On the rooftop, stealing wax…..

Posted on November 17, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Oddly enough, time continues to pass, whether or not I care to acknowledge it or not. Of course, that has always been true, but I never really thought it deserved comment before now. Why now, you ask? Hell, I don’t know…. I am in the dark probably half the time, or more, when I’m writing anything, so why should this morning be any different? Maybe it’s because time seems to be passing more noticeably today; kind of like the stubble on one’s chin, you only notice it after a couple of days, when it achieves just that right state for scratching an itch on the hand…. and, if this is the kind of material we have to work with all day, I resign….

Whoops…. I can’t do that; it’s my blog. Well, I can sure complain about the material, then. But, I won’t, because that would be just too self-serving, and obvious; I’m already skirting the edge of reality by writing like this, just as if I were on a sail boat, tacking into the wind, instead of sitting in my lonely garret, feeling my artistic angst, and trying to convince y’all I’m a writer….. Fantasy abounds everywhere, n’est pas?….. It’s no doubt a good thing I don’t have to depend on my writing to support myself right now, or I’d definitely starve….

Of course, starving is still an issue, at least part of the time, but one that I refuse to worry about until it is imminent. I have enough to eat for the rest of this month, and that is far more than many folks who are my age, and in my somewhat precarious financial position. When I am feeling sorry for myself, I just think about how much worse it could be, and feel thankful for the friends I have, who have already proved that they won’t allow me to hit rock bottom without them for company. So, as can be seen, I am indeed, in reality, a very rich man….

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” ~~ Smart Bee

Once more, I’ve managed to blither and dally sufficiently to make up a four-paragraph intro section, all without ever saying anything meaningful, or even entertaining, I’m sure…. It’s getting to be pretty old hat, all things considered…. Besides, it’s much simpler than trying to come up with something worth the effort, just to get to where we will end up anyway…. Hmmm….. Did I just say that? Does it mean anything? I’m confused, which, considering where we are in today’s program, is probably not a good thing… But, here I am, just as real as a hive of bees living in my head….. Shall we Pearl? It may be the only thing that can save us…..
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“Man has always sacrificed truth to his vanity, comfort and advantage. He lives by make-believe.” — W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up, 1938

Funny, isn’t it? Whenever anyone, such as Mr. Maugham in this instance, says something that is a core truth, it sounds rather rude…. or, will be said to be so by those hearing it, because it speaks so close to home. It might be said that it is fortunate for Man that he has an imagination with which he can make believe whatever he likes, otherwise he could not survive. I’m not sure what it says about the universe to say that acting in such a selfish way would be more successful than acting in a more righteous manner, but I’m sure it’s not a good recommendation. I suppose it’s best to say the universe doesn’t give a damn one way or another, and only the results count at the final reckoning…. A shame, too….

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anais Nin

Of course, the reckoning may not take the form that most folks would believe will happen…. Actually, that uncertainty is a given, since it hasn’t happened yet, and nobody at all really has any knowledge of what MIGHT happen, or whether we ever will have to justify ourselves to some reckoning agency/entity. There is, in reality, no evidence at all to be found that really says anything concrete about the subject; the future just doesn’t yield well to prescience, much as some folks would like you to believe it does. I’m pretty certain myself that I don’t WANT to know what’s coming, beyond some of my own concerns regarding events to come; those are related to human agencies, and have no bearing on this subject, anyway. The rest of it I can wait for…. knowing would spoil the surprise, too…. Who doesn’t like surprises?…. 🙂 Well, some surprises….

“It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.” — The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Silly as it sounds, this statement fits what I am saying here…. which, as I’m sure you noticed, is still a bit unclear. To put it most simply, I’m trying to say what philosophers have been saying for so many years it is useless to count them, to wit: Selfishness isn’t going to work as a successful primary motivation for determining what we do, or what happens to us, in this universe. Period. It isn’t working, and it has never worked, for anyone except those who live by it, and then only in the short run of their life. In the long run, the universe, and truth, will assert itself, in all its harsh and unforgiving reality, and nothing we do will be capable of changing it. I’m no seer, but that much is obvious, given the state of the world, and the intransigence of its current inhabitants. All it takes to make such a prediction is an understanding of basic physics, which, in spite of our increasing understanding of its natural laws, does not allow us to make editorial changes in the way they work…. Hence, just potatoes won’t solve the problem….

“A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving.” — Albert Einstein

Albert is correct, again…. We are all in this together, and only by the efforts of all of us can we ever hope to survive our own foolishness. There is no other way to say it, and no better time to make the decisions we need to make. Soon enough, those decisions will be out of our hands; by not changing, the decisions are made for us…. and I’m pretty sure nobody will be happy with the consequences…. Of course, I’m a cynic, sometimes to my chagrin…. It’s a good thing I’m also an optimist…. We are right less often, but we have more fun……

“If you never assume importance you never lose it.” — Lao-tzu
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If you were coming in the fall,
I’d brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spum,
As housewives do a fly.

If I could see you in a year,
I’d wind the months in balls,
And put them each in separate drawers,
Until their time befalls.

If only centuries delayed,
I’d count them on my hand,
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen’s land.

If certain, when this life was out,
That yours and mine should be,
I’d toss it yonder like a rind,
And taste eternity.

But now, all ignorant of the length
Of time’s uncertain wing,
It goads me, like the goblin bee,
That will not state its sting.

~~ Emily Dickinson
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I first read a Robert Heinlein novel when I was about 10 years old. Then, when about 11, I read his masterpiece work, Stranger In a Strange Land, and my mind was forever changed. His characters were real to me, and the words they spoke were filled with Meaning and Truth, capitalization required. Over time, he has continued to be my favorite author, and I was saddened beyond measure when he passed on, as was the entire Science Fiction world of readers and authors (I’m sure his editors and publishers were also saddened, but for different reasons, the ghouls…). He was considered, by all of SF fandom and all the other writers, to be the Grand Master of the genre, and deserved every bit of praise he garnered in his lifetime.

His character, Lazarus Long, continues to be my favorite of all his protagonists, though it is a close race with Miss Friday…. Lazarus’ character is one that gave Mr. Heinlein unlimited scope for the wisdom he wished to impart to his readers. At the beginning of the book, Time Enough For Love, Lazarus has just reached the age of approximately 2600 years, having been born in 1912, with that age somewhat skewed by some travel through hyperspace, which does funny stuff to Time. But, as near as he can remember, he has survived through all those centuries, and, in the course of the book’s plot, agrees to share some of the wisdom he has collected over the years, in the form of his Notebooks of Lazarus Long, a short chapter in Time Enough for Love. Here are a few of the most cogent aphorisms in the Notebooks; all of them are used by me on a daily basis, if not more often, and one can do no better than to keep them in the forefront of their mind, to ward off the insanity the world can foist upon us with no notice…..

“Beware of the “Black Swan” fallacy. Deductive logic is tautological; there is no way to get a new truth out of it, and it manipulates false statements as readily as true ones. If you fail to remember this, it can trip you – with perfect logic. The designers of the earliest computers called this the “Gigo Law”, i.e. “garbage in, garbage out”. Inductive logic is MUCH more difficult – but can produce new truths.” — Lazarus Long

“Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“The correct way to punctuate a sentence that starts: “Of course it is none of my business, but –” is to place a period after the word “but.” Don’t use excessive force in supplying such a moron with a period. Cutting his throat is only a momentary pleasure and is bound to get you talked about.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh.” — Lazarus Long, Time Enough for Love

“A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.” ~~ from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“If you don’t like yourself, you can’t like other people.”~~ from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“Bromidic though it may sound, some questions don’t have answers, which is a terribly difficult lesson to learn.” — Katharine Graham
(Okay, not Lazarus, but, it’s one he might have said, perhaps in the character of Lorelei, or Lapis Lazuli, his cloned twin sisters, had he/she/they thought about it…. )

“Always store beer in a dark place.” ~~ from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”~~ from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long

That’s enough for one day; his ideas are not as simple as they may appear at first read, and should be absorbed only after considerable rumination over their meaning…. like any chocolate for the soul, it needs to be thoroughly mixed into the milk…. 🙂
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Another NTS result, making it consecutive. There’s a word…. a good word. Solid, descriptive, precise in meaning, yet with built in possibilities of growth…. I know, I know, I’m a strange guy…. Sorry, got distracted. Any who, I’m content with this Pearl, and will be posting it as soon as I decide where to do so…. Rain happening here, so logistics are crucial…. I hope you enjoy today’s effort, scattershot as it is….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

With piteous disregard for the weak of mind….

Posted on November 16, 2012 by gigoid

Special note: To all my Facebook, Yahoo, WordPress, and Internet friends….. I feel this Pearl is an important one to share…. I don’t usually try to promote my work this hard, but today’s message is one of importance for all Americans, if only for the links I’ve added to my comments. Those links need to be seen by millions of our countrymen, whereby we have a real opportunity to fix a big part of the problems faced by our Society at large, in light of the results of our recent election…. Please read these ideas, and spread them around for discussion, as far as you can, by Sharing on Facebook, by Pressing on WordPress, and wherever else on the Web they may get to…. thanks….

Ffolkes,
Several days ago, I spoke here about the embittered asses who have been spouting off in Facebook, and other places, regarding seceding from the Union, since their bigoted racism was struck down by the majority of right-thinking people in this country on election day. I spoke fairly eloquently to express my chagrin, and my anger at their intransigence, but yesterday, I read a response to those people that was not just better than mine, but was, in my mind, perfect. The author had researched his law well, and was forthright in outlining the very illegality of their so-called “right to secede”, as well as being quite forthcoming in his anger at them for their treason. That article can be found here: http://90degrees2theleft.com/2012/11/15/when-a-comment-is-better-than-the-article/#comment-333

Yes, treason, the same word I used previously. You see, the South LOST the Civil War, though they don’t seem to realize it, just the same as they lost this election. When they did, they lost the right to secede from the Union, forever; that is clearly stated in the articles of government that were set in place during the Reconstruction after the War. I was fairly lenient, saying they should just be allowed to leave, if they wish; this man is more righteous in that sense, and would have these traitors prosecuted and jailed, and not merely allowed to leave, but EXILED in shame, for their treasonous statements and actions. And you know what? I wouldn’t stand in the way of that at all…. Stupidity should have SOME consequences attached to it, especially when it is deliberate….

Apparently, these ffolkes aren’t leaving it there, at just expressing their displeasure at this treason, but are following up their words with action…. They’re submitting a petition to the White House, suggesting that these secessionists be arrested for their treason, have their citizenship stripped from them, and be sent into exile. Their position as citizens would then be offered to resident immigrants in this country, who all WANT to be Americans, with educational assistance given to complete the naturalization process. I think this is a GRAND idea, and will be signing that petition as soon as I can get online again. That petition is easy to find, too, here: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-citizenship-those-who-petition-secession-our-union-and-grant-their-citizenship-working/LQ9sXmmh?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

Once again, the intro section has been usurped into political ranting mode, but, that’s one of the risks around here; political or religious ranting fervor may strike at any time. Apparently, right after I wake up is one of the times when that is likely; my outrage is set to kick in at a moment’s notice at this time of the day, I guess, which is, all in all, a good thing, I think….. Whether y’all agree with that may not be immaterial, but it is moot, since we’re about done with it for today, anyway…. But, lest one think that I’m not serious about this, let me reiterate….

Reason prevailed at the polls on November 6, and the MAJORITY has spoken. These, sad, white, racists cannot stand having their delusions shattered, and are deathly afraid, knowing their prejudices are no longer in control of society, and they are now exposed as the bigots they really are. This talk of secession is just one more piece of evidence that shows their complete ignorance, of history, of reality, and of the laws of their own country.

Fuck them…. fuck them all. Arrest them for treason, strip them of their citizenship, and send them off to Africa, or wherever in the world there is a haven for such assholes (Now, there’s a thought…. Who will take them? I don’t know that any country will want them, as they’ve already proven their inability to live with others, and shown just how bigoted and racist they are…. There might not be anywhere for them to go…. Oh, well…. too bad, so sad…. I guess we’ll just have to dump them on some island that nobody else wants…..).

Give their rights as citizens to working immigrants, who have already shown their commitment to be good Americans by their actions in support of this country. Maybe then, we can see the last of the Southern fried idiots who have been keeping this country from joining the rest of the human race in the struggle to survive…. and the Civil War will finally be over….

Well, now that my political/religious* rant for this morning is done, I may have a hard time finding something else to discuss…. time will tell, I suppose, as it always does (how does the Doctor always know?….) At any rate, I can do no more damage here, so we’ll get on with today’s dive for pearls…. Shall we Pearl?…..

*I say religious, as well as political, because I hold religion, or more accurately, preachers/priests, to be equally responsible for the attitudes these secessionists hold; it is the combination of the bigotry and elitism promulgated by the Christian religions (and others, they’re not alone….) with the ignorant political and historical throwbacks to the Old South who have usurped the GOP, that has created this group of hard-core fundamentalist fanatics, who cannot, and will not, learn to get along with anyone who isn’t in their chosen group…. If there is a group of people on this planet worthy of my hatred and complete disgust, it is these religious politicians, and political preachers, who preach their litanies of hate to their congregations just as if it was some kind of truth, while simultaneously claiming their own innocence and God-given mission, and calling it Peace and Love…. Despicable, sad excuses for human beings, which is why I try to pity them, because they are not even worth the mental energy it takes to hate….
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Having ranted enough for the time being, here is an old school pearl. This one is a bit different, as it doesn’t lead to one central concept, as such, but rather a number of related ideas. All of it is good food for thought, and are things I believe in….. as if that matters….. Nonetheless, it is all good stuff, and one can never have too much good stuff….

“He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

“He was a wise man who invented God.” — Plato
(You’ve got to think about this one, and go a bit deeper than the first level or two….)

“All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers … Each one owes infinitely more to the human race than to the particular country in which he was born.” — Francois Fenelon

“I don’t know but I’ve been told
the streets of heaven are lined with gold
I ask you how things could get much worse
if the Russians happened to get up there first
wowee, pretty scary”

— Robert Zimmerman
(Bonus points if you know his stage name…..)

“I just didn’t say it.” — Ronald Reagan –Associated Press, 10/5/66
(When asked to explain a “recorded” statement…. i.e., it was on tape….)

“Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.” — P.J. O’Rourke

As a final note, here is a fitting finish to this subtle, yet pointed group of sharp sticks to the eye of ignorance…..

“As for courage and will – we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry through trials which may lie ahead.” — Andre Norton

I love it…. yet another proof of what I’ve said before… “All you can do, is all you can do…..” Having done so, we will pass on to another pearl…. a poetic one….
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Shui Tiao Ko Tou

Will a moon so bright ever arise again?
Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.
I don’t know where the palace gate of heaven is,
Or even the year in which tonight slips by.
I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I
Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade
Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.
I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.
From life endured among men how far a cry!

Round the red pavilion
Slanting through the lattices
Onto every wakeful eye,
Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why
Insist in time of separation so th fill the sky?
Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;
The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is al, is less.
Perfection was never easily come by.
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!

Su Tung-po
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Here is what may properly be called a minimalist pearl…. at least, that’s what I’m calling it, and I’m the one in charge, so…. any who, below you will find two statements, one purely textual, and one with some attached art (well, a facial photo of Jimmy Carter may not exactly be art, but, it IS a picture….). Both statements cut to the heart of one of the modern world’s most basic root problems, in my mind, which is the disparity of purpose and unity between males and females of the human species. I regard this “battle” to be the most destructive element of what is wrong with our culture, and believe very strongly that it needs to change…. I’m not so narcissistic or egotistical to believe that I have all the answers as to how that might be accomplished, but, a clear examination of the truth is generally a pretty good place to start….

“In the early twelfth century century the Virgin had been the supreme protectress of civilisation. She had taught a race of tough and ruthless barbarians the virtues of tenderness and compassion. The great cathedrals of the Middle Ages were her dwelling places upon earth. In the Renaissance, while remaining the Queen of Heaven, she became also the human mother in whom everyone could recognise qualities of warmth and love and approachability… The stabilising, comprehensive religions of the world, the religions which penetrate to every part of a man’s being– in Egypt, India or China– gave the female principle of creation at least as much importance as the male, and wouldn’t have taken seriously a philosophy that failed to include them both… It’s a curious fact that the all-male religions have produced no religious imagery– in most cases have positively forbidden it. The great religious art of the world is deeply involved with the female principle.” — Kenneth Clark, 1969

Now that Mr. Clark has thrown some light on some of the historical elements, one of this country’s former Presidents (whom history will judge much more fairly, and admirably, than current society…..) has some words about how the political, and religious leaders of the world have conspired to keep things the way the are for so long, just because they are assholes (Sorry, my phrase, not his…. But, they are, though…. assholes, that is….)…..

I could go on in this vein for a very long time, and promise to do so again at a later date…. Suffice it to say here that we all need to think about this sort of stuff, every day…. That is the only way to sustain the outrage long enough to stimulate us to act. Action will be necessary for changes to be made, as is always true…. True, is what every word above is…..
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“All right, then, Harry?” “All right, Hagrid….” I have to say, this one came out worthy of an NTS rating (Not Too Shabby). I can’t say it’s exactly inspired, or even inspirational, but it sure came down heavy on the side of Reason and Truth, eh? For a day when there is so much more happening, I feel a fair sense of accomplishment, merely for completing it. And, since that is an award I give myself, nobody can take it away from me, without much more effort than it would ever be worth…. If you are now confused, my work here is done….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

Any Use of This Product, in Any Manner Whatsoever, Will Increase the Amount of Disorder in the Universe. Although No Liability Is Implied Herein, the Consumer Is Warned That This Process Will Ultimately Lead to the Heat Death of the Universe. — PUBLIC NOTICE AS REQUIRED BY LAW

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Only the only allowed on the promenade….

Posted on November 14, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
A lot of people saw the movie Forrest Gump; I finally joined that group some years after its release. It took that long because I have a problem with movies about Vietnam; not an objection, merely an uncomfortable reaction from my PTSD. I only found this out after going to see The Deer Hunter many years ago, when I was still working in the violent places I used to inhabit; my adrenal gland went nuts during the captivity and firefight scenes in the movie, dumping a load of epinephrine into my blood stream, which had me buzzing for hours, looking around for an enemy to engage. I can still get jittery when I hear those helicopters in the distance….. Whoops, here come the tears…..

Sorry, had to regain control… I was dripping on the keyboard…. Any who….. In Forrest Gump, the scenes from ‘Nam weren’t quite as bad, though bad enough in spots. But, what I really wanted to talk about was Forrest’s mother, who gave us the phrase that I believe should become our national motto…. “Stupid is as stupid does….” Boy, how true is THAT! It is a perfect pearl, and a perfect aphorism, or truism, or call it what you will…. it is a perfect lesson in life, and one that several million sore losers all over this country really need to take to heart…..

Yesterday, when I went over to Facebook to see what was happening for a few minutes, I noted some posts from this particular conservative Friend on my list. I’ve never actually met this woman, other than as a co-writer on a blogging site I used to frequent. Though a conservative politically, she has some ideas that are congruent with mine, so I’ve tried to be tolerant of the nonsense she posts, repeating all the lies and propaganda she hears from the pundits on her side of the issues. (Plus, it keeps me up to date on what the opposition is thinking, or what passes for that among them….) Now, however, she is starting to piss me off, and the latest BS from that group is enough to make my adrenaline flow…. There are a number of idiots in several states that voted for Romney who are so frightened, and so bitter, that they are talking about seceding from the Union…. I repeat, Stupid is as Stupid does…..

These people so frightened of the non-whites who have taken over “their” country that they continue to spout their racist agenda, in spite of having it pointed out to them how divisive they are being, merely raising the volume of the clamor they’ve created with their bigoted claims of prejudice on the opposing party. What they have failed to realize is that the world has passed them by, and their outdated attitudes are not shared by a very significant percentage of the Caucasian population….. At least 50% of the whites in this country support the President, and what he is trying to do by strengthening the middle class, and making healthcare and services available to those in society who need them, such as seniors, students, veterans, and the poor and disadvantaged.

All these foolish racists can see is that they worst nightmares have come true, and they are realizing that they now have nowhere to go to join a society that believes as they do. I saw one comment from a woman on FB that highlighted part of the issue…. This disgruntled racist said “I’m going to move to Australia, where the President is white, and Christian….” Unfortunately, this statement points out a big part of their problem, to wit: stupidity, compounded by deep ignorance…. First, Australia has a Prime Minister, not a President. Second, she is white, but she’s not a he…. and third, she’s an atheist…. Many more of the conservative whiners are threatening to move to Canada, but, then someone told them that Canada allows gay marriage (has done so for years….) and has socialized healthcare, just like the system they’re complaining about…..

These folks (who have lost the privilege and honor of being “ffolkes”, in my mind….) who are speaking treason (yes, treason…. they are definitely not patriots….), have their attitudes stuck back in 1864, and they really need to get over the Civil War, before they start another. But then, one of the primary characteristics of those who embrace racism and bigotry is a severe mistrust of education, so they have obviously forgotten the one about “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” I say, go ahead, let them secede, and then ignore them. Ostracism is a very, very powerful tool, and one they well deserve….

They don’t have the economic clout they would need to make themselves into a successful new country, nor do they have the support from anywhere else in the world (except a few dictatorships who would love to manipulate such idiots into joining their evil causes…. and those are the only ones in the world who would have anything to do with a country of white, fundamentalist Christian fanatics….). So, let them go, we’ll do fine without them, and they’ll find that the world at large is much less tolerant of their sort of stupidity, than were their former countrymen, who at least gave them the courtesy of allowing them to speak aloud without penalty…. they won’t find that to be true anywhere else….

Well…. hmm….. This introductory section seems to have gotten away from me a bit…. no pearl, yet a rant of some proportion came pouring out. I can see that this whole issue, of secession, is bothering me more than I had realized. It just seems so damn futile to me…. to get so fucking upset and bitter over losing an election that these fools would be willing to send this country into a Second Civil War, with all the concomitant pain and anguish, for both sides of the battle, seems to me to be the very epitome of what is STUPID! In this case, it is also very small minded and petty…. I mean, we who are not invested in keeping the white race supreme put up very nicely with Nixon, Johnson, Reagan, Ford, Bush I, and Bush II, all without ever crying or threatening secession. If they don’t like this administration, well, start looking for a candidate to put forward; it’s only four years, and their nightmare has to leave office, anyway….

But, for goodness’ sake, get over yourselves. Nobody gets to win every time in life, and your attitudes and beliefs, which are NOT consistent with what the rest of the world believes, are what is causing you all the trouble, as they are based on things that just aren’t true, and have no real validity in modern life. It is that simple, which is probably good, as they’ve already amply demonstrated a lack of ability to take in complicated ideas, and I wouldn’t want to confuse them any more than they are naturally, as a matter of course.

“To the intelligent man or woman, life appears infinitely mysterious. But the stupid have an answer for every question.” — Edward Abbey

SIGH…. now what will I do? I seem to have used up a lot of today’s verbiage in this lament over the stupidity of my countrymen (or, former countrymen, depending on their decision re: treason vs. patriotism….. makes no never mind to me which they choose….). I will make some attempt to keep the pearls below from getting so out of hand, since I’ve already taken this boat too close to the shores of indifference…. but, stubborn old fool that I am, I must go on…. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“Virtue is but heroic bravery, to do the thing thought to be true, in spite of all enemies of flesh or spirit, in despite of all temptations or menaces.” — Albert Pike (1809-1891)

I like this quote; it speaks to both the philosopher and the warrior in me. My first thought, on reading it, was, “Cowardice might be said to be the reverse, that is, to NOT do the thing that one knows to be true, for whatever reason one may choose”… Any choice to abrogate one’s duty is the wrong choice, and when that choice causes pain or misery for others, it becomes not merely cowardice, but cruelty, and gives a new level of meaning to the word despicable.

One of the most important goals of anyone who wishes to consider themselves in a good light MUST be to seek to limit one’s own choices of that nature. We are all human, and weak by nature, in some respects; it takes training to make the will strong enough to overcome our instinctive reactions at times. Fear, and its companion, cowardice, can be powerful motivating factors, especially in times of perceived danger (even if the perception is false), and the ability to consistently overcome both can be a difficult task.

“Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.” — Leo Buscaglia

I remember hearing this, from my own father, in fact, when I was a young boy, and the words he spoke were reinforced by his example. Though equipped with a powerful personality, he never exhibited any sort of belligerence, desire to control others, or hints of implied violence, except under circumstances that warranted such (such as in speaking with a bully who was abusing his wife in public….). Even at that time, he retained perfect control of his actions and words, but with such strength of will that he retained control of the situation without raising his voice. He merely made it clear that he was performing his duty, according to what he knew to be right, an act that, in his world, and mine thereby, requires no acknowledgment or reward.

“It is the main earthly business of a human being to make his home, and the immediate surroundings of his home, as symbolic and significant to his own imagination as he can.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Coloured Lands

The concept Mr. Chesterton presents here is one that, I believe, every person tries to accomplish in an instinctive fashion. But, not everyone who does so applies the same level of introspection, or strength of will, to what they imagine, or in what they try to make real. Our own current society is offering proof of this assertion, as the different visions of many millions of people all jockey for position as the primary viewpoint on which the culture uses for the justification of its actions. The clamor and cacophony that ensues is enough to drive a thinking man to drink, as conservatives vie with liberals, and fundamentalists parry and riposte with reformists, and society itself totters along toward the almost certain oblivion that will be a direct result of allowing a select few determine the course for all the rest…..

“Anything else you wish to draw to my attention, Mr. Holmes ?” “The curious incident of the stable dog in the nighttime.” “But the dog did nothing in the nighttime.” “That was the curious incident.” — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Silver Blaze”

Sadly, I am afraid that the incident will remain curious, with its solution never realized, as those who live for only themselves follow their path to self-destruction, which is inevitable when one ignores the laws of physics. I hold some hope that there are enough men and women of reason and honor to save the species in the end, but, that hope is not well supported by the evidence, or by reality’s current course. But, all I can do is all I can do, so I keep writing these little treatises, in my own attempt to arrange the universe to suit my inner vision of how it could be. It’s pretty much shouting into the wind, I know, but, hey, what do I have other than time?…..

“Do the right thing, regardless of what others think.” — Smart Bee

“YOW!! I’m in a very clever and adorable INSANE ASYLUM!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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Sharing the Wealth

Lucky are we who live with some adversity,
Such strife to bear leaves us strong and free.
Time is no better spent at a fine university
Teaching us the kind of person we wish to be.

We humans are such contrary creatures
Life lived in ease is our fondest intent.
New perceptions are our strongest features
Learning to cope with troubles we cannot prevent.

Lessons we learn at Trouble’s bent knee
Stay on top in the bag of tools we carry.
Knowledge so earned can keep us free
On our long, strange trip to Charon’s ferry.

Pain is the least favorite of our teachers
Yet such powerful lessons stay forever and a day.
No matter how life presents its features
Strength of will equals what life sends our way.

T’is well to consider such time-tested tools,
To carry them with us as we travel through Life.
Events are less likely to show us as fools,
as we deal with Reality, where peril is rife.

~~ gigoid

Well, it’s kind of simplistic, but, it’s all true, and it rhymes…. what more could I ask? What, you want brilliance? Sorry, not happening today, but, this will do…..
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The universe we live in in truly wondrous and strange; of this there is little doubt, or argument. I appreciate that about reality, as it is certainly more entertaining than the one that many of my fellow inhabitants would have me acknowledge. There is so much more interesting stuff going on at the fringes of humanity than at the center…..

This isn’t to say that normal is bad; far from it. I like a spot of normal most of the time, it’s a very comfortable place to spend time. But, I’d really hate to get stuck there for very long, as it doesn’t suit my taste nearly as much as the spicy strangeness that abounds when one frees the imagination from the bounds of normalcy…..

In that spirit, I present now some little known pieces of a very familiar old character…. We all know of Pooh, and his innocent wisdom…. but, what many DON’T know is that he has a darker side…. Oh my, yes he does…. and here are just a few examples, straight from the horse’s, or bear’s, mouth…..

— Bother! said Pooh, as a woozle bit his bottom.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he hid Piglet’s corpse with Roo’s.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he carved Eeyore’s name in the black candle.

— Bother! said Pooh, I’m just a sweet transvestite.

— Bother! said Pooh, as his plastic love doll exploded.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he was accidentally neutered.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he adjusted Tigger’s head on the trophy wall.

Sorry if I’ve destroyed anyone’s illusions irreparably…. Well, actually, no, I’m not. It was fun…. so, deal with it. If I had fun, so can you….. 🙂
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Wow…. I thought I’d never finish this one. Stuff just kept coming out…. but, I feel better now. I guess I’ll try to get something constructive done today….. right after my nap….. 🙂 Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Clocks are intensely rabid this month….

Posted on November 12, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
“Peculiar” seems to be the word that governs my current existence…. I’m giving up…. It’s not quite 5 AM, and I am once again sitting here staring at the screen, wondering what form today’s madness will take. I’ve been tossing and turning since about 3, trying mightily to convince myself to resume slumber, but two hours of that is enough. It means another day of intermittent fatigue, coupled and contrasted with periods of manic activity designed to keep my head occupied with anything but my situation. Fortunately, the pain is only half of what is keeping me from sleeping. Somehow, it is easier to deal with the angst and emotional distress that comes with the insomnia than it is with the pain when it is sufficient to cause me to awaken…. I can’t say why that is, but, there you go…. one more mystery for the ages…..

Since I’m up, I suppose I’ll start in on today’s Pearl; all the books I’m currently reading don’t seem to appeal this time of day. I’ve been reading some old mystery stories by G.K. Chesterton, whose work I knew only by reputation. I have used many of his aphorisms in my pearls, and, in reading some of his fictional stories, find him to be an extremely intelligent and insightful author, as well as an impressive wordsmith. Hmm, strange, Spell Checker doesn’t like that word, and it is such a good one; descriptive and precise… Ah well, I’ll have to add it to the dictionary, so SC won’t freak every time I use in in future; I hate having to cater to software, and I refuse to put a space between the two elements that make up such words, just because SC wants it….

Any who, enough with the aimless rambling, even though I’m getting rather good at it. One thing I am glad of, and that is how much easier typing has become over time. I guess writing over a million words using a keyboard has other effects than just wearing out plastic keys…. which is happening to this laptop. There are now five letters that are completely obscured, the paint having been rubbed off, and the space bar is developing a shallow depression from being struck so many times. It kinda makes me proud, ya know? My typing speed and accuracy has increased in the last two years, as well. I haven’t measured it, but I can compose, and edit, a 2000 plus word document in less than an hour, on a day when the ideas are flowing well. Not too bad for an old fart with flat feet and flatulence….. 🙂

On that elegant note, we should probably begin the day’s dive into my head, perilous as that may be. It can’t be any worse than what has already occurred today, and who knows? We might get lucky, and find something of value hiding around a random corner in the back corridors of my mind. Of course, there is always a risk, but have no fear…. nothing I write is intended to harm, and very little is contagious (hopefully, only the outrage is catching….). Just use gloves when handling it, and you’ll be fine….. Shall we Pearl?…..

No letters of the alphabet were harmed in the creation of this blog…..
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“An oppressed people are authorized whenever they can to rise and break their fetters.” — Henry Clay (1777-1852) American Statesman — Speech, House of representatives, March 4, 1818

It is a most peculiar feeling, at my age, to become more radical in my opinions of society, and of the corruption and disparity that exists in equal measure at almost every level of that society. In my college years, of course, I spent my share of time and energy protesting the illegality and insanity of the war in Southeast Asia; in this I was not in any way different than many millions of my peers. The extent and depth of that urge to protest, however, was not as great as it is now, for the simple reason that I now have more experience in real life, and know far better just how corrupt our government has become.

Sure, we had Nixon to pick on, and Johnson, and Reagan. But, in retrospect, I can now see that the latter day politicians we now have in the public sphere are much more evil than any of those three (though, in Reagan’s case, that would be hard to top…. he was an evil man, to be sure….) (Nixon was just a pathetic loser, trying to be bigger than he was; Johnson was pretty evil in his own right, being the kind of guy who would smile as he inserted the knife in your back…..). The Shrubs are living proof that despotism and nepotism go hand in hand, and that an evil nature can be inherited.

In the recent election, I was encouraged to see that those in this country who value a life with honor over expedience were more numerous than those who are corrupt. The current President is, all in all, by all accounts, a good man, with the interests of the common people, if not foremost in his mind, at least present in his regard. But he is only one man, even if he is at the pinnacle; the man at the top operates under severe handicaps in getting anything done, especially now, with the large number of absolutely criminal psychopaths who inhabit the houses of Congress. This continuing disparity of purpose between honest men and those who are corrupt promises to become a battleground of some note in the next two years, leading up to the election in 2014, when the controlling percentage of the houses will next be addressed.

I have, in the last two years of living on low income, become more aware of the problems faced by so many of my peers in this country, and I am not anywhere near as handicapped as are many others. It has given me both an appreciation for the adaptability, and the courage and inner strength, of those in our society who are trying to live with less than the minimum amount necessary to do so, and a sense of outrage that such qualities are necessary. I have lived so long with enough, and more, that learning to do without has been a struggle of some proportion, a struggle different from those who are struggling to survive, and have done so for their entire lives. I have friends, and resources, that many do not have, and those will not allow me to sink into total poverty and despair. I also now have a strong desire to see some of this disparity eliminated from society, even if I have to resort to Robin Hood style activities to accomplish a redistribution of wealth….

Robin Hood…. hmmm…. You know, the more I think about it, the more attractive that sounds. Not the name itself, mind you, but the practice of robbing the rich to give to the poor. In fact, it sounds wonderfully attractive, and makes me all tingly with anticipation. I believe that it might just be possible to arrange things so that money that now resides in the pockets of corrupt officials, or asshole rich folks such as the recent failed candidate for Prez to find its way into the hands of ffolkes who would put it to more honorable, and more humanitarian use.

Actually, it just occurred to me that I could add churches to that list of potential…. let’s call them donors, okay? The coffers of almost any of the major religions are chock full of money they stole from the poor anyway, and very little of it ever finds its way into the charitable activities that they hold up in their defense, and in my opinion, would be much better utilized by taking it away from them, using whatever means are at hand, and giving it directly into the hands of the people who can put it to a more honest use.

I know this sounds like a bunch of talk, and as such is of little real value…. but, I tell you now, and with sincerity, that I will be thinking about this most seriously, and I intend to come up with a plan or two that will serve to achieve Robin’s purpose, and not just here on this blog, but in the real world. Those plans could take any number of shapes, but they all will have the net result of helping those who need it, by taking the resources they need from people who have either stolen them, or gotten them by chicanery, or merely hoarded that which they inherited, knowingly keeping it from being of any use to anyone but themselves…. You can take that to the bank…. where I will pick it up and take it to the poor…. So be it….

“And I’ll try not to sing out of key…” — Ringo Starr
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Old Men

People expect old men to die,
They do not really mourn old men.
Old men are different. People look
At them with eyes that wonder when…
People watch with unshocked eyes;
But the old men know when an old man dies.

Ogden Nash
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“..the television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little…” — Ray Bradbury

I’ve never been a heavy TV watcher, always preferring a book to the tube. But, being an American, I did kind of keep track of what it was doing, if only to stay in touch with what most of the country was thinking, or whatever they do in place of that activity. Since retiring and moving to where I am, I haven’t had one, so I’ve now been pretty much completely out of touch with it for over two years. I think the only TV I’ve seen in that time has been whatever game was playing in the bars I used to go to…. Since my reduction in income almost two years ago, even that habit is non-existent, as I haven’t been into one in that time…. Oh, wait, okay, once, which was enough to convince me I’d lost my taste for it…..

In truth, I regard television the same way I do rattlesnakes…. interesting, but dangerous, and just easier to avoid than to engage. Most people never think objectively about either the act of watching the TV, or about the content, and intent, of what they watch. In fact, I would say the average American regards what he sees and hears on that medium to be the gospel truth, insofar as they have any idea of what that may be. It is almost as if they have come to believe that the activities of the people on TV are more real than their own lives, and therefore have more validity. How often have you heard a conversation between two followers of a soap opera talk about the characters on the show as if they are real people, with real problems, instead of being merely the imitation of life that springs from the fertile minds of the writers….

This is where the dangerous nature of the beast enters the picture, and it has never been more clearly indicated than in the recent election. The race for the Presidency was made out by all the TV pundits and polls to be close the entire time; the final results show just how inaccurate that was in reality. Polls, being composed of statistics, can be made to show whatever one wishes them to show, and the results can be manipulated by merely changing the demographics of the respondents. But, a clear-cut decision wouldn’t make for good TV, or for what the networks considered enough drama. Neither would it suit the networks to allow the voters to receive clear messages…..

So, all the pundits who supposedly “analyzed” the polls, and the opinions of the populace, talked about how close the race was, and doctored and manipulated the actual words of each candidate to suit whatever their own particular desires were, thus manipulating the voting public. Fortunately, a lot of their manipulations came to naught, as there was a large percentage of those who voted who never spoke to a poll taker, or let on, in any way, how pissed off they were at what was being promulgated by the TV media hounds….. It became clear late on election night that the actions of the challenger had angered and alienated far more of the voting public than was understood by either that party, or by the media, and the result was a landslide victory for the incumbent….. fortunately…..

It’s my firm opinion that there should be a lot more oversight when it comes to what the TV networks are allowed to do. Yes, we have free speech in this country…. but does that mean that they should be free to lie to, cheat, and manipulate the voting public without consequence? It seems to me that there should be some value placed on Truth in these events, and that the organizations which report on public or governmental activities should be held responsible when they deliberately lie, with or without the intent of manipulation. I also believe that there should be penalties exacted on any public official who is caught telling a lie to the public…. If that were the case, then at least two of the candidates for the highest offices in this country would now be facing jail time, for sure and for certain…. It disappoints, and even angers me no end, that none of what Romney and Ryan lied about in their campaign (which was practically everything that came out of their mouths….) will ever be challenged, or better yet, prosecuted…..

It seems that I could go on in this vein for a very long time without running out of things to say on the subject. My enthusiasm for it has waned a bit, though, as it does when I’ve said all that is important to say…. I say it should be law that anyone in an elected position should be held to an even higher standard than the public when it comes to honesty and truth, and the penalties should be severe enough to make anyone who wishes to run for office think long and hard before trying to fool the public. I know, I know, it would change the face of American politics forever, and people might not know exactly how to deal with the truth, after having been lied to for so long. But, in my mind, the end result would be a far more responsible government, one whose actual goal was to look after the best interests of the people, instead of being a sinecure, with the keys to the treasury given over into the hands of thieves…..

And the TV networks would have to find a new way to operate, without the advantages of being able to lie without subsequent punishment, or even mere disapproval….. who knows? We might even end up with something worth watching……

A man may well bring a horse to the water,
But he cannot make him drinke without he will.

— John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi
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“A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.” — Oscar Wilde

It appears that getting up so early stimulated my Opinion-o-matic, which apparently operates without a lot of dependence on Smart Bee, or any other form of mental goad. Only five pearls in the whole shebang, with well over 2500 words of rather sincere ranting (hence the quote from Oscar….). All in all, it should make for an interesting read, and hopefully will stimulate some random cogitation among the Gentle Readership. If not, well, I’ve been ignored before, and will be again…. I’m used to it. 🙂

If any of the above gives you cause to disagree strongly, or agree even weakly, feel free to let me know in the comment section, or, for those of you receiving this via email, tell me in a Reply…. I can take it, as long as you stick to logic and/or reason; constructive criticism will be sincerely considered, and, appropriately, flaming and other forms of antagonistic asininity will be cheerfully deleted….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

In the spirit of plain fare….

Posted on November 11, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Well, here we are again…. I’m not sure what it means to be up so early again, but, given that I fell out at 7:15 last night, it DOES mean that I got 11 plus hours logged in bed. Can’t claim that I got that much sleep, as it took what seemed like hours to fall asleep deeply enough to warrant the name, but, I did pound the pillow that long, so I must’ve needed the rest, such as it is for me these days. I only wish that I felt good enough to say it was worth it…. alas, I can’t do that…. SIGH….. Life’s tough, then you die… So be it.

It sounds as if I’m feeling a little fatalistic this morning, not to mention the cranky pants. S’okay, though, I’m in the mood for it…. I kind of wish someone would come pounding on the door with some kind of complaint, just so I’d have someone to let this out on. It’s probably a good thing they’re not, though, because it’s not considered being a good neighbor to litter the hallways with the corpses of your neighbors, especially so early in the morning….

But, enough about me…. When this mood strikes, the writing usually sparkles for me; crankiness seems to stimulate my funny bone somehow, and all sorts of good stuff pours out. Let’s hope that holds true today; otherwise, well, the consequences could get ugly. If the mood turns to ranting, there’s no telling how many bodies could pile up before I’m done. Or, it could turn pompous on me; I hate that, as I end up sounding supercilious and smarmy, as pomposity will tend to do to one. My only fear is that it doesn’t turn all emotional; it’s probably cathartic to leak tears as I type, but it’s uncomfortable as hell, and the head filled with fluid is miserable….

Now that I’ve stretched out this intro into almost four paragraphs, and have said absolutely nothing, I can see it’s time to go for a dive. I managed to download a new copy of Smart Bee yesterday, and it worked fine last night when I installed it and took it for a test drive, so I’ve got my primary resource back, and am content in that respect. As to the writing, well, time always tells the story, as the Doctor would say…. Shall we Pearl?….
__________________________________

“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” — Albert Einstein

It may have come to your attention that I tend to speak, or write, in a manner that indicates that I know what is Truth, and what is Knowledge, and that my opinion is certain. And, in this, you’d be correct; my self-confidence is pretty healthy…. I would like to point out, however, that the laughter of the gods rings in my ears a lot….. just like it does almost every second that a politician speaks. I, however, can hear the laughter, and make adjustments accordingly, per the dictates of reality. They don’t hear it at all….. Of course, they already know that what they are saying is a lie (they are, after all, politicians, and it’s what they do….), and thus wouldn’t admit it if they did hear it…..

One reason for my confidence, aside from a perfectly normal, loving set of parents (can’t stress enough how important that is in allowing kids to grow up feeling good about themselves….), is that I am smarter than your average bear, AND, can prove it. See, almost everyone feels like they are better than average; it amazes me how some of them can come to that conclusion, but it’s true.

Ask any number of people you like to tell you if they are average, or above average, or below…. I will bet you serious money that almost every one of the ones you ask will say they are above average. Yet, arithmetic will deny that assertion, as it is purely impossible for ALL of them to be so endowed….. Those of us who ARE above average usually will question our own level of expertise, if only to verify our own position on the scale, because we know for a FACT that AT LEAST half of the people are below average. That is, after all, the definition of average….

It is an unfortunate fact that being below average tends to cause resentment toward those who are not; this is a root cause of may of our society’s ills, though not one easily considered, by those above, or below the line. None of us, gifted, average, or mundane, are comfortable with the differences between us in our perceptive abilities; it doesn’t seem fair, and part of our nature rebels at that, silly as it is, considering the nature of reality. But, it is so, and there is naught to be done about the simple fact that some ffolkes are smarter than others. It doesn’t mean they are better, nor does it mean they are stronger, or more fit to survive. As one great philosopher, whose name escapes me right now, has said, “There is no evidence yet to be seen that intelligence has any survival value.” (I THINK it was Arthur C. Clarke…. but might have been someone else…. I’ll let you know when it comes to me, or Smart Bee shows it to me again…. it doesn’t really matter, it’s still the truth…..)

“To a Europe exhausted by nearly two centuries of religious wars, [Isaac] Newton’s works were first and foremost a message about God; that He did not behave in a capricious or arbitrary fashion, in response to either His will or human prayer, but in accordance with absolute, unwavering, and humanly discoverable laws of nature which governed him and all his works. He had become the infinitely perfect Clock-Maker, his works fathomable by the human mind.” — Forrest MacDonald

As I’ve made abundantly clear previously, I don’t believe in God…. well, that isn’t entirely accurate. Let’s just say that the God that religions all describe seems to me to be too much like a cranky, dyspeptic old man, and not enough like a god, to suit my perceptions of reality. But, let us suppose that a God did create Man, and ask ourselves why He would create such a nature, giving us such variable characteristics, knowing the problems to which it would inevitably lead? I’ve spent a great deal of my life having to hide my intelligence from most of those I meet, since revealing it always produces the aforementioned resentment. This has given me an idea of the answer to that question…. at least, a possible one.

“Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.” — Aesop (620-560 B.C.)

We exist, in the mind of God, as a species. Individuals are less important in defining the nature of Man than is the entire species, yet it is our individuality that makes us each what we are. So, it suggests to me that there is some purpose to this bell curve on which all of our abilities can be shown to exist. That purpose, to my mind, is this; none of us, quick of mind, or slow-witted, is very well suited to survive on this planet. Other animals are faster, stronger, more dangerous, and show a greater ability to deal with their environment than do we. So, why are we given intelligence, since it doesn’t seem to serve much purpose, in any manner that will help to ensure our survival as a species?

Well, it seems to me that a God, one with the kind of sense of humor and irony that I would think would be well-developed in such an entity, would think it a grand jest to make us learn to depend on each other. In order for mankind to survive, we will ALL need to be involved…. and that means that the resentments we each may engender in the others must be set aside, and we must learn to appreciate the qualities we have as individuals in order to achieve the kind of harmony that such a God would insist upon in a creature of His devising. What a grand joke it is, too! The smarts can’t make it without the dumbs, and vice-versa, and the necessary changes in attitude to achieve such harmony are essential, if we are to achieve our potential as a species….

“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” — Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Sign of Four

Just an idea, but, I think it makes sense…. it certainly makes more sense than the divisive, elitist crap that most religions serve up. People aren’t special just because they believe in a particular version of God, or a particular church, or anything. They only become special when they put aside all that sort of disharmonious claptrap, and try to understand, and learn to appreciate, those qualities in others that really count, such as loyalty, honesty, bravery, tolerance, and a willingness to see the best in our fellow man….

When someone comes up with a vision of a God who makes loving our fellows MORE important than loving Him, or for goodness sake, worshiping Him, then maybe I’ll consider adopting it as part of my world-view. Alas, the men who run the churches (and they’re all men, too…. what’s up with that? Sounds like another subject to explore some day…..) only want us to agree with them, because it gives them power over us. You see, preachers are merely politicians in the larval stage…. and we all know what THEY want, don’t we? Yep……

“I think he’s a few pipes short of a church organ.” — Smart Bee
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Before The World Was Made

If I make the lashes dark
And the eyes more bright
And the lips more scarlet,
Or ask if all be right
From mirror after mirror,
No vanity’s displayed:
I’m looking for the face I had
Before the world was made.

What if I look upon a man
As though on my beloved,
And my blood be cold the while
And my heart unmoved?
Why should he think me cruel
Or that he is betrayed?
I’d have him love the thing that was
Before the world was made.

William Butler Yeats
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An Irishman is not drunk as long as he can hang onto a single blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth.– Smart Bee

Makes me glad to be at least part Irish…. 🙂 Actually, I just like it because it made me grin when I read it, and because the visual image is so wonderful…. I can just see myself, or, Oscar Wilde, or George Shaw, lying on the ground somewhere, fearfully clutching at the grass to keep from going into orbit….. brilliant!…. Just thought I’d share…..

Any who, in looking for a last pearl for this section, I realized that the above section, regarding God, and human nature, could have been condensed into a shorter, more succinct expression. Actually, I realized that I had already written that shorter version, many years ago, (about 33 of them…. I was 29 or so….) when I formulated my own philosophy, Peruaosophy…. (Perua = pearl, osophy = the study of, in Greek…). None of the other philosophies I had explored had matched my own experience, precisely, and I was still searching for one that did so, when I decided, hey, if Descartes and Socrates could have their own, why can’t I? Hence, the following, which I haven’t posted in some months…. I find it to be a good thing to review periodically, as it is chock full of everything I hold to be true, and important in life…. Feel free to comment on any axiom you wish to discuss, and…. enjoy!

Peruaosophy

The wisdom of pearls…
(The world is my oyster; which way to the pearls?)

Axioms

1) I think I am; that’s close enough.

2) The nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you’re in for a rough ride in Life.

3) Thou art God, you know. Let’s do lunch.

4) Excellence is its own reward.

5) Girls think differently. So do boys. Don’t fight it.

6) Axiom #2 X axiom #5 = And God so loved the world, He said, “Quit whining!”

7) Do your Duty. Respect Life. Honor the Truth. Share your Love.

8) Go back. Everything you need to know is in the first seven axioms.

~~ gigoid

And there you have it…. this is what I’m all about, ffolkes….. 😉
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Well, it’s another fine mess I’ve created here, isn’t it? Actually, I’m kind of proud of today’s effort. I’d hoped to have a poem ready, but it seems to have gotten stuck after the second stanza, so it must still be percolating, or simmering, as the case may be. Maybe tomorrow…. In the meantime, here’s hoping you enjoyed today’s Pearl, and hopefully, had a thought or two in response…. That is, after all, my entire purpose here…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Unable to pass, naturally, he punts….

Posted on November 10, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Damn, damn, damn…. Murphy strikes again, it seems. What with my recent stresses building up to a climax on Thursday at the Disability psyche exam, I believe I may have exhausted myself. Yesterday, I managed to get the Pearl out, and even went out in the rain to post it at the coffee shop. In that process, I found that my newly acquired advanced age has taken away some of my resistance to the weather, and I got really cold before getting home to warm up. Then, last night, I got really tired, and went to bed at 8 PM, only to awaken at 3:30 AM, wide awake, of course, and ready to write…..

As I booted up the ol’ laptop, I poured coffee, and prepared to sit down and get serious. But, upon looking at the screen, Smart Bee was missing. This, I believe, is where Murphy stepped in again. The program icon was there, on the task bar, but wouldn’t come up on the screen. Well, this had occurred previously, and only got fixed after a week of panic and contortions, by reinstalling a newly downloaded version that I had to go get from the website. That version has acted fine, until this morning, when it once again went back into wherever it is software goes when it’s messing with you….

So, here I am, once again, without my trusted source of stimulating material. For today, I have some stuff I had previously collected, but, it looks like I’ll have to do another download of Smart Bee to get it back, which won’t happen until later. SIGH….. Murphy is indeed an asshole, and I don’t care if he hears me…. he couldn’t f….k with me any worse than he already does…. (I know, tempting for him, but, you know what, f….k him, and the white horse he didn’t ride in on…..)

There are, of course, probably other sources for quotes I could use, but I’m stubborn. Stubborn, but not stupid, so I WILL look for another program similar to SB that may work for me, once I get to where Google will work for me. In the meantime, I’m stuck with what I have on hand, and that means so are you…. Hopefully, it won’t cause any great difficulties, and also hopefully, will not result in a lessening of the quality of pearls.

Having thus gotten my morning whine out of the way, I should get on with the rest of the day’s work, such as it is. The first section should be no problem; it’s a diatribe on an old familiar target. After that, well, the results will be a matter of chance…. and if anyone says that will be some kind of improvement, well, that will just be cruel…. accurate, perhaps, but cruel….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“In my travels I have found that those who keep Heaven in view remain serene and cheerful in the darkest day. If the glories of Heaven were more real to us, if we lived less for material things and more for things eternal and spiritual, we would be less easily disturbed by this present life.” — Billy Graham, from Hope for the Troubled Heart Traveling Through

Ah, yes, more pseudo- faux wisdom from Mr. Delusional himself. Billy (what is it with these evangelical preachers and their names?…. Why would a 60 plus year-old man want to be called “Billy”? Makes me suspect some pederasty, myself, but I’m the suspicious type….) has hit upon a very valuable point here, without even being aware of the point he is making…. which is pretty typical for him. I’ve had to listen to his crap all my life, as my mother went through a period of time in my childhood where she enjoyed watching his TV revivals, and made us watch as well. For me, it worked out okay, as it gave me all the more reason to mistrust whatever the preachers were spouting off about, and there were some pretty hot Christian babes to look at, even if they couldn’t sing for shit; must have been from having no rhythm, as they danced even worse….. Hell, maybe it wasn’t dancing at all, but choreographed speaking in tongues while writhing on the stage….

Sorry, didn’t mean to wander…. any who, Billy’s assertion here, though it calls upon people to use their heads in a new way, unfortunately points the way to go that leads straight to the delusions he wishes to share. He is right that when we concentrate on our spiritual manifestation, we are less susceptible to the vagaries of reality, but, he uses the concept of Heaven as the goal, which, as we all know, is somewhat hard to prove exists. In order to accept Heaven as a reality, one must assume the belief in the other unprovable assertions made by these evangelistic (another word for “manipulative”) busybodies. Besides, what’s wrong with being disturbed by life? I’d rather be disturbed than lied to, which is what they are doing…..

“Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was He before creation? How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression … Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end.” — The Mahapurana, Jinasena

You see, this makes as much sense to me as any of the stuff that the preachers and deacons tried to tell us as kids, and that Billy tries to force down the unwilling throats of adults. This philosophy at least takes reality into account in its provisions, even if it does make its own unprovable assertions…. But, most of the assertions it makes are much more logical and justifiable by evidence than are any of those made by the Christian sects. These assertions are at least verifiable according to reason, and fit in better with the observable universe. In a choice between logic and fantasy, I’ll go with logic, every time….

Fanatic: Someone who, having lost sight of his goal, redoubles his efforts. — Smart Bee (This is the last one found there, for the time being….SIGH….)

Sadly, the people who accept Billy’s nonsense are often of this ilk. No matter how much one defies their assertions by presenting logical alternatives, the believers just clutch their cherished delusions more tightly to their breast, and raise their voices in anger and angst, in order to drown out any opposing views by the din of their fervor. Actually, I, being the cruel curmudgeon I am, will often challenge these folks just to watch them explode, as it is quite an entertaining way to pass the time. Some might say that it is immoral to pick on them (it IS dishonorable to engage in a battle wits with unarmed persons, I suppose….), but, I can’t help myself. I’ve spent much of my life having to listen to these people, politely, and giving in to the admonitions to not argue with them; I’m done with that, and if I want to tease them, I damn well will….

“When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, “This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,” the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives.” — Robert A Heinlein, “If this goes on….”

One of the most annoying aspects of the folks like Billy, who proselytize their beliefs, dumping them on others, is the way they will do everything in their power to keep their constituents ignorant of any other views but their own. They cannot abide competition, and attempt to subvert it by brainwashing their acolytes to accept what they say, without ever trying to find out whether or not it has any validity according to any other knowledge possessed by Man. They are the people of whom St. Thomas Aquinas warned, when he said, “Beware the man of one book.” If Billy had his way, the Bible, King James version, would be the only book in the library, unless there were some approved treatises that discussed appropriately the contents of that Bible (thereby making it the same book, in essence).

This is the kind of discussion that could carry on for days, but, I’m tired of it, so we’ll bring it to a close. Billy is, all things considered, a pretty easy target, since he fits into so many of the categories that I like to make fun of…. preacher, fanatic, delusional, believes his own hype, hypocritical, sanctimonious, pompous, and sure of his own (non-existent) omniscience. It’s fun, but grows old as fast as his ideas…. I pick on him because it is obvious that he possesses a modicum of native intelligence; he just refuses to use it, and that, to me, is a crime against nature. He is smart enough to see that what he says is nonsense, but, is too cowardly, or too dishonest, to admit it. For this I hold him accountable, and thus use him as a target frequently…. because he deserves every bit of opposition we can give him…. He targets, and solicits money from, the weak-minded and the ignorant, and that, to me, is unforgivable……

If you wish to know
Why there are disasters
Of Armies and Weapons in the world
Listen to the piteous cries
From the slaughterhouse at midnight

— Old Chinese Saying
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A Question

A voice said, Look me in the stars
And tell me truly, men of earth,
If all the soul-and-body scars
Were not too much to pay for birth.

Robert Frost

Well said!…..
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In lieu of Smart Bee, I went back into the archives to find an old Pearl to use here. Serendipity struck, and I found this one, which is rather appropriate. I wrote this one four years ago, almost to the day…. these were my comments regarding the outcome of the 2008 election, and the remarks, minus one, are all still very apropos…. Just ignore the one about the lame duck, as there isn’t one this time around…. the rest of it remains valid, so, to reiterate….

Ffolkes,
Though it is my gut feeling that we can all breathe a big sigh of relief that the nightmare of the last eight years is almost over, I must caution thee against complacence. It’s now a matter of keeping an eye on both the lame duck guy and the newbie, for a while at least. It’s best not to leave them unattended for long as they tend to get into mischief if not firmly leashed. With this in mind, I offer the following….

“As one gets older, one discovers everything is going to be exactly the same with different hats on.’ — Noel Coward

“A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them.” — P.J. O’Rourke

“I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.” — Calvin Coolidge (Let’s hope Obama can live up to that!)

And lets not forget the Wisdom of Who….

“Here’s to the new boss,
The same as the old boss….
….
So I get on my knees an pray,
we don’t get fooled again”– Pete Townshend

Y’all take care out there….

Almost eerie, isn’t it? I have to say, this country dodged a BIG bullet this election; if R&R, the consummate liars, had bought the White House, we would have been in for a very disturbing episode of history, with the outbreak of the Second American Revolution not out of the realm of possibility. I know I would have been ready to assume arms in a heartbeat….

But, reason prevailed, giving me some hope for the people of this nation, even those who have the heads firmly inserted into their bums…. I think Zippy is right on the money with this closing thought on the subject, and with that thought, we can bring the subject to a welcome close… for about 3 years, until the next group of power-hungry Republicans step up to try to steal the election….. Pay heed to Zippy’s wisdom!……..

“Disco oil bussing will create a throbbing Naugahyde pipeline running straight to the tropics from the rug producing regions and devalue the dollar!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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Well, it may not be Art, but it is Frank and Earnest….. and, sadly, it’s the best I’ve got today. Since I’m now looking at 0615 AM from the wrong side, I think I might try to go back to bed for a while, and let this all slough off my conscience. Besides, I can look at it later with a fresh eye, and see if it is worth posting, or if my early morning adventures are affecting the Pearls adversely. If that is the case, well, gosh, I just don’t know what I’ll do…. I guess I’ll find out later….. More to come…..

Well, it’s better than I had anticipated; good enough the let fly….. I’m considering it lucky, and being thankful….. Onward into another day, ffolkes…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

A plethora of hothouse plants….

Posted on November 9, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Softly crept the morning light, filling the room in golden rays of warmth. As the eyes of the young maiden opened, they fell upon the worried face of her brother, standing by her bed, dressed for his morning ride. His fair, innocent face, marred by the worry in his eyes, looked down at her as if he could see into her mind with the intensity of his gaze. She smiled up at him, wanting to ease the worry out of his eyes and mind, and spoke, “I’ll be fine, Malcolm. There isn’t even a bruise.” He only frowned harder, replying, “I don’t care. I don’t like to hear that you’ve been hurt, even if it was your own cupidity that caused it….” “I just wanted to see….” “Bah!,” he interrupted, “…. ‘only wanted to see’… How many times have I heard you say that in our life, as I was dragging you to the healer again? You have no sense of danger, Malia, and it worries me. Especially when you try to climb up to see a dragon’s nest of eggs….. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!” It burst out of him, with the force of his emotional storm, leaving him breathless and angry.

All done…. That just sort of leaked out as I sat down to start this morning. I don’t know if there is any significance to it, but it’s not bad, so maybe I’ll try to keep this one to work on and expand later…. Dragons always make for a good story…. Why is that, do you think? Is it some kind of racial memory of ancient days, when dragons roamed the Earth? Is it a prescient image in our minds, of a time in our future when dragons assume some pivotal role in our fate? Is it just imagination and wishful thinking? I don’t know for sure (though I tend to favor the first reason….), but there is something about the concept of dragons that fascinates the human mind. Even the most egregiously plagiaristic books with dragons as a key character seem to sell in today’s market, no matter how well, or how poorly written. I guess, if I’d like to sell a story, that might be a good way to go….

For now, though, we’ll drag ourselves out of the realms of imagination for a time, and go off in search of the oysters, with their hidden gems inside, that go together to make a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. It’s not an easy task, nor one that furnishes me with much beyond the sanity it saves, but, hey, somebody’s got to do it, and I’m the only one here, so….. Shall we Pearl?
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A well known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have just told is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!” — Stephen Hawking, “A Brief History of Time”

In other words, reality is, for you, whatever you believe it to be….. and, if you believe it, no logic, no evidence, and no kind of argument at all will ever change your mind. The human imagination is so powerful that it can actually make us see, and feel, things that are not real, just to fulfill the inner urgings our minds. This latest election is an example of this talent, as over 50 million people managed to convince themselves that their candidate was not a congenital liar, not a misogynist, not a thief, and instead was an honest, trustworthy human being. It took some really powerful self-deception to pull THAT off, as he spent six months and more exhibiting all three of those behaviors, and not a one of those who voted for him will admit to seeing any of it….. Makes one wonder, sometimes, just how some folks get to be as old as they are, since they are in such denial of reality….

“It is a mistake to believe that a science consists in nothing but conclusively proved propositions, and it is unjust to demand that it should. It is a demand only from those who feel a craving for authority in some form and a need to replace the religious catechism by something else, even it it be a scientific one.” — Sigmund Freud

Siggy was very often full of shit with his psychoanalytic conclusions, but he got this one dead on. There does seem to be a large percentage of people out there who want the universe to be easy to understand, and amenable to what they wish it to be, rather than being strong enough to accept it the way it is. I try to be tolerant of these folks, as they are obviously operating with a mental handicap, but it’s hard sometimes, when they try to make their idiocy spread to others.

The recent campaign we just suffered through helped to identify the people who feel this way, as they all, to a man, voted for the loser. I’ve never seen an election that so clearly and completely showed the schism in this country between those who use their minds to hide from reality, denying it as much as they can, and those who use their minds for something other than sitting on…. I saw a good one in Smart Bee recently, & can’t find it, but it says, “Where you keep your mind is much like a coin toss…. heads you win, tails you lose.”…..

“The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking…the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Albert, as we all know, was perhaps the greatest of us who lived in the last century. The knowledge and wisdom that he gave us through his lifetime is a legacy that we can never appreciate enough. This particular insight is one that I believe completely, for it expresses the whole issue very succinctly. The heart of men is fickle, and will follow the will of its owner, without knowing what is true or not. If the owner is deliberately ignorant of what is true, or if they deny it, because it doesn’t fit in with their prejudices and misconceptions, then the heart is led into realms of dishonesty, and dishonor, suffering changes that leave it forever blackened, and in despair.

“First you have to be able to see world as it is not as you wish it were. or because of your ignorance, misconceptions, and prejudices.” — Smart Bee

It is this sort of deliberate denial of reality that is leading us to perdition, and one of our own devising. No sane or educated person can deny any longer that our habits are killing the planet’s ecosystem….. the evidence is too great. (Not that the planet itself is in danger… oh no. It will just rain for a couple centuries, and wash away the crap we deposited, until we are just a memory, in nobody’s mind…..) It is not a matter any more of conjecture, or speculation; we can now see first hand the effects on climate, as super-storms, seasons changing, and ice-cap melting continues unabated, thanks to the millions of tons of carbon monoxide pumped into the air on a daily basis. No, only a person who denies reality, who refuses to consider evidence, even when it is poking them in the ribs, can argue that there is no problem. And, once again, the recent election serves to help identify those folks for those of us who do accept reality; it will be handy knowledge when it comes time for a reckoning…..

“It is only the ignorant who despise education.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 571

The sea-change that is needed for us to make the changes necessary for survival don’t seem to be happening, as far as I can see. When almost one sixth of the entire population of this country, supposedly an educated one, can vote for such an egregious example of the very attitudes that got us here, then the chances of their hearts all of a sudden seeing the light of day are pretty slim, and approaching none rapidly. It’s sad, really, to think that it is the stupids who will win in the end, bringing the rest of us down with them…. If I were a bit stupider myself, I would start killing them, in an effort to stem the tide…. but, alas, by doing so, I would be joining their ranks, and I couldn’t live with that anyway…..
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I feel like a change of mood, so here is something about 180 degrees from the rest of today’s material…. Enjoy!

The face that launch’d a thousand ships

Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack’d;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear’d to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa’s azur’d arms;
And none but thou shalt be my paramour!

Christopher Marlowe
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“Integrity is when what you say, what you do, what you think, and who you ARE all come from the same place.” — Madelyn Griffith-Haynie

Okay, I know we are all probably sick to death of politics, and the election, and everyone would like to have a break from talking and thinking about it….. I know I am. So, I’ll try to make this fairly short, and make it the last political diatribe for at least a day or two. It may be possible, if nothing in the news jumps up to stimulate my outrage (which may be on a short vacation itself….. I hope. I could do with the emotional space….).

Any who…. here is what I was thinking when I came across this little gem…. What if we devised a test, that in some way would enable us, as voters, to determine the relative status of each of the candidates according to this rule? A way, as it were, to measure their degree of integrity, which is something I think we can all agree would be a good thing to see in a politician, unlikely as it may be. If we could, say, set up a scale of integrity, and make it law that a person had to score in the top 5% of the scale in order to merely be eligible for office, I think we might see a whole new set of politicians, who had never before been seen in public.

In fact, in thinking about the current crop of those in office, it is entirely possible that ALL of those in office now might not be eligible…. I am not excluding the President, out of fairness, though I personally believe he might score in the top 10%…. I still have questions about some of the stuff he has signed that didn’t seem to be very well publicized, as they didn’t exactly fit with his image….. The newest version of the Patriot Act, the NDAA, that he signed last New Year’s Day comes immediately to mind….

I don’t care if he did try to mitigate some of the deleterious effects of the law, he still signed the damn thing, thereby seriously endangering a number of the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Plus, the method he used to keep it from the public awareness was rather suspect, in my mind, and reminiscent of the old days under Nixon, Johnson, Reagan, and the two Shrubs, may they all rot in whatever level of Hell they are destined to occupy….. (I know, I know…. not being a Christian, that curse has little weight, but, hey, it’s a pretty clear indicator of my opinion of all of them….)

As I suspect it might, this grew to be somewhat more than I intended it to be, so I’ll cut it short here. But, my suggestion above, about the test for integrity that should be a given for political aspirants, is completely serious, and I wanted to get that out. Maybe by the next election, we can get the rest of the country to buy into it…. which should be interesting, and fun. I’ll be looking forward to the expressions on the faces of all the supporters of those now in office, when their people gloriously fail to pass the test…. and to the results it will have on society, should it ever be adopted…. I don’t see any way at all that it could do anything that wouldn’t improve the situation…..

And so I penned
It down, until at last it came to be,
For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.
— John Bunyan (1628-1688) — Pilgrim’s Progress, Apology for his Book
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I’m almost sorry to come to the end this morning. The thoughts are flowing easily, and Smart Bee is coming up with decent material…. but, all good things must come to an end…. otherwise it will never get posted. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed today’s little trip through the minefields in my head; I didn’t see any explosions that will cause serious injury, and around here, we call that a win….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Literally speaking, it’s figurative…..

Posted on November 8, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Another fine night in Paradise, eh? I don’t know if I can stand all this happy, happy…. It was hard, but I think I’ve made the turn successfully…. time will tell. When I awoke this morning at 0245 (that’s A.M.), with (not) happy tears running down my face, I decided that it was time to turn this misplaced but real sorrow I feel into sardonicism, which, though no more productive, is nonetheless more empowering, and more pleasant to experience. I know exactly why I’m up at this hour; having to go to a psychiatrist appointment this morning has been eating at me ever since I found out I had to do so, as a requirement for my disability claim to be processed. The addition of this requirement at this late stage is typically callous, completely unnecessary from a realistic viewpoint, and totally infuriating, as it adds at least another month or two to the whole process, which has dragged on now for almost two years….

I also HATE the way this makes me whine with resentment. I’m a pretty tolerant person, about some things, but I really, really object to being ass-fucked by bureaucracies, just because they can. The case worker who ordered this requirement is a typical bureaucrat, obviously, as his number one response to anything he doesn’t immediately grasp is to slow down and add time to the process, never considering what effect that is having on the person who is seeking assistance. They don’t care; all they are concerned about is “doing the job right”, completing the paperwork, and meeting all the regulations set up by people who have never had to use the system, thus having no clue as to what their regulations do to people….

The only positive note in all of this is that, the longer they stall at awarding me the money THAT IS MINE, the larger the check for back payments will be. Unfortunately, knowing that doesn’t help now to make me feel any better; that money is still “pie in the sky”, until it hits my bank account. And, no matter how large it is, it doesn’t pay me for all the traumatic contortions that I’m being put through, just to obtain money that is mine to begin with…..

Well, it’s now almost 0330, so I should cease my whiny bullshit and try to turn to sardonic, instead of apoplectic, as I was upon awakening, and as I got when writing the above. This may be filling up space, but it isn’t very appealing to me, and probably not to y’all, either. The good news is that all of this angst and drama pulled another poem out of my head, without blood, but definitely with tears….. It’s a bit raw and feels like it could be refined a bit more, but, it’s going out the way it is, just because I don’t feel like fussing with it…. It’s pretty clear as it is….

Since I don’t have anything else to do right now, I guess I’ll go for a dive, look for some oysters with an appropriate pearl or two. It seems like the right thing to do, given the time and the situation….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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“Who, being loved, is poor?” — Oscar Wilde

Hmm…. While I happen to agree with this little gem from Oscar, I’m afraid I’m just not in the correct mood to do it justice…. I’ll have to try again…..

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” — Jimmy Buffet

That’s better….. This is a perfect quote for today, since it both points out the problem, and the solution in one lyrical phrase. Jimmy’s good at that kind of turning of a phrase, being an excellent songwriter. Now, if only I could find something, anything, that I found amusing enough to laugh about. At the moment, the only thing that seems to work is letting myself picture the SS caseworker undergoing the pleasures of a stint in deepest HELL! When I envisioned some devilish figure poking him with a pitchfork, I have to admit, I chortled. And when the devil then picked him up with the blade and tossed him into a lake of fire, I guffawed…. and felt much better. Shoulda thought of it a long time ago….

“Baby, after considerable thought I’ve reached the conclusion that the only conceivable legitimate answer to the Universe as constituted is a peal of hysterical laughter.” — Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_

Yet more proof of this theorem…. I’ve heard it said all my life that the reason people laugh is so they don’t have to cry, and found it to be absolutely correct. I’ve also heard it said, by those who believe in Him, that if God had wanted us to be sober, He wouldn’t have given us a sense of humor….. While I can’t necessarily agree with the idea of God, I can see what they’re getting at, and agree wholeheartedly. (Hey! Look! Something a Christian and I can agree on!…. Who’d a thunk it?….) I mean, why else would a platypus exist at all?….

“It is ridiculous to suppose that the great head of things, whatever it be, pays any regard to human affairs.” — Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) — Natural History, Book ii, Sect. 20

This sounds a lot more reasonable than supposing that God is the sort of weak, spineless entity that requires worship and obedience from His creations. I mean, if you’re going to have a God, then why give him all the worst characteristics of a fool? The only people I know of who demand that sort of obeisance are pretty psychopathic, and take medications for their delusions; or, in some cases, elected officials will get this way. I just can’t see an entity who is capable of creating a universe even spending one second worrying about being worshiped; it just doesn’t make any sense at all, and, quite frankly, I can’t understand how anyone in their right mind could ever buy into that idea. Such worship would make me feel uncomfortable, at best, and I just can’t see a God worrying about it overlong…. If such a God were to worry about anything, it would be wondering how He had screwed up in making such idiots in the first place…. and, in figuring out what asshole even gave them the idea….

“A long tradition has regarded low self-esteem as a powerful and dangerous cause of violence. Our review has indicated, however, that it is threatened egotism rather than low self-esteem that leads to violence.” — Case Western Reserve University psychology study as quoted in Thomas C. Palmer, Jr.’s Boston Globe article (3-31-96),” Self-Esteem Self-Threatening?”

Here is a clue, though, as to how it all came to this….. As noted previously, Christianity, as with any other religion, gives its followers a sense of entitlement, and an opinion of their importance all out of proportion to reality. It is this sense of elitism that leads to a lot of the violence in the world, rather than low self-esteem; when one argues with a believer, their anger is immediately brought out as a defense against having to consider any validity in the arguments presented, and they will often resort to violence to try to force their beliefs on the unwilling. In fact, I’d say that 90% or more of all violence between humans is a result of a challenge to the pride one feels in their beliefs, or to the preeminence of their religious mania. Yes, greed enters into this equation, but greed is just another form of that same feeling of entitlement, so it doesn’t alter the facts at all; it supports them…..

The trouble with reality, is that it’s taken much too seriously. — Smart Bee

Smart Bee once again comes through…. it has faithfully supplied the proper quotes for this discussion, and here provides the perfect quote to bring this now over-long treatise to a close. We humans have a talent of screwing things up pretty radically, just because we can; it’s a gift. And then, of course, one must factor in that bloody Irish demi-god, Murphy, whose kind attentions are unwelcome by all. I once saw a pearl that said “God created the world in seven days, and then said, “I’m going on vacation…. Murphy, you’re in charge!”, and I knew…. the Universe is just one big joke, and because of our nature, the joke is on us…. so we may as well learn to laugh, and enjoy it the best we can….

“With YOU, I can be MYSELF.. We don’t NEED Dan Rather..”– Zippy the Pinhead
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Pieces of broken spirit….

Deep within the inner abyss, tears lay in wait
Ever on the verge, poised always to infuriate.
Real moments of sadness cracking our need
Swift, deadly waves of appalling terror freed.

Memory hurts badly when visiting now
Leaving me alone, forgetting even how
Killing the sunshine still pouring over all
Darkening all spirit, holding it in thrall.

Knowing no blame seems almost to heal
Yet healing is blunted, plainly not real.
Innocence is pointless compared with pain
On the soul it tattoos an indelible stain.

Hours become days, days turn to a year
Serving up only a compendium of fear.
Blind groping for light finds only dark
In caverns of terror, angry and stark.

Trails of endless sorrow fill up the nights
Confounded at last by unfathomable sights.
No hope can find its way to the fore
Never to sail safely, lost forever more.

~~ gigoid
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“I find that the further I go back, the better things were, whether they happened or not.” — Mark Twain

Sam makes a deeply insightful point here regarding human nature, and any honest man can apply this to himself. A dishonest man, of course, would never admit to such prevarication. But, the rest of us wouldn’t have any problem coming up with a couple of ways to show this to be true. It seems to be a human trait to color the past with our desire to see it as positive, and I think all of us tend to minimize any problems we had in the past, preferring to think that the bad stuff either didn’t happen, or wasn’t as bad as we thought. I’m pretty certain that this tendency arises from the same part of our nature that will deny the present in order to believe in a more hopeful future, up to and including direct denial of what is staring us in the face….. and that is our fear of the unknown, or rather, our fear of our own inability to deal with that unknown….

People under the influence of fear will do amazing things. We’ve all heard about mothers throwing cars off their trapped children, or men racing into a fire to save a loved one…. even this kind of bravery is motivated by the fear of losing those who we care about, as much as it is by any more elevating purpose, like nobility or integrity. Those can also prompt us to perform extraordinary feats, but I believe the original trigger for those qualities remains our fear. Fear is our strongest and best teacher, even though our least favorite; we always remember the lessons it teaches…..

But, there is another side to fear, and that one is not brave at all. It is the part of us that cringes at what we do not know, the one that shies away from the dark, the side of us that stammers when we meet someone new and imposing, the side of us that retreats from what is real into what is not, to save ourselves from experiencing that fear….. It is also an unfortunate fact that too many people allow this feeling to control not only their reaction to many types of uncertainty, but let it color and control one’s whole outlook on life….. This is the kind of fear that breeds racism, and bigotry, and other such societal plagues, as the people who give in to these fears are in full denial of reality, and, what’s more, refuse to even consider any possibility of learning differently. Their fear could easily be eliminated by knowledge of what they fear, but they generally refuse to even look at whatever evidence may be presented to them…..

So, with this in mind, it becomes clearer how over 57 million people in this country voted for an obviously unqualified and dangerously ignorant candidate, merely because they fear the person he faced as his opponent. This number, to me, is very depressing, because it indicates that we still have a long way to go in our society to root our the basic problems of ignorance, bigotry, racism, and fear….. There is still a huge number of people out there who are in denial of reality, and refuse to look at any possibility of change….

Funny thing is, we know exactly who they are now, because they identified themselves at the polls….. About 92% (that is a guess, but an educated one..) of the people who voted for Romney were white, and while it surprises me not at all, it does make me sad, being white myself, because more of the folks who share my ancestry are part of that ignorant, racist group than makes me comfortable. It also may make others believe that ALL of us Caucasians are like that, which is just too bad, as it just isn’t true. Those fearful cowards are NOT the majority of whites, they are in the minority…. to believe otherwise is to give up all hope of change, and I’m not willing to go there.

Ah well, we did win, so that is something positive to which I can cling. It is just a sad situation to me, to realize that there is still a long road to real equality in this nation, and it won’t be any less bumpy than it has up to now. These people are not going to give up their prejudices easily, and it may be necessary to just continue to educate as many of their children as we can, and wait for the rest of them to die off, taking their fear, their racism, and their deliberate ignorance with them to wherever the soul goes after death…..

“How is a man like the weather? Nothing can be done to change either one of them. “– Smart Bee
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Well, not too bad, considering I’ve been up half the night writing it…. The poem was ripped out of me last night, but most of the rest was written starting this morning before 0300, so I’m quite content to let it go as is…. Besides, now I’m too damn tired to do it over, and I have to get ready for the bloody appointment with the shrink…. Ah me, I’ve done all I can do, and you know the rest….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

A matter of beating the battery….

Posted on November 6, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
O frabjous day! O happy times! At last, at last, the day is here…. and we will no longer have to put up with all the crap political ads, on the air and through the mails, both e- and snail-….. At least not for another four years. We only have to put up with whatever choices are made today…. I hope it all comes out okay…. If there are any more shenanigans on the part of the Republican Party in suppressing votes, or voting machines failing, I swear I will make it a personal campaign to drive that group into the grave, and I’m a literal sort of guy. Same goes for anyone else, Democrat, Libertarian, or whatever. I’m tired of all the lies I’ve had to listen to, and I’m tired of lying, cheating assholes who only want the keys to the treasury trying to convince me they are trustworthy, when I know for a damn fact that NONE of them come anywhere near that word….

Can you tell I’m glad this will be over? I am so tired of being lied to, and not having anything done about it. That is the part of this whole deal that gets to me the most. The idea that public figures can go on a public stage, make outrageous claims that are proven false, and never get called on it, or pinned down about it, just pisses me off royally. That fucker still hasn’t released any taxes, so how did he ever get so many idiots to support him, unless it was based on racism? Bah, humbug! I’m sick of the whole scene, and cannot wait until tomorrow, to see all the garbage that will be printed, and all the weird stuff that will be said, in victory and in defeat, by all the pundits. That part of this show is fun, if the results don’t depress you…. that is a risk….. If we have to spend another four years with the Republicans in power in the House, it’s going to get ugly, I assure you…. and that asshole Mitt the Lying Twitt in the White House would be a disaster for ALL of us….

Ah me, I guess I should have saved some of that angst and emotion for ranting below…. but, not necessary. I spent some time last night ranting about such stuff, so there is no lack of material this morning…. just a need to organize and get it all down…. GASP!…… I just realized that the material on this blog may be changing radically after today. If the incumbent is re-elected to office, as is right and proper, then the reforms being worked on should continue (and if the Dems win back the House, there may actually be some of them able to get past there, and into reality…..), and the material I have to pick from will be reduced a lot. I mean who wants to hear me rant about how cool things are? A rant, by definition, needs something about which to rant, and positive events don’t make the grade…. Ah well, I’ll take the trade-off, and gladly…. I can find more to write about, but I can’t afford to have those fools in the White House….

“People who have nothing to say often do and take a good long time doing it. People who have something to say, often do not. People who are unsure, often go ahead and say it anyway, thus putting them into the first category.” — Smart Bee (I’m pretty sure I don’t land in any of the given categories…. which makes this somewhat superfluous here, though ’tis true of many who write….)

The tone has been set for today, so I’d best get on with it… At this stage, I know not what sort of poem will be used, so you’ll have to take potluck there…. If I come up with an original piece, it should be a doozy…. but, if one doesn’t leak out, the rest is on me, such as it is…. Hopefully, something I write today will stimulate a laugh, or a groan, or a sense of outrage…. and if nothing else, will fill up a space of time you would have otherwise spent on something less fruitful, like another political ad….. rather than go through any of that again, Shall we Pearl?…..
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“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” — James Madison

I found this yesterday; I’d seen it before, and it seemed serendipitous that it showed up just in time for the event today (psst!…. go vote!….). In my mind, a good standard for figuring out if a person is a true patriot is to get their take on the Second Amendment, and the idea of gun control by the government. As I’ve stated before, I believe the risk of letting the government restrict our rights in this regard, IN ANY WAY, can only lead to the eventual loss of the right altogether, and that is an event that is completely unacceptable to me. Yes, it means that the world will be a dangerous place, but, guess what, ffolkes, that is something that happened a long time before guns. Taking them away from the general populace is not going to stop mass killings, or unjust, insane use of guns against innocent people. That occurs on a daily basis, anyway, but with the guns in the hands of police officers; that is a fact….. So, don’t tell me that the government is more qualified to use guns than I am, because that is just stupid….

Now that I’ve insulted many of you, we’ll try to go on to the election…. didn’t mean to get off into a rant on that, but, wanted to get it out of the way, so that the discussion may go on to other ways that the government is, quite simply, fucking us left and right…. George Carlin had a lot of good points about the corporate masters and their lackeys, the beloved ruling classes, and the priestly hierarchies. He often pointed out that the world has turned into a massive corporate conglomerate, with all the world governments at the mercy of those few individuals who actually control all the resources, and money. Those are people you never hear about, or see in the news, unless it is by intent…. they don’t allow accidents like that to happen…. But rest assured, they exist, and are perfectly content to let the world believe whatever it wants, as long as their profits, their power, and their control over others continues to grow….

“The rifle and handgun are “equalizers”–the weapons of a democracy. Tanks and bombers represent dictatorship.” — Edward Abbey

But, the invisible rulers don’t like the Second Amendment…. it leaves too much chance for independence in the hands of the people, and in case the people ever find out what they have been up to, they want to be able to know where all the guns are that might threaten them….. Having the general populace of this country continue to have access to any significant firepower is not in their best interests, so they work behind the scenes to get people to believe the nonsense about gun control, and how keeping guns from the hands of the citizenry will make life safer…. which is just so much bullshit… plain and simple. Ultimately, the only real effect of making guns illegal will be to make a large percentage of the American people outlaws, because I don’t think any of us will give them up without resistance, whether overt, or covert…..

“The right to buy weapons is the right to be free.” — A. E. Van Vogt, The Weapon Shops, — in Astounding Science Fiction, December 1942

How, you may ask, does this relate to the election? Well, it doesn’t, directly…. it’s just a pet peeve of mine, and an example of another of our basic rights that are being eroded by politicians, preachers, and those who ignorantly buy into their lies. I don’t trust the Democrats any more than I do the Republicans; perhaps even less, because the Republicans seem to be far more open about their lack of concern with the rights of the people. In that sense, they are easier to spot, and to resist. The Dems are being more subtle, but that doesn’t make them trustworthy; they do, after all, seek that power over others as well. There just seem to be more of them who are motivated to do so out of some community feeling, and concern for others, and those are trying to encompass reforms that are sorely needed.

“A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman, of the next generation.” — James Clarke

The difference between the two parties that have the only chance at the seats of power is extreme in this election; very seldom has the choice that needs to be made been clearer. One can choose to move forward into a future of change, or one can try to return society to the middle ages, with all of its injustice, and misery. It is that simple, and anyone who wishes to argue with that is welcome to present their views…. I’ll knock them down easily, with headlines from the daily news that, although not exactly unbiased or always true, are nonetheless balanced out by the outrageousness of each side’s contributions.

“Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.” — H.L. Mencken

The facts are all our there to see, and they clearly show one candidate whose only interest is in increasing his own power and wealth, and protecting his cronies on Wall Street, his cultish church, and the ruling class; he cares noting about the common man, and makes his disdain obvious. The other is, well, definitely the lesser of two evils…. on the apparent surface he is a dedicated, honest man, seeking reform and change, but, there are indications of less than stellar activity in his administration, too. But, he obviously cares about the common man much more than his opponent, and since the common man is the one who will be affected the most by what happens this time, the choice is clear. If you don’t want to have to take up regular use of Vaseline and Preparation H, then vote the incumbent…. If you really want to get a good screwing in the nether regions, then vote the opposition…. it is that simple ffolkes…..

“There is but one element of government, and that is THE PEOPLE. From this element spring all governments. “For a nation to be free, it is only necessary that she wills it.” For a nation to be slave, it is only necessary that she wills it.” — John Adams (1735-1826), Letter to John Taylor, 1814
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I Must Have Wanton Poets

MUST have wanton poets, pleasant wits,
Musicians, that with touching of a string
May draw the pliant king which way I please:
Music and poetry is his delight;
Therefore I’ll have Italian masks by night,
Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;
And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,
Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;
My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay;
Sometime a lovely boy in Dian’s shape,
With hair that gilds the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,
And in his sportful hands an olive-tree,
To hide those parts which men delight to see,
Shall bathe him in a spring; and there, hard by,
One like Actæon, peeping through the grove,
Shall by the angry goddess be transform’d,
And running in the likeness of an hart,
By yelping hounds pull’d down, shall seem to die:
Such things as these best please his majesty.

Christopher Marlowe
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50% of all people are below average….– Shocking Truth

This truth, which is mathematically indisputable, is quite a shock to many people. Oddly enough, human nature is such that nobody at all is constitutionally able to conceive of themselves being part of that 50% that makes up the lower half of the whole. If you ask anyone at all where they would place themselves on a scale of human intelligence, I would wager good money that not a single one would place themselves on that part of the curve. (It’s a bell curve…. Humanity, in all it’s measurable traits, exists on a bell curve….Trust me…..) Yet, the simple fact remains that SOMEBODY has to make up that part of the whole, and the chances that anyone at all is in the lower 50% are exactly even….

This is one of the hardest things for any human to accept, and the power of their denial is in direct proportion to how far below the average they fall. Myself, I would not trade being well above the average for anything…. It can be a pain, for sure, but the perks are very persuasive…. However, there is a lot to be said for the ability to absolutely refute the facts of reality… I think it’s been said before that “ignorance is bliss”, and this is the reason why that is true. Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of denial when it comes to reality, in spite of the obvious drawbacks (I guess if they were able to see the drawbacks, it would be different, but what is, is….), and probably nothing else in our make-up causes more problems for us than that single trait.

This ability to ignore what reality is saying to us can easily be shown to be responsible for the entire concept of global warming and climate change, two subjects that are now forcing their way into our awareness in the most dramatic fashion…. I really can’t recall a November in my 62 years where I was forced to turn on the air conditioning during the day, to combat the 85-90 degree temperatures that are currently par-boiling Northern California. It’s not as if fall hasn’t been nice before, but this is ridiculous. To have summer-like weather this far into fall, even here where the seasons tend to run together in similarity, seems to be to be pretty incontrovertible proof of the weather changes that are happening…. especially if one factors in all the OTHER places in the world where extreme weather is becoming normal.

No, global warming and climate change are FACTS, ffolkes. The evidence is right there for anyone to see…. but, most of the people who are responsible for much of it happening are in complete denial of those facts, so the problem just continues to worsen as time goes on. I suppose when the super-storms start hitting New York and Washington D.C. in mid-summer, flooding out the stock market and congress again, maybe they’ll start admitting to some of it…. Given the history of the power of ignorance and denial, though, I rather think it won’t happen until it’s too late to do much about it. I just hope by then, I’ve figured out how to emigrate to another planet, where, as a natural result of having weeded out the stupid, the more intelligent settlers of new worlds will perhaps learn to live without falling into the process of fouling our own nest…. SIGH…. A pipe dream, I know, but mine own….. and, I can’t see much else that will work, so in that respect, I’m asserting my own form of denial…..
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Well, that was a strange Pearl, to be sure. Smart Bee was playing with me, and ended up forcing that last section out of me without my actual approval. It’s just that after two and a half hours of being unable to hit on a good quote to write about, I had to make do with what Smart Bee insisted upon…. It worked out okay, I guess, but I feel used and abused by my software….. Tomorrow, I swear it will be different, and more humor will find its way into the pearls….It’s election day, so I guess I felt a need for sobriety, to indicate my sense of purpose, I suppose…. Hell, who cares? It’s done, and now I can go vote myself…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..
—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

Kowabunga!

Grimly, he held on to the truth….

Posted on November 4, 2012 by gigoid

Ffolkes,
Today’s Pearl will be a strangely constructed one again…. It is Sunday, and today I get to go visit for a short time with my grandson, while he visits with his dad. It is a sad situation, all in all, due primarily to the mother, who is, quite simply, a viciously vindictive, incredibly self-centered young woman. I try to view not being able to see him much as being the same as if I lived a long way away, such as back East. Then, I’d see him only by photograph or video…. so, getting an hour with him every month or two is better than that. Later, when he is older, and more independent of his mother, he will wish to know this part of his family, and we will get to know each other better then….

But, this means getting this done has to happen in between, or rather, outside, the visit hours, which are 11-12 this morning. I started a bit of it last night, but have yet to search for any other material for this morning. Should be interesting, to try to cobble together something that appears seamless, when the creation process will be anything but….. SIGH…. This means I have to be focused, and efficient…. boy, I HATE that! I’m retired, and I shouldn’t have to do that unless I want to…. Oh…. right, I do want to do this….. Okay, in that case, Shall we Pearl?…..
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Violence always settles everything. — Smart Bee

Violence never settles anything. — What most, if not all, of us were told as children….

I was cruising through Smart Bee, looking for oysters from which to extract pearls, when the first line above came up. I almost went past it, as the very short, unattributed quotes are often mundane or useless in some fashion or another. Then, I stopped, went back, and re-read it. After a moment’s thought, I decided that it was somewhat of an unwanted, but absolutely correct truism, if reality is viewed with certain restrictions of an ethical bent. History is rife with examples of how violence has been very effective in settling any number of issues; ours has been a history of constant warfare, someplace in the world, from the level of nations, to the personal. All of these events to which I refer tend to be motivated by an insanity that is part of human nature, i.e. greed. Violence is the favorite tool of the avaricious, because it works, as long as one is the best at being violent.

The second idea is one that is promulgated by those among us who would manipulate us without violence; greed for power over others is the motivating factor here. Preachers and priests are fond of trying to pass this one off on people, using the famous quote by Jesus, re: turning the other cheek, as their justification for counseling people to use any other method than violence to achieve their ends.

From a purely ethical viewpoint, this is correct thinking; but, it does not allow for any other options, just in case one’s estimation of the risk of violence is wrong, and that is just plain stupid. Yes, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent (thanks to Isaac Asimov’s Salvor Hardin for that insight…. from “Foundation”), but even the most competent person must accept reality, and when reality is a fist flying at your face, well, my choice is to duck, and strike back hard and fast, not to turn my cheek…. unless it is a spinning move to bring my own fist around from another direction…. No, what the religious pundits would have their believers do is called appeasement; they counsel obedience to worldly governors, and have right from their beginnings, as they knew the only way to gain the trust of the ruling class was to help them to protect their hold on the public, and the keys to the treasury….

I admire Mahatma Ghandi, but I cannot agree with his policy of non-violence, for the simple reason that it is not consistent, and fails the test of reality. He makes the assertion that answering violence with violence can only breed further outbreaks of the same, and there is some truth in that assertion…. However, it is only true if the oppressor is stronger, and better at the violent skills that are employed. At the same time, I have a philosophical problem with the concept of resistance with passivity, as I have always thought it to be just another form of aggression, called, naturally enough, passive aggression. I believe non-violence to be dishonest in its inability to face up to its own brand of aggressive response to an aggressive stimulus. You see, even saints can come to believe their own hype after a while…. While Ghandi’s methods are an effective method for a population unaccustomed to and unskilled at violence to resist a strong oppressor, for a person, or group of people, who are familiar with the skills involved, the matter becomes rather a question of who has the superior skills, tactics, and strategies.

I’ve had a lot of experience in my life with violence, in most of its forms. I was raised on Army bases, while my father was a member of the service, only moving away when he retired after 20 years in 1961….. so, violence was not a new subject to me, even at the age of 10. All of us, growing up, are exposed to some violence; kids aren’t pacifists by nature, and physical arguments are not uncommon among children. School, parents, sports, organized activities, all help to monitor and teach control of the violence within us, in their own ways, but experiencing violence is the most valuable teacher, as is always true for us humans. For myself, I learned early on that the most formidable weapon we all possess is located between our ears, and learning to use it, both as a tool, and as a weapon, is the most valuable lesson we can learn….

In college, I started on the true path of the warrior, when I started studying martial arts, which included reading the history and philosophy of the different styles and forms. This reading took me to areas of thought I had never entered, and I learned a LOT about myself, and, as a natural result, also learned a lot about other people….. All of what I learned is good material to use in AVOIDING violence, which, after enough experience, is always the ultimate goal of any warrior….. Dealing with violence is dangerous, and carries a risk of injury, and death. This risk is mitigated by our skill, our knowledge, and most importantly, by our attitude and alertness. The longer an incident of violence goes on, the higher the risk, so once begun, the goal is to end it as quickly as possible. The ultimate defense is to turn potential enemies into allies, before actual violence occurs, a goal which requires patience, intelligence, compassionate insight, and a willingness to compromise, to be flexible….

After studying martial arts, I later became involved in mental healthcare, in which field the actual physical use of my arts became habitual, and helpful to an extreme. Knowing how to deal with any kind of violent behavior exhibited tends to reduce the fear one feels in facing such events, which allows one to deal with the violence efficiently. I became expert at controlling people who were out of control, without injuring them, and without being injured. This expertise has cost me a lot, as I now suffer the long term effects of exposure to violence, i.e., PTSD, stemming from the death of a co-worker during an incident at Napa State Hospital, in 1984….. but, I can look back on my career, and know that nobody ever got hurt during my take-downs, and the only one affected in the long run was myself…..

I hate drama, and emotional turmoil, and, in the final analysis, violence. My life has, by my own unfortunate choices, contained far too much of all three. I learned to deal with violence and its effects because of that dislike, and that can be viewed as a form of cowardice, if you like. But, that knowledge has kept me relatively safe, and gave me the ability to deal with those kinds of events with dispatch, thus minimizing the overall negativity of the results. When I speak of violence, and its effects, I KNOW what I am saying…. and I say that trying to totally eliminate it from life is foolish. It is too much a part of human nature. In my world, it is best to deal with it quickly, and get it over with…. in the long run, this shows the most favorable results, for everyone involved….

This little pearl/rant/discussion could go on forever, and seems to have already made a goodly effort to get there. Life calls, however, and there are more pearls to find, including a poem, which may be inside me somewhere, thus requiring the opening of a vein or two. So, we’ll leave this here, with no further forays into the realm of violence for the time being. When one has the opportunity, one should always find something else to do, rather than focus on that side of human nature; it will manifest all on its own, all too often in the course of Life, and does not need our assistance to do so…. Stay alert, and stay safe out there ffolkes, and may the violence in Life continually pass you by…..

“Even in war, moral power is to physical as three parts out of four.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
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Well, I didn’t find it inside me, but, all things considered, this will do quite nicely…. enjoy!….

Fragment

I WALK’D along a stream, for pureness rare,
Brighter than sun-shine; for it did acquaint
The dullest sight with all the glorious prey
That in the pebble-paved channel lay.

No molten crystal, but a richer mine,
Even Nature’s rarest alchymy ran there,–
Diamonds resolv’d, and substance more divine,
Through whose bright-gliding current might appear
A thousand naked nymphs, whose ivory shine,
Enamelling the banks, made them more dear
Than ever was that glorious palace’ gate
Where the day-shining Sun in triumph sate.

Upon this brim the eglantine and rose,
The tamarisk, olive, and the almond tree,
As kind companions, in one union grows,
Folding their twining arms, as oft we see
Turtle-taught lovers either other close,
Lending to dulness feeling sympathy;
And as a costly valance o’er a bed,
So did their garland-tops the brook o’erspread.

Their leaves, that differ’d both in shape and show,
Though all were green, yet difference such in green,
Like to the checker’d bent of Iris’ bow,
Prided the running main, as it had been–

Christopher Marlowe
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Since I’m short on time today for the proper degree of cogitation, due to the above mentioned visit, (as well as the somewhat massive outpouring of stuff in section one…), this will be an old school pearl, and a fairly obvious one. All of these reflect my own beliefs, and are important pieces of the philosophy I try to live by…. Anyone could do worse to do the same…..

“As to values, I was taught — and still believe — that a sense of honor is necessary to personal self-respect; that duty, recognizing an individual’s subordination to community welfare, is as important as rights; that loyalty, which is based on the trustworthiness of honorable men, is still a virtue; and that work and self-discipline are as essential to individual happiness as they are to a viable society. Indeed, I still believe in patriotism — not if it is limited to parades and flag-waving, but because worthy national goals and aspirations can be realized only through love of country and a desire to be a responsible citizen.” — Lewis F. Powell (Former Supreme Court Justice)

“If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” — Chinese Proverb

“The best rule of friendship is to keep your heart a little softer than your head.” — George Santayana

I’m not crazy. I just have a unique sense of reality. — Smart Bee
(That’s me all over!!!…)

Living Dead
the path is
chosen, to live forever is to die
forever.

To not know when you’ll
die
is to find
life
wherever you are.

— Alagad

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” — Plato

“It is our responsibility to live with as much gusto as we can and to cause as little grief as possible.”– Smart Bee

Well…. Smart Bee is being particularly fruitful today…. quote after quote that fits this category keep popping up, and if I’m not careful, this could run as long as the first pearl, which, as you know, got away from me a bit…. So, one last good one, and we’ll be off to visit with Zack….

The sage manages affairs without action
And spreads doctrines without words.
All things arise, and he does not turn away from them.
He produces them, but does not take possession of them.
He acts, but does not rely on his own ability.
He accomplishes his task, but does not claim credit for it.
It is precisely because he does not claim credit
that his accomplishment remains with him.

— Lao-Tzu
__________________________________

Done…. and well within the time frame…. there’s something to be said for the organizational and time-management skills that come with aging…. stuff that would have been a spectacular fail in my youth is now a piece of cake, and not just some simple sponge cake, either! All this needs now is a poem, and it’s good to go. Of course, having that extra hour this morning helped immensely, once I realized I had it….. You DID remember to turn back your clocks, right? I didn’t, naturally, so I discovered the extra hour available to me when I glanced up at the computer and saw that it was different than my clock…. that reminded me, and I changed the rest of them, and celebrated the time by, well, you don’t want to know…. Onward….

I’m going to go against normal policy and not worry overmuch about the grammar and spelling…. the spell checker seems to have handled everything I wrote so far without going bonkers, so it should be fine. The subject matter may be a bit stiff for some, but, hey, gotta go with what bleeds out…. In spite of how it may seem, I’m a pretty easy-going guy, and only aim to entertain, never to offend (unless deserved…. and They know who They are…. none of Them would be considered as ffolkes….ever….). Ah me…. enough for one day….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

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

gigoid

Kowabunga!

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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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Religion

On the rooftop, stealing wax…..

With piteous disregard for the weak of mind….

Only the only allowed on the promenade….

Clocks are intensely rabid this month….

In the spirit of plain fare….

Unable to pass, naturally, he punts….

A plethora of hothouse plants….

Literally speaking, it’s figurative…..

A matter of beating the battery….

Grimly, he held on to the truth….

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