Tag Archives: Poetry

Not all pundits are bellicose….

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Ffolkes,
If it hadn’t been for Nosy’s dog, the aliens might have enslaved us all. He (Nosy, not the dog) always said that Useless wasn’t a normal dog, but we figured he was just saying that to make Useless feel better. And who’d a’thought a dog that wouldn’t even chase cats could be a hero? Goes to show, I guess, you can’t never take nothing for granted…..

It was one of them days in the desert when even the wind was too hot to blow. Shimmering waves of heat were coming off the packed dirt surrounding the old shack that housed the only gas station and general store for 100 miles in any direction. Pop Doolan and Bill Watson were in their standard positions, perched on chairs that were old & battered when they were boys, puffing away on a pipe and a cigarette, respectively. As I strolled up toward the door, Pop hailed me, “Hey, boy! When you goin’ to start shaving?” Since he knew as well as me I’d never have to worry about that (long story), I just grinned, waved, & stepped on inside the screen door…..

Hmm….. and interesting little opening. I wonder if it will go anywhere? We’ll find out another time; right now it’s time to rein in the horses, and buckle down to work….. seems a shame though; I was kind of interested to see how Useless saves the world…..
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Amor, ch’al cor gentil ratto s’apprende,
prese costui de la bella persona
che mi fu tolta; e ‘l modo ancor m’offende.
Amor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona,
mi prese del costui piacer si` forte,
che, come vedi, ancor non m’abbandona.
Amor condusse noi ad una morte.

Love, which is quickly kindled in a gentle heart,
seized this one for the fair form
that was taken from me-and the way of it affects me still.
Love, which absolves no loved one from loving,
seized me so strongly with delight in him,
that, as you see, it does not leave me even now.
Love brought us to one death.
— Dante, La Divina Commedia: Inferno V, vv. 100-106

I’ve never taken the time to delve deeply into The Divine Comedy; there were always reasons not to read it whenever it crossed my path, usually taking the form of books more in tune with my tastes. It may be the subject matter, or maybe the style, I don’t know, or much care. But I can recognize quality and talent when I see it, even if it doesn’t appeal to me particularly. I get the same reaction to William F. Buckley and Ayn Rand when I try to read their work. It’s okay though, there are plenty of other reads out there, and I can thus enjoy and appreciate snippets from these works for their artistic flair, or their relevance to reality.

In this case, I included this excerpt for the sheer beauty of form and content it exhibits; the Italian poem reads so well it engenders an audio image of great power and majesty. It is also impressive how well the translation of this piece, and of the others I have seen, mimics the original so closely, in both tone and grandeur. It almost makes me want to go pick up a copy and dive in….. nah! Too much work….. but, it’s a good one to remember for the next time I’m hard up for something to read….. that’s the nice thing about the Classics. There are so many of them, you can always find one you’ve never tried before, and be virtually guaranteed that it will be a good read……
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“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” — Edward Abbey

Sad, but true. And even more relevant in today’s political climate, which often resembles a carnival sideshow on Mental Health Day. As an American patriot, I have become inured to the constant lies and grasping avarice common to the current species of candidates. Don’t get me wrong, now; I mistrust the Democrats just as much as I do the Republicans. It’s just that the news and media is always full of the GOP right now, due to the feeding frenzy they call the caucuses, or some such euphemism for circus.

Every day, we are assaulted with reports of the latest gaffes, misstatements, outlandish claims, prophesies, and the random reasoned response (usually from some man-on-the-street), all of which are examined, re-examined, and speculated on endlessly. By the time the relevant election gets here, in November, I, and every patriot with a lick of common sense, will probably either boycott the election altogether, or find an empathetic psychiatrist to deal with the rage, one who can persuade them (us) not to shoot at the poor little candidates, at least not with live ammo…..

“It is of some small consolation for you to know that we have survived every President the electorate has thrust upon us.” — Anonymous

“The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return.” — Gore Vidal
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Some days, pearl diving is an occupation fraught with frustration; other days, like today, quotes on a particular subject just keep jumping into my lap. I had intended to write about the Bill of Rights, and how it is under attack by the PTB, otherwise known as our beloved ruling class, so I had that as a thought in the back of my mind when I dove in. Et voila’, quotes galore…. now I don’t need to write about it, because these say all I needed to say….

“Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the _real_ object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” — Patrick Henry

“…it is hard for me to see how one can argue that circumstances have so changed as to make mass disarmament constitutionally unproblematic.” — Professor Sanford Levinson, — The Embarrassing Second Amendment, — The Yale Law Journal, Vol 99, No 3, December 1989, p637.

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” — The Constitution of the United States of America, Amendment 2, 1791 (That pesky Second Amendment….)

“Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear — kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor — with the cry of grave national emergency… Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums demanded.  Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real.” — General Douglas MacArthur, 1957

“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

Avert misunderstanding by calm, poise, and a .44 magnum.

I think that about covers it….. stay alert, ffolkes, the world needs more lerts…..
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“People are divided into two groups – the righteous and the unrighteous – and the righteous do the dividing.” — Lord Cohen

People are funny, aren’t they? Lord Cohen (another royal I’ve never heard of…) has hit squarely upon one of the more perverse qualities common to the human spirit. It always struck me as pretty hilarious (as well as hypocritical) that the people in the world who make the most noise and trouble over insignificant cultural or ideological differences are the same people who lay claim to being the only true devotees of the Great Redeemer, the only ones who really see the light.

It says right there in every translation of the Bible, even theirs, that the core of Jesus’ message is “Love thy brother as thyself”; he spent his whole time on this planet teaching compassion and encouraging diversity. But that’s not good enough for them, so they just pay lip service to that part of the Bible, and base their fundamental cruelty on interpretations of the Old Testament that serve their bigotry and ignorance. Too bad…. the world could use a few more good Christians, to help offset the karmic imbalance created by those who choose to fear the unknown, rather than embracing and understanding it…..
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politics, n:  From the Latin ‘poly’, meaning many, and ‘tic’, meaning little bloodsucking insects.

I think this is self-explanatory. It’s here merely because it fits in so well with my raison d’etre, my modus operandi, my….. my very real and unrelentingly hostile opinion of the type of human who enters the political arena in today’s society. I make no secret of my repugnance for those who seek power over other people, on any level, but especially in the political level, whether local, state, federal, or foreign, Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever. Doesn’t matter to me, they’re all certifiably insane.

Even those who retain even the slightest shred of human decency are made irrelevant by the sheer weight of numbers. The corporate thieves, the sociopathic manipulators, and the deluded fundamentalists outnumber any such foolish milquetoasts to a degree that makes them ( the altruistic idealists) completely meaningless, and effectively powerless.

The picture is bleak enough that I, who swore never to own a gun, have decided to arm myself as soon as possible. The Second Amendment, one of the branches on the Tree of Liberty, may need to be protected and nourished, by the blood of patriots, and tyrants…..
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Having thus purged myself of a large buildup of angst, I can now face the rest of the day with a more cheerful mien. So, that’s what I’m gonna go do…. Y’all take care out there……

—

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Confused? Two words: muskrat love…..

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Ffolkes,
I got bitten yesterday, by the poetry bug. It stung enough that I had to write a haiku to ease the pain…..

Immediately Haiku

Sometimes the best way
is to begin
at the first spot.
Other times, not.

gigoid did it…blame him…

What better way to begin a day? I could think of a couple offhand, but they would both involve items not currently in stock……this will do for a Monday…..
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“The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them– words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried when you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for the want of a teller but for the want of an understanding ear.” — Stephen King

This is an incredibly perceptive observation, and a clearly stated manifesto of belief in the power of our humanity, as well as our vulnerability. I know Stephen King is very popular as an author, but I can say truthfully that, though I read a LOT, I’ve never read one of his novels. It’s not him, it’s his genre (which he pretty much owns outright), to wit: horror stories. Every plot I’ve ever seen of his outlined on the jacket sleeve or back cover of a book sent me packing off to what subjects I will read; I decline to deliberately promote nightmares, and I’ve never been a fan of gore. Probably comes with hating the sight of my own blood. 

While my tastes in reading material are eclectic, from cereal boxes to box sets of just about any subject, they’ve never included horror; either movies or books. Life and Reality have always been plenty full of events, thoughts, people, and situations that are scary or frightening; that has always been enough for me. I’ve never particularly enjoyed the whole adrenaline scene, other than when necessary to preserve one’s health or welfare. I don’t need to deliberately put myself through the whole “scared me so bad I had nightmares” scenario; it’s not my idea of fun and relaxation.

Sure, little zaps of adrenaline can be cool; addictions always are at first. That’s why skiing, para-gliding, cliff diving, and such activities are popular, for that little bit of bloodthirsty savage in all of us, almost hoping for a crash. Even I learned to (perversely, but predictably) enjoy, and utilize the adrenaline one finds in martial arts, and real-time fighting, an activity I encountered on a weekly basis as part of my work, but it isn’t something I recommend, especially for the faint of heart, or their cousins, the bleeding hearts. There are better ways to get kicks like that, ways that don’t include subjecting one’s self, or one’s sensibilities to the indignity of near-death experiences, either real, or out of someone else’s demented mind….

Nonetheless, not being partial to his books doesn’t prevent me from observing, with admittedly some surprise, that the above paragraph demonstrates a pretty keen mind at work. A mind that clearly sees more of the corners, light and dark, in human nature than I had thought it would. In retrospect, though, I shouldn’t feel surprised, for it would explain why he is able to so easily put his finger on the the darkest, deepest wounds and weak points in our collective consciousness.

Only by feeling an equal degree of joyous celebration, of humble gratitude in service to others, or any other of the positive expressions of one’s humanity, could one even consider claiming knowledge of the opposite end of the scale. He certainly demonstrates an deep understanding of the duality of the human experience, and from what I understand, writes about it without modern peer. I, however, congratulate him not for that, but for knowing, and attempting to share his understanding of how to keep in touch with the empowering side of one’s own nature…….
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“The “Defense of Marriage Act” before Congress was co-sponsored by the divorced Bob Dole and the divorced House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The bill, if it passes, has been promised to be signed by the renowned skirt-chaser President Bill Clinton.  These men tell us that they support the bill because committed, monogamous same-sex unions are an affront to the sacred institution of heterosexual marriage.  Am I the only one a bit confused here?” — James G. Gilbert, Boston in a Letter to the Editor (Globe?)

The part of this that disturbs me is that it had to have been written abut 20 years ago, during Clinton’s white house occupancy. This means that in twenty years, there has been no resolution of a problem that (apparently) is still of primary concern to the voting public. The quotation could have easily appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Globe, and those who believe that heterosexual marriage should be sacred are still acting as if they are under attack. Bills and lawsuits are still being touted and pursued that try to legislate one group’s morality into law; which one will do so remains unclear, though  it escapes me why that should be true, or even an issue.

I find it difficult to believe that more than one court has not already said to the ignoramuses who are bleating about how married homosexuals will cause their own kids to turn gay, “Would you please just be quiet, take your ignorance and prejudices home to your own little cave, and stay there? Leave everyone else alone, it’s none of your expletive business what they do in their own homes. If you want the government to pass judgment on what happens in YOUR home, too, that can be arranged; the Bill of Rights is not Sacred anymore…. but meantime, you’re being a pain, so shut the f…. up!”….. Boy, wouldn’t that be fun to watch!…….
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Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
— Tao Te Ching

Adding to this, or trying to explain it destroys the clarity of the concepts, so I will leave any comments or thoughts as an exercise for the Gentle Reader……
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“I’ll not listen to reason. Reason always means what someone else has to say.” — Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

I don’t agree at all with this sentiment; it goes against one of my most basic beliefs, if what it says is what I understand it to say, regarding communication and its importance in our relationships with others.  In fact, I had reacted so strongly to reading it that I had written two paragraphs of scathing satire about Mrs. Gaskell, even sinking so low as to mock her name, and make poor jokes about her relations, before I came to my senses, and halted the tirade. I hated to delete it; part of it was some of the funniest stuff I’d done in a while. As it turns out, reading what I’d written after a short session with Google, I was ashamed at myself, both for jumping to conclusions, and mouthing off without thinking of consequences.

You see, as I finished my mini-rant, it occurred to me that I knew nothing about this person; zip, zilch, never heard of her. Boy, am I ignorant, or what? It turns out she was one of the most prolific and successful British authors of the 19th century, during the time of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, along with others of her ilk and gender. Wikipedia tells me she reportedly wrote passionately powerful novels about the tragic suffering in the lives of the poor families living in cities, with which she was well-acquainted, having worked for many years as a nurse in charity and ministerial work with her husband, a Unitarian minister.

These programs ministered to the poor and afflicted of British urban centers, some of the first heavily industrialized cities in Europe. Her books were very popular and successful, both with the public, and with doctors, who benefited from the attention given to the diseases prevalent among poor populations in the urban areas. She is credited with responsibility for inspiring many reforms and changes in the attitude of the entire medical community toward this area of medicine, and the treatment of disease.

Not exactly a good candidate for a sarcastic rant, eh? That will teach me to think before typing, for sure…. it would have been very embarrassing to have published that without researching it; I’d probably have instigated the ire of anyone with a moderate knowledge of English literature in the century before last, and deservedly so…..

Oh, well. Do I get any points for copping to being nearly stupid and unnecessarily cruel? No? Well, that’s okay…. don’t want to reward ineffectively. “Still alive” is enough of a reward after attacks of near stupidity; ‘nearly stupid’ has been known to cause “not still alive”, or “he’s dead, Jim. You get his wallet…” to happen to those who aren’t sufficiently alert to the possibility……
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I’ve done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing.

I cannot say that I’ve quite reached this level of expertise, but I can say that the attempt to do so is one of my small set of critical  priorities; doing without has become a way of life. It has its advantages, which are, sadly, amply offset by the disadvantages, making it neither good nor bad, merely survivable. I don’t go out, to eat, or drink, or visit folks; no car and no money to support either activity, as most everyone I know locally is at least a few miles away. Too far for walking anyway, and I ain’t asking for no handouts such as a ride; I don’t bring much to the table for the near future, at least.

I have enough to cover my basic needs for shelter and food (mostly), and a bit left over for phone & internet, to stay sane. That’s it, so I try to stay aware that it is more than half the world has to survive with. Until my Social Security kicks in, this is reality, so I’m just hunkerin’ down & stayin’ alive…. it’s a good thing I enjoy my own company….. cyber-relationships are cool, but not quite the same as one-to-one contact….. once the SS is approved, life will return to a slightly higher standard of living, one that includes food as a regular budget item, not a luxury…… besides, I need to lose at least 20 lbs, just to stay healthy…. if only that goal didn’t require crunchies, of which I am less than fond…..
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I can’t say this has been the easiest Pearl I’ve ever written, but it wasn’t the hardest by a long shot. Still, all things must come to an end; it’s not just smart and healthy, it’s the Law! Until tomorrow, then….y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

The gryphons gather daily at dusk….

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Ffolkes,
Double trouble this morning; neither creativity nor imagination has accompanied me to the computer, and no matter how crossly I curse at them, they are refusing to get out of bed yet. One would think they had some kind of monopoly or something; it’s not like I don’t operate fairly well without them. But they’ve been reading their own reviews lately, and their hats have shrunk a bit, so they think they’re entitled to put on the diva act now & again, to prove some kind of childish point. Hmph! As if they had the hammer here….they will see, soon enough, what it’s like to be unemployed altogether; there are plenty of external sources I can tap for awhile, until they come to their senses. I’ll bet they’ll be here, crying to go back to work, within the week….. any takers?…..
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“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Arthur C. Clarke (1917-) — Profiles of the Future (1962; rev. 1973) — “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” — Clarke’s Third Law

I would be very, very surprised if there are not several military, intelligence, and governmental agencies who are paying very close attention to the latest developments in nano-technology. A number of questions, in my mind at least, were answered regarding its imminence as a well established game-changer over the next 20 years, when I read that a power supply issue was solved, among others. This relatively new field raises so many possibilities for entirely new processes, smaller, more powerful computers the size of a period at the end of a sentence, and bio-technical miracles, such as nanobots the size of bacterial cells, that find and destroy cancer cells faster than they can grow, by altering their very DNA, or whatever is the method of choice at the time.

The military implications are disturbingly endless; even I, with little technical expertise in the subject, beyond the moderate amount I’ve studied informally, can easily think of three or four practically unstoppable weapons of mass destruction utilizing this technology. Think about what a mad scientist could do, and almost certainly is doing with this sort of limitless technical promise! The possibility exists that nanobots, complete with programmed abilities to learn, and able to reproduce themselves, without limits other than their basic programmed purpose, small enough to be deployed in an aerosol spray, are being earnestly sought after by generals, admirals, and spooks, because of their possible application to the art of war.

For example, a nanobot could be inserted into a polluted river, and clean the toxins and filth from the system within whatever parameters would most enhance the return of the river’s natural ecosystem. Conversely, the bots could be programmed to poison an entire watershed, rendering it undrinkable, or actually toxic. And that is only one of the more basic forms the technology could assume; another would be to combine nano-technology and stem cell research results to create armies of superhuman warriors.  It’s far too powerful a tool for the military to resist. Probably why they are most likely the biggest clandestine financiers of this radically new technology; I’d bet the house on it……or at least ‘a’ house. Doesn’t have to be mine, just cover my play, and I’ll pay you back when I win….

“It isn’t paranoia, if they are actually out to get you.” — Anonymous, that great Greek philosopher.
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Warm eyes, wet lips
Gently touch my finger tips

Soft sighs, silky hair
Longing for me to touch her there

Her begging eyes
Her whimpering cries

Urgent needs of one so sweet
Bring me quickly to my feet

The night is warm, there is no doubt
It’s my turn to take the dog out.

There was no attribution listed for this little piece, which is a shame, because I’d be willing to read more from the author. What a great little turn-around at the last line!…. I’m a sucker for unabashed whimsy….. actually, I just realized that it sounds very like something Ogden Nash might have penned during one of his numerous demonstrations of his unquenchable sense of humor. That, or a moderately talented copy-cat of his style…. regardless, it’s a welcome addition to today’s lineup of esoterica…..
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“I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes (sic), nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.”  — Abraham Lincoln, Fourth Lincoln-Douglas Debate, September 18, 1858

This is very interesting, and not in a good way; if authentic, it seems that Abe was not above the typical habit of many political strategists, of lying to the public, or at minimum stretching the truth in order to secure votes. Either history has painted a very inaccurate picture of his character, or he underwent a complete reversal of his opinions in two years; the Civil War began in 1860. Reading this gave me a chill; it is completely contrary to everything that school children are taught about him. It makes me wonder, and wonder very strongly, about what else historians have edited out of the books used to teach the subject. How much of what we know is really true?

We really haven’t much recourse to correct the issue; any overt evidence of the crime was destroyed long ago, and the folks responsible are long dead. I’ll tell you what, though…. it certainly makes me less trusting of what I will read from now on; my trust in the integrity of historians as a group is pretty well compromised by this knowledge. I don’t like the idea of lying to suit an agenda, no matter how well-intentioned the lie…. and I certainly don’t want my kids to base their own world-view based on lies, as is now seen to be the case. Downright pissed I now am; reduced to Yoda speech-mode I now am ….. great….. damn those bloody fools anyway!
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“An Animal that knows who it is, one that has a sense of his own identity, is a discontented creature, doomed to create new problems for himself for the duration of his stay on this planet.  Since neither the mouse nor the chimp knows what it is, he is spared all the vexing problems that follow this discovery.  But as soon as the human animal who asked himself this question emerged, he plunged himself and his descendants into an eternity of doubt and brooding, speculation and truth-seeking that has goaded him through the centuries as relentlessly as hunger or sexual longing. 

The chimp that does not know that he exists is not driven to discover his origins and is spared the tragic necessity of contemplating his own end.  And even if the animal experimenters succeed in teaching a chimp to count one hundred bananas or to play chess, the chimp will develop no science and he will exhibit no appreciation of beauty, for the greatest part of man’s wisdom may be traced back to the eternal questions of beginnings and endings, the quest to give meaning to his existence, to life itself.” — Selma Fraiberg, _The Magic Years_, pg. 193

If Ms. Fraiberg is correct, and she presents a strong argument, then we humans are some of the Universe’s most perverse creatures. Her argument, presented in a logical, structured, and thorough fashion is evidence of the very characteristics she describes, providing solid evidence of the truth of her proposition. It is an enjoyable feeling to encounter such a clear expression of what it means to be human, and offers a sense of pride for possessing such a marvelously unique quality, even if it is completely undeserved.

Why, after all, should we be proud? It’s not as if we had a choice in our birth as a human; no act of our own brought us to this plenum. But, that sense of entitlement seems to come naturally to some folks, probably because their own actions and existence haven’t produced anything that would justify their pride. I guess being able to imagine pride, and to count without resorting to toes as well as fingers doesn’t necessarily mean answers to deep questions will be either sought after or found. Or perhaps it would be better to say, some folks just see deeper into the universe, and into themselves, than others…..

“I personally think we developed language because of a deep inner need to complain.” — Jane Wagner
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The spirit of man communes with Heaven; the omnipotence of Heaven resides in man. Is the distance between Heaven and man very great?”  — Hung Tzu-ch’eng (1593-1665)

This is one of those questions to which Ms. Fraiberg refers above, and a good example of the genre. When I stop listening to all the distracting side comments made by that part of me that is not engaged in the actual process of writing, and think about only this concept, I find myself falling deeper and deeper into shades and depths of meaning that are revealed, as one thought follows another down the path toward illumination. I can’t tell you the answer I get; it wouldn’t mean anything to you. But, follow the chain of reasoning yourself, and become acquainted with a part of your own self you may never have met…..
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I can’t believe I wrote that whole thing. But, I feel better for having purged it from my head; I can use all the random access memory I can get. Time for me to turn my wits to the coming day here in Paradise…. Y’all take care out there….

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Waffles are an anomaly of nature….

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

The laughter of the gods is bitter….

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3

Ffolkes,
Yes, I can feel it…..the gods are laughing at us, and it is bitter indeed. We fight, we learn, we struggle to live well, and in the end, Time kill us all. It can be a hard row to hoe, most of the time, with short periods of intense joy. The cost is high, and the rewards are few, but choice. And in the end, we are all the same…..dinner for the worms.
I know exactly why I am sitting here with tears rolling down my face; it’s private and personal, so I won’t share it. But, once again, mortality has reared its ugly head to remind me that the time we have is ephemeral, and destined to end. The only redeeming factor I am aware of right now is the need in me to live well, with honor, and with dignity. In the end, that is all we have; if we have been loved, then it all seems worthwhile….. living without it must be the loneliest existence I can imagine….

“Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.” — Euripides, Orestes (408 BC)
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“If you can see a thing whole… it seems that it’s always beautiful. Planets, lives…But close up, a world’s all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life’s a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. You need distance, interval. The way to see how beautiful the earth is, is to see it as the moon. The way to see how beautiful a life is, is to see it from the vantage point of death.” — Ursula K. Le Guin, Dispossessed

It’s funny how when I am thinking about a certain idea or event, quotes on that subject seem to throw themselves in front of me. This one, from one of my favorite authors, from perhaps her best book, is completely apropos, and offers a good piece of advice. Often we forget to look around us to see the beauty in everything; our heads are usually spinning too fast from dealing with life today. So it is good once in a while to step back, and get a look at the bigger picture, in order to regain the proper perspective. When we forget to do this, we become rather surly creatures, always barking and snapping at people who are only trying to help. Getting back in touch with the beauty there is in living well becomes a welcome change….
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The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.
— Omar Khayyam (died c.1133) — Rubaiyat, Stanza lxxi

What I said above is still operating; I must be subconsciously directing my software to give me what I need….. that’s some deep magic! Whenever I read this gem from Omar Khayyam, I am reminded of a quote by a woman, little known to many, who was most likely the greatest woman athlete of her time, possibly of the entire 20th century; her name was Babe Didrickson Zaharias.

From Wikepedia: “Didrikson gained world fame in track and field and All-American status in basketball. She played organized baseball and softball and was an expert diver, roller-skater and bowler. She won two gold medals and one silver medal for track and field in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.”Any who…..the quote, which I must admit to paraphrasing, as I couldn’t find it online in my hasty search, goes thus: “After you have hit the ball toward the cup, there’s no bringing it back….”

And that’s the truth…..so deal with it…..
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— How many Reaganists does it take to change a light bulb?

Ten: One to deny that the bulb is burned out, one to clarify the denial (“The bulb is really just dim”), one to blame the bulb burning out on the Carter administration, one to blame the bulb burning out on Congress, one to ask for a Constitutional amendment that will prohibit bulbs from burning out, one to replace the bulb with a kerosene lamp, one to borrow money from the Japanese to pay for the kerosene, one former Reaganist to lobby his old colleagues for a special favour for the kerosene importer, one to cash the cheque for investing in the kerosene importer, one to send the bill to the next generation.

I’m in the dark as to who created this, although I know he/she was most likely British; note the spelling of ‘favor’, and ‘check’. But, regardless of its origin, it is perfect, as far as I can tell, and it saves me a lot of time having to go through the entire litany of his crimes against nature and his fellow man. In my opinion, Ronnie was a fascist war-monger, who didn’t give a rat’s ass for anyone else, especially if they weren’t white, Christian, and preferably from Orange County, or Hollywood.

His entire political career, to me, is a perfect demonstration of how the general public doesn’t want to hear the truth; they would rather hear lies that make them feel good about themselves, delivered by a charming, handsome, trustworthy ACTOR!  A bad actor, too; I’ve seen some of his movies; he, and you may quote me, well, he stunk. His acting had the emotional range of a teaspoon, and his features resemble a wooden board; hard and static. It isn’t surprising to me that his most successful film was the one where his co-star was a chimpanzee, who had way more acting chops than Ronnie did.


The saddest part is that those folks are still out there. Why, just a few years ago, here in California, they all got together and forced a recall of the governor (wholly unjustified, I might add; he got caught trying to balance the budget), electing in his place one of Ron’s admirers, another actor, known far and wide now as “The Governator”, Arnie the Austrian import. Courtesy of this brand of ignorance, the California economy is still attempting to regain its balance after 5 additional years or so of inept Republican Reaganomics. I’ll tell ya…..sometimes I despair for the human race……

“I don’t believe a tree is a tree, and if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.” — Ronald Reagan, Sacramento Bee, 9/14/66 (huh? what does that mean?)

“I’ve never killed a man, but I’ve read many obituaries with great pleasure.” — Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)  Hear, hear!
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Tyger! Tyger! burning bright          What the hammer?  What the chain?
In the forests of the night,          In what furnace was thy brain?
What immortal hand or eye             What the anvil?  What dread grasp
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?      Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

In what distant deeps or skies        When the stars threw down their spears,
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?         And water’d heaven with their tears,
On what wings dare he aspire?         Dare he laugh his work to see?
What the hand dare seize the fire?    Dare he who made the lamb make thee?

And what shoulder & what art,         Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
Could twist the sinews of they heart? In the forests of the night,
And when thy heart began to beat      What immortal hand or eye,
What dread hand & what dread feet?    Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

— William H. Blake (1757-1827), “The Tyger”

What could I possibly add to this?  It’s incredible. Three poems in one, all excellent…. enjoy!….
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“It’s OBVIOUS..  The FURS never reached ISTANBUL..  You were  an EXTRA in the REMAKE of “TOPKAPI”..  Go home to your  WIFE..  She’s making FRENCH TOAST!” — Zippy the Pinhead

Ahhh….datsa nice! Sometimes Zippy is the perfect antidote to imminent depression; just reading one of his quotes is like a wild roller coaster ride through the outskirts of insanity, but better, since you can’t fall out of the car. Like coming home to an orgy. Or driving your car with your James Dean on….. it just feels good. And what could be a better recommendation? It’s good to engage in nonsense once in a while; it makes it easier to keep track of Reality, which, if left to its own devices, becomes dark and dreary. Better to spew now and again……
___________________________________

I’m almost afraid to go back over this one; it might bite. But, it’s done for another day, so we’ll let if fly, along with the trained pigs I have in the barn…. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Curses so foul, Satan blushed….

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Ffolkes,
When I started to write this morning, something held me back. Whatever it is, it still seems to be operating, as what I had intended to write here is gone, pffft, no idea what it was. But that’s life I suppose, so here I am again, passing time on the keyboard, hitting random letters and hoping it comes out readable.

Oh, I remember….  I was going to begin today with another flight of fancy, but all I could find were flights of dreary. Nobody likes dreary, especially in the morning. But, then I remembered that, although I write this each morning, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be read in the morning, so that’s a moot point. Nonetheless, it’s still morning for me, so I’ll have to at least acknowledge such limitations, if not observe them literally. And if anyone can tell me what I’ve just said in the last few sentences, I’d be happy to know…..I’m lost, so I’m getting out of here and going on…..
___________________________________

My old dog, Noah, passed away last November, at the age of 17. He was a boon companion to my family for his entire life, minus the approximately 10 months he had lived when we found him at the shelter, and took him home. He was unfailingly polite, discrete, brave, loyal, loving, and always eager to please. He helped me learn a lot of life lessons over the years, as well as teaching my kids about how to live with honor. Just thinking about him is getting me all emotional; tears are flowing as I type. So I’ll just get on to the point(s) of this section; herein you will find…. —

Things We Can Learn from a Dog

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.
5. Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. Be loyal.
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
18. No matter how often you are criticized, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.
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Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.–Anonymous

This Anonymous guy is pretty smart; I see his quotes everywhere, and they are always right on the mark. But, curiosity aside, lets discuss politics (I know, it’s a bit early in the day, but hey, I’m up, and don’t have anything else to do…..)

I think that the state of society and politics in this country has reached a condition that might accurately be called “just desserts”. We, the voting public, have, for many years now, continued to elect people who lie to us on a consistent basis, and whose actions as governors are based not on altruism, but rather on their own personal or political agendas. And it’s not as if we didn’t know it; every day there is a new article on the web, or on TV news, that more evidence has been unearthed that proves just how far the lying has progressed.

At this moment in time, there are three Republican politicians leading the race for the party’s nomination for President at the next general election in November. One is a career politician, a serial adulterer, and a man so contemptuous of the voting public that he doesn’t even try to hide either his immoral personal acts, or the lies he tells in public. The second is an ex-state-governor who has become very wealthy by taking advantage of not only his elected positions, but the loopholes in the tax laws that already favor the rich, in order to make his wealth grow. He is so out of touch with the common man that he doesn’t see anything wrong in how he has accumulated his gelt. In addition, his public statements contradict each other on a regular basis, as he changes the tenor of his lies to suit the audience he is currently addressing. The third possible candidate is so far out on the right of the political scale that he can’t even see the center. He has tried so hard to court the votes of the far right that he makes statements that have no basis in reality. All three of them have demonstrated the attitude that, if elected, we may as well kiss the Constitution goodbye, for they intend to remake America in their own image.

It seems pretty clear that none of them have a snowball’s chance on the equator at noon of being elected to the office; there aren’t enough people that far to the right, and the candidate wanna be’s are scaring even their own party’s moderates sufficiently that a lot will abstain from voting, just so they don’t waste it on pretty bad odds. But, it doesn’t really matter much anyway, as no politician exists who really has any idea of what concerns the man in the street.

Of course, the man on the street is too busy staying alive to really have a good grasp on what would be needed to make positive changes; the system is set up that way. The saddest part of this mess is that we, the voting public, have forgotten that we have the power to make change happen, if only we would vote accordingly. But we don’t. We continue to buy into the lying bullshit the beloved ruling class spews, and trundle our way into the voting booths, just as if it mattered..

If voting actually changed anything it’d be made illegal. — Anonymous (yep, him again…)

“Life is full of surprises when you’re up th’ stream of consciousness without a paddle…” — Zippy the Pinhead
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“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.”– Oscar Wilde

You’ve gotta love Oscar….but if not, it’s okay, because I do. He lived his life exactly as he chose, and let the chips fall where they would. He was so true to his own nature that the rest of society became so resentful, they sent him to prison, for “corrupting the young”. Being of a delicate nature, his time in prison took its toll on his health, and he died relatively soon after being released, penniless, but not alone. Not alone, for he was charming, and such people attract others like light attracts a moth. I would give almost anything short of my honor to hear what he would say about today’s culture; it would, no doubt be memorable. Alas, that will never be, but it is a nice little fantasy, is it not?…..Hopefully a charming one, not tedious…
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You ‘d scarce expect one of my age
To speak in public on the stage;
And if I chance to fall below
Demosthenes or Cicero,
Don’t view me with a critic’s eye,
But pass my imperfections by.
Large streams from little fountains flow,
Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
— David Everett (1769-1813) — Lines written for a School Declamation

No comments needed here; just plain good stuff…..
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“I quite agree with you,” said the Duchess; “and the moral of that is –`Be what you would seem to be’ — or, if you’d like it put more simply –`Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'” — Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

This is wonderfully nonsensical; it reminds me a bit of a speech I heard a few years ago by some politician (I’ve forgotten the name, thankfully…). I would imagine that speech-writers for political hacks take a special course in college to learn how to talk this way; it only makes sense. Of course, the class would probably not count as credit toward graduation, since it has no basis in reality. This is what we call, “higher education”, and ensures that the status quo will be maintained…… no matter who is elected…..
___________________________________

Well, that was exhausting! Having to put this much effort into one day’s output is disconcerting, to say the least. But, I made it through to the end once more; I’ll decide later whether it was worth the effort. But, don’t let my problems get you down; you go on & have a grand day altogether…. I’ll just clean up the mess I’ve made, and go take a nap. All will be well…. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Let them eat (chocolate) cake….

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Ffolkes,
I have been informed by a reliable source that today is Valentine’s Day. Bah, humbug! Just another made up holiday to keep the shopkeepers and chocolate sellers happy. Excuse me? You mean, you didn’t know? Oh, well, okay…..During the depression, I believe, was when the beloved ruling class, tired of hearing all the complaints from the sycophants that the depression was ruining their businesses during certain months of the year (those with no holidays in them), decided, “Hey! We’ll create some holidays! It will give the unwashed masses something to focus on besides how hungry they are, and give the shopkeepers some custom selling holiday-related items, so they’ll stop complaining. Let’s start with February….”

Thus, Valentine’s Day. It worked so well, they went ahead and made some more, such as Mother’s & Father’s Days, New Year’s Day, Flag Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day; all followed in due course to lend a helping hand to business, which, after all, is what America’s all about, right? Right. So anyway, we ended up with a holiday for all those times during the year when there were no religious events that normally caused holidays to happen (Jan., Feb., Apr., June, etc.), all for the love of money. Nice, eh?


So I’m a cynic about certain things; so sue me. It’s all truth, you can look it up……besides, I’ve got bigger fish to fry, so let’s get on with it…..
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Thou wast that all to me, love,
For which my soul did pine–
A green isle in the sea, love,
A fountain and shrine,
All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers,
And all the flowers were mine.
— Edgar Allan Poe

Well, it is Valentine’s Day, so when I saw this old favorite from Edgar Allen, I couldn’t resist. Edgar’s poetry always amazed me for the feelings he is able to engender in the reader; one feels his pain when he writes of his lost love, and his joy over being in his lover’s presence. He was truly a master at manipulating words for his own ends, and provides, kind of like Emily Dickinson, a yardstick against which all other literature must be judged. Kind of dark, but not a bad subject for emulation…..
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“I worry about my child and the Internet all the time, even though she’s too young to have logged on yet. Here’s what I worry about. I worry that 10 or 15 years from now, she will come to me and say ‘Daddy, where were you when they took freedom of the press away from the Internet?'” — Mike Godwin

This is something all of us should be thinking about, now that the Bill of Rights, which ostensibly assures us of freedom of speech, among others, has been nullified by another Homeland Insecurity authorization, approved by our beloved ruling class, including the great Hope, Obama, who stealthily signed it on New Year’s Eve, when he knew nobody was watching too closely.

Effective the next day, all of our protections as citizens against being unjustly accused or held in jail without cause or review, free speech, the right to assemble to protest grievances, all of those rights are now null and void. Any American citizen can now be arrested without warrant, taken to undisclosed locations, and tortured (yes, I said tortured; if you don’t believe me go read the damn thing yourself), all because they are SUSPECTED of being in, or aiding a terrorist organization. No evidence, no proof required, merely suspicion.

In addition, the authorities who are authorized to carry out these unconstitutional actions are not required to tell anyone, and there is no judicial or any other oversight; no warrants needed for any of this, and they don’t even have to tell anyone they have done so. It’s enough to make me go out and buy a gun….and prepare to use it.

I guarantee that anyone who tries to do this to me will have bitten off more than they can chew; I’m not a pacifist, and I am a free man; I will protect my own rights, thank you, and I will do that until either they give it up, or they’re dead, or I’m dead. No compromises here, folks. I have no intention of being a victim of these assholes, and I suggest to all truly free Americans that they keep their weapons handy, and their powder dry…..

“….secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, “This you may not read, this you may not see, this you are forbidden to know,” the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control  a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrarily, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything–you can’t control a free man, the most you can do is kill him.” — Robert Heinlein, Revolt in 2100, “….If this goes on….”
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“The gods can either take away evil from the world and will not, or, being willing to do so cannot; or they neither can nor will, or lastly, they are both able and willing. If they have the will to remove evil and cannot, then they are not omnipotent. If they can, but will not, then they are not benevolent. If they are neither able nor willing, then they are neither omnipotent nor benevolent. Lastly, if they are both able and willing to annihilate evil, how does it exist?
— Epicurus  — Aphorisms, c. 300 B.C.

Here is an example of a concept being analyzed and developed to a logical conclusion that questions reality as we know it. It’s beautifully structured, and each possible path is explored. When the final conclusion is delivered, though, it indicates that somewhere in the process, there was a fallacy of assumption, and the question is made larger, instead of being answered. How does evil exist? Since Epicurus has just proven that it isn’t a subject the gods are dealing with, at least not in any comprehensible fashion, it becomes the individual’s task to supply their own interpretation, and come to their own conclusions.

For myself, this was fairly simple, as I have a slightly different view of good and evil than most folks. To me, evil is not merely extant, it is necessary; it does not argue with good, but complements it. We perceive the universe as opposites (we’ve discussed this previously in this space); we see because there is light, and there is dark to tell us which is which. The same dichotomy of perception is true for all five senses; we perceive the difference in all things, merely to be able to perceive them at all.

Evil makes good necessary, in order for the universe to balance, just as dark points out the light, and silence shows us how to hear the song. Thus we see that the universe is neither good nor evil; it is supremely indifferent, and only we make the determination as to the inherent value of any action or event, whether it is good or evil. It’s a lot of responsibility, but we’re the only one’s who care about it anyway…..
___________________________________

It is the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.
It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance.
It is the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.
— Bette Midler, The Rose

It being the day it reportedly is, I thought this might be appropriate. If you don’t know it, it is from a song titled, “The Rose”, and Bette recorded it sometime in the 1980’s, or possibly the late ’70’s. I’ve always liked it, both for the beauty of the performance, and for the lyrical truths with which it is filled. It doesn’t get much better than this, ffolkes…..if you get a chance, look it up and give it a listen; I’m pretty certain you’ll like it. And if not, well, tough…..
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I don’t mind being in touch with reality, as long as I don’t have to live there.

This appeals to me, for it parallels my own existence. I’ve mentioned previously that for me, reality is not fixed in one dimension, or even four.  It’s a pretty sad day for me when I can’t change my perceptive data into something more palatable than how it was delivered. It’s a wonderful talent, even more helpful than denial, mainly because denial can come back and kick you in the ass, whereas altering reality to suit one’s needs is an internal, invisible process, and unaffected by either natural or Murphy’s laws.

It’s easy, at least for me; I’ve been practicing a long time. It’s also useful in dealing with insults and/or aggressive acts from others; it’s very confusing to those who are being assholes when one doesn’t react in a predictable manner. I don’t think I could go very long without having to kill somebody if I didn’t have this outlet, so whether it is good or evil means little to me. The end result is all that matters, and doing it this way keeps my path clear of most idiots and the occasional random dead body that needs disposal….
___________________________________

Well, another fine day in Paradise! Having regurgitated a sufficient quantity of angst, I will now go hence, into the world, to see if there is anything worth staying awake for…. meantime, y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Improbable cavaliers under the influence of Jell-O…..

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2

Ffolkes,
Fingers itching to stroke the keyboard, I burst from under the covers and head for cyberspace, with ideas bubbling up, and a mass of new euphemisms to try out on unsuspecting readers. It’s a grand day for writing, cold and nasty looking weather outside, nice and toasty in here. Now all I have to do is keep myself from running it all together; there’s so much waiting for its turn to shine, I hardly know where to begin…. I suppose I’ll have to abide by traditional format, and begin at the beginning….. so be it…..
___________________________________

Winter Haiku

Apple blossoms cry out
desperately,
Spring can’t be so far away!

gigoid

And on the other side of the coin, we have this….. and, yes, it’s a strange world I live in….

SHIN: a part of the body useful for finding tables and chairs in the dark, and for stopping pucks.
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“When the first living thing existed, I was there waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I’ll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights, and lock the universe behind me when I leave.” — Death

Death…..a subject which has crossed my mind more in the last two years than in all my years before. For most of my life, I have had the invulnerable armor of denial working for me regarding my own demise. I figured it was something that would take care of itself in time; all I had to do was to live my life well enough that when death comes, there will be no regrets over love never shown, none over help withheld, and no regrets over duties undone. But in the last two years, as I approach ever closer to a more intimate relationship with Death, I find my denial to no longer be a viable tool; it is that or spend all my time fighting a battle that cannot be won.

I can’t say I’m particularly afraid to die; I’ve always been more curious about the unknown than afraid of it. But, with one’s final breath there is an effect on those people whose life we are a part of; there is no way to soften the blow for either of my children, any more than I could be shielded from sorrow upon the death of my own parents. All I can do is provide them with an example of how to die with dignity, and for that I have had the perfect role model myself, in my own father. It’s comforting to know that what he passed to me is something that will be passed on to my kids, and that is the knowledge that they are loved, and will live in our hearts forever…..or at least until all the lights are turned out, and Death takes a holiday…..

“Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is present we no longer exist.” — Epicurus
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“A certain person may have, as you say, a wonderful  presence: I do not know. What I do know is that he  has a perfectly delightful absence.” — Idries Shah

I think we all have a list of folks who would be on such a list; in my case it’s practically a battalion. Here are just a few names from my list of folks who are made more attractive by the mere act of leaving a room….

Rush Limbaugh
Any ex-president named Bush
A very long list of televangelists….
Lady Gaga
Madonna
Ronald Reagan, the Great Deceiver
Bill O’Reilly
Ann Coulter (what a waste of sperm!)
Anyone who claims “diva” status
Anyone named Kardashian (who could possibly care?)
and, in the interests of moving this along…our final candidate….

Geraldo!….. there are more, but I could add to the list all day….’nuff said. Too close to bad karma….
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Most people make sense, I’m not one of them.

I originally intended to be one of them, but I found there was no audience for that. Nobody wants to hear anyone else make sense; it just challenges their own misconceived preconceptions. So I have studiously engaged in a program designed to turn the most staid, straightforward statement of common sense into a more palatable form, more like lime Jell-O than filet mignon. Lime Jell-O is the world’s most versatile food, because there is no way to make it anything but what it is, i.e., silly. So, next time someone accuses you of either making too much sense, or not enough, just refer them to Lime Jell-O. It’s the least anyone can do, given the state of reality…..

I support everyone’s right to be an idiot. I may need it myself someday.

“When the dream came, I held my breath with my eyes closed. I went insane, like a smoke ring day when the wind blows…….”
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Man was born to love–
Though often he has sought
Like Icarus, to fly to high.
And far too lonely than he ought
To kiss the sun of east and west
And hold the world at his behest–
To hold the terrible power
To whom only gods are blessed–
But me I am just a man.
— Patton

I know not if this is General George Patton; I found it like this. If he is the author, he has a lot more sensitivity than he is given credit for. In my reasonably humble opinion, this is a very good poem. And like any good poem, it needs no adornment, so, enjoy!….

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So ends another episode of the adventures of gigoid amid the wonders of culture, or lack thereof. It’s been a tough row to hoe, but perseverance wins again….this one may not be up to my usual standards; it’s hard to tell with my mind in the semi-soft state that comes after creating Pearls. We will now enter the fray out in the Big Blue Room; well, maybe a nap first…. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Just the fax, ma’am……

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2

Ffolkes,
Learning to trust people can be a frustrating pastime, especially when it sometimes seems as if people don’t want to be trusted. Ah me, I sometimes forget my own name, so it’s not surprising that I would occasionally forget my own philosophy. This is actually an unwritten corollary to Peruaosophy which states: People should receive the trust they earn, but for those who are not trustworthy, nothing but the back of me hand is enough.

I do try to give folks I meet the benefit of doubt, and will trust them to a point; I find that most folks will give reason to trust them without much thought or effort, as most folks are fairly honest. But a significant number are not honest, and it doesn’t take long for their first lie to be put out there to see if anyone bites. I’ve been known to bite at times, for the lies they tell are often attractive, and have all the appearance of truth.

But, I can truthfully say that once I’ve seen through the lies, and I always do, well, lets just say that they don’t walk away whistling and counting their money. They tend to get carried away, and if they walk, they are hurrying to be elsewhere quickly. My father was a very patient man, and I’m the same; but you really don’t want to be around when our patience snaps; it isn’t pretty, and is often ugly; the Brits would call it a bloody send-up, I believe…..

“There’s none deceived but he that trusts.” — Ben Franklin

Now, if you would, just sit back and join me in a delightfully insane state of mind.
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Audrey Hepburn: This was written when asked to share her “beauty tips.” It was read at her funeral years later.

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.  For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.  For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.  For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.  For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.  People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.  Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.  As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.”

This needs no adornment, Audrey never does…..other than to add that, IMHO, she was the most beautiful actress who ever trod the boards, and this tells you why…..
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“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer

This particular observation is both insightful, and demonstrably true. This characteristic may possibly end up as the primary reason that our species reaches its evolutionary end in the next few generations. It is a trait so destructive of self that the person who is thus afflicted never even knows he is ill, that his own fears are what are keeping him from overcoming his own destructive tendencies. It is the direct antithesis of our only saving characteristic, imagination, and when held onto dearly, completely overrides and ignores any logical or rational attempts to act in a way that will benefit themselves.

No reason, no fact, no natural law can overcome this fanaticism, for its proponents close their minds to any idea that challenges their fear- and faith-based beliefs, no matter how far from reality they are. It’s a damn shame really, because a lot of nice people are being dragged into the mud along with them, and none of them deserve it….. but then, when did the Universe care whether it’s deserved or not?…..

There is no point in getting angry, but there is a stupid malignity to all this that does try one’s patience.–Anonymous

“It is not possible to convey sarcasm to certain members of the net without using a 2×4.  The smiley face merely reminds them of why their head is being dented.” — John Woods
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“The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it.  Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.” — Albert Einstein

Albert has once again put his finger directly on the pulse of American culture, and on the root cause for many of the problems we face today. A vast majority of Americans cannot tell you what the Constitution is, beyond a vague idea that it has something to do with “liberty” and “freedom”. An equally large number, who may even have read parts of it, grabs onto random phrases in the document, attaches them to a piece of religious dogma, and proceeds to try to take away everyone else’s rights because they don’t have the same imaginary friend.

Of the few of us left who have actually read the entire document, along with the Bill of Rights and the 11th – 27th Amendments, only a small percentage seem to have the guts to speak up in its defense. It may be that they don’t have the wherewithal, the inherent inner-strength that is required to hold onto what is right; instead they wast their time dealing with all the petty BS in their lives, and lamenting the state of things.

Then we come to our “beloved ruling class”; let no one say we don’t get what we deserve, for each and every politician currently sitting in Washington D.C. was fairly elected, after a pre-election orgy of lies and promises from the candidates competing, to see which party or person will have the privilege of ripping off society with complete immunity to prosecution for their crimes. These people know the Constitution well; they just choose to ignore it, or spin it to support their own agenda.

Having watched this process happen time and time again for over 60 years, I can tell you that nobody who has voted in that time has any excuse. We have elected proven liars into positions of high office repeatedly, despite the investigations and revelations of skulduggery that are constantly surfacing in the news.

I suppose it’s just another example of how, regardless of how much we would like to think it isn’t so, the laws of evolution are inexorable, and our species is destined to join a myriad of other failed organisms on the extinction list….. we ARE responsible, not only for what we do or don’t do, but also for what happens to us.

It is a subtle point of the principles of Karma, but being subtle makes it no less true. So quit complaining, and start fighting for your rights. We only have those rights we can defend, and we can no longer afford to have anyone else take the responsibility; they’re not going to fulfill it, so it remains our own duty…..

“I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.” — H. L. Mencken
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“I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope, and then they disparaged all high hopes. They lived shamelessly in temporary pleasures, and hardly had an aim beyond the day. “Spirit is also voluptuousness,” they said. Then they broke the wings of their spirit; it now creeps about, and defiles whatever it gnaws at. Once they thought of becoming heroes, but they have become sensualists. A trouble and a terror is the hero to them. By my love and hope, I implore you: do not cast away the hero in your soul. Maintain holy your highest hope. Thus spoke Zarathustra.” — Friedrich Nietzsche, _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_

I first attempted to read this book when I was in high school; I made it about 10 pages in, and put it down for a long time. It was too hard to read and think at the same time then (it does take some practice), so I put it off. I picked it up again when I was about 25, and fared much better. But it was still a difficult read, as it demands that one use all of their focus and attention in order to discern the meaning of what is written.

Though difficult, it is well worth the effort, and though it took me about two months to finish, I got a lot of useful information, as well as new ways to look at that information, and new ways to fit it all into reality. I had to read only a couple or three pages at a sitting; this could take upwards of an hour of intense thought, as it seemed as if every other line brought up some new idea, or a new way to look at old ideas, and those ideas had to be examined closely to determine their validity. But, at the end, I had a strong feeling of accomplishment, and another world-view to add to my abstruse collection…..
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Kardivilliwarrakurrakurrieapparlandoo — name of a lake in Northern Australia

I am once again amazed at how the human mind, and therefore computers, operate. I typed in the above lake’s name into Google, and hit enter. The first ten finds were all different websites, but all had listed the exact same information on the name: each of them gave the name, and followed it with, “name of a lake in Northern Australia.”  All of them. Apparently there is a lake in Northern Australia with that name, but no one has ever tried to find out more about it; what is known is considered enough, I guess.

I dunno, it seems to me that just a little more information would be welcome, even if it was merely “Don’t go there.” As it is, how is one to know if it is a piece of knowledge worth keeping in recent memory, or if it is special merely because of the length of its name? Also, the name itself is not translated, and I would tend to believe that the word, being the aboriginal word for the lake, has a quite complex meaning, as most of the words they used were practical descriptions of their world that helped them deal with its vicissitudes. Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to dig a bit deeper to find out any more….oh goody, another mystery to solve!……see, it’s easy to amuse oneself, if one just tries…..
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This is going to be a challenge to get into blog format, and probably email as well, so I’d best be getting to it…. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Penguins are never quite sober……

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2

Ffolkes,
From a purely subjective viewpoint (which, if you think about it, is all we really have) I am not a crook…..no, wait, that’s for another group. Okay, try this….from a purely subjective viewpoint, people suck major waste. They create major waste, too, but it doesn’t fit the image I’m creating. No, really, I mean, how hard can it be to be nice to each other? But, noooooo, people have to piss all over each other on a regular basis, as if they didn’t know any better.

That’s what really gets me about most of what goes on in the world at large; people do know what is right, and they just refuse to do it. They would rather lie, cheat, and steal from their fellow man, just because they think they can. It’s enough to make a strong man turn to drink, and send a weak one to the grave. There are days when I am glad I’m currently stuck here at home a lot; it keeps me from having to go out and deal with the great unwashed masses too often. Such interactions tend to be bloody, and I don’t need to get summoned to court to answer why I was beating that young man to death with his own leg…… I’d best dive in before I commit perjury or something…..
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Creation sleeps! ‘T is as the general pulse
Of life stood still, and Nature made a pause,–
An awful pause! prophetic of her end.
— Edward Young (1684-1765) — Night Thoughts, Night i, Line 23

Mr. Young seems to have been feeling a bit prophetic himself. If we consider this to have been written halfway through his life, then it was created somewhere around 1720, just the very beginning of the Industrial Age, when mankind first left the path of sustainability. The sky was still unrelieved blue, the waters were clean, and the sunsets were still the same colors they had been for a million years.

By the end of the century, London, and a few other cities of its size around the world, were beginning to see the first effects of pollution, with a rise in such diseases as TB, cancer, and respiratory complications, and the disappearance of a multitude of water-living creatures due to the poisons being dumped into the Thames.  Between the fireplace in every house, the trains, and the factories now blotting the horizon in all directions, the air in London was practically unbreathable at times, until Mother Nature took pity and sent some higher winds or rain to give them a break. One of the most lucrative of employments was that of window-washer, as it only took a day or two for a window to gather so much dirt and smoke as to be impenetrable to light or sight.

This phenomenon was not confined to London, and by the end of the next century, in 1900, the planet was starting to reel under the assault of particulate matter being pumped into the environment by the industrious little parasites crawling over its surface, still reproducing without restraint, oblivious to the harm they cause, merely by being born. The pollution not only continued, but increased by factors of 10 regularly, until, at the end of the twentieth century, we have reached a point of no-return.

The planet’s capability of dealing with what is poured into it is reaching a critical flash point; within the next century, it is a certainty that major environmental events will occur, as the planet begins to slough off the poisons we have created. The polar ice caps are melting and shrinking, at a rate which will only grow faster exponentially; as time goes on, it will increase at an ever-increasing rate, a rate that will effectively halt any more pollution by us, as we will be busy trying to survive the earthquakes, floods, famine, wars over food and clean water, unpredictable extreme weather, and other phenomena we cannot predict. These are merely the ones we KNOW will happen.

So, how do we survive? We don’t. As far as I can see, it’s too late; not enough time left for us to fix what we’ve broken.  Deal with it. Mankind has signed its own death warrant, and there is no court of appeal. We will join the dodo, the saber-tooth tiger, and T-Rex in the ranks of evolutionary dead-ends, another failed experiment.

The only way that this won’t happen, is if one of two things happens, soon, like yesterday: 1) The beloved ruling class comes to its senses, and stops trying to control everything to their own benefit, immediately begins to take steps to discontinue the destructive mind-set they have, and learns to share, or 2) The rest of us rise up and force them to do that, in spite of their stupidity and greed. I suppose those two things are actually one, but the point is that nothing else will work. There is no other way to survive. The people in charge MUST make these changes, or we are all going to die, not with a bang, but with a whimper and a cry of despair……
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“Emily Dickinson didn’t even publish books, she just wrote these demented little poems with a quill pen and hid them in her desk, but they still fought their way into the world, and lasted on and on and on. It’s damned hard to get rid of Emily Dickinson, she hangs on like a tick in a dog’s ear. And everybody who writes from then on in some sense has to measure up to this woman. In the art of book-writing the classics are still living competition, they tend to elevate the entire art-form by their persistent presence.” — Bruce Sterling

Mr. Sterling makes a valid point here. I have noted this feeling in myself, particularly after reading some Oscar Wilde, or Hemingway, or Poe, some Mark Twain, or Dorothy L. Sayers, Bob Heinlein, or Arthur C. Clark (yes, I know, very eclectic. I prefer to call it psychotic…) Just a couple days ago, I commented on this over a phrase from the pen of Mr. Wilde, of such great beauty it beckons like a lighthouse in a dark, moonless night at sea. I can only hope that my attempts at emulating the luminaries, like Emily and Oscar, elevate my art to a level approaching theirs……
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In the worlds before monkey, primal chaos reigned.   Heaven sought order, but the Phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown.  The four lands formed again and yet again, as endless eons wheeled and passed.  The wind, time and later (??) all worked upon a certain rock, old as creation, and it became magically fertile.  That first egg was called ‘thought.’  Tagahatha (??) Buddha, the Father Buddha says, ‘with our thoughts, we make the world.’  Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch.  From it came a stone monkey.  The nature of monkey was IRREPRESSIBLE!

I found this gem without attribution, so I don’t know who to thank for it; it’s delightful, if only for its sense of fun. Irrepressible indeed! Plus, in certain ways, it is as logical and plausible as the claims made by some of the other religions floating around out there, isn’t it? The logical procession it displays is almost believable, and the mixing of myth, magic, and reality shows a mastery of both logic and its antithesis, intuition.

Living as I do in California, I could say with complete confidence that there is most likely one or more alleged “churches” in Southern California whose tenets of faith resemble this paragraph quite closely. Probably one with a fast-growing congregation, all of whom drive BMW’s or VW beetles. Those who don’t ride donkeys, that is…..
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Calvin: People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don’t realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. Hobbes: Isn’t your pants’ zipper supposed to be in the front?  — Calvin (Bill Watterson, “Calvin and Hobbes”)

A fine example of how all of us are our own best source for laughter. As a matter of fact, it reminds me of several occasions in my own life in which I held this conversation in my own head, with myself playing both parts. SIGH….. gotta say, though, Calvin and Hobbes is the best cartoon to come along in a long time; sometimes it seems as if Doonesbury is the only really witty one left. Ah, for the days of Pogo, and Odds Bodkins!  Bloom County was also great, but way too short-lived. Hopefully, we will always have at least one cartoonist to help us stay sane when reading the news…..

“Creation is a mighty joke, but the laugh is at my own expense.” — Meher Baba
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“The basis of action is lack of imagination. It is the last resource of those who know not how to dream.” — Oscar Wilde

Sometimes Oscar cracks me up…..this, for example, produced a quick sardonic grin on my face, immediately followed by the thought “that sounds like something W.C. Fields might have said when he was soused”, which was most of the time, if one can believe of him what he so arduously sought to have others believe. Maybe that tenuous self-confidence, that almost shyness, made so obvious in the outer persona of each of them, by the very volume of the oddness, or uniqueness they espoused as a public figure, is what reminds me one of the other.

Both tried very hard to have others believe of them more than they thought of themselves; it seems to me that is what gave them purpose, for without it, the darker, depressive sides of their nature tended to drag them into emotional bogs. Probably why one drank so much, and one chose a more convoluted path to self-destruction, both men’s wit and imagination, and inner-terror, acting as methods of coping with a world that would never really understand them…..
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Whew….that took awhile; close to three hours this morning, and haven’t even looked at email yet; I’m falling further behind as I type, but what are ya gonna do when it flows? Go with it, obviously….. any who, let’s go see what the rest of the world is up to, shall we?….Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!