Our annual pre-apocalypse sale….

Posted on March 26, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It is impossible to get anywhere without sinning against reason.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

Artist’s rendition of Mars One Habitat: Image from Space.com

Pleasant morning distractions finished, I sit to write, after a two-day hiatus…. The lay-off, while necessary, and fairly successful in terms of meeting goals set, was, nonetheless, too long for my sanity. But I’ll not regale y’all with any of the internal indications which complicate matters; instead, I’ll just say, it’s done for now, and we can go on…. It’s no doubt for the best, anyway…. Y’all wouldn’t be either thrilled, or particularly enchanted, by what I’ve put myself through, so, we’ll leave it all where it belongs, in the past….

Since I shan’t be talking about my time off, what can I find to say to get us started? Well, your guess, in this case, as in many in the past, is as good as mine. I suppose I AM in charge, nominally, but, I think it’s obvious that has never made much of a dent in Reality’s attention; if it had, you’d see a lot less dithering and angst displayed here. I wonder what might happen if I…. no, better not. Last time I tried that, I fell into the royal “we” mode, babbling about our opinions, our clothing, and our royal prerogatives until everyone was doubtlessly sick of it. It took me three days to clean it out of my style….

Ah well, I suppose none of it matters now. We’re here, in a new Pearl, with a full tank of gas, and several new oyster beds to explore…. Since I can’t think of anything else to bore you with here, I guess we can bring this to a halting stop, counting our blessings to have made it this far without any explosions…. Tough to do with the pressure gauge running so high, so, we’ll be thankful, while we’re diving, okay?…. Okay….

Shall we Pearl?

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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Image from ravepad.com via Google stock images

Whenever I think of the world’s best music, ALL of this man’s work must be included…. I listened to this concert, to make sure it was good enough to put here…. I won’t ever forget again just how much genius he displays when playing; he is, truly, one of the finest musicians ever to share his inner vision with the world….. I give you, the One, the Only, Carlos….

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Carlos Santana

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https://youtu.be/48z01HxVtjA

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Le Penseur ~~ The Thinker

Auguste Rodin ~~ Image from The Rodin Museum Website

A small discourse from a couple years ago, since I didn’t write ANYTHING while gone…. I’ll get to it…. For now, this will do….

From 2/25/2013:

“I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.”– Marcus, Babylon 5

Marcus brings up an interesting point here, when he talks of the general hostility of the universe. I don’t think he quite has a handle on the actual shape of Reality, though; in his desire to avoid responsibility for his own cupidity, he casts the universe as the villain in his play. Our universe isn’t hostile to us, as he would like to think. Unfair? Yes. Hostile? No…. The universe really doesn’t give a crap about us, one way or another. Things seem unfair, not because they are stacked against us, but, rather, because they are not stacked in our favor, a slight but distinct difference…..

Reality plays no favorites, beyond a tendency to allow itself to be adjusted by those who have an understanding of how it works, without granting them any dispensation, but rather rewarding their cleverness and wit. Those who believe the universe is out to get them are defenseless against the trials and tribulations that are a natural part of living, because they begin from an attitude of helplessness. Those who at least have the confidence to act in their own behalf, to stand up against the demands of Fate, are much more able to achieve their goals, than anyone who allows Reality to push them wherever they end up, without any direction made by choice…..

Thus, it becomes clear, courage, as well as knowledge, is necessary to the ability to confront Reality on its own terms. Not only is it necessary to pay attention to the way the universe works, seeking to learn how it interacts among all its parts, but, ’tis necessary to have the courage to act on what is known, according to what the person believes to be right, in a moral sense. Of course, the universe doesn’t care one way or another if we are moral; it rewards those who act out of immorality as well, if they are bold enough to act. We just feel better about ourselves if we act from right thought, making it easier for others to do the same. Acting immorally only benefits the one who is doing the acting…..

It should be noted, cowardice is also rewarded by the universe; the rewards aren’t very palatable, seeing our every wish denied, our every act dismissed, as incompetent, illegal, or just plain dumb….. Lack of courage, along with lack of knowledge thus become their own rewards, thereby allowing the person’s misguided views about reality lead them into issue after issue of conflict with the rest of reality. In this way, they continually reinforce their own misapprehensions, and the universe is out to get them, and everyone else…. This, in spite of the fact that they are looking at, and dealing with, the same Reality as everyone else, who don’t all seem to have the same problem…. Instead of giving them a clue that maybe they should do things differently, they merely assume that the other people have cheated them somehow…. because that is what they would do….

It’s really too bad in some ways, that so large a percentage of humanity is so lacking in courage and wit as to find the view stated above to be congruent with their own view of the way the universe operates; it’s part of what makes it so easy for those in the BRC and the 1% to control them, and to pull the wool over their eyes. These folks are so convinced of their own helplessness in the face of all they don’t understand, they will latch onto almost anything someone tells them, if it soothes their fears, and gives them someone or something other than themselves to blame for their misfortunes…. Sad, but true, and a perfect description of what has transpired in society for several thousand years now, as the BRC keeps the majority of humanity in the proverbial dark about what is true, and what is real….. They’ve had a lot of practice, and they’re very good at it….

But, then, it isn’t hard to control someone who is brainwashed to believe that it is the way reality is, so I can’t say it is due to any particularly large degree of wit or talent that allows them to do so…. It is more that the folks who they control are so stupid, they ask to be controlled, because they can’t, and more importantly, won’t, trust themselves to do it….. Sad, but true….

At his point in this narrative, I am becoming a bit enraged, a not uncommon reaction to a rant about the BRC and the 1%…. Heck, this time, I didn’t even have to mention the papists or preachers who are their shock troops, on the front lines of the brainwashing process, in order to get upset and angry over their machinations…. until now. My rage is growing, as it always tends to do when I start to rant on this subject, and I’m not ready to deal with the consequences of letting it get any bigger right now…. too much other stuff to get to today. But, just let me say this…..

Those in our society who deliberately control others for their own benefit are my enemies. I believe them to be responsible for virtually ALL of the social ills we have, as well as the global and environmental issues that are threatening our very survival as a species. They are, for their own personal benefit, hoarding the resources of the planet, and refusing to share them with the remainder of humanity, all because they can, and they want to. The welfare of others is of no concern to them, so they automatically become my foes, in my battle to try to make a world my children, and grandchild, can have the opportunity to live a full and complete life of their own, without being oppressed and controlled by assholes who don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves….. As my old martial arts instructor used to say…. “Fuck ’em….. hard.”…..

— “Bother!”, said Pooh, as he dropped his bombs.

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This one just seems to fit here….

Seeing is Conducive to Belief

Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.

Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.

The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.

Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.

Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceive is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.

~~ gigoid ~~

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Today’s final, old-school pearl is as fresh, and as classical a pearl you’ll ever see. Well, fresh when created, anyway. Let it be enough to know, it’s all new, to me, and y’all, so, y’all should likely pay close attention. This one’s about life, but, not exactly from the viewpoint to which we’re all accustomed. I can’t say exactly what my subconscious mind was up to, but, it seems to work just fine…. I’ll let it percolate, as should you, to let it bring whatever piece/peace there may be to perceive into focus….

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius

“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“I like a bit of a mongrel myself, whether it’s a man or a dog; they’re the best for every day.” — George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950, Misalliance [1910], episode I

“Like jug, like lid” — Ingrained Serbian Proverb

“He who dies with the most FRIENDS wins.” — Smart Bee

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” — Charles DuBois

“What I like is when you’re looking and thinking and looking and thinking… and suddenly you wake up.” — Hobbes

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” — Philip K. Dick

“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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It feels pretty good to be back; I hope the results justify the process, and the break taken. If not, well, we do get another chance tomorrow, don’t we? Or, rather, don’t I? I suppose, in this case, “we” isn’t all that inappropriate, as I continue to drag y’all along with me while I pursue my personal folly…. Ah well, it could be worse, I suppose…. I could have left out all the artwork…. think how boring THAT would be….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

But for the glazed version, it’s done….

Posted on March 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

JABBERWOCKY

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And thou hast slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

~~ Lewis Carroll ~~

~~ Through the Looking-Glass ~~ ~~

Owls.

Or, are they?

The problem here is, I forgot where I got the picture; I renamed it when I saved it from the place on the net where I found it. I’m pretty sure it was the UK Guardian’s Animal Pix of the Week feature, but, might have been a Nat Geo contest winner, too. Sorry, powers that be. Hopefully, I won’t make any money off it, so, nobody will care….

So, how’s that for a fairly nonsensical follow-up to the opening poem. I realize I’ve hit Lewis Carroll a lot of late, but, I’ve just felt like wrapping myself in irony and metaphor a lot, I guess, preparing for the days to come, when I’ll be furiously trying to maintain my footing on the slippery slopes of Reality, as witnessed in the Big Blue Room…. What fun we’ll be able to say we had, me, my guitar, and my computer! Those Time Lord powers will come in handy, I’m sure….

Now that I’ve blathered sufficiently about very little, I can go on to discuss a large problem, and a small one, personal to myself only. First, the large one; I am unable to type for more than a moment or two at a time, as my back has decided today will be a day to gift me with a knife. Sadly, this knife doesn’t sit on my belt in a sheath; it’s lodged in my lower back, just above my right hip. Every time I move, in any direction at all, it feels as if that knife, which is lodged there in the hip, stabs me with pain, just about a level 9, only short of tooth or labor pain, bad enough it has me crying…. Lovely!…

This means I’ll be cheating a LOT today….

Second problem isn’t much, only to do with me and my idiosyncracies of writing; I can’t seem to keep from mixing my persons….. About half the time, I’ve noted in perusing old material, I slip into the royal “we”, forgetting so much I end up switching in mid-sentence. Perhaps I can demonstrate; it isn’t as if we think about it….

See? Just like that, it slips out. Of course, I was demonstrating, but, you see the difficulty, don’t you? Ah well, so much for honesty…. I’ll try to keep it down, but, sometimes, we just can’t help ourselves…..

Fuck it. Let’s get on with this, okay? I’m taking us in, willy-nilly, so, I’d suggest you hang on….

Shall we Pearl?

“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”

~~ Confucius ~~

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Richard & Mimi Fariña ~ Image from YouTube

I think everyone knows of Joan Baez, but, probably, her sister’s name escapes most people, even though during the 60’s, Mimi and her husband were as well-known in this country as was Joan. Richard and Mimi Fariña were, for a short time, the poster couple for the Free Speech Era and the folk music scene, until Richard’s death in a motorcycle accident on April 30, 1966. Wikipedia has a good article on each of them, for those who would like more information….. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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Mimi and Richard Fariña

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https://youtu.be/gWPjWh_EwBo?list=PLbr6NQ84vJ0qm8aWkGtEJMuqc9N7RSdwY

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As noted in the intro section, cheating will be the order of the day; this one, at least, makes it a bit easier to take, as it’s not too shabby, all in all…. Well, I liked it….

From 2/22/2013:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Y’all know what happens next, right? One of my old poems, so nobody else can be blamed for any of this, or for that matter, for any of what happens today…. Hell, it even covers what MIGHT happen, as a logical result of our failure of freshness….

Random Visions/Coloring Between the Lines of Grief

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

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I had to go to the archives again for this one; sorry…. My back is KILLING me!…. I DID manage to find a good one, though….

From 2/23/2013:

“I represent a sardine!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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 (1843-1901)

“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 (1856-1950)

Well, there you have it, such as it is…. Ta then, luvs…..

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One might think by this time in my life, pain wouldn’t be able to surprise me like this, giving me new fits of frustration at its ability to disrupt my life’s workings. I have reached a point of stability now, but, waking up in enough pain to cause weeping is never a good sign; days beginning that way have a tendency to go downhill from what is already a low point. If I wasn’t such a tough guy, I’d whimper….

However, since I AM such a tough guy, I can’t afford to let it stop me from doing what there is to be done, of which, this Pearl was the first item to get finished. Having done so, I am encouraged, enough to let this die a natural death, so as not to delay its journey to oblivion…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, pain, or no pain….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Ode to a Grecian fern….

Posted on March 17, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“His own character is the arbiter of every one’s fortune.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) ~~

~~ Maxim 283 ~~

3 owls in Russia-Olga Maltseva-AFP-Getty Images

Chased by all the demons of Hell, I awoke. Having spent much of the night running from the hosts of Hell, I awoke, to find myself once again deep in the throes of confusion, made worse by nausea, thanks to my traveling balance crystals, which have chosen this morning to go for a spin. Rather than return to the steeplechase, wherein I was the fox, I got up, stumbled out to boot up, and began to write…. Just my luck the only idea in my head has more to do with murder than literature…. Who do I want to murder? Oh, take your pick, it’s a long list….

I had hoped I’d gotten past this morning angst related to this intro section, but, apparently not. Oh well. I don’t have the chutzpah today to worry about it. Fortunately for me, about half this Pearl got done before I got up, so, we may yet meet our personal demands for publication by a certain hour. Of course, there’s no guarantee, given or implied, we’ll ever make it out of this section, though the odds are in our favor there. Despite all the problems I find obstructing the way during this process, we do get it done each day…. Well, it’s done, as long as we don’t try to call it anything like “good” or even “okay”….. I think “inoffensive” is the best we can hope for….

Nonetheless, here we are, so, I may as well try to make it something worth wasting a bit of time to peruse over your morning coffee or tea. In order to do so, however, I think I’m going to have to make another executive decision as to timing, to get us down to the next section. I know it’s not exactly kosher, but, I’m not of the Tribe, so, that isn’t a factor for me. Besides, I LIKE pork…. and, I like meat on Fridays, too, so, all you priestly types can just forget it…. Forget what? Hell, why ask me? I just type here….

Speaking of typing, I think I’ve typed quite enough for one morning; any more along these lines, and we could find ourselves in court again. I swear, when we started this, we never thought our legal budget was going to take up such a large part of the overall cost of business…. But, I guess that’s life in the modern world; the lawyers are entitled to their cut of my money, according to the rules we all play by…. Well, that’s how they’d like us all to behave, anyway…. Ah hell, see? I can’t even rant effectively right now…. ARGH!

Fuck it, ffolkes. I’m outta here. I can’t deal with trying to make this right, and it’s too late for that anyhow. Hang on to your hats, because I’m telling the pilot to take us in hot…. PUT THAT DOWN!…. That will be enough of that, thank you. Now, if y’all don’t mind, we will now take our leave, and go find something else to do, that won’t make us look so funny, or get us in any worse trouble than we’re already in…. Again, I say, fuck it….

Shall we Pearl?

“I’m not a teacher only a fellow traveller of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as of you.” — George Bernard Shaw, “Getting Married,” 1908

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Jennifer Warnes ~ Image from allmusic.com/Google images

http://www.jenniferwarnes.com/

I’m not sure how many ffolkes, or folks, will remember this lady. I know many will know her voice when hearing it, for she was part of a song duet which became a cultural icon during the 60’s, and, in fact, was one of the better known performers of that time, at least, among us hippies. This was because she was a contemporary, and frequent co-performer with many of the biggest names in music of that time, including Mimi Fariña, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, and, her best known collaborator from that era, Bill Medley, of the Righteous Brothers, with whom she sang the duet in the incredible “I Had the Time of My Life”, as revived for the movie, “Dirty Dancing”. She has also collaborated a lot with Leonard Cohen, whose work we highlighted here a short time ago… Enjoy, ffolkes; this lady can SING!….

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Jennifer Warnes

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https://youtu.be/bPlpxHhzSp0?list=PLfb5wJhuBA28GTLiTWlwzMLO8f9Z9v4na

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As noted above, I don’t have much going on this morning that isn’t tinged by a bit of incipient nausea; ranting is out of the question. This one from a few years ago will have to do for today…. Oddly enough, nothing much is changed from when this was first posted…. go figure….

From 6/6/2012:

“Let us, then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things. And let us reflect that having banished from our land that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled, we have yet gained little if we countenance a political intolerance as despotic, as wicked, and capable of a bitter and bloody persecution.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

See! They warned us, and we still didn’t listen! Almost every one of the men who were involved in the writing of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, at one time or another in the ensuing years, wrote a letter or essay discussing this very idea. They had just fought a long, hard battle to set up the safeguards for the freedoms we now supposedly enjoy, and were nervous that what they had accomplished would be lost in the future, due to the machinations of those among the human herd who make it their habit to prey on the rest of the group.

Corporations, and the politicians who take their money in return for legislation favoring those corporations, were considered just as dangerous to liberty as were religions; Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Mason, Adams, and a host of others all wrote their own version of warnings to their ancestors, naming rapacious corporate entities among the most dangerous enemies against which to guard. These men, who had already risked everything to create the nation we live in, had no desire to see that nation fall to internal enemies, and were careful to make sure that we would know…

But, nobody listened, and, now we are reaping what we have sown. Corporations control Congress. If you believe otherwise, you are delusional, quite simply. It is only necessary to go down the list of those who have been elected, and tally up how their votes go on issues that concern the control of corporate activities. It becomes perfectly clear that NO legislation that seriously hinders what corporations are allowed to do in their pursuit of profit will ever be enacted.

If something that appears to be beneficial to the public does get voted in, you can bet there are codicils and amendments to the bill that essentially emasculate any attempts to curtail profit. Congress hasn’t enacted any laws beneficial to the public in over 75 years, that I can see, and I invite anyone to show me one bill that did so. Just one…. then we can discuss how long it took to find it…. and what THAT little item of information means….

Back in the mid-nineteenth century in America, a corrupt Federal judge was paid by corporate interests to make a ruling that, in essence, gave corporations “person-hood”, making them legal entities entitled to all the protection of the laws that govern individuals. Essentially, this gave these businesses the “right” to a profit, and allows them to charge their customers for any expenses they wish, no matter how egregious or outlandish, and their right to that is protected by law.

Every legal decision challenging that personhood has been defeated in the intervening years, on those few occasions when anyone has tried to throw off the chains the law has placed on us all. The amount of money spent on lobbying, to control the laws that get made, far exceeds what is spent on education, healthcare, or almost any other publicly beneficial programs, and in the eyes of the 1%, it is money well-spent…..

Now, PAC’s for both the Democratic corporations, and the Republican corporations (yes, they are…. there is no real difference between the corporations and the pundits they have paid for; they’re speaking the same language, and have the same goals….) are all set to spend BILLIONS of dollars, dollars originally ripped out of YOUR pockets for stuff you don’t really want or need, to spread lies, misinformation, accusations, and prestidigitation around the public airways until we are all sick of it…..

Well, until some of us are…. I’m sick of it already, and they haven’t really ramped it up yet….. I think I’m going to go buy some aspirin to go along with my other pain medications; I can feel a headache coming on, and I don’t think it will let up until December….

“I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little the more as I grow older.” — Michael de Montaigne

So be it.

gigoid has spoken.

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

I don’t know why, but, this one seems appropriate for today’s Pearl….

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in 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 ~~

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

This is what I would call a pearl of philosophy, for lack of anything more classy or brilliant. It has been specially constructed to conform to the highest standards of truth, as well as ethically and physically centered for your convenience; the purpose is to encourage using what you read, and ponder, to center your mind, and your spirit…. It can’t hurt to try, now, can it?….. I can tell you from personal experience, if you do it right, it works…. But, then, not everybody CAN do it; nothing wrong with that, as each one will work toward the same purpose in your mind, whether you know it or not…. Truth is like that; yeah, it is….

“Alone, I look down the road. Each must walk one’s own path.”

~~ 365 Tao ~~

“You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

“I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.”

~~ Thomas Carlyle ~~

“Nothing in human affairs is worth any great anxiety.”

~~ Plato ~~

“Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.”

~~ Lena Horne ~~

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”

~~ Buddha~~

“Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

“Truth needs no flowers of speech.”

~~ Alexander Pope ~~

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

“Hopelessly lost, but making good time…” — David Letterman

Boy, that’s us, to a T! However, not only are we hopelessly lost, but, we have arrived, so, we can say we made good time, for sure… Hell, I’m not sure I’m all the way awake yet, so, I can only assume being done is the right thing to do….

Hmm… You know what? In looking back over that last sentence or two, I think it’s just as well we ARE done. Any more of this and we could be arrested for assault with an empty weapon. Since I can’t afford any more time in court, I’m definitely outta here for today. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t figure out a way 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 loo.se.
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.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Oh, look, honey, the aurochs are nictating!….

Posted on February 28, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“He should not vow to walk in the dark,

who has not seen the nightfall.”

~~ Elrond ~~

Niagra Falls, February, 2015 ~~ Photo from Weather.com

Today’s intro section will be just that, and nothing more. I’m tired of trying to figure it out, so I’m taking a hiatus from doing so…. Our only purpose here today is to get this done, so we can get on with it. Too much going on to even explain, so, in the interests of maintaining honesty, we’ll go immediately into emergency exit #4, which, as y’all know, works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Pardon him, Theodotus, he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.” — George Bernard Shaw

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

Spock passed from this world yesterday…. Leonard Nimoy, who became Spock in the eyes and minds of the world, died at the age of 83, having lived long, and prospered. We’ll all miss him, that’s for sure…. Here is my own small tribute, in a slightly different vein than most you’ll see today…. This one celebrates the fun he gave us, along with the wisdom… Enjoy!….

***********************

Star Trek – Blooper collection

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http://youtu.be/eDT5ZRF5mqU?list=PLO4pIougCfYbHe42rwjbvuQibfMHA7jC7

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

Up late; can’t think. This will do…. It ain’t up to Sartre, or Kierkegaard, but, it’ll do….

From 8/29/2013:

“But my dear man, reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.” — Alan Watts

I enjoy the words of Alan Watts, and have done so since first reading one of his books in college, many years ago. His command of English is so deep and wide that he is somewhat hard to read, due to the weight and depth of both the material under discussion, and of the words he chooses to use. But, working one’s way through to the end of what he writes is well worth all the effort, for he explains the complex, and yet simple, wisdom of the Eastern religions and philosophies, in Western terms, so they are comprehensible to those same Western thinkers, with a clarity heretofore unseen. This particular line is one of his most simply written, yet is still deep and insightful…..

With one swift phrase, Reality is laid bare for all to understand, showing its flexibility, it’s malleable nature able to become whatever we perceive it to be. Each of us has our own interpretation of what we perceive as reality, and it is often very different than what others may believe it to be. Sometimes, I am absolutely amazed at the variety of perceptions that people describe, and feel a lot of satisfaction, on one level at least. That is the level of interaction…. I think it is just wonderful, that people from so many different backgrounds, and so many different ways of looking at the same thing, can still live together on one planet in relative harmony.

It would seem apparent that so many differing viewpoints would cause a lot of trouble, and to some extent that’s true…. There is a lot of trouble on this world, and Reality is not a place for the weak or timid to hang out safely. But, mostly, all the various attitudes and outlooks on life seem to shuffle along without much conflict, at the personal level, compared to what might be expected. One of those little unexplained miracles in life that we often don’t see, or appreciate….. The phenomenon is even more pronounced in institutions such as mental hospitals, where the visions of reality are of such a nature as to seem limitless in their variety. I was always impressed at how people from so many different parts of the galaxy were able to live together in peace…. 🙂

For me, the best part about the nature of Reality is this chameleon-like quality: it can be anything we want it to be. We can accept the perceptions it sends us, and even see, and understand, what those are describing to others, thus making it convenient for us to communicate about it. Or, we can choose to alter those perceptions, either in the way we receive them, or in the way we interpret them; either method gives us control over exactly how we view what is now a somewhat questionable form of Reality.

(It occurs to me that maybe I should use the capitalization technique, as with the words ‘pearl’, and ‘Pearl’…. Yeah, that’s the ticket… Okay, so ‘Reality’, capitalized, is what we all agree to see, and ‘reality’ is what each of us sees personally, with the word ‘see’ used to indicate ‘perceive’ because it’s a shorter word, took less time to type, and allowed me to further obfuscate matters in order to create the need to clear them up….. That should help clarify where we are in a sentence, even if it doesn’t actually simplify things at all…..)

Speaking of knowing where we are, this discussion seems to have reached a point where the next destination may be out of reach. Oh, not that the reality of it is too abstruse, or complicated, or even merely disgusting. No, it’s just too esoteric for me at 0815 in the morning, after already composing a couple thousand words on human nature and and the nature of Reality. It is almost a depressing come-down to have to consider ending this, since it was flowing so well, but, the perfect closing pearl showed itself, and I’m not one to argue with Smart Bee, or Zippy….. Stay alert, ffolkes, Reality can suck, and it can bite, when it’s not being nice…..

“I guess it was all a DREAM.. or an episode of HAWAII FIVE-O…” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

Gasp! Need something to uplift me! Quick, some Emily….

A thought went up my mind to-day
That I have had before,
But did not finish,–some way back,
I could not fix the year,

Nor where it went, nor why it came
The second time to me,
Nor definitely what it was,
Have I the art to say.

But somewhere in my soul, I know
I’ve met the thing before;
It just reminded me–‘t was all–
And came my way no more.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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

Y’all should get a clue as to the ultimate nature of what you will find below, from the picture adorning the top of the section; for the moment, I’ll pretend it’s just another elephant in the parlor….

Since today’s old-school pearl came together so easily, forming a nice, rounded description of most of the important points we all need to learn in our lives, yet, managing to maintain a not entirely straight face, I’m going to let it go without even worrying about whether it leads anywhere useful…. It was too much fun putting it together to throw out…. All of the following is good stuff, even if it lost all sense of sobriety at the end…. It fits…

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato, The Republic. Book II. 377B

“Heaven embraces the horizon. No matter how jagged the profile, the sky faithfully conforms.” — Deng Ming-Dao

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein

“Among mortals second thoughts are wisest.” — Euripides

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” — Frederick Douglass

“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!” — Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (Page 7,023)

“The virtue of all achievement is the victory over oneself. Those who know this can never know defeat.” — A.J. Cronin

“Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.” — Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters to a Young Poet

“This life is a test. It is only a test. Had it been an actual life, you would have received further instructions as to what to do and where to go. You may or may not be issued an actual life later.” — Smart Ass Bee

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

Having thus completed my Duty in tolerable fashion, I shall take my leave, to go forth into the day, clueless…. See y’all tomorrow, if I can find my way back home today….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Burning stacks of cancelled portfolios, in the rain….

Posted on February 6, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past,

but by the responsibility for our future. “

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

In the first half of the twentieth century, an American philosopher, H. L. Mencken, offered a comment on modern life as he perceived it. I’ve always liked it, but, until recently, didn’t fully “get” the full impact of the statement, which we offer below:

“Every normal man must be tempted at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”

This morning, I believe I have come to a greater understanding of what he was describing, and can only agree, in full. I say this, because I have reached a point in my life where I am ready to start giving in to such impulses. In fact, I’ve already spit on my hands, and hoisted the black flag; all that remains is to begin slitting throats, a process for which I am already fully prepared. As a life-long student of War, and its Arts, and, as a retired chef, I have a large collection of fine, sharp knives, over half of which are perfectly suited to throat cutting….. Hell, maybe I’ll just use the cleaver…

I have also observed human society now for many years; as a result, I have a long list of candidates for this sort of attention. I could, conceivably, keep myself busy right here in my home state, or home town, for that matter, but, I think it would be more efficacious, for me and for society, if I were to begin my campaign in Washington D. C., or, at a conference of the Tri-Lateral Council, where I would be able to eliminate quite a few of the major obstacles to human progress, all at once.

Actually, anyplace where more than one or two of them are together will do fine; I’ve got some grand ideas on how to use different methods of achieving the same purpose as a throat slitting…. You know, organic bombs, aerosol poisons, lasers, good stuff, all perfectly appropriate for use on groups of evil assholes, in lieu of a sharp blade…

Ah well, fantasy in the morning! Gotta love it. If nothing else, some of that almost constant urge to kill a pundit, or an asininny of some variety, is lessened by enough to keep from rushing out of the house, knife in hand, to go look for the nearest asshole to separate from his blood supply. I figure it’s good practice anyway, to smother that urge to kill, at least to the point where one is not constantly distracted by the need for revenge….

I’m hoping it isn’t just me who feels this way. If enough of us slit enough of the right throats, maybe we humans could make some progress toward fulfilling our real destiny, which has always been the pathway to the stars….. I have believed, since the first time I ever looked up in the sky, and realized those stars were other places in our universe, we were meant to go there, if only to do what we do best, which is to learn…. Our curiosity, stimulated by our imagination, is much greater than can be fulfilled on merely one planet; our destiny is the stars….

These days, it’s becoming questionable if we will ever be able to fulfill that destiny, or any other. I suppose I’ll have to wait, for the time being, before giving in to this urge toward revenge. But, believe me, if they give us much more shit, I’m grabbing the sharpest knives I have, and heading east…. Count on it….

Shall we Pearl?

“Laugh, about it, shout about it when you’ve got to choose–whichever way you look at it you lose.” — Paul Simon

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

My mood is so dark, so heavy, I need help. Here is a collection of cartoons from my youth, with one of my generation’s most important heroes. Mighty Mouse gave kids a real hero, a little guy who could beat up big guys, and who always protected the weak and vulnerable from the depredations of the evil bullies who persecuted them (Are you beginning to see the theme here?…. MM was the first hero to show the common man and the forces of evil in eternal combat, with the common man winning every time…)

The weekly battles Mighty Mouse engaged in against evil opponents, always winning, showing them up as bullies in the process, was the perfect mental attitude training for a generation of political and societal activists, which many of us became…. Some of us are still fighting those forces of evil; nowadays, though, finding the evil is much easier, because much of it is to be found in official uniforms, or in government buildings. Sadly, it’s also easier due to the simple fact there are many, many more of them now…. the silly asses breed like rabbits….. Ah well, watching some of these will take me back to those days when we still had a lot of hope…. Now, hope must be aware of how fragile it has become…. Enjoy this little break from reality, ffolkes….

Mighty Mouse

*******************

http://youtu.be/wa9aI2wvofg?list=PLsZwgCf-AbYykMLMsya5lk2sv9gYV485U

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

I found the piece below in an old document, in a file folder called “Current docs”. It was written, apparently, on Thursday, ‎September ‎06, ‎2012, at ‏‎2:21:33 PM, entitled:

{Chaos + Entropy } – {Compassion + Love} = 42

SIGH…. there are times, such as this, when I wonder what life might be like without Murphy’s unkind attentions, and, though it might affect the balance of the universe somehow if he weren’t around to see to his chosen task , (that of filling my quota, plus bonuses, of stupid, annoying crap, with which to deal at the most inconvenient times), I’d be more than willing to try it out, just to see if I could deal with THAT any better than I do with him dogging me…. In fact, I’d give serious money to have an opportunity to try….

Sadly for me, and for all of us, I suppose, money won’t buy freedom from Reality, or from the elements of Chaos, and Entropy, that are as much a part of life as are Order, and Beauty…. There are people who believe that money CAN buy happiness, but, as is commonly true with such misguided entities, they are deluded, existing in a way that prevents them from ever really connecting with the universe deeply, or experiencing the finer parts of life, those that come only when one is open to compassion, and to love.

Moreover, these poor, sad fools are completely ignorant of missing out on anything, mistakenly believing themselves to be rich as Croesus…. which, in fact, they may be, in terms of gold, or other substances people value in this plane of existence…. This, however does not prevent them from being, in truth, sadly misdirected, delusionally convinced of their own rightness, in spite of all evidence otherwise, and, ultimately, pathetically overburdened with more THINGS than they can ever use, or even appreciate.

In spite of what they probably feel is true, when they die, none of what they’ve spent their lives pursuing can go with them, wherever they may go…. There’s no conclusive evidence indicating any particular destination to which we go when we pass on, at least, none we can perceive, or comprehend in our current state of being…. S’okay, we don’t really need one; we’re just too curious to let it go….

We wonder still, in spite of knowing, in all of our checkered, but, pretty well documented history, nobody has ever come up with any real, solid evidence for ANY of the theories on the matter, one way or another. Many would, and constantly do, argue this point, but, I know for a FACT, it is for sure, and for certain, wherever our consciousness may go, it won’t be carrying bus fare, or any credit cards…. and nobody, I think, wherever it is we end up, will care at all how much crap they owned while they were here….

Who knows where THIS came from…. not me. I found the first part in an old Pearl intro, and the rest just spewed out…. so be it….

gigoid has spoken….

Okay…. not bad. Since our space for ranting has been taken up with this little side trip into my head, we’ll close today’s section with two links, one to my pal Lou’s web site, where he displayed the article you will find at the second link. It’s an EXCELLENT treatise, one I hope becomes a viral hit on the internet, soon. It will, quite frankly, provide the proper impetus to begin the world-wide revolution, as it exposes, EXACTLY, how Mankind has been DUPED by this ages old conspiracy to saddle the human race with slave collars, welded on their necks by a delusional system forced upon them from birth… Read it and weep, all you religious fanatics; your time is up…..

https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/why-are-you-still-a-christian-after-reading-this/

http://ultratechlife.com/blog/why-are-you-still-a-christian-after-reading-this-thorough/

Pretty clear and simple, eh? Anyone with more than two neurons in their head acting together will see just how they’ve been duped for millennia by these self-serving asses….

So be it.

gigoid has spoken, and he’s not the only one pissed off….

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

I can’t seem to find anything more fitting, so we’ll go with one of mine from the archives…. Enjoy!….

When life calls, ready or not….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Today’s final old school pearl will be a mystery pearl. The first pearl you see is one I chose yesterday, but, didn’t have time to follow up. I will complete it now, and hope it comes out in such a way as to fulfill the promise of the most excellent opening…. Let’s see how it comes out, shall we?…..

Know then this truth (enough for man to know),

— “Virtue alone is happiness below.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle iv, Line 309 ~~

“Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Return of the Jedi”

“You can kill a man but you can’t kill an idea.” — Medgar Evers

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head-bowings in prayer.” — Saddi

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” — Aristotle

“To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.” — Coventry Patmore

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it–even if I have said it–unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” — The Buddha

“The world exists for its own sake, not for ours. Swallow *that* pill!” — Edward Abbey

“Be the day never so long,

Evermore at last they ring to evensong.”

~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. vii ~~

Not bad for a mystery, eh?

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

In the time to come, the world will be without the luxury of mercy; whether we like it, or not, the whirlwind is coming. I’ve tried to give y’all as much warning as I can; the rest is up to you, as it has always been. For now, I’ll take my leave, hoping against hope we all have a chance to pull ourselves back from the edge toward which we are rushing….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, optimistic though it may be…..

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Full portion meals on wheels….

Posted on February 5, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR MIND:

IT IS REALITY THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING

~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~

It is with some trepidation I sit today to begin; I’m late, I feel like shit warmed over, and I pretty much hate the world. This does not bode well for the remainder of the day, since it is now almost a full hour since I arose, an hour spent trying to piece together the shreds of my contentment, so brutally shattered by the soulless corporate interests which have enslaved 99% of the world’s population. Of that number, 99% of THEM haven’t even the remotest idea they are slaves, living their lives according to the narrow set of strictures allowed by the overlords, thinking they have some kind of freedom of choice…

The sign you see above, which I stole from my friend Lou at Tales From The Conspiratum (I don’t know where he got it…. so much for attribution, eh?), says it quite appropriately, I think. If anyone wants even the slightest chance at surviving the coming apocalyptic collapse, predicted by too many sober, official agencies to ignore, they will need to throw aside the veil through which they have chosen to view life, and look directly into the evil faces of those who would see us all die, rather than given up the riches and power they have ripped from the rest of humanity. If they do not, they will go down to extinction, sinking into their graves without a whimper of protest, or even awareness of their own lack of courage, without any of the dignity which is congruent with such virtue.

I’m in just about the shittiest mood I think I’ve ever been in. My recent struggles with those corporate ghosts, who hide behind their money and power, afraid to show their true faces to the world, have put me here, for better or worse. I, for one, refuse to submit to their slavish demands for obedience to the norms they have decreed. I will not be a number, I will not be a slave, or a faceless bovine, shuffling through the fences they have built to keep the cattle penned, allowing them to dictate to me what they believe is in my interests, a complete lie they foster to keep the natives from becoming restless. I am a free man; they can try to control me, but, the only thing they will ever have the power to do, if they can, is to kill me, for I will NOT give in to their evil intent, which contains no possible benefit for anyone but themselves….. NOT going to happen….

Now I’ve convinced everyone I have slipped off the deep end, I think we’ll go on. In my current state, I would suggest no one attempt to touch me, or address me with anything other than cautious respect. The consequences are, shall we say, hard to predict, other than to say it would NOT be a pretty sight, and, when finished, NOBODY, myself included, would be happy about what had taken place. With that cautionary disclaimer fresh in your minds, let us be on our way to the oyster beds….

Shall we Pearl?

“You see things, and you say “WHY?” But I dream things that never were, and I say “WHY NOT?” — George Bernard Shaw, “Back to Methuselah”

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

Given the state of my mood, I think it would be good to find something to soothe a fevered brow…. Ah, this will do…. If I can’t calm down in 10 hours, it just ain’t gonna happen….

****************

Celtic Music 10 hours

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http://youtu.be/NDlPnExilKc

****************

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

Today’s rant will be a pearl of a different shade…. It will probably wander all over the map, taking pot shots at the AMA, FDA, Big Pharm, Big HMO’s, pundits, dogma dogs, corporate assholes, the 1%, and anyone else whose diseased minds are engaged in preying on the rest of humanity for the sake of their avarice and sociopathy, seeking ever more power and control over everyone else…. Which ever of them comes into my sight will be included for dissection, and hopefully, conviction…. Let’s see what we’ve got going on out in the Big Blue Room, shall we?…..

http://naturalsociety.com/marijuana-backed-studies-fda-approved-pharma-drugs/

“A quick search within the PubMed National Library of Medicine database for ‘marijuana’ turns up a host of studies, highlighting every aspect imaginable regarding the plant in its many forms. Some advocacy websites have even compiled hundreds of studies in an easy-to-read format surrounding marijuana, which has led numerous journalists to ask the obvious question: “why are we spending so much time researching an illegal drug for its numerous benefits while stamping side-effect-riddled drugs with the FDA stamp of approval with far less research?”

“An analysis of 200 FDA-backed pharmaceutical drugs even found that almost 33% of approved drugs were granted the approval over a single piece of clinical study”

gigoid says: Gee, ya think?

https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/who-is-trying-to-patent-marijuana/

gigoid says: Is anyone surprised? I’m not….

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/the-nsas-director-of-civil-liberties-disavows-secret-law/385150/?UTM_SOURCE=yahoo

gigoid says: Again, and it bears repeating, OF COURSE he did! Did anyone expect the chief of the biggest collection of spies in the world to tell them anything else? If so, they deserve exactly what they are getting….

Bah, humbug! I’m not in the mood, it seems, to rant, either. My anger and rage at the machine is so great today, I think it would be best to confine any further remarks to any pearls I can find to express the nature of my passion….. If I can do so, you’ll find them below…. If not, all you may find are pieces of my shattered mind, whimpering piteously as they writhe in the pain of futility…. Let’s see if I can save my sanity for at least a few more hours….. Here are nine pearls, which either comment on those who prey on their brothers and sisters, or, advise how to deal with the fact of their existence…. sort of…

“I have formed a very clear conception of patriotism. I have generally found it thrust into the foreground by some fellow who has something to hide in the background. I have seen a great deal of patriotism; and I have generally found it the last refuge of the scoundrel.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Judgment of Dr. Johnson, Act III

“Independent self-reliant people (would be) a counterproductive anachronism in the collective society of the future […] (where) people will be defined by their associations.” — John Dewey (1859-1953), educational philosopher, — proponent of modern public schools. 1896 — “The Tyranny of Government Schooling”, John Gatto, 1992

“Of course the US Constitution isn’t perfect; but it’s a lot better than what we have now.” — Eric Sheppard

“All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are far away; when far away, that you are near. Offer the enemy a bait to lure him, feign disorder and strike him. When he concentrates, prepare against him; where he is strong avoid him. Anger his general and confuse him. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. Keep him under strain and wear him down. When he is united, divide him. Attack where he is unprepared; sally out when he does not expect you. These are the strategist’s keys to victory. It is not possible to discuss them beforehand.” — Sun Tzu, The Art Of War

“A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900)

“When Thales was asked what was difficult, he said, “To know one’s self.” And what was easy, “To advise another.”” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD)
— Thales, ix

“When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty.” — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), “Caesar and Cleopatra”, Act III

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

“Every man is free to rise as far as he is able or willing, but it’s only the degree to which he thinks that determines the degree to which he’ll rise.” — Smart Bee

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

Here is an older poem of mine; it isn’t about the weather, despite what the title implies….

November Dreams of Spring

Crass and cold, the beggar finds me swollen, so frail and fat
with painful stepping motions, running, like a Republicrat.
Building with straw and spittle, should artists come aground,
we all pay heavily, a billion for a bloody pound.

Too desperate, too ashamed to play such a part
We ask for belief, and sweet liberty, dressing up so smart.
It falls between the simple cracks, always in a hurry
To find a shrunken ego, ashen, swift, and full of worry.

Never there was a more penitent group, such a sterling way
To fast in luxury, making sure the guilty enter, but do not stay.
Forgotten gods can find their diffident suitors tonight
With dream-fitted convention, and a natural sense of delight.

For all the silken babies cried, to see the broken dreams of power
forgiven moments of certitude serve, filling up the maiden’s bower.
All the patient, loving veterans of ancient foreign time,
give up their first impressions, dying, dying for a rhyme.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Today’s final offering is a collection of pearls….. Well, since my mind is not sure of anything just now, I guess I won’t try to tell you what they all mean, either individually, or, as a group…. The only desirable characteristic I insisted upon was to have them all say SOMETHING useful…. Wish me luck….

“…and I get on my knees and pray we don’t get fooled again.” — Pete Townshend

“For a real long time, scholars debated whether the Earth revolves around the sun, or, if it was actually the center of the universe. I offer the question: Who really cares?” — John Young, AP Earth Science

“Never to have changed – what a pitiable thing of which to boast!” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“The only really decent thing to do behind a person’s back is pat it.” — Smart Bee

“History is a lie commonly agreed upon.” — Nietzsche

“Do not speak of what men deserve. For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead Kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of *deserving*, of *earning*, and you will begin to be able to think.” — Odo, The Prison Letters (Ursula LeGuin, _The Dispossessed_)

“The gods too are fond of a joke.” — Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Well… there you go. I don’t think I could have done better if I’d tried…. so be it.

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

Having thus discharged what I have chosen as duty, I’ll take my leave now. Today’s effort was just that; an effort. It’s done, though, so, I can get on with the rest of today, with whatever new challenges the universe has for me to deal with, to accept, or deny. Maybe I’ll go back to bed…. Either way, if I can make it that far, 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,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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

What happens AFTER it melts?….

Posted on January 24, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“He who dies with the most toys, is, nonetheless, still dead.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

NASA Travel Posters

Okay, ffolkes. We’re in serious trouble now. It’s relatively late, I’m clueless, and I have nothing. Literally, and, figuratively, nothing. SIGH….

Not only do I have nothing floating around in my head, nothing is done from yesterday, another tough one, wherein I spent much of the day slathering magic cream on those parts of me I can still reach, interspersed with the occasional self-induced pity party, and a number of episodes of TD…. Since we refuse to countenance the former, and would just as soon forget the latter, as far as we are able, neither is a suitable subject for our needs just now…. In point of fact, nothing seems to be suitable for that, as A) we don’t have any idea as to what we need, and, B) there’s that word “nothing” again…

See? In my world, and on this occasion, nothing isn’t merely a small amount, it’s NOTHING….. Hell, I’ve got that down, so far as it goes. It’s only natural, since I end up in its embrace so frequently; even an old dog finds a new bone now and again. (I THINK that’s how that aphorism goes; I could be wrong…. Even if I’m right, though, I still don’t know what the hell it means…. or, how it applies to this…. But, it LOOKS good up there, doesn’t it?….) I don’t believe I’ve ever, in all my vast experience with nothing, seen this much nothing all in one place and time…. Usually, even Murphy is a nice enough guy to spread it around a bit…. This, though, is a pile of nothing such as the world has never seen….

I’m not sure just how to use it, even with all my experience with it. Usually I’m trying to ignore it, or shove it in a closet, or dump it somewhere. With this much of it, I should be able to figure out how to use at least the fringes of it for something, or, at the minimum, find a buyer who hasn’t seen such a big one before, and sell it before they wake up…. Of course, that assumes I can find anyone that stupid; even stupidity may not be that stupid, I’m guessing….

I think, upon looking back over the last paragraph, we’d better use one of the old emergency endings for these opening sections; if we continue trying to milk water out of this stone statue, I think I’ll hurt myself…. and, that’s if nobody catches on. If anyone should notice just what I’ve been doing here this morning, I could be open to all sorts of litigation, not to mention what it would do to the sales of my non-existent books….

Okay, I’ve got it…. here’s what we’ll do….

Nothing….

Shall we Pearl?

“Y’know, every once in a while, when you look off into the distance, you can see a shimmering in the atmosphere’s coefficient of refraction, as someone, someone small and slow on the horizon, gets a clue.” — Blair Houghton, who’s yet to get one

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

Since the theme for today’s Pearl is such an amorphous entity, we’ll simply provide some traveling music, and be done with this section for today…. Here is an artist, a singer/songwriter, whose work never reached the level of popularity I think it deserves…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

Phoebe Snow live

http://youtu.be/QVX_rPpxtIU

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

“All great truths begin as blasphemies.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), “Annajanska” ~~

What a wonderful opening for a rant of gargantuan proportion! Fortunately for y’all, and, in this case, for me, we have already established the level of resources I have at my disposal today, to wit: nothing; this means, naturally, you won’t be subjected to a fresh rant, even though this quote could be applied to almost any of our usual categories for discussion. Instead, we’ll go with one from the archives, chosen mostly for its expedience… What this means in real-time is, it will be the first one I find that I think will do…. Here it is, whatever it is; I haven’t chosen it yet. No worries, I’m in a pretty easy mood, so, it won’t be too heavy….

Ah, here is a good one. It’s a bit long, but, it won’t tax anyone’s already over-burdened head to any large degree…. It does, however, fulfill my need to proselytize in favor of reason, versus living life by rules that make no sense to me…. Whatever…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s not bad…. and, remember what it cost you to get in….

From 2/2/2013:

“I can handle reality in small doses, but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.” — Lily Tomlin

This is one of many statements of its type, some from Miss Lily, some from other comedians and social philosophers, all of whom are special to me…. They are special because they poke fun at society in the mildest way, but with clarity that is belied by their apparent simplicity and obvious humor. It is easy for a lot of folks to dismiss little gems like this, as being unimportant, or less than serious, just because it speaks with tongue in cheek… Nothing could be further from the truth, as this statement is absolute gospel to a large percentage of the adult population of this country….

“Reality is for those people who can’t handle drugs.” — George Carlin

(My attribution here might be incorrect, but, George inspired the line, if he didn’t write it himself….)

Here is another line from the revolution that happened back in the 60’s and 70’s, and it points up a very definitive difference between those folks who spend their time in the mainstream of society, and those who exist at the extremes, in this case, in what is generally conceived to be on the Left end of the scale…. Those who inhabit the other end of the political spectrum tend to rely on alcohol to blunt the effects of Reality on the brain, rather than what are dismissed by them as recreational drugs, such as marijuana, psilocybin, mescaline, etc. In some ways, you can get a good idea of the philosophies themselves by looking at how they approach the subject of drugs and alcohol, and by the differing methods of enhancing life with them….

Those who rely on alcohol are those who prefer to NOT know the truth, about anything. It seems to me that the physical effects of alcohol parallel exactly the way these folks look at life…. When under the influence of alcohol, one’s senses are depressed, and it is much harder to see the truth than at other times…. and that is the way they like it…. With consumption of alcohol, the hearing decreases, judgment is impaired, vision blurs, sense of touch is lessened, and fine muscle control is compromised, pretty much in that order of occurrence. It is the same each time, but with continued regular consumption, a certain tolerance is developed, a tolerance that slightly mitigates the effects, but certainly does not keep them from happening.

Those who use drugs to enhance or adjust their view don’t deny the truth, but they want it to be all prettied up for them in some way, so it isn’t so harsh and ugly…. Most of the effects of the drugs are in the mind, with some notable exceptions; the perceptions of all the senses are not depressed, but altered in some way, usually personal to the user, in physical response to the chemical in the drug that causes the cognitive alterations. Either way, whether with drugs, or with alcohol, perception of the truth is what ultimately suffers, which is what the proponents of both ends of the spectrum tend to forget, or deny….

“Have you ever wondered if taxation without representation was cheaper?” — Smart Bee

I have…. It is and it isn’t, and we are witnessing that phenomenon right now….. This may be why many people have such a hard time with reality; when one becomes aware of just how screwed up things are, and how much lying, cheating, and stealing is going on right before our eyes, it is rather daunting to take in all at once, so people do as they’ve always done, and slip into massive denial of the truth, preferring to just ignore the evidence that is slapping them upside the head…. One time, I actually sat down to do the math on the above question, and what I found was surprising…. Neither way works…. There just isn’t any logical way to govern people, and make it either profitable, or even reasonably cheap…. Well, not as long as the lying, cheating, and stealing is part of the equation, anyway….

“The word “dog” does not bite,” — William James

Boy, if that isn’t the truth…. but, try to convince the general public of that….. It is one of the basic issues to be considered when speaking to the public, one that the BRC and PTB members all know very well, as it is their chief weapon in controlling the populace…. Most folks don’t think…. when they do, it causes them pain, so they tend to let someone else do it for them, and just go along in blissful ignorance, accepting whatever they’re told without a clue. They never consider that the word itself is not the thing it describes; even worse, they don’t care to know….. It is the simplest thing in the world for the Beloved Ruling Class to fool the public, because they actively participate, with apparent glee, in their own debasement….

“As a matter of cold fact, a lot of people have no use for you because they can’t use you.” — Smart Bee

Sometimes, I’m not sure which disgusts me more…. the callous disregard for others that is the defining characteristic of all politicians and preachers, or the deliberately blind, fawning ignorance of those who refuse to become fully human, use their minds, and take responsibility for their own life…. To my way of thinking, both are deserving of every bit of trouble that reality can give them, just for their intransigence…. otherwise known as rampant stubbornness, or more simply, massive stupidity….

I’m being deliberately offensive this morning, as I’m sick and tired of how the general public refuses to wake up and smell the gunpowder, and I don’t really care if it hurts someone’s feelings. Anyone who disagrees with my assessment is free to offer up their own take on the matter, and I’ll give it equal time for discussion…. but, if what I’ve said hurts feelings, then apparently what I’ve said strikes just a little too close to the truth for comfort, and I would suggest that the person take a look at that before setting themselves up for embarrassment, by trying to argue without a leg upon which to stand….

In the past year and a half, I’ve written thousands and thousands of words trying to wake people up to how much they are giving away by refusing to think. It is my greatest hope that what I have to say may have some small effect on the world, an effect that might in some way contribute to our chances of surviving our own foolishness. I’m afraid my hope is, sadly, rather slim, but, I am not ready to quit my campaign, nor to change tactics. I’ll keep on poking at the BRC, and the priestly hierarchies, and every other enemy of mankind (for that is how I see them….) for as long as I can, and hope for the best….

“One of the greatest advantages in the world is enjoyed by the person who says and insists that they are telling the truth, when in fact, they are telling the truth.” — Smart Bee

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

A new poem is almost ready to leak, but, not today…. To sublimate, I’ll use one from the archives, so nobody else gets any of the blame for this post…. I’m afraid, the way it is progressing at this point, I could conceivably find it necessary to call a lawyer before the end of the day…. Ah, well, I won’t worry about that now…. which is, I know, a typically human, mundane sort of reaction to anything we don’t want to face….

Elemental, dear Watson….

Don’t worry,
it’s not
me
you hear
screaming.

It is
only
my bones,
giving in,
to
cowardly,
pathologically,
repetitive,
fucking,’
complaints
of
past abuse,
and
all the fun
we had.
playing,
hard.

I don’t mind
too much;
I can spend my
TIME
in another space
in my head,
pretending
my bones
don’t
exist….

It
is,
indeed,
a shame
they
always
come
back….

Fuck.

It
hurts.

More proof,
I guess,
either
God isn’t,
or,
He is.

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

He is?
Then,
I don’t fucking care
who
doesn’t like it,

I say,

He
is
a bully,
a coward,
a hypocrite,
and,
truly,
an enormous asshole.

I suppose,
God
is
what comes,
to,
and
from,
People,

because

they
feel
a need,
for
someone
to
blame,
for
a
Universe
they
cannot
understand
or
accept.

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Finally he released the young man, and waded back to dry land. Then Socrates questioned the man. `What did you most want just now?’ The young man replied, `Air.’ `When you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, you shall have it.’

I don’t remember how old I was when I first heard this short piece of history. It is a scene so often related in human experience, I’m sure nobody even knows when it first appeared, though obviously it came shortly AFTER the death of Socrates. I do know I was younger than 10; I remember, too, the effect the story had on me when I heard it, which was a feeling of dejá vu, in a way, a feeling I had just heard something I’d always known….

I took the aphorism to heart, letting it guide my thoughts in everything I did, at least in terms of the training of my mind…. Throughout the remainder of my life, I have collected many such short statements, each of which gives us a condensed lesson, in how to life a life one may be proud to have lived…. Each of these pearls you’ll see is a lesson I’ve learned, at one point or another, with varying degrees of reluctance, like all humans….

Here, then, for your kind consideration, is a pearl composed of as many of them as I could find this morning in the allotted space of time; the natural number one would expect, of course, is exactly what I found, to wit, as grokked by the Old Ones of Mars, 3 filled, or, as you see…. a nine-star pearl…. As is appropriate, we start with some wisdom as old as humanity, as interpreted by our old friend, Smart Bee…..Enjoy!….

“Whenever doubt can be called into question, do so.” — Smart Bee

“A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” — Paul Simon

“Cease to be ruled by dogmas and authorities; look at the world!” — H.G. Wells paraphrase of Roger Bacon’s works

“You don’t learn anything the second time you’re kicked by a mule.” — Smart Bee

“The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” — George Eliot

“The wisest men follow their own directions.” — Euripides

“To see what is right and not to do it is cowardice.” — Cervantes

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.” — Yun-Men

That just about says it all, doesn’t it? Don’t wobble, ffolkes….

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

Well, damn! I did it! It was touch and go there for a while, but, I managed, somehow, to do this, almost as if I had something, rather than the nothing I know is the case. Well, whatever it is, it’s got long legs, a glossy coat, a mane, and a fondness for alfalfa, so, it must be a gift horse…. we’ll leave its mouth alone, and be on our way to bigger and better things, which I’m sure I’ll find somewhere out there in the Big Blue Room, where I hope to be up to spending some time today…. See y’all tomorrow, 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.

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Potboiler or not, it’s quite a story….

Posted on January 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

To Enlarge, click on picture

Casting hope aside, with endless sorrow, the ancient warrior took up his sword, settling the scabbard firmly at his side, ready to hand. No expression crossed the stoic face, despite the burning anger, and thirst for battle that gripped his soul. Only the hard presence of immutable will would be allowed to escape his control, until the one responsible for this atrocity had been served up to the gods of revenge, in pieces too small to identify. Only then would the ancient warrior be content to lay aside his weapon, to honorably die, joining those whose lives were his to avenge….

Often, in the small hours of the dark morning, my constant companion awakens me to begin the day, pushing me up with the hope of finding more peace than can be found abed, where time becomes an enemy in the lee of midnight…. I gaze at the screen, once my mind is caught up to my eyes, wondering what I can find here to ease the whirling, spinning maelstrom which confronts me out here in the real world of consciousness. I can feel the weight of time, sitting on my shoulders, bringing memories of both joy and pain, denying hope, politely, and, oh, so cruel, with its constant, relentless barrage of what seems to be a multitude of small, yet vicious invisible mites, biting, biting, each and every one of my nerves, one after the other….

My doctor, it seems, doesn’t believe in my pain, for he/she wants me to give up the most stable source of any real peace I’ve had in the past 40 years. The prurient, prudish morality of a soulless behemoth masquerading as a “corporate person”, otherwise known as a Health Maintenance Organization, has decided that it is within their purview to decide for me what the proper treatment for my condition is, without any consideration at all for what that arrogance will do TO me…. Because I insist on making my own decisions about the best way to treat my pain, and my PTSD, they are willing to literally blackmail me with the threat of my own pain to protect themselves from their own imaginary bogies, which they are afraid will leave them open to litigation, thus taking away from their profit margin, the purpose for their entire existence….

But, that, unfortunately, is ranting, which is, at this juncture, both too early, and too big a subject to try to address in the intro…. not to mention the inappropriateness of such a discussion in public, at all…. But, in the mood I’m in, (as indicated by the obvious self-portrait in the first paragraph….), what the fuck do I care what’s appropriate? In fact, now that I think of it, the opening quote from Zippy is perfectly apt for today…. Fuck ’em all, I say. Bring any of them to me, and I shall make them meat…. All I ask is your silence, and some help in disposing of the evidence….

No? Well, no worries, nobody has died yet….. but, the day is young…. A good portion of today’s Pearl was completed yesterday, and the day before, as my newly developed method of writing has become more of a routine, choppy though it is, with its necessary breaks every ten or fifteen minutes to find another (relatively) comfortable position in which to type, or to walk around to stretch, and allow the skeleton to come to terms with the pain currently assailing most of my joints…. It’s a bit choppy, but, it works for me….

Another advantage of this system is the increased vigilance it allows me, to stay on top of those little opportunities to get to the correct area on the map we use, such as this fine looking entry point coming up on our bow…. It’s so conveniently located we’re going for it, even if it does, again, throw the rhythm I’ve found into the toilet…. S’okay, I’m coming to rather enjoy the offhand way I am ordered about by my inanimate objects…. They’re only trying to help, you know, and they are severely underpaid, in my opinion…. But, that’s a rant for another time, and place…. Right now, we’re going in, so, I’d suggest you hang on to the nearest stanchion; our pilot today likes to cut things close….

Shall we Pearl?

“Once, there was NO fun… This was before MENU planning, FASHION statements or NAUTILUS equipment… Then, in 1985.. FUN was completely encoded in this tiny MICROCHIP… It contain 14,768 vaguely amusing SIT-COM pilots!! We had to wait FOUR BILLION years but we finally got JERRY LEWIS, MTV and a large selection of creme-filled snack cakes!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

As the first couple of paragraphs in the above section indicate, my soul is crying out for peace…. This isn’t a cure, but, I find it helps…. Maybe it is part of the connection I’ve always felt to the Druidic culture that flourished in ancient Europe, or, maybe it’s just the way it takes me away from reality…. whatever it is, it works for me….

Celtic Music – Sleeping Dreams And Fantasies Mix

http://youtu.be/n4zxO1xy6ec

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

“A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

Now that I have your attention, we have a different sort of ranting section for you today…. Right now, I am unsure of exactly what it will look like, or, where it might end up, but, having found the perfect opening picture and pearl, I’m going to let if fly, just so we can see what kind of trouble we can either cause, or get into, whichever seems more fun…. What else would you expect, when you find these two at the top of the section?….

With the proper tone firmly established, we shall move on to the more intellectual part of today’s experimental pearl…. an old school indictment of Asininnies, of the political persuasion, those we call Pundits, (or, sometimes, The Liars Club….). I’d hoped to include the rest of the categories of the larger group, (i.e. Dogma Dogs, Myrmidons, Snakeheads, Pimps, Illuminati, Mundanes, Droids, or, anyone else worthy of our ire….), but everything that came up was in this smaller group, which, apparently, Smart Bee seems to consider the most vulnerable target at the moment of choice…. Or, it could be these are what came up, with incipient laziness taking over at that point…. Here they are, such as they are….

“He’s not a politician. He’s just ethically challenged.” — Smart Bee

“Democracy is a form of government that substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. In democracy, what you get generally is bad government by a bully, tempered by the pen of several newspaper editors.” — George Bernard Shaw — Man and Superman (1903) Maxims for Revolutionists: Democracy

“You can lead a man to Congress, but you can’t make him think.” — Smart Bee

“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand-fold in the future.” — Solzhenitsyn

“Bother! said Pooh, as he found a politician in his honey pot.” — Smart Bee

“How do you make sense of such madness? The answer is, you can’t.” — Pablo Guzman

“As long as the United States Government exists, there is no real accomplishment being a humorist.” — Smart Bee

Okay, now comes the fun part…. We’ve taken our shots at the pundits for the day; now we get to finish the new format with one final comment, which I’ve personally chosen to represent the metaphor of reality being highlighted in this unusual fashion…. This is what I came up with, as a final word on the Asininnies for today…. It’s a very nice statement of insight on life today, which, I promise, will be my last word for today on this subject…. In truth, the statement is a fine finish for any indictment, for it speaks to the reason any of us might feel the need to indict at all….

“The stars are made of the same atoms as the earth.” I usually pick one small topic like this to give a lecture on. Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — mere gobs of gas atoms. Nothing is “mere.” I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-million-year-old light. A vast pattern — of which I am a part — perhaps my stuff was belched from some forgotten star, as one is belching there. Or see them with the greater eye of Palomar, rushing all apart from some common starting point when they were perhaps all together. What is the pattern, or the meaning, or the *why?* It does not do harm to the mystery to know a little about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined! Why do the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?” — Richard Phillips Feynman (1918-1988)

As is patently clear to me, in a larger sense, Mr. Feynman obliquely implies the mindset adopted by those of our human brethren who choose ignorance and faith over knowledge and reason, thus limiting themselves to a pattern of looking at reality which keeps them, and consequently all of us, from living as we are meant to live.

If not for this intrinsic flaw in our very nature, we could be living in a very different world, walking in beauty, singing, in perfect harmony and rhyme, rejoicing in all the secrets of heart, soul, and reality, rather than merely humming along with the dirges, which are the only music playing in our current reality, a stark, dark, desperate world in which compassion and beauty are crushed under the heels of the boots worn by the god of war, namely, Avarice, and, Indifference…

I know…. Bummer, huh?

gigoid, the dubious

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

There are moments in life when the power and presence of serendipity makes itself felt, leaving no doubt in my mind there is more to this universe than we can ever really know…. This poem was the first I encountered today in my search for an appropriate entry for today’s poetry section; it’s the poem of the day on PoemHunter.com, my favorite site to find those verses I need for this part of each Pearl….. It’s a small piece, but, with that incredible characteristic of the very best of poems, brevity, mixed with powerful metaphor, to create a short epistle which gives us much, much more than just the few words use could be expected to give….. Plus, it fits in with my mood….. go figure….

A Coat

I made my song a coat
Covered with embroideries
Out of old mythologies
From heel to throat;
But the fools caught it,
Wore it in the world’s eyes
As though they’d wrought it.
Song, let them take it,
For there’s more enterprise
In walking naked.

~~ William Butler Yeats ~~

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This pearl is, to my mind, a good one. It’s composed of pearls whose primary characteristic is in how it must be examined more deeply than the first reading, to penetrate to the second, and third ideas that are buried within their shy outer bearing….. In short, when you read them, they should make you pause, and say to yourself, “Wait a second….”, then look again…. hopefully. Works for me, anyway…. Just look deeper than the shallow first concept, ffolkes, because the result is a pretty good picture of how to approach reality with something more than just a pretty face…., which, in spite of popular belief by many, not everyone has…. No matter anyway, reality doesn’t care….

“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” — Yogi Berra

“Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” — Erasmus

“The last good thing I saw on TV was the ‘off’ switch.” — J. Craig Brunson (craig@ukpr.uky.edu)

“Where no hope is left, is left no fear.” — Milton

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man’s training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.” — Thomas H. Huxley

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Poem for the Living

When I am dead
Cry for me a little
Think of me sometimes
But not too much.

It is not good for you
Or your wife or your husband
Or your children
To allow your thoughts to dwell

Too long on the dead
Think of me now and again
As I Was in life
At some moment it is pleasant to recall

But not for long.
Leave me in peace
As I shall leave you, too, in peace.
While you live
Let your thoughts be with the living.

~~ Theodora Kroeber ~~

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

Thankfully, it’s done. Just in time, too. I was about to break out in song…. Figuring, rightly, I’m sure, that would drive y’all over the edge, to which we come close enough on a regular basis, we’ll just use our advantage of position (here at the end….) to make our escape, before any of y’all catch on…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless embarrassment kicks in….

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, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Damn fine socks, mister….

Posted on December 29, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Animal Pictures of the Week
London Daily Telegraph

“I am especially grateful to Saint-Expury for bringing out a paradoxical truth which seems to me of great psychological import: that man’s happiness lies not in freedom but in his acceptance of a duty.” — Andre Gidet, 1931, in the preface to Saint-Expury’s “Night Flight”, called “Flight to Arras” in the English version.

Serendipity can be of great help when one is floundering, if one is able to put aside any confusion to notice its presence…. I am in a deep funk, one brought on by a resurgence of PTSD symptoms, in reaction to some stressful issues with which I’ve been dealing over the last few weeks…. The details are not important; nor is any real discussion of my own neurotic/psychotic tendencies of any help that I can see….

However, the process of finding one’s center, and the inner balance to maintain one’s position there, is often helpful to discuss, if only to point out those ideas that may bring some relief, to myself, or anyone else, from the issues at hand…. In this case, the above quote from Mssr. Gide reminded me of something I already knew, but, lost track of in my floundering around in my head…. Easy to do, methinks, especially for those of us who dwell in our inner spaces a lot….

How does all this relate to a Pearl? Well, the fact is, I’m seriously considering NOT Pearling for a while…. The duty I have in life now is not one of my own choosing, in one sense, though there is, of course, another sense which always knows that ALL of what we do, and all of what happens TO US, is all our choice…. But, right now, I’m dealing with more pain and misery, for reasons found in the state of my own physique, than I ever imagined, much less thought to feel; having been healthy all my life, I didn’t imagine ever having my own body betray me…. I suppose that goes to show how little we actually know, and how much we need to learn to pay closer attention….

In any case, it seems to me that I’ve become too sedentary; my whole life these days revolves around the process of creating these Pearls…. The routines I’ve built up all are centered on the early morning period when I write; the rest of my day is generally taken up by methods of passing the time without increasing my pain…. In fact, my entire existence, including the writing of Pearls, is designed to keep my pain at a level that can be managed…. By pain, I am referring to both the physical pains I feel, from arthritis, diverticulosis, and the aftereffects of a life spent in hard labor (so to speak….), and the internal, mental pain that plagues me when my PTSD flares up….

It’s hard to say which is more debilitating; the physical pain is tough, especially when it all kicks in together, but, I can usually push past it to do stuff…. The mental pain is, perhaps, a bit harder to deal with, as when it strikes, I don’t want to do ANYTHING, not even think…. The chemical means I use to manage both types of pain are helpful, but, there are times when the pain pretty much IGNORES anything I take, and will push through all chemical barriers to make itself known…. Those times, while illuminating in terms of what one learns about one’s self, are NOT pleasant…. a word which, in this case, may be termed as reverse hyperbole….

As can be seen, today, my hands and joints are better; I’m typing without a need for long breaks, and the magic cream is working fine. Hence, this long, wordy, wandering intro section, all just to say that this may be the last Pearl you see for a time…. I am not sure. but, the statement above, re; duty, has caused some deep resonance in my spirit, and I feel I may be taking a hiatus from writing to go find my duty…. It’s that simple for me, you see…. I’ve always known that I am duty-driven, as any man worth his salt is…. Whether we like it or not, it’s the way we’re built, and we don’t do well without a purpose, one we have chosen to fulfill….

So, bear with me, ffolkes…. This could get maudlin, or it could get brilliant (less likely, I’m sure, in my current frame of mind….); what it WILL get is DONE, one last time, if it kills me….

Shall we Pearl?

“A hug is a heart to heart talk.” — Bobby Matherne (American writer, 1940-)

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In order to keep with the theme today, here is some gorgeous music from a brilliant artist, playing music designed for the instrument he plays…. Enjoy!….

Yo Yo Ma… The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach

http://youtu.be/EcR6j_JNwQs

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I definitely don’t have a rant in me today, other than one against reality, which is totally useless…. So, here is a discussion from the archives, that takes life down to a pretty simple level….

From 9/15/2012:

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

See? There, now, I’ve been saying this for years, and here’s old Marcus Aurelius, that Roman cogitator extraordinaire, putting it straight out there, way back around the time of J.C.’s failed attempt at societal reform. A very cogent, yet poignant description of human nature and the preponderance of Ego that drives most of humanity to act out of their own ignorance, rather than consider the veracity or usefulness of someone else’s ideas. This format for stating this answer to one of the great questions is one that all the best philosophers choose when creating aphorisms; clear, simple language and brutally honest self-examination provide us with true wisdom, like it or not……

What particularly gets me about people at large is the high percentage of folks who fall into the trap that Ego sets; for some reason, people seem to prefer the cozy blindness with which ignorance can cover them to the cold, harsh light of self-knowledge. The very ego that sets them apart from the rest of the animals who inhabit this planet becomes also the greatest threat to survival, when it is allowed to dictate how one views reality.

The state of society in today’s world rests on the brink of total collapse; any number of issues currently in play in the world can lead us to upheaval unseen since the last Ice Age. Pollution, created by mankind, is pumping tons of carbon monoxide into the air every minute, and all those precipitates are eventually bound to cause changes to climate that we will have no power to stop, or reverse.

The economy of the world is constantly on the verge of collapse in these times, due mostly to the unacknowledged crimes of the 1% of mankind who controls 99% of the money and resources. These crimes arise, again, out of Ego, as the elite of the world believe that they are “different” from the rest of humanity, and deserve to make all the decisions, which oddly enough, are only beneficial to themselves….. again, the power of Ego trumps virtue…..

I’m a smart guy, pretty much, but this is a problem for which even I cannot find a solution, other than the age-old, time-worn, and always ineffective war between the classes. That solution has been tried innumerable times throughout history, and each time the same structure of society re-settles into the same old shape, with a few people at the top, making all the important decisions for the rest of humanity. All because we, as individuals, and as a species, cannot learn to control our ego, to persuade it to act for the benefit of all, rather than just looking out for itself….. I figure that whatever happens will be what we deserve, and I can’t say that I think it will be very pretty, for the species….. or for a lot of individuals…..

Maybe there is a solution…. as a matter of fact, there is one that has been around for as long as mankind has been writing stuff down…. and it’s always the same little piece of advice, a little idea that can change one’s entire life and world-view….. but only if it is accepted, and believed, and applied to reality…… Everybody knows this, but, how many actually live it?…..

“Do unto all as you would wish to have done unto you, and reject for others what you would reject for yourself.” — Mohammed

That’s right, the Golden Rule…. a basic tenet of EVERY philosophy that Mankind has ever formulated; even most religions will acknowledge the wisdom of this, though it doesn’t serve their interests as well as they would wish. But, throughout history, we have always known what is the right way to act…. we’ve just always chosen not to apply the principle in interacting with others…. Instead, we allow our ego to dictate how we behave, thus bringing us to the current world, with all of its problems and dangers…..

SIGH….. It’s really quite easy, and it’s the only answer that will work, in the long run. It really is too bad that most of humanity isn’t buying into it, isn’t it?……

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

I’ve been inundating y’all with my own poetry, so, here is one we all have seen before, at one time or another, from a poet who needs no introduction from me….

The Arrow and the Song

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

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

Above, I stated I don’t have a rant in me…. but, that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything about which I want to rant. It only means I don’t believe I’ve got the mental acuity to do it right…. Smart Bee, however, seems to be in fine fettle, now that it has gotten over whatever snit it was pursuing there for a while….

This pearl speaks about modern society, in this country specifically, but with relevance to the entire gamut of human culture today…. Follow the bouncing idea ball to the perfect resolution to the issues brought forth by this most excellent indictment…. I couldn’t have done better if I’d tried….

“Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.” — Smart Bee

“But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.” — Frederic Bastiat, The Law

“It doesn’t require any particular bravery to stand on the floor of the Senate and urge our boys in Vietnam to fight harder, and if this war mushrooms into a major conflict and a hundred thousand young Americans are killed, it won’t be U. S. Senators who die. It will be American soldiers who are too young to qualify for the senate.” — George McGovern

“The history of most countries has been that of majorities – mounted majorities, clad in iron, armed with death, treading down the tenfold more numerous minorities.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes poet, novelist, physician 1809-1894

“Capitalism did not arise because capitalists stole the land, but because it was more efficient than feudalism. It will perish because it is not merely less efficient than socialism, but actually self-destructive.” — J. B. S. Haldane

“We’ve got to end this foolishness.” — Smart Bee

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

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

Pliny the Elder, in many of his works, tended to lean a bit toward the fantastic, especially when it came to biology, a science of which he knew very little, but said much… The above, however, is perfectly true, and is a good place to end today’s missive, as it fits right in with my mood…. Most days, at this point, I would say, see y’all tomorrow…. Today, all I will say is, be real, and wish me luck, in finding some peace of mind…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Moss-covered sculptures of bacon are on now display in the hotel lobby….

Posted on November 24, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nearly all men can stand adversity,

but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~

Your will is my will…..

Ah, yes…. I remember this…. Moderate to heavy feeling of being off-balance, with accompanying, insidious nausea, brought on by a new attack of vertigo, felt first thing upon arising…. I must confess, this is not my favorite way to start the day, to be sure. It seems I have, in my declining years, (such a weak euphemism for the aging process; it almost implies we can do something about it, which is, patently, a hideous lie…), developed a tendency to bring the condition on during my sleep, by turning over too quickly at night…. Apparently, on a random basis, such a movement somehow dislodges the small crystals of my inner ear from their accustomed places, a process which apparently annoys them no end, as they start sending clamorous cries to the brain that the body is falling, fast…. when, in fact, one is lying abed, or sitting in a chair, fighting the dizziness and nausea…. SIGH…. one of Life’s less pleasurable moments, I’d say….

Still, the physical therapist I saw last time this came to pass showed me an exercise which will correct the issue without too much trouble, so, at least it’s not a permanent state, thank goodness. To have to fight this all the time is a pain; I spent almost two weeks in relative misery a while back, so, knowing how to apply a fix is what I call serendipitous indeed…. But, it doesn’t help get today’s Pearl done, while trying not to spew all over the keyboard…. so, I’ll warn y’all now you’ll be seeing some archived material today, as creating fresh stuff is probably beyond my current powers…. That isn’t to say I can lay any claim to any real control over the process, but, it does at least acknowledge my efforts to keep producing different, if not totally new material… such as it may turn out….

I’m no Alex Pope, for sure, nor am I Sam Clemens in disguise; this I know for sure, though I do try to emulate both at times…. They’re worthy role models, to my way of thinking, at least in a literary sense…. Since Sam died before he got very old, and Pope, as far as I remember, also didn’t live to a ripe, old age, I think I’d rather emulate some other literary figures, like maybe Wordsworth, or Shaw, both of whom lived into their 80’s, if I recall my historical reading correctly…. At least with more time, I’ll have a better chance of approaching some level of competence at this, though it isn’t guaranteed…. But, then, in this world, guarantees are, for the most part, non-existent in a real sense….

Now that I’ve blathered and rambled sufficiently to satisfy any legal requirements anyone may come up with, I think I’ll go find some of those archived materials I spoke of previously, so I can get on to the exercises I need to do to get rid of this nonsensical physical issue that promises to complicate my day…. If I can get the fix in soon, I may be able to skip a lot of the misery so easy to come by when one is continuously feeling nauseous, even if it is a mild nausea…. It’s a bit like being just a little bit pregnant, I guess…. there’s really no getting away with any shortcuts…. Ah well, the Anglo-Saxons said it best, I suppose, when they gave us that oh-so-expressive epithet to fit almost any occasion, to wit:

FUCK!…. FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

There, I feel better now…. a little bit, anyway, which will have to do….

Shall we Pearl?

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

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

For many years, I have avoided watching TV, which, though a good idea, has nonetheless caused me to miss what GOOD material HAS been put on the air, somehow slipping past the idiots who generally choose what the public will see…. The series of Sherlock Holmes adventures dramatized on the BBC during the 1990’s is a perfect example of this…. I’ve been enjoying immensely catching up to all those fine pieces of work, starring an actor whose physical appearance is the closest to how A.C. Doyle describes Holmes, to wit: Jeremy Brett, who also happens to be a fine actor, gleefully playing Sherlock’s demented persona perfectly…. Here is one of these little hidden gems, with a link that will give you more links, to almost all of them, with some time and patience…. Enjoy, ffolkes, these are some delightful episodes, well-written and superbly acted….

Sherlock Holmes Season 3 episode 6 The Priory School

http://youtu.be/JrF0FVvTmxE

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

“Necessity has no law.” — Saint Augustine (354-430) — Soliloquium Animae ad Deum

Here is a perfect example of how the delusions and lies told by the dogma dogs has infiltrated the common mind of humanity, spreading false ideas that cause no end of societal misery…. This paraphrase of the old standard, “The end justifies the means,” has caused more misery in human history than almost any other idea…. It goes hand in hand with another lie, which is generally fed to the innocent minds of children, who have no real defenses against the ones telling them, thus perpetuating the false beliefs in each person, before they have any chance to realize any other, possibly opposite, concept…. to wit: we are merely the creations of a supernatural tyrant, and unworthy of existence unless we surrender our minds to that entity’s pathetic desire to be worshiped for its largesse….

Now, even in my less than ideal frame of mind, these lies are infuriating, almost enough to make me keep ranting along those lines…. but, not quite…. This is some serious nausea today, if I move injudiciously…. So, here is a rant from the archives, to sublimate my need to pull the covers off those who are holding the entire human species hostage, preventing us from ever having a chance to achieve our real potential, all because of their own cowardice, and fear of what the real world is like…. SIGH…. Sometimes, when I say it like that, it’s hard to feel like we deserve any chances…. We certainly seem to prefer to wallow in our stupidity, more than we seem to enjoy thinking, and learning, and living in “delicious ambiguity”….

A quite old rant, last posted on 7/22/2013:

I’m all at sixes and sevens this morning, and don’t have anything to say, other than this…. bleah….

Since that won’t do, even for what passes around here for acceptable, here is an old rant, from mid-2012, on a favorite subject….

“History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love (1972)

There are many folks out there who, when reading my material for the first time, might gather the impression that I am an atheist, and an anarchist. The stuff I write would tend to give that impression, I have no doubt. But, it really isn’t the case, and just goes to show that not everything is always as it seems…..

I’m not an atheist, at least not in a classical sense. I would more accurately be described as agnostic, as I believe strongly in a spiritual component in the universe. But, the very concept of omnipotence, and omniscience, implies that one cannot define God, or whatever entity one considers to be the ultimate authority. A finite mind cannot comprehend an infinite mind; anything we can imagine cannot, by definition, be accurate or complete, as our minds are not infinite in scope.

It could be said that our imagination IS infinite. We can, at the very least, comprehend the concept of infinity, even if we cannot touch it, or point to it, or see it at all; nor can we, in a finite sense, count that high. But, to actually think that what we imagine about God is the same as reality is not only arrogant, it is foolish. Yet, a large percentage of the human race not only believes they know what God looks like (ironically, God always looks like the folks who are claiming Him as their deity….), but that they know what He wants. To my way of thinking, this is sheer self-aggrandizement, and unjustifiably arrogant….

I suppose it helps them in dealing with the everyday stresses of life to think that they are special. To think they are beloved of God, and what they do is important to Him. This sense of belonging is important to a lot of folks, due I think, to their own fears about their ability to deal with reality as it exists. It gives them a sense of entitlement, and justifies their actions, no matter how immoral or unethical they may be. It allows them to act upon their impulses without restraint, to lie, to cheat, to steal, all in the name of the Lord. And, if they should happen to feel a tiny shred of guilt about what they are doing to other folks, why they just confess their sins to Jesus, and all is forgiven!….

Sorry, folks, but I could never buy into the whole scenario, from my earliest days. All of my experience, and all of my reasoning have led me to a different view of reality than what is described by any religion. I have observed the behavior of most people of a religious bent to be, as a rule, hypocritical, cruel, bigoted, racist, and, for the most part, unrelated to any moral or ethical system of any depth. The most religious in society go so far as to threaten violence toward anyone who disagrees with their beliefs, justified by their own self-proclaimed right to spew their hatred on anyone who differs.

I believe in compassion and kindness. I believe in love. I believe in protecting the vulnerable, and helping the less fortunate. I believe in beauty. And, I believe in reality, whatever that may be; it’s purely subjective for the most part. I DON’T believe in the divinity of Jesus, or Buddha, or Lao Tzu, or Mohammad, or any other religious prophet. I don’t believe there is some white haired, bearded old guy sitting on a throne of gold up in the sky somewhere, looking down and getting his panties in a bunch because I didn’t kiss, or even salute his graven image, first thing after I got up.

That whole graven image thing, and the idea that God wants, or needs, our worship has always been a thorn in my side. I mean, can’t these zealots understand the irony of worshiping an image of Christ on the cross? Apparently, to them, it isn’t a graven image, in spite of fitting every definition of the word. It also occurs to me to wonder why an omnipotent being would need, or even want, MY worship? It makes no sense. None. I cannot imagine of ANY reason for a God to care at all about such petty bullshit; I don’t even care to be worshiped, why should He? Having someone act that way toward me makes me uncomfortable, so I can’t see why a God would even want to go there. What purpose does it serve?

Well, one of my computer alarms just went off, and made me realize I was ranting, which I had not started out to do. I think y’all can get the gist of my arguments by this time, and those who are in disagreement with what I’ve written aren’t going to be persuaded away from their long-held delusions by my words, so further soliloquy would be futile.

I’ll just finish by saying this….. until Mankind grows up enough to be able to put aside the crutch of religion, and learns to stand up to reality as it exists, without the delusional imaginary friend to intercede on their behalf with the universe, then our path to extinction will remain clear…. It’s too bad really, because our species shows a lot of promise…. it’s too bad we will never be allowed to explore our limits as an adult species, because we will have killed ourselves off before we ever got out of childhood….

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

Given my previously admitted state of mind, or lack thereof, here is one of my own poems, written sometime in 2013, I think…. I’ll check later, but, it isn’t really important, as it speaks quite nicely to the subject above, in at least one sense….

Future Shocked:

Weeping, I wake;
waking, I weep, I weep.
I weep for the ages to be lost,
for the children never to be born.

Time comes calling, strident and spare,
nudging us toward the future with bony hands.
No pausing, no waiting, always away,
Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.

Spirits are dark, afraid.
And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel,
seeking out the weak, and the foolish.

We all weep now…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

I have already laid the groundwork for this section to see an older pearl, but, first we’ll see if SB is feeling nice enough to help out a bit during this time of mild crisis…. If not, I’ll fill it in from past works, but, first, let’s see what we can find, with today’s theme loosely held in mind…. the ONLY way I can hold them today…. loosely, that is…. Okay, well, that went fairly well…. This should do the trick nicely….

“The villa’s and the chapel’s where
I learned with little labor
The way to love my fellow man
And hate my next-door neighbor.”

~~ Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936) ~~

“Be tolerant of those who disagree with you, after all, they have a right to their ridiculous opinions.” — Smart Bee

“I have observed that the world has suffered far less from ignorance than from pretensions to knowledge. It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress.” — Daniel Boorstin

“Change your mind, it’s starting to smell.” — Smart Bee

“A good example is the best sermon.” — H. Jackson Brown

“Now, that the sovereign power and deity, whatsoever it is, should have regard of mankind, is a toy and vanity worthy to be laughed at.” — Pliny The Elder

“He that will not reason is a bigot.
He that cannot reason is a fool.
He that dares not reason is a slave.”

~~ William Drummond, “Academical Questions” ~~

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

Given the difficult circumstances in which I find myself today, this turned out fairly well. Well enough, I’d say, to classify as “done”…. which, as we all know, is the only requirement to be fulfilled…. Makes it easy on days like today…. So easy, I’m outta here, and in good time…. Time enough to go find some mischief to get into, right after I apply the fix to my brain’s ability to tell where it is in relation to the ground…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, hopefully with a bit more going for me than today…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: George Bernard Shaw

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