Traps for the unwary….

Posted on March 28, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

It’s not the pace of life that bothers me, it’s the sudden stop at the end.

~~ Hobbes ~~

Old and new….

Hajime…. Approximately 17 months ago, I began what might be called a forced march, given little choice but to work toward a more healthy lifestyle, as my habits, formed over years of neglect on my part to walk the warrior’s path, were literally killing me, with the full cooperation of the modern medical model. Over that period of time, I spent a very long time in physical hell, suffering from the elimination of a pain medication to which I had been addicted by the doctors in whose care I placed my health. Without assigning any blame other than to myself, and my own lack of mindfulness, I can now say I’ve reached a milestone in the journey, one which indicates reaching a long-sought-for degree of balance.

Simply, last night, I slept, without any aids, for eight solid hours, without enough pain to wake me. I’m up, and in good status, relatively speaking, without any major pain, or other fatiguing factors to begin the day. It tells me my body chemistry and mental state has achieved some balance, and it’s about damn time. Whether or not this will make a big difference in Pearls remains to be seen, but, if nothing else, the physical effort is definitely on board to be less troublesome, and that’s a good thing….

There, I’ve related enough personal bs to fill the intro adequately for our purpose, so, I think I’ll just go with the flow that shows, and get on with the rest of the mess we have to put together today. The only questions to be answered now are whether or not I have a fresh rant in me, and whether or not Smart Bee will cooperate well enough to put together an old-school pearl. Time, as always, will tell; it can’t seem to keep quiet….but, I digress. We, that’s y’all, and I, are leaving, and, we’re doing that right now….

Shall we Pearl?

“It’s like brother Nietzsche said–being human is a complicated gig,
so give that dark night of the soul a hug and howl the eternal yes.

~~ Chris Stevens, Late night DJ, “Northern Exposure” ~~

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Today’s music will be purely to satisfy my own wishes; naturally, that means some excellent guitar music. I was going to go with Clapton, or one of the other rock virtuosos, but, we’ll go with classical guitar, instead, to soothe the savage breasts we all have in the mornings…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Guitar

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https://youtu.be/NOZhkTLTKzU

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I’d hoped to rant this morning, as I’ve more than enough built-up angst to fuel a good one. But, time constraints and my own sense of urgency have killed that idea for today, so, here is a pretty neat little discussion from 2012 that will do nicely…. Enjoy!….

From 9/10/2012:

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius

Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether a quote attributed to Confucius was actually uttered by him; there are a lot of people out there who consider themselves funny, and they use his name without any by-your-leave. This one, though, has the “look and feel” of his philosophy, as he was often concerned with virtue, and the effect of that virtue on society….. Around here, we always go by the theory that, “if it waddles like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

This idea, regardless of its accuracy, (and it is very accurate…. trust me….) is one that many people would never consider, since those same many people never use introspection or self-inquiry to judge their own actions. Mostly they don’t think at all, of course, as is the habit of the major percentage of humans, but in this especially, the greater portion of mankind never even thinks about whether their actions are virtuous or not. They simply don’t care what their own motivation consists of, preferring to treat the universe as their own little plaything, insisting that reality bend itself to their viewpoint.

“If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxv

Reality, naturally, takes umbrage at such behavior, and will generally furnish such fools sufficient trouble to keep them alert, if not actually awake and aware. In that sense, reality is self-adjusting. But no matter how many times some folks get stepped on, they never can figure out that their own actions are what brought them to the point they currently inhabit. I often wonder how some folks reach the age of consent, much less the age of reason; their lack of ability to reason would seem to me to be terminal in the short run. But, our society, in the process of advancing beyond the cave dweller stage, protects such fools, and their stupidity is rewarded, rather than punished. In such cases, my wonder at how they reached the age they possess turns to regret, that they reached the age of reproduction….

“Since everything in life is but an experience perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.” — Long Chen Pa

Using this principle, I laugh all the damn time, it seems. But, sadly, the world does not laugh with me…. That’s okay, though, for I have hope that things will eventually shake down into some sort of intelligent order. Call me crazy, but that hope does exist…. even though I know it is a relatively futile hope…. Is there any other kind?…..

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Random Exposure

If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.

Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.

Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.

Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.

Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/22/2013

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Our final old-school pearl turned out rather well, considering I gave SB the lead on picking out the entries. I’d say it’s a message on how to live one’s life with some dignity and peace, but, that’s just me…. Y’all tell me if you see it differently…. Or, just enjoy some pieces of eternal human wisdom, such as they are….

“The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject but man only.” — Thomas Hobbes

“It isn’t easy being green.” — Kermit

“Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book

“The only abnormality is the incapacity to love.” — Anais Nin

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

“Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.” — Og Mandino

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right actions arises by itself?” — Lao Tzu

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It’s done, and it’s good. Well, for me, it’s good; for y’all, it will naturally depend on from whence you began your journey, and your own inner state. That, of course, is a given. But, regardless of how much I fool around here, or try to pad things here at the end, it’s still the end, and we’re done, so, I should probably think about getting us out of here. Unfortunately, I seem to be stuck in a loop, and can’t seem to stop typing…. Oh, well, let’s use a Tardis Toy, which will bring us directly to where all of us need to be…. That’s what a Tardis does, you know…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Verifying solitary rice cakes….

Posted on March 25, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It is much more comfortable to be mad and know it,
than to be sane and have one’s doubts.”

~~ G. B. Burgin ~~

Cork, Ireland, from a football pitch above the city….

Hajime…. I suppose there is a certain virtue associated with feeling disappointment in life; it happens often enough to warrant such award, if the disappointment is borne with dignity. However, since dignity has been eliminated from my life, by choice and circumstance, I can honestly say it’s a fucking pain in the ass to have slept relatively normally, yet wake up & have my first thought manifest in complete denial, saying only, “Damn, I sure want to go back to bed!”….

Having successfully ignored myself, here I am, to make another attempt at coherence, with, perhaps, a dash of reason to fill it out nicely. I do so with some trepidation, admittedly, but, with strong hope, based entirely on wishful thinking. Given those parameters, perhaps the hope is misplaced, but, we’ll see how it goes. I do have the advantage of having had almost three full days to complete this particular mess, so, we’ll see if that plays into the final results. Personally, I can’t say there’s any evidence to suggest success, but, none seems to be jumping up on the negative side, either, so, we’ll have to see how it goes.

I am sure, given my fogginess, I could wander around here in the intro for some time, padding this in the front, so to speak, but, I don’t believe we’ll need any such shady techniques today, since I had enough time to make it reasonably right on the first shot. In fact, I’m going to show some confidence in the process, well-deserved, and bring this to a somewhat timely close. I won’t even have to use any of the Tardis Toys today, as we are making good time already…. All I need to do is this….

Shall we Pearl?

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

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Playing For Change Logos

When one contributes to the cause with this organization, the first level of participation provides you with the title of PFC Ambassador, which gives the privilege of displaying the logo when sharing the music with others…. I’m happy to be a part of this cause, for it is one of the few real effective weapons the people of the world can claim as their own; it cannot be taken away…. It is also one of the two best weapons we have, to wit, love, and laughter, both of which bring light into darkness, turning it around from evil…. Here is one of the first videos they put together, with some fine musicians from around the world…. Enjoy!…..

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Stand By Me

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https://youtu.be/Us-TVg40ExM

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I am attempting to work ahead a bit, but, in order to do so, must resort to archived material, as I am currently rant-free, though not by choice. However it may be, or seem, that, ffolkes, is the way it is…. Actually, I’ve found some decent stuff, so, count your lucky stars it isn’t fresh and depressing…. It’s old and depressing instead…. Hey, what do you expect? It’s a rant!…. Try to enjoy it anyway….

From 12/30/2012:

“History is a lie commonly agreed upon.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

I often wonder how the future will view these times, it being a given that the fabric of our society is based primarily on lies and/or delusions.* Which ones will stand the test of time, and end up in the books as being the one everyone agrees upon? It has also been said that history is always written by the winners, and that seems to me to be fairly close to the real truth of the matter. It would be a bit more acceptable to me if it weren’t so bloody predictable, and that there was at least a small chance that the events we experience would be reported truthfully. Alas, I am not hopeful that will ever be the case…..

* (Note the use of the technique of the positively stated assertion, using the assumption of its truth as proven, the same as exemplified in ALL religious doctrines as the basis for their truth and relativity…. Just thought I’d make it clear, that this is real, serious stuff…. 🙂 ….)

In all honesty, I’m not convinced that we, as a species, will have much of a future. Given the current state of the environment, I can’t see us lasting more than a couple hundred years more, without some major changes to society, changes that are not imminent, or even under consideration. When I first started this blog, over a year ago, I posted a link, to a World Clock at Poodwaddle.com ( I love the human imagination!…..). You can find that clock here: http://www.poodwaddlecom/clocks/worldclock/ This clock has a number of faces, one of which shows exactly how much CO and CO2, along with unnatural amounts of other toxic substances, are being pumped into the atmosphere every second, by industrial and manufacturing facilities, and by cars and other vehicles.

I am a scientist, first. I chose the path of the scientist in my youth, before my tenth birthday, before the warrior’s path I chose later. In essence, scientists ARE warriors, and vice versa, as battling the universe requires study to be effective, and acquiring knowledge requires the curiosity and courage of a warrior, in order to find, and face, Truth. Each path, or persona, complements the other, and, in my time, have led me on a journey of great beauty and wonder. This journey, though, is in danger of being ended before its time, by the asininity of the human race….

There are some scientists who believe humans do not have the power to harm the planet, and the danger is not as great as others, and the evidence, might indicate. In one respect, they are right…. I don’t think the planet itself is in danger from what we are doing, though I’m sure it is suffering pain from the symptoms we’ve managed to saddle it with in our time. No, our activities, such as polluting the air and water, wasting resources, and killing the other creatures we live with indiscriminately, only endanger us, and the other life forms on the planet. Once we are gone, the planet will easily clean itself of the trash we deposited everywhere, and move on to the next evolutionary step in the parade of Time.

“Where man walks the earth hurts.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Many years ago, I used to believe in the ingenuity of scientists, to overcome the technological difficulties we’ve created, and find a way to keep us alive, perhaps by colonizing space, and leaving Earth behind. But, the figures don’t lie, and the figures say we don’t have the time to fool around waiting for space travel to solve the problems we have. By the time we could achieve any kind of significant progress there, we would be forced to live in domes, and wear protective gear to go outside them, to walk on the surface of our own world. That is if there are enough remaining resources to build the domes, and to power them sufficiently to survive.

The other possible solution is for the ruling classes of our species to come to their senses, to reverse their moral compasses, and start acting in the best interests of everyone, instead of just themselves. The whole problem with pollution we have today exists solely because the ruling classes, the people who control all the resources, don’t have any moral compass, or, choose to deliberately ignore its demands. They choose to deliberately structure society in their own favor, so that they have the power and control over what occurs, while the rest of us try to survive on what they don’t want. It is the same picture that history has drawn for all the millenia since we came out of the caves to live in cities, and the 1% of mankind who is in control is not interested in helping anyone else, unless and until they have secured their own….

Even the lies we agree upon in history show this to be true, so I don’t think there is a huge chance that we will see any changes before it is too late for it to matter. I just don’t see those in the beloved ruling class all of a sudden reversing the entire course of the history they’ve chosen to allow to happen; it is not in their nature to be altruistic to even a small degree. We are either going to have to rise up and throw them out on their asses, or suffer an ignominious death, when the air we can no longer breathe begins to choke us as we walk down the street toward our destiny….. which at this point, leads only to a coffin…..

“I can’t decide which WRONG TURN to make first!! I wonder if BOB GUCCIONE has these problems!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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Stray Cats

The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone;
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..

~~gigoid~~

4/12/2013

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Today’s final old-school pearl took a while to put together, as SB was in a funny configuration, or something. I managed to persuade a nine-star necklace of gems to come together, but, the message they tell together isn’t clear until it’s all over. That, in and of itself, is a good thing; whether you think so is both another thing, and, in the final analysis, immaterial, as it is what it is…. I hope you enjoy it; it’s all good stuff, and offers a chance for some rather positive, helpful reflection…. Go figure….

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” — Confucius

“A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.” — Jacqueline Bisset

“I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him.” — Galileo Galilei

“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand-in-hand.” — Emily Kimbrough

“Where the map differs from the terrain, believe the terrain.” — Swedish Army Manual

“For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius

“When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.” — Things we can learn from dogs

For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
It is never too late to start doing what is right.
Never.

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

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I did it, with relative ease of effort, too. Since it’s a new day, we’ll use a new technique here at the end, which is rather abrupt, but, works quite well to bring things to a clean end. It works like this: Bye, ffolkes. See y’all tomorrow….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Fluffy pieces of hydrated carbon steel….

Posted on March 12, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”

~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~

By any other name…

Hajime…. Well, I’m here. It’s been a tough week here at ECR, and in Northern Cali, as the rain continues to move in and out, bouncing the barometer around like a super-ball, keeping me in the throes of inflamed arthritic joints for hours & days on end…. Ah, well, such is life for us old farts, at times; it’s a good thing we’ve had lots of practice by now, or nothing would get done at all. But, I digress, as usual…. I’ve been working on a discussion for the rant section, but, it’s grown so epic it’ll need to wait, so, you’ll see an older pearl there today. Otherwise, it’s all as normal as we get around here, and pleasant as white bread toast.

Naturally, having begun today’s mess with a chatty, informative tone, we’ll need to find a different direction to take, to get us toward the oyster beds we prefer to inhabit during our time together. Y’all wouldn’t have any ideas, would you? No. Okay, well, let’s see. Oh, I suppose I could…. no, just did that. Hmm, how about this one? Nope, look, it’s broken. Well, I guess I’ll just have to use the Tardis, and have it washed tonight. Yeah, that’s the ticket….

Okay, if y’all will just file out of the cabin, and head over into the Tardis, we’ll get this slow on the toad for the day. I appreciate your flexibility, and your patience in waiting for me to get my act together enough to put one of these things together. C’est marvellieux! As a thank you, I have entered all your names in our contest, for a chance to win a chance to stay behind next time. Bonus! Okay, I’m done…. Well, I can’t think of any more nonsense, so, that’s the same thing…. Look, what’s that?…. Duck! No, goose!…. Ah, hell with it; Luigi, throw that switch….

Shall we Pearl?

“Thoughts are mightier than strength of hand.”

~~ Sophocles — Phaedra, Frag. 854 ~~

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Playing For Change

I discovered this organization a few months ago, and have been nearly obsessed with taking part in their quest, as it fits in perfectly with my own views of how we can possibly achieve some kind of harmony in the world at large. Laughter, music, and love are the answer to all our problems, if freely felt, and given without regard for any delusions that demean humanity, such as religion, politics, or the seriously negative concept of money. None of them are necessary for people to live, as long as we live, as we always need to, in the shelter of each other….

As I listened yesterday to the first couple videos, which I got when I joined the organization as one of their contributing Ambassadors, my resolve to follow this path was strengthened, especially when I chose to listen first to Imagine, John Lennon’s summary of human wisdom, and then One Love, Bob Marley’s matching manifesto, two of the PFC’s iconic statements of purpose, in song…. The film’s participants exhibit such joy, such freedom of spirit, I weep, every time I watch, as musicians from all around the world join to play the tunes, together… I suggest listening to as many as you can, then, join, begin to share the music, and the love it creates….. Enjoy!….

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Playing For Change

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https://youtu.be/iBnoBetIk1w

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Here is a discussion of the principles of personal security, from 2014. It’s a bit long, but, pretty good in spots; I hope you enjoy it….

From 5/5/2014:

I found these two articles yesterday, after posting the Pearl…. As you’ll see, they provide the perfect jumping point for what follows…. I suppose that, as always, ‘perfect’ is a question-begging word to use, but, hey, I calls ’em as I sees ’em…. when I can find my glasses….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/03/everyone-is-under-surveillance-now-says-whistleblower-edward-snowden

I had originally intended to have some words regarding this article, as it speaks to some rather important points…. but, then, I saw the following article, and my angst went right through the roof, stimulating the rest…. Now, read this one…. & just include it all together; it’s all of a piece, anyway….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/18/cia-torture-architect-enhanced-interrogation

Here, then, is an excellent example of the definition of ‘gigo’, (garbage in-garbage out), from the psychologist responsible for the design and codification of many of the torture methods, including “water boarding”, used by the CIA at Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere around the world….. His comments, which I will examine below, are so egregiously INSANE, I had to read the article in pieces, as I found myself shouting at him, every time he opened his mouth to make one of the reported statements…

I cannot BELIEVE this man was found to be an adequate psychologist, passing his tests and arguing his doctoral thesis, without having at least the basic innate ability to display even an ounce of compassion; I also don’t understand, at all, how he could be considered anything other than the US’s version of the Nazi scientist, the one at Auschwitz, who sent the Jews into the ovens….

Ah, yes, Josef Mengele…. the infamous, iconic mad doctor, the real version, the model for what all the comics use as the ultimate villain so often, whose insanity threatens the entire world, and everyone in it…. I tell you, ffolkes, those people in Washington, D.C. are totally out of control…. I’m not kidding; the current crop of elected officials, as well as the appointees put in place by those (I stared at this point for a long time, and still cannot, for the life of me, think of an expletive that it harsh enough…, so we’ll go with a classic….) assholes, all exhibit every single symptom of the violently insane, who believe their own twisted version of reality is the only real one, who hold on to their paranoid delusions so tightly, nothing, and nobody, can tell them differently….

Hell, I don’t even need, in this case, to resort to my special knowledge and experience, of working with the violently insane as a therapist for over 20 years…. These guys lay it out so clearly, right out in public, there’s no need for me to have to explain…. Their own words convict them whenever they condescend to open their mouths about what they truly believe….

Here, let me show you a couple of examples from the second article listed… The comments in quotes are by the protagonist in this drama, James Mitchell, (Piled High and Deep), Ph.D., formerly of the CIA, the psychologist regarded as the architect of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program…. a description taken straight from the article…. You’ll be able to recognize my comments by the anger and vulgarity the statements produce in me….

“The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time,” he said. “You can’t ask someone to put their life on the line and think and make a decision without the benefit of hindsight and then eviscerate them in the press 10 years later.”

You can’t? Why not? These people were in no danger; there is no danger, no life on the line, when someone tortures another; only the one being tortured is in danger. And if you do something so obviously WRONG, it doesn’t fucking matter a bit how long it is, you SHOULD be vilified in the press. There is no reason on this Earth why anyone shouldn’t KNOW torturing another human being, for ANY FUCKING REASON AT ALL, is NOT morally defensible. This principle is true even in cases where the ultimate goal is considered good; you’ve no doubt heard the saying, “the end does not justify the means.”

If they didn’t know it was wrong, why didn’t they do it out in the open, where everyone could see what they were doing? Fucking assholes think that their own parafuckingnoia should excuse anything they do….

“Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

“I’m skeptical about the Senate report, because I do not believe that every analyst whose jobs and promotions depended upon it, who were professional intelligence experts, all them lied to protect a program? All of them were wrong? All of these [CIA] directors were wrong? All of the people who were using the intel to go get people were wrong? And 10 years later a Senate staffer was able to put it together and finally there’s clarity? I am just highly skeptical that that’s the truth.”

This one’s easy….and so obvious, I again shouted this at the screen, hoping the asshole would hear me, “Why, yes, you bloody idiot, they CAN, and WERE, all wrong…. and every damn one of them WOULD lie to protect a program, which, in their minds, equals money, or influence….” Then, of course, I realized I was shouting at my computer, so, I sat, tried to calm down, & began to type, to try to release some of the venom and bile that collected so quickly in the face of such evil insanity…. It started when the assbite used the phrase, “Senate staffer” as if that position was held only by persons of dubious character…

When you start from a premise that is wrong, there is no way to make it come out right, and every damn one of those directors started with the idea that whatever they did, right or wrong, shouldn’t be made public knowledge, and that such clandestine prevarication is justified by their goal (which they refuse to consider as anything other than right…. perfect “ipse dixit” logic….)

“If you get the first one in the wrong hole, you’ll never get all buttoned up right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This, of course, is completely contrary to the values upon which our nation was supposedly founded; thus, any acts that indulge in that sort of paranoia, which were made on the basis of that idea, are, from the start, WRONG…. It really is that simple ffolkes, and I don’t understand quite WHY the public doesn’t get that, when listening to these lying, insane fools who pursue their delusional fantasies at the expense of the rest of us….

I reiterate…. “Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

Bloody fucking assholes, every damn one of them…..

“If I had a large amount of money I should found a hospital for those whose grip upon the world is so tenuous that they can be severely offended by words and phrases yet remain all unoffended by the injustice, violence and oppression that howls daily about our ears.” — Stephen Fry

I’d say the good doctor Mitchell would be one of the first admissions…. I’ll leave you to consider the following, which pretty much sums up what I see happening in the world today, just about everywhere I look…..

“It is okay to be ignorant in some areas, but some people abuse the privilege.” — Smart Bee

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Momentary Terror

Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.

Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.

Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.

Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..

~~ gigoid ~~

12/27/2013

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Naked Pearls

Esoterica

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“Books aren’t written to be believed in, but to be questioned.”

~~ Umberto Eco ~~

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“If a man take no thought about what is distant,
he will find sorrow near at hand.”

~~ Confucius ~~

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“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

~~ Sir Edmund Hillary ~~

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“Never fear shadows.
They simply indicate there’s a light shining close by.”

~~ Fearless Bee ~~

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“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

*********

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*********

“Where pain predominates, agony can be a valued teacher.”

~~ Frank Herbert ~~

*********

“Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*********

“OVER the underpass!
UNDER the overpass!
Around the FUTURE and BEYOND REPAIR!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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

I did it. I had my doubts, as is my wont, but, it’s done, with some minor cheating. I hope y’all enjoyed today’s effort, which, believe me, was an effort. I shall make another attempt at this tomorrow, if all goes well. If not, well, you’ll hear from me….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Privately amorphous, he moulted….

Posted on March 8, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.”

~~ Matsuo Basho ~~

Simple Beauty

Hajime…. The day ahead of me gives the appearance of being stuffed full already, and I have yet to complete this Pearl…. I also need to apologize to some of the blogs I follow, for not getting there often enough to keep up. As my body continues its journey back to good health, I find myself getting weary earlier. This has sent me to bed by 8 PM now for a few weeks, and it’s eating into my reading time. I’m sure I’ll eventually be back to a higher energy level, but, for now, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, and, now we can go on….

Since we are again somewhat late getting started, with little properly done, I’ll make this short. How short? Well, this short…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Drop the question what tomorrow may bring,
and count as profit every day that fate allows you.”

~~ Horace ~~

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

I feel like something jumping and raucous today, so, you’re just going to have to settle for what you get, and like it. If you enjoy good, loud, driving rock & roll, you’ll be fine, If not, well, don’t turn it on, because these guys have way too much fun to keep your feet still…. It isn’t too long, but, they rock the entire time. It’s from a concert in 1973, & the video isn’t too sharp, but the sound is fine…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

Elvin Bishop

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

https://youtu.be/Os6LLRYQnh0

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

Freedom = Responsibility

I find it a noisome fact to realize, if one asked any modern American to explain the meaning of the above equation, they would be relatively unclear, both in their own mind, and in their explanation, as to how to do so. They may have some idea of what freedom means, but, cannot easily come up with the very simple answer to what the responsibility entailed may be. I say simple because we were actually all given ample warnings about how certain elements of humanity would try to abrogate our freedoms for their own benefit, in plain language, such as this:

“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson

Those Gentle Readers who have been here often know this is a subject upon which I tend to harp, as it is, in my opinion, the major failure of the American public, now, and for the past 200 years. However, rather than rant today, I’m going to send you to read two posts online, one at Salon.com, and one here on WP. The first is an article exploring the exact issue outlined in Jefferson’s statement of responsibility. The second shows quite clearly the result of this failure of responsibility, and how the American public has failed to earn the liberties they have lost….. The article on Salon I found here:

https://lobotero.com/2016/03/07/why-the-right-hates-american-history-salon-com

This is the article for you to read:

http://www.salon.com/2015/02/26/why_the_right_hates_american_history_partner/

********

The second article is from Dean Baker, whose work you first saw here yesterday, with a very fine poem. Today you’ll get his take on the Trump phenomenon, with erudition, accuracy, and humor….

https://tormentingthemonkey.wordpress.com/2016/03/06/t-rump-is-a-symptom-not-a-solution-the-trump-dump/#comment-1139

You can find more of Dean’s work, and buy his books, at CreateSpace.com, here:

https://www.createspace.com/5995746

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

Haiku

Only a Pearl now
to bring us a bit of space;
no less and no more.

~~ gigoid ~~

Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday

A baleful lump of ironic introspection
sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.

Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.

Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.

Too many culprits exist to count just one;
all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.

Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.

Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/3/2015

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

Our final old-school pearl is a rather elegant nine-star necklace, with some observations on what it takes to be a complete human…. Well, in my book, anyway…. Enjoy!…

“You must create your own world. I’m responsible for my world.” — Louise Nevelson

“Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye.” — Austin O’Malley

“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii

“The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.” — Cicero

“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”– Ancient proverb

“Self-improvement is a dangerous form of vanity.” — Alan Watts

“The one unforgivable sin, the offense against one’s own integrity, is to accept anything at all simply on authority.” — Maureen Johnson Long

“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” — Confucius

“Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself.” — Horace

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

Given the twenty-minute break to serve as a tree limb for a cat in serious need of a cuddle, the mere fact we are done is enough to amaze. But, then, I’m pretty easily entertained. Regardless, we’re done, so, I’ll not torture y’all any further today, but, will save some of it for tomorrow…. Oh, not to worry; I’ll be here. Nobody seems to have figured out how to stop me, so….. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Zinc patterns are drifting south…

Posted on March 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence everyone must take an equal portion,
most people would be contented to take their own and depart.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Heralding Spring ~ Street Scene

Hajime….. Life’s a funny thing, don’t you think? Now, perhaps, if you’re like me at all, the first thought to enter your mind upon reading that is to make an internal decision as to the meaning of ‘funny’, then react according to that meaning. Personally, I tend to smile first, at the irony of a human being trying to assign meaning to a word in English, especially one with such a multitude of meanings, and, shades of meaning. It’s one of the best parts about the language, it’s flexibility…. as well as one of the more confusing aspects it displays. After all, life itself is ambiguous, by nature, so, a language used to talk of it needs to reflect that.

I believe that should do it. I’ve set a tone of rational discourse, so as to provide some camouflage for what is below, which may SEEM rational and organized, but, in truth, is a cobbled-together mess, hampered as I was by a new, surprise physical issue, a gift from the past to remind me of my former foolishness. Well, it seems that way, anyway. In short, I got distracted, by a new source of pain, about level 8 or so, in my ankle, which severely limited my ability to walk or move around…. This, naturally, made everything harder, not to mention more painful. I’m not complaining, per se; I’ve dealt with the pain of a sprained ankle literally dozens of time in my life, so, that isn’t the problem…. It’s getting anything done in my usual routine that became impossible….

So, I’m up early to try to cobble a Pearl from nothing…. and, I’m almost there…. One last part, & we’ll be good to go. To foster the success of that plan, I’ll dump you right here, so we can get the slow on the toad, before the toast gets soggy. I’d hang on if I were y’all; this method gets a bit unstable going around the corners….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The hour is striking so close above me,
so clear and sharp,
that all my senses ring with it.
I feel it now: there’s a power in me
to grasp and give shape to my world.
I know that nothing has ever been real
without my beholding it.
All becoming has needed me.
My looking ripens things
and they come toward me, to meet and be met.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke, from Book of Hours ~~

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

“Life without music would be an intolerable insult.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Today’s musical choice reflects the quote at the top of this section, a statement with which I am in complete agreement…. My life would be much less enjoyable without classical music, and this young lady’s talent shows us why…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

Classical Guitar
Xuefe Yang

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

https://youtu.be/QCe5EsLlyVw?list=PLfdMKJMGPPty_Gdn0U8pohWKEpeJZer-n

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

Naturally, since so little got done yesterday, we’re going to the archives…. Way back in the archives, to be exact, to the early days of this blog on WordPress…. Here are two short discussions, centered around some rather tasty pearls…. Enjoy!….

From 12/22/2011:

“He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” — Confucius

“He who does neither is eligible to join the crowd as a Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2012.” — gigoid

Although there are moments, when I’m reading some new report on the latest verbal bomb from the Republican gallery of fools, that I despair for the race, I have to admit it’s really handy for us writers. Every day, sometimes several times, we are presented with material by these folks, who seem to not only have the habit of shooting themselves in the foot, they seem to enjoy it, or at best are using it as a campaign tactic to draw attention. There isn’t even any need to go deep to look for stuff the politicos would rather you didn’t know, because they have taken it upon themselves to offer that information in their own statements, made obvious by their loquaciousness on certain subjects, and their reluctance to speak on others.

It’s almost as if they are printing up pictures of themselves with arrows pointing to their most vulnerable points; I really don’t understand how so many obviously unqualified and downright idiotic people ever got the notion that they could possibly do this. The only thing I can come up with is that they are completely out of touch with objective information, and have determined that subjective judgments are sufficient reason to qualify them for the Presidency.

In other words, they are delusional, as that word is defined as continuing to hold as truth information that has been proven false. Now do we really want folks who suffer from delusional thinking to be the one with the button that launches the nuclear holocaust? I don’ know about you, but I would give that question a resounding “NO!”…..and not feel a whit of guilt…..
___________________________________

“The world is full of burled and gnarly knobs on which you can hang a metaphysical system. If you must.” — Edward Abbey

Here then is a logical mind. My evidence? His reluctance to impose an invented set of rules on a world that resists any such restraint is, in my mind, eminently sensible. Why do we have to make up stuff to try to explain how the universe functions? What quality does our curiosity have that compels us to seek out some kind of system to help us to deal with reality as it is? Humans seem to want some kind of order to their existence, and for some reason, can’t seem to come to terms with things the way they are. They seem to need to apply their own set of prejudices to the world, an impulse stemming from some unknown inner compulsion that has held back the tide of human progress for just about our entire history.

My own opinion is that human nature, being what it is, noted way back in the old days, that a man with no principles can manipulate other people through their own set of behavioral rules. By balancing a friendly, smiling face with a completely sociopathic conscience, they have been able to keep most of mankind in thrall ever since we first started farming and coming together in cities to trade. And they continue today; as a matter of fact the news of late has been full of evidence of their millenia-long hold over the rest of humanity. We (the gullible masses, identified by H. L. Mencken by the word ‘the booboisie’) have even given them a name; we now call them the 1%.

“The distinctions separating the social classes are false; in the last analysis they rest on force.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

The battle lines for Armageddon have been drawn, and the combatants have chosen their sides; the war is coming, and I wouldn’t do a thing to stop it, because freeing ourselves from the people who live for power is our only hope for survival as a species. The 1% probably believes that they will be the only survivors of a world-wide catastrophe, and odds are, they may be right. But I’ll be damned if I’ll go without putting up an epic fight, for my life, and my liberty……

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” — Walt Kelly (in POGO)

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

It’s a day for Emily, I think. I also think we’ll go with one of her best-known poems, just because…. Enjoy! Many millions already have done….

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea,
Yet never in extremity
It asked a crumb of me.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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

Hmm…. Well, I did try, but, SB is in a snit, apparently, and won’t give me anything usable. We’ll have to fall back ten yards, and punt. Here’s a pretty good little pearl from a couple years ago…. Enjoy!….

From 2/23/2014:

All things considered, it’s been an interesting morning here at ECR…. I was up a bit late, but, the morning’s routine went smoothly, so I began to write in an unusually comfortable, clear-headed state, an event that, arguably, made the intro as coherent and organized as it is, for a change. The rant above not only went well, it went epic, and quite agreeably, from my standpoint, so, we’re good there, too. I’ve repeated myself with the poem, but, that’s merely a factor of how good it is….

That, of course, brings us to section three, and the obligatory, and, in this case, most welcome, old-school pearl…. We’re shooting today for a seven-star necklace of gems that will make me spew coffee through my nose, from laughing so hard and unexpectedly…. Let’s see what SB can come up with to accommodate us….

“I think, therefore, I am.” — Rene Descartes
“I think I think. Therefore, I think I am.” — Smart Bee
“I think I am. That’s close enough.” — gigoid the dubious

“It is most difficult to acquire wisdom without first having survived a whole mine field filled with folly.” — Smart Bee

“If you are wearing one brown and one black shoe, you have a pair like it somewhere in the closet.” — The Rule of Elderly Survival

“It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.” — Smart Bee

“Eternity’s a terrible thought. I mean, where’s it all going to end?” — Tom Stoppard, _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead_

“On one occasion Aristotle was asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated: “As much,” said he, “as the living are to the dead.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi

“There are worlds out there where the sky is burning and the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice, somewhere else the tea’s getting cold. Come on Ace, we’ve got work to do…” — The Doctor, Survival [Last lines of last episode]

It seems Smart Bee had a different agenda than mine…. S’fine…. I like this one better, since I didn’t have to suffer the nasal spew…. I’ll leave you with that image, reluctantly….

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

There you go It’s all rather a cheat, but, it’s done, so, who cares? Not me; getting done was my entire purpose here today, so, I won. Moreover, I did it before the cat woke up, which made it much simpler. I’ll try to get myself squared away, ffolkes, but, given how long a road that may turn out to be, it may affect the next few Pearls…. Oh, they’ll show up, one way or another…. but, I can pretty much guarantee you won’t see a big jump in quality any time soon…. ‘Course, I’ve been wrong before, too. In any case, see y’all tomorrow, with a bit of luck….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Seemingly diffident versions in puce tones….

Posted on March 1, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“You, shall I tell you what knowledge is?
When you know a thing, say that you know it.
When you do not know a thing, admit you do not know it.
This is knowledge.”

~~ Confucius ~~

Spring springing…

Hajime….. A very old human expression tells us of the unreliability we all feel when making plans, to wit: “The best laid plans, of mice, and men… etc.” Not only do we feel this ambiguity toward trying to control the events we experience in reality, but, also feel a sense of futility, as exemplified in another old saw, about “Men plan, and the gods laugh.”…. The reason for both feelings was brought home to me forcefully last night, as the plans I made and carried out to try to get to sleep in a reasonable amount of time, though partially effective, in one respect, were, ultimately, useless….

Without going deeply into detail, suffice it to say it was another long night, and I’m up late, having fallen into exhausted sleep at about 2, & waking late. In addition, heading down early means not much of this Pearl got done yesterday, and there is little time to put it together now. So, what you get today is a seriously truncated Pearl, with only what could be cobbled together in a hurry. So be it. Life goes on, and we must deal with it as it happens. We do try to maintain some of the virtues we espouse on a regular basis; honor requires it. So, truth be told, and we’ll get on with what there is to do….

I apologize for any lack of, well, anything you expected, but will point out the eternal truth of axiom #2 of Peruaosophy, which says, of course, “The Nature of the Universe is Change… etc.” Our expectations are not mandatory commands to reality, which feels no regret at ignoring any such nonsense from mere humans. That said, let’s get this slow on the toad….

Shall we Pearl?….

“It is not the possessions but the desires of mankind which require to be equalized.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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

“Men who allow their love of power to give them a distorted view of the world are to be found in every asylum: one man will think he is the governor of the Bank of England, another will think he is the king, and yet another will think he is God. Highly similar delusions, if expressed by educated men in obscure language, lead to professorships of philosophy, and if expressed by emotional men in eloquent language, lead to dictatorships.” — Bertrand Russell

I thought this statement made a great opening for a discussion of modern times, but, real time demands have precluded my writing it. However, I will point out, if the first statement above is followed to a logical end, it would lead y’all along a path of thought leading to the statement of truth you see below, which says, in essence, all we need to know about how the concept of government is, quite simply, another delusion fostered by those who fear life, and must control others…. If one stops to think, at all, the truth of this becomes crystal clear, and, an indictment of both the powers that be, and, the rest of humanity, who has rejected the demands of their own nature….

“Grown men do not need leaders.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

Haiku

Sleep is elusive,
retreated to a far land.
Too far to travel.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/1/2016

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

Our final pearl is rather a traditional pearl, in the sense it reflects how they appeared many moons ago, when I first began to create them, back in the early part of the century. Always an odd number, for reasons given previously, they did not always have a coherent message to impart; often they were just a reflection of my own head, at that time. This one does have a message, and it’s pretty simple, all in all… I hope you enjoy our truncated version of the usual, as we found it today….

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” — Dalai Lama

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” — Aldous Huxley, Time Must Have a Stop

“Xenophanes said, “I confess myself the greatest coward in the world, for I dare not do an ill thing.” — Plutarch — Of Bashfulness

“And feels a thousand deaths in fearing one. — Edward Young – Night Thoughts, Night iv, Line 17

“The tragedy and the magnificence of Homo sapiens together rise from the same smoky truth that we alone among the animal species refuse to acknowledge natural law.” — Robert Ardrey, _The Social Contract_

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

That’s it, ffolkes; that’s all I’ve got today. No video, I know, and, sorry ’bout that. Sometimes, life is tougher than other times, a point of reality we often highlight here, as it seems to be one of Reality’s most favored lessons to reinforce at frequent intervals. As we have iterated previously, so be it. We’re done, and we’re outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, hopefully with a bit more material to share…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Whiny wimps boast no cheeses….

Posted on February 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A man of quality is not threatened by a woman of equality.”

~~ Gentle Bee ~~

Best Shot Two

Hajime….. Time, Space, and Reality at Large can be a rather complex three-body problem to solve, especially when our routines for dealing with the chaotic world in which we live become less than reliable. To be honest, the changes that seem to be taking place aren’t unwelcome; it’s hard to complain about getting more sleep. But, adjusting the elements of Reality thus affected is not as simple as it may sound, or look. That said, I think it’s probably a good idea to let this subject die a natural death, by negligence. So be it.

Okay, we’ve managed to obscure the issue fairly well, so far. Let’s see if a bit of nonsense will help us get to our necessary jumping-off point, shall we? Zippy always enjoys it so much when we do. Why, look! There’s our spot now! Okay, we’d better go, so hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party:
there is no battle unless there be two.”

~~ Seneca ~~

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

royalty-free-clip-art-vector-logos-of-black-and-orange-floral-acoustic-guitars-by-seamartini-graphics-6573

The process today is a bit choppy, but, I think we can get done, if I go with a default for this section. Classical music, of course, is our default, for it seems to soothe my fevered brow when I write, or read… Go figure…. Oh, and, enjoy, too, if you wish….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/2JQsf7i_dXY

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

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

I mentioned, somewhere, I’m not into ranting for now; so be it. In keeping to that policy, here is an archived piece, an old-school pearl from another day I wasn’t up to the challenge of speaking out…. Ah, well, so be it…. Enjoy the break from routine, if you would; I intend to do so for an extended period of time…

From 12/5/2013:

Any ranting I do today will be related to the above subject, in order to keep the details fresh in what is left of my mind…. Plus, I haven’t kept up with what is happening out in the Big Blue Room, which tends to keep me from picking a current event to rag upon, more’s the pity….. That does mean a bonus for y’all, as I’ll naturally fall back into the default position here at ECR when this happens…. Yes, you know what it means, ffolkes, another old-school pearl, a group of small but tasty pearls, all in a certain direction, or implying a certain theme…. Sure, those themes may not be immediately apparent, even to the most discriminating of Gentle Readers, but, more often, they simply bash one over the brows, driving home the desired point with all the delicacy of a professional wrestler….

I am, as is already obvious, more than just a little verbose this morning, having not written ANYTHING for over four days…. but, I don’t think that will hurt this section, since I’m going to segue right into the remainder of this section’s contents by using the old magical phrase, “slick as Natty Bumpo’s Chevrolet sedan!”…. Or, as we like to say here on ECR… let’s dive…. Ooh, ooh, let’s go really old school, too, with poetry brackets and everything all mellow….

I knew, by the smoke that so gracefully curl’d
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near;
And I said, “If there ‘s peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”

~~ Thomas Moore — Ballad Stanzas ~~

“I readily relapse into my reflections on the uselessness of our education. Its aim has been to make us not good and wise, but learned; and in this it has succeeded. It has not taught us to follow and embrace virtue and wisdom, but has imprinted their derivations and etymologies on our minds. We are able
to decline ‘virtue’ even if we are unable to love it; if we do not know what wisdom is in fact and by experience, we are familiar with it as a jargon learned by heart.” — Michel de Montaigne, Essays

In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.” — T.S. Eliot

“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Smart Bee

“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson

“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch

~~ _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~

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

Bluebird

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

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

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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

***********

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      .           .                .               .. . . *
             *          .                    ..        .
                           .             .     . : .   .    . .
            .                         .   . . .   .
                                         . . *:. . .
.                                 . .   . .. .         .
                         .     . . . …    .    .
       .              . . . .    . . . .
                        .    .     . …   ..   .       .               .
                 . .    . *.   . .
    .                   :. .           .
                 .   .    . x   .
              . . .    ./|\
                       .   .. :.    .    .|               .
     .   … .            |
.    :. .                     .   *.        |     .               .
   . *.             You are here.
. .    .               .             *.                         .

***********

“Integrity has no need for rules.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

***********

Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practices it will have neighbors.

~~ Confucius ~~

***********

“One of the greatest joys known to man
is to take a flight into ignorance
in search of knowledge.”

~~ Robert Lynd ~~

***********

Virtue is a habit of the mind,
consistent with nature and moderation and reason.

~~ Cicero ~~

***********

The mind ought sometimes to be amused,
that it may the better return to thought,
and to itself.

~~ Phaedrus ~~

***********

“Be a moving target.”

~~ Raoul Lionel Felder ~~

***********

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”

~~ Moliere ~~

***********

…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.
— Erasmus

***********

Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules.

~~ Zen Bee ~~

***********

“May the Forces of Evil become confused on the way to your house.”

~~ George Carlin ~~

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

Well, that was something…. Interruptions by a cat insisting on cuddle-time, a call from a friend in Europe, and small coffee disaster made it even more of a struggle than usual. As is our wont today, to this we say, so be it. We are practicing our dispassion today. And, we shall see you tomorrow, when we shall try again to achieve some minor brilliance, and get this approximately right. We’ll also try to lose the royal ‘we’, if possible. See y’all then, ffolkes, as long as reality stays on course….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Interview with an organic penguin groomer….

Posted on February 20, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.”

~~ Knights of Pythagoras ~~

Channeling New Ideas

Hajime….. As I sit to begin, I feel a sense of deja-vú, not particularly surprisingly, as this happened a lot in the past. Though most of the Pearl for today is finished, the rest promises to be a complete struggle, as my mind is blank as the proverbial clean slate. Oh, there’s plenty going on in there, it’s just not printable, or, even, shareable. The dega-vú just makes it worse, as it attempts to add guilt to the mix, which we don’t allow, thus muddying up the waters even further…

Rather than bore y’all any further with my issues with writing, let’s try the old cut-’em-off-at-the-pass technique we employ so well, to get us down to the meat of today’s post. ‘Meat’ may be an unfortunate euphemism, given the somewhat odoriferous state of what may follow, but, we’re nothing if not bold in the pursuit of our Art, if such title may be justifiably applied to what is found here. Me, I don’t give a crap whether it’s valid art, or just frank & earnest; it’s still better out than in, so there.

Okay, I’m getting grumpy, so, we’d best be on our way. I have no expectations for today’s Pearl; it’s on its own. And, so are y’all, once we hit the oyster beds…. Our insurance is going to lapse at noon, and, since we don’t actually HAVE any income, we won’t be supplying it in future posts. C’est la fucking vie, as we say downtown. We also say this, a lot….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Birth, copulation and death.
That’s all the facts when you come to brass tacks;
Birth, copulation and death.”

~~ T. S. Elliot, Sweeney Agonistes (1932) ~~

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

The Three Tenors

Image from last.fm via Google Images

I am NOT a fan of opera. Never have been. There are a few arias sung by duets, or alto sopranos, that are inspiring and beautiful, to be sure, such as the one in The Shawshank Redemption. Mostly, it’s just noise, as far as I’m concerned. I could go with a few Twain quotes; he wasn’t much enthused by it, either. But, instead I will say this: I am a fan of the human voice. I love a Capella music, especially live on the street. I play guitar, having learned simply so I could sing along myself. Music is in all of us, but, isn’t always easily expressed, or felt. Whomever had the brainstorm to bring these three gentlemen together to sing, was guilty of an act of genius….

Just listen, & try not to drop your jaw too far when they start to hit the high notes on some of these songs….. It will send chills up your spine, I guarantee…. In case I forgot, and, I did, their names are Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti…. Enjoy!….

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

The Three Tenors In Paris

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

https://youtu.be/4IUcm3_aVTU

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

“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”

~~ Robert Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long ~~

In general terms, a generation can be considered to be twenty-five years; some might say it is longer, as much as fifty years. To strike a logical, or, at least, reasonable balance, we will use the mean of the two, rounded off from 37.5 years to 40, for convenience of addition, etc. Given that assumption, I would estimate we have now gone at least three, and possibly four generations without paying the slightest attention to the lessons taught to us by our own history…. This period, significantly enough, covers about the same time as has passed since the advent of what is usually called The Industrial Revolution. For our purposes, this age of man began in earnest soon after, if not prior to, the birth of this nation, in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Now, one might think an author, or a character from a novel he wrote, is not the most appropriate judge of such matters; I contend this author is sufficiently educated as a historian, as a graduate of the US Naval Academy, to warrant some attention paid to his assertion, voiced by one of his characters. Robert Heinlein was not only an author, but, a scholar/historian/astronomer/engineer/pilot, and a number of other titles he earned throughout his life. He was one of the most cogent social philosophers of his time, though many of his ideas were considered radical…. a sobriquet commonly applied by mankind to all free thinkers….

In addition, this statement echoes the idea of many historical sages, in almost identical words. Thomas Jefferson made statements similar to this, when he wrote letters to peers in his time. He warned of the corruption he saw in the government almost immediately upon the signing of the Constitution, lamenting in one letter, “A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” He also warned of who he felt was the worst danger to the new republic, when he wrote, “Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.”.

If in no other way, this country has completely ignored this warning, allowing the interests of corporations and oligarchs to corrupt the halls of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidency of this nation, with the apparent full agreement of the populace, who embrace every economic principle spouted to them by those who have consistently preyed upon their ignorance. The checks and balances set up by the Constitution are useless, for those who make the laws now are in the complete power of the lust for money and power.

“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion
— i.e., none to speak of.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Lazarus’s wry observation, though tongue-in-cheek, nonetheless points out a good part of why those who care nothing about community, but, live only to fulfill their own narcissist desires for power have been able to keep the public in the dark about the true state of affairs in the halls of government…. These congenital liars are willing to say anything at all to convince the gullible they are working in their interests, while in truth, have been busily corrupting judges and legislators to pass and approve laws which favor business principles over those of people. This, in spite of any claims to the contrary you may hear from those predators, is absolute truth for anyone with any wit to see, right in front of their eyes.

What is it they refuse to see? Simply this: the entire human culture, in every country in this world, exists as it does while laboring under two delusions. First, people have come to believe money exists in reality, as something other than an idea, which we learned to use to represent our time and energy, by placing a value on it. Second, there is a completely false belief in the need to be governed. Governments do not perform any of the functions for which they originally were formed; instead, they merely act as a means for unscrupulous people to take advantage of those who do not understand their own nature, much less the nature of reality around them.

Of course, since the first step to learning is to admit one does not know, or is wrong, these people would have to first find the courage to overcome their fear of either of those states. Fear arises from ignorance, or, perceived danger without understanding. It is easier to accept what one is told, than it is to be strong enough to think for one’s self, a very common human characteristic, of which those who prey on others are well aware. In fact, they count on it….

As a scientist, with leanings toward social history and the nature of humankind, I cannot say there is any solution at this point. I can also say I don’t believe there is a need for one, as the situation in the world today is ultimately self-correcting, according to the now-proven laws of evolution. No species can long survive when there is no limit to their breeding; our world has rejected any such control over our reproductive characteristics. Simply put, there is not enough planet to support the number of humans currently living here; not for any length of time. In addition, our own short-sightedness is going to play a large part, as we continue to degrade the environment upon which our survival depends, with no thought to the future at all.

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Society has reached the point where we are cancerous, to ourselves, and to the planet. I can say what changes we need to make, but, I am almost certain they won’t be heeded, or made. So be it. As I mentioned somewhere, this is a rant to end all rants, for I am tired of singing to the choir. For a time, this section may/will exhibit some rather different material, not all from the archives. Also, so be it. For now, here are a few pearls to finish off this indictment of us all…. The last one tells us exactly what I mentioned needs to be done, if we are to have any chance at all of surviving as a species….

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

“We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry.” — John Webster

“A fish never thinks about water until he’s out of it.” — Robert Penn Warren

“To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” — Sun Tzu (fl. c. BC 500)

“Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” — Denis Diderot in “Dithrambe sur la fete de rois”

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

The duties of the wind are few…

The duties of the Wind are few,
To cast the ships, at Sea,
Establish March, the Floods escort,
And usher Liberty.

The pleasures of the Wind are broad,
To dwell Extent among,
Remain, or wander,
Speculate, or Forests entertain.

The kinsmen of the Wind are Peaks
Azof – the Equinox,
Also with Bird and Asteroid
A bowing intercourse.

The limitations of the Wind
Do he exist, or die,
Too wise he seems for Wakelessness,
However, know not i.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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

Naked Pearls

Don’t forget…

*********

“In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.” — Yun-Men

“Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.” — Confucius

“The best things in life are never rationed. Friendship, loyalty, and love. They do not require coupons.” — George T. Hewitt

“Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.” — Geoffrey Chaucer — The Monkes Tale, Line 1449

“Live dangerously and you live right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust (1806)

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” — Marcus Aurelius

“‘Truth’ never set anyone free. It is only *doubt* which will bring mental emancipation.” — Anton LaVey

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will.” — Jawaharlal Nehru

“Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.” — Walt Whitman

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

Such as it is, it’s done, And, so am I. Another long night, and a long day ahead, promises today will be a challenge. May as well get started. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided all goes relatively according to plan….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Salivating in tandem….

Posted on February 14, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”

~~ Cicero ~~

Life was here….

Hajime….. Today’s Pearl doesn’t exist. Oh, I know you see what looks like one, but, it isn’t what you think. A week or more of insomnia has taken its toll, & I don’t even have the chutzpah to go look for an archived Pearl to re-blog. Instead, I’m taking the day off, and will return tomorrow, with a full Pearl worth reading…. Well, as much as they ever are. For today, you get the simple seven star old-school pearl I have ready, and, that’s it…. Sorry, but, it will have to do…. In fact, we’ll get to that right now, so I can start my day off…. Here’s how that looks today….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.”

~~ Robert Cody ~~

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

As promised, one simple, seven-star pearl on Life at Large…. Enjoy!….

“All teachings are mere references. The true experience is living your own life. Then, even the holiest of words are only words.” — Deng Ming-Dao

“Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body.” — Cicero

“He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros

“To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage.” — Confucius Analects

“Character is that which can do without success.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” — Plato

“I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge, you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” — Kurt Vonnegut

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

All done, and in good time. I’ll take it. And, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, come hell or high water…. Ta, then….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Scruff, the tragic flagon….

Posted on January 23, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The living world is a continuum in each and every aspect.”

~~ A. C. Kinsey, The Kinsey Report ~~

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside….

Hajime…. Okay, so, here’s the deal. I’ll write ’em, you read ’em. Deal? Deal.

Of course, this presupposes I will be able to come up with something to write. Since that, at the moment, seems a rather remote possibility, we’ll cut this intro off before it gets rolling, keeping us trapped here again. So short, you’ll need to keep the oxygen handy…. It looks like this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“And those who were seen dancing
were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

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

I’m in a mood, & when I’m in a mood, this is who I listen to…. Today, you can listen, too…. Even if you’re not in a mood…… Enjoy!….

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

Mozart Symphonies

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

https://youtu.be/Mv6J25zOanw

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

“Grown men do not need leaders.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

The quote from Ed Abbey is a perfect lead for a rant on a subject I can write about endlessly, apparently. I’ve related any number of times how humanity needs to grow up, give up the illusions of their fearful youth, and learn to face the damn universe with some courage…. But, has anyone listened, other than the choir who end up here, listening to me preach? No, not really, for they don’t wish to hear they need to stop acting like children….

To save y’all from any further haranguing on this, I decided to sublimate, with some thoughts from historical figures, all of whom have seen the same issues during their own time on Earth, and wished to give warning to those who will not see…. There are only nine, so, don’t fret too much; besides, I know my Gentle Readers could, using these aphorisms, create the same rant I might have written, had I gone with the urge to do so…. Enjoy, if only for its brevity…..

“I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: ‘The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that’s fair.’ In these words he epitomized the history of the human race.” — Bertrand Russell, Education and the Social Order

“There are more stars known to exist right now than the total number of all the grains of sand on every beach in the entire world. With those kinds of odds, it would seem downright naive for someone to go to a beach in, say, some out-of-the-way inlet in Baffin Bay, stoop to pick up only one tiny grain of sand, and declare that that grain alone was the only place where life could exist.” — Hugh Downs

“If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” — Anatole France

“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” — Noah Webster

“In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” — H.L. Mencken

“Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.” — Will Rogers

“Held to be a crime when committed by individuals, homicide is called a virtue when committed by the state.” — Obvious Bee

“Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on them [public offices], a rottenness begins in his conduct.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1799

“The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.” — Edward Abbey

“Is it not a noble farce, wherein kings, republics, and emperors have for so many ages played their parts, and to which the whole vast universe serves for a theatre?” — Michael de Montaigne — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxvi, Of the most Excellent Men

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

As noted above, I’m in a mood. In this mood, only one poet will do…. In fact, we’ll overdo, with two….

Had we our senses
But perhaps ’tis well they’re not at Home
So intimate with Madness
He’s liable with them

Had we the eyes without our Head —
How well that we are Blind —
We could not look upon the Earth —
So utterly unmoved —

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

*********

Said Death to Passion
‘Give of thine an Acre unto me.’
Said Passion, through contracting Breaths
‘A Thousand Times Thee Nay.’

Bore Death from Passion
All His East
He – sovereign as the Sun
Resituated in the West
And the Debate was done.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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

Easy money here, ffolkes. It’s just a classic nine-star pearl about living life large…. Well, I think so; if not, you tell me what it says….

I care not, Fortune, what you me deny:
You cannot rob me of free Nature’s grace,
You cannot shut the windows of the sky
Through which Aurora shows her brightening face;
You cannot bar my constant feet to trace
The woods and lawns, by living stream, at eve:
Let health my nerves and finer fibres brace,
And I their toys to the great children leave:
Of fancy, reason, virtue, naught can me bereave.

~~ James Thomson. The Castle of Indolence, Canto ii, Stanza 3 ~~

“Let honor be as strong to us an obligation as necessity is to others.” — Pliny the Elder

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.” — Marcus Aurelius

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.” — Robert Cody

“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.” — Halifax

“Once, I read that a man be never stronger than when he truly realizes how weak he is.” — Jim Starlin, “Captain Marvel #31”

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.” — George Bernard Shaw

Listen to the MUSTN’TS child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVE’S
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

~ Shel Silverstein ~~

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

That went well, don’t you think? No? Well, I do, and guess who’s driving this bus? Yep. To keep with the tone set in the intro, I’m outta here. See y’all tomorrow, given the proper set of Time/Space coordinates….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

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Tag Archives: Confucius

Salivating in tandem….

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