Tag Archives: Francis Rabelais

Maybe. Maybe not….

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,

“I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone,

but they’ve always worked for me.”

~~ Hunter S. Thompson ~~

potd-panda-1_3134810k

    When Hunter S. Thompson’s most famous quote adorns the opening, you know it’s going to be a day in the trenches…. so be it…. We’ll open with a bit of legerdemain, then go on to find some sort of reason to continue, whether we wish it, or not…. Here, let’s go the obvious route, shall we?….

Isn’t that a great face? I sure wish I knew what the little bear is looking at; whatever it is, he’s not sure he wants to know about it at all…. Well, that, or, he’s in a psycho-cub state, much akin to the one cats display at times, usually at 3 AM, by running around the house at full speed, knocking into walls and jumping off furniture from great heights, just because…. The picture, btw, is of one of the three triplet panda cubs born in China a couple of months ago, a very rare occurrence, especially to pandas in captivity…. They’ve been the subject of close scrutiny by the entire world, as most such sets of triplets have not survived long…. This one looks spunky enough to make it, for sure….

He sure looks spunkier than I’m feeling, but, nothing new there…. The only new item I see today is the new deep ache in my left arm, between the elbow and shoulder; sleeping appears to have annoyed it somehow…. Oh, joy…. It must be time for a ritual slathering of the magic cream…. I’ll take a few minutes to go take care of that, & maybe when I come back to this, I’ll have a bit of inspiration at hand…. Hope springs eternal….

Well…. all I can say is, that stuff is magic…. Sadly, it doesn’t come with inspiration included, and the clock is still ticking…. I suppose I could do some nonsense… Let’s see… Nope…. Nothing resembling that anywhere in there…. How ’bout a quick rant? No, too early, and, no angst currently available, unless we count that which hangs about with the pain…. The poem I’ve been cultivating somewhere in the back of my mind isn’t ripe yet, either; I can tell by the craw stuck in my throat…. Damn! I bet y’all know what THIS means, don’t you?

Yep. It’s another failure of imagination, classically displayed right out here where all may see…. Chalk it up to my Bozoid Tendencies, and we’ll call it an intro… We have to at this point…. we’ve already used up any other alternative methods, so, ruthless dumping is all we have left to get us out of this mess, which my blathering has landed us in, again…. Some day, I’ll find an intro, but, by then, I won’t know what to do with it anyway…. SIGH….. It’s a good thing for all of us I used Hunter S. Thompson to bracket the intro; with such brutal honesty at play, nothing can harm us on our way to immortality, or a reasonable facsimile….

Huh?…. Ah, fuck it, let’s be on our way…. Coherency is a lost cause, at this point….

Shall we Pearl?

“The time has come to kick ass.” — Hunter S. Thompson

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

Time is a function of human perception; in reality, all there is, is NOW.  We have no control over the past, and the future is only under control according to what we choose to do NOW…. Right NOW, I am not sure this will ever get posted….

Early morning ambivalence is the order of the day, apparently; combined with the dysfunctional body with which I am now saddled, there is some doubt as to future events ever taking place according to my wishes…. SIGH… Oh well, for the nonce, we’ll pretend we do have some sort of choice, and pick out a video…. How ’bout some Blues?….


Chicago Blues, Live Vol. 1

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

Yep, you guessed it…. another rant from the archives…. If you are a regular, you’ve seen this before. If not, have no fear, it’s a good read…. well, I think so, anyway….

From 4/9/2013:

Here’s the deal…. I still don’t have a rant ready, but I feel like ranting…. so, I’ll sublimate…. This is an article that I posted on Triond, another web site where I’ve published some of my work, in the latter part of 2012, near the election that took place in November….. All of it is still pretty valid, discounting the date-related issues…. all the rest, I stand by…..

Absence of Honor: The Untimely Death of The US Constitution


“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered.” — Deng Ming-Dao

As I read this pearl, my immediate thought was that it is a very clear, very accurate take on the 2012 election process that is currently unfolding before us in the daily news. The end of the political scale that is represented so raggedly by what is left of the Republican Party, and the mislabeled liberal end of the scale who claim to be Democrats, are both engaging in ongoing battles to see who can display the deepest ignorance.

The leading candidate for the “loyal opposition” to the party in power, Mr. Romney, seems to have a proclivity for alienating the very people from whom he is trying to win votes; women, immigrants and Hispanics, animal lovers, seniors, teachers and students, all have been told, in no uncertain terms, that they matter not at all to him. His plan? We’ll stop taxing the rich altogether, and that will fix everything…. Sometimes I wonder if he is getting all of his information on voter wants and issues of importance from old newspapers from the 1980’s, because he certainly hasn’t a clue as to what is happening out in America in this decade….

The other party, led by our first Black President, is busy hiding what the left hand is doing by distracting everyone with the tax and healthcare issues, to keep them unaware of how few of the Bill of Rights are left to us. “Executive Orders” signed by the POTUS this year, beginning on New Year’s Eve, while the voters were all busy celebrating the advent of the new year, include provisions that allow police to stop, search, and arrest any citizen of this country whom they suspect of any form of terrorism, or even of protest against the provisions of those orders.

These same police who are arresting their ostensible fellow-citizens are not required to tell ANYONE that they have arrested and imprisoned a citizen, nor are they ever required to provide any evidence of their suspicions in a court of law. Even though there may be no evidence, they can subject these CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY to torture to obtain a confession, or whatever it is they are after. There is no oversight to these orders; they don’t go before Congress to be approved, nor are they reviewed by the courts. Both of those particular checks on the power of the Executive Branch are completely out of the loop on this…. and they aren’t even complaining about it!

Does it physically hurt to be that stupid? — Smart Bee

My guess at the answer to this is, No. It can’t hurt very much to be that stupid, as we continue to go out each time there is an election and vote these same lying, cheating, avaricious assholes back into the same positions from which they have been oppressing the American people for oh, a hundred or so years now. I’d say that around the time of the Depression was when the first real strangle-hold on the national throat was first achieved…. the pure bullshit the government was spewing back then can be seen to have been the first real time that the government’s outrageous lies were swallowed whole by a reluctant public, who had nothing else to eat, and thus nothing else to risk…

“He was born stupid, and greatly increased his birthright.” — Samuel Butler

So, how does it feel? Does it physically hurt to be so stupid, as to be part of the crowd that continues to buy into all the bullshit lies that our own government heaps upon us every day? To keep going to the polls, just as if it really matters who gets elected? Get real, folks. You will not find a name on the ballot that belongs to someone who is not a willing tool of the powers of oppression, the money-changers who are the power behind the scenes of every government in the world. Not going to happen; they’ve been the real power in the world for centuries, and they’re not about to give up all they have, just to be nice, or because they’ve, all of a sudden, grown a heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty fucking tired of being lied to, and cheated, and looked at as just another idiot for them to shit on….. and I’m not going to put up with it for much longer, without some kind of return fire….. Believe it…. I don’t think I am alone in this, either…. No way to tell for sure, but I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE is falling for all of it…. but, even if I’m alone in this, I refuse to knuckle under any further, and can only say that I will do all I can to see things turn in a direction that will return my Rights, and those of the rest of the American people…. or at least those not stupid enough to hand them over without a fight….

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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

Since I’ve shamelessly raided the archives already, here is another of mine, just because…

Savory
Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
   finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
   chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.

Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
   builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
   chance manifests, as it does, again.

Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
   making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
   as another snitch drops his dime.

Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
   covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
   turning love to brilliant rhyme.

Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
   gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
   peace comes only when we lose our fear.

~~ gigoid ~~


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

Smart Bee seems to be on strike, so, we’ll have to go with an old-school pearl from the archives today…. Here’s a pretty good one, from 2013….

From 4/4/2013:

Well, it seems clear that my fresh material isn’t up to snuff today…. it seems so to me, anyway, and I’m the one who has to stomach it first….. Which means I’m going into the past yet again, but with fresh material…. This will be a random chosen old-school Pearl, the best I can do on short notice…… The point may or may not be apparent, but, what else is new?….

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave…” — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms”

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” — Akiro Kurosawa

“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Man’s many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has the more they weigh him down.” — Satya Sai Baba

“Whoever has even once become notorious by base fraud, even if he speaks the truth, gains no belief.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 10, 1

    I feel like one
    Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
    Whose lights are fled,
    Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed.

 ~~ Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Oft in the Stilly Night ~~


“And thereby hangs a tale.” — Francis Rabelais (1495-1553) — Works, Book v, Chap. iv

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

Bah! Humbug!…. There, y’all don’t have to say it; I said it for you…. and, I don’t blame you, either…. But, in spite of how any of us may feel about it, it’s done, and I’m not going to look a gift horse, etc….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. maybe, maybe not….

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.

Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Officer, that rhinoceros is winking at me!….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Earth has it’s boundaries, but human stupidity is limitless.”


~~ Flaubert ~~


10-19-2014 014


     I’m thinking Mssr. Flaubert was in a bit of a stinky mood when he wrote the above aphorism…. It does have the advantage of being fairly well true, if a bit lacking in scientific approach…. Yes, human stupidity is unlimited in scope; however the Earth is a finite object; as such it has actual limits. But, given the incredible beauty our world can display, there is no limit to how much it can stimulate our imagination, which IS infinite in scope as well… We are creatures of duality; our nature, our perception, and our emotional makeup all reflect that duality, which, by the fact of it’s nature, provides the universe with balance, and permanence….


It’s amazing, isn’t it? To look at a picture such as this one, of a plant thriving in the midst of urban blight, providing a source of beauty even the depressive nature of its surroundings cannot dim, and know how beautiful the world is, if it only gets a chance…. In the midst of sorrow, and pain, and the depression of poverty, one may always find beauty, which, by its mere existence, gives people hope, and the strength to live on, to keep struggling toward the light, using what is at hand…. just as this plant has done….


Enough early morning philosophy for one day; when I started I didn’t plan on going into that; it evolved as I began to type, pretty much writing itself…. Given the history of introductory sections on this blog, I find that to be a good thing. It’s given us a decent set of opening lines, and thoughts, with the bonus of not falling into a rant, right out of the box. I’m sure y’all can appreciate such restraint; I know this blog can get to be a heavy read, but, I really do try to think ahead in that respect…..


My tendency toward bozoid behavior, though, often causes me to forget my good intentions, and ranting becomes the order of the day. Today, however, you’ll note we are almost far enough down the page to make our escape…. In fact, we’re going to bail out by the end of this particular paragraph, as I see the opening coming up ahead, there at the side of the worm hole…. Again, I have to ask y’all to fasten your seat belts securely, as the cabin may experience some turbulence while the pilot is unconscious; no worries, it’s only a temporal effect, passing in seconds, and we’ll come out the other side without a problem…. Trust me….


Shall we Pearl?….


“We are more sensible of what is done against custom than against Nature.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Of Eating of Flesh, Tract 1


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


I’m in the mood for some soothing, cerebral music today…. In this particular group of musical pieces, I suggest you skip past the first one that plays; it’s a bit slow for a morning piece…. but, it gets better, believe me…. Enjoy, ffolkes!







The Best in Classical Music: Part 1:














































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


“When you are sure you’re right, you have a moral duty to impose your will upon anyone who disagrees with you.” — Robert W. Mayer


Think about that for a moment….


When I think about this, beyond my initial gut reaction, which involves severe disdain, not to mention disgust, for such unwarranted arrogance, I am struck with two thoughts, each more depressing the the other….. First, I want to say that it is my firm belief that any time someone, anyone, uses the words, “it is your moral duty”, you can be sure they are speaking about THEIR morals, not anyone else’s…. 


This kind of discriminatory bigotry is damn near invisible to anyone who suffers from it, as it arises out of what can only be faith-based assumptions, thus ensuring that NO argument will be entertained…. In other words, no matter HOW ignorant, or bigoted, or INSANE their beliefs, if they think they are right (and, they will never entertain any other thought), it guarantees their fanaticism, and rejection of ANY evidence to the contrary….


That being said, it depresses me that, most of the people in this country, ESPECIALLY those who end up in politics, would, if asked, express their belief in this sentiment, right down to the bone, no matter how insane it truly is…. It is also a de rigeur position for anyone who buys into ANY of the religions out there, for they all operate with this sort of illogic as their primary method of exposition and thought…. You see, it doesn’t actually require any thought to believe this stuff; it’s all laid out for them, so all that is needed is to say, “ditto”, position the blinders comfortably,  and resume their clueless existence….


“As one reads history… one is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the  wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted.” — Oscar Wilde


This attitude is the reason the government, and all the assholes who do their clandestine bidding, are able to continue to do whatever they wish to do, no matter how the public feels about it…..


Secondly, when I see that statement, (above, by R. Mayer) claiming moral infallibility by right of belief, I get depressed because, not only do most people believe it in the case of this issue, they also tend to carry the self-same attitude over into every area of their life, until every original thought is quashed before it ever formulates in their minds…. They become the nightmare of any honestly ethical man, as an entitled hedonist, believing they have the right to anything they desire, whether filling that desire affects, or even harms, anyone else, or not. With the mandate of faith, they are invulnerable to reason, and to criticism of any sort…


This attitude, of entitlement, becomes the societal norm after a while, until our culture resembles nothing so much as a jungle, where everyone believes in the theory of ‘dog eat dog’, with the eventual result we see now, where no one is able to trust anyone else…. All because lying, cheating, and stealing have become the norm, the primary way everyone turns to in order to get what they want…. and, nobody cares, because that kind of behavior is mirrored at all levels of society, right up to the very top….. This all-too human trait has been recognized for a long time, but, has resisted all attempts to root it out of human interaction; hence, we see war, after war, after war, since the beginning of historical memory….


Below, you will find the evidence I found, straight from the horse’s mouth, that shows exactly how we humans REALLY view life…. Real life, that is, not the ideal life everyone talks about…. These nine statements/aphorisms/quotes tell it like it is…. and how humans, especially our Beloved Ruling Class, looks at reality…. Please note, this is all RECORDED evidence, with attribution, so, it’s not like I made any of this part up on my own…. It’s all down in black and white, on paper, somewhere…. so, this is all stuff people really do, and believe….. or, want us all to believe….


“Society attacks early, when the individual is helpless.” — B.F. Skinner


“Necessity has no law.” — Francis Rabelais (1495-1553) — Works, Book v, Chap. xv


“The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” — Exodus 15:3


“The only very marked difference between the average civilized man and the average savage is that the one is gilded and the other is painted.” — Mark Twain


“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” — Saul Bellow


“Democracy is the name we give the people whenever we need them.” — Arman de Caillavet


“Even though Federal health officials are promoting less tobacco use, the tobacco industry should continue to expand in foreign markets.” — Vice President Dan Quayle


“People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.” — Otto von Bismarck


“If you can’t drink a lobbyist’s whiskey, take his money, sleep with his women  and still vote against him in the morning, you don’t belong in politics.” — Speaker of the California Assembly Jesse Unruh


In a manner of speaking, I rest my case; they are hoist on their own petard, condemned by their own words…. I’ll leave you with one final thought on the matter, to wit:


“A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them.” — P.J. O’Rourke


So be it…..


gigoid has spoken.


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


I’m in the mood for Yeats….




When You Are Old


When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars. 


~~ William Butler Yeats ~~




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


Today’s old school pearl is relatively fresh; it does, however, seem to lack a certain degree of intensity…. Oh, it’s all true, and good stuff, but, there just isn’t a lot of OOMPH to it…. Oh well, I guess they can ALL be compelling…. It’s a good pearl, anyway, so, just allow it to lead your mind to where it’s headed, and you’ll be fine…. maybe a small bit wiser, too…. maybe…


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


“If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives.” — Robert South


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


“Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” — Socrates (470?-399 B.C.), [quoting Plato]


“Of all the strange “crimes” that human beings have legislated out of nothing, “blasphemy” is the most amazing–with “obscenity” and “indecent exposure” fighting it out for second and third place.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”


“Kindness gives birth to kindness.” — Sophocles


“Gentleman: A man who knows how to play bagpipes — and refrains.” — Fred Tart


A bit general, but, tidy enough…. I’ll take it….


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


I have done my duty, and that’s all I can say…. Since, however, duty remains my core belief, that’s good enough…. Today is a day with a lot of possibilities…. as Gilda Radner once said of life, “delicious ambiguity!”….. I’ll 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.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….




 



		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
A smattering of simple sugars…..

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				1			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,

In the grand scheme of things, I would normally begin this with some unadulterated nonsense, or perhaps a purely fictional story opening. Occasionally, I will speak of how Murphy’s latest japes have enhanced my morning, or of how I’m feeling emotionally, or physically, as those two states occupy a lot of my attention these days. Today we are trying something relatively new, which I will call pure honesty, and I hope to hell it works….


I can’t seem to find an opening format for these introductory comments that is suitable for daily use. It has to be funny, and/or compelling enough to draw attention, but not so heavy as to frighten away those who like lighter reading. (They are the ones who are NOT usually in the choir, and need to hear my messages the most….) It should tease a little about what is coming up later, but not give away any of the suspense I am trying to build in some cases. In short, it is driving me crazy, and that has been reflected in these paragraphs almost every day, with yesterday’s being the exception. That one was a short excuse, telling why I was cheating by using archived material, and was completely atypical.


But, nothing I’ve ever tried has fit the bill sufficiently to make me use it again, other than to try to remember what has worked in the past…. which brings me back to yesterday’s post, from here in Oregon where I’ve been visiting for a couple of days now…. That post had perhaps the shortest intro in a couple of years, and my statistics from yesterday were highest I’ve ever seen here… 21 Likes in the first 24 hours, an unprecedented number, and once again, over a dozen of them were ffolkes who hadn’t been here before, to my knowledge. I am jazzed about that, even thought I don’t write for statistics, per se; I write for my own sanity and pleasure. But, it’s nice to know other ffolkes are enjoying what I write as well, so I’m pleased with the turnout yesterday….


In hopes of keeping those numbers up, today’s intro will again be relatively short, as this will be it…. I’m done with it, and want to get on to the end, so I can go play with my friends in the Big Blue Room…. a visit to taste beer is on tap for later, which will be great, as they’ve got some prize winners on hand for tasting… should be good…. Any who, I don’t know how this will turn out yet, so let’s go see what happens…. Shall we Pearl?…..

__________________________________


“I’m in direct contact with many advanced fun CONCEPTS.” — Zippy the Pinhead


There is no doubt in my mind that this is true and complete, to the best of Zippy’s knowledge, which is extensive and quite varied in nature. However, for our purposes, we will ignore all that, and go right to what matters…. which is rutabagas….. You never see anybody making any dishes out of rutabagas any more; I’m not sure it’s available for sale anywhere… Of course, it’s no big loss, as they were just about the most tasteless, useless foods I’ve ever encountered…. Hmm… I seem to have written meself into a corner, with no way out… Too bad, really, I like the Zippy quote….


Well, that sinks it…. I’m don’t have it this morning, so, I will once again need to dip into the past for an acceptable pearl or two…. I’ll be right back with one for this section….. Okay, here’s a good one, from late in 2011….

———-


“To get people to think they are thinking begets friendship, whereas actually to make people think begets resentment. There is no level so low to which people will not stoop, even honorable people, to avoid the difficulty of thinking.” — Smart Bee


So true, so true…..it fascinates me at times, this reluctance on the part of most folks to using the one and only evolutionary advantage they possess over other creatures. Compared to other animals, we’re not particularly fast, nor very strong, and our teeth and nails are not very good weapons compared to those of a leopard, for just one example. We need to wear clothing to protect ourselves from our own planet’s weather extremes. We rely on other species for our sustenance, being unable to create it ourselves. And, in the final analysis, we’re pretty fragile, physically speaking; even a soft blow administered to the correct point can cause death.


Hell, our bodies have more than one design flaw; how about how our food and air processing facilities? They cross each other at a critical junction, at the throat, and can frequently cause problems that can have mortal consequences. Our elimination process and sexual organs also cross paths, in a manner of speaking; the outlet for the former is right next to the points of ingress and egress of the latter, depending on gender. From a strictly engineering viewpoint, it’s not a very good design.


It’s clear that there is little chance of humans ever dominating on the basis of physical characteristics; most animals are much better equipped for that. Our mind, our imagination, our perception of more than merely physical energy in the universe, these are our advantages over other creatures. We have the ability to remember the past in the present, and use those memories to extrapolate the future. This is an incredible evolutionary leap, one that allows humans to readily turn their perceptions of how things work into tools that enable us to alter reality to suit our wishes. We can’t really fight our way out of a paper bag, and our defenses against predators is weak in comparison to other animals. But the power of our minds is sufficient to neutralize all physical and environmental advantages of the other inhabitants, and gives mankind the means to not merely survive, but to thrive and dominate.


So, the question remains: why are so many people so averse to using their minds? Well, I don’t know, for sure. I could make some guesses, and they might even be accurate. But it really doesn’t matter, because the only creature who can cause us to change ourselves, is ourselves. Nobody can make us do anything we don’t want to do. Most folks learn the power of the word “No” at a young age (age 2 is customary for most folks), and get so impressed with it that it becomes their default position for anything that appears ‘difficult’. Sad, but true…..and wishing won’t make it go away. I can only wish I were smart enough to figure out how to get folks to see the light, before its too late, and the bulb burns out for good…..

__________________________________


I’ve looked deep inside, and I can’t find a poem in there today, but I have this poetry challenge to meet, so, once more, I’ll dip into my older material for one…. Here is one of my favorites….. And the link to the home page of the National Poetry Month Challenge is  http://www.napowrimo.net/


After the odyssey….



Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;

evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.

Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;

unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound


Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;

gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.

Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;

salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.


Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;

lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.

Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;

no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.


Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;

forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.

Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;

savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.


Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;

his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.

Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;

Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.


~~ gigoid 


__________________________________


Well, it seems clear that my fresh material isn’t up to snuff today…. it seems so to me, anyway, and I’m the one who has to stomach it first….. Which means I’m going into the past yet again, but with fresh material…. This will be a random chosen old-school Pearl, the best I can do on short notice…… The point may or may not be apparent, but, what else is new?….


“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave…” — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms”


“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward


“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” — Akiro Kurosawa


“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson


“Man’s many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has the more they weigh him down.” — Satya Sai Baba


“Whoever has even once become notorious by base fraud, even if he speaks the truth, gains no belief.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 10, 1


I feel like one

Who treads alone

Some banquet-hall deserted,

Whose lights are fled,

Whose garlands dead,

And all but he departed.


— Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Oft in the Stilly Night


“And thereby hangs a tale.” — Francis Rabelais (1495-1553) — Works, Book v, Chap. iv

__________________________________


Aye, thereby indeed hangs a tale…. and a fluffy tale at that….  😆   I’ve done all the damage I can do, so I’m outta here….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..




—

Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes

I just sits.


gigoid


dozer3