Tag Archives: Murphy’s Law

Phlebotomists do it with their fingers…..

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Ffolkes,
Artfully, he dodged the bullet, turning to watch it plow into the wall by his head. Slapping one palm to his forehead, he gave out a great shout, “ki aieeeeeee!”, striking to the left with his other hand, shattering the small bird statue on the pedestal. The bird screamed, and dropped the tiny silver gun….. As entropy increased, gravity grew weak, then strong, tossing the players about the room like ten-pins in a row. Finally, a loud gong sounded, whereupon everyone dutifully trooped into the great hall to hear the daily proclamation from the beloved Leader in Mystery. Headache gone, thanks to the bird’s scream, he joined the parade, knowing he would find what he sought in the great hall…. His quest neared the end, and he could almost taste the cold dish of revenge, demanded by the blood of his murdered master…. Not for nothing was he called, “Pujin, the Merciless, Nearly-Master Killer of the Temple of the Divine Duck…..

Okay, so it fell apart at the end…. I couldn’t keep my tongue planted any longer in my cheek, and had to let it show its nose…. Hmm, that doesn’t quite sound right, does it? Never mind, we’ll pretend none of it happened, and just go on with today’s Pearl, or what passes for the creative process around her on mornings, like this, when I can feel Murphy staring a hole in my back, waiting for me to approach something with paint, or cold water, or poop of some kind, to try to get me to fuck up, so he can hit me with whatever he has in mind….. the asshole…..

You would think that after all this time, he would find someone new and simpler to fool, as I’m getting pretty wise to his games…. He’s a master, of course, at making us think we have him beat, so I don’t fool myself into thinking like that for long, but, a newbie surely ought to be more fun than an old curmudgeon like me who doesn’t even have the wherewithal to get overly upset any more at his shenanigans….. But, then, nobody ever said Murphy was smart, whereas he is often described as an asshole… the asshole….

I note a bit of symmetry in those last two paragraphs, at least at the end…. Too bad we had to subject ourselves to the tender ministrations of a force of nature to achieve that, eh? I’m not complaining about Murphy, as that has been shown to be a futile pastime…. No, I’m just blathering again, trying to fill up space for the intro section, which asked me yesterday to avoid anything fancy or involved today, as it has a mind to take a day off from the strain of coming up with a new way to open up these Pearls each day….. Which is to say, of course, that my own mind is wanting the day off today… I only wish I could indulge that request, but, we’ve got stuff to do….

Well, no, we don’t, that was a lie…. I was just trying to…. well, never mind, a lie is a lie, and there’s no excuse, so I won’t offer any….. I’ll just ignore it, and go on to the daily dive, which, given the crap I’ve created here, could conceivably get a bit dangerous for the uninitiated…. Please watch your step, I have a feeling it may get a bit tricky to navigate today….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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ISMISM:  Belief in any distinctive doctrine, theory or practice. Ismism was   started up in the mid-1980s by a splinter group from “Atheists For Christ”. Ismism meetings gained quick popularity, and Ismism leader Ralph Snider travelled the world promoting his paper “Why I Argue A Lot”. The followers of Ismism are generally agreed to be very confused people. — Daniel Bowen’s TOXIC CUSTARPEDIA

Strangely enough, I believe a Church of ISISM was founded, as well, though not by Mr. Snider, to my knowledge….. What I do know is that the Board of Directors of the Amtrak system are probably charter members of both the church and the movement itself; this much is made plain by the obviously fucktarded business practices as carried out by their employees. The people who run the national train system here in the US are obviously those guys who got the C’s, D’s and F’s in business school, because their employees don’t seem to give much of a shit whether they do their work or not….. Allow me to describe my own experience with the results of their asinine inability to run a viable business….

The train station in Martinez, CA is rather nice, having been built within the last 20 years or so, so it’s still fairly clean, and most everything seems to work, except, of course the vending machines, which are programmed to steal money rather than give snacks. Oh, and there was the snack bar itself, which was closed during the period prior to the train’s arrival, choosing to ignore the 50 or 60 potential customers waiting to board the train… No sense in trying to make TOO much money, now, is there? Seems to be their attitude, because I’ve never seen the place open, no matter what time I’ve come there to meet trains….. They just like to have the open counter there, so people can look at all the stuff they can’t buy….

I’d booked a coach seat for my trip, but was not looking forward to a 14 hour train ride sitting up, so, when I saw that the trains were advertising on-board Wifi, I decided to pay the OUTRAGEOUS amount (more than THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS more than the coach seat, already more than a hundred….. for what is essentially a big bus….) they wanted for a sleeper compartment, the smallest they have, called a “roomette”. It’s almost big enough for a normal sized child to sit in comfortably, but for me, a Boeing 747 wide body, it was somewhat cramped, if I tried to stand up. That was okay, as there was no attendant assigned to my car, as I found out after having to haul my suitcase up a stairway designed to accommodate hobbits, or short, skinny elves, and I needed to sit down to recover from getting on board….

An attendant from the car behind mine showed up after about 20 minutes, when I was informed that she wouldn’t be able to turn down my bed, as she was still working on the car behind her, and wouldn’t be done for a while…. So, if I wanted to lie down to sleep, I had to drop down the upper bunk, get the mattress waiting there, then figure out how to make the two facing chairs turn into a bed to put it on… Well, this was too much for my back to accomplish, so I just tried to crawl up on the bunk to sleep, after the ordeal of trying to remove clothing in a space not big enough to turn around or bend over, once the bunk was down… all without hurting my back…. ‘Twas indeed a small miracle…..Climbing up was another ordeal, whereupon I found the only light control was down below, so rather than try to go down to find it, I tried to sleep a while with the light shining in my face….

Between the light in my eyes, the rocking and noise of the train, and my old bladder, my sleep lasted about 30 minutes…. Getting up, throwing on pants, using the head, and coming back to my tiny little space was so exhausting I decided to just sit up rather than try to get back in the bunk… so, I settled down to sleep in the chair, which I could have done much better in one of the big coach seats, as it turns out….. Sleeping fitfully from about 2 AM until about 6:30, I saw nobody, train staff, or passengers, stirring about…. I sat up, painfully finishing the Pearl I’d worked on for that morning…. painfully, because the alleged table was about the size of a postage stamp, with nowhere to use the mouse, but in the air next to the table…. not terribly useful.

About 0700, I took the computer and walked back to the Parlor Lounge, where the WiFi was supposed to be available, when the car was scheduled to open, at 0700, according to the literature with my ticket. The attendant there was still working on getting the car ready, so I asked him when I might have the service I paid for…. He informed me that it was hooked up, but only worked when the train was in Klamath Falls at the station…. the rest of the trip, the mountains and terrain blocked the signal from the network…. “Brilliant,” I thought, “Not only can I not get my Pearl posted, I have nothing at all to do for the next five and a half hours….”, having not brought a book, thinking the computer, and internet, would entertain me….. SIGH…. I was beginning to believe I had somehow died without noticing, and was now on  the TRAIN TO HELL…..

I went back to my “roomette”… On the way, I saw the young lady ostensibly covering the service in my room, and asked her if I could get the breakfast service in my room, as advertised. She said she would be there “in a few minutes”…. 30 minutes later, she shows up, takes my order, acting as if she was doing me a favor, and disappears, with no word as to when it might be expected…. After about 45 minutes, the train pulled into Klamath Falls, where it sat for about 25 minutes to let off and take on passengers and luggage, allowing passengers to step off the train to have a smoke, if so desired (no smoking allowed anywhere on the train….). As I stepped off to do just that, I noted the attendant performing the same act of vice-maintenance; I said nothing, just finished my smoke and went back to my room, so I wouldn’t miss the food’s arrival…. I needn’t have hurried, as she didn’t come in behind me, as far as I could tell…. I checked, because, as I said, I was starving…..

The train resumed the journey, but, still no breakfast…. After another 45 minutes, and over two hours after I asked to have the food, telling the server I was starving (my exact words….), it still hadn’t arrived…. I got up, pretty steamed, and started toward the dining car, intending to find some food… As I rounded the turn in the car behind me, I saw the young woman approaching with a large paper bag in her hand…. I said, “Aha!”, spun on my heel, and started back to my room, not even looking at her after turning…

As I walked through the door between cars, I growled low in my throat, and hit my walking stick hard on the metal floor to catch my balance, (the floor moves….). and express a bit of frustration… At my room, I stowed the stick, sat, and waited for the food… She arrived and literally dumped the bag on the table, without a word, set down the coffee I’d asked for (two hours before), then, continued down the hall, and down the stairs to the conductor’s office below, where she apparently complained about my hitting the stick on the floor….

As I was trying to get my food out of the bag and fit on the tiny little table, the conductor appeared, and said I had been “threatening” to the attendant…. Well, at this point, I had had enough, so I proceeded to let my PTSD have its way, and treated the conductor to a full blown, tears flowing, crying rant, detailing my miserable night, the worse morning, and my intent to sue the rail system for everything they had….

I told him I had paid less money to stay at a Five Star Hotel, (the truth), that I was disabled, and had to carry my own luggage on board, spent a miserable night without a bed, that I had received NONE of the services for which I had paid over three hundred dollars, and I was now going to try to eat my COLD sausage and eggs with my COLD coffee, and he should just leave me alone before I totally lost control…. Having ranted in full out crying mode for about five full minutes at that point, I sat back, looked out the window, and ignored him until he went away…..

Well, I think I got the message across, to him, at least, as  a bit later, he came back, apologized for my troubles, and tried to make nice for the company…. He couldn’t do anything about the ticket price, of course, (note the eyebrows wiggling up and down…..) but he suggested I complain and request a refund, because the management needed to hear about this kind of thing…. He stated he would be talking with the supervisor of the attendant for her lack of sensitivity and laziness, and offered to help me get my bag downstairs when we arrived in an hour or so…. His attitude, correct as it was, only served to point up the contrast with the service I should have received, and didn’t, in any respect…..

Fortunately for all, my friend was there to meet me, and whisk me away before I could devise a way to torment the office staff at the Eugene station, or blow somebody up like I’d been blown for the last 14 hours…. Instead, we went and had lunch, and I was able to decompress enough to enjoy the rest of my visit with my buddy and his partner, Cyn….  The wine helped, for sure…..

This rant has helped a bit, as well…. though, I have to say, in looking back over it, I was nicer than I should have been, and much nicer to them than they were to me…. This is also going to help, because I intend to include a link to this Pearl in the letter I send to them, eventually, with the expressed hope that the tale goes viral on the Net, and my intent to publish it as widely as I can, to start a whispering, word-of-mouth campaign as a message to them to either clean up their act, or get out of business…. I’m not going to settle for anything less…. They’ve already lost my business for the rest of my life, and I had intended to travel by train a lot…. Now, that is NOT going to happen, not without some kind of assurance that stuff like this doesn’t happen again, to anyone…..

“The only thing wrong with doing nothing is that you never know when you’re done.” — The Stovall’s Law of negative inaction
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Composing the above mild rant tired me out, not unsurprisingly…. Before I started writing so much on a daily basis, I hadn’t realized that PTSD, as one  of its characteristics that comes down on the negative side, can make it tiring to think about old stuff that was of a traumatic nature, due to the tendency for the emotional content to recreate itself, strongly, generally causing an overflow of tears and embarrassment (I know, it’s okay to cry, but doing it in public places is somewhat of a facer, what?….. Not exactly the image I’m trying to create on the streets…..). Any who, I’m fagged, though having only been up about two hours….

A fresh poem isn’t ready, so I’m going back to the archives, but will add a fresh haiku, written this morning, before pasting in the older poem…..  As every day this month, this is for the April National Poetry Writing Month Challenge, with the updates to be found here:  http://www.napowrimo.net/ (I still don’t know if I’m doing this right, but, oh well….)

Haiku:

Bright sun rises up,
glory against a blue sky.
Joy is now, today.

~~ gigoid

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

A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.

Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
that reality has boasted of proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid

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In re: freshness, since the poem section is only half and half, I’ll put together an old-school pearl for this last section today…. It’s a bit shorter, and takes less time than another rant…. Here is one with a very obscure, but valid, point…. which, of course, is left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader….. (that’s you…..) ….. Enjoy!

But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast
To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.

— Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Lalla Rookh, The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan

‘Tis not the fairest form that holds The mildest, purest soul within;
‘Tis not the richest plant that holds The sweetest fragrance in.

— Dawes

“Human life is but a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece.” — Vladimir Nabokov

“In God We Trust.” I don’t believe it would sound any better if it were true.” — Mark Twain

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

“It is human nature to think wisely & act foolishly.” — Anatole France

He ne’er is crown’d
With immortality, who fears to follow
Where airy voices lead.

— John Keats (1795-1821) — Endymion, Book ii
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Okay, why don’t y’all sit back and cogitate a moment while I go back and punch this up….. Not too shabby, I think…. I may hit out at Amtrak again some day soon; I don’t think I quite got all of my anger at them resolved. No worries, everything comes in the fullness of time, so I’ve heard….  😉

Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Viable ideologies have grown scarce….

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Ffolkes,
Knowing myself as I do, I am not going to allow myself to become upset, just because I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO KILL SOMEBODY!!!!  I also know this about myself…. if I use four exclamation points, it’s already too late, and someone is going to die, if only in a figurative sense….. As yet, I’ve managed to avoid any literal deaths, though it’s been a close call on at least two occasions…. One guy hurried me, and the other one, well, let’s just say he was lucky, this time…. Today, well, I’ll need to maintain my control, if I am to prolong my clear record, but it won’t be easy….

Hmm? What? Oh, that….. I was just thinking about my recent train trip to see my friend in Oregon, and thanks to the magic of PTSD, the emotions, like anger and embarrassment and frustration, come right back into my head, filling me up with the outrage I need to rant…. I’ve been letting it build now for a week or more, so that when I do sit down to write about it, all that emotional power will be there for the taking…. The only trick is to get that into what I write…. not always simple, but it makes for a more powerfully compelling rant, as it should be…. No sense in pulling punches in a fight to the death, now, is there?…. Nope…

I’m not quite ready, though, I think…. still some percolating to do before I sharpen up my figurative razor, and slide it neatly across Amtrak’s throat…. It’s a shame, really, as I do like trains, and would have enjoyed riding them around the country…. not going to happen now, as nobody gets two chances to treat me like they did. I’ll be flying where I need to go from now on, which, in the larger view, is probably best, as it is faster, and who knows how much time I have left, eh? I don’t, that’s for sure….

Having once again piddled and blathered through four paragraphs, chock full of diddly-squat, I declare this intro to be sufficiently complete, and will go forth to the daily dive, confident that all is well, routine-wise, and no sign yet of Murphy…. I probably shouldn’t mention that, it’s just a temptation for him, but, I figure, if he’s not fussing with me by now, he’s busy with some other poor fool, and I’m safe for a while…. long enough to try to get this done, anyway….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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As mentioned above, my rant isn’t ready, so we’ll go now with a harlequin pearl; whether it turns out to be five-, or seven-star, remains to be seen….. I am feeling somewhat mellow and generous, so not only will this NOT be on the Quiz, you can earn bonus points for finding the correct point, even if you’re wrong….  What a deal!…..

“Sight is a faculty; seeing is an art.” — Smart Bee

How lov’d, how honour’d once avails thee not,
To whom related, or by whom begot;
A heap of dust alone remains of thee:
‘T is all thou art, and all the proud shall be!

— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — To the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady, Line 71

“Eres encantador.” — Smart Bee

“No matter where you go, there you are.” — Buckaroo Banzai, Buckaroo Banzai – Across the 8th Dimension

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao-Tsu, The Way of Lao-Tsu

“He who adds not to his learning diminishes it.” — The Talmud

All is concentr’d in a life intense,
Where not a beam, nor air, nor leaf is lost,
But hath a part of being.

— Lord Byron (1788-1824) — Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iii, Stanza 89

There you go…. maybe I shouldn’t have made it so easy….. Nah, it will do…. What it lacks in difficulty, it makes up in obscurity, I think…. enjoy!
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Here is a fresh poem, written this morning, on demand (well, aside from one stanza, which came out last night…. the rest followed this morning, with the first verses as stimulus….)  Any who, it’s not too bad, considering, and it meets the necessary requirements for the task I’ve chosen…. So Be It….  As every day this month, this is for the April National Poetry Writing Month Challenge, with the updates to be found here:  http://www.napowrimo.net/ (I still don’t know if I’m doing this right, but, oh well….)

Savory

Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.

Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
chance manifests, as it does, again.

Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
as another snitch drops his dime.

Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
turning love to brilliant rhyme.

Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
peace comes only by losing our fear.

~~ gigoid

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Here’s the deal…. I still don’t have a rant ready, but I feel like ranting…. so, I’ll sublimate…. This is an article that I posted on Triond, another web site where I’ve published some of my work, in the latter part of 2012, near the election that took place in November….. All of it is still pretty valid, discounting the date-related issues…. all the rest, I stand by…..

Absence of Honor: The Untimely Death of The US Constitution


“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered.” — Deng Ming-Dao

As I read this pearl, my immediate thought was that it is a very clear, very accurate take on the 2012 election process that is currently unfolding before us in the daily news. The end of the political scale that is represented so raggedly by what is left of the Republican Party, and the mislabeled liberal end of the scale who claim to be Democrats, are both engaging in ongoing battles to see who can display the deepest ignorance.

The leading candidate for the “loyal opposition” to the party in power, Mr. Romney, seems to have a proclivity for alienating the very people from whom he is trying to win votes; women, immigrants and Hispanics, animal lovers, seniors, teachers and students, all have been told, in no uncertain terms, that they matter not at all to him. His plan? We’ll stop taxing the rich altogether, and that will fix everything…. Sometimes I wonder if he is getting all of his information on voter wants and issues of importance from old newspapers from the 1980’s, because he certainly hasn’t a clue as to what is happening out in America in this decade….

The other party, led by our first Black President, is busy hiding what the left hand is doing by distracting everyone with the tax and healthcare issues, to keep them unaware of how few of the Bill of Rights are left to us. “Executive Orders” signed by the POTUS this year, beginning on New Year’s Eve, while the voters were all busy celebrating the advent of the new year, include provisions that allow police to stop, search, and arrest any citizen of this country whom they suspect of any form of terrorism, or even of protest against the provisions of those orders.

These same police who are arresting their ostensible fellow-citizens are not required to tell ANYONE that they have arrested and imprisoned a citizen, nor are they ever required to provide any evidence of their suspicions in a court of law. Even though there may be no evidence, they can subject these CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY to torture to obtain a confession, or whatever it is they are after. There is no oversight to these orders; they don’t go before Congress to be approved, nor are they reviewed by the courts. Both of those particular checks on the power of the Executive Branch are completely out of the loop on this…. and they aren’t even complaining about it!

Does it physically hurt to be that stupid? — Smart Bee

My guess at the answer to this is, No. It can’t hurt very much to be that stupid, as we continue to go out each time there is an election and vote these same lying, cheating, avaricious assholes back into the same positions from which they have been oppressing the American people for oh, a hundred or so years now. I’d say that around the time of the Depression was when the first real strangle-hold on the national throat was first achieved…. the pure bullshit the government was spewing back then can be seen to have been the first real time that the government’s outrageous lies were swallowed whole by a reluctant public, who had nothing else to eat, and thus nothing else to risk…

“He was born stupid, and greatly increased his birthright.” — Samuel Butler

So, how does it feel? Does it physically hurt to be so stupid as to be part of the crowd that continues to buy into all the bullshit lies that our own government heaps upon us every day? To keep going to the polls, just as if it really matters who gets elected? Get real, folks. You will not find a name on the ballot that belongs to someone who is not a willing tool of the powers of oppression, the money-changers who are the power behind the scenes of every government in the world. Not going to happen; they’ve been the real power in the world for centuries, and they’re not about to give up all they have, just to be nice, or because they’ve all of a sudden grown a heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty fucking tired of being lied to, and cheated, and looked at as just another idiot for them to shit on….. and I’m not going to put up with it for much longer, without some kind of return fire….. believe it…. I don’t think I am alone in this, either…. No way to tell for sure, but I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE is falling for all of it…. but, even if I’m alone in this, I refuse to knuckle under any further, and can only say that I will do all I can to see things turn in a direction that will return my Rights, and those of the rest of the American people…. or at least those not stupid enough to hand them over without a fight….

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Well, unless I can come up with a rant in twenty seconds, this is going to go, proofed or not…. Let’s take a look….  All in all, I think it will float…. it might not look nice in the water, but it will float…. Plus, you know, it’s done…. I’m going to go play now…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Word is, WordPress rocks!….

Posted on by
23

Ffolkes,
As may have been noted, I love serendipity, in all its guises and forms. Nothing is more delightful in life than realizing the plain brown rock one is holding is really a diamond in the rough, or that the person we just met is the long-lost brother for whom we’ve searched, or whatever surprising shape it may take for our delectation. It is one of the truest joys in life, for it is always unexpected to receive anything nice from the Universe; generally the things we are allowed to experience are designed by the Murphy Team, and are somewhat less than delightful in their nature…..

This morning’s events led me to meander along these lines…. This time, the impetus for my thoughts is alive, and has taken the form of a vocal, affectionate, attention-mongering young cat by the name of Sadie….

She is a beautiful cat, with markings and colors that tell me part of her ancestry includes a pixiebob, a recently recognized breed of cat bred to look like a miniature lynx, without the funny ears, and a touch of calico. They have tiger-like stripes, in black, against a coat of three shades of brown, with just enough white to add contrast. Pixiebobs are dog-like in their actions, liking to hang out with their humans, following them around the house and lying nearby when quiet, and are quite trainable. They are also very affectionate, and like a lot of attention….

Another part of Sadie’s ancestry was obviously Siamese…. She has the identifiable small kink in the tip of her tail, when she holds it up straight, and her voice clinches the resemblance, as it has that Siamese tone, regal and demanding, that will cut right through a door, or three, and she uses it to express EVERYTHING…. Talk, talk, talk, just like a…. well, I’d better not say that, a good number of my readers would kick my ass…. but, she won’t shut up until I figure out whatever it is she wants from me, or decides to take a cat nap…. I’ve known a lot of Siamese, and she fits the personality type to a T, once the affectionate pixiebob characteristics are factored in….

Sadie is destined to go live with my daughter, who picked her out, but cannot take her for a week, so I agreed to let her stay with me; Sadie needed to leave where she was, in an uncomfortable (for her) home, whose human loves her dearly, but whose cat population just exploded by a factor of 5 (kittens)…. Sadie was not amused by the kittens, so she came to live with me until my daughter can take her home. As I love cats, it is no hardship, kind of like babysitting the grandkid for me, since I get to eventually send her home….

This morning was our first morning together, and it has been a wonderful way to start the day, having someone to talk to, (well, mostly listen to more than talk with….), and provide me with some affectionate company. As I sit now to write, she is lying on the floor next to the chair, purring loudly, and occasionally looking up to see if I’m looking at her; if I am, she says something, then accepts a pat on the head with a grateful blink and preen. Lovely!

If I didn’t already have plans to travel, my daughter might have to find another cat, as Sadie would be welcome to stay as long as she likes…. She slept politely all night at the foot of the bed, and didn’t knock anything over in her nocturnal explorations…. very lady-like behavior in a new place, so all is good….

There, how’s that for a low-key, happy introduction to a Pearl? Not too shabby, I’d say, and a good way to start off a day devoted to family style events…. (see section one….) I think it’s now time to get on with the rest of today’s effort, so I’ll leave this now, and get to the easy part…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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wordpressfamilyaward
One of my oldest friends on WordPress…. Wait, let me qualify that, because I have no idea how old she is, and wouldn’t assume, or say, anyway…. Let’s start over…. A blogger friend of mine, known as Willowdot21, ( her site is at:  http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/about/ ), who has been coming to my site (and I to hers….) since I started a couple of years ago, AND who has been one of my best blogging friends, nominated me for a new award, the WordPress Family Award. It was created by the blogger at this site:  http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com  , who nominated Willow for the original, initial award. This one is a simple award, giving us a chance to acknowledge how great the WordPress family of bloggers are, in their support and encouragement of everyone who writes for the site….. Those rules are as follows:

Rules:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.    I hope it worked….

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.   Right here:   http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/about/

3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family.   The hardest part of this for me was limiting the number to only 10…. as I rolled through my blogroll, I found at least that many more that should go on the list, but, to save time, I’ll follow the rules…. I’ve picked those sites who assumed family status soon after our meeting each other online….

Dolly  http://allaboutlemon.com/
Europaicewolf   http://europasicewolf.wordpress.com/
Carol Welsh   http://carolwelsh.wordpress.com/
Carolyn at ABC of Spirit Talk   http://abcofspiritalk.wordpress.com/
Linda Vernon   http://lindavernon.wordpress.com/
Ginger Snaap   http://ohmygawdjustdowhatisay.wordpress.com/
Lizzie Cracked   http://runningnakedwithscissors.com/2013/04/06/a-z-challenge-f-mm/
Eric Alagan  http://ericalagan.net/2013/04/07/samuels-counsel-fallen-grace-15/
Jerry Doby   http://theurbanlink.net/
Lou   http://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/

4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them…. I’ll do that today…. or, more simply, I’m on it….

5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as  a friend, and spread the love

So, there you have it…. I’m part of the WordPress Family, and now, so are you…..  One of the best parts of this award is that there isn’t any real pressure to accept, or to send it on by nominating others…. which is why I ended up taking the time to do so, because, hey, it’s family…..
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National Poetry Month Icon Pic
I was feeling some whimsy last night, and this is what leaked out, such as it is…. It may grow, I think, but, for now, it’s not bad, just strange…. As every day this month, this is for the April National Poetry Writing Month Challenge, with the updates to be found here:  http://www.napowrimo.net/

Relative Cynicism, with Caramel Sauce

Absolute stillness follows violent movement,
  it can happen during a downhill race,
as an immovable piece of asphalt pavement
  meets the once handsome racer’s face.

Yuk, yuk, yuk said that asshole Moe,
 after poking both of Larry’s eyes,
bashing face, head, & crotch of Curly Joe
  and only ever got hit with pies.

Lonely moments never really come along
  when Murphy’s got us in his sights.
Not for money, love, or siren’s song
  will he abrogate his natural rights.

All we can do is sigh, or laugh in pain,
  as Life portions out our ration of shit.
Silver linings melt in the slightest rain,
  so we may as well learn to live with it.

~~ gigoid

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“The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” — H.L. Mencken

I can feel it building…. the anger, the angst, the frustration at the members of the Beloved Ruling Class, and the priestly hierarchies, who prey on their brethren, fully knowing the evil they do. It is also building up against those idiots who allow themselves to believe what these egregious assholes tell them, no matter how outrageous, or how badly it mangles the Truth. I really, really want to rant, and I think when this one comes out, it will be a big one, and I’ll have to coin a new word just to describe it…. but, no worries, I already did that part…. I’m going to write a politireligirant of major proportion, to go along with the upcoming epic take-down of the American Rail System, as personified by Amtrak…. They (Amtrak) forgot that there are SOME American citizens who not only know HOW to write in English, but are capable of doing so, to their soon-to-be-detriment and ultimate chagrin…..

Right now, though, I don’t have the proper frame of mind for ranting; Sadie’s morning activities have bemused and amused me too much, and I can’t quite get my outrage collected enough to spill over. So, I’m going to refer you to a fairly new (to me) blog site, where the blogger rants on what seems to be a daily basis, mostly on the political scene in this country, with side trips into how politics and culture may clash…. The writer’s name is John, and he is a die-hard liberal, politically, with a lot of good sense, and a fine grasp of the reality of the issues, as far as I can tell. His arguments and statements are clearly expressed, as well as well thought out, and he does his research, with attribution, too….. 😆

The site is located here:  http://americanliberaltimes.com/  This address link will take you to one of his posts, from today, I think, where you can peruse his archives for quite a few good takes on society, politics, and common sense…. which, as we all know, is not as common as believed by most. When I feel the urge for dialogue, I go over to his site, and can always find a post that will prompt a comment, usually several paragraphs long, and we’ve had some good conversations (which, to me, is a big part of what this blogging stiff is all about….).

Sorry if I’ve disappointed anyone by not having a rant ready, but, Sadie just wouldn’t let me get upset enough to get pissed, so you’ll have to blame her…. If you feel a NEED to hear a rant, try one of John’s well-mannered, but pointed, pieces to sublimate for today, because I just don’t have any outrage to vent….. Oh well, who’s to say who’s luckier, eh?…. On that note, I’ll leave you with this final thought from an old friend….

“Give them RADAR-GUIDED SKEE-BALL LANES and VELVEETA BURRITOS!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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It’s a wrap, if it passes the proofing stage…. let’s go see…. Oh, hey, that isn’t bad at all…. I’ll take it, and not look a gift frog in the gums…. In fact, I’m going to escape now… TTFN, as my kids would text….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

A smattering of simple sugars…..

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Ffolkes,
In the grand scheme of things, I would normally begin this with some unadulterated nonsense, or perhaps a purely fictional story opening. Occasionally, I will speak of how Murphy’s latest japes have enhanced my morning, or of how I’m feeling emotionally, or physically, as those two states occupy a lot of my attention these days. Today we are trying something relatively new, which I will call pure honesty, and I hope to hell it works….

I can’t seem to find an opening format for these introductory comments that is suitable for daily use. It has to be funny, and/or compelling enough to draw attention, but not so heavy as to frighten away those who like lighter reading. (They are the ones who are NOT usually in the choir, and need to hear my messages the most….) It should tease a little about what is coming up later, but not give away any of the suspense I am trying to build in some cases. In short, it is driving me crazy, and that has been reflected in these paragraphs almost every day, with yesterday’s being the exception. That one was a short excuse, telling why I was cheating by using archived material, and was completely atypical.

But, nothing I’ve ever tried has fit the bill sufficiently to make me use it again, other than to try to remember what has worked in the past…. which brings me back to yesterday’s post, from here in Oregon where I’ve been visiting for a couple of days now…. That post had perhaps the shortest intro in a couple of years, and my statistics from yesterday were highest I’ve ever seen here… 21 Likes in the first 24 hours, an unprecedented number, and once again, over a dozen of them were ffolkes who hadn’t been here before, to my knowledge. I am jazzed about that, even thought I don’t write for statistics, per se; I write for my own sanity and pleasure. But, it’s nice to know other ffolkes are enjoying what I write as well, so I’m pleased with the turnout yesterday….

In hopes of keeping those numbers up, today’s intro will again be relatively short, as this will be it…. I’m done with it, and want to get on to the end, so I can go play with my friends in the Big Blue Room…. a visit to taste beer is on tap for later, which will be great, as they’ve got some prize winners on hand for tasting… should be good…. Any who, I don’t know how this will turn out yet, so let’s go see what happens…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“I’m in direct contact with many advanced fun CONCEPTS.” — Zippy the Pinhead

There is no doubt in my mind that this is true and complete, to the best of Zippy’s knowledge, which is extensive and quite varied in nature. However, for our purposes, we will ignore all that, and go right to what matters…. which is rutabagas….. You never see anybody making any dishes out of rutabagas any more; I’m not sure it’s available for sale anywhere… Of course, it’s no big loss, as they were just about the most tasteless, useless foods I’ve ever encountered…. Hmm… I seem to have written meself into a corner, with no way out… Too bad, really, I like the Zippy quote….

Well, that sinks it…. I’m don’t have it this morning, so, I will once again need to dip into the past for an acceptable pearl or two…. I’ll be right back with one for this section….. Okay, here’s a good one, from late in 2011….
———-

“To get people to think they are thinking begets friendship, whereas actually to make people think begets resentment. There is no level so low to which people will not stoop, even honorable people, to avoid the difficulty of thinking.” — Smart Bee

So true, so true…..it fascinates me at times, this reluctance on the part of most folks to using the one and only evolutionary advantage they possess over other creatures. Compared to other animals, we’re not particularly fast, nor very strong, and our teeth and nails are not very good weapons compared to those of a leopard, for just one example. We need to wear clothing to protect ourselves from our own planet’s weather extremes. We rely on other species for our sustenance, being unable to create it ourselves. And, in the final analysis, we’re pretty fragile, physically speaking; even a soft blow administered to the correct point can cause death.

Hell, our bodies have more than one design flaw; how about how our food and air processing facilities? They cross each other at a critical junction, at the throat, and can frequently cause problems that can have mortal consequences. Our elimination process and sexual organs also cross paths, in a manner of speaking; the outlet for the former is right next to the points of ingress and egress of the latter, depending on gender. From a strictly engineering viewpoint, it’s not a very good design.

It’s clear that there is little chance of humans ever dominating on the basis of physical characteristics; most animals are much better equipped for that. Our mind, our imagination, our perception of more than merely physical energy in the universe, these are our advantages over other creatures. We have the ability to remember the past in the present, and use those memories to extrapolate the future. This is an incredible evolutionary leap, one that allows humans to readily turn their perceptions of how things work into tools that enable us to alter reality to suit our wishes. We can’t really fight our way out of a paper bag, and our defenses against predators is weak in comparison to other animals. But the power of our minds is sufficient to neutralize all physical and environmental advantages of the other inhabitants, and gives mankind the means to not merely survive, but to thrive and dominate.

So, the question remains: why are so many people so averse to using their minds? Well, I don’t know, for sure. I could make some guesses, and they might even be accurate. But it really doesn’t matter, because the only creature who can cause us to change ourselves, is ourselves. Nobody can make us do anything we don’t want to do. Most folks learn the power of the word “No” at a young age (age 2 is customary for most folks), and get so impressed with it that it becomes their default position for anything that appears ‘difficult’. Sad, but true…..and wishing won’t make it go away. I can only wish I were smart enough to figure out how to get folks to see the light, before its too late, and the bulb burns out for good…..
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I’ve looked deep inside, and I can’t find a poem in there today, but I have this poetry challenge to meet, so, once more, I’ll dip into my older material for one…. Here is one of my favorites….. And the link to the home page of the National Poetry Month Challenge is  http://www.napowrimo.net/

After the odyssey….

Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound

Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.

Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.

Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.

Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.

~~ gigoid

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Well, it seems clear that my fresh material isn’t up to snuff today…. it seems so to me, anyway, and I’m the one who has to stomach it first….. Which means I’m going into the past yet again, but with fresh material…. This will be a random chosen old-school Pearl, the best I can do on short notice…… The point may or may not be apparent, but, what else is new?….

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave…” — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms”

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” — Akiro Kurosawa

“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Man’s many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has the more they weigh him down.” — Satya Sai Baba

“Whoever has even once become notorious by base fraud, even if he speaks the truth, gains no belief.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 10, 1

I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed.

— Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Oft in the Stilly Night

“And thereby hangs a tale.” — Francis Rabelais (1495-1553) — Works, Book v, Chap. iv
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Aye, thereby indeed hangs a tale…. and a fluffy tale at that….  😆   I’ve done all the damage I can do, so I’m outta here….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Standing by with unqualified operators….

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Ffolkes,
Well, let’s see what kind of trouble I can get into this morning….. Murphy threw cold water in my face today, precisely at 0437…. That’s in the AM, by the way, in case the use of military time didn’t clue you.  He didn’t bother to explain why, just grinned at me, then disappeared, so I’m sure he’s got some sort of booby trap set up for me, to hit me when I’ve relaxed and forgotten about him. SIGH…. there are times, such as this, when I wonder what life might be like without his unkind attentions, and though it might affect the balance of the universe somehow if he weren’t around to see to that, I’d be willing to try it out, just to see if I could deal with it any better than I do with him dogging me…. In fact, I’d give serious money to try it…..

Sadly for me, money won’t buy my freedom from Reality, or the elements of Chaos and Entropy that are as much a part of life as are Order and Beauty….. There are people who believe that money CAN buy happiness, but they are deluded, and exist in a way that prevents them from ever really connecting with the universe deeply, or experiencing the finer parts of life, that only come when one is open to compassion and love. Moreover, they are completely unaware that they are missing out on anything….. I suppose that means that I must once again come to my own terms with the events that Murphy perpetrates in my life, and just smile as if it didn’t hurt…. For me, the alternative is unacceptable….

Wow, how did I get so serious? It’s too early to rant; even I have limits, and two paragraphs in is NOT where I like to begin letting it all hang out, even if the target deserves it…. Hell, I’m barely awake, even though I’ve been up an hour now, and have sucked down an appropriate amount of coffee. I’m so out of it, actually, that I just tried to think of a joke to put in here, and it caused a stabbing pain right behind my eyes, like I’d been struck by a brilliant blast of light right in the face, or a left fist to the temple…. ouch!…. Maybe serious isn’t so bad….

Nah, I’m not in a serious mood…. Of late, I’m experiencing a bit of how the universe maintains balance over the long run, as the past two and a half years of relative misery is countered by a period of positive support by reality, in the form of an influx of resources.

I’ve been steadily using those resources to set up my life for retirement on a different level than it has been thus far, and the concomitant release of built up stress is delightful, as well as liberating…. I’m only glad I am able to appreciate it; I’ve known many people who would complain about even good things that happened to them, but, as I’ve said before, I’m not one to look a gift frog in the gums…..

Why is it that the quality of what I write in the intro is so variable? I can’t seem to find a method, or a format, or anything that is consistent, allowing me to segue into each day’s work smoothly, unless I go through all these rambling, blathering contortions….

Of course, in the course of writing these every day, I DO get a lot of practice at different styles, and get to let out my imagination to play, especially when I do a fictional opening. But, I can never seem to get it just the way I want it…. Oh well, I guess you could say that is a metaphor for life, in a way…. we can’t always get it just the way we want it…. So, I’ll just get on with the rest of today’s dive, and go with the flow, like I had some kind of choice….. Shall we Pearl?…..

“I just stepped on a factoid!” – Zippy     😳
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If the intro section is any indication of how things will go today, I am firmly convinced that ranting would be problematic, for one of us, if not both….. Rather than chance any ripped clothing, or lost hair, I’m going for an old school rant, which is to say, a pearl, very pointed, and very obviously sarcastic about its subject…. Today,  just in case it isn’t so obvious, I’ll tell you, this one is about our Beloved Ruling Class, and their hobby, governing nations….

“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

“A stiff neck usually supports an empty head.” — Smart Bee

“The voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the clamor of fife and drum, echoed by the press and too often by the pulpit, is bidding all men fall in step and obey in silence the tyrannous word of command. Then, more than ever, it is the duty of the good citizen not to be silent.” — Charles Eliot Norton, True Patriotism, 1898

“Anybody who wants the presidency so much that he’ll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office.” — David Broder

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Abigail Adams, Paris, Feb. 22, 1787

“A politician will always tip off his true belief by stating the opposite at the beginning of the sentence.  For maximum comprehension, do not start listening until the first clause is concluded.  Begin instead at the word “but” which begins the second, or active, clause.  This is the way to tell a liberal from a conservative–before they tell you.  Thus: “I have always believed in a strong national defense, second to none, but … ” (a liberal, about to propose a $20 billion defense cut).” — Frank Mankiewicz

“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

As a chef, and an artist, of sorts, I know that odd numbers are more attractive to the eye, and to the mind, than even numbers…. So, I should stop here, with seven pearls, which, I might add, made their point beautifully. But, the following pearl just seemed to fit perfectly as the last comment for this subject, and I couldn’t resist adding it as a post-script…..

And, as in uffish thought he stood
The Jabberwork, with eyes of flame
Came wiffling through the tulgey wood
And burbled as it came

— _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
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Having decided NOT to rant today, due to a distinct lack of outrage, I’ve sublimated with old-school pearls, in sections one and three, one with the BRC as its target, one focused on the priestly hierarchies, both of which hopefully demonstrated my opinion (low) of both entities. In keeping with that sentiment, and to replace the rants with what is at least my own work, I offer this poem, that I wrote last October, prior to the Presidential election by about two weeks….. I hope you enjoy it….

Intelligent Crimes

The value of wit is often said to cause harm,
for those who think, such is its greatest charm.
The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled
if innovation and change is left unwilled.

Society behaves at its base as a mob
conformity and submission its primary job.
Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule
is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.

Intellect and talent are looked at askance,
expressing artistry stands nary a chance.
To stand out from the rest of mankind
is fraught with danger, for body and mind.

I often stand and watch in solemn dismay
as beauty and joy are left by the way,
ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses
who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.

With shouts of derision the normals make known
their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.
They hope to stop all semblance of progress;
for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.

The world struggles on in spite of all opposition,
managing to maintain its advanced position.
Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,
helping each to learn the survival dance.

Hard though it may be to keep up with the future
genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.
In the final analysis, those who live by reason
enjoy life the most, from season to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

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In 1980, when my son was a baby (born in December of 1979), we started watching Sesame Street, both together, and by ourselves, just about every day. When he was about five months old, he was so alert, and interested in the world around him, that we could plop him down in his car seat, on the floor, where he would sit, serenely watching the entire hour-long show, making happy noises, babbling to the muppets, and closely watching all the action on the screen.

I learned, by watching with him, that the show was made for children, but with the knowledge that adults were watching, too, because much of the humor in the show was too obviously aimed at the adults…. I also found I enjoyed watching it, though it was, of course, somewhat repetitive in nature at times….

One of the best skits, or lessons, that was repeated frequently was one called, “Which of these is not like the others?”, wherein a group of four items…. pictures, letters, fruits, balls, or statements…. would be shown together. One of the items in the group was obviously different, such as one blue bird in a group with three red birds, or a puppy with three kittens, etc…… The lesson for the kids, of course, was to teach how to recognize patterns, and differences between patterns, a useful skill for all humans….

Having decided earlier today not to rant, I’m substituting old-school pearls, in place of my customary thousand words on various targets. This pearl is patterned after the Sesame Street skit, and has one aphorism grouped together with several others (you are adults, and can have more than just four to pick from….), which is a of a different nature than the others….

All of them have been painted with a coating of sarcastic impudence, I hope, as they speak about organized religion, tongue firmly in cheek. The single exception is an idea that is contrary to all the religionists believe to be true, thus setting it apart, as being rational…. It shouldn’t be too hard to find, and the others will give you an idea of how today’s rant might have progressed, had I written it….  Enjoy!

“Religion is the fashionable substitute for belief.” — Oscar Wilde

“Cockamamie is a word that comes to mind.” — Smart Bee

PHILISTINE, n.  One whose mind is the creature of its environment, following the fashion in thought, feeling and sentiment.  He is sometimes learned, frequently prosperous, commonly clean and always solemn. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which live was first breathed… There is grandeur in this view of life … that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being, evolved.” — Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

“Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Give a man religion and he’ll starve to death praying for a fish.” — Smart Bee

“Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething.” — Mark Twain
(Sorry, couldn’t resist….)
__________________________________

“And never think about the past. No regrets, ever.” — Robert Heinlein

I’ve always tried to take this advice; it’s good stuff….. In keeping with that policy, I’ve decided to post this mess, even though I haven’t proofed it, or checked it to see if it will be either legally actionable, or, worse, terminally boring….. I’ll do that now, & be right back…..

Well, okay, that’s not bad, all things considered. I’ll take it…. And, before I can change my mind, I’ll be on my way, out into the Big Blue Room, to see what kind of mischief I can find to get into out there in the real world…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Training aardvarks is thirsty work…..

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3

Ffolkes,
Fair warning….. today’s Pearl is being created under the most trying of conditions imaginable…..  I’m awake…. moreover, I don’t want to be awake….. If I could sleep, I would be doing so at this very moment, but, my aging body, and more than half-crazy head, have conspired to make any such valuable outcome well-nigh impossible…. Well, perhaps not impossible, but relatively fruitless, and not worth the effort of turning over and trying to find a comfortable position again…. Once I’m mostly awake, there pretty much isn’t one, anyway….

Since I had nothing better to do, I got up, and started to prepare to Pearl…. whereupon Smart Bee took a dump, going into its corrupted mode, the one where it sits on the task bar, pretending to be open, but cannot be viewed by mortal users….. This meant I had to take the time to uninstall SB, then go to their website, download a fresh install copy, and again install it on the computer…. Not hard, but all time-consuming, and frustrating to be blocked by reality first thing….

Of course, this is Murphy’s handiwork; that much is obvious, and not unexpected, other than by the exact timing, and he is well-practiced at knowing the exact right moment to reveal his machinations.  By its very nature, his work is hidden by Time itself, until the moment is correct, when the most surprise, and the most damage, will ensue…. Knowing all that doesn’t help to mitigate the anger and frustration, it just helps to keep me from pulling out quite as much hair, which I can’t afford to lose….

Not only has Murphy’s less-than-welcome reappearance thrown a wrench into the works, I’m afflicted with another slight handicap today, but, its nature is such that, if I told you about it, you’d be in terrible danger, (legally, I’d be required to kill you, or, at minimum, turn you into a vegetable….), so, I’ll be a nice guy for a change, and keep it to myself…. Besides, y’all couldn’t do anything to help, and it would just upset your sensibilities to be exposed to the knowledge of what I am experiencing…. Please don’t ask, because I can’t tell you, and it would make us both feel bad…. Not to mention the wear and tear on my shredder….

I may be in a hurry, but, that’s no excuse for a paragraph such as the previous one…. sheer idiocy, just filling in space with nonsense, and not very compelling nonsense, at that….. Pathetic, and not up to even MY loose standards for an intro section…. At this juncture, starting over might be a good idea, but would put me even further behind than I am already. I’m finding myself with less time in the mornings now, as I have a lot to do out in the Big Blue Room, preparing for my upcoming trip(s)…. which, now that it occurs to me, might be a pearl in the rough…. yeah, that’s the ticket…. Sorry, got distracted there….

Any who…..  I guess this is a sufficient amount of crap to throw out for one morning…. if I’m not careful, it could get on someone’s clothing. We’ll go on, just as if everything were going just the way it should be, just as if I knew what I was doing…. Shall we Pearl?…..

“Only exceptionally rational men can afford to be absurd.” — Allen Goldfein
__________________________________

“It has begun to occur to me that life is a stage I am going through.” — Ellen Goodman

A few days ago, I mentioned that I had received word that my SS had been approved, and though I’ve yet to receive anything on paper to that effect, it was proved true by the money that hit my account a few days ago, a relatively robust amount, comprising the back payments for the time I’ve waited since applying.

This money is going to fulfill my dream, of a retirement that isn’t marked by having to struggle to get by, but will allow me to live comfortably, without having to work, and still have enough to do some traveling, if I am thrifty. That shouldn’t be too hard, since I’ve learned how to live on next to nothing over the past two and a half years, and see no reason to start being a spendthrift now….

All that being said, this is going to have a side-effect, relating to this blog…. I intend to keep writing each day, and posting the Pearls before anything else I do each day…. It saved my sanity, and seems to be necessary for that to stay intact, so I’ll keep on writing, if for no other reason…. But, the content may change more than just a bit…. I’ll be traveling often, or, as often as I can work it out, so a lot of the posts will have to be written while doing that…. which I am actually looking forward to, as it means that my life is proceeding as I wish it to go on….

So, next Tuesday, the Pearl will be written while I’m riding the Pacific Coast Starliner, on my way to Oregon to visit with a friend…. I have no idea how that will go, but it promises to be an adventure, and I’m looking forward to it with great anticipation…. I’ll write a couple days while staying with my buddy, and then, on Friday, will board the train to come back here, so the Saturday Pearl will again be a mobile effort….

I don’t know right now what other trips may happen in April, but, they’ll be relatively short, as I’ve already booked, and paid for, the trip of my dreams for the following month…. I’ve wanted to visit Ireland, and the UK, for many, many years….. AND, I ‘ve wanted to go on another cruise ever since 2004, when I went on the last one…. I had one booked, that had to be canceled, when I had to nurse my mother back to health, so I missed out, and have wanted to go, badly, ever since January of 2011, when it was canceled…. Long story short, I decided to combine the two dreams, and have booked a cruise of 12 days, round trip from London, stopping in eight or nine ports, in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England, as it sails around the British Isles…. Pretty cool, eh?….

I’m going to go 3 days early, before the cruise, staying in London long enough to get over jet lag before the departure, as well as have a bit of time to see some things I’ve always wanted to see, such as the changing of the guard at the Palace, Stonehenge, and Oxford, to name just a few….. I haven’t decided, but I may also stay over the end of the cruise a week or so, to further explore parts of Ireland…. I figure, since I’m already there, it would be cheaper to do that while I am, rather than leaving it for another trip, that may or may not happen, and may be more expensive….

So, in May, I’ll be gone for much of the month, exploring a much larger version of Consensual Reality than usual, and it promises to be interesting to see  how it affects my writing…. It will certainly affect the content, as I’ll write whatever comes to mind about the places I’m visiting, and hope to bring a new way of seeing things to historical sights…. It’s bound to be fun, as well as educational, for all of us…..  😆    Europe may never be the same, after I’ve had a look-through….   😈

“I’m in a (jet plane?) in 53 BC… I’ve landed in ancient Rome… Some gladiators are playing scrabble… I’m ordering Pizza….” ~~ Zippy the Pinhead
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Some days my mood demands the classics…..

I Must Have Wanton Poets

MUST have wanton poets, pleasant wits,
Musicians, that with touching of a string
May draw the pliant king which way I please:
Music and poetry is his delight;
Therefore I’ll have Italian masks by night,
Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;
And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,
Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;
My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay;
Sometime a lovely boy in Dian’s shape,
With hair that gilds the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,
And in his sportful hands an olive-tree,
To hide those parts which men delight to see,
Shall bathe him in a spring; and there, hard by,
One like Actæon, peeping through the grove,
Shall by the angry goddess be transform’d,
And running in the likeness of an hart,
By yelping hounds pull’d down, shall seem to die:
Such things as these best please his majesty.

~~ Christopher Marlowe

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“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle was a very interesting man, as this aphorism makes clear. It’s not your typical statement from someone so deeply involved in politics as to have been the Dictator/President of France, as he was for so long, but,  the quote IS/WAS typical of him, or, at least, of the image he projected, as a maverick in the political world, both inside and outside of France. 

If I recall my history correctly, (he was alive for much of the first half of my life….), other world leaders didn’t trust him much, which tends to give him more cachet, in my mind…. If the normal run of politico mistrusted him, he’s obviously my kind of guy, as that kind of reaction from a politician generally implies the target subject is an honest man….

With this statement, he pulls the covers of the greater percentage of those in public office. Those eminent officials are constantly spouting off about how they are “public servants” and how their salaries are paid by the taxpayers…. All the while, they are shoveling money from the public treasury into their pockets just as fast as their little hands can move.

They make the same noises when they are up for re-election, to further solidify the image they wish to project, as concerned citizens just following their hearts to help the people, when in fact, they are merely petty thieves, with slick tongues and a smooth patter, no more honest than a street grifter, and no more likely to give a shit about anyone else….

I’m not going to make this a long rant today; this is one subject that is so obvious (to me) that I hesitate to even write about it, as it would be insulting my readers to assume they weren’t aware of this truism. But, I did want to remind y’all that, no matter how honest and sincere a politician may seem, no matter how often they tell you they are just your servant, they are lying, bare-faced and deliberately. This applies to ALL of them, from the top to the bottom of our federal, state, and local governments; the corruption is inherent in the structure of the system, which encourages behaviors that are self-serving, and rewards theft with more access to more money…..

“Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.” — John Stewart Mill (1806-1873)

I don’t think I need to even show any evidence here, as it ample proof of the chicanery prevalent in society is all over the news every day, if one knows where to look, and how to read between the lies….. (not a typo…)  The recent events surrounding the budget mess, have reached a stage where it is apparent, even to the citizens who blindly support anything the politicos say, that there is something wrong with this picture, and serve as a perfect example of what I am implying, nay, accusing them of here. The bickering and obstructionism reached levels that showed exactly how little the people mattered, in relation to the money, and who would have the control of it….. It’s a huge mess, and nobody has any acceptable solutions (so they say….)…

So, what do they do?…. Things get stalled long enough for the Supreme Court to take up the constitutionality of the concept of Gay Marriage, a decision that will have a long-term effect on how our country operates on some levels, and certainly engages the emotions of every citizen with any concern over the issue… Quite distracting, in fact, and to me, a bit suspicious in timing, as it takes the public awareness away from what Congress, and the White House, are up to, which, I assure you, is no good…. at least, not for us, or for the people at large….

SIGH… My outrage at the system is so large it keeps me awake at nights, sometimes…. but, it is so large because the system is, in nature, completely amorphous, with no obvious pieces that can be attacked and destroyed…. Add to that the fact that too few people alive are even aware of the need to do so, and it leaves me with little choice but to rant…. Life goes on, without any real changes; the rich keep getting richer, while the poor keep on keepin’ on, best they can…. Me, I’m gonna go take a nap…..

“The trouble with Congress is every time they make a law, it’s a joke, and every time they make a joke, it’s a law!” — Will Rogers
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Not bad, I think, given the circumstances….. It’s done, and that just may be the deciding factor; it hangs together fairly well, and I don’t see anything legally actionable; the only name I mentioned was Charles de Gaulle’s, and he’s dead, and not likely to take offense, especially since I put him in a pretty positive light…. Therefore, I pronounce this Pearl completed, and wash my hands of it…. Gotta go, so…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Her shoes were bright, but made of porcelain….

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Ffolkes,
Imagine, if you will, the process of creation in my mind, as metaphorical coffee, softly bubbling, percolating until it is the proper consistency and flavor. Then, imagine that coffee as brewed, but left to sit on the warmer, slowly reducing itself, becoming stronger and thicker as each moment passes, until, if left long enough, the coffee turns to sludge, and becomes not a beverage, but garbage, bitter and toxic….. Well, that’s what has happened in my head this morning…. more’s the pity….

Not that I had any particularly good ideas floating around, waiting to be infused into the final flavor of this morning’s concoction, but, it would have been nice if I had been at the keyboard, ready to put in some milk and sugar, and serve it up hot and fresh…. Instead, I spent an inordinate amount of time, worshiping at the porcelain throne, to soothe my inner demons, and lost that moment or three of opportunity….. Hence, this rambling, imaginative yet stupid couple of paragraphs that once again have used up more time than they warrant, or deserve, for that matter….. SIGH…..  If I were the type to be ashamed of myself, I would be, but, I’m not, so I don’t, so there….

I do, however, feel some small regret, at having to figure out, once more, some way to have this lead into the rest of today’s Pearl with some style and dignity, in spite of never having previously attained either of those qualities. One always retains some hope, though, and I keep trying to find a way to make this intro section palatable, and interesting.

Murphy, of course, does all he can to prevent any such simple success, as he feels it is his duty as the personification of Loki in the modern world. If I can distract him, it becomes a bit easier, but, he’s getting wise to most of my tricks as time passes, so I’m brainstorming some new fabricated illusions for him….

However, in the meantime, I have a Pearl to create, and I haven’t even warmed up Smart Bee yet, what with all the other stuff in my head vying for prominence….. and I need to get done, as I have stuff to accomplish today again, out in the Big Blue Room….

I really, really want a new pair of shoes, and don’t know the outlets in this town, so I’ll have to research first. Always a fun time, figuring out the buses here, as this bus system is the absolute WORST I’ve ever seen for staying on schedule; it’s hard to figure out the times when it will arrive, meaning I end up standing on concrete for long periods…. It’s a cheap means of getting around, but rather inconvenient, if one isn’t physically up to the rigors of riding and waiting for the buses.

Why, lookie, lookie….. I do believe we have an intro section done! How did that happen? Hmm, if it wasn’t me, I’d be suspicious of conspiracy, but, I know myself too well, and it was just plain cluelessness…. Nonetheless, it worked, and we have several paragraphs of not-very-informative-but-quite-charming words and phrases, neatly stitched together into what we call an introduction…. It’s not your grandma’s intro, for sure, but it works for me, and it got us this far, so I’m not going to look a gift frog in the gums…. Shall we Pearl?…..

“Madness, we fancy, gave an ill-timed birth to grinning laughter and to frantic mirth.” — Prior
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“Have you noticed that many people who laugh at kids who believe in Santa Claus are the same people who believe in campaign promises?” — Smart Bee

Well! It’s very smart of Smart Bee to make such a cogent observation so early in the day…. I had to chuckle at this one, as it is just so, so true, and nails perfectly a great many folks in today’s society who seem to fall for anything that comes out of the mouths of the people they see on their TV’s. Max Headroom, the original iconic talking head, was much more accurate than many realized at the time, as a caricature of the type of manipulation by the BRC that is so ubiquitous, nobody believes it exists.

When the machinations of those who actually rule are exposed, people tend to either disbelieve it (because they cannot accept their own cupidity), or to rationalize it, and make it okay in their minds, as being justified…. Unfortunately, the justification most often used is that of expedience…. It’s just easier, they think, to go along with what the rules say we are supposed to do, or want to do, than it is to try to change the rules set forth by those with the desire to control, and the means to assume that control.  Most folks won’t go to any great lengths to even find out the truth of the issues they encounter; they just accept whatever is said by their trusted news anchor, and never even know they are fastening the slave collar around their own necks….

The hardest part of all this, for me, is that people actively resist any knowledge that challenges their belief in the idiot assholes who run the world…. It’s as if they WANT to be controlled, and wish to be slaves, rather than have to take responsibility for their own actions, for their own success or failure in life…. If they follow the rules, keep their mouth shut, and resist any change, they believe they’ll be rewarded, (and this is the part that gets me….), BY GETTING TO GO TO HEAVEN INSTEAD OF HELL WHEN THEY DIE!  Now, I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve heard better lines from con men and grifters on the street, who at least will cheat you now, rather than later….

I’m really not sure what it is that is supposed to be the reward in THIS life for conformity, unless it is a life empty of all challenge, or interest…. I suppose for many, the idea of being left alone to live their life is attractive, but, to me, the price they pay, of placidly agreeing to live that life by someone else’s rules, is much too high, especially since what is offered as the reward is not just an illusion, but, were it real, I could easily obtain myself….

Add in the fact that what happens after we die is, so far, undetermined, and impossible to determine, with any degree of certainty, and the promises made by the priest/preachers, and the BRC, assume a rather strong degree of falsehood, as it is obvious that they cannot promise what they do not possess, or even possibly understand….

I’m attempting in this diatribe to keep from getting too vitriolic toward anyone in particular…. I do have a lot of dislike and, yes, hatred, for the Beloved Ruling Class, composed of lawyers, politicians, judges, legislators, lobbyists, the priestly hierarchies, and the corporate masters who are all complicit in keeping the rest of mankind in the state of repression currently extant…. Lots and lots of hatred, in fact….

I also have a lot of lack of respect, for the idiots who fall for the crap served up by those self-same assholes at the metaphorical top of the heap…. and feel no guilt whatsoever at calling a spade a spade…. But, it’s hard to get them to listen to begin with, and calling names will drive them into their mental cocoons, impervious to reason, so I’ve tried to take it easy on them today….

So easy, in fact, that I’m done for now…. The lawyers and politicians, who are genetically programmed to lie, the priestly hierarchies, who are deliberately delusional, and the corporate masters, who are just plain evil incarnate in re: their relation to the rest of us, can all go straight to their own version of Hell, as far as I’m concerned…. The folks who buy into their crap aren’t much better, in my book, as they tend to choose weakness over strength, cowardice over courage, and fear over reason, all of which means they will always get exactly what they deserve in life….. which is nothing but trouble and pain….

To the rest of us, those who doubt, those who think, those who care about other people, who think about, and believe in, concepts such as reason, duty, honor, and compassion…. Well, Thou art God, you know…. Wanna go downtown and get some lunch?….

“Apparently I’m insane. But I’m one of the happy kinds!” — John Young
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I’m not sure why, but it seems to be a day for metaphorical silliness…. What better way to honor that, or to humor it, than with a selection of Ogden Nash? Why, none at all!….

Children’s Party

May I join you in the doghouse, Rover?
I wish to retire till the party’s over.
Since three o’clock I’ve done my best
To entertain each tiny guest.

My conscience now I’ve left behind me,
And if they want me, let them find me.
I blew their bubbles, I sailed their boats,
I kept them from each other’s throats.

I told them tales of magic lands,
I took them out to wash their hands.
I sorted their rubbers and tied their laces,
I wiped their noses and dried their faces. Of similarities there’s lots
Twixt tiny tots and Hottentots.

I’ve earned repose to heal the ravages
Of these angelic-looking savages. Oh, progeny playing by itself
Is a lonely little elf,
But progeny in roistering batches
Would drive St. Francis from here to Natchez.

Shunned are the games a parent proposes,
They prefer to squirt each other with hoses,
Their playmates are their natural foemen
And they like to poke each other’s abdomen.
Their joy needs another woe’s to cushion it,
Say a puddle, and someone littler to push in it.

They observe with glee the ballistic results
Of ice cream with spoons for catapults,
And inform the assembly with tears and glares
That everyone’s presents are better than theirs.

Oh, little women and little men,
Someday I hope to love you again,
But not till after the party’s over,
So give me the key to the doghouse, Rover

~~ Ogden Nash
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I slept in today, inadvertently…. forgot to punch the button to set the coffee to brew at the correct time in the morning, so I had to do it myself, when I awoke at 0715, an hour later, or more, than usual…. As a result of that, plus the extended worship session this morning, I’m quite late getting this completed…. The above mild rant, more of a discussion, really, were it not for the harsh words for the targets of the rant, used up any outrage I’d built up, and I’ve got so many plans in action, and metaphoric pans on the fire, my creativity can’t seem to focus on anything I consider worth writing about….

With my usual panache, I will proceed to cheat…. Here is a Pearl from the dark ages, way back around 2005 or 2006, when I was working at NSH as a program secretary, helping East Indian psychiatrists write court reports that made them sound like natural-born English speakers, rather than ESL speakers with accents as thick and spicy as curried rice… Each morning, before anyone else was at work, I’d compose pearls like this one, and send it out so about 250 ffolkes would find it in their email when they booted up for the work day….. For some reason, I saw this, and it seemed perfectly appropriate for today’s Pearl…. Enjoy!….

It wasn’t my fault…

Ffolkes,
The dog ate my homework. There was an earthquake, and I was helping find the victims. I didn’t get the memo. My mom grounded me. The check was in the mail. I needed a widget, & the store was out. My electricity went off. There was a flood. Right after the earthquake…..


Actually, just had an appointment, but what kind of dramatic opening would that be? In retrospect, I probably should have taken care of this yesterday, on a delayed send, but I guess if I was that efficient I’d already be rich & retired. Ah me, choices……damned if we do, & damned if we don’t. Make good ones….

“Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.” — H.L. Mencken

Human nature, being what it is, I shall not attempt to rationalize further; it’s too early in the day to fend off physical attacks.

Y’all take care out there….& remember to DUCK!
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Well, THAT was interesting…. I’m not sure exactly what just took place. Let me go back and look at it; I’ll be right back…. Sometimes, I surprise myself…. That said, I’ll take it, or, rather, leave it, or, post it, or whatever….. It’s done, and I can’t make it any better than it is, given the content…..  As I’ve previously and frequently reiterated, all we can do, is all we can do…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

His uncle was a poltroon….

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Ffolkes,
I never asked for this, nor do I deserve it….. I’ve always suspected that Murphy is an asshole, and this just gives me proof positive my suspicions are correct. If I weren’t such a nice person, and wasn’t fully aware of the importance of such incidents in the larger picture, I would object to such cavalier treatment, even at the hands of an iconic force of nature, whose only purpose for existence is to keep people on their toes in dealing with the real world…. Besides, who needs this kind of crap in the morning?….

Hmm…. it needs work. Don’t you think? Well, I do, and my opinion is the only one that counts in the final analysis, because it’s my fingers hitting the keys….. I don’t really think there would be much of a market for generic complaint templates, do you? I mean, I know that Murphy fucks with EVERYBODY sometimes; I’ve never known anyone who didn’t know who he is, or hadn’t had the dubious pleasure of his acquaintance, or the distinct displeasure of his attentions. So, I thought, maybe, I could pick up some extra cash by selling a template people could just fill out, adding their name, the date, and the specifics of Murphy’s depredations….. but, then I realized, who are they going to turn it in to?…..

Nobody gives a crap about what Murphy did to anyone else, and I can’t think of what government agency might cover what he does….. As far as I know, we don’t have a Federal Bureau of Sympathy yet. I’ll have to write my Senator, to have them suggest it as a new agency, dedicated to mitigating the deleterious effects Murphy has on the citizens of this country, effects which have a negative impact on the economy, and on the national spirit, dragging it down into the proverbial dirt…. It might not have much political pull for a while, but, I’ll bet it would be one of the busiest agencies in Washington D.C from the moment it opened its doors…..

Sure, that’s what we need, is another government agency sticking its nose into the lives of average citizens….. not that the government, or the BRC, for that matter, gives a rat’s ass about what we care about, or what might be good for us, so, it’s all pretty much a fantasy, and an exercise in mental futility, as are most things involving the BRC…. and this isn’t the place to start ranting on the BRC, or anyone…. I just can’t seem to help myself…. SIGH…. break time….

Pardon my French, but, FUCK!  Reality is giving me things to think about that won’t be ignored, and I’m going to have to spend some time making hard decisions, if I want to live…. Sounds ominous, I know, and might be so in fact, but remains true, for all that I’m not sure yet of what is really happening to me. I know I’m also being obscure, but this is not something I’d be ready to share in detail, until I know for sure what’s up…. So, I’ll shut up now, and get on with today’s mess….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“Every stage of human life, except the last, is marked out by certain and defined limits; old age alone has no precise and determinate boundary.” —  Marcus Tullius Cicero

Last evening, as I was standing in the front yard, leaning on my walking stick, as I must, if I wish to resemble a human being more than a pretzel while I’m  making my way about the landscape, words my doctor had said to me a few years ago loomed large, to wit: “If you hadn’t been so active when you were young, you wouldn’t be so creaky and worn out now.” As you might guess, we have a candid, forthright relationship, and he didn’t blame me at all for the broken chair, nor did he even mention my language, except to ask me to repeat one line so he could write it down….

He was amused, I suppose, at my obvious discomfiture (a fine euphemism for being extremely pissed off….) at having that little piece of information left out of the manual, and at falling for the old adages and cliches about exercise being good for you, a healthy mind means a healthy body, and other such lies…. The truth is that most people, the ones who are active and don’t become obese, become obsessive, or at least habitual, about working the body hard, which, it turns out, is the wrong approach for true health, and keeping one’s limberness and strength into later years…..

Moderation, of course, is the key, which, as I looked back on my life, I realized had NOT been my habit…. When I trained in or for a sport, it was all out, to maximize my performance, and, in the process, my enjoyment of the activities…. In short, I loved playing ball, (I’ll chase, or throw, or catch, or do almost anything marginally legal with just about anything that will roll, bounce, or otherwise lend itself to recreational use and/or abuse by humans….), or running into people (specific to football, American style), or training to fight (the actual fighting wasn’t nearly as much fun, but, one must accept reality as it is….), making myself strong, and, apparently healthy…. with a hidden process going on that would lead to my current state of disability….

Now, according to Marcus Cicero, I have an undetermined amount of time to contemplate living with constant pain, to a degree, and living with the goal of keeping said pain tolerable, and not so debilitating as to eliminate my ability to be mobile altogether, rather than the relatively mild challenges I face now in getting around to do what I need to do….. Or, as we are wont to say down at the Senior Center, getting old is a bitch, and don’t let anybody tell you different…..

“I think, therefore I set off the smoke alarm…” — Smart Bee

Any who, as I was standing there, feeling old, and thinking long thoughts, it also occurred to me that it was okay…. I was okay with the pain, and the weight of my years, and all the mistakes I may have made in engaging in so many activities that were, ultimately, not as good for me as I had thought, or been told…. It was all worth it.

No matter what sport it was, I enjoyed every minute of playing it, at least in retrospect, and now, while I am not feeling the pain and stress of the effort it took at the time, and, often, the intense pain afterward (such as the six days of a painful charley horse in my calf, from taking a cleat on the final play of a high school football game we lost… Ah, sweet memories, even the losses that bring nostalgic melancholy….). I was pretty good at all of it, and I enjoyed using my skills in both team and individual sports….

Now, my most active form of exercise, since I’m currently celibate, is walking to the library with a few books in a backpack, a matter of seven city blocks or so, which, all in all, I consider pathetic…. I was never a long distance anything , but it takes me more time to recover from that walk than it did to run a half-mile for time, or even wind sprints, for goodness sake…. Just pathetic…..

Like I said, though, it’s okay…. There are folks who cannot get around at all, with worse disabilities, so I’m thankful I can do as much as I am able to do, because it’s enough…. As I think Lao Tzu said, it is a rich man who knows that enough is enough….. Or, as gigoid has been known to remark, all we can do, is all we can do…..
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I can make haiku
more real than any other
of my poetry.

~~ gigoid

I don’t have anything new, other than this haiku, so you’ll have to settle for an older one…. It is an appropriate choice for today’s mood, and subject matter thus far….. Enjoy!

A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
that reality has boasted of proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid

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“Commonly, physicians, like beer, are best when they are old, and lawyers, like bread, when they are young and new.” — Fuller

“As to Jesus of Nazareth…I think the system of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity.” — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Well, as you can see, Smart Bee is being a bit recalcitrant, an event which, though usually not a good thing, did give me the opportunity to use the word “recalcitrant”, which doesn’t often happen…. Any who, I’m having a bit of trouble finding a pearl, or a group of pearls, that would be suitable for either a rant, or an old-school quest; the two above are the best I can find, in over an hour of searching. Though not too bad, they aren’t quite right for either process, and not strong enough to stand alone, in my opinion. So, I’ll cheat again, with another blast from the past…. this one will be a random choice, the first one I come across that will fit physically into this space, so I have no idea what it will be like…..

From 4/10/12:

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” — Proverb

This is the sort of pearl that is much, much deeper than it appears at first glance. (Note: It seems common to find the most complex and deep issues most often described or related in very short sentences. Hmm…. probably something to do with K.I.S.S., which the universe believes in strongly…) Applied as a metaphor for human interactions with reality, it assumes an even greater degree of relevance, as it implies both choice and hope. Both are always present, but not always in view; such aphorisms as this can help one to find where they are standing, hidden in plain sight…

It is clear to most by now that reality does not adjust to our desires; any adjustments made must be on our part, as we have absolutely no power to change any aspect of reality other than our response to it. A hard lesson, one that many never learn, or come to terms with, one which guarantees they will find life to be one long struggle, as they spend their days futilely trying to make what is into what they wish it to be. To use the analogy provided, they never learn to trim the sails of their vessel, and find themselves constantly fighting with, and cursing, the wind, never realizing their own lack of understanding is what sends them into uncharted waters, or into the metaphorical rocks.

Thus, from simplicity does great wisdom arise; to reach one’s desired destination in life, one must learn to trim and adjust the sails of our vessel to make the best use of the wind that the universe sends in our direction. Or, more plainly, we can only make changes to ourselves, not reality. Learning this one simple lesson can turn a life out of balance completely around, and give it the direction and stability it has ever sought, allowing the most troubled soul to sail into the light, and out of the darkness that engulfs those who argue with reality…..
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Given the handicaps with which Murphy decided to load me down with today, I consider the fact that this is done to be a major victory…. It’s another one that I doubt will catch the attention of the Pulitzer committee, but, I can live with it, since I’m not getting paid to do this, other than with a little stronger grip on my sanity….. as they say, the price is right. With that classic cliche ringing in your ears, I bid thee adieu for today, and leave you with my assurances that I’ll try harder tomorrow…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

dozer3

You’re SURE this won’t alter history, right?….

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2

Ffolkes,
Trepidation may be considered a word that reaches only one of the first levels that describe fear in our language, by connotation. It is not strong enough, though, to fully catch the depth of terror that settles like ice over me when I am faced with another blank screen, and all I can see in my head is a vast, featureless plain, stretching to infinity with nothing at all to draw the eye, or stir interest…..

It is a fear only an author can truly feel, that sheer, unbridled, fulminating fear, that not only makes one’s insides curl in anticipation of failure, but causes trembling in one’s limbs, threatens to give us weepy eyes, and puts a truly piteous expression on our face, all of which add to the problem, as it all makes it impossible to think clearly, if at all…. I get all weirded out just talking about it, and now, it’s here for real, again….

I don’t know if this means that Murphy has returned from wherever he went for a day or two ( just long enough for my SS to come through…. Yay! ), or if I’m just hitting another of my periods of slack. It happens now and again, usually when life gets easier somehow, as I seem to need the edge that living in fear gives me, that enables me to write without suffering any blocks. Besides, I just kick them aside and go on writing anyway; it just gets even MORE nonsensical than usual….. But, whatever the reason, I’m struggling beyond belief to get this intro even started….. These three paragraphs have taken me over 20 minutes to put together, which, given their absolute lack of ANYTHING resembling creativity, is not encouraging, to say the least…..

I’m tempted to just give up today, and post an old Pearl…. it’s not like I don’t have a million of them to choose from, and I doubt that many of you will have seen whatever I chose to post, as I’ve written over 2500 pages of material since starting on WP, and I don’t think there are many folks who are familiar with all of that…. over a million words so far, and counting….. Hmm, I’d best go cogitate on this…. I’ll be back, after a short session of worship….

Okay, I’m back from my session at the porcelain throne…. not chock full of any fresh ideas or plans to overcome my blockage, other than trying to figure out the mental equivalent of prunes…. but, ready to take the music for my failure…. or, more accurately, ready to dodge the bullet, and offer a compromise…. otherwise known as a cop out….

Today, I’m going to post a Pearl from the past…. from 1/8/12, to be exact…. The Pearls then had five sections, rather than three, and the poetry was mixed in with less prominence. I’ll put in a full poem at the end to make up for that, one of my own, so all of this can only be blamed on me….

So, here are five pearls from yesteryear, which, as you can see, may have been different in format, but not in subject, style, or degree of silliness…. I hope you enjoy it, because I’m definitely going to enjoy what I do today instead of writing fresh…. I’m going to book a cruise, and buy my daughter a birthday gift for the first time in three years….. Shall we Pearl?….
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Ffolkes,
For a bit over a year now, I’ve been writing about fifteen hundred words a day, spread among different Pearls, articles, and blog posts for different sites. Over the last few weeks, I’ve noted a bit more of a struggle to get it done than previously; fresh ideas are getting harder to dredge up from the confines of my mind, and I suspect that the well is getting a bit dry, as I’ve been drawing on it heavily for some time now. I’m not sure what to do about it; I can’t stop writing, or I’ll become even more of a curmudgeon than is already the case. I guess I’ll just keep on plugging away, and see what develops……
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“In ecology, as in economics, TANSTAAFL (There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free  Lunch) is intended to warn that every gain is won at some cost. Failure to recognize the no free lunch law causes the buffalo-hunter mentality syndrome — the unthinking assumption that there will always be plenty because there always has been plenty.” — Dr. Robert W. Prehoda

Today’s society still suffers from Codyism (buffalo hunter’s syndrome); as a matter of fact, Codyism is one of the primary pillars upon which capitalism exists. For capitalism to function correctly, it must have a constant source of new markets into which it can expand. Without constant growth, the system begins to feed upon itself, and falls into chaos quickly. But none of the folks who are invested in propping it up will believe that the resources of the planet are limited.

As far as they’re concerned, there is no end to what can be created from the resources at hand; what they refuse to understand is that in the very near future, those resources will no longer be at hand. And since we have yet to learn how to create more resources from nothing, they won’t be coming back. When the finite limits of the planet have been reached, it’s going to be a big shock to to all the Bill Cody’s out there, counting on the buffalo to return. But, y’know what? That’s never going to happen, and wishing won’t make it so…..
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The only problem
with Haiku is that you just
get started and then
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Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering. — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

Most of us probably lost the ability to do this around the age of 11 or 12; after that we’ were all too busy dealing with hormonal storms to spend a lot of time soothing our souls. And it’s unfortunate that so many never again learn to find this particular spot in their psyche, a loss they feel without understanding why. Only the wisest know that finding our way back to this childish peace of mind is one of the most important tasks we can perform as an adult. Being able to tap into the serenity and joy that naturally accompanies any trip down this path is a valuable skill, one that everyone needs to cultivate as a method for relieving the stress and anxiety that everyday life creates within all of us.

Albert Einstein found a marvelous way to walk this path when he said, “I stopped opening my mail a couple of months ago, and I’ve never felt better in my life!” (Or something like that….it’s close…) We can all take this as good advice (except perhaps, for those who send mail; they might find this somewhat stressful)…..doing nothing can be good medicine for the modern spirit, despite what you may have heard about idle hands…….
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Christian, n.:  One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor. One who follows the teachings of Christ in so far as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

This will possibly offend the Christians out there. For that I have no apology, for I don’t believe either of these definitions is very far from truth; I’m just not convinced that faith has shown itself to be a motivation for integrity. More often it is used as motivation for proselytizing.  As a matter of fact, I’d say that about 98% of the Christians I know would fall into one of these two categories.

I would also challenge any of those Christians to mitigate their anger until they have made a complete self-analysis, and found whether or not it applies to them.  After doing so, I would welcome any evidence they might have to present that would disprove these assertions. I don’t think I’ll be hearing from very many of them…..or, if I do, their arguments won’t have any relation to these statements, or resemble ‘evidence’ any way but superficially, but will instead make a personal attack on the author. Any bets?…..
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No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. — The Constitution of the United States of America Amendment 5, 1791

It galls me to have to say it, but……another one bites the dust……I’ve been writing about this all week, and will continue to do so until the NDAA is repealed. I want my Bill of Rights back!……
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I see something at the end of the tunnel. I’m not sure it’s a light, though. Might just be a fig newton of my imagination……at any rate, another day is dawning, and is demanding my attention. Since I’ve been cranking on this since about 4:15 AM, I suppose I can finish up and get on with it. Two hours isn’t bad, compared to some mornings of late. I hope your day goes well…..try to have some fun. Y’all take care out there…..
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As promised, or threatened….   😆   ….. a poem of mine…..

Dreaming of Calliope

La 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 to gain 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

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😳   I guess I have to confess, I’m not terribly proud of today’s Pearl, though I’m certainly not ashamed of any of it. It’s just not what I am accustomed to producing, and my unconscious mind is complaining about it the only way it has, by making me vaguely uncomfortable from guilt….

But, like any modern man, I am immune to guilt, in the sense that NOBODY on this planet seems to allow guilt to keep them from doing exactly as they please…. Oh, they may feel it, even complain of it, but they don’t let it keep them from crapping on everybody around them….

Oh well, it’s a bit late in the post to start another rant, even a short one…. and I’ve got a travel agent to call….   😀    I’ll be here tomorrow, with fresh ideas, and news….   Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

It says breakfast includes fizzy drinks….

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9

Ffolkes,
I’m confused….. Oh, wait…. Right. That isn’t anything new, of course, so saying it right up front might not have quite the riveting effect I intended…. Y’all are accustomed to seeing me in that state, so announcing it probably isn’t going to produce the either the sympathy I was hoping to engender, nor will it produce the willingness to overlook the asinine trip this intro section puts y’all through…. So much for that technique…. I killed it myself, before it even had a chance to get started…. Well, shoot…. which, you may guess, is a euphemism for another word of similar pattern, but, with an “i” where this one has an “oo”…..

There I go, trying to trick y’all into using your mental acuity first thing, just as if I had some reason to expect good results; I’ve barely had enough coffee to keep from biting myself, and I’m expecting skillful cogitation from my audience!  ❗  This does not bode well for the rest of this morning’s output, to say the least. In fact, we are approaching the point of no return, in terms of legality of assumption, and I may just have to cite myself, with a court date just far enough away to annoy me…. It’s one sure way to get me pissed off enough to focus…. It won’t improve my writing at all, but it does force me to concentrate on what is important, and keep stuff like this from falling out of my head and onto the screen….

I managed to somehow convince Murphy to take a few days off, by telling him about this other guy I met, who really was having a good life, with everything going well for him…. I lied, but he fell for it, and has gone to pick at the other guy for… well, I don’t know how long I’ll have, so I’m making the best of it….. I imagine he’ll be pissed when he gets back, as he will have figured out how I tricked him by then, but, I’ll deal with the consequences of that when they occur…. No sense in worrying about milk that isn’t on the floor yet…. Of course, I’ll probably have to also deal with the guy who got the brunt of his attention, if he ever finds out it was me who gave him the referral, but, he’s just a little guy, and I happen to know he disapproves of guns, so, I’m safe in that respect….

Well, for heaven’s sake (I know, I’m probably breaking several canonical laws, and heresying on several religions when I say that…. oh well….  😈  )…. Will you look at that? I’ve been babbling, not really paying attention, and a complete intro section has just sprung up around my words…. imagine that! I wonder how that happened?…. Is that ingenious enough? (Or is that disingenuous enough?) Is it too over the top?  I don’t want to make anyone nauseous with too much schmaltz…. that stuff can be dangerous, if one is unaccustomed to its use, and I try to be sparing with it…. Okay, that’s a lie, but, I do try not to get it on anyone’s best shoes….

Besides, we got here, didn’t we? I’m not going to sit here and be insulted, so… Well, yes, I am. I’m the one who babbled and meandered around again to fill in the intro with nonsense and meaningless BS, so I’m the one who should take the hits for it….. Go ahead, I’ll sit here and take it….. All done? Good, now we can get on with the remainder of our business, such as it is…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“If good intentions are combined with stupidity, it is impossible to outthink them.” — Marion J. Levy, Jr.

Aha! So, THAT’S the problem with Reality! I should have noticed this sooner, and maybe, just maybe, you might have been saved from a rant or two…. Well, okay, so that’s a lie, but, it COULD have happened…. more’s the pity….

Actually, I’ve included this because it really is too true to be ignored…. This statement is a perfectly accurate description of many, many preacher/priests, and other delusional denizens of the organized religions, such as Catholicism, Islam, or even Hinduism, as the people who end up in those positions are generally motivated, originally, at least, by the desire to help their fellows, not to subvert them.

But, most are so weak-minded that they can’t even see that they, themselves, are being manipulated by their own leaders, manipulated until they believe the nonsense with which they are bombarded from day one in the seminary, or other school of divinity…. It is the Popes, and the Ayatollahs, and the other religious leaders, all of whom are well aware, down to the last decimal place of accuracy, of the degree of bullshit they are slinging, who are the evil minded ones, the true monsters who prey on their own kind, knowing full well that the religious dogma they are promoting is a pile of hogwash designed solely to keep the ignorant masses under control, in an attitude of submission….

Many of those at the top of the heap will even claim to be true believers, but, I have a hard time accepting that at face value, given the perks and privileges they seem to accept as their rightful due, even though those perks and privileges are directly in contrast, and directly in opposition to all they teach about worldly goods and their spiritual value…. Kind of blows their covers, wouldn’t you say? It’s hard to reconcile the talk about helping the poor, when one is wearing silk, and gold filigree, and dining on quail in aspic every night…. I don’t know about y’all, but I sense a bit of a conflict of interest there….

“If the Bible proves that God exists, then comic books prove the existence of Superman.” — Smart Bee

I will admit that a database, such as Smart Bee, is merely software, and not necessarily to be considered a solid reference for the statement made just above. But, then, I don’t regard the claim of men and/or women, who are “reportedly” divinely inspired, as a solid reference for the validity of the claims made in the Bible, either; to my way of thinking, the relative degree of believability by either one is questionable, if not absolutely ridiculous.

Sorry, but, the idea that ALL the people who contributed their writing to the Bible were “touched by the hand of God” tends to stretch my innate sense of credibility all out of proportion to what I know to be real. It just doesn’t wash, much less stand up to rigorous logical, deductive examination….. (Unless, of course, by “touched by the hand of God”, one means the onset of florid insanity…. I could buy that….)

“After you’ve heard two or more eyewitness accounts of an auto accident it makes you wonder about any “recorded” history.” — Smart Bee

Unfortunately for all of us, whether we are sighted, or blind, to what is real, the validity of the first pearl in this section remains unchanged…. to wit: it is damnably true, and there isn’t a damn thing to do about it, except to keep on trying to throw out enough real, true information to counteract, or at least attempt to balance, all the delusional crap that pours out of the religiously oriented fools, who, though they believe they are doing the right thing, are merrily, and obliviously, carrying on the agenda of those above them, who have no scruples whatsoever, further placing themselves and their issue under the thumb of a group of folks who have been manipulating and robbing from society for millennia, all under the guise of concern for our welfare.

(Wow, I impressed myself with that paragraph, filling it up with one, continuous run-on sentence…. pretty slick, eh? Move over, Godot….)

This concept, little as it pleases those in the position of clerical authority, is the historical basis for the observation that everyone has heard, to wit: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”  You will find that every priest or preacher, or for that matter, any politician, to whom you utter that phrase, immediately will launch into a well-practiced litany of reasons why you should pay it no mind, as it does not fit in with the manipulation they espouse as their modus vivendi, or for that matter, their modus operandi…. They don’t want people even THINKING of things like that, as it tends to lead to other revelations regarding their truthfulness… not an activity they wish to encourage among the flock….

Right there…. I’ve just used a word that is a dead giveaway…. Did you ever wonder why pastors and priests call their constituents their “flock”, and assume the position of being the shepherd in the analogy? Because it is quite accurate, in their minds, as they consider their constituents to be sheep, whose existence and meaning is to supply them with wool, lanolin, and a steady supply of mutton chops….. Not the whiskers, but the savory, er, well, distinctively flavored, tasty with mint-jelly type…. Yep, pretty subtle, as well as inherently cruel, but, hey, that’s what they do…..

“We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.” — Eric Hoffer
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Poetry seems to come from a part of me that I don’t understand very well; it sort of forces its way out when it’s ready, and my conscious mind seems to play very little part in that process…. Whatever…. This started leaking out of my head yesterday afternoon, and the rest fell out this morning…. It seems pretty straightforward to me, but then, it’s all my imagery, so I guess that would make sense…. Hopefully, it will strike a chord with y’all as well… I hope you enjoy it….

After the odyssey….

Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound

Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.

Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.

Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.

Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.

~~ gigoid ~~


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I believe I’m beginning to get a solid handle on how often I can rant, without becoming overly pedantic, or approaching a point where it becomes too much, too shrill and strident, which can decrease its attraction to the reader, as well as distract from the issue at hand, which mostly benefits from a dispassionate discussion, rather than an emotional one…. and all of that is just two and a half lines of self-indulgent back patting, so, I’ll cease and desist, and get on with the rest of today’s effort…. Which, as I was trying to get around to saying, will consist of yet another harlequin pearl…. Why fix what isn’t broken?…. Any point to today’s group of pearls will be a figment of your imagination, as I am going to try to deliberately get strange…. a rather easy task for me…. Enjoy!….

“Every society needs someone  whose job it is to tell the Emperor he’s naked.” — Smart Bee

“Ignorance is not bliss — it’s oblivion.” — Phillip Wylie

“Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.” — Parker’s Law

1) A strong belief is more important than a few facts.
2) The stronger the belief, the fewer the facts.
3) The fewer the facts, the more people killed.

— Milton Rothman
(Taken directly from the Orientation Manual of the United States Congress, given to all newly elected officials….) (Honest….)

“God must love assholes — She made so many of them.” — Smart Bee

“If you are near the enemy, make him believe you are far from him. If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.” — Sun-Tzu, The Art of War

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” — The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, 1951
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Try as I might, I can’t find enough to justify not going with this…. I can’t say I understand all of it as well as might be expected, but, I suppose you could say that could be said for my life in general…. So, rather than fuss with what is obviously fated, or, at least fatefully suggested in a firm manner, I’m letting it fly, as is…. Oh, I’ll proof it, best I may, but, as for content, it’s on its own…..  So be it….. gigoid has spoken….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3