Tag Archives: Lord Byron

Certain shades of truth….

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Ffolkes,
Down the stairs, across the lobby to the heavy door, and through into the night air, with not a word nor a glance toward the slight figure beside him. The street is alive with the denizens of night, crowds of young women and men, laughing, dancing over the concrete, and crowing their defiance against life and its crushing paranoia. The two silent figures walk calmly through the chaos, a little ripple of quiet spreading in their wake. As they approach the corner, a long black limousine pulls to the curb in front of them. The driver, a nondescript little man in black uniform pops out of the door and rushes around to open the door for his passengers. “Good evening, your grace,” he murmurs as they climb in, and shutting the door, slips back into the driver’s seat, and pulls smoothly away into the traffic.


One of these days, I’ll sit down and finish one of these little stories, but today isn’t that day. For a Sunday, got way too much to accomplish, and I’m getting a late start, thanks to my payday treat. This morning’s group of Pearls has no ulterior meaning; it has no interior meaning either, as far as I know. I had no plan or agenda when plucking them up today, just liked what they say, or how they said it. So, you can approach them without fear, as I will not be including these in the final examination…..

“Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly.  Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end.  What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind.  Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” — Henry Miller

Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days!
None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise.
— Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867)
— On the Death of Joseph Rodman Drake

Those who won’t think will have it done for them.

And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
‘T is that I may not weep.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824)
— Don Juan, Canto iv, Stanza 4

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. — Proverbs 3:27

You will please take note of the line from Proverbs. I don’t usually find much quotable material in the Bible, as it usually has too much faith-based language to plow through in order to get to the real meaning. But this one is straightforward, and damn good advice. A lot of people we see every day in the news could take this one to heart; they might begin to make sense…….NOT! Couldn’t hurt though, could it?…Y’all take care out there…..

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

Kowabunga!

Deliberate frankness on toast points…

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Ffolkes,
Contemplation of impending disaster, as I can say from experience, is an exercise in futility. It does me no earthly good to be smart enough to realize that everything is going to come crashing down around my ears next week, when I’m not smart enough to figure out how to keep it from happening. By this time next week, I’ll most likely be joining a new economic level, several steps below the poverty level that I have heretofore been struggling with. I am having to make some hard decisions, like having to sell my car, simply because I can’t pay for it, and eat too. Hell, it’s been three months since I could afford the extra money to go get a fast-food burger, and that was the last time I actually had beef to eat. A steak? Forget it, haven’t tasted one in over a year.


In spite of my supposed maturity, I find myself playing the blame game over this situation. It wasn’t my choice to retire when I did; I did it only to keep from getting fired as being unfit for duty, thanks to the callous disregard for common decency shown by the NSH Executive Director. In retrospect, I made an incorrect decision then, and am now paying the price. I should have immediately filed a Workman’s comp claim for my back, and then applied for a disability retirement. Instead, due to my stupid pride, and not wishing to be labeled as ‘disabled’,  I went for the standard retirement, not realizing at the time that it wouldn’t be enough to live on. For nine months now I’ve been trying to stem the incoming tide, and as a result, I’ve fallen behind every month to the tune of about $600, and the interest just keeps on climbing, because I can’t even pay that. Add in to that the passing of my mother, and my best friend, Noah, and you have a perfect picture of a man about ready to go under for the third time.


In the past year and change, I have been forced out of my job, had the great love of my life kick me to the curb, and lost half or more of my income. My dog died, my mother died, and as a result of doing my duty for my mother, I lost out on a cruise (my retirement gift to myself), and my sister and her family put me on their death-wish list. I’ll soon be without transportation. I have no TV, and thanks to having been cut off from all the people I knew at work, I have no friends here in town. My only contact with the outside world is my phone and email; soon I may have to give up the email, because I’m not certain I can afford the monthly  internet charge. If that happens, my only access will be at the library, to which I must walk, since I won’t have a car.


I’m not sure why this all came out this morning, other than the fact that all of this is crashing around in my head all the time, and there’s nowhere else to put it. In some ways it helps me to clarify all the details, so I can better deal with it. But the simple fact is that I don’t have the money to support myself in anything near the level I previously enjoyed. As a matter of fact, enjoyment will be in pretty short supply pretty soon, so I’m holding on to it as long as I can. All of this is not intended to create sympathy for my plight; I’ll survive, and don’t want sympathy anyway. Putting this all down has helped me to look at it all with some emotional distance, without passion, something not to be found inside my head. If hearing this disturbs you, I am sorry. Perhaps it’s time to look at things a bit more positively, so without further ado, we will join the regularly scheduled program in progress……remember, think positive!….

If you’re looking for trouble, I can offer a wide selection.

Marjoe and Doshen were meditating in a field when Doshen just went and smacked Marjoe upside the head.  “What the hell did you do that for?” asked Marjoe. “Nyuck nyuck nyuck,” replied Doshen. At that moment, Marjoe ordered pizza.

A rose is a rose is a rose…. —-‘–,-{@

“I’ve reached that age when a good day is one when you get up and nothing hurts.” — H. Martin

The sky is changed,–and such a change! O night
And storm and darkness! ye are wondrous strong,
Yet lovely in your strength, as is the light
Of a dark eye in woman! Far along,
From peak to peak, the rattling crags among,
Leaps the live thunder.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824)
— Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iii, Stanza 92

Being normal isn’t one of my strengths.

Hell, I’d settle for normal right now, if I could get an offer….. y’all take care out there…..

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

Kowabunga!

Any old garage would do…..

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Ffolkes,
Everyone and his uncle’s brother’s cousin’s wife’s boyfriend will be writing their own take on 9/11/01 today, so I will limit my own response to the following:  Be patriotic – question authority. — Bumper Sticker   ‘Nuff said!….oh well, gotta say this too….. get over it!!! Learn to play nice and terrorism won’t be an issue any more…..
Okay, so maybe I will have a couple of points to make…..the part of the entire terrorism issue that bothers me the most is the absolutely idiotic response that one gets from most Americans when asked about the events of that fateful day. I call the reaction idiotic for a simple reason; because it is. No one seems to have any idea ‘why’ we were attacked, nor do they care. The act itself becomes the focus of attention, and the motivation is ignored. This is idiotic, for sure and for certain. In order for events like these to be prevented, the motivation of the perpetrators becomes paramount. How can you expect to be able to stop this kind of fanatic activity, if you don’t know why it happened to begin with?
It was obvious to me from the moment I first heard of the attacks that they were carried out by fanatic zealots; only those with a sense of martyrdom would have been able to carry out a mission that assured their own deaths, whether victorious or not. Faced with this kind of insanity, it seems obvious that determining motivation would be the most important detail needed to be able to find them; any competent hunter can verify that. And the motivation is so obvious anyway! But no one in our country is willing to accept the FACT that our own actions were responsible for the hatred felt by the misguided fanatics who carried out the attacks. Yes, us. It’s our own damn fault they hate us, for they are only mirroring the disdain we show to their beliefs. As I said above, if we would learn to play nicely, and quit acting the part of the bully, the other kids in the sandbox wouldn’t be ganging up on us.
But, there are very few Americans left who can be honest with themselves, much less with anyone else. Our leaders have indoctrinated us well to accept anything they say, whether it is in the same neighborhood as truth or not (usually not; they lie to us without shame, constantly). When I first heard about the incidents of 9/11, my first impression was that the whole scenario very much resembled the events one only heard about during the cocaine wars in South America in the 1970’s. You may or may not recall that G. Bush Senior was in charge of the CIA at the time, and was pretty clearly responsible for the growth of the drug cartels, and for the strengthening of the drug trade here. (A very damning book on the subject was written, called “The Cocaine Papers”) I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was found to have been the real mastermind behind the attacks on 9/11/01. His son’s presidency was in trouble in the summer of 2001. There were a lot of investigations going on into the chicanery involved in the hijacking of the voting system by the Republicans, and these investigations were getting pretty close to showing how the American public had been fooled into believing that the election was clean, and free of manipulation, when in fact the Republicans had been successful in hiding their manipulation of the results in at least one state. That state just happened to be the pivotal state; if Gore had taken that state (which, in reality, he did), instead of Bush, he would have been elected, and the world would be a different place.
What better time for a terrorist attack, to distract the public from the chicanery with a terrible loss of life, and make certain that those allegations would never be looked at again? No, it wouldn’t surprise me at all, because the whole scenario had GHW Bush written all over it. I wonder what would happen if somebody followed the money…..it’s also somewhat curious that there has been no real investigation into that aspect of the affair. We were told (by those who lie to us on a daily basis) that it was the Taliban who was responsible, and so we set off on a world-wide hunt for the bad guy. Several trillion dollars later, we are still trying to find them all. We managed to kill Osama bin Laden, and wasn’t it convenient that he died before he could be questioned, or make any public statements? Very handy, that…..
Whew, I should know better than to start a rant so early in the morning. Now my sense of outrage is fully stimulated, and it is NOT directed at the Muslims in the world; it is directed at the political tyrants present in EVERY government in the world, and especially our own,who will say and do anything at all to maintain their own status quo. These power-hungry zealots (yes that term does apply, to Catholics, Christians, Muslims, and every other religion fighting over who has the most powerful imaginary friend) are the ones who are responsible for the events of that fateful day, and I for one would like to see them punished for all the heartache and sorrow they have so callously pushed upon the rest of us.
Enough for one morning….if you have comments, questions, or whatever, feel free to respond. Dialog is essential in seeking truth….meantime, enjoy this morning’s offerings, and think good thoughts for all those who died ten years ago. Let us make their deaths worthwhile, by seeking out the truth, and by not allowing hatred to hinder the quest for peace…..

“Virtue is but heroic bravery, to do the thing thought to be true, in spite of all enemies of flesh or spirit, in despite of all temptations or menaces.” — Albert Pike (1809-1891)

O Lord, grant that we may always be right, for
Thou knowest we will never change our minds.
— Old Scottish Prayer

“Basing our happiness on our ability to control everything is futile.” — Stephen R. Covey

No words suffice the secret soul to show,
For truth denies all eloquence to woe.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824)
— The Corsair, Canto iii, Stanza 22

If a person deceives you once, shame on that person. If a person deceives you twice, shame on you! For of all hard things to bear and grin, the hardest is being taken in.

Well, this one should start a conversation or two……y’all take care out there……

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

gigoid

Just Dozer

Kowabunga!

At risk of bent principles…

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Ffolkes,
Today’s subject line came to me when I was trying to find a way to describe what I have discovered these last few months, living on the edge of poverty. In some ways, it has been quite illuminating, once one can get past the bone-deep fear that seems to accompany this lifestyle.

‘This lifestyle’…..hmmph. Even that is euphemistic, a more delicate way to say what is actually true, to wit: living without money. As a middle-class citizen of this country, one gets accustomed to, and takes for granted, things that the lower income folks almost never see or have. Like plenty of money to buy food, after paying the most essential bills. Or enough to go out for a meal, or a movie, or just a drive. It’s hard to take a Sunday drive to see the sights, when there is no car; or if there is a car, it must only be used for work, with gas at $4/gallon. It’s hard to take in a movie, when one can’t even afford to have cable tv, if there is a tv to be had. Clean clothing becomes a luxury, when one lives without a washer & drier, and not enough cash to spare the $10-15 for the laundromat.

These are only the most obvious differences; the less obvious are nonetheless just as harmful to the spirit, degrading confidence and adding weight to the burdens already carried. Life then, for those in reduced circumstances (another euphemism….just how does one reduce one’s circumstances?), becomes a constant battle for survival, instead of a platform for growth. I can’t say that learning these life lessons is comfortable, nor can I say that I am learning them with grace; more of a growl. I find my spirit to be in constant need of rejuvenation; it keeps getting harder to find something about which I can feel hopeful. Each day brings another angry creditor to the door (figuratively speaking of course; thank goodness they haven’t started actually pounding at the door….. yet…).

Being the kind of person that I am, I know I will survive. But the shape of the future is not as clear as it used to be, hampered as I am by the fog of fear, and the constant distraction of having to find ways to live and spend less. It has been said that to be an artist, one must suffer….if that is even remotely true, then whatever work I am putting out in between periods of dithering about income vs. outgo, must be truly genius. I wish I could believe it is so…..

“Become what you are.” — Buddha

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

And after all, what is a lie? ‘T is but
The truth in masquerade.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824)
— Don Juan, Canto xi, Stanza 37

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers

“And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the bible were used to beat plowshares into swords…” — Alan Watts

When you are down and out, all too often the thing that turns up is the noses of your former friends.

“He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless
efforts.”– Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

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

Kowabunga!

Making final points count double….

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Ffolkes,
Been feeling my age quite a bit lately. This is not usual for me; most days I still look around me and see with younger eyes. Even though I know I’ve lost 24 inches (at least) off my vertical leap, and probably a couple of seconds off a hundred yard dash (provided I could make it all the way to 100 without collapsing in shock), I still assume my body will do what I ask it to do. That assumption is not always warranted, but it’s how I feel, and that has to count for something, right? Right…..anywho, today’s Pearls, of which there are only two, speak to the aging process. The first is one that has been circulating the net for several years, at least. But it is actually filled with good, solid sense, and bears repeating now and again. The second, and last, just provides a punctuation point to the first, bringing us right back around to reality once more. Enjoy!

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN
1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don’t hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. Clean up your own mess.
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life–learn some and think some and draw and paint
and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands,
and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why,
but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the
Styrofoam cup–they all die. So do we.
16. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned
–the biggest word of all–LOOK.
— Robert Fulghum

Dim with the mist of years,
gray flits the shade of power. — Lord Byron (1788-1824) — Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto ii, Stanza 2

Thus ends another daily blast of reason, or a reasonable facsimile….. y’all take care out there…..

Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes

I just sits.

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Water from a shallow well….

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Ffolkes,
As has been said before, all will be well, and all will be well. Serendipity is alive and well in the world! I’ve just reestablished contact with a young man from Beijing, whom I met when I was there in 2004. He was student working part time for the company that helped me to get there and apply for teaching jobs in the Chinese schools, and he assumed the position as my personal translator and guide. Our meeting was one of those fortuitous moments in life when two people meet, two whose souls were already joined, possibly from another life. I was in the apartment where he stayed with the director of the company, working on the computer they let us use. He was on the couch, asleep, but woke up, turned to look at me, and said without thinking, “Good morning, godfather.” I grinned at him, he grinned at me, and a fast friendship was begun. He took it upon himself to act as would a ‘godson’, walking around with me to help me communicate with the people we met, showing me how to get around in Beijing, and generally looking out for my welfare as a stranger in a strange land. He was, and is, an open, caring, intelligent young man, and for a time we continued to converse via email, after I had returned to the USA. We lost contact after about a year, and I misplaced his email address, so I had to forgo further communication with him…..until today. Last night I received a friend request on Facebook, and it turned out to be him, so this morning I will have the very great pleasure of resuming our talks via email. As the Colonel said every week, “I love it when a plan comes together!”……it’s amazing what a little good news and a full night’s sleep will do for the attitude one brings to the day.
Today’s Pearls  are another eclectic group, gathered in a series of dives over the last couple of days. They each would stand alone, and still be strong; together they make a nice little bit of food for thought to go along with whatever comestibles pass for breakfast at your house. Enjoy them as you would a good cup of coffee with your bagel…..

Hear twice before you speak once.

“Belief is the death of intelligence.” — Robert Anton Wilson

‘It is not a fish until it is on the bank.” — Irish Proverb

The keenest pangs the wretched find
Are rapture to the dreary void,
The leafless desert of the mind,
The waste of feelings unemployed.
— Lord Byron (1788-1824) — The Giaour, Line 957

“…I am opposed to all attempts to license or restrict the arming of individuals…I consider such laws a violation of civil liberty, subversive of democratic political institutions, and self-defeating in their purpose.” — Robert A. Heinlein, in a 1949 letter concerning “Red Planet”

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

One can always depend on Ursula LeGuin to cut to the heart of a concept….. go then, and pun no more….. y’all take care out there….

Dozer

Kowabunga!

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

gigoid