I find myself at a loss for words. Given the nature of this enterprise (i.e., blogging), that is certainly problematic, not to mention inconvenient in the here and now. However, if I don’t at least make an effort to put together enough words in a logical manner, I’ll feel even worse for wear. And, yes, that gives an indication of just how screwed up my head has been of late, as I have been touting a lack of angst over not posting, an outburst which, clearly, is a lie told to myself. When that happens, I can no longer fail to acknowledge the truth, painful as it must be….
The sad truth is, I have been under attack from the most perfidious and most dangerous of my personal demons, to wit: myself. To be more precise, ’tis a demon of my own making, which brings to bear my own unnamed fears upon my serenity/stability, with all that implies. Long story short, it uses my own skills and thoughts to undermine my peace of mind, with convincing authority, as it all comes from within. To be completely honest, it’s scary, and infuriating, to realize how vulnerable we are to ourselves… More infuriating is knowing it’s all bullshit, just personal weakness in the face of introspection. Nonetheless, bullshit or not, it’s kept me from writing, or thinking clearly, which, in my world, pretty much screws the pooch…. & if I have to explain that one, well, guess what? It ain’t happenin’, cuz I don’t wanna go there…
Since none of the above has any real bearing on anything but my own discomfort, I’ll make the adult decision to move past it without further comment; I’ll just have to come to my own terms with myself. Maybe, if I could find the wherewithal to get a poem down on paper (yes, I know, but, there’s no equivalent digital phrase that describes it so well…), some of this angst would bleed off, & I could spend a bit of time on what I WANT to do, rather than what my inner lack of balance ends up trapping me into doing…. SIGH…. Ah, well the hell with it…. Let’s just get this slow on the toad for the day, & try again another day….
Shall we Pearl?
“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”
~~ Cicero ~~
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Image from residentmusic.com via Google Images….
In my world, this particular musical set represents what I consider the best representative example to be found of Eric Clapton’s work. I listen to this while working, while relaxing, while reading… whatever I may do, it provides a smooth, brilliant background, without becoming tiresome or redundant. It shows off his skills in every style he has learned to play, & his band mates are some of the best to ever play, IMHO…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….
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Meander….
Inimitable, grieving, garnering mere bargains, to taste;
naked apes, priapic by nature and choice,
filled up the only valid chalice, laid it to waste,
nobody asked, nor ever raised a single voice.
Formidable, dreams becoming so real;
clearly extraordinary, in a tawdry sense.
Deals to make, illusions to steal,
busy, busy, building fence after fence.
True nature’s existence, so to speak,
rests interiorly, as well as in your face.
Duality’s persistent insistence ain’t weak;
ignorance of reality leaves not a single trace.
Herds of commonality congregate before portals
shaking each other by the collar as they dance.
Chasing their illusionary dreams, as if they weren’t mortals,
born believing they ever had a chance.
Irony lives deep in the human soul, part, parcel, post;
holding four aces, betting a pair of jacks, or queens.
Expedience beckons toward mendacity, at most,
fox mocking grapes, while it dances and preens.
The wheel turns, inevitable, ponderously mundane,
grinding grain, chaff, and dust.
Bolstering connections aids those who may abstain
from the paltry tale of the bold, and just.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/5/2016
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Naked Pearls
Extra cheese, please….
*******
Before I speak, I am master of the words;
After, the word is master of me”
.~~- Ibn Gabriol ~~
*******
“The first place that I can well remember
was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it.”
~~ “Black Beauty”, by Anna Sewell, 1877 ~~
*******
“By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
*******
“Don’t take the bull by the horns, take him by the tail;
then you can let go when you want to.”
~~ Josh Billings ~~
*******
“The present contains nothing more than the past,
and what is found in the effect is already in the cause.”
~~ Henri Louis Bergson (1859-1941) ~~
*******
“Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow–
You are not wrong who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.”
~~ Edgar Allan Poe, “A Dream Within A Dream” ~~
*******
“Th’ MIND is the Pizza Palace of th’ SOUL”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
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Well, ffolkes, there you have it, such as it is. It’s not Pulitzer-worthy, to be sure, but, it’s all as fresh as I could make it, & it’ll have to do for the nonce. It will be at least a day or two before I post again, as I have committed to doing a small piece of work in collaboration with a friend, & that will garner all my attention for at least a day or two. Until I return, fear not; the universe is proceeding as it should, in spite of how we deal with it, or form opinions on how it may be to our perception….
Hmm…. I see even this little bit of composition is enough to stimulate my pedantry; so be it. I’m done for now, so, I’ll merely say, be well, be happy as you may be, and, keep up the level of strange, if only in self-defense…. I know I will….
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.
I think it can be said, without too much fear of contradiction, that most people, (ffolkes AND folks….), prefer to feel as if they have some control over their life; much of the world’s trouble can be traced to those times when that preference is not the case in reality, for we, being the bozoid creatures we are, at core, generally behave as if it were. Now, if you’re thinking that assertion may be a bit complex, if not inherently controversial, to use as an opening gambit to what is essentially fluff literature; you’d be right, if, indeed, this were actually fluff.
However, I must point out a simple fact; each of the pearls I include in any Pearl of Virtual Wisdom is, due to its brevity, and/or, metaphoric relevance to reality, much more than it seems to be, & if properly considered, and, more importantly, translated into everyday life, can offer benefits heretofore unknown to anyone who hasn’t done so.
I could spend quite a bit of time, energy, & words on convincing y’all of the truth of this, but, due to recently realized self-limiting factors, will leave it to your own testing methods to verify. It’s really not too difficult, & takes very little time, as long as one is accustomed to using what is between their ears for something other than deciding whether to super-size that order of fries….
The recent realization to which I refer, (and to which I ascribe this retreat into pomposity…. sort of an old habit of mine to become pedantic when trying to explain a subtlety….), is this: I am currently unable to write because, during my time away from doing so regularly, I became accustomed to a number of activities that still seem to be a more attractive choice than using my mental energy on the computer; more simply, I’d rather go walk than type.
As might be surmised, this makes the process of Pearling a bit more of a chore than it was for a long time. But, as I am also aware, such is life, and it will, no doubt, change yet again, as it always does. In the meantime, I’ll quit worrying about it, & just post what comes together in the time I allow myself….
There…. that’s more than I’ve been doing, so, good for me… Whether or not the same applies for y’all, well, that’s up to you, as it always is. I do hope you enjoy today’s mess; what there is, is pretty choice. Let’s get to it….
Shall we Pearl?
“A note of music gains significance from the silence on either side.”
~~ Anne Morrow Lindberg ~~
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The Outlaws
Image from Pinterest.com via Google Images
In the late 60’s & 70’s, this band was one of the premier southern rock bands on the scene. They put out a good number of albums over the years, & in my mind, were every bit as good as The Eagles, who were the iconic rock fusion band of all-time. I have included a live concert they gave at the Capitol Theater in 1978 for your viewing pleasure, but, can also recommend typing their name into the YouTube search box, & listening to their albums, all of which are there for your edification…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this be some rockin’ good stuff….
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Life as we know it….
As we grow and learn to be, in this sad, yet joyous parade,
we only have our Self with which to face Life;
small, we are, and weak,
but, smart.
Reality, in studied contrast, is an invisible, ubiquitous shade
dispassionate ambivalence brings us mostly strife.
It’s never enough to seek.
Take part.
The universe won’t make a compromise, but will make a trade.
Give away your fear for knowledge, and a reasoned life.
It often requires a tweak;
live Art.
Love is an essential part of our own particular charade
without it, life can be filled with strife.
Souls perch high on a peak;
sweet, tart.
Pain always balances with joy, the price has to be paid;
for us humans, each must be equal in life.
To know one, the other must speak.
Never apart.
We are all actors, playing parts we’ve chosen to have portrayed;
the director’s absence produces endless strife.
Trying to make sense brings only pique.
Go. Start.
~~ gigoid ~~
11/27/2015.
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life & Love….
*******
“Ask a toad what is beauty?…
a female with two great round eyes coming out of her little head,
a large flat mouth, a yellow belly and a brown back.”
~~ Voltaire (1694-1778) ~~
*******
“Not loving is but a long dying.””
~~ Wu Ti ~~
*******
“Paradise for a happy man lies in his own good nature.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.”
~~ Eric Fromm ~~
*******
“No man can be brave who thinks pain the greatest evil;
nor temperate who considers pleasure the highest good”
~~ Cicero ~~
*******
“To be “matter of fact” about the world is to blunder into fantasy….
and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful.”
~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~
*******
As for the future,
your task is not to foresee it,
but to enable it.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “Wisdom of the Sands” ~~
*******
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Once again, the best I can say is, it’s done, & there you have it. I’m getting a little better at this new process, I think, so, perhaps it will operate more consistently. But, if not, well, reality is thus verified yet again as being deliciously ambiguous. I’ll be back; take that how you will, as threat or promise. Until then, be well & happy as you may be. Oh, and, stay strange….
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 most significant task facing the individual
is the achievement of harmony
between the conscious and the unconscious mind.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
By any other name….
Hajime…. Yesterday, in my lead-in to the post for the day (a re-post, if you will….), I stated the elements of a freshly-made Pearl were mostly done, and would be posted today. So be it. I do not, however, have enough equanimity, or balance, to write anything particularly compelling; neither do I feel any guilt over not doing so. In fact, I am in such a state, sans any obvious justification, but, too much evidence to ignore, it is probably best I hibernate for the remainder of the day, & just deal with the heat wave we are currently experiencing, for the first time this year….
That being said, let’s just get on with it. The alternative is too scary to contemplate…..
Shall we Pearl?
“Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero!”
[Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow!]
~~ Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) ~~
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I’ve gone to our default musical selection today, to save time, and angst left over from the decision-making process. I even went so far as to use the You Tube playlist, which represents, as much as possible, a cross-section of the genre that is worth hearing…. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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As noted, I found this poem yesterday, which I wrote just over a year ago, apparently during a pretty hairy day…. I hope you enjoy it; I did & I didn’t, clearly….
What the fuck is this?
Insanity waits patiently for me, sitting
in the corner, quietly knitting a psyche knot,
for my throat.
Depression is sitting on the couch, close
by the window, sulking over a broken pot;
he broke it.
Loneliness dogs my solitude, madly barking
into my left ear, while I trot,
half-heartedly, at best.
All my old friends have come to visit today;
a party, at which I was not
wanted, nor invited, .
What if I just ignore them all, I think;
even if it never worked before.
Oh, well.
The darkness fills the day, then carries into night,
until time has passed, until it feels just right.
No peace, no common dreams of light,
no escape, nor safety in flight.
Even poetry hurts.
~~ gigoid ~~
6/1/2016
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Naked Pearls
Deeper and deeper….
*******
“The truth is always the strongest argument.”
~~ Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Phaedra, Frag. 737 ~~
*******
“Don’t teach your children what to think;
just teach them to think.”
~~ Tannenbaum ~~
*******
“As the moon retaineth her nature,
though darkness spread itself before her face as a curtain,
so the Soul remaineth perfect even in the bosom of the fool.”
~~ Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375) ~~
*******
“Opposition brings concord.
Out of discord comes the fairest harmony.”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
*******
“All the secrets we may be able to keep
from any and every god and human being
do not in the least absolve us
from the obligation to refrain from whatever actions
are greedy, unjust,
sensual, or otherwise immoderate.”
~~ Cicero, On Duties ~~
*******
“Don’t be confused by surfaces; in the depths everything becomes law.
What is necessary, after all, is only this:
solitude, vast inner solitude.
Walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours
–that is what you must be able to attain.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“The wailing of the newborn infant is mingled with the dirge for the dead.”
~~ Lucretius ~~
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Such as it is, there ’tis. As noted above, so be it. I’ll be back when I’ve found some balance; hopefully, that will be soon enough to post tomorrow. Time, that mouthy bastard, will tell… See ya, ffolkes. Stay loose; it hurts more when you tense up….
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.
“Do every act of your life as if it were your last.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~
Solitary splendor….
Hajime….
“I love mankind; it’s people I can’t stand.”
~~ Charles Schulz, aka Charlie Brown ~~
It’s unusual around here (if anything I say or do can be said to be anything but….) to begin the introduction with a second pearl. Today, (or, yesterday, if you prefer, as I’m writing this then… Time Lord business, pay no mind….), besides going completely overboard with the parenthetical remarks, I’ll be coming as close to ranting as I have in some time… I suppose I should find another descriptive word to indicate the sort of discussion in which I plan to engage, sotto voce, as it were; ’tisn’t really a rant. Perhaps a word I already utilize each day will give the proper ‘look & feel’ character; that word is ‘Exploring’, as used in the official blog title, at the top of the page.
Yes, that will do quite well, I should say; I’m going exploring, in my mind and heart, for the words to express what I find there, and how Life at Large, which we can also call consensual reality, has affected me in the recent past, which, as I type, I realize means, also, the distant past. What we know is always aware of what we have been through before, if only for its lingering effects on our attitudes & habits. Modern pop psychology would call those our ‘tapes’, that which we received before we were even self-aware, picked up in our relatively long immediately-post-natal learning period. Part of why I explore is to identify these ‘tapes’, to examine them for current relevance, or, mark them for deletion.
So, ready or not, here we go. We’ll begin with some thoughts on a subject I find to be part of the core of what I wish to explore, from a man I respect highly, dead or not. George was a thinker; more, he was a man who loved humanity, which allowed him to see all their foibles & idiosyncracies with a ruthlessly honest eye, and the genius to make them listen & laugh with him at their own bozoid natures….
Without ever using the word, George identifies the single most critical element, to my mind; that word is ‘fear’. He alludes to how it is exploited as cruelty, and, it is, for it spreads the fear it fans to others, sans any purpose but self-interest. Humans, though one plays hell getting them to admit it, are not all that different than our ancient cousins, who lived huddled in temporary safe havens, such as caves, or convenient groves of trees, afraid of everything in their environment they did not understand, other to know its danger…. To believe what religion claims to be true brings comfort to those who cannot learn to face, & control their fears, promising to them what they already possess.
Learning to control fear is, then, a human’s most critical lesson to learn; without such control over our own emotional state, we are susceptible to manipulation by those who serve only themselves. People learn to ‘believe’ instead of learning to ‘learn’, thus developing the habit of NOT thinking, but, making decisions based on beliefs, which were motivated by their fear…. As can be observed throughout history, this results in a pretty miserable time for most humans, a life much harder than it needs to be.
Some days ago, when I began this exploration, I had a specific purpose in mind; that has since eroded into a number of possible arenas to explore, ultimately leading me to the conclusion I’ve again bitten off too big a bite to chew. To continue would be counter-productive at this point, with the most likely result nobody would finish reading, simply because it has become too complex to be a cogent lesson. As an attempt to regain control of our destination, I will abandon any hope of completing my treatise, & end it with some pearls which can give some direction to your thoughts, leaving it there with some reluctance, and some relief….
I’ll probably take up this gauntlet again, when I am able to focus again on the path to where I wish to go…. For now, here are three thoughts to provide some food for your own processing appetite….. Then, we’ll go finish the rest of today’s mess, so we may all get on with our day…. I think that’s the way to go, so, off we go….
The evidence of the emotions, save in cases where it has strong objective support, is really no evidence at all, for every recognizable emotion has its opposite, and if one points one way then another points the other way. Thus the familiar argument that there is an instinctive desire for immortality, and that this desire proves it to be a fact, becomes puerile when it is recalled that there is also a powerful and widespread fear of annihilation, and that this fear, on the same principle proves that there is nothing beyond the grave. Such childish proofs are typically theological, and they remain theological even when they are adduced by men who like to flatter themselves by believing that they are scientific gents…” — H. L. Mencken
“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleges, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.” — Tolstoy
“The spirit is fascinated by the future, wants to know the meaning of everything, and would like to stretch, if not break altogether, the laws of nature through technology or prayer. It is full of ideals and ambition, and is a necessary, rewarding, and inspiring aspect of human life. The soul is… embedded in the details of ordinary,everyday experience. In the spirit we try to transcend our humanity; in the soul, we try to enter our humanity fully and realize it completely.” — Thomas Moore
Whew! Made it. Okay, ffolkes, that’s enough blather from me for one day, I should think. Let’s see what else we can find to mess with….
Shall we Pearl?
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
~~ Plato ~~
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Naturally, spouting off for so long in the intro has made me late. That means, as you know, we go with default music, which, in this case, means a collection of classical pieces to read by…. Three hours worth ought to do it, I think….. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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Intelligent Crimes
The value of wit is often said to cause harm,
for those who think, such is its greatest charm.
The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled
if innovation and change is left unwilled.
Society behaves at its base as a mob
conformity and submission its primary job.
Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule
is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.
Intellect and talent are looked at askance,
expressing artistry stands nary a chance.
To stand out from the rest of mankind
is fraught with danger, for body and mind.
Often I stand to watch in solemn dismay
as beauty and joy are left by the way,
ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses
who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.
With shouts of derision the normals make known
their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.
They hope to stop all semblance of progress;
for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.
The world struggles on in spite of all opposition,
managing to maintain its advanced position.
Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,
helping each to learn the survival dance.
Hard though it may be to keep up with the future
genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.
In the final analysis, those who live by reason
enjoy life the most, season to season.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/7/2012
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Naked Pearls
It’s a puzzle, isn’t it?….
*******
“Birth is the beginning of death.”
~~ Realist Bee ~~
*******
“A fiery soul, which, working out its way,
Fretted the pygmy-body to decay,
And o’er-inform’d the tenement of clay.
A daring pilot in extremity;
Pleas’d with the danger, when the waves went high
He sought the storms.”
~~ John Dryden — Absalom and Achitophel, Part i, Line 156 ~~
*******
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
~~ Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729) ~~
*******
“An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine,
but because people refuse to see it.”
~~ James Michener, “Space” ~~
*******
“He does not seem to me to be a free man
who does not sometimes do nothing.”
~~ Cicero ~~
*******
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
~~ Philip K. Dick ~~
*******
“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”
~~ Basho ~~
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Y’all may consider this Pearl somewhat overdone. It’s what happens when I get too focused, & try to pack too much into one place. But, it’s done, and, all things considered, it will do. If nothing else, anyone who finishes it all can give themselves a hearty heigh-ho, just for wading all the way through to the end. I’d award prizes, but, the budget just won’t stretch that far this month. I guess all that’s really left to do is to say fare thee well, & add in the usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, eventually, to post more (non)sense for your perusal. Until then, be well, be safe, and for goodness’ sake, keep those thinking caps on…. It’s your best defense, and, quite frankly, your only hope….
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.
” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention
of doing you good, you should run for your life.”
~~ Thoreau’s Law ~~
Sharing Tiki secrets….
Hajime…. Having spent more than five years using this blog process as a means of retaining what sanity I may claim, it seems Reality, in its most significant manifestations, is demanding I give it up, in favor of survival, in a very real sense. The condition in which current Reality has been configured by human culture is beginning to resemble our nature, which is somewhat unstable, a generous description, at best. The population has grown, and continues to grow, beyond the planet’s ability to sustain us in any degree of comfort, showing no signs of establishing any rational limits to its growth.
This, of course, is a self-regulating issue; the problem is, the regulatory process will, in its most basic permutation, kill most of us in its manifestation. We are rapidly approaching the possibility of more than one sort of catastrophic adjustment in Nature, and making no preparations to deal with whatever may occur to bring the population down to a manageable size, or, eliminate us altogether…. Hell, you couldn’t get more than a single percent of that population to admit there may be a problem; they’re too busy creating it to notice…. Homo suicidus, indeed….
Knowing this, I am finding the creation of these Pearls to be, not tiresome, or tedious, but, difficult to justify, in terms of how it may help me to survive. For the time I’ve been writing, it has served me well, as a balm to my injured soul, and, a means of striking back at the demons who live in my head, as a result of my experiences with the violent side of human nature for so long. Now, my sense of danger from the death throes of human culture has reached a critical point, where I must decide whether to continue this process, or, let it go, & do what can be done to prepare for the upcoming disturbances, so clearly imminent in my understanding. A hard rain’s a gonna fall, ffolkes, and I need to replace my umbrella with one a bit more sturdy….
This means, in the near future, I may decide to disappear, as far off-grid as I can safely get to; there are still assessments to be completed, and preparations to be planned & carried out. But, be sure, at some point, I will be ready, and will just go, probably without much of a ripple in the waters of reality. For now, I guess I’ll see if Smart Bee is in a mood to share. If so, we’ll finish up this mess, & post what I’ve got. If not, well, I guess I’ll see what happens then…. For now, let’s do this, & go see what there is to find….
Shall we Pearl?
“Only the half-mad are wholly alive.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
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Naturally, since I’m cutting things short today, we’ll go with the first, best classical collection I can find… I hope you enjoy it; if not…. Oh, well. Can’t say I’m not trying….
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Classical Music
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Measures of Intent
Hell is never far away; it slips in, then out,
like a ninja, bent on stealth and death.
Living metamorphoses, in the space of a breath,
sordid entropy fills us, within, and without.
Tide turns again; back and forth it tumbles,
like those little wind up toys, yet never stays.
All our efforts, all our silly little ways,
disappear like seaweed, as sanity crumbles.
The duality of reality in which we are firmly caught,
seems to inhabit every part of our natural selves.
Nothing is ever still, nor can it be placed on shelves;
we are dark, and light; balance must be taught.
Life is lived only one moment at a time,
past and future have no power to alter this at all.
We can choose to fly, or choose to fall;
finding truth, and beauty, can never be a crime.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/14/2015
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Process and Program….
*******
“Civilization is fun! Anyway, it keeps me busy!!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“Fate is a river; free will is a paddle.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“I don’t believe that life is supposed to make you feel good,
or make you feel miserable either.
Life is just supposed to make you feel.”
~~ Gloria Naylor ~~
*******
“Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.”
~~ Cicero ~~
*******
“Joy is wealth and love is the legal tender of the soul.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
*******
“I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie.
I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave.
And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.”
~~ H. L. Mencken ~~
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“Death is not the greatest loss in life.
The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
~~ Norman Cousins~~
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Well, I pushed it, shoved it, patted it, and lied to it (no, just kidding…), and, well, it’s done. I won’t deny I did it, but, I’m pretty sure I won’t be sending it to the Pulitzer Committee, either. Since it IS done, I’m going to go find other stuff to do. I will also say, I’ll probably be back tomorrow; still too much to be done before I can get away as I wish, so, I may as well use the process to blow off any built up insanity that may accrue. Or, not; time will tell, won’t it? It usually does. Me, I’m outta here…. See ya, ffolkes, if I don’t explode first….
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.
“When someone loves you for a long time,
really loves you,
then you become Real.
Generally, by the time you are Real,
most of your hair has been loved off,
your eyes drop out,
but this doesn’t matter . . .
when you are Real you can’t be ugly.”
~~ The Velveteen Rabbit ~~
Glacier melt run-off, Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska…
Hajime…. Today didn’t begin well. I’ll skip the details, as relating them would only serve to reignite my feelings, which I’ve just managed to put back into the bottle. Suffice it to say, I’m not in the best of moods, and shall be making a strong effort to keep from allowing my human nature to assert itself. If I don’t, there could conceivably be much to regret tomorrow.
That said, I’ll also make another ruthless, executive-style decision about today’s Pearl, to keep this intro, and the closing section, short and sweet. Well, short, anyway. To do so is, in truth, quite a simple matter, which I should probably employ more often. I won’t, but, I should. But, if they all looked like this, I’d go off the deep end in a matter of days. Wouldn’t want that, would we? No…. So, let’s do this, instead….
Shall we pearl?….
“Anyone who has got a book collection/library and a garden wants for nothing.”
Given my incredibly foul mood, I’m going today with some relaxing mood music, that always seems to soothe my Celtic soul…. Enjoy!….
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Celtic Music
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Is It Alive?
Fighting into the light, words push hard to exist
each step closer to real brings another unique twist.
Shedding meaning for meaning, until bright, alone, and right
sculpting useless shapes, yet undefined, in pale morning’s light.
Never knowing the face is part of the lasting charm
bringing elegant focus, before sounding the alarm.
Advantageous time sends out messages, fears finding voice,
mulling options for flexibility, virtually without choice.
Fortunate man, who embraces the power of change;
’tis magical knowledge, bonding common to strange.
Weaving words of wonder, made strong by love and duty,
into a tapestry of life, and everlasting beauty.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/10/2013
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
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“I’ll talk a word with this same learned Theban.”
~~ William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act iii, Sc. 4 ~~
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“Character is who you are in the dark.”
~~ Lord John Whorfin ~~
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“I have not ceased being fearful,
but I have ceased to let fear control me.
I have accepted fear as part of life,
specifically fear of change and fear of the unknown;
and I have gone ahead despite
the pounding in the heart that says,
turn back, turn back,
you’ll die if you venture too far.”
~~ Erica Jong ~~
*********
“If you think education is expensive,
Try Ignorance.”
~~ Andy McIntyre ~~
*********
“As you go the way of life you will see a great chasm.”
Jump.
It is not as wide as you think.”
~~ Native American advice ~~
*********
“The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself
is not to feel secure,
but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”
~~ Erich Fromm ~~
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“If you can’t be with the one you love,
love the one you’re with.”
~~ Steven Stills ~~
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An it harms none, do what thou will.
~~ Wiccan Credo ~~
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“Here’s Looking at you, kid.”
~~ Casablanca ~~
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I stated above this would be short, so, short it will be. How short? This short…. I’ll be back, hopefully with a bit more positive attitude. If not, well, so be it. 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.
“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
“You’re not a real person until you’re ignored by a cat.”
Hajime…. The official title of this blog, as it says right at the top left, is Exploring Consensual Reality. Today’s version of Reality is simply too much for me to deal with; the sun came up, and I just don’t know what to do about it. Not that I’ll ever need to do anything about it, but, we humans do have our irrational fears…. It’s been said, with good reason, by a number of really smart ffolkes, worry kills more people than bullets. I can attest.
Since my mind is in revolt, (or, maybe that should be, my mind is revolting….), the mess you’ll see today will be a cheap imitation of a real Pearl, since most of it is destined to come from the archives. That is the only way it will get done at all, I’m afraid, even though it’s Sunday, and nobody really cares except me. Oh, well, he said, with some relief. That’s show biz….
That’s all, ffolkes. I’m off now, to go put this together, best I may; y’all can stick around to see what happens, or bail now. As ever, it’s up to you. In the meantime, I’ll go do what needs doing, and be done with it. Let’s get started, ‘kay?…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”
~~ Basho ~~
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Naturally, in order to save time, we’re going with our default musical selection. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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While searching for a rant in the archives from 2014, I found this one, from 2012, which will do nicely….
From 6/26/2012:
IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot’s activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but “pervades and regulates the whole.” He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions and opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
When I picked out this pearl, I had intended to write a piece exploring human intelligence. However, my brain had a different plan, and all of the thoughts that I had marshaled to use went into the wind, poof, gone….. Since I’m feeling a bit lazy today, I’m keeping the pearl, and writing something about it anyway, so there….
Ranting about human stupidity is an endless challenge; there is so much of it to pick from that the choosing becomes harder than the actual writing. Every day’s news brings more examples of how dumb folks can be, and finding just one that is acceptable is merely a matter of deciding which is the better choice from a humorous view, or a serious view, or whatever viewpoint from which we will write. I’ve yet to see a single day when there weren’t at least four or five instances of stories that illustrate how talented people are at finding new ways to show how stupid they really are…..
“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” — Lazarus Long
We’ve all seen this one, I think; if not this one by Robert Heinlein, then one from another author or philosopher. It’s a pretty common theme, after all. Often, examples can be found on the front pages, especially during election years. But the back pages also carry numerous examples, taken from real life…. such as this one….
Back when I was attending the University of Utah, The Daily Utah Chronicle ran a joke ad for a debate between Phil Donahue and Whiskers the Lamb. Over 30 people showed up. (what they were expecting, God only knows.) — Smart Bee
In order to further prove my point, here is an example taken from today’s news….
This link leads to a very short article from Yahoo news, a perfect example of how the world is going mad, step by step….. I’m not even going to comment on the article, as it’s already too hard to think about it without laughing at the absurdity of the whole issue…..
Okay, I think my point is proved. The human race is pretty stupid, and getting stupider all the time. Sure, we’ve got men in space, we’ve raised the average age to 72 with medical advances, we’ve been to the moon. But we also are still making war on each other. We still abuse animals, and women, and children, and any thing else that is weaker, and will stand still. We are still killing ourselves, and denying that it is even happening. My only hope at this point is for something to happen to change human nature, to turn us away from this path we’ve chosen to walk. I hope it will happen, but I’m afraid the power of stupidity may just be greater than the power of hope….
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The following was first posted on 5/13/2014:
I’m going with whatever serendipitously throws itself under the wheels of this bus we’re on…. Here is a thought, and a poem, from two classical Chinese poets, to whose translators I offer my complete admiration, and thanks, for such excellent work….
“If you work on your mind with your mind, how can you avoid an immense confusion?”
~~ Seng-T’San ~~
Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River
The sorrow of riverside blossoms inexplicable,
And nowhere to complain — I’ve gone half crazy.
I look up our southern neighbor. But my friend in wine
Gone ten days drinking. I find only an empty bed.
A thick frenzy of blossoms shrouding the riverside,
I stroll, listing dangerously, in full fear of spring.
Poems, wine — even this profusely driven, I endure.
Arrangements for this old, white-haired man can wait.
A deep river, two or three houses in bamboo quiet,
And such goings on: red blossoms glaring with white!
Among spring’s vociferous glories, I too have my place:
With a lovely wine, bidding life’s affairs bon voyage.
Looking east to Shao, its smoke filled with blossoms,
I admire that stately Po-hua wineshop even more.
To empty golden wine cups, calling such beautiful
Dancing girls to embroidered mats — who could bear it?
East of the river, before Abbot Huang’s grave,
Spring is a frail splendor among gentle breezes.
In this crush of peach blossoms opening ownerless,
Shall I treasure light reds, or treasure them dark?
At Madame Huang’s house, blossoms fill the paths:
Thousands, tens of thousands haul the branches down.
And butterflies linger playfully — an unbroken
Dance floating to songs orioles sing at their ease.
I don’t so love blossoms I want to die. I’m afraid,
Once they are gone, of old age still more impetuous.
And they scatter gladly, by the branchful. Let’s talk
Things over, little buds —open delicately, sparingly.
~~ Tu Fu ~~
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I’m so late, and so discombobulated (fine word!….), I’m going to the archives for the final, old-school pearl today; why not? Here is one from 2014 that will do nicely….
From6/21/2014:
Once again, I had hoped to have more pictures today, but, the Wise Old Pine Cone has been busy with his new student, so we’ll have to settle for a fresh, old-school pearl….. We’ll make it a random, harlequin style pearl, as they’re the quickest to put together, as the parameters involved are so flexible…. Enjoy!….
“This is a wise maxim, “to take warning from others of what may be to your own advantage.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Heautontimoroumenos, Act i, Sc. 2, 36, (210.)
“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.” — Max Lerner
“Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do ingloriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple: who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?” — John Milton (1608-1674) — Areopagitica
“He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.” — Kahlil Gibran
“After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done.” — Olmstead’s Law
“…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.” — Erasmus
“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)
Sometimes this process doesn’t work; this is NOT one of those times…. This is a good pearl, ffolkes…. Serendipity strikes again….
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Thanks to my extensive archives, it’s done, even if incredibly late. Oh, well. I’ll try again tomorrow; who knows? I may even get a real Pearl finished by then. Either way, I’ll be back; on that you may rely…..
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…. Today’s opening section has a lesson. The lesson possibly, or even probably, appears more often than not without my mindful appreciation; this too is part of the lesson, one designed to teach us/me how to apply that mindfulness more consistently. To read the lesson, which also requires some thought to identify, one need only look at the two quotes at the bookend position for this section, one after the other, in any order. One is a perfect tautological piece of insight regarding our own mind; the other is a warning, as to how we use that mind. Taken together, the contrasting concepts seem, to me, to provide a pathway toward light, if not full illumination….
This lesson is particularly valuable today for me; it gives me some hope the hole into which I continue to tumble all too regularly may be filling itself in, to some degree. That’s a good sign, as I’ve been getting tired of cleaning up the scrapes and bruises I keep acquiring when it opens up in front of me, and I end up bloody & battered at the bottom, gazing at a small strip of blue or black at a great distance above me. Not much fun when one has plans to fly, and the cost of bandages is becoming prohibitive, to say the least. Total bummer, dudes & dudettes, allow me to assure you. But, with this therapeutic sign grasped firmly in hand, I’ll get on with the slow, & try to get it on the toad…..
Not only will I sally forth with some extra impetus, I’ll do it now, so I don’t lose any of the emotional impact. It comes in handy when energy flags, you know. At any rate, we’ll see if we can come up with something worth spending your time reading, whereupon I will head off to find some clean air, and dirt to play in. Sometimes, when your a human male, getting dirty is a basic need, so, I’ll go back to my simian roots for a time & see if it helps. It should; I’m due….. On that cryptic note, let’s go see what kind of trouble we can find below…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Who sees all beings in his own Self,
and his own Self in all beings,
loses all fear.”
Okay, so, maybe trouble was the wrong word to use. This lady’s music certainly won’t give us any of that, will it? I also don’t believe she needs very much introduction, as one of today’s most popular artists. All I’ll say now is, enjoy!…..
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Sheryl Crow Live
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“Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your own generation. Think of continuing generations of our families, think of our grandchildren and of those yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the ground.” — Peacemaker, founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, (ca. 1000 AD)
I had originally intended to use this quote as the opening thought for a rant; instead, I’ll take it more to heart, by forgoing a new rant in favor of an old one. Here’s a pretty damn good religirant from the archives; it’s more than three and a half years old, but, still on the mark… Enjoy!…..
From 12/12/12:
“He who proselytizes in the cause of unbelief is basically a man in need of belief.” — Eric Hoffer
This is true…. you never see an atheist going door to door, trying to convert the pious to their unbeliefs. However, I would go further on this train of thought, and add that, “He who proselytizes, in any cause, in basically a man in need of a life.” I’m sure it occurred to Mr. Hoffer, but he was too busy trying to explain this statement to somebody who didn’t understand the word ‘proselytize’….. For my own case, I have never, ever understood why people feel compelled to go door to door to try to get other people to believe what they believe; it’s one of the most persistent delusional systems I’ve ever witnessed, to believe that anyone wants to hear what they have to say, much less they will find their beliefs palatable to others, or find anyone who believes them to be superior to their own…..
“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying they made them.” — Smart Bee
Humans seem to have an immense blind spot when it comes to their own actions and beliefs. Most of them never seem to question the things they are told, even when those things are presented with no evidence other than faith. Of course, the people who are invested in the religious system, to wit: the preachers, begin their indoctrination when their constituents are very young, when they are still prone to accept whatever an adult says as truth. This ensures a life-long predilection for being simple to control…. or, in short, mental slavery, if you will. Unless there is some sort of rebellion of spirit, where new knowledge is injected, these poor saps will spend their entire lives believing that what they have been told is real, when, in fact, they are fitting themselves with shackles, that will forever imprison their minds, and their imagination…..
“To defend one’s self against fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.” — James Baldwin
In my life-long quest for the truth, I’ve come to believe that religions, while originally intended to benefit people, (by their iconic progenitors, anyway…. I’m sure Jesus was a quite nice man, and wanted the best for those to whom he preached his own philosophy of compassion….), have historically been taken over by the predators who live to control others.
To be fair, some of those who become priests, or any of the other varieties of religious fanatic that prevail in our society, may indeed believe that their beliefs are true, and act accordingly, but the majority are, as far as I can tell, only concerned with maintaining status quo, thereby benefiting themselves, while never actually allowing any REAL progress in the development of the human condition. They would have society behave as if we were still living in caves, in essence, still cowering in our meager shelter while the storms and lightning are raging outside, terrified of the power of what we do not understand, and, therefore, allow ourselves to fear….
“A universe of death, which God by curse
Created evil, for evil only good;
Where all life dies, death lives,
and Nature breeds Perverse,
all monstrous, all prodigious things,
Abominable, unutterable and worse
Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived,
Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire.”
~~ Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II ~~
(Side note: I’ll bet Milton had a hard time sleeping….)
The Universe is a big place, and there is a lot to learn. Fearing that knowledge, or fearing what changes that knowing will always bring, is the act of a coward, to my mind, and should not be encouraged. Supernatural beings of unlimited power are not a required component to the understanding of Nature and the Universe; we need not fear that our lack of knowledge of how things work is unattainable. Just because we do not understand a part of reality does not mean that whatever it is, is beyond our understanding.
It is not necessary to ask for exemptions, or intervention by our own personal gods, for us to achieve happiness, or even contentment; that is completely within our own power, if we but acknowledge that part of us that is free, and connected to everything else we can perceive. The connections may not be fully understood, but they are there, and if we can only learn to recognize it, the power to change reality lies within us, all the time…. As Epictetus said, “Happiness lies in learning to accept a simple truth. There are some things you can change. And there are some things you cannot.” It’s really quite that easy, you know, once one learns to accept this fact of life…. No dogma required…..
“If brains were outlawed, nothing would change.” — Smart Bee
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Serendipity Morning
My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.
Love hovers, always patient,
seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/1/2013
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Today’s final, old/new-school pearl is one for the books, for sure, and for certain. (My standard disclaimer for those ideas/events which, in my estimation, are something on which it is safe to place belief, even bordering on faith, up to and including the wagering of serious money, whichever may be appropriate….) Some days, even, or, especially, when I am not really focused on it, I’ll cruise through my source(s) without first setting any parameters. Generally, I think of it as a random harlequin style pearl, and that works just fine, both for the process, and to describe today’s effort.
The difference is, today’s results are particularly well directed. They form a continuous train of thought, sort of, loosely (as ever), but, if followed, leads to some rather valuable concepts, all of which can be applied to our examination of consensual reality with better than average results, in re: personal serenity/happiness/all good things…. If it doesn’t quite do that for you, well, that’s okay; there are only three, maybe four people in the world I know of who would/will get that far in their thinking. If there are more, they’ve never contacted me, or come into my ken, which includes a veritable shit-load of people, what with reading, experience, and all.
In my mind, this one is a self-directed rant, a journey to enlightened thought, an odd sort of poem/song/dance (try reading it out loud to your pet/companion…), and good clean fun. Hell y’all might even like it…. Enjoy!…
Naked Pearls
‘The Head….’
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“Neither the water nor the moon make any effort to achieve a reflection.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
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“The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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H = R – E
“Happiness equals Reality minus Expectations”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
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“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.”
~~ Quintus Ennius ~~
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“He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.”
~~ Cicero ~~
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“Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral?
It is because we are not the person involved”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
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“In the beginning, God created the Earth and he said, “Let there be mud.”
And there was mud.
And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud,
so the mud can see what we have done.”
And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man.
Mud-as-man alone could speak.
“What is the purpose of all this?” man asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all of this,” said God.
And He went away.”
~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu” ~~
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“Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches,
and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divination,
perhaps we would then endure our sorrows with greater confidence than our joys.
For they are the moments when something new has entered us,
something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity,
everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes,
and the new, which no one knows,
stands in the midst of it and is silent.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
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“C’mon then. My log does not judge.”
~~ Margaret, the Log Lady, from Twin Peaks ~~
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Well, it’s late, and it’s epic, but, most importantly, it’s done. Just in time, too; my deadline angst alarm went off some time ago. I’ll be nice again, & forgo any further tricks, traps, or bullshit, & just say, see y’all tomorrow, when I’ll try again to reach an island of sanity in an insane world….. Ta, then, luvs….
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.
“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others;
to be, not to seem.
~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~
~~ Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxvii, ~~
Bar at the Old Swan, London
Hajime…. Of the nearly 80 hours I spent in London in 2013, many were spent in the public house you see pictured today at the top of this page. The Old Swan, established in 16something, was about as typical a pub as you’ll find anywhere in England. Since it was located about one block from my B&B in Kensington, I spent many a happy hour observing the day and night life of the Londoners who frequented the old pub. This morning, I chose the picture simply for the good memories it brings, of a trip I’d dreamed of my entire life.
Today, I appreciate the memories, as they are a welcome change from the OTHER memories recently flooding my brain, of other times and places that bring back an entirely different kind of memory, the kind that will drop one right into the morass of depression in a heartbeat. Bugger that today, as they would say in the Old Swan; I’ve got other plans. Since I do, why don’t I curtail this intro yet again, thus preventing further maudlin introspection, in favor of moving things along to their natural end. Sounds a bit more productive, as well as comfortable. Well, as close to comfortable as I get, these days….
Doing just that has become much easier, now I’ve managed to figure out all the toys in the Tardis. Since I have, I’m going to apply this one, which may be the most efficient one I’ve come across. It’s pretty simple, really, and works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.”
~~ William Arthur Ward ~~
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The Man
By now, most of y’all have heard the sad news regarding Eric Clapton. He has begun to suffer from degenerative neuropathy, which will make it progressively more painful, and difficult to play his guitar. Since I’ve regarded him as the best player alive for most of his, and my life, this is bad news for all who appreciate good music, and those who play it with such heart and soul. Here is a mix of live cuts compiled by another fan of his, which I hope you enjoy as much as I will….
Since I’m up a little late, here is a rant from the archives, on a subject important to ALL of us…. Still trying to get the message to those who need it….
From 6/14/2012:
“We shall never understand the natural environment until we see it as a living organism. Land can be healthy or sick, fertile or barren, rich or poor, lovingly nurtured or bled white. Our present attitudes and laws governing the ownership and use of land represent an abuse of the concept of private property…. Today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see and nobody calls the cops.” — Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness (1971)
This statement is now over 50 years old, according to the attribution. From what I can see in the real world, it remains as true today as it was when uttered. We are killing our planet, or rather, we are killing ourselves, and making the planet suffer in the process. No matter how God-like we believe our powers to be, I don’t believe we can quite destroy a whole planet. But, we can sure make it a tough place to survive, and we are doing that rapidly…. I refer to to the World Clock once again….
Why are we doing this to ourselves? I’m not the only citizen who is asking this question; there are actually millions of people like me who are aware of how bad things have gotten, and I’ve seen a lot of printed material on the subject. The problem is that nobody with any power to make changes to society at large is at all concerned with the problem, because A) They tend to deny it, as it doesn’t match their delusional view of reality, and B) They don’t care…..
The first reason, denial, is rooted in the avarice and selfishness of those who seek political and/or religious power. Their purpose in life is to “get” as much as they can, gathering resources, money, and power over others to their bosoms like a mother cradles her babe. This purpose keeps them focused on their own goals, and denial is the simplest way to deal with any ideas that are contrary to those goals. There is a popular saying these days, that I’ve heard many, many times, most often with a smile and a wink, to show that the person wants us to believe they are kidding, when they really are not…. that saying goes, “He who dies with the most toys, wins….” That’s America, all over….
The second reason, indifference, was taught to these folks by the Christian religion. That’s right, religion is responsible, fully and completely, for most of what is wrong in today’s society. This statement will no doubt cause some consternation among those believers who are still buying into that shell game, but it is nonetheless true. It is difficult to build a rational institution when one’s beliefs are based on a basic untruth. More simply, false conclusions are the only possible result of beginning with a false assumption….
The common dogma [of fundamentalists] is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence.” — G Gaia
What, you ask, is this false assumption? Well, I hate to be the one to break it to them, but hey, Mankind is NOT the top of the food chain. Mankind is NOT superior to the other animals, and plants, that live here with us. Mankind is NOT the “owner”, or the “steward”, or the “ruler” of this world. We are not the “Lords of Creation”, nor do we either deserve or actually possess the entitlement so many of our beloved ruling class feels, or claims. We are nothing more than a fortunate (for us) accident of Nature, no less than any other creature, but no more, for certain….
Here the free spirit of mankind, at length,
Throws its last fetters off; and who shall place
A limit to the giant’s unchained strength,
Or curb his swiftness in the forward race?
~~ William Cullen Bryant — The Ages, xxxiii ~~
It is unfortunate in the extreme that so many people believe this prideful boast! Being able to reason hasn’t improved our morality. Being able to imagine has not increased our empathy, or our compassion, though it should. As a species, looked at from an outside viewpoint, we are much less efficient as an animal than are almost any of the other animals we know of; dogs and cats are far superior morally, ethically, and operationally than are humans; I would add they are more intelligent as well, but the humans out there won’t believe that, even though it is obvious to me. I mean, who is feeding who here? Although still subject to the cruelty to which humans so often resort, dogs and cats control their humans pretty well, as a rule…..
“Dogs are animals that poop in public and you’re supposed to pick it up. After a week of doing this, you’ve got to ask yourself: Who’s the real master in this relationship?” — Anthony Griffin
All this goes back to the same old message that I’ve been sending out for years. If this species, Australopithecus modernus, does not make a change in it’s mental viewpoint, in our morality and how that makes us deal with the world, we’ll all be dead within 200 years. The planet will recover; all the poisons we’ve pumped into the environment will be neutralized, and the damage we’ve done will heal over time. But, we will be gone, if we don’t figure out how to change the whole way we deal with reality, from the top of society down…. I hate to be a cynic, but I don’t see it happening, and that is just sad…..
“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”
~~ Cicero ~~
********************************
Off the proverbial cuff….
I never meant to kill that period of time,
it didn’t give me any choice.
It tried to hem me in without reason, or rhyme,
refused me any vote, or any voice.
You have to admit, I buried it deep and fast,
just as if I cared.
I knew, though, it would never last,
or ever be fully repaired.
No news, no pictures can bring it back,
once is all we get.
No pleas of public good, or even public lack;
in stone the past is set.
Futuristic visions now occupy my dreams,
I’m ready to go on.
Look! It fills up the screen, and it gleams!
Where’s the moment I’m sitting on?
Now, I remembered, at long, long last,
is all we really can hold.
Every moment goes by so bloody fast,
we’d best fill them all with beauty, warm and bold.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/30/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Further Notes on Life at Large
*********
“Put forth your effort
With no thought of gain.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*********
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
~~ Walter Winchell ~~
*********
“Self-pity is the worst poverty.”
~~ Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufi writer) ~~
*********
“He who boasts of his ancestry praises the merits of another.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*********
“Perseverance is more prevailing than violence;
and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together,
yield themselves up when taken little by little.”
~~ Plutarch — Life of Sertorius ~~
*********
“Education is not a preparation for life;
Education is life itself.”
~~ John Dewey ~~
*********
“Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 191 ~~
*********
Knowledge is gained by learning; trust by doubt;
skill by practice; and love by love.”
~~ Thomas Szasz
*********
“What fools these mortals be.”
~~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca ~~
*********
********************************
Having submitted my usual outpouring of blather & nonsense, I shall forgo further torturous prattle, to bid thee adieu for another diurnal period. Little did we know, when we began, just how strange it would get, but, as they’re fond of saying downtown, what the hell? It’s finished, and, around here, that’s all that’s required. Well, we also try to do this each day…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; such is our lot, and we welcome it. Go figure….
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.
gigoid 