Mild hints of old saffron….

Posted on July 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Nature is not human-hearted.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

Abbey and Ben, London….

Hajime…. Let me assure you; living with a familiar isn’t always a smooth ride through Life. Without getting into superfluous details, let’s just say we had a domestic crisis of some proportion upon first arising today, & let it go. It’s over now, and all is again peaceful between us, so I can get on with the less mundane aspects of my morning routine. Naturally, the delay has set us back, so the scramble to get it done has now entered White Rabbit mode. One part is done, but, the rest will be…. well, it will be the rest.

I’m not even going to try to fool anyone today. I am not a professional, though I do have some investment in producing quality material. I do this simply to keep myself from falling prey to my own dark side, which threatens to force its way out into action mode, with only one purpose, to destroy. It works fairly well; I have yet to break my personal vow to NOT kill. I will admit, there are moments I don’t know why I keep myself from doing so, for there are many who deserve to die. But, I promised my mom I’d do all I could to keep from allowing nature to take a natural course…. So far, so good.

But, I digress. We’re here to get us down the page, not to get chatty or philosophical, which belongs further down. Who knows? What happens next is still pretty well unplanned, so, y’all could see damn near anything. In fact, let’s get started, before I get any stranger, okay? I can feel things morphing as I type, so, we’d best get on with it, before reality makes a fool of us, yet again….

Shall we pearl?….

“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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Jerry Garcia & David Grisman, “Grateful Dawg”

Image from www.theperfectipodcollection.wordpress.com via Google Images

While looking for music yesterday, I came across this concert from two of the best musicians in the business. The video picture isn’t great, but, the sound is excellent, which is fine with me…. Enjoy!…..

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Garcia & Grisman
Live in Concert

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“In the words of Shankarachaya,
“All impossible things can be made possible
save the bringing of the fool’s mind to the point of truth.”

~~ Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufi writer) ~~

Since the quote you see leading off this section is so versatile, it can stay, though I did not use it for a fresh piece. It leads into the following material, which is from the archives, quite nicely, and will do for today’s off-the-cuff format…. Besides, it’s all still relevant, sadly, even though parts of it are almost four years old…. Enjoy!….

From 1/11/2015:

On December 6 of 2012, the Pearl I wrote turned out pretty well, with two pretty good mini-rants on two subjects. Given the recent spate of killings by police, in this country alone, this outburst is particularly relevant. I don’t think it’s necessary to reiterate my belief the world is over-militarized, whether by local police, or large national police organizations, or military institutions on a national level….

But, then, it is well to remember, the making and selling of arms, and all of the other weapons of war and destruction, IS the oldest, largest, most lucrative business on this planet, a fact of which all governments, all large religious institutions, and all multi-national corporations are fully aware, as evidenced by their uniform complicity, in allowing it to continue to furnish the means by which Man’s insane avarice for power is expressed, endlessly….

From 12/6/2012:

“Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?” — Ramsey Clark

Here is a question that is particularly relevant in today’s society. In my time on this sad little ball of mud, I have studied the various parts that make up our culture, and the police, due to their ubiquitous nature, have always been right there at the forefront of my observations. We all have our stories of how we have had to deal with police in various circumstances, not all of which show them in their best light. In fact, next to lawyers, police officers are probably the most reviled members of society, as well as one of the most admired. There are good reasons to support both views…..

I cannot say that my knowledge of ALL policemen is complete; I don’t know them all. But my observations over the years have indicated that at least half of those who enter the field do so out of a desire to have power over others, rather than an impulse to be of service. It is easy to spot these folks…. They’re the ones who never signal a turn in their cars, and are always moving at a speed greater than the posted limit. They assume that the laws that govern the populace are not applicable to them, and act accordingly. They enter any situation with the attitude that “might is right”, and attempt to intimidate anyone who tries to usurp or question their authority. They don’t serve as policemen to keep the peace, but to control the beasts….. two entirely different goals.

I find myself at this point to be in the beginning stages of a rant; this subject is one that frustrates me a lot, as I believe that the police should be offering themselves as an example of honorable, lawful behavior. Many of them do so, but a large number are no more concerned with serving and protecting than they are in consuming donuts without sprinkles. Due to circumstances well within my control, I’m not in the mood for ranting this morning, so I’m going to let this go without further comment.

Suffice it to say that society needs to consider the question asked above by Mr. Clark, and take a hard, realistic look at the requirements needed to procure police officers who are of the proper frame of mind to assume the responsibilities involved in public protection. It seems to me that psychological testing of potential officers would be a good place to start; perhaps some of those who go into the field for their own purposes might not be given such power, if they could be winnowed out in the testing process…… Perhaps then we would begin to see the police set the example for the rest of society, rather than proving to be one of the problems we need to solve…..

“The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others.” — Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)

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Dreaming, I wait….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

8/18/2013

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Our final pearl is also from the archives, simply because SB decided not to cooperate with our high-speed demands for a quick group. On the same day as the rant we used today, the old-school pearl was also a good one, so, we are using it here again today. Go figure, eh? As noted, it’s a good one, so, try to pay attention; you’re almost done…. *grin*

From 1/11/2015:

This is what I’d call a prototypical pearl, which is of a variety which makes it plain life isn’t as simple as it seems, yet, provides us with all we need to understand any complexity, if we are open to developing a character of honor, dignity, and courage, tempered by kindness, and its outgrowth, compassion….

“Life is a struggle with the obvious. We have been so blinkered with expectations or so blinded with choices that seeing and accepting the obvious becomes rare and courageous.” — Callan Williams

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” — Buddha (B.C. 568-488)

“Man is a religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn’t straight” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) — The Damned Human Race

“Determine never to be idle…It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.” — Thomas Paine

“Of all the benefits that virtue confers upon us, the contempt of death is one of the greatest.” — Montaigne (1533-1592)

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Okay, I did it. I cheated, badly, but, it’s done, so, who cares? Not me, and, not you, because, hey, you’re done, too. I’ll just take this moment to issue our usual warning, to wit: See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Nobody seems willing to try to stop me, so, what the hell…. Why not? It certainly can’t make anything worse than it already seems to be….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A quarter-pound of inflatable Gouda….

Posted on June 30, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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

St. Somebody’s Cathedral, Cobh, Ireland

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

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

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

Shall we Pearl?….

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

~~ Robert Ingersoll ~~

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

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Classical Music

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https://youtu.be/2kkbqSXV2o4

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

The Stupid

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

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

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

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

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

Now that’s Stupid.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Dean J. Baker

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

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

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Retrospective, defined in folly….

Yesterday
I wrote a poem.

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

It hurt, at first,
then came the feeling,

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

of outrage aflame,
of deep compassion,

of endless empathy,
of truest love….

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

(Grin…)

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

Hah!

Well, you’re not.
You’re a person.

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

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

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

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

We all can do
only what we
do.

Or, don’t.

Two sides, one coin.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/31/2014

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Naked Pearls

Randomness

*******

“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!”

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

*******

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

~~ gigoid, the dubious ~~

*******

“Do I dare disturb the universe?”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

“Sacred cows make the best hamburger.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

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

~~ ee cummings ~~

*******

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

~~ The Talking Heads ~~

*******

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

~~ Pliny The Elder ~~

*******

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

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

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Perfectly shaped trapezoids….

Posted on June 25, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

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

Natural Symmetry

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

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

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

Shall we Pearl?….

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

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

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Dolly Parton

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

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

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Dolly Parton

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

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

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Fine and Good, Good and Fine

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Nuff said….

~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek….

3/23/2013

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Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large

*******

“Is this the way?”

~~ Seeker Bee ~~

*******

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

~~ Baba Ram Dass ~~

*******

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

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

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

~~ Oscar Schindler ~~

*******

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

~~ J. Krishnamurti ~~

*******

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

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

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

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*******

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

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Gravy made with drippings….

Posted on May 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.”

~~ Agent Rogersz, Repo Man ~~

No, it’s not a myth. It’s melting….

Hajime…. Our opening quote is quite appropriate, especially since it happened, to me. Well, not quite an explosion; more like a strong earthquake in my head. I’m not exactly certain of the details, as, for some reason, I seem to have lost my reason. Wait. That isn’t accurate; I still have it, but, it seems so pointless, and I can’t find the emotional energy to persuade it to even try to put a couple simple factoids together, just for fun, with no mention of profit or loss. If it doesn’t come back soon, I may have to go mundane, & start eating Cheetos, or something. I HATE Cheetos, too….

Okay, I’ll stop. I had thought perhaps a bit of nonsense might loosen up the old grey cells, but, nothing doing. It’s a conundrum, to be sure. Here I am, prepared to create a Pearl, and there is so much nothing in my mind, it’s just plain scary in there. I mean, a full paragraph to lead up to a punch line, and all I can come up with is Cheetos. Pathetic, even if I do hate them. To tell the truth, I used to eat ’em a lot, but, something about the orange glow-in-the-dark color of the tongue after just two of them started to make my eyes water… That & the sharp, bitter taste of chemicals they leave behind, after the faux-cheesy flavor goes wherever a fake flavor goes, started to make me think about just what was in them…. I don’t recommend it…. or them…

Since there’s nothing useful in my head, we’ll have to cheat again, as I’m up late, and starting even later. So be it. At least it will be all be fresh cheating, performed this morning for your reading pleasure. Or, a close approximation of same. We’ll take what we can get. In order to do so, I think, given our essentially useless mental state, we’ll just forgo further idiocy in this section, & use what little wherewithal we have to go look for some coherence further down the page. As justification, I will retreat into a pearl, with a strong statement on the efficacy of personal choice from a surprising, if not completely unlikely source, to wit: “Did you ever notice how ‘why not?’ is always the right decision?” — Marilyn Monroe

Shall we Pearl?….

“I have been a stranger in a strange land.”

~~ Old Testament, Exodus ii, 22 ~~

~~ gigoid, April 2016 ~~

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

I’m cheating today. That, of course, means we go to default for today’s music. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt….. Try to enjoy it, anyway, okay?…. Hey, if nothing else, know I pick the one with the coolest picture, so, at least you can look at that while you listen….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/Y4xRlnO7-Ps

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

Everybody knows, and, apparently, loves Winnie the Pooh. And, why not, I may ask? Well, let me tell ya…. Pooh’s got a darker side, one A.A. Milne never suspected. It has recently been discovered Pooh had another life, one the public was never allowed to see. I’ve managed to collect some of the things he’s said, and/or done, that might give you an idea of what Pooh is REALLY like…. Enjoy!….

From 10/24/2012:

WARNING: X-Rated Material below…. If the following offends you, well, hey, don’t read it…. I happen to think it’s funny, so, deal with it…. *wink*

I know I’ve spoken to you before about the darker side of Pooh…. He’s actually, for a Bear with Very Little Brains, a pretty swinging guy, and stays active in a part of town that I’m don’t even go to…. In fact, he has been caught en flagrante delecto on numerous occasions, and has never shown a bit of regret, or a shred of remorse. He is an incorrigible sex addict, which is, when you stop to think about it, really, really sick…. I give you now more examples of just how nasty he has been known to be….

— Bother! said Pooh, as he lured the young girl into the bushes.

— Bother! said Pooh, with a sexy grin, as he tied up his favorite redhead!!

— Bother! said Pooh, as Macgyver ran to him with his pants down.

— Bother! said Pooh, when Christopher Robin came in his mouth.

— Bother! said Pooh, as Piglet pulled out the Anal Intruder.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he rolled over and lit a cigarette.

And, worst of all…..

— Bother! said Pooh, as he flashed a group of nuns.

I wouldn’t have believed it, if I didn’t see them there in black and white….. Hey, it’s not any harder to believe this, than it is to believe some of the shit coming out of Mitt the Twitt’s mouth, now, is it?….

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

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Stuff to Remember

*******

“Happiness is the only good,
reason the only torch, justice the only worship,
humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.”

~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~

*******

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

~~ William Shakespeare ~~

*******

“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.”

~~ Cynthia Nelms ~~

*******

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

~~ Juvenal, Satires ~~

*******

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

~~ Elrond ~~

*******

“One final paragraph of advice:
Do not burn yourselves out.
Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast…
a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic.
Save the other half of yourselves
and your lives for pleasure and adventure.
It is not enough to fight for the land;
it is even more important to enjoy it.
While you can.
While it’s still here.
So get out there and hunt and fish
and mess around with your friends,
ramble out yonder and explore the forests,
encounter the grizz, climb the mountains,
bag the peaks, run the rivers,
breathe deep of that yet sweet and lurid air,
sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness,
that lovely, mysterious and awesome space.
Enjoy yourselves,
keep you brain in you head and your head firmly attached to the body,
the body active and alive,
and I promise you this much:
I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies,
over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safety deposit box
and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators.
I promise you this:
You will outlive the bastards.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

I did it. That, in and of itself, is a minor miracle. At this point, trying to explain or justify such a remark would be foolish, and, I can tell you, for sure and for certain, Sarge & Mom didn’t raise no fool. Okay, honesty rules here, so, y’all should know I just had to delete three lines of BS that might have kept us here for much too long. After all, this IS the closing paragraph, and, by golly, we’re gonna close this thing, and, now… See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; if I don’t stop now, we’ll be here until then. Don’t fret, I’ll be back, and so will you…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Baleful gazes and worn-out cliches….

Posted on March 7, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I may be going to hell in a bucket, but at least I’m enjoying the ride.”

~~ Bob Weir ~~

Leelu being diligent….

Advanced Nap Training Session

Hajime…. Oh, what the….? Ah, okay. It’s fine; never mind. Good morrow, ffolkes. And, how are y’all this fine morning. Bet you never thought you’d hear me say that one, did ya? Nor did I, he said, with a crooked grin. Nor did I necessarily mean for such adjective to direct or determine the course of your day, which is, as ever, completely up to you. Me I get tired, very tired, of hearing “Have a nice day!”. and have taken to replying, “Not today, thanks. Got other plans….” It does generally discourage conversation beyond that point, but, hey, I was on my way out, anyway, right?….

Isn’t Leelu cute? I think so, and I’m pretty familiar with cute, having raised a daughter, as well as lived with cats, kittens, dogs, frogs, snakes, and other forms of domesticated and semi-domesticated livestock for my entire life. We had a dog when I was born; another dog taught me to walk. We had goats, parakeets, fish…. If it wasn’t overtly dangerous, I’ve been around them pretty much the whole road I’ve traveled, one way or another. However, none of that is either relevant to the current task at hand, nor, probably, of particular interest to most folks, and even most ffolkes. (I’ll explain that some day, for those who don’t know why I label people in such a manner…. Maybe. Then, again, maybe not. Probably, I’ll forget.)

Okay, where was I? Oh, animals. Or, more prudently, not. Perhaps, at this point, it would be best to go on to another intro-appropriate attempt; the above seems to be a bit, shall we say, off-topic, if not completely non-sequitor? Whatever the hell it is/was, we’re not there anymore, we’re here, fortunately, so, we can, should we choose to accept the mission, hare off in some other idiotic direction. Alternately, we could calmly, and with some dignity, hare off in some other ridiculous direction. Or, I could just stop, and we’ll get on with the rest of today’s mess…. Yes, I think that’s the best idea.

Now, if only we can figure out…. Wait. I know. We’ll do it this way…. Watch close, it’s tricky…. No, no, not for me, for you…. Watch….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

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

Today’s video is, once again, set to default position; this, of course, means you get more classical music. It’s not as if you HAVE to listen, but, if you do, it will soothe your spirit as you read…. Try it, you’ll like it…. It’s not a guarantee, but, trust me, it works….

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

Mozart Symphonies

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

https://youtu.be/Mv6J25zOanw

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

I’m running late, and Leelu wants her time, so, I’m forgoing the rant I had planned to write, using the statement below from Hemingway. Instead, here is the intro section from a Pearl posted about two years ago, which is one of the best I’ve done, both rant, and intro-wise…. I hope you enjoy it, and, of course, treat it with mindfulness for its content….

“Cowardice … is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend the functioning of the imagination.” — Ernest Hemingway

From 2/25/2014:

Terrible things could happen now…. they could, you know. And, we’ll deserve every second we experience of mind-numbing, soul-chilling, petrifying terror, because, hey, we’re the ones who left the door wide open, inviting it to enter our domain, bringing with it our ultimate doom…. Yes, it’s our own damn fault, and we will know the truth of the matter, because we have been warned, having previously been given wisdom such as this….

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” — Albert Einstein

This is not new wisdom, that we’ve never before seen or suspected; history has provided us with innumerable instances proving the truth of this aphorism….. Time after time throughout our short span of existence on this world, we find examples of men or women who had prior knowledge of an issue, and, by their silence, allowed it to take place, to the detriment of all…. It doesn’t make it right, but, it is certainly not an uncommon issue for mankind…. Such issues are not, perhaps, of those we are given by Reality, our favorite gifts, …. In fact, many don’t look on this, or any knowledge, as gifts, and THAT is a big part of the entire problem….

Our problem is a failure of spirit, that has to do with a basic virtue, one that has been claimed as the basis for all other virtues; without this characteristic, none of our finer qualities are ever seen in the light of day…. That pillar upon which all other virtue rests, then, is Courage…. Yes, plain and simple, courage….

I have found, in my fairly long life, that most of mankind, I’m afraid, are cowards…. I’m not an exception, though it IS something I’ve tried hard to mitigate…. Fear is a hard thing for most of us to admit, even though it isn’t considered abnormal; it’s strength, and the way it causes us to lose control frightens us… However, that is also its saving grace, as the guilt one feels, for having given in to it, can, and does, stimulate us to greater effort, whereupon we can find that courage within ourselves, the next time we are in danger of giving in…. This is how almost everything we do, and have done, of an ethical nature, ever gets done…. because someone discovers they DO have the courage to act when there is danger to themselves, or to those for whom they care…..

That is what it takes, you see…. No virtuous act can ever take place, unless good people have the courage to act in the face of the Evil that exists, in spite of the fear they feel in the presence of that Evil. If they don’t summon, or find somewhere with themselves, the courage to act ethically, or morally, if that is needed, then Evil has free rein to let itself out to play in human affairs, to the detriment of us all….

Each of us has to find that courage within ourselves, the courage to put aside our fear, to carry on with what we know to be right, even though expediency and comfort are left behind in such cases…. Living with honor and integrity is never the easiest path we can take; it is always fraught with danger, because it doesn’t avoid evil, because it’s too hard, but, rather, confronts it, endeavoring to deal with it in a straightforward, upright fashion…. thus, preserving one’s own honor, when forced to have truck with what always leaves us feeling a bit dirty….

Now that we have wandered so far afield this morning, I’m not sure what will happen to this Pearl…. Minor ranting isn’t uncommon in the intro, but, I do try to limit it to no more than eight or ten paragraphs, so we don’t take forever to get into just the first section…. a resolution which, this morning, is NOT unfolding according to plan…. Allow me to sum up, and get on with it, if you will…

All of what I wrote above is true and complete, to the best of my knowledge, and constitutes a fairly accurate assessment of today’s situation here on planet Earth…. Evil is out there, and when we… that’s you, and me…. fail to stand up to it, look it in the eye, and tell it to “fuck off, you bloody sod!”, then it will continue to manifest its existence, causing untold pain and suffering for us all…. So, be brave, ffolkes, and don’t let Evil have its way without at least some token resistance, ‘kay?…. “Kay!…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

“Asked what he gained from philosophy, he answered, “To do without being commanded what others do from fear of the laws.”” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi

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

To finish off this section, here is the perfect pearl to go with the above….

“It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.”

~~ Arthur C. Clarke ~~

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

Mad Dogs at Bay

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

7/15/2015

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

Our final pearl today is somewhat esoteric. In general, it speaks of the mind, and how we learn to use it, but, it’s not quite that simple, I think…. You’ll see…. Enjoy!….

“If you think education is expensive,
Try Ignorance.”

~~ Andy McIntyre ~~

“I am defeated, and I know it, if I meet any human being from whom I find myself unable to learn anything.” — George Herbert Palmer

“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” — John Cotton Dana, libraria (motto of Kean College of New Jersey)

“In the end it will not matter to us whether we fought with flails or reeds. It will matter to us greatly on what side we fought.” — G. K. Chesterton

“The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.” — Robert Green Ingersoll

“The effect of one upright individual is incalculable.” — Oscar Arias

“There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous.” — Hannah Arendt

“What we know is not as important as who we are.” — Subtle Bee

“Knowledge by suffering entereth,
And life is perfected by death.”

~~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning ~ A Vision of Poets, Conclusion ~~

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

Once again, we have reached the final section, without having, to my knowledge, caused any bloodshed, unless it be amongst the targets of my vitriol, for whom bloodshed is the intended result. Having thus spit out the last of my humanity, I shall fold my tent, and fade into the sunrise, or sunset, depending on where you reside on the planet. Are we confused yet? Good. My job here is done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; of that you may be sure….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

After adding penalties, it’s free…

Posted on December 31, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“How many northern Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb?”

“None of your f***ing business and have a nice day.”

~~ Curmudgeon Bee ~~

Fish for Dinner

Hajime…. Now, THAT’S the proper pearl to begin the final post for 2015. It took me nearly three days to find it, but, every minute was worth every second…. The critical factor for understanding such an assertion is, simply, I AM a northern Californian. Though born about 230 miles south of where I now reside in the Golden State, I’ve lived north of the Bay for most of it….

Almost needless to say, it also provides me, and, any other potential/practicing curmudgeons, a perfect line for using on Mundanes, in one variation or another, when suddenly confronted with the numerous acts of random, yet grindingly consistent, gross stupidity, in the form of a question, which, by any person with functioning neurons, would be considered rhetorical….

There…. Was that cynical & insulting enough? I hope so, I worked hard to make it so. If nobody is offended, all I can say is, damn! Where did I go wrong?….. If THAT’S not enough, well, all I can say is, y’all had best find your spare brain; this one ain’t workin’….

Hah! Let’s throw in a “Whew!”, as well. I’m done now. Sorry, just had to get that out. I’ll try not to let it break out so vehemently again….. today. I shan’t make any promises for tomorrow; you know how I hate to make promises I’m not likely to keep. No worries, though. I think I probably have enough strange left in me to get through a Pearl, especially one with the natural advantage of landing on a holiday, to either celebrate, sell, ignore, or, explore the meaning thereof, the last of which probably isn’t a good idea today….. I’m liable to, literally, and, literature-ally, go off…. Then, of course, there’s the figurative…. No, let’s not even go there….

I think, perhaps, we should get on with it. What do y’all think? Oh, right. No ‘perhaps’ about that…. Well, I think so, and I’m the one typing here, so, I guess that puts me in the driver’s seat, doesn’t it? Duh…. Okay, then, we’ll have it YOUR way.

Maestro, on with the slow….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss, while a dependence upon reason, observation, and experience merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance called “faith”.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

(Just a teaser for what is coming; if you are uncomfortable with ambiguity, or, uncertainty, maybe you should think about skipping from the video to the poetry section…. Fair warning….)

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

Townes Van Zandt

Image from amoeba.com via Google Images

Today’s video selection is the result of a comment yesterday from a friend, who sent me a link to one of his tunes (Thanks!) …. I realized I had not used his music yet; since he is one of my most favored artists, there was no hesitation at all in deciding to include him today. Hell, his song, Pancho and Lefty, is one I’ve been playing & singing myself, damn near every time I play, for about 40 years, or more…. I’ve played it with my BFF, Tommy Tumbleweed, in a smoky, loud, crowded bar, more times than I can remember…. Enjoy, ffolkes… Townes is one of the best poets to ever pick up a guitar…..

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

Townes Van Zandt

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

https://youtu.be/K6O9eRvNs5k

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

Taking another day off here, ffolkes; fresh rants coming soon…. For now, let’s go back to, oh, a bit more than three years ago, to see what was going on in this silly, yet, earnest mind of mine…..

From 12/2/2012:

“There is one God, but which one is He?”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Now, this is the proper use of reason and inquiry! Such a small question, made gargantuan by the depth of its insight. Which one, indeed, is the real God? There are as many answers to this question as there are what I like to call “preachers”, for want of a better word (I should maybe try to pick a better one, I suppose….); “preachers” are men, or women, who have decided upon one particular system of beliefs on the subject of divinity as being the correct one, to the exclusion of all the others. In spite of the lack of hard evidence on hand for any of the different belief systems, these folks choose one, and stick to it like a barnacle…. which, come to think of it, is probably what it feels like, after a while….

Depending on to whom the question is put, the answer may vary from Odin the All Father of Norse mythology, to the God of Zoroaster, whose specific appellation escapes me just now. In between you will find God, also known as Yahweh/Jehovah to the those of the Tribe, Allah to the Muslims, and just plain, old God, to most of the Christian sects. There is the voodoo god, Jobu, in the Caribbean; Set, or Bal, or Mammon, or any of the other ancient earth gods; Ra of the Egyptians; Krishna, and all his incarnations, i.e., Kali, Yama, Ganesha, Maya, and the others in the Hindu pantheon. The American Indians seemed to favor the Great Spirit. Ancient Druids, from the dawn of Man’s history, and, modern Wiccans, follow the Goddess, with gods and goddesses from the Greeks and Romans thrown into the mix, just for fun. The list seems as endless as human imagination…. which it is, since all of them spring from that source.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

~~ Smart Bee (and, most likely, the Dalai Lama….) ~~

As far as I know, Buddha never claimed to be a god, and, was, to my mind, not particularly clear on the subject of divinity, as directly related to humanity. The same seems true of Taoism, though certain of its sages seem to hold some of the old Chinese mythology beliefs on Heaven, and the creatures who inhabit that domain, another concept for which there is only imaginary evidence to support its veracity, and its reality. In this way, I see these philosophies as superior to the religious doctrines that purport to worship a deity, as they rely on reason, personal responsibility, and compassion to direct action, rather than fear of reprisal, or hope for reward, as is the wont of religious dogma and doctrine.

This perception of mine may be because I have always thought that the entire concept of a deity is not capable of being described, or understood, if one is to assume that a god is what it claims to be. How can a mortal understand an immortal? There is no common ground, other than the assumption of existence, for which there can be any reason for one to be connected to the other, as we could not comprehend their existence. We, limited to our human perceptions, have no direct evidence of a deity that can be experienced by those perceptions.

Anyone who tells you they do is lying, even if they believe it to be true, unless they can share that experience with another human, directly, with evidence for the senses we possess, not merely for what we wish to be true. Feelings don’t count, nor visions only seen by them, or voices in the head; neither do personal revelations, or religious fevers, or speaking in tongues…. See, hear, touch, smell, taste…. that’s what we have, along with the ability to reason, and our imagination. That is our tool kit; unless one of the tools fits, it isn’t real, to our perceptive ability. Items purported to be evidence that come from imagination are just that; imaginary, and cannot be considered proof of anything other than the naivete of the speaker, and, of any who choose to believe them.

“It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true.”

~~ George Santayana ~~

SIGH…. People are people, though, and they will choose what to believe according to what they feel, most of the time, rather than according to what is the truth, which requires effort to find. It has even been said that humans have a tendency, more often than not, to make choices that are bad for them, just for that reason, that it is too much effort to think their way through to the truth that would ultimately help them. As long as this is true, our species is in danger, from itself, and its own delusions…. Sad, in a species of such promise….

And on the 8th day, God woke up and said “Whew! It was just a dream!”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

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

Dreaming, I wait….

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

8/8/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Life

Within the oyster’s shell uncouth
The purest pearl may hide,
Trust me you’ll find a heart of truth
Within that rough inside.

~~ Mrs. Osgood ~~

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

“A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.”

~~ Michael Garrett Marino ~~

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

“There is not enough love and kindness in the world
to permit us to give any of it to imaginary beings.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

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

“There is no time like the pleasant.”

~~ George Bergman ~~

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

45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

~~ Instructions for life ~~

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

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

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

“There’s too much beauty upon this earth for lonely men to bear.”

~~ Richard Le Gallienne ~~

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

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

~~ Plato ~~

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

陶德清

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

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

老子

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

It’s done. For this we are grateful. We are also, as you can see, stuck in the royal ‘we’ again. We shall leave you now, with no further ado, as this condition can last for days…. We are sorry, but, as royals, we are never tired, never cross, and like hospitals. It’s in the manual, right before the section on how to act smarmy and superior without any real clue…. See y’all tomorrow, we are sure….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Baffling instants of dawning comprehension….

Posted on December 24, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It’s not denial. I’m just very selective about what I accept as reality.”

~~ Calvin (“Calvin and Hobbes”) ~~

The Globe Theater, London

Hajime…. ‘Tis morning again. Some would say, at this age, each day upright is a victory. I can almost agree, but for the simple fact it isn’t my preference to always think of Life as a battle, though, because of our nature, battling comes easily to mind; we’re pretty vicious animals, in the final analysis. I don’t even feel any need to try to justify such a statement; just watch any group of two-year olds play together without adults to moderate their actions; then, I’d agree with the idea of battling life as an appropriate description. Alternately, watch the fucking news, or, read the Bible for a while in the Old Testament…. either is filled with war and violence toward each other….

Thus, having ranted in one paragraph, there won’t be any real need to do so below; just as well. I’m suffering an ethical issue myself. This morning I found Leelu playing with a wolf spider, I think. It was a black color, but, though it didn’t LOOK like a BW, rather than chance Leelu getting stung/bitten, even by a wolf spider (not enough poison to hurt, but, their mandibles aren’t very clean & wounds from them can infect easily) I killed the spider, as I couldn’t get at it with a glass to capture it.

Now, I am really feeling bad, guilty & miserable, for having killed a totally innocent creature, when I COULD have found a way to capture and release it outside, which is how I generally deal with spiders…. Hell, I’ve admired spiders since I was a kid, reading Spiderman, and wishing I could jump 20 times my height, or lift a car with one hand…. not ever counting the silk they make….

I’m sure I’ll get over it, but, as I get older, apparently, my heart is opening further to the world’s suffering, adding to it brings no balance…. Ah, well, another ounce to my karmic burden added; no complaints, I earned it….

All that said, I’ll wipe my tears away, and get on with today’s mess…. Not all of it may be fresh today, but, we’ll see how it goes…. No ups, no extras, no tricks today…. We’re off to the oyster beds, now….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Be honest with yourself until the end of your life. Then listen to the slow movement of the Schubert Quintet and kick the bucket.” — Nathan Milstein

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

Bo Diddley

Image from 8tracks.com via Google Images

Since we’ve been exploring/playing the blues lately, a friend suggested this most excellent bridge musician…. I say bridge because he was one of the first musicians to blend the style of blues to the new ‘rock and roll’ being played in the early 1950’s, influenced heavily by the blues, especially as played in New Orleans (ref: think Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, etc…. both followed Bo’s example into the newer style….. Actually, I’m not positive who came first, but, does it really matter? All of them were pioneers, so who cares who scaled the mountain first, except the one who did?….. I just enjoy the results…..) Unless you hate music, you WILL enjoy this one….

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Bo Diddley
Live with Ron Wood 1987

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https://youtu.be/QgsAbwFAMb8

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Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations
than in their particular observations.

~~ Niccolo Machiavelli ~~

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

You know, I was going to rant, using these two statements as a jumping off point; now, upon looking at them, together they form a perfect coin with two sides of the same issue, from a certain point of view. The first old insight from The Prince gives a logical reason for the human inability to form a society without falling into war or conquest…. The second offers a 180º view of humankind, offering, in a sense, a way out of the ancient fallibility we embrace so easily, due to our animal nature, which we have never learned to integrate with our intelligence without allowing it to pervert our moral/ethical behavior….

We allow feelings, generated by the fearful monkey unconscious mind, to dictate the immense power of imagination, turning it to the mechanics of war and violence to achieve our ends, without ever applying our intelligence rationally on a societal level….

And, that’s all there is to say about that… The first tells us how we got here; the second gives/offers us a way out of this suffering, miserable existence, into a more peaceful, rational, ethical society. It’s our choice, but, then, it always has been….

‘Nuff said….

gigoid has spoken.

So be it.

Dont keep calm

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

A dream, weeping….

“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said
with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.
“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….
what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”

So, we plucked up our dreams of old,
to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,
stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,
for luck, and perfect proof against charms.

Storms follow the sun, but, never stay;
lessons round every corner, all free.
Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,
the journey becomes the reason to be.

Simple kindness manifests untold riches,
in defiance of common cause’s demise.
Bold courage, hanging in stitches,
mends wounds that come as no surprise.

Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.
Too much pain cannot apprehend
the salient, sharp points of epiphany,
nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.

Folly dogs even the simplest truth,
fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,
alienated as a loose rotten tooth;
it often hides itself, for a long while.

Sought after eons ago, we cried out,
to believe, to suffer no more doubt.
But found instead good reason,
for love, and truth, from season, to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

— 8/30/2014 —

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A true psycho kitty

Image from zulgobang.blogspot.com via Google Images

Today’s final pearl is possibly the strangest I’ve ever created. The process of selecting the included thoughts was much the same as when I write poetry, to wit: mostly unconscious, and, completely without my input, to any real degree. The pearls you see were presented in exactly the order in which I found them; I don’t see any reason to alter the order, as I don’t understand, yet, exactly what it says, in the larger sense, usually obvious with most pearls….

The picture is one that showed up on Google when I searched for “free images of randomness”, so, I can’t explain that choice either. It just seems to fit…. I don’t know, why don’t y’all peruse the group, and let me know if you come up with any thoughts….

“Any ordinary man can surround himself with two thousand books and thenceforth have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy.” — Augustine Birrell

“Become who you are.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

“The majority of mankind is lazy-minded, incurious, absorbed in vanities and tepid in emotion, and is therefore incapable of either much doubt or much faith.” — TS Eliot

“My mind is not for rent to any god or gov’t.” — Smart Bee, channeling gigoid again

“You know the day destroys the nights. Night divides the day.” — The Doors

“Everything is simpler than you think and at the same time more complex than you imagine.” — Goethe

“As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth –hear both sides and believe neither.” — Josh Billings

“Breaks balance out. The sun don’t shine on the same ol’ dog’s ass every day.” — Darrell Royal

“Reach high, for the stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” — Pamela Vaull Starr

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

It’s done, and a damn good thing, too. Without going into any details, let us merely say, my remarks above were more relevant than I knew, re: victory over the day. On that cryptic, yet insightful note, I shall bid thee adieu, until I can throw another such piece o’crap together…. That, of course, will be posted tomorrow, hopefully around the same time, but, at least 24 hours from now…. See y’all then, fate be willing….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Just the fax, Sam….

Posted on December 8, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Solitude makes a wonderful mistress but a terrible wife.”

~~ Emerson ~~

Three Moons over Vallejo

Hajime…. Over the course of time, Pearls of Virtual Wisdom/Exploring Consensual Reality, as a blog, has evolved in structure and appearance, as I became more accustomed to using the WP platform, until settling on the five-sections for each subject we use today. In the past two or three months, it’s shown itself to be flexible enough for me to use even when I am not completely whole, either physically, or mentally. Thus my luck with serendipity is made clear once again, as I chose better than I knew. Thanks, Me!

Oh! That hurt! I should know better than to pat myself on the back; with my shoulder’s arthritis, such a movement comes with a high price in pain…. Oops. Ah well, even the simplest literary trick can be, well, tricky, eh? That will teach me not to try those sorts of literary shenanigans before I’ve started on my second cuppa; I just don’t have the chops until then to make it work as it should. Now I’m stuck here, talking in real time, exposing my own ignorance, again…. As we who have lived on the street are fond of saying in such situations, FUCK!

Oh, well, sorry if I’ve offended anyone. That particular venting vessel is one that has probably kept me off the WP Freshly Pressed list ever since I began…. It seems even ONE word that MIGHT be offensive will keep a post off that page, so, I’ve never been there, even if I was ever nominated (a fact of which I have absolutely no clue…. especially as it doesn’t matter, since it’ll never happen…. I refuse to edit for PC in any form…). I don’t care, as I don’t write for fame, or money, merely for sanity…. or as close to it as I can get….

All that being said, in such honest, if boring fashion, I suppose we can just get on with today’s mess, and probably be better off for it. I won’t even pretend Luigi, or Guido is here today, nor that we are off to anywhere other than my imagination and ego trips. That’s okay, too…. at least it’s real, which I find to be always a good thing to observe…. really, I do…. So, without further ado, or adon’t, we’ll be off to the nether portions of the blog for today…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“”There’s nothing an agnostic can’t do if he really doesn’t know whether he believes in anything or not.” — Monty Python

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

The Irish Rovers in 2010

Image from kpbs.org via Google Images

I hesitate to pull the covers of anyone, but, I remember listening to these lads when I was a lad myself. My parents had an album they enjoyed playing sometimes when I was young; I remember specifically listening to them, often during Christmas when relatives were over…. I still enjoy their music, so, here they are, for your enjoyment as well… If you don’t enjoy traditional Irish music, perhaps you’re ready for the ranting section….. Fair warning; you’d best be so. Ready, that is…. Section three can be a bit of a challenge if you’re not ready for it…… Why don’t you listen to the music while reading; it might help….

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The Irish Rovers

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https://youtu.be/cf0E_PJtJWg?list=PL86CC0AB0FBFD2CDF

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“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.” — Socrates (BC 469-399)

In more modern language, the concepts Socrates has presented in this statement could be summarized thus: “The more you practice being honorable and real, the more real and honorable you become.” I’ve stated it thus, so simply, because, it seems to me, the modern person’s mind has not grasped the concept of virtue, or honor, or even reality, with any degree of actual understanding. This, of course, is just the way the people who govern the world, and those in their service, to wit: churches, politicians, lawyers, police, and military myrmidons, want the public to be, that is to say, as ignorant of their true nature as they can make them…..

Now, this sounds like a rant in the making, and, in the normal course of events, you’d be correct. But, I find myself exhausted, still, after my recent long physical ordeal; quite frankly, it’s all I can do in a day to write this blog. Any further activity is confined to keeping Leelu entertained, which takes up more time than one might think; she considers herself in training, and me to be her personal trainer. And, she’s really, really serious about it, so, whenever I pause in my typing, I find her sitting at my chair-side, mewling and crawling into my lap to ask me to play…. like right now….

Okay… I managed to distract her by opening her window, from where she can watch the birds and traffic on the street; it can keep her fascinated for a good twenty minutes, so, I’ll try to get this done before I’m once again summoned to throw crumpled paper about the house. We’ll sublimate my urge to purge my angst with a series of statements from various smart ffolkes, on the subject at hand, to wit, the Asininnies, and our Beloved Ruling Class, including the Dogma Dogs, the Highly Conditioned Uniformed Myrmidons, and the eternal butt of everyone’s favorite jokes, the scum of society, lawyers of practically every ilk…. Let’s see what Smart Bee comes up with today, shall we?…..

“The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state controlled police and military are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy. Not for nothing was the revolver called an ‘equalizer’ Eqalite implies liberte. And always will. Let us hope our weapons are never needed — but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government — and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.” — Edward Abbey (1927-1989)

(On a personal note, me, too, Ed….)

“A long and wicked life followed by five minutes of perfect grace gets you into Heaven. An equally long life of decent living and good works followed by one outburst of taking the name of the Lord in vain, then have a heart attack at that moment and be damned for eternity. Is that the system?” — Robert A. Heinlein

“I honestly believe that the doctrine of hell was born in the glittering eyes of snakes that run in frightful coils watching for their prey. I believe it was born with the yelping, howling, growling and snarling of wild beasts… I despise it, I defy it, and I hate it.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

“– Bother!”, said Pooh, as he found a politician in his honey pot.” — Twisted Bee

“A professional politician is a professionally dishonorable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker.” — H.L. Mencken

“An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.” — Simon Cameron (1799-1889)

CORSAIR, n. A politician of the seas. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle

“History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love (1972)

“The doctor is to be feared more than the disease.” — Latin Proverb

Okay, so, it’s a little light on shots against Big Pharma, the AMA, etc…. the last one summarizes that issue quite well, I think…. Okay, off we go, to something a bit more entertaining…. Well, I think so….

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For those Gentle Readers from around the world, who may not know who Joe Friday is, allow me to explain…. Joe Friday was a character in a TV cop show, called Dragnet, which played here in the US in the 1950’s to 60’s. It was, I believe, the first cop show of its kind, fictional, but trying to portray true-to-life situations. The lead actor, whose name I forgot until now, was Jack Webb, and he had absolutely NO acting ability, at all. He played Joe Friday as an emotionless, flat-voiced asshole, (a rather prophetic portrayal, given that the biggest percentage of modern ‘cops’ are quite simply, ignorant assholes with a badge….), whose favorite and completely over-used phrase was “Just the facts, ma’am.”…. Hence, the title of today’s lament re: the illusion upon which Western society is based….

Joe Friday’s lament

Life is short, and though I’m odd, they say
it really doesn’t bother me
to realize there is no God, per se.

Though other folks will disagree
and tell me I’m wrong
I won’t believe it, with naught to see.

Liars called padre tell me, have humility,
and do as the authorities say,
then fondle little boys with facility.

They also tell me to share the wealth
and give them a 10% tithe
so they don’t have get it by stealth.

So spare me the delusions, please
don’t bother with such a tale;
I’m nobody that needs such a tease.

Keep your fantasies under your hat
and out of my face;
I don’t need them, they’ll make me fat….. headed.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/6/2012

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“So then, these are the foundations, as they call them,
of all mixt bodies, and of all wonderful operations:
and whatsoever experiments they proved,
the causes hereof rested
(as they supposed)
and were to be found
in the Elements and their qualities.”

~~ Giambattista Della Porta ~~

~~ Natural Magick ~~

Today’s final old-school pearl is special. Why? Hell, I don’t know. It’s just the way it turned out. Those who are at all familiar with pearls here on ECR received a clue; there is seldom a quote above the picture in this section. Today, the statement from Natural Magick serves perfectly as both warning, and disclaimer…. Enjoy ffolkes, this will take your mind and turn it around so it looks you right in the eyes…. Are you ready to see?….

“All that we see or seem, “

is but a dream within a dream.

~~ Edgar Allen Poe ~~

~~ from “A Dream Within a Dream” ~~

~~~~~~~

“Are you the dreamer or just the dream?” — Alan Edgar Bee

~~~~~~~

“I do not want to die…
until I have faithfully made the most of my talent
and cultivated the seed that was placed in me
until the last small twig has grown.”

~~ Kathe Kollwitz ~~

~~~~~~~

“If a pessimist is always right, is he a realist?”

~~ Cynical Bee ~~

~~~~~~~

“Fortune does not change men, it unmasks them.”

~~ Suzanne Necker ~~

~~~~~~~

“In this world, you have to be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.
I spent years being smart.
I recommend pleasant.”

~~ Elwood P. Dowd ~~

~~ played by James Stewart in “Harvey” ~~

~~~~~~~

“Silence is argument carried out by other means.”

~~ Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara (1928-1967) ~~

~~~~~~~

“Loosen up; the unaimed arrow never misses.”

~~- Zen Bee ~~

~~~~~~~

“Here pigs will fly, lightning will strike twice,

hell will freeze over, and eventually,

things will get really interesting…”

~~ Prophetic Bee ~~

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

It’s done. Whew! Boy, Leelu will be glad; she’s been staring holes through me for twenty minutes. I’d best just close this out, and be off to make it up to her…. I shall see y’all tomorrow, I would hope in good spirits, as I am these days, much more often. True freedom is the release from pain…. believe it. I’ll be back, as Hollywood’s favorite assbite has said more than once…. but, I won’t try to eradicate the human race….. Ta, then, luvs…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Apt portrayals of St. Vitus’ Dance….

Posted on October 24, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“All reality is aspect dependent.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

The Major Oak, England

Image from the UK Guardian 8-6-15

Good morning…. As the tale goes, more kings were chosen while standing under this tree than in any other place in England; the tree is at least 1100 years old. I thought it made a nice opening shot, with a lot of history. But, then, we all know I’m a bit more than just a bubble off plumb, so, I suppose that could have contributed to the issue. Ah, well, it matters little, as it achieved its purpose, to give us something toward which we may address our beginning remarks. Not bad for an old tree, eh?…

Sadly, this leaves us with our other usual conundrum, to wit: where do we go from here? Hmm… I could whine a bit, but, I’m tired of hearing it myself, so, the rib will just have to complain quietly today. I suppose I could go with some nonsense; we’ve got unlimited supplies of it, as you know by now, so there’s no danger of bombing the inventory. Unfortunately, that sort of nonsense would require more chutzpah than I can currently summon for my use, so, we’ll have to go with one of our old escape clauses, I think….

Why look! There’s one right there, just waiting for us to find it. Ha! And, it’s a #4! Bonus….. That does mean y’all should grab a stanchion, or other stationary object, & hang on for dear life; the #4 can be a bit of a bumpy ride…. It works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

Happiness is the only good, reason the only torch, justice the only worship, humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

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Since this is being posted late, if at all, we’ll go with one of our standard default selections, one which I know will please the largest percentage of listeners….. Enjoy!…..

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Mozart: Who Else?

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

https://youtu.be/E2LM3ZlcDnk

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“Not all politicians should be shot.
One should be saved for the archives.”

~~ Ruthless Bee ~~

In honor of the opening quote, which I hold to be one of the most perfect pearls to ever annoy an oyster, I’ll forgo a rant, in favor of the rather elegant 13 star pearl SB managed to help me create in lieu of such indulgence. It takes some rather unexpected turns, but, gets to a point I find rather hopeful, in a personal sense, if no other. Well, you’ll see…. or, you won’t, in which case, you still may enjoy the pokes taken at some of our favorite targets…. As a last resort, you can hate it, which will go directly onto your karmic spreadsheet…. Enjoy the workout on your neurons, at least….

“The world has taken on a thickness of vulgarity that raises a spiritual man’s contempt to the violence of a passion.” — Charles Baudelaire

“… But when he [the people’s champion] has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”

“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle

“Anarchy may not be the best form of government, but it’s better than no government at all.” — Logical Bee

“The forces of a capitalist society, if left unchecked, tend to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.” — Jawaharlal Nehru

“Government is the only known enemy of intelligent life.” — Sardonic Bee

“Government should be weak, amateurish, and ridiculous. At present, it fulfills only a third of the role.” — Edward Abbey

— Bother! said Pooh, as he found a politician in his honey pot.

“Richard Nixon: He told us he was going to take crime out of the streets. He did. He took it into the damn White House.” — Ralph Abernathy

“Each time that Americans hold another election, about the only thing they learn is that they did not learn much from the last election.” — Observant Bee, again

“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“When the need arises — and it does — you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out — that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“While the builders of the cages sleep with bullets, bars and stones,
they do not see your road to freedom that you build with flesh and bone.”

~~ True Patriot Bee ~~

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Making Room

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

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

Balance is the key.

Timing is everything.

Good can change bad, bad can change good.

Pain makes room for more joy in our souls.

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written in 2013.

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

I had a great opening pearl for today’s final section, but, SB was NOT willing to cooperate sufficiently to go any further toward a new pearl. So, I went into the archives, and found this neat little semi-odd rant/old-school pearl on religion…. Since I didn’t rant above, why not? It’s not too long, and it’s a pretty good little indictment of the perpetrators of history’s most pernicious, persistent delusion….

From 9/8/2012:

It is popularly supposed that between those who use the word “God” and those who do not there is some great gulf. But the gulf lies elsewhere. It lies between those who dogmatize, either positively or negatively, and those who recognize in great humility that something within them bears witness to realities which may be momentous in our lives, but which lie beyond the grasping net of our categories of thought. — Smart Bee

Yet more proof of Murphy’s presence in Life…. or, in my life, anyway….. Yesterday I wrote about this subject, expounding as I am wont to do with no little enthusiasm, trying to bring some clarity to a naturally murky subject (it’s hard to pin down anything solidly when the subject under discussion is a matter of conjecture, not physically present to be examined….). Then, later in the day, I come across this one short paragraph, that summarizes my 3-400 words succinctly in three lines, and very clearly, for all its brevity. SIGH….. So much for originality, eh? Though I don’t know who said it, I salute them….

“In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that our Universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.” — Edward P. Tryon

Once more, I have to agree with the author, especially as it gives a sort of pat on the shoulder to the paragraph above, as if sharing an obvious point. Serendipity, I say, and well met….

“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” — Bernard Bailey

This one, when viewed in light of the previous two quotes, made me smile, big….. now, why is that? Because when he says a lot, he means, A LOT OF PEOPLE!…..

“And don’t tell me God works in mysterious ways, Yossarian continued There’s nothing mysterious about it, He’s not working at all. He’s playing. Or else He’s forgotten all about us. That’s the kind of God you people talk about, a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of Creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did He ever create pain?” — Joseph Heller, Catch 22

Funny how people under stress always get so close to the truth; it makes the one who hears it more nervous and upset than he who said it…. or it that just me? Of course it is…. Why shouldn’t it be me? What’s the matter with me? Don’t you like me?….. Sorry…. any who, let’s see what else the magic can find….

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

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

I’m not sure why, but this excerpt from T.S. Eliot seems to be the perfect finishing line for the above meandering treatise…. and it is as close to a verifiable point as we’re going to get today, I can tell…. so, best leave it be for now, and go on to something else…. Or, in this case, to something the same….

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

Well, there you go. A slap shot, to be sure, and, not what I’d consider my best work. Oh, well, it was worth it, and, for y’all, if nothing else, the price is right, yes? All it costs is a bit of your time, and see all you get for it? Great bargain, in anyone’s book. Now I’ve entered fantasyland again, we should probably go. See y’all next time, ffolkes, whenever that might be. Hell, it could even be tomorrow!…. Ya never know, and, what’s more, neither do I….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Wasting time the old fashioned way….

Posted on August 22, 2015 by gigoid

☬

Ffolkes,

“All men are created unequal.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Elder Trees at the Temple of Angkor Wat

Image from the UK Telegraph 8-6-2015

Good morning…. Boldly, he sat to begin, in spite of knowing full well the futility of even trying on such a day. Truly, his will is strong, if misguided, if he believes he can pull this off; only such loyalty to purpose could even give such hope. Yet, there is a certain poignancy to consistent failure; mankind has always liked a sad story. Perhaps, if he ever has time, he’ll think about that….

Morning, ffolkes…. I think I’ve gotten whatever that was out of my system. I’m not really sure where it actually came from, and I can’t recall ever falling into that particular mode of expression, speaking in the fourth person, so to speak, talking about myself as if I were watching from a distance. Oh, well, it must have something to do with the 57 minutes of staring at the screen I did while cudgeling my brain to come up with today’s title…. and, look at the poor thing! Pathetic!….

Oh, well. It’s probably a good thing I got up early; it gives me more time to clean up the crap that spills. It is also a good thing nobody’s paying me to do this, or I’d feel really bad about the quality of my work. But, I put my time in on the financial wheel of karma, so, it’s my turn to coast a bit. My dad would FLIP if he thought I was getting paid for any of this!….

But, enough about me; let’s go find some pearls, before this gets any further from reality. I’m already into territory I’m not sure I could find my way out of….

Shall we Pearl?….

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

☬

My brain is rather uncooperative today; it’s probably pretty obvious by now. Almost an hour to come up with a title, and, far too long for a weak intro…. Now, I cannot seem to even decide what kind of music to listen to…. At this point, it becomes clear there’s only one thing to do, which is to say, “Fuck it”, and go with our default. Here is about an hour and a half of somebody’s idea of the best classical music. If I can’t pull it together in that amount of time, it’s hopeless…. In any case, I hope you enjoy it…. I picked it solely for the picture it showed on the page….

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

Classical Music, Again

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

https://youtu.be/Y4xRlnO7-Ps

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

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

☬

Today’s ranting section will consist primarily of homework…. Yes, I know, I’m not your teacher, unless, of course, you wish me to be. However, it never hurts to learn. Period. So, here is some pretty good material that was sent to me by an anonymous commenter named ‘anders’. I checked out the three links he/she/it sent, and found them to be quite interesting.

The document on Natural Law is quite good; the other I have yet to finish, but, makes a lot of sense so far. The others were found at Tales From The Conspiratum, where an article from Jon Rappaport was reblogged; he’s an author and frequent contributor to Natural News, Waking Times, Think Progress, and a number of other alternative-to-MSM news sites…. All good stuff, in no particular order…. We’ll follow it up at the end with an old-school pearl, taking some shots at the Asininnies (who else?….)

Enjoy!….

https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/psychiatry-erase-the-unique-individual/

https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/psychiatry-erase-the-unique-individual/

http://ivansbj.blogspot.se/2014/02/natural-law.html

http://www.mensenrechten.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/the-most-dangerous-superstition-larken-rose-20111.pdf

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7trTVRKsVsSQ0NCWXlMSW5nS2c/edit?pli=1

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

Hereinafter is set forth the aforementioned old-school pearl;

Pay no heed, at your peril….

“I love this nation, but we have some of the stupidest people here. — Smart Bee

“Everything’s gotta have rules, rules , rules!” — Calvin & Hobbes

(For any visiting folks, or Gentle Readers who may be irony-challenged, that’s irony…. Think about it a minute….)

“Thank goodness modern convenience is a thing of the remote future.” — Pogo, by Walt Kelly

(This one is more sardonic, than ironic, but, it works….) (Does that make it iconic?…. Or, iconoclastic?…. Just wondered….) (Yes, I know I’m strange… Don’t worry, the pearls don’t care….)

“As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.” — George Orwell (The Road to Wigan Pier 1937)

“All Bibles are man-made.” — Thomas Alva Edison

“A man parks his car in front of the main entrance of the Congress. Immediately, a member of the security team goes after him yelling: “Sir! Sir! You cannot park in here! All the congressmen are about to go out!” The man replies, “Don’t worry. I have a good alarm in my car.” — Smarmy Bee

“In fact, one thing that I have noticed . . . is that all of these conspiracy theories depend on the perpetrators being endlessly clever. I think you’ll find the facts also work if you assume everyone is endlessly stupid.” — Brian E. Moore

“How should one deal with a man who is convinced that he is acting according to God’s will, and who therefore believes that he is doing you a favour by stabbing you in the back?” — Voltaire

“Is it legal to advocate the long overdue overthrow of a corrupt govt.?”” — Smart Bee

“The world is divided into people who think they are right.” — Bumpersticker

“Those who cling to the untrue doctrine that violence never settles anything would be advised to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and of the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Nations and peoples who forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms.” — R.A. Heinlein

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

“You expect me to believe that? . . . Del Grant ~~ “Not particularly. But it happens to be the truth….” — Avon

Hmm…. Apparently, this could go on forever. There are already thirteen, and SB is still running hot; I was, and remain, not entirely sure about going on to #13; last time I did that, the Space/Time Continuum sent me a memo to stop fooling around…. We’ll stop there, thus showing both the compassionate side of our nature, and the common sense to stay in the good graces of the S/T Con, certainly an entity/iconic force of Nature, with whom it probably isn’t wise to mess….

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

☬

Around this time last year, I was having a lot of pain; this is a poem I wrote at the time…. I hope you enjoy it, it’s pretty honest…

Elemental, dear Watson….

Don’t worry,
it’s not
me
you hear
screaming.

It is
only
my bones,
giving in,
to
cowardly,
pathologically,
repetitive,
fucking,’
complaints
of
past abuse,
and
all the fun
we had.
playing,
hard.

I don’t mind
too much;
I can spend my
TIME
in another space
in my head,
pretending
my bones
don’t
exist….

It
is,
indeed,
a shame
they
always
come
back….

Fuck.

It
hurts.

More proof,
I guess,
either
God isn’t,
or,
He is.

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

He is?
Then,
I don’t fucking care
who
doesn’t like it,

I say,

He
is
a bully,
a coward,
a hypocrite,
and,
truly,
an enormous asshole.

I suppose,
God
is
what comes,
to,
and
from,
People,

because

they
feel
a need,
for
someone
to
blame,
for
a
Universe
they
cannot
understand
or
accept.

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/14/2014.

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

☬

The icon should give y’all a clue this pearl is a little different. It kind of got away from me, as I tried to put two pearls together in one session with Smart Bee. (It seemed to be in an extraordinarily good mood, giving out lots of good stuff, so, I pushed the envelope a bit….) It worked out fairly well, but, I’m not exactly sure if it’s completely sane. It is, however, all good advice on how to live, even if a bit skewed at points here and there, so, you might want to take notes…. No telling if any of it will be on the Quiz….

“Nothing in excess — including moderation.” — Smart Bee

“In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus

14. “Wipe thine ass with what is written and grin like a ninny at what is Spoken. Take thine refuge with thine wine in the Nothing behind Everything, as you hurry along the Path.” — THE PURPLE SAGE, HBT; The Book of Predictions, Chap. 19

“Reality is a cliche from which we escape by metaphor.” — Wallace Stevens

“A man is not aware of his virtues (if any). Nevertheless, one hopes that they exist.” — Edward Abbey

“The present is the only thing that has no end. — Erwin Schrödinger

“No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout… run right back and make friends.” — Things We Can Learn From Dogs

“All people smile in the same language.” — Smart Bee

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,
Of Meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see,
For still there are so many things that I have never seen:
In every wood in every spring there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago,
And people who will see a world that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think of times that were before,
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

— J.R.R. Tolkien

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

☬

How this one got done will probably forever remain a mystery; nor is it one I’d care to investigate. It’s done, and, right now, that’s the best I can say of it; I’ll make no claims to quality today. In fact, it would probably be best to just take my leave, before this gets to a point where I’ll have to end up making some sort of apology…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; this time, I may need to find a good reason to do so…. Nah, no worries, I’ll be back…. Ooh, too Arnoldy?…. Ah, well, see ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious
☬

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

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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