Tag Archives: Lewis Carroll

We believe the correct term is “Zounds!”….

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Ffolkes,
It’s bloody cold out here today! Out in the main room, not outside, though if inside is any indicator, it’s cold out there, too. And I didn’t mean to get into a whole weather report, so let’s just start over….

Buon giorno, ohayo gozaimas, buenos dias, and howdy….. I’m feeling somewhat international today. It’s probably a side effect of wanting to travel….. anywhere. I’ve been stuck too long in one place, and my itchy feet are dunning me to hit the road, to go somewhere on the planet where I’ve never been, to meet people I’ve never known, to see things I’ve never seen. Way too long, indeed…. the last real travel I undertook was over a year ago, and that was a nightmare; the last day and a half of it would make a pretty funny movie. Funny for others at least; it wasn’t funny at all from my perspective. Any who, I can definitely hear those wild geese calling me, urging me to pack my bag and be on my way…… soon enough, compadre, soon enough…..
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crust, sauce, toppings, cheese. — The Four Food Groups

I find it odd, to say the least, but this is true; crust is a carbohydrate, sauce is made of vegetables, toppings are generally protein and/or vegetable, cheese is a dairy product. So, if one really stops to thinks about it (such as at those times when I sits and thinks…) pizza, and pasta, too, for that matter, can be considered a balanced meal all by itself. This may be why it appeals to so many people in America; we, as a group, are all about one-stop-shopping. If we can tell ourselves that a pizza is healthy food (and it is!) then we can eat without guilt. Since guilt is one of our other preeminent characteristics, an unwelcome one, eating pizza, for us, is a win-win, and is useful at any time to maintain a happy, guilt-free lifestyle….. 🙂  Abondanza!….. I’m a chef, it’s all true, I swear! Trust me!…….

“There is a difference between eating a varied diet and chowing down on a cup of lard and sugar once a day. Programmers know this instinctively: they balance their daily menu among the four major food groups: caffeine, sugar, grease, and salt.” — From John Walker’s The Hacker’s Diet
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I’m sorry, but I’m giving up on this Pearl. I’ve spent the last hour and a quarter searching desperately for a quote, an idea, or even just a joke to place here for discussion. What I’ve found is nada. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Not even a hint, or a random finger pointing in a direction where the last idea was seen. It’s bloody frustrating, I’ll tell ya…. and I’ve got stuff to do today. So, I’m giving up. This will have to remain blank. Just think of it as a user documentation manual from the old days at IBM, where it was common practice to put “This page intentionally left blank” on a large number of pages. At least this is my first time….. even now, I’m breathlessly awaiting serendipity, hoping after hope that rescue is rushing down upon us, to leave us with something, anything at all, to put here….. well, I’m waiting…. and waiting…. and waiting….. ah, I knew Murphy wouldn’t let me down…. here is the perfect piece to drag this odd little paragraph right into the realm of respectability, because the message intended in this poetic classic is the perfect counterpoint…..

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogoves
And the mome raths outgrabe
— _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)

See?…. I rest my case….
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“Syzygy, inexorable, pancreatic, phantasmagoria–anyone who can use those four words in one sentence will never have to do manual labor.” — W. P. Kinsella

Easy money…..

“Even a terminal pancreatic cancer patient can observe the inexorable march of the planets culminating in syzygy, as in an eclipse, if no other way, as a phantasmagoria, a hallucination stemming from their radiation therapy.” — gigoid, 2/25/2012.

See, no problem. Anybody else have a challenge for me? Feel free to leave them in the comments, and I’ll give them a shot. As long as I can find out what each word means, I think I can string them together, and the ensuing results promise to be as strangely interesting as this one……does this mean, since I don’t have to do manual labor anymore, that I’m getting paid now?….
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“Do you believe in and afterlife?  I think this is it.” — Brown

This is an interesting notion… if true, it would explain a lot about this life that we have attributed heretofore to supernatural, or to as yet unknown, laws governing the universe. For example, it would explain why what we call our lives are incredibly brief, in comparison to almost any other part of the physical universe. Stars, matter, worlds, rocks, moons, all last for billions of years, unless acted upon by great forces, whereupon they merely change form, but do not vanish.

But our consciousness, no matter how deeply we think we understand reality, must bow to the simple fact that we only exist, consciously, for a mere few seconds of the eternal clock. When considered in this light, the above statement becomes absolute truth, and bears contemplation. The answers found may just reveal how immortal we actually may be, though the evidence may not indicate such……
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“We must learn not to disassociate the airy flower from the earthy root, for the flower that is cut off from its root fades, and its seeds are barren, whereas the root, secure in mother earth, can produce flower after flower and bring their fruit to maturity.” — Kabbalah (BC 1200?-700? AD)

Mind and body are one? Yes….. it fits. Over a thousand years ago, and folks were developing subtle, yet complex, answers to ages-old questions. This one indicates to me that the author, or the philosophy about which he discoursed, was aware of the duality present in the fabric of reality. It acknowledges the two separate qualities that coexist within each of us, that state of mind/body that both tests and verifies its own nature. We perceive two things, mind and body, whereas the universe only sees one thing, a human.

It is thus a mistake to act out of the belief that we are not connected to the rest of the universe, that our perceptions, based on the duality inherent in the nature of reality, reflect what actually is real. Reality does not acknowledge any such separation of spirit from matter; what happens to one affects the other just as strongly. It is much more prudent, or rather, more effective as a strategy, to include the knowledge of this duality in our contemplations, and base decisions on reality, rather than fantasy….. life is much more congenial…..
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Well, that was interesting…. I think. It will fly, though, I’m pretty sure. And if not, well, tomorrow is another day. Since I started of with weather-talk, I’ll finish the same way. Today promises to be pretty nice here is Northern California, though the forecast is calling for some drizzle later in the afternoon. A little bit of everything, eh what? Not much to do about it, whatever happens, so I just try to enjoy it….. y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Purveyors of faint praise….

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Ffolkes,
Today is Friday, which means it is also Friday the thirteenth. I am compelled to say, “Yipee!” and dance a quick jig, because I always have a good day when one of these rolls around. Maybe it has to do with my lack of superstition, though I do have certain personal rituals I perform that ensure the success of any venture (like the little dolls I make to stick pins into when one of my enemies annoys me, or rubbing a child’s head before buying lottery tickets). I could also claim that it is a lucky day for me because I’m a triple Scorpio. Well, I could if I gave any credence at all to astrology; it’s a pretty flimsy theory, without much evidence of being real. I’d say that astrology is just about as true as the myths of creation that tell us that the world was made about 8000 years ago, and all the evidence to the contrary was planted here to fool us into thinking it is real. Sorry, not buying it; why would I think an omnipotent entity  would play tricks like that? Seems a bit petty to my way of thinking….okay, enough distractions, lets get on to the meat of the meal…..
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“It has been said that there are two theories of history: conspiracy and blunder. If there is some truth to that, it is surely equally true that blunder seldom receives all the credit due it as an explanation of complex events.” — Michael Scully

I would say that this is probably pretty accurate; after all, it is the winners who get to tell the story, and why would they make themselves look any worse than they already are? I believe that much of mankind’s progress up to now is, in fact, a result of blundering about, breaking the china and scaring the horses, until something serendipitous falls into someone’s lap.

The example most often given regarding inspiration that brings progress is that of Isaac Newton and the apple, which, according to history, fell upon his head unexpectedly, causing him to fall down and begin writing the 3 Laws of Motion. I think it more likely that he was trying to climb up to get the apple, and took a good fall onto his head; he just blamed it on the apple, and since he was the only witness, who can gainsay him?

This points out one of the less attractive, and most problematic of the characteristics of humans, and that is our inability to get beyond our childish feelings of insecurity. The older we get, the less able we become to handle the embarrassment or ridicule that follows a mistake, and the more contortions we will assume to keep others from seeing our Bozoid Tendencies. You see, like the Firesign Theater said, “I think we’re all Bozo’s on this bus!”; we all have the unfortunate ability to perform ridiculously stupid acts at times.

Most folks, though, don’t like to be thought of this way, and will go through almost anything to prevent themselves from looking inept in front of other folks. Me, I wish they’d just learn to laugh at themselves, and everyone else; maybe then they could grow up enough to be able to look directly at the things in society that we need to change, instead of childishly refusing to even look at the situation. Emotional maturity means dealing with whatever happens, without letting emotions control one’s actions, or reactions, and most of mankind doesn’t exhibit anything close to that sort of maturity……
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A Mexican newspaper reports that bored Royal Air Force pilots stationed on the Falkland Islands have devised what they consider a marvelous new game.  Noting that the local penguins are fascinated by airplanes, the pilots search out a beach where the birds are gathered and fly slowly along it at the water’s edge.  Perhaps ten thousand penguins turn their heads in unison watching the planes go by, and when the pilots turn around and fly back, the birds turn their heads in the opposite direction, like spectators at a slow-motion tennis match.  Then, the paper reports, “The pilots fly out to sea and directly to the penguin colony and overfly it.  Heads go up, up, up, and ten thousand penguins fall over gently onto their backs. — Audobon Society Magazine

I can’t help it. I this is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read; the mental image of thousands of birds falling over kicks me right over into hilarity. And I really, really like the idea of some bozoids spending hundreds of thousands of dollars  to use their supersonic flying machines of death to create a work of visual art, with only one witness, the pilot. Superb irony! It brings reality right up next to fantasy, and gives it a big hug……

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. “Where shall I begin, please your Majesty ?” he asked.  “Begin at the beginning,”, the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
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“The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase: ‘My religion alone is true.'” — Ramakrishna, Hindu saint & reformer

I guess that Christianity and Islam are not the only world religions that suffer from the actions of their more fanatical devotees. It seems to be a particularly human characteristic to take perfectly rational religious beliefs and twist them into a form that has a dual purpose, to wit: 1) the beliefs now support their own personal agenda, no matter how bigoted and ignorant, and 2) the beliefs now justify that agenda on religious grounds.

It’s been said that a good theologian can dip into Scripture and pull out any number of ideas that seemingly support their own brand of madness; much like a statistician, who can make the numbers in a database say anything at all. I’m sure there are a few genuinely religious preachers out there, who actually try to apply the principles of their religion into life in the way it was intended. But mostly, they are just politicians who have found an even easier set of marks to exploit….

“Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent.” — Lazarus Long
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All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you.

A beautiful sentiment, one I would be happy to claim, had I but said it first.  I live alone now, having been summarily dismissed from my last relationship almost two years ago. But I can truthfully say that this is a statement I could make to each of the women I’ve loved, and for that matter, still love. None of my relationships was terminated at my instigation; I’m not a person who gives vows of fidelity lightly.

But as Tom Robbins pointed out in one of his books, “Finding love is easy, but, how can you make love stay?” I don’t know the answer, obviously; if I did, I’d still be married. What I do know is that my feelings for Carrie, Martha, Ellen, and Julie will never change. When I wrote my own vows for my marriage, one of them promised that I would love her more each day until the day I died, and beyond. I meant it then, and I still do. It’s the hardest thing I know of to be alone, when those you love have chosen to be elsewhere. And it’s especially hard when you don’t know why……
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“Thinking, understanding, reasoning, willing, call not these Soul! They are its actions, but they are not its essence.” — Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375)

When? Oh, four thousand four hundred eighty-seven years ago…..is that all? I’ve got acne scars older than that! Well, perhaps not. But I am continually amazed at some of the things I find that were written this long ago. It gives credence to the idea that mankind’s first steps toward modern culture were the result of how our minds work, and our penchant for using our imagination to understand the universe around us. It has been said that the first science was Astronomy, which makes a lot of sense. But, simultaneously, we used Philosophy, and the principles of logic and reason, to apply meaning to what we observed.

Forty-four hundred years is a long time to be working on the same issues, and it seems to me we should be getting somewhere a bit faster than we are. But then I realize that there is another side to human nature, one that is not so moral and ethical as our scientific bent, and this side of us is in constant competition with our virtues to assume control of society. And they are winning, mostly because they have no compunctions against cheating, or lying, or manipulating events to suit their own purposes. We’ve been at this long enough; let’s make a concerted effort to nullify the negative effects of deliberate ignorance and fear. Perhaps we can even find a way to survive our own nature…..
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The abyss stares back at me, unblinking, unmoved.
With passion unveiled, with honor unproved,
Seeking the path only begun
In hope of love, never undone.
I am as I am, unafraid, and so very alone.

There, that’s not bad, is it? Not much, but not bad……I’m stopping here, as I refuse to press my luck any further, even if it is Friday the 13th. I hope youse have as good a day as I intend to have. Y’all take care out there……

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Infinitely sad portraits of wounded ballerinas…..

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Ffolkes,
Inspiration has decided it needs a break, I guess; can’t seem to find it anywhere. There are a number of ways I can deal with this lack of anything coherent to write; it’s happened before, and I’ve been compelled to find several workarounds that can fill the gap if needed. I keep them in the big freezer out in the garage, so they are always nice and fresh, once I thaw them out in the Nuclear Oven. And they are quite tasty, too!…..
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I’m surprised there aren’t more solipsists!

I feel pretty stupid right now…..I know what the word ‘solipsism’ means, but when I came across this little gem I must have stared at it in complete bafflement for a full minute. It wasn’t funny, that I could see, because according to the definition, there can only be one solipsist; any others are a figment of their imagination. If we attempt to consider the concept of how figments of my imagination could in turn make me a figment of their own, well, all I can say is don’t try this alone. I almost fell into an infinite deductive loop, and could have been stuck there for millenia. But as I came out of the fog that trying to make sense of this concept had put me in, I started laughing, as it made perfect sense. If you don’t see it, I can’t help you; the humor lies in a part of us that isn’t shared with others. You must see it yourself, or it will never be funny, merely an unsolvable paradox……good hunting!
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“Where principle is involved, be deaf to expediency.” — James Webb

I read this, considered it, and decided that it is excellent advice. But I also see that there are many, many people who will, for whatever reason, give up their principles at the drop of a cliche, if that choice benefits them in the short term. What is even more depressing, though, is that a very large number of people like this are what we call “elected officials”, and every time one of them compromises their principles for the sake of expediency, more money flies out of our pockets and into theirs.


I have come to the (relatively) obvious conclusion, that this lack of principle is so common, that it could be accurately stated that our government operates on no principles whatsoever, other than those that promote avarice, ambition, and indifference to the effect of their actions on others. In short, we have elected an entire army of sociopaths, who love nothing better than laughing while exerting their power over those who elected them, while calmly stealing with both hands from the public treasury. But then, we listen to their lies, and keep electing them……why is that? Are we a nation of masochists? I just don’t get it……

If all the good people were clever;
And all clever people were good,
The world would be nicer than ever
We thought that it possibly could.
— Elizabeth Wordsworth — Good and Clever
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Why are we all put here to suffer and die?

Such a plaintive little lament! Whoever wrote this had lost his way, for sure and for certain, and I hope they find their way back to the more traveled roads soon. See, he (I use ‘he’ merely for the sake of convention; it could just as easily be a ‘she’) is only considering half of the real situation. Yes, we suffer, and we die; we also live, and know joy. This person has lost his touch because he is not considering both sides of how people perceive Reality.

How would he know he is alive, if he had not once been dead? How would he know he suffers, if he has not experienced joy? How do we perceive? In duality, of course. All five of our perceptive senses utilize this duality to accomplish their purpose, which is to make us aware of the world around us. Touch registers hard/soft, cool/hot, dry/wet, etc. We smell according to the absence or presence of molecules in what we breathe in. We hear by discriminating the absence and/or presence of waves of vibrations in the air. We taste by registering the character of molecules of substances enter the mouth; savory/sour, sweet/salty, soft/hard, hot/cold (seem familiar? you’ll learn why just ahead). And we see by noting and interpreting the absence/presence, structure/formlessness of light waves, a form of electromagnetic energy.


Thus we see that all of our perceptive routes are extensions of the sense of touch. Some part of the outside world must encounter one of our receptive orifices in order for us to identify it, and determine our response to the stimulus. It becomes clear that in order for us to know suffering, we must also know how to be joyous. In order for us to live, and live well, we must eventually die. By focusing more on the joyful experiences, and less on the painful, we can know a much more serene way of life……

“Clay is molded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. … Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.” — Lao Tze
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“Now I’ll give YOU something to believe.  I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.” “I can’t believe THAT!” said Alice. “Can’t you?” the Queen said in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.” Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one CAN’T believe in impossible things.” “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen.  “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.  Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” — Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”

I’ve heard it said, and happen to agree, that the brain is like a muscle; in order for it to function at peak capacity, it must be regularly exercised in a vigorous manner. If it is not thus maintained, it becomes slow, soft, and actually a danger to its composite self; slow reactions and lack of speed makes for easy roadkill in this day & age. No way a couch potato is going to outrun a Camaro….. more often you end up as mashed potatoes. (BTW, for the former VP under Bush; the rule for this word is actually quite easy to learn and remember.  If there is only one, it’s a potato. If there are two or more, they are potatoes. Easy, eh?)

Where was I? Oh, yeah, brain is like muscles….all I really wanted to say on this subject is that what the Queen suggests is a good thing. Believing six impossible things before breakfast could be likened to the creation of this Pearl every morning; it is what I do in lieu of jumping jacks and crunchies. And the coolest part is, I don’t get all sweaty and winded (well, except when I start ranting…..).

My point here is merely this….. Use your mind. It was designed for hard use, and though there are limits; it is pretty much unbreakable when used properly, no mater how hard the subject matter. Not using it is real and present danger, to yourself, and all of those around you. Especially small children, who may inadvertently learn the bad habit of not exercising their minds.

This doesn’t even get into speaking of the very dangerous effect this lack of will and imagination is having on Society; it is precisely this problem that leads folks to deny global warming, to ignore air pollution, even while they are coughing and rubbing their eyes from the smog. It is this attitude that allows the beloved ruling class to manipulate and make fools of the great unwashed masses, who sit and watch their giant-screen satellite TV to see and hear the latest version of what they should be thinking, packaged in bright colors, with shiny ribbons and balloons. Balloons are always good; who wouldn’t believe what they were told by someone who gives them balloons?…….
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After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years look it over carefully. After five years look at it with suspicion and after ten years throw it away and start all over again. — unknown

The two quotes included here were both found to be without attribution, so I don’t know who to thank for them. The conceptual area between the two ideas is a perfect description of the evolutionary history of these Pearls of Virtual Wisdom.

When I first started sending out these emails many moons ago, they consisted of only a few lines of introductory material, followed by a quote from a historical figure, and that was it. After a couple of years, my need to write grew, and with it the Pearls grew as well. They kept growing until sometimes, including two or three paragraphs was standard for the intro, followed by four to six Pearls, with the Pearls often telling a story to punctuate what was discussed (or ranted) in the introductory remarks.

This format is how they existed up to a month or so ago. At that time, having run very nearly out of material already present in my head to put into the intro, I instead began commenting on each Pearl individually. This has been, for me, a wonderful change, and I hope y’all are enjoying it as well. I get a much wider opportunity to explore whatever interests me (which can be just about anything), but have to learn to keep the writing spare enough for a morning read. A lot of folks may not want to take in this much stuff over breakfast, so I’m trying to keep it short enough to meet that criterion. In looking back over today’s work, it seems to have gotten away from me a tad…..SIGH. I just can’t please everybody, which is okay, ‘cuz I wouldn’t want to be thought of as such a wimp. I write it, you read it, and we’ll call it square, eh?…….and please feel free to comment at any time. All emails get answered; sometimes it can take a day or two, but never very long…….

I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end.  But that’s all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don’t conclude that the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars? — unknown
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Otay, that’s it…..a bit over the top this morning, but hey, change is good, right?  Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

It may have been the yeast…..

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Ffolkes,
Just to prove once again that I am not one who will ever cotton to stultification, we’ll shoot today for brevity, and profundity, all at the very same time……

Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific,
Fain how I pause at your nature specific,
Loftily poised in the ether capacious,
Highly resembling a gem carbonaceous.
Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific,
Fain how I pause at your nature specific.

Bonus points awarded if you figured out this cover of another well-known poem. Not many bonus points; it’s not THAT hard, but just having to look up even one word will make the extra points welcome…..no profundity to be seen here ffolkes, move along….
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Euripides says,–
Who knows but that this life is really death,
And whether death is not what men call life?
— Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Pyrrho, viii

It always amazes me (and by now it shouldn’t, as it certainly happens often) how certain periods of history produce brilliant minds by the dozens, while others languish for centuries without the benefit of the constant stimulus of ideas that pour forth from those genius’ that sometimes dwell among us. What struck me about this particular pearl is its’ similarity to the beliefs of another culture, far across the world, and unknown to the Greeks, Romans, and Western (so-called) civilizations, the aboriginal people of Australia. They too observed the universe as oppositional, existing in duality as dictated by the means of our perception,  but with a different set of cultural prejudices, a wholly different way of interpreting what the perceptions mean. But in this point they are convergent, marking this subject as one that would likely be a valuable one to study, and heed…..
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“In the midst of the word he was trying to say, In the midst of his laughter and glee, He had softly and suddenly vanished away –for the Snark *was* a Boojum, you see.” — Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark

This is only here because it gave me an unexpected moment of deja vu; I felt for a short intense moment that I was the Snark, destined to vanish before ever making a point…..probably just paranoia, but unsettling to say the least…..
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“The trouble with Nixon is that he’s a serious politics junkie. He’s totally hooked… and like any other junkie, he’s a bummer to have around: especially as President.” — Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), journalist — The Great Shark Hunt, Jacket Copy for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1979)

I saw this, pondered a moment, and have come up with this here scientific experiment, in which you will now play a part……it’s a simple experiment. In the above short statement, substitute the name of any President of the United States post WWII, and examine the ensuing statement for veracity and/or accuracy. The results, I believe, will be, perhaps, enlightening, if not downright ugly…..when I did it, I got a short stab of nausea for every other name I entered…..SIGH. And we wonder why things are falling apart……
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Basically, I have this theory that there are five kinds of truth.  (This is Joe’s Theory of the Five Truths.)  There is the truth you tell to casual strangers and acquaintances.  There is the truth you tell to your general circle of friends and family members.  There is the truth you tell to only one or two people in your entire life.  There is the truth you tell to yourself. And finally, there is the truth that you do not admit even to yourself.  And it’s that fifth truth that provides some of the most interesting drama…..” — J.Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5)

To my mind, what Mr. Straczynski forgets to mention is that such truths also provide us with the most interesting drama in our real lives. The word ‘interesting’ is also perhaps a bit tame to describe what happens when life explodes in our face like a cheap novelty cigar; he must mean in it the same sense as the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”…..which we are doing now……
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“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” — Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) — Churchill’s Commentary on Man

Winnie Churchill was a crusty old duck; probably explains why I like him. The little snippets of his wit that have been recorded for posterity, such as this one, generally demonstrate his curmudgeonry as much as his common sense, which I consider the simplest and most elegant form of wisdom. This one is a frighteningly accurate observation about the average man, and as such earns points today for both brevity, and humorous yet profound truth…..
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That went well, I think. I managed to keep from expounding, or getting lost in one of my endless explorations into areas of information that seldom sees the light of day (aka, trivial pursuits), or suckering myself into a political rant. Not bad for a first attempt. If y’all have any preferences, comments, criticisms, or other forms of individual ideation, feel free to come back at me with your best stuff….meantime, y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Closely watched, it withers…..

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Ffolkes,
Things just never work out exactly according to plan, do they?……

Although a man may wear fine clothing, if he lives peacefully; and is good, self-possessed, has faith and is pure; and if he does not hurt any living being, he is a holy man… — The Dhammapada (c. B.C. 300)

The Dhammapada was written in India a very long time ago. In it one will find any number of concepts somewhat foreign to the Occidental mind. (Yes, you have one..) I like this one, because it puts religion second, behind reality. According to most western religions, the dogma is put before reality, and must be accepted as real in spite of evidence to the contrary. One’s actions are less important than one’s motivation for performing the act, and that, to me, is just plain old-fashioned bullshit. Reality is what counts; I don’t care why someone does what they do. Such knowledge is only relevant if I am to manipulate them, and matters not at all to the recipient of the act. A beggar doesn’t care why you give him bread, nor does a foe care why you are trying to hit them. They only care for their own self-interest, as do we all. An act of charity is one that ennobles the one acting, whether they are acting from good or evil; the act itself is the determining factor, not the feeling behind it. One performing an act of charity should not wish to be praised for it; otherwise it is merely another way to serve one’s own interest, and is no charity at all…..

“I can stand brute force but brute reason is quite unbearable.” — Oscar Wilde

I identify with Oscar in a lot of areas, mostly I think because he was, as I am, a dilettante by nature, and only worked because of the dictates of necessity. This sentiment is pure Oscar, for he believed, as do I, that life on one’s own terms is preferable to having to live by the rules of society, and that doing so in style is its own reward. The mind can be used as a club, to beat ideas into submission, or it can be used as a scalpel, to neatly excise tainted or unnecessary ideas with simplicity and elegance. So it becomes, as always, a matte of choice as to how to approach Life. One can approach it as a battle to be won, or as a puzzle to be solved. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, but to me, the approach that makes use of reason and logic will always be my preferred choice…….

He took his vorpal sword in hand
Long time the manxom foe he sought
Till rested he by the tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought
— _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” — Willie Wonka…… Poetry, especially epic poetry, is a challenging format for our minds. Information is not always clearly stated; concepts are distorted, or merely alluded to, and most people, myself included, find it a challenge to interpret the poet’s meaning, to drag it from obscurity to clarity. But poetry can also stimulate a part of us that we don’t frequently keep in the forefront of our consciousness, a part that is connected to Beauty, and Truth, that is stimulated by the structure and cadence of the poet’s words, that reacts with great favor to the capriciousness and silliness that permeates work such as the piece above.  When you read it, it not only sounds good to the ear, and to the mind, but actually engenders feelings in the reader, feelings that add strength to the overall effect of the piece, and increase the sense of enjoyment, if not always to the understanding of the concepts presented. Sometimes, it just feels good to read nonsense, without worrying about understanding it……

Another day, another notch in the post…..it’s been real…….y’all take care out there……

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!