“If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”
~~ Anatole France ~~
Yeehaw! Next stop,Times Square!
Image from the UK Telegraph POTD 8/4/2015
Hajime…. In the recent past, I’ve been spending a lot of time inside my head, searching even further inside myself, to find the answers to all the issues presented to me by my reactions to reality. The primary result, in re: writing this blog each day, has been to make it difficult to feel any connection to the creative process. It might have to do with how I deal with pain, since I’m having less; it’s been clear for quite a while my pain has been one of the more stimulating factors in creating the angst needed to supply fuel to the fires of my meager creativity. So, perhaps that is the whole problem; sort of an anti-problem, since it’s because my pain is reduced in total.
With that being said, I find myself, this morning, rather reluctant to even begin putting together a Pearl for today. I do have pieces partly done, but, the energy to make the effort to bring it together seems to be missing, gone poof while talking on Skype to a friend about today’s Brexit vote. The political/sociological depths we explored while talking seems to have eliminated any desire to write. This, of course, is a bit frustrating, since it took place BEFORE beginning, and removed most of the stimulating factors in conversation. Therefore, I’ve made a decision, to post only a truncated Pearl. Another WYSIWYG post, as it were.
So, at this juncture, I can’t even say what you’ll find below this intro. What I do know is, whatever you find is all there is for today. You won’t need to worry about it being over-long today, that’s for sure. In order to get even that much done in a timely fashion is impossible, since I’m already almost an hour past my personal deadline to post, I’ll have to cut it ruthlessly, and get it done in what we like to call jig-time. Don’t know what that means, but, we say it anyway.
That’s all for today, ffolkes. I’ll see y’all tomorrow…. Maybe. If not, I’ll leave a note, with another whiny apology. Actually, no, I won’t, but, hey, it sounds good, and it takes up a little more space. Let’s go see what we can find to help get this done….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Cease to be ruled by dogmas and authorities; look at the world!”
~~ H.G. Wells paraphrase of Roger Bacon’s works ~~
Puzzled anew by anomalous blocks of pain
caught, bemused, chained to routine, insane.
Stilled within breathless beauty
Engaging epiphany, insistent, called to duty.
Knees bent in lieu of a faithful rendition
suffuses, confuses, locked into stale perdition.
Clearing corrosion with hands encased in stone
Singular frozen follicles, masked by bone.
Partial focus brings unfiltered flavors to light
coloring each particle in simple delight.
Forlorn, novel conceptual artists singing in tune
nine notes in harmony, soft as the moon.
Honed blades of carbon steel flash in rhyme,
filling sensual receptors well past closing time.
Borrowed from neighbors in a week-old game
still bloody, without a proper name.
No flooded memories can justify such cost
no simple stationery, bilious, afraid, lost.
Ten times ten will never be enough
To fill so empty a stolen trough.
Bartering simplicity takes well into the night
solidly temporary pillars turned bright.
Unknown to all the pretty children who came
none were called, none had any remaining flame.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/25/2015
It just seemed appropriate…..
********************************
Naked Pearls
Three Blind Mice
*****
“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
*****
Believe me!
“The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness
and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!”
~~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche ~~
*****
How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*****
********************************
Well, I did it. It’s not much, but, there ’tis, in all its faded glory. So be it. I’ll be back, ffolkes. Count on it….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Clay is moulded to make a vessel,
but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. …
Thus, taking advantage of what is,
we recognize the utility of what is not.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
Cobh, Ireland
Hajime…. Most ffolkes, when able to sleep in a relatively normal fashion, probably wake up feeling pretty good. I can only wish that were the case with me, for it would sure be nice to wake up that way on occasion. As it is, even though I managed to garner six good hours of rest, I am in a foul mood upon awakening. Don’t ask me why, because, apparently, even that pisses me off; I asked myself that simple query, & damn near tore my own head off. This, sadly, leaked over to the point where even Leelu’s morning attention-seeking behaviors prompted a blow-off of steam out of my ears, along with some creative cursing, which probably shocked her delicate sensibilities…..
Now, of course, I can add guilt to the mix, as there’s no reason to take my angst out on an innocent cat (if there be such a thing….). Even though, by now, she ought to have figured out when to leave me be, there’s no justifiable reason to take my feelings out on any creature not deserving of it. So, I’m going to take a break, make up with her, then come back to finish this missive, such as it may be with all the handicaps I’m experiencing in getting it done. I did manage to finish some of it yesterday, during breaks in the fog in my head, which has been slipping in & out of my consciousness for a week or more. The rest will have to come out of whatever is in there this morning…. So be it….
It’s days such as this which make me wish, strongly, for a God upon which to blame the universe. It would be so convenient, if I could only bring myself to believe in such a convenient delusion. But, I can’t, so, that makes it my responsibility to pull my own chestnuts out of this fire…. Again, so be it. If I don’t, it won’t get done. To give us half a chance to do so, I’m going to take that break now, then return, & go on from there. Wish me luck, ffolkes; I have a feeling I’ll need some….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The man who carries a cat by the tail
learns something that can be learned in no other way.
He will never be dim, or doubtful.
Chances are, he won’t carry the cat that way again;
but, I say, if he wants to, let him!”
My friend, chuq, who has a blog called In Saner Thought (here: https://lobotero.com/ ) told me he was listening to this yesterday. I hadn’t thought of it for a long time, so, naturally, here it is today for your listening pleasure. An iconic album, with three of the best of the time, playing together with verve, and genius. Enjoy, ffolkes; it doesn’t get much better than this in the rock & roll world….
“Hate, the price you pay
For thinking you got the only way…”
~~ Blues Traveler ~~
As iterated above, my state of mind is rather, well, shitty. Trying to rant would, probably, not be a good idea, as the results could conceivably bring charges. Since my lawyer is on permanent vacation, we won’t go there. I’m already feeling enough self-inflicted guilt, so, rather than torment y’all with another piece from the archives, I’ve cobbled together a self-directed rant for your reading pleasure…. Maybe, if I do it right, it will soothe my angst well enough to get through the rest of today sans any further debilitation. (Good luck with that, I’d say, but, hey, it counts that I’m making an effort, right?)….
So, with the opening lines from Blues Traveler echoing in your head, follow the bouncing thoughts through the seven pearls below, and you will find yourself at the end of a perfectly decent rant against the machine, and my work will be done for the day. Even if you end up confused, well, such is life, and that may be even more of a lesson than anything I can provide. Either way, it gets us down to the next section, so, we’re going with it, regardless of how it may appear, or, for that matter, not appear. So be it…..
“The revolution WILL be televised, but you’ll only be able to understand it if you don’t watch the television coverage.” — Russ Nelson
“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” — Voltaire
“If you can see in a given situation only what everybody else can see, you can be said to be so much a representative of your culture that you are a victim of it.” — S.I. Hayakawa, educator and politician
“History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren’t there.” — George Santayana
“Much that is dreadful and inhuman in history, much that one hardly likes to believe, is mitigated by the reflection that the one who commands and the one who carries out are different people. The former does not behold the sight and does not experience the strong impression on the imagination. The latter obeys a superior and therefore feels no responsibility for his acts.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
“Well, it just seemed wrong to cheat on an ethics test.” — Calvin
“I feel better about world problems now!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
********************************
Today’s poem was selected simply for the title, which fits into the obvious theme for today…. From a bit over a year ago, during my time in Hell, I give you my lamentations….
gigoid’s lament
Not a bit of all the pain I feel
is worse than all I see;
all worldly truth, solid and real,
has faded away, never to be free.
Honor stripped of all regard,
while compassion simply fails;
Ignorance , powerful, hard,
crows as reason wails.
Crushing resistance, mandating the vote,
selling illusion, smiling all the while.
Pundits, speaking purely by rote,
arrange all the lies in a tidy pile.
Stupidity ’tis said, is a risky choice;
the price is always the same.
Reality has no pity, no warning ever voiced,
only a gravestone, carved with, our name.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/19/2015
********************************
Our final pearl for the day is fresh. It’s rather abstruse, from what I can tell, but, it’s all pretty clearly a lesson in life at large. Since it’s the only part of today’s Pearl that is relatively fresh, it can stay, no matter how it comes across…. I do hope you enjoy it; it IS pretty good, which means it may not entirely fit in with the rest, but, fuck it. I’m not in a mood to care…. Enjoy, if you will….
*******
“As far as we can discern,
the sole purpose of human existence
is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.”
~~ C. G. Jung ~~
*******
“The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green earth
in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.”
~~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~~
*******
“We are all born mad. some remain so.”
~~ Samuel Beckett ~~
*******
“What you leave behind
is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.”
~~ Pericles ~~
*******
“… denn da ist keine Stelle, die dich nicht sieht.
Du musst dein Leben andern.”
(… for there is no place that does not see you.
You must change your life.)
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke, “Archaic Torso of Apollo” ~~
*******
“To demand ‘sense’ is the hallmark of nonsense.
Nature does not make sense.
Nothing makes sense.”
~~ Ayn Rand ~~
*******
“For after all what is man in nature?
A nothing in relation to infinity,
all in relation to nothing,
a central point between nothing and all
and infinitely far from understanding either.
The ends of things and their beginnings
are impregnably concealed from him in an impenetrable secret.
He is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness out of which he was drawn
and the infinite in which he is engulfed.”
~~ Blaise Pascal ~~
*******
********************************
Well, ffolkes, there you have it. Since I already know just how good this one isn’t, we’ll leave it all to chance, and go post it while I’ve got the chutzpah. Which may not last too long. I’ll be back tomorrow, if only to make sure this isn’t the final words you hear from me. I don’t think I’d be able to live with that. See y’all in the morning, ffolkes, if I decide to let myself live…. Not to worry, that’s just rhetoric…. accurate, but still rhetorical. See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,
it would be a merrier world.”
~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~
Random Government Building, Belfast, Ireland
Hajime…. The Pearl you’ll see today is a rush job, the natural result of being incredibly late in starting today. Since the reason has to do with the amount of sleep I got, (for a change, plenty), my only response is to feel the rush, without the urgency, because, hey, sleep, right? I could have arisen at a usual hour (3 or 4 AM), but, was able to turn over and sleep until I was done, an event of major proportion around here. Yay for me, and now we’re done with the excuses.
I’ll warn y’all now; I have no idea what will happen below. I’ve got zilch finished, so, it will all be the quickest work I can devise, whether from the archives, or, forced out of SB with no mercy. I’ll use the whip, if necessary, but, it WILL get done. So be it. To assist with this goal, the intro will be as truncated as I can make it. How truncated will it be? Just this much….
Shall we Pearl?….
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
********************************
You guessed it. We’re going default for music, just because we can. I’ll pick one with a nice picture, and be done with it. Abondanza!….
As intimated in the intro so strongly, we’re hitting the archives again today for our ranting material. I don’t know yet what kind it will be, but, we’ll try for a bit of either humor, or snark. Let’s see what we can find today….
From 2/24/2013:
“Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.” — Adam Smith
This is so true, I want to shout it out from the rooftops…. It is the kind of insight that leads to jokes like “Lord, protect me from the works of thy followers.” which are so prevalent in our society. We’ve all witnessed the excesses of fanaticism at times, and, I’m sure, have suffered indignity of some sort at their hands at some point in our lives. Nobody escapes it, as such fanaticism is like having roaches; they are impossible to completely eradicate. Of course, there are methods of killing roaches that are foolproof (placing them in a complete vacuum, for example), but it means killing off the entire species , and the rest of us would doubtless find objections to that scenario…..
“It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” — Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
These simple minded fools who become fanatics, whether it is over their country, their religion, their race, or their collection of plastic flamingos, all suffer from the same lack of courage as Piglet describes here. In their case, it isn’t because they lack the ability to be “larger”, like Piglet, but because their minds see themselves as “small”, in relation to all they don’t understand, and this gives them the same sense of constant fearfulness that comes with never knowing when some larger creature will notice you, and eat you, or not notice you, and crush you under foot, with careless indifference….
“Again, our observations of the stars make it evident, not only that the earth is circular, but also that it is a circle of no great size. For quite a small change of position to south or north causes a manifest alteration of the horizon. There is much change, I mean, in the stars which are overhead, and the stars seen are different, as one moves northward or southward. …All of which goes to show not only that the earth is circular in shape, but that it is a sphere of no great size: for otherwise the effect of so slight a change of place would not be so quickly apparent. Hence, one should not be too sure of the incredibility of the view of those who conceive that there is a continuity between the parts about the pillars of Hercules [the strait of Gibraltar] and the parts about India, and that in this way the ocean is one.” — Aristotle, De Caelo, Fourth Century B.C.
As a consequence of all that fear, most of the folks who assume fanatical stances refuse to see, or perceive, as much as they possibly can, and this includes reading, or watching, or listening to things that challenge the truth of what they have chosen to believe. The things they DO choose to believe never challenge them to think, or to go outside their comfort zone in any way; any such suggestion is viewed with anger, mistrust, and fearful rejection, no matter how nonthreatening it may be to normals…. If it doesn’t fit into their narrow little view of things, it is evil, and not to be trusted, in their minds, or what passes for one….
As the quote from Aristotle shows, mankind’s knowledge of the natural world has grown beyond the guesses and speculation that are rampant in the ancient writings about religion, and, thankfully, most of the world is able to understand, and accept the facts in question. It is only those whose fear of the universe is such that they cling to outdated, misguided systems of belief that, though they offer comfort to their preconceptions and misapprehensions, have nothing to do with the real world on any level. And, damned if they don’t get upset, and violent, when those misapprehensions are challenged in any way!…. Idiots….
Sorry, I get disgusted sometimes, especially when I think about those assholes who encourage the idiots, i.e., the priests, preachers, and other members of the priestly hierarchies…. I regard them as the WORST of humanity, in complete lock-step and purpose with that other group of reprehensible semi-humans, the BRC, or 1%, as they’re known these days in the news. The entire purpose of the religious institutions on this planet is to provide behavioral control of the population to the ruling classes, under the guise of religion, by manipulating the masses of believers into following whatever dictates the ones in power may come up with, in order to receive their heavenly rewards…. I swear, it’s the biggest, longest running scam in history….
I’ve already gone a bit overboard here, and really haven’t begun to roll with my indictment/rant yet. Since this is the last pearl for today, I’ll stop here, and just say this…. There are a lot of really stupid people on this planet, as well as a great many good, intelligent, compassionate ffolkes…. but, the money, and the power, reside with a very small number, with representatives from both groups, and as far as I can see, most of them are bat shit crazy, in the sense that they don’t care at all about any of the rest of humanity, as long as they get theirs….. We, the intelligentsia, are perhaps the only hope left to the world before it is too late…. Only if enough of us rise up and throw their sorry asses into the pits will we have a chance of seeing another millennium on our calendar…. THAT is a fact, not a guess; the evidence is there for anyone to see….
So, wake up, ffolkes, and folks, because the day is coming when you will wish you had listened to people like me…..
********************************
This poem is either the first, or second poem I wrote in 2012, after a 35 year hiatus from writing any at all. I hope you enjoy it….
A Failure to Germinate
Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.
Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.
Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.
I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.
My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.
Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
********************************
Naturally, Smart Bee goes on strike, just when I need it most. Go figure. Fortunately, for me, I’ve got archives, and a lot of ’em, to boot. Here’s one now….
From 2/23/2013:
“I represent a sardine!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
At this point, after reading that line, you might just be wondering if I’ve slipped my leash again…. and, you’d be justified in that thought. However, rest assured, I’m perfectly sane, if somewhat metaphorically, so it’s all good, right? Right…..
Now, such a bald statement from our old pal is liable to make one think at first that he is either kidding (not bloody likely….), or he is currently having hallucinatory delusions of being a seafood lawyer, or fish solicitor, as my British friends would say. While both of those are possible scenarios, similar in nature to Zippy’s previous episodes of verbal gymnastics, neither is correct in this instance, as I happen to know that he is teaching a lesson in metaphorical manipulation, or, as it is commonly known, lying his ass off, to keep you preoccupied while he is doing something else he doesn’t want you to see, or know about…. He’s tricky that way….
I suppose he might be trying to tell us he is a theatrical/literary agent of some sort, and has a sardine who a) has written the next best seller, entitled “The Truth About Tuna”, an exposé of the fishing industry, b) has a voice like Pavarotti, c) juggles three seahorses while riding a motorized wheelchair, or d) paints incredibly lifelike pictures of cruise ships, from an underwater view…. He might, if that is what he meant, but, it isn’t…. It is all just a distraction, a hullabaloo to draw your attention away from his real purpose, which has to do with several cases of motor oil, a rag-time band, two Senators, and a motel out on Route 666….. You really don’t want to know, now, do you?
No, really, ffolkes, I had a reason to show Zippy’s little gem off today, and it was really a good one…. So, it’s really too bad that, by the time I finished with the second paragraph above, I completely lost track of whatever it was I had to say about it….. That, of course, is embarrassing, but not as much as having to turn tail, right in the middle of a pearl, or what SHOULD have been a pearl, and go old school, just to save my ass from complete well, asininity (what else?….)….
So, here is what Smart Bee came up with, and taken together, the pearls all DO have a point…. just don’t ask me what it is, because even if I knew, I don’t think I can be trusted today to say it correctly, or even interpret it accurately…. So, you’re kind of on your own…. Don’t worry, they’re all safe, just pointed a little….Enjoy!….
“Look under enough rocks and you’ll find _something_ slimy” — Smart Bee
“And gentle Dulness ever loves a joke.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Dunciad, Book ii, Line 34
“Don’t edit reality for the sake of simplicity.” — Smart Bee
“No people do so much harm as those who go about doing good.” — Mandell Creighton
“A thief believes everybody steals.” — E.W. Howe
“I have a feeling that at any time about three million Americans can be had for any militant reaction against law, decency, the Constitution, the Supreme Court, compassion and the rule of reason.” — John Kenneth Galbraith
“My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.” — George Bernard Shaw
Well, there you have it, such as it is…. Ta then, luvs…..
********************************
Having managed to hit the golden mean for today, I’m going to be as succinct as I can here at the end. It may be the quickest Pearl ever created, but, it’s not bad, considering. I’m going to trust the process again, & go get it posted before I lose my nerve. Y’all have a good one, ffolkes; I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some fresher material. You may count on two things; one, I’ll be here; two, I’ll be here…. Sounds solid to me….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. My brain hurts. Well, I suppose that’s a bit dramatic; in truth, it only hurts if I try to use it. Since even the act of typing requires some minor neural activity, getting this intro done would be a literal pain. But, I have a solution, if only temporary in nature. Yesterday, while perusing one of the older pearls suggested at the bottom of each post by WP, I found an excellent intro section; I’ve decided to cheat unmercifully, so we’ll use it here…. I like it, and so will you….
From 1/4/2013:
Multiple choices should be outlawed in the early morning; they only lead to frustration and angst. Hell, even the simple choice of getting up or not, once awake, can be agonizing enough to ruin much of the subsequent day. Of course, having the choice to make is better than the alternative, for sure. I know I’d sure hate to wake up dead…… THAT would tend to spoil the best of days before it even got started, wouldn’t it?
I’m thinking it may be a good idea, at this point, to cease and desist traveling on this particular road. It comes to mind that I’m writing myself into a corner I won’t be able to get out of easily, so we’ll hare off in a new direction, to save myself the trouble later on. One of the few advantages to this aging process is the increased use of foresight to save trouble; I sure wish I’d started sooner, as it is an extremely handy, and efficient, habit to cultivate. It is hard to describe just how much time and effort it saves me, which, at this point in my life, makes it a most valuable habit, as well. I wouldn’t be able to get half as much done as I do without using it frequently…..
Silly me, though…. I got so busy patting myself on the back for having avoided a pitfall, I walked right into a subject change without any idea of where to go with it….. Hang on, this may take a moment or two, then we’ll be off again…. Okay, I’m back, with more proof of Murphy’s ubiquitous presence in reality. There I am, cruising along, writing this intro, and my own head takes me on a random trip through limbo, with only phantasmagoria as companion to visions of otherwise brilliant conversations. In other words, zip to write about….. Oh well, I got a paragraph out of it, so, it will have to do….
The morning dive for pearls has now assumed a more vital aspect, thanks to the above lackadaisical effort at erudition. It would no doubt be best for me to just chuck up the rest of this section, and hope the remainder of today’s material will carry the process home. I’m starting to believe that may be the ONLY hope there is left for today….. so let’s get with it….
Shall we Pearl?….
“He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost any HOW.”
Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to this band, which you will find below. I was so jazzed at finding a new band, especially a new (to me) Irish band, and, especially one so versatile in their style. I enjoyed the hell out of the following concert, and, so will you, unless you don’t like music….
I’m up a bit late today, thanks to having actually slept in a relatively normal fashion. The rant from the post which provided today’s intro section also had a most excellent rant, one which is far better than anything I could come up with on such short notice, so, here it is, to sublimate my sense of duty…. Enjoy, please….
From 1/4/2013:
“He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.” — Albert Camus
I like to think of myself as a positive sort of guy, at least in the sense that I have hope at all. Of late, however, I’ve come to think that this statement by Al might be more accurate than I had given it credit for at first. After a lifetime of observing people, including the Beloved Ruling Class, in all their public glory, I’m afraid he’s right. There doesn’t seem to be much remaining hope that human nature will alter itself sufficiently to save us before it kills us all, as there is no evidence of the needed alterations taking place, nor any indication that they will become amenable to such alteration over time. Those who have the power are not often, stop, make that, are never willing to give up their, to them, justifiably acquired power without a struggle. Doing so is the only way we, as a species, have any chance of surviving the next century; that much is clear……
“In the United States…politics is purged of all menace, all sinister quality, all genuine significance, and stuffed with such gorgeous humors, such inordinate farce that one comes to the end of a campaign with one’s ribs loose, and ready for “King Lear,” or a hanging, or a course of medical journals.” — H. L. Mencken
This is a pretty good description of the American political scene. The feeling one gets, after exposure to its machinations for even a relatively short period of time, can leave one with just the feelings brought out by Mr. Mencken; it can get worse, should one actually get involved in the political process themselves. The constant barrage upon the senses by the politicians during a campaign have been known to cause actual medical issues, especially hearing and comprehension problems; it has long been established that lies can have that effect, if not treated with alternate doses of truth on occasion. During a campaign, especially for a national office, the number and weight of the lies that are spewed forth enters the realm of the ridiculous, even the ludicrous, and over-exposure can be hazardous to health, of both your mind, and the nation at large…..
“He wants a shoe horn, the kind with teeth.” — Smart Bee
It took me a minute to realize just why I used this pearl…. It really doesn’t have anything to do with our discussion of politics, other than as a peripheral issue…. A shoe horn, with teeth, is something I’ve always wanted…. (Don’t ask why. It’s another story, and could conceivably lead to legal charges being filed, so we won’t go there….) As a semi-desirable consumer item, I think there is a market, and if history is any indication, we’ll be seeing them advertised on TV any day now. That’s because the BRC, with their supporters, the preachers and bankers, just love to sell us useless shit we don’t need. It keeps us occupied in anything other than looking at what they are really up to. How else to explain Pet Rocks, or Chia Pets? It’s almost as frightening as the whole “air guitar” phenomenon…..
“Picture the sun as the origin of two intersecting 6-dimensional hyperplanes from which we can deduce a certain transformational sequence which gives us the terminal velocity of a rubber duck …” — Smart Bee
Or, don’t, if you prefer. As you might be able to tell, I’ve lost the thread here…. Too bad, really. I love ranting about politicians, and it was progressing very well, until I decided to get humorous. That always seems to puncture the balloon of my outrage, and turn it to a less acidic form of ridicule. Politicians are nasty, vicious creatures in the wild state, and need to be accurately and completely defined, in order to maintain the kind of control over them we need; they’ll do their best to take over if one isn’t watchful, and ruthless in defense of our liberty, the elimination of which is the goal of all politicians. Making jokes about them encourages the proper amount of disrespect, but isn’t mean enough to affect them strongly enough to allow full control; you gotta put on a choke chain, and keep it tight around their necks…..
“A man gazing at the stars is proverbially at the mercy of the puddle in the road.” — Alexander Smith (1830-1867), in Dreamthorpe
That same man is at the mercy of politicians, because politicians thrive on living in the mud, which is, as we know, the primary characteristic of puddles in the road. It is all well and good to keep one’s eyes on the heavens, but eventually we must bring our gaze down to earth, if only to see the mud in which the politicians have mired our steps, binding us to the spot so they can ply us with lies, and more lies…. Bloody assholes, all of them….
********************************
Random Exposure
If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.
Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.
Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.
Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.
Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/22/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Use it or lose it….
*******
“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
*******
“Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise
between the ideal and the possible;
but the world of pure reason knows no compromise,
no practical limitations, no barrier to the creative activity.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
*******
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
~~ Descartes ~~
*******
“My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool;
it gives me all the world and exiles me from it.”
~~ Ursula K. Le Guin ~~
*******
“Only those who will risk going too far
can possibly find out how far one can go.”
~~ T. S. Eliot ~~
*******
“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up people together to collect wood
and don’t assign them tasks and work,
but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
*******
********************************
Such as it is, ’tis done. I’m in a weird space, (this is news?), which is good news for you, since it means I won’t try any further tricks, traps, or even bad jokes. We’re done, and that’s the end of it. Well, until tomorrow, when I’ll take another shot at this. Maybe, someday, I’ll get it right. Tomorrow, you’ll find me here; that’s as close to a sure bet as you’ll ever find…. See ya, ffolkes…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. A week from tomorrow, I’ll be taking a trip, which is the activity I most enjoy in life. This may be a result of being raised as an Army brat, moving from base to place to base for much of my first ten years. We lived in Fort Ord, Fort Lewis, Japan, and Southern California in those times we visited relatives, all by my tenth birthday, when my father retired from the Army. Since leaving home, I’ve traveled as often as possible, for I feel I am fulfilling all my own dreams when I do. I enjoy having a base from which to go, but, for me, the journey is the thing, not the destination, or the beginning point.
In this case, I’ll be traveling for only about six days, to go see a friend get married. I have volunteered my services as a caterer for the reception, which is my usual gift to the bride and groom, as it takes a large burden from them during the time leading to the ceremony. It should be an interesting challenge, as it will be my first event since reaching an age where I cannot count on being able to do much of the actual work myself. Instead, I’ll be coordinating everyone else’s efforts, to make sure the event come off without a hitch. I’m looking forward to all of it, with great anticipation, and a small degree of fear, which will serve to keep me sharp, focused on working smart, instead of hard.
All that said, I’ll add there seems to be some lingering effect on my creativity, or, my angst, which drives it. In any case, these Pearls, for the first time in ages, will be a secondary concern; this means I’m going to fake it, a lot. We’ll begin that today, with a rant from the archives, instead of anything fresh in that section, as it takes the most focus and time to create a worthwhile rant. So be it. I’ll try to keep the rest fresh, but, no promises, as my head is already in Texas, organizing a work crew and space. In twelve days, I’ll be back home, probably ready to collapse for a few days, but, also, ready to write….. I hope.
At any rate, speaking of it gave us a grand opening for today, if naught else, so, we’ll take it, and run. In fact, we’ll break into a sprint, by using one of our standard tricks, to keep y’all fooled , er, occupied while I push this hidden button over here…. See how that works?…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“Even a fool knows that you can’t touch the stars,
but it doesn’t stop a wise man from trying.
~~ Judge Harry T. Stone ~~
********************************
Image from redmp3.su via Google Images
I feel like the blues today, so, here is the King of the Electric Blues, himself…. Live in Dortmund, Germany in 1976, he does his thing, and does it in style…. Abondanza!….
As promised, here is one from the archives…. Not to worry, it’s short, and not at all serious-minded…. Enjoy!
From 10/21/2012:
Okay, so there I was, cruising through Smart Bee, and these little gems popped up. Each one tempted me to begin a rant, or a discussion, but, none of them completely grabbed my attention enough to do the trick. They are all much too valuable to throw out, so I had this idea to include them as a “new-school” pearl….. Y’all can take the ideas herein described, and formulate them into your own pearl of virtual wisdom…. there is plenty here to work with; I’ve used many similar pearls myself to create unforgettable rants, or brilliantly funny forays into nonsense. (Sure I have….. trust me….)
“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”
“In certain trying circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.” — Mark Twain
“In regard to disagreeable and formidable things, prudence does not consist in evasion, or in flight, but in courage. He who wishes to walk in the most peaceful parts of life with any serenity must screw himself up to resolution. Let him front the object of his worst apprehension, and his stoutness will commonly make his fear groundless” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, _Essays_, Prudence
“I figure that if God actually does exist, He’s big enough to understand an honest difference of opinion.” – Isaac Asimov
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat, but there ain’t no way to make the cat enjoy it.” — Jed Clampett
“Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm, and yet he will be making gods by dozens.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xii, Apology for Raimond Sebond
“Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
So, you should find it reasonably simple to do the same yourselves (creating a pearl, that is, not wearing plaid…) …. and if not, well, they are all fairly strong stand-alone dribbles of good advice/good observations, so you aren’t completely without recourse…. No refunds, though, we’re not completely without shame…. Remember, you get what you pay for in this world, right? TANSTAAFL….. (for the uninitiated, that is, There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch….)
********************************
Vague Glimpses of a Rainbow
All the sad notions of propriety had fled,
Screaming their anger for pausing in song,
Until late came the rabid fog, colored in red,
As serenity cried, unafraid to live so strong.
Fallow fields in faithful patience set free,
Dragged from birth, by their own nature cast
Saving each moment against fear yet to be,
Carved into silence, by ignorance held fast.
Historical forces plod slowly ’tis often said
Anxieties streaming stiffly, one epoch to the next.
Cultural mania stands nonchalant in its stead
No sadder epitaph has such bittersweet context.
Patterned bags of forgotten virtue lie in wait
Blessed by reminders whose souls value affinity
Frozen webs surround the fields in gravid state
Grasping passionately within obvious opportunity.
Passage to future realities isn’t guaranteed
Small favors for deities was left off the menu
No roses, nor manna, nor gallant aerial steed
Left traces of fatal, yet originally gracious venue.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/6/2012
*******************************
Naked Pearls
Rare Thoughts
*********
“God, to me, it seems
is a verb
not a noun
proper or improper.”
~~ R. Buckminster Fuller ~~
*********
“One should always be a little improbable.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
*********
“We do not walk on our legs, but on our Will.”
~~ Sufi proverb ~~
*********
“Time is but the stream I go a-fishin in.
I drink at it, but while I drink
I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is.
It’s thin current slides away, but eternity remains.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~
*********
“We have art that we do not die of the truth.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
*********
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
~~ Anais Nin ~~
*********
“To teach is to learn.”
~~ Japanese Proverb ~~
*********
“What is the first business of one who studies philosophy?
To part with self-conceit.
For it is impossible for any one to begin to learn
what he thinks that he already knows.”
~~ Epictetus ~~
*********
********************************
Well, it’s done. Again. Today, I can only thank my sense of duty; without it, this doesn’t get done. Since it is, I’ll forgo any further torture, or, for that matter, possible entertainment value, and merely say, see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. There doesn’t seem to be any way to get out of it….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines,
but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
~~ Buddha ~~
Wine Country Spring, 2016
Hajime…. Today we will begin with an apology. For two or three days now, including today, I’ve been avoiding going to the blogs I follow, because I simply didn’t have the time to do so, and still deal with reality. Getting a Pearl done yesterday was, in essence, a rush job, which I don’t really like to do, as I’m not able to give it the attention I prefer to give, thus making the quality a questionable matter. It also means I haven’t commented or hit the Like button, to let them know I was by to read their work…. I am sorry, but, for a few days, I will need to reduce my blogging interactions, in order to maintain any semblance of sanity….
Now I’ve managed to bore everyone silly, we’ll just use a Tardis toy, in a moment, to get us down to the next section, where you’ll find today’s video. We’ll be doing some archive diving, as I’m still not in the most creative space I’ve ever been; hell, I’m having a hard time tying my shoes. And, they’re slip-ons…. Writing coherently is currently not in the schedule, or on the menu. But, I continue to type, just as if I could make up some fine, stentorian passage, thrilling all with my expertise and creativity. Fat chance of that today, right? Right. So, rather than torture y’all, or myself, any further, I’m going to push this little button on the side of this little cube, and….
Shall we Pearl?….
“There is not enough love and kindness in the world
to permit us to give any of it to imaginary beings.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
********************************
George
I have this concert on my computer. Whenever I’m feeling a little down, and want to hear great music, I put it on, from the beginning, and let the beauty wash away my blues. All the music herein was written, and played, with love at the core of it. George Harrison left a legacy of love, in his work, and his life, and, as far as music goes in today’s world, this is as good as it gets…. Enjoy!….
As promised in the intro, here is a piece on reincarnation from the archives to fill in today’s ranting section…. I hope you enjoy it….
From 2/9/2013:
“Been there. Done that. Reincarnated.”
~~Smart Bee ~~
Reincarnation is a fascinating concept, especially given its controversial nature as being in opposition to what is believed by many of the world’s most influential religious systems. Some do, and some don’t believe in it, and I have yet to determine, through either research or luck, just why some do an some don’t…. I mean, I know why, in the sense that it doesn’t fit in with the dogma of those religions that subscribe to an afterlife consisting of harps and clouds, while it does match those that have a clearly different view of what happens after death. No, I mean I don’t understand why….. oh. Wait….
You know, I just realized, as I wrote that last line there, that this is a complete waste of energy and time, and further, is in direct violation of one of my own personal rules of life, and avoiding hassles in same…. That rule says, “Asking why is a waste of time, especially as regards human behavior…. so don’t bother.” It’s an old lesson, and one that I should have realized I was close to breaking before I did, as I’ve had a lot of experience with it in my time. Hell, I’ve had enough time that almost everything is something I’ve had experience with; maybe I can use that as an excuse for missing this time, yes? Well, okay…. Still, I can claim a lot on my mind, and nobody can tell me different, so there….
Any who, getting into the “why” of how folks choose their beliefs about a subject as speculative and controversial as reincarnation is bound to be a subject that would entail a great deal of delving into human behaviors that would only serve to frustrate me no end. If there is any area of existence that people are more foolish, or deliberately ignorant about, than such a subject as the afterlife, well, I don’t know what it is. Add to that the very dominant tendency on the part of most people to choose one religious dogma over another based on how much it makes them think (seeking the lesser of two evils, in their minds….), and you get subject matter that can only lead one to drink, to try to get the bitterness and shame out of one’s head….
Me? Hell, I have no idea what will happen when this life ends, not in any specific sense…. I believe that my consciousness, as a form of energy, will not be destroyed, and that part of the universe that manifests as the essence of Ned will merely change form…. to what form I couldn’t say. I can say that, though I am in no particular hurry to find out, it sounds like a great adventure, and I’m looking forward to knowing the answers to all the great questions that we humans ask ourselves during our stint on Earth, in the form we currently inhabit, even if those answers aren’t anything like any of the speculative concepts I’ve heard of or seen, or though of myself…. As Bob Heinlein said, “…. Soon enough, you will know, so why fret about it?”
“He who awaits much can expect little.”
~~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez ~~
********************************
My Nose Is Growing Old
Yup.
A long lazy September look
in the mirror
say it’s true.
I’m 31
and my nose is growing
old.
It starts about 1/2
an inch
below the bridge
and strolls geriatrically
down
for another inch or so:
stopping.
Fortunately, the rest
of the nose is comparatively
young.
I wonder if girls
will want me with an
old nose.
I can hear them now
the heartless bitches!
“He’s cute
but his nose
is old.”
~~ Richard Brautigan ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Things You Should Know By Now
*******
“Forward, as occasion offers.
Never look round to see whether any shall note it….
Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter,
and think that even such a result is no trifle.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, ix, 29 ~~
*******
“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
~~ Anais Nin ~~
*******
“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.”
~~ Publius Syrus, Maxim 598 ~~
*******
“Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
*******
“The most important thing in a man is not what he knows, but what he is.”
~~ Narciso Yepes ~~
*******
“Pearl of great price.”
~~ New Testament, Matthew xiii, 46 ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you have it. Such as it is, it is, and shall ever remain. So be it. I’m done for today, ffolkes, but, I’ll be back again tomorrow, to subject us all to yet another Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. As always, y’all have the choice as to whether that is a threat, or a promise. For me, it’s a given…. See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Since it is Reason which shapes and regulates all other things,
it ought not itself to be left in disorder.”
~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Chap. xvii
Prophetic Globe Trinity College, Dublin
Hajime…. Little did he know just how little he knew; in this he joins hands with most of humanity…..
Good morrow, ffolkes. No, I’m not sure where that came from. It just sort of flowed out when I began to type, and, voilá! Instant aphorism on human nature, a fascinating subject which continues to elude the understanding of mankind, despite centuries of trying to come to terms with it. An objective view of the way our species has approached the quest to find themselves does not inspire much confidence; most of our history shows a firm intention on the part of most people to deny all which makes us human, in favor of fulfilling their base desires for power and control over their peers, in order to assuage their innate fear of their own inadequacy.
Now, I know it’s not a good policy to rant in the intro, but, hey, I’m human, so, back off, mate. As such, I do what FEELS best, and then try to repeat the feeling as often as possible, regardless of how it affects anyone else. This particularly human trait is, as far as I can see, the fatal flaw in that nature, one which can, and, obviously IS, leading us on a path to self-destruction, through the denial of our own capabilities, and the abrogation of virtue in favor of comfort. This, to me, is clear, yet, for most of mankind, it is an issue of which they seldom, if ever, even contemplate.
SIGH…. At this point in the narrative, it becomes clear this is going not much of anywhere useful for our purpose, which is to post a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. If I continue this discussion, we may never even get to the music, so, to keep things on an even keel, and moving, we’ll go on now, leaving this subject for discussion below. Perhaps this will save some time, and, if nothing else, makes it seem as if we are sure of what we are doing. The cat seems to agree, even if she would rather I threw some paper for her….
We’re going to go now, and, I’d suggest you hang on; Luigi’s at the helm, so, things can get a bit rambunctious. It won’t take long, though; just remember to breathe through it…. Here we go….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Education is not a preparation for life;
Education is life itself.”
~~ John Dewey ~~
********************************
Playing For Change
Today’s musical selection comes again from the Playing For Change playlist. This one is a recording of 75 Cubans from around the world playing and singing the song that means ‘home’ to them, whether they are in Cuba, or anywhere in the world….. This is for Mari, whose family had to flee Cuba in the latter part of the twentieth century, when she was just a child. She now writes some of the most powerful poetry I’ve ever read, and still dreams of returning one day…. Enjoy, and then go donate to the cause, for it’s a good one, making peace through music….
There is just so much wrong with this statement, it is difficult to know where to begin. To my way of thinking, this piece of folk ‘wisdom’ can be viewed as the single most destructive idea mankind has come up with in our entire cultural history. If one embraces this idea, individually, or as a society, the resulting culture would be, and, to be honest, has become, a parody of human nature, bringing out the very worst of our fears and inadequacies, using them to lie, to cheat, and, live a life of conflict and trouble. To assume this attitude is to deny the connection to all other life, demanding reality conform to the shape of our most degrading fears, with no attempt to reconcile these with any other entity. In short, it gives every person alive the clear permission to act like an asshole.
I see this attitude as a root cause of all the wars mankind has engaged in through history; it fosters divisiveness, bigotry, racism, and discrimination, with no attempt to define justice for anyone at all. To anyone embracing such a position, the needs and rights of others become immaterial; to them, the only thing that is important is their own desires. This, to my mind, is not merely stupid, but, inhuman; those who act without virtue do not belong to the same species as do I; they have abrogated their humanity.
I had originally planned to rant about this for a long time; there is a lot with which to take umbrage in those who live to take advantage of others as a matter of policy. But, I find myself unwilling just now to put myself through the wringer; this subject tends to stimulate my adrenal gland, and I’m not going there today. Instead, I have put together a pretty good seven star pearl to take my shots for me. It’s not a rant, but, it will do for an indictment…. The people who buy into the statement at the top of the section are, in my mind, the root cause of all of the other issues with which humanity is currently engaged; the war, the racism, the injustice, all can be traced to this attitude on the part of one segment of humanity, which decided many thousands of years ago they were better than everyone else, and have maintained that insane delusion, at the expense of the rest of mankind, for all that time….
Here then are some comments on how to spot them, how to look at them, and, hopefully, how to bury them, once and for all….
“Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful.” — Nietzsche, “Thus Spake Zarathustra”
“I see little divinity about them or you. You talk to me of Christianity when you are in the act of hanging your enemies. Was there ever such blasphemous nonsense!” — George Bernard Shaw, The Devil’s Disciple
“I know of no book which has been a source of brutality and sadistic conduct, both public and private, that can compare with the Bible.” — Lord Paget
(Need an example? “When Yahweh your gods has settled you in the land you’re about to occupy, and driven out many infidels before you…you’re to cut them down and exterminate them. You’re to make no compromise with them or show them any mercy.” — Deuteronomy 7:1 (KJV) There’s more, even worse insanity in that one short chapter, but, that gives the flavor…)
“Collective responsibility brings a lowering of moral standards.” — Freeman Dyson
“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer
“Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.” — Bertrand Russell
“Between those who use their neighbors, and those who use a cane.
Between those in constant power, and those in constant pain.
Between those who run to evil, and those who cannot run.
Tell me which ones are the cripples, and which ones touch the sun.”
~~ Ceili’s Muse “What you do with what you’ve got”~~
********************************
I Must Have Wanton Poets
MUST have wanton poets, pleasant wits,
Musicians, that with touching of a string
May draw the pliant king which way I please:
Music and poetry is his delight;
Therefore I’ll have Italian masks by night,
Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;
And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,
Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;
My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay;
Sometime a lovely boy in Dian’s shape,
With hair that gilds the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,
And in his sportful hands an olive-tree,
To hide those parts which men delight to see,
Shall bathe him in a spring; and there, hard by,
One like Actæon, peeping through the grove,
Shall by the angry goddess be transform’d,
And running in the likeness of an hart,
By yelping hounds pull’d down, shall seem to die:
Such things as these best please his majesty.
~~ Christopher Marlowe (1563 – 1594) ~~
~~ Edward II, Act 1, Scene One ~~
********************************
Our final pearl is a simple, random collection that talks about Life at Large. Any conclusions not made obvious are the responsibility of the Gentle Reader, just like in the real world….
“All is flux, nothing stays still.” — Heraclitus (540?-480? B.C.)
“Just as there are laws of Conservation of Matter and Energy, so there are in fact Laws of Conservation of Pain and Joy. Neither can ever be created or destroyed. But one can be converted into the other.” — Spider Robinson
“…the greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learned from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.” — Aristotle, _Poetics_, 22, 1459a 5-7
“The questions remain the same. The answers are eternally variable.” — Subtle Bee
“The great mountains of the world are a great remedy if men but did know it against our modern discontent and ambitions. In the hills is wisdom’s fount. They are deep in time.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros
“And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season, or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world.” — Gandalf
“Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” — Albert Einstein
********************************
Well, it’s done. Since I was only half-conscious for much of it, I shan’t comment on its quality, or even its quantity. I will however, make another attempt at coherence tomorrow, if all goes as planned. But, then, y’all know what they say about plans. Regardless, I’ll be here; fair warning.
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“They certainly give very strange names to diseases.”
~~ Plato (427-347 B.C.) ~~
No computer today….
Hajime…. As you see from the picture, I was not allowed to compute yesterday. I managed to do a small bit of surfing, during one of her naps, as indicated by the re-blog I posted yesterday afternoon, but, that was about all I got in. So be it. Since I’m still in somewhat of a mood, we’ll forgo a lengthy intro, in favor of getting right into the mess for today. Given the status of my muse, and our rather touchy relations just now, that’s likely the most productive scenario I can put together, anyway. It’s not the best Pearl ever, but, for what it is, it ain’t bad…. Moreover, I’m going to trust the process implicitly, and just get on with it. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“I must stand up in search of the truth,
if I don’t I only roll with the flow of the lie
and make it stronger.”
~~ Sovereign ~~
********************************
Blue Moon Soup Image is a screen shot from You Tube via Google Images
Today’s musical selection is from a group of progressive bluegrass musicians from Ohio. I found their covers of some Grateful Dead tunes in the 2014 Dead Covers Project, and was totally amazed at the music they make together. Guitar, mandolin, bass, violin, all played with superb talent, and voices that blend in excellent harmony. They have fun when they play, and you will, too, when you listen, and watch. Enjoy, ffolkes; follow the link to You Tube, and you’ll find more of their work, well worth hearing….
I’d hoped to have a fresh rant done, but, it’s stalled. Here, to sublimate the urge to vent against the machine, is a pearl from early 2013, speaking of our old friends (not), the Asininnies….
From 3/28/2013:
“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle was a very interesting man, as this aphorism makes clear. It’s not your typical statement from someone so deeply involved in politics as to have been the Dictator/President of France, as he was for so long, but, the quote IS/WAS typical of him, or, at least, of the image he projected, as a maverick in the political world, both inside and outside of France. If I recall my history correctly, (he was alive for much of the first half of my life….), other world leaders didn’t trust him much, which tends to give him more cachet, in my mind…. If the normal run of politico mistrusted him, he’s obviously my kind of guy, as that kind of reaction from a politician generally implies the target subject is an honest man….
With this statement, he pulls the covers of the greater percentage of those in public office. Those eminent officials are constantly spouting off about how they are “public servants” and how their salaries are paid by the taxpayers…. All the while, they are shoveling money from the public treasury into their pockets just as fast as their little hands can move. They make the same noises when they are up for re-election, to further solidify the image they wish to project, as concerned citizens just following their hearts to help the people, when in fact, they are merely petty thieves, with slick tongues and a smooth patter…. no more honest than a street grifter, and no more likely to give a shit about anyone else….
I’m not going to make this a long rant today; this is one subject that is so obvious (to me) that I hesitate to even write about it, as it would be insulting my readers to assume they weren’t aware of this truism. But, I did want to remind y’all that, no matter how honest and sincere a politician may seem, no matter how often they tell you they are just your servant, they are lying, bare-faced and deliberately. This applies to ALL of them, from the top to the bottom of our federal, state, and local governments; the corruption is inherent in the structure of the system, which encourages behaviors that are self-serving, and rewards theft with more access to more money…..
“Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.” — John Stewart Mill (1806-1873)
I don’t think I need to even show any evidence here, as it ample proof of the chicanery prevalent in society is all over the news every day, if one knows where to look, and how to read between the lies….. (not a typo…) The recent events surrounding the budget mess, have reached a stage where it is apparent, even to the citizens who blindly support anything the politicos say, that there is something wrong with this picture, and serve as a perfect example of what I am implying, nay, accusing them of here. The bickering and obstructionism reached levels that showed exactly how little the people mattered, in relation to the money, and who would have the control of it….. It’s a huge mess, and nobody has any acceptable solutions (so they say….)…
So, what do they do?…. Things get stalled long enough for the Supreme Court to take up the constitutionality of the concept of Gay Marriage, a decision that will have a long-term effect on how our country operates on some levels, and certainly engages the emotions of every citizen with any concern over the issue… Quite distracting, in fact, and to me, a bit suspicious in timing, as it takes the public awareness away from what Congress, and the White House, are up to, which, I assure you, is no good…. at least, not for us, or for the people at large….
SIGH… My outrage at the system is so large it keeps me awake at nights, sometimes…. but, it is so large because the system is, in nature, completely amorphous, with no obvious pieces that can be attacked and destroyed…. Add to that the fact that too few people alive are even aware of the need to do so, and it leaves me with little choice but to rant…. So, life goes on without any real changes, and the rich keep getting richer, while the poor keep on keepin’ on, best they can…. Me, I’m gonna go take a nap…..
“The trouble with Congress is every time they make a law, it’s a joke, and every time they make a joke, it’s a law!” — Will Rogers
********************************
A couple weeks ago, a friend sent me a poem, which I included in this section, by a new young poet she found. She searched out a site where he is posting his work, and found another poem to send. It’s good, as is the young poet, who will, I predict, make a mark in the world of literature. I hope you enjoy it, and, use the link to visit his blog site…. Enjoy, ffolkes….
In Poetry
I slept last night
In a cave of shadows and howls
a bear skinned itself
With his razor claws
To reveal a wolf
Eating its pups,
And their eyes burst
Under jaws,
Wet and blind
Red splashed furred skins
Dragged across the damp stone
Followed me like friends
Kept talking to me
I slept last night
the dark man from the cornered place
held a gun against my neck
And shot me down
Emptied my flesh
Felt the drift-away come up on me
Like a song as they played the pipes
Slowly
Drifted into realms
Haemorraging
In the hard dark cave
Where shadows shriek
I wake again
rise in slow
Shunting movements
vertebrae slipping
Tightly into place
Bending me skyward
Tonight I watched dublin
Snuffed out under a heavy haze
Her lights jaded
Night is here again
Goya’s demons gather
reason crumbles
castles of sand
meeting the tide
Today’s final old-school pearl is rather special, in its own little way. It’s nine stars, each gem lustrous, all apparently unrelated, until, at one point, one realizes they are all, in at least one way, saying much the same thing. You can decide for yourselves just what that may be. It doesn’t matter at all what your conclusion may be; it will be the right one….
“Philosophy, means, first, doubt; and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means, the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance, the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility. The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.” — Henri Frederick Amiel
“It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“In those whom I like, I can find no common denominator; in those whom I love I can: they all make me laugh.” — W. H. Auden
“42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.” — Instructions for life
“He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” — Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil” IV, 146
“The only way to compel men to speak good of us is to do it.” — Voltaire
“The “beast” is a myth we have created, a scapegoat, upon which we project the image of ourselves we are unwilling to acknowledge. When anyone behaves in a peculiarly unpleasant manner we tend to answer that he behaved “like a beast,” when the fact is, of course, that no beast every behaves so iniquitously as men frequently does… The myth of the beast is perpetuated from generation to generation. The result is a perversely distorted view of the nature of other animals, and a profoundly impoverishing failure to understand our true kinship with the rest of animated nature. So-called primitive peoples have never lost this kinship with other animals… Without the benefit of a Darwinian theory of evolution our technologically less advanced peoples in their creation myths and in their conduct toward the animal world exhibit a far deeper understanding of the interrelatedness of all living things than does so-called civilized man.” — Ashley Montagu,_The Humanization of Man_, 1962
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” — Margaret Drabble
“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.” — Albert Einstein
********************************
Well, there you have it, such as it is. To keep faith with the tenor of today’s post, as set in the intro, I’ll forgo any lengthy farewells, in favor of a bit of brevity here at the end of all pearls, for the day, at least. I will, however, make a strong effort to return tomorrow, with a fresh rant, and, who knows, maybe a new poem. In any case, I’ll be back, to quote a very bad actor turned very bad politician. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; that’s a good bet….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“It is much more comfortable to be mad and know it,
than to be sane and have one’s doubts.”
~~ G. B. Burgin ~~
Cork, Ireland, from a football pitch above the city….
Hajime…. I suppose there is a certain virtue associated with feeling disappointment in life; it happens often enough to warrant such award, if the disappointment is borne with dignity. However, since dignity has been eliminated from my life, by choice and circumstance, I can honestly say it’s a fucking pain in the ass to have slept relatively normally, yet wake up & have my first thought manifest in complete denial, saying only, “Damn, I sure want to go back to bed!”….
Having successfully ignored myself, here I am, to make another attempt at coherence, with, perhaps, a dash of reason to fill it out nicely. I do so with some trepidation, admittedly, but, with strong hope, based entirely on wishful thinking. Given those parameters, perhaps the hope is misplaced, but, we’ll see how it goes. I do have the advantage of having had almost three full days to complete this particular mess, so, we’ll see if that plays into the final results. Personally, I can’t say there’s any evidence to suggest success, but, none seems to be jumping up on the negative side, either, so, we’ll have to see how it goes.
I am sure, given my fogginess, I could wander around here in the intro for some time, padding this in the front, so to speak, but, I don’t believe we’ll need any such shady techniques today, since I had enough time to make it reasonably right on the first shot. In fact, I’m going to show some confidence in the process, well-deserved, and bring this to a somewhat timely close. I won’t even have to use any of the Tardis Toys today, as we are making good time already…. All I need to do is this….
Shall we Pearl?
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and love.”
~~ William Wordsworth ~~
********************************
Playing For Change Logos
When one contributes to the cause with this organization, the first level of participation provides you with the title of PFC Ambassador, which gives the privilege of displaying the logo when sharing the music with others…. I’m happy to be a part of this cause, for it is one of the few real effective weapons the people of the world can claim as their own; it cannot be taken away…. It is also one of the two best weapons we have, to wit, love, and laughter, both of which bring light into darkness, turning it around from evil…. Here is one of the first videos they put together, with some fine musicians from around the world…. Enjoy!…..
I am attempting to work ahead a bit, but, in order to do so, must resort to archived material, as I am currently rant-free, though not by choice. However it may be, or seem, that, ffolkes, is the way it is…. Actually, I’ve found some decent stuff, so, count your lucky stars it isn’t fresh and depressing…. It’s old and depressing instead…. Hey, what do you expect? It’s a rant!…. Try to enjoy it anyway….
From 12/30/2012:
“History is a lie commonly agreed upon.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
I often wonder how the future will view these times, it being a given that the fabric of our society is based primarily on lies and/or delusions.* Which ones will stand the test of time, and end up in the books as being the one everyone agrees upon? It has also been said that history is always written by the winners, and that seems to me to be fairly close to the real truth of the matter. It would be a bit more acceptable to me if it weren’t so bloody predictable, and that there was at least a small chance that the events we experience would be reported truthfully. Alas, I am not hopeful that will ever be the case…..
* (Note the use of the technique of the positively stated assertion, using the assumption of its truth as proven, the same as exemplified in ALL religious doctrines as the basis for their truth and relativity…. Just thought I’d make it clear, that this is real, serious stuff…. 🙂 ….)
In all honesty, I’m not convinced that we, as a species, will have much of a future. Given the current state of the environment, I can’t see us lasting more than a couple hundred years more, without some major changes to society, changes that are not imminent, or even under consideration. When I first started this blog, over a year ago, I posted a link, to a World Clock at Poodwaddle.com ( I love the human imagination!…..). You can find that clock here: http://www.poodwaddlecom/clocks/worldclock/ This clock has a number of faces, one of which shows exactly how much CO and CO2, along with unnatural amounts of other toxic substances, are being pumped into the atmosphere every second, by industrial and manufacturing facilities, and by cars and other vehicles.
I am a scientist, first. I chose the path of the scientist in my youth, before my tenth birthday, before the warrior’s path I chose later. In essence, scientists ARE warriors, and vice versa, as battling the universe requires study to be effective, and acquiring knowledge requires the curiosity and courage of a warrior, in order to find, and face, Truth. Each path, or persona, complements the other, and, in my time, have led me on a journey of great beauty and wonder. This journey, though, is in danger of being ended before its time, by the asininity of the human race….
There are some scientists who believe humans do not have the power to harm the planet, and the danger is not as great as others, and the evidence, might indicate. In one respect, they are right…. I don’t think the planet itself is in danger from what we are doing, though I’m sure it is suffering pain from the symptoms we’ve managed to saddle it with in our time. No, our activities, such as polluting the air and water, wasting resources, and killing the other creatures we live with indiscriminately, only endanger us, and the other life forms on the planet. Once we are gone, the planet will easily clean itself of the trash we deposited everywhere, and move on to the next evolutionary step in the parade of Time.
“Where man walks the earth hurts.”
~~ Smart Bee ~~
Many years ago, I used to believe in the ingenuity of scientists, to overcome the technological difficulties we’ve created, and find a way to keep us alive, perhaps by colonizing space, and leaving Earth behind. But, the figures don’t lie, and the figures say we don’t have the time to fool around waiting for space travel to solve the problems we have. By the time we could achieve any kind of significant progress there, we would be forced to live in domes, and wear protective gear to go outside them, to walk on the surface of our own world. That is if there are enough remaining resources to build the domes, and to power them sufficiently to survive.
The other possible solution is for the ruling classes of our species to come to their senses, to reverse their moral compasses, and start acting in the best interests of everyone, instead of just themselves. The whole problem with pollution we have today exists solely because the ruling classes, the people who control all the resources, don’t have any moral compass, or, choose to deliberately ignore its demands. They choose to deliberately structure society in their own favor, so that they have the power and control over what occurs, while the rest of us try to survive on what they don’t want. It is the same picture that history has drawn for all the millenia since we came out of the caves to live in cities, and the 1% of mankind who is in control is not interested in helping anyone else, unless and until they have secured their own….
Even the lies we agree upon in history show this to be true, so I don’t think there is a huge chance that we will see any changes before it is too late for it to matter. I just don’t see those in the beloved ruling class all of a sudden reversing the entire course of the history they’ve chosen to allow to happen; it is not in their nature to be altruistic to even a small degree. We are either going to have to rise up and throw them out on their asses, or suffer an ignominious death, when the air we can no longer breathe begins to choke us as we walk down the street toward our destiny….. which at this point, leads only to a coffin…..
“I can’t decide which WRONG TURN to make first!! I wonder if BOB GUCCIONE has these problems!” — Zippy the Pinhead
********************************
Stray Cats
The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.
Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.
Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.
Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone;
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..
~~gigoid~~
4/12/2013
********************************
Today’s final old-school pearl took a while to put together, as SB was in a funny configuration, or something. I managed to persuade a nine-star necklace of gems to come together, but, the message they tell together isn’t clear until it’s all over. That, in and of itself, is a good thing; whether you think so is both another thing, and, in the final analysis, immaterial, as it is what it is…. I hope you enjoy it; it’s all good stuff, and offers a chance for some rather positive, helpful reflection…. Go figure….
“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” — Confucius
“A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.” — Jacqueline Bisset
“I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him.” — Galileo Galilei
“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand-in-hand.” — Emily Kimbrough
“Where the map differs from the terrain, believe the terrain.” — Swedish Army Manual
“For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius
“When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.” — Things we can learn from dogs
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
It is never too late to start doing what is right.
Never.
~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~
********************************
I did it, with relative ease of effort, too. Since it’s a new day, we’ll use a new technique here at the end, which is rather abrupt, but, works quite well to bring things to a clean end. It works like this: Bye, ffolkes. See y’all tomorrow….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. ‘If’ is a big word, for having so few letters. We’d all have a tough time explaining options to each other without it, for it is a word indicating the presence of imagination at work, imagining things which might be, but, are not yet real…. It helps us to describe possibilities, and gives us the power to create solutions from out of that imagination…. How many times have you said to someone, “If we do this….”? Or, the very powerful, “What if…:” If you’re anything like me, you’ve said that a lot….
At this point, I imagine y’all are asking yourselves, “What the hell is this about?”, but, I’m afraid you’d be asking the wrong person, if you expect a coherent answer, because I don’t have a clue. As I sat this morning to begin, I found myself completely at a loss as to how to start; no muse, no inspiration, and very little will power, all lacking for unknown, but, no doubt, compelling reason, which will occur to me some years hence. So, I just began to type what was in there, and, what you see is what I had. (Ha! Y’all thought I was going to use wysiwyg again, didn’t you?….) As the beginning of a discussion/rant, it’s not bad. For an intro, it’s a sure invitation to get lost, fast.
In order to regain some sort of integrity, of purpose if not delivery, I think I should probably cut this part short again today. Wandering around, looking for an opening doesn’t seem to be working very well, does it? No, it doesn’t, and, since I do try to be realistic whenever possible, I’ll submit to necessity, again, and leave this to die an unnatural death, on its own. Requiesce in pace.
Now we’ve concluded this portion of today’s program, there is nothing to keep us here, but our own incompetence, which has been amply demonstrated in the past. I have a new method, called the Sandbag, and it works like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost any HOW.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
********************************
As usual when we go with our default choice for music, the mix you’ll hear is the one which had a picture I enjoyed…. I hope you enjoy it, too….
“It’s the RINSE CYCLE!! They’ve ALL IGNORED the RINSE CYCLE!!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
As I cruised around my collection/database of aphorisms/quotes, etc., I came across this from our old friend Zippy. Now, to look at it, one might think it is just nonsense; one might be wrong about that. To my eye, it’s a deeply metaphorical lament about modern society, and that part of human nature about which I rant here on all-too-frequent occasions, to wit: the human inability to understand themselves, or to use the gift of intelligence and imagination with which they are born. This, of course, confirms your previously held opinion as to my insanity, I’m sure, but, wait a moment or two, and I might just convince you I’m saner than anyone you know.
You see, I’ve read a LOT of Zippy, and you must understand his metaphorical language use in order to comprehend his meaning. Of course, his next statement could very well veer off into yet another dimension, either figuratively, or literally, but, that’s Zippy for ya. Nonetheless, it doesn’t take away from his compassion, it merely highlights his somewhat stubborn refusal to consider any sort of consistency of focus. He prefers to take it as it comes, so to speak. But, if we examine his words above, we can see it relates, in a purely logical way, to where I left off in our last rant, to wit:
“Is consciousness just a special form of hallucination?”
~~ Frank Herbert ~~
I had intended to finish out this rant with a discussion of the issues involved in the impending environmental and societal crises I see coming in the near future. But, I happened to stop in at a friend’s blog, where she had written a poem introducing the video you see below. The video turns out to be a rather excellent discussion of exactly what I had intended to say; moreover, it comes with graphics to support all the arguments, which is a much more effective way to get the points across; it’s all perfectly clear, and shows exactly how we all have allowed ourselves to be trapped…. I think it will do just fine as a finish to this discussion, thus saving me a bundle of time…. Here then, is The Lie We Live, which I found at: https://ladybluerose.wordpress.com/2016/03/19/8358/
Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.
Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.
Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.
Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.
Peace lies within, always…..
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Random Thoughts on Life
*********
You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
*********
You may be capable of great things,
But life consists of small things.
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*********
To lead the people, walk behind them.
~~ Lao-Tzu ~~
*********
“Given the choice between the experience of pain and nothing,
I would choose pain.”
~~ William Faulkner ~~
*********
“Let us endeavour to live that when we come to die
even the undertaker will be sorry.”
~~ Mark Twain, from Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar (1894) ~~
*********
“We have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
~~ Tombstone epitaph of two astronomers ~~
*********
“An it harm none,
Do what ye will.”
~~ Wiccan Credo ~~
*********
********************************
There are days when creating a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom makes me wonder just what the hell I’m doing here; today has been one of those. However, it’s done, so, I’ll forgo any further waffling over purpose, and get it posted. I’m a firm believer in “better out than in”, as you may know. In any case, I can’t think of any more ways to torture either of us, so, I’ll give it up for today. I will, regardless of whether or not I wish to do so, be back again tomorrow, simply because I’m one stubborn son of a bitch (sorry, Mom…). See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 