Tag Archives: Goethe

A strange trip, and long….

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Ffolkes,
Since retiring from my job on the last day of 2010, I’ve been writing a lot. For years, my need to write was sublimated at work, writing reports and evaluations according to set rules and formats, on specific subjects. All the dross that builds up in my head just kept sitting there, growing into a pile of emotionally charged opinions, radical political thoughts, religious heresies, and humorous observations on human nature that promised to bury me should it ever fall over. Fortunately for me, I was forced to retire, even though not fully prepared, and the chance to do something to reduce the pile presented itself…..

The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed.” — Charlotte Bronte

In at least a therapeutic sense, it came at just the right time, as I had a lot of angst and anger built up over the way I was treated when I left work. All that anger was, of course, useless to me, other than as a stimulus to write. Once began, the dam burst, and what I’ve been keeping inside came tumbling out, in daily portions of anywhere from 500 to 2500 words. It has been extremely liberating on an intellectual level, as I don’t believe I’ve ever had the opportunity to write exactly how I feel about “life and all that stuff” to any great degree.

Now, since beginning my own blog, first on SFGATE, and now on WordPress, I have allowed myself to show the darkest stuff that I have in there, at least in the political and religious fields, and the feeling is one of stupendous relief. Being able to get all that stuff out of my head has helped me in a lot of ways not immediately apparent to the casual eye; I do believe it was beginning to fester in there…..

I’m not sure exactly what I’m trying to say here, except that I feel pretty grateful, all in all, for having been able to write like I have for the last year and some…. grateful for both the opportunity, and for the wherewithal. And I am especially grateful for all the ffolkes that have come to read my work, and comment, and generally show the kind of support that only true friends can show.

Without having met anyone face to face, I can truthfully say that I’ve met a large number of people here that I am very proud and happy to consider as friends, and my only regret is that there isn’t enough time in the day to be able to read as much of their work as I’d wish to get to. But it remains a very well-appreciated gift to have all of that available to read; I never have to worry about finding something entertaining or interesting, because every one of the blogs I follow has the power to give me both….

So, to all those who have come here to read, and those who comment, thanks very much for stopping in, and I hope that what I write continues to draw your interest. I can guarantee that what I write will not always be politically correct (thank goodness!), nor will it always be comfortable…. but it will always be real, and it will always be mine…. I think it’s time to go Pearl, don’t you? ……

“And here, poor fool, with all my lore I stand no wiser than before.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
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Bright Star

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art–
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors–
No–yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever–or else swoon to death.

John Keats

A Drinking Song

WINE comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.

William Butler Yeats

Of late I find myself turning more often to poetry for recreational reading. Keats and Yeats, (and what are the odds of that similarity?), are two of my favorites, not surprisingly. Today I’ve put one of each of their pieces out for your perusal and enjoyment, and to assuage my practicality gene, which prompts me to make everything I write of some usefulness. So, this is your daily lesson in comparative literature; you won’t be awarded any points, but it will prepare you for the quiz that will come at the end of the week….. otherwise, just enjoy! It’s not every day you get two classic poets in one blog….
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“Most people can’t think, most of the remainder won’t think, the small fraction who do think mostly can’t do it very well.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

Robert Heinlein was considered by his peers to be the Grand Master of Science Fiction, and with good reason. One of those reasons is his insight into human nature, a key element in creating the believable characters with which his books are populated. The above statement is a good indication of this insight, and is an idea that I’ve held as true for most of my adult life. It helps soothe the emotional turmoil that happens every time another bozoid member of the beloved ruling class opens their mouth to insert their foot…. It also keeps me from being disappointed when I face the daily proof of how dumb folks can be, said proof being presented on a regular basis online or in newspapers and TV shows.

Even though I consider myself to be a member of the last group mentioned, I am also realistic, and know that I am part of the majority of those who think, those who don’t always do it very well. If I did, I’d probably not be living in poverty. I’m perfectly aware that it was my own angry reaction to my employer’s rudeness that complicated the retirement process, and has placed me in this position of having to survive until all of my retirement resources have been garnered for use.

If I had paid more attention to my cosmic judo, I would have just let them push me out as disabled, gotten my State Disability Retirement, and would now be enjoying my Social Security. But, noooo, I had to spend six months arguing with the State to placate my pride. I won, in that I got what I wanted from them, but in the process, screwed myself…. typical human behavior, but nonetheless disappointing to know that my bozoid tendencies can still rule my behavior…..

Ah well, now I must use other parts of what I’ve learned over the years, to enable me to put aside my disappointment in myself, and move on to rectify the situation. I’m getting where I need to go, but having to keep myself under strict control to keep from banging my head against the nearest hard surface every time I am confronted with another delay. Sheesh! One more thing that they don’t tell you about in any of the retirement planning manuals….

The statement above doesn’t help me much in this situation, other than to make it clearer why things take so long to get done in the SS and federal bureaucracy. In fact, this insight is most useful for just that…. to help understand why the world is going along the way it is, limping and rushing toward extinction for our species. The inability to think, and worse, the reluctance that most folks have to think, is one of the root causes of why the world is going to shit…. and it’s getting worse all the time, as the forces of ignorance gain ever more of a foothold in society.

The current Presidential political scene that is developing ahead of the election in November is truly a frightening prospect to anyone with more than two functioning neurons between their ears….. I find it incomprehensible, if all-too-believable, that the race is as close as it appears to be. I’ve seen reports that, before even being officially picked as the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, or more accurately, the Republican platform, has more committed electoral votes than I would have believed possible.

I don’t think that there is much of a real chance that the incumbent won’t be re-elected; there is just too much time left until November, and I don’t think that Mitt will be able to keep his mouth shut long enough to keep from self-destructing. But, the tendency of the media to blow up anything they see to sell stories gives him far too much credence, and may complicate the matter. Time will tell, but it makes me nervous, as there are too many historical precedents of the idiocy of the voters to help me feel very relaxed about it…. and neither should you be…..    I predict that if Romney even gets close to being elected, there will be an upheaval that this country hasn’t seen in over 200 years, as the forces of ignorance contend with those among us, such as myself, who will be moved to act if the election results go south… and it won’t be a move toward compliance, or submission to a new order….

REVOLUTION, n.  In politics, an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.  Specifically, in American history, the substitution of the rule of an Administration for that of a Ministry, whereby the welfare and happiness of the people were advanced a full half-inch. Revolutions are usually accompanied by a considerable effusion of blood, but are accounted worth it — this appraisement being made by beneficiaries whose blood had not the mischance to be shed.  The French revolution is of incalculable value to the Socialist of to-day; when he pulls the string actuating its bones its gestures are inexpressibly terrifying to gory tyrants suspected of fomenting law and order. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
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I think I’ve rambled enough for one morning; reality is calling me to get on with the rest of the day. So, I’m going to cheat a little…. Below is a picture I found on Facebook; I titled it “The Last Will and Testament of Noah”, as it seemed to fit what I believe he would have said, if he could speak. He lived with me about 17 and a half years, passing away last August. I’ve spoken of him often here, and will no doubt do so again in the future. A short time after he passed away, I wrote a tribute to him and our life together. That piece “An Ode to Noah” can be found here:  http://therealowner.com/dogs/an-ode-to-noah/  This picture says it all, for me…. and yes, I know, I’m a softie at heart….___________________________________

Duty calls, and I must answer, so I will now be ruthless….as much as I ever do…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Until Bob returns, no cha-cha, & no rhumba….

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Ffolkes,
As I sit here, laughing at myself, I have to admit, my Bozoid tendencies are in full swing this morning…. I’ve been steadily plugging along, filling in the blanks as I go through the morning routine, for about 35 minutes now. Got a lot done too, on starting a Pearl. I even had the intro section completely done, and was dutifully searching for pearls, when I was confronted by my own silliness and failure to be a Lert….. or, if you insist, alert…..

I started to paste a poem below, and realized I was posting it into tomorrow’s Pearl template. This is also where I had already composed and written an intro section leading into the Pearl….. see my problem?  Complete time distortion ensues…. Now I’m dazed again, much like the first 5 minutes of being up, before the first sip of coffee kicks in enough to raise the eyelids a fraction, and will need to take a minute here to regroup…… I’ll be back in a few, when I have caught up to reality again….. mumble, grumble, phtt….

I have re-established contact with reality, and we can now move on to bigger and better things…. if that particular phrase can be considered to apply to this process…. as the old Dead song says, “head’s all empty, and I don’t care….”   No worries, we’ll just go now and find something with which we can fill it up…. shall we Pearl?……
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C:\> erase c:\reality.sys; copy a:\pern\*.* c:

This pearl is a bit of a test…. What I’ve written here is, of course, a DOS command line. (I wrote ‘of course’ before I fully realized that it is ‘of course’ only to those who are familiar with DOS, which may not include the more modern users among us. For those ffolkes, just think of it as double clicking on a program you want to use…..) The test is to tell me, in the comment section, if you know what the command tells the computer to do….

It’s quite a simple command, though the .exe installation file it points to is VERY complex…. and that is your only clue….  Let’s see who’s paying attention, as well as who is well grounded in both computers and literature….. luck won’t be needed, and wouldn’t help in any case, but, good luck!  If no one figures it out before tomorrow morning’s Pearl gets written, I’ll reveal the answer then….
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The only point in the following entry is to preserve my sanity. In looking over the last few Pearls, I found a disturbing lack of poetry. Oh, there was some there, but not enough to suit my needs…. if I don’t get enough of the grace and beauty that good poetry provides, I get testy, to say the least. That probably accounts for the 800-1000 word rants in the last couple of posts. That has actually worked out well; I was able to publish two of those rants to another site as solitary articles. But, in the process, I’ve built up a need for the serenity that a good poem gives me…. so, here are three of them, all capable of filling my need, and, hopefully, yours….. enjoy!

Weep no more, nor sigh, nor groan,
Sorrow calls no time that ‘s gone;
Violets plucked, the sweetest rain
Makes not fresh nor grow again.
— John Fletcher (1576-1625)  — The Queen of Corinth, Act iii, Sc. 2

How fading are the joys we dote upon!
Like apparitions seen and gone.
But those which soonest take their flight
Are the most exquisite and strong,–
Like angels’ visits, short and bright;
Mortality ‘s too weak to bear them long.
— John Norris (1657-1711) — The Parting

But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824) — Don Juan, Canto iii, Stanza 88

I don’t know about you, but I feel better…..

Oft in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me;
The smiles, the tears,
Of boyhood’s years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone
Now dimmed and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken.
— Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Oft in the Stilly Night

I know, I know, I said three… but this one popped up in front of me, glommed onto my leg before I could dodge, and insisted that I include it with the others. Then I looked at it, and was sunk…. It’s not like I jabbed you in the eye with a stick, now, is it?…… Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you to have another; they’re calorie free……
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“The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower.  To think otherwise is to demean the Buddha — which is to demean oneself.” — Robert Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

I like this. I liked it when I first read the book, more years ago than I care to think about, and it still clicks with my way of looking at things, as if Buddha himself was talking directly to me…. I admire it so much, that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. This can speak for itself……
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“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” — Bertrand Russell

We are now experiencing first hand the beginning effects of the proof of this proposition. Our world-wide society has succumbed to the truth in this statement, and are actively, and obliviously, pursuing foolishness en masse. One need only look through the daily news to see this demonstrated; article after article explores concepts and events that illustrate the full and complete absence of critical thought that is rampant in our culture. No matter how outrageous the statement, no matter how silly the proposal, no matter how egregious the lie, if a talking head on TV says it, fifty million people will jump right up and cheer its arguable (to any minds but theirs…) merit, and give it their unquestioning belief.

Do I really need to point out examples? Oh, right, evidence is good…. Okay. Easy money. How about….. Mitt Romney?  Here is a man who has spent the last 10 months or so running around the US to various political electoral farces, er, functions, and has repeatedly lied, or pandered to special interests in the face of another, or alienated entire segments of the voting public (such as women, and the poor), or changed a position one day after claiming it as his own, so many times there are a number of web sites that are devoted just to keeping track of his contradictory and/or fictional statements, of what he has the temerity to call facts.  I’m not picking on him; it’s all out there in black and white for anyone to see.

Yet this man is the apparent next candidate for the Presidency of this country as the Republican choice. If we are to believe it, he has the support not only of numerous officials and “important public figures” in his party, but of millions upon millions of folks who seem unable or unwilling to examine any of his public statements for truth or accuracy. It’s almost as if he were a talking fundamentalist Bible…. He said it, they believe it, and that’s that…… possessing, as they apparently do, steel traps instead of minds. Anything that gets in, isn’t getting out alive, that’s for sure and for certain… As a bonus prize in the foolishness category, the folks who generally fall for this kind of chicanery have the following attitude as well…

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

And people wonder why I’m cynical…… here is a short verse that laments the absence of the kind of men I wish were running this country…. and I am saddened by the fact that I can think of no man, or woman, in office or out, who fits this mold…..

Statesman, yet friend to truth! of soul sincere,
In action faithful, and in honour clear;
Who broke no promise, serv’d no private end,
Who gain’d no title, and who lost no friend.
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Moral Essays, Epistle to Mr. Addison
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But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell!
Did ye not hear it?–No! ‘t was but the wind,
Or the car rattling o’er the stony street.
On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824) — Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iii, Stanza 22

So, I needed another hit of exquisite….. so sue me… I’ll add an extra pearl, okay?….
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Wedding March:  19th Century, England

“The traditional church wedding features two bridal marches, by two different classical composers. The bride walks down the aisle to the majestic, moderately paced music of the “Bridal Chorus” from Richard Wagner’s 1848 opera “Lohengrin”.  The newlyweds exit to the more jubilant, upbeat strains of the “Wedding March” from Felix Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The custom dates back to the royal marriage, in 1858, of Victoria, princess of Great Britain, and Empress of Germany, to Prince Frederick William of Prussia.  Victoria, eldest daughter of Britain’s Queen Victoria, selected the music herself.  A patron of the arts, she valued the works of Mendelssohn and practically venerated those of Wagner. Given the British penchant for copying the monarchy, soon brides throughout the Isles, nobility and commoners alike, were marching to Victoria’s drummer, establishing a Western wedding tradition.”

It seems at first glance that this entry has little significance in relation to what usually passes here for subject matter. Admittedly, it is less of an issue than my usual pick of stuff upon which to rant. Calm yourselves, I’m not going to rant about this…. I have included it for one reason only, and that is to demonstrate that the power of celebrity has its roots further back in our cultural history than might at first be apparent. This short historical note on weddings clearly shows how the famous in society influence the culture as a whole, and have done so since well before the advent of radio, news delivery over international distances, TV, and the internet.

The actions of one woman, the most visible public figure of her time, were sufficiently of interest to the rest of society as to institute a new custom, which persists to this day, and not just in the British Isles. Public opinion can thus be seen to be manipulable by the simplest of means, to wit: if the public likes it, they’ll buy it…. simple, yet effective, and obviously well-known to those who manipulate others as a rule of policy….. funny, sometimes where one can find evidence of humanity’s vulnerabilities, isn’t it?…..

“It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.” — Goethe
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As another morning’s musings draw to a close, I find myself a trifle melancholy. I’m sure it is temporary, and merely the result of finishing what has been fun to create. Since I’m happy with it as it is, we’ll get on with the rest of the procedure, and speed this on its way to cyberspace, and your perusal….. enjoy!  Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Odd raptors, but honest…..

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14

Ffolkes,
At this hour of the morning, I don’t need this kind of aggravation, not from my own physique. But, rather than fall into complaints about stuff there isn’t much I can do to fix, at least for the moment, we’ll turn in a different direction, and feel the wind of inspiration brushing seductively against our cheeks, whispering softly and sweetly, bringing us happily to…… a roll of duct tape?

Yup… that’s my inspirational vision for the morning. I leave myself open to possibility…. I close my eyes, and allow no negative thoughts to disturb me while absorbing, and tremble with anticipation for the glories to come…. and what I get is duct tape….. a big, partially used roll of silver duct tape…. Yes, duct tape…You know, “If it can’t be fixed with Vise-Grips & duct tape, it can’t be fixed.”… yeah, that stuff. I’m guessing here, but I think I’m supposed to use the tape as a metaphor, for something in life that my subconscious has been chewing on, and wants to express in a seriously light-hearted yet elegant treatment. It’s the only thing I can figure out, and since I’m not getting any stiff arguments from that sector of the organization, I must be on the right track with it…..

Well, that’s just too bad…. I’m not writing about duct tape, or turning it into anything, other than a way to keep the new glass in the old window frame (I told you, it was a tough night, what with the zombie attack at 2 AM, and the toilet explosion before that, and… well, forget it, another time…..). I’m not at all concerned about how my subconscious has spent all this time reflecting on such a ridiculous concept, nor do I intend to give in to it; I do have certain standards to maintain, (well, one, anyway…. I have vowed to publish no crap before it stinks just right…..), and duct tape just doesn’t hit the right notes to sing in that choir…. but, fortunately, it is moot, because we can always Pearl….. Shall we?…..
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WARNING: The following entry is not suitable for those with delicate sensibilities…. If you do not appreciate the humor in such historical genre classics as seen in editions of Punch, The National Lampoon, or Mad Magazine, or if you don’t grok the underlying metaphoric qualities of Curly Joe, and the Three Stooges, you may wish to skip down to the following section….

“Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you…..”  Well, you know the rest, I’m sure…..

This month, as a new chapter in the ongoing saga of a relative newbie to the world of poverty-level grocery buying, the pantry here at the old homestead has gotten a little sparse on variety. Most of what is left are the items that I keep for this very reason, i.e., it’s cheap and filling stuff, suitable for the stretch run to payday. Unfortunately, it also consists of items I rarely eat, for diverse reasons, mostly to do with preferences, but sometimes due to how they affect me physically. One such item, which all of us in this country have had exposure to, at one time or another, is a can of Boston Baked Beans; an off-brand that was on sale somewhere a while back, that has been moving around from corner to corner in there for months on end. Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to use them, having an urge for something I hadn’t had for a long time; they sounded as if they would fit the bill just right.

What I had forgotten was its status as one of the items I put off using because of its physical effect on me…. I ate about a third of the can for lunch, mixed with some risotto, added some chopped, seasoned hot dogs, & hotted up the whole mess in the microwave. Different, filling as all get out, and quite tasty for such an odd combination.  Then, I forgot about it, getting busy with answering emails and reading yesterday’s posts from fellow bloggers, followed by a visit from my friend of longest standing, whom I have known since age 10. About 3 hours after lunch, after he had left to meet his S.O., the concert began…..

The key element I’d overlooked in my hunger for something old, something new on which to chow down, was that these were baked BEANS…. and ever since I turned about 40 (quite some time ago now….), this particular type of beans invariably brings on a veritable storm of intestinal flatulence, and once started, continues to create increasing amounts of pressurized air bubbles, maximizing the output until reaching for a crescendo. This all happens over the course of about an hour and a half, with the uncomfortable, but fascinating, physical process producing some of the most melodious, certainly the loudest, and most versatile and compelling sounds ever produced by the human body…..from any orifice….

I count it as lucky that my friend had already left when the concert began; having known each other for over 50 years, I might never have been able to completely live it down before one of us kicks in the bucket, and would no doubt have spent hours trying to erase it from my Facebook timeline… of course, that realization wouldn’t have hit me until we had recovered from the impossible-to-stop insane laughter that the volume of the first note alone would have produced. Having been, sad to say, a captive audience for the complete performance, I can attest that the melody, and the tempo, would doubtless have produced an equally strong reaction of uncontrollable mirth and hilarity, which, at our age, could have been downright dangerous…. but it was kinda catchy, and had a beat you could dance to…. I gave it a 3 out of 5….

Ah yes, aging is indeed not for the weak of heart….. or the forgetful…. anybody want some leftover beans?…. gratis, they are… eating them again, I will not be…. even for Yoda, not….
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“If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” — Anatole France

As time goes by this election year, the evidence in support of this little observation is piling higher and higher, with each time another microphone catches the latest gaffe issuing from a random candidate’s speaking orifice. Surely, t’is a sign of impending doom to realize that for each of the bozos who are parading around, showing us theirs (did I ask to see that? No…. but, there it is….), somewhere out there in our midst, hiding in plain sight, are literally millions of people who are buying into their nonsense and vitriol. The bigotry, and hatred, and racism, and elitism that seem to be the qualifying characteristics of prospective candidates this elective cycle are not only being bought by masses of people, (to whom it is like manna from heaven to hear their brightest fantasies, of living in an all-white, all-Christian world, given voice, and, sadly, screen time), but are being given not only credence, but glorification. To be honest, it makes me want to puke….. and, make sure my ammo is dry…..

“When the going gets tough, the smart get an AR-15. And a shotgun. And…” — James P. Callison

And bear unmov’d the wrongs of base mankind,
The last and hardest conquest of the mind.
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xiii, Line 353
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“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarcely in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct. Remember this: They that will not be counseled cannot be helped. If you do not hear reason she will rap you over the knuckles.” — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) — Maxims prefixed to Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1757

This is good…. and especially so for Ben; he had a tendency to be somewhat mundane and boring with most of his ‘Maxims’. Even here, his metaphor for reason could use a little punching up, as an editor might say. I usually prefer to state that particular idea as, “if you don’t give reality it’s proper attention, it will gleefully slap you upside the head until you do.”  It’s exactly the same lesson, but gives a clearer, and more accurate, picture of the consequences of not staying alert to reality’s protocols.

But, I also like this because it has another lesson, about those who deliberately choose to ignore this warning, and how we must allow them to experience the folly of their own choices, along with the resultant pain and indignity that comes with those choices, provided so generously by the dimension of reality we inhabit. The only thing in the entire universe that is subject to our control is ourselves; we cannot prevent their pain, nor should we, as we then deny them the opportunity to experience the lesson of how to succeed that comes with every instance of defeat. Tough to watch, sometimes, if we care for the person, but no less important for them for us to stay back, and let reality have it’s way…. it will anyway, no matter what we do, or think about it…..

And here, poor fool, with all my lore
I stand no wiser than before.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
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Is it legal to advocate the long overdue overthrow of a corrupt government?”– Aloysius I.A. Anonymous

In light of the state of the union, official reports aside, this asks a pertinent, and possibly worthy question for consideration when offered in the sense of what I call juris prominence, or, in short, as being in support of the absolute arbitration right of the jury.  It is a well-documented point of Constitutional law that gives any jury in a case under trial the absolute right to declare innocence, even in the face of the letter of the law, if they believe the law is wrongly applied, or not germane to justice in the case under deliberation, OR even if they think the law is just wrong, morally or by custom…… that is, provided jury trials are still allowed in days to come, or rather, days that are already here…..

“If the jury feels the law is unjust, we recognize the undisputed power of the jury to acquit, even if its verdict is contrary to the law as given by a judge, and contrary to the evidence … and the courts must abide by that decision.” — US v Moylan, 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1969, 417 F.2d at 1006

This archaic, but powerful, right of the American people may be the final protection we have in cases I can see in the future, now that the government has committed so many corrupt acts designed to circumvent the provisions of both the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These acts, though not the first, nor the most recent of their kind, still can be considered to be under one umbrella, that of the Executive Order Theory, the so-far unchallenged belief that the Executive Branch has the right to suspend the rights outlined in those documents under the deliberately vague guise of ‘threats to national security’, without any definition of what those threats may be, and no oversight as to the duration or extent of the suspension of rights to be erased, er, “suspended temporarily”.

They just make their own laws that say they can, and poof, Rights all gone….. no protesting, no gathering, no voicing objections, no printing exposures or criticisms, no recourse to the courts…. what is next? No right to bear arms?….. No voting?…… No term limits?…… No life, without submission to “registration”?   I guess the choice about all this is up to us….. for the moment….. but, let’s not wait too long, shall we?…… These “executive orders” have already been signed, and are now in effect in this country….. It’s all been “Authorized!”…. and you can bet it will be enforced at the point of a gun….

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this:  If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle.  We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth.  The bamboozle has captured us.  it is simply too painful to acknowledge — even to ourselves — that we’ve been so credulous.  (So the old bamboozles tend to persist as the new bamboozles rise.)” — Carl Sagan, “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Parade, February 1, 1987
___________________________________

I couldn’t resist adding this today, as a bonus round, so to speak…. this has got to be considered as possibly the most creative haiku possible for a Westerner to write, though, to be truthful, I don’t know who wrote it. Perfect structure, suitably obscure, yet clear, it meets all the essential standards of classic haiku, but with the added fillip of a most Carlinesque observation…… priceless!…. enjoy…..

Haiku’s inventor
must have had seven fingers
on his middle hand.

Well, Murphy will have his say…. I had intended this to be extra today, but circumstances have forced my hand, aided by the ever-welcome presence of serendipity.  In a search to find the last quote for today’s lineup, the following presented itself, and fit this section so well, I decided to go with the flow…. thus, we have another poem in the haiku tradition, but by someone whose mastery is unquestionable… so, enjoy again!…

Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.
— Basho
___________________________________

I admit to a certain amount of relief at coming to an end to today’s offerings; it has had its moments of struggle, and has taken no small amount of effort to persevere….. but, there is always a touch of melancholy, too, in reaching an ending. This lasts only until I remember that it remains my choice as to whether this ending becomes yet another beginning…. then, I go take a nap….. It’s been nothing if not real, ffolkes…. y’all take care out there….

P.S.  I haven’t forgotten about my siege on WordPress; I wrote a long note yesterday to someone, and will give them the courtesy of a full day to reply…. more on this as matters progress…. Blessed Be, brothers and sisters….

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Political rhetoric for sale or lease: Entropy spoken here….

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Ffolkes,
I’ve been bitten by a tsetse fly….in the past three days, I have slept as much as I’ve been awake, but not in a normal pattern. About every 5 hours I start yawning and looking for my pillow, and go down for a 2-3 hour nap. Then I’m up to almost midnight, and up again at 5 AM, wide awake. It’s a bit strange, almost like some of the weird hours I kept when studying for finals at Berkeley.

I don’t know if they still do this, but one schedule I tried, thought up by a friend in the cooperative dorm I lived in, was perfect for finals week. One would go to bed (for the day) at about 3 PM, getting up at 10 or 11 PM, to start studying all night. At dawn, with the study material still fresh in the mind, one goes to take the final exams for that day. Afterward, a small meal, engage in a bit of business or recreation, then back to bed for the day, and up again at 10. A reverse cycle, as it were, and once accustomed to it, one became almost used to working in the quiet of the early morning hours, and always having an open seat wherever one went, as everyone else in the world was asleep.

But it got kinda lonely, too….it’s not a good schedule for anyone who wants a social life……thank goodness for no more final exams (except, of course, the ultimate final exam, requiring no study, and which everyone passes…..)
___________________________________

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” — H. L. Mencken

Mr. Mencken’s insight was first published back in the early twentieth century, and was actually less of an insight as it was an eerily accurate observation of American politics in the last hundred years. Since the end of the World War II, (the last time Congress actually declared war, as justified in the Constitution) our country’s leaders have involved us in at least five “police actions” (Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq again), all supposedly necessary to protect us from the evils of communism, tyranny, or terrorism. Hundreds of thousands of young Americans have been sent to their deaths in far away places, all to make the old men back at home feel more comfortable in their insulation from reality.

I’m not the first to take note that young men die because of what old men believe, and hopefully I won’t be the last. This country has been hijacked by the 1%; they are no longer even trying to conceal their control over the rest of us. They have forgotten what one of their own said about 50 years ago: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” — John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), 12 March 1962  For myself, I intend to enjoy watching the 1% reap the whirlwind they are creating……. which is a cleverly disguised euphemism for helping the whirlwind spin faster…..
___________________________________

“It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor  of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.” — H.L. Mencken

Some days, H. L. just makes a lot of sense. I admire his perspicacity, and his unadulterated courage to say exactly what he believed, without compromise. A hundred years from now, his words will have the same weight, but hopefully, won’t be a common response to what is real. It would be nice to make this sort of joke a thing of the past, but I don’t see much chance of human nature changing anytime soon, so common virtues will probably remain uncommonly sparse among the denizens of human society…..
___________________________________

What happens to your fist when you open your hand? — Zen Buddhism

In one sense, this koan is but a simple puzzle; the answer, obviously, is that the fist goes to the same place that our lap goes when we stand up. Now, you may ask, exactly where is that? Good question…..so, what do you think the answer might be? Another response might be, the fist is transformed, changed from a state of limited purpose to one of unlimited possibility. A fist can only be used in a small number of ways, but the open hand has few limits to its utility.  Perhaps one might say that the fist moves from the realm of reality to the confines of memory, abiding there until needed again.


This is the beauty of a Zen koan; it poses a question that sends the mind on a journey toward illumination, suggesting little-known paths in our own minds that can lead us to deeper knowledge of ourselves, and of reality. It is not the easiest path to self-improvement or self-growth, but then, the human mind gets lazy if things are too easy. We do better if we  push ourselves, at least a little, and goodness knows we all can find ways to do better in life…..anyone who doesn’t think so is only fooling themselves…..
___________________________________

Farewell, Love, and all thy laws forever:
Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more;
Seneca and Plato call me from their lore,
To perfect wealth my wit for to endeavor.
In blind error when I did persevere,
Thy sharp repulse that pricketh aye so sore
Hath taught me to set in trifles no store
And scape forth, since liberty is liefer.
Therefore, farewell: go trouble younger hearts,
And in me claim no more authority;
With idle youth go use thy property
And thereon spend thy many brittle darts:
For hitherto though I have lost all my time,
Me lusteth no longer rotten boughs to climb.
— Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542), Farewell, Love

Sir Thomas must have had a really bad break-up to get this despondent and cynical. But he sure made a good poem out of it; I hope that was solace for him in his despair……
___________________________________

“When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don’t deal drugs.  When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I’m innocent.  When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don’t own a gun.  Now they’ve come for the first amendment, and I can’t say anything at all.” — Tim Freeman

I sincerely hope that y’all don’t get tired of hearing about this, because I have every intention of harping on it until the Bill of Rights has been restored. If you weren’t able to figure it out before now, I’ll make it clear…. I’m pissed. I’m royally and truly pissed off at our so called leadership; they have led us straight into voluntary slavery, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. I’d be glad to discuss this with anyone who can present a logical argument, or even an illogical one; we all have to find our fun somewhere.

If you don’t think you’ve lost any of your freedoms, try saying the word “bomb”, in any context, while standing in line in public. And get ready to spend the next hours in police custody, trying to convince them you’re not a terrorist about to blow up a bank. Think I’m kidding? Read the news……

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
___________________________________

Well, here’s another fine mess I’ve created. I’ll have to start handing out brooms with each day’s offering…..ah, me, “.. 

I think I’d better go back to my DESK and toy with a few common MISAPPREHENSIONS…” — Zippy the Pinhead

T’would be best for all, methinks…..y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Scratch the Ultimate Itch….

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Ffolkes,
Aggravating a full-grown leopard is probably an activity best left to female leopards, but if the big fella I was confronted with was any indication, I wouldn’t have to wait for his mate to get him going. Eye’s focused, ears back in fighting position, muscles bunched and ready to spring, he was an awesome example of his species. The screaming yowl that issued from his throat cut straight through to the fear center in my brain, which was doing some screaming of its own. Flight? Or fight? Both seemed likely to bring this to an unacceptable outcome; if I break and run, he’ll take me down from behind in three steps. If I stand and fight, I and my Swiss Army Knife were going to be slightly out gunned. A lot slightly…..there was only one thing to do. I started to sing, a slow, easy tune, while slowly moving from side to side in  gentle dance. As I did this, and the big cat watched warily, I reached back and pulled my iPod out of my pack. I selected the tune I wanted, hit the play button, and listened gladly to the sound of bagpipes at full volume. It had the effect I had hoped for; at the first blast of the pipes, the cat’s ears quivered, his eyes squinched up, and he immediately turned tail and disappeared into the vegetation. Another victory of reason over fear, and another victory chalked up for the pipes o’the lochs…..


Okay, so it’s not the greatest literature that ever came down the pike. I like it, and that is all that matters, mostly. I just felt like being silly this morning; don’t much feel like getting serious today. My life in MeatSpace is serious enough to fulfill all my needs in that respect; hence, this little bit of drivel from the fertile mind of a retired dilettante. I do like the new format for these Pearls; the constant need for new material is no longer a critical issue. It does, however, make it a bit more serious-minded, with a bit less opportunity for sarcasm and/or innuendo. But, for days such as this, when my spirit rejects somberness, the old format is still useful. The Pearls selected for today’s missive were collected with that in mind, and will hopefully lighten your day……

“One of the unpardonable sins, in the eyes of most people, is for a man to go about unlabeled. The world regards such a person as the police do an unmuzzled dog, not under proper control.” — T.H. Huxley, 1893
(That’s me, in a nutshell….)

“It’s awfully hard work doing nothing. However, I don’t mind hard work when there is no definite object of any kind.” — Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

“Albert Einstein was a late talker as a child. His parents were understandably worried. Finally at the supper table one evening, he broke his silence to say, “The soup is too hot”. Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he never said a word before. Young Albert replied, “Because up to now everything was in order.” — From ‘The Little, Brown Book Of Anecdotes’ by Clifton Fadiman

Know’st thou the land where the lemon-trees bloom,
Where the gold orange glows in the deep thicket’s gloom,
Where a wind ever soft from the blue heaven blows,
And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose?
— Goethe (1749-1832)
— Wilhelm Meister, Book iii, Chap. i

Don’t you just hate it when they verbify nouns?
(I know I certainly do….)

“If you get gloomy, just take an hour off and sit and think how much better this world is than hell. Of course, it won’t cheer you up if you expect to  go there.” — Don Marquis

And on that note, I will leave you the remains of the day….. y’all take care out there….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid
Dozer

Kowabunga!

Gnome, gnome on the strange….

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Ffolkes,
Today’s blog is late for a good reason. About an hour ago, I had 3 teeth pulled out of my head. I didn’t get up early enough for this process, so it has been postponed. For that reason, we have gone back to the former format, with a relatively short introduction, and some damned fine quotes. I don’t have it in me right now for much creativity so, what you see is what you get…..

Brevis esse laboro, obscurus fio.
It is when I struggle to be brief ithat I become obscure.) — Horace, from Ars Poetica

It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion.  It is by the Coca-Cola that the thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning.  It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion.

On a day in which you give someone chocolate you do nothing of greater significance.

And as we stand on the edge of darkness
Let our chant fill the void
That others may know
In the land of the night
The ship of the sun
Is drawn by
The grateful dead.
— Tibetan “Book of the Dead” ca. 4000 BC.

“One who is plenteously provided for from within needs but little from without.” — Goethe

“Intemperate speech is a distinctive characteristic of man. Hotheads blow off and release destructive energy in the process. They shout and rave, exaggerating weaknesses, magnifying error, viewing with alarm. So it has been from the beginning; and so it will be throughout time.
The framers of the constitution knew human nature as well as we do. They too had lived in dangerous days; they too knew the suffocating influence  of orthodoxy and standardized thought. They weighed the compulsions for the restrained speech and thought against the abuses of liberty. They chose liberty.” — Justice William O. Douglas

That’s all for today….I’m going to go lie down and stop bleeding now. Y’all take care out there…..

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid
Dozer

Kowabunga!

Fun with feathers…..

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Ffolkes,
We’ll begin today with one of my all time favorite quotes…..

“A man who carries a cat by the tail is getting experience that will always be helpful.  He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful.  Chances are, he isn’t likely to carry the cat that way again, either.  But if he wants to, I say let him!” — Mark Twain

The first time I read this, years ago, it brought a huge smile to my face, a huge laugh, and one more piece of evidence that Mr. Clemens was more than just an author of good books. There are numerous websites that feature quotations by Mark Twain, with varying formats for finding the one you want, but going to a different website for each quote isn’t an efficient use of time, so I generally use what I find in my own secret pools, where I know the oyster beds well, and I know I’ll find just the right Pearl.


Now, obviously, Mr. Twain wasn’t talking about actually holding a cat by the tail; anyone who knows cats is aware of a cat’s reaction to having its tail grabbed, i.e., instant attack with all teeth and claws. Knowing this, no normally intelligent person would use this method of cat transport, so the immediate thing that comes to mind is that he (Mr. Twain) is not really talking about carrying an actual cat, he is referring to crisis situations in general, and how to deal with them. “He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful”……what a wonderful, tongue-in-cheek turn of phrase, to describe how one should approach a crisis, and how to describe the mind-set that will assist in resolving the crisis. The humorous light in which Mr. Clemens viewed the world was on full when he wrote this little maxim, and I find it to be one of great value in developing an attitude that allows one to take any crisis in stride, thereby removing one particular kind of fear from our lives. It is indeed a valuable tool that provides protection against fear…..

“Viewed from the summit of reason, all life looks like a malignant disease and the world like a madhouse.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The day this was written, Johann definitely woke up with his crankypants on…..it may have the advantage of being true, but  I find it to be a flawed view to hold as a final belief. The flaw lies in the subjective, and somewhat snobbish nature of the quotation; superiority is claimed by the ascent to the summit of reason, and that reasoning is given as the evidence of the truth of the statement. But not everyone reasons using the same methods; there are many different ways to view something, all of which are subjective. Grandiose descriptive pronouns (‘malignant, madhouse’) don’t provide evidence of anything but the author’s own prejudices, and reason cannot be considered logical when based on prejudice.


Now, in some fashion, I have to agree with Goethe’s conclusion; I, too, have looked at the world and seen nothing but madness in every direction. And I, too, was filled with anguish at the state of the world’s affairs. But my experience in that world has taught me that negative prejudice is NOT the best way to approach living in the world in some sort of comfort. Assuming the negative stance actually can be easily shown to produce negative results, and I’ve found that a positive approach is much more effective in achieving the desired results. It’s too easy to find the bad; it is harder, but much more satisfying to concentrate on finding the good……

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

I wish this had come with attribution. It’s such a beautiful thought, I would like to have known the person who first said it. I suppose, since it exists, someone had to be the first one, and the people who knew, or know, them were lucky indeed. It takes a special kind of outlook to find the true nature of an idea, and express it in a way that not only gives the information contained, but provides beauty in the way the information is presented. I am of the opinion that this is the mark of a poet, and poets should be exalted in society. It is they who turn our eyes away from consensual reality, to show us another version, another view, another, better way to live.


To avoid confusion, (or maybe to increase it, who knows?), I tend to lump poets and authors of prose into one group, and use only one term, calling them all poets. This is to me, very simple; poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t have to be in cadence, and it doesn’t have to follow any particular form. All it must do is communicate ideas, and whether the ideas are simple or complex, their accuracy and efficiency  in communicating those ideas is the point. So whether one writes poems, or writes short stories, the only required characteristic is truth, in all its myriad of guises.


And as for friends, all I have to say is to treasure them. A true friend is truly the greatest gift we can receive from the universe, and should never be taken for granted. I give thanks every day; I don’t have a multitude of friends, but the ones I have are the best…..

Th…th..th…that’s all ffolkes! Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Platitudes, attitudes, and fortified pillows…..

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Ffolkes,
Once all the bugs are eliminated, I believe I am going to enjoy the new format here. So let’s dive right in…..

“We have a presidential election coming up. And I think the big problem, of course, is someone will win.” — Barry Crimmins

I have previously written many diatribes on the subject of politics, and more specifically, on politicians. While I have no particular problem with the first, I have a number of reasons for mistrusting the latter. And unfortunately, we have put ourselves into a situation where no matter who we elect, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Bozoid, they are going to gleefully start lining their pockets, because they are not acting in your best interests. Why? That one is easy; they all lie to us. Every politician has a single characteristic they share with all their peers, and that is the willingness to say ANYTHING to get elected. I regard it as a given that they all do this, and it won’t change until we, the voting public, the great unwashed masses make the first change by holding another American Revolution, and toss them all out on their cheating, lying asses. That’s right, I am suggesting we stop voting. Just say no to their chicanery. Indicate your displeasure with all politicians by shunning them.


Anyone who WANTS the power over others that elected office brings is, by evidence of their very interest in acquiring that power, completely insane. It isn’t mentally or emotionally healthy to need that kind of control over others, and indicates a person whose sole purpose in life is to satisfy their own interests, aka sociopathic. It’s a very passive-aggressive way for them to express their disdain for all the ignorant voters who continue to buy into their bullshite; first they lie to get into office, then they are free to cheat and steal from the public treasury, as long as they cheat and steal for the benefit of their own constituency while they’re about it.

     Our forefathers fought a war to obtain the rights we supposedly enjoy, a war that began because the people here were tired of being governed by people who had no interest in their welfare. Well, here we are again, folks, back in the same boat as in 1760, being oppressed by the very people who are supposed to be protecting us from that very thing. And I say it is time to put a stop to it…. what do you think?….feel free to comment, because this is one I will enjoy discussing in more depth…..

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

I enjoy a lot of what Johann von Goethe wrote, and regard him as one of the clearest thinkers of his time, or any other. I don’t always agree with him; he tends a bit toward conservatism in some areas, but those ideas are straightforward in their inconsistency, and generally can be discounted as cultural prejudice, as he lived in a quite repressive era in terms of human rights. But for the most part, he had a clever mind and a powerful writing style, consistent with the Teutonic roots of his modes of thought, and possessed a very deep insight into human nature.


I like this quote, both for its insight, and for its depth of compassion. We are all familiar with the Golden Rule; it is a phrase common to ALL cultures, and could be considered as the basis for all the laws made by humans to regulate their interactions with one another. In that light, this becomes a corollary aphorism to that rule, a corollary that points the way to a life well-lived. Treating others with the respect and dignity we desire for ourselves is taken one step further on the path to enlightenment, by leading one into right action. When we help others, we improve ourselves, and everyone is better for it…..

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that ‘s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824)
— Hebrew Melodies, She walks in Beauty

As yet, I’m a bit uncertain as to how to approach the discussion of a poem, or excerpt from a poem, without making it seem either pretentious or emotionally labile. What I do know is that each poem is the world-view of another person, condensed from its seemingly infinite size into more palatable portions, that yet connect the spirit of the reader to the greater design. I first looked at the selected piece from Lord Byron because of the subtitle, “She walks in Beauty”. It reminded me of the common farewell phrase spoken by the Navajo tribes, uttered when parting company with another member of the tribe, or anyone else for that matter. The phrase, ‘Ya teh hey’, loosely translates as ‘Walk in Beauty’ expressed as a wish, i.e., ‘may you walk in beauty’.

     Then I read the poem itself, and my mind was transported to India, where the goddess of the night, Ratra, is worshiped by devotees of Hinduism, as she has been for several thousand years. You’ve seen the words of Lord Byron here before; I particularly enjoy his view of the world, and his unique way of stringing words together in a logical, yet beautiful style. “Thus mellow’d to that tender light, Which Heaven to gaudy day denies”  Is that not perfect? A multitude of layers, a fountain of emotion, joy and gratitude, and much more, made plain in two lines. I don’t know if the ability to make and enjoy poetry has any significance from an evolutionary standpoint, unless you count the unlimited power of imagination, so necessary to making poetry, and so essential to us in creating  Beauty, both real and imagined…….

Well, two down now, and I like it! Until tomorrow, ya teh hay! And….y’all take care out there….

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

Kowabunga!

Post-Apocalyptic Dhalias from Des Moines…..

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Ffolkes,
This morning’s dive went much smoother, so much so that here I am, almost finished, and once again, I am at loose ends for a subject. I’ve been doing this for a long time now, and though I don’t seem to be running out of quotable material, subject matter for the introductory paragraphs is nearing extinction. I could write about religion, but doing so usually causes someone in the audience to feel like their beliefs are being challenged, and I end up in a discussion that can have no winners. Same goes for politics…..what I say gets taken personally, and have to deal with someone’s mangled feelings. I guess I could talk about beauty, or reality, or how ’bout them Giants? Maybe I should give out some recipes; I’ve got some good ones…..or I could reminisce about pets I’ve known. That’s a good one, always pulls in a few “aww’s”.


But, none of the above really deals with the root problem, which is a daily squeezing of my creative juices to provide material worth writing. So, tomorrow, I will begin using a slightly new format. It’s not a major change, but I think you’ll like it, and I know I will, because it will give me a new direction, and neatly provide me with a starting point. Starting tomorrow, I will open with a Pearl, then a short discussion on its meaning, or tone, or some other characteristic that stimulates me to comment. Then another, followed by another, each with its own little blurb that defines my take on what it proposes. This technique should eliminate the fuss and bother of coming up with something new every day, by utilizing the pool of ideas that I’ve already gathered for your perusal.


Once I’ve tried this method out for a few days, I’ll ask y’all for some feedback about the changes. Though the primary purpose of this is to benefit my own psyche, giving you all an entertaining, intellectually stimulating piece to read to start your day is important to me. I wouldn’t want to feel like I was subjecting y’all to bad literature; life’s too short to make that a habit. So, here is today’s group of Pearls, plucked with purpose from the depths of the ocean of human knowledge, and presented here for your enjoyment and edification…..

“I looked up the word “politics” in the dictionary and it’s actually a  combination of two words; “poli,” which means many, and “tics,” which means  bloodsuckers.” — Jay Leno

“If there are twelve clowns in a ring, you can jump in the middle and start reciting Shakespeare, but to the audience, you’ll just be the thirteenth clown.” — Adam Walinsky

Know’st thou the land where the lemon-trees bloom,
Where the gold orange glows in the deep thicket’s gloom,
Where a wind ever soft from the blue heaven blows,
And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose?
— Goethe (1749-1832)
— Wilhelm Meister, Book iii, Chap. i

“It’s so much more friendly with two.” — Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

Enjoy the spring of love and youth,
To some good angel leave the rest;
For time will teach thee soon the truth,
There are no birds in last year’s nest.
— Longfellow (1819-1892), It is not always May

“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

And trust me as well, to strike a blow against deliberate ignorance…..keep those cards and letters coming, ffolkes! Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Closets full of shabby tigers…..

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Ffolkes,
Procrastination has always been my friend, at least most of the time. All my life, I remember putting off homework and school assignments until the very last minute. I always thought that by reading the material a short time before the test, it was freshly memorized, and I remembered more of it than if I had read it the night before. I also sort of enjoyed the sense of panic and purpose that goes along with meeting a deadline at the last possible moment. Since I was valedictorian of my high school class, and carried a solid 3.9 GPA, it must have worked fairly well.


The method doesn’t work quite as well at the University level, as the depth of knowledge needed for excellent performance is much greater than at the HS level; the material must be absorbed, not merely memorized, in order to demonstrate true understanding of the subject at hand. But there too, many were the times I’d put off an assignment to the last possible minute, and still was able to meet the deadline. I guess one could say that I refined the technique, paring off the useless slough, yet keeping the edge of desperation so necessary to successful completion of any project on time. My grades were not as good as in high school, due in part to the social factors of living in Berkeley during the 1960’s, which rather distracted me (and a lot of people my age) into choosing social expression in lieu of studying. But more importantly, my procrastination was not eliminated, but rather made slicker, and more efficient.


This refinement continued throughout my work career, where I learned again that, oddly enough, my work was more efficient when I forced myself to get it done quickly. I seem to have developed a state of mind that enters panic mode when needed, using the feeling of desperate haste to drive my thoughts into the channel that serves best to complete the required actions. When finished, the panic goes away, and I’m left with the usually excellent results, and more positive reinforcement of my procrastinating behavior. Now that I’m retired, I find myself continuing the habit, which has always served me well. There is no real proof as yet that it is less useful now, but there are certainly enough opportunities to practice, for sure.

     So, we’ll see how it goes, and I’ll decide later whether or not to continue with it, or try to become one of those folks who never waits to the last minute. I guess only time will tell…….and the longer I wait to make the decision, the more obvious becomes my choice……

“Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” — Francis Bacon (1561-1626) — Of Studies

“… But when he [the people’s champion] has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”
(Which just goes to prove the idea that history repeats itself…..)

He that will not when he may,
When he would he shall have nay.
— John Heywood (c. 1565)
— Proverbes, Part i, Chap. iii

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

As I grow older and older
And totter towards the tomb
I find that I care less and less
Who goes to bed with whom.
— Dorothy L. Sayers

Think all you speak, but speak not all you think.

The last line says it all…..always keep something in reserve, because it is for sure and for certain that you will need it some day…..y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!