Fifty days to grieve in color….

Posted on July 17, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.”

~~ Marie Curie ~~

Leelu ~ The Early Days….

Hajime…. Properly speaking, this isn’t a blog; it’s a self-directed therapeutic activity, designed, from the start, as a means of maintaining a reasonable grasp on reality’s throat, in order to fulfill the implied promise we all make to our mothers, to do our best in Life, in thanks for the invitation. I’ve never spent much effort to promote it, simply because I don’t much care about the fame part of wanting to write. I do care about honesty, accuracy, and the sharing of what we have learned that may be of help to someone else. From a standpoint in view of honor, that’s all I need to worry about. Besides, since I’m retired on disability, I’m not allowed to make any money, lest it prove I can work after all…

That being said, to, as ever, little or no purpose beyond space-filling, the daily completion of what happens here is a rather randomly (un)predictable set of events, any of which, if missed or screwed up somehow, can alter the final results in a way I don’t much appreciate. But, it’s mostly fun, and relatively good for my level of angst to do the work. Now, if only I could find some way to ensure a sufficient degree of motivation each morning, I’d be all set. As it is, it’s a constant struggle to find either the energy, or the will, to get up, and focus on the screen, especially when engaged in a morning altercation with my familiar…. That struggle is lessening, as we adjust to each other’s routines, but, it can be a significant limiting factor….

Why am I going over all this? Ah, who the hell knows; not me, that’s for sure. I just began to type, and this is what came out. Since it’s now clear it isn’t really going much of anywhere, I think we can safely abandon any further examination of the idiosyncrasies of daily blogging, & try to get on with putting together something worthwhile for y’all to enjoy with your morning wake-up routine. Hell, I’ll even try to get something in there to stimulate some degree of cogitation, just to get the juices flowing. We do what we can, even if we cannot claim a full-service menu of offerings. For now, whatever happens will just have to do, because I’m out of stuff to blather…. Let’s do this, instead….

Shall we pearl?….

“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

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

Lily Tomlin

Image from www.quoteaddicts.com via Google Images

Our featured artist today should need little introduction. For over forty-six years, this woman has made us laugh, sometimes to the point of blowing snot. She’d love to know that, too, I think…. Ffolkes, here is George Carlin’s nearest competitor for the best ever, in my opinion…. Her character, Ernestine, is iconic, as is she….. Enjoy! I’ve included audio versions of her stage performances, collected by a You Tube fan….

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

Lily Tomlin On Stage

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

“Think like a mountain.”

~~ Aldo Leopold ~~

To be honest, I have within me the power to rant today; I can feel the outrage and angst just sitting there, trembling with the urge to vent. But, I’m late again, thanks to evolving routines, so we’ll go instead with something from the archives, after a short statement on current reality…. The following short pearl, composed of three deep little pearls, makes a cogent comment on the culture which has evolved on this planet, which bears an uncomfortable resemblance to those societies described by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley in their frightening visions of our possible future. After the pearls, you’ll find an archived rant, just because I feel like some overkill…. Enjoy!….

“Abroad in the world today is a monstrous falsehood, a consummate fabrication, to which all social agencies have loaned themselves and into which most men, women, and children have been seduced … “the Eleventh Commandment”; for such, indeed, has become the injunction: You Must Adjust.” — Robert M. Lindner

“I’m frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life.” — Spock, “The Galileo Seven,” stardate 2822.3.

“Arguments derived from probabilities are idle.” — Plato

From 7/17/2014:

“Ignorance of one’s ignorance is the greatest ignorance.” — Smart Bee

http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/07/15/not-all-conservative-white-guys/

Fucking brilliant….. No other lesser phrasing would be powerful enough to express how strongly I believe in what Mark has written here…. He is absolutely, 100% on target with his observations, and delivers a message that even the most hardened idiot has to hear…. of course, until they just get that glazed look on their face, and deny, deny, deny…. which they will do, immediately, by the millions, should they get even two paragraphs into this article…. Mark has a way with words like no one else, and he uses them here to once again skewer the GOP, and the group that I call the Asininnies, so well I’m tempted to say he did it perfectly…..

“Counts his sure gains, and hurries back for more.” — James Montgomery (1771-1854) — The West Indies, Part iii

Sniff…. It brings a tear of joy to my curmudgeonly soul to hear, and feel, the brilliantly sharp sardonicism Mark brings to bear, on the asininity, and the sheer stupidity that permeates the entire rich white Judeo-Christian fundamentalist, corporate mentality…. You know, the one that fills the halls of our government in Washington, all 50 state capitals, and every bloody church in this somewhat less than diversified land of ours….. The ranks of those who refuse to use their brains for anything beyond transporting their bowels from one toilet to another are bursting with politicians, lawyers, priests, preachers, quasi-military police, and corporate raptors, viciously dispassionate in their unending search for more power, and more resources to control…. all without any regard, or concern of any kind, for anyone whose lifestyle and/or beliefs do not match their own limited views….

It took me a while to compose the above paragraph; I tried to be as condemning as possible, without resorting to vulgarity…. I think it worked okay, in that it’s clear how I feel about those assholes…. but, due primarily to my own tendency toward pomposity, it could be better, and leads me to believe you just can’t replace a good round of swearing and cursing for delivering a message like this one…. I could have said most of that, and delivered the message, with a simple, “the bloody fucking assholes are doing it again”, with minor amplification for corroboration of details….

Shit flows downhill, you know, so, it’s best to fling it before we get any on ourselves…. Besides, with the way most of those in the 1% treat most everyone else, they deserve every bit of our disdain and vituperation, as well as our vulgarity…. THEY are the ones who live their lives in a vulgar manner…. What other word fits better than “vulgar”, to describe the likes of Rush Limbaugh, or Dick Cheney, or Karl Rove, three of the bastions of conservative thought?…. None I can think of, and my vocabulary is pretty extensive…. Just putting their images in my mind gives me a shudder of revulsion, worse than any I’ve ever gotten from snakes, lizards, or insects, let me tell you….

Once again, Mark has said it better than I am currently capable of doing, so, I’m going to soothe my fevered brow with an old school pearl, to vent some of the angst and anger that builds up in me whenever I consider the egregious immorality of those at the top of the societal pyramid of power…. those fucking assholes…. Here is a seven star old-school pearl, with parameters designed to find some sharp, pointed sticks, which we shall then envision to be flying directly at the lying eyes of the pundits….

“Government of the people, by the lawyers, for the conservatives.” — Smart Bee

“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” — Malcolm X

“We are doing the right thing and we do not see the bad things.” — Vice President Dan Quayle pretending he is one of the wise monkeys

“If you can’t get a job, get a senate appointment!!!” — Smart Bee

“Basically a dog person. I certainly, though, wouldn’t want to offend my constituents who are cat people, and I should say that being, I hope, a sensitive person, that I have nothing against cats, and had cats when I was a boy, and if we didn’t have the two dogs might very well be interested in having a cat now.” — Incoming Missouri Congressman James Talent, — responding to the question Are you a dog or a cat person? (Mr. Talent is a graduate, summa cum idiotum, of the Dan Quayle School of Political Science-Like Stuff)

“One can imagine a sane, healthy, cheerful human society based on no more than the principles of common sense, as validated each day by work, play, and
living experience. But this remains the most Utopian and fantastic of ideals.” — Edward Abbey

“If God had intended for politicians to ski, he would have made bullshit white.” — Smart Bee

This is an example of what I call a “rock-solid” pearl…. When you see quotes from Smart Bee at either end, and smack in the middle, you can trust that this pearl is one that will hold its shape under the most trying of circumstances, and can puncture the eye of a pundit without leaving a permanent mark….. It’s that solid, sharp, and real….

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

Some years ago, since retiring at the start of 2011, I spent a lot of time in pretty constant pain. Now I am using Phoenix Tears, it is much better, but, sometimes it’s good to go back & re-live it, to keep my feeling of progress intact…. Here’s a report I wrote after a particularly trying day, which gives a good idea of how it goes…. or, can go, some days, even now…. I’ve left it with the addendum I originally posted with it, which tells us why we write such poems….

Gauges of Pain

Consciousness devolves in pools of gripping fears
holding hostage any hope of serenity,
sharp stabbing motions and greedy tears
nary a moment passes without common calamity.

Always a surprise, nothing soothing ever found,
leaving only breathless clinging pain,
salvation seemingly absent, it muffles all sound,
bringing ever more sadness and rain.

Solitude is ever present to claim my time,
lonely hours and relentlessly long days,
no radio plays such music in secular rhyme
happy, vibrant voices belong to elder ways.

Life can be justified it seems to say,
by hopeful favored moments of pleasure,
seemingly friendly, pointing out the only way,
to bring back happiness in minimal measure.

Days of horror and embarrassing tears
serve ever to drive wretched hours to withhold
promising naught but sorrow in coming years,
black, bitter memories that never grow old.

Cold, cold the days fly by,
can it really be our only token?
Never to say, or know just why
the pain never stops, even when spoken…

~~ gigoid ~~

9/10/2012

(Yes, yesterday was NOT a good day…. why do you ask?…..)

Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.
— John Donne ~~

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

Naked Pearls

This way to the lighted area….

*******

“To teach is to learn.”

~~ Japanese Proverb ~~

*******

“Should I start with the time I SWITCHED personalities
with a BEATNIK hair stylist
or my failure to refer five TEENAGERS to a good OCULIST?”

— Zippy the Pinhead

*******

“One doesn’t discover new lands
without consenting to lose sight of the shore
for a very long time.”

~~ Andre Gide ~~

*******

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon
if we are not able to cross the abyss
that separates us from ourselves?
This is the most important of all voyages of discovery,
and without it,
all the rest are not only useless,
but disastrous…”

~~ Thomas Merton ~~

*******

“Adventure is not outside a man; it is within.”

~~ David Grayson ~~

*******

“Every ordinary moment, every little detail
should be a celebration of your personal understanding.
Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

“He declared that he knew nothing, except the fact of his ignorance.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Socrates, xvi ~~

*******

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

I’m not entirely sure how, (much less why….), but, it’s done. Since I blew off yesterday, I have to say, it’s not bad for one thrown together at the last minute. Regardless of how it may have turned out, we’re going with it, as it’s too late to do it over. I will, however, maintain our standard of honesty, to give you fair warning, I’ll be back tomorrow to try again; you might want to mark your calendars. Until then, y’all be strange, because, why not?…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Issues of deniability….

Posted on July 6, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Believe nothing,
no matter where you read it, or who said it–
even if I have said it–
unless it agrees with your own reason
and your own common sense.”

~~ The Buddha ~~

Great Famine Victim’s Memorial, Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. It’s been said, with some elegance by Mr. Pope, hope springs eternally in the human breast. At this moment, I can tell you, that is NOT a consistent event, by any means. In fact, in my breast this morning, hope is non-existent; moreover, it seems completely out of the realm of possibility. Yesterday, about half-way through the day, I dropped into a hole I didn’t see, and have been ‘in the dumps’ ever since, mostly, with short periods of distraction, never lasting long enough to establish any sort of direction pointing out of the hole…..

In order to get this done at all today will require a bit of cheating; in and of itself, that’s nothing out of the ordinary. The only real bad part of that is the guilt I feel for failing to create something fresh, since there is certainly no lack of material in the real world upon which to focus my attention. Hell, what with the post-Brexit mess over in Europe, the email scrum going on over here, and the general state of chaos all over the world, there is a plethora of issues to examine with a critical eye. None of it interests me in the least today, as my sole task for today has narrowed down to keeping myself from committing homicide….

It helped to speak with my friend in Europe; she always brightens my day, if only to know there is at least one person out there who is on the same page; that’s a powerful motivator for those of us who limit our intake of other humans. So, I’ll quit whining about stuff I can’t currently change, and get on with trying to put this Pearl together into a consumable format, with something worthwhile to consume. I guess we’ll just have to trust the process, and see how it turns out. Since I can’t think of any more blather, or nonsense, or sense to put here, I guess we’ll just go do the best we can…. After all, all you can do is all you can do…. You may have heard that before….

Shall we pearl?….

“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself.
Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving,
it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

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

Norah Jones

Image from http://www.last.fm.com via Google Images

Todays musical selection needs little introduction; her fame in today’s world is secure. Here is a live concert, from not too long ago…. Enjoy!….

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

Norah Jones
Live in New Orleans

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

There is no point in waiting.
The train stopped running years ago.
All the schedules, the brochures,
The bright-colored posters full of lies,
Promise rides to a distant country
That no longer exists.

~~ Linux Songs Poems no. 570 ~~

Since I’m not in a ranting mood, here is an archived pearl from a day on which it seems I was in the mood…. Enjoy!….

From 4/18/2014:

As noted above, I am in the mood to rant…. However, the depth of my anger today is beyond all reason; I’m feeling extremely homicidal…. It will take ALL of my will power to NOT become proactive…. Think about that, and you’ll see I’m not in a very good mood at all; in fact, it’s been hard to keep myself from casually booting the cat through the window, or some other powerful release of what is bubbling and churning in my head and gut…. To go there, in a real sense, I would have to have already purchased the weaponry that is part of my ultimate plan, which, sadly, I haven’t completed yet…. It’s harder than it seems to find just the “right” weapon(s) for the purposes to which I plan to put it/them….

“Frankly,” he said, “I’m just trying to get to the end of my life without becoming an asshole again.” The Buddha couldn’t have said it better. — Slomo, aka John Kitchin, San Diego, last lines of the Mark Morford column, 4/16/14…. ( http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/04/15/the-saddest-job-in-the-world/)

“Me, too”, he said…. The above article is a good one; it kept me from killing anyone for three whole days, before I had to replace the old restraining thought patterns that keep me from breaking down, & carrying out one of the many fantasies that parade through my head whenever I start thinking about the BRC, the Asininnies in general, or the state of the world at large…. It makes me positively homicidal….

Every time I look at the big picture, extrapolating what I perceive out into the future, I see our species ending its short stay on Earth in the all-too-near future, ignominiously choking out our last painful breaths of a now toxic atmosphere, dying in sheer agony, in a world gone mad, broken and sad, from trying to contain our common insanity….. I see the real world, full of uncaring, selfish, avaricious thieves who prey upon the rest of mankind, to the detriment of all, knowing, but not caring how much pain and misery they cause others….

When I look at these images in my mind this morning, I am enraged…. so much so, I must go take a short break…. When I return, I’ll put together an old-school pearl…. Maybe that will allow me to calm down enough to make them fit just the way I like…. I’ll be right back, ffolkes, after I calm down a bit…. God! I HATE adrenalin….. I spent way too much of my life under its influence, and it just pisses me off when it rears its ugly head again…. Ah well, I’ll be back….

“… And yet the true creator is necessity, which is the mother of invention.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”, Book II. 369C

There! I feel better already…. finding a good pearl, that describes reality so closely in our current state, is always a good thing, in my book…. For the remainder of this group, let’s see what rant-like material regarding my favorite targets we can find today…. Enjoy…. and you can thank me later for not ranting….

“Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there.” — P. J. O’Rourke, Parliament of Whores (1991)

“Democracy can learn some things from Communism: for example, when a Communist politician is through, he is through.” — Jacoby Smirnoff

“In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin; the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Robert A. Heinlein — Lazarus Long

“The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” — Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

“Government [is] an illusion the governed should not encourage.” — John Updike, Couples

“I am Porky of Borg. You will be assim…bdeh…assim…I’m takin’ over!”– Smart Bee

This is, perhaps, the strangest pearl I’ve ever composed….. I like it….

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

Visible life

Forty-two days of pressure and internal rain,
leave marks of salvation, often in pain.
Such sharp reminders of yesterday’s remorse
fight heavily to keep a straight course.
Rash moments, bright, and routinely immense
Give us pleasure, bereft of common sense.

Still the night comes soft and eternally dear
to bring out wishful dreams so vitally clear.
Life’s myrmidons give freely in protest
lifting with skill, soul pieces first to infest,
Loudly brash, with no such voices to remain
Sealed in infamy, branded ugliness all too plain.

Now come brave signs of chapter and verse
Shielded by ignorance, irritable and terse.
Gravid portions of in-between retaliation
leave only pale marks of initial gestation
With hope even pallid warriors grow brave
Leading all humanity, to a warm, stale grave.

Hope never falters, nor leaves any trace
Yet lingers forever in a welcoming space.
Cheerful faces yet shine out of time
for tricking and fumbling sweet melody sublime.
Fill in the spaces with a long, strong retort
life is ever visible, if only as last resort.

~~ gigoid ~~

6/6/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Fun

*******

“Dreams have wings,
And other things
That smile like butterflies.”

~~ Bobby Matherne ~~

*******

“The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green earth
in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty
that are available now.”

~~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~~

*******

“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”

~~ Han Suyin, “A Many Splendored Thing” ~~

*******

“A merry heart lives long.”

~~ William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Act II, Sc. 5 ~~

*******

“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals.
The struggles within yourself —
the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us —
that’s where it’s at.”

~~ Jesse Owens ~~

*******

“I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end.
But that’s all right.
When you set out on a journey and night covers the road,
you don’t conclude that the road has vanished.
And how else could we discover the stars?”

~~ Nancy Willard ~~

*******

“YOW!!! I am having fun!!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

It came as something of a surprise to find myself here at the end, yet, when I went back to look, there it was, a complete Pearl. Not too shabby, either, if I’m any judge. I’ll go post it, and we’ll see what Consensual Reality has to say about that….. For now, it means we’re outta here, as I’ve certainly caused enough damage for one day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; who knows? Maybe there will be something new and fresh…. never can tell….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Shadows fading in the dying light….

Posted on June 27, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Philosophy, means, first, doubt;
and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means,
the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance,
the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility.
The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.”

~~ Henri Frederick Amiel ~~

Galway’s Spanish Arch ~~ Irish Football Cup Finals Week

Hajime…. At this point, I’m throwing in the towel. I’ve searched the outer limits of my entire head, & found nothing worth putting down here to begin today’s Pearl, other than the mild complaint you now see. The rest of the material today is almost ready, mostly, but, with the lack of anything remotely coherent material I’m finding, it may not be simple to complete. I guess we’ll see, won’t we? I hate to leave it so much up to chance, as that gives Murphy too much opportunity; since there’s no other choice, I’ll have to risk it…..

In order to deal with this in a manner approaching, if not sanity, at least some relevance, I’ll once again cut off this intro section, pretty much at the root, to get us moving onward. Hell, any movement at all will be a victory today. I’m going to forgo using Tardis Toys, or literary tricks today. Instead, I’ll just dump you right here, and get on with what else must be done to finish. Ruthlessness, though not my best thing, is getting easier; so much so, I can do this, without any guilt whatsoever…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Auribus teneo lupum.”

[I hold a wolf by the ears.]

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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

Today’s music is a bit eclectic; there are probably only a few old Deadheads out there who will appreciate it fully. However, regardless of anyone’s prejudices about certain genres, this is good stuff, full of jazz/rock improvisations by two of the best….. I hope you enjoy it, as I know I will….

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

Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia
Live at the Keystone, 1974

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

https://youtu.be/9gxYLBoGK5k

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

Yesterday, I came across the quote you see below, from a Roman philosopher, Marcus Tullius Cicero. For some reason, it struck me forcibly, whereupon the text you see between the quotes that follow streamed out of me in about two minutes. I then realized the other quotes you will find, which I had been collecting for the next rant I had in mind, had all just been verified as useful, and needed to be included. To augment, and make it clearer, I’ve added some text to the original, which can be seen, sans quotes, on my Facebook Timeline, as I posted the whole thing right after writing it.

In one sense, at least, this is a definitive rant for me; it covers about all I have come to realize about Life in today’s insane world, in one way or another. I can’t say it is the most compelling, or even the best I’ve ever done, but, it’s all me, and it’s all, as far as I know, the absolute truth as I see it. The quotes you see should provide some verification of my thoughts, as they indicate others have walked the same path in their own minds. I hope you enjoy it, and can find something in it to assist you in your own journey through this mad, wonderful world of beauty and pain…..

“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero

Sadly, in today’s world, honor is not valued as much as money, or almost anything money will buy. This, in and of itself, is at the core of the issues we face as a society, for without honor, there is no justice.

The saddest part is that money doesn’t actually exist, except in our own estimation. We have become insane, in our pursuit of an illusion.

“And that inverted Bowl they call the Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop’d we live and die,
Lift not your hands to It for help – for It
As impotently rolls as you or I.”

Omar Khayyam/Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubaiyat ~~

But, then, we are encouraged in that particular delusion by the support of another illusory set of principles, to wit, religions, which all base their beliefs on unreasoning faith in an imaginary supernatural figure, thus dividing, and conquering, the true strength of the human spirit.

“Obsessed by a fairy tale,
we spend our lives searching
for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.”

~~ Eugene O’Neill ~~

Add in the third illusion, that humans require a government to exist, and the nature of humanity has voluntarily assumed the mantle of mental slavery.

“Until philosophers are kings … cities will never cease from ill, nor the human race.”

~~ Plato ~~

Pursuing the agenda of money, religion, and government has led this nation, and this world, down a path of self-destruction, and none of us have anyone to blame but our own lack of willingness to face reality, as it exists.

We don’t need any of those three delusions, folks. We can deal with each other without them, if we use our true nature. We need clean air, clean water, and good, fresh food. And, we need each other, and every other living creature who is a part of this ecosystem….

That’s all we need. We don’t need a business, or a preacher, or an elected official to tell us what we need, either. All we need is each other.

“It is in the shelter of each other that people live.”

~~Irish proverb ~~

*****

“All you need is love.”

~~ John Lennon/ Paul McCartney & the lads~~

That’s all. Had to get that off my chest, as an antidote to all the foolishness, despair, and insanity I see each day in the news….

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

Premises, premises….

Tricked, I stumble, and I fall
dreaming, through an abandoned palace.
Frightened and wary, unheard my call
fading into memory, no cup, no argent chalice.

The people, crushed, cry out to be freed
asking only to take part, or travel.
Nascent oaths spotlight such bursting need
fed by treachery, deep from our well.

Only the wicked shall find their way blocked
justice seeks them, snug in their hole.
Faint praises never touched, but naked, stalked
singing no gospel, no soul, no rock and roll.

Only the promised will remember the way
from unforgiven trails of sorrow.
To live life, and give death no sway,
saving grace for our only tomorrow.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/19/2014

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

Five Naked Pearls

*****

“Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think,
but thousands can think for one who can see.
To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion – all in one.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

*****

“How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!”

~~ Alexander Pope — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xiii, Line 375 ~~

*****

A monk said to Joshu,
“Your stone bridge is widely renowned,
but coming here I find only a heap of rocks.”

Joshu said, “You see only the stones and not the bridge.”

The monk said, “What is the bridge?”

Joshu said, “What do you think we are walking on?”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*****

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

~~ Bernard M. Baruch ~~

*****

Learning builds daily accumulation,
but the practice of Tao builds daily simplification.
Simplify and simplify, until all contamination
from relative, contradictory thinking is eliminated.
Then one does nothing,
yet nothing is left undone.
One who wins the world does so by not meddling with it.
One who meddles with the world loses it.”

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

~~ Tao Teh Ching ~~

*****

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

I am going to be human now, and issue a certificate of denial. It’s not my fault. Actually, it is, but, it’s done, so I figured I’d make the attempt. Oh, well. This one is going into the books, though I doubt seriously it will ever reach any milestones of legitimacy. What that means, stripped of all the BS, is, we’re done. Or, rather, it’s done. Oh, fuck it, I’m outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t talk myself out of it…. Odds are good on that, guaranteed…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

That’s balderdash, with a ‘b’….

Posted on June 17, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

Casual Beauty

Hajime…. As some of y’all may know, the word at the beginning of this line, and blog, is a Japanese word, meaning, “Begin”. It is used as the start for all Japanese martial arts matches; it’s use here means exactly the same as it does to each of the opponents, to wit: “Ready or not, let’s dance.” Sort of. At any rate, I like to use it to bring myself into the focused state of mind necessary to write with any skill. Not that my skills are all that highly developed, but, the presence of mind is always helpful. Besides, it works.

That said, my state of mind today is what I’d call fatalistic, in the sense I don’t give a rat’s shiny ass about much of anything. Not sure where this feeling came from, unless it’s a reaction to the last two weeks of fighting off my inner demons. Whatever it is, it’s put me in a mood, one which doesn’t lend itself to rational exposition In fact, I would characterize the way I feel as relatively homicidal, but, that’s just me; I like to give things their proper name. In terms of today’s Pearl, that translates to what is best described as diddly-squat. In short, I’m not creating a Pearl today, and that’s just the way it is. We’ll all have to deal with it for at least 24 more hours, because, at the end of this intro, I’m done for today.

I’ll be back, hopefully by tomorrow morning. But, no promises, as I am currently unsure as to how may of these demons there are to vanquish before I can think about any sort of recreational writing. I’m planning on putting together enough to post tomorrow morning, but, as noted, I am not promising that, for I won’t promise anything I may not be able to do. So be it.

See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Who knows? I might even have something rational to say. There’s always a first time for everything. See ya….

Shall we Pearl?…. Well, no, actually, we shall not….

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

~~ Plato ~~

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Devising new strategies takes time….

Posted on June 4, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Life moves pretty fast.
If you don’t stop and look around once in a while,
you just might miss it.”

~~ Matthew Broderick ~~

~~ in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, screenplay by John Hughes ~~

Big Ben, from the other side….

Hajime…. Bedraggled, bothered, and bewildered, as is often the case around here at 4:30 in the morning, the old man sits again to write his sanity into being. Since only he knows whether or not it works, we’ll forgo any predictions; instead, we’ll merely note the severe case of separation currently extant, as it is patently clear the old fart hasn’t a clue about his own state of mind. If he did, he’d be writing this in the first person, rather than hiding his actual feelings in the third person. Go figure…..

Hmm…. What do you think? Is that sufficiently nonsensical? Does it distract anyone from reality sufficiently to begin a Pearl? It certainly distracted me; shocked me right back into first person, it did. Go figure, eh? See, I can be Canadian, if I try. But, when I do, all bets are off, for, I’m not only NOT Canadian, I don’t even like Canadian beer, very much. But, then, I’m not a big beer fan, anyway. Most of them seem too, well, too damn filling. Whiskey is much less filling, and one achieves the primary purpose for consuming alcoholic beverages much sooner. I’m all about efficiency, when I can find it…..

Having spent the last 72 or more hours in a deep funk, with tears popping up to embarrass me on a too-regular basis, I am now pulling myself out of that, into a more productive mien; Leelu is, I think, trying to help, in her own way. I’m going to assume that, because I don’t want to believe she doesn’t care. I know, I know, that’s anthropomorphizing something terrible, but, it’s what we humans do, for the most part; try to make reality fit what we want, or perceive, rather than just taking it as it comes….

SIGH. Oh, well, such is life, right? It’s all a crap shoot, once the balloon goes up, so, one may as well hedge their bets, or, find another game, which could be difficult, given the intransigent insistence on reality’s part to maintain a status having nothing at all to do with quo…. As it seems I’ve reached the point of abstruse complexity which somewhat precludes immediate comprehension, I think it might be best to find our way OUT of my head, and back onto the track which will lead us into the meat of today’s always messy effort. In short, it’s time to get the slow on the toad. If that STILL isn’t clear, well, the best I can tell you is, hang on, because you’ll need to be alert, as well as fast, to make it to the end…. Don’t fret, the music should help; it’s pretty decent.

Since I can’t speak for the rest of it, with any degree of confidence, anyway, we’ll just resort to our newest technique, and end this, right here, right now. If you watch closely, you might catch the transition…. or, not….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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

Phish

Image from http://www.jambase.com via Google Images

I only began listening to this band last year, when I happened across a video of a live webcast from Austin, Texas. I was amazed at the quality of their music, as well as the originality I had thought gone from the modern music scene…. Here is another webcast concert, from early this year…. Enjoy, ffolkes; these guys are damn good….

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

Phish Live
Riviera Maya, Mexico
1/15/2016

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

https://youtu.be/NJrTA7Sb5SA

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

“A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take from you.”

~~ Ramsey Clark ~~

As human beings, we are all subject to the laws of this universe. One of those laws is this; everything that lives, dies. In the final analysis, this is your ONLY right, as a living being. Nothing else in this universe is promised to you for being alive; death is our only unchosen duty. It is also one nobody can take from you; any other so-called ‘rights’ are nothing of the sort, for you only have those rights you can defend. Any of the things we regard as our ‘rights’ can only be taken; the universe does not gift them to you. If you believe it does, you are in for some rather nasty surprises, as long as you live, for nothing exists in this universe that is not subject to its laws. Not even us…..

Albert Camus made a statement I find to be true, to wit: “Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.” In reality, this often manifests with a human being trying to act as if the rules of life do not apply. We have become slaves to a set of delusional beliefs, none of which are supported by reality; this has led us to our current unstable position, with the most likely outcome the complete extinction of not only our own species, but, the unwilling inclusion of most other species who live here with us in that extinction, as we have fouled our own nest without any concern for the outcome, denying the connection we have to all other life in almost every aspect of our culture…..

This, naturally, is disappointing, especially as there are some of us who do NOT subscribe to the same set of delusional behaviors as the majority of our brethren. For these sages, life is not a competition, but, a panorama of beauty and grace, that can only be completely embraced by acknowledging our place as a part of the whole. Any other path leads us away from what is real; the further we get from reality, the harder we try to make it fit our preconceived notions, thus showing the characteristic insanity so common to our breed…

Not only is it disappointing, but, so unnecessary. Life, if approached with an open heart and mind, can be truly simple to live, with joy balancing pain, and the beauty in which we exist is seen for itself, whole and complete, not for its possibilities as a commercial commodity. Of course, there are some rules to living with such grace and intelligence, which naturally follow the same lines as those that exist in reality… Rather than continue to explore such an esoteric set of ideas, we’ll finish off this discussion with a few old-school pearls, which will, I hope, give us an idea of how such a life might be lived, with dignity, love, and joy as the hallmarks of existing… Good advice here, ffolkes, so, listen up.

*******

After all there is but one race – humanity.

~~ George Moore ~~

*******

“Happiness and freedom
begin with a clear understanding of one principle.
Some things are within your control.
And some things are not.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“Justice is having and doing what is one’s own.”

~~ Plato ~~

*******

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me.
If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them;
if I find them too obnoxious, I break them.
I am free because I know that
I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

~~ Professor Bernardo de la Paz ~~

*******

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”

~~ Kris Kristofferson ~~

*******

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

Retrospective, defined in folly….

Yesterday
I wrote a poem.

It bled out of my head,
like I’d been struck with
an axe,
right through the artery,
in the neck,
spraying blood around
everywhere,
like a pulsing garden hose….

It hurt, at first,
then came the feeling,

of quick relief,
of timeless beauty,

of pain avenged,
of lust aroused,

of outrage aflame,
of deep compassion,

of endless empathy,
of truest love….

Now it’s gone, cast away
like pearls before twine.

(Grin…)

You thought
I was going to call you
a pig,
didn’t you?

Hah!

Well, you’re not.
You’re a person.

I know, because
you’re reading this poem…
if that’s what it is.
I think it is,
so,
maybe it is.

Or, maybe,
it will be,
someday, when it
grows up,
and learns to rhyme.
Whew…
Just in time…..

That’s all.
Reality often sucks wind,
y’know?

S’okay, though….
It keeps us busy,
and out of some of the
mischief,
so much part
of our
nature.

We all can do
only what we
do.

Or, don’t.

Two sides, one coin.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/31/2014

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

Naked Pearls

How it is to be….

*********

“HELLO, everybody, I’m a HUMAN!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*********

“You cannot teach a crab to walk straight.”

~~ Aristophanes ~~

*********

“Dream as if you’ll live forever.
Live as if you’ll die tomorrow.”

~~ James Dean ~~

*********

“There may be many reasons for who we are, but there are no excuses.”

~~ Limon ~~

*********

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

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

*********

“Simplicity is always a virtue.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*********

“Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?”

~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~

*********

“To perceive is to suffer.”

~~ Aristotle, De Anima ~~

*********

“Don’t ask me where I’m going,
Just listen when I’m gone
And far away you’ll hear me singing softly to the dawn”

~~ Pippin ~~

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

Okay, so, that went pretty well, all things considered. So well, I’ll not fuss with it further, but, will leave you with our usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, most likely tomorrow morning, with yet another misguided attempt at levity and/or intellectual fun and games. Or, maybe I’ll create another fresh Pearl. Whatever happens, it will be right here, tomorrow around this time. So be it…. gigoid has spoken, for better, or worse….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Significant signs of sincere drivel….

Posted on June 1, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The truth you speak has no past and no future.
It is, and that’s all it needs to be.”

~~ Richard Bach, “Illusions” ~~

Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC

Hajime…. In retrospect, there was nothing to be done; if there had, I’d have done it. Instead, here I sit, again searching for some small inspiration to get us to our desired destination. In the ineffable, incomparable way of life at large, nothing doing, at least, not so far. Since waiting around for it to show would be rather presumptuous (for it may never show at all), I suppose I’ll need to find some other source for material to put here. That, of course, is also a hit or miss issue, but, given the circumstances, it could be worse. How, I am not sure, but, I know Murphy, and, believe me, if given half a chance, it WILL get worse.

In order to avoid any such conundrum this morning, I’ll use the new degree of ruthlessness I seem to have found, and cut this intro without mercy. It won’t take long, and actually is quite fun, if one doesn’t fight it. All you need to do is put down your adult beverage, take a deep breath, and read on. As for my part, it works pretty well, all things considered. How does it work? Easy, I push this button, and we’re gone…. Watch….

Shall we Pearl?….

Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens.

[Against stupidity the very gods fight in vain.]

~~ Friedrich Schiller ~~

~~ The Maid of Orleans, Act iii, Sc. 6 ~~

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

Leonard Cohen

Image from http://www.pinterest.come via Google Images

One of yesterday’s commenters mentioned today’s featured artist; it’s been a while since we’ve included his work, so, here is a pretty thorough collection of many of his most popular pieces, all in one place. Enjoy!….

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

The Best of Leonard Cohen

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

https://youtu.be/L9WDRGxp0vA

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

Originally, I had a quote picked out for today, to lead into a discussion of the ubiquitous corporate oligarchy as it now exists in our world. However, reality intervened, to prevent any such fresh ranting today. Instead here is a more light-hearted discussion from early in 2014 to fill in for today. It’s a fun one, so, have fun…..

From 1/30/2014:

“We’re not into science fiction because it’s _good literature_, we’re into it because it’s _weird_. Follow your weird, ladies and gentlemen. Forget trying to pass for normal. Follow your geekdom. Embrace your nerditude. In the immortal words of Lafcadio Hearn, a geek of incredible obscurity whose work is still in print after a hundred years, “woo the muse of the odd”.” — Bruce Sterling, addressing a convention of SF writers

A few days ago, I experienced an epiphany regarding the solutions we need to find to the issues of global warming and climate change…. This statement is one that, though not exactly what I’m talking about, is in the right ballpark…. Finding answers to what is happening in the real world has been part of what science fiction writers have done, peripherally, for many years, in the sense that the stories they write explore the concepts involved in ways that demonstrate the questions, and can, hopefully, point the way to finding the answers we now need…

There have been many, many stories…. full length novels, novellas, short stories… all written over the last two hundred years or so, that talk about the most critical issue we now face, to wit: the climate changes produced by our insane pollution of the atmosphere. There has also been a lot of speculation and talk among the people who do the writing, and those who write about them, all discussing possible scenarios for possible futures….. Somewhere among all that talk and discussion, there MUST be an idea that we can use to turn the tide that we have so foolishly turned against us…..

In other words, in a metaphorical sense, we need to go out into the realms of fantasy and imagination, to find the elves, so we can benefit from the wisdom of their counsel…. Even though I already know what they will tell us…. The elves always give the same counsel…. we will need to find a Hero, who can step forward to assume the Quest to save mankind from the folly of his own greed and ambition…. Metaphorically, this is absolutely correct…. what it will translate to in real terms is yet to be seen, but, something needs to be done to find an answer, and soon, for the time we have to accomplish anything that will work is growing smaller rapidly….

“There is something inside all of us that yearns not for reason but for mystery… not for penetrating clear thought but for the whisperings of the irrational… not for science but for wizardry disguised as science.. not for rationally founded influence but for magic.” — Karl Jaspers

In the meantime, rather than ranting at you to get out there and try to find an elf, who can then lead us to his where his people have gone, far over the Western Sea,…. I’ll put together an old-school pearl, with some good advice and/or some snarky comments about the assholes who got us to this point in the first place….

“For me, all I can do is spit in the eye of my fears by living each day with as much passion and commitment as possible to what truly counts, such as love and justice. To give the into the fear and hopelessness would be to declare defeat, something I am not ready to do while there is still the will to struggle.” — Lawrence Paradis

“You shouldn’t think about *how* we’re doing this. You should ask yourself, ‘why?'” — Penn Jillette

“To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” — Agatha Christie

“A little folly is desirable in him that will not be guilty of stupidity.” — Michael de Montaigne — Book iii, Chap. ix

“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” — Oscar Wilde

“Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death?” — Plato

See? There is a perfect example of why I seldom make precognitive assumptions about a particular pearl, especially BEFORE it is constructed…. This is a grand pearl, but, no snarky comments to be seen…. ‘S’okay, it doesn’t need them….

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

Blithely Untitled

A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.

Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.

Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.

Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.

Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/7/2014

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

Naked Pearls

The best wisdom at affordable prices….

*******

“A wise man first determines what is within his control;
all else is then irrelevant.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“Between the vision and the act lies the shadow.”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

“Joy is wealth and love is the legal tender of the soul.”

~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~

*******

“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

“we can never be born enough.
We are human beings;
for whom birth is a supremely welcome mystery,
the mystery of growing:
the mystery that happens only and whenever
we are faithful to ourselves.”

~~ e. e. cummings. ~~

*******

“…and remember you’re a Man, not just god,
and for you there aren’t and never will be any easy answers,
only questions, and no reasons,
only causes, and no meaning,
only intelligence, and no destination
and no kindly magic smiling down from above,
and no fires to goad you from below,
only Yourself and the Universe
and what you make out of the interface between the two equals.”

~~ Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_ ~~

*******

“On SECOND thought,
maybe I’ll heat up some BAKED BEANS
and watch REGIS PHILBIN..
It’s GREAT to be ALIVE!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

Since Zippy finished off that most excellent old-school pearl with such panache, I don’t think I’ll need to get too fancy here at the close. Rather than make any such faux pas, we’ll just note, it’s done, and we’re done for today. We will, with great anticipation, see y’all again tomorrow, as long as the Universe holds together. It’s got a solid record of doing so; most likely, we’ll see y’all then….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Bess’s fine messes, at cost….

Posted on April 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Arguments derived from probabilities are idle.”

~~ Plato ~~

An alley market on Portobello Road, London

Hajime…. Had I known yesterday, when beginning to put this Pearl together, that the intro would end up being the most contentious section to get done, I would have done it first. Since I’m doing it last, so to speak, it seems to have taken it personally, now refusing to coalesce into anything worth putting on screen, This isn’t to say we haven’t encountered this issue previously, though it’s not a frequent problem at all. No, the empty mind is our biggest issue in this section, as it usually occurs pre-coffee, or, nearly so. Since I’m about to go pour my second cup, that isn’t a factor…. Yet, here it sits, ugly, and relatively empty, save for this single paragraph of almost pure blather.

I wonder if they give refunds…. Nah, probably not, since nobody’s paying, and posting is free. Oh, well, another opportunity lost through lack of any comparatively sane thought processes as needed for basic comprehension. As we’re fond of saying around here in such situations, c’est la fucking vie. We’re going on in spite of our complete lack of talent, or intent, or even coherence. Of course, we could employ one of the Tardis toys to distract and discombobulate, (what a fine word!….), but, we’re not IN the Tardis yet. I suppose I could quit fooling around with this, and get on with it, but, what fun would that be?….

Oh…. okay. Well, since that’s the case, there’s nothing left to but this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Once you’ve seen the face of god,
You see that same face on everyone you meet.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

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

I’ve used this in the past, but, I’m running a bit late today, so, we’ll go with it, as when it’s done, you can choose from a large number of other numbers from Playing For Change artists, from the suggestions that You Tube gives after each video. Enjoy, ffolkes; this one is one of my favorites…. It’s hot!….

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

Gimme Shelter

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

https://youtu.be/GJtq6OmD-_Y

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

The rant for this section turned epic on me; it’s not quite done yet. To take it’s place, here is a discussion from 2012, on one of our most frequent subjects, to wit, politicians, the BRC, and Asininnies in general. It’s a bit long, but, there’s some humor involved, so, it won’t hurt too bad. I find it ironic to note how relevant many of the old rants I wrote have remained over time… I guess it goes to show we humans are a bit slower learners than we’d like to believe…. Enjoy!…..

From 10/2/2012:

This old-school pearl started off in one direction, then veered off into another…. and I don’t blame it a bit. I’m just as tired of all the political bullshit being flung around as the next guy, and the election can’t get here quick enough to suit me, that’s for sure. What with the amount of crap flying around, I feel like I’ve got to shower it off at least once or twice a day……

Any who, I was collecting the pearls for this, when I noticed that each one of them, from the first to the last, make a pointed statement that could easily be applied to this election, and most specifically, to the Republican party’s platform and candidates…. As far as I can see, they fail at every one of these, and this then becomes an indictment of their failings, all without intent, but with great accuracy….

“The majority never has the right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of the social lies that a free, thinking man is bound to rebel against. Who makes up the majority in any given country? Is it the wise men or the fools? I think we must agree that the fools are in a terrible overwhelming majority, all the wide world over.” — Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)

“The honest poor can sometimes forget poverty. The honest rich can never forget it.” — G. K. Chesterton (gigoid sez: There being none of those, to wit: honest rich, in this election, we can pretty much take this as gospel, or at least accept it at face value……)

“It is the edge and temper of the blade that make a good sword, not the richness of the scabbard; and so it is not money or possessions that make man considerable, but his virtue.” — Seneca (B.C. 3-65 A.D.) (gigoid sez: This could NOT be clearer…. since Mitt the Twitt feels compelled to rattle his scabbard at every opportunity…..)

“I am different from Washington; I have a higher, grander standard of principle. Washington could not lie. I can lie, but I won’t.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (gigoid sez: In modern times, the concept of a politician lying is not merely common, it is expected, and, sadly to say, empowered by the voting public, by their passive acceptance of same….)

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward

“Intemperate speech is a distinctive characteristic of man. Hotheads blow off and release destructive energy in the process. They shout and rave, exaggerating weaknesses, magnifying error, viewing with alarm. So it has been from the beginning; and so it will be throughout time. The framers of the constitution knew human nature as well as we do. They too had lived in dangerous days; they too knew the suffocating influence of orthodoxy and standardized thought. They weighed the compulsions for the restrained speech and thought against the abuses of liberty. They chose liberty.” — Justice William O. Douglas

“When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don’t deal drugs. When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I’m innocent. When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don’t own a gun. Now they’ve come for the first amendment, and I can’t say anything at all.” — Tim Freeman

“It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.” — Aeschylus (525-456 BC) — Frag. 385

Yep, it’s going to be a real dust-up this year, as the forces of evil have gathered all of their minions and myrmidons, ready to sally forth on election day and try to lie and cheat their way into office. The degree of illegal, ill-advised voter suppression efforts that the Republicans have made are coming to light on a daily basis, with the money they’ve paid to companies dedicated to blocking the votes of seniors, poor people, and veterans being exposed as well. It’s truly a disgusting development, although it isn’t new to them; they’ve managed to steal two elections already, for the junior shrub, in 2000 and 2004, once in Florida, and once in Ohio.

They also managed to distract the public away from looking at those election results, by talking a bunch of Islamic militants into attacking New York City, right at the time when the Shrub’s chicanery in Florida was about to be investigated by an independent commission…… I always thought the timing there was a bit suspicious, and it couldn’t have been better for the Shrub, even though he probably wasn’t in on the planning of it himself…. his daddy never trusted him THAT far…..

But, you may remember, the senior Shrub was the head of the CIA for many years, before he was President, and is considered by most to be personally responsible for the establishment of the cocaine trade in this country; see the book “The Cocaine Papers” written in the 1980’s, if there are still copies around. There may not be; I’m sure the dark-side operatives snap them up for destruction whenever they come across one…. This man would suffer no ethical restraints, and would not even hesitate, to have some of his operatives clandestinely trick terrorists into attacking when and where he wished it…. Civilian casualties are always more compelling when trying to distract the public…. And, it is funny how nobody ever investigated where the money for the 9/11 attacks came from…. Usually, in any such event, finding out who paid for it is a primary goal of the investigating teams…. but, nobody ever did that for 9/11…. Kind of makes one wonder, doesn’t it?……

Ah well, conspiracy theories aside, this election is seeing every dirty trick the two parties can think of between them, with the most egregiously immoral actions taking place on the conservative side…. voter suppression efforts in swing states, outright lying, misinformation spreading, magical bean platforms, all are being employed with gusto…. The upcoming debate tomorrow promises to be quite a show for the American public, and it will be interesting to see the contortions that the Republicans go through to try to show their man to their advantage, when every time he opens his mouth, he drops another bomb that indicates just how clueless and uncaring he is…. I’m almost looking forward to it, if it didn’t promise to be so bloody…. c’est la vie, I guess, and we’ll have to see how time will tell the tale…..

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

While researching yesterday in SB, I came across this, which I remember hearing live, watching TV with my kids & family, many years ago, on a show called The Muppet Show, in which characters from Sesame Street performed with live actors & artists, as well as performing solo, as Kermit did once in a while; generally, he, or another, or, occasionally all the Muppets on the show also did a duet with the live guest. I like this one, a lot, which is why it graces our poetry section today…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s a bit soft compared to our usual fare, but, hey, as noted, I like it, so, deal….

Rainbow Connection

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions
rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thoughta’ that and someone believed it
— look what it’s done so far.

What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell
we know that it’s probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I hear them calling my name.

Could it be the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice may be one and the same.
Well I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it
it’s somethin’ that I’m s’posed to be.

And someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

~~ Kermit the Frog ~~

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

This, ffolkes, is an odd pearl. For me to say that is, well, unprecedented, if only in its stark simplicity. It’s also quite cogent, in its own weird way, for it wanders around quite drunkenly, almost randomly, yet, still manages to fulfill whatever it is trying to say. The exact nature of that is, of course, left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader, though, as always, you may decline the mission. It will, however, at least partially, probably end up on the Quiz….Ya never know what ya might need to know…. Pay attention, now; some of it is tricky…. In fact, it begins with a bit of subtlety many might get stuck on, but, trust me, and keep going…. You’ll be fine.

“Avoid fried foods which angry up the blood.” — Satchel Paige

“We all carry it within us; supreme strength, the fullness of wisdom, unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted and cannot be destroyed. But it is hidden deep,
which is what makes life a problem.” — Huston Smith

“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” — Virginia Satir

“Watches are a confidence trick invented by the Swiss.” — Chiun, in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins…”

“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Of the Training of Children

“Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.” — from Observations on Life From Children

“In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing.” — Antonio Porchia, Voces

“Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“The flesh surrenders itself. Eternity takes back its own. Our bodies stirred these waters briefly, danced with a certain intoxication before the love of life and self, dealt with a few strange ideas, then submitted to the instruments of Time. What can we say of this? I occurred. I am not… yet I occurred.”
— Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah

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

“.. bleakness…. desolation…. plastic forks…”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

Now, now, don’t fret; it doesn’t mean anything, other than I’m a strange person. Well, I guess, if you really enjoyed today’s Pearl, it might have some relevance for you; other wise, it’s where it is simply because I thought it was damn funny. Hell, I could fill most of a ranting section with it, but, I just figured I’d add it here at the end, sort of like a, what? Oh, how, ’bout, an innovation. That works; we’ll go with innovation. Don’t worry, I won’t try this again. Zippy just hit the right note, so, there he sits. Now, as noted below, it’s time for me to go sits…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, Zippy or no Zippy….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Abject traces of bellicose faces….

Posted on April 18, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 1 ~~

Different day, different pub ~~ Cork, Ireland

Note the perfect Guinness waiting at the tap….

Hajime…. Hmm… Where to begin? No doubt, the beginning would be best, so, let’s start there. Good morrow, I think. I can’t be entirely positive, but, saying so often sets the tone, so, we’ll go with that. I’d ask how y’all are doin’, but, that would be silly, since you’re not really here yet. A distinct possibility exists you will never be here, but, if I thought too hard about that, it would probably make me crazier than I already am; I don’t think that would be wise today, as the drive to crazy would be very short, indeed.

Ah, well, such is life as a retired dilettante, I suppose. I can’t really complain, as I have a roof, warmth, ample food, and a magic cat; many people don’t have any of that, even at my age…. and, isn’t THAT a proper indictment of our society? I’d say so, but, if I did, that would be ranting in the intro again, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do that any more. It would probably be a good idea for me to avoid ranting altogether today, I think; anything that came out would be suspect, for sure and for certain. In fact, I suspect we ought to leave this right here, and use this little button again, to get us down the page to the next section. Hold on, it can be a little bumpy with this one….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If one sticks too rigidly to one’s principles,
one would hardly see anybody.”

~~ Agatha Christie~~

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

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

Today’s video selection is a two hour compilation of classical music, combined with a screensaver slide-show of fine art photographs. I have yet to watch or listen, but, it sounds lovely, and the picture it displayed was certainly fine art…. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/-3FMzIRSIMc

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

It may not seem like it, but, it’s been a tough morning. The current rant isn’t done yet, either, so, here is a lighter piece, an old-school pearl with comments, to take the place of anything fresh, or reasonably coherent…. Enjoy, ffolkes; this may be the best I’ve got today…. Too bad I wrote it almost four years ago….

From 9/12/2012:

This is an old school pearl for your reading pleasure, or nearest approximation of same…. a bit different, with some internal comments from yours truly (in parentheses for your convenience….), to give directional hints that may or may not lead you to the point being developed…. but, funny, at least, as much as I can make them….

“… 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”

(When I read this, or sentiments like it, I always get a picture in my head of the two Bushes…. GW and GHW, otherwise known as the Senior Shrub and the Junior Shrub, or vice versa…. The national mourning that took place yesterday is the best example of their work in this arena….)

“My first American ancestor, gentlemen, was an Indian-an early Indian. Your ancestors skinned him alive, and I am an orphan. All those Salem witches were ancestors of mine. Your people made it tropical for them…. The first slave brought into New England out of Africa was an ancestor of mine-for I am a mixed breed, an infinitely shaded and exquisite Mongrel.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)

(Me too! I loved this when I first saw it, back in High School, a VERY LONG time ago… so long ago, it was hot off the press…… The best part is, every one of those folks who believe themselves to be blue-blooded Americans are exactly the same make-up… There are very few real pure-bloods left anywhere in the world, and certainly not in a country with the diverse population we have….. we’re all, technically speaking, close to being “mutts”, every one of us…..)

“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.” — Galbraith’s Law

(I am reminded of those folks who are busy trying to convince everyone that they aren’t against Obama because he’s black, and then turn around and support R&R, who have all but guaranteed to return racism and bigotry to government….. Hell, just look at one of their primary talking point slogans, the key part of which is, and I quote, “…we’ll take America back….” Take it back? From whom? From other Americans? Does this mean the current government aren’t real Americans? That sounds suspiciously of both racism, AND treason, to me…..)

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

(Ah, the good old days…. sometimes, I wish we would see someone in the House, or the Senate, say this at the end of a speech, just to see if anyone is paying attention…)

“Somewhere in suburban Honolulu, an unemployed bellhop is whipping up a batch of illegal psilocybin chop suey!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

(Okay, I admit it… this one isn’t part of the message inherent in the other quotes…. I just like it….. Though, now that I think about it, the fact that it is entirely possible this is true, does say something about the subject at hand, to wit: society and government thereof…. What it says could be paraphrased as “If God is in charge here, I am angry; if He is not, I am frightened….” — Smart Bee)

No one ever made laws keeping people from making fools of themselves. — Smart Bee

(This is a wonderful end point for this discussion, or at least, it is such an ending for the discussion going on in my head….. I think this is very, very true, sadly…. Moreover, I believe that the laws we do pass actually are the proof of the pudding, in terms of people making fools of themselves…. especially when we try to legislate morality…..)

That’s enough mental torture for one day….. I hope the conclusion these quotes led to is clear…. if not, well, that’s okay, because I never hold quizzes…. and hopefully, you got a chuckle or two from reading it…. and if not, well, console yourself with the fact that it is done…..

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

Off the proverbial cuff….

I never meant to kill that period of time,
it didn’t give me any choice.
It tried to hem me in without reason, or rhyme,
refused me any vote, or any voice.

You have to admit, I buried it deep and fast,
just as if I cared.
I knew, though, it would never last,
or ever be fully repaired.

No news, no pictures can bring it back,
once is all we get.
No pleas of public good, or even public lack;
in stone the past is set.

Futuristic visions now occupy my dreams,
I’m ready to go on.
Look! It fills up the screen, and it gleams!
Where’s the moment I’m sitting on?

Now, I remembered, at long, long last,
is all we really can hold.
Every moment goes by so bloody fast,
we’d best fill them all with beauty, warm and bold.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/30/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Random Notes On Being Human

*********

“Chaos of thought and passion, all confused;
Still by himself abused or disabused;
Created half to rise, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled,–
The glory, jest, and riddle of the world.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 13 ~~

*********

“Catch the wind, see it spin, sail away, live the day way up high in the sky.”

~~ Jimmy Page and Robert Plant ~~

*********

“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider
that the limit of our power of perception
is also the limit of all there is to perceive.”

~~ C. W. Leadbeater ~~

*********

“Time will explain it all. He is a talker, and needs no questioning before he speaks.”

~~ Euripides ~~

*********

“All the magick of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.”

~~ Magi ~~

*********

“A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn.”

~~ Ancient Human proverb ~~

*********

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change
and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate
is strength undefeatable.”

~~ Helen Keller ~~

*********

“Once you can accept the universe
as being something expanding
into an infinite nothing which is something,
wearing stripes with plaid is easy.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*********

Whatever far-off world exists,
dearer to man than life itself,
darkness keeps it in her arms,
and shrouds it in a cloud.

No one has found a way beyond,
What lies beneath is unrevealed,
Adrift upon a glittering stream,
We sigh for some still nameless thing.”

~~ Euripides, “Hippolytus” ~~

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

I am fairly certain it’s done; I went over it all, and there is enough in each section to make the grade, even if it isn’t an A, or even a B, today. So be it. The mere fact it is done is a testament to the process of creating Pearls, which has evolved to the point of near independence. Sure it has. On that delusional note, I think it would be best if I just say, see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, when you’ll see yet another attempt to get this right. Don’t hold your breath, though; it could be late…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Loaded with extra creatures….

Posted on April 14, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“They certainly give very strange names to diseases.”

~~ Plato (427-347 B.C.) ~~

No computer today….

Hajime…. As you see from the picture, I was not allowed to compute yesterday. I managed to do a small bit of surfing, during one of her naps, as indicated by the re-blog I posted yesterday afternoon, but, that was about all I got in. So be it. Since I’m still in somewhat of a mood, we’ll forgo a lengthy intro, in favor of getting right into the mess for today. Given the status of my muse, and our rather touchy relations just now, that’s likely the most productive scenario I can put together, anyway. It’s not the best Pearl ever, but, for what it is, it ain’t bad…. Moreover, I’m going to trust the process implicitly, and just get on with it. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I must stand up in search of the truth,
if I don’t I only roll with the flow of the lie
and make it stronger.”

~~ Sovereign ~~

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

Blue Moon Soup

Image is a screen shot from You Tube via Google Images

Today’s musical selection is from a group of progressive bluegrass musicians from Ohio. I found their covers of some Grateful Dead tunes in the 2014 Dead Covers Project, and was totally amazed at the music they make together. Guitar, mandolin, bass, violin, all played with superb talent, and voices that blend in excellent harmony. They have fun when they play, and you will, too, when you listen, and watch. Enjoy, ffolkes; follow the link to You Tube, and you’ll find more of their work, well worth hearing….

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

Blue Moon Soup
Mississippi Half Step

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

https://youtu.be/8HWxZfAmmLc

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

I’d hoped to have a fresh rant done, but, it’s stalled. Here, to sublimate the urge to vent against the machine, is a pearl from early 2013, speaking of our old friends (not), the Asininnies….

From 3/28/2013:

“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle was a very interesting man, as this aphorism makes clear. It’s not your typical statement from someone so deeply involved in politics as to have been the Dictator/President of France, as he was for so long, but, the quote IS/WAS typical of him, or, at least, of the image he projected, as a maverick in the political world, both inside and outside of France. If I recall my history correctly, (he was alive for much of the first half of my life….), other world leaders didn’t trust him much, which tends to give him more cachet, in my mind…. If the normal run of politico mistrusted him, he’s obviously my kind of guy, as that kind of reaction from a politician generally implies the target subject is an honest man….

With this statement, he pulls the covers of the greater percentage of those in public office. Those eminent officials are constantly spouting off about how they are “public servants” and how their salaries are paid by the taxpayers…. All the while, they are shoveling money from the public treasury into their pockets just as fast as their little hands can move. They make the same noises when they are up for re-election, to further solidify the image they wish to project, as concerned citizens just following their hearts to help the people, when in fact, they are merely petty thieves, with slick tongues and a smooth patter…. no more honest than a street grifter, and no more likely to give a shit about anyone else….

I’m not going to make this a long rant today; this is one subject that is so obvious (to me) that I hesitate to even write about it, as it would be insulting my readers to assume they weren’t aware of this truism. But, I did want to remind y’all that, no matter how honest and sincere a politician may seem, no matter how often they tell you they are just your servant, they are lying, bare-faced and deliberately. This applies to ALL of them, from the top to the bottom of our federal, state, and local governments; the corruption is inherent in the structure of the system, which encourages behaviors that are self-serving, and rewards theft with more access to more money…..

“Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.” — John Stewart Mill (1806-1873)

I don’t think I need to even show any evidence here, as it ample proof of the chicanery prevalent in society is all over the news every day, if one knows where to look, and how to read between the lies….. (not a typo…) The recent events surrounding the budget mess, have reached a stage where it is apparent, even to the citizens who blindly support anything the politicos say, that there is something wrong with this picture, and serve as a perfect example of what I am implying, nay, accusing them of here. The bickering and obstructionism reached levels that showed exactly how little the people mattered, in relation to the money, and who would have the control of it….. It’s a huge mess, and nobody has any acceptable solutions (so they say….)…

So, what do they do?…. Things get stalled long enough for the Supreme Court to take up the constitutionality of the concept of Gay Marriage, a decision that will have a long-term effect on how our country operates on some levels, and certainly engages the emotions of every citizen with any concern over the issue… Quite distracting, in fact, and to me, a bit suspicious in timing, as it takes the public awareness away from what Congress, and the White House, are up to, which, I assure you, is no good…. at least, not for us, or for the people at large….

SIGH… My outrage at the system is so large it keeps me awake at nights, sometimes…. but, it is so large because the system is, in nature, completely amorphous, with no obvious pieces that can be attacked and destroyed…. Add to that the fact that too few people alive are even aware of the need to do so, and it leaves me with little choice but to rant…. So, life goes on without any real changes, and the rich keep getting richer, while the poor keep on keepin’ on, best they can…. Me, I’m gonna go take a nap…..

“The trouble with Congress is every time they make a law, it’s a joke, and every time they make a joke, it’s a law!” — Will Rogers

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

A couple weeks ago, a friend sent me a poem, which I included in this section, by a new young poet she found. She searched out a site where he is posting his work, and found another poem to send. It’s good, as is the young poet, who will, I predict, make a mark in the world of literature. I hope you enjoy it, and, use the link to visit his blog site…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

In Poetry

I slept last night
In a cave of shadows and howls

a bear skinned itself
With his razor claws
To reveal a wolf
Eating its pups,
And their eyes burst
Under jaws,
Wet and blind

Red splashed furred skins
Dragged across the damp stone

Followed me like friends
Kept talking to me

I slept last night

the dark man from the cornered place
held a gun against my neck
And shot me down

Emptied my flesh
Felt the drift-away come up on me
Like a song as they played the pipes
Slowly

Drifted into realms
Haemorraging

In the hard dark cave
Where shadows shriek
I wake again

rise in slow
Shunting movements

vertebrae slipping
Tightly into place

Bending me skyward

Tonight I watched dublin
Snuffed out under a heavy haze

Her lights jaded

Night is here again

Goya’s demons gather
reason crumbles
castles of sand
meeting the tide

some wind blows me
some tumbling entity

some words drop out of me
Unbidden and unmade

build a flesh and soul
with pick and spade

And house me again
In this poetry.

~~ Brendan McCormack ~~

http://boneorchardpoetry.blogspot.com/2013/02/brendan-mccormack.html

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

Today’s final old-school pearl is rather special, in its own little way. It’s nine stars, each gem lustrous, all apparently unrelated, until, at one point, one realizes they are all, in at least one way, saying much the same thing. You can decide for yourselves just what that may be. It doesn’t matter at all what your conclusion may be; it will be the right one….

“Philosophy, means, first, doubt; and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means, the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance, the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility. The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.” — Henri Frederick Amiel

“It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“In those whom I like, I can find no common denominator; in those whom I love I can: they all make me laugh.” — W. H. Auden

“42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.” — Instructions for life

“He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” — Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil” IV, 146

“The only way to compel men to speak good of us is to do it.” — Voltaire

“The “beast” is a myth we have created, a scapegoat, upon which we project the image of ourselves we are unwilling to acknowledge. When anyone behaves in a peculiarly unpleasant manner we tend to answer that he behaved “like a beast,” when the fact is, of course, that no beast every behaves so iniquitously as men frequently does… The myth of the beast is perpetuated from generation to generation. The result is a perversely distorted view of the nature of other animals, and a profoundly impoverishing failure to understand our true kinship with the rest of animated nature. So-called primitive peoples have never lost this kinship with other animals… Without the benefit of a Darwinian theory of evolution our technologically less advanced peoples in their creation myths and in their conduct toward the animal world exhibit a far deeper understanding of the interrelatedness of all living things than does so-called civilized man.” — Ashley Montagu,_The Humanization of Man_, 1962

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” — Margaret Drabble

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

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

Well, there you have it, such as it is. To keep faith with the tenor of today’s post, as set in the intro, I’ll forgo any lengthy farewells, in favor of a bit of brevity here at the end of all pearls, for the day, at least. I will, however, make a strong effort to return tomorrow, with a fresh rant, and, who knows, maybe a new poem. In any case, I’ll be back, to quote a very bad actor turned very bad politician. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; that’s a good bet….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Improbable causes in a sugary glaze….

Posted on April 10, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.”

~~ Plautus (254-184 BC) ~~

~~ Rudens, Act ii, Sc. 5, 71 ~~

Life Adjusting to Need

Hajime…. Having battled much of the night to achieve what small portion of the waters of Lethe I was destined to drink, the new battle this morning, to complete a worthy Pearl, assumed new parameters, as the sheer anger and fatigue which are the unnatural result of the night’s unwelcome conflict vie to assume the upper hand, thus directing the tenor of today’s mess. Since, as you see, this has created such a high level of pedantry, almost to the point of pomposity, I have to assume the anger has won…. FUCK!…. I have to say, I’m really tired of being tired…. A little break from the pain would be nice, as well….

All that said, to our normal lack of purpose, other than the value one receives from the act of venting, perhaps it would be best to just get on with the day’s business, such as it may be. I’ve got some good stuff, and some not-quite-so-elegant stuff, and, maybe even some great stuff. All that is for y’all to judge, as I am, of course, not the one to ask. Mostly, it’s all standard stuff, but for the most excellent poetry selection today, from a blogging friend who lives in Tokyo, which I will go out on a limb to predict you WILL enjoy immensely.

Other than that, I can’t say exactly what happened, as much of it was slapped together while trying NOT to think about reality; it’s been stuck in a non-pleasurable configuration for several days, as the weather flip-flops from sun to rain, causing the barometer to fluctuate madly, sending my hips, shoulders, back and neck into a series of contortions/spasms/complaints that have been, shall we say, as much a pain in the ass as they were in their own locations. Hmph.

Okay, all done, with complaints, chatty blather, and, probably, readers. What the hell; I’m gonna go finish anyway. If anyone is still there, well, I’ll see you down the page…. Now, if I can figure out how this works….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Do not be too moral.
You may cheat yourself out of much of life.
So aim above morality.
Be not simply good; be good for something.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

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

As might be suspected, its a day for defaults. Around here, that simply means we go with classical music, picked, as always, according to which picture I saw on You Tube that drew my eye…. Enjoy!…

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/R0kl9xFVSnI

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

“Now, that the sovereign power and deity, whatsoever it is,
should have regard of mankind,
is a toy and vanity worthy to be laughed at.”

~~ Pliny The Elder ~~

Okay, so, here’s the deal. I had picked out three pearls on which to base today’s discussion (read: rant…) on religion. However, as I sat to begin, my angst dissipated in the pain each shoulder screamed at me, as they popped when I moved to start typing. Rather than attempt to maintain a coherent train of thought while dealing with that, I have collected another four pearls, to try to make up for, and furnish, the proper indictment of the persistent delusions I believe have held humanity back from reaching our potential for more than 10,000 years.

To get the full effect, stretch your mind from the first pearl, above, through the second, below, on to the final pearl from one of our founding fathers; you’ll get the proper perspective on this perversion of spirit with which we have contended for our entire history. As a final treat, I’ve included a link to the blog of another friend, who lives in Canada…. It’s a compilation of memes, all of which have a cogent comment on modern life, and some good advice on how to face it with aplomb, if not serenity…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s probably easier than another 2000 words from me on a subject I’ve probably beaten far too often for anyone’s comfort, though, sadly, not to death….

“The gods can either take away evil from the world and will not, or, being willing to do so cannot; or they neither can nor will, or lastly, they are both able and willing. If they have the will to remove evil and cannot, then they are not omnipotent. If they can, but will not, then they are not benevolent. If they are neither able nor willing, then they are neither omnipotent nor benevolent. Lastly, if they are both able and willing to annihilate evil, how does it exist?” — Epicurus — Aphorisms, c. 300 B.C.

“Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.” — Niven’s Law

“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” — Bertrand Russell

“The missionaries go forth to Christianize the savages–as if the savages weren’t dangerous enough already.” — Edward Abbey

“Whenever they burn books, they will also, in the end, burn people.” — Heinrich Heine

“Any system of religion which has anything in it which offends the mind of a child cannot be a true system.” — Thomas Paine

https://talesfromtheloublog.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/philosophical-memes-instead-of-radical-memes-that-make-your-face-red/

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

Yesterday, on the blog of a Gentle Reader I am happy to call friend, I read his haiku for the day. It was such an excellent poem, in spite of of its brevity, I had to share it today with all who stopped by. It is below the next paragraph; if you don’t love it, your poetry gene must have been damaged. For me, this can banish the thought of every bad morning I’ve ever had, in three lines…. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve included a link to his site, where you’ll find a lot of other fine poetry and prose, well worth reading….

Afterward, you’ll find a haiku from me in response to his, and, another poem, whose title and author is, at this point in time, completely unknown to yours truly. Who knows? Maybe it’ll be me, maybe somebody else…. Thanks to the Tardis, I’ve got time to figure it out…. Enjoy!….

Sparrows trill, chirp, trill

Sparrows trill, chirp, trill
The right rhythm to wake me up
Soft light through the curtain

~~ Ashi Akira ~~

https://ashiakira.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/sparrows-trill-chirp-trill/

*********

Ashi Akira
grand master of haiku
living peace poems.

~~ gigoid ~~

*********

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 ~~

4/1/2013

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

I was going to try to explain this pearl, at least to a degree, as it seemed to be a bit abstruse as it came together; then, I rearranged the entries a trifle, and, whoa! It works, all by itself. Go figure, eh? Now, if y’all have any trouble figuring it out, you can try one of two time-tested methods for doing so. First, read each one, without any thought of direction; let them all percolate a bit, then decide if anything floats up to give a clue. Second, read the first, and last, for a quick clue. Third… oh, right, only two. Never mind; I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, anyway. If not, well, you got to read nine cool things you can work into conversation when appropriate….

“Out of the shadow of night, the world rolls into light. It is daybreak everywhere.” — Longfellow

“All is flux, nothing stays still.” — Heraclitus

“Only a life lived for others is a life worth while .” — Albert Einstein

“Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible; but the world of pure reason knows no compromise, no practical limitations, no barrier to the creative activity.” — Bertrand Russell

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” — Ambrose Redmoon

“The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men! A weird life it is, indeed, to be living always in somebody else’s imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could at last become real!” — Thomas Merton, “Seven Storey Mountain”

“And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” — The Beatles, The last lyric of their last song

“There is a time for departure even when there’s no certain place to go.” — Tennessee Williams

“How he lies in his rights of a man!
Death has done all death can.
And absorbed in the new life he leads,
He recks not, he heeds
Nor his wrong nor my vengeance; both strike
On his senses alike,
And are lost in the solemn and strange
Surprise of the change.”

~~ Robert Browning — After ~~

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

Though I cannot claim any particular credit for having reached this point, it’s done. I’ve used as many short-cuts as I could find, but, all in all, I think it works. Time, as it always does, will tell. For the nonce, I’ll take my leave, and go try to find the wherewithal to do this again tomorrow morning. If I can get through today, there’s a pretty good chance I can fulfill my chosen duty for tomorrow, and, that, in the final analysis, is always a good thing. For me, if for no one else, which is, I know, all-too-human of me. Go figure. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I dare anyone to try to stop 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

View Full Profile →

	katiemiafrederick on Are those Foster Grants to blo…
	katiemiafrederick on Funk-o-matic accessories are o…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on But…. but…. what a…

gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Plato

That’s balderdash, with a ‘b’….

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: