Fill in with plastic adobe….

Posted on March 3, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

Winter Blooms

Hajime….. I’ll need to proceed with some caution this morning, I think; I feel a certain looseness, an instability, and could conceivably turn introspective at the slightest provocation. I’ll try to save it for the ranting section, but, sometimes, it just gets away from me, y’know? Since I managed to notice it before it hit me too hard, we do stand an even chance of getting through this without getting maudlin, or, fate forfend, sentimental. Makes me shiver to think of it… Brrr….

Of course, such an unstable portion of my soul can also lead to severe outbreaks of nonsense and/or blather, which, as you see, is showing signs of some leakage into this missive. Uh oh. Though I AM up a bit early, I don’t think we can afford to allow too much blather, or we’ll never get out of the intro. It’s already threatening to burgeon into more than bargained for, so, I should probably start to think about hitting the road for the oyster beds, soon. Better soon than never, right? Right…. Okay, let’s see what’s in this drawer over here….

Oh, look! I haven’t seen this one before…. I wonder what it does…. I know, I’ll just push this butt…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.”

~~ Les Brown ~~

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Norman Blake, Doc Watson, & Jerry Garcia, among many other famous bluegrass players of the day, performed at the Bluegrass Festival in Marin in the year 1974, turning in performances which became legendary…. I found it on YT, and have included here today for your listening pleasure…. Enjoy!….

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Marin Bluegrass Festival
1974

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https://youtu.be/dNAP8jP0pzA

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The World Is Too Much With Us: Late And Soon

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

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

Y’all are, in some cases, probably scratching your head in puzzlement, wondering why a poem from Wordsworth would be, in the first instance, at the top of a section generally devoted to ranting, or, at minimum, examination of an idea of some sort. (That’s a clue, by the way….) In the second instance, you may wonder why it is used in conjunction with a picture of Plato and Aristotle, those prototypical philosophers. For those who are puzzled, relax, I’m gonna tell you. For those who have become used to our oddness, well, you’ve already girded your grid for a big one….

Let’s begin with the first lines, which, oddly enough, contain the words which prompted this treatise. “Getting and spending we lay waste our powers; little we see in Nature that is ours. We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” To my way of thinking, one need not be a poet, or a scholar, to feel the truth of these words, for they hold an indictment of the majority of humanity, for the crime of refusing to be human, denying their own nature in favor of living in fear and delusion. A bit sweeping in scope, but, pretty clearly true, to my mind…..

Wordsworth uses the brevity of poetic expression to put his finger very precisely on that part of human nature which we have abrogate, to wit: our connection to Life, and the rest of the natural world. By “getting and spending” we de of alter our own perceptions to suit our feelings, has made us both powerful, and, afraid of that power…. This leads to an inner confusion, which is reflected in how we choose to deal with reality. For thousands of years, most people have chosen, in the name of expediency, and, in deference to their own inner conflict based on their fears, to embrace three delusional ideas, which have been drummed into their consciousness by unscrupulous predators from birth….

By accepting what they are told is truth, these unfortunate slaves have been easily manipulated, until we are now seeing a world rapidly approaching complete totalitarianism in government, as the few take advantage of the ignorant many, to foster the completion of their own paranoid vision of the universe, which gives them control of others, so they can feel safe. A pathetic dream, to be sure, but, all too real for comfort….

I’m growing both angry, and pedantic; I can feel both getting stronger as I think of these matters. I see little hope for our species into the next century. There are already climatic issues occurring which could conceivably end ALL life on this planet, in the next FIVE years. This sounds unreal, and, perhaps, unduly speculative, but, I can assure you, as a scientist, it is NOT speculation. Physical processes of a chemical nature are occurring, as I type, and we humans have no knowledge of how to stop the chemical process taking place, since we don’t really understand our own planet all that well. But, we keep pumping particulate matter into the air, anyway, even though it has become abundantly clear that doing so will lead to disastrous consequences.

See, that is the other face of our fatal flaw; we humans have the ability to deny reality, to pretend it doesn’t matter to us what may happen in the future, as long as our desires of the moment are being met. Every human I know, myself included, has this power, and it is a power that will, in the end, be our undoing….

SIGH…. I intended to rant on this for a while, but, seem to have reached a point where it’s best to move on…. Look around you, ffolkes; see what is REALLY going on in the big picture, and, I think, if you can be honest with yourself, you will see just how badly we humans have fucked up our chance at life…. and, how little time left we have to try to mitigate some of our foolishness, before it kills us all….

So be it. gigoid has spoken….

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“Emily Dickinson didn’t even publish books, she just wrote these demented little poems with a quill pen and hid them in her desk, but they still fought their way into the world, and lasted on and on and on. It’s damned hard to get rid of Emily Dickinson, she hangs on like a tick in a dog’s ear. And everybody who writes from then on in some sense has to measure up to this woman. In the art of book-writing the classics are still living competition, they tend to elevate the entire art-form by their persistent presence.” — Bruce Sterling

Augmentation: Inner Aye

Distant, peals of thunder, vividly.
Closer, a patterr of rain, falling gravidly.
Between the light and the darkness of fear
find merely the remnants of one lonely tear.

Do not hate us, though we have not sinned;
eager for courage, upon whom all hope is pinned.
Tales of insolence, hatred, or fallen virtue
fill us up, not down, in such pristine foreign venue.

Capable hands severed, able hands tied;
the future is angry, all but now denied.
Multiple times, warnings sounded across the pale
nobody heard, nobody came to tell the tale.

Gifted by time, salience fails in epic rhyme;
watchmakers watching, each a separate crime.
Logical solutions refuse to emulsify
forever pretending to cruelly crucify.

Blood will fly alongside pertinent composure,
never seeking, never finding tea, or closure.
Falsely laid trails on mountains of gold
imply no happy endings, no fortunes told.

Ages past have no time for repetition;
further chances only lead to perdition.
Destiny feels a shameful portion of guilt,
for a thousand sand castles, never built.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/2/2016

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Naked Pearls

Random Gems

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“If you never assume importance you never lose it.”

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

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“Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount.”

~~ Clare Booth Luce ~~

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“Set the cart before the horse.”

~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. vii ~~

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An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

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“Time destroys the speculations of man, but it confirms the judgment of nature.”

~~ Cicero ~~

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“Where there is much light there is also much shadow.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

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“Be and not seem.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

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Sorry ’bout the rapid removal up in the intro section, ffolkes. That was pretty radical, wasn’t it? I guess from now on I’ll test those devices out before employing them on a group; the insurance folks will like that. In the meantime, we have finished, and, not too shabbily, I’d say. Hey, it’s not every day you get a fresh poem, right? Since doing so rather fagged me out (the bleeding is copious until it gets down on paper/screen….), & I’ll need some time to recover…. 24 hours seems about right, so, I’ll see y’all right here tomorrow, if nobody aims straight….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Zinc patterns are drifting south…

Posted on March 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence everyone must take an equal portion,
most people would be contented to take their own and depart.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Heralding Spring ~ Street Scene

Hajime….. Life’s a funny thing, don’t you think? Now, perhaps, if you’re like me at all, the first thought to enter your mind upon reading that is to make an internal decision as to the meaning of ‘funny’, then react according to that meaning. Personally, I tend to smile first, at the irony of a human being trying to assign meaning to a word in English, especially one with such a multitude of meanings, and, shades of meaning. It’s one of the best parts about the language, it’s flexibility…. as well as one of the more confusing aspects it displays. After all, life itself is ambiguous, by nature, so, a language used to talk of it needs to reflect that.

I believe that should do it. I’ve set a tone of rational discourse, so as to provide some camouflage for what is below, which may SEEM rational and organized, but, in truth, is a cobbled-together mess, hampered as I was by a new, surprise physical issue, a gift from the past to remind me of my former foolishness. Well, it seems that way, anyway. In short, I got distracted, by a new source of pain, about level 8 or so, in my ankle, which severely limited my ability to walk or move around…. This, naturally, made everything harder, not to mention more painful. I’m not complaining, per se; I’ve dealt with the pain of a sprained ankle literally dozens of time in my life, so, that isn’t the problem…. It’s getting anything done in my usual routine that became impossible….

So, I’m up early to try to cobble a Pearl from nothing…. and, I’m almost there…. One last part, & we’ll be good to go. To foster the success of that plan, I’ll dump you right here, so we can get the slow on the toad, before the toast gets soggy. I’d hang on if I were y’all; this method gets a bit unstable going around the corners….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The hour is striking so close above me,
so clear and sharp,
that all my senses ring with it.
I feel it now: there’s a power in me
to grasp and give shape to my world.
I know that nothing has ever been real
without my beholding it.
All becoming has needed me.
My looking ripens things
and they come toward me, to meet and be met.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke, from Book of Hours ~~

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“Life without music would be an intolerable insult.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Today’s musical choice reflects the quote at the top of this section, a statement with which I am in complete agreement…. My life would be much less enjoyable without classical music, and this young lady’s talent shows us why…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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Classical Guitar
Xuefe Yang

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https://youtu.be/QCe5EsLlyVw?list=PLfdMKJMGPPty_Gdn0U8pohWKEpeJZer-n

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Naturally, since so little got done yesterday, we’re going to the archives…. Way back in the archives, to be exact, to the early days of this blog on WordPress…. Here are two short discussions, centered around some rather tasty pearls…. Enjoy!….

From 12/22/2011:

“He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” — Confucius

“He who does neither is eligible to join the crowd as a Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2012.” — gigoid

Although there are moments, when I’m reading some new report on the latest verbal bomb from the Republican gallery of fools, that I despair for the race, I have to admit it’s really handy for us writers. Every day, sometimes several times, we are presented with material by these folks, who seem to not only have the habit of shooting themselves in the foot, they seem to enjoy it, or at best are using it as a campaign tactic to draw attention. There isn’t even any need to go deep to look for stuff the politicos would rather you didn’t know, because they have taken it upon themselves to offer that information in their own statements, made obvious by their loquaciousness on certain subjects, and their reluctance to speak on others.

It’s almost as if they are printing up pictures of themselves with arrows pointing to their most vulnerable points; I really don’t understand how so many obviously unqualified and downright idiotic people ever got the notion that they could possibly do this. The only thing I can come up with is that they are completely out of touch with objective information, and have determined that subjective judgments are sufficient reason to qualify them for the Presidency.

In other words, they are delusional, as that word is defined as continuing to hold as truth information that has been proven false. Now do we really want folks who suffer from delusional thinking to be the one with the button that launches the nuclear holocaust? I don’ know about you, but I would give that question a resounding “NO!”…..and not feel a whit of guilt…..
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“The world is full of burled and gnarly knobs on which you can hang a metaphysical system. If you must.” — Edward Abbey

Here then is a logical mind. My evidence? His reluctance to impose an invented set of rules on a world that resists any such restraint is, in my mind, eminently sensible. Why do we have to make up stuff to try to explain how the universe functions? What quality does our curiosity have that compels us to seek out some kind of system to help us to deal with reality as it is? Humans seem to want some kind of order to their existence, and for some reason, can’t seem to come to terms with things the way they are. They seem to need to apply their own set of prejudices to the world, an impulse stemming from some unknown inner compulsion that has held back the tide of human progress for just about our entire history.

My own opinion is that human nature, being what it is, noted way back in the old days, that a man with no principles can manipulate other people through their own set of behavioral rules. By balancing a friendly, smiling face with a completely sociopathic conscience, they have been able to keep most of mankind in thrall ever since we first started farming and coming together in cities to trade. And they continue today; as a matter of fact the news of late has been full of evidence of their millenia-long hold over the rest of humanity. We (the gullible masses, identified by H. L. Mencken by the word ‘the booboisie’) have even given them a name; we now call them the 1%.

“The distinctions separating the social classes are false; in the last analysis they rest on force.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

The battle lines for Armageddon have been drawn, and the combatants have chosen their sides; the war is coming, and I wouldn’t do a thing to stop it, because freeing ourselves from the people who live for power is our only hope for survival as a species. The 1% probably believes that they will be the only survivors of a world-wide catastrophe, and odds are, they may be right. But I’ll be damned if I’ll go without putting up an epic fight, for my life, and my liberty……

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” — Walt Kelly (in POGO)

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It’s a day for Emily, I think. I also think we’ll go with one of her best-known poems, just because…. Enjoy! Many millions already have done….

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea,
Yet never in extremity
It asked a crumb of me.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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Hmm…. Well, I did try, but, SB is in a snit, apparently, and won’t give me anything usable. We’ll have to fall back ten yards, and punt. Here’s a pretty good little pearl from a couple years ago…. Enjoy!….

From 2/23/2014:

All things considered, it’s been an interesting morning here at ECR…. I was up a bit late, but, the morning’s routine went smoothly, so I began to write in an unusually comfortable, clear-headed state, an event that, arguably, made the intro as coherent and organized as it is, for a change. The rant above not only went well, it went epic, and quite agreeably, from my standpoint, so, we’re good there, too. I’ve repeated myself with the poem, but, that’s merely a factor of how good it is….

That, of course, brings us to section three, and the obligatory, and, in this case, most welcome, old-school pearl…. We’re shooting today for a seven-star necklace of gems that will make me spew coffee through my nose, from laughing so hard and unexpectedly…. Let’s see what SB can come up with to accommodate us….

“I think, therefore, I am.” — Rene Descartes
“I think I think. Therefore, I think I am.” — Smart Bee
“I think I am. That’s close enough.” — gigoid the dubious

“It is most difficult to acquire wisdom without first having survived a whole mine field filled with folly.” — Smart Bee

“If you are wearing one brown and one black shoe, you have a pair like it somewhere in the closet.” — The Rule of Elderly Survival

“It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.” — Smart Bee

“Eternity’s a terrible thought. I mean, where’s it all going to end?” — Tom Stoppard, _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead_

“On one occasion Aristotle was asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated: “As much,” said he, “as the living are to the dead.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi

“There are worlds out there where the sky is burning and the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice, somewhere else the tea’s getting cold. Come on Ace, we’ve got work to do…” — The Doctor, Survival [Last lines of last episode]

It seems Smart Bee had a different agenda than mine…. S’fine…. I like this one better, since I didn’t have to suffer the nasal spew…. I’ll leave you with that image, reluctantly….

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There you go It’s all rather a cheat, but, it’s done, so, who cares? Not me; getting done was my entire purpose here today, so, I won. Moreover, I did it before the cat woke up, which made it much simpler. I’ll try to get myself squared away, ffolkes, but, given how long a road that may turn out to be, it may affect the next few Pearls…. Oh, they’ll show up, one way or another…. but, I can pretty much guarantee you won’t see a big jump in quality any time soon…. ‘Course, I’ve been wrong before, too. In any case, see y’all tomorrow, with a bit of luck….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Seemingly diffident versions in puce tones….

Posted on March 1, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“You, shall I tell you what knowledge is?
When you know a thing, say that you know it.
When you do not know a thing, admit you do not know it.
This is knowledge.”

~~ Confucius ~~

Spring springing…

Hajime….. A very old human expression tells us of the unreliability we all feel when making plans, to wit: “The best laid plans, of mice, and men… etc.” Not only do we feel this ambiguity toward trying to control the events we experience in reality, but, also feel a sense of futility, as exemplified in another old saw, about “Men plan, and the gods laugh.”…. The reason for both feelings was brought home to me forcefully last night, as the plans I made and carried out to try to get to sleep in a reasonable amount of time, though partially effective, in one respect, were, ultimately, useless….

Without going deeply into detail, suffice it to say it was another long night, and I’m up late, having fallen into exhausted sleep at about 2, & waking late. In addition, heading down early means not much of this Pearl got done yesterday, and there is little time to put it together now. So, what you get today is a seriously truncated Pearl, with only what could be cobbled together in a hurry. So be it. Life goes on, and we must deal with it as it happens. We do try to maintain some of the virtues we espouse on a regular basis; honor requires it. So, truth be told, and we’ll get on with what there is to do….

I apologize for any lack of, well, anything you expected, but will point out the eternal truth of axiom #2 of Peruaosophy, which says, of course, “The Nature of the Universe is Change… etc.” Our expectations are not mandatory commands to reality, which feels no regret at ignoring any such nonsense from mere humans. That said, let’s get this slow on the toad….

Shall we Pearl?….

“It is not the possessions but the desires of mankind which require to be equalized.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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“Men who allow their love of power to give them a distorted view of the world are to be found in every asylum: one man will think he is the governor of the Bank of England, another will think he is the king, and yet another will think he is God. Highly similar delusions, if expressed by educated men in obscure language, lead to professorships of philosophy, and if expressed by emotional men in eloquent language, lead to dictatorships.” — Bertrand Russell

I thought this statement made a great opening for a discussion of modern times, but, real time demands have precluded my writing it. However, I will point out, if the first statement above is followed to a logical end, it would lead y’all along a path of thought leading to the statement of truth you see below, which says, in essence, all we need to know about how the concept of government is, quite simply, another delusion fostered by those who fear life, and must control others…. If one stops to think, at all, the truth of this becomes crystal clear, and, an indictment of both the powers that be, and, the rest of humanity, who has rejected the demands of their own nature….

“Grown men do not need leaders.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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Haiku

Sleep is elusive,
retreated to a far land.
Too far to travel.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/1/2016

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Our final pearl is rather a traditional pearl, in the sense it reflects how they appeared many moons ago, when I first began to create them, back in the early part of the century. Always an odd number, for reasons given previously, they did not always have a coherent message to impart; often they were just a reflection of my own head, at that time. This one does have a message, and it’s pretty simple, all in all… I hope you enjoy our truncated version of the usual, as we found it today….

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” — Dalai Lama

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” — Aldous Huxley, Time Must Have a Stop

“Xenophanes said, “I confess myself the greatest coward in the world, for I dare not do an ill thing.” — Plutarch — Of Bashfulness

“And feels a thousand deaths in fearing one. — Edward Young – Night Thoughts, Night iv, Line 17

“The tragedy and the magnificence of Homo sapiens together rise from the same smoky truth that we alone among the animal species refuse to acknowledge natural law.” — Robert Ardrey, _The Social Contract_

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That’s it, ffolkes; that’s all I’ve got today. No video, I know, and, sorry ’bout that. Sometimes, life is tougher than other times, a point of reality we often highlight here, as it seems to be one of Reality’s most favored lessons to reinforce at frequent intervals. As we have iterated previously, so be it. We’re done, and we’re outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, hopefully with a bit more material to share…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Ladders climbing themselves….

Posted on February 29, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Learning isn’t a means to an end; it is an end in itself.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

But, I SWEAR I saw a mouse in here…

Hajime….. Okay, so here’s the deal today. I’m tired, having spent a long, if not particularly onerous night, attempting to garner enough sleep to warrant getting up, Abandoning the battle at about 4:44, according to my little bedside time monitor, I arose, only to remember I had forgotten to get sugar while at the store, and would be seriously short for my first cuppa this morning. SIGH…. Getting old’s a pain, y’know?

So be it. Life’s full of disappointment, and this one doesn’t rank too high on the scale, so, we’ll just ignore the pain (everything’s relative, y’know…. When I’m low on caffeine & sugar, thing can get, for me, a bit strange…), and get on with the slow. Of course, it means we’ll be shortcutting where I didn’t get this done yesterday, (which also had its share of time-altering issues….), so, y’all may as well be prepared for a bumpy road. Can’t be helped, & you’ll get the usual apology note in your email, if you provided it.

All that said, to our common regret, I am sure, we’ll get on with this, before my courage fails. I suppose this means I either have to use one of the Tardis devices, or just fake it, to get us on the toad. Ah, I know, I’ll use my extensive knowledge of cosmic judo, and use a hip-throw….. Or, maybe a leg-sweep…. It won’t matter, they’re expecting Jell-o…. See ya at the oyster beds….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Civilization is fun! Anyway, it keeps me busy!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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

Those familiar with routine here will recognize the logo, and know we’ll be having classical music today. As usual, the mix chosen was picked because it had the picture that grabbed my attention…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Music

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https://youtu.be/BTCd6h_uQt4

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As noted in the intro, the archives are to play their part today. Here is a relatively short discussion of one of our favorite delusions, religion, and the tendency of humans to indulge in such nonsense…. Enjoy!…. I did.

From 12/28/2012:

“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom… and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.” “You butt into other people’s business. All the time.” “Who said I was wise? I’m a professional bad example. You can learn a lot by watching me.” — Jubal Harshaw, in Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

I would guesstimate that more than 90% of everything I believe about life and the world has its roots in this book by Robert Heinlein, based on the comments of Jubal Harshaw, one of the book’s main characters. Jubal managed to have something to say about just about everything in human culture, and had his own distinct opinion on all of it. Of course, these reflected Heinlein’s own beliefs, but we weren’t supposed to think about that at the time, and had no real effect on anything other than Bob and his friends. The rest of us just appreciated his ironic sense of humor, and the common sense he displayed in such an entertaining fashion.

Medicine, psychology, memory, society, culture, custom, religion and theosophy, politics and political theory, philosophy, military history and structure, strategy, tactics, literature, writing, circuses, carnivals, astronomy, space travel, telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, weaponry, and a host of other subjects…… Every one of these subjects is part of the story Heinlein weaves, as he creates a figure who embraces the entirety of human culture and history, and attempts to change mankind in a way that can help us to overcome those parts of our nature that are giving us problems, and eventually will lead to our demise as a species. This book, Heinlein’s magnus opus, is his attempt to show humanity the way to save ourselves from our own stupidity and ignorance…..

Sadly, Heinlein is aware also that our fatal flaw is just that…. fatal. His protagonist, Michael Valentine Smith, who offers humanity the salvation of personal revelation, and of personal responsibility, is, in the end, killed by a mob of unbelievers, becoming the same sort of religious martyr as Jesus Christ, with, as Heinlein so aptly shows, the same probable chances of success, i.e., none…. Nothing of what Jesus taught humanity has been incorporated into society; anyone who says it has is delusional. Humanity not only has NOT adopted the philosophy of that great Jewish reformist, but has utterly rejected it, and belittled it, by perverting its precepts, twisting them to suit their own agenda, and acting in ways that are diametrically opposite to what Jesus was teaching.

I defy anyone to provide evidence that what I just said is not true, and invite them to present it here, so it can be discussed. The teachings of Jesus Christ have been corrupted by preachers and priests, politicians, corporate masters, and every other human who desires power over others. The rules of flexibility and love for fellow men that he taught have been turned into obedience to authority, and submission to temporal rulers, as those who wish to control society twist the words, and mangle the concepts that were intended to help in another way.

“Jesus only told half the story. The truth *will* set you free. But, first it’s going to piss you off.” — Solomon Short

I don’t know about y’all, but I think, even if it does piss me off, I’ll take the truth…..

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

Haiku

All my poetry
seems to be gone walkabout.
An original.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/28/2016

Fine and Good, Good and Fine

A pig in a poke’s got nothing on me,
cuz I’m as confused as a man can be.
This ol’ world’s got me spinnin’ around
cussin’ and spittin’, a penny for a pound.

Forty ‘leven times since I was a kid, well,
I’ve fallen in love, ‘least too close to tell.
Every damn time, it all went to crap,
Forty ‘leven times I’ve felt like a sap.

‘Course, each time it happens, I forget the last;
why not? I’m havin’ such a blast….
Livin’ in each moment, filled with joie de vivre,
’til it’s all gone away again, nothin’ left up my sleeve.

Don’t want y’all to think I’m sad or blue,
life’s full of sorrow, lots for me, and/or you..
T’other side of that coin, we can be glad,
is joyful love, and that ain’t at all bad.

My road’s been littered with parts o’my heart,
each one colored with trust, which ain’t always smart.
Yet, long as I don’t lose my connection to joy,
I’ll find my own true love, and be a happy boy.

It’s been some kinda fun, even when I’d take a fall,
and doin’ it over makes no sense at all, at all
Day after day, I keep on keepin’ on, as it’s said;
Guess I’ll keep on doin’ that ’til I’m dead.

‘Nuff said….

~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek ~~

3/23/2013

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

Naked Pearls

*********

“What are fears but voices airy?
Whispering harm where harm is not,
And deluding the unwary
Till the fatal bolt is shot!”

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

*********

“I have found power in the mysteries of thought.”

~~ Euripides ~~

*********

“9. Love deeply and passionately.
You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.”

~~ Instructions for life ~~

*********

“Our minds possess by nature an insatiable desire to know the truth.”

~~ Marcus Tullius Cicero ~~

*********

“Keep the juices going by jangling around gently as you move.”

~~ Satchel Paige ~~

*********

“If you bring forth what is within you,
what you bring forth will save you.
If you do not bring forth what is within you,
what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

~~ Jesus Christ (Gnostic Gospel Of Thomas, Saying 70) ~~

*********

“Among what he called his precepts were such as these:
Do not stir the fire with a sword.
Do not sit down on a bushel.
Do not devour thy heart.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Pythagoras, xvii ~~

*********

“There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*********

“O to be self-balanced for contingencies!
O to confront night, storms,
hunger, ridicule, accidents, rebuffs
as trees and animals do!”

~~ Walt Whitman ~~

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

Having thus completed my duty, to my surprise and delight, I shall forthwith take my leave, stage virtual. But, don’t worry, I’ll be back tomorrow. The universe, it seems, leaves me little choice in the matter, and, who am I to argue with an entire universe? See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Inculcating indefatigable purposes for fun and potential profit….

Posted on February 28, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Don’t get hit.”

~~ First rule of fighting ~~

Spring breaking free of winter’s prison….

Hajime….. Wait! What’s that? OMG! It’s morning! That’s the sun, bringing light and warmth to our winter’s day, and, here I am, barely awake, sans coffee (still brewing), making the probable mistake of trying to type before having any. Actually, that’s a lie; I AM human, you know, and lies trip off my tongue with the same facility all us humans can bring to the task, just like a politician, who practices more, but, has not a corner on the chutzpah, or, lack of integrity market…. We ALL, at times, use lies to make ourselves more comfortable with reality; it’s our fatal flaw, and will probably kill us, eventually. But, I digress…

Sorry, didn’t mean to fall into ranting mode; it’s the lack of caffeine, I’m sure…. Since I hear the coffee going off, I’ll go get some and see if, maybe, this might get a bit easier, or, at least, more coherently organized. Hang tight, order your own adult beverage, whatever; I’ll be right back….

Ahhh….. now, that’s how I spell good morning!…. Okay, brain switched on, in just a moment or two, we should be ready to take this puppy to the limits of reality, and back, no sweat. Well, not much, anyway; we don’t like to sweat TOO early in the day; we use cheap deodorants. But, maybe that could change, if the plan in place works the way it’s designed to work…. Don’t want to spill the beans too early, but, it it works, things should improve around here quite a bit…. or, not. In essence, who cares, right? Only me, and, I’m stuck with it. So be it. On that cryptic, yet obscure note, I think I’ll use this button over here, to do this…. Pay close attention, now, or, you’ll miss the transition….

Shall we Pearl?….

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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

For many of us who lived during/through the 60’s, memories of the time can, in some cases, be rather untenable as to accuracy. But, every minute I spent listening to live music is embedded in my memory, as the best, most fulfilling times of my life. Today’s video is a jam, with Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards all playing off and with each other, in one of the happiest times I’ve ever seen…. Chuck was on fire, having the time of his life, playing rock & roll with some of the best, and the others couldn’t fail to feel the joy, and put it into their music….. On the page where you may find and watch it, there are a number of great jams by artists who don’t usually play together… all worth a listen…. Enjoy!….

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

Super Jams

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

https://youtu.be/wzKd0aiaK4c

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

I have made no secret of my opinion of the insubstantiality, not to mention the veracity, of those institutions/concepts upon which our human society is founded…. Or, perhaps, is foundering would be a more accurate phraseology, for, due to what I can only consider a firm belief in a trio of delusions to be the basic, defining characteristic of that society, and, in the end, will be the root cause of how the question of whether or not we will survive as a species will be answered. If we, as a species, cannot recognize the ultimate end of the path we are on, and choose another direction, it is my belief the Earth will soon be rid of us… Moreover, by ‘soon’ I mean, damn near immediately, cosmically speaking….

I have ranted in the past, some might say interminably, about this trio of delusions, to wit: government, money, and religion. Our society’s basic beliefs are founded upon these three ideas, all of which, in my mind, are merely ideas of little worth, all demeaning to the human spirit, and, all of which attempt to control people by the power of their lies and illusions, none of which have any evidential basis in Reality. Each of them, in conjunction with the others, have been used to manipulate the ignorant and weak-minded for thousands of years, to the benefit of a very small portion of the species, and, to the detriment of the rest of us.

As far as I am concerned, until a significant percentage of humanity learns to put these ideas aside, we will continue on the path chosen by the few, all the way to its logical end, in the extinction of the entire species; moreover, in the process of killing ourselves, it seems we will, in our ignorance, be killing off a great many other species, as well, simply because we do not understand either our own nature, or our place in the overall scheme of things as they exist in this Universe.

However, to save y’all from having to listen to me expound on this any further, I’ll switch to an old-school indictment, with some pearls highlighting some of the issues, and, some of the possible solutions…. sort of. You’ll see…. Hey, it’s better than listening to yet another two-thousand word diatribe from me, right? Right… Enjoy, ffolkes…. for as long as we may….

“During my eighty-seven years I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or for the ability to think.” — Bernard M. Baruch

“When a place gets crowded enough to require ID’s, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.” — Robert A. Heinlein, “Time Enough For Love”

“Man is quite insane. He wouldn’t know how to create a maggot, and he creates gods by the dozen.” — Montaigne

“The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase: ‘My religion alone is true.'” — Ramakrishna, Hindu saint & reformer

“Justice and liberty die quietly, because men first learn to ignore injustice and then no longer recognize it.” — Charles Morgan

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

“Give me health and a day, and I will make ridiculous the pomp of emperors.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

“Universe: All-purpose poem.”

~~ Ray Hand ~~

Accentuated Lessons

Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.

Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.

Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.

Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Hodgepodge of Life

*********

“As knowledge increases, wonder deepens.””

~~Charles Morgan ~~

*********

“He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other.
He who chooses the beginning of a road
chooses the place it leads to.
It is the means that determine the end.”

~~ Harry Emerson Fosdick ~~

*********

“Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves.”

~~ Joseph P. Thompson ~~

*********

“After all there is but one race – humanity.”

~~ George Moore ~~

*********

“Kindness it is that brings forth kindness always.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

*********

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others,
can not keep it from themselves.”

~~ Irish blessing ~~

*********

“There’s no reality except the one contained within us.
That’s why so many people live an unreal life.
They take images outside them for reality
and never allow the world within them to assert itself.”

~~ Hermann Hesse ~~

*********

“There are souls in this world which have the gift
of finding joy everywhere
and of leaving it behind them when they go.”

~~ Frederick Faber ~~

*********

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

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

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

Well, it’s done. I’ve annoyed the cat no end, for, in my haste to finish, her cuddle time was put off; now I must deal with a grumpy cat. C’est la vie; sacrifices must be made, at times, to fulfill duty. She’s young; she’ll learn. For now, we shall take our leave, with the usual warning and disclaimer…. I’ll be back, even if somebody tries to stop me…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; it’s inevitable….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Defined by overt self-interest…

Posted on February 26, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there”

~~ Box of Rain by Phil Lesh, & Robert Hunter ~~

~~From American Beauty, 1970, The Grateful Dead ~~

Catnap while gigoid works…

Hajime….. There is a lot to be said for sleep. Mostly, it’s all been said, but, my appreciation for it has again been highlighted by its presence in my life again last night. I fell asleep early, and slept, fairly naturally, for eight solid hours, with only the usual interruptions for visits to the porcelain throne, as is normal at my age…. All in all, a grand night’s sleep, for the first time in what seems like ages…. I’m not sure just what to do with all the energy. SIGH…. Ah, well, it’s a nice conundrum to face, even so early, and I’m sure I can figure it out….

Well, now what? Gosh, it’s weird to have this much energy in the morning; the usual application of will to the morning routine isn’t even close to the usual degree necessary to type. Now, if only ideas were as plentiful as energy, we might get somewhere. As it is, I’m afraid a bit of brain-cudgeling will be needed to produce anything readable, and the odds on that are slim. I guess we’ll just have to trust the process again, and see if Leelu will give me enough time to get it done….

That said, let’s get to it. Let me at that ranting section, I’m ready to rumble….. In fact, let’s do it now, so I don’t lose any time or energy to vacillating, as we often will do here in the intro section. Today, we’ll use this little device from the Tardis, and move us right along to where we should be by now…. Watch closely, or you’ll miss it….

Shall we Pearl?….

“As war and government prove, insanity is the most contagious of diseases.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

We are going with classical music again today, just because I want to. I find it is the simplest solution to conundrums, since it’s music that has been filtered through the ages, until all we have to listen to is what is considered the best…. Enjoy, ffolkes… As usual, the mix you’ll hear was picked solely because I like the picture it showed….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/tAkHdB77u2c

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

“The older we grow the greater becomes our wonder at how much ignorance one can contain without bursting one’s clothes.” — Mark Twain

Though there is sufficient energy, and angst, built up to rant, I’m going with an archived piece, simply because it is on the subject I wish to address, and says what I would have said, anyway…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s all still as true as the day….

From 4/18/2013:

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

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

— Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haiku VIIA

Making it all up
I go merrily along;
waters of Lethe.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/18/2013

Unsolicited Gratitude

Fear becomes familiar when reality bodes us ill
pain assumes first position, no matter our will.
Powerless, we founder, no strength to prevail
anguished and afraid, against unwanted Fate we rail.

Still, a grain of hope deep inside, hidden well against need
gives us reason to survive, our starving souls to feed.
Failure of courage burdens time, of being bested,
until our souls, in submission, become foully infested.

Bitter tears wash through us each day, with little care,
no thought, no feeling, no wish, or need to be fair.
Rendered clueless, confusion falls upon us, as prey,
we surrender a piece of our soul, little as we may.

Yet, always, a bright beam of hope is seen from afar,
no matter how dreary, or dark, it may seem where we are.
None knows, nor would consent to tell, it seems
from whence it hails, or why it so brightly gleams.

Saving our sanity, absolving our unwanted fears,
dispelling the myths and lies that come with the years.
Each man has known the precious gift that hope may give
And gives glad thanks, as long as he may live.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/12/2012

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

I had not intended to use so much archived material today, since my energy is so strong. However, SB has apparently gone on strike, and won’t give me anything worth sharing. This one is a good one, so, it will do for today….

From 4/19/2013:

As you may have noted, my brain is broken…. and I am not sure which tool is going to work to fix it…. What this means in terms of today’s Pearl is that you will have to put up with more than the usual degree of smarm, and the occasional random insult, as I try to cope with creating a Pearl out of what is laying around in my brain, rather than a true creative episode, building and sharing images of grand eloquence, made up of just the right words….. Today, though, those words are hiding from me, so I have to allow Smart Bee to have its head, so to speak, because anything in mine has to be viewed with suspicion, and handled with care, lest it explode, whereupon, we get blamed for an act of terrorism…. Of course, that last word is probably what comes to mind when y’all think of this blog anyway…..

Nevertheless, I’m going old school, and you can’t stop me…. (Believe me, you don’t WANT to stop me today….. just let me have my way, and everything will work out fine….)…. Here is a group of pearls, all of which are pointed in a certain direction, which SHOULD be obvious…. If it is not, well, I guess you’re S.O.O.L., as they say downtown…. well, they said that when I hung out there…. any who, here….

“Critics quarrel with other critics. With an artist, no sane man quarrels.” — George Santayana

“Our discontent begins by finding false villains whom we can accuse of deceiving us. Next we find false heroes whom we expect to liberate us. The hardest, most discomfiting discovery is that each of us must emancipate himself.”– Daniel J. Boorstin

“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”– Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Rape of the Lock, Canto v, Line 34

“There’s a lot of stupid people out there. Just to prove it, think of how dumb the average person is, and then realize that half of the people out there are stupider than that.” — George Carlin

“A man that expects to train lobsters to fly in a year is called a lunatic and is locked up. But a man that thinks people can be turned into angels by legislation is called a reformer and allowed to walk free.” — Mr. Dooly

“All things that are born must die. Work hard for your own freedom from sorrow.” — Buddha

“Do not speak of what men deserve. For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead Kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of *deserving*, of *earning*, and you will begin to be able to think.” — Odo, The Prison Letters (Ursula LeGuin, _The Dispossessed_)

Oooh…. now, THAT’S a pearl of virtual wisdom, if I ever saw one….. Print it!…..

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

Done, and, in jig time…. I’ll take it. Let’s print it, post it, and be gone, shall we? I, myself, will be off for a spin around the Big Blue Room today, to take advantage of all the extra energy….. I will, however, issue the usual warning, & remind y’all, I’ll be back tomorrow…. Nobody big or bad enough seems to want to try to stop me, so, I’ll be here…. Ta, then….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Fitted with dubious shoes at midnight….

Posted on February 25, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Laughter is by definition healthy.

~~ Doris Lessing ~~

Whew! This writing gig isn’t as easy as it looks…

Hajime….. While perusing the suggested Pearls at the bottom of yesterday’s post, I came across what is possibly the best Pearl I did in 2012…. The whole thing was, if I say so myself, well-done, succinct, and cogently written. I’m rather proud of it, having forgotten it completely, so, I intend to use parts of it shamelessly today… Since the rant section runs a bit long, we’ll go with a new, very short poem today…. We’ll begin right in the intro, which went like this….

Ffolkes,

Can you say pusillanimous? No? Nor can I….. pity…..

Now that the facts in the matter have been established beyond all doubt, we may turn to more important questions, such as why is he talking like that? Or perhaps, why DOES Murphy have to stick his big nose into my business every damn day? Now, these are meaty subjects, and well worth our undivided attention. Of course, should we provide that, I’m afraid that it may send the entire Roman and Greek pantheons into hysterics. They’re SO prudish since being de-deified….. I suppose conservatism is a natural reaction to bad news and cowardice combined; it certainly seems to be the case in this country amongst the, shall we say, non-cognoscenti…..

There, that’s out…. better out than in, I always say (just ask anybody…). I’m not going to apologize for that bit of phantasm; ’twas necessary to my health for it to come out. I will say that I hope I didn’t startle the horses, or make the babies cry; such was not, I assure you, my intent. No, sheer unbridled relief was the intent, and that has been achieved, so, what say we NOT press our luck, and go straight on into today’s dive, hmm? I think that would be best, for all concerned….. let us Pearl…

Well, I like it. In fact, we’ll take it. Onward, fellow cognoscenti….

Shall we Pearl?….

“To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue.”

~~ Gentle Bee ~~

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

Clapton, Bruce, & Baker ~ 2005

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

When I went to look for music for today, I was feeling in the mood for something raucous & driving. I can’t think of a better concert for just that combination of music, with three of the legendary best musicians in all of rock & roll, coming together nearly 40 years after breaking up their original group. Enjoy, ffolkes; this concert is, literally, one of the best ever seen, or performed….

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

Cream Reunion 2005

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

https://youtu.be/iF-pMingp6A?list=PL72C23EF77CEADE68

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

Socrates

    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 — Oft in the Stilly Night ~~

As promised in the intro…. shameless…. I have altered some of the formatting to make it look better, reflecting our current look. None of the words themselves were altered, at all…. Oh, for those who wonder why the verse from Tom is above this section…. All I can say is, think about it, and, all you’ve learned here at ECR…. This piece turned out to be fairly lengthy, taken together as it was; so be it. I think it’s worth it….

From 4/12/2012:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

~~ Matthew 7:15 ~~

Why look! There’s one of them now!….. Gosh, if it wasn’t for Matthew, we’d have never even noticed him…… thank God! No telling how much he traumatized those sheep…. C’mon grab your rifle, we’ll take him out before he goes rabid or something….

The above short piece of conversation was not me…. would I be that sarcastic? What? Well, I resemble that remark!….. Shame on you! Pulling covers like that! How will these folks who wear blinders all the damn time ever save themselves, if they can’t even see through what a preacher tells them? I’m afraid there isn’t much hope for them…. they’re doomed to a lifetime of ignorance, and its just rewards….. ah, well, such a pity…. The rest of mankind was hoping they’d get a clue, and try to come with us down the road of reason, and on toward survival, but, I suppose that folks are entitled to their own opinions, no matter how grossly ignorant, and bigoted. Well, as long as they don’t try to drag anyone else along with them to perdition; that would be a real shame…..

“Being intelligent is not a felony.
But most societies evaluate it as at least a misdemeanor.”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

___________________________________

“If you are out of trouble, watch for danger.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

Sophocles states one of mankind’s earliest attempts to make people aware of Murphy’s law, to prepare them, as it were, to deal with its unpredictable tendency to manifest at the most inopportune times. I can personally attest to the continuing relevance of this statement in reality, having encountered such danger on numerous occasions, and always when distracted by the absence of any other problems. It’s kind of like figuring out your taxes, finding out you will get a big refund, then having the car eat a piston on the way to mail the tax return forms….

“If you rely on Murphy’s law, everything will go as planned
(but don’t count on it.)”

~~ Sullivan’s Observation ~~

I just have to say, if you will pardon my French, Murphy is an asshole. Of course, my no doubt bad habit of calling a spade a spade (even if it is obviously a shovel) is probably the main reason he bothers me so much. But, knowing that doesn’t alter his stink, nor does it give him the right to fuck with people who haven’t done a damn thing to deserve it. I think that is what annoys me so much about him; he is so damnably inefficient in his application of his power over reality. No sense to his choices at all, at times.

Oh sure, occasionally, he’ll get one right, and one of the beloved ruling class, or one of humanity’s ever-present number of true assholes will get what they so justly deserve at his hands. But, more often, it is the little guy just struggling along, trying to make his way through a life that offers no breaks, and no bonuses, who is the butt of his adolescent humor. It’s really a pain in the arse, if you know what I mean….

“This isn’t hell.
This is where you get sent when you’ve been bad in hell.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

___________________________________

BRAIN, n. An apparatus with which we think what we think. That which distinguishes the man who is content to _be_ something from the man who wishes to _do_ something. A man of great wealth, or one who has been pitchforked into high station, has commonly such a head full of brain that his neighbors cannot keep their hats on. In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, brain is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

Once I stopped chuckling over the wit, and then got over the sadness engendered by its truth, this little gem came directly to today’s lineup. Not because it will cause a good discussion, or even that it is either egregiously wrong, or demonstrably correct, though it is certainly the latter. No, I am impressed more by the fact that this was included in the original version of The Dictionary by Mr. Bierce, which was published sometime in the mid-nineteenth century, over 150 years ago. Truly a vision of the future, as well as a stunningly life-like representation of the present….. and well worth including here, all by its lonesome…..

___________________________________

“Everything I have said and done in these last years is relativism by intuition… If relativism signifies contempt for fixed categories and men who claim to be the bearers of an objective, immortal truth… then there is nothing more relativistic than fascistic attitudes and activity… From the fact than all ideologies are of equal value, that all ideologies are mere fictions, the modern relativist infers that everybody have the right to create for himself his own ideology and to attempt to enforce it with all the energy of which he is capable.” — Benito Mussolini, _Diuturna_

As I read through this, I at first thought it was a parody, that someone was having us on, as it were. But then I realized that this person was perfectly serious, and was astonished at the arrogance, the narcissism, and the sheer unbridled effrontery of the author, if such he may be called. Then I saw the author’s name, and my mind went, “Aha! That explains it….” It is hard to know where to begin to perform a logical critique of so much nonsense, but once begun, it practically tears itself apart, displaying the inconsistencies that are inherent in any such ambition and greed thinly disguised as logical justification.

Benito starts off by using words which, according to their definitions, do not apply to the subject at hand; he gets around this little fillip by redefining the meaning of the words, thus allowing him to use them as assumptions that justify the pseudo-logical arguments that follow. He then finishes it off with a conclusion that is a complete 180 degrees from the actual truth of his assertions, thus turning an apparent discussion of ideologies and philosophy into a stand-up comedy routine, one that isn’t funny in the slightest…… And we all know where he ended up…. swinging slowly from a rope around his obese neck (at least figuratively, if not literally), applied by his fellow countrymen in just compensation for his evil…. and regardless of his obviously insane state of mind…..

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

Balance

Practicing being
mindful, always present now,
we learn how to flow.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/24/2016

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

Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large ~ Redux

*********

“We could never learn to be brave and patient,
if there were only joy in the world.”

~~ Helen Keller ~~

*********

“”Every great advance in natural knowledge
has involved the absolute rejection of authority.”

~~ Thomas Henry Huxley “

*********

“Whatever occurs from love is always beyond good and evil.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

*********

“Ridicule is the best test of truth.”

~~ Lord Chesterfield ~~

*********

“Freedom is always and exclusively
freedom for the one who thinks differently.”

~~ Rosa Luxemburg ~~

*********

“How can you buy or sell the sky?”

~~ Chief Seattle, 1852 ~~

*********

“It was the saying of Bion,
that though the boys throw stones at frogs in sport,
yet the frogs do not die in sport but in earnest.”

~~ Plutarch ~~

*********

“The chief good is the suspension of the judgment,
which tranquility of mind follows like its shadow.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Pyrrho, xi ~~

*********

“Chaos is but unperceived order.”

~~ attributed to Fred Hoyle ~~

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

Having thus completed my vow, I shall take my leave, until tomorrow, when I’ll make yet another effort at attaining some sort of literary competence… Fat chance, right? Ah, well, so be it. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the ol’ pump keeps pumpin’….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Synchronous statements of bald intent….

Posted on February 24, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“How we deal with death is at least as important
as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?”

~~ James T. Kirk, “The Wrath of Khan,” stardate 8130.3. ~~

Thinking it over….aka, plotting.

Hajime….. As time passes since Leelu came to live with me, I am reminded forcefully of two aphorisms which speak to the nature of Cat. First is one from our old friend Lazarus, who noted: Anyone who doesn’t believe in protocol has never dealt with a cat.” In a cat’s world, protocol is VERY important, for they are great believers in maintaining the status quo in their home life. They DON’T like changes made to the way things are…. The other statement has to do with their reaction when something is not to their liking, and goes like this: “You haven’t really been ignored until you’ve been ignored by a cat.” It’s often hilarious how effectively they can remove what they do not approve of from their awareness; it is total obliteration.

All that said, the perks are well worth the effort of learning to live with a picky, opinionated, small fur-bearing extortionist, especially, as now, when she comes to where I am sitting, gazes lovingly into my face, and purrs loudly to be picked up & cuddled for a morning session of bonding…. Time out for cat…. I’ll be back in a bit….

Okay…. She went off to eat & monitor the morning bird traffic in the back yard, so, I’ll try to slip in the rest of this post, & get it online before it’s play/training time. This chatty, informal approach to the intro worked pretty well, don’t you think? Good, because it was, literally, a pain in the ass to do. How do people be so damn nice? It’ wearing, to say the least, on us old curmudgeons. Not to mention what it could do to my rep. Ah, well, so be it. We’re far enough down the page I can ignore any ethical considerations, and just be done with it. And, that is what we’re going to do, right here, right now…. Watch THIS!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If God is omnipotent, why does he need my money?”

~~ Curious Bee ~~

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

Playing For Change

Logo from email by P4C

It’s time for another great mix of the world’s best street music. This time, it’s a jam, and it’s awesome…. I don’t often use that word, so, you may wish to pay heed, as this is some special music, ffolkes…. Enjoy! It will be hard NOT to….

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

Groove in G

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

https://youtu.be/6LQhamwJcVY

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

Originally, I had intended to put a relatively short discussion here, on political issues, but, it isn’t ready. Instead, here is a relatively short, seven-star pearl on both politics, and religion, the twin delusions upon which our sick society is based…. No worries, just a few observations that are not what might be called main-stream, by any means…. I hope you enjoy this little indictment of those who would be Kings… or, Dogma Dogs….

“Democracy is more cruel than wars or tyrants.” — Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium CIV, c. 63

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

“Representative government has broken down. Our politicians represent not the people who vote for them but the commercial interests who finance their
election campaigns. We have the best politicians that money can buy.” — Edward Abbey

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.’ — Mohandas K. Gandhi

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country…. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” — Former US President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 — letter to Col. William F. Elkins, printed in “The Lincoln Encyclopedia”, ed. Archer H. Shaw, Macmillan, 1950, NY

“THEOSOPHY, n. An ancient faith having all the certitude of religion and all the mystery of science. The modern Theosophist holds, with the Buddhists, that we live an incalculable number of times on this earth, in as many several bodies, because one life is not long enough for our complete spiritual development; that is, a single lifetime does not suffice for us to become as wise and good as we choose to wish to become. To be absolutely wise and good — that is perfection; and the Theosophist is so keen-sighted as to have observed that everything desirous of improvement eventually attains perfection. Less competent observers are disposed to except cats, which seem neither wiser nor better than they were last year. The greatest and fattest of recent Theosophists was the late Madame Blavatsky, who had no cat.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

‘You have a mongrel perception of humor, nothing more; a multitude of you possess that. This multitude see the comic side of a thousand low-grade and trivial things — broad incongruities, mainly; grotesqueries, absurdities, evokers of the horse-laugh. The ten thousand high-grade comicalities which exist in the world are sealed from their dull vision. Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them — and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon — laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution — these can lift at a colossal humbug — push it a little — weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. You are always fussing and fighting with your other weapons. Do you ever use that one? No; you leave it lying rusting. As a race, do you ever use it at all? No; you lack sense and the courage.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910), “The Mysterious Stranger”

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

Making Room

Our souls, they say, are like shapeless, infinite bags
in which we put all our pain, all our joyous wonder.
Broken hearts and thrilling love, riches to rags,
endless perceptions of serenity, and thunder.

‘Tisn’t simple, this spiritual journey to peace
memory is fickle, easily led astray;
darkness, ever lurking, without surcease
turning innocence to harm, from simple play.

Balance is the key.

Timing is everything.

Good can change bad, bad can change good.

Pain makes room for more joy in our souls.

The only power we need is the power to change ourselves.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/15/2013

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

As advertised, a classic, seven-star. old-school pearl, of the random, harlequin variety, with a few words on Life’s lesser known lessons worth learning…. Enjoy! Trust me, there’s a message at the end…..

“It has long been known that one horse can run faster than another – but which one? Differences are crucial.” — Lazarus Long

“He who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live.” — Michael de Montaigne, Essays, Book i, Chap. xviii, “That Men are not to judge of our Happiness till after Death”

“There’s always a bigger fish.” — Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Episode I

“All time in all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all bugs in amber.” — Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Slaughter-House 5

“Respect cannot be learned, purchased, or acquired…. it can only be earned.” — Gentle Bee

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

“Love means loving the unlovable – or it is no virtue at all.” — G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, 1905

Suitably interpreted, this is an exact value.” — Precise Bee

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

Well, it’s done. I’m completely in the dark as to how it will look, but, will trust the process once more, in order to get posted in a timely manner. We humans, it is well known, will go to many great lengths for the sake of expediency, and, I am nothing if not human. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody provides me with a damn good reason not to do so…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Whiny wimps boast no cheeses….

Posted on February 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A man of quality is not threatened by a woman of equality.”

~~ Gentle Bee ~~

Best Shot Two

Hajime….. Time, Space, and Reality at Large can be a rather complex three-body problem to solve, especially when our routines for dealing with the chaotic world in which we live become less than reliable. To be honest, the changes that seem to be taking place aren’t unwelcome; it’s hard to complain about getting more sleep. But, adjusting the elements of Reality thus affected is not as simple as it may sound, or look. That said, I think it’s probably a good idea to let this subject die a natural death, by negligence. So be it.

Okay, we’ve managed to obscure the issue fairly well, so far. Let’s see if a bit of nonsense will help us get to our necessary jumping-off point, shall we? Zippy always enjoys it so much when we do. Why, look! There’s our spot now! Okay, we’d better go, so hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party:
there is no battle unless there be two.”

~~ Seneca ~~

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

The process today is a bit choppy, but, I think we can get done, if I go with a default for this section. Classical music, of course, is our default, for it seems to soothe my fevered brow when I write, or read… Go figure…. Oh, and, enjoy, too, if you wish….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/2JQsf7i_dXY

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

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

I mentioned, somewhere, I’m not into ranting for now; so be it. In keeping to that policy, here is an archived piece, an old-school pearl from another day I wasn’t up to the challenge of speaking out…. Ah, well, so be it…. Enjoy the break from routine, if you would; I intend to do so for an extended period of time…

From 12/5/2013:

Any ranting I do today will be related to the above subject, in order to keep the details fresh in what is left of my mind…. Plus, I haven’t kept up with what is happening out in the Big Blue Room, which tends to keep me from picking a current event to rag upon, more’s the pity….. That does mean a bonus for y’all, as I’ll naturally fall back into the default position here at ECR when this happens…. Yes, you know what it means, ffolkes, another old-school pearl, a group of small but tasty pearls, all in a certain direction, or implying a certain theme…. Sure, those themes may not be immediately apparent, even to the most discriminating of Gentle Readers, but, more often, they simply bash one over the brows, driving home the desired point with all the delicacy of a professional wrestler….

I am, as is already obvious, more than just a little verbose this morning, having not written ANYTHING for over four days…. but, I don’t think that will hurt this section, since I’m going to segue right into the remainder of this section’s contents by using the old magical phrase, “slick as Natty Bumpo’s Chevrolet sedan!”…. Or, as we like to say here on ECR… let’s dive…. Ooh, ooh, let’s go really old school, too, with poetry brackets and everything all mellow….

I knew, by the smoke that so gracefully curl’d
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near;
And I said, “If there ‘s peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”

~~ Thomas Moore — Ballad Stanzas ~~

“I readily relapse into my reflections on the uselessness of our education. Its aim has been to make us not good and wise, but learned; and in this it has succeeded. It has not taught us to follow and embrace virtue and wisdom, but has imprinted their derivations and etymologies on our minds. We are able
to decline ‘virtue’ even if we are unable to love it; if we do not know what wisdom is in fact and by experience, we are familiar with it as a jargon learned by heart.” — Michel de Montaigne, Essays

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

“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Smart Bee

“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson

“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch

~~ _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~

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

Bluebird

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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

***********

                                                       ..       :
                    .                  .               .   . .
      .           .                .               .. . . *
             *          .                    ..        .
                           .             .     . : .   .    . .
            .                         .   . . .   .
                                         . . *:. . .
.                                 . .   . .. .         .
                         .     . . . …    .    .
       .              . . . .    . . . .
                        .    .     . …   ..   .       .               .
                 . .    . *.   . .
    .                   :. .           .
                 .   .    . x   .
              . . .    ./|\
                       .   .. :.    .    .|               .
     .   … .            |
.    :. .                     .   *.        |     .               .
   . *.             You are here.
. .    .               .             *.                         .

***********

“Integrity has no need for rules.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

***********

Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practices it will have neighbors.

~~ Confucius ~~

***********

“One of the greatest joys known to man
is to take a flight into ignorance
in search of knowledge.”

~~ Robert Lynd ~~

***********

Virtue is a habit of the mind,
consistent with nature and moderation and reason.

~~ Cicero ~~

***********

The mind ought sometimes to be amused,
that it may the better return to thought,
and to itself.

~~ Phaedrus ~~

***********

“Be a moving target.”

~~ Raoul Lionel Felder ~~

***********

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”

~~ Moliere ~~

***********

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

***********

Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules.

~~ Zen Bee ~~

***********

“May the Forces of Evil become confused on the way to your house.”

~~ George Carlin ~~

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

Well, that was something…. Interruptions by a cat insisting on cuddle-time, a call from a friend in Europe, and small coffee disaster made it even more of a struggle than usual. As is our wont today, to this we say, so be it. We are practicing our dispassion today. And, we shall see you tomorrow, when we shall try again to achieve some minor brilliance, and get this approximately right. We’ll also try to lose the royal ‘we’, if possible. See y’all then, ffolkes, as long as reality stays on course….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Assembled without instructions….

Posted on February 21, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“To know much is often the cause of doubting more.”

~~ Michel De Montaigne ~~

Warm winter’s welcome, London Style

Hajime….. Oddly enough, I once again have nothing. Rather than re-blog old material, I’ll merely give you what I do have done, and, be done with it for today. I’m not sure what’s going on, but, I seem to have misplaced my muse… I’ll look around today, & see what’s up with that; I doubt seriously reality will worry too much about my absence, just like it ignores me in general. Leelu will be happy, too, as it will free up more time for her…. Cat bonus!

Who knows what the future may bring. I don’t, but, I know what was in the past, and that’s what you’ll get today. One nine-star old-school pearl, naked, as they most often are these days. Skin is good. But, I digress, and must be off, into the Big Blue Room, to do battle with the forces of reality…. Or not, as I prefer to slip through without disturbing the Force. We’ll see how that goes. For now, let’s do this, before it gets any later….

Shall we Pearl?….

“It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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

Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large

*********

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line.
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

~~ the Indigo Girls, Closer to Fine ~~

*********

“The sunlights differ, but there is only one darkness.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Dispossessed” ~~

*********

“The ruling power within, when it is in its natural state,
is so related to outer circumstances
that it easily changes to accord
with what can be done and what is given it to do.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 1 ~~

*********

“It is your resistance to ‘what is’ that causes your suffering.”

~~ Buddha ~~

*********

“Take your life in your own hands and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame.”

~~ Erica Jong ~~

*********

33. Be gentle with the earth.

~~ Instructions for life ~~

*********

“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 598 ~~

*********

“No one is afraid to die without first being afraid to live.”

~~ Solomon Short ~~

*********

“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”

~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~

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

There you have it; one Pearl, delivered, as promised, in good condition. Well, such as it is. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. That’s my intent, and, though I shan’t give a promise, you may count on it….. Ta, then….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: NSA

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