“In the bigger scheme of things,
the universe is not asking us to do something,
the universe is asking us to be something.
And that’s a whole different thing.”
~~ Lucille Clifton ~~
Southern entrance, Trinity College, Dublin….
Hello, again. I’m back, after taking a day to completely vegetate; don’t know why, I just did. It may have something to do with waking up to an ant invasion yesterday, which completely ruined my morning. After the battle was over for the time being, my mood had gone into the dumpster, so, I spent the day just puttering & staring at various mind-numbing old TV shows (Have Gun, Will Travel, old British drawing-room mysteries, etc….). While entertaining, it wasn’t very conducive to writing….
My mood has improved, enough so to finish the little Pearl I had begun, so, I’m going to get it posted, sans any further attempts to try to write anything coherent or compelling, just so I can feel I got SOMETHING done today, thus consigning yesterday to the trash heap, where it belongs. I won’t even try any tricks here in the intro, to either garner your sympathy, or to rationalize my absence, or my return. We’ll merely say, it is what it is, and so be it. To make completely sure it doesn’t get away from me, we’ll also do this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Gird your grid for a big one!”
~~ Firesign Theater, “I think we’re all Bozos on this bus!” ~~
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Angelina Jordan
Image from Facebook via Google Images
A bit over a year ago, while cruising You Tube for new artists, I came across this young girl’s videos. In 2014, at the age of 7 years, she entered & won Norway’s Got Talent, & has continued to amaze audiences wherever she performs ever since. In contrast to the other young artist I included some days ago, this young lady sings jazz, R&B, & soul music with such passion, her soul must be a thousand years old…. Here is a video of her at age 10, performing the Nina Simone version of “Feelin’ Good”…. amazing talent…. Enjoy!
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This is the last poem I wrote, more than four months ago; I’ve been unable to write any more since then. I’m posting it today in the hope of breaking that pattern, so, please bear with me. I hope you enjoy it….
The Journey Becomes The Destination
We eat life, with every glance, every breath,
purposefully consumed to fill our amorphous need;
Every taste inebriates imagination, subtle as death,
waiting for us all, echoing life’s passionate greed.
Who wants to live forever?
Why do we think it matters?
We all live forever;
we always have.
Entropy becomes serendipity, grace made real;
intricately simple, infinitely complex instants are born,
passing review only until freed, fluid stainless steel
flowers, upon ancient crowns, never shorn.
All that is,
always was;
all that is,
shall always be.
Metaphor, and all its ilk, becomes lost in mystery’s lure,
until illumination consumes the capacity for truth.
Adversely, reaction sits in, replacing true rapture
with sad remnants of one old telephone booth.
Only in darkness
can we see the light.
Only in silence
can we hear the music.
An ancient muse seeks proper language, forever remote;
within the within, without entering without.
Improvising life works as if learned by rote,
the same as in dreams, no doubt.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/10/2018 to 4/9/2018
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Naked Pearls
Points to Ponder….
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“Humankind cannot stand very much reality.”
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
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“The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so.”
~~ Boileau ~~
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“I slept and drempt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was duty.
I acted and beheld that duty was joy.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~s
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Narim: “What your mind doesn’t know, your heart fills in.”
Carter: “I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it’s beautiful.”
Narim: “Which is exactly what it means.”
~~ from Stargate ~~
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“Certainly, virtue is like precious odors,
most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed,
for prosperity doth best discover vice,
but adversity doth best discover virtue.”
~~ Bacon (1561-1626), Of Adversity ~~
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“…happiness is the highest good,
being a realization and perfect practice of virtue,
which some can attain, while others have little or none of it…”
~~ Aristotle ~~
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“Even a fool knows that you can’t touch the stars,
but it doesn’t stop a wise man from trying.”
~~ Judge Harry T. Stone ~~
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Thankfully, that went fairly well, given the extant handicaps, all of which are self-inflicted. I promise, the next Pearl you see will show some improvement, if only to the content, if not the intent. For now, I’ll just say, be well, be happy as you may be, and present the world with your best version of strange; it’ll thank you for it. Ta, ta, then, 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.
“Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
Path to Glory….
Hajime…. Okay, so, this is live…. I have found one of the reasons, or, partial reasons, as there are more than one, for my extended absences to be the simple fact of my improved health. For many years, thanks to pain, and opioid addiction, my sleep pattern was severely disturbed, such that I was often up much of the night, and I became accustomed to arising well before dawn, usually between 3 and 5 A.M.. I would also tend to fall out early, since I arose so early; this, in conjunction with not being able to sleep all night long, complicated the issue even more. My blog entries spoke of it often, and I now believe the lack of consistent sleep contributed to the issue of my constant display of stress related cognition, i.e. my depth of insanity…. Go figure, eh?
Now, however, my sleep pattern has resumed a degree of normality; I generally stay up longer, especially if I’ve napped during the day (I admit it; I’m old, and get tired more often….), and sleep fairly well for most of the night. My time for arising, to Leelu’s intense displeasure, now happens around six A.M, or later; today I got up at 7:15, & realized, as often happens, I was late in meeting my verbal commitment to post fresh material today. Again, go figure, eh? Ah, well, so be it. I happen to prefer my life now to any of the time I spent in Hell, otherwise known as the process of ridding myself of opioids. I’ll take the lesser degree of angst & stress, and the lack of the urge to post, over that time, without any complaint at all….
All that being said in my defense, I also realize I miss the interaction with other bloggers, which has, to some degree, been replaced by interaction with Reality, making it at once ironic, and a trifle sad, to realize I prefer the ambiguity of reality over the consistency of cyberspace. Reality, then, is shown to be preferable to any sort of non-reality based involvement. (By ‘non-reality’ I refer to the degree of separation between interaction in cyberspace and that of face-to-face interaction with people in real time….) For a very long time, that ‘non-real’ interaction was the ONLY kind in which I engaged. Now, just walking about in the BBR brings me more satisfaction than does sitting on my butt, reading from the computer… Again, all I can say is, so be it, for I will not be going back to full-time computer use; I enjoy the physical side of life too much to give up on it so young….
On that particularly ironic note, I’ll end this first-person diatribe, which is only intended to explain my absence, not to offer any excuses, which are not needed for exercising my own choice to be healthy, rather than filled with stress & angst. I know, I know, it makes for lousy ranting, but, hey, I do it better in person, anyway, believe me….. For now, let’s go post what I’ve thrown together for today, & be done with it for a time. I WILL return; there’s too much dross in my head to ever completely forgo this method of releasing it from durance vile. I just won’t be around as often. I’ll try to remember to offer some news and impressions of my time in the Real World, but, that, too, is, as yet, not set in stone…. At this point, I think I need to get us down the page, so, hang on, we’re going in hot….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Purity engenders Wisdom,
Passion avarice,
and Ignorance folly, infatuation and darkness”.
~~ Bhagavad Gita (c. B.C. 400) ~~
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There is no introduction needed here, really; all you’ve got to know is, this was probably the best concert ever given, by three of the very best musicians alive. Here for your viewing pleasure is Cream, as reunited in 2005…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it really doesn’t get any better than this one….
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Cream Reunion Concert 2005 Royal Albert Hall
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Dreaming, I wait….
In the most patient moments of rationality
kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,
fallow thoughts speed first from equality
to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.
Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law
shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,
intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,
falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.
Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,
it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,
foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,
alive, always eager, willing, and pale.
Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few
with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.
No solemn royal version may pass in review,
true love for man, never to remain unhidden.
Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,
calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,
With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,
swimming in the oceans of natural delight.
When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,
roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,
Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,
and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.
Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night
aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart
Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,
tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art…..
~~ gigoid ~~
8/18/2013
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Naked Pearls
Beginning to end….
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“Time goes, you say? Ah, no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.”
~~ Austin Dobson,” The Paradox of Time” ~~
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“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts,
nor even to found a school
but so to love wisdom
as to live according to its dictates,
a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust.
It is to solve the problems of life
not only theoretically, but practically.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau, “Walden” ~~
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“Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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“I suppressed word after word from my vocabulary.
When the massacre was over,
only one had escaped: Solitude.
I awakened euphoric.”
~~ E.M. Cioran ~~
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“At ebb tide I wrote a line upon the sand,
and gave it all my heart and all my soul.
At flood tide I returned to read what I had inscribed
and found my ignorance upon the shore.”
~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~
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“Do not look for all the answers at once.
A path is formed by placing stones one in front of the other.”
~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~
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“Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.”
~~ Amelia Burr ~~
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Don’t fret; the final pearl is NOT an omen, or statement of intent. It merely fits well at the end of that particular set of pearls. It also is a fitting finish to this Pearl, for it is, for me, as true as the day. I’ll be back, ffolkes, in a day or three. Y’all be cool, y’hear? Be good 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.
“‘Change’ is scientific, ‘progress’ is ethical;
change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Sonoma Creek, April 2016
Hajime…. I’ve only got a few minutes to get this posted, so I won’t be composing any long, involved intro, in spite of any need, or wish, to do so. Not that time is pressing, but, because I don’t know how long I can remain in a state of mind that allows me to concentrate even this much. Soon enough, I suppose, I’ll have some solid information on which to chew, once the vet is able to identify the problem with Leelu; until then, I’m still too antsy to maintain the illusion of competence necessary to compose anything worth reading.
Rather than carry on further in this vein, I’ll use some of the ruthlessness still extant in my spirit, one legacy of my humanity, to dump all of us out of the first section, & move on to the next. It’s actually a pretty simple technique, though it can be a disconcerting, if one isn’t quite ready for the rather tumultuous ride necessitated by the rapidity employed. Yes, I know that makes little, if any sense, but, don’t fret; that’s part of how it works. Just hang on to the nearest stanchion, & we’ll be on our way in a trice…. whatever that is….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Never appeal to a man’s “better nature.” He may not have one.
Invoking his self-interest gives you more leverage.”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
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Today’s musical selection brings us one of the most beloved iconic bands to ever play together. Brought together by chance, the six members all possess exemplary credentials as successful artists in their own right. They only released a small number of records, but each one is considered a classic. Jeff Lynne, (Electric Light Orchestra), Roy Orbison (needs no intro), Bob Dylan (also needs no intro), Tom Petty (of his band, the Heartbreakers), George Harrison (of Beatles fame, duh….), and Jim Keltner, a drummer who has played with nearly every good rock band for a LONG time (played with Clapton, in several of his bands, and MANY others….). The embedded video is one of five, a part of the collection on You Tube, a compendium of the videos the band made to go along with the songs. The link below their name is to their home site, where you may listen to all 3 of their albums, via various streaming services, or purchase them…. Enjoy!….
The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.
Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.
Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.
Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..
~~gigoid~~
4/12/2013
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Naked Pearls
A Harlequin Necklace….
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“He took his vorpal sword in hand
Long time the manxom foe he sought
Till rested he by the tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought”
~~ “Jabberwocky”, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~
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“It is important that man dreams,
but it is perhaps equally important
that he can laugh at his own dreams.”
~~ Lin Yutang ~~
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“Every day passes whether you participate or not.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
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“Clay is moulded to make a vessel,
but the utility of the vessel
lies in the space where there is nothing….
Thus, taking advantage of what is,
we recognize the utility of what is not.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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“There’s too much beauty upon this earth for lonely men to bear.”
~~ Richard Le Gallienne ~~
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“I had too much to dream last night.”
~~ Electric Prunes ~~
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“Clouds come floating into my life,
no longer to carry rain or usher storm but
to add color to my sunset sky.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
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Well, it’s done, or, in today’s case, it’s a reasonable facsimile of done. It will have to do, ‘cuz that’s all I’ve got. I’ll get it posted, then continue my pacing & worrying until the vet arrives. I’ll try to get another done for tomorrow, but, no promises are likely until I know more. Let’s just say, see ya when I see ya, & leave it at that…. Be well, be strange, & stay alert, ffolkes…. I’ll be around eventually….
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.
“The mountain remains unmoved at seeming defeat by the mist.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
Laocoön and His Sons
Image from Wikipedia via Google Images
Hajime…. Putting this Pearl together has taken me about two weeks, mostly waiting for parts of me to heal sufficiently to type. During much of this period, it seems my life was ‘farmed out’ by Murphy, to Eris, that ancient nemesis of the Greeks. Who is Eris? Ah, you know her, even if you don’t…. Allow me to elucidate….
“:Eris: /e’ris/ n. The Greek goddess of Chaos, Discord, Confusion, and Things You Know Not Of; her name was latinized to Discordia and she was worshiped by that name in Rome. Not a very friendly deity in the Classical original, she was reinvented as a more benign personification of creative anarchy starting in 1959 by the adherents of {Discordianism} and has since been a semi-serious subject of veneration in several `fringe’ cultures, including hackerdom. See {Discordianism}, {Church of the SubGenius}. — from The on-line Hacker Jargon File V423
As may be surmised, it’s been different around here. Enough so it’s given me some new epiphanies to assimilate into my personal files, some of which are quite penetrating in their effects. Of course, they’re only of value if I take them in, so, we’ll see how that goes, eh? In the meantime, I have for you today a complete five part Pearl, with old-school galore, some great music/entertainment, a relevant exploration of modern times, and, a pretty decent poem…. I’m happy with it, so, y’all, in spite of any possible trepidation, will be happy with it, too, should you make it all the way to the rather distant end. To save us all a bit ot time, we’ll get right to that, okay? Okay….
Shall we pearl?….
“A wise man,
recognizing that the world is but an illusion,
does not act as if it is real,
so he escapes the suffering.”
~~ Buddha ~~
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Pearl
We lost Pearl in 1970. Though with us for only a short while, her spirit shone bright. A friend’s blog acknowledged her passing, which showed some synchronicity, as I had already decided she was just right for this Pearl. Here is a live performance, one of only a few we have to see on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….
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As this Pearl evolved, it grew. Go figure. In the process, I decided to make it epic enough to be able to stop ranting altogether. It’s a manifesto, so to speak, of all I think is real, and true for today’s world. I don’t need to keep beating a horse that’s not coming back alive, so, this may be the very last one. It’s pretty complete, I think. You tell me….
“As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.”
~~ Josh Billings ~~
I suppose it is fortunate, for me, writing requires enough focus of attention to distract me from a lot of perceptive stimuli from external, or even internal sources. In short, I can concentrate sufficiently I don’t mind the 96º heat, as long as I’m perched within five feet of my only fan. I also can keep from thinking about pain, in my shoulders, hips, and back, or my hunger, from dieting, or any of the other silly little things we use to keep from actually thinking about stuff we don’t want to face, or deal with, or are painfully uncomfortable. That makes this act one of survival, as well as one requiring some rather merciless honesty, self- and, otherwise; without it, I don’t believe it will be worth it.
I am exceedingly weary of living in a culture/society which is based on deception, exemplifying what I believe to be the worst part of human nature, i.e. the ability to put our humanity aside to pursue our personal gain or agenda. To a small extent, we do it naturally, as a survival tool. However, in a larger sense, most of us don’t always base life on our own agenda; we feel connected to, and responsible to the rest of humanity. But, those who do choose self over species, as their primary focus of living, throughout history, have been allowed to order our society, based on false information and deception.
At this point, I feel I should explain my assertions, which are, in essence, three. My observations and study have led me to realize these three concepts, held to be true by the great majority of humanity, are all false in their basic assumptions of reality. This allows a distance between what is real, and what is seen to be real. This basic disconnection from true perception, in my mind, is what has caused most of the trouble and misery our species’ history has experienced for more than ten thousand years. The three concepts to which I refer are religion, money, and government.
Intermezzo:
At this point in this exploration, it becomes clear I have bitten off quite a bit more than can be adequately addressed in a single attempt, no matter how clear, or solid the connection between the three relevant elements. In truth, nobody will much care, anyway, but, that is irrelevant, as well. What remains relevant, to me, in essence, is to relate just how I think these three ideas/concepts/delusions have kept humanity from achieving our potential, and, in the process, the potential of our entire world. Together, given the nature of the human beast, the potential godhead, these three ideas have provided the means for our complete undoing, as a species, and, as a viable form of life.
I guess that’s a bit depressing, isn’t it? Okay, I’ll stop for now. I was going to stop ranting altogether, but, perhaps such an assertion would be premature. For now, let us go on, to this…..
During the research period while composing this, the following extensive collection of old-school pearls was amassed. Let this suffice for any further indictment of the three villains of human history. Besides, this just shows, I’m not the only one who has had second thoughts about all the bullshit we’ve been fed from the cradle. I’ve put them into three categories, for simple clarity…. Enjoy, ffolkes.
And, please. Think about it all, will you? Thanks….
*****
“In the beginning Man created God; and in the image of Man created he him.”
~~ Ian Anderson ~~
~~ Jethro Tull, Aqualung ~~
“The mistake began when God was created in a male image. Of course, women would see Him that way, but men should have been gentlemen enough, remembering their mothers, to make God a woman! But the God of Gods–the Boss–has always been a man. That makes life so perverted, and death so unnatural. We should have imagined life as created in the birth-pain of God the Mother. Then we would understand why we, Her children, have inherited pain, for we would know that our life’s rhythm beats from Her great heart, torn with the agony of love and birth. And we would feel that death meant reunion with Her, a passing back into Her substance, blood of Her blood again, peace of Her peace! Now wouldn’t that be more logical and satisfying than having God a male whose chest thunders with egotism and is too hard for tired heads and thoroughly comfortless?” — Eugene O’Neill, “Strange Interlude” [1928], Act II
“So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.” — Bertrand Russell
“Any system of religion which has anything in it which offends the mind of a child cannot be a true system.” — Thomas Paine
“Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was He before creation? How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression … Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end.” — The Mahapurana, Jinasena
“God is an invention of Man.
So the nature of God is only a shallow mystery.
The deep mystery is the nature of Man.”
~~ Nanrei Kobori, — late Abbot of the Temple of the Shining Dragon, Kyoto, Japan ~~
*****
“All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
“The value of money has an objective regulator only when it is linked to a real commodity, like gold, itself requiring the cost of human labor to be produced. By comparison, the value of inconvertible paper money has no objective regulator, its marginal cost of production being nearly zero.” — Lewis E. Lehrman (See? Nothing real… Only what we agree to hold so….)
“As far as I’m concerned, if something is so complicated that you can’t explain it in 10 seconds, then it’s probably not worth knowing anyway.” — Calvin
“I refuse to believe that trading recipes is silly. Tuna-fish casserole is at least as real as corporate stock.” — Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
“What do they call a comedian who doesn’t get any laughs? A philosopher.” — Phil Proctor
*****
“Power, like a desolating pestilence,
Pollutes whate’er it touches…”
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~~
“It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but actually it’s more true that 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
“Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.” — Giordano Bruno (1548- burned at the stake, 1600)
“As formerly we suffered from crimes, so now we suffer from laws.” — Tacitus
“He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and
ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.” — Albert Einstein
“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” — Bertrand Russell
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I am working on a poem, which seems to be leaking out in a chaotic fashion; it looks good, though, so we’ll let it play out as it pleases. Here’s one that fits, today, and often. Especially when it is followed by an old-school pearl that carries its title…. Keep reading….
Notes of process and program…
Poems, alas, don’t chase through my head,
bumping and pushing each other like brothers at dinner.
They’re more ripped out of my innards, instead.
Time and circumstance reveal no ultimate winner.
Simmering and bubbling near my unconscious mind
these maddening rhymes blind me sans glimmer.
Building until bursting as if to be dined and wined,
the remaining denizens appear much slimmer.
Fiery visions retain such glorious fatal dimension,
in retrospect, yet fail to leave a permanent scar,
until blessed, or cursed, with focused attention,
singing, crying, bleeding, fast as a movie star.
Pretty soon can’t be soon enough, she said
to a chameleon colored thief bathed in moonlight.
Fancy candles in stripes of blue, gold, and red
foster honest dreams in shades of white.
Passage to daylight is problematic, at best:
beastly ghosts of insomniacs cast no shadow.
Even judges with robes can pass the wrong test
while the rest of us go with what we know.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/3/2013
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Naked Pearls
“Notes Of Process And Program…”
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“It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what’s cool.”
~~ Calvin & Hobbes ~~
*********
“We must beware of whatever insights we have into ourselves.
Our self-knowledge annoys and paralyzes our daimon
– this is where we should look for the reason Socrates wrote nothing.”
~~ E.M. Cioran ~~
*********
“”Human beings are perhaps never more frightening
than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.”
~~ Laurens Van der Post, The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958) ~~
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“Be prepared to go mad with fixed rule and method.”
~~ Horace (65-8 B.C.) ~~
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“Honor isn’t about making the right choices.
It’s about dealing with the consequences.”
~~ Midori Koto~~
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“Reality is in the eye of the beholder.”
~~ The Keeper, from Stargate ~~
*********
“When I was a lark, I sang;
when I was a worm, I devoured.”
~~ Theodore Roethke ~~
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“I’m pretty tired. Think I’ll go home now.”
~~ Forrest Gump ~~
*********
********************************
Well, ffolkes. There you have it. Not only do you have it, but, you’ve got ALL of it. I don’t believe I can do this any better, but, what the hell? I’ll be back again to try. Could take a bit of time, but, it seems the wait might be worth the effort. See y’all tomorrow, as long as the sun comes up….. Pretty good odds, I’d say….
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.
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength
which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~
Wind Spinner
Hajime…. To avoid getting either maudlin, or whiny, I’ll forgo relating how I’ve spent the past three days, three days in which no Pearl was posted, for the first time in five years. Suffice it to say, I’ve not been having fun, nor have I been frantically writing down the thousands of irreverent, or psychotic, take your pick, thoughts that have paraded past my inner censors, without ever seeing the light of day. No doubt, that sentence will bring beads of sweat to the brow of anyone trying to decipher any real meaning, for it wound its way tortuously to a bad end. This, perhaps, more than anything else, should tell you how its been around here….
Nevertheless, here I am, bad syntax & all. I’m going to post this, come Hell or High Water, so, I suppose it would be best to just get on with it. If I take the time to compose a thorough introductory section, I have a feeling we’d never get out of here, or, get anywhere close to finishing this in time to even post it with today’s date. To make a long story short, I’m pretty frigging off the rails right now, without a clue as to why, or even why not. When I have a clue, I’ll be okay, but, right now, the price for one is out of my range, so, I’ll just have to fake it, as I have been now for three days. So be it.
Since, in spite of all planning I managed to find a somewhat cryptic note, we’ll use it to twist our way down the page, in the interests of fair play, while simultaneously pretending it’s not unusual. How’m I doing? No? Well, okay. We’ll just go on, without any further bullshit…. Hmm. Let’s do this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“If nothing went wrong today, you’re probably dead.”
~~ Murphy’s Last Law ~~
********************************
For a return to routine, default is perfectly appropriate, not to mention, lovely. Enjoy, ffolkes, if you wish. Hard not to with such music….
I’m working on a rant, which, naturally, isn’t done, as I haven’t written at all in three days. To fill in for today, here’s a relatively light piece from a couple years ago…. Enjoy!….
From 3/11/2014:
As iterated above, there will be no rant today…. However, having found the first quote in this group on the very first try today, I believe I can put together an old school variety pearl that will serve as well to take a few telling shots at the dignity of the BRC, as well as pulling as many of their covers as I can grab hold of…. Enjoy…..
“Governments are the world’s real terrorist organizations. They function by means of inducing fear in their victims to gain compliance.” — Westley F. Deitchler
(Now, if that isn’t the most truthful, most logical, and most accurate quote I’ve seen in many moons, then, nothing at all fits that description…. This is the absolute truth, ffolkes, and something EVERYONE ALIVE should be made aware of…. let’s hope the rest of what Smart Bee finds for us is as potent….)
“I could not milk the cow and leave it thirsty.” — Munyawera, current volunteer and former client — of Christian Children’s Fund — on why he donates his time to CCF.
(Now, if only we could find a politician who felt this way….)
“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.” — Gore Vidal
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
— T. S. Eliot, Choruses from the Rock
(Nowadays, we KNOW where our information is, don’t we? And, if we don’t, we have the NSA, who tracks and collects all of it for us….)
“Is being an idiot like being high all the time?” — Janeane Garofolo
(I’m not sure of the answer, but I figure we could just ask any elected official to find out….)
“No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.” — Jacob Bronowski, in “Encounter”, 1971
And, lastly, just because we can….
“How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.” — Petrarch
Now, THAT’S what I’m talking about…..
********************************
Gently Came a Wounded Child
But you shall not escape my iambics.
Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.
Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.
Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.
Uncertainty will be our sole companion,
as the search for hope yields no result.
The lamentations of the gods
shall sound the elegy for Man,
who never learned to see the gift that was made,
so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past;
thus will we pass this plane of existence
as we came, baffled and afraid….
~~ gigoid ~~
written 2/2/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
It only seems like a joke….
*******
“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west;
people create distinctions out of their own minds
and then believe them to be true.”
~~ Buddha ~~
*******
“There is no sun without shadow
and it is essential to know the night.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
Don’t let yourself indulge in vain wishes.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
*******
“He who searches for truth must not appease his urge
by giving himself up to the narcotic of belief.”
~~ Hans Reichenbach ~~
*******
“Here is the world,
sound as a nut, perfect,
not the smallest piece of chaos left,
never a stitch nor an end,
not a mark of haste, or botching, or second thought;
but the theory of the world
is a thing of shreds and patches.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
*******
“Do not look for all the answers at once.
A path is formed by placing stones one in front of the other.”
~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~
*******
“So this is what it feels like to be potato salad”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
********************************
It’s done. We’ll treat it like a gift horse, & go post it before I can change my mind. I’ll try to do this again tomorrow, but, at this point, I’m not making any guarantees. Most likely, I’ll be here tomorrow; odds are once again in our favor. Until then, be strange, because it’s cool out there….
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.
Hajime…. My morning routines are evolving again. I’ve had to set the deadline for getting the Pearls done in the morning an hour or two ahead, as I’m now able to sleep, and not up every morning about 3 AM. Yay, me…. In addition, it’s good to know my age is not keeping me from undergoing changes needed to keep on a balanced, steady course. Once we lose the ability to change, our time here is done, pretty much, for only the dead do not change. Well, as pointed out to me once, they do rot, which is change, but, it no longer concerns them, does it now? Right.
Hmm…. I can’t say that’s the most gripping, or compelling opening I’ve done, but, I can say it’s not even close to being either one. I’d delete it & start again, but, I’m already later than I’d hoped to be this morning, so we’ll just pretend it’s fine, and get on with it. I still have three sections to complete, & we won’t get there if I keep waffling. Of course, the question as to whether or not ‘getting there’ is a worthwhile pastime is one we won’t bother to justify with a response. That would be both self-serving, and inefficient, and we do try to avoid both of those, when we can…. Today, that’s looking a bit iffy….
Ah, well, so much for vaulting ambition; I think even moderate ambition, or modest, will also be out of our purview, so, let’s not even go there, okay? Instead, I’ll stop fooling around with this, & get on with it. After all, it’s only a matter of time until none of much anything will really matter to us, so, really, what’s the point, eh? Of course, that’s giving in to despair, but, we’re getting rather adept at that, so…. I think, most likely, this would be a good time for me to push this button, which will take us where we need to be, without any further idiocy from the author, who has completely lost his way, and is now stuck speaking in a completely different person. Damn it…. Fuck it, I’m pushing it now….
Shall we Pearl?….
“To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.”
~~ Plutarch ~~
********************************
I couldn’t think of anything new and different, and we just did classical yesterday. So, today, I’ll please myself. Here is my favorite female artist. Red hair, hot guitar licks, and a voice that can send chills up your spine…. The video I chose was the latest I could find, from 2013 BBC sessions she preformed…. Enjoy, ffolkes; I will, for sure….
“The only way to combat criminals is by not voting for them.”
~~ Dayton Allen ~~
In the past couple weeks, I’ve avoided ranting extensively here. I’ve been putting most of that angst into comments on other blogs, so there hasn’t been enough left here to stimulate my outrage, even though there is more than enough in the news to do so. What I see there only convinces me my bad feelings about what may happen in the next few years are not unjustified….. In fact, the above quote mirrors much of my thought process, for I’ve come to the conclusion that that longer we encourage the idiots who are ostensibly in charge of society, by voting, by paying taxes, by allowing their lies to be truth, the longer the trouble we face will be with us, eventually leading us inexorably to our extinction.
Rather than try to force out all that is in there, boiling over, I’ll throw out some pearls, from which you can build your own rant in your mind. Oh, it’s not hard; don’t be afraid. Just follow the bouncing ideas, and you’ll see how much fun it can be to take the Asininnies for a spin down Insult Lane…. Here, then, for your viewing pleasure are today’s pearls, to string together & throw at the Beloved Ruling Class, the Dogma Dogs, the Faceless Mrymidons, and all the other Asininnies we have come to know and, hate so well….
“All riches come from iniquity, and unless one has lost, another cannot gain. Hence that common opinion seems to be very true, “the rich man is unjust, or the heir to an unjust one.” Opulence is always the result of theft, if not committed by the actual possessor, than by his predecessor.” — St. Jerome (340?-420)
“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
“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.” — Laurence J. Peter
“Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war.” — Plutarch — Life of Caius Marius
” When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl!” [When cryptography is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy!”, ROT-13 encrypted] — Brad Templeton of ClariNet
“We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” — Titus Livius
“Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.” — New Testament — Matthew vii, 13
Lions in the street and roaming,
Dogs in heat, rabid, foaming,
A beast caged in the heart of the city.
The body of his mother lying in the summer ground,
He fled the town.
Went down south across the border,
Left the chaos and disorder
Back there, over his shoulder.
One morning he awoke in a green hotel,
A strange creature groaning beside him.
Sweat oozed from its shiny skin.
Is everybody in? The ceremony is about to begin.
~~ Jim Morrison, “Celebration of the Lizard” ~~
********************************
I’ve been feeling as if there’s a poem in me, percolating, but, it has not yet reached the stage where I can open a vein to let it out. Here, instead, is the last one I wrote, not so long ago…. I hope you enjoy it…..
Augmentation: Inner Aye
Distant, peals of thunder, vividly.
Closer, a patter of rain, falling gravidly.
Between the light and the darkness of fear
find merely the remnants of one lonely tear.
Do not hate us, though we have not sinned;
eager for courage, upon whom all hope is pinned.
Tales of insolence, hatred, or fallen virtue
fill us up, not down, in such pristine foreign venue.
Capable hands severed, able hands tied;
the future is angry, all but now denied.
Multiple times, warnings sounded across the pale
nobody heard, nobody came to tell the tale.
Gifted by time, salience fails in epic rhyme;
watchmakers watching, each a separate crime.
Logical solutions refuse to emulsify
forever pretending to cruelly crucify.
Blood will fly alongside pertinent composure,
never seeking, never finding tea, or closure.
Falsely laid trails on mountains of gold
imply no happy endings, no fortunes told.
Ages past have no time for repetition;
further chances only lead to perdition.
Destiny feels a shameful portion of guilt,
for a thousand sand castles, never built.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/2/2016
********************************
Naked Pearls
Dragon Bookends/Random Thoughts
*********
“Safety is on the shore, but the pearl is in the ocean.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
*********
“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
*********
“Clouds come floating into my life,
no longer to carry rain or usher storm
but to add color to my sunset sky.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
*********
“Art has an obligation to offend.”
~~ Edward Albee ~~
*********
“When I was a lark, I sang; when I was a worm, I devoured.”
~~ Theodore Roethke ~~
*********
“Man needs, for his happiness,
not only the enjoyment of this or that,
but hope and enterprise and change.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
*********
“No falsehood lingers into old age.”
~~ Sophocles ~~
*********
“If you can, help others. If you can’t, at least don’t hurt others.”
~~ the Dalai Lama ~~
*********
“Enjoy yourself–it’s later than you think.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
********************************
Well, I beat the odds, though slowly. It’s all fresh though, except for the poem, which is about as fresh as I can do. Regardless of aught else we might say, it’s done, so, I’ll be nice, and end it here, and now. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody comes up with a better plan….
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.
“Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
So…. where’s the fish?
Hajime….. There is a large mountain just ahead of me, blocking my way to consciousness…. I don’t know if I have it in me to get over it. The only option I can perceive is to put my head down and slog. Gee, spell-checker didn’t react to that word at all. Hmm. Well, if it can be phlegmatic so early, so can I…. The hell with the mountain; we’ll take the train, & go around. Why not, eh?
Since my first attempt at humor to open the day fell completely flat, let’s hare off in another direction, shall we? Given the penguin at the top of the page, we can probably get away with a lot today…. Damn good thing, too, because, frankly, I ain’t got it today. I have no clue as to why, but, I woke up without any energy, in spite of a reasonable time spent asleep (I think; I can’t be sure, as I was sleeping, & wasn’t paying attention….). I suppose it’s just one more item to chalk up to the aging process, and hope for the best, meaning it won’t happen often. Hope is free, thank goodness.
Well, since funny didn’t work, and chatty is boring, let’s see…. Where should I wander next? Oh, wait, I know. Since I don’t have much chutzpah today, why don’t we just be done, and go onward? It’s a thought, and a good one, I think. In fact, I’ll be the executive my title entitles me to emulate, and make that decision unilaterally, my favorite kind. It’s a Scorpio thing; you don’t want to know. In the meantime, since you don’t know, and don’t want to know, we can be off, just as if we were once on.
Okay, all common and uncommon sense is now gone. We’re leaving. Hang on, because we tuned up the engines, and the plane got pretty zippy. Don’t tell the insurance guy, okay? Okay. Enough nonsense, or whatever this is…. we’re outta here…. I’ve got a Pearl to process…
Shall we Pearl?….
“Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.”
~~ Heinrich Heine ~~
********************************
Yep, you guessed it…. Classical music again…. Hey, it’s our default, so, back off!…. Alternately, you may enjoy…. As usual, the mix you get was picked by the picture, which was the one that caught my eye….
I’m not up to a rant today, so, to sublimate the angst, here is a rather lengthy, but, cogent religirant, which I last posted in 2013, written in 2012… Enjoy!….
From late 2012:
Originally this morning, I had intended to write something less controversial here…. but, Smart Bee is being a bit recalcitrant this morning in coming up with suitable stuff…. so, I’m going ahead with this discussion of religious thought, even though I was trying not to be so sober today….SIGH…. “The best laid plans of mice and men, etc….” Such are the mysterious ways of Smart Bee….
I believe in god, I just don’t like him. — Smart Bee
Now, here is a concept I can get behind…. I am often unsure of how to express my own beliefs about the idea of a God, or god, capitalization depending, I suppose, on one’s sense of reverence regarding same. All the twaddle I was taught in Sunday School was an obvious pack of lies; even at age 5 I was unconvinced of the stories they told me. None of them seemed any more real, or plausible, than the cartoons I watched on Saturday morning, and there was certainly no bloodshed in the cartoons…. mayhem, yes, bloodshed, no…. But, the story of the crucifixion is enough to give even the most ghoulish of child nightmares, for sure and for certain…. What were they thinking?….
But, the statement above goes along better with what I would like to believe (which is no more, and no less, than any other human…. believing what we’d LIKE to believe is always more attractive than what MIGHT be true…. neither of which necessarily has anything to do with what is actually REAL….), because most of the stories and lessons we heard as children about God make him out to be a petty, narcissistic, vindictive asshole, to be quite frank.
Well, there is that, plus, most of the preachers, to me, seemed to me to be much more interested in other people’s business than their own, with many of the same characteristics of their ignoble so-called creator. None of them were much of a recommendation to me as proper examples of what a good man should be, and none of what I heard about god, or God, put (H)him in that category, either.
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” — Jesus Christ (Gnostic Gospel Of Thomas, Saying 70)
Or, better out than in…. so to speak. Which, as you know if you’ve been reading here previously, is something I believe in wholeheartedly….. Jesus, for me, falls into a similar category for me as God, or preachers…. kind of in limbo regarding all the stuff that was, and is, said about him. He was obviously a real historical figure, and not a mythical supernatural being, and as such his words and actions were recorded for posterity. The accuracy of what was written is, to say the least, questionable, if for no other reason that he spoke Aramaic as his primary language…. that is pretty well established.
What many fail to consider is this…. in order for us to hear his words, we have to hear what was translated through at least four or five languages, from the original Aramaic. First, it would have been translated to Latin, or possibly another middle eastern dialect of the time, then into Latin. Then it was translated to probably Italian, French, and Spanish; then into German and, possibly, it underwent its first change into English, back when it was still considered to be Middle English…. I’m pretty sure the first King James version didn’t occur until well after the Renaissance period.
So, my question is this…. how much of the original meaning of his words came through into the English translation? It’s funny, but when, as a teen, I asked this of my pastor, all I could get from him was that, because the words were inspired by God, then the meaning would have been accurately translated by all those different people, as they were doing God’s work…. which, even then, made me go, “Hmmm? Could you explain that again, in English, with something, anything, that approaches an answer?” (This was before I spoke Spanish, or German, or anything else but English….)
That seems to be a problem with preachers/priests… they tend to lump everything into the same mold, and expect us to believe that what they say is true, even though there is no direct evidence to support any such twaddle. “The Bible says God said it, I believe it, and that’s the end of it!” seems to be their logical train of deduction, even though there is no logic, or deduction, to it. I wasn’t born in Missouri, but, you’ve got to SHOW ME the evidence before I’ll waste my time trying to place any belief into such grandiose ideas. When one of the church minions asks me, sarcastically, if I expect God to send me a telegram, I usually reply, “Well, that WOULD be more persuasive than expecting me to take it on your word, now, wouldn’t it?” Idiots….
“God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable. They find not only sanctuary in His arms, but also a kind of superiority, soothing to their macerated egos; He will set them above their betters.” — H.L. Mencken
This attitude, the elitist idea that those who believe are somehow superior to those who do not, is one of the root causes of most of the trouble our species is having today. The insane attitude that this planet, and all the other creatures on it, were placed here specifically for our benefit and use, is responsible for all of the pollution that continues to pump into the ecosystem, for all the abuse and chauvinism against the other life forms who live here, and for a great number of the social issues, such as poverty, racism, misogyny, and violence, that plague us as a culture. We are not only NOT the masters of creation, we are not even qualified to be our own masters; we cause ourselves as much trouble as we do the rest of creation, if not more, all because religionists insist that those who believe them are good, and everyone else is bad…. a stupid idea at best.
“God made Man to his image and likeness, and Man, being a gentleman, returned the compliment.” — Voltaire
Hence, my lack of faith in the nonsensical claptrap that the various religions attempt to pass off as truth. Reality, to me, is scary enough, without the idea of some insane supernatural creature, sitting up in some fanciful Utopia, looking down and giving a rat’s ass about what I’m doing with my life. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to try to visualize a god…. by the very definition of the beast, they cannot be imagined by a creature of lesser scope…. and telling me that you have a direct line to God, and know what he wants me to do with my life, only makes me wish I could order your new medications personally…. Oh, didn’t I mention it? We now have medications that will keep people from believing delusional material, or at least keep them from acting on those beliefs before thinking about them at least a bit….. but, who’s going to give it to a priest, when the doctor believes the same bilge?
Now that I’ve alienated any number of true believers out there, I guess I’ll let this discussion die a natural death. I could obviously continue indefinitely, but, the rest of the day calls, and I should get to it…. If you have any thoughts on these conclusions of mine, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below…. and remember, please, the rules of engagement prohibit outright flaming on this site…. Confine name-calling to short, impersonal epithets, and please, include some logical thought in your responses, as neglecting to do so wastes my time, and everyone else’s…. I don’t mind being called a fool, but, as I said, let’s see your evidence….
“I find your lack of faith in the Force disturbing….” — Darth Vader (Star Wars)
********************************
“Language is a cracked kettle on which we tap out crude rhythms for bears to dance to while we long to make music that will melt the stars.” — Gustave Flaubert, “Madame Bovary”
An Old Man, Snoring….
Winter arrives with gusts of wind and rain,
clover spreads green amongst the hedges.
Urban gardens quiver, and dream of spring again,
gargoyles stoically crouch on corniced ledges.
Umbrellas sprout over heads shrouded and hatted,
dotting the sidewalks in colorful profusion.
Urban denizens pose sketches, framed and matted,
adding casual beauty to fill the illusion.
Hissing tires, swishing along with the wipers
join nature’s orchestra smoothly, as percussion.
Dripping gutters sound gong tones, true pipers,
a sudden roar of wind hushes all discussion.
Dreams of summer heat form the crux of desire
as winter chills our souls from without.
Sitting in warmth, gazing into an imaginary fire;
content to know spring will come, no doubt.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/21/2012
********************************
What we have here is a standard, seven-star random harlequin pearl, classic variety…. All good stuff, with a message for the ages…. Enjoy!…
“We start this life alone and we end this life alone, it is what we do in between with the people and the world around us that matters.” — Larry G. Smith
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Don’t let yourself indulge in vain wishes.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” — Ursula K. LeGuin
“Neither the water nor the moon make any effort to achieve a reflection.” — Deng Ming-Dao
“To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu
“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.” — C. G. Jung
“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.” — Bertolt Brecht
********************************
It’s done. It’s a mess, but, it’s done. I will make no claims to quality today, but, will make a stronger effort to do better tomorrow. Given today’s results, the odds are good on that. See y’all then, ffolkes, as long as my batteries hold out….
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.
“There is no debt with so much prejudice put off as that of justice.”
~~ Plutarch — Of those whom God is slow to punish ~~
You said there would be treats….
Hajime….. Pale, sweaty, yet, undaunted by the demands of reality, he arises to begin the day, sans coherent thought, as is his wont. Still, the prospect of yet another day on this beautiful planet, with its immense complexity of life, and it’s uncommonly evocative vistas of uncompromising grandeur. Even considering the negative aspects of current reality, there remains the continual reminder of the immortal, eternal nature of the Universe at large, and the ever-present hope that lives in the human heart, with, or without reason.
Okay, that’s enough pedantry for one morning. I’m a bit late, having again slept reasonably well, so, I’m in a bit of a rush to maintain the schedule to which I try to keep, loose and flexible as it may be. I got a fair amount done yesterday, so, we’ll make it, with the help of the archives, if needed. For the time being, I’ll make the executive decision again to pursue a policy of brevity in expression, at least, here in the intro. It seems to work out better on such days when I do, so, hey, why not? It can’t be any more problematic than our usual blather, right? Right. So be it, and here we go….
Shall we Pearl?….
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
********************************
Image from Photostock Royalty-free Images
On the page where I viewed a video yesterday, sent by a friend, I found these two videos. The first is a jam of “Why I Sing The Blues” with a group of performers that is hard to believe got together all in one place. Just about every blues player in American music history of the last 40 years was there; every one of them had a blast doing the song, as is clear by their expressions of joy the entire time… The second video is a compilation of a couple hours of blues, just for your enjoyment… so, enjoy!….
“There is no freedom without the power to defend it.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
I had intended to create a discussion based on the above assertion, but, didn’t have time; for y’all it’s probably a good thing, as this subject can push a couple thousand words out of me in no time. Instead, I’ll leave you today with the following observation, then include a discussion of personal responsibility/self-awareness from the archives, from 2012, which includes a verse we utilized yesterday…. I hope you enjoy this little break from fresh ranting… Me, I’m gonna go listen to some blues….
“The average man never really thinks from beginning to end of his life. The mental activity of such people is only a mouthing of cliches. What they mistake for thought is simply repetition of what they have heard. My guess is that well over 80% of the human race goes through life without having a single original thought. Whenever a new one appears the average man shows signs of dismay and resentment.” — H. L. Mencken: “Minority Report: H. L. Mencken’s Notebooks”
From 9/9/2012:
A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “The one I feed the most.” — George Bernard Shaw
This is a wonderful anecdote, and one I feel very firmly about, as it is one of the clearest lessons in self-awareness I have ever seen. This one is so simple an idea, that even the ignorant asses who make up the political scene in this country would be able to understand it. They probably couldn’t do it, as they never, ever think about themselves other than as an important person, who doesn’t need to make changes in himself. Anyone who does think of themselves would never, ever consent to be put into a public office…. the two things (introspection vs. public office) just don’t mix…. That is because of the following, from a pretty smart fella, who lived quite some time ago, but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders….
“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom. For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)
“…he who is neither good nor wise” is a perfect description of anyone who wants to be President of this country. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again, because it bears repetition, that anyone, anyone at all, who actually WANTS to be President can be classified as clinically insane, usually a paranoid schizophrenic, with grandiose delusions of adequacy…. NOBODY is adequate for that job… nobody. And anyone who thinks they are is simply not all there…..
And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there
~~ Box of Rain by Phil Lesh & Robert Hunter ~~
Ah me…. politics and politicians are such an easy target. If it wasn’t so much fun, I might call it a naughty habit, and leave them to their devices, which surely are many….. Since we’re pressed for time today, we’ll leave them be, and just caution y’all to watch out, because their antics can be dangerous, if they are left without supervision for long….
********************************
A Sorcerer Bids Farewell To Seem
I’m through with this grand looking-glass hotel
where adjectives play croquet with flamingo nouns;
methinks I shall absent me for a while
from rhetoric of these rococo queens.
Item : chuck out royal rigmarole of props
and auction off each rare white-rabbit verb;
send my muse Alice packing with gaudy scraps
of mushroom simile and gryphon garb.
My native sleight-of-hand is wearing out :
mad hatter’s hat yields no new metaphor,
and jabberwock will not translate his songs :
it’s time to vanish like the cheshire cat
alone to that authentic island where
cabbages are cabbages; kings : kings.
~~ Sylvia Plath ~~
********************************
Today’s final pearl is a classic style old-school pearl, random harlequin style, with a somewhat subtle message for us. In fact, so subtle, I have yet to figure out what it may be… ‘S okay, we’ve got all day to try to reason it out, so…. have fun!….
“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is because modern education is so seldom inspired by a great hope that it so seldom achieves great results. The wish to preserve the past rather that the hope of creating the future dominates the minds of those who control the teaching of the young.” — Bertrand Russell
“Fishing gives you a sense of where you fit in the scene of things. Your place in the universe. I mean, here I am, one small guy with a fishing pole on this vast beach and out there in the blue expanse of ocean are these hundreds of millions of fish… laughing at me.” — Anonymous Smart Bee
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” — Leonardo da Vinci
“As for myself, I always willingly acknowledge my own self as the principal cause of every good and of every evil which may befall me; therefore I have always found myself capable of being my own pupil, and ready to love my teacher.” — Giacomo Casanova
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“In the end, everything is a gag.” — Charlie Chaplin
********************************
Not too shabby for what I’d call a rush job, hurried. It seems to hang together, though, so, we’ll let ‘er fly solo, and see what happens. I shall, as is also my wont, return tomorrow, to give this ol’ horse another workout, to see if we can’t improve on our time, and the elegance of our ‘look and feel’. Fat chance, right? Okay, I’ll stop now, since we are in the closing section. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I can’t figure out if it’s a gift, or an obsession, but, either way, I’ll be here….
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.
The picture placed the busts between
Adds to the thought much strength;
Wisdom and Wit are little seen,
But Folly ‘s at full length.
~~ Jane Brereton (1685-1740) ~~
~~ On Beau Nash’s Picture at full length between the Busts of Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Pope ~~
The Last Manchu ~~ Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi Image from You Tube via Google Images
Good morning…. Head down, breathing. Enduring. Another hour until the next chance at peace; two, if you count in real time. Time goes twice as slowly, from a personal perspective, when in a trance, the only possible method to get through the minor taste of major hell in which I’m caught, like a fly in amber….. By the time any real sort of peace can possibly be achieved, it will be light, hopefully in my soul, as well as in the Big Blue Room…
Ah well, so much for the best laid plans, eh? Little did I think, during all those years I worked and struggled to make my way in life, I would, at this point, be alone, but for my familiar. I had hoped to have found a partner, a helpmeet, my own true love…. Alas, she is nowhere to be found, it seems, so, I carry on by myself, trying to find some purpose for this existence I find myself inhabiting…. As one of those men hardwired for family and home, it’s a bit of a disappointment, to say the least….
Oh, not that I have any regrets; that sort of mental aberration isn’t one to which I’ve ever been prey. To regret means one made the wrong choices, which is silly, as they are already made, and cannot be changed. Wrong and right are only human judgments; the universe doesn’t work that way, so it’s a waste of time and energy to fall into that trap. But, I can say it would be much more comfortable, and fulfilling, to be able to share what I am doing with a like-minded partner….
I suppose that’s the problem, right there…. “Like-minded” seems to be the issue, I’d guess. My own mind is a bit, shall we say, different? Finding someone who can both appreciate it, and tolerate it, seems to be more than any woman seems willing to undertake, or experience. Which is okay; everyone has their own standards and preferences…. But, I sure could wish there was ONE woman willing to take the risk; it would also be helpful if she were to be somewhere in my immediate vicinity, and be, at least, amenable to the idea….
It has been said, many times, all things come to he who knows how to wait; I can only hope it is true. Until my waiting is done, I’ll be here, maintaining, and hopefully, building what remains of my life into a structure worth living in…. Now, if I can only shake this bullshit physical weakness crap, all will be well, and all will be well, in the end…. For now, we’ll do this…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“Don’t try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.” — Arthur Freed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Artist’s rendition of the New Horizons Spacecraft near Pluto
Image from Space.com
Today’s video is a compilation of the photos taken by the New Horizons spacecraft as it flew past Pluto in 2015, strung together to give a view of the entire trip’s purpose, to gather data on our Solar System’s most distant planetary body. It’s pretty cool, and the page where it resides will furnish a number of other interesting videos on the mission…. Enjoy!…..
How many times in your life have you heard this statement? Most of us have heard it repeated since we were children; I believe it is one of those statements that has been present in our language and culture since the beginning of recorded history, which, oddly enough, coincides with the invention of the concept of money…. Yes, invention, that’s what I said. Money, you see, doesn’t exist in the real world; there is no physical equivalent anywhere in the Universe one may point to which represents the idea; yet, this idea is the basis for almost every act of evil perpetrated by one person upon another….
This means, of course, we are all slaves to an idea, one which really has no actual meaning in Reality. How stupid is that? Well, I’ll tell ya, ffolkes…. that’s pretty fucking stupid, in my less than humble opinion…. In fact, it is awfully close to being DELIBERATELY FUCKING INSANE, rather than merely dumb. I can’t think of anything less intelligent than allowing a mere concept to control our existence, yet, this is what almost every member of this species falls for, right from the cradle….
It’s hard for me to believe we’ve been to the moon, when we can’t seem to find our way out of a simple illusion…. especially since it is all just a lie, told to us by manipulative predators, who have no interest in anything other than the fulfillment of their own desire, which generally involves the acquisition of power, and more resources than is their fair share, and has nothing to do at all with helping others. Insane, sociopathic, as well as psychopathic predators, with no more humanity than an amoeba….
What we see then, is this; money doesn’t exist. The only reason it has any meaning at all is because we give it such; no other reason is needed, and, for the purposes of those who wish to control, forms the essential first step to enslavement. Once a person believes money exists, and has importance, they become vulnerable to their own desire for it, which allows the predators to manipulate those desires for their own benefit, through the use of more lies, based upon the belief in the first, most basic lie…. Once enslaved, the slave has no idea they are even in chains, for they are only focused on the money, which doesn’t exist….
Also, even if they are made aware of the anomaly, the refuse to change, because of a lack of courage, to admit they have been wrong. As well, they would have to assume responsibility for their own beliefs, and the Universe can be a scary place. Most have never used their minds to look beyond their own needs and desires; it takes courage to face up to Reality. Only those with the courage to face it, and learn, are able to survive without the collar, for they meet the universe on even terms…..
There is a basic flaw in the plan of the predatory class of humans, though; since money doesn’t really exist, it cannot possibly be used to maintain the status quo forever. There will always come a time, when the very weight of the lies used to build the structure of society, will cause the entire house of cards to simply fall down, a victim of gravity, killed by the weight of the illusions it professed to believe. For, when the lies no longer serve as a means to describe what they see before their eyes, the illusions will always become obvious to those in thrall…. When they realize how they’ve been fooled, there will be nowhere on the planet the so-called masters will be able to hide, from the more than seven billion ANGRY people they tried to kill with their selfish desire to be ‘special’….
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.
~~ Cree Indian Prophecy ~~
“Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.” — P.J. O’Rourke
So be it.
gigoid has spoken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Given the mini-politireligirant in the above section, this poem of mine, written last summer, seems to be perfectly appropriate, to take up some of the time until the next one leaks out of the vein I’ll be opening soon… Enjoy!. Funky as it may be, it’s one of my faves…..
A Few Words of Note
In place of ranting and raving about assholes every day
maybe I’ll try something more fun.
Rather than throwing words at all the assholes on public pay
I’ll switch to shooting at them, with a gun….
Should I actually hit one, purely by mistake,
maybe it would wake them up.
Maybe, if they had to think, or actually cut us a break,
we’d see a chance to win at life, to take a step up.
Our nation, such as it is today, was founded by men who told the truth;
that morality disappeared long ago.
Simple ethical strength so bright, so prevalent in our country’s youth
was soon corrupted; corporate interests now run the show.
Nothing would please me more than to fire off some rounds,
if only to gain their attention.
But, I can no longer run, I’ve gained too many pounds;
so, my keyboard and intellect must serve to fulfill my intention.
I won’t stop, of that you may be sure
I love my freedoms, and the philosophy from which it springs.
Tom, and Ben, and John, and Pat, those patriots pure
gave me their example, and the inner peace it brings.
If bullets won’t persuade our elected liars to toe the ethical line,
I’ll throw my most powerful words…..
If nothing else, it will make them wriggle to escape, or voice their pitiful whine,
thus exposing themselves for what they are…. plain and simple turds.
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 7/19/2014.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today’s final pearl, as indicated by the icon, speaks to some of the lesser known facets of Life at Large, as related by quite a variety of contributing authors, some of note, some of antiquity, some modern and kinky, some staid…. All of them are spot on, when it comes to being good advice for living that Life with the greatest possible degree of virtue, and joy…. while still appreciating their opposites…. Well, sort of….. Ah, hell, you tell me what it says, then….
But we, who name ourselves its sovereigns, we,
Half dust, half deity, alike unfit
To sink or soar.
~~ Lord Byron — Manfred, Act i, Sc. 2 ~~
“Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.” — Albert Schweitzer
“Sanity is a cozy lie.” — Susan Sontag
“Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?” — Zippy the Pinhead
“There’s always a bigger fish.” — Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Episode I
“When asked what learning was the most necessary, he said, “Not to unlearn what you have learned.” — Diogenes Laertius — Antisthenes, iv
“Is it pain that makes you real?” — The Goo Goo Dolls
“The mountain remains unmoved at seeming defeat by the mist.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“[T]he earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” — Chief Seattle, 1854 (c.1786-1866)
It’s funny how, sometimes, the proper ending pearl makes the whole thing make sense, even though during its construction, I hadn’t a clue where it would end up…. Subconscious direction, I suppose; that, or incredibly lucky whimsy…. Who cares which? I don’t; it works for me…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t care what anybody says; it’s a Pearl. Also, it’s done. That makes it time to post, and get the hell out of Dodge. See y’all down the road, ffolkes. Can’t say when it will be fresh again; this one took four or five days. But, I’ll be back, trust me. I ain’t no Senator’s son….
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.
Take me to your leader, and don’t try anything funny! Image from the UK Telegraph 8/4/2015
Good morning…. Before we actually begin today, I should relate a small but relatively important piece of new information about these Pearls in general, and, more specifically, about individual pearls, and their attribution. As I’ve shared previously, (though not recently; hence this housekeeping event…), when Smart Bee gives me an aphorism/quote/statement without attribution, I try to take time to plug it into Google, which usually can identify it. When it can’t, and I can’t figure out any other way to find out, I just give Smart Bee the attribution, and let it go at that.
From today on, whenever I feel like it, in such cases where the final attribution for any quote is to go to SB, I may, or may not, provide a short, pithy comment on the pearl itself, in the format of an addition/change to the usual form, e.g., Very Smart Bee, or, Sarcastic Bee, etc. It’s just another little way I can let off a bit of steam, which is part of the cathartic effect of the blogging process…. for me. I know for sure there are others who use this process to maintain their sanity, so, I’m not alone in that; hopefully, this little addition will help smooth it out for me, and, in the process, give y’all a chuckle or two…
So be it. gigoid has spoken. We now return you to your regularly scheduled intro, as this portion was pre-recorded for my convenience, then, locked in the Tardis until time to paste in here…. Slick, eh? Okay, here’s your intro….
{{ dignified silence }}
Gotcha! Okay, Luigi, I think they’re sufficiently stunned; let’s hit it…. Oh, y’all might want to hold on to something, no matter how apt what George says below may, or may not be; bumpy is too mild a word when Luigi’s on a roll….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The power to stand alone is worth acquiring at the expense of much sorrowful solitude.” — George Bernard Shaw
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In today’s video/music/entertainment section, we are going to listen to some more of my default choice, i.e., classical music. As a bonus, just below this paragraph, you will find an extra link. This link will take you to the home page of the SF Bay Area’s classical music radio station, KDFC. On their home page, you will find a button that says, “Listen Live”; click the button, to be connected to the streaming channel for KDFC, where you can listen to one of the finest selections of music ever compiled.
Though fully listener-supported, they stream their programs for free; on the home page you can also connect to listen to archived recorded music of various Bay Area events, such as the SF Symphony, every Wednesday evening, and other recordings…. And, you can listen to this fine selection ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!….. FOR FREE!….
I’ve always felt a kinship to Aristotle; everything I’ve read attributed to him, and everything I’ve read about him, makes obvious his genius, not only for its depth of wisdom and rationality, but, for its simplicity, and, most importantly, its connection to what is human. This statement exhibits all those qualities, even though merely a general statement of truth as it applies to human nature.
Examining it for the depth of meaning implied by its simplicity explains a lot, about why the world we live in today has become such a burden to the common man, as society sinks ever further into the naturally occurring chaos which is the only possible outcome of such an unbalanced approach to society. The continuing repression of the masses of humanity by the oligarchy can never lead to any sort of harmonious existence for all; there will always be resentment for the all-too-apparent inequality of privilege, heavily in favor the few, over the many.
Trust Aristotle to put his finger on the core problem; humans are so constructed they cannot seem to handle the acquisition of power over others without losing their sense of morality, choosing every time to act in their own self-interest over that of others, regardless of the consequences for those others. They become so focused on the money and power, and their own desires, nothing else matters to them; not ethics, not morals, and certainly not the welfare of other people. One might think there would at least ONE historical report, which describes another outcome, but, I defy anyone to show me any, anywhere in the recorded history of mankind, from the days of ancient Greece, right up to the present, when society did not eventually fall prey to the same inner corruption we see today.
I’ve issued this challenge previously, and never received a single response; I suspect this is because there IS no adequate response (The more realistic side of me says it’s probably because not very many people see these pearls… but, the argument remains the same.). Any such period of time showing any truly ethical form of government was short-lived, as the oligarchy, in every case, has, over time, used their hidden resources to buy treachery, and to manipulate events to suit themselves…. a process at which they have become VERY adept.
Today’s world, with its new technology, threatens to turn our world into a truly dystopian nightmare, with less than .00001% of the people in the world oppressing the remaining seven billion, enforced by their typical violent means, with the added enhancement of computers and robots to assist them in their aim, which, put simply, is nothing less than to enslave the rest of the human race for their own benefit.
Once again, it seems I could rant forever; it also seems, sometimes, as if I already have. So, I’m mostly done, at least for today….. Here are three quick pearls, to give my opinion on the government we have today, then a short finishing blurb…. These 3 are pretty sharp, and pretty clear; no two-by-four needed….
“All forms of government are pernicious, including good government.” — Edward Abbey
“Love of money is the root of all Politicians.” — Obvious Bee
Laws are only words words written on paper, words that change on society’s whim and are interpreted differently daily by politicians, lawyers, judges, and policemen. Anyone who believes that all laws should always be obeyed would have made a fine slave catcher. Anyone who believes that all laws are applied equally, despite race, religion, or economic status, is a fool.” — John J. Miller, And Hope to Die — (in _Jokertown Shuffle – Wild Cards IX_)
I really think it is time for the people of the world to become aware of how ubiquitously they are being lied to, and, how they are enslaved, with their own tacit, ignorant agreement. When that time comes, when people finally realize their true state, it won’t matter how much control the oligarchs THINK they have. What do you think will happen to the predators of mankind when their prey, all 6+ BILLION of them, all get angry at once?… It wouldn’t be particularly hard to get the message across, as most people have heard the story, if only in music…. such as this, from the English speaking world… (I imagine it would translate well; most music is flexible enough to transcend mere language….)
And the sentence you’re paying is too high priced
While you’re living beyond all your means
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he’s made on your dreams
~~ Traffic, “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” ~~
No amount of technology, no degree of control would be sufficient to protect them, for when all of mankind realizes the truth, the following would become even more relevant, on a scale unheard of in history….
“Beware of that person who is slow to anger. For when it is long in coming, it stays longer and is warmer and dies not so easily. Abused patience is a very strong fuel for a fire not easily put out by any known means.” — Ancient Smart Bee
Hey, it’s a nice dream, isn’t it? Now I just need to write the song…. You Tube can take care of getting it out to most of mankind….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dreaming, I wait….
In the most patient moments of rationality
kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,
fallow thoughts speed first from equality
to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.
Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law
shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,
intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,
falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.
Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,
it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,
foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,
alive, always eager, willing, and pale.
Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few
with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.
No solemn royal version may pass in review,
true love for man, never to remain unhidden.
Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,
calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,
With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,
swimming in the oceans of natural delight.
When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,
roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,
Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,
and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.
Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night
aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart
Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,
tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art.
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 8/18/2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here’s a nice little nine-star pearl, with some good stuff to say about life, and the advantages of at least pretending to use one’s mind to live it…. sort of. You’ll see….
“I think, …. Do You?”
~~ Diogenes Bee ~~
” Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing.” — Publius Syrus
“But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” — Arthur C. Clarke (1917-) — Profiles of the Future (1962; rev. 1973) — “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination”
“The universe is not indifferent to intelligence, it is actively hostile to it.” — Realistic Bee
“A belief is not true because it is useful.” — Henri Frederic Amiel
“Every one is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.” — Phaedrus — Book i, Fable 26, 12
“Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us, no matter what we are doing? What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you? If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken, get to work on that.” — Epictetus
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
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Well, ffolkes, I’ve been over it twice, or three times now; I can’t find anything I missed. I guess it’s done. Damn good thing, too, as I’ve been done for some time. I hope none of what occurred after that point gets me in any deeper than I am already. Time will tell; it always does. It never can keep its mouth shut. Today, I just hope it can do so until I’ve safely donned my protective armor. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, ambush, or no ambush….
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 