The circus refuses to leave town….

Posted on July 10, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

“You’re not a real person until you’re ignored by a cat.”

Hajime…. The official title of this blog, as it says right at the top left, is Exploring Consensual Reality. Today’s version of Reality is simply too much for me to deal with; the sun came up, and I just don’t know what to do about it. Not that I’ll ever need to do anything about it, but, we humans do have our irrational fears…. It’s been said, with good reason, by a number of really smart ffolkes, worry kills more people than bullets. I can attest.

Since my mind is in revolt, (or, maybe that should be, my mind is revolting….), the mess you’ll see today will be a cheap imitation of a real Pearl, since most of it is destined to come from the archives. That is the only way it will get done at all, I’m afraid, even though it’s Sunday, and nobody really cares except me. Oh, well, he said, with some relief. That’s show biz….

That’s all, ffolkes. I’m off now, to go put this together, best I may; y’all can stick around to see what happens, or bail now. As ever, it’s up to you. In the meantime, I’ll go do what needs doing, and be done with it. Let’s get started, ‘kay?…..

Shall we pearl?….

“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”

~~ Basho ~~

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Naturally, in order to save time, we’re going with our default musical selection. Enjoy!….

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Classical Music

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While searching for a rant in the archives from 2014, I found this one, from 2012, which will do nicely….

From 6/26/2012:

IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot’s activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but “pervades and regulates the whole.” He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions and opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

When I picked out this pearl, I had intended to write a piece exploring human intelligence. However, my brain had a different plan, and all of the thoughts that I had marshaled to use went into the wind, poof, gone….. Since I’m feeling a bit lazy today, I’m keeping the pearl, and writing something about it anyway, so there….

Ranting about human stupidity is an endless challenge; there is so much of it to pick from that the choosing becomes harder than the actual writing. Every day’s news brings more examples of how dumb folks can be, and finding just one that is acceptable is merely a matter of deciding which is the better choice from a humorous view, or a serious view, or whatever viewpoint from which we will write. I’ve yet to see a single day when there weren’t at least four or five instances of stories that illustrate how talented people are at finding new ways to show how stupid they really are…..

“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” — Lazarus Long

We’ve all seen this one, I think; if not this one by Robert Heinlein, then one from another author or philosopher. It’s a pretty common theme, after all. Often, examples can be found on the front pages, especially during election years. But the back pages also carry numerous examples, taken from real life…. such as this one….

Back when I was attending the University of Utah, The Daily Utah Chronicle ran a joke ad for a debate between Phil Donahue and Whiskers the Lamb. Over 30 people showed up. (what they were expecting, God only knows.) — Smart Bee

In order to further prove my point, here is an example taken from today’s news….

http://www.fark.com/comments/7182500

This link leads to a very short article from Yahoo news, a perfect example of how the world is going mad, step by step….. I’m not even going to comment on the article, as it’s already too hard to think about it without laughing at the absurdity of the whole issue…..

Okay, I think my point is proved. The human race is pretty stupid, and getting stupider all the time. Sure, we’ve got men in space, we’ve raised the average age to 72 with medical advances, we’ve been to the moon. But we also are still making war on each other. We still abuse animals, and women, and children, and any thing else that is weaker, and will stand still. We are still killing ourselves, and denying that it is even happening. My only hope at this point is for something to happen to change human nature, to turn us away from this path we’ve chosen to walk. I hope it will happen, but I’m afraid the power of stupidity may just be greater than the power of hope….

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The following was first posted on 5/13/2014:

I’m going with whatever serendipitously throws itself under the wheels of this bus we’re on…. Here is a thought, and a poem, from two classical Chinese poets, to whose translators I offer my complete admiration, and thanks, for such excellent work….

“If you work on your mind with your mind, how can you avoid an immense confusion?”

~~ Seng-T’San ~~

Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River

The sorrow of riverside blossoms inexplicable,
And nowhere to complain — I’ve gone half crazy.
I look up our southern neighbor. But my friend in wine
Gone ten days drinking. I find only an empty bed.

A thick frenzy of blossoms shrouding the riverside,
I stroll, listing dangerously, in full fear of spring.
Poems, wine — even this profusely driven, I endure.
Arrangements for this old, white-haired man can wait.

A deep river, two or three houses in bamboo quiet,
And such goings on: red blossoms glaring with white!
Among spring’s vociferous glories, I too have my place:
With a lovely wine, bidding life’s affairs bon voyage.

Looking east to Shao, its smoke filled with blossoms,
I admire that stately Po-hua wineshop even more.
To empty golden wine cups, calling such beautiful
Dancing girls to embroidered mats — who could bear it?

East of the river, before Abbot Huang’s grave,
Spring is a frail splendor among gentle breezes.
In this crush of peach blossoms opening ownerless,
Shall I treasure light reds, or treasure them dark?

At Madame Huang’s house, blossoms fill the paths:
Thousands, tens of thousands haul the branches down.
And butterflies linger playfully — an unbroken
Dance floating to songs orioles sing at their ease.

I don’t so love blossoms I want to die. I’m afraid,
Once they are gone, of old age still more impetuous.
And they scatter gladly, by the branchful. Let’s talk
Things over, little buds —open delicately, sparingly.

~~ Tu Fu ~~

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I’m so late, and so discombobulated (fine word!….), I’m going to the archives for the final, old-school pearl today; why not? Here is one from 2014 that will do nicely….

From6/21/2014:

Once again, I had hoped to have more pictures today, but, the Wise Old Pine Cone has been busy with his new student, so we’ll have to settle for a fresh, old-school pearl….. We’ll make it a random, harlequin style pearl, as they’re the quickest to put together, as the parameters involved are so flexible…. Enjoy!….

“This is a wise maxim, “to take warning from others of what may be to your own advantage.” — Terence (185-159 BC) — Heautontimoroumenos, Act i, Sc. 2, 36, (210.)

“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.” — Max Lerner

“Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do ingloriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple: who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?” — John Milton (1608-1674) — Areopagitica

“He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.” — Kahlil Gibran

“After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done.” — Olmstead’s Law

“…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.” — Erasmus

“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

Sometimes this process doesn’t work; this is NOT one of those times…. This is a good pearl, ffolkes…. Serendipity strikes again….

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Thanks to my extensive archives, it’s done, even if incredibly late. Oh, well. I’ll try again tomorrow; who knows? I may even get a real Pearl finished by then. Either way, I’ll be back; on that you may rely…..

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….

‘Old Nick’ portrayed by committee….

Posted on July 9, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

Acting cute….

Hajime…. In the Golden Age of Science Fiction, an author named A. E. Van Vogt wrote books which were, and are, quite popular among aficionados of the genre, whether new, or old, such as myself. Personally, I had read half a small town library full of it, along with my other reading, by the time I graduated from high school, and moved away to attend UC Berkeley, in 1968. Of them, three in particular are in my mind today, as I sit to begin today’s Pearl.

The three books are titled, “The Voyage of the Space Beagle”, “The Weapon Shops of Isher”. and, “The World of Null-A”. Each of them, for me contains a certain idea, or set of ideas, which were, and are, embedded in my world-view, either as basic data/information to be considered in all transactions with reality, or regularly used as a means of ordering my own thoughts for optimal possibilities for positive results, meaning, I will be comfortable with whatever takes place. After all comfort is what we humans are seeking, in the final analysis… It might be more accurate to say we wish to not be uncomfortable. which we do not enjoy, and will go to extreme efforts to avoid.

By this time, you will, no doubt (given my sobriquet, you should realize how significant it is for me to say that….), be wondering just what the hell is going on here, with good reason. I claim to be honest, so, what the hell, I’ll be honest. I’m drunk. Soused might be closer to the exact degree, but, drunk gives y’all the correct flavor of my status. In actuality, the flavor is honey; Jim Beam Honey to be precise. Damn good stuff. I find it to have a flavor requiring no chaser, as well as a pleasantly slow onset of inebriation, enabling the sort of loquacity you are currently witnessing, as I type merrily along, knowing full well I will have to re-read it in the morning, to make sure there isn’t anything too, well, drunk, to make it unworthy of posting.

Of course, if that happens, you’ll never know, will you? Wonderful thing, delete buttons. Okay, where was I? Oh, right. A. E. Van Vogt….. So, to be succinct….

In the “Space Beagle”, the concept of a new field of science, named Nexism, was outlined. The concept was based on the idea of everything in the universe being connected, which, when properly understood, can lead to understanding of how human perceptions can be manipulated, through the connections to the real world, of which most of us humans are not aware. A short example: emotions, such as unreasoning fear, can be stimulated by the application of subsonic sounds, combined with semi-audible propaganda, in conjunction with visual stimuli in strobe pulses.

In the Weapons Shops of Isher, the concept of resisting overwhelming force, in a strategic, tactical sense, was explored through a story which is an obvious metaphor for modern culture. It approached the idea from unusual direction, which of itself taught the lesson to be learned….. This has led me to my recent thoughts and ideas regarding low-tech solutions to high-tech weaponry, with some success, I might add.

Last, The World of Null-A, which refers to a world based on a concept of Non-Aristotelean progression of thought, moving outside the boundaries of order, to the inclusion of chaos. In all three books, the primary story line is fascinating enough to make the extraordinary seem common, making it easier to comprehend without reaction.

Here is where we get to the punch-line. It’s really too bad I’m now at the point where I must either pull this together into a point, or go to bed….. Here is the point. Or, points. All these books, in the world of metaphor, were speaking about human nature, and how that nature is, has, and can act in reality, whether to its advantage, or detriment. All our flaws, as well as all our talents and characteristics of extraordinary capability, are shown in a realistic, in full acknowledgment of our weaknesses, and celebration of our strengths. As such, they fit very well into my own predilection for a universe in which it is possible to be all we are able to be…. and, not in a US Army sort of way…..

Pretty grandiose, eh? Oh, well, chalk it up to the whiskey, if you wish. I certainly did. Hey, it got us to this point on the page, with what turned out to be a rather entertaining little piece of blather. In case y’all didn’t catch the transition, it’s morning, I’m no longer inebriated, & after reading the above, I can honestly say, I won’t be trying to write while drunk any more. While it ain’t bad, and, by gosh there isn’t a single typo I can find, it’s not exactly the finest piece of mental acrobatics of my career. Go figure, right?

Ah, well, such is life in the blogosphere; you never know quite what you might find. Today, you found an epic Pearl, so, why don’t we get on with the slow, by getting it on the toad…..

Shall we pearl?….

“A man who carries a cat by the tail is getting experience that will always be helpful.
He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful.
Chances are, he isn’t likely to carry the cat that way again, either.
But if he wants to, I say let him!”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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Kate Wolf

Image from www.youtube.com via Google Images

Today’s musical selection is a compilation of most of this artist’s recorded songs, which comprises her body of work, as she passed away several years ago…. Outside California, she isn’t too well known, I think; here, she is an iconic figure, representing what I believe to be the best of folk music….. A voice like a clear bell, and all the compassion and love in the world come through in every word she sings…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it doesn’t get any better….

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Kate Wolf

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“Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its one sure defense.”

~~ Mark Twain, Notebook, 1888 ~~

Today we have a graphic example of what Mr. Twain spoke of so eloquently in the above quote. I often forget to use humor in my ranting, yet it remains our greatest weapon to use against those who would treat the rest of the species as prey. Laughing at them is much more effective than any thousand words of indictment….. Nobody in our time was better at this than George Carlin, so, for today, you get George, instead of me, ranting…. Try to enjoy, let yourself laugh as necessary, and think about it all, for it’s all true as the day is long….. In a few appropriate spots, I have added a pearl or three, to help the thought processed move in the right direction….

Also, at the end of the section, you will find a link, to the site of a friend, where he has put together some excellent memes regarding modern life which I found to be perfectly rational, and good to see. Go check it out, and listen particularly to what is said in the final meme, from an unexpected source….

“A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility”

~~ Aristotle ~~

“It could probably be shown by facts and figures
that there is no distinctly native American criminal class
except Congress.”

~~ Mark Twain Following the Equator (1897) ~~

“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”
.
~~ William Shakespeare, “Henry VI”, Part IV ~~

https://talesfromtheloublog.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/memes-in-the-matrix/
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Here is a poem I wrote last year, while living in Hell…. Don’t know why, but, it seems like the right choice for today’s mess….

Infidelia

There’s a certain
panache,
almost a feeling of
glory,
one feels
upon returning

from

Hell

Purgatory.

Or,
so those say,
who say those
sorts of things,
I guess.

I don’t know,

for sure.

I didn’t go

there.

I only went

Hell.

I only live

Purgatory.

But,

I like it.

Right now,

anyway.

Other times,

not

so much.

It’s not bad,
if I don’t
think.

Sigh.

Too bad.
I
do.

~~ gigoid ~~

11/17/2015.

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Naked Pearls

Classic Notes on the Process of Living

*******

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

~~ Semisonic’s “Closing Time” ~~

*******

“The best way out is always through.”

~~ Robert Frost ~~

*******

“I never like to think of the future. It comes soon enough.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“But what am I?
An infant crying in the night:
An infant crying for the light,
And with no language but a cry.”

~~ Alfred Tennyson — In Memoriam, liv, Stanza 5 ~~

*******

“Do you agree?” — Blake

“Do I have a choice?” — Avon

“Yes” — Blake

“Then I agree” — Avon

*******

“If a man insisted always on being serious,
and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation,
he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.”

~~ Herodotus ~~

*******

“For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.”

~~ Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” ~~

*******

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Done. I was a bit unsure if it would ever get this far, apparently, like with most of our fears, without good reason. I could explore that, but, I’ll be good, so I can persuade one or two of y’all to come back tomorrow, when I’ll give this another shot. Until then, let’s all try to be good to each other, okay? Okay! See y’all on the flip side, as we used to say downtown….

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….

Rapscallions, most kings is, said Yoda….

Posted on July 7, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Always make allowances for the “duh” factor.”

~~ Murphy Bee ~~

Murphy’s Bar, Spanish Arch, Galway

Hajime…. Today’s opening section has a lesson. The lesson possibly, or even probably, appears more often than not without my mindful appreciation; this too is part of the lesson, one designed to teach us/me how to apply that mindfulness more consistently. To read the lesson, which also requires some thought to identify, one need only look at the two quotes at the bookend position for this section, one after the other, in any order. One is a perfect tautological piece of insight regarding our own mind; the other is a warning, as to how we use that mind. Taken together, the contrasting concepts seem, to me, to provide a pathway toward light, if not full illumination….

This lesson is particularly valuable today for me; it gives me some hope the hole into which I continue to tumble all too regularly may be filling itself in, to some degree. That’s a good sign, as I’ve been getting tired of cleaning up the scrapes and bruises I keep acquiring when it opens up in front of me, and I end up bloody & battered at the bottom, gazing at a small strip of blue or black at a great distance above me. Not much fun when one has plans to fly, and the cost of bandages is becoming prohibitive, to say the least. Total bummer, dudes & dudettes, allow me to assure you. But, with this therapeutic sign grasped firmly in hand, I’ll get on with the slow, & try to get it on the toad…..

Not only will I sally forth with some extra impetus, I’ll do it now, so I don’t lose any of the emotional impact. It comes in handy when energy flags, you know. At any rate, we’ll see if we can come up with something worth spending your time reading, whereupon I will head off to find some clean air, and dirt to play in. Sometimes, when your a human male, getting dirty is a basic need, so, I’ll go back to my simian roots for a time & see if it helps. It should; I’m due….. On that cryptic note, let’s go see what kind of trouble we can find below…..

Shall we pearl?….

“Who sees all beings in his own Self,
and his own Self in all beings,
loses all fear.”

~~ Isa Upanishad ~~

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Sheryl Crow

Image from www.sherylcrow.com via Google Images

Okay, so, maybe trouble was the wrong word to use. This lady’s music certainly won’t give us any of that, will it? I also don’t believe she needs very much introduction, as one of today’s most popular artists. All I’ll say now is, enjoy!…..

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Sheryl Crow Live

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“Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your own generation. Think of continuing generations of our families, think of our grandchildren and of those yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the ground.” — Peacemaker, founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, (ca. 1000 AD)

I had originally intended to use this quote as the opening thought for a rant; instead, I’ll take it more to heart, by forgoing a new rant in favor of an old one. Here’s a pretty damn good religirant from the archives; it’s more than three and a half years old, but, still on the mark… Enjoy!…..

From 12/12/12:

“He who proselytizes in the cause of unbelief is basically a man in need of belief.” — Eric Hoffer

This is true…. you never see an atheist going door to door, trying to convert the pious to their unbeliefs. However, I would go further on this train of thought, and add that, “He who proselytizes, in any cause, in basically a man in need of a life.” I’m sure it occurred to Mr. Hoffer, but he was too busy trying to explain this statement to somebody who didn’t understand the word ‘proselytize’….. For my own case, I have never, ever understood why people feel compelled to go door to door to try to get other people to believe what they believe; it’s one of the most persistent delusional systems I’ve ever witnessed, to believe that anyone wants to hear what they have to say, much less they will find their beliefs palatable to others, or find anyone who believes them to be superior to their own…..

“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying they made them.” — Smart Bee

Humans seem to have an immense blind spot when it comes to their own actions and beliefs. Most of them never seem to question the things they are told, even when those things are presented with no evidence other than faith. Of course, the people who are invested in the religious system, to wit: the preachers, begin their indoctrination when their constituents are very young, when they are still prone to accept whatever an adult says as truth. This ensures a life-long predilection for being simple to control…. or, in short, mental slavery, if you will. Unless there is some sort of rebellion of spirit, where new knowledge is injected, these poor saps will spend their entire lives believing that what they have been told is real, when, in fact, they are fitting themselves with shackles, that will forever imprison their minds, and their imagination…..

“To defend one’s self against fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.” — James Baldwin

In my life-long quest for the truth, I’ve come to believe that religions, while originally intended to benefit people, (by their iconic progenitors, anyway…. I’m sure Jesus was a quite nice man, and wanted the best for those to whom he preached his own philosophy of compassion….), have historically been taken over by the predators who live to control others.

To be fair, some of those who become priests, or any of the other varieties of religious fanatic that prevail in our society, may indeed believe that their beliefs are true, and act accordingly, but the majority are, as far as I can tell, only concerned with maintaining status quo, thereby benefiting themselves, while never actually allowing any REAL progress in the development of the human condition. They would have society behave as if we were still living in caves, in essence, still cowering in our meager shelter while the storms and lightning are raging outside, terrified of the power of what we do not understand, and, therefore, allow ourselves to fear….

“A universe of death, which God by curse
Created evil, for evil only good;
Where all life dies, death lives,
and Nature breeds Perverse,
all monstrous, all prodigious things,
Abominable, unutterable and worse
Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived,
Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire.”

~~ Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II ~~

(Side note: I’ll bet Milton had a hard time sleeping….)

The Universe is a big place, and there is a lot to learn. Fearing that knowledge, or fearing what changes that knowing will always bring, is the act of a coward, to my mind, and should not be encouraged. Supernatural beings of unlimited power are not a required component to the understanding of Nature and the Universe; we need not fear that our lack of knowledge of how things work is unattainable. Just because we do not understand a part of reality does not mean that whatever it is, is beyond our understanding.

It is not necessary to ask for exemptions, or intervention by our own personal gods, for us to achieve happiness, or even contentment; that is completely within our own power, if we but acknowledge that part of us that is free, and connected to everything else we can perceive. The connections may not be fully understood, but they are there, and if we can only learn to recognize it, the power to change reality lies within us, all the time…. As Epictetus said, “Happiness lies in learning to accept a simple truth. There are some things you can change. And there are some things you cannot.” It’s really quite that easy, you know, once one learns to accept this fact of life…. No dogma required…..

“If brains were outlawed, nothing would change.” — Smart Bee

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

Serendipity Morning

My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.

Love hovers, always patient,
seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..

~~ gigoid ~~

4/1/2013

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Today’s final, old/new-school pearl is one for the books, for sure, and for certain. (My standard disclaimer for those ideas/events which, in my estimation, are something on which it is safe to place belief, even bordering on faith, up to and including the wagering of serious money, whichever may be appropriate….) Some days, even, or, especially, when I am not really focused on it, I’ll cruise through my source(s) without first setting any parameters. Generally, I think of it as a random harlequin style pearl, and that works just fine, both for the process, and to describe today’s effort.

The difference is, today’s results are particularly well directed. They form a continuous train of thought, sort of, loosely (as ever), but, if followed, leads to some rather valuable concepts, all of which can be applied to our examination of consensual reality with better than average results, in re: personal serenity/happiness/all good things…. If it doesn’t quite do that for you, well, that’s okay; there are only three, maybe four people in the world I know of who would/will get that far in their thinking. If there are more, they’ve never contacted me, or come into my ken, which includes a veritable shit-load of people, what with reading, experience, and all.

In my mind, this one is a self-directed rant, a journey to enlightened thought, an odd sort of poem/song/dance (try reading it out loud to your pet/companion…), and good clean fun. Hell y’all might even like it…. Enjoy!…

Naked Pearls

‘The Head….’

*********

“Neither the water nor the moon make any effort to achieve a reflection.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*********

“The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*********

H = R – E

“Happiness equals Reality minus Expectations”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*********

“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.”

~~ Quintus Ennius ~~

*********

“He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.”

~~ Cicero ~~

*********

“Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral?
It is because we are not the person involved”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*********

“In the beginning, God created the Earth and he said, “Let there be mud.”
And there was mud.
And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud,
so the mud can see what we have done.”
And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man.
Mud-as-man alone could speak.
“What is the purpose of all this?” man asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all of this,” said God.
And He went away.”

~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu” ~~

*********

“Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches,
and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divination,
perhaps we would then endure our sorrows with greater confidence than our joys.
For they are the moments when something new has entered us,
something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity,
everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes,
and the new, which no one knows,
stands in the midst of it and is silent.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

*********

“C’mon then. My log does not judge.”

~~ Margaret, the Log Lady, from Twin Peaks ~~

*********

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

Well, it’s late, and it’s epic, but, most importantly, it’s done. Just in time, too; my deadline angst alarm went off some time ago. I’ll be nice again, & forgo any further tricks, traps, or bullshit, & just say, see y’all tomorrow, when I’ll try again to reach an island of sanity in an insane world….. Ta, then, luvs….

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….

Issues of deniability….

Posted on July 6, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Believe nothing,
no matter where you read it, or who said it–
even if I have said it–
unless it agrees with your own reason
and your own common sense.”

~~ The Buddha ~~

Great Famine Victim’s Memorial, Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. It’s been said, with some elegance by Mr. Pope, hope springs eternally in the human breast. At this moment, I can tell you, that is NOT a consistent event, by any means. In fact, in my breast this morning, hope is non-existent; moreover, it seems completely out of the realm of possibility. Yesterday, about half-way through the day, I dropped into a hole I didn’t see, and have been ‘in the dumps’ ever since, mostly, with short periods of distraction, never lasting long enough to establish any sort of direction pointing out of the hole…..

In order to get this done at all today will require a bit of cheating; in and of itself, that’s nothing out of the ordinary. The only real bad part of that is the guilt I feel for failing to create something fresh, since there is certainly no lack of material in the real world upon which to focus my attention. Hell, what with the post-Brexit mess over in Europe, the email scrum going on over here, and the general state of chaos all over the world, there is a plethora of issues to examine with a critical eye. None of it interests me in the least today, as my sole task for today has narrowed down to keeping myself from committing homicide….

It helped to speak with my friend in Europe; she always brightens my day, if only to know there is at least one person out there who is on the same page; that’s a powerful motivator for those of us who limit our intake of other humans. So, I’ll quit whining about stuff I can’t currently change, and get on with trying to put this Pearl together into a consumable format, with something worthwhile to consume. I guess we’ll just have to trust the process, and see how it turns out. Since I can’t think of any more blather, or nonsense, or sense to put here, I guess we’ll just go do the best we can…. After all, all you can do is all you can do…. You may have heard that before….

Shall we pearl?….

“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself.
Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving,
it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

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

Norah Jones

Image from http://www.last.fm.com via Google Images

Todays musical selection needs little introduction; her fame in today’s world is secure. Here is a live concert, from not too long ago…. Enjoy!….

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

Norah Jones
Live in New Orleans

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

There is no point in waiting.
The train stopped running years ago.
All the schedules, the brochures,
The bright-colored posters full of lies,
Promise rides to a distant country
That no longer exists.

~~ Linux Songs Poems no. 570 ~~

Since I’m not in a ranting mood, here is an archived pearl from a day on which it seems I was in the mood…. Enjoy!….

From 4/18/2014:

As noted above, I am in the mood to rant…. However, the depth of my anger today is beyond all reason; I’m feeling extremely homicidal…. It will take ALL of my will power to NOT become proactive…. Think about that, and you’ll see I’m not in a very good mood at all; in fact, it’s been hard to keep myself from casually booting the cat through the window, or some other powerful release of what is bubbling and churning in my head and gut…. To go there, in a real sense, I would have to have already purchased the weaponry that is part of my ultimate plan, which, sadly, I haven’t completed yet…. It’s harder than it seems to find just the “right” weapon(s) for the purposes to which I plan to put it/them….

“Frankly,” he said, “I’m just trying to get to the end of my life without becoming an asshole again.” The Buddha couldn’t have said it better. — Slomo, aka John Kitchin, San Diego, last lines of the Mark Morford column, 4/16/14…. ( http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/04/15/the-saddest-job-in-the-world/)

“Me, too”, he said…. The above article is a good one; it kept me from killing anyone for three whole days, before I had to replace the old restraining thought patterns that keep me from breaking down, & carrying out one of the many fantasies that parade through my head whenever I start thinking about the BRC, the Asininnies in general, or the state of the world at large…. It makes me positively homicidal….

Every time I look at the big picture, extrapolating what I perceive out into the future, I see our species ending its short stay on Earth in the all-too-near future, ignominiously choking out our last painful breaths of a now toxic atmosphere, dying in sheer agony, in a world gone mad, broken and sad, from trying to contain our common insanity….. I see the real world, full of uncaring, selfish, avaricious thieves who prey upon the rest of mankind, to the detriment of all, knowing, but not caring how much pain and misery they cause others….

When I look at these images in my mind this morning, I am enraged…. so much so, I must go take a short break…. When I return, I’ll put together an old-school pearl…. Maybe that will allow me to calm down enough to make them fit just the way I like…. I’ll be right back, ffolkes, after I calm down a bit…. God! I HATE adrenalin….. I spent way too much of my life under its influence, and it just pisses me off when it rears its ugly head again…. Ah well, I’ll be back….

“… And yet the true creator is necessity, which is the mother of invention.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”, Book II. 369C

There! I feel better already…. finding a good pearl, that describes reality so closely in our current state, is always a good thing, in my book…. For the remainder of this group, let’s see what rant-like material regarding my favorite targets we can find today…. Enjoy…. and you can thank me later for not ranting….

“Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there.” — P. J. O’Rourke, Parliament of Whores (1991)

“Democracy can learn some things from Communism: for example, when a Communist politician is through, he is through.” — Jacoby Smirnoff

“In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin; the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” — Robert A. Heinlein — Lazarus Long

“The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” — Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

“Government [is] an illusion the governed should not encourage.” — John Updike, Couples

“I am Porky of Borg. You will be assim…bdeh…assim…I’m takin’ over!”– Smart Bee

This is, perhaps, the strangest pearl I’ve ever composed….. I like it….

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

Visible life

Forty-two days of pressure and internal rain,
leave marks of salvation, often in pain.
Such sharp reminders of yesterday’s remorse
fight heavily to keep a straight course.
Rash moments, bright, and routinely immense
Give us pleasure, bereft of common sense.

Still the night comes soft and eternally dear
to bring out wishful dreams so vitally clear.
Life’s myrmidons give freely in protest
lifting with skill, soul pieces first to infest,
Loudly brash, with no such voices to remain
Sealed in infamy, branded ugliness all too plain.

Now come brave signs of chapter and verse
Shielded by ignorance, irritable and terse.
Gravid portions of in-between retaliation
leave only pale marks of initial gestation
With hope even pallid warriors grow brave
Leading all humanity, to a warm, stale grave.

Hope never falters, nor leaves any trace
Yet lingers forever in a welcoming space.
Cheerful faces yet shine out of time
for tricking and fumbling sweet melody sublime.
Fill in the spaces with a long, strong retort
life is ever visible, if only as last resort.

~~ gigoid ~~

6/6/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Fun

*******

“Dreams have wings,
And other things
That smile like butterflies.”

~~ Bobby Matherne ~~

*******

“The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green earth
in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty
that are available now.”

~~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~~

*******

“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”

~~ Han Suyin, “A Many Splendored Thing” ~~

*******

“A merry heart lives long.”

~~ William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Act II, Sc. 5 ~~

*******

“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals.
The struggles within yourself —
the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us —
that’s where it’s at.”

~~ Jesse Owens ~~

*******

“I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end.
But that’s all right.
When you set out on a journey and night covers the road,
you don’t conclude that the road has vanished.
And how else could we discover the stars?”

~~ Nancy Willard ~~

*******

“YOW!!! I am having fun!!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

It came as something of a surprise to find myself here at the end, yet, when I went back to look, there it was, a complete Pearl. Not too shabby, either, if I’m any judge. I’ll go post it, and we’ll see what Consensual Reality has to say about that….. For now, it means we’re outta here, as I’ve certainly caused enough damage for one day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; who knows? Maybe there will be something new and fresh…. never can tell….

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….

Responding to intangible clues….

Posted on July 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Every man is the architect of his own fortune.”
[Faber est suae quisquae fortunae.]

~~ Sallustius ~~

Leelu 10 days after assuming her duties….

Hajime…. Apparently, the physical changes my body’s going through have altered my routine. After more than a year of disturbed sleep, my typical time to arise was between 3 and 5 AM. For more than a week now, I’ve been sleeping a good six to eight hours, waking up between 5 and 6 AM, the latter being my most usual time to post, and, the deadline I gave myself to do so…. Since I’m now usually only starting to write at that time, it will obviously have to change…. Oh, goody. S’alright, though, change is good. Or, we like to act as if it were, though we often privately disagree….

Where was I? Oh, right. So, it means we’re late again, according to the way my brain is programmed, which causes little burps of astonishment, to go with the naturally generated confusion so common in the mornings for us humans. I’m quaffing coffee as fast as I can, to pump up the ol’ creative urges; so far, it ain’t happening. I’m afraid I may have to cheat a little bit, but, no worries, we’re covered there. All that really needs done is to finish an old-school pearl, and figure out what to put in for today’s rant. Easy money, right? One may hope….

Given the ubiquitous presence of panic at missing the programmed deadline, and the already described confusion, it’s probably best to end this section now, before it gets away from me altogether. I know, it’s unusual to see such forethought, but, hey, even a blind pig roots up an acorn now and again…. I’ll just let y’all make the mistaken assumption I’ve found some maturity, and get on with what needs done. Yeah, that’s the ticket…. To foster that illusion, let’s try this little trick I learned last week, while rooting through an old pile of junk…. Oh, crap, it’s gone! Oh, well…. I suppose I’ll just have to pretend it’s the day before tomorrow, when, really, it’s the day after yesterday…. if you see what I mean….

Shall we Pearl?….

“They copied all they could follow but they couldn’t copy my mind
so I left them sweating and stealing a year and a half behind.”

~~ Rudyard Kipling ~~

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

Image from rollingstone.com via Google Images

Paul Simon has a new album out, called Stranger to Stranger; I listened to a cut on You Tube, deciding, from that, it lives up to his previous standards of excellence. I would recommend listening to it yourself, though I didn’t include it today, as I just felt like hearing some of his older pieces.

But, if you follow the link to You Tube, (thanks to new unannounced changes to the editor by WP, again, the link is hidden behind the arrow on the video screen) there is a channel of very high definition videos on the VEVO channel, including the new album. For today, here is one of the best of the best in today’s world, and one of the all around greatest musicians of all time, I should think…. a true genius in expressing human nature via our most innate human Art, music. In my world, existence without music would be intolerable….

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

Paul Simon

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

“Surely every human being ought to attain to the dignity of the unit. Surely it is worth while to be one, and to feel that the census of the universe would be incomplete without counting you. Surely there is grandeur in knowing that in the realm of thought you are without a chain; that you have the right to explore all heights and all depths; that there are no walls or fences, or prohibited places, or sacred corners in all the vast expanse of thought; that your intellect owes no allegiance to any being, human or divine; that you hold all in fee, and upon no condition, and by no tenure, whatsoever; that in the world of mind you are relieved from all personal dictation, and from the ignorant tyranny of majorities. Surely it is worth something to feel that there are no priests, no popes, no parties, no governments, no kings, no gods, to whom your intellect can be compelled to pay a reluctant homage. Surely it is a joy to know that all the cruel ingenuity of bigotry can devise no prison, no dungeon, no cell in which for one instant to confine a thought; that ideas cannot be dislocated by racks, nor crushed in iron boots, nor burned with fire. Surely it is sublime to think that the brain is a castle, and that within its curious bastions and winding halls the soul, in spite of all worlds and all beings, is the supreme sovereign of itself.” — Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899), “The Free Soul”

For several days, since finding the above quote from Mr. Ingersoll, I’ve been trying to compose a discussion of its principles. However, in the same manner as another aphorism a few days ago, there really isn’t a lot I can add to this. As far as I can see, it says what it means to say, says it well, and stops; who am I to improve on what is so perfect already? So, I’ll let it fly as it is, knowing it hasn’t been sullied, or demeaned by anything I could say. Moreover, those who take it to heart will find themselves to be in a frame of mind more conducive to the process of finding some inner peace. Can’t say fairer than that…. Enjoy!….

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

Seeing is Conducive to Belief

Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.

Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.

The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.

Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.

Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/11/12

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

Naked Pearls

More Thoughts on Life at Large

*******

“Become what you are.”

~~ Buddha ~~

*******

“A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.”

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

*******

“Learning is the best of all wealth;
it is easy to carry,
thieves cannot steal it,
the tyrants cannot seize it;
neither water nor fire can destroy it;
and far from decreasing, it increases by giving.”

~~ Naladiyar (c.5th-6th century) Tamil ethical literature ~~

*******

“Let life happen to you.
Believe me: life is in the right, always.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

*******

“The caterpillar is secure in the womb of the cocoon.
And yet, to achieve its destiny,
it must cast off its earthbound burden…
to realize the ethereal of the butterfly.”

~~ Master Po ~~

*******

“If my decomposing carcass helps nourish the roots of a juniper tree
or the wings of a vulture – that is immortality enough for me.
And as much as anyone deserves.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Are you sure it isn’t time for another colorful metaphor?”

~~ Spock, “The Voyage Home,” stardate 8390. ~~

*******

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

I promised a friend to post a couple pictures of my son, and the burger challenge he met, and destroyed…. He had 30 minutes to eat the massive burger(s) you see below…. He did in fifteen, and was still standing at the end, with a huge smile, as you see below…. Amazing appetite…. I guess, if you work in construction, and spend time after work practicing martial arts, you can afford to eat in such quantity…. Good looking burger, too…. I give you, Cory, doing what he enjoys….

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

Not only am I done, but, with bonus material. I’m not going to quibble over how it got done; instead, I’ll take it and run. Not bad poetry for off-the-cuff, eh? On that odd note, I’ll bid thee adieu for another day, & wish y’all a peaceful, serene holiday weekend…. I tend to avoid celebrations where explosions are commonplace, but, no big; I know people like their illusions. I’ll be back tomorrow with another shot at this; take heed. That’s the only warning I give… See ya, 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

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A quarter-pound of inflatable Gouda….

Posted on June 30, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

~~ Inscription beneath his bust in the Hall of Fame ~~

St. Somebody’s Cathedral, Cobh, Ireland

Hajime…. I almost didn’t do this. The decision to go ahead & make the effort was a difficult one, as I am, again, rather short on material in my head that would be considered adequately erudite enough to warrant posting. Not to say that’s stopped me before; it’s just getting more onerous to make the decision, as the search for new material slams against the wall of angst in my soul. In and of itself, this is not a new conundrum; it is, however, new enough to cause ripples in the generally smooth path into which this process has evolved. It would be nice if Life didn’t bury us in irony, some day….

There would be little purpose to trying to explain the angst; half the time, or more, I haven’t a clue as to where it came from, anyway. I just consider it a leftover gift from the PTSD which continues to haunt my existence, & try to get through it without any new mental scars. Hey, it’s a pain, but, it my pain, and it works for me. Who knows? Perhaps, one of these fine days, (should any of that sort appear….), I’ll get over the 11½ years of damn near daily doses of violence; if not, well, it’s not as bad as it could be, I guess. How that might be isn’t something upon which it is wise, or happy, to dwell…

Ah, well, such is life, eh? We all have our little problems, and, like Plato observed, if everyone brought their troubles together, & laid them in a pile, most folks, after viewing the pile, would be happy to take their own, and go on their way. So be it. I guess I’ll put together a Pearl, to soothe the savage breast; this time of day, it always seems to be the right thing to do. I won’t even use a Tardis Toy, since I’ve blathered quite enough to get us to where we need to be…. We’ve got some decent material today, since I out-sourced today’s rant section by inviting a guest writer; there’s also one of my poems, which I happen to think isn’t bad. The old-school always takes care of itself so, I guess that means we can get on with this now…. Let’s do it….

Shall we Pearl?….

“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are consequences.”

~~ Robert Ingersoll ~~

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

I’m late, again. As is standard for ECR in such instances. we’ll be going with a selection of classical music, compiled by some random You Tube subscriber. Also as usual, the one I picked had the most eye-grabbing picture…. Simple, yet effective….. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/2kkbqSXV2o4

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

Today’s rant is from a guest writer. Dean Baker is a poet, musician, and friend. In my opinion, he is perhaps the finest poet writing today, in terms of his depth of insight, his classical knowledge base, and, his straightforward, honest, often almost brutal clarity of vision when viewing society at large. Here is one of his rants, from the book whose cover you see below. I’ve included links at the end of the piece, where you can explore more of his work, and, most importantly, buy his books….. Enjoy, ffolkes; this one is a powerful indictment of humanity, and it’s crimes against itself…..

The Stupid

What’s in your diaper? asked as a parody of the American Express commercial to one of the small children nearby might be paraphrased for adults as What do you fear?

Some might answer: guns, Liberals, Conservatives, gays, blacks, Asians, wimmin, old farts, kids, goobers, the Government, the media, etc etc. Endless corollary examples of what is at its source unprincipled, and even unknowing at times, though not often; and what amounts to; The Stupid.

And of course The Stupid chimes in with, ‘Yeh reeeetards!’ You know, those easy response, fast solution, ain’t it simple for the rude and obscene (you remember those designations?) bellowing boneheads. Doesn’t mean there isn’t something to be said for native instinct – though of course I don’t mean ‘native.’ Let’s not go all retrograde here.

Obviously the idea of individualism will always be true, yet so will its abuse by those in power: you can do it. Never mind that we muddy the waters, allow the bankers to screw the economy and thousands of lives so situations become unsupportable since there you can be not stupid and still get boned by circumstances.

But then you’re put in a position of thinking, ‘Hey, by putting the emphasis on individual responsibility while simultaneously allowing wild government and corporate excess, what’s being said socially is: F. You. We don’t care. We got the power and the money. And guess who gave it to us? You.’

Now that’s Stupid.

All of which speaks to the fact of poor public education, enshrined deceit by governments and corporations engendering a fabric of willful stupidity in daily lives for those without power and money, thus without a voice. And those who are truly The Stupid express themselves in imitation of those in power: loud, pushy and overbearing.

Maybe it goes like this. You have a problem. It requires acknowledged and described details presented to authorities who are capable of contriving to bring a solution to the forefront of what you’re dealing with.

But dealing with it through the authorities makes for more problems. And your life doesn’t stand still like a bureaucracy does – and the bureaucraps don’t care because as long as you have a problem, they have a job.

But let’s not imagine a nation of so many smart people it’s been impossible after hundreds of years to arrive at a working solution for the convoluted daily strife of enshrined pettiness and zealous self-interest.

That would change everything, and we can’t have that – just the debates, the philosophies about why and why not.

You can see it could all be altered, the process begun anyway. But too many of the Very Important Stupid won’t have that – and more of the Want To Be Important Stupid will disrupt them. And on the micro scale the Already Important Stupid will do everything they can to prevent others whom they consider Stupid, or else, smart… to even have a voice.

So in this land of the free and the brave, plus other democracies extant, there seems to be a constancy only in the degenerating standards.
What standards? The free-floating retard soup which includes everyone. Each has a place. Only, there aren’t any places when the reasons for uniqueness are given rather than earned. Sort of like some crying baby that shits itself and figures in brilliance when the Stupid comes to clean it up. (Stupid because it’s cleaning crap, not because it’s loving, thoughtful, thinking ahead with diapers on hand, etc)

The Stupid makes no effort except demands of others. The Stupid resorts to violence, in words and tactics.

The Stupid sees no need to be reasonable and glories in its status as Victim. Or, sheep.

The Stupid is beyond intelligence, the reach of morals, the applied understanding of long range all-inclusive plans for a greater economy, country, and people.

The Stupid creates its own enemies and downfall through its unacknowledged methods of deceit, and denial.

As a fine psychologist – Otto Rank – replied one time, when asked, ‘What is beyond Psychology?’, “Stupidity.”

©Dean J. Baker

From Dean’s blog, at: https://tormentingthemonkey.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/the-stupid

Find Dean’s books at: https://deanjbaker.wordpress.com/awards/all-print-books-links/

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

Retrospective, defined in folly….

Yesterday
I wrote a poem.

It bled out of my head,
like I’d been struck with
an axe,
right through the artery,
in the neck,
spraying blood around
everywhere,
like a pulsing garden hose….

It hurt, at first,
then came the feeling,

of quick relief,
of timeless beauty,
of pain avenged,
of lust aroused,

of outrage aflame,
of deep compassion,

of endless empathy,
of truest love….

Now it’s gone, cast away
like pearls before twine.

(Grin…)

You thought
I was going to call you
a pig,
didn’t you?

Hah!

Well, you’re not.
You’re a person.

I know, because
you’re reading this poem…
if that’s what it is.
I think it is,
so,
maybe it is.

Or, maybe,
it will be,
someday, when it
grows up,
and learns to rhyme.
Whew…
Just in time…..

That’s all.
Reality often sucks wind,
y’know?

S’okay, though….
It keeps us busy,
and out of some of the
mischief,
so much part
of our
nature.

We all can do
only what we
do.

Or, don’t.

Two sides, one coin.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/31/2014

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

Naked Pearls

Randomness

*******

“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!”

~~ Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (Page 7,023) ~~

*******

“Everyone is weird. Some of us are just proud of it.”

~~ gigoid, the dubious ~~

*******

“Do I dare disturb the universe?”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

“Sacred cows make the best hamburger.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

“I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing
than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.”

~~ ee cummings ~~

*******

And you may ask yourself
“Am I right? … Am I wrong?”
And you may say to yourself
“MY GOD! … WHAT HAVE I DONE?”

~~ The Talking Heads ~~

*******

“So as this only point among the rest remaineth sure and certain,
namely, that nothing is certain. . .”

~~ Pliny The Elder ~~

*******

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

This is one for the books, I think. It will be essential, today, to trust the process, so much so, I’m not going to go back & see what I’ve done. I’ll post it, and go back later, when I’ve reached some kind of equilibrium, which should prevent me from shooting myself with my non-existent gun. On that rather surreal note, I’ll also bid thee adieu for today, as I don’t believe I can do any further damage. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; don’t know exactly why, but, we’ll be here, nonetheless….

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….

Punishable by wet laundrey….

Posted on June 28, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Only through time time is conquered.”

~~ T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton” ~~

Galway, the morning after the Cup Finals…

Hajime…. Today’s post will not only be late, it will be weird, simply because I am. Weird, I mean. I’m up, after another decent night’s sleep, once again sans any sort of creative urge. My sense of duty is pushing me to get this done, and to do it right; my angst is telling me to blow it off entirely. Since that isn’t going to happen (remember: raised by a Master Sergeant….duty comes first, always….), I suppose I’ll get to it. Since I also know myself pretty well by now, the only possible outcome will be well within the definition of ‘weird’…. Go figure.

Or, don’t. I certainly am not going to even attempt any such mental effort today. I will do my best to come up with something readable, but, there’s that old quality thing that could preclude any such happenstance. I’ll definitely need to hit Smart Bee hard, and hope for the best. Plus, y’all can pretty much count on it getting posted late, since it’s already late now. In truth, I’m not really sure why I’m telling all of this to y’all; it certainly isn’t going to get it done any faster. But, I wanted to relate the sense of what is going on, which, essentially, is a morning of relative insanity, as I chase my own thoughts down to see what they’re up to…..

Okay, I may have pulled too many covers now. I really wasn’t going to mention how insane I feel, but, I guess that was never really off the table. At this juncture, the only option is to bail, which we will proceed to do, now. In fact, I’m getting really weirded out; I can’t seem to find the proper ‘voice’, or any sort of sense of continuity, from one word to the next. It’s patently clear, as well, none of these paragraphs are closely connected, in thought, or clarity of purpose. In fact, clarity may be considered a myth today.

As is also clear, from the wandering and dithering, if I don’t end this here and now, we’ll never get out of this intro. I did find a new toy, in a cabinet under the sink in the Tardis. Let’s push the button, & see if it works….. I got nothin’ else….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The truth is more important than the facts.”

~~ Frank Lloyd Wright ~~

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

Victor Jara

Image from lastfm.com via Google Images

A friend was listening to this artist, so I went to check him out. He was a Chilean singer/songwriter, an activist who protested & wrote music in opposition to the Chilean government, a military dictatorship at the time. He was murdered, at the order of one of General Pinochet’s staff, who has now been indicted for the crime. This album’s title pretty much defines the time, in my mind; it translates as The Right to Live in Peace…. Enjoy!….

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

Victor Jara
El Derecho de Vivir en Paz

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

https://youtu.be/WSg53srhQyQ

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

Self-directed Rant

*******

“I read the news today, Oh boy…”

~~ John Lennon ~~

*******

“… and then the fun began.”

~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~

*******

“Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization,
based on five thousand years of experience,
that we cannot entrust the management of our lives
to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Faith does not offer the least support for proof of truth.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

*******

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor
is the mind of the oppressed.”

~~ Steven Biko, 3 May, 1976 ~~

*******

“Capitalism did not arise because capitalists stole the land,
but because it was more efficient than feudalism.
It will perish because it is not merely less efficient than socialism,
but actually self-destructive.”

~~ J. B. S. Haldane ~~

*******

“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 ~~

*******

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

This one seems appropriately silly for today…. Enjoy!….

Ah Ain’t Sho, but Mebbe So….

Fried eggs got nuthin’ on me
Ah’m not even sure of mah name,
or how Ah come to be;
no idea from where Ah came.

Ah does like a mystery tho’,
puzzlin’ things out so’s Ah knows,
good from bad fo sho,
Ah sho don’t want no rock pillows.

If’n Ah cain’t figure out what’s best,
Ah just falls back on mah Daddy’s words,
seems he knowed just whut’d stand the test,
‘n how to gentle the scaredest birds.

‘Course, he’d lived a good long time,
‘n had lots of stuff go on by;
Went to a war, n’ lost a piece or two,
never once used it fer an alibi.

He tol’ me once Ah’d best learn to learn,
school’s only cool if ya ain’t already a fool.
Yer own good measure you can earn,
by startin’ yer learnin’ with the Golden Rule.

Always seemed to me as Ah growed up,
he mostly only spoke if it wuz true,
‘n by doin’ that clued me to what’s up,
kept me from stuff that’d a made me blue.

Without ever sayin’ the word itself,
Ah learned ’bout honor, ‘n helpin’ others
not some fake stuff from some shelf,
but, knowin’ whut’s right, ‘n that we’re all brothers.

Ah’ve been around long enough now, Ah think
to get around the block at least two times.
I s’pose long as my head don’t shrink
Ah’ll keep on doin’ right, ‘n makin’ these rhymes…..

~~ gigoid ~~

5/6/2013

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

Naked Pearls

All you need is….

*******

“Can’t buy what I want because it’s free…”

~~ Eddie Vedder ~~

*******

“By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

~~ William Wordsworth ~~

*******

“The more you love, the more you can love —
and the more intensely you love.
Nor is there any limit on how many you can love.
If a person had time enough,
he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

*******

“You’re only here for a short visit.
Don’t hurry, don’t worry.
And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

~~ Walter Hagen ~~

*******

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

It’s late, but, it’s done. So be it. As always, I’ll try again tomorrow, with, no doubt, similar results. Hey, the price is right, yes? Yes. On that note, I’m outta here, to go make a serious attempt to find some rationality. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if we can work an assist from the Space/Time Continuum….

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….

Shadows fading in the dying light….

Posted on June 27, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Philosophy, means, first, doubt;
and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means,
the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance,
the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility.
The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.”

~~ Henri Frederick Amiel ~~

Galway’s Spanish Arch ~~ Irish Football Cup Finals Week

Hajime…. At this point, I’m throwing in the towel. I’ve searched the outer limits of my entire head, & found nothing worth putting down here to begin today’s Pearl, other than the mild complaint you now see. The rest of the material today is almost ready, mostly, but, with the lack of anything remotely coherent material I’m finding, it may not be simple to complete. I guess we’ll see, won’t we? I hate to leave it so much up to chance, as that gives Murphy too much opportunity; since there’s no other choice, I’ll have to risk it…..

In order to deal with this in a manner approaching, if not sanity, at least some relevance, I’ll once again cut off this intro section, pretty much at the root, to get us moving onward. Hell, any movement at all will be a victory today. I’m going to forgo using Tardis Toys, or literary tricks today. Instead, I’ll just dump you right here, and get on with what else must be done to finish. Ruthlessness, though not my best thing, is getting easier; so much so, I can do this, without any guilt whatsoever…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Auribus teneo lupum.”

[I hold a wolf by the ears.]

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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

Today’s music is a bit eclectic; there are probably only a few old Deadheads out there who will appreciate it fully. However, regardless of anyone’s prejudices about certain genres, this is good stuff, full of jazz/rock improvisations by two of the best….. I hope you enjoy it, as I know I will….

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

Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia
Live at the Keystone, 1974

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

https://youtu.be/9gxYLBoGK5k

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

Yesterday, I came across the quote you see below, from a Roman philosopher, Marcus Tullius Cicero. For some reason, it struck me forcibly, whereupon the text you see between the quotes that follow streamed out of me in about two minutes. I then realized the other quotes you will find, which I had been collecting for the next rant I had in mind, had all just been verified as useful, and needed to be included. To augment, and make it clearer, I’ve added some text to the original, which can be seen, sans quotes, on my Facebook Timeline, as I posted the whole thing right after writing it.

In one sense, at least, this is a definitive rant for me; it covers about all I have come to realize about Life in today’s insane world, in one way or another. I can’t say it is the most compelling, or even the best I’ve ever done, but, it’s all me, and it’s all, as far as I know, the absolute truth as I see it. The quotes you see should provide some verification of my thoughts, as they indicate others have walked the same path in their own minds. I hope you enjoy it, and can find something in it to assist you in your own journey through this mad, wonderful world of beauty and pain…..

“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero

Sadly, in today’s world, honor is not valued as much as money, or almost anything money will buy. This, in and of itself, is at the core of the issues we face as a society, for without honor, there is no justice.

The saddest part is that money doesn’t actually exist, except in our own estimation. We have become insane, in our pursuit of an illusion.

“And that inverted Bowl they call the Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop’d we live and die,
Lift not your hands to It for help – for It
As impotently rolls as you or I.”

Omar Khayyam/Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubaiyat ~~

But, then, we are encouraged in that particular delusion by the support of another illusory set of principles, to wit, religions, which all base their beliefs on unreasoning faith in an imaginary supernatural figure, thus dividing, and conquering, the true strength of the human spirit.

“Obsessed by a fairy tale,
we spend our lives searching
for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.”

~~ Eugene O’Neill ~~

Add in the third illusion, that humans require a government to exist, and the nature of humanity has voluntarily assumed the mantle of mental slavery.

“Until philosophers are kings … cities will never cease from ill, nor the human race.”

~~ Plato ~~

Pursuing the agenda of money, religion, and government has led this nation, and this world, down a path of self-destruction, and none of us have anyone to blame but our own lack of willingness to face reality, as it exists.

We don’t need any of those three delusions, folks. We can deal with each other without them, if we use our true nature. We need clean air, clean water, and good, fresh food. And, we need each other, and every other living creature who is a part of this ecosystem….

That’s all we need. We don’t need a business, or a preacher, or an elected official to tell us what we need, either. All we need is each other.

“It is in the shelter of each other that people live.”

~~Irish proverb ~~

*****

“All you need is love.”

~~ John Lennon/ Paul McCartney & the lads~~

That’s all. Had to get that off my chest, as an antidote to all the foolishness, despair, and insanity I see each day in the news….

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

Premises, premises….

Tricked, I stumble, and I fall
dreaming, through an abandoned palace.
Frightened and wary, unheard my call
fading into memory, no cup, no argent chalice.

The people, crushed, cry out to be freed
asking only to take part, or travel.
Nascent oaths spotlight such bursting need
fed by treachery, deep from our well.

Only the wicked shall find their way blocked
justice seeks them, snug in their hole.
Faint praises never touched, but naked, stalked
singing no gospel, no soul, no rock and roll.

Only the promised will remember the way
from unforgiven trails of sorrow.
To live life, and give death no sway,
saving grace for our only tomorrow.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/19/2014

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

Five Naked Pearls

*****

“Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think,
but thousands can think for one who can see.
To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion – all in one.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

*****

“How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!”

~~ Alexander Pope — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xiii, Line 375 ~~

*****

A monk said to Joshu,
“Your stone bridge is widely renowned,
but coming here I find only a heap of rocks.”

Joshu said, “You see only the stones and not the bridge.”

The monk said, “What is the bridge?”

Joshu said, “What do you think we are walking on?”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*****

“During my eighty-seven years I have witnessed
a whole succession of technological revolutions.
But none of them has done away with
the need for character in the individual
or for the ability to think.”

~~ Bernard M. Baruch ~~

*****

Learning builds daily accumulation,
but the practice of Tao builds daily simplification.
Simplify and simplify, until all contamination
from relative, contradictory thinking is eliminated.
Then one does nothing,
yet nothing is left undone.
One who wins the world does so by not meddling with it.
One who meddles with the world loses it.”

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

~~ Tao Teh Ching ~~

*****

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

I am going to be human now, and issue a certificate of denial. It’s not my fault. Actually, it is, but, it’s done, so I figured I’d make the attempt. Oh, well. This one is going into the books, though I doubt seriously it will ever reach any milestones of legitimacy. What that means, stripped of all the BS, is, we’re done. Or, rather, it’s done. Oh, fuck it, I’m outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t talk myself out of it…. Odds are good on that, guaranteed…. See ya….

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….

Use all the available pitchblende….

Posted on June 26, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

Summer Flowers

Hajime…. It has become increasingly clear to me how important this process is to my entire being. For the past week, the only part of my day which seems to have any constructive purpose is the time I spend putting this together, along with a small period following the posting of it, during which I try to surf to my favorite blogs, & catch up on comments. Once I’ve done some of that, I have tumbled, without warning, into the abyss of depression, whereupon I start pursuing activities which distract me from that, by sending me to other places in my mind; reading, going for a walk to do chores in town, or sleeping seem to work the best. For the rest, I weep, or recover from such depths of emotional storms.

That is why I have not been getting to the comments, or reading all the blogs & articles I’d like to be able to see. It’s a pisser, to be sure, for the contact with others provided by such surfing has become valuable, and valued highly. At present, I haven’t a clue as to when this might pass; in the past it has been known to last more than a little while. I always seem to find my way back to at least close to my center, but, it can be a trying time until I find the proper path, or stance to assume. One would think, given the strength and breadth of mind I claim to possess, it wouldn’t be such an issue; such qualities don’t seem to be any more defense against it than the chemicals doctors tend to rely on for it. But, it does keep my overall chemical balance in better shape, that’s for sure, and that is a good thing.

All that is really required is patience, and time, and finding that part inside where all we know of life resides. It’s there; we just lose sight of it at times, and need to find our way back to that point. I’m almost there, I think, but, only time can tell, and it’s not ready to do so. Or, I’m not; that’s more likely, and as soon as I can figure out why, I’ll be fine. In fact, I AM fine; I’m just not enough aware of it. I will be, so I’ll just hang on until then….

Now I’ve bored y’all with three full paragraphs of expository revelations of a personal nature, I suppose we should get on with the rest of this mess. So be it. We’ll use a Tardis Toy to get us gone without any further delay; I know just the right one, too. This one is fast, and slick; so fast, you’ll have to watch close, or you’ll miss it altogether…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“The true value of a human being is determined
by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from self.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

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

I just felt like some oldies, so, here are perhaps the best example of oldies that can be found…. live. Let’s listen to the lads, like we did for so long, so long ago…..

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

The Beatles Live

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

https://youtu.be/ZcR5zODpEso

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

I’m still rantless, mostly. Here’s one from a couple or three years ago; I checked it out, & it’s all still completely valid…. Go figure….

From 2/7/2013:

“Trust your hunches. They’re usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level.” — Dr. Joyce Brothers

I find this to be a fascinating statement, from a person many of today’s youth won’t recognize as a celebrity. Dr. Joyce, as we called her when I was young, was a celebrity from back in the 1950’s and 60’s, who became famous at first as a prodigy child contestant on a quiz show, The $64,000 Question; she later found celebrity as a radio and TV talk show hostess, answering questions by callers about relationships, love, and life in general. She had a calm, friendly, confident manner that was easy for people to accept, and her brilliant mind gave her answers a certain depth and cachet that otherwise would have been lost, had she been less intelligent, or less charismatic…..

What I find to be interesting here is her reliance on the subconscious mind for accurate data resolution and interpretation, and her confidence in proposing that people explore that connection. I was around at the time, and the world was NOT in a place, philosophically speaking, where the reliance on subconscious activities was considered to be a mainstream belief. In fact, it almost put her in the category of mystics and clairvoyants, as far as established society was concerned….. To many, she might have well just said that we should all become witches….

I suppose what helped in the long run toward acceptance of this kind of thinking was her documented genius, that gave what she said a certain validity. In addition, she was at her most popular right at the time when society itself was going through some severe upheaval, during the late 50’s and early to late 60’s, so her ideas found more acceptance among the young, then spread to the rest of the culture as the Cultural Revolution went on, and society became more open to such free-wheeling philosophies.

Another effect of that time, that many people lose sight of, is the polarization that occurred in society, as the two intrinsically opposite philosophies, of liberalism and conservatism (as they are understood today….), became the two camps of ideology that would engage in a struggle for control of the government, and society, for the next 60 years, right up to today….. It’s a struggle between two ways of looking at life, and neither one is aware of being under the control of a third party, one that remains in the shadows, unseen and unheard, expect at their own command…..

Okay, here is where those of you who don’t buy into the conspiracy theory of life can skip on to the next section… to your own peril, but, hey, to each his own, right?….. I’m not particularly paranoid about such things as conspiracy; most of the time I think the things the ffolkes who believe in them see, that support their ideas, are seeing examples of human stupidity, rather than conspiracy. But, I am also a scientist, FIRST, and there is just too much evidence that supports the idea that there is a small percentage of humanity that controls the majority of resources (ie, food, land, money, armaments…), and as a consequence, have far more influence and control over the rest of us than is either just, or ethical.

This small group of mega-rich fanatical egotists believe that, because they can, they have the right to hoard all of those resources for themselves, and have the right to determine who should have any access to them. They believe this because they are allowed to do so, having grabbed all the controls (to wit: the guns and money….) long ago, and have arranged matters so that the great bulk of society is not only under their control, but is unaware of being in that position….

To tie this all together for y’all, let me say this…. I have a hunch that this is true. I don’t always have evidence that I can point to that is obviously definitive in the direction of proof of that assertion, but, if what Dr. Joyce tells us is true, my subconscious mind is aware of the facts, and can show me where to find them, if needed. That hunch tells me that, YES, there are a small group of assholes who are in control of society, for their own benefit, and they don’t give a fuck about the rest of humanity…. and there is evidence to support this hunch, even if it isn’t right out in the open where everyone can see it easily.

As yet, I don’t have any viable suggestions about how to go about kicking these punks to the curb; all I know is that we need to do so, and soon, before they kill all of us with their own brand of stupidity…. This isn’t to say they are altogether stupid, or that it is their primary defining characteristic…. but, they are human, and as such are subject to Murphy and his natural law…. So, I suppose it is a matter of watching for the right moment to catch them just at that instant when their own humanity will bring them down….. and hoping that moment comes soon…..

“Do you like “TENDER VITTLES”??” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

Piraeus calls me, silently.

Sizzle, sizzle, crash, bang, boom.
Intellect burning with subsequent doom.
Lingering long over decisive style,
Whistling up chaos all the while.

Such frozen thoughts may shatter,
Should we infer, but, no matter.
Firing blanks is children at play
Blooded sages all gasp in dismay.

Nonsense is good sense at times
Mundane objectives trip lightly in rhymes.
Fallen angels dance on a pin
Until each sinner enters within.

Fast moments with natural rain
Bring ashes, yet still must remain.
Final thoughts clamor for more
Find them only on a far distant shore.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/3/2012

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

Smart Bee is on strike, apparently; I spent much of yesterday searching without success for enough pearls to fill this section. Nothing doing. Since it’s getting late, here is one from the past to fill in for today….. Enjoy!….

From 2/14/2013:

As is the case in many instances, when faced with a literary conundrum in the morning, I’m resorting to default, and firing up an old school pearl for your perusal and edification (if that can ever be said to be true of pearls….)…. The following seven pearls were, of course, chosen at random, and without conscious volition, but with an eventual destination in mind…. Today, we are fortunate to note that the destination is also random, as is the conclusion to which you will be led, willy-nilly…. That conclusion is, naturally, left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…..

“I am not young enough to know everything.” — Oscar Wilde

“Democracy is based on the assumption that a million men are wiser than one man. How’s that again? I missed something.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“A heretic is a man who sees with his own eyes.” — Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

If a cat spoke, it would say things like “Hey, I don’t see a problem here.” — Smart Bee

“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy.” — Dean Koontz

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” — Abraham Lincoln

“Do your Duty. Honor the Truth. Respect Life. Share your Love.” ~~ Axiom #7, Peruaosophy

I know, I’m a strange puppy…. If it helps, I mean well…. 🙂

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

I did it. I’m not certain exactly how, or even why; nonetheless, it’s done. So be it. I’ll be back again, ffolkes, to see if I can’t actually pull it together enough to do this right. Until then, y’all be strange, or cool, whichever works for you. See y’all tomorrow, given half a chance….

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….

Perfectly shaped trapezoids….

Posted on June 25, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“We are not endeavoring to chain the future but to free the present. …
We are the advocates of inquiry, investigation, and thought. …
It is grander to think and investigate for yourself than to repeat a creed.
… I look for the day when *reason*, throned upon the world’s brains,
shall be the King of Kings and the God of Gods.

~~ Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) ~~

Natural Symmetry

Hajime…. Should this Pearl get posted today, ’twill be a triumph of will. About an hour after posting yesterday’s piece, I crashed headlong into a deep, black hole. The remainder of the day was spent laboriously climbing back out of it, mostly by forcing myself out of the house, to the library, where I spent some time in the place where I feel the most serenity in the world. It’s always been so, for books have been my closest companions for my entire life, since the age of five. I haunted the libraries in many towns and army bases, and every one felt the same to me, like home. So, I spent some time at home, and it helped….

That related, I will add some apologies, to some of the commenters here, and to those blogs I regularly visit, and leave a word or two. I faded out yesterday before I got much of anywhere, and just gave up trying after a time. I’ll try to catch up in the next few days, but, we’ll see how that goes, as I am, as yet, unsure how the day will go; I’ll be lucky to get posted. Nonetheless, I am sorry for not responding; it is not my habit to ignore any comments, or to not communicate. If I don’t, please be sure it is not anything to do with y’all; it’s just my own need to curl up in a ball & ignore the world, until I can deal with it again.

Now I’ve bared my soul, perhaps we should get on with the rest of today’s mess. I’ll do so efficaciously, by ending this wandering blather right here, right now. All we need to do is skip the rest of the nonsense that’s begging to get typed, and get on down the page. How, you may ask, will we do that? Like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

~~ Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Return of the Jedi” ~~

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

Dolly Parton

Image from http://www.timeout.com via Google Images

This artist may seem like an unusual inclusion for us, but, she happens to be one of my favorite country artists, for several reasons. Her voice is a laser-like instrument; when she starts to hit the high notes, it will send shivers up your spine, guaranteed. She has always been an original, living exactly as she chose, which scores big points with me. And, she writes almost all of her songs, making her a lot more talented than many would think. She’s definitely a modern icon, and continues to thrill audiences world-wide…. Enjoy, ffolkes; I don’t think she’s ever done a bad song, when you get down to it….

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

Dolly Parton

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

https://youtu.be/h7I_9MMcWvk?list=PLE40BA45092971353

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

I found this meme yesterday on Facebook; it’s one of my favorite aphorisms from Lao Tzu, with an excellent photo to make its point. This is a gift, for there will be no other rant today…. Enjoy!…. In truth, with this, one really doesn’t need much else….

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

Fine and Good, Good and Fine

A pig in a poke’s got nothing on me,
cuz I’m as confused as a man can be.
This ol’ world’s got me spinnin’ around
cussin’ and spittin’, a penny for a pound.

Forty ‘leven times since I was a kid, well,
I’ve fallen in love, ‘least too close to tell.
Every damn time, it all went to crap,
Forty ‘leven times I’ve felt like a sap.

‘Course, each time it happens, I forget the last;
why not? I’m havin’ such a blast….
Livin’ in each moment, filled with joie de vivre,
’til it’s all gone away again, nothin’ left up my sleeve.

Don’t want y’all to think I’m sad or blue,
life’s full of sorrow, lots for me, and/or you..
T’other side of that coin, we can be glad,
is joyful love, and that ain’t at all bad.

My road’s been littered with parts o’my heart,
each one colored with trust, which ain’t always smart.
Yet, long as I don’t lose my connection to joy,
I’ll find my own true love, and be a happy boy.

It’s been some kinda fun, even when I’d take a fall,
and doin’ it over makes no sense at all, at all
Day after day, I keep on keepin’ on, as it’s said;
Guess I’ll keep on doin’ that ’til I’m dead.

‘Nuff said….

~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek….

3/23/2013

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Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large

*******

“Is this the way?”

~~ Seeker Bee ~~

*******

“If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.”

~~ Baba Ram Dass ~~

*******

“For a true master
Sitting on a throne
Is no different than
Sitting on dirt.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

“True power is when we have every justification to kill, and don’t.”

~~ Oscar Schindler ~~

*******

“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land,
and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever,
by any religion, by any sect….
I do not want to belong to any organization of a spiritual kind;
please understand this …
If an organization be created for this purpose,
it becomes a crutch, a weakness, a bondage,
and must cripple the individual,
and prevent him from growing,
from establishing his uniqueness,
which lies in the discovery for himself
of that absolute, unconditioned Truth….”

~~ J. Krishnamurti ~~

*******

“…take your own thoughts seriously, for they will shape you.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*******

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

It’s done; other than that, I shan’t inquire too closely. Since it is done, I’m outta here, asap. I will make another attempt at this tomorrow, most likely. Given my past record in that regard, the odds remain good…. See ya, ffolkes, if you don’t see me first….

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….

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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