Tag Archives: Cicero

Left to our own devices, we drift…..

Posted on by
3

Ffolkes,

Sleep, it has been said, is a weapon, a metaphorical adage in which I firmly believe, though one is not always certain against whom the weapon is to be employed. Since returning from the trip, I’ve slept really well, compared to the time before I left, and it is indeed a blessing, though not without its own conundrums to be addressed….. Such as, it is now already almost 0715 in the morning, and I’m just now getting these first words on screen. This is, I’m sure, the latest I’ve gotten started in a couple of years, if not ever, and I’m unsure how to deal with it. I’m almost tempted to break out the new computer, and see what kind of real damage I can cause over there….. But, it is not yet optimized for this process, and this needs to get going, so, onward, as they say downtown…..

Naturally, nobody you’ve ever seen or heard has EVER said “onward” to you, in just that way, other than me….. as a result, you are naturally predisposed to respond instantly, going along with whatever is said, especially if I say it in a rich baritone that reminds you of a TV pundit, or news anchor-type. Don’t fret, you can’t help it, we are all trained to react like that, although some of us have eradicated the bonds our early conditioning has placed on us, through the application of copious amounts of ironic sarcasm, and good, old-fashioned doubt. It doesn’t take long, and is ultimately quite cleansing, not to mention refreshing, so, take a few moments whenever you can, to shake off some of that pre-adolescent brainwashing y’all received, in school and during morning cartoons, so that you can get a clearer, more colorful view of reality….

I like to shake it off every chance I get, kind of like a dog shaking off water after a jump in the pond, and find it to be one of the most advantageous activities I can pursue, giving me, as it does, a viewpoint that is totally unavailable to those who go through life wearing the blinders and sun shades that the BRC and the Dogmatists supply to everyone who will wear them. Of course, these accessories also give their wearers the boon (?!!!?) of ignorance, which has been equated to bliss more than once. It’s hard to compete with bliss, and reality doesn’t even try very hard to do so, as it realizes people will do just what they want, consisting mostly of what is easiest for them…

There, let no one say that I haven’t ranted…. The foregoing could  be construed as a rant, with ignorance and willful stupidity as the targets, and, at this point, I’ll take whatever I can get in that respect. Actually, I’ve been reading the news, and the amount of rampant idiocy being played out these days is reaching a point where picking a subject for a rant will be pretty simple….

There’s the gay marriage contortions going on in the religious right, as they continue to panic over the recent Supreme Court blows to their delusional demands for protection from the nasty old homosexuals…. Or, there are the the shouts of indignation from the world of women, as the male dominated Texas state legislature continues to parade their own brand of asininity for all to see, with new legislation set to take rights away from women, rights the rest of the world forgot were disputed…. I mean, confiscating tampons? What is that  all about?….. The patriotic whistleblower, Eric Snowden is considering accepting amnesty in RUSSIA? The world is indeed going mad, and not slowly, ffolkes…. I don’t know if I’ll be able to write fast enough to get it all down before the cataclysm takes us all….

Ah well, that won’t happen today, though it could happen next week, so I guess I’ll try to get another Pearl done before it all goes away, and I have nobody left to talk to, or about….

Shall we Pearl?…..
_____________________________

I am often struck by the contrasts that abound in reality, and though they don’t always leave a mark, they always leave an impression. This is not to say I walk around with the finger-marks of reality’s ire on my face all the time, but, it DOES happen perhaps more often than it should, given my overall flexibility and willingness to go with the flow. And then there are the times, like now, when I have not a bloody clue as to what the hell I’m talking about, even to myself…. Times like this, I just let Smart Bee have its way, and pick out whatever pearls seem appropriate for the day…. Hence, these fine, lustrous gems, that make a sharp little point, and save my ass from the depths of introspective flagellation, turning it to more of a caress than a blow….

“The flesh surrenders itself. Eternity takes back its own. Our bodies stirred these waters briefly, danced with a certain intoxication before the love of life and self, dealt with a few strange ideas, then submitted to the instruments of Time. What can we say of this? I occurred. I am not… yet I occurred.” — Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah

“There is Moral Sense, and there is an Immoral Sense. History shows us that the Moral Sense enables us to perceive morality and how to avoid it, and that the Immoral Sense enables us to perceive immorality and how to enjoy it.” — Mark Twain

“The old patterns of the hero’s quest still hold true. The latest incarnation of Oedipus is standing at the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street waiting for the lights to change.” — Joseph Campbell

“That which leads us to the performance of duty by offering pleasure as its reward, is not virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

“Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.” — John Maynard Keynes

Wonderful! But, somehow, incomplete…. hmm, let’s see what we can find to shore up the leak….

“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarcely in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.Remember this: They that will not be counseled cannot be helped. If you do not hear reason she will rap you over the knuckles.” — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) — Maxims prefixed to Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1757

“I’ve got an IDEA!!  Why don’t I STARE at you so HARD,  you forget your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

Sometimes, it is almost scary how Zippy is able to provide the proper ending to so many pearls….. just scary…..
_____________________________

Here is a poem by one of my favorite poets, a man often underrated by critics, but, one who remains ever-popular, and none more deservedly so….

Old Men

People expect old men to die,
They do not really mourn old men.
Old men are different. People look
At them with eyes that wonder when…
People watch with unshocked eyes;
But the old men know when an old man dies.

~~ Ogden Nash ~~

_____________________________

It is hard to know what to write about our cruise into Tracy Arm Fjord…. It was, I suppose, the real purpose of going on such cruises, to see the types of landscapes, and wildlife, that are not to be seen anywhere else. I must confess, the sail up the channel, to the point where the glacier could be seen, definitely passed through some very gorgeous, and very wild country, places where it was instantly obvious that no man had ever trod the land we were seeing….. Sheer mountains reaching steeply down to the shore of the channel, to the water, an eerie shade of blue due to algae and bacteria unique to the ice chunks floating there, broken off from the glacier…..

There is almost no noise, other than the noises made by the ship as it slowly moved up the river… We passed small islands covered in vegetation, while on either side, long, skinny,white-water streams snaked down the sides of the mountains, converging together to flow down to the shore, where small waterfalls emptied into the slow moving water of the channel, which was dotted with chunks of ice and snow, miniature icebergs from the edges of the larger calves from the glacier at the head of the fjord….

The ship had a naturalist on board to give a talk about the landscape and scientific nature of the glacier and the surrounding countryside, including the animals that were common to the area, such as bears, moose, and mountain goats, in places. Unfortunately, the man they chose happened to have the most BORING tone of voice possible, soft, deep, and paced so slow one almost fell into it. He also possessed some unfortunate speech habits (such as long pauses in the middle of sentences, so long I suspected him of having a stroke in the middle of speaking….), that caused instant yawning in everyone I saw on deck taking pictures…… Dangerous, with so many folks hanging over the rails to get their shots….

The ship traversed to a point where the head of the glacier was in view, at a bend in the river, where the way closer was blocked by ice and a small island. The huge vessel then proceeded to spin neatly on its axis, turning completely around to face downstream, sat for a bit to allow folks on the other side to get their pictures, then slowly headed back down the river toward the open ocean, to head for our next stop, Victoria, on Victoria Island, in British Columbia, Canada.

Below are the pictures I got from the trip up and down the Tracy Arm river channel, and of the glacier…. I hope you enjoy them…. In spite of the cold air, and eerie silence that permeated the entire scene there on the river, it was a fascinating land to see, and well worth braving the cold to get the shots I did get…


Alaska Grand Adventure 060 Alaska Grand Adventure 061 Alaska Grand Adventure 062 Alaska Grand Adventure 063 Alaska Grand Adventure 065 Alaska Grand Adventure 066 Alaska Grand Adventure 068 Alaska Grand Adventure 069 Alaska Grand Adventure 070 Alaska Grand Adventure 071 Alaska Grand Adventure 072 Alaska Grand Adventure 073 Alaska Grand Adventure 076 Alaska Grand Adventure 077 Alaska Grand Adventure 078 Alaska Grand Adventure 080 Alaska Grand Adventure 081_____________________________

Without comment, I read through the above, and can therefore say it is done, if not exactly Pulitzer-worthy….. But, then, I’ve yet to even come close to that, except for perhaps a line or two at a time, somewhere during the last two-plus years of writing, so it doesn’t fret me at all…. In fact, just the state of done-ness is sufficient for my needs, as is patently obvious by now….. As it has been said, whatever….. I do care, just not right now…. And, as usual, I have no idea what that means…… Oh, well…..   I hope y’all enjoyed today’s effort…..Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Plotting with obscene barristers …..

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,

Insofar as we ever have them around this blog, a typical day starts off with my staring at the screen of my computer, desperately searching through my brain for something coherent to say…. it seems today is a typical day, despite having a brain chock full of recent memories from which to choose. So full, I suppose, it makes the choosing of one over another difficult, as they are all quite appropriate and/or immediate, and equally enjoyable for me to recall. Luckily, today is not the only day I have to make the choice, merely the one we are caught in, destined to remain until the next one comes along….

Well, I see my time away hasn’t altered my pomposity a whit, nor has it dulled my skill at saying absolutely nothing with far too many words…. SIGH….. There are moments in this writing business when I begin to understand a little better the motivation those people who used to (and, I guess, still do….) flagellate themselves, whipping themselves with sticks, or reeds, or farm implements of one sort or another, until their backs are bowed and bloody…. They do it, I believe, to punish themselves for their sinful natures, or some such convoluted reason some preacher told them, while I only consider it as a sort of behavioral tool, kind of like one uses with a recalcitrant donkey, otherwise known as an ass….. Either way, I don’t suppose it’s the most intelligent procedure mankind has come up with, so I always pass on adopting it for personal use.

Something must be done, though…. I’m tired of spending so much mental energy trying to figure this out in the mornings, and need to find a way to shorten the process of introducing each Pearl for daily consumption, or whatever it is one does with one’s Pearl…. I’ve always left that up to the Gentle Reader, and have never inquired…. My life in the Big Blue Room is becoming a bit more complicated, now that I have a partner; I need to be able to complete this in a timely fashion, so I can go deal with reality while it is open for business, from 9 to 5, generally…..

I have to laugh at this point…. which I just did….. I’m sitting here, blithely typing away, when it occurs to me that this sort of babble is the most common result of my morning expostulations, and may just be the answer I seek…. Hmmm… new possibilities are coming into view, and I’ll need to look at them closely…. but, later. For now, I’ve noticed that this pile of drivel has grown to the point where I can call it sufficient unto the day’s need…. for which you may be eternally grateful, as am I…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

“I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.” — Alan Watts
_____________________________

At first, when the following pearl began to formulate itself, I was quite pleased… It got away from me a bit, but then, with the final line, brought it all into perfect focus, if no less esoterically obscure in concept. In other words, it is a random pearl, with a message all its own…. I like it, anyway, so here you go….

“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“Besides learning to see, there is another act to be learned — not to see what is not.” — Maria Mitchell

“Don’t follow in my footsteps. I think I stepped in something.” — Smart Bee, speaking for gigoid

“The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn.” — Cicero

“The universe is _intensely_ beautiful.” — Smart Bee

Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoilt his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.

— Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”

“What do they call a comedian who doesn’t get any laughs? A philosopher.” — Phil Proctor
_____________________________

Hell is the place of those who have denied;
They find there what they planted and what dug,
A Lake of Spaces, and a Wood of Nothing,
And wander there and drift, and never cease
Wailing for substance.

— William Butler Yeats, Responsibilities and Other Poems (1916).The Hour-Glass

My own urge to poem is still dormant, and it is something I daren’t push, lest it disappear altogether again for another 25 years….. I’m not sure I have that long to wait, though I certainly hope so…. To sublimate my own urge, I’ll go to the classics, always a favorite….

Church And State

HERE is fresh matter, poet,
Matter for old age meet;
Might of the Church and the State,
Their mobs put under their feet.
O but heart’s wine shall run pure,
Mind’s bread grow sweet.
That were a cowardly song,
Wander in dreams no more;
What if the Church and the State
Are the mob that howls at the door!
Wine shall run thick to the end,
Bread taste sour.

~~ William Butler Yeats ~~

_____________________________

Icy Point Strait is a new stop on the cruise ship itineraries, with no real docking facilities, so the ship anchors a few hundred yards offshore, ferrying visitors to land with tenders, holding about 100 folks of all ages and sizes at a time. It is very sparsely developed as yet, with only about forty-eleven gift shops, a native theater, and two food outlets, all housed in a couple of brand new looking buildings clustered near the small wharf where the passengers unload the tenders to come ashore.

The shops are filled with all the usual tourist items; t-shirts, caps, scarves, etc. with logos of the local attractions; native crafts, art, and artifacts; jewelry; one counter style restaurant serves reindeer chili and lots of salmon dishes, smoked or otherwise, and there is a bar and grill restaurant at the end of the zip-line, which runs from a small mountaintop nearby, about a quarter mile, down to the shore. A shuttle to nearby Hoonah, an “authentic Alaskan village”, runs every few minutes, to allow the visitors to experience the local amenities, such as the charming “unpaved roads and no stoplights” (direct quote from the shipboard information sheet)….

Shore excursions to go ziplining, searching for bears to photograph, or catch & barbecue salmon were popular for some (it is salmon spawning season, so the rivers are full of big, hungry fish), while others got on another boat to go watch whales in a nearby area where they tend to congregate. As a foodie, chef, and plain and simple glutton, I was compelled, naturally, to put myself through the ordeal of wading through the crowds, so as to be able to say I had tried the reindeer chili. Thus, milady and I bundled up (the weather was a bit overcast, though it only showered for a few minutes, and, as always up there, a bit cold when caught out in the wind…..), braved the crowds on the little boats for the five minute ride to land, and went to see what there was to see….

An hour and a half later, we had seen EVERYTHING, except the zipline, bears, and whales…. We even saw the salmon, as they were jumping out of the water near the cruise ship all day, on their way to the spawning streams…. It is a beautiful place, for sure, and some day will probably be home to resorts and winter sports venues galore, but currently, about the biggest thrill available is strapping onto a metal chair to slide a quarter of a mile down the side of a small mountain at about a hundred miles an hour on a zip line….. not my kind of activity….. Aside from having vertigo, which would make it very hard to even get me up there in the first place, I think I’d prefer to partake of that particular variety of fun a bit closer to a medical facility, in case of, well, zlip ups (sorry, couldn’t resist….).

Below are pictures of Icy Point, a fairly accurate account of what we saw, in the order we saw it, minus the shops and stuff…. Hope I was able to capture at least some of the beauty of the landscape…. it is indeed a gorgeous environment in which to live, if one likes snow, and the frontier life….
Alaska Grand Adventure 043 Alaska Grand Adventure 045 Alaska Grand Adventure 048 Alaska Grand Adventure 049 Alaska Grand Adventure 052
You may have noted that I didn’t say anything further about the chili, which was the ostensible reason for going ashore…. Final verdict: it was tasty, but, not exceptionally so, and wouldn’t constitute a compelling reason for going back there, just for that….
_____________________________

Well, that was harder than I had thought it would be, but, once again, I lived through it, and so will you, I believe…. Hopefully, today’s outburst  isn’t too onerous of a read for y’all…. After this long around here, you should be tough enough for almost anything, right? Any who, let’s see how it looks…..  Okay, okay, it’ll do…. I think…. Well, it will have to do, because I need to get it posted and get on with the day….. I hope y’all enjoyed today’s little catastrophe…..  🙂   Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Remnants of patent leather madrigals….

Posted on by
3

Ffolkes,
I’ve started to write several times this morning, but each time was forced to begin again, having spewed pure garbage onto the page. Even this honest statement of dismay seems to me to be stilted and stupid; it seems doubtful, at this point, that anything worthwhile is going to be coming forth from the depths of my mind to grace our presence with wit and style. I’d give up, but, I’m stubborn….

Having thus disposed of at least the first paragraph, perhaps I can distract Murphy with my fuzzy brain….. If he thinks I’m already in a state of confusion, he will, sometimes, let me be, allowing me to fuck with myself, which, though no less destructive, is often less bloody, and takes less clean-up….. Funny, isn’t it, what we can learn to live with?…. Besides, even Murphy will have a hard time putting me in a depressed state today…. In a bit under eight hours, I’ll be getting into a limo, which will deliver me, and milady Patricia, to the cruise terminal to embark on our ten day trip to Alaska…. Very little in the universe could make me unhappy at this point….

The only hard part now is getting through these eight hours…. creating this Pearl will eat up some of it, and I’ve got some ideas of how to pass the time quickly…. but, nothing will make the clock move fast enough to suit us. Everything is done, and all we need to do is carry our bags to the curb to be on our way….. I’m so jazzed and excited, even coming up with the BS I can normally spew out on demand is a bit more than I feel easy with….. Oh well, such is life, as they say….

Shall we Pearl?…..
_____________________________

You knew it would happen today…. and, if you didn’t, you should have…. I had intended to make this a fresh pearl, old-school variety, and rant in the third section, provided I can find a rantable subject….. However, Smart Bee has gone over to Murphy’s side for the time being, and won’t cooperate with the plan…. so, I’m retreating to the archives for a short, pithy rant on religion, or religious philosophy, whatever that might mean…. This was originally posted in December of 2011…

“That which leads us to the performance of duty by offering pleasure as its reward, is not virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ffolkes,

Just so it’s clear…..I’m not an atheist, per se, at least, not in the classical sense of the word.  I do hold beliefs regarding the subject of divinity and spirituality, but they bear no great resemblance to those espoused by any organized faith, and I don’t discuss them with anyone. It just causes arguments.  I am not a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Unitarian, or a Buddhist, or any other of the virtually countless ‘isms’ people have come up with to try to understand those parts of the universe that we do not comprehend.

I’ve read the holy books of most of the major faiths; Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, the Bibles of several different Christian sects , the Tao Teh Ching, the I Ching, and any other related material I could find. Not that I made a complete heavy study of each, but I learned enough to be able to draw comparisons, and judge the validity of each (which I admit, is purely subjective. But then, isn’t any religious belief purely subjective? Why yes, I do believe it is…..).

It occurred to me, just now, that, maybe, for all these centuries we (that’s the human “we”…. meaning all of us as a group….) have sought to explain what we do not understand, we have been looking at things from the wrong perspective, at least in terms of intelligence, with its defined value to us being such that man considers himself greater than “lower” forms of life. The attitude that we are the pinnacle of creation is a given in almost every approach taken by philosophers and scientists in any explanation of why things are as they are. Since we have not the ability to create worlds (yet), or stars (yet), or universes (yet?), we attribute the state of things as we know them to creatures of vast wisdom and power, as “far above us as we are above bacteria or amoeba.” How often have you heard the last part? Isn’t that part of any definition of a god, or even God, by whatever name one calls him/her/them/it?

But what if the amoeba IS God? Amoeba are the most ancient form of life we know of, utilizing the simplest means of reproduction available (as far as WE know anyway…), and are an essential step in the formation of other life. Perhaps the entire bacterial level is God’s nervous system, and the amoeba are the thoughts of God. And as other forms of life evolved, maybe each entered another part of the symbiotic whole that is life, non-life, energy, matter, and non-matter, all of which must be present in order for our universe to manifest itself.

All of which makes our viewpoint completely backwards; we are the bottom of creation, not the top. Every other part of the universe, and almost every animal and creature on our planet we know of, except ourselves and our vaunted intelligence, are functioning, and functioning well, according to their place in Nature because they have no need to do anything else.  Our intelligence is generally accepted to be that which makes us ‘better’ than the rest of creation, a convenient word to describe something that may not have been created at all, but might just happen to be the way it is, because it wants to be…..at least most of it does….so far we haven’t done too well at learning how to be at one with the rest of creation; quite the opposite, as a general rule…..

Hmmm…..well, I guess that’s one way to look at it…… at least with this credo, there’s no guilt, no shame, no incentives, and no rewards….. other than self-respect……

— How many amoebas does it take to change a light bulb?  One. No, 2. No, 4. No, 8. No, 16. No, 32……. — Smart Bee
_____________________________

Some years ago, on the occasion of her mother’s passing, Patricia, my lady love, wrote a memorial tribute, in which she put a poem that she wrote for her mother…. I think it is very touching, as well as quite beautiful, and include it here, not to depress anyone, but to celebrate the life of her mother by sharing what Patricia felt when she wrote the poem….. Enjoy!….

She sits quietly,
Eyes in a wrinkled face,
Watching nothing,
Seeing everything.
A kaleidoscope of memories
flickers past.

Laughter mingles with tears,
Fear and sorrow melt into contentment.
A lifetime of joy and passion,
sorrow and doubt pass by.
Don’t hurry so, take your time.
Stop and listen
and she will tell you tales.

Tales of far away lands, great adventures,
great passion and greater trials.

She takes out the memories, one at a time,
Views them re-lives them,
brings them to life for her listeners.

Then tenderly, reverently, she wraps them again,
and places them, one at a time,
into fragile bubbles.

If you look closely, you can see them.

Tiny little flashes in her eyes……
Look close,
See them?

Individual memories encased in fragile bubbles.

In loving memory of June. T. Miller
1919-1998
by
Patricia Miller Larsen

_____________________________

Okay, it’s time to drop any pretense I have assumed…. Smart Bee isn’t cooperating, and my head just isn’t ready to be creative…. so, once again, I’ll have to dip into the past for the material to complete this Pearl…. So be it…. Here is a rather long, involved pearl from late in 2012… I think it’s one of my best, so, it will do for the moment’s need….. Enjoy!….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the mind? Where is it, exactly? And how does it work?….. These are questions that have been asked throughout time, without ever finding answers on which all can agree…. Oh, there are many ideas, and every sage and his brother’s cousin’s friend’s uncle has a theory about it…. Finding pearls that discuss the matter was pretty simple, actually, as they just kept popping up in front of me…. for example, here are four that I found, all of which have an important part of the idea to discuss…..

“Whether time is long or short, and whether space is broad or narrow, depend upon the mind. Those whose minds are at leisure can feel one day as a millennium, and those whose thoughts are expansive can perceive a small house to be as spacious as the universe.” — Hung Tzu-ch’eng (1593-1665)

“An intelligent mind is a mind which is not satisfied with explanations, with  conclusions; nor is it a mind that believes, because belief is again another  form of conclusion. An intelligent mind is an inquiring mind, a mind that is  watching, learning, studying.” — J. Krishnamurti

“Hypotheses are not to be multiplied without necessity.” — Occam’s Razor (aka, the K.I.S.S. axiom….) (see Hanlon’s Razor, aka Heinlein’s Corollary to Occam’s Razor) (See logic) (See Dick and Jane run….) (Just wanted to make sure you’re paying attention….)

“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust. It is to solve the problems of life not only theoretically, but practically.” — Henry David Thoreau, American Philosopher (1817-1862) in Walden

You probably noted that one of these four was not like the others (Sesame Street teaches critical thinking well, does it not?….). Occam’s Razor has done more to advance science and philosophy than any unified field theorem, or any other wide ranging thought that mankind has come up with over the years. It cuts through the bullshit, and reminds us to concentrate on what is important, to not to go off on tangents that detract from the final outcome. It’s a way of approaching science and the fields of knowledge, and even Life, that offers the superiority of having been proven true over and over, in every experiment, in every field of science since it’s publication, sometime around the Renaissance period. William of Occam was, reportedly, a mathematician, and no doubt a very good one, as his assertion regarding hypotheses implies a certain impatience with bullshit; he likely wasn’t one to put up with foolishness for long….

Of course, there are always a few who don’t have the intelligence, or the courage, to stand up to Life, and they too have had their two cents worth put in for consideration….

“Do not learn more than you absolutely need to get through life.” — Karl Kraus  (Seconded, I’m sure, by Homer Simpson….)

An obvious proponent of the entitlement crowd, this guy has expressed clearly the lack of courage that it takes to really retreat from life as can be done. These are the Republicans, the non-thinkers, the men and women who prefer to hide their heads in sand rather than meet reality with any dignity or bravery. Ignorance is their status of choice, as they don’t have to bother themselves to ever check things for truth, or even make up their own thoughts…. they just accept whatever the pundits, religious or political, tell them, because those pundits are the ones who are immoral and unethical enough to take advantage of their ignorance, and will tell them anything they want to hear, in order to soothe their bigoted fears, and, as a happy side effect, take all their money…. which they willingly give away, proving the old saw about fools and money…

I didn’t mean to get into a political rant, but I suppose it isn’t an ill-conceived idea at this point. Tonight will be the first of the Presidential debates between Obama and Romney, and a discussion of mind vs. no-mind seems appropriate somehow. We will get a pretty good picture drawn for us tonight, as one of the greatest speakers of our time, the POTUS, faces off in debate with one of the worst speakers I’ve ever seen, Mitt the Twitt, who has a proclivity for dropping bombs, and speaking without evidence of giving any thought at all to what he has just said to some group. This is an occupational hazard for someone who relies on lies and misrepresentations for the major portion of their message; it’s hard to sound true when one is obviously false…. No matter how much it gets dressed up and taught to sing and dance, a pig isn’t going to win any music contests with its squealing…..

“I’m not imaginary–I’m ontologically challenged” — Smart Bee

As might be guessed, the above is a joke, intended to poke fun at those who choose to live their lives without the benefit of using their minds…. to live one’s life in ignorance to me would seem to be the actions of a fool, by definition as well as practice. One may as well BE imaginary, if one is going to retreat from reality to the extent of turning off all curiosity, all doubt, and never using the mind for that which it was designed (if one believes in design….), or happened to evolve into…. The mind is our best, and possibly our only, ally against the harshness of reality, and it would behoove all of us to keep it in good working order, as befits a tool of such high quality…… T’is marginally better than treating it as a red-headed step-child, leaving it out to starve in the cold, harsh light of reality…..
_____________________________

Without even looking this over, I know it will do…. but, I’m anal about typos, so let’s see how it reads….. Given the handicaps under which I am operating today, it isn’t at all bad…. not terribly fresh, but still stimulating… and, it’s done…. Yay!  Now I can get ready to rumble….. Next time I post will be from the road, so I can’t predict exactly when, but, it will be soon…. count on it…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

It requires a subtle artichoke to turn colors….

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,
And then I woke up….. really damn early. But, then, considering that I fell out completely at about 7:30 PM, it isn’t particularly surprising to wake up at 5:03 AM. I believe I’m beginning to reach the end of my energy for exploring new territories, and for living the high life. Last night, our first whole day at sea, was formal attire for dinner, and I was just not into either getting dressed up, or for making nice with strangers. Even though I’ve made some friends while on board, not many have pursued the relations, nor have I sought to continue any; everyone, me included, seems to be satisfied with brief, friendly, but not particularly open encounters.

This suits my curmudgeonly nature just fine, as I am tired to the bone, of people, and places. Two more days will give me my complete fill of all of it, I’m sure, and I will be glad to fly home, miserable as the flight promises to be, stuck once more in a confined area with 499 others, all pumping body heat, for eleven or more hours. Once I am actually home, I will be very happy to stay there for a long time…..

None of which even considers how glad I’ll be to see Patricia…. It isn’t easy to do this cruising thing alone, even when one is as centered as I am, and able to enjoy being alone. It’s a lot more fun with someone else to share the experience; I found myself wanting to turn to her during the trip, to say “Look!” or “Isn’t that beautiful?” or a hundred other ways to acknowledge the beauty or interesting nature of what I encountered …. Ah well, we’ll be going on a cruise ourselves at the end of June, so, I have that to look forward to…..

In the third section today, I’ll put the few pictures I got yesterday, of some of the desolate islands that make up the Greater Hebrides, and the Orkney Islands which dot the ocean at the northern end of Scotland. The ocean was much more deep ocean in nature, with swells of about 3-4 feet, enough that this massive ship, complete with with stabilizing fins, and a competent master, still tended to rock and roll a bit. I was happy to find that I had acclimated to the motion, though, and never felt a twinge of nausea, even when gazing out to sea, watching the birds, and looking for dolphins, which are known to greet ships in the area, according to the natives in Greenock. The only fin I saw, though, was not a dolphin fin, but a smaller shark of some kind, chasing some prey near the surface…..

The last paragraph sums up my day at sea pretty well; it was a pretty slow day, which gave me time to feel all the aches in my calves from the extra walking I did in Greenock port; I figured out I probably covered about four miles, way more than I’m used to, so some soreness is kind of welcome, in that sense. But, it made for a relatively slow day for events, with the menu at each meal being the most compelling decision I had to make, as the menu depends on which venue one chooses…. buffet, dining room, snack outlets (pizza, gelato, etc….), casual bistro style dining, and the rest of the choices on board. It’s a tough job, but, someone has to do it, so, I gave it my best shot, as it were…..

Wow, I didn’t realize I had that much BS stored up in there…. That’s what I get for not writing for several days, other than to discuss the pictures I took. There’s so much, I think I’d best call a halt here to work on the photos, or I’ll ramble on for days…. Six paragraphs of nothing much is legally enough for an intro section, so we’ll go on to something else now….. Shall we Pearl?……

“Never before have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity!   Have you ever considered a career in the Church?” — Black Adder II

(I know, complete non-sequitor, but, it’s such a great line, I had to throw it out there…. It’s perfect for a religirant, if I was in the space for one, so I give to you, gratis, in place of said rant….. Okay, now we’ll get on with the show….)
__________________________________

As yet, nothing rantable has sallied forth to be written, other than the above quote, which stands alone quite well, so I’m going with an old-school pearl. This one was picked in an extremely random fashion, so I can’t say how it will turn out. I trust Smart Bee, though, so we’re going with it, no matter how hard it is to figure, or how obscure it gets…. Some days, that’s just the way I am…. Yep…..

Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.

— Basho

“The one who tells the stories rules the world.” — Hopi proverb

“Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth.” — Charles A. Dana

“Closed eyes are not always sleeping.” — Smart Bee

“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

Finally he released the young man, and waded back to dry land. Then Socrates questioned the man. `What did you most want just now?’ The young man replied, `Air.’ `When you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, you shall have it.’– Some random Greek historian

“2nd star on the right, then on until morning.” — from Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, and James T. Kirk, stardate unknown
__________________________________

In the interests of…. well, something that now completely eludes me, I am going today with one of my poems…. I don’t know if y’all remember this one; it’s one I wrote during the NaWriPo poetry challenge of recent vintage, and is one of my personal favorites…. I hope you enjoy it too….

Ah Ain’t Sho, but Mebbe So….

Fried eggs got nuthin’ on me
Ah’m not even sure of mah name,
or how Ah come to be;
no idea from where Ah came.

Ah does like a mystery tho’,
puzzlin’ things out so’s Ah knows,
good from bad, fo sho,
Ah sho don’t want no rock pillows.

If’n Ah cain’t figure what’s best,
Ah just falls back on mah Daddy’s words,
seems he knowed just whut’d stand the test,
‘n how to gentle the scaredest birds.

,Course, he’d lived a good long time,
‘n had lots of stuff go on by,
went to a war, n’ lost a piece or two,
never once used it fer an alibi.

He tol’ me once, Ah’d best learn to learn,
school’s only cool if ya ain’t already a fool.
Yer own good measure you can earn,
by startin’ yer learnin’ with the Golden Rule.

Always seemed to me as Ah growed up,
he mostly only spoke if it wuz true,
‘n by doin’ that clued me to what’s up,
kept me from stuff that’d a made me blue.

Without ever sayin’ the word itself,
Ah learned ’bout honor, ‘n helpin’ others
not some fake stuff from some shelf,
knowing whut’s right, ‘n that we’re all brothers.

Ah’ve been around long enough now, Ah think,
to get around the block at least two times.
I s’pose long as my head don’t shrink
Ah’ll keep on doin’ right, ‘n making these rhymes…..

~~ gigoid ~~

__________________________________

Okay, here is where I bore you to death, with the sum total of pictures I was able to get yesterday, cruising in the North Atlantic….
At sea day one 006At sea day one 005At sea day one 004    See what I mean? A VERY slow day, sea-watching-wise…. Oh well, it should be better in Inverness, and at Loch Ness, later today…. I hope…..
__________________________________

Having thus used up the hours that I awoke early to find in front of me, I’ll now leave you to fend for yourselves the rest of the day, as I must do….. Shouldn’t be too hard, I’m all shopped out, and my legs ache, so I think my time ashore will be limited to just what it takes to get some good pictures to share with y’all…. In the meantime….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Formerly from the circular file….

Posted on by
3

Ffolkes,
Oh, joy…..0245 AM, and depression strikes. Wide awake, in pain and anguish, and hating every moment. Well, I guess that first sip of coffee wasn’t so bad….. but it sure would be nice to be able to sleep without interruption…. I can see how this would tend to wear one’s defenses down after a while, so it’s a good thing, I suppose, that I’m not the suicidal sort…. Too selfish & cowardly for me, thanks anyway….

I know why I’m up now…. My patience took a big hit yesterday, when I found an email from my lawyer in my inbox, informing me that SS is sending me to yet another medical exam, and getting X-rays of my back…. like they don’t have any already. This, of course, promises to add another 12 weeks, minimum, to the time before a decision is made. They KNOW that I have PTSD, but they insist on dragging this whole thing out, making it worse every day. I’m nearly at a point where I will have to assume enemy action (1st time, happenstance; 2nd time, coincidence; 3rd time, enemy action….), and take countermeasures….. which NOBODY will enjoy….

Was that a vague enough threat? I’d never really hurt anyone, you know, not deliberately. I say such things for the release, and once said, the urge to commit homicidal acts is generally dissipated. It’s a parallel effect to swearing, which, as we all know, can release a lot of tension merely by the expression of certain words in a forceful manner. But, in these days of paranoia over terrorists, one must walk a narrow line between release and offense….. and cops notoriously have no sense of humor…..

I’m not sure right now just what I’m going to do…. I mean, I know I have to wait again, because shooting at them won’t help. It might get them to move faster, but also might prejudice my case a bit (ya think?) if they figure out it’s me. I’m pretty frigging tired of pinching pennies to eat, and these psyche symptoms of my deeper anguish are getting a bit obtrusive. It’s tough to be out there, looking for love, with tears running down my face, and fear in my heart….. one can’t present a very attractive image in that state…. and who wants to kiss a mustache with snot all over it?

Now that I’ve thoroughly disgusted y’all with that image, I’d most likely be getting on with the day’s dive for pearls. I’m not going to try to predict what kind of pearls may get engendered, as that would be foolish AND stupid, not to mention dumb….. But, I will warn you to handle them with care today, as you never know what they might do after I let them loose…. keep a tight grip!….  Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

“Unknowingly, we plow the dust of stars, blown about us by the wind, and drink the universe in a glass of rain.” — Ihab Hassan

What a beautiful line! I wasn’t sure when I saved it last night just what kind of pearl it would make, but it creates such a beautiful image in the mind, I couldn’t resist. I suppose it makes a fine contrast to how I feel just now, and as such, can be used to demonstrate how our attitudes are under our control, if we but choose to assume it…..

I feel like shit, emotionally, for various reasons, and that is reflected in my attitude toward the day; I don’t want to face it. I’d like to be able to just turn it all off, and go visit a friend somewhere far away. But, being stuck here, waiting for relief from my financial limitations, keeps me on the edge of depression, as well as keeping me in place…. If only for the time it takes to read, and contemplate this line, beauty takes over, and my thoughts and attitude undergo a marked change for the better. All it takes is a reminder of what we always have as creatures of this reality, our potential for grace.

“Grace”. Interesting word, that…. I like what it implies, the feeling of being connected to the universe, and enjoying that tie for the joy it can bring. To live in grace means to act rightly, surrounding oneself with beauty, and increasing the joy in life by living it well, passionately, with compassion and humility. I can understand how religious folks would seek to receive such from the practice of their faith, though I can’t agree with them about exactly where grace comes from. They seem to believe that it is something given to them, when in reality, it is something they have to learn to give, and can only be found inside themselves.

“The supreme irony of life is hardly anyone ever gets out of it alive.” — Robert Heinlein

Perspective…. the proper perspective can be hard to find, and it is good when such can be provided for us by a simple phrase, like this one, and the first one, above. The first phrase tells us to remember there are two sides to life, and only one side is inherently painful. This quote, from the Grand Master, is a reminder to SEEK perspective, and is one nobody should ever lose track of, as it is universally applicable. One may, at least temporarily, find ways to avoid paying taxes, but there is no avoiding death…. none.

Mere contemplation of our own death is a sure way to gain perspective. It may not always be the most amenable, or comfortable perspective, but it is the most truthful that can be acquired, without exception. Nothing will ground us better than thinking about our own demise, as there is no room for anything but truth when dealing with the whole concept. Anything less than the truth just fails to compute….. Not the most comforting line of thought, unless one has learned not to fear death, but, who is ever very successful at that? I mean, that’s why there are so many different religions out there, all offering their own way of dealing with that fear…. they’re just not very good at it. Well, not very truthful, anyway….

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” — W. W. Zeige

I’m not sure whether I can truthfully classify this as a pearl. The criteria for that decision  are pretty loose, all in all, so it will fit in that respect. But, I do rather like to make some valid point, and this one doesn’t seem to have one I can find offhand. We humans spend a lot of our mental energy on stuff like this, which may be a clue as to the whole problem of the inability of so many of us to cope with reality without some kind of crutch, or without letting someone else do our thinking for us. That isn’t a danger for me, thank goodness, but most of humanity seems to fall into that pattern, and that, in itself, presents me with perspective issues, as mine differs radically from most everyone in the mainstream of society.

Oh, there are a lot more ffolkes such as myself out there; WordPress is proof enough of that. But, the major percentage of the population of this country generally prefers not to have to exercise their mental muscles any more than is absolutely necessary. Whether the inertial momentum that is built up by such a large percentage is amenable to adjustment remains to be seen, and all we can do is our best, to spread the virus of rational thought as far as we can….. “You’re our only hope, Obi-wan!”……

“I feel better about world problems now!” — Zippy the Pinhead
__________________________________

Here’s a treat… Two of the world’s best, ever, each with a link to the entire piece, for those with the time and inclination to absorb all of it….. Enjoy!

The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

— Omar Khayyam (died c.1133) — Rubaiyat, Stanza lxxi

Link: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-rubaiyat-of-omar-khayyam/
——————————

A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.

— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Essay on Criticism, Part ii, Line 15

Link: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/an-essay-on-criticism/
__________________________________

I’m feeling a bit muddled…. discombobulated…. fuzzy…. sluggish between the ears. I suppose it isn’t entirely surprising, given the time of night, or morning, whichever you prefer; either is accurate at 0425 AM. (Yes, I realize writing the time thus is oxymoronic, if not merely redundant…. some folks don’t comprehend military time, so I do it for clarity…. I’m just that kind of guy….) I’ve got pearls ready, chosen yesterday and saved for use whenever, so, of course, my brain isn’t capable of dealing with them adequately….. Now I’ll have to dive deeper, to find a pearl or two to augment this group, and bring some kind of form to this nebulous mass…. ‘Scuse me, I’ll be back….

In the words of Neville Longbottom, “That went well…” Two very fine additions to round out the first three, and we’re good to go; I couldn’t be prouder. I suppose if I had written these myself, I could feel a bit more so, but, I’ll just bask in the reflected glory, and be content, knowing I’ve done my part to decrease entropy at least a small bit……

“Knowledge is the antidote of fear.” — Emerson

“Any culture which in the interests of efficiency or in the name of some political or religious dogma, seeks to standardize the human individual commits an outrage against man’s biological nature.” — Charles A. Reich, THE GREENING OF AMERICA

“Of all the benefits that virtue confers upon us, the contempt of death is one of the greatest.” — Montaigne (1533-1592)

“Life without learning is death.” — Cicero

“Hypotheses are not to be multiplied without necessity.” — Occam’s Razor

See? As I’ve said before, it’s all in the wrist. Oh, and, of course, timing is everything…..  Ta, then…..
__________________________________

Even after taking the time to edit, and proof, once, this Pearl is done, and it is still an hour and twenty minutes before the earliest I ever get up these days. Translated, that means it is now 0455 AM here in California, and even the classical music DJ is still on the night-time programming schedule. What to do now just became a critical issue, one I’ll have to go deal with personally, I suppose. Ah well, for such an out-of-sequence kind of deal, this didn’t turn out too badly, and it has that ineffable quality of “doneness” that I especially appreciate…. (No, “doneness” is NOT a word, according to Spell Checker…. what’s your point? You know what I meant…. and, since there is no such thing as a dumb question, don’t fret, no worries…. Besides, this is the end, so we can waste as much time as I want….)   Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Unknown patterns of regimental filtration….

Posted on by
5

Ffolkes,
Today is the last day of leisure for this week. Tomorrow I should be able to pick up the keys to my new place, and start the moving process. I’m hoping it goes as smoothly as the packing has done…. Using the most useful advantage of age, foresight, I’ve been packing little by little, until there is now only the daily use items left to go, and they’ll get done on the last day, anyway…… Not too bad for an old fart with flat feet and flatulence, eh?….

“He is never less at leisure than when at leisure.” — Cicero (106-43 BC) — De Officiis, iii, 1

For those who enjoyed yesterday’s story beginning in the intro, I have already started on that, to turn it into a whole story, whether novel, novella, or short story length. The story is yet a bit unclear in my head, other than the beginning, but it will solidify as it percolates in the back of my mind for the time being; when it gets a bit more solid, I’ll outline it, so I know where to go with it….. should be fun. Hope so, anyway….

As I mentioned before, I may have to miss posting this blog on Friday and/or Saturday of this week. I’m not sure at this point whether I’ll have internet service right away in the new place, so I’ll have to go to Starbucks or somewhere else with free Wi-Fi…. and no telling how long I’ll have to do that, so I could conceivably get lazy and not go at all…. time will tell, as always.

Now that all the housekeeping chores have been completed, I think it’s time to go look for some material, just for fun. It’s certainly not for profit…..   Shall we Pearl?…..
___________________________________

“I haven’t killed anyone yet. Help me keep it that way. I mean, what hope is there for the world if I die?” — Smart Bee

The above line from Smart Bee is actually two separate aphorisms that popped up one after the other, and were obviously (to me) meant to be together…. As it is now, it perfectly describes how I feel much of the time, especially pre-rant…. I have a small problem today, though, so I’m morphing right in front of your eyes….

I tried to write a rant, but just couldn’t work up the strong outrage that is needed to get fully into the flow of a full-fledged rant; even I fall prey to human nature at times, and rationalize my laziness as either fatigue or indifference… In this case, I’ll be honest, and cop to it….. I’m feeling lazy, so an old-school pearl will have to do for the nonce…. There IS a point to all this….. if only I knew what it was….

“I was contemplating the immortal words of Socrates, who said… I drank what?” — Real Genius

I don’t suffer from insanity–I revel in it! — Smart Bee

The seven eyes of Ningauble the Wizard floated back to his hood  as he reported to Fafhrd: “I have seen much, yet cannot explain all. The Gray Mouser is exactly twenty-five feet below the deepest cellar in the palace of Gilpkerio Kistomerces. Even though twenty-four parts in twenty-five of him are dead, he is alive. “Now about Lankhmar. She’s been invaded, her walls breached everywhere and desperate fighting is going on in the streets, by a fierce host which out-numbers Lankhmar’s inhabitants by fifty to one — and equipped with all modern weapons. Yet you can save the city.”  “How?” demanded Fafhrd.  Ningauble shrugged. “You’re a hero. You should know.” — Fritz Leiber, from “The Swords of Lankhmar”

Forever never lasts as long as you think it will!! — Smart Bee (Especially if the grammar police catch you using multiple exclamation points)

“It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God but to create him.” — Arthur C. Clarke

“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” — Anne McCaffrey

That should do it…. it’s a pretty simple puzzle, all things considered….. If it is too obscure, don’t fret, just eat some chocolate…. that fixes just about anything……
___________________________________

I’ve indicated previously how much I like the poetry of Emily Dickinson…. below is one of my favorite of all her poems, because of the sheer power of her words, few as they are…..

A word is dead
When it is said
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
— Emily Dickinson

Below you will find a poem by another poetess of great talent….. and you will find my comments directly below that…. no rolling your eyes like that!….. Pay attention, please…..

Under the Rug

I knew him for too many seasons. So when
the hot fury of summer finds me, or
when winter’s ice freezes my bones to
my skin, I smell him in my fingertips.
I wear him to bed.
I hear his laughter echoing through the night,
the night….

the nights come heavy with dreams that
wet my eyes, that drown my blankets with
sweat,
an old premonition.

I remember before he went,
his hands were as wide as my eyes,
sliding across my cheek,
his blue eyes flashed a promise at me

and in my fear, he stayed.

Then, he tugged at needles and
flossed with weakness
and they took him. The dark angels of
forever took him
beyond touch, or sight, or scent

and I went off to Dr. Steve.
I found him with his plants and his leather
and I found
the bottom of the rocks.
I spent my nights with Love’s thick hands
strangling me, and my
days with Dr. Steve’s hands turned upside
down, proving that authority was a soft side.

I gave his magazines a thought,
I gave his theories a thought,
I gave him every last piece of vulnerable paper
I had sitting around from the past 4 years,
and after he poured my heart into his
plastic plants,
I poured out my last ounce of attempt to stuff
struggle into the shadows.
I lifted his rug, and I crawled underneath it to
hide myself from the fury of the seasons.

~~ maggiemaeijustsaythis

http://maggiemaeijustsaythis.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/under-the-rug/#comment-20671    Following this link will take you to the original of this poem by maggiemae, as posted on her site, maggiemaeijustsaythis, a WordPress blog site; you will find many other poems there, equally as powerful and elegant as this one.

Maggie Mae is, in short, an astounding talent. I firmly believe that her work will someday be included in college and high school educational courses as one of the most important poets of the first part of the Twenty-First century, just as her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson is considered for her own era.

Seriously, she is that good. Her poems are filled with images of great power and metaphor, and reading one of them can leave you breathless in awe, as well as breathless from the sheer roller-coaster feeling of following her thoughts and words…. It is a truly amazing experience….. and one that promises to bring her unique passion and vision into the public eye for a long time to come, to our everlasting joy and appreciation. Please visit her site, and prepare to be amazed…..
___________________________________

I wrote this poem in reaction to some of the news stories I’ve been reading on the upcoming election battle….. which gives me the right to call it a pearl….

Modest sounds of impatient concern….

Crowds converge at the raw and grisly scene,
comatose to compassion, curiosity tugging at the hem
with sharp, oh, sharp tools made obscene,
filing the essence of future hopes in spite of them.

Yet who has won the keys to the treasure,
who whipped up the fear of another brother?
Who spent the dreams of the old in selfish measure,
with such arrogant blindness grave issues to smother?

Fateful decisions may prompt still another pause,
to catch and release collective images of insanity.
Surely legitimate anger arises with ample cause
wallowing in self-made entrepreneurs, fluent in profanity.

A quartet of eternities must pass to guarantee change,
regardless of need, or desire, or autonomous manipulation.
Ancient rules and modern aggression is only passing strange
when golden delusion grasps futilely at its related illusory station.

~~ gigoid

A bit ambiguous regarding any hope for change, but all in all, not bad, I think…. hope you enjoyed it….
___________________________________

Such as it is, it is done, and that may be the best we can say of it….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Subsidized pets never rust…..

Posted on by
12

Ffolkes,
If there is one place in the world I would prefer to avoid during the month of July, Bakersfield would be that place. Hot, dusty, and ugly were the three adjectives that came to mind as I walked out of the bus terminal. The grimy faces of tired, old buildings lined the street, harsh neon lights looking pale and wan in the harsh, oppressive light of the sun. Nobody else appeared to be out in the midday heat except yours truly, acting the part of either mad dog, or Englishman, for the entertainment of whatever gods happened to be watching.

I knew of at least one goddess who would be doing so with rapt attention, for she is the one who sent me to this godforsaken hole in the wall of the universe, and she will want to know what I’m doing at all times…. The gods aren’t the most trusting of employers, but they pay well for success…. Of course, what I’ll do with all these old drachmae, I don’t know, but I’ll worry about it later…. Being the private eye on call to Olympus isn’t the easiest gig, but I like it, even if some of the major goddesses can be a bit testy about their entitlements…. As long as the money is good, I can put up with a lot of foolishness….

I might take this a bit further, but I just realized that this idea has been done already…. almost. “The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul” by Douglas Adams, tells the story of a PI involved in a case with a number of the old Norse gods…. Odin, Loki, and the like. I didn’t realize it until I typed “drachmae”, which is not Norse, but still reminded me of the adventures of Dirk Gently in a hostile universe that Adams put out. Not wishing to plagiarize his idea any further, we will leave that story right where it is, to die a long, painful, and horrible death, alone….. good thing I have no emotional attachment to it, or I’d feel some guilt….

Here’s a good piece of advice for all you youngsters out there…. Never….. wait, that’s too long…. okay, try this….. Always…. No, that’s the same thing, just backwards…. hmmm…. Sometimes…. there you go, that works….

Sometimes, you win, and sometimes, you lose. Sometimes you’re the bug, sometimes you’re the windshield. And sometimes, it all makes sense, until it doesn’t, and reality resumes its inevitable march toward our own personal doom…. so don’t sweat it. The end of the road will get here when it gets here, and not a moment before. We may as well enjoy the time while we’re waiting, eh?…. So be it…

I don’t know about y’all but I thinks that’s about enough of that nonsense for one morning…. Shall we Pearl?…..
___________________________________

“Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.” — Cicero

Okay, let’s see…. I can agree with the part that says “Friendship is”…leave out some words leading up to “concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.” Obviously, I am contesting the “only thing” part, yes? Okay… so, let’s see if there are any other useful things “concerning which all mankind agrees”….

Honesty?…. Well, I think this one would probably be acknowledged as being useful by everyone asked, but I’m also pretty certain that many of them would be lying, which kind of negates that whole idea, doesn’t it? Yes, it does…. nod your head up and down, and let’s go on….

Loyalty?…. Hmm… I think this one would most likely run about the same as honesty. Everybody is going to say that they believe in loyalty, but some of them aren’t going to be telling the truth about it, not if 25,000 years of history are considered as evidence.

Love?…. I don’t think there would be any sort of consensus here; too many folks have had bad experiences with love, or more accurately, bad experiences from NOT having being loved, or given an opportunity to love. This would definitely NOT be a subject on which all would agree…. not even close….

Compassion? Fair Play? Opera?  Nope, I don’t think any of these would come close to being a consensus choice, much as some of us would like them to be, or not be, in the case of Opera….

Crispy bacon?  This, I believe, comes as close as anything else to being universally agreed upon. Of course, a lot of vegans and other cholesterol fanatics would SAY they disagree, but you know that deep in their hearts, they really, really WANT that bacon….  🙂

Okay, so maybe Cicero had a valid point. There doesn’t seem to be much of anything that all of mankind can agree upon, which is hardly a surprise, given the stubborn individuality most people cling to like a life-saver in a storm at sea. In fact, this innate insistence on being unique is part of the problem, as it makes it hard for people to accept that other people may feel the higher emotions, such as compassion, or honesty, when they are seldom present in themselves. They do not trust themselves, so they cannot trust others…. only when they are in the presence of a real friend can these virtues be shown….
___________________________________

My Fancy

I painted her a gushing thing,
With years about a score;
I little thought to find they were
A least a dozen more;
My fancy gave her eyes of blue,
A curly auburn head:
I came to find the blue a green,
The auburn turned to red.

She boxed my ears this morning,
They tingled very much;
I own that I could wish her
A somewhat lighter touch;
And if you ask me how
Her charms might be improved,
I would not have them added to,
But just a few removed!

She has the bear’s ethereal grace,
The bland hyaena’s laugh,
The footstep of the elephant,
The neck of a giraffe;
I love her still, believe me,
Though my heart its passion hides;
“She’s all my fancy painted her,”
But oh! how much besides!

Lewis Carroll

Here is something a bit different from Lewis Carroll, whom we all know and love from “Through the Looking Glass: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. I think this poem tells a lot about the British culture of the time in which he lived, as I find a lot of pieces from that time that echo the sentiments described herein. At any rate, it’s a fun read, and brought me a little smile at the end, so I hope you enjoy it, too…..
___________________________________

“We may not be able to persuade Hindus that Jesus and not Vishnu should govern their spiritual horizon, nor Moslems that Lord Buddha is at the center of their spiritual universe, nor Hebrews that Mohammed is a major prophet, nor Christians that Shinto best expresses their spiritual concerns, to say nothing of the fact that we may not be able to get Christians to agree among themselves about their relationship to God. But all will agree on a proposition that they possess profound spiritual resources.  If, in addition, we can get them to accept the further proposition that whatever form the Deity may have in their own theology, the Deity is not only external, but internal and acts through them, and they themselves give proof or disproof of the Deity in what they do and think; if this further proposition can be     accepted, then we come that much closer to a truly religious situation on earth.” — Norman Cousins, from his book “Human Options”

Mr. Cousins speaks in a very even-handed manner, with respect for all of the philosophies, religions, and churches he mentions in his statement. Though it is possibly too complex for the average follower of any religion to take in at one sitting, it does make a reasonable allegation, and leads the reader on a quite logical train of thought.

What fails to stimulate complete agreement in me is the question, “why do we make the assumption that what we need on earth is “a truly religious situation.” (whatever THAT means… I mean, really…. a religious ‘situation’? And who defines ‘truly’?…)  It is always a puzzle to me how people can use so much mental energy to chase themselves into a maze with no exit……

First, define a ‘religious situation’, and tell me who gets to decide when it is ‘truly religious’…. second explain why we need it on earth…. third, well, never mind, we’ll get to the abuse later….  Anyway, it puzzles me, how someone who can make the above argument, which shows a knowledge of religions which is at least wide, if not particularly deep, can also make such an unwarranted assumption.

I understand one purpose of such a statement, which would be to at least TRY to infuse some unifying connections between the various modes of thought, to get them to see other views, at least hypothetically. That purpose is a good one…. but trying to make the intuitive leap to a melding of religious thought is asking too much of people who, by the very nature of their beliefs, are unaccustomed to that kind of acceptance.  Indeed, one of the primary identifying characteristics of almost any “worshiper” is an extreme resistance to thinking….at all…. much less thinking about acceptance of another religion’s validity.

I believe Mr. Cousins is right to wish that everyone, of whatever religion they are, would open themselves to the idea that other religions have the same right to exist as do they, even though those beliefs are different from their own. A little bit of tolerance for the other fellow’s ideas can go a long way toward keeping the peace between nations, or people….

It’s a small thing, but with very large effect on how people treat each other…. It is also the most needed change to human nature that I see, the one that could lead the way to other changes to morality and ethics, thereby providing mankind with the tools needed to survive…..

You cannot face it steadily, but this thing’s for sure,
That time is no healer: the patient is no longer here.
— T.S. Eliot
___________________________________

Homer: “Marge, is this a happy ending or a sad ending?”
Marge: “It’s an ending. That’s enough.”
— The Simpsons

I know exactly how Marge feels…. and it’s enough…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

It won’t help save the parameters….

Posted on by
1

Ffolkes,
Starting cold isn’t hard on just engines; it doesn’t seem to be doing a lot for my brain, either. So much for theory…. back to the drawing board…. Maybe if I look under here… no, nothing. There’s nothing lying about I can use, and nothing fictional or philosophical is formulating, that I can see. This could prove to be a frustrating experience, if I can’t come up with something pretty soon; the natives are restless, and I may have to leave mid-Pearl. Hmm, let’s see what happens when I do this….You  may want to cover your ears….

Well, that wasn’t so bad, now, was it? I had assumed that there would be more of a fuss forthcoming, but that was quite restrained, all in all. One would think that it would be a bit more of a struggle to empty one’s own mental pockets, but it went very smoothly, if not exactly fruitfully. Perhaps that explains the lack of interest in fighting for what was found, as it wasn’t much, to be sure. In fact, nothing was found, and that is a bit unsettling, as I had no idea I was so short on material…. not even an old cliche to examine. Pretty sad….

Is this schizoid paranoia or just existential blues? — Smart Bee

I think perhaps I’d best just dive in and begin the search for pearls in Smart Bee; it looks like that is my last, best hope for this morning’s salvation. We can only hope at this point…. shall we Pearl?…..
___________________________________

“To be, or not to be: that is the question: whether ‘t is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? To die: to sleep: No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to,–‘t is a consummation devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there ‘s the rub: for in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause: there ‘s the respect that makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, the insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? who would fardels to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscover’d country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act iii, Sc. 1

This passage is probably the most quoted paragraph in history, generally trotted out when some ambitious actor wants to impress a director with his memory for script, or else when some English professor is trying to impress some cute undergraduate. This morning I took the time to apply my own doubt to my theory about Shakespeare (which, as I’ve shown previously, is solidly negative….), by reading the above passage with an open mind…. Or, as open as I can get it, given my already formed opinion of his work….

I found this to be, as Will’s work often is, rather obscure in its meaning. Sure, it flows nicely, and the way he structures his phrases is certainly lyrical sounding when spoken aloud. But, to me, the difficulty in following the thread of thought that the soliloquy sews detracts from that lyrical quality, by forcing the observer to work too hard at understanding the meaning of the words…. To me, this is a flaw in a play; it deflects one from being entertained by making the audience work at comprehending the actor’s lines….

Second, I found this obscurity to also take away from the power of what otherwise might be a stirring speech. Instead, it merely comes off as depressive, and whiny. “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,” sounds a bit like a complaint to me, and is less than attractive in a Prince, to be sure…..

I guess the English have always enjoyed a bit of crazy in their princes and kings, eh what?…. I suppose in that sense, Will nailed Hamlet’s character on the head…. but, that doesn’t mean I have to like it…. and I don’t….  To my mind, even after this examination, Shakespeare remains the most over-rated author of all time…. And as further proof that even he knew it, from the same play…

“T’is as easy as lying.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act iii, Sc. 2
___________________________________

Nice to see the formalities being observed…. educating new recruits is an important detail….

(Photo found on Facebook…)
___________________________________

“By doubting we come at truth.” — Cicero

Warm eyes, wet lips
Gently touch my finger tips

Soft sighs, silky hair
Longing for me to touch her there

Her begging eyes
Her whimpering cries

Urgent needs of one so sweet
Bring me quickly to my feet

The night is warm, there is no doubt
It’s my turn to take the dog out.
— Smart Bee

“All true knowledge contradicts common sense.” — Smart Bee

This is an old school pearl, after a fashion. Raise your hand if you get the point…. well, okay, don’t. But, if you did, well, you get it, right? Right. So, I don’t have to write a thousand words here to try to tell you, which is probably fortunate for both of us.

There is a point, you know, but, it’s not one that bears any great significance in real terms; I’m just feeling a bit lazy today, and it’s easier than spending another half-hour chasing down something about which to rant. I’ll just leave you with this thought…..

“The storm starts when drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.”  — Dr Suess
___________________________________

I can only wish there was a way to get rich on the concept of unpredictability…. Well, there probably is, but I haven’t heard of such, precisely, though there are numerous theories of which I’ve read. If nothing else, it might help me organize my own existence in such a way as to take advantage of the rapidity with which the Universe presents its manifestations of mutability. Since I don’t know of any such process, I’ll have to settle for the ability to create a paragraph like this, totally meaningless in relation to the task at hand, other than to reflect the confusion and lack of cohesive thought currently on display here…. which makes it accurate, if nothing else…

That being said, to little purpose, I will draw this to a close, thus giving the universe the opportunity to heave its normal sigh of relief, and get on with the day…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you….

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Some days the dragon wins …

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,
Another day dawns, and I’m fairly certain that I left my mind in one of my dreams last night. Disconcerting, to say the least; I’m operating on extreme autopilot mode. This could make for some very interesting Pearls, as my mind is where I keep almost all of my restraint. In this condition, I could say damn near anything, and not give a whit for how it sounds to other folks. Oh well, we’ll just have to dive in, and take our chances…….
___________________________________

“Violence accomplishes nothing.”  “What a contemptible lie!  Raw, naked violence has settled more issues throughout history than any other method ever employed. Perhaps the city fathers of Carthage could debate the issue, with Hitler and Alexander as judges?”–attribution not given, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this with Robert Heinlein’s name behind it.

Our planet is rife with violence of many sorts. It’s only to be expected when a goodly number of the creatures who live on this planet use other creatures as their source of food. Those other creatures are not always amenable to that, and will put up a pretty good argument for an animal that otherwise does not fight. This can lead to some rather spirited discussions over dietary preferences……. There is, however, another effect of using force to obtain food, one that can be problematic to use at best. The use of force can be easily applied to the process of obtaining other desired objects, such as a better cave, a prettier mate, more food, etc.  Humans very quickly adapted to this system, as violence is part of our nature. (Anyone who does not agree with this is not paying enough attention, or is in deep denial)  We tend to use the threat of force a lot as we go about our business; it is one of our most universally adaptable tools, able to be applied to almost any situation as a means of achieving one’s goals.

But there is a price for the use of this tool, and it is a heavy one. Each time a person uses violent means to achieve their ends, a little bit more Grace is carved out of their karma. They devolve, instead of evolving, and become more and more unable to use any other tools they may have, more bestial in their demeanor. The more violent a person becomes, the further they remove themselves from the rest of society, eventually coming into conflict with society at large, as being a danger to others.  As with just about anything, society as a whole is much more effective at violence than any single entity can be, just because of numbers, if naught else. Breaking the habit of assuming a violent stance in response to life’s vicissitudes is extremely difficult; people don’t give up their primary behaviors without a great deal of resistance. But society has little patience with rogue citizens, and will have its way, irrespective of our wishes. This is why we have prisons, and an entire system of law to protect each citizen from suffering violence at the hands of another citizen. If we were truly moral creatures, we wouldn’t need any of that….but we are not, and violence will be an issue for society to deal with as long as human nature remains resistant to change…..
___________________________________

“Pessimism is only the name that men of weak nerve give to wisdom.” — Mark Twain

I always enjoy good advice in the form of an aphorism. Short, sweet, and sharp as a scalpel, a good aphorism cuts right through any preconceptions or perceptive fog, and arrows straight to the rational corner of the mind. This one from Mr. Clemens is a perfect example of the venue, and how it pulls the mind along with it, out of the darkness of ignorance, and into the light of knowledge. I consider aphorisms, or axioms, or anecdotes, or any other word that describes this form of communication to be peerless in their usefulness, especially as a teaching tool. Hell, they’re the backbone of this entire process; if I didn’t rely on them for subject matter, I’d have to sit down and think up what to write, instead of just commenting on what others have said, and that would bear far too much resemblance to actual work…….
___________________________________

If money is the root of all evil, I’ve been uprooted.

True enough, but not accurate in its original sense. The quote actually reads “The love of money is the root of all evil”, and is misquoted a lot, probably because it makes the same kind of sense the original possessed, and people, in my experience, are pretty lazy. The sad part of this in my estimation is that everyone knows this, and just about everyone totally ignores it. People still spend most of their waking hours in employing various and sundry methods to increase how much money they possess. Everybody wants more, and more, and more, and will say and do almost anything to achieve that end.

I’ve never wanted any more of it than I need to get by, and to be able to do the things I like to do, with possibly some extra to give to folks who need some. That’s all. Perhaps my lack of ambition in this respect makes me seem strange, but I’ve never understood why folks would want to burden themselves with so much stuff that they have to worry about others trying to take it away. It’s much more fulfilling to use only what one needs, and be happy with that, and then use the rest for helping others to achieve the same…..and you don’t have to worry that it will be taken away, just like it was taken from someone else. I prefer to not become a target……
___________________________________

“That which leads us to the performance of duty by offering pleasure as its reward, is not virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

I’m always amazed at how accurate the statement “there’s nothing new under the sun” can be. According to this little gem, mankind has been struggling with the same philosophical questions for a long time, in this case about two thousand years. And from what I can see, we’re not making a lot of progress. This concept is as true today as it was in Greece two millenia ago; mankind continues to use whatever means they have at hand to manipulate others, even if those means are degrading to all who participate. The urge to control other folks, in order to set ourselves up as being superior, has never been comprehensible to me; I believe that the impulse to do so is indicative of a sickness in the soul, and that the folks who indulge in such actions are mentally ill. And I should know; I spent close to twenty years caring for the mentally ill, and have seen the outcome of every maladaptive behavior known to science.

In my humble opinion, anyone who actively wants to be President of this country is seriously mentally ill. The job is impossible for one man to do well, what with all the roadblocks to reform and/or progress that are thrown up in their path by the opposing political party. But, as absolute power corrupts absolutely, there is always some d__head out there ready to foist their own particular madness on the rest of us. I’m looking forward to the election next year, if only because the political arena has been so frigging insane this year. Next year promises to provide even more stuff to write about every day, as one pundit after another parades their personal brand of ignorance before the unwashed masses…..
___________________________________

“Honor isn’t about making the right choices.  It’s about dealing with the consequences.” — Midori Koto

This is a good point to make, as I see a lot of folks in today’s world who really don’t have any idea of what honor really means. It is rare to even find someone these days who even thinks about their honor, and even more rare to find a truly honorable person. The whole concept has fallen out of favor in general society; expediency has become more acceptable, no matter how dishonorable it may be. To my way of thinking, society has reached a point where people’s sense of entitlement has grown completely out of control. A person’s personal desires are considered sacrosanct, no matter how badly achieving those desires may affect others. It doesn’t matter that acting in such a fashion places others in danger, or demeans them, or merely inconveniences them; people don’t care, because they’ve been led to believe that what they want is what they deserve, by corporate entities who feed into this, because it plays right into their hands. It’s easy to get someone to buy something, when they believe they have the right to it. What is hard is doing so in an honorable fashion, and we all know how most folks feel about doing hard stuff…..
___________________________________

It’s probably a good thing to stop here. This was threatening to grow by another thousand words, so it’s just as well I cut it off here. You probably have other stuff to do, and I know I certainly have a plate full of problematic tasks. We’d all best be getting to it…..y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!