Ffolkes,
Learning to trust people can be a frustrating pastime, especially when it sometimes seems as if people don’t want to be trusted. Ah me, I sometimes forget my own name, so it’s not surprising that I would occasionally forget my own philosophy. This is actually an unwritten corollary to Peruaosophy which states: People should receive the trust they earn, but for those who are not trustworthy, nothing but the back of me hand is enough.
I do try to give folks I meet the benefit of doubt, and will trust them to a point; I find that most folks will give reason to trust them without much thought or effort, as most folks are fairly honest. But a significant number are not honest, and it doesn’t take long for their first lie to be put out there to see if anyone bites. I’ve been known to bite at times, for the lies they tell are often attractive, and have all the appearance of truth.
But, I can truthfully say that once I’ve seen through the lies, and I always do, well, lets just say that they don’t walk away whistling and counting their money. They tend to get carried away, and if they walk, they are hurrying to be elsewhere quickly. My father was a very patient man, and I’m the same; but you really don’t want to be around when our patience snaps; it isn’t pretty, and is often ugly; the Brits would call it a bloody send-up, I believe…..
“There’s none deceived but he that trusts.” — Ben Franklin
Now, if you would, just sit back and join me in a delightfully insane state of mind.
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Audrey Hepburn: This was written when asked to share her “beauty tips.” It was read at her funeral years later.
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.”
This needs no adornment, Audrey never does…..other than to add that, IMHO, she was the most beautiful actress who ever trod the boards, and this tells you why…..
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“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer
This particular observation is both insightful, and demonstrably true. This characteristic may possibly end up as the primary reason that our species reaches its evolutionary end in the next few generations. It is a trait so destructive of self that the person who is thus afflicted never even knows he is ill, that his own fears are what are keeping him from overcoming his own destructive tendencies. It is the direct antithesis of our only saving characteristic, imagination, and when held onto dearly, completely overrides and ignores any logical or rational attempts to act in a way that will benefit themselves.
No reason, no fact, no natural law can overcome this fanaticism, for its proponents close their minds to any idea that challenges their fear- and faith-based beliefs, no matter how far from reality they are. It’s a damn shame really, because a lot of nice people are being dragged into the mud along with them, and none of them deserve it….. but then, when did the Universe care whether it’s deserved or not?…..
There is no point in getting angry, but there is a stupid malignity to all this that does try one’s patience.–Anonymous
“It is not possible to convey sarcasm to certain members of the net without using a 2×4. The smiley face merely reminds them of why their head is being dented.” — John Woods
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“The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.” — Albert Einstein
Albert has once again put his finger directly on the pulse of American culture, and on the root cause for many of the problems we face today. A vast majority of Americans cannot tell you what the Constitution is, beyond a vague idea that it has something to do with “liberty” and “freedom”. An equally large number, who may even have read parts of it, grabs onto random phrases in the document, attaches them to a piece of religious dogma, and proceeds to try to take away everyone else’s rights because they don’t have the same imaginary friend.
Of the few of us left who have actually read the entire document, along with the Bill of Rights and the 11th – 27th Amendments, only a small percentage seem to have the guts to speak up in its defense. It may be that they don’t have the wherewithal, the inherent inner-strength that is required to hold onto what is right; instead they wast their time dealing with all the petty BS in their lives, and lamenting the state of things.
Then we come to our “beloved ruling class”; let no one say we don’t get what we deserve, for each and every politician currently sitting in Washington D.C. was fairly elected, after a pre-election orgy of lies and promises from the candidates competing, to see which party or person will have the privilege of ripping off society with complete immunity to prosecution for their crimes. These people know the Constitution well; they just choose to ignore it, or spin it to support their own agenda.
Having watched this process happen time and time again for over 60 years, I can tell you that nobody who has voted in that time has any excuse. We have elected proven liars into positions of high office repeatedly, despite the investigations and revelations of skulduggery that are constantly surfacing in the news.
I suppose it’s just another example of how, regardless of how much we would like to think it isn’t so, the laws of evolution are inexorable, and our species is destined to join a myriad of other failed organisms on the extinction list….. we ARE responsible, not only for what we do or don’t do, but also for what happens to us.
It is a subtle point of the principles of Karma, but being subtle makes it no less true. So quit complaining, and start fighting for your rights. We only have those rights we can defend, and we can no longer afford to have anyone else take the responsibility; they’re not going to fulfill it, so it remains our own duty…..
“I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.” — H. L. Mencken
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“I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope, and then they disparaged all high hopes. They lived shamelessly in temporary pleasures, and hardly had an aim beyond the day. “Spirit is also voluptuousness,” they said. Then they broke the wings of their spirit; it now creeps about, and defiles whatever it gnaws at. Once they thought of becoming heroes, but they have become sensualists. A trouble and a terror is the hero to them. By my love and hope, I implore you: do not cast away the hero in your soul. Maintain holy your highest hope. Thus spoke Zarathustra.” — Friedrich Nietzsche, _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_
I first attempted to read this book when I was in high school; I made it about 10 pages in, and put it down for a long time. It was too hard to read and think at the same time then (it does take some practice), so I put it off. I picked it up again when I was about 25, and fared much better. But it was still a difficult read, as it demands that one use all of their focus and attention in order to discern the meaning of what is written.
Though difficult, it is well worth the effort, and though it took me about two months to finish, I got a lot of useful information, as well as new ways to look at that information, and new ways to fit it all into reality. I had to read only a couple or three pages at a sitting; this could take upwards of an hour of intense thought, as it seemed as if every other line brought up some new idea, or a new way to look at old ideas, and those ideas had to be examined closely to determine their validity. But, at the end, I had a strong feeling of accomplishment, and another world-view to add to my abstruse collection…..
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Kardivilliwarrakurrakurrieapparlandoo — name of a lake in Northern Australia
I am once again amazed at how the human mind, and therefore computers, operate. I typed in the above lake’s name into Google, and hit enter. The first ten finds were all different websites, but all had listed the exact same information on the name: each of them gave the name, and followed it with, “name of a lake in Northern Australia.” All of them. Apparently there is a lake in Northern Australia with that name, but no one has ever tried to find out more about it; what is known is considered enough, I guess.
I dunno, it seems to me that just a little more information would be welcome, even if it was merely “Don’t go there.” As it is, how is one to know if it is a piece of knowledge worth keeping in recent memory, or if it is special merely because of the length of its name? Also, the name itself is not translated, and I would tend to believe that the word, being the aboriginal word for the lake, has a quite complex meaning, as most of the words they used were practical descriptions of their world that helped them deal with its vicissitudes. Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to dig a bit deeper to find out any more….oh goody, another mystery to solve!……see, it’s easy to amuse oneself, if one just tries…..
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This is going to be a challenge to get into blog format, and probably email as well, so I’d best be getting to it…. Y’all take care out there…..
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid
Kowabunga!
gigoid 