A passionate pile of indolence….

Ffolkes,

“Everything is simpler than you think
and at the same time more complex than you imagine.”

~~ Goethe ~~

whites-bar

Grand Craic in Belfast ~ White’s Tavern, Est. 1635

Hajime…. The heat continues to make me fade early in the day; I wasn’t able to surf as much as I’d like yesterday, though my pain was manageable.Today, I may experience some deja vu, as the weather is repeating itself steadily, and I’ve some errands out in the Big Blue Room, which are best done early in the day, before the expected fade. One of the items to complete is to pick up an article I lost, but, was found, saving me from having to replace a number of important items, such as my camera, and my disabled parking placard, both of which were in the lost bag. A small favor from the universe, but, welcome…

That said, to rather some good purpose, for a change, I’ll forgo any further directed insanity, in favor of getting posted on time. All we have today is our usual old-school pearl, and that will have to do. I know it will give Fred some inspiration, and that will do for me. Let’s just get on with it, okay? Okay….

Shall we pearl?….

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total oblivion.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me
and turn my inner eye to follow its path.
When the fear is gone, there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.”

~~ The Litany Against Fear ~~

~~ Frank Herbert, “Dune”, 1965 ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Living Life Large

*******

“He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so
powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world.”

~~ E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros ~~

*******

“Because the name is the thing, and the truename is the true thing.
To speak the name is to control the thing.”

~~ Mr. Underhill, The Rule of Names, Ursula K. Le Guin, 1964 ~~

*******

“All things are to be examined and called into question.
There are no limits set on thought.”

~~ Rational Bee ~~

*******

“Down in their hearts, wise men know this truth:
the only way to help yourself is to help others.”

~~ Elbert Hubbard ~~

*******

“The best helping hand that you will ever receive
is the one at the end of your own arm.”

~~ Fred Dehner ~~

*******

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.”

~~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet ~~

*******

“Too much of a good thing is WONDERFUL.”

~~ Mae West ~~

*******

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

In comparison to how these Pearls looked for many years, the current version casts a much smaller shadow. This may, or may not be, a good thing; it’s certainly different for me. But, that’s a subject for another Pearl. For now, I’ll be on my way to get ready for my morning adventure, as I take my chances out there amongst the great unwashed masses. Watch the headlines, ffolkes; you’ll know if I had a meltdown while out there. As long as I can still get to my computer, I’ll be back tomorrow to try again…. sanity seems to be keeping its distance these days…. Oh, well…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Approaching salience from below….

Ffolkes,

“I sometimes think that God in creating Man somewhat overestimated his ability.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

old swan

The bar at the Old Swan, London

Hajime…. Testing…. Can you hear me now? Oh, good. As is patently obvious by now, I’m posting very late. Thank SB again; it took forever to come up with the little material I managed to put together. Even so, it’s pretty esoteric; to avoid any difficulties with the philosophy police, let’s not make any rash assumptions today regarding relevance, or even coherence. Instead, I’ll just trust the new process to make everything work out alright. I know, that’s a bit presumptuous. Guess who doesn’t care? Right….

Shall we pearl?….

Cato said, “I had rather men should ask why my statue is not set up, than why it is.”

~~ Plutarch — Political Precepts ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Esoterica

*******

“I’m sitting on my SPEED QUEEN.. To me, it’s ENJOYABLE..
I’m WARM.. I’m VIBRATORY..”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

“No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

*******

“In the carriages of the past you can’t go anywhere.”

~~ Maxim Gorky ~~

*******

“We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.”
~~ Titus Livius ~~

*******

“Nothing is worth more than this day.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

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

And there you have it, ffolkes. The latest in a long series of expositions on Life…. sort of. Whatever these are, you’ll most likely see another one tomorrow, provided nobody catches me at it first…. See y’all then; fair warning….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 9678

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Reasons to move deftly….

Ffolkes,

“I know who I am. Sometimes you go away, but I’m still here.”

~~ Everyone, always… ~~

sunset

Sunrise/Sunset

Hajime…. All things considered, this might just work. Some ruthlessness is called for, but, being human, that’s not an issue. The pearls, naturally, take care of themselves. Provided I can come up with just enough to say, this should do well, or, at minimum, do. Nothing more to do but, smile, smile, smile, and be on our way, sans delay. It’s day one of a new beginning, so, what say we head out, and start enjoying it? I think that’s a SWELL idea…

Shall we pearl?….

“Few people have the imagination for reality.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

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

pearls_3

“Belief is the death of intelligence.”

~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~

*******

“As the tempest and the thunder affect not the sun or the stars,
but spend their fury on stones and trees below;
so injuries ascend not to the Soul of the great,
but waste themselves on such as are those who offer them.”

~~ Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375) ~~

*******

“The problem with aging
is that you stuffing starts to come out.
You don’t have the youth, looks and energy
to keep stuffing the feelings you tried to hide.
To grow old is to face who you are
behind the mask you created in youth
face the spirit which lives in a decaying body.”

~~ Callan Williams ~~

*******

“I dreamed a thousand new paths… I woke and walked my old one.”

~~ Chinese proverb ~~

*******

“For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
It is never too late to start doing what is right.
Never.”

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

*******

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

“Is an atheist church a non-prophet organization?”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

That should do for a first try. I like the last quote from SB; it’s a good ending, don’t you think? No? Oh well. So be it. We’re done here, so, regardless of anyone’s contrary opinion, we’re outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the center holds….

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

Featured Image -- 9548

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Billions and billions of bogus bargains….

Ffolkes,

“I may be going to hell in a bucket, but at least I’m enjoying the ride.”

~~ Bob Weir ~~

tree

Stability….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl reflects the evolution of which I spoke, briefly and obscurely, yesterday. It seems to have evolved along with my new routine, with just as much forethought put into its institution, i.e., none at all. It just happened that way, much like the Universe. Go figure, eh? In this particular case, it works, perhaps as well as any new thing in the Universe, if somewhat less comprehensibly. In the end, it won’t matter, unless the relative degree of confusion I’ve created turns out to be less than called for in the contract. What contract, you ask? Well, you may ask; it doesn’t mean you’ll ever find out.

Hmph. I guess I slipped over into curmudgeon mode, without realizing it. Must be the shoes, which I’m not wearing today. Whatever it is, it has created a rather odd, if creative, Pearl. We have a multitude of pearls today, all strung together into a self-directed rant to offset the romantic qualities of our old-school offering. None of that tells you much, but, that’s the way it’s supposed to be; what fun is it to know it all ahead of time? The Doctor wouldn’t like that. So, why don’t we stop teasing, and tempting the Fates, & save ourselves some of the mess that can engender? We’ll pull out the good, ol’ ruthless gene, & get where we need to be in a New York minute….

Shall we pearl?….

“Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way in the answer.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

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

ron white

Ron White

Image from www.maxmp3.co via Google Images

While conversing with a friend yesterday, I had occasion to use the title of today’s video selection, a quite valuable factoid, which you see below, under the artist’s name. I call it a factoid, when, in truth, it is more like a solid, immutable truth about human nature, which all of us need to be aware of, and use in all our interactions. When we don’t remember this little gem, it costs us, every time…. Ffolkes, I give you Ron White, with any number of examples of how You Can’t Fix Stupid…. Enjoy!….

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

Ron White
You Can’t Fix Stupid

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

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The Anti-trafficking Movement Needs Survivor Voices:  Why Are We Ignored?

Naked Pearls/Self Directed Rant

*******

“To use power
is to make yourself infinitely vulnerable
to greater powers”

.~~- Bene Gesserit ~~

“In dealing with the State, we ought to remember that its institutions are not aboriginal, though they existed before we were born: that they are not superior to the citizen: that every one of them was once the act of a single man: every law and usage was a man’s expedient to meet a particular case: that they all are imitable, all alterable; we may make as good; we may make better.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Man is ready to die for an idea, provided that idea is not quite clear to him.” — Paul Eldridge

“It’s silly to go on pretending that under the skin we are all brothers. The truth is more likely that under the skin we are all cannibals, assassins, traitors, liars, hypocrites, poltroons.” — Henry Miller

“The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” — H.L. Mencken

“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays,”Self-Reliance” (First Series, 1841)

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke (1729-1797), in a letter to William Smith

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Intelligent Crimes

The value of wit is often said to cause harm,
for those who think, such is its greatest charm.
The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled
if innovation and change is left unwilled.

Society behaves at its base as a mob
conformity and submission its primary job.
Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule
is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.

Intellect and talent are looked at askance,
expressing artistry stands nary a chance.
To stand out from the rest of mankind
is fraught with danger, for body and mind.

Often I stand to watch in solemn dismay
as beauty and joy are left by the way,
ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses
who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.

With shouts of derision the normals make known
their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.
They hope to stop all semblance of progress;
for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.

The world struggles on in spite of all opposition,
managing to maintain its advanced position.
Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,
helping each to learn the survival dance.

Hard though it may be to keep up with the future
genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.
In the final analysis, those who live by reason
enjoy life the most, season to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/7/2012

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Life & Love

*******

“When you arise in the morning,
think of what a privilege it is to be alive
–to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love….”

~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~

*******

“I must say that the biggest lesson
you can learn in life, or teach your children,
is that life is not castles in the skies, happily ever after.
The biggest lesson we have to give our children is truth.
We’re all built with illusions.
And they break.”

~~ Goldie Hawn ~~

*******

“Hold tenderly that which you cherish,
for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it.
Do not let the fear of dropping it cause you to hold it too tightly:
the chances are, it’s holding you, too.”

~~ Bob Alberti ~~

*******

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

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

“Love is a verb.”

~~ Limon ~~

*******

“For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered.
But for those of us who can’t readily accept the God formula,
the big answers don’t remain stone-written.
We adjust to new conditions and discoveries.
We are pliable.
Love need not be a command or faith a dictum.
I am my own God.
We are here to unlearn the teachings
of the church, state, and our educational system.
We are here to drink beer.
We are here to kill war.
We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well
that Death will tremble to take us.”

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

*******

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.

~~ Grandma Moses ~~

*******

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

Having thus assuaged my own sense of duty, I may now escape into the day, to find some real-time trouble to cause for the machine. I guess I’m really going to have to do what I’ve always thought would be necessary, & learn to program computers. The time is coming when it may become our final weapon in the upcoming societal wars…. Guess it’s time to begin the tactical/strategic planning, and begin the campaign…. Ah, well, tomorrow is soon enough, right after I post another mess like this one. See y’all then, ffolkes; I can’t make myself stop….

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

Featured Image -- 2780

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Portrayed with brutal innocence….

Ffolkes,

“There is no conclusive evidence about what happens to old skeptics,
but their future is doubtful.”

~~ Ironic Bee ~~

Life-Death

Life/Death

Hajime…. Change is in the air today, ffolkes. It is, of course, the Nature of Reality, so, we should expect no less. But, the rate at which it happens is also subject to change, and I see a very good trend toward moving even faster toward some kind of major alterations to human society. One of the more uplifting signs, for the world at large, occurred yesterday, as Great Britain voted to exit the European Union, a result much undesired by those who would assume ever more brutal control over political events, as well as a serious blow to their plans of dominion. Now, if we here in the US can block any implementation of the TPP fiasco, real changes may yet take place, to the benefit of all, rather than just a few.

My own experience yesterday also exhibited a positive sign, much less compelling than what took place on the world stage, but, good for my mental state. While out and about performing necessary chores, I was presented with a feather. Not just any feather, but, a true, black, crow feather, obviously from the wing. It’s gorgeous, and the perfect accessory for my hat. It’s a good sign, when a spirit animal offers a token, and, I’ll take it. The feather now holds a position of grandeur, right alongside the amber guitar on my most-used chapeau. Bonus!

Since a new poem also leaked out yesterday when I got back from finding the feather, I’m a pretty happy guy. So happy, I’m going to again eliminate the ranting section for the day, as I just don’t feel like ranting today. So be it. The traffic here at ECR has eased off; for almost two weeks I was garnering double-digit Likes; that has dropped back to single digits this week, not surprising given my spotty record of posting lately. But, since the only real reason I do this is to stay within shouting distance of sanity, none of that matters much. It was just nice to see so many people sharing what I wrote… Again, all that can be said is, so be it….

On that note, we’ll get on with the rest of today’s mess. I hope you enjoy it….

Shall we Pearl?….

“He who possesses art and science has religion;
he who does not possess them, needs religion.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

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

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

Since we are going with simple today, we’ll go with our default musical venue choice, by choosing another compilation of good classical music. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/s8lx9mocGTg

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

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Comedy_Tragedy

Sir, I admit your general rule,
That every poet is a fool,
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.

~~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ~~

Further Proof

No evidence exists, no rumored promise
of a guide on the path we seek.
Salient information lies hidden, seeking solace;
each possibility lost, no longer unique.

The past cascades through today, resolute;
finished and gone, by all reputable report.
Common failings decry any fever in the root,
as pillars of salt offer up little retort.

Longitude has latitude, one dimension to the next;
truth and lies, mirrored, transform on first exposure.
Born in chaos, living in change, by guile and pretext;
artful insanity, with no rational cure.

‘Tis no wonder, some do say now and then,
such creatures are doomed, by their own hand.
Cursed by the force of their very own ken,
until only the leaving seems very grand.

Perhaps, but, then, say those who doubt,
it’s all part of how it works, in fact.
We can’t know, really, what it’s all about
without completing the final act.

Is there any hurry?

~~ gigoid ~~

6/23/2016

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Random Thoughts on Life at Large

*******

“Without fools there would be no wisdom.”

~~ Sagacious Bee ~~

*******

“Nature is not cruel, it is, pitilessly, indifferent.
This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn.
We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither
cruel nor kind, but simply callous
— indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose.”

~~ Richard Dawkins ~~

*******

“It’s possible to use karate against a swarm of plankton–but it won’t help”

~~ Pragmatic Bee ~~

*******

“If you have a skeleton in your closet, take it out and dance with it.”

~~ Carolyn MacKenzie ~~

*******

“Grief can take care of itself,
but to get the full value of joy
you must have somebody to divide it with.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song,
read a good poem, see a fine picture,
and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

“Do nothing that insults your soul.”

~~ Walt Whitman ~~

*******

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

Thanks to altered sleeping patterns, I’m up late again, so, what you see above is what you get. To further our escape, I’ll go post this now, and be out of your hair. I will, however, try again tomorrow, to both keep my self relatively intact, and, to soothe my own angst; if y’all can find something worthwhile, so much the better. For now, I shall take my leave, with the usual caveat, to wit: see y’all tomorrow. Odds are still 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

Featured Image -- 2780

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pomegranates in lime coulis, to go….

Ffolkes,

“Grain grows best in shit.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Dinner in Beijing ~~ Two Dollars Each

Hajime…. This morning, I find myself in an odd state of mind. I managed to get some sleep, though I couldn’t tell you why it happened. Since it did, I’ve got a bit more than my usual amount of energy; can’t say it’s exactly topped off, but, hey, better than the alternative, right? Then, as I sat to begin, I saw the opening quote, which I used yesterday on FB as a status report. To me, the small aphorism from Ms. LeGuin is one of the deepest pearls ever created; think a while on it, and you will see why….. It stimulates deep thinking, in me, anyway, and I tend to go into an introspective mode…. This is both a good and a bad thing, in re: writing….

Good, because it’s always good to look inside; bad, because what one finds isn’t always writable. Today, the latter is the case; I went deep inside, only to find issues not ready for public consumption. I did manage to leak out a poem yesterday, though it’s one of the oddest poems I’ve done. I’ve also repeated myself on the music today, simply because I spent much of the day listening to the artists on P4C, and wanted to share it. The old-school section turned out pretty well, too, so, perhaps we should just get on with this mess, before I wander into uncharted territory, & find myself with no way back…. I think, in fact, we’d best do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Never cry over spilt milk. It could’ve been whiskey.”

~~ “Pappy” Maverick ~~

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

Yield_Logo

Playing For Change

I spent an hour or more listening to the playlist for P4C, and decided to go with it again today. You can’t miss, ffolkes; it’s all good stuff. Enjoy!….

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

Sittin’ On The Dock o’the Bay

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

https://youtu.be/Es3Vsfzdr14

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

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Morning muse

Morning Muse

Our discussion today comes from the archives. In actuality, when it first appeared, this was an intro section. At that time, I was spending a lot of time writing, so, much of what is there is rather long & involved. This one is a discussion of why I Pearl, so, I thought it might create some little bit of understanding, about me, and what keeps me doing this every damn day…. Well, I guess, in truth, that’s another story altogether, which we’ll save for another day, as this one is quite long enough for our purpose. Enjoy!….

From 2/28/2014:

Ffolkes,

“I will show you a philtre without potions, without herbs, without any witch’s incantation – if you wish to be loved, love.” — Seneca

One of the reasons I like aphorisms so much is demonstrated perfectly by this one, from our old friend Seneca, whose contributions to historical wisdom frequently grace these pages. Without fuss, without bother, and with great clarity, he delivers one short, pithy statement, that serves to provide the reader with a piece of knowledge that will serve them well their entire life, if they are able to absorb it, meld it into their own beliefs, and use it as a guide for moral, ethical, or merely honorable behavior…. In other words, good advice in a few words…..

It isn’t as simple, or as easy as it appears; I know, I’ve tried…. I’ve come up with a few, but, I’ve noticed that even those are a matter of recycling knowledge that has been part of human lore for generations. There is good reason behind the old adage about “nothing new under the sun”…. I find countless examples of statements from historical figures, like Seneca, or Plutarch, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, or any of their contemporaries, where the same idea has been re-stated, sometimes in a better way, others not so much….

But, no matter who said it, or how well it was said, many of these sages gave us pearls, of Real wisdom, that have proved their worth by their survival into the present, with the same degree of truth and relevance they held when they were first uttered. They also demonstrate another point that comes up here at ECR regularly, which is how little human nature has changed over the centuries since mankind first began making observations about himself as a species….

Each of the names I mentioned above, at one time or another, has given us some statement that describes a problem they faced in their society, usually from the pre-Christian era, which makes it well over 2000 years ago. I find that virtually every kind of issue that was described as being a problem for them remains as troublesome today, for us, as it was for them….

Mostly, those things are involved with how people get along, or not, i.e. the results of how they treat each other…. It seems we’ve always been plagued with a certain percentage of assholes in the demographics of our populations, whether we were living in caves, or in magnificent cities….. The assholes have always been with us, and have always made their presence known in such a way that we still hear about it today….

This is the primary reason for my own skepticism about the future; if we haven’t been able to find any viable, permanent solutions to the actions of those few of us who don’t give a shit about the others in the 5000 years or more we’ve been talking about it, then what makes us think we’ll be able to solve those issues now? Well, nothing, really…. I don’t think we will be able to solve that issue, and I don’t think we’re going to make it, in the long run…. not without making some major changes, and I don’t see any way that will happen….

All of this, I suppose, was a long winded, rantish sort of way to try to find something interesting to write about for an opening…. I didn’t really intend to come to such a moribund, morbid conclusion, at least, not so early, and not without some more lucrative ranting (lucrative in terms of venting more angst than this mild-mannered outburst could ever provide….), but, I suppose logic dictated the outcome more than desire, so, we’ll just have to deal….

I note, however, with some small degree of pride and satisfaction that yes, we DO have enough to call this an intro, even if it really doesn’t resemble one much at all…. For today, it’s the best I’ve got, and it will have to do…. I’ll try to be a bit more optimistic in what comes after, okay?…. More like the original pearl from Seneca….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Those whom true love has held, it will go on holding.” — Seneca

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Blue chameleon

It’s hot today, with chances of pain & rain.
So it says on the news.
Guess there’s nothing to do again
unless it’s sing the blues.

The blues are gettin’ old, though.
So I say, & I should know.
I been singin’ the bloody songs, y’know?
For what seems a long row to hoe.

S’pose it could get better someday.
I’ve heard that tune before.
Always seemed out of tune anyway;
I ain’t waitin’ any more.

Bang those drums & kick the cans.
May as well raise some hell.
Clang together some old pots & pans;
It hides the little voices so well.

Never worry, don’t you fear at all.
We’ve got certificates of note.
Bureaucratic protections, officially small.
Non carborundum illegitimi, he wrote.

Time, and circumstance, wrote me today.
It came in the daily mail from home.
It said I shouldn’t write unless I say
you’ll be charged for the distance you roam.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/28/2016

Hmm…. strange poem. But, there it is…. I’ll think about it tomorrow….

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Life Lived Well, Ed to Ed

*******

“Perfection is a minor virtue.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Think not that thy word and thine alone must be right.”

~~ Sophocles — Antigone, 706 ~~

*******

“Bear, do not blame, what cannot be changed.”

~~ Publius Syrus ~~

*******

“In answer to the question of why it happened,
I offer the modest proposal that our Universe
is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.”

~~ Edward P. Tryon ~~

*******

“He only earns his freedom and his life
Who takes them every day by storm.”

~~ Goethe, from Faust ~~

*******

There is no w”ealth but life.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

*******

“We live in the kind of world where courage is the most essential of virtues;
without courage, the other virtues are useless.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

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

Well, there you go. It’s a Pearl; no doubt about that. Moreover, it’s done, our favorite state to find them. I think, today, we’ll leave it just as it is, & go post it before I lose my nerve. I shall, as always, return tomorrow, if my luck holds…. It’s worked so far, so, we’ve got a good chance…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

On to the next level….

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Alan Watts ~~

spider-nebula-spitzer-2mass

Spider Nebula

Image from NASA’s Spitzer DST via Space.com


Hajime…. ‘Tis, in my opinion, hardly fair of Murphy to be such an ass. However, I do have to also admit, his timing is imfuckingpeccable. Thanks to the celebrations yesterday, I was able to fall out last night at about 7 PM, sleeping fairly well until 0300, at which time, the iconic force of nature himself stepped into the picture, sending Leelu into the throes of catly passion, yowling, demanding to be petted & soothed, or, at least acknowledged. Naturally, to a sleepy curmudgeon, this is the height of insult & rudeness, and my initial reaction was much like yesterday’s, chasing her out of the bedroom & slamming the door…

But, today, I found my center, and my balance, almost immediately, thanks, no doubt, to the more than usual amount of rest I was able to get before the advent of the gods of lust broke the spell. So, here I am, with a different sort of picture to adorn the opening section today. It’s there to give me the opportunity to stare off into the depths of space, to find that spot inside where I can stay balanced. Funny how that works, eh? But, for me, it works like a charm, since the far reaches of space, in my mind, are as familiar to me as my own backyard. In my youth, I spent hours a day there, wandering through the galaxies and nebulae on the other side of the Universe, and imagining all the wonderful new things there are to see and learn.

The upshot of all this blather is to inform y’all today’s Pearl is being started somewhat early/late, (depending on one’s time zone and degree of slavishness to the clock), which means some, if not most, will be from either the archives, or straight out of my emergency stock of bullshit tricks to distract the Gentle Reader from realizing how much we are cheating. It rather has the feeling of being a politician when I do this, but, hey, sacrifices must be made to Art, right? I think sacrificing a few politicians would help reality a lot, so, why not, I say…. especially if it kept them busy with something other than thinking up new ways to screw the public.

Now, having set the table, so to speak, we’ll begin the meal. No, we’re not serving snacks, or appetizers. We’re just going to go find some pearls, and see if we can string them together in a reasonably recognizable shape, to stimulate some thought, or, at minimum, some confusion that will lead to asking questions. Yes, that’s lowering the standards a trifle, but, we do what we must according to the dictates of reality, and, our almost non-existent conscience when it comes to Pearls. In short, what you’ll see is what you’ll get, and you’ll like it, or lump it. Up to you, and that’s reality, so, deal….

On that relatively grumpy note….. Shall we Pearl?….

“This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.”

~~ The Buddha’s Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta) ~~


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

    Our regular Gentle Readers will have already guessed what music would show up here today; the clues are well-placed and obvious in the intro section. For the record, as always, the compilation I picked is the one with the prettiest picture I saw while searching it out…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Music

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Sandclock .jpg

    As noted above, what you see is what you get….

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 — The Task, Book ii, The Timepiece, Line 702 ~~


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

Comedy_Tragedy

Visible life

Forty-two days of pressure and internal rain,
leave marks of salvation, often in pain.
Such sharp reminders of yesterday’s remorse
fight heavily to keep a straight course.
Rash moments, bright, and routinely immense
Give us pleasure, bereft of common sense.

Still the night comes soft and eternally dear
to bring out wishful dreams so vitally clear.
Life’s myrmidons give freely in protest
lifting with skill, soul pieces first to infest,
Loudly brash, with no such voices to remain
Sealed in infamy, branded ugliness all too plain.

Now come brave signs of chapter and verse
Shielded by ignorance, irritable and terse.
Gravid portions of in-between retaliation
leave only pale marks of initial gestation
With hope even pallid warriors grow brave
Leading all humanity, to a warm, stale grave.

Hope never falters, nor leaves any trace
Yet lingers forever in a welcoming space.
Cheerful faces yet shine out of time
for tricking and fumbling sweet melody sublime.
Fill in the spaces with a long, strong retort
life is ever visible, if only as last resort.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/15/2012


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Life as we know it….

*******

“I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go.”

~~ Indiana Jones/Adrian Lake ~~

*******

Not to be cheered by praise,
Not to be grieved by blame,
But to know thoroughly ones own virtues or powers
Are the characteristics of an excellent man.

~~ Saskya Pandita (1182-1251) ~~

*******

“Certainty is only a symptom of lack of imagination.”

~~ Dubious Bee ~~

*******

“A theory must be tempered with reality.”

~~ Jawaharlal Nehru ~~

*******

“Nothing is worth more than this day.”

~~ Goethe ~~

*******

Be Yourself. Who else is better qualified?

~~ Frank J. Giblin II ~~

*******

“In the darkness of future pasts
the magician longs to see one chance between two worlds.
Fire, walk with me.”

~~ One-armed Mike, from Twin Peaks ~~

*******


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

Whew! Who knew this could be so much work? It’s probably just as well nobody is paying me to do this, for no matter how much it was, it wouldn’t be enough. So be it. It’s done, and, given the status quo around here just now, that is a minor miracle. It does, however, offer one positive note, for me, at least, which is, being done, I can try again tomorrow to do it better. (As if….) Hey! No sotto voce allowed in the closing section! Boy, some people….

Never mind, ffolkes, I’ll stop tormenting y’all, and, myself, and bring this to a complete, if contentious, close. See y’all tomorrow, lads & lassies; at least one of us has no choice in the matter, so, perhaps I’ll see you in the morning, or, whenever you drop by…. Ta, then….

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

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Bordering on rhubarb pie….

Ffolkes,

“All virtue is summed up in dealing justly.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

Belfast 009

White’s Tavern, Belfast, Ireland

Est. 1630 by Royal License


Hajime….  I slept, sort of. Since my lower back decided, right at bedtime last night, to go into sever spasming mode, I had to take a break, go to the local pub, and apply some C6H11O6 to the problem. It worked, naturally, even if I did have to walk home, due to no cabs being available. Not a problem when three sheets into the wind, I assure you. I then crashed, and actually slept for 6 solid hours, only to arise to the glory of the morning after….

SIGH…. Such is life in the big city, I guess. I haven’t got much today, so, other than the old-school pearl, we’ll be archive diving today. So be it. And, so be it, now. I am in such a state I don’t even have any tricks or traps I can use, so, we’ll just have to get on with the show without them. It’s a little ugly, but, that’s the deal…. Here’s how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“My great mistake, the fault for which I can’t forgive myself,
is that one day I ceased my obstinate pursuit of my own individuality.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~


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

    Since we are in suppressed state, a bit of our default is in order. I hope you enjoy it; as usual, it was picked solely for the picture it showed….

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Classical Music

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socrates

Do not confuse ‘duty’ with what other people expect of you;
they are utterly different.
Duty is a debt you owe to yourself
to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily.
Paying that debt can entail anything
from years of patient work
to instant willingness to die.
Difficult it may be,
but the reward is self-respect.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~


I had intended to write a discussion based on the above statement, which, if you’ve been here a lot, you have seen previously. But, upon reflection, this really needs no embellishment. According to what I was taught about being a Man, by my father, Sarge, this is exactly correct. He never said so, in so many words, but, this is how he lived, and my brothers and I knew, this was what he expected from us…. That’s enough for me.

So be it.

gigoid has spoken…..


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

Comedy_Tragedy

When life calls, ready or not….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

9/10/2012


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

About Hopi Indian Symbols

    Oh, boy! Our final pearl today is my favorite kind. Strange, obscure, full of whimsy and ironic truths, it winds its way with unerring imprecision to the final pearl, which brings all of it together into a nice little package. The shape, size, and contents of that package are, to me, quite clear, but, then, all of what I said about the pearls fits me, too, so…. Enjoy!….

“If you’re going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.” — Whimsical Bee

“Ask a toad what is beauty?…a female with two great round eyes coming out of her little head, a large flat mouth, a yellow belly and a brown back.” — Voltaire

“Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul.” — Mark Twain

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

“Organic life, we are told, has developed gradually from the protozoan to the philosopher; and this development, we are assured, is indubitably an advance.  Unfortunately, it is the philosopher, not the protozoan, who gives us this assurance.” — Bertrand Russell

“Smoke a little dope and walk out in the air: the stars are all connected to the brain.” — The Who

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

“All of a sudden, I want to THROW OVER my promising ACTING CAREER, grow a LONG BLACK BEARD and wear a BASEBALL HAT!!… Although I don’t know WHY!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” — Scott Beach’s grandfather

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

Let it never be said I faded under pressure. It’s done, though I can’t say at all how it turned out. Nor will I make any further attempt to be coherent, as it is becoming rather an onerous task. In fact, I think I’m going back to bed. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as I’m still upright and semi-conscious….

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

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

A cohort of significant raisins….

Ffolkes,

“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

cute nap

Nooo! I don’t wanna wake up…


Hajime…. I can relate to Leelu’s picture caption today, especially considering all I am tasked to do today. Since I am up, and reasonably awake, all things considered, I guess I’ll write a Pearl, a process which, by now, almost completes itself, with minimal interference from me. Today, I am hoping it lives up to my trust in it, for, to be frank, I ain’t got much.

Rather than go into any unwarranted detail, let’s just move on to another point of departure, which we can usually find damn near anywhere. That’s the easy part, for we don’t care at all where we leave from, as long as we get somewhere. Naturally, this tends to complicate matters to a degree, as we often don’t know where we are going; life goes on, in spite of it, though, so, we just pretend we don’t care, and find some other reason to be where we ended up. For those who don’t do well with ambiguity, it’s a bit of a hassle, but, life’s lessons never run on a schedule, so, it works out. Besides, if we really wanted to be somewhere, wouldn’t we say so? Yes, yes, we would.

Okay, obligatory nonsense paragraph; check. Let’s see now, what can we do to distract them for another moment or two, while we try to sober up the pilot. Not that he can’t fly drunk; he’s done it often enough. No, he just got so blasted he can’t find the keyhole, and that’s just not right. Nonetheless, we don’t have a backup today, so, we’ll chance it, just to get it done. I’m afraid it may make things a bit, well, unpredictable, but, hey, what’s that to us? We’re immune to such, and glad of it.

That’s it. I can’t think of any more bullshit, or even any goose guano. So be it. If you’d kindly deposit your empties in the appropriate containers, we’ll be on our way. Luigi has been poured into the pilot’s seat, and we’re warmed up & ready to go. If we get there, I’ll let you know. In the meantime….

Shall we Pearl?

“In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught;
but in life there are many things to draw us aside.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxvi ~~


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Yield_Logo

Playing For Change


Here is one of the very first videos created for Playing For Change, with some of the finest vocals you will ever hear. Enjoy, ffolkes; you’ll be seeing a lot of these from now on….

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Stand Up

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Plato-Aristotle

“… as sight is in the body, so is reason in the soul…”

~~ Aristotle ~~

~~ Nicomachean Ethics, Bl. I, Ch. 6, 10966, lines 29-30 ~~


It occurs to me there is yet another example of a part of human existence which, in its core, reflects both the nature of reality, and, that of humanity itself. This, of course, is the duality that exists in the real world, and in the manner in which we perceive that world. We feel, due to the absence or presence of kinetic energy applied to a nerve on our body, which has evolved to perceive that type of energy; in the case of touch, our skin, and the tissue below it, in conjunction with the nerves and brain, receive the energy (a caress, a blow, a breeze…), then, send the signal to the brain for interpretation and response.

This extends to all our senses, in one fashion or another; touch, taste, smell, hearing, vision, all are  based on the presence or absence of a particular form of energy for us to perceive and interpret, and our various organs have evolved to do so, with the tools we have as part of our brain’s complexity. This, of course, does not enter into the realm of mind, or consciousness, as yet. That is yet another function, of which we shall speak shortly. For now, it is for us to know we are two in one, in everything we see, think, and do, and to lose awareness of this is to risk confusion, loss of self, and, more trouble than is necessary or pleasant.

For example, the universe exists in a state of change at all times; this is easily demonstrable by watching a river flow, or imagining the Earth turning on its axis as it moves around the sun, which moves along with the other stars in the Milky Way, as it moves through the Universe at large, fleeing the original point of whatever occurred to cause its motion, and set the laws of reality, but, only those WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO PERCEIVE. It is a good thing to remember, we may not be able to perceive ALL there is to our Universe, as we are in one place, and cannot experience all of it at once; there may be places where things are different than here.

But, on this planet, there are now, approximately seven-plus billion human beings, of which 99% not only have no notion of any of this, but, have never in their lives considered any of these simple facts, for that is what I have related. All I have said thus far is simple science, and philosophy, and has been known for millennia by a small portion of humanity. The rest never even consider themselves in this light, or stand outside their own existence to examine just what the hell is going on…. Instead, from birth, virtually all of mankind tends to listen to the versions of reality told to them by almost everyone they know, who has learned what they know from someone else, all without ever looking inside themselves, to compare what is there with what they see, and what they are told, or to examine any of it for its truth.

Why? Or, rather, why not? Why don’t most people look around, and inside, and think about it all, from a point of view other than what they’ve been told? Very few, in my experience, which also compels me to mention how evidence of this is clearly available every day in what we see in the news, on the streets, and in talking with people; the entire world is in such a state of constant turmoil, nobody can truly say they understand all of it, or are even completely aware of all of what is happening. Society has reached a point where its own sheer size has provided so much inertia, all forward motion seems to have stopped, while humanity tears each other apart, in war, after war, while we continue to despoil our own home environment to the point where the planet itself may become inimical to us.

“Is consciousness just a special form of hallucination?”

~~ Frank Herbert ~~


To be continued…..

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Comedy_Tragedy

For The Blind Poet, Embraced

I sit to open a vein, exposed in public places,
happy to be written, judging by the faces.

None can see the price so willingly paid,
at the feet of imagination is that cost weighed.

Still shadows of reality shine quite as well
to hide all the bleeding as if under a spell;

While visions and fantasies vie for attention,
hoping to win once-hoped-for final mention.

Technology may or may not rue its day
never knowing or caring its part to play.

All the precious moments of inspiration
Fall ever short of our own imagination.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/30/2012


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Perspective

*********


“Put three grains of sand inside a vast cathedral, and the cathedral will be more closely packed with sand than space is with stars.” — Sir James Jeans

“A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” — Mark Twain

“Fortune is like glass,–the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 280

“Only a fool is astonished by the foolishness of mankind.” — Edward Abbey

“It is good for a man to eat thistles and to remember that he is an ass.” — E. S. Dallas

“Most of all, I’ve learned that a good time to laugh is anytime you can.” — Linda Ellerbee

“YOW!!  I’m in a very clever and adorable INSANE ASYLUM!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

As can be seen, it’s done, though with a rather new look. The interrupted rant is to be continued, simply because it is growing too large for one sitting. It’s a delicate point, so to speak, I’m working toward, and will require more thought; hence the pause for a cause. I doubt seriously if anyone objects, he said with a smirk for his own presumption…..

Okay, I believe that is quite enough for one day. I’m off to deal with pain and glory, so to speak, and will return tomorrow, come hell, or high water. In that you may place your belief, if not your complete trust. Me, I’m outta here….

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

Featured Image -- 6975


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Fluffy pieces of hydrated carbon steel….

Ffolkes,

“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”

~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~

yellow rose

By any other name…


Hajime…. Well, I’m here. It’s been a tough week here at ECR, and in Northern Cali, as the rain continues to move in and out, bouncing the barometer around like a super-ball, keeping me in the throes of inflamed arthritic joints for hours & days on end…. Ah, well, such is life for us old farts, at times; it’s a good thing we’ve had lots of practice by now, or nothing would get done at all. But, I digress, as usual…. I’ve been working on a discussion for the rant section, but, it’s grown so epic it’ll need to wait, so, you’ll see an older pearl there today. Otherwise, it’s all as normal as we get around here, and pleasant as white bread toast.

Naturally, having begun today’s mess with a chatty, informative tone, we’ll need to find a different direction to take, to get us toward the oyster beds we prefer to inhabit during our time together. Y’all wouldn’t have any ideas, would you? No. Okay, well, let’s see. Oh, I suppose I could…. no, just did that. Hmm, how about this one? Nope, look, it’s broken. Well, I guess I’ll just have to use the Tardis, and have it washed tonight. Yeah, that’s the ticket….

Okay, if y’all will just file out of the cabin, and head over into the Tardis, we’ll get this slow on the toad for the day. I appreciate your flexibility, and your patience in waiting for me to get my act together enough to put one of these things together. C’est marvellieux! As a thank you, I have entered all your names in our contest, for a chance to win a chance to stay behind next time. Bonus! Okay, I’m done…. Well, I can’t think of any more nonsense, so, that’s the same thing…. Look, what’s that?…. Duck! No, goose!…. Ah, hell with it; Luigi, throw that switch….

Shall we Pearl?

“Thoughts are mightier than strength of hand.”

~~ Sophocles — Phaedra, Frag. 854 ~~


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Yield_Logo

Playing For Change


I discovered this organization a few months ago, and have been nearly obsessed with taking part in their quest, as it fits in perfectly with my own views of how we can possibly achieve some kind of harmony in the world at large. Laughter, music, and love are the answer to all our problems, if freely felt, and given without regard for any delusions that demean humanity, such as religion, politics, or the seriously negative concept of money. None of them are necessary for people to live, as long as we live, as we always need to, in the shelter of each other….

As I listened yesterday to the first couple videos, which I got when I joined the organization as one of their contributing Ambassadors, my resolve to follow this path was strengthened, especially when I chose to listen first to Imagine, John Lennon’s summary of human wisdom, and then One Love, Bob Marley’s matching manifesto, two of the PFC’s iconic statements of purpose, in song…. The film’s participants exhibit such joy, such freedom of spirit, I weep, every time I watch, as musicians from all around the world join to play the tunes, together… I suggest listening to as many as you can, then, join, begin to share the music, and the love it creates….. Enjoy!….

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Playing For Change

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Plato-Aristotle

    Here is a discussion of the principles of personal security, from 2014. It’s a bit long, but, pretty good in spots; I hope you enjoy it….

From 5/5/2014:

I found these two articles yesterday, after posting the Pearl…. As you’ll see, they provide the perfect jumping point for what follows…. I suppose that, as always, ‘perfect’ is a question-begging word to use, but, hey, I calls ’em as I sees ’em…. when I can find my glasses….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/03/everyone-is-under-surveillance-now-says-whistleblower-edward-snowden

I had originally intended to have some words regarding this article, as it speaks to some rather important points…. but, then, I saw the following article, and my angst went right through the roof, stimulating the rest…. Now, read this one…. & just include it all together; it’s all of a piece, anyway….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/18/cia-torture-architect-enhanced-interrogation

Here, then, is an excellent example of the definition of ‘gigo’, (garbage in-garbage out), from the psychologist responsible for the design and codification of many of the torture methods, including “water boarding”, used by the CIA at Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere around the world….. His comments, which I will examine below, are so egregiously INSANE, I had to read the article in pieces, as I found myself shouting at him, every time he opened his mouth to make one of the reported statements…

I cannot BELIEVE this man was found to be an adequate psychologist, passing his tests and arguing his doctoral thesis, without having at least the basic innate ability to display even an ounce of compassion; I also don’t understand, at all, how he could be considered anything other than the US’s version of the Nazi scientist, the one at Auschwitz, who sent the Jews into the ovens….

Ah, yes, Josef Mengele…. the infamous, iconic mad doctor, the real version, the model for what all the comics use as the ultimate villain so often, whose insanity threatens the entire world, and everyone in it…. I tell you, ffolkes, those people  in Washington, D.C. are totally out of control….  I’m not kidding; the current crop of elected officials, as well as the appointees put in place by those (I stared at this point for a long time, and still  cannot, for the life of me, think of an expletive that it harsh enough…, so we’ll go with a classic….) assholes, all exhibit every single symptom of the violently insane, who believe their own twisted version of reality is the only real one, who hold on to their paranoid delusions so tightly, nothing, and nobody, can tell them differently….

Hell, I don’t even need, in this case, to resort to my special knowledge and experience, of working with the violently insane as a therapist for over 20 years…. These guys lay it out so clearly, right out in public, there’s no need for me to have to explain…. Their own words convict them whenever they condescend to open their mouths about what they truly believe….

Here, let me show you a couple of examples from the second article listed… The comments in quotes are by the protagonist in this drama, James Mitchell, (Piled High and Deep), Ph.D., formerly of the CIA, the psychologist regarded as the architect of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program…. a description taken straight from the article…. You’ll be able to recognize my comments by the anger and vulgarity the statements produce in me….

“The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time,” he said. “You can’t ask someone to put their life on the line and think and make a decision without the benefit of hindsight and then eviscerate them in the press 10 years later.”

You  can’t? Why not? These people were in no danger; there is no danger, no life on the line, when someone tortures another; only the one being tortured is in danger. And if you do something so obviously WRONG, it doesn’t fucking matter a bit how long it is, you SHOULD be vilified in the press. There is no reason on this Earth why anyone shouldn’t KNOW torturing another human being, for ANY FUCKING REASON AT ALL, is NOT morally defensible.  This principle is true even in cases where the ultimate goal is considered good; you’ve no doubt heard the saying, “the end does not justify the means.”

If they didn’t know it was wrong, why didn’t they do it out in the open, where everyone could see what they were doing? Fucking assholes think that their own parafuckingnoia should excuse anything they do….

“Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

“I’m skeptical about the Senate report, because I do not believe that every analyst whose jobs and promotions depended upon it, who were professional intelligence experts, all them lied to protect a program? All of them were wrong? All of these [CIA] directors were wrong? All of the people who were using the intel to go get people were wrong? And 10 years later a Senate staffer was able to put it together and finally there’s clarity? I am just highly skeptical that that’s the truth.”

This one’s easy….and so obvious, I again shouted this at the screen, hoping the asshole would hear me, “Why, yes, you bloody idiot, they CAN, and WERE, all wrong…. and every damn one of them WOULD lie to protect a program, which, in their minds, equals money, or influence….” Then, of course, I realized I was shouting at my computer, so, I sat, tried to calm down, & began to type, to try to release some of the venom and bile that collected so quickly in the face of such evil insanity…. It started when the assbite used the phrase, “Senate staffer” as if that position was held only by persons of dubious character…

When you start from a premise that is wrong, there is no way to make it come out right, and every damn one of those directors started with the idea that whatever they did, right or wrong, shouldn’t be made public knowledge, and that such clandestine prevarication is justified by their goal (which they refuse to consider as anything other than right…. perfect “ipse dixit” logic….)

“If you get the first one in the wrong hole, you’ll never get all buttoned up right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This, of course, is completely contrary to the values upon which our nation was supposedly founded; thus, any acts that indulge in that sort of paranoia, which were made on the basis of that idea, are, from the start, WRONG…. It really is that simple ffolkes, and I don’t understand quite WHY the public doesn’t get that, when listening to these lying, insane fools who pursue their delusional fantasies at the expense of the rest of us….

I reiterate….  “Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

Bloody fucking assholes, every damn one of them…..

“If I had a large amount of money I should found a hospital for those whose grip upon the world is so tenuous that they can be severely offended by words and phrases yet remain all unoffended by the injustice, violence and oppression that howls daily about our ears.” — Stephen Fry

I’d say the good doctor Mitchell would be one of the first admissions…. I’ll leave you to consider the following, which pretty much sums up what I see happening in the world today, just about everywhere I look…..

“It is okay to be ignorant in some areas, but some people abuse the privilege.” — Smart Bee

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Comedy_Tragedy

Momentary Terror

Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
   leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.

Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
   shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.

Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
   save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.

Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
   such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..

~~ gigoid ~~

12/27/2013


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Naked Pearls

Esoterica

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“Books aren’t written to be believed in, but to be questioned.”

~~ Umberto Eco ~~

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“If a man take no thought about what is distant,
he will find sorrow near at hand.”

~~ Confucius ~~

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“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

~~ Sir Edmund Hillary ~~

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“Never fear shadows.
They simply indicate there’s a light shining close by.”

~~ Fearless Bee ~~

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

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

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“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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“Where pain predominates, agony can be a valued teacher.”

~~ Frank Herbert ~~

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“Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

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“OVER the underpass!
UNDER the overpass!
Around the FUTURE and BEYOND REPAIR!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


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I did it. I had my doubts, as is my wont, but, it’s done, with some minor cheating. I hope y’all enjoyed today’s effort, which, believe me, was an effort. I shall make another attempt at this tomorrow, if all goes well. If not, well, you’ll hear from me….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

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À bientôt, mon cherí….