I suppose it is only natural, at this point in my life, to become a touch maudlin at certain times, when the realization of my own mortality happens to come to the forefront of consciousness. Each stab of pain, each achy joint, every systemic glitch we experience has the extra pleasure of reminding us we are coming to the aft end of our years; the winding down process isn’t what could be called comfortable, or comforting at all. Oh, there are perks, and a few advantages, connected to aging, but, those don’t alter the debilitating  physical issues with which the years weigh us down… all of which make maintaining hedonism problematic, to say the least….

Rather than turn this directly into a whine, however, I think I’ll point out to myself the balance factor, and let it go…. That always does the trick, as it’s hard to argue with reality, or how it works…. See, all the physical issues with which we end up dealing in our waning years are a direct result of how we used our bodies when younger…. In short, it’s our own damn fault, for not paying attention to the manual… which we never receive, anyway….

All of my conditions, it turns out, are due to the extremely active lifestyle I pursued for the first 40 years of this trip to Earth; starting with baseball at about age 7, I ran, jumped, fought, played, ran into things and people, and generally used my human body as a Tonka Toy, not caring, because of not knowing, that I would pay a huge price in my declining years as a result….

In a way, my experience can be seen as a metaphor for the experience of the entire species; all of us tend to ignore the future to live in the present, as best we may, doing those things that make us feel good, without any understanding of how our actions, in that present, will determine much of what happens to us in the future…. One thing that happened during my teen years is a perfect example of this…

At age 13/14 (right around my birthday), while playing football in High School, I apparently broke my back, though without knowing it at the time…. One play in the season’s second game saw me tackling someone in such a manner that my whole spinal column was compressed, cracking a couple of vertebrae…. but, in the culture of American football, I was never really examined by a doctor, until AFTER the game was over; by then, I only showed minor concussive symptoms, so they never looked for any fractures…

Later in life, at the age of 35 or so, I went to a chiropractor about back pain from working as a chef/nurse (I had small children, and commonly worked two jobs, to keep them fed, clothed, and housed….). He took a full spinal X-ray, which he then showed to me to discuss treatment…. He pointed out on the film where my back had been broken, and mentioned that I would probably have been at least 2, or 3, inches taller, had it not been fractured, as it had, from that point, grown crookedly, or, as is the medical term, exhibited scoliosis…. So, now, at the age of 64, my spine, shoulders, neck, and skeleton at large are giving me fits, in reaction to a lifetime of overuse….

All because the human race is so ignorant, they don’t even understand very much about themselves, or their bodies, and how they work, not just in the now, but, over time, something we hairless apes tend to ignore…. There is little for me to do at this point; there is no turning around and going back to start over with all the things we’ve learned to guide us…. and, apparently, nobody is passing this knowledge down, because none of it is anywhere in any book I’ve ever seen…. What there is, is considered to be fringe-of-society nonsense, old wive’s tales, not commonly understood knowledge shared by the species for all our benefit…

Oh well, too late now, isn’t it? I suppose that means I’ll have to shut up about it, because, as with anything difficult to face, people would rather just ignore it…. We’re good at ignorance….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.” — William Wordsworth

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Not being a big TV watcher for many years, I missed this…. I’m glad I found it, because listening to it produced two epiphanies for me…. One, I miss my music, and will try to play more guitar, and re-immerse myself in one of mankind’s most important fields of endeavor, as I did for much of my life. Second, I am tired of sitting around, and will now proceed to work on traveling…. somewhere…. For now, listening to this GREAT crossover music will do…..

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“If I were a girl, I’d despair. The supply of good women far exceeds that of the men who deserve them.” — Robert Graves

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/22/discussion-of-reeva-steenkamp-killing-has-sidelined-male-violence

“Women also murder and abuse, but 94% of murders in this country are carried out by men and a third of the victims are women. This familiar violence is called domestic violence. Occasionally when the man also kills the children this will make the headlines and is called family annihilation.”

“If the killing of Reeva Steenkamp can be used to extrapolate the political progress of an entire country, what does the regular murder of ordinary women tell us about ours? It is not every day, it is every couple of days and not newsworthy.”

I chose the quote to begin because it gives me the chance to start off by saying, “No shit?”….. But, then, I’m a man…. So, vulgarity and sarcasm come naturally to me…

I think, though, I’m a little different from most men, in that, I fully agree with the woman who wrote this article, and can only say to Mr. Graves that he is, though a day late, and not altogether on the wagon he needs to be on, nonetheless, absolutely correct, in a mild, no, make that bland, sort of way… I think I’d put the same idea thus; “If I were a woman in today’s world, I would either shoot myself, or someone else, because the number of men who DESERVE a good woman can be counted on two or three hands, world-wide.”

I see now that is a little too obscure, and makes the reader try to do too much math: suffice it to say, the number of men who can honestly say they understand the violence within themselves, and have learned how to control it, for the right reasons, are extremely rare, say, on the level of the color blue among lobsters…. That’s a bit obscure, too, isn’t it? Hmm…

Sorry, I guess I’m too agitated in my head to settle down over this issue, of how men abuse women out of fear and ignorance of their own nature; it’s a subject which brings out strong emotions in me, well enough to visualize and compose a good insulting, yet accurate word or phrase, to describe how few are the men who are aware of this issue, much less give it any credence in their lives…. Which lack may ultimately be a large part of the reason we humans are fairly certain to end up as a failed species, just one more among those that have existed, then disappeared, leaving only fossilized remains, in the course of Earth’s four billion years of history…. like the Dodo Bird we so closely resemble, I’d say….

(Well, we DO resemble them closely, to anyone from another planet…. A Martian, or Venusian would look at a Man, and a picture of a Dodo, and would remark the similarities, which are more common than the differences; both are flightless bipeds, basically symmetrical, and subsisting on many of the same nutrients…. We are more similar than different, though not many Men will admit to it; their incredibly ignorant pride gets in the way of seeing clearly….)

We men, as opposed to the other half of our species, are far too casual about violence altogether; women happen to be one of the three absolute worst targets we could possibly choose for that violence, from a moral/ethical/evolutionary standpoint, and, sadly, is a group which includes children, (or any weaker human…), and our companions in this life, animals of all descriptions, whom most men treat as our chattels….

Other targets, too, exist for us men, which are also less than perfectly, or even minimally justifiable, but, those three all are not merely unjustifiable, they are actually as damaging to OURSELVES as they are to those we damage…. But, then, the damage is to our spirit, and to our future, which most men are not inclined to concern themselves with overmuch, having far better things to do with their mental energies, such as deciding which of their hedonistic impulses they will indulge next, and whom they can take advantage of to do so…..

If it sounds as if I am less than impressed by my fellow gender-mates, you would be correct, mostly…. I do have men friends, and even some of them don’t always know what they are capable of, or how they show their prejudices. They all, however, being honorable men, do their best not to allow that to affect anyone adversely, and would never harm anyone intentionally…. But, the point I am making by mentioning them at all is that even the best men often are not even aware of their misogynistic tendencies….

Hell, most women are not aware, not in any expressible fashion, other than knowing they possess a visceral fear and mistrust of the males in their life, simply due to being smaller, and physically vulnerable, unless trained to be otherwise…. Knowledge is the key to reducing our fear of the unknown, and knowing one can protect oneself, under ANY circumstances imaginable, is incredibly liberating, in that we lose the unreasoning fear most people react with when confronted with violence…. A woman who can protect herself is more free than one who must keep that fear alive, in order to survive….

Everything the author of the article said is correct…. This is the subject that SHOULD be in the news headlines, along with the actions of our leaders, when caught out as liars and cheats, and who are, for the most part, all misogynists themselves….

Hey, I have an idea! How about, instead of the obituaries of famous celebrities being published, we declare open season on abusers of women, children, or dogs & cats, then, when they’ve been put down like the bad dogs they are, publish the same info on those pimps, traffickers, pedophiles, and convicted politicians and/or priest/preachers who get legally, justifiably wasted by a citizen in every day’s news….

See, we’ll make that open season on all of them, for all of their repeated displays of vulgar ignorance, by using the threat, or act, of violence to manipulate, control, and oppress any woman, child, weaker man, or animal,  with no charges ever to be filed on any woman, or any man who supported them…. Any time they had a viable reason, by virtue of being a victim, they’d be allowed, and encouraged, to walk up to one of their oppressors, and put a bullet right between the eyes…. If I had my way, each time that occurred, it would be celebrated publicly, maybe with a monthly work holiday as reward, for any successful hunts the month before….

Hey, if you ladies don’t want to do it, I’ll be glad to off the assholes for you, free of charge….. I know, it’s a violent solution, but, hey, whattya want? I’m a man…. Having dealt with violence all my life, in myself, in others, in life, I know I am violent; I like to think I’ve learned to accept it, channel it, and control it. Even I have forgotten, or lost that control at times, (though not for many years….), but, never to the extent of losing that control to the point of physical harm…. Such actions ALWAYS cause emotional, spiritual, and mental harm…. to both the victim, and the perpetrator….

That is why I believe what this woman, Suzanne Moore, says in the above analysis. That belief has nothing at all to do with having the same surname, or that my own sister’s name is Susan…. But, those two facts do serve to remind me why I do believe her, which is, simply put, everything she says is the truth…. My own sister had her problems with the men in her life, not all violence of the physical sort, but, there was some; I also know the times I have lost control, or not been aware of my own failings in this…. so, I have an understanding of from where Ms. Moore, the author, is coming…. as far as any male can.

I don’t know an ultimately permanent solution; as is apparent, my solution is somewhat personally satisfying, but, won’t serve to deal with the core issue. I wish I did. But, I don’t…. But, the least I can do is promote awareness of the issue by writing about it, and to encourage self-examination for all men whenever I can, to try to stimulate thought, or outrage, or compassion for the victims of male violence and stupidity….

Oh, didn’t I mention the other side of the coin? Men are not just ignorant, they are often stupid, especially when it comes to sex….. Sorry, but, something about having a penis seems to cause many men to lose the ability to think when aroused in any way…. and, a lot of men can get aroused at almost nothing visible; the mere glance at a female figure sends their brain into a state where they seem to be incapable of cognition…. I’m guessing it’s because there isn’t enough blood to nourish both the brain and the penis at once…. Just a guess, but, it seems to fit the visible evidence I’ve seen all my life….. I do that, TRY to get men to think, whenever I remember to do so, as well as making it known I am available for assassination duties, gratis, to any woman, child, or animal victim who wishes my help….

Revenge may be a meal best served cold, but, it seems to me, it is better than no meal at all….

No shit….

So be it.

gigoid has spoken.

Probably far too much, but, oh, well…..

Man, n.:
An animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be.  His chief occupation is extermination of other animals and his own species, which, however, multiplies with such insistent rapidity as to infest the whole habitable earth and Canada.  — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

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Tomorrow, I’m reproducing some old material; the old Pearl from which it came had a poem that I wrote at the time, a poem in response to the 2012 election process; given the way the political scenario in this country is proceeding, it still feels fresh….

Today’s final pearl is a little odd; not so odd it’s intense, but, enough to make the thoughts it may engender rather uncomfortable. Some questions are asked that will challenge one’s flexibility and insight, and some statements about our nature that can either support or weaken those thoughts…. The final pearl, though, will bring it all into perspective, I believe, so, enjoy!….

“Cuando sabes a donde vas, el mundo entero se aparta para abrirte paso.” – When you know where you’re going, the whole world turns away before you. — Smart Bee (Google couldn’t, or wouldn’t say….)

“There comes a time in the life of us all when we must lay aside our books or put down our tools and leave our place of work and walk forth on the road to meet the enemy face-to-face. Once and for all and at last.” — Edward Abbey

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

“Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved” — Mark Twain

Well…. It’s so long, it took me an hour to edit and proof, so now I must rush to post, before I lose all the time I gained by getting up on time…. SIGH…. HONK, HONK!…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…..