Substitute candidates from Poughkeepsie….

Posted on June 21, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Since we cannot know all that is to be known of everything,
we ought to know a little about everything.”

~~ Blaise Pascal ~~

Tracy Arm Glacier Melt Runoff, Alaska

Hajime…. In the past five years, my sanity has been somewhat of a hit and miss proposition. Now, for some, this might be an issue, which could conceivably cause difficulties in life. However, I don’t suffer from insanity; I revel in it, so, the process is not the same as it is for anyone else, with a typical view of sanity vs. the opposite side of the coin. In my world, being sane is merely a judgment, usually made by others, for others, using only their own silly rules to make the decision, just as if they actually knew what was real, and what was not. Silly humans….

In my world, we believe in humanity, and reality; we, or, I, since I’m really not a royal, know our body and mind are NOT separate things; neither is our sense of “I” anything more than an illusion, created by the power of our imagination to help us find the sense of order our mind requires, to separate us from our perceptions, so the power of our intelligence can imagine itself as real, rather than merely the resultant outcome of a biological process. poorly understood. In truth, we are not separate from what we perceive; to believe so sets us on a path of delusion, for reality does not actually conform to our imagination, much as we like to believe it does.

This belief has led us into a real mess, but, since we are still in the intro, perhaps we should wait to explore such deep matters. In fact, it’s probably a deep and wide enough of a subject to fill up an entire section, with severely rant-like qualities. We’ll see how it goes. We like to rant, but, we don’t know if we are up to it. Uh oh…. Now we’ve done it; we’re stuck in the royal we again. Shit. We hate when that happens. Oh, ’tisn’t a necessarily bad thing, just weird. We know, we’ll use the old royal coping mechanism, so diligently applied by the real royals we see, to wit: sheer denial. We shall act as if we do not see, or hear….

We shall also end this intro here, before it becomes any more onerous, or moves any further from the confines of true reality. We shall hope to fall out of the ‘we’ mode soon, but, if not, well, so be it. Let us try to shock it out, by using one of the more radical Tardis toys to move us along. We shall push THIS button….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Think of doubt as an invitation to think.”

~~ Dubious Bee ~~

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Image from amazon.com via Google Images

I often retreat into the past when I’m feeling this way, to find those things forgotten over time. I decided, once breaking out of the royal ‘we’, I was in the mood for some class and style. I can’t think of a better example than one of my first crushes…. Miss Peggy Lee….

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Miss Peggy Lee

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https://youtu.be/LCRZZC-DH7M?list=PLAeI1ntmJCZM8Rq6pArnBsNCsN_j-FLRr

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The rant I’m working on isn’t ready; for all the hype and delay, it better turn out pretty damn good, I’d say, but, we’ll see. For now, here is a self-directed rant, with some pointers to take you on a journey through your mind’s interpretation of reality, to look at some of those things in our public life which are part of what I see as humanity’s issues of contention with reality…. In short, if you follow the dots, the picture will show why we’re all wobbly….

*****

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

~~ Diogenes ~~

*****

“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”

~~ James Thurber, “The Thurber Carnival”, 1945 ~~

*****

“Every sensible man, every honest man,
must hold the Christian sect in horror.
But what shall we substitute in its place? you say.
What?
A ferocious animal has sucked the blood of my relatives.
I tell you to rid yourselves of this beast
and you ask me what you shall put in its place?”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*****

“Like…If guns are outlawed,
the lawyer population will explode out of control.”

~~ Valley Bee ~~

*****

“JAPAN is a WONDERFUL planet
— I wonder if we’ll ever reach
their level of COMPARATIVE SHOPPING…”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*****

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Recently, there was yet another insane shooting spree by an idiot. This poem is one I wrote about three years ago, after a similar event…. I hope you enjoy it, though ‘enjoy’ may not the most precise word I’m seeking…. But, I hope you enjoy the process….

Modest sounds of impatient concern….

Crowds converge at the raw and grisly scene,
comatose to compassion, curiosity tugging at the hem
with sharp, oh, sharp tools made obscene,
filing the essence of future hopes in spite of them.

Yet who has won the keys to the treasure,
who whipped up the fear of another brother?
Who spent the dreams of the old in selfish measure,
with such arrogant blindness grave issues to smother?

Fateful decisions may prompt still another pause,
to catch and release collective images of insanity.
Surely legitimate anger arises with ample cause
wallowing in self-made entrepreneurs, fluent in profanity.

A quartet of eternities must pass to guarantee change,
regardless of need, or desire, or autonomous manipulation.
Ancient rules and modern aggression is only passing strange
when golden delusion grasps futilely at its related illusory station.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/18/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Random Thoughts on Life at Large

*******

“Who combats bravely is not therefore brave,
He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave:
Who reasons wisely is not therefore wise,–
His pride in reasoning, not in acting lies.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Moral Essays, Epistle i, Line 115 ~~

*******

“A man cannot speak but he judges himself…
no man thoroughly understands a truth
until he has contended against it.”

~~ Emerson ~~

*******

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”

~~ Henri Bergson ~~

*******

“Man is not disturbed about things, but by his opinion about things.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye.”

~~ Austin O’Malley ~~

*******

“Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;

Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.

It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution’s power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.

It well may be.

I do not think I would.”

— Edna St. Vincent Millay

*******

“And now there is merely silence, silence, silence, saying all we did not know.”

~~ William Rose Benet ~~

*******

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

It’s done. I’m way late, and not at all sure I didn’t forget something, but, as we’re fond of saying downtown, oh, well…. Fuck it. That’s another favorite in the places I hang out, so, we’ll go with that, too. At least, we’ll do that until tomorrow, when I’ll try again to reach some sort of coherent plateau, where I might find my center. If not, well, I’ll try again the next day. So be it. See y’all then, if nobody catches me at it….

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….

Unavailable for comments or plastic ducks….

Posted on June 20, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength
which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~

Wind Spinner

Hajime…. To avoid getting either maudlin, or whiny, I’ll forgo relating how I’ve spent the past three days, three days in which no Pearl was posted, for the first time in five years. Suffice it to say, I’ve not been having fun, nor have I been frantically writing down the thousands of irreverent, or psychotic, take your pick, thoughts that have paraded past my inner censors, without ever seeing the light of day. No doubt, that sentence will bring beads of sweat to the brow of anyone trying to decipher any real meaning, for it wound its way tortuously to a bad end. This, perhaps, more than anything else, should tell you how its been around here….

Nevertheless, here I am, bad syntax & all. I’m going to post this, come Hell or High Water, so, I suppose it would be best to just get on with it. If I take the time to compose a thorough introductory section, I have a feeling we’d never get out of here, or, get anywhere close to finishing this in time to even post it with today’s date. To make a long story short, I’m pretty frigging off the rails right now, without a clue as to why, or even why not. When I have a clue, I’ll be okay, but, right now, the price for one is out of my range, so, I’ll just have to fake it, as I have been now for three days. So be it.

Since, in spite of all planning I managed to find a somewhat cryptic note, we’ll use it to twist our way down the page, in the interests of fair play, while simultaneously pretending it’s not unusual. How’m I doing? No? Well, okay. We’ll just go on, without any further bullshit…. Hmm. Let’s do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If nothing went wrong today, you’re probably dead.”

~~ Murphy’s Last Law ~~

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For a return to routine, default is perfectly appropriate, not to mention, lovely. Enjoy, ffolkes, if you wish. Hard not to with such music….

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Classical Music

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https://youtu.be/09t0twQlPSI

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I’m working on a rant, which, naturally, isn’t done, as I haven’t written at all in three days. To fill in for today, here’s a relatively light piece from a couple years ago…. Enjoy!….

From 3/11/2014:

As iterated above, there will be no rant today…. However, having found the first quote in this group on the very first try today, I believe I can put together an old school variety pearl that will serve as well to take a few telling shots at the dignity of the BRC, as well as pulling as many of their covers as I can grab hold of…. Enjoy…..

“Governments are the world’s real terrorist organizations. They function by means of inducing fear in their victims to gain compliance.” — Westley F. Deitchler

(Now, if that isn’t the most truthful, most logical, and most accurate quote I’ve seen in many moons, then, nothing at all fits that description…. This is the absolute truth, ffolkes, and something EVERYONE ALIVE should be made aware of…. let’s hope the rest of what Smart Bee finds for us is as potent….)

“I could not milk the cow and leave it thirsty.” — Munyawera, current volunteer and former client — of Christian Children’s Fund — on why he donates his time to CCF.

(Now, if only we could find a politician who felt this way….)

“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.” — Gore Vidal

Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

— T. S. Eliot, Choruses from the Rock

(Nowadays, we KNOW where our information is, don’t we? And, if we don’t, we have the NSA, who tracks and collects all of it for us….)

“Is being an idiot like being high all the time?” — Janeane Garofolo

(I’m not sure of the answer, but I figure we could just ask any elected official to find out….)

“No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.” — Jacob Bronowski, in “Encounter”, 1971

And, lastly, just because we can….

“How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.” — Petrarch

Now, THAT’S what I’m talking about…..

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

Gently Came a Wounded Child

But you shall not escape my iambics.

Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.

Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.

Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.

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

~~ gigoid ~~

written 2/2/2012

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Naked Pearls

It only seems like a joke….

*******

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west;
people create distinctions out of their own minds
and then believe them to be true.”

~~ Buddha ~~

*******

“There is no sun without shadow
and it is essential to know the night.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
Don’t let yourself indulge in vain wishes.”

~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~

*******

“He who searches for truth must not appease his urge
by giving himself up to the narcotic of belief.”

~~ Hans Reichenbach ~~

*******

“Here is the world,
sound as a nut, perfect,
not the smallest piece of chaos left,
never a stitch nor an end,
not a mark of haste, or botching, or second thought;
but the theory of the world
is a thing of shreds and patches.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“Do not look for all the answers at once.
A path is formed by placing stones one in front of the other.”

~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~

*******

“So this is what it feels like to be potato salad”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

It’s done. We’ll treat it like a gift horse, & go post it before I can change my mind. I’ll try to do this again tomorrow, but, at this point, I’m not making any guarantees. Most likely, I’ll be here tomorrow; odds are once again in our favor. Until then, be strange, because it’s cool out there….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A stranger sits down, gingerly….

Posted on June 15, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“All the knowledge in the world is found within you.”

~~ Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book ~~

The Old Swan

206 Kensington Church Street, Notting Hill, London

Hajime…. Last evening, on the advice of a friend, I went out to a bar, to get some socialization under my belt. Naturally, I overdid it, being somewhat out of practice. Had a good time, but, am now paying the price for my foolishness, in the form of a mild hangover, not debilitating to any huge degree, but, definitely an annoyance. SIGH…. Even us smart guys can make poor decisions, I guess; all part of being a Bozo on the Bus….

That being said, what it means is y’all get a break from having to listen to my ranting, or any of my other literary trickery. What I have done is what you’ll get. It’s not too skimpy, but, no rant, and nothing fresh other than the old-school pearls you’ll find. The music is again from our friend Eric C. with what I hope is a tribute to Freddie King, with some really, really hot blues licks. But, since I did that part while severely handicapped by whiskey, I am unsure if I got that part right. So be it…. I checked; it’s a compilation of live cuts, starting with a really hot version of Ramblin’ On My Mind…. That will do nicely.

That’s it, ffolkes. That’s all the fresh in me. Let’s get this done, so I can try again tomorrow to get it done the way I prefer it. For now, we’ll just g on, in our new, efficient way…. prompted by less than sterling competence.

Shall we Pearl?….

“Everyone must row with the oars he has.”

~~ English proverb ~~

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As noted above, whatever you see is what you get….. Enjoy!….

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Eric Clapton
Ramblin’ On My Mind

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https://youtu.be/_BvwlxRwY5w?list=PLbw8R6g9XbgpA-Cig38RiV49hcdihzNc9

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“To generalize is to be an idiot.”

~~ William H. Blake (1757-1827) ~~

I’d intended to use the above to create a discussion, but, in stead, what you get is the five-star pearls you see, which you may use to direct your own, self-propelled rant, in your own mind…. Have fun!….

“Society attacks early, when the individual is helpless.” — B.F. Skinner

“How can you control yourself, master your behavior, when you come from a country where people howl at funerals?” — E.M. Cioran

“The real work of men was hunting meat. The invention of agriculture was a giant step in the wrong direction, leading to serfdom, cities, and empire. From a race of hunters, artists, warriors, and tamers of horses, we degraded ourselves to what we are now: clerks, functionaries, laborers, entertainers, processors of information.” — Edward Abbey

“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires” – — Susan B Anthony.

“It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.” — Mark Twain, spoken by Huck Finn, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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Justifiable Insanity

An incredibly insane, vivid abhorrence fills me up today,
because of a thought which occurred to me.
I was merely thinking about what all the headlines have to say,
when I was pushed onto a train of thought, you see.

I began to ride the train, resigned to wherever I went, as it willed.
I was directed by imagination, to consider for a moment or two,
to seek how many reasons a Man has given for when he killed,
count them, count them, curiosity demanded, or, suffer, you…..

So, I tried to count the words I’d seen, or read, or heard,
in the reports we see all over the news and TV’s.
I had to grab a dictionary, to check off each word,
my memory is good, but, not for such numbers as these.

It seemed so simple, when I began my chosen task,
how many could there possibly be?
I probably should have known better than to ask,
for every page had an example; look for yourself, and see.

How many did I come up with, many might ask?
Too many to count, as it turns out,
at least, for anyone of flesh and bone to complete the task.
Even a computer would simply freak out.

If you think I’m being funny, well, you are dead wrong.
Just like all the people who die each day, for ideas, principles, or religion,
or any of the tens of thousands dying each hour, because of delusion so strong,
Mankind’s entire history consists of little more than perverted contagion.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/10/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Stuff worth knowing….

*******

“Although a cloth be washed a hundred times,
How can it be rendered clean and pure
If it be washed in water which is dirty?”

~~ Nagarjuna ~~

*******

“What is reason?
Knowledge informed by sympathy, intelligence in the arms of love.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and purpose,
and whose actions have been burnt by fire-of-knowledge,
him the wise call a sage.”

~~ Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 19. ~~

*******

“Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.”

~~ Juvenal, Satires ~~

*******

“Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.”

~~ Native American Proverb (Blackfoot) ~~

*******

“And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

~~ The Beatles, The last lyric of their last song ~~

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

There you have it; that’s the best I’ve got. I hope you enjoyed it; if not, well, you can get a refund of all you paid, except for the time it took to read. Of course, there’s a lot of paperwork for that, so, you might want to think about it. In the meantime, I’m outta here, until tomorrow. That’s a for sure. and for certain…. 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….

Miso, marmalade, or muskrat?….

Posted on June 14, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others;
to be, not to seem.

~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~

~~ Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxvii, ~~

Bar at the Old Swan, London

Hajime…. Of the nearly 80 hours I spent in London in 2013, many were spent in the public house you see pictured today at the top of this page. The Old Swan, established in 16something, was about as typical a pub as you’ll find anywhere in England. Since it was located about one block from my B&B in Kensington, I spent many a happy hour observing the day and night life of the Londoners who frequented the old pub. This morning, I chose the picture simply for the good memories it brings, of a trip I’d dreamed of my entire life.

Today, I appreciate the memories, as they are a welcome change from the OTHER memories recently flooding my brain, of other times and places that bring back an entirely different kind of memory, the kind that will drop one right into the morass of depression in a heartbeat. Bugger that today, as they would say in the Old Swan; I’ve got other plans. Since I do, why don’t I curtail this intro yet again, thus preventing further maudlin introspection, in favor of moving things along to their natural end. Sounds a bit more productive, as well as comfortable. Well, as close to comfortable as I get, these days….

Doing just that has become much easier, now I’ve managed to figure out all the toys in the Tardis. Since I have, I’m going to apply this one, which may be the most efficient one I’ve come across. It’s pretty simple, really, and works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.”

~~ William Arthur Ward ~~

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The Man

By now, most of y’all have heard the sad news regarding Eric Clapton. He has begun to suffer from degenerative neuropathy, which will make it progressively more painful, and difficult to play his guitar. Since I’ve regarded him as the best player alive for most of his, and my life, this is bad news for all who appreciate good music, and those who play it with such heart and soul. Here is a mix of live cuts compiled by another fan of his, which I hope you enjoy as much as I will….

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Eric Clapton

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https://youtu.be/O_j9KEjrY4o?list=PLbw8R6g9XbgpA-Cig38RiV49hcdihzNc9

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

Since I’m up a little late, here is a rant from the archives, on a subject important to ALL of us…. Still trying to get the message to those who need it….

From 6/14/2012:

“We shall never understand the natural environment until we see it as a living organism. Land can be healthy or sick, fertile or barren, rich or poor, lovingly nurtured or bled white. Our present attitudes and laws governing the ownership and use of land represent an abuse of the concept of private property…. Today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see and nobody calls the cops.” — Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness (1971)

This statement is now over 50 years old, according to the attribution. From what I can see in the real world, it remains as true today as it was when uttered. We are killing our planet, or rather, we are killing ourselves, and making the planet suffer in the process. No matter how God-like we believe our powers to be, I don’t believe we can quite destroy a whole planet. But, we can sure make it a tough place to survive, and we are doing that rapidly…. I refer to to the World Clock once again….

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock/env/

Why are we doing this to ourselves? I’m not the only citizen who is asking this question; there are actually millions of people like me who are aware of how bad things have gotten, and I’ve seen a lot of printed material on the subject. The problem is that nobody with any power to make changes to society at large is at all concerned with the problem, because A) They tend to deny it, as it doesn’t match their delusional view of reality, and B) They don’t care…..

The first reason, denial, is rooted in the avarice and selfishness of those who seek political and/or religious power. Their purpose in life is to “get” as much as they can, gathering resources, money, and power over others to their bosoms like a mother cradles her babe. This purpose keeps them focused on their own goals, and denial is the simplest way to deal with any ideas that are contrary to those goals. There is a popular saying these days, that I’ve heard many, many times, most often with a smile and a wink, to show that the person wants us to believe they are kidding, when they really are not…. that saying goes, “He who dies with the most toys, wins….” That’s America, all over….

The second reason, indifference, was taught to these folks by the Christian religion. That’s right, religion is responsible, fully and completely, for most of what is wrong in today’s society. This statement will no doubt cause some consternation among those believers who are still buying into that shell game, but it is nonetheless true. It is difficult to build a rational institution when one’s beliefs are based on a basic untruth. More simply, false conclusions are the only possible result of beginning with a false assumption….

The common dogma [of fundamentalists] is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence.” — G Gaia

What, you ask, is this false assumption? Well, I hate to be the one to break it to them, but hey, Mankind is NOT the top of the food chain. Mankind is NOT superior to the other animals, and plants, that live here with us. Mankind is NOT the “owner”, or the “steward”, or the “ruler” of this world. We are not the “Lords of Creation”, nor do we either deserve or actually possess the entitlement so many of our beloved ruling class feels, or claims. We are nothing more than a fortunate (for us) accident of Nature, no less than any other creature, but no more, for certain….

Here the free spirit of mankind, at length,
Throws its last fetters off; and who shall place
A limit to the giant’s unchained strength,
Or curb his swiftness in the forward race?

~~ William Cullen Bryant — The Ages, xxxiii ~~

It is unfortunate in the extreme that so many people believe this prideful boast! Being able to reason hasn’t improved our morality. Being able to imagine has not increased our empathy, or our compassion, though it should. As a species, looked at from an outside viewpoint, we are much less efficient as an animal than are almost any of the other animals we know of; dogs and cats are far superior morally, ethically, and operationally than are humans; I would add they are more intelligent as well, but the humans out there won’t believe that, even though it is obvious to me. I mean, who is feeding who here? Although still subject to the cruelty to which humans so often resort, dogs and cats control their humans pretty well, as a rule…..

“Dogs are animals that poop in public and you’re supposed to pick it up. After a week of doing this, you’ve got to ask yourself: Who’s the real master in this relationship?” — Anthony Griffin

All this goes back to the same old message that I’ve been sending out for years. If this species, Australopithecus modernus, does not make a change in it’s mental viewpoint, in our morality and how that makes us deal with the world, we’ll all be dead within 200 years. The planet will recover; all the poisons we’ve pumped into the environment will be neutralized, and the damage we’ve done will heal over time. But, we will be gone, if we don’t figure out how to change the whole way we deal with reality, from the top of society down…. I hate to be a cynic, but I don’t see it happening, and that is just sad…..

“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”

~~ Cicero ~~

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

Off the proverbial cuff….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

4/30/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Further Notes on Life at Large

*********

“Put forth your effort
With no thought of gain.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*********

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”

~~ Walter Winchell ~~

*********

“Self-pity is the worst poverty.”

~~ Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufi writer) ~~

*********

“He who boasts of his ancestry praises the merits of another.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*********

“Perseverance is more prevailing than violence;
and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together,
yield themselves up when taken little by little.”

~~ Plutarch — Life of Sertorius ~~

*********

“Education is not a preparation for life;
Education is life itself.”

~~ John Dewey ~~

*********

“Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.”

~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 191 ~~

*********

Knowledge is gained by learning; trust by doubt;
skill by practice; and love by love.”

~~ Thomas Szasz

*********

“What fools these mortals be.”

~~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca ~~

*********

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

Having submitted my usual outpouring of blather & nonsense, I shall forgo further torturous prattle, to bid thee adieu for another diurnal period. Little did we know, when we began, just how strange it would get, but, as they’re fond of saying downtown, what the hell? It’s finished, and, around here, that’s all that’s required. Well, we also try to do this each day…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; such is our lot, and we welcome it. Go figure….

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….

Corpuscular ambiguity, gift wrapped….

Posted on June 13, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown?

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

Need more proof?….

Hajime…. Whatever you find here today should be taken with a measure of reserve; the conditions under which my life has proceeded for a couple of days now have been rather stressful, in the sense my own mind has been consuming itself, with some relish, I might add. Not the pickle kind, either. I am unsure as to the reason for such a meltdown, but, it hardly matters at all, as the end result is just as miserable, no matter how it came to be. And, regardless of why it happens, the answer to getting past it is always located in the same place, to wit: inside my own mind/heart/being.

At this moment, I do feel a bit better, as I just hung up after talking with an eminently rational friend, who lives in England. Having spent much of yesterday in a funk, wandering the house, annoying the cat and desperately casting about for distraction from my own thoughts, I needed some rational conversation before beginning this task. We chatted for almost an hour, and I feel much more connected than I did beforehand. Yay, me, and thanks to my friend for being a friend; it may have given me enough balance to be able to finish this, with, possibly, some grace and style. Of course, that would be a first, so, let’s not get excited yet.

In fact, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves at all; for a change, we’ll try to show some forethought, and tact, by making this introductory section an actual introduction, rather than yet another opportunity to blather. There’s been enough blather in the last few days. Instead, I’ll get on with this, as best I may, so we can all get on to bigger things. (Note I did not say better; we try to maintain a small degree of hope….) Some of it was already done, thankfully, so, we might even get this posted at a reasonably appropriate time. Or, close, anyway.

I won’t even use any tricks. We’ll just go on, leaving this section to fend for itself. It’s really rather a simple technique; all I have to do is say this….

Shall we Pearl?….

” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention
of doing you good, you should run for your life.”

~~ Thoreau’s Law ~~

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

Cakehole Presley

Image from twitter.com via Google Images

Today’s musical selection is a band from the British Isles, specifically Cardiff, Wales. Fronted by Chris Ridgeway, one of the most talented singer/songwriters in today’s musical world, their music is raw, intense, and political, which hits all the right notes for this old hippie…. Thanks to Lady P. for the referral…. Make sure you listen to their song written for the 2015 election in Britain, called “Don’t let the bastards grind you down….” Brilliant!…

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

Cakehole Presley

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

https://youtu.be/2L_SfIpzE80?list=PL64CE9B8E7A91CF7E

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

While speaking with my friend this morning, I made a statement regarding religion(s), which I’d like to repeat… I said, “The entire concept of religion has been humanity’s most egregious obstacle to ever achieving our true potential; all of them need to just GO AWAY!” The more I look at what is happening in the world, the more firmly I believe this. With the concomitant other delusions under which society suffers, to wit: money and government, religion has done nothing for us but keep us from finding any real truth, about ourselves, or reality…. If you don’t agree, I can only invite you to say so, in the comments, or, via email, and we can discuss it at length. For now, here is a relatively short, but cogent discussion of this from a few years ago….

As you can see from the material below, this is not a new idea for me. So, if you wish to discuss it, bring some strong arguments; I’ve been thinking on this for a while, and know whereof I speak…. I hope you enjoy this, or, alternately, I hope it makes you think…. Don’t worry, it may hurt, but, it won’t actually hurt you in any permanent way….

From 6/15/2012:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” — Genesis 1:28

Is it any wonder that our society is falling apart? Given the above, I think that any doubts one may have about who and/or what is responsible for the mess in which we find ourselves are pretty well dispelled. This decree of Entitlement is taken seriously by every priest, every preacher, and every politician who ever trod American soil (the phenomenon is world-wide, but for now let’s just concern ourselves with our problems here at home….). Did you ever hear a clearer statement of justification for hatred, bigotry, and prejudice? If you can answer yes, I’d be interested in hearing it, as this is just about as clear an expression of elitism as any I’ve ever heard….

Perhaps it is just me, but I find this to be disgusting. It is a clearly false assumption, based entirely on hearsay that was uttered by men who wanted to have control over others, and wanted to establish in the minds of those others the idea that God gave them the right to do so. I’m not sure just how they got everyone to believe them, to buy into the delusion, as it seems completely obvious to me that it is a lie of major proportion. But, they did, and for well over two millennia this idea of Mankind being the Lords of Creation has led us down a primrose path, straight to the edge of extinction…. The efforts of sages, philosophers, and clear-thinkers throughout the ages has not been sufficient to convince the majority of Mankind that our entire societal make-up is based on a lie, in spite of the simple fact that it is true….

As long as the majority of people in this country, or any other, for that matter, accept this lie, this entitlement, then the changes necessary to survival for our species are never going to happen. This sort of separation from the remainder of the Circle of Life is what will keep us from ever becoming part of that Circle. Our species will not survive, if we do not choose to join the rest of reality; we cannot survive alone, and every action taken to divide us from the other inhabitants of Earth pushes us further down the path to extinction. It pisses me off no end to know that this inevitable end is all because the majority chooses to embrace a lie, a delusion, rather than having the courage to face the universe as we are….

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

Unbidden, treasure unfolded…

Taken by surprise, Psyche sits numb
Amidst tall phrases worn of elder time
Seeking a not-new place from which to come
No shiny new horizon, nor altered paradigm.

Sudden regrets shape dreams as times maintain
Shades of memories bring poignant clear sight
Visions of duty, each chosen wild campaign
Shouts echoing clamors to enfold the night.

Arisen from less than eternal havens of sleep
Facing moments created in torment and pain
Destiny weighs upon those chosen to keep
As the sparrow flies now to sever the twain.

Faded pathways lead away, hazy and long
Burned out verges, so long unknown
Images of yesterday, clear and strong
Bleed into today, though t’is but my own……

~~ gigoid ~~

6/13/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large

*******

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

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Know that joy is rarer, more difficult,
and more beautiful than sadness.
Once you make this all-important discovery,
you must embrace joy as a moral obligation.”

~~ Andre Gide, “Fruits of the Earth “~~

*******

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

~~ The Wizard of Oz ~~

*******

“All teachings are mere references.
The true experience is living your own life.
Then, even the holiest of words are only words.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”

~~ Zen proverb ~~

*******

“Be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflections the silly
world may make upon you, for their censures are not in your power,
and consequently should not be any part of your concern.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

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

Considering my state of being at the start of today’s effort, it can be considered a victory to find myself here at the end, finished. So, I will do so, with some satisfaction. Beyond that, deponent sayeth no more, lest fate be tempted to take it all away. Rather than torture y’all, and myself, any further, we’ll go on, with my good wishes for y’all to experience a bountiful day. I will, however, warn y’all of my imminent return, tomorrow, same time, same place, relatively speaking. (The planet will be in another part of space, as will the solar system, the galaxy, and all the rest….) with yet another offering at the altar of self-abuse. See y’all then, ffolkes; I’ll be greatly surprised if you don’t….

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….

Snippets of old, sad songs….

Posted on June 11, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery;
none but ourselves can free our minds.”

~~ Bob Marley ~~

Random Building, Liverpool, England

Hajime…. I’d thought to begin today’s effort with a fictional opening. The resulting morass of insanity created in my mind was too much, even for me. Rivers of blood, fires raging, world’s colliding, dogs & cats mating; not going there so early in the morning. Besides, I figured, given the explosion of Gentle Readers who came by yesterday, I’d best come up with something a bit more, shall we say, attractively intellectual, if I hope to see any of them again. Of course, finding anything resembling intellectual in this head may be asking a bit much of reality, but, hey, it was a thought…. Not all of them can be good ones….

Since any elegance has been shot down so effectively, maybe I should wander off into nonsense for a while. It’s one of my best things, especially on a day like today, when Murphy hovers over my shoulder, tapping random fingers to create typos, and the forces of chaos are standing ready to bury anything resembling coherence. Trying for ANY directed thinking is probably not going to work; entropy rules apply on all levels during such a storm of inanity. I suppose I could shoot for sheer insanity, but, that always makes it hard to get back to even a semblance of normalcy. Maybe today isn’t the best time for that.

Oh, well. So much for thinking my way out of this. Leelu isn’t helping either; her only answer to my queries is, “Aren’t you going to throw that paper?” She’s kinda focused on routine at this time of day. Damn! It sure can be a pisser, ffolkes. Trying to come up with a compelling intro every day is NOT as simple as it may seem, especially for someone with my proclivity for self-abnegation, combined with an extreme talent for waffling. Hey! Wait! There’s the ticket! Yeah, that’s it; we’ll smother the whole thing in syrup! Then, nobody will be able to even tell how awful it was…. I knew I could figure it out….

On that odd little note, I think we’ll go on, before this becomes any more impenetrably obscure. I think, if we go on right now, we may be able to save this. It’s worth a try. We’ll just use this ruthless little number right here, which will get us out of here practically before I can fini….

Shall we Pearl?….

All of us who are worth anything,
spend our manhood in unlearning the follies,
or expiating the mistakes of our youth.”

~~ Shelley ~~

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

Yep. You guessed it. Today is a default music day. How do I know this? Well, it may come as something of a shock, but, I just know. So be it. Give yourself half a chance, & you’ll enjoy it. A whole chance could lead to even bigger things, but, I don’t want to spoil any surprises, so, just listen up, & pay attention. All will be well….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/TC94iWNzmaQ

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

“Religion; humanity’s greatest folly, greatest curse.”

~~ Kevin Harris ~~

In the past five years or so, while writing this blog, I’ve discussed this concept any number of times. In doing so, I have progressed in my thinking from a tentative agnosticism to a firm atheism regarding the idea of a God. All my explorations and research into the subject have confirmed my initial unease at accepting the generally accepted view, to wit: I find absolutely no convincing evidence in reality to support the idea there is some supernatural being sitting up in the sky, who created all we perceive, and actively gives a crap about what happens to us. Sorry, but, that’s the truth; there just isn’t anything to be found to make that true; this makes believing in it a delusion, as far as I am concerned.

Once that is accepted, it becomes easy to see just how bad the whole idea has been for humanity. The difficulty arises from the simple fact that those who choose to believe such nonsense make a couple assumptions, neither of which is true, but, if held as such, cause the believer to act completely contrarily to all common decency, because they have made themselves separate from the rest of humanity, by choice. One false assumption made is to believe the idea that only they possess the actual truth about such matters. This gives them a false sense of entitlement, while simultaneously giving them permission to cease all rational thought, both of which are disastrous for society at large.

I could, and probably should, continue in this vein for some time…. However, to keep from overdoing it, I’ll retreat into the archives to finish this small indictment…. Here is a relatively short, but sweet, treatise on this subject, from a slightly different starting point, though nonetheless cogent for that. It will do until I build up enough new angst to finish this off properly. Plus, it will move us along, so we aren’t stuck here in today, forever…. Enjoy!

From 12/5/2012:

One day a gate breaks down between heaven and hell. So St. Peter arrives on the scene and calls out for the devil.

And the devil saunters over and says, “What do you want?”

And St. Peter says, “Satan, it’s your turn to fix it this time.”

And the devil says, “I’m sorry. But my men are too busy to worry about fixing a mere gate.”

And St. Peter says, “Well, then, I’ll have to sue you for breaking our agreement.”

And the devil says, “Oh yeah? Where are you going to get a lawyer?”

— Soupy Sales

It occurs to me, Soupy’s next line from St. Peter would have to be…. “I don’t need one, I’ve got a fix in with the judge….” That would give not only balance to the argument, but would accurately reflect the actual level of corruption implied in the picture of the universe painted by the Judeo-Christian model of religion. It would also probably more closely reflect Soupy’s sense of humor, which was much more pointed than he got credit for…. People just thought he was a little strange sometimes, not recognizing lines that were making active fun of the establishment (as we old hippies were wont to call the mainstream of American society…..).

In reality, this joke is another example of the bad press that the Devil always gets; it isn’t often you’ll see a joke that ends up with Satan coming out on top. No, he is always given the role of the asshole, the manipulator, the one who wants to drag us down into Hell for eternal torment. Everyone seems to forget that they have ascribed omnipotence, and omniscience to God, and that He is the one who a) made the Devil the way he is, and b) could change it if he wished…. which seems to indicate that he DOESN’T wish to rid us of Satan, but prefers he be around to tempt and distract us…. That sounds to me like just a bit of manipulation in itself; how ’bout y’all?….

The preachers would have us believe that God allows Satan to exist out of his sheer benevolence, forgetting this is the same God who, in the Old Testament, sent forty bears to a town to kill all the children, just because a few small boys made fun of one of His prophets. He is also the one who threw Satan out of Heaven for objecting to some of what He had done on Earth, then turned around and allowed him free access to us humans, just so He would have a ready-made way to test us at His convenience. Just a little self-serving, don’t you think? This God, to my way of thinking, acts more like a spoiled little kid than a deity capable of creating universes…..

Okay, I’ll quit now. It’s really too easy to shoot at dogma; it never tries to hide, and just stands there, looking dumb, as you sight in on its forehead. But, hey, it’s a necessary job, and somebody’s got to do it…. Boy, it sure would be nice, though, to see humanity grow up, and learn to face reality without crutches, and without having to invent a supernatural being to explain away the stuff that isn’t clearly understood…. But, I guess it is job security, in that sense, because it means I’ll always have something about which to write….

“I’m RELIGIOUS!! I love a man with a HAIRPIECE!! Equip me with MISSILES!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

Momentary Terror

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

2/4/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Truth in advertising…

*********

“A man that should call everything by its right name
would hardly pass the streets
without being knocked down as a Common Enemy.”

~~ Lord Halifax ~~

*********

“Driven by the force of love
the fragments of the world seek each other
that the world may come into being.”

~~ Teilhard de Chardin ~~

*********

“Everything that I understand,
I understand only because I love”

~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~

*********

“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are for.”

~~ John A. Shedd ~~

*********

“For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
It is never too late to start doing what is right.
Never.”

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

*********

“Nowhere is now here.”

~~Nakagawa Soen Roshi ~~

*********

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

~~ Basho ~~

*********

“An it harm none,
Do what ye will.”

~~ Wiccan Credo ~~

*********

“Do you love it do you hate it
There it is the way you made it”

~~ Frank Zappa, “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It” ~~

*********

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

Okay, ffolkes. It’s done. Not only is it done, but, upon reading it, I have to say…. Now, THAT’S a Pearl! Full of smarm, nonsense, sense, and some pointed sarcasm, too. Not bad for an old fart with flat feet, flatulence, and a funny red nose. Since I don’t think I can possibly do any more damage than I’ve already done, I’ll leave you here, sans any further torment. I will, however, issue the usual caveat and disclaimer, to wit: it’s not my fault! If you can believe that, my work here is done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; just try to stop me….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Abrupt motions of cryptic intent….

Posted on June 8, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,
it would be a merrier world.”

~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~

Random Government Building, Belfast, Ireland

Hajime…. The Pearl you’ll see today is a rush job, the natural result of being incredibly late in starting today. Since the reason has to do with the amount of sleep I got, (for a change, plenty), my only response is to feel the rush, without the urgency, because, hey, sleep, right? I could have arisen at a usual hour (3 or 4 AM), but, was able to turn over and sleep until I was done, an event of major proportion around here. Yay for me, and now we’re done with the excuses.

I’ll warn y’all now; I have no idea what will happen below. I’ve got zilch finished, so, it will all be the quickest work I can devise, whether from the archives, or, forced out of SB with no mercy. I’ll use the whip, if necessary, but, it WILL get done. So be it. To assist with this goal, the intro will be as truncated as I can make it. How truncated will it be? Just this much….

Shall we Pearl?….

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

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

You guessed it. We’re going default for music, just because we can. I’ll pick one with a nice picture, and be done with it. Abondanza!….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/tAkHdB77u2c

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

As intimated in the intro so strongly, we’re hitting the archives again today for our ranting material. I don’t know yet what kind it will be, but, we’ll try for a bit of either humor, or snark. Let’s see what we can find today….

From 2/24/2013:

“Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.” — Adam Smith

This is so true, I want to shout it out from the rooftops…. It is the kind of insight that leads to jokes like “Lord, protect me from the works of thy followers.” which are so prevalent in our society. We’ve all witnessed the excesses of fanaticism at times, and, I’m sure, have suffered indignity of some sort at their hands at some point in our lives. Nobody escapes it, as such fanaticism is like having roaches; they are impossible to completely eradicate. Of course, there are methods of killing roaches that are foolproof (placing them in a complete vacuum, for example), but it means killing off the entire species , and the rest of us would doubtless find objections to that scenario…..

“It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” — Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

These simple minded fools who become fanatics, whether it is over their country, their religion, their race, or their collection of plastic flamingos, all suffer from the same lack of courage as Piglet describes here. In their case, it isn’t because they lack the ability to be “larger”, like Piglet, but because their minds see themselves as “small”, in relation to all they don’t understand, and this gives them the same sense of constant fearfulness that comes with never knowing when some larger creature will notice you, and eat you, or not notice you, and crush you under foot, with careless indifference….

“Again, our observations of the stars make it evident, not only that the earth is circular, but also that it is a circle of no great size. For quite a small change of position to south or north causes a manifest alteration of the horizon. There is much change, I mean, in the stars which are overhead, and the stars seen are different, as one moves northward or southward. …All of which goes to show not only that the earth is circular in shape, but that it is a sphere of no great size: for otherwise the effect of so slight a change of place would not be so quickly apparent. Hence, one should not be too sure of the incredibility of the view of those who conceive that there is a continuity between the parts about the pillars of Hercules [the strait of Gibraltar] and the parts about India, and that in this way the ocean is one.” — Aristotle, De Caelo, Fourth Century B.C.

As a consequence of all that fear, most of the folks who assume fanatical stances refuse to see, or perceive, as much as they possibly can, and this includes reading, or watching, or listening to things that challenge the truth of what they have chosen to believe. The things they DO choose to believe never challenge them to think, or to go outside their comfort zone in any way; any such suggestion is viewed with anger, mistrust, and fearful rejection, no matter how nonthreatening it may be to normals…. If it doesn’t fit into their narrow little view of things, it is evil, and not to be trusted, in their minds, or what passes for one….

As the quote from Aristotle shows, mankind’s knowledge of the natural world has grown beyond the guesses and speculation that are rampant in the ancient writings about religion, and, thankfully, most of the world is able to understand, and accept the facts in question. It is only those whose fear of the universe is such that they cling to outdated, misguided systems of belief that, though they offer comfort to their preconceptions and misapprehensions, have nothing to do with the real world on any level. And, damned if they don’t get upset, and violent, when those misapprehensions are challenged in any way!…. Idiots….

Sorry, I get disgusted sometimes, especially when I think about those assholes who encourage the idiots, i.e., the priests, preachers, and other members of the priestly hierarchies…. I regard them as the WORST of humanity, in complete lock-step and purpose with that other group of reprehensible semi-humans, the BRC, or 1%, as they’re known these days in the news. The entire purpose of the religious institutions on this planet is to provide behavioral control of the population to the ruling classes, under the guise of religion, by manipulating the masses of believers into following whatever dictates the ones in power may come up with, in order to receive their heavenly rewards…. I swear, it’s the biggest, longest running scam in history….

I’ve already gone a bit overboard here, and really haven’t begun to roll with my indictment/rant yet. Since this is the last pearl for today, I’ll stop here, and just say this…. There are a lot of really stupid people on this planet, as well as a great many good, intelligent, compassionate ffolkes…. but, the money, and the power, reside with a very small number, with representatives from both groups, and as far as I can see, most of them are bat shit crazy, in the sense that they don’t care at all about any of the rest of humanity, as long as they get theirs….. We, the intelligentsia, are perhaps the only hope left to the world before it is too late…. Only if enough of us rise up and throw their sorry asses into the pits will we have a chance of seeing another millennium on our calendar…. THAT is a fact, not a guess; the evidence is there for anyone to see….

So, wake up, ffolkes, and folks, because the day is coming when you will wish you had listened to people like me…..

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

This poem is either the first, or second poem I wrote in 2012, after a 35 year hiatus from writing any at all. I hope you enjoy it….

A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.

Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naturally, Smart Bee goes on strike, just when I need it most. Go figure. Fortunately, for me, I’ve got archives, and a lot of ’em, to boot. Here’s one now….

From 2/23/2013:

“I represent a sardine!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

At this point, after reading that line, you might just be wondering if I’ve slipped my leash again…. and, you’d be justified in that thought. However, rest assured, I’m perfectly sane, if somewhat metaphorically, so it’s all good, right? Right…..

Now, such a bald statement from our old pal is liable to make one think at first that he is either kidding (not bloody likely….), or he is currently having hallucinatory delusions of being a seafood lawyer, or fish solicitor, as my British friends would say. While both of those are possible scenarios, similar in nature to Zippy’s previous episodes of verbal gymnastics, neither is correct in this instance, as I happen to know that he is teaching a lesson in metaphorical manipulation, or, as it is commonly known, lying his ass off, to keep you preoccupied while he is doing something else he doesn’t want you to see, or know about…. He’s tricky that way….

I suppose he might be trying to tell us he is a theatrical/literary agent of some sort, and has a sardine who a) has written the next best seller, entitled “The Truth About Tuna”, an exposé of the fishing industry, b) has a voice like Pavarotti, c) juggles three seahorses while riding a motorized wheelchair, or d) paints incredibly lifelike pictures of cruise ships, from an underwater view…. He might, if that is what he meant, but, it isn’t…. It is all just a distraction, a hullabaloo to draw your attention away from his real purpose, which has to do with several cases of motor oil, a rag-time band, two Senators, and a motel out on Route 666….. You really don’t want to know, now, do you?

No, really, ffolkes, I had a reason to show Zippy’s little gem off today, and it was really a good one…. So, it’s really too bad that, by the time I finished with the second paragraph above, I completely lost track of whatever it was I had to say about it….. That, of course, is embarrassing, but not as much as having to turn tail, right in the middle of a pearl, or what SHOULD have been a pearl, and go old school, just to save my ass from complete well, asininity (what else?….)….

So, here is what Smart Bee came up with, and taken together, the pearls all DO have a point…. just don’t ask me what it is, because even if I knew, I don’t think I can be trusted today to say it correctly, or even interpret it accurately…. So, you’re kind of on your own…. Don’t worry, they’re all safe, just pointed a little….Enjoy!….

“Look under enough rocks and you’ll find _something_ slimy” — Smart Bee

“And gentle Dulness ever loves a joke.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Dunciad, Book ii, Line 34

“Don’t edit reality for the sake of simplicity.” — Smart Bee

“No people do so much harm as those who go about doing good.” — Mandell Creighton

“A thief believes everybody steals.” — E.W. Howe

“I have a feeling that at any time about three million Americans can be had for any militant reaction against law, decency, the Constitution, the Supreme Court, compassion and the rule of reason.” — John Kenneth Galbraith

“My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.” — George Bernard Shaw

Well, there you have it, such as it is…. Ta then, luvs…..

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

Having managed to hit the golden mean for today, I’m going to be as succinct as I can here at the end. It may be the quickest Pearl ever created, but, it’s not bad, considering. I’m going to trust the process again, & go get it posted before I lose my nerve. Y’all have a good one, ffolkes; I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some fresher material. You may count on two things; one, I’ll be here; two, I’ll be here…. Sounds solid to me….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Tea time in Universe 23E….

Posted on June 6, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Integrity has no need for rules.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

Street Art, Kensington Road, London

Hajime…. Today’s exploration of reality could conceivably get out of hand. I’m trusting the process to get it done in a timely fashion, as I’ve once again suffered a major battle throughout the night, and have just now awakened sufficiently to pour coffee without a high degree of possibility of spilling it all over myself before getting any into a cup. Hell, the process of sipping it was something of an adventure, given the tremors and desperation to suck it down. I’m just glad there were no witnesses to my sad display of age-related miasma….

All that said, to the standard little purpose, I note a small bit of positive evidence. In spite of the relative lack of what might be termed compelling literature, we have managed to make it to the second paragraph, hopefully without losing any Gentle Readers in the process. Perhaps, if I can manage to keep from achieving the usual degree of pedantry, we might get through this without any blood being shed. Since any such loss would necessarily have to come from my limited supply, I’ll do whatever I can to keep it where it belongs. This means, of course, we’ll be leaving the intro section shortly, by using either my new ruthlessness, or, one of the Tardis Toys….

Whattya think? Well, no need to be rude…. Okay, I’ll decide, as is my job. I think this particular little toy will do the trick nicely. Plus, it’s right here, right when we need it. Go figure, eh? It’s actually one of the better ones, as you aren’t even required to strip naked, or even set down your adult beverage, In fact, all you need to do is continue reading, and you’ll never even notice the transition…. Pretty slick, eh? Watch…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Ninety percent of science fiction is crap.
But then, ninety percent of anything is crap.”

~~ Theodore Sturgeon ~~

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

Eric Clapton

Though I can’t consider myself a virtuoso, by any stretch of the imagination, I do play the guitar. I’m a hack; I know it. But, I can play, and sing, and keep up with better players well enough to have fun, and that is what counts. When I’m feeling like hearing good guitar music, I almost always turn to this man’s work, as he has been considered the best for all the time I’ve been listening, and playing music. Today, I’m in a small hurry, and, am also feeling selfish, to some degree; it happens when one is depressed. So, here is what may be my favorite piece of his work, to indulge my need for the best. I hope you enjoy it as well….

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

Eric Claption
Unplugged

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

https://youtu.be/xGkByjYJty0

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

As noted, we’re archive diving today, to keep things moving, as well as to maximize the chances of getting posted anywhere near the usual time. I’m hoping the fresh rant upon which I’ve been working (read: struggling) will be ready for tomorrow, as it isn’t ready today. Instead, take this….

From 4/3/2014:

I know it will cause a lot of disappointment, but, I won’t be ranting today…. Since arising, I’ve managed to put together what you see for today’s post, in hopes of some angst showing up to provide the fuel to drive such an outburst, but, I’ve come to realize I’m waiting in vain. Nothing is going to come together in my head well enough today to make the effort worthwhile; any rant I attempt is destined to resemble a whine more than a rant, and I don’t want to get in the habit of settling for less than my best…..

What this means for y’all is another old-school pearl, of course….. I’ll set the parameters to look for quotes and/or aphorisms that will serve the same purpose as a rant, either about the BRC, the SCM, the DD’s (Dogma Dogs…. you know, preachers & priests….), or some other category of Asininny…. Poking fun at public icons is, patently, our favorite pastime here at ECR, with Smart Bee leading the way in that respect, so, this shouldn’t take too long…..

“A government that fears it’s people is a government that should be feared.” — Smart Bee

“Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody.” — Agatha Christie

“They gave me a book of checks. They didn’t ask for any deposits.” — Congressman Joe Early (D-Mass) at a press conference — to answer questions about the House Bank Scandal

“Machiavel says virtue and riches seldom settle on one man.” — Robert Burton (1577-1640) — The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part ii, Sect. 2, Memb. 2

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

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.” — Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), Collected Essays

“Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Okay, so it took forfuckingever…. which is, as it turns out, just as well, since it came out so well…. It isn’t often I can find such a perfect closing line as Albert’s, especially as it applies to our beloved leaders, and the show they put on…. I only wish I could say the show is for OUR benefit….

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

Dreaming, I wait….

In the most patient moments of rationality
kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,
fallow thoughts speed first from equality
to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.

Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law
shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,
intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,
falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.

Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,
it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,
foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,
alive, always eager, willing, and pale.

Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few
with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.
No solemn royal version may pass in review,
true love for man, never to remain unhidden.

Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,
calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,
With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,
swimming in the oceans of natural delight.

When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,
roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,
Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,
and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.

Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night
aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart
Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,
tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art…..

~~ gigoid ~~

8/18/2013

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

Today’s final, old-school pearl is also coming from the archives, due simply to the time constraints, which wouldn’t be an issue, except for Smart Bee’s morning intransigence. Can’t make it give up even ONE pearl; so be it. Here is an excellent pearl from a couple years ago, to fill the gap thus created…. Enjoy!….

From 4/1/2014:

Aye, the Tale is told, and told well…. I do enjoy a good metaphor, don’t y’all? We’ve made it as far as the last section, without any major mishaps, or any sort of diversionary actions that smack of Murphy’s tender touch…. for which, we are eternally grateful. In the perhaps futile hope of continuing this run of sheer luck, we’ll proceed to dive, to see if there are enough pearls available to fulfill our goal for the day…..

Parameters, today, are unnecessary….. serendipity is at loose in the world on days such as today, so we’ll trust in that to provide us with what we seek…. knowing that what we find will be worth the search…. If not, well, I can always comfort myself with the old saw about the journey being more important than the destination….. Abondanza!…..

How he lies in his rights of a man!
Death has done all death can.
And absorbed in the new life he leads,
He recks not, he heeds
Nor his wrong nor my vengeance; both strike
On his senses alike,
And are lost in the solemn and strange
Surprise of the change.

~~ Robert Browning, “After” ~~

“If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.” — Chinese Proverb

“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” — Bertrand Russell

“A little folly is desirable in him that will not be guilty of stupidity.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Book iii, Chap. ix

“I am, therefore I am.” — Akira

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

And in your dreams you can see yourself
As a prophet saving the world
The words from your lips
I just can’t believe you are such
A fool.

~~ Frank Zappa, “Oh No” ~~

Wow…. Serendipity, indeed….

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

Okay. I cheated, but, it’s done. So be it. I’m pretty sure I shot my entire wad on this one, just to get it done, so, I won’t bother y’all with any long, involved meanderings here. Instead, I’ll chop this off like George chopped the cherry tree in his old man’s back yard…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. You can consider that a promise, or a threat; as always, your choice…. 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….

Indefatigable purveyors of subtle untruths….

Posted on June 5, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

Sunset off the coast of Ireland, May, 2013

Hajime…. To get the possibility of whining out of the picture, I’ll just say, tough morning. My laptop, which holds the means for producing Pearls of Virtual Wisdom in its innards, froze big time first time out of the gate today; it froze so hard, it wouldn’t even shut down until I forced a hard reboot. Then, I took a chance and had it restarted normally. All seems to have turned out well, aside from losing whatever work I’d already begun. C’est la fucking vie, as they say in the poorer quarters of any French megalopolis. Me, I’m ignoring reality as best I can, for today, if I allow it any slack at all, I’ll end up in jail…. So be it.

The Pearl you’ll find below changed shape on me, thanks to the reboot. We were compelled by time constraints to go default for our musical selection. In addition, you’ll find both the daily rant, and the poem, came from the archives again. The final old-school pearl is fresh, but, only because it was the only part done when I got up to begin. Such as it is, so shall it be. I have neither the time, nor, the inclination, to spend more time on it, as the whole starting over thing has me in a nasty mood. In fact, it pissed me off so bad, I’m having trouble maintaining any sort of pleasant demeanor; it’s hard when all I want to do is scream and start laying about me with the nearest sharp implement.

To avoid any such unpleasantness, we’ll go now. In fact, we’ll go, now…. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A thing derided is a thing dead;
a laughing man is stronger than a suffering man.”

~~ Gustave Flaubert ~~

Side note: Though I can see and understand the truth of what Gus says here, in my current state, my only reaction is, fuck you, Gus… Oh, well. So much for intelligent discourse, eh? Onward, ffolkes….

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

We’re going default today. I had thought to have more time, but all of it got eaten by a frozen computer this morning, requiring a hard reboot, and, starting pretty much over from scratch, as the hard reboot lost all my work. SIGH…. Murphy lives. The music should help…. I’m hoping, anyway. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s six hours of great stuff….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/g54-_icmfo4

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

I had a great start for a rant, but, it all went away with the hard reboot mentioned above. Here is a pretty decent rant from a couple years ago to take its place for today…. I hope you enjoy it; it’s a bit long, but, I thought it said what it had to say fairly succinctly. You can decide for yourselves, as always…. Abondanza!

From 10/2/2014:

“How many lawyer jokes are there? 3, the rest are true stories.” — Smart Bee

I had intended to find some more true stories to share with y’all about lawyers, but, instead, let’s examine the creature as it exists in reality…. Now, I, personally, know a lawyer, and, since he no longer works as one, having recovered, in my mind, both his sanity, and his honor in the process (don’t tell him though, I get the impression he’s still a bit ambivalent/unsettled at how it came about, so, we don’t discuss it…), I feel absolutely no qualms whatsoever claiming him as a friend…. He’s gotten to the point he laughs at some of the jokes now….

He is an intelligent person, of course; no other kind would be my friend for so long (Over 30 years now…), or be able to put up with my own level of insanity…. In my case, of course, that was used to AVOID ever studying law, beyond what I felt necessary to know for my own protection…. I’ve always maintained there are only two kinds of lawyers who come out of law school, no matter which it may be.

The first kind intends to help people find their way through the maze of laws, allegedly designed to to allow them to live safely and with dignity; these lawyers, those with actual morals and ethics, serve justice, and the intent of the law…. Like my friend, they often end up leaving the field, or, sadly, at times, doing the Darth Vader, by turning to the dark side….

The other type is different sort of creature; their purpose for studying law is to find an angle to work, in order to further their own personal goals, which center around money, and power….. These lawyers may end up helping some people, but, at a cost those people can rarely afford comfortably. Mostly, this sort pad their bills with absurd charges, that puff up legal fees until the courts step in, to set regulations as to how much they can charge… whereupon, they merely find another method to get around the definition of “services rendered”….

Of this second type, a certain percentage actually, over time, become so enamored of the process of acquiring money and power, they figure out the only logical course to take, if they wish to continue their upward progress (in their eyes….). So, they mutate, and become politicians (an old Greek word, from “poly”, meaning “many”, and “tics”, meaning “small, dirty, bloodsucking parasites”….), because as legislators, they are allowed to vote themselves the keys to the treasury, calling their motivation “public spirit” and/or “the call to leadership”…. Often the mutation actually begins during school, as all the nutrient factors are present there, and a certain type of sociopathic personality takes to such things naturally, as it serves their purpose so well….

Excuse me a moment, I need to curse….

Okay, I’m back…. see, I can be nice, & not subject y’all to my forays into French colloquialisms…. However, in point of fact, they’re all (all the elected officials at the national level, to be specific….), fucking crazy, loony as a mass of mixed leopards, wolves, vipers, cobras, hyenas, rhinos, hippos, and, oh, a tiger or two, all slithering, strutting, blundering, screaming, locked in a confined space, each displaying the worst characteristics of their perverted, all-too-predatory natures…. And, all of whom are convinced of their own right to tell everyone else how things should be…. I mean, they should know, cuz Jesus told them so….

Yep…. Think about it, ffolkes, and, you, too, folks…. Of the 455 people at the top of the American political heap… (That’s 1 President, 1 VP, 12 Supremes, 100 Senators, 340 Reps at the House, & 1 Armed Forces COS….I think…. He isn’t elected, but, otherwise, I’m missing somebody….), (unless I lost track of how many Reps there are…. that changes at times…)…. Regardless… it’s a small number of persons, considering they make the decisions for so many…

So, ask yourself these questions…. How many of those are lawyers? How many are male? How many are white (Caucasian, or close)? How many are of a faith OTHER than Christian?…. I think you can see the point here…. no matter what the actual numbers may be, when counting the token women and persons of color they’ve allowed to join them, for the show of apparent diversity, it isn’t enough to make any difference in the real agenda that will be forged by those people…. It WILL be according to the white, male, Christian, legally trained (i.e., avariciously self-serving) point of view….

As another point of difference between them and the rest of the population: All of them, every single one, is a millionaire, or more (except perhaps for a few Reps, newbies not yet adept at playing the lobbyist’s for their treats and financial breaks….) Yet each and every one of the named politicians, less-than-500-people, with an average income over a million dollars a year, has better health care, better retirement arrangements, and better wages than anyone else in the country, all voted in by, who else, but, themselves….

Plus, just for good measure, for the great and glorious service they have done for the country, and all the sacrifices they must make to come to Washington, live like movie stars, and decide which lobbyist they should let take them to dinner tonight, why shouldn’t they get those benefits, not just while in office, but, for the rest of their lives?! Whether they are ever elected again or not…. Pretty good deal, eh?…. Wish I’d a thought of it….

And people wonder why I often talk about buying a gun….. I only have four things left to say about lawyers, and their mutated state, politicians….As usual, other people have said it better, so, as is my wont, I turn to them, with these final words upon which to meditate….

“If it weren’t for lawyers, I think we could have invented a universal symbolic representation of reality.”– Smart Bee

(technically, it’s not a joke; it’s merely an observation….)

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

“The dread of evil is a much more forcible principle of human actions than the prospect of good.” — John Locke (1632-1704)

“The measure of a man’s life is the well spending of it, and not the length.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Consolation to Apollonius

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

Accentuated Lessons

Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.

Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.

Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.

Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naked Pearls

All we need to know….

*********

“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!”

~~ (The Beatles) I Am The Walrus ~~

*********

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach.
One can collect only a few,
and they are more beautiful if they are few.”

~~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~~

*********

“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”

~~ Will Foley ~~

*********

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

~~ Sir Edmund Hillary ~~

*********

“Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes,
and feel with their own hearts.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*********

“…the wise man looks into space,
and does not regard the small as too little,
nor the great as too big;
for he knows that there is not limit to dimensions.”

~~ Lao-tzu ~~

*********

“The unexamined life is not worth living to a human.”

~~ Attributed by Plato to Socrates, Apology ~~

*********

“The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life;
he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

~~ Chief Seattle, 1854 (c.1786-1866) ~~

*********

“Be excellent to each other. Party on, dude.”

~~ Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure ~~

*********

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

At the moment, the only positive note to what has occurred here this morning is, its done. Thank whomever you like for small favors, eh? Moreover, I’m going to show all the perspicacity I can summon, to say, thanks for stopping in, & we’ll try to do better tomorrow. On those wimpy notes, I will bid thee adieu for another day, with the usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back. On that you may rely, with perfect confidence…..

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….

Significant signs of sincere drivel….

Posted on June 1, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The truth you speak has no past and no future.
It is, and that’s all it needs to be.”

~~ Richard Bach, “Illusions” ~~

Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC

Hajime…. In retrospect, there was nothing to be done; if there had, I’d have done it. Instead, here I sit, again searching for some small inspiration to get us to our desired destination. In the ineffable, incomparable way of life at large, nothing doing, at least, not so far. Since waiting around for it to show would be rather presumptuous (for it may never show at all), I suppose I’ll need to find some other source for material to put here. That, of course, is also a hit or miss issue, but, given the circumstances, it could be worse. How, I am not sure, but, I know Murphy, and, believe me, if given half a chance, it WILL get worse.

In order to avoid any such conundrum this morning, I’ll use the new degree of ruthlessness I seem to have found, and cut this intro without mercy. It won’t take long, and actually is quite fun, if one doesn’t fight it. All you need to do is put down your adult beverage, take a deep breath, and read on. As for my part, it works pretty well, all things considered. How does it work? Easy, I push this button, and we’re gone…. Watch….

Shall we Pearl?….

Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens.

[Against stupidity the very gods fight in vain.]

~~ Friedrich Schiller ~~

~~ The Maid of Orleans, Act iii, Sc. 6 ~~

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

Leonard Cohen

Image from http://www.pinterest.come via Google Images

One of yesterday’s commenters mentioned today’s featured artist; it’s been a while since we’ve included his work, so, here is a pretty thorough collection of many of his most popular pieces, all in one place. Enjoy!….

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

The Best of Leonard Cohen

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

https://youtu.be/L9WDRGxp0vA

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

Originally, I had a quote picked out for today, to lead into a discussion of the ubiquitous corporate oligarchy as it now exists in our world. However, reality intervened, to prevent any such fresh ranting today. Instead here is a more light-hearted discussion from early in 2014 to fill in for today. It’s a fun one, so, have fun…..

From 1/30/2014:

“We’re not into science fiction because it’s _good literature_, we’re into it because it’s _weird_. Follow your weird, ladies and gentlemen. Forget trying to pass for normal. Follow your geekdom. Embrace your nerditude. In the immortal words of Lafcadio Hearn, a geek of incredible obscurity whose work is still in print after a hundred years, “woo the muse of the odd”.” — Bruce Sterling, addressing a convention of SF writers

A few days ago, I experienced an epiphany regarding the solutions we need to find to the issues of global warming and climate change…. This statement is one that, though not exactly what I’m talking about, is in the right ballpark…. Finding answers to what is happening in the real world has been part of what science fiction writers have done, peripherally, for many years, in the sense that the stories they write explore the concepts involved in ways that demonstrate the questions, and can, hopefully, point the way to finding the answers we now need…

There have been many, many stories…. full length novels, novellas, short stories… all written over the last two hundred years or so, that talk about the most critical issue we now face, to wit: the climate changes produced by our insane pollution of the atmosphere. There has also been a lot of speculation and talk among the people who do the writing, and those who write about them, all discussing possible scenarios for possible futures….. Somewhere among all that talk and discussion, there MUST be an idea that we can use to turn the tide that we have so foolishly turned against us…..

In other words, in a metaphorical sense, we need to go out into the realms of fantasy and imagination, to find the elves, so we can benefit from the wisdom of their counsel…. Even though I already know what they will tell us…. The elves always give the same counsel…. we will need to find a Hero, who can step forward to assume the Quest to save mankind from the folly of his own greed and ambition…. Metaphorically, this is absolutely correct…. what it will translate to in real terms is yet to be seen, but, something needs to be done to find an answer, and soon, for the time we have to accomplish anything that will work is growing smaller rapidly….

“There is something inside all of us that yearns not for reason but for mystery… not for penetrating clear thought but for the whisperings of the irrational… not for science but for wizardry disguised as science.. not for rationally founded influence but for magic.” — Karl Jaspers

In the meantime, rather than ranting at you to get out there and try to find an elf, who can then lead us to his where his people have gone, far over the Western Sea,…. I’ll put together an old-school pearl, with some good advice and/or some snarky comments about the assholes who got us to this point in the first place….

“For me, all I can do is spit in the eye of my fears by living each day with as much passion and commitment as possible to what truly counts, such as love and justice. To give the into the fear and hopelessness would be to declare defeat, something I am not ready to do while there is still the will to struggle.” — Lawrence Paradis

“You shouldn’t think about *how* we’re doing this. You should ask yourself, ‘why?'” — Penn Jillette

“To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” — Agatha Christie

“A little folly is desirable in him that will not be guilty of stupidity.” — Michael de Montaigne — Book iii, Chap. ix

“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” — Oscar Wilde

“Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death?” — Plato

See? There is a perfect example of why I seldom make precognitive assumptions about a particular pearl, especially BEFORE it is constructed…. This is a grand pearl, but, no snarky comments to be seen…. ‘S’okay, it doesn’t need them….

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

Blithely Untitled

A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.

Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.

Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.

Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.

Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/7/2014

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

Naked Pearls

The best wisdom at affordable prices….

*******

“A wise man first determines what is within his control;
all else is then irrelevant.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“Between the vision and the act lies the shadow.”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

“Joy is wealth and love is the legal tender of the soul.”

~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~

*******

“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

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

~~ e. e. cummings. ~~

*******

“…and remember you’re a Man, not just god,
and for you there aren’t and never will be any easy answers,
only questions, and no reasons,
only causes, and no meaning,
only intelligence, and no destination
and no kindly magic smiling down from above,
and no fires to goad you from below,
only Yourself and the Universe
and what you make out of the interface between the two equals.”

~~ Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_ ~~

*******

“On SECOND thought,
maybe I’ll heat up some BAKED BEANS
and watch REGIS PHILBIN..
It’s GREAT to be ALIVE!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

Since Zippy finished off that most excellent old-school pearl with such panache, I don’t think I’ll need to get too fancy here at the close. Rather than make any such faux pas, we’ll just note, it’s done, and we’re done for today. We will, with great anticipation, see y’all again tomorrow, as long as the Universe holds together. It’s got a solid record of doing so; most likely, we’ll see y’all then….

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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Exploring Consensual Reality

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