Tag Archives: dogs

Nobody leaves without cleaning the flues…..

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Ffolkes,
The words you are now reading are the advance guard of the second team, since my first effort this morning was so bad, I just trashed the two paragraphs I spent twenty minutes struggling to put down. Now I’m faced with this really, really blank screen, and not a single clever phrase or compelling vision to be found. I’m not going to complain, but, y’know, fuck Murphy, right in the…. well, I’ll not go there, in case there are any PG-13’s in the crowd lined up to read this…. Hah!…. Like THAT’S ever going to happen!….

As I awoke today, bemusedly staring up at the ceiling, it occurred to me that it is now down to single digits….. Time, that is…. Specifically, the number of days left before I leave again to pursue my travel dreams, has reached single digits…. Only nine days left until my lady and I board the Grand Princess for 10 days of scenic glacier cruising up the inside passage to Alaska. This, of course, brings me great delight, though it does little to help with my immediate difficulty. I could, I suppose, spend this intro crowing about that, but it seems tacky, and would only add to the guilt I already feel for stepping outside my usual policies regarding conspicuous consumption…. So, I won’t mention it any further, beyond this brief acknowledgment….

However, this is a good time to go over some housekeeping notes re: the upcoming trip…. I don’t foresee encountering the usual issues with connectivity on this trip; the ship has Wi-Fi, I’m sure, and we’ll never be all that far away from civilization in that respect…. Plus, the ship is set up to deal with American electrical devices already, so I don’t have to worry about charging or power issues. The only issue I expect to face is how to budget the time…. I will be with a companion, with whom I intend to spend virtually all my free time, or, as much as is possible, and won’t have the same amount of time available to write as on the last trip, when I was alone….

My plan, for now, is to concentrate on posting the pictures and scenery we’ll be seeing…. I plan to take a lot of photos, and will be uploading as many as is practical each day, here on this blog, as another travelogue of the trip. I’m hoping to see some pretty incredible country, and the glaciers are supposed to be amazing to view, so, hopefully I’ll get a lot of good shots to share with y’all. As might be expected, I doubt that I’ll do much ranting, as the impetus for such vitriol just won’t be present…. If it is, I’ve made a serious error….

So, nine days from now, I’ll publish a final send-off post, on the morning of the day we embark, whereupon I’ll spend the next week and a half indulging myself and my lady, and, no doubt, enjoying every minute of it, not counting those odd nanoseconds when guilt may intrude, only to be laughed into submission…. In the meantime, I suppose it’s time to get started here, as I can now start working on the list of ‘stuff to get done before leaving’, including packing. (I confess…. I’ve been 3/4 packed for almost two weeks now, and just need to put in the last minute stuff that isn’t back from the laundry….)  It’s a tough job, but, somebody’s got to do it, and it may as well be me….. Shall we Pearl?….

“Fill’d with fury, rapt, inspired.” — William Collins (1720-1756) — The Passions, Line 10
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It’s one of THOSE mornings, you see, so things may get a bit stranger than usual. Here is a seven-star pearl, that just sort of composed itself…. It has a decently sharp point to it, with another perfect ending note from our old pal Zippy, so, please, be kind, and don’t hurl any epithets until you have proceeded on to section two…. He gets offended, you know, if he hears them, and I have a hard time getting him to come back, as his plaintive statement at the end surely indicates….. Any who, it’s good advice, all in all, so, enjoy……

“You don’t have to worry about me. I might have been born yesterday…but I stayed up all night.” — Smart Bee

“A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take from you.” — Ramsey Clark

“On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.” — Things We Can Learn From Dogs

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

“Besides the practical knowledge which defeat offers, there are important personality profits to be taken. Defeat strips away false values and makes you realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.” — William Moulton Marston

How dieth the wise man? As the fool.” — Smart Bee

“I am NOT a nut….” — Zippy the Pinhead

Well, neither am I, though I am often accused of being a soufflé, or, more often, and more accurately, a Bozo…. and that’s good enough for me!…..
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I don’t know about y’all, but poetry often saves my sorry ass from going places that aren’t good for me to go…. Other times, it just makes me smile, which, mostly, comes to the same thing….

I’ll Get One Tomorrow

Barber, barber, come and get me;
Hairy torrents irk and fret me.
Hair and hair again appears;
And climbs like ivy round my ears.
Hair across my collar gambols;
Down my neck it wayward ambles.
Ever down it trip it tickles;
Yes, where it trips it tickles.
Barber dear I wish I knew;
Why i do not visit you.
Why I grudge the minutes ten;
In your smiling den.
Why I choose to choke on hair;
Rather than to mount your chair.
Men no busier than I;
Weekly to your office hie.
Men no busier than myself;
Confront the armory on your shelf;
Men no wealthier than me;
Gladly meet your modest fee.
And for a fraction of a dollar;
Keep the jungle off their collar.
I alone am shy and flustered;
Solitary, cowardly custard.
Shaggy as a prize angora;
Overrun with the creeping flora.
Barber, barber, you’re in luck;
The bell has rung, the hour has struck.
Sloth strong, the hair is strong;
I cannot stand it any long.
Barber, barber here I come;
Shake up the odorous bay rum.
Bring on your shears your scythes, your snippers;
Bring on your crisp electric driers.
Employ a dozen extra sweepers;
Bring giant harvesters and reapers.
I warn you a bumper crop;
Waits to overwhelm your shop.
Barber, barber, be verbose;
Be anything but clip me close.
Leave me razored, leave me scissored
Leave me hairless, as a lizard;
Barber, barber, single and scald;
Barber can’t you make me bald?
I will be the happiest of men;
And never think of you again.

~~ Ogden Nash ~~

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A thousand fantasies
Begin to throng into my memory,
Of calling shapes, and beck’ning shadows dire,
And airy tongues that syllable men’s names
On sands and shores and desert wildernesses.

— John Milton (1608-1674) — Comus, Line 205

In the normal course of events on any particular morning around here, I try to keep faithful to some degree of consistency of format. In that regard, this section would be fated to become a rant, targeting the Beloved Ruling Class, or some other societal bane that has most recently aroused my ire. Today, however, I’m feeling too mellow, and too at peace with the world at large…. Probably has to do with being in love…. I am a not-so-secret romantic, at heart, and tend to let my attitude reflect my inner state, unless called upon by the rules of curmudgeonry to display some crustiness, or unless reality gives me reason to put on the crankypants we all wear at times.

Since I don’t feel up to ranting, I’m going to try something totally new, for me…. I’m going to shut up…..  Not forever, just for the day….. I figure that, for once, I’ll go by the old show biz adage, to always leave ’em wanting more…. though I’m not entirely certain that would apply here. Nonetheless, I’m going to let this die a peaceful death for today, and spend the extra time it gives me to plan my day in a bit more detail…. The more planning time I put into such activities, the greater the chance of successful outcomes…. So, as they say in Text World…. TTFN …..

“Doth not the sun harden the clay? Doth it not also soften the wax? As it is one sun that worketh both, even so it is one Soul that willeth contrarieties.” — Akhenaton
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Being reluctant to examine too closely what I produce, lest any influence by a muse should be frightened away, I won’t go over this one too heavily, other than to proof it… I have the feeling that, if I did, it would all just go “poof!”, and I’d have to start over….. Makes me shudder just to think of it…. Hence, in sooth, to proof, or not to proof, that is the question. Whether to tempt the arrows of fate, or let a word be misspelled….

Oh, wait, that’s Will’s line…. Never mind….. Alright, that’s it…. When I find myself using Will’s work, even as a joke, I know I’m done…..  Before I can do anything even more damaging to my reputation as a reasonably intelligent person, I bid thee adieu…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Boxloads of bastards for sale or rent….

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Ffolkes,
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…..

Hmm…. silly me. Words sometimes don’t flow from my head, through my fingers, and on to the screen…. they leak. Kind of like a small cut on the hand, that won’t quite close for a while because it keeps getting re-opened by movement. You think it’s closed, then a few minutes later, a small drop of intense red appears on whatever is in your view, and you know that Murphy has been hanging about somewhere, just waiting for you to pick up whatever important document you just bled on…. Any who, that’s kind of what it’s like to wake up with paragraphs like the above, waiting to get out of the way before any other, possibly intelligent, words can break past them into the light of day….. It’s not necessarily painful, but it is inconvenient, especially given that it is a personal problem, one that only I could conceivably fix…. Being too lazy to do so DOES have its advantages….

Of course, if I stop letting stuff like the first paragraph out before I write something more appropriate, there is no telling what it might do, just sitting around in my head, rotting and decomposing, until it makes everything else in there reek just as badly. Or, it will join forces with more trifling drivel of its own ilk, and force me to try to post it sometime, knowing full well that I’d have to commit hara-kiri immediately, should that ever happen. It would be the only honorable thing to do, in that sad case.

Since, however, I’m unwilling to carry out such an extreme measure at this point, I’m just as glad that it got out, and onto the screen at the beginning of a Pearl, where the damage it can cause is minimal. I mean, who reads that part with any expectations, right? I think I’ve given ample proof that when it comes to the opening of a Pearl, there is no telling what may pop up, so most ffolkes are prepared to that extent…. That should keep the injuries down today…. If anyone does incur any wear and tear, trying to get past today’s introductory words, well, you know where the first-aid kit is located, right?…. Just over there behind the archives…. Plenty of duct tape in there….

Now that we’ve established the proper tone of nonsense and whimsy, I think it would be best if we went for the morning dive, which, to some degree, took place last night…. Whether it survives in that state remains to be seen…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“If you can see a thing whole… it seems that it’s always beautiful. Planets, lives…But close up, a world’s all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life’s a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. You need distance, interval. The way to see how beautiful the earth is, is to see it as the moon. The way to see how beautiful a life is, is to see it from the vantage point of death.” — Ursula K. Le Guin, Dispossessed

Whenever I come across a quote from Ursula Le Guin, for some strange reason, I am always taken by surprise at how deep a chord she strikes in me with her insight, into people, into writing, into beauty, and life. The surprise is because I already knew how good she is, yet her words show up here far too infrequently to entirely please me….. and I don’t know why I never remember to look for her when I’m searching, or need something specific….

It may be the depth of what she writes, and the skill with which she illuminates those depths…. The pieces that can be used for reasonably short discussions are rare, due to the very complex nature of her plots. The questions of life, and how we humans deal with it, that she raises in her stories, are more than just complex, they are also subtle, and often quite revolutionary in scope. The very nature of the worlds she creates can shock the most flexible of minds, yet the power of her imagery and vision is such that it makes the fantastic real, engendering understanding by showing how someone so completely different than normal, still remains their deepest humanity, through the power of love. The depths of the human spirit come to life in her books, with great power, and great beauty, and her artistry with words shows how that spirit can shine brightly from even the darkest depths, in the hands of a master.

As I approach death more closely in my own life, I find myself thinking more about it in ways such as suggested above by Ms. Le Guin. We all tend to get worn down by life, because we MUST view it close up; we spend our days right up against the skin of reality, having to peer at its pores, seeing, and feeling, every wrinkle that time carves into our faces with the unfelt knives of seconds, hours, and days. It is only when one stops, and stands next to death, that the beauty of the pattern of our lives is visible to our perception, and we can see just how much the trip has been worth the effort we’ve made.

It is easy, unfortunately, to lose that perceptive viewpoint, to fail to remember how it feels to know the contrast between what we feel and what we hope. The weight of everyday is mighty, indeed. But, we always have the choice, to take a moment, to take a step back, and look at the bigger picture, to gain the perspective, and the vision of hope for the future that lives inside us, if we only know where to look…. and know that we have such a choice available to us in need….

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” — George Bernard Shaw
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Ancient Air

I climb up high and look on the four seas,
Heaven and earth spreading out so far.
Frost blankets all the stuff of autumn,
The wind blows with the great desert’s cold.
The eastward-flowing water is immense,
All the ten thousand things billow.
The white sun’s passing brightness fades,
Floating clouds seem to have no end.
Swallows and sparrows nest in the wutong tree,
Yuan and luan birds perch among jujube thorns.
Now it’s time to head on back again,
I flick my sword and sing Taking the Hard Road.

Li Po.
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“In ecology, as in economics, TANSTAAFL (There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free  Lunch) is intended to warn that every gain is won at some cost. Failure to  recognize the no free lunch law causes the buffalo-hunter mentality  syndrome — the unthinking assumption that there will always be plenty because there always has been plenty.” — Dr. Robert W. Prehoda

See? Now, this is what really ticks me off….. There it is, all laid out so an idiot can understand it, and nobody pays any damn attention. It is a statement that is self-fulfilling…. in which I mean that it has already come to pass, and our society has decided to act on the buffalo-hunter syndrome basis, and the ecological decisions being made are NOT in favor of the buffalo…. I defy anyone to tell me otherwise. Go ahead. Show me one piece of evidence that shows that we are, in any way, acting as if we are expecting a bill for lunch. I guarantee, the bill is for enough that we don’t have enough cash, or enough credit, to even come close to paying it….

“Humanity prefers comfort over truth.” ~~ Smart Bee

Since this is also true, nobody is paying any attention to this little conundrum. Ever notice how well the mocking campaign worked against Al Gore? Does anybody listen to his message anymore? Nope. Yet he is right. He spoke nothing but well-documented truths, yet the unwarranted lies that were spread about what he said, and the smear campaign over his unfortunate delivery style, turned what is the most important question facing our species in this century, and the last, into a joke, just so the people who are profiting from the sale of the buffalo meat can continue to live their fantasies at the expense of our reality….. As long as the cable reception isn’t interrupted, most folks won’t care one way or the other, sadly…

A monk said to Joshu, “Your stone bridge is widely renowned, but coming here I find only a heap of rocks.”  Joshu said, “You see only the stones and not the bridge.”  The monk said, “What is the bridge?”  Joshu said, “What do you think we are walking on?” — Smart Bee

What the majority of people today don’t understand is that they are walking on the bridge, and do not realize that the bridge is being washed away, as they are walking, and will no longer be there to cross, once they have passed it (and IF they make it to the other side). There will be no turning back to the right path, because we will be paying our lunch bill….. and since we don’t have enough to pay for it, we will be removed from the field of play…. If you are not worried, and scared of how things are going, well, folks, you just aren’t paying attention….  Ah, the hell with it…. I’m gonna go take a nap….

On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree. — Things We Can Learn From Dogs
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Well, for a standard Pearl, it’s a bit foreshortened today, by an unforeseeable complication presented by my oh-so-creative petty side, to wit: fractured fairy-tales. Yes, they’ve been floating in and out of my head all morning, distracting me from following a train of thought, or even a local bus of thought. I call them fractured fairy tales, but all they are, are silly little epigrams and phrases that pop up into my head, never on subject, and always intended to send my mind down some heretofore unnoticed hallway in the dusty corners of the back towers of consciousness. Quite annoying, and, as can be seen, somewhat disruptive to routine.

They were bigger than me, Ma, but I beat ’em! It may not be Art, but it’s done, and nobody’s gonna make me put it all back; that’s like trying to get the toothpaste back in the tube once it’s out…. not terribly productive. Y’all will just have to take it the way it is…. not that you haven’t had to do that before…. but, I do like to give warning. I guess a warning isn’t too effective, is it, coming here at the end? Probably not…. ah well, all I can do is all I can do, you know…..   Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Dozer

Kowabunga!

All washed clean with decadence…..

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Ffolkes,

Unheard murmurs of savage rage,
Unseen images of screaming terror,
Unknown, adrift in a sea of ignorance and folly
Chained to reality with shackles of hate and fear.
Breathing in hope, while exhaling despair, cannot
Bring balance to broken intention.
Knocked down twice,
Get up thrice,
Strive to serve Life/Death
Children’s laughter, in a large, colorful cup.

Hmm….. It’s not bad, for an off-the-cuff effort. It is definitely a product of my sub-conscious, because none of this stuff was part of my thought stream this morning, until I started to type. I admit, it’s a bit grim, and I went for a ‘modern verse’ feel, by not trying to rhyme any of it, but, I’ve done a lot worse, and it did break the ice….

Rather than frighten you off any further, I think we should just forget all this, and go find some oysters….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.” — Voltaire
    And, they provide us humans with daily examples of how to live life with compassion and unconditional love…. We could all stand to learn those lessons well….
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“There are people so addicted to exaggeration that they can’t tell the truth without lying.” — Josh Billings

Without me having to say a word, you may be able to guess who comes to my mind when I see this. Yes, indeed, Mitt the Twitt, who continues to amaze the world with his uncanny ability to find his mouth with his foot, no matter what the circumstances may be. His most recent attempts to make the Top Ten Idiot’s du Jour list came in England, as he spent three days there spouting gaffe after gaffe, insulting the English people, and generally making a fool of himself on an international stage.

I can hardly wait to see what he says and does in his next stop, which I believe is Italy…. That should be interesting, especially if he sees the Pope…. the richest Mormon in the world talking with the richest Catholic in the world…. they should get along like bacon and eggs…..

That’s all…. surprise, surprise!  I thought I’d give y’all, and me, a bit of a break, and not overdo it with the Twitt bashing today. A one and a half paragraph rant is all it really takes, anyway. He is, by far, the easiest political target I’ve ever had to work with, given his habit of shooting off his mouth, with a deadly aim, right at his own foot, on a multiple-times-daily schedule. So, enjoy the break today…. just keep your eye on the news, and rest assured, he will have provided material for more ‘discussion’ before the end of the day today….
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A man sought medical aid because he was crippled and could hardly walk. The foot doctor suggested surgery. After the operation, nothing changed. The man then consulted a bone surgeon, who suggested surgery on his legs. After this second operation, nothing changed. The man went to a chiropractor for six months, and no change was effected, although he was told his spine was out of line. Finally the man consulted a psychiatrist at great expense, and the doctor told him he was totally suicidal and would die within months. Despondent, the man went out and spent a great deal of money on a new wardrobe. At the shoe store, he ordered the finest, a size 10. The salesperson said he needed size 11, but the man insisted on a size 10. “Look here,” said the salesperson, “if you were a size 10 you are going to get crippled and wish you were dead.” — Smart Bee

“More people died from worrying than ever bled to death” — Robert Heinlein

“Do not let trifles disturb your tranquility of mind. The little pinpricks of daily life when dwelt upon and magnified, may do great damage, but if ignored or dismissed from thought, will disappear from inanition. Most men have worried about things which never happened, and more men have been killed by worry than by hard work. Life is so great in its opportunities and possibilities, that you should rise confidently above the inevitable trifles incident to daily contact with the world. Life is too precious to be sacrificed for the nonessential and transient… Ignore the inconsequential.” — Grenville Kleiser

I’ve included these three quotes here for a dual purpose…. The first is to give my readers some good food for thought, and I can think of no better than this lesson for that. We all tend to forget this truism, and forget what we all heard as a child, to wit: “Don’t sweat the small stuff….” 

If you didn’t hear that as a child, well, either somebody forgot to tell you, or you grew up on another planet. Regardless of the reason, it’s something just about everybody knows, and seldom does…. And that segues into the second purpose, which was to give myself a boot in the ass for forgetting it! Mission accomplished there….

I know perfectly well how important this is; it is one of the basic concepts that helped me overcome the worst of my depression years ago, right after the incident which triggered it. “Don’t sweat the small stuff….”   Why?  Because there isn’t anything to be done about it. All you can do, is all you can do…. and don’t you forget it……   🙂
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The picture used today was found, as usual, on Facebook, with no attribution given….. It’s been a long, strange trip today, from there to here. I think I should go do something else now…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you….

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Unraveling the Celtic knot….

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Ffolkes,
T’is morning again, and as the castle awoke, I strode down the chancel steps, thoughts focused on breaking my fast. Years ago, none were so bold as to tell me, but all looked at me askance, with questions and fear in their eyes. Aye, none would tell me, but all knew. They all knew that I, Raxom, heir to the throne of Saxony, had been abducted by a wizard when very small, and no amount of raging and blustering, and charging around the kingdom searching had brought me home.

At the end of a month, I was found, asleep in a basket, left on the steps of the scullery door. No marks, and no evidence of foul play were found on me, and being too young to talk, I could not tell them. I could not tell them that the old wizard who had taken me had changed me somehow. No longer a babe, I looked around me with bright, interested eyes; the scullery maids tittered and fluttered, as I peered at them from my basket, for I looked at them with eyes older than the sun. Pay heed now, as I tell the rest of my tale, a tale of power, and magic, and matters of highest import…….

There…. that feels better. Sorry, that’s been stuck in there for awhile; I’m glad it finally worked its way out into the light. They tend to fester if they stay in my head too long….. and now we can go on to something a bit more constructive, and more fun…..though, I have to say, this one was a delight to process; no stumbles or blockages noted…. a very polite little pair of paragraphs, if I do say so myself…..
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“Let us go forth not as defenders of the status quo, but as crusaders with a revolutionary idea – that government should be the servant and not the master of the people; that its purpose is to protect, not deny, each man’s freedom; that the purpose of a free press is to liberate, not enslave the human spirit.” — From the speech made by A. S. Hills upon taking office as President of the Inter-American Press Association

This noble aim seems to have fallen out of favor with modern media professionals. The Internet now acts as the limitless source of otherwise hidden information that accumulates around government activities, while the newspaper, radio , and TV reporters spend their time endlessly dissecting and discussing the details of the same shared stories. The unfortunate side effect that needs to be taken into account in using information from the ‘Net is the frequent and obvious slant to the information put out by some sites; these slants can be as misleading as the nonsense the “major networks” are spouting, influenced as they are by folks who, though not of the powerful elite, very much have their own agenda, one that has little to do with what is best for you and me…

Thus, finding sources of information that can be trusted becomes a critical element in the fight to keep up with the events that shape reality; it can be a time consuming effort, culminating in thorough testing of the information gathered against what we know to be real, before deciding whether to utilize it or not. Even when we have made such a decision, we have to regularly run the same test over all the sources we use, for safety’s sake…. annoying, but necessary. Using the old 50/25/0% ratio (one should only believe 50% of what is seen, 25% of what is read, and nothing of what is heard) it doesn’t take long to wean out the sources that are unfit for data consumption. This is important to know in a world where having accurate data is essential to solving the equation of life; starting with false assumptions, or false data, can only lead to erroneous outcomes…… and there are enough folks out there filling that evolutionary niche already….
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They say that a dog never steps on a cursed object.

I would say this is probably true; as well, one might include cats in this category of creature, i.e., one who perceives more than what a mere human is capable of seeing. How often have you seen a cat sitting, perfectly still, staring with intense concentration at a point on the floor, or wall? I see them do that often; I figure they are using their mental power of telekinesis to hold shut a door between universes where bad/evil uglies are just waiting to cross over to our universe to steal our Kiss albums and recipes for homemade dumplings. It’s either that, or they are messing with our heads, a habit any cat owner will tell you is common in the species.

Dogs never do that, not purposely; they’re too nice, too innocent for such games. Cats can be nice, too, when it is in their self interests to be so; they can also be as disapproving and cold as your Great Aunt Minnie’s oatmeal. All in all, though, I’d say the collaboration between man, dog, and cat, a pact entered into many generations ago around a campfire, has, for the most part, worked out well for all three parties. I know for certain that I mostly prefer the company of dogs and cats over that of my fellow man; they’ve given me much more reason to trust them than 99% of the people I’ve met in my life….. and they’re mostly better company, to boot….
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“Evolution is as much a fact as the earth turning on its axis and going around the sun.  At one time this was called the Copernican theory; but, when evidence for a theory becomes so overwhelming that no informed person can doubt it, it is customary for scientists to call it a fact.  That all present life descended from earlier forms, over vast stretches of geologic time, is as firmly established as Copernican cosmology.  Biologists differ only with respect to theories about how the process operates.” — Martin Gardner, “Irving Kristol and the Facts of Life”, — The Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. XII No. 2, ppg. 128-131

This is one of the clearest statements I’ve seen regarding this subject, and I was going to use it to poke more fun at the politicians in the news, but decided instead to just examine the concept for relevance. Evolution seems such common sense to me that I have a hard time believing that adult, presumably educated people can truthfully express their doubt as to it’s veracity. But, as a matter of fact, the two leading Republican presidential contenders currently hogging the headlines have both called evolution an “unproven theory”, though they are not able or willing to supply any physical, or even logical, evidence supporting that contention; it’s just their opinion, smirk, smirk, wiggle eyebrows…. My simple question for you is this….. are you willing to allow these people to have the power to launch nuclear weapons? To speak for us before the world? To have a mandate to force the rest of us to adopt their insanity? I didn’t think so……. neither do I…..
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“The correct way to punctuate a sentence that starts: “Of course it is none of my business, but –” is to place a period after the word “but.” Don’t use excessive force in supplying such a moron with a period. Cutting his throat is only a momentary pleasure and is bound to get you talked about.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

I tend to use quotes from this book a lot; it’s a tour de force of much of Heinlein’s body of work, and includes a segment called “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long”. The Notebooks are a compendium of quotations on life that come from the wisdom of a man who, by the beginning of the central story in the book, had already lived through 2300 years of human history.  That’s a pretty long time to hang around this old place, and in order to survive that long, some basic patterns of thought and attitude are revealed as being valuable for their usefulness in the Art of Survival.

As a matter of fact, ‘useful’ may be one of the defining characteristics of all the quotations, and attitudes, that are included in the Notebooks. There are too many to cover in a short piece of work like this one (though  long/short is debatable when talking of P.O.V.W….), but I will leave you with one of the deepest and most useful of all the fabulous entries…..

“Always store beer in a dark place.”– Lazarus Long  (Think about it awhile; it will grow as you think…..)
___________________________________

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

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

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

As is often the case with one of Emily’s poems, there is nothing I can add that will make it better, or better understood. I have a hard time saying why I like her works, anyway; I’m not sure the reason is available to my conscious mind. But it’s okay, because just reading it is enough for me……
___________________________________

Putting this morning’s Pearl together was an interesting start to the day; I’m not certain just what it says about how the rest of it should go. I thought much of the time this morning I was struggling, mostly to find subject matter. But, the process is now over, and it seemed to go by very quickly, which is usually a sign of good things to come later in the day.  Now I don’t know what to think…. oh well, I guess I’ll use the old retired person gambit, and go back to bed for awhile….. meantime, y’all take care out there….

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Curses so foul, Satan blushed….

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6

Ffolkes,
When I started to write this morning, something held me back. Whatever it is, it still seems to be operating, as what I had intended to write here is gone, pffft, no idea what it was. But that’s life I suppose, so here I am again, passing time on the keyboard, hitting random letters and hoping it comes out readable.

Oh, I remember….  I was going to begin today with another flight of fancy, but all I could find were flights of dreary. Nobody likes dreary, especially in the morning. But, then I remembered that, although I write this each morning, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be read in the morning, so that’s a moot point. Nonetheless, it’s still morning for me, so I’ll have to at least acknowledge such limitations, if not observe them literally. And if anyone can tell me what I’ve just said in the last few sentences, I’d be happy to know…..I’m lost, so I’m getting out of here and going on…..
___________________________________

My old dog, Noah, passed away last November, at the age of 17. He was a boon companion to my family for his entire life, minus the approximately 10 months he had lived when we found him at the shelter, and took him home. He was unfailingly polite, discrete, brave, loyal, loving, and always eager to please. He helped me learn a lot of life lessons over the years, as well as teaching my kids about how to live with honor. Just thinking about him is getting me all emotional; tears are flowing as I type. So I’ll just get on to the point(s) of this section; herein you will find…. —

Things We Can Learn from a Dog

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.
5. Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. Be loyal.
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
18. No matter how often you are criticized, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.
___________________________________

Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.–Anonymous

This Anonymous guy is pretty smart; I see his quotes everywhere, and they are always right on the mark. But, curiosity aside, lets discuss politics (I know, it’s a bit early in the day, but hey, I’m up, and don’t have anything else to do…..)

I think that the state of society and politics in this country has reached a condition that might accurately be called “just desserts”. We, the voting public, have, for many years now, continued to elect people who lie to us on a consistent basis, and whose actions as governors are based not on altruism, but rather on their own personal or political agendas. And it’s not as if we didn’t know it; every day there is a new article on the web, or on TV news, that more evidence has been unearthed that proves just how far the lying has progressed.

At this moment in time, there are three Republican politicians leading the race for the party’s nomination for President at the next general election in November. One is a career politician, a serial adulterer, and a man so contemptuous of the voting public that he doesn’t even try to hide either his immoral personal acts, or the lies he tells in public. The second is an ex-state-governor who has become very wealthy by taking advantage of not only his elected positions, but the loopholes in the tax laws that already favor the rich, in order to make his wealth grow. He is so out of touch with the common man that he doesn’t see anything wrong in how he has accumulated his gelt. In addition, his public statements contradict each other on a regular basis, as he changes the tenor of his lies to suit the audience he is currently addressing. The third possible candidate is so far out on the right of the political scale that he can’t even see the center. He has tried so hard to court the votes of the far right that he makes statements that have no basis in reality. All three of them have demonstrated the attitude that, if elected, we may as well kiss the Constitution goodbye, for they intend to remake America in their own image.

It seems pretty clear that none of them have a snowball’s chance on the equator at noon of being elected to the office; there aren’t enough people that far to the right, and the candidate wanna be’s are scaring even their own party’s moderates sufficiently that a lot will abstain from voting, just so they don’t waste it on pretty bad odds. But, it doesn’t really matter much anyway, as no politician exists who really has any idea of what concerns the man in the street.

Of course, the man on the street is too busy staying alive to really have a good grasp on what would be needed to make positive changes; the system is set up that way. The saddest part of this mess is that we, the voting public, have forgotten that we have the power to make change happen, if only we would vote accordingly. But we don’t. We continue to buy into the lying bullshit the beloved ruling class spews, and trundle our way into the voting booths, just as if it mattered..

If voting actually changed anything it’d be made illegal. — Anonymous (yep, him again…)

“Life is full of surprises when you’re up th’ stream of consciousness without a paddle…” — Zippy the Pinhead
___________________________________

“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.”– Oscar Wilde

You’ve gotta love Oscar….but if not, it’s okay, because I do. He lived his life exactly as he chose, and let the chips fall where they would. He was so true to his own nature that the rest of society became so resentful, they sent him to prison, for “corrupting the young”. Being of a delicate nature, his time in prison took its toll on his health, and he died relatively soon after being released, penniless, but not alone. Not alone, for he was charming, and such people attract others like light attracts a moth. I would give almost anything short of my honor to hear what he would say about today’s culture; it would, no doubt be memorable. Alas, that will never be, but it is a nice little fantasy, is it not?…..Hopefully a charming one, not tedious…
___________________________________

You ‘d scarce expect one of my age
To speak in public on the stage;
And if I chance to fall below
Demosthenes or Cicero,
Don’t view me with a critic’s eye,
But pass my imperfections by.
Large streams from little fountains flow,
Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
— David Everett (1769-1813) — Lines written for a School Declamation

No comments needed here; just plain good stuff…..
___________________________________

“I quite agree with you,” said the Duchess; “and the moral of that is –`Be what you would seem to be’ — or, if you’d like it put more simply –`Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'” — Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

This is wonderfully nonsensical; it reminds me a bit of a speech I heard a few years ago by some politician (I’ve forgotten the name, thankfully…). I would imagine that speech-writers for political hacks take a special course in college to learn how to talk this way; it only makes sense. Of course, the class would probably not count as credit toward graduation, since it has no basis in reality. This is what we call, “higher education”, and ensures that the status quo will be maintained…… no matter who is elected…..
___________________________________

Well, that was exhausting! Having to put this much effort into one day’s output is disconcerting, to say the least. But, I made it through to the end once more; I’ll decide later whether it was worth the effort. But, don’t let my problems get you down; you go on & have a grand day altogether…. I’ll just clean up the mess I’ve made, and go take a nap. All will be well…. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Life, Death, and Six Inch Stiletto Heels…..

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3

Ffolkes,
Just so it’s clear…..I’m not an atheist, per se, at least, not in the classical sense of the word.  I do hold beliefs regarding the subject of divinity and spirituality, but they bear no great resemblance to those espoused by any organized faith, and I don’t normally discuss them with anyone. It just causes arguments.  I am not a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Jew, or a Unitarian, or a Buddhist, or any other of the virtually countless ‘isms’ people have come up with to try to understand those parts of the universe that we do not comprehend. I’ve read the holy books of most of the major faiths; Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, the Bibles of several different Christian sects , the Tao Teh Ching, the I Ching, and any other related material I could find. Not that I made a complete heavy study of each, but I learned enough to be able to draw comparisons, and judge the validity of each (which I admit, is purely subjective. But then, isn’t any religious belief purely subjective? Why yes, I do believe it is…..).

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

But what if the amoeba was God? Amoeba are the most ancient form of life of which we are aware, utilizing the simplest means of reproduction available (as far as WE know anyway…), and essential to the formation of other life. Perhaps the entire bacterial level is God’s nervous system, and the amoeba are the thoughts of God. And as other forms of life evolved, maybe each entered another part of the symbiotic whole that is life, non-life, energy, matter, and non-matter, all of which must be present in order for our universe to manifest itself. Which makes our viewpoint completely backwards; we are the bottom of creation, not the top. Every other part of the universe, and almost every animal and creature on our planet we know of, except ourselves and our vaunted intelligence, are functioning according to their place in Nature because they have no need to do anything else.  Our intelligence is generally accepted to be that which makes us ‘better’ than the rest of creation, a convenient word to describe something that may not have been created, but might just happen to be the way it is, because it wants to be….so far we haven’t done too well at learning how to be at one with the rest of creation; quite the opposite as a general rule…..

Hmmm…..well, I guess that’s one way to look at it…… at least with this credo, there’s no guilt, no shame, no incentives, and no rewards, other than self-respect……
___________________________________
— Things We Can Learn from a Dog

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.
5. Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. Be loyal.
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
18. No matter how often you are criticized, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout.  Run right back and make friends.

There is nothing I need to add to this; it’s just fine the way it is. If there is any creature on this planet that might really be the physical manifestation of Jesus Christ, it would be a dog, for sure. Probably a border collie, they’re pretty smart…..
___________________________________

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now, here is indeed deep insight into human nature! One must respect MLKII, not merely because of his integrity and commitment to a higher purpose, but because he did so when there was no expectation of success or reward. Even those who disagreed with him (a group I am not part of, thankfully) learned to respect him, even as they reviled his positions. And this particular statement is one that applies to all human behavior and interaction. Much of the current world-wide troubles stem from this principle’s veracity; in too many corners of the world, people are oppressed, held down at the behest of tyrannical leadership in the name of either religion, geography, or sheer human avarice, unable to speak for fear of reprisal. But, eventually, one of them does speak out, and is heard by those in thrall with him. One man, or woman, showing the bravery to fight for their freedom, can inspire a million others; when that happens, change happens. It is well to remember that it takes only one person to act with courage and honor to change the world. But that one person must speak out when they witness, or are are victimized by the cruelty and rapaciousness of those who prey on their fellow men…… It is then a good thing, for all of us, to find opportunities to………practice acts of random kindness and senseless beauty, and be brave in the face of evil…..
___________________________________

“He said that there was one only good, namely, knowledge; and one only evil, namely, ignorance.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD)
— Socrates, xiv

Discouraging, isn’t it? This concept has been part of mankind’s legacy of wisdom for AT LEAST 1900 years, and we are still struggling with the war between good and evil, knowledge and ignorance. If one is the type who is easily discouraged in the face of difficult problems, this would definitely be a major obstacle to finding a solution. I think the part of this issue that is particularly hard to accept is that a lot of people enjoy their ignorance, and resist any attempts at education, or for that matter, any type of change, either in what they think, or what they do. Today’s culture is, sadly, infused with a sense of entitlement by far too many people regarding their actions and thoughts. They believe that what they want, no matter how destructive or indifferent to the rights of others, is owed to them by the universe. It is this sense of entitlement, promulgated and reinforced by religious organizations, that is the root cause of most of the problems we face as a species, to wit: pollution, ozone depletion, global warming, extreme climate change, and most significantly, the economic disparity so glaringly obvious it’s pasted all over the news on a daily basis. I’m still a tiny bit optimistic, but it’s getting hard to maintain any positive energy about this issue, and I wish that I were smart enough to be able to come up with something in the way of a solution. How to accomplish change in others has always been a mystery. The changes we need now are all internal, proprietary to each individual human, and the changes must be initiated by them, or they won’t be real, and we’ll continue down this road to perdition, instead of to redemption……___________________________________

I confess that I love Pooh and have never seen Beavis and Butthead.

Well, maybe I’ve seen a couple minutes of the two bozos; it took no longer than that to notice that watching it was killing brain cells. I haven’t bothered to watch again. Nothing I saw was at all attractive to my taste, so continuing to watch would have merely annoyed me, and caused arguments with my kids, who were fortunately old enough not to take the show seriously. The very existence of the show could arguably be considered as proof of the arguments presented in the section prior to this one. It could be considered one more manipulative attempt at mind-control by the PTB, deadening otherwise normal people’s sensitivity and intelligence by overexposure to deep ignorance. It’s not an unusual tactic; television is the perfect medium for distributing propaganda, disguised as comedy, or as dramatic, pseudo-intellectual thrillers. Why do you think cop shows are so popular? In reply, I will refer you to the quote above by Diogenes Lertius, via Socrates…..the battle goes on, with ignorance leading on points, which, of course, were awarded by default, due to lack of protest on the part of the normals……
___________________________________

I can’t say I’ve lacked for anything to say today, can I? I’ve done you a small favor, by only having four sections today, rather than the customary five. I did so because I wrote so much in the introduction that I am now getting fatigued, though I’ve only been up about an hour and a quarter. It would probably be best if I just stop now, before I cannot…….y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Just Dozer

Kowabunga!

If wishes were BMW’s….

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4

Ffolkes,
Today’s Pearls will be foreshortened, for the simple reason that I am in mourning, and don’t much feel like being clever. This morning I will be taking Noah to the vet to have him put to rest. I can no longer take care of him in his weakened, frail condition; it’s become clear that he is no longer comfortable, and I don’t want him to suffer any further. So this is all there will be for today; just a short comment on life, and a good tongue-in-cheek take on our REAL “better half”………

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” — Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)

DOG, n.  A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world’s worship.  This Divine Being in
some of his smaller and silkier incarnations takes, in the affection of Woman, the place to which there is no human male aspirant.  The Dog
is a survival — an anachronism.  He toils not, neither does he spin, yet Solomon in all his glory never lay upon a door-mat all day long, sun-soaked and fly-fed and fat, while his master worked for the means wherewith to purchase the idle wag of the Solomonic tail, seasoned with a look of tolerant recognition. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

Life is actually pretty simple when one’s entire focus is on getting past the pain……y’all keep a good thought for Noah, and take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Noah

R.I.P. Old Friend

An Ode To Noah

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6

Noah came to live with us when he was about 10 months old; we rescued him from taking the long walk at the Humane Society kennel in Santa Rosa. It was my son’s fifteenth birthday, and he wanted a dog, swearing up & down that he would take responsibility for its’ care. Pets were always part of family life when I grew up, and our last dog had been gone for a bit over a year, so it was time to expand the family once again.

As Cory and I walked down the aisle between cages at the kennel, a large variety of dogs started a welcoming cacophony of different barks; shrill tiny ones, deep booming ones, polite yips, all blended together in an almost desperate frenzy, as each animal, many of them almost frantic, tried to get our attention. Some pawed at the gate, some jumped up, some looked nervous, others looked friendly, and all of them, it seemed, were making noise. As we drew near the last cage in the aisle, we saw a medium-sized black and white dog, not barking, not jumping, just sitting down, leaning against the wall by the gate. He was looking me right in the eyes with an expression on his face that just said, “get me out of here, please!”. What could we do? He was obviously our dog, and he realized it too. We told him we’d be right back, and went back to announce our choice, and complete the paperwork.

The attendant brought Noah in to us just as I finished. He still looked a bit nervous, but calm. That is, he was calm until I clasped his new collar around his neck and hooked on his leash. All of a sudden, he realized he wasn’t going back into the kennel, and he was immediately a new dog, wagging his tail furiously, looking at us with his eyes shining, almost dancing and vibrating in his eagerness to go. As we walked back to the van, he walked proudly in front of us, looking back every few steps to make sure we were still there, tail and ears up, a very happy dog…..

Noah settled into the family immediately. He proved to be very well-mannered, both with people, and in his habits. When on walks, he would stop to sniff, and lift his leg, on every interesting bush and tree, just like any other male dog. But when he had to do his secondary business, he made it clear he preferred to go behind a bush, or somewhere out of the way, and preferably out of sight. He would assume a very embarrassed expression when not sufficiently hidden from sight, and would turn away, as if he felt guilty. A very private, discreet individual, to say the least. If he had been overlong between walks, and was so much in a hurry that he made a mistake on the sidewalk, he would act just like a cat, and pretend that it had not happened. What mess? Who me? I don’t know what you’re talking about…..
Noah was an extremely intellingent dog; I’ve known a great many animals in my time on this old planet, and he’s one of the smartest I’ve ever been around. When he came to live with us, he already knew how to sit on command (both voice and hand), to lie down, and to stay. Actually, he had a little trouble with the whole concept of stay; he didn’t like being left alone, and would often follow after a minute or two; it’s like he just didn’t want to believe we really MEANT for him to stay. He figured he should be with us so he could do his job. As long as he could see us, he’d stay where he was; if he couldn’t, he believed it was his place to find us, and we just couldn’t come to terms; on this point he was firm.

We also never had to teach Noah any tricks, as he seemed to have figured stuff out on his own, and his way was definitely cool….the first time I ever gave him a treat (a milk bone), I showed it to him and told him to sit. He sat. I told him to speak, and he gave one quick howl. I held out my hand, & he offered his own to shake. I straightened up, tossed the treat in the air, and watched him not just catch it, but after making the in-air snag, he tossed it back up into the air. He watched it hit the floor, whereupon he dove on top of it, rolled over, and did a happy dance, by twisting his back and hips as if scratching his back on the floor. I swear, he looked just like Snoopy doing the Dance of Joy. When he was done dancing on his back, he rolled over and proceeded to enjoy his milk bone, with a big twinkle in his eye. I always wanted to video the move to submit it for Stupid Pet Tricks on the Letterman Show, but never had a camera handy when he performed his feat, so Noah missed his chance for stardom.

Noah’s gotten old now; we just observed his 17th birthday in February of this year, so in dog years, he’s going on 120 or so. He can’t hear anything but very loud noises, and can’t see more than a few feet, and I suspect that is mostly shadows and moving light. I’m afraid he will be passing on soon, as he can no longer get up without assistance, and cannot control his bodily functions. I sometimes feel like I should have him put down, to ease his pains, but he doesn’t act as if he is hurting, and I can tell he enjoys just lying around and sleeping, as long as he knows I am near. For his entire life with us, over 16 and a half years, he has been a true and loyal companion, and observed with honor the pact that was made between man and dog many thousands of generations ago, and taking care of him in his declining years is both a privilege, and an honor. In my entire life, I have never known anyone more loyal, more compassionate, and more courageous in standing up to life. He is by far the best friend that any man could hope for, and by far the best person I’ve ever known……