Tag Archives: Confucius

This cat doesn’t have a stealth mode…..

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Ffolkes,

Two days in a row of sufficient sleep…. Though not tempted to say “wow”, not even quietly, lest I tempt Fate beyond its capacity to ignore, I will say it’s another record for me, with a new learning experience thrown in….. what a deal! I’m learning what it’s like to wake up without being overly grumpy, feeling as if all is right in the world, rather than immediately focusing on what may be out of sync, or not so pretty….

As a practicing curmudgeon, I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to go three days consecutively like this, so, I’m enjoying it while I can…. At my age, one becomes accustomed to the morning state of grouch; that’s fine, because Oscar always WAS my favorite Sesame Street character, anyway, so it generally fits right in with my historical outlook, designed, or maybe, evolved, to embrace the harsher side of the new day…..

Today, however, not even potential shenanigans by our old pal Murphy could disturb the tranquility I possess this morning, not without events I don’t believe he’s had the time to get set up…. So, I’m hopeful for the state of this Pearl, as I can approach its construction with a relatively clear mind, and a lighter heart than is normally the case in the morning…. As I said, it’s somewhat of a new experience, and I think I am enjoying it, possibly more than is allowed, or encouraged in these cases…. Can’t have the citizenry having TOO good a time of a morning, now, can we? That tends to annoy the Murphy, and put his myrmidons out of work….

But, that, as they say, is HIS problem, not mine… I’m just going to sit here, and enjoy feeling pretty damn good, as opposed to feeling miserable, or even just okay….. After a while, one misses the sense of feeling okay, when it’s been gone a while, even though what is currently being felt has a tendency to overcome any tendency to focus on that; being miserable, especially, is enough of a distraction to keep one from getting bummed out over NOT having something, believe me…. (Huh? What did he say?…. Uh, well, never mind, we’ll just go on, and try to catch up on the fly….)

Ah well, such is life with pain…. there’s always something to keep us distracted, even if it’s no more than a change in routine…. Funny, isn’t it, how the brain learns new tricks and techniques to make life acceptable, no matter how disturbing, or riveting the condition we experience?….. One learns to find different outlooks, different ways to view the world, that allow us to direct the way we feel about it, so that we are not forever in the thrall of the physical condition that keeps us so occupied with dealing with its symptoms…. I don’t know about anyone else, but, I don’t ever intend for my pain to keep me from doing what I wish to do, no matter how debilitating it gets….

I’ve played entire second halves of football games in severe pain, trained right over and through pain while conditioning my body in martial arts, and, for many years,  worked at my jobs, in hospitals, and in restaurants, while bent over, grunting in pain from the injury to my back, or some other kind of body pain….. Most areas of the body, internal and external, that CAN experience pain, are familiar to me….

None of it ever kept me from doing what I wished to do, and it won’t now…. It’s just that, now, there is a higher price to pay for being able to do anything overtly physical, and that price is no longer negotiable…. It’s heavy, and delays in payment are NOT accepted….

Since I do have a bit of space today, to enjoy a bit of normality, so to speak, I’m going to take advantage of it, and try to get this done, so I can spend some time today doing something fun, that I normally would eschew due to pain…. Now all I have to do is figure out what that might be….

No worries, it’s already furnished me with enough material (and, apparently, more than enough….) for an into, before anyone even noticed…. I’m going to bite the bullet, and get this Pearl going…. now…. Wanna come along?…. I promise, nothing bad will happen….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“Ask of friends only what is honorable.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.)
_____________________________

Authority intoxicates,
And makes mere sots of magistrates.
The fumes of it invade the brain,
And make men giddy, proud and vain;

By this the fool commands the wise
The noble with the base complies.
The sot assumes the rule of wit,
And cowards make the base submit.

— Butler

I think this poem is pretty clear in its message, which is one that is arguably true in all cases, if the history of Mankind is any indication. We humans seem to not be able to resist the corruptive power of power over others; in EVERY case for which we have a historical record, the rulers of any nation, tribe, city, or village seem to change when they assume the mantle of office, becoming everyone else’s nightmare, as they cease to work for the public good, turning instead to the task of emptying the public treasury…. If you have any examples to the contrary, please, PLEASE show them to me, because I’ve been unable to find any, in all my reading…..

We have today the perfect example of this phenomenon, taking place in the public eye, on the largest, most scrutinized public venue possible…. After the election in 2008, I had high hopes for seeing some good changes, what could be called actual reforms, as the newly elected President SEEMED to be as idealistic, and altruistic, as anyone I’d seen in the public eye since Kennedy, or Carter…. Now, I know Kennedy was not the saint he was supposed to be, but, Jimmy Carter was about as honest as you will find a politician…. That is why the Congress of the time, which was under Republican control, pretty much  blocked ANY changes Jimmy might have wanted….

Now, however, we have a POTUS who is not merely being obstructed in his attempts at reform, but is forced to fight a public relations battle with the Republicans, who have turned this Congress into the WORST session in history, worse even than the famous “Do Nothing” Congress in the early part of the twentieth century…. This year, they’ve passed 49 new laws, the lowest number EVER, by a factor of five (the next lowest number is around 300 new laws in one session…. from that famous “Do Nothing” group….)…. Every single piece of reform legislation that has been put before the House, which is Republican controlled, has been ignored, or buried, or otherwise obstructed, so that the POTUS’s agenda is effectively blocked….

But, this hasn’t kept the POTUS from taking advantage of his position, to lie to the public over issues that were supposedly answered in his campaign, with promises to accomplish certain tasks important to the public…. Most importantly, the POTUS maintained that this administration would be the most “transparent” in history, that nothing would be hidden from the public…. This has turned out to be the biggest lie told, as this administration has become the most draconian of ALL administrations, with illegal spying, lies about the spying, torture at Guantanamo, abrogation of the Constitution, and the persecution of journalists who are critical of them….

I’m incensed at what is happening, and afraid as well…. If a POTUS who is supposed to be the most transparent is doing this, right out in the public eye, refusing to even answer questions on subjects he deems secret, is allowed to continue in the current vein, there will be NO FREE PRESS, and NO FREE SPEECH left by the end of his reign…. There have been so many journalists prosecuted for obtaining information they didn’t want published, those journalists are becoming wary of writing anything about them…. If that trend continues, then we’ll never even KNOW when they are fucking us over, will we? Nobody will have the courage to stand up and tell us….

Please read the article attached to the link below, and then tell me I’m wrong…. Tell me I’m not right to say that even Saint Barack has fallen prey to the corruption syndrome, and has allowed the shadowy masters of reality to bind him to their cause…. which has NOTHING to do with making things better for the common man…. But, first read this, and weep….

http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/diaz/article/Don-t-shield-government-from-watchdog-reporting-5003376.php

Pretty scary stuff, isn’t it? I was taught that, in this country, the principles of freedom, of speech, of the press, of religion (though I could care less about that one…. but, it’s also a right that people SHOULD have, as a matter of course….), and of all the other basic functions formerly protected by the Bill of Rights, were never going to be taken away…. Sadly, to my chagrin, in the last few years, since the incident on 9/11/01, the ruling classes have used the fear and public paranoia generated by the event to manipulate the law, and the American people, to a point where none of the rights guaranteed in that document are worth the paper they’re printed on….

I’d love to hear any arguments that ffolkes, or even folks, might have, to the contrary…. even though I don’t think anyone will be able to do that, as there just isn’t any contrasting evidence to present…. But, I’d love to hear it, anyway, if only to get a gauge on how others are viewing this issue…. Also, share this with others, please…. This is an issue that NEEDS to be discussed in public…. If it isn’t, then you can kiss, at best guess, ALL your freedoms good-bye, for certain, and, most likely, for all time…..

“Be patriotic – question authority.” — Bumper Sticker

“When did the words “national security” become the root password for changing the Constitution?” — Smart Bee
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In the section above, I asserted that I was hopeful when the last election happened, even though, by then, I was getting a bit disturbed by some of what I had learned about the current administration’s behind-the-scenes activities… Most especially, I was becoming concerned by the continued denial, and outright ignoring of any accusations of such, and the aggressive persecution, and prosecution, of anyone who challenged them, or used any information they deemed secret due to national security reasons….  (Hmm, there’s that term again…. wonder what that says?….. Well, that’s what occurs to me…. what does it tell you?….)

Nonetheless, I maintained my hope, at least long enough to write this poem, which my computer tells me I wrote just a couple of months ago, but, I believe that date is when I found it in my past notes, from having been composed soon after the election in 2012, and transcribed it into the poetry folder….. Any who, I like it, even though the final stanza is now a bit optimistic according to my current opinions, which are based on more current evidence….

Destiny’s Vote

It was a special day, written on tablets of stone
with fanfare, and crepe paper, a symphony of lies,
played with verve, but discordant, and alone,
never more the grand parade, no more apple pies.

Heated dialog full of prejudice, hatred, and fears,
fills up the airwaves, a cacophony of callow untruth,
playing up to ignorance, bringing anguish, and fearful tears,
while Nero’s fiddler sits down, in the only open booth.

Watchful and afraid, I see the coming conflict
clouds of ignorance and intellect, preparing to fight,
one to fight with darkness, and abject fear to depict
opposed at the base, banishing fear with truth, and light.

Seeds of anger and bigotry are planted very deep,
growing best in darkness, hiding in shame and fear,
waiting for moments of trouble, its destiny to keep,
looking for weakness, seeking to draw its victim near.

Sing not yet a funeral dirge for tolerance,
that particular die is not yet cast;
there still remains a very good and honest chance,
our common dream of freedom may yet hold fast….

~~ gigoid ~~

_____________________________

Okay, so I lost track of the light-hearted part of today’s quest for readable material, fresh from the source…. As it has yet to be determined just where that source is, or what the hell it will take to get it to produce something viable, I’ll just do as I always do, resorting to an old-school pearl, with NO parameters, except, of course, light hearted…. which usually means it will be at least peripherally concerned with how to go about living Life in a way that is pleasing, to you, and to the Universe….. Let’s see what we can come up with….

“Things to do today:  Get up, Survive, Go to bed.” — Smart Bee

“Those who are clever, who have a Brain, never understand anything.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“A mind’s journey begins with a single “Why?” ” — Confucius (?)

the average person is average
the common people is common
the straight people is straight
you gone be the crooked weird
rare intelligent bird creep type
that what you gone be, honey

— A. R. Ammons

“Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts.” — Tibetan proverb

“Only the half-mad are wholly alive.” — Edward Abbey

“It makes sense, when you don’t think about it.” — Smart Bee

One of the signs of completion I acknowledge is when Smart Bee picks out the first and last quotes for any particular old-school pearl; that’s part of what makes it old-school…. In this case, I can only nod my head, and go, “Yep”…..
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Again with the learning curve…. I’m done already, even with the majority of material being fresh today…. This again bodes well for the rest of the day…. Let’s see if the feeling of everything going well extends to the concept of proofing…. Well, not too bad, and certainly “nothing to get hung about”, in the eloquent words of John Lennon’s mom…. It’s also another epic production, ffolkes, I know, but, I keep telling y’all, I can’t seem to find the off switch, once I get started….

Oh, wait, here it is…. Okay, see ya…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Piles and piles of possum pops….

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Ffolkes,

This getting old stuff is bull… which is a polite way of showing defiance to Father Time for the crap he puts us through, as we get past the age where our bodies will do anything, into the age where we will do anything to NOT have to do anything. I’m discovering all the disadvantages that losing physical acumen presents, as I continue to try to act as if I were still 25 years old, and indestructible. SIGH….

But, I’m getting a little better at recognizing the limitations I now face, most of the time. Events like this move into a new place are the learning curves, as I find out more of the limits to what I can now do. I thought ahead somewhat, and thus, hired movers, but, SOMEBODY had to unpack the stuff, as I’m not affluent enough to have them stay the extra hours to do so. The activities involved in that aren’t beyond my capabilities, if I’m careful not to twist or bend wrong, but, I pay a heavy price for a couple of days, including poor sleep, extra pain, fatigue, and exhaustion. The price is not unbearable, but, isn’t one I care to pay too often….

Okay, since I’m out of snacks, or other appropriate foods to go with this whine, I’ll quit now, and get on with the rest of this Pearl. I’m going to try a new intro today, sort of…. This will be it; the sum total, the whole banana, the whole ball of wax…. No meandering (beyond what has already taken place….), no fiction, no rant, just a few paragraphs, where I will gently urge y’all toward the roof’s edge, to best enjoy the view. Once everyone is in place, I’ll fire off the siren, and cause everyone to fall over the roof’s edge…. Fun, eh?

Shall we Pearl?….

Oh, yeah, that was the siren…

“To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” — Confucius (B.C. 551-479)

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” — Carl Sagan
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“Americans have different ways of saying things.  They say `elevator’, we say `lift’…they say `President’, we say `stupid psychopathic git’….” — Alexi Sayle

Have you ever noticed the code that politicians use when they lie to us? There are key phrases one hears all the time that, to me, are a dead giveaway that the speaker is NOT showing complete candor, and, in fact, is probably either making it up, or claiming the complete opposite of what is actually true…. “allegedly”, “have evidence of”, “reports say”,  all are phrases that are generally connected to an untruth.

They use these phrases and arguments a lot, when they are trying to fan the flames of fear amongst the populace. In this case, in Syria, our leaders want us to vilify and express our hatred for a leader who uses weapons on his own people (completely ignoring, or denying, the use of drones in America to spy on the public…. There  is documented proof of this, but they still deny it) …. Any who, I’m not up to a rant today; instead I will present two articles from the news, which give some of the latest reports, as of Monday the 2nd of September. Note the phrases in each that tell us we are being lied to, and you’ll see what I mean….

“now has evidence that the toxic gas allegedly used in strikes ”

“Neither the U.S. nor the Syrian regime, which blames rebels for the attacks, has publicly presented proof.”

http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Kerry-says-case-for-US-attack-on-Syria-building-4779017.php

“new physical evidence shows the Syrian government used sarin gas”

“With its credibility on the line, the United States must respond, the country’s top diplomat said.”

http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Kerry-US-has-evidence-sarin-gas-was-used-in-Syria-4779327.php

So, let me get this straight…. Because the POTUS made a statement that we would respond a certain way (a completely unproductive, misguided way, let me add…. “Gee, he’s a bad guy, using gas and bombs on his own people… let’s go drop some bombs on the citizenry that he’s already been gassing, and that will make them love us, and want to hear what we have to say” …), then, we HAVE to respond that way, or our “credibility” will suffer? Well, it isn’t the WORST excuse I’ve heard, but, it’s very close to what they said about Saddam Hussein, before heading off to Iraq to play with all the new techno-toys, and get rid of the bad guy…. Y’all remember how well THAT turned out, right?….

Enough for now…. this situation could conceivably lead the entire world into war again, and the BRC continues to act as if it is invulnerable, and that we have the right, or obligation, to police the entire world, whether or not they want our help. It would make more sense to me to hold back a bit, because they already hate us, and giving them more reasons to do so is NOT going to improve the situation…. Whether or not this asshole is killing his own people is NOT necessarily our business, and even if we make it so, it doesn’t give us a valid reason to start bombing them, either indiscriminately, or, with precision…

‘Nuff said, for now….

“My father was a minister. I had to make up for the lack of sin.” — Milwaukee mayor, on why he became a politician
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I’m tired, and up late, so, Emily it is…. Here is one of her best, which I find to be good advice for our present administration….

I had no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.

Nor had I time to love, but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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I had intended to put an old-school pearl here, but, I found this old rant, first posted in late 2012, on a subject which I have tried to bring some awareness to my readers… It is a hard subject, but one that NEEDS to be made even more public, until the issue is eliminated altogether…. Please read, and do what you can to spread the knowledge around….

Miss, n.: A title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

While this quote is intended to be funny, it actually perpetuates the discriminatory,  proprietary labeling of women in our society, exactly the way this says it does. By using such terms, we “brand” women according to their eligibility to be possessed by a man, to serve as his property, and think nothing of it. Indeed, a person is considered polite and well-mannered when he or she uses these societal forms of address, never even considering the implications of what they are saying.

Men are either Mister, or, as boys, Master. That’s pretty indicative of the mind-set that using these terms puts the speaker in; men are assumed superior, merely for being male. Women are either Miss, Mistress, or Missus (Mrs., probably a shortened form of Master’s Mistress… or some such….. ), automatically placing them in the subordinate position to the males.

In the last part of the 20th century, society began to use the term Ms., pronounce mizz, to indicate a woman not married, and not to be automatically considered as a candidate for marriage, in an attempt to mitigate somewhat the restrictive mental attitudes that accompany such terminology, and it has had a fairly positive effect, though in no way complete or enough.

This small change is merely one step in the direction society needs to go, and the journey is not a short one; these attitudes have been part of society for thousands of years. It will take a concerted, sustained effort to change the way people think, even partially. But none of us, men or women, can consider ourselves truly free , free to be, and free to become who we CAN be…. which makes the effort the only rational choice…..

All of this does not even touch upon how these attitudes open the way for the trafficking in human beings that continues to take place all over the world. Because of the assumed male superiority, it becomes a very short step to assuming that men may do whatever they please with women. This includes the rape and abduction of young girls and women, taking them to far away cities where they are forced to work as sex slaves by unprincipled men, who hide behind the laws that protect them; laws also written by men.

This has been going on for centuries, and continues right here in this supposedly advanced country. The public does not pay any attention to the sex trade, as long as it isn’t right in their faces; the unscrupulous, misogynistic men, and women, who run these businesses talk of “victimless crimes” as if the women involved were willing participants, while in reality, most of the women are trapped there by abusive, terrorist men who rape them repeatedly until their will to live is gone, thus making them pliable and docile.

These men, and the women who sometimes join them in their depredations, are sick, disgusting scum, and society needs to excise them from the tree of life. To my way of thinking, a long, drawn out period of torture and pain before death is what they deserve, but I am willing to settle just for death. This trade in sex and the slavery that supports it are a scourge upon society, and should be dealt with just as if it were any other type of threat against the species, with swift and complete justice, and no mercy…..

Free our sisters, free ourselves….
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I’m very late now, with way too much to do, so, this closing will be another cliff-hanger…. See?… We’re done, bye bye….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Apocryphal messages from Betelgeuse, in Swedish slang, ….

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Ffolkes,

Today’s Pearl promises to be a marvel of human endeavor, if only I can get it done, a tribute to the perseverance of the human spirit. Of course, that probably sounds somewhat presumptuous, if not completely egotistical, but, it’s true, nonetheless. Just the effort of getting out of bed today reached monumental proportions, as several physical and mental issues presented themselves to my attention immediately upon opening my eyes…. Then, of course, after summoning the will to get up to an upright position, I had to go to even greater lengths to get myself up to get coffee…. Thankfully, it was ready, and I was able to drag myself over to the kitchen area, get it ready, and choke some down within a few moments of arising, a fact which has, no doubt, saved any hope of going on….

I had a bit of time yesterday when my back pain was tolerable, and got around to a few of my favorite blogs to read…. This was fortunate, in a way, as I found out where Murphy has been the last couple of days….. After reading the blog of susank456 ( here: http://birdsanddogs.com/2013/08/20/the-day-that-shall-remain-nameless/ ), it was clear he had spent the day with her, fussing with her in every possible way…. Though sympathetic to her plight, I had to smile in appreciation at my own fortune, in having at least one day without his miserable presence making itself felt. He spends entirely too much time here already, so, little as I wanted a friend to have a bad day, it was good to know that, in spite of being one of his favorites, I’m not his only target….

He’s back today, though, and though I don’t appreciate his ministrations, I accept them in the spirit in which they are presented, to wit: Life goes on, so deal… And, I will, despite the headache, despite the new knife in my neck, despite the inner ear disturbance making me stagger around like a drunk, and, despite the miasmal overall feeling of impending doom, a gift, no doubt, of my PTSD, which has deigned to leave me alone for some time, but now has decided to manifest itself in this minor way…. It’s annoying, as I KNOW I have no reason to feel unreasoned fear; everything in my life is proceeding apace, and I’m content with how it is going….. Hence, these feelings of incipient doom are just leftover nerve impulses from an earlier time, which my brain has decided to let out now, rather than back when there was need for them….

As mentioned, though, it’s minor, and fairly easily thrown aside, thanks to my basic outlook, which generally doesn’t give much of a shit about that kind of stuff; it’s too familiar to produce the same panic as it once did, so, it’s merely a matter of performing the mental equivalent of blowing one’s nose when it gets too full…. All the excess angst and fear will get blown away into the ether, using the virtual tissue we call a blog…. I hope none of it gets on your clothing; I’ll do my best to confine it to the tissue, but, one never knows exactly how it all will turn out, does one?….

So, today, I would suggest you take advantage of the accessory materials that are provided for you in the compartment just under your seat…. There is a bib, an oxygen mask, and some containers of Jell-o, in case you need a little snack…. Oh, and there’s a flotation device, too, for any water landings that go wrong…. it looks like a rubber ducky, but, when you squeeze the bill, it inflates into a larger version, which is suitable for all bodies of water…. Never say we don’t have style, eh?….

Shall we Pearl?….

But sorrow return’d with the dawning of morn,
And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away.

— Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) — The Soldier’s Dream
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What with the dizziness, and the fog through which I’m viewing the universe, this is going slowly, requiring many breaks to ease my pain… To make it go a bit faster, we’ll throw in an old-school format, which is less time-consuming, even though no less challenging in nature. We’ll even let Smart Bee take the lead on the search parameters, and see what kind of mischief it can find for us today….  Don’t forget to fasten your seat belts, please; the flight can get bumpy on these fanciful flights into the realms of nonsense and whimsy….

FOOL, n.  A person who pervades the domain of intellectual speculation and diffuses himself through the channels of moral activity.  He is omnific, omniform, omnipercipient, omniscience, omnipotent.  He it was who invented letters, printing, the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, the platitude and the circle of the sciences.  He created patriotism and taught the nations war — founded theology, philosophy, law, medicine and Chicago.  He established monarchical and republican government.  He is from everlasting to everlasting — such as creation’s dawn beheld he fooleth now.  In the morning of time he sang upon primitive hills, and in the noonday of existence headed the procession of being.  His grandmotherly hand was warmly tucked-in the  set sun of civilization, and in the twilight he prepares Man’s evening meal of milk-and-morality and turns down the covers of the universal
grave.  And after the rest of us shall have retired for the night of eternal oblivion he will sit up to write a history of human civilization. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Reality is an obstacle to hallucination.” — Smart Bee

“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

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

“I’m not black, but there’s a whole lot of times I wish I could say I’m not white.” — Frank Zappa

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Oops! My bad…. we took a turn away from nonsense and whimsy, and ended up over in the critical thinking section…. Sorry, but, somebody left the map taped upside down, as a joke, I guess…. Oh well, nobody got anything on them, did they? Good… we’ll go on, and try to put this out of our minds, okay?… Please?….
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Okay, here… I’ll distract y’all with an impenetrable poem…. It’s one I wrote a little over a year ago, and just found the other day…. I believe I wrote it in response to one of the school massacre shootings that happened that year…. It’s a bit thick, but, with some pretty fancy footwork… not too bad, altogether, and certainly worth a read, if for no other reason to get on by it to section three….

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 ~~

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I’m not in any condition to sit long enough to rant, and I’m overdue for one, so, I’m resorting to the archives again, since they’re there, and they have over 750 posts from which to pull stuff for today, some of which is actually pretty good, to my mind (well, I DID write it….) Any who, here is a rant for y’all, from December of 2012…. It could  have been written today; the material is that fresh, and the subject is one that seldom undergoes any great changes, at least not of the nature of that part under discussion….

Oh, and consider this… I wrote this BEFORE any of the articles in the Guardian, about the NSA’s surveillance, based on the documents from the NSA itself, leaked by Eric Snowden, had been published, or heard of…. Mr. Snowden, at the time of this writing, was just making, or had just made, his decision to abscond with the information, and was busy figuring out how to get in touch with the reporters he contacted…. I guess my paranoia wasn’t, and isn’t, so out of place, now, is it?…..

Enjoy!…
——————-

“Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!” — Smart Bee

Last week, or maybe earlier, another blogger and I were both ID’d as being a bit paranoid, (self-identified, I might add) because we happen to believe at least some of the conspiracy rumors continually floating around the internet. Each of us took comfort from the above sentiment, knowing it to be 100% true, and have mutual agreement in that belief. He seems to be pretty tech-savvy, posting a lot of different types of media on his blog, so he must have similar knowledge as I of computers, and the functions of which current technology is capable. This knowledge, along with a deep understanding of human nature, is the root cause for our paranoia, and, its justification…..

“No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.” — Aristotle

The little laptop computer upon which I type to create these Pearls of Virtual Wisdom is an amazing machine, and fairly representative of what is available to the public these days. It has, quite simply, more computing power in it than was present in the ENTIRE WORLD when the first laptop was on the design boards, when I got my first clunky 386. What this simple fact(oid) implies is this: the government, and its supporters, the bankers, corporations, and churches, has available for their use, enough computing power to record EVERY piece of communication, of EVERY type, created each day in the ENTIRE WORLD. Along with that capability, to monitor ALL communications, it has the capability of mining that huge amount of data for significant words, phrases, and patterns that will inform them of anyone, anywhere, who is speaking in a way that is potentially against their interests.

Yep…. every single piece of published communication, via phone, internet, TV, radio, or any other form of media by which humans communicate, is vulnerable to being overheard by those in the beloved ruling class…. (addendum, 8/21/13: or, for that matter, by anyone with the technological know-how….) Allow me to assure you, the reasons for which they want this information have nothing to do with YOUR rights, or YOUR interests, nor are they going to tell you, either that they are doing it, or how often, or where, or anything about it.

In many public places, with cameras and recording devices, it is possible for them to overhear even the words we speak to each other face to face. If they wish, they can even concentrate technology on a single spot, (such as your car, your living room, or kitchen…..), and listen to every word spoken there, even if they are not within miles of the place. There is, by published report, no place left on Earth where technology cannot penetrate, to listen to what is being spoken, given the opportunity, and the time to employ the needed technology.

So, my friend and I are well aware that what we write and publish here online is perfectly available to those who care about such matters, and they WILL be listening to what EVERYONE is saying, even, or, perhaps especially, us. Since I have a tendency to rant against the very people who are listening, I doubt that my name is missing from several lists of theirs. In fact, I’d be surprised if it was missing from those lists…. if it is, they’re not paying attention…..   🙂

As I’ve said before ffolkes, be alert; the world needs all the lerts it can get. You are being watched, and listened to, whether you choose to believe it or not, so it would behoove you to, perhaps, take that into account. Please, don’t fall into that, “oh, you’re just being paranoid,” attitude, or the “well, if I don’t say anything wrong, they can’t get me,” fallacy…. One of the primary characteristics of those with the power-mongering gene is a certain irrationality that is inherent in their make-up…. They have an unfortunate tendency to act on belief and faith, not on fact, so their actions, while fairly predictable, are somewhat irrationally chosen, and don’t necessarily make any sense to those of us who use our minds for other things than reclining upon…. Remember, as Lazarus Long advises, “Always cut the cards.”…..

I have read and understood the above. 

X ______________________
_____________________________

Okay, I’m happy…. Considering how I felt when I got up, this has gone very well…. Now, if only it reads as well as it flowed out…. Hope springs eternal….

As usual, I was half-right (half-write?)…. It’s not bad, but, again, don’t bother calling the Pulitzer Committee…. It’s good enough for the standards we hold around here, certainly, so, I’ll be off to do that…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Soused on pilfered gin, all in a good cause…..

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Ffolkes,

As much as I love it when a plan comes together, I hate even more when it doesn’t….. such as this morning. I can tolerate Murphy’s usual screwing around with those parts of life that will fuck me over the most; I even tolerate it when the asshole just won’t let up, and hits me over and over throughout the day…. But, this I won’t tolerate…. He’s trying to fuck with my computer, and that is unacceptable…. I don’t need that kind of aggravation, not any more, and I won’t put up with it for long at all….. If he continues in this vein, there WILL BE A RECKONING!!!

Sorry for the outburst, but, computer issues due to just plain orneriness is something I just won’t allow. If this were an old machine, or had a history, or was getting overloaded with too much crap software, or something explainable, I could accept a bit of mucking about on boot up….. But, the kind of stuff Murphy had it doing today just won’t cut it, not when I know there is no reason beyond Murphy’s own assholiness to hold as responsible….. Sorry, but, I’ll not have it, and if he doesn’t like it, well, he can come talk to me, and I’ll explain it, in words of no more than one syllable…. or, if that isn’t working, I can just show him with my hands….. he’ll get the picture quite quickly, in that case….

I know, I talk a big game, but, how am I going to get him to hold still? Those iconic forces of nature can be tricky to pin down, possessing those supernatural powers over the rules of space and time as they do….. But, I don’t care how big and bad he is, he fucks with my comp again, and he’s dead meat…..

There, I feel better, if only for venting. I suppose that’s why I rant…. to get all that powerful negativity out of my head, and out into the real world, where it can be better dealt with in a way that won’t harm me, or anyone else. It’s a harmless enough pastime, especially when one considers how few people actually see it in one day; nobody is going to get hurt if they don’t read it, and hopefully, even if they do read it, it won’t cause any bleeding…. I know that I hate to bleed anywhere near the computer, so I’m sure other ffolkes don’t much like it, either…. Not bleeding is a good thing, in most everyone’s world, so we’ll try to keep things such that it can be avoided….

I can’t say that I am terribly proud of this particular opening section; so far it’s even more lame than usual, even for this blog. But, we’ve already reached the point where we are over the limit for allowable deletion, so I’ll have to let it go out the way it is, sans any elegance or witty repartee. Rats! I did so hope to include some witty repartee today…. it’s been so long since I tried my hand at it….. Ah, well, I’ll just have to settle for whatever SB comes up with as pearls today, because, I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date….. not really, but, it’s time to go dive in….

Shall we Pearl?…..
_____________________________

I’m in a curious mood, one that feels as if I should not trifle with it, lest it become something more suitable for a horror movie, with great gobs of blood, gore, and destruction….. None of us wants that on a Friday; it could affect the entire weekend. So, I’m giving Smart Bee its head, to see what it can come up with that will possibly turn this in a new direction, before it gets dangerous to navigate…. let’s see what it can do….

“Knowledge is a polite word for dead but unburied imagination….think twice before thinking.” — e.e. cummings

In the days when Sussman was a novice Minsky once came to him as he sat hacking at the PDP-6.  “What are you doing?”, asked Minsky. “I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-Tac-Toe.” “Why is the net wired randomly?”, asked Minsky. “I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play” Minsky shut his eyes. “Why do you close your eyes?”, Sussman asked his teacher. “So that the room will be empty.” At that moment, Sussman was enlightened.” — AI koan

“Enter freely and leave some of the happiness you bring behind.” — The Insidious Wu Han

“It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true.” — George Santayana

“People who wear mirrored sun glasses should seek professional help.” — Smart Bee

“Oh Lord, grant that we may not despise our rulers; and grant, oh Lord, that they may not act so we can’t help it.” — Lyman Beecher

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” — G. K. Chesterton, ILN, 4/19/30

Ooh, ooh, that’s a good one…. I can’t say for certain what direction it brought us to, but, it will, I have no doubt, be better than where we were headed…. Well, one always hopes…..
_____________________________

On days such as this, where I’m living under a set of rules that may or may not be clear, I tend to look for the same kind of obscurity, or at least, semi-transparency, in the poetry that will fit in with the mood of the day. Most often, in such cases, Emily is perfect, and today is such a case…. Don’t ask me to explain this one, because I won’t…. because I can’t…. I like it anyway…..

A bird came down the walk:
He did not know I saw;
He bit an angle-worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a dew
From a convenient grass,
And then hopped sidewise to the wall
To let a beetle pass.

He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all abroad,–
They looked like frightened beads, I thought;
He stirred his velvet head

Like one in danger; cautious,
I offered him a crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home

Than oars divide the ocean,
Too silver for a seam,
Or butterflies, off banks of noon,
Leap, splashless, as they swim.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

_____________________________

It isn’t your fault, but, I was up quite late this morning; turning over to try to go back to sleep actually kept working each time I did it, starting at 0400, all the way up to 0705, when I finally arose…. I reiterate, it isn’t your fault, but you’re going to get the perk that goes along with that, which is the simple fact that I don’t have the time to put together a rant…. This means, of course, that we’ll be going old-school for this section again today, and you will just have to learn to appreciate it…. Just think about the rant you’re NOT having to read….

Now that we have successfully promulgated, and denied, the normal course of events in such cases, I am free to go on to the gathering of the pearls, always the most fun part of this process….. Well, it’s fun, as long as Smart Bee is cooperating, and it has been doing well today so far…. let’s hope it continues…. Before I bore y’all completely senseless, which would mean calling the crew in to perform the sleeping body disposals, I’m going to go diving….. see ya on the flip side, as they say….. Well, I guess they don’t say that any more, so…. hell with it, I’ll be back….

“Most of us lead lives of chaotic improvisation from day to day, bawling for peace while plunging grimly into fresh disorders.” — Edward Abbey

“Integrity has no need for rules.” — Albert Camus

“The whole principle is wrong; it’s like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can’t eat steak.” — author Robert A. Heinlein on censorship

“If you wants to get elected president, you’ve got to think up some memorable homily so’s school kids can be pestered into memorizin’ it, even if they don’t know what it means.” — Walt Kelly, The Pogo Party

“Chi Wen Tzu always thought three times before taking action. Twice would have been quite enough.” — Confucius, 5th century BC

“The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” — G. K. Chesterton, TREMENDOUS TRIFLES

“Hello.  Just walk along and try NOT to think about your INTESTINES being almost FORTY YARDS LONG!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

What a perfectly random group! The point it takes us to is the absolute perfect representation of whatever it was we did here today, don’t you think? Of course, whatever that may be is beyond the capability of the English language to accurately describe, but, there is nothing new in that, either, not for this blog…. I like to think we push the boundaries back a little bit every day…. Oh, look, it’s quitting time!….  See ya….
_____________________________

As noted above, I got a late start today, but, managed to rush it all through without any bloodshed…. Let’s see if it’s at all palatable…. Well, it’s savory enough, even if potentially unpalatable for those who can’t, or won’t, use more than three neurons at once; that’s okay, it’s not designed for their consumption, anyway. Regardless of any of that, it will do, and, hallelujah, it’s done…. On time, too…. I’m going to count my blessings, and be on my way…. TTFN, amigos….  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

Dragons seldom require advice…..

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Ffolkes,
It is an old threat, but, if I ever find that guy, I will make damn sure he spends the rest of his short life regretting he ever lived….. What guy, you may ask? Well, actually, its a whole slew of guys, each as problematic as the next. They all inhabit this planet, but, as far as I can see, that is their only claim to any relation to other humans, because they just don’t make the grade when it comes to species loyalty, or, as a preacher would call it, morality. All of these men, and the occasional woman (generally brain-damaged) all spend their days working against the best interest of humanity at large, though their words may say otherwise…..

Yes, it’s once again time for some ranting against the BRC. In the last days, I’ve been somewhat preoccupied with other matters, and haven’t had the right degree of angst to rant. Since the election last year, most of the politicos are keeping a low profile, as far as possible. Oh, the POTUS is busy challenging the GOP, graciously trying to slip in a few reforms, and the GOP is busy maintaining their image as clueless white assholes, while the rest of us are trying to get on with living our lives without their interference.

Mostly, though, it’s been pretty quiet on the political front, if you don’t count the gun control issue (which has been raging for well over 200 years without a rational resolution….) (please, note the use of the word rational…. that is the single reason political entities will never find any such solution, as they are constitutionally incapable of that condition of mind, or of achieving any such results…. it just isn’t in them to do so….), and the economic shenanigans being played out this month….

So, I haven’t spent more than a minimum of time picking at them, since it wasn’t very interesting stuff, anyway. I’m hoping for one of them to make some really idiotic remark that I can use as a springboard, so I’ll peruse the news (hey, say that out loud…. it’s a neat little rhyme….) to see if there are any eligible remarks by a pundit, or a talking head. It usually doesn’t take more than a day or two for one of them to say something really dumb, so we’ll see what we see…. Maybe even today…. I’m tired of picking at the priestly hierarchies, and talking about global warming and overpopulation, so I’ll take a few shots at the idiots in Washington D.C. for a while…. I’m looking forward to a little fun….

Now, be aware, this may or may not happen today. I will remind you that Pearls, and pearls, are dependent on the availability of pearls, and on the nature of those pearls. (I know, a bit confusing…. just stay with me, it will get better….) So, if Smart Bee is in the right mood, or there is a good headline worth stealing, I’ll jump on it for a politirant…. (yes, I just made that word up….), as opposed to a religirant (twice, how handy!). We could conceivably end up with both, or neither, as both are likely to appear at times. But, I’ll be keeping my eye on the asses who make their money off the people by governmental decree as opposed to tithing, to ascertain where my shots might be most effective…..

As usual, though, I’ve rambled through several paragraphs of meandering conversation, while the day keeps getting older. Since I’ve already consumed the greater portion of the intro section for this, I should go for my dive, and get this slow on the road. Which I will now proceed to do…. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

What we have here is a typical Pearl in the making…. that means I have no idea whatsoever of where it is headed. I’ve ranted in the intro, a bit, then wrote a politirant in the third section, to keep the two separate. I don’t wish to completely numb your minds with another rant, so I’m going with a random old-school pearl, in hopes of getting a worthy group to go along with the rest of today’s post. You are, no doubt, hoping I can find a good group, too, to help you stay awake…. so, here you go….

“If you can’t annoy somebody, there’s little point in writing.” — Kingsley Amis

Thou shalt not get caught. — The Eleventh Commandment

“My atheism, like that of Spinoza, is true piety towards the universe and denies only gods fashioned by men in their own image, to be servants of their human interests.” — George Santayana

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

“Do you think there’s a God?” “Well, SOMEbody’s out to get me!” — Calvin & Hobbes

“You are old,” said the youth, “as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door —
Pray what is the reason of that?”

“In my youth,” said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
“I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment — one shilling the box —
Allow me to sell you a couple?”

— Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”

“Hello.  Just walk along and try NOT to think about your  INTESTINES being almost FORTY YARDS LONG!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

There you go…. a rather eclectic group, but well seasoned, I think…. Enjoy!
__________________________________

For some reason, when I’ve been ranting, I turn to Emily Dickinson to soothe my spirit, though her work is not always soothing. This one is merely deeply insightful, as well as a good example of her unique style and viewpoint…. She always takes my mind away….. She also never used titles, so her poems are generally referred to by the first line…. In that vein, here is….

I measure every grief I meet
With analytic eyes;
I wonder if it weighs like mine,
Or has an easier size.

I wonder if they bore it long,
Or did it just begin?
I could not tell the date of mine,
It feels so old a pain.

I wonder if it hurts to live,
And if they have to try,
And whether, could they choose between,
They would not rather die.

I wonder if when years have piled–
Some thousands–on the cause
Of early hurt, if such a lapse
Could give them any pause;

Or would they go on aching still
Through centuries above,
Enlightened to a larger pain
By contrast with the love.

The grieved are many, I am told;
The reason deeper lies,–
Death is but one and comes but once
And only nails the eyes.

There’s grief of want, and grief of cold,–
A sort they call ‘despair,’
There’s banishment from native eyes,
In sight of native air.

And though I may not guess the kind
Correctly yet to me
A piercing comfort it affords
In passing Calvary,

To note the fashions of the cross
Of those that stand alone
Still fascinated to presume
That some are like my own.

~~ Emily Dickinson
__________________________________

“He who imitates evil always goes beyond the limits of the example, whereas he who imitates what is good, always falls short.” — Confucius

Perfect! If ever a quote could be applied to fit one group of people, this one would; it fits the folks who occupy elected office in this country like the proverbial glove. Ooh! Ooh! Here’s another one…

“Ignorance: When you don’t know something and somebody finds it out.” — Jethro Burns

Okay, that’s a good start…. Now, we all know that politicians lie to us…. It’s what we’ve taught them to do, by our calm acceptance of all the other lies they’ve told, from the very beginning. We expect them to lie… then, when we catch them at it, there is this huge public outcry, as if it had never happened before.

Sometimes, the behavior of the American public toward the political beast reminds me of a shark…. to wit: no memory of the past to slow down their willingness to rush into dangerous situations….. For millions of years, sharks and dolphins have lived together in the oceans. For just about all that time, whenever a shark attacks a dolphin, it gets killed, unless the dolphin is injured in some way, or, it is a baby inadvertently left alone. Always, if things are even, the shark dies, because the dolphins are smarter, and faster swimmers.

After millions of years, you would think the sharks might learn to let them alone, but, they don’t, which is evidence of their lack of ability to learn. The American voting public has the same problem…. they never learn to expect to be lied to, and always seem surprised to learn that their elected officials are, shall we say, less than perfectly honest? It, quite frankly, drives me nuts…. What is it about people that does that to them? Why are they so unwilling to use the mind that sits between their ears, rather than just carrying it around from toilet to toilet, which is all most folks seem to do with it? (Almost forgot it was a question….) I wish I knew….

“There is one way to find out if a man is honest–ask him. If he says yes, you know he is crooked.” — Groucho Marx

I’m starting to feel a bit of anger, actually, and I have a hard time not letting it out on the voting public, the idiots. But, it really isn’t all their fault, as the people who run for office are the ones who are actively imitating evil, and, obviously, exceeding the limits of their example. And the voting public can’t help never being able to quite reach the good for which they reach. This is why I get angry about it…. The folks who run for office tell the public they are going to work for the people when they are elected; we all know they are lying, but we elect them anyway. Now, how stupid is that? Pretty stupid, in my book…..

On the one hand, the stupidity displayed by the politicians is deliberate, in its adherence to principles of theft and prevarication; on the other hand, the stupidity displayed by the voting public is, perhaps, not deliberate, but at minimum, misguided, and, ultimately, just as evil, in placing its trust in evil people. In the dispassionate view held by the universe, stupid is as stupid does, and the sentence of death is the same for both types of stupidity, deliberate and unconscious. It doesn’t care about why, it only looks at results….

What can be done about this? Not a damn thing…. Not only do I find that most people are unconsciously stupid, but they are stubborn about it, even when it is clear how being stupid is hurting them. Rather than use their minds to find a new way of dealing with these issues, they retreat into platitudes and dogma, and run right back out to vote for another idiot who promises them manna from heaven, or, more accurately, from Washington D.C. If confronted with their idiocy, they become even more stubborn, as they are unwilling to accept they might be wrong, and refuse to either examine any evidence of being wrong, or, will deny its existence altogether.

The politicians, who choose to live in stupidity, by lying and cheating and stealing from their own people, don’t even WANT to choose otherwise. Why should they? They’ve got it easy, with a ready supply of host bodies on which to practice their symbiotic parasitism, a body that not only accepts all their lies, but encourages them to even further depredations with their complete acquiescence with whatever the politicos want. All the politicians have to say is that the public is in danger, from this, that, or the other, and the public will allow them to do whatever they choose, as long as they feel safe from whatever fictional fantasy they have been told is dangerous…..

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift; the rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” — Albert Einstein

It’s an interesting spectacle to observe from the sidelines, but it arouses in me a strong feeling of sadness, with the anger underlying, as I watch, day after day, as so many millions of foolish people get taken advantage of by a few assholes. It definitely makes me want to buy a gun, even though I would only use it if pressed; I have a feeling I may get pressed some day, if I continue to make noise about all this.

I’m fairly well protected thus far by a lack of notoriety; the BRC and the PTB aren’t going to worry about me until I have an audience a lot larger than a couple of hundred folks, of which perhaps fifty regularly read my work. If what I am saying began to gain popularity, and was being read by millions, I’d be in danger; until then, I’m as safe as I can make myself with the tools at hand… which, if I say so myself, are not entirely inconsequential…. If I said any more, I’d be giving away my precautions, and that wouldn’t do, so, just rest assured… I am ready to deal with anything short of assault weapons, with what I have on hand…..

“Many, if not all, of my presidential opponents are certifiable idiots.” — Miriam Defensor Santiago — The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1993

See? I’m not completely alone! Actually, if you pay close attention, you will note this was uttered by a politician, about their peers, so it really doesn’t count as support of what I’m saying here. What, exactly am I saying here? Hmm, okay, since I’ve already written about 1200 words or so on this, it’s a good place to wind it up…. so, here goes…

Ffolkes, you are being lied to, daily, and hourly, by those who have been elected to office to look out for your interests. I hate to tell you, but those folks never intended to do anything of the sort. So, it would be a good thing if everybody in this country would OPEN THEIR FUCKING EYES AND GET A DAMN CLUE!!!!!….. I don’t think I can say it any clearer than that….. That’s all, for now…..

“Ignorance kills daily. “– Smart Bee
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Well, maybe it’s not Hemingway-esque, but, it’s certainly gigoidal…. Gee, this making up words is really cool!  Any who, I’m done for now; I’ve created all the confusion I can in 2500 words or more, so I’ll go try to find some trouble to cause out in the Big Blue Room.

I’ll be facing a dangerous situation later, as the library is having its annual used book sale, and I have money in my pocket…. I have a feeling, if I attend the sale, that last part won’t be true when I get home…. I’m a sucker for books, especially on sale, cheap…. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s effort…. it certainly was…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Save all the cliches, we can recycle them….

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Ffolkes,
Is it now merely habit that brings me here each morn? Where lies my purpose in writing these missives of murky thought? Why am I asking you? And what’s with all the questions? Since, out of four, I don’t know the answer to any, maybe I should reconsider my original format, as it doesn’t show a lot of promise at getting me much of anywhere. Of course, it is getting me there fast…..

Where’s my towel? Now there is a question to which I can always respond, thanks, of course, to Douglas Adams. His “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” has reached what I’d call the iconic stage, where phrases and ideas from the book have become societal standards, among them, the proper use and care of your towel. Perhaps it was prescience, or perhaps just lucky genetics, but I’ve always known about the importance of towels, and that one should always have one handy. My expertise in this area has been with me my entire life, whereas Doug, and the Guide, have not. Maybe I am the result of a sordid liaison with an alien, covered up by my shamed parental units, my lifelong interest in space is a repressed urge to return home, and my intimate knowledge of towels is an innate part of my heritage….

Whatever it is, my towel is always clean, and right here in my…. hey! Who took my towel?….. Nimrods…. Ah well…. um….. good morning, ffolkes…. As you know, I am subject to being taken this way, so fear not; this may seem to be a bit odd, but it’s not unusual, so there is nothing to worry about…. or maybe that was unusual, but not odd. Ah well, no matter…. The daily Pearl is now officially under construction, and any, and all, anomalous events are not only normal, but sought after for their warm fur…. Just kidding, we wouldn’t shoot an innocent anomaly….. We might make tease it unmercifully, or feed it oatmeal laced with Ex-Lax (ouch!), but we wouldn’t shoot it….. makes a huge mess on the floor, especially if we hit it…. Of course, so does the oatmeal….

The only real, pertinent question at hand just now is this: how the hell do I find my way back into the pearling mode, after such an explosion of nonsense? This is FUN, and ridiculously easy to write! Sober thoughts and portentous phrases can’t compete with such levity and good, clean fun…. I could, I suppose, try to make an entire Pearl out of humorous material, but, I don’t know if I am THAT funny….. I do try to maintain SOME degree of lightheartedness, even in the most sober of pieces, enough at least to laugh at myself, if not at humanity. But, I am easily entertained, having been caught previously having a great time just sitting around, watching my fingernails grow; other ffolkes probably have a bit more sophistication…..

Well, if I’m ever to get into the meat of today’s meal, I should draw this intro section to a close. Four full paragraphs of sheer tom-foolery (or, in this case, ned-foolery) is plenty for one day, and certainly enough for an introductory section. I only wish that the ease of effort that this took would carry over into the rest of the Pearl…. It would be nice not to sweat over it for once…. Ah well, the creative process is supposed to hurt, so I’ll quit whining, and get on with it now….. Shall we Pearl?…..

“For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.” — Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
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Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?”  The Master said, “Is not Reciprocity such a word?  What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

Ah yes, the Golden Rule…. For how long have the sages of our species been reiterating this rule? Years? Centuries? Millennia? Yes, all of the above. Yet, in today’s society, there is ample proof that a large portion of humanity totally ignores this rule, instead operating under a different rule, to wit: “I’m going to get mine first, and do unto others, first, before they can do unto me” This rule has never been precisely stated, unlike the Golden Rule, which has been stated in any number of ways over time. But, those who live by this rule are just as committed to their own self-interests as sages are to the interests of all…..

The struggle for the Soul of Man has been raging since the beginning of history, for though we now drive cars, and wear ties, and use telephones, our emotions and desires are the same ones we had when we lived in caves and ate unrefrigerated foods on a daily basis, if we were lucky. To this date, no one has been able to discover why some people just won’t go along with the program, but insist on making their own rules, to the detriment of everyone else. I suppose if we did discover the reason, it wouldn’t be a problem any more, but it is still frustrating to know that we are, as a species, still fighting the same old ignorances and cupidities that we had in the beginning of history, and are still losing far too often…..

I believe in the inherent goodness of people, but, at my age, I also must qualify that belief to include the very significant number of folks who choose to act against that part of their nature, giving rein to that beast in all of us that yearns to take, and to destroy. Yes, we have goodness in our makeup, but we also have evil, and there are a lot of people who choose to dwell on that side of their own nature, and basically don’t give a crap about what it means to other people. As long as they meet their own needs and desires, everyone else can just go to hell…. I don’t much like it, but it is true nonetheless….

So, I say this…. If one sees a person who is harming others by their actions, and you can determine that they are doing so deliberately, then I believe it is within the boundaries of the Golden Rule to destroy them on sight (or, at minimum, administer a sound thrashing)…. for this reason: if I were acting in such a manner, I would wish that the rest of rational society would judge me, and bring me under control, for the good of all. If that necessitated destruction, so be it; it is a final solution, if a bit harsh. I also do not believe that anyone who deliberately acts to harm others has the right to exist as part of society, and it is perfectly sensible to remove them….

I know, this sounds as if I’m speaking in favor of the death penalty, and in one sense, I am. Unfortunately, the one problem with the death penalty is that nobody can agree on who is capable of making the correct, rational, and honorable decision in such cases. Myself, I’m a bit more of a curmudgeon, and believe in personal responsibility…. so I’m not going to fret over killing a rapist, or a child molester, or a senior abuser, as long as their guilt is clear. They made their choice when they acted against the rules and morals of society, so my choice makes perfect sense in response, according to that same Golden Rule.

A bit different view of that rule, eh? Well, nobody claimed this would be a smooth, level flight, or a soft landing….

“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me. Neither of us liked what we saw.” — Brother Theodore

Google says that this particular phrase is attributed to Brother Theodore (whoever he was….) Nietzsche gave a very similar expression, when he said , “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” Either one of these is a fitting closer for this section….
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Emily’s Letter to the World

As I  mentioned yesterday, I found a treasure trove, a book with all of the collected poems of Emily Dickinson. I’ve been perusing it, randomly sampling from different parts of the book, and I am enchanted with her talent all over again. Her ability to put simple words together to form incredibly complex ideas regarding life and nature is astounding, one that leaves me in awe as a writer. Today, I’m including two of her short pieces, which I discovered by letting the book fall open where it would…. and there these were, just waiting to be shared….. During her lifetime, she only published four poems; these are from the first of the collections of her work published posthumously…..

The pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.
———————————

The mountain sat upon the plain
In his eternal chair,
His observation manifold,
His inquest everywhere.

The seasons prayed around his knees,
Like children round a sire:
Grandfather of the days is he,
Of dawn the ancestor.

~~ Emily Dickinson
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“Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?” — Ramsey Clark

Here is a question that is particularly relevant in today’s society. In my time on this sad little ball of mud, I have studied the various parts that make up our culture, and the police, due to their ubiquitous nature, have always been right there at the forefront of my observations. We all have our stories of how we have had to deal with police in various circumstances, not all of which show them in their best light. In fact, next to lawyers, police officers are probably the most reviled members of society, as well as one of the most admired. There are good reasons to support both views…..

I cannot say that my knowledge of ALL policemen is complete; I don’t know them all. But my observations over the years have indicated that at least half of those who enter the field do so out of a desire to have power over others, rather than an impulse to be of service. It is easy to spot these folks…. They’re the ones who never signal a turn in their cars, and are always moving at a speed greater than the posted limit. They assume that the laws that govern the populace are not applicable to them, and act accordingly. They enter any situation with the attitude that “might is right”, and attempt to intimidate anyone who tries to usurp or question their authority. They don’t serve as policemen to keep the peace, but to control the beasts….. two entirely different goals.

I find myself at this point to be in the beginning stages of a rant; this subject is one that frustrates me a lot, as I believe that the police should be offering themselves as an example of honorable, lawful behavior. Many of them do so, but a large number are no more concerned with serving and protecting than they are in consuming donuts without sprinkles. Due to circumstances well within my control, I’m not in the mood for ranting this morning, so I’m going to let this go without further comment.

Suffice it to say that society needs to consider the question asked above by Mr. Clark, and take a hard, realistic look at the requirements needed to procure police officers who are of the proper frame of mind to assume the responsibilities involved in public protection. It seems to me that psychological testing of potential officers would be a good place to start; perhaps some of those who go into the field for their own purposes might not be given such power, if they could be winnowed out in the testing process…… Perhaps then we would begin to see the police set the example for the rest of society, rather than proving to be one of the problems we need to solve…..

“The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others.” — Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)
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All I can say is, well, it’s done…. I may have crossed the line a bit, going over into crusader mode; some mornings I support the death penalty, others I don’t…. It’s a tough concept to cover in a few words, and a coherent discussion can be time-consuming, as well as emotionally trying. If what I’ve said prompts any comments, well, that’s a good thing, and I’m always ready to look at new information and opinions. If not, well, there’s always tomorrow…. I may be a bit more lucid then….  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!

Nights lost at the behest of Morpheus….

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Ffolkes,
Turning, tossing, chasing pertinent dreams down echoing hallways in my mind. Finding, time over time, a new vision, drawing me close with promises of passionate engagement, and warm, welcoming eyes. Such longing for intimacy cannot be denied, nor lost to inner sight, yet knowing it all a dream, the pain of never meeting flesh to flesh is mellowed and set aside. Feelings burgeon into deeply held belief, carnivals and lights, and moments of quiet smiles, then turn to fear of loss. As the visions fade, in the harsher light of day, melancholy regrets set forth, scattering thoughts into disarray. All that remains to treasure is the memories grasped so tight, and hope to meet again, waiting in dreams again tonight….

Now I know…. poetry is the way for me to go these days, when I’m gripped with a vision…. I kept trying for prose in the above paragraph, and you can see that no matter where I took it, it kept falling into rhymes, without apparent volition on my part; I didn’t notice until I was almost done with it. This one is perhaps a bit sappy to warrant re-doing as a poem, and it seems a bit silly anyway….. Writing down one’s dreams may have worked for Coleridge, but I’ve never found my dreams to be particularly compelling when I look at them in the light of day…. Oh, they’re nice at times, I admit, but the unconscious mind is NOT discriminating, and often lacks smoothness, or elegance, other than as a vague promise, to my way of thinking. As the unconscious, it doesn’t get a lot of practice dealing directly with the real world, and tends to be a bit naive in that respect…. It makes the women I meet in my dreams quite beautiful, but not terribly realistic in other ways…..

Plus, I’m a bit disappointed, as the dream was not compelling enough, quite, to keep me asleep. Here ’tis, six o’clock in the morning, and I’m wide awake, after a night of particularly light sleep, haunted by this dream, and now up early, with gritty eyes, a stiff, sore back, and a lingering sense of melancholic  regret that the girl I dreamed of is not real…. at least, not that I know of, yet. One is allowed to be hopeful, after all…. But, once again, here I am, filling in the intro section with blabbering nonsense about nothing much at all….

I suppose this means that, since I’m not going back to bed just now, I should probably go diving for pearls…. I didn’t write at all last night ( I got busy reading, and listening to the Cardinals pound on the Giants, whose offense has gone South. I thought it might, as they clinched their Division way too early, and had time to lose their momentum, and their fighting edge. Now they will have to really want it bad, in order to take three games in a row in Cincinnati, a feat which I’m not sure has been done in the playoffs as yet. SIGH…. there go the dreams of a Bay Bridge Series this year…..)

On that sad note…..  Shall we Pearl?…..
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“You say you’re supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don’t have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist.” — Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, January 14, 1991

So, I count at least three major flaws in this guy’s reasoning, not to mention the most obvious piece of asininity, there at the end. I always knew that the TV evangelists were stupid and greedy, but I never took the time to really look at what they said very much…. It generally caused a severe case of mental indigestion if I listened to it for more than a few seconds. This was short enough for me to get down in one quick bite….. and it just went to prove what I had previously believed about them….

These are the men who give Christianity a bad name, the most avaricious, lying, cheating, dishonest, and woman-hating men I have ever seen. Every one of them is the same, as far as I can see; it takes a special kind of asshole to get involved in evangelism…. You’ve got to be not merely greedy, but frankly and clearly so. You’ve got to have a sense of entitlement and conviction of your own rightness as to make Jesus himself blush. You have to hate women, and mistrust men. And, you have to have enough chutzpah to take your act on TV, for all to see….

“I see little divinity about them or you.  You talk to me of Christianity when you are in the act of hanging your enemies.  Was there ever such blasphemous nonsense!” — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), The Devil’s Disciple

Oh, and I forgot, you have to have a good sense of the odds of human nature, which, unfortunately, most of them have….. What I mean by this is, they know that, yes, 90% or so of the public will mock them, or ignore them, or some combination of the two. But, the other 10% are stupid enough to fall for the crap they are handing out, which includes sending them money.

Let’s do the math…. If only 50,000,000 people form the statistical universe in question, then 10% is 50,000 of them. If each of them is persuaded to send in $10, the take is $500,000. If the average donation goes up to $25, or the base number of donors goes over 50,000, then that number rises significantly. Do that 200 days a year, and we’re talking about some serious money, ffolkes…..

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” — Romans 12:1 (One of Pat’s favorite scriptures, as it is easily twisted to support his story…..)

Personally, I’ve always been leery of sending my money off to anybody in the mail; even paying bills that way seems risky to me. How do I know the mail-person is trustworthy? How do I know if the mail system is really sending things where they are supposed to go. One seldom actually receives verification, unless asked for, and even then, are they telling the truth? And, if so, how do you know? In my experience, people lie for their own benefit just as often as they act with honesty and integrity; perhaps the odds are worse than that…..

Then, to send it off to someone who tells me that by doing so I am both enabling and promoting their work (which is making money….. though they will tell you different….) and ensuring my own place in Heaven, at God’s right hand…. it just doesn’t sit right. We are supposed to swallow all that, without sugar, and without any guarantees, other than their word….. And, if you have a mind that can believe that, I have a wonderful opportunity for you in a bridge…. cash only, no checks…..

IDIOT, n.  A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.  The Idiot’s activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but “pervades and regulates the whole.”  He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable.  He sets the fashions and opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

These worst type of preachers are not even liked or respected by other preachers…. for much the same reasons as demonstrated above in Mr. Robertson’s egregious claim. He, and most of the other televangelists, commonly say things such as this, implying that all other religions are works of the Devil, or the Antichrist, and should be crucified for their beliefs. So, not only do they steal from their constituents, but from other religions as well, trying to lure away their congregations in favor of their own.

This serves to create even more schisms between Christian sects, or cults, as I call them…. as well as being divisive to the entire public arena, as they typically include not just other Christians in their portrayals of others as enemies of their sect, but also any other religion, atheists, politicians who try to regulate them, judges who rule against them, and anyone else who has the temerity to challenge their sense of entitlement…..

“Imagine the Creator as a low comedian, and at once the world becomes explicable.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)

Yet, people watch them on TV, and send them money, just as if they could actually buy their way into Heaven…. which again serves to act as proof of Robert Heinlein’s observational admonition, “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.”  These assholes take advantage of the vulnerable, and the stupid, and the weak-willed among us, and they do so legally, since they make enough to buy good lawyers to protect them from litigation, and enough to buy honest politicians (who STAY bought once paid for….)….

To my mind, I think this is taking religious freedom just a little too far, and I wouldn’t mind a return to older days, when shooting them wasn’t viewed as a crime, but rather as public trash removal….. But, that’s me…. I’m a bit of a curmudgeon, but with compassion, and I don’t like to see the stupid taken advantage of like that….

“Every day, people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” — Lenny Bruce
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Our share of night to bear,
Our share of morning,
Our blank in bliss to fill,
Our blank in scorning.

Here a star, and there a star,
Some lose their way.
Here a mist, and there a mist,
Afterwards – day!

~~ Emily Dickinson
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Sometimes, inspiration can be elusive…. in such dark moments, I generally turn to Art, with a bit of wily text thrown in (both of these pix were found on either WordPress, or Facebook, forgot to write down which from where)…. Here are three pearls, two a combination of visual and textual wisdom, and one quote from Kwang-tzu, a Taoist scholar…. Together they make a fine pearl, with wit, and wisdom, solid and true, and worthy of consideration…. enjoy!….A selection from the Taoist Writings: Lao-Tan asked Confucius: `What do you mean by benevolence and righteousness?’ Confucius said:  `To be in one’s inmost heart in kindly sympathy with all things; to love all men and allow no selfish thoughts: this is the nature of benevolence and righteousness.’ — Kwang-tzu

    “And that’s the Truth…. Thpppt!” — Lily Tomlin
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As you may have guessed, today’s Pearl is the result of lack of sleep, lack of inspiration, and lack of compensatory drugs…. take that as you will. I try to make it worthwhile on these types of days, by including a poem known to history as a good one, so if nothing else, you have a small portion of palatable material on which to chew. Nevertheless, I always feel compelled to apologize for being lazy, even though, as a retiree, it is allowed. Or, if not allowed, at least tolerated….. As a practicing curmudgeon, I don’t really give a shit; it’s done, and that will have to do….. Not really, ffolkes, that’s a joke… a cheap one, I admit, but that is the theme today, so, deal with it…. Not that the material provided is cheap… it’s all certifiably genuine virtual wisdom…. Ah, hell, just go with the flow…..  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!

Mordred’s dream of chaos draws nigh…..

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Ffolkes,
Yow…. Coffee without cream is enough to make one cranky. It is marginally better than no coffee at all, though, so folks will have to take their chances with me until I can get some half & half. The odds of getting bitten for speaking to me too early rise dramatically when the consumption of my morning coffee is disturbed in just about any fashion, and not having an ingredient is a sure ticket to the cranky express for me. Makes it difficult, as I need to speak to people this morning at some point, and don’t want to scare anyone….. or, at least, not deliberately.

Today’s Pearl was mostly composed yesterday, as I need to take much of today to get the form done for Social Security; it’s not difficult, or even particularly complicated, but needs to be detailed. Then, when done, I need to scan it and send it to my lawyer so they can get it right in to SS, well before the ridiculous deadline they gave me. When the process is complete, and I’ve secured my SS benefits, I can definitely feel an exposé on SS percolating in the back of my mind.

From all I can ascertain, the myrmidons over at SS think that it is perfectly okay to throw up every obstacle they can in front of the people applying for their own benefits, and make it as hard as they possibly can for anyone to obtain the very things they have paid for throughout the years. In the process of making it so hard, they are adding to the difficulties of people who do NOT need the aggravation…… So, I’ll be writing a bit of stuff, later, after I’ve secured my own benefits, and cannot be punished for what I write, by their attempting to make it even harder for me to get them…..

Any who, I came across the following again yesterday; it is an old DOS file command line, and is the secret wish of all geeks that it would actually work in reality…. if you know what it means, you’ll know what I mean…. if not, well, it would take two or three pages to explain well enough to be accurate and worth the effort, so you’ll just have to ask a geek to explain it to you…. Any nerdy type who likes to read Science Fiction, and knows what a command line in DOS is, will be able to fill you in….. meantime, Shall we Pearl?….

C:\> erase c:\reality.sys; copy a:\pern\*.* c:
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This is a somewhat old-school pearl, but with a slight difference…. normally (well, you know what I mean…) I would list several quotes, all of which led one’s thoughts in a specific direction, to a foregone conclusion, or at least a conclusion, of sorts….. This pearl however, is simply a grouping of ideas that I thought went together, as sort of a tribute to the relevance of illogic at certain times, and how liberating it is to think not only outside the box, but to kick the box into a shapeless lump of cardboard….. enjoy! BTW, these are all related in one respect, which I’m not going to mention, as it is totally irrelevant…. at least, to the lack of purpose herein implied…..

“The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower.  To think otherwise is to demean the Buddha — which is to demean oneself.” — Robert Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” — Confucius — Analects, XV.24

“When the music business changed so drastically in the late sixties and rock began happening in such a big way, I went to Count Basie and said, “It’s a complete takeover. What should I do?” Basie waited a beat, looked up at me with those big eyes of his, and said, “Why change an apple?” — Tony Bennett

“I am your density.” — George McFly, in Back to the Future

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?”  The Master said, “Is not Reciprocity such a word?  What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

“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

“As God is my witness – I am that fool!” — Gomez Addams

Okay, so I’m not sure where it came from, or why the last one showed up when it did…. but, it’s a perfect ending, for it fits in with my own self-image this morning…..  Onward, into the fray…..
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Accentuated Lessons

Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.

Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.

Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiff, elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.

Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid

The following just seemed like an appropriate addition to this section…..

Fate steals along with silent tread,
Found oftenest in what least we dread;
Frowns in the storm with angry brow,
But in the sunshine strikes the blow.

~~ Thomas Cowper
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“About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt ax.  It is equally vain to try to do it with ten blunt axes instead.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra

I do try…. I try really hard to write well. All of my effort in the last year plus that I’ve been writing so much has been with the intent of improving what I do write, and I can see a certain degree of that (improvement….). It isn’t enough, to my mind, and hopefully, never will be enough. Only by making the effort will what we do ever change, and writing well is a skill that requires constant honing, and constant endeavor.

The following paragraph is an example of the kind of impact that a well-written piece should have on the reader…. it’s a beautiful little piece, and even though you could remove the word “God’s” from it, and it would suffer not at all, I left it in, since I didn’t write it…. I only wish I had…..

“As a little silvery circular ripple, set in motion by the falling pebble, expands from its inch of radius to the whole compass of a pool, so there is not a child–not an infant Moses–placed, however softly, in his bulrush ark upon the sea of time, whose existence does not stir a ripple, gyrating outward and on, until it shall have moved across and spanned the whole ocean of God’s eternity, stirring even the river of life, and the fountains at which the angels drink.” — Elihu Burritt

See? A truly lovely thought, and written in a way that it touches a chord of response within the mind and heart of whomever reads it. This is the kind of thing that I am shooting for when I write…. I hit close now and then, but, not often enough to suit me, so I’m going to keep trying until I can write at this level whenever I should so choose…. and if, along the way, someone wishes to pay me for what I write, well, I’m not going to complain…..

Of course, my usual choice of subject matter may have a lot to do with the absent beauty of my writing; it’s a bit of a trick to turn a political or religious rant into a thing of beauty, other than from a logical or tactical standpoint. There can be, of course, well-done passages, even powerfully passionate parts that can inspire, or anger, or merely amuse. But one is not going to impress anyone with the sheer beauty of a treatise wherein one has to discuss the latest lies and deliberate misrepresentations as spouted by political pundits, of any party. Not without a lot more skill than I have, or anyone else I’ve read over time. It’s just not a subject that lends itself to pretty pictures in words….. In addition, one must always remember to actually use one’s mind in a constructive manner when writing about politics or religion, because anyone who actually engages in either one is not going to do so……

One also must remember to always keep the following principle in mind, for anything written, about either politics or religion, must be governed by this thought, or what is produced will not stand up to the test of logic or time….. so stay alert, ffolkes, and use the mind you have for something other than sitting on……

“Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.” — Bergen Evans, The Natural History of Nonsense (1946)
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All in all, not a bad Pearl, I’d say. And, if there is an expert on Pearls, that would be me….. or, at least, of literary Pearls…. and I am certainly the world’s ONLY expert on Pearls of Virtual Wisdom…..To be honest, I never thought the gems themselves were all that compelling…. they look nice, but don’t seem to me to be as big a deal as everyone makes of them…. Ah well, I’m just a country boy at heart, and good honest sweat is my favorite perfume, so I guess I’m not the best judge of such delicate matters, eh?…… 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!

Eradicating past indiscretions….

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Ffolkes,
Ah, yes, apartment living…. I had forgotten just what it was like. Come to think of it, this is the very first apartment I’ve lived in since college, 43 years ago. It should prove to be interesting…. we’ll see how long it takes for my true curmudgeon to come out…. probably not long, especially if I’m forced to observe cases of deliberate ignorance, or urban attitude (ie, gang attitude…).

I’m afraid I won’t show enough patience if that happens, because I have little toleration for either one, arising as they do from the same lack of will, a characteristic all too common in modern life. Ah, well, probably best not to look for such conflict before it happens; I just prefer to have a plan already in place when it does…. cuts down on reaction time, which can be critical in crisis situations….

I sure miss having internet service at home. This hooking up publicly is getting to be a hassle…. plus, I’ve found there are at least 40 or 50 times per day that I would have normally been online, as I’ll think of a question, and start to Google it, only to be frustrated by the lack of connection. I also miss reading the blogs I’m accustomed to reading. I’ve been able to keep up a little bit on my Reader page, as one can now hit Like for blogs listed there, without reading the entire blog…. it’s handy for those picture blogs I go to, as the main picture is on the reader page, so I know if I like it or not…. Gotta, gotta get ahold of Comcast today, for sure….

Since I’m up so early, 0730, I may as well go diving. Want to come along? Let’s go Pearl, shall we?…..
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“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius (B.C. 551-479)

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 busy, 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 inhabit  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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When life calls, ready or not….

Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.

Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.

Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.

Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.

Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.

~~ gigoid

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Everyone knows Winnie the Pooh…. Even if, like me, you’ve never read the actual book, all are familiar with his antics in the 100 acre Wood with Eeyore, Roo, Piglet, Owl, and the others, and everyone knows how much he likes his honey. But, most folks don’t know that Pooh, besides being an Uncarved Block, with Zen master knowledge, is also possessed of somewhat of an unknown dark side. This side of Pooh doesn’t always get the acknowledgment that it should, so I have collected some of his lesser known statements, as recorded in Smart Bee, my quote database, and compiled by the hacker culture…. Pay attention, ffolkes, it could save one of your nieces or nephews some skin…. Here, then, are several statements made by Pooh as he engaged in his OTHER natural activities….

— Bother! said Pooh, as he blew away half of the 100 Acre Woods.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he rolled another joint for the President.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he drew the Glock.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he booby trapped the ambulance.

— Bother! said Pooh, Beavis and Butthead are barbecuing Barney!

As you can see, Pooh is not the shy little hunny bear he pretends to be for Christopher Robin, is he? I think I like him better this way…..
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There you have it…. another fine mess. Actually, I’m not altogether unhappy with it…. the poem was pretty quick, for once, and only took a couple pints of blood to color in the hard parts…. Plus, Pooh saved me the trouble of a rant by jumping up in my face and insisting to be included today…. So be 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!

A bond of legacy weighs heavily….

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Ffolkes,
The following is a post I wrote for a site called GoodBlogs, for this holiday in 2010. You may note that a couple of the pearls were used again recently…. but they remain valid…. and this goes to show that on the subject of patriotism, my viewpoint hasn’t changed in the last couple of years; in fact it is even more pronounced now…. Abondanza!…..

Musings of an Independent Nature

Independence Day is one of the few holidays I respect, since it was not created merely to stimulate the economy, as were many of the  modern days on the calendar that we are told are “special”.  As such, I’d like to pay it the honor of recognition.

In doing so, today’s group of pearls will walk a very dangerous line, as they deal primarily with two subjects that are often unwise to discuss (especially together), i.e. politics and religion. It is generally considered to be unwise because no other subjects arouse as much passion, or as much anger as do these two when the proponents of one or another creed feels challenged by the beliefs of another.

However, lest we forget, the first, and perhaps the most important, of the reasons we fought to be free of English rule was religious freedom; our entire government is based on the principle of separation of church and state. Too often today, those who would call themselves patriots are in reality interested only in preserving their own religious beliefs, and would deny to others the same prerogative.

July 4th, to my way of thinking, is a day to celebrate the diversity of thought allowed by the Constitution, to honor Truth in whatever guise it may take. I find it immensely interesting, and satisfying  to note that the quotes I’ve chosen are the thoughts of people from a variety of different periods in our history, but all are alike in their intransigent resistance to any limits of thought or choice……

To forestall any flaming responses, or misunderstanding, I will also state at his point, that just because I have included a pearl, doesn’t necessarily mean that I endorse the same ideas. It also doesn’t mean that I don’t; as a matter of fact, I agree with most of what follows. But, most is not all, and as far as my own thoughts, they are my own; I’ve learned not to share all of them with others, as they have a tendency to make folks uneasy, or even angry. That is unfortunate, but, there it is.  Human nature, being what it is, always has the tendency to “shoot the messenger”.  I don’t mind; it keeps me on my toes……meantime, enjoy now these statements of belief by a number of important historical figures, and others…….

“But the greatest of all reformers of the depraved religion of his own country was Jesus of Nazareth.  Abstracting what is really his from the rubbish in which it is buried, easily distinguished by its luster from the dross of his biographers, and as separable as the diamond from the dunghill, we have the outlines of a system of the most sublime morality which has ever fallen from the lips of man; outlines which it is lamentable he did not live to fill up…  The establishment of the innocent and genuine character of this benevolent moralist, and the rescuing it from the imputation of imposture, which has resulted from artificial systems*, invented by ultra-Christian sects, unauthorized by a single word ever uttered by him, is a most desirable object…  *e.g.  The immaculate conception of Jesus, his deification, the creation of the world by him, his miraculous powers, his resurrection and visible ascension, his corporeal presence in the Eucharist, the Trinity; original sin, atonement, regeneration, election, orders of Hierarchy, etc.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to William Short, October 31 (Halloween), 1819

“Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.” — H. L. Mencken (1810-1956)

“However, on religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs.  There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God’s name on one’s behalf should be used sparingly.  The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent.  If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both.  I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.”  Just who do they think they are?  And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?  And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate.  I am warning them today:  I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of “conservatism.”” — Senator Barry Goldwater, from the Congressional Record, September 16, 1981

“You know your country is dying when you have to make a distinction between what is moral and ethical, and what is legal.” — John De Armond, Performance Engineering Magazine, 1994

“I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State.  My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.” — George Carlin

“They [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me will  be exerted in opposition to their schemes.  And they believe rightly: for I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” — Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush, September 23, 1800

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius (B.C. 551-479)

There you have it…a veritable orgy of ideas, to do with as you please. But take a moment today to think about the historical forces that have led us to the situation we have in the world today, and strengthen your resolve to maintain that freedom that our forefathers left us as their legacy. You honor that legacy when you bend your efforts to use the mind you have been given, and reject outright any and all attempts to curtail, prejudice, or control that mind.  Y’all take care out there….and have a good Fourth!….

As a holiday bonus, I offer one final pearl on today’s subject….

“Quite frankly I admit that I am not too talented, rather under-educated, and not too up on current affairs, decidedly uninterested in sports, and additional to all of this I know practically nothing about the stock market, money management, international law, how to deal with terrorism and protective policy. These at the things that worry me, inasmuch as any day now, someone is going to come and ask me to run for President, since so few other folks are so well qualified.” — Smart Bee

Stay safe today, ffolkes. A lot of amateur drinkers get carried away by their enthusiasm, and nothing is more dangerous than a drunk, self-proclaimed patriot on the fourth of July…..
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Profound Truth differs from simple truth in that the negation of a simple truth is a simple falsehood, while the negation of a Profound Truth may be another Profound Truth. E.g. a button with “Life is just as simple as it seems” on one side and “Life is not as simple as it seems” on the other. — Smart Bee

This is an insightful piece of information, and, as such, is one most folks never would even consider, since it requires more than a minimum of thought to comprehend. But, there is hope! I see an opportunity here…. T-shirts! 

We could, instead of a button with two Profound Truths on each side, make and sell T-shirts with the same…. add a small logo, and voilà, $35 each, 2 for $60. I smell a small fortune in sales, just at county fairs, NASCAR races, and flea markets. If one of the large chains, like Penneys, or Macy’s, gets wind of it, they’d probably offer a buy-out, or a franchise consignment contract for a medium fortune. It’s a sure winner! Want to invest?….

We could even think up more Profound Truths to put on each side…. like “Always” on one side, and “Never” on the other side. Or, “Your vote makes a difference!” and “Your vote is wasted!” on two sides. Or, “God is Dead!” on one side , with “God is Alive, and living in New Jersey” on the other side. Heck, you could hold contests to see who could come up with the best dualities to put on the shirts. Since the subject matter is Profound, you might even be able to get tax exempt status as an educational tool maker, with a dot .org domain name to boot, where the shirts could be sold and shipped online, for a modest fee.

I see a lot of potential here, with eventual growth into a multinational corporation dedicated to everything all the other corps are against, like Truth, Equality, Diversity, and Responsibility. I rather like the irony of using a corporation, dedicated to justice, to bring down the other corporations, who have long since shown their dedication to greed and oppression….

Hey, another thought…. We could go to California to incorporate, and, jointly, register as a church; in that socio-political stew, who’d notice another new cult? Then we could fight on two fronts, using corporate weapons to fight the corporations, and religious zealotry to fight the religious zealots…. A very balanced, two-pronged attack, with the added bonus of irony on our side…. Can’t lose, eh?…. It’s worth a shot, nothing else seems to be working…..
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Vain was the chief’s the sage’s pride!
They had no poet, and they died.


— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Horace, Odes, Book iv, Ode 9

This is much how I react to the absence of poetry in life, so…. here are some fine examples from Mssr. Pope….

Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to His Royal Highness

I am his Highness’ dog at Kew;
Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?

Alexander Pope

Couplets on Wit
I
I

But our Great Turks in wit must reign alone
And ill can bear a Brother on the Throne.

II

Wit is like faith by such warm Fools profest
Who to be saved by one, must damn the rest.

III

Some who grow dull religious strait commence
And gain in morals what they lose in sense.

IV

Wits starve as useless to a Common weal
While Fools have places purely for their Zeal.

V

Now wits gain praise by copying other wits
As one Hog lives on what another sh—.

VI

Wou’d you your writings to some Palates fit
Purged all you verses from the sin of wit
For authors now are so conceited grown
They praise no works but what are like their own.

Alexander Pope

That should hold me for a day, and you as well…. enjoy!
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“Honk! Honk! My nose is big, and red, my name is Ned, and I am a bozo”…. This is how all of us who attend the meetings at BA preface our remarks. Of course, I’m the only one who says “Ned”, but the rest is the same…

BA (Bozos Anonymous) is a fine organization, patterned on the AA model, that helps those of us who, for some genetic reason, easily fall into the life of a bozo, which, as we all know, is extremely bad, especially for the kids of such pathetic clowns…..

But, at the meetings, we support each other in learning to go through life without falling prey to our condition…. and, we learn not to miss having the occasional belly-laughs happen on a regular basis. As good as they feel, that much lack of seriousness can’t be allowed in a Christian society; it could lead to jokes about politicians, and lawyers, and priests, walking into a bar……

That being said, I wish you all a happy, safe 4th of July! 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!