Tag Archives: John Keats

Seventy-seven reasons to sit shiv-eh in the nude…..

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Ffolkes,

“I feel my immortality oversweep all pains, all tears, all time, all fears, – and peal, like the eternal thunders of the deep, into my ears, this truth, – thou livest forever!” — Byron (1788-1824)

To look at this inspiring quote from Lord Byron, one might think he refers to religion, and the afterlife so glibly promised by those who engage in that particular human foible…. I’m fairly certain, however, that would be a mistaken assumption…. This, I expect, was more the result of the same sort of attitude as displayed by Bob Heinlein when he said, “There’s no conclusive proof of life after death. There’s also no conclusive proof there isn’t. Either way, soon enough, you will know, so why fret about it?”

If I am not mistaken in my memory (a rare occurrence…) Lord Bryon joined Yeats, and Keats, his contemporaries, and friends, in the unusual insistence on NOT buying into the whole dogma fallacy, and, they weren’t shy in saying so…. proving they lived in a truly free society, because, though all of them burned out and died rather young, none were hounded or persecuted for their beliefs while they were alive….

This is as opposed to society’s eventual reaction to Oscar Wilde, whose homosexuality, or, as most believe, his bisexuality, put him in direct opposition with the forces of public morality of his era, whereupon they sent him to prison, where his health broke, and he died young, as did the three romantic poets…. But, not by fate, but, rather,  by human folly.

I’m not sure just why I’m talking about Romantic Era poets, or about the victims of dogma, either…. I was staring at the screen, lost in contemplation, when I decided to use a pearl to get me started (my mind was, in a creative writing sense, quite empty….), so I went to SB and found the quote from Byron, which, acting on instinct, I brought over and used as a springboard for discussion….

A discussion, as it turns out, truly worthy of some nontenured research fellow at college teaching a boring English Literature class on a July day, in a boring monotone, that would put the most dedicated student to sleep, I’m sure…. But, even if I don’t have any idea how I got here, here we are, four or five paragraphs down the pike, and all warmed up, finger-wise….

See how that works? I write, you read, and we have fun…. Simple, yes? Now, why would you want to go anywhere else in the morning for your first dose of Reasoning, Ranting, and Rhyming, which is pretty much all we do here…. Oh, I remember why…. Hey, I can’t do anything about Murphy’s tender mercies, nor can I keep myself from ranting over the shenanigans, (to use a NICE word they don’t deserve…) of the Asininnies (The BRC, the Priestly Hierarchies, the Shadowy Corporate Masters, the Blue Meanies, and the Mundanes…. at least, those of the clan Stupid….) whenever I run across more evidence of how nasty they are….

In spite of all the minor handicaps under which we operate, I think we do a pretty decent job here at ECR, of staying sane, and spreading that sanity around as far as we can…. If people don’t want to use it, well, I can’t go out there and beat it into their heads…. (Well, maybe I could, but it might be hard to continue publishing this blog from a prison cell….) When the sky turns green, and we can no longer see the moon at night for all the carbon and methane in the air, I guess they’ll get the picture…. Until then, well, I’ll just keep on keepin’ on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Excuse me, Worker, I’ll just be a nanosecond.” — a computer, from Firesign Theater’s I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus
_____________________________

Robert Heinlein called the latter half of the twentieth century, “The Crazy Years”, with good reason…. I have reason to believe that the period of US history to which he SHOULD have applied the term might better be placed in the beginning of the current century, instead….

As proof of that, below, I offer five links, to articles on ONE news site, all of which give a pretty good estimation of the depth of the problems we have in society today…. It’s a pretty good overview of some of the issues, but one should remember to remember the irony of having to read the words they’ve written, at all…. My comments will follow each link, in parentheses to avoid confusion….

“Two rules we should always have ready,–that there is nothing good or evil save in the will; and that we are not to lead events, but to follow them.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — In what Manner we ought to bear Sickness, — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. x

http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/2nd-Raiderette-joins-suit-over-wages-expenses-5203869.php

(In sooth, this one isn’t so crazy as sad…. In the massive pyramid scam that comprises the structure of the NFL, the bosses make billions, the players, basically a bunch of grown up kids, make millions, the lackeys (like cheerleaders, equipment managers, beer vendors, stadium workers, and all the other mundane drones working in the business somewhere…) make a few thousands, while the fans, who are paying in all of that gelt, pretty much get screwed… but, then, what would you expect of a business that engenders billions of dollars of revenue each year, while engaging in what is essentially a complicated game of tic-tac-toe, with live x’s and o’s….. Actually, the whole NFL scenario reminds me of the whole Religion scenario…. same scam, different clothes… Robes and collars in one, uniforms and helmets in the other….)

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sochi-city-hall-orders-killing-of-stray-dogs-5200318.php

(We all knew the Russian government was crazy, as often proven by their chief crazy, Vlad, the Bad boy, Putin….. and this little exhibition of the power of expediency over compassion is a perfect example of how the leaders of society take nothing but their own agenda into account when making decisions, regardless of how those decisions may affect another living creature, canine, or simian….. They don’t give a shit for anything but themselves, in essence, and this is more proof of it, to my way of seeing things….)

http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Senate-sends-farm-bill-to-Obama-5202152.php

(You know which farm bill this is, right? I’m pretty sure this is what they call the Farm Subsidy Bill, the one that distributes the BILLIONS of dollars, stolen by the government from taxpayers, to various American farmers, to supplement their income by paying them NOT to grow things…. Farmers, being PAID to NOT GROW food…. now, if that isn’t crazy, then I don’t know what the word means….)

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/television/article/Bill-Nye-defends-evolution-in-Kentucky-debate-5202990.php

(You know we’re in trouble, as a species, when a scientific theory that has been proven beyond all doubt is STILL being questioned in public…. The fact that the debate here is taking place in a Creation Museum is one of the more ironic parts of this….. Here, in one spot, is gathered all of the major points of ignorance that are held as true by Creationists, who believe the world was created 6,000 years ago, reportedly by some aged, white-haired, Caucasian Supernatural Being, with serious busybody tendencies, (whom nobody saw, other than a few minor prophets, where they had been in the desert, happily  having visions from dehydration, and experiencing beautiful, inspiring visions from consuming the desert plants…), with the aid and collusion of some of history’s most accomplished con men, in support on the ground…. The mere fact that the matter under discussion here is still being questioned, by ANYONE, is the most ironic, and the saddest part of this one….)

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Slain-Napa-girl-kept-in-suitcase-freezer-police-5204040.php

(I’m pretty certain I don’t need to comment at all here, though I will; this story is infused with craziness…. The sheer insanity of this couple’s journey into methamphetamine hell, turned them from being human, into monsters….

I lay the blame for this death squarely at the feet of the BRC, as more proof of the failure of their “War on Drugs”….. Hell, from what I can see, everything the BRC has ever done to fight drugs has only worsened the problems that produce the drug use in the first place…. The drug use that is endemic in the lower reaches of the financial scale in our society is a direct result of the widening gap between the rich and the poor….

The sense of futility and hopelessness that goes with living in poverty, (and I know it’s real, having been there….) leads to despair, and drugs often seem like the only way to forget it all for a while….. Deal with THAT issue, the financial gap, and there MIGHT be some improvement in that area of societal behavior…. It’s obvious by the last 50 years that the current methods used to deal with drug use are NOT working….)

There you go ffolkes, a compendium of evidence that goes to prove how insane society has become…. I wish us all the best of luck in the coming years…. We are going to need it, badly….
_____________________________

I’m trying to make today’s Pearl a fresh one from beginning to end, so, here is one of my own poems, that speaks about society, and how it treats those who perceive the universe with greater clarity than the majority…..

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 get 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 ~~

_____________________________

Okay, I’ve EARNED this old-school pearl…. The above material, in section one, while not quite as tiring as a rant, still left me pretty tired from the effort to be both reasonable, and tactful…. It’s harder than you think to NOT bite people…. HARD!, whether figuratively, or literally….

Nonetheless, I think I’ve showed decent restraint today, as evidenced by the miniscule amount of bandaging material that we’ve had to use so far…. Also, I’m happy to report, there have been no injuries today that broke the skin!…. Hurray!….. So, I’m going to put together a classic, seven-star pearl, without any specific  parameters, other than my own whimsy, and Smart Bee’s admittedly odd sense of direction…. Enjoy!…..

“I’m having an EMOTIONAL OUTBURST!!  But, uh, WHY is there a WAFFLE in my PAJAMA POCKET??” — Zippy the Pinhead

“And it shall some to pass that idiots shall roam the earth, and morons shall rule the masses.” — Smart Bee

“[In America] we like our solutions quick, and we like ’em stupid.” — Bill Maher

“Distrust interested advice.” — Aesop

“I refuse to be intimidated by reality anymore.  What is reality? Nothing but a collective hunch.” — Lily Tomlin

“A little learning is a dangerous thing but a lot of ignorance is just as bad.” — Bob Edwards

“DON’T go!!  I’m not HOWARD COSELL!!  I know POLISH JOKES…  WAIT!! Don’t go!!  I AM Howard Cosell!…  And I DON’T know Polish jokes!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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I’m almost certain, without having even proofed this, or gone back to edit at all, that it will do some real damage, if it gets into the right hands…. In that respect, all I can do is hope, because I’m too lazy to go promote it myself…. C’est la vie, mis amis! No soap, radio!   See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Safely beyond the liar’s zone….

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Ffolkes,

And then, I woke up, wrapped in confusion, surrounded by insanity and ignorance, knowing once and for all, there was no hope for any more of Ma’s sterling pot roast…. which is a shame, since it’s always so juicy, and savory, and packed with love and potatoes….. Now that a bit of nonsense has been ripped forcibly out of my head, unfortunately taking the only available route, through my nose, (ouch!), we have been cleared to be logical. It’s not always easy to obtain that clearance, you know…. all the churches, and the politicians, too, pitch such a horrendous fit every time somebody uses their brain for something other than carrying water from sink to toilet, it’s getting to be a distinct hassle to get them to allow these little shows….

I began today with this paragraph of broken ideas, incomprehensible references, and mismatched styles for a specific purpose, which was to keep from ranting right off the bat…. I slept long, and hard, having used ALL of my sleep inducing techniques and/or substances last night before bed, having first made it to a decent hour before crashing. I did so as part of my plan to NOT pay any attention to the SOU (State of the Union) address that the POTUS was scheduled to make last night….

The hullabaloo that surrounds that event has  become, to be plain-speaking, tiresome…. Every single pundit, talking head, and self-styled ‘analyst’ will be spouting off tonight, before, during, and after the speech, and it drives me crazy to listen to them fill up space in the empty air that would be better served by silence…. Along with the less than stimulating cacophony provided by their patter, the speech itself promises to be a masterpiece of political showmanship, not to mention a shitload of deliberate lies…. He, the POTUS, is an excellent public speaker, in his way, with a sure touch for giving people the words they want to hear, that will soothe their fears, and stimulate their hopes, all without ever promising anything, or actually telling anything remotely similar to the truth, or reality….

“For neither men nor angel can discern hypocrisy – the only evil that walks  invisible.” — Milton, “Paradise Lost”, iii:682-684

Oh, it SOUNDS as if he’s actually made promises, but, it is clear already that the actual promises he makes, such as those he made in his first campaign for election, will be completely ignored when he is actually in office…. If queried, one hears all sorts of backing and filling, but no direct references to anything he said before, and the question is either deferred, or deliberately obfuscated into incoherency, which the general public will completely pass over as something they don’t understand…. The public’s attention span for this sort of lying is pretty short, as long as they believe the second lie told, to cover the first, and that, for this POTUS, is a simple matter to accomplish, given his speech-making skills….

Now that I’ve completely failed to stop my initial rant here in the intro, we’ll call a halt to any further outbursts, at least for the time being…. I had hoped to incorporate some of this into a rant later on, but, I just can’t seem to stop myself from going there whenever the urge strikes…. I start to think about one of the issues that has garnered my attention in the recent past, the outrage and anger takes over my fingers, and off I go… SIGH…. It could be worse I suppose…. I could be writing porn…. It would probably make me more money than this does, you think?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“… But among the children of the Great Society there were those whose skins were black.  And lo!  Their portion was niggardly, and of the fatted calf they were sucking hind teat …  Now it came to pass that a prophet rose up amongst them, and they called him King.  And he went unto Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go to the front of the bus.”  But Pharaoh answered: “In the fullness of time and with all deliberate speed shall this thing come to pass.  When ye shall prove yourselves worthy, shall ye have your just portion — yea, verily, like unto a snowball in Hell.” — “The Begatting of a President”
_____________________________

I went looking for some material in the news, finding a lot of stuff that appeared off center enough to poke at, but, nothing that grabbed me and said, “Ooh, ooh, this one!”…. Plus, having arisen so late, and so foggy-headed, in a relative sense, I think it may be best if I postpone any further comments on the SOU show last night at the Congressional Playhouse; I’ll let the other pundits have the stage for the day, with the possibility that one of them will write something that I can use as a springboard for my own thoughts tomorrow.

That’s lazy, I know, but, I’ve never denied being so; it’s a gift…. It’s a common characteristic among us geniuses, even those of us here at the bottom end of that category, having it’s motivational basis reside in the desire to find faster, easier ways to perform mundane tasks, in order to spend more time in one’s mind, where everything is clear and serene, as opposed to the sloppy, chaotic universe we see on the other side of our eyes….. And, see, we can do that all in one sentence!… Well, I can….

What that means in the here and now is an old-school pearl, of course…. what did you think? I’m no Toothsome, who can draw you a cartoon out of the endless depths of their talent at graphic arts, (besides being a truly beautiful woman….)…. I’m also no Gary Trudeau, or Keats, or Yeats, or Walter Winchell…. I am, however, gigoid, and this is enough…. I’ll be letting Smart Bee pick out these pearls, so, don’t blame me for whatever comes in the rest of this section… I’m on break until section two…

“The human mind is a dangerous plaything, Boys.  When it’s used for Evil, watch out!  But when it’s used for Good, things are much… nicer.” — the Tick

“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.” — Frederico Fellini

“The school of hard knocks is an accelerated curriculum.” — Menander

“The value of passion, like fire, is judged finally by the amount of warmth and light it creates. Fanatics, like forest fires, burn bright but destroy all in their path that is tender and green. To be useful, fire must be confined. To live passionately, we must develop discipline; to love powerfully, we must forge bonds of commitment. Passion is inseparable from compassion.” — Sam Keen

“We are an intelligent species and the use of our intelligence quite properly gives us pleasure. In this respect the brain is like a muscle. When we think well, we feel good. Understanding is a kind of ecstasy.” — Carl Sagan  _Broca’s Brain_, 1979

“Be free and open and breezy!  Enjoy!  Things won’t get any better so you better get used to it.” — Smart Bee

“As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)

Hmm…. I’m not sure but what Smart Bee is trying to tell me something here…. I wonder what it could be?….
_____________________________

Today’s poem is one I read when I was still in elementary school, and is one with which, most likely, everyone in the US is familiar… To my knowledge, it still holds the Guinness Book of Records for being the shortest poem in the world; I heard once it is also the most well-known poem in the world, and I like to think that is true…. It also is a wonderful example of the power of the metaphorse; believe it, or not, this is deeper than you know…..

Fleas

Adam
had ’em.

~~ Ogden Nash ~~

_____________________________

“Sensors show a moron in this sector, Captain.” — Spock (Well, he COULD’VE said it!….)

What a great line… and, a perfect lead-in to section three, where we will continue the rant-avoidance techniques that have been in play all morning…. I’m just not in the mood to pick a subject; I’ve got too many things to be outraged about, and can’t make up my mind without more effort than I’m willing to make… so be it.

Instead, here is a group of pearls that have been collecting over several days…. Some are pointed at the preachers and priests of the dogmatists, some at politicians, and all at those who would rather believe a delusion rather than face their fear of the unknown, thus abrogating all claim to the intelligence they otherwise might possess…

“Angels, I read, belong to nine different orders. Seraphs are the highest; they are aflame with love for God; cherubs, who are second, possess perfect knowledge of him. So love is greater than knowledge; how could I  ave forgotten? The seraphs are born of a stream of fire issuing from under God’s throne… Moving perpetually toward God, they perpetually praise him, crying Holy, Holy, Holy…But, they can sing only the first ‘Holy’ before the intensity of their love ignites them again and dissolves them again, perpetually into flames. ‘Abandon everything,’ Dionysius the Areopagite told his disciple. ‘God despises ideas.'” — Annie Dillard, “Holy the Firm”

“The intensity of anxiety when you tell a lie is nothing compared to the relief when you find out it is believed.” — John Francis Putnam (1964)

“In our country are evangelists and zealots of many different political, economic and religious persuasions whose fanatical conviction is that all thought is divinely classified into two kinds – that which is their own and that which is false and dangerous.” — Justice Robert H. Jackson

“The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.” — Jones’ Law

“Christ says, “Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked – the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.” — C.S. Lewis  _ Mere Christianity_

“Sure, it’s going to kill a lot of people, but they may be dying of something else anyway.” — Othal Brand, member of a Texas pesticide review board

“If you love the sacred and despise the ordinary, you are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion.” — Lin-Chi
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Upon beginning today’s effort, I was a bit leery of what might happen…. It seems my fears were unjustified, as this came out quite well, I think, and may even be one of my all-around best, in terms of style, subtle  humor, and well, balance… Or, it could be shit, and I’m hallucinating again… Oh, well, either way, it’s getting posted, so…. See ya tomorrow, if I’m as lucky as I was today….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Renfield, settle our account…. Use the real money….

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Ffolkes,

“Hey, mister!”
“What?”
“Got religion?”
“No, thank God.”

Okay, so maybe it’s not always the best way to begin…. I like it, though, if only for the degree of irony in the final line…. It probably doesn’t help soothe the minds of whatever readers may have ventured into today’s mess, but, dammit, this is ECR, and we won’t be pulling our punches for anybody! Not in THIS lifetime, even if it’s the only one we get this time (which is how it is beginning to appear….).

Life is too short, and too hard, to waste any time being hypocritical, especially when there has been enough trouble from that sector, (religion), historically, to last us, for as long as we want to hold a grudge…. Personally, I plan on holding it for a LONG time…. and, I LIKE looking myself in the eye every morning in the mirror….

Some days the ranting just jumps out of me, I guess. I’ve barely begun today, and I’m already deep into looking for new ways to say the same thing I’ve been saying for years now…. I hope to someday find the right words to awaken the sleeping dragon that is public sentiment, attempting, as I do, to engage society in the changes we will need to make in order to survive…..There are a lot of FOOLS alive today who insist on holding on to their ignorant denial of global warming and overpopulation, with FAR too many of those self-same fools in positions of leadership, they having persuaded society how harmless they seem to be….

These assholes are NOT harmless, though, and I’m getting really tired of seeing their denials in the news, given the same kind of coverage as what is true and necessary….. I’m sorry, but, at this point, I’m thinking it’s time to just quit being Mr. Nice Guy; these idiots will end up slowing things down enough that we ALL end up dead, when, in truth, THEY are the only ones who deserve to go the way of the dodo and the buffalo…. I’m very close to the point of making a decision to act…. If and when I make such a decision, it will be direct action, against those who would continue to argue that we have the time to allow their bullshit….

That won’t happen this morning, though…. I don’t have enough ammunition on hand; I’ll need to stock up…. and there’s a new cross-bow I’ve been looking at…. I like the cross-bow; quiet, powerful, with recyclable ammo…. an excellent weapon of choice for urban guerrilla warfare methodology…. As a weapon, its only drawback is its bulkiness…. If one has the time, and inclination, to recapture their used bolts, well, it’s easy to never run out of ammo… Plus, with some innovation, the bolts can be made into missiles of great destructive power, easily and accurately delivered from a reasonable distance from the target….

Any who, discussions of warfare technology and methodology aside, it seems we’ve come to a point where I need to make the decision to either continue on to the end of a rant, or end this here, and pretend it’s an intro section, as is our habit on most days…. Hmm, let me look back over what we’ve done here, and I’ll….

LOOK OUT! DUCK! INCOMING!….. Get down, ffolkes, we’ve got some heavy fire coming in…. Joe, get those guns online! Tom, activate the remote barriers…. Sally, fire up those catapults…. Let’s see how they like a bit of Greek fire raining down on their heads, eh?….

Sorry, ffolkes, you’ll have to excuse me, I’ve come under attack by unknown hostile forces, and must make a temporary foray out into the BBR to deal with the issue…. I’ll be back in a while, and will continue this Pearl at that time…. Until then, please enjoy the provided refreshments, over there on the table by the window, and be at ease…. You’ll be in no danger here; this facility is well-guarded, and is relatively impregnable to anything non-atomic in nature….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words?  Hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?” — 2 Kings 18:27 (KJV)

“A taste for irony has kept more hearts from breaking than a sense of humor, for it takes irony to appreciate the joke which is on oneself.” — Jessamyn West  (Irony is when you buy a suit with two pair of pants, and then burn a hole in the coat.)
_____________________________

Having indulged myself shamelessly in the intro section, diving into fantasy, a tiny religipolitirant, a bit of technological gobbledygook, and some Sun Tzu, I feel as if a rant in this section would not only be over-doing it, but, could actually be considered to be tacky, and pushy…. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being pushy when ranting; the whole point of a rant is to annoy the perpetrators, ultimately. It seldom does, of course, but, that’s the intent; we feel that intention should be honored, so we do…. But, today, and right now, it wouldn’t be right… for balance, and for integrity’s sake, we’ll go with an old-school pearl, with parameters such that we can find a bit of everything for our purposes….

“Yes, evil comes in many forms, whether it be a man-eating cow or Joseph Stalin, but you can’t let the package hide the pudding! Evil is just plain bad! You don’t cotton to it. You gotta smack it in the nose with the rolled-up newspaper of goodness! Bad dog. Bad dog.” — The Tick

“How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xiii, Line 375

“By virtue we merely mean the avoidance of the vices that do not attract us.” — Robert Lynd

“I think too much or not at all.” — Isaac Asimov

There is a time for thinking and a time for NOT thinking.  And THIS isn’t one of them.” — Paul the Samurai

“‘And how do you do your job, then, if you don’t exist?’
‘By will power,’ said Agilulf, ‘and faith in our cause.’
‘Oh yes, yes, well said, that is how one does one’s duty. Well, for someone who doesn’t exist, you seem in fine form.'”

— Italo Calvino, “The Nonexistent Knight”

“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.” — Kahlil Gibran

Well, then, having achieved the balance so desperately sought, through the liberal application of empathetic synergy, I propose we move on…. Plus, those cops over there are giving us the hard eye, so, follow me, ffolkes….
_____________________________

I found this while perusing other poems, and just thought it would be a nice little change for all of us…. You can always count on Keats for something new and fun….

Ben Nevis: A Dialogue

There was one Mrs. Cameron of 50 years of age and the fattest woman in all Inverness-shire who got up this Mountain some few years ago — true she had her servants — but then she had her self. She ought to have hired Sisyphus, — ‘Up the high hill he heaves a huge round — Mrs. Cameron.’ ‘Tis said a little conversation took place between the mountain and the Lady. After taking a glass of Whiskey as she was tolerably seated at ease she thus began —

Mrs. C.
Upon my Life Sir Nevis I am pique’d
That I have so far panted tugg’d and reek’d
To do an honour to your old bald pate
And now am sitting on you just to bate,
Without your paying me one compliment.
Alas ’tis so with all, when our intent
Is plain, and in the eye of all Mankind
We fair ones show a preference, too blind!
You Gentle man immediately turn tail —
O let me then my hapless fate bewail!
Ungrateful Baldpate have I not disdain’d
The pleasant Valleys — have I not madbrain’d
Deserted all my Pickles and preserves
My China closet too — with wretched Nerves
To boot — say wretched ingrate have I not
Le[f]t my soft cushion chair and caudle pot.
‘Tis true I had no corns — no! thank the fates
My Shoemaker was always Mr. Bates.
And if not Mr. Bates why I’m not old!
Still dumb ungrateful Nevis — still so cold!

Here the Lady took some more whiskey and was putting even more to her lips when she dashed it to the Ground for the Mountain began to grumble — which continued for a few minutes before he thus began,

Ben Nevis.
What whining bit of tongue and Mouth thus dares
Disturb my slumber of a thousand years?
Even so long my sleep has been secure —
And to be so awakened I’ll not endure.
Oh pain — for since the Eagle’s earliest scream
I’ve had a dam[n]’d confounded ugly dream,
A Nightmare sure. What Madam was it you?
It cannot be! My old eyes are not true!
Red-Crag, my Spectacles! Now let me see!
Good Heavens Lady how the gemini
Did you get here? O I shall split my sides!
I shall earthquake —–

Mrs. C.
Sweet Nevis do not quake, for though I love
You[r] honest Countenance all things above
Truly I should not like to be convey’d
So far into your Bosom — gentle Maid
Loves not too rough a treatment gentle Sir —
Pray thee be calm and do not quake nor stir
No not a Stone or I shall go in fits–

Ben Nevis.
I must — I shall — I meet not such tid bits —
I meet not such sweet creatures every day —
By my old night cap night cap night and day
I must have one sweet Buss — I must and shall:
Red Crag! — What Madam can you then repent
Of all the toil and vigour you have spent
To see Ben Nevis and to touch his nose?
Red Crag I say! O I must have them close!
Red Crag, there lies beneath my farthest toe
A vein of Sulphur — go dear Red Crag, go–
And rub your flinty back against it — budge!
Dear Madam I must kiss you, faith I must!
I must Embrace you with my dearest gust!
Block-head, d’ye hear — Block-head I’ll make her feel
There lies beneath my east leg’s northern heel
A cave of young earth dragons — well my boy
Go thither quick and so complete my joy
Take you a bundle of the largest pines
And when the sun on fiercest Phosphor shines
Fire them and ram them in the Dragon’s nest —
Then will the dragons fry and fizz their best
Until ten thousand now no bigger than
Poor Alligators — poor things of one span —
Will each one swell to twice ten times the size
Of northern whale — then for the tender prize —
The moment then — for then will Red Crag rub
His flinty back — and I shall kiss and snub
And press my dainty morsel to my breast.
Block-head make haste!
O Muses weep the rest —
The Lady fainted and he thought her dead
So pulled the clouds again about his head
And went to sleep again — soon she was rous’d
By her affrighted servants — next day hous’d
Safe on the lowly ground she bless’d her fate
That fainting fit was not delayed too late.

But what surprises me above all is how this Lady got down again.

~~ John Keats ~~

_____________________________

I grew up having to listen to Billy G., far too many times…. Here is a rant from a couple years ago, with his words as the stimulus, which is as it should be….. Not that he, being who he is, would ever admit to any responsibility for them…. It’s more the habit of a Christian to blame what they do or say on Jesus…. and, since Billy is, perhaps. the most well-known, self-defined Christian in the Western world, he is VERY good at that….

From May 12, 2012:

“God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.” — Billy Graham

First, let me apologize…. I hadn’t meant to go into a rant this morning, especially about religion; sitting down is as difficult as standing up, or walking, so the time it takes to express the outrage necessary to produce a rant is more than I wanted to take. But then this popped up in front of me….

After I had picked myself up from the floor and recovered my breath, I still could barely stop chuckling and giggling long enough to use the mouse to cut and paste it to this page. Now that I have, I find myself almost speechless at the sheer arrogance, the complete lack of respect shown for humanity at large by this astounding statement.

In one short phrase, this deeply disturbed man has attempted to manipulate his listeners into a complete subjugation of their will, and in doing so, implies that they are not only unworthy in a moral sense, but are not smart enough to be allowed to think for themselves. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for money in the same sentence…. You can bet he did before the end of the night….

I remember seeing Billy Graham when I was quite young, speaking on TV to a football stadium full of enthusiastically cheering, excited, identical female clones in white cotton dresses, with skirts below the knees, and young, clean-cut, earnest looking young men in blue suits, with white shirts, no vests, and skinny ties. Even at the tender age of 11 or so when I saw it, my first impression of him was of a used-car salesman, with a smarmy-looking smile at inappropriate moments, and a smooth, fawning manner of speaking that ranged from sly confidences to outraged proclamations of evil and sin, all delivered in very obviously scripted stages.

The words and phrases he used, straight out of the King James Bible, mostly, seemed to promote love and tolerance, but the underlying message was one of elitism and divisiveness, as indicated by the insistence that only those who accepted JC according to their rules would be allowed into heaven…. The rest of us would be consigned to everlasting hell for having the audacity to think differently….. It was pretty over-the-top, as far as I was concerned, though entertaining in a circus sort of way…. (My five-year-old’s crap detector was on full, and rejected all of his words pretty much out of hand, as too obviously false to consider…. Just another adult spouting off stuff that made no sense….)

It is now 50 years since I saw that particular revival meeting; with a dismal display of stubborn perseverance, Mr. Graham has continued to spew his particular brand of ignorance for that entire time. He is indeed one of the men of whom St. Francis of Assisi warned us to beware, a man of one book. And the above statement, to me, is proof of just how little he thinks of the general run of human beings. His basic message, to paraphrase what he said above, is, “You are a miserable sinner, and have no right to exist, other than by the mercy of God. You are not smart enough to keep from sinning on your own, so just shut up and do what you are told….”

It is certainly proof, I guess, that it takes all kinds to make a world, for there are millions of folks out there who regard what Billy Graham says as just as much gospel as what is in the Bible…. but then in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose…. Me, I’d rather listen to a ball game….

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

Back in real-time, 2014, for some concluding comments: While searching for pearls for another section, I came across the following gem; it turns out to be a PERFECT example of the mind-set that one of Mr. Graham’s sermons can create in people…. I also wish to nominate this statement as the stupidest remark by an elected official in the latter half of the twentieth century  EVER MADE IN PUBLIC……  Perhaps one of you could call Guinness, or the Pulitzer Committee?….

“I can see stopping a car for a dog.  But a cat? You squish a cat and go on.  I think we’re over-complicating life.” — Iowa Democratic State Senator James Gallagher
_____________________________

I may be going a bit overboard this year; I can’t seem to shorten these Pearls back to the size I had evolved into creating. Ah well, such is life in blog land…. It’s done, and to my way of thinking, that’s good enough…. Remember, ffolkes, Life requires us to be honest with ourselves, if nobody else, and that means we need to live our lives so we have no regrets…. ever…. We are the only ones who can judge how we’re doing on that, which is where the honesty comes in…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Killing time in cheerful green socks….

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4

Ffolkes,

Nope, not going to do it….. I won’t, I won’t do it! You can’t make me do it!….. Okay, drama over….. Originally, I had planned to re-blog one of my older pieces today, as I was not sure how I’d feel this morning…. Oh, not to worry, I don’t do New Year’s Eve any more, so that’s not an issue…. No, I just wasn’t sure how well I’d sleep, or what was happening today, or much of anything…. it was a confusing day yesterday, for some reason….

Maybe it was all the end of the year lists getting me all woozy and discombobulated; we’ve been inundated in them for days now, and I’m not sure how many more I can take….. Best New Phone Muzak, Stupidest Celebrity Arrests, Stinkiest Farts of the Year, The Absolute Best This, The Most Shockingly Entertaining That…. Every damn category the human brain could come up with gets covered by some reporter’s end of the year list….. If I wasn’t such a strong-minded individual, I would have cracked days ago… Probably just as well I haven’t, though, or they’d stick THAT on some list or another, and I have no desire to see my ride in an ambulance to the psych hospital become an internet meme, eerily contagious slick digital music or no….

So what is a struggling young author to do on a New Year’s Morn? Aside from being more honest in the choice of self-descriptive adjectives, you ask? I am neither young, nor struggling, particularly, other than in my own brain and body….. I could start like last year, with another fictional story opening…. but, then I’d be repeating myself, and I already decided not to just re-blog last year’s first post, good as it was, as it wouldn’t be fresh, and a New Year’s Day post ought to be fresh, at least to SOME degree…. I could wander and blather…. Oh, wait, I’m already doing that… Hmm…. I suppose I could go completely off the rails, and start a few paragraphs of piffle talk, complete and utter nonsense, that SOUNDS as if it might be real…. but, that’s too close to how I write already….

Okay, now we’re going to get tough…. I won’t have this kind of waffling, not to begin my third full year of blogging…. I have two documents now, each filled with a years worth of Pearls of Virtual Wisdom, for 2012, and for 2013…. Soon I will open the next one in the series, to begin taking down the Pearls for 2014, of which this, obviously, is the first. I was hoping to make it one of the best, as well, but, it’s already beginning to look as if this one may be out of control right here at the start, thus leaving little hope for much distinction by the time we reach the end….

Of course, that’s how I felt at first about last year’s New Year’s post, and look how well it turned out…. I almost re-blogged it today, just because it is so good…. Ah well, I’d hoped to avoid this, but, before this gets any further off the rails, I’m going to apply emergency technique # 4, otherwise known as the “Oblivious” method….. It involves some seriously deep denial, and a touch of grim-faced concentration, but, it always works, and its the least expensive of all my emergency methods…. A good thing to remember, since tax time will be here soon enough…. (Considering the upcoming End of the World As We Know It, taxes seem a bit like adding insult to injury, don’t you think?…..) Here’s how it (#4) works…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

Say first, of God above or man below,
What can we reason but from what we know?

— Alexander Pope (1688-1744)  — Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 17
_____________________________

“An hour’s perusal of our national charter makes it hard to understand what the argle-bargle is about. The First Amendment forbids infringements of the freedom of speech “except for commercials on children’s television” or “unless somebody says ‘****’ in a rap song or ‘chick’ on a college campus.” The Second Amendment states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” period. There is no mention of magazine size, rate of fire, or to what extent those arms may resemble assault rifles.” — P. J. O’Rourke

Now, at this point in most Pearls, you would think you’d find a good, long, vituperative rant, picking apart the arguments forwarded by the group of idiots who form the bulk of my target choices. It’s a perfect lead-in for a dual rant, on the media’s bungling of their avowed purpose, and the continuous attempted assault on the Bill of Rights, especially Amendment #2, which has had attempt after attempt made on its integrity since the first year it was printed, each one, thankfully, diverted from its intent….

In fact, the repeated attempts to curtail the Second Amendment rights we supposedly are granted have made it simpler to protect those rights, in at least one way, as those who would, ostensibly, take them away, keep providing us with a way to identify them, because of their repeated attempts to try to legislate it out of existence…. There are times when one may rejoice in the idiocy of one’s enemies…. But, they are very persistent, and they have no compunctions about screwing other people; they’re not going to cease their war on the Bill of Rights until they feel they’ve got them all under their control, just like they feel they do with much of the rest of society…. Sadly, quite sadly, they’re right about that control….

Any who, normally, a rant at this point would be not out of place…. however, it’s a New Year, and I don’t feel like being serious yet, so, we’re going with an old-school pearl, to take some random shots at those who I find it most enjoyable to set in my sights, the Beloved Ruling Class, the Priestly Hierarchies, The Police Myrmidons, and all the other Mundanes, who spend their lives with their heads firmly up their ass, making their slavery a simple matter for the formerly listed group(s) of asininnies…. (Hey, look!…. I just made up a new, GREAT word for that particular group of folks!! Asininnies…. I like it, a LOT…..) Okay, that’s the extent of the rant, let’s see what SB can do for us today…..

“The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential.” — Calvin Coolidge

I speak religion’s message clear,
I am denial guilt and fear.
I am the prayers of the naive,
I am the lie that you believe.

— |\|I|/|

If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the new stand side by side… when the glories of the old can be compensated by the rich possibilities of the new era? This time…is a very good one… — Emerson

Q: How many believable, competent, “just right for the job” presidential candidates does it take to change a light bulb?
A: It’s going to be a dark 4 years, isn’t it? — Smart Bee

“If voting actually changed anything it’d be made illegal.” — Smart Bee

I swear, all I did was set the parameters, then hit the buttons, and watch…. Some days, it’s a thing of beauty to behold, I’ll tell ya…. Not too obscure, not too bloody, and, for flavor, a spicy portion or two….. Just to show you there are no hidden agendas, or anything other than full service, non-discriminatory curmdugeonry toward ALL individuals and groups, one last perfect pearl to finish this off in the classic manner…. Stooges Style!…. But, add a bit of irony, and it becomes almost Groucho-like…. Well, it makes my eyebrows twitch, anyway…..

“Support the right of unborn males to bear arms!” — A public service announcement from Phyllis Schlafly, the Catholic Church, and the National Rifle Association

Hey, not so bad for a New Year’s Day…. you should feel lucky, eh? It wasn’t Zippy….. Zippy can make one’s head hurt…. Of course, Phyllis has been known to have the same effect on any rational man….
_____________________________

“In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.” — T.S. Eliot

I know I’ve used this little piece from T.S. Eliot in the past; he is frequently called upon as a source in this blog. Today, he’s here just because I like this quote, and just reading it is a good exercise for the brain, to get it ready for whatever follows in this section…. At this point, that is still an unknown…. I only know that it will be a good one, because I won’t settle for less on such a significant day (If that is what this is…. I suppose it is, what with being a real, actual Holiday and all…. I’m not particularly impressed myself, as a follower of the Aztec Calendar, which told us the world already ended, I think, about two or three years ago, I forget…) Any who, enjoy today’s poem, whatever it may be….

Perfect! It has been said that one should begin as one intends to go on…. What better way to begin a new year, than with Keats?….. A bit long, but, well worth the few moments in time to create this vision in the mind, and savor….

Song Of Four Fairies

Fire, Air, Earth, and Water,
Salamander, Zephyr, Dusketha, and Breama.

Salamander.
Happy, happy glowing fire!

Zephyr.
Fragrant air! delicious light!

Dusketha.
Let me to my glooms retire!

Breama.
I to the green-wood rivers bright!

Salamander.
Happy, happy glowing fire!
Dazzling bowers of soft retire,
Ever let my nourish’d wing,
Like a bat’s, still wandering,
Faintly fan your fiery spaces,
Spirit sole in deadly places.
In unhaunted roar and blaze,
Open eyes that never daze,
Let me see the myriad shapes
Of men, and beasts, and fish, and apes,
Portray’d in many a fiery den,
And wrought by spumy bitumen.
On the deep intenser roof,
Arched every way aloof,
Let me breathe upon their skies,
And anger their live tapestries;
Free from cold, and every care,
Of chilly rain, and shivering air.

Zephyr.
Spirit of Fire! away! away!
Or your very roundelay
Will sear my plumage newly budded
From its quilled sheath, all studded
With the self-same news that fell
On the May-grown Asphodel.
Spirit of Fire — away! away!

Breama.
Spirit of Fire — away! away!
Zephyr, blue-ey’d Faery turn,
And see my cool sedge-bury’d urn,
Where it rests its mossy brim
‘Mid water-mint and cresses dim;
And the flowers, in sweet troubles,
Lift their eyes above the bubbles,
Like our Queen, when she would please
To sleep, and Oberon will teaze.
Love me, blue-ey’d Faery, true!
Soothly I am sick for you.

Zephyr.
Gentle Breama! by the first
Violet young nature nurst,
I will bathe myself with thee,
So you sometimes follow me
To my home, far, far, in west,
Beyond the nimble-wheeled quest
Of the golden-browed sun:
Come with me, o’er tops of trees,
To my fragrant palaces,
Where they ever floating are
Beneath the cherish of a star
Call’d Vesper, who with silver veil
Ever hides his brilliance pale,
Ever gently-drows’d doth keep
Twilight for the Fayes to sleep.
Fear not that your watery hair
Will thirst in drouthy ringlets there;
Clouds of stored summer rains
Thou shalt taste, before the stains
Of the mountain soil they take,
And too unlucent for thee make.
I love thee, crystal Faery, true!
Sooth I am as sick for you!

Salamander.
Out, ye aguish Faeries, out!
Chilly lovers, what a rout
Keep ye with your frozen breath,
Colder than the mortal death.
Adder-eye’d Dusketha, speak,
Shall we leave these, and go seek
In the earth’s wide entrails old
Couches warm as their’s are cold?
O for a fiery gloom and thee,
Dusketha, so enchantingly
Freckle-wing’d and lizard-sided!

Dusketha.
By thee, Sprite, will I be guided!
I care not for cold or heat;
Frost and flame, or sparks, or sleet,
To my essence are the same;–
But I honour more the flame.
Spirit of Fire, I follow thee
Wheresoever it may be,
To the torrid spouts and fountains,
Underneath earth-quaked mountains;
Or, at thy supreme desire,
Touch the very pulse of fire
With my bare unlidded eyes.

Salamander.
Sweet Dusketha! paradise!
Off, ye icy Spirits, fly!
Frosty creatures of the sky!

Dusketha.
Breathe upon them, fiery sprite!

Zephyr and Breama.
Away! away to our delight!

Salamander.
Go, feed on icicles, while we
Bedded in tongue-flames will be.

Dusketha.
Lead me to those feverous glooms,
Sprite of Fire!

Breama.
Me to the blooms,
Blue-ey’d Zephyr, of those flowers
Far in the west where the May-cloud lowers;
And the beams of still Vesper, when winds are all wist,
Are shed thro’ the rain and the milder mist,
And twilight your floating bowers.

~~ John Keats ~~

_____________________________

“If you would make changes in the present, study the past.” — Spinoza

It may simply be this concept that compels people, myself included, to engage in retrospectives. We are told this from our earliest days (well, I was….) in one way or another, and I think most reasonable, rational people will agree its a good idea to know the past, if only to avoid the mistakes we made then in our future acts. So, let’s take a moment for some words on 2013; I won’t use the adjective “few” in re: words and me, as that is non-productive, since it probably won’t be just a few…. We’ll see, though….

2013 was, for me, a long, interesting time; in the past 365 days I have traveled on a great many different paths, all over the Western/Northern Hemispheres of the planet…. I’ve spent over a month, cumulatively, on three different floating hotels, on four separate cruises, after spending the first four months of the year in the grip of near-poverty. I’ve flown on airplanes, ridden trains, buses, and innumerable taxicabs. I didn’t ride any bikes. I’ve been to five different states, if one counts the airports, and touched foot to ground in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Mexico, and, of course, the United States.

I had the chance to go to Paris for a day, and St. Peter’s Port on the Isle of Guernsey for a day, off the coast of France, but did not go to either, as I would rather have more time than was available to explore them (Paris needs more than four hours to see, I think, especially since the Louvre was closed the day I would have been there….)

I DID see many of the places of which I’ve read and dreamed of seeing all my life, especially in Ireland, and England…. Though I didn’t get in to see the Book of Kells ( Lines way too long…. ), I did walk around Trinity College, Dublin, and got to see a perfect pint pulled in a pub in Cork…. Found a pub in Belfast that first opened in 1635, by Queen’s charter, which served excellent bangers and mash….

I had a long lesson in humility, dignity, compassion, and love this year, from reconnecting with, and going twice to visit in Texas, my high school classmate, Carole Heaton Oliveiro…. She contracted cancer, in a particularly virulent, painful form, and went, undeservedly, but with magnificent strength and will, through treatment for over a year, only to pass away in less than a week from being diagnosed as terminal.

Her ordeal brought her very close to me, and I will always cherish getting to know her better here at the end of our lives…. Bonus: I got in touch with other old friends through her…. Also, traveling to see her, while for emotional reasons, turned out to be my most instructive trips, in terms of how my age and condition now affects all I do when on the road…..

During this entire year, I’ve also been falling more and more in love with Patricia, and find a great deal of contentment from just being together, even though the past two months have been a physical nightmare for both of us…. I’ve been fighting bronchitis, apparently for about two months now, while she, we just found out last week, has had pneumonia for the past month, at least, and possibly longer. It’s possible we both succumbed to travel fatigue, after three cruises in five months, one of eleven days, one of seven, and one of four; but, to believe that would be to give in to feeling old, and we’ve agreed to NOT allow this to affect our travel plans….    😉

Now that the chatty portion of today’s program has been fulfilled, beyond all hope or expectation, I will get to the point of this, which, though it may not seem so, was planned just this way from the start of this section…. GASP! Imagine that…. forethought by gigoid…. What will they think of next?…..

So, the point of Spinoza’s wisdom, of course, extends beyond the merely personal level on which my discussion above rests; more significantly, it can apply without effort to include the entire world, and, all of mankind’s folly, which, as we know, is legion, and imminently dangerous…. I spent a great deal of time in 2013 writing about who I think is to blame for the world’s state of impending crisis, so I won’t insult you by saying I’ll leave them alone this year…. But, what Spinoza says is true, and if we don’t start looking at what has happened in the past, we are going to continue to have a present that will eventually kill us, in a very short time, cosmically speaking….

THIS is what we need to be looking at in the coming days and years, ffolkes… Global warming is a reality that cannot be denied, or ignored any longer, not without the very real risk of suicide, for ALL OF US. If we, as a species, do not make necessary changes, to human nature, and to the way we approach Life in general as a species, in re: planetary resources and the biosphere….. well, then, in the next five decades (NOT centuries, NOT millennia, I said, and can show proof that we are talking about DECADES!…), if nothing is done, we are all going to die, and that is the “unfortunate truth”…..

Okay, for a retrospective, that ain’t bad, and you can be sure, on this subject, there will be more to come…. for now, I think I’ve done all the damage I can do for one day….. I’ll leave y’all with just this thought…..

“Anaxagoras said to a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, “The descent to Hades is the same from every place.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Anaxagoras, vi
_____________________________

Well, there is no doubt whatsoever that I have done all the damage I can possibly do in one Pearl…. I’m not sure what that means in terms of the next year, but, I suppose we’ll see, won’t we? I’m done, ffolkes, and deserve a break, after this one…. It’s all fresh, other than the poem by Keats, so, it took a lot out of me…. well worth it, from my view…. Better out than in, right? Right!….. See you tomorrow…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

That ghost just flattered Nadine!….

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Ffolkes,

As the end of another year passes in this weird society of ours, we are all encouraged to become nostalgic, looking back over the past year, assessing, weighing, seeking meaning in what has transpired in our lives. All sorts of year-end retrospectives begin to appear, and the lists come out to play…. Yes, the year end-lists….

The Year’s Best Photos, The Year’s Best Music, The Year’s Best Movies, The Damn Year’s Bloody Best This, That, and/or the Frigging Other, all begin to shout from the covers of magazines, grab us from the internet pages we visit, blare out over the radio, or inundate us with visuals in the latest videos, all for the BEST of whatever is currently in vogue on the editor’s tiny mind….

I’m not sure how this little tradition became so ubiquitous; we used to see it just a bit, in the newspapers, when I was a kid, and maybe a little bit on the radio…. When TV started to become the media of choice for most households, in the late 50’s & early 60’s, the news departments of the TV stations were tasked with coming up with new lists every year, and the race to find the most egregiously stupid list possible was on!….. Ever since then, we are bombarded each December with whatever ideas for new lists that the idiots in those departments can come up with, trying to get the lion’s share of the viewers to tune in to them, rather than to the competitors….

Actually, what I mentioned above, that I don’t know how this started, is an inadvertent falsehood; I DO know why we get deluged with all of these asinine judgments of EVERYTHING they can think of to list….. It occurs to me that I’ve really ALWAYS known what’s behind the whole scenario…. In fact, it’s really quite obvious why we are subjected to all of this hoopla during this last week of the year…..

Christmas, the biggest shopping spree of the year, is officially over, and the shadowy corporate masters of society, fresh from their latest gorging on the public’s outpouring of cash, but, still greedy, want the REST of the money y’all have squirreled away, so they can squeeze out every little iota of profit from 2013, in preparation for the new assaults on your pocketbook in 2014…. They like to make sure they get it all, and balance their books before starting on the new set….

Yep, ffolkes, it’s all just another mind game, a scam, brought to you, whether you wish it or not, by those avaricious capitalists who use their shadowy influence to direct the wishes and desires of the great unwashed masses, who never even stop to think about whether or not any of what they are seeing or doing has any real benefits for them….

These well-trained consumers are blind to how they are manipulated into spending money they don’t really have, to keep up with the competition with their neighbors and peers, to acquire useless, expensive toys that have no real purpose in their lives….. Magic shoes, electronic wonders, terminally cute icons, sexy cars, all are presented in such ways as to make their acquisition seem to be a necessity, removing it from the realm of luxury into need….

I mean, really, ffolkes, do we NEED to have the year’s hottest selling doll for our own child, just because they are manipulated into wanting it? Is that the correct way to teach our children about giving? About love, or about life? I don’t think so, myself, but, then, I’m strange, as we know…. I never felt the crushing need to have a new car every year that seems to be the ultimate desire of a great many Americans….

Nor do I feel the pressing need to buy gifts for people once a year, when I should be interacting with them, showing them love and compassion, throughout the year…. Being compassionate toward my fellow man isn’t something that should be confined to one season, yet that is how we are taught to view the world by those assholes who have their attention focused on our money, and  their own rapacious desires for power and control…..

Well, when I began this little bit of discussion, I hadn’t intended to rant; this is, after all, the introduction section…. But, it just sort of grew into what it is according to what it said, and how that made me feel as I wrote…. I got madder and madder as I progressed, until I had to take a short break, to find the center again….

Unfortunately for us all, that center slipped quite a bit off course, by a matter of over 120 degrees, at least, and it has taken me an inordinate amount of time to find my balance again…. Bloody damn assholes…. Every time I start to think about all the SHIT they hand out to the unwitting masses of people out there, I get incensed, and want to go buy a gun….

Ah well, at least this came at an opportune time today…. I can now use this as my rant, as well as a much more than adequate introduction, and go on about the rest of my business as if none of it happened…. Of course, that doesn’t get the BRC & PTB off the hook, necessarily…. I’m sure I can still find a verbal bullet or two in my vest, to reload and take a couple more shots before I’m done today…. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even rant again…. Since I have no written agenda, merely an outline, empty of subjects, I can do what comes naturally…. And, most of the time, I do…. Like now, for instance….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“The world is not to be put in order, the world is order incarnate. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order.” — Henry Miller
_____________________________

One of my blogging friends, Professor Chuq, over on his site, In Saner Thought, informs me he is working on a piece on “The Second American Revolution”, and will inform me when it is done…. I’m looking forward to it, as that concept has been in my own mind frequently of late, a concept that I believe warrants more attention than it is currently receiving from the public.

It is patently true that if we wish for things to change, we must go about creating those changes ourselves. The Powers That Be, the beloved ruling class and their shadowy corporate masters, are not going to allow any changes that don’t include their supremacy, not without a struggle, but, if we wish to survive, as a species, there is no other choice but to make changes in the way things are being done…..

In my opinion, any Second American Revolution will need to be more of a spiritual revolution than a physical one, and, in the case of our species, an evolutionary change as well, for it is human nature which MUST change…. It is clear to almost anyone who has a functioning brain cell, one that isn’t focused on remaining ignorant, that we cannot wait any longer to make the changes that will keep our planet from bursting at the seams with the garbage we have dumped EVERYWHERE, sickening us, and all the other creatures with whom we live, killing many of them, and making irrevocable changes to the delicate planetary balance, a biochemical balance that keeps the whole shebang working as it does….

In short, and as clearly as I can put this, if we don’t get smart, NOW, we are all going to die…. it is that simple.  The IMMINENCE of these events is very much more than it can possibly appear to be… If that isn’t clear, let’s just say that we should have made the first steps 40 years ago… and we only have about 10 left until the game gets much more serious, much more quickly….

Damn my pomposity! Ffolkes, if we don’t make these changes, and do it in the next few years, we are all going to die, horribly, painfully, and with no dignity whatsoever….. That famous line about the world ending not with a bang, but with a whimper, will become yet another example of Art imitating Life, or, in this case, Death….

Here I am ranting again, and it’s only six AM in the morning, during the slowest news week of the year….. what a life, eh? Ah well, it could be worse…. I’m not clear as to just HOW it could be worse right now, what with global warming, overpopulation, and imminent extinction for all life as our current set of issues to deal with, but, I’m sure I could think of something that could send some chills down your spine. But, I’m tired of being gloomy and upset, even if my targets deserve all I can throw at them….

Since I’m crapping out on another extended rant, I’ll go old-school, to finish out the thoughts we’re discussing…. I’m looking forward to the Professor’s take on the necessity for changes in this country, and to the dialogue I’m sure it will create…. In the meantime, let’s see what Smart Bee can find for our amusement and/or edification….

“It seems a little silly now, but this country was founded as a protest against taxation.” — Smart Bee

Beauty is truth, truth beauty, –that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

— John Keats (1795-1821) — Ode on a Grecian Urn

“Politicians are the same all over.  They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.” — Nikita S. Khrushchev (1894-1971)

“All censorships exist to prevent any one from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorships.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

“Society can only pursue its normal course by means of a certain progression of changes.” — John, Viscount Morley

“Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.” — Pliny the Younger (61-105 AD) — Letters, Book i, Letter xviii, 5

Ah…. a good one, as it turns out. Eclectic, obscure, subtly ironic, viciously mendacious, yet never mundane, or despairing… just the way I like them….
_____________________________

I’m not sure how it worked, but I actually picked this out yesterday to run today, not knowing, at that time, that it would fit in this well…. which, IMLTCHO*, it does…. Enjoy!…..

Seeing is Conducive to Belief

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~


*IMLTCHO = In My Less Than Completely Humble Opinion
_____________________________

Okay, that didn’t work…. The first three lines I wrote here were incredibly dumb, and were deleted soon after hitting the screen…. Seriously, I don’t think I could have written anything more mundane or, hell, just say it, plain old bad…. Let’s try this, instead….

I’ve ranted, sort of, and made a pearl of the older variety. I’ve poemed. (That’s a word I just made up, meaning I included a poem, either mine, fresh or old, or someone else’s, ditto…..) I’ve cogitated, I’ve composed, and I’ve drunk some coffee. My feet stink, my back hurts, and I don’t even love Jesus…. No, wait, that’s a Jimmy Buffet song…. I think…. No, that was, “my breath stinks, my feet hurt, and I don’t even love Jesus”…. Maybe…. I forget… Oh well… you get the picture….

Never mind. Any who, to get on with it…. It’s still early, and I’m about done, but, I don’t feel up to anything complicated…. so, I’ll foist off another piece from the archives on y’all, my compassionate, understanding, indulgent, unsuspecting audience, no matter how tiny, or huge…. (In numbers, not size…. I have no idea how big or small any of y’all are, do I? No, of course not….)

What I found for y’all today is a simple piece, and much shorter than usual for me, so there’s a small bonus, eh? You can’t say I don’t consider my readers, can you?…. Well, maybe it’s best if we don’t even THINK about that concept right now, okay?…. Here, this is better, for all of us….

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

From April 2012:

During his 1956 presidential campaign, a woman called out to Adlai E. Stevenson “Senator, you have the vote of every thinking person!” Stevenson called back “That’s not enough, madam, we need a majority!”

Obviously, this implies he was part of the minority, along with not enough voters…. Mr. Stevenson was perhaps the last truly rational man to run for the highest office our country offers, hindered only by his commitment to honesty. I’ve seen a number of articles about that campaign, and it’s clear in my mind that his very rationality is what gave the election to the other candidate.

He made every attempt he could to try to engage the minds of Americans, naively, as it turns out. His opponent, Eisenhower, just mostly kept his mouth shut and let his slogans speak for him, such as “I like Ike!”, and other such intellectual standards, that appealed directly to the American public’s misplaced sense of national pride.

After four years of post WWII and the Korean war economic boom(s), it wasn’t hard for the Republicans to rest on their laurels, firmly attached to the coattails of a war hero…. There was, and still is, no place on the political scene in this country for rationality, obviously, as Ike and his ilk won in a landslide…. So much for the opportunity to see what a “thinking man’s president” might be able to accomplish….

The chances of such a man being elected today are even slimmer, considering that, in today’s media-frenzied world, those candidates who can be the most sly, underhanded, and completely dishonest, are those who catch the eye, and the votes, of the great unwashed, uneducated masses who now comprise the voting public….

“It has been said that man is a rational animal.  All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.” — Bertrand Russell
_____________________________

Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow;
He who would search for pearls must dive below.

— John Dryden (1631-1700) — All for Love, Prologue

It is apparent to me, and most likely, to the most casual observer, that today, I’ve covered the complete gamut of surface errors to lustrous pearls from far below…. Far be it from me to stand in the way of progress, so, with no further fuss or muss, I’m outta here…. Well, until tomorrow…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

The gamut from savage to sweet isn’t posted….

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Ffolkes,

Though the odds are always against it, the possibility exists that, at this moment, I am one of the single richest men in the world. Of course, this would only be true if I’ve won either of the two lotteries in which I hold tickets for last night’s draws….. One, the Super Lotto, is worth about $45 million or so, and the Power Ball, I’m told, is worth a couple of hundred million, or so… At that level, it really doesn’t matter much exactly how many millions, does it? They all kind of blend together into one amorphous, but large, bundle that is more than the human mind is capable of grasping in one take…. I suppose, after taxes, if I’d won the Power Ball, I’d be richer to the tune of about $100 million…. I think I could live with that….

I just checked, though, and once again, I’m still poor…. for that matter, three dollars poorer, for having bought the tickets that lost last night’s draw…. I still have two more shots at the big time, on Friday, when the Mega Millions jackpot is drawn, and, if my superstitions have any basis in reality at all, now would be the time to show it…. Friday is the 13th, a calendar day that always had good omens for me, as far as I go in believing such things….. It’s true, though, that I’ve had a lot of good stuff happen to me on that day, so, I’m hoping, this time, the universe at large can see its way to granting me just this one little thing….

You see, this one is for 400 million dollars! Yep, a shot at the true big time, a real golden ticket, that would furnish me with enough to make a good start at organizing and funding my own revolution, should I wish to use it in that direction…. Of course, first I’d buy myself and my family some real estate, or maybe my own cruise ship, but, then, boy, you’d start seeing some changes in the world, to the tune of however many congressmen I could buy to keep in MY pocket for a change…. Maybe even a Senator or two, as well…. they seem to go well as seasonal gifts, wouldn’t you say? Maybe just a federal judge or two, making decisions that would benefit me for a change, instead of all those assholes who don’t give a shit for the little guy….

It’s hard to say how I’d spend that much money…. Like most, of course, my mind would turn to MY OWN interests, first…. I AM a human, you know…. But, before long, my conscience would kick in, and I’d start thinking about how I could use all that scratch to start some trouble for the PTB and BRC…. I don’t like to think that just because I join the ranks of those who have such wealth, that I would also fall into the same moral morass into which they so often tumble; I like to think I would use my resources to benefit more than just myself. Perhaps I’m wrong in that, but, I don’t think so…..

Money may be a powerful aphrodisiac, able to lure the weak into displays moral or ethical failure, but, I don’t think its power is greater than that of the man under whose moral authority I was raised…. I’m the one who has to gaze into the mirror every morning, and look myself in the eye….. with his memory peering over my shoulder, to see that I do so….   🙂   Spooky, but, comforting….

Ah well, it’s a pleasant fantasy interlude, dreaming these dreams of wealth beyond measure…. as long as we remember they ARE fantasy…. If it drops into my lap, well, then I’ll yell and scream, and jump for joy…. until then, well….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“You seem to have one of the common American delusions: that the Eleventh Amendment in the Bill of Rights grants you the right to go through life without being offended. Think again.” — ALY
_____________________________

Most mornings, in this space, I would begin a rant…. a religirant, a politirant, or, perhaps, a universirant, covering ALL the bases I can touch. This morning, however, I am not in the mood for such seriousness, nor am I feeling particularly outraged at the usual suspects, even though I am absolutely positive I COULD be, if I bothered to look for a reason in the news…. I just haven’t done so yet today, and fortunately for y’all, I don’t feel like doing it just now…. Instead, we’re going to look for some pearls to put into a nice little necklace, one that might even choke the BRC where they stand…. But, if nothing else, it will keep me busy, and out of trouble for a time…. I’ll be right back, with some dandy little ideas for y’all to peruse….

“The more I see of the representatives of the people, the legislatures of this land, the more respect I develop for members of the animal kingdom. Fleas and ticks the dogs get, other forms of vermin are not so common. These species got something going for them that we humans need to imitate.” — Smart Bee (which means Google doesn’t know who said it first…. I asked…)

BEST non sequitor FOR 1988:  “Let’s cut through the demagoguery.  America is #1.” — George Bush

“There’s no such thing as a dangerous weapon, only dangerous men.” — Lazarus Long

“Men trust their ears less than their eyes.” — Herodotus

“A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation.  A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service.” — Georges Pompidou

“Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government; it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare–most people want to run things but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat-driver syndrome.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“Give a monkey a brain, and he’ll think he’s the center of the universe.” — Smart Bee

Well, I see this section DID turn into a rant, of sorts…. The ending really tied it all together with a bow, though, didn’t it?….
_____________________________

There are times, I think, when life gives us a little surprise, without us being aware that we needed one….. This poem brought one of those moments, for me…. Incredibly powerful, this…. have a care….

A Smile To Remember

we had goldfish and they circled around and around
in the bowl on the table near the heavy drapes
covering the picture window and
my mother, always smiling, wanting us all
to be happy, told me, ‘be happy Henry!’
and she was right: it’s better to be happy if you
can
but my father continued to beat her and me several times a week while
raging inside his 6-foot-two frame because he couldn’t
understand what was attacking him from within.

my mother, poor fish,
wanting to be happy, beaten two or three times a
week, telling me to be happy: ‘Henry, smile!
why don’t you ever smile?’

and then she would smile, to show me how, and it was the
saddest smile I ever saw

one day the goldfish died, all five of them,
they floated on the water, on their sides, their
eyes still open,
and when my father got home he threw them to the cat
there on the kitchen floor and we watched as my mother
smiled

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

_____________________________

There is still no rantable emotion floating or gloating around my psyche, (well, there is, but, it’s connected to the above poem, and I can’t touch it right now, or I will shatter into about a billion little pieces…..), and I’m reluctant to go read the news so early in the day, lest my interest serve as a goad to reality, tipping us over into a cross-dimensional crisis in the space-time continuum of some sort or another…. Wouldn’t want that, now, would we? Nope, not us…. I suppose this means that I’ll either have to go find something old from the archives (“No, no,” they cried, “anything but THAT!”…..) or fall back into old-school mode again….

I see by the lack of any reaction whatsoever that, once again, I must make my own decision on that….. Oh, wait, that’s right, I’m SUPPOSED to make those decisions…. right. Okay, well, then, here we go…. Of course, this time, I have absolutely NO idea where this may go, as I don’t know where we’re starting, or anything about this at all… In fact, I wash my hands completely, ffolkes…. this one is on SB, or anyone but me…. and y’all are on your own….

Those green-robed senators of mighty woods,
Tall oaks, branch-charmed by the earnest stars,
Dream, and so dream all night without a stir.

— John Keats (1795-1821) — Hyperion, Book i

“Paranoia is simply an optimistic outlook on life.” — Smart Bee

“All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” — Old Testament — Ecclesiastes i, 14

“The industrial way of life leads to the industrial way of death. From Shiloh to Dachau, from Antietam to Stalingrad, from Hiroshima to Vietnam and Afghanistan, the great specialty of industry and technology has been the mass production of human corpses.” — Edward Abbey

“A statesman is a successful politician who is dead.” — Thomas B. Reed (1839-1902)

“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.” — Elbert Hubbard

“The essence of good and evil is a certain disposition of the will.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Of Courage, — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxix

Hmm…. Actually, ffolkes, that isn’t a bad pearl at all…. Tart, sharp, and with a twisty turn at the end, right into personal responsibility…. quite professional, if you ask me…. not to mention, hey, free….
_____________________________

There, I’ve said it…. or, implied it, which serves the same purpose. Since I have, I’ll just go see how it settled into the packing materials…. I have the impression, after re-reading this, that I should NOT fuss with it any further, but should leave it alone, lest it exact an even larger price than it has already…. On that somewhat melodramatic, unaccountably somber note, I bid thee adieu for today, and will see y’all tomorrow…. given all proper universal alignment of necessary elements….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Fields of nascent cogitation, fallow in the morning sun….

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Ffolkes,

Feedle farble fristible farum! Or, as we’ve been known to say downtown, with no small degree of intensity, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! If that isn’t clear enough, I can get more graphic, in a heartbeat….. Sorry, ffolkes, but, nothing relieves built up stress quite as well as a good curse, and, after the four days just passed in my world, relieving stress is the paramount task at hand…. “How can this be?”, you may well ask, as the last time y’all heard from me I was headed off to the indulgently hedonistic country of cruise ships, there to once again soothe my troubled spirit with the balm of overt consumerism, as is my wont….

That was then, this is now….. I should have noted at the outset of the trip, the very first item of note on the trip list failed to meet expectations, indicating a certain lack of cooperation on the part of the universe in falling in with my plans for a nice little four-day getaway….. a failure soon followed by a massive outpouring of chaotic events, along with some covert cosmic interference, with Murphy starring in the leading role, that of the consummate asshole…. Suffice to say at this point, the entire trip was one disappointment and problematic issue after another, compounded at the last by my body’s own frailty, to the tune of a $2000 medical emergency on the final night of the cruise…. and a lovely time was had by all…. NOT!

For the moment, that is all I’ll say on that subject; I am saving the details, and the major part of the angst, to put into letters yet-to-be-written, one to the cruise ship company, and one to my medical insurance company, outlining the series of events that brought home to me the futility of all of Mankind’s hopes and dreams, when the universe has other plans for us…. For four days, one thing after another went badly, to be followed almost immediately by something else going wrong…. which would be immediately prior to spilling something on myself in an embarrassing place, even if it was only something as simple as my own body fluids going astray…. Most excruciatingly upsetting, to be sure!….

I’m really glad to be home, and sleeping, as much as I ever do anymore, in my own bed, with my little computer here to absorb my overwrought feelings, and help me to transform them into some kind of acceptance, thereby regaining some of my hard-won serenity of spirit…. At the least, here at home, there is some chance of success in that venture…. For four days I’ve had every attempt at successful living thrown back in my face, burning hot…..

Okay, all done whining…. I’m sure y’all are somewhat less than riveted by my travails, so I’ll get on with something more entertaining, I hope, as soon as I can wrap up this intro section…. which, I see by the drivel above, has reached a minimum legal limit…. As such, I can actually just stop here…. so, I will….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“It matters not how long you live, but how well.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 829
_____________________________

Any ranting that I do today will be related to the above subject, in order to keep the details fresh in what is left of my mind…. Plus, I haven’t kept up with what is happening out in the Big Blue Room, which tends to keep me from picking a current event to rag upon, more’s the pity….. That does mean a bonus for y’all, as I’ll naturally fall back into the default position here at ECR when this happens….

Yes, you know what it means, ffolkes, another old-school pearl, a group of small but tasty pearls, all in a certain direction, or implying a certain theme…. Sure, those themes may not be immediately apparent, even to the most discriminating of Gentle Readers, but, more often, they simply bash one over the brows, driving home the desired point with all the delicacy of a professional wrestler….

I am, as is already obvious, more than just a little verbose this morning, having not written ANYTHING for over four days…. but, I don’t think that will hurt this section, since I’m going to segue right into the remainder of this section’s contents by using the old magical phrase, “slick as Natty Bumpo’s Chevrolet sedan!”…. Or, as we like to say here on ECR… let’s dive…. Ooh, ooh, let’s go really old school, too, with poetry brackets and everything all mellow….

I knew, by the smoke that so gracefully curl’d
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near;
And I said, “If there ‘s peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”

— Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Ballad Stanzas

“I readily relapse into my reflections on the uselessness of our education.  Its aim has been to make us not good and wise, but learned; and in this it has succeeded. It has not taught us to follow and embrace virtue and wisdom, but has imprinted their derivations and etymologies on our minds. We are able
to decline ‘virtue’ even if we are unable to love it; if we do not know what wisdom is in fact and by experience, we are familiar with it as a jargon learned by heart.” — Michael de Montaigne, Essays

In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.” — T.S. Eliot

“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Smart Bee

“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson

“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch

— _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
_____________________________

As with many of the classical offerings I include, this needs no adornment from my direction…. just enjoy….

A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its lovliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkn’d ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

~~John Keats ~~

_____________________________

Having stated above there would be no rant today, I feel obligated to keep it light… Plus, I’m still not quite feeling as well as I’d like, and need to finish this up, so I can get on with the rest of the day…. So, we again dip into the archives, for a pearl the was fresh the day it was posted, which was in May of this year…. enjoy!….

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

This last pearl for today will be fresh, or as fresh as I can make it from old, unused pearls, that have been lounging around in my stash for some years now…. It should be okay, it’s all straight out of Smart Bee, back when I could trust it to run…. The point of today’s old-school effort will be as obvious as I can make it, but, I’m not giving that a lot of credence, and neither should you…. I would suggest you take notes, as it could be to your advantage later on….

“I have the simplest tastes.  I am always satisfied with the best.” — Oscar Wilde

“One might define adulthood as the age at which a person learns he must die and accepts his sentence undismayed. ” — Robert Heinlein

“Principles have no real force except when one is well fed.” — Mark Twain

40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck. — Instructions for life

“Cato used to assert that wise men profited more by fools than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Life of Marcus Cato

All things good to know are difficult to learn. — Greek Proverb

“Was mir nicht umbringt macht mir streng!”  {What does not kill me, makes me strong!”} — Friederich Nietzsche
_____________________________

Okay, ffolkes, I’ve done what I can do, and don’t have any more in me, so I’m going to send this out to the email group, and get it posted before heading back to bed…. Whoops, better proof….  Not bad for a first effort after a lay-off; I’m going to press my luck, and let if fly with no further ado…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Patterns of dark, and darker…..

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Ffolkes,

As you all (or even just both of you….  😆  )  may have noted, I did not post yesterday, with good reason…. Due to the cold that has kicked my ass all week, and my increasing frailty in a physical sense overall, I had to take a full day of rest, at the end of my trip south, to rest enough to drive home…. I found a comfortable motel about 50 miles north of where I had the meetings with my old classmates, the 50 miles being the sum total of miles I had it in me to drive on Friday.  I posted Saturday morning, as the motel had a very fast internet connection, then spent the rest of the entire day sleeping like the dead. At 0300 on Sunday morning, I arose to drive home, as that time of day, between 0300 and 0800 or so, seems to be my most active, and I figured I could make the 140 miles without too much problem…..

This was a foolish notion, as it turned out… I had to really push myself to make it, and still had to stop for a short nap halfway home, at a gas station by a closed McCafe, somewhere north of San Jose. I made it, but it was no cinch, fighting pain, fatigue, and restlessness all at once while trying to drive…. Then, after a couple hours of sleep, I got up again, to drive to Sonoma, where I visited with my grandson for an hour, (all the court allows) then drove home and crashed again…. It’s now almost 0430 AM, and I’m up, unable to sleep any more, despite still feeling exhausted…. too much pain, between the back spasms, and the ripping headache centered between my eyes, which dutifully threatens to blow off the top of my head when I cough….

I don’t mean to whine, but this is getting old, ffolkes…. I really am getting tired of the pain, and wish there was something that would cut through all of it long enough for me to sleep for oh, say, just four hours straight? That would be lovely, and so welcome….. But, ’tis not to be, at least not today, so I may as well try to push through it to get something done here…. Since times like these are all I have left to convince myself I’m still a tough old coot, I will, as far as I can….

My visits with my mates were wonderful…. I got to SEE four of my classmates, whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time, one of them since graduation in 1968 (hmm… that’s way too long… 45 years….) Chuck looks grand, and in great shape, (possibly the best of all of us, since he was the baby of the class…. he’s still only 62…. for a couple of days more….) Vicki looks practically the same as she did in high school, only better, and Carolyn and Laura were much the same as with Vicki, at least compared to me, and the degree to which I’ve changed shapes…. All three of them became even more beautiful as women than they were as teenage girls, and that is saying a lot, as I was fortunate to be in a class that was full of ‘foxes’, (as we used to say, back in the days before political correctness….)… Even back then, I felt that there wasn’t a single girl in our class that could be described as less than average looking, and the grown-up versions are even more beautiful, at least to my old eyes….

The only thing about all of the visits I regret is that there wasn’t more time, to hang out, to just talk, but, what we had was wonderful…. plus, now that we’ve established contact, and obtained promises to stay in touch, there will be time to say all the things that we didn’t get to relate in person…. All three of the ladies I saw are now joining the ranks of the Pearly Gates, and will, no doubt, eventually have to say SOMETHING about my ramblings…. they’ve known me long enough not to be shocked by most of it, but, some of it will no doubt prompt reactions, and that will be grand…. I live for dialogue… Chuck has been getting them for a year or two, and is probably immune by now….   😉

Of course, as is made patently obvious from this blog, I live for monologue, as well…. and that is about enough of that for one morning…. I could ramble a long time about our visits, but, it’s probably best to get on with today’s dive for pearls, since I’m not sure how long I can last before crapping out again…. Thankfully, being retired, I have nothing so urgent on my plate that it can’t be tossed without harm to my schedule…. The absolute BEST part of retirement is that my schedule is all my own, even more so than when I was a kid, with no responsibilities other than to family; I am the only one who gets to make my plans, and THAT is a powerful tool, indeed…. Any who….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.  For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)
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“Only great masters of style can succeed in being obtuse.” — Oscar Wilde

“At once it struck me what quality went to form a man of achievement, especially in literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously — I mean negative capability, that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” — John Keats (1795-1821)

As I have said before, there is more to Keats than meets the eye at first glance…. and this is proof positive my assertion is correct. For several years now, I have included the occasional pearl that spoke of Shakespeare, and how I believe him to be one of the most over-rated, over-quoted, and over-publicized authors of all time. Oh, he was prolific, indeed, and in all that stuff he produced, there was bound to be a winner or two…. But, for the main part, most of what he wrote was just plain bad, and, moreover, I think he knew it, deliberately couching a lot of his creative impulse in language so impenetrable, people just gave up on it, saying aloud how wonderful it was, just so everyone else wouldn’t know they hadn’t actually finished reading all of it….

I don’t expect y’all, or anyone, to accept such a premise without some proof, so, I offer the following, which are a number of examples of Will at his most dense and unknowable, so convoluted in concept and delivery that most folks just say, “oh, how pretty!” and let it go at that…. Whereas, I say, “Bullshit! This doesn’t MEAN anything, and, moreover, is so convoluted, it is impenetrable to the intellect”…. As further indication of how much of his work is of this nature, I must report that there are over a thousand quotes in SB from Will, and only about twelve of them are what I’d consider good literature…. the rest is just crap, that his publicists have made people believe is so good, they don’t understand it…. I call BS, and offer the following as proof…. As usual, my comments are parenthesized….

About some act
That has no relish of salvation in ‘t. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act iii, Sc. 3

(Huh? What?…. Sorry, couldn’t catch any meaning, before the play’s action took us somewhere else….)

And let me wring your heart; for so I shall,
If it be made of penetrable stuff. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act iii, Sc. 4

(Again, huh? What the hell is he talking about? And don’t tell me there is a cultural meaning that is only clear to those who lived in his time…. I’d bet NOBODY understood it, even back then….)

The weakest goes to the wall. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Romeo and Juliet — Act i, Sc. 1

(Really? Why is that?…)

Potations pottle-deep. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Othello — Act ii, Sc. 3

(This one is particularly dense, even considering the language changes over the intervening 400 years…)

Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Romeo and Juliet — Act iii, Sc. 3

(Eeuuuw! Disgusting image….)

But in the gross and scope of my opinion,
This bodes some strange eruption to our state. — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act i, Sc. 1

(Maybe politics was different back then, but, still, what does this MEAN?….)

That he is mad, ‘t is true: ‘t is true ‘t is pity;
And pity ‘t is ‘t is true.  — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act ii, Sc. 2

All I can say is, ‘t is indeed a pity…. the pity is we spend so much time lionizing this man as a writer, when all he was, in reality, was his time’s most prolific hack, but with a really good publicist…. In today’s world, he would have been the highest paid writer at the National Enquirer…..
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Since I used Keats as the lead for the above Shakespeare mini-rant, here is something to bolster my opinion of him, and his work, which is, needless to say, much better appreciated around here than Will….

 

An Extempore

 

When they were come into Faery’s Court
They rang — no one at home — all gone to sport
And dance and kiss and love as faerys do
For Faries be as human lovers true —
Amid the woods they were so lone and wild
Where even the Robin feels himself exil’d
And where the very books as if affraid
Hurry along to some less magic shade.
‘No one at home’! the fretful princess cry’d
‘And all for nothing such a dre[a]ry ride
And all for nothing my new diamond cross
No one to see my persian feathers toss
No one to see my Ape, my Dwarf, my Fool
Or how I pace my Otaheitan mule.
Ape, Dwarf and Fool why stand you gaping there
Burst the door open, quick — or I declare
I’ll switch you soundly and in pieces tear.’
The Dwarf began to tremble and the Ape
Star’d at the Fool, the Fool was all agape
The Princess grasp’d her switch but just in time
The Dwarf with piteous face began to rhyme.
‘O mighty Princess did you ne’er hear tell
What your poor servants know but too too well
Know you the three great crimes in faery land
The first alas! poor Dwarf I understand
I made a whipstock of a faery’s wand
The next is snoring in their company
The next the last the direst of the three
Is making free when they are not at home.
I was a Prince — a baby prince — my doom
You see, I made a whipstock of a wand
My top has henceforth slept in faery land.
He was a Prince the Fool, a grown up Prince
But he has never been a King’s son since
He fell a snoring at a faery Ball
Your poor Ape was a Prince and he poor thing
But ape — so pray your highness stay awhile
‘Tis sooth indeed we know it to our sorrow —
Persist and you may be an ape tomorrow —
While the Dwarf spake the Princess all for spite
Peal’d the brown hazel twig to lilly white
Clench’d her small teeth, and held her lips apart
Try’d to look unconcerned with beating heart.
They saw her highness had made up her mind
And quaver’d like the reeds before the wind
And they had had it, but O happy chance
The Ape for very fear began to dance
And grin’d as all his uglyness did ache–
She staid her vixen fingers for his sake
He was so very ugly: then she took
Her pocket mirror and began to look
First at herself and [then] at him and then
She smil’d at her own beauteous face again.
Yet for all this — for all her pretty face
She took it in her head to see the place.
Women gain little from experience
Either in Lovers, husbands or expense.
The more their beauty the more fortune too
Beauty before the wide world never knew.
So each fair reasons — tho’ it oft miscarries.
She thought her pretty face would please the fa[e]ries.
‘My darling Ape I wont whip you today
Give me the Picklock sirrah and go play.’
They all three wept but counsel was as vain
As crying cup biddy to drops of rain.
Yet lingeringly did the sad Ape forth draw
The Picklock from the Pocket in his Jaw.
The Princess took it and dismounting straight
Trip’d in blue silver’d slippers to the gate
And touch’d the wards, the Door full courteously
Opened — she enter’d with her servants three.
Again it clos’d and there was nothing seen
But the Mule grasing on the herbage green.
End of Canto xii.

Canto the xiii.
The Mule no sooner saw himself alone
Than he prick’d up his Ears — and said ‘well done!
At least unhappy Prince I may be free —
No more a Princess shall side saddle me
O King of Othaiete — tho’ a Mule
‘Aye every inch a King’ — tho’ ‘Fortune’s fool.’
Well done — for by what Mr. Dwarfy said
I would not give a sixpence for her head.’
Even as he spake he trotted in high glee
To the knotty side of an old Pollard tree
And rub’d his sides against the mossed bark
Till his Girths burst and left him naked stark
Except his Bridle — how get rid of that
Buckled and tied with many a twist and plait.
At last it struck him to pretend to sleep
And then the thievish Monkies down would creep
And filch the unpleasant trammels quite away.
No sooner thought of than adown he lay
Sham’d a good snore — the Monkey-men descended
And whom they thought to injure they befriended.
They hung his Bridle on a topmost bough
And of[f] he went run, trot, or anyhow–

~~ John Keats ~~


A bit long, I’ll admit, but, oh, so much better, in imagery, in feeling, in CLARITY of thought…. Yay, Keats….
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So far, what has happened is pretty amazing…. not for its brilliance, which is obviously less than blinding, but for the fact it is done at all… My head is still pounding behind my right eye (maybe it’s a tumor! Oh, no!….), my back is still spasming, if a bit less dramatically, and I’m still awake, sadly…. But, the coffee is good, and so is the poetry, so, I’m content…. Content enough to go for an old-school pearl, if Smart Bee will cooperate…. If nothing else, it will get us through another day here at ECR without any major catastrophes of a real-time nature….. Let’s see what’s in there today for us to find….

“Get a shot off FAST! This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect.” — Lazarus Long

“It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

“It matters not how long you live, but how well.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 829

Much water goeth by the mill
That the miller knoweth not of. — John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. v

” “. . . Eye of Newt, toe of frog . . .”, believed to be the first recipe for an explosive mixture — …the forerunner of gunpowder”– Smart Bee

“Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms … but a *dying* culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Loss of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.”  — Friday’s boss, Dr. Richard “Two-sticks” Baldwin, in Robert Heinlein’s “Friday”

“Hey! You’ve been taking drugs again, haven’t you?”– Smart Bee

Okay, I give up…. Smart Bee is in a mood, and doesn’t want to play nice, so we’re going to go now, and leave you to your own ruminations, which could be no more confusing than any of the forgoing…..
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No matter how weird this one turns out to be, it’s still getting posted, if for no other reason than to verify my own stubbornness and lack of any sort of pride….. Let’s see just how strange it turned out, shall we?…..

I like to consider myself a well-read, well-rounded person, with a very good vocabulary at hand for my immediate use, but, I’m struck speechless by this…. you wish….  🙂   No, really, given the handicaps under which it was created, it’s pretty, well, not bad…. Definitely meets all the parameters for your average Daily Pearl, so, off it will go, to be sent via the cloud to about 50 or so private recipients, followed by posting to the internet, for the thirteen other regular readers I have remaining….  Such as it is, it’s the best I’ve got…. I hope y’all enjoy it…. Me, I’m going back to bed, hopefully, to sleep for a couple of hours to get me through the day…. I’ll be back tomorrow, and if you receive no other threats like that today, consider yourself lucky…..

😈

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

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

Which is Why….

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

 

 

gigoid

dozer3

 

Theo thinks it’s a faulty plug, Otto….

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​

Ffolkes,

This will be an extremely short Pearl today; I still have over a hundred miles to drive, and don’t want to wear myself out before I even begin to drive…. So, the intro section will be the shortest EVER, because this is all you’re going to get here…. Yep, this is it. That’s all. I’m done. Let’s go dive….

Well, almost done…. Really, though, I’m not going to go nutty here as usual, just this much, and no more…. Okay, now I’m really going on…. Sure, when pigs fly…. no, really…. Oh, damn… see you in th next section, ffolkes…

Shall we Pearl?….

“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have kindled this inner light.” — Albert Schweitzer
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I’ve tried to get it together, but being on the road has me thrown off center a ways…. which makes this archived pearl perfect for this spot. It tells the story that needs to be told just now, so listen up….

“I’ve got no deeds to do, no promises to keep. I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.”– Paul Simon

I’m a self-convicted, unapologetic hedonist. In this space I had originally placed a Zen Koan, which I intended to use as a springboard for discussion of some subtle philosophical point about Reality. However, the reality is that my psyche is not always in complete agreement with my will, and can be pretty stubborn in its campaign toward personal comfort and obeying the urge to nap. I let the koan percolate in my mind, and it sat there going round and round, like an old vinyl record stuck in the groove before the song begins, just, “…sssssssclick….ssssssclick” forever and evermore. I would have gone to sleep, but I fell out of the chair first.  I’ve come to the conclusion that trying to be subtle today isn’t going to work, so we’ll leave eastern philosophy for another day…. onward….
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When I don’t know who to turn to, I turn to this poet, time after time…. I always find something that soothes…..

A Galloway Song

Ah! ken ye what I met the day
Out oure the Mountains
A coming down by craggi[e]s grey
An mossie fountains —
A[h] goud hair’d Marie yeve I pray
Ane minute’s guessing —
For that I met upon the way
Is past expressing.
As I stood where a rocky brig
A torrent crosses
I spied upon a misty rig
A troup o’ Horses —
And as they trotted down the glen
I sped to meet them
To see if I might know the Men
To stop and greet them.
First Willie on his sleek mare came
At canting gallop —
His long hair rustled like a flame
On board a shallop.
Then came his brother Rab and then
Young Peggy’s Mither
And Peggy too — adown the glen
They went togither —
I saw her wrappit in her hood
Fra wind and raining —
Her cheek was flush wi’ timid blood
‘Twixt growth and waning —
She turn’d her dazed head full oft
For there her Brithers
Came riding with her Bridegroom soft
And mony ithers.
Young Tam came up an’ eyed me quick
With reddened cheek —
Braw Tam was daffed like a chick —
He coud na speak —
Ah Marie they are all gane hame
Through blustering weather
An’ every heart is full on flame
Ah! Marie they are all gone hame
Fra happy wedding,
Whilst I — Ah is it not a shame?
Sad tears am shedding.

~~ John Keats ~~

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In keeping with today’s theme of rush, rush, rush, this will (hopefully…) be the fastest old-school pearl ever created…. maybe…. I’ll try not to let it get crazy over it, which would, no doubt, drag me along for the ride….. Hmm… It seems Murphy followed me to Gilroy…. Instead of a fresh pearl, from a recalcitrant database, here is an archived pearl, already formed and finished, fully functional, and full of effs…. Well, this sentence was full of them, anyway…. The pearl is what it is, as usual…. Actually, it quite a long one, and just chock full of all sorts of ranting from 2012…

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

It’s not every day I’m compelled to write about religion, politics, philosophy, and the Unified Field Theory, unless in separate pearls…. Taking them all on together might seem a bit egocentric of me, but I’ve never been one to dismiss a challenge, unless it was one that didn’t interest me… this one definitely hits all the high points of my particular bent, or bents, so what the hell, let’s see what happens…..

“Each religion, by the help of more or less myth which it takes more or less seriously, proposes some method of fortifying the human soul and enabling it to make its peace with its destiny.” — George Santayana

This idea is one that makes it possible for me to get through a lot of days without becoming homicidal toward a lot of people who bandy their religious beliefs about as if I were at all interested in them. I am aware that there have been a lot of good people throughout history, including current times, who are devout believers in one religion or another, and are sincere in their beliefs, and in their efforts to live their lives according to the precepts of their religions.

Some of them are even preachers, or priests of one sort or another, but the percentage in those categories of sincere belief is most certainly smaller than in the general public…. Let’s face it, most of those who go into the business do it because they aren’t any good at anything else, and the work is pretty easy…. Being a preacher is only hard if it gets taken seriously enough to try to help other folks, but most of the ones I’ve met are more concerned with convincing everyone of their piety to worry about actually helping…. and to most of them, the process of proving their own piety is accomplished by challenging everyone else’s beliefs, and sticking their noses into other people’s business….

One of the most insidious attractions of religion to many people, sad to say, is that it provides such a convenient vehicle for going through life without ever having to come up with an original thought or feeling. Every system of religious dogma, from no matter what cult, or division, or schism, or whatever it maybe called, is designed to give people answers to their questions about life and all the things that happen that they don’t understand, thus creating a sense of dependency. This is very convenient for political pundits, who manage to take advantage every time the preachers pull another scam on the public….

Unfortunately, those answers, comforting as they may be, seldom reflect reality very well, but are based rather on how that particular sect views the issue at hand…. and you can rest assured that those answers are designed to benefit the sect, and the preacher, in rather more ways than they will benefit the person with the questions…. But, I’m sure it is very comforting to know that if you just go along with what they say, you are somehow guaranteed something….. I never could understand that part very well, as there was nobody who could tell me just what was being promised…. other than I’d have to wait until I was dead in order to see it…. (The politicians like this one as well, because it gets people used to being told something,  i.e. campaign promises, then having those promises unfulfilled…. )

“There are so many ways that we sabotage our own divinity, our own possibilities. and the mythologies of race and gender may well head the list.” — Callan Williams

Ah yes, the mythologies of race and gender…. Consider this…. each of us who are of the genus homo sapiens is a unique individual, no matter what color our skin, or whether we are male or female. Unique in our own right, beginning with the pattern of DNA that dictates and defines the characteristics of the organism that is each one of us. Unique. This is indisputable scientific fact. And yet, there are still people who choose to believe that there are characteristics shared by certain groups of homo sapiens that make them somehow superior or inferior to another group. Which of those characteristics they claim as exclusive is always based on articles of faith, and never on any physical evidence. The basis for these articles of faith are outlined in the myths, myths that ignorance breeds, born out of fear of the unknown….

These fears are pretty formless, as the people who have them don’t like to think about them. First, because then they feel uncomfortable, and being comfortable is preferable to thinking, no matter how much it may alleviate the fear.  Second, it is also hard to clearly define something that one rejects all evidence of knowing about; the fear is a known factor, and knowledge is not. These behaviors are a very childish reaction to serious adult issues, but then, a large number of people never learn to deal with life after a certain age; the techniques of denial and avoidance that children rely on are hard for some to give up, especially in matters of emotional or psychological import.

“The ability to accept responsibility is the measure of the man.”  — Roy L. Smith

This is very true, and actually would be claimed as their own by many folks who make a habit of refusing    to even consider being responsible for anything outside their own little world. The flaw in their world-view is that they firmly hold that what they perceive is the only true way that the world CAN be perceived; they seem to be constitutionally unable to entertain any idea to the contrary. It makes compromise with them somewhat of a difficult proposition, as their belief in their own rightness gives them a feeling of entitlement, of believing that they can lie and cheat others without consequence, because the “others” are, as unbelievers, not worthy of honorable treatment. (Hmm, I can’t decide if this sounds more like a fundamentalist Christian, a ruthless business man, or a politician….. since it fits all three, I guess it fits Romney like a second skin…..)

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

This second quote from Mssr. Santayana points out another flaw in the philosophy held by those who follow many religions, under their own interpretations of the scriptures that are used by them. This flaw is obviously based on the relatively inarguable fact that all of them are faith-based philosophies…. grand, well considered, beautifully constructed philosophies, whose basic premise is an entity whose existence cannot be evidenced in the physical world.

There are innumerable thoughtful and elegant “proofs” of the existence of these entities, all of which, again, are constructed entirely of words and ideas. Some use logic, some history, some use hope, some use delusion, and some use an amorphous idea that cannot be pinned down…. none of them have actual pieces of physical evidence that incontrovertibly points to the existence of such an entity. If anyone knows of one, or two, or more, please let me know of it/them; I would be very interested in the information, and its provenance, to be sure….

I have wandered far afield indeed in the realms of human thought today, and I’ll bet you thought I’d forget about the Unified Field Theory…. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, let me explain as succinctly as I can; this has gone on a long time, and I’m sure we all have better stuff to do, but, hey, I’m here, you’re here, so…. Any who, the Unified Field theory is a mathematical model of the universe that, in essence, explains and describes all the different types of energy that we know to exist in the Universe; Gravitational energy, Magnetic energy, Electric energy, Electromagnetic energy, Kinetic energy, Biochemical energy, life energy…. all are known to us, but we do not understand, even minimally, how they all interact, and how they are all inter-related as part of the Universe at large…. hence the unified theory. It hasn’t been written yet; it is still just a concept for the future of scientific endeavor, though Stephen Hawking is said to be working on coming up with one before he dies…. if anyone can, it is him.

In short, one theory to explain how it all works…. There are many, including Mr. Hawking, who believe that knowing this can possibly lead us to a closer idea of the answer to the Why it all works the way it does…. by design, or by chance? Did God lose a bet, or win one? Or is there some as yet unknown reason beyond our current ability to understand? Being able to SEE and KNOW how it all works can only give us clues about the origins of it all.  Even if it doesn’t give us all the answers we seek, we will have a better understanding of the Universe, and ourselves, and thus, perhaps, a better idea of our true place in all of what we see…..

Whew! If you made it to here, you are indeed worthy…. and probably tired, confused, and a bit troubled with doubts as to my sanity. S’okay, I understand…. and I don’t blame you. I should have handed out warning notices at the beginning…. Ah well, t’was fun for me, and that will do….. Stop me, please, I can’t seem to shut up….. wait, don’t pull that pl……
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Okay, since I’m on the road, I’m going to stop fooling around, and get this done, if possible…. It isn’t quite working as well as I had hoped it would, but, that may just be because I’m not used to this method yet…. plus, I’m tired and feeling down from the cold I’m fighting off… So, with no further whining, I give you the finished product for today, such as it is…. See ya tomorrow…. Hopefully, by then, I’ll have some art (read: photos…), and a little better handle on this….
,
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole,
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

dozer3

Plainly painful paroxysms of unnatural concern….

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2

Ffolkes,

Well, I’m back. It seems as if I’ve been gone forever, but that’s probably the coffee’s fault. It’s so wonderful to be at home, where I can count on that first cup of coffee in the morning to be a good one…. I won’t go into great detail now, but, suffice it to say, I am less than totally happy with the coffee on cruise ships, and leave it at that, in celebration of the first good cup in a week, ready for me to drink, with the proper condiments, when I arise, at the very moment I need it the most…..

I’ve survived yet again, even without being able to post a blog each day as intended…. I also didn’t take very many pictures, finding it quite relaxing this time to NOT worry about that, or about writing. I’m sorry, but the internet they use on the ships is pretty bad, compared to just about any other I’ve ever connected to, and trying to work around their deficiencies just made it too much work.

So, I ate, and slept, ate some more, and walked around the ship doing stuff that seemed fun at the time… Or, we’d go ashore when in port, walk around a bit to see the sights, and have lunch in a different venue, if there was a nice place to go… In short, I did practically nothing for seven days…. I did so much nothing, I only had time to read two books…..’Twas grand, to be sure…. even though I’ll have to read a lot for a while to feel right….

For most of the time since receiving my disability status, and the money they owed me for the years they made me wait to get it, I’ve traveled, as I intended from the moment I heard I’d be getting back payments of my monthly checks… I’ve spent almost a full month of days on cruise ships, on three separate cruises, to Europe, Alaska, and Mexico; I’ve been to Texas twice, and to Oregon once. I’ve also used the money to live as comfortably as I can, with absolutely no regrets about how I spent much of it on myself, fulfilling my own dreams, an event which has never before occurred in my life….

Since the age of 28, when my kids came along, all of my money has gone to take care of was necessary for others, rather than what was desired by me, and I have NO problem with that; it’s the way it should be for a man with family to care for…. I’ve put off all of my youthful wishes to travel, without any regret at all, sublimating by traveling with the family when I could afford to do so…. In fact, taking them on a cruise, when the kids were pre-teens, is what hooked me on cruising in the first place….

There are times when I feel a pang or two of discomfort, but, that has more to do with my lifelong pursuit of truth, my political and social views, and the insidious way money corrupts, than it is about my own weakness for luxury… There is a part of me that KNOWS that cruising is really just another of the corporate masters’ illusions, only made available to the general public to keep their eyes focused on unreachable goals, and away from the nastiness they perpetrate in other areas of our existence….

Going on a cruise is fun, but one should always keep in mind that it is not normal, and people who actually live in a way that allows them to do that sort of thing on a regular basis are a big part of the problems we have in society. In addition, such industries, making billions of dollars annually, are a constant drain on the planet’s resources, put to use to keep the circus interesting for us, but actually keeping us under the thrall of those who actually control the money…. I KNOW all that, and it is all absolutely true, yet, I still enjoy the experience of living in decadence, even for a short time….

I think, over the next few weeks, I’ll discuss this further, as it is something I think is worth examination from a critical standpoint…. It will also give me a chance to get back into ranting before I really get back into the swing of things out in the real-time world…. For six days, I’ve ignored the news completely, and have no clue as to what is up in the world; I didn’t even read the headlines. It actually surprised me to find myself last night watching Game 3 of the World Series, as I had forgotten it was opening last week…. Actually, that’s a good feeling; I always enjoy my bouts of ignorance, and can see how it is an attractive state to live in, for those folks who are able to shut off their thinking apparatus…. Mine always pushes its own power button, so it never shuts off for long….

Okay, that should be enough…. I’ve rambled and blathered, I’ve made a few pointed remarks about the bad guys, and reasserted my geopolitical views. I’ve bragged about my travels, and been trite, and even a bit ashamed…. and, best of all, I haven’t spilled anything on anybody! Bonus! Any who, I think I’d best get on with this, and see if I can salvage any of my dignity…. Doubtful, but ever hopeful, I plod on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto.” [“I am a human, and nothing human is alien to me”] — Publius Terentius Afer, c.190-159 B.C. — Heautontimoroumenos, a. 1, sc. 1, v. 25
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First, to get the trip off my mind and out of my head, let’s put in the pictures I DID take while on the cruise…. As I mentioned, there aren’t a lot of them, as I ended up taking the trip off from ALL of my usual activities, including taking pictures…. I did manage to get a couple from each port we stopped in, but, only a couple, so there aren’t many to choose from, or worth showing… but, what I have are here for y’all to see, such as they are….

Our ports of call were, in order of visit, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, San Diego, all in California, and Ensenada, Mexico, leaving and coming back to home port in San Francisco…. I’ll try to put the pix up in order, but, I’m still not totally adept with the adding media functions in Word Press, so we’ll see how that goes….. Since I’m home, and don’t have to worry about network speed, it should be possible to add some comments, but, that is still to be determined…. At any rate, here are the best shots I DID take, and I hope you enjoy them….

The first stop was Santa Barbara… these were taken from the tender on the way to shore, on State Street, and more from the tender on the way back to the ship…
Coastal cruise pix 003Coastal cruise pix 010 Coastal cruise pix 013 Coastal cruise pix 004 Coastal cruise pix 005 Coastal cruise pix 006I was right… the order of the pix isn’t correct, but, hey, they’re here, so… Next came Long Beach, where I had lunch with one of my old friends, (he’s not so old, but we’ve been friends for almost 25 years…), on the Queen Mary I, right next to where our ship docked… Believe me, there wasn’t anything else to take a picture of… It IS the port of Los Angeles, don’t y’know….

Coastal cruise pix 018 Coastal cruise pix 017Next came San Diego, where we docked next to the USS Midway, a WWII aircraft carrier, now a museum, and some old, tall ships on the other side, at the San Diego Maritime Museum….

Coastal cruise pix 024 Coastal cruise pix 019 Coastal cruise pix 020 Coastal cruise pix 023Our last stop was in Ensenada, Baja Mexico, where I was so distracted by all the street vendors I got only one picture, and then forgot the camera was even in my pocket… This was the scene in the courtyard where the shuttle from the ship dropped off the victims, er, tourists in the downtown area….

Coastal cruise pix 025Okay, ffolkes, that’s the extent of it… I told you I didn’t do much, and I meant it, didn’t I?… I hope I didn’t bore y’all too much… I had fun, any who, so, all is well in the land of gigoid….
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Choosing the first poem to post was tougher than I had imagined it would be; hopefully, you will enjoy this one, as it cost me a lot of effort to decide which one to choose…. In the end, I chose one that I’ve used before, a couple of times…. Each time, I see in it more of myself than I saw before, which convinces me of its universal relevance….. But, mostly I just like it…. that counts for something, I hope….

A Song About Myself

I.
There was a naughty boy,
A naughty boy was he,
He would not stop at home,
He could not quiet be-
He took
In his knapsack
A book
Full of vowels
And a shirt
With some towels,
A slight cap
For night cap,
A hair brush,
Comb ditto,
New stockings
For old ones
Would split O!
This knapsack
Tight at’s back
He rivetted close
And followed his nose
To the north,
To the north,
And follow’d his nose
To the north.

II.
There was a naughty boy
And a naughty boy was he,
For nothing would he do
But scribble poetry-
He took
An ink stand
In his hand
And a pen
Big as ten
In the other,
And away
In a pother
He ran
To the mountains
And fountains
And ghostes
And postes
And witches
And ditches
And wrote
In his coat
When the weather
Was cool,
Fear of gout,
And without
When the weather
Was warm-
Och the charm
When we choose
To follow one’s nose
To the north,
To the north,
To follow one’s nose
To the north!

III.
There was a naughty boy
And a naughty boy was he,
He kept little fishes
In washing tubs three
In spite
Of the might
Of the maid
Nor afraid
Of his Granny-good-
He often would
Hurly burly
Get up early
And go
By hook or crook
To the brook
And bring home
Miller’s thumb,
Tittlebat
Not over fat,
Minnows small
As the stall
Of a glove,
Not above
The size
Of a nice
Little baby’s
Little fingers-
O he made
‘Twas his trade
Of fish a pretty kettle
A kettle-
A kettle
Of fish a pretty kettle
A kettle!

IV.
There was a naughty boy,
And a naughty boy was he,
He ran away to Scotland
The people for to see-
There he found
That the ground
Was as hard,
That a yard
Was as long,
That a song
Was as merry,
That a cherry
Was as red,
That lead
Was as weighty,
That fourscore
Was as eighty,
That a door
Was as wooden
As in England-
So he stood in his shoes
And he wonder’d,
He wonder’d,
He stood in his
Shoes and he wonder’d.

~~ John Keats ~~

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“Ninety percent of everything is crud.” — Sturgeon’s Revelation

It’s always tempting to write a rant using this statement by one of Science Fiction’s most revered and highly respected authors; I usually refrain from doing so in order to avoid any chance of my thoughts becoming part of that ninety percent so eloquently highlighted…. It is also a temptation to discuss the merits of the statement in terms of accuracy, but, that also tends to enter the realm of surreality, as the truth of the statement is all too often proven, not only by those who are critical of it, but, also,  by those who are asserting its veracity…. Personally, I find it best to merely accept it, just as it is, and be done with it….

In light of that, and in the interests of time management, (plus, I wouldn’t want to drive anyone away on my first day back by being too heavy-handed, or any more bozoid than is necessary….), this section will be the latest in a long line of pearls of virtual wisdom that chose themselves…. Well, the one parameter used today was the above revelation, so it should work out well, as we are, in new-age parlance, ‘going with the flow’…..

Remember, ffolkes, to correctly interpret the following, you will need to place the above revelation in its correct position among the others, an exercise that, as always, I will leave to you, as the prerogative of the Gentle Reader in all such instances….

“We rest here while we can, but we hear the ocean calling in our dreams, And we know by the morning, the wind will fill our sails to test the seams, The calm is on the water and part of us would linger by the shore, For ships are safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” from “Ships”, by Tom Kimmel & Michael Lille

“If it ain’t broke, maybe you need a bigger hammer.” — Smart Bee

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those of us who profess to favor freedom yet depreciate agitation are men who want the crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters…This struggle may be a moral one or a physical one, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without demand. It never has and never will. Show me the exact amount of wrong and injustices that are visited upon a person and I will show you the exact amount of words endured by these people. These wrongs and injustices may be fought with words or with blows or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.” — Frederick Douglass (1817-1895), Letter to Gerrit Smith [March 30, 1849]

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. books are well written, or badly written, That is all.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Letter to Gay, Oct, 6, 1727

“What do they call a comedian who doesn’t get any laughs? A philosopher.” — Phil Proctor
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Oddly enough, this didn’t go too badly; I had some reservations when I sat down, but, I don’t think I’ve done anything here to be ashamed of…. Not any more than usual, anyway…. Let’s see how it holds up under scrutiny….. I can’t honestly say I think this is great literature, but, it won’t poke out your eyes, or, more importantly, make you want to poke out anyone else’s, mine included…. That being said, I’d best leave it as it is, and hope for the best…. I’ll try again tomorrow to get a few steps further toward coherence, and toward sanity….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3