Intricate strategies deserve simple tactics….

Posted on October 28, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Marie Curie ~~

WTF is that!….

Hajime…. In direct opposition to how I feel, which is good, in a general sense, my muse seem to have deserted me. Add to that some rather unexpected, if not surprising, attacks from within by my resident demons, and it might be apparent why the intro sections of late have been sort of truncated, if not downright butchered to pieces by ruthless efficient trimming of the dross and drivel that usually shows up. This ruthlessness is not only unaccustomed for me, it’s exhausting, for it is another attempt to fit a square peg into that damned round hole.

While the physical limitations to typing and writing are better, it remains difficult to maintain any stamina; a few minutes will put me into some relevant if not obtrusive pain, so I try to work in spurts. This is good for the hands and shoulders, but, not good for creativity, let me assure you. Ideas need a bit of peace at times, and this constant whirl from one activity level to another, all damn day, is getting old. But, then, so am I, and that ain’t gonna stop, so, I suppose I should stop complaining, and get on with today’s mess/effort/mass of contradictions. Why not? It’s free….

I’ve put together an extensive Pearl for today; I checked out a couple of the suggested related blogs suggested by the WP bots, that show at the end of each post, and found a couple good inclusions for today. There’s also a pretty good older poem of mine, and, of course, an old-school pearl to chew on at the end. To save my hands, and left shoulder, which is giving me fits today, let’s just get this over with no fuss. I can use one of my literary tricks, or break out an old technique from our dark ages. I think, today, we’ll just do this….

Shall we pearl?….

“A heart is not judged by how much you love but by how much you are loved by others.”

~~ The Wizard of Oz ~~

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Image from The Inquistr.com via Google Images

A few days ago, I included a video of this gentleman playing a rather excellent piece, while sitting on the street in his hometown in Poland. One of our Gentle Readers ferreted out his information, including his Facebook presence. Here then is another video of his play, which connects you to a page on You Tube with a number of his pieces of work. He is truly an amazing guitarist, and I hope his name, Martiusz Goli, becomes a household word, the world over…. Enjoy!…

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Mariusz Goli

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I’m in the mood to rant, but, not the ‘right’ mood. To rid myself of the emotional dross, while avoiding having to actually write, here is one last posted in April of 2013, written in 2012, prior to the last presidential election, which, though pretty lame, cannot approach the degree of lameness already shown in this election….

From 4/9/2013:

Here’s the deal…. I still don’t have a rant ready, but I feel like ranting…. so, I’ll sublimate…. This is an article that I posted on Triond, another web site where I’ve published some of my work, in the latter part of 2012, near the election that took place in November….. All of it is still pretty valid, discounting the date-related issues…. all the rest, I stand by…..

Absence of Honor: The Untimely Death of The US Constitution

“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered.” — Deng Ming-Dao

As I read this pearl, my immediate thought was that it is a very clear, very accurate take on the 2012 election process that is currently unfolding before us in the daily news. The end of the political scale that is represented so raggedly by what is left of the Republican Party, and the mislabeled liberal end of the scale who claim to be Democrats, both of which are engaging in ongoing battles to see who can display the deepest ignorance.

The leading candidate for the “loyal opposition” to the party in power, Mr. Romney, seems to have a proclivity for alienating the very people from whom he is trying to win votes; women, immigrants and Hispanics, animal lovers, seniors, teachers and students, all have been told, in no uncertain terms, that they matter not at all to him. His plan? We’ll stop taxing the rich altogether, and that will fix everything…. Sometimes I wonder if he is getting all of his information on voter wants and issues of importance from old newspapers from the 1980’s, because he certainly hasn’t a clue as to what is happening out in America in this decade….

The other party, led by our first Black President, is busy hiding what the left hand is doing by distracting everyone with the tax and healthcare issues, to keep them unaware of how few of the Bill of Rights are left to us. “Executive Orders” signed by the POTUS this year, beginning on New Year’s Eve, while the voters were all busy celebrating the advent of the new year, include provisions that allow police to stop, search, and arrest any citizen of this country whom they suspect of any form of terrorism, or even of protest against the provisions of those orders.

These same police who are arresting their ostensible fellow-citizens are not required to tell ANYONE that they have arrested and imprisoned a citizen, nor are they ever required to provide any evidence of their suspicions in a court of law. Even though there may be no evidence, they can subject these CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY to torture to obtain a confession, or whatever it is they are after. There is no oversight to these orders; they don’t go before Congress to be approved, nor are they reviewed by the courts. Both of those particular checks on the power of the Executive Branch are completely out of the loop on this…. and they aren’t even complaining about it!

Does it physically hurt to be that stupid? — Smart Bee

My guess at the answer to this is, No. It can’t hurt very much to be that stupid, as we continue to go out each time there is an election and vote these same lying, cheating, avaricious assholes back into the same positions from which they have been oppressing the American people for oh, a hundred or so years now. I’d say that around the time of the Depression was when the first real strangle-hold on the national throat was first achieved…. the pure bullshit the government was spewing back then can be seen to have been the first real time that the government’s outrageous lies were swallowed whole by a reluctant public, who had nothing else to eat, and thus nothing else to risk…

“He was born stupid, and greatly increased his birthright.” — Samuel Butler

So, how does it feel? Does it physically hurt to be so stupid as to be part of the crowd that continues to buy into all the bullshit lies that our own government heaps upon us every day? To keep going to the polls, just as if it really matters who gets elected? Get real, folks. You will not find a name on the ballot that belongs to someone who is not a willing tool of the powers of oppression, the money-changers who are the power behind the scenes of every government in the world. Not going to happen; they’ve been the real power in the world for centuries, and they’re not about to give up all they have, just to be nice, or because they’ve all of a sudden grown a heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty fucking tired of being lied to, and cheated, and looked at as just another idiot for them to shit on….. and I’m not going to put up with it for much longer, without some kind of return fire….. believe it…. I don’t think I am alone in this, either…. No way to tell for sure, but I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE is falling for all of it…. but, even if I’m alone in this, I refuse to knuckle under any further, and can only say that I will do all I can to see things turn in a direction that will return my Rights, and those of the rest of the American people…. or at least those not stupid enough to hand them over without a fight….

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Savory

Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.

Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
chance manifests, as it does, again.

Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
as another snitch drops his dime.

Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
turning love to brilliant rhyme.

Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
peace comes only when we lose our fear.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/9/2013

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Naked Pearls

Five Steps to Living Large….

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“By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like a dot;
by thought I encompass the Universe.”

~~ Pascal, Pensees, n. 265 ~~

*******

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”

~~ Walter Bagehot ~~

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“Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters to a Young Poet ~~

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“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

~~ Buckminster Fuller~~

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“Throw strikes. Home plate don’t move.”

~~ Satchel Paige ~~

*******

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Well, there you have it. It’s big, but, it’s mine; it’s also done as well as I can do it. Rather than test any limits yet in place, let’s just cut this off here, and do it again tomorrow. It’s not as if anyone’s paying overtime, right? Right. See ya, ffolkes, unless Reality morphs on us drastically….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Thoughtful food….

Posted on July 3, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“And though the course may change sometimes,
Rivers always reach the sea.”

~~ Led Zeppelin, Ten Years Gone ~~

A portrait of focused intent….

Hajime…. I gave up on my deadline, which is probably obvious for those who come here at a regular time. It’s now an hour after my self-imposed time to be done, yet, here I am, just beginning. I’ll be trying to ignore my inner voices, who are already clamoring for panic mode, to see if it will help me keep this reasonably coherent (not that’s ever kept us from posting before…). Should I meet with any success, it’ll be a first, so, you may offer congratulations any time. Hah!

That’s right, ffolkes, I’m teetering on the edge again. If there was a god, he might know why, but, since we don’t cater to such nonsense, I’ll just have to assume I have a good reason, so I can get on with enduring its depredations, in whatever form they may take this time out. Thanks to the nearly limitless abundance of material with which my imagination can formulate new nightmares, day or night, well, that form is pretty, well, formless, so I never know quite what to expect in the way of new, depressing thought patterns. Lots of crap in there with the good stuff to work with, so, it can get a little weird….

How ’bout that picture, eh? It’s the latest I have of Leelu, showing off her developing calico coloration, as well as her magnetic personality. Notice how sharp and clear the picture is, behind and around her; she, in contrast, is a bit fuzzy. I think that’s due to her magnetic nature, which complicates taking digital pictures; she always appears as if she is moving, even when sitting still. Probably has something to do with the cat characteristic of being capable of inter-dimensional travel; alternately, it could be my old, shaky hands…. It’s still a nice picture of her, at nearly a year old….

I’ve blathered sufficiently to meet our everyday standards, so, I guess I’ll go try to throw the rest of this together. Hell, if I’m lucky, it might even get done before noon. I’ll see what I can do about that…..

Shall we pearl?….

“Is is not true that we have only one life to live;
if we can read, we can live as many lives
and as many kinds of lives as we wish.”

~~ S.I. Hayakawa ~~

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Y’all knew this was coming, right? If you didn’t, you should have; there have been more than enough clues, for anyone who’s been coming here for any length of time. No worries; it’s all good. I hope you enjoy today’s selection, chosen, as always, for the picture that grabbed my attention….

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Classical Music

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Since I’m in White Rabbit mode (I’m late, I’m late, etc…), here’s one from the archives…. Enjoy!…

From 3/26/2014:

“If Patrick Henry thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see how bad it is WITH representation.” — Smart Bee

http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Obama-to-propose-ending-NSA-s-phone-call-sweep-5345715.php

So…. I’m feeling GOOD! Shall we rant?…..

If I’m to believe this article’s headline, Barry says he wants the NSA to stop being bad boys, and play nice with the rest of us….. I believe I’ll wait to see if any of this really happens before I break out the champagne…. This president, I’m sorry to say, has developed a particularly nasty habit, over the course of his time in office, of playing fast and loose with the truth, a tendency which, when observed in the past, in EVERY other psychopathic resident of his position, only becomes worse the longer the perpetrators believe they’re getting away with it…. When action is overdue, talk is cheap….

Due to my intense disappointment in his actions thus far during his administration, I’ll save my trust for later, when… no, IF I see ANY of his statements come to pass, in truth…. If, as I suspect, all goes according to historical example, we’ll see some superficial posturing by the White House pundits, that might eventually get around to SUGGESTING some changes that should be made….. But, none will actually occur in reality, and any real discussion will get bogged down in committee…. Meantime, the media will find some other outrageous issue to distract them from ever following up to see if anything happens along the lines of actual reform….

Now I’ll finish reading the article, & see how my prediction fared…. Ah, I see now…. Upon reading it through to the end, I came across the key phrase, the one indicating the real strategy behind the White House announcement…. to wit: “The president’s plan, however, relies on Congress to pass legislation — something that has so far seemed unlikely.”

Immediately upon reading this, my crap detector went off, with a loud “AHA!”, (inadvertently sending the cat flying across the room to hide in the plants, thinking I was about to come after her for something she did, no doubt…. she has a guilty conscience, I’m sure…. Right….. I’d believe that…. if I believed she had one at all….), when I realized I knew, now, just WHY Barry is adopting this stance, at least, if you believe what he says here…. which, understandably, I’m now having a hard time doing….

If he just leaves it up to Congress, it’s a foregone conclusion nothing will be done ….. Not by THIS one…. The current Congress has been, for the last three years, at least, the absolute worst one, EVER, for getting anything actually DONE…. This includes ALL of the past elections of congress we’ve seen in our history… I shit you not, this Congress has passed fewer laws, and had fewer bills presented at all, than ANY previous sitting of that august body, by a factor of about 8….. They’re determined to be known as the newest holder of the title of “Do-Nothing Congress”, formerly held by one in the early, or late, 20th century, I believe….

(Side note: This, of course, can be attributed to the Republican majority in the House of Representatives…. The party’s pundits, all older, white, Christian conservatives, determined, and stated in public, soon after Obama was elected, that their entire focus for the time he is in office would be to ensure that NONE of his legislative reforms ever took place, or made it into law…. It didn’t matter to them whether or not any of his programs would actually HELP the citizenry they represent; they were determined to undermine every reform he attempted….

For the most part, they’ve been successful in allowing NOTHING, or, nothing much, anyway, to get done…. all because of their unstated, but obvious, bigoted fear of the black man in the White House, an affront to their sense of Caucasian entitlement, not to mention the severe blow to their sense of reality…. They hadn’t even noticed when they ceased to be the majority in the real world….)

After reading the entire article, I find my opinion confirmed…. This announcement is just another stall tactic, one designed to give the impression to the public that something is happening, when nothing actually IS happening, or GOING to happen, other than business as usual for the spy agencies, who have continued ALL of the activities of espionage they are accused of carrying out…. The government has absolutely no intention of giving up their new toys, and they will continue to lie their little faces off to keep that from becoming public knowledge….

The NSA is STILL spying on the citizens of every nation of the whole world, including their own citizens, without ever having actually slowed down, or ceased ANY of the programs they’ve begun…. If you actually believe it when they tell you they have, well, then, you deserve to have them in your face…. Sorry, ffolkes, but, it’s just plain STUPID to believe these people are going to tell us ANYTHING they don’t WANT us to know….

Oh, every once in a while, we’ll see in the news they’ve sent one of their lackeys chiefs to Congress to discuss issues, or make statements, none of which actually address anything relevant…. they’re just making more smoke….. In the process, nothing is actually being done to stop them at all, not by Congress, not by the Courts, and certainly not by the White House…. No, it’s all just smoke, ffolkes, sent up to get in your eyes, trying to make you think they’re listening to your concerns…..

Right…. sure they are….. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but, to these myrmidons of the shadowy corporate masters, your concerns are something to be used against you, to fan your fears of the “unknown other”, while simultaneously listening to your every spoken word over the airwaves…. Whatever they tell you they aren’t doing, or can’t do…. well, ffolkes, the smart money says they are not only capable of everything we suspect of them, but are already beyond that level, and are capable of far worse…. Count on it…. Not only are they lying about what they are doing, they are lying about what they CAN do…. which we will ONLY find out when we find the police at our door…..

Think about it, ffolkes!….. When you break down the walls between yourself and the truth, and really THINK about their purpose, the bottom line concept of their given task as spies, LYING, especially about what they are doing in the dark, away from the public eye, is an important part of their JOB!…. And, guess what? They’re good at it….

I hate to be such a curmudgeon about all of this, but, the evidence just keeps pushing me back into that mode, pissed off and ready to start picking off real targets, instead of merely suggesting them…. If you couldn’t tell, I think I pissed myself off…. I’d better go now, before I get REALLY worked up, and can’t find my way out of this rant…..

“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” — Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address January 20, 1953

“I don’t mind being in touch with reality, as long as I don’t have to live there.” — Smart Bee, channeling gigoid again

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Honorable Request

Days, filled to a brim with fluff and time, pass
dimly into memory, bit by combative bit;
ever mournful, yet loud with life and sass,
only in dream do we meet, and dance, and flit.

Souls, spinning ’round in gleeful wonder, comply
as they must, never given a reason;
somberly proper, yet limber and quite spry,
dancing on to greet each bright new season.

Storms, angered by apathetic care, rage
proceeding into ministerial glare, unknown;
clothed in colors, purified solely with sage,
past an infinite future, already flown.

Life, plumbed to its depths and secrets, keeps
flowing with currents, strong and fairly found;
love stands, asking release, as it slowly weeps,
seeking refuge unasked, to stay honor bound.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/13/2012

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It’s too late to try to persuade SB to be nice, so, here’s an old, old-school pearl from the archives, billed as a damn good one…

From 6/7/2014:

I am compelled, at this point, to confess…. I still am not completely at my ease, physically. To be brief, there remains a small knife embedded in my right hip…. Well, that’s how it feels, anyway. With the meds, and rest, it’s doable; within an hour or two, it begins to get sharper, though, and by noon, it’s enough to make me want to hurt somebody, preferably someone else…. But, it is NOT going to keep me from finishing this Pearl…. This does mean I’ll be going old school though, as I was not able to get out yesterday to take any new pictures for this….. I’ll try to get back to that, as soon as I can get out of the house to a place where there are some reasonable subjects to shoot…. with my camera…. For now, let’s dive, shall we, & finish out this mess?….

“Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words;” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Cleobulus, iv

“Common sense is the least common of all senses.” — Hobson’s Homily

“We’re not talking about the same thing,” he said. “For you the world is weird because if you’re not bored with it you’re at odds with it. For me the world is weird because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious,unfathomable; my interest has been to convince you that you must accept responsibility for being here, in this marvelous world, in this marvelous desert, in this marvelous time. I wanted to convince you that you must learn to make every act count, since you are going to be here for only a short while, in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it.” — Don Juan

“All passions that suffer themselves to be relished and digested are but moderate.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book i, Chap. ii, Of Sorrow

“Rules make the learner’s path long, examples make it short and successful.” — Seneca

“Of all mankind, each loves himself the best.’ — Terence

“The world, dear Agnes, is a strange affair.” — Jean Baptiste Moliere (1622-1673) — L’Ecole des Femmes, Act ii, Sc. 6

Now THAT is a pearl, ffolkes…. and a damn good one, too….

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Having cobbled this one together in a rush, it probably ended up as a good metaphorical representation of my state of mind today; like ice, on the verge of melting…. However it came out, it is, as we are fond of noting, done. So be it. I’ll try again tomorrow, if I can find my routine around here somewhere; it seems to be hiding a lot of late. See ya, ffolkes; I’m determined, if not sanguine….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Rim shots for peace….

Posted on May 30, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.”

~~ Halifax ~~

Morning Glory in Blue

Hajime…. Bozoid, or not, it’s got to be done. Since my degree of bozoid is rather highly developed, that will require an incredible amount of focus, and will, in order to fulfill our chosen duty. Given the last night’s draw, having fought for sleep until successful (well, to a degree… three sets of two hours isn’t too bad… that’s more down than up, so, hey, bonus….), and the concomitant extra smegs of energy, I have no real excuse for not getting it done, unless I retreat into whine and sour cheese. Therefore, what you see is what I’ve got, and it’s all you get.

Today, that isn’t an insignificant amount of material. In fact, there’s a rather extensive diatribe in the ranting section, with a seven-star pearl that grew to nine, and a complex poem from about 4 years ago. I also think you’ll enjoy today’s music; I know I did, and will again. So, in spite of any possible glitches, or, spanners in the works, we have a pretty good example of a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom for your reading pleasure. I know, that’s a bit presumptuous, but, hey, I think so, and, in the final analysis, that’s all that matters…. Deal with it, just as if it were a part of Reality As We Know It….

Now I’ve set the stage, so to speak, I think I’ll use my somewhat underused executive decision making powers, as held by law and custom, I’ll cut the intro down to a proper size, with the simple decree, “it’s enough, and, it’s done.” So be it. I hope you enjoy today’s mess; I enjoyed putting it together, mostly, so, that will probably show through. If not, well, you can ask for a refund. You won’t get one, but, you can ask. On that curmudgeonly note, I say we should be on our way, and, in this blog, what I say, necessarily, goes….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Dope will get you through times of no money
better that money will get you through times of no dope.”

~~ Freewheelin’ Franklin, “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” ~~

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Image from youtube.com via Google Images

Some days, you just need it to be as real as it can get. Today is such a day for me. When ‘real’ is called for, I call for Tom Waits….

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Tom Waits
Live in Bremen -Full Album

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https://youtu.be/oZi7qeyhPhw

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I had a quote by Plato picked out, but, ranting is not in the picture for this morning; given the state of my mind, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Here for your reading enjoyment is a rather extensive discussion/diatribe, which pokes some rather cogent indictments against certain members of the BRC, or, as we like to call them, Asininnies…. Enjoy!….

From 2/1/2013:

“I wouldn’t recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” — Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), journalist

So, this is going to be fun…. I think. I have no idea what to put here today. I’m not ready to rant; besides which, there’s nothing particularly rantable on tap… Oh, there’s stuff to talk about, silly stuff, bad stuff, even some good stuff…. but, none of it tickles my rant bone…. So, I’m just going to use some links to subject matter, as well as links to today’s headlines, to make short, hopefully pithy comments, infused with with and wisdom, (well, insofar as I am capable of doing so…you can never tell just how that will work out….), thereby defusing the otherwise potentially explosive possibilities that arise when I don’t rant….

First, one of my gentle readers left me a link yesterday, that led to some rather interesting information, about a concept that, oddly enough, I’d never before encountered in all my reading…. though, come to think of it now, I did read the book in which the the first appearance of the idea appeared, according to the article, a tome by Philip K. Dick…. I must have passed over the concept as part of the book’s plot, because it is a deep one, and deserves some thought….

Pronoia…. the belief that there is a conspiracy on the part of the universe to make my life better…. It is the exact reverse state of mind of paranoia, the belief in a conspiracy by reality to do us harm; as such, the concept offers the best sort of contrast to that, contrast that outlines and reveals the true state of mind we need, in order to see ALL the picture that Reality presents to us… The state of mind that shows us how to be aware of the true nature of Reality, that of duality….

It’s also a very nice way to think about living, as one of the natural results of following this train of thought is to become more compassionate, and more tolerant of others…. more able to love, and be loved… If you need an example of someone who displays the characteristics of a pronoiac, think of Elwood P. Dowd, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in the movie, “Harvey”….. Elwood believed in acting just as if the world was a place that had no other purpose than to give him different opportunities to find happiness, and, as a result of his beliefs, he found it, everywhere he looked….

Read the article, ffolkes, it will give you something to think about other than the gloom and doom that is our usual fare, if nothing else….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronoia_%28psychology%29

In another example of how frigging CRAZY this world is, and just how little respect for the public the BRC has, I offer the following, which, though it appears to be encouraging, is actually quite scary, and I’ll tell you why…. after you read what he said….

http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Obama-I-care-deeply-about-net-neutrality-5193864.php

While Barry claims to value net neutrality, his minions at the NSA and the US Cyber Security Forces are actively pursuing complete CONTROL of that internet, seeking to find ways to be able to access ANY computer ANYWHERE on the planet, as long as it is connected to the Net. When he was first elected, I sent an email to the White House, in answer to a call for opinions on some subject or another…. My hope, though small, was that someone would actually READ what I sent, and possibly, a response from an actual person would be elicited….

No such luck… I never have received anything from them via this contact other than obvious form letters, asking for donations, telling me I should join this movement, or support the president in some project or another…. Since sending that ONE email, I have been inundated with two, and sometimes three or four emails a day from the White House…. That’s every day, since 2009…. I get begging letters, letters to try to engage me enough to click on links to send me to places where they can present more attempts to brainwash me…. This administration has embrace the internet, social media, and email as marketing tools of the highest order, and obviously, have learned a lot from the spam industry about how to use email as a marketing tool…

Not only that, they are definitely mining me for whatever data they can find…. They know my name, and that I’ve never responded, because I keep getting emails from them telling me my name isn’t on their list as a supporter or a donor…. I would opt out of getting them, but, I believe in the old adage about keeping one’s enemies close enough to know what they’re up to, at least on the surface….

Immediately upon emailing the WH, I also got new, begging-type emails from a number of liberal causes, all of whom are big supporters of the pOTUS’s agenda…. Even Al Franken, a smart comedian turned Senator, started hitting me up for donations, along with the Human Rights Commission, MoveOn.org, Causes, Greenpeace, etc….. all are dunning me to get my spare dollars, and put my name, and computer address, into their database….

No, thanks…. I’ll keep accepting the emails, because it gives me a fair idea of what’s up in those arenas, but, I won’t ever respond again to them, even though I have no fear of the delete button, and can get rid of them without mercy, or regret…. which I do, every day…. But, damn, I wish I was a good enough hacker to be able to send back an email bomb, that would explode their database when my data got entered…. That would be too cool for words….

I see this statement by the president as a self-serving one, designed to make people believe he has the same concerns they have; but, at the same time, he is actively working to make the internet completely his to control…. and THAT’s dangerous, because, people are BELIEVING him….

Lastly today, here is an article which I am including, even though I won’t read it…. If this project gets passed, it will be a significant victory for the Asininnies in the fight to save the Arctic (Oh, yeah, I get emails about that, too…) from the oil companies’ limitless avarice. I have a feeling, though, even if passed, it will never get built, due to eco-terrorist sabotage…..Though not one of them, per se, I know there are a LOT of people out there who are VERY committed to stopping this pipeline, and won’t give up….

Seems to me, though I’ve never studied those particular warfare techniques, it wouldn’t be all that difficult to stop the pipeline from being built, considering the vulnerability of the areas through which it must pass…..Time will tell, but, I think the shadowy corporate masters may have bitten off a bite from a very bitter apple, which may end up being more than they can chew, this time….

http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Keystone-XL-oil-pipeline-clears-significant-hurdle-5193660.php

Such articles tend to depress me, so I’m going to give this a rest now…. This will have to suffice as today’s rant, because, ffolkes, that’s all I’ve got in me today…. I’m pretty sure that most ffolkes would say it’s enough…. I’ll finish up with this short, five-star pearl, which seems appropriate to the above discussions….

“According to Descartes, Rush Limbaugh doesn’t exist.” — Smart Bee

“If good intentions are combined with stupidity, it is impossible to outthink them.” — Marion J. Levy, Jr.

“Prefer loss to the wealth of dishonest gain; the former vexes you for a time; the latter will bring you lasting remorse.” — Chilo

“Remember: it’s only American television.” — David Letterman

“Life, as we know it, does not exist.” — Smart Bee

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

A bit less than five years ago, after a hiatus covering nearly 40 years, I began writing poetry again. This one is one of those first attempts to stretch my mind a bit; it seems to have worked. Last night, for some unknown reason, while up in the middle of the night, the title floated up into my head. So, here it is, for, who am I to ignore messages from my own unconscious mind?

Fatal Supplication

But what becomes of our deepest dangerous dreams?
Does fantasy rescue any part of life’s imperiled favor?
Reality becomes but silvery pairs of mismatched teams,
Dining with affable elegance, such diffident waste to savor.

Who decides what sorrows to carry bravely to term?
Will fragrant moments of sanity make hasty manifestation?
Only Time’s patient mutability sends messages so firm,
Yet salient impersonal vexation lends credence to ripe imagination.

Can folly bring out sadness and rampant visions of beauty?
What kindness can be found in distant open relations?
With countless faces the dead disturb with dire impunity,
From separate caches of wisdom come simple stylish privations.

Shall shallow emotion serve to provide such explanations?
When does avaricious intensity assume primary focus?
Plain answers slide softly through with multiple mitigations,
While conceptually indignant concepts engage a fatally personal locus.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/20/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Guess….

*******

“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future is a little
like having bees live in your head. But there they are . . .”

~~ The Firesign Theater ~~

*******

“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”

~~ Carl Sagan ~~

*******

“Be loyal.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*******

“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~

*******

“Sacred cows make the best hamburger.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

“Never be boastful; someone may come along who knew you as a child.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

*******

“It’s not only what we do,
but also what we do not do for which we are accountable.”

~~ Moliere ~~

*******

“Pain exists to measure pleasure by.”

~~ Tibetan Proverb ~~

*******

“The game isn’t over till it’s over.”

~~ Yogi Berra ~~

*******

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

It’s always a good feeling to complete a chosen duty; given my background, and my father, it’s about the best feeling there is in my world. I’m not sure I want to try to figure out what THAT means, so, we’ll take this opportunity to take our leave, before I do, or say, anything untoward. It happens. Instead, I’ll bid thee adieu for another day, with our usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back tomorrow, ffolkes. Just try to stop me….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

No, thanks, it’s already limp…

Posted on August 6, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea…. if it’s the only one you’ve got.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Whither bound, mariner?

West by west, against the tide…

Good morning…. Welcome to ECR, and, the creation of today’s Pearl…. Bolstered as we are by the boon of an appreciable period of time in the arms of Morpheus, big plans have been formulated, none of which, naturally, will ever see the light of day. We’re up, though, and reasonably well-rested, having had almost enough sleep to require TWO hands on which to count the hours…. Almost….

It will have to do, though, and, we are grateful for what we were blessed to receive…. Hell, it only took three hours of chewing, swallowing, pacing, and twitching, along with about $200 worth of marginally illegal drugs to get it, but, hey, who’s counting, right? Not us…. Just kidding, of course; we’d never consider using illegal drugs for anything….. Well, anything other than emergency backup, anyway. One can never be sure one is getting what is promised on the street…. Of course, the very same can be said of what we get from pharmaceutical companies, can’t it? I don’t think I trust their good intentions any more than I do my local street dealer…. At least I know where to find him if I have an issue….

Too snarky? No? Good. We wouldn’t want to get stuck in snarky-mode this early, though, it’s not a bad idea sometimes. A bit of erudite caricature, combined with some snide realism, can make for a funny segment…. But, since we’re already dealing with being stuck in the royal “we”, perhaps we’ll not go into any of that…. Obviously, we are already confused. We have no clue why we are stuck here, but, we’re doing as well as we can…. Perhaps if,…. No, better not. Never mind.

Clearly, the process of putting together a fresh Pearl is going to be a bit of a struggle, given the apparent handicaps under which we are obviously ~~struggling~~ operating…. A mind too clear, a perceptive-mode tilted about 20º off plumb, and, a daunting view of vast vistas of blank white space, may just be more than we are prepared to cope with; we can do no less than try our best, though, for it is our chosen duty…. SIGH….

That being the case, perhaps we’d best be on our way…. Luigi, if you please…. You know what to do….

Shall we Pearl?….

When the dream came, I held my breath with my eyes closed.
I went insane, like a smoke ring day when the wind blows.

~~ Neil Young ~~

~~ “On My Way Home”, Buffalo Springfield ~~

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

One of the very first videos I chose to post here, once I figured out how to do it on WP, is/was this one. It is also one of the best concerts, ever, in my opinion, offering a joyous blend of music from East and West, with some of the finest musicians alive, playing their hearts out in memory of one of their friends…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…..

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

Concert for George

Royal Albert Hall ~ 2002

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

https://youtu.be/LG5EdoxBVt0

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

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

Before beginning this blog on WordPress, in August of 2011, I wrote for a site called GoodBlogs. The rant below is one I wrote for them; technically it’s theirs, but, I wrote it, so I figure I can use it when I want, law be damned. I’m an American, and, damn it, I can make decisions according to selfish expediency if I want; everyone else does it, because it’s been a valid excuse for humans since cave days…. Besides, I’m lazy, and didn’t feel like ranting today…. Enjoy, it’s a precursor of a lot of what I’ve written here on WP…. sort of an embryo rant, so to speak….

Written 7/17/2011:

How Seriously Twisted People Stole Your Votes

“It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but, actually, it’s more true to say power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable.” — David Brin, The Postman

Is it just me, or does anyone else out there feel this country is being hijacked toward a future we never contemplated, one in which we have increasingly fewer and fewer rights? Since the advent of the Patriot Act back in 2001, we, the American people, have had a significant percentage of our liberties curtailed by the backlash of fear that gripped the country at that time. Without a whimper or any sound of protest, we have allowed the government to abrogate several of the freedoms that the founding fathers attempted to secure for us, including rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution. Ironically, it is purportedly done all in the name of “homeland security”. I thought “homeland security” was guaranteed for us by the Bill of Rights, which gave us the right bear arms. A 12-gauge over-and-under Winchester is all the “homeland security” I need.

Now, I know some folks will ask, “well, but what about terrorists?” My answer would be, one can only be terrorized if they give control over their emotions to someone else. When I first heard about the attacks taking place on 9/11, I too felt a moment of fear, along with the anguish and sadness that came with the reports of casualties. But fear passes, always, whereupon, reflection allowed my reason to re-assert control. When we allow our fears to dictate our actions, we are acting out of weakness, not strength. Acting out of fear can only exacerbate what is already an unstable situation.

In my estimation, this loss of liberties can, unfortunately, be laid right in our own laps. The American public, over the last century, and into this one, has consistently voted for people (men and women) who lie to us without remorse. Every president we’ve had since 1950 has lied to the American public; this is a documented fact, not a supposition. Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, Reagan, Clinton, Bush I, Bush II, Obama; all of them have been caught in lies, reported in the news (you’ll note Mr. Carter was not included; he may be the best man we’ve ever had in that position. It’s too bad that the rest of our government was made to look bad in comparison; his integrity was unforgivable to them, so, naturally, they sabotaged all his attempts at reform). Not one of them has ever admitted to these lies, though there is ample documented proof of them.

As long as the American public refuses to admit their own complicity in re-electing all these “tyrants” (see quote, above), then we will continue to have to combat further degradation of our rights, because the way the politicians see it, they can continue doing exactly as they wish, because nobody is ever going to take them to task for it.

We need to stop electing people who want the job. They want the job because they know it gives them free license to steal from the American public, which is not a bad gig, if you can get it. I can’t see how we can keep our freedom, when we keep electing people who want to take it away. Think about it! Is it sane to want such power over others? No, it is not. It is insane, and insane people should not be allowed to control our destiny.

“No man who needs a monument ever ought to have one.”

~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne ~~

End of rant…..thanks for listening…..

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

In keeping with the theme as presented in the ranting section, here’s a poem I wrote in January of this year, in much the same/sane vein….

gigoid’s lament

Not a bit of all the pain I feel
is worse than all I see;
all worldly truth, solid and real,
has faded away, never to be free.

Honor stripped of all regard,
while compassion simply fails;
Ignorance , powerful, hard,
crows as reason wails.

Crushing resistance, mandating the vote,
selling illusion, smiling all the while.
Pundits, speaking purely by rote,
arrange all the lies in a tidy pile.

Stupidity ’tis said, is a risky choice;
the price is always the same.
Reality has no pity, no warning ever voiced,
only a gravestone, carved with, our name.
,
~~ gigoid ~~

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

Today’s final pearl promises to be a bit strange… If you’ve been around here for long, you’ll know, that’s saying something….. When I sat down to begin searching for pearls, I left it open, allowing SB to set the pace…. The very first pearl shown was this:

“This mind intentionally left blank.”

Well!…. You can see I why I was initially taken aback…. But, then I decided to let SB have its head for once, so, what we get is what we get…. Let’s see how it goes, shall we?…

“Awright, which one of you hid my PENIS ENVY?” — Zippy the Pinhead

(Oops! I knew this was a mistake…. Oh, well, too late to turn back now….)

“I prefer to remain anomalous.” — Smart Bee

“Bow to no patron’s insolence. Rely on no frail hopes; in freedom live and die.” — Seneca

“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes, rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.” — Aristotle

“Time carves all. Let yourself be carved to attain your true nature.” — Master Po

“Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.” — Native American Proverb (Blackfoot)

“What you see is from outside yourself, and may come, or not, but is beyond your control. But your fear is yours, and yours alone, like your voice, or your fingers, or your memory, and therefore yours to control. If you feel powerless over your fear, you have not yet admitted that it is yours, to do with as you will.” — Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen”

“He sleeps well who knows not that he sleeps ill.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 77

“All things considered, insanity may be the only reasonable alternative.” — Smart Bee

I’m not going to comment on how it turned out. I will say, we’ll think twice about doing this again….

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

As suspected, it came out with a few wrinkles; I don’t believe any of them will detract from the overall view, though, so, we’ll let them be, in the interests of compassion for our still fragile condition…. Let me merely add, DAMN!…. I’m sure glad that’s done! I think I may have strained my brain….. Fortunately, I have a full 24 hours to recover, before starting this process all over again…. And people say I’m not consistent!….

See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. There doesn’t seem to be anything logical, rational, or compellingly threatening enough to stop me, so…. what the hell? Why not?….. Ta, then…. Oh, and, remember to be excellent to each other….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Puccini? No. Verdi? Ah!…. Book ’em, Dano…

Posted on July 23, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Sex is better than reading; no overdue fines.”

~~ Jean-Luc Picard ~~

Ye Olde Man & Scythe, est. AD 1251

Image from the UK Telegraph, article on the oldest pubs in England, July 2015

Good morning…. I wasn’t entirely sure it would be…. Yesterday morning, I fell into a very Murphy-like trap, no doubt of my own making in some way; most of his work is usually connected somehow to a moment of inattention on our part…. Just because I complain about Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean I don’t also understand karma…. It’s all on me, ultimately. Like most ffolkes, and, for that matter, all folks, we need to vent the frustration of our own stupidity now and again…. Thankfully, my whining never lasts long; then, I can get on with fixing whatever I’ve broken, metaphorically, or literally…

Yesterday’s troublesome issue fell into the latter category. Firefox has been my browser of choice for many years, but, the latest version doesn’t seem to agree with one or more of the security programs I choose to use; essentially, every time I opened it up, it froze up on me, big time…. I was unable to successfully troubleshoot it, so, I had to figure out a workaround, which meant I didn’t get posted until about 0715, much later than usual. The mere fact yesterday’s mess got posted at all should earn me a ‘geek of the week’ award. for finding a quick workaround, that promises to be a better fix than planned…. Essentially, I switched to Opera, as my default browser, and all seems to be well… That works for me, for the nonce, which is way better than not, anachronism or no….

Right. I’ve done it again, haven’t I? I’ve blathered to open up the day’s adventure in folly, thus guaranteeing a certain degree of peretroinyeka, which is an obscure, not to mention non-existent Ukrainian word meaning “nothing at all”. See, my lawyer told me to stop making guarantees, so, well, we have to resort to little tricks like that to keep from breaking any rules that could lead to litigation…. The budget won’t stand it any more….

Okay, we’re lost good and proper now, aren’t we? I may as well just throw my hands up, and be done with it. Nothing else seems likely to get us anywhere at this point…. So, imagine, if you will, me, rolling my eyes, throwing up my hands, and cursing the gods of blogging, whom we know as Norm and Nancy the Nifty…. Okay, okay, I’ll stop. You don’t have to get all weirded out…. Shoot, go back above, & have a pint in the pub, then we’ll get started… Go ahead, we’ll wait…. Ah hell, no we won’t…. Luigi, let’s go; we’ll give them a refund when we get back….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Sigh… Every day I thank my statuette of Wilma Flintstone that I was born normal.” — Zippy the pinhead

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

Image from bbc.co.uk via Google Images

Jack Bruce is one of my favorite old time rockers; he’s remained true to his music, and way of life, since I first heard/saw him, way back in his days with Cream, in the 60’s, of which time I have many good memories….. Contrary to popular belief, not ALL of us were so stoned we don’t remember it…. I will confess to partaking of my share, and possibly more, but, hey, we were all young once, right? Here is a documentary on Jack’s life and work which I think y’all will enjoy…. Besides, it get us down the page with some really good music…. Enjoy….

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

Jack Bruce – The Man Behind the Bass

(BBC Documentary)

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

https://youtu.be/w3KBEq95N5U

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

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

“Men rattle their chains to show that they are free.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

“…and so castles made of sand slip into the sea eventually.”

~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~

Though I’m up in plenty of time, I’m not in a ranting mood; I feel better than usual, which causes less angst to accumulate…. It did give me time to find a good rant for today, though. This one is, sort of, a summary of indictments of our Beloved Ruling Class, may their skin itch unbearably…. It’s fairly short, and, I think it’s one of my best…. but, then, I’m biased…. You tell me what you think, if you should feel the urge…. Otherwise, just read, and think about it; I’ll be happy with that….

Written June, 2012; last posted November, 2013:

“….when all government…. in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821

The framers of the Constitution knew what they were doing when they tried to build in safeguards into the system of government they chose after the revolution against England. They structured it with checks to the balance of power in each section, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial, reserving, as well, several rights to the people that had historically been reserved for the governments themselves, including the right to bear arms, one every government in history has tried to restrict for its own use. The right to bear arms, the right to vote, the right to gather to protest, to speak freely, all these have, at one time or another through the last four or five millennia, been restricted by governments, until men like Jefferson, Mason, and Washington took those rights for themselves, supposedly securing the same opportunity to their descendants.

In fact, I regard it as proof of this assertion, to find that the government, not only of this country, but all of them, is STILL trying to restrict the rights of the populace to bear arms. To my way of thinking, the most recent attempts by the government to curtail the public’s ability to obtain the means to protect themselves adequately merely serve to point out how accurate are statements such as the above, showing how little human nature has evolved, or advanced in the intervening years…. I’d be hard pressed to call the changes we’ve seen anything other than a retreat, from achieving a more civilized society. The populace continues to live in fear, most of which is manufactured by that very same government, to distract them from what is going on behind the scenes; for example, observe the data mining and illegal surveillance being carried on by Saint Obama and the current administration….

Sorry to apply the sarcastic epithet to the POTUS, (no, I’m not, but, I AM polite….), but, his recent actions have revealed a lot of stuff that indicates, yes, he IS a politician, and, as such, has been lying to the public on a regular basis since entering office, a habit much practiced by all those who enter those hallowed doors, as it turns out.

Historically, it seems, ever since I’ve been alive, for the last 64 years, each and every man who has been in the White House, with the possible exception of Jimmy Carter, has lied to the public on a regular basis, without qualms, and without apology…. This isn’t news, or new news, at all…. just go back over the headlines and op-ed pages over that period, and the evidence of what I have asserted is plain to see….

This is why I won’t ever consider any alterations to the second Amendment, or the First, or to any of them…. I still regard them as law, and see any attempts to restrict them as being acts of treason against the principles by which they were conceived and enacted. I DON’T trust ANY politician, not one who spends millions to get elected, even if, or especially if, the money isn’t theirs…. The mere act of WANTING to be an elected official implies insanity to me, either of a sociopathic nature, or an evangelical one, either of which is dangerous to allow into any position of authority over others, as they will ALWAYS act to serve their own self-interests first…..

’Nuff said….. gigoid has spoken, and has no more to say on this subject, except….. Leave my Bill of Rights alone, or pay the consequences…..

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” — Oscar Wilde

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

Note from 2015:

I’d been working on an old-school pearl for this section, when I found the above & decided to re-use it. As it turns out, what I’d been working on was right in the same vein, so, I just left the needle where it was, and here they are, to finish this section with a bang…. sort of…..

And Katerfelto, with his hair on end
At his own wonders, wondering for his bread.
‘T is pleasant, through the loopholes of retreat,
To peep at such a world,–to see the stir
Of the great Babel, and not feel the crowd.

~~ William Cowper ~~

~~ The Task, Book iv, The Winter Evening, Line 86 ~~

“It’s possible to fight intolerance, stupidity, and fanaticism when they come separately. When you get all three together it’s probably wiser to get out, if only to preserve one’s sanity.” — Adam Dalgliesh, in Devices and Desires, by P.D. James.

“All governments need enemies. How else to justify their existence?” — Edward Abbey

“We must never forget that if the war in Vietnam is lost… the right of free speech will be extinguished throughout the world.” — Richard Milhouse Nixon, 10/27/65

(Yes, he actually said that, in public…. No, I have no idea what he was thinking….)

How sharper than a hound’s tooth it is to have a thankless serpent.” — Smart Bee

“And some of your elders remember pleasures with regret like wrongs committed in drunkenness. But regret is the beclouding of the mind and not its chastisement. They should remember their pleasures with gratitude, as they would the harvest of a summer. Yet if it comforts them to regret, let them be comforted.” — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

(No, I don’t always understand myself…. but, it fits, doesn’t it?….)

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

A new poem has been leaking out, a few verses at a time, for several days; it has apparently stalled after two stanzas, & I don’t want to force it, or it could simply disappear altogether…. Here’s a two-fer sublimation, with a couple of my older poems, along the same lines as today’s overall theme, whatever that may be…. Enjoy, please….

Momentary Terror

Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.

Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.

Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.

Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Making Room

Our souls, they say, are like shapeless, infinite bags
in which we put all our pain, all our joyous wonder.
Broken hearts and thrilling love, riches to rags,
endless perceptions of serenity, and thunder.

‘Tisn’t simple, this spiritual journey to peace
memory is fickle, easily led astray;
darkness, ever lurking, without surcease
turning innocence to harm, from simple play.

Balance is the key.

Timing is everything.

Good can change bad, bad can change good.

Pain makes room for more joy in our souls.

The only power we need is the power to change ourselves.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Aristotle_Bust_White_Background_Transparent

When y’all see Aristotle at the top of this section, it should be clear it’s time to put on your thinking caps. Although this nine-star collection of gems has only one entry by one of Mankind’s earliest polymaths, the point(s) being presented are all well within the sphere of influence of his ideas. One of his sayings was, (not the one included here), in fact, the inspiration for axiom #4 of Peruaosophy, which, as you all know, states, “Excellence is its own reward.” Each of these, then, is a reward to its author, and a gift to all of us…. Enjoy….

Als das Kind noch Kind war, gab es diese Fragen:

Warum bin ich mich, und warum nicht dich?
Warum bin ich hier, und warum nicht dort?

“When the child was a child, there were these questions:

Why am I me, and why not you?
Why am I here, and why not there?”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

“Know, first, who you are; then adorn yourself accordingly.” — Epictetus

“The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.” — Mignon McLaughlin

“Belief is the death of intelligence.” — Robert Anton Wilson

“… as sight is in the body, so is reason in the soul…” — Aristotle — Nicomachean Ethics, Bl. I, Ch. 6, 10966, lines 29-30

“All I know of love is that Love is all there is.” — Emily Dickinson

“Love withers under constraint: its very essence is liberty: it is compatible neither with obedience, jealousy, nor fear.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” — James Stephens

And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
‘T is that I may not weep.

~~ Lord Byron ~~

~~ Don Juan, Canto iv, Stanza 4 ~~

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It can be a challenge to actually determine the quality of each day’s mess around here; it’s all a bit close to home for accurate judgment with an objective eye…. Nonetheless, I’ve spent enough time on this one to ensure a pretty high degree of, if nothing else, relative coherency, if not outright clarity…. both of which would be, no doubt, a refreshing change for y’all…. I do love my obscurity. But, it’s enough; my sanity is intact for another day, so, I’ll take it out into the BBR and give it a test run up against the real deal…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless one of you tracks me down, & shoots me… Oh, with a camera, of course…. Bye!….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Baleful glances from a painfully shy basilisk….

Posted on July 15, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

However many holy words you read,
However many you speak,
What good will they do you
If you do not act on upon them?

~~ Buddha ~~

$fractala$

“fractala”

Image by europasicewolf, at https://europasicewolf.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/wolfie-chew-sticks-you-turned-the-air-blue/

Good morning…. Thanks to the machinations of the machine, which we laughingly call modern society, I’m up, even though it’s not actually anywhere near morning. Technically, I suppose, I have to call it that, as we are an hour and a half into the new day. Somehow, I find it insulting to actually think of this hour as the hour to arise from bed, theoretically, and literally full of piss & vinegar, ready and eager to face the day…. Being force to get up due to twitching, and/or hurting, doesn’t quite fit the picture I had in mind when I thought of retirement….

SIGH…. Okay, enough obscure whining. I’m up, though I don’t really want to be; I’m dealing. I’m as awake as possible at this hour, I’m typing, I’m getting pissed off….. Slow down, there, big fella…. We’ve got lots of time; no need to get worked up right out of the gate…. Breathe, sip, breathe….

I’ll say this…. By the time I get to Ireland, and back, I’m gonna be as tough as an old boot…. maybe tougher. Enough on that….

In fact, since I have been recorded as having vowed I shan’t rant in the intro, (lovely phrase, what?…. It’s almost alliteration….”shan’t rant….” Hah!….), I’ll use this opportunity to tell Luigi we can head right over to the oyster beds, without the usual side-trip for the purposes of distraction…. Ooh, I shouldn’t have said that, should I?….

Oh, well, so much for artistic license….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If the cats could figure out how to work the can opener, they would have the locks changed while we were out.” –Smart Bee

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Image from YouTube.com via Google Images

Ffolkes who grew up during the same years as I did will remember this lady’s music very well; she was one of the most popular artists of her time. I will add my own opinion, to wit: her fame was well-deserved. I give you one of the legends of Rock and Roll, from the earliest days…. Miss Brenda Lee, the four-foot, ten-inch package of dynamite….

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Miss Brenda Lee

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https://youtu.be/Eetl-IPD0ik

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Okay, so here’s the deal…. The last section is a rantish old-school pearl, and today’s poem is as fresh as it gets, meaning I’m experiencing a degree of temporary weakness due to blood loss. Therefore, to prevent the occurrence of untoward results, I won’t even attempt to create a fresh rant…. Instead, here is a pretty decent little politirant/indictment of our BRC, complete with an old-school pearl as an integral part of the piece…. Enjoy, such as you may, or wish….

From 8/14/2013:

Today’s format got somewhat disrupted, due to the first section’s departure from normal activity…. Well, as normal as it ever gets around here…. Any who, in this space, fashion would dictate I rant, and, I actually have the proper subject for same in hand. Actually, it’s a subject that isn’t going to go away, and will continue to remain in the forefront of the news for some time to come, as the solution is one the BRC is unwilling to permit.

I’m speaking of the current flap over the surveillance of the phone records and other data being compiled by the NSA and other clandestine spying agencies….. I would have said “intelligence agencies”, but, I’m not in the habit of using oxymorons, as a rule….

I COULD rant, as I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on the issue, but, yesterday, I read one of the most complete, perfectly written and researched articles on the subject that I’ve seen thus far. It is written by Jennifer Hoelzer, who was formerly the chief of staff for Oregon Congressman R. Wyden, the most outspoken critic in Congress of the spying by the administration. In responding to the President’s formation of an independent committee to examine the surveillance guidelines, in order to address “public concerns”, she outlines her part, and the parts played by all the participants, in a clear, effective manner, calling all the responsible parties to task for creating the issue in the first place.

It’s a great piece, and a must-read for anyone who wishes to have a thorough understanding of all the important major points, including an accurate timeline of the significant events….. I offer these two articles, one reporting on the President’s announcement, and the piece by Ms. Hoelzer herself. Please read them, and you’ll see what I am saying is truth….

http://news.yahoo.com/-obama-orders-panel-to-review-possible-spying-abuses–185415834.html

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130810/09240524136/jennifer-hoelzers-insiders-view-administrations-response-to-nsa-surveillance-leaks.shtml

As compensation, to me, for not ranting about this today, I offer these pearls, to speak to the issue in my own unique manner….

“Nationalism is an infantile sickness. It is the measles of the human race.” — Albert Einstein

“A state which seeks to subordinate the citizen wholly to itself and merges the person into an impersonal mass, commits a collective murder.” — C. C. Martindale, _The Catholic Bedside Book_, 1953

“A Sept 13 1987 Boston Globe story indicated polls show almost half of Americans think the phrase ‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his need’ comes from the US Constitution.” — Chomsky’s Necessary Illusions

“Say what will convince, not what you believe.” — Bureaucrat’s Law #2

DIPLOMACY, n. The patriotic art of lying for one’s country. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarcely in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct. Remember this: They that will not be counseled cannot be helped. If you do not hear reason she will rap you over the knuckles.” — Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790)– Maxims prefixed to Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1757

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” — Rom 3:10

Yes, the last one was used recently in another pearl, but, I do that sometimes, when it is a perfect fit…. If all this doesn’t convince you of how serious the situation here on Earth is becoming, well, all I can say is, either you didn’t read it all, or you have more resistance to the truth than is good for you…. Any comments are welcome, even encouraged, and will be answered ASAP, back pain permitting….

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This poem is the result of the last three of four days of no sleep…. Gee, do ya think it could be any darker?…. Go figure…. Try to enjoy it anyway, okay?…. Thanks; it bled a lot….

Mad Dogs at Bay

Wicked, angry red scenes of imminent demise
haunt my dreams each night.
Fearful visions of destructive surprise
leave me sweating in terror, as well they might.

Small, mean, ugly, with beady little eyes,
pundits gather like maggots, bloated and vile,
grunting, snuffling, mumbling outlandish lies,
enslaving the ignorant with patience and guile.

Society’s denizens exist as volunteer slaves.
Living and dying by script, completely blind.
Never allowing any resentment, no making waves.
Never knowing joy, nor any peace of mind.

Free men will not be controlled, ’tis said;
No coercion, no illusion can cloud their sight.
No threats, no pain, no fear they dread;
their only duty to keep to the right.

Dreams are mere reflections of our inner fears,
whispering, close against doors shut fast.
Mocking our mostly irrelevant tears,
clearly marking the future as our sordid past.

~~ gigoid ~~

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

No, the logo is correct; today’s final old-school pearl is a seven star series of comments about a subject of current interest to all of us, to wit: the ever-widening wealth gap in the world at large…. Here is what I found that seemed to make some sort of sense about it all…. It’s a bit abstruse in spots, but, it gives one a feeling for the reality of the issue…. Well, I think so, and that’s what counts around here, right?….

“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.”

~~ Thomas Jefferson ~~

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.” — Chinese Proverb

“It did not matter, after all. He was only one man. One man’s fate is not important. If it is not, what is? He could not endure those remembered words.” — Ursula K. Le Guin, spoken by Gaverel Rocannon, Rocannon’s World

“If you wish a life of trouble, fill your house with treasures.” — Chinese Proverb

“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson

RICHES, n.

*** ” A gift from Heaven signifying, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” — John D. Rockefeller

*** “The reward of toil and virtue.” — J.P. Morgan

*** “The savings of many in the hands of one.” — Eugene Debs

To these excellent definitions the inspired lexicographer feels that he can add nothing of value. — Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary….

“With virtue you cannot be entirely poor…,

Without it you cannot be really rich.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

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

Oh. My. Golly. (Sorry…. My lawyer told me to stop using the word ‘God’….) It’s done. I’m, well, not flabbergasted, because. hey, who would be at 3:33 am on a Wednesday in July? No matter who one might, or, might not be, it’s too frigging early for flabber, or gasting, anyway, I don’t care what anybody says. Moreover, I think it’s probably illegal in this state. What state? The state of Confusion, naturally…. I’m afraid it must be time to go roast that chicken. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided I can find a small piece of my sanity somewhere; I had it right here when I went to bed….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Rambling for rubles….

Posted on July 5, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Euripides says,–

Who knows but that this life is really death,

And whether death is not what men call life?

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Pyrrho, viii ~~

Scenes from a train V….

Good morning…. But, then, you knew that, or you wouldn’t be here, reading this nonsense, would you? Of course not…. If nothing else, we here at ECR have respect for our Gentle Readers, such as they are. On that you may depend, if naught else…. It won’t pay the rent, or feed very many people, but, it’s got to feel better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I would say…. Having said that, to no good purpose other than to fill in a bit more space between the front and rear of this paragraph, I believe I will take this opportunity to get the hell out of this seemingly never-ending initial blurb, so we can actually get started…. Here’s how we’ll do that….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If only there were evil people somewhere, insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” — Alexander Solzhenitsyn

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

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

Rather than spend a long time agonizing over our selection today, I decided to just go with our default choice for this section, to wit: classical music. Here is another mix of artists and composers to chill out your morning reading….

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Classical Pearls

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https://youtu.be/pdUOtJLHGQQ

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“My nose feels like a bad Ronald Reagan movie…” — Zippy the Pinhead

Yesterday was July 4th, our holiday to celebrate the birth of the nation. For much of my life, I was one who could be called patriotic; having observed history now for over 60 years, my patriotism has turned mostly to sorrow, for promises unkept, and a dream that died…. The warnings given by our founding fathers, to watch out for professional politicians and corporate influence in government, were mostly ignored during the last century, and we are now paying the price for our lack of attention…..

I intended to comment copiously about all the events and issues that have soured my patriotism, but, find myself unwilling to even go there today. I’ve been in pretty severe pain for days now, and feel I would become too worked up to do it justice…. It’s such a great opening line, I hate to let it go, so, I’ve found an older politirant from the days before my second retirement kicked in, and my sense of outrage was pretty much left in the “ON” position for a couple of years…. It’s all still completely valid, so it will do…. Think about the events of yesterday, in light of Zippy’s comment, and you’ll see what I’m talking about…. We’ve all been stuck in a bad B movie, since the days of Reaganomics, and the final assault on the Bill of Rights….

From 3/7/2013:

“It is useless for sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion.” — William Ralph Inge, D. D. 1860 – 1954

I’ve seen this little statement before, and like it a lot, for its honesty in describing our Beloved Ruling Class in relation to the flock of sheep that comprises most of mankind. And, yes, this is the beginning of another politirant….. This one is prompted by the most recent activities that our leaders, if such word applies, have been shown to be engaged in by the news outlets I watch…. to wit: the legislation under review and up for vote in the House of Reps that is concerned with the economy, to wit: the “sequester”, and the recent comments by the POTUS re: global warming and climate change…. Let’s see what we can note about these issues, shall we?….

I have noticed that the Congress, and the POTUS, are currently at odds, as usual, over the economy, and arguing over how to address an issue over which they have absolutely no control…. I just don’t get it, actually…. There is no evidence whatsoever that anything the government does, or has ever done, about the economy has any effect at all on it…. none. Zero. Zilch. Nada damn thing…. The economy of the world, or even just this nation, is not subject to any manipulation by us; it’s too big, too amorphous…. It’s like trying to herd cats…. a lot of effort for small results, and you end up with a bunch of pissed off felines… If you know anything about cats, you will realize that this is never a good thing….

Yet, because the public demands that something be done, the politicians start their idiotic posturing, pontificating, and, otherwise polluting the airwaves with nonsensical suggestions as to what should be done to fix the problems. NONE of those ever work, nor will they ever work; the economy does not move according to any rules that we can control, or even know, and any action we take is just as liable to have a bad effect as a good one….. But, the public wants the government to fix it, so they try to make noises as if they actually could do something helpful, when in fact, anything they do is as liable to hurt as to help….. Sad, but, true as the day is long….

It’s actually kind of fun watching the contortions they go through for issues such as this; since I know for a fact that none of it will have any real effect on the issue, I can enjoy the parade without worrying about whether it will actually do anything useful…. It is a bit depressing to watch, since I am aware of just how little can be done, but, the show can be entertaining, and it does pass the time… The depressing part is knowing that the public is actually buying all of what they are saying, and really do expect something to change for the better… But, then, I am always amazed at the depth of human stupidity. I don’t know why, as I KNOW how dumb people can be… I am one, you know…. but, it always is a surprise to see just how deeply that stupidity is ingrained in the human condition…

Of course, this stupidity is part and parcel of why we are experiencing the second issue I mentioned above… global warming and overpopulation. I will be very interested to see exactly how the POTUS intends to address the issue, as he has promised to do, several times now since his inauguration. Since the issue is well advanced beyond the point that most people think it is, it will be a telling factor in deciding how seriously the issue is being taken, and whether or not it will have any chance at all of being either enough, or soon enough… Both of these are critical factors, as the point of no-return for the ecological balance of this planet is so near, it may have already been passed some months ago…..

I’m not sure how scientifically minded many of y’all are, but, I am… scientifically minded, that is, and I can tell you without fear of contradiction (from anyone with any reliable scientific knowledge, anyway….) that the atmosphere of this planet is, without doubt, and without evidence to the contrary, on the very edge of becoming unbreathable for humans…. The millions of tons of carbon monoxide and other toxic substances that are being pumped into the air EVERY SECOND, and that has been pumped in now for over a hundred years, has reached the point where it will begin a process of leaching oxygen from the air, and the balance of gases we need to survive will change, hell, IS changing, and fairly rapidly, until it is no longer of a balance that we can safely breathe… This is scientific FACT, not speculation, not a guess.. the process has already begun, the only question remaining is, how quickly will it happen?

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

So, we’ll see where the POTUS keeps his brain, as he speaks in the next few days about this issue… Whatever he decides to do, you can bet that it won’t be enough, and it won’t make a damn bit of difference, other than in a few Presidential approval polls, perhaps. After all, even though he is a fairly reform oriented politician, he is still a politician, and you can lay good money, without fear of losing, on the fact that whatever he does is designed to benefit him and his Presidency, and any benefit for the public is a secondary concern….

He IS a politician, after all, and his primary concern is for his own success; it’s NOT the welfare of the people… He has merely discovered that being the “People’s Champion” is currently a good political stance to take…. if it ever becomes too itchy a coat to wear, he will take it off in a heartbeat…. Count on it…. You don’t get to that level of the game without being a complete asshole in some respects, and I don’t think anyone who WANTS to be President can be accused of not being ambitious, and, in the process, sociopathic….

“No people in the world ever did achieve their freedom by goody-goody talk and moral suasion: it being immutable law that all revolutions that will succeed, must begin in blood, whatever the answer afterward. If history teaches anything, it teaches that.” — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)

In this case, we aren’t talking about freedom, unless by that one means, freedom to stay alive…. and the BRC isn’t going to do anything about it, I don’t believe…. Or, rather, I’ll believe it when I see it, and, so far, no dice in that respect. I’m enough of a cynic to believe, sadly, that it isn’t GOING to happen, either… because I don’t believe that the POTUS, or the rest of the BRC, gives a damn about the rest of us, as long as they have their own….. This much is obvious from history, but, when did mankind at large ever pay any attention to history?….

If you have some evidence that contradicts that belief, I would dearly love to see it…. Truly, I would, because, quite frankly, my own intelligence, and the evidence I have now, forces me to conclude that we humans are shortly about to come to a bad end…. not with a bang, not with a whimper, but, choking to death in our own planet’s toxic air, victims of our own stupidity, and cupidity….

Daniel: “We’re damned if we do, we’re damned if we don’t; we need other options…” — from Stargate

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Blackberrying

Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries,
Blackberries on either side, though on the right mainly,
A blackberry alley, going down in hooks, and a sea
Somewhere at the end of it, heaving. Blackberries
Big as the ball of my thumb, and dumb as eyes
Ebon in the hedges, fat
With blue-red juices. These they squander on my fingers.
I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me.
They accommodate themselves to my milkbottle, flattening their sides.

Overhead go the choughs in black, cacophonous flocks —
Bits of burnt paper wheeling in a blown sky.
Theirs is the only voice, protesting, protesting.
I do not think the sea will appear at all.
The high, green meadows are glowing, as if lit from within.
I come to one bush of berries so ripe it is a bush of flies,
Hanging their bluegreen bellies and their wing panes in a Chinese screen.
The honey-feast of the berries has stunned them; they believe in heaven.
One more hook, and the berries and bushes end.

The only thing to come now is the sea.
From between two hills a sudden wind funnels at me,
Slapping its phantom laundry in my face.
These hills are too green and sweet to have tasted salt.
I follow the sheep path between them. A last hook brings me
To the hills’ northern face, and the face is orange rock
That looks out on nothing, nothing but a great space
Of white and pewter lights, and a din like silversmiths
Beating and beating at an intractable metal.

~~ Sylvia Plath ~~

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SB decided to take the day off, so, I had to go to the archives for this section’s pearl; it’s not bad, all things considered…. Of course, I probably forgot something, but, hey, it’s the last section, so, who cares?….

From 9/5/2012:

“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.” — H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

Sometimes, I think we have already arrived at this point in time….. but, if not, then we are not far away…… with this firmly in mind, please find the following, all of which lead one gently to an idea that may, or may not, make you feel better. Which, of course, is NOT the purpose…. nonetheless, the conclusion framed by these quotes is one you NEED to know……

“It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.” — Bertrand Russell

“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” — Dalai Lama

As a man can drink water from any side of a full tank, so the skilled theologian (politician’s too!) can wrest from any scripture that which will serve his purpose. — Bhagavad Gita

“Discourse on virtue and they pass by in droves. Whistle and dance the shimmy, and you’ve got an audience.” — Diogenes

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

“The only real failure in life is the failure to try.” — Smart Bee

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Sometimes, by the end of the day’s effort, I’m destroyed; today is one of those days…. The process of deciding, and writing, and formatting all of the above, due, no doubt to the underlying angst involved in the subject matter to which we tend to gravitate, has left me grumpy, and damn glad to be done…. Perhaps tomorrow will be better…. It’s our only hope, Obi-wan!…. See ya, ffolkes, like it or not….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Filtered through a bold new paradigm….

Posted on June 21, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”

~~ Elrond ~~

Faded Beauty

Good morning. Maybe…. Even in the quite curmudgeon-like space currently defining my presence this morning, there is no room for nicety. When I think of the general run of people in today’s world, my teeth yearn to bite, my hands to throttle; the mere thought of their pain fills me with an sense of unbridled glee I cannot contain…. Have I gone mad in my sleep? Where is my center, my serenity? Gone, replaced with sheer, bloody rage at the machine…..

Well, that was fun… NOT. It seems all the angst I usually put into ranting has been building up inside, in the past few weeks I’ve been over-using the archives. And why not, I say? It had been a while since I ranted, but, yesterday, a short exchange with a new blogging friend stimulated a fresh rant against our beloved ruling class (I’ve stopped capitalizing it; they don’t deserve the honor….), which you’ll find below, in the appropriate section…. It felt good, too, I have to say….

Rather than wander around too much here, we’ll get on with today’s mess; in the mood I’m in, we could easily end up with two or three fresh rants, and, I’d like to see if there’s a poem in there that might bleed out. If the process of opening up a vein will let it out, cool. If not, well, we’ll see what happens… In the meantime, we’d best be on our way, before I say something that sets off a rant…. It’s a bit early yet for that…. Onward….

Shall we Pearl?

“All the secrets we may be able to keep from any and every god and human being do not in the least absolve us from the obligation to refrain from whatever actions are greedy, unjust, sensual, or otherwise immoderate.” — Cicero, On Duties

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Image from mytinyphone.com via Google Images

In my mind, this man was one of the top three songwriters of the era in which he lived…. A true societal icon, his music did more to create a bond between the feuding races of Man than any religion has EVER done…. The love this man had for his fellow man shone through every note he played…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

Bob Marley

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https://youtu.be/XspU6g9m2Fs

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“I don’t believe there’s any problem in this country, no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they roll up their sleeves, can’t completely ignore.” — George Carlin

Since I regard George Carlin as the premier social philosopher of the latter half of the twentieth century, I appreciate him giving me the perfect opportunity to speak to an issue which, to be frank, pisses me off no end…. Yesterday, during a chance reading of a fairly new blog, with a subject something to do with clowns, I made a smart-aleck comment about how clowns are evil, going off on a mini-rant about commercialism of holidays, which led to another comment about the huge elf at the top banner of the blog; you know, the one from that insane propaganda movie, about the 6 ft. tall elf in NY who saves Christmas, or something…. Will Farrell, I think is the actor’s name; can’t be sure, never actually watched anything but the innumerable commercials and trailers for it….

Well, as became patently obvious, the subject flicks my ranting mode switch; when the blogger, a very creative young woman, commented with a “Santa?”…. I went off, ranting for several paragraphs, which I include below, to begin today’s rant, which will continue the theme, if I can do so strongly…. Should be easy, this one really fucks with my sense of justice and outrage….

The comment, as shown below, can be found here, where you can read the whole comment thread, and the original article prompting the conversation:

http://livelovelaughdotme2.com/2015/06/20/childhood-destroyed/comment-page-1/#comment-18066

Oh, honey-chile, I hate to be the one to burst a bubble for you, but, although Santa Claus (as a concept) used to be fairly innocuous, mostly harmless in terms of any psychic brainwashing was concerned, the whole concept of Christmas, and Santa himself, was hijacked by the bankers and businessmen, all the way back in the 1920’s, with roots going back even further in our history; it’s part of why the Great Depression happened…. Then, all the other holidays were turned into Hallmark days, so the businesses that depend on that sort of sales could potentially sell more ‘stuff’, during those months when no ancient, or religious holidays occur….

Mother’s/Father’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, President’s Day, Memorial Day, (originally just an observance for the dead in ONE battle…. Now, a person who doesn’t fall into the celebration can be accused of not being patriotic, for failing to buy beer, or watch a game of some kind, to honor all the LIVING brainwashed myrmidons, placing their lives at some risk while they’re off bombing and killing citizens of other countries all over the world, so our bankers can sell their plastic crap to the natives of those places….), virtually every holiday in every month in this country is either a complete fabrication of the government to stimulate business, or an ancient/religious holiday perverted for the same purpose….

I know many holidays are the only chance people today have, to feel good about their lives, and take a break…. So, what does the beloved ruling class do? They inundate the public with advertisements to buy this, that, or the other for the holiday, thus spending more than they can really afford, for a crap-load of stuff, all to celebrate something supposedly worthwhile, which they could easily accomplish without the costly manufactured needs…

Sorry to be a bummer, but, the subject of holidays, cute little elves, and all the other stuff used to convince people they just HAVE to participate in the ongoing economic frenzy of buying, all for stuff you will eat in one day, or throw away afterward…. Well, it just burns my ass to watch our entire society throwing money down the drain, for nothing important, except to fulfill what they BELIEVE to be the customs of the society, which have, in reality, been perverted into a travesty of anything honorable, or even reasonable…. It’s all an illusion, little one, deliberately created to convince people it’s important enough to waste their money on it….

But, then, maybe that’s just me…. It’s not Santa, young paduan; it’s what they’ve turned Santa into that lights my fuse….

gigoid, the sincerely dubious….

———————————————

I think the reason this subject angers me so much is connected to two reasons. First, it’s all so transparent, to me, yet, seemingly, there are millions upon millions of otherwise intelligent people who refuse to look at how brainwashed they have become. The opening quote from George takes on new meaning, when one considers how much strength of will it takes to deny evidence that slaps you in the face EVERY DAY….

It implies a choice. It tells me that most people in this country, rather than using their minds for what they were designed to do, have abrogated all their honor, and dignity, for the sake of a safe, secure existence wherein they are not required to think, or make any more effort than the minimum required to survive, in a world made soft and palatable, without danger, or challenge, or need for any imagination….

The second part. which angers me even more, is that we were warned this would happen, by the very men who gave their lives and fortunes to ensure we had the few rights we do…. Thomas Jefferson said it best, I think, though others of his time said much the same…. In fact, it seems Tom had something to say about just about everything happening in today’s news headlines, nailing exactly what has happened to our rights…. For those with tunnel vision, I’ll add a modern example of exactly what Tom was referring to in his statements….(in parentheses)

“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

(The Koch Brothers. Super PAC’s. Corporate personhood. 55% of US Senators are millionaires…. Big Pharma/HMO’s. Walmart. )

“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson

(Citicorp. Bank of America. Chase. Rothschild, Rockefeller, Kennedy, Dupont, Krupp, Takahashi, Windsor, Chang, Wang, and the other 0.02% who own ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD)

“I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.” — Thomas Jefferson

(Gee, does that sound anything like the programs gathering metadata by the NSA, or the FBI, authorized by the good ol’ Patriot Act, one of the most ironic catchphrases they ever came up with….)

“I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” — Thomas Jefferson

(Current US government debt is more than 700 TRILLION dollars, and counting….)

“…when all government… in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821

(Need I even say anything here? Okay, just for a recent example…. Obamacare….Another? Okay. The Supreme Court decision allowing rich people to buy politicians through PAC’s…. What did one of the dissenting judges on the Court say about that? Let’s see….)

“A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.” — Thomas Jefferson

(Patriot Act again…. Secret courts. Torture as a legitimate tool. Police killings. Police militarization. Drone spying on domestic targets. All proven with evidence, yet denied by officials….)

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to William S. Smith, Paris, Nov. 13, 1787

(Sadly, this one is no longer possible, I think…. Not enough true patriots of liberty left; they’ve all become zombies, or bought into the lies, and are in complete denial of their slavery….)

Okay, that’s enough…. As you can see, Tom, and others, warned us of ALL of this…. But, thanks to laziness, to the common man’s lack of willingness to be responsible for their own lives and actions, the majority of Americans not only don’t realize they are no longer free at all, but, deny it when confronted with incontrovertible evidence….

SIGH…. Fuck ’em…. I won’t go down without a struggle, you can be sure of that…. Others may do as they like…. And, yes, I KNOW the NSA will eventually see this…. So what? I’m not going to lie, and become like them….

gigoid has spoken.

So be it.

“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.”

~~ Plutarch ~~

~~ Of the Training of Children ~~

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

I’d hoped a poem was ready to bleed out, but, it ain’t happening…. Here is yet another from the archives….

When life calls, ready or not….

Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.

Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.

Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.

Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.

Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2012.

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

I put the following pearl together, but, I don’t know exactly what it all means…. I mean, I do, but, I don’t…. See what I mean? (What IS the mind? More to the point, what does the mind MEAN?….)

Ah well, they’re all such good pearls, it has to mean something good, right? Or is that a bit too Pollyanna-ish? Or, maybe, Pavlovian…. Perhaps so; I don’t think any of it will affect the Space/Time Continuum, anyway, so, I think we’ll be okay…. If not, well, see y’all in the next Universe….

And now someone’s on the telephone desperate in his pain
Someone’s on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someone’s got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me we aren’t gluttons for our doom

~~ the Indigo Girls, “Prince Of Darkness” ~~

“Whip me such honest knaves.” — William Shakespeare, Othello — Act i, Sc. 1

“Better to have illusions of a reality where everything is real than to have a reality of illusions where nothing is real.” — Bobby Matherne

“As the sword of the best-tempered metal is the most flexible; so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors.” — Fuller

“Those who fear death most are those who enjoy life least.” — Edward Abbey

“One idea spoken truly, even in a cave, can change the world.” — Buddha

“Food, sleep, fear, propagation; each is the common property of men with brutes. Virtue is really their additional distinction; devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.” — The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.)

“Of all the benefits that virtue confers upon us, the contempt of death is one of the greatest.” — Montaigne

“I say love, it is a flower;

and you, it’s only seed.”

~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~

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

Well, I can’t do any better, or think of anything else to add; I guess that means we’re done here. Whew! It’s been a long life…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t think of anything better to do….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Simply bursting with indifference….

Posted on May 20, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”

~~ Chinese proverb ~~

Aurora Australis, seen from the International Space Station

NASA Image by Astronaut Terry Virts

Good morning… let’s keep it that way….

Shall we Pearl?

“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors and miss.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

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

Ludwig von Beethoven

Image from library.ucf.edu via Google Images

Those who don’t know this artist, or, for that matter, this symphony, are the unhappy possessors of some serious gaps in their cultural education…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. Da da ta DA!….

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

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

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

https://youtu.be/Gzs-OGgkZTU

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

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

Once more, I find my level of angst not up to a full, fresh rant, though I found several good openings… Instead, I’ll use what I’ve found to create an old-school pearl, with some comments about those who would rather prey on their fellow man than make any attempt to live with honor… In other words, Asininnies of every variety…. Polly pundits, Dogma Dogs, Corporate Snakeheads, Pimps, Uniformed Myrmidons, Mundanes, and all the others who make life a misery for others, simply because they are ASSHOLES!… Sorry for shouting….

“All cruelty springs from weakness.”

~~ Seneca ~~

“What would happen if the President, the Supreme Court, and all members of both houses of Congress were stoned out of their gourds twenty-four hours a day? The chilling truth is, it might be an improvement.” — Allan Sherman

“Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice, and yet everybody is content to hear. The master thinks it good doctrine for his servant, the laity for the clergy, and the clergy for the laity.” — John Selden (1584-1654) — Humility

“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer

“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.” — Virginia Woolf (Alternate definition of a politician…)

“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A man can’t get rich if he takes proper care of his family.”

~~ Navajo Proverb ~~

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

Maggie Mae has done it again, ffolkes; sometimes, the poems she writes are so powerful, I have to include them here, so everyone who comes here will know about her poetry…. Enjoy! This one is special….

Caterpillar

Ink is raining again.

Stan, on the radio, rapping tattoos
onto white-trash girls,
sitting, spinning on bar stools.

The highway is moving ninety miles
back, to late August madness,
cars are splashing

into phone booths
left over from big cities
and light houses.

But ships don’t come in
like they used to.
The calm of the sea
isn’t the color of God’s
angry finger anymore.

Caterpillar!!
Across the back of my shoulder!
“To rob.” “To pillage.”
“To suck the ink out of every living thing.”

My name is not what matters.
The alphabet is random.
My fingers have no pattern.
I’m bound to and wrapped around each syllable
like a piece of cabbage.
An appetizer. A long, soft caterpillar
eating my way into you.

~~ Maggie Mae ~~

http://maggiemaeijustsaythis.com/2015/05/18/caterpillar/

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

A simple little pearl, this one speaks of how to live your life with courage and compassion, guided by reason….

“Safety is on the shore, but the pearl is in the ocean.” — Chinese Proverb

“A good philosopher is one who does not take ideas seriously.” — Edward Abbey

“It is human nature to think wisely & act foolishly.” — Anatole France

“Take hope from the heart of man, and you make him a beast of prey.” — Ouida (Marie Louise de la Ramee)

“The light is reached not by turning back from the darkness, but by going through it.” — Leonard Roy Frank

“To be alive is to take risks; to be always safe and secure is death.” — Edward Abbey

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

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

Without even looking it over, I can tell it’s done. Or, maybe it’s me…. Yep. That’s it. I’m done. Since it would be fruitless, not to mention pointless, to continue, I’ll cease torturing y’all, and take my leave, stage center rear…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless my imagination quits working overnight…. Not bloody likely….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The politics of chicanery….

Posted on April 14, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

This space left blankish.

Faux Spring in February

Considering the state of affairs out in the Big Blue Room these days, it’s a wonder I can even think of writing. All my instincts are telling me to head for the hills, taking all that is important with me, to find a place to hole up until the events we are witnessing have reached a more stable configuration, one which won’t be such a danger to those of us who refuse to be slaves. No doubt, it will come sooner than we expect; that is the nature of such catastrophes…. If humans were smart enough to see such things coming, history would have looked much different, and we’d already have settled the entire solar system by now….

But, our own nature is not only holding us back from achieving our true potential, it is ensuring we will never make it off the planet, not before making it our only hope of survival…. But, as is plain, this is beginning to resemble a rant, which was NOT my intention; in fact, I’d hoped to make this a shorter intro than usual. That plan, of course, is now defunct, as I’ve already blathered and meandered twice as long as I’d thought to when I began…. It’s a gift….

However, today we will reject the gift, in favor of moving on. In fact, I’m applying good old #4 right now, without any planning, or warning…. This means we’ll need to supply y’all with some clothes to get home, but, we keep those on hand, so, no worries…. Don’t fret, you won’t LOSE them; we’ll just launder them for you, and you can pick them up tomorrow…. For now, I’d suggest you hold on to something, as we’re going in, hard and fast…. Luigi, take it away!…..

Shall we Pearl?

“All the troubles of man come from his not knowing how to sit still.” — Pascal

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

No need to introduce this artist; I don’t believe there is anyone in this country, or most others, for that matter, who doesn’t know who he is…. And, with good reason; this album, in my mind, is his best of his work…. Y’all may think otherwise, and that’s cool; he’s written enough to go around….

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

Bob Dylan
Blood On The Tracks

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

https://youtu.be/YwSZvHqf9qM?list=PLknidvzcLCRECQa02iFlqRGYeh2OgHOXK

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

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

Written 12/23/2011, published on Socyberty, via Triond:

Hope for Sale, as is….

Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens.

[Against stupidity the very gods fight in vain.]

~~Friedrich Schiller, The Maid of Orleans ~~

St. Thomas Aquinas is commonly accepted as being a pretty smart fella by those who know and care about such things….He was the Catholic priest of the Dominican Order (died 1274 A.D.) who is credited with the famous aphorism, “Beware the man of one book…” Indeed…..our society is ill, suffering horribly from D.I.S., Deliberate Ignorance Syndrome, and no cure is in sight….

It is a very sad commentary on the overall health of our society when the political scene, as charmingly reported in the world media, so obviously and consistently devolves into guerrilla tactics (surprise attacks & divisive propaganda). Ubiquitous, these tactics are perpetrated by one segment of the political scene upon another with the sole intent of obstructing the current administration’s activities and policies, with no regard given to whether the targeted concept or activity is beneficial in any respect. The daily headlines seem to proclaim the world’s events as a scene of unrelenting, sinister internecine warfare amongst the diverse segments of political society.

The forefathers of this country, from all indications, had a different view of how the political process should unfold, one where the parties that lost in each election would assume the role of “loyal opposition” rather than the current evolution of the model, which is mostly reminiscent of how children react when denied a wish; otherwise known as “playground politics.” From the moment the newly elected President takes the oath of office, the opposing party’s pundits begin their campaign of derision, sly inferences, and outright lies intended to besmirch the Presidential (or Senator, Representative, or other opposition Joe Bloe) reputation and position, attempting to stop any and all attempts to make any changes not in their own narrow, biased platform.

Both modern incarnations of the Republican and Democratic Parties (along with every other less influential but power hungry organization sending forth combatants into the public arena) seem to share this hateful agenda, though the tactical parameters seem to be somewhat less bloody on the left, if only physically. Those on the right of the political spectrum seem to have less of a sense of restraint, and consistently carry out a non-stop campaign after each lost election to find fault with every word the President (or the First Lady) utters, crying “shame!” at every small piece of dirt they can dig up. However, pundits of all these persuasions, pressed to justify their picayunity, will reluctantly admit to the faith-based nature of the platform upon which they stand. Men of one book, indeed!

In truth, it’s more than sad, it’s tragic. Democracy, as originally conceived by the men who began this country, is a concept that, applied fairly and rationally, offers some chance for all of society to achieve a dignified existence, free of hate and persecution. But the reality is that any real chance of achieving true democracy is being eradicated by human avarice and deliberate ignorance.

It doesn’t appear upon examination that there is any evidence at all that our species at large is going to make any of the physical, mental, and spiritual changes that just might prevent our planet from sending us down the path to extinction. Maybe, that isn’t so tragic after all…..

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

Off the proverbial cuff….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

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

A classic old-school pearl…..

“The truth is always the strongest argument.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Phaedra, Frag. 737

“One who is plenteously provided for from within needs but little from without.” — Goethe

“An intelligent mind is a mind which is not satisfied with explanations, with conclusions; nor is it a mind that believes, because belief is again another form of conclusion. An intelligent mind is an inquiring mind, a mind that is watching, learning, studying.” — J. Krishnamuti

“You cannot believe in honor unless you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” — George Bernard Shaw

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” — Buddha

Happily may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.

~~ Navaho Night Chant ~~

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

Well…. I don’t know exactly how, but, it’s done, and I’m not going to fuss with it. In fact, I’m bailing, before anyone can catch me…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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Tag Archives: POTUS

Intricate strategies deserve simple tactics….

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