Just another well-planned wardrobe malfunction….

Posted on December 30, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Having survived the nightly battle with my pillows, I awoke pretty early today, with no real story or discussion in mind, but lots of eagerness to begin writing. Now, I’m wondering why I bothered, as I’m sitting here staring at the blank screen, without a single word coming to mind. It seemed to take forever just to formulate that first sentence….. which is kind of surprising, actually. As I lay in bed this morning, just before getting up, several story beginnings were vying for attention in my head; now, they’re acting like virgins at a biker bar, bashful and reticent, and refusing to come out of the ladies room…..

Of course, none of the story lines would be allowed in a ladies room, even in a biker bar, so the analogy isn’t really accurate, but you get the picture. I don’t like to think that this reluctance to be written has anything to do with Murphy; as yet he hasn’t shown that kind of influence INSIDE my head, just in the outer world. But, it could be my own foolishness fussing with me, copying Murphy’s techniques; that is a scary thought, itself, and I sincerely hope it isn’t the case. I don’t think so, but, what with all the quotes from Zippy running around in there, one never knows for sure….. and, when under the influence of his darker side, Pooh can be pretty tricky, in a nasty sort of way…..

At this point, there isn’t any way to check which is the correct supposition, so we’ll use our normal method of dealing with odd stuff around here, and just ignore it until it either goes away, or fixes itself. It seems to work for me….. even if I have to clean the walls more often than most ffolkes do….. I’m just happy that modern cleaning solutions are effective at removing blood stains from almost any surface; otherwise, the landlord would NOT be a happy camper….. and neither would I be….

Okay, that’s probably enough. Since I was unable to come up with a literary opening, having to settle instead for more inane babbling on my part, the normal course of events around here would lead us into the primary sections of the Pearl in question, via the dive into Smart Bee’s massive database of wisdom and humor. And so it shall be today…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“History is a lie commonly agreed upon.” — Nietzsche

I often wonder how the future will view these times, it being a given that the fabric of our society is based primarily on lies and/or delusions.* Which ones will stand the test of time, and end up in the books as being the one everyone agrees upon? It has also been said that history is always written by the winners, and that seems to me to be fairly close to the real truth of the matter. It would be a bit more acceptable to me if it weren’t so bloody predictable, and that there was at least a small chance that the events we experience would be reported truthfully. Alas, I am not hopeful that will ever be the case…..

* (Note the use of the technique of the positively stated assertion, using the assumption of its truth as proven, the same as exemplified in ALL religious doctrines as the basis for their truth and relativity…. Just thought I’d make it clear, that this is real, serious stuff…. 🙂 ….)

In all honesty, I’m not convinced that we, as a species, will have much of a future. Given the current state of the environment, I can’t see us lasting more than a couple hundred years more, without some major changes to society, changes that are not imminent, or even under consideration. When I first started this blog, over a year ago, I posted a link, to a World Clock at Poodwaddle.com ( I love the human imagination!…..). You can find that clock here: http://www.poodwaddlecom/clocks/worldclock/ This clock has a number of faces, one of which shows exactly how much CO and CO2, along with unnatural amounts of other toxic substances, are being pumped into the atmosphere every second, by industrial and manufacturing facilities, and by cars and other vehicles.

I am a scientist, first. I chose the path of the scientist in my youth, before my tenth birthday, before the warrior’s path I chose later. In essence, scientists ARE warriors, and vice versa, as battling the universe requires study to be effective, and acquiring knowledge requires the curiosity and courage of a warrior, in order to find, and face, Truth. Each path, or persona, complements the other, and, in my time, have led me on a journey of great beauty and wonder. This journey, though, is in danger of being ended before its time, by the asininity of the human race….

There are some scientists who believe that humans do not have the power to harm the planet, and the danger is not as great as others, and the evidence, might indicate. In one respect, they are right…. I don’t think the planet itself is in danger from what we are doing, though I’m sure it is suffering pain from the symptoms we’ve managed to saddle it with in our time. No, our activities, such as polluting the air and water, wasting resources, and killing the other creatures we live with indiscriminately, only endanger us, and the other life forms on the planet. Once we are gone, the planet will easily clean itself of the trash we deposited everywhere, and move on to the next evolutionary step in the parade of Time.

“Where man walks the earth hurts.” — Smart Bee

Many years ago, I used to believe in the ingenuity of scientists, to overcome the technological difficulties we’ve created, and find a way to keep us alive, perhaps by colonizing space, and leaving Earth behind. But, the figures don’t lie, and the figures say we don’t have the time to fool around waiting for space travel to solve the problems we have. By the time we could achieve any kind of significant progress there, we would be forced to live in domes, and wear protective gear to go outside them, to walk on the surface of our own world. That is if there are enough remaining resources to build the domes, and to power them sufficiently to survive.

The other possible solution is for the ruling classes of our species to come to their senses, to reverse their moral compasses, and start acting in the best interests of everyone, instead of just themselves. The whole problem with pollution we have today exists solely because the ruling classes, the people who control all the resources, don’t have any moral compass, or, choose to deliberately ignore its demands. They choose to deliberately structure society in their own favor, so that they have the power and control over what occurs, while the rest of us try to survive on what they don’t want. It is the same picture that history has drawn for all the millenia since we came out of the caves to live in cities, and the 1% of mankind who is in control is not interested in helping anyone else, unless and until they have secured their own….

Even the lies we agree upon in history show this to be true, so I don’t think there is a huge chance that we will see any changes before it is too late for it to matter. I just don’t see those in the beloved ruling class all of a sudden reversing the entire course of the history they’ve chosen to allow to happen; it is not in their nature to be altruistic to even a small degree. We are either going to have to rise up and throw them out on their asses, or suffer an ignominious death, when the air we can no longer breathe begins to choke us as we walk down the street toward our destiny….. which at this point, leads only to a coffin…..

“I can’t decide which WRONG TURN to make first!! I wonder if BOB GUCCIONE has these problems!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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Absence

I have scarcely left you
When you go in me, crystalline,
Or trembling,
Or uneasy, wounded by me
Or overwhelmed with love, as
when your eyes
Close upon the gift of life
That without cease I give you.

My love,
We have found each other
Thirsty and we have
Drunk up all the water and the
Blood,
We found each other
Hungry
And we bit each other
As fire bites,
Leaving wounds in us.

But wait for me,
Keep for me your sweetness.
I will give you too
A rose.

Pablo Neruda
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So, there I was, cruising through Smart Bee, and the following quotes popped up, not in this order, but, enough so that the picture they make together is relatively clear. It is merely a reiteration of a theme common to this blog, and needs no significant explanation in order for almost anyone to enjoy…. If the meaning isn’t clear, well, that’s okay, too…. Each of the quotes is good, simple stuff (hmm…. that word, again….), the stuff of which real, not virtual, wisdom is made. And, the crown of potential achievement offered by the overall view of reality that these show is virtually unlimited….

Whew! That’s quite a lot to ask of a few simple aphorisms, but, it’s just the kind of guy I am, I guess…. I just want everyone to be happy, that’s all…. (actually, Aristotle said, approximately, “He who tries to be friends with all, is friend to none.”) Well, maybe that’s a bit presumptuous…. but, I do want everyone to use what they have between their ears, and I’m not talking about their fabulous hair…. In any case, I think this makes a good pearl, so good, it WILL be on the Quiz, should we ever have one…..

“The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented Hell.” — Bertrand Russell

“Being good at being stupid doesn’t count.” — Smart Bee

“Such is the human race. Often it does seem such a pity that Noah and his party didn’t miss the boat.” — Mark Twain

“I give up, what is the meaning of life?” — Smart Bee

“For several years more I maintained public relations with the Almighty. But privately, I ceased to associate with him.” — Jean-Paul Sartre

“I have partaken of the Great Banquet of Life. What I need now is the Great Alka-Seltzer of Life.” — Smart Bee

See? As I said, numerous times before, it’s all in the wrist….. and, timing is everything. TTFN….. (ta ta for now…)
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SIGH…. another attack of whimsy there at the end, but, all in all, not too bad, I think. Actually, after going back over it to edit and proof, it’s better than not bad, by a few notches, at least. Once again, it has reached that point of doneness that qualifies it for publication, and I’m glad. It was pretty hard work, in spots…. At any rate, as I said, it’s done, so, I’m off to a spot to publish….

The library is out, so coffee shop is in; the email Pearl Drops should be happy, they’ll get their morning nonsense right in their inbox….. I know, I’m making an unwarranted assumption that seeing my Pearls makes them happy, but, hey, what else do you think keeps this going but my ego? Or, at least, the assumption of an ego…. Whatever…. I’ve now lost all credibility, I’m sure, so I may as well take your leave, before I do any further damage….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

Simple, yet complex patterns of mist…..

Posted on December 28, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Herein lies the last reference to the rigmarole that plagued this site last week, causing me to miss two posts, and creating massive confusion regarding the shape of reality. I have assumed control once more, and there should be no more problems of that nature again. (Until, and unless, Murphy decides to take a hand….. which means it is a matter of when, not whether….)

You may be interested to note that I was able to accomplish my task without loss of life, or reputation, on anyone’s part, which may be a new record. This Pearl, to be posted on 12/28/12, is actually to be written on that date, mostly, and from this point on, the Pearls will be correctly aligned according to real time once more. It’s been a struggle, but it’s done, and I am glad…. I hope y’all suffered no inconveniences during the restructuring process, and no lapses of dignity took place in your absence…..

I only say that because dignity is often in short supply around here…. when we can find any at all. That’s okay, though, because I pretty much gave up on dignity when I hit 62; it’s too much effort, for no tangible reward. I know, that’s awfully American of me, but I’ll have you know that I too can be lazy and ignorant, if I so choose. In the case of dignity, I’ll take the cash, thank you….. Nobody wears dignity anymore, anyway; you won’t find it anywhere in the public arena, or pinned to suits, or worn by statesmen, because there aren’t any. The politicos are all busy trying to out-macho each other, with the public in the middle of the battleground, taking all the hits…. and they’re not worried about their dignity, when they have to worry about whether or not they can eat…..

Perhaps the intro section isn’t the best place for these political mini-rants…. I should expand and develop them into full fledged rants, and I believe from now on I shall do so. Since the election, little has gone on in the political arena, beyond the tax vote that has everyone up in arms, so I’ve not taken the time to put into politics, but, enough is brewing that it needs to be brought out into the light, so people can have the opportunity to throw stuff at it…..

So, look for a few political rants in the coming days of the new year, as I find stuff to discuss; I doubt it will take long to find something sneaky and underhanded that is going on in Washington, since those words tend to define the nature of most of Congress, and everyone in the White House….. Well, Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog belonging to the Obamas probably isn’t TOO sneaky….. But…. he IS a dog, so…. it’s in his nature to bury a bone or two, in a hidden spot….

For today, I am happy to return to fresh material, that I search for, and find, this morning, then write my reaction to what I find. Too much keeps building up in my head when I get too much written ahead of time; it’s uncomfortable and confusing. Maybe now, that poem that has been lurking in the back of my head will be able to find its way out soon. Maybe today, maybe later……. don’t know, don’t care, because I don’t put ANY type of pressure on my poetry, such as a deadline; I’m too afraid it will stop happening altogether. Ah well, c’est la vie…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom… and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.” “You butt into other people’s business. All the time.” “Who said I was wise? I’m a professional bad example. You can learn a lot by watching me.” — Jubal Harshaw, in Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

I would guesstimate that more than 90% of everything I believe about life and the world has its roots in this book by Robert Heinlein, based on the comments of Jubal Harshaw, one of the book’s main characters. Jubal managed to have something to say about just about everything in human culture, and had his own distinct opinion on all of it. Of course, these reflected Heinlein’s own beliefs, but we weren’t supposed to think about that at the time, and had no real effect on anything other than Bob and his friends. The rest of us just appreciated his ironic sense of humor, and the common sense he displayed in such an entertaining fashion.

Medicine, psychology, memory, society, culture, custom, religion and theosophy, politics and political theory, philosophy, military history and structure, strategy, tactics, literature, writing, circuses, carnivals, astronomy, space travel, telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, weaponry, and a host of other subjects…… Every one of these subjects is part of the story Heinlein weaves, as he creates a figure who embraces the entirety of human culture and history, and attempts to change mankind in a way that can help us to overcome those parts of our nature that are giving us problems, and eventually will lead to our demise as a species. This book, Heinlein’s magnus opus, is his attempt to show humanity the way to save ourselves from our own stupidity and ignorance…..

Sadly, Heinlein is aware also that our fatal flaw is just that…. fatal. His protagonist, Michael Valentine Smith, who offers humanity the salvation of personal revelation, and of personal responsibility, is, in the end, killed by a mob of unbelievers, becoming the same sort of religious martyr as Jesus Christ, with, as Heinlein so aptly shows, the same probable chances of success, i.e., none…. Nothing of what Jesus taught humanity has been incorporated into society; anyone who says it has is delusional. Humanity not only has NOT adopted the philosophy of that great Jewish reformist, but has utterly rejected it, and belittled it, by perverting its precepts, twisting them to suit their own agenda, and acting in ways that are diametrically opposite to what Jesus was teaching.

I defy anyone to provide evidence that what I just said is not true, and invite them to present it here, so it can be discussed. The teachings of Jesus Christ have been corrupted by preachers and priests, politicians, corporate masters, and every other human who desires power over others. The rules of flexibility and love for fellow men that he taught have been turned into obedience to authority, and submission to temporal rulers, as those who wish to control society twist the words, and mangle the concepts that were intended to help in another way.

“Jesus only told half the story. The truth *will* set you free. But, first it’s going to piss you off.” — Solomon Short

I don’t know about y’all, but I think, even if it does piss me off, I’ll take the truth…..
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The poem I feel percolating in my head apparently isn’t ready, so you’ll have to settle for one of the classics today….. I say ‘settle’ though I know there is no ‘settle’ necessary, or indicated….. Whatever…. enjoy!

Bright Star

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art–
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors–
No–yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever–or else swoon to death.

John Keats
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“I was making donuts and now I’m on a bus!” — Zippy the Pinhead

In most cases, I find that Zippy’s pronouncements fit for the closing comment in many pearls; it is rare that I use one as the springboard for discussion. In this case, I’m making an exception…..

Everything that comes out of Zippy’s mouth is, of course, a metaphor for some part of reality; his brain exists on a separate plane from that which is occupied by the rest of us. From that viewpoint, the above makes perfect sense, and describes a typical realization that comes to us on those occasions when we are in the process of changing….. something. Anything…. The question for us to try to answer is, “Did you remember to bring the donuts on the bus?”…..

Yes, of course I know I’m spewing nonsense….. but, like with Zippy, much of the time, it is nonsense for the ages, for it hides some pretty powerful truth. Zippy tells us here, in his inimitable way, that we are all subject to change, and can only cope with those made by the universe around us by learning to accept what happens without becoming unhinged. When one finds oneself on a bus, one must either forget the donuts, or bag ’em up and bring them along….. As Epictetus said so well, “Freedom and happiness begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control. And some things are not.”

What Epictetus forgot to include is the admonition to learn which things are within our control, and which are not. I find it helpful in this case to remember the three most basic rules of magic, to wit: “1) and 3) are the same: Do what is necessary, and no more; the key to successful magic, then, is lesson number 2), Learn what is necessary” Simple, logical, powerful, these rules are valuable not only for practicing magic, but for normal life, as well. Not all of us have Zippy’s naturally insane outlook, so dealing with an insane world can be, in a word, stressful, and rules such as these are very handy in coping with whatever is thrown at us by life…..

“Here is the world, sound as a nut, perfect, not the smallest piece of chaos left, never a stitch nor an end, not a mark of haste, or botching, or second thought; but the theory of the world is a thing of shreds and patches.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1845)
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Well, it’s a bit clunky, and hard to steer, but it seems stable in the water, and it floats, which is the primary requirement, so it will have to do, as I can’t delay getting this out any longer. Still a week or so to go until I can get internet service here at home. Fortunately, I was gifted at Christmas by one of my treasured friends; I’m flush enough today to go to the coffee shop, so those of y’all on the email list will finally get a Pearl in the mail. In terms of having good people as friends, I am indeed a rich man…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Some crumbled eggshells will help clarify it….

Posted on December 27, 2012 by gigoid

Portions of today’s Pearl were written beginning on 12/24/12, with contributions made each day thereafter. Hence the somewhat confused style of address, in terms of the relative time, and the time of writing….. I know, the explanation is just as confusing as the act….. but, it is required by law, so what are ya gonna do?….. Buena suerte, as they say in Mexico…..

Ffolkes,
Okay, I am thoroughly confused, but, hey, nothing new there…. I am writing now in complete limbo, in terms of knowing precisely where in the universe I am, relative to time and, consequently, space. I see that the date is correct…. it IS the 25th of December today, and I have two Pearls almost finished, ready to post as soon as they have a poem inserted into the second section, and I complete the third section of the second Pearl. While the rest of the world is busy with the commercial crap of which today is the culmination, I’ll be here, busily ignoring the whole thing, as I have no means to participate in the commercial frenzy at all. And, since I spend a great deal of time dissecting the Christian religion for its inherent inconsistencies, and aspects of covert manipulation for self-interest, it would probably be a bit hypocritical, anyway, for me to get too involved in it.

I do enjoy the positive emotional spirit that seems to come with the season, but the whole idea is pretty sick, given its origin. Are they celebrating the birth of Jesus (which was actually sometime in the spring, from what historical records can tell us….), or the gruesome death to which he was put (which took place in March, or thereabouts….)?

Either way, I don’t see how it all translates into a commercial frenzy over the giving of gifts, other than as an obvious ploy to garner more money from an unsuspecting public, to line the pockets of the clergy and bankers. In that sense, I KNOW why all the bankers are smiling this time of year….. and it isn’t because they’re filled with the spirit of Christmas, or the urge to give…..

Christmas has, by the efforts of the bankers, with the complete cooperation of the clergy, become a societal frenzy of marketing and consumerism at its worst; the sheer ugliness of the whole idea makes the urge to say “Bah, humbug!” completely understandable. To take the work and honorable acts of a true reformer and twist it to suit the agenda of the business class is just that…. UGLY!

Not only is it ugly due to the efforts of the clergy and bankers to turn it into a carnival rather than a holy ceremony, but, the general populace falls right into the act, buying and spending much more than they can afford, just to keep up appearances, never once considering how hypocritical it is, or how far from the teachings of Christ it wanders to spend money in his name…..

Ah well, such is the perversity of mankind…. All I can do is avoid the whole scenario as much as possible, and just get through the day without getting depressed at all the futility….. That task, not getting depressed, is currently Job One around here, as the state department of Social Services continues to drag out my disability claim just as far as it can, and I’m getting very tired of living in poverty, watching as the assholes in the government take serious shots at my retirement system.

I cannot accurately tell you how angry I am at Obama, and any other of the politicians who are trying to make cuts to Social Security…. I’ve been pumping money into that system for almost fifty years, and now that I need it, they’re trying to take it away…. If there was ever a reason to get angry, this is it, and they had best watch their step, or I may loosen my hold on my self-control, and allow my darker side to determine what I’ll do…. Whatever that action might entail, it is guaranteed to be unpalatable to anyone who is involved in the attacks on MY retirement…..

Well, having mini-ranted to a sufficient degree, I think I’d best move on to another section. I’m a bit discombobulated, as I’ve already indicated, so the actual writing process today is sort of hit and miss. But, a dive into the database should clear things up, and if nothing else, will give me a chance to clear my head, after having filled it with angst against the machine….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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The following piece has been around for a long time, and garnered a lot of different opinions regarding its content, and overall validity as an important set of ideas. Some say it is too soft and sentimental, accusing the author of looking at life through rose colored glasses, as it were. And, in one sense they are correct. Being a no-longer in the closet romantic, I choose to believe there is nothing wrong in that, or to think that such sentimentality has no place in a discussion of reality. The world is hard enough, without our feeling the need to make that characteristic immutable by adding our own hardness; a bit of sentimentality is welcome, if it doesn’t include refusing to accept the demanding nature of real life…..

I first came across the Desiderata when I was in college, and, having never seen it before, was suitably impressed. I’ve been re-introduced to it many times over the years, and always find something I’ve forgotten, as there are many lessons herein, lessons that life itself teaches us in its own way, and it is good to hear reminders of what we may already know, but often forget. All of these statements are good advice, and I can personally attest to the fact that, if followed with honesty, these principles allow one to live with dignity and honor….. If you feel it’s a bit sappy for your taste, well, that’s okay, just skip on by, and go on wallowing in grumpiness…… not a thing wrong with that….. 🙂

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

— Max Ehrman (1872-1945) – “Desiderata” (1927)
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POETRY, n. A form of expression peculiar to the Land beyond the Magazines. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

So Does Everybody Else, Only Not So Much

O all ye exorcizers come and exorcize now, and ye clergymen draw nigh and clerge, For I wish to be purged of an urge. It is an irksome urge, compounded of nettles and glue, And it is turning all my friends back into acquaintances, and all my acquaintances into people who look the other way when I heave into view. It is an indication that my mental buttery is butterless and my mental larder lardless, And it consists not of “Stop me if you’ve heard this one,” but of “I know you’ve heard this one because I told it to you myself, but I’m going to tell it to you again regardless,” Yes I fear I am living beyond my mental means. When I realize that it is not only anecdotes that I reiterate but what is far worse, summaries of radio programs and descriptions of cartoons in newspapers and magazines. I want to resist but I cannot resist recounting the bright sayings of celebrities that everybody already is familiar with every word of; I want to refrain but cannot refrain from telling the same audience on two successive evenings the same little snatches of domestic gossip about people I used to know that they have never heard of. When I remember some titillating episode of my childhood I figure that if it’s worth narrating once it’s worth narrating twice, in spite of lackluster eyes and dropping jaws, And indeed I have now worked my way backward from titillating episodes in my own childhood to titillating episodes in the childhood of my parents or even my parents-in-laws, And what really turns my corpuscles to ice, I carry around clippings and read them to people twice. And I know what I am doing while I am doing it and I don’t want to do it but I can’t help doing it and I am just another Ancient Mariner, And the prospects for my future social life couldn’t possibly be barrener. Did I tell you that the prospects for my future social life couldn’t be barrener?

Ogden Nash
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“Become what you are.” — Buddha

When we are born, we are exactly who and what we are, because we don’t know how to be anything else. As we grow, we learn to interact with the world around us, learning first how to communicate our wants and needs, later applying this knowledge to further our interests in dealing with others on a social level. Communication, part perception and part expression, teaches us to add layers to our persona, incrementally increasing our isolation from our true self, unless we can maintain the awareness of self carried since birth. That self is constantly under attack by the outer world, as we are molded and manipulated by the demands made on us by our environment for conformity to custom. In this short, powerful phrase, Buddha once again identifies our most central task as humans, to be true to one’s inner nature.

“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.” — Albert Camus

Albert touches here on the basic root problem for a great many humans, as the refusal to which he refers causes men to make choices based on self-interest rather than taking a wider world-view. Choosing expediency over altruism always, of course, leads to acting immorally, which describes the general demeanor of the beloved ruling class pretty accurately, all in all, doesn’t it? Sometimes, I wonder why they even bother to lie anymore, as it doesn’t seem to matter much to most folks whether they do or not; they get away with it either way…..

“An assertion produces a stronger effect than an argument, at least among the majority of mankind. That is why public speakers seek to hammer home their party’s arguments with assertions.” — F. Nietzsche, _Human, All too Human_

This tendency on the part of man, to be gullible (What else can you call it, when someone is swayed in favor of one argument over another, simply due to its connection to a confident assertion?….. I call it gullible….), would, I suppose, explain the phenomenon of the repeated success of the beloved ruling class in lying to the public without significant consequence. Another apt description would somehow describe mental laziness, or unwillingness to exercise one’s ability to reason, in favor of passive acquiescence with another’s ideas, for that is what I see most often among the ignorant masses. The same majority of mankind, of whom Nietzsche speaks, possesses this personal characteristic, as an augmentation of the tendency he mentions, to accept assertion as provenance.

“I have seen these EGG EXTENDERS in my Supermarket…. I have read the INSTRUCTIONS….” — Zippy the Pinhead

WHAT, you may ask, does THAT have to do with Buddha, Camus, or Nietzsche, in a high-brow discussion of human nature, and its flaws? Well, to be honest, I am not entirely sure what my sub-, or un-, conscious mind was doing when it made me copy and paste that here….. but, I have a strange feeling that it is the right pearl… Let me think a moment, or perhaps overnight….

Aha! Got it!….. We know already that everything Zippy says is a powerful metaphor for reality, so the phrase, “Assertion as provenance”, is Zippy-speak for EGG EXTENDERS! Wait, that’s backwards…. EGG EXTENDERS is Zippy-speak for “Assertion, etc….” Since he has read the instructions, which came, no doubt, with a perfect assertion of its superior nature over eggs, he is therefore immune to the immorality that is so prevalent in our erstwhile superiors…. There, how’s that for some slippery slope thinking, under pressure? Pretty slick, I’d say….

So, the next time some politician makes a confident assertion in a speech, think of Zippy, and the egg extenders, and you’ll be reminded to take what is being said with a shit load of salt….. It’s a handy little item to have in one’s mental files, for those occasions when we can’t avoid listening to such stuff (there’s that word again….)…..

“…and I get on my knees and pray, we don’t get fooled again.” — Pete Townshend
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“A man, a plan, a canoe, pasta, heros, rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag, a banana bag again, (or a camel), a crepe, pins, Spam, a rut, a Rolo, cash, a jar, sore hats, a peon, a canal – Panama!” — Guy L. Steele.

The above is included only because it is the longest palindrome I’ve ever seen, and as such, deserves a bit of admiration for the sheer stubbornness it took to figure it out, and complete it, before someone found out, and made Mr. Steele go do something more constructive….. Fascinating, as Spock might say…. In retrospect, the palindrome is just odd enough to fit in with the rest of today’s effort, so…. it stays…..

Well, it’s done, and that is the best I can say for it, I think. I’m still pretty confused, but tomorrow will re-assert control over the process. What that entails is somewhat gross, in spots, so I will spare the Gentle Reader any further exposure to the necessary actions, and just go on as if none of it had ever happened. People are good at that sort of pretending, as is obvious after every election…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Patterns in the dust say otherwise…..

Posted on December 26, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
My schedule of posting is all screwed up…. First, I missed a day from rain. Today, the day I am writing this, is Christmas Day, one which I have worked very hard to both ignore, and to reach, and is another day I will be unable to post again, as there are no buses, the library is closed, and it is too far to walk to the nearest Wi-Fi spot (at Starbucks, about a mile and a half away)…. In addition, even though I wasn’t able to post on two days, I still wrote a complete Pearl for them. Now, I’m sitting on two days worth of material, and losing track of what goes where, and in what tense I should be speaking…. In the words of our dark little bear of little brains, Winnie the Pooh, “Bother!”…..

I don’t believe I’ve ever had this much material done ahead of time. Two complete Pearls ( each minus only a poem, generally supplied by a couple moments with Google and Poemhunter.com…), and another entire day to get through until I can post any of it. Today might be a good day to do some editing of past Pearls, to see if I can combine any of them into a salable book. Sounds like a plan….

Or, maybe I’ll spend some time in trance, and see if I can come up with a couple more original poems to go with these two almost finished products. The shout-out I wrote to Congress from us seniors was a pretty good one, I thought, especially the last quatrain and couplet; I thought they had a certain panache, that pleases me…. and they certainly were an accurate demonstration of the average senior’s feelings about the government just now, as they are making concerted attacks on Social Security, even as I write. I’m not going to start another rant in the intro, but, it sure pisses me off, that is for sure and for certain….. Makes me want to go up to Barack, and Congress, and read to them from the Book of Righteousness….

In lieu of that, I suggest we get on with this Pearl…. Basically, it is done, so that is merely a matter of filling in a poem, proof-reading the results, and it’s good to go. Since I don’t have anything further I can add at this point, I’ll abandon you here, and leave it to the format of the following Pearl to lead you where you need to go….. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

In order to counter at least some of the saccharine in the air this time of year, it is good now and again to take the time to take a few unsolicited shots at targets who, by dint of their absence, cannot defend themselves…. Great fun for this slow-news time of year. Besides, my usual choices for such targets have no defense anyway, as they are continually assuming indefensible positions in a public venue. Here is an old-school pearl with some random thoughts on my absolute favorite group of erstwhile clowns, those at which I most prefer to shoot darts of shame…. the creepy, dangerous kind who infest the halls and streets of Washington D.C., and numerous state capitals…..

“Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees; and both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people.”– Henry Clay (1777-1852) — Speech at Ashland, Ky., March 1829
(This one seems to have been overlooked, or at least ignored, for the most part, for the last 171 years…..)

“Imagine, if you will, that I am an idiot. Then, imagine that I am also a Congressman. But, alas, I repeat myself.” — Mark Twain

De la peau de lion l’ane s’etant vetu
Etoit craint partout a la ronde.
(Dressed in the lion’s skin, the ass spread terror far and wide.) — Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695)
(Think about it….)

CONSUL, n. In American politics, a person who, having failed to secure and office from the people, is given one by the Administration, on condition that he leave the country. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

A successful American spends more supporting the government than a family. — Smart Bee

“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)
(This is especially true for politics, but remains valid for preachers, as well….)

“Since when is “public safety” the root password to the Constitution?” — C. D. Tavares

I find myself having to assert some control at this point. My feelings of anger at the government’s cupidity are rather raw this morning, and I find myself continuing my search for sharp, pointed sticks with which to poke, despite having already found a sufficient number to complete a pearl. The meaning is beginning to lose coherence, and adding more will only further confuse the issue, so we’ll go on to the final section, to compose some soothing prose…. Just remember, ffolkes, preachers, priests, imams, presidents, senators, judges, bankers, CEO’s….. none of these folks are looking out for your interests, nor will they ever do so, as they are too busy looking out for their own. It would be a good thing to keep it in mind, for your own protection…..

“If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” — Will Rogers (1879-1935)
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A poet is a kind of liar who always speaks the truth. — Smart Bee

A child said, What is the grass?

A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full
hands;
How could I answer the child?. . . .I do not know what it
is any more than he.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful
green stuff woven.

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,
A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropped,
Bearing the owner’s name someway in the corners, that we
may see and remark, and say Whose?

Or I guess the grass is itself a child. . . .the produced babe
of the vegetation.

Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,
And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow
zones,
Growing among black folks as among white,
Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the
same, I receive them the same.

And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.

Tenderly will I use you curling grass,
It may be you transpire from the breasts of young men,
It may be if I had known them I would have loved them;
It may be you are from old people and from women, and
from offspring taken soon out of their mother’s laps,
And here you are the mother’s laps.

This grass is very dark to be from the white heads of old
mothers,
Darker than the colorless beards of old men,
Dark to come from under the faint red roofs of mouths.

O I perceive after all so many uttering tongues!
And I perceive they do not come from the roofs of mouths
for nothing.

I wish I could translate the hints about the dead young men
and women,
And the hints about old men and mothers, and the offspring
taken soon out of their laps.

What do you think has become of the young and old men?
What do you think has become of the women and
children?

They are alive and well somewhere;
The smallest sprouts show there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait
at the end to arrest it,
And ceased the moment life appeared.

All goes onward and outward. . . .and nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and
luckier.

Walt Whitman
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“Silence can be the biggest lie of all. We have a responsibility to speak up; and whenever the occasion calls for it, we have a responsibility to raise bloody hell.” — Herbert Block

I’ve been looking at this pearl for a week, turning it over in my mind. I think, after due consideration, I can honestly say I have lived up to this responsibility quite well, at least in the past two years. Though my audience is not quite as large as I might hope for, I have faithfully accosted that audience with my own words of what I believe to be truth, truths that needs to be declared loudly, and often. Motivated partly by self-interest (relieving the stress of holding my thoughts in….), partly by a sense of humanity, and partly by patriotism. Outrage often supplies the emotional force behind my arguments, when my compassion is aroused, or when my sense of justice is affronted…..

My only wish is that I would be preaching to the choir, in the sense that the subjects about which I write are offensive to others, as well. In fact, I would love to see more people like myself shouting out their own outrage at the shenanigans of those in power in society. Those same beloved ruling class members have only themselves to blame if they become targets for criticism; their own actions are responsible for that. Mind you, I regard them to be insane, as a group, anyway, for their perverse desire to wield power over the affairs of others, and the most effective way to stop their depredations is to bring them into the light of public scrutiny, where society’s moral compass may be applied to redirect them into more socially acceptable, and socially beneficial, activities….

Sadly, I’m intelligent enough to read the writing on the wall, which says the beloved ruling class is never going to allow anything, or anyone, to take from them the riches and privileges they hold so tightly as their due. They have control of all the media, and the governments, and the banks, and the churches, and that control enables them to do just exactly as they please, hoarding all the resources available for themselves and their own purposes, leaving the dregs of whatever is left for the rest of us….

“And it shall come to pass that idiots shall roam the earth, and morons shall rule the masses.” — Smart Bee

I think it was Nostradamus who made this prediction; maybe not, though. Regardless of who said it, it is certainly apt. There are moments when even I, who have long known and understood the depths of human stupidity, am amazed and appalled by what somebody says, or does, right out in public where their idiocy is on display for all to see….. Even more, I am continually astounded at the depths of stupidity shown by the general public by their acceptance, and tacit approval, of the lies told to them every day by their erstwhile leaders.

Many millions of people recently voted for Obama, because it seemed clear, by his own words, that he would do all he could to protect seniors, Social Security, and Medicare. Now, at the first hint of opposition to one of his pet projects, he turns completely around on that promise, offering up massive cuts to the SS program over the next 20 years, cuts that would cripple the program, and send millions of seniors, like me, into poverty….. I find this to be not merely mendacious, but cruelly reprehensible, as well as morally indefensible. This kind of thing MUST be stopped, and the people responsible MUST be held responsible for their lies….

“Let honor be as strong to us an obligation as necessity is to others.” — Pliny the Elder

This is the ONLY solution to the problem, ffolkes…. In today’s society, our beloved ruling class has learned that it can act according to expediency, by claiming it as necessity, without any lasting consequences for them, and the public lets them do it. Only when honor replaces expediency can we hope to see society begin to function in the best interests of all; until that happens, only the power-hungry will be served in that respect. I cannot see how it will happen at all, unless the majority of humanity can put aside its blinders, and start calling a spade a spade…. which, historically, has never happened…. That is, after all, why we are in this mess in the first place….
__________________________________

Hmm….. not too shabby, all in all. I’ll take it…. wrap it up and send it over to my hotel, would you? Thanks…..

I’ve always wanted to say that….. Now that is out of the way, I suppose I should try to repair some of this time confusion created by yesterday’s rain delay; if only I had a vague idea of where to start!…… Ah well, fudge it…. it will just have to settle itself, as it always does, given the time…… I’m outta here for today, ffolkes….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Credit given where due….

Posted on December 24, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Yesterday, it rained all day, hard, in the area where I live. A higher degree of pain than usual, with concomitant stiffness, meant I didn’t have it in me to walk the seven and a half blocks to the library in the rain, and I can’t afford the coffee shop this late in the month…. besides, it’s also over three long blocks away, with the same walk back UP the hill afterward, all in the rain. No thanks…. If I had tried either one, I’d be in bed still, come the New Year…. Also, no thanks…. Unhappily, this means my postings are a day behind, proving once again I am mostly human…… I’ve never been able to quite get it all right….

No worries, though… I decided I’m not going to stress about it; I just came back, fired the computer back up, and proceeded to write this little pre-disclaimer to maintain some clarity. I don’t think any of what is below is time-sensitive, particularly, so it will still be relevant…. and, who knows? I might even get the poem I feel percolating to drip down before I get to a posting point tomorrow, which, now, is today….. At any rate, this is a pretty decent Pearl, I think, so….. enjoy…..

Ffolkes,
I know full well why I am not a success. Wait…. Okay, that’s wrong. I know full well why I AM a success…. Wait…. Okay, that’s wrong, too…

Alright, this is the right way to start….

Most folks in the mainstream would NOT call me successful, I suppose, though I know full well I am. The reason for this discrepancy is a different understanding of the definition of the word itself, along with a somewhat different idea of what determines that definition. To the average person in our world, successful means rich in money or property; you aren’t even in the ball park if you don’t own two cars and four TVs to go with your house and boat. This, as mentioned, differs widely from my own idea of what makes a person successful, as mine has nothing whatever to do with gelt…..

I am rich in friends. I am rich in my children. And, I am rich beyond the dreams of avarice in my mind, which is all I ever wanted. When I was very young, before the age of 10, I remember hearing the phrase “If you want a life full of trouble, fill your house with treasure.” I thought about that, decided that it sounded perfectly logical, and made up my mind there and then to never make the seeking of money, or things, an important goal in my life. There are far greater riches to be found in any random Mark Twain story than in any bank, and this I believe, implicitly…..

Oh, sure, it’s nice to not have to struggle financially, and I’m smart enough that I’ve never before had to struggle as I am today with money issues. Once, back in my early twenties, I went without work for a couple of months, and it was tough for a few weeks, but then I found a job, and all was well…. The rest of the time I’ve spent just enough effort to make enough to take care of myself, and my family, once I started it, and never felt any need for more. I can’t say I’ve felt deprived, at all, for not having experienced more in the way of the rich lifestyle, as I have had all I ever wanted…..

So, in that sense, I’ve always been extremely successful, for I have always done exactly as I wished to do, and been successful at attaining all I wanted. And, I can truthfully say, I have never had a moment of worry or anguish over being threatened with, or experiencing, being robbed. It’s easy, when you know there is nothing about which to worry, for there isn’t enough to tempt any robbers. It makes for a quite serene lifestyle, all in all…..

The other side of this coin under discussion is that I simply don’t give a crap about what others think, and never have….. Maybe it’s a gift, I don’t know, but I’ve never felt that what anyone else thought about ME had any bearing on what I was to do, or think. It just never occurred to me to let what anyone else said have that kind of influence over me…… It’s always been relatively easy for me to say “f___ you” to anyone (figuratively, of course….) when they try to tell me what I SHOULD do or think….. Gift or curse, I don’t care, it works for me….

Well, now, I was going somewhere with all this bilge water; where could that have been? Ah, yes…. the fucking feds & staties….. Sorry, when I write their names, the “fuck” is mandatory; that’s the law. Since the California State Department of Social Services has decided to draw out the time during which they can fuck with me about my own money, I am once again consigned to the confines of financial purgatory. They decided, because I mentioned a word they hadn’t heard before, (to wit: diverticulosis), they decided they’d better send me to another doctor about it, thus extending the process another three or four months, minimum. This puts me right back into limbo, where I’ve languished now for close to two years…. By the time these guys finish dicking around with my case, I’ll be eligible for my regular SS, at age 66, four years from now…. Bloody Assholes!….

I could rant about it for a long time, but this intro is already past the standards set for normalcy around here, so I’d best let it go for now….. Suffice it to say, I am once again NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! Wish me luck with my patience, please, I’m going to need it….. For now, I’m going to go for a dive, to try to take my mind to some other point in the universe, where things aren’t quite so dreary and depressing as they are around here just now…. Thank goodness for books and literature, they’ve saved me all my life, and continue to do so now….. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

“Anyone who isn’t confused doesn’t really know what’s going on.” — Edward R. Murrow

To Mr. Murrow’s assertion, in today’s world, I would add, “Anyone who isn’t worried, isn’t paying attention.” I saw in the news yesterday that the President has offered up Social Security as a sacrifice to the Republicans in the Congress, to bribe them into signing some other tax bill. I can’t say it surprises me, as I have said all along that I don’t trust the President, any more than I trust any office holder in this country. But, given his most recent statements during the election run-up, I’m concerned that he is already turning what he said at that time into a lie; he promised, then, to protect senior citizens, and Social Security, and Medicare, from the depredations of the conservatives. To start abrogating his duties before he is even sworn in is not a good, or hopeful, sign for the future.

This particular threat is a serious one; the cuts proposed would have a very deleterious effect on my income, and that of every senior under the aegis of SS. One article claimed it could decrease the average senior’s yearly income by more than $3000, and possibly more over the next ten years. This, without any doubt whatsoever, is a reprehensible idea, and the person(s) responsible should be taken out an shot, without ceremony or delay. These politicians seem to think that the money that is in SS is theirs, when in fact, it belongs to me, and those like me, who have been pouring a percentage of our pay into it for our entire lives. It is NOT theirs, nor should it be thought of as even public money. It belongs to the people who put it there, and should be protected from the rapacious assholes who can’t stand the idea of anyone having something they don’t control….

ROBBER, n. A candid man of affairs. It is related of Voltaire that one night he and some traveling companion lodged at a wayside inn. The surroundings were suggestive, and after supper they agreed to tell robber stories in turn. “Once there was a Farmer-General of the Revenues.” Saying nothing more, he was encouraged to continue. “That,” he said, “is the story.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

Thomas Jefferson, in certain of his writings to other patriots, mentioned the danger to the Republic from corporations, bankers, and preachers. He was particularly clear-sighted in this respect, and saw that once the legislators had voted themselves the power to control the treasury, both the income and output, the public would be in danger of continuous, and ongoing theft of public funds. He stated this many times, but, did anyone listen? Not enough of the right people, apparently, because everything he feared has come to pass.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” — H. L. Mencken

The legislature in today’s modern world is completely under the financial influence and control of the banks and corporations, aided by the preachers’ continuing repression/distraction of the public, to confuse the issue, and help obfuscate their actions, hiding them from public view. Anyone who does not believe this to be true is under that same influence, and should be referred back to our original statement above, i.e., you don’t really know what’s going on…… or, you are not paying attention…..

Now that Barack no longer has to worry about re-election, he can begin to show his truer colors, and screw the rest of us in the process. I told you all a while back; NO POLITICIAN can be fully trusted, either to tell the truth, or to act in the public’s interests, for they all suffer from the same issue of moral failure, and that is that they WANT to be in power.

“Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on them [public offices], a rottenness begins in his conduct.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 1799

That desire, to have power over others, is a mental disorder, plain and simple. It is insane, both in my mind, and in scientific terms, to want to control other people like that. Even if the desire is motivated by what could be termed a moral impulse, the urge to help, the actual wielding of the power is corrupting, and soon overcomes any leftover morality, in favor of expedience.

Call the White House, and the Senate. Write them. Email them. Tell them we aren’t going to stand for this flip-flop from the President, and let them know that the true power really still does reside with the people. If we don’t, we may all end up regretting we ever listened to them….. again…..

“A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service.” — Georges Pompidou

As far as I can see, there are no statesmen alive today, only politicians….
__________________________________

And, as in uffish thought he stood
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame
Came wiffling through the tulgey wood
And burbled as it came
— _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)

If it isn’t clear to y’all by now, I love nonsense. For me, it provides the balance so necessary to a harmonious existence, as the rest of reality is so often dreary, grim-faced, and sober. (see section one, above, for clear evidence of this assertion….) And, since poetry makes anything in words better, nonsensical poetry is sheer joy for me….. It doesn’t get any better than the above, which will provide adequate balance for whatever I find and choose to go in the latter half of this section…. so, enjoy, both the poetry, and the contrasting styles…..

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

Well, gosh, who knew that was in there?…..
__________________________________

“Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!” — Smart Bee

Last week, or maybe earlier, another blogger and I were both ID’d as being a bit paranoid, (self-identified, I might add) because we happen to believe at least some of the conspiracy rumors continually floating around the internet. Each of us took comfort from the above sentiment, knowing it to be 100% true, and have mutual agreement in that belief. He seems to be pretty tech-savvy, posting a lot of different types of media on his blog, so he must have similar knowledge as I of computers, and the functions of which current technology is capable. This knowledge, along with a deep understanding of human nature, is the root cause for our paranoia, and, it’s justification…..

“No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.” — Aristotle

The little laptop computer upon which I type to create these Pearls of Virtual Wisdom is an amazing machine, and fairly representative of what is available to the public these days. It has, quite simply, more computing power in it than was present in the ENTIRE WORLD when the first laptop was on the design boards, when I got my first clunky 386. What this simple fact(oid) implies is this: the government, and its supporters, the bankers, corporations, and churches, has available for their use, enough computing power to record EVERY piece of communication, of EVERY type, created each day in the ENTIRE WORLD. Along with that capability, to monitor ALL communications, it has the capability of mining that huge amount of data for significant words, phrases, and patterns that will inform them of anyone, anywhere, who is speaking in a way that is potentially against their interests.

Yep…. every single piece of published communication, via phone, internet, TV, radio, or any other form of media by which humans communicate, is vulnerable to being overheard by those in the beloved ruling class…. Allow me to assure you, the reasons for which they want this information have nothing to do with YOUR rights, or YOUR interests, nor are they going to tell you, either that they are doing it, or how often, or where, or anything about it. In many public places, with cameras and recording devices, it is possible for them to overhear even the words we speak to each other face to face. If they wish, they can even concentrate technology on a single spot, (such as your car, your living room, or kitchen…..), and listen to every word spoken there, even if they are not within miles of the place. There is, by published report, no place left on Earth where technology cannot penetrate, to listen to what is being spoken, given the opportunity, and the time to employ the needed technology.

So, my friend and I are well aware that what we write and publish here online is perfectly available to those who care about such matters, and they WILL be listening to what EVERYONE is saying, even, or, perhaps especially, us. Since I have a tendency to rant against the very people who are listening, I doubt that my name is missing from several lists of theirs. In fact, I’d be surprised if it was missing from those lists…. if it is, they’re not paying attention….. 🙂

As I’ve said before ffolkes, be alert; the world needs all the lerts it can get. You are being watched, and listened to, whether you choose to believe it or not, so it would behoove you to, perhaps, take that into account. Please, don’t fall into that, “oh, you’re just being paranoid,” attitude, or the “well, if I don’t say anything wrong, they can’t get me,” fallacy…. One of the primary characteristics of those with the power-mongering gene is a certain irrationality that is inherent in their make-up…. They have an unfortunate tendency to act on belief and faith, not on fact, so their actions, while fairly predictable, are somewhat irrationally chosen, and don’t necessarily make any sense to those of us who use our minds for other things than reclining upon…. Remember, as Lazarus Long advises, “Always cut the cards.”…..

I have read and understood the above. X ______________________
__________________________________

Today’s effort certainly doesn’t lack for original material….. It’s understandable, to me; I’ve got a lot of stuff to say, no viable, compelling reason not to say it, and plenty of good reasons to do so. (“Stuff” being my most versatile word…. such flexibility of meaning!…..) Having said a lot of it, I’ll leave thee be to pursue thy own ends, for the nonce. You can’t say fairer than that….. Oh, yeah, happy holidays, I guess….

Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

It is often considered de rigeur to order dessert first….

Posted on December 19, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
That answers THAT question…. When I awoke today, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel, as I’d gone to bed with a lot of pain. But, for some odd reason, I slept well, even going so long at one point that my medication ran low, & I had to take a pill, late, before I got too far awake at 3:00 AM. Even then, I fell back to sleep, and got up feeling pretty normal, all in all…. But, of course, that brings Murphy to mind, and I was a bit worried he might stick his nose in and fuss with me, but so far he must be busy elsewhere…. I’m sure he finds ways to keep busy with other folks when I’m not available…. I just know of his predilection for my life’s events, and try not to draw his attention when he’s not around…..

At any rate, when I sat down to begin, I did so with a relatively clear head, and fell right into a rant in section three, where I had placed a particularly stimulating pearl to await some discussion. It is flowing well, and gives me hope for the rest of this piece; and THAT is encouraging….. Sadly, I’m so acutely aware of the attentions of Murphy, I suspect his hand in this good feeling I have, as if he is setting me up to fall again….. SIGH…..

(BTW, when I write that word, in that way, one should imagine the sigh that is common to the people of the west counties in Ireland, as described by Father Whatsisname who writes the delightful mystery novels about the “Little Archbishop” and the series of books about the wife of Dermott Michael Coyne, whose name also escapes me, a Celtic wise woman, fey as the day is long, and the visions she sees that send them on missions of mercy to solve problems…. Greatly entertaining books, for a priestly author….. Ah yes, his name is Andrew Greely, I believe…. the priest, that is…. Any who, the sigh is a huge production, long, drawn out, and implying the presence of doom, long-suffering, and the futility of fighting against Fate….. now, THAT’s a SIGH……)

I suppose I should just be grateful that I am not blocked up today, and let it go at that; simple is best when it comes to avoiding the attraction of Murphy’s attention….. Since I’ve already started on section three, we’ll get on with today’s effort, finish there, and go for a dive in Smart Bee’s ocean of quotes. I think that, all things considered, that would be best for all of us…. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

Here is the deal…. I’ve become confused already, I think because I began the day in section three, then did the intro…. finished section three, and now am back in section one…. and I’m lost. Smart Bee, however, has been quite accommodating, and has allowed me to put together what I like to call an unconscious pearl…. I picked out these quotes quite randomly, as far as my conscious mind is concerned; it had no part in choosing them, other than controlling the act of pressing the right mouse buttons at the right times….. Each of these was picked by my sub-, or unconscious mind, thus, I have no idea what the resulting concept will take as a shape for consideration…. It’s kind of fun, actually, and quite illuminating in its own way…. Since I have no idea what you will now experience, just try to enjoy it; it’s bound to be an interesting ride…..

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. “Where shall I begin, please your Majesty ?” he asked. “Begin at the beginning,”, the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

“Despite its suffix, skepticism is not an “ism” in the sense of a belief or dogma. It is simply an approach to the problem of telling what is counterfeit and what is genuine. And a recognition of how costly it may be to fail to do so. To be a skeptic is to cultivate “street smarts” in the battle for control of one’s own mind, one’s own money, one’s own allegiances. To be a skeptic, in short, is to refuse to be a victim.” — Robert S. DeBear, “An Agenda for Reason, Realism, and Responsibility,” — New York Skeptic — (newsletter of the New York Area Skeptics, Inc.), Spring 1988

“One should always prefer the probable impossible to the improbable possible.” — Aristotles Dictum.

“Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.” — Albert Einstein

Thus, God said: “Let there be cats!”, and He was promptly ignored. — Smart Bee

IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Whew! That took a nasty dive-turn there at the end, didn’t it? I didn’t see that coming, myself….. but, it is the perfect finish to what now appears to be somewhat inspired…. Even the one about cats has its place in the sequence, don’t you think? Just in case this one caused any discomfort among the Gentle Readership, I think it is a good thing the poetry section is next…. When I get to Google, I’ll look for something soothing…. perhaps some Keats, or Marlowe…. I am a patsy when it comes to the Romantics….
__________________________________

Apollo And The Graces

APOLLO

WHICH of the fairest three
To-day will ride with me?
My steeds are all pawing at the threshold of the morn:
Which of the fairest three
To-day will ride with me
Across the gold Autumn’s whole Kingdom of corn?

THE GRACES all answer

I will, I – I – I
young Apollo let me fly
Along with thee,
I will- I, I, I,
The many wonders see
I – I – I – I
And thy lyre shall never have a slackened string:
I, I, I, I,
Thro’ the golden day will sing.

John Keats

‘Tis a fine day for singing, is it not?……
__________________________________

“He was sweet and sincere and giving and good… AND A CHERISHED NEIGHBOR UNDESERVING OF SUCH A FATE!! Nevertheless, better him than me. Amen.” — Eulogy given by Banana PC Jr to Opus in “Bloom County”

As an indictment of modern society, this little remark from Berke Breathed manages to hit just about all of the high points, and is wickedly, viciously sarcastic, to boot. Just plain charming, is what it is….. I forget exactly how Opus died, but I remember it was particularly mundane, as well as inane, and also made the sarcasm grade higher. I really don’t understand why Berke Breathed stopped writing his/her comic strips; he/she may have been the best cartoonist ever, but I thank the stars that for a while, we were able to enjoy his or her wit (I never did know if the person who drew Bloom County was male of female…. didn’t seem to matter….). Between this strip, and Odds Bodkins, which came before Bloom County, my sense of proportion was sculpted into a truer figure, resembling reality a lot closer than before having been exposed to the deadly sharp, brilliantly targeted humor in those comics.

The indictment is brilliantly delivered here, in one simple phrase… “Nevertheless, better him than me.” I don’t know about y’all, but that seems to me like it would be a pretty good slogan for the general attitude society presents in the modern world. It shows of that perfect sense of selfishness and entitlement that is held by so many of today’s folks, given to them mostly by their elitist religions. Of course, this egregious attitude, so common to those in the Western religions, is strengthened and exemplified by the beloved ruling class, as they continue to lie to the public on a daily basis, all while they go about their business of looting the public treasury, and carrying out the wishes of their true masters, the bankers and corporate executives.

The beloved ruling class, and the preachers, are so effective at their work that they have trained most of the public to accept their lies without question. People are so controlled that they believe that the pittance they earn is a blessing, and that they can do anything at all to try to improve their own lot, without fear of consequence. I mean, what other conclusion could be arrived at, given the picture that is presented to us by our leaders? They (the BRC, beloved ruling class….) say whatever they wish, no matter how untrue. They steal, and call it business. They cheat, and call it expedience. They kill, and call it spreading democracy. And, for all this, the public rewards them, by electing to office again, and again…..

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

Indifference is a condition of mind the true world masters have refined to an art, one they employ constantly, to ignore the evil they cause. In this, they are not alone…. Humanity at large has become indifferent to the struggles of other people, and have that indifference rewarded regularly, by advantages to their self-interests. Indifference becomes a protection for the weak and vulnerable, who cannot afford to give up any of their own resources to aid another, a situation perfectly set-up by our beloved rulers, and maintained by them as suitable for their purposes.

It must be very satisfying for them to see how people in society have taken in their training, and applied it so well to their own pitiful existence, as this kind of societal attitude is one that is self-protecting, and self-reproducing…. the more people are cruel to each other, the more it will continue to be so…..

“If you have ever seen a four-year-old trying to lord it over a two-year-old, then you know what the basic problem of human nature is — and why government keeps growing larger and ever more intrusive.” — Thomas Sowell

Comedy, as produced by some cartoonists, is a very accurate portrayal of the true nature of society, and can serve as a means of causing change. Unfortunately, our beloved ruling class already knows this, and takes steps to curtail the effect as much as possible. In my opinion, comedians like George Carlin, cartoonists like Berke Breathed, Garry Trudeau, and Walt Kelly (Pogo), should be held up as the heroes and honored philosophers of Society, because they are always fighting to expand the human consciousness, rather than limit it, as is the case for the entire ruling class, and the priestly hierarchies.

They, the masters, do not want a public that can think critically, for then their chicanery is exposed. Oh, they are well enough protected that they are in no real danger; they just don’t like to be in the light, where they can be targeted…. It is the same for all evil; it does better in the dark, where its purposes and methods can be hidden from sight…. which is why I love the comics, both live, stand-up comics, and those who scribble on paper, for they are in the thick of the revolution of the mind, the war that is still raging here on Earth…. The war to see whether reason, or venality, will determine the future of the human race…. I, for one, salute them all….

— Bother! said Pooh, as he bribed Ron Brown.

(See?…. Even Pooh has been corrupted…..)
__________________________________

To quote the Colonel, “I love it when a plan comes together….”; I only wish I had a big cigar to fire up, to go along with the big grin. (Reference: The A-Team, 1970’s or 1980’s TV show….) Somehow, I’ve managed to complete a Pearl without any disruption from Murphy, a completely unprecedented event, which turns this day’s date into one of major significance. I may even start to celebrate this day in coming years, as it is the first time it has ever occurred, and deserves some acknowledgment. Of course, doing so would probably tempt Murphy into retaliation, implying some disrespect, I suppose…. But, hey, one must take what the universe gives, and learn to like it, or spend one’s time in misery. Not being fond of misery, I opt for the former, rather than the latter….

Such being the case, I shall now go forth into the Big Blue Room, to see what kind of mischief I can find to get into; perhaps a trip to the Social Security Office, to cause a ruckus by a display of stress-related angst for their elucidation and enjoyment. Hell, in a bureaucrat’s day, especially in that office, they probably get pretty bored, and it might be good entertainment for them….. Nah, better not…. nobody these days seems to have much of a sense of humor, and they’d probably end up thinking I’m some kind of terrorist or something, rather than just another stressed out citizen trying to survive with some degree of sanity, and dignity….. I’m in too good of a mood to have to deal with some ignorant cops today…..

Hmm…. no wonder it flowed so well today…. I even figured out a way to put a small rant into the closing section. Actually, the above paragraph is a quite delightful (to me) little poke at Social Security and the federal bureaucracy; very tidy and succinct, with some good zingers cleverly disguised as observations. It’s almost too bad I’m done for the day…. but, since I don’t fell a poem struggling to get out, I am, and must go find a place to find a poem in Google, then, post this gem….. So….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

In defiance of common sense, he spat….

Posted on December 18, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
How interesting….. I have just noted that, in my case at least, the amount of will power needed to keep from committing murder is about equal to that which will suffice to oh, say, move a mountain. Of course, my case is special….. if only because it is mine. If you can believe that, I’ve got some wonderful property for sale, in a bridge…..

Actually, since being warned by a fellow blogger re: watching what I say, due to the police state we live in, a state disguised as a democracy, I should probably amend my stated desire to murder to one of unspecified vengeful acts. He’s even more paranoid than am I…. wonderful stuff on conspiracies over on his site, much of which is true…. and he tells me to be careful…..

I love the world of blogging….and that is not being facetious, it is sincere. To tell me to be careful, when he posts material that makes my occasional rants seem like a treat of ice cream, is the mark of a true brother of the revolution of the mind. Given the recent events back east, the school shooting, I expect there to now be another period of cacophony in support of gun control, and I can see why he might be concerned.

The beloved ruling class would like nothing better than to gut the power of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution, as it is what they want in the first place. They have never liked having arms in the hands of common citizens, and have been making sustained efforts to get rid of that amendment since the day after it passed into law. Sometimes I suspect them of staging these shootings themselves, in order to frighten the public, and stampede them into voting against gun rights while they are still afraid. But then I remember it isn’t necessary; there are enough crazies out there, and if one waits, one of them will snap, and start shooting innocents…. I wouldn’t, however, put it past them; they’re fairly unscrupulous, all in all.

Well, it’s kind of strange, even for me, to rant in the intro section, and I’m not sure how I got started…. Oh, yes, the feds…. Well, we’ll let that matter drop for the time being, as I need to stir the pot today, so to speak, and should wait for the results of that before I start picking out potential targets. I think today, my own lawyer is going to receive a piece of my mind, as I have some significant questions re: their actions in the past few weeks of my ordeal of infinite patience. I’m hoping my eloquence is at its peak, as I’m pretty upset with the whole issue, and their job is NOT to make it more difficult for me…..

Gosh, I’m a bit more upset than I knew…. I’m trying to bring this to a close, and keep finding new things to say to vent. I would say, even though I’m up very early, I should get started on the diving portion of the program, and find something else to write about…. this one is going to turn sour on me, relatively soon, I can tell. On that note of uncertainty, and of gravid possibility, Shall we Pearl?…..

“I’m meditating on the FORMALDEHYDE and the ASBESTOS leaking into my PERSONAL SPACE!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
__________________________________

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) Essays: First Series (1841) “Self-Reliance”

This is a particularly comforting quote right now. I had intended to write about this from a different direction, but just before I began, I dealt with a phone call that, though successful in its purported task, left me in tears, due to a stealth stimulation of my PTSD (it happens…. visualize a shrug….). After the call ended, I composed myself, and looked up to find this statement, and was struck at how fate can work sometimes…..

I HATE this tears and angst crap that keeps embarrassing me whenever my emotions get stirred up. Just because I have to give up on Christmas again this year is no reason for me to get all weepy; my life is limited enough in scope that I only have my children, and a grandchild, to think about at this time of year; my own siblings and I haven’t shared Xmas for decades, since we all lived too far apart, mostly. My kids are grown, and know how my financial situation is, and my grandchild is two, and barely knows I exist, so it isn’t a lot of family time and sharing to do, not like when the family was still together. But, the mere fact of it, of not being able to participate in the season, is both disheartening, and to some extent, demeaning, and when I am reminded of that fact, it produces the unwanted waterworks….

So, it is comforting to remember, or be reminded, that such states are transitory; I won’t always be so vulnerable, and I won’t always have to adjust my life to living well below the comfort zone, in a monetary respect. Money cannot buy happiness, but lack of it is certainly connected to unhappiness, by all evidence, and I’ll be happy when my own finances have been straightened out…. I mean, it’s not as if I’m asking for society to give me anything I haven’t earned; I’ve been pouring money into SS since I got a card, with my first input into my account taking place sometime in the 1950’s, or by 1963, for sure, for that is when I started working during the school summer months, hoeing weeds in the sugar beet fields near where I lived as a boy. Even if we go from there, that is 49 years of input, i.e., my money, set aside for this purpose, and all I want is to now get it back to me, when I need it….. as intended…..

The worst part of all of this, I think, is how it makes me feel to have to continue to wait. Not because of the waiting itself; in my time, I think I’ve learned quite a bit about patience. No, it is because of the irrational feeling of abandonment, or disillusionment, that eats away at my self-esteem, and makes me feel like I’m less of a person. I have a pretty healthy ego, as y’all may have noted, but I have to say, that ego is damn tired of feeling like something less than a “great soul”…. which is why I am comforted at Ralph’s reassurance about consistency, a characteristic currently absent from my head, and my life……

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” — Thomas Carlyle
__________________________________

‘In the wave-strike over unquiet stones’

In the wave-strike over unquiet stones
the brightness bursts and bears the rose
and the ring of water contracts to a cluster
to one drop of azure brine that falls.
O magnolia radiance breaking in spume,
magnetic voyager whose death flowers
and returns, eternal, to being and nothingness:
shattered brine, dazzling leap of the ocean.
Merged, you and I, my love, seal the silence
while the sea destroys its continual forms,
collapses its turrets of wildness and whiteness,
because in the weft of those unseen garments
of headlong water, and perpetual sand,
we bear the sole, relentless tenderness.

Pablo Neruda
__________________________________

Once again, the malaise that has dogged me for weeks now is rearing its ugly head, and my mind’s ability to concentrate scatters to the four winds…. Fortunately for me, I have a default position to fall back on, so the consistency I worry so much about will be maintained. Or, if not consistency, at least continuity is assured. Since the malaise I feel is arguably age-related, these comments on Time seemed to assume rather more importance than is probably their due…. nonetheless, together, they make a compelling statement, or, at minimum, a cogent one……

“Time does not relinquish its rights, either over human beings or over mountains.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

EFFECT, n. The second of two phenomena which always occur together in the same order. The first, called a Cause, is said to generate the other — which is no more sensible than it would be for one who has never seen a dog except in the pursuit of a rabbit to declare the rabbit the cause of a dog. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” — Earl Nightingale

“Tomorrow never comes! It’s all the same fuckin’ day, man!” — Janis Joplin

“Only the imagination is real; I have declared it time without end.” — William Carlos Williams

“If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?” — Smart Bee

Okay, sorry, it got away from me there at the end….. just use the last one as either counterpoint ballast, or as dessert. It won’t take away from the overall ambiance of the meal that way…. 🙂
__________________________________

I am uncertain about this one…. I suppose it is no odder than many of its brethren, and the uncertainty I feel may be connected to my own state of mind, more than it is to what I’ve written, which, all in all, isn’t too bad. Perhaps a bit revealing on a personal level, but, that’s what happens when one writes for personal reasons, or from an agenda that doesn’t always match the public’s perceptions.

I write to stay sane, quite simply; if I didn’t have this outlet, I would surely have snapped by now, and would no doubt be living to regret my thus-far imaginary acts of retribution and release. So, in that sense, I suppose, society may give thanks, and y’all may give a sigh of relief, because, once again, I’m done…. until tomorrow….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

In the graveyard of the ancient toaster-ovens….

Posted on December 17, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Freeze-dried brain fever, that’s what I’ll call it. Fdbf, for short. I imagine all people get it, but it affects us who write much more severely than the general population, as might be expected of a pastime where the brain is an important factor in successful operation. We humans do tend to avoid activities that cause that organ to work any harder than necessary, so it becomes clear that having, and using, a brain is advantageous to the writer. I’d say that using it would be a prerequisite for the field, but there is so much evidence out there of the converse, I can’t say that….. The recent vampire story series, Twilight, is a prime example of literature written by a person of no brain, I’d say….. Sorry, in my world, vampires are never “cute”….. and they don’t hang around in Hollywood, even to make movies….

For a few moments this morning, it almost seemed as if I would be caught with my own case of fdbf; I was terrified when I sat down and saw a vast empty plain stretching away to infinity in my mind, completely bereft of any material at all. But, the plug loosened quickly, and words started leaking out, so I knew it was just a false alarm. I’ve had that syndrome previously, and it’s no picnic, believe me. A lot of authors go through some pretty strange rituals and activities to try to get rid of fdbf, or limit its visit, but I was lucky enough today; I didn’t have to break out the pomegranate sauce or the palm oil towelettes. Good thing, too, that palm oil is expensive…..

Even without having to cope with the absence of motivation or material, I’m a bit sticky today. I’m not even sure what I mean by “sticky”; it just seems like the right word. Like the bottom of your shoe gets something stuck on it, and every step slows you down…. It could conceivably be a side-effect, of the forced waiting I’m having to do while Social Security goes through all its bureaucratic posturing, but that helps me in no way, either to know or to prevent. In fact, like almost every time I have to deal with them, I am frustrated by their absolute dedication to procrastination and sloth. Bloody idiots….

Alright…. that’s enough blather for one day. I could rant all day on SS, and their woeful ways, but I’m sure I can find something a bit more entertaining. But, only if I ever stop this nonsense, and get on with the dive….. Shall we Pearl?…..

“Don’t bother attacking me. I have more hit points than Godzilla.” — Smart Bee
__________________________________

“I’m going to Iowa for an award. Then I’m appearing at Carnegie Hall, it’s sold out. Then I’m sailing to France to be honored by the French government. I’d give it all up for one erection.” — Groucho Marx, 1890-1977

Though my life is in no way as exciting as Groucho’s seems to have been, I can relate to this sentiment completely. At this point in the narrative, I have a choice…. I can go personal, I can go humorous, I can go educational, I can go fantasy, or, I can just go on with what Groucho is implying with his remark, no doubt made when he was of an age similar to mine….. which leads me into a discussion of the manual, and what is NOT in there….

However, every time I start a piece about the manual (you know, the manual of Life, that we were all due to be given at birth….), something intervenes to take the wind from the sails of my rant, so I’m going to change things a bit, to try to throw Murphy off the scent, as it were…. Old school format then; that’s what you’ll get, and you’ll like it!…. Those are your ORDERS!….

Actually, you don’t HAVE to like it, just read it and weep…. Below are some quotes (big surprise….)…. Each one is a good idea, powerful enough to stand alone… In addition, each one is of such a nature that it SHOULD have been included in your manual. As I’ve implied, a LOT of stuff got left out of the manual, so it’s a good idea now and again to add some things to the Notes, just for reference…. Here are some you may have been deprived of in your copy….

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential — for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.” — Soren Kierkegaard

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky. — C.S. Lewis _The Screwtape Letters_

He who knows man is clever;
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers men has force;
He who conquers himself is truly strong.
— Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism

“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion — i.e., none to speak of.” — Lazarus Long

“The number of people who agree or disagree with you has absolutely no bearing on whether you’re RIGHT. The universe has a way of deciding that for itself.” — Smart Bee

I could go on for a long time; the manual is historically known to be poor in resources that will actually help. I have a feeling the job of creating them was outsourced….. but, the last one is worth the price of admission, all by itself…..
__________________________________

A Patch of Old Snow

There’s a patch of old snow in a corner
That I should have guessed
Was a blow-away paper the rain
Had brought to rest.

It is speckled with grime as if
Small print overspread it,
The news of a day I’ve forgotten —
If I ever read it.

Robert Frost

Simple, deep, beautiful…. enough said….
__________________________________

“A means of control should exist whereby access operators and their organizations are held responsible for what is posted on the Internet,” — Church of Scientology lawyer Helena Kobrin, 1995.

This is an absolutely astounding statement….. Scary, too, to think there are people out there so ignorant, and so intent on making other people think the way they do (well, if one can call such activity “thinking”….), they would go so far as to make such a ridiculous utterance, and attach their name to it. Especially a lawyer, though in one sense, I can see how this one is thinking of billable hours, as such a set of laws as she is suggesting would make litigation our newest popular sport, another national pastime, as it were, to go along with baseball and apple pie. Sue your internet provider, because they posted an article on the internet that disagrees with you…. what a unique concept! It’s kind of like shooting the milk man, because you’ve developed an allergy to milk….

I know, that example makes no sense at all…. but neither does what is said above. First, the Church of Scientology isn’t a church, so they really don’t have any right to claim the same sort of entitlement as the rest of them take, as they don’t fall into the same category of human stupidity. (Remind me to tell you about Scientology’s creation some time; it’s a story they don’t like being told….) Second, they don’t have the right they believe they have, to tell others what they should think, and aren’t going to be able to pass laws that favor ONLY their organization…. The other, so-called legitimate religions, will see to that, even if the rest of us don’t manage to do so…. which, I might add, is a distinct possibility, as we would probably get stuck laughing so hard we missed the vote….

I’m not going to rant any further, though I could; this subject lends itself well to such treatment. But, I’ve a lot to do today out in the Big Blue Room, and just wanted to furnish a reminder to everyone that people, and I use the term loosely, who think like this, and are invested in seeking out ways to control other folks until the world is all like them, really do exist, and are out there trying to find ways to slip their idiotic ideas into the public venue, hoping to turn things to their advantage. If we, the rational members of society, do nothing, they will achieve at least some success, and life will get harder for everyone…. Be aware, and don’t allow this sort of idiocy to take hold, ffolkes…. your own blog might be at risk, and you’d never even know until it was too late…..

“Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you…..” — Smart Bee
__________________________________

One might think, to look at the last quote used in section three, that I am somewhat insane. This would be to my advantage, as I am not, but, I’ll just defuse the entire question when I tell you that this quote, found many places besides Smart Bee, was first told to me by my own father….. He DID smile when he said it, but also pointed out that any joke has an element of truth to it, and should, therefore, not be entirely dismissed as nonsensical, merely because it isn’t true for the majority of time. Since my father was one of the most solidly grounded individuals I’ve ever known, I’d say his take on this was pretty accurate, and that knowledge has served me well many times throughout my life…. Be alert, ffolkes, the world needs all the lerts it can get….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

But, really, the teacher obviously meant to say “provincial”….

Posted on December 16, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
I’ve managed to make a decision, in spite of the massive cloud of confusion that descends upon me when I try to think about this issue…. I’m going to use the pieces of the Pearl from the 13th, which still refuses to post (another tale….), to fill in other Pearls, until all three sections have been published. Today, I’ll publish the poem, which I think is a good one, and use the rest tomorrow or Tuesday. It all sounds very logical and sensible, so, no doubt, Murphy will have something to say about it beforehand…. I’ll just be on the lookout for that, and hopefully it won’t get any on you…..

Spending more time lamenting my financial state would be both uncomfortable and tactless, as well as just too self-serving; nothing will happen on Sunday anyway. I could try to do laundry, but those pesky finances say not this month. It’s a good thing I have a lot of underwear and socks….. Hmm…. No buses today, either, except for a limited period, limited to two routes. It’s a good thing I checked out a couple of books yesterday when I posted the Pearl, as today is looking like a stay-at-home holiday for us seniors on a budget…..

On days such as today, I always enjoy the process of pearling, because it can take me out of my head, and into the universe, with all its strangeness and beauty. That is, provided Murphy leaves me alone, and Smart Bee doesn’t get smarmy…. either of those events can lead to problematic issues, such as boredom, which I detest and refuse to acknowledge in any form, or worse, angst, which can build up in short order if I get to thinking about stuff like politics, or religion, the beloved ruling class, human nature, or my own personal failures of courage (we’ve all got ’em….). Generally, though, the trips to find pearls are fun, and provide me with countless hours of entertainment (I’m pretty easy to please in that respect, since almost everything is interesting to me…..).

Once again, I’ve also managed to meander through four paragraphs of not very much, to provide a suitable intro…. Of course, given the nature of what I usually produce, I’m not certain at all that the word “suitable” ever applies, so….. Shall we Pearl?…..

“It’s getting harder and harder to act weird.” — Zippy the Pinhead
__________________________________

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” — Buddha (B.C. 568-488)

This statement strikes a deep chord within me…. It comes to me upon reflection that there are basically two kinds of people in the world; there are those who will see a statement such as this, read it, think about it, and either accept it, or reject it, though it hardly seems possible to do the latter, given its degree of demonstrable truth.

The other kind of person will start to read this, then give up after a few words, because the words have no meaning for them, beyond the word ‘treasure’. Once these folks discover that the ‘treasure’ isn’t jewels or gold, they stop all thought on the subject, and turn to anything else that will serve their self-interest.

In one sense, this dichotomy of nature is indicative of what is happening in the world at large today. On one hand we observe the people who reject the above statement, and live according to rules that are pathologically oriented to themselves, those who also believe in “do unto others before they can do unto you….”.

Sadly, this group is the same one that the major percentage of elected officials and members of our beloved ruling class come from, along with all of those who spend their lives playing with money, i.e., the bankers. All of these folks refuse to acknowledge the veracity of any of the sentiments expressed by the Buddha above, and in many cases, do so with pride and arrogance…

Another group of folks lend their support to those in power, though they spend a lot of time trying to convince everyone that they are acting out of altruistic motivation rather than monetary. I call these folks preachers, for lack of a better word, and the group, in my mind, includes priests, pastors, vicars, sadhu, imams, Elders, or anyone else who considers themselves a holy man, with the right to interpret the words of gods for the rest of us.

They want us to believe they are acting according to what Buddha has expressed above, but in reality, what they do bears no resemblance at all to virtue. They merely use the words to assume the authority by proxy. In fact, their very insistence that they are acting in the interests of others, or are at all inspired to virtue, to me, is a foul lie, and worthy of their own judgment…..

I could rant for a long time on this subject, as I regard it as the most critical problem in human nature, the root cause of our current dangerous position as a species threatened with extinction. The callousness and self-aggrandizement that characterizes those among us who wish power over others will, in the long run, kill us all, if we don’t put a stop to it. Unfortunately, that would, and will, require making decisions, and taking actions, that challenge our own virtue, and place us at risk of becoming that which we are trying to destroy…. a conundrum, for certain. Time will give us the answer, and I, for one, fear to hear it…..

“It’s too bad ignorance isn’t painful.” — Smart Bee
__________________________________

Calliope! Muse to all mad poets! This poem is…. it was…. it’s…. well, I don’t know what it is. It’s been percolating a couple of days, and leaked out this morning when I paused over it to gauge its readiness… which means I guess it was ready, even if I wasn’t, completely…. It seems to work, though, so I’ll let y’all figure out if it was worth the effort…. enjoy!

Dreaming of Calliope

La dame sans merci speaks aloud through endless night,
torturing dreams, with powerful words and stentorian phrases.
Manifest visions bathed in unbearable grace and light,
destroying all direction, standing lost, in unfathomable mazes.

Fate plays a part, one that will never face denial,
as fear and courage eternally vie to gain ascendancy.
Conflict becomes valid, gifting strength in open trial,
but honest emotion wears no costume so fancy.

Blood, sweat, and tears stroll on avenues of gold,
unlikely heroines heralding as in ancient lore;
Sharp, competent knives cut through tales untold,
eternally shifting reality past the naked shore.

Drifting toward origin, bereft of mandate or cause,
finished, nay, abandoned, tied with a figurative bow.
No simple gift from muses to give comfort or pause,
save that all we need to know, we already know…..

~~ gigoid

Hmmm….. well, it’s done. I’ll leave any critical analysis to y’all…. I’m too close to it yet….
__________________________________

I had originally intended to write a rant, or at least a discussion of one of the pearls below…. However, the other entries herein kept popping up while I was still composing it in my head, and just seemed to point the way to where I was trying to reach better than what was percolating in my mind…. That happens a lot, since most everything important has already been said at least once…. or so I’ve been told more than once…. Any who, this pearl will lead the Gentle Reader to a very profound concept, IF that reader is sufficiently attentive, and is capable of moderate levels of comprehension and deduction…. and if not, well, they’re all good reading, and one should still walk away with a sense of having gotten SOMETHING from the experience beyond a bit of eyestrain…..

“To be truly conscious of your stupidity is one of the greatest steps you can make toward wisdom. If you know others, you are learned. If you know yourself, you are indeed wise. It isn’t the things that you don’t know that get you into trouble. What gets you into trouble are those things you know for sure that ain’t so.” — Artemus Ward (1834-1867), aka Charles Farrar Brown

“It is a misconception that spirituality brings everlasting happiness. There is no such thing. Sadness still comes to the wise, but, unlike most people, their clarity of mind allows them to see beyond the temporal emotionalism of the moment. They are farseeing, and so happiness and sorrow become the same to them.” — Deng Ming-Dao

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

THEOSOPHY, n. An ancient faith having all the certitude of religion and all the mystery of science. The modern Theosophist holds, with the Buddhists, that we live an incalculable number of times on this earth, in as many several bodies, because one life is not long enough for our complete spiritual development; that is, a single lifetime does not suffice for us to become as wise and good as we choose to wish to become. To be absolutely wise and good — that is perfection; and the Theosophist is so keen-sighted as to have observed that everything desirous of improvement eventually attains perfection. Less competent observers are disposed to except cats, which seem neither wiser nor better than they were last year. The greatest and fattest of recent Theosophists was the late Madame Blavatsky, who had no cat. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.” — Smart Bee

“All things come round to him who will but wait.” — Henry W. Longfellow (1807-1882) — Tales of a Wayside Inn, The Student’s Tale

Even the end of a pearl….. This one is an easy one, and I could keep adding evidence to the pile for the rest of the day, if I wished. But, the following note from Jubal Harshaw (the name of the character who said it…) gives me ample reason to stop here, at a point where the entire thing can still be saved from complete chaos, and certain oblivion….

“Read it? Good God, no! It’s bad enough to write such a thing.” — Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
__________________________________

“The moving finger, having writ, moves on….” And aren’t you all thankful for that? Another day’s effort come to fruition, or an approximation thereof, with style and, well, I won’t claim elegance, but, a bit of charm wouldn’t be so far off the mark….

For the record, the poem, should today’s post get online without any glitches, is the one I intended to put up the other day, when WordPress refused to accept my input…. (which it still won’t, for some reason… I attempted, yesterday, to edit the material into the page, but that one date’s page WILL NOT accept the material, but will only post the title. Ah well, software is, after all, written by humans…. I’m off to the Big Blue Room to try to get this posted…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Yak butter redux….

Posted on December 14, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Thwarted! WordPress’ New Post Page thwarted my attempt to post on Thursday, 12/13/12. Three separate times I went through all the necessary steps, hit the Publish button, and proceeded to watch the damn thing drop out every bit of material in the post, save the title. Nothing that I entered into the text entry box was sent to the page, so all that shows is the title, the categories, the comment section, and the buttons. Complete malfunction ensued, destroying, or at least, refusing my 1800 plus words and two pictures, including a new original poem, sending them off to somewhere in cyberspace, to be lost forever in the internet cloud. What a waste of effort…. temporary, if I can make it so….. nonetheless, wasted time is still wasted. I suppose it could be said to be more futile than wasted, to be fair….

The above, written soon after returning from the library yesterday, in two separate stages, is pure truth, sadly. I don’t do well with futility, all in all, and it’s hard to accept missing a day due to a WP technical glitch. I noted new interfaces and buttons yesterday, and recently, which may have messed with the system somehow…. Today’s post will prove the pudding, or banish it to the trash, as may be….

This paragraph begins the new day…. fresh, and full of promise, just like a new day should be. Let us hope that the sense of promise holds true long enough for at least one event of good note to occur; it sure would be nice to have some good news for a change…. It is hard to get too enthusiastic about the chance of that happening, though, given the past’s record of disappointment in that area. Murphy, may he rot in the lowest portion of hell, has been far too ubiquitous for any such luck….. In sooth, it is getting almost comical, and would be so, if it weren’t so real, and so important to me, and my quality of life….

There are signs of improvement along those lines, but rather than jinx things, I’ll just let that go with a mention, and just say I’m glad to see any kind of change in that direction, and hope for more…. So, I saved what I produced yesterday, to post today, so I’ll make good use of my time now, and start on the next Pearl, which I haven’t decided whether to post twice today, to make up, or to just skip a day, and move on…. I guess that will actually be determined by the WP page, and whether or not it will be publishing me at all…. I really do hate technical glitches…. it indicates poorly written code, and there’s no excuse for that, to my way of thinking…. But, then, I’ve never written code, so, who knows what is real?….

This intro section has turned into a daily proof, I guess, that there is no limit to how far I can, or will, meander when I’m just blathering like this. Of course, some of this one was spit out yesterday, so it really doesn’t count that way, but, hey, it all works for me, as it gets me to the diving portion of the program, which is where I like to be…. looking for a reason to write, some excuse to get all the stuff in my head out into the world, where it might do something other than just drive me bats…. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

— Bother! said Pooh, as he fried Piglet for breakfast. — Smart Bee

(Piglet, I hear, made an ill-timed humorous comment about Pooh’s “hunny pot”…..)

Oh, my! Pooh’s dark side is showing again…. In previous posts, I’ve told y’all how I discovered that Winnie the Pooh wasn’t the innocent little Bear of Little Brain that most people know and love. For years, it seems, Pooh has led a dual existence, on the one side wandering the 100 Acre Forest with his friends, undergoing simple, instructive events where no one gets hurt badly, and no one cries for long. On the other hand, in his alternate universe, Pooh makes Darth Vader look like a Boy Scout, helping grannies across the road…..

I’m sorry if your illusions have been destroyed, but, I thought you should know, as I believe that Pooh uses his faux-innocent disguise to lure attractive young children into his sphere of influence, then corrupts them in any of a thousand time-tested ways, sending them on the path to perdition, and a lifetime of pain and misery…. the evil git…. Here then, are some examples of the kind of things Pooh has been up to recently, for your education and elucidation, so that you may be warned to guard your own progeny from the depredations to which they could conceivably fall prey, by becoming fond of this extremely evil creature…. The Bear of Little Brain, and Less Scruple…. (My comments appear in parentheses after the quoted text…. just like this…)

🙂

— Bother! said Pooh, as he nuked Iraq!

(Pooh’s first term as a mercenary came during the Kuwait conflict, indicating even then his willingness to use nuclear weapons, in contravention of all treaties….)

— Bother! said Pooh, as he lobbed a grenade at the intruder.

(The intruder was his neighbor, Mrs. Graham, bringing him some mail brought to her house by mistake….)

— Bother! said Pooh, as he ordered Mr. Worf to fire all phasers.

(The other ship had just agreed to lower its shield to negotiate….)

— Bother! said Pooh, as he put on the hockey mask and started the saw.

(Oh, you didn’t know? The idea for the Freddy movies, and the other massacre movies, came from one of Pooh’s home videos….)

— Bother! said Pooh, as Eeyore mounted him from behind.

(He only said “Bother” because he had just finished mounting Roo from behind, and was tired….)

Need I say more?….. Be warned, ffolkes…..
__________________________________

Danny O’Dare

Danny O’Dare, the dancin’ bear,
Ran away from the County Fair,
Ran right up to my back stair
And thought he’d do some dancin’ there.
He started jumpin’ and skippin’ and kickin’,
He did a dance called the Funky Chicken,
He did the Polka, he did the Twist,
He bent himself into a pretzel like this.
He did the Dog and the Jitterbug,
He did the Jerk and the Bunny Hug.
He did the Waltz and the Boogaloo,
He did the Hokey-Pokey too.
He did the Bop and the Mashed Potata,
He did the Split and the See Ya Later.
And now he’s down upon one knee,
Bowin’ oh so charmingly,
And winkin’ and smilin’–it’s easy to see
Danny O’Dare wants to dance with me.

Shel Siverstein
__________________________________

Since the election last month, the political scene has gone typically quiet, as the politicians all figure out how to make their newly shaped garments fit. The obligatory conflict between the White House and Congress trudges on toward the next subject of dire consequence, this time the tax structures inherited from Bush, and Medicare/Medicaid. As usual, the GOP wants to take all they can away from the weak and vulnerable, and give it to Wall Street, while the White House tries to cut a piece of that out for the middle class, and tries to protect the seniors. Meanwhile, the incipient erosion of rights being silently and stealthily taken from us citizens, by BOTH parties, goes on in the background, while everyone pretends they aren’t noticing….

So, any who, I just felt somewhat nostalgic for all the outrage and energy that gets bandied about during the election months, and thought it would be a good idea to put out some little reminders of how dishonest and egregiously avaricious ALL politicians are; even the ones you like are in office for their own reasons, not for your interests. Oh, they’ll tell y’all anything you want to hear, as long as you keep voting for them, but, mark my words, they will pursue their own agenda as soon as the election is over, guaranteed…. So, remember, these “jokes” about politicians and the like (preachers/priests and unscrupulous lawyers usually fall into that category in my mind….. Besides, these days a law degree is a required prerequisite for politicians who aim for high office….) exist for one simple reason…. they’re usually TRUE….. If not strictly so, there is ample evidence that they are based on true events….

“Crime must pay, or politicians wouldn’t seek re-election.” — Smart Bee

“When you’re around it all the time, you don’t notice it so much.” — Garrison Keillor, “Lake Wobegon Days”

“So many lawyers, so few bullets.” — Smart Bee

“Election time is that period when politicians get free speech mixed up with cheap talk.” — J. B. Kidd

“It’s getting harder and harder to act weird.” — Zippy the Pinhead

(Oops, sorry, that one slipped by me…. but, then, it kind of fits, don’t you think? Okay, it can stay….)

“Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time.” — Lt. Col. Ollie North

(I must apologize again…. Ollie wasn’t a politico, but he played one in real life. I thought it rather nice of him to share his expertise and wisdom with his co-conspirators like this….)

“I’m a fellow who bleeds every time a tree is cut down.” — Ronald Reagan, Fresno Bee, 4/28/66, while Governor

“If you’ve seen one tree, you’ve seen them all….” — Ronald Reagan, while President, recorded prior to a speech he made regarding proposed environmental legislation.

“California is proud to be the home of the freeway.” — Ronald Reagan

(And he was considered The Great Communicator?….. Sure he was…. He always communicated exactly what he wanted people to believe…. when he could remember what that was….)

“Before I begin, I’d like to recite the Lawyer’s Prayer: Lord, please let there be strife and misery among your people, Lest your servant starve…” — Clonezone takes on lawyers, from “Badger”

“Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

Okay….. I will show mercy. Obviously, there is no shortage of jokes and general lamentations regarding these less than stellar members of society, and one begins to get a hint as to why they are so reviled among their peers. Experience is the only thing that such vituperation could spring from, and the deeper the well of that experience, the more evidence one accrues to support the accuracy of the indictment of the reputations involved. Or, more simply, where there is smoke, there is often fire…. not always, mind you, but, …. often…..
__________________________________

“Work is not an end in itself; there must always be time enough for love.” — Robert Heinlein

I’m not sure why I included the last statement, even though I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment. I guess it just felt like a good closing thought…. and I’d be right in that. So, before such simple elegance gets away from me….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

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

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Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: politics

Just another well-planned wardrobe malfunction….

Simple, yet complex patterns of mist…..

Some crumbled eggshells will help clarify it….

Credit given where due….

It is often considered de rigeur to order dessert first….

In defiance of common sense, he spat….

In the graveyard of the ancient toaster-ovens….

But, really, the teacher obviously meant to say “provincial”….

Yak butter redux….

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