting at me, to insist on being included in a long, involved indictment of men of evil intent, who usurped the government of this nation almost before the ink was dry on the Constitution…..
Their efforts have resulted in the world we face today, where all the rules are made by those who insist on controlling the lives of all they see, without ever considering how others may feel about that…. 90% of the world’s population live as no more than slaves, threatened with poverty and destitution at the slightest emergency or accident in their lives, at the mercy of the bankers, and the predatory politicians, the fat-cat lawyers, the faceless myrmidons (i.e., police) who enforce the will of the masters, and the religious dogma dogs who encourage the slaves to respect those who oppress them, for the promise of a better life after they die.
I was raised by a man who went to war in 1941, to protect his family and home, thinking he was fighting for the liberties he believed he had, and that he believed would be the legacy for his children. He raised us to believe in those same principles, of liberty and freedom for all, upon which he, and we, were supposedly brought up….
If he were alive today, he would be as pissed off at what has taken place as I am, for, since the creation of the National Security Agency during WWII, every one of the Bill of Rights, and, all of the protections of our Constitution, have been abrogated, one after another, in the name of security and ‘national interest’, two concepts the definition of which the beloved ruling class reserves solely for itself…. Neither of those two concepts have anything to do with protecting the interests of American citizens; they only serve to protect the status quo. How else does one explain such statements as the following:
“You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence.” — Charles Austin Beard, American Historian, 1874-1948
This is the absolute truth. We see this every day, in irrefutable evidence provided by videos of how using the words our forefathers used can get an American citizen shot by the police, ‘for resisting arrest’, or, for ‘disobeying a lawful order by an officer’…. It’s pretty hard to refute visual/auditory evidence, but, time after time, people continue to die, and no police officer is ever charged…. It is a disgrace, and, a national shame, one my father would have deplored with every fiber of his being…. I share that disgust, and, intend to never submit to such treatment myself, without making it clear it is a mistake to assume that a free man can be oppressed…. Whoever tries to take my rights will find I only have those rights I am able to defend…
In the meantime, here are a bunch of other statements that cover the same subject, from various angles, by various contemporary and historical figures; some are examples of how things ought to be, others point out the nature of the problem, or, at least, some of the motivation behind it…. All are, to my mind, spot on….
“If Congress can determine what constitutes the general welfare and can appropriate money for its advancement, where is the limitation to carrying into execution whatever can be effected by money?” — South Carolina Senator William Draden 1828
(Oops! Another warning missed by the general public, from someone who apparently saw what was happening, right from the start…. Typical….)
“Annoy a Fundamentalist: Tell him the truth!” — Sardonic Bee
“Any person under the age of thirty, who, having any knowledge of the existing social order, is not a revolutionist, is an inferior.” — George Bernard Shaw
“Solon gave the following advice: “Consider your honour, as a gentleman, of more weight than an oath. Never tell a lie. Pay attention to matters of importance.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Solon, xii
“Conservative: Proof that evolution is not an exact science.” — Polly Sci Bee
“This is the Nineties, Bubba, and there is no such thing as Paranoia. It’s all true.” — Hunter S Thompson
“Capitalism in the United States has undergone profound modification, not just under the New Deal, but through a consensus that continued to grow after the New Deal. Government in the U. S. today is a senior partner in every business in the country.” — Norman Cousins
“We have watched American democracy at close hand for many years and we believe few governments are institutionally so susceptible to dictatorship as this one.” — Gerald Johnson
“The statesman shears the sheep, the politician skins them.” — Definitive Bee
“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshiped anything but himself.” — Sir Richard F. Burton
“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” — Jacquin’s Postulate on Democratic Government
“Is it fair to hold politicians to the same standards as humans?” — Snarky Bee
Books are burning
In the main square, and I saw there
The fire eating the text.
Books are burning
In the still air
And you know where they burn books
People are next.
~~ “Books Are Burning”, XTC ~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sublime Indifference
Faces tell such stories
as these,
we know.
No one saw,
ever.
No one sees,
ever.
But, we know.
Forgotten,
deliberately bought
with
consistent threats
of Sitcoms,
Paisley Ties,
yes, and,
Lava Lamps;
proof offered
unbidden
of Death.
Only
of Death.
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 5/21/2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my world, pearls such as this are the standard. As far as any philosophy goes, other than my own, Taoism is the closest attempt made by mankind to describe Reality, period. Beginning, and ending, a lesson/pearl with Taoist principles is a sure way to ensure the balance, and accuracy, of whatever is created…. Add one in the middle, and, it’s unassailably perfect. Go ahead, try to refute ANY of it…. Enjoy!….
My teachings are very easy to understand and very easy to practice.
But no one can understand them and no one can practice them.
In my words there is a principle.
In the affairs of men there is a system.
~~ Lao-Tzu ~~
“You don’t know how much you don’t know until you know a lot.” — Nick Holland
“While all things have their opposites, it is also true that in each the spirit of the opposite exists.” — Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sufi writer
“Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. … Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.” — Lao Tzu
“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” — Carl Jung
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” — Albert Einstein
Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.
I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
~~ Tao Te Ching ~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I see it is done. Clearly, time to post; what the hell, it’s only two hours (and two days….) overdue, according to the previous paradigm. Good thing a new one is under construction…. For now, I’ll merely say there WILL be more Pearls; when that might occur is anybody’s guess. If the past two days are an indication, it shouldn’t be too long. See y’all then, ffolkes; you can count on it….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 