Passionate chlorides never dissemble….

Posted on October 31, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“God must love assholes — She made so many of them.”

~~ Hilarious Bee ~~

Urban Illusion

Is this thing on?…. Ah, okay, then…. Hello, there, again…. I thought I’d begin with a bit of a different tone today, reflecting reality more closely than is the customary case at this point. Having done so, I’ve saluted the conventions, so to speak, and, should now be free to indulge my whimsy to my heart’s content. If that isn’t possible, I want a refund…. Oh. Wait…. Right. Never mind….

Let’s try this…. I’ve got three or four days to get through until I have internet service at home, and , & the process of getting to a Wi-fi spot in the morning is becoming a pain (of which I already have quite enough, thank you very much….). This doesn’t even begin to factor in all the other crap going on, so, to say it’s a challenging time is both appropriate, and, sadly accurate. To avoid any chance at whining about it, we’ll just go on to the oyster beds, and let Fate do what it may…. Luigi, you know what to do; the rest of you, look intelligent, if you can….

Shall we pearl?

“Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms … but a *dying* culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Loss of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.” — Friday’s boss (“Two Canes” Baldwin)

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Image from express.co.uk.com via Google Images

Jack Bruce is one of Scotland’s shining lights in the musical world; his body of work extends fifty years back in to the dark ages of rock & roll. As a founding member of one of rocks legendary bands, Cream, he stamped his style of playing, and living, on every piece he ever played. I admire him for living his life with gusto, and honor, from all appearances, and, for his obvious love of Life at Large…. Here he is, with mates Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, from 2005, in the Cream Reunion Concert in London…. Enjoy!….

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Jack Bruce

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https://youtu.be/UJefbp-s9LA

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Le Penseur, “The Thinker” by August Rodin

I have plenty of angst, but, no time to write, as I must go post…. Here’s one from the archives for the purpose of sublimation….

From 4/17/2013:

“A thing is not proved because no one has ever questioned it…Skepticism is the first step towards truth.” — Smart Bee

As I was cruising through Smart Bee this morning, looking for inspiration for section 3, I came across this little gem, unattributed. It sounds like it could have come from a number of different philosophers, all of whom are noted for their wisdom and perspicacity (another great word….). It is also a part of the human flaw that has contributed to many of the problems we face as a society, and as a species.

Actually, it might be more accurate to say that the lack of this in humans is part of the flaw; most people one talks to would not agree with this idea, as stated. In fact, it is directly opposed to the educational premises of many cultures, especially those heavily influenced by religions, such as those in Mexico, Central and South America, where Catholicism is a powerful factor in society, and in the governing of that society. India, and much of the Eastern Hemisphere, too, have societies that are heavily influenced by religion, though with more participant sects than is true in the Western Hemisphere; Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, to name a few, are always a contributing factor in the political events that have shaped history.

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

As a result of this influence, many people tend to reject skepticism, as it doesn’t fit in with what they have been taught, which is to never question anything told to them by persons in positions of authority. Churches tend to encourage this sort of attitude, as their outrageous claims of divinity, and supernatural events performed by their deities, do not stand up well to scrutiny by an objective eye. The leaders of the churches thus play right into the hands of the Beloved Ruling Class, as they counsel their flocks to obey worldly, temporal authority as readily as they are conditioned to obey the secular variety…..

“I just stepped on a factoid!” – Zippy the Pinhead

Thankfully, not all of humanity is defenseless against this sort of conditioning. There are many ffolkes out there who don’t buy into the sort of psychological blackmail being promulgated by the preachers, priests, imams, and shamans of all shapes and sizes around the world, and a large number of them seem to end up blogging, right here on WordPress…. So, I end up preaching to the choir pretty often. But, that’s okay, too, because I know that occasionally, one of those folks who do believe in what they are told, without any questions or doubts, will read this, and, if nothing else, will think about what I’ve said…. Who knows, maybe I’ll go viral, and the whole world will remember that WE ALL ARE GODS?”…… (Remember? Axiom # 3…. “Thou art God, you know…. Let’s do lunch….)

“Youth of today! Join me in a mass rally for traditional mental attitudes!” — Zippy the Pinhead

I suppose that’s a note from my subconscious, to let me know I’ve gone far enough off the rails for now, and should let these good people get on with their lives, rather than wandering around in mine…. Goodness knows where we’ll end up…. So, anyway, just remember to cultivate your sense of doubt, your “crap detector”, as it were, and never, ever take anything “on authority”, without tangible proof…. You’ll find Life to be less confusing that way; certainly, it makes it a lot easier to look yourself in the mirror in the morning…..

“This is patently absurd; but whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.” — Bertrand Russell

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Notes of process and program…

Poems, alas, don’t chase through my head,
bumping and pushing each other like brothers at dinner.
They’re more ripped out of my innards, instead.
Time and circumstance reveal no ultimate winner.

Simmering and bubbling near my unconscious mind
these maddening rhymes blind me sans glimmer.
Building until bursting as if to be dined and wined,
the remaining denizens appear much slimmer.

Fiery visions retain such glorious fatal dimension,
in retrospect, yet fail to leave a permanent scar,
until blessed, or cursed, with focused attention,
singing, crying, bleeding, fast as a movie star.

Pretty soon can’t be soon enough, she said
to a chameleon colored thief bathed in moonlight.
Fancy candles in stripes of blue, gold, and red
foster honest dreams in shades of white.

Passage to daylight is problematic, at best:
beastly ghosts of insomniacs cast no shadow.
Even judges with robes can pass the wrong test
while the rest of us go with what we know.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 1/13/2013.

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Not much to say ’bout this one; it’s pretty damn perfect, and will explain itself….

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

“Go ahead and play the blues if it’ll make you happy.” — Homer in “Moaning Lisa”, from The Simpsons

“The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.’ — Fedor Dostoevsky

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

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.” — Albert Einstein

“A good word is an easy obligation, but not to speak ill, requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.” — Tillotson

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” — Oscar Wilde

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

Fear death?–to feel the fog in my throat,
The mist in my face.
. . . . . . .
No! let me taste the whole of it, fare like my peers,
The heroes of old;
Bear the brunt, in a minute pay glad life’s arrears
Of pain, darkness, and cold.

~~ Robert Browning — Prospice ~~

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Coming up with worthwhile writing while in my current mental state is becoming even more of a challenge than usual; I find myself ranting far too often, as my mind works its way through all the CRAP with which the world is keeping me occupied. Gotta say, it’s not as much fun as I had hoped, when I recall my hopes for being retired. But, there are signs of hope, so, we’ll go with that for now. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of enduring…. See y’all sometime in the near future; a precise prediction isn’t feasible…. Deal with it, ffolkes; some days, that’s all you can hope to do….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Apt portrayals of St. Vitus’ Dance….

Posted on October 24, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“All reality is aspect dependent.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

The Major Oak, England

Image from the UK Guardian 8-6-15

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

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

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

Shall we Pearl?….

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

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

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Mozart: Who Else?

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https://youtu.be/E2LM3ZlcDnk

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

~~ Ruthless Bee ~~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ True Patriot Bee ~~

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Making Room

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

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

Balance is the key.

Timing is everything.

Good can change bad, bad can change good.

Pain makes room for more joy in our souls.

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written in 2013.

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

From 9/8/2012:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

All just a twist of the wrist….

Posted on October 21, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

Image created in Celestia (Astronomy software) by gigoid

Good morning…. Or, so it says here on the label. Personally, I prefer to wait a few hours before trying to make such a distinction, or, for that matter, any judgments at all regarding quality. But, that’s just me; the rest of the world insists on perpetrating ‘social niceties’, even when they have little to do with Reality. Wow…. Sometimes, cool stuff just pops out like that…. If you look at that last statement, from “the rest of the world” to “Reality”, you will see it is a rather perfect metaphor for Life at Large…. in regards to humanity’s part in that Reality, anyway….

Now I’ve completely screwed the pooch for any sort of organized ranting, I suppose I should do something that will save this intro, but, it hardly seems worthwhile, as this Pearl may not get posted today at all. It’s not done yet, and, I still don’t have an ISP, so, a trip to a Wi-fi spot will be necessary to post. SIGH…. Life as a Bozo can be complicated sometimes, can’t it? Ah well, when the nose grows, you gotta let it show. And, it’s far too late in my life to make radical changes in my outlook, so, I’ll just keep honking when appropriate, and enjoy the irony of living life on a parallel track from everyone else, when I am so aware of the necessity of connection….

You pays your money, and you takes your chances; we’re all in THAT boat. So, griping and whining about it won’t help, or make any changes. In a way, I suppose this blog is part of my own attempt to make sense of Life; can’t say it’s helping a lot, but, hey, it’s better than not trying at all, right? Well, that’s what all the ancient sages say, so, I’ll go with it. They seem to have had most of it right, from what I can tell. Damn! How did we fall into this fatalism? God!….. “The emotions, Bunter! Terrible things”

Okay, that’s a clear signal it’s time to bring this to a close, which is another weird thought (closing the opening, yes?…). I am convinced now. We’d best be on our way, before Entropy and Chaos take full control. If we slip out to the oyster beds now, I think we can fool them into thinking we’re still here. Just leave your drinks and coats; we’ll pick them up later & have them mailed to the address you left on the “Instructions In Case of Death” y’all filled out in the initial phase of your training…. Luigi, fire it up & get us outta here!…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Sic Biscuitus Disintegrat.”

~~ Adrian Ogden ~~

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

“Life without music would be an intolerable insult.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

I don’t think I can be any clearer than that; here is part of the reason why it’s true….. Enjoy, ffolkes…..

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Classical Music, Again

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https://youtu.be/ENueF-JnvkY

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“A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks.” — Johann L. Uhland (1787-1862) — Speech, May 27, 1836

Such an excellent pearl is suitable for ranting, certainly; its level of truth is astoundingly high, as well as the accuracy of its aim. And, in fact, I had a very full rant planned to go along with it, as we who live in today’s world are living with the consequences of what Mr. Uhland noted back in the early nineteenth century. As I sit to begin, however, I find myself tired of it; I have to deal, daily, even hourly, with the very real issues that arise out of the fact we are all merely slaves to money, an unreal concept the bankers have managed to convince the world is important to them…..

It makes me very sad, quite often, to think how easily most of humanity falls into the traps laid for them, then, spend their entire lives living according to two very serious delusions about Reality…. First, people have fallen for the delusion of a God, which, in my mind, is a completely unprovable, and dangerous, idea to fall for; secondly, they have been fooled into thinking a) money actually exists as something other than an idea, and, b) money is very important…. neither of which concept has any true meaning in Reality…. I mean, you can’t eat a dollar bill, ( One COULD eat a dollar, I suppose, but, I wouldn’t think it would be particularly tasty, or satisfying, and certainly wouldn’t taste like much without some ketchup & mustard….), and a coin put into the earth will not grow up to be food of any kind… so, what good is it?

I see I AM ranting, but, my heart isn’t in it. Here, take these, instead…. It’ll have the same effect, anyway…. As one of our most famous American authors once said…. “Draw your chair up close to the edge of the precipice and I’ll tell you a story.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, _Notebooks_

“A nation never falls but by suicide.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

“If everyone believed in peace they would immediately begin fighting over the best way to achieve it.” — Goebel’s Observation on Utopia

“Anytime I see a person fleeing from reason and into religion, I think to myself, there goes a person who cannot stand being so goddamned lonely anymore.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

“Happy is he who dashes the heads of his enemy’s children against rocks.” — Psalms 137:9

“Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.” — Lazarus Long

“The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt

(Whoops! Missed that train, didn’t we?….)

“I believe and I say it is true Democratic feeling, that all the measures of the Government are directed to the purpose of making the rich richer and the poor poorer.” — William Henry Harrison

(Funny (ironic) this statement being made by a President of this country…. One might think it to be true…. which it is….)

“As God is my witness – I am that fool!” — Gomez Addams

“.. I don’t know why but, suddenly, I want to discuss declining I.Q. LEVELS with a blue ribbon SENATE SUB-COMMITTEE!” — Zippy the Pinhead

(Perfect ending quote; Zippy does it again!….)

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Ffolkes…. one last word on this subject, if I may (and, why not? It’s my blog….)

We Americans are in the pickle we’re in for one simple reason; not enough of us took the following statement seriously; we are now harvesting the crop of our failure to plant the idea in due time…. We forgot, you see….

Vigilia pretium libertatis.

[Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.]

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Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/27/2012; last posted 12/2013.

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Hopefully, the icon chosen for today’s final section will cause those Gentle Readers familiar with our methods to go on full alert. Here’s a pearl on Life at Large, but, from a viewpoint not often taken…. We’ll start with a nice definitive statement on the nature of Reality, and go from there to our jumping off point…. Take a towel, ffolkes, it can get a bit humid with all the thinking going on…. Enjoy the ride!….

“Why you say you no bunny rabbit when you have little powder-puff tail?” — The Tasmanian Devil

“Deem not life a thing of consequence. For look at the yawning void of the future, and at that other limitless space, the past.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 50

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

“Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death….Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.” — Bertrand Russell, “Selected Papers”

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius

“All of our best and oldest legends recognize that time passes and that people grow old and die.” — Alan Moore, The Dark Knight Returns

“Each of us visits this Earth involuntarily, and without an invitation. For me, it is enough to wonder at the secrets.” — Albert Einstein

“No human thing is of serious importance.” ~~ Plato ~~

“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

There you go…. I don’t think it can be any clearer, especially given the closing pearl from our old friend, Mr. Abbey…. So be it….

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Well, all in all, it’s all I can do, and, you know the rest of that one…. Oh, gosh, look, it’s a closing section! I believe I’ll take advantage of it, and close this puppy down. Now, the task becomes physical, to find the nearest suitable Wi-fi spot, comfortable enough to spend the necessary time to post. I decree it shall be done, since I also have reasonable hope of securing home service in the near future. Whatever…. I’ll be back, one way or another, ffolkes… count on it, at least for the nonce….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

After the tremors pass….

Posted on October 6, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

Supermoon/Total Eclipse in Oxford, UK, September 2015

Image from gizmodo.com

Good morning…. I am struck with awe at the accuracy of the following pearl in describing my own current status here in Reality, to wit:

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

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

It’s eerie sometimes, just how closely Zippy can come to the exact words for what I am experiencing; I don’t think I can count high enough to come to the number of times in this blog he’s provided the perfect ending, or the perfect beginning for pearls. This one, weird as it is, tells the story in the most elegant, accurate fashion I can think of, while still giving the flavor of how I feel about it. In this case, that would be a pretty negative set of emotions, none of which I enjoy….

Peeled, chopped, boiled, smothered, tossed, and consumed…. that’s how a potato gets mauled to produce that iconic salad so ubiquitous at an American BBQ (and, when one thinks about it logically, contributes seriously to many, many cases of adult onset Type II Diabetes, I’m sure….). The only word I can think of to describe the process would be “rude”. Tasty, but, rude….

Now we’ve covered the basics, I suppose an explanation for such an outburst is expected…. Too bad. Like all of us, y’all will just have to learn to live with disappointment. It is now 0146 AM, and I’ve been up for an hour, twitching, cursing, and struggling not to take it out on the cat, who thinks it’s grand craic to have me up at this hour; for her, it’s like having a 24/7 on-call toy. So, I ain’t explainin’ nothin’ to nobody, nohow. I’ll put this Pearl together, but, I make no promises, nor any claims to having any sort of control over the resulting mess. It’s just the way it is, and, we’ll all have to deal with it the best we can.

So be it. Luigi, fire that sucker up and take it away…. Y’all, hang on to something, or, if you prefer, someone (other than me, or Luigi… not good to grab the flight crew on takeoff….)…. See y’all on the other side….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Anyone who has had a bull by the tail knows five or six more things than someone who hasn’t.” — Mark Twain

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

Tracy & Eric

Image from Tumblr.com via Google Images

Today’s video is a cut of one of Tracy’s best, played with Eric, who killed the blues riffs. On the page where the link will take you, there is lots more of Tracy’s work, all of which is worth a listen… Enjoy!….

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

Tracy Chapman & Eric Clapton
Give Me One Reason

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

https://youtu.be/6HspEMXPU7k

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

The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think it should have done.
Calculate that one rebellion in 13 states in the course of 11 years,
is but one for each state in a century and a half.
No country should be so long without one.

~~ Thomas Jefferson, in letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787 ~~

Get up, stand up,
Stand up for your rights.
Get up, stand up,
Never give up the fight.

~~ Bob Marley ~~

Ffolkes…. I’ve been watching the events out in the BBR, and I am moved to use the words of Bob Dylan, as well, when he sang, “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”. I would rant about it, but, it’s a quarter past midnight, on a night of sheer hell, and, quite frankly, I’m not capable of such organized thinking just now. But, I can recognize pearls like billy-o, so, that’s what I’ll do…. All the following are commonly heard in this country these days; Tom, and George, and the rest of the founding fathers would be, as I am, appalled at what has happened…. This is no longer the land of the free, or the home of the brave… Instead, we have this….

“Cunning and deceit will every time serve a man better than force.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

“What luck for the rulers that men do not think.” — Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

“Most people can’t think, most of the remainder won’t think, the small fraction who do think mostly can’t do it very well.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

“Glad to be of help/service. In lawyer talk, that will be $500.00.” — Savvy Bee

“I haven’t committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.” — David Dinkins (Mayor, New York City) — Answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes.

“Always take a lawyer with you, and bring another lawyer to watch him.” — Bo Diddeley’s Observation on the Law

“The United States also has its native Fascists who say that they are 100 percent American…” — U. S. Army (1945)

“We Americans, we’re a simple people… but piss us off, and we’ll bomb your cities.” — Robin Williams, _Good Morning Vietnam_

“At my order, and for the good of the state, the bearer has done what has been done.” — Cardinal Richelieu

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

I know I’m in the now, if only…..

Oh, there it is again, fiddle faddle;
Begone, I said, vamoose, skedaddle!
It looked at me as if I were insane:
Scoffed, it did, filled me with pain.

Where does it come from?
Where does it live?
I’d stick out my thumb,
if I had more to give.

If only, should, would, could it be?
It went away again, this time free.
It will be back again, this I know;
or I’m wrong, and it won’t show.

Who cares?
Who hears?
Such goings on wobble the sphere,
I wish it wouldn’t do that here.

I’ve been wrong before…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 4/19/2013.

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

The presence of Kokopelli atop a pearl should give the regular Gentle Reader a clue as to the nature of what will follow. That’s a good thing, because, personally, I don’t have a clue as to what this one means. That it means something is a foregone conclusion; I’m pretty sure finding it will be fun and challenging…. Right….

“Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger!” — Robot from Lost In Space

“Why Not” is in fact an excellent reason.” — Fatalist Bee

“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 598

“I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free.” — Nikos Kazantzakis

“A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn.” — Smart Bee

“I do my best not to offend, without fucking with the purpose.” — Chris Pirillo

“If this material is offensive to you, and admittedly it will be offensive to someone, than you should take time out to contemplate this truth. Seriousness is the refuge of the truly shallow!” — Blasé Bee

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

“Don’t take anything seriously except happiness.” — Albert Camus

Okay, well, not so bad, after all. Still no clue as to meaning, but, hey, one can’t have everything, every day… So they tell me, anyway….

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

It’s pretty well fractured, but, it’s done. Rather than push my luck, I will take my leave, forthwith. See y’all next time, ffolkes, if I can stay sane that long…. Right now, it’s a toss-up….

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….

Little is less attractive than boastful origami….

Posted on October 4, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Supermoon September 2015 rising over Medal Bridge, Wales

Image from gizmodo.com

Good morning…. Hmm…. So, this is what Hell looks like. Nice wallpaper, dude…. Oh, it’s paint? Even better…..

What in the world was that about? Moreover, who gives a fuck? I certainly don’t. In fact, I can’t think of a single thing, beyond, perhaps, my children (who aren’t children now), about which I can say I give a single fuck. You may ascribe this curmudgeonly attitude to whatever you like; I happen .to know exactly why it’s here, for what that’s worth. I’m not going to complain about it, but, it sure is fucked up….

It is now 0410 AM. I’ve been up three times, getting only about five minutes of actual sleep, having spent the rest of the time in bed tossing, turning, twitching, and cursing. Now, I’ve given up for the time being, and, rather than complain, I am trying to be constructive; what I’m actually being is vulgar and irritable, with a side order of pissy. Not the attitude most likely to help me make new friends, but, then, there aren’t too many candidates hanging around at this time of day…. Hell, we haven’t had a new application in months!….

Now, conceivably, I could turn this into a positive experience. Sure I could. But, fuck that, I don’t want to. I want to feel negative, and I don’t care what anybody says, or thinks about it. You see, IT’S NOT MY FUCKING FAULT!

Oops; sorry, didn’t mean to shout at y’all. I suppose that’s an indication I’m well out of bounds. Big surprise, eh, what? It occurs to me I should probably get on with this, before I lose all sense of perspective, and fall into full-on asshole mode. Nobody has any fun when that happens. I think…. well, no, I’m actually not capable of that just now, so, I’ll just say, let’s do this, instead of what would logically follow if I continue in this vein….

Shall we Pearl?….

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

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

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Image from publicdomainpictures.net via Google Images

What can I say? I need a little humor, and this pair will certainly provide us with that…. Enjoy, ffolkes…..

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

Laurel & Hardy
1943 Comedy Classic

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

https://youtu.be/eesk9Qy7NRs

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

“No slave is ever freed, save he freeth himself.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Here is a piece of ancient wisdom, so ubiquitous Google didn’t know who first said it; hence the SB attribution. It’s a concept our species realized not long after first engaging in the nasty habit. The flip side of the statement is this, which is more to the point; a man can only be made a slave with his approval, tacit or otherwise. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but, it is equally true as the former, and, in fact, is the most practical solution to dealing with the issue altogether. A man who is truly free cannot BE enslaved. You can beat him, injure him, or kill him, but, he will never give in to oppression.

I was born in a country in which liberty was the norm. I’ve watched for almost 65 years as the powers that be, all proven liars and thieves, have steadily eroded that liberty, enforced by violence and the power of lies. Now, to assert one’s rights is to take one’s life into one’s hands, in the face of a government which views people as the enemy, a resource to be duped and utilized, but, not respected. My father would be appalled, as are most of the people left who can, and do, think of anything beyond their own little world….

I could, and have, ranted on this subject for a long time; I think I’ve proved that before. But, I’m tired, having spent most of the night trying unsuccessfully to get within hailing distance of slumber, so, I’ve put together another old school pearl to sublimate the urge, which is quite strong, in spite of my fatigue. Here then is a true gem of a pearl, with Ed Abbey’s wisdom comprising 33% of a diverse group, showing much of what I believe to be wrong, with a bit of how to make it right…. Well, you’ll see… It will do for our purposes today….

“Grown men do not need leaders.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

“Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything.” — Frank Dane

“Deceit in the conduct of war outweighs valor and is worthy of merit.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

“We need excellence in public education and if the teachers can’t do it, we’ll send in a couple of policemen.” — Frank Rizzo, Philadelphia Bulletin, Oct 19, 1973

Authority intoxicates,
And makes mere sots of magistrates.
The fumes of it invade the brain,
And make men giddy, proud and vain;
By this the fool commands the wise
The noble with the base complies.
The sot assumes the rule of wit,
And cowards make the base submit.

~~ Butler ~~

“All governments need enemies. How else to justify their existence?” — Edward Abbey

“…I am opposed to all attempts to license or restrict the arming of individuals…I consider such laws a violation of civil liberty, subversive of democratic political institutions, and self-defeating in their purpose.” — Robert A. Heinlein, in a 1949 letter concerning “Red Planet”

“Whatever power you give to the good cops, goes to the bad ones, too. Never forget that.” — Phillip J. Birmingham

“I am an enemy of the State. But isn’t everyone?”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

Elemental, dear Watson….

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

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

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

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

Fuck.

It
hurts.

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

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

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

I say,

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

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

because

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

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/6/2012

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

Today’s final pearl is what I like to call a harlequin…. It’s got a little bit of everything, all pointed at giving y’all some ideas to use when approaching Life At Large, which all of us must do at one time or another, like it or not…. These can help, used correctly. Be careful, though; used improperly, you can cause yourself no end of misery. Just remember I said so, and you’ll be fine. If not, well, that’s what insurance is for….

“All my life, I always wanted to be somebody.
Now I see that I should have been more specific.”

~~ Jane Wagner, “The Search For Intelligent Life In The Universe” ~~

~~ [Performed by Lily Tomlin] ~~

“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head. -” — Pooh in Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne, English author (1882-1956)

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“Whenever doubt can be called into question, do so.” — Dubious Bee

“We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.” — Blaise Pascal

“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.” — Sigmund Freud

“Life’s fulfillment finds constant obstacles in its path; but those are necessary for the sake of its advance. The stream is saved from the sluggishness of its current by the perpetual opposition of the soil through which it must cut its way. It is the soil which forms its banks. The spirit of Fight belongs to the genius of Life.” — Rabindranath Tagore

“We are all born mad. Some remain so.” — Samuel Beckett

And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there

~~ Box of Rain by Lesh, Hunter ~~

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

What a struggle! But, it’s done, and in spite of Leelu’s insistence on having my undivided attention, I’m going to go post it now. I’ll be back eventually, ffolkes; I can’t seem to stop myself….. See y’all then, if I can get my eyes all the way open….

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….

Inherent doubt = innate curiosity….

Posted on September 26, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.”

~~ Socrates ~~

Artist’s rendition of the SpaceX Dragon Descending to Mars

Image from Space.com

Good morning…. I’m not one for taking advice too often; as a doubting curmudgeon, it’s an occupational hazard, one I’m generally happy to avoid. However, I recently received one piece of advice I’d be willing to try out, if nothing else, as it sounds like it would work for me…. It goes like this: “Start the day with a smile. After that you can be your nasty old self again.” Sounds perfect, right?

Okay, so, I’m being snarky. Chalk it up to the hour; it’s tough to be nice at 0400, having been up an hour already. But, I’m not complaining, as it’s my own damn fault, for sleeping well enough to sleep through the time to take the pill that would have kept the dyskinesia from starting up, strong enough to awaken me, and prevent falling back asleep…. Bozoid tendencies DO tend to strike at inconvenient times; it’s the nature of the beast…. Let’s try something a bit different here, shall we?….

That was certainly different; a two day hiatus between paragraphs…. Looks like the new paradigm has arrived, and is configuring itself, in a manner of speaking…. Here we are again, only it’s the day after tomorrow, at 0230….. which just slipped through another little time-warp, to bring us up to the relative present, to wit, now, Thursday, September 24, at 1235, shortly after noon….. The intervening eight-plus hours have slipped into the mire, without incident, or reportable event taking place, so, we can go on from here, should I feel like buckling down to work. Since I don’t, let’s see what happens next….

I’m not certain I like this new paradigm; perhaps I’d best shoot for a paranykuhl, instead. As half a paradigm, maybe, the transition process wouldn’t be as complicated. Nor as hard on my physical being…. For those who aren’t keeping up, (which, no worries, includes yours truly….), it’s now Friday, at 0145. That’s in the A.M. For the past three nights, in this last month of titrating off opioids, it seems the pattern is to include insomnia, to go along with the regular bouts of dyskinesia, as my body complains/reacts to the ever-lessening supply of medicine in the bloodstream. A true joy it is…. NOT.

Wait…. What was that? What the….? We dropped another day, somehow. It’s now Saturday, the 26th; last I knew, it was Thursday…. Hmm…. I’d better get the Tardis checked out….. We’re dropping days like they’re bad habits; not good. Handy, but, not good….

No complaints, though. So be it. I gotta say, though, it’s getting tough to avoid homicidal fantasies…. Ah, well, fuck it. Let’s go dive for pearls, okay? I always feel better for it…. Luigi, help us out here, will ya?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world.” — E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros

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

LeeLoo in PK Mode

Rather than a video today, I’ve decided to show some pictures of my new familiar. As I’ve related, she showed up one morning a week or so ago, demanding to be let in the house, & emphatically informing me she would be moving in. She’s established herself as the soul of the house, and, little by little, we have been bonding, and learning each other’s habits & demands….

To give y’all an idea of her personality, below you’ll find pictures of her doing what she likes best, (like any cat, that, is, of course, sleeping….), as well as some shots of her playing and/or looking for trouble. She’s got a strong PK mode (that’s Psycho Kitty mode, for the uninitiated….). Oh, and, those crumpled up papers you see? Those are her prey; she is part Siamese, and has already learned how to fetch those papers for me to throw for her…. She also likes to sleep near my feet, or against my back, always wanting to be close… a true familiar…. Enjoy the pictures, ffolkes; LeeLoo’s a natural show-off….

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

Preparing to edit documents as I type

Killing Paper Tigers

In her favorite sleeping pose…

Variations on the same theme….

Checking out the shredding pile….

The aftermath of destruction ~~ fatigue….

I’ll keep y’all updated on her progress, as we each explore the depths of our burgeoning partnership…. Here we go again, ffolkes; she’s just dropped her favorite piece of crumpled paper at my feet, and is staring up at me expectantly….. She wants to play fetch again…. wish me luck; this could go on for hours….

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

“Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile!” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

One of the most common characteristics of fundamentalist religious fanatics is their denial of the effects of humanity’s insanity on the world’s environment, especially as a cause for the climate changes we are witnessing every day. This inability to use their imagination has been one of the major factors in our inability to make any progress toward a viable culture, one which MIGHT enable us to survive our own stupidity. Alas, I don’t see it happening; nor did I see it last year, when I wrote this rant…. Enjoy! It’s all still completely valid and relevant, if not more so than when written….

From 2/18/2014:

http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/John-Kerry-mocks-those-who-deny-climate-change-5239626.php

Wow…. I am, as much as I ever am, impressed, in a good way, by this statement from one of the administration’s most important lackeys…. I read what John K. said yesterday, or the day before, doesn’t matter…. and for once, the tenor and strength of the message, which is about the imminence of the environmental crisis we face in the near future, is nearly strong enough to get through to some folks, and any ffolkes who see or hear it will be encouraged, if somewhat bemused by this typical jump to join in the fight, onto a bandwagon they should have been driving TWENTY-FIVE FUCKING YEARS AGO, but, instead, act as if it’s a brand new model, which they, of course, claim as the first to seen driving in town….

Of course, so far, I haven’t actually SEEN any action on this by the administration, but, boy-howdy, when they decide to jump on the wagon, they do it with both feet…. He actually used the word ‘sacrifice’ I think, or maybe it was ‘danger’…. regardless, he made a good effort, for a first try, to get the message out there, that we have to act NOW, rather than later…. which is the most important key, if we are to have ANY chance to make any difference in the eventual outcome of events….

Personally, I don’t believe, not for a minute, that they’ll do enough, or be able to cut far enough into the influence of the corporate masters to make enough of a difference; no so far as to change the eventual outcome…. But, hey, they’re at least acknowledging that it needs to be done…. I just don’t think they can do it, not before they are blocked by those who hold the purse strings, and who are making a HUGE profit on global warming, as well as on the use of fossil fuels….

To be honest, I really don’t much feel like ranting today, even with the advent of good news about which to speak, or the importance of spreading the knowledge of the imminence of the problem…. I guess I’m in too mellow a mood, having slept long and well again…. Therefore, I’m going to finish this section with an old-school collection of pearls, to try to gain some perspective on this latest flip-flop by the political machine currently in power in Washington D.C…… Let’s see if SB has some good stuff in there for us today, shall we?…. But, hey, I know!…. Let’s let SB fire the shots randomly, so we can see some of the fat cat preachers do some dancing around, too, dodging figurative bullets alongside the politicians and corporate assholes….

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

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” — George Orwell (1903-1950), “Animal Farm” 1945

“I don’t know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn’t.” — Jules Renard

“We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.” — Aneurin Bevan

“Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.” — Herodotus

“The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance…logic can be happily tossed out the window.” — Stephen King

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Stolen Child” ~~

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

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 ~~

Written 5/13/2013.

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

It’s a bit esoteric, if not downright obfuscatory, but, it will do nicely, I think. It fits in well with the tentative nature of the rest of this mess…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.” — The Cowboy’s Guide to Life

“Don’t try to have the last word. You might get it.” — Lazarus Long

“A good place to start is where you are.” — Charles Wolf, Jr.

“No harm can come to a good man in life or death.” — Socrates

“By doubting we come at truth.” — Cicero

“We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” — Titus Livius

“Indeed, what is there that does not appear marvelous when it comes to our knowledge for the first time?” — Pliny the Elder — Natural History, Book vii, Sect. 6

“Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible.” — Sun Tzu

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

It’s only taken five or six days to complete this Pearl; ah well, so much for the best-laid plans. I don’t seem able to find any part of me that cares much; I’m still fighting my own battles, and can’t find any spare angst, or much of a shit to give. So be it. It’s done, and, at this point, that’s all that matters…. I’ll see y’all in a day or three, ffolkes. I’m making a little progress, so, there’s hope…. Ta for now….

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….

Wait, sir! Squeegees are NOT allowed….

Posted on September 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Live a life worthy of the things that will be said of you when you’re dead.”

~~ Ambidextrous Rex ~~

Stealth Rock Surfacing to Fire Weapons

Good morning…. Life can sure bring us new challenges…. Has anyone else noted how little we generally expect them when they come? It’s always a surprise, even though the same sort of events have occurred many times throughout our lives. I suppose it’s the same sort of amnesia women get after childbirth, that allows them to make love again, knowing the risks…. That’s a joke, by the way. I suppose it might not have fallen so flat were it more of a logical progression, rather than the usual male short-sightedness…. Ah, well, chalk it up to a routine shot to shit….

This morning, that routine has centered around a small extortionist, who insists this time of day is when I should pay attention to HER, not the computer. When I sat down to begin today, LeeLoo came over to the computer & sat directly on the keyboard, staring at me as if to say, “Well? What about ME?”…. She refused to be distracted, & I ended up sitting with her in my arms, purring, while I thought of all the time I was wasting….. until I fell back asleep…. SIGH…. Bloody little tyrant, she is…

I suppose this means this intro section will be turning into a morning report on cat antics, as I can see this is to become the new routine, with me attempting to furnish the cat with activities to distract her from the computer, so I can rush to put out the morning Pearl, in the MORNING! It promises to be a series of Keystone Kops episodes, to be sure…. For today, we’ll call this an intro, even though it barely makes the grade. Luigi is here, though, and we’re all set to go, so, let’s get it done, while LeeLo is buy tearing up the magazine I gave her….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The apple cannot be stuck back on The Tree of Knowledge; once we begin to see, we are doomed and challenged to seek the strength to see more, not less.” — Arthur Miller

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This is the goal.

Image from Pinterest via Google Free Images

In keeping with the theme as described in the introductory section, here is some music designed to help our furry friends find some peace, for long enough to give us some respite…. Enjoy! As I sincerely hope LeeLoo does….

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Relax My Cat

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https://youtu.be/Myp1lut5LmA

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Image Stolen from TalesfromtheConspiratum.com

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

I’m really late; I had intended to give myself enough time to write about religion today, as I found the above meme on a friend’s site, and found the perfect quote to go with it…. But, I’m too late, and, now, too tired to get it done, so, I’ll do what I always do in such cases; cheat. Here’s a religirant from the archives…. I’ve done quite a few of them, so, it doesn’t take long to find an appropriate entry…. Enjoy!….

From 4/17/2013:

“A thing is not proved because no one has ever questioned it…Skepticism is the first step towards truth.” — Smart Bee

“I just stepped on a factoid!” – Zippy the Pinhead

“Youth of today! Join me in a mass rally for traditional mental attitudes!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“This is patently absurd; but whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.” — Bertrand Russell

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In 2012, I began writing poetry again after a hiatus of almost forty years; this is one of the very first I created after breaking the barrier I’d built between me and that part of my soul…. I hope you like it….

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/27/2012.

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Our final pearl today is a rather standard group of aphorisms on Life at Large…. It’s all good advice, ffolkes, so, pay heed, if you would live your own life well….

“Be virtuous and you will be eccentric.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

“Honor is the reward of virtue.”

~~ Cicero ~~

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.”

~~ Robert Cody ~~

“There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.”

~~ Christopher Morley ~~

“There is only one universal goal: a gracious death with no regrets.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

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

~~ Cicero ~~

“Do not settle for less than the best your own excellence can command.”

~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~

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Well, it’s done. I’m pretty sure, anyway. I suppose I better check; hang on a moment….

It’s a damn good thing I checked. I had completely forgotten to complete one of the sections! Ah well, chalk that one up to LeeLoo, who picked the moment I found the missing section to knock over my almost full cup of coffee, just to give me something to do, more amusing for her than watching me type. Hilarious…. not.

But, NOW it’s done, and I can try to get it posted before she finds a way to set something on fire…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the building is intact…. Oh, shit, there goes the corner bookshelf!…. 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….

A crimp in time saves pi….

Posted on September 1, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

I stood
Among them, but not of them; in a shroud
Of thoughts which were not their thoughts.

~~ Lord Byron ~~

~~ Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iii, Stanza 113 ~~

Wind Spinner, Spinning

Good morning…. How can it be otherwise, when I’m going on the road in just about exactly three hours? Yes, today’s the day; the journey calls, and I must answer…. or lose out on the round-trip airfare. No way I’m doing that, so, whatever there may be in the Universe with any objections to my going had best get swallowed, because it sure isn’t going to keep me from leaving. So there….

Okay, all flippancy gone, we may now proceed to put together a final Pearl from home, with the warning it could be up to a week before another Pearl appears; no telling how things will work out where I’m going in re: available Wi-Fi spots, not to mention my own willingness to take the time to create them. My focus will NOT be on Pearling; I’ll be busy learning, and seeing, and listening, and walking, and talking with people I’ve never met before, all of which are some of my favorite things in life to do…. So, you will see me when you see me, and not before….

That all said, with the reminder full Pearls should begin again around September 18th, or 19th, depending on how quickly I can recover from the trip…. I’m not as young as I once was, but, this kind of activity tends to energize rather than tire me out…. Well, it used to; we’ll see how it goes. If nothing else, one is always glad to see one’s own bed….

For now, let’s throw together a Pearl, for luck, and for good measure…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“If the obstacles of bigotry and priestcraft can be surmounted, we may hope that common sense will suffice to do everything else.” — Thomas Jefferson

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Anyone at all familiar with how things go around here will know what they’ll see in this section today…. It’s amazing what these search engines can find, if you’re precise in telling them what you want….A little traveling music, maestro, if you please….

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Classical Music for Travel

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https://youtu.be/IxOuFGzdqPo

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Oddly enough, SB presented me with some nice little stimulants for a rant while putting together the old-school pearl yesterday afternoon, so, I started a rant; I don’t feel enough angst to take it further, so, I’ll find a few pearls to say the same stuff, and let it go at that for now… In short, what you see is what you get….

“The Greeks by their laws, and the Romans by the spirit of their people, took care to put into the hands of their rulers no such engine of oppression as a standing army. Their system was to make every man a soldier, and oblige him to repair to the standard of his country when ever that was reared. This made them invincible; and the same remedy will make us so.” — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Cooper(1814)

Well, for the most part, we blew that one, didn’t we? Tom would be ashamed of us, and, rightly so. He also believed in each citizen educating themselves as to what the government was up to, as well as warning us to keep a close eye on the bankers; he pointed out their attempts to corrupt government practically before the ink on the Constitution was dry. Did the American people listen? No, they didn’t. They listened instead to the preachers, who told them to trust their leaders, never cluing them into the simple fact those leaders were, as they themselves were, lying through their teeth to the people who trusteed them, almost every time they open their mouths.

Beset on all sides by ruthless liars, is it any wonder the common man hasn’t a clue as to his own slavery, thinking he has rights, and the opportunity to improve his life by living by the rules… In fact, the common man has no rights, and the system is designed to reward only those who lie, cheat, and steal in order to get ahead. Simple truths are hard to accept, but, trust me, this one is truth.

“Nature is not cruel, but, pitilessly, indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous — indifferent to all suffering,lacking all purpose.” — Richard Dawkins

What people don’t really get, even if they feel the rightness of this idea, is that cruelty DOES exist, but, only as a human characteristic, due to our need to make our own lives have meaning to us, according to our standards. This is, in the eyes of the universe, a handicap rather than an asset, for it leads those who cannot let go of such ideas into failures of logic, and understanding of the real world…. Being able to accept the idea makes it possible to act without fear, or emotion of any kind, interfering with our decision making process… For example…

“Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes. Keep this in mind; it may offer a way to make him your friend. If not, you can kill him without hate — and quickly “– Lazarus Long

Lazarus was a smart guy; he also gave us the most efficient, and logical method for dealing with such people, when there are options available short of killing… to wit:

“Never appeal to a man’s “better nature.” He may not have one. Invoking his self-interest gives you more leverage.” — Lazarus Long

Ah well, we do the best we can, with what others have to offer; other than that, it’s every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost…. What does that mean?…. Any who, as noted above, angst is in short supply, so here is a nine-star pearl to finish this mini-rant in a more palatable fashion, that won’t dull the edge of my excitement and joy…. Not much could right now, but, here…. take this….

Isn’t it strange that the same people that laugh at gypsy fortune tellers take economists seriously?” — Cincinnati Enquirer

“In a decision sure to cause major controversy for several minutes, the US Supreme Court struck down the First Law of Nature, judging it to be unlawfully discriminatory. Though never actually written down, the First Law of Nature is generally accepted by the American Bar Association to be, “If an individual or collection of individuals puts into practice or causes to be put into practice an action which, measured against the judgment of a reasonable person, is unwise or lacking in basic common sense, then the aforementioned individual or collection of individuals shall suffer all consequences resulting from that action, up to and including loss of life.” Translation: “You do something stupid, you die.” — Snarky Bee

“Jesus loves you. Everyone else thinks you’re a jerk.” — Humble Bee

“He is running for Congress … Do you know why he will be elected? Because all the gun owners will vote for him. Why will they vote for him? Because he is against any new law which will require registration of firearms. He claims that if there is a war, we might be invaded by Communists. And we will all need guns. With nuts like that in Congress, it could happen.” — Larry Siegel

“God must love assholes — She made so many of them.”– Druidic Bee

“Do you really believe that fear of the damage that you could inflict with your .22 Squirrel Blaster is the only thing keeping the government in check?” — Mark Oehlert

“The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who hold power, in power.” — Gerry Spence ‘From Freedom to Slavery,’ 1993

“Chaotic Evil means never having to say you’re sorry.” — Shrub Senior (Okay, I lied. Sue me…)

“Congress’ idea of “safe” sex: no reporters.” — Smart Bee

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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 ~~

Written 4/22/2013.

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With a bit over two hours to lift off, things are moving along quite smoothly, if slower than I’d like…. Funny how the clock slows down when we wish it to run fast…. Ah well, here’s a pretty standard pearl, with the usual tips one living with some dignity, and how to make our lives a bit more comfortable, if not less ‘interesting’…. Enjoy!….

“Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” — Confucius (551-479 BC)

“Individuality seems to be Nature’s whole aim — and she cares nothing for individuals.” — Goethe

“Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.” — Japanese proverb

“Fear is the parent of cruelty.” — James Anthony Froude

“Dolendi modus, timendi non item.” [To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none.] — Bacon, Of Seditions and Troubles

“There is never anything to feel sorry about with love. Never.” — Robert Heinlein

“Very late in life, when he was studying geometry, some one said to Lacydes, “Is it then a time for you to be learning now?” “If it is not,” he replied, “when will it be?” — Diogenes Laertius — Lacydes, v

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Done…. Most excellent! Now, I can pack the computer, and, at the whistle, walk out the door…. Rather than prattle on in my usual mindless way, I’ll merely say ‘adieu’, and, with perfect sincerity, wish you a peaceful and happy existence until we meet again, here at ECR, where Reality is what we make of it…. Ta, then, ffolkes…. Eventually, like the Terminator, I’ll be back, with the usual caveat re: incarceration, or death…. neither of which looks particularly imminent…. 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….

Cream pie has no observable limits….

Posted on August 23, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“My nose feels like a bad Ronald Reagan movie…”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

“Do ya think they’ll let us enter the Iditarod, Alonzo?”

Image from the UK Telegraph 8-4-2015

Good morning…. You may have noted the absence of the little pieces of ASCII art I was planning to include here from now on…. That’s because I don’t speak HTML, and couldn’t figure out how to enlarge them on the final viewing page of the posts; all I could get them to do was show up in their smallest incarnation, which was way too small…. So, they’re history, and I say that with gusto and aplomb, just as if anyone had really noticed, or gave a rat’s ass….

Oh! Wasn’t THAT lovely!…. Okay, ffolkes, I’m here, but, I don’t think I’d go any further than that. (And, probably shouldn’t even try….) But, I’m up, at 0230 again, so….. If I have to be here, somebody’s going to pay!…. I’ll try not to make it my Gentle Readers, but, I’d stay alert, if I were y’all. I’m afraid, in this mood, I can be a bit unpredictable….

Oh, nobody’s in any real physical danger (unless, of course, they panic at loud noises, or can’t find any appreciation at having to absorb a few minor blows to the head….), but, the stress levels have been known to top out the scale on occasion; it’s really no problem, as we offer Valium for those of our readers who need it, or, even, want it. We’re not your mother…

Nor are we particularly sane at this point in time (like that wasn’t already clear!…). Of course, sanity is a bit of a slippery concept around here, anyway, (hell, it’s not even included in the insurance!), so, none of that is of any particular significance…. Actually, I guess we COULD say that NONE of the above has any particular significance, and, we’d be right about that, too. We like being right, it’s so much easier, and cheaper, than being left.

Okay, that’s it. I’ve crossed the line, again. I’m making an executive (i.e., ruthless) decision, to get us the hell out of here before we manage to do something that could stimulate litigation. We HATE that! (Who doesn’t?…) Okay, I’m done. Let’s get on with this mess, okay?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.” — Knights of Pythagoras

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Image from listal.com via Google Images

This will, no doubt, remove any covers I may have had for my romantic nature, which, due to extensive training as a curmudgeon, I try to conceal as best I can… This piece was sent to me a few days ago by a friend, and I was so enchanted, I decided to include it for the enjoyment of my Gentle Readers…. If you can’t find it in yourself to sigh a couple times, and to feel some joy at the music and story, well, y’all need to lighten up… Enjoy!….

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Elvira Madigan -Piano Concerto No.21

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https://youtu.be/qi_J3_co3dQ

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As the iconic picture above indicates to those Gentle Readers who inexplicably frequent this blog, we’ll be dipping into the archives today. It’s not that I don’t have time to write a fresh rant; in fact, I have one in progress. But, it’s looking as if it won’t be done soon enough, as it keeps growing on me. So, I’ll do the exact thing tomorrow’s rant will address, and cheat….. This is a little follow-up to a religirant from the day previous to the date you see below; it’s pretty light, all things considered, so, enjoy the day off from wearing your thinking caps….

From 9/8/2012:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s poem was chosen merely because it’s the one which hasn’t been used for the longest time; last posted in 2013, this one is one of my personal favorites, no matter how it compares qualitatively with any of the others…. I hope you enjoy it….

Unheralded Sagacity…

To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.

Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.

Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.

No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.

Illumination…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 4/17/2013.

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Today’s final pearl is pretty typical; it speaks about some of those things in life it can be important to remember, in order to live the life we choose to live…. Well, in one sense, I suppose we all do that, whether we choose or not; not choosing is also a choice…. But, I digress…. Enjoy, ffolkes; once you get past this, it’s a piece o’cake….

“If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.” — Smart Bee

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” — Henry Van Dyke

“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.” — Bertold Brecht

“To be able to say how much love, is love but little.” — Petrarch

It is a man”‘s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” — Buddha

“The choices we make dictate the life we lead. There is no destiny; you make your own fate.” — Smart Bee

“Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is boring without it.” — Pearl S. Buck

If of all words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are, `It might have been,’
More sad are these we daily see:
`It is, but hadn’t ought to be.’

~~ Francis Brett Harte ~~

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Not only a piece o’cake, but, chocolate marble cake with a caramel-buttercream frosting!…. Yum! Unless, of course, you’d prefer the German Chocolate, which we keep on hand. No? Too early for that much sugar? No worries; it’ll keep. Having completed my self-inflicted duty, so will I, until tomorrow, when I’ll get up at goodness knows what hour to begin all this again…. Oh, yay. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I don’t see any way I can get out of it….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Wasting time the old fashioned way….

Posted on August 22, 2015 by gigoid

☬

Ffolkes,

“All men are created unequal.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Elder Trees at the Temple of Angkor Wat

Image from the UK Telegraph 8-6-2015

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

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

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

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

Shall we Pearl?….

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

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☬

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

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Classical Music, Again

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https://youtu.be/Y4xRlnO7-Ps

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

☬

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

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

Enjoy!….

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

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

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

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

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

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Hereinafter is set forth the aforementioned old-school pearl;

Pay no heed, at your peril….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☬

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

Elemental, dear Watson….

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

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

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

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

Fuck.

It
hurts.

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

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

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

I say,

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

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

because

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

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/14/2014.

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

☬

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— J.R.R. Tolkien

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

☬

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

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious
☬

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Robert Heinlein

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