“If a fish is the movement of water embodied, given shape,
then a cat is a diagram and pattern of subtle air”
~~ Doris Lessing~~
I deleted ALL your files….
Hajime….. If there were any method available to tell, I would tell you. Since, however, such a method has yet to be discovered, we’ll have to make do with the older version, where I just say it out straight and clean…. Okay, here goes….. Hang on…. Wait for it…. Alright, here you go….
It’s too late. I’m sorry, but, in spite of everything I was able to do, and, in direct opposition to every effort made by a number of compassionate volunteers, it’s just not going to happen…. The sign says we’d have it on sale tomorrow, but, the vendor just couldn’t get his shit together to ship it on time, so, it’s going to be late, again…. I guess that’s what we get for trying to obtain the instant gratification of desires everyone in this plane of existence seems to have to have; such a rare item is, as you can see, a bit hard to come by…. Ah well, maybe next week…
That, you might wish to note, is one of the very rare occasions in which you will ever see a reference to a title of a Pearl IN the actual Pearl it graces. I decided when I began this process, almost twenty years ago now, to never connect the title and the material in the piece. Don’t ask me why; I didn’t know then, and I care less now. Such is life with a self-defined curmudgeon of relatively advanced years, who has, through a lifetime of practice, become quite adept at doing exactly as he wishes, and reality be damned. It can get a bit crusty, but, it suits me.
I think that’s quite enough blather for one day. If I don’t stop here, this could get a bit top-heavy. Since I AM driving this bus, what I say must go, so, we’ll just pretend it’s the right thing to do, and do it. I would suggest, given the return of Luigi to the pilot’s chair today, you secure your personal safety restraints, and put your adult beverage down in the holder provided for that purpose. You might also wish to call your insurance guy, to make sure you’re up to date….. The rest of you…. look busy, the proctor’s on board today…. Hit it, Luigi!….
Shall we Pearl?….
“He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”
~~ Elrond ~~
********************************
Tom Waits
One of my Gentle Readers mentioned their fondness for this artist. Let it never be said I ignore the wishes of my readers…. I do, but, let it never be said, for I didn’t do that today…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this one is another Original…. and, it’s an album I haven’t heard yet…. Yay!….
I’m working on a rant to end all rants (so to speak), but, it’s stalled for the moment. Here is a set of rules which I haven’t posted in a while, but, is worth a repeat every once in a while. It’s a list I try very hard to live by, as it was all stuff the Sarge embedded in my persona, to my endless gratitude… These rules, if followed by ALL men, would make the world a very different place than the one in which we actually live…. Read them, and, I think you would agree…
Last posted on 11/18/2013:
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Unheralded Sagacity…
To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.
Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.
Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.
No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.
Illumination…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/17/2013
********************************
Today’s final old-school pearl is a bit esoteric, but, not so much it’s obscure…. Mostly, it’s just good stuff to know about Life, Reality, and All That Stuff…. Enjoy!….
“By letting go, it all gets done.”
~~ Tao Te Ching ~~
*********
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
*********
“Silence speaks with eloquence.”
~~ R. Reiley ~~
*********
“Je me presse de rire de tout, de peur d’etre oblige de’en pleurer.”
(I make myself laugh at everything, in case I should have to weep.)
~~ Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais ~~
*********
“Unless you love someone, nothing else makes any sense”
~~ E. E. Cummings ~~
*********
“One of the sayings of Diogenes was that most men
were within a finger’s breadth of being mad;
for if a man walked with his middle finger pointing out,
folks would think him mad,
but not so if it were his forefinger.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Diogenes, vi ~~
*********
“All authority is quite degrading.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
*********
“Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.”
~~ Clarence Darrow ~~
*********
“Life without learning is death.”
~~ Cicero ~~
********************************
At this point, undue confidence would be out of place; I’ll merely say, it’s done, and, I’m glad, for it looked a bit shaky there during the process. Since this ain’t go gift horse, we won’t peer too closely into its mouth, lest we see things we should regret. No regrets, ever….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless my insanity assumes a more significant role in reality before 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.
Hajime…. Most days like today, I’d be rushing, typing like mad to get done. Not today. I am serene, in spite of my lateness, for I finally slept well for a night. Yay, me. Crowing over, and, having enjoyed the use of a weapon I thought I had misplaced (Sleep is a weapon, you know….), I greet the day with aplomb, if not joy. Even Leelu is being patient with me, sensing, perhaps, my serenity…. Well, perhaps, contentment is closer than serenity, but, I’m sure y’all know what I mean…. and, who cares, anyway? Not me….
Even though I’m not in a hurry, I’ll be nice, & cut this down to workable size this morning, by taking our leave right here and now. Some day, y’all will thank me, I’m sure. For now, let it be enough to know it won’t hurt, particularly, unless, of course, you fight against the restraints. Everybody set? Got your favorite adult beverage at hand? Okay…. let’s do this, before we lose our nerve….
Shall we Pearl?….
“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
********************************
Today’s music is our default selection, classical music. The particular compilation chosen was random, simply for the picture that caught my eye today…. Enjoy!…..
I don’t feel like ranting this morning, as I feel so energized…. Plus, I am saving up all my angst to take with me on Monday, when I go to deal with one of our corporate terrorist organizations, to wit: PG&E, the energy giant. I have a few things to dump on them, so, I want there to be plenty of emotional pressure built up; I’m planning on blasting them good and proper…. So, here is a somewhat philosophical discussion from the archives, which will keep me from working myself into a dither while proofing it for consumption today…. Enjoy, ffolkes….
From 10/29/2012:
“It is a misconception that spirituality brings everlasting happiness. There is no such thing. Sadness still comes to the wise, but, unlike most people, their clarity of mind allows them to see beyond the temporal emotionalism of the moment. They are farseeing, and so happiness and sorrow become the same to them.” — Deng Ming-Dao
This is a very subtle and difficult concept for anyone, of Western or Eastern orientation to reality, to fully understand, and even harder to put into action in everyday life…. It is also an idea I’m not sure I can completely hold to be true, in one sense at least. I can see how learning to accept both happiness and sorrow as being equal in value, in terms of how reality is structured is important to understanding. The very fact that we perceive them as opposites reflects our way of seeing the universe, as a dichotomy, with each characteristic balanced by its spiritual opposite, its mirror image, as it were; it follows that being able to recognize this without experiencing any discomfort or imbalance would be a valuable approach.
But, I cannot say that they are the same to me, for as a human, it is part of my nature to “like” the happiness, and “dislike” the sorrow; as people, we are going to have an emotional reaction to what we perceive, regardless of any other factors. It seems to me that the lesson to be learned, then, is to not allow our emotional preferences to influence our inner state, beyond the state of acknowledging it. Our task then becomes to learn to accept it, and appreciate it for its place in reality, without letting our feelings about that place bring us to imbalance within our own spirit…. As I said, subtle and difficult, and more easily said than done, to be sure…..
The events surrounding this morning’s Pearl, as outlined in the intro, serve well to demonstrate how this principle can be useful to us in a very real sense….. I am unbalanced this morning, with my physical being complaining in no uncertain terms that it is displeased with the current state of my diet. This imbalance takes the form of severe discomfort, with some pain located in specific areas of concern. In addressing how I would deal with the feelings it generates, in the above section, it could be said that I was attempting to see past the event itself, into the meaning of it. This encourages some distance between the mind, and the actual events, and consequently, some distance from the feelings. With the sense of panic that accompanies such feelings abated, it is possible to adjust one’s attention to other places in the mind, and the imbalance of the negative feelings is brought back into proper alignment….
As with most types of pain, the feelings we have in reaction make the pain worse, if only by forcing our attention onto it. By creating some inner distance from those feelings, we take control of our attention, and by doing so, reduce the amount of pain/discomfort by a significant factor…. The pain doesn’t go away, but it is reduced enough so we can deal with it in a more productive fashion. It is by no means easy; the pain/discomfort doesn’t like giving up its position in the forefront of the mind’s attention. But, as can be seen by this very pearl, it can free us from the tyranny that our own bodies may try to impose upon us…. In a very real sense, learning this lesson, and how to apply it to the real world, can free our minds completely, to exist in a place where good and bad do not affect our inner balance….
“If you regard discomfort as a normal condition you are not likely to be troubled by want.” — Ieyasu’s maxims
This maxim points to one of the important attitudes one must cultivate, in order for this principle to work properly. It reminds me of the old story about the colonist and the Indian, walking through the forest in winter, sometime in the late 1600’s. The colonist is fully dressed against the cold in leathers, sweaters, jackets, furs, boots, and full beard; the Indian is in moccasins, breech cloth, and skin, despite the snow all around. The colonist says to the Indian, “Aren’t you cold?” The Indian asks in return, “Is your face cold?” “Well, yeah, but I’m used to that,” is the reply….. The Indian just smiles, and says, “Me all face….”
Put most simply, it’s all in what you are used to…. So, get used to learning to adjust your own mind, teaching it to control its reaction to events of all types, rather than letting the world, and its unwelcome events, adjust it for you….. Me, I’d hate to have the words “willy nilly” apply to me in ANY respect….. I prefer having some say in the matter…. and I’ll tell you, it has been an invaluable tool this morning, else there would be no Pearl today…..
And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
‘T is that I may not weep.
~~ Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto iv, Stanza 4 ~~
********************************
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 ~~
10/10/2012
********************************
Still More Naked Pearls
What’s Important?
*********
“Learning isn’t a means to an end; it is an end in itself.”
~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~
*********
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total oblivion.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me
and turn my inner eye to follow its path.
When the fear is gone, there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.”
~~ The Litany Against Fear, Frank Herbert, “Dune”, 1965 ~~
*********
“Being good at being stupid doesn’t count.”
~~ Realist Bee ~~
*********
“…the path without a Heart will turn against men and destroy them.
It does not take much to die,
and to seek death and to seek nothing.”
~~ Carlos Castaneda, “The Teachings of Don Juan” ~~
*********
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.”
~~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ~~
*********
“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
*********
“To a rational being it is the same thing
to act according to nature and according to reason.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, vii, 11 ~~
*********
“Clay is moulded to make a vessel,
but the utility of the vessel
lies in the space where there is nothing.
Thus, taking advantage of what is,
we recognize the utility of what is not.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
*********
Not chaos-like together crush’d and bruis’d,
But as the world, harmoniously confus’d,
Where order in variety we see,
And where, though all things differ, all agree.
~~ Alexander Pope, Windsor Forest, Line 13 ~~
********************************
I’m not sure why, but, some days, like today, when I’m done, I feel like jumping up, kicking my heels, and sitting back down. I don’t, of course, do that, simply because I’d be liable to end up on my face, unconscious from the fall. Ah well, I’ll just consider it as done, & save myself the trip to the ER. I’ll also end this here, and now, to save y’all from further mental bludgeoning, which I know this resembles far too often. C’est la fucking vie, as we say around here. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody catches me…..
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.
Hajime…. I am unsure why, but, I woke up grumpy; so be it…. This generally means a nice, vitriolic rant for later, but, since we are already ‘later’ than I’d like, we’ll pass on that, & go with an archived piece; the fresh treatise upon which I’ve been working isn’t ready anyway. Leelu isn’t happy with me, either, so, I guess it’s all of a piece, so to speak. Grumpiness, mad cat, late Pearl… I have a feeling I may not be attending Bingo Night tonight; too many opportunities to lose it altogether. Since I like the people who organize it, I’ll probably be nice, & stay home.
If you have come this far in today’s narrative, it may occur to you today’s title is actually connected to the Pearl, which is NOT my habit, nor my wish. It just came out that way; I made it up while still in extreme grump mode, and, it seems to have stuck, no matter what I do. Oh, well, that’s just one more to add to my list, which is reaching epic proportion, and it’s barely 6 AM. Now I’m getting worried; is there some cosmic event my perception has picked up subconsciously? Is the Universe about to go critical? Is the Space/Time Continuum shaking in its proverbial boots?…. Tune in tomorrow, & we’ll have a report on all of that…..
For now, and today, I think, perhaps, ‘t would be a good thing to get this slow on the toad. In keeping with that most perceptive insight, let’s do this, which is fast, and may cause a bit of vertigo, but, what the hell? The morning’s shot anyway. Hang on, ffolkes, this one moves wicked fast….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Human, do you know how interesting it is, this thing you describe? Avata does not have a god. How is it that you have a god? Avata has Self, has the universe. But you have a god. Where did you find this god?” — Frank Herbert
********************************
Today’s music is a lazy compromise; I wanted to hear some guitar, but, was too lazy to figure out to whom I wished to listen. This is the compromise, with 3 hours of classical guitar, by various artists…. It will do for our purposes today. Enjoy, ffolkes…
I am working on a piece for this section, but, it keeps growing in different directions, so, it isn’t ready yet. To sublimate, here is a reasonably short discussion of a similar subject, from the archives, about three years ago…. Enjoy, ffolkes; at least you don’t have to hear me go off this morning; well, not with any oomph, anyway….
From 4/18/2013:
MORAL, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.
“It is sayd there be a raunge of mountaynes in the Easte, on one syde of the which certayn conducts are immorall, yet on the other syde they are holden in good esteeme; wherebye the mountayneer is much conveenyenced, for it is given to him to goe downe eyther way and act as it shall suite his moode, withouten offence. _Gooke’s Meditations_
— Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
A reader commented to me recently that my rants have gone soft; she enjoys it when I rake someone over the coals, figuratively speaking, and asked me when I was going to get back on my white horse, or my soapbox, as the cliché may be…. I told her it is most likely a result of having some of the pressure of living removed, by the acquisition of my SS benefits, so much so that I’m finding it hard to summon up the outrage needed to rant effectively…. Like Voldemort told Harry, when he tried to use the Cruciatus Curse against Bellatrix Lestrange, in HP5-The Order of the Phoenix, “You’ve got to MEAN it, Harry!” Funny how not worrying about where the next meal is coming from takes some stress out of one’s life, isn’t it?….. Ha Ha…..
So, anyway, then I saw the above entry from the Devil’s Dictionary, and thought to myself, “AHA!” (I do that a lot…), “Now, here’s a subject worthy of a rant!”…. This is absolutely true, even though morality is sort of like reality…. there are as many versions of what it means as there are people…. of which, each and every one believes that what they perceive is the only correct version, obviously…. Right….
So, you can see the problem right away…. As a society, we have an unfortunate tendency to try to legislate morality, so that everyone is compelled to behave according to a commonly accepted pattern of behavior…. Supposedly, this legislation is supposed act as some sort of magic bullet, that will stop all the bad things from happening, like stealing, killing, and general misbehavior that is upsetting to the rest of society…. It never works, at all, but, we keep on passing laws designed to enforce a common morality anyway….
Such a drama is now being played out on the national stage, as the Senate just defeated the new gun control reforms that 90% of the populace wants in place. Out of a hundred Senators, it only took 45 Republicans to bring the proposed law down, meaning that once again, a very small percentage of people have forced their views on the rest of the public, to suit their own morality, and, more importantly, to suit their own special interests, who paid good money for their votes, dammit!…. I am somewhat piqued about this, but see little in the way of anything to be done that will make any difference, in the big picture…. No matter how stringent the laws, people who want guns will get them, and use them on other people…. The new laws would have made that a bit more time-consuming, but no less possible, or even less probable….
Since I can’t thing of anything positive to suggest, other than to stay alert to what may end up as a critical issue, I will fill out what should normally be a rant, with a number of cogent pearls, to try to jab the stick into the appropriate eyes…. and my friend will have to wait a bit longer for a good, old-fashioned brouhaha, as I get nasty and vicious in my denouncement of the BRC, the churches, and the corporate masters….. I will say this to her….. have no fear, my outrage isn’t gone, just temporarily dormant, and I WILL be back to rant….. meanwhile, enjoy these tasty gems…..
“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” — Sir Winston Churchill
Linear Model: An assumption concerning the nature of reality applied unquestioningly to every relationship as though God had determined that truth must always run in straight lines. — Smart Bee
“The clinching proof of my reasoning is that I will cut anyone who argues further into dogmeat.” — Sir Geoffery de Tourneville (ca. 1350)
“Has history ever recorded a time when the majority was right?” — Lazarus Long
“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world without having tasted of lying or pretense of any sort, or of wantonness or conceit.” –Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, ix, 2
“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” — Saul Bellow
“If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other.” — Carl Schurz
********************************
Modest sounds of impatient concern….
Crowds converge at the raw and grisly scene,
comatose to compassion, curiosity tugging at the hem
with sharp, oh, sharp tools made obscene,
filing the essence of future hopes in spite of them.
Yet who has won the keys to the treasure,
who whipped up the fear of another brother?
Who spent the dreams of the old in selfish measure,
with such arrogant blindness grave issues to smother?
Fateful decisions may prompt still another pause,
to catch and release collective images of insanity.
Surely legitimate anger arises with ample cause
wallowing in self-made entrepreneurs, fluent in profanity.
A quartet of eternities must pass to guarantee change,
regardless of need, or desire, or autonomous manipulation.
Ancient rules and modern aggression is only passing strange
when golden delusion grasps futilely at its related illusory station.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/18/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
“And what have we learned today…?
*********
“Change a life; make someone feel important.”
~~ Compassionate Bee ~~
*********
“Anger is never without an argument,
but seldom with a good one.”
~~ George Savile ~~
*********
A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.
~~ William Arthur Ward ~~
*********
Fortune is like glass;
the brighter the glitter,the more easily broken.
~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 280 ~~
*********
Know then this truth (enough for man to know),
“Virtue alone is happiness below.”
~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle iv, Line 309 ~~
*********
“The worst vice of the fanatic is his sincerity.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
*********
“Laughter is the language of the gods.”
~~ Buddhist saying ~~
*********
“I used to think I was an expert.
Then I met one…”
~~ Wise Bee ~~
*********
“I cannot teach anybody anything,
I can only make them think.”
~~ Socrates ~~
********************************
Well, it’s done. As we all know, that is our primary goal, & once reached, we tend to bail quickly. How quickly? Oh, about like this….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. That isn’t meant as a threat, but, you take it however it occurs to you….. I’ll be here anyway, as long as the Net is still up & running…. See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“To make your children capable of honesty is the beginning of education.”
~~ John Ruskin ~~
Urban Garden, Galway Tá sé i foscadh a chéile go gcónaíonn daoine. It is in the shelter of each other that people live. ~~ Irish Proverb ~~
Hajime…. El Niño has come to California, bringing copious amounts of rain, sufficient to pound the windows hard enough to wake the dead; since I’m not quite there, it woke me, too. Nice to hear, actually, as we are, rain notwithstanding, deep into a serious drought in this neck of the North American woods. While welcome, the rain, as usual, will be trumpeted as disaster in the making, and people will wander around to their work and play, as if they’d never had to deal with rain in their lives….. Every time an event of almost any nature, whether caused by man, society, or nature, it seems to come as a complete surprise to everyone who is, shall we be nice, and say, less than perfectly mindful?….
‘S okay; hearing the crap people say about the weather, at my age, is no longer a surprise, so much as it is more proof of the pudding which society has been cooking for far too long. Stupidity is not merely the province of the average, or less than average person, any longer. The condition, and attitudes, of our entire culture is imbued with stupid; at every level of society, from the poorest, to the wealthiest, there is so little intelligence evident in what is said, what is done, and, in the end, what we have become, it saddens and frightens me, for there is only ONE end to that journey, and it isn’t called Utopia…. Most of the folks (note spelling) on this planet will call it Hell on Earth….
We’re not far off from that, now, today. There is still some small hope that rationality can win the day, but, the chances of that are growing slimmer with each new birth, on a planet already bursting at the seams from the depredations which follow such a degree of over-crowding….. There is, simply, not enough resources available on the whole planet to continue to feed and succor this many people. The mathematics of that has been known, and proved, since the middle of the nineteenth century, and there has been no disproof found which could cause any hope it might be wrong. We are all going to be put into the fire, and, how many will come out the other side is unclear; it is entirely possible there will not be ANY survivors, and we will join the dinosaurs, and the Dodo, in eternity’s club of failed experiments….
There, I think that’s depressing enough for one day…. I finished this Pearl yesterday, & after the mini-rant with which we started, I think we’ll just get this done, and try to throw off the cloud with what is below…. It can’t be any worse than this, right? Right…. Let do this, before I lose my nerve….
Shall we Pearl?….
Some men must be too spiritual, some must be too sensual.
Some must be too sympathetic, and some must be too proud.
We have no desire to say what men *ought* to be.
We only wish to say there are all kinds of ways of being,
and there is no such thing as human perfection.
~~ D.H. Lawrence, Fantasia of the Unconscious, 1922 ~~
********************************
Image from forumspain.net via Google Images
Upon seeing/hearing yesterday’s classic music, one of our commenters reminded me of this album, from another three greats, back in our day…. If you haven’t heard it, you’re in for a treat…. This one’s for chuq…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. gaironteed (think Cajun accent… l’Acadian, oui, cheri?….)
SIGH…. Sometimes, the internet can make us feel foolish and small, in the face of so much data to process and apprehend. Yesterday I received, from a friend, via email, the link to the post you see above, just below the manifesto. The picture, with its text, was above the article, which mentioned that the above statement was already viewed by AT LEAST 50,000,000 people, at the website of the company whose ad department created it to sell clothing…. Fifty million people, and I never knew it existed…. Goes to show how easily we can miss what may be important to us, merely from a lack of time, or, serendipity….
That said, who can argue with any of it? It speaks to everyone, no matter where they are on their Life Journey, with advice to help us smooth our way, and enjoy the journey itself. Ironic that such a complete statement of what it means to be Human should come from the minds of people trying to improve their bottom line…. Very ironic, in my mind….
So much so, this is it, for today. The poster, and link, above says plenty, for a rant, or for a pearl of any length, and will do for this section of today’s post, as well….
See? I can be nice…..
********************************
Early Observations
Until I knew there was more,
I wanted to know God.
They said he was a nice guy,
and would let me live forever.
All I had to do, they said,
was live my life for Him,
always living by scripture
cleaving only to his Way.
But, everyone I saw in church,
acted different at home.
Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,
nobody lived like they said.
Still, I tried to be like Jesus,
he was sort of cool.
He never hurt nobody
and walked on the right path.
‘Course they killed him for that,
they couldn’t stand his example.
Turned him into a martyr,
hid his real words among their own.
Then I found the Buddha,
and met Lao Tzu at the gate.
They saw things real different,
showed me how to see straight.
Right thought, and right action
replace blind obedience and faith.
Reality becomes manageable,
fear retreats, the universe expands.
Brother John said it pretty well,
“Imagine there’s no heaven,
it’s easy if you try.”
Sounds like he knew why.
Day to day, life is grand,
we walk in eternal beauty.
Open your eyes and hearts,
find yourself already immortal.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/12/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Further comments on Life @ Large
*************
Unblemish’d let me live, or die unknown;
O grant an honest fame, or grant me none!
~~ Alexander Pope ~~
~~ The Temple of Fame, Last line ~~
*************
“Reading is thinking with someone else’s head instead of your own.”
~~ Literate Bee ~~
*************
“Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend,
but it requires a very fine nature
to sympathize with a friend’s success.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
*************
“I regret that I cannot do my duty as a true modern,
by cursing everybody who made me whatever I am.”
~~ G.K. Chesterton ~~
*************
“For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”
~~ Lewis Carroll ~~
*************
“A life without cause is a life without effect.”
~~ Barbarella ~~
*************
“You don’t fuck around with the infinite.”
~~ Mean Streets ~~
*************
He sees that this great roundabout
The world, with all its motley rout,
Church, army, physic, law,
Its customs and its businesses,
Is no concern at all of his,
And says–what says he?–Caw.
~~ William Cowper ~~
~~ The Jackdaw, (Translation from Vincent Bourne) ~~
********************************
Well, there you go. It ain’t Ibsen, but it’s the best I’ve got today. I’ll go now, & leave y’all to your own devices, with, hopefully, a bit more comfort & joy than what was present when you began reading today’s mess. I’ll make no apologies for any of it; I will say I hope you enjoyed it, or, it pissed you off royally…. We shoot for both ends of the scale around here. Tomorrow, we’ll try again, so, fair warning, eh? See y’all then, if my house doesn’t float into the Bay….
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.
“Just by choosing where you stand,
You alter your destiny.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
Home Image from a Tweet by @LimaChely
Hajime…. Finding our natural rhythm, once lost under the sands of time and circumstance, can take time, even if one is treading the proper path. The damage done by neglect over time is just as deep as that incurred quickly, adding to the frustrations that come with any such effortful task. But, small steps get one to the same place as long strides, thus taking the time needed to make sure one remains on the correct path. Or, as is commonly stated by those wise ones on the streets, “Keep on truckin’!….
All that said, it merely means I’m late again; different reason, but, the rhythm remains the same. The result is, I’m again sitting here, with nothing really done for this Pearl, beyond picking a picture for the top, and a couple quotes to go with it. Such is the life of a blogger, I suppose, meaning I’d best get to it….
Some will be fresh, but, some will be either archived, or, someone else’s work that fits in with today’s theme, whatever it is…. I’m not the person to ask, because I couldn’t tell you until it’s nearly done; I never know until then, as the process demands a certain degree of unconsciously directed thought and choices…. Trust me; I’ve been doing this a while now; it’s best not to fuck with the process, lest it fall apart at the seam…. Only the one, so, we try to be careful….
Sure we do….. Regardless of any near-untruths we may use here in the intro, we/I do try to avoid it altogether; if seen here, one may regard it as a necessary nod to expediency, and forgive us our trespass…. Or, not; we/I care not…. Just trying to be like the universe….. Innovative, unpredictable Change, often more rapid than we can believe, or handle, is the Norm, so, we/I do try to keep up in that respect. To do so today, and, in the interests of maintaining the small degree of efficiency so far displayed this year, I’ll get us over to the oyster beds the most efficient way, with my mind, and the power of the Metaphorse…. Watch closely….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love
they will bloom like flowers.”
I feel like some of the Best this morning; for me, as a guitar playing singing fool, there’s only one guitarist who can claim that title today…. There may be someone better than Eric, but, I’ve never heard them, or seen them, so….. he’ll do for today…. Enjoy, ffolkes; this is as good as it gets…. Oh, turn it up….. All the way…..
I didn’t have time to rant, so, here is an old-school pearl of nine gems, beginning and ending with some appropriate comments from Shakespeare, on the subject of the Decline and Fall of the American Dream….
***********
The devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape.
~~ William Shakespeare — Hamlet, Act ii, Sc. 2 ~~
“There are those who claim that magic is like the tide; that it swells and fades over the surface of the earth, collecting in concentrated pools here and there, almost disappearing from other spots, leaving them parched for wonder. There are also those who believe that if you stick your fingers up your nose and blow, it will increase your intelligence.” — “The Teachings of Ebenezum, Volume VII”
“Blood is a cleansing and sanctifying thing, and the nation that regards it as the final horror has lost its manhood … there are many things more horrible than bloodshed, and slavery is one of them.” — Padraic Pearse
“Courses of action which run only to be justified in terms of practicality ultimately prove destructive and impractical.” — Mark B. Cohen
“Democracy is a form of government that substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. In democracy, what you get generally is bad government by a bully, tempered by the pen of several newspaper editors.” — George Bernard Shaw — Man and Superman (1903) Maxims for Revolutionists: Democracy
“If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.” — Isaac Asimov
“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.” — Robert Frost
“Bill Clinton’s tax-and-spend policies will create a recession in America.” — Vice President Dan Quayle in New Jersey, 10/19/92. — He did not go on to distinguish between the predicted Clinton recession and the current Bush recession. — (reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/20/92)
“He must needs go that the devil drives.”
~~William Shakespeare, All ‘s Well that Ends Well, Act i, Sc. 3 ~~
********************************
INCOMPOSSIBLE, adj. Unable to exist if something else exists. Two things are incompossible when the world of being has scope enough for one of them, but not enough for both — as Walt Whitman’s poetry and God’s mercy to man. Incompossibility, it will be seen, is only incompatibility let loose. Instead of such low language as “Go heel yourself — I mean to kill you on sight,” the words, “Sir, we are incompossible,” would convey an equally significant intimation and in stately courtesy are altogether superior.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
So, after the quote, you expected someone else?…. Enjoy, ffolkes; definitely one of the treasures of humanity, right here on the page you see….
Election Day, November, 1884
If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show,
‘Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye limitless prairies—nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemite—nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyser-loops ascending to the skies, appearing
and disappearing,
Nor Oregon’s white cones—nor Huron’s belt of mighty lakes—nor Mississippi’s stream:
—This seething hemisphere’s humanity, as now, I’d name—the still small voice vibrating—America’s
choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen—the act itself the main, the quadriennial choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous’d—sea-board and inland—Texas to Maine—the Prairie States—Vermont,
Virginia, California,
The final ballot-shower from East to West—the paradox and conflict,
The countless snow-flakes falling—(a swordless conflict,
Yet more than all Rome’s wars of old, or modern Napoleon’s:) the peaceful choice of all,
Or good or ill humanity—welcoming the darker odds, the dross:
—Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify—while the heart pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,
Swell’d Washington’s, Jefferson’s, Lincoln’s sails.
~~Walt Whitman~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Short Shots on Life at Large
**********
“O, well,
you win some, you lose some,
but you gotta get dressed for ’em all.”
~~ Susan Kenney ~~ **********
“A Lie is still a Lie, even if you believe it.”
~~ Honest Bee ~~
**********
“Never let yesterday use up today.”
~~ Wise Bee ~~
**********
“What is defeat?
Nothing but education,
nothing but the first step toward something better.”
~~ Wendell Phillips ~~ **********
“When you are content to be simply yourself
and don’t compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.”
–
~~ Lao-Tzu ~~ **********
“But where shall I start?
The world is so fast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own.
But my country is so very large,
I had better start with my town.
But my town, too, is large.
I had best start with my street.
No, my home.
No, my family.
Never mind, I shall start with myself.”
~~ Elie Wiesel ~~
**********
“Give more than take.”
~~ Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book ~~
**********
When all is done, human life is,
at the greatest and the best,
but like a froward child,
that must be played with and humoured a little
to keep it quiet till it falls asleep,
and then the care is over.
~~ Sir William Temple — Miscellanea, Part ii, Of Poetry ~~
**********
“Where does it go when you flush?”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
********************************
Whew! I wasn’t sure I could do it, but, as usual, trusting the process, and, maintaining an unconscious direction, saved the day. So to speak.
What the hell? It’s done; in the final analysis, who gives a crap what else happened? We cannot afford such weakness; hence, this offering. I do hope you enjoy it, or, if nothing else, it pisses you off; any reaction will do…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the world keeps spinning along….
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.
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
~~ Hanlon’s Razor ~~
A meeting of minds Image of a Dukha tribesman,from themindunleashed.com via Google Images
Hajime…. I would trade almost any experience in my life, (save one or two…) to have the connection with nature, and the friendship of a bear. The man in the picture is a Dukha, a tribe which has lived in northern Mongolia since the dawn of time. They are so in tune with the land, and the creatures who live on it, I would consider them to be the highest example on the planet of the true purpose of being human, and how to live here in perfect comfort and harmony….. I don’t mean they are perfect; hell, they’re human, and I’m sure they have their individual faults, like all of us. But, the way they have learned to coexist with the total environment in which they live, to me, is how human beings SHOULD be, in attitude, with, or without technological advantages.
They ride caribou, for traveling, using them the same way other societies use horses and cattle. But, with some differences…. for example:
Attribution same as above
How many societies do YOU know of who will trust their farm animals to babysit for them? It seems to me, they have learned something that the rest of humanity passed by, to their everlasting disadvantage, I believe. What this tells me about their society is how well they understand their co-creatures, and, as well, how to create in those creatures the same sort of trust they place in their own species. Most societies have dogs to perform this sort of service, but, it seems to me, it might be to our advantage, as humans, to learn what it is this tribe has learned, to keep their connection to their natural side intact, a facet of personality which the rest of us seem to have lost….
Okay, subtle insult to the bulk of humanity thus delivered, as sugar-coated as I could make it, we can move on. That’s a good thing, because today’s Pearl is, if I say so myself, a good one. Without any spoilers, I can say it is one of my best efforts; I’ll let it speak for itself from this point…..
Uh, oh….. Shoot. (You will, of course, recognize as a euphemism for another word of similar spelling, and more odor….) Now what do I do with this intro? It started out as a sort of travelogue cum philosophical oddity, slipped over into honest discussion, and, now….. what? Hmm…. I suppose I’ll have to think up some weird, explosive literary surprise to distract everyone while we get the slow on the road. Damn, I knew I should have gone with the picture of Leelu!
Oh, well, okay…. Let’s see what we’ve got here in our bag of emergency exit methods. How ’bout a # 19? They’re always fun, though the dry-cleaning charges can get a bit steep. Okay, nope. Hmm, let’s see: hey, how about this one? It’s a # 23, and I don’t think I’ve tried this one yet. The only requirement is to make sure y’all have your thinking caps. Oh, you won’t need them ’til later on down the page, but, you WILL need them. Besides, this one is so fast, you might miss it, and then where would you be? Not at the oyster beds, that’s for sure…. Okay, here we go; hang on….
Shall we Pearl?….
“To regret one’s own experiences is to arrest one’s own development.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
********************************
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
I am not sure anyone ever completely understood The Doors. To see the quote upon which their name was chosen tells a LOT about them, if one is able to see clearly into human nature. I’m not as familiar with the band members, but, Jim Morrison was, in many ways, the heart and soul of the band, and to observe him was to observe a very, very complex human being, subject to very little comprehension he did not wish to allow. The band’s music also reflected his persona; complex, deep, often erotic and more sensual than was comfortable. He lived life in ways no one had ever thought of, much as any true artist, such as Picasso, or Dali, or, Michaelangelo lived…. without compromise.
Enjoy, ffolkes; if nothing else, the music of the Doors makes you FEEL life…..
“Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
When one considers the social background under which G.B. Shaw was raised and educated, much of what he wrote naturally demonstrates some of the prejudices common to his time. All in all, however, his thoughts on society, and human nature at large, were extremely accurate, and a better indicator of how his mind worked, and, in fact, how it excelled. In addition, short statements such as the one used today tell me he had a very sharp, and morally developed sense of humor about everything he witnessed in his life. He shows up a lot here, for that very reason, for his words are pointedly critical of Stupidity, Ignorance, and the sin of Expediency, which, even in his day, had become one of society’s most dangerous issues….
In his statement above, it is perfectly clear to me he could have been talking of the United States as it exists in 2015. Our country’s government is corrupted beyond repair; the bankers and corporate interests, such as Big Pharma, Big Oil, and the Angels of Death (Arms dealers & manufacturers), are in complete control of the White House, both Houses of Congress, and, to a significant degree, the Supreme Court….. If you doubt what I say, simply look at each of those persons mentioned in light of their yearly income. Then, tell me they represent the average man/woman in this country with a straight face. If you can do so, you are even stupider than they believe, which is pretty fucking stupid, believe me.
Harsh? Nah. Perfect truth. I can say, without fear of being wrong, 98% of the people in this country who are not involved in government, at any level, are completely ignorant of the degree to which their rights have already been taken away. Just ask anyone on the street if they believe they still have the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution and Bill of Rights; every one of them will tell you they do, without even pausing to think. The simple fact they are completely mistaken never enters their consciousness at all, a fact which the BRC, and the Asininnies in general not only know, but, take advantage of at every opportunity.
You could ask those same people on the street if they believed their leaders tell the truth to them, and they’d say “yes”, again without ever pausing to consider whether or not it might be true. They’ve been conditioned, by parents, by churches, by teachers, all their lives to accept what they are told by those in authority, and to believe them, NO MATTER HOW THEIR PERCEPTIONS DO NOT MATCH THE LIES! They are taught to adjust to whatever demands are placed on them, no matter how ridiculous or demeaning they may be, simply because their entire existence is based on maintaining the status quo, which they have never examined to even see if it can be changed for the better.
At this point, we will assume the mantle of a classic Jeffersonian, the political model which I have always preferred as my standard for judging today’s governmental participants, to wit; the BRC and the Asininnies…. I would like to begin this by noting how huge is the circle of ignorance that now comprises the American public, and, the first of many warnings of the consequences by Tom himself…..
“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson
“I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.” — Thomas Jefferson
In today’s American cities and towns, we have libraries practically empty, in comparison to how many people SHOULD be using them. The American public, once graduated from school, never opens another book, contenting themselves with magazines, newspapers, and now videos, TV, and the internet, all of which, if not understood, are just another tool used to fortify and maintain their brainwashing, by directing their interests just where the BRC wants it to be…. which is generally focused on things to fear, or lust after.
Just today, I found how serious this issue has become. For the very first time in my life, I was requested to renew my library card, in the town where I live. In my entire life, I’ve never had a library request me to update any information; what is the need? Any citizen of this country, as far as I know, is free to walk into a library, and read, or use the facilities. There AREN’T supposed to be ANY conditions set on that freedom, (unless you wish to take a book home; then you must leave your name); yet, now, at the behest, I am sure, of the local police, with the power of the federal NSA organization behind it, want to know who has a card, their PHONE # (!!!), and where they live. This, of course, gives them access to my internet searches, all the books I check out, and a host of other information, NONE of which they have any right to gather……
But, that’s not the only front on which inroads against our rights are being made….
“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson
“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson
Our country was warned, by Jefferson, Paine, Mason, Franklin, Adams, and others, about the very things we now face in our lives. They predicted the takeover of the government by the bankers and corporate interests, in letters they wrote, in articles they published, all of which still can be accessed in libraries. But, no modern Americans would believe it if told, because they will not make the effort to go see for themselves. Nor will they ever believe they are not free, because they’ve been taught all their lives to accept illusion as reality…. What chance do they have at this late date to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing? Very little, I would say….
This is why I rant. This is why I cannot stop harping on the lies told to us, or about the fear they want us to feel, fear of threats which simply do not exist, except in the minds of those who believe them. The governments of all countries want their citizens to believe they can make them feel safe and secure, when in fact, that is simply not true. Life IS insecurity; there is no safety from the Universe, if it chooses to come after you. You can’t dodge an earthquake, nor a flood, nor any other natural disaster…. Nor can you deny that humans are violent, and will BE violent in trying to attain their desires. It has always been so, and always will be, until we figure out how to change human nature.
The myth of safety in living, which governments would have us believe they can supply, simply does not exist in Reality. As long as we are alive. we are in danger, and that is a simple fact of Reality not even a government can change, not by any means. But, they get people to believe they can, and, thus, have them under their power.
The only true way in this life to be safe is to remove fear from your responses to anything you experience. Fear is a reaction to “not knowing” the nature of what is occurring; it is easily dismissed, or let go, if one is willing to LEARN. But, this requires first that one learn how to learn, and that is something our schools stopped teaching long ago. Knowledge kills fear, yet people seem to prefer to NOT make the effort to learn about what they fear, instead accepting whatever they’re told, which is only designed to increase their misunderstanding, and prolong the fear. A person who is afraid does NOT think, and the BRC and Asininnies know this. That is why they trumpet doom and danger every time something bad happens; it serves their interests to keep the public afraid….
Obviously, I can keep on about this for a long time; in my time I’ve observed the process I’ve just described happening, with governments becoming more and more corrupt and dishonest, and more of the people’s hard-won rights abrogated, in a consistent dismantling of the Constitution of the United States, by corporate interests, until the world in which we now live can no longer be called anything but a true oligarchy. The rich have won, ffolkes, and unless we, all together, do something about it, they’ll keep tightening the screws until we can no longer freely breathe….
In fact, that is a literal statement…. I can see a time, not so far off, when, because of the climate changes that are now occurring, for which we know no way to stop, the atmosphere we breathe will become tainted, and require treatment before we can use it. What does anyone wish to bet, if that happens, the oligarchy will try to CHARGE people for the air they breathe? I can see it clearly, can you? Is that what you wish for YOUR grandchildren? I can honestly say, I do not.
“Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebels against anything that does not deserve rebelling against.” — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to James Madison, stated, “The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think it should have done. Calculate that one rebellion in 13 states in the course of 11 years, is but one for each state in a century and a half. No country should be so long without one.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), in letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787
In what was probably the same letter, he also said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Madison, 1787
I know, it’s a lot of TJ, but, damn it! He WARNED us, and we didn’t listen! You see, to summarize, he also said,” God prevent we should ever be twenty years without a revolution.”
Guess what, ffolkes? It’s now been 229 years since our last revolution in this country. I have a feeling the next one isn’t far off, given the false sense of entitlement growing so fast in the monied elite, and amongst their myrmidons. I have a feeling they forget a simple fact when they are making up their plans and agendas to continue their oppression of the world’s people…. There are now more than SEVEN BILLION of those people…. If they aren’t careful, they’re going to piss off ALL of them. If that happens, I don’t believe their money, or their technology, or their sense of entitlement will save them from being shredded, limb from limb, by angry mobs of formerly downtrodden human beings….
But, then, when that happens, I’ll just sit back, and say, “Oh well….. Just desserts, assholes.”
Thanks fer listenin’. I’ll leave you with one last thought from TJ, and final word from Pope, to close the circle… Then, I’ll leave you be, to digest how to deal with the truths you’ve just absorbed….
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” — Thomas Jefferson to A. Stuart, 1791
For forms of government let fools contest;
Whate’er is best administer’d is best.
For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.
In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all mankind’s concern is charity.~~ Alexander Pope ~~
~~ Essay on Man, Epistle iii, Line 303 ~~
********************************
When life calls, ready or not….
Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.
Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.
Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.
Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.
Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 9/10/2012
********************************
Today’s final pearl is a perfect reflection of the rest of the effort today. To be frank, it was intense, and satisfying. This one has a pretty standard structure, and message, for that matter. But, it’s such a profound one, it fits right in with all of the above…. I hope you enjoy it, just as much as I hope you ‘get it’…..
“Whatever happens at all happens as it should; thou wilt find this true, if thou shouldst watch narrowly.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 10
“Common and vulgar people ascribe all ill that they feel to others; people of little wisdom ascribe to themselves; people of much wisdom, to no one.” — Epictetus
“A good man possesses a kingdom.” — Seneca (8 BC) — Thyestes, 380
“The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” — George Eliot
” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention of doing you good, you should run for your life” — Thoreau’s Law
“What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more.” — Seneca
“Before teaching others, before changing others, we ourselves must change. We must be honest, sincere, kind-hearted.” — The XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet, Address, 1982
“You’re not going crazy Arthur, you’re going sane in a crazy world.” — The Tick
“What then remains but that we still should cry
For being born, and, being born, to die?”
~~ Francis Bacon ~~
~~ The World ~~
********************************
Well, I did it. It’s done, and done as well as I can do it. Well enough, I shan’t trouble you here with any further nonsense, or sense, for that matter. I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow, and be done with it.
Sure I will…. I’ll be back, ffolkes. That’s not a threat, unless you fear the truth….. 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.
“How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.”
~~ Petrarch ~~
Main Thoroughfare, Swords, Dublin
Hajime…. As a student of human nature, history, and philosophy, as well as a practicing curmudgeon, it can be hard to summon up very much positive feeling about the future of humanity. This, naturally, will tend to carry over into one’s personal life, just as a matter of course, making it hard to find any peace within…. That being said, today’s Pearl is, in a manner of speaking, a harbinger of future events, which, oddly enough, brings with it a plethora of positivity, completely unasked for, or expected. I suppose that is the result of coming out of the mental fog in which I seemingly have been existing for longer than I care to contemplate.
Why, you may ask, should such a confirmed cynic feel so good about the future? Easy. I don’t hurt anywhere. It’s amazing to note how much power is in the short little phrase, “Sleep is a weapon.” Not only is it a weapon, but, it is a weapon of great power and flexibility, ubiquitous in the good it creates within our bodies, thus, by concatenation, our minds as well. I had not realized how much stress I had been absorbing, and ignoring, during this past two months, as I fought insomnia and my own brain’s rebellion at making changes to its chemistry. The major effect of ONE solid night’s sleep is, seemingly, incalculable. (The great massage beforehand didn’t hurt, either…. *grin*)
Pain is a familiar old friend, but, on those days when he/she/it takes a break, I can’t say I miss it at all. And, having that space from the pain leaves the mind free to perform functions much more pleasant than the constant effort to diffuse, distract, or otherwise obfuscate the pain and accompanying misery of insomnia. In short, hip, hip, hooray! About bloody time, too….
Without even thinking about any of the issues that surround this news, which in and of themselves have contributed to the difficulties, we will go forth into a new day, with the firm understanding that from this point on, I will only feel better, and stronger. and more clear in my mind, as I resume the scholar/warrior’s true path, from which I strayed so long ago. I know, a bit pompous, but, when giving one’s self a pep talk, enthusiasm is good, even if pompous….
Besides, I’m a pompous guy. I was trained thoroughly, as we all are, in how to observe custom, and whenever seriousness or sobriety is called for, the ability to fall into pomposity is a valuable tool. Sure keeps the mundanes off your back. As long as one doesn’t buy into the crap BEHIND the reason for the customs, they’re simple to follow. And the mundanes never know you’re strange….
Where was I? Oh, right. Harbinger, future, & all that. Well, I think that’s quite enough fantasy for one morning, don’t y’all? It’s probably best if we get this slow on the road, before I turn all maudlin or something. It can happen when I start rambling like this. Okay, Luigi ( Yeah, he’s back…. we had to take him back; he’s got tenure….), let’s get moving for the oyster beds…. Fire that sucker up, & let Zeke kick us up to the edge… Ffolkes, if I were you, I’d hang on…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“Somebody who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world”
~~The Law of Thumb ~~
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Jefferson Airplane
Image from tonedeaf,com.au via Google Images
A few days back, I put up a video here of the Jefferson Starship. A blogger friend mentioned that he had always preferred them as the Airplane version. So, here is the Airplane, just for chuq…
Call to Battle by Nature’s H(e)art…. Image found without attribution.
I was going to rant today, freshly, but, in my archive cruising yesterday, I found this, which is just about what I had to say, anyway. It will do….
From 2/26/2013:
“We are going to have to find ways of organizing ourselves cooperatively,sanely, scientifically, harmonically and in regenerative spontaneity with the rest of humanity around the earth…. We are not going to be able to operate our spaceship earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common.” — Buckminster Fuller
Bucky said this some time around 1968 or 69; Google would know…. but I remember it well, as part of the argument that first convinced me of the imminence of the danger from overpopulation, pollution, climate change, and all of the other foolish, self-destructive behaviors in which our specie has engaged for millennia. The cumulative effects of all of these issues is approaching a flash point, a point that, quite possibly, may already have been reached, and passed, without anyone noticing….
Perhaps the worst example of the entire problem is the movie “An Unpleasant Truth” with former VP Al Gore narrating a summary of these issues, with all the then currently available evidence, all of which taken together was rather impressive, as well as unarguably accurate. In other words, it told the exact truth, and clearly….
I call this the worst example because this perfectly told truth of the matter was ridiculed, reviled, and dismissed, by the governments, and the public, one by ignoring it, and the other by refusing to listen, reacting instead to an unfortunate delivery style. Yet, every word Al spoke in this movie is true, and is being proved today, with the already extreme climate changes we are witnessing on a world-wide scale….
“What are the facts? Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretell,” avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable “verdict of history” — what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!” — Lazarus Long
Sadly, the stupids keep on decrying any changes have happened, and blithely ignore the warmer, dryer winters, the cooler, wetter summers, the shrinking polar ice (at BOTH poles!…), the instability in the biosphere, the tons of carbon monoxide, chemicals, and particulates being added into the atmosphere every second, and all of the other evidence that PROVES them wrong. It isn’t a matter of there not being any real evidence, it is a matter of the evidence being ignored, or challenged, that is proving to be the hardest obstacle to be overcome, if we are to survive beyond the next 100 years.
Yep, that’s my estimate, based on all the different estimates I’ve read about, the evidence I’ve examined, and my take on how society is dealing with all of it….. I don’t see the changes needed happening, not yet, nor is there much indication that a way to stop the assholes in power from their insane intransigence, and selfish hoarding of resources for their private use.
The atmosphere is almost full, and the balance of the gases and elements that make up the air we breathe is, WITHOUT FAIL, going to begin to change, eventually changing into air that will not support our life form, meaning, we won’t be able to breathe it; we will suffocate….. This process, well understood by science, has already begun, and will happen faster with each passing day, once it reaches a certain critical point…. That point, if not already reached, is not far off.
“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Lazarus Long
Now, I know there is hope, and that everyone who reads this will give me positive reasons for that hope…. and I agree with all of them. I don’t want to die, and I don’t want my children, or their children, to have to face the same issues in order to save themselves. To be completely honest, I’d much rather just shoot the motherfuckers who are causing all of it right now, and be done with it…..
Sadly, that won’t work, so we’ll have to figure out something else to do. I am not enough of a genius to be able to figure out exactly what that might be, though I have some ideas that would help, I’m sure. But, I’m not in a position now to have those ideas instituted, so they are moot, unless I can assume such a position….
Hope is, therefore, just about ALL I have left…..
gigoid has spoken
So be it.
********************************
I’m not sure, but, I may have used this recently. However, it fits in so well with today’s material, I made an executive (i.e. stupid & unpopular) decision, and will use it again today, whether it was used or not. So there. Try to enjoy it anyway, please?
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 ~~
********************************
Today’s final old-school pearl is pretty standard, but for the relatively obscure reputation of those quotes we’ve chosen for today. Most of them are from people nobody heard of, at least, not on the streets. But, they all have a valuable little idea to impart about Life (hence the icon, inverted) at Large, so, ’tis best to pay close attention, lest you miss that one thing that might just turn your life around…. if it needs to. If not, well, save it for when it does….. Enjoy!….
“He who receives a good turn should never forget it; he who does one should never remember it.” — Charron
“Men are rewarded and punished not for what they do, but rather for how their acts are defined. This is why men are more interested in better justifying themselves than in better behaving themselves.” — Thomas Szasz “The Second Sin”
“It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.” — Virginia Woolf
“A little hobgoblin fools consistent minds.” — Witty Bee
“In adversity remember to keep an even mind.” — Horace (8 BC)
“Nae man can tether time or tide.” — Robert Burns — Tam o’ Shanter
“To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child. For what is man’s lifetime unless the memory of past events is woven with those of earlier times?” — Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Orator
“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” — Oscar Wilde, “Oscariana”
“It seems that nature has concealed at the bottom of our minds, talents and abilities of which we are not aware. The passions alone have the privilege of bringing them to light, and of giving us sometimes views more certain and more perfect than art could possible produce.” — La Rochefoucauld
********************************
Okay, right. So, here is where I stamp your papers, and tell you your application for admission to Utopia has been rejected. Sorry, we’re full up, so, until somebody dies (doesn’t happen often; we’re immortal), you’re S.O.O.L…. which is the correct way to write that particular euphemist abbreviation. But no worries, I’ll be back tomorrow, when you may submit another; there’s no limit to how many times you may apply, as there is no limit to how often you will be rejected out of hand…. Hah! Take that, sultry poltroons! Oh, wait…. Sorry, forgot this wasn’t the Daffy Duck cartoon….
Never mind. I’ll see y’all tomorrow. unless one of you is successful in your assassination attempts…. Good luck with that; I’ve got a Tardis, so, how are you going to find me? That means, I’ll be here, regardless of the legality….
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.
Other than the fact I’ve been up now for six days, there’s no really good reason not to do this. Therefore, I’ll do it. I won’t, however, make any claims as to quality, or, for that matter, quantity. It’s here, it’s done, deal with it. I have to, so, you may as well. I’m also damn tired of coming up with new shit for this intro, so, fuck it. Let’s do this…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“It is the edge and temper of the blade that make a good sword, not the richness of the scabbard; and so it is not money or possessions that make man considerable, but his virtue.” — Seneca
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Antonio Vivaldi Image from 8tracks.com via Google Images
Today’s musical selection is, without doubt, my favorite single piece of classical music. When I worked the night shift, this concerto got me through more hours than any other piece… Enjoy!….
I’ve a fresh rant brewing, but, ’twasn’t done, and, besides, it’s been a tough night. I’ll sublimate, again, with a nice little discussion from the archives. Enjoy!….
From 4/17/2013:
“A thing is not proved because no one has ever questioned it…. Skepticism is the first step towards truth.” — Smart Bee
As I was cruising through Smart Bee this morning, looking for inspiration for section 3, I came across this little gem, unattributed. It sounds like it could have come from a number of different philosophers, all of whom are noted for their wisdom and perspicacity (another great word….). It is also a part of the human flaw that has contributed to many of the problems we face as a society, and as a species.
Actually, it might be more accurate to say that the lack of this in humans is part of the flaw; most people one talks to would not agree with this idea, as stated. In fact, it is directly opposed to the educational premises of many cultures, especially those heavily influenced by religions, such as those in Mexico, Central and South America, where Catholicism is a powerful factor in society, and in the governing of that society. India, and much of the Eastern Hemisphere, too, have societies that are heavily influenced by religion, though with more participant sects than is true in the Western Hemisphere; Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, to name a few, are always a contributing factor in the political events that have shaped history.
“The common dogma [of fundamentalists] is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence.” — G Gaia
As a result of this influence, many people tend to reject skepticism, as it doesn’t fit in with what they have been taught, which is to never question anything told to them by persons in positions of authority. Churches tend to encourage this sort of attitude, as their outrageous claims of divinity, and supernatural events performed by their deities, do not stand up well to scrutiny by an objective eye. The leaders of the churches thus play right into the hands of the Beloved Ruling Class, as they counsel their flocks to obey worldly, temporal authority as readily as they are conditioned to obey the secular variety…..
“I just stepped on a factoid!” – Zippy the Pinhead
Thankfully, not all of humanity is defenseless against this sort of conditioning. There are many ffolkes out there who don’t buy into the sort of psychological blackmail being promulgated by the preachers, priests, imams, and shamans of all shapes and sizes around the world, and a large number of them seem to end up blogging, right here on WordPress…. So, I end up preaching to the choir pretty often. But, that’s okay, too, because I know that occasionally, one of those folks who do believe in what they are told, without any questions or doubts, will read this, and, if nothing else, will think about what I’ve said…. Who knows, maybe I’ll go viral, and the whole world will remember that WE ALL ARE GODS?”…… (Remember? Axiom # 3…. “Thou art God, you know…. Let’s do lunch….)
“Youth of today! Join me in a mass rally for traditional mental attitudes!” — Zippy the Pinhead
I suppose that’s a note from my subconscious, to let me know I’ve gone far enough off the rails for now, and should let these good people get on with their lives, rather than wandering around in mine…. Goodness knows where we’ll end up…. So, anyway, just remember to cultivate your sense of doubt, your “crap detector”, as it were, and never, ever take anything “on authority”, without tangible proof…. You’ll find Life to be less confusing that way; certainly, it makes it a lot easier to look yourself in the mirror in the morning…..
“This is patently absurd; but whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.” — Bertrand Russell
********************************
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 ~~
Written 9/27/2012.
********************************
A slightly recalcitrant SB finally gave up a closing pearl for this one, an event it’s been putting off for twenty-some hours. I think it came out well; the final result makes the wait worthwhile for me. Enjoy, ffolkes….
“I must invent my own philosophical systems, or else be enslaved by other mens'” — William H. Blake
“I’m the one who’s got to die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” — Jimi Hendrix
“Is consciousness just a special form of hallucination?” — Frank Herbert
“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. ravel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.” — Louis L’Amour, Ride the Dark Trail
“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“All teachings are mere references. The true experience is living your own life. Then, even the holiest of words are only words.” — Deng Ming-Dao
I saw Eternity the other night,
Like a great ring of pure and endless light,
All calm, as it was bright;
And round beneath it,
Time in hours, days, years,
Driv’n by the spheres
like a vast shadow mov’d; in which the world
And all her train were hurl’d.
~~ Henry Vaughan ~~
~~ The World ~~
********************************
This one is another testament to stubbornness, as much as anything else. Nonetheless, it’s done, and that’s all I care about. Especially at almost 2 AM. I guess I’ll go get it posted, and see if maybe I can fall out for an hour…. Fat chance. I will, however, be back tomorrow, regardless of whether or not Fate allows me to gather Morpheus’s boon to my breast….. Who needs sleep? Apparently, not me….
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.
Psychedelic Pluto Filtered NASA Image from New Horizons Spaccraft via Space.com
Hajime…. This intro is being written under severe conditions of stress and danger; the only thing missing is the live fire. To go any further would require both a lack of tact, and, the proper certification of security clearances, so, we’ll just avoid any problems by not…. We will however, go directly to the oyster beds, as it’s a better defensive position from which to organize our resistance…. ‘Nuff said….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
********************************
Blues Traveler Image from leoweekly.com via Google Images
These guys are SICK! I mean that in a good way, of course. When they get to rockin’, which is generally from the first crashing note of their performances, all four musicians are focused and intense on making their music the way only they can. John Popper, lead singer and harmonica, is a virtuoso on his instrument, and sings with over-the-top emotional intensity that is gripping as well as compelling….. Fasten your belts, ffolkes, this is a great ride….
Due to the previously aforementioned conditions under which we are writing today, I’m going to the archives for a relatively short discussion of Reality…. Let’s see what I had to say back then…..
From 8/19/2012:
“It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had believed to be true since my earliest youth. And since that time, I have been convinced that I must once and for all seriously try to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and begin to build anew, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure for my beliefs.” — Rene Descartes, Meditations.
For some, reality is an illusion. — Smart Bee
Or, as I’ve said before, reality can be, and usually is, a slippery slope…. Philip K. Dick’s statement is still the best all-around attempt to describe the indescribable; he said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Perfect, as far as I can see; I’m near-sighted physically, but I can see a very long way when I close my eyes…..
At the same time, Mssr. Descartes most famous declaration on the subject, “Cogito, ergo sum,” (I think, therefore, I am) remains the most eloquent and complete logical proof that Dittoheads do not exist, at least not in the reality of anyone who reasons. ‘Tis unfortunate indeed that such folk occupy actual space in consensual reality, but, then, I’m not in charge of anything outside my own mind, technically…..
“Therefore, be ye lamps unto yourselves, be a refuge to yourselves. Hold fast to Truth as a lamp; hold fast to the truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone beside yourselves. And those, who shall be a lamp unto themselves, shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding fast to the Truth as their refuge, they shall reach the topmost height.” — Buddha
Trust Buddha to find the heart of the matter, and point the way to an answer of how to keep reality in perspective, thus allowing ourselves the greatest amount of space and time to adjust ourselves accordingly, since adjusting ourselves is all we can really do to reality. A sure path to insanity is to believe that anything other than ourselves can be changed by our own power. We can only “hold fast to Truth” and accept the rest with as much serenity as we can muster…..
“The real in us is silent; the acquired is talkative.” — Kahlil Gibran
On that note, we will bring this to a close…. it’s probably as close as we can get to a true mutual understanding of reality, so any further discussion would border on superfluousness. (I can’t believe it! Spellchecker says that I spelled that right!…. Now I KNOW it’s time to close this….) Stay real, my friends…..
********************************
Unheralded Sagacity…
To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.
Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.
Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.
No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.
Illumination…..
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 4/17/2013.
********************************
Nice icons, eh? I thought a bit of new would go well for an old-school seven-star pearl that just meanders along, talking of life, and stuff…. I like it, and, it’s done, so, there….
Do everything with a mind that lets go.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world will have come to an end.
~~ Achaan Chah ~~
“Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so.” — David Grayson
“Being generous is inborn; being altruistic is a learned perversity. No resemblance …” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”
“I would far rather be ignorant than wise in the foreboding of evil.” — Aeschylus — Suppliants, 453
There is no limit to stupidity. Space itself is said to be bounded by its own curvature, but stupidity continues beyond infinity.” — Gene Wolfe
“Live dangerously and you live right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust (1806)
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” — Francis Bacon
********************************
Well, it got done; I won’t say, ‘I did it’, because I’m not completely certain I should claim it. I’ll decide that later, I suppose. For now, I’m going to count my chickens, and steal away into my tents…. or, something like that. I’m also going now, but, I’ll be back tomorrow, to try again to get this right….
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.
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
~~ Philip K. Dick ~~
The Art of Zen Sleeping
Hajime…. In my opinion, the above definition of Reality is the best ever uttered, by anyone, anytime. But, then, Philip K. Dick spent much of his life in an epic battle with Reality, as his own mind tended to go into some strange landscapes, not all of which seemed under his complete control. His work, some fifty-plus novels, run the gamut from terrible to insanely brilliant, and all are good stories. If you stop to think hard about his words, you will see for yourself how accurately he nailed the concept.
Now, dammit, I’m stuck. The first paragraph is too deeply philosophical, if short, to continue pursuing in the intro. Hell, I probably already lost half the first group of Gentle Readers, even if I realized what was up, and faded at the end. I hate to go back & start over; it’s not THAT bad. Oh, wait…. I know. I’ll do this. Watch.
Cool, eh? What? Well, damn; it didn’t work. Oh, well, it was worth a shot, and, no, I’m not going to tell you what it was, because it wasn’t. Much as we like to tease Reality around here, we don’t fuck with the bottom line like that. We will, however, go off on some other tangent, since that one never took place. I hate when THAT happens, too… Don’t you? Oh. Never mind.
Where am I? I won’t say, where was I, because, as you have already observed, I haven’t been anywhere but right here, messing about inside my own head (and getting pretty lost, too….). Fortunately, we’re not on a deadline, not with a Tardis in the garage. But, I suppose we should probably get on with the slow, before it falls apart before we even start. (It may already be too late; that happens….) Why don’t we all grab our beverages, take our seats, and I’ll have Guido (Luigi’s alternate) take us out to the oyster beds…. You might enjoy this; Guido’s a real professional…. It says so right on his resumé….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Diligence increaseth the fruit of toil. A dilatory man wrestles with losses.” — Hesiod (c. 700 BC) — Works and Days, Line 412
********************************
I found today’s musical selection while searching out the selections from the two days prior this one. I’m also taking a risk, as I have yet to listen to this; it will be as new to me as to you. I do remember when Jerry was playing with ‘and Friends’, and, with Doug and Leon sitting in, I believe it shows good promise as something special. Enjoy!….
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Doug Sahm, Leon Russell, Jerry Garcia and Friends – Thanksgiving Jam – 11/23/72
“I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: ‘The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that’s fair.’ In these words he epitomized the history of the human race.” — Bertrand Russell, Education and the Social Order
Boy howdy, I sure wish it wasn’t almost 1 AM, and, I was at least minimally coherent. Hell, I’d take semi-conscious, at this point. If I were any of those, I might be able to put together a pretty decent rant, given the most excellent starting point offered up by Mr. Russell, using is as a springboard to take some rather nasty shots at the Asininnies. However, all of the above is true, or, all of it is not true; in either case, I’m not very coherent, if that hasn’t been made obvious to this point.
In these situations, y’all know what to expect, I’d guess. Yep. Another rant from the archives, this time from a little over two years ago, when Pearls were constructed differently than now…. What is below was one of three sections, the one which eventually evolved into the ranting section you see today…. Well, when you do see it. For today, this will have to do. I’ll let y’all know when, or, if, I ever get to sleep again…. Enjoy!….
From 3/11/2013:
“The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinesses, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked “Am I my brother’s son?” God asked Abraham to sacrifice Issac on Mount Montezuma. Jacob, son of Issac, stole his brother’s birthmark. Jacob was a partiarch who brought up his twelve sons to be partiarchs, but they did not take to it. One of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites.” — Richard Lederer, The world According to Student Bloopers
I would say, given what I know about people in general, this litany of errors on the part of students represents one of mankind’s best efforts at getting to the core of the issues in their religious philosophies…. NOT….. As is obvious, that was merely my attempt at a poor joke, an unnecessary one, as it turns out, as people tend to be a lot funnier, in reality, than I can ever make them in my imagination…. You see, this short paragraph, to me, makes as much sense as the story that the churches themselves are trying to get me to believe…. In some ways, it makes MORE sense than the official version, especially the last line…. But, I digress….
” It makes no difference who you vote for–the two parties are really one party representing 4 percent of the people.” — Gore Vidal
How’s that for a 180 degree turn? From religion bashing to the irony of political truth, in one swell foop…. Since that same four percent of people represented by the politicians includes the folks who engage in religion at the top levels (NOT the constituency; the politicians regard them as both tucker, and fodder….), I figure that it might be fun to lump them all together for a change…. I usually try to keep them separate while taking my shots, but, they do tend to work together, so I thought it wouldn’t be inappropriate to have them share some of the wealth I’m spreading around….
“If God were female, do you REALLY think men would exist?” — Smart Bee
Well, actually, I do, because, well, logically, she’d HAVE to? What point would there be in being female, without a male to torment? Of course, many, if not all, of the other issues we have today to occupy our time would not have ever become issues, as a female god wouldn’t have allowed that kind of shit in her house….. To me, this only goes to show that God, should such an entity exist, is probably neither male, nor female; just as likely, it is both at once, as the rest of the universe tends to be arranged in a duality of natural form and function, and it only makes sense that the creating entity would reflect that duality….
“If a lie is repeated often enough all the dumb jackasses in the world not only get to believe it, they even swear by it.” — B.B. Franklin
Now, here is a piece of insight into human nature that most will admit is all too true for comfort. It is an old piece of knowledge, and well known to both the proponents of the God-theory, and by the Beloved Ruling Class, those lovingly solicitous self-appointed leaders of society…. Both groups are well versed in the use of lying to suit their own purposes, and know full well that the average person, upon hearing something told to them by either a member of the clergy, or a talking head on TV, one wearing a suit, and standing in front of a flag, will blindly accept what they are told, without ever examining it for veracity, or even asking themselves why they are being told at all…. They just say, “Duh, okay boss,” and go about what they believe to be their own life, ignorant of how little of it is actually under their own control….
“For me, all I can do is spit in the eye of my fears by living each day with as much passion and commitment as possible to what truly counts, such as love and justice. To give the into the fear and hopelessness would be to declare defeat, something I am not ready to do while there is still the will to struggle. — Lawrence Paradis
Here is the answer, the one that, sadly, 95% of humanity will never even hear; if they did hear it, they probably wouldn’t recognize it as their salvation, anyway. I know, that’s a bit harsh in judgment of my fellow man, but, in my thus far relatively long life, I’ve yet to see very many of them who have the wit to wipe their own drool, much less understand how they are responsible for their own misery and pain, by allowing unscrupulous con men to control them at every turn.
But, as the pearl says, I’m not ready to quit seeking love and justice, by trying to get folks, and ffolkes, to see how the people they believe are ethical, have been lying and cheating and controlling them their whole life, and not for the benefit of anyone but themselves. So far, I’ve only managed to preach to the choir, but, eventually, my message will get passed around to a wider audience…. We’ll see then how the truth fares against the lies they spread so thickly…..
“It’s easier said than done. … and if you don’t believe it, try proving that it’s easier done than said, and you’ll see that it’s easier said that `it’s easier done than said’ than it is done, which really proves that it’s easier said than done.” — Smart Bee
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Sometimes, I really hate software…. I wrote a poem last night, but, apparently, when I closed the program in which I wrote it, it didn’t save it, and I had not already copied it into the Poetry folder…. So, it’s gone. I’m so pissed; it wasn’t bad, I thought. For now, this one will have to do….
Blithely Untitled
A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.
Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.
Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.
Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.
Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 2/7/2014
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This is an odd little pearl, the introduction to which was also lost to the aforementioned software failure. S’okay, this one doesn’t require a lot of introduction, anyway. It’ll speak for itself, so to speak….. Enjoy!….
Birth is pain,
Death is pain,
Beauty is pain.
~~ The Final Conflict ~~
“Tell the truth, and so puzzle and confound your adversaries.” — Sir Henry Wotton
“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.” — C. G. Jung
“Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing….Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.” — Lao Tze
“The truth is, laughter always sounds more perfect than weeping. Laughter flows in a violent riff and is effortlessly melodic. Weeping is often fought, choked, half strangled, or surrendered to with humiliation.” — Anne Rice, Taltos
“Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself, for he shall never cease to be entertained.” — John Powell
“How did the great rivers and seas gain dominion over the hundred lesser streams? By being lower than they.” — Lao Tzu
“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head-bowings in prayer.” — Saddi
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sun rise.
~~ William Blake ~~
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There are days this process is much more work than others; today, that was certainly so. But, it’s done, so, we’ll take it and run. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, sleep, or no sleep. If it’s anything like the last five days, that’s a negatory, big buddy…. That’s negatory on the the sleep; I’ll be back, regardless….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 