More chewy than pink….

Posted on January 16, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~

Did you say ‘Tuna’?

As the day begins, wet and cold, I sit to try once more to make sense of a world gone mad, right before my eyes…. It seems even those with the most rational perceptions cannot bring order to the chaos sought so strongly by those ruled by fear and illusion, and the world climbs ever closer to a summit from which the only way down is a long fall. To maintain one’s own center is becoming increasingly difficult, when even those whom we believed to be rational are showing signs of falling prey to fear….

Doing this, organizing my life to include time to think, to write, to try to bring some of the order in my own mind out into reality, where it might be of some help to others…. But, even this self-therapy, to try to deal with my own inner demons, is getting hard to do each day, given the demands we place upon ourselves to live a certain way, to walk our chosen path….

I have met some wonderful people, people who give me hope there are enough with minds capable of resisting the craziness to, perhaps, make a difference….. It is only my own experience, and the propensity for human nature to assert its most base desires, which I have seen become the status quo for the average man, that demonstrates how small my hope must be; we humans don’t seem to WANT to know our own nature, unless by doing so we can fulfill that nature’s desires…

It’s always chancy when I become introspective first thing in the morning; I’m not sure my brain is functioning quite smoothly enough for such delicate work…. But, it’s done, and it’s real, so fuck it. The rest of today’s Pearl is done, so, I’m going to let this fly, so we can get on with it…. Perhaps, if I can work it, I’ll actually get something else done today…. Time will tell, I suppose…. it always does. For now, let’s go see what I dragged out of my head yesterday, and late last night, as I could not sleep well, due to a visit from our old friend, pain…. may it rot in deepest hell….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

With more than four hours of classical music, by the acknowledged genius of Wolfgang himself, how can one not be productive? Even Leelu likes Wolfie…. Trust me, she’s picky….

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The Best of Mozart
Violin Sonatas

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https://youtu.be/gTEn6SRVAE4

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战争艺术

The Art of War

Most people seem to think that trampling individual rights is OK if it is “for the good of society as a whole.” However, society is but a large number of individuals, and how can harming the individual parts better the whole?” — Andrew Ford, forda@agcs.com

“Apparent disorder is a product of control.
Apparent fear is a product of courage.
Apparent vulnerability is a product of possession.

Control or disorder is a matter of Analysis.
Courage or fear is a matter of Direction.
Possession or vulnerability is a matter of Positioning.”

~~ Sun Tzu “The Art of War,” translation by R.L. Wing ~~

Yesterday, a friend sent a link to a very thorough exploration of one of the many organizations in the world attempting to force the rest of the world to adopt their own ideas, and laws; essentially, these people, like all of their ilk in every OTHER organization which tries to do the same, want everyone to submit to THEIR will, and their idea of how the world should be…. This, of course, is insanity. It is also why War has been the primary pastime of the human race almost since our species created a verbal language.

The words of Sun Tzu, therefore, take on new meaning, for they do not apply simply to war, but, also, to life. Human life can easily be viewed as one long war, a constant struggle to BE, while every other human is engaged in the same battle, with themselves…. It is little wonder this becomes our modus operandi for dealing with each other; conflict is a part of our nature, along with violence, fear, anger, kindness, compassion, and, the impetus driving it all, our imagination/intelligence, a product of our perceptive abilities, and the ability of our brains to process large amounts of sensory perceptions, then applying the imagination to organize and enhance it.

If one views their Self as the general of an army of one, the precepts included in the Art of War can be applied to both our internal struggle for selfhood, and, the outer struggle to maintain that self in a dangerous, complex world, inhabited by many of our kind, all of whom are as dangerous as we ourselves, though, not quite as dangerous as the Universe; we just tend to think so, due to the unlimited scope of our imagination…. Perception, we tend to forget, is not always Reality…. especially when our imagination is involved.

Having been made aware of this at a young age, I’ve been able, mostly, to place myself into advantageous positions, avoiding many of the struggles I observe others encounter. It has also made me aware of the absolutely essential piece of self-knowledge essential to any ‘victory’, which is to understand one’s own personal responsibility for their own security in life. Henry David Thoreau once said, “There is no method or system which can replace the necessity for remaining ever alert.” This is implicit in the Art of War, every line is imbued with the assumption of this necessity. We can never place that responsibility in the hands of another, not truly.

What did Sun Tzu place first? Analysis, which in the Self is the process of learning, and education. By these we learn Direction, given by knowledge and experience. With these tools, fear disappears, and courage becomes not just possible, but, necessary and right. With courage and knowledge, we lose our vulnerability, becoming in possession of the center of our being, which can only be affected with our consent. In real life, this means we cannot be terrified, no matter the issue presented to us by the universe, or other people, either of which can afford danger when misunderstood, or, when left to its own devices.

Having wandered into some rather esoteric territory, I’ll not bore us all with any further lamentations. With the above in mind, today’s world becomes, if not less complex, perhaps more understandable. That, I can hope, is the first step to losing fear, which is the beginning of much of the difficulty in life experienced by all of humanity. When we learn, and find the courage to confront fear, letting it pass without submitting to its irrationality, we become able to accept the universe on its terms, without losing our own Self….. Terror of imagined consequences is thus defeated before it begins….

“Confront them with annihilation, and they will survive;
plunge them in a deadly situation, and they will then live.
When people fall into danger,
they are then able to strive for victory.”

~~ Sun Tzu ~~

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

Random Exposure

If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.

Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.

Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.

Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.

Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/22/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Death/Life

*********

“After the first death, there is no other.”

~~ Dylan Thomas ~~

*********

“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*********

“Kindness is more important than wisdom,
and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.”

~~ Theodore Isaac Rubin ~~

*********

Do not confuse ‘duty’ with what other people expect of you;
they are utterly different.
Duty is a debt you owe to yourself
to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily.
Paying that debt can entail anything
from years of patient work
to instant willingness to die.
Difficult it may be,
but the reward is self-respect.

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

*********

“If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.”

~~ Latin Proverb ~~

*********

“We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry.”

~~ John Webster ~~

*********

“Truth is an empty room.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*********

“May you never know hunger
May you love with a full heart
The light burn in your eyes

May the fire be your friend
And the sea rock you gently
May the moon light your way
Till the wind sets you free”

~~ Shriekback, “Cradle Song” ~~

*********

“Do not stand by my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am a diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush.
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand by my grave and cry.
I am not there… I did not die.”

~~ Prayer of the Makah Indians ~~

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

Well, I was right; it’s done, Being so, today, is serendipitous, indeed, as the portents foretell an ‘interesting’ time ahead…. I’m hoping that means we’ll see a bit of progress for rationality in the world at large, thought my hope is tempered with some trepidation. Ah, well, what is life, but a long, delicious ambiguity, eh? Enough for one day; see y’all tomorrow, if I decide to stay on this path…..

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….

Morning sux, redux….

Posted on January 15, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Is a mirage real? Well, it’s a real mirage.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

You didn’t want to hit ‘delete’?

Hajime…. I am unsure why, but, I woke up grumpy; so be it…. This generally means a nice, vitriolic rant for later, but, since we are already ‘later’ than I’d like, we’ll pass on that, & go with an archived piece; the fresh treatise upon which I’ve been working isn’t ready anyway. Leelu isn’t happy with me, either, so, I guess it’s all of a piece, so to speak. Grumpiness, mad cat, late Pearl… I have a feeling I may not be attending Bingo Night tonight; too many opportunities to lose it altogether. Since I like the people who organize it, I’ll probably be nice, & stay home.

If you have come this far in today’s narrative, it may occur to you today’s title is actually connected to the Pearl, which is NOT my habit, nor my wish. It just came out that way; I made it up while still in extreme grump mode, and, it seems to have stuck, no matter what I do. Oh, well, that’s just one more to add to my list, which is reaching epic proportion, and it’s barely 6 AM. Now I’m getting worried; is there some cosmic event my perception has picked up subconsciously? Is the Universe about to go critical? Is the Space/Time Continuum shaking in its proverbial boots?…. Tune in tomorrow, & we’ll have a report on all of that…..

For now, and today, I think, perhaps, ‘t would be a good thing to get this slow on the toad. In keeping with that most perceptive insight, let’s do this, which is fast, and may cause a bit of vertigo, but, what the hell? The morning’s shot anyway. Hang on, ffolkes, this one moves wicked fast….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Human, do you know how interesting it is, this thing you describe? Avata does not have a god. How is it that you have a god? Avata has Self, has the universe. But you have a god. Where did you find this god?” — Frank Herbert

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

Today’s music is a lazy compromise; I wanted to hear some guitar, but, was too lazy to figure out to whom I wished to listen. This is the compromise, with 3 hours of classical guitar, by various artists…. It will do for our purposes today. Enjoy, ffolkes…

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Classical Guitar

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https://youtu.be/V80EzF–UNk

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I am working on a piece for this section, but, it keeps growing in different directions, so, it isn’t ready yet. To sublimate, here is a reasonably short discussion of a similar subject, from the archives, about three years ago…. Enjoy, ffolkes; at least you don’t have to hear me go off this morning; well, not with any oomph, anyway….

From 4/18/2013:

MORAL, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.

“It is sayd there be a raunge of mountaynes in the Easte, on one syde of the which certayn conducts are immorall, yet on the other syde they are holden in good esteeme; wherebye the mountayneer is much conveenyenced, for it is given to him to goe downe eyther way and act as it shall suite his moode, withouten offence. _Gooke’s Meditations_

— Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

A reader commented to me recently that my rants have gone soft; she enjoys it when I rake someone over the coals, figuratively speaking, and asked me when I was going to get back on my white horse, or my soapbox, as the cliché may be…. I told her it is most likely a result of having some of the pressure of living removed, by the acquisition of my SS benefits, so much so that I’m finding it hard to summon up the outrage needed to rant effectively…. Like Voldemort told Harry, when he tried to use the Cruciatus Curse against Bellatrix Lestrange, in HP5-The Order of the Phoenix, “You’ve got to MEAN it, Harry!” Funny how not worrying about where the next meal is coming from takes some stress out of one’s life, isn’t it?….. Ha Ha…..

So, anyway, then I saw the above entry from the Devil’s Dictionary, and thought to myself, “AHA!” (I do that a lot…), “Now, here’s a subject worthy of a rant!”…. This is absolutely true, even though morality is sort of like reality…. there are as many versions of what it means as there are people…. of which, each and every one believes that what they perceive is the only correct version, obviously…. Right….

So, you can see the problem right away…. As a society, we have an unfortunate tendency to try to legislate morality, so that everyone is compelled to behave according to a commonly accepted pattern of behavior…. Supposedly, this legislation is supposed act as some sort of magic bullet, that will stop all the bad things from happening, like stealing, killing, and general misbehavior that is upsetting to the rest of society…. It never works, at all, but, we keep on passing laws designed to enforce a common morality anyway….

Such a drama is now being played out on the national stage, as the Senate just defeated the new gun control reforms that 90% of the populace wants in place. Out of a hundred Senators, it only took 45 Republicans to bring the proposed law down, meaning that once again, a very small percentage of people have forced their views on the rest of the public, to suit their own morality, and, more importantly, to suit their own special interests, who paid good money for their votes, dammit!…. I am somewhat piqued about this, but see little in the way of anything to be done that will make any difference, in the big picture…. No matter how stringent the laws, people who want guns will get them, and use them on other people…. The new laws would have made that a bit more time-consuming, but no less possible, or even less probable….

Since I can’t thing of anything positive to suggest, other than to stay alert to what may end up as a critical issue, I will fill out what should normally be a rant, with a number of cogent pearls, to try to jab the stick into the appropriate eyes…. and my friend will have to wait a bit longer for a good, old-fashioned brouhaha, as I get nasty and vicious in my denouncement of the BRC, the churches, and the corporate masters….. I will say this to her….. have no fear, my outrage isn’t gone, just temporarily dormant, and I WILL be back to rant….. meanwhile, enjoy these tasty gems…..

“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” — Sir Winston Churchill

Linear Model: An assumption concerning the nature of reality applied unquestioningly to every relationship as though God had determined that truth must always run in straight lines. — Smart Bee

“The clinching proof of my reasoning is that I will cut anyone who argues further into dogmeat.” — Sir Geoffery de Tourneville (ca. 1350)

“Has history ever recorded a time when the majority was right?” — Lazarus Long

“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world without having tasted of lying or pretense of any sort, or of wantonness or conceit.” –Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, ix, 2

“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” — Saul Bellow

“If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other.” — Carl Schurz

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

Modest sounds of impatient concern….

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

4/18/2013

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

Naked Pearls

“And what have we learned today…?

*********

“Change a life; make someone feel important.”

~~ Compassionate Bee ~~

*********

“Anger is never without an argument,
but seldom with a good one.”

~~ George Savile ~~

*********

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.

~~ William Arthur Ward ~~

*********

Fortune is like glass;
the brighter the glitter,the more easily broken.

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 280 ~~

*********

Know then this truth (enough for man to know),
“Virtue alone is happiness below.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle iv, Line 309 ~~

*********

“The worst vice of the fanatic is his sincerity.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

*********

“Laughter is the language of the gods.”

~~ Buddhist saying ~~

*********

“I used to think I was an expert.
Then I met one…”

~~ Wise Bee ~~

*********

“I cannot teach anybody anything,
I can only make them think.”

~~ Socrates ~~

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

Well, it’s done. As we all know, that is our primary goal, & once reached, we tend to bail quickly. How quickly? Oh, about like this….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. That isn’t meant as a threat, but, you take it however it occurs to you….. I’ll be here anyway, as long as the Net is still up & running…. 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….

Wobbling in illegal pants….

Posted on January 11, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

A man who has faith must be prepared
not only to be a martyr, but to be a fool.

~~ G. K. Chesterton, “Heretics”, 1905 ~~

Sez who?

Irish Gull w/attitude, Galway

Hajime…. This morning, it isn’t morning. Well, actually, it is, when you will see this, in my time zone, anyway. The time in your own may well be different, but, for convenience, we’ll go with morning. Especially since it’s actually yesterday, and you’re reading this courtesy the power of the Tardis, which delivered it to this time, per instructions, sometime in either the past, or the future; I have a hard time deciphering that manual page. All I know is, the post will end up in the right place, at the right time, just as if the Doctor himself were in the house, and, at the controls.

Now we’ve begun the day appropriately, with a fair bit of nonsense and fantasy, why don’t we try something more, oh, cerebral? Hmm… perhaps that isn’t the best idea…. I think, as Calvin once remarked, my cerebellum just fused, when confronted with an arithmetic conundrum from his teacher. So, yep, cerebral is out. How about a bit of comedy? Ah, I see. The obvious attempts already made have turned y’all a bit green; maybe I should open this window over here…. Oops. Forgot, pressurized cabins shouldn’t be opened in flight. Better not. Last time I forgot, half the seats went flying out in the suction, with Gentle Readers still attached….

Okay, I’ll stop. It must be too early for this sort of playfulness; perhaps it’s from not having my third cuppa until AFTER I got up. But, it could be the shoes. We’ll never know now, because I’m making an executive decision, and getting us all the hell out of here, before I hurt myself, or anybody else, in my thrashing about…. Actually, that’s the easy part; this part is harder than it looks….. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Accurate reckoning — the entrance
into the knowledge of all existing things
and all obscure secrets.”

~~ Ahmes the Scribe (17th cent. B.C.) ~~

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

Young Donovan Leitch

Image from Pinterest.com via Google Images

Donovan Leitch, who performed using his given name only, was, in many ways, the most influential musician of his era. A legendary songwriter, excellent guitarist/musician, and, a model of the ideals by which my generation had become enamored during the famous/infamous 60’s. He influenced me, and many others of my age, to embrace openness, honesty to self and others, and, the concept of humanity as a whole living together in love and peace. It’s idealistic, and romantic, and, it’s still represents a way of living with which I can find no argument as having value…..

This video is of a live show from 2012, after he finally was elected to the R&R Hall of Fame…. The sound quality isn’t the best, and, his voice isn’t quite as strong as it once was, but, you can always go listen to one of the albums to hear that….. You gotta love this man, for he has shared all his love with the world, in his music…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. I will, for sure, and, why not?…. What’s not to like, eh?….

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

Donovan

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https://youtu.be/Q4ykfZZf2ig

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While searching through the archives yesterday, looking for something else entirely, I came across this piece, from almost three years ago. It made me laugh, so, rather than ranting about shit, again, which I can’t currently change, I’ll subject y’all to some sarcasm/sardonicism re: our old friends, the Dogma Dogs, and be done with it…. I’ve changed the formatting a bit, to match my current style, and, corrected a couple grammatical errors I found. I hope you enjoy it; I did, writing it, and, reading it again….. But, then, perhaps I’m prejudiced in the matter….

From 1/30/3013:

“Theology is never any help;
it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight
for a black cat that isn’t there.
Theologians can persuade themselves of anything.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

I had an idea, but it went away…. They do that sometimes. The idea was connected somehow to this quote from Bob Heinlein, and, as might be expected, was intended to serve as the springboard for yet another episode of raking Christianity, and/or religious institutions in general, over the proverbial coals. Since the clever concept I had thought of originally has deserted me, I have absolutely no idea of where to go with this…. I mean, it’s a simple enough matter to turn it into a rant; I have no problem coming up with a newly sharpened stick to poke at the priesthood whenever needed, or merely wished for. But, having bellied up to that bar already this week, I hadn’t intended to go there…. Let’s see what happens now….

“And on the seventh day, while He was resting, He created snack cakes. And He saw that they looked good, and He did bite into one, at which time he realized that they tasted like something that had been sitting on a shelf wrapped in cheap plastic for decades. He had too much goop on His fingers to blast them into the void from which they had come, and therefore He drove them out until they had left the Promised Land and were stuck in a cheap, tacky display on the end of the aisle.” — Haagendasz 3, 12-15

While I am firmly convinced that this makes as much sense to me as it does to read in the Bible from, oh, say, the Book of Leviticus, or even Genesis, I am not sure it will make a proper ranting platform. I mean, it IS as easily proved as any of the real stuff in the Bible, and certainly holds the same amount of logic to its assertions. But, somehow, it just isn’t SERIOUS enough to soothe the ranting urge… No, we’ll just have to keep looking….

“One would like to stroke and caress human beings,
but one dares not do so,
because they bite.”

~~ Vladimir Lenin ~~

Ah, now THAT is a sentiment I can get behind. It shows deep insight into human nature, and in a small way, says something about how that nature is self-destructive. A fine little aphorism, but, not really suited for ranting, as it is so true and complete in itself….. We’ll keep looking….

“Forgive us, for we know not what we do.
Not that we CARE or anything.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Aha! Now, that’s the kind of pearl that can start off a grand rant! It’s a perfect perversion of the Christian insistence on keeping their believers buried deeply in ignorance and fear, and ironic enough to please the most discriminating of critics. I love the ending line; it’s just so….. Christian! At least, by every measure I’ve ever seen, it is…. Now, there are Christians out there, I’m certain, who will take some offense at that, but, I would ask them to stop a moment and think…. There, there, now, darlings, I know it hurts, but it will get better the more you do it….

“All religions are founded on the fear of the many
and the cleverness of the few.”

~~ Stendhal ~~

See? I don’t discriminate!…. Now that your mind is loosened up a bit, so you won’t strain it, consider this…. In the Christian world, once one has been granted admittance to the group, becoming a member of the Church, how much effort do those members make to become better people? How much do they actually use the precepts of their dogma to influence their behavior BEFORE they act? How many of them actually try to weave the teachings of Jesus into the fabric of their lives?…. My own observations tell me the number is pretty small, compared to the whole…..

Christians make a big fuss about making sure it is understood how compassionate and forgiving Jesus is/was, as he meant for all his followers to be; then they go and drop bombs on a bunch of short brown people, because those people aren’t Christian…. Oh, the stories and fantasies given in justification always point to some other reason, but the bottom line is, because those other people are “heathens”, they aren’t entitled to any of that compassion or forgiveness. Only their co-members are entitled to consideration as something other than dirt…..

What often makes me the angriest, when I see this behavior, is the outrage expressed by those self-appointed Chosen Ones when their entitlement is challenged, in pieces such as this one. The entire weight of the Church is often called into play to respond to any criticisms leveled against it in public, much like a dragon protects its stolen gold, reacting with fire and destruction to any perceived threats. It pisses me off because their manipulation of others, and their stated wish to be of service, is all based on LIES and hypocrisy, delivered with a smarmy smile that just says to me, “Snake!”, and makes me want to look around for a shovel to pound it with….

If an article in a newspaper that is critical of the Church is widely read, there will be, guaranteed, a fire-storm of heated responses from the Church’s mouthpieces, all heaping abuse, and accusations of discrimination against the critics. The making of such accusations is the typical, almost knee-jerk response of the Church whenever it is called to task for its shortcomings; they learned long ago that the best way to distract the membership from the truth of any criticisms is to make their own false accusations in return, but louder, and for a longer time…. They know that any lie, repeated loudly and repeatedly, will be accepted as truth, especially by their members, who are already predisposed (read: brainwashed…) to believe whatever the preachers/priests tell them….

“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser,
until the light of our spirits is smothered.”

~~– Deng Ming-Dao ~~

I’ve given up arguing with the faithful; it’s a pastime that is endlessly amusing, but, ultimately, saddening. Kind of like the frustration of wrestling with a pig; you just get dirty, and the pig likes it….. It is hard for me to watch people continually make the choice to be ignorant, to be cowards, afraid to face the universe on its own terms: it is even more frustrating to see them consistently tell others what they should think, and how they should live, based solely on their own standards.

Trying to get most folks to see reason is much like banging one’s forehead against a brick wall…. not terribly amusing, and the blood is hard on one’s clothing, as well as the insult to the forehead….. Since I’m not a fool, I have ceased trying to get them to see beyond their own misapprehensions, and just use what I see as fodder for these posts….. Less frustrating, to be sure, if no less depressing….

I seem to have ranted myself into a corner again; I don’t see a way to continue this without becoming either vitriolic, or boring (some might say “more” boring…. all I can say to them is “thptttttt!”….); I’d guess it’s probably too late to avoid being rude. Since there is still some ways to go before we can call it a day, I think I’ll close this off, and go in search of an appropriate poem for the day…. As a final word of caution and warning, in the unending struggle against ignorance, let me leave you with these….

“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion,
mankind would be no more justified
in silencing that one person than he,
if he had the power,
would be justified in silencing mankind.”

~~ John Stuart Mill ~~

“All a man can betray is his conscience.”

~~ Joseph Conrad ~~

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

Funny Bones

Dreaming the way home, lost, unseen,
from the dance, where
he felt so free, and clean.
Sorrow couldn’t find him there.

Waiting, filling up the hours, hoping,
some connection can be found
keeping busy as bees, coping.
Love creeps in, without a sound.

Fat days, skinny nights, passionate
visions of semi-conscious entities,
cannot seem to fully illuminate
or hide our innermost frailties.

Resolute, find the perfect sense, codify
simple rules with every breath
never waiting, anxious to modify.
fear nothing in life, not even Death.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/13/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Pooh and the Buddha Nature

*********

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain,
and you Think of Things,
you find sometimes that a Thing
which seemed very Thingish inside you
is quite different when it gets out into the open
and has other people looking at it.”

~~ A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner ~~

*********

“They are too green,” he said,
“and only good for fools.”

~~ J. de La Fontaine ~~
~~ The Fox and the Grapes, Book iii, Fable 11 ~~

*********

Our characters are the result of our conduct.

~~ Aristotle ~~

*********

“Virtue is but heroic bravery,
to do the thing thought to be true,
in spite of all enemies of flesh or spirit,
in despite of all temptations or menaces.”

~~ Albert Pike (1809-1891) ~~

*********

“If we attend continually and promptly
to the little that we can do,
we shall ere long be surprised
to find how little remains that we cannot do.”

~~ Samuel Butler ~~

*********

A gentleman does things no gentleman should do
in a way only a gentleman can.”

~~ Luigi Barzini ~~

*********

Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum:
“I think that I think,
therefore I think that I am.”

~~ Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary” ~~

*********

When Po-chang was asked about seeking for the Buddha nature:
“It’s much like riding an ox in search of the ox”

~~ Zen koan from Po-chang ~~

*********

“In the dark time
will there also be singing?”
“Yes, there will be singing
about the dark time.”

~~ Bertolt Brecht ~~

*********

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

Done, and, in Tardis time. Funny how that works…. Rather than prattle any further, I’ll play nice, & simply bid thee adieu, until another day, most likely tomorrow, given a fair wind and a rising tide…. See y’all then, fer 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….

Three frozen minuets, if you please….

Posted on January 7, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

The miracle is not to fly in the air,
or to walk on the water,
but to walk on the earth.

~~ Chinese proverb ~~

Festive Display of the Law of the Jungle

Galway ~ Ireland

Hajime…. Well, ffolkes, here I am, such as I am. I used up my ranting angst last night for today’s ranting section; it’s a good one. Powerful message, anyway, if not perfectly disseminated. ‘T will do for our purpose. With that said, I believe today just might be the day I create a new record here on ECR; this is going to be, perhaps, the shortest intro I’ve done since 2001, or thereabouts. Hmm, not in the dictionary, but, you get the idea…. Oh, right. Short, I said…. How short? This short….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.” — W. Somerset Maugham

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

Having walked a lot yesterday, I’m tired, & in the mood for some classical music. Here is another mix from someone who also likes to have music while reading…. As usual, I picked the one with a picture I liked the best today….. Enjoy!…

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

Classical Mix

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

https://youtu.be/2v1NicefAfE

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

“Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable.”

~~ Plato (428-348? B.C.) ~~

We all know Plato is thought to be one of the most influential thinkers in history; little did we know just HOW correct this particular example of his conjectures/assertions were to be in the final analysis of human nature; nor, I think, did anyone guess/believe how NOT paying attention more closely would cost the entire species.

As humanity exists in today’s world, virtually every man alive is, not merely unaware of this powerful description, personally, but is, as well, completely ignorant of the implications of this simple truth for society, by virtue of their ignorance of self…. This is, essentially, why the most common human male unconsciously bears an unwarranted sense of entitlement, which allows them to put aside any moral, or ethical, rational considerations, in favor of what they WANT….

These boys, for they never become what I would consider men, live their entire lives without examining their own feelings; it is discouraged from birth, by dress, by the attitudes of their parents, siblings, and any peers, all of whom are under the same illusion of superiority, based solely on physical strength, on a gross level. In short, from birth, men are taught “might is right”, and anyone who doesn’t learn to fall in line is branded for life, with any number of labels, which have attached to them a perception of shame for the bearer, all of which discourage individuality and introspection, while simultaneously encouraging the completely unnatural, divisive attitude of false entitlement.

Thus, these ‘boys’, in men’s bodies, learn to abuse women, or any other creature they wish to intimidate, such as the weak and/or vulnerable, or animals. They are taught it is their right, and duty, to “get what they can, and hold it”, usually justifying with such grand logic as “chicks dig dudes with money”… or, a car, or power, or whatever their personal fantasy entails…. and, as behaviorally shaped by commercials on TV….

Finally, without ever having learned any restraint, they learn the most dangerous of these perversions of rationality, they learn it is acceptable to kill to achieve their own desires, at no cost to their own sense of self, or conscience, if any….. These attitudes are all the more insidious for their its most attractive feature, to wit: there is no personal responsibility borne by those who assume the mantle of what I term rogue males of the human species… None of any of what I have described above is ever examined, or discussed, or acknowledged, in public, or in private…. Thus, darkness covers the entire human culture on the planet. Many of the rational men and women in history who HAVE resisted such insanity have noted, “Repression can only exist in silence.”

I saw a picture flash by on my screensaver a moment ago; the subject was a face shot of a lovely young woman, draped in a softly white, almost transparent shawl/scarf, with a pensive expression, fingers of one hand to her chin, with heavily accented eyes… My first thought was of Keats, or another poet’s verses on love…. Then, in a faint echo, from the deep past, I heard, in an accent much as that of the TV character Gomer Pyle (or Goober; perhaps Gomer was talking to his cousin…), a voice saying, “Boy, I’d sure lahk to fuck that!” I realized, even though the thought, or the feeling that spawned such a vile epithet in regard to any woman, was not mine, it was one I have heard so many times, the attitude it represents is embedded in the very culture in which all the men on this planet, mostly (certainly more than 90%…) have been raised since their birth….

I have actually heard, in defense of the human male’s urge to fight, and fuck, whenever he likes, this urge, or, in truth, false sense of entitlement, is based on natural laws, such as the behavior of the lion in re: they will fight over the right to copulate with any female willing & in season. Of course, these idiots, (excuse my mild flame….), when it is pointed out they are completely wrong, both as to motivation of the lion, as well as the consistent non-lethal results of such fighting, and the natural urges involved, (they don’t want to hear how the males never fight the females… ever, unless they are, for their species, insane…) they refuse to listen, or even, if invited, to go actually watch a pride of lions for some time, to try to understand what is actually going on, rather than assuming what they WANT to be true, is as they wish it to be in reality…. (see Plato, above….)

I challenge any one of my readers, male of female, to dispute this assertion> Any who do so, if you would, please provide some sort of justification for doing so. I’d hate to flame anyone on my own blog for trying to do so without any sort of evidence at all. I’m willing to listen to any reasonable contrary opinion, as long as it is presented in the same framework I am offering with mine.

My own evidence lies partially in my own experience as a male growing up in this culture, and, 65 years of experiencing, observing, and studying (with books and social intercourse, i.e. discussion), the human species, and, its society,, throughout human history, with a focus on trying to understand the nature of the bloody beast. I may not be Aristotle, or Plato, but, I’ve sure as hell read more on the subject(s) than they ever had the chance to do, for sure and for certain….

Go ahead. I’ll wait…. While we are waiting, how about an old-school pearl, touching on some of what we’ve been discussing, sort of, in general, or, that vicinity…. You’ll see…. Some of it, if one observes closely, provides some of the evidence for my assertion, if in no other way than to point one’s study/focus/thoughts in a certain direction, in order to find the tangible proof….. Trust me not; follow them to their end, and it will be there for you to perceive, inside yourself, as verified by what you see in the world…. Or, ask/comment below, and we’ll try to come to a consensus both can accept…..

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

“MTV – Why Johnny can’t read, tie his shoes, speak, think.” — Truthful Bee

“A man would still do something out of sheer perversity – he would create destruction and chaos – just to gain his point…. and if all this could in turn be analyzed and prevented by predicting that it would occur, then man would deliberately go mad to prove his point.” — Feodor Dostoevsky, “Notes From the Underground”

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” — Voltaire

“There are more horses’ asses in this world than there are horses.” — Grandma Soderquist’s conclusion

“A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.” — Sir Barnett Cocks

“Independent self-reliant people (would be) a counterproductive anachronism in the collective society of the future […] (where) people will be defined by their associations.” — John Dewey (1859-1953), educational philosopher, — proponent of modern public schools. 1896 — “The Tyranny of Government Schooling”, John Gatto, 1992

“Clinton wants us to sacrifice – We should start with the politicians. Which do you recommend – burning at the stake, an altar & knife job, or the tried-and-true ‘Feed the Volcano’ method?” — Don Meyer dlmeyer@uiuc.edu

“If the Catholic church couldn’t stop Galileo, then governments won’t be able to stop things now.” — Carlo de Benedetti of Olivetti on the folly of trying to regulate information technology

“Give a monkey a brain, and he’ll think he’s the center of the universe.” — Ouch! Bee

“A “pacifist male” is a contradiction in terms.” — Lazarus Long

“He who is bent on doing evil can never want occasion.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 459

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

After the odyssey….

Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound.

Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.

Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.

Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.

Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/10/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Being Human

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

“The more clearly you understand yourself
and your emotions,
the more you become a lover
of what is.”

~~ Spinoza ~~

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

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”

~~ Margaret Drabble ~~

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

If you can distinguish between good advice and bad advice,
then you don’t need advice.

~~ Van Roy’s Second Law~~

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

“In our haste to deal with the things that are wrong,
let us not upset the things that are right.”

~~ Unknown Bee ~~

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

“Man is great by thought.”

~~ Blaise Pascal ~~

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

There is always more than we see.

~~ Mindful Bee ~~

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

“He who possesses most must be most afraid of loss.”

~~ Leonardo Da Vinci~~

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

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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

“Man is free to think as his reason tells him.”

~~ Spinoza ~~

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

Not too bad, I think. With the help of the Tardis, it’s even done at a reasonable hour…. To echo the brevity seen in today’s intro, I’ll merely say this: Bye, ffolkes. See y’all mañana, if my luck holds…..

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….

Silly is just another word for sublime….

Posted on January 5, 2016 by gigoid

.Ffolkes,

“Hopelessly lost, but making good time…”

~~ David Letterman ~~

Leelu preying…. A deadly predator to shoes and paper.

Hajime…. Yesterday’s foul mood, while passed into memory, mostly, remains hovering around the edges of my persona; I suppose, given today’s world, a certain amount of angst will be humanity’s lot from now until the world has settled into whatever the future brings….. In other words, “What the fuck?” is the new paradigm for human reality, so, we’d best get used to a higher degree of chaos in our daily lives…. So be it; we have no one but ourselves to blame for any of it….

I’m tired, having spent a restless night, post foulness of mood. Also c’est la fucking vie, so, no sense worrying over it now. It isn’t as if I hadn’t been there before, right? Right. Since we’re being so damn logical and grounded this morning, perhaps it would be best to get the slow on the toad, right away, before we lose any of the competence we may possess by virtue of the new day. Yeah, that’s the ticket…. Hang on, we’ll teleport over to the oyster beds, so we can get started without any further delays, or, opportunities to fuck it up…. Sure, like that will work…. Oh well, let’s go, anyway….

Shall we Pearl?….

“In a room with four mirrored walls — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual — you can easily look in one mirror look in two if you try, and possibly look in three but you can never see yourself in all four. You have to spin around, change your focus or better, have a friend who can watch your back reflecting what they see, and help you grow.” — Callan Williams

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

A few days ago, I used the MTV Unplugged video of Eric Clapton’s session on that show. On the page where it resides, I found another concert, from 1988, & decided to listen to it…. The show opens with two of the finest guitarists alive, absolutely killing old Cream songs, for the first 20 minutes or more….. I just sat there smiling, with my jaw dropping on a regular basis, as Eric, or Mark, went off on the guitar solo riffs in both White Room, and another couple of the old tunes…. Amazing…. When Elton joins in, it’s magic, ffolkes…. Enjoy….

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

Clapton, Knopfler,Elton John
Live in Tokyo, 1988

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

https://youtu.be/c7ZdSuuTMEI

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

The Anti-trafficking Movement Needs Survivor Voices: Why Are We Ignored?

“Human beings were invented by water as a device for transporting itself from one place to another.” — Tom Robbins

As an opening for a rant on politics, I can’t think of a better writer than Tom Robbins, to illustrate for us the primary cause for all the problems we humans seem to make for ourselves in that silly, yet, deadly arena of human existence. With one masterful line, he shows exactly how we fail to understand the true nature of not only Reality, but, ourselves, as well. Of course, one must possess the wherewithal to understand the incredibly subtle metaphor he employs, but, hey, if there is anything we know around here, it is the power of the Metaphorse….

With that said, I’m feeling generous today, as well as smarmy, so, I’ll forgo ranting in favor of poking at the BRC, and all the other Asininnies we can include, with the sharpest sticks we can find in the oyster beds today…. Since we have, naturally, using the power of a Time Lord, as bestowed by virtue of a Tardis on loan from the Doctor, already collected all the pearls we shall need, why don’t we get right to it? Okay, that was easy…. Oh, and, fair warning, ffolkes; there are 13 of these puppies. Take it slow….

Almost Naked Pearls

How to irritate others, and lose friends…

(All implied criticism is intentional… gigoid)

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

“A man can’t get rich if he takes proper care of his family.” — Navajo Proverb

“Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perennially rejuvenated illusions.” — Albert Einstein

“If the newspapers of a country are filled with good news, the jails will be filled with good people.” — Daniel P. Monynihan

“Of course the US Constitution isn’t perfect; but it’s a lot better than what we have now.” — Eric Sheppard

“Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof.” — Ashley Montagu

“Fewer possess virtue, than those who wish us to believe that they possess it.” — Cicero

“A prune is a plum that worried a lot.” — Witty Bee

“It is utterly implausible that a mathematical formula should make the future known to us, and those who think it can would once have believed in witchcraft.” — Betrand de Jouvenel, The Art of Conjecture, 1967

“It’s hard for the modern generation to understand Thoreau, who lived beside a pond but didn’t own water skis or a snorkel.” — Bill Vaughan

“The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.” — Lord Acton

“That which leads us to the performance of duty by offering pleasure as its reward, is not virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue.” — Cicero

“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” — Chinese proverb

“A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn.” — Ancient Human Proverb

(Sources on Google ranged through countries & cultures all over the world; the implication of that is obvious…. and, if it isn’t, then, it becomes an exercise for the Gentle Reader to THINK about it….)

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

For The Blind Poet, Embraced

I sit to open a vein, exposed in public places,
happy to be written, judging by the faces.

None can see the price so willingly paid,
at the feet of imagination is that cost weighed.

Still shadows of reality shine quite as well
to hide all the bleeding as if under a spell;

While visions and fantasies vie for attention,
hoping to win once-hoped-for final mention.

Technology may or may not rue its day
never knowing or caring its part to play.

All the precious moments of inspiration
Fall ever short of our own imagination.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/30/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Thoughts on Life at Large

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

“Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke.”

~~ Hermann Hesse ~~

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

“Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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

“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

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

“It takes a very long time to become young.”

~~ Pablo Picasso ~~

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

“No man can be brave
who thinks pain the greatest evil;
nor temperate
who considers pleasure the highest good.”

~~ Cicero ~~

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

“We are all born for love.
It is the principle of existence,
and its only end.”

~~ Benjamin Disraeli ~~

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

“Don’t reinvent the wheel, just realign it.”

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

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

“Every time a man unburdens his heart to a stranger
he reaffirms the love that unites humanity.”

~~ Germaine Greer ~~

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

Beauty is truth, truth beauty, –that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

~~ John Keats ~~ Ode on a Grecian Urn ~~

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

Well, it’s a Pearl. Further, deponent sayeth not. As to the future, well, one never knows, do one? You can be sure, given today’s post, I WILL be back tomorrow, to try again…. It may not be better, but, it will be different….. For now, I’ll merely say, adieu for now; I’ll be back, as long as I don’t run into anyone meaner, or trickier than myself…. If I do, read the news, for it will probably be there…. If not, I’ll be here….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pike staffs with curlicues….

Posted on January 4, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.”

~~ Franklin P. Jones ~~

Luna, 12/25/2015

Image found at https://europasicewolf.wordpress.com/author/europasicewolf/

Hajime…. I’m unsure as to why eight hours sleep results in awakening if a foul mood; it’s foul enough I don’t give a shit. Everybody ELSE in the world, today, will just have to deal with it, because, I don’t intend to. For some reason, I woke up with absolutely no patience; not for foolishness, not for rudeness, not even for cat nonsense. Moreover, this time, I am NOT going to be the one making any fucking adjustments. Whoever crosses my path will act with perfect rationality, or they WILL pay a price for not doing so in my presence….

That out of the way, I’ll note today’s effort won’t be much of one, anyway…. I spent much of yesterday working on the no-doubt excessively wordy rant you’ll see today, but, it’s a pretty important one, to me, so, read it anyway, ‘kay? I worked on it pretty hard, even so far as to re-blog another bloggers most excellent piece as part of the lead-in to our subject matter today…. I guess the theme ended up being “how to fix things, or not” which is about as murky and unclear as I can make it… Sorry, not in a mood to be anything but straight-line. In fact, I’m done here; let’s get to it….

Shall we Pearl?….

Cat: Ethereal music wreathed in mystery.

~~ Bastet Bee ~~

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

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I’m in a rotten space, as I’ve noted. One of the few pieces of music tolerable at all are these two symphonies, by the man I consider the most talented musical genius mankind has produced, thus far. Don’t care if anyone feels otherwise; in this mood, this is the only thing that can bring me any peace, so, if you don’t appreciate classical music, you may move on to the ranting section, where you will be encouraged to use the mind you possess for its intended purpose…. See you there, if I can manage not to get arrested before I get there….

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

Mozart
Symphonies 40 & 41

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

https://youtu.be/X5ZS8jCrnh4

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

Le Penseur ~ The Thinker

August Rodin

“Never frighten a little man.
He’ll kill you.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

~~ from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~

At first look, this short, pithy assertion about human nature by The Eldest may not seem particularly apt, nor deep enough to warrant a picture of Le Penseur to begin an examination of such a complex subject…. No worries, mates; it’s much, much deeper than it appears, and, I’m about to explain why…. (For those readers who don’t know why I call Lazarus by that title, ask in a comment, & I’ll explain)

Since the first of our species, long ago, before any modern human can even comprehend, first picked up a rock or stick, to defend itself against an attack by a predator, or, even, another of its own relatively peaceful species when not aroused to violence, (all of which, after all, is a natural function of life on Earth before technology…,), and, by virtue of possessing a weapon, killed his/her antagonist, the human imagination has turned its power to the improvement of the stick, and/or the rock, as a weapon, and, to the various methods of killing other creatures, whether predator or prey, upon which it fastened, as our primary means of fulfilling its natural function, of creation…

We have spent the intervening millenia in creation, mostly along those lines, improving both our weapons of death, and, the use of our imagination, to give free rein to the most vicious side of our animal nature… We became the planet’s most efficient predator, so much more of a killing machine than any other, almost NONE of our competitors are left, but for the power of Nature itself, which our imagination continues to attempt to control, to turn the very nature of Reality to its own vicious purposes, to the detriment of not only all the other animals and other life forms here, but, to the entire ecosystem, of which we are only a part… In short, we are so intent on the achievement of our own foolish desires, we are killing ourselves…. Stupid is as stupid does, it seems, is a truer representation of Reality than we knew….

If we are capable of viewing our species’ history in this light, the above statement takes on new meaning; the most dangerous human is one who fears…. There have been many sages throughout our history who, in contrast to those who pursue predation as their means of survival, have pointed out the folly of such avarice based upon ignorance and fear, and, of the necessity of learning about the universe, rather than fearing it, as we do…. Most people, because of the fear they feel, are given little chance to ever USE the mind with which we are equipped; from birth, they are taught to fear… to fear God, to fear other people, to fear reprisal of any kind….

The other side of that counterfeit coin is the promise of reward (i.e., the removal of fear), as well as the promise of ‘immortality’, which is, as is eminently clear, merely the province of the Universe as a whole… All of the individual PARTS of that Universe, in Reality, die, and change form into something else…. They, and everything that exists in Reality, ‘die’, and are ‘born’ again, as a different type of energy/matter…. Matter becomes energy, energy becomes matter, in a duet, a dance of Life and Death, through all of Eternity. Or, as much as we can perceive in this form.

That much is plainly visible to the simplest mind, as the proof is visible, in plain sight, in everything we witness in this consciousness we call Life…. This means, of course, the reward promised is fake, for each and every person is already immortal, as a part of the Eternal NOW, in motion through time, moving without cease, until it is destroyed, thus changing form….

One of the worst factors of this approach to Life the majority of our species has chosen, whether consciously, or not, is the sense of false entitlement, and, assumption of superiority which is characteristic of those who ascribe to any such philosophy…. It is particularly egregious, as well as culturally embedded, in the male members of humanity, who have, for all the time since we first became a species of killer apes, have abused their naturally greater physical strength to abuse and intimidate the female of the species, believing ‘might makes right’, no matter the resulting pain, or death, it may cause to others…. Only the wishes and desires of the strong, in their minds, have any validity….

I’ve often used the following meme, from ex-President Carter, to illustrate one of the ways this attitude has manifested throughout history, and, in truth, before we started keeping it in written form. It is a very clear summary of the issue, from the point of view of an intelligent, well-educated man, who was NOT one of those men who feel as most others do….

Before finishing this post, I had decided to re-blog the piece of work located at the link you see just below…. I’d like my Gentle Readers here today to take a few moments to read it, if they haven’t already, before resuming this narrative…. In my opinion, the story this woman has conceived is, absolutely, the most powerful, and, the most logically likely scenario for the familiar tale to have occurred, in true Reality, as opposed to what everyone today has been taught to believe…. In my mind, this is, most probably, the actual way Mary became known as the Mother of God…..

Be warned; it is a powerful tale, and not to be taken lightly; if you cannot disengage from your feelings while reading, you WILL weep before you are done…..

http://bellejar.ca/2015/12/29/blessed-art-thou/

Ffolkes, this has to stop. The men of the human race are killing each other, and all of us; raping women, and children; and, are, in general, strutting around the planet acting as if they are the only ones who matter at all…. They are not only dead wrong, but, they, in their extreme ignorance, blinded by the lust for power, and control over others, (which exists only to assuage their own fears of inadequacy), are in the process of killing us all; a species which does not act in concert to survive, will never do so… That particular rule of existence is written right in the basic roots of Universal Reality in this plane of existence….

Kindness, compassion, love, and honor are what characterizes my view of a Man; I see very few of our species living up to that standard…. The most painful irony, and, most painful truth is, most of the men alive on this planet are too ignorant, too weak, too afraid, and too wrapped in themselves to ever realize it….. The man of honor is no longer the majority, in this country, or, in the entire world, I’m afraid. Instead, they exist, only, as a rarity….

Pathetic is what they are; I guess it’s almost time for me to go hunting….

gigoid has spoken.

So be it.

It seems gigoid has more to say….

Yesterday, after writing the above, I read a blog, written by a Palestinian woman I regard as one of the most intelligent humans on the planet; she is burdened by not being free to use her full intelligence, simply by being born in a place that places little regard in women, at all, and, are actively repressive to any who display such power of mind, in public, and mostly, in private….

Moreover, she is trapped in a country which is occupied by another, and must survive, protect her family, and keep herself safe in what is, essentially, a war zone, called Palestine, in Gaza, next to the zone occupied by the Israelis, at whose bloody hands the city has become a festering cauldron of murder, repression, and, quite simply, inhuman atrocity, against an entire culture…. all in the Name of God.

She wrote a long piece in her native language, which Google could only HOPE to come close to translating. However, it was clear enough to me she had written her usual brilliant analysis, with her own reactions, of a recent meeting with a man and woman she considers as mentors in rational Islamic thought. While trying to make sense of the translation, it occurred to me, she was also trapped by the same trap as every other woman, man, and child on Earth, to wit: she has been labeled…..

All of us bear labels; it is human nature to assign a word to another, in order to place them into the proper slot in their mind’s world view… We get so wrapped up in labels, we confuse our real selves with what we have been labeled as being, though it may not have any real relevance to what is in our hearts and minds….

Names, places, religions, skin colors, genders, hair/clothing/body/life styles; we all receive them, and, usually, accept them as true without thinking about it, since it fits into our preconceived notions of self, or others….

And, it’s all another fucking illusion, ffolkes…. To comment on her post, I wrote a more prosaic, somewhat shorter version of the following, which I have decided to entitle….

Manifesto

I was born in the USA;
it is a place on the Earth.

I am not an American.

I am a human.

If I MUST be labeled an American,
then,
I must also consider myself
to be :

Palestinian,
Egyptian,
Israeli,
Chinese,
Russian,
Irish,
Belgian,
Kenyan,
Tibetan,
Afghani,
AND,
every other country
in the world.

If I am anything,
I am a citizen of Earth,
of Terra,
our Home.

As long as humans regard themselves any other way,
as citizens of different countries,
as proponents of different religions,
as possessors of different colored skins,
or different genders,
or,
as ANYTHING other than a human being,
FIRST and LAST,
we will never learn to make peace with each other.

Applying a label, of any sort, to a human,
is to place limits
on what they can be, or think, or do….

Accepting such labels
as truth
leads only
to death,
without honor,
without hope,
without peace.

Freedom,
true freedom,
has no limits;
there are no labels
among the free.

Humans don’t need
a creator,
money,
fear,
or,
violence.

Humans need
compassion,
kindness,
love,
honor,
and,
each other.

Simple logic,
and absolute truth
about human nature.

You won’t find it
in any version of a Bible,
or of the Quran,
or any other book.

You can only find
this absolute truth
in your own
heart and mind.

~~ gigoid ~~

1/3/2016

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

Future Shocked:

Weeping, I wake;
waking, I weep, I weep.
I weep for the ages to be lost,
for the children never to be born.

Time comes calling, strident and spare,
nudging us toward the future with bony hands.
No pausing, no waiting, always away,
Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.

Spirits are dark, afraid.
And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel,
seeking out the weak, and the foolish.

We all weep now…..

~~ gigoid ~~

7/22/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Life at Large, Redux

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

“It’s amazing how much one person can do,
little by little,
over time.”

~~ Worker Bee ~~

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

“There are no mistakes.
The events we bring upon ourselves,
no matter how unpleasant,
are necessary
in order to learn what we need to learn;
whatever steps we take,
they’re necessary
to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”

~~ Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever ~~

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

“The chief cause of human error
is to be found in prejudices picked up in childhood.”

~~ René Descartes ~~

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

“The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”

~~ Flannery O’Connor ~~

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

“A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa,
but people still line up to see the original.”

~~ Louis Armstrong ~~

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

“I do not believe in the creed professed
by the Jewish church,
by the Roman church,
by the Greek church,
by the Turkish church,
by the Protestant church,
nor by any church that I know of.
My own mind is my own church.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

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

“Children are remarkable
for their intelligence and ardour,
for their curiosity,
their intolerance of shams,
the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision.”

~~ Aldous Huxley ~~

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

“If I were to wish for anything,
I should not wish for wealth and power,
but for the passionate sense of potential;
for the eye which,
ever young and ardent, sees the possible.
Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.”

~~ Soren Kierkegaard ~~

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

“Fortune rarely accompanies anyone to the door.”

~~ Balthasar Gracian ~~

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

It’s done, & I’m still in a foul mood…. I’m gonna go play with Leelu, & see if I can find a bit of peace inside…. See y’all tomorrow; I’m pretty sure, if I can keep myself from going out into the BBR, I’ll still be here to do so…. Time will tell, the tattletale….

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….

Tidy bonuses on a tiny table….

Posted on December 28, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It is useless to close the gates against ideas; they overleap them.”

~~ Metternich ~~

Avenue of the American Dream

Note the two signs….

Hajime…. No, don’t worry; I’m not going to start off with a rant. In fact, I looked below, & there’s already a good long one down there, so, no worries… the intro is safe…. I remember this one; it leaked out a few days ago, & I’ve been waiting to the right chance to use it…. It’a relatively long, but, it’s on a subject on which I feel strongly, so, I don’t care. Y’all, as always, have the choice to read or not, but, I hope you do, because it’s all stuff that needs to be heard, by more than just y’all…. so, spread it around…. Just the subject is fine; I became a bit phantasmagorical at the end of this one; I got so worked up over the subject, I indulged myself with some dreams, so to speak….

We all have dreams; mine, like all else I do, are pretty strange, I’d guess, in comparison to many others; these are probably fever dreams, but, nonetheless enjoyable, on a private, personal level, for all that…. Now I’ve successfully told you nothing, about nothing, in more words than are, not merely necessary, but, desirable, by any stretch of the imagination. Nothing new there, right?

Hmm…. not much else to cover…. I did have a great time, yesterday, with my kids and grandson; I’m feeling the price today, physically, but, every minute is worth anything I must go through later, so, no complaints….. Can’t share pix, naturally; too many weird people trolling the Net for photos of children, especially good looking kids, to share with other perverts…. I may not LOOK cynical, but, believe me, I’ve seen the worst of human nature (I’ll speak of that below….) and it’s victims are NOT going to be from my family, if I can help it….

Enough blather, I think. I’ve wandered around, saying little to nothing, to little purpose other than to bring us here. We’re here, so, my work here is done…. Damn good thing, too, as I’m now fresh out of any ideas for what to do next…. I think Id best go find a video for today…. See y’all at the oyster beds; you’re on your own today for getting there…. You can just follow me if you like…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago.If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” — Edward O. Wilson

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

Image from guitarplayer.com via Google Images

I feel like rocking out today…. Nobody can help with that better than this performer…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

Stevie Ray Vaughan
Live at Montreux ~ 1985

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

https://youtu.be/dIhVJnYaRX4

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

This rant, a long one, didn’t just leak out; actually, it was all I could do to keep it this short, as I tend to get a bit worked up about this…. It’s fresh in the last week, and probably could use some punching up…. But, what you see, today, is what you get…. If you become uncomfortable when asked to think, or feel about injustice, well, better skip to the poem….

Plague of Evil

In this blog, I speak of a number of issues which are a part of human society/culture, most of which are discussions of how poor a record in embracing human rights, and/or, living up to the twin concepts of kindness and compassion, our species has exhibited throughout history…. One subject, which often gets neglected, for reasons we will discuss, is the abuse of women, and children, and, even some men; in short, the continued presence in our society of the abhorrent practice of human slavery, generally for the purposes of the sex-for-sale business, but, often enough, just plain slavery.

I refer, of course, to a huge number of corporately sponsored factories, farms, or other businesses, in various places around the world, who force children, women, and men, to work for pennies a day, to provide shoes, clothing, and/or luxury items, none of which any of them earn enough to afford… Hell, they don’t make enough to pay for much of anything on what they are paid for working 12 to 20 hours a day…. This, believe it or not, is the sole purpose of “Free Trade Law”….. That, however, is a rant for another day…

To my mind, the abuse of women and children in the sex trade is, perhaps, the most significant, as well as the least apparent, (certainly the least ‘admitted issue) of all the forms of slavery practiced by that portion of humankind. In my mind, these people are subhuman, without any trace of any of the higher ideals, or evidence of ethical/moral beliefs of any kind, which are embraced by most of humanity…. In essence, these human predators, who have a completely false sense of their own importance in the universe, are without any morals, or ethics, and have given up their souls for the sake of an illusion of adequacy, unfounded, yet, enforced with violence which is never admitted, or, held up for approbation by society…. Pond scum is the nicest thing to call them, in my estimation.

These men (though there are women who subscribe to these sick, illusory beliefs as well…), believe women, or any other human they can intimidate and place under control, are property, less-than-human, and not worth any guilt or any sort of disapproval from a conscience; they have none. In my mind, this places them in MY category of those humans whose death, at the hands of another human, is NOT an unethical event, in any fashion…. If they die, screaming in pain and terror, so much the better, for they are completely without any redeeming value, as a human, or as a member of human society…. In fact, death is, in truth, too good for them; to give them a taste of how they treat others would be as satisfying for me, as long as that taste ended up poisoning them, slowly, so I could watch them go through the agony they deserve, in this life, or any other….

I’ve been writing about this subject for some time, after coming across a couple of blogs, written by women who had miraculously freed themselves from a life of such slavery…. Both had been abducted, or forced into prostitution at a young age, not being able to break free before the age of at least 30, spending more than half their lives as slaves to a series of evil men and women, forced to debase themselves on a daily basis for years, and years, and years….

For some time after coming across their stories, I felt so much rage, at the misogyny coating every level of or society, I began to plot ways to start removing the ‘snakeheads’ (the commonest term for those at the top of the chain in that trade….) from this plane of existence, one by one, personally…. In short, I began to dream of killing men who spend their lives abusing the rest of humanity, especially women and children, both of whom are their prey…. Using all the weapons at my disposal, I would stalk the streets of the cities, removing them from life, until it became an underground certainty that pursuing such a course of business was a sure path to death….

Of course, to fulfill such a vengeful dream, I’d have to become like them, and give up certain of my ethical standards, in order to complete my chosen duty…. Y’know what? It took me a very long time, and is still not a settled question in my mind/heart; the urge to kill pimps and snakeheads is just as strong today as it was four years ago, when the depth and breadth of the problem, (which covers the entire world; every city, every country is guilty of NOT doing ANYTHING significant to address this issue….) first came to my knowledge, and understanding. I still argue with myself often; I must, as there are times I feel so strongly, it’s all I can do, to NOT tuck away my five knives, three ropes, my bow, and staff, then, toddle off to Oakland, or San Francisco, to go hunting men…

Believe me, I really, really want to… I have two sisters, and if either of them had been taken in such a way, I’d still be out there, killing. As it is, all I can do is write about it, to help vent enough of the rage so I can keep from losing control…. But, I have to say, I often wonder why I DO stop myself; nobody else even THINKS about it, as far as I can see……

At this point, even writing isn’t reducing the anger; I’m THIS close (holds up thumb and index finger, touching…) to just saying, ‘fuck it’… I’m 65 and NOTHING IS BEING DONE to either stop the trade, or, rescue its victims…. which is a part of how our misogynist society works, and has, for 10,000 years, and more, back to when the first asshole with a dick bigger than his brain, raped a woman, and nobody cared, or looked away, or watched in approval…. Even the stupidest idiot in the world cannot deny the evidence of this issue, yet, no one ever does anything but talk…. as I am limited by age to doing….

Moreover, not only does government, composed primarily of, and for, men, NOT act on this, or even acknowledge it unless confronted, but, even the churches, the so-called proctors of morals in society do less than the government. In fact, they are worse, for they pretend to care for their constituents equally, especially for the weaker and more vulnerable, such as children, women, and the elderly…. Here is what a former US President, who was, without doubt, the most devoutly Christian of all our elected leaders, ever, had to say on the subject…. I figure he ought to know, having studied Scripture, deeply, through his entire life….

Nor is the hypocrisy of these Dogma Dogs (as I like to call them) limited to women; what group in society, by clear evidence, as reported in the news for all my life, as well as by my own observations, and conversations with many of those who teach the delusions held by most of humanity, has made a consistent, centuries-long practice of abusing children, as well as women, to a degree no other organization, or entity of any kind, has ever approached… not even within shouting distance?

I am willing wager anyone at all, any amount, or deed, or, third-born child, if they wish, (Just kidding, ffolkes… only had 2; no more coming, ever….)(maybe I’m calming a bit; that was almost funny), they care to bet, if they can prove, or even suggest any evidence that can be confirmed, that the clergy, especially that of the perverted “celibates”, (What a ridiculous idea! How can anyone, with more than 3 neurons to use, even THINK such an act/habit/intentional lie, is either natural, or, healthy for any creature, much less one claiming humanity?), who claim the title of Priest, is NOT guilty of crimes against their own flocks, more than any other entity you can name…. It’s not only children who are abused by the church in such fashion, either….

It disgusts me; all of them. Pimps, snakeheads, priests who molest or break their vows (which they usually treat as ‘suggestions’….), politicians who lie so often it has to be a congenital issue, and is certainly a mental issue, known as sociopathy…. They’re all assholes, they’re all shitheads, or, any other vulgar name you care to suggest; scum of the earth is nearly right, but, doesn’t give an adequate feel for just how evil these wastes of DNA actually are, in reality…..

I’m not done, but, I’m through for now….. In closing, I will merely say, if you start seeing headlines, of a mysterious number of deaths associated with people, primarily male, who are known to be active in the sex trade, or, a strange number of men who had been convicted or accused of rape, or other abuse of women, but, walked free…. Well, it’s entirely possible that, shortly before the reports began, I stopped writing, and disappeared from sight…. & you’ll know I lost control….

It will be either that, or, the NSA, or some other fascist, paranoid group of assholes, caught me off-guard, & disappeared me…. Or, more likely, came looking for me, and found me already gone….

It makes for a good dream, anyway…. and, if it happens, I may lose my ethical standards in one area, but, in another, I will be completely content with my karmic account…. Duty is as we choose it to be; I choose honor, which is rooted in compassion, and, when carried out with the proper attitude, as confirmed by reason, and experience, in kindness.

So be it…..

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

Today’s poem is one written not long after ending my 35 year hiatus from trying to write ANY poetry…. It’s not bad; I was in a rather tough state at that point in time, with lots of pain & anguish due to living on the edge of poverty, for the first time in MANY years…. so, it get a bit fusty & hopeless…. No worries, it all passed, & ends on a good note…..

A Seasonal Approach

Absolute stillness grips a frozen field,
anticipating dawn with such patient yield
morning burgeoning in dark winter’s hold
brings promise of tales yet to be told.

Lengthening days of pale sun unto night
slowly tell of time’s subversive flight
bringing such original songs of natural fire
with melodies complex in casual attire.

The months are certain they will always win
it is just the way it has always been.
None may argue, nor yet slow life down
Nor dim the eternal beauty of nature’s gown.

Winter evolves from fall into spring,
sending flocks and hearts ever awing.
Summer follows suit, t’other way ’round
Spring into fall, often without a sound.

Life is meant to be lived, beginning to end
choices abound, and change can be a friend.
Yielding with grace to reality’s compelling ploy
fills our plain existence with clean, honest joy.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/2/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large

***********

“To try may be to die, but not to care is never to be born.”

~~ William Redfield ~~

***********

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

~~ Unknown Bee ~~

***********

“YES… LOVE IS A CONTACT SPORT…”

~~ il NOEGO ~~

***********

“Euripides was wont to say, “Silence is an answer to a wise man.””

~~ Plutarch — Of Bashfulness ~~

***********

“It isn’t so astonishing the number of things I can remember,
as the number of things I can remember that aren’t so.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

***********

“In the fight between you and the world, back the world.”

~~ Frank Zappa ~~

***********

“Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear.
Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together.
Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated
deplore these formalities as “empty,” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them.
No matter how “pure” their motives,
they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein, “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long” ~~

***********

“Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished:
if you’re alive, it isn’t.”

~~ Richard Bach ~~

***********

“When learned men begin to use their reason,
then I generally discover that they haven’t got any.”

~~ G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, 11-7-1908 ~~

***********

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

~~ Aristotle ~~

***********

“There will come a time when you will discover a thing called loneliness.
But remember life’s cruelest irony:
The time you feel most lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself.”

~~ Douglas Coupland ~~

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

It’s done. Today, that’s the best I can say about it, as I haven’t gone back over it to look at how it hangs together…. As they say, in some places across the big pond to the East, c’est la fucking vie…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, most likely with a bit more pizazz…. whatever that is….

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….

Referencing Billy-Bob’s astute observation….

Posted on December 22, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It’s that moment of dawning comprehension I live for.”

~~ Hobbes ~~

nasa earthrise

Earthrise over the Moon

NASA Image from http://www.nasa.gov

Hajime…. Tough morning, following a tough evening, complete with full PTSD breakdown…. Fortunately for me, one of the five or six people in the world to whom I can speak for more than two minutes without either wanting to strangle them, or, causing them to either want to strangle me, or run for their lives. was home, and answered the phone…. Some time spent talking, connecting to another human, did the trick for me; I was able to regain some composure, and, get to sleep…. finally.

Today, I’m feeling a bit ragged, and fragile, which only proves part of what we discussed last night, i.e. getting old not only sucks, but, damn it, there is no fucking manual! There are only our observations about getting old, seeing old folks live around us, to gather information, unless we actually discuss it with someone who’s been there, done that. Most of us don’t, because, hey, we’re immortal, right? Age will never get US!

And, just as it does to every one of us, age gets us anyway. Now, we must learn a whole new way to approach living, that involves considering the fragility of our physical bodies, which never before caused us a single moment’s worry, since everything in it worked the way it was supposed, and it never complained unless we took it too far, too fast…. Nobody says anthing, or warns us about this new path we must learn to walk; not only that, but, we have to walk it ourselves anyway….

What a system! I’m beginning to believe that maybe there is a God, and, He/She IS very human-like, because, if this world, and the way it seems to work, with humans in it, quite frankly could have been better designed by my five-year old grandson with his Legos. The world as it exists today, with hairless apes infesting every corner of the globe, making a mess of everything, well, it just doesn’t seem like it was very intelligently designed; it’s that, or God got ripped of by a dishonest construction crew, who ended up using flawed material for making US.

That said, why don’t we do something else, a bit less depressing, if nothing else. I know for sure today’s musical selection pass any inspection, and, there’s a fresh rant below that will take us a while to get through. So, we’ll forgo any further tricks or stories or bullshit, and just get on with it. Here is how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.” — Lena Horne

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

Stock image via Google Images

Personally, I don’t feel the need to introduce this artist, or her music; she’s been here before. Add in the fact I’ve loved her music, and her public persona from afar from the first time I heard her sing. A voice like angel, plays guitar with style and great skill, and beauty great as the iconic Helen…. what’s not to love?….. Here’s a live concert from the Oakland arena in 1992, I believe…. I defy anyone to NOT enjoy this…. Abondanza!

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

Bonnie Raitt Live

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

https://youtu.be/scokz7A4kkU

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

“Look at these three words written larger than all the rest, and with special pride never written before or since — tall words, proudly saying “We the people” .. these words and the words that follow … must apply to everyone or they mean nothing.” — James T. Kirk, “The Omega Glory,” stardate unknown.

I would suggest you all gird your grids….

While standing in front of the heater a few moments ago, (it is cold & rainy), all of a sudden, I began to weep….. I didn’t even know why. However having experienced this state any number of times in the past 15 years, it really wasn’t a surprise, as much as a puzzlement, for, it usually happens only when I am feeling strong emotion, & at the moment, all I was aware of was feeling cold….

For the two or three hours previous to this event, I had been exchanging emails with friends, and making & replying to comments on WordPress. I had written a LOT about my view of how the world is progressing, as a whole, a subject which always tends to stir my emotions. I’m a passionate guy, when all is said and done, and, what I see all around the world definitely has the tendency to fan the flames of my anger, and frustration, at the number of people who are suffering oppression everywhere, including right here in this country, which touts itself as the world’s most ethical government, protectors of Liberty…. What a load of horse shit, from the world’s largest seller of arms!

Anyway, my passion also includes a very strong love of people, though to read what I write, that might not come through very often…. I love every one of the ridiculous-looking, overly impressed with themselves, mostly appallingly ignorant hairless apes that runs around this poor, old planet, leaving messes wherever they go…. Every one of them…. Well, except maybe, those who prey on the others…. For them, I reserve the same regard as do the Sun and Moon. i.e. I couldn’t care less if they live, or die; in fact, I’d prefer the latter, especially if they die screaming in terror. However, I do try to be merely indifferent to their fate.

I believe my love for Humanity is merely a way to acknowledge, to myself, the connection to all of them I share, with the planet, the moon, the sun, stars, and all the other creatures and objects which exist in our complex, beautiful, and, oh, so dangerous Universe…. The danger, of course, comes from the simple fact the Universe itself doesn’t give a sorry shit whether any of us live, die, or go insane…. all of which we are periodically subject to.

I realized, as I stood before the heater, weeping, that I was weeping for Gaia…. for the planet, the people, and all the creatures in this world who suffer at the hands of Humankind, who are all paying the price for our insane entitlement, our lack of moral/ethical fiber, and our brutishly violent nature, complete with an ability to completely forgo the awareness of their own nature, or how they affect everything around them…. the stupid apes.

At this point my weeping turned to rage, & it was all I could do to keep from rushing out the door (after grabbing ALL my weapons….), heading for the nearest government or police agency, to begin the task of following the real wisdom in the old saying from an old friend (figuratively….)…. to wit:

HL Mencken

Fortunately, for them, mainly, but, also for me, I managed to control the impulse, which is more than I can say about any of the politicians or police occifers (no worries, it’s a deliberate typo…. just a touch of sarcasm, don’t y’know?….), of my acquaintance or knowledge….. Instead, since Leelu, at the moment, is sleeping off a training session, I sat to write this piece for tomorrow….

Sometimes the urge to obtain a katana, a crossbow, and an Uzi, or similar tool, to take up the task of hunting I’ve dreamt of for so long is almost too strong to bear, or resist; so far, so good, though…. My choice of targets would be, of course, rather obvious, to any who read here often, as well as to the NSA, etc…. I’m sure, by now, those folks (note spelling) are well aware of my opinion of ALL of them, and their ilk…. so, there’s no need to go into that here. Let’s merely say I’m pretty positive I’d enjoy my hunting trip, should I ever actually LOSE my mind, and leave the house suddenly, sans all electronic devices, and, fully armed….

You see, I do know who is responsible for much of what is going on in the world. They’re actually pretty easy to spot, once one accepts their own nature; that is necessary to be able to see them, for they too accept theirs…. The difference is, they don’t have a certain set of neurons, or a gland, or whatever it is that helps us humans to control the beast within; in fact, they revel in their brutality, their cruelty, and their ability to lie, to create illusion, and take advantage of every other human alive. I, and, all too few others, who do have that gene (I settled on that word as the signifier of the most likely culprit for their lack of moral fiber), can see them, and, know very well how to be like them. The difference is, but, we refuse to do so….

“We, the people…” The men who used those words, and the words of the quote above from J.T. Kirk’s scriptwriters (doesn’t make the words less valuable, does it?) understood this about Humankind, and, made a valiant attempt to set up a system whereby those perverted, broken excuses for a human being would be unable to spread their lies, or influence the welfare of the general populace…. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they were aware of how lazy and stupid the average human can be, nor. the already ubiquitous power of the oligarchs then extant….

They did note the flaw after wards, and left warnings to future generations; Tom Jefferson is well-known for several statements warning Americans to stay informed, and to watch their government like hawks for signs of corruption…. For example:

“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” Thomas Jefferson

But, not enough people listened, and most were too lazy, or busy ‘pursuing happiness’ to notice what was happening to their rights as citizens, while they were being steadily eroded, starting within hours of the signing of the Constitution. Thus, today, NONE of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are intact; every one has been abrogated at least partially. Falsely generated flames of fear amongst the population now rage, caused by, and fanned by, that very government, in order to fool the people into giving up the last of those rights, to wit: the right to bear arms….

That final right has yet to be abrogated absolutely, at least in this country, where it has been protected for a long time, by the simple fact there are more guns among the populace than are in the hands of the government, and, they know it. So, the campaign to rid themselves of that threat has progressed slowly, by stages, as the elite use their control of media and elected officials to fan the flames of fear among those whom they have convinced it is too dangerous for people to have weapons; so, according to those who foster these illusions, more, and more, and more regulation and control over weapons is needed “to protect society.”

Did you spot the lie in their story? I hope so, because too few people do…..

I’m tired; weeping, then ranting isn’t easy on a 65 year-old who’s been ignoring pain, and cat, for about an hour now…. To finish, I’ll end with a very old Pearl, one I’ve used many times in the past, long before I retired, or began writing this blog.This particular pearl was put together to honor the author from whom I learned the most about real thinking, just by reading his novels… He spent his 80-some years on Earth doing a lot of it, very well….

Plus, most of these give us an idea of not only how to resist the oppression we ALL suffer, but, how to go about living well, in spite of it…. I hope y’all think about every one of them, but, pay particular attention to the last three….

From 9/20/2012:

Here are some true pearls of virtual wisdom from the acknowledged Grand Master of Science Fiction…… arrogantly solipsistic, delightfully honest, absolutely moral according to whim, and eminently useful in pursuing a full life of honor and joy…..

“The only real sin is hurting others unnecessarily. All other sins are made up nonsense…. (Hurting yourself is not sinful, just stupid.)” — Robert Heinlein

“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom… and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.”
“You butt into other people’s business. All the time.”
“Who said I was wise? I’m a professional bad example. You can learn a lot by watching me.” –Dr. Jubal Harshaw — Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein

“Don’t store garlic near other victuals.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of “loyalty” and “duty.” Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute — get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it?” — Robert Heinlein

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

Last, but, far from least….. a statement that serves as an adjunct to Peruaosophy, and indeed, as part of the basis by which that philosophy was created…..

“Do not confuse “duty” with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect.

But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible. It is easier to deal with a footpad than it is with the leech who wants “just a few minutes of your time, please — this won’t take long.” Time is your total capital, and the minutes of your life are painfully few. If you allow yourself to fall into the vice of agreeing to such requests, they quickly snowball to the point where these parasites will use up 100 percent of your time — and squawk for more!

So learn to say No – and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to do your own work, and certainly no time for love and happiness. The termites will nibble away your life and leave none of it for you. (This rule does not mean that you must not do a favor for a friend, or even a stranger. But let the choice be yours. Don’t do it because it is “expected” of you.) ” — Robert Heinlein

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

This one is from a morning much the one I’m having today, thus far…. I hope you enjoy it…. I didn’t, but, it fits….

A Dubiously Soft Morning

Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.

Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.

Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.

Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.

~~ gigoid ~~

7/26/2013

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

Naked Pearls

The World according to Zippy

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

“If our behavior is strict, we do not need fun!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“Your education has failed you if you have not learned forgiveness, compassion, and love.” — Zen Bee

“We want the facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don’t, it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions.” — Jessamyn West

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” — Epicurus

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

“Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.” — Josephus Daniels

“All the magick of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.” — Magi

“If a person is to get the meaning of life he must learn to like the facts about himself — ugly as they may seem to his sentimental vanity — before he can learn the truth behind the facts. And the truth is never ugly.” — Eugene O’Neill

“Is he the MAGIC INCA carrying a FROG on his shoulders?? Is the FROG his GUIDELIGHT?? It is curious that a DOG runs already on the ESCALATOR.” — Zippy Bee

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

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got, and it’s more than I expected to be able to finish. So be it. Today’s closing has no ups, no extras. See y’all tomorrow, hopefully in a better space in my head, and in our Consensual Reality….. The one I found this morning doesn’t cut it; well try again tomorrow….

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….

Laughing at faces in the dark….

Posted on December 15, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“(Someone once said) …time is the fire in which we burn.”

~~ Soran, Star Trek: Generations ~~

Leelu, casting protective enchantments….

Hajime…. Today’s mess is pretty messy, but, at least it’s all freshly made; it will take longer to begin to decay. Now, don’t go thinking that’s a dig at my own ‘stuff’; it’s just realistic. Everything decays with time; that’s how existence in this universe works. Nothing escapes the changes made mandatory by nature’s duality; light cannot exist without the dark. Nor can there be life without death. Or, as Yul Brynner once said, “Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera….”

If you had never been dead, how would you know you are alive?…. Answer that, and, you will understand…. Change is the one thing in this universe that will NOT change; entropy exists, and will not be denied. Moreover, no matter what any religious philosopher tells you, a supernatural creator is NOT necessary to explain any part of how the entire universe behaves, even if we don’t fully comprehend how it works…. Why should it be? Everything there is to perceive, that we CAN perceive with our meager five senses, is right out there, just there, waiting for us to perceive it…..

Okay, so, now we’ve eliminated the logical justification for most of the religions in the world, how should we round out the morning? Maybe a shot or two at the insane fallacies inherent in believing, as humans, we need a government? I’m not entirely sure I can come up with quite so damning an indictment as the one in the first two paragraphs; not in as few words, anyway. I think it’s pretty fair to say it isn’t easy to dismiss the relevance of the belief systems of 90% of the world’s population in under a hundred words; I’m positive I won’t be able to do it twice in a row, especially since, now, this paragraph has gotten involved in the whole issue, adding way too many useless, irrelevant words, in support of, (or, more likely, in search of….) rational thinking.

That said, to little purpose, as is our habit, I suppose we ought to think about wandering down to the meat of today’s material; it may not be lobster, but, it ain’t chicken!

Hmm…. Okay, it’s worse than I thought, ffolkes. We’d best be on our way, before anything untoward takes place….. I mean, other than merely being here, being weird, etc….. You know what I mean, and, if you don’t, so much the better for me and Luigi, who is driving today….

Luigi… Luigi! Damn it, he’s drunk again! Oh, well, it was probably Guido who got him that way; Guido loves to fly, and he’s not above screwing a friend (not my definition, his….) to get a chance to fly this bucket o’bolts…. Something about hours on retro planes, & his rep….. Any who, he’s already boarded, and going through the checklist, so, we’ll be on our way tout suite…. if my French is correct. If not, well, that’s okay; the only place I’ve ever spoken it is in the kitchen…. There’s the no-smoking light, so, see ya at the oyster beds, if we all live through it again….

Shall we Pearl?….

“We must become new people or be satisfied the way we are.
Either way we risk tragedy.
But by the first we choose life.
By the second we choose death.”

~~ Corita Kent ~~

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

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Image from guitarworld.com via Google Images

Today’s video selection isn’t very long; considering the quality of what you’ll hear and see, I can’t help wishing it were longer. However, since Stevie plays just about the hottest licks I’ve ever heard, as he totally KILLS this song, we’re gonna play it anyway…. Any true fan of guitar work will be jazzed at this one….. By following the link to the page where I found it, you can hear lots more of Stevie, along with a number of other most excellent performers, with whom he played prior to his unfortunate early demise…. This, as we are wont to say ’round here, be some good shit, ffolkes….

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

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
VOODOO CHILE

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

https://youtu.be/OEJh2FFUUoU

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

“All history shows that every man who has authority is led to abuse it; he does not stop until he comes up against limitations…Things must be so arranged that one authority checks another.” — Montesquieu

The men who founded this country, based upon the ideas brought forth in the document you see above, obviously knew the principle, and flaw in human nature, outlined so clearly in this statement by Mssr. Montesquieu. The government they formed was designed in such a way, each of the three parts, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial, acts as a check to the power and authority of the other segments. It is an excellent design, with only one flaw, which the oligarchs spotted immediately…. That flaw can be most simply stated thus: The success of the system designed will fail if even one segment falls under the influence of outside interests. If ever one branch of the triad becomes corrupted, that corruption WILL spread to the others.

Guess what, ffolkes….. This process, corruption of the US governing bodies, began within HOURS of the signing of the final copy of the Constitution. Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, and others, took note, and wrote letters showing they were concerned at how banking interests had already made inroads into the corruption of elected officials…. In short, the battle between the people, and the oligarchy, began more than merely 200 years ago; the cause of its continued presence in our lives can be laid at the feet of the people themselves, as far, far too many of them never paid attention to the single most critical factor in assuring the defense of their legacy of freedom. They did not, and still do not, keep themselves informed as to what their leaders are up to….

“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson

Oh, it’ not all their fault, of course. The people who have usurped the halls of government are quite adept, having long experience, at keeping the general public unaware of their activities, in back rooms and alley ways, behind the curtains and closed doors, where they do their best work at corrupting officials. They have the complete assistance of every religious organization, too, all of which preach obedience to authority, whether it be secular, or religious….

From the cradle, people are conditioned to accept the words and ideas of their ‘elders’ and ‘teachers’, and ‘leaders, none of whom ever even KNEW the truth of Reality, but, have blindly passed on their own brainwashing to their children, without ever having looked at any of the concepts upon which they have based their lives, to see if it has any actual truth…. Those who do know the truth behind the lies, and tell them anyway, are, in my consideration, the very scum of the earth….

“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.” — Thomas Paine

“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson

When these two entities work together, as they have throughout the greater part of human history, most people really don’t stand a chance. Their brainwashing begins the moment they are born, as their own parents begin teaching them the delusions upon which their entire lives are based, to wit: money exists as more than just an idea, and is more important than people; second, they are taught there is a supernatural authority, which insists all of us believe whatever we are told, about it, or the world, without ever testing those ideas against reality, and what we actually know inside ourselves….

It’s small wonder the world we live in is in the state we find it today; the hairless apes have been having running around the planet for millennia, making a mess of things, as they have attempted to reconcile the bestiality of their nature, with the potentially civilizing power of their intellect and imagination. It is becoming increasingly obvious, every attempt made has been more than just a little disappointing…. As Arthur C. Clarke once observed, their is no evidence available which proves there is ANY survival advantage attached to intelligence…. not as we have employed it…. Now, it is just about time to pay the piper, and, sadly, almost nobody has even read the contract.

I think that’s probably enough for one morning; the people who need to see this will never do so, which leaves the only reason to keep on ranting as the desire to indulge my own need to purge my mind of this dross and drivel. I believe I’ve gotten enough onto the page to defray the cost of any angst built up…. I’ll finish this with a short set of pearls, a bracelet, as it were, all of which will have something to say on these matters….

See ya down the page a ways, ffolkes; please, if you take nothing else away with you today, let it be the resolution to wear your thinking caps all the time, and, encourage others to do the same. It may be the only chance we all have to see in the next century, as a species….

**********

“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.”

~~ Euripides ~~

**********

“He who is bent on doing evil can never want occasion.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 459 ~~

**********

“It is wrong always, everywhere and for everyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”

~~ W. K. Clifford, British philosopher, circa 1876 ~~

**********

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

~~ John Milton (1608-1674) — Areopagitica ~~

**********

“Human beings don’t live like this.”

~~ Humanist Bee ~~

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

Measures of Intent

Hell is never far away; it slips in, then out,
like a ninja, bent on stealth, and death.
Life metamorphoses, in the space of a breath,
sordid entropy fills us, within, and without.

Tide turns again; back and forth it tumbles,
like those little wind up toys, yet never stays.
All our efforts, all our silly little ways,
disappear like seaweed, as sanity crumbles.

The duality of reality in which we are firmly caught,
seems to inhabit every part of our natural selves.
Nothing is ever still, nor can it be placed on shelves;
we are dark, and light; balance must be taught.

Life is lived only one moment at a time,
past and future have no power to alter this at all.
We can choose to fly, or choose to fall;
finding truth, and beauty, can never be a crime.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/14/2015

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

Today’s final offering brings most welcome balance to the entire Pearl; note, please, we began in Fire; now, we end, in Fire….. Not bad for serendipity, eh? Not that we’d wish to come to depend on it, but, it is certainly most welcome when it appears…. Enjoy this one, ffolkes, I did, and do, strange as it is. I forget where exactly I got the picture, though I’m pretty sure it was stolen from Facebook long ago; it is here today because, well, it just works….

Oh Rose, thou art sick;
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy;
And his dark, secret love
Does thy life destroy.

~~ William Blake, “Songs of Innocence” ~~

“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors and miss.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“As you are, so shall you wish. As you wish, so shall it be.” — Pensive Bee

“Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

“There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.” — Confucius Analects

“If anything is certain, it is that change is certain. The world we are planning for today will not exist in this form tomorrow.” — Philip Crosby, Reflections on Quality

“PRESENT, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Realistic Bee

Avarice, envy, pride,
Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all
On Fire.

~~ Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy ~~

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

Well, as Ollie used to say to Stan, a lot, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!” It is, no doubt, a good thing, from more vantage points than I care to contemplate just now. In fact, it is also, no doubt, a good idea we are at the close, else, we would be in more of a mess than we are now.

I believe that statement can only be followed by a Q.E.D. So be it. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; mark it down, if you don’t trust your memory, because, I like people to have a little warning before I mess with their heads…..

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….

Oddly decorated with fleurettes of aubergine paraffin….

Posted on December 12, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.”

~~ Mencken’s Metalaw ~~

~~ H. L. Mencken, A Mencken Chrestomathy ~~

I see meat….

Image from Twitter; @DESPERADO #AmazedbyAnimals

Hajime…. There is now no reason for doing any of this; the whole purpose here, beyond the stated exploration we are compelled to pursue, is to afford me an outlet to purge the dross and drivel from my mind, so it doesn’t sit in there and rot, as it did for many years…. But, if I’m bonkers, as they say, it isn’t working, is it? I mean, if that’s the case, what’s the point? I bet Daffy would know….

But, we don’t have him at hand to ask, so, we’ll have to struggle on, while actively resisting the urge to howl the fire and spit the wind. For sure, and for certain, that would drive off any remaining Gentle Readers I may have accumulated in the recent past…. It probably wouldn’t fret some of them, but, they’re old hands at this, and expect these outbursts of angst in the intro on occasion…. It’s a well-known factoid one can, in time, get used to the volcano in the back yard; one acclimates, so to speak. But, for any newbies, or those who worry, try not to do so for long, as it will wear you out long before I return to any sort of coherency…..

But, then, you knew that, didn’t you? Sure, you did. Don’t try to kid me; I’ve been around the block more than twice; I know what a pile of doggy doo-doo smells like. So, wipe your shoes, and come on in; it won’t hurt, I promise. If you know anything about me, if I can’t keep a promise, I won’t make it. Even in the deepest depths of my darkest dreams of personal hell, that wouldn’t change. My personal critic/teacher, who still watches over my shoulder in my mind, would NOT have allowed any such abrogation of duty…. Dad was tough, but fair. Didn’t say much, but, never had to, to get his point across….

Now I’ve wandered around in my own head, rather indiscriminately, I’m afraid, perhaps we should wander down the page a bit further, to a point we can gracefully slide out of this reality, where weird shit seems to pour out of my head, into our alternate, temporary fantasy reality, where Guido just happens to be waiting, politely, as always, for us to get ourselves organized, choose our beverage, and take our seats. Since all that is checked off, we can be on our way to, well, who the fuck knows? If I did, I’d probably have mentioned it some time ago….. Oh, well; hang on, it’s gonna be one of THOSE days. ffolkes….

Shall we Pearl?….

“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion;

i.e., none to speak of.

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

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

Eric Burdon & The Animals, circa 1975

Image from music.naiji.com via Google Images

Eric Burdon & The Animals, 2015

Image from wallyingram.com via Google Images

In 2011, it was, apparently, the 50th anniversary of the recording release of “House Of The Rising Sun”, by Eric Burdon & The Animals, a British band who followed in the wake of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. (My memory says 40-some years, but, it’s hazy for that period…. go figure….) The band became something of an icon of the era, with around 15 or 20 #1 hits….

I’ve embedded the 2011 performance by the band commemorating the song, and, I can honestly say, it rocks. The second link is to a play list with most of their hits on it, with a number of other excellent video selections, not all from the 60’s & 70’s, & not all this band…. I hope you enjoy this retrospective of an iconic tune, which scandalized all the politically correct of that era, by speaking/singing about the perils of those who frequented the the finest brothel in New Orleans during its heyday…. with all the attendant emotional impact such music can carry…. Let’s see how the boys have held up over the years, shall we?….

You know what? They only got better…. The lead guitar player kills the opening solo performance, exhibiting some incredible licks and brilliant improvisation….. and, what a great guitar!…. It (the guitar) looks as old as I am, but, has one of the best TONES I’ve been privileged to hear….. Every note it makes justs swells with beauty and the joy of simply existing…. the true heart of music…. He and that guitar have made a lot of music together, for a long time…. Don’t miss it….

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Eric Burdon & The Animals
House of the Rising Sun

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https://youtu.be/X6DVwql1E-g

https://youtu.be/X6DVwql1E-g?list=RDX6DVwql1E-g

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“I’m pretty good with people on an individual basis, but in groups, I really can’t stand the bastards!”

~~ George Carlin ~~

Trust George to put his finger directly on a feeling common to all of us, at times. It’s what the greatest comedians, who are the jesters, the bards, the conscience of society, do best; expose our own nature for us to observe, in irony, in jest, in Truth…. As a practicing curmudgeon, this statement appeals on many levels, aside from the merely annoying necessity of dealing with mundanes on a daily basis…. In fact, of late, I’ve taken to NOT arming myself so heavily when leaving the house; I’m too tempted to use one of my hidden, lethal toys, just to get the satisfaction of wasting some idiot who is probably better off dead, than annoying the general public…. Not to mention the bonus of removing at least one irritation from our consensual existence….

Ah well, such is life in Amurrica today…. I’m tired of ranting about all that has gone wrong in this country, and in the world at large. Rather than harp on it any further today, I’ve collected a nine-star pearl for your perusal, with a graphic meme from the internet to close the grouping, each of which can be seen as an expression which defines for us most of the reason(s) WHY our national persona has turned into an asshole of such immense proportions…. Some are forthright, clear statements of obvious truths; some require some thought (go figure, eh?). All of them have contributed some way to the mess we now observe, all around us…..

If you disagree with any of them, feel free to say so…. That’s what a true Patriot of this nation does, you know…..

“The discovery of America was the occasion of the greatest outburst of cruelty and reckless greed known in history.” — Joseph Conrad

“Money by right means if you can; if not, by any means.” — Horace (65-8 B.C.)

“I … reject the argument put forth by many fundamentalists that science has nothing to do with religion because God is not among the things making up the universe in which we live. Surely if a necessity for a god-concept in the universe ever turns up, that necessity will become evident to the scientist.” — physicist Ralph Alpher, Theology of the Big Bang, Religious Humanism, Vol. XVII, No. 1 (Winter 1983), pg. 12

“St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great who asked him “how he dares molest the sea.” “How dare you molest the whole world?” the pirate replied: “Because I do it with a little ship only, I am called a thief; you, doing it with a great navy, are called an Emperor.” — Noam Chomsky, Pirates and Emperors.

” In truth, there never was any remarkable lawgiver amongst any people who did not resort to divine authority, as otherwise his laws would not have been accepted by the people; for there are many good laws, the importance of which is known to be the sagacious lawgiver, but the reasons for which are not sufficiently evident to enable him to persuade others to submit to them; and therefore do wise men, for the purpose of removing this difficulty, resort to divine authority.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

“Law stands mute in the midst of arms.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.)

“Most legislators are so dumb that they couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel.” — Savvy Bee

“I believe there is a limit beyond which free speech cannot go, but it’s a limit that’s very seldom mentioned. It’s the point where free speech begins to collide with the right to privacy. I don’t think there are any other conditions to free speech. I’ve got a right to say and believe anything I please, but I haven’t got a right to press it on anybody else….. Nobody’s got a right to be a nuisance to his neighbors.” — H.L. Mencken

(Hint: Think Main-Stream Media…. Fox, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, etc.)

“War is good business – invest your sons.” — Corporate Bee

For those who choose to respond, in any fashion, I’ll point out there is a comment section at the bottom of this page…..

Hmph…..

gigoid has spoken

So be it.

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

Recently, the dark days with which my life was filled came to an end. Well, for now, anyway….. There are, and will be, still times when I hurt, everyfuckingwhere, it seems…. But, they are fewer, and further between, and I can deal with that…. Here is a poem I wrote one time, late last year, when it was particularly noisome being me…..

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 ~~

9/14/2014

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

What we have today is what I would call a side-view pearl, due to the point of view from which each of the statements was created, and expressed. Some of the quotes you will see will touch on subjects which are part of everyone’s life, but, very few ever really consider. Others will be familiar… All of it, I assure you, will be on your own Final Quiz, when it is time for you to take it…..

“He that fears not the future may enjoy the present”

~~ Thomas Fuller ~~

“How do we come to think of things, rather than of processes in this absolute flux? By shutting our eyes to the successive events. It is an artificial attitude that makes sections in the stream change, and calls them things… When we shall know the truth of things, we shall realise how absurd it is for us to worship isolated products of the incessant series of transformations as though they were eternal and real. Life is no thing or state of a thing, but a continuous movement or change.” — S. Radhakrishnan

“A detective story generally describes six living men discussing how it is that a man is dead. A modern philosophic story generally describes six dead men discussing how any man can possible be alive.” — G. K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men

“He knew that insofar as one denies what is, one is possessed by what is not, the compulsions, the fantasies, the terrors that flock to fill the void.” — Ursula K. LeGuin, _The Lathe of Heaven_

“The work of an unknown good man is like a vein of water flowing hidden in the underground, secretly making the ground greener.” — Thomas Carlyle

“He made one of Antipater’s recommendation a judge; and perceiving afterwards that his hair and beard were coloured, he removed him, saying, “I could not think one that was faithless in his hair could be trusty in his deeds.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Philip

“Almost everything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” — Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)

“Time is only an illusion produced by the succession of our states of consciousness as we travel through eternal duration, and it does not exist where no consciousness exists in which the illusion can be produced; but “lies asleep.” — H. P. Blavatsky (1831-1891)

Ros: Do you think death could possibly be a boat?

Guil: No, no, no…Death is…not. Death isn’t. You take my meaning.
Death is the ultimate negative.
Not-being. You can’t not-be on a boat.

Ros: I’ve frequently not been on boats.

Guil: No, no, no—what you’ve been is not on boats.

~~ Tom Stoppard ~~

There you go. As I’ve always tried to relate to y’all, timing is everything, and, balance is the key…. Stay alert out there, ffolkes. It’s getting strange out there in the Big Room….

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

Okay, then. Thanks to the Tardis I have on loan from the Doctor, it’s done. Since it is, I had this idea I should go post it. I wonder why I didn’t think of that before? Ah well, I guess I was busy. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; it’s just one of those things we’ll all have to deal with, as it happens….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

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Exploring Consensual Reality

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