Tag Archives: Pogo

Parking parallel is de rigeur on Mondays….

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,
Fiddle di dee, fiddle di die, the cow jumped not over, but, onto the moon, bending and breaking it beyond all recognition. The cat wasn’t playing a fiddle, but did have a boom box blasting…. according to the latest reports. Little dogs do more than just laugh at such sport, they usually pee on it. And dishes, well, they’re well known to prefer dark, sharp knives over spoons anyway….

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” — Willie Wonka

Especially when it attacks first thing, before coffee, before reason…. It is smart, therefore, to just go with the flow, and let it out as needed, knowing full well the consequences of such actions. One must, however, consider the overall effect, and keeping it inside can cause much more damage than letting it out. As I am fully aware of all this, when it strikes me, I just let it right out, and use the time I didn’t spend agonizing over it to clean up whatever spillage there might be…. saves me time and energy this way, y’know?….

It also allows me to find a way back to reality from the fringes inhabited by all such nonsense; such foolishness cannot spend too much time close to the normal side of reality, lest it turn mundane, so one must go where it resides in order to pluck it up for use. I find it to be a quite relaxing time, those hours spent in pastimes reminiscent of circuses and carnivals, soaking in the happy laughter of fools, and the merry giggles of the clowns. Even the “nyuck, nyuck, nyuck” sounds coming from the Stooges corner bring no annoyance, as they blend right in with the blaring of the bicycle horns and big, red noses worn by so many in that neighborhood…..

Hmm… looks like I wandered a little further away from the mundane than I had realized; that last paragraph slipped over into nonsense again, instead of heading back toward sober reason. I do enjoy my time there, but, I tend to have trouble letting go of it; for a while upon returning, it is difficult to even consider religion or politics, without applying some Carlinesque twists, to soften its gravity.

Needless to say, it also makes it hard to rant about much of anything else, as everything is viewed through a prism of humor and silliness, and doesn’t appear half as bad as it actually is in real time. All in all, this is probably a good thing, as it keeps reality from hurting too much on a daily basis; it merely makes it hard on the political/religious reformer in me, to NOT be able to rant sufficiently….

I suppose that idea makes y’all burgeon with hope for this Pearl, but, that, too, is a foolish thing to do… As yet, this Pearl has no obvious shape or intent, so it’s next to impossible to say what will happen… The first pearl Smart Bee shows me will often set the tone for the whole day, so we’ll see how that goes… I do know that starting with nonsense always makes me happier… I may be a reformer, and a curmudgeon, but I really do enjoy life more when my bozoid side comes out early in the day…. Who knows? We might even end up with something amusing, or elevating, rather than something depressive and dark…. I suppose, though, we’ll never know if we don’t get on with it, so….. Shall we Pearl?…..

“I only wish I may see your head stroked down with a slipper.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Act v, Sc. 7, 4, (1028.)

Now, see what you’ve done!…..
__________________________________

Okay, so I get it now…. The universe sometimes gives us directions we may not clue into fully…. I see, now, why reality chose to push me toward silliness and bozosity today (Bozosity is the state of being a bozo….). What we have, following this introductory blurb, is a group of aphorisms about religion…. I guess it made more sense to put it like this today, than it did to rant about it, as I normally do… Or, maybe reality is tired of my rants… either way, y’all win today, because this is just as pointed, just as accusatory, and, in its own quiet little way, as much of an indictment as are my most telling, and compelling rants on the subject…. Enjoy!  And be careful, the point it makes is quite sharp, and WILL cut you if you are negligent of care…..

Who sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish or a sparrow fall,
Atoms or systems into ruin hurl’d,
And now a bubble burst, and now a world.

— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 87

“Religion is the opiate of the masses.” — Karl Marx

“You can’t depend on the man who made the mess to clean it up.” — Richard Milhouse Nixon (1952)

SCRIPTURES, n.  The sacred books of our holy religion, as distinguished from the false and profane writings on which all other faiths are based. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

— Bother! said Pooh, after he spoke the Lord’s name backward.

“If God is dead, who will save the Queen?” — Smart Bee

“True myth may serve for thousands of years as an inexhaustible source of intellectual speculation, religious joy, ethical inquiry, and artistic renewal.  The real mystery is not destroyed by reason.  The fake one is.  You look at it and it vanishes.  You look at the Blonde Hero–really look–and he turns into a gerbil.  But you look at Apollo, and he looks back at you.  The poet Rilke looked at a statue of Apollo about fifty years ago, and Apollo spoke to him.  ‘You must change your life,’ he said.  When the true myth rises into consciousness, that is always its message.  You must change your life.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

Whoa! Sorry, that last one slipped in there without telling me… but, it kind of fits, if you look at it with just the right squint to the eye…. I mean, if the first six quotes didn’t give you a clue about how religions are bad for you, the last one drives the point home, with the very last line….. I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE THIS STUFF….. Oh, and just in case it wasn’t clear already….

“A mind not to be changed by place or time, the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” — John Milton
__________________________________

It’s probably a literary law of some kind, but, when one is given a hint like the one above, one MUST take that hint…. Far be it from me to ignore a slap to the side of the head like this one…. Here, then, is the poem to which Ms. Le Guin refers, above…

Archaic Torso of Apollo

We cannot know his legendary head
with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso
is still suffused with brilliance from inside,
like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,

gleams in all its power. Otherwise
the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could
a smile run through the placid hips and thighs
to that dark center where procreation flared.

Otherwise this stone would seem defaced
beneath the translucent cascade of the shoulders
and would not glisten like a wild beast’s fur:

would not, from all the borders of itself,
burst like a star: for here there is no place
that does not see you. You must change your life.

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

__________________________________

“I don’t want to panic, but my alphabet soup says, “Forget about me … just try to save yourself.” — Tom Wilson (“Ziggy”)

Now you know just how I feel every morning! This is the real reason I gave up on Alpha-Bits cereal, in spite of what was published, and in spite of whatever you may have heard. I got tired of being warned every morning re: approaching Armageddon, and started eating more oatmeal, just so I didn’t have to face that every day. It’s disheartening to be reminded on a daily basis that your breakfast is significantly smarter than the majority of US citizens, at least when it comes to their government, which is completely controlled by corporate interests, as well as when it comes to society at large, about which one may confidently say the same.

We won’t even bother to mention the religious hierarchies’ connections to temporal authority, or to the shadow masters; we took our shots at them above, and wish to be fair, if not merciful. We’ll just say this on that: if you think the churches and preachers are NOT in the pockets of the corporations, well, I suggest you try to obtain for yourself a new mind, because the one you have isn’t working very well….

I mean, think about it… Who are the favorite members of any congregation, no matter what the denomination (clue: it has to do with the word “denomination”….)? Why, the men, and a few women, who contribute the most to the church roof fund, right? The ones who put the most gelt in the collection plate are the ones the church leaders pander, er, cater to, not the ones who reach out with empty hands….

“If this isn’t war, why is CNN massing on the border?” — Smart Bee

Let us also NOT get into the culpability the media holds for its part in the farce that comprises the play put on the world’s stage by society. We could point out the numerous, obvious perpetrations of cluelessness, or lament the lack of courage in modern journalists, either of which is common in the media.

How else can one explain how sheer lies are repeated endlessly, without challenge? How can one explain why certain questions aren’t asked, or certain articles suppressed, at the request, or the legal insistence of governmental authority? It isn’t explainable, unless one remembers that the media relies on government to supply the reason for its existence, and one is reluctant to bite the hand that feeds, eh what?….. Sycophancy is not limited to dweebs, and/or acolytes…

Instead, let us indict the true culprits for today’s worldly mess…. ourselves.  Pogo, by Walt Kelly, said it long ago…. “We have met the enemy, and he is us…..”  We are responsible for all that is wrong with the world, because we, the great unwashed masses, allow the governments and churches, and their puppet masters, the corporations, to determine how the world will be run…. We accept all their lies, and go on with living our lives as slaves, subject to the whims and twists of fate, because we refuse to take the reins of our own lives into our hands, and assume control….

The shadowy rich assholes who are the real power behind all the governments of the world are not going to stop their self-centered, selfish hoarding of the world’s resources, nor will they ever make a decision based on the welfare of society as a whole. They will always make their decisions in relation to what is most beneficial for themselves, and what will allow them to maintain their stranglehold on the rest of the world….

That is their primary concern, and they have guarded that concern for well over three thousand years, without ever letting the rest of humanity realize to any great degree just how much they control…. No other theory holds any water, nor fits the given facts of history, as well as this, and I regard it as gospel truth…. According to the available evidence, this is not a theory, so much as it is a fait accompli….

“In the game of life you get to choose where you keep your brain – heads you win, tails you lose.” — Smart Bee

I guess I had a rant in there after all…. We are all screwed, ffolkes, just as often and as hard as THEY want; moreover, unless we decide, as a group, to do something about it, it isn’t going to change until we are all dead and gone, leaving this planet, and the universe, to go on without our promise, or our participation…. I hate to be a downer, but, I don’t see how we can fix it, without some serious upheaval, for which I am not particularly hopeful, given the general level of “stupid” in much of humanity…. Oh well, as Epictetus said, “Happiness and freedom depend on the realization of one principle. Some things are within your control. And, some things are not.”  So be it….

“UH-OH!!  I think KEN is OVER-DUE on his R.V. PAYMENTS and HE’S having a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN too!!  Ha ha.” — Zippy the Pinhead
__________________________________

I am afraid I have to report that most, if not all, of the above was written while in an altered state of consciousness…. which should make for some interesting reading, you betcha…. Let’s just see….. Well, since it would be overly egotistical to call it brilliant, I’ll merely say, well done, and let it go at that…. For a morning so devoid of original direction, it seems to have found its way into the light fairy well, which bodes well for the rest of the day…. That is, if I were the type to be susceptible to precognitive signs….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

In the name of all that’s wholly…..

Posted on by
2

Ffolkes,
And then I woke up….. normal. Which is to say, of course, I was having a nightmare, again. It’s a recurring theme in my dreams, to wake up without my attitudes, so carefully developed over many years. It’s fairly easy to shake off, and the attitudes can be replaced easily, but, it would be nice to not have to go through the fright and subsequent panic that ensues when I discover a shred of guilt within me, or find some piece of unwanted sympathy for the devil hanging about. It’s a sure sign when I find myself agreeing with some politician about something…. doesn’t matter what it is, if I’m going along with the public’s object of affection, I know I’m in trouble, giving-a-shit-wise….

Hmm… not too bad, considering it’s a pre-coffee blurb. I actually did wake up at what is a reasonably normal time, after pushing hard to stay up past 9 PM last night (made it all the way to 9:08, too….); I’ve been waking up at 5 or 6 AM for years, so it feels relatively common to get up at shortly after five today. Slept pretty well, too, all things considered, and feel as well as I ever do, so, I guess I can say that I’ve finally gotten past the fatigue, time-warp, and overall systemic disruption due to the changing of time zones for a two week period. All I can say is, Whew! Who knew it would kick my ass like that? I thought I’d breeze through it without any problem, but, it’s been a struggle, for certain….

I’m sure glad my next two trips are scheduled to be out of the new San Francisco cruise terminal, round trip, one to Alaska later this month, one to Mexico next March. This will keep me (us) in the same time zone the whole time, on both trips, so the time zones won’t be a factor… and that’s just fine with me. It’s a sobering thought to know that, for the rest of my life, I will need to take that factor into account in my calculations and plans for any trips. At my age, it’s nothing to be sneezed at, and, to be honest, isn’t much fun. Makes me wish I was the Doctor, and had a Tardis in which to do my toodling about the Universe….

Enough rambling for one morning… Even though it’s a Sunday, I have things to accomplish today, so I’d best be getting on with today’s Pearl… They don’t just write themselves, you know…. though it may seem that way at times. In fact, part of today’s effort will be from the archives, as it’s been kind of fun looking through them; there is so much material there, I don’t remember writing half of it, so it’s like discovering a whole new set of books at the library (which is under repair right now, and unavailable, so new stuff to read is welcome indeed….). The rest will be as it comes, as usual, which means I have no idea what it will be comprised of, or what it may resemble…. probably, that’s a good thing….. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

Yesterday, I took some time, finally, to go cruising through my Reader’s Page here at WordPress, to do just a little catching up to all the blogs I’ve been unable to visit recently due to my travels, and limited time to read online. As always, I found great stuff, but one new website, referred by another blogger, Lou, at http://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/, is an incredibly lucky find  His is a very interesting blog, always with a new conspiracy theory, a new piece of knowledge about current events or scientific research, new or old diets, cool pictures, or oddities from the news around the Internet; good news, bad news, odd news, all of that, and more, can be found at Lou’s site.

The site he to which he referred us is called Humans of New York, consisting of photos of people on the streets of the city, who agreed to have their photo taken, along with a comment, or description of their reaction to the picture, or just something they wished to say. It is a very, very interesting collection of wisdom and humor, from normal ffolkes doing normal things on the streets of that most not-normal city…. great beauty, great wisdom, great laughs, a few “aww”‘s, and a lot of fun….  It’s located here:  http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

That’s all, just go, and have fun….   🙂
__________________________________

I’m in the mood for Emily…. This is appropriate for the time of year…..

A light exists in spring
   Not present on the year
At any other period.
   When March is scarcely here

A color stands abroad
   On solitary hills
That science cannot overtake,
   But human nature feels.

It waits upon the lawn;
   It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
   It almost speaks to me.

Then, as horizons step,
   Or noons report away,
Without the formula of sound,
   It passes, and we stay:

A quality of loss
   Affecting our content,
As trade had suddenly encroached
   Upon a sacrament.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

__________________________________

I’ve been looking through a bunch of old Pearls, from back in 2011, and found the following…. it’s a nice little discussion of something or other, and though I can’t quite remember why I chose it, it’s still pretty good, so, please, enjoy…..

“The world is full of burled and gnarly knobs on which you can hang a metaphysical system. If you must.” — Edward Abbey

Here then is a logical mind. My evidence? His reluctance to impose an invented set of rules on a world that resists any such restraint, is, in my mind, eminently sensible. Why do we have to make up stuff to try to explain how the universe functions? What quality does our curiosity have that compels us to seek out some kind of system to help us to deal with reality as it is?

Humans seem to want some kind of order to their existence, and for some reason, can’t seem to come to terms with things the way they are. They seem to need to apply their own set of prejudices to the world, an impulse stemming from some unknown inner compulsion that has held back the tide of human progress for just about our entire history.

My own opinion is that human nature, being what it is, noted way back in the old days, that a man with no principles can manipulate other people through their own set of behavioral rules. By balancing a friendly, smiling face with a completely sociopathic conscience, they have been able to keep most of mankind in thrall ever since we first started farming and coming together in cities to trade. And they continue today; as a matter of fact, the news of late has been full of evidence of their millenia-long hold over the rest of humanity. We (the gullible masses, identified by H. L. Mencken by the word ‘the booboisie’) have even given them a name; we now call them the 1%.

“The distinctions separating the social classes are false; in the last analysis they rest on force.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

The battle lines for Armageddon have been drawn, and the combatants have chosen their sides; the war is coming, and I wouldn’t do a thing to stop it, because freeing ourselves from the people who live for power is our only hope for survival as a species. The 1% probably believes that they will be the only survivors of a world-wide catastrophe, and odds are, they may be right. But I’ll be damned if I’ll go without putting up an epic fight, for my life, and my liberty……

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” — Walt Kelly (in POGO)
__________________________________

I note that the above is overly sober in nature, generally, and feel like I should lighten things up a bit…. So, here is a fresh, random, harlequin pearl, with only the word “furfl” (no typo) in mind to use as a parameter of choice…. Enjoy! It’s not often you get a bonus pearl like this these days…..

“And o’er the past Oblivion stretch her wing.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xxiv, Line 557

“I have ever held it as a maxim, never to do that through another, which it was possible for me to execute myself.” — Montesquieu

“The refusal to put away childish things may be a prerequisite of a genius.” — A. Einstein

“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

“Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.” — George Bernard Shaw

“How did the great rivers and seas gain dominion over the hundred lesser streams?  By being lower than they.” — Lao Tzu

“I am the shadow my words cast.” — Octavio Paz

Oops! Sorry, didn’t mean to make it scary there at the end… I have to admit, though, it certainly came out furfl, didn’t it?…..
__________________________________

I give up. I’ve lost my mind completely, and can’t really say I mind too much. I’m gonna go see how it reads now…..  Well, it reads. As that seems to be all I can say for it, or against it, we’ll let it go, and see what happens….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

27 Days will make a difference….

Posted on by
Reply

Ffolkes,
Wonderful visions often invade my mind, seemingly from outer space, as I don’t usually feel they are coming from my own creative well. They probably are mine, but are just torturing me with their beauty, knowing I am incapable of writing them…. yet. Sometimes, I begin to think I’m getting somewhere with what I’m creating here, but, mostly, I just write, and take the consequences of what I’ve written, elegant or not.

I would like to think that my style and skills have improved over the last two years, but I’m afraid that the most progress has been shown in the area of how fast I type; I’m much faster, in at least one respect, if not all of those having to do with speed and accuracy…. Bound to happen given how much I write, so that isn’t unexpected….

Certainly, nothing about this intro section is improved by my superior skills in typing; it’s still a rambling, unpredictable mess of ideas and styles, sometimes fictional, then switching to reality mode, sometimes, like today, remaining in real time…. Whatever it is, it baffles me how I do it every day without shooting myself, for getting it done, most days, seems like an ordeal of major proportions, and leaves me bloody and bowed in defeat…. That’s how it feels, anyway…. Is it worth it? I guess it must be, because I keep doing it….  go figure….

Chatty….. there’s a word. It’s a word that I hope never to have applied to me, by anyone, especially myself; if I thought I was getting anywhere in the vicinity of ‘chatty’, I would immediately run in front of a bus to eliminate the possibility of it happening more than once.

Or, gossipy, there’s another one I will not engage in, not in my world…. I hate gossip, having lived in a small town for much of my youth; I got my fill of the musings of all the Mrs. Grundy’s in the world, who have nothing better to do in their lives but watch for other people to do something of which they disapprove, so they can spread their malicious rumors to all and sundry who will listen…..

So, if I ever start sounding like either one of the above, please, just shoot me, and be done with it, for I wouldn’t want to live like that, and that’s for sure and for certain. I’m not sure I want to live this way, either, having to come up with something new and exciting every morning to put into this section, to get ffolkes to read on….

Given my now essential, vital need to write, as much as I need to breathe, though, I’ll have to live with it, at least until I can figure out the proper template to use to fulfill my requirements for this part of the Pearl…. SIGH…. Just more proof, I suppose, that my bozoid tendencies are much more powerful than my desire for true excellence…. when the nose grows, you have to let it show….

On THAT singular note, I will now proceed to the rest of today’s nonsense, and hope that it goes more smoothly than this has done…. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

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

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

Whether we speak of the political leaders of our nations, the corporate leaders of the banking crowd, or the Pope, Ayatollah, and other figures held as religious icons, they speak “with forked tongue”, in the vernacular of Tonto, our favorite TV Indian stereotype. Not only do they lie to the public almost every time the open their mouths, they know they are lying; with many of them, you can see it in their eyes, as they speak….

Some of them (perhaps even most….) are very good at concealing their cupidity from most people; it’s part of why they are successful. But, to anyone with even a hint of street smarts, or even moderate intelligence, and the patience to observe with impartiality, their lies are obvious…. Hell, it’s been said, with some reason, that you can tell a politician is lying, because his mouth is open….

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

This statement, whether he actually said it or not, explains quite accurately why he is so popular among the conservatives and ignorant fundamentalists in this country…. I would guesstimate the majority of elected officials in this country use this principle on a daily basis, as one of the standards by which they formulate their public policies, and one of their bywords when speaking in a public venue.

Nothing is accepted so readily by the uneducated listener as a quote, or a statistic, that sounds elegant, and real, and comforting, even though it is an absolute untruth, or a mistake, or even a misquotation…. None of that matters to those in power, because they know that their success hinges on their ability to lie successfully to the public….. It’s a time honored tradition in our government, one every politician knows in his bones…

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

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

I don’t think it is reasonable to ever expect those who are in power to stop what they are doing, do a complete reversal of attitude, and start using their positions to advocate for the people, instead of their corporate masters; it isn’t going to happen, as they LIKE being able to raid the public treasury at will. There is no benefit for them, in their eyes, for them to stop lying, so they won’t….

No, if we want things to change, it will have to begin in that part of society that does not answer to the moneychangers, or to the call of avarice, to wit: with you, and me…. Otherwise, we may as well just bend over, and kiss our asses goodbye, because ultimately, the way things are going, we are all headed down the universal toilet, where all of Mother Nature’s failed experiments get flushed…..

I can rant on this subject without limit, I think, as there is no lack of material to work with; the news is all over the net every day with more evidence of the lies the BRC wants us to believe. Hell, one can take almost any large newspaper, look on the front page, and find at least two examples of issues that arise out of corruption in government, or some environmental disaster that is a warning of our impending doom….

In any of these, you will find at least one government official making a statement that is just plain wrong, or false in some way, intended to spin the information to benefit the administration, or to denigrate it, depending on which side is speaking….  It’s a circus maximus, for sure, and provides us curmudgeons with all the rantable material we could wish for, gratis (well, for the price of a computer, and internet access, anyway….).

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

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

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

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

“Religion is the highest vanity.” — Friedrich Hebbel

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

~~ gigoid has spoken….

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

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

Well, there is no poem ready for today, so once again, I’ll have to dive into the past…. This works out well for me, though, as I have one poem that may go well with the above rant…. I hope so, anyway….. As every day this month, this is for the April National Poetry Writing Month Challenge, with the updates to be found here:  http://www.napowrimo.net/ (I still don’t know if I’m doing this right, but, oh well….)

Geezer to Congress, with Love
Politicos don’t care much ’bout seniors and their ilk,
except for their money, I thinks;
Though they talk as if they’d cozen them in silk,
what they actually do, it stinks.
“The banks are failing, we can’t allow that!”,
steal from the aged, that’s their plan.
“Their life’s ending, that’s plainly where they’re at,”
lie shamelessly, because they can.Maybe just once, if we all act together,
it couldn’t miss.
Right on their shoes, no matter the weather,
take careful aim, and piss.

Why the hell not?
It’s worth a shot!

~~ gigoid

__________________________________

Having ranted today once, I’ll not subject y’all to another…. though there’s more in there to rant about, for sure…. I just don’t want to make y’all think I’m insensitive, or have become overly personal, or judgmental (read: boring….). So, we’ll fall back into default position, and put together a fresh pearl, with some kind of point, yet to be determined by my subconscious mind…. I just let that happen as it happens, as you know…. If you get the point today, be aware it’s worth extra points, and this one WILL be on the Quiz…..

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

— e.  e.  cummings.

“The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination — but the combination is locked up in the safe.” — Peter DeVries

“One day with life and heart is more than time enough to find a world.” — James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) — Columbus

I see my life go drifting like a river
From change to change; I have been many things –
A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light
Upon a sword, a fir tree on a hill,
An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,
A king sitting upon a chair of gold –
And all these things were wonderful and great;
But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.
Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow
Lay hidden in that small slate-coloured thing!

— William Butler Yeats, “Fergus and the Druid”

” Never eat anything bigger than your head.” — Kliban’s First Law of Dining

“I may not understand what you say, but I’ll defend to your death my right to deny it.” — Albert Alligator, in Pogo, 26 September 1951

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” — Bhagavad-Gita (and Robert Oppenheimer)

Well, there you go…. If that isn’t obvious, I’m doing something wrong…. it’s not your fault, so don’t hurt your brain trying to figure it out. My insurance company refuses to cover self-inflicted mis-comprehension…. I do have some nice tea, though, if that will help…..
__________________________________

Hmm…. I’m a bit suspicious. This went a little too smoothly for me to be comfortable…. Murphy has been known to do this right before I save my work, then gift me with a power surge that eliminates all three hours worth of typing…. Gotta get me an autosave function for this program, for sure…. Well, let’s see how it came out, and get on with it…..

Well, not too bad, all in all, and well worth a yippee for being done…. It may not win any Pulitzers, but who cares? Social Security would just take the prize money out of my benefit checks, probably forever…. can’t have that; I worked too hard to get them awarded, broken as I am, so it’s just as well….  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Which is Why….

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

dozer3

Byzantine tapestries sang the chorus….

Posted on by
2

Ffolkes,
A soft breeze was flowing off the water, bringing scents of faraway places to the veranda of the little house, sitting neatly at the edge of the sandy beach. Behind the house, tall palms and elaborately green foliage spread up the side of the mountain, which sloped down to the beach on both sides of the house. Ominous looking clouds hovered around the peak, seeming to warn of hidden dangers beneath their cottony billows, lurking in wait for unwary climbers. When the evening sun began to set, quickly, as it does at these latitudes, into the western ocean, a young woman stepped off the veranda, and began walking toward the water. She strode straight forward, into the waves, until she began to swim, outward, away from the shore, toward the open sea……

I think we’ll leave our protagonist right there, with all the possible scenarios that would fit the paragraph still in the nascent stage of which I am so fond….  Sorry, I know it annoys some ffolkes when I do that, but, some days, it’s all I can do to come up with a way to grab your attention for what follows. The subject matter around here, versatile as it is, can be somewhat dry; political science and/or religious monologues don’t draw attention quite so quickly as say, sex…. which I have so far been able to avoid using as a hook for this blog. I’m not sure why I made the decision, as it was made unconsciously, but I haven’t ever really tried my hand at writing about sex, other than as a peripheral factor in other discussions…

Actually, I find, as I get older, I am becoming, not so much more puritanical, though that is certainly part of the outcome, but shall we say, less urgently concerned with prurient matters than previously in my life. Oh, that isn’t to say that I’m not interested in sex any more; far from it. My participation in any such behavior is only limited by a distinct lack of willing partners, not by inclination.

This state of affairs (or, rather, lack of affairs….), while, I’m sure, temporary, is nonetheless somewhat disheartening, as you may imagine…. I’ve never been very good at celibacy, even though, having been married for a long time, I’m well acquainted with dealing with that unhappy state….. SIGH…. Not that I’m particularly invested with any real belief in astrology, but, I’ve always fit the description of a Scorpio to a T, in that regard, so my appetite for sex has always been strong….

If one REALLY believed the astrologers, then I would be considered to be a very sexually oriented person, as I am what is called a triple Scorpio, with my Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs all in Scorpio at the precise moment I was born, along with, I believe, three, or perhaps, four of the other planets…. I forget exactly…. A friend who was “into” astrology once cast my horoscope, but, I didn’t pay much attention beyond what I’ve relayed to you here….

Ah well, it’s all moot right now anyway; I don’t have an available partner, and if, or when one appears, there remains the obstacle of my pain, and the medication I take for it, which tends to both decrease the urge, and make difficult the process, because of the narcotic nature of the medication. I can perform just fine, but it requires a lot of focus, concentration, and effort, not easy at my age, but, well worth it…. I just don’t get the opportunity often right now. (A euphemism for “not at all, at all….. SIGH…..) There is one good thing to say about age and our attitudes about sex in general…. it isn’t any longer connected to the sense of urgency as when I was younger, so it is less painful when it isn’t happening regularly…. Thanks be for small favors, eh?….

Okay, I’ve now rambled and babbled about enough to call it an intro… it’s certainly long enough, though I’m not sure what any of it has to do with literature, or any of the stuff I usually write about. Ah, well, such is life here at ECR…. I never know exactly where I’m headed, so I am not burdened with too much angst ahead of time, worrying about how it will come out. Since I’ve now probably lost you completely, we’d best get on with the rest of today’s effort….. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

“We lie about the truth, that’s what ruins us here. And do you know why we lie about the truth? Not because we like to, but because we are scared to death of it. If we looked the truth in the eye nine out of ten of us would run to the graveyard and demand to be buried at once.” — Babbaluche the cobbler

Can you feel it? There it is, lurking just beyond the limit of perception… it’s a group of pulsating platitudes…. A bundle of asinine assumptions…. A plethora of petulant postulates…. A mixed bag of pointed metaphors and moral indictments…. Yes, it’s once more time for our morning politirant, that wonderful time when we bring to bear all of our sarcasm, sardonicism, cynicism, and tendency toward blather, aiming it exuberantly at that perfect group of targets, the Beloved Ruling Class, a term I borrowed, but only because it is so perfectly accurate, with just the right amount of sneering disdain….

Today’s pearl is one that barely needs explanation, or discussion, but, what kind of blog would this be if I let one like this go by without at least taking a shot or two at my favorite bunch of idiots? Not a very honest one, that’s for sure…. If the nose grows, you must let it show, and, due to the habitual bozoid behavior of the political beasts in this country, that nose is on the news every night…. attached to one political pundit’s face or another…

Honestly, I don’t make them say any of the stuff they do, nor do I need to make any of it up; I don’t have to do anything, and they provide me with ridiculous statements and outrageous lies for discussion with every other breath…. I only wish I got paid for every time they tell me/us a lie; I’d be able to afford to buy my own political office within a week or so…… Of course, if I wanted to be in a political office, I’d have to live up to the promise I made myself many years ago, and immediately commit suicide… It would be the only way to save my honor…..

Though I understand the process involved, I’ve never been able to fully understand the “why” questions that arise out of the natural progression of the political circus…. Questions like, why do we still elect people who lie to us? Why do we overlook the lies they tell us? Why are people so idiotic as to do this over and over and over again, for the past two hundred plus years in this country, and all over the world for centuries before that.

As far as I can see from history, especially considering the lies that are inherently part of the religious writings, lying for profit has been the chief sport of society since approximately 5000 BC…. If you don’t believe me, read it yourself…. it’s all there in writing, for all to see, provided they have the wit, and the inclination to accept, or even recognize, truth when they read it…..

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

It’s been said, by people wiser than me, that comedy, and humor, as expressed in comics, by comedians on stage and TV (in this century), and in the literature of the time, are all excellent indicators of the attitudes that are common to society, and show the true feelings of the people who are considered “the common man”. This cartoon strip, Pogo, by Walt Kelly was published in newspapers for 26 years, until his death in 1973; his wife continued publishing, using other artists, until at least 1983. In my opinion, after his death, it never reached the degree of genius Walt himself showed, though it faithfully carried on his tradition of gentle, yet telling, criticism of society, and of government in particular.

Note, if you will, in the above caption, the implied distrust of political candidates in general, which implies a lot about officials already elected, and “serving” in office. Mr. Kelly, and his work, were probably considered “suspiciously anti-American” by Joe McCarthy and his Band of Bigots, who were so prominent in the early 50’s. Since he continued to publish long after that group came into disrepute, I imagine his popularity, and genius, were sufficient protection to deflect any trouble from that quarter. Since I’m lazy, and this is already getting pretty wordy, I won’t go googling to find out exactly what occurred, but, I’d lay good money on my version being relatively accurate….

The strip did post one particular episode after Walt Kelly’s death, for Earth Day in 1983, that has become a classic iconic poster for that movement’s organization, and the last line, uttered by Pogo himself, still appears at times to support their cause at events…. on posters, of course…. Here is the strip made into a poster…. from Wikipedia….220px-Pogo_-_Earth_Day_1971_poster    I guess that answers my questions from above, doesn’t it? We now know why we let them lie…. because we are all as guilty of acting out of ignorance and self-interest as are our leaders….. If we are to be honest, at least with ourselves, we must accept responsibility for allowing the mess to build up in the first place…. The next question seems to suggest itself, I think….

What are we going to do about it?……
__________________________________

“No harm can come to a good man in life or death.” — Socrates

Yesterday, I was in a sentimental mood, which arose naturally from having the opportunity to meet with my brothers, and one of my nephews, now an adult, for a late lunch. All three of us Moore brothers had not been together in person for about 10 years, so there was a certain poignancy attached that had nothing to do with my older brother’s impending battle with cancer, though that certainly added to the emotional content. In short, it was an emotion filled afternoon, and great fun to be able to sharpen my wits against a familiar pair of stones, with their equally facile wits scraping along against my rocky nature…..

My brothers, of course, are as strange as am I, with similar, if not always congruent, senses of humor; essentially, it would be fair to say we’re a trio of fairly odd ducks, especially when taken together…. Since my older brother is now 66, I am 62, and our baby brother is 58 this year, it gives us a combined total experience level of 186 years….. not bad….. but, a bit difficult to contain in one small restaurant booth without some randomness leaking out…    It was entertaining to have my nephew there, as he hadn’t observed all of us together since he was quite young; he’s now 23, I think… and grown into a fine young man, unsurprisingly…. Any who, it was a wonderful two or three hours; my younger brother came to pick me up, so we were able to have an extended conversation, which was as enjoyable, and as widely-ranging, as ever….

There is no meaning attached to the choice of this poem today….  I picked it because I’m still feeling sentimental, and it is just a very soothing piece, one to encourage mellow contemplation, and quiet enjoyment of memories…. so, please feel free to do so…..   🙂

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~~ Robert Frost
__________________________________

Well, it seems that the Pearls are starting to assume a somewhat new consistency of structure and organization, as a simple result of having a sore hip and ass…. I need to spend less time in this chair, and more time walking to strengthen my legs and back muscles, to help support the hip, which has been sore, I believe, due to advancing arthritis that is slightly inflamed.

Any who, I’m not whining about that, I just wanted to explain why this third section has been so often an old-school pearl of late…. which reason being, the old-school pearls take less time to construct than do rants, or discussions of some other idea of note. That’s it…. also, I think one rant a day is enough to ask any of you to have to sit through, and think about…. I’ll start losing ffolkes due to fatigue before they can get to the closing….

So, here is another harlequin pearl, randomly picked to suit whatever was going through my tiny little mind at the time…. enjoy!…..

“A lady came up to me on the street and pointed to my suede jacket. “You know a cow was murdered for that jacket?” she sneered.  I replied in a psychotic tone, “I didn’t know there were any witnesses. Now I’ll have to kill you too.” — Jake Johansen
(I swear I will remember this from now on when I’m in my leathers….)

“A Renaissance man diffuses to refine himself.” — Steve Hug
(Brilliant!….)

“I’ve seen many politicians paralyzed in the legs as myself, but I’ve seen more of them who were paralyzed in the head.” — George Wallace
(I actually remember reading this the day after he said it in some speech he made, when I was in college….)

“You’ve buttered your bread–now sleep in it.” — Gracie Allen
(I LOVE Gracie!….. She was a comic genius, and much deeper than she ever allowed herself to appear in public….)

“Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available.” — Jim Beggs
🙂   🙂  🙂   🙂  🙂   🙂  🙂   🙂  🙂   🙂  🙂   🙂

“To get anywhere, or even to live a long time, a man has to guess, and guess right, over and over again, without enough data for a logical answer.” — Lazarus Long, in Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein
(Obvious to many, but unknown to even more…)

“Hopelessly lost, but making good time…” — Letterman

I gotta say, that last one is me, all over…..   🙂
__________________________________

At the risk of sounding complacent, I like this Pearl. Hence, if I am to be completely honest, I would also have to say that I am completely indifferent as to whether or not anyone else enjoys it, but, alas, I’m human, and subject to the weaknesses we all share, including the tendency to lie to ourselves…. So, in short, I hope other ffolkes, and folks, enjoy it as well. I put some good effort into it, considering the limitations faced by being forced up & out of bed at 5 AM to get started by hip ache, and enforced breaks every few minutes for the same reason. It’s all good now, as this Pearl is now officially done… So be it…. gigoid has spoken, and will now shut the hell up…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

dozer3

Such beauty lives without shame….

Posted on by
4

Ffolkes,
I love rice. I do. It is so versatile as a food…. it can be eaten as a side dish, complementing an entree item. Add some sauce and veggies, meat, and cheese to it, and you have a lovely risotto. Dress it with a vinaigrette and some garden specialties, and you’ve got a cold salad for an afternoon lawn event. If you enjoy the nutty flavor of a good rice, it can be eaten as is, too….. And, I am sick to death of it…. I know now why so many folks in the throes of poverty use it so much, along with beans, and pasta…..

A little of it goes a long way to stretch other foods, it’s cheap, compared to many other staples, and it takes longer for the family to get tired of it, as long as one is creative in the kitchen…. But, I swear, when I can afford more food, rice will go to the bottom of the list, merely because I am so incensed at having to eat it every day to stay alive, and not giving in to the temptation to steal…. It is surprising, perhaps, to realize how quickly one’s ethics and morals can be put aside when one is hungry and angry….. bad combination, I can attest….

Ah well, life could be worse, I’m sure…. It could be that I couldn’t afford the rice, and had to subsist on beans… Now, THAT would be tragic,  not to mention the danger to the public…. I mean, I already have a pretty heavy reaction, methane gas-wise, when I consume beans… even refried beans can cause some serious toots. If I am forced to eat more beans, I’m not sure the walls of this apartment will stand up to the volume under pressure that is engendered in my bowels by vegetable protein…. and the effect of both the noise and the odoriferous output on my neighbors is bound to be considerable, given that I would have very little control over when such outbreaks would occur….. It could turn into a Keystone Kops type event in a flash…..

So, I try to stick to pasta and rice for my staple starches. It’s best for everyone if I do…. Hmmm…. I just realized, in reading back over this morning’s introductory remarks, that I may have strayed into the TMI category….. not everyone thinks body functions are funny…. Nurses do, for sure, and healthcare workers of any kind can develop such a basic appreciation for the less public aspects of our physical processes….. The rest of society, however, seems to have an objection to body fluids, and the humor they can provide….

I noticed this difference once when I had surgery, to remove a piece of evil from my midsection…. After abdominal surgery of any kind, the first thing the doctor and nurses want to see happen is for the intestines to resume function; this is indicated by the build-up, and passage of gas. Thus, it becomes a point of interest, and even enthusiasm, when the nurse is first informed of any such activity by a surgical patient… in other words, nurses are the only group people who get happy and enthused to learn that people are farting…. Kinda get ya, right here, doesn’t it?….. (points at his heart….)

Okay, that’s enough fart humor for one day, such as it is…. It doesn’t affect me negatively at all, having been privy to its charm for many years from my nursing experiences, but I know that it can affect others detrimentally. I’ve been informed of such by many folks, just before they storm out of a room in high dudgeon, miffed because the conversation turned to phlegm, or other such delightful substances that the human body is wont to produce at times. Silly humans…..

I have a feeling I had best get on with the normal business of the day, before there isn’t anyone left to read it….. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

“Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication and courage.  But if we don’t practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us — and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along.” — Carl Sagan, “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Parade, February 1, 1987

Unfortunately, Baloney Detectors became out of style….. No one listened to Carl, and we are STILL recovering from exactly what he pointed out could happen. As soon as Clinton left office, after leaving the first budget surplus ever, Bush 1 took over and proceeded to give Reaganomics another try; the first time they hadn’t stolen quite as much as the figures showed they could, so they had to go back for all that money. Along the way, they jacked the budget deficit back up a couple trillion dollars, and turned it over to Shrub 2, who decided  to spend us completely into oblivion, starting two wars, all because he was covering for the crap his father pulled to keep his theft of the 2000 election out of public scrutiny….. Whew, sorry, didn’t realize there was so much indignation to pack into one paragraph summarizing the Republican meltdowns of the American economy…. which they continue to try to blame on anybody but themselves and the Bushes, much less Saint Ronnie….. the asshole….

Don’t forget, I knew Ronnie before he got to the Presidency…. he was governor when I went to college….  I was one of the ones he was talking about when he made the remarks regarding turning student protests into blood baths…. Mind you, these were PEACE protests, against the war in Vietnam….. I was there when he and his oh-so-sweet wife Nancy made their undisguised play for their chain of facilities to garner a monopoly on the mental healthcare market, by changing the laws to turn mental patients out of the state hospitals, back to their counties, where the facilities owned by the Reagan demons were the only available places to put them…. In case you wondered, they were called Heavenly Manor I believe, and the state-registered owner of record was Nancy Reagan…. even though her husband started, supported, and signed bills to try to make it happen…. No nepotism there at all, eh?….

I never trusted Reagan, ever since he got out-acted by that ape in that movie back in the 40’s where he was the world’s most unconvincing college student (well, his ditziness in the role seemed to be an accurate display of character, but you know what I mean…. he just wasn’t very real, and looked like he was made of cardboard….) His actions as governor were clearly anti-American, and yet people for some reason loved him. It didn’t surprise me at all when it came out that his administration was one of the crookedest ever, and hid more from the public than even the rest of government was comfortable with….

None of this mentions how disastrous his economic policies were; you remember, don’t you?  Ronnie was fond of the term, “trickle down” theory, a policy he espoused in which, according to Ronnie’s strange math,  giving huge breaks to the richest would result in more money “trickling down” to the rest of society…. Well, guess what folks? It didn’t work, nor could it ever have worked, because there is no “trickle down” where it concerns money, and those who covet it…. they will hold on to every little bit they can, and cry for more if threatened….

I realize the view I am presenting is far different than what you might see in history books of the time, or even what some conservatives who idolize Reagan will want to remember, but none of what I’ve said is based on anything that I didn’t see happening myself; it’s all documented stuff, on the nightly news in somebody’s archives. What goes in the books is what all the folks in power decided to say happened, not what actually occurred.

If most folks knew, or even thought about, what actually happened for most of history, they would think they’d been lied to their entire lives…. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!   They HAVE!   It cracks me up, a little bit, when I’m done being sad, just how little truth is EVER told by those in positions of power over others in society. Lying and cheating are pre-requisite habits, and sheer  necessities, in getting into the positions they hold, and they aren’t about to stop once installed in office with the treasury keys in their pockets.

So, go ahead and believe, if you will, that the beloved ruling class, epitomized so darkly and accurately by the Republican Party in the last 40 years, is on your side, and is working hard to make your lives better…. They will go on stripping you of every freedom the founding fathers gave us, along with all your money, and your hope for a brighter future, because they DON’T CARE! Not about you, or anything that you believe; they care about themselves, and how much power they can accumulate in their lifetime.  They don’t even THINK about what it may cost anyone else…. they don’t consider anyone else’s benefit or interests, at all, ever….. And that is the truth, whether you can accept it or not…..

“Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing.” — Walt Kelly, Potluck Pogo
__________________________________

In my poems, I am trying to get to a point where everything extraneous is stripped away, leaving only the most powerful words to portray my meaning…. I’m getting a bit better, but I’ve a way to go yet, to my way of looking at it, which, as we know, is all that matters, since I’m the one writing it…. I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good at it as I’d like…. but, the following poem, from Ogden Nash, certainly demonstrates the concept that I’m trying to get to…. If I can ever come even close to the sheer genius of this poem, I will be happy….

This was my dream;
I dreampt it.
I dreamed that my hair was kempt,
and my true love unkempt it.

— Ogden Nash

See? Sheer genius! With four tiny lines, he connected to the most lovely and compelling dream shared by ALL men…. completely amazing, and to my way of looking at things, the kind of power that literature should always have…. not that it will…. But, if everyone who writes shoots for at least the same kind of inspiration, and won’t settle for crap, at least we could conceivably see more poetry like this…. and that would be a good thing, yes?….. Yes….
__________________________________

Another old-school pearl, with some observations on Life, the Folks who inhabit the planet, and the stuff they find to keep busy…..

“Among the rich you will never find a really generous man even by accident. They may give their money away, but they will never give themselves away; they are egotistic, secretive, dry as old bones. To be smart enough to get all that money you must be dull enough to want it.” — G. K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men

“Never mind what I said,” the Lord spake.  “Doth thou listen to every crazy idea that comes thy way?”
And Abraham grew ashamed.  “Er — not really… no.”
“I jokingly suggest thou sacrifice Isaac and thou immediately runs out to do it.”
And Abraham fell to his knees, “See, I never know when you are kidding.”
And the Lord thundered, “No sense of humor.  I can’t believe it.”
— Without Feathers — Woody Allen
(This is probably a far more accurate portrayal of what took place than what we find in either the Bible, or the Qur’an, both of which talk extensively  about Abraham, and his relations with God, or Allah, take your pick…. It seems more true to human nature, somehow…..and, if God exists, I would like to think he has a sense of humor. If not, we are in deep shit…..)

“Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth – to see it like it is, and tell it like it is -to find the truth, to speak the truth, and live the truth.” — Richard Nixon, accepting the Presidential Nomination, 1968
(I laughed aloud when he said this, but later, I cried….. in looking at it now, in retrospect, this actually rivals the crap that Romney has been spouting….. and I can see how he, and others, got the idea they can get away with this kind of shit…..)

“Liberty cannot be guaranteed by law. Nor by any thing else except the resolution of free citizens to defend their liberties.” — Edward Abbey
(This had to go here, just to counter balance the severe level of BS that Tricky Dicky raised in one sentence…..)

Extremes in nature equal ends produce;
In man they join to some mysterious use.
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 205

“Americans like to talk about (or be told about) Democracy but, when put to the test, usually find it to be an ‘inconvenience.’   We have opted instead for an authoritarian system *disguised* as a Democracy.  We pay through the nose for an enormous joke-of-a-government, let it push us around, and then wonder how all those assholes got in there.” — Frank Zappa

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

Well, that should be enough…. It’s a rather meandering concept, but it gets there eventually….. and if not, well, it’s always a good time trying to figure out just what dark alleyway of the human psyche I have wandered into, or out of, as the case may be…. Here, we have a combination plate…. enjoy! Oh, and it WILL be on the Quiz….
__________________________________

I’d say this isn’t too bad, but then, I have inside knowledge of what it took to produce it….. which included a pain level rather larger than normal, by a factor of about two (i.e., double the morning dose….) I hate grunting when I stand up and walk; I feel like an ape. One with an irritable disposition, to be sure…. Growling just becomes a natural response when all one wants to do is to be able to straighten up without going into spasms…. and the thought of human interaction is just plain scary. I will have to avoid all contact with folks while on my trip to the library to post today…. I don’t think I want to deal with blood today, mine or anyone else’s….

Ah well, life goes on, and we must take it as it plays out….. My apologies in advance today, for not being able to spend any time perusing other blogs…. it will be all I can do to get this up and posted, so it will have to wait for another day…. Probably for the best anyway, my concentration is shot…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

—

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Unless the Hottentot objects, we’ll have the nachos….

Posted on by
2

Ffolkes,
FATAL LOGIC ERROR – Engage Brain and (R)etry  Click….ah, there we go. Okay, back online. Sorry, got caught in an early morning endless loop, and almost couldn’t find the kill switch. But all is well now. Well, all is as well as its gonna get, what with global warming, overpopulation, growing famine and drought, conservative reactionism, and this year’s version of the swine flu. At least the ozone layer is okay….oh, wait, that’s almost gone too. Hmmm, okay, so maybe things aren’t all that great right now. But, at least you still have your health, yes?…..
___________________________________

“Winston Churchill, the present would-be British Fuhrer, is a person with a range of ideas limited to the adventures and opportunities of British political life.  He has never given evidence of thinking extensively, or of any scientific or literary capacity…  His ideology, picked up in the garrison life of India, on the reefs of South Africa, the maternal home and the conversation of wealthy Conservative households, is a pitiful jumble of incoherent nonsense.  A boy scout is better equipped.  He has served his purpose and it is high time he retired upon his laurels before we forget the debt we owe him…” — H. G. Wells, Tribune article, December 15, 1944

History is written by the winners….and Winnie had way more than his 15 minutes in the spotlight at center stage….. which is perhaps why it seems to mean more when such a damning criticism comes from such an unimpeachable source. H.G. Wells can certainly be considered one of the most erudite and realistic of modern philosophers; certainly his imagination of the possibilities inherent in new technology certifies him as more than merely intelligent, even somewhat spookily prophetic.

As time goes on, our society continues to advance very tidily along the same pathway into the future that Mr. Wells envisioned when gripped in the powerful and creative fist of his inspiration. His condemnation of Churchill’s curmudgeonly manners and persona are perhaps justified in the main; however, how can one not appreciate the attitude needed to carry on this famous conversation by the PM at his finest: “Mr. Prime Minister!” said the outraged Duchess of Whatever, “you are a drunken boor!” “Churchill merely responded with, “Certainly, madame, but tomorrow morning I won’t be drunk, and you will still be ugly.”…. If it’s a true anecdote, (I haven’t personally tried to verify its provenance…), it’s well worth an occasional re-telling, if only to remind us of proper protocol when consorting with those who wear sable and ermine to dinner…..
___________________________________

“I may not understand what you say, but I’ll defend to your death my right to deny it.” — Albert Alligator, in Pogo, 26 September 1951

It’s an election year, and the circus has started early. Six of the eight supposed candidates for the Republican nominee who will be offered up as a sacrifice at the altar of Obama next November have already talked themselves out of the contest (such as it is…), and now we are sentenced to at least six or eight more months of only three brands of ignorance, any one of which would be a disaster in the making as President.

If any one of the three currently leading candidates should, through some form of dark magic, happen to be elected, I’d wager serious money that we would be on the brink of World War III within a matter of weeks….it’s pretty scary. Especially when one of the front runners admits to being committed to passing a law that would make it illegal to operate the government of this country using any standards but those of the conservative right.

Yes, folks, the fanatical right-wing dingbats are coming out of the closet, and we had best remember that they too are heavily armed citizens. Only our own right to bear arms has kept them under control this long; if we aren’t careful, we’ll be living under strictly religious precepts, whether we like it or not…..

“Here’s to the New Boss, same as the Old Boss…and I get on my knees and pray we don’t get fooled again.” — Pete Townshend
___________________________________

If on my theme I rightly think,
There are five reasons why men drink,–
Good wine, a friend, because I ‘m dry,
Or lest I should be by and by,
Or any other reason why.
— John Sirmond (c. 1589-1649) — Causae Bibendi

Beautifully stated! This is the type of poetry one wants on hand when some busybody asks why one is taking a drink, any time they consider it inappropriate. There’s just something about seeing a man having a drink that arouses the outrage of women (mostly of Mrs. Grundy’s ilk), preachers, reformers, and Second Lieutenants, every time. It’s getting so a man can’t sit down to a bottle of beer without some blathering idiot telling him he’s gonna get fat, or trying to make him feel like a heel for not spending that money on some charity of their choosing.

Don’t stop me now, I’m on a roll….. no, not really. I just think it’s weird that so many people feel like everyone should live by their rules, and are not shy about telling everyone they meet that they are the best judge of what (they think) should be considered acceptable behavior. Nine times out of nine, you’ll find that these moralists (a more polite way of saying bigoted, hypocritical assholes)  are guilty of every act they ascribe to others, or, if not, sure wish deep down that they could be…..
___________________________________

But you shall not escape my iambics.

Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty blithely commune with sinking stars, as pale shadows of former virtue hover near, ever clean, ever tolerant. These unbidden habits are worn with age and care, ready now for dissolution, welcoming gladly the kiss of death’s handmaiden. Unknown to all, the child stands aside, and weeps for the lost days of youth, days that now shall never be, nor yearned for ever after. Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape, cold, hard, and eternal.

Such then are the signs and portents as we enter into the unknown future, and they are grave indeed. Uncertainty will be our sole companion, as the search for hope yields no result. The lamentations of the gods shall sound the elegy for Man, who never learned to see the gift that was made, so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past; thus will we pass this plane of existence as we came, baffled and afraid…..

Well, sorry….this was supposed to be a poem, but it just ran away with me there for a few minutes. I’ll have to come back later and look at it with fresh eyes….. Okay, so it’s not bad, as a not-poem goes. I’ve certainly created worse…..I’ll just have to put it out there, and let it fly or not, as it chooses… (I do tend to anthropomorphize fairly often; its a gift…..)
___________________________________

Teach me to feel another’s woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
— The Universal Prayer, Stanza 10

Perfect poem! The Golden Rule never smelled sweeter, and could rightly be called a rose in this guise, but by no other name would it smell as sweet. Who knows what I really mean by that? I certainly don’t; it sounds good, though, eh? I’ll settle for that…
___________________________________

Having thus discharged another morning’s duty (remember, duty is a choice!), I shall now release your attention from my control, and send you on your way into the day, hopefully infused with good karma and positive attitude, our best weapons against the minions of evil that cross our paths each day. Y’all take care out there…..

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

gigoid –The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Who ordered the asparagus with hollandaise?….

Posted on by
4

Ffolkes,
Lazy doats and mersey boats moved silently past the statue, but I saw them. They were dark, and evil, and up to no good. So, in the burgeoning night, I sent them all back to hell with gusto……

Whoops….sorry, wrong crowd….some days, the key is to just jump in without even checking the water temperature; it’s the shock that gets the old heart moving, albeit reluctantly. It’s not as effective as a good cup of coffee, but it serves the purpose adequately. Can’t always have everything just the way we like it, can we? Learning to live with that idea is one of the keys to reducing one’s overall stress level, and it’s probably good karma to not bite anyone before breakfast…..
___________________________________

  Some random thoughts I picked up here and there, on everyone’s favorite controversy…… the images were found on Facebook, so I’m not sure of the original attribution…… but both are pretty mainstream, and most likely intended for the public domain….

“As a man can drink water from any side of a full tank, so the skilled theologian can wrest from any scripture that which will serve his purpose.” — Bhagavad Gita

“What is it the Bible teaches us? – rapine, cruelty, and murder. What is it the Testament teaches us? – to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married, and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.” — Thomas Paine — The Age of Reason

Relaxed Agnostic–I don’t know any answers–I’m not looking very hard, either.

“It [the Bible] is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910) — Letters from the Earth (1905-1909)

   Oops! I think I just heresied on several important religions. Oh well, Clint will protect me, never fear…..My take on the above? The library, or  a forest, or a lake; all are good places to spend a pleasant Sunday.

“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.” — Bob Dylan
___________________________________

“Say not unto thyself, “Behold, truth breedeth hatred, and I will avoid it; dissimulation raiseth friends, and I will follow it.” Are not the enemies made by truth, better than the friends obtained by flattery?” — Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375)

   Note the date the statement was made; 1375 B.C. That is three thousand, three hundred and eighty-six years ago (3386). I find it to be an encouraging note when I contemplate the subject matter, for if mankind was thinking about such subjects as honor, truth, and dignity so long ago, then there is hope that we can find a way today to make it reality.

Of course, that is the optimist in me speaking; the pessimist would note that it is a very long time to have passed without having come up with some kind of reasonable answer to such a basic question. And I don’t think all the funny words he used were enough to confuse the issue; I think it has more to do with our tendency toward laziness when it comes to hard work…..
___________________________________

“I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.” — Pogo, character in “Pogo,” comic strip by Walt Kelly

The curmudgeon in me just adores this! I’ve been using it for many a year as a means avoiding superfluous arguments or power struggles with people who have difficulty whistling and walking at the same time. As a matter of fact, on more than one occasion I have said this to some ignoramus trying to pick a fight, and had them blinking at me in confusion, then walking away muttering to themselves. In all this time, however, I never knew where it originated.

It pleases me no end to know that Pogo was the first to put it into play. Now I can use it without any feelings of guilt for misappropriating someone else’s intellectual property; I’m sure Walt Kelly intended it to be used, as he put it out there for the entire country to see….. plus, as we all know, Pogo was written with the intent of providing folks with ammunition in the age-old war against stupidity…… and this one is definitely a .457 Magnum hollow point with a maximum powder load, for use in close quarters……
___________________________________

You beat your pate, and fancy wit will come;
Knock as you please, there ‘s nobody at home.
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Epigram

Consider this an accurate picture of gigoid attempting to write poetry……
___________________________________

“I admire men of character, and I judge character not by how men deal with  their superiors, but mostly how they deal with their subordinates, and that, to me, is where you find out what the character of a man is.” — General Norman Schwarzkopf

A picture is worth a thousand words…..Q.E.D……
___________________________________

Hack, thppt, bbbolloks! That went well, eh? Sometimes it just moves along better than what is the usual case. I imagine that’s a good thing, though now I’m uncertain what to do with the rest of the day……oh, well, I’ll figure out something. Meantime, y’all take care out there…..,

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

Kowabunga!


Bright polyester swatches never disappoint…..

Posted on by
6

Ffolkes,
Okay, then. Another day is dawning (almost; it’s 5 AM), and I’m once again up and ready to type. If only my brain were as ready to spew! Mostly, what is floating to the top of the pool indicates that some stagnation has set in, and it might be a good time to clean out the filters. Not to worry though; I can do that on the fly……
___________________________________

“I’m not intending to imply insult or judgment here but I am curious to know in order to be able to respond to your posts in an appropriate manner, so please forgive what appears to be, but in fact is not intended as, an insulting question: Are you stupid?” — Melinda Shore

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

I know, I know, it’s hardly cricket, but they are the ones who wanted to go out there and have everyone microscopically examine their every twitch, and every word. I figure it’s their lookout, not mine. I’m just a guy trying to have fun…..and to survive with my sanity intact, in this mad, sad world they have created…..
___________________________________

Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days!
None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise.
— Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867)
— On the Death of Joseph Rodman Drake

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

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

“Mr. Coolidge is the best Democrat we ever had in the White House. He didn’t do nothin’, but that’s what we wanted done.” — Will Rogers

I have changed my mind. There is such a thing as the ‘good old days’, and here is proof…..Would that today’s society could claim the same!…But I’m 61 now, and I can truthfully say that the only President in my lifetime that deserves any respect at all is Jimmy Carter. And that is for the same reason as that stated above so elegantly by Mr. Rogers….. Of course, Jimmy also had to contend with a Congress with a Republican majority, so anything he tried to accomplish, as a Democratic President, was challenged at every turn, and so, very little work actually got done. But, as Will said another time, “The people never suffer so much as when Congress is full of ideas!” And that’s the truth…..thpppppt! Hak! Brrt. Sorry, hairball….
___________________________________

“The Book says BURN and DESTROY repent and redeem and revenge and deploy and rumble thee forth to the land of the unbelieving scum ’cause they don’t go for what’s in the Book and that makes ’em BAD.” — Frank Zappa

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

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

But, if one looks at the evolution of music in the last 30-40 years, his insight into the future can be clearly seen. Hip Hop and Rap are both developments of stylistic touches in Zappa’s earliest works, though very few will admit to that. But, if you want to know what the future may bring in the way of musical evolution, go back and listen to some of Zappa’s material from the 1960’s, and you’ll get a pretty clear picture……and check out his thoughts on modern society, too. It’s pretty amazing stuff…..
___________________________________

“Don’t take life too serious. It ain’t no ways permanent.” — Pogo, by Walt Kelly

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

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

This characteristic is what makes cartooning a palatable alternative to poetry for the masses of people who either don’t have the educational background to appreciate poetry, or just learn differently than those who gather their knowledge from books. Some folks learn better outside a classroom; that’s been obvious for a long time. And those are the folks who most appreciate cartoons as their preferred method of political observation. Long live Pogo! And all of his ilk…..
___________________________________

So, I’ve been told that my criticism of the little poem I wrote two days ago was too harsh. At least one of my faithful readers informs me that it was well received in that quarter. As this is the case, I must then withdraw my remarks, as I respect my readership a lot, and if someone liked it, then it was better than I thought. I guess this means that I get to be part of the 4% with an asterisk; that’s good enough for me; better than being part of the crap. I suppose at times I can be critical (No! Really?….hadn’t noticed..), and I am aware that I apply that faculty to myself much more stringently than to others. I have very high standards when it comes to my own work; I guess I can afford to show a bit more lenience in regards to myself. SIGH….

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

 

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

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Look, Nancy, it’s a pregnant Paradox!

Posted on by
2

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


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

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

“A witty saying proves nothing.” — Voltaire

“I always have a quotation for everything– it saves original thinking.” — Dorothy Sayers
___________________________________

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

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

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

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

— unknown genius poet/hacker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___________________________________

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

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

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

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

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!

Hey! This cue ball isn’t round!…

Posted on by
2

Ffolkes,
Hello…..I’m trying to find myself.  Has anyone seen me lately? So frustrating; I just set myself down yesterday, and when I got up, I wasn’t there anymore. I hate when this happens. It just throws a monkey wrench into my works, and I have to spend an unknown period of wasted time looking for myself in all the places I hide.  This time, I think I must have come up with a new place, because I’m not in any of the old places. Oh well, for today, we’ll just have to go on without me. You go ahead, I’ll catch up…..
___________________________________

Women, cats, and golf; man was not meant to understand these things.

If this isn’t true, it should be. I can attest in all three areas that trying to understand any of them is fruitless. Golf, for me, isn’t a terribly big issue; I didn’t take it up until I was almost 40, so I don’t feel bad that knowledge of its deep magic may never be mine. Cats, in my opinion, are also unpredictable in their interactions. Cats were worshiped as gods in ancient Egypt, and they have never forgotten; it shows in their disdain for any mere human rules. And women! Boy, like any man my age, I could spend days recounting how many ways women have shown me that anything I think I know about them is ridiculously, pathetically useless in figuring out how to deal with them. No matter how well one knows a woman, they can change at the drop of a name, and exhibit characteristics we’ve never seen before, anywhere or when. It is a wise man indeed who keeps this knowledge in the forefront of awareness in his dealing with women; it’s the only chance we have of emerging from the contact unscathed. But, you know what? For all three of them, I wouldn’t have it any other way…..because it just makes them more attractive as a goal to know that bringing out the best in each will be challenging. And challenges, met with courage and wit, make us stronger, and feel more alive…..
___________________________________

“Yesterday I saw a chicken crossing the road.  I asked it why.  It told me it  was none of my business.” — Steven Wright

Steven Wright’s may be the strangest mind ever produced by humans. I love the way his vision distorts the reality that the rest of us normally perceive, twisting it into some of the oddest configurations anyone has ever seen, and each is more hilarious than the last. When I used the old format for Pearls, at least once a year, I’d collect several of his jokes to present in a group, just because it was a great way to break rhythm, and it was always one of the best received productions of the year.

His genius lies, I think, in the way he can make ordinary life appear to be 180 degrees from where it actually is, and still make us see it as normal. The contrast between what he sees as normal, and our own, is what produces the laughter, just as if you had walked into a door and were forced to laugh at yourself. I’m just glad that he is alive now, and giving the world his unique take; it’s good to know that since he’s near my age, I’ll have had his humor to help me get through for almost my entire life. That’s a good thing; one can never have too many sources to help us laugh, even if, and especially if, it is at ourselves…..
___________________________________

“He who learns but does not think, is lost!  He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” — Confucius

“He who does neither is eligible to join the crowd as a Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2012.” — gigoid

Although there are moments, when I’m reading some new report on the latest verbal bomb from the Republican gallery of fools, that I despair for the race, I have to admit it’s really handy for us writers. Every day, sometimes several times, we are presented with a huge bounty of material by these folks, who seem to not only have the habit of shooting themselves in the foot, but seem to enjoy it, and, at best, are using it as a campaign tactic to draw attention. There isn’t even any need to go deep to look for stuff the politicos would rather you didn’t know, because they have taken it upon themselves to offer that information in their own statements, made obvious by their loquaciousness on certain subjects, and their reluctance to speak on others. It’s almost as if they are printing up pictures of themselves with arrows pointing to their most vulnerable points.

I really don’t understand how so many obviously unqualified and downright idiotic people ever got the notion that they could possibly do this. The only thing I can come up with is that they are completely out of touch with any sort of objective information, and have determined that their own subjective judgments are sufficient reason to qualify them for the Presidency. In other words, they are delusional, as that word is defined as “continuing to hold as truth information that has been proven false.” Now, do we really want anyone who suffers from delusional thinking to be the one holding the button that launches the nuclear holocaust? I don’ know about you, but I would give that question a resounding “NO!”…..and not feel a whit of guilt…..
___________________________________

“The world is full of burled and gnarly knobs on which you can hang a metaphysical system. If you must.” — Edward Abbey

Here then is a logical mind. My evidence? His reluctance to impose an invented set of rules on a world that resists any such restraint is, in my mind, eminently sensible. Why do we have to make up stuff to try to explain how the universe functions? What quality does our curiosity have that compels us to seek out some kind of system to help us to deal with reality that simply exists, as it is, no ups, no extras needed? Humans seem to want some kind of order to their existence, and for some reason, can’t seem to come to terms with things the way they are. They seem to need to apply their own set of prejudices to the world, an impulse stemming from some unknown inner compulsion that has held back the tide of human progress for just about our entire history.

My own opinion is that human nature, being what it is, noted way back in the old days, that a man with no principles can manipulate other people through their own set of behavioral rules. By balancing a friendly, smiling face with a completely sociopathic conscience, they have been able to keep most of mankind in thrall ever since we first started farming and coming together in cities to trade. And they continue today to blithely steal and rob from us without compunction, and without consequence.  As a matter of fact the news of late has been full of evidence of their millennial-long hold over the rest of humanity. We (the gullible masses, as identified in 1935 by H. L. Mencken, who coined the word ‘the booboisie’) have even given them a name; we now call them the 1%.

“The distinctions separating the social classes are false; in the last analysis they rest on force.” — Albert Einstein

The battle lines for Armageddon have been drawn, and the combatants have chosen their sides; the war is coming, and I wouldn’t do a thing to stop it, because freeing ourselves from the people who live for power is our only hope for survival as a species. The 1% probably believes that they will be the only survivors of a world-wide catastrophe, and odds are, they may be right. But I’ll be damned if I’ll go without putting up an epic fight, for my life, and my liberty……

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” — Walt Kelly (in POGO)
___________________________________

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea,
Yet never in extremity
It asked a crumb of me.
— Emily Dickinson

We’ve all heard the question, in some form or another, “if you could talk to anyone in history for an hour, to whom would you ask to speak?”. Well, I’d want to talk to Emily……maybe it makes me strange (which is okay, and not entirely untrue), but I’d really like to be able to spend some time absorbing her world-view. According to reports she was rather reclusive, so it might be a struggle to get her to agree, but she is still the one I’d ask for. Having always wished I could be a better poet, I hold close to my heart the hope (as described so eloquently above) that by sharing space and thoughts with her for a time, perhaps some piece of her talent would transfer to my soul. SIGH…..one can always hope…..
___________________________________

Today’s effort was just that…an effort. But, I’m glad to say I was up to the challenge, at least in a manner of speaking. Which when you think of it, about all I have to offer is my manner of speaking. Thus, having given of all I have, I shall bid thee adieu……y’all take care out there……

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

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!