Apricot puree, or pineal glands?…

Posted on March 11, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“What one fool can do, another can.”

~~ Ancient Simian Proverb ~~

Farm in Indonesia, formerly on dry land.

Soon to be inundated due to rising waters from global warming.

You gotta love serendipity. Well, maybe YOU don’t, but, I do. Especially when it applies to these Pearls….. Once again, my brain is on early-morning strike, in a manner of speaking, making the creation of today’s mess problematic to an extreme degree. Fortunately for all of us, the Pearls at the bottom of the page have furnished me with enough archived material, appropriate to the day, to use today to complete my chosen duty. Hallelujah!…

You see, I’ve got way less than nothing today; I don’t even have any excuses. My pain is present, yes, and so is the usual angst; this provides the impetus to go into literary trance-mode, which keeps me from giving in to depression…. it’s quite an effective routine, when it works. But, getting into the trance state can be a problem when…. well, that’s just it. I don’t KNOW when it will happen; it just does…. Thus, having material to fall back on becomes a saving grace…. and just in time, too….

But, we won’t go any further into the process now, as we need to get on with this…. I hate to use it again, but, nothing works quite so well as our old standby, emergency method #4, so, we’ll go with that, just so we can say we tried. We’re going to try a new maneuver today, a special route down into the oyster beds, which we’ve not used before; it involves a bit of aerial acrobatics that may cause some spillage, so, please make sure your adult beverages are securely fastened to the clips provided, and the lid is on tightly…. You’ll like it better if you do…. Okay, hang on, ffolkes, here we go….

Shall we Pearl?

“What Chinese prophet did we annoy? Interesting times, my ass.” — gigoid, paraphrased by SB

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Image from laughingsquid.com

Somehow, for today’s Pearl, this seems most appropriate; go figure…. Ladies and germs, I give you the world’s strangest mind…..

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Steven Wright Special (1985)

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http://youtu.be/UB8ZDrNb3B0

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From 2/15/2013:

“How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes a really long time and the light bulb has to want to change.” — Smart Bee

Boy, if it wasn’t for the power of metaphor, I would be lost!….. This statement, though presented in a manner that makes it obviously a joke, is actually quite serious in its relevance to sanity, psychiatry, and how the mind works, in general. I worked for many years in the field of mental health care, as a therapist, and I can tell you quite honestly, that this is absolutely true, in many cases of what the rest of society terms insanity….. a word, and a concept, that most of society avoids at all costs, and completely misunderstands, for the most part…. You see, every person who lives in this society on Earth today is just a little insane, with some of them reaching higher levels through their own efforts to excel…… 🙂 Society itself is insane, you see; one needs to be the same in order to effectively cope….

It may surprise some ffolkes to know that they are insane; I know it surprised me when I first became aware. We all go through our lives with a certain image of ourselves; very rarely does the image in our minds look insane. But, let me assure you, there really isn’t any visible way to be able to tell if a person is insane, as it is completely invisible, under most circumstances, as long as the person isn’t speaking, or acting in some way that provides a clue as to their inner state of mind. Even for those of us trained in recognizing its presence, through the use of observation of other defining characteristics, there is no guaranteed method for spotting someone with a mental condition, unless they give it to you up front by acting out in some overt fashion.

Sure, there are tells, as a gambler would say…. when one eye is happily spinning in the opposite direction as the other, it’s a pretty good sign of some inner turmoil…. Pacing and mumbling to oneself, back and forth in a small area, while ignoring all around them, can be another dead giveaway of someone who is experiencing a few extra perceptions in comparison to the rest of us. Sometimes, really bad grooming can be a sign that the person’s mind isn’t focused on how they affect others, and staring at a wall, holding what appears to be a conversation with oneself, can be another indication that not all is well in that person’s world….

But, without some overt signs such as these, you just can’t spot mental illness; in addition, it’s extra hard to see it in one’s own image, since we tend to clean that up before we look at it, or try to share it. And, since EVERYONE ELSE is also insane, at least a little, it can be hard to spot, for the same reason one cow in a herd is hard to pick out. You may have heard the old saw about “one in four people are insane, so if you have three sane friends, it’s you”….. What would be more accurate to say is, “all of you are insane, but three of you are coping well with it in an effective manner, and one isn’t…. ”

It’s helpful to know that the overt signs one may see are indicative of the severity of the condition, i.e., the more acting out one observes, the more severe the break in the mental state. But, that isn’t always accurate, as normally sane folks, acting in the grip of strong emotion, can show the same kind of acting out, with the difference of not having it occur all the time, but only when provoked. Thus, it can be seen, it can be very difficult to judge whether a person is insane, or merely temporarily out of control…..

This is where I bring it all together, by referring back to the original pearl…. Coping with life can drive anyone crazy; it does so, every day….. Some cope with it better than others; those are the people who are considered to be sane, as they can deal with reality without resorting to outlandish ways of dealing with their fears. Those who cannot find ways of coping with their fears, arising from what reality gives us to deal with, often end up acting in ways that are strange and uncomfortable for the rest of us. Often, as well, their behaviors become dangerous, in a physical sense, for them, and, for those around them…..

In all my experience, with every kind of mental illness I observed, in almost 30 years working in mental hospitals, the primary characteristic of those who got better was clearly due to the simple process of making up their own minds to do so…. That’s it…. Simple as it may seem, deciding to give up the methods they used, and make a change, was always based on a personal decision on their part; it was, clearly, THE key ingredient in the regime of ideas, medicines, therapies, and treatments used to combat their illness. In other words, it took a long time, and they first had to want to change….. Without that, nothing worked…. It is a well known aphorism among mental health therapists that, “they get better IN SPITE of what we do, not because of it….”

So, if you’re getting worried about your own coping skills, just keep in mind that to remain sane, it means you have to want to do so…. But, that’s all it takes, if your are sincere, for you will do whatever else is needed, once your will power has been engaged…. That’s what people do….

“Great minds think alike, apparently so do we.” — D. Bennett

“Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?” — James Thomson (1700-1748) — The Seasons, Summer, Line 67

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Here is a poem from one of my absolute favorite poets; I’ve never seen a poem from her that didn’t have a strong effect on the reader. I am not sure exactly why, but, her words are, somehow, even more powerful than they seem to be…. Whatever it is, it makes for some incredible poetry, such as this….

Mad Girl’s Love Song

“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)”

~~ Sylvia Plath ~~

Brilliant! Absolutely, insanely brilliant!

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Not too shabby for random parameters, I think… Today’s final old-school pearl is comprised of some good stuff; observations on living which, if not already present in your goody bag, should be amongst the stuff you’ve learned this far into the game…. If it’s all stuff you know, well, it’s always good to remember…. and, remember also; practice helps, because the mind is much like all your other muscles and organs. It works best if used a lot, and well….

“If you don’t care where you are, you ain’t lost.” — Rune’s Rule.

“I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free.” — Nikos Kazantzakis

“Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910) — Inscription beneath his bust in the Hall of Fame

“No man steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus (540?-480? B.C.)

“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” — J.K. Rowling, The Man with Two Faces, — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997, — spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

“Of all the strange “crimes” that human beings have legislated out of nothing, “blasphemy” is the most amazing–with “obscenity” and “indecent exposure” fighting it out for second and third place.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book i, Chap. xxxviii, Of Solitude

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I love it when I beat the odds; they weren’t very good at the start of today’s effort. Since it came out so well, as such things go, I’ll apply the “gift horse” theory of acquisition, & take my leave post haste. If things go anything like I’ve planned, I’ll see y’all tomorrow; if not, well, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, bloody and bowed though I may be…. Ta, then, luvs….

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A swift passage through rough waters….

Posted on February 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.”

~~ Albert Schweitzer ~~

Artist’s rendition of proposed solar energy plant on Mars — from Space.com

Ridin’ a whirlwind ain’t nothin’ compared to this. But, then, I never asked for any favors, so, whinin’ ain’t gonna quiet the wind. I s’pose that means I gotta either tame this big ugly bastard, or, pull in my spurs and jump…. Don’t seem to have a lot o’time to make up my mind, neither…. I guess I’ll do this…. Mind yer whiskers, there, pardner…

Well. I believe that will be quite enough of THAT. Not that I have anything better in mind, but…. Nope. Not going there, either…. I promised myself, no phlegm. You can thank me later.

Let’s begin again, shall we? Okay, okay, you don’t have to. I have to. If you’ll just…. never mind. Please just have a seat, okay? We can’t move until we’re all seated, & we need to get this slow on the road….. No that’s not a typo. Boy, I’m really lost today, aren’t we? And, not just in voice agreement. Now, if I could feel my fingers, or, even a couple of my brain cells, I could start over….. Ah, I know. Coffee…. I knew I’d forgotten something….

Better. Not good, but, better. Phil isn’t going to like this, you know….. How’s this. I won’t mention any of it if y’all don’t. It might make his blood pressure go up, so, it’s best if we just keep this little glitch to ourselves, okay? Okay. Now, if y’all have your earpieces in place, I’ll fire off the starting gun, again, to let the pilot know we can leave. Be sure to duck, we’re not out of the live ammo yet….

Bang! (I know, but, what do you expect, off the cuff, at this hour? Raymond Chandler? Marvel Comics?… I’ll bet Raymond Chandler didn’t have to type with vertigo…. wimp…) Anyway, that should do it.

Hmm… We’re not moving. Hang on, ffolkes, I’ll be right back…. Oh, NO! Damn it! I knew I shouldn’t have fired in that direction. Blast and damn, that the third pilot this year, and it’s only February. Phil’s not gonna like THIS, either…. Shit, I HATE driving this thing!…..

Well. It’s my own fault, I guess, so, nothing for it. If y’all will resume your seats, I’ll pull the pilot ejection seat lever….. there. He’s gone…. Now, all I have to do is sit down, here, fire up the engines, like this, and, we’re good to go. Ooh, isn’t that a pretty sight! Luigi would never come this close to the bridge….

See how easy that is, when it’s only a blog, and a series of literary tricks & foolishness (no other words fit…), serving as the latest poor attempt at wit, or unreasonable facsimile thereof, to grace the intro section…. Gad, sometimes, I can’t believe my own gall…

Never mind, let’s get on with it, before this deteriorates any further…..

Shall we Pearl?

“A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

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While following up on a purchase I made online the other day, I was looking through old email from the company, one of which mentioned the following artist’s name. Seeing it reminded me of how many times I had listened to, and enjoyed, his music during my youth…. It’s always an easy listen to hear the familiar finger-picking guitar openings, followed by his strong, evocative voice, sharing visions of great beauty and passion, with intimately personal insight into the human condition…. a true troubadour of his time…

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GORDON LIGHTFOOT IN CONCERT 1972

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http://youtu.be/PqS310cQ0CI

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“Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you.

Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all.”

~~ Bernard Levin, in “Daily Mail”, 1964 ~~

What a perfect opening to discuss the gullibility of the common man, brainwashed into perfect docility, willing to believe whatever they see or hear, as long as it is spoken by a talking head, or someone wearing a suit, or a badge, or, a cassock…. These sad excuses for human beings have allowed themselves to become the ideal slave, fully indoctrinated to the point they are unaware of their slavery at all, believing their state of existence to be just the way it should be, by all they have ever learned…. The statement above, while perfectly apt, is limited, in the sense it is actually applicable to damn near every thought that passes for an opinion in the minds of the average American….

Go ahead. Ask almost anyone WHY they perform any particular act in their life; the most likely response you’ll receive will be along the lines of “well, that’s how I learned to do it”, or some other variation of “that’s how it’s always been done around here.” The video selection from yesterday, regarding the 5 Monkey Experiment, demonstrated the exact series of steps necessary to shape the behavior any simian on this planet, whether hairy, or hairless, into permanently exhibiting the desired behavior/frame of mind. This particular method of behavioral modification is particularly dangerous, as well as effective, for those being shaped ultimately never know they’ve been manipulated at all….

For millennia, in the real world, by using the concept of money (or the withholding of money) as the metaphorical representation of water in the experiment, these canny, insanely sociopathic humans who essentially control the world, who have enslaved the greater portion of mankind for thousands of years of our history, (Hard to believe? Read it, ffolkes. I have…. it’s pretty clear….), have used this exact technique to create the mindset they desire in the general run of humans, who are brainwashed to accept the lies almost from the day they are born; for certain, the assault on their minds begins soon thereafter.

First, their minds are shaped by parents, already programmed to pass on their misconceived beliefs to their offspring, as guided by the cadre of corrupted manipulators in Religion, the preachers, who encourage/promote the submission of individual will to the authority of temporal and spiritual leaders, at the alleged behest of an omnipotent supernatural being, sealing the conditioning more strongly with every lie they tell.

This manipulation, upon which so many other lies are predicated, is based on the promise of life unending, immortality, but, only for those who submit to accepting, those who choose to believe, without proof, relying only on faith…. The carrot in one hand, (i.e., eternal life) distracts the gullible from the reality in which they exist…. The poor saps are then shown the stick, i.e., the same immortality, withheld; an eternity of suffering and misery, to add fear to the mix, strengthening the behavioral modification, balancing the ultimate reward, promised to them in return for their submission, with the threat of eternal punishment, as the implied reward for independent thought.

Few human children escape at least SOME of this conditioning; fortunately, some of us can throw it off, having apparently inherited a “doubt” gene, or some peculiar combination of chromosomes which influence development of the “crap detector” part of our brain, sensitizing it, thus, affording us some protection from enforced ignorance.

I don’t know about y’all, but, when I was a kid, my crap detector went off all the time, which I consider fortunate, for it provided me with the impetus to become one of the dubious…. In this respect, sadly, I seem to be, if not alone, at least, isolated from very many others, who may have perceived the same evidence as have I…. I think quite a few of THEM end up reading this blog…. But, they’re not the ones who need to follow this train of thought.

Once one sees clearly the problem, it only becomes more complicated to find the courage to face up to the only viable solution. As far as I can see, in order to be capable of changing much of anything in the society in which we all live, any tactics and strategy we use will, of necessity, require us to give up at least one of the ethical positions which led us to the independence of mind we enjoy, to wit: in order to cause those who would rule to change, we would have to became very much like them. We would have to agree to kill, thus giving up that which makes us most human….

I can see no alternative, at this point, to simply removing them from the gene pool, never again allowing them to reproduce whatever sequence of chromosomes that produces people with no connection to their feelings, in essence, who possess no conscience, no restraint upon their most viciously avaricious desires for power and control of others…. Our species cannot allow these base parts of our nature to assume ascendancy, not if we wish to remain truly human, or wish to ever reach our true potential.

You see, they won’t change; as well as possessing the ability to ignore the pain of others, these semi-humans are also mean, tough as an old shoe, and have been in control, or, at minimum, have held the illusion of control in a real sense, for a very long time. They’re not going to give up their privileged position, to which they feel entitled by right of conquest, just because we ask them nicely….. They’re just not built that way…. So, to make them go away, we must, at least for a time, become like them, able to kill without mercy, in order to save ourselves, and those innocents among us, who have never even known they are slaves…..

It’s a very, very difficult ethical and moral decision; how many of us will be able to do our Duty to mankind? Can we put aside that which makes us human, and still be able to pick it back up when we have achieved our goal, to replace insanity with reason, by removing them all from existence?…. So far in history, no one has shown the ability to show such restraint and will; power corrupts those who use it, and, all too often, as Pete would say, the new boss is the same as the old boss….

I don’t know about y’all, but, the one thing that may just push me over that edge, is the thought of how bloody useless the whole issue is…. From a cosmic standpoint, in a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand years, we won’t matter to the Universe any more than the Dodo mattered to us…. and we’ll be just as extinct, if current evidence is any indication…. The futility of the whole deal just pisses me off, no end….

I swear, IF there is a God, and He is anything remotely similar to what we’ve been told, then, when I get a chance, I’m going to spit right in His beady little eyes…. He’s got a lot of fucking cruelty, and stupidity, to answer for, in my book…

SIGH…. Oh well, so much for another good mood; I kicked it right to the curb, again, didn’t I? I think I’ll go eat some worms….

So be it.

gigoid has spoken, probably too much….

“Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 191 ~~

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“What can YOU afford to lose?”

gigoid, the dubious

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There are times when nothing will do for me but one of the classics, especially when they are so appropriate to the times, as this one, by an old friend…. I tend to agree with Dr. Baring, in Gaudy Night; Wordsworth IS rather underrated today….

The world is too much with us; late and soon.

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune,
It moves us not.–Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

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It’s been a while since SB gave up such a hefty, yet, diverse sprinkling of pearls. This one can only be called a Harlequin pearl, or, as in the biblical tale, a Pearl of Many Colors…. Enjoy, ffolkes… I suggest you don’t bother to try too hard for meaning; just let it all wash over you, looking forward to the dazed, flushed feeling waiting for you at the end, when all nine of them have been consumed, hopefully with relish…. or, perhaps, a spot of ‘spice of life’….

“A zygote is a gamete’s way of producing more gametes. This may be the purpose of the universe.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“Anarchism is the only philosophy which brings to man the consciousness of himself; which maintains that God, the State, and society are non-existent, that their promises are null and void, since they can be fulfilled only through man’s subordination. Anarchism is therefore the teacher of the unity of life; not merely in nature, but in man.” — Emma Goldman “Anarchism: What It Really Stands For”

“Americans are so enamored of equality they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.” — Alexis de Tocqueville

“People don’t like the truth, its depressing.” — Fr. Stan O’Konsky, S.J.

“Democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike. — Plato, The Republic. Book VIII. 558

MISS, n. The title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. Miss, Missis (Mrs.) and Mister (Mr.) are the three most distinctly disagreeable words in the language, in sound and sense. Two are corruptions of Mistress, the other of Master. In the general abolition of social titles in this our country they miraculously escaped to plague us. If we must have them let us be consistent and give one to the unmarried man. I venture to suggest Mush, abbreviated to Mh. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Capitalism says you can win, Socialism says you can break even, and Religion says you can join another game.” — Smart Bee, being a smart aleck

“Plato says, “‘Tis to no purpose for a sober man to knock at the door of the Muses;” and Aristotle says “that no excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of folly.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book ii, Chap. ii, Of Drunkenness

“Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.” — Jules de Gaultier

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Having thus discharged my chosen Duty, I shall trouble thee no more. I shall, with appropriate dignity, bid thee adieu for another day. Perhaps, by tomorrow, I shall have managed to lose this silly formal attitude, which seems to have afflicted my fingers here at the end of today’s effort. Ah well, such is life, as they say. Now, if I can only figure out who they are, I can go strike them repeatedly about the head and shoulders, for their asininity…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

With a suitably dour expression, the dowager duchess demurred….

Posted on January 10, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“‘Tis not knowing much, but what is useful, that makes a wise man.”

~~ Thomas Fuller ~~

Bosom Buddies

In keeping with my resolution to lose weight (no, not a New Year’s resolution; I started three months ago…), and to take a more proactive attitude toward my overall health, I’m making good progress, 25 lbs; gone, so far, in 3 months…). In terms of the pain, not so much has been achieved, as yet, though I have high hopes, so to speak. In general, I also intend to be a bit less of a curmudgeon, at least in the way I look at certain subjects…. I have no intention of giving up my insistence on not suffering fools gladly; I’ll just be a little nicer to shopkeepers, and other folks who cannot properly defend themselves from my ire when they act stupid right in front of me…. It will probably help my karma, too, so, it’s a win-win…

So what does that mean for today’s intro? Not a damn thing, but, something had to go there, right? Right. Now that it has, I suppose it would be advisable to direct your attention to our next abortive attempt to engage your interest…. Sad thought the attempt was, (To be truthful, I tried to warn them/us/myself, it wouldn’t work… and, as you see, it didn’t….), it may not have snatched up your attention, to nail it on our chosen theme, but, it did get you down to this paragraph. Let’s see, where to now?….

Perhaps you’d like to see the pictures I got from…. no, that’s right, we don’t post genitalia pictures, thought I’m told some people get a lot of them sent to them via email…. I wish I got genitalia pictures in the mail; what a thrill that must be! (Why yes, you do detect a trifle bit of sardonicism in that statement…. why do you ask?….) What I would do with them isn’t clear, nor do I want to think about it, but, at least somebody out there could be nice enough to give me a choice in the matter…. How will I ever learn to judge them by quality of form?…. No, I’m not serious…. In fact, I believe I’m lost again, having completely wandered away from any sort of direction I may have thought to go….

Oh well, it’s okay…. Even though I spent a miserable night, and felt for a time like borrowing my neighbor’s AK-47, I managed to get back to sleep for an hour, which allowed me to rescue my mood, so as not to start the day with an urge to sink my remaining teeth into some soft, pink flesh…. preferably the throat of a Kaiser executive…. Oops, didn’t mean to rant, even for one partial sentence… Oh well, I guess that’s a good sign, indicating this would be a good time to get our asses out of here, and get on with today’s effort…. Okay, I’ll do it…. Watch….

Shall we Pearl?

“The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

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My friend Lou, at http://talesfromtheconspiratum.com/, sent me a link yesterday, with a suggested video for my readers to enjoy while reading their morning pearls…. I checked it out, and he’s right…. It’s a great little compilation of soothing sounds and music, suitable for reading, studying, meditating, or yoga…. take your choice….

Zen Garden – Cherry Blossoms, Relaxation & Meditation – 50 minutes

http://youtu.be/l_YSyUpf8Ec

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UBIQUITY, n. The gift or power of being in all places at one time, but not in all places at all times, which is omnipresence, an attribute of God and the luminiferous ether only. This important distinction between ubiquity and omnipresence was not clear to the medieval Church and there was much bloodshed about it. Certain Lutherans, who affirmed the presence everywhere of Christ’s body were known as Ubiquitarians. For this error they were doubtless damned, for Christ’s body is present only in the Eucharist, though that sacrament may be performed in more than one place simultaneously. In recent times ubiquity has not always been understood — not even by Sir Boyle Roche, for example, who held that a man cannot be in two places at once unless he is a bird. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

I’ve related my take on religion previously, but, I find the following rant from the archives makes fine reminder of why the entire concept is one we could do without, if we so chose…. Taking personal responsibility for our own morality has always seemed, to me, to be a much more moral way to live, than to allow others to determine for me how I should act…. My comments re: the rightness of eliminating those who deliberately harm others, or society, are a bit radical; in truth, they are a bit harsh even for me. In truth, though, ’tis no more radical than basing the same act on someone else’s idea of how morality should be defined….

From 12/6/2012:

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

Ah yes, the Golden Rule…. For how long have the sages of our species been reiterating this rule? Years? Centuries? Millennia? Yes, all of the above. Yet, in today’s society, there is ample proof that a large portion of humanity totally ignores this rule, instead operating under a different rule, to wit: “I’m going to get mine first, and do unto others, first, before they can do unto me” This rule has never been precisely stated, unlike the Golden Rule, which has been stated in any number of ways over time. But, those who live by this rule are just as committed to their own self-interests as sages are to the interests of all…..

The struggle for the Soul of Man has been raging since the beginning of history, for though we now drive cars, and wear ties, and use telephones, our emotions and desires are the same ones we had when we lived in caves and ate unrefrigerated foods on a daily basis, if we were lucky. To this date, no one has been able to discover why some people just won’t go along with the program, but insist on making their own rules, to the detriment of everyone else. I suppose if we did discover the reason, it wouldn’t be a problem any more, but it is still frustrating to know that we are, as a species, still fighting the same old ignorances and cupidities that we had in the beginning of history, and are still losing far too often…..

I believe in the inherent goodness of people, but, at my age, I also must qualify that belief to include the very significant number of folks who choose to act against that part of their nature, giving rein to that beast in all of us that yearns to take, and to destroy. Yes, we have goodness in our makeup, but we also have evil, and there are a lot of people who choose to dwell on that side of their own nature, and basically don’t give a crap about what it means to other people. As long as they meet their own needs and desires, everyone else can just go to hell…. I don’t much like it, but it is true nonetheless….

So, I say this…. If one sees a person who is harming others by their actions, and you can determine that they are doing so deliberately, then I believe it is within the boundaries of the Golden Rule to destroy them on sight (or, at minimum, administer a sound thrashing)…. for this reason: if I were acting in such a manner, I would wish that the rest of rational society would judge me, and bring me under control, for the good of all. If that necessitated destruction, so be it; it is a final solution, if a bit harsh. I also do not believe that anyone who deliberately acts to harm others has the right to exist as part of society, and it is perfectly sensible to remove them….

I know, this sounds as if I’m speaking in favor of the death penalty, and in one sense, I am. Unfortunately, the one problem with the death penalty is that nobody can agree on who is capable of making the correct, rational, and honorable decision in such cases. Myself, I’m a bit more of a curmudgeon, and believe in personal responsibility…. so I’m not going to fret over killing a rapist, or a child molester, or a senior abuser, as long as their guilt is clear. They made their choice when they acted against the rules and morals of society, so my choice makes perfect sense in response, according to that same Golden Rule.

A bit different view of that rule, eh? Well, nobody claimed this would be a smooth, level flight, or a soft landing….

“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me. Neither of us liked what we saw.” — Brother Theodore

Google says that this particular phrase is attributed to Brother Theodore (whoever he was….) Nietzsche gave a very similar expression, when he said , “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” Either one of these is a fitting closer for this section….

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Along the same lines as the above, here is one of mine, in what I would define as a call to reason….

Early Observations

Until I knew there was more,
I wanted to know God.
They said he was a nice guy,
and would let me live forever.

All I had to do, they said,
was live my life for Him,
always living by scripture
cleaving only to his Way.

But, everyone I saw in church,
acted different at home.
Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,
nobody lived like they said.

Still, I tried to be like Jesus,
he was sort of cool.
He never hurt nobody
and walked on the right path.

‘Course they killed him for that,
they couldn’t stand his example.
Turned him into a martyr,
hid his real words among their own.

Then I found the Buddha,
and met Lao Tzu at the gate.
They saw things real different,
showed me how to see straight.

Right thought, and right action
replace blind obedience and faith.
Reality becomes manageable,
fear retreats, the universe expands.

Brother John said it pretty well,
“Imagine there’s no heaven,
it’s easy if you try.”
Sounds like he knew why.

Day to day, life is grand,
we walk in eternal beauty.
Open your eyes and hearts,
find yourself already immortal.

~~ gigoid ~~

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This is what I’d call a prototypical pearl, which is of a variety which makes it plain life isn’t as simple as it seems, yet, provides us with all we need to understand any complexity, if we are open to developing a character of honor, dignity, and courage, tempered by kindness, and its outgrowth, compassion….

“Life is a struggle with the obvious. We have been so blinkered with expectations or so blinded with choices that seeing and accepting the obvious becomes rare and courageous.” — Callan Williams

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” — Buddha (B.C. 568-488)

“Man is a religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn’t straight” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) — The Damned Human Race

“Determine never to be idle…It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.” — Thomas Paine

“Of all the benefits that virtue confers upon us, the contempt of death is one of the greatest.” — Montaigne (1533-1592)

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Having survived the black hole that was my mind this morning, and emerged, relatively unscathed, on the other side of reality, I see that what I’ve created here today is, once again, more than I intended, while less than I’d hoped…. Not bad for a late start after a misery of a night…. I’ll take it, and run…. See y’all tomorrow, if all goes as planned…. Oh, I’d also like to mention the addition of Richy to our call for blessings in the ending blurb, as well as a brand new worthy sentiment, from our old friend, Oscar, which I’ve added to the very end, (the only appropriate place for it….), just for fun….

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Authentic plastic flamingos on parade….

Posted on January 8, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Freedom begins when you tell Mrs. Grundy to go fly a kite.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Having issued walking papers to Mrs. Grundy years ago, I am perfectly aware of how lucky I am to have done so. Being free of the worries most folks carry around, about what others think, is a truly valuable freedom, and is largely responsible for most of the fresh rants that are produced here…. One must, after all, take advantage of those areas in life where such freedoms may be applied; there are many, many ways the world employs, to try to keep us quiet, whether it be a busybody preacher, telling us to obey temporal authority, or a government lackey, trying to apply some bureaucratic legislative belch, which is supposed to make society moral…. Nothing else has done that, but, for some reason, a lot of folks believe laws will do so…..

At which point, I laugh heartily, and go smoke a joint, while I peruse the latest news of the world’s impending demise…. But, it’s a bit early to get into such a depressing issue. I guess what we are seeing here is another example of of trying to write before coffee has been consumed in sufficient quantity to keep it all rational. Of course, I’m not certain at all what sort of rationality I can claim at 0305 in the morning, so, that’s probably a wash, too….

Oh well, I suppose I’ll need to get ruthless again, if we’re to make any headway today. I have another appointment out in the BBR, a very critical appointment, which can be viewed as a turning point, one which will determine whether the battle is to continue, or if Kaiser will finally raise the white flag, and provide me with the medical treatment I believe is best for me, rather than accepting their asinine policies which have no basis in either reality, or in medical science…. The decision to be made today will, hopefully, mean I can take a well-deserved rest from having to fight for my rights as a person against a soulless corporation…. until their next assault on my sensibilities, of course….

Okay, so, here is where the ruthless part comes in…. If I were you, I’d hold on to the nearest stanchion, or make sure my seat belt is fastened securely, because, at the moment I finish this sentence, we are going in, and the pilot has instructions to make it a HOT landing…. Y’all hang on, now, y’hear?….. Wheeee!….

Shall we Pearl?

“Perhaps I know why it is man alone who laughs: He alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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

Today’s video selection is one about which I feel some ambivalence. When this show was on TV, I would never miss an episode, if possible; it was one of the most popular shows of its time. From the vantage point of age, however, I can see exactly how much societal manipulation, aka, brainwashing of the American viewing public, was going on in every episode….

Every American TV stereotype was displayed by the characters, as well as in the plots and dialogue; the crafty American hero, with his motley crew of culturally diverse mates (of each color and nationality), each of whom is a studied caricature of his or her type, a true stereotype, with the Americans, naturally, easily making fools of their stereotypical Nazi “captors”, not to mention everyone else involved…. actors, writers, AND audience… All of them were clueless, not just the actors, producers, & the networks; none of those who made it, nor any of those who watched it, had any clue as to any political, or thought manipulation that was going on…. but, trust me, you’ll see all of it, exposed glaringly in every episode…

It’s amusing stuff, though, as long as you don’t take it seriously…. and, a nice break from the more modern bullshit we see on TV…. Have you ever seen that ridiculous show called “24”? Pathetic…. any who, here’s Hogan and the boys from Stalag 13…. or, was it 17?…. Ah, who cares?…. Enjoy….

Hogan’s Heroes Season 4 Episode 1

http://youtu.be/Hql5fB5qlOs

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“A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.” — William Wordsworth

I know it makes me eccentric, to believe some of the things I profess to believe; that’s okay, I’ve been called that particular name all my life. The things I state as beliefs are based on evidence and facts, not supposition, or fantasy, so, I’m not overly concerned regarding the “wall of noise” thrown up by those who choose to allow the Dogma Dogs, or the Pundits, to tell them what they should believe…. I’ll start to worry if they ever choose to throw in a fact or two on the side of their argument; until then, it’s just a powerless sound and fury, none of my concern….

Even though it’s early, I don’t feel like ranting…. Oh, there is plenty about which to rant; I’m just not in the proper frame of mind, being determined to focus on my appointment later in the day. Today, I’m going to, again, rely on my friend Lou to furnish today’s subject for this section…. I haven’t listened to this yet, but, knowing Alan Watts, I’m certain he has a valid group of points from which he argues his position, and whatever he says will be a version of the truth, as seen by one of our Age’s masters of philosophy…. The subject matter is such that I won’t bother to tell you to enjoy it, but, it WILL all be valid, and true, and relevant to reality….

http://talesfromtheconspiratum.com/2015/01/07/alan-watts-what-is-wrong-with-our-culture-506/

“The great experimental principle, then, is doubt, that philosophic doubt which leaves to the mind its freedom and initiative, and from which the virtues most valuable to investigators in physiology and medicine are derived.” — Claude Bernard, ‘An Introduction to Experimental Medicine’ 1865

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Whenever I feel like some REAL poetry, in the sense of how much reality it conveys to the reader, this poet is one who will always satisfy…. Nobody writes closer to the edge of what is real than Charles….

Another Day

having the low down blues and going
into a restaurant to eat.
you sit at a table.
the waitress smiles at you.
she’s dumpy. her ass is too big.
she radiates kindness and sympathy.
live with her 3 months and a man would no real agony.
o.k., you’ll tip her 15 percent.
you order a turkey sandwich and a
beer.
the man at the table across from you
has watery blue eyes and
a head like an elephant.
at a table further down are 3 men
with very tiny heads
and long necks
like ostriches.
they talk loudly of land development.
why, you think, did I ever come
in here when I have the low-down
blues?
then the the waitress comes back with the sandwich
and she asks you if there will be anything
else?
and you tell her, no no, this will be
fine.
then somebody behind you laughs.
it’s a cork laugh filled with sand and
broken glass.

you begin eating the sandwich.

it’s something.
it’s a minor, difficult,
sensible action
like composing a popular song
to make a 14-year old
weep.
you order another beer.
jesus, look at that guy
his hands hang down almost to his knees and he’s
whistling.
well, time to get out.
pick up the bill.
tip.
go to the register.
pay.
pick up a toothpick.
go out the door.
your car is still there.
and there are 3 men with heads
and necks
like ostriches all getting into one
car.
they each have a toothpick and now
they are talking about women.
they drive away first
they drive away fast.
they’re best i guess.
it’s an unbearably hot day.
there’s a first-stage smog alert.
all the birds and plants are dead
or dying.

you start the engine.

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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Today’s final pearls was created ahead of time, by some elves who came through the other day…. I’m not sure just what they were trying to say, but, it didn’t come out too badly, so, we’ll let it go out, as it is…. It seems to be a comment on living, right up until you die….

Just like the falling rainbow
Just like the stars in the sky
Life should never feel small.

~~ Vearncombe ~~

~~ Black, Paradise ~~

“Not every soil can bear all things.” — Virgil (19 BC)

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein

“Virtue refuses facility for her companion … the easy, gentle, and sloping path that guides the footsteps of a good natural disposition is not the path of true virtue. It demands a rough and thorny road.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty

“For “ignorance is the mother of devotion,” as all the world knows.” — Robert Burton (1577-1640) — The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part iii, Sect. 4, Memb. 1, Subsect. 2

“I bid him look into the lives of men as though into a mirror, and from others to take an example for himself.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Adelphoe, Act iii, Sc. 3, 61, (415.)

Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.” — Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters to a Young Poet

Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days!
None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise.

~~ Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867) ~~

~~ On the Death of Joseph Rodman Drake ~~

Aha! Now it makes more sense…. It’s a pearl for Richey, Red’s friend, who passed away suddenly a few days past…. Blessed Be, Richey…. The very last pearl is for you….

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Well, that went well, for all it was truncated throughout the process by intransigent discomfort, the flux-state of existence currently holding sway in every one of the 210 bones in my skeleton… SIGH…. So much for break time, eh? Ah well, at least I’m done with this for the day…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A Hound is on the scent…

Posted on November 8, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The very flower of youth.”~~ Terence (185-159 BC) ~~~~ Act ii, Sc. 3, 28, (319.) ~~

In the “very flower of youth”, we find these seven people, who are, quite obviously, the surviving members of the Munchkins, of Munchkin Land, in Oz…. They had come, at great expense and effort, to Earth to be honored at the 75th anniversary of the release of The Wizard of Oz, the iconic movie with a young Judy Garland, and a cast of amazing versatility (the woman who played the Wicked Witch remains to this day the most well-known example of an evil witch in our culture…. no other comes close….). The surviving Munchkins, among them one of the Lollipop Guild, and the Lord Mayor of Munchkin Town, still appear to be enjoying life to the maximum…

Well, I guess the guy on the extreme left end does appear to be a bit constipated, but, hey, at their age, I can testify, and relate…. But, then, he’s also wearing what appears to be the costume of a religious figure, (note the bishop’s mitre on his head…), I suppose he’s a right to be bummed out…. or, maybe he’s just got some bad gas…. I’ll also note the huge grin on the Lollipop kid’s face should bring the old fella around; who can resist a face with such happy camaraderie in it? He certainly is enjoying being in the limelight again, even if only for a moment…. (The picture itself was taken from sfgate, but, I saw it all over the news at the time of the event…..)

Maintaining a happy outlook on life, when one stops to consider, is a very good attitude with which to approach getting old, especially if one is a Munchkin, or a dwarf in a society that places a premium on physical normalcy. I have no doubt that all of those actors spent many years struggling to make a living, at anything, much less acting; our society is not known for the morality, or the gentle hand, with which it treats the weaker members of the common group…. They would, no doubt, have suffered discrimination at the hands of those they probably call the Bigs, all of their lives, from the time it first became apparent they weren’t “normal”….

Having taken a vow to stop ranting in the intro section, I’ll stop that discussion there, before I’m tempted to speak further on the subject of societal morality, which, as we all know by now, is what might be called a shadow, in that it has little substance in the minds of most of society, and as much influence as the images we make when blocking the light, i.e., none to speak of…. That little blurb right there is edging too close to ranting, so, I’ll just use this opportunity to change the subject, before I get caught with my words down…..

That decision, sadly, leaves me no choice but to turn to my new-found, and newly established protocol of ruthlessness, which I’ve learned to embrace, at least for the times we encounter here, attempting to end these intro sections…. I’ve discovered such a hard line is completely necessary, and should have been instituted the first time it came before the board…. But, I’m stubborn, and hate to give up any right, even if the exercise of it is less than productive…. It’s just a bad habit to accept the abrogation of a right, any right at all, something those in our government would do well to remember….

Since I AM now a relatively ruthless person (compared to previously, anyway….), I will assume the stance, and proclaim the hour…. ‘Tis time to get on with this mess, or it will again take over, and we’ll never be able to show any influence over where we end up…. No telling where that might be, either. Since I see an opening, right over there, we’re going for it….. Sit back, and enjoy, ffolkes…. it looks like it will only take a triple-loop to get through the opening, so your seat belts should keep you safe….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If you understand, things are as they are. If you do not understand, things are as they are.” — Gensha, Zen Master

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I’m in the mood today for a bit of Sherlock and Watson….. Here is a good one, another story with horse racing as a basic element of the story….. Enjoy, ffolkes…. It’s a really relaxing way to spend an hour, and, it has NO commercials…. though there are pauses written in that indicate where they once were shoved upon the gentle viewer….

Sherlock Holmes – Season 5 episode 3 – Shoscombe Old Place

http://youtu.be/RHhd0_pXEFE

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“I am quite sure that (bar one) I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed I know it. I can stand any society. all that I care to know is that a man is a human being – that is enough for me; he can’t be any worse.” — Mark Twain — Harper’s Magazine, September, 1899

After reading the following, it will be a good test of how alert, and informed, the Gentle Reader may be, to ask them if they are at all surprised by the information contained…. It’s a rather long article, as it covers a lot of obfuscation and chicanery by the corporate and governmental assholes involved; clarifying such murky waters can take a bit of care, and the article is quite thorough in presenting its arguments….. Read it, and weep….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/intelligence-agencies-lawyer-client-abdel-hakim-belhaj-mi5-mi6-gchq?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

In the article, you will find an embedded .pdf document, which, if all goes aright, you will see below, a scanned copy of the legal complaint against the spy agencies in the UK, where the suit against them is being pursued…. It clearly states which privileged legal communications between plaintiffs and their counsel were intercepted, and used (illegally) to build cases against those plaintiffs…. It’s pretty damning evidence, showing clearly the sheer disdain the governments of the US and the UK have for the privacy rights of the individuals who make up the population of their countries…..

https://www.scribd.com/doc/245744930/2014-11-05-PUB-Belhaj-Gov-Amended-Response-to-RFI-and-All-Policy-Disclo

Can you believe the sheer effrontery of the spies who cleared this shit? Sorry, vulgarity and expletives are necessary adjuncts to a rant like this one will be…. I’m relating, with evidence, the criminal acts of the very people who are supposed to protect our rights, and they are NOT going to like any of it…. They are creatures of the darkness; any light shone upon them hurts them, making them want to lie even louder, and scuttle off into the nearest crack in the wall or floor, to regain the shadowy confines of darkness, where they may plot, and plan their next round of abuse, and/or, theft….

I’m sick of these assholes…. Let’s go around the ‘Net, & see what else they’ve been up to, or into…. I’ll make a short comment on each, just below the links….

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342689/-South-Carolina-exit-poll-asks-whether-blacks-are-getting-too-demanding-over-equal-rights?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

Once my mouth closed from it’s fully dropped-open-in-disbelief-and-shock position, all I could think when I saw this was, “Are you shitting me?”…. That was yesterday, when I first saw it; as I look upon it today, that is STILL my only reaction….

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342646/-Alabama-passes-law-banning-sharia-law-because-of-course-they-did?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

As the title says, of course they did….. I think there must be a law on the books in Alabama that prohibits anyone with an IQ over 75 to live in the state…. which, if you think about it, is a good thing, as it keeps a large number of them all in one place, where they’ll be easier to keep an eye on, so they can be monitored for self-harm through ignorance….

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342626/-Intensive-anti-voter-fraud-effort-finds-no-instance-of-actual-voter-fraud?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

Yep…. out of more than a hundred MILLION votes cast at this election, the paranoid hate group monitoring the voting areas for fraud were planning to prove their pet theory, that the level of voting fraud was rampant, and a huge problem, which would justify both their paranoia, and their insistent efforts to take away the voting rights of the poor and disenfranchised citizens among us…. Working as hard as they could, they were able to come up, nation-wide, with eight instances they classified as fraud, five of which were a bit specious, as they dealt with broken voting machines, not fraud by any individual…. But, that was ALL they could find….

Let’s just look at that fractionally, which would be 8/120,000,000…. If we figure the percentage of occurrence of this HUGE problem, it comes out to a figure many thousands of times smaller than a single percent…. Boy, what a humongous problem THAT turned out to be….

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1341593/-Cartoon-Christie-Cuomo-s-guide-nbsp-to-nbsp-Ebola?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

The Cuomo/Christie fiasco surrounding “THE EBOLA CRISIS” explained, and made fun of quite well…

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29950946

This article makes clear the police and intelligence agencies of the governments are working as hard as they can to penetrate the ‘Dark Net’, upon which the Tor Network is operated. The Tor Network (whose operation is explained in the article) is designed to be able to keep government snoops, hackers, or anyone wishing to look at private communications, from knowing where those communications come from, and where they go…. Naturally, this upsets the police. who want access to EVERYONE’s data, and computers…. They are apparently making progress, as this article relates how their latest attempts have gained them some ground in the quest to find a way to get into the dark net to follow all those who use it, so they can invade their privacy in their quest of complete power….

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-binladen-seals-idUSKBN0IQ2RC20141107?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

I have to be honest. I didn’t read the last listed article, from the Reuters news feed, re: two ex-Marines, both of whom claim to be the one who killed bin Laden, simply because I didn’t wish to subject myself to the sheer ignorance, and complete cluelessness of the people involved in such a ridiculous argument… and, if I need to explain WHY, y’all haven’t been paying attention….

This is, perhaps, the single greatest public display of stupidity, not to mention amorality, EVER. Ever…. No body, in my extensive memory, or in my no less extensive store of knowledge derived from reading, in history, has ever made such a completely asinine fool of themselves, right out where everyone can see and hear….

SIGH….. I believe I’ve made my point, ffolkes, so, let’s go on to something not so depressing…. Oh, shoot…. by saying that, I won’t be able to use one of MY poems!…. Oh well, I’ll cheat…. it’s easy, and y’all can’t see what I’m doing anyway….. or, can you?…. Hmm, I’ll have to think on that….. Meanwhile, onward….

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If you’ve been here a time or two, you’ll already know who today’s poet will be…. Since these are small, but chewy, we’ll have two….

A Cloud withdrew from the Sky
Superior Glory be
But that Cloud and its Auxiliaries
Are forever lost to meHad I but further scanned
Had I secured the Glow
In an Hermetic Memory
It had availed me now.Never to pass the Angel
With a glance and a Bow
Till I am firm in Heaven
Is my intention now.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

——————————————

A Dying Tiger—moaned for Drink—
I hunted all the Sand—
I caught the Dripping of a Rock
And bore it in my Hand—

His Mighty Balls—in death were thick—
But searching—I could see
A Vision on the Retina
Of Water—and of me—

‘Twas not my blame—who sped too slow—
‘Twas not his blame—who died
While I was reaching him—
But ’twas—the fact that He was dead—

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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Today’s old-school pearl came together yesterday afternoon, and it makes no apologies for any misconceptions regarding human nature it may puncture like the soap bubble they so closely resemble…..

“There was, I think, never any reason to believe in any innate superiority of the male, except his superior muscle.” — Bertrand Russell, Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind (1950)

“I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have [no laws] at all than to have them in so prodigious numbers as we have.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xiii

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” — J.K. Rowling, Padfoot Returns, — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, spoken by the character Sirius Black

“A skunk is better company than a person who prides himself on being “frank.” — Smart Bee

“The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts.” — Edmund Burke, letter, April 3, 1777, to the Sheriffs of Bristol

INCOMPOSSIBLE, adj. Unable to exist if something else exists. Two things are incompossible when the world of being has scope enough for one of them, but not enough for both — as Walt Whitman’s poetry and God’s mercy to man. Incompossibility, it will be seen, is only incompatibility let loose. Instead of such low language as “Go heel yourself — I mean to kill you on sight,” the words, “Sir, we are incompossible,” would convey and equally significant intimation and in stately courtesy are altogether superior. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

Well, of course it would….

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

Some days, this process goes better than others; this one wasn’t bad at all, considering….. In any case, it seems to be done, except for the final part, where I go through and miss all the errors…. I’ll do that, and get it right out…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided nobody comes after me with a warrant, in which case, it is conceivable I could disappear for a while, until I can find safe haven…. For now, though, enough is enough….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark, and Theresa…
and everyone else, too…When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Sublimation of the need to kill….

Posted on October 27, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Calvin: “Do you believe our destinies are determined by the stars?”

Hobbes: “Nah.”

Calvin: “Oh, I do.”

Hobbes: “Really? How come?”

Calvin: “Life’s a lot more fun when you’re not responsible for your actions.”

~~ “Calvin and Hobbes,” Bill Watterson ~~

Dancing Galaxies

This picture, which I’ve named as I saw fit, was taken by the NASA Hubble Deep Space Telescope, which has given us the ability to see further into the depths of space, and time, than ever before…. In fact, this image is the one they say is the image of the deepest part of space we have seen, so far away, the mind cannot imagine the distance with any real understanding….

I like this picture, as it fits with a fanciful theory of consciousness I have considered for many years…. I am of the opinion that galaxies may be alive, in a way we are not able to understand…. As such, to imagine them dancing among the stars is an image that makes me smile…. Call me a hopeless romantic, if you wish; I don’t mind….. The Universe, to my mind, is a beautiful place, and romanticism is a response to that beauty of which I am more proud than ashamed, for certain… But, then, I AM a Bozo, of the first degree…

That said, now what? If I comment on the quote above the picture, by Calvin & Hobbes, it will turn into a rant, for sure and for certain…. Hell, that’s why I put it there, as a perfect example of the core philosophy of modern America; it’s a perfect metaphorical interpretation of the way that 99% of the people alive today think, and feel, and act….

Anyone who disagrees with that assessment, or, agrees, for that matter, is welcome to comment below, or via email to me directly; I will argue this point all day and night, for I KNOW I am right in my analysis. I can prove it, merely by pointing to the news headlines that grace the top of our news media’s outlets…. (See discussion, below….) So, in the infamous words of the Junior Shrub, “bring it on….”….

Someday, somebody is actually going to answer my challenge in this respect: I’m not sure if I’ll know how to handle that. Thankfully, it isn’t something I need to lose a lot of sleep over…. Today, I’m in too good a mood to care, anyway…. I got a chance to visit with my grandson yesterday, and felt well enough, for a change, to be able to take part more fully.

We had a great time, especially when my son’s new girlfriend/mate ( I never know what word to use for their relationship….
They’re not yet married, and may never be, yet are in a married living situation, and are creating a family… I think it’s time to make up some new words, to describe modern family relationships; they’ve morphed into more varieties of situations, than the language has words….) came to join the visit with her two daughters. It was the my first opportunity to meet them, and it was very nice, indeed, to see my son interacting with his own new, instant large, still growing family (they announce they’re expecting another child in March, a girl… so, now, in one fell swoop, in one day, I’ve gone from the grandfather of one, to the grandfather four…. Instant family, just add water…. (*huge grin*)

I’m happy for my son; he is hard-wired for family, so, I think he will do well having a big one. In addition, this woman seems much more stable and compassionately oriented than his son’s mother, and will also be good for him; he deserves it….. It is also amusing to see my daughter sublimating her own wish for kids into being the world’s best Auntie, the kind of Aunt every kid wants, as a break from mom and dad’s disciplines…. She’s good at it, too….

Well, that was simple…. A bit of a short rambling rant, or maybe travelogue would suit better, plus some reminiscence, and the intro section is good to go…. Bonus! Some days just work out better than others, don’t they?

Shall we Pearl?…..

“The caterpillar is secure in the womb of the cocoon. And yet, to achieve its destiny, it must cast off its earthbound burden…to realize the ethereal of the butterfly.” — Master Po

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

Another great Sherlock video for today, ffolkes…. I’ve been having a great time, seeing a lot of Holmes stories I missed when they were first televised (probably because the BBC didn’t really come to us much until the last few years…), so, y’all reap the benefits of my joy…. I’ve checked this one out, as promised, and, it is an excellent adaptation of one of the finest of the Holmes stories by A. C. Doyle….. Enjoy!

Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band

http://youtu.be/VQBdTu2MnHc

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

Wall Street Journal headline:

Quarantined Nurse Lashes Out After She Tests Negative for Ebola

NY Times headline:

Tested Negative for Ebola, Nurse Criticizes Her Quarantine

BBC headline:

Ebola outbreak: US nurse criticises quarantine treatment

London Daily Telegraph article later in the day:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ebola/11188874/US-nurse-sues-after-being-forced-into-quarantine-as-she-returned-from-treating-Ebola-patients-in-Sierra-Leone.html

“I recalled my last night at the Ebola management center in Sierra Leone. I was called in at midnight because a 10-year-old girl was having seizures. I coaxed crushed tablets of Tylenol and an anti-seizure medicine into her mouth as her body jolted in the bed.”

“It was the hardest night of my life. I watched a young girl die in a tent, away from her family.

Describing her experience at Newark Airport, Miss Hickox said: “I walked up to the immigration official at the airport and was greeted with a big smile and a ‘hello.’

I told him that I have traveled from Sierra Leone and he replied, a little less enthusiastically: ‘No problem. They are probably going to ask you a few questions.”

“He put on gloves and a mask and called someone. Then he escorted me to the quarantine office a few yards away. I was told to sit down. Everyone that came out of the offices was hurrying from room to room in white protective coveralls, gloves, masks, and a disposable face shield.”

“One after another, people asked me questions. Some introduced themselves, some didn’t. One man who must have been an immigration officer because he was wearing a weapon belt that I could see protruding from his white coveralls barked questions at me as if I was a criminal.”

——–

The foregoing lines, following the link, are all excerpted from the article in the Daily Telegraph. I’ve included the other headlines, minus links, to demonstrate the different techniques each news outlet uses in reporting the same story; their choice of words can be rather telling…

The article to which the link will lead, written for a European/British newspaper, gives what I feel is the best overall idea of just how STUPID the American public is…. These politicians, especially Chris Christie, the mad neocon idiot from New Jersey, are using this subject as just another piece of political manipulation. They are all jockeying to see which can be the most aggressive in asserting how much they care…. which is a pretty long stretch in the first place….

These political peacocks preen and strut, trumpet their cliches, do their posturing, and compete desperately for approval ratings, by, essentially, completely overreacting to a relatively non-threatening issue, (the virus is no more contagious than any other disease we watch for, or have dealt with in the past; it’s just newer, and since there is less information currently available, there is more fear….), thus fanning flames of ignorant fear among the public, and making loud, obnoxious claims of looming crisis situations, that simply DO NOT EXIST, merely to gain points for their public image, as concerned leaders of the “people of this state”…. which is, as we all know, a huge load of horse shit, steaming fresh…. But, this particular variety of shit doesn’t smell as nice as fresh horse shit…. I can attest…

I’m going to be polite today, not to mention brave. Stopping a rant in the middle can cause severe mental constipation…. but, I think y’all can figure out the rest of what I intended, using some of my older rants as a reasoning tool for comparison. It’s actually pretty easy; our minds naturally will fall into ranting mode when that technique is utilized, so, it should work fine….

Simply put, just consider the degree of assholishness of each politician, as compared to the average citizen’s intelligence (or, mostly, lack thereof…), throw in a bit of realistic observations and some logic, and voilà, instant rant…. It’ll be fun, I assure you…. Y’all can trust me, I’ve never run for elected office in my life…. well, there WAS that one time, in sixth grade, when I was elected class clown….

Oh, right, then there was that committee in HS, but, I don’t think it counts, as the elective body consisted of seven or eight students on the committee, who voted me to be the chairman…. I declined, so I say it doesn’t count… I had already figured out I wanted no part of politics, in ANY form or fashion…. That way, I have the right to criticize them as much as I wish….

Enough…. the whole political response to this Ebola crisis is a reaction to the media’s tendency to blow everything out of proportion…. It makes these idiotic politicians, with their insane need to be in the public eye, go through mad contortions in their efforts to not merely jump on the bandwagon, but to rip the reins from the driver, and whip the horses into a frenzy…. If the media didn’t make such big mountains out of all the molehills they stumble upon, we wouldn’t have this problem at all… Some common sense would be liable to creep into the issue, and it would just disappear, like cotton candy in the mouth, dissolving away into nothing at all…

Oh, well…. I’ll say this, and be done….

Close observation of the events of modern life in human society currently shows humanity to be struggling mightily on its path to its destiny, desperately seeking to find ever more foolproof methods of living, that will enhance Life and ensure out survival, while the Universe continues to create more, and more powerful, fools…. So far, the Universe is winning….

So be it.

gigoid has spoken…..

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

I’m feeling lazy today, which means y’all will have to make do with one of my poems…. I’ll try to pick a good one, but, you know how THAT goes…. We’ll increase the odds with a two-fer….

Haiku VIII

Softly steals the night,
everywhere is darkness,
except in the heart.

~~ gigoid ~~

A Seasonal Approach

Absolute stillness grips a frozen field,
anticipating dawn with such patient yield
morning burgeoning in dark winter’s hold
brings promise of tales yet to be told.

Lengthening days of pale sun unto night
slowly tell of time’s subversive flight
bringing such original songs of natural fire
with melodies complex in casual attire.

The months are certain they will always win
it is just the way it has always been.
None may argue, nor yet slow life down
Nor dim the eternal beauty of nature’s gown.

Winter evolves from fall into spring,
sending flocks and hearts ever awing.
Summer follows suit, t’other way ’round
Spring into fall, often without a sound.

Life is meant to be lived, beginning to end
choices abound, and change can be a friend.
Yielding with grace to reality’s compelling ploy
fills our plain existence with clean, honest joy.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Okay, so…. This pearl is one which can only be described as scrutable, yet subtly complex, and simple at once…. I know, sounds a bit impossible, doesn’t it? Even for English…. but, there you go. Just follow the bouncing concepts to a conclusion that may surprise you…. or, not. Regardless, you will have completed an arduous, and dangerous assignment, which is how we define the consumption of the contents of this blog…. Go figure….

“Do you think there’s a God?” “Well, SOMEbody’s out to get me!” — Calvin & Hobbes

“If people behaved in the way nations do they would all be put in straitjackets.” — Tennessee Williams

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“Everybody has the right to be stupid, but you’re abusing the privilege.” Smart Bee

“Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too self-full to seek other than itself.” — Kahlil Gibran

“It is only the ignorant who despise education.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 571

“Reality is in the mind of the beholder.” — Smart Bee

“Most legislators are so dumb that they couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel.” — Smart Bee

“Why may not a goose say thus: “All the parts of the universe I have an interest in: the earth serves me to walk upon, the sun to light me; the stars have their influence upon me; I have such an advantage by the winds and such by the waters; there is nothing that yon heavenly roof looks upon so favourably as me. I am the darling of Nature! Is it not man that keeps and serves me?” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xii, Apology for Raimond Sebond

Ffolkes, this one didn’t even need any application of twisty wrist…. I hope you enjoyed it…. If not, well, just submit the proper forms in triplicate, and you should receive a rejection notice, of a request for refund of the price of your ticket, in about, oh, three or four years….

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

Okay, so…. that went as well as can be expected…. Rather than tempt fate yet again, we’ll show some rather adult forethought, and take our leave while things are still calm…. It never lasts long, so, I’ll be nice, and take advantage of the moment…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Stick with the potted meats, Bosley….

Posted on October 3, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.

~~ Alexander Pope ~~

(1688-1744)

— Essay on Criticism, Part ii, Line 15 —

Pretty little house & garden, eh? I thought so, which is why I took the picture; the colors, shapes, and overall effect have a balance that gives it a homey, lived in, comfortable appearance that appeals to me…. I guess, at heart, I’m just a traditional, romantic bozo, with a belief in home, and family. In my life, perhaps the only regret I have is not finding someone who felt strongly enough the same way to join me in making that happen….. I was able to give my children a home for the greater portion of their formative years, but, was not able to make it last, not having any control over my former partner’s wish to be elsewhere….

Such subjects are a bit too maudlin, though, to pursue very far in the intro, or, for that matter, at all; there is far more depressing material to pick from, on a less personal level, that will serve to provide plenty of reason to bemoan our fates, so, I’ll leave this one right here, and just say, “nice house”, & let is go at that…. It’s not as if we don’t have other stuff to talk about, right? Right….

Of course, we aren’t supposed to start on that here in the intro; I always have a hard time with that one, as my need/wish to rant can take control of the keyboard at any moment…. I’m working quite assiduously, in truth, to see that doesn’t happen today, but, most of those efforts are behind the scenes, in my head, where I am frantically blocking certain ideas from coming up into the forefront of my consciousness, or distracting myself from noticing other ideas that could turn on us, thus delaying even further the process of getting this event rolling down the road it needs to travel…

Of course, all of this is mere bullshit anyway, all designed to work our way just a little further down the page, until it looks like enough to fool the monitors, should they look our way. And, if I am not mistaken (I rarely am….trust me on this….), I see a point coming up in just a couple of lines where we can jump off this bandwagon, and get back on the track we need to take, by jumping on that other wagon, fast approaching from the south…. If y’all would just hold on to the edge of your seats for a moment, while I pull this lever….. There…..

Okay, that went well…. So, here we are, at the end of another fine, if a bit idiotic, introductory section, just chock full of nonsense, bullshit, and sheer blather, all for my gentle readers…. Of course, you may want to wash up, before we try to go on…. feel free to use the extra-strength Borax on the lower shelf, if you have any particularly grimy spots…. The rest of us will wait right over there until y’all are done….

Okay, I think we’re good to go, so….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii

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

“Become what you are.” — Buddha

Yesterday, while perusing the news, (for almost an entire three-quarters-of-an-hour, as it turned out; so much distracting stuff happening in the world, I completely ignored my increasing misery to do this…), I came to the UK Guardian site, to read the US version of their daily publication… My horror, my fear, and my depression mounted, story by story, as I read what has taken place out there in the world at large, just in the last few days….

I can’t honestly say any of it surprised me, nor did it catch me unaware, or bring any amazement; only a deep sadness, to see just how far the degradation of our society, and the world, including the environment we live in, has progressed. The evidence is all right there…. or, here, as I’ve collected a number of links to that evidence, to show y’all exactly whereof I speak, when I say, quite simply, ffolkes, we are all in deep shit….

With no further comment, until after you’ve seen the collected links, I give you, proof positive of imminent Armageddon, or a facsimile thereof that will accomplish the identical result… If you are hesitant to try to read so much, just look at the headlines, containing the key words, at the end of each link; those will give you at least an idea of what we are dealing with…. And, I promise, no more than one comment, under each one, just so I don’t explode….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/02/nobel-peace-summit-south-africa-dalai-lama-visa

Not much seems to have changed in South Africa, does it?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/01/argentina-president-claims-us-plot

Whether this poor president has gone bonkers, or not, what would you bet me, (I’m willing to wager SERIOUS money….), if I suggested there IS a document, somewhere at Langley, Virginia’s CIA HQ, in a drawer, a folder, holding a file that has just such a scenario, as described in this story?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/20/argentina-debt-default-lawyers-court-pay-clause

No comment required; yesterday’s rant, here, on lawyers? Q.E.D.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/02/nypd-inadvertently-killed-unarmed-man-brooklyn-shooting

Oops!

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/01/drones-police-force-crime-uavs-north-dakota

Does anyone need any further proof of police militarization in this, or any other, country?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/30/police-officer-shot-john-crawford-walmart-lied-victims-mother-says

Gee, there’s a video, showing the officer lied, but, the grand jury doesn’t indict. I wonder if anyone bothered to show it to them, and if so, whether or not it was edited at all….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/02/pope-francis-angels-believe-guardian-help

Francis makes a nice change from the previous several popes; at least he’s harmlessly balmy, nor avaricious, or ambitious beyond his need to share his misconceptions (I like him, so, I’m trying to be nice…), or walking around with a stick up his ass… I just wish he wouldn’t encourage the more involved elements of his delusional thinking to so many gullible idiots, who unquestioningly take him at is word….

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/oct/01/coca-cola-rivals-promise-changes-health

Gee….. what do YOU think motivates the folks at Coca Cola? Profit, ya think?…. That’d be my guess, and, I’d be willing to lay all I won above on it….

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/01/walrus-alaska-beach-trampled-death

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/01/satellite-images-show-aral-sea-basin-completely-dried

I can only comment on both of these two at once, because they both show how late it is, and how little anyone cares, really…. fucking assholes. Not you, but, you know to whom I refer; the corporate snakes who refuse to give up a penny of profit, even to save their own lives….

On October 2, 2014, despite the relative importance to us all of the subject matter contained in the articles above, the following five stories were the most widely read articles for the day, at least, at the time I copied the list…. None of them, you will note, appear above…. Obviously, the general reading public doesn’t care to think about such depressing matters as the end of the world, or even rogue police forces…. SIGH….

1. Your baby looks like your ex? This research is scarier than Alien

2. Confessions to murder of two British backpackers in Thailand reported

3. Banksy wanted Clacton-on-Sea to confront racism – instead it confronted him

4. Council removes Banksy artwork after complaints of racism

5. Wonga writes off debts for 330,000 customers

You will also please note that I have not ranted, to speak of, (thank you…. no, no, I don’t mind….), and, we are ending today’s discussion with the same thought with which we opened….. In this case, ranting would be superfluous; if you’re not angry, or disturbed, at the very least, by what you read above, then, well, sorry, but, I can’t help you any further, so to speak…. and, I don’t mean that in a condescending fashion, at all…. As for the quote from the Buddha, it fits, & I’ll tell y’all why….

I’ve done my best to make ffolkes, and folks, aware of what is to come, but, like most people, myself included, everyone is so busy trying to just live their lives, with all the handicaps, traps, and obstacles to happiness, peace, or even quiet that the world places in our paths, they cannot spare the energy to even think about most of it, much less have the time, or wherewithal, to do anything more than merely hold their ground, maintaining a slim, tentative hold on sanity, and/or reality, whichever works for them….

All of which is perfectly okay….. I mean, nothing that HAS been done has helped anyway; at this point, I see no possible way to stop the shit-storm to come…. So, we may as well try to make ourselves as comfortable as we can, and fulfill as much of our own destiny as we can, in the time we are allowed…. All you can do is all you can do…

I’ve done about all I can, so, for now, at least, I’ll let it be, with just this reminder, of who is responsible for everything that happens in our lives….. because, as the Buddha implies, but does not say, people ALWAYS do exactly this…. ALL of them/us, the good, the bad, the ugly, they all are what they are, by deliberate choice….

“Become what you are.” — Buddha

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

It may often seem as if I don’t like people much; that would be a false impression, mostly my own fault, due to the way my love for them is expressed…. But, I do love them, (in small numbers, mostly…. more than two or three at once tends to cause me to wish for my solitude again, if it goes on very long…. except with those whom I love the most, i.e. family, and extended family/friends/water brothers….), mostly because of the potential within all of us for creating beauty, arising out of our reaction to the world we perceive around us, which, in turn, is filled with beauty enough to fill all of our senses…

Here, then, is one of those expressions, from a musical genius, Antonio Vivaldi, with his interpretation, in music, of the passage of time on our world….. THIS, and other such expressions, musical, literary, visual, or otherwise, are why I get so damn angry when I think of how it may all disappear from existence, and for what?…. Only those who are causing it may know; the rest of us can only guess, and watch…. with only music such as this to help us balance the scales, and, at least for a time, feel better for having lived….

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

http://youtu.be/GRxofEmo3HA

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

I’m lazy today, so you end up with one of mine…. deal with it, you’ll feel better once you do….

Random Exposure

If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.

Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.

Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.

Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.

Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

As often happens with pearls, this one changed, not in the middle, but, at the first ending. That happened to be the quote about Hitler, and, somehow, it just made all of it seem unfinished; consequently, I realized it was supposed to be a nine-star pearl, so, I went back to SB, & found the final two entries to properly finish it off, the way SB apparently thinks it should be…. I thought I had it under control, but, it goes to show this process to be as much a sub-conscious process as it is a conscious one…. Works for me….

“If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he next comes to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.” — Thomas De Quincey (1785 – 1859)

“It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.” — real standing law in Texas, United States of America

“Men freely believe that what they wish to desire.” — Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.)

“The public weal requires that men should betray and lie and massacre.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. i, Of Profit and Honesty

“If you view your problem closely enough you will recognize yourself as part of the problem.” — Ducharm’s Axiom

“…common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the vast cosmos-at-large…” — H. P. Lovecraft

“The fact that Hitler was a political genius unmasks the nature of politics in general as no other can.” — Wilhelm Reich

“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.” — Smart Bee

“The most virtuous of all men is he that contents himself with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.” — Plato (B.C. 427?-347?)

Hear, hear!…. On that final, positive note, we shall leave this exposition of human nature, and folly, to go finish this Pearl…. Ta, then….

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

Regardless of how it got done, it’s done. I’m still sleepy, somehow, so, I think maybe I’ll go back to bed…. Or, not, as I have some important stuff to get done today…. SIGH…. Life goes on, and on, and on, until it doesn’t, I suppose…. and, then, as the Scots say…”ye might as well live, for ye’ll be a long time dead.”…. or, something like that…. See y’all tomorrow, if I’m lucky….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A plethora of positive paradigms….

Posted on July 22, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown?

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

The first time I heard Bob Dylan’s song, Like A Rolling Stone, I was half-asleep, riding in a car to go to work, very early on a summer morning in, I believe, 1963, or 1964….. Though not overly impressed by the voice that sang it, I was struck at once by the power of metaphor he employed so liberally throughout the piece…. It was the first time any of us had heard him; that was his first hit song, the one that catapulted him into fame, and the public eye…. Somehow, the plaintive tone of his voice, almost a whine, but, not quite, fit the words he spoke very well, and those words were, themselves, a new experience, as the poetry dug down into the subconscious to deliver subliminal messages, underneath the more obvious lyrical verses….

Ah well, those were the days…. Wait. Stop there….. Step back a few feet, ffolkes, let me get a better look at this….. Yep. I thought I heard some overt nostalgia in there….. Sorry, ffolkes…. We don’t often get attacks of mundane sobriety, with a strong overtone of nostalgia like that, but, we try to head them off quickly when we do come across one of them…. They can cause quite a bit of mental damage, if not caught early on; that sticky sweet reminiscence can be, not just fattening, but dangerously filling…. One small dose of it can layer a whole new coat of fat over the heart, increasing the risk of stroke by a factor of 3 or more…. not good….

So, we’ve developed a pretty efficient way of dealing with them when they come after us; we burn them, and get on with our business…. So, since this one has already been hauled off by our friendly stevedores, off to the incinerator, which will make short work of it, we can put it out of our minds, and move on to the next international incident, er, section of the post…. You’ll have to excuse me this morning, ffolkes, I’m still a bit groggy from sleep…. The picture above is what woke me…. Well, that’s not quite accurate…. hold on…. short break….

It would be more accurate to say the sight of the picture shocked me closer to the state of awareness needed to begin this missive; I’m now three or four paragraphs down the line, and still feel like my brain resembles a bowl of oatmeal more than anything fully alive…. And, see, I can’t even come up with anything remotely humorous to describe what is taking place! In a minute, I’m going to start whining again, so, it might be best to employ one of my emergency exit strategies, to take us out of here, on to where we need to go, wherever that might be…. Given this introduction, it could be just about anywhere at all….

Shall we Pearl?…..

And I’ll do you one better if you’ve got the nerve,
I’ll race you all the way to deadman’s curve.

~~ Jan & Dean ~~

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

“Cato instigated the magistrates to punish all offenders, saying that they that did not prevent crimes when they might, encouraged them.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Roman Apophthegms, Cato the Elder

Below you will find an epic pearl, a rant of magnificent proportions, complete with at least two rants, both aimed in the same general direction, but coming at it from different starting points…. I spent a good portion of yesterday at the computer, having been given that boon by my massage the day before, putting my whole body in a better space…. This led me to catch up on some news sites I hadn’t been to in a while, particularly the Guardian, the UK news site that broke the Snowden Papers story to the world….

(Of course, when I say a long time at the comp, it means an hour or three, not six or eight, so, I could only read the news, not visit all the blogs I want to catch up on… If I start that, I never can get caught up, or get away before I start to regret it physically…. SIGH…. Hard decisions… Any who….)

I still find many of the more egregious activities that the US government is up to on the Guardian, rather than any US sites…. The US media seems to censor much of what the Guardian is writing about, sometimes not covering stories at all that the Guardian has unearthed. Whether this tendency is from jealousy, or fear of reprisal from the government, I can’t say, but, the stories just aren’t there as often, or, if covered, don’t get as deep into the issue as the European site does…. It isn’t just the US who gets their custom, either…. They focus their attention on their own government just as tightly, nor are the rest of the world’s leaders spared their often intensive questions about conditions in other countries….

Nonetheless, the US media has its own axes to grind, and they LOVE any story that puts the police in the spotlight, so, the first part of today’s epic rant concerns that issue, to wit: police brutality and the military bent that the police have been assuming for some time now…. Let’s see what got me going, because, otherwise, it won’t ever get done…. Enjoy, and for goodness sake, pay attention, and pass the information on to those who need it, i.e. every citizen of this country, and of the world, who are being affected by what those assholes at the top of the heap are up to these days…..

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/government-agents-directly-involved-us-terror-plots-report

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/nsa-surveillance-world-leaders-calls

The latter article is from October of 2013, but, may not be known to some Gentle Readers…. When considered in conjunction with the other article’s information, the earlier report serves as prior proof of what I’ve been saying for quite a long time now, regarding how the government looks at the public as their tool, not as their boss…. If anyone at all has any evidence to the contrary, please, come forward, and we can discuss the matter…. I don’t think there are many who will come forward, because it’s all truth; they ARE spying on YOU, ME, and EACH OTHER…. The tail has begun to wag the dog, and the leaders of the world are completely insane, taking the old saw about “knowledge is power” to new extremes of meaning….

We saw above how the FBI particularly has been abusing their newly-acquired powers to create terrorist plots, involving people in them, then using the completely unconstitutional terrorist court system created after 9/11/01 to convict otherwise innocent people, to justify their own existence and continued clandestine operations…. The FBI is the top level of the police forces of society, forces that are supposed to provide protection and support for the citizens of this country; they help set the tone for the other forces, on the state and local levels, who also are supposed to, as they are fond of saying, “protect and serve”….

Instead we have, on a daily basis, though not all of them receive this much coverage, incidents such as the following, which provide examples of how, in today’s society, the police view the public as enemies, to be unworthy of possessing even the most basic rights, such as free speech, or privacy, an enemy requiring intimidation to assert authority, and threats of violence to maintain control, while the public views the police as violent, aggressive, filled with entitlement, unethical, unfair, not to be trusted, and, worst of all, continuously demonstrating their belief they are not subject to the laws they enforce….

(Note: it took SFGATE three articles to give the same information three times, without ever getting very deep into the issue… they had lots of nice photos, though, of Rev. Al and his religious cronies, taking advantage of the publicity to get photographed with the victim’s widow…..)

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Rallies-planned-after-in-custody-death-of-NYC-man-5632335.php?cmpid=hp-hc-nationworld

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/More-studies-needed-in-apparent-chokehold-death-5635142.php?cmpid=hp-hc-nationworld

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/NY-preacher-appeals-for-justice-in-chokehold-death-5634035.php?cmpid=hp-hc-nationworld

“…..as four officers bring him down to the sidewalk, Garner, who was asthmatic, gasps, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” The video shows one officer using his hands to push Garner’s face into the sidewalk……” “The second video, which appears to have been shot shortly after Garner was handcuffed, shows him lying on the sidewalk, apparently unresponsive. More than three minutes in, medics arrive and one checks his pulse. Garner is lifted onto a gurney and transported to a waiting ambulance about two minutes later.”…. “A bystander asks why no one is performing CPR and one officer responds, “because he’s breathing.”” — excerpted from the last article listed, describing the events as seen in the videos shot at the scene by bystanders….

In addition to the other issues presented by the incident, I find it a telling point that no mention of any police videos of the incident have been noted by the media, nor by the police…. I don’t know if the NYPD is in step with most of the other police forces in this country, but, I’m pretty sure, by now, the majority of officers and police cars on the streets of New York have video recorders somewhere about their person or vehicle, fully capable of recording all they do, and all they encounter in “pursuing their duties”…..

If not, well, I’m thinking they wish they did have them in place; if they do, why haven’t they been used to either corroborate, or deny, the accusations of wrongdoing? Any speculative reasons as to why such evidence is not available are, naturally, going to be negatively perceived, and will not help their already tarnished image….

The NYPD, along with just about every police force in the entire world, has become what many of our forefathers warned us against, i.e., professional soldiers and/or para-military wannabe soldiers, with a sense of entitlement, and a barely restrained tendency to use violence as their measure of authority…. which, being the neurotic personalities that all-too-many of them are, they must seek out to feel any self-worth…. Only by asserting that authority can these sick, violent bigots feel in control, thus proving their “manhood”.

I’m not being hyperbolic, either…. I’m going by my own observations, and my own experiences in observing the interactions between the police, in this town, and everywhere I’ve ever lived, as well as in my more than simply copious reading of the local, national, and international news, to the tune of two news site a day, minimum…. That’s now; it used to be two news papers….

All of which is in addition to the book a day I have read since I was 10 years old, in addition to all I read in the news…. That reading, and my perceptions of this issue, have enabled me to see the police go from being one of the most admired and respected professions in the world, when I was young, to one of the most feared and mistrusted segments of government, and society….. all in the course of my 55 years or so of perception and reasoning about the world at large….

When I was a lad, in the 50’s, my own parents always made sure we kids knew that, if lost or in trouble, an MP (military policeman) would always help (we were Army brats….)….and that included civilian policemen…. However, by the time I was in college, in 1968, police ranks had swelled to unprecedented numbers, while the hiring standards remained set on old, outdated concepts of societal needs.

The societal disharmony that had been building up, along with the widening of the income gap, for many years, since the Depression, and before, all came to a head, erupting in the early 60’s, when society exploded against the restraints on their freedoms….The Free Speech movement, Civil Rights, Vietnam, the invasion of Cambodia, as well the beginning of the women’s rights, and LGBT rights movements, society-wide struggles that continue today, as society moves forward into a new millennium. These new, (for the time) large demonstrations by students and citizens with issues were a new phenomenon to the police forces that existed, and the conflict started to demonstrate how out of touch they were becoming with the rest of society…..

That same separation of perception has continued to widen ever since, until now, police everywhere, no matter how good or bad they are, will be painted with the brush of corruption, psychopathy, bigotry, and para-military rigidity of thinking…. and for good reason, as there are EASILY as many, or more, bad cops these days, as there are good cops….

Actually, though, it occurs to me, the whole issue is merely one facet of the overriding problem facing society at large, which is the ever-widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of humanity….

And don’t fool yourselves, ffolkes…. it’s way smaller a number than 1% that is behind the entire set of problems that face mankind, as a result of their selfishness and lack of humanity…. My guess, without actually researching, but, going by the “sincerely best-guess” methodology, is that the number of people in the world, who actually have the control over 99% of the money and resources, either directly, or by proxy, is about 5000 people, or fewer…. This small number of super-wealthy, inhumane assholes, believe they have the right to decide for all of us exactly how reality should be run, which just so happens to coincide with their vision of absolute power….

The sad part is, they have been able to do exactly that for many centuries now, ever since the major proportion of the world became dependent on the whole concept of money, compounded by the gullibility that allows them to be fooled so easily by those without any morals or ethics to restrain them…. They buy governments, without anyone ever knowing their names…. They buy churches, who spread the delusional belief in a supernatural afterlife where all life’s pain will be taken away, and they will be rewarded for being sheep all their lives, allowing those in power to tell them how to think, and how to live…. And, in the process, they are killing themselves, and us right along with them…..

Isn’t that sweet?

“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?” — Zippy the Pinhead

Don’t worry, ffolkes…. I’m not done ranting about these people…. This one, however, has gone on long enough, and is starting to get a bit nebulous…. I prefer a more substantial target for my barbs, so, we’ll come back to this another time, when I’ve put together a bit more ammunition to use on them, and, perhaps, even identifying one or two of them for y’all ….. For now, I’ll leave you with this: Keep your head in the game, and always be ready to doubt what you hear from anyone who thinks they are in charge….. because, whether they are or not, they believe that shit, which makes them annoying, and potentially dangerous to your well-being….

Stay on your toes, ffolkes, (metaphorically speaking, of course), & don’t believe any of their lies…. How do you know when they’re lying? Their mouth is open, and words are coming out; if that’s so, it’s a damn good bet…. The tricky part is knowing exactly who they are…. they don’t come out into the light much….. You know how those evil demons of the dark are…. Besides, they have their talking heads, the pundits & politicians, to stay in the public eye, where they want to be, and are most easily manipulated…. The bottom line for those in power is to prevent, at any cost, any change in the status quo, thus ensuring their continued existence at the controls of society..

“The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.” — Edward Abbey

SIGH…. It’s a pretty ugly picture, and it isn’t getting any prettier…. More later, ffolkes….

“It’s getting harder and harder to act weird.” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

I’m not such an egotist that I think I’m a great poet; I’ve written some good ones, but, nothing to compare with someone such as Sylvia Plath, or Poe, or Whitman, or any of a hundred others from the past who have written many works far better than mine…. But, by using my own, nobody else has to take the blame for all the stuff surrounding it, which may or may not be of note to the Gentle Reader…. I AM enough of an egotist to keep writing it, though, and putting it here for y’all to either laugh, cry, or otherwise react in some way to let me know I’m a writer of bozoid degree…. I hope you enjoy whichever one I choose for your perusal….

Stray Cats

The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..

~~gigoid~~

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

I see from the above, I got a little carried away…. To save myself from any further potential claims of abuse by overuse, I’ll throw together an old-school pearl, with simple parameters to find good advice…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’ll be quick and easy…. Well, compared to the rest, anyway….

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — Aristotle

“To tell a falsehood is like the cut of a saber; for though the wound may heal, the scar of it will remain.” — Saadi (1184-1291)

“To know much is often the cause of doubting more.” — Michael de Montaigne

“How did the great rivers and seas gain dominion over the hundred lesser streams? By being lower than they.” — Lao Tzu

“Laws do not persuade just because they threaten.” — Seneca, 65 AD

“In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

“How pleasant then to be insane.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

I should know better than to say anything would be quick and easy….. Not that you care, but, finding that last pearl was an incredible ordeal, as Smart Bee went into “let’s fuck with gigoid” mode, and started throwing up all sorts of really stupid, asinine quotes for me to wade through…. I finally found that last one by F. Scott, and said, “YES!”…. I cut, copied, pasted, and am outta here, having done all the damage possible for one morning….. See y’all tomorrow, if I recover in time…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid the dubious

Tumbling down the Stairway to Heaven….

Posted on July 8, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Men are most apt to believe what they least understand.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xi

The pearl you see above was intended to get my mind out of the doldrums in which it found itself becalmed; I’m pretty sure they’ve failed, miserably, because I’ve been sitting here, looking at it, waiting for inspiration to strike, for, oh, a good twenty minutes now, and what you see is what I’ve got, so far….. If I weren’t sure I was wrong, I’d say it wasn’t working, but, I’m never wrong®, so that can’t be it…. It must be the shoes….

Okay, so it’s not the shoes; more likely it’s just the normal foggy mind-state that dogs me every morning when I sit down to begin this self-induced torture…. I’ve never let that stop me before, so, I suppose I can’t give up today. My pain level today is a bit distracting; I probably overdid it on the SF trip the other day, and my calves & thighs are complaining about all the unexpected exercise, along with the usual arthritic back, hip, and shoulder joint pain…. just another day on the farm. I’ll get done, but, I guarantee I won’t enjoy that part of it….

In fact, I’m starting to feel rather curmudgeonly, so much so, it’s possible you could see a rant later; all I need for that, I think, is one good headline, informing us of yet another item of chicanery from one of the BRC, or a preacher, or perhaps one of the entitled myrmidons, and I’d be able to go off on whomever it was, with power, elegance, and a sharp, pointed stick in the eye…. Of course, that’s providing anything is in the media, which has an unfortunate tendency to pass over the most egregious of the shenanigans our leaders engage in; after all, if the reporters didn’t have the politicians to pick on, who would they write about?….

I guess I have to face it…. I’m lost again, and I haven’t a clue as to how to get back to anywhere we can recognize as the right path…. Damn! This means we’ll have to use one of the emergency endings…. In fact, I see one right here, so, we’ll jump on it, while we have the chance…. Otherwise, we may NEVER get out of the intro; I’m THAT screwed up today…. Oh, look, there’s the end I was talking about; let’s dive….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“A man learns to skate by staggering about making a fool of himself; indeed, he progresses in all things by making a fool of himself.”– George Bernard Shaw

As you can see, pearls can be VERY accurate, when describing human nature, and how it applies to each one of us…. Here we find it to have perfectly nailed this entire intro section, and my part in creating it….. See, even when I screw up, the process of Pearling can save us…..

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

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/williesworld/article/What-s-with-the-American-public-giving-a-fail-5601966.php?cmpid=hp-hc-bayarea

Okay, I give up…. I’ll rant…. Whoa, now! No throwing stuff!…. Okay, I won’t rant…. But, I could, if I wanted to; you needn’t think your rude flinging of that odd substance in the general direction of my head had anything to do with my decision… I’m just a nice guy, at heart, and I figure I’ll save it up for the next one…. I’ll just say this about the above…. For once in my life, I agree with Willie, at least in part…. Not fully: I am, to use his style, 100% sure that Obama has lied to the public, on more than one occasion… Sorry Willie, but, that’s documented elsewhere… But, considering the handicaps he has faced, he’s done as well, or better, than could be expected….

Not to say that means that things went well, but, there have been a number of advancements of culture that indicate some progress toward a more moral society…. I just don’t expect it to last long…. Any who, section three today is a long one, so, rather than rant, we’ll just put together a seven-star pearl, of a directly critical nature, (in the vein of Socrates, the “gadfly”), directed at those I like to call the Asininnies…. You’ll recognize them, I think…. If not, well, the comments I make should make it all clear….

“If a man boasts a great deal about what he is going to do tomorrow, it is timely to check into what he did yesterday!” — Smart Bee

(I would say this is probably a very, very good policy to hold when examining politicians….)

“It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies.” — Arthur Calwell

(Obviously, this is an idea that never became popular in this country; in fact, every single politician in office in Washington D.C. will spend a long time trying to convince you this is a lie, at least when it comes to THEM….)

“Join the Army: Travel to exotic distant lands. Meet exciting, unusual people and kill them.”– US Army recruiting poster, as envisions by MAD Magazine

(This was popular back in the 60’s, during the Vietnam conflict, yet, somehow, remains valid today….)

“A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably be unendurable.” — H.L. Mencken

(Maybe so, but, I’d be willing to try it, just for the contrast….)

“Do you ever think about the end of the world as we know it?” — Calvin

(Every damn day, thank you….. since I can see it, just down the hall…..)

“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” — Thomas Jefferson

(More proof that Jefferson was NOT a politician; he just played one during the Constitutional Convention…. Be assured, you would NEVER hear a politician from today’s world say this, unless he was trying to fool someone into believing his crap, to wit: playing the humility card….)

“Fewer possess virtue, than those who wish us to believe that they possess it.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

And,there, with the last line, we have the perfect closer for a discussion of the BRC, an admonition, as it were, to watch them, like the proverbial hawk, for they will tell you whatever they think you would like to hear, and never mean a single word of what they say….. Believe it….

“And THAT’S the TRUTH! Thppt!” — Edith Ann (Lily Tomlin)

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

From 4/13/2013…. This poem is actually of an older date than that; the given date is the last time I posted it…. It was first penned as prose, then, later, I noted it to actually be a poem, if in free verse…. Enjoy….

Stray Cats

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

I promised a photo shoot, and here it is…. Those who receive this via email will only see a link…. The link will take you to today’s post on my blog, where you can see what goes in this section…. There were way too many pictures to send out via email; it would have taken forever to upload that much data…. It’s simpler for me, and you, to just click the link, whereupon you’ll be taken to the blog, where the pictures are living for now…. Of course, you’ll still see the comments, but, they won’t make much sense without going to see the pictures….

The pictures you’ll see were all taken on my recent day trip to SF, taking along the Wise Old Pine Cone’s young paduan learner, whom we’ll call the Young Cone, for now…. The comments will be located, as this one, above each picture, to provide any necessary background…. We had a great time, if a bit exhausting for me, so I hope you enjoy this photo report….

First, here is the Young Cone, posing in the branches of a tree on the way to the bus stop, where we caught a bus to the Ferry terminal downtown…. He was so excited, he jumped to that branch all the way from the sidewalk, and capered there until I agreed to take the picture…. He looks really excited, doesn’t he? Almost vibrating with the intensity of his emotions….
Here you see the Young Cone excitedly telling another cone he met at the bus stop about his upcoming day…. He’s a friendly little cone, he is…

In this pic, the Young Cone gets his first look at the Ferry….

Checking the departure time, before embarking….

The Young Cone was amazed at the amount of CRAP on sale; as a student of the Master, he doesn’t eat such poison, but, he likes to look at the packages, which are so colorful….

The Young Cone was also amazed at the prices of everything…. Here he looks at the espresso they served, for about three times its worth, in the only cup they had to serve it in…. The counter-lady was very nice to him, though….

Here is the Young Cone, trying out one of the ferry’s seats….

As I mentioned, he’s a friendly little cone…. Here, he tries to soothe a pooch he met, who looks a bit nervous to be on the ferry…. Looks like she isn’t buying whatever line he’s trying to sell her….

Gazing out the front window of the Ferry at the SF skyline a few minutes prior to arrival at the Ferry Building…..

In this picture, the Young Cone looks at some very interesting flutes, hand-crafted out of ceramic, for sale at the craft fair across the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building, in the shade of the Financial district skyscrapers, at the end of Market Street….

Whoops! Who’s this cute little fella? And how did he get in here?…. Oh well, he’s too cute to delete…. so he stays….

(Actually, the pic is from the London Daily Telegraph, from a couple of days ago…. It actually DID end up here by mistake, but, as I stated, he’s just too cute a wolf pup to suffer the indignity of deletion…..)

    When we got to Pier 39 to wander around, the Young Cone insisted on posing on one of the sculptures…. As it turns out, he’s a camera hog, and loves to get his picture taken in almost any odd place…. as you will see below…..
    The Young Cone was almost mesmerized by the colors in the flower gardens spotted around the area…..
    Here, the Young Cone gazes in amazement at the high-tech, futuristic restroom sink in one of the public restrooms…. all motion activated, so, no fixtures…. very cool…… No cleaner than any other type, but, it did LOOK cool….
    Posing on the wall outside the Hard Rock Cafe…..
    Checking out the outrageous prices at Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream outlet…..
    Posing again, this time as a wing-walker, in front of the Kite Store…..
    He really wanted to go on the Alcatraz tour, but, the boat for that was being repaired, so we had to forgo that trip….
    The Young Cone, looking out over the marina, just before getting on the Ferry to come home…..
    There you have it, ffolkes…. I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them…..

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

I did it…. I wasn’t sure I would be able to get this one done, but, I did… I’m going to say, it wasn’t easy, but, it turned out pretty well, in my estimation, so, I’ll go post it, and pat myself on the back, later, when I can actually REACH it…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid the dubious

These weren’t buffed OR polished!…..

Posted on June 20, 2014 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

It was a beautiful morning…. The bright, friendly sun was shining brightly out of a deep blue sky, dotted here and there with a few puffy cotton ball clouds. From where I lay in the hills above the town’s main thoroughfare, I could see the entire valley where it lay spread out before me, looking just like one of those advertisements in a travel magazine, offering 3 nights & 2 days in a beautiful country setting…. To look, one might think nothing could disturb the bucolic serenity that lay over the whole scene, covering all that lay before one’s eyes, like a haze of smoke from distant fires….

Little did the peaceful residents know of the horror that would soon be unleashed; the dark shadow of fate fell upon them without notice, or heraldry, allowing this little time of peace before all hell broke loose…. With a small sigh of regret for the peace about to be shattered, I reached down, gave the all-clear signal, and began preparations to move…. In a few short hours, the scene below would change drastically, and the beauty and grace that once lived here would be gone forever, blasted into the depths of memory by the march of time…. and a few well-placed artillery shells….. It was a shame, really, but, nobody can stop time…

Okay, enough…. I’m tired of that one already, which is unsurprising, to say the least…. I have to admit, it ISN’T one of my best….. It’s funny how my mind turns almost automatically to this sort of fictional opening…. A lot of them that I’ve done all seem to focus on the same sort of scenario, which is the beginning of some sort of military action, or spy mission, or assassination, or some other sort of situation in which guns, bombs, or other war-like implements play a major role, or act as a silent, unseen threat…. I suppose that is just an unconscious expression of human nature, falling into the habit of violence, and/or war…. Our species has a long history of involvement with such issues, he said with an ironic smirk….

Once again, though, the creation of such common tales from human experience, even though completely fabricated, has brought us this far down the page, where we (I) have a better chance of moving this along toward the day’s offering, such as it is…. I can only say this; it seems to work for me, and, although I really don’t feel like I have this process under control, it does get me somewhere close to where I need to be to get this done…. The usual obstructions are have been set aside, for the moment at least, and I’m thinking we might just as well take what we’ve got, and make a break for the border…. Hey, it can’t possibly get any more absurd, can it? No, I didn’t think so….

Shall we Pearl?…..

Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
down the foggy ruins of time
far past the frozen leaves
the haunted frightened trees
out to the windy beach
far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Ah, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
silhouetted by the sea
circled by the circus sands
with all memory and fate
driven deep beneath the waves
let me forget about today until tomorrow.

— Bob Dylan —

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I’m afraid today is going to be one of those days around here…. A lot of reasons come to mind, none of which make for a good story, so, y’all will just have to suffer, and wonder…. However, to ease the pain, here is a rant, from early in 2013…. It’s been used before, and may be familiar to some of my more regular readers, at least, those who have been coming by for a while…. It’s also one of my best, all in all, which is why I use it so much…. Enjoy, please, and more importantly, pay attention, & pass the word, right after you pass the salt, please…. These hard-boiled eggs are just too bland without it….

Originally posted in January, 2013:

“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.” — Oscar Wilde

One may always trust Oscar Wilde to be both elegantly witty and intelligently insightful, though, to be sure, many of his most closely held views were somewhat divergent with what was commonly held to be true, philosophically. This divergence was, I believe, mostly deliberate on his part, as he tended to mock that which he did not respect, and he never had much respect for…. well, anything to do with human nature vs. reason and rationality. He mistrusted most people to act morally, and was unafraid of saying so; this, of course, made him both famous, and infamous….. His infamy, I’m sure, ultimately was his undoing, much to society’s loss; as is said so often about our brightest minds, “only the good die young….”

I often wonder, (well, maybe not so often, as much as I’m wondering now…) what the world today would be like, if somehow, some of those bright stars in history had lived to an age where their accomplishments, in relation to the advancement of human thought, and the betterment of the human condition, had a broader, and more lasting effect than their absence has left us. What if Keats had written poetry until he was 85? How many more inventions would have come to us from Nicolas Tesla, had he lived long enough for the rest of the scientific world to catch up to him, instead of hounding him to an early grave? How much more good music, and art, and literature would be available to all of us, if not for this tendency for the best of us to live as a burning meteor, flaming brightly through the sky, until burned out and lifeless?

It is a sad commentary for society to know that it is often the very brilliance of these people that brings about their downfall, at the hands of the ignorant, and the avaricious…. What is even sadder, to me, is that this demonstrates another part of human nature that is responsible for almost every issue in human history, and current society, that causes people to suffer pain, oppression, perpetual struggle, and will most certainly ultimately lead to the extinction of our species, on this planet, at minimum, if not completely…..

That piece of our nature is the unfortunate characteristic, in a number of humans, to be able to put aside all conscience, and act solely in their own self interest. All of us, of course, possess this to some degree; it is an outgrowth of having a will to survive. To these few others, it is their primary modus operandi; they simply do not take other people, or their concerns, into account when deciding what they are going to do, and are not hampered by the consideration of any suffering they may cause other people, animals, or things.

As is patently obvious, to my mind, every elected official, every high level preacher, every corporate magnate, and a great many lawyers, are all of this ilk, and have, for nearly 230 years now, been quietly and efficiently plundering the pockets and rights of the American people (and those of every other country in the world, for that matter…. it is a HUMAN condition, not just American…. Ours are just some of the most obvious about it….), while simultaneously lying, cheating, and otherwise acting to secure their stranglehold on society.

Anyone who disagrees with this assessment, quite simply, isn’t paying enough attention to the world around them….. Sorry to be so blunt, but the facts are all laid out, right there, almost every day in the news media, if one knows how to look at the larger picture it presents, rather than the individual facets of that picture. Focusing on the little shit is just what those in power wish for people to do…. it keeps them busy not noticing other, more incriminating stuff they are carrying out, in the darkness where they mostly live….

“… change depends on individual acts of courage and commitment. Most such acts are private, invisible, and uncelebrated. But some find a place in the public spotlight; and their influence goes far beyond mere example.” — Arthur C. Clarke & Michael Kube-McDowell, The Trigger, 1999

Each and every one of us, in the face of what we know about reality, is responsible in some way, and to some degree, for both the way things are, and the way they will be in the future. If you don’t believe that, well, discussion is, for you, probably useless, and little hope remains. For anyone with moderate insight, however, this is plain, clear truth, and we all need to accept it before any significant progress can be expected against those who are sociopathic, which I define, and hereby name, as homo suicidus, those who would kill us all…. But, it is imperative that we act soon, for the damage we have done, and continue to do to our world, is at a point where the effects are nearly irreversible, and even if we manage to wrest control from the beloved ruling class,it may be too late to save our lives….

“In regard to disagreeable and formidable things, prudence does not consist in evasion, or in flight, but in courage. He who wishes to walk in the most peaceful parts of life with any serenity must screw himself up to resolution. Let him front the object of his worst apprehension, and his stoutness will commonly make his fear groundless.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, _Essays_, Prudence

It is my hope, small and pale though it be, that we WILL speak up, that the rational among us will rise up, and take back the control of our destiny from the hands of those who would see us all die, rather than give up their own control. It will only happen when men of courage, as defined by Mr. Emerson, stand up to those who would render us all impotent, for their own benefit. The only hope that exists for the rest of us lies in enough of us showing this kind of courage, and overcoming the fear that keeps us in thrall…..

“I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat.” — John Milton (1608-1674) — Areopagitica

Myself, I don’t want to die ignominiously, gasping for breath, because I didn’t have the courage to speak up, and to fight back against the immoral, avaricious assholes who dominate society….. Instead, let’s create a whole new world, without a beloved ruling class, at all….. Who knows? We might just find out that anarchy works!….. Worth a try, I think….. And, if it doesn’t work, well, we can always try a technocracy, which we have yet to do in history….. With a bit of foresight and planning, it might just be what we need to survive our own foolishness… Maybe, Richard Brautigan had the truest prophetic vision, when he wrote “All watched over, by machines of loving grace….”

“Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.” — Pablo Picasso

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.

— Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning”

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

Once again, to save the reputation of anyone else who might be associated with any of this, here is one of my older poems….

Dreaming of Calliope

La belle dame sans merci speaks aloud through endless night,
torturing dreams, with powerful words and stentorian phrases.
Manifest visions bathed in unbearable grace and light,
destroying all direction, standing lost, in unfathomable mazes.

Fate plays a part, one that will never face denial,
as fear and courage eternally vie for ascendancy.
Conflict becomes valid, gifting strength in open trial,
but honest emotion wears no costume so fancy.

Blood, sweat, and tears stroll on avenues of gold,
unlikely heroines heralding as in ancient lore;
Sharp, competent knives cut through tales untold,
eternally shifting reality past the naked shore.

Drifting toward origin, bereft of mandate or cause,
finished, nay, abandoned, tied with a figurative bow.
No simple gift from muses to give comfort or pause,
save that all we need to know, we already know…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

I was up a little late today, which probably shows in the intro section; it gets that way when I feel rushed….. Also, I tend to go to the archives more often, though, in today’s case, that’s not a bad thing, given the state of creative juices this morning…. To prevent feeling like I completely abandoned all routine, I’ll put together a fresh random, harlequin pearl, just so I can say some of today’s piece is fresh….. Boy, the things we put ourselves through to maintain our own good graces…. Try to enjoy it anyway, ffolkes…..

“The earth hath skin, and the skin hath diseases. One of these…is called man.” — Nietzsche

“There is, nevertheless, a certain respect and a general duty of humanity that ties us, not only to beasts that have life and sense, but even to trees and plants.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty

“Every public action which is not customary, either is wrong, or, if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. It follows that nothing should ever be done for the first time.” — Francis Cornford (1908)

“The happiness and unhappiness of the rational, social animal depends not on what he feels but on what he does; just as his virtue and vice consist not in feeling but in doing.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, ix, 16

“Even very young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening him with it much more effective.” — P. J. O’Rourke

“Democracy is based on the assumption that a million men are wiser than one man. How’s that again? I missed something.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“Reality is what bumps into you when you stand still with your eyes open.” — Solomon Short

Hmm…. a bit esoteric, but, nice….. I like it, so, it stays…..

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

Some of y’all were probably hoping for a new episode of the Life and Times of Wise Old Pine Cone…. We actually DID get some pix taken, but, I didn’t have time to get them organized, so, it will have to wait until tomorrow…. Deal with it, you’re all adults…. I’m smiling, to take off some of the curmudgeonly crossness of that statement…. can you see it? It’s a big, happy smile….. Honest, trust me…. Well, if you’re going to be like that, I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid the dubious

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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Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Michael de Montaigne

Stick with the potted meats, Bosley….

A plethora of positive paradigms….

Tumbling down the Stairway to Heaven….

These weren’t buffed OR polished!…..

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