Tag Archives: Ceili’s Muse

Tattered remnants of decency….

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Ffolkes,

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”

~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~

coit tower

Coit Tower, San Francisco

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is epic. Not because of its size, or the scope of its contents, but, rather, because of the effort I had to expend to get it finished. Without going into superfluous, as well as gratuitously graphic detail, I will say, it was immensely problematic, & that’s about as gently obscure as I can make it. To complement such restraint, I’ll go further to note, the effort remains, well, effortful, simply to get an intro done, a closing, and, finally, posting, all completed in a fashion with which I can be content, if not thrilled. I figure, y’all may have to follow a similar pattern, to get out of this intact.

That said, to our common dearth of purpose, I will now proceed to the closing section, sans further blather, so I can move on to the next day’s issues. The issues extant today are simply more than I want, or am able to deal with, &, to be frank, I’m planning on a rebellion, if only to take myself to bed for a time, to hide. So be it. Doing so may look like cowardice, but, believe me, it’s merely a reaction to the massive control I must apply to NOT fly into an uncontrollable rage against the world at large… In short, don’t ask.

Instead, just take it with the usual multiple grams of salt, pass to the end, & get on with your own life, just as if it mattered. It does, but, finding the ‘why’ is a tough row to hoe. And, that, ffolkes, is about as philosophical as I can get today. To save y’all from any more such displays, I’ll use some of my legerdemain, & take us out of here before it all goes sour. Here, eat this spoonful of sugar, close your eyes, & hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse,
wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes.
Who does not see the folly of this?
If there be any glory in such things,
the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.”

~~ St. Frances de Sales ~~

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Due to circumstances beyond my control, if not understanding, today’s musical selection falls into the default category…. The selection was made solely by whim…. I do hope you enjoy it, a state in which I currently find myself unable to join you, but, will listen to, for the potential relief it may provide….

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Classical Music
Antonio Vivaldi

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Comedy_Tragedy

Penance, Made Simple

After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.

Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.

Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.

Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.

Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/23/2012

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large….

*******

“A life without cause is a life without effect”

~~ Barbarella ~~

*******

“Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now,
lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words
that sometimes do you good.
His life may also have much sadness and difficulty,
that remains far beyond yours.
Were it otherwise,
he would never have been able to find these words.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

*******

“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” ~~

*******

Socrates thought that if all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence every one must take an equal portion,
most persons would be contented to take their own and depart.”

~~ Plutarch — Consolation to Apollonius ~~

*******

“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others; to be, not to seem.”

~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~

*******

“Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth;
that all deep, earnest thinking
is but the intrepid effort of the soul
to keep the open independence of her sea;
while the wildest winds of heaven and earth
conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore?”

~~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick ~~

*******

“The universe is moved by a power
which cycles endlessly from day to day.
Such greatness endures for all time.
As in heaven, so on earth.”

~~ I Ching ~~

*******

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Go figure…. I got so excited over getting to this point, I almost posted it without a closing section. Since I’m in a state where trying to make it good will, most likely, blow up in my face, this is all you get for that. I’ll merely say this: I will be back, in a better state…. Hell, it can’t get any worse just now; even knowing this, too, shall pass, isn’t helping it to taste any better. I know, I’ll spit it out…. How’s this for efficiency?….

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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Abrogating moral rectitude in mufti….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Since it is Reason which shapes and regulates all other things,

it ought not itself to be left in disorder.”


~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Chap. xvii


trinity globe


Prophetic Globe



Trinity College, Dublin






Hajime…. Little did he know just how little he knew; in this he joins hands with most of humanity…..


Good morrow, ffolkes. No, I’m not sure where that came from. It just sort of flowed out when I began to type, and, voilá! Instant aphorism on human nature, a fascinating subject which continues to elude the understanding of mankind, despite centuries of trying to come to terms with it. An objective view of the way our species has approached the quest to find themselves does not inspire much confidence; most of our history shows a firm intention on the part of most people to deny all which makes us human, in favor of fulfilling their base desires for power and control over their peers, in order to assuage their innate fear of their own inadequacy.


Now, I know it’s not a good policy to rant in the intro, but, hey, I’m human, so, back off, mate. As such, I do what FEELS best, and then try to repeat the feeling as often as possible, regardless of how it affects anyone else. This particularly human trait is, as far as I can see, the fatal flaw in that nature, one which can, and, obviously IS, leading us on a path to self-destruction, through the denial of our own capabilities, and the abrogation of virtue in favor of comfort. This, to me, is clear, yet, for most of mankind, it is an issue of which they seldom, if ever, even contemplate.


SIGH…. At this point in the narrative, it becomes clear this is going not much of anywhere useful for our purpose, which is to post a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. If I continue this discussion, we may never even get to the music, so, to keep things on an even keel, and moving, we’ll go on now, leaving this subject for discussion below. Perhaps this will save some time, and, if nothing else, makes it seem as if we are sure of what we are doing. The cat seems to agree, even if she would rather I threw some paper for her….


We’re going to go now, and, I’d suggest you hang on; Luigi’s at the helm, so, things can get a bit rambunctious. It won’t take long, though; just remember to breathe through it…. Here we go….


Shall we Pearl?….




“Education is not a preparation for life;

Education is life itself.”


~~ John Dewey ~~




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Yield_Logo




Playing For Change




Today’s musical selection comes again from the Playing For Change playlist. This one is a recording of 75 Cubans from around the world playing and singing the song that means ‘home’ to them, whether they are in Cuba, or anywhere in the world….. This is for Mari, whose family had to flee Cuba in the latter part of the twentieth century, when she was just a child. She now writes some of the most powerful poetry I’ve ever read, and still dreams of returning one day…. Enjoy, and then go donate to the cause, for it’s a good one, making peace through music….




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Guantanamera

















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Dont keep calm




“A rich man has no need of character.”


~~ Hebrew proverb ~~




There is just so much wrong with this statement, it is difficult to know where to begin. To my way of thinking, this piece of folk ‘wisdom’ can be viewed as the single most destructive idea mankind has come up with in our entire cultural history. If one embraces this idea, individually, or as a society, the resulting culture would be, and, to be honest, has become, a parody of human nature, bringing out the very worst of our fears and inadequacies, using them to lie, to cheat, and, live a life of conflict and trouble. To assume this attitude is to deny the connection to all other life, demanding reality conform to the shape of our most degrading fears, with no attempt to reconcile these with any other entity. In short, it gives every person alive the clear permission to act like an asshole.


I see this attitude as a root cause of all the wars mankind has engaged in through history; it fosters divisiveness, bigotry, racism, and discrimination, with no attempt to define justice for anyone at all. To anyone embracing such a position, the needs and rights of others become immaterial; to them, the only thing that is important is their own desires. This, to my mind, is not merely stupid, but, inhuman; those who act without virtue do not belong to the same species as do I; they have abrogated their humanity.


I had originally planned to rant about this for a long time; there is a lot with which to take umbrage in those who live to take advantage of others as a matter of policy. But, I find myself unwilling just now to put myself through the wringer; this subject tends to stimulate my adrenal gland, and I’m not going there today. Instead, I have put together a pretty good seven star pearl to take my shots for me. It’s not a rant, but, it will do for an indictment…. The people who buy into the statement at the top of the section are, in my mind, the root cause of all of the other issues with which humanity is currently engaged; the war, the racism, the injustice, all can be traced to this attitude on the part of one segment of humanity, which decided many thousands of years ago they were better than everyone else, and have maintained that insane delusion, at the expense of the rest of mankind, for all that time….


Here then are some comments on how to spot them, how to look at them, and, hopefully, how to bury them, once and for all….


“Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful.” — Nietzsche, “Thus Spake Zarathustra”


“I see little divinity about them or you. You talk to me of Christianity when you are in the act of hanging your enemies. Was there ever such blasphemous nonsense!” — George Bernard Shaw, The Devil’s Disciple


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


(Need an example? “When Yahweh your gods has settled you in the land you’re about to occupy, and driven out many infidels before you…you’re to cut them down and exterminate them.  You’re to make no compromise with them or show them any mercy.” — Deuteronomy 7:1 (KJV)  There’s more, even worse insanity in that one short chapter, but, that gives the flavor…)


“Collective responsibility brings a lowering of moral standards.” — Freeman Dyson


“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer


“Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.” — Bertrand Russell




“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”~~




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Comedy_Tragedy




I Must Have Wanton Poets



MUST have wanton poets, pleasant wits,

Musicians, that with touching of a string

May draw the pliant king which way I please:

Music and poetry is his delight;

Therefore I’ll have Italian masks by night,

Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;

And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,

Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;

My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,

Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay;

Sometime a lovely boy in Dian’s shape,

With hair that gilds the water as it glides,

Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,

And in his sportful hands an olive-tree,

To hide those parts which men delight to see,

Shall bathe him in a spring; and there, hard by,

One like Actæon, peeping through the grove,

Shall by the angry goddess be transform’d,

And running in the likeness of an hart,

By yelping hounds pull’d down, shall seem to die:

Such things as these best please his majesty.


~~ Christopher Marlowe (1563 – 1594) ~~


~~ Edward II, Act 1, Scene One ~~




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ankh




    Our final pearl is a simple, random collection that talks about Life at Large. Any conclusions not made obvious are the responsibility of the Gentle Reader, just like in the real world….


“All is flux, nothing stays still.”  — Heraclitus (540?-480? B.C.)


“Just as there are laws of Conservation of Matter and Energy, so there are in fact Laws of Conservation of Pain and Joy. Neither can ever be created or destroyed. But one can be converted into the other.” — Spider Robinson


“…the greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learned from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.” — Aristotle, _Poetics_, 22, 1459a 5-7


“The questions remain the same. The answers are eternally variable.” — Subtle Bee


“The great mountains of the world are a great remedy if men but did know it against our modern discontent and ambitions. In the hills is wisdom’s fount. They are deep in time.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros


“And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season, or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world.” — Gandalf


“Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me.  That means nothing.  People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” — Albert Einstein


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Well, it’s done. Since I was only half-conscious for much of it, I shan’t comment on its quality, or even its quantity. I will however, make another attempt at coherence tomorrow, if all goes as planned. But, then, y’all know what they say about plans. Regardless, I’ll be here; fair warning.




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….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Curious fractals or penny-wise mavens….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Wherever I go, there I am,” Pooh mused.


~~ Philosopher Bee ~~


More Galway 050


Early morning in Galway, post-championship game….




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


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©Jay Blakesberg
©Jay Blakesberg




50th Anniversary Show




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….







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Grateful Dead Live

New Year’s Eve 1987

















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Sandclock .jpg




    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?……


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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) ~~


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 ~~


9/15/2012


*********


Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,

For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.


~~ John Donne ~~




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pearls_3




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 ~~




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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.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








Dozer




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Tales of rabbits running, and thyme….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


     I realized, at one point, while going over yesterday’s post, that my diatribe in the intro section, regarding some theoretical might-have-beens for one of our former POTUS’s, may conceivably have sounded as if I were disparaging, by stereotyping, “those kind of guys”, when I was speaking of GWB Jr, aka, Shrub, Jr….. That would be an erroneous conclusion, completely against the grain of my actual beliefs, and totally in opposition to the point I was making about the shrub’s latency…


     In that respect, I meant only to suggest that HE, Mr. Shrub, Jr., would have been much better off had he been allowed to explore that, shall we say, more ethically and/or morally evolved side of his personality…. which, sadly, also does not mention how much better off we all would have been, had that series of unlikely events have taken place…. I wanted to make that perfectly clear, as I MUCH  prefer the politics and personalities I find in the gay community over those I find in the Republican Party, as a rule…. Actually, I’d say it’s more like a natural law than a rule, as I’ve yet to meet a Republican I liked very much, and I generally enjoy ALL the gay and/or transgender ffolkes I meet…. though I’m sure they produce their share of assholes, too… We all take our turn at that….


     I started this apologia yesterday, at the point in time when I realized what I had done, so it has usurped my usual beginning routine…. which fits right in with the rest of the day’s events thus far…. I arose at almost 6 AM, the latest hour I’ve arisen in the course of many blue moons, and a good indicator that my new medication regime for sleeping is effective. I’m getting a handle on the amount of medication (cannabis….) I need to consume, as well as getting to understand how long prior to the time I want to go out for the night I need to consume it, so for the past five nights, I’ve gone to bed at a relatively normal hour, and gotten up eight to nine hours later, refreshed and reasonably recharged….. It’s a real treat, believe me, after many years of interrupted sleeping…. I do wake up a bit confused, though, as my mind doesn’t understand why I was asleep so long….


     All of the routines I’m now developing are new, so it may take some time to regularize them; bear with me until then, if you will, and give me some slack…. more than you’ve already given me over time, as you’ve watched me go through all the contortions that my particular brand of madness makes me display so ardently….. I know it can be difficult to see a human being going through some of this, but, just toughen up, ffolkes, it’s all in a good cause, as  long as the subscription papers got signed for the turning over of all the profits to the charity funds I picked…. Of course, that’s assuming we can ever show a profit, an event unlikely to happen in this lifetime, as I’m making no effort to do so…. So there….


     Not sure why the irritability is there, but, hey, I’ve been in stranger moods, and still gotten a Pearl done…. It’s probably just some left over confusion from waking up, a natural response to new routines, and a natural flip, to turn over the confusion to the curmudgeon in me, and let it out as grumpiness…. Every body needs to practice their skills, eh?…. Even if the only thing we’re going to do is go for a dive, in familiar waters…..


     Shall we Pearl?…. Below you will find a quote, one of my all-time favorites, but, sadly, one I have always attributed incorrectly, to the wrong author…. I had always thought this came from Mahatma Gandhi, in one of his gentle moments of sardonicism…. but, I was wrong, so, I offer it here with the correct author given credit….


 “Christianity might be a good thing if anyone ever tried it.” — George Bernard Shaw
 _____________________________


     I’m not up to a rant today, ffolkes, even though I see by the news that the idiots are loose out there, even on a Sunday…. But, they’re talking about the budget, and the economy, and NOTHING is more upsetting to me than that…. They all talk just as if there were something they could do that would have some effect on the economy, when it is perfectly clear to even the most thick-headed that there is not a damn thing to be done… ANYTHING they do is the wrong thing, and it is something they will never understand, as it is beyond their capability….. So, rather than stand around and point out the obvious bleeding from the head wounds they give each other, pounding on a wall that won’t move, I’ll put together an old-school style pearl, to show the same derisive qualities, but with a bit of panache, and, hopefully, humor…. Let’s see if SB will cooperate today….


 “The long habit of living indisposeth us for dying.” — Sir Thomas Browne


 “Life is Not Fair!  Not today, Not tomorrow, Not ever!  Get used to it!” — Smart Bee


 “Doctors are the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too.” — Anton Chekhov


 “Difficulties are things that show what men are.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxiv


 “It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth.” — Oscar Wilde


 “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.” — Aristotle


 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”
 _____________________________


     I know a poet is special when what they’ve written speaks to me as if I were standing next to them, watching them as they wrote the poem…. All of this man’s poems do that for me…. He is very, very real, and powerful, especially when he reveals the vulnerability we all feel sometimes…..


 


Bluebird


 there’s a bluebird in my heart that
 wants to get out
 but I’m too tough for him,
 I say, stay in there, I’m not going
 to let anybody see
 you.
 there’s a bluebird in my heart that
 wants to get out
 but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
 cigarette smoke
 and the whores and the bartenders
 and the grocery clerks
 never know that
 he’s
 in there.


 there’s a bluebird in my heart that
 wants to get out
 but I’m too tough for him,
 I say,
 stay down, do you want to mess
 me up? 
 you want to screw up the
 works? 
 you want to blow my book sales in
 Europe? 
 there’s a bluebird in my heart that
 wants to get out
 but I’m too clever, I only let him out
 at night sometimes
 when everybody’s asleep.
 I say, I know that you’re there,
 so don’t be
 sad.
 then I put him back,
 but he’s singing a little
 in there, I haven’t quite let him
 die
 and we sleep together like
 that
 with our
 secret pact
 and it’s nice enough to
 make a man
 weep, but I don’t
 weep, do
 you?


 ~~ Charles Bukowski ~~


_____________________________


     When I began to put this section together, my intent was a bit more dignified than the end result might indicate….. But, I have no regrets at all over this one, as it happened to turn out to be rather a good little pearly mini-rant, with some fairly nice shots taken, and some good advice delivered…. If nothing else, it gives us all a chance to think about just how much it’s going to cost me to get the psychiatric help I need…. until we remember, it’s all free, if you’re already insane!….. 


     No, really, ffolkes, this one actually IS a good pearl, with all the right stuff to take someone in the right frame of mind right over into patriotic fervor, or possibly, an outbreak of common sense, or even random compassion…. One never knows with these pearls, you know, they can be pretty unpredictable in their effect on some ffolkes…. and even more so on other folks….


 “It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives…  When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force.  When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered.” — Dorothy Thompson, American journalist, author (1894-1961)


 “Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the _real_ object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” — Patrick Henry


 “A promise must never be broken.” — Alexander Hamilton


 “And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?” — Thomas Jefferson,  “Notes on Virginia”


 “A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take from you.” — Ramsey Clark


 “All the big corporations depreciate their possessions, and you can, too, provided you use them for business purposes.  For example, if you subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, a business-related newspaper, you can deduct the cost of your house, because, in the words of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger in a landmark 1979 tax decision: “Where else are you going to read the paper?  Outside?  What if it rains?” — Dave Barry, “Sweating Out Taxes”


 “America … just a nation of two hundred million used car salesman with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable.” — Hunter S. Thompson, “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”
 _____________________________


     There are mornings when I’m uncertain whether or not I really should be doing this…. Then, I read it, and it’s all okay again…. Let’s see if that works today….. Well, I won’t take the high road, and insist that this is all well-intentioned, and should therefore be pardoned…. Nor will I take the low road, and say it is so poor and lacking in content it should be ignored…. for in truth, it is neither one of those, but, almost a proper Pearl, in almost every sense… I’m not certain how it came out that way, but, I’ll take it…. and see you tomorrow, considering myself fortunate to be able to run away without guilt, “an have harmed none”…..


 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


dozer3



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Penitent barbers are strangely silent on Wednesdays….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

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Ffolkes,


This period of my life is turning out to be quite interesting, in the classical, positive sense, not the oriental, dangerous sense. Since moving into a larger house with Patricia, I find myself having to make adjustments again, in order to establish routines that are acceptable to someone else, as well as learning tot live with the idiosyncrasies someone else possesses . 


Both of us have lived alone for years, and it seems natural there might be some areas of friction that will surface to disturb the generally placid waters of our relationship. I have expected them, but, for the most part, the entire issue seems to not be the problem that I anticipated. Pat, bless her, is an unusual women in many ways, for which I thank my lucky stars….


Any who, long story short, it’s been easier than I had thought it would be, and I can only be thankful, as I ….. well, both of us are too old to put up with a lot of struggle and hardship, so, it’s a good thing that everything has gone fairly smoothly with the move. It is now one week since we moved in, and we have all but two boxes unpacked, a washer and dryer are installed, the new bed is in place, and the cat is in heat ( oh, joy….). We have established the rules in the kitchen and bath room, and are learning to put up with each other being in the other’s pocket all day; in general, I’d say we’re doing it pretty well…. I’m content, and she says she is happy, so, I’m happy…..


Now that I am becoming so settled, I don’t know how it will affect my curmudgeon status. Pat seems to not mind it sometimes, but, other times it seems not to go over so well, so, that may be a factor in the future…. we’ll see. I have certain rules that MUST be obeyed when it comes to my membership in that group, else the codicils and amendments will kick in, and nobody wants to see that. It’s supposed to be quite a bloody process, and best avoided, if at all possible. 


So, we’ll see…. It would be a shame to have to balance that kind of issue for long, so, I’m hoping it fizzles out, and causes no further problems….. I’m a grump, but, she doesn’t seem to mind, as she is as close to a female curmudgeon, naturally, without any training, as anyone I’ve ever met…. It’s kind of cute, actually….


(Just in case it isn’t clear, all of the above two paragraphs are fictional material, included for the purpose of mild hilarity, and nothing else…. I know, it didn’t quite get there, but, hey, the effort counts, right?…..)


Such issues aside, the move went well, if a bit expensively, which was purely by choice, due to age related conditions that made me not want to actually DO any of the move myself. In addition, it was turning into a stressful issue for Patricia, and I wanted to eliminate that from our lives, so, I threw some money I had laying around at it, which solved the issue nicely. Neither of us had to work hard at all, until it came to unpacking and putting it away, so all is good, and I am content in our new place…. Maybe that will also have an effect on what I write…. one never knows, do one?….. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see…. But, we won’t wait long, for it begins…. now…..


Shall we Pearl?…..


“When you want to test the depths of a stream, don’t use both feet.” — Chinese Proverb

_____________________________


I love mornings like this, when the words are flowing easily, and Smart Bee is actively helping me in what I’m doing, rather than going off on its own little excursions through the space and time, as it sometimes will do. Today, I started collecting these pearls, with the intended direction being a bit unclear…. but, within moments, SB had supplied me with the following seven gems, which, together, make a nice little critical description of modern society, and the human condition at large…. Well, that’s what I see, anyway…. Y’all can make your own decisions on that…..


“Think of doubt as an invitation to think.’ — Smart Bee


“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.” — Robert Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long


“Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” — George Bernard Shaw


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”


“A kind of excellent dumb discourse.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), The Tempest — Act iii, Sc. 3


“Integrity is when what you say, what you do,what you think, and who you ARE all come from the same place.” — Madelyn Griffith-Haynie


“I had a lease on an OEDIPUS COMPLEX back in ’81…” — Zippy the Pinhead

_____________________________


It has been quite a while since I perused Walt Whitman’s work…. and, as with every time I do, I wonder why it took me so long…. Here is a good one, one of many by this true paragon of American poetry….




A Noiseless Patient Spider


A noiseless, patient spider,     

I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;     

Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,     

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;     

Ever unreeling them — ever tirelessly speeding them.     


And you, O my Soul, where you stand,     

Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,     

Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,— seeking the spheres, to connect them;     

Till the bridge you will need, be form’d — till the ductile anchor hold;     

Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.


~~ Walt Whitman ~~


_____________________________



http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Feinstein-Boxer-buck-constituents-on-Syria-strike-4793945.php


“Failure to respond would give license to Syrian President Bashar Assad to use chemical weapons again, encourage nuclear-armed North Korea and make it more likely that chemical weapons might be used against the United States or its allies, including Israel,” she said.


“How many of us have been … where we see thousands of our troops standing … just a stone’s throw away from North Korea?” Boxer said. “Iran will view us as a paper tiger, when it comes to their nuclear program, and that is dangerous not only for us and our friends but for the world.”


I find these statements to be reprehensible, though they do serve as perfect examples of how the BRC typically distracts and lies to the public in order to do exactly what they want, in spite of what the public may want. For example, we are talking about the Middle East, and Syria, yet she is compelled to add in the specter of the public’s most dangerous nightmare leader of North Korea, and then mention nuclear weapons, though that, too, is an entirely different subject….. They true purpose is to have the public connect those words in their minds, so that whenever they are mentioned, the proper emotional response is created….


Then, she throws in the “Iran will view us as a paper tiger” nonsense….. So fucking what? Are we children, that calling us names will make us respond to such childishness with lethal weaponry? First, who gives a fuck WHAT the Iranians think about us? My ego is strong enough to withstand the meaningless mouthings of ignorant people….. Second, if we end up bombing Syria over this, for the stated purpose of not appearing weak in the eyes of people who already view us with suspicion, if not outright hostility, then the rest of the world will know for sure that we cannot be trusted to do anything other than bomb the fuck out of whomever crosses our path….. They won’t CARE whether or not we are a paper tiger, or an out-of-control behemoth that is killing everyone else because of the sickness in our own society….


Obama, the Senate, and the Congress, all are aware of the overwhelming public opinion that we have no business acting unilaterally in Syria; the public has made this perfectly clear in the weeks since the issue arose. Current polls are showing about 60%, or more, of those polled as being against any unilateral response, though everyone feels that an international response is called for, by the UN, or NATO. 


But, the general run of American has no wish to get involved in yet another illegal war, just to keep the politicians in Washington from losing face…. To my mind, they have no face left, anyway, and anything they do to act in Syria, as being planned, is NOT going to improve that; it will only make the situation worse, and cause yet another mass of people to hate us, with good reason….


Yes,  Bashar Assad is an asshole, and, if, as it appears, he is guilty of gassing his own people, he deserves to be removed from his position, taken into the streets, and shot. End of story. But, the people he orders to do his evil deeds will still be there, along with, most likely, tens of thousands of dead innocents, the notorious “acceptable numbers” of “collateral damage”, (otherwise known as “dead people”, mind you…), of our bombings to come, all of whose surviving relatives will now consider the US to be even more of an enemy than previously, and certainly more of a threat than their own idiots. 


If nothing else, they will see us as the same kind of threat they endure from their own leaders, or worse, because they don’t know us at all; we are just the white devils who bomb them to hell and gone, and don’t even speak their language…. There is no sane response to this issue, other than for the entire world community to act in concert, to deliver the message that this kind of thing won’t be tolerated in society….


But, until our politicians can tell me, with a straight face, and truthfully, that there are no drones sitting on American airfields, ready and able to deliver the SAME substance to OUR population, or that they are NOT spying on their own people in their insane rush to gather ALL the information in the world, I don’t think I’ll be trusting them with much of anything to do with ME or my safety and well-being… Those two issues are not in their interests, and they don’t even consider them in making their plans.  I can see no evidence that they have they ever considered the safety and well-being of the public of any great importance, in relation to whatever they wish to do themselves. It just doesn’t figure into their calculations, ffolkes, and if y’all are entertaining any notion that it does, well, you are wearing blinders, and refusing to see what is staring you in the face…..


The politicians in charge of this country make a lot of noise, telling us they are working hard on our behalf, but, everything I see them actually DO has nothing at all to do with me, or what I want. It only serves their own purposes, and the hell with the constituency…. 


Boxer, and Pelosi, and Feinstein talk a good game, most of the time, and have always been considered to be representative of the liberal agenda, but, as is now clear, when push comes to shove, they are on the side of the politicians, not the people, and will do whatever they have to do to maintain their own position, no matter what the consequences are for the rest of us….


I could rant all day about this one, but, I don’t want to bore anyone further than I probably already have done…. So, I’ll end this here, with my usual warning…. The BRC is lying to you, to me, to all of us, ffolkes, on a daily basis, about just about everything. Unless WE change it, it ain’t gonna change….. 


So, it seems clear to me that we all may as well bend over and kiss our asses goodbye in the relatively near future, because the chances of people acting in concert in a rational way doesn’t have a very good track record…. For that matter, I can’t recall it EVER happening…. Ah well, that’s the breaks, I guess…


“I once wanted to save the world. Now I just want to leave the room with dignity.” — Lotus Weinstock

_____________________________


Sometimes, SB is just better than other times; today is one of those better days…. The ending pearl for the rant in part 3 is perfect; it couldn’t have expressed my feelings and thoughts any better at all…. Okay, let’s see what the damage comes to….


If I’d been fully awake and aware, this might be better, but, it’s not, (worse, that is….), and I’m not, (fully awake and aware…), so, I am persuaded to let it go out as is….. Though I don’t actually care from an ego standpoint, I do hope more than just a few ffolkes read today’s rant, and pass it along, and discuss it to death with their friends…. That is the only way we have a chance to affect what happens, minuscule though that chance may be….


This issue in Syria is a very volatile one, with the potential to become much larger than the arena it occupies, pulling in the whole world. I can only hope that it doesn’t lead to the FINAL confrontation that is surely not far away…. As much as I am prepared for that eventuality, I’m not ready to deal with an endgame scenario right now…. I just got moved, and would like at least a short time of contentment with my lady before it all goes to hell….


Ah well, such is life… All we can do is all we can do, and, for the moment, I’ve done all I can…. See ya…..


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole…

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


dozer3