Tag Archives: Smart Bee

Nothing like boiled mutton….

Posted on by
1

Ffolkes,

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line.
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

~~ the Indigo Girls ~`

~~ Closer to Fine ~~

Most-Photogenic-Dog-9 Lin Tranhs Chuppy

Chuppy and friend

Image by Jessica Trinh, as posted by adollyciousirony at:

http://allaboutlemon.com/2015/06/28/chuppy-the-most-photogenic-dog-2/

with more pictures here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicachuppy/


Good morrow, my fine, fuzzy ffolkes…. No, I have no idea why I sound so chipper today, but, hey, it’s better than the usual curmudgeonly sarcasm, don’t you think? Well, I don’t, so, screw it… Let’s get on with this, okay? Don’t ask, so I won’t have to break the mood, right? No worries, just the usual morning visit from The Murph, may his nards forever freeze…

Shall we Pearl?

“He who is most slow in making a promise, is the most faithful in the performance of it.” — Rousseau

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

BigAjzLgT (2)

    Since I’m late, and lazy, we’ll go with some old BBC TV…. Here is an old Sherlock Holmes story, with a good, meaty story, though with some REALLY bad acting displayed in two instances in this episode…. Ladies and bozos, I give you, Sherlock….


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

The Solitary Cyclist

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

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

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


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

lao

    I am late, (did mention I’m late again?….), so, I’ll have to sublimate yet again…. Today, let’s go with a bit of philosophy, of sorts…. Works for me.

From 8/16/2012:

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.” — Lao-Tzu

Water…. the power of water is unmatched over time; just ask the Grand Canyon. Water ties us to the universe; our physical make-up depends on it for survival, as well as mere existence. It is so soft, and yielding, yet cannot be destroyed at all; one can only cause it to change form, from ice, to water, to steam, all of which hold the same properties as the middle state, though slightly differently interpreted. Most important, to the scholar’s mind, is its nature…. emulating its spirit, becoming like water, is the goal of almost all meditation practice, as well as a goal of the martial artist….

“My writing is like a ten gallon spring.  It can issue from the ground anywhere at all.  On smooth ground it rushes swiftly on and covers a thousand li in a single day without difficulty.  When it twists and turns among mountains and rocks, it fits its form to things it meets: unknowable. What can be known is, it always goes where it must go, always stops where it cannot help stopping — nothing else. More than that, even I cannot know.” — Su Shih

One of the most powerful of concepts in martial arts is the emulation of water. The student is taught to learn how to move like water, to move with the rhythm of the universe as energy flows from one point to another. One of the most valuable techniques I’ve seen to teach this lesson is one where the student stands in a balanced stance, one foot forward; the arms are held in front of the body, as if holding a large ball. The student then moves his weight from the back foot to the front foot, then back again, while moving the ball in a slow circle, pushed away when moving forward, and brought back when the weight shifts to the rear….

The trick to learn is to be like the tide, accepting the water as it flows in to its highest point, then moving with it as it irresistibly flows back into the sea, as the weight moves to the front foot. A smooth shifting of the weight, and finding the correct rhythm teaches both balance, and strength, and the power of moving like water…. Learning to use gravity as an ally, instead of a limitation, gives one an unimaginable advantage over one who does not know how to do so….

In addition to the physical lessons that water has to teach us, it also provides the intellect with a subject of study, to find the nature of water in its most real state. Learning the nature of water brings us closer to an understanding of all nature, and how we may fit into it with the most beneficial attitudes. The path of least resistance, followed by water as it flows downhill, teaches us to learn to find the same path for ourselves. The immutability of water teaches us how to resist changes to our nature, while remaining in touch with those parts of the universe that are within all of us…. And the flexibility of water teaches us to remain flexible ourselves, to learn to recognize when it is time to be ice, when it is time to be steam, and when it is time to flow like water in its normal state…..

Joshu asked the teacher Nansen, “What is the True Way?”

Nansen answered, “Every way is the true Way.”

Joshu asked, “Can I study it?”

Nansen answered, “The more you study, the further from the Way.”

Joshu asked, “If I don’t study it, how can I know it?”

Nansen answered, “The Way does not belong to things seen: nor to things  unseen. It does not belong to things known: nor to things unknown. Do not  seek it, study it, or name it. To find yourself on it, open yourself as wide as the sky.”

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Serendipity Morning

My mind wants to fly,
   my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
   each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.

Love hovers, always patient,
   seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
   only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
   heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 4/1/2013.

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

buddah-out-to-lunch_s

    Okay…. We made it this far, but, SB is being snarky; we’re going back into the archives, so, gird your grids for a big one!…. Enjoy….

From 8/18/2012:

The following is an old-school pearl, with a specific thought in mind for you to deduce….. For the sake of everyone’s blood pressure, that specific thought will be revealed at the end…. I don’t usually provide such answers, but, today, I thought I’d give a treat, just ’cause I’m a nice guy…. Really, I am……

Child:  “Supreme Being, why is there evil in the world?”
Supreme Being (Sir John Gielgud in a Savile Row suit): “Oh, dear, I can’t remember, exactly. . . something to do with free will, I believe.”

— Terry Gilliam, _The Time Bandits_

“The character of human life, like the character of the human condition, like the character of all life, is “ambiguity”: the inseparable mixture of good and evil, the true and false, the creative and destructive forces — both individual and social.” — Paul Tillich

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn’t any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I’m not at the bottom,
I’m not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

~~ A.A. Milne ~~


“Belief gets in the way of learning.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

“Truth, in the matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived.” — Oscar Wilde

“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

You may be asking yourself at this point, just what have I gotten myself into? Well, relax, it’s no big deal….. all of the foregoing is intended to lead you to the following….. which WILL be on the quiz…..

An it harms none, do what thou will.

~~ Wiccan Credo ~~


Alternate answer, also correct:

There’s little in taking or giving,
   There’s little in water or wine:
This living, this living, this living,
      Was never a project of mine.
Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is
 The gain of the one at the top,
For art is a form of catharsis,
      And love is a permanent flop,
And work is the province of cattle,
    And rest’s for a clam in a shell,
So I’m thinking of throwing the battle —
  Would you kindly direct me to hell?

~~ Dorothy Parker ~~


“Birth, school, work, death.  About sums it up, I think.” — Smart Bee

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

It seems, in spite of all I could do, it’s done, well before I had any feeling of being in control…. Ah, well, I guess tomorrow is another day, and, since we’re done, I’ll just pretend it never happened…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I promise, I’ll do better….

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

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Drop the waffle, Bob, or we’ll shoot….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				4			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.”


~~ Pliny the Elder ~~


10-8-2014 017 (2)


Morning Glory, Indeed.






Good morning…. For the record: Later today, I’ll be hitting the trail, off to see a friend in another state. I’m hoping to be able to post as usual, but, the details and demands of life away from one’s base can alter our intentions to fulfill necessities of the trip…. In any case, if you don’t see a post at the usual time, check back later to see if I was able to get it done; if nothing else, I’ll try to post a few words to fill the empty spaces left by my absence…. Other than that, I doubt the Space/Time Continuum will see much effect from that absence…. And, for the nonce, it means we can get on with this show, forthwith….


Shall we Pearl?




“One man with courage is a majority.”


~~ Thomas Jefferson ~~




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




buffalo S


Image from Amazon.com via Google Images




Some of the most familiar names in the history of Rock & Roll were members of this band; when it broke up in the late 60’/early 70’s, the members went on to form several other extremely famous iconic groups, including Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Emerson-Lake-Palmer, Loggins & Messina, and others of equal fame. Almost all of them went on to brilliant solo careers as musician/songwriters…. In the beginning, before all the glitter and fame, there was Buffalo Springfield….







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















Buffalo Springfield















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


























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























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




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




Dont keep calm


“War is Capitalism with the gloves off.” — Tom Stoppard




Careful, Mister.  Old Zeke is liable to fire that sucker up! Uh, oh! Now you’ve done it!….


Just what, you may ask, is that all about? And, well you may ask, as it turns out…. To be honest, I had some notion of passing myself off as the proverbial Zeke, but, it sort of felt weird even as I put it up there…. However, it still fits the issue at hand, which is, the quote by Mr. Stoppard, a phrase which, like it or not, I intend to discuss, as it perfectly fits the rant I have in mind…. Yes, that’s right, we’re going to indict the Asininnies again, into a bloody pulp, if possible…. Why? Well, why the hell not? They fuck with us…. no, make that, they fuck us, on a regular, consistent, daily basis; it’s our duty to give it back to them whenever the opportunity arises… Remember, ffolkes….






Albert E & true sin

    


    “War is capitalism with the gloves off.” How adroitly accurate! I’m in awe, for, Mr. Stoppard has, in a mere seven words, laid out an entirely rational, evocative argument for revolution, wherein the root cause of the problem, and implied correct solution, becomes as plain as the nose on a Bozo’s face. I can’t think of a better way to call a spade a spade….


The entire history of this country since WWII has been one of war after police action after war after terrorist hunt after humanitarian intervention after invasion after war after police actions…. well, you get the picture…. All of it, in one respect at least, has only one purpose in mind, to spread the “benefits” of freedom and capitalism to the rest of the “undeveloped” world, as well as to our ideological adversaries, who wish to do the same thing in the name of socialism, or communism, etc…. In my opinion, it’s all a case of mewantitall-ism…. Basically, our human governments consist of a bunch of men, mostly, who never grew up, so never learned they can’t have all they want. Their entire existence is centered around obtaining power over others, in order to be free to ignore their own responsibility, giving up honor for avarice…


In truth, the entire stated purpose of the imperialistic advances of Western civilization is all a sham, a two-sided excuse to apply the principles of economic slavery to yet another unsuspecting culture, to fill their minds with TV, and all the illusory “good” things that come with a slave society, where the many work for, and at the behest of, a very few elite narcissists, who believe in their own entitlements, and nothing else….


“Conservative Definition of Compassion: I got mine, Jack.” — Smart Bee


One one hand, these predators justify their depredations by the time honored catch phrase of bringing freedom, and justice, the American way, to those countries whose economic dependency isn’t tied to the business of business, also the American way…. We’ll bring them good old American know-how, and flood their markets and bodies with American poison, er, the boon of fast food (with enhanced nutritional value, and a tiny bit of actual food included), and advanced medicines, which will cause autism, obesity, and a lifetime of dependency on pills which keep you sick (Can’t sell pills to well people, now, can you?). We’ll sell them cars they don’t need every year, and a new phone every 3 months, and convince them they’re happy as pigs-in-mud, striding swiftly down the road to an early grave, while wading ineffectually, blindly, through their own hell…


“Where there is much light there is also much shadow.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)


Which, by the way, is the second gift we bring to those other lands we visit all over the world, invited or not…. We’ll use the promise of immortality as reward for obedience, balanced by a threat of a fiery hell for ignoring dogma, allowing our missionaries to bring the gift of Christianity to the natives…. Yes, Christianity, that insane, vicious, gruesome, wonderful, old-time religion, as described so vividly by hundreds of passages in the Bible, with battles where they killed not just warriors, but, the women, children, old people, and animals of their enemies, just because they could….


The religion of LOVE, so it is said, though you couldn’t tell by the way the countries they visit all end up, as yet more slaves to the corporate snakeheads, with the full cooperation and support of the religious teachers, who all preach obedience to worldly authority, in exchange for the promise of eternal life, AFTER you’re dead, (and, thus, can no longer contribute to the church, you’ll note….)


“It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Cleveland Press, 3/1/21


Boy, howdy; now THAT is priceless! Yes, yes, yessiree! I can say, without a qualm, I resemble that remark!


I also can say, unequivocally, I strongly agree with G.K.; how else, when I wish I’d said it!…. Of course, I’m sure he would have included the preachers in there with the politicians, had he thought of it, or, had he been able to figure out a short, pithy way to do so…. Otherwise, it’s perfect!…. Every damn one of them is clinically insane; on the political side we have your predatory, narcissistic, pathological liars, who live for rape (which is the ultimate power over others…), who have absolutely no compassion, or honor…. Their sense of unbridled entitlement comes out of their delusional belief in their own divine right to rule others…


On the religious side, we have your delusional, pathological, emotionally abusive, passive-aggressive manipulators, who sycophantically brainwash children with their own delusions, so they can enjoy the sense of entitlement of being close to God, thus, immune from the laws of Man…. These are even worse, in some ways, than the politicians, for they actually believe they are doing good, when, in truth, every time they “save another soul”, they save it into slavery, thinking, wrongly, they’ve done well…. By their very example, they teach how to embrace ignorance over reason, to value shadow over substance, and to deny reality in the face of desire…. Not to mention the whole thing about never having to be responsible for doing wrong, as long as you believe, and confess….


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


No wonder the world is a mess!…. We’ve come to a point in this narrative where we can continue to indict our BRC, or take a rest for today, to come back to this subject later…. Since I’m feeling compassionate, and want to get on the road, we’ll call it a day…. Just remember, ffolkes, the people who run the governments of this world are NOT doing so for YOUR benefit…. They’re in it for all they can get for themselves, and nothing else. Anything else they tell is a LIE…. Believe it, or, be a slave; it’s up to you…. And, believe this, for sure…. In this Universe, being good at being stupid doesn’t count.




“Ignorance is a voluntary misfortune” 


~~ Nicholas Ling ~~


So be it.


gigoid has spoken….




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





Comedy_Tragedy




    I always get lazy before going on the road…. Well, about stuff like this, anyway. To demonstrate this concept perfectly, here is another poem of mine from the archives, to follow up (sort of….) on today’s rant…. Enjoy!….




Rejection


“Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so…”

I’d be crying a river, I thought

if ever such crap I bought.


Sorry if it hurts your sense of style,

but, hypocrisy always gives me bile.

Being lied to accidentally is okay,

but, deliberate lies make me angry, and fey.


Oh, God, hear what I pray!

Keep me from your followers today.

Having to listen to so much that is wrong

makes me puke, before it makes me strong.


I don’t know why it isn’t clear to other folks,

which is alright, you know, different strokes.

But, why should that mean that they must

force me to believe, or fail in trust?


Spare me the lies, and the make-believe,

fairy tales are easier to hear, and to weave.

They give us a lesson which we can feel

but don’t pretend at all to be real.


Reality can scare us, that’s a given fact,

still, met with care it will leave us mostly intact.

Met without fear, standing tall and alone

Life will allow us to make it our own.


Folly beckons, and so many follow

mass delusions seem to me most hollow.

I’ll have to stick to my own chosen way

while so many go so sadly astray.


It’s lonely at times, it may seem sad,

but really isn’t, and I’m quite glad,

that knowledge is always stronger than fear,

year after year, tear after tear…..


~~ gigoid ~~




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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    Today’s final old-school pearl is another of the classic type, filled with good ideas on how to enjoy the good parts of this Universe in which we live…. In short, tips and tools for living life large….


“Touch is the most fundamental sense. A baby experiences it, all over, before he is born and long before he learns to use sight, hearing, or taste, and no human being ever ceases to need it. Keep your children short on pocket money — but long on hugs. ” — Lazarus Long


“Who wills can. Who tries does. Who loves lives.” — Smart Bee


“We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 559


“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” — George Santayana


“Although the world is very full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller


“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” — Dale Carnegie


“Truth exists for the wise, beauty for the feeling heart.” — Johann von Schiller


“The strongest tyrant cannot crush freedom of thought.” — Smart Bee


“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot about little puppies.” — Gene Hill


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


I have to confess, this one came together without ALL my attention; I can’t say if that will affect the outcome, or not…. which is, obviously, a perfectly good metaphor upon which to take our leave, having thus described LIFE in one short phrase (“I can’t say, etc…”). Not bad for a (formerly) fat (still) old fart, with flatulence, fatally obsessive flippancy, and a plethora of personal issues… Besides, it’s done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should Mother Nature grant me one more try at this….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Still dubious after all these years….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				3			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“It is in changing that things find repose”


~~ Heraclitus ~~


Moon over Vallejo


A Case in Point for Heraclitus






Good morrow, by all reports…. We’ll try to keep it that way…. In fact, we’ll do that now….


Shall we Pearl?




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


~~ Confucius ~~




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





Dont keep calm




    You might think the logo for today’s video section is an error; it is not. I am doubtful (what else is new?) I will find a rant in me today, as I got much of my built up angst out with yesterday’s outburst…. To sublimate, today’s video will be our rant for today, with an indictment from our friend John Oliver against the most hated organization in our government, bar none, save perhaps the assholes we personally elected….




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
















Last Week Tonight with John Oliver


 The IRS















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



























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























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




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





We the People...




    Yesterday, I ranted quite a bit against the machine, so to speak; as the following proves, this is not the first time I’ve explored the particular aspect of current events under discussion there. Back in 2012, prior to the presidential election, I wrote a politirant in a very similar vein, which, in some respects, goes even further toward explaining the issue clearly…. Here then, to continue the discussion began yesterday, from a bit less than three years ago….. (SIGH…. not much progress has been made, has it?….)….


From 7/31/2012:


“I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That “all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people…”  To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition.” — Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1791


I had intended to write here a sober, reasoned discussion of the above from my second favorite Founding Father (okay, George Mason is my fave….), but decided first to search a bit more to see if I could find something to accompany this, to lighten it up a bit…. this is what I found…..


“History records no more gallant struggle than that of humanity against the truth.” — Smart Bee


Now, while I might suggest that the word “epic” is more apt, ‘gallant” still gives it an adequate emotional index rating. With either word, it rather goes beyond the statement by T. J., into the deeper issue of basic truth. Personally, I don’t understand the issue that most of humanity seems to have regarding the truth…. I’m not afraid of it, even though it is painful more often than not. Unfortunately, much of the rest of mankind seems to not have that sort of reaction to the pain it often brings, and will go to incredible lengths to avoid having to experience that pain, even if it means putting up with another, lesser pain in the process….


You can see, of course, the immediate similarity between those folks who avoid pain, and those folks who vote conservative, or are supporting the accomplished liar, Mitt the Twitt….. Sometimes, many times, in fact, the stuff that is coming out of the mouths of Romney and his supporters is a dead giveaway, one that shows their stark, malignant fear, fear that is rooted in their racism and bigotry. Their worst nightmare came true in 2008, and a BLACK MAN (gasp!) was elected President….


Without ever considering, or even looking at, his record while in office, these ignorant throwbacks will go to ANY lengths to elect ANYONE else, even if that person is actively trying to harm them, as is the case with Romney…. They don’t care, he’s white, so they’ll be more comfortable with him in office…. or so they think…. Should it happen, it will be a rude awakening when he starts his campaign to get the rest of any money they have left, and cheerfully squashes any hope of a better life that they might have retained…..


In reality, this discussion does relate back to Tom’s statement re: the rights of the people vs. the rights of the government. We, the people, have not tried hard enough to maintain the rights we were given, and those rights continue to be eroded. More and more, government is seizing control of various aspects of our lives that formerly were our own issues to deal with. The rights in the Bill of Rights are now amended, and every amendment is another nail in the coffin of freedom….


So, here is the truth, and painful or not, it would be wise to pay attention…. like Jerry Garcia said, “Choosing between two evils is still choosing evil.”  There are no heroes on the ballot. No matter which party is in office, they will continue their assault on the freedoms that Tom says are ours, not theirs. Go with what your reason tells you to do, and don’t be distracted by the lies. Put aside the fear, and the bigotry, and the cowardice. Only one of the two choices is making any effort toward transparency, and you don’t need me to point out which one. Nor would I be so rude as to suggest which you might choose; I just lay out the truth, and you pick….


The truth is Obama lies at times, for expediency, just like any politician. But, he also is genuinely invested in making reforms that will actually help the middle class, and as far as I can tell, has not overly abused his powers (there are anomalous blips on that radar screen, but another time for that….).


Romney lies all the time; time after time after time, it has been documented that he lies just about every time he opens his mouth in the public arena. In addition, he is unapologetically indifferent to any claims of his doing so; he lies again by denying his lies, even when they are laid out in front of him. He has made it abundantly clear that has no interest in making things better for anyone but his own core group of friends, the rich and powerful who occupy Wall Street offices, seats in Congress, and the religious right. The fact is, he is so out there, his own party is starting to get nervous….


These statements are truth. They can all be proven, if necessary, using documentation that is available to anyone in public archives. What you decide to do with that truth is up to you, as it always is…. What will you do with it?…..


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





Comedy_Tragedy




    While looking for the rant you see above, I found the following poem, by one of my absolute favorite poets, which works very well in tandem with the material today…. Enjoy, ffolkes….




A Bronze Head


HERE at right of the entrance this bronze head,

Human, superhuman, a bird’s round eye,

Everything else withered and mummy-dead.

What great tomb-haunter sweeps the distant sky

(Something may linger there though all else die;)

And finds there nothing to make its terror less

i{Hysterica passio} of its own emptiness?


No dark tomb-haunter once; her form all full

As though with magnanimity of light,

Yet a most gentle woman; who can tell

Which of her forms has shown her substance right?

Or maybe substance can be composite,

profound McTaggart thought so, and in a breath

A mouthful held the extreme of life and death.


But even at the starting-post, all sleek and new,

I saw the wildness in her and I thought

A vision of terror that it must live through

Had shattered her soul. Propinquity had brought

Imagination to that pitch where it casts out

All that is not itself: I had grown wild

And wandered murmuring everywhere, ‘My child, my

child! ‘


Or else I thought her supernatural;

As though a sterner eye looked through her eye

On this foul world in its decline and fall;

On gangling stocks grown great, great stocks run dry,

Ancestral pearls all pitched into a sty,

Heroic reverie mocked by clown and knave,

And wondered what was left for massacre to save. 


~~ William Butler Yeats ~~




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





ankh




    Today’s final pearl is a classic. Full of good advice on living Life at Large, and living it with honor and serenity…. It also came together in two short sessions with SB, so, hallelujah!…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this pearl is one for the ages…


“Nobody trips over mountains.  It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble.  Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.” — Zen koan


“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910)


“The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.” — Erich Fromm


“Suppose that we are wise enough to learn and know and yet not wise enough to control our learning and knowledge, so that we use it to destroy ourselves? Even if that is so, knowledge remains better than ignorance. It is better to know even if the knowledge endures only for the moment that comes before destruction than to gain eternal life at the price of a dull and swinish lack of comprehension of a universe that swirls unseen before us in all its wonder. That was the choice of Achilles, and it is mine, too.” — Isaac Asimov, The New Hugo Winners


“Believing ourselves to be possessors of absolute truth degrades us:  we regard every person whose way of thinking is different from ours as a monster and a threat and by so doing turn our own selves into monsters and threats to our fellows.” — Octavio Paz


“Always take the short cut; and that is the rational one. Therefore say and do everything according to soundest reason.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 51


“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.” — H. G. Wells


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


It’s probably a good thing today’s effort went as smoothly as it did; even now, being done, I feel on edge, as if the world is ready to shatter at the slightest bit of turmoil…. Ah well, probably just my subconscious, telling me to stay alert; the trumpets heralding Armageddon could conceivably blow any moment…. But, if we manage to make it through another day without committing species suicide, well, then, you’ll see me here tomorrow, delivering another load of nonsense, vitriol, and an occasional bit of rhyme…. See y’all then, ffolkes, if my luck holds….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Filtered through a bold new paradigm….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				2			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




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


~~ Elrond ~~


First shots 002


Faded Beauty




Good morning. Maybe…. Even in the quite curmudgeon-like space currently defining my presence this morning, there is no room for nicety. When I think of the general run of people in today’s world, my teeth yearn to bite, my hands to throttle; the mere thought of their pain fills me with an sense of unbridled glee I cannot contain…. Have I gone mad in my sleep? Where is my center, my serenity? Gone, replaced with sheer, bloody rage at the machine…..


Well, that was fun… NOT. It seems all the angst I usually put into ranting has been building up inside, in the past few weeks I’ve been over-using the archives. And why not, I say? It had been a while since I ranted, but, yesterday, a short exchange with a new blogging friend stimulated a fresh rant against our beloved ruling class (I’ve stopped capitalizing it; they don’t deserve the honor….), which you’ll find below, in the appropriate section…. It felt good, too, I have to say….


Rather than wander around too much here, we’ll get on with today’s mess; in the mood I’m in, we could easily end up with two or three fresh rants, and, I’d like to see if there’s a poem in there that might bleed out. If the process of opening up a vein will let it out, cool. If not, well, we’ll see what happens… In the meantime, we’d best be on our way, before I say something that sets off a rant…. It’s a bit early yet for that…. Onward….


Shall we Pearl?


“All the secrets we may be able to keep from any and every god and human being do not in the least absolve us from the obligation to refrain from whatever actions are greedy, unjust, sensual, or otherwise immoderate.” — Cicero, On Duties


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






Bob Marley


Image from mytinyphone.com via Google Images




In my mind, this man was one of the top three songwriters of the era in which he lived…. A true societal icon, his music did more to create a bond between the feuding races of Man than any religion has EVER done…. The love this man had for his fellow man shone through every note he played…. Enjoy, ffolkes….




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
















Bob Marley















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


























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























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




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





Dont keep calm




“I don’t believe there’s any problem in this country, no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they roll up their sleeves, can’t completely ignore.” — George Carlin


Since I regard George Carlin as the premier social philosopher of the latter half of the twentieth century, I appreciate him giving me the perfect opportunity to speak to an issue which, to be frank, pisses me off no end…. Yesterday, during a chance reading of a fairly new blog, with a subject something to do with clowns, I made a smart-aleck comment about how clowns are evil, going off on a mini-rant about commercialism of holidays, which led to another comment about the huge elf at the top banner of the blog; you know, the one from that insane propaganda movie, about the 6 ft. tall elf in NY who saves Christmas, or something…. Will Farrell, I think is the actor’s name; can’t be sure, never actually watched anything but the innumerable commercials and trailers for it….


Well, as became patently obvious, the subject flicks my ranting mode switch; when the blogger, a very creative young woman, commented with a “Santa?”…. I went off, ranting for several paragraphs, which I include below, to begin today’s rant, which will continue the theme, if I can do so strongly…. Should be easy, this one really fucks with my sense of justice and outrage….


The comment, as shown below, can be found here, where you can read the whole comment thread, and the original article prompting the conversation:



http://livelovelaughdotme2.com/2015/06/20/childhood-destroyed/comment-page-1/#comment-18066 


Oh, honey-chile, I hate to be the one to burst a bubble for you, but, although Santa Claus (as a concept) used to be fairly innocuous, mostly harmless in terms of any psychic brainwashing was concerned, the whole concept of Christmas, and Santa himself, was hijacked by the bankers and businessmen, all the way back in the 1920’s, with roots going back even further in our history; it’s part of why the Great Depression happened…. Then, all the other holidays were turned into Hallmark days, so the businesses that depend on that sort of sales could potentially sell more ‘stuff’, during those months when no ancient, or religious holidays occur….


Mother’s/Father’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, President’s Day, Memorial Day, (originally just an observance for the dead in ONE battle…. Now, a person who doesn’t fall into the celebration can be accused of not being patriotic, for failing to buy beer, or watch a game of some kind, to honor all the LIVING brainwashed myrmidons, placing their lives at some risk while they’re off bombing and killing citizens of other countries all over the world, so our bankers can sell their plastic crap to the natives of those places….), virtually every holiday in every month in this country is either a complete fabrication of the government to stimulate business, or an ancient/religious holiday perverted for the same purpose….


I know many holidays are the only chance people today have, to feel good about their lives, and take a break…. So, what does the beloved ruling class do? They inundate the public with advertisements to buy this, that, or the other for the holiday, thus spending more than they can really afford, for a crap-load of stuff, all to celebrate something supposedly worthwhile, which they could easily accomplish without the costly manufactured needs…


Sorry to be a bummer, but, the subject of holidays, cute little elves, and all the other stuff used to convince people they just HAVE to participate in the ongoing economic frenzy of buying, all for stuff you will eat in one day, or throw away afterward…. Well, it just burns my ass to watch our entire society throwing money down the drain, for nothing important, except to fulfill what they BELIEVE to be the customs of the society, which have, in reality, been perverted into a travesty of anything honorable, or even reasonable…. It’s all an illusion, little one, deliberately created to convince people it’s important enough to waste their money on it….


But, then, maybe that’s just me…. It’s not Santa, young paduan; it’s what they’ve turned Santa into that lights my fuse….


gigoid, the sincerely dubious….




———————————————




I think the reason this subject angers me so much is connected to two reasons. First, it’s all so transparent, to me, yet, seemingly, there are millions upon millions of otherwise intelligent people who refuse to look at how brainwashed they have become. The opening quote from George takes on new meaning, when one considers how much strength of will it takes to deny evidence that slaps you in the face EVERY DAY….


It implies a choice. It tells me that most people in this country, rather than using their minds for what they were designed to do, have abrogated all their honor, and dignity, for the sake of a safe, secure existence wherein they are not required to think, or make any more effort than the minimum required to survive, in a world made soft and palatable, without danger, or challenge, or need for any imagination….


The second part. which angers me even more, is that we were warned this would happen, by the very men who gave their lives and fortunes to ensure we had the few rights we do…. Thomas Jefferson said it best, I think, though others of his time said much the same…. In fact, it seems Tom had something to say about just about everything happening in today’s news headlines, nailing exactly what has happened to our rights…. For those with tunnel vision, I’ll add a modern example of exactly what Tom was referring to in his statements….(in parentheses)


“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)


(The Koch Brothers. Super PAC’s. Corporate personhood. 55% of US Senators are millionaires…. Big Pharma/HMO’s. Walmart.  )


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


(Citicorp. Bank of America. Chase. Rothschild, Rockefeller, Kennedy, Dupont, Krupp, Takahashi, Windsor, Chang, Wang, and the other 0.02% who own ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD)


“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


(Gee, does that sound anything like the programs gathering metadata by the NSA, or the FBI, authorized by the good ol’ Patriot Act, one of the most ironic catchphrases they ever came up with….)


“I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” — Thomas Jefferson


(Current US government debt is more than 700 TRILLION dollars, and counting….)


“…when all government… in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821


(Need I even say anything here? Okay, just for a recent example…. Obamacare….Another? Okay. The Supreme Court decision allowing rich people to buy politicians through PAC’s…. What did one of the dissenting judges on the Court say about that? Let’s see….)




Ginsburg on CU 8-20-2014






“A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.” — Thomas Jefferson


(Patriot Act again…. Secret courts. Torture as a legitimate tool. Police killings. Police militarization. Drone spying on domestic targets. All proven with evidence, yet denied by officials….)


“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.  It is it’s natural manure.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to William S. Smith, Paris, Nov.  13, 1787


(Sadly, this one is no longer possible, I think…. Not enough true patriots of liberty left; they’ve all become zombies, or bought into the lies, and are in complete denial of their slavery….)


Okay, that’s enough…. As you can see, Tom, and others, warned us of ALL of this…. But, thanks to laziness, to the common man’s lack of willingness to be responsible for their own lives and actions, the majority of Americans not only don’t realize they are no longer free at all, but, deny it when confronted with incontrovertible evidence….


SIGH…. Fuck ’em…. I won’t go down without a struggle, you can be sure of that…. Others may do as they like…. And, yes, I KNOW the NSA will eventually see this…. So what? I’m not going to lie, and become like them….




gigoid has spoken.


So be it.




“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.”


~~ Plutarch ~~


~~ Of the Training of Children ~~




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





Comedy_Tragedy




    I’d hoped a poem was ready to bleed out, but, it ain’t happening…. Here is yet another from the archives….






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.


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





Sandclock .jpg




    I put the following pearl together, but, I don’t know exactly what it all means…. I mean, I do, but, I don’t…. See what I mean? (What IS the mind? More to the point, what does the mind MEAN?….)


Ah well, they’re all such good pearls, it has to mean something good, right? Or is that a bit too Pollyanna-ish? Or, maybe, Pavlovian…. Perhaps so; I don’t think any of it will affect the Space/Time Continuum, anyway, so, I think we’ll be okay…. If not, well, see y’all in the next Universe….




And now someone’s on the telephone desperate in his pain

Someone’s on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine

Someone’s got his finger on the button in some room

No one can convince me we aren’t gluttons for our doom


~~ the Indigo Girls, “Prince Of Darkness” ~~




“Whip me such honest knaves.” — William Shakespeare, Othello — Act i, Sc. 1


“Better to have illusions of a reality where everything is real than to have a reality of illusions where nothing is real.” — Bobby Matherne


“As the sword of the best-tempered metal is the most flexible; so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors.” — Fuller


“Those who fear death most are those who enjoy life least.” — Edward Abbey


“One idea spoken truly, even in a cave, can change the world.” — Buddha


“Food, sleep, fear, propagation; each is the common property of men with brutes. Virtue is really their additional distinction; devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.” — The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.)


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




“I say love, it is a flower; 


  and you, it’s only seed.”


~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~




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


Well, I can’t do any better, or think of anything else to add; I guess that means we’re done here. Whew! It’s been a long life…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t think of anything better to do….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Off with their Keds!….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				3			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Cat philosophy: When in doubt, cop an attitude.” 


~~ Smart Bee ~~


OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA


Your will is my will….




Good morning…. For someone such as myself, deeply connected to the power of the Metaphorse, the feeling with which I awoke today is terrifying…. I can’t seem to find any understanding of metaphor anywhere; my mind sits and stares blankly, just trying to make some sense of the simple, uncomplicated expressions with which I am presented, such as the fine statement of confusion, below, from our old pal Zippy…. Anyone with the most simple understanding of such matters would realize Zippy was just looking for condiments; he was probably holding a Polish Dog, so he was temporarily overcome by the olfactory stimuli…. He has such a sensitive proboscis, after all…


Nonetheless, we have a job to do…. It’s a tough job, cleaning out a mind like gigoid’s every day, but, it has to be done, or the Space/Time Continuum would take a severe beating, and nobody wants that…. So, rather than whine any more, let’s just get on with it, hoping against all hope that Smart Bee isn’t in the mood for bullshit…. I’m afraid, if that’s the case, it could get a little messy before we’re done…. Oh, well, no choice, so, let’s get on with it….


Shall we Pearl?


“Is a tattoo real, like a curb or a battleship? Or are we suffering in Safeway?” — Zippy the Pinhead


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






groucho and carmen


Groucho & Carmen



 Image from Pinterest.com via Google Images




Since we began the day with silly, it behooves us to continue in the vein…. What could be sillier than Groucho?….




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















Copacabana















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


























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























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




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





le penseur-rodin




    In February of this year, I created a pearl of good quality, which I ended up giving a title, an extremely unusual event, to be sure. It seems to be the right choice for today’s ranting section, simply to avoid any conflict with the tone of the rest of today’s effort…. In short, it seemed like the right thing to do, so, deal with it…. Really, it’ll be fine….


From 2/12/2014:


I’ve never gone for titling Pearls of Virtual Wisdom, or pearls, either, for that matter. For this one, though, if I were asked to give it a title, it would have to be:




The Rise and Fall of Homo Erectus


We shall never cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.


~~ T. S. Eliot ~~




“Life is pleasant.  Death is peaceful.  It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” — Isaac Asimov


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


“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.” — Demosthenes


“Expedients are for the hour; principles for the ages.” — Henry Ward Beecher


“If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream, and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul had been there, and if he found that flower in his hand when he awoke – Aye, and what then?” — Coleridge, “Anima Poetae”




Like leaves on trees the race of man is found,–

Now green in youth, now withering on the ground;

Another race the following spring supplies:

They fall successive, and successive rise.


~~ Alexander Pope ~~


~~ The Iliad of Homer, Book vi, Line 181 ~~




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





Comedy_Tragedy




Unbidden, treasure unfolded…


Taken by surprise, Psyche sits numb

   Amidst tall phrases worn of elder time

Seeking a not-new place from which to come

   No shiny new horizon, nor altered paradigm.


Sudden regrets shape dreams as times maintain

   Shades of memories bring poignant clear sight

Visions of duty, each chosen wild campaign

   Shouts echoing clamors to enfold the night.


Arisen from less than eternal havens of sleep

   Facing moments created in torment and pain

Destiny weighs upon those chosen to keep

   As the sparrow flies now to sever the twain.


Faded pathways lead away, hazy and long

   Burned out verges, so long unknown

Images of yesterday, clear and strong

   Bleed into today, though t’is but my own……


~~ gigoid ~~




“Poetry–even bad poetry–may be our final hope.” — Edward Abbey


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





A-laughing-girl-and-her-camel




    Okay, that does it…. This is the last time I give SB, or anyone, for that matter, free rein to pick out their own pearls…. The following nine-star group of gems (for lack of a better word) has to be the strangest damn pearl I’ve ever seen…. But, it all hangs together, and, damn it all if it doesn’t make a weird kind of sense…. You tell me….


“You can lead a yak to water but you can’t teach an old dog to make a silk purse out of a pig in a poke.” — Opus


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


“To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It’s easy to say no, even if it means dying.” — Jean Anouilh


“While all things have their opposites, it is also true that in each the spirit of the opposite exists. — Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sufi writer


“I reject that philosophy. The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the merely improbable lacks.” — Douglas Adams through Dirk Gently


“Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. … Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.” — Lao Tzu


“If a camel flies, no one laughs if it doesn’t get very far.” — Paul White


“So, this doesn’t mean anything, but at least it’s not obvious nonsense.” — Hugh Young


“‘Scuze me while I kiss the sky…” — Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze


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


I think, maybe, tomorrow, I will take a bit more interest in what takes place here…. Today’s effort, such as it is, was brought to you by the number 13, and through the kind auspices of that fine old philanthropic institution, Bones For Bozos; fortunately, for them AND us, they didn’t know anything about it. I’ll be back tomorrow, to see if some sort of amends can be made to all who were offended by today’s nonsense…. We’ve got a slush fund that may be able to help any who suffered DNA damage…. As long as I’m not incarcerated at some undisclosed location, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
All that hard work & no braised felafel in sight….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				1			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.”


~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~


CHIJCRnWQAAYxrG.jpg large


Caribbean Sea from the International Space Station


Image by NASA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti




Good morning…. A glance at the clock instantly sends him into White Rabbit mode….. “I’m late. I’m late….”


Okay, okay, so, I’ll deal with it…. Somehow….


Shall we Pearl?


“Hope is the denial of reality. It is the carrot dangled before the draft horse to keep him plodding along in a vain attempt to reach it. I say we remove the carrot and walk forward with open eyes.” — Raistlin Majere, Dragonlance Chronicles Vol. 1


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





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




    Being late around here means one thing, if naught else; we go with our defaults whenever possible…. Here, in the video section, it’s possible….






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















The Best of Mozart















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






























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























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




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





Dont keep calm




    No way in hell am I going to be able to produce a fresh rant today, even with the proper inducement. Y’all know what that means, don’t you?….


From 5/5/2013:




The thorns which I have reap’d are of the tree

I planted; they have torn me, and I bleed.

I should have known what fruit would spring from such a seed.


~~ Lord Byron — Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iv, Stanza 10 ~~




Here, in a three line verse, Lord Byron has explained the flaw that exists in human nature, a flaw that will one day drive the species to extinction, if we don’t find a way to alter its effect on us, as a species. This flaw doesn’t manifest in every human, only in a certain percentage, not particularly large, but full of the people who affect society the most, i.e., the leaders, the politicians,  the aristocracy (the rich, or as I call them, the bankers….), and the preachers, all of whom are supposed to be ordering society to benefit ALL of its members.


Instead, these individuals, who have this fatal flaw, have ordered events to suit themselves, hoarding the largest part of the available resources, showing absolutely no compassion or willingness to share, and dismissing as unimportant all of the pain and suffering their actions cause to other people…. This selfishness gene will eventually kill us all, because the BRC, or Beloved Ruling Class, are so focused on their goals, and so unwilling to entertain the idea that their actions are wrong, they cannot comprehend the danger they have created by their pathology, to themselves as well as to the rest of us….


That is the unfortunate thing about any mental aberration; it’s very presence tends to limit what the victim can understand, because they are unwilling to look at the evidence….. No one wants to believe they are mentally off; it doesn’t fit in with our self-image as a competent human being. These folks never understand at all that the way they are leading their lives is a threat to the rest of us; they will only accept evidence that supports their unrealistic view of reality.


Unfortunately for the rest of us, these people are also the ones who are the most willing to use violence, and weapons, to enforce their will, and they already have control of more force than the rest of the public can possibly contend with to force a change. It is a very complex, delicate problem, with no solution that I can see as practical, or with any large chance for success….


The time we have to make the necessary changes to society is growing shorter every hour, as more and more millions of tons of CO (carbon monoxide) is pumped into the air, along with other particulate pollutants. This material in our atmosphere has almost completely destroyed the ozone layer, and the amount of heat reaching the planet from the Sun has raised the ambient temperature of the planet a full two degrees…


Two degrees may not seem like much, but, the fact that the change has taken place in less than a hundred years is a clear indicator that it is quite enough, as it continues to change the climate of the planet drastically. The polar ice is melting more rapidly than ever before, and at a geometrically increasing rate. The amount of oxygen in the air is decreasing in relation to other substances; if it changes two percentage points, there won’t be enough of it for our lungs to breathe; we will suffocate ourselves if it continues. The weather is changing all over the world, as the water from the polar ice melts, and changes the chemical balance of the air everywhere…. As plants die, the process will accelerate, and it will be a toss-up to see what will kill us first….


“Whenever I see a photograph of some sportsman grinning over his kill, I am always impressed by the striking moral and aesthetic superiority of the dead animal to the live one.” — Edward Abbey


Not a pretty picture, is it? Unless, of course, you are one of the power elite, the BRC; then, you’re the one with the gun…. I’m sorry to have to bring doom and gloom into the morning, but, this is a subject that won’t go away, so I pound on it whenever I can…. The quote above, from Lord Byron, stimulated my sense of outrage at the sheer selfishness of the 1% (yet another name for those with the flaw of extreme self-interest….), so I ranted, if mildly. What bothers me the most is that what I’m saying here is absolute truth, and the people who read it are NOT the ones who need to change…. Of course, those folks wouldn’t believe it if they did read it, so it’s rather a thankless task, and relatively futile, to boot…..


“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are good.” — Anne Frank


I think Anne was a better person than I am, because I have lost my  belief in what she says here…. I do believe that the majority of mankind is good, or at least tries to be good; I just don’t believe that those ffolkes are the ones that matter to our future, as much as the folks who are NOT basically good, for as long as the innocents allow the harm their leaders continue to cause to the environment in which we all have to live. I don’t know of a solution, other than the obvious one of becoming violent myself, and doing to them what they want to do to me, but doing it first….. But, then I become like them, and I’d have to kill myself, because I’d never be able to look in a mirror again….. I guess there’s only one thing left to do…..




Petition me no petitions, sir, to-day;

Let other hours be set apart for business.

To-day it is our pleasure to be drunk;

And this our queen shall be as drunk as we.


~~ Henry Fielding — Tom Thumb the Great, Act i, Sc. 2 ~~




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





Comedy_Tragedy




Penance, Made Simple 


After all the dross is sent away

a celebration can begin,

time will face up to space, to stay

willing, to shine from within.


Anger and confusion come in to share

brushing reason aside,

eager to welcome all that is fair,

alert to danger, eyes wide.


Re-gift the wicked with their own pain

stand with the just;

fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,

living in honor, the only must.


Standing fast in the face of wrong

is its own prize and reward.

Holding on to truth makes us strong,

well worth working toward.


Little is left to chance by fate

our lessons are never free of cost.

Seldom does reality make us wait

only when alone, are we lost.


~~ gigoid ~~



Written 10/23/2012.


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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    I’m afraid today’s final pearl for the old-school section isn’t very mysterious, or esoteric, or hard to figure out at all…. Hell, just follow the bouncing thought balls (Hmm… That doesn’t sound quite right, does it?…. Oh, well….), you’ll get the idea, such as it is…. Actually, it’s a pretty good idea, it’s just silly, by nature of its…. well, nature, quite obviously both sublime AND ridiculous….


Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum — “I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”


“Acquittal of the guilty damns the judge.” — Horace


“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” — Marcus Aurelius


“The wise learn many things from their foes.” — Aristophanes — The Birds (414 B.C.), line 375


“Live before you die.” — Smart Bee


“All cats are NOT gray after midnight. Endless variety …” — Lazarus Long, “Time Enough For Love” by Robert Heinlein


“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” — W. Edwards Deming


“It is a bad plan that admits of no modification.” — Publius Syrus — Maxim 469


“In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.” — Yun-Men


There you go, ffolkes. The best summary of the proper functioning of the human animal I’ve ever seen…. Above all, don’t wobble…..


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


Having long since lost all sense of propriety, I’m going to go ahead and post this, sans proofing, of either content or intent… In short, I don’t care today; it’s done, & that’s all that’s important…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless this one breaks the camel’s back….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Oddly enough, it DOES float….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				2			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“The logic of words should yield to the logic of realities.”


~~ Louis Brandeis ~~


pyramids from space terry virts


The Pyramids as seen from the International Space Station


Image taken by NASA Astronaut Terry Virts




Good morning…. We meet once again, coming together to peruse those parts of Reality we can perceive, finding reasons to reason…. Or, not. As they’re fond of saying downtown…. Whatever they’re saying, here we are, fully prepared to pursue whatever nonsense or sheer beauty we may encounter in our journey together…. I can’t wait….


Shall we Pearl?


“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.” — Seneca


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





little_feat_1975_1.jpg.CROP.promovar-mediumlarge




    Possibly the very best little-known band in Rock, Little Feat are considered one of the best ever, for their music, and for the show they put on stage…. Here is one of those from the late 1970’s…. Enjoy, ffolkes; these guys are GOOD….







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















Little Feat Live















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


























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























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




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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    Okay….. So, today’s ranting section is to be another mini-rant from the archives; if you were here, inside my head, you’d understand why I’m not going to attempt any fresh material of that nature; it would be dangerous for the Space/Time Continuum. This was an intro section, wherein I lost control & went off into a short, but, pointed rant about, you guessed it, our lovely BRC…. Enjoy!….


From 9/16/2013:


Powerful visions often pass through my mind, generally on their way somewhere else, thus making them merely an annoyance, rather than a joy. Such is life in reality, where we seldom get a proper chance to do just as we would like, even though we adjust and flex both our efforts, and our desires, in the quest to achieve whatever it is we are seeking to accomplish. This is because reality is like an amoeba, always changing shape and character, right before us, with nothing we possess that can affect it one way or another before it changes. All we have is the ability to change our minds, which, to those of us who study reality, is our most valuable tool….


This ability is the one saving grace we have in the face of reality, so it is a good idea to train it well. If not used, and guided, this ability, to be flexible in our thoughts, becomes weak, and can disappear altogether if neglected. The people to whom this has happened are doomed, to a life of misery and ignorance, because there is nothing new to learn for them, once they have abrogated the control of their own mind. They are unable to adjust to the rapidity of modern society, and constantly yearn for “the good old days”, which in their minds are golden, but in reality are just gone. It’s sad, but true, that the greater majority of this particular country has done just that, and now allows the pundits on TV to determine for them just what they will think….. It’s much easier than making up their own minds, and, easy is what they are all about…


Whoops! I didn’t mean to start ranting, but, it’s just so easy sometimes, when I start thinking…. That right there is the whole problem…. I start thinking, things just get all intense, and I start taking shots at the parts of society that seem to thrive on stealing from the others with whom they live….. It’s all such a waste, in my mind, to see the potential talent and abilities even the most average person possesses subverted, and/or deliberately perverted, into either disuse, or misuse, all for the sake of keeping the BRC in their positions of power over everyone else.


Those who wish to be in charge of others, who want the power over others that goes along with being an elected official in this country, are, in my mind, clinically insane; I wish sometimes I was more of a curmudgeon than I am, and that I owned a gun…. But, then, if I did, I’d feel compelled to use it, and my targets would be mostly found in one particular environment, a large city on the East Coast where those who are crazy enough to want that power gather, to perform their arcane rituals of theft, misdirection, and aggrandizement. It might take me a few weeks, and a couple boxes of ammo, but, I could make a serious dent in their numbers, given the time and space…. Too bad I’m disabled now, and can’t work up that much angst…. it might be fun….


Of course, then I’d be falling into the same frame of mind they cultivate in themselves, wherein they believe they are smart enough to actually make decisions for others….. It has always amazed me to see how much these men and women can delude themselves into thinking this kind of crap; it’s like they have a complete blind spot for other people, for what they might think or feel; they actually believe what they want should be paramount over what everyone else wants, or needs….. SIGH….. To make it all not just worse, but stupidly worse, they not only believe this nonsense, they are all-too-successful at getting everyone else to buy into it as well, and will use any persuasion they can think of, no matter how immoral, illegal, or just plain untrue it is, to assert control over the rest of society….


As the perfect example, I give you the attacks of 9/11/01, which the BRC used to perfection. to create fear, and even paranoia, in the public, thereby freeing them to mount their assault on the Bill of Rights. Without even considering the source of the money that paid for the attacks, or who might have had a part in planning it, let us note how the politicos ALL jumped on the security bandwagon, shouting for more restrictive laws to keep the terrorists at bay, while simultaneously pocketing all the extra money that now pours into the Homeland Security monstrosity of a bureaucracy, and disappears down the black hole that such behemoths always create, sending piles of money into places where the pundits can more easily transfer it to their pockets…. a habit of politicians, as Thomas Jefferson, and his cohorts, knew well.


Well, I see that I’ve completely lost my way, and fell into a full-fledged rant, before even seeing any headlines, and before consuming sufficient coffee to prevent it….. I’d better take a short time out….


Okay, well, that didn’t help much; I’m still in rant mode, but, now I don’t have the physical capabilities remaining to get any more of it out; it’s going to be one of those days, I think, and I might just go back to bed to avoid the worst of it…. Let’s see if I can get a Pearl done first. It should be fairly quick and easy…. I’ve already ranted, so I can go old-school for sections one and two, and I’ll find a good poem for section two…. as long as it all goes smoothly, I should be done, and back in bed within a couple hours…. Yay….


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





Comedy_Tragedy




    A young woman whom I believe will be one of humanity’s future poet laureates, maggiemaeijustsaythis, (Maggie Mae to her friends), has written another gem…. Her work continually amazes me, as is patently obvious by how often her name shows up in this section…. Enjoy, ffolkes! Oh, and, watch that last line; it’s a powerful metaphor, and will knock you over, if you aren’t paying attention….




Center of Time


Welcome home, a strawberry plant

grows out back

for you, but it

has twisted to fingernails

to scratch away the bugs. 


It has a heart, ready for transplant.

I promised to die,

I admit, I’m in the habit,

but it just sat in one spot,

sucking on water cells


reminding me what it

would feel like to overheat.

Now you are here, hiding in

the desert, my fruit not fertile

enough for you

to eat. 


So, you say it’s the center of time,

one hand holds it,

the other says good-bye. 


~~ maggiemaeijustsaythis ~~


http://maggiemaeijustsaythis.com/2015/06/14/center-of-time/




I repeat…. Whew!….


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





ankh




    Yep…. It’s yet another pearl about Life at Large…. Note the smooth, even way it all slides together….




You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss,

A sigh is just a sigh;

The fundamental things apply,

As time goes by.

It’s still the same old story,

A fight for love and glory,

A case of Do or Die!

The world will always welcome lovers,

As time goes by.


~~ Herman Hupfield~~ ~~


~~As Time Goes By”, from “Everybody’s Welcome” ~~




“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” — Ursula K. LeGuin


“For my part, I had rather be the first man among these fellows than the second man in Rome.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Life of Caesar


“Be able to be alone.  Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself.” — Thomas Browne


“In theory, theory is the same as reality. In reality it’s not.” — Smart Bee


“A hole is nothing, but you can break your neck in it. — Smart Bee




Pity this busy monster, manunkind, not.

Progress is a comfortable disease.


~~ e.e. cummings, One Times One ~~




As I’ve said, many times, it’s all in the wrist…..


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


Some days, this process runs itself, which is a fortunate thing, since I often end up as I am today, rather a useless addendum to the issue. Nevertheless, I can take comfort in knowing the process itself will take us where we need to go, which, I may add, it has done quite well…. Since it is done, we’ll trust to luck, and go post it…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should Fate deign to consent….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Reflections on a theme in a minor key….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“I know who I am. Sometimes you go away, but I’m still here.”


~~ Everyone ~~


(Think about it….)


lightsail-solar-sail-spacecraft


Artist’s rendition of The Planetary Society Light Sail Ship in flight.


Image stolen from Space.com




Good morning…. I’ve been trying to avoid getting weird or going long here in the intro, so, I won’t comment (much) on the recent weather we’ve been having here in Northern California; at least, not about WHY it’s happening. I’ve said THAT a lot, so, we won’t go into it…. But, I’ve gotta say this; the weather is officially, incontrovertibly, fucking crazy…. It’s JUNE, and we’re having weather that changes 20 degrees from one day to the next, TWICE in one week…. You would think it was springtime in Northern Europe, or the British Isles, the weather’s been so chancy….


Okay, mini-rant finished…. I’m just getting tired of never knowing what to wear to go outside; either I end up sweating under too many layers, or,freezing because I don’t have enough layers to cut the wind… SIGH…. Get used to it, ffolkes; it’s gonna get even stranger in times to come…


Basta! I said I was finished, so, I’m finished. Let’s do this, instead…..


Shall we Pearl?


“If brains were outlawed, nothing would change.” — Smart Bee


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





the-beatles-band-cover-in-black-and-white_72147496118




The Lads from Liverpool


Image from freepik.com via Google Images






I intended to bring y’all this movie today, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let some stupid copyright crap get in my way…. Here is the full movie version, but, in Spanish; it was either that, or, in Italian, which, as is patently obvious, is six of one & a half dozen of the other…. I figure my Gentle Readers are cosmopolitan enough to deal with the translation…. If not, well, the music remains just as originally recorded, so, if nothing else, there is that to enjoy…. Up the revolution! Or, at least, kick ’em in the ass every chance you get…..







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















A Hard Day’s Night















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


























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























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




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





Dont keep calm




    Today’s ranting section is a bit long, but, don’t worry, it won’t actually hurt you to do a bit extra reading…. I found an old intro section with a relatively short rant that will be perfect as an opening for the seven-star pearl I’ve put together in lieu of a fresh rant…. The old-school pearl is set on parameters to comment on today’s political scene in this country, such as it is; the archived rant speaks to the seemingly ingrained stupidity shown by the general public these days, as well as the cupidity of those who take advantage of their ignorance…. I think it works, but. maybe that’s just me….


From 9/17/2013:


Now that the crisis has passed in the Middle East, if only for the moment, the news seems to be singularly free of rantable material. Oh, there’s been another shooting, this time in a place where it raises even more questions than it does outrage…. The victims weren’t children, they were Naval workers, both those in the service, or civilians working for the Navy, and the shooter was a disgruntled Navy Reservist (though, in reality, even without firm information, I think we can safely say he was a bit beyond mere disgruntlement….) (Is that a word? Disgruntlement? I guess it is, Spell Checker didn’t even blink….), so it’s a little harder to feel the same degree of chagrin when it isn’t some crazy adolescent shooting back at the bullies….


Not that the victims deserved to be shot; that isn’t my point. It’s just harder to create controversy when the participants were all consenting adults, already engaged in activities that are, in at least one way, bound to bring some danger to one’s existence. I don’t know why this idiot nutted up, or what he was trying to accomplish, but a place where their entire purpose for existing is to create articles of war, is one that might conceivably be used as a logical target for anyone wanting to express their outrage, or in this case, probably anger, based on delusions.


It’s rather like someone who wears a gun on their hip, such as the police…. eventually, someone is going to shoot AT them, just because they are carrying…. Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that truth is begging to get their head blown off for no good reason (I guess it has to be said…. IS there a good reason?…. The jury is still out on that one, ffolkes….). 


I don’t carry guns, as I believe in using weapons that aren’t so obvious, or so limited in usefulness, but, I was raised around them, and taught how to treat them with the respectful alertness that any dangerous part of life should be given. To ignore the realities of using weapons, of any kind, guns, knives, brains, explosives, whatever, is to invite one’s own demise by those self-same articles, and that is the simple truth.


But, Americans, for some reason, seem to think passing a law will remove this truth from reality. Every time there is a new shooting, especially when children are involved as victims, or even as perpetrators, there is a huge outcry, and those who want to be protected from reality put out plaintive demands for more restrictive laws to control guns. This, in turn, prompts the survivalists and right-wing paranoids to believe the “guvviment” is going to “take away my guns”, so they too create a huge outcry, of resentment that anyone would challenge their entitlement, and their abject fear of facing life unarmed…. 


In truth, ANY kind of attempted change in morality in society is bound to fail in its purpose, because, like it or not, society’s morals are not subject to adjustment by the passage of laws. Trying to make society more moral by creating new laws, to control guns, or to reach ANY moral objective, is doomed to failure from the start.


Strange, isn’t it, how lately I seem to be confining my ranting to the intro section? It’s as if whatever I have to say is pushing its way out before I even get any coffee down… This does provide some rather intense emotional pressure to the ranting, I admit, giving it a good, sharp edge,  but, I’m not sure the subjects I choose while still groggy are always going to be the best choice. Oh well, it’s unproductive to worry about stuff like that before it happens, so, I’ll just take this as a good thing, and roll with it…. Besides, it’s a pretty good rant, even if I don’t offer any solutions…. I’m also not offering any judgments, other than those prompted by observation of facts, so, it all balances out…. If nothing else, it got us this far, right? Right….


——————————————


“Our worst enemies here are not the ignorant and simple, however cruel; our worst enemies are the intelligent and corrupt.” — Graham Greene, The Human Factor (1978)


“I was born and I shall die, that is all that should concern the general public.” — Smart Bee


“Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. … There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.” — Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dahlberg, 1st Baron Acton), (1834-1902) — letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, April 3, 1887, — reprinted in Life and Letters of Mandell Creighton (1904), vol. 1, ch. 13


“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” — Seneca


“In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile-and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. We owe that to ourselves and our crippled self-image as something better than a nation of panicked sheep.” — Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), journalist — The Great Shark Hunt, Jacket Copy for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1979)


“If you have a weak candidate and a weak platform, wrap yourself up in the American flag and talk about the Constitution.” — Matthew S. Quay




“We live in the kind of world where courage is the most essential of virtues;


without courage, the other virtues are useless.


~~ Edward Abbey~~




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





Comedy_Tragedy




Pensive early and late…


Endings aren’t always a new beginning

I’m sad to say.

Sometimes it’s just an ending

there’s always a price to pay.


Still, it’s only money, he said

watching it piss away

Did everything ‘cept meet Fred

‘n had a good time the whole way.


Even the bad stuff turned out well,

life lessons are just that way.

Knowing what’s right, you can’t always tell,

we don’t always know the right things to say.


I’ll take all the hard times, without complaint,

learning isn’t always easy to take.

Kindness, patience, and compassion without restraint,

are still the best decisions we can make.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 4/26/2013.


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





About Hopi Indian Symbols




    Today’s final pearl built itself over three separate sessions of space/time in the last couple days… It seems to be a group of lesser-known truths about Life at Large, which, though not of obvious importance, are all rather deeply embedded in those parts of Life leading to happiness, and freedom…. Perhaps, to each of y’all, it says something different?….. In any case, a sharp, odd, yet compelling nine-star pearl, for your edification and amusement…. with, I think, a PERFECT closing pearl, to summarize…. Sort of….




I met a traveler from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert.  Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read.

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal these words appear:

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”

Nothing beside remains.    Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.


~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandias” (1819) ~~




“The highest result of education is tolerance.” — Helen Keller


“There is no gathering the rose without being pricked by the thorns.” — Pilpay (or Bidpai) — The Two Travellers, Chap. ii, Fable vi


“But some emotions don’t make a lot of noise.  It’s hard to hear pride. Caring is real faint – like a heartbeat.  And pure love – why, some days it’s so quiet, you don’t even know it’s there.” — Erma Bombeck


“Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf.” — Native American Proverb


“Where there is no shame, there is no honor.” — Smart Bee


“Something is either done or it is not done.” — Dwarvish Proverb


“The cruelest lies are often told in silence.” — Robert Louis Stevenson, “Virginibus Puerisque”, 1881


“It don’t mean a THING if you ain’t got that SWING!!” — Zippy the Pinhead


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


All of us tend to take the easy way when possible; it’s a characteristic we share with most other living creatures, though, the others aren’t quite as obsessed about it as we humans…. I’ve been guilty of it my own self, patently. In fact, watch closely, and you’ll see it happen right about NOW…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; that isn’t a promise, it’s a threat…. Well, I like to think so, anyway….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
More harlequin than brindle, I’d say….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				9			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“Is consciousness just a special form of hallucination?”


~~ Frank Herbert ~~


g-ville 010


Emma, suffering nappus interruptus






Good morning…. But, then, you know that already, or you wouldn’t be reading this.


I hope.


Regardless, here we are again. As a consequence of such consistency, (or, insanity. Take your pick….), I hereby pronounce this intro complete….. There, that was simple, wasn’t it? Completely legal, too….. Since we are, and, it’s where we wanted to be, let’s just take advantage of the unusual, yet, more than welcome opportunity to get on with it….


Shall we Pearl?


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


Me, too….


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





TheWho




Image from rockbandaide.com via Google Images




This band doesn’t need much introduction to anyone near my age…. One of a number of aging groups, the Who have recently celebrated their own 50 year anniversary….. Here is a live concert; having seen them once, back in the early 70’s, I can attest they put on a good show…. Enjoy!….






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















The Who















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


























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























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




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





Sandclock .jpg




    My sleep pattern has lost all consistency, which makes me irritable, if not completely grumped out…. Since I can barely see, much less maintain a coherent train of logical thought, unless it has to do with the process of consuming coffee, we’ll go with a philosophical meander from the archives…. I always have fun with Descartes; he was so damned positive!…. Any who, enjoy!….


Or, not…. We like to give ffolkes the choice….


From 2/10/2013:


“…it is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had believed to be true since my earliest youth.  And since that time, I have been convinced that I must once and for all seriously try to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and begin to build anew, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure for my beliefs.” — Rene Descartes, Meditations


And, after due consideration, he came up with, “I think, therefore I am.” That’s it…. after all his steady cogitation, all his heavy thought, he comes up with six words….. Seems like he might have gone a bit further with it, since he was already thinking, but, hey, that’s just me…..  He probably got distracted solving a quadratic equation in his head, or something equally fascinating, and just wrote down the first thing that came to him….. I suspect a lot of philosophies start that way, if what is in them is any indication…. Many of the ancient philosophies seem to me to have been put together during a drunken night around a campfire, and copied down the next day while hung over….


Actually, Descartes “I think” statement is one of the more consistent and logical of the statements that speak to belief, and its origins. I cannot say it is logically unassailable, for it is not, but, it is consistent within its own paradigm. This logical flaw is one reason I modified the idea when I came to make my own set of philosophical assertions, Peruaosophy…. where I said, in Axiom #1, “I think I am…. that’s close enough.”….. Much more tautological, I would say, and not subject to the same sort of picking apart, as it has no holes in it. Well, actually, it’s so holey it doesn’t need air-conditioning, but that is what supplies that logical strength, as it is a flexible enough proposition to fit any size mind….


It is not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong,

It is not what we read but what we remember that makes us wise,

It is not what we earn but what we save that makes us rich,

It is not what beliefs we hold but what we do with those beliefs that make us what we are.


— Old Chinese misquotation.


You gotta love honesty…. I love that this is so aptly named as a misquotation; that kind of honesty just tickles my fancy, and makes for some good mental exercise…. In this case, it means trying to figure out WHICH part is misquoted, a process by which one can learn a lot, both about what is said in the quote, or misquote, and about themselves, and how their mind works. If it works, that is….


I am not sure exactly where this pearl is going…. it started out okay, but seems to be wandering a bit now, and I can’t seem to figure out how to find the way back to my original intent….. must be time for fresh coffee…. be right back….


“We begin life with a seemingly blank slate, and, though the writing that gradually appears on that slate is not our own, our judgment of the things written thereon determines what we are and what we will become. In much the same way, our work will be judged by the use to which other people put it…” — Marion Zimmer Bradley, _The Codex of Riveda_


What, then, is the mind? What is consciousness? We know they exist, for we perceive ourselves as a separate entity from the rest of what we perceive. Encountering other minds serves as corroboration of our perceptions, while at the same time offering solace for our separation from the universe, trapped alone in the confines of our minds, with only our own thoughts as company. I don’t know about anyone else, but just knowing there are others who are in the same boat is a comforting thought….. It’s a big universe, full of dark and dangerous energy, as well as beauty and opportunities for joy, and it would be a shame to have no one with whom to share it all….


“The mind of man is far from the nature of a clear and equal glass, wherein the beams of things should reflect according to their true incidence.” — Sir Francis Bacon


I suppose I’m just wandering now, rambling around in my own mind, without a clue as to how to bring this to a close…. but, here goes….


“I think I am…. that’s close enough.”  This is MY philosophy of life, and my take on consciousness…. As I see it, I know I’m here, and I know what I can do in my own mind….. and no matter what the rest of the universe is up to, or believes, that’s enough for me. I don’t need confirmation of my existence, or permission from a  supernatural entity, or anyone else, to live my life the way I choose.


Mssr. Descartes statement is, to my mind, too stiff, too formal, and doesn’t meet the test of illogic…. We all interpret Reality in our own way, according to our own perceptions of that Reality, and our own set of decisions about how we will approach life…. our attitudes, as it were. We can make those attitudes whatever we choose, regardless of how clear are our motives to others; in my mind, all living creatures have that right…. with, of course, the caveat that whatever attitudes we choose must be able to merge with the attitudes of others, or, at least, not step on the other person’s right to the same freedom of choice…..


In short…. You were issued a mind when you came into this universe…. It would be a good thing, for you, and, for the universe, to learn to use it….


Just a suggestion…. The reason I urge each and every one to make this effort is my strong belief in Axiom #2 of Peruaosophy, perhaps the most accurate, and powerfully influential, of all the axioms therein…. to wit:


Axiom #2: “The Nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative Transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you are in for a Rough Ride.”


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





Comedy_Tragedy




    Because the poem percolating somewhere in my head isn’t ready, and, simply because I can, here’s another of my own poems from the archives….




Momentary Terror


Absently casual, memories pester endlessly 

   leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving. 

Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.


Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,

   shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.

Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.


Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe

   save for Fate’s busy hands.

Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.


Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black

   such beauty brings us to our knees.

Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 2/10/2013.


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





ankh




    Smart Bee is showing some recalcitrance this week, making the process of creating new pearls a bit sticky, as well as time consuming…. This one turned out pretty well, if a bit more esoteric than our usual fare…. As the logo icon indicates, it’s about Life at Large, with some ideas on how it might be lived with some dignity….




Full little knowest thou that hast not tride,

What hell it is in suing long to bide:

To loose good dayes, that might be better spent;

To wast long nights in pensive discontent;

To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow;

To feed on hope, to pine with feare and sorrow.


To fret thy soule with crosses and with cares;

To eate thy heart through comfortlesse dispaires;

To fawne, to crowche, to waite, to ride, to ronne,

To spend, to give, to want, to be undonne.

Unhappie wight, borne to desastrous end,

That doth his life in so long tendance spend!


~~ Edmund Spenser ~~


~~ Mother Hubberds Tale, Line 895 ~~




“Virtue is a habit of the mind, consistent with nature and moderation and reason.” — Cicero


“I value kindness to human beings first of all, and kindness to animals.  I don’t respect the law; I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper, and old men and women warmer in the winter, and happier in the summer.” — Brendan Behan


“If life must not be taken too seriously, then so neither must death.” — Samuel Butler


“If it is not seemly, do it not; if it is not true, speak it not.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, xii, 17


“Cursed is he that does not know when to shut his mind. An open mind is all very well in its way, but it ought not to be so open that there is no keeping anything in or out of it. It should be capable of shutting its doors sometimes, or may be found a little draughty.” — Samuel Butler




A fiery soul, which, working out its way,

Fretted the pygmy-body to decay,

And o’er-inform’d the tenement of clay.

A daring pilot in extremity;

Pleas’d with the danger, when the waves went high

He sought the storms.


~~ John Dryden ~~


~~ Absalom and Achitophel, Part i, Line 156 ~~




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


Considering the state of mind with which this Pearl was begun, combined with the state now extant, it’s a damn good thing it’s done. I don’t think I’d want to be responsible for what happens if this were to go on any longer…. That said, I’ll add, it’s been completely real, ffolkes, but, I think we whupped ’em good…. If not, we get another chance tomorrow, as long as the sun comes up as it did today….


Odds are good…. See ya tomorrow, most likely….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Wait! Isn’t it supposed to wiggle?….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,




“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”


~~ Chinese Proverb ~~


g-ville 002 (2)


Duh. They’re flowers.




Good morrow…. Rather than giving in to impulse, I’m going to perform a 180° turn, at four gravities, just to demonstrate how much I care about my Gentle Readers…. This means you will NOT be subjected to a series of formerly patented paraphrased versions of discarded Buddy Hackett jokes…. Instead, you will be forced treated to a collection of archived material, presented in the guise of aged clerical treatises of historical note… In other words, I’m feeling lazy, and I intend to cheat, unmercifully, until this damn thing is done…


Damn it! If I have to be up at 2 AM, everybody’s going to suffer be rewarded….


Shall we Pearl?


“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin


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






Albert_King_1978


Albert King 1978




Finding & posting videos has become a relatively simple, consistent routine, so, this will be the freshest portion of today’s Pearl…. A while back, this section featured a live performance by Stevie Ray Vaughn, recorded in studio, with Albert King…. Albert was, to me, the best of all 3 Kings of the Blues (BB, one whose given name escapes me, and Albert….)…. Here he is playing on his full album, “I’ll Play The Blues For You”….







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
















Albert King















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


























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























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




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






Sandclock .jpg


Nice clock, eh?




As may or may not have been noted, sometimes, I’m lazy. Today is one of those days; asking why would just piss both of us off, so, we’ll just get on with it…. Here, from the archives, (where else?) is a little foray into nothing much…. It’s a format I once called a “new-school pearl”, so, why not call it the same now?…. No reason at all, but, then, that could be said of ALL of today’s Pearl, couldn’t it?….


From 10/21/2012:




I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.


~~ Rudyard Kipling ~~


~~ Just So Stories (1902) “The Elephant’s Child” ~~




I first read the phrase “feeding the Elephant’s Child” in a Robert Heinlein novel, many years ago, enjoying it as a metaphor for reading/learning, before I knew from whence it originally came. Once I did know (a moment of illumination whose exact placement in time is hazy….), I liked it even more, from an aesthetic standpoint. The above little ditty is brilliant doggerel, astute observation, and deep insight, all presented in a simple, straightforward style, with a powerful, basic lesson for any would-be philosopher, or any one who wishes to encompass reason as their modus operandi, so to speak. Besides which, I find that another piece of Bob’s advice, as related by his character Lazarus Long, fits well with this one, to wit: “Life tastes better in big bites….”


“Never wear anything that panics the cat.” — P. J. O’Rourke


I like this a lot, too. It summarizes perhaps one of the most elemental rules of getting along in the Universe, in essence saying, “You can learn a lot by watching what happens around you…” It’s the perfect companion to the concept of learning as presented above, as it contrives to speak to both sides of Reality, i.e., how you approach reality (the clothing you choose to show to the cat….) and how reality will change to react to your approach (the cat’s opinion of your clothing….) It also gives one a subtle warning about how the wrong clothing can produce unwanted consequences, and we all know how an offended cat is likely to respond…. as Mark Twain once remarked…. “A man who carries a cat by the tail is learning valuable things. He will never again be dim or doubtful. Chances are he’ll not carry the cat that way again, but, I say, if he wants to, let him!”  You can’t say fairer than that, in my opinion….


“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” — Buddha


One can always trust the Buddha to state the most profound thoughts in the simplest way…. I often wonder how he came to such a complete understanding of Murphy, whose presence is acknowledged in all of what the Buddha stated, but whose ministrations seem to have passed by the Buddha’s existence…. It’s that, or Murphy shows him a lot more respect than he does anyone else alive. At times, it seems, what the Buddha states, such as in this statement, is, in at least one respect, an answer to a question raised whenever Murphy intervenes in our lives…. More simply, the Master explains why Murphy is able to affect us as he does, by cutting through the bullshite we perceive to the truth of what is real….. SIGH…. One of these days, I suppose, enlightenment will slap me upside the head, and I’ll be able to see Murphy coming…. I can hope, can’t I?….


There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.” — Bob Dylan


Often, I feel, not only is life a joke, but, it is our duty and purpose on this plane of existence to codify that joke, to put it down on paper, or on screen/disc, as a means of freeing ourselves from the prison of sobriety, achieving an understanding of Reality which tells us everything in this silly universe is here for our amusement, and, we have been taking it, and ourselves, too seriously, for entirely too long….. So seriously, we have begun to offend those parts of the universe whose purpose is to allow us to relax and enjoy ourselves. Moreover, the time is growing nearer when we will have to admit the joke is on us, for not being able to change our inner selves enough to be able to perceive the humor of our situation…. See, the universe thinks death is funny…. not because it is cruel, but, because death is just another part of life, which doesn’t care about one more than the other…. See, now, isn’t it funny how you never noticed that?…..


I once read a science fiction novel, whose title and author escape me completely; in truth, the book was very poorly written, filled with prose unable to live up to the great plot line…..Specifically, there was one chapter I liked, which had the book’s protagonist, an orphaned super-genius from Earth, taking on the task of finding the solution to a mathematical treatise, an equation so complex, so advanced, no civilization in the galaxy had ever been able to solve it.


The genius/hero/complete git shut himself up in his room for three weeks, working on the problem. At the end, he was thinking so hard he entered a trance-like state, computing while nearly dead…. After a week of this, he suddenly opened his eyes, gave a look of astonishment, and burst into uncontrollable laughter for approximately 25 minutes. When he could finally control himself, he simply said, “It’s a joke….” and would never discuss it again….


In a pearl such as this one has grown into, there comes a time when I must decide whether to continue on, to try to reach the conclusion nebulously hovering somewhere in my mind as I began, or, to sheepishly admit I have again wandered into uncharted territory, and might find it a bit tricky to find my way back to clarity. This is that time…. and I’m leaving it up to Smart Bee, as always…. If I don’t find a proper pearl to carry on the tenuous chain of thought I’ve created, we’ll take the first one able to serve appropriately, to officially wrap it up as a lost cause….. all within a specified number of attempts…. so, here we go… You’ll know in a moment what will happen….


“In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain, nor anything of this kind is the real cause of our doing or not doing any action, but our inward opinions and principles.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap xi


There, see?…. That didn’t take long at all…. and I managed to find the perfect pearl to cover both bases…. In this case, we will use it as an ending quote, since it sort of summarizes a lot of the discussion, after a fashion. It could conceivably also be used as a springboard for further discussion, but this has gone on long enough, and I wouldn’t want to lose anybody due to an injudicious application of excess verbiage, culminating in tedium…. Of course, we may have reached said point some time ago, but, hey, who’s counting?…. Any who, I hope you enjoyed this little foray into not very much….


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





Comedy_Tragedy



    This was written, and first posted in December of 2012; you can probably tell why it hasn’t been seen since…. I’m not proud; I am, as has been clearly indicated, lazy….




“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” — Robert Frost


—————————


Placidly falling in amber waves: old friends


Whiskey, oh, whiskey, I’d forgotten thy balm,

thy loving spread of lassitude, and nature’s own calm.

Misery and pain flee in squalid disorganization,

leaving mirth, happily embraced, in just consolation.


James, old friend, thou hast not abandoned me at all,

steadfast and loyal, ever ready to answer my softest call.

Ephemeral illusions of normality come at your instigation

blessed moments of peaceful joy, sans vilification.


Gasps of coherence pound at the door to conscious thought,

muffled explosive memories of battles already fought.

Malleable as the changeable airs of time and circumstance

plaintive calls to reason stand not a single, honest chance.


Sober again, reality’s cold reign brings a new day

ringing in old changes in a new-fashioned way.

To know true freedom’s release from our everyday pain

Is worth a bit of headache, even in the cold, pouring rain.


~~ gigoid ~~


~~ two sheets to the wind, and back ~~


—————————


“You will find poetry nowhere, unless you bring some with you.”



~~ Joseph Joubert ~~




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





buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    An old pearl, but, a good one, from September of 2012, just because I’m lazy today (Did I say that already? Oops…)…. It’s only a five-star, but, some of those were the best….


First posted 9/20/2012:


Where else can you find intellectual games, with no pressure to win, all of which allow you to pick your own conclusions, other than right here, Exploring Consensual Reality with gigoid? Nowhere, that’s where…. To further cement that reputation, here is another old-fashioned pearl for your perusal, with the conclusion right there in plain sight, for anyone to see…. It’s Hobson’s choice, all over again….


“Politics is what happens to democracy when not enough people care.” — Anonymous, Thursday, 1992


After his Ignoble Disgrace, Satan was being expelled from  Heaven.  As he passed through the Gates, he paused a moment in thought, and turned to God and said, “A new creature called Man, I hear, is soon to be created.”

“This is true,” He replied.

“He will need laws,” said the Demon slyly.

“What!   You, his appointed Enemy for all Time!  You ask for the right to make his laws?”

“Oh, no!”  Satan replied, “I ask only that he be allowed to make his own.”

It was so granted.


— Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary


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


“A man that expects to train lobsters to fly in a year is called a lunatic and is locked up. But a man that thinks people can be turned into angels by legislation is called a reformer and allowed to walk free.” — Mr. Dooly


Sometimes, it’s just too easy….. but, somebody’s got to do it…..  Right?


Right? Well…. Okay, perhaps not. But, then, why not?….


It’s definitely less dumb than any Reality TV show, guaranteed, or your money back….


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


Yes, I did, but, it’s legal. Anyone anal enough to go back & check will see I added a touch here & there to polish up some of the material from past Pearls…. It’s okay, ffolkes. I wrote it the first time; I’m allowed to edit. Besides, I’ve learned a lot in three years, I think, so, any changes made are certainly an improvement; in some spots, that’s a big “for sure!”…. Any who, I’m just too frigging honest to not say so; otherwise sleep would be even harder than the period which prompted much of today’s mess…. 


On that cryptic, yet transparently pandering note, I’ll take my leave for yet another day, where I’ll do my damnedest to do this again…. Count on it, unless Reality bites me too hard…. See ya then, ffolkes….




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








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….