The princess is real, but, her jewelry is fake…

Posted on December 17, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.”

~~ Edward Gibbon ~~

Thirty-five years ago today, I began the fulfillment of what I view as my primary duty in this life. At approximately 8 PM on this date in 1979, my son was born…. The legacy my father gave to me was thus passed on to a new generation, in the ages-old traditional way, by the birth of its next legatee. It has been the most fulfilling duty I have assumed, as well as the most challenging. It also is one that will not end until the day I pass on to the next adventure, escorted by Death, who awaits us all on the other side of life…

I now have the great pleasure, and poignant appreciation, of watching my son pass this legacy on to his own children; his own son is now four years old, and his lady is expecting a daughter this coming February. Since she also has two girls from a previous relationship, I am now the proud, if bemused, grandfather of four, with a Christmas budget blown out of the water by the news…. Good news, to be sure, but, a bit of a surprise, financially…. a point my son is, no doubt, experiencing for himself….

Life goes on, doesn’t it? Even if we are not paying close attention, the universe keeps trundling along, willy-nilly, playing havoc with any plans we might make, by the simple expedient of altering misconceptions to match the vagaries of reality…. In short, we may as well just sit back, and watch events with an attitude of amused appreciation, rather than one of frustrated angst; it saves a lot of wear and tear on the old emotions, and, in the long run, is a much more comfortable method of dealing with the alterations than trying to make reality fit our misguided expectations…

I suppose it’s easy to philosophize on such a day; births, deaths, and the legacy we leave are easy subjects when one casts one’s mind back in time to a specific event, especially a birth…. In addition, if I am not mistaken, (and, I almost never am….), talking about this has given us a clear path to the rest of today’s Pearl…. See it? Right over there, next to that field of rutabagas, the one with the feathered turnstile…. Yes, it does look a bit small, but, we’ve got a good pilot, and should make it through without a hitch…. Fasten your belts, anyway, ffolkes, it looks like there might be some turbulence…

Shall we Pearl?

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” — Buddha

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Gee, guess what today’s video selection might be? Yep…. In this episode, the ending scene is once again the best part of the whole story…. Enjoy!

Sherlock Holmes – Season 5 episode 3 – Shoscombe Old Place

http://youtu.be/RHhd0_pXEFE

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Below you will find a discussion of mortality, which I first posted in 2013. I’ve gone over it, correcting where necessary, and polishing up the ideas and language to add clarity…. It’s been ‘punched up’, as we authors like to say…. when we’re feeling all smug and smarmy about our profession…. It’s still a good discussion, though…. Feel free to comment, should any of it strike you as questionable, or worthy of note….

From 3/3/2013:

“As a draft-animal is yoked in a wagon, even so the spirit is yoked in this body.” — Upanishads (c. B.C. 800)

Each of us is faced at times with the consciousness of our own approaching encounter with Death, that moment in time when our yoke is removed, and our spirit is freed, once more joining the rest of the conscious minds in the universe, in roaming through realms of Reality we cannot see in this form. This Reality we cannot see is much larger, in one sense, than the one we can now perceive; it has to be, to be able to accommodate all the souls that have gone before, and all that are now present on Earth, that will someday join the rest of them, when they die…..

Every human being alive must face their own Death (I am capitalizing the word to give it the proper respect, as one of the most important concepts we have as humans….); this is a truism no one can deny, or refute. Many people have banded together, to assume the belief that our universe was created this way by a supernatural being, who, for some unknown, and unknowable (self-explanatory, I think….) reason, decided that we are “special”, giving us, and only us, the knowledge we have, and our very lives. This, of course, is rather hard to believe, as it doesn’t really account for much of what is observable truth in Reality…. In truth, it is, patently, complete speculation, devoid of any concrete evidence to support it…..

“There is no conclusive evidence that there is life after death. There is also no real evidence to the contrary. Soon enough, you will know. So, why fret about it?” — Lazarus Long, aka Robert A. Heinlein

I first read this aphorism when I was in my early teens; it codified, and made succinct, what I had already concluded about the major religions of the world, i.e., they’re a collection of unwarranted, and unproven, assumptions. What’s more, they are all highly unlikely, given the observable parameters of the real world. It became obvious to me, as it is to many, that what the religious folks were trying to get me to believe was intended merely to soften my mind, making it more amenable to suggestion, of which they have an endless supply. Preachers, priests, imams, nuns, all are quite willing to give other people advice and suggestions on how they should live, in exhaustive detail, for as long as they are allowed to do so….

Since I had very little desire to have other people decide for me how I should think, or live my life, I rejected the dogma they tried to force into my head, turning instead to other sources of thought about Life, Death, and Reality. I found an endless supply of folks who had thought long and deeply about all of these ideas, and gladly did I read all I could of everything I could find on the subject. In addition, I read science fiction, during the years when its popularity had just begun to climb to the heights it now occupies; sci-fi has always been literature that explored, and continues to explore, the very limits of thought, both in the real world, and the world of the mind.

As is seen by the first pearl above, these thoughts and ideas are not new with me; mankind has been thinking about these concepts since we first sat around the campfires, wondering at the beauty of the heavens we saw above our heads, and all around us. In all that time, no conclusions have been reached that seem to cover ALL of the questions we have about the universe. We still don’t have a clue as to “what is the mind”, or “what is thought”…. and if we cannot understand ourselves, what chance do we have of unraveling the secrets of the universe around us? Not much, would be my guess…

That, fortunately, does not mean it is impossible to know the truth, nor does it mean we are condemned to die in ignorance and fear…. I know this because I have learned in my time that our fear is a direct outgrowth of our ignorance; we fear what we do not understand. Now, if I were a God, why would I make people that way, unless for some ulterior motive, having to do with motivations that are human, not divine? No, it just doesn’t make sense to me to assume that we were put here with a deliberate handicap, just to see how we dealt with it; that seems more like an evil scientist at work than a compassionate deity.

“One must marry one’s feelings to one’s beliefs and ideas. That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one’s life.” — Etty Hilsum

Since I believe firmly in the Law of Conservation of Energy (proven true in this universe, to all our knowledge), I must, logically, also believe that our minds/souls are a form of energy we currently don’t fully understand, and cannot perceive directly. Thus, we see the concept of Death is nothing to fear, as it merely means that my current state of energy will be replaced with another state, one I don’t currently have the ability to perceive. What that state may be like may be unknown, but that doesn’t mean it is something of which I should be afraid…. I prefer to look at it as the next great adventure….

When my father died, I asked him to leave me some trail-sign, to let me know how to find him in the next reality; he smiled at me, and said he would do that… and I was much comforted by that, knowing that our connection as family can never be severed, and that, someday, I would once more have the pleasure, and comfort, of his presence…. Now that’s something to look forward to, don’t you think?…. Much better than worrying that what I do now is going to determine what happens to me after I die, a silly proposition, at best……

“Do not think that man is but flesh, skin, bones and veins; far from it! What really makes man is his soul; and the things we call skin, flesh, bones and veins are but a garment, a cloak; they do not constitute man. When man departs this earth, he divests himself of all the veils that conceal him.” — Zohar

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I’ve been inundating y’all with my old poems, so, as a reward for your patience, here is a fairly appropriate choice to go with today’s apparent theme…. Metaphor is always nice and stretchable, y’know?…. Gotta love that…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

Shui Tiao Ko Tou

Will a moon so bright ever arise again?
Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.
I don’t know where the palace gate of heaven is,
Or even the year in which tonight slips by.
I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I
Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade
Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.
I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.
From life endured among men how far a cry!

Round the red pavilion
Slanting through the lattices
Onto every wakeful eye,
Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why
Insist in time of separation so th fill the sky?
Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;
The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is al, is less.
Perfection was never easily come by.
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!

~~ Su Tung-p’o ~~

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Today’s final section will be the freshest of the lot; picked from the deepest levels of Smart Bee’s nearly unlimited database, these quotes form a picture in the mind, which leads to a point of living we all need to acknowledge now and again…. What that point may be was left entirely up to Smart Bee, so, your guess is as good as mine as to what it might be…. I’d advise y’all to keep your minds well lubricated from this point onward…. The relative potency of your lubrication is entirely up to you; adult beverages may be purchased in the lounge….

But what am I?
An infant crying in the night:
An infant crying for the light,
And with no language but a cry.

~~ Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) ~~

~~ In Memoriam, liv, Stanza 5 ~~

“Have you clubbed an ignorant human today?” — Smart Bee

“He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.” — Kahlil Gibran

“Freedom begins between the ears.’ — Edward Abbey

“What awful irony is this? We are as gods, but know it not.” — Smart Bee

“Didn’t I buy a 1951 Packard from you last March in Cairo?” — Zippy the Pinhead

The fear o’ hell ‘s a hangman’s whip
To haud the wretch in order;
But where ye feel your honour grip,
Let that aye be your border.

~~ Robert Burns (1759-1796) ~~

~~ Epistle to a Young Friend ~~

Hmm…. Don’t ask…. I couldn’t tell you, even if I could….

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I’m up later than usual, at least, the usual of late…. and, if you got that, you’re Gunga Din. That’s okay, though, because, I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t think of a reason to blow it off…

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Sleeveless jumpers won’t be warm enough….

Posted on December 15, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.”

~~ Seneca, Epistles ~~

It’s raining again here in NorCal; this makes typing somewhat impractical, as it probably bothers the neighbors to hear me screaming in pain as I type…. It’s a bit bothersome for me, as well; I don’t particularly enjoy the noise, either, even though it is MY noise…. Ah well, it’ll all be cut & paste today, ffolkes, you can take that to the bank…. Of course, the bank would tell you to take it home again, but, hey, you get the picture…. (The picture above, of the lucky grizzly bear, by the way, came from the Animal Pictures of the Week in the London Daily Telegraph…)

In spite of the now-expected relative agony of the arthritic pain in my joints, I don’t feel too badly today…. Of course, that will pass, as do all things. If only there were some way to stop the clock, just at that point when I’m feeling relatively normal, (or, as close as I get to that these days….), so I could actually spend some little period of time without the sensation of having my own skeleton screaming at me to MAKE IT STOP! If only I could…. but, I can’t, so, it must be endured…

I like the opening line today, from Seneca. It is my best answer to all the crap that gets thrown at us by our beloved leaders, when they want us to stop thinking, and just be afraid…. Myself, I refuse to be terrified, of anything…. Terror is merely another name for fear, and fear can always be overcome, if faced, and dealt with in a rational fashion…. If we let it rule our lives, as Seneca points out, it takes over, and life becomes a burden, rather than a joy…. Terrible indeed, especially when one considers it is all a manufactured issue in the first place….

Since, however, we are IN the first place (i.e., the intro section), we shan’t rant about that now… In fact, I won’t be ranting at all today, as this little bit of typing here at the front is already causing problems…. My hands keep falling asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and I have to stop, shake them out, and regain the feeling before carrying on…. Not the easiest technique I’ve come up with, to be sure… In fact, it isn’t working for me at all today, and I’m done with it…. Hold on, ffolkes, this will be a sharp turn….

Shall we Pearl?

“Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.” — Smart Bee

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Whenever I have an hour to spare, nothing provides me with more entertainment than one of these episodes from the old BBC series…. Jeremy Brett was born to play Sherlock, and, to my mind, appears to be having the time of his life whenever he is portraying the great detective…. He plays the part with such enthusiasm, it MUST have been great fun…. In turn, he makes it fun to watch…. Enjoy….

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes – S07E02 – The Dying Detective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2lkHh5Bn8

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Yesterday, I ranted against the Dogma Dogs…. Today, it’s raining; this precludes a fresh rant, as my hands are currently revolting, in more than merely one sense…. Here then, is an older rant, with the other major category of Asininnies as the primary target…. It’s as true today as it was almost two years ago, when it was fresh and new….

From 2/18/2013:

PRESIDENCY, n. The greased pig in the field game of American politics. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

You can’t see me, but I have this big smile on my face…. It has been there since I first read this, this morning, and has flashed on each time I see it…. I had forgotten just how funny, and how eerily accurate, as well as wonderfully sarcastic, the Devil’s Dictionary could be….. In either case, this is some funny stuff, and is a perfect example of how Ambrose somehow obtained a direct line to the future of this country, in order to be able to so exactly describe how our modern system has evolved, and demonstrate how it has become, rather than high comedy, an example of low farce….

Of late, you’ve seen me put out a lot of words on the Beloved Ruling Class (BRC), and the priestly hierarchies, those two entities I hold responsible for the miserable conditions that most of our society is forced to endure, and whom I also hold responsible for the danger of species extinction that we face… It is their narcissistic insistence on having it all for themselves that has put our entire species at risk, along with a large number of other species, who will also be affected by the mess we’ve created in the environment. I keep on shouting, even though it mostly feels as if I’m shouting into the wind, because, in all honesty, I don’t want to die…. I’d like my kids to have a chance to live their entire lives, too, and perhaps even have some hope of a future for their own children…. Currently, there isn’t much hope of that…..

Yes, ffolkes, there isn’t much time left to get this done…. Every second, more and more tons of particulate matter are being poured into the air, and the cumulative effects have actually, finally, reached the critical flash point that ecologists have predicted for years…. Soon, plants that provide oxygen to the air will begin to die, (actually, they are dying as I write this…. as I said, it is late in the game….) and the balance of oxygen and carbon monoxide in the air will start to rapidly change, until it is unbreathable for us, and for all the other mammals, sea creatures, and plant life-forms that are dependent on the levels of those substances as they are now…. This process isn’t unknown….. we have been warned about it, now, for going on 50 years, or more, since the effects were first noted….

But, nobody who cared to do anything about it was listening, and still today, there aren’t anywhere near enough of our BRC who are convinced of the risk, so virtually NOTHING has, or is being done to resolve the issue…. Instead, it is subjected to massive denial on the part of almost every government in the world. They, and most people, have no idea that the bill for our idiocy is about to be presented, and we left our wallet in our other pants….. I think it’s obvious the Universe doesn’t take checks, or give credit…..

I wish I knew the proper sequence of words to use, the words that would inflame the masses, that would inspire the world to rise up, and throw off the yoke of oppression that the 1% has fitted us with, to finally give them their just desserts, and save our own asses in the process…. Alas, I don’t seem to have them in me…. not yet, anyway…. There are probably a few ffolkes out there who agree with me, and would help, if they also knew what to do, or say, to get things started…. But, mostly, I think I’m either shouting into the wind, or preaching to the choir….

In either case, it doesn’t seem to be helping much, other than keeping me from losing my sense of perspective, and actively going out hunting, to try to at least thin the ranks of the ones who are causing the problems…. That would make me feel better, for sure, but, I’m not ready to live the rest of my life on the run, so, I’ll save that option for when things are even worse than they are now….

I’ll also keep shouting, even if it’s into the wind, because I’m also not ready to give in to despair, and loss of hope. Call me stubborn, call me irresponsible (you’d be wrong in that, but, hey, it’s a free country…. mostly….), but don’t call me late for dinner. Also, don’t call me to help you further any of the agenda items that I see on the part of those in power, because I can guarantee that would put me over the edge, and you would be right there, in the explosive field of destruction when I went off…. If you want help to work against anything they’ve started, I’m there…. In the meantime, keep your powder dry, and your field of fire clear…. This final pearl explains why….

“If we don’t survive, we don’t do anything else.” — John Sinclair

And one more, just because there must always be hope, or life isn’t worth living…

“In a just cause the weak o’ercome the strong.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Oedipus Coloneus, 880

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The poem in my head isn’t being cooperative about coming out, so, here is one from a few months ago, that seems to fit in well with the theme from today’s rant…. I know that when I wrote this, I felt MUCH better afterward…..

A Few Words of Note

In place of ranting and raving about assholes every day
maybe I’ll try something more fun.
Rather than throwing words at all the assholes on public pay
I’ll switch to shooting at them, with a gun….

Should I actually hit one, purely by mistake,
maybe it would wake them up.
Maybe, if they had to think, or actually cut us a break,
we’d see a chance to win at life, to take a step up.

Our nation, such as it is today, was founded by men who told the truth;
that morality disappeared long ago.
Simple ethical strength so bright, so prevalent in our country’s youth
was soon corrupted, corporate interests now run the show.

Nothing would please me more than to fire off some rounds,
if only to gain their attention.
But, I can no longer run, I’ve gained too many pounds;
so, my keyboard and intellect must serve to fulfill my intention.

I won’t stop, of that you may be sure
I love my freedoms, and the philosophy from which it springs.
Tom, and Ben, and John, and Pat, those patriots pure
gave me their example, and the inner peace it brings.

If bullets won’t persuade our elected liars to toe the ethical line,
I’ll throw my most powerful words…..
If nothing else, it will make them wriggle to escape, or voice their pitiful whine,
thus exposing themselves for what they are…. plain and simple turds.

~~ gigoid ~~

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Today’s final pearl is one that created itself, in a manner of speaking…. It is a truly old-fashioned pearl, comprised of five brilliant pearls of virtual wisdom which, together, lead one’s thoughts to a particular idea or concept worthy of contemplation…. Well, that’s the theory, anyway…. This one, brilliant as it is, is somewhat obscure, but, with the proper flexibility of mind, is well worth the effort to decode…. Enjoy, and, be aware… This one WILL be on the Quiz, which we all will be given, at the end of Time….

“As Caesar was at supper the discourse was of death,–which sort was the best. “That,” said he, “which is unexpected.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Caesar

“The world has taken on a thickness of vulgarity that raises a spiritual man’s contempt to the violence of a passion.” — Charles Baudelaire

“It is important that man dreams, but it is perhaps equally important that he can laugh at his own dreams.” — Lin Yutang

“For himself doth a man work evil in working evils for another.” — Hesiod (c. 700 BC) — Works and Days, Line 265

“Anaxagoras said to a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, “The descent to Hades is the same from every place.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Anaxagoras, vi

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Well, there you have it…. “A drunkard’s dream, if I ever did see one!” Since we seem to be somewhere up near Cripple Creek, without the proverbial paddle in hand, we’d no doubt be wise to take our leave, while we may…. This rain has to stop some time, doesn’t it? We ARE supposedly in the midst of a drought here in California… but, you couldn’t tell by the last week or so of weather. Ah well, Life goes on, until it doesn’t. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if’n we can find our way back here….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Patagonian cricket league posters on sale….

Posted on December 13, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Don’t get hit.”

~~ First rule of fighting ~~

There is no doubt the world in which we live is in a sorry state; there is too much evidence of that to deny, even for one of my dubious nature…. Yet, we each go on, blithely behaving as if tomorrow never comes, just as we have for our entire history, without any acknowledgment, or even awareness, of our own impending doom as a species. In spite of the mountains of evidence to indicate how serious is the situation we find ourselves in today, no governing body, no major world leaders, and nobody of any societal significance is doing anything about it, other than some little noise-making in the news now and again, and a constant parade of lesser personages, such as yours truly, who keep trying to get everyone else to FUCKING PAY ATTENTION!

Alas, our noise, true and attractive as it may be, is drowned out, in the cacophony of complaints and bullshit that the political pundits keep laying out; they have the control of the media, having trained them to react just the way they planned to every new piece of insanity, to wit, with hyperbole, outrage, focus on the negative and/or insignificant, and misdirection, always trumpeting who is to blame, rather than calling for real answers….

Instead, they are trained to focus on completely irrelevant issues, having little to do with the core of the problems, which are never discussed, at all…. Any actual discussion of problems is discouraged, as being counter-productive…. What is never stated is this; all that information we are not hearing IS counterproductive, but, not to us, but, to those who are in positions of leadership… If the news was actually reported correctly, the pundits would be running for the border, trying to escape the mobs….

But, that would be an ideal world, and the one in which we spend our time is NOT one of those, by any stretch of the imagination…. Ah well, we’ve made our bed, we must now lie in it…. Sadly, the house, in which the bed might be found, is right in the path of flowing lava…..

I see now that the metaphorical structure I’ve built up with such enthusiasm just fell apart, into small pieces…. I can see it lying there, on the ground at my feet, mocking me with bitter laughter…. Silly things…. But, having it all fall apart like that does make it clear, at least to me, that I’ve gone completely off the rails here this morning, haring off down a rantable path, without ever checking to see if my brain was on…. which, I’m pretty sure, it wasn’t…. At least, I can’t find any evidence anywhere in any of the above paragraphs that would indicate power to the lobes…. Hell, I’m almost positive I wasn’t even awake yet when I started; I’m barely awake now….

Ah well, it’s done what, apparently, it was designed to do, which is get me to this point, far enough down the page to feel as if we’ve actually done something worthwhile…. We HAVE gone far enough to make this legal, which, as y’all know, is all we really care about…. As it now meets all state and federal regulations, nonexistent though they may be, we can use the opportunity that presents itself to make our escape…. Besides, I believe I may have just used up ALL of my ability to type for the day, just getting this done…. Oh, well…. I’m taking us down, ffolkes, so, you’d best hang on…..

Shall we Pearl?

“A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone’s feelings unintentionally.” — Oscar Wilde

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One of the saving graces of humankind is our ability to make music…. classical, blues, jazz, it all expresses our nature, in one facet or another…. Here is the an example of the best of the blues, the one musical genre most likely to be of use to us in the coming years, as we learn how our own nature has been our undoing….

This Is The Blues – Volume 1

http://youtu.be/f_9zy9ZYEkA

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As noted, my hands are done typing for the day, so, here is a discussion from the past, with all our favorite targets in attendance….

From 9/19/2013:

“A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.” — Alfred Alder

So, I was going to forgo a rant today, giving my back, and your brains, a bit of a break, but, when I went to peruse the news, I saw the latest discussion of what is happening in the House of Idiots in Washington, D.C., regarding the budget resolutions being discussed, wherein the possibility of a shutdown is threatened, if the Retardicans and Demobutts can’t come to some kind of compromise.

It seems the Retardicans are still upset about Obamacare, and the notion of helping the middle class, as well as the lower classes (gasp!), to obtain medical insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. This idea, of being fair and ethical, seems to have struck them in the wrong place, and they have been whining and complaining ever since it became law, frantically searching for ways to undermine the whole program, with the ultimate goal being to stop it altogether….

The entire issue, of course, is just smoke, to cover up the simple racism that these assholes won’t cop to…. It is STILL stuck in their craw that they somehow allowed a BLACK MAN to get elected to the highest public office. They have looked for, and desperately latched onto, every possible way they could find to block every piece of legislation the White House has espoused, no matter how much such legislation would help the public, ever since Obama was first elected.

The publicly stated goal of the Retardican Party in 2008, right after the election, was to make Obama a one-term President; having failed at that, their new goal became the eradication of ANY laws, or any beneficial reforms, that were accomplished during his administration…. Hence, the campaign against healthcare reform, which, ultimately, is not in their best interests, but, hey, who needs common sense?….

I’m almost too disgusted with the entire bunch of them, Retardicans and Demobutts both, to even continue this rant….The right wing continues to shoot itself, and the public, in the foot with their intransigent inflexibility, and their unreasoning paranoia about the POTUS, while the left side continues to wander around letting whatever the administration says or does go without question or review, as if somehow a man who was politician enough to get elected to the Senate, then the Presidency, all of a sudden became the world’s most truthful man…. Sorry, folks, it just doesn’t follow….. such trust in ANYONE who is an elected official in this country is plain silly, and doesn’t show much real common sense….

I see NO ONE in the public venue whom I would trust to make decisions for me, on ANY subject, much less those that can affect my life, and the quality of same…. Sorry, I just don’t see ANYONE who seems to be honestly interested in anything beyond their own agenda, and those agendas have nothing to do with mine, or what I see as beneficial for everyone…. They just don’t…..

I also, unfortunately, don’t have any viable solutions, which is why my rants often are short…. I mean, I do know what would help, and that is for everyone in the world who does have common sense to get together, join forces, and tell the assholes to stop…. But, they have guns, which they are practiced in using to get their way, whereas, most of US aren’t willing to contest matters on that level, so, that probably isn’t ever going to happen…. Not until more of our side are willing to use force to get our way, just as they have always done….

Since I don’t see it happening, we may as well just kiss our asses goodbye, because the eventual outcome of such idiocy is death, and I don’t mean individually, but rather, as a species…. Stupid is as stupid does, as somebody once said, and when I look around the world these days, stupid is pretty much all I see…..

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

~~ William Butler Yeats ~~

~~ Responsibilities and Other Poems (1916).The Hour-Glass ~~

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It has been said that intelligence is both a blessing, and a curse…. I’m here to testify….

Intelligent Crimes

The value of wit is often said to cause harm,
for those who think, such is its greatest charm.
The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled
if innovation and change is left unwilled.

Society behaves at its base as a mob
conformity and submission its primary job.
Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule
is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.

Intellect and talent are looked at askance,
expressing artistry stands nary a chance.
To stand out from the rest of mankind
is fraught with danger, for body and mind.

Often I stand to watch in solemn dismay
as beauty and joy are left by the way,
ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses
who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.

With shouts of derision the normals make known
their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.
They hope to stop all semblance of progress;
for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.

The world struggles on in spite of all opposition,
managing to maintain its advanced position.
Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,
helping each to learn the survival dance.

Hard though it may be to keep up with the future
genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.
In the final analysis, those who live by reason
enjoy life the most, season to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thankfully, I had a few moments yesterday, (very few, in retrospect, but, enough….) when the pain was in abeyance sufficiently for me to spend some time perusing Smart Bee for some appropriate pearls…. Here is what we were able to come up with…. It’s all pretty good advice, or, at minimum, viewpoints worthy of examining as helpful; taken together, they all show us how to live as well as we can, from an ethical/moral standpoint….

“There is in us a tendency to locate the shaping forces of our existence outside ourselves. Success and failure are unavoidably related in our minds with the state of things around us. Hence it is that people with a sense of fulfillment think it is a good world and would like to preserve it as it is, while the frustrated favor radical change. The tendency to look for all causes outside ourselves persists even when it is clear that our state of being is the product of personal qualities such as ability, character, appearance, health and so on.” — Eric Hoffer

“Let us treat men and women well; Treat them as if they were real; Perhaps they are.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

CALLOUS, adj. Gifted with great fortitude to bear the evils afflicting another. “When Zeno was told that one of his enemies was no more he was observed to be deeply moved. “What!” said one of his disciples, “you weep at the death of an enemy?” “Ah, ’tis true,” replied the great Stoic, “but you should see me smile at the death of a friend.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone’s feelings unintentionally.” — Oscar Wilde

“It is impossible for a man to love his wife whole-heartedly without loving all women somewhat. I suppose that the converse must be true of women.” — Lazarus Long

“Loneliness is the poverty of the self. Solitude is the richness of the self.” — May Sarton

“He preferred an honest man that wooed his daughter, before a rich man. “I would rather,” said Themistocles, “have a man that wants money than money that wants a man.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Themistocles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My normal (hah!) routine is shot to shit…. It is now 0330 in the AM, and this Pearl is done…. I’ve been up too long already, and may just go back to bed, in the forlorn hope of actually getting comfortable enough to sleep, with my hips, hands and shoulders all singing to me, a song of misery played on the strings of my nervous system…. Ah well, so much for another day in Hell…. No worries, I’ve got my ticket to Oblivion, right here in my pipe…. See y’all later, ffolkes…. maybe even tomorrow…..

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

We boil the spread sheets, but, all clip art gets baked….

Posted on December 5, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nothing can be done at once hastily and prudently.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 557 ~~

I’ve been using a lot of space photos lately; this one is an artist’s rendering of the newest NASA manned spaceflight capsule, the Orion, as it docks at the ISS. Having always been a space flight enthusiast, an amateur astronomer, and a reader of science fiction, it all fascinates me. I had originally intended to study astronomy or astrophysics in college, and always wanted to be an astronaut, every since the very first manned flights, back in the early 60’s….. I even made a personal vow, at age 11, that I would not die on Earth, but, would be buried on another planet, even if only the Moon…. A bit fanciful, but, I still mean to try to survive long enough to get off Earth at least once….

Chances are getting slim that will ever happen, but, hey, a man has to have a dream, right? My dreams these days involve survival of the species, mostly, as that seems to me to be our most pressing circumstance, as humans…. We don’t have much time left, if any, to make an effort to establish ourselves on another planet, or planetoid, by which, I refer to moons, asteroids, comets, etc…. There are lots of places in our solar system containing abundant natural resources, easy enough for us to find and utilize, though not all of them are other planets…. In fact, there are fewer obstacles to overcome in order to colonize the asteroids than we may encounter trying to live on Mars…. It is amazing how much EASIER it is to live without gravity getting in the way, technologically speaking…..

Whether we try to establish colonies on Mars, the asteroids, our own Moon, Luna, or the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, (of which there are more than a hundred….), it is becoming more imperative each day that we make some sort of decision, and get started on doing so, without any further delay….. We don’t have a lot of time before living on this planet will become an even greater technological challenge than living in space, with no gravity, and abundant solar and nuclear power, an existence made much easier to maintain than here on Earth. where we will see the necessity to find or manufacture our own air, food, and water…. None of these are impossible tasks, but, they won’t happen unless we first admit the danger, and the necessity to establish more bases for humanity to survive, in various points around the solar system…. If we continue to confine ourselves to one planet, we won’t survive at all….

Okay, I’ve now ranted, though it may not seem as if I have…. It sort of crept up on all of us I think…. After looking over what I’ve written above, I can’t say there is anything missing, or flawed, so, it will do, both as an intro, and as a mini-rant…. I didn’t mean to start out so strongly, but, the picture got me going; a view of the infinity of space will always stimulate my mind’s eye, pointing it toward the possible futures we may experience…. The planetary environmental crisis here on Earth is worsening each day, with new weather patterns being noted all over the world…. The coming year is predicted to be the warmest our planet has EVER experienced, according to all the historical and environmental evidence there is to be found, and we still don’t know how that will affect us, or the rest of our planet’s ecological balance…

Before I hare off in another direction, with a new rant on a new, related issue, I think I’ll take this opportunity to get us out of the intro, and down the line to the video section…. Today’s Pearl is going to be a fairly fresh one, even if the rant section may have to go with an archived piece; I don’t like to rant twice, and this is already enough to make ffolkes uneasy, I’m sure…. We’ll see how it goes when I get there…. for now, I see our turn coming up, so, put your liquid refreshments in their holders, tighten your belts, and hang on, because we’re going in…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.” — Oscar Wilde

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so, what did you expect? More cats? No way; I don’t like to repeat myself…. Today, you get PUPPIES!….

The Cutest Puppies Compilation

http://youtu.be/amtuB-2wGeQ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went through the news yesterday, where I found the BRC, and the Asininnies, to be in full control. The news is mostly concentrating on the race issues brought to the surface of the nation’s attention, stimulated by the recent court failures to prosecute police officers who kill citizens. While this is, of course, an issue that must be addressed, it does focus attention elsewhere than on the actions of our leaders, thus giving them the time and space to hide their true agendas from public view, by acting clandestinely to secure their aims…. The lack of any other news of significance is a sure sign that things are worse than they seem….

So much so, I am unable to find a reason to rant…. Oh, it’s not as if there isn’t any subject to rant about; the problem is that there are too MANY subjects to choose from, each of which represents yet another way the predators who prey on society are displaying their lack of compassion for any of the other members of their species, using them simply as a means of consolidating their own powers. To anyone with more than two neurons working together, it is quite obvious; to those who base their lives on accepting what they are told, nothing is amiss, at all…. After all, it’s Christmas, right?

Rather than spend eight or ten paragraphs trying, once again, to bring their chicanery to the attention of anyone happening by to read, I’m putting together an old-school indictment, to indicate to those who come by, exactly where they can see for themselves just how badly we are all being screwed, by those who would have us believe in their altruism…. which, in fact, does not exist at all…. So, here are some observations about those assholes who would be king…. Pay close attention, ffolkes, and any of you folks who might see this; it’s all true as the day….. Let’s see how vicious we can be this early in the day, shall we?….

One murder made a villain,
Millions a hero. Princes were privileged
To kill, and numbers sanctified the crime.

~~ Beilby Porteus (1731-1808) — Death, Line 154 ~~

“The truth is often a terrible weapon of aggression. It is possible to lie, and even to murder, with the truth.” — Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

“The question is, why are politicians so eager to be president? What is it about the job that makes it worth revealing, on national television, that you have the ethical standards of a slime-coated piece of industrial waste?” — Dave Barry, On Presidential Politics

“The American Republic and American business are Siamese twins; they came out of the same womb at the same time; they are born in the same principles, and when American business dies, the American republic will die, and when the American Republic dies, American business will die.” — Josiah W. Bailey

“In many if not most elections, the consequences come to about the same result as two bald men fighting over a comb. Whichever one gets elected is going to commission the design of a new comb, and it is going to be expensive. Of course, most government expenditures are not as significant as the purchase of a new comb, but the point is made.” — Smart Bee

JUSTICE, n. A commodity which is a more or less adulterated condition the State sells to the citizen as a reward for his allegiance, taxes and personal service. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perennially rejuvenated illusions.” — Albert Einstein

And remember, let’s do it to them before they do it to us. — Final line, US Senate Oath of Office

“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits… For my part I would as soon be descended from [a] baboon … as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies … treats his wives like slaves … and is haunted by the grossest suspicions.” — Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

“Giving power and money to the government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” — P.J. O’Rourke, former Gulf War correspondent, summing up what he learned during two years of research on how our government functions

“It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Cleveland Press, 3/1/21

Well, it took eleven pearls, but, I think we finally achieved the proper degree of disdain and vituperation…. If not, we can always try again tomorrow….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just to keep this all in my court, here is another old one of my own….

Random Visions/Coloring Between the Lines of Grief

Everywhere is dark, and shining,
with points in dissonant pain.
Sharp, senses dull past divining,
tears burn, a torrential rain.

Escape! Flee within to cower,
find an unconscious cave.
Call on Morpheus’ power
deny reality’s beckoning wave.

Light breaks, drawing the inner eye,
leading to the slippery slope.
Risk is critical, we may only sigh,
yet welcome, for bringing hope.

Sanity seems far out of reach
Insanity’s a stronger friend.
Decisions made will merely teach
our way toward Death to wend.

Lost, while still on familiar ground,
the future yet undesigned.
Making way on paths unfound,
to Now, as yet undefined.

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, not bad…. All that is left now is to put together an old school pearl…. I’m getting a bit dazed and confused; it happens sometimes when the news is making me nervous with its lack of stuff to write about; I’m always concerned the Asininnies are busy behind the scenes, preparing more nasty surprises for us, usually springing their crap on Monday mornings, when everyone is busy worrying about getting back to work…. I think I’ll let Smart Bee pick out the rest…. I’ve chosen the the first two pearls, and SB will choose the other five; for fun, you can try to pick out the two I put in, to see if it is as obvious to you as it is to me…. or, you may just enjoy them, taking the meaning as you may….

“If I do not do it now, when shall I do it?” — Dogen Zenji

“Anacharsis said a man’s felicity consists not in the outward and visible favours and blessings of Fortune, but in the inward and unseen perfections and riches of the mind.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men, 11

“Here is the beginning of philosophy: a recognition of the conflicts between men, a search for their cause, a condemnation of mere opinion, and the discovery of a standard of judgment.” — Epictetus

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

“Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing.” — Walt Kelly, Putluck Pogo

Well…. There you go. A nearly perfect five-star pearl, to balance the eleven-star version above…. of which I will say this; I could have made that one even longer. There seems to be no end of quotes vilifying the Asininnies; they’ve been a pain in society’s collective ass for a long time… But. these five sparkling gems almost balance out the dirt they tend to toss around….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so much for another morning…. Given the amount of pain in my hands and shoulder, I’m astounded I got this done at all…. I have yet to proof it, but, it felt as if it actually had something worthwhile to say, even if it didn’t say it as well as I might like… Nonetheless, it got said, so, that will have to do for another day…. Living up to that initial quote, from our old friend, Publius Syrus, was harder than it seemed; still, perseverance, as is its habit, managed to win the day…. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. Well, that’s my intention, anyway….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Out of walnuts, again? Call the fusileers…

Posted on December 4, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Grief has limits, whereas apprehension has none.

For we grieve only for what has happened,

but we fear all that possibly may happen.”

~~ Pliny the Younger ~~

Today’s picture was found via my news reader, RSS Owl; it was originally the Astronomy Picture of the Day on the NASA website, a day or so before Halloween. On the NASA site where it is located, links are available to point out the Halloween-oriented objects in the sky, such as the Ghost Nebula, the Skeleton Nebula, etc…. It’s pretty cool, but, not as cool as the picture itself, showing the Devil’s Tower (from the movie re: first contact, Close Encounters of the Third Kind…), with the entire Milky Way spreading across the sky above…. Simply gorgeous, and inspiring to one who has always believed the stars to be our destiny….

At this point, usually, I’d make some comment about how we humans are denying ourselves our own destiny, by the acts we allow the predators among us to pursue in their mad quest for power over everyone else…. Today, however, I’m going to ignore the impulse to rant that I display so often, and get on with this Pearl, difficult though it is to bite my lip, or in this case, allow my hands to stop typing…. I even have the built-in excuse of pain to justify such a procedure, as it is still raining here in NorCal…. Hell, just getting these few paragraphs done will be an ordeal; I’m already just about ready to quit, or to take a break to spray on some magic rub…. good idea….

Ah, much better…. The problem now becomes obvious; where do I go from here? Oh, wait, there’s an idea…. Hold on while I try to pin it down long enough to see what it is….. Nope, that won’t do; it’s too specific; we need something a bit more general to play with…. How about…. no, that won’t work, either; too obvious…. Well, shoot, this is embarrassing, isn’t it? I feel like a computer with a loop of 404 messages, for sure. Hmm…. I know, I’ll cheat, just as if I were an elected official…

Hah! Fooled ya! No cheating going on here, boss. We don’t do cheating here; hell, I wouldn’t know where to begin, having not indulged in it in a very long time… Well, there was that time at Kaiser, but, they pissed me off, and deserved what they got…. I suppose it wouldn’t be too hard to find a way to do so, but, I just noticed we are far enough down the page to legally end this…. which, as may be surmised, comes at a perfect time, right before we gave up entirely, and slipped into our old standby, nonsense and blather….

This intro section, I would guess, is also an example of blather, but, relatively well disguised as an intelligent discussion of current events here on ECR…. What? Oh, I guess it isn’t so well disguised, is it? Oh, well…. The hell with it, I’m outta here…. See y’all down below, ffolkes, I’m done with this….

Shall we Pearl?

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?” — Friedrich Nietzsche

I may be pulling my covers, but, I love these cat videos…. I can watch cats for a long time without becoming tired of it; they have more personality than most humans I’ve met, for sure…. Plus, this allows anyone who is jonesing for some quality laughter to indulge themselves fully…. Anyone who doesn’t at least smile or chuckle at the first video, shows proof they have NO sense of humor at all…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. and try not to waste the ENTIRE day on this….

10 HOURS Epic Funny Cats ! (BIGGEST Cats Fails Compilation in the World)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUBwNguJpQ

“What comes from this quarter, set it down as so much gain.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Adelphoe, Act v, Sc. 3, 30, (816.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once more, I’m resorting to the archives, since I can’t type worth shit today…. It ain’t Sartre, or Ibsen, but it ain’t bad….

From 2/20/2013:

“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” — Mark Twain

As I sit here, I can almost feel myself getting older…. It seems to be a predilection of being this age, that one becomes somewhat introspective, looking back over our time here on Earth, and making judgments about what we’ve done, or are guilty of leaving undone, in our lives. This preoccupation seems to be innate, but, I don’t necessarily see a lot of it in others my age, in my experiences out in society at large.

Here, on WordPress, the normal demographics of population diversity seems to run a bit higher, in that respect, than it does out in the Big Blue Room…. probably something to do with the fact that those here on this site are, if nothing else, highly educated enough, and/or affluent enough, to partake in the Internet’s community dialogue…. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that there are still millions of folks out there who have never, and never will, see any of what transpires here, for whatever reason, educational, financial, or merely indifference…. In that group of people, those my age are concerned much of the time with survival, and tend to be directed outward, to deal with the mechanics of that critical issue.

To that group, introspection is a luxury they cannot afford to indulge in themselves, as it takes time away from activities and mental attitudes necessary for surviving. I have been living on the edge of that group for a couple of years now, and can only be thankful that I am close enough to the edge to be able to afford this luxury; I do have to make sacrifices to have it, so I appreciate it a lot. It was a pain in the derrière, literally, to have to leave home to find internet access, so, not having to do so is a big plus for me.

In my time of introspection, I’ve spent a lot of it fighting off guilt, for the things I’ve done in my life that don’t meet with my own approval, as so aptly referred to by Mr. Twain. We all have those things hidden in our memories, those failures of ethical or moral standards we set for ourselves, and looking back on them is hard, as there is nothing we can do to change it. We have to learn to forgive ourselves for such transgressions, because no one else, not even God, if ones choose to believe in the traditional dogma, can change the past. (Query: Can God build a wall so strong He can’t knock it down, or a rock so heavy He can’t pick it up?…. Just wondered; sorry, little side trip….)

Since we cannot change the past, nor go back and try to make things better, if nothing else, we must learn to hold those little kernels of painful memory inside us, and find a way to deal with the little nugget of discomfort that will always accompany such memories. It is a delicate procedure, as we must deal with chastising and scolding our own selves, while still maintaining our self-love, without which we can never be comfortable, or comforted. One cannot accept love from another unless they feel it is deserved; it will sour and spoil all the flavor of the interaction, dooming it to failure, and pain.

How do we maintain this self-image of someone who is worthy of being loved by others? Well, that, my friends, is a very long story, indeed, and one I’m not going to start here and now, as it could be days before I surfaced again, and we’re already at the point where most folk’s minds, as well as those of regular ffolkes, will be losing interest, unless I pull some literary magic, or set off some figurative fireworks. Currently, my supply of fireworks is low, so we’ll leave a deeper discussion of this subject for another time. For now, let me say this….

We are all creatures of a Universe that puts a premium on flexibility, especially of mind. This flexibility is enhanced when we spend time on ourselves, in introspection, and inner dialogue, and is ultimately part of what is the only way to ever really achieve any balance or stability in life. It gives us the proper perspective on how we fit into the rest of the picture, and points the way to the greatest degree of successful interaction with the other parts of that universe. It is the best way to stay in touch with what we are, and what we need to be, to survive, and to make our lives meaningful in some way.

“We are injured and hurt emotionally – not so much by other people or what they say or don’t say – but by our own attitude and our own response.” — Maxwell Maltz, “Psycho-Cybernetics”

Well worth a dollar, or a moment or two of your time, I’d say…. Try something new and different, spend some time in your own head…. Of course, one should (careful, there’s that word!….) be cautious in this, as with any potentially mind-altering activity like mindful introspection…. You never know when a preconceived notion will jump up and bite you….. and those ingrained prejudices can be hard to spot, as they tend to hide behind walls of ignorance and fear….. Remember yesterday’s pearl…. The Snark might actually be a Boojum…. Catch it, cook it, eat it with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, and then get on with your life….

🙂

Note from 2014: To end such a discussion properly, a pearl of appropriate measure should be included, to wit:

“Has the world always been like this, or have I been too wrapped up in myself to notice?” — The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a three-fer of my own works; don’t worry, they’re all short, and to the point….

Tiny Truth, Just in Time

I’ll leave history to say if it’s a crime,
as it will always do….
Who may challenge the prerogative of Time?….
Nobody, that’s who….

~~ gigoid ~~

————————————————————–

Striking Gold

Madness comes and goes, it’s true,
whenever it chooses to do so.
Living’s much like wearing a shoe,
when all you are is a toe.
~~ gigoid ~~

—————————————————————

Territorial imperative….

Beauty must define, as augment to existence,
as life must be more than mere subsistence.
Nature demands more.
Truth helps.

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s final pearl came together in spurts yesterday, with only the last two entries found, at last, this morning…. It’s getting hard to put this together, ffolkes, having to come back to it so often, due to necessary breaks in the action to go somewhere to moan piteously…. Ah well, it came out well, for all that, as a group of pearls to provide us with some of the better ideas we humans have stumbled across in our search for wisdom…. It’s a seven-star pearl, with a final, extra pearl to help point the way to the point…. All the great advice in the pearl can be absorbed by observing the truth in the last line….

“How did the great rivers and seas gain dominion over the hundred lesser streams? By being lower than they.” — Lao Tzu

“Doing it the hard way is always easier.”– Murphy’s Paradox

“When washing your face, can you see your true self? When walking, can you feel the rotation of heaven? When speaking are your words without guile? When you shop are you aware of your needs? When you meet the suffering, do you help? When you meet conflict, do you work toward harmony?” — Deng Ming-Dao

“Beware of the “Black Swan” fallacy. Deductive logic is tautological; there is no way to get a new truth out of it, and it manipulates false statements as readily as true ones. If you fail to remember this, it can trip you – with perfect logic. The designers of the earliest computers called this the “Gigo Law”, i.e. “garbage in, garbage out”. Inductive logic is MUCH more difficult – but can produce new truths.” — Lazarus Long

“The best plan is, as the common proverb has it, to profit by the folly of others.” — Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) — Natural History, Book xviii, Sect. 31

“The supreme triumph of reason is to cast doubt upon its own validity:” — Miguel de Unamuno

“Give, expecting nothing thereof” — St. Thomas Aquinas

Remember, ffolkes, all the above starts with this:

“Doubt is the key to knowledge.” — Persian Proverb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It was a big one, Pa, but, I beat it!”

Well, that’s the way it feels, anyway…. All in all, it’s not too shabby; it’s definitely done, which makes it perfect for our purposes…. Funny how that works, isn’t it? See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Only when it’s in public view….

Posted on December 3, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Truth never hurts the teller.” ~~ Robert Browning ~~

A large, yawning chasm of empty space seems to have filled up my head, where usually I find a swirling cloud of random thoughts and feelings, all prompted by perceptive anomalies, or in reaction to some stimulus provided by a world gone mad…. This, of course, isn’t anything we haven’t seen before around here; this daily blog business seems to breed such incidents of oddity…. I’ve even become accustomed to the fear and loathing that accompanies the ranting process, a natural side effect of having to look at Asininnies for so long at one sitting…. Kind of similar, they say, to the effects of long-term drug use on the liver, with some small differences in detail…

None of that, it seems, is giving me a clue as to what might go in this section today. If we go by what has gone before, we’re attempting to wander around the area, blathering, until something definite occurs to me to address, or, maybe, some strange impulse from deeper within my subconscious mind will float up, bringing with it an idea we can use to keep this from stagnating…. which, by the looks of this paragraph, is NOT too far off…. Damn it, why does this have to happen when I’m feeling shitty, and my hands are killing me? It’s almost as if Murphy….. oh, shit, Murphy….

Fuck me hard, I’m screwed now…. I forgot all about Murphy, difficult as it may be to believe, and I know now what I may be in for…. He’s had time, thanks to my neglectfulness, to set up any number of foul-ups in my world, which I will proceed to stumble upon every hour or so, as I try to complete even ONE of any necessary tasks today…. He KNOWS my schedule, dammit; with that knowledge, he can set me up for many, many falls, all in one day, without much effort at all… What have I done to myself? I’m tempted to say “ARGGH!”, but, that would be weak, and foolish, so, I won’t….

I will, however, take this opportunity to get the hell out of this section, before it blows up in my face, any more than it just did…. I’m glad I got some of this Pearl done yesterday, while my hands were out of action, & I was forced to use a bunch of archived material…. Don’t worry, though, it’s all good stuff, and hasn’t been seen in some time, so, it shouldn’t set off your antique-alarms…. Sorry in advance, but, this is the best you’ll get today…. I’m going to be quite busy, I’m sure, dealing with a number of crisis situations throughout the day, so, it will have to do…. This rain is due to stop by tomorrow, or the next day, and I should get a break from this arthritic pain that has dogged me for five days now….

In keeping with the latest regulations, this is the end of this intro section; whatever you’ve seen here in the past has no further relevance, given the news we just received…. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t go to read news this morning…. If the last couple days of it are any indication, the world has gone stark, raving mad, and nobody is even paying attention…. SIGH…. I guess you could say that’s nothing new for this species…. Let’s get on with this, okay?….. Hang on, we’re going in!….

Shall we Pearl?

“Do not they bring it to pass by knowing that they know nothing at all?” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Andria, The Prologue, 17

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m having a hard time deciding on today’s video; therefore, I will go with an old favorite….. I think, given the material we have today, some classical music will be good for us…. I know I’ll need it, for sure…. It’s always the right choice when one is looking for music by which to think, or read, or relax…. In fact, let’s make it holiday-friendly, with some Christmas music, Celtic style…. Enjoy!….

Weihnachtslieder Weihnachtsmusik – Christmas Music Celtic Harp

http://youtu.be/4alfM-EBVHE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The wind passeth over it, and it is gone;” — Old Testament — Psalm ciii, 16

As I’ve stated, my hands are not up to typing out a rant, no matter how fresh it may be, or how justified…. Instead, here is a good discussion from last year, early… It isn’t terribly long, but, fairly cogent, and, will fit in with the needs of today’s Pearl quite nicely, I think….

From 2/22/2013:

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Albert, though absolutely correct in his assessment of the danger of atomic war, was somewhat premature in this prediction of the form our doom will take. He, himself, were he alive today, would probably agree that we now face a much graver, if no less permanently fatal, danger, one with even more grave consequences for humanity than an atomic holocaust. There is a possibility, slim though it may be, that we could survive an atomic war, though civilization would be in greatly reduced circumstances. The danger we now face is worse, in that it allows no possibility whatsoever that we will survive it at all….. None….

I’m referring, of course, to the effects of global warming, and the continuing assault on the environment made inevitable by human greed and avarice, and humanity’s massive denial of the facts that are being shoved in our faces. This denial is so strongly entrenched that it prevents most people from even looking at the evidence that is available, because, mostly, they don’t WANT to see it. It makes them afraid to even think about the subject, so they refuse to do so, in spite of the fact that doing so will eventually cause their demise, as well as that of everyone they hold dear….

I spend a lot of time, and words, on trying to convince people that this issue is not one that is going to go away, and will not be solved by ignoring, and even denying, its presence. I try to mention that none of my predictions are confined to this blog, that there is ample scientific evidence, freely available, online, or in libraries, and news reports, that shows very clearly just how little time we have left to either stop our depredations on the environment, and that demonstrates quite plainly how critical it is to find some way to correct the damage we’ve done. Otherwise, there is absolutely no doubt at all that we, as a species, will join the ranks of the Dodo, and the T-Rex, and all the other promising life forms that once existed on Earth, which are now extinct.

If you have, or know of, any evidence to the contrary, I hope you will be kind enough to show me where I can look at it; I would be thrilled to find some hopeful data on the subject. However, I’m fairly confident no one will take me up on that, because, to my extensive knowledge, there is no such evidence, so it would be hard to produce out of thin air…. which is what we all will be breathing in the relatively near future….

Normally, at this point, I would go into my usual rant about the responsible parties in this mess, to wit: the Beloved Ruling Class, otherwise known as the 1%, or the Corporate Masters and their Pious Lackeys, the Priestly Hierarchies….the Asininnies, in short. They hide behind their compound walls and watch as the rest of us labor on their behalf, as the atmosphere continues to become overloaded with millions of tons of particulate matter every second, while the oceans are filled up with toxic unnatural substances that cannot be destroyed, or eaten, or otherwise used to enhance life. Our planet is being turned into a refuse dump, and we are about to lose our jobs as subsidized scavengers…..

Today, however, I’m reserving my anger for the Universe at large, for its cruel, dispassionate treatment of me and my family, so I don’t want to take the time for my usual indictment of those assholes…. Besides, there’s always tomorrow, right? I can say that now, and maybe for a time, but, I won’t be able to always say it…. We have been served our final notice of eviction ffolkes, and, any folks listening in…. The landlord, a lady by the name of Gaia, is tired of our constant degradation of the property, and wishes us to vacate, so they can repaint, and put down new carpets…..

“You know,” he added very gravely, “it’s one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle — to get one’s head cut off.” — Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In light of the rather sober nature of the message in the above rant, here is something a bit lighter….

Roses for Noses

I have a bozoid personality, of the first degree;
nobody, I mean nobody, knows that better than me.
I often wonder, as the world goes around, and around
how many others have realized just what I’ve found….

I know for a fact, I’m not the only bozoid one;
too many people laughing out there, having fun.
Is their laughter, though, at themselves first?
Or is it some other impulse, like purple liverwurst”….

I’ve always loved to make others laugh and giggle,
since my tender youth, when my ears began to wiggle.
The world is full of humor, but not always easy to find
so laughing at myself I learned never to mind….

We bozos know each other, here, there, and everywhere
there’s no hiding such joy, it just wouldn’t be fair.
We all have one feature, our great bulbous nose,
and there’s no doubt at all, cuz it just grows….

There’s nothing like a good, big mistake, a disaster,
to show us the folly of living life faster and faster.
Nothing in the world can ever take the place,
of seeing in the mirror, a happy, smiling face….

Don’t be shy, just let it all hang out;
we bozos have more fun, there’s no doubt.
Life’s too somber and gray if we let it get on top
if we don’t stay loose, the pain won’t ever stop….

My advice to all of you, out there in the world,
let noses grow round & red, keep hair tightly curled.
Find a way to let your spirit out often to play,
you’ll never once regret any price you pay.

~~ gigoid ~~

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This is what I like, or, perhaps, ‘am forced’ is a more accurate phrase, to call a random pearl…. The quotes you see below collected themselves, by the insidious method of getting included in with another group, on a subject which, though close to this in spirit, is not amenable to the degree of functionality necessary to bring coherence to the whole…

I see by the above statement, which approaches total inscrutability quite closely, the lack of organization inherent in the random method has spilled over into my thought patterns, and we’ll get no more clarity out of me today…. In truth, the only thing left to do now is to let them stand alone, to take their lumps like the rest of us who live here in the real world…. There probably IS a point here, but, I’m damned if I’m in a mood to try to find it…. you’re on your own there, ffolkes…. Try not to strain anything, okay? My insurance guys are already pissed off at me….

“There are no straight lines in space.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

“If you would know a man, observe how your cat treats him.” — Smart Bee

“History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren’t there.” — George Santayana

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” — Dionysius the Elder (430-367 BC) — Frag. 6

“Insanity — a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world.” — R. D. Lang

“There are some jobs in which it is impossible for a man to be virtuous.” — Aristotle (B.C. 384-322)

“A reverence for life does not require one to respect nature’s obvious mistakes.” — Robert A. Heinlein

Don’t blame me; I just work here…. To be honest, this one says more than it may seem at first glance…. Let it percolate a bit, and it should, at the very least, bring a slight smile, or even a snicker, to an otherwise lost cause…. SIGH….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, it’s done…. Sadly, that’s about the best I can say…. To bring meaning to the old saw about keeping silent if one’s words don’t improve the silence, I’ll stop now…. Imagine that; gigoid, showing tact…. What’s the world coming to?….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. nobody seems willing to stop me, so, I’ll be back then, with more (insert pithy, Anglo-Saxon epithet) to throw out there….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

He meant plaster of PARIS!….

Posted on December 2, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“So as this only point among the rest remaineth sure and certain, namely, that nothing is certain. . .”

~~ Pliny The Elder ~~

Today’s picture is one of several I took, of pubs in England, and Ireland, while traveling there in 2013; I showed the first one, of the Old Swan, in London, a few days ago; this one, located in Belfast, is the oldest public house in that city, having been first established by royal license in 1635, on that same spot… This view is of the main room by the bar; I sat at the table just to the right of the fireplace to have my lunch, (you can just see my stick, leaning against the wall by the mantle), consisting of a traditional plate of bangers and mash, and a stout beer…. Some day, I want to tour both islands of the British Isles, to visit at least one pub in every town I see…. I figure I couldn’t get a much better feel for the people than to visit the places where they hang out to eat, drink, and plot revolution….

Well, the last part is my imagination, but, I’ve read enough history to know that many revolutions were plotted in rooms just like this one, perhaps this one itself, and not so long ago…. This pub, called White’s Tavern, has been a popular spot for almost 400 years, many of which saw what the locals call “the troubles”, as the civil war between the Catholics and Protestants in that country waged over the past couple hundred years. I’d wager good money that a lot of the battles in that war were planned right in the room you see above, a wager I would be confident of winning…

Now, all this doesn’t pick my pocket, nor break my bones, to paraphrase Tom Jefferson, pitifully badly, but, it IS interesting. Well, to me, anyway, as a student of both history, and European culture over the ages; whether y’all are interested, or not, is of little concern to me at this point. You see, I’m in the middle of what may be the most cogent, properly executed intro sections I’ve ever created…. Of course, this little intimate conversation, which we now are holding, sort of puts that to the lie, so to speak…. In short, I’ve even managed to screw up THIS one, haven’t I? I think I have, more’s the pity…. It was going so WELL, too!….

Now, of course, we’ll have to abandon the direction we were headed, to hare off in some other wild way…. Where we will find ourselves when I’m done screwing around would be a bit hard to predict, so, I won’t even bother to try; all I’ll say is, sorry ’bout that…. I tried this to keep myself from falling into a rant right out of the gate, but, I seem to have carried it a bit too far away from our normal process, so far we lost track of the time, as well as the desired outcome…. Such sloppiness is, naturally, to be expected when trying such a new, and delicate procedure, but, I managed to find completely new ways to foul it up…. I’m talented that way, if you hadn’t noticed….

Ah well, so much for that one…. We’ll now be compelled to force our exit again, using that new, but already well-practiced skill, developed and installed at such great expense and effort, of ruthlessness, for which I am ever thankful, for having saved us so many times, over such a short period of time…. One of our best buys, no doubt…. To use it does cause a bit of trouble, in that we are using more first-aid supplies, but, those are a small price to pay for ending up in the right place each day…. Well, the right place according to our calculations; I won’t claim infallibility of results, only of intent….

Look out!…. Okay, that should do it… We’re past the worst point now, so, I suppose I should get on with the rest of today’s mess….

Shall we Pearl?

“Thoughts are free and are subject to no rule. On them rests the freedom of man, and they tower above the light of nature.” — von Hohenheim (1493-1541)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As may happen with any long-running show on TV, the BBC series with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes suffered a few miscarries, in terms of falling into clichéd plot lines that catered to disparate elements of the viewing audience, such as spiritualism, or any of the other suppositions about the habits of the world’s most renowned fictional character…. Certain plot lines reached a point where the contents of the story achieved rather a far-out look and feel, as the writers tried to convince the audience of Sherlock’s great powers, as explainable only by extraordinary means….

This episode is one such, featuring the actor who played Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s brother, in a case he pursued with the help of Watson…. It’s a very enjoyable piece of TV entertainment, and a pretty good small-screen adaptation, definitely one of the BBC’s best efforts…. Enjoy!…..

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes – S07E05 – The Mazarin Stone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TMP52a6Nlc

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve related in previous posts how the rain we are experiencing here in NorCal has aggravated the arthritis in my hands, to the point of making typing a challenge…. Plus, dealing with the damn things, when added to the other spots on my body that seem to jump to be included in the litany, in dreaded sympathy, is exhausting over time…. all of which occupies my mind far too much for my taste…. It also keeps me from gathering news to use as subject matter…. Hence, another trip to the archives for a rant…. This is rather a mild one, but, fairly cogent, and all too true for comfort….

From 2/22/2013:

“Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” — Bhagavad Gita (c. B.C. 400)

I first read the Bhagavad Gita when I was about 17; along with the Tao Teh Ching, it has had a profound effect on my life, and the attitudes I bring to living it. The above verses are what led me to my belief in the mind’s immortality, as a form of energy like any other in this Universe, thus subject to the Law of Conservation of Energy. This deduction served to remove the fear from Death for me, as I can now view it as a mere change of form, to one whose characteristics I do not know, (or remember), from previous changes. Once fear is removed, Death becomes just another part of Life, and is welcome as such, for the inherent beauty it possesses as the complement to Life…..

“All anger arises out of obstructed desire.” — Bhagavad Gita

This is the second verse from the book I found to be extremely valuable, in learning to live with dignity, with honor, and without fear. This statement, by its very nature, implies that our anger is under our control, thereby placing it into our bag of assets to be used when needed, rather than in our bag of liabilities, or, emotions that keep us from reaching our potential as humans, like fear, anger, greed, etc….. Fear can be seen as the desire to be safe from harm, obstructed, which thus sheltered under our aegis of emotions that can be changed, by merely changing our desire…. By learning to deal with fear, anger becomes our ally, rather than our enemy…..

In turn, these two principles, used congruently, give us the emotional freedom to make clear decisions about reality’s demands and issues, without our emotional responses coloring the decisions with their negative outlook, and tendency toward denial and obstruction. We become immune to the storms that plague most people, for we know how to adjust our attitudes to suit the conditions under which we find ourselves, instead of falling prey to letting the circumstances dictate our response. True freedom, indeed…

Today, when I found this, I was immediately reminded of all of the things I had lost track of in the distractions of living…. All the pain and anger I’ve been feeling since hearing the news of my brother’s illness fell away, no longer able to sustain their hold over my emotions; I am once more able to see how this is not an issue to be angry about, but rather one to use as an opportunity to grow, and to perhaps be able to give my brother the love and support he needs, despite what he may want, in his own grief…. He is afraid, and trying to keep from either showing, or sharing that fear with his family; I won’t allow him to die that way, or to be without his family, when it is so unnecessary…..

So, I am feeling better in that respect, and though I am still filled with sadness, I know now that is just my own self-pity, feeling sorry for myself for having to face his death…. Grief is, in truth, misplaced in looking at death, and in reality is more of a solace for the living, than it is a tribute to the dead; our grief is more a feeling of loss in ourselves than it is sorrow for their passing. It is not, ultimately, a time for sadness, but, rather, a chance to acknowledge the beauty of a Universe that gives us this opportunity to experience the change in our consciousness….

I’m betting when we change over, we are in a place where our minds are much more in tune with the very base of reality, with the ability to direct the formation of the next form it takes…. Hey, it makes as much sense as any of the other suggestions of what happens that I’ve heard, and has the advantage of fitting the facts of observable, recordable reality, pretty precisely….. and if I’m wrong, well, I’ll deal with that when I get there…. 🙂

I’ll tell you this quite frankly…. if the Christians are right, or the Muslims, or any of the other organized institutional churches, then I will definitely have a few words for whatever is passing itself off as God, to answer for the actions of His/Her/Its followers…. and I won’t be taking any BS for a response….

“And now there is merely silence, silence, silence, saying all we did not know.” — William Rose Benet

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I’m again unwilling to share the blame for any of this, so, once more, you must put up with my own pallid, if pungent, poetry….

Stray Cats

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

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

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

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

~~gigoid~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I went to put together an old school pearl for this section, Smart Bee seemed in a weird mood, presenting a choppy group of quotes, many of which seemed to fit together, but, with as many that did not fit presented right alongside…. I finally figured out SB had something to say about a category of Asininny, specifically the Dogma Dogs… So, I pulled out those that didn’t say much about that, to find this perfect seven-star pearl had come together, all directed at those silly, delusional thieves dwelling among us, who like to wear clothes trimmed in gold filigree, just because they think it’s swell…. when, in truth, it’s an example of how little they do know about Life, or Reality….

“A half truth is a whole lie.” — Yiddish proverb

CLERGYMAN, n. A man who undertakes the management of our spiritual affairs as a method of bettering his temporal ones. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“The easy confidence with which I know another man’s religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” — “I would not interfere with any one’s religion, either to strengthen it or to weaken it. I am not able to believe one’s religion can affect his hereafter one way or the other, no matter what that religion may be. But it may easily be a great comfort to him in this life — hence it is a valuable possession to him.” — I do not see how eternal punishment hereafter could accomplish any good end, therefore I am not able to believe in it. To chasten a man in order to perfect him might be reasonable enough; to annihilate him when he shall have proved himself incapable of reaching perfection might be reasonable enough; but to roast him forever for the mere satisfaction of seeing him roast would not be reasonable — even the atrocious God imagined by the Jews would tire of the spectacle eventually.” — Mark Twain

FAITH, n: That quality which enables us to believe what we know to be untrue. — Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

“The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow human beings.” — William Hazlitt (1778-1830), Works, Vol.X

“An honest god is the noblest work of man. … God has always resembled his creators. He hated and loved what they hated and loved and he was invariably found on the side of those in power. … Most of the gods were pleased with sacrifice, and the smell of innocent blood has ever been considered a divine perfume.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

“I have no problem with God.. it’s his pushy followers I can’t stand!!” — Smart Bee

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Okay, well, it took a while, but, I managed to get this done in spite of my hands; I can’t say it has been the most fun I’ve ever had, to be sure. But, it’s done, so, I’ll take it, and run…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, even if the rain keeps up….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Spam-tested for your protection….

Posted on December 1, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.”

~~ Lucretius (95-55 BC) — De Rerum Natura, iv, 637 ~~

The choice of whether to write about the opening quote, or the picture that comes below it, can be a true conundrum, one I generally ignore in favor of my own silliness, or the random blather that so often marks these introductions. Today, I will choose the picture, one of my own, because of the thought that occurred to me as I viewed it this morning….

That thought centered on the church in the picture, surrounded, as it is, by the seemingly limitless row houses, each with its complement of flats and apartments, and each of those filled with a number of low-income Irish folks, who probably work in or around the water, attending the church on Sunday. I am struck, each time I look at these pictures of Cobh, the port town near the city of Cork, in Ireland, at the sheer opulence of the church, as opposed to the shabby houses that dot the hills all around it…

It makes a perfect example of what is wrong in our world, a place where the minds and efforts of the general run of men are focused more on the rewards they expect in the next life, and not on the problems we have in this one…. It makes a perfect visual metaphor for how we continue to have the same issues dog us, year after year, century after century, while we insist there is nothing wrong at all. The Asininnies and the Dogma Dogs have the population of the Earth so bamboozled, they will believe almost anything told to them, if it has the proper provenance, and is uttered by a talking head, either at the podium in church, or on a TV with a national flag behind them….

Ah me, I’ve stumbled again, haven’t I? Ranting before my coffee has settled in my tummy…. With nary a joke, nor a helpful cliche to smooth the way, I’ve no doubt already driven half my potential readers to another blog, without ever getting out of the intro section…. I must be an idiot, which would put me right into the same category with everyone else in the world wouldn’t it? Oh well, at least we didn’t sustain any serious injuries (unless y’all aren’t sharing with us….), or, for that matter, leave a trail of body parts behind us…. not yet, anyway. Nor do we plan to do so, unless, of course, we can’t avoid it…. Sometimes, the sight of the vehicle can cause a bit of panic among the denizens, and they’ll riot, but, as long as we maintain altitude, it won’t bother us….

I’ve about gotten to the desired point; in fact, we’re here. Since we have become more ruthless in our approach to these intros, it has made it easier, mostly, to get us where we need to go…. Well, mostly it just keeps us from getting off the track so far, but, that helps, too. For now, it’s enough to know, and to say, here we are, so, please hang on, while we navigate this rather tricky turn, right around the herd of peacefully grazing metaphorical logic bombs…. A beautiful sight, eh, what?…. Oops, better duck, ffolkes, low bridge a’comin’!….

Shall we Pearl?

“But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” — Arthur C. Clarke (1917- 2008) — Profiles of the Future (1962; rev. 1973) — “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination”

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Today’s video selection is another comic; this one is also a special kind of guy, like George Carlin. His approach is similar, but, entirely different, if you know what I mean…. If not, that’s okay. You’re gonna laugh anyway, because he’s funny as hell…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

Eddie Izzard – Dress to Kill

http://youtu.be/H8ItGMtTCuY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Time has only a relative existence.” — Carlyle (1795-1881)

I’m afraid a fresh rant is out of the question today…. I spent most of yesterday, right up until arising today, buried in intermittent, damn-near=intolerable pain, mostly in my hands, and shoulder joints, with some help from the hips and lower back, just to keep it interesting for me, I guess… It pretty well shot the whole day, after posting in the morning, an event made more difficult by the pain, for sure…. The act of typing has become a struggle, to get my thoughts down on the screen, while nursing the fingers through the aching to get it done…. Not as easy to do as to say/type, trust me….

So, nothing fresh today, but, I have time, so I’ll try to find something not too long…. Ah, perfect…. ‘Tis not a rant, for sure. ‘Tis just an old-school pearl, actually a Pearl, taken whole from the post for the listed day….. This was the original format of the Pearls of Virtual Wisdom (they have gone through at least three format transformations over the three-plus years on this site…); what you see here was the entire post for the date…. It isn’t a rant but it’s not bad, and it takes up the appropriate amount of space and time…. so be it…

From 8/22/2011, entitled, “A Different Sort of Hermaphrodite“:

Ffolkes,

This is definitely a different sort….it floats. Of course if it didn’t we’d just have to find one, of fix one, that would show the same characteristics. It’s a dirty, lonely job, but, somebody has to hate it, so why not us? It’s not as if they aren’t paying us well, right?…..And if it was so bad we couldn’t take it, it would just fall to someone who didn’t know the right way to hold one. So let’s have no more nonsense; just get in there and grab it by the toe and start twisting…..right? Alrighty then…..

The foregoing was brought to you with support from a grant by a local drug dealer with delusions of adequacy. He’s trying to buy his way into respectable society; we don’t think he’ll ever be accepted, but that is no reason we can’t take his money, since we’re doing something about all the lost souls he creates. We turn them into body slaves for sick old men and women who have never been treated for their bipolar disorder. It’s just another public service that we don’t much talk about, because it’s embarrassing to have everyone fawning over us. People sometimes have no dignity…….

Okay, enough fooling around, let’s get down to some serious literature……well, I guess we would, if I could think of something serious. Somehow this morning my brain is refusing to wrap itself around anything too heavy; hence the above two short paragraphs of…….hmm, well of whatever they are. Can’t seem to come up with a description, which isn’t surprising; it’s pretty far out in left field. I suppose we should come in out of the cold now, so with no further ado, I give you today’s Pearls of Virtual Wisdom. Remember to wash up afterward…..

“I once wanted to save the world. Now I just want to leave the room with dignity.” — Lotus Weinstock (I can definitely relate…..)

“Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum — “I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost any HOW.” — F. Nietzsche

“Just as a cautious businessman avoids investing all his capital in one concern, so wisdom would probably admonish us also not to anticipate all our happiness from one quarter alone.” — Sigmund Freud

“Genius is not a possession of the limited few, but exists in some degree in everyone. Where there is natural growth, a full and free play of faculties, genius will manifest itself.” — Robert Henri

” — Bother!” said Pooh. “Eyeore, ready two photon torpedoes and lock phasers on the Heffalump; Piglet, meet me in transporter room three.” — Smart Bee

So, I’m going to end on that note, so I can head down to the transporter room to see them off. Y’all take care out there……

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Once again, to avoid splashing on anyone else, here is one of my older poems…. Since it’s raining again today, we’ll go with this one…. It’s a bit early, since winter won’t officially begin for three more weeks, but, it’s appropriate to the day, and the way I feel about it…. or, hope to, at some point during the day….

An Old Man, Snoring….

Winter arrives with gusts of wind and rain,
clover spreads green amongst the hedges.
Urban gardens quiver, and dream of spring again,
gargoyles stoically crouch on corniced ledges.

Umbrellas sprout over heads shrouded and hatted,
dotting the sidewalks in colorful profusion.
Urban denizens pose sketches, framed and matted,
adding casual beauty to fill the illusion.

Hissing tires, swishing along with the wipers
join nature’s orchestra smoothly, as percussion.
Dripping gutters sound gong tones, true pipers,
a sudden roar of wind hushes all discussion.

Dreams of summer heat form the crux of desire
as winter chills our souls from without.
Sitting in warmth, gazing into an imaginary fire;
content to know spring will come, no doubt.

~~ gigoid ~~

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Sometimes, putting together a pearl of virtual wisdom becomes an exercise in patience, as well as a perfect real-time example of the old saw, that speaks of how the journey is often more illuminating, and/or satisfying, than the destination…. This took forfuckingever to get done; it’s fortunate that a) I’m retired, and b) I’m stubborn. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have come out as well as it did….

Of course, such a value judgments are perfectly useless, but, nonetheless remain inevitable; we’re all humans here, nothing of which we should be ashamed. In fact, that might just be a good summary of our destination today…. You tell me, if you feel you should; don’t let any subsequent guilt keep you from indulging yourself…. It’s all in good fun, right?…. Well, I’m having fun, so, y’all can do as you like… First, though, read this, and let yourself flow with it to its proper conclusion, whatever form that may take for you….

“To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Life of Fabius

“Most people would rather give than get affection.” — Aristotle

“No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

“What the meaning of human life may be I don’t know; I incline to suspect that it has none.” — H. L. Mencken

“Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders.” — Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

FRIENDLESS, adj. Having no favors to bestow. Destitute of fortune. Addicted to utterance of truth and common sense. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head.” — Pooh in Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne, English author (1882-1956)

Well, there you go…. I don’t think I could have said it better myself…. But, then, how can one not admire a man who wrote both Winnie the Pooh, and the world’s first, and perhaps ultimately, best, murder mystery? (The Red House Mystery)…. He also was a playwright, and poet…. Gotta love those polymaths, eh?….

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I think I’ll stop now; I don’t think I’ve got any more in me today. I will apologize in advance if I seem to disappear; I have a feeling I’ll be down and out much of the day, under the influence of copious quantities of pain relieving medicines…. SIGH…. Another day down the tubes, so to speak, though what the tubes may be, I haven’t a clue…. Ah well, that’s nothing new….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…..

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Stereotyping promotes bigotry, it’s clear….

Posted on November 30, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul.

Only kindness can do that.”

~~ Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire ~~

Right on time, it seems, yet still clueless. It seems keeping to a strict schedule is no more consistent than being late, or early, for the purposes we attempt to address each morning. Of course, it would help, no doubt, had we any clue as to what KIND of consistency we need, or, for that matter, the purpose we are attempting to fulfill. There is that old saw, about “if you don’t don’t where you’re going, don’t worry, when you get there, you won’t know where you are, anyway”, or some such snarky, condescending bit of doggerel to tell us how much of an idiot we are.. Why is that? Ah well, I guess it makes people feel better to put someone else down for not knowing something basic….

Not that I care overmuch where we end up, as long as all the passengers arrive relatively safely; injury-free is good, too. The insurance guys love that. But, we aren’t always concerned with safety around here; it doesn’t go with the concept of thinking for oneself. Refusing to buy into the crap that most of the world is trying to feed us is a dangerous business; the BRC and the rest of the Asininnies really don’t like it when we do that. They spend a lot of time and money to make sure we’re all stupefied with the pressures of life, handicapped with so many issues to resolve daily we barely have the time to scratch an itch, much less spend a lot of time in wondering what might work better for us…. just the way they like it….

You will please note, at this point, I am stopping myself, deftly heading off what promises to be a rant of some proportion, in order to save the opening section from driving everyone off again…. I try to come out silly, or nonsensical, but, somehow, seem to fall right into ranting by the second paragraph in…. It’s frustrating, but, I think I’m starting to find the rhythm to keep it moving…. If I can just make this turn here, to send us closer to the path we’re supposed to be on by now, we should make it just fine…. Of course, it won’t be the same without Mickey, but, I’ll bet y’all hadn’t even missed him yet….

No, he didn’t get fired; who could fire a mouse of such a gentle nature…. No, Mickey sacrificed himself to a cause yesterday… It’s a long story, and actually, the details are gory enough, we’ll not be sharing them here this morning, lest we not only ruin breakfast, but, lunch, too…. Suffice it to say, Mickey, by allowing himself to be run through that threshing machine, saved the lives of millions of insects, not to mention the President of Disney World, and his entire entourage, who would otherwise have been wiped out completely…. Not bad for a rodent, eh?

Now, then, before anyone tumbles to the metaphor there, I’m going to make an executive decision, to take us out of here via the first available route…. which, as can be seen, is coming up just ahead…. It looks to be a fairly smooth exit this time, so, tightening your seat belts should be sufficient measure to comply with safety regs…. and, if not, well, just hang on to the arms of your seat, and you should be fine…. Hey, look at the bright side…. if anything DOES happen, you’ll be free to sue us down to our socks…. Bonus, right? Right….

Shall we Pearl?

“He who knows nothing, doubts nothing.” — Italian Proverb

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When I was young, before the age of ten, my mother had a record of Andres Segovia playing classical music on the guitar…. I was impressed by the sounds he made, seemingly echoing an entire orchestra on one instrument…. Needless to say, it gave me an appreciation of the guitar which has been with me ever since, ever growing to include new musical venues which feature the guitar…. Brazilian music has emerged as one of the most well-known genres of modern music to do so, which makes it my pleasure to introduce any of y’all who aren’t familiar with it, to a good example of the finer aspects of human nature…. Enjoy!….

João Luiz e Douglas Lora – Brasil Guitar Duo

http://youtu.be/bw7JWO_U0V0

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And in your dreams you can see yourself
As a prophet saving the world
The words from your lips
I just can’t believe you are such
A fool.

~~ Frank Zappa, “Oh No” ~~

Politicians. Dogma dogs. Snakeheads. Myrmidons, Pimps. Sleagles. (A newly coined word, to describe sleazy legal eagles, i.e., those lawyers who end up as politicians, or living up to the latest lawyer jokes, not a single one of which I’ve ever heard that wasn’t true as the day…. for most of them, anyway….) To my way of thinking, this list names the six categories of the human species responsible for the greatest part of the misery in this world… These are the real predators of our species, who prey almost exclusively upon their fellow man…. Whether they do so out of sociopathic egotism, misogynistic ignorance and fear, or deliberate choice of evil, these people have usurped human society for their own ends….

In the past 5000 years, these Asininnies, as I call them, have brought us all to the brink of extinction, a fate we cannot escape unless we figure out how to break the hold these assholes have on the resources of the planet, for their own benefit, at the expense of everyone else…. This is not a new viewpoint of the structure of our culture; our most ancient sages speak of the self-same issues, with the same degree of cluelessness as to how to stop them… For example, here is an observation from approximately 2600 years ago:

“Written laws are like spiders’ webs, and will like them only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful easily break through them.” — Anacharsis (f1. c. 600 B.C.), Scythian philosopher — Quoted in Plutarch, the Lives of the Nobel Grecians and Romans, Solon

These villainous pretenders to the name ‘human’, relatively few in number, compared to the power they wield, are aided in this predatory behavior by willing allies from within the ranks of the less bold, but, no less evil individuals, who act as their sycophants, giving service to the same ideals of selfishness, and personal gain, while pretending to serve the public good…. They do this by encouraging the less intelligent among us to buy into the delusion of their own special nature, to wit: religion, fostering the attitudes which also lead to nationalism, and the divisiveness that plagues mankind…. The weak, foolish, easily-seduced members of the public are promised they will be rewarded for their submission to authority, with the gift of eternal life, which, for some reason, they actually believe is within their grasp, despite all the obvious evidence to the contrary….

These hypocritical dogma dogs teach unwitting fools to give up their right to think for themselves, usually convincing them of this deliberate lie before they are able to think at all, in childhood, with scary tales of what will happen if they do not submit to the will of God… with more lies to describe the perils of eternal Hell, should they ever think for themselves…. If you need any proof of this assertion, well, it’s right out there where anyone can see it… to wit:

“In much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” — Old Testament — Ecclesiastes i, 18

Yet people continue to fall for the same old bullshit stories, because it plays into their laziness, and their need to see themselves as ‘special’, in a universe they do not comprehend, surrounded by fearful sounds and sights, all of which is too hard, and too scary, to try to figure out on their own…. So, they buy into the elitism of being “God’s children”, whether they call God Yahweh, or Allah, or Krishna, or Guan Yin, or any of a hundred other names humans have come up with to try to explain those things they don’t understand…. They do this because it saves them from having to use their minds for anything other than thinking up ways to cheat or steal from their fellows…. which is far easier than working….

I know this sounds somewhat like sour grapes, but, believe me, I don’t miss what I see others have in their faith, at all. Nor do I wish to give up what I know to be true. I have found this truth by gathering my own evidence, upon which I have based all my conclusions; I won’t give it up in order to buy into something that, as far as all the evidence shows, has no existence in the real world; not the one in which I live, anyway…. None of it makes any sense, and never has; it just doesn’t hang together, logically, and is NOT supported by the physical evidence that exists…. But, they never let up the pressure, with sentiments such as this:

“Be not faithless, but believing.” — John 20:27

Such obvious little gems of manipulation typically remind me of how one is treated when trying to buy a car…. You know, when the salesman says something to the effect of “Trust me! Would I lie to you?” I’m often tempted to answer them (both the car salesmen, and the dogma dogs, who try to sell me nonsense…), perfectly truthfully, with a simple “No, thank you. Yes, I’m certain you would.” But, then I think of how much I need the car…. So, I tend to work the salesmen with my own manipulations, to lower the price…. Hey, turnabout’s fair play, right? Right….

Well, perhaps it isn’t exactly honorable to engage in a battle of wits with unarmed persons, but, one has to live in the world, if not of it, so, I figure it’s a wash, as they would do unto me first, unless I did unto them first…. It’s a moral dilemma, I admit, but, I’m on my side, just like everyone else…. Unlike the dogma dogs, whose every word is designed to extend their control over the minds of their constituents, I try not to make others do my will without good cause, an attitude, and a courtesy which, I assure you, is not reciprocated by most of the world’s inhabitants…. Especially if any of them have had legal training, or are heavily dependent upon catechism for their moral state….

“If it weren’t for lawyers, I think we could have invented a universal symbolic representation of reality.” — Smart Bee

I’ve delivered my indictment, and have run out of steam…. Many will say it isn’t soon enough, but, we never listen to them, anyway, so. I’ll just bring this to a close here, and hope for the best…. If nothing else, I got all the anger and angst out far enough to provide me with a bit of peace for a time…. which is the entire purpose of this exercise….

Any of y’all, or any other folks who may drop in to read, who may find this to be new information, are encouraged to follow this line of thought to its logical conclusion, whereupon, you, or they, will be ready to take up arms, and try to help the rest of us kick the assholes to the curb, so we have at least an outside chance of surviving our own idiocy…

If not, well, I suggest you take the following piece of observation to heart, and, at the very least, begin to laugh at the assholes, thus showing them the respect they deserve…. Hell, it can’t hurt, and just may help….

“You have a mongrel perception of humor, nothing more; a multitude of you possess that. This multitude see the comic side of a thousand low-grade and trivial things — broad incongruities, mainly; grotesqueries, absurdities, evokers of the horse-laugh. The ten thousand high-grade comicalities which exist in the world are sealed from their dull vision. Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them — and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon — laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution — these can lift at a colossal humbug — push it a little — weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. You are always fussing and fighting with your other weapons. Do you ever use that one? No; you leave it lying rusting. As a race, do you ever use it at all? No; you lack sense and the courage.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910), “The Mysterious Stranger”

So be it….

gigoid has spoken….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This poet needs no introduction… All you have to do is read, and enjoy….

Ode

Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Have ye souls in heaven too,
Double lived in regions new?
Yes, and those of heaven commune
With the spheres of sun and moon;
With the noise of fountains wound’rous,
And the parle of voices thund’rous;
With the whisper of heaven’s trees
And one another, in soft ease.

Seated on Elysian lawns
Brows’d by none but Dian’s fawns;
Underneath large blue-bells tented,
Where the daisies are rose-scented,
And the rose herself has got
Perfume which on earth is not;
Where the nightingale doth sing
Not a senseless, tranced thing,
But divine melodious truth;
Philosophic numbers smooth;
Tales and golden histories
Of heaven and its mysteries.

Thus ye live on high, and then
On the earth ye live again;
And the souls ye left behind you
Teach us, here, the way to find you,
Where your other souls are joying,
Never slumber’d, never cloying.
Here, your earth-born souls still speak
To mortals, of their little week;
Of their sorrows and delights;
Of their passions and their spites;
Of their glory and their shame;
What doth strengthen and what maim.
Thus ye teach us, every day,
Wisdom, though fled far away.

Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Ye have souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new!

~~ John Keats ~~

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Here is an old-fashioned nine-star pearl, freshly picked, in the style in which they were first created. Each one will stand alone, as good advice, or a clear observation; together, they give us a blueprint for a Life, well-lived….

“I love to doubt as well as know.” — Dante

“Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 633

“He who is able to conquer others is powerful; he who is able to conquer himself is more powerful” — Lao Tzu

“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” — Jack London

“It is better not to live at all than to live disgraced.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Peleus, Frag. 445

“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.” — Voltaire

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” — The Buddha

“The meaning of life is that it stops.” — Franz Kafka

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

~~ Kahlil Gibran in Essay on Death in The Prophet ~~

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Today’s Pearl came together quite nicely…. Now, let’s see if it’s worth posting….. Well, that’s really not too shabby, I think. Of course, that is ME speaking, and I tend to be a bit loose in judging myself…. I figure that’s best, since the rest of the world tends to judge me by harsher standards, none of which make any particular sense to me…. SIGH…. Ah well, life does go on, until it doesn’t…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as nobody talks me out of it….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The prospect of failure is unacceptable….

Posted on November 28, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Freedom begins between the ears.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Today’s quote, when taken in conjunction with the evocative, albeit ordinary, picture of a London public house, assumes a more rarefied meaning than it would, were it standing alone…. Having been to the pub in the picture, I can take myself out of the present, slipping quietly into my imagination, any time I wish, just by looking at it…. This, to me, is freedom, and it all starts between my ears…. See? I may be half-asleep, but, I can see that…. Not that my ability to verify makes it a better pearl; it does, to some small degree, add some weight to the proof, so, my paragraph can’t be considered a total failure, if a failure at all….

Given the paragraph you see was written, technically, under duress, defining it as a failure would not have been particularly surprising; we give ourselves a LOT of leeway when considering events that occur pre-coffee. Since my first, wonderful, life-giving sip of the magic brew just passed my lips a moment ago (and, as you see, is already visible in the words I write…), it also isn’t surprising to feel compelled to share such an intimate detail with y’all. That first sip has an effect on the drinker which is much magnified; some might say it has an effect that defies all reason…. yet, there ’tis, in its simple glory, saving my ass again….

Without its beneficent presence in my life, these morning Pearls would be quite different, and, I, for one, would NOT wish to know how…. I’m quite happy with how coffee brings me back into focus each morning, and the near-miraculous effect it has on me is MORE than merely welcome; it is treasured, as one of my finest moments each day…. There’s nothing like those first few sips of coffee to bring the world into a more acceptable framework, one we can look upon with favor, and anticipation, instead of trepidation, and a reluctance to face the day…. I’m not sure that I’d be the same person, without coffee….

I know, that’s a bit over the top, but, hey, it’s my top, so, back off…. Coffee, as is patently obvious to anyone with two or more neurons, is not something I take lightly, or would ever consider removing from my life…. and, I don’t care a whit whether a doctor tells me to stop, or not…. I’d cut back, or drink it less strong, maybe…. but, give it up? Never…. there are certain things in life for which there can be no compromise, and, trivial as this one may be, it is one of my issues of stubbornness, one I’ll never consider changing, or ever consider leaving out of my life…. So be it….

Well, that may be the oddest little intro I’ve ever done, but, the key word here is “done”…. so, I’m going to take advantage of that, and get us down the pike…. right here, right now….

Shall we Pearl?

“Arguments derived from probabilities are idle.” — Plato

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Here is another episode of Sherlock Holmes’ adventures…. This is one of my favorites, simply for the expression on Holmes’ face, at the end of the story, when he is hugged by a woman he has helped…. priceless! And, an example of most excellent acting…..

Sherlock Holmes Season 3 episode 2 The Abbey Grange

http://youtu.be/asjcjRC7ixI

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It is apparently going to rain for a while around here; my hands and shoulder seem to be a fairly reliable barometer of such weather these days, since they begin to ache a good day before the rain actually arrives…. Whatever the cause, it would be nearly impossible to type fast enough, or long enough to be able to put together anything like a rant…. and, I’m not really in the mood today, being still in a good space from yesterday’s fine foods, brought to me by my friend after her Thanksgiving at Mom’s…. Hence, this little discussion from the past…. It’s a good one, so, please, enjoy, and TRY to pay attention, okay?…. It’s all worth thinking about….

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln

From 3/7/2013:

“It is useless for sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion.” — William Ralph Inge, D. D. 1860 – 1954

I’ve seen this little statement before, and like it a lot, for its honesty in describing our Beloved Ruling Class in relation to the flock of sheep that comprises most of mankind. And, yes, this is the beginning of another politirant….. This one is prompted by the most recent activities that our leaders, if such word applies, have been shown to be engaged in by the news outlets I watch…. to wit: the legislation under review and up for vote in the House of Reps that is concerned with the economy, to wit: the “sequester”, and the recent comments by the POTUS re: global warming and climate change…. Let’s see what we can note about these issues, shall we?….

I have noticed that the Congress, and the POTUS, are currently at odds, as usual, over the economy, and arguing over how to address an issue over which they have absolutely no control…. I just don’t get it, actually…. There is no evidence whatsoever that anything the government does, or has ever done, about the economy has any effect at all on it…. none. Zero. Zilch. Nada damn thing…. The economy of the world, or even just this nation, is not subject to any manipulation by us; it’s too big, too amorphous…. It’s like trying to herd cats…. a lot of effort for small results, and you end up with a bunch of pissed off felines… If you know anything about cats, you will realize that this is never a good thing….

Yet, because the public demands that something be done, the politicians start their idiotic posturing, pontificating, and, otherwise polluting the airwaves with nonsensical suggestions as to what should be done to fix the problems. NONE of those ever work, nor will they ever work; the economy does not move according to any rules that we can control, or even know, and any action we take is just as liable to have a bad effect as a good one….. But, the public wants the government to fix it, so they try to make noises as if they actually could do something helpful, when in fact, anything they do is as liable to hurt as to help….. Sad, but, true as the day is long….

It’s actually kind of fun watching the contortions they go through for issues such as this; since I know for a fact that none of it will have any real effect on the issue, I can enjoy the parade without worrying about whether it will actually do anything useful…. It is a bit depressing to watch, since I am aware of just how little can be done, but, the show can be entertaining, and it does pass the time… The depressing part is knowing that the public is actually buying all of what they are saying, and really do expect something to change for the better… But, then, I am always amazed at the depth of human stupidity. I don’t know why, as I KNOW how dumb people can be… I am one, you know…. but, it always is a surprise to see just how deeply that stupidity is ingrained in the human condition…

Of course, this stupidity is part and parcel of why we are experiencing the second issue I mentioned above… global warming and overpopulation. I will be very interested to see exactly how the POTUS intends to address the issue, as he has promised to do, several times now since his inauguration. Since the issue is well advanced beyond the point that most people think it is, it will be a telling factor in deciding how seriously the issue is being taken, and whether or not it will have any chance at all of being either enough, or soon enough… Both of these are critical factors, as the point of no-return for the ecological balance of this planet is so near, it may have already been passed some months ago…..

I’m not sure how scientifically minded many of y’all are, but, I am… scientifically minded, that is, and I can tell you without fear of contradiction (from anyone with any reliable scientific knowledge, anyway….) that the atmosphere of this planet is, without doubt, and without evidence to the contrary, on the very edge of becoming unbreathable for humans…. The millions of tons of carbon monoxide and other toxic substances that are being pumped into the air EVERY SECOND, and that has been pumped in now for over a hundred years, has reached the point where it will begin a process of leaching oxygen from the air, and the balance of gases we need to survive will change, hell, IS changing, and fairly rapidly, until it is no longer of a balance that we can safely breathe… This is scientific FACT, not speculation, not a guess.. the process has already begun, the only question remaining is, how quickly will it happen?

“In the game of life you get to choose where you keep your brain – heads you win, tails you lose.” — Smart Bee

So, we’ll see where the POTUS keeps his brain, as he speaks in the next few days about this issue… Whatever he decides to do, you can bet that it won’t be enough, and it won’t make a damn bit of difference, other than in a few Presidential approval polls, perhaps. After all, even though he is a fairly reform oriented politician, he is still a politician, and you can lay good money, without fear of losing, on the fact that whatever he does is designed to benefit him and his Presidency, and any benefit for the public is a secondary concern….

He IS a politician, after all, and his primary concern is for his own success; it’s NOT the welfare of the people… He has merely discovered that being the “People’s Champion” is currently a good political stance to take…. if it ever becomes too itchy a coat to wear, he will take it off in a heartbeat…. Count on it…. You don’t get to that level of the game without being a complete asshole in some respects, and I don’t think anyone who WANTS to be President can be accused of not being ambitious, and, in the process, sociopathic….

“No people in the world ever did achieve their freedom by goody-goody talk and moral suasion: it being immutable law that all revolutions that will succeed, must begin in blood, whatever the answer afterward. If history teaches anything, it teaches that.” — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)

In this case, we aren’t talking about freedom, unless by that one means, freedom to stay alive…. and the BRC isn’t going to do anything about it, I don’t believe…. Or, rather, I’ll believe it when I see it, and, so far, no dice in that respect. I’m enough of a cynic to believe, sadly, that it isn’t GOING to happen, either… because I don’t believe that the POTUS, or the rest of the BRC, gives a damn about the rest of us, as long as they have their own….. This much is obvious from history, but, when did mankind at large ever pay any attention to history?….

If you have some evidence that contradicts that belief, I would dearly love to see it…. Truly, I would, because, quite frankly, my own intelligence, and the evidence I have now, forces me to conclude that we humans are shortly about to come to a bad end…. not with a bang, not with a whimper, but, choking to death in our own planet’s toxic air, victims to our own stupidity, and cupidity….

Daniel: “We’re damned if we do, we’re damned if we don’t; we need other options…” — from Stargate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the past, I’ve written some rather cogent poems about pain…. Since it seems to be “too much with me” these days, here is one of them….

Gauges of Pain

Consciousness devolves in pools of gripping fears
holding hostage any hope of serenity,
sharp stabbing motions and greedy tears
nary a moment passes without common calamity.

Always a surprise, nothing soothing ever found,
leaving only breathless clinging pain,
salvation seemingly absent, it muffles all sound,
bringing ever more sadness and rain.

Solitude is ever present to claim my time,
lonely hours and relentlessly long days,
no radio plays such music in secular rhyme
happy, vibrant voices belong to elder ways.

Life can be justified it seems to say,
by hopeful favored moments of pleasure,
seemingly friendly, pointing out the only way,
to bring back happiness in minimal measure.

Days of horror and embarrassing tears
serve ever to drive wretched hours to withhold
promising naught but sorrow in coming years,
black, bitter memories that never grow old.

Cold, cold the days fly by,
can it really be our only token?
Never to say, or know just why
the pain never stops, even when spoken…

~~ gigoid ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s final section will be the freshest of the day…. That is, if SB decides to help out…. If not, it could make things somewhat sticky…. Let’s see what we have today, shall we?…..

“Become what you are.” — Buddha

“Some of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution. A few more wore red coats, a few wore blue coats, and the rest wore no coats at all. We never did figure out who won that war.” — Edward Abbey

“To blow and swallow at the same moment is not easy.” — Plautus (254-184 BC) — Mostellaria, Act iii, Sc. 2, 104, (791.)

“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe? The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the question of why there should be a universe for the model to describe.” — Stephen Hawking

“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin; the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Robert A. Heinlein — Lazarus Long

“It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” — Calvin, Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes

“In writing, fidelity to fact leads eventually to the poetry of truth.” — Abbey

Having thus created what is, perhaps, the most inscrutable pearl ever, I shall quit the field, knowing I’ve done my best, if not my best…. if you know what I mean… I don’t, and probably should, but, hey, I always get a little giddy after a pearl such as this one, from the effort to understand, or, at minimum, stay in the same ballpark….

I think it would be best if I just stop now, and tempt fate no further….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s disheartening to realize the most cogent thought expressed today is the last line in the previous section…. SIGH…. Oh well, it’s done now, so I may as well get on with it…. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I have any neurons to spare….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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