Radio arguments on TV….

Posted on February 18, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

Best Shot One

Hajime….. Inflatable cushions of hand-crafted silk dance amorously on waves of intense blue gazebos, trimmed in virulent aubergine, bellowing in unison to the dulcet melodies of an unseen orchestra, named Harold. As the music swells, so does the crowd, for ’tis the eve of destruction all have anticipated for so little time, it all seems new and bright. For shame, (for the few), and, glory, (for the fewer), they flit through gardens of brilliant pink flowers, glazed with incredibly bad hollandaise. But, wait, there’s more! If you act now, there can also be tuna! Nebulous as it may, or may not seem, it all blossomed like a young banana plant in Siberia, plastering itself into retinal patterns, but, won’t open the vault without some caramel sauce. Afterward, they all went home….

Well, that felt good. I happened to glance at the opening of yesterday’s re-blog before starting this intro; what you see is what I got. I guess I needed that, and so did you. That’s my story, anyway. For those who haven’t seen a lot of ECR yet, welcome to my head; if I hadn’t mentioned it, you might wish to keep your own heads handy, for things can get a bit strange here, at the drop of a cliche. Sometimes, I feel like the description of the mind of the Tick…. a vast plain of featureless white, with something shiny glittering in the far distance…. Other times, I feel like the center of a crowded galaxy, with stars so close together, night become impossible, and the light is supreme…

Then, I wake up, and sit down to write this blog, to save what few dregs of sanity that may linger in those featureless plains….. or, I let myself wander around the back corridors in my head, which seem to be endless, like the Tombs of Atuan, filled around each dark corner with treasures from ancient ages, bound with magic. Or, I drink my coffee first, and the intro looks entirely different than what we are going through today. And, no, I don’t have a clue as to why this is happening…. nor do I wish to know… It works for me; y’all are on your own, as we humans are in this universe. So be it.

Hey, I have an idea. Let’s get this slow on the toad, okay? Sounds like a plan. If it doesn’t work out, well, I’m sure y’all will let me know in the questionnaire we don’t hand out. Alternately, leave a comment, playing nice, of course…. I mean, be as critical as you like; just keep it civil, check? Check. Housekeeping finished, let’s do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Truth can be a dangerous thing. It is quite patient and relentless.”

~~ R. Scott Richards ~~

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Leon Russell

Image from http://www.express.co.uk via Google Images

I had not realized Leon was still around, playing his heart out, but, he is… Since I’ve loved his music since the mid-1960’s, I was happy to find this video, of a concert from 2015…. Yay!…. Enjoy, y’all, Leon’s one of the originals…. Nobody like him. At all….

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Leon Russell Live

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https://youtu.be/nhp_1T5dCo4

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I had a bad scare a short time ago; my computer crashed, with a message it couldn’t FIND a hard drive to boot….. YIKES! Now I need to start looking for a new computer, and backing up all my files…. To save some time, I won’t rant today, though I had a great opening quote with which to work…. Y’all will just have to wait for it…. Here is a much lighter pearl from a few years ago, to fill in the space today, while I go save my work from being lost forever…. Have fun…. I won’t be, so, somebody may as well enjoy the day….

From 4/22/2013:

So, there I was, cruising around Smart Bee, looking for pearls, when it occurred to me that I was engaged in a futile pastime, from the standpoint of the Universe…. I mean, what do I hope to accomplish with this stuff I write?…. Nobody’s mind will be changed, nobody will stop the carbon monoxide from getting pumped into the air, nobody is going to get mad enough to throw out all the assholes who are screwing us all…. This makes what I’m doing an exercise in mental masturbation, essentially, with as much hope of changing society as….. well, there is no hope for society, so I can’t think of a metaphor for it…. Nor is there any hope of anybody taking any of this seriously, even if read…

Having thus determined the absolute uselessness of our pastime, I will continue, fully cognizant of how lame it is…. I’m calling this a Pearl of Forlorn Lost Hope…. sort of…. Actually, it’s a subliminal pearl, and will worm its way into your head, where it will work on your attitudes, polishing and brightening them without you ever noticing…. By late this afternoon, you will have done a complete 180 from wherever you were, and will enjoy the rest of the day (that’s a subliminal post-hypnotic suggestion….) Enjoy…..

“Does history repeat itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce? No, that’s too grand, too considered a process. History just burps, and we taste again that raw-onion sandwich it swallowed centuries ago.” — Julian Barnes

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” — Marcus Aurelius

“But whether there’s some grand design really matters little to me. My only hope was this: to see what might be, to believe that it should be, and then to do all I could to bring it to pass, whatever the cost. When a life spins out as joyfully as mine has done, then the price, once paid so painfully, is now recalled in gladness. I have received full value. Here among the shepherds, my cup is filled with the water of life; it overflows.” — Orson Scott Card, “Treason”

But sure the eye of time beholds no name
So blest as thine in all the rolls of fame.

~~ Alexander Pope, The Odyssey of Homer, Book xi, Line 591 ~~

” It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had believed to be true since my earliest youth. And since that time, I have been convinced that I must once and for all seriously try to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and begin to build anew, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure for my beliefs.” — Rene Descartes, Meditations

The human heart has hidden treasures,
In secret kept, in silence sealed.

~~ Charlotte Bronte ~~

“There is no cure for birth and death other than to enjoy the interval.” — George Santayana

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Funny Bones

Dreaming the way home, lost, unseen,
from the dance, where
he felt so free, and clean.
Sorrow couldn’t find him there.

Waiting, filling up the hours, hoping,
some connection can be found
keeping busy as bees, coping.
Love creeps in, without a sound.

Fat days, skinny nights, passionate
visions of semi-conscious entities,
cannot seem to fully illuminate
or hide our innermost frailties.

Resolute, find the perfect sense, codify
simple rules with every breath
never waiting, anxious to modify.
fear nothing in life, not even Death.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/3/2013

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Naked Pearls

Esoterica on the Elements of Living

“At ebb tide I wrote a line upon the sand,
and gave it all my heart and all my soul.
At flood tide I returned to read what I had inscribed
and found my ignorance upon the shore.”

~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~

*********

“There is always more than we see.”

~~ Sagacious Bee ~~

*********

“Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*********

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”

~~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau ~~

*********

“To develop a complete mind:
Study the science of art;
study the art of science.
Learn how to see.
Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

~~ Leonardo da Vinci ~~

*********

“Love isn’t love until you give it away.”

~~ Romantic Bee ~~

*********

“Enough is as good as a feast.”

~~ John Heywood, Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi ~~

*********

“Real life is, to most men, a long second-best,
a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible;
but the world of pure reason knows no compromise,
no practical limitations,
no barrier to the creative activity.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

*********

“If you don’t control your mind, someone else will.”

~~ John Allston ~~

*********

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

Thankfully, the process held up to the challenges today. I’m going to get this posted before something else happens. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, provided I still have a functioning computer…..

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

After adding penalties, it’s free…

Posted on December 31, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“How many northern Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb?”

“None of your f***ing business and have a nice day.”

~~ Curmudgeon Bee ~~

Fish for Dinner

Hajime…. Now, THAT’S the proper pearl to begin the final post for 2015. It took me nearly three days to find it, but, every minute was worth every second…. The critical factor for understanding such an assertion is, simply, I AM a northern Californian. Though born about 230 miles south of where I now reside in the Golden State, I’ve lived north of the Bay for most of it….

Almost needless to say, it also provides me, and, any other potential/practicing curmudgeons, a perfect line for using on Mundanes, in one variation or another, when suddenly confronted with the numerous acts of random, yet grindingly consistent, gross stupidity, in the form of a question, which, by any person with functioning neurons, would be considered rhetorical….

There…. Was that cynical & insulting enough? I hope so, I worked hard to make it so. If nobody is offended, all I can say is, damn! Where did I go wrong?….. If THAT’S not enough, well, all I can say is, y’all had best find your spare brain; this one ain’t workin’….

Hah! Let’s throw in a “Whew!”, as well. I’m done now. Sorry, just had to get that out. I’ll try not to let it break out so vehemently again….. today. I shan’t make any promises for tomorrow; you know how I hate to make promises I’m not likely to keep. No worries, though. I think I probably have enough strange left in me to get through a Pearl, especially one with the natural advantage of landing on a holiday, to either celebrate, sell, ignore, or, explore the meaning thereof, the last of which probably isn’t a good idea today….. I’m liable to, literally, and, literature-ally, go off…. Then, of course, there’s the figurative…. No, let’s not even go there….

I think, perhaps, we should get on with it. What do y’all think? Oh, right. No ‘perhaps’ about that…. Well, I think so, and I’m the one typing here, so, I guess that puts me in the driver’s seat, doesn’t it? Duh…. Okay, then, we’ll have it YOUR way.

Maestro, on with the slow….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss, while a dependence upon reason, observation, and experience merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance called “faith”.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

(Just a teaser for what is coming; if you are uncomfortable with ambiguity, or, uncertainty, maybe you should think about skipping from the video to the poetry section…. Fair warning….)

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

Townes Van Zandt

Image from amoeba.com via Google Images

Today’s video selection is the result of a comment yesterday from a friend, who sent me a link to one of his tunes (Thanks!) …. I realized I had not used his music yet; since he is one of my most favored artists, there was no hesitation at all in deciding to include him today. Hell, his song, Pancho and Lefty, is one I’ve been playing & singing myself, damn near every time I play, for about 40 years, or more…. I’ve played it with my BFF, Tommy Tumbleweed, in a smoky, loud, crowded bar, more times than I can remember…. Enjoy, ffolkes… Townes is one of the best poets to ever pick up a guitar…..

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Townes Van Zandt

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https://youtu.be/K6O9eRvNs5k

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Taking another day off here, ffolkes; fresh rants coming soon…. For now, let’s go back to, oh, a bit more than three years ago, to see what was going on in this silly, yet, earnest mind of mine…..

From 12/2/2012:

“There is one God, but which one is He?”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Now, this is the proper use of reason and inquiry! Such a small question, made gargantuan by the depth of its insight. Which one, indeed, is the real God? There are as many answers to this question as there are what I like to call “preachers”, for want of a better word (I should maybe try to pick a better one, I suppose….); “preachers” are men, or women, who have decided upon one particular system of beliefs on the subject of divinity as being the correct one, to the exclusion of all the others. In spite of the lack of hard evidence on hand for any of the different belief systems, these folks choose one, and stick to it like a barnacle…. which, come to think of it, is probably what it feels like, after a while….

Depending on to whom the question is put, the answer may vary from Odin the All Father of Norse mythology, to the God of Zoroaster, whose specific appellation escapes me just now. In between you will find God, also known as Yahweh/Jehovah to the those of the Tribe, Allah to the Muslims, and just plain, old God, to most of the Christian sects. There is the voodoo god, Jobu, in the Caribbean; Set, or Bal, or Mammon, or any of the other ancient earth gods; Ra of the Egyptians; Krishna, and all his incarnations, i.e., Kali, Yama, Ganesha, Maya, and the others in the Hindu pantheon. The American Indians seemed to favor the Great Spirit. Ancient Druids, from the dawn of Man’s history, and, modern Wiccans, follow the Goddess, with gods and goddesses from the Greeks and Romans thrown into the mix, just for fun. The list seems as endless as human imagination…. which it is, since all of them spring from that source.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

~~ Smart Bee (and, most likely, the Dalai Lama….) ~~

As far as I know, Buddha never claimed to be a god, and, was, to my mind, not particularly clear on the subject of divinity, as directly related to humanity. The same seems true of Taoism, though certain of its sages seem to hold some of the old Chinese mythology beliefs on Heaven, and the creatures who inhabit that domain, another concept for which there is only imaginary evidence to support its veracity, and its reality. In this way, I see these philosophies as superior to the religious doctrines that purport to worship a deity, as they rely on reason, personal responsibility, and compassion to direct action, rather than fear of reprisal, or hope for reward, as is the wont of religious dogma and doctrine.

This perception of mine may be because I have always thought that the entire concept of a deity is not capable of being described, or understood, if one is to assume that a god is what it claims to be. How can a mortal understand an immortal? There is no common ground, other than the assumption of existence, for which there can be any reason for one to be connected to the other, as we could not comprehend their existence. We, limited to our human perceptions, have no direct evidence of a deity that can be experienced by those perceptions.

Anyone who tells you they do is lying, even if they believe it to be true, unless they can share that experience with another human, directly, with evidence for the senses we possess, not merely for what we wish to be true. Feelings don’t count, nor visions only seen by them, or voices in the head; neither do personal revelations, or religious fevers, or speaking in tongues…. See, hear, touch, smell, taste…. that’s what we have, along with the ability to reason, and our imagination. That is our tool kit; unless one of the tools fits, it isn’t real, to our perceptive ability. Items purported to be evidence that come from imagination are just that; imaginary, and cannot be considered proof of anything other than the naivete of the speaker, and, of any who choose to believe them.

“It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true.”

~~ George Santayana ~~

SIGH…. People are people, though, and they will choose what to believe according to what they feel, most of the time, rather than according to what is the truth, which requires effort to find. It has even been said that humans have a tendency, more often than not, to make choices that are bad for them, just for that reason, that it is too much effort to think their way through to the truth that would ultimately help them. As long as this is true, our species is in danger, from itself, and its own delusions…. Sad, in a species of such promise….

And on the 8th day, God woke up and said “Whew! It was just a dream!”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

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Dreaming, I wait….

In the most patient moments of rationality
kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,
fallow thoughts speed first from equality
to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.

Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law
shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,
intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,
falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.

Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,
it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,
foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,
alive, always eager, willing, and pale.

Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few
with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.
No solemn royal version may pass in review,
true love for man, never to remain unhidden.

Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,
calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,
With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,
swimming in the oceans of natural delight.

When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,
roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,
Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,
and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.

Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night
aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart
Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,
tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/8/2013

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Naked Pearls

Life

Within the oyster’s shell uncouth
The purest pearl may hide,
Trust me you’ll find a heart of truth
Within that rough inside.

~~ Mrs. Osgood ~~

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

“A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.”

~~ Michael Garrett Marino ~~

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

“There is not enough love and kindness in the world
to permit us to give any of it to imaginary beings.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

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

“There is no time like the pleasant.”

~~ George Bergman ~~

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

45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

~~ Instructions for life ~~

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

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

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

“There’s too much beauty upon this earth for lonely men to bear.”

~~ Richard Le Gallienne ~~

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

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

~~ Plato ~~

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

陶德清

Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

老子

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It’s done. For this we are grateful. We are also, as you can see, stuck in the royal ‘we’ again. We shall leave you now, with no further ado, as this condition can last for days…. We are sorry, but, as royals, we are never tired, never cross, and like hospitals. It’s in the manual, right before the section on how to act smarmy and superior without any real clue…. See y’all tomorrow, we are sure….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Isles of Langerhans? No flights from here….

Posted on December 16, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Erasmus ~~

Leelu, playing with her prey….

Hajime…. ‘Tisn’t often I forgo fooling around when I write. Hell, the whole idea of me writing is fooling around, if it comes to that. Which it has. Come to that, I mean. Therefore, and hence, today, I’m going to do the next best thing to promising NOT to do so, which is to just go ahead and fool around all I frigging want. See, I’m retired, and, as a retired American, old-fashioned variety, I can do whatever the fuck I please, as long as I keep what I do either legal, hidden, or, (for my own benefit), ethically sound. So, gird your grids, ffolkes, we’re goin’ in….

How was that? Any better than the usual crap? Ah, well, I kinda thought so myself….. It isn’t easy to do this EVERY DAY, you know. Perhaps, Y’ALL might try it someday; come up with an interesting opening, bright and charming enough, or compelling enough, to create the desire to keep reading in whomever may stop in to read. Only then can one realize they have completely fucked up, and have locked themselves into an activity which is pretty much guaranteed to drive one absolutely, fucking crazy, trying to do the nearly impossible….. No wonder daily newspaper columnists are considered the elite of the news rooms…

However, I’m the one who chose to do this, and, since the act of giving up isn’t an option for me, due to the strength of my earliest conditioning by the Sergeant and the Mom, (no, I don’t think of him like that; that’s what all the men he worked with in the Army called him, if no officers were around….), neither of whom would approve of abrogating a chosen duty. So, I’ll keep on muddling along, until a good reason to stop presents itself, whereupon I will have to go this entire process again…. Oh, joy….

Since I’ve now depressed even myself. perhaps we should just get on with the rest of today’s messiness….. That seems, to my limited perception, the only way to save this…. In fact, no Luigi, no Guido; I’ll just teleport all of us over to the oyster beds, and be done with it…. No need to hang on, or even put down your beverage; you won’t even notice, as I’ll use the newest toy in the Tardis to get us there; it’s pretty cool…. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential — for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.” — Soren Kierkegaard

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royalty-free-clip-art-vector-logos-of-black-and-orange-floral-acoustic-guitars-by-seamartini-graphics-6573

Today’s musical selection is in the Classical genre, with a composer whose works comprise possibly the largest number of works, of every category, as anyone who ever composed misic. His music is familiar to almost everyone who has watched movies made since before his death in 1921, as many movements from his symphonies were, and are, used as background for many scenes in dramatic and comedic films. I’ve included below a link to his biography on Brittanica.com; he was an interesting man, who led a very full life, adding much to the best art and thought of humanity…. Hopefully, what I’ve embedded will be a collection of his music in 50 You Tube versions, which should play automatically once begun…. Enjoy!….

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Saint-Saens

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Camille Saint-Saëns

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https://youtu.be/PXAlznKcJvA?list=RDPXAlznKcJvA

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I don’t have the chutzpah, or, any angst to speak of today, to write a rant/discussion, . Can’t say why; might have a lot to do with feeling decent for a change. Nor do I wish to burden y’all with another archived piece…. Whatever the reasoning, or reasons, I will, instead, limit this section to ONE graphic pearl, which just happens to be my favorite of all the memes and little pictures with sayings I’ve collected off the Net over the years…. This one is both a rant, and a discussion, all rolled up into one picture, and, a short verse from the Tao Teh Ching…. It’s all it needs, believe me….

Q.E.D.

Lao Tzu has spoken.

So be it.

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I was looking through my poetry files, wherein I found one I haven’t used since 2013. It’s not bad, so, to allow my bones time to make more blood, after the new poem leaked out the day before yesterday (posted yesterday), I’ll use it today…. I hope you enjoy it. To some extent, it’s a metaphoric summary of my life, as it existed, so to speak, in that particular time….

Honorable Request

Days, filled to a brim with fluff and time, pass
dimly into memory, bit by combative bit;
ever mournful, yet loud with life and sass,
only in dream do we meet, and dance, and flit.

Souls, spinning ’round in gleeful wonder, comply
as they must, never given a reason;
somberly proper, yet limber and quite spry,
dancing on to greet each bright new season.

Storms, angered by apathetic care, rage
proceeding into ministerial glare, unknown;
clothed in colors, purified solely with sage,
past an infinite future, already flown.

Life, plumbed to its depths and secrets, keeps
flowing with currents, strong and fairly found;
love stands, asking release, as it slowly weeps,
seeking refuge unasked, to stay honor bound.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/13/2012

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My only possible comment on this pearl is “Wow”. You’ll note, please, I used that exclamation without the usual exclamation point; that is simply because it’s not THAT important. It is, however, a damn fine pearl, of, perhaps, my favorite sort, a random, harlequin pearl that created itself…. No apologies, but, you will definitely need to be on your mental toes for this one, ffolkes.

It’s strange, as it wanders into distant realms of thought, filled to the borders with truth and beauty; it also dives into the depths of human nature, where darkness, too often, has its way. But, it’s all fucking true, so, fucking pay attention, please?…. Besides, if you get it, you’ll also get a big surprise; something you were not expecting, but, will enjoy immensely…. Promise…. and, you know I don’t use that word lightly, ever…..

“But first, are you experienced?”

~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~

“Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible; but the world of pure reason knows no compromise, no practical limitations, no barrier to the creative activity.” — Bertrand Russell (1872-1967)

“Do not be afraid of enemies; the worst they can do is to kill you. Do not be afraid of friends; the worst they can do is betray you. Be afraid of the indifferent; they do not kill or betray. Yet only because of their silent agreement, betrayal and murder exist on earth.” — Bruno Yasienski, contemporary Soviet novelist

“As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every minute of time.” — John Mason

“Little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse.” — Lazarus Long, “Time Enough For Love”

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” — African proverb

“I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.” — Frank Lloyd Wright

“In endowing us with memory, nature has revealed to us a truth utterly unimaginable to the unreflective creation, the truth of immortality….The most ideal human passion is love, which is also the most absolute and animal and one of the most ephemeral.” — George Santayana, Reason in Religion

“Socrates was in the right to insinuate, in his elegant Greek expression, that what is got over the Devil’s back is spent under his belly.” — Alain Rene Le Sage (1668-1747) — Gil Blas, Book viii, Chap. ix

“A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.” — Michael de Montaigne — Essays, Book i, Chap. xxxviii, Of Solitude

“Hospes, ad hunc tumulum ne meias.

Visitors, kindly do not piss on these bones.”

~~ Anonymous Roman epitaph ~~

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Done, in spite of several complicating factors. So complicated, the act of completing this missive became more than just a small challenge. Having successfully navigated the winding course to bring us this far, I’ll perform now my best act of compassion of the day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if the Internet is still functioning…. Odds are good….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Elegant displays of massive indifference….

Posted on November 22, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable;

what it is or what it means can never be said.

~~ George Santayana ~~

Psychedelic Pluto

Filtered NASA Image from New Horizons Spaccraft via Space.com

Hajime…. This intro is being written under severe conditions of stress and danger; the only thing missing is the live fire. To go any further would require both a lack of tact, and, the proper certification of security clearances, so, we’ll just avoid any problems by not…. We will however, go directly to the oyster beds, as it’s a better defensive position from which to organize our resistance…. ‘Nuff said….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

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Blues Traveler

Image from leoweekly.com via Google Images

These guys are SICK! I mean that in a good way, of course. When they get to rockin’, which is generally from the first crashing note of their performances, all four musicians are focused and intense on making their music the way only they can. John Popper, lead singer and harmonica, is a virtuoso on his instrument, and sings with over-the-top emotional intensity that is gripping as well as compelling….. Fasten your belts, ffolkes, this is a great ride….

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Blues Traveler
Ottowa Folk Festival 9/10/2014

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https://youtu.be/PAe5Jla0xyI

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Due to the previously aforementioned conditions under which we are writing today, I’m going to the archives for a relatively short discussion of Reality…. Let’s see what I had to say back then…..

From 8/19/2012:

“It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had believed to be true since my earliest youth. And since that time, I have been convinced that I must once and for all seriously try to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and begin to build anew, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure for my beliefs.” — Rene Descartes, Meditations.

For some, reality is an illusion. — Smart Bee

Or, as I’ve said before, reality can be, and usually is, a slippery slope…. Philip K. Dick’s statement is still the best all-around attempt to describe the indescribable; he said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Perfect, as far as I can see; I’m near-sighted physically, but I can see a very long way when I close my eyes…..

At the same time, Mssr. Descartes most famous declaration on the subject, “Cogito, ergo sum,” (I think, therefore, I am) remains the most eloquent and complete logical proof that Dittoheads do not exist, at least not in the reality of anyone who reasons. ‘Tis unfortunate indeed that such folk occupy actual space in consensual reality, but, then, I’m not in charge of anything outside my own mind, technically…..

“Therefore, be ye lamps unto yourselves, be a refuge to yourselves. Hold fast to Truth as a lamp; hold fast to the truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone beside yourselves. And those, who shall be a lamp unto themselves, shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding fast to the Truth as their refuge, they shall reach the topmost height.” — Buddha

Trust Buddha to find the heart of the matter, and point the way to an answer of how to keep reality in perspective, thus allowing ourselves the greatest amount of space and time to adjust ourselves accordingly, since adjusting ourselves is all we can really do to reality. A sure path to insanity is to believe that anything other than ourselves can be changed by our own power. We can only “hold fast to Truth” and accept the rest with as much serenity as we can muster…..

“The real in us is silent; the acquired is talkative.” — Kahlil Gibran

On that note, we will bring this to a close…. it’s probably as close as we can get to a true mutual understanding of reality, so any further discussion would border on superfluousness. (I can’t believe it! Spellchecker says that I spelled that right!…. Now I KNOW it’s time to close this….) Stay real, my friends…..

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Unheralded Sagacity…

To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.

Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.

Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.

No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.

Illumination…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 4/17/2013.

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Nice icons, eh? I thought a bit of new would go well for an old-school seven-star pearl that just meanders along, talking of life, and stuff…. I like it, and, it’s done, so, there….

Do everything with a mind that lets go.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world will have come to an end.

~~ Achaan Chah ~~

“Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so.” — David Grayson

“Being generous is inborn; being altruistic is a learned perversity. No resemblance …” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“I would far rather be ignorant than wise in the foreboding of evil.” — Aeschylus — Suppliants, 453

There is no limit to stupidity. Space itself is said to be bounded by its own curvature, but stupidity continues beyond infinity.” — Gene Wolfe

“Live dangerously and you live right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust (1806)

“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” — Francis Bacon

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Well, it got done; I won’t say, ‘I did it’, because I’m not completely certain I should claim it. I’ll decide that later, I suppose. For now, I’m going to count my chickens, and steal away into my tents…. or, something like that. I’m also going now, but, I’ll be back tomorrow, to try again to get this right….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Kowtowing to the inevitable….

Posted on September 15, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Weary is the path that does not challenge.

Doubt is an incentive to truth and patient inquiry leadeth the way.”

~~ Plato Bee ~~

Miss Cthulthu Invasion

Good morning…. Yesterday, I took a short walk in the morning, as I’d been having a bit of trouble getting the brain going. Upon returning home, I approached my porch steps, where I heard the unlikely sound of a kitten desperately mewling…. I took two steps up, to be greeted by the above face, eyes latched onto mine, yelling at me to “open the door, NOW!”, as only a young, ferocious kitten can… She entered her dominion eyes straight ahead, then asked to be picked up and cuddled for a while, purring like a tiny locomotive….

The picture gives a good idea of her; I think she’s possessed….. Actually, she’s a sweet little Siamese mix, with more than a bit of the devil in her. I suppose she’s been deposited with me to keep me occupied, like I had nothing better to do than cater to a small, fur-bearing extortionist. Ah well, what are ya gonna do? Obviously, I’ve been appointed as her keeper by Bastet; so much for my plans to get a dog!…. Hmm…. come to think of it, a puppy may be just the thing to keep her in line, or, at minimum, give her somebody ELSE to wrestle with; my old skin is already picking up scratches galore….

So, now you know why I’m late, and, why I’ve had a bit of trouble establishing a routine for blogging since my return…. Since yesterday morning, my new routine has a new, vital factor to take into account, one who insists on having her time at her convenience…. So be it…. For now, let’s see if we can get a Pearl done, or, faked, if necessary…. Luigi, take it away!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Let a man in a garret but burn with enough tensity and he will set fire to the whole world.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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Yes, it’s my typing chair

And, yes, the house looks like a two-year-old moved in…. Everything on the floor is now a toy.

Anyone who has been here before knows what is coming. The rest of y’all can just enjoy!…..

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Cats

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https://youtu.be/wyZsB_JnWDc

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Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent

“That which is incapable of proof itself is not proof of anything else.”

~~ Shelley ~~

I’d hoped to have at least a mini-rant, or a discussion of philosophy this morning; the cat has other plans. Here is a pretty good little piece from the early days of this blog, which may serve the purpose as well….

From 9/19/2012:

“Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.” — George Santayana

This observation by Mssr. Santayana seems to me to explain most of the movies that come out of Hollywood, or anywhere else. Each of us, though we cannot always say what we see as beautiful, knows what it looks like when we encounter it; every movie made is an attempt to attract people with visions of commonality, beauty that all can agree on, and, of course, pay money to see. It’s a manufactured market, only there because people want to experience those feelings, and are convinced that they can by participating in the public viewing of someone’s idea of beauty (or comedy, or evil, or any other intriguing related emotional experience)….

It reminds me of the concept of perfection…. We all have heard that “nobody is perfect”, or “nothing is perfect”, and there are numerous philosophical treatises that attempt to prove that perfection is beyond human attainment. My question for these people is this: if there is no such thing as perfection, then why do we have its image in our minds? It seems more logical to me that perfection is merely very rare, but examples of it are bound to occur, just by the law of averages, and when it does, we have the perceptive ability to see it, to acknowledge and appreciate its perfection….

The statement also can be viewed as another way of looking at the nature of reality, or the Tao of life. Is not the very first line of the Tao Teh Ching a paraphrase of the above? “The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao.” It touches on the very base of natural law, of how reality is not what we can say of it; it is more than just the description of it. By observing what is real, our perceptions remove the part of what has occurred that gives it body and substance, what makes it real…. If Albert Einstein’s God is the true one, then He left clues to this aspect of reality all over, but especially in physics, as noted by the famed Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which so poignantly points out the folly of placing one’s total faith in what is perceived…. because by seeing it, it has already changed, to suit another of reality’s aspects, Change….

Axiom # 2 of Peruaosophy states: “The Nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you are in for a rough ride.” Since Peruaosophy is my own philosophy, I can tell you, without fear of lying, that the axiom is absolutely true. It has been tested by every method I could think of, all through my life, and I can assure you that it is a factual statement. Trust me….

Okay, so you don’t have to take my word for it…. test it yourself. If you can find a single time when you can say that it is untrue, you document that, and send it to me. I’ll check it out, if any are sent in, but I have serious doubt that I’ll get any replies, as I’m confident of the axiom and its veracity. It doesn’t mean it is better, or more real than any other viewpoint or world view, but I’d wager it stands up to any of them without flinching or looking away….

Now see what I’ve done? I’ve talked myself into a corner, and can’t figure out how to tie all this mental meandering together with any aplomb. I’m sadly short of quotes, so we’ll have to make do with whatever I can come up with on short notice….. let it suffice to say that I believe in beauty, as little as it can be described, and I believe in perfection, in reality, and in the nature of everything…. After all, to be perfect, one would need to also be perfectly imperfect, else how would one tell? And I know for a fact that many of us are imperfect; at times, I am so myself, on rare occasions….. 🙂 Besides, nature itself is full of examples of perfect beauty, anyway…. just take a walk in a garden when it is blooming with roses, and you will find any number of physical examples of the concept……

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart: the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned….

~~ William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming ~~

His head,
Not yet by time completely silver’d o’er,
Bespoke him past the bounds of freakish youth,
But strong for service still, and unimpair’d.

~~ William Cowper (1731-1800) — The Task, Book ii, The Timepiece, Line 702 ~~

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Gauges of Pain

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2012.

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I really don’t think this pearl needs explanation; all ya gotta do is enjoy it, just as if you were a camel, or a little girl….

Discourse on virtue and they pass by in droves.
Whistle and dance the shimmy, and you’ve got an audience.

~~ Diogenes ~~

“Save your breath, you may want it to clean your glasses later.” — Julius Tannen

“If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave man, I guess I’m a coward.” — Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey

“Careful, Mister. Old Zeek is liable to fire that sucker up!” — Gaffer Bee

“If one studies too zealously, one easily loses his pants.” — Albert Einstein

“God must love assholes — She made so many of them.” — Druidic Bee

“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.” — Geeky Bee

“I don’t think Mr. Ranger is gonna like this, Yogi…” — Booboo Bear

Do what you wanna, do what you will;
Just don’t mess up your neighbor’s thrill.
And when you pay the bill, kindly leave a little tip
To help the next poor sucker on his one-way trip.

~~ Frank Zappa, “You Are What You Is” ~~

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Well, it’s a Pearl. It’s got all the necessary parts, anyway, so, I’m going with tradition, & pronouncing it done. That being the case, and the cat being asleep for a while (thank Bastet for cat naps….), I’ll try to post this before it spoils in the heat…. I’ll try again tomorrow, ffolkes; perhaps we can even find something relatively fresh in my head other than mush & blather…. Fat chance, but, hey, hope springs eternal…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; damn it, anyway!….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Calculated intent, or entropic happenstance?….

Posted on July 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Only the madman is absolutely sure.”

~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~

Ice Wolves Desert Sunset

Image created by Europaicewolf, at:

https://europasicewolf.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/wolfie-chew-sticks-you-turned-the-air-blue/

Good morning…. Mornings such as this one seem to challenge the believability of that statement, but, as a social nicety, it’s de rigeur; that means, in the final analysis, there is nothing to be done about it. Thank goodness, too, because just putting that sentence together challenged my capabilities pretty strongly, and, the outcome remains in question, as you see….

That all said, I think we’ll just get on with this, for I can see by what I’ve done so far, there could be trouble today…. I hope not, but, keep your eyes open, and stay alert…. No telling what may happen….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.” — Spanish Proverb

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Image from wikimedia.org via Google Images

Felix looks a bit uncertain in this picture, a quality it shares with almost all the pictures of him I saw on Google. Given his status as a child prodigy, I don’t blame him; a lot of pressure gets placed on such savants, tending to keep them from ever becoming entirely comfortable with their peers, who generally regard them with jealousy and suspicion…. He managed to live through it, I suppose, probably using his music to express the angst that living brought him… Whatever it was, he made some incredible music…. Here is a bunch of it…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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Felix Mendelssohn

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https://youtu.be/sWiCHa9DFOY

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I told one of my favorite readers a short while ago I would try to produce more fresh rants…. Naturally, ever since then, I keep stumbling over old rants and discussions worth posting again…. It’s often irresistible to do so, since it saves me the most time in creating these missives, and, as we all know, I’m lazy as shit. So, here you go, a nice little discussion of beauty, and perfection, gigoid-style…

From 9/19/2012:

“Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.” — George Santayana

~~ William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming ~~

His head,
Not yet by time completely silver’d o’er,
Bespoke him past the bounds of freakish youth,
But strong for service still, and unimpair’d.

~~ William Cowper (1731-1800) — The Task, Book ii, The Timepiece, Line 702 ~~

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Fine and Good, Good and Fine

A pig in a poke’s got nothing on me,
cuz I’m as confused as a man can be.
This ol’ world’s got me spinnin’ around
cussin’ and spittin’, a penny for a pound.

Forty ‘leven times since I was a kid, well,
I’ve fallen in love, ‘least too close to tell.
Every damn time, it all went to crap,
Forty ‘leven times I’ve felt like a sap.

‘Course, each time it happens, I forget the last;
why not? I’m havin’ such a blast….
Livin’ in each moment, filled with joie de vivre,
’til it’s all gone away again, nothin’ left up my sleeve.

Don’t want y’all to think I’m sad or blue,
life’s full of sorrow, lots for me, and/or you..
T’other side of that coin, we can be glad,
is joyful love, and that ain’t at all bad.

My road’s been littered with parts o’my heart,
each one colored with trust, which ain’t always smart.
Yet, long as I don’t lose my connection to joy,
I’ll find my own true love, and be a happy boy.

It’s been some kinda fun, even when I’d take a fall,
and doin’ it over makes no sense at all, at all
Day after day, I keep on keepin’ on, as it’s said;
Guess I’ll keep on doin’ that ’til I’m dead.

‘Nuff said….

~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek ~~

Written 3/23/2013.

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Our final old-school pearl for today is pretty fresh, having been plucked from the depths of the Smart Bee database late yesterday afternoon. I can’t say what it’s about, mainly because I forgot to set any parameters; it will have to do as it is, no matter what it says… I doubt it’s anything out of the realm of possibility, so, we’ll just let it go…. Enjoy, ffolkes; you can be sure it won’t be on the Quiz, since we don’t have any idea what’s in there….

And who (in time) knows whither we may vent
The treasure of our tongue? To what strange shores
This gain of our best glory shall be sent
T’ enrich unknowing nations with our stores?
What worlds in the yet unformed Occident
May come refin’d with th’ accents that are ours?

~~ Samuel Daniel — Musophilus, Stanza 163 ~~

“Do not believe what I tell you here any more than if it were some tale of a tub.” — Francis Rabelais — Works, Book iv, Chap. xxxviii

“If life must not be taken too seriously, then so neither must death.” — Samuel Butler

“Trust no one and be honest with all.” — Claudius the God

“Excess of grief for the deceased is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.” — Xenophon

“Son coeur est un luth suspendu; sitot qu’on le touche il resonne.” (His heart is a lute; no sooner touched than it resounds.) — Pierre Jean Beranger

“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.” — Max Lerner

You may be infinitely smaller than some things, but you’re infinitely larger than others.” — Smart Bee

For I say this is death and the sole death,-
When a man’s loss comes to him from his gain,
Darkness from light, from knowledge ignorance,
And lack of love from love made manifest.

~~ Robert Browning — A Death in the Desert ~~

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Fortunately for us all, the trouble I predicted never happened; dodged a bullet there, we did. Since we’ve been so lucky, I’m going to rest on that laurel, and get us the hell out of here before it blows us all to hell…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; they’ve gotta run out of ammo soon….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Did somebody mention caramel sauce?….

Posted on July 16, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“There is no cure for birth and death other than to enjoy the interval.”

~~ George Santayana ~~

Colony of wild pine cones in the Big Blue Room…

Good morning…. Having slept reasonably well, thanks to the application of massive amounts of illegal and legal drugs at the appropriate time, I find myself in an unusual position…. I’m awake, not too tired, and still haven’t a single clue as to what to write about…. Hence. this little opening bit of fluff, discussing that very lack of inspiration. It may not be compelling, but, it takes up space, right?

Ah, the hell with it…. I’m thinking it might be best to accept things as they are, and just get on with it, letting Nature take its course…. Of course, last time we tried that, we had to buy a new plane…. But, hey, what’s a few thousand bucks between friends, right? In any case, it seems to promise much more maneuverability than any other method available in this state. Besides, it’s what laying on the top of the drawer.

Shall we Pearl?….

“I would rather suffer defeat than have cause to be ashamed of victory.” — Quintus Curtius

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Today’s video selection is a playlist of classical guitar music, picked out simply to match our standard logo…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Guitar

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https://youtu.be/1Tqh6_e_X5s?list=PL352CGbOeT0nNizlUz7K1gJ1o39__xP1G

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“Today, if you are not confused, you are just not thinking clearly.”

~~ U. Peter ~~

One of my blogging friends mentioned the lack of fresh rants of late, which led me to wonder if I’d lost my angst somewhere… It’s true I haven’t felt the urge quite so often, yet, it’s no less compelling when it strikes…. I’m thinking there’s some stuff in there percolating, which will break out when it’s ready…. For rant material, it’s important to let it ferment to the proper degree of volatility; any resulting explosions are much more satisfying when the time is taken….

That means, however. I don’t have anything worth ranting about today… Oh, the quote is quite sufficient, I’m sure; I could do any number of numbers on that vague statement. But, I think I’ll cheat again, and let the rest sit a while longer, until it REALLY stinks…. Here’s one from the archives…. Don’t worry, I picked one that isn’t too long…. Enjoy!….

From 12/2/2012:

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics but for our contributions to the human spirit.” — former US President John F. Kennedy

At last! A worthy pearl! JFK, like the current President, was a superb public speaker, “Ich bin ein Berliner” notwithstanding, and whether he wrote his own words, or relied on his speech writers, he delivered, arguably, some of the most memorable, and insightful, aphorisms in US political and social history. The above statement is a perfect example, as he expresses a sentiment that can only be applauded, if not verified. I say verified because there is not a lot of verification from the past that history remembers anything BUT the battles. But, one can hope….

Actually, I believe what Jack said very strongly, in the sense that there are different histories that are remembered, most of which become altered in some way over time, as does all memory. The great teachers and philosophers who have lived have left their mark on the world in more ways than always show, in spite of the records of their deeds not always surviving intact. But, throughout history, there have been men, and women, who have done much to advance the human condition, whose words and deeds were never seen, and never recorded, but, nonetheless. whose effects still ripple down the river of time.

Some of the great minds in history, such as Lao Tzu, Zoroaster, Genghis Khan, Gautama Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth, Mohammed, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, and many others, all made such advances in the human spirit, and their ideas keep proving their worth every day by their relativity to modern society. Men like Leonardo da Vinci, whose genius was so bright it shines even today, and modern philosopher/scientists such as Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, have advanced that human spirit as much as anyone.

I’m not being as eloquent as I’d wish for such a deep subject…. What I’m trying to get to here is that we all, each and every one of us, have the power and opportunity to do the same as these historical figures, to advance the human spirit, just by the way we live our lives. What the philosophers say, and write, and the wisdom they pass on, is all very good, and a lesson to the rest of us…. But, what the average person does every day in their lives is just as important to the future as any scientific breakthrough, because what they do will determine what their children learn, and THAT is where the advancement really takes place, in the moments of teaching that happens every moment for children, and their adult teachers.

Living a life of integrity, with honesty and duty as the watchwords for action, is the best teaching method there is; to provide a good example for a child holds no less promise for mankind than all the work of all the genius’ of all time. How each one of us approaches life will, in the end, determine what happens to our species as a whole. It isn’t easy, especially given all of the people in society who do NOT wish to have any part of advancing anything but their own interests…. and especially when so many of those kinds of people are in positions of authority. But, it can be done, and is done, every day, by millions of men and women of good spirit…. They are truly the future of mankind, and, if there is any hope for survival, it lies in their honest hands….

“So live that you can look any man in the eye and tell him to go to hell.” — Smart Bee

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It’s an Emily Day; no explanations offered, or needed….

The duties of the Wind are few,
To cast the ships, at Sea,
Establish March, the Floods escort,
And usher Liberty.

The pleasures of the Wind are broad,
To dwell Extent among,
Remain, or wander,
Speculate, or Forests entertain.

The kinsmen of the Wind are Peaks
Azof – the Equinox,
Also with Bird and Asteroid
A bowing intercourse.

The limitations of the Wind
Do he exist, or die,
Too wise he seems for Wakelessness,
However, know not i.

~~ Emily Dickenson ~~

Here’s a little bonus round, a blast from the past, created 7/2/2012:

Pearls are…

Long, deep thoughts always
bring truth to the eyes of man,
and light into dark.

~~ gigoid ~~

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Our final pearl today is a bit esoteric; don’t worry, though, it’s all stuff you’ve seen before, and should fit right into the proper slot in your mind…. Of course, you will need one to get the point. You’ve got one, right? A mind?…. Well, then, use it…. Sheesh! Do I have to do everything?….

“It is in the shelter of each other that people live.”

~~ Irish proverb ~~

“There is only one blasphemy, and that is the refusal to experience joy.” — Paul Rudnick

“With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil – that takes religion.” — Steven Weinberg

“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things; knows not the livid loneliness of fear.” — Amelia Earhart

“The character of human life, like the character of the human condition, like the character of all life, is “ambiguity”: the inseparable mixture of good and evil, the true and false, the creative and destructive forces — both individual and social.” — Paul Tillich

“I bid him look into the lives of men as though into a mirror, and from others to take an example for himself.” — Terence — Adelphoe, Act iii, Sc. 3, 61, (415.)

My life is light, waiting for the death wind,

Like a feather on the back of my hand.

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

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To comment at all on today’s Pearl would, I think, be a mistake. Instead, I’m going to just post it, and be done with it for the day…. I’ll be back tomorrow, ffolkes; I don’t seem to be able to come up with any good reasons not to do so….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A regimen of exfoliation is hardly a cure….

Posted on July 10, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Dying is a wild night and a new road.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

Mankind’s Salvation: artist’s rendition of asteroid mining ship

Image from Space.com

Good morning…. Chuft-meister Schulz informs me the troops have gathered for morning reveille, so we’ll have to make this quick. Today’s Pearl is brought to you by the delightfully delirious depths of human insanity, and, by a grant from a large, soulless corporation, who really couldn’t give a shit about you, but, wants you to think they care. Any resemblance to real events is purely intentional. Of absolutely primary importance, no refunds will be issued in the case of fire, earthquake, or personal whimsy.

Since there is now no hope of any sort of coherence, or any assurances of freedom from prosecution for the events which may or may not transpire, we’d best get this slow on the road….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A friend is one who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” — Bernard Meltzer

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Image from tmdb.com via Google Images

Okay, so…. Today’s video selection is a tongue-firmly-in-cheek selection, to add to the list of weirdness pursued at various times here on ECR…. To go along with the German version of the movie’s title poster I found to use as the art work, we have for your viewing pleasure, perhaps, the world’s worst actor in a title roll, an Italian body-builder from the Bronx, with the century’s worst perm, playing the svelte Sinbad… I swear, ffolkes, it’s really, really bad…. So bad, I had to pause the film, & stop watching the first time Lou came on screen, as I was busy trying not to shoot coffee out my nose from laughing so hard!…. Enjoy!….

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Sinbad of The Seven Seas

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https://youtu.be/37aE8QbWyVo

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Though I’m up quite early, I don’t quite feel up to a fresh rant; two weeks of disrupted sleep will do that, I suppose. To sublimate the urge, which is always present and, sadly, accounted for, we’ll use this fine politirant from a couple of years ago….. As with many of my rants, it’s all still pretty valid, as not much changes in the political scene these days…. Only the masks are different….

From 7/24/2013:

“One of the merits of democracy is quite obvious: it is perhaps the most charming form of government ever devised by man. The reason is not far to seek. It is based on propositions that are palpably not true — and what is not true, as everyone knows, is always immensely more fascinating and satisfying to the vast majority of men than what is true.” — H. L. Mencken

With this statement, Mr. Mencken has put his finger on the pulse of America, that is for certain. It goes a long way toward explaining why so many people in this country are so willing to believe the outright, egregious lies that are told to them every single day by the officials they elect every year at the polls that characterize our republic…. They do lie, you know, with almost every statement that comes out of their mouths…. They begin with the most important lie they tell, from which all the others spring, and that is the lie they tell when they tell you that they want to be elected so they can work for YOU! Each and every politician learns early in their career, if they are at all to be successful, they MUST portray themselves as a public-spirited, honest, and tireless worker whose only purpose is to make life better for their constituents….

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth…. NONE of them are at all concerned with any of that nonsense; they are there to carry out their own agenda, which has very little to do with what is good for the general run of mankind…. No, they are there to serve the interests of the men and women who pay them, those lobbyists and special interest representatives who run the businesses of the corporate masters. The people on the street cannot provide them with the perks, or the cash, that the clandestine rulers are able to come up with, other than peripherally, by electing them in the first place…. Once elected, their true colors come out into the light of day, and it can be easily seen how their actions are never congruent with what they have promised to the people who elected them….

It’s all about power and money to these folks, not service. In my entire life of observing politics around the world, I have yet to see a single elected official who could be shown to be honest, not at the national level. The one who came the closest was Jimmy Carter, and his presidency was marked by how little got done, because he was so honest that the true politicians in Congress blocked every reform he tried to institute during his time in office. His actions during that time showed him to be the exception to the usual rule for politicians, which is why, I believe, he was so ineffective as a legislator….

“Invest in America — Buy Japan!”– Smart Bee

Other than Carter, I have seen concrete proof that EVERY President of this country has lied to the American people, not just once or twice, but continuously, about nearly everything. Time and time again, public outcries are heard or seen in the news about some new revelation regarding something some politician lied about, just like it is breaking news or something, when it is actually the normal state of affairs…. I don’t know why it is, but if a man on a TV set, wearing a suit and tie, makes a statement to the public, the general public will believe it, sometimes fanatically, without ever examining it for whether or not it is true… Then, when it turns out they were lied to, they get all upset and vocalize their displeasure, never once admitting it was their own cupidity that allowed the lie to occur in the first place…. It makes me wonder what happened to people in this country, to make them go soft in the head….

“Doctors are the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too.” — Anton Chekhov

Did you ever notice how many politicians were lawyers, first? Most of them, as it turns out, for the simple reason that learning to be a lawyer gives a politician two advantageous types of training… One advantage is that law school teaches the student how to lie in every imaginable way, in order to ascertain which kinds of lies are legal…. The other advantage is their primary motivation…. If asked, a very large percentage of lawyers will tell you their reason for becoming a barrister in the first place is that it is a good way to get rich, ( without mentioning, of course, that this is true only as long as one doesn’t give a shit about other people, and what that might do to them)…. In other words they make their money by taking advantage of people’s misery, holding them as hostages against their own destiny, in order to gain resources, i.e. money, and its sidekick, power…..

Then the lawyers realize that their training is perfect for politics…. The ability to lie with facility comes in very handy to anyone who wants to be in the public eye, as that is how one gets elected in the first place…. Tell people what they want to hear, and they will vote for you, every time, coming back to the same trough to eat, even though they get screwed, time after time…. Having the facility to ignore what happens to others, due to their own actions, is the other skill so important to the political set, and the training one receives as a lawyer fits right into that category….

“Watching the democratic party in a presidential contest is like watching a washing machine with a defective bearing: It starts up smoothly enough, but soon, it begins to wobble and shake, jumping violently from place to place, until it tears itself to pieces, spewing dirty laundry all over the room.” –Smart Bee

Some people will say that there ARE some good lawyers out there, and I won’t argue that…. but, they’re still lawyers, not politicians, aren’t they? They’re doing what they can to help ffolkes find their way through the morass of our legal system to get what they need, even occasionally finding some justice…. But, they aren’t going further, and going into public service, are they? They’re still in place, where they can help, but, they are so few and far between, they are hard to find, and so are very busy, seldom having the time or resources to work against their less honest colleagues. Plus, they really are very few in number, as altruists seldom become lawyers in the first place….

I can see this has evolved into a full scale rant; we’ve just begun the day, so I’ll call a halt here. I often feel as if I’m preaching to the choir, anyway, when I go through this stuff again…. It’s all familiar material around here, so it isn’t as if I’m presenting new ideas for your examination…. No, this is all old stuff, and, sadly, doesn’t seem to ever create the outrage that I feel in very many other ffolkes… which is too bad….. I forget who said that “if you keep on doing things the same ways as you always have, things will always be the way they’ve always been….”, but, they were absolutely correct…. We are on a path to our own destruction, clearly, but, nobody seems to care…

Nobody, that is, who seems able to DO anything about it, and they are the ones who will need to make the changes….. The people in authority over the rest of us are wearing blinders in this respect…. The idea that what they are doing is wrong, and will eventually kill us all, doesn’t fit into their world-view, so they won’t believe it, and will continue to refuse to make any of the changes needed to re-direct our steps onto a path less dangerous. It is up to the rest of us to get it done, and that may entail overthrowing the current crop of rulers, either by the vote, or by the less agreeable option of using the necessary force, while making sure the new crop will act in OUR best interests, rather than their own…. If it does happen, it will be the first time in history, which is fine with me…. just as long as it is not the LAST time in history….

“… democracy is not something you believe in, or a place you hang your hat, but it’s something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles and falls apart.” — Abby Hoffman

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A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.

Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/27/2012.

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Today we celebrate the return of Smart Bee, who has decided to quit screwing with me…. For now, anyway…. Here is a very nice little pearl, speaking to the subject of Reason as a way of Life…. sort of…. Just listen to what Aristotle and friends have to say on the matter, and all will be well….

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds.

~~ Bob Marley ~~

“Bow to no patron’s insolence. Rely on no frail hopes; in freedom live and die.” — Seneca

“knowledge is a polite word for dead but unburied imagination….think twice before thinking.” — e.e. cummings

“Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child.” — Ron Wild

“Old places and old persons in their turn, when spirit dwells in them, have an intrinsic vitality of which youth is incapable, precisely, the balance and wisdom that come from long perspectives and broad foundations.” — George Santayana

“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“One’s mind is like a knife. If you don’t sharpen it, it gets rusty.” — Nien Cheng

“Two rules we should always have ready,–that there is nothing good or evil save in the will; and that we are not to lead events, but to follow them.” — Epictetus — In what Manner we ought to bear Sickness, — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. x

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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I cannot say starting early has had any particularly significant effect on the quality of today’s effort; I think any advantage gained by the early start is mitigated by the very earliness of the hour, as it indicates a less than complete night’s rest…. or something…. I guess I just have to trust the process, once again, knowing the routines built in will suffice to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion (meaning, there’s something in each section….). That said, to little or no purpose beyond filling in space, I will take my leave…. You may now resume your regularly scheduled program of insanity, and/or terror…. Or, not…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, no matter what anyone says….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Drop the waffle, Bob, or we’ll shoot….

Posted on June 23, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.”

~~ Pliny the Elder ~~

Morning Glory, Indeed.

Good morning…. For the record: Later today, I’ll be hitting the trail, off to see a friend in another state. I’m hoping to be able to post as usual, but, the details and demands of life away from one’s base can alter our intentions to fulfill necessities of the trip…. In any case, if you don’t see a post at the usual time, check back later to see if I was able to get it done; if nothing else, I’ll try to post a few words to fill the empty spaces left by my absence…. Other than that, I doubt the Space/Time Continuum will see much effect from that absence…. And, for the nonce, it means we can get on with this show, forthwith….

Shall we Pearl?

“One man with courage is a majority.”

~~ Thomas Jefferson ~~

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Image from Amazon.com via Google Images

Some of the most familiar names in the history of Rock & Roll were members of this band; when it broke up in the late 60’/early 70’s, the members went on to form several other extremely famous iconic groups, including Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Emerson-Lake-Palmer, Loggins & Messina, and others of equal fame. Almost all of them went on to brilliant solo careers as musician/songwriters…. In the beginning, before all the glitter and fame, there was Buffalo Springfield….

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Buffalo Springfield

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https://youtu.be/QtrPo3W-QjM

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“War is Capitalism with the gloves off.” — Tom Stoppard

Careful, Mister. Old Zeke is liable to fire that sucker up! Uh, oh! Now you’ve done it!….

Just what, you may ask, is that all about? And, well you may ask, as it turns out…. To be honest, I had some notion of passing myself off as the proverbial Zeke, but, it sort of felt weird even as I put it up there…. However, it still fits the issue at hand, which is, the quote by Mr. Stoppard, a phrase which, like it or not, I intend to discuss, as it perfectly fits the rant I have in mind…. Yes, that’s right, we’re going to indict the Asininnies again, into a bloody pulp, if possible…. Why? Well, why the hell not? They fuck with us…. no, make that, they fuck us, on a regular, consistent, daily basis; it’s our duty to give it back to them whenever the opportunity arises… Remember, ffolkes….

“War is capitalism with the gloves off.” How adroitly accurate! I’m in awe, for, Mr. Stoppard has, in a mere seven words, laid out an entirely rational, evocative argument for revolution, wherein the root cause of the problem, and implied correct solution, becomes as plain as the nose on a Bozo’s face. I can’t think of a better way to call a spade a spade….

The entire history of this country since WWII has been one of war after police action after war after terrorist hunt after humanitarian intervention after invasion after war after police actions…. well, you get the picture…. All of it, in one respect at least, has only one purpose in mind, to spread the “benefits” of freedom and capitalism to the rest of the “undeveloped” world, as well as to our ideological adversaries, who wish to do the same thing in the name of socialism, or communism, etc…. In my opinion, it’s all a case of mewantitall-ism…. Basically, our human governments consist of a bunch of men, mostly, who never grew up, so never learned they can’t have all they want. Their entire existence is centered around obtaining power over others, in order to be free to ignore their own responsibility, giving up honor for avarice…

In truth, the entire stated purpose of the imperialistic advances of Western civilization is all a sham, a two-sided excuse to apply the principles of economic slavery to yet another unsuspecting culture, to fill their minds with TV, and all the illusory “good” things that come with a slave society, where the many work for, and at the behest of, a very few elite narcissists, who believe in their own entitlements, and nothing else….

“Conservative Definition of Compassion: I got mine, Jack.” — Smart Bee

One one hand, these predators justify their depredations by the time honored catch phrase of bringing freedom, and justice, the American way, to those countries whose economic dependency isn’t tied to the business of business, also the American way…. We’ll bring them good old American know-how, and flood their markets and bodies with American poison, er, the boon of fast food (with enhanced nutritional value, and a tiny bit of actual food included), and advanced medicines, which will cause autism, obesity, and a lifetime of dependency on pills which keep you sick (Can’t sell pills to well people, now, can you?). We’ll sell them cars they don’t need every year, and a new phone every 3 months, and convince them they’re happy as pigs-in-mud, striding swiftly down the road to an early grave, while wading ineffectually, blindly, through their own hell…

“Where there is much light there is also much shadow.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Which, by the way, is the second gift we bring to those other lands we visit all over the world, invited or not…. We’ll use the promise of immortality as reward for obedience, balanced by a threat of a fiery hell for ignoring dogma, allowing our missionaries to bring the gift of Christianity to the natives…. Yes, Christianity, that insane, vicious, gruesome, wonderful, old-time religion, as described so vividly by hundreds of passages in the Bible, with battles where they killed not just warriors, but, the women, children, old people, and animals of their enemies, just because they could….

The religion of LOVE, so it is said, though you couldn’t tell by the way the countries they visit all end up, as yet more slaves to the corporate snakeheads, with the full cooperation and support of the religious teachers, who all preach obedience to worldly authority, in exchange for the promise of eternal life, AFTER you’re dead, (and, thus, can no longer contribute to the church, you’ll note….)

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

Boy, howdy; now THAT is priceless! Yes, yes, yessiree! I can say, without a qualm, I resemble that remark!

I also can say, unequivocally, I strongly agree with G.K.; how else, when I wish I’d said it!…. Of course, I’m sure he would have included the preachers in there with the politicians, had he thought of it, or, had he been able to figure out a short, pithy way to do so…. Otherwise, it’s perfect!…. Every damn one of them is clinically insane; on the political side we have your predatory, narcissistic, pathological liars, who live for rape (which is the ultimate power over others…), who have absolutely no compassion, or honor…. Their sense of unbridled entitlement comes out of their delusional belief in their own divine right to rule others…

On the religious side, we have your delusional, pathological, emotionally abusive, passive-aggressive manipulators, who sycophantically brainwash children with their own delusions, so they can enjoy the sense of entitlement of being close to God, thus, immune from the laws of Man…. These are even worse, in some ways, than the politicians, for they actually believe they are doing good, when, in truth, every time they “save another soul”, they save it into slavery, thinking, wrongly, they’ve done well…. By their very example, they teach how to embrace ignorance over reason, to value shadow over substance, and to deny reality in the face of desire…. Not to mention the whole thing about never having to be responsible for doing wrong, as long as you believe, and confess….

“A long and wicked life followed by five minutes of perfect grace gets you into Heaven. An equally long life of decent living and good works followed by one outburst of taking the name of the Lord in vain, then have a heart attack at that moment and be damned for eternity. Is that the system?” — Robert A. Heinlein

No wonder the world is a mess!…. We’ve come to a point in this narrative where we can continue to indict our BRC, or take a rest for today, to come back to this subject later…. Since I’m feeling compassionate, and want to get on the road, we’ll call it a day…. Just remember, ffolkes, the people who run the governments of this world are NOT doing so for YOUR benefit…. They’re in it for all they can get for themselves, and nothing else. Anything else they tell is a LIE…. Believe it, or, be a slave; it’s up to you…. And, believe this, for sure…. In this Universe, being good at being stupid doesn’t count.

“Ignorance is a voluntary misfortune”

~~ Nicholas Ling ~~

So be it.

gigoid has spoken….

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I always get lazy before going on the road…. Well, about stuff like this, anyway. To demonstrate this concept perfectly, here is another poem of mine from the archives, to follow up (sort of….) on today’s rant…. Enjoy!….

Rejection

“Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so…”
I’d be crying a river, I thought
if ever such crap I bought.

Sorry if it hurts your sense of style,
but, hypocrisy always gives me bile.
Being lied to accidentally is okay,
but, deliberate lies make me angry, and fey.

Oh, God, hear what I pray!
Keep me from your followers today.
Having to listen to so much that is wrong
makes me puke, before it makes me strong.

I don’t know why it isn’t clear to other folks,
which is alright, you know, different strokes.
But, why should that mean that they must
force me to believe, or fail in trust?

Spare me the lies, and the make-believe,
fairy tales are easier to hear, and to weave.
They give us a lesson which we can feel
but don’t pretend at all to be real.

Reality can scare us, that’s a given fact,
still, met with care it will leave us mostly intact.
Met without fear, standing tall and alone
Life will allow us to make it our own.

Folly beckons, and so many follow
mass delusions seem to me most hollow.
I’ll have to stick to my own chosen way
while so many go so sadly astray.

It’s lonely at times, it may seem sad,
but really isn’t, and I’m quite glad,
that knowledge is always stronger than fear,
year after year, tear after tear…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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Today’s final old-school pearl is another of the classic type, filled with good ideas on how to enjoy the good parts of this Universe in which we live…. In short, tips and tools for living life large….

“Touch is the most fundamental sense. A baby experiences it, all over, before he is born and long before he learns to use sight, hearing, or taste, and no human being ever ceases to need it. Keep your children short on pocket money — but long on hugs. ” — Lazarus Long

“Who wills can. Who tries does. Who loves lives.” — Smart Bee

“We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 559

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” — George Santayana

“Although the world is very full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller

“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” — Dale Carnegie

“Truth exists for the wise, beauty for the feeling heart.” — Johann von Schiller

“The strongest tyrant cannot crush freedom of thought.” — Smart Bee

“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot about little puppies.” — Gene Hill

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I have to confess, this one came together without ALL my attention; I can’t say if that will affect the outcome, or not…. which is, obviously, a perfectly good metaphor upon which to take our leave, having thus described LIFE in one short phrase (“I can’t say, etc…”). Not bad for a (formerly) fat (still) old fart, with flatulence, fatally obsessive flippancy, and a plethora of personal issues… Besides, it’s done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should Mother Nature grant me one more try at this….

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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Layer upon layer of dense frog….

Posted on April 30, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.”

~~ George Santayana ~~

Invergordon, Scotland, seaport near Inverness/Loch Ness

Yesterday was a bust. A massive attack of vertigo kept me from doing much at all, including a Pearl. It’s the first actual miss in over a year, I think, but, this time, it wasn’t my fault…. (Yes it was….) (NO, it wasn’t….) (Yes, it was….) (Ah, go f__ yourself!…)….

Ah well, regardless of who wins the argument, I’m getting one done today, no matter what it looks like, or how smooth it isn’t; I don’t like to miss a day. Since the primary focus of doing this is NOT the message, or even the fame (well, in this case, the lack of fame….), but, rather, the process as therapy for my own inner demons, it’s more important than mere celebrity…. to me, anyway….

Hmm… a bit somber for an opening, but, I’m too much in the groove to do it over. Besides, I know this Pearl will be choppy. Oh, you won’t be able to tell from where you’re sitting, but, believe me, getting this done at all was a challenge, one answered very well in the affirmative. Of course, it took three dead bodies and two false fire alarms, but, who’s counting? The bodies weren’t even from my staff, so, that’s good. My budget wouldn’t stretch to training new staff right now….

I’m pretty sure I don’t have much of a clue today; I’m writing pretty much by instinct right now. I am hoping it will get better by the time we get to the rant, but, hey, we take it the way it comes, because we’re legally required to do so, AND, it keeps Momma happy. With Mother’s Day coming up, we all know how important it is to keep Momma happy….. Of course, she ain’t MY momma, but, she thinks she is, and it doesn’t hurt business to let her think so…. I just wish she wouldn’t sit out front & flirt with every guy over 12 who walks in the door….

Okay, I’ve blathered sufficiently, both for the legal requirements, and the personal. Of course, those latter regulations are perfectly non-existent, but, shhh….. the authorities don’t know that part….. Y’know, I think I’d best take us outta here, before this gets any more complicated…. Luigi, hit it!…..

Shall we Pearl?

“Don’t ever become a pessimist, Ira; a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun — and neither can stop the march of events.” — Lazarus Long, in Robert Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

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Image from billboard.com via Google images

I was first introduced to Jimmy Buffett’s music in 1978 or 79, not long after the release of his first album, which, if memory serves, was titled, “Livin’ and Dyin’ in Three-Quarter Time”…. His version of southern fried island rock burst upon the music scene with gusto, and he’s never looked back. I’ve seen him in concert many times, for each of his concerts is the world’s biggest party, for five or six hours, depending on how they get rockin’…. Infectiously joyous, funny, and down-to-earth, Jimmy and the Coral Reefers continue to fill up concert venues wherever they play….. Enjoy, ffolkes,. this is good time music….

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Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band

Jones Beach ~~ August 21, 2014

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https://youtu.be/_4nba6YneJY

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I had hoped to complete a fresh rant, but, time constraints preclude such an event today, so, here is a somewhat lengthy, but, appropriate rant, on the very same issues the originally scheduled piece was to address…. Go figure….

From 2/16/2013:

“Laws are only words words written on paper, words that change on society’s whim and are interpreted differently daily by politicians, lawyers, judges, and policemen. Anyone who believes that all laws should always be obeyed would have made a fine slave catcher. Anyone who believes that all laws are applied equally, despite race, religion, or economic status, is a fool.” — John J. Miller, And Hope to Die (in _Jokertown Shuffle – Wild Cards IX_)

Fiction is the repository and temple of the Metaphorse…. which explains this passage from a novel I haven’t read, but obviously need to get around to finding, so I can. This is such a perfect statement of Reality in society today, it could only be said in a work of fiction, because anyone stating this in the public venue would be shouted down by the aforementioned politicians, lawyers judges, policemen, and may I add, preachers/priests and the rest of the priestly hierarchies…. none of whom would wish for the truth of the idea become commonly held knowledge, or even a point of discussion…. They have too much invested in keeping things just as they are to allow any such utterance, without the protection of metaphor….

With metaphor, in both prose and poetic form, the truth can be intimated, and made clear for those who otherwise would never even consider the concepts involved, without being connected directly to Reality itself. Most of society has been brainwashed since birth, and are trained to accept as true anything told to them in a newspaper, on a TV by a person in a suit, or by someone holding a Bible, no matter how disconnected from Reality that may be. Reading things in a book, a piece of fiction, they are taught, is suspect, and not to be believed without corroboration from someone in authority….

“God said it, the Bible told me, and I believe it, so that’s the end of it!” How many people do you know who would say that? It saddens me no end to know that even I, who tend to drive that sort of person crazy in no time at all, know several folks who feel this way. I have to say, if nothing else, these folks are stubborn, but, stubbornness is not always a survival technique… it can also serve as a death warrant. One has to learn to give up knowledge that is shown indisputably to be false, or face consequences not to their liking.

As I’ve stated before, I have no issue with ffolkes who are sincerely devout in their beliefs…. I’ve found that people who do try to live by the rules that Jesus put forth are generally good people, with good instincts, and have a lot of compassion and kindness in their nature. I have at least two people in my own family who fit that description, and at least three of the people with whom I grew up are what I would call true Christians, because they use their faith as a supportive tool to enhance their lives, not as a crutch, or a reason to feel entitled…..

In other words, they don’t use their faith as a mask, to hide from the world what they really are like inside…. or, as tool of manipulation, to further their own agenda, which generally involves theft from everyone else, in one form or another….. I have found, by experience with real people in the real world, that a good 95% of those who claim to be Christians are NOT true believers…. Only about 5% of those who call themselves Christians make any attempt to live up to that social reformer’s rigorous standards….

Of that figure, 95% of all self-identified Christians, the great majority can be considered, and are generally labeled, as the ignorant masses, whose minds have been under the control of someone else their entire lives. The smaller percentage of that number, probably only about 1 or 2% of the 95%, are those who either don’t believe in the dogma at all, but use it as the modus operandi for their sociopathy, or those who at least believe it on the surface, but only because it is to their advantage to do so… They would believe anything at all, if it kept them in power….

“Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

I’m not sure whether those who stubbornly cling to their faith (i.e., they walk through the Forest with eyes closed….) are like that because of their nature, or their nurture, and in the final analysis, it doesn’t matter. But, it sure would be nice, for those of us who ARE aware of the truth behind the lies we’ve been told all our lives, to have a few more of us out there, working against the small percentage of people who are taking advantage of the massive ignorance and apathy of the great masses of people, who don’t have the time or mental energy to care about anything but what is happening right in front of them.

Those who control society for their own personal benefit, without any regard for the rest of humanity’s suffering at their hands, aren’t going to change, and they aren’t ever going to give up what they’ve got without a struggle…. I can only wish for enough ffolkes like myself, who can see the truth, to find a way to save at least a few of our species, if only for some galactic zoo of extinct species…… If enough of us get together, there is still a small chance, though the odds of success are diminishing, second by second….

“I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.” — John Wayne

(Did your jaw drop as far as mine when you read that?)

Bah! Enough pessimism for one day…. let’s go find something a bit more uplifting, shall we?….. As a parting thought, please note the following, which serves to illustrate and define the general feeling in modern society, in terms of ethics and morality…. Consider, if you will, the cultural paradigms that are needed to make this statement a joke, one that no one at all would think was out of place…. In other words, by its calm acceptance of the implied lack of ethics, it shows how deeply ingrained is the attitude (made crystal clear by Mr. Wayne…), in the members that make up that society….

“I think our No.1 problem is that nobody wants to take responsibility for anything, but don’t quote me.” — Randy Glasbergen, “The Saturday Evening Post

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Relative Cynicism, with Caramel Sauce

Absolute stillness follows violent movement,
it can happen during a downhill race,
as an immovable piece of asphalt pavement
meets the once handsome racer’s face.

Yuk, yuk, yuk said that asshole Moe,
after poking both of Larry’s eyes,
bashing face, head, & crotch of Curly Joe
and only ever got hit with pies.

Lonely moments never really come along
when Murphy’s got us in his sights.
Not for money, love, or siren’s song
will he abrogate his natural rights.

All we can do is sigh, or laugh in pain,
as Life portions out our ration of shit.
Silver linings melt in the slightest rain,
so we may as well learn to live with it.

~~ gigoid ~~

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I find it mildly curious to note, both Socrates, (470-399 B.C), and Laozi, known commonly as Lao Tzu, (604-531 B.C. ), each died more than 2400 years ago in human history; yet, today, they are still known as, perhaps, humanity’s most revered scholars, one the most influential in Western thought, the other in the East. Each one left a legacy of wisdom, of simple ideas to last a lifetime, giving us the benefit of the workings of their innermost minds, powerful enough to have lasted through the centuries.

In my experience, using a thought from either of them as the basis for a pearl is guaranteed to make it more relevant to reality, not to mention more perceptive and intelligent, in re: the conclusions/lessons/concepts being presented…. It doesn’t seem to matter which comes first, or last, or if only one is included; the pearl comes out better. Using them both, especially as bookmarks around the wisdom of five other historical sages, though rare, seems to make the best old-school pearls….

I’m sad to have to report, this pearl, as with each of the individual pearls, was pulled out of Smart Bee using, well, not to put a false face to it, torture; it seems to be the only method working just now. I can’t say I didn’t warn it; it’s been balky for days, & we’ve been through this before…. So, enjoy, please; it cost the poor little database a lot of pain and anguish….

“Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.”

~~Socrates ~~

“And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep.” — Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” — Confucius

“Aristotle was once asked what those who tell lies gain by it. Said he, “That when they speak truth they are not believed.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200AD) — Aristotle, xi

“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday.” — Alexander Pope

“Remember this,–that very little is needed to make a happy life.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, vii, 67

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

~~ Tao Te Ching ~~

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That will have to do. I’m not sure exactly how it got done, or how it came out, but, I’m trusting to the process to carry the day…. Foolish hope, I know, but, hey, remember the second quote today, about optimism? I take that to heart…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if you’re lucky….

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….

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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Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: George Santayana

Elegant displays of massive indifference….

Kowtowing to the inevitable….

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