Tag Archives: Plutarch

Paradox, paradise, or paranoia? You decide….

Posted on by
5

Ffolkes,

“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future

is a little like having bees live in your head. 

But, there they are . . . ”

~~ The Firesign Theater ~~

~~ “I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus!” ~~

84408142

    I found this absolutely adorable picture on the blog site of my friend Lou, at http://talesfromtheconspiratum.com/2015/01/06/ridiculously-photogenic-moments/; he had reblogged it from another site. You can find it, and others like it, at http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/84408138/  The blog post is entitled 23 Ridiculously Photogenic Moments, and has some great shots of unlikely subjects, all looking good doing ridiculous stuff, like this goofy-looking pit but with the bemused smile…. Put the picture together with the great quote above it, which is from my all-time favorite comedy album, and you’ve got something…. The exact nature of what we have is, of course, left as an exercise for the gentle reader….

Now we have the housekeeping out of the way, what shall we say about this Pearl? It did not come to bury Caesar, but to praise him. Or something like that; I forget how it goes. It really didn’t apply, anyway, did it? I thought not. Just another failed attempt at early humor, when I know better. I should stick to either straight fantasy, or nonsense. Given the relevance of the opening lines today, by the Firesign Theater, perhaps it would be best if we made some effort to return there, to what we know best…. Let’s see what I can come up with along those lines…

Strangely enough, no strange, or funny, or even neutral fluff seems to be available for use today. That may be due to the spasms and level 6 pain I’ve had for the last, oh, 22-plus hours, much of which was spent in a supine position, with knees up on a bolster, and the music loud to drown out my groans…. I used a massive dose of several substances to get a couple hours sleep (making the average over the last three nights a total of about 8 or 9 hours…. yay. Every little bit helps, they say…. They’re wrong, but, that’s what they say…), but I can see now it’s a good thing most of this Pearl was already done before I got up today.

In fact, I’m dropping all pretense, and getting on with it, so I can go lay down again, until my lower back decides to stop complaining…. I don’t like to be a complainer, and find myself in that position far too often for my own comfort… Fuck it, let’s go find something else to think about….

Shall we Pearl?

“I read the news today, Oh boy…” — John Lennon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the upcoming weeks, you may see a number of videos like this one; the news of late out in the Big Blue Room is enough to make anybody want to relax, and take themselves to a happy place… Enjoy!


Celtic Music – Relaxing And Beautiful Mix

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On December 6 of 2012, the Pearl I wrote turned out pretty well, with two pretty good mini-rants on two subjects.  Given the recent spate of killings by police, in this country alone, this outburst is particularly relevant. I don’t think it’s necessary to reiterate my belief the world is over-militarized, whether by local police, or large national police organizations, or military institutions on a national level….

But, then, it is well to remember, the making and selling of arms, and all of the other weapons of war and destruction, IS the oldest, largest, most lucrative business on this planet, a fact of which all governments, all large religious institutions, and all multi-national corporations are fully aware, as evidenced by their uniform complicity, in allowing it to continue to furnish the means by which Man’s insane avarice for power is expressed, endlessly….

From 12/6/2012:

“Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?” — Ramsey Clark

Here is a question that is particularly relevant in today’s society. In my time on this sad little ball of mud, I have studied the various parts that make up our culture, and the police, due to their ubiquitous nature, have always been right there at the forefront of my observations. We all have our stories of how we have had to deal with police in various circumstances, not all of which show them in their best light. In fact, next to lawyers, police officers are probably the most reviled members of society, as well as one of the most admired. There are good reasons to support both views…..

I cannot say that my knowledge of ALL policemen is complete; I don’t know them all. But my observations over the years have indicated that at least half of those who enter the field do so out of a desire to have power over others, rather than an impulse to be of service. It is easy to spot these folks…. They’re the ones who never signal a turn in their cars, and are always moving at a speed greater than the posted limit. They assume that the laws that govern the populace are not applicable to them, and act accordingly. They enter any situation with the attitude that “might is right”, and attempt to intimidate anyone who tries to usurp or question their authority. They don’t serve as policemen to keep the peace, but to control the beasts….. two entirely different goals.

I find myself at this point to be in the beginning stages of a rant; this subject is one that frustrates me a lot, as I believe that the police should be offering themselves as an example of honorable, lawful behavior. Many of them do so, but a large number are no more concerned with serving and protecting than they are in consuming donuts without sprinkles. Due to circumstances well within my control, I’m not in the mood for ranting this morning, so I’m going to let this go without further comment.

Suffice it to say that society needs to consider the question asked above by Mr. Clark, and take a hard, realistic look at the requirements needed to procure police officers who are of the proper frame of mind to assume the responsibilities involved in public protection. It seems to me that psychological testing of potential officers would be a good place to start; perhaps some of those who go into the field for their own purposes might not be given such power, if they could be winnowed out in the testing process…… Perhaps then we would begin to see the police set the example for the rest of society, rather than proving to be one of the problems we need to solve…..

“The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others.” — Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First written in September of 2012, this is a poem that arose out of my time spent waiting for Social Security to grind through its bureaucratic machinations to grant my retirement…. As I read it now, I can see the marks of depression I struggled with then, fighting to stay positive, while my mind waged war with itself, using every trick at its disposal to stay sane enough to survive, as well as to challenge my own will to do so… I hope you enjoy 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 ~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Note from gigoid: This was written ahead of time, and does not reflect current conditions. It is, however, done, which makes it perfect for today…. I’m just not feeling as silly as indicated….)

I’m feeling a bit silly today, along with the normal (!!!…) degree of angst over the news; Smart Bee was sympathetic enough to find the perfect group of pearls with which to address both emotional states at once…. Go figure, eh? This one is both fun, and quite pointed, with some sharp thorns adorning the roses…. There were a lot of them, so, brace yourselves, and for goodness sake, put down your adult beverages so you don’t spew on the keyboard….

“I drank what?” — Socrates

“The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that still carries any reward.” — John Maynard Keynes

“We have had no good comic operas of late, because the real world has been more comic than any possible opera.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Quotable Chesterton

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” — Hanlon’s Razor

“Good God,” said Arthur, “it looks just like the sea front at Southend.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that,” said Ford.
“Why”
“Because I thought I must be going mad.”
“Perhaps you are. Perhaps you only thought I said it.”
Ford thought about this.
“Well, did you say it, or didn’t you?” he asked.
“I think so,” said Arthur.
“Well, perhaps we’re both going mad.”
“Yes,” said Arthur, “we’d be mad, all things considered, to think this was Southend.”
“Well, do you think this is Southend?”
“Oh, yes”
“So do I.”
“Therefore we must be mad.”
“Nice day for it.”
“Yes,” said a passing maniac.
“Who was that?” asked Arthur.
“Who–the man with the five heads and the elderberry bush full of kippers?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know. Just someone.”
“Ah.”

— From The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

“It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.” — Henry David Thoreau

“If you ever reach total enlightenment while you’re drinking a beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose.” — Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey

“If a lawyer and an IRS agent were both drowning, and you could only save one of them, would you go to lunch or read the paper?” — Smart Bee

“When something irritates you, think of this:  How else would we get pearls?” — Smart Bee

“For to err in opinion, though it be not the part of wise men, is at least human.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Against Colotes

Finally, to finish off this nonsense, we move on to what good ol’ Socrates said, immediately after voicing his surprise, as related in the opening line of this pearl….

“Sure, everyone always said ‘Socrates what is the meaning of life?’ or ‘Socrates how can I find happiness?’…. Did anyone ever say ‘Socrates, hemlock is poison.’???????” — Socrates, minutes before death

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I were the religious sort, I’d say ‘Thank God that’s done!”. Since I am not anything of the sort, I’ll just say, it’s done, and be done with it. That seems to fit in with my current state of mind better, anyway…. Right now, if God were here, I’d spit in his face, for being a butthead…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, I hope…

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
“Frabjous day, O Caluca lay!”, expostulated Lord Peter….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”


~~ Confucius, “Analects” ~~


10-8-2014 013


     Threatened by the imminent arrival of a houseful of relatives, Mickey Stone found himself retreating to his basement “hubby-cubby”, where, in spite of all notions to the contrary, he does NOT perform evil rituals in the dark…. He does, occasionally, watch horror flicks on the 52-inch flat-screen TV late at night, but, that’s about as evil as the Big Mick is capable of contemplating. Shuddering at the thought of four days trapped with cousin Franklin, not to mention the dreaded presence of his mother-in-law, Mickey pulled a beer out of the mini-fridge, dropped into the leather recliner, and prepared to thoroughly insulate his consciousness with alcohol….


Me, I’m going to finish this Pearl, then go for a drive…. once my hands have recovered, that is. Not only do I have a bunch of stuff to accomplish out in the BBR (again), the day and a half break I’ve had from the worst of the pain seems to have been officially ended, as I woke up with aching joints, and a piss-poor attitude…. Thankfully, thinking about poor Mickey’s upcoming torture got me into a better head-space; the pain, however, continues unabated, laughing, as is its habit, at all the powerful medication I consume, as well as complicating this process by necessitating frequent breaks to rest my hands and wrists….


Ah well, such is life, as they say, so, I’m going to once again usurp the usual opening program, which I tried to begin the old-fashioned way, by abruptly ending this section, & moving on to the next. I call it ruthlessness, you can call it whatever you like…. just don’t call it Percy. It HATES that name!….


Hmm… We are approaching severe nonsense way too early for me. I’m getting us out of here, ffolkes, before I lose control completely…. Hang on, & do NOT get up from your seats for the next few moments…. You may never get back into it…. Well, not without a visit to the ER first…. Hold on, ffolkes, we’re going in, ready or not….


Shall we Pearl?


“He was a man, which, as Plato saith, is a very inconstant creature.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — On the Tranquility of the Mind


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I used to like this show; Bob’s one-sided conversations on the phone were the funniest stuff on TV at the time…. which probably goes to show just how bad TV has always been…. It’s funny, but, with the network censors working overtime back then, it was pretty mild, in terms of social commentary…. But, that was America in the 60’s & 70’s…. Oblivious….




THE BOB NEWHART SHOW – SEASON: 1 EPISODE: 1 – FLY THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES











































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


As mentioned, busy, busy, busy…. plus, hey, why not?, I’m lazy. Hence, another replacement pearl from the archives…. I’m also going with my “nice guy” costume today, making it a rantish old-school pearl, rather than the usual straight-out rant…. Better for all of us under the circumstances, I think…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s a “good” pearl….


From 9/29/2012:


I’ve been very lucky with my latest incarnation of Smart Bee…. it seems to be giving me a higher percentage of usable quotes than it did before I had trouble with it. In fact, so many quotes are worth saving that I’m starting to group them into subject lots…. Here are a significant number of intriguing and/or interestingly accurate observations on modern life in America, land of the marginally civilized….




I swear to the Lord

I still can’t see

Why Democracy means

Everybody but me.


~~ Langston Hughes ~~


~~ The Black Man Speaks ~~




Homosexuality is *not* a sickness.  Bigotry is. — Smart Bee


“Whether you have an abortion, what you put in your own body, with whom you have sex – these are not the affairs of the state.  A government does not exist to control the citizens.  When it does, it is a tyranny, and must be fought.  The tree of liberty, Jefferson warned us, must be refreshed with the blood of tyrants and patriots.” — Gore Vidal


“Government is about coercion. Limiting government is the single most important instrument for guaranteeing liberty. We’re working on a third generation which has little in the way of education about what our Constitution means and why it was written. Thus, we’ve fallen easy prey to charlatans, quacks, and hustlers.” — Dr. Walter Williams


“The discovery of America was the occasion of the greatest outburst of cruelty and reckless greed known in history.” — Joseph Conrad


“Democracy is government by the people with open discussion and free speech. This allows those with no ideas to unload their thinking in the most tedious and lengthy manner. After this, a vote is taken, and the least informed will oppose the most confused. The result, inevitably, will be known as model legislation. In time, it will proliferate, and eventually a commission will be formed to review what has been done and why it isn’t working and it will recommend reforms of the previous efforts. All of this will be published in various government journals and cause great debate. There will be a veritable waterfall of newspaper editorials and Johnny Carson will use the whole thing as a part of his monologue. In the end, the reforms will be defeated. –Smart Bee


“Christianity:  Please help find the cure.” — Smart Bee


(Sorry, I couldn’t resist…. A few days ago, as I sat in a shady spot outside, on a beautiful California day, I began to think, for some misbegotten reason, about Christianity in this country. I wondered, no idea why, exactly how many different definitions of the word “Christian” there would be. There are so many different interpretations of the Bible, and so many different definitions of what is “Christ-like”, that I can see no hope of any consensus answer to this question.


A conservative guess would be about 5,000 different churches, each with a different interpretation of scripture; it’s likely that Los Angeles and New York City, alone, contain that many; nation-wide, the number is probably closer to a hundred thousand….. None, I repeat, NONE, of the people who embrace the dogma associated with each of these various cults {yes, cults, by definition…look it up….} are at all willing to even consider any truth in any of the others, and they ostensibly are all worshiping the same dude…. It’s a bit pathetic, when one stops to look at the broader picture…. SIGH… ah well, back to general culture, and our caricaturization thereof…..)


You may be redneck… if you refer to Mason jars as “the good glasses.” — Smart Bee


“Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)


On that note, we will go ever onward, seeking approbation, or at least hoping for poor aim….


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


When I don’t know what I want, or what I need, I turn to this poet…. every time….




A narrow fellow in the grass

Occasionally rides;

You may have met him,–did you not,

His notice sudden is.


The grass divides as with a comb,

A spotted shaft is seen;

And then it closes at your feet

And opens further on.


He likes a boggy acre,

A floor too cool for corn.

Yet when a child, and barefoot,

I more than once, at morn,


Have passed, I thought, a whip-lash

Unbraiding in the sun,–

When, stooping to secure it,

It wrinkled, and was gone.


Several of nature’s people

I know, and they know me;

I feel for them a transport

Of cordiality;


But never met this fellow,

Attended or alone,

Without a tighter breathing,

And zero at the bone. 


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


With so much to do today, I don’t much feel up to arguing with Smart Bee over pearls… so, here is a pretty good one from the archives…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s a classic….


From 10/9/2012:


In keeping with today’s theme, as it evolved, I offer these pearls…. Each is, of course, a stand-alone thought, but, I let my whimsy dictate which would go well together, to further demonstrate my devotion to illogic, and it’s concomitant companion, crooked reasoning…. Crooked though it may be, there still exists a direct link to Reality, especially in today’s society, which goes much further than I have ever gone down the path to Strange….


“No matter how much cynicism you have, it is never enough to keep up.” — Lily Tomlin


“But a short time elapsed after the death of the great reformer of the Jewish religion, before his principles were departed from by those who professed to be his special servants, and perverted into an engine for enslaving mankind, and aggrandizing their oppressors in Church and State.” — Thomas Jefferson, [letter?] To S. Kercheval, 1810


“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.” — Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals


“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)


“The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think it should have done.  Calculate that one rebellion in 13 states in the course of 11 years, is but one for each state in a century and a half. No country should be so long without one.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), in letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787


‘But he hasn’t got any clothes on,’ a little boy said. — from The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen


“Remember that man’s life lies all within this present, as ‘t were but a hair’s-breadth of time; as for the rest, the past is gone, the future yet unseen. Short, therefore, is man’s life, and narrow is the corner of the earth wherein he dwells.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iii, 10


Well, there you go…. If you can’t make heads or tails of it, don’t sweat it. None of it will be on the Quiz….. But, if you let your mind drift as you consider the parts of the pearl as a whole concept, you just might find that you’ve hit upon a very deep, very ancient, immensely valuable insight into not only the nature of Man, but your own nature as well….  If not, well, have some chocolate; then, you can, at least, feel the same way…..


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Not too shabby for an old fart with flat feet and flatulence…. plus, it’s done. Since that state offers no opportunity for improvement, we shall take our leave, post haste…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí…. 



		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
As the sole survivor, he’ll feel some guilt….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				7			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Go on, EMOTE!  I was RAISED on thought balloons!!” 


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


POTD-FROG-AND-BUTT_2862116k

London Daily Telegraph Animals of the Week, December 2014




Timing is everything…. the photographer who grabbed this image certainly knows this, now, if not before taking the photo. Of the three entities involved in this cosmic interaction, which do you think is the most clueless? I say the frog…. but, the human probably comes close…. The moth obviously knows what it is about; it stopped to pose on a frog whose skin color is a perfect match for its own wings….


Now my little fantasy is done, what shall we do? It’s hopeless to think it will have any real meaning, but, maybe we could go for some humor; that’s always a good way to start the day….. Okay, we’ll try it….


A guy calls 911; when the operator asks what is happening, he pants in a panicked voice, “My buddy and I are out hunting, and he just accidentally shot himself! What should I do?” The operator calmly replies, “Calm down, sir. Now, the first thing to do is, make sure he is actually dead.” The guy says, “Okay”, & the operator hears the phone get set down…. She then hears a gunshot, & after a moment the voice comes back on the line, and says, “Okay, now what?”….


There, isn’t that funny? No? What do you mean? I happen to know this joke was voted the best joke ever told in a survey a few years ago….. Well, I think it’s funny….


Well, that didn’t work so well, did it? Y’know what? I’m giving up. I don’t give a shit anymore. Y’all can figure out your own damn introductions…. Screw it, we’re outta here….


Shall we Pearl?


“One of the most perverse things about the universe is that it doesn’t care what you believe.” — Smart Bee


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“The moving cat sheds, and having shed, moves on…” — Smart Bee


What else? Cats, doing cat stuff…. Being the sort of person who likes to leave things done merely half-way, this one is about an HOUR of cat’s displaying their funny side…. Enjoy, if you have the time to waste….







Funny Cats Video Compilation 2014






































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“The world is wide and beautiful. But almost everywhere, everywhere, the children are dying.” — Edward Abbey


What a powerful lament! Mr. Abbey shows us, in one line, the true state of reality, as it concerns any person to whom honor is as necessary to life as is breath… In truth, I’d love to be able to rant about it, but, I just don’t have one in me today…. I will, however, find an appropriate entry from the archives, to speak to this issue, the best I may….


Ooh, ooh…. Wait a minute… I saw this yesterday, when the email notice from this site came in…. Here then, to fill the need for some words of warning about “those who would be kings”, a post from our friends at talesfromtheconspiratum, by our old friend Lou…. with an article to remind us of the extent of lying to the public by the government, that goes on here in the good old US of A…. Pay attention, ffolkes, this is all evidence based fact, not supposition….


http://talesfromtheconspiratum.com/2015/01/04/2015-reminder-government-word-is-worthless/



http://www.thedailysheeple.com/2015-reminder-government-word-is-worthless_012015


Now, be honest, ffolkes…. You didn’t believe them, did you?…. I didn’t, but, I was lucky, & found out some of the truth at a young age…. Most folks never realize this at all, going through their entire lives living by the lies they accept as truth…. SIGH…. You know it’s a piteous, pathetic issue, when even Shakespeare gets it right…..




But man, proud man,

Drest in a little brief authority,

Most ignorant of what he ‘s most assured,

His glassy essence, like an angry ape,

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven

As make the angels weep.


~~ William Shakespeare ~~


~~ Measure for Measure — Act ii, Sc. 2 ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For some reason, this poem, the most recent of my own efforts, seems to fit perfectly with today’s themes, such as they are….






A dream, weeping….


“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said

with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.

“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….

what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”


So, we plucked up our dreams of old,

to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,

stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,

for luck, and perfect proof against charms.


Storms follow the sun,  but, never stay; 

lessons round every corner, all free.

Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,

the journey becomes the reason to be.


Simple kindness manifests untold riches,

in defiance of common cause’s demise.

Bold courage, hanging in stitches,

mends wounds that come as no surprise.


Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.

Too much pain cannot apprehend

the salient, sharp points of epiphany,

nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.


Folly dogs even the simplest truth,

fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,

alienated as a loose rotten tooth;

it often hides itself, for a long while.


Sought after eons ago, we cried out,

to believe, to suffer no more doubt.

But found instead good reason,

for love, and truth, from season, to season.


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Here is what I’d term a “normal” pearl of virtual wisdom, if such word may be used here; we do tend to stretch the meaning of it just a bit…. Chock full of good advice on how to live a life well lived, it also manages to bring us to the correct conclusion using humor, and deep insight into not just human nature, but, how to deal with being human…. Well, maybe I’m strange, but, it says all that to me…. Try it, ffolkes, you’ll like it….


“He ‘s armed without that ‘s innocent within.” — Alexander Pope — Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Horace, Epistle i, Book i, Line 94


“There’s more to living than not dying.” — Smart Bee


“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached.” — Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace


“To endure oneself may be the hardest task in the universe. You cannot hire a wise man or any other intellect to solve it for you. There’s no writ of inquest or calling of witness to provide answers. No servant or disciple can dress the wound. You dress it yourself or continue bleeding for all to see.” — Frank Herbert


“The measure of a man’s life is the well spending of it, and not the length.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Consolation to Apollonius


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


“Just the facts, Ma’am.” — Joe Friday


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Finding myself here at the end of today’s post is a bit of a surprise; I suppose I got caught up in the sheer joy of an entire hour’s peace, found in the absence of my usual morning companions, pain and misery…. Not that they aren’t hovering, waiting to break through the distraction writing sometimes provides…. but, it’s nice to have a bit of space, which has been hard to come by…. We aren’t going to fall into a litany of complaints now, though, we’re going to take our leave, just as if it were planned that way…. Whether it was or not (and I wouldn’t wager on either direction….), I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, most likely…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Oh, gosh. We’re definitely going to need a llama….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				2			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“A soldier told Pelopidas, “We are fallen among the enemies.” 


Said he, “How are we fallen among them more than they among us?”


~~ Plutarch (46-120 AD) ~~


~~ Pelopidas ~~


Zack at Christmas 12-28-2012 002 (2)


     Odd, poignant pieces of sleep-induced optimism have begun to enter the fringes of my conscious mind, seemingly trying to convince me to hope. Without fail, hope eludes my grasp, while despair grips me in its iron fist, threatening eternity, laughing, and cruel. No light, no innocence penetrates the veil of sorrowful regret covering all I perceive, all I know….


Often, in the morning, these little blurbs leak out of my head; some of them are pretty good, others, not so hot. This one, which seemed to push it’s way out, more than merely leaking, obviously has a better opinion of its worth than is apparent to anyone else…. It’s okay, but, a bit depressing for opening a blog…. The part of me that creates these doesn’t seem to have much real connection to what might be good, or bad; it’s more of a random word generator than a real creative urge, I think. But, it’s worth letting it happen now and again, as a few really fine openings have resulted…. It’s too bad I can’t predict the quality before it comes out to play…. Oh, well….


Now we’ve wasted a good eight or ten lines to discuss not very much, we’re again confronted with the same issue which prompted the opening lines of fictional waffling, to wit: now wtf do I do? (Sorry for the text-style abbreviation, but, I figured it’s a bit early for graphic epithets… this way I still get to say “fuck”, but without actually writing…. oh…. whoops…. I did write it, didn’t I?…. Hmph. Oh, well; best laid plans, and all that…) If I’d had a clue as to what might go well this morning, it would already be here, instead of the ridiculous blathering we are now encountering….


You know what? I don’t have the patience for this…. We’re going to just leave this right where it is, without worrying at all about any damn introduction…. Y’all have been here before (or not… who cares?…), and know that sometimes, you just have to deal with whatever happens…. So, here is your chance…. Deal….


Shall we Pearl?


“Two rules we should always have ready, –that there is nothing good or evil save in the will; and that we are not to lead events, but to follow them.” ~~ Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — In what Manner we ought to bear Sickness, — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. x


AHA! So, that’s the problem….


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I’ve stated previously my belief we are not going to be able to survive, as a species, if we don’t colonize in space, whether it be on the Moon, Mars, the Asteroids which circle the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, or on the moons of the larger planets…. Wherever we may decide to go, it will be, in my opinion, the ONLY way we will see the twenty-third century…. Here is a video showing some of what is in store for us out there, to remind us of our true destiny….







1 HOUR of AMAZING HQ SPACE VIDEO – The BEST of Discovery Space 








































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average  star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” — Stephen W. Hawking, Der Spiegel, 1989


Dr Hawking is probably right; he’s a pretty smart guy. On any normal day, which, admittedly, happens very little around here, I’d find this a perfect opening for a rant of some sort; there are lots of examples of people who have taken their ‘specialness’ way too seriously….


Today, though, I’m still not much in the mood to rant, having been at war with my own body now for a week or two; it’s a bit of a struggle to get myself to care much about anything other than trying to find some peace in my own skin… Those of y’all who have been here frequently will know what THAT means for today’s Pearl…. Yep, we’re going to the archives for todays’ rant, to further cement my reputation as one of the laziest bloggers on the Net….


Here is a pretty good one, from a little under two years ago…. It’s a bit lengthy, but, covers a lot of ground…. Enjoy!….


From 4/11/2013:


“He who conceals a useful truth is equally guilty with the propagator of an injurious falsehood.” — Augustine


If ever there was a perfect lead in to a rant about the Beloved Ruling Class, or our/their Corporate Masters, or about the Priestly Hierarchies, those fawning sycophants who support those two entities in their chicanery, well, I don’t know what it would be, if not this. It’s perfectly positioned to attack any, or all of these groups, all of whom make the described action, to wit: bare-faced lying, a habitual choice in their daily interactions with others. They do this with full knowledge of the harm they may cause, but are not concerned with that, other than as it pertains to the maintenance of their own image; they want us to see them as people who care about those over whom they hold sway. In short, they live a complete lie, they know it, and they like it….


Whether we speak of the political leaders of our nations, the corporate leaders of the banking crowd, or the Pope, Ayatollah, and other figures held as religious icons, they speak “with forked tongue”, in the vernacular of Tonto, our favorite TV Indian stereotype. Not only do they lie to the public almost every time the open their mouths, they know they are lying; with many of them, you can see it in their eyes, as they speak…. Some of them (perhaps even most….) are very good at concealing their cupidity from most people; it’s part of why they are successful. But, to anyone with even a hint of street smarts, or even moderate intelligence, and the patience to observe with impartiality, their lies are obvious…. Hell, it’s been said, with some reason, that you can tell a politician is lying, because his mouth is open….


“If I can’t misquote it, I don’t want it.” — Rush Limbaugh


This statement, whether he actually said it or not, explains quite accurately why he is so popular among the conservatives and ignorant fundamentalists in this country…. I would guesstimate the majority of elected officials in this country use this principle on a daily basis, as one of the standards by which they formulate their public policies, and one of their bywords when speaking in a public venue. Nothing is accepted so readily by the uneducated listener as a quote, or a statistic, that sounds elegant, and real, and comforting, even though it is an absolute untruth, or a mistake, or even a misquotation…. None of that matters to those in power, because they know that their success hinges on their ability to lie successfully to the public….. It’s a time honored tradition in our government, one every politician knows in his bones…


“It’s not that simple, no matter how you wish it so.  You made public statements from a position of false authority;  now you’re having them shoved down your throat.  Welcome to netnews. — Smart Bee


The advent of the internet has made it possible to detail these lies as never before in history. As always, however, the information is only accessible if one reads, and is competent enough to be able to use the internet to its full capability for gathering data. So, the lies continue, though they are much more visible now than in previous periods of history. They will continue as long as people are too lazy, or too brainwashed to think for themselves, and to question what they hear from those who hold power over them.


I don’t think it is reasonable to ever expect those who are in power to stop what they are doing, do a complete reversal of attitude, and start using their positions to advocate for the people, instead of their corporate masters. It isn’t going to happen, as they LIKE being able to raid the public treasury at will. There is no benefit for them, in their eyes, for them to stop lying, so they won’t…. No, if we want things to change, it will have to begin in that part of society that does not answer to the moneychangers, or to the call of avarice, to wit: with you, and me…. Otherwise, we may as well just bend over, and kiss our asses goodbye, because ultimately, the way things are going, we are all headed down the universal toilet, where all of Mother Nature’s failed experiments get flushed…..


I can rant on this subject without limit, I think, as there is no lack of material to work with; the news is all over the net every day with more evidence of the lies the BRC wants us to believe. Hell, one can take almost any large newspaper, look on the front page, and find at least two examples of issues that arise out of corruption in government, or some environmental disaster that is a warning of our impending doom…. In any of these, you will find at least one government official making a statement that is just plain wrong, or false in some way, intended to spin the information to benefit the administration, or to denigrate it, depending on which side is speaking….  It’s a circus maximus, for sure, and provides us curmudgeons with all the rantable material we could wish for, gratis (well, for the price of a computer, and internet access, anyway….).


“God said it, I believe it and that’s all there is to it.” — Smart Bee


I had to put Smart Bee as the attribution here, probably because nobody in their right mind would ever claim credit for having said it…. But, as I, in my lifetime, have actually heard several people say this, (realio trulio, I swear…. three times I’ve heard it, in person, come out of a real live idiot’s mouth….), I can only credit it as being a common feeling among a certain percentage of people. Be that as it may, as long as there is ANYONE who thinks this way, we are all going to be held back from being all our species could be, as well as being in danger of facing extinction because of the intransigence of their ignorance…..


“Misanthropology: the study of why people are so stupid and why most of them should die, SOON!” — Smart Bee


I don’t know the exact figures, but I would say that at least 50% of all the elected officials in this country hold this attitude, if not as gospel or dogma for all issues, at least as true for most issues. Our government has been taken over, insidiously, over time, by religious fanatics, who are working frantically to cement their hold over everyone else by enacting their own morality as law…. As history has proven, time after time, legislating morality is ALWAYS doomed to failure, but, as this group believes implicitly in the rightness of their articles of faith, they will listen to no evidence to the contrary….


“Religion is the highest vanity.” — Friedrich Hebbel


Ah well, I guess all I can say at this point is I think we’re all going to hell in the proverbial handbasket, and I, for one, would just as soon not be involved in this particular picnic…. Nope, not me…. Sadly, there isn’t anywhere else to go, where I can get away from these fools, as they have infested almost every corner of this sad old globe, and are busy destroying the chances for any of us to survive their ignorance…. Unless I, and all those like me, change our nature, and become like the ones who are in power, willing to kill our brethren over these issues, there is little to be done, for they will never give up until they kill us all….


~~ gigoid has spoken….


“Buy a rifle, encrypt your data, and wait for the Revolution!” — .sig of Travis J.I. Corcoran (TJIC@icd.teradyne.com)


“Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.” — Slovenian Proverb


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Just because it’s been a while since I made this clear….




Joe Friday’s lament


Life is short, and though I’m odd, they say

it really doesn’t bother me

to realize there is no God, per se.


Though other folks will disagree

and tell me I’m wrong

I won’t believe it, with naught to see.


Liars called padre tell me, have humility,

and do as the authorities say,

then fondle little boys with facility.


They also tell me to share the wealth

and give them a 10% tithe

so they don’t have get it by stealth.


So spare me the delusions, please

don’t bother with such a tale;

I’m nobody that needs such a tease.


Keep your fantasies under your hat

and out of my face;

I don’t need them, they’ll make me fat….. headed.


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


What we have here, purely by accident, is a nearly perfect old-school pearl, a stylish, studiously moral group of wise expressions, ranging from the somber to the joyous, with a nearly perfect metaphor at the end, to bring it straight to the most sensible, not to mention the most instructive perspective from which to view the pursuit of wisdom…. Well, I think so…. Or, just let it simmer a while, and it will settle into your psyche like a soothing cup of herbal tea….


“Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.” — Andre Gide


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


“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”


“Cato used to assert that wise men profited more by fools than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Life of Marcus Cato


“I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” — Booker T. Washington


“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.  We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.  We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — Aristotle


“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head. ” — Pooh in Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne, English author (1882-1956)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


All I can say at this point is, thank goodness THAT’s done; I’m also glad most of it got done during moments of peace yesterday, and last night…. Why I continue to do this at all remains a mystery, but, no worries…. Life is full of things we may never understand, so, it’s best just to get used to it. Given the right set of circumstances, and a little luck, I’ll see y’all tomorrow…. See ya, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
And another one bites the dust….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				4			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“So live that you can look any man in the eye and tell him to go to hell.” 


~~  Smart Bee ~~


animals-frog_3148764k


From the London Daily Telegraph Animal Pictures of the Week 12/28/2014




The quote adorning the first line, above the most excellent picture, is a familiar idea around here; that may be why, whenever I come across it, I am also reminded of another fine statement, to which I also strongly subscribe, to wit:


“There comes a time in every man’s life when it becomes necessary to just roll up his sleeves, spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and start slitting throats.” — H. L. Mencken


Just gets me, right here (*somber expression, with hand over heart*), every time…. The picture you see, by the way, was NOT posed, reportedly…. An average guy was taking pictures in the forest back of his home (in France? I think it was France…. must have been an escaped snail….) when he noticed the frog and snail toddling along, in whatever form of interaction they may have been pursuing….. Makes one wonder what that interaction might be, doesn’t it?… Well, it does this one…. I suppose that makes me a strange one, but, if so, so be it….


Beautiful frog, isn’t it? It doesn’t seem to be in any hurry, does it?….


I thought I’d end the year on a high note…. and, no, that doesn’t mean I’m any higher than usual. Boy, tell people a secret, and ya never hear the last of it…. No, actually, I meant I was going to actually write an intro section that made sense, well-thought out and constructed, and perfectly led the way into the day’s post…. Of course, that idea is now kaput; frogs & snails will do that…. I’m not sure just how I do it, but, somehow these never seem to quite come out the way I start them….


I go off into tangents, maybe? I suppose if I knew, it wouldn’t happen, would it? Probably not, but, then, that assumes I have some sort of clue, which is patently uncertain, if not outright untrue…. Maybe it’s like my friend suggested, and I’m addicted to parenthetical remarks…. I do love my commas, semi-colons, three-and-four dot pauses, and parentheses….


Who knows? Maybe there is a purpose in all this meandering around…. Nah…. If I thought that, I’d shoot myself. No, I’d rather it be just what it is… a bad habit of spending too much time in my head, then giving myself the chance to put that stuff out for everyone to see, all without any clear idea of what it will do, or mean, or anything…. I’m just throwing it out there, and seeing what sticks, so to speak…. Plus, it gets all this crap out of my head, which helps me no end, so, y’all will just have to put up with it, no matter how silly it gets….


Well, no, actually you don’t, but, I hope you will… Some of it, at least, is worth reading, or listening to, or watching…. Plus, I guarantee, a LOT of it is worth thinking about…. and, I don’t even care, or assume, or put any pressure on anyone to do anything with what they think…. only that they do…. Or, if not think, at least laugh…. even if they don’t get it….


Of course, if I can help anyone see the light, or even point the way to the road they need to be on, I’ll feel okay with it…. If nothing else, it keeps me off the streets, which, given the way I feel these days, about people in general, and the world at large, is probably a good thing….


Enough blather….


Shall we Pearl?


“I’m a belligerent omnivore – I eat vegetarians.” — Smart Bee


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“Music is, perhaps, the most powerful form of social influence in society, when it lives up to its promise, and is used to promote change.” — gigoid


Okay, so, this will pull some covers, but, I no longer care…. Whenever I hear this song, I weep…. I can’t seem to help it….. The song was such a big part of my musical education, as well as one of the most powerful songs of the “revolution” that my generation underwent during the 60’s, that period of American history when the emerging importance of the income gap was first highlighted by the studentsn and young people of the nation, with protests taking place against almost every facet of our sick society, molding the political future of the nation in ways that are still being felt…..


This song, for me, brings back all of it…. the hope, the anguish, the sense of purpose, and the sheer hedonistic pleasure of being able to listen to such brilliant geniuses take rock music to new heights, while at the same time, bringing the message of love, and peace, to a world that sadly needed it…


I’m not sure, but, in the cut I chose, there are a number of other famous rock musicians playing along with George & Eric…. One of them, I believe, was Elton John, on the piano…. Another great cut of the same song can be found when this one ends…. when Eric played it at the Concert for George, giving his ALL to the song…. amazing guitar work….


Any who, here is George, before his passing, at the height of his musical talent, in one of our songs of revolution, the one that makes me weep….. just as I am now…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. rock music never got any better than this….




George Harrison and Eric Clapton – While my guitar gently weeps (HQ) 






































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“The truth has never been of any real value to any human being- it is a symbol for mathematicians and philosophers to pursue. In human relations kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths.” — Graham Greene


I hate that this is true…. We humans are a perverse species, are we not? This next pearl strikes me the same way, with regret for its validity…


“You may either win your peace or buy it; win it by resistance to evil; buy it by compromise with evil.” — John Ruskin (1819-1900)


Damn, Sam, this is also true! Why? How have we come to this? Yes, I know asking why isn’t always productive, but, it really does bother me…. In this country, sadly, it is easy to see the how and why of it; for example….


“You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence.” — Charles Austin Beard, American Historian, 1874-1948


Sterling truth, as is patently obvious, merely by looking at some of the documents released by the NSA, more than one of which make it clear they use those patriotic phrases as key search elements in their paranoid quest to find ‘domestic terrorists’…. Just read them, I’m not making it up… well, read what little they’ve released; there is still a great deal more information on us they have NOT told us about, nor will they ever do so, if we allow it….


Okay, here, read this…. It has both good news, and bad news….


http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/29/latest-snowden-revelations-expose-scope-of-nsa-interceptions/


“Do not be afraid of enemies; the worst they can do is to kill you. Do not be afraid of friends;  the worst they can do is betray you. Be afraid of the indifferent;  they do not kill or betray. Yet only because of their silent agreement, betrayal and murder exist on earth.” — Bruno Yasienski, contemporary Soviet novelist


I only speak the truth when I say it is indifference at play here, as well…. The NSA, and the people who support their work, are completely indifferent to any of the principles upon which our country was founded, and is supposed to be run. Add to that the incredibly MASSIVE indifference of the average citizen, who cares little about anything beyond their next meal, composed of the processed, fatty almost-foods that are killing them…. but, not before they use a great deal of their time and resources to pay for the medical care to keep them alive longer, living in ignorance and fear…..


Whew! I didn’t know that was in there…. I typed so long it hurts…. If you couldn’t tell, I am just a little bit annoyed with our government, and the assholes who partake in its thievery from the citizens who trust them, and, most especially, with those parts of it which actively wage war against the very people they are sworn to defend…. The problem lies in their belief that “defending” us entitles them to invade our privacy, and make every part of our lives their business…. which, is , of course, illegal, immoral, unethical, and just plain wrong, from any virtuous viewpoint one may assume…..


I’ll say this once, and mean it…. No matter what anyone tells you, or wants you to believe, ffolkes,




THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS!




Let me say that again, just in case anyone didn’t hear me when I shouted….




THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS.




It really is that simple, ffolkes, and I wish more people would realize it…. But, they won’t, because there’s no money in it, and that’s all most of them care about…. It may appear as if they’re talking about your rights, and, they are, in terms of how they are going to take them away…. but, the bottom line, for almost every person of a political persuasion, is how much power, money, and control over others they can seize for their own…. That is the whole sum and extent of their concern, and anything they say otherwise is a bald-faced lie…. count on it….


I’ve ranted enough for one day…. and, I’ve made my point, I believe…. Now, it’s up to the rest of y’all, to decide how long we will allow this to be done to us, and whether or not we are going to take our rights back from those who would abrogate them… Plus, I’ve got more to do today, and this won’t get it done…. Let’s go read a poem, shall we?…. Well, naturally, AFTER an appropriate pearl….


“Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances.” — Mark Twain


Oops, wait, that wasn’t the one I wanted…. Right, here it is…. I will say, there isn’t anything wrong about Mark’s observation… it just doesn’t fit the rant very well…. though there IS a slight connection, if one looks closely…. Never mind, here, this is a much better ending to this particular section, I think…. Accurate, anyway, if anyone cares to buy into the God idea….


“God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.” — Voltaire


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s poem is one I wrote as a way of showing, not the solution to the above, but, a way to deal with its effect on us….. Enjoy!…






Accentuated Lessons


Bold statements of calculated intent

Become common rule of the malcontent.

Avarice assumes such attractive wear

Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.


Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands

Legally proper in all the signatory lands.

Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul

Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.


Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards

Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.

While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor

Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.


Escape from reality is illusory at best

Often we falter and fail its daily test.

Only when focused on inner strength

Does peace stay with us for any length.


Peace lies within, always…..


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is one fucking amaaaazing pearl…. It was put together during a bout last night with some rather severe arthritis pain, served up with a side dish of dyskinesia, providing me with several hours of riveting entertainment….. I think, in retrospect, I’d much rather skip the show next time…. The amazing part is that I kept sitting for a moment as I paced around the house, limping and moaning, to hit the keys to go through SB for quotes, just to distract myself….. The following seven-star pearl came up, piece by piece, and damn if it didn’t end up making a point, or more accurately, a statement of belief, that is a big, big part of what I am all about…. Totally cool…


“He who endeavors to serve, to benefit, and improve the world, is like a swimmer, who struggles against a rapid current, in a river lashed into angry waves by the winds.  Often they roar over his head, often they beat him back and baffle him.  Most men yield to the stress of the current…  Only here and there the stout, strong heart and vigorous arms struggle on toward ultimate success.” — Albert Pike (1809-1891)


“If an expert does not have some problem to vex him, he is unhappy! If a philosopher’s teaching is never attacked, he pines away! If critics have no one on whom to exercise their spite, they are unhappy. All such men are prisoners in the world of objects.” — Chuang Tzu, “The Way of Chuang Tzu” Thomas Merton, transl.


“The belief that words have a meaning of their own account is a relic of primitive word magic, and it is still a part of the air we breathe in nearly every discussion.” — Charles K. Ogden, The Meaning of Meaning


“A good word is an easy obligation, but not to speak ill, requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.” — Tillotson


“The great question of life is not the question of death but the question of life. Fear of death shames us all.” — Edward Abbey


“For my part, I had rather be the first man among these fellows than the second man in Rome.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Life of Caesar


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


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This Pearl is a testament to my own degree of dedication…. or, some would say, obsession, to get this stuff out of my head, despite everything I, and the universe, can do to stop me…. The greatest portion of YESTERDAY (it appears that way in my memory now…. that’s how bad it was….) was spent in SHEER MISERY. I was attacked, all at once, by severe arthritic pain, a side dish of dyskinesia, thanks to my ongoing battle with my HMO, and, the concomitant aggravation of reacting to all of that stress with emotional outbursts, disconnected to anything going on physically…. What a mess I was!….


But, it’s done, though I could not say exactly HOW that happened…. So be it….. I’m going to press my luck now, and post it, so, I guess I’ll see y’all tomorrow, given half a chance…. See ya, ffolkes…. and watch out for Big Brother….




Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!









À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Twistin’ the night away….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” 


~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~


andromeda-meteor-james


     Today’s picture is from Space.com, one of their Astronomy Picture of the Day features, a gorgeous shot of the Milky Way, meteors, and the Andromeda Galaxy (small but clear in the upper right quadrant…), all in one huge photo, taken as a panorama, I believe. All I know is it was so big, it took about eight adjustments to get it small enough to fit onto the screen…. At the larger size, it’s pretty incredible in detail, almost like being outside, looking at it directly…. The photographer was, no doubt, a photographic wizard, along the lines of the quote from Tolkien….


Or, maybe he/she just got lucky, timing it so perfectly by chance…. Unlikely, with a panoramic photo, but, one never knows, nor would one ever speculate, not so early in the morning, before the second sip of coffee has been taken…. On sip only ensures no one will die; the second sip provides a certain degree of coherency, which doesn’t extend to the keyboard, sadly…. Nor does it preclude the hands from screaming at me for typing, which, unfortunately, they seem to want to do today…. Bogus, really, and it sure makes this part difficult…. Break time, ffolkes…


Now that the tenor of today’s post has been set, and, just as quickly destroyed, by the not-totally-unexpected display of bozoid candor, perhaps we can get on with this with no more detours. That would be a nice change, wouldn’t it? Sure it would…. but, as you may have guessed, it ain’t gonna happen here. I believe we may have reached a point that would otherwise be called a nexus, or, just as accurately, a bloody mess; some sort of decision must be made as to where we are going today, if anywhere at all…. Wait!….


That’s the best idea I’ve had yet…. I’m going to end this right here, right now, and get on with it, just as if it were made that way…. Perhaps, if we pretend it’s supposed to work like that, we can slip past the censors, and get this done in some sort of timely fashion…. Or, alternately, some sort of approximation of timely would be acceptable, whatever that may mean in such a situation…. Your guess is as good as mine, in this case… So….


Shall we Pearl?


“The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.” — Henry L. Mencken


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


An old Grateful Dead tune has been running around my mind all morning, ever since I first booted up…. It’s from their song, “Sugar Magnolia”, and goes, “Head’s all empty, and I don’t care….” However, rather than the Dead, let’s go with a live concert by Jerry, and his old friend, David Grisman, his mandolin-playin’ genius buddy, from 12/8/1991….  Enjoy!…. No video on this one, but, great music….




Jerry Garcia & David Grisman – San Francisco 12 8 91



































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I’m still saving my hands for other stuff, so, here is an archived rant, of fairly typical size and content….


From 2/25/2013:


“I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair.  Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them?  So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.”– Marcus, Babylon 5


Marcus brings up an interesting point here, when he talks of the general hostility of the universe. I don’t think he quite has a handle on the actual shape of Reality, though, and in his desire to avoid responsibility for his own cupidity, he assigns the universe as villain in his play. Our universe isn’t hostile to us, as he would like to think. Unfair? Yes. Hostile? No…. The universe really doesn’t give a crap about us, one way or another. Things seem unfair, not because they are stacked against us, but rather because they are not stacked in our favor, a slight but distinct difference…..


Reality plays no favorites, beyond a tendency to allow itself to be adjusted by those who have an understanding of how it works, without granting them any dispensation, but rather rewarding their cleverness and wit. Those who believe the universe is out to get them are defenseless against the trials and tribulations that are a natural part of living, because they begin from an attitude of helplessness. Those who at least have the confidence to act in their own behalf are much more able to achieve their goals, than anyone who allows Reality to push them wherever they end up, without any direction made by choice…..


Thus, we can see that courage, as well as knowledge, is necessary to being able to confront Reality on its own terms. Not only is it necessary to pay attention to the way the universe works, and how it interacts among all its parts, but necessary to have the courage to act on what is known, and what the person believes to be right, in a moral sense. Of course, the universe doesn’t care one way or another if we are moral; it rewards those who act out of immorality as well, if they are bold enough to act. We just feel better about ourselves if we act from right thought, and we make it easier for others to do the same. Acting immorally only benefits the one who is doing the acting…..


But, cowardice is also rewarded by the universe; it just isn’t a very palatable reward, to have our every wish denied, and our every act dismissed, as incompetent, illegal, or just plain dumb….. Lack of courage, and lack of knowledge thus become their own rewards, and the person’s misguided views about reality lead them into issue after issue of conflict with the rest of reality. In this way, they continually reinforce their own misapprehensions, and will only more firmly believe that the universe is out to get them, and everyone else…. This, in spite of the fact that they are looking at, and dealing with, the same Reality as everyone else, who don’t all seem to have the same problem…. Instead of giving them a clue that maybe they should do things differently, they merely assume that the other people have cheated them somehow…. because that is what they would do….


It’s really too bad in some ways, that so large a percentage of humanity is so lacking in courage and wit as to find the view stated above to be congruent with their own view of the way the universe operates; it’s part of what makes it so easy for those in the BRC and the 1% to control them, and to pull the wool over their eyes. These folks are so convinced of their own helplessness in the face of all they don’t understand, they will latch onto almost anything someone tells them, if it soothes their fears, and gives them someone or something other than themselves to blame for their misfortunes…. Sad, but true, and a perfect description of what has transpired in society for several thousand years now, as the BRC keeps the majority of humanity in the proverbial dark about what is true, and what is real….. They’ve had a lot of practice, and they’re very good at it….


But, then, it isn’t hard to control someone who is brainwashed to believe that it is the way reality is, so I can’t say it is due to any particularly large degree of wit or talent that allows them to do so…. It is more that the folks who they control are so stupid, they ask to be controlled, because they can’t, and more importantly, won’t, trust themselves to do it….. Sad, but true….


At his point in this narrative, I am becoming a bit enraged, a not uncommon reaction to a rant about the BRC and the 1%…. Heck, this time, I didn’t even have to mention the papists or preachers who are their shock troops, on the front lines of the brainwashing process, in order to get upset and angry over their machinations…. until now. My rage is growing, as it always tends to do when I start to rant on this subject, and I’m not ready to deal with the consequences of letting it get any bigger right now…. too much other stuff to get to today. But, just let me say this…..


Those in our society who deliberately control others for their own benefit are my enemies. I believe them to be responsible for virtually ALL of the social ills we have, as well as the global and environmental issues that are threatening our very survival as a species. They are, for their own personal benefit, hoarding the resources of the planet, and refusing to share them with the remainder of humanity, all because they can, and they want to. The welfare of others is of no concern to them, so they automatically become my foes, in my battle to try to make a world my children, and grandchild, can have the opportunity to live a full and complete life of their own, without being oppressed and controlled by assholes who don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves….. As my old martial arts instructor used to say…. “Fuck ’em….. hard.”…..


— “Bother!”, said Pooh, as he dropped his bombs.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s poem is another I found in the archives, which hadn’t been brought into the Poetry folder…. bonus! Enjoy!


From 8/21/2012:




Unwrapped Morning


A jewel of deepest green, sparkles by firelight

Held fast by time, and space

Leaves only passive passion, pale and bright

Naught but grief, yet but a trace.


In morning’s bright parlor, burning for hate

Unspent moments fall, seeking pain

Spilling blood forlornly, cowed by fate

Left with nothing, life in vain.


Pallid purpose calls, to that fallow ground

In bold fashions, aflame

Conscience falls aside, value unbound

Death calls, forever lost, the game……


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s final pearl was constructed in spite of some rather stiff resistance from SB…. I swear, it’s been a complete butthead of late, making me go through several hundred useless phrases and quotes, just to find a couple of mediocre pearls…. Ah well, at least we squeezed one last batch out for today…. It was looking a bit grim there for a while, but it came out just fine… a real old-school pearl, with a nice little twist to make it palatable for even the neuronically challenged reader…. Just don’t grit your teeth, or your dentist won’t like it….


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


“The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.” — Chuang Tzu


“The young know the rules, the old know the exceptions.” — Smart Bee


“The important thing is not to stop questioning.  Curiosity has its own reason for existing.  One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.  It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” — Albert Einstein


“A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


“Don’t take life too seriously; you won’t get out of it alive.” — Hubbard’s Law


“Imagine the Creator as a low comedian, and at once the world becomes explicable.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If all things in the world were equal, this would be considered as not eligible for judgment. I’m not entirely certain just how it got done, but, there it sits, with all the correct categories covered, and each section filled with (relatively) appropriate material…. As we are fond of saying, in the back rooms, where nobody can hear us, “It’s done”…. We say that with a reverent air, closing our eyes in respect, while genuflecting vaguely in the direction of Patagonia….


The appearance at this point of such nonsense is a clear indication it’s time to stop for the day, lest we splash…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should the Universe still be here….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Supplicants in front, mendicants to the rear….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free.” 


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~


chandra-nasa-ngc2207_0

Colliding Galaxies, picture taken by NASA’s Chandra Deep Space Telescope




It’s no use. Nothing is going to help this morning; that much is already clear. Not the opening quote, nor the most excellent photo, illustrating the sheer size of our Universe, nor any of the weird, silly, and/or just plain odd thoughts running around in my head will serve to open up today’s post…. None of it is stimulating anything in my head other than reluctance, both to start, and to make a decision about WHERE to start…. It can make a huge difference in where we end up, obviously, so I do like to at least have some input….


Today, however. it isn’t going to work, not the way it usually works, anyway. Since I have no alternative opening ready to use, we may end up wandering around, listening to me panic, until we’ve managed to fill in enough to satisfy the monitors (whoever they are….). We could also try something new, and dangerous…. what do you think? Want to try it? The danger isn’t as much as we face any other day; it’s just more specific to the section than is normal, due to the strange laws concerning such matters, none of which are on the books, or even published…. They’re the unwritten laws that control all writers, which, if they knew of them, would doubtless drive them even crazier than they are….


Of course, that, too, is merely another figment, drawn from the depths of my insecurity, just so I could fill in a few more lines, thus, getting us further down the page…. Did they work? No? Ah, shit….


“I find myself beside a stream of empty thought.” — Smart Bee


Well, that sinks it…. Now, of course, I’m gonna have to step in, and settle this for once and all, or we could be stuck here for days…. Since the usual methods haven’t worked at all, I’m going to apply the ruthlessness which has saved us so many times already…. It’s amazing what tossing out the bullshit can do for one’s decision making abilities…. It sure is easy to make a decision when one only considers ONE set of expectations, i.e., one’s own…. It’s amazing how much more gets done…. Here, watch, it works like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“He that respects himself if safe from others; He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.” — Henry Wordsworth Longfellow


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For some reason, when I went to find a video, I thought of this show, from my childhood; it was one of my favorites… How could it not be? Space flight, magic, and Barbara Eden, a young man’s fantasy woman…. all hit my interests right on the money…. When I went to look for episodes to watch, I was delighted to find an entire page with several seasons’ worth of shows to watch…. Yay! I know where I’ll be wasting my time for a few days….




I Dream of Jeannie Season 2 Episode 1-2





































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Here is one from the archives, which fits in with some of our recent discussions quite nicely…. (I’m still saving my hands, a very good excuse to be lazy, I find…)….


From 12/12/12:


“He who proselytizes in the cause of unbelief is basically a man in need of belief.” — Eric Hoffer


This is true…. you never see an atheist going door to door, trying to convert the pious to their unbeliefs. However, I would go further on this train of thought, and add that, “He who proselytizes, in any cause, in basically a man in need of a life.” I’m sure it occurred to Mr. Hoffer, but he was too busy trying to explain this statement to somebody who didn’t understand the word ‘proselytize’…..


For my own case, I have never, ever understood why people feel compelled to go door to door to try to get other people to believe what they believe; it’s one of the most persistent delusional systems I’ve ever witnessed, to believe that anyone wants to hear what they have to say, much less they will find their beliefs palatable to others, or find anyone who believes them to be superior to their own…..


“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying they made them.” — Smart Bee


Humans seem to have an immense blind spot when it comes to their own actions and beliefs. Most of them never seem to question the things they are told, even when those things are presented with no evidence other than faith. Of course, the people who are invested in the religious system, to wit: the preachers, begin their indoctrination when their constituents are very young, when they are still prone to accept whatever an adult says as truth.


This ensures a life-long predilection for being simple to control…. or, in short, mental slavery, if you will. Unless there is some sort of rebellion of spirit, where new knowledge is injected, these poor saps will spend their entire lives believing that what they have been told is real, when, in fact, they are fitting themselves with shackles, that will forever imprison their minds, and their imagination…..


“To defend one’s self against fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.” — James Baldwin


In my life-long quest for the truth, I’ve come to believe that religions, while originally intended to benefit people, (by their iconic progenitors, anyway…. I’m sure Jesus was a quite nice man, and wanted the best for those to whom he preached his own philosophy of compassion….), have historically been taken over by the predators who live to control others.


To be fair, some of those who become priests, or any of the other varieties of religious fanatic that prevail in our society, may indeed believe that their beliefs are true, and act accordingly, but the majority are, as far as I can tell, only concerned with maintaining status quo, thereby benefiting themselves, while never actually allowing any REAL progress in the development of the human condition. They would have society behave as if we were still living in caves, in essence, still cowering in our meager shelter while the storms and lightning are raging outside, terrified of the power of what we do not understand, and, therefore, allow ourselves to fear….




“A universe of death, which God by curse 

Created evil, for evil only good; 

Where all life dies, death lives, 

and Nature breeds Perverse, 

all monstrous, all prodigious things, 

Abominable, unutterable and worse 

Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived, 

Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire.” 


~~ Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II ~~




(Side note: I’ll bet Milton had a hard time sleeping….)


The Universe is a big place, and there is a lot to learn. Fearing that knowledge, or fearing what changes that knowing will always bring, is the act of a coward, to my mind, and should not be encouraged. Supernatural beings of unlimited power are not a required component to the understanding of Nature and the Universe; we need not fear that our lack of knowledge of how things work is unattainable. Just because we do not understand a part of reality does not mean that whatever it is, is beyond our understanding.


It is not necessary to ask for exemptions, or intervention by our own personal gods, for us to achieve happiness, or even contentment; that is completely within our own power, if we but acknowledge that part of us that is free, and connected to everything else we can perceive. The connections may not be fully understood, but they are there, and if we can only learn to recognize it, the power to change reality lies within us, all the time…. As Epictetus said, “Happiness lies in learning to accept a simple truth. There are some things you can change. And there are some things you cannot.” It’s really quite that easy, you know, once one learns to accept this fact of life…. No dogma required…..


“If brains were outlawed, nothing would change.” — Smart Bee


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today, you are getting one of my poems, simply because I’m too lazy to go find someone else’s…. So be it…. Here is one I haven’t used for a while, first created on a Friday in 2013…




A Dubiously Soft Morning


Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,

fill up the white, white screen on which I view

my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup

ambrosial remnants of anything new.


Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away

bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,

signs of one happy child, seriously at play,

blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.


Formidable cries of outraged simple justice

echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.

Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice

salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.


Creativity equals unquestioning farce, 

often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.

Instead, a blow is felt that no joy will soften,

accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Whew! It’s a good thing I got up early today; today’s final pearl may be in the top five, on the list of pearls that took the longest time to complete…. Smart Bee appears to be in a mood… Ah well, all’s well that ends well, as we all know…. quite well… This one SEEMS abstruse, but, once you’ve finished it, you’ll see it really isn’t…. In fact, it’s quite transparent, in many respects…. Enjoy!….


“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii


“Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.” — Voltaire


“Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of two everlasting hostile empires, Necessity and Freewill.” — Carlyle (1795-1881)


“The miser is as much in want of that which he has, as of that which he has not.” — Publius Syrus


“Depend not on fortune, but on conduct.” — Publius Syrus


“Cato requested old men not to add the disgrace of wickedness to old age, which was accompanied with many other evils.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Roman Apophthegms, Cato the Elder




From ignorance our comfort flows.

The only wretched are the wise.


~~ Matthew Prior (1664-1721) ~~


~~ To the Hon. Charles Montague ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I know, already, without having gone back over this yet, it will be okay…. It may not ever be considered as one of the best Pearls ever, but, it will definitely do for our purposes today…. Hell, a lot of it is even fresh…. or, what passes for fresh these days…. Regardless of all my rationalizations and/or excuses, it’s done…. As I’ve been reduced to saying already today…. So be it…. gigoid has spoken…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. most likely….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Sleeveless jumpers won’t be warm enough….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.”


~~ Seneca, Epistles ~~


potd-bear-fish_3132092k


     It’s raining again here in NorCal; this makes typing somewhat impractical, as it probably bothers the neighbors to hear me screaming in pain as I type…. It’s a bit bothersome for me, as well; I don’t particularly enjoy the noise, either, even though it is MY noise…. Ah well, it’ll all be cut & paste today, ffolkes, you can take that to the bank…. Of course, the bank would tell you to take it home again, but, hey, you get the picture…. (The picture above, of the lucky grizzly bear, by the way, came from the Animal Pictures of the Week in the London Daily Telegraph…)


In spite of the now-expected relative agony of the arthritic pain in my joints, I don’t feel too badly today…. Of course, that will pass, as do all things. If only there were some way to stop the clock, just at that point when I’m feeling relatively normal, (or, as close as I get to that these days….), so I could actually spend some little period of time without the sensation of having my own skeleton screaming at me to MAKE IT STOP!  If only I could…. but, I can’t, so, it must be endured…


I like the opening line today, from Seneca. It is my best answer to all the crap that gets thrown at us by our beloved leaders, when they want us to stop thinking, and just be afraid…. Myself, I refuse to be terrified, of anything…. Terror is merely another name for fear, and fear can always be overcome, if faced, and dealt with in a rational fashion…. If we let it rule our lives, as Seneca points out, it takes over, and life becomes a burden, rather than a joy…. Terrible indeed, especially when one considers it is all a manufactured issue in the first place….


Since, however, we are IN the first place (i.e., the intro section), we shan’t rant about that now… In fact, I won’t be ranting at all today, as this little bit of typing here at the front is already causing problems…. My hands keep falling asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and I have to stop, shake them out, and regain the feeling before carrying on…. Not the easiest technique I’ve come up with, to be sure… In fact, it isn’t working for me at all today, and I’m done with it…. Hold on, ffolkes, this will be a sharp turn….


Shall we Pearl?


“Ignorance can be cured.  Stupid is forever.” — Smart Bee


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Whenever I have an hour to spare, nothing provides me with more entertainment than one of these episodes from the old BBC series…. Jeremy Brett was born to play Sherlock, and, to my mind, appears to be having the time of his life whenever he is portraying the great detective…. He plays the part with such enthusiasm, it MUST have been great fun…. In turn, he makes it fun to watch…. Enjoy….




The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes – S07E02 – The Dying Detective





































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Yesterday, I ranted against the Dogma Dogs…. Today, it’s raining; this precludes a fresh rant, as my hands are currently revolting, in more than merely one sense…. Here then, is an older rant, with the other major category of Asininnies as the primary target…. It’s as true today as it was almost two years ago, when it was fresh and new….


From 2/18/2013:


PRESIDENCY, n.  The greased pig in the field game of American politics. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”


You can’t see me, but I have this big smile on my face…. It has been there since I first read this, this morning, and has flashed on each time I see it…. I had forgotten just how funny, and how eerily accurate, as well as wonderfully sarcastic, the Devil’s Dictionary could be….. In either case, this is some funny stuff, and is a perfect example of how Ambrose somehow obtained a direct line to the future of this country, in order to be able to so exactly describe how our modern system has evolved, and demonstrate how it has become, rather than high comedy, an example of low farce….


Of late, you’ve seen me put out a lot of words on the Beloved Ruling Class (BRC), and the priestly hierarchies, those two entities I hold responsible for the miserable conditions that most of our society is forced to endure, and whom I also hold responsible for the danger of species extinction that we face… It is their narcissistic insistence on having it all for themselves that has put our entire species at risk, along with a large number of other species, who will also be affected by the mess we’ve created in the environment. I keep on shouting, even though it mostly feels as if I’m shouting into the wind, because, in all honesty, I don’t want to die…. I’d like my kids to have a chance to live their entire lives, too, and perhaps even have some hope of a future for their own children…. Currently, there isn’t much hope of that…..


Yes, ffolkes, there isn’t much time left to get this done…. Every second, more and more tons of particulate matter are being poured into the air, and the cumulative effects have actually, finally, reached the critical flash point that ecologists have predicted for years…. Soon, plants that provide oxygen to the air will begin to die, (actually, they are dying as I write this…. as I said, it is late in the game….) and the balance of oxygen and carbon monoxide in the air will start to rapidly change, until it is unbreathable for us, and for all the other mammals, sea creatures, and plant life-forms that are dependent on the levels of those substances as they are now…. This process isn’t unknown….. we have been warned about it, now, for going on 50 years, or more, since the effects were first noted….


But, nobody who cared to do anything about it was listening, and still today, there aren’t anywhere near enough of our BRC who are convinced of the risk, so virtually NOTHING has, or is being done to resolve the issue…. Instead, it is subjected to massive denial on the part of almost every government in the world. They, and most people, have no idea that the bill for our idiocy is about to be presented, and we left our wallet in our other pants….. I think it’s obvious the Universe doesn’t take checks, or give credit…..


I wish I knew the proper sequence of words to use, the words that would inflame the masses, that would inspire the world to rise up, and throw off the yoke of oppression that the 1% has fitted us with, to finally give them their just desserts, and save our own asses in the process…. Alas, I don’t seem to have them in me…. not yet, anyway…. There are probably a few ffolkes out there who agree with me, and would help, if they also knew what to do, or say, to get things started…. But, mostly, I think I’m either shouting into the wind, or preaching to the choir….


In either case, it doesn’t seem to be helping much, other than keeping me from losing my sense of perspective, and actively going out hunting, to try to at least thin the ranks of the ones who are causing the problems…. That would make me feel better, for sure, but, I’m not ready to live the rest of my life on the run, so, I’ll save that option for when things are even worse than they are now….


I’ll also keep shouting, even if it’s into the wind, because I’m also not ready to give in to despair, and loss of hope. Call me stubborn, call me irresponsible (you’d be wrong in that, but, hey, it’s a free country…. mostly….), but don’t call me late for dinner. Also, don’t call me to help you further any of the agenda items that I see on the part of those in power, because I can guarantee that would put me over the edge, and you would be right there, in the explosive field of destruction when I went off…. If you want help to work against anything they’ve started, I’m there….  In the meantime, keep your powder dry, and your field of fire clear…. This final pearl explains why….


“If we don’t survive, we don’t do anything else.” — John Sinclair


And one more, just because there must always be hope, or life isn’t worth living…


“In a just cause the weak o’ercome the strong.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Oedipus Coloneus, 880


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The poem in my head isn’t being cooperative about coming out, so, here is one from a few months ago, that seems to fit in well with the theme from today’s rant…. I know that when I wrote this, I felt MUCH better afterward…..






A Few Words of Note


In place of ranting and raving about assholes every day

maybe I’ll try something more fun.

Rather than throwing words at all the assholes on public pay

I’ll switch to shooting at them, with a gun….


Should I actually hit one, purely by mistake,

maybe it would wake them up.

Maybe, if they had to think, or actually cut us a break,

we’d see a chance to win at life, to take a step up. 


Our nation, such as it is today, was founded by men who told the truth;

that morality disappeared long ago.

Simple ethical strength so bright, so prevalent in our country’s youth

was soon corrupted, corporate interests now run the show.


Nothing would please me more than to fire off some rounds,

if only to gain their attention.

But, I can no longer run, I’ve gained too many pounds;

so, my keyboard and intellect must serve to fulfill my intention.


I won’t stop, of that you may be sure

I love my freedoms, and the philosophy from which it springs.

Tom, and Ben, and John, and Pat, those patriots pure

gave me their example, and the inner peace it brings.


If bullets won’t persuade our elected liars to toe the ethical line,

I’ll throw my most powerful words…..

If nothing else, it will make them wriggle to escape, or voice their pitiful whine,

thus exposing themselves for what they are…. plain and simple turds.


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s final pearl is one that created itself, in a manner of speaking…. It is a truly old-fashioned pearl, comprised of five brilliant pearls of virtual wisdom which, together, lead one’s thoughts to a particular idea or concept worthy of contemplation…. Well, that’s the theory, anyway…. This one, brilliant as it is, is somewhat obscure, but, with the proper flexibility of mind, is well worth the effort to decode…. Enjoy, and, be aware… This one WILL be on the Quiz, which we all will be given, at the end of Time….


“As Caesar was at supper the discourse was of death,–which sort was the best. “That,” said he, “which is unexpected.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Caesar


“The world has taken on a thickness of vulgarity that raises a spiritual man’s contempt to the violence of a passion.” — Charles Baudelaire


“It is important that man dreams, but it is perhaps equally important that he can laugh at his own dreams.” — Lin Yutang


“For himself doth a man work evil in working evils for another.” — Hesiod (c. 700 BC) — Works and Days, Line 265


“Anaxagoras said to a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, “The descent to Hades is the same from every place.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Anaxagoras, vi


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Well, there you have it…. “A drunkard’s dream, if I ever did see one!” Since we seem to be somewhere up near Cripple Creek, without the proverbial paddle in hand, we’d no doubt be wise to take our leave, while we may…. This rain has to stop some time, doesn’t it? We ARE supposedly in the midst of a drought here in California… but, you couldn’t tell by the last week or so of weather. Ah well, Life goes on, until it doesn’t. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if’n we can find our way back here….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Concrete oatmeal & hockey puck biscuits…. Yum!

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Life without the courage for death is slavery.”


~~ Seneca ~~


potd-bear-tree_3133658k


     There is a nice back story to this picture of a bear in a tree, which came from the London Daily Telegraph feature last week, the Animal Pictures of the Week…. This four year old female brown bear (don’t ask me how they know….) was observed to climb this tree, all the way to the top, where, after distributing its weight to sit comfortably, it proceeded to sit in the sun, enjoying the magnificent views of the valley in the warm sun, for about four hours before climbing down to amble off…. Just an afternoon off from whatever bears do, I guess…. She does look rather content and peaceful, doesn’t she?…. It was rather nice to see something in the news that didn’t end up depressing me….


That does, however present us with a conundrum, to wit: now what? Having spoken to the picture, it’s too late to chime in with a bit on the quote from one of our favorite ancient sages, even if it went with the picture’s theme…. which it doesn’t, somehow…. I suppose there is some slight degree of similarity in the two, which COULD be exploited to create a bit more discussion, but, what would be the point, when I’ve already said it’s beyond the pale? That’s what I get for opening my trap so quickly, I guess…. There are still some things to learn about this business, I’d say….


Of course, I only need to learn them for MY benefit; I don’t imagine y’all care one way or the other…. Hell, I can barely get y’all to comment any more; too much material I suppose, with too many quiet questions in them to pick from…. I suppose it would also help to have a few more readers come by to take in what I’ve written, but, I’m not going to get my hopes up on that event ever happening; I don’t put any effort into increasing readership, with good reason…. I’m lazy, and I’m lazy…. Oh, and did I mention, I’m lazy?….


Not really; I used to be lazy, but then I discovered the power of metaphor, and I got even lazier…. Now, I work at it assiduously, with high hopes of qualifying for the national tournament next year, in Madison Square Garden, the big one held each spring, after the winter’s beard contest, whose entrant contestants are picked from the previous year’s finalists, has been completed…. It doesn’t always take place; some years they’re too lazy to get it done…. These folks are serious about their work, I tell you….


But, now that I’m retired, I’ve got all this time to practice, so, I know I can make a good run at the top spot this year; I’ve been aided by my recent pain levels, which have helped me to NOT do much, a firm prerequisite for any serious competitor in this field of non-endeavor. Nobody is going to look twice at someone who has a job, or any such regular form of activity of any variety…. It’s just too much work…. Hah! I guess that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Yep, ’tis, indeed….


On that note, we’ve definitely slipped out of reality, and into fantasy, which means we don’t have to pay any further attention to any of the rules of engagement…. and, we can leave the intro with no further nonsense needed…. Besides, I don’t know about y’all, but, I’ve had just about enough of this silliness…. In fact, more than….


Shall we Pearl?


“Don’t try to have the last word. You might get it.” — Lazarus Long


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s video is another blast from the past…. In this particular case, it’s a blast from MY past…. I was AT this concert, and, if y’all watch closely, you could see me wandering around the stadium, dressed in a tuxedo without a jacket, to go with my wife, who dressed in gold lame with a glittering gold wig…. Just getting into the spirit of the night’s events, don’t y’know?….. Enjoy, ffolkes, I did…. for sure….




Grateful Dead Oakland Stadium 7 24 87 View from the Vault 4 










































~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“Since the whole affair had become one of religion, the vanquished were of course exterminated.” — Voltaire


“Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.” — Smart Bee


“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” — Voltaire


It has been a good long while since I ranted about religion…. It’s a big subject (which is why it takes three pearls to start us off….), which makes for big rants…. However, I try not to let them get away without at least a mention at least some of the time, especially when I’m talking about the BRC and the other Asininnies, with whom the major churches work hand in hand to keep mankind from ever reaching its true potential…. Yes, indeed, I DO see the established religions of the world as villains, though many of them are no more than unwitting fools, just more victims of their delusional belief system….. But, many more of them are just manipulative sociopaths, much like their counterparts, who infest, er, inhabit the political world….


Consider, if you will, preachers/priests/imams/rabbis, or other religious leaders, whom I tend to lump together in a group I call the Dogma Dogs, and politicians, whom I call Fools, (or, sometimes, Assholes….) of all varieties, whether elected, monarchical, tyrannical, or whatever…. These two seemingly separate, yet symbiotic groups, each of which is comprised in the main by sociopathic con artists, have been working hand in hand, quite efficiently, for millennia…. Each uses similar methods to work toward their ends, but, ultimately, their will is enforced, on the one hand, supposedly, by a distant, impartial, but all-powerful supernatural being, and, on the other hand, by their faceless police and military myrmidons, all for one simple purpose…..


That singular, shared purpose, is to maintain the status quo in re: power and control over the money, the resources, and thus, the majority of mankind, with themselves at the top of the societal heap…. The control these silent, faceless despots hold over the whole of mankind would never have lasted so long, without the help they receive from the religious brainwashing by the different churches, which is first applied to ALL the babies they can get to, an event generally occurring before people have the mental defenses to resist, or avoid it…. This mostly system of passing on an entire set of delusions to each new generation, without ever examining it for its relevance to reality, is a large part of the reason the aforementioned societal control has been in place for so many centuries, without most people ever being aware of it….


How can these people be aware of any of the truth of their beliefs? They have been told since they were small, by the people they most trusted to tell them the truth, that this supernatural being (over which they have NO influence beyond their mandatory worship, submission, and good behavior…. i.e, obedience to custom….), has decreed them to be part of the elite of the real world, thereby guaranteed to live forever, together with those others of our kind, in the world that comes after this one….


Of course, none of these claims, of immortality, of divine intervention, or, any of the other claims made, is provable by any physical means, but, these folks believe it, and pass it on to their kids, thus preparing them for the lifetime of mind control, and submission to both divine and temporal authority, just the state of mind the ruling class prefers them to have…. It makes things SO much easier for them, when the entire populace is trained to believe anyone in a position of authority….without question….


And yet, a few people manage to see through the early years of foggy thinking…. In fact, here’s one of them now….


“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the bible is filled, it would seem more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.” — Thomas Paine — The Age of Reason


Even amongst themselves, the proponents of SOME religions, (not all, but, most..), get just a little carried away in the defense of their own particular interpretation of holy writings…. most of which are deemed holy because everybody has always said they’re holy…. That’s it…. that’s the best reason any of them will give me… Go figure…. Some of them get so carried away, I’m required by insurance law to mention that the following is a joke, but, only because I say it’s a joke….


“My god can beat up your god!” — Smart Bee


Well, okay, so it wasn’t me at all…. SB is obviously making a point, not a joke, about all the different Christian (Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc.) sects, each of which seems to feel they worship a different God than all the others…. At least, that’s the way they act to each other all the time…. All of them, even when pressed to answer plain, visible evidence to the contrary, maintain their own vision over everyone else’s, even those, no, especially those, who profess not to believe any of it…. For example….


“Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant?  Is it not a spectacle to make the angels laugh?We are a company of ignorant beings, feeling our way through mists and darkness, learning only be incessantly repeated blunders, obtaining a glimmering of truth by falling into every conceivable error, dimly discerning light enough for our daily needs, but hopelessly differing whenever we attempt to describe the ultimate origin or end of our paths; and yet, when one of us ventures to declare that we don’t know the map of the universe as well as the map of our infinitesimal parish, he is hooted, reviled, and perhaps told that he will be damned to all eternity for his faithlessness…” — Leslie Stephen (1832-1904), “An agnostic’s Apology”, — Fortnightly Review, 1876


Rants about religion can get away from me; trust me, I’ve got priors…. Since I’ve already gone well past my comfort zone to accomplish this much, I’ll leave it here, sans any firm conclusions, or, for that matter, any real answers to the problems implied…. I don’t know the answers, anyway…. How does one go about changing human nature, which seems to be willing to allow this sort of degrading behavior without the blink of an outraged eye…. Ah well, all I can do is keep my own counsel, and avoid all the crap that tends to splash around whenever these idiots are spewing their bile…. Oh, and, I can rant every once in a while, if only to give myself some relief from having to watch this sad story unfold…. I think we’ll move on, after one appropriate pearl to seal the deal…..


Here we go…. Here is an alternate version of the first chapter of Genesis, which makes as much sense as the one currently in vogue throughout the Christian world….




 In the beginning, God created the Earth and he said, “Let there be mud.”

 And there was mud.

 And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud, 

so the mud can see what we have done.”

 And God created every living creature that now moveth, 

and one was man.  

Mud-as-man alone could speak.

 “What is the purpose of all this?” man asked politely.

 “Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.

 “Certainly,” said man.

 “Then I leave it to you to think of one for all of this,” said God.

 And He went away.


~~ Kurt Vonnegut, Between Time and Timbuktu ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Since today’s rant is on the perils of religion, here is a poem that fits right in with the theme….




Rejection



“Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so…”

I’d be crying a river, I thought

if ever such crap I bought.


Sorry if it hurts your sense of style,

but, hypocrisy always gives me bile.

Being lied to accidentally is okay,

but, deliberate lies make me angry, and fey.


Oh, God, hear what I pray!

Keep me from your followers today.

Having to listen to so much that is wrong

makes me puke, before it makes me strong.


I don’t know why it isn’t clear to other folks,

which is alright, you know, different strokes.

But, why should that mean that they must

force me to believe, or fail in trust?


Spare me the lies, and the make-believe,

fairy tales are easier to hear, and to weave.

They give us a lesson which we can feel

but don’t pretend at all to be real.


Reality can scare us, that’s a given fact,

still, met with care it will leave us mostly intact.

Met without fear, standing tall and alone

Life will allow us to make it our own.


Folly beckons, and so many follow

mass delusions seem to me most hollow.

I’ll have to stick to my own chosen way

while so many go so sadly astray.


It’s lonely at times, it may seem sad,

but really isn’t, and I’m quite glad,

that knowledge is always stronger than fear,

year after year, tear after tear…..


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




LAW, n.


  Once Law was sitting on the bench,

      And Mercy knelt a-weeping.

  “Clear out!” he cried, “disordered wench!

      Nor come before me creeping.

  Upon your knees if you appear,

  ‘Tis plain your have no standing here.”


  Then Justice came.  His Honor cried:

      “_Your_ status?–devil seize you!”

  “_Amica curiae,_” she replied–

      “Friend of the court, so please you.”

  “Begone!” he shouted–“there’s the door–

  I never saw your face before!”


G.J.


~~ Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary ~~




All of us, I think, have our favorite lawyer joke. Mine has always been the one that goes,


“Q: How do you tell the difference between a dead snake, and a dead lawyer on the road? A: There are skid marks leading up to the snake….”


There is good reason for all those jokes, you know; you see, they’re NOT jokes…. They’re all true…. Don’t believe me? Let’s ask Smart Bee to see what it can find on the subject….


“Cato instigated the magistrates to punish all offenders, saying that they that did not prevent crimes when they might, encouraged them.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Roman Apophthegms, Cato the Elder


Hmm… No, no SB… the OTHER direction…. sheesh…


“Lawyer: only person in whom ignorance of the law is not punished.” — Smart Bee


Okay,  right you are…. Now, THAT’s better… Okay, the rest, please… and, no worries as to the #; we’ve got time….


“One lawyer can steal more than a hundred men with guns.” — The Godfather


“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” — Mark Twain  Following the Equator (1897)


Half, or more, of Congress, of course, is composed of lawyers; the other half never acts without consulting one of their own…. Most of the rest of them work in the Judicial Branch of the federal government….


“We could do that, but it would be wrong, that’s for sure.” — from the best-loved quotes of Richard Milhouse Nixon (Yes, he was…. Duke University School of Law, 1937)


“If it weren’t for lawyers we wouldn’t need lawyers.” — Smart Bee


LAWYER, n.  One skilled in circumvention of the law. — Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary


— How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? — None, he’ll have the paralegal do it. But, you’ll get the following bill:




Item                            Light bulb

Charge                           $2185

(Itemization of bill charges)

Lawyer’s time (1 hr. minimum)  $ 400

Connectivity charge            $ 100

Staff charge                   $ 250

Secretary prepared bill        $   2

Research fee                   $ 422

Consulting fee                 $ 431

Paralegal processing fees      $  25

Specialized equipment          $ 122

Bought bulb                    $   5

Overnight express delivery     $  34

Rule 453.957(B)(1) charge      $ 394




The thing that has always bothered me the most, about lawyers at large, is this; they CHOOSE the kind of lawyer to be, remember…. 99% of them turn out to be corrupt, at least partially because of what Mark observed in human nature, (and, our final pearl for today), when he noted, to wit:


“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” — Mark Twain


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Given the state of my hands today, it’s a good thing this went swiftly…. It also helped that much of it was done yesterday, between bouts of agony…. Ah yes, cheating… the American way…. It’s now 0435, and, once again, I’m done…. Now, I get to wait for the rest of the world to wake up, so I can sit around and watch it sink a little further into insanity’s fatal dream…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if Fate is kind….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Patagonian cricket league posters on sale….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Don’t get hit.” 


~~ First rule of fighting ~~


A-laughing-girl-and-her-camel


     There is no doubt the world in which we live is in a sorry state; there is too much evidence of that to deny, even for one of my dubious nature…. Yet, we each go on, blithely behaving as if tomorrow never comes, just as we have for our entire history, without any acknowledgment, or even awareness, of our own impending doom as a species. In spite of the mountains of evidence to indicate how serious is the situation we find ourselves in today, no governing body, no major world leaders, and nobody of any societal significance is doing anything about it, other than some little noise-making in the news now and again, and a constant parade of lesser personages, such as yours truly, who keep trying to get everyone else to FUCKING PAY ATTENTION!


Alas, our noise, true and attractive as it may be, is drowned out, in the cacophony of complaints and bullshit that the political pundits keep laying out; they have the control of the media, having trained them to react just the way they planned to every new piece of insanity, to wit, with hyperbole, outrage, focus on the negative and/or insignificant, and misdirection, always trumpeting who is to blame, rather than calling for real answers….


Instead, they are trained to focus on completely irrelevant issues, having little to do with the core of the problems, which are never discussed, at all…. Any actual discussion of problems is discouraged, as being counter-productive…. What is never stated is this; all that information we are not hearing IS counterproductive, but, not to us, but, to those who are in positions of leadership… If the news was actually reported correctly, the pundits would be running for the border, trying to escape the mobs….


But, that would be an ideal world, and the one in which we spend our time is NOT one of those, by any stretch of the imagination…. Ah well, we’ve made our bed, we must now lie in it…. Sadly, the house, in which the bed might be found, is right in the path of flowing lava…..


I see now that the metaphorical structure I’ve built up with such enthusiasm just fell apart, into small pieces…. I can see it lying there, on the ground at my feet, mocking me with bitter laughter…. Silly things…. But, having it all fall apart like that does make it clear, at least to me, that I’ve gone completely off the rails here this morning, haring off down a rantable path, without ever checking to see if my brain was on…. which, I’m pretty sure, it wasn’t…. At least, I can’t find any evidence anywhere in any of the above paragraphs that would indicate power to the lobes…. Hell, I’m almost positive I wasn’t even awake yet when I started; I’m barely awake now….


Ah well, it’s done what, apparently, it was designed to do, which is get me to this point, far enough down the page to feel as if we’ve actually done something worthwhile…. We HAVE gone far enough to make this legal, which, as y’all know, is all we really care about…. As it now meets all state and federal regulations, nonexistent though they may be, we can use the opportunity that presents itself to make our escape…. Besides, I believe I may have just used up ALL of my ability to type for the day, just getting this done…. Oh, well…. I’m taking us down, ffolkes, so, you’d best hang on…..


Shall we Pearl?


“A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone’s feelings unintentionally.” — Oscar Wilde


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


One of the saving graces of humankind is our ability to make music…. classical, blues, jazz, it all expresses our nature, in one facet or another…. Here is the an example of the best of the blues, the one musical genre most likely to be of use to us in the coming years, as we learn how our own nature has been our undoing….




This Is The Blues – Volume 1



































 


 




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


As noted, my hands are done typing for the day, so, here is a discussion from the past, with all our favorite targets in attendance….


From 9/19/2013:


“A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.” — Alfred Alder


So, I was going to forgo a rant today, giving my back, and your brains, a bit of a break, but, when I went to peruse the news, I saw the latest discussion of what is happening in the House of Idiots in Washington, D.C., regarding the budget resolutions being discussed, wherein the possibility of a shutdown is threatened, if the Retardicans and Demobutts can’t come to some kind of compromise.


It seems the Retardicans are still upset about Obamacare, and the notion of helping the middle class, as well as the lower classes (gasp!), to obtain medical insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. This idea, of being fair and ethical, seems to have struck them in the wrong place, and they have been whining and complaining ever since it became law, frantically searching for ways to undermine the whole program, with the ultimate goal being to stop it altogether….


The entire issue, of course, is just smoke, to cover up the simple racism that these assholes won’t cop to…. It is STILL stuck in their craw that they somehow allowed a BLACK MAN to get elected to the highest public office. They have looked for, and desperately latched onto, every possible way they could find to block every piece of legislation the White House has espoused, no matter how much such legislation would help the public, ever since Obama was first elected.


The publicly stated goal of the Retardican Party in 2008, right after the election, was to make Obama a one-term President; having failed at that, their new goal became the eradication of ANY laws, or any beneficial reforms, that were accomplished during his administration…. Hence, the campaign against healthcare reform, which, ultimately, is not in their best interests, but, hey, who needs common sense?….


I’m almost too disgusted with the entire bunch of them, Retardicans and Demobutts both, to even continue this rant….The right wing continues to shoot itself, and the public, in the foot with their intransigent inflexibility, and their unreasoning paranoia about the POTUS, while the left side continues to wander around letting whatever the administration says or does go without question or review, as if somehow a man who was politician enough to get elected to the Senate, then the Presidency, all of a sudden became the world’s most truthful man…. Sorry, folks, it just doesn’t follow….. such trust in ANYONE who is an elected official in this country is plain silly, and doesn’t show much real common sense….


I see NO ONE in the public venue whom I would trust to make decisions for me, on ANY subject, much less those that can affect my life, and the quality of same…. Sorry, I just don’t see ANYONE who seems to be honestly interested in anything beyond their own agenda, and those agendas have nothing to do with mine, or what I see as beneficial for everyone…. They just don’t…..


I also, unfortunately, don’t have any viable solutions, which is why my rants often are short…. I mean, I do know what would help, and that is for everyone in the world who does have common sense to get together, join forces, and tell the assholes to stop…. But, they have guns, which they are practiced in using to get their way, whereas, most of US aren’t willing to contest matters on that level, so, that probably isn’t ever going to happen…. Not until more of our side are willing to use force to get our way, just as they have always done….


Since I don’t see it happening, we may as well just kiss our asses goodbye, because the eventual outcome of such idiocy is death, and I don’t mean individually, but rather, as a species…. Stupid is as stupid does, as somebody once said, and when I look around the world these days, stupid is pretty much all I see…..




Hell is the place of those who have denied;

They find there what they planted and what dug,

A Lake of Spaces, and a Wood of Nothing,

And wander there and drift, and never cease

Wailing for substance.


~~ William Butler Yeats ~~


~~ Responsibilities and Other Poems (1916).The Hour-Glass ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


It has been said that intelligence is both a blessing, and a curse…. I’m here to testify….




Intelligent Crimes


The value of wit is often said to cause harm,

for those who think, such is its greatest charm.

The new and the bold cannot be fulfilled

if innovation and change is left unwilled.


Society behaves at its base as a mob

conformity and submission its primary job.

Any sign of rebellion against the mob’s rule

is met with resentment, naming such rebel the fool.


Intellect and talent are looked at askance,

expressing artistry stands nary a chance.

To stand out from the rest of mankind

is fraught with danger, for body and mind.


Often I stand to watch in solemn dismay

as beauty and joy are left by the way,

ignored and reviled by the unwashed masses

who prefer darkness, and acting like asses.


With shouts of derision the normals make known

their fear of intelligence, greater than their own.

They hope to stop all semblance of progress;

for thoughts and ideas, they couldn’t care less.


The world struggles on in spite of all opposition, 

managing to maintain its advanced position.

Pulling the foolish along in spite of reluctance,

helping each to learn the survival dance.


Hard though it may be to keep up with the future

genius manages its plans to develop and nurture.

In the final analysis, those who live by reason

enjoy life the most, season to season.


~~ gigoid ~~




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thankfully, I had a few moments yesterday, (very few, in retrospect, but, enough….) when the pain was in abeyance sufficiently for me to spend some time perusing Smart Bee for some appropriate pearls…. Here is what we were able to come up with…. It’s all pretty good advice, or, at minimum, viewpoints worthy of examining as helpful; taken together, they all show us how to live as well as we can, from an ethical/moral standpoint….


“There is in us a tendency to locate the shaping forces of our existence outside ourselves. Success and failure are unavoidably related in our minds with the state of things around us. Hence it is that people with a sense of fulfillment think it is a good world and would like to preserve it as it is, while the  frustrated favor radical change. The tendency to look for all causes outside ourselves persists even when it is clear that our state of being is the product of personal qualities such as ability, character, appearance, health and so on.” — Eric Hoffer


“Let us treat men and women well; Treat them as if they were real; Perhaps they are.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


CALLOUS, adj.  Gifted with great fortitude to bear the evils afflicting another. “When Zeno was told that one of his enemies was no more he was observed to be deeply moved.  “What!” said one of his disciples, “you weep at the death of an enemy?”  “Ah, ’tis true,” replied the great Stoic, “but you should see me smile at the death of a friend.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”


“A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone’s feelings unintentionally.” — Oscar Wilde


“It is impossible for a man to love his wife whole-heartedly without loving all women somewhat. I suppose that the converse must be true of women.” — Lazarus Long


“Loneliness is the poverty of the self.  Solitude is the richness of the self.” — May Sarton


“He preferred an honest man that wooed his daughter, before a rich man. “I would rather,” said Themistocles, “have a man that wants money than money that wants a man.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Themistocles


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My normal (hah!) routine is shot to shit…. It is now 0330 in the AM, and this Pearl is done…. I’ve been up too long already, and may just go back to bed, in the forlorn hope of actually getting comfortable enough to sleep, with my hips, hands and shoulders all singing to me, a song of misery played on the strings of my nervous system…. Ah well, so much for another day in Hell…. No worries, I’ve got my ticket to Oblivion, right here in my pipe…. See y’all later, ffolkes…. maybe even tomorrow…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….