Tag Archives: Plato

C’mon, it’s only twins! Bonus time….

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Ffolkes,
I’ve tried to play nice. I like to think I’m a patient man, and I’m probably wrong, most of the time. But not this time; I have been patient. Since my first outburst of anger and disbelief, over a week and a half ago, I haven’t even mentioned it, except in passing. As said, I’ve been patient, but I’m done with that now…..

Close to two weeks ago, I contacted WordPress Support, to report that I was having difficulty accessing certain blog sites around WP, a problem that sometimes included not being able to access my own site, unless viewing it as a visitor; when signed in, I was blocked from my site, and a number of others. Each attempt to access those sites, usually from a link in the notification emails I get when one of the blogs I follow posts a new article or poem, sends me to a blank error page, and the path to get there involves a remote login location, different each time.

It wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose, if the sites I couldn’t get to were some that I was not too familiar with, or wasn’t that into (though I haven’t found any of those). But, they’re not…. they are all favorites, sites I’ve been following daily since I found them. I’m still trying to stay convinced that it isn’t deliberate, or a conspiracy, because of the sites blocked, at least four of them are rather pointed in their posts, the point generally pointed in the direction of the PTB in the USA, and very vocal in their support of their politics, and critical of the politics of their opposite numbers in society.

But, whatever the content, I can’t get to them to read, or comment on their work….. it’s been very frustrating. If any of the following are reading today, please forgive me for not being around; I can’t do anything about it right now; but I won’t stop complaining, either…. the sites I cannot get access to include:  Jueseppi’s at the Obamacrat; allaboutlemon, Dolly’s site, including the Art Game; Vina Kent’s site; 3chicspolitico, can’t get there: starsrainsunmoon.com, Mari Cayuso’s poetry & photos site; Cauldrons & Cupcakes; Tony’s blog, Finding Subjects; and a few others I don’t remember offhand…..

So, if I don’t hear from WordPress today, which I have come to believe is not going to happen, (they have been ignoring me now for well over a week), then tomorrow I will begin my siege….. I will flood the Support section with emails and support requests (though I have already sent seven such requests, only one of which received any response at all). I will again post about the problems here on this blog. And, I will request that everyone else join me in a big raspberry for the Support department, which has been strangely silent throughout this entire ordeal.

If I still get no response, I will ask for my money back, for the domain name I am supposed to own and control, but which I cannot even consistently view. And I won’t stop there…. there are more damaging places to post such complaints, PR-wise, and I guarantee, I’ll find them…. I don’t like being ignored, and I’m more than just a little pissed off about this.  Mostly it’s the lack of response that gets me; I just don’t understand why communicating with me is such a hard thing to do. It’s not like I’m hiding or anything; I’m right here every day….. and the posts are here to prove it…..

Enough!…. this nonsense has taken up enough time and energy, that could be better spent elsewhere…. and now will be. Shall we Pearl?….. I think so….
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One of the most perverse things about the universe is that it doesn’t care what you believe. – Anonymous, our old friend….

Due primarily to that aspect of human nature called the Talent of Reality Denial, this is a hard concept for many Americans to comprehend, especially those hampered by a Christian upbringing, an unfortunately large figure. Christians are taught from an early age that the universe DOES care what they believe; they are desperate for that to be true (because if it isn’t, then they are not special, or privileged by birth; there is nothing concrete to indicate in any way that they are intrinsically better than anything else on this planet….), so, by their belief, they make it so, for them.

For these folks, entitlement, and its concomitant arrogance, come naturally, as a side-effect of considering themselves to be “chosen” by God, that it is their destiny to be His favored children. This belief bestows on them a heavenly mandate to utilize all the earth’s resources, animal, plant, mineral, water, etc., solely for their own benefit (which they generally interpret as permission to rape and pillage the rest of creation, because, by God, the Bible tells them it is their right, and their just reward for their faith). Looked at from a rational point of view, this is, of course, poodwaddle of the highest degree (I don’t think I made up that word; I’m sure I’ve seen it elsewhere….. sure fits, doesn’t it?…)

So, it becomes clear why so much time and energy is spent on divisive arguments over morality, and in public debate over the advisability of following the completely self-destructive policies of these self-styled Lords of Creation, right up to the point of extinction. It can’t be otherwise, when those who regard themselves as having heavenly mandate refuse to give up their privileged status, and are unwilling to even consider any other options. In the tiny little black holes they call their minds, any hint of such a rational viewpoint is automatically and viciously rejected out of hand as being a danger to their way of life.

It’s odd, really, that there are so many things in the universe that are a danger to their way of looking at things; it’s like they have no faith at all in their faith, or in each other, and suspect themselves of giving in to temptation at every turn. Makes one wonder just how much faith and belief they really feel about their dogma, if they are so fearful it will be forsaken at first opportunity…..

I think it would be a sad and fearful way to go through life, never feeling comfortable about the universe, always expecting it to try to turn me into my worst nightmare…. a thinking, rational being…..  and regardless of whether these folks believe it, or not, the universe just doesn’t give a shit…. at all….. massive, immutable indifference is the best we can expect…. thank you, Universe!…….

“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” — Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Sign of Four
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EXCERPTS FROM LIFE’S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK, VOLUMES I AND II

35. Plant a tree on your birthday.
47. Don’t waste time learning the “tricks of the trade.” Instead, learn the trade.
53. Vote.
68. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
100. Read the Bill of Rights.
198. Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter.
209. Observe the speed limit.*
267. Lie on your back and look at the stars.
271. When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you’re going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce.
322. Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Theresa*, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas  Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
393. Learn how to operate a Macintosh computer.*
513. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.
558. Never betray a confidence.
595. Be the first to fight for a just cause.
817. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
939. Never be ashamed of your patriotism.
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I’ve seen some of these on previous dives, but never found so many in one batch before….. Most of the ones I’ve seen are like these…. pretty good advice, all in all. In this list, my only hesitancy involves # 209, which obviously needs a qualifier statement, #322, a list from which I would delete Mother Theresa (she already has enough time in her day; she doesn’t need any more time to fuck with anybody else, adding to all the smarmy, self-serving false piety she already gets away with…..) and # 393, which is just sick…. no, not sick, just foolishly naive…. the rest of them are stuff that I can get behind, and would even consider pushing, if stalled….
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Here are a few historical observations on our preferred form of public entertainment……

“Democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.” — Plato, The Republic. Book VIII. 558

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

“Termiter’s argument that God is His own grandmother generated a surprising amount of controversy among Church leaders, who on the one hand considered the argument unsupported by scripture but on the other hand were unwilling to risk offending God’s grandmother.” — Len Cool, American Pie  (Okay, it’s not political, but, hey, funny, right?….) (and kind of appropriate, if I stop to think about it…..) (kind of sounds similar to, and no more believable than, the current controversy over creationism and evolution….)

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence the act of the whole American people  which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and state.” — Thomas Jefferson, to the Danbury (Connecticut) Baptist Association in 1802  (Whoops! How’d he get in here?….)

“Man is a religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn’t straight.” — Mark Twain — The Damned Human Race  (Okay, okay…. busted!  Religion and politics seem to have merged in my mind this morning…. funny how that happens…. but it still fits the category, so, deal….)

and, on a final note, let’s combine the two previously revealed (reviled?) culprits in one fine, almost-a-limerick plea for mercy….

Dear Lord, observe this bended knee
This visage meek and humble,
And hear this confidential plea
Voiced in reverent mumble:
Give me Shylock, give me Fagin
But O God spare me Ronald Reagan!
— Ansel Adams

If God is omnipotent, why does he need my money?  (Sorry, couldn’t resist…. I’m done for now…..)
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Haiku

A muse long absent
panicky fear consuming
creativity.

Shameless, isn’t it, what we will do, when nothing else will do?….. But all things considered, not too shabby….
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Statistics and their use allow one to jump from an unwarranted assumption to a preconceived conclusion without so much as even a slight hesitation. The use of such condensed information allows that compendious information may be sufficiently reduced to facilitate discussion among experts who can interpret the findings without any relation whatsoever to reality. — Anonymous, dammit….

It is frustrating, to say the least, to find a beautifully reasoned, perfectly clear statement of the obvious such as this, and not be able to congratulate or praise the author. It sounds like something Dave Barry would have said, if a bit more slangly than this seems to be. Or, possibly, Mark Twain, though he also tended to simplify his writing to more resemble actual speech. But, whoever wrote this is someone with whom I’d enjoy spending time, drinking wine and dissecting the rest of humanity’s foibles and incredible diversity…. I think I’d enjoy it a lot….
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I find myself this morning to be completely discombobulated…. Now, this may seem to be a rather radical claim, considering the relatively well-organized material I’ve just produced, despite its tendency to skip from one concept to the next with little or no warning or preparation. Nonetheless, it is true…. and here is why…..

It is now 0512, military time…. that’s a touch after 5 AM to the rest of us in this time zone on the west coast of the US, which means I’ve been at this for just over three hours now, having arisen at a few minutes after 2 AM, abandoning all my futile attempts to shut off my mind and return to dreamland. Not that I ever got very far into that fabled place; it’s tough to do so when one must get every other hour or so to deal with either pain, muscle spasms, or just plain restlessness.

SIGH…. life is tough, n’est pas? This too shall pass, I’m sure… when I’m tired enough, I’ll sleep. But, meantime, it gets my schedule all turned around… company coming today, around 1130 or so, and by then I’ll be approaching zombie status…. it could be worse; it could be someone I don’t want to see who is coming, so I’ll just suck it up, put a period on this, and get on with it…. just gotta figure out what to do now, and for the next six hours until my friend arrives…. piece o’cake….. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Waffles are an anomaly of nature….

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Ffolkes,
Zounds! What a difference 8 hours of good sleep can make! I’ll have to be careful not to move too fast & hurt myself; I’m not accustomed to having this much energy in the morning, nor such a cheery frame of mind. (It’s not affecting my typing, though….took way to long to get through that sentence, due to finger errors….) I suppose we can’t have everything….at least not all at once. That’s fine, I’m happy with how things are, so we’ll get a good start on another fine day in Paradise……. that’s where I live; how about you?……
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“The great question that has never been answered and which I have not yet been able to answer despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul is: WHAT DOES A WOMAN WANT?” — Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Siggie asks himself the question that crosses every man’s mind at one time or another as we go through life. In a way, I’m guessing the nature of a woman was designed that way, to keep men from taking them for granted by familiarity. As it is, familiarity is a moot point; no matter how well a man knows a woman, she will always say and do things that will surprise him, and not always in a good way. My own marriage, for example, had some rather rocky moments, due in part to the habit my wife had: she assumed that I could read her mind. I tried assuring her that I could not, in truth, do so, but it didn’t seem to matter, for she would get angry anyway. SIGH….


Actually, this female characteristic, in one respect, proves the truth of axiom #2 of Peruaosophy, which states, “The Nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you are in for a rough ride in Life.”  Thus we see that the nature of a woman is merely a reflection of reality, that part that is always new and different. And if you don’t like it, well, that’s just too, too bad, because that aspect of the situation is not going to change; men will never fully understand women. As long as men can accept that, without needing to understand, then their lives will be much happier, if not more serene……they (men) just need to remember axiom #5, which says, “Girls think differently. So do boys. Don’t fight it.”……
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“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.  A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” — Clive James

I like that…..”is just common sense, dancing.” What a wonderful image, full of mirth and bottom line truth.  A great many of the world’s problems come from people who have either no common sense, don’t know how to dance, or have no sense of humor. And that’s just a shame, especially when those folks try to make everyone else conform to their perverted notion of reality. I don’t know why, but they always seem to be the same folks who can’t tolerate….anything different.

Their own lives, which they have submitted to control by dogma, are so blighted and dim, they cannot stand it when other people seem to be having a good time. So, their reaction is to label it “impious”, “blasphemous”, or even “evil”, never realizing their own set of blinders has narrowed their vision to the point they cannot see past the end of their nose. (hmmm….I never really understood, until this very moment, what that little expression meant; now it makes perfect sense…) It’s their loss, obviously, because I don’t think the rest of us are going to give up either common sense or our sense of humor in order to make our lives more palatable for them. I know for sure that I won’t……
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Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi sed saepe cadendo.
Constant dripping wears the stone.

Here is a principle of nature that is often forgotten, or overlooked, by folks as they travel through life, creating chaos and scaring the horses. We all have encountered the idea; it’s not original to me, by any means. Everyone can envision the concept, for we were all taught that this process is what created the Grand Canyon, over the course of several million years. What most folks never consider is that this concept can be a useful tool in many of the tasks we take on in our daily lives.


The principle is also illustrated by the fable of the tortoise and the hare, one with which far more people are familiar. The slow, patient, consistent progress of the tortoise is the water; the hare’s sense of entitlement and belief in his superiority is the stone mountain. Looking at it from that standpoint will probably be simpler for most folks to understand; the point is made with humor, rather than merely a dry statement of fact. Just goes to show, you can always get through to people more quickly by couching one’s message in a humorous cloak; it’s much easier for them to add the idea to their own reality, as a tool they can use in a myriad of situations…. and feel better about it, to boot…..
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Making love with you
Is like drinking sea water.
The more I drink
The thirstier I become,
Until nothing can slake my thirst
But to drink the entire sea.
— Marichiko

This is a beautiful poem. It speaks to me in words of great simplicity and power, and describes perfectly the sense of obsession and desire that fills the breast of those in love. As a matter of fact, I’d be confident in saying that if one does not experience this feeling, then one is not really in love at all. If one is able to control one’s feelings, to remain cool in the presence of their object of affection, then they have not fully given themselves over to the experience, and cannot feel the sense of desperate need to be near the one who is loved, to do all one can do to make them happy.

The best definition of love I’ve seen states, “Love is that state where the happiness of another is essential to your own.” –Robert Heinlein  Nothing more really needs to be added……except to advise all those who love to enjoy it while it lasts. Another fine author, Tom Robbins, has noted the anomaly of loving that encompasses the risk we take when we fall, when he asked, “It’s easy to fall in love, but, how do you make love stay?”  All to often, it doesn’t, especially in today’s culture, where societal pressures make it very hard to maintain the closeness of spirit needed to nourish love; it’s too easy to get a divorce and start over, so many don’t make the effort. If only they knew what they were missing….
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“Regrets and complaints about relations are to be attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but men’s characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but for someone with the opposite deposition, youth and old age are equally a burden.” — Plato,_The Republic_, Book 1

I don’t always agree with Plato; though a brilliant philosopher, he tended to be somewhat concrete, with a tendency to become pedantic as well. But this quote gives an indication of the depth of his understanding; it is a very perceptive look at human nature, and the importance of Attitude. One’s Attitude can determine whether the course of life is a long, winding, well-maintained road, or an unending series of travails over rough mountain wilderness.

An attitude of calm acceptance of the vicissitudes of life is also instrumental in determining how successful the individual will be at dealing with difficulty, for it allows a greater freedom of thought, being untroubled by the fear and distractions so prevalent in those who do not have this characteristic.


I suppose one could say that a cheerful mien thus becomes a very real advantage in life, helping us to be more successful, more content with our lot, and happier than what is possible for those who do not possess it.  What is not understood well enough by those unfortunates is the fact that our Attitude is completely a personal choice; it is one of the few parts of reality that we may actually change ourselves.

We have the power to make our lives what we will, but, those who cannot choose the path of acceptance lose the serenity of spirit that comes along with using that power, and spend their days wondering where they have gone wrong……
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The deer would not go away and was diligent in his efforts, mounting the  statue time after time. Finally, exhausted, the deer left, slowly and with  deliberation. The buck was spent, but the doe was saved! (Oh, here I am, doing THAT again, sorry, sorry, really, terribly.)

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system; it’s been bugging me for days to be included in here, and I’m tired of putting it off. Don’t worry, it won’t have any lasting effect; puns are very low-calorie humor.

So much for another morning…. I wonder what the universe has in store for me today. I hope it includes money falling into my lap. I’m in dire need of some groceries to get through the remainder of the month. Ah me, such is life, n’est pas? If it’s not one damn thing, it’s another…. meantime, y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Bright polyester swatches never disappoint…..

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Ffolkes,
Okay, then. Another day is dawning (almost; it’s 5 AM), and I’m once again up and ready to type. If only my brain were as ready to spew! Mostly, what is floating to the top of the pool indicates that some stagnation has set in, and it might be a good time to clean out the filters. Not to worry though; I can do that on the fly……
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“I’m not intending to imply insult or judgment here but I am curious to know in order to be able to respond to your posts in an appropriate manner, so please forgive what appears to be, but in fact is not intended as, an insulting question: Are you stupid?” — Melinda Shore

This is a thought that goes through my head several times a day; it seems to pop up whenever I read a new story on the current political scene. I picture myself in one of the crowds flocking to see some Presidential wannabe, forging to the front, and asking the candidate this question in front of cameras. I get quite a charge imagining what their responses might be. No matter what his answer may be, it will reveal a lot about the character of the candidate. (I can say “his” now because both Bachman and Palin have faded into the background; Ms. Palin never filed to run, and Bachman dropped out after Iowa, or Kansas, or somewhere out there in the Midwest)

I know, I know, it’s hardly cricket, but they are the ones who wanted to go out there and have everyone microscopically examine their every twitch, and every word. I figure it’s their lookout, not mine. I’m just a guy trying to have fun…..and to survive with my sanity intact, in this mad, sad world they have created…..
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Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days!
None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise.
— Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867)
— On the Death of Joseph Rodman Drake

I don’t think I could find, or think up, a finer epitaph. If someone can say this about me after I die, then I will have lived my life well. At least, by my standards. But, I think, it would also be anyone’s standards, because the highest form of human love is to live in service to mankind, and such altruism as indicated by these lines would be recognized by all who knew such a person. We all remember those people who give their all, especially when our own lives have been touched by them. Though humans generally will remember an insult far longer than praise, no one forgets kindness, when it is applied to them.

Well, they don’t unless they are sociopathic, but sociopaths are not really like the rest of us, and shouldn’t be expected to react the same way. As a matter of fact, that is one of the ways that such a disorder is identified, i.e., by noting how they react to positive stimulus. A sociopath will take a compliment as their due, and attempt to use the feeling behind it to manipulate the other person to their advantage, as opposed to most folks, who regard compliments in a different light. Whatever the case may be, I would much rather have this poem on my headstone…. it’s like Plato said, “After I die, I’d rather have people ask why I have no monument, rather than asking why I do.”……
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“Mr. Coolidge is the best Democrat we ever had in the White House. He didn’t do nothin’, but that’s what we wanted done.” — Will Rogers

I have changed my mind. There is such a thing as the ‘good old days’, and here is proof…..Would that today’s society could claim the same!…But I’m 61 now, and I can truthfully say that the only President in my lifetime that deserves any respect at all is Jimmy Carter. And that is for the same reason as that stated above so elegantly by Mr. Rogers….. Of course, Jimmy also had to contend with a Congress with a Republican majority, so anything he tried to accomplish, as a Democratic President, was challenged at every turn, and so, very little work actually got done. But, as Will said another time, “The people never suffer so much as when Congress is full of ideas!” And that’s the truth…..thpppppt! Hak! Brrt. Sorry, hairball….
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“The Book says BURN and DESTROY repent and redeem and revenge and deploy and rumble thee forth to the land of the unbelieving scum ’cause they don’t go for what’s in the Book and that makes ’em BAD.” — Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa was one of the twentieth century’s most little known and unappreciated genius’. His patterns of thought, his art, his very being were so different, so strange compared to the normal, that most people just gave up trying to ‘get’ what he was saying with his music, or his words. I would wager a significant amount of money that he will, in 200 years, or possibly less, be universally considered as one of the century’s premier philosopher/bards.

One of his albums, released sometime in the 1970’s, I think, was called “Shut Up and Play”; the entire three disk album was instrumental, with Zappa playing many of the instruments. In the course of the album, he took rock, blues, pop, and contemporary jazz into entirely new realms, with melodies and structures never before seen by man. And, as he probably expected, the reviews were rife with complaints that the listeners could not understand the music.

But, if one looks at the evolution of music in the last 30-40 years, his insight into the future can be clearly seen. Hip Hop and Rap are both developments of stylistic touches in Zappa’s earliest works, though very few will admit to that. But, if you want to know what the future may bring in the way of musical evolution, go back and listen to some of Zappa’s material from the 1960’s, and you’ll get a pretty clear picture……and check out his thoughts on modern society, too. It’s pretty amazing stuff…..
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“Don’t take life too serious. It ain’t no ways permanent.” — Pogo, by Walt Kelly

Ahhhhh! Datsa nice! It’s been entirely too long since we had a taste of Pogo, one of the all-time best cartoon strips ever. Ever…. Walt Kelly had an amazing knack for feeling the pulse of American society, and remarkable facility for reporting on its health, or lack thereof, using humor as adeptly as surgeon with a scalpel. He set new meaning to the concept of political cartooning, even though the political remarks his strips contained were only a fraction of the understanding of human nature and human society that it displayed on a daily basis.

Cartooning is, in one perspective, a form of poetry, using a combination of images and words to create the desired point of view, rather than words powerful enough to create the images in the mind’s eye. Cartooning also has an advantage over poetry, or rather, an adjunct characteristic, of not requiring a lot of thought in order for the point to be driven home; it is obvious, right before the eyes, with the words supplying the frames for the pictures, defining their meaning without needing to ponder.

This characteristic is what makes cartooning a palatable alternative to poetry for the masses of people who either don’t have the educational background to appreciate poetry, or just learn differently than those who gather their knowledge from books. Some folks learn better outside a classroom; that’s been obvious for a long time. And those are the folks who most appreciate cartoons as their preferred method of political observation. Long live Pogo! And all of his ilk…..
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So, I’ve been told that my criticism of the little poem I wrote two days ago was too harsh. At least one of my faithful readers informs me that it was well received in that quarter. As this is the case, I must then withdraw my remarks, as I respect my readership a lot, and if someone liked it, then it was better than I thought. I guess this means that I get to be part of the 4% with an asterisk; that’s good enough for me; better than being part of the crap. I suppose at times I can be critical (No! Really?….hadn’t noticed..), and I am aware that I apply that faculty to myself much more stringently than to others. I have very high standards when it comes to my own work; I guess I can afford to show a bit more lenience in regards to myself. SIGH….

I don’t know, though. I’m very sensitive to crap, with a highly developed, elegantly defined crap detection protocol, and I tend to run everything I read through it, especially if I wrote it. I’m not going to lower my standards, but I can adjust the parameters I use for judging, and I’ll do that, if only to see what effect it has. So, thanks, Carolyn, for the kind words, and the stimulus for another couple hundred words today….. y’all take care out there…..

 

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

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Look, Nancy, it’s a pregnant Paradox!

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Ffolkes,
People often ask me, “Why am I asking all these things?” The answer is simple. It distracts me from thinking about all the scary stuff wandering around in my head. It also keeps me from doing nothing but sit around and plot a world-takeover, a life-long dream of mine. It’s not easy you know, being a megalomaniac. People are always out to get me…..


Enough fooling around….I am a bit saddened today. Yesterday, one of the Pearl Drops (those lucky few to whom this email is sent each morning) opted out, due to annoyance at my politics. I’m not upset that someone disagrees with me; I’m disappointed because I didn’t make it clear enough that my opinions aren’t written in stone. Yes, I express myself forcefully; it goes along with believing in what I’m writing, and from being a triple Scorpio. But I never intend for anyone reading it to think they would not be welcome if they wish to believe differently, and to say so. In fact, I would enjoy the dialogue, for that is what makes the true democratic process function the best. 

If anyone has something to say, then say it. Holding it in and letting resentment build never ends well. I know I take the risk of being misunderstood, or even reviled, when I start to rant on politics, and I don’t at all mind some spirited argument; it’s very cleansing. But it’s disheartening when someone who believes differently doesn’t have the courage of their convictions; at least not enough to speak up and say so in a public forum …….let’s go on to something more uplifting……

“A witty saying proves nothing.” — Voltaire

“I always have a quotation for everything– it saves original thinking.” — Dorothy Sayers
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Inadmissible:  Not competent to be considered.  Said of certain kinds of testimony which juries are supposed to be unfit to be entrusted with, and which judges, therefore, rule out, even of proceedings before themselves alone.   Hearsay evidence is inadmissible because the person quoted was unsworn and is not before the court for examination; yet most momentous actions, military, political, commercial and of every other kind, are daily undertaken on hearsay evidence.  There is no religion in the world that has any other basis than hearsay evidence.  Revelation is hearsay evidence; that the Scriptures are the word of God we have only the testimony of men long dead whose identity is not clearly established and who are not known to have been sworn in any sense.  Under the rules of evidence as they now exist in this country, no single assertion in the Bible has in its support any evidence admissible in a court of law…

“But as records of courts of justice are admissible, it can easily be proved that powerful and malevolent magicians once existed and were a scourge to mankind.  The evidence (including confession) upon which certain women were convicted of witchcraft and executed was without a flaw; it is still unimpeachable. The judges’ decisions based on it were sound in logic and in law.  Nothing in any existing court was ever more thoroughly proved than the charges of witchcraft and sorcery for which so many suffered death. If there were no witches , human testimony and human reason are alike destitute of value.” — Ambrose Bierce “The Devil’s Dictionary”

Truly, a fine exercise of logic and pure reasoning……nothing to add, except to remind you to take this, like everything else, with a grain or two of salt, before you decide whether or not it is Truth…..
___________________________________

(to The Caissons Go Rolling Along)
Scratch the disks, dump the core,        Shut it down, pull the plug
Roll the tapes across the floor,           Give the core an extra tug
And the system is going to crash.        And the system is going to crash.
Teletypes smashed to bits.                     Mem’ry cards, one and all,
Give the scopes some nasty hits          Toss out halfway down the hall
And the system is going to crash.            And the system is going to crash.
And we’ve also found                              Just flip one switch
When you turn the power down,             And the lights will cease to twitch
You turn the disk readers into trash.      And the tape drives will crumble in a flash.
Oh, it’s so much fun,                               When the CPU
Now the CPU won’t run                        Can print nothing out but foo,
And the system is going to crash.        The system is going to crash.

— unknown genius poet/hacker

This may not be poetry in the classical sense, though it does fulfill all the technical requirements. I don’t much care how good it may be technically; it’s damn good, whatever it is. I previously printed a poem, whose author escapes me at this moment, that was structurally identical to this, with 3 poems in one. The left column stands alone, as does the right column. Together, they form another complete poem/song, and in doing so have earned my undying admiration……
___________________________________

LaForge: “On the other hand, I remember everything about the time I got my first pet, a Cirkacian cat.  I was eight.  I remember how funny-looking he was, I remember how excited I was.  It was if it happened yesterday.”
Data: “Perhaps you remember the pleasant memories and forget the unpleasant ones.”
LaForge: “No, sometimes the bad memories can be the most intense of all.”
Data: “It would seem there is no predictable pattern to human memory.”
LaForge: “‘It would seem’.”
— “Violations”, Stardate 45429.3

Memory is a fascinating subject. I’m considered to have a pretty good memory, and it has always served me well, especially when I discovered an important clue to how it functions in humans. You see, I’ve found memory to be just about completely dependent on our will. Think about this; almost everyone I’ve spoken to about this has the same experience. When something is important to you to remember, you will do so. If you don’t particularly care one way or another, your memory may be fuzzy. And if it is something your unconscious mind disagrees with, you will probably not find it when you go looking for it. In other words, memory in humans is almost 100% selective, and the selective criteria are different in each person.

The bottom line is this: if it is important to you, you will remember. Thus, having a good memory can be accomplished very simply. Just make everything you perceive important. Program your mind (which in reality is nothing more than a biological computer) to believe that everything you hear, everything you see, taste, smell, or touch is important to you. If you are persistent, it will become a habit, and you’ll find those memories you wanted were there all along. This little idea has helped me immensely all my life; I applied the attitude toward what I read, beginning at a young age, and now have almost eidetic memory for the printed word; I can often remember where on each page a particular phrase is located, and whether the page is on the left or right side of the open book. This shortens research time greatly.

So, if you’d like to remember the anniversaries, birthdays, and seminal events without fail and without stress, then give this a try. It’s not easy at times; the mind is lazy and requires motivation. If you need motivation, think of the expression on the face of your significant other when you give them their gift on the correct day. In the words of the commercial….priceless……
___________________________________

I’m a little leery of discussing politics today, but can’t see myself giving in to fear or disillusionment without a fight, so I’ll compromise, and let the quotes speak for me today. These all go together, and would normally form the nucleus of an examination of whatever is currently biting my ass in the political news…….

“The public demands certainties;  it must be told definitely and a bit raucously that this is true and that is false.   But there are no  certainties.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956), “Prejudice”

“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.  For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)

“If you wants to get elected president, you’ve got to think up some memorable homily so’s school kids can be pestered into memorizin’ it, even if they don’t know what it means.” — Walt Kelly, The Pogo Party

TRAITOR (n.): A person winning an argument with a liberal.

COMMUNIST (n.): A person winning an argument with a conservative.

That’s probably enough to make the point…….if it isn’t clear, just dump it all in and let it percolate; it’ll come to you…..
___________________________________

I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’ve caught poetry.

I care not, Fortune, what you me deny:
You cannot rob me of free Nature’s grace,
You cannot shut the windows of the sky
Through which Aurora shows her brightening face;
You cannot bar my constant feet to trace
The woods and lawns, by living stream, at eve:
Let health my nerves and finer fibres brace,
And I their toys to the great children leave:
Of fancy, reason, virtue, naught can me bereave.
— James Thomson (1700-1748)
— The Castle of Indolence, Canto ii, Stanza 3

That should take care of that; better than garlic……

___________________________________

DISCLAIMER: “Any resemblance between the above views and those of my employer, my terminal, or the view out my window are purely coincidental.  Any resemblance between the above and my own views is non-deterministic.  The question of the existence of views in the absence of anyone to hold them is left as an exercise for the reader.  The question of the existence of the reader is left as an exercise for the second god coefficient.  (A discussion of non-orthogonal, non-integral polytheism is beyond the scope of this article.)’ — Ralph Jennings

Well, I guess that’s enough fussing for one day. I’m thinking of substituting this for the lines now in my sig file; what do you think of it?

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

Close in sentiment I think, but not good enough. We’ll stick with what we’ve got……y’all take care out there…..
—

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Broken promises with fresh pie….

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Ffolkes,
Through a film of excruciating pain, he writes…..

True freedom is the release from pain.–Unknown

Another little tagline on pain….”Pain is our least favorite, and best, teacher.”  I’m sure most of us have had some experience with physical pain. Women who are mothers speak of the pain of childbirth, supposedly like no other. I cannot judge that, having no point of reference with which to compare. But I will say this; even the pain of giving birth cannot be any worse than a badly infected tooth. On a scale of 10, it feels like about 12. There is no escape; breathing makes it worsen, and we can’t stop breathing. The entire right side of the face is sore and tender, and any inhaled cold air is like a shot of electricity right into the nerve. It throbs, and every heartbeat brings a new surge of pain.


Having an old back injury, I’ve been dealing with continuous pain now for about 16 years. My doctor treats the pain with Norco, a double dose of Vicodin in one pill. When the back pain is bad, even the Norco can be ineffective. But for the most part, as long as I pay attention to the teacher, I can operate normally. But when the tooth pain is added in, it is not as efficient. It’s as if I wasn’t taking anything at all; the tooth pain just starts growing, and blows right past the Vicodin stop sign. The pain grows and grows until I feel like screaming and tearing out my hair (as if I had any extra to lose at this point). It won’t stop, and it won’t go away. The only way to deal with it is deep meditation, where one can completely shut out the external and internal stimuli. But that can be a hard state to get into when your nerve-endings are all screaming at you in a crescendo of pain.


Then the moment arrives…..the extra medication finally hits the blood, and the pain begins to recede at long last. The feeling that is engendered at that moment can only be described as one of exquisitely fulfilling relief. The entire system gives a huge SIGH as the muscles in the body begin to relax and the tension of fighting the pain is reduced. When the pain is severe, there is a roaring in the ears, the sound of your world crashing down around you as the pain takes over. But when the pain recedes, it grows quiet. It is almost orgasmic in the sense of release that comes when the pain is no longer in control, and with the brain’s amazing power of selective memory, it is as if it never were. That feeling is freedom. Pain is oppressive, and the release from its clutches is as sweet as honey on homemade bread. More on this subject on another day…..

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)

It’s probably too early in the week to start on politics, but as time passes, we grow ever nearer the Presidential electoral farce that is acted out every four years, and this particular event in 2012 promises to reach for new heights of asininity. The tagline states a premise that is unfortunate, but all too true. Those of the public who are caring, reasonable, honest, and intelligent will once more be subjected to a series of complaints, lies, accusations, lies, assertions rooted in ignorance, lies, promises, and more lies, all intended to convince us that we should choose the perpetrator to be the one to lie to us for the next four years. And therein lies the conundrum we face…..


If we don’t vote, then the people who get elected are put in office by those people who believe the lies, and we have no say in the matter, and no right to complain, only the right to feel smug about being right. But if we vote, then we are falling into the category of fools who believe whatever a talking head tells them, and complaining only adds confusion and controversy to an already unstable scenario. But rest assured, no matter who is voted in, they are NOT looking out for your interests; they are looking after their own.


So, you may ask, how do we fix it? Hell, I don’t know, at least not offhand, and I probably shouldn’t suggest the old system get thrown out if I don’t have anything in mind to replace it with. But my patience with the whole system is growing less with each passing year, and with each new atrocity promulgated by the deliberate ignorance of our beloved ruling class. I have suggested before that it may be time for the Second Revolutionary War for the people who live in this country, and I won’t withdraw that idea. We fought against an oppressive government in the late 1700’s, for the right to determine our own destiny without the interference of a corrupt governing body. It seems to me that the folks we have been sending to D.C.  are just as oppressive as George II, taxing without any input, and legislating us until we bleed. So, are we lesser men than our forefathers? Or will we stand up for the few freedoms we still possess? Only time will tell……

“Do we know much about women? Do we? We don’t. We know when they’re happy, we know when they’re crying, we know when they’re pissed off. We just don’t know what order those are gonna come at us.” — Evan Davis

I love women. All women. Tall, short, thick, thin, doesn’t matter much. Just a look of intelligence and humor in the eyes is enough for me to be interested. This love for women is probably a characteristic of the survival instinct, an essential feature of guaranteeing the future of the species. Regardless, it is a part of my nature that I have no problem accepting, being both genetically and educationally disposed toward creating a family. I have goals for my self, that have nothing to do with other folks, even women, at least not directly. But all of those goals assume, or at least approve of, the presence at my side of a distaff companion, a partner, a lover, a friend.


Now, in my later years, I find myself living without a companion, an uncommon state of affairs for me. And one that I hope will not continue forever. However, I am finding it to be a kind of relaxing vacation from the everyday effort needed to maintain a relationship with a woman. The above tagline is pretty accurate, as far as it goes. I’m almost 61, and I can’t say I understand women any better now than I did when I was 11. Even though I’ve spent a good portion of those 50 years in the company of women, the limits described by the tagline continue to hold true. But, that is part of the charm, for me. Life with a woman is never boring, and if it ever gets to a point where it is, I would suggest extreme vigilance, ’cause the other shoe is about to drop……but even then, it’s not going to bore you. As unfathomable as they are, I wouldn’t want it any other way, because the unpredictability of their nature is what makes them so fascinating to me……

Well, ffolkes, that’s enough narcissism for one day…..let me know if you like, or don’t like, the new format, ‘kay? Kay! Thanks….y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Closets full of shabby tigers…..

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Ffolkes,
Procrastination has always been my friend, at least most of the time. All my life, I remember putting off homework and school assignments until the very last minute. I always thought that by reading the material a short time before the test, it was freshly memorized, and I remembered more of it than if I had read it the night before. I also sort of enjoyed the sense of panic and purpose that goes along with meeting a deadline at the last possible moment. Since I was valedictorian of my high school class, and carried a solid 3.9 GPA, it must have worked fairly well.


The method doesn’t work quite as well at the University level, as the depth of knowledge needed for excellent performance is much greater than at the HS level; the material must be absorbed, not merely memorized, in order to demonstrate true understanding of the subject at hand. But there too, many were the times I’d put off an assignment to the last possible minute, and still was able to meet the deadline. I guess one could say that I refined the technique, paring off the useless slough, yet keeping the edge of desperation so necessary to successful completion of any project on time. My grades were not as good as in high school, due in part to the social factors of living in Berkeley during the 1960’s, which rather distracted me (and a lot of people my age) into choosing social expression in lieu of studying. But more importantly, my procrastination was not eliminated, but rather made slicker, and more efficient.


This refinement continued throughout my work career, where I learned again that, oddly enough, my work was more efficient when I forced myself to get it done quickly. I seem to have developed a state of mind that enters panic mode when needed, using the feeling of desperate haste to drive my thoughts into the channel that serves best to complete the required actions. When finished, the panic goes away, and I’m left with the usually excellent results, and more positive reinforcement of my procrastinating behavior. Now that I’m retired, I find myself continuing the habit, which has always served me well. There is no real proof as yet that it is less useful now, but there are certainly enough opportunities to practice, for sure.

     So, we’ll see how it goes, and I’ll decide later whether or not to continue with it, or try to become one of those folks who never waits to the last minute. I guess only time will tell…….and the longer I wait to make the decision, the more obvious becomes my choice……

“Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” — Francis Bacon (1561-1626) — Of Studies

“… But when he [the people’s champion] has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”
(Which just goes to prove the idea that history repeats itself…..)

He that will not when he may,
When he would he shall have nay.
— John Heywood (c. 1565)
— Proverbes, Part i, Chap. iii

“Live dangerously and you live right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust (1806)

As I grow older and older
And totter towards the tomb
I find that I care less and less
Who goes to bed with whom.
— Dorothy L. Sayers

Think all you speak, but speak not all you think.

The last line says it all…..always keep something in reserve, because it is for sure and for certain that you will need it some day…..y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Truffles bordered in mink….

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Ffolkes,
Racing through the forest in the pelting rain, he paused a moment to try to catch up to the frantic pounding of his heart. His breath heaved, in and out, in and out, in a staccato rhythm that only served to increase his terror. Behind him, on the path he had forged through the undergrowth, he could hear savage growls and crashing trees as the creature which followed him barreled forward. It sounded as if he had gained a small distance, so he put aside his fear long enough to gaze around him, seeking a more passable route. Off to the north he saw through the trees a faint regularity, possible sign of a trail. He began to run toward it, hoping the relative ease of the path would allow him to completely outdistance the horror that followed. It was a path! He redoubled his efforts, pounding full speed on the packed earth, heading east, toward the river he knew was there. The river marked the edge of the forest, and effectively kept the wild creatures in the forest from exploring its far side, for there was no place to ford, and no bridges conveniently placed. The river also held his canoe, and he knew if he could reach it in time, he had a good chance of surviving. Spurred on now by hope, he fought to push his aching legs to further speed.
That’s far enough today; we will leave our hero just there, nearly out of the fire, and carry on into the new day. Another fine group this morning, with one of my all-time favorites by Mark Twain, and a very strong supporting cast. Today, being the first day of the new month, promises to be pretty busy, so I will leave you now to enjoy these delectable bites of truth, and virtual wisdom….

“A man who carries a cat by the tail is getting experience that will always be helpful.  He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful.  Chances are, he isn’t likely to carry the cat that way again, either.  But if he wants to, I say let him!” — Mark Twain

“Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio…. Subsistence only increases in an arithmetical ratio.” — Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834)
(In case you didn’t recognize it, this little phrase, backed up as it is by pure, unassailable mathematics, was the first warning received by Mankind in respect to overpopulation. It was published in the 1850’s, so it’s not like we haven’t had the time to absorb it; nonetheless, most folks not only never heard this statement, but still have no idea that much of the trouble in today’s world is due to the effects of having simply too many folks on the planet….)

“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” — Thomas Jefferson

1. Avoid fried foods, which angry up the blood.
2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain’t restful.
5. Avoid running at all times.
6. Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.
— Satchel Paige

I give thee all,–I can no more,
Though poor the off’ring be;
My heart and lute are all the store
That I can bring to thee.
— Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
— My Heart and Lute

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato

And on that note, I will bid thee adieu, and fare thee well….  y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!