Portraits of unqualified soap….

Posted on April 27, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.”

~~ George Iles ~~

Wow! So many birds!…

Hajime…. Today’s version of a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom will be somewhat unique, if such a concept can be applied to our work at all. It’s been cobbled together on a morning of broken routine, with the cat complaining, and the author wandering about his own head in a confused state. Since I have no excuse for it, having slept like the proverbial baby (hmm… does that mean I awoke every two hours, hungry and/or wet?…. Oh, well, figure of speech…) for about eight solid hours. Yet, here I am, completely clueless, with a blank screen in front of me, in a state of utter panic.

Not really. I gave up on panic years ago. Actually, I’m fairly content with how things are progressing today, though the complaints from Leelu regarding her share of my attention are true enough. She objects to how much time the computer gets. But, she’ll get over it with one piece of crumpled pager and some play time, so, we’ll finish up, and get to that forthwith. In the interests of maintaining some peace in the house, I’ll cut this introduction short again today, so as to soothe her fevered brow, so to speak. Watch this one, ffolkes; it’s a new toy I found in the Tardis, and is almost too fast to use…. By the time I can say, onward, we’re already go…..

Shall we Pearl?….

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

~~ W. Somerset Maugham ~~

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Okay, so, I’m giving in to the hullabaloo surrounding the recent passing of Prince, by including a live concert from 1982 today for our video selection. I have yet to check it out for sound quality, but, it was recorded live, so, we’ll see. Otherwise, it should prove to be a good example of why he was considered to be one of the most original artists we’ve ever seen…. Enjoy!….

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Prince Live in Concert
1/30/1982

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https://youtu.be/uAYQUbh8HHA

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The Morning Muse

The rant upon which I’ve been working keeps changing & growing in different directions on me, and isn’t done, obviously. Here is another piece from the archives to get us down the page today…. I hope our little trip into the archives, yet again, fulfills your expectations. If not, well, that’s what you get for having them…. *grin*

From 12/7/2012:

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” — Mark Twain

As is his stock in trade, Mr. Twain once again give humanity a solid poke in the ribs, in a humorous, even comfortable way that makes us want to laugh about our all-too-human foibles, instead of crying, which would really be more appropriate. In his assessment of both the character of most men, and most dogs, he is absolutely correct, and shows in one simple, sardonic phrase, just how ugly people can be. In fact, I can honestly say that, in my life, I have met many more dogs who deserve to go to Heaven, than I have men or women. Of course, I wouldn’t wish that on any dog, but, you know what I mean. Dogs are better ffolkes than most folks, in the world I see around me….

And this leads me into a perfect ranting jump-off point…. “Heaven goes by favor” This is all too accurate; in order to get into the club, one has to meet a certain standard, that of faith. Of course that standard is pretty easy to meet, as all it requires is a verbal commitment ( accompanied, I suppose by a heart-felt commitment….) that one believes in JC, or Mohammed, or Buddha, or whomever, and will try to follow their teachings. No pressure to actually do so, just commit to it, and you’re in. Or, go ahead and live your life walking the path of evil, then convert on the deathbed, and you’re in…. according to their rules…. Or, in other words, it’s all who you know…..

“An ancient buddha said, Mountains are mountains; waters are waters. These words do not mean mountains are mountains; they mean mountains are mountains.” — Dogen

I’ve recently been reading an author whose work I had read in my youth, when I was devouring science fiction on a daily basis. Samuel R. Delany has written some powerful novels, as well as shorter works. The most recent I read, Babel-17, uses the structure and meaning of words in language as the basis for the plot. In the book, he relates how important perception is to meaning, and how the way we use language can actually work to program the brain, just like the organic computer it is. What struck me is how the process he describes, which is what can be observed in people, if you look closely, shows just how powerful a tool language can be, when used in full consciousness of what it means, and what it CAN do…..

People base their entire existence on a few words, and what those words mean to them. If someone else (say, a preacher?) is able to influence the person’s choice of the words that have that power, then that person becomes the willing slave of whomever supplies him with the words. This is a subtle process, that operates below the level of consciousness that most folks are aware of; they don’t realize how they are being manipulated by the very words they use, into thinking along certain lines, and in certain ways, all of which benefit the manipulator in some way, much more than they do the one whose thoughts are being channeled.

“This is Daddy’s bedtime secret for today: Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.” — Eugene O’Neill

Mr. O’Neill was a decent playwright, but as a philosopher, he sucked, plain and simple. This is merely the parroting of basic Christian dogma, and as such stands as a perfect example of how religious institutions tend to lie to their constituents….. I can say this because I have my own secret for today: Man is NOT born broken; he is born as a blank slate, and what is written upon it is only what they are taught to write. Since the first premise is false, the rest of the train of thought becomes irrelevant, and you can easily see where it is just an attempt to get people to accept the untruths, and keep their patterns of thought within the boundaries drawn by dogma….

Sorry if such an idea is offensive, but, I don’t need to be “born again”, I did just fine the first time. I’m not broken. I’m not guilty of original sin, any more than is anyone else. That single concept, original sin, has been the most destructive idea that Man has come up with in all of our long history, and is responsible for much of the torture, warfare, and egregiously evil events of the last 3000 years. I kid you not…. That simple lie, that we are all somehow born inherently sinful, and guilty of something, is pure hogwash, and is the most blatant falsehood to have been thought up, and perpetrated upon the rest of mankind, EVER!

What a ridiculous idea! To think that a newborn, of any species, should bear the guilt for an action performed before their birth, is just plain stupid, and self-serving. Not to mention that the act we are supposedly guilty of is the acquisition of knowledge, which is, to me, NOT something for which we should be punished, but rather deserve to be rewarded. Of course, knowledge is its own reward, so that really doesn’t matter, or shouldn’t. But, in order to gain control over others, preachers have, since the beginning of history, tried to convince the rest of us that they are the only ones who have the right answer, all based on a bald-faced lie, and a false assumption….. And, since a large percentage of mankind is too lazy to think for themselves, or to risk thinking independently of others, THEY FALL FOR IT! It almost makes me ashamed to be human, to be truthful….

But, we have dogs as our companions, and they love us, so we must not be ALL bad…. right? Right…. so, just follow your dog’s example, and just BE moral, don’t try to follow what others may tell you is moral. You’ll do a lot better, in life, and when it counts, after life…..

“Go back. Everything you need to know is in the first seven axioms.” ~~ Peruaosophy, Axiom #8, by gigoid

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Gently Came a Wounded Child

But you shall not escape my iambics.

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

2/2/2012

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Today’s final old-school pearl is another odd one. Don’t blame me, SB is the one who’s been in a mood. This one appears to be a series of observations on Life at Large, some of which are rather esoteric in nature. Others, not so much. All in all, it works, and the final pearl is a classic, tying it all together for us with a nice bow…. Enjoy!….

“You are not what you think you are; but what you think, you are.” — Subtle Bee

“Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism.” — Albert Einstein

“I will show you a philtre without potions, without herbs, without any witch’s incantation – if you wish to be loved, love.” — Seneca

” ‘He deserves death’. ‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them ? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.’ ” — J. R. R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings

“He who has the courage to laugh is almost as much a master of the world as he who is ready to die.” — Giacomo Leopardi

“And sometimes the bear eats you.” — Realist Bee

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

~~ Tao Te Ching ~~

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Well, it’s done, and, that’s the best I can say of it. I’m not even going to THINK about the quality today; nope, not going there. All I know is, it’s done, and I’m rather glad it is, for it’s been a struggle. I will, however, make another attempt tomorrow, as long as I’m still half-crazy. Odds on that are pretty good…. 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….

Bess’s fine messes, at cost….

Posted on April 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Arguments derived from probabilities are idle.”

~~ Plato ~~

An alley market on Portobello Road, London

Hajime…. Had I known yesterday, when beginning to put this Pearl together, that the intro would end up being the most contentious section to get done, I would have done it first. Since I’m doing it last, so to speak, it seems to have taken it personally, now refusing to coalesce into anything worth putting on screen, This isn’t to say we haven’t encountered this issue previously, though it’s not a frequent problem at all. No, the empty mind is our biggest issue in this section, as it usually occurs pre-coffee, or, nearly so. Since I’m about to go pour my second cup, that isn’t a factor…. Yet, here it sits, ugly, and relatively empty, save for this single paragraph of almost pure blather.

I wonder if they give refunds…. Nah, probably not, since nobody’s paying, and posting is free. Oh, well, another opportunity lost through lack of any comparatively sane thought processes as needed for basic comprehension. As we’re fond of saying around here in such situations, c’est la fucking vie. We’re going on in spite of our complete lack of talent, or intent, or even coherence. Of course, we could employ one of the Tardis toys to distract and discombobulate, (what a fine word!….), but, we’re not IN the Tardis yet. I suppose I could quit fooling around with this, and get on with it, but, what fun would that be?….

Oh…. okay. Well, since that’s the case, there’s nothing left to but this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Once you’ve seen the face of god,
You see that same face on everyone you meet.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

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I’ve used this in the past, but, I’m running a bit late today, so, we’ll go with it, as when it’s done, you can choose from a large number of other numbers from Playing For Change artists, from the suggestions that You Tube gives after each video. Enjoy, ffolkes; this one is one of my favorites…. It’s hot!….

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Gimme Shelter

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https://youtu.be/GJtq6OmD-_Y

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The rant for this section turned epic on me; it’s not quite done yet. To take it’s place, here is a discussion from 2012, on one of our most frequent subjects, to wit, politicians, the BRC, and Asininnies in general. It’s a bit long, but, there’s some humor involved, so, it won’t hurt too bad. I find it ironic to note how relevant many of the old rants I wrote have remained over time… I guess it goes to show we humans are a bit slower learners than we’d like to believe…. Enjoy!…..

From 10/2/2012:

This old-school pearl started off in one direction, then veered off into another…. and I don’t blame it a bit. I’m just as tired of all the political bullshit being flung around as the next guy, and the election can’t get here quick enough to suit me, that’s for sure. What with the amount of crap flying around, I feel like I’ve got to shower it off at least once or twice a day……

Any who, I was collecting the pearls for this, when I noticed that each one of them, from the first to the last, make a pointed statement that could easily be applied to this election, and most specifically, to the Republican party’s platform and candidates…. As far as I can see, they fail at every one of these, and this then becomes an indictment of their failings, all without intent, but with great accuracy….

“The majority never has the right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of the social lies that a free, thinking man is bound to rebel against. Who makes up the majority in any given country? Is it the wise men or the fools? I think we must agree that the fools are in a terrible overwhelming majority, all the wide world over.” — Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)

“The honest poor can sometimes forget poverty. The honest rich can never forget it.” — G. K. Chesterton (gigoid sez: There being none of those, to wit: honest rich, in this election, we can pretty much take this as gospel, or at least accept it at face value……)

“It is the edge and temper of the blade that make a good sword, not the richness of the scabbard; and so it is not money or possessions that make man considerable, but his virtue.” — Seneca (B.C. 3-65 A.D.) (gigoid sez: This could NOT be clearer…. since Mitt the Twitt feels compelled to rattle his scabbard at every opportunity…..)

“I am different from Washington; I have a higher, grander standard of principle. Washington could not lie. I can lie, but I won’t.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (gigoid sez: In modern times, the concept of a politician lying is not merely common, it is expected, and, sadly to say, empowered by the voting public, by their passive acceptance of same….)

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward

“Intemperate speech is a distinctive characteristic of man. Hotheads blow off and release destructive energy in the process. They shout and rave, exaggerating weaknesses, magnifying error, viewing with alarm. So it has been from the beginning; and so it will be throughout time. The framers of the constitution knew human nature as well as we do. They too had lived in dangerous days; they too knew the suffocating influence of orthodoxy and standardized thought. They weighed the compulsions for the restrained speech and thought against the abuses of liberty. They chose liberty.” — Justice William O. Douglas

“When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don’t deal drugs. When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I’m innocent. When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don’t own a gun. Now they’ve come for the first amendment, and I can’t say anything at all.” — Tim Freeman

“It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.” — Aeschylus (525-456 BC) — Frag. 385

Yep, it’s going to be a real dust-up this year, as the forces of evil have gathered all of their minions and myrmidons, ready to sally forth on election day and try to lie and cheat their way into office. The degree of illegal, ill-advised voter suppression efforts that the Republicans have made are coming to light on a daily basis, with the money they’ve paid to companies dedicated to blocking the votes of seniors, poor people, and veterans being exposed as well. It’s truly a disgusting development, although it isn’t new to them; they’ve managed to steal two elections already, for the junior shrub, in 2000 and 2004, once in Florida, and once in Ohio.

They also managed to distract the public away from looking at those election results, by talking a bunch of Islamic militants into attacking New York City, right at the time when the Shrub’s chicanery in Florida was about to be investigated by an independent commission…… I always thought the timing there was a bit suspicious, and it couldn’t have been better for the Shrub, even though he probably wasn’t in on the planning of it himself…. his daddy never trusted him THAT far…..

But, you may remember, the senior Shrub was the head of the CIA for many years, before he was President, and is considered by most to be personally responsible for the establishment of the cocaine trade in this country; see the book “The Cocaine Papers” written in the 1980’s, if there are still copies around. There may not be; I’m sure the dark-side operatives snap them up for destruction whenever they come across one…. This man would suffer no ethical restraints, and would not even hesitate, to have some of his operatives clandestinely trick terrorists into attacking when and where he wished it…. Civilian casualties are always more compelling when trying to distract the public…. And, it is funny how nobody ever investigated where the money for the 9/11 attacks came from…. Usually, in any such event, finding out who paid for it is a primary goal of the investigating teams…. but, nobody ever did that for 9/11…. Kind of makes one wonder, doesn’t it?……

Ah well, conspiracy theories aside, this election is seeing every dirty trick the two parties can think of between them, with the most egregiously immoral actions taking place on the conservative side…. voter suppression efforts in swing states, outright lying, misinformation spreading, magical bean platforms, all are being employed with gusto…. The upcoming debate tomorrow promises to be quite a show for the American public, and it will be interesting to see the contortions that the Republicans go through to try to show their man to their advantage, when every time he opens his mouth, he drops another bomb that indicates just how clueless and uncaring he is…. I’m almost looking forward to it, if it didn’t promise to be so bloody…. c’est la vie, I guess, and we’ll have to see how time will tell the tale…..

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While researching yesterday in SB, I came across this, which I remember hearing live, watching TV with my kids & family, many years ago, on a show called The Muppet Show, in which characters from Sesame Street performed with live actors & artists, as well as performing solo, as Kermit did once in a while; generally, he, or another, or, occasionally all the Muppets on the show also did a duet with the live guest. I like this one, a lot, which is why it graces our poetry section today…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s a bit soft compared to our usual fare, but, hey, as noted, I like it, so, deal….

Rainbow Connection

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions
rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thoughta’ that and someone believed it
— look what it’s done so far.

What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell
we know that it’s probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I hear them calling my name.

Could it be the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice may be one and the same.
Well I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it
it’s somethin’ that I’m s’posed to be.

And someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

~~ Kermit the Frog ~~

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This, ffolkes, is an odd pearl. For me to say that is, well, unprecedented, if only in its stark simplicity. It’s also quite cogent, in its own weird way, for it wanders around quite drunkenly, almost randomly, yet, still manages to fulfill whatever it is trying to say. The exact nature of that is, of course, left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader, though, as always, you may decline the mission. It will, however, at least partially, probably end up on the Quiz….Ya never know what ya might need to know…. Pay attention, now; some of it is tricky…. In fact, it begins with a bit of subtlety many might get stuck on, but, trust me, and keep going…. You’ll be fine.

“Avoid fried foods which angry up the blood.” — Satchel Paige

“We all carry it within us; supreme strength, the fullness of wisdom, unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted and cannot be destroyed. But it is hidden deep,
which is what makes life a problem.” — Huston Smith

“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” — Virginia Satir

“Watches are a confidence trick invented by the Swiss.” — Chiun, in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins…”

“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Of the Training of Children

“Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.” — from Observations on Life From Children

“In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing.” — Antonio Porchia, Voces

“Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“The flesh surrenders itself. Eternity takes back its own. Our bodies stirred these waters briefly, danced with a certain intoxication before the love of life and self, dealt with a few strange ideas, then submitted to the instruments of Time. What can we say of this? I occurred. I am not… yet I occurred.”
— Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah

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“.. bleakness…. desolation…. plastic forks…”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

Now, now, don’t fret; it doesn’t mean anything, other than I’m a strange person. Well, I guess, if you really enjoyed today’s Pearl, it might have some relevance for you; other wise, it’s where it is simply because I thought it was damn funny. Hell, I could fill most of a ranting section with it, but, I just figured I’d add it here at the end, sort of like a, what? Oh, how, ’bout, an innovation. That works; we’ll go with innovation. Don’t worry, I won’t try this again. Zippy just hit the right note, so, there he sits. Now, as noted below, it’s time for me to go sits…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, Zippy or no Zippy….

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….

Prized for their marshmallow sculptures…

Posted on April 12, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Remember this,–that very little is needed to make a happy life.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, vii, 67 ~~

Choosing the next species of prey….

Hajime…. I shan’t apologize for today’s mess, but, I will say this; it’s a mess. Oh, from an objective standpoint, it probably will seem to be fairly normal, for a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. But, don’t let that fool you; it’s not normal. But, then, I suppose one could say that about this blog in general, without fear of contradiction, so, we’ll just pretend none of it makes any difference, (which it doesn’t, really…) and be done with it, for the nonce. A nonce, by the way, is middle English for ‘don’t ask’….

Perhaps that was a bit brusque. Yes? Well, so be it; neither we, nor the gods, can change the past, even with a software editor. If you couldn’t tell, my muse is still missing in action; I’m sort of wandering around here in the intro, looking for something to say, or, alternately, to not say, which might make the difference, pulling this pathetic attempt at coherence back from the edge, into the realm of literature worth reading. What? Oh, I think that’s a little harsh, don’t you? Yeah? Wanna step outside & say that?….

Whoa…. Sorry, I didn’t realize we had a hothead in the group today. I’ll have to be more careful from here on. In fact, since that sort of used up all I had to put here, perhaps we’ll just be on our way down the page, to see what sort of other trouble we can get into. Hmm…. I think, even THAT may be more than we’re capable of today, but, what the hell? The insurance is currently paid up, for a change, so, we’ll take a chance. If y’all would kindly resume your seats, and place your adult beverages in the holders provided, we can get this slow on the toad…. Ready or not, here we go…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp.”

~~ John Berry ~~

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It’s been a week or so since I last played any of this organization’s music. Since it is all music from some of the finest ‘unknown’ street artists in the world, playing together, sometimes in a studio, sometimes out of doors, and always with more musicians doing the same song, elsewhere in the world. Some of the best cuts of covered songs I’ve heard in my life have been produced, with more old, and new material coming all the time. Here is one of their most excellent Live Outside series; the rest may be found on You Tube, by checking the choices offered at the end of this video…. Enjoy!…. Then go donate some cash; they’re doing good work, at all the schools for music they’ve opened around the world, and operate solely by donation and sales of music.

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Playing For Change
Live Outside Series

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https://youtu.be/Mn3hBgYNATA

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One might think since I had a day off, there would be a fresh rant. So much for expectations, eh? I do have one I am working on, but, it’s not done, and I’m not done with it. To fill in today, here is a pretty decent, fairly short little indictment of the Asininnies and Mundanes from the second day of 2014…. I hope you enjoy it….

From 1/2/2014:

Above, in the intro section, I referred to an idea that occurred to me while I sat in the morning air, engaging in my favorite pastime, random thinking about Stuff…. This idea is a delicate one, and needs to be explored a bit more deeply on my part before I bring it out into the light of day…. I’ll just say this: it has to do with the Internet, the Asininnies, and You/Me(Us)…. and it’s a bit disturbing….. In case you don’t recall, Asininnies are those humans on planet Earth who live by the code of Me First, regardless of what other people or animals may have to say about it…

They are the Beloved Ruling Class, those professional politicians (parasites) who claim to lead, but more accurately, crave power; the Shadowy Corporate Masters, those bankers and old money warmongers who buy and sell the world at their whim, including the loyalty of the BRC, and those others who are also Asinine by nature…. There are more… The entitled Police and Military Goons, The Athlete Rock Stupid Role Models, The Media Cowards, who unconsciously help the Asininnies accomplish their manipulations by parroting their lies without complaint, or exposure….

Most heinously, which adjective I use deliberately, these Asininnies are all supported by the efforts of the last group in the category…. the Priestly Hierarchies, those deliberately delusional fanatics who live by faith rather than reason (though they would claim the opposite….) By encouraging their constituencies to follow their lead, and accept all that the worldly authorities tell them to do in their lives, they teach the people how to obey, both by example, and by designed application of guilt over original sin….

What a scam! Convince people they are bad because of what some original member of the tribe did, which may or may not have happened in truth, then, use the ensuing manufactured sense of guilt to cause behavioral changes at direction…. Willing mental slaves, all for the price of a good story line…. gotta love those early Christians and Muslims, eh? They knew human nature, with its susceptibility to the lie, and its gullibility to the apparent truth….. What ticks me off is that it continues unabated after thousands of years…. It goes a long way toward proving Robert Heinlein’s statement on the subject, to wit: “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.”

That, then, is the current scenario we have in the world today, as I pointed out above…. Internet, Asininnies, and Us…. In the near future, I’ll expand on the idea that occurred to me, but, I’ve taken enough time and energy this morning to make sure all the players are known, and clearly…. I don’t want any confusion about any of that after I begin my rant, whenever that may be…..

For now, I’ll just put together a short five-star pearl, which, hopefully, will give y’all a preview of the rant that is to be…. Let’s see what SB can do about that…..

“I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge of the man.” — Seneca (8 BC) — On a Happy Life, 2, (L’Estrange’s Abstract, Chap, i.)

“Now that the government is going to balance the budget, it is up to the rest of us to budget the balance. Some folks think we are getting too much government these days. They should be very happy that we are not getting all of the stuff we are paying for.” — Smart Bee

“The devil knew not what he did when he made man politic.” — William Shakespeare

“We are locked into a system of “fouling our own nest,” so long as we behave as independent, rational free-enterprisers.” — Garrett Hardin

“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” — Ann Landers

Perfect…. Good enough to go on, for sure…..

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

Stray Cats

The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..

~~gigoid~~

4/12/2013

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

Yep. It’s another random, harlequin pearl that speaks about Life at Large; this one mostly talks about how to live it with some boldness and style….Or, maybe that’s just me; y’all can decide for yourselves….

“Confront a child, a puppy, and a kitten with a sudden danger; the child will turn instinctively for more assistance, the puppy will grovel in abject submission, the kitten will brace its tiny body for a frantic resistance.” — H. H. Munro

“Keep your fears to yourself; share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

“I am the shadow my words cast.” — Octavio Paz

“Arouse the mind without resting it on anything.” — Diamond Sutra

“Courage is the greatest of all the virtues. You cannot consistently practice any other virtues without being courageous.” — Maya Angelou

“Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.” — Subtle Bee

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” — ee cummings

“For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can’t readily accept the God formula, the big answers don’t remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command or faith a dictum. I am my own God.
We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.” — Charles Bukowski

“Do not go gentle into that good night
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light”

~~ Dylan Thomas ~~

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

Well, it’s done. As noted in the intro, it’s a mess, but, it’s my mess, so, back off. Just kidding, of course. I do that sort of thing when I’m trying to distract y’all from thinking about the relative quality of our output…. Is it working? Oh. Okay, then, we’ll just go, and try again tomorrow. Provided I am still alive, (good odds on that), and still crazy, (even better odds there….) I’ll be here, with new stuff to throw at y’all…. See y’all then, for sure and for certain….

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….

Organized reserves of flippancy….

Posted on March 30, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free.”

~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~

Captive Beauty

Hajme…. Quietly babbling to itself, the brook tumbled over rocks down the gentle slope toward the waiting trees, obligingly leading into the depth of the woods. Softly, the breeze pushed at the backs of sweaty necks of the party walking alongside the brook, on an ancient path worn by generations of animal and human feet. In the afternoon sun, which beat mercilessly upon the heavily laden backs of the porters, the party looked wilted and fatigued, stumbling occasionally on the rock-strewn path. As the afternoon wore on, they walked more slowly, peering side to side on the path, obviously seeking the proper bivouac…..

Okay, that’s enough. We’ll leave our party wherever in the hills they happen to be, & let them find their own camp site. I wrote that story intro because I don’t really want to be up at all, having again fought for sleep all night, unsuccessfully. I don’t feel too bad, considering, but, I decided to try not to complain about it first thing. Since I could only wait until the second paragraph, I’ll also place a firm limit on it, and end such indulgence before it really gets started…. The primary purpose in saying anything at all about it is to give warning to my Gentle Readers as to the general outlook for today’s Pearl, which is, sad to say, rather unpredictable in nature…. Go figure….

I only say this to give y’all a chance to skip the parts that don’t suit you today. It’s all fairly fresh, if not from the archives, and probably won’t be too weird, thought, of course, a certain degree of that is always present. However, it will be, due to circumstances well beyond my comprehension, if not control, shall we say, somewhat patchwork in nature, and, thus, the unpredictability previously mentioned. Hell, I guess I’m saying, I haven’t a clue as to what may happen after the intro, so, watch where you put your feet, and your faith. Either one could be in serious danger if you are less than mindful…..

Now I’ve probably driven most everyone away, I guess I’ll get to this; it’s already late, by my usual schedule, so, some haste might be in order…. Haste, however, as we know, makes waste, so, fuck that. I’m going to take my time, and see if I can’t make it, if not good, at least palatable as food for thought. If I can do it, it will be a first, but, we won’t comment on that. Instead, we’ll do this…..

Shall we Pearl?

A wise man once said …”I don’t know.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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

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

Today’s music was chosen simply because it’s a default day. As always, this compilation was picked because the picture drew my eye. I hope you enjoy it as you read….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/aJZtIHeI27s

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

As a break from the usual sobriety, here is a discussion of one of our favorite things around here, to wit: sheer nonsense…. Enjoy!….

From 2/8/2013:

“Yow! I want to mail a bronzed artichoke to Nicaragua!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

As previously noted, we like our nonsense around here…. This one from Zippy is particularly nonsensical, and will serve nicely as a segue into a discussion of the value there is in engaging in nonsensical behavior on occasion. A lot of folks, and even some ffolkes, might think there isn’t a lot to say on the subject, but, they don’t know me, do they? Having spent much of the last two years honing that very skill, to wit: propounding at length on subjects of little meaning, I think we can turn this into quite a nice little pearl, one that will shine even in the dark…. or maybe not… Why don’t we just go ahead, and see what happens, eh?….

Now, to begin, let me point out that the concept of nonsense, by the structure of the word itself, gives us a clue as to where its value lies… it is composed of two parts, “non” a prefix indicating negative state, and “sense”, in this form meaning perception, or ordered perception, more accurately (it makes good sense….). This tells us that the word ‘nonsense’, as the direct antonym for ‘sense’, supplies the balance that the universe demands from every part of its makeup….

“As a professional humorist, I often get letters from readers who are interested in the basic nature of humor. “What kind of a sick perverted disgusting person are you,” these letters typically ask, “that you make jokes about setting fire to a goat?” … — Dave Barry, “Why Humor is Funny”

Everything in the universe exists in duality, as we have explored previously; this duality is directly related to our own set of perceptive abilities, which operate solely by noting the presence or absence of certain forms of matter, or energy manifestation (light, sound, etc….) We see because our eyes note the presence and absence of light waves. We hear the moments of sound between the moments of silence…. It all exists in duality, and that is how we perceive it, for that is what gives the universe its balance, and allows it to produce life, and matter, and all that we are a part of in this grand landscape of wonder….

But, the human mind is subtle, and recognizes the subtlety of the universe…. Thus, when we are confronted with seriousness for a long period of time, our nature demands something as balance, and we slip over into the nonsense mode in the privacy of our minds, to provide some relief from the somber nature of much of what is created by the hand of Man…. Goodness knows, after I am forced, or trapped, into listening to the prattling of fools about laws, or dogma, or some such asinine bureaucratic folderol, a bit of Zippy, or Wacko, or Pooh’s evil twin can always make me smile, and get through the boredom with greater equanimity….. or, as much as I ever can summon in those situations…..

“A little nonsense now and then,
is cherished by the wisest men.”

~~ Willie Wonka ~~

Willie knew this little fact about the universe well, thanks to Roald Dahl, whom we can thank for his contribution to literature of quite a bit of nonsense, written with great style and verve, and not a little sarcasm. This little couplet springs up in my mind on many occasions when I am confronted by some piece of societal sobriety, and reminds me to take what I’m seeing or hearing with a big dose of salt, and maybe some Cholula’s hot sauce to spice it up. What the hell, it can’t hurt…. Can it? You tell me…..

“SANTA CLAUS comes down a FIRE ESCAPE wearing bright blue LEG WARMERS.. He scrubs the POPE with a mild soap or detergent for 15 minutes, starring JANE FONDA!! — Zippy the Pinhead

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

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 ~~

1/3/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Good Stuff to Remember

*******

“What you think of yourself is more important than what others think of you.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*******

“Think not that thy word and thine alone must be right.”

~~ Sophocles — Antigone, 706 ~~

*******

“It is necessary to the happiness of man
that he be mentally faithful to himself.
Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving,
it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

*******

“It is impossible to design a system so perfect that no one needs to be good.”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

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

~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~

*******

“…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.”

~~ Erasmus ~~

*******

“Tanstaafl!”

~~ Ancient Sage Bee ~~

*******

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

Well, I did it. As I figured before beginning, I don’t think I’ll comment on the quality of whatever you find above; too easy to look silly, and, I’ve probably already reached my limit for that today. I think I’m going back to bed, to see if the sleep I seek, which seems so elusive at night, can be found, or persuaded to approach for a session of indulgence. The way I am feeling, fat chance…. In a perfect world, who cares, right?

Okay, that does it. I’m outta here, before I try to be rational. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I can’t seem to help myself….

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….

Synchronous statements of bald intent….

Posted on February 24, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“How we deal with death is at least as important
as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?”

~~ James T. Kirk, “The Wrath of Khan,” stardate 8130.3. ~~

Thinking it over….aka, plotting.

Hajime….. As time passes since Leelu came to live with me, I am reminded forcefully of two aphorisms which speak to the nature of Cat. First is one from our old friend Lazarus, who noted: Anyone who doesn’t believe in protocol has never dealt with a cat.” In a cat’s world, protocol is VERY important, for they are great believers in maintaining the status quo in their home life. They DON’T like changes made to the way things are…. The other statement has to do with their reaction when something is not to their liking, and goes like this: “You haven’t really been ignored until you’ve been ignored by a cat.” It’s often hilarious how effectively they can remove what they do not approve of from their awareness; it is total obliteration.

All that said, the perks are well worth the effort of learning to live with a picky, opinionated, small fur-bearing extortionist, especially, as now, when she comes to where I am sitting, gazes lovingly into my face, and purrs loudly to be picked up & cuddled for a morning session of bonding…. Time out for cat…. I’ll be back in a bit….

Okay…. She went off to eat & monitor the morning bird traffic in the back yard, so, I’ll try to slip in the rest of this post, & get it online before it’s play/training time. This chatty, informal approach to the intro worked pretty well, don’t you think? Good, because it was, literally, a pain in the ass to do. How do people be so damn nice? It’ wearing, to say the least, on us old curmudgeons. Not to mention what it could do to my rep. Ah, well, so be it. We’re far enough down the page I can ignore any ethical considerations, and just be done with it. And, that is what we’re going to do, right here, right now…. Watch THIS!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If God is omnipotent, why does he need my money?”

~~ Curious Bee ~~

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

Playing For Change

Logo from email by P4C

It’s time for another great mix of the world’s best street music. This time, it’s a jam, and it’s awesome…. I don’t often use that word, so, you may wish to pay heed, as this is some special music, ffolkes…. Enjoy! It will be hard NOT to….

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

Groove in G

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

https://youtu.be/6LQhamwJcVY

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

Originally, I had intended to put a relatively short discussion here, on political issues, but, it isn’t ready. Instead, here is a relatively short, seven-star pearl on both politics, and religion, the twin delusions upon which our sick society is based…. No worries, just a few observations that are not what might be called main-stream, by any means…. I hope you enjoy this little indictment of those who would be Kings… or, Dogma Dogs….

“Democracy is more cruel than wars or tyrants.” — Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium CIV, c. 63

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

“Representative government has broken down. Our politicians represent not the people who vote for them but the commercial interests who finance their
election campaigns. We have the best politicians that money can buy.” — Edward Abbey

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.’ — Mohandas K. Gandhi

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country…. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” — Former US President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 — letter to Col. William F. Elkins, printed in “The Lincoln Encyclopedia”, ed. Archer H. Shaw, Macmillan, 1950, NY

“THEOSOPHY, n. An ancient faith having all the certitude of religion and all the mystery of science. The modern Theosophist holds, with the Buddhists, that we live an incalculable number of times on this earth, in as many several bodies, because one life is not long enough for our complete spiritual development; that is, a single lifetime does not suffice for us to become as wise and good as we choose to wish to become. To be absolutely wise and good — that is perfection; and the Theosophist is so keen-sighted as to have observed that everything desirous of improvement eventually attains perfection. Less competent observers are disposed to except cats, which seem neither wiser nor better than they were last year. The greatest and fattest of recent Theosophists was the late Madame Blavatsky, who had no cat.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

‘You have a mongrel perception of humor, nothing more; a multitude of you possess that. This multitude see the comic side of a thousand low-grade and trivial things — broad incongruities, mainly; grotesqueries, absurdities, evokers of the horse-laugh. The ten thousand high-grade comicalities which exist in the world are sealed from their dull vision. Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them — and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon — laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution — these can lift at a colossal humbug — push it a little — weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. You are always fussing and fighting with your other weapons. Do you ever use that one? No; you leave it lying rusting. As a race, do you ever use it at all? No; you lack sense and the courage.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910), “The Mysterious Stranger”

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

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 ~~

12/15/2013

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

As advertised, a classic, seven-star. old-school pearl, of the random, harlequin variety, with a few words on Life’s lesser known lessons worth learning…. Enjoy! Trust me, there’s a message at the end…..

“It has long been known that one horse can run faster than another – but which one? Differences are crucial.” — Lazarus Long

“He who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live.” — Michael de Montaigne, Essays, Book i, Chap. xviii, “That Men are not to judge of our Happiness till after Death”

“There’s always a bigger fish.” — Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Episode I

“All time in all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all bugs in amber.” — Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Slaughter-House 5

“Respect cannot be learned, purchased, or acquired…. it can only be earned.” — Gentle Bee

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

“Love means loving the unlovable – or it is no virtue at all.” — G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, 1905

Suitably interpreted, this is an exact value.” — Precise Bee

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

Well, it’s done. I’m completely in the dark as to how it will look, but, will trust the process once more, in order to get posted in a timely manner. We humans, it is well known, will go to many great lengths for the sake of expediency, and, I am nothing if not human. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody provides me with a damn good reason not to do so…..

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….

Whiny wimps boast no cheeses….

Posted on February 22, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A man of quality is not threatened by a woman of equality.”

~~ Gentle Bee ~~

Best Shot Two

Hajime….. Time, Space, and Reality at Large can be a rather complex three-body problem to solve, especially when our routines for dealing with the chaotic world in which we live become less than reliable. To be honest, the changes that seem to be taking place aren’t unwelcome; it’s hard to complain about getting more sleep. But, adjusting the elements of Reality thus affected is not as simple as it may sound, or look. That said, I think it’s probably a good idea to let this subject die a natural death, by negligence. So be it.

Okay, we’ve managed to obscure the issue fairly well, so far. Let’s see if a bit of nonsense will help us get to our necessary jumping-off point, shall we? Zippy always enjoys it so much when we do. Why, look! There’s our spot now! Okay, we’d better go, so hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party:
there is no battle unless there be two.”

~~ Seneca ~~

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

The process today is a bit choppy, but, I think we can get done, if I go with a default for this section. Classical music, of course, is our default, for it seems to soothe my fevered brow when I write, or read… Go figure…. Oh, and, enjoy, too, if you wish….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/2JQsf7i_dXY

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

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

I mentioned, somewhere, I’m not into ranting for now; so be it. In keeping to that policy, here is an archived piece, an old-school pearl from another day I wasn’t up to the challenge of speaking out…. Ah, well, so be it…. Enjoy the break from routine, if you would; I intend to do so for an extended period of time…

From 12/5/2013:

Any ranting I do today will be related to the above subject, in order to keep the details fresh in what is left of my mind…. Plus, I haven’t kept up with what is happening out in the Big Blue Room, which tends to keep me from picking a current event to rag upon, more’s the pity….. That does mean a bonus for y’all, as I’ll naturally fall back into the default position here at ECR when this happens…. Yes, you know what it means, ffolkes, another old-school pearl, a group of small but tasty pearls, all in a certain direction, or implying a certain theme…. Sure, those themes may not be immediately apparent, even to the most discriminating of Gentle Readers, but, more often, they simply bash one over the brows, driving home the desired point with all the delicacy of a professional wrestler….

I am, as is already obvious, more than just a little verbose this morning, having not written ANYTHING for over four days…. but, I don’t think that will hurt this section, since I’m going to segue right into the remainder of this section’s contents by using the old magical phrase, “slick as Natty Bumpo’s Chevrolet sedan!”…. Or, as we like to say here on ECR… let’s dive…. Ooh, ooh, let’s go really old school, too, with poetry brackets and everything all mellow….

I knew, by the smoke that so gracefully curl’d
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near;
And I said, “If there ‘s peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”

~~ Thomas Moore — Ballad Stanzas ~~

“I readily relapse into my reflections on the uselessness of our education. Its aim has been to make us not good and wise, but learned; and in this it has succeeded. It has not taught us to follow and embrace virtue and wisdom, but has imprinted their derivations and etymologies on our minds. We are able
to decline ‘virtue’ even if we are unable to love it; if we do not know what wisdom is in fact and by experience, we are familiar with it as a jargon learned by heart.” — Michel de Montaigne, Essays

In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.” — T.S. Eliot

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

“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson

“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch

~~ _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~

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

Bluebird

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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

***********

                                                       ..       :
                    .                  .               .   . .
      .           .                .               .. . . *
             *          .                    ..        .
                           .             .     . : .   .    . .
            .                         .   . . .   .
                                         . . *:. . .
.                                 . .   . .. .         .
                         .     . . . …    .    .
       .              . . . .    . . . .
                        .    .     . …   ..   .       .               .
                 . .    . *.   . .
    .                   :. .           .
                 .   .    . x   .
              . . .    ./|\
                       .   .. :.    .    .|               .
     .   … .            |
.    :. .                     .   *.        |     .               .
   . *.             You are here.
. .    .               .             *.                         .

***********

“Integrity has no need for rules.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

***********

Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practices it will have neighbors.

~~ Confucius ~~

***********

“One of the greatest joys known to man
is to take a flight into ignorance
in search of knowledge.”

~~ Robert Lynd ~~

***********

Virtue is a habit of the mind,
consistent with nature and moderation and reason.

~~ Cicero ~~

***********

The mind ought sometimes to be amused,
that it may the better return to thought,
and to itself.

~~ Phaedrus ~~

***********

“Be a moving target.”

~~ Raoul Lionel Felder ~~

***********

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”

~~ Moliere ~~

***********

…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.
— Erasmus

***********

Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules.

~~ Zen Bee ~~

***********

“May the Forces of Evil become confused on the way to your house.”

~~ George Carlin ~~

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

Well, that was something…. Interruptions by a cat insisting on cuddle-time, a call from a friend in Europe, and small coffee disaster made it even more of a struggle than usual. As is our wont today, to this we say, so be it. We are practicing our dispassion today. And, we shall see you tomorrow, when we shall try again to achieve some minor brilliance, and get this approximately right. We’ll also try to lose the royal ‘we’, if possible. See y’all then, ffolkes, as long as reality stays on course….

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….

Curving around square corners….

Posted on February 9, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Misfortune shows those who are not friends.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

Is that a spider?….

Hajime….. I know, I know; the picture is a repeat. I don’t care, because it’s so cute. Besides, I’m up too late, again, to worry about it now. I did manage to get most of this done yesterday, leaving only one section undone for this morning. That, however, has since gone beyond my current capabilities in its scope, so, we’ll be archive diving for that. Go figure. Other than that, we’re good to go…. Also a go figure….

I suppose I COULD wander around a bit, make up a bit of nonsense, or, just blather a bit. But, I’m really not in a space to do that, either; my sleep isn’t what it could be of late, & I find myself pretty tired a lot of the day, not having stored up sufficient down-time to fully recharge the batteries. But, duty calls today, so, fatigue is irrelevant. Ah, for the days of my youth, when I could throw it off like a cheap coat in the sun! Now, it’s more a matter of moving a small mountain in order to get out of bed…. SIGH….

There. Obligatory complaining out of the way, we can get on with this mess. We won’t even bother excusing ourselves for using such abrupt measures. Our insurance is all paid up, so, to hell with the collateral casualties!…. On to the oyster beds, ffolkes!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If you judge, investigate.”

~~ Seneca ~~

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

The Harp Twins

Image from Tumblr.com via Google Images

I love finding new music, especially instrumentalists I’ve never seen or heard before. I once saw a harpist play a solo gig at a bar in Napa, CA, who was, quite frankly, the best I’ve ever seen, playing all the band parts alone for the songs she included. She could make the harp sound like a piano, a guitar, a violin, and even horns…. amazing. These two are pretty damn good, too, from what I’ve been listening to while typing…. Enjoy, ffolkes. it’s some damn fine music….

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

The Harp Twins

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

https://youtu.be/JhOhGhq0e54?list=PL51BDC64111A4EF17

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

As promised, a discussion from the archives, on a subject near and not-so-dear to my heart, sanity/insanity….. Enjoy!….

From 2/15/2013:

“How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes a really long time and the light bulb has to want to change.” — Smart Bee

Boy, if it wasn’t for the power of metaphor, I would be lost!….. This statement, though presented in a manner that makes it obviously a joke, is actually quite serious in its relevance to sanity, psychiatry, and how the mind works, in general. I worked for many years in the field of mental health care, as a therapist, and I can tell you quite honestly, that this is absolutely true, in many cases of what the rest of society terms insanity….. a word, and a concept, that most of society avoids at all costs, and completely misunderstands, for the most part…. You see, every person who lives in this society on Earth today is just a little insane, with some of them reaching higher levels through their own efforts to excel…… 🙂 Society itself is insane, you see, and one needs to be the same in order to effectively cope….

It may surprise some ffolkes to know that they are insane; I know it surprised me when I first became aware of this fact. We all go through our lives with a certain image of ourselves, and very rarely does that image in our minds look insane. But, let me assure you, there really isn’t any visible way to be able to tell if a person is insane, as it is completely invisible, under most circumstances, as long as the person isn’t speaking, or acting in some way that provides a clue as to their inner state of mind. Even for those of us trained in recognizing its presence, through the use of observation of other defining characteristics, there is no guaranteed method for spotting someone with a mental condition, unless they give it to you up front by acting out in some overt fashion.

Sure, there are tells, as a gambler would say…. when one eye is happily spinning in the opposite direction as the other, it’s a pretty good sign of some inner turmoil…. Pacing and mumbling to oneself, back and forth in a small area, while ignoring all around them, can be another dead giveaway of someone who is experiencing a few extra perceptions in comparison to the rest of us. Sometimes, really bad grooming can be a sign that the person’s mind isn’t focused on how they affect others, and staring at a wall, holding what appears to be a conversation with oneself, can be another indication that not all is well in that person’s world….

But, without some overt signs such as these, you just can’t spot mental illness, and it is extra hard to see it in one’s own image, since we tend to clean that up before we look at it, or try to share it. And, since EVERYONE ELSE is also insane, at least a little, it can be hard to spot, for the same reason one cow in a herd is hard to pick out. You may have heard the old saw about “one in four people are insane, so if you have three sane friends, it’s you”….. What would be more accurate to say is, “all of you are insane, but three of you are coping well with it in an effective manner, and one isn’t…. ”

It’s helpful to know that the overt signs one may see are indicative of the severity of the condition, i.e., the more acting out one observes, the more severe the break in the mental state. But, that isn’t always accurate, as normally sane folks, acting in the grip of strong emotion, can show the same kind of acting out, with the difference of not having it occur all the time, but only when provoked. Thus, it can be seen, it can be very difficult to judge whether a person is insane, or merely temporarily out of control…..

This is where I bring it all together, by referring back to the original pearl…. Coping with life can drive anyone crazy, and does, every day….. Some cope with it better than others, and those are the people who are considered to be sane, as they can deal with reality without resorting to outlandish ways of dealing with their fears. Those who cannot find ways of coping with their fears, which arise from what reality gives us to deal with, end up acting in ways that are strange and uncomfortable for the rest of us, and are often dangerous, in a physical sense, for them, and for those around them…..

In all my experience, with every kind of mental illness I saw in almost 30 years working in mental hospitals, the primary characteristic of those who got better, was that they made up their own minds to do so…. That’s it…. Simple as it may seem, deciding to give up the methods they used, and make a change, was always based on a personal decision on their part, and was THE key ingredient in the regime of ideas, medicines, therapies, and treatments used to combat their illness. In other words, it took a long time, and they first had to want to change….. Without that, nothing worked…. It is a well known aphorism among mental health therapists that, “they get better IN SPITE of what we do, not because of it….”

So, if you’re getting worried about your own coping skills, just keep in mind that to remain sane, it means you have to want to do so…. But, that’s all it takes, if your are sincere, for you will do whatever else is needed, once your will power has been engaged…. That’s what people do….

“Great minds think alike, apparently so do we.” — D. Bennett

“Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?” — James Thomson (1700-1748) — The Seasons, Summer, Line 67

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

Today’s poem first appeared on ECR the same day as the discussion above, since it fits in so well with the subject matter….. It’s always been one of my favorite poems, by one of my favorite poets…. Enjoy!

Mad Girl’s Love Song

“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)”

~~ Sylvia Plath

Brilliant! Absolutely, insanely brilliant! 🙂

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

Now, THIS is a pearl of virtual wisdom! Nine classic gems, forming a necklace of peerless brilliance… I think I’ll call it….

Naked Pearls

Use it, or lose it….

*********

“He who ceases to learn cannot adequately teach.”

~~Headmaster Bee ~~

*********

“Mere longevity is a good thing
for those who watch Life from the side lines.
For those who play the game,
an hour may be a year,
a single day’s work an achievement for eternity.”

~~– Gabriel Heatter ~~

*********

“I think the one lesson I have learned is
that there is no substitute for paying attention.”

~~ Diane Sawyer ~~

*********

“If you’re going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.”

~~ Whimsical Bee ~~

*********

“The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so.”

~~ Nicholas Boileau-Despréaux ~~

*********

“There are as many nights as days,
and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course.
Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,
and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning
if it were not balanced by sadness.”

~~ Carl Jung ~~

*********

“Laughter is by definition healthy.”

~~ Doris Lessing ~~

*********

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift;
the rational mind is faithful servant.
We have created a society
that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*********

“Life is not meant to be easy, my child;
but take courage — it can be delightful.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

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

I suppose it isn’t a surprise to learn cats don’t understand deadlines. Ah, well, she’ll have to learn, I guess, for we all must bow to the gods of necessity at times…. even cats, though they would have us believe otherwise. That said, to our common cause of no good purpose, we’ll take our leave for another day, to see if we can find out why we keep falling into the royal ‘we’, when we write…. SIGH…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, whether we figure it our, or not….

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….

Drifting pieces of abject devotion….

Posted on January 29, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

Guarding her flock of toys/prey….

Hajime…. I would call today’s Pearl a bit eclectic, but, that might be dignifying it more than it deserves. Given the extra time it took to complete it, one might think it would be better; so much for that idea. Smart Bee was more than a little reluctant to cooperate, not to mention the mitigating circumstance of my own lack of chutzpah during the process. It did, however, get done, so, we’ll refrain from any further complaining, which would only detract even further from any value there might be to be found today….. Hmph.

Disgruntled, I am. Yoda-ish, too. Fortunately, I also have the wherewithal to make decisions on my own behalf, which, today, may be our only hope of getting anywhere at all. In fact, I have a feeling if I don’t make it right now, I may just blow this whole deal…. I don’t usually give in to unreasonable fears, but, hey, there’s always something, right? So they say, anyway, and, I’m taking them at their word today…. Here’s how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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

Jorma Kauknonen

Image from wikiwand.com via Google Images

Jorma Kauknonen is probably a new name for many of my Gentle Readers, though not all, I am sure. One of the finest guitarists to come out of the hippie era in San Francisco, he was an integral figure in the development of rock & roll into what it is today. As lead guitarist for first, the Jefferson Airplane, then Starship, and Hot Tuna, he set a standard for musicianship reached by few….. This takes a bit of time to get going, but, believe me, he rocks…. Enjoy!….

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

Jorma Kaukonen

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

https://youtu.be/GK9bPsHtJ3I

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

Here is one of my first rants on the subject I have tagged The Plague of Evil….. Not to worry, it’s short, and my writing wasn’t up to current standards…. but, the message is clear…..

From 10/29/2012:

“Abolition of a woman’s right to abortion, when and if she wants it, amounts to compulsory maternity: a form of rape by the State.” — Edward Abbey

This is a difficult pearl to write, as it turns out….. I’ve been cutting and pasting it ahead now for a week or two, trying to get past the anger I feel whenever I think about the number of asshole men who actively perpetrate the oppression of women in our society, a number far too large for my taste, and one I hope to make smaller before I leave this world…. one way or another.

I’d prefer to have them listen to me, and consider what I say to them, and subsequently change their ways…. but, if it takes more than that, say, the judicious application of brute force upon their person, well, I hope to be able to oblige them…. because, in my world, any man who is cowardly enough to try to assume his delusional superiority over women deserves whatever they get from other men, as well as from women strong enough to fight back….

“You’re a very strong woman… Though this would be a traumatic experience that you would never forget, I think that you would be very successful in
life.” — Senator Dan Quayle telling an 11-year-old girl — why he would want her to have the baby if she were raped by her father, 10/18/88 (reported in Esquire, 8/92)

Note, please that this quote from the Quail was made 20 years ago…. yet, the Republican party includes this very atrocity as a part of its platform…. disguised of course, and never directly addressed, or even obliquely alluded to, but, these attitudes are just the same now as they were then; perhaps even worse.

A very similar statement, just one of several in the same vein, was made in the last couple of weeks by a currently running candidate for the Senate, and the R/R ticket has steadfastly refused to speak out against what the man said…. or about any of the other statements by the low-class misogynists now inhabiting the entire Republican party. In fact, Lyin’ Ryan is already on record as having made the same assertion as Mr. Quayle did in 1988, earlier in this year’s campaign.

“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life — the children; those who are in the twilight of life — the aged; and those who are in the shadows of life — the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” — Hubert Humphrey

These asinine fools would have us believe that their entire concern in this issue is for the fetus…. when in reality it is their own sexual insecurities that they are protecting, by taking the decision about any such matters, involving women’s health, out of the hands of the women involved, and putting it in the hands of men, who are deathly afraid of the women’s sexuality, because they automatically feel inferior…. This creates the reaction of rage, or anger, which always covers our fears, and these cowards in men’s clothing cover it all by spouting their lies and insanity even more….

I find at this point that I must bring this to a (temporary) end…. I am not paying attention to the lesson of today’s first section, and my anger at these assholes is getting to the point where I want to put away the computer and pick up my stick, to go looking for a few of them to bludgeon until some of my anger is released. That, while satisfying in the short run, would no doubt lead to complications I’m not prepared to accept, so….. But, I’ll be back to this subject, be sure…. I need to ask all those women out there who are supporting Romney and Ryan just when it was they lost their minds….

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

When life calls, ready or not….

Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.

Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.

Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.

Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.

Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/10/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Odd Bits of Truth

*********

“A good laugh is sunshine in a house.”

~~ William Makepeace Thackeray ~~

*********

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

~~ Magi ~~

*********

“Not every truth is the better for showing its face undisguised;
and often silence is the wisest thing for a man to heed.”

~~ Pindar ~~

*********

“We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.”

~~ Eric Hoffer ~~

*********

“Aristotle was once asked what those who tell lies gain by it.
Said he, “That when they speak truth they are not believed.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius — Aristotle, xi ~~

*********

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

~~ Essays: First Series (1841) “Self-Reliance” ~~

*********

“It is the edge and temper of the blade
that make a good sword,
not the richness of the scabbard;
and so it is not money or possessions
that make man considerable,
but his virtue.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*********

“The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.”

~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 511 ~~

*********

“The more you love, the more you can love
—and the more intensely you love.
Nor is there any limit on how many you can love.”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

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

All I can say today is, we’ll be back tomorrow, with a greater effort, if not superior results…. Of course, given this one, getting better shouldn’t e too difficult…. I’ll be back, ffolkes. You can take it as a threat, a promise, a warning, or, a joke…. take your pick. I’ll be here, regardless….

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….

Silence falls brightly in the dark….

Posted on January 10, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

It’s a Tao thing, there is nothing _to_ understand.

~~ Lao Bee ~~

Secret Garden

Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. It’s a Sunday. The world sleeps as I type, as it generally does, even without applying the incredible power of the Metaphorse. It seems to me, in fact, the world is weary. Yesterday, and again today, the feel of the air is sluggish, as if the very air we breathe is telling us to slow down, in the mad rush toward extinction in which our species seems to be engaged. What is more, I can feel the air’s sense of expectancy, as well; the world is waiting, with bated breath, almost as if there is some moment approaching which will have some great significance in the overall picture made by life on Earth…. The future is, if possible, even more on the edge of possibility than usual, whatever that means….

Oh, well, what the fuck….. Humans are capable of ignoring/denying ANYTHING, even their own sanity and/or chosen beliefs, whether true, false, or somewhere in between. So, we’re going to ignore the feeling of sitting beneath the twin-bladed sword of doom/salvation, and just get on with the mess we are creating here. The world has enough of a mess to deal with on its own, and so do we. Should it become necessary during the completion of this Pearl to make a quick exit, stage anywhere, well, you’ll understand, I am sure….

Now we’ve got the nonsense and niggling out of the way, such as we may, why don’t we get on with the rest of today’s somewhat epic effort…. I’ll give fair warning; there’s a long, introspective rant below, which took me a couple or three days to complete…. and, it still feels as if there should be more there (there is, but, it wouldn’t fit….). But, ’twill do for our purpose, which is merely to get someone, anyone, to think, and, to encourage them to make others do so as well…. The more we can get thinking, actual reasoning, the better chance we’ll all have of making it to the next century…. which, at this moment, is a wager showing very poor odds…..

For now, let’s be happy for the time we have, and get on with this…. We’ll use the teleportation unit, and be where we need to be, now….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Past of try is tried. Past of do is done.”

~~ Jedi Master Bee ~~

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

Camille Saint-Saëns

The music I generally listen to when composing/creating/writing is, about half the time, written by this man. He was one of the most prolific of all composers of music, of any genre, not just classical. Every piece I have heard was, to be completely honest, beautifully written, and pleasing to the ear, without ever becoming redundant, no matter how often one hears it. This is a group of pieces with which I’m not familiar, but, am readily willing to expect ’twill be as enjoyable as all the others…. Enjoy, if you please; I know I will….

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

Camille Saint-Saëns

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

https://youtu.be/wixXDARl1F0

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

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a Dream.” — The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, 1675

This one is a bit long, and wanders around quite a bit, but, that’s what happens sometimes in a dream….

In my life, I have seen much, studied much, and tried to learn all I could. This was never a conscious decision on my part; my earliest memories are all of times when I tried to find out things I didn’t know, just because it felt right; my curiosity is, and was, insatiable, about EVERYTHING. The entire world I perceived was fascinating, and I wanted to consume it all…. Everything I saw, and heard, and smelled, and touched, just made me want to find out more; I knew I didn’t know, and I had to, as if I needed it as badly as air to breathe, or food to eat.

As often as not, the results were not what I expected, but, since I didn’t know about anything, my expectations were not much of an issue; this, I think, gave me the ability to accept whatever I learned as real, and true. When what I was told by others didn’t match what I had already learned, I had no problem voicing that, which often created issues with adults, who seemed to want me to believe anything they said, even when it made no sense. “Why” was a question adults quickly got tired of hearing, mostly; kids were usually more willing to at least consider it as a reasonable request for information, even if they didn’t have anything particularly useful to tell.

I’m not sure how just now how that has affected my outlook in life, but, I do know I refuse, and always have done, to accept obvious untruths from whomever voiced them. Being small doesn’t mean I wasn’t smart; I also learned when to argue, and when to shut up, to avoid provoking large, seemingly violent big persons. But, once that particular lesson is learned, it also teaches one to be ever alert to the possibility of being lied to, whether it be in a gentle, attractive package, or, an intimidating one. In short, I learned to keep the crap detector on full at all times; when I didn’t, things didn’t get along as smoothly…. which disrupted my learning, thus defeating my purpose.

“Sometimes we are afraid to question because we confuse it with doubt, at times when doubt cannot be indulged. Questioning is not the same thing as doubting. …Living the questions requires a willingness to live with paradox, to endure confusion in our rational minds that only the intuitive mind can entertain: intuition accepts the paradox instead of changing it.” — Christina Baldwin

How, you may ask, does any of this relate to the quote with which we began this journey through my head? I couldn’t say, yet; this is not a fully thought out piece of literature, it is an introspective examination, of a thought which occurred to me as I stood at the back door with Leelu, looking at the cloudy sky (me, in a dream/thought state), and the birds, (Leelu’s primary interest). It went through my mind that, in my total time here on Earth, I’ve lived in shouting distance of the Edge of Life, since first beginning to walk the path of a scholar/warrior. Since I was born to a warrior, and a warrior’s wife, that covers pretty much all of it.

All my life I have been aware the world is a violent place, even though there was no more in my home-life than in any other; less, I think, than most, as my father and mother were well-matched, and he was not a violent man. He merely understood it, very well, in himself, and others, having been in the Army, when I was born, since WWII, which ended five years before I was born. He stayed in service after the war, as the economic advantages were not insignificant, even then. But, though he assumed the mantle of a warrior naturally, and wore it well for twenty years, he never became hard, or stupid, due to the regimentation of the life in any such organization.

When I left home, I began to study life more than I had already begun, and, in earnest, as it was now just me. I can’t say I made fewer mistakes than anyone else, but, I have never allowed myself to become destitute for lack of work, or, failed to act as honorably as I was able, no matter how hard life became…. As all of you know, it can get pretty tough out there…. Especially when, as I have done, one becomes a specialist in the methods and philosophy of dealing with violence, in martial arts first, then, in my work later in life, wherein the arts became my most valuable set of tools, an important asset to my knowledge and experience in toto.

A few days ago, while considering how to express a comment on another blog, I thought back over my life, about how many wars this country had been involved in during that span. I was, thanks to my age, and experience, not particularly surprised to learn I could not remember a single time the government of the United States had not had our troops occupying space in other lands, for purposes which had never been made entirely clear.

As I later found out, the true reasons for any of those occasions were never fully disclosed at all. In fact, from what I have read, researched, and can gather from available evidence, the government of this country has been actively lying to the public on a regular basis since before WWII, and, most likely, since the advent of the Industrial Age, in the nineteenth century.

While hardly a surprise, given the state of affairs in most of the world today, as one who is all-too-familiar with human nature’s violent side, it is nonetheless disheartening. As a warrior myself, I cannot say violence has no place in the world; I can, however, from that same basic experience, say that the unbridled violence we see is NOT a natural expression of the true nature of a complete human, so often found in those who have been a warrior, at least at some point in their life.

A true warrior knows when to fight, and, when to refuse to fight; in today’s culture, there is no restraint applied to the natural tendencies we possess; the moral/ethical duty of being a warrior is ignored completely, in favor of expedience, and ego-driven desire for power. As a scholar, as well as a warrior, this is clear, and, saddening….

A few days ago, I discussed what I believe to be the motivating factor in an issue connected to this one, to wit; the ongoing and persistent abuse of women, children, and other creatures, so common in, and, so much denied by modern society. In my mind, the ongoing state of war extant over too much of the planet’s surface is a result of the same failure, on the part of humanity at large, but, the males of the species in particular, who have perverted and ignored all the damage their childish, ego-driven, plainly cruel behavior has caused, for millennia, to ALL the other forms of life here on Earth, including their own species mates. This is, without a doubt, insane.

There really isn’t much more to say about this at this point in this narrative. In my own time, I have consistently refused to make war on anyone, for I have been given no valid reason for doing so. As a result, my own experience with violence in human nature has all been on a personal level, to wit; unarmed and armed hand-to-hand combat, mostly in the pursuance of my work as a mental healthcare technician, working with the most floridly insane, violent individuals in the craziest state, in the craziest country in the world, who regularly lost control of their emotions and behavior, becoming, in short, bestial in nature, without restraint of any kind. Eleven plus years of that supplied me with all the learning I needed to form an opinion on the value of that side our our nature, trust me….

As a result of that, I have the skills to keep myself safe, in any situation…. but, the entire reason I acquired those skills, as a martial artist/warrior/scholar, is so I could AVOID fighting, and killing, as best I could. In over 750 physical altercations during those years, I was given more than ample reason to learn to avoid fighting in my own life….

I hate it; I hate what it does to me, and to those with whom I contend. So, I learn, to try to discover how to stop violence before it gets to the point where a moral/ethical decision must be made, as to whether or not to be fully human, or, become like those who are not fully so, bringing pain, misery, and, possibly, death into one’s own life…. So far, I’ve been lucky enough, and skilled enough to be able to say I have yet to kill another human, nor any animal since before learning it was wrong. Or, as we like to say on the streets…. so far, so good….

The day is young, though…. and there are a lot of assholes out there, with balls but no dicks, or brains worth using, who could do with a good thumping…. They can usually be found hanging around centers of government, or churches, or, high-rolling hotels…. Anywhere the twin delusions of the value of money, and the necessity for a God, hold sway, actually, would be a good place to begin any hunt for worthy game….

So be it…..

Dont keep calm

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

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

This particular set of pearls is what I’d call a necklace, made of gems found by complete serendipity. I made no conscious choices, just picked the lines which struck my eye/mind’s fancy as they came up on the screen, in the exact order you see, though not all at once. I also had to wade through about 150-200 unsuitable quotes to find them, but, that doesn’t take long, when they’re so obviously right…. Still not sure what it all says/means, but, it’s all connected, for sure, one way or another…. But, then, isn’t it all?….

*********

“The truly brave are soft of heart and eyes,
And feel for what their duty bids them do.”

~~ Byron ~~

*********

“Every adult needs a child to teach;
it’s the way adults learn.”

~~ Frank A. Clark ~~

*********

“Only the ephemeral is of lasting value”

~~ Ionesco ~~

*********

“If we let things terrify us,
life will not be worth living.”

~~ Seneca, Epistles ~~

*********

“Call any vegetable,
Call any vegetable,
And the chances are good
That the vegetable
Will respond to you.”

~~ Frank Zappa, Lyrics in “Absolutely Free” ~~

*********

Courage can’t see around corners,
but goes around them anyway.”

~~ Mignon McLaughlin (The Neurotic’s Notebook) ~~

*********

“The frightening thing is not dying,
the frightening thing is not living.”

~~ T-Bone Burnett ~~

*********

I have here only made a nosegay of culled flowers,
and have brought nothing of my own
but the thread that ties them together.”

~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~

~~ Essays, Book iii, Chap. xii ~~

*********

“The best and most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt within the heart.”

~~ Helen Keller ~~

*********

“I’ve gone to look for myself.
If I should get back before I return,
keep me here.”

~~ Bill the Cat ~~

*********

“The purpose is to identify not with the body which is falling away,
but with the consciousness of which it is a vehicle.
This is something I learned from my myths.
Am I the bulb that carries the light,
or am I the light of which the bulb is the vehicle?
If you can identify with consciousness,
you can watch this thing go like an old car.
There goes a fender, etc.
But it’s expected; and then gradually
the whole thing drops off
and consciousness rejoins consciousness.
I live with these myths — and they tell me to do this,
to identify with the Christ or the Shiva in me.
And that doesn’t die,it resurrects.
It is an essential experience of any mystical realization
that you die in your flesh
and are born to your spirit.
You identify with the consciousness in life
~ and that is the god.”

~~ Joseph Campbell ~~

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

Well, there you have it, for what it is worth. And, no wise cracks from the gallery, if you please. We do our best; judging can be left to others, as long as they’re reasonably civil. If not, well, remember who’s the curmudgeon around here, and we’ll be fine, if not always unbloodied…. On that cryptic note, I shall bid thee adieu until tomorrow, when we’ll see what sort of trouble we can cause, one more time…. at least.

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….

Lies can taste good, but Truth fills you up….

Posted on December 6, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

~~ Hanlon’s Razor ~~

A meeting of minds

Image of a Dukha tribesman,from themindunleashed.com via Google Images

Hajime…. I would trade almost any experience in my life, (save one or two…) to have the connection with nature, and the friendship of a bear. The man in the picture is a Dukha, a tribe which has lived in northern Mongolia since the dawn of time. They are so in tune with the land, and the creatures who live on it, I would consider them to be the highest example on the planet of the true purpose of being human, and how to live here in perfect comfort and harmony….. I don’t mean they are perfect; hell, they’re human, and I’m sure they have their individual faults, like all of us. But, the way they have learned to coexist with the total environment in which they live, to me, is how human beings SHOULD be, in attitude, with, or without technological advantages.

They ride caribou, for traveling, using them the same way other societies use horses and cattle. But, with some differences…. for example:

Attribution same as above

How many societies do YOU know of who will trust their farm animals to babysit for them? It seems to me, they have learned something that the rest of humanity passed by, to their everlasting disadvantage, I believe. What this tells me about their society is how well they understand their co-creatures, and, as well, how to create in those creatures the same sort of trust they place in their own species. Most societies have dogs to perform this sort of service, but, it seems to me, it might be to our advantage, as humans, to learn what it is this tribe has learned, to keep their connection to their natural side intact, a facet of personality which the rest of us seem to have lost….

Okay, subtle insult to the bulk of humanity thus delivered, as sugar-coated as I could make it, we can move on. That’s a good thing, because today’s Pearl is, if I say so myself, a good one. Without any spoilers, I can say it is one of my best efforts; I’ll let it speak for itself from this point…..

Uh, oh….. Shoot. (You will, of course, recognize as a euphemism for another word of similar spelling, and more odor….) Now what do I do with this intro? It started out as a sort of travelogue cum philosophical oddity, slipped over into honest discussion, and, now….. what? Hmm…. I suppose I’ll have to think up some weird, explosive literary surprise to distract everyone while we get the slow on the road. Damn, I knew I should have gone with the picture of Leelu!

Oh, well, okay…. Let’s see what we’ve got here in our bag of emergency exit methods. How ’bout a # 19? They’re always fun, though the dry-cleaning charges can get a bit steep. Okay, nope. Hmm, let’s see: hey, how about this one? It’s a # 23, and I don’t think I’ve tried this one yet. The only requirement is to make sure y’all have your thinking caps. Oh, you won’t need them ’til later on down the page, but, you WILL need them. Besides, this one is so fast, you might miss it, and then where would you be? Not at the oyster beds, that’s for sure…. Okay, here we go; hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“To regret one’s own experiences is to arrest one’s own development.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

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

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”

~~ William Blake ~~

~~ Inspiration for the name of The Doors ~~

The Doors

Image from http://www.mirror.co.uk via Google Images

I am not sure anyone ever completely understood The Doors. To see the quote upon which their name was chosen tells a LOT about them, if one is able to see clearly into human nature. I’m not as familiar with the band members, but, Jim Morrison was, in many ways, the heart and soul of the band, and to observe him was to observe a very, very complex human being, subject to very little comprehension he did not wish to allow. The band’s music also reflected his persona; complex, deep, often erotic and more sensual than was comfortable. He lived life in ways no one had ever thought of, much as any true artist, such as Picasso, or Dali, or, Michaelangelo lived…. without compromise.

Enjoy, ffolkes; if nothing else, the music of the Doors makes you FEEL life…..

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

The Doors

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

https://youtu.be/tebaMuEyVKM

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

“Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

When one considers the social background under which G.B. Shaw was raised and educated, much of what he wrote naturally demonstrates some of the prejudices common to his time. All in all, however, his thoughts on society, and human nature at large, were extremely accurate, and a better indicator of how his mind worked, and, in fact, how it excelled. In addition, short statements such as the one used today tell me he had a very sharp, and morally developed sense of humor about everything he witnessed in his life. He shows up a lot here, for that very reason, for his words are pointedly critical of Stupidity, Ignorance, and the sin of Expediency, which, even in his day, had become one of society’s most dangerous issues….

In his statement above, it is perfectly clear to me he could have been talking of the United States as it exists in 2015. Our country’s government is corrupted beyond repair; the bankers and corporate interests, such as Big Pharma, Big Oil, and the Angels of Death (Arms dealers & manufacturers), are in complete control of the White House, both Houses of Congress, and, to a significant degree, the Supreme Court….. If you doubt what I say, simply look at each of those persons mentioned in light of their yearly income. Then, tell me they represent the average man/woman in this country with a straight face. If you can do so, you are even stupider than they believe, which is pretty fucking stupid, believe me.

Harsh? Nah. Perfect truth. I can say, without fear of being wrong, 98% of the people in this country who are not involved in government, at any level, are completely ignorant of the degree to which their rights have already been taken away. Just ask anyone on the street if they believe they still have the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution and Bill of Rights; every one of them will tell you they do, without even pausing to think. The simple fact they are completely mistaken never enters their consciousness at all, a fact which the BRC, and the Asininnies in general not only know, but, take advantage of at every opportunity.

You could ask those same people on the street if they believed their leaders tell the truth to them, and they’d say “yes”, again without ever pausing to consider whether or not it might be true. They’ve been conditioned, by parents, by churches, by teachers, all their lives to accept what they are told by those in authority, and to believe them, NO MATTER HOW THEIR PERCEPTIONS DO NOT MATCH THE LIES! They are taught to adjust to whatever demands are placed on them, no matter how ridiculous or demeaning they may be, simply because their entire existence is based on maintaining the status quo, which they have never examined to even see if it can be changed for the better.

At this point, we will assume the mantle of a classic Jeffersonian, the political model which I have always preferred as my standard for judging today’s governmental participants, to wit; the BRC and the Asininnies…. I would like to begin this by noting how huge is the circle of ignorance that now comprises the American public, and, the first of many warnings of the consequences by Tom himself…..

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

“I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.” — Thomas Jefferson

In today’s American cities and towns, we have libraries practically empty, in comparison to how many people SHOULD be using them. The American public, once graduated from school, never opens another book, contenting themselves with magazines, newspapers, and now videos, TV, and the internet, all of which, if not understood, are just another tool used to fortify and maintain their brainwashing, by directing their interests just where the BRC wants it to be…. which is generally focused on things to fear, or lust after.

Just today, I found how serious this issue has become. For the very first time in my life, I was requested to renew my library card, in the town where I live. In my entire life, I’ve never had a library request me to update any information; what is the need? Any citizen of this country, as far as I know, is free to walk into a library, and read, or use the facilities. There AREN’T supposed to be ANY conditions set on that freedom, (unless you wish to take a book home; then you must leave your name); yet, now, at the behest, I am sure, of the local police, with the power of the federal NSA organization behind it, want to know who has a card, their PHONE # (!!!), and where they live. This, of course, gives them access to my internet searches, all the books I check out, and a host of other information, NONE of which they have any right to gather……

But, that’s not the only front on which inroads against our rights are being made….

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

“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson

Our country was warned, by Jefferson, Paine, Mason, Franklin, Adams, and others, about the very things we now face in our lives. They predicted the takeover of the government by the bankers and corporate interests, in letters they wrote, in articles they published, all of which still can be accessed in libraries. But, no modern Americans would believe it if told, because they will not make the effort to go see for themselves. Nor will they ever believe they are not free, because they’ve been taught all their lives to accept illusion as reality…. What chance do they have at this late date to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing? Very little, I would say….

This is why I rant. This is why I cannot stop harping on the lies told to us, or about the fear they want us to feel, fear of threats which simply do not exist, except in the minds of those who believe them. The governments of all countries want their citizens to believe they can make them feel safe and secure, when in fact, that is simply not true. Life IS insecurity; there is no safety from the Universe, if it chooses to come after you. You can’t dodge an earthquake, nor a flood, nor any other natural disaster…. Nor can you deny that humans are violent, and will BE violent in trying to attain their desires. It has always been so, and always will be, until we figure out how to change human nature.

The myth of safety in living, which governments would have us believe they can supply, simply does not exist in Reality. As long as we are alive. we are in danger, and that is a simple fact of Reality not even a government can change, not by any means. But, they get people to believe they can, and, thus, have them under their power.

The only true way in this life to be safe is to remove fear from your responses to anything you experience. Fear is a reaction to “not knowing” the nature of what is occurring; it is easily dismissed, or let go, if one is willing to LEARN. But, this requires first that one learn how to learn, and that is something our schools stopped teaching long ago. Knowledge kills fear, yet people seem to prefer to NOT make the effort to learn about what they fear, instead accepting whatever they’re told, which is only designed to increase their misunderstanding, and prolong the fear. A person who is afraid does NOT think, and the BRC and Asininnies know this. That is why they trumpet doom and danger every time something bad happens; it serves their interests to keep the public afraid….

Obviously, I can keep on about this for a long time; in my time I’ve observed the process I’ve just described happening, with governments becoming more and more corrupt and dishonest, and more of the people’s hard-won rights abrogated, in a consistent dismantling of the Constitution of the United States, by corporate interests, until the world in which we now live can no longer be called anything but a true oligarchy. The rich have won, ffolkes, and unless we, all together, do something about it, they’ll keep tightening the screws until we can no longer freely breathe….

In fact, that is a literal statement…. I can see a time, not so far off, when, because of the climate changes that are now occurring, for which we know no way to stop, the atmosphere we breathe will become tainted, and require treatment before we can use it. What does anyone wish to bet, if that happens, the oligarchy will try to CHARGE people for the air they breathe? I can see it clearly, can you? Is that what you wish for YOUR grandchildren? I can honestly say, I do not.

“Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebels against anything that does not deserve rebelling against.” — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to James Madison, stated, “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 (1743-1826), in letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787

In what was probably the same letter, he also said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Madison, 1787

I know, it’s a lot of TJ, but, damn it! He WARNED us, and we didn’t listen! You see, to summarize, he also said,” God prevent we should ever be twenty years without a revolution.”

Guess what, ffolkes? It’s now been 229 years since our last revolution in this country. I have a feeling the next one isn’t far off, given the false sense of entitlement growing so fast in the monied elite, and amongst their myrmidons. I have a feeling they forget a simple fact when they are making up their plans and agendas to continue their oppression of the world’s people…. There are now more than SEVEN BILLION of those people…. If they aren’t careful, they’re going to piss off ALL of them. If that happens, I don’t believe their money, or their technology, or their sense of entitlement will save them from being shredded, limb from limb, by angry mobs of formerly downtrodden human beings….

But, then, when that happens, I’ll just sit back, and say, “Oh well….. Just desserts, assholes.”

Thanks fer listenin’. I’ll leave you with one last thought from TJ, and final word from Pope, to close the circle… Then, I’ll leave you be, to digest how to deal with the truths you’ve just absorbed….

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” — Thomas Jefferson to A. Stuart, 1791

For forms of government let fools contest;
Whate’er is best administer’d is best.
For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.
In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all mankind’s concern is charity.~~ Alexander Pope ~~

~~ Essay on Man, Epistle iii, Line 303 ~~

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

When life calls, ready or not….

Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.

Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.

Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.

Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.

Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2012

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

Today’s final pearl is a perfect reflection of the rest of the effort today. To be frank, it was intense, and satisfying. This one has a pretty standard structure, and message, for that matter. But, it’s such a profound one, it fits right in with all of the above…. I hope you enjoy it, just as much as I hope you ‘get it’…..

“Whatever happens at all happens as it should; thou wilt find this true, if thou shouldst watch narrowly.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 10

“Common and vulgar people ascribe all ill that they feel to others; people of little wisdom ascribe to themselves; people of much wisdom, to no one.” — Epictetus

“A good man possesses a kingdom.” — Seneca (8 BC) — Thyestes, 380

“The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” — George Eliot

” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention of doing you good, you should run for your life” — Thoreau’s Law

“What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more.” — Seneca

“Before teaching others, before changing others, we ourselves must change. We must be honest, sincere, kind-hearted.” — The XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet, Address, 1982

“You’re not going crazy Arthur, you’re going sane in a crazy world.” — The Tick

“What then remains but that we still should cry

For being born, and, being born, to die?”

~~ Francis Bacon ~~

~~ The World ~~

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

Well, I did it. It’s done, and done as well as I can do it. Well enough, I shan’t trouble you here with any further nonsense, or sense, for that matter. I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow, and be done with it.

Sure I will…. I’ll be back, ffolkes. That’s not a threat, unless you fear the truth….. Ta, then…..

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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