“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.
Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue.”
~~ Barry Goldwater ~~
Violet Moore & sons, circa 1917….
Image from the Moore Family archives….
Hajime…. The people you see in the above photo are my relatives, to wit: My grandmother, my father, and his younger brother, one of two he had. When the photo was taken, I believe my grandfather was still off fighting in WWI, somewhere in Europe. I love it, and not just because they’re my ‘people’, as they’d say in the South. It’s a great snapshot of the time, & given the personal connection, tells me a lot about the people who are in it. In particular, though I didn’t know her until much later in her life, the expression on my grandmother’s face tells me a story, and enhances what I know of her, with her kindness, humor, and patience obvious for anyone with wit to see….
As an old fart with broken emotions, just looking at this picture makes me a little weepy, but, in a good way. I guess the old saw among women, regarding tears, is true; some tears are happy tears, that come when one feels so much love, it has to come out, and the tears are how they can be shared. Maybe it’s not true, but, it feels true…. So be it. It’s family, and needs no excuse for love to be felt…
I guess such an emotional opening rather limits the direction we can take from here. Rather than try to find one that will efficiently segue into the material below, I’ll just use the “fade away” method to move us along to where we need to go. Such indulgence isn’t at all normal, but, when have we ever worried about being normal? To be honest, I wouldn’t know quite how to react if anyone ever accused me of being so… but, that’s another story, for another time. For now, we’ll just do this, and be done with it….
Shall we Pearl?….
“But first, are you experienced?”
~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~
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I spent a lot of time this morning, pre-pearl, to write a friend to whom I owed a letter; unfortunately, this pushed me over into time I needed to spend to get this done. The end result of this is not having the time to… wait a minute! I’ve got a Tardis! What was I thinking? Okay, never mind. We’ve got classical music today, simply because I like it. Deal with it; I must, and so must y’all…. Try to enjoy it, anyway… It is, after all, some of the best music ever played, y’know?….
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Mozart Symphonies 1-20
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Confidentially Paranoid
Only when the bright sunlight of dreams draws nigh
can the dark glass of reality factor true value..
Destiny’s horses run in fear as time goes dry,
for grappling with fate in such traitorous venue.
In pallid costumes made of graven cast-off tales,
fallen angels and demons show the measure of faith.
No sad transactions should escape these well-marked trails,
no angry relatives cast insults to a sedentary wraith.
Meaning can always hide in literal cold intent,
yet show mere facets of honor to perishable youth.
Sincere contentions leave with sorrowful bent,
while bastardly arguments fill in poorly for the truth.
Gone are moments filled with florid blasts of rhyme
left to molder on the shoulders of unreasonable hope.
Only courage can save these measures of unspoken time
to gather new issues, powerfully broad, painful in scope.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/25/2015
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Naked Pearls
Fun with Karma….
*******
“…The Universe is thronged with fire and light,
And we but smaller suns, which, skinned, trapped and kept
Enshrined in blood and precious bones, hold back the night.”
~~ Ray Bradbury ~~
*******
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
*******
“Everyone who lives dies, but not everyone who dies has lived.”
~~ No Fear ~~
*******
“You can’t just feel happy; to feel anything you have to feel everything.”
~~ Callan Williams ~~
*******
“If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“We’re tossed by the winds of fate, Maggie Mae.
Once we end where they blow us, we make of ourselves what we will.”
~~ Niall Feeney, in Nora Roberts’ “Born In Fire” ~~
*******
“It’s so much more friendly with two.”
~~ Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
*******
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Well, there you go… or, rather, there ’tis. Done, and done in time, if not comfort. So far today, I’ve written a long letter, had two cuppas, and faked a routine. I’ve also completed a Pearl, for what it’s worth. To me, it’s worth what I paid for it, if nothing else. Y’all will have to make up your own minds as to whether the cost was worth it, or not. Me, I’m outta here. Of course, I’ll be back, but, I don’t want to scare anybody…. See ya, ffolkes….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,
it would be a merrier world.”
~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~
Random Government Building, Belfast, Ireland
Hajime…. The Pearl you’ll see today is a rush job, the natural result of being incredibly late in starting today. Since the reason has to do with the amount of sleep I got, (for a change, plenty), my only response is to feel the rush, without the urgency, because, hey, sleep, right? I could have arisen at a usual hour (3 or 4 AM), but, was able to turn over and sleep until I was done, an event of major proportion around here. Yay for me, and now we’re done with the excuses.
I’ll warn y’all now; I have no idea what will happen below. I’ve got zilch finished, so, it will all be the quickest work I can devise, whether from the archives, or, forced out of SB with no mercy. I’ll use the whip, if necessary, but, it WILL get done. So be it. To assist with this goal, the intro will be as truncated as I can make it. How truncated will it be? Just this much….
Shall we Pearl?….
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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You guessed it. We’re going default for music, just because we can. I’ll pick one with a nice picture, and be done with it. Abondanza!….
As intimated in the intro so strongly, we’re hitting the archives again today for our ranting material. I don’t know yet what kind it will be, but, we’ll try for a bit of either humor, or snark. Let’s see what we can find today….
From 2/24/2013:
“Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.” — Adam Smith
This is so true, I want to shout it out from the rooftops…. It is the kind of insight that leads to jokes like “Lord, protect me from the works of thy followers.” which are so prevalent in our society. We’ve all witnessed the excesses of fanaticism at times, and, I’m sure, have suffered indignity of some sort at their hands at some point in our lives. Nobody escapes it, as such fanaticism is like having roaches; they are impossible to completely eradicate. Of course, there are methods of killing roaches that are foolproof (placing them in a complete vacuum, for example), but it means killing off the entire species , and the rest of us would doubtless find objections to that scenario…..
“It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” — Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
These simple minded fools who become fanatics, whether it is over their country, their religion, their race, or their collection of plastic flamingos, all suffer from the same lack of courage as Piglet describes here. In their case, it isn’t because they lack the ability to be “larger”, like Piglet, but because their minds see themselves as “small”, in relation to all they don’t understand, and this gives them the same sense of constant fearfulness that comes with never knowing when some larger creature will notice you, and eat you, or not notice you, and crush you under foot, with careless indifference….
“Again, our observations of the stars make it evident, not only that the earth is circular, but also that it is a circle of no great size. For quite a small change of position to south or north causes a manifest alteration of the horizon. There is much change, I mean, in the stars which are overhead, and the stars seen are different, as one moves northward or southward. …All of which goes to show not only that the earth is circular in shape, but that it is a sphere of no great size: for otherwise the effect of so slight a change of place would not be so quickly apparent. Hence, one should not be too sure of the incredibility of the view of those who conceive that there is a continuity between the parts about the pillars of Hercules [the strait of Gibraltar] and the parts about India, and that in this way the ocean is one.” — Aristotle, De Caelo, Fourth Century B.C.
As a consequence of all that fear, most of the folks who assume fanatical stances refuse to see, or perceive, as much as they possibly can, and this includes reading, or watching, or listening to things that challenge the truth of what they have chosen to believe. The things they DO choose to believe never challenge them to think, or to go outside their comfort zone in any way; any such suggestion is viewed with anger, mistrust, and fearful rejection, no matter how nonthreatening it may be to normals…. If it doesn’t fit into their narrow little view of things, it is evil, and not to be trusted, in their minds, or what passes for one….
As the quote from Aristotle shows, mankind’s knowledge of the natural world has grown beyond the guesses and speculation that are rampant in the ancient writings about religion, and, thankfully, most of the world is able to understand, and accept the facts in question. It is only those whose fear of the universe is such that they cling to outdated, misguided systems of belief that, though they offer comfort to their preconceptions and misapprehensions, have nothing to do with the real world on any level. And, damned if they don’t get upset, and violent, when those misapprehensions are challenged in any way!…. Idiots….
Sorry, I get disgusted sometimes, especially when I think about those assholes who encourage the idiots, i.e., the priests, preachers, and other members of the priestly hierarchies…. I regard them as the WORST of humanity, in complete lock-step and purpose with that other group of reprehensible semi-humans, the BRC, or 1%, as they’re known these days in the news. The entire purpose of the religious institutions on this planet is to provide behavioral control of the population to the ruling classes, under the guise of religion, by manipulating the masses of believers into following whatever dictates the ones in power may come up with, in order to receive their heavenly rewards…. I swear, it’s the biggest, longest running scam in history….
I’ve already gone a bit overboard here, and really haven’t begun to roll with my indictment/rant yet. Since this is the last pearl for today, I’ll stop here, and just say this…. There are a lot of really stupid people on this planet, as well as a great many good, intelligent, compassionate ffolkes…. but, the money, and the power, reside with a very small number, with representatives from both groups, and as far as I can see, most of them are bat shit crazy, in the sense that they don’t care at all about any of the rest of humanity, as long as they get theirs….. We, the intelligentsia, are perhaps the only hope left to the world before it is too late…. Only if enough of us rise up and throw their sorry asses into the pits will we have a chance of seeing another millennium on our calendar…. THAT is a fact, not a guess; the evidence is there for anyone to see….
So, wake up, ffolkes, and folks, because the day is coming when you will wish you had listened to people like me…..
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This poem is either the first, or second poem I wrote in 2012, after a 35 year hiatus from writing any at all. I hope you enjoy it….
A Failure to Germinate
Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.
Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.
Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.
I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.
My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.
Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
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Naturally, Smart Bee goes on strike, just when I need it most. Go figure. Fortunately, for me, I’ve got archives, and a lot of ’em, to boot. Here’s one now….
From 2/23/2013:
“I represent a sardine!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
At this point, after reading that line, you might just be wondering if I’ve slipped my leash again…. and, you’d be justified in that thought. However, rest assured, I’m perfectly sane, if somewhat metaphorically, so it’s all good, right? Right…..
Now, such a bald statement from our old pal is liable to make one think at first that he is either kidding (not bloody likely….), or he is currently having hallucinatory delusions of being a seafood lawyer, or fish solicitor, as my British friends would say. While both of those are possible scenarios, similar in nature to Zippy’s previous episodes of verbal gymnastics, neither is correct in this instance, as I happen to know that he is teaching a lesson in metaphorical manipulation, or, as it is commonly known, lying his ass off, to keep you preoccupied while he is doing something else he doesn’t want you to see, or know about…. He’s tricky that way….
I suppose he might be trying to tell us he is a theatrical/literary agent of some sort, and has a sardine who a) has written the next best seller, entitled “The Truth About Tuna”, an exposé of the fishing industry, b) has a voice like Pavarotti, c) juggles three seahorses while riding a motorized wheelchair, or d) paints incredibly lifelike pictures of cruise ships, from an underwater view…. He might, if that is what he meant, but, it isn’t…. It is all just a distraction, a hullabaloo to draw your attention away from his real purpose, which has to do with several cases of motor oil, a rag-time band, two Senators, and a motel out on Route 666….. You really don’t want to know, now, do you?
No, really, ffolkes, I had a reason to show Zippy’s little gem off today, and it was really a good one…. So, it’s really too bad that, by the time I finished with the second paragraph above, I completely lost track of whatever it was I had to say about it….. That, of course, is embarrassing, but not as much as having to turn tail, right in the middle of a pearl, or what SHOULD have been a pearl, and go old school, just to save my ass from complete well, asininity (what else?….)….
So, here is what Smart Bee came up with, and taken together, the pearls all DO have a point…. just don’t ask me what it is, because even if I knew, I don’t think I can be trusted today to say it correctly, or even interpret it accurately…. So, you’re kind of on your own…. Don’t worry, they’re all safe, just pointed a little….Enjoy!….
“Look under enough rocks and you’ll find _something_ slimy” — Smart Bee
“And gentle Dulness ever loves a joke.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Dunciad, Book ii, Line 34
“Don’t edit reality for the sake of simplicity.” — Smart Bee
“No people do so much harm as those who go about doing good.” — Mandell Creighton
“A thief believes everybody steals.” — E.W. Howe
“I have a feeling that at any time about three million Americans can be had for any militant reaction against law, decency, the Constitution, the Supreme Court, compassion and the rule of reason.” — John Kenneth Galbraith
“My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.” — George Bernard Shaw
Well, there you have it, such as it is…. Ta then, luvs…..
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Having managed to hit the golden mean for today, I’m going to be as succinct as I can here at the end. It may be the quickest Pearl ever created, but, it’s not bad, considering. I’m going to trust the process again, & go get it posted before I lose my nerve. Y’all have a good one, ffolkes; I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some fresher material. You may count on two things; one, I’ll be here; two, I’ll be here…. Sounds solid to 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.
“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.”
~~ The Beatles ~~
White’s Tavern ~~ Belfast, Northern Ireland
~~ Est. 1630 A.D. ~~
Boy, it would sure be nice to be in White’s Tavern, sipping a pint of pilsner or ale, with perhaps some bangers & mash for lunch…. ‘Twould be much simpler, and more comfortably lucrative, than sitting here trying to plumb the empty depths of my mind for a new intro section technique, or method, or template, or ANYFUCKINGTHING that would help to get this done each morning, without my having to go through this bullshit…. Grrrr!
Oh, well, such is life in the blog world. Now I’ve vented, we can get on with this….. I’m not going to fuss around with it today; this paragraph is the last you’ll see in this section, guaranteed. I’ll make that so if I have to hijack the entire vehicle, to get it out of here before we turn to stone. In light of that goal, I see it’s time to get ruthless, a condition I’m beginning to enjoy…. Let’s cut this even shorter, okay? Luigi, number four, if you please…. Hang tight, ffolkes, it’s now, or never….
Shall we Pearl?
“At the back of our brains, so to speak, there was a forgotten blaze or burst of astonishment at our own existence. The object of the artistic and spiritual life was to dig for this submerged sunrise or wonder; so that a man sitting in a chair might suddenly understand that he was actually alive, and be happy.” — G.K. Chesterton
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Yesterday, a name floated up out of the depths of memory; Norman Blake. I had not thought of him, or his music, for over 45 years., and have no idea why it surfaced now; I was trying to remember the name of another guitarist (which still escapes me at this moment…). Now I’ve refreshed my memory, I have to wonder why I forgot him, for I’ve missed out on a lot of good music over the years for having done so…. Enjoy, ffolkes… If all works the way it’s supposed to, the player should play for you 200 videos of his work, including some live cuts with other great bluegrass and folk guitarists, as well as all of the other instruments in a string band….
“Why waste time learning when ignorance is instantaneous?” — Calvin and Hobbes
Why indeed? In today’s world, this question is one I believe 99% of the people alive would answer in the affirmative, agreeing it is too much trouble to expend effort, when lying, cheating, and denial are rewarded so frequently by the system in which we find ourselves living…. Our world, as it works today, rewards dishonesty far more than its opposite; that is the entire premise of the banking industry, upon which all the rules of accounting, and business theory, are predicated…. Hell, it doesn’t stop there; our entire culture is one in which all the worst facets of human nature are of more survival value than any virtue… Bigotry, racism, dishonesty, elitism, all have become the characteristics of those who would be considered the leaders of our society….
Why, you may ask, do I make such claims? Simple…. there’s too much supporting evidence to doubt it. Our culture has been usurped by those who live by the sword, and the staff. They do so because most people are too lazy, or too fearful, or too ignorant, or too weak-willed to take responsibility for their OWN actions and/or beliefs; moreover, they say NOTHING when they see injustice happening in front of their eyes, slipping quickly into denial, or, deliberate ignorance, in order to sustain their (mistaken) self-image, as promoted by the leaders, and their sycophants, the priestly hierarchies…. i.e. those religious dogmatists who train the minds of the weak to accept whatever they’re told, or suffer the agonies of Hell….
Thus, we now live in what is essentially the same type of society that has prevailed throughout all of history, to wit: an oligarchy, with the rich and powerful making the laws to suit themselves, as supported by the governments, and the religions, and the police and military, all of whom perform the bidding of their corporate masters, in order to maintain the illusions so successfully fed to the ignorant, unwashed masses, who do not, for the most part, ever realize they are slaves…
I began this rant(ish) piece yesterday; this morning, I find little to add, but for some advice on how to help change things… You see, none of this shit happening today is ever going to stop, unless the people in the world who understand the problem get off their asses, and do something about the assholes who are fucking it all up for the rest of us…. Unfortunately, the necessary actions to do so are of the type so often used by those self-same assholes, to wit, force, or violence, which is anathema to a nature that understands the Truth of Life. Yet, I can see no other way, unless, for some reason, all those people realize the assholes can only do what they do WITH OUR COMPLICIT, TACIT APPROVAL.
So, the answer, it seems lies in refusing to cooperate with them…. deny them, resist them, question them, and never ever do as they tell you to do, unless you do so to insinuate into a position of more influence, so as to better apply the tools of resistance, from within their own bureaucracy…. In short, guerrilla tactics, striking at the basis of their lies, to bring truth to the people…. Once the mass of humanity understands the problem, the elitists KNOW they will be overwhelmed, no matter how many guns they have. If ALL the people rose up, to deny, to laugh at them, to refuse to do their bidding, they would have no basis on which to rest their power, and it would all collapse around them….
It’s not the best, or fastest way, but, laughter, and civil disobedience are powerful weapons, in the hands of the PEOPLE. Act only from right thoughts, love your brothers and sisters, and refuse to comply with their insanity…. The whole house of cards upon which their rule is based will fall down, in the lightest of breezes, brought to life by the laughter of the people…. Then, perhaps, we can start to repair the damage to our home, and get on with our true destiny, to reach for the stars….
There, how was that? A rant that didn’t end badly, and even gives positive instructions on how to end the nonsensical world in which we are currently living…. A much brighter, happier world is within our grasp, and, I, for one, can’t wait to get started building it…. I think I’m going to build my new life on Mars, or perhaps, Titan, the moon of Saturn where Man may build a new home, provided we can survive long enough to get there…. I can’t wait….
Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees.
~~ Alexander Pope ~~
~~ Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 271 ~~
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In 2013 I participated, minimally, in the National Poetry Writing Month challenge, to write a poem each day of the month. It’s going on this year, as well, but, I didn’t feel like getting into it, being preoccupied with events in the BBR as I am. The poem I’ve included today is apparently the first one I wrote for the challenge; after, I’ve composed a new haiku, just for fun…. Enjoy, if possible…. just a little humor in the poetry section, y’know?….
Serendipity Morning
My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.
Love hovers, always patient,
seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..
~~ gigoid ~~
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One Step
The road calls my feet;
anticipating freedom.
To walk in the world.
~~ gigoid ~~
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Just a bit of whimsy to end the day’s madness, eh? Well, maybe just a little more than a bit…. No worries, ffolkes, none of this will be on the test, though, I’m thinking it’d be a good one to bring with you on the day….
“A graceful taunt is worth a thousand insults.” — Louis Nizer
“A door is something you’re on the wrong side of when you’re too short to reach the knob. When you are tall enough to reach the knob, a door is something you have left open if it’s supposed to be closed, or closed if it’s supposed to be open. You can’t win. Whichever you do, you have done it wrong. So close all open doors and open all closed doors. You will still be wrong but you will be busy.” — Robert Paul Smith
“A cat’s worst enemy is a closed door.” — Smart Bee
“I guess we were all guilty, in a way. We all shot him, we all skinned him, and we all got a complimentary bumper sticker that said, “I helped skin Bob.” — Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
“Aha! Pronoun trouble!” — Daffy Duck
“God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent- it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks, please. Cash, and in small bills.” — Lazarus Long
“Bother!”, said Pooh, as Piglet covered both hands with Crisco & smiled….
“If I could believe that this was said sincerely, I could put up with anything.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Act i, Sc. 2, 96, (176.)
“If all is not lost, then where is it?” — Smart Bee
“I don’t see no p’ints about that frog that’s any better’n any other frog.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910), The Celebrated Jumping Frog
“This was no bowling accident! Those are shark bites!” — Aquaman, 1957, vol 3, issue 24
“Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtaxed.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oh.
Whoops…. I guess I’m done now…. Whew! Sometimes, I think it might be a good idea to put a bit of discipline into my life….
Nah! Okay, one final word, the perfect closing line for this one….
“Mister! Here’s your mule!” — Smart Bee
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Since everything in this pearl, save the poem, is fresh, including the haiku, I’m going to declare it done, before even proofing. I can do that on the fly, and, I’m a bit late, so, it will have to do…. I’m not entirely certain as to the quality of what just transpired, but, I’m trusting to the flow to make it right…. Sure, that’ll work…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. I know, a bit optimistic, but, hey, it all adds to the illusion, 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.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he realized Piglet was indeed the essence of Chaotic Evil.
As unbelievable as it may seem at first, this is exactly how I feel this morning. Oh, not to worry, Piglet isn’t here, so I don’t have to bother about that, but, I know just how frustrated and surprised Pooh felt when it became clear just what those late night episodes with Piglet meant…. it’s a bummer, to say the least.
The problem is, I have absolutely no reason to feel any such emotions right now…. Oh, there are the usual number of worrisome events going on in my life, the kind that are always threatening to occur, but, nothing that should cause the degree of fear and anxiety that is sweeping through me as I write, and, as has plagued me since getting started today….
Ah, gotta love this mental illness, it’s such a joy. To awaken in the grip of diffuse anxiety, and unreasoning, unspecified fear, with tears, ready to flow, sitting behind the eyes, adding the pressure of filled sinuses to the catalog of the day’s events…. So, you can add a runny nose to all that is bugging me right now, just for good measure….
The pisser remains that I have no good reason to feel like this, in truth; it’s all a gift from my unconscious, which has apparently decided to continue punishing me for allowing myself to become broken, by the work that I did for so long…. I don’t know why it is still so upset; the choice at the time was either to go to work for the state, taking care of the mentally ill, or to go into the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines (shudder….) and get carted off to play soldier in the jungles of Southeast Asia….
I didn’t use heroin, so I had no investment in fighting over there that at the behest of the government, to protect THEIR drug interests, and had no intention of falling into the trap of lies they told the public, all about how Communism would overrun the West Coast if we didn’t go over there to fight them gooks….. I have no problem with the armed services, only with the illegal use of them for the private interests of the politicians, who lied to the public, both about why the war was necessary, and about why we needed to go there to fight. Since it WAS all lies, I had no compunctions about refusing to participate in it…. Of course, they’re still at it, but that’s another story, for another day….
A lot of my peers went, though, and suffered the hell of being in extreme danger for long periods of time, eventually becoming depressed by their experience in such numbers that the old term “combat fatigue”, around since World War I and II, used to describe how people react to long-term immersion in situations of life-threatening danger, evolved into a new psychiatric diagnosis, called PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…..
It is a condition with which I can empathize, as well as sympathize, as I fell prey to its depredations in my own work, with dangerously violent mentally ill individuals, who lacked any and all control of their actions, resorting to violence on a regular and frequent basis to achieve their wants and needs…. It doesn’t take bullets flying through the air to make a person afraid for their life, believe me….
Any who, that’s all in the past, but, it does reach out to slap me down now and again, and today is one of those days… I have a lot to do, out in the real world, so, I’m once again blazing new trails in blogging…. This is all I’m posting today…. just the intro section, and then a teaser for each of the three sections that normally would follow…. I’m so….. fraught, I guess, is the right word…. I’m so fraught with anxiety and distress right now, I don’t even have the wherewithal to use archived material, so, rather than cheat more, I’ll just post again tomorrow, and hope that I still have a Gentle Reader or two out there, hoping to find another pearl of virtual wisdom….
Shall we NOT Pearl?…..
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“One of the merits of democracy is quite obvious: it is perhaps the most charming form of government ever devised by man. The reason is not far to seek. It is based on propositions that are palpably not true — and what is not true, as everyone knows, is always immensely more fascinating and satisfying to the vast majority of men than what is true.” — H. L. Mencken
Tomorrow, I will use this quote by Mr. Mencken as either the basis for a rant (for which it is eminently suited…), or as one of a fine, lustrous old-school pearl on the subject of politics and government, or, as we say around here, we’ll take a few shots at the BRC…. I’m almost looking forward to it….
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Here, I’ll post a poem…. duh!
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“The belief that there is only one truth and that oneself is in possession of it seems to me the deepest root of all evil that is in the world.” — Max Born, physicist
Boy, if this isn’t another fine rant, waiting to be written…. It almost makes me want to throw off this depression, and start writing…. But, since I still can’t seem to go five minutes without tears starting to flow, we’ll just go on to another day…. Sorry, ffolkes, I hate when this happens, but, it’s best to get past it before I do something stupid, which, as you know, is anathema to my soul….
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That’s all I’ve got today, brothers and sisters…. Again, my apologies, or, if I haven’t offered them yet, here they are…. Sorry ’bout that, but, I just don’t have it today, and don’t feel like pretending I do, as is often the case…. I’m going to go let it go now, and go finish crying, so maybe I can get on with the rest of the day without further embarrassment…. If I can find any pride left, I’ll see y’all tomorrow…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you….
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
Ffolkes,
Try as I might, I don’t have it in me, much as I wish I did…. what it might be, well, your guess is as good as mine. I’m often struck in the mornings at how empty is the mind at low tide….. Then, I wake up, and it all seems so pointless. Well, maybe not pointless, but confusing, anyway. Of course, I’m used to confusion…. it sometimes seems as if confusion is a state I never leave. But, it all adds up after a while, and even if I knew what I was speaking of, I probably wouldn’t have a good way to describe it….. Nor would you….
There, hows’ that for pointless? Just thought, or rather, felt, today needed a bit of insanity at the start, just so we don’t lose track of what is important…. which is maintaining at least a semblance of normality, at least long enough to get past the social worker’s visit at noon. Why, you may ask, is a social worker coming to visit?….. I don’t know, I guess they’re worried that I’m going too crazy here by myself, and want to see if I need a companion to live with me…. Actually, that’s a lie…. there’s no social worker coming over, and I’m not in any social need…. I just made it up, because it seemed to fit the way the paragraph was headed. Then, I realized, there’s no justification for a SW, and no plot reason I can make up quick enough, so, I gave up, and told you the truth….
I suppose I might now show a little class, by turning the discussion to the concept of telling the truth…. but, what I just wrote above seems to me to be a good example of how the truth can be really, really hard to find, and recognize when its found, because, just like me, they might be making it up…. and how are you going to be able to tell?… Answer me that, Mr. Smartypants…..
Sorry, didn’t meant to call names…. As you might have guessed by now, this is sort of an experimental intro section…. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I just jumped in and started typing, almost randomly, until some direction suggested itself…. A bit like trying to put together a bicycle at Christmas, using the instructions that were written by a three year-old Japanese student of English…. “Insert tab A into hole B, to be pleasing the handlebar”….. So far, I’m not sure how its working…. y’all would be a better judge of that, cuz you’re the handlebar, so to speak…. It isn’t particularly difficult, as it’s kind of nonsensical, and I fit right into that slot….
I suppose it isn’t particularly enlightening either, so I will cease and desist for today, and get on with the scheduled dive….. At this point there is little choice left for me, without starting over, and that is way too complicated for me…. I’d probably hurt myself, whining….. Since I promised myself I wouldn’t whine any more, I will now begin to tell the truth….. Well, I should say, I’ll tell you my version of it, as I see it….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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Since my mind is somewhere out in left field today, I figured I’d try an experiment, using an old-school pearl format….. Rather than having a thought in mind when I went diving for pearls, I let my unconscious mind take over, and pick whichever pearls it wanted, without really paying any attention to what they were about…. I have written this short intro PRIOR to looking at them, so I don’t know if they will fall together into a real pearl, or just sit there and look pretty, as the aphorisms they already are….. I’m a little nervous…. let’s see what Smart Bee has for us this morning, shall we?….
“Conscience and cowardice are really the same things.” — Oscar Wilde
(An interesting notion…. I may use this again for its own discussion, another time…..)
“Find out just what any people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; … The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” — Frederick Douglass, U.S Marshal, son of a slave, 1857
(See the above, re: Oscar, and, ditto….)
“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?” — Zippy the Pinhead
🙂
A shot rang out, “BARNEY” hit the floor. No more purple dinosaur!”– Smart Bee
(YES!!!!!!)
“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)
“Dianetics is a milestone for man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his invention of the wheel and the arch.” — L. Ron Hubbard
(I can see L. Ron, laughing himself into a puddle, as he contemplates the fact that all those Dianeticians took him seriously when he said this…..)
A king who was mad at the time,
Decreed limerick writing a crime;
But late in the night
All the poets would write
Verses without any rhyme or meter
— Smart bee
🙂
“Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
down the foggy ruins of time
far past the frozen leaves
the haunted frightened trees
out to the windy beach
far from the twisted reach
of crazy sorrow.
Ah, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
silhouetted by the sea
circled by the circus sands
with all memory and fate
driven deep beneath the waves
let me forget about today until tomorrow.
— Bob Dylan
Hmm… an interesting group…. I’ve added some comments, prompted by the pearls as I read them, but, otherwise, I think it floats by itself, don’t you? It’s kind of like a summary of stuff I write about, each with its own representative pearl…. cute!….. Onward, he cried!…..
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A lot of you may have heard of Philip K. Dick; he was a science fiction writer in the mid- and latter-part of the twentieth century, one who achieved only moderate success during his life, but has since become one of the most revered authors in the genre, as more of his work is published and brought into the public eye. He wrote the story that was made into the movie, “Minority Report”, and several other of his novels either have been so immortalized, or are in the process of being made into films. He wrote over fifty novels, but was never been known for his poetry; in fact, before these were found, most didn’t know he wrote it at all. One of his children apparently found these three poems in his papers after his death, and I share them now, to demonstrate just how powerful his writing could be…. Enjoy!…..Note: The picture itself was found on Facebook, at the Philip K. Dick page his fans have created…… __________________________________
“Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.” — Adam Smith
This is so true, I want to shout it out from the rooftops…. It is the kind of insight that leads to jokes like “Lord, protect me from the works of thy followers.” which are so prevalent in our society. We’ve all witnessed the excesses of fanaticism at times, and, I’m sure, have suffered indignity of some sort at their hands at some point in our lives. Nobody escapes it, as such fanaticism is like having roaches; they are impossible to completely eradicate. Of course, there are methods of killing roaches that are foolproof (placing them in a complete vacuum, for example), but it means killing off the entire species , and the rest of us would doubtless find objections to that scenario…..
“It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” — Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
These simple minded fools who become fanatics, whether it is over their country, their religion, their race, or their collection of plastic flamingos, all suffer from the same lack of courage as Piglet describes here. In their case, it isn’t because they lack the ability to be “larger”, like Piglet, but because their minds see themselves as “small”, in relation to all they don’t understand, and this gives them the same sense of constant fearfulness that comes with never knowing when some larger creature will notice you, and eat you, or not notice you, and crush you under foot, with careless indifference….
“Again, our observations of the stars make it evident, not only that the earth is circular, but also that it is a circle of no great size. For quite a small change of position to south or north causes a manifest alteration of the horizon. There is much change, I mean, in the stars which are overhead, and the stars seen are different, as one moves northward or southward. …All of which goes to show not only that the earth is circular in shape, but that it is a sphere of no great size: for otherwise the effect of so slight a change of place would not be so quickly apparent. Hence, one should not be too sure of the incredibility of the view of those who conceive that there is a continuity between the parts about the pillars of Hercules [the strait of Gibraltar] and the parts about India, and that in this way the ocean is one.” — Aristotle, De Caelo, Fourth Century B.C.
As a consequence of all that fear, most of the folks who assume fanatical stances refuse to see, or perceive, as much as they possibly can, and this includes reading, or watching, or listening to things that challenge the truth of what they have chosen to believe. The things they DO choose to believe never challenge them to think, or to go outside their comfort zone in any way; any such suggestion is viewed with anger, mistrust, and fearful rejection, no matter how nonthreatening it may be to normals…. If it doesn’t fit into their narrow little view of things, it is evil, and not to be trusted, in their minds, or what passes for one….
As the quote from Aristotle shows, mankind’s knowledge of the natural world has grown beyond the guesses and speculation that are rampant in the ancient writings about religion, and, thankfully, most of the world is able to understand, and accept the facts in question. It is only those whose fear of the universe is such that they cling to outdated, misguided systems of belief that, though they offer comfort to their preconceptions and misapprehensions, have nothing to do with the real world on any level. And, damned if they don’t get upset, and violent, when those misapprehensions are challenged in any way!…. Idiots….
Sorry, I get disgusted sometimes, especially when I think about those assholes who encourage the idiots, i.e., the priests, preachers, and other members of the priestly hierarchies…. I regard them as the WORST of humanity, in complete lock-step and purpose with that other group of reprehensible semi-humans, the BRC, or 1%, as they’re known these days in the news. The entire purpose of the religious institutions on this planet is to provide behavioral control of the population to the ruling classes, under the guise of religion, by manipulating the masses of believers into following whatever dictates the ones in power may come up with, in order to receive their heavenly rewards…. I swear, it’s the biggest, longest running scam in history….
I’ve already gone a bit overboard here, and really haven’t begun to roll with my indictment/rant yet. Since this is the last pearl for today, I’ll stop here, and just say this…. There are a lot of really stupid people on this planet, as well as a great many good, intelligent, compassionate ffolkes…. but, the money, and the power, reside with a very small number, with representatives from both groups, and as far as I can see, most of them are bat shit crazy, in the sense that they don’t care at all about any of the rest of humanity, as long as they get theirs….. We, the intelligentsia, are perhaps the only hope left to the world before it is too late…. Only if enough of us rise up and throw their sorry asses into the pits will we have a chance of seeing another millennium on our calendar…. THAT is a fact, not a guess; the evidence is there for anyone to see….
So, wake up, ffolkes, and folks, because the day is coming when you will wish you had listened to people like me….. __________________________________
Well, it’s been a fascinating process today…. Let’s go back and see how it all came out…… Once again, I’m forced to admit, it ain’t bad…. I’ve seen, and written, better, perhaps, but, it will do for today…. I’m feeling lucky, so we’re going to fly, right from here….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..
—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
Ffolkes,
Apple Brown Betty. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s one of my favorite desserts. What it has to do with creating a morning Pearl is somewhat unclear to me just now. When I typed it a moment ago, I had a reason, a lead-in for this missive, but, it is now gone wherever those fleeting thoughts go, and I’m left holding the empty bag, again. If I weren’t already confused, this would have done it, and did……
It must be the Beast. Or, the aftermath of the Beast, to be more accurate. Last night, to celebrate making it through another month, I took myself out to dinner, and, in the process, consumed an adult beverage, or three. It has been such a long time since I went out, I believe my capacity for hard liquor went south, because I’m feeling more than just a little foggy this morning. One might think I’d never had a hangover before, if one didn’t know better…. and this one is old enough to know better…
“Drinking makes such fools of people, and people are such fools to begin with, that it’s compounding a felony.” — Robert Benchley
Hung over or no, I still am here to Pearl, not to complain, so I think we’ll just get to the meat of the matter, before I sink into the miasma…. great word, eh? Miasma…. it just trips so smoothly off the lips….. never mind. Sorry, distracted for a moment…. so, shall we Pearl?……..
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A Hymn To God The Father
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, thou hast done;
I fear no more.
John Donne
One of the characteristics of an honorable man is the ability to accept ideas that he doesn’t agree with, without becoming emotionally engaged in challenging the idea’s verity. I consider myself to be honorable in that sense, so it isn’t difficult for me to accept the idea that Christianity, while having had an extremely deleterious effect on society at large, still provided, and provides, the impetus for many an artist to display their talent in praise of the Christian ethos. A large number of exquisitely beautiful cathedrals exist, all over the world, as visible proof of this idea. This poem is another perfect example of how faith can produce beautiful expressions of art, even though the faith it celebrates is, to my mind, an illusory belief. That illusion doesn’t detract from the beauty of these words…..
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Everybody knows Winnie the Pooh. He is, without a doubt, one of modern society’s Uncarved Blocks. There have been complete books written, just to explore the depth of Zen philosophy Pooh demonstrates with his little aphorisms. But most folks don’t know that Pooh has a dark side, as well…. and it is very dark indeed! I have listed below some of the aphorisms collected to show just how scary this little Bear of Little Brain can be….
— Bother! said Pooh, as he sold Eeyore to the glue factory.
— Bother! said Pooh, as Tenebrae fed him to Cthulhu.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he flooded the computer room with nerve gas.
— Bother! said Pooh, as Q destroyed the universe.
— Bother! said Pooh, as the Monitor blew up in his face.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he hid Piglet’s corpse with Roo’s.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he was arrested for indecent exposure.
— Bother! said Pooh, and lit another joint.
— Bother! said Pooh, as the Romulan Warbird uncloaked.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he sold crack in the school yard.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he destroyed the human race.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he misquoted the druidic Spell of Making.
I guess it’s just one more piece of proof that things are not always what they seem….. 😉
___________________________________ I found this on Facebook, and found after reading the list, that all of them were a part of my earliest training from my father. He was an old-fashioned gentleman, even though he wasn’t an officer. But then, he declined the promotion to captain, preferring to remain a Master-Sergeant. More proof of the old saw about the sergeants running the army…. Every one of these items is good advice, and together comprise an excellent approach to living with honor….
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If I traveled to the end of the rainbow
As Dame Fortune did intend,
Murphy would be there to tell me
The pot’s at the other end.
— Bert Whitney
I found this poem just as I was finishing up today’s Pearl, and thought it would make an excellent closing thought. One of these days, I’m going to catch Murphy in the act, and there will be a come-uppance, for one of us. He may be a force of Nature, but he’s been messing with me for a very long time, and force or no force, he WILL pay….. In the meantime, y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..
—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid 