Little balls of inert gases….

Posted on February 16, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“We need wilderness because we are wild animals.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Beauty

Hajime….. The Space/Time Continuum in which we live is pretty big. So big, even our imagination, which seems unlimited in scope, has a hard time grasping just how much of Space and Time there is… we use words like ‘infinity’, ‘eternal’, ‘vast reaches’, to try to describe the nature of what we perceive, but, we still don’t really have a complete understanding, down in our gut, where reality is connected, in ways we cannot perceive, but, instinctively know are there, for we feel their presence, even if we don’t quite comprehend their nature.

For many of us, this lack of comprehension produces a feeling of fear, our natural response to the unknown; this fear often becomes the driving force behind all they do, for they do not, or can not, find the courage to face the unknown, to learn how & why it works as it does, thus replacing fear with knowledge…. It is a rather simple task, but, far too many of our species never find the courage to face their fears, preferring to accept the false explanations given by others, which seem to give relief from the fear, but, in truth, merely reinforce it, using it as a means to manipulate them, using the guise of a ‘moral authority’.

Hmm…. I suppose the intro section isn’t exactly the best place for a discussion of ‘moral authority’, other than as a passing fancy to fill in a bit of space…. which we have accomplished, quite adeptly, if I do say so myself. Since there is little point in carrying this discussion further, unless we are planning on being here all day, I’ll chop it off right there, without going into the obvious solution to such ignorance, to wit: a bit of courage to face the fears…. We’ll leave those poor saps to their fate for now, and get on with our chosen task for today, which is to get the fuck done….

In light of our newly found purpose, I’m going all executive again, and removing us post haste to the oyster beds, so we can get this slow on the toad, where it belongs. How does that work, you may ask? Well, it works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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Today, I want smooth, and hot. Who else?…. Enjoy, ffolkes; he just keeps getting better as the years go by…. He was the very first artist I saw live on a stage in SF, back in 1968 or 69 (naturally, it’s all kind of blurry, exact-time-wise….); even then, he was not merely the best, he was the most uniquely himself, in every note he rips from his guitar, straight out of his soul…. He remains as unique today, 47 years later…. approximately…. What can I say, ffolkes? It was UC Berkeley, the year after the Summer of Love hit its zenith…. anyone who says they remember it in specific detail wasn’t really there…

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Santana Live
Las Vegas 2015

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https://youtu.be/6GzUFbWXLDc

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I had a nice quote from Ovid to rant on today, but, having bled out a poem last night, the driving force isn’t quite what it needs to be to do it right…. Here is a rant from 2013 about our old friends over at the NSA, those valiant guardians of your morals who so blithely steal information for their own paranoid purposes…. Enjoy!….

From 10/31/2013:

Well, I waited until now to begin ranting, which is probably a good thing. Perhaps this will be a bit more effective as a call to action than in the usual position, or wherever it’s been of late that has kept it from at least making me feel a bit better for having ranted…. What a mouthful! And so on topic, too! Gotta love us amateurs, eh?….

At any rate, I found this article yesterday, buried back a few pages, probably because everyone is so tired of hearing of yet ANOTHER outrageous instance of the NSA breaking the law, by once again going far beyond the scope of their legal mandate, in the ever-widening quest by our own government to become the true Evil Empire…. I know, that’s some pretty high-powered language to use to in discussing an agency of our own government, but, as always, I believe in calling a spade a damn shovel, not an indigenous individual digging device, type 2…. and you may as well get used to it….

These assholes over at the NSA have gone completely bonkers; they assumed that because they got practically all they wanted in the way of legal coverage by the administration, they may as well just go ahead and do whatever else they wanted, believing that the people who set them loose on the trail of ostensible terrorists would protect them from any critical attention and/or interference by something as mundane as the law, or the will of the people….. and, for a long time, they were justified in that belief…. But, now that their clandestine activities are being brought to light by that national hero, Eric Snowden, the rats are deserting their ship, and leaving them to their fate without any real support….

Talk around Washington is that the President is going to, belatedly, stop spying on the leaders of our allies, and will move to put limits on what the agencies are allowed to access in the data that is generated by the general public. This is a complete reversal, and I can only hope it is in response to the pressure put on them by the public’s obvious displeasure, and not as a temporary measure to appease while they figure out a diversion in some other area of the public venue, where they can cause some problem that will draw our attention away from this issue, allowing them to continue their illegal, but, in their eyes, oh so necessary theft of the people’s identities….

http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Report-NSA-broke-into-Yahoo-Google-data-centers-4939585.php

In the article, the most significant part of what is there, to my way of thinking, is that the companies involved say had no idea that they were being compromised, even though their own security measures are considered to be nearly impenetrable… Well, they SAY they had no idea; one must remember they ARE a corporation, and, thus, are very familiar with telling the public what they wish to hear….

However, it appears that the American and British spies went in, got their data, and left, without ever notifying Google, or Yahoo, of what they were taking, though such activities are still illegal, according to the laws in place…. (Not to mention rudeThe spying mandate they have doesn’t extend to what they stole, theoretically…. Of course, they can say they didn’t KNOW that, but, then, lying is their entire purpose, and the single most critical part of their entire modus vivendi, is it not?…. Even in the Art of War, Sun Tzu acknowledged the importance of the spy in warfare, calling them the most powerful of all types of warriors…

Of course it is, just as lying and cheating come naturally to anyone in a nationally elected office; it’s part of their job description these days, even if it is written in invisible ink….. Since Google, and Yahoo, and the other agencies that were hacked, are all corporations, and have pretty much the same characteristics as shown by the BRC pundits, (i.e., a tendency to lie at the drop of a cliche…), it’s a bit hard to tell who is more guilty here….

Is it Google and/or Yahoo, who are gathering all sorts of data about its users without their knowledge or permission (I don’t regard those passive advertisements that one can “control” what data is gathered by adjusting their “preferences” as real permission…. they take whatever data they want, and tell you about it later, if at all….)….? Or, is it the government spy agencies, who are stealing that same stolen data from the corporations, that fit the bill as the villain?

It should make for an interesting contest, to see how this fake argument plays out….. I mean, I can’t really believe that the BRC, who is controlled and supported by the corporations (go ahead, disprove that!….), will continue to try to take data from them without their knowledge. It’s more likely they are playing out this faux-dispute in the public venue in order to confuse the public about who is on their side in this issue… It seems to be working, as always, as the public is pretty much ignoring these latest revelations, and looking around for almost anything to take their minds elsewhere for a while… I’m almost interested, in a resigned, doubtful sort of way, to see just what they come up with next to draw the public’s attention off this issue…. Probably more to do with the recent roll-out of health care reform laws, which seems to be a hot button for a lot of people….

For me, all of it is dross and spittle…. I believe, absolutely, that if there is an official statement made by anyone in the government printed in the news, it needs to be examined in the light of what it is NOT saying, to ascertain about what it is lying, or what it is trying to hide by distraction, not merely for what it says…. Their motivation in making ANY public statement is manipulation of public attitudes; they’re not trying to make anything better. They lie, they leave stuff out, they point us in all kinds of useless directions, but they almost NEVER tell us what is actually going on, unless we’ve already caught them at it… In those cases, we see all sorts of backing and filling, as they come up with all sorts of “plausible deniability” in order to convince the public that their lies are really the truth…

What a crock! If it wasn’t so damn sad and depressing, it would be amusing…. SIGH… Enough is enough…. Stay alert, ffolkes, because they’re lying to you every day, and doing all they can to improve THEIR lot in life, not yours…. Let them know you’re on to them, at every opportunity…. If nothing else, it will make them nervous, which they deserve….

“You can fool all of the people some of the time; you can fool some of the people all of the time; and that should be sufficient for most purposes.” — Smart Bee, quoting from the true bible, used by both politicians and preachers…..

“The ideal robot, after all, is simply a properly processed human being.” — Edward Abbey

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Increments

Meaning fades to distant reality
while gazing at such triviality.
An insane world, where utter finality
is reward for disability.

Metaphorically, as a matter of course.

Moment to moment, passion blooms,
swells, and fades, swept by new brooms.
Bitter dreams catch fire in empty rooms,
waiting for broken time, which never resumes.

Superficially, with great force.

Dire wolves stand snarling at the door
called to existence from a distant moor;
discordant strains sound a mad, sad roar,
a dirge for those who went before.

Morbidly, without vital recourse.

Honest effort fades from human ken
until entropy finds home in every when.
Illusory fear inundates imagination, then
buries hope, in its own ashes, hidden.

Cruelly, absolutely no remorse.

Silence falls until it shatters the night.
The universe has refused the fight.
Illusion is now reality, such a fey sight.
Who has courage to live in the light?

Really? It could be worse.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/15/2016

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Naked Pearls

*********

“We pardon in the degree that we love.”

~~ Francis, Duc de La Rochefoucauld — Maxim 330 ~~

*********

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin,
but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”

~~ Harper Lee ~~

*********

“Purity engenders Wisdom,
Passion avarice,
and Ignorance folly, infatuation and darkness.”

~~ Bhagavad Gita (c. B.C. 400) ~~

*********

“Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain.
They steal your energy and keep you from love.”

~~ Leo F. Buscaglia ~~

*********

“Intellect annuls fate.
So far as a man thinks,
he is free.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*********

“There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.”

~~ Elie Wiesel ~~

*********

“A man’s happiness,–to do the things proper to man.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, viii, 26 ~~

*********

“Since everything in life is but an experience
perfect in being what it is,
having nothing to do with good or bad,
acceptance or rejection,
one may well burst out in laughter.”

~~ Long Chen Pa ~~

*********

“Nobody ever promised it would make sense…”

~~ Sarge ~~

*********

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Well, there you go. It’s a Pearl, and, a damn good one, too. Now we’ll see if reality can match my expectations. Since the odds on success are dead even, we’ll just leave it at that, & be on our way, so we can try again tomorrow… Hey, fresh poem, right? It will do. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if my calculations are correct….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Scrap all the intricate filigree…

Posted on February 13, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.”

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

The Original Angry Bird

Hajime….. Since we begin with a such a cogent quote from one of our society’s most prolific and long-lived bards, I’ll have to try to keep this within the parameters thus implied. We’ll see how that goes, what with insomnia, curmudgeonly reaction to same, and an extended period of cat training yesterday, I’m in a bit of an odd mood. Sometimes that works well to improve the results here; other times, not so much. Whichever it might be, we’ll use our advanced sage training to make it palatable…. You know, good & bad don’t exist but in our minds, that sort of thing…

Of course, that presupposes I have the chutzpah and general wherewithal to pull of that kind of advanced philosophizing; the hour of the day can affect that heavily. I guess I just wait for the correct moment to apply the fix; once I’ve got enough coffee on board, that should be an obvious jumping-off point we can use to our advantage, such as we may. Otherwise, what happens could turn on us, making it hard to cash your checks, er, get y’all home in one piece….

Having thus assured us all the bozoid tendencies upon which we rely are firmly in place, we can, I think…. no, make that we must, I think, get ourselves out of this convoluted mess I call an intro, and on to the oyster beds, before it gets any more slippery/slimy than it has already gone. In fact, I’m going to use one of the new tricks I found in another drawer in the Tardis…. It’s pretty cool; all it does is this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“To be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough;
the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.”

~~ Descartes ~~

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The Death of Socrates

Image from en.wikipedia.org via Google Images

Today’s video selection is not musical, but, rather a sublimation for ranting, as it were. The social phenomenon that is Last Week Tonight showed, in the recent past, how powerful a tool the internet and media can combine to fashion, a tool that can actually change the course of societal events. I’ve included a link to the show’s You Tube page, where about 50 or more of the episodes are listed; the one with which we begin is a recent show, dealing with some of the issues we are seeing in today’s news…. I won’t say enjoy; I will say, pay the fuck attention…. It’s all stuff you’ll do better for knowing….

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John Oliver
Last Week Tonight

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https://youtu.be/umqvYhb3wf4?list=PLmKbqjSZR8TbfAMV9bLy4beDh4vrze5kc

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“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Professor Bernardo de la Paz

I am not sure when I first read the above statements from the professor, but, I know it was before the age of twenty. Even then, it struck a deep chord of familiarity, as if it were something I had always known. For sure and for certain it is I have lived my life by this standard, ever since my earliest memories…. It may have come from my family environment, or, perhaps it’s just a lucky gift of nature; I don’t much care, nor, worry over how it came to be, for it has made my life, if nothing else, my own, which, as far as I can see, is pretty rare.

I have a feeling it came from my father and mother, who taught us about personal responsibility; this was enforced by having four siblings, all of whom insisted on their own brand of individuality. Since we had the example set by our parents to follow, we all learned to accept life as it came, without the more obvious problems that can arise…. Oh, not to say it was paradise; no Army family of seven is ever completely peaceful. But, none of us ever suffered injustice or dishonesty from anyone at home, which gave us armor against those dangers in the world away from home.

Having this ‘advantage’, it makes it easy for me to see how lacking such a background could cause problems for people, both as individuals, and for society at large…. But, having put off completing this piece too long, I no longer have the urge, or the time to explain that statement…. For today, and now, let it suffice to say, the lack of ability to take personal responsibility for one’s actions, without causing undue inner struggle or conflict, is the primary reason our species cannot seem to find any peace. I see this failure of morality/ethical training as our single most telling flaw, one which, if we do not/can not discover how to negate, will eventually kill us all.

As I see reality, we have a choice. We can change our ways, and assume the weight of responsibility for our acts, and find a way to survive the coming cataclysmic environmental events. Or, we can die, ignobly, as the poet said, not with a bang, but a whimper. To my mind, it is that simple. Not, by any means, a simple task, but, a simple choice…. I’m not sanguine about which choice we’ll make…. For now, here are a few pearls which speak to the matter, in their own way…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s easier than listening to another of my interminable rants….

“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits… For my part I would as soon be descended from [a] baboon… as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies … treats his wives like slaves … and is haunted by the grossest suspicions.” — Charles Darwin

“Despite its suffix, skepticism is not an “ism” in the sense of a belief or dogma. It is simply an approach to the problem of telling what is counterfeit and what is genuine. And a recognition of how costly it may be to fail to do so. To be a skeptic is to cultivate “street smarts” in the battle for control of one’s own mind, one’s own money, one’w own allegiances. To be a skeptic, in short, is to refuse to be a victim.” — Robert S. DeBear, “An Agenda for Reason, Realism, and Responsibility,” — New York Skeptic — (newsletter of the New York Area Skeptics, Inc.), Spring 1988

He’s not a politician. He’s just ethically challenged.” — Morality Bee

“Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.” — John Adams

“Humanity has in the course of time had to endure from the hands of science two great outrages upon its naive self-love. The first was when it realized that our earth was not the center of the universe, but only a speck in a world-system of a magnitude hardly conceivable… The second was when biological research robbed man of his particular privilege of having been specially created, and relegated him to a descent from the animal world.” — Sigmund Freud

Okay…. I’m feeling generous; five is enough…. We’ll speak on this again, trust me…. For now, go enjoy the poem….

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It’s been a while since we heard from this poet; it’s time…. Enjoy! He’s a bit crusty, but, always hits people where it counts….

air and light and time and space

‘-you know, I’ve either had a family, a job, something
has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have a place and
the time to
create.’
no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your
body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquakes, bombardment,
flood and fire.
baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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Today’s final pearl, old-school variety, is special, but, don’t ask me why. Instead, read it, let it percolate a bit, then, decide for yourself why I might say that. I even gave y’all a clue, at the top of the section. If you require it, call it homework, or a challenge. Anything you want….. I call it

Esoterica/Life at Large

“You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 596

“Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, viii, 51

“We are being educated when we know it least.” — David Gardner

“All conversations with a potato should be conducted in private.” — Wilner’s Observation

“The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.” — Shirley MacLaine

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” — Zen proverb

“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.” — Edward Abbey

“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.” — Antoine de Saint Exupery

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” — Anais Nin

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

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,
None but ourselves can free our minds.

~~ Bob Marley ~~

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What an ordeal! Suffice it to say, again, it’s done. It was such an ordeal, I’ll not bore you further, but, will take my leave, stage virtual. I will, however, leave you with the knowledge of my return, tomorrow, should Fate be kind…. Of course, we make our own Fate, so, well, you get the picture…. If nobody stops me, I’ll be back…. See ya…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Truck stop pastries for lunch & dinner….

Posted on January 31, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

The Spanish Arch ~ Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. Bilious clouds of noxious fumes rose up to obscure the hallway, as Perry Gomes carefully passed by the broken pipes, from which the gases were leaking. Perry thought to himself it wasn’t surprising, when two buses full of commuters crashed into each other, then bounced into the pumping station; a bit of damage was to be expected. Perry, who worked for the company which maintained the gas lines, was tasked with going into the mess to assess the damage. As he peered down the hallway, in the light of the near-useless flash, he could see something moving, thrashing about against the walls, smashing all in its path. “My God,” he thought, “it’s an intro to a Pearl! How will we ever fix that!”

No telling, actually. Perry’s obviously got his work cut out for him, and, since we are responsible for his being in the situation in the first place, we abandon him to his fate with some reluctance. However, should we wish to get today’s mess on the toad, we’ll need to ignore any and all distractions, just to find the wherewithal within to do so. Not an easy task when one is still wandering around in a creative daze, having just come up with yet another way to NOT write an actual introduction…. It’s a gift.

That said, and, thankfully, done, we’ll make our usual executive decision, and put the slow on the toad. We have no regrets, other than having again fallen into the royal ‘we’, just as if we had time to deal with it. Fuck it. I’m done with this. We are outta here, now…. Watch this!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself
is not to feel secure,
but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”

~~ Erich Fromm ~~

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

Today’s music is a nod to one of my blogging friends, who prefers to listen to his classical music played on the guitar. Here is the man who single-handedly brought this kind of music to the world’s awareness, back in the mid-twentieth century…. Considered to be the Master of the guitar, his expertise and artistry are legendary, for good reason…. Enjoy!….

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Andres Segovia
Classical Guitar

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https://youtu.be/uRz3AQx21y8

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Not only do I not have a rant ready, I don’t even feel like ranting. Go figure. At least, this way, I get to use my new icon again…. Here’s a short discussion & old-school pearl about the wisdom mankind pretty much ignores….

From 6/27/2014:

“Waste not the remnant of thy life in those imaginations touching other folk, whereby thou contributest not to the common weal.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iii, 4

I end up using a lot of quotes from Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, all of which seem to me to be pretty well-reasoned and insightful re: human nature, and ethical/moral behavior….. In fact, I find there are as many, or more, insightful, reasoned philosophers who lived before Christ was born… (not that I care that much, but, it’s the point in time our society has agreed upon to use as the basis for our calendar, thus making it the obvious, most convenient, and expedient, choice as a marker, in order to organize people into their time periods for reference and identification)…..

Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, Plato, Plutarch, Aristotle, Cato, the Elder and the Younger, Gautama Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and a host of others from all cultures in the world, passed their wisdom to us throughout the ages, and have always seemed to me to be superior in their reasoning to any of the more modern philosophers to whom I’ve been exposed….. which you will see reflected in the quotes you see here…. I have no apology for that, and don’t plan to change it, so, I hope y’all enjoy them, because they’re not going away…. In fact, I’m going to put together a pearl with parameters limiting it to quotes over 1500 years old, or more…. I would suggest you enjoy it, but, it’s not necessary with such classical wisdom to offer….

“Before enlightenment, one carries water and chops wood. After enlightenment, one carries water and chops wood.” — Zen Proverb

“Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 191

“…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.” — Erasmus

“As surgeons keep their instruments and knives always at hand for cases requiring immediate treatment, so shouldst thou have thy thoughts ready to understand things divine and human, remembering in thy every act, even the smallest, how close is the bond that unites the two.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iii, 13

“Nothing made the horse so fat as the king’s eye.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Of the Training of Children

“He is a fool who lets slip a bird in the hand for a bird in the bush.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Of Garrulity

“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)

(Oops! Sorry, that slipped in there due to appending to the clipboard, rather than overwriting…. but, it’s kinda cool, I think, so, it can stay…. just ignore it after reading, and go on to the final pearl, which you see in its designated place, right down there on the line below this….)

“It behooves a prudent person to make trial of everything before arms.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Act iv, Sc. 7, 19, (789.)

Since we were so rudely interrupted by Hunter’s oh-so-poignant observation of reality, I’ll add one more, to show that the ancients possessed as subtle a sense of humor as any modern pundit, for sure and for certain….

“Anaximander used to assert that the primary cause of all things was the Infinite,–not defining exactly whether he meant air or water or anything else.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Anaximander, ii

Well, a bit disjointed, but, it works for me…. So be it…. gigoid has spoken

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Off the proverbial cuff….

I never meant to kill that period of time,
it didn’t give me any choice.
It tried to hem me in without reason, or rhyme,
refused me any vote, or any voice.

You have to admit, I buried it deep and fast,
just as if I cared.
I knew, though, it would never last,
or ever be fully repaired.

No news, no pictures can bring it back,
once is all we get.
No pleas of public good, or even public lack;
in stone the past is set.

Futuristic visions now occupy my dreams,
I’m ready to go on.
Look! It fills up the screen, and it gleams!
Where’s the moment I’m sitting on?

Now, I remembered, at long, long last,
is all we really can hold.
Every moment goes by so bloody fast,
we’d best fill them all with beauty, warm and bold.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/30/2013

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It’s old-school, and, classic; seven stars of virtual wisdom, all about being human…. such as we are….

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” — Vernon Sanders Law

“‘Casting Out Fear’ ought to be the motto over every school door.” — A.S. Neill

“Don’t ask of your friends what you yourself can do.’ — Quintus Ennius

“I exist as I am, that is enough.” — Walt Whitman

“Anacharsis said a man’s felicity consists not in the outward and visible favours and blessings of Fortune, but in the inward and unseen perfections and riches of the mind.” — Plutarch, The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men, 11

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

“Though nothing can bring back the moments of splendor in the grass, of glory of the flower, we will grieve not . . .” — Wordsworth “Intimations of Immortality”

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

I have fulfilled my chosen duty. I’m tired, and Leelu wants her play time, in her new cat tower. Therefore, without further nonsense, I shall bid thee adieu for another day. Hope yours goes well; I’m planning on hiding today, so I can avoid any jail time. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the warrants don’t come through….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Drifting pieces of abject devotion….

Posted on January 29, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

Guarding her flock of toys/prey….

Hajime…. I would call today’s Pearl a bit eclectic, but, that might be dignifying it more than it deserves. Given the extra time it took to complete it, one might think it would be better; so much for that idea. Smart Bee was more than a little reluctant to cooperate, not to mention the mitigating circumstance of my own lack of chutzpah during the process. It did, however, get done, so, we’ll refrain from any further complaining, which would only detract even further from any value there might be to be found today….. Hmph.

Disgruntled, I am. Yoda-ish, too. Fortunately, I also have the wherewithal to make decisions on my own behalf, which, today, may be our only hope of getting anywhere at all. In fact, I have a feeling if I don’t make it right now, I may just blow this whole deal…. I don’t usually give in to unreasonable fears, but, hey, there’s always something, right? So they say, anyway, and, I’m taking them at their word today…. Here’s how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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

Jorma Kauknonen

Image from wikiwand.com via Google Images

Jorma Kauknonen is probably a new name for many of my Gentle Readers, though not all, I am sure. One of the finest guitarists to come out of the hippie era in San Francisco, he was an integral figure in the development of rock & roll into what it is today. As lead guitarist for first, the Jefferson Airplane, then Starship, and Hot Tuna, he set a standard for musicianship reached by few….. This takes a bit of time to get going, but, believe me, he rocks…. Enjoy!….

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

Jorma Kaukonen

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

https://youtu.be/GK9bPsHtJ3I

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

Here is one of my first rants on the subject I have tagged The Plague of Evil….. Not to worry, it’s short, and my writing wasn’t up to current standards…. but, the message is clear…..

From 10/29/2012:

“Abolition of a woman’s right to abortion, when and if she wants it, amounts to compulsory maternity: a form of rape by the State.” — Edward Abbey

This is a difficult pearl to write, as it turns out….. I’ve been cutting and pasting it ahead now for a week or two, trying to get past the anger I feel whenever I think about the number of asshole men who actively perpetrate the oppression of women in our society, a number far too large for my taste, and one I hope to make smaller before I leave this world…. one way or another.

I’d prefer to have them listen to me, and consider what I say to them, and subsequently change their ways…. but, if it takes more than that, say, the judicious application of brute force upon their person, well, I hope to be able to oblige them…. because, in my world, any man who is cowardly enough to try to assume his delusional superiority over women deserves whatever they get from other men, as well as from women strong enough to fight back….

“You’re a very strong woman… Though this would be a traumatic experience that you would never forget, I think that you would be very successful in
life.” — Senator Dan Quayle telling an 11-year-old girl — why he would want her to have the baby if she were raped by her father, 10/18/88 (reported in Esquire, 8/92)

Note, please that this quote from the Quail was made 20 years ago…. yet, the Republican party includes this very atrocity as a part of its platform…. disguised of course, and never directly addressed, or even obliquely alluded to, but, these attitudes are just the same now as they were then; perhaps even worse.

A very similar statement, just one of several in the same vein, was made in the last couple of weeks by a currently running candidate for the Senate, and the R/R ticket has steadfastly refused to speak out against what the man said…. or about any of the other statements by the low-class misogynists now inhabiting the entire Republican party. In fact, Lyin’ Ryan is already on record as having made the same assertion as Mr. Quayle did in 1988, earlier in this year’s campaign.

“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life — the children; those who are in the twilight of life — the aged; and those who are in the shadows of life — the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” — Hubert Humphrey

These asinine fools would have us believe that their entire concern in this issue is for the fetus…. when in reality it is their own sexual insecurities that they are protecting, by taking the decision about any such matters, involving women’s health, out of the hands of the women involved, and putting it in the hands of men, who are deathly afraid of the women’s sexuality, because they automatically feel inferior…. This creates the reaction of rage, or anger, which always covers our fears, and these cowards in men’s clothing cover it all by spouting their lies and insanity even more….

I find at this point that I must bring this to a (temporary) end…. I am not paying attention to the lesson of today’s first section, and my anger at these assholes is getting to the point where I want to put away the computer and pick up my stick, to go looking for a few of them to bludgeon until some of my anger is released. That, while satisfying in the short run, would no doubt lead to complications I’m not prepared to accept, so….. But, I’ll be back to this subject, be sure…. I need to ask all those women out there who are supporting Romney and Ryan just when it was they lost their minds….

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

When life calls, ready or not….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

9/10/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Odd Bits of Truth

*********

“A good laugh is sunshine in a house.”

~~ William Makepeace Thackeray ~~

*********

“All the magick of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.”

~~ Magi ~~

*********

“Not every truth is the better for showing its face undisguised;
and often silence is the wisest thing for a man to heed.”

~~ Pindar ~~

*********

“We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.”

~~ Eric Hoffer ~~

*********

“Aristotle was once asked what those who tell lies gain by it.
Said he, “That when they speak truth they are not believed.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Aristotle, xi ~~

*********

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

~~ Essays: First Series (1841) “Self-Reliance” ~~

*********

“It is the edge and temper of the blade
that make a good sword,
not the richness of the scabbard;
and so it is not money or possessions
that make man considerable,
but his virtue.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*********

“The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 511 ~~

*********

“The more you love, the more you can love
—and the more intensely you love.
Nor is there any limit on how many you can love.”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

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

All I can say today is, we’ll be back tomorrow, with a greater effort, if not superior results…. Of course, given this one, getting better shouldn’t e too difficult…. I’ll be back, ffolkes. You can take it as a threat, a promise, a warning, or, a joke…. take your pick. I’ll be here, regardless….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The thirteenth of always….

Posted on January 26, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If we find what is unique to each day,
we will have freshness
and the greatest fulfillment possible.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

Where’s my lap?….

Hajime…. There are days here at ECR when we have to trust the process; today is such a day. The Pearl is done, such as it is. It’s been a tough night, and morning, due to the night; ’nuff said on that, so, we’ll leave it in the past. Moving on, we have an archived politirant from 2013, unproofed, so it may be a bit pedantic, as I’ve learned a bit about writing since then. There’s a decent poem, and a decent old-school pearl. The music is a nod to the weather being suffered this winter by our friends in the Eastern US & Canada…. Thus, as you see, done, but for the blurb here, and at the end….

So be it. We’re gonna let it fly, as is….. This is how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“There is nothing a man can do to guarantee success,
but there is nothing that can defeat him if he won’t give up.”

~~ Greg Praino ~~

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

The Original Parrot Head

Today’s music is for those Gentle Readers locked into their homes by the snow this winter…. Changes in latitudes, as this man knows, results in changes in attitudes…. Hopefully, this will warm y’all up a bit…. Enjoy your trip to the tropics….

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

Jimmy Buffet
Live in Anguilla

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

https://youtu.be/yR8FvDDhBv0

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

Running late again, so, here is a politirant from the archives…. I have not re-proofed it, so it’s liable to be a trifle pedantic; it’s a gift….It’s also just a filler, ffolkes; if you decide to skip it, I won’t be hurt….. Disappointed, as, in the process of moving what I’ve been working on, I lost all of it…. C’est la fucking vie…. Try to enjoy this one, if you can, while I weep in the background….

From 3/7/2013:

“It is useless for sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion.” — William Ralph Inge, D. D. 1860 – 1954

I’ve seen this little statement before, and like it a lot, for its honesty in describing our Beloved Ruling Class in relation to the flock of sheep that comprises most of mankind. And, yes, this is the beginning of another politirant….. This one is prompted by the most recent activities that our leaders, if such word applies, have been shown to be engaged in by the news outlets I watch…. to wit: the legislation under review and up for vote in the House of Reps that is concerned with the economy, to wit: the “sequester”, and the recent comments by the POTUS re: global warming and climate change…. Let’s see what we can note about these issues, shall we?….

I have noticed that the Congress, and the POTUS, are currently at odds, as usual, over the economy, and arguing over how to address an issue over which they have absolutely no control…. I just don’t get it, actually…. There is no evidence whatsoever that anything the government does, or has ever done, about the economy has any effect at all on it…. none. Zero. Zilch. Nada damn thing…. The economy of the world, or even just this nation, is not subject to any manipulation by us; it’s too big, too amorphous…. It’s like trying to herd cats…. a lot of effort for small results, and you end up with a bunch of pissed off felines… If you know anything about cats, you will realize that this is never a good thing….

Yet, because the public demands that something be done, the politicians start their idiotic posturing, pontificating, and, otherwise polluting the airwaves with nonsensical suggestions as to what should be done to fix the problems. NONE of those ever work, nor will they ever work; the economy does not move according to any rules that we can control, or even know, and any action we take is just as liable to have a bad effect as a good one….. But, the public wants the government to fix it, so they try to make noises as if they actually could do something helpful, when in fact, anything they do is as liable to hurt as to help….. Sad, but, true as the day is long….

It’s actually kind of fun watching the contortions they go through for issues such as this; since I know for a fact that none of it will have any real effect on the issue, I can enjoy the parade without worrying about whether it will actually do anything useful…. It is a bit depressing to watch, since I am aware of just how little can be done, but, the show can be entertaining, and it does pass the time… The depressing part is knowing that the public is actually buying all of what they are saying, and really do expect something to change for the better… But, then, I am always amazed at the depth of human stupidity. I don’t know why, as I KNOW how dumb people can be… I am one, you know…. but, it always is a surprise to see just how deeply that stupidity is ingrained in the human condition…

Of course, this stupidity is part and parcel of why we are experiencing the second issue I mentioned above… global warming and overpopulation. I will be very interested to see exactly how the POTUS intends to address the issue, as he has promised to do, several times now since his inauguration. Since the issue is well advanced beyond the point that most people think it is, it will be a telling factor in deciding how seriously the issue is being taken, and whether or not it will have any chance at all of being either enough, or soon enough… Both of these are critical factors, as the point of no-return for the ecological balance of this planet is so near, it may have already been passed some months ago…..

I’m not sure how scientifically minded many of y’all are, but, I am… scientifically minded, that is, and I can tell you without fear of contradiction (from anyone with any reliable scientific knowledge, anyway….) that the atmosphere of this planet is, without doubt, and without evidence to the contrary, on the very edge of becoming unbreathable for humans…. The millions of tons of carbon monoxide and other toxic substances that are being pumped into the air EVERY SECOND, and that has been pumped in now for over a hundred years, has reached the point where it will begin a process of leaching oxygen from the air, and the balance of gases we need to survive will change, hell, IS changing, and fairly rapidly, until it is no longer of a balance that we can safely breathe… This is scientific FACT, not speculation, not a guess.. the process has already begun, the only question remaining is, how quickly will it happen?

“In the game of life you get to choose where you keep your brain – heads you win, tails you lose.” — Smart Bee

So, we’ll see where the POTUS keeps his brain, as he speaks in the next few days about this issue… Whatever he decides to do, you can bet that it won’t be enough, and it won’t make a damn bit of difference, other than in a few Presidential approval polls, perhaps. After all, even though he is a fairly reform oriented politician, he is still a politician, and you can lay good money, without fear of losing, on the fact that whatever he does is designed to benefit him and his Presidency, and any benefit for the public is a secondary concern….

He IS a politician, after all, and his primary concern is for his own success; it’s NOT the welfare of the people… He has merely discovered that being the “People’s Champion” is currently a good political stance to take…. if it ever becomes too itchy a coat to wear, he will take it off in a heartbeat…. Count on it…. You don’t get to that level of the game without being a complete asshole in some respects, and I don’t think anyone who WANTS to be President can be accused of not being ambitious, and, in the process, sociopathic….

“No people in the world ever did achieve their freedom by goody-goody talk and moral suasion: it being immutable law that all revolutions that will succeed, must begin in blood, whatever the answer afterward. If history teaches anything, it teaches that.” — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)

In this case, we aren’t talking about freedom, unless by that one means, freedom to stay alive…. and the BRC isn’t going to do anything about it, I don’t believe…. Or, rather, I’ll believe it when I see it, and, so far, no dice in that respect. I’m enough of a cynic to believe, sadly, that it isn’t GOING to happen, either… because I don’t believe that the POTUS, or the rest of the BRC, gives a damn about the rest of us, as long as they have their own….. This much is obvious from history, but, when did mankind at large ever pay any attention to history?….

If you have some evidence that contradicts that belief, I would dearly love to see it…. Truly, I would, because, quite frankly, my own intelligence, and the evidence I have now, forces me to conclude that we humans are shortly about to come to a bad end…. not with a bang, not with a whimper, but, choking to death in our own planet’s toxic air, victims to our own stupidity, and cupidity….

Daniel: “We’re damned if we do, we’re damned if we don’t; we need other options…” — from Stargate

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

Serendipity Morning

My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.

Love hovers, always patient,
   seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
   only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
   heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..

~~ gigoid ~~

4/1/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Lesser Known Stuff re: Life at Large

***********

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

~~ Aristotle ~~

***********

“I think it’s good that everyone becomes food.”

~~ Hobbes ~~

***********

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe,
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings
as something separated from the rest,
a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison,
restricting us to our personal desires
and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free from this prison
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole nature in its beauty.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

***********

“I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years,
and I’m happy, Doctor, I finally won out over it.”

~~ Elwood P. Dowd ~~
~~ played by Jimmy Stewart in Harvey, 1950. ~~

***********

“A man makes no noise over a good deed,
but passes on to another
as a vine to bear grapes again in season.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, v, 6 ~~

***********

“In handling a stinging insect, move very slowly.”

~~ Lazurus Long ~~

***********

“Character is that which can do without success.”

~~ Emerson ~~

***********

“An infinite universe presents infinite examples of unreasoned acts,
often capricious and threatening,
godlike in their mystery.
Without god-powers, conscious reasoning
cannot explore and make this universe absolutely known;
there must remain mysteries beyond what is explained.
The only reason in this universe is that which you,
in your ungodlike hubris, project onto the universe.
In this, you retain kinship with your most primitive ancestors.”

~~ Raja Flattery, “The Jesus Incident”, Frank Herbert ~~

***********

“The worst fear is the fear of living.”

~~ Theodore Rosevelt ~~

***********

“Entropy requires no maintenance.”

~~ Amanda Walker ~~

***********

“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.”

~~ Ancient Human Wisdom ~~

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

As noted in the intro, we’re trusting the process today; this means I’ll be out of touch a while, to forgo any unpleasantness, should this prove to be less acceptable than we calculated. Ah, well; so be it. My Gentle Readers can take anything; they do, after all, hang out here…. As for me, well, we’ll try this again tomorrow, to see if we can’t find some elegance or actual literature in there somewhere…. Until then, y’all try to stay strange, because it’s cool out there…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Turning four into seven….

Posted on January 24, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The absurd is the essential concept of the first truth.”

~~ Albert Camus, “The Myth of Sisyphus” (1955) ~~

No, ffolkes, it isn’t a myth….

Hajime…. Don’t worry, we’re not going to jump straight into Camus’ world first thing. Hell, I’m coffee deficient; it’s a wonder I can type. No, I figured we could just wander around in my head for a bit, little as there is to see in there at the moment. Before I started to type, I had a vision of opening with a fantasy paragraph, but, that sort of went south with Camus; it takes away some of the shine of having a thought at all, but, hey, we do what we must, right?

“Forever,” she smiled, “is just long enough.” Gazing into her eyes, he knew he’d come home….

There…. How’s that? What, you may ask, the hell is it? Easy, it’s the last line of a romance novel I’m never going to write, because having to fill in the stuff leading up to such a trite ending would probably reverse all the good work I’ve done the last four years in keeping myself sane…. Oh, not that I have anything against romance novels, or romance… It’s just a bit sappy, don’t you think? A nice ending, but, sappy, for sure….

Hmm… I would say that’s probably enough wandering around, if such is any indication of how it’s going to go, wouldn’t y’all? I suppose it would also be good if I gave up on the rhetorical questions, since nobody else is actually here to answer them, if a rhetorical question even needed one. Now we’ve stumbled over into nonsense, it’s definitely time to go. No fooling, and no fooling around; we’re using the Tardis, now….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

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

One of my blogging friends turned me on to this series of videos, in a comment left on yesterday’s post. After watching it, I had to go get it for today’s post, just because it is, well, excellent….. Uplifting, cerebral, absolutely wonderful…. and, there are more where this came from…. Check it out, ffolkes, this is definitely grand craic….

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

Symphony Of Science
‘We Are All Connected’

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

https://youtu.be/XGK84Poeynk

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

Okay, I admit it. I’m lazy. It’s not something I worry about, because I also know the meaning and value of work; duty after all requires action to fulfill. But, all truly smart ffolkes are lazy, for that is how they have spent much of their life, thinking of ways to make stuff easier, faster, or more efficient in some new way, in order to simplify their life…. Well, that’s how it works for me, anyway. It was good enough for me to have been valedictorian in school, without appearing to break a sweat….

That said, to no good purpose, I’m sure, the following is a relatively short discussion of courage, from a couple years ago, on a day I went for a stroll through my psyche, again, in the intro section. It’s pretty interesting, if not good, so, it will do for today’s mess…. I like it, and, it’s all damn straight, IMHO…. but,then, I did write it….

From 2/25/2014:

Terrible things could happen now…. they could, you know. And, should they happen, we’ll deserve every second we experience of mind-numbing, soul-chilling, petrifying terror, because, hey, we’re the ones who left the door wide open, inviting it to enter our domain, bringing with it our ultimate doom…. Yes, it’s our own damn fault, and we will know the truth of the matter, because we have been warned, having previously been given wisdom such as this….

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” — Albert Einstein

This is not new wisdom, that we’ve never before seen or suspected; history has provided us with innumerable instances proving the truth of this aphorism….. Time after time throughout our short span of existence on this world, we find examples of men or women who had prior knowledge of an issue, and, by their silence, allowed it to take place, to the detriment of all…. It doesn’t make it right, but, it is certainly not an uncommon issue for mankind…. Such issues are not, perhaps, of those we are given by Reality, our favorite gifts, …. In fact, many don’t look on this, or any knowledge, as gifts, and THAT is a big part of the entire problem….

Our problem is a failure of spirit, that has to do with a basic virtue, one that has been claimed as the basis for all other virtues; without this characteristic, none of our finer qualities are ever seen in the light of day…. That pillar upon which all other virtue rests, then, is Courage…. Yes, plain and simple, courage….

I have found, in my fairly long life, most of mankind, I’m afraid, are cowards…. I’m not an exception, though it IS something I’ve worked hard to mitigate…. Fear is a hard thing for most of us to admit, even though it isn’t considered abnormal; its strength, with the way it causes us to lose control, frightens us… However, that is also its saving grace, as the guilt one feels, for having given in to it, can, and does, stimulate us to greater effort, whereupon we can find that courage within ourselves, the next time we are in danger of giving in…. This is how almost everything we do, and have done, of an ethical nature, ever gets done…. because someone discovers they DO have the courage to act when there is danger to themselves, or to those for whom they care…..

That is what it takes, you see…. No virtuous act can ever take place, unless good people have the courage to act in the face of the Evil that exists, in spite of the fear they feel in the presence of that Evil. If they don’t summon, or find somewhere with themselves, the courage to act ethically, or morally, if that is needed, then Evil has free rein to let itself out to play in human affairs, to the detriment of us all….

Each of us has to find that courage within ourselves, the courage to put aside our fear, to carry on with what we know to be right, even though expediency and comfort are left behind in such cases…. Living with honor and integrity is never the easiest path we can take; it is always fraught with danger, because it doesn’t avoid evil, because it’s too hard, but, rather, confronts it, endeavoring to deal with it in a straightforward, upright fashion…. thus, preserving one’s own honor, when forced to have truck with what always leaves us feeling a bit dirty….

Now that we have wandered so far afield this morning, I’m not sure what will happen to this Pearl…. Minor ranting isn’t uncommon in the intro, but, I do try to limit it to no more than eight or ten paragraphs, so we don’t take forever to get into just the first section…. a resolution which, this morning, is NOT unfolding according to plan…. Allow me to sum up, and get on with it, if you will…

All of what I wrote above is true and complete, to the best of my knowledge, and constitutes a fairly accurate assessment of today’s situation here on planet Earth…. Evil is out there, ffolkes; when we… that’s you, and me…. fail to stand up to it, look it in the eye, and tell it to “fuck off, you bloody sod!”, it will continue to manifest its existence, causing untold pain and suffering for us all…. So, be brave, ffolkes, and don’t let Evil have its way without at least some token resistance, ‘kay?…. “Kay!…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

“Asked what he gained from philosophy, he answered, “To do without being commanded what others do from fear of the laws.”” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi

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

Soliloquy Of The Solipsist

I?
I walk alone;
The midnight street
Spins itself from under my feet;
When my eyes shut
These dreaming houses all snuff out;
Through a whim of mine
Over gables the moon’s celestial onion
Hangs high.

I
Make houses shrink
And trees diminish
By going far; my look’s leash
Dangles the puppet-people
Who, unaware how they dwindle,
Laugh, kiss, get drunk,
Nor guess that if I choose to blink
They die.

I
When in good humor,
Give grass its green
Blazon sky blue, and endow the sun
With gold;
Yet, in my wintriest moods, I hold
Absolute power
To boycott any color and forbid any flower
To be.

I
Know you appear
Vivid at my side,
Denying you sprang out of my head,
Claiming you feel
Love fiery enough to prove flesh real,
Though it’s quite clear
All you beauty, all your wit, is a gift, my dear,
From me.

~~ Sylvia Plath ~~

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

All simple, powerful statements today, about how to approach this world of complexity in which we find ourselves…. All good to know stuff, ffolkes; nothing too deep, just right out there to see…

“I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.” — H. L. Mencken

“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes, rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.” — Aristotle

“The materials of action are variable, but the use we make of them should be constant.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD), How Nobleness of Mind may be consistent with Prudence, Discourses, Book ii, Chap. v

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right actions arises by itself?” — Lao Tzu

“Reality is not a constant.” — Subtle Bee

“Learning is ever in the freshness of its youth, even for the old.” — Aeschylus, “Agamemnon”, 584

“I leapt headlong into the sea, and thereby have become better acquainted with the soundings, the quicksands, and the rocks, than if I had stayed upon the green shore, and piped a silly song, and took tea and comfortable advice.” — John Keats

“For a man can lose neither the past nor the future; for how can one take from him that which is not his? So remember these two points: first, that each thing is of like form from everlasting and comes round again in its cycle, and that it signifies not whether a man shall look upon the same things for a hundred years or two hundred, or for an infinity of time; second, that the longest lived and the shortest lived man, when they come to die, lose one and the same thing.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, ii, 14

“But if a man happens to find himself … he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.” — James Michener

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

Shoot, this is getting too easy. I guess I’ll have to go back to sweating over this in the mornings…. Nah, I sweat enough, of that I have no doubt. On that odd note, I’ll leave this be, lest any further fussing cause it to fall apart altogether. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should there be sufficient reason to warrant such arrogance…. No doubt there will be….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Montezuma’s second mistake….

Posted on January 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Ignorance of one’s misfortunes is clear gain.”

~~ Euripides ~~

By any other name….

Hajime…. I kinda like this getting done ahead stuff; sure makes this part easier, not having to do it under the pressure of deadline. It takes a bit of creative scheduling, to get it done in between bouts of cat training & being trained by a cat, but, it seems to be working okay. As long as I can keep from talking to bureaucrats too often on the phone, it may even prove to be a workable routine altogether…. Bonus for me, and for Leelu, as she likes status quo, to a certain extent….

Today’s Pearl is a good one, even with an archived rant in the middle section…. The music makes all of it more palatable, believe me…. Just let it play while you read, and it will go down nice and smooth. Trust me. Have I ever failed you? No, of course not. After all, I do get to proof this before it goes out; I find that to be very useful for sticking to the truth, as it gives me time to find & have available any evidence for my assertions. Always handy to have the truth on one’s side, isn’t it?

Not that I’m not human; I’d lie to you for good reason. But, my concept of good, and that of most, differ widely, and, I also provide the opportunity to challenge. As a habit, I will also usually tell you when something is suspect, usually accompanied by a disclaimer, such as “fair warning”…. Then, of course, there’s the nonsense which trips so elegantly from my mind onto the screen for your perverse entertainment, but, we won’t worry about applying any standards to that…. Willie Wonka wouldn’t approve….

Okay, we’ve touched enough bases to have completely stalled the game, so, let’s be off to the oyster beds…. I think we’ll use this old-fashioned method to get us down the page, which looks like this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“War would end if the dead could return.”

~~ Stanley Baldwin ~~

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

Joan Baez in 2014

Image from YouTube.com via Google Images

My musical preferences, as well as my political and cultural perceptions, were influenced greatly by this woman, as is most likely true of many people my age. Her voice, always regarded as one of the purest vocal instruments ever heard, can move from range to range, and melody to melody, with the ease of a slow-moving river, taking the listener’s emotions along for the ride, just from the power of what is heard…. Often, the words don’t matter, though, to be sure, she sang songs that made a big difference in the culture of the time, songs which continue to influence music today…. A legend for good reason, she is, simply, one of the very best singers ever to have raised voice….

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

Joan Baez Live

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

https://youtu.be/prv-jMSQ3cs

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

A new piece is in the works, sort of, but, nowhere near being ready. Hence, the following politirant from the archives, simply because I can, and it bears repeating…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this is one of my better pieces, if only for the tone…. Plus, it kinda goes with the music selection for the day….

From 3/2/2013:

“He who imitates evil always goes beyond the limits of the example, whereas he who imitates what is good, always falls short.” — Confucius

Perfect! If ever a quote could be applied to fit one group of people, this one would; it fits the folks who occupy elected office in this country like the proverbial glove. Ooh! Ooh! Here’s another one…

“Ignorance: When you don’t know something and somebody finds it out.” — Jethro Burns

Okay, that’s a good start…. Now, we all know that politicians lie to us…. It’s what we’ve taught them to do, by our calm acceptance of all the other lies they’ve told, from the very beginning. We expect them to lie… then, when we catch them at it, there is this huge public outcry, as if it had never happened before. Sometimes, the behavior of the American public toward the political beast reminds me of a shark…. to wit: no memory of the past to slow down their willingness to rush into dangerous situations….. For millions of years, sharks and dolphins have lived together in the oceans. For just about all that time, whenever a shark attacks a dolphin, it gets killed, unless the dolphin is injured in some way, or, it is a baby inadvertently left alone. Always, if things are even, the shark dies, because the dolphins are smarter, and faster swimmers.

After millions of years, you would think the sharks might learn to let them alone, but, they don’t, which is evidence of their lack of ability to learn. The American voting public has the same problem…. they never learn to expect to be lied to, and always seem surprised to learn that their elected officials are, shall we say, less than perfectly honest? It, quite frankly, drives me nuts…. What is it about people that does that to them? Why are they so unwilling to use the mind that sits between their ears, rather than just carrying it around from toilet to toilet, which is all most folks seem to do with it? (Almost forgot it was a question….) I wish I knew….

“There is one way to find out if a man is honest–ask him. If he says yes, you know he is crooked.” — Groucho Marx

I’m starting to feel a bit of anger, actually, and I have a hard time not letting it out on the voting public, the idiots. But, it really isn’t all their fault, as the people who run for office are the ones who are actively imitating evil, and, obviously, exceeding the limits of their example. And the voting public can’t help never being able to quite reach the good for which they reach. This is why I get angry about it…. The folks who run for office tell the public they are going to work for the people when they are elected; we all know they are lying, but we elect them anyway. Now, how stupid is that? Pretty stupid, in my book…..

On the one hand, the stupidity displayed by the politicians is deliberate, in its adherence to principles of theft and prevarication; on the other hand, the stupidity displayed by the voting public is, perhaps, not deliberate, but at minimum, misguided, and, ultimately, just as evil, in placing its trust in evil people. In the dispassionate view held by the universe, stupid is as stupid does, and the sentence of death is the same for both types of stupidity, deliberate and unconscious. It doesn’t care about why, it only looks at results….

What can be done about this? Not a damn thing…. Not only do I find that most people are unconsciously stupid, but they are stubborn about it, even when it is clear how being stupid is hurting them. Rather than use their minds to find a new way of dealing with these issues, they retreat into platitudes and dogma, and run right back out to vote for another idiot who promises them manna from heaven, or, more accurately, from Washington D.C. If confronted with their idiocy, they become even more stubborn, as they are unwilling to accept they might be wrong, and refuse to either examine any evidence of being wrong, or, will deny its existence altogether.

The politicians, who choose to live in stupidity, by lying and cheating and stealing from their own people, don’t even WANT to choose otherwise. Why should they? They’ve got it easy, with a ready supply of host bodies on which to practice their symbiotic parasitism, a body that not only accepts all their lies, but encourages them to even further depredations with their complete acquiescence with whatever the politicos want. All the politicians have to say is that the public is in danger, from this, that, or the other, and the public will allow them to do whatever they choose, as long as they feel safe from whatever fictional fantasy they have been told is dangerous…..

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift; the rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” — Albert Einstein

It’s an interesting spectacle to observe from the sidelines, but it arouses in me a strong feeling of sadness, with the anger underlying, as I watch, day after day, as so many millions of foolish people get taken advantage of by a few assholes. It definitely makes me want to buy a gun, even though I would only use it if pressed; I have a feeling I may get pressed some day, if I continue to make noise about all this.

I’m fairly well protected thus far by a lack of notoriety; the BRC and the PTB aren’t going to worry about me until I have an audience a lot larger than a couple of hundred folks, of which perhaps fifty regularly read my work. If what I am saying began to gain popularity, and was being read by millions, I’d be in danger; until then, I’m as safe as I can make myself with the tools at hand… which, if I say so myself, are not entirely inconsequential…. If I said any more, I’d be giving away my precautions, and that wouldn’t do, so, just rest assured… I am ready to deal with anything short of assault weapons, with what I have on hand…..

“Many, if not all, of my presidential opponents are certifiable idiots.” — Miriam Defensor Santiago — The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1993

See? I’m not completely alone! Actually, if you pay close attention, you will note this was uttered by a politician, about their peers, so it really doesn’t count as support of what I’m saying here. What, exactly am I saying here? Hmm, okay, since I’ve already written about 1200 words or so on this, it’s a good place to wind it up…. so, here goes…

Ffolkes, you are being lied to, daily, and hourly, by those who have been elected to office to look out for your interests. I hate to tell you, but those folks never intended to do anything of the sort. So, it would be a good thing if everybody in this country would OPEN THEIR FUCKING EYES AND GET A DAMN CLUE!!!!!….. I don’t think I can say it any clearer than that….. That’s all, for now…..

“Ignorance kills daily. “

~~ Smart Bee ~~

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

Raging at Aging

As old as you feel, we are told, is old as you are,
custom assures such vision will carry us far.
Reality begs to differ, may it be so bold
it is really quite painful, and very, very cold.

The power and strength felt in our halcyon youth
desert us with age, yet another unwelcome truth.
Irony rules our time here on this bountiful earth
as we reflect the changes over time since our birth.

As physical powers fade from this fragile shell,
we learn our mind can serve us quite as well.
The strength that once filled our bones and hearts
is now applied by our will, to more arcane arts.

Life’s greatest gift is our freedom of choice
no matter how often we forget, we still get a voice.
Energy, or apathy, by our will we may choose,
failing to do so, our only way to lose.

Each of us lives in the grip of time and space,
always seeking our balance, our own chosen place.
One must accept reality, for it is true at the core,
all we can do, is all we can do, and nothing more.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/17/2012

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

Today’s final pearl is a nine-star classic style, speaking in the usual obscure way of how to look at, and approach, the complex issue of living in a complex universe as humans…. whatever THAT means…. Enjoy, ffolkes; this one, if used correctly, will end up making you feel okay about it all….

“Look round the habitable world: how few
Know their own good, or knowing it, pursue.”

~~John Dryden — Juvenal, Satire x ~~

“Words form the thread on which we string our experiences.” — Aldous Huxley, The Olive Tree

“The weather-cock on the church spire, though made of iron, would soon be broken by the storm wind if it did not understand the noble art of turning to every wind.” — Heinrich Heine

“One must learn by doing the thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.” — Sophocles

“The bow too tensely strung is easily broken.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 388

“Honesty isn’t any policy at all; it’s a state of mind or it isn’t honesty.” — Eugene L’Hote

“All life is a conjugation of the verb “to eat”” — Subtle Bee

“If the name is not correct, the words will not ring true.” — Confucius

There are places I remember all my life,
though some have changed,
some forever, not for better,
some have gone and some remain.
All these places had their moments
with lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life I’ve loved them all.

~~ The Beatles ~~

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

Well, that went well. But, then, it had little choice, given the smooth way it came together. Not your usual Pearl, to say the least, but, then, we do try for a lack of consistency, which we often succeed at avoiding…. In fact, I think we’ll stop there, before I get myself into a hole I can’t get out of without falling back in…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Fair warning….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Bald gestures provide unwarranted relief….

Posted on January 21, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“You can lead a yak to water
but you can’t teach an old dog
to make a silk purse out of a pig in a poke.”

~~ Opus ~~

Scottish Coastline near Invergordon

Hajime…. Yesterday, I took advantage of some cat nap time to complete today’s Pearl, which turned a bit epic on me. There’s a fresh discussion of human nature & society, an old poem from 2012, and a rather epic old-school pearl to finish it off. Quite the mess, I should think, which is why the music should make it all better….

Since this is done, for the most part, I’ll stick it in the Tardis, & deliver it to the WP editor in the morning, once we figure out the proper settings. This, of course, is a bonus, because now I can work a day ahead, giving me more time to play with Leelu; the older she gets the more she requires attention, it seems. But, she’s worth a bit of effort, so, no big deal. It does mean, though, this intro will be, once again, shortened more than we are accustomed to find it. C’est la fucking vie, right?

Here is how that works….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don’t know.”

~~Bertrand Russell ~~

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

Bonnie Raitt

Today’s video isn’t a video, though watching Bonnie play is my idea of heaven. I decided to show y’all WHY she is my favorite artist in Rock & Roll/Blues/R&B/Pop/you name it. She plays guitar like BB King, and sings like anyone’s idea of an angel. Plus, hey, red hair & a gorgeous smile, y’know? What’s not to like?…. Here is a compilation from her album(s) of Best Hits…. I don’t have to tell you to enjoy; I know you will. She can rip your heart out. put it right back in, then melt it….

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

Bonnie Raitt

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

https://youtu.be/2oXLukzYoKc

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

“Nature is not human-hearted.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

Long before there was much going on in the Western World, other than a few cities in Europe, such as Athens, human thought reached a pinnacle in China, when Lao Tzu shared the Way of the Tao with the world, in the Tao Teh Ching, and in writings we have had passed down through the ages by other scholars who studied the Way. This particular aphorism is one few in today’s world would ever consider, much less use to help themselves deal with the world as it exists….

Life today has become so complicated, it is difficult for even the most competent individuals to maintain any sort of balance in life. Maintaining the basic requirements for a comfortable life takes so much mental & physical effort, very few have the wherewithal to spend more than a minimum amount of time thinking about such things as human nature, the nature of Reality, or philosophy in general. There just aren’t enough minutes in the day. Sadly, by failing to consider notions such as our opening quote, their lives are made even more difficult than it is, or, needs to be.

We, being human, tend to judge the universe, and what happens around us, according to our preconceived, or previously held, ideas of how it works; this tends to lead us to believe in what we want as good, and what we do not wish to be bad, in simplest terms. Such a tendency is reinforced by the structure of society as it is, a society which reflects the nature of its members, to wit: it is believed that humans can control reality to get what they want…. Sadly, this is an illusion, for reality will change, no matter whether we participate in those changes, or not; we have no say in any of that; to attempt to do so only leads to frustration, and conflict, for the universe is what it is, and not subject to our judgment of it.

Thus we have come to a point in history where we are “governed”; society has embraced the illusion that individuals need protection from the universe’s changes, and, government is just the one to do it. For some reason, people have come to believe A) they are incapable of understanding or dealing with life at large, and, B) they need others to help them do so. I’m not sure just how it got established in people’s minds, but, there it is, so, what can we do about it? It isn’t true, by any stretch of the imagination, yet, people still wish for government to order life so they don’t have to think, only do what they are told is right….

This foolish dependency, which has no actual basis in reality, has led to other illusions, which are commonly held to be true. For example, there is the notion of “Rights” which, according to the theory, is something all people should have…. Yet, so far, the only ‘right’ that seems to be ours is the right to live, and, in time, to die…. Beyond that, it’s all a crap shoot, ffolkes, and anyone who tells you otherwise has a hand in your pocket….

“Rights” is a fictional abstraction. No one has “Rights”, neither machines nor flesh-and-blood. Persons… have opportunities, not rights, which they use or do not use.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

The other illusion which has plagued the progress of humanity falls into the same category, to wit; humans were created by a supernatural being who cares about them, and wishes them well…. This seems, to me, to be somewhat wishful thinking, for there is no evidence whatsoever to be found which gives any such indication on the part of Reality. Everything else we perceive tells us, simply, our existence matters not at all to Reality. It went along just find before we arrived, and will do so after we have departed this plane of existence… All the available verifiable evidence is clear on this….

Yet, mankind at large seems to prefer to have their thinking done for them; as long as they are reasonably comfortable, the average person will never think of such issues, or use their mind for much beyond deciding which snack to grab at the next commercial. This innate laziness, while useful when applied with rationality, is more than merely harmful when abused in such a way, for it has led us to another issue which, according to the rules of Reality we already know, cannot be ignored, or denied….

“People who take issue with control of population do not understand that if it is not done in a graceful way, nature will do it in a brutal fashion.” — H. Kendall

Yes, ffolkes, the world has become a dangerous place, not because of how we humans have used our capabilities, but, rather, because of how we have failed to take full advantage of them, by learning our own true nature, and how to use those abilities we have to create change, rather than constantly trying to maintain the status quo…. Life is change, and only the dead do not have to obey that law….

“God is not all-powerful as he cannot build a wall he cannot jump.”

~~ Blaise Pascal ~~

See? This is what the human mind is capable of…. a far cry from dogma or kings……

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

Penance, Made Simple

After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.

Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.

Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.

Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.

Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/23/2012

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

Today’s final, old-school pearl is an epic monster, which speaks, in a general, yet incredibly detailed way, of Life at Large, and how to approach it with dignity, serenity, reason, and virtue…. And, why not? The world needs all the virtue, and reason, it can get just now, trust me….

***********

All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good;
And spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite,
One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 289 ~~

***********

“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world
without having tasted of lying
or pretense of any sort,
or of wantonness or conceit.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, ix, 2 ~~

***********

“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Journal”, 20 December 1822 ~~

***********

“A good listener is not only popular everywhere,
but after a while he gets to know something.”

~~ Wilson Mizner ~~

***********

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in
silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all
persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to
the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive
persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser
persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep
interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the
world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the
grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things
of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do
not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and
loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a
child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to
be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is
unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive
Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of
life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.”

~~ Max Ehrman, “Desiderata” (1927) ~~

***********

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

~~ Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics ~~

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

***********

“[T]he earth does not belong to man;
man belongs to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected
like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life;
he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
he does to himself.”

~~ Chief Seattle, 1854 (c.1786-1866) ~~

***********

“There is no wealth but life.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

***********

“Because I have loved life,
I shall have no sorrow to die.”

~~ Amelia Burr ~~

***********

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

Done; not merely done, but, done a day early. Not bad for an old fart. Since I’ve probably tortured enough people for one day, I’ll take my leave without fanfare, merely a quick bow, and exit, stage right… or left, or down, which is, I guess, the proper direction to send you. See y’all tomorrow, if the plan comes together…. Looking good so far….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Morning sux, redux….

Posted on January 15, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Is a mirage real? Well, it’s a real mirage.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

You didn’t want to hit ‘delete’?

Hajime…. I am unsure why, but, I woke up grumpy; so be it…. This generally means a nice, vitriolic rant for later, but, since we are already ‘later’ than I’d like, we’ll pass on that, & go with an archived piece; the fresh treatise upon which I’ve been working isn’t ready anyway. Leelu isn’t happy with me, either, so, I guess it’s all of a piece, so to speak. Grumpiness, mad cat, late Pearl… I have a feeling I may not be attending Bingo Night tonight; too many opportunities to lose it altogether. Since I like the people who organize it, I’ll probably be nice, & stay home.

If you have come this far in today’s narrative, it may occur to you today’s title is actually connected to the Pearl, which is NOT my habit, nor my wish. It just came out that way; I made it up while still in extreme grump mode, and, it seems to have stuck, no matter what I do. Oh, well, that’s just one more to add to my list, which is reaching epic proportion, and it’s barely 6 AM. Now I’m getting worried; is there some cosmic event my perception has picked up subconsciously? Is the Universe about to go critical? Is the Space/Time Continuum shaking in its proverbial boots?…. Tune in tomorrow, & we’ll have a report on all of that…..

For now, and today, I think, perhaps, ‘t would be a good thing to get this slow on the toad. In keeping with that most perceptive insight, let’s do this, which is fast, and may cause a bit of vertigo, but, what the hell? The morning’s shot anyway. Hang on, ffolkes, this one moves wicked fast….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Human, do you know how interesting it is, this thing you describe? Avata does not have a god. How is it that you have a god? Avata has Self, has the universe. But you have a god. Where did you find this god?” — Frank Herbert

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

Today’s music is a lazy compromise; I wanted to hear some guitar, but, was too lazy to figure out to whom I wished to listen. This is the compromise, with 3 hours of classical guitar, by various artists…. It will do for our purposes today. Enjoy, ffolkes…

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

Classical Guitar

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

https://youtu.be/V80EzF–UNk

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

I am working on a piece for this section, but, it keeps growing in different directions, so, it isn’t ready yet. To sublimate, here is a reasonably short discussion of a similar subject, from the archives, about three years ago…. Enjoy, ffolkes; at least you don’t have to hear me go off this morning; well, not with any oomph, anyway….

From 4/18/2013:

MORAL, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.

“It is sayd there be a raunge of mountaynes in the Easte, on one syde of the which certayn conducts are immorall, yet on the other syde they are holden in good esteeme; wherebye the mountayneer is much conveenyenced, for it is given to him to goe downe eyther way and act as it shall suite his moode, withouten offence. _Gooke’s Meditations_

— Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

A reader commented to me recently that my rants have gone soft; she enjoys it when I rake someone over the coals, figuratively speaking, and asked me when I was going to get back on my white horse, or my soapbox, as the cliché may be…. I told her it is most likely a result of having some of the pressure of living removed, by the acquisition of my SS benefits, so much so that I’m finding it hard to summon up the outrage needed to rant effectively…. Like Voldemort told Harry, when he tried to use the Cruciatus Curse against Bellatrix Lestrange, in HP5-The Order of the Phoenix, “You’ve got to MEAN it, Harry!” Funny how not worrying about where the next meal is coming from takes some stress out of one’s life, isn’t it?….. Ha Ha…..

So, anyway, then I saw the above entry from the Devil’s Dictionary, and thought to myself, “AHA!” (I do that a lot…), “Now, here’s a subject worthy of a rant!”…. This is absolutely true, even though morality is sort of like reality…. there are as many versions of what it means as there are people…. of which, each and every one believes that what they perceive is the only correct version, obviously…. Right….

So, you can see the problem right away…. As a society, we have an unfortunate tendency to try to legislate morality, so that everyone is compelled to behave according to a commonly accepted pattern of behavior…. Supposedly, this legislation is supposed act as some sort of magic bullet, that will stop all the bad things from happening, like stealing, killing, and general misbehavior that is upsetting to the rest of society…. It never works, at all, but, we keep on passing laws designed to enforce a common morality anyway….

Such a drama is now being played out on the national stage, as the Senate just defeated the new gun control reforms that 90% of the populace wants in place. Out of a hundred Senators, it only took 45 Republicans to bring the proposed law down, meaning that once again, a very small percentage of people have forced their views on the rest of the public, to suit their own morality, and, more importantly, to suit their own special interests, who paid good money for their votes, dammit!…. I am somewhat piqued about this, but see little in the way of anything to be done that will make any difference, in the big picture…. No matter how stringent the laws, people who want guns will get them, and use them on other people…. The new laws would have made that a bit more time-consuming, but no less possible, or even less probable….

Since I can’t thing of anything positive to suggest, other than to stay alert to what may end up as a critical issue, I will fill out what should normally be a rant, with a number of cogent pearls, to try to jab the stick into the appropriate eyes…. and my friend will have to wait a bit longer for a good, old-fashioned brouhaha, as I get nasty and vicious in my denouncement of the BRC, the churches, and the corporate masters….. I will say this to her….. have no fear, my outrage isn’t gone, just temporarily dormant, and I WILL be back to rant….. meanwhile, enjoy these tasty gems…..

“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” — Sir Winston Churchill

Linear Model: An assumption concerning the nature of reality applied unquestioningly to every relationship as though God had determined that truth must always run in straight lines. — Smart Bee

“The clinching proof of my reasoning is that I will cut anyone who argues further into dogmeat.” — Sir Geoffery de Tourneville (ca. 1350)

“Has history ever recorded a time when the majority was right?” — Lazarus Long

“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world without having tasted of lying or pretense of any sort, or of wantonness or conceit.” –Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, ix, 2

“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” — Saul Bellow

“If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other.” — Carl Schurz

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

Modest sounds of impatient concern….

Crowds converge at the raw and grisly scene,
comatose to compassion, curiosity tugging at the hem
with sharp, oh, sharp tools made obscene,
filing the essence of future hopes in spite of them.

Yet who has won the keys to the treasure,
who whipped up the fear of another brother?
Who spent the dreams of the old in selfish measure,
with such arrogant blindness grave issues to smother?

Fateful decisions may prompt still another pause,
to catch and release collective images of insanity.
Surely legitimate anger arises with ample cause
wallowing in self-made entrepreneurs, fluent in profanity.

A quartet of eternities must pass to guarantee change,
regardless of need, or desire, or autonomous manipulation.
Ancient rules and modern aggression is only passing strange
when golden delusion grasps futilely at its related illusory station.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/18/2013

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

Naked Pearls

“And what have we learned today…?

*********

“Change a life; make someone feel important.”

~~ Compassionate Bee ~~

*********

“Anger is never without an argument,
but seldom with a good one.”

~~ George Savile ~~

*********

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.

~~ William Arthur Ward ~~

*********

Fortune is like glass;
the brighter the glitter,the more easily broken.

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 280 ~~

*********

Know then this truth (enough for man to know),
“Virtue alone is happiness below.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle iv, Line 309 ~~

*********

“The worst vice of the fanatic is his sincerity.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

*********

“Laughter is the language of the gods.”

~~ Buddhist saying ~~

*********

“I used to think I was an expert.
Then I met one…”

~~ Wise Bee ~~

*********

“I cannot teach anybody anything,
I can only make them think.”

~~ Socrates ~~

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

Well, it’s done. As we all know, that is our primary goal, & once reached, we tend to bail quickly. How quickly? Oh, about like this….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. That isn’t meant as a threat, but, you take it however it occurs to you….. I’ll be here anyway, as long as the Net is still up & running…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

That paradigm is awfully pale, isn’t it?….

Posted on December 23, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”

~~ Goethe ~~

Leelu watching for wormholes….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl has an Easter Egg in it…. Sort of. I’ve used one quote today quite extensively…. Your task, should you accept the mission, is to guess which it is, and, naturally, noting how many times you see it…. That said, and, in the interests of total honesty, Leelu isn’t watching for wormholes, this time. She was watching an ant…. which, sadly, had brought friends…. Windex took care of them for now, but, it’s nice to know she’ll notify me if any more plan to come in to spend any time…. Hmph….

Mornin’…. Well, it’s morning here, anyway…. Where you are, it’s likely to be another time, but, we’ll do our best not to confuse anyone, with any tricky anachronisms, or, excessive use of the Tardis we have on loan. I know it can be a bit confusing around here, but, hey, that’s Life, right? Right.

Okay, then….. I decided last to give up watching movies; it’s too hard on my emotional state. I was watching a scene in a movie I enjoy watching occasionally, which I have on my comp. In the scene, a seriously injured young man’s condition is discovered by his father and twin brother suddenly; as I watched, I myself. suddenly, and surprisingly, as I’ve watched a number of times without such happening, assumed internally the emotions of the twin; shock, sadness, fear, anger, all coursed through me with such force I began to weep….

It stopped almost immediately, as I realized they weren’t my feelings; they are merely close to those I experience when thinking of my own brother, who is fighting cancer. It also helped to know the scene breaks the tension shortly, with a terrible pun…. Nonetheless, I will now have to watch old movies I’ve seen with greater mindfulness of my own state, so as to side-step this bloody nuisance caused by my own subconscious mind, which I sometimes believe has not yet forgiven me for certain failures to act in the past, even though my actions were ethical…. It, the subconscious, doesn’t give a rat’s hind end for ethical; it wants what it wants, when it wants it, and has a large assortment of ways to express its displeasure when we make a rational decision to forgo those desires….

Boy, this Ego stuff is hard shit…. I gotta get rid of the damn thing… Of course, if/when I do, I’ll need to find some word other than “I” to express my thoughts, without the Ego getting in the way…. I guess, if I can figure out the first part, finding the word won’t be much of a challenge as it might have been…. Ya think?

On that esoterica, I think we’ll head out for the oyster beds…. I’ve got a new trick; wanna see how it works?…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“An artist is a creature driven by demons. He don’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why. He is completely amoral in that he will rob, borrow, beg, or steal from anybody and everybody to get the work done . …. If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate; the “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is worth any number of old ladies.” — Mark Twain

All I can say to that is, damn skippy! I’ll take the Urn, every time…. Dad might get upset, but, he’ll get over it….

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

Image from http://www.bbc.co.uk via Google Images

Yesterday, one of the ffolkes who commented mentioned he’d been listening to the blues, Janis Joplin, to be precise. Ever since, I haven’t been able to think of anything else to post for today, unless it was some EXCELLENT blues. I had to drag through my whole memory bank, practically, then I remembered this one…. From 1966, when all these gentlemen still mostly didn’t shave every day yet, (‘cept for the one at the left center, of course. who merely trimmed…) (the one on the right center was still not sure if he should grow a beard, or not; I think that’s Eric. at a VERY young age.)… Ffolkes, I give you, the Bluesbreakers….

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

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
with Eric Clapton

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

https://youtu.be/1-fD9fD61kA

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

The XIVth Dalai Lama of Tibet

**********

“My only religion is kindness.”

~~ The Dalai Lama ~~

Today, I had intended to rant about religion; since it’s a couple days from the celebration of the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, (a date having no actual basis in reality; there are no conclusive records from that time…. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can say they know for sure….), I figured I’d explore some of the fallacies inherent in the whole system of beliefs….

Then, I was sent a Tweet from a friend, with another of the Dalai Lama’s wise quotes, to wit: “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot live without human affection.” To my way of thinking, that just about sums up all we need to know about the entire concept of religion….

Because of that, my need/desire (Aha!….) to rant disappeared, as seeing the quote on Twitter brought to mind the quote with which we opened this section…. So, I decided to forgo ranting, in favor of some pearls of virtual wisdom from various famous authors, thinkers, and/or, just ffolkes…. I figure it’s following my own injunction re: playing nice with others….

To all my readers, who may not believe as I do, I wish you a happy season of kindness, no matter what religion you may believe in…. My opinion of that, I hope, shall not spoil, or demean, or in any way garner my approbation; nor do I intend to give any offense to anyone’s sincere belief…. I wish the Christians a Merry Christmas, the Tribe members a Joyous Hanukkah, and the believers of any other faith, for whom I don’t know a proper phrase of seasonal appropriateness, a peaceful winter, filled with happiness, and all the things you desire, especially if it a desire to help others in some way….

I hope nobody takes any of the following personally; I am, admittedly, a cynic, who is dubious of ALL of the religious philosophies, regarding them as delusions/illusions, fostered on the unlearned, in order to fulfill the own personal ends of their proponents, or often, their founders; remember, if you will, how the ineffable Peter altered (read: perverted…) Christ’s words and ideas to create the Catholic Church, just a few months after the crucifixion….

But, that’s just me…. Everyone else is entitled to their own belief system, as long as they keep it out of my face, unless they have some concrete, verifiable evidence I haven’t seen before…. which is unlikely as I’ve been thinking, reading, and studying about this issue almost all my 65 years, since the very first time I heard the story of the crucifixion, and, could not believe my ears…. It just never made any sense, even at age 4….

I’ll leave you with this thought, from one our most well-known free-thinkers…

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Now, let’s have a little fun, shall we?

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

Dear friend, all theory is gray,

And green the golden tree of life.

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust ~~

**********

“Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant? Is it not a spectacle to make the angels laugh?We are a company of ignorant beings, feeling our way through mists and darkness, learning only be incessantly repeated blunders, obtaining a glimmering of truth by falling into every conceivable error, dimly discerning light enough for our daily needs, but hopelessly differing whenever we attempt to describe the ultimate origin or end of our paths; and yet, when one of us ventures to declare that we don’t know the map of the universe as well as the map of our infinitesimal parish, he is hooted, reviled, and perhaps told that he will be damned to all eternity for his faithlessness…

~~ Leslie Stephen (1832-1904) ~~

~~ “An agnostic’s Apology”, Fortnightly Review, 1876 ~~

**********

“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

**********

“Satanism is a Christian religion”

~~ Sardonic Bee ~~

**********

“I admire the serene assurance of those who have religious faith.
It is wonderful to observe the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

**********

“How many Christian fundamentalists does it take to change a light bulb?
None. The Bible doesn’t mention light bulbs.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

**********

“In anything at all, perfection is finally attained,
not when there is no longer anything to add,
but when there is no longer anything to take away.”

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery , Wind, Sand & Stars ~~

**********

“It is not necessary to fall into a well to know its depth.”

~~ Smart Bee, channeling gigoid ~~

**********

The biologist thinks he is a chemist,
The chemist thinks he is a physicist,
The physicist thinks he is a God,
And God thinks She is a mathematician.

~~ Paula Thompson ~~

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

Today’s selection is from another WP blogger, one I consider one of my closest friends online, as well as a wildly talented poetess and artist in general…. The poem is an expression of joy, which made me smile, and weep, all at once…. The picture that follows from the same post, is, in my opinion, sheer genius wisdom, and deserves to be included here….. Here then, from a soul trooper, fighting the ultimate fight, to be herself, whole and happy….

The Voice in my Box

For many years

debilitating thoughts

made a home in my mind

No room at the inn, door locked

…confined

I smiled in silence

To an oblivious room

All the while

My throat screaming

For all the bad memories

All the unfair nights

All the damn hurt!

the effects

…and the cause

Life played out and my lips

….Obediently paused

Until

The drink of belief

Made her way

From my mouth to my feet

Like a waking alien

I have found my home again

And all that was shrunken inside

Lost the urgency to cling and hide

Rising in hope

Yes this freedom speaks

Oh honey…

This freedom sings!

She flys on flames atop of wings

And the music is sweeter than ever

My voice, my speakers

Reign out

Bleeding a glorious color

Onto white corners

of my

…Newly born feathers.

~~ Souldiergirl ~~

12/21/2012

http://souldiergirl.com/2015/12/20/the-voice-in-my-box/

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

Yin-Yang-symbol-sun-and-moon

Naked Pearls

Life, at Large….

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

“If you cannot find happiness along the way, you will not find it at the end of the trail.”

~~ Zen Bee ~~

**********

“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world
without having tasted of lying or pretense of any sort,
or of wantonness or conceit.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, ix, 2 ~~

**********

“The truth is our most valuable commodity.
It would probably be a way better world if people didn’t use it so economically.”

~~ Personal Journal of Doogie Howser, M.D.~~
~~ from the TV show, Doogie Howser ~~

**********

“But some emotions don’t make a lot of noise.
It’s hard to hear pride. Caring is real faint – like a heartbeat.
And pure love – why, some days it’s so quiet, you don’t even know it’s there.”

~~ Erma Bombeck ~~

**********

“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang van Goethe ~~

**********

“We usually get what we order from life.”

~~ Limon ~~

**********

“All perception of truth is the detection of an analogy.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

**********

“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”

~~ Mahatma Gandhi ~~

**********

“How many Great Souls does it take to change a light bulb?
None; the light from within illuminates all around them.”

~~ gigoid, following a theme ~~

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

Well, I like it…. Now, I’ll go see how the WP editor likes my workaround for the new crap they added to their editing function, that I have yet to figure out. Time, as it always does, will tell; damn thing won’t keep its mouth shut. Regardless, I’ll be back tomorrow, to take another shot at some Asininnies, or, at least, kill a few of the myths people buy into. Try to be happy; give a bit of yourself to another of Earth’s creatures, human, or otherwise, & you’ll find it helps yourself, too…. Plus, the happiness will be there inside when you are done…. Truth…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

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Tag Archives: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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