Tag Archives: Smart Bee

Maybe. Maybe not….

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Ffolkes,

“I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone,

but they’ve always worked for me.”

~~ Hunter S. Thompson ~~

potd-panda-1_3134810k

    When Hunter S. Thompson’s most famous quote adorns the opening, you know it’s going to be a day in the trenches…. so be it…. We’ll open with a bit of legerdemain, then go on to find some sort of reason to continue, whether we wish it, or not…. Here, let’s go the obvious route, shall we?….

Isn’t that a great face? I sure wish I knew what the little bear is looking at; whatever it is, he’s not sure he wants to know about it at all…. Well, that, or, he’s in a psycho-cub state, much akin to the one cats display at times, usually at 3 AM, by running around the house at full speed, knocking into walls and jumping off furniture from great heights, just because…. The picture, btw, is of one of the three triplet panda cubs born in China a couple of months ago, a very rare occurrence, especially to pandas in captivity…. They’ve been the subject of close scrutiny by the entire world, as most such sets of triplets have not survived long…. This one looks spunky enough to make it, for sure….

He sure looks spunkier than I’m feeling, but, nothing new there…. The only new item I see today is the new deep ache in my left arm, between the elbow and shoulder; sleeping appears to have annoyed it somehow…. Oh, joy…. It must be time for a ritual slathering of the magic cream…. I’ll take a few minutes to go take care of that, & maybe when I come back to this, I’ll have a bit of inspiration at hand…. Hope springs eternal….

Well…. all I can say is, that stuff is magic…. Sadly, it doesn’t come with inspiration included, and the clock is still ticking…. I suppose I could do some nonsense… Let’s see… Nope…. Nothing resembling that anywhere in there…. How ’bout a quick rant? No, too early, and, no angst currently available, unless we count that which hangs about with the pain…. The poem I’ve been cultivating somewhere in the back of my mind isn’t ripe yet, either; I can tell by the craw stuck in my throat…. Damn! I bet y’all know what THIS means, don’t you?

Yep. It’s another failure of imagination, classically displayed right out here where all may see…. Chalk it up to my Bozoid Tendencies, and we’ll call it an intro… We have to at this point…. we’ve already used up any other alternative methods, so, ruthless dumping is all we have left to get us out of this mess, which my blathering has landed us in, again…. Some day, I’ll find an intro, but, by then, I won’t know what to do with it anyway…. SIGH….. It’s a good thing for all of us I used Hunter S. Thompson to bracket the intro; with such brutal honesty at play, nothing can harm us on our way to immortality, or a reasonable facsimile….

Huh?…. Ah, fuck it, let’s be on our way…. Coherency is a lost cause, at this point….

Shall we Pearl?

“The time has come to kick ass.” — Hunter S. Thompson

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Time is a function of human perception; in reality, all there is, is NOW.  We have no control over the past, and the future is only under control according to what we choose to do NOW…. Right NOW, I am not sure this will ever get posted….

Early morning ambivalence is the order of the day, apparently; combined with the dysfunctional body with which I am now saddled, there is some doubt as to future events ever taking place according to my wishes…. SIGH… Oh well, for the nonce, we’ll pretend we do have some sort of choice, and pick out a video…. How ’bout some Blues?….


Chicago Blues, Live Vol. 1

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Yep, you guessed it…. another rant from the archives…. If you are a regular, you’ve seen this before. If not, have no fear, it’s a good read…. well, I think so, anyway….

From 4/9/2013:

Here’s the deal…. I still don’t have a rant ready, but I feel like ranting…. so, I’ll sublimate…. This is an article that I posted on Triond, another web site where I’ve published some of my work, in the latter part of 2012, near the election that took place in November….. All of it is still pretty valid, discounting the date-related issues…. all the rest, I stand by…..

Absence of Honor: The Untimely Death of The US Constitution


“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered.” — Deng Ming-Dao

As I read this pearl, my immediate thought was that it is a very clear, very accurate take on the 2012 election process that is currently unfolding before us in the daily news. The end of the political scale that is represented so raggedly by what is left of the Republican Party, and the mislabeled liberal end of the scale who claim to be Democrats, are both engaging in ongoing battles to see who can display the deepest ignorance.

The leading candidate for the “loyal opposition” to the party in power, Mr. Romney, seems to have a proclivity for alienating the very people from whom he is trying to win votes; women, immigrants and Hispanics, animal lovers, seniors, teachers and students, all have been told, in no uncertain terms, that they matter not at all to him. His plan? We’ll stop taxing the rich altogether, and that will fix everything…. Sometimes I wonder if he is getting all of his information on voter wants and issues of importance from old newspapers from the 1980’s, because he certainly hasn’t a clue as to what is happening out in America in this decade….

The other party, led by our first Black President, is busy hiding what the left hand is doing by distracting everyone with the tax and healthcare issues, to keep them unaware of how few of the Bill of Rights are left to us. “Executive Orders” signed by the POTUS this year, beginning on New Year’s Eve, while the voters were all busy celebrating the advent of the new year, include provisions that allow police to stop, search, and arrest any citizen of this country whom they suspect of any form of terrorism, or even of protest against the provisions of those orders.

These same police who are arresting their ostensible fellow-citizens are not required to tell ANYONE that they have arrested and imprisoned a citizen, nor are they ever required to provide any evidence of their suspicions in a court of law. Even though there may be no evidence, they can subject these CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY to torture to obtain a confession, or whatever it is they are after. There is no oversight to these orders; they don’t go before Congress to be approved, nor are they reviewed by the courts. Both of those particular checks on the power of the Executive Branch are completely out of the loop on this…. and they aren’t even complaining about it!

Does it physically hurt to be that stupid? — Smart Bee

My guess at the answer to this is, No. It can’t hurt very much to be that stupid, as we continue to go out each time there is an election and vote these same lying, cheating, avaricious assholes back into the same positions from which they have been oppressing the American people for oh, a hundred or so years now. I’d say that around the time of the Depression was when the first real strangle-hold on the national throat was first achieved…. the pure bullshit the government was spewing back then can be seen to have been the first real time that the government’s outrageous lies were swallowed whole by a reluctant public, who had nothing else to eat, and thus nothing else to risk…

“He was born stupid, and greatly increased his birthright.” — Samuel Butler

So, how does it feel? Does it physically hurt to be so stupid, as to be part of the crowd that continues to buy into all the bullshit lies that our own government heaps upon us every day? To keep going to the polls, just as if it really matters who gets elected? Get real, folks. You will not find a name on the ballot that belongs to someone who is not a willing tool of the powers of oppression, the money-changers who are the power behind the scenes of every government in the world. Not going to happen; they’ve been the real power in the world for centuries, and they’re not about to give up all they have, just to be nice, or because they’ve, all of a sudden, grown a heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty fucking tired of being lied to, and cheated, and looked at as just another idiot for them to shit on….. and I’m not going to put up with it for much longer, without some kind of return fire….. Believe it…. I don’t think I am alone in this, either…. No way to tell for sure, but I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE is falling for all of it…. but, even if I’m alone in this, I refuse to knuckle under any further, and can only say that I will do all I can to see things turn in a direction that will return my Rights, and those of the rest of the American people…. or at least those not stupid enough to hand them over without a fight….

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Since I’ve shamelessly raided the archives already, here is another of mine, just because…

Savory
Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
   finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
   chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.

Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
   builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
   chance manifests, as it does, again.

Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
   making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
   as another snitch drops his dime.

Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
   covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
   turning love to brilliant rhyme.

Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
   gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
   peace comes only when we lose our fear.

~~ gigoid ~~


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Smart Bee seems to be on strike, so, we’ll have to go with an old-school pearl from the archives today…. Here’s a pretty good one, from 2013….

From 4/4/2013:

Well, it seems clear that my fresh material isn’t up to snuff today…. it seems so to me, anyway, and I’m the one who has to stomach it first….. Which means I’m going into the past yet again, but with fresh material…. This will be a random chosen old-school Pearl, the best I can do on short notice…… The point may or may not be apparent, but, what else is new?….

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave…” — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms”

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” — Akiro Kurosawa

“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Man’s many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has the more they weigh him down.” — Satya Sai Baba

“Whoever has even once become notorious by base fraud, even if he speaks the truth, gains no belief.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 10, 1

    I feel like one
    Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
    Whose lights are fled,
    Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed.

 ~~ Thomas Moore (1779-1852) — Oft in the Stilly Night ~~


“And thereby hangs a tale.” — Francis Rabelais (1495-1553) — Works, Book v, Chap. iv

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Bah! Humbug!…. There, y’all don’t have to say it; I said it for you…. and, I don’t blame you, either…. But, in spite of how any of us may feel about it, it’s done, and I’m not going to look a gift horse, etc….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. maybe, maybe not….

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

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

Kowabunga!


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Twistin’ the night away….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” 


~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~


andromeda-meteor-james


     Today’s picture is from Space.com, one of their Astronomy Picture of the Day features, a gorgeous shot of the Milky Way, meteors, and the Andromeda Galaxy (small but clear in the upper right quadrant…), all in one huge photo, taken as a panorama, I believe. All I know is it was so big, it took about eight adjustments to get it small enough to fit onto the screen…. At the larger size, it’s pretty incredible in detail, almost like being outside, looking at it directly…. The photographer was, no doubt, a photographic wizard, along the lines of the quote from Tolkien….


Or, maybe he/she just got lucky, timing it so perfectly by chance…. Unlikely, with a panoramic photo, but, one never knows, nor would one ever speculate, not so early in the morning, before the second sip of coffee has been taken…. On sip only ensures no one will die; the second sip provides a certain degree of coherency, which doesn’t extend to the keyboard, sadly…. Nor does it preclude the hands from screaming at me for typing, which, unfortunately, they seem to want to do today…. Bogus, really, and it sure makes this part difficult…. Break time, ffolkes…


Now that the tenor of today’s post has been set, and, just as quickly destroyed, by the not-totally-unexpected display of bozoid candor, perhaps we can get on with this with no more detours. That would be a nice change, wouldn’t it? Sure it would…. but, as you may have guessed, it ain’t gonna happen here. I believe we may have reached a point that would otherwise be called a nexus, or, just as accurately, a bloody mess; some sort of decision must be made as to where we are going today, if anywhere at all…. Wait!….


That’s the best idea I’ve had yet…. I’m going to end this right here, right now, and get on with it, just as if it were made that way…. Perhaps, if we pretend it’s supposed to work like that, we can slip past the censors, and get this done in some sort of timely fashion…. Or, alternately, some sort of approximation of timely would be acceptable, whatever that may mean in such a situation…. Your guess is as good as mine, in this case… So….


Shall we Pearl?


“The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.” — Henry L. Mencken


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An old Grateful Dead tune has been running around my mind all morning, ever since I first booted up…. It’s from their song, “Sugar Magnolia”, and goes, “Head’s all empty, and I don’t care….” However, rather than the Dead, let’s go with a live concert by Jerry, and his old friend, David Grisman, his mandolin-playin’ genius buddy, from 12/8/1991….  Enjoy!…. No video on this one, but, great music….




Jerry Garcia & David Grisman – San Francisco 12 8 91



































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I’m still saving my hands for other stuff, so, here is an archived rant, of fairly typical size and content….


From 2/25/2013:


“I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair.  Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them?  So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.”– Marcus, Babylon 5


Marcus brings up an interesting point here, when he talks of the general hostility of the universe. I don’t think he quite has a handle on the actual shape of Reality, though, and in his desire to avoid responsibility for his own cupidity, he assigns the universe as villain in his play. Our universe isn’t hostile to us, as he would like to think. Unfair? Yes. Hostile? No…. The universe really doesn’t give a crap about us, one way or another. Things seem unfair, not because they are stacked against us, but rather because they are not stacked in our favor, a slight but distinct difference…..


Reality plays no favorites, beyond a tendency to allow itself to be adjusted by those who have an understanding of how it works, without granting them any dispensation, but rather rewarding their cleverness and wit. Those who believe the universe is out to get them are defenseless against the trials and tribulations that are a natural part of living, because they begin from an attitude of helplessness. Those who at least have the confidence to act in their own behalf are much more able to achieve their goals, than anyone who allows Reality to push them wherever they end up, without any direction made by choice…..


Thus, we can see that courage, as well as knowledge, is necessary to being able to confront Reality on its own terms. Not only is it necessary to pay attention to the way the universe works, and how it interacts among all its parts, but necessary to have the courage to act on what is known, and what the person believes to be right, in a moral sense. Of course, the universe doesn’t care one way or another if we are moral; it rewards those who act out of immorality as well, if they are bold enough to act. We just feel better about ourselves if we act from right thought, and we make it easier for others to do the same. Acting immorally only benefits the one who is doing the acting…..


But, cowardice is also rewarded by the universe; it just isn’t a very palatable reward, to have our every wish denied, and our every act dismissed, as incompetent, illegal, or just plain dumb….. Lack of courage, and lack of knowledge thus become their own rewards, and the person’s misguided views about reality lead them into issue after issue of conflict with the rest of reality. In this way, they continually reinforce their own misapprehensions, and will only more firmly believe that the universe is out to get them, and everyone else…. This, in spite of the fact that they are looking at, and dealing with, the same Reality as everyone else, who don’t all seem to have the same problem…. Instead of giving them a clue that maybe they should do things differently, they merely assume that the other people have cheated them somehow…. because that is what they would do….


It’s really too bad in some ways, that so large a percentage of humanity is so lacking in courage and wit as to find the view stated above to be congruent with their own view of the way the universe operates; it’s part of what makes it so easy for those in the BRC and the 1% to control them, and to pull the wool over their eyes. These folks are so convinced of their own helplessness in the face of all they don’t understand, they will latch onto almost anything someone tells them, if it soothes their fears, and gives them someone or something other than themselves to blame for their misfortunes…. Sad, but true, and a perfect description of what has transpired in society for several thousand years now, as the BRC keeps the majority of humanity in the proverbial dark about what is true, and what is real….. They’ve had a lot of practice, and they’re very good at it….


But, then, it isn’t hard to control someone who is brainwashed to believe that it is the way reality is, so I can’t say it is due to any particularly large degree of wit or talent that allows them to do so…. It is more that the folks who they control are so stupid, they ask to be controlled, because they can’t, and more importantly, won’t, trust themselves to do it….. Sad, but true….


At his point in this narrative, I am becoming a bit enraged, a not uncommon reaction to a rant about the BRC and the 1%…. Heck, this time, I didn’t even have to mention the papists or preachers who are their shock troops, on the front lines of the brainwashing process, in order to get upset and angry over their machinations…. until now. My rage is growing, as it always tends to do when I start to rant on this subject, and I’m not ready to deal with the consequences of letting it get any bigger right now…. too much other stuff to get to today. But, just let me say this…..


Those in our society who deliberately control others for their own benefit are my enemies. I believe them to be responsible for virtually ALL of the social ills we have, as well as the global and environmental issues that are threatening our very survival as a species. They are, for their own personal benefit, hoarding the resources of the planet, and refusing to share them with the remainder of humanity, all because they can, and they want to. The welfare of others is of no concern to them, so they automatically become my foes, in my battle to try to make a world my children, and grandchild, can have the opportunity to live a full and complete life of their own, without being oppressed and controlled by assholes who don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves….. As my old martial arts instructor used to say…. “Fuck ’em….. hard.”…..


— “Bother!”, said Pooh, as he dropped his bombs.


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Today’s poem is another I found in the archives, which hadn’t been brought into the Poetry folder…. bonus! Enjoy!


From 8/21/2012:




Unwrapped Morning


A jewel of deepest green, sparkles by firelight

Held fast by time, and space

Leaves only passive passion, pale and bright

Naught but grief, yet but a trace.


In morning’s bright parlor, burning for hate

Unspent moments fall, seeking pain

Spilling blood forlornly, cowed by fate

Left with nothing, life in vain.


Pallid purpose calls, to that fallow ground

In bold fashions, aflame

Conscience falls aside, value unbound

Death calls, forever lost, the game……


~~ gigoid ~~




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Today’s final pearl was constructed in spite of some rather stiff resistance from SB…. I swear, it’s been a complete butthead of late, making me go through several hundred useless phrases and quotes, just to find a couple of mediocre pearls…. Ah well, at least we squeezed one last batch out for today…. It was looking a bit grim there for a while, but it came out just fine… a real old-school pearl, with a nice little twist to make it palatable for even the neuronically challenged reader…. Just don’t grit your teeth, or your dentist won’t like it….


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


“The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.” — Chuang Tzu


“The young know the rules, the old know the exceptions.” — Smart Bee


“The important thing is not to stop questioning.  Curiosity has its own reason for existing.  One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.  It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” — Albert Einstein


“A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


“Don’t take life too seriously; you won’t get out of it alive.” — Hubbard’s Law


“Imagine the Creator as a low comedian, and at once the world becomes explicable.” — H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)


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


If all things in the world were equal, this would be considered as not eligible for judgment. I’m not entirely certain just how it got done, but, there it sits, with all the correct categories covered, and each section filled with (relatively) appropriate material…. As we are fond of saying, in the back rooms, where nobody can hear us, “It’s done”…. We say that with a reverent air, closing our eyes in respect, while genuflecting vaguely in the direction of Patagonia….


The appearance at this point of such nonsense is a clear indication it’s time to stop for the day, lest we splash…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should the Universe still be here….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….







		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
With music playing in the background….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“When Thales was asked what was difficult, he said, “To know one’s self.” 


And what was easy, “To advise another.”


~~  Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Thales, ix ~~


Alaska Grand Adventure 102


     I suppose bass ackwards is as good as our normal format. Due to the constraints placed upon me by the loss of function in my hands for much of the day, these Pearls have been going through a series of changes in how they are constructed….. The new technique involves a break, to rest my hands, or shoulder, or back, or hip, until it stops complaining, about every five to ten minutes…. Even now, as I type this, my left arm is growing numb, thus forcing an adjustment in content and structure….


From your viewpoint, this is probably a good thing, as it keeps my ranting to a minimum, thus shortening these Pearls by a significant margin. That’s okay by me, they’ve been growing too large for even my taste, and I’ve been looking for ways to cut it all back a bit…. I didn’t, however, think that would be accomplished by forcing me to experience enough pain to alter my habits…. So much for my vaunted intelligence, eh, what?….


Ah well, such is life, and it goes on, and on, and on, regardless of our reaction to it…. Whining about it won’t help, so, I’ll stop right here, resolving to, instead, jump right into today’s effort, just to see if there is any way to get it done in this frame of mind…. I’m all about new adventures, though I think I’d prefer a bit less pain involved in whatever happens…. just a personal preference, which, I’m sure, Murphy and his myrmidons will be happy to ignore….


That’s it…. that’s all I’ve got, ffolkes…. This, choppy and sparse as it may be, is all there is going to be in the intro today…. I’m giving in, after a fashion, to expediency, just like a well-trained consumer should do at this time of year, during the annual commercial frenzy held each year’s end to stimulate the economy, so all the corporate entities can start off the new year with a solid profit margin….


Yawn…. there he goes again…. Never mind, ffolkes, let’s get on with it, okay?….


Shall we Pearl?


“Don’t be confused by surfaces; in the depths everything becomes law. What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. Walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours–that is what you must be able to attain.” — Rainer Maria Rilke


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Today’s video offering is a lead-in for the rant to follow, in section three of today’s post. This will give y’all a solid batch of supporting evidence, as well as a taste of the proper attitude to assume when speaking of our beloved ruling classes, to wit: disdain, bordering on disgust….. At least George was able to make us laugh about it; I suppose it’s better than crying, which would be just as appropriate, under the circumstances….







GEORGE CARLIN – Upper Class Pays No Taxes



































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“It seems a little silly now, but this country was founded as a protest against taxation.” — Smart Bee


This rant has been percolating for some time; the quotes you will see scattered throughout the text were collected over the course of several days, during Smart Bee sessions looking for other material to support different sections. These all had some connection to the same politireligirant, the same one I’ve been working on so long, my spell checker doesn’t even blink at the word any more….


The pertinence of the opening quote struck me with considerable force, as it coincided with receiving a bill from one of the huge corporate entities so familiar to us all today; the logo of this particular fake person closely resembles the Death Star, strangely enough, which is probably enough for you to identify it…. In this bill, I noted that the figures quoted to me, as pertaining to a service I ordered, had been inflated in the final tally by a number of taxes, from local, state, and federal agencies, none of which had been mentioned as part of the price…. This didn’t count the “surcharges”, or the mandatory “monthly equipment rental fee”, also added on to the price without mention.


I once read a blog post by another person which tallied up all the different taxes to which we, as American citizens, are required to pay at one time or another during our lives…. There were well over a HUNDRED taxes listed, such as Death taxes, (we get taxed for dying?….), Inheritance taxes, (a tax on the survivors of those who have died….), Sales taxes, Use taxes, from every level of government, and a host of others, some of which I’d never heard of, but, are on the books…. It’s astounding to see how we Americans have BECOME the very people our ancestors warned us against becoming, to wit: slaves of the corporations and churches….


“… men say the gods have a king because they themselves either are or were in ancient times under the rule of a king, For they imagine not only the form of the gods, but their ways of life to be like their own.” — Aristotle, Politics


Here we see, perhaps, part of the reason for the apathy most Americans display regarding the responsibility for governing their own lives; it is easier for them to just accept all the lies. Finding truth can be a difficult task, which most people learn to avoid early in life, thus giving control of those lives into the hands of any who will manipulate them…. Plus, there is a large percentage of our species who not only don’t like to think, but, spend a large portion of their time on this planet ensuring that nobody else does so, either….


“A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.” — Eric Hoffer


For the most part, though, people just don’t care, because they don’t have the time or energy to spare for anything other than the bare essentials of living; finding shelter, food, and companionship takes up 99% of their minds and attention, leaving little time to wonder about whether or not any of what they do is helpful, or will actually do anything to make their lives better…. So, they listen to anyone who will tell them what they want to hear, who will fulfill that need to have someone else do the worrying about the future…. This, of course, only gives the predators more control….


“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” — Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States, 277 — U.S. 479 (1928)


I’ve been pounding this point for a couple years now, with little effect, beyond the release I feel for getting it out of my head. That’s a big help to me, but, it isn’t having much of an effect on the overall picture, nor will it, until human nature itself undergoes some radical changes…. If I weren’t such a realist, I’d hold out some hope for that, but, quite frankly, I don’t see it happening….


I’ve run out of steam; the combination of futility plus pain plus dying hope makes any further comments I might relate completely superfluous…. not that they were ever critical in any sense…. other than in their essential truthfulness. But, this is already long enough, so, I’ll just dump y’all right here, and finish off the rant with a short set of pearls to drive the point home…. IF it strikes y’all, feel free to spread the point around… It can’t hurt, and it just might help. One never knows, do one?….


“Everybody in this room is wearing a uniform, so don’t kid yourself…’ — Frank Zappa


“A statesman is what politicians call themselves.” — Smart Bee


“No matter how often a lie is shown to be false, there will remain a percentage of people who believe it is true.” — Law of the Lie


“Will Rogers never met Rush Limbaugh.”– Smart Bee


“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.” — Max Lerner


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




My life is light, waiting for the death wind, 

Like a feather on the back of my hand.”


~~ T.S. Eliot ~~




I’m not sure, but, it seems to me that I’ve seen more little phrases like this one, perfect in almost every way, with T.S. Eliot’s name appended to them, than I have seen from just about any other poet I know. It demonstrates the kind of beauty, power, and simplicity of expression I strive to achieve, whenever I open up one of my veins to allow a poem to leak out of my imagination…. Here is one wherein I came somewhat closer, than in most of what I write….


From August of 2012:




Dreaming, I wait…


In the most patient moments of rationality

kindness flows smoothly in a special milieu,

fallow thoughts speed first from equality

to give no anxious fever, anger to eschew.


Indignant mothers and step-sons in-law

shall fade simply from brilliant to grey,

intoning ritual dogma, fresh, avid, and raw,

falling, falling, in massive pastoral disarray.


Safety lives not, save brightly in ignorant bliss,

it follows us all, silent and infinitely frail,

foremost too often, soft as a virgin kiss,

alive, always eager, willing, and pale.


Intimate knowledge finds only the bold few

with courage and virtue to gift, unbidden.

No solemn royal version may pass in review,

true love for man, never to remain unhidden.


Sweet feathers of Emily’s hope uplift,

calm, drowsy episodes bursting with light,

With final glad cries we set ourselves adrift,

swimming in the oceans of natural delight.


When sorrow is banished, in ages yet to come,

roots solidly anchored, cold and remote,

Ample supplies of kindness sit silent and dumb,

and the old stranger shrugs on his faded coat.


Dreaming, then, I wait with shadows in the night

aspiring to inspire, a message from the muse’s heart

Never forgotten images, framed in color bright,

tempt me only, grieving, steeped in serenity’s arcane art.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


Life sure does seem like a crap game sometimes, doesn’t it? This pearl took almost an entire day of wrangling with SB, who, for some reason, has been reluctant to cooperate very much of late…. Ah well, it’s done, and came out fairly well…. Enjoy…. or not. Your choice, as always….


“We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing.” — Seneca


“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” — Socrates


“Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth.  When perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed;  nor has anyone who is apt

to be angry when he hears the truth, any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.” — Tacitus


“Think of your ancestors and your posterity.” — Tacitus (54-119 AD) — Agricola, 32


“Believe me, a thousand friends suffice thee not; In a single enemy thou hast more than enough.” — Ali Ben Abi Taleb


“What is man’s chief enemy? Each man is his own.” — Anacharsis (f1. c. 600 B.C.), Scythian philosopher — Quoted in Stobaeus, Flor., II, 43




Ain’t no time to hate

— barely time to wait. 

Whoa ho, what I want to know:

— where does the time go?


~~ Robert Hunter ~~




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


If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect myself of cheating…. Nonetheless, it’s done, and just in time for me to explode into inaction…. On that cryptic note, I shall leave you for another day…. According to the plan, as it now exists, I will see y’all tomorrow…. Keep in mind, however, what ‘they’ always say about the best laid plans…. Oh, boy, ffolkes, NOW I’m scared….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Soap? That won’t float?…..

			
						

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12/21/2014

Ffolkes,




“Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.” 


~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~


DSCN0027


     Today’s Pearl will be an unusual offering, even for THIS blog…. I’m using almost ALL archived material, which includes this opening section… I found such a fine intro in a post from 2012, I’m using it, along with some other material I found there which meets today’s requirements, all of which are designed to give my hands a break from typing…. Cut and paste is about all I’ve got in me today…. But, it’s all good stuff, so, please, sit back, enjoy an adult beverage, and lose yourself for a while in the Adventures of gigoid in Consensual Reality….


Ffolkes,

I am damned. In fact, I am damned by God Himself…. he told me, back when we were kids together in Jerusalem, oh, two or so thousand years ago…. You see, we didn’t get along very well. Our families lived in different parts of town; his was from the Golan Heights district, up there where all the priests, and political figures, and all the other rich folks lived. Mine lived downtown as far as you could go; the river was my backyard…… He called himself Yeshua back then; what I am called doesn’t matter any more…. but you can call me by the name I am known by in history books…. you can call me Judas…..


Well, that would certainly make for a decent story…. easy to write, too, as a lot of the action has already been covered by history and religious books, so I could pick and choose what stories to include…. all of course, looked at through my mind’s filter, and twisted just right to fit into the story line….. It would probably be fun to write, but it might not be the best activity I could choose from a karmic standpoint…. Many ffolkes consider it rude to make fun of religions, and, concurrently, making fun of their constituents.


Me, I enjoy it. The stiff, prudish people who make such complaints are, in my mind, the perfect targets for such barbed humor, as they have chosen to have no sense of humor, and are a pain in the ass to be around, for anyone with more than two functional brain cells….. But, that’s all just camouflage, this morning, anyway….


The truth is, I’m out of material…. can’t think of a damn thing to write about, and Smart Bee isn’t cooperating. I spent a half-hour last night searching for some pearls for this morning, and could only come up with more Shakespeare BS couplets for my growing collection. It’s beginning to look as if I’ll have to break down and use….. no, I won’t do it. I won’t go to my last resort….. It can’t be THAT bad yet. I refuse to go there….


Instead, we’ll just go diving, and hope for the best…. shall we Pearl?…..


Yes, indeed….    Shall we Pearl?


“Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” — Erasmus


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


Since we are spending so much time in the past today, here is another of my favorite TV shows from the 60’s…. A true classic….




My Favorite Martian The Matchmakers season 1 episode 2































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


“It is human nature that rules the world, not governments and regimes.” — Svetlana Alliluyeva


From 8/20/2012:


“We are inclined to confuse freedom and democracy, which we regard as moral principles, with the way in which these are practiced in America — with capitalism, federalism and the two-party system, which are not moral principles, but simply the accepted practices of the American people.” — Sen. James J. William Fulbright


I remember this Fullbright guy…. he was still spouting off when I was a teenager. I don’t recall any particularly strong feelings of approval at what I heard then from him, other than the normal disdain with which I greeted almost all politics back then. But, what he says here appeals to my current self much more than what I remember from back then. This is a very accurate description of reality in American politics, and the condition of the world in which we now find ourselves can be attributed in large part to this observation’s veracity….


The beloved ruling class has been pounding the minds of the public with manipulative lies for a very long time, and it can be a difficult task to separate the truth and the lies they put out at such an alarming rate. In addition, even doing so is made more difficult by the derisive attacks they make on anyone who dares to question their lies. It’s typical for them to call anyone who questions them a Communist, or a Socialist, or some other -ist which they think is evil whenever their lies are exposed. Or, like dear Mitt the Twitt said the other day, the people who want to see his taxes are “small minded”… the names they use don’t matter, as they are only calculated to draw attention away from the lies that are being exposed to the light of day….


“The liberal of any species is always more dangerous — because he always seems so much more rational.” — Solomon Short


This statement from Mr. Short is also perceptive, describing accurately the danger of listening to ANY politician…. even the most liberal pundit, by the act of seeking office, gives away their true purpose, not to help the downtrodden, but to gain power and influence for themselves…. They are more dangerous because their lies are designed to make the public believe that they are acting in their interests, looking out for the little guy, when in reality, they are just picking the little guy’s pocket…..


Reduce taxes on rich = trickle down prosperity. — Conservative idea #4


Never cooperate with conservatives. — Liberal Rule #34


Taken together, these two little aphorisms show why, or rather, how, it can be a confusing task to sort the truth from the lies that are served up on a daily basis. Both of these are true, in at least one sense, yet both are also outright lies, made up to demean the opposing party’s position and reputation. It’s kind of funny actually, because not only are these lies, but they are lies that can be fitted to either side like a tailor-made suit. To my way of thinking, both liberals and conservatives are wrong, so it’s easier for me to tell when they are lying…. quite easy, in fact…. if their mouth is open, they’re lying, count on it…..


“Humankind cannot stand very much reality.” — T.S. Eliot


This, from our old friend T.S., can be considered to be a fact, even a natural law, and for proof, just go back and read any historical treatise from any century. It has always been clear, especially to the beloved ruling class, that most folks have no real desire to deal with reality as it is…. they would much rather have it behave as they would like it to do. This tendency toward mental sloth is well-known to our rulers, and they exploit it mercilessly….


The political pundits are constantly telling the public what they want to hear, even though that has nothing to do with what will really take place when they are elected. The weird, sad part for me is that the public falls for it all so easily, and the rapacious and the greedy are constantly rewarded with new terms in Washington D.C., or London, or Sydney, or wherever in the world the election may take place…. If it weren’t so damn depressing, it might be entertaining….


“George Washington said to his father, “If I never tell a lie, how can I get to be President?” — Red Buttons


In any culture, one can ascertain the true state of the society by listening to the comedians…. Red Buttons wasn’t known particularly for his political humor, but with this one he struck closer to home than he knew. Right from the very start of this country, the bankers and the rich have conspired to control the government, and have been singularly effective in that quest. Even the stated fears of the founding fathers were not sufficient to keep them from insinuating themselves into the political process at every level, manipulating the laws, and the courts, to establish themselves as the true rulers of this country. Nobody gets elected who isn’t supposed to be, for they won’t willingly give away any of the control they have gained over time, and the surest way to guarantee that control is to control the elections….


“There cannot be a nation of millionaires, and there never has been a nation of Utopian comrades; but there have been any number of nations of tolerably contented peasants.” — G. K. Chesterton, Outline of Sanity CW. V. 192


SIGH…. I don’t know…. it’s all so tacky! G.K. has probably got it right, but I don’t think I want to settle for tolerable contentment. I can stand a bit more excitement than that, I hope. I’m just so tired of having to watch, as society dumbs itself down further and further with every election, sending the worst possible candidates into the spotlight, and making all of us who want more from life nervous at having to spend another four to eight years keeping our heads down and our defensive strategies up-to-date… I know I am, and I don’t even care much about politics (you wouldn’t know it, by how much I write about it….). Ah well, at least we’ve got cable TV…..


“Politics is poopadoodle!” — Fred the Bird, from Odds Bodkins


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


Recently, while perusing old Pearls in the archives, I found a poem I wrote which never made it into the Poetry folder…. Here it is, unseen, by anyone, since the day it was written…. ‘Tisn’t bad, either….


From 8/23/2012:




Lamenting Empathy, No Grace


Strange, strong, passions burn from within

Selling nothing short, nor out.

Consumed, loudly, failing to mark the spin

Sad, resigned, in singular redoubt.


Fallow grounds for twisted seed

Become fated, grow, and die.

Experience never fills critical need

Save perhaps once, in ages gone by.


Shouting in severe, dulcet tone

Brittle, flaking, destiny floats away.

Making noise, rattling the bone

Simply ageless fears held at bay.


We mask our illusions in faux belief

Tied to reality by matter of rote.

Send them postcards, without relief

Consecrated time, forever remote.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


As a small treat, here is a classic pearl, taken from a post a couple years old. It’s a fine example of a nearly-perfect five star pearl, old-school variety…. Enjoy….


From 8/24/2012:


Yesterday, I sat down in the afternoon to do some pearl diving, as my stash was getting low. Out of the first ten pearls offered up for my perusal, the following entries, all, but one, from Smart Bee itself, popped up one after another, just as if they were meant to be together. Upon rearranging the order slightly, I found this to be a correct judgment; together they make a fine little old-school pearl. With no further ado, follow the bouncing thought bubble to the ending point, where you will find yourself in possession of a valuable piece of virtual wisdom…. or possibly, a great deal of confusion…. Your choice, both are free of charge….


Although everyone is entitled to be stupid, some abuse this privilege. — Smart Bee


Keep the pointy end forward and the dirty side down. — Smart Bee


I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it, my lad.  It’s dead! — Smart Bee


Tomorrow & tomorrow & tomorrow creeps in this rutabaga… — Smart Bee


Ignorance of one’s ignorance is the greatest ignorance.– Smart Bee


“YOW!!  I’m in a very clever and adorable INSANE ASYLUM!!” — Zippy the Pinhead


I think the final line from Zippy punctuates the idea very well, ending not only with wisdom, but with two exclamation points to drive it home!!…. Such courteous service, you won’t find just anywhere…. Most bloggers would just abandon you, leaving you to figure stuff out on your own. But, not here at gigoid’s house.. we’re all about customer service….. I hope you enjoyed the ride; you may now go on to the next section…..


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


Well…. This is a first, for sure…. I don’t believe I’ve typed more than a hundred or so words, to fill in the spaces between the older pieces of work…. All in all, it came out fairly well; good enough I’m not going to fuss with it at all…. So be it…. Maybe this way, I’ll get some use from my hands today, other than as a source of unrelieved agony, offered up as a counterpoint to the sharp knife sitting in my left shoulder…. SIGH…. Life goes on, ffolkes, until we’re done with it…. I’m far from done, so I wish it would ease up a little on the age-related crap…. Ah well, complaining doesn’t help, obviously, so, I’ll just try again tomorrow…. See y’all then, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Why, it’s homemade acorn brandy!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Illegitimus non carborundum!” 


(Don’t let the bastards wear you down!) 


~~ Latin for Everyday Occasions ~~


Alaska Grand Adventure 014

Sitka Slim, Singing in Ketchikan




‘Twas not so long ago, in cosmic terms, I could type for hours, without ever reaching a point where pain kept me from continuing…. The past few weeks, since the advent here in NorCal of an actual winter pattern of weather, have necessitated a new policy, to wit: I type until I can’t, about five minutes, max, then I must rest my hands for a while, in order to continue. It makes the composition process somewhat choppy, as I’m only able to discuss any particular idea for about one paragraph before taking a break…


As you may imagine, this is less than an optimum method of composing. It is, however, reality, and, thus, there’s no getting around it. So, I type, I rest, I type some more, all the while fighting off any drowsiness from the extra meds I take…. At this point, it will occur to you to ask WHY am I relating all this to y’all? The answer is simple…. it’s all I could think of…. again.


You see, I’ve been doing this so long now, I’m also running out of ideas for this intro (well, that actually happened long ago, but, the effect is getting worse all the time….), which makes each morning a new fight to find a way to open up with something that will draw readers in, not turn them away from the over-abundance of sharing of personal information, which nobody probably cares much about…. It’s gotten so bad, I’m not even trying to hide it behind nonsense, or ranting, as has  been my habit in the past….


Ah well, I suppose there’s nothing that can be done about it; the conditions which have created the issue are not going away, so, it will manifest itself, no matter what I do…. In today’s case, we’ll just have to take what we have, and run with it…. not that we’ll be running far, as I can’t type for shit today…. These four paragraphs have taken five breaks, and over twenty minutes, and there is NOTHING in it…. SIGH….


So much for compelling literature for today…. I guess I’ll just have to try to make the rest of the Pearl somewhat more elegant, or, at the very least, somewhat more entertaining…. You’ll note I say that just as if it happened here regularly…. Nonetheless, I see we are now in reach of one of our escape routes, so, if y’all will kindly tighten up your belts, we’ll dive in for the day….. Hang on, ffolkes….


Shall we Pearl?


“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” — Oscar Wilde


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


Since I cannot type enough to rant, and, my mood is such that humor is well out of reach, here is a large bite of both, from the sharpest mind of the twentieth century…. (IMHO…)   Enjoy!….







Geogre Carlin – It’s Bad For Ya – Full Comedy 2014





































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


Here is one of my most powerful rants, first posted in August of 2012…..


“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” — James Madison




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




From all I can tell from here, this has already happened. When? Why, the very day that the Two Towers were brought down by terrorists, using our own complacency as a weapon. Within hours of that event, politicians of all varieties were screaming for revenge, and the groundwork was laid for the true purpose behind those attacks….. That purpose had nothing to do with what the terrorists want. I am of the opinion that the entire charade was perpetrated by elements of the CIA, at the behest of their former chief, GWB the First. I’m sorry if that sounds unpatriotic, but I believe it to be true; if it is, it kinda makes them the bad guy, now, doesn’t it?…..


The timing of the attacks are what always bothered me. The day before, September 10th, you may recall, there was an effort to bring to light the voter suppression and vote manipulation in Florida during the election, which had the votes from that state changing from supporting Gore to being in favor of GWB the Junior. There was evidence of mischief in the handling of the votes, and the idea of an investigation into the election was gaining strength, as it should. But, that whole idea was forgotten in the heat of the moment when the terrorists struck….


Funny, isn’t it, how that event changed the face of American politics, putting the fear of “others” into the populace? That fire was immediately stoked until white hot, and the people were made afraid. Of precisely what was never made very clear, but we were supposed to be afraid, at least according to all our brave pundits in Washington. And what was the end result of all that hooraw? The Homeland Security Act, which was the first blatant, and successful attempt to abridge the civil rights guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights.


Searches, seizures, snooping, all without warrant or cause, were made legal, and the rest of the Bill of Rights were restricted. The public not only did not object, they supported this abrogation of duty, all from the fear engendered on 9/11. The right to assemble in peaceful protest was severely restricted, and the forces of evil, in the guise of police, were given carte blanche to roust the citizenry of this country, without having to answer to anyone, even if they proved to be wrong. And did we hear any complaints from the public? None that were publicized….


Which brings us to the other culprits in this whole charade; the media. The media has jumped right onto the fear bandwagon, reporting the terrorist acts in the harshest, screaming headlines they could manage, whipping up the public’s fears with stories of horror and vicious inhumanity. Any voices that objected to the abridgment of rights, or questioned the reactions of the political pundits, were labeled as unpatriotic, and drowned out in the fear-mongering and public paroxysms of terror that blared from the papers and televisions.


“The public will believe anything, so long as it is not founded on truth.” — Edith Sitwell


People tend to forget that the media outlets are all owned by members of the 1%, and are not really interested in presenting unbiased, informational stories. Those don’t sell very well, and they don’t feed into the fear that the beloved ruling class wants the public to feel when they think of other countries. The pundits keep telling the public that the rest of the Third World is jealous, and are out to get us, and by their actions, they are making absolutely sure that is true. The media does NOT present a fair and unbiased version of ANYTHING, much less of the political scene, and people need to remember that…. Just because someone on TV, wearing a nice tie, an American flag pinned to the lapel of their $1000 suit, and an ingratiating smirk, tells you that someone from another country is evil, doesn’t make it so…..


The opinion I expressed above regarding who is actually responsible for the mess we are in is so far unchallenged by anyone with any direct evidence. But then, nobody wants to hear that they’ve been fooled again by the powers that be; it’s embarrassing, if one considers themselves to be a free man. to realize that they are actually an ignorant slave of the beloved ruling class. Most folks will pretend that they agree with whatever comes out of the mouths of the pundits, just so they don’t have to look at how stupid they are really being, and how far from reality they actually reside. Nobody likes to feel like a fool. But, to my way of thinking, I’d rather feel the fool, than feel my freedom slip away, all because some asshole in a suit decided his son needed some help to nail down his theft of the election….


“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” — Oscar Wilde, “Oscariana”


So be it….. feel free to comment on this theory, should the urge strike…..


“It does no harm just once in a while to acknowledge that the whole country isn’t in flames, that there are people in the country besides politicians, entertainers, and criminals.” — Charles Kuralt


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




“A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,

And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,

And the dry stone no sound of water. Only

There is shadow under this red rock,

(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),

And I will show you something different from either

Your shadow in the morning striding behind you

Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”


~~  T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land ~~




There are times writing reveals itself as a daunting prospect, given the quality of what has already been written; the above excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s classic is a perfect demonstration of this principle. It takes a fair bit of ego, and some courage, to place one’s own work alongside such genius…. but, none of us here in the world of blogging would be doing this, unless we had a fair bit of ego in the first place, would we?…. Of course, it also takes a bit more than the average self-awareness, and honesty, to admit such, but, hey, if you’re going to play the game, it’s best to play by the rules…. or, so I’ve found, in my experience….


In spite of all that, here is a poem of my own…. I’m not comparing it with The Waste Land…. It just happens to be here, on a day when my powers of introspection are stronger than usual, enough so to force me into such brutal honesty…. Actually, it’s more like a bit of personal incentive, to push myself to connect more strongly with that spark inside, from which all poetry flows…. This one flowed out of me, from some vein or other, on the day I posted the rant in the section above; it is apparently a reaction to the rant…. It is also another poem I had missed in gathering my poems together, bringing the total to 81 poems in three years…. Not bad for an old fart with flat feet…. Enjoy!….




Premises, premises….


Tricked, I stumble, and I fall

   dreaming, through an abandoned palace.

Frightened and wary, unheard my call

   fading into memory, no cup, no argent chalice.


The people, crushed, cry out to be freed

   asking only to take part, or travel.

Nascent oaths spotlight such bursting need

   fed by treachery, deep from our well.


Only the wicked shall find their way blocked

   justice seeks them, snug in their hole.

Faint praises never touched, but naked, stalked

   singing no gospel, no soul, no rock and roll.


Only the promised will remember the way

   from unforgiven trails of sorrow.

To live life, and give death no sway,

   saving grace for our only tomorrow.


~~~ gigoid ~~




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


In  recent times, Smart Bee has been acting funny, in the sense of repeating itself frequently, in spite of the depth and breadth of its database…. So, to gain some time, so as to tickle it back into a good mood, here is another old-school pearl from the archives…. In fact, it’s from the same post that produced another old-school pearl of great value…. It must have been a good day, relatively speaking…. Any who, here ’tis….


From 8/24/2012:


My search for pearls today keeps coming up with stuff more appropriate to the old style; nothing to rant about so far. But the following group of pearls does have a conclusion in mind, and for bonus points, you can tell me your thoughts on that in the comments section below…. good hunting!…. and don’t hurt yourself looking for the point; it won’t be on the quiz……


“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” — Stephen Roberts




There is no ornament like virtue,

There is no misery like worry,

There is no protection like patience,

There is no friend equal to generosity.


~~ Nagarjuna (c. 100-200 A.D.) ~~




When an Agnostic dies, does he go to the Great Perhaps? — Smart Bee, in sardonic mode, tongue firmly planted in cheek….


The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise?

Then I said in my heart, that this is also vanity.

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten.

And how dieth the wise man?  As the fool. — Ecclesiastes 2:14-16




“Is this bullshit or fertilizer?” 


~~ Smart Bee ~~




There you go….. hope you have as much fun with it as I did….. and, sorry, if my over-enthusiastic handling of the various parts has caused them to appear somewhat bedraggled…. they’ll fluff out in the sunshine….


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


I’ve probably used more shortcuts (also known as “cheating”, in some circles….) today than I’ve used in six previous Pearls…. which doesn’t concern y’all, at all…. I just thought I’d mention it, since we’re done, and there’s not going back now…. In fact, I’m not even going to proof today, just post it, and have faith…. Wait, that’s not right…. Okay, so, I’ll fulfill my duties…. Sheesh, a guy can’t even get lazy on his own blog…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I ever get done with this….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
“Yes” said the dragon. “I prefer virgins”….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




And here, poor fool, with all my lore


I stand no wiser than before.


~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~


Alaska Grand Adventure 087


     Today’s picture is one of my own, taken at a beautiful park in Victoria, B.C., while stopping there as part of a cruise to Alaska. ‘Twas a wonderful park, wide-open, with lots of small wildlife, unafraid of the few humans walking about the grounds, going about their business on the fine, if cold, morning we rode through on a tricycle, powered by our guide, a local lad with strong legs and excellent wind. On a three to four hour trip, he hauled two of us around the city, up a few decent hills, covering about five or six miles altogether, and still looked fresh…. Ah, youth!….


Having thus explored today’s opening photo, we’ll go on to the rest of today’s mess without further delay…. What’s the hurry? Oh, well, nothing much…. Typing is painful today, and my “head’s all empty, & I don’t care”… So, I’ll be archive diving for most of this one, without any guilt at all…. Hey, it’s the holiday season, and I can take a day off if I want to…. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it….


In fact, I’m going to do it without any of the usual angst or discussion around the emptiness and sheer drudgery of making the intro, and head right off into the archives… Well, after picking an appropriately fresh video for your viewing enjoyment, anyway…. I’m hoping y’all won’t get used to this, though, as I can’t guarantee it will be like this again…. For now, just hang on, because this one will be short, but rough….


Shall we Pearl?


“No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding.” — Plato, Laws


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


Here is another of my favorite TV shows from my youth…. The hero in this Western was a true Knight, and, along with my father, provided much of the role modeling I took in as a boy…. Paladin WROTE the Rules….







 


Have Gun Will Travel Season 1 Full Episodes



































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


Here is a relatively short discussion of Self Reliance, Emerson-style, from the archives…. This is pretty good, ffolkes, so, pay attention, if you please….


From 8/23/2012:


“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.  Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my own constitution; the only wrong what is against it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


I was about 15 or 16 years old when we first read this in English class, and I remember distinctly when it hit home. I was at home, studying the Essay on Self Reliance as homework. I remember how difficult it was to plow through Emerson’s style of writing, which is thick and convoluted; one must read slowly, and think about what has just been read, to fully ascertain the point he is making at the time. When I came across this line, and thought about it, I experienced an epiphany of understanding, and a lot of what he said in the essay became clear. Most simply put, he admonishes all to “Trust Yourself”…….


“I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself.  Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to Heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter To Francis Hopkinson, Paris Mar. 13, 1789


Tom Jefferson lived prior to Emerson, but had a similar approach to life, and to thinking. Individualism could be said to be Jefferson’s God; to him, each man was responsible for making himself into what he wished to be, and the self-reliance so ably encouraged by Emerson came to him naturally. Though a Christian by choice, Jefferson constantly challenged the church authorities in his writing, accusing the priestly hierarchies of the same crimes for which I chastise them today, to wit: twisting the word of Jesus Christ, manipulation of the teachings, and power-seeking behaviors more suited to barbarian chieftains than priests. Tom saw clearly the need for the continued separation of church and state, as he firmly believed that combining the two would inevitably lead to the loss of liberty he feared, and for which he fought so hard.


As we can see today, he was right. He feared both the church leaders, and he feared the bankers and corporations. He wrote on numerous occasions of his lack of trust in those entities, as he clearly saw they were inimical to individual freedom, enemies who would eventually try to subvert the liberties we enjoy by slow encroachment. Guess what, ffolkes….. he was dead right. Between the “corporate personhood” enjoyed by the elite fat cats, and the brainwashing carried out on a daily basis by the churches, the public has been manipulated into willingly giving up most of their rights, for the sake of feeling safe. And why do they fear for their safety? Why, because the politicians, supported by the preachers, have convinced them that the rest of the world is out to get them, and take away what they have; for God’s sake, they’re heathens!…..


Much of the nonsense that is foisted upon the unsuspecting public would be less believable if more people believed as Emerson does, and made up their minds on their own. Instead, most folks give in to their laziness, and, unwilling to think for themselves, allow the preachers and pundits to fill their heads with lies and manipulations. This lack of personal responsibility is what is killing this country; only those who are unwary can be fooled, and one who takes responsibility for themselves cannot be fooled in that manner, for they are aware of the machinations that others will attempt, and react accordingly….. One can only hope that Emerson’s essay on Self Reliance becomes a best seller again, and people awaken from their self-induced state of somnolence…..


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


As threatened, here is another poem of mine from the archives…. Hey, I gave fair warning!…..






Funny Bones


Dreaming the way home, lost, unseen,

from the dance, where

he felt so free, and clean.

Sorrow couldn’t find him there.


Waiting, filling up the hours, hoping,

some connection can be found

keeping busy as bees, coping.

Love creeps in, without a sound.


Fat days, skinny nights, passionate

visions of semi-conscious entities,

cannot seem to fully illuminate

or hide our innermost frailties.


Resolute, find the perfect sense, codify

simple rules with every breath

never waiting, anxious to modify.

fear nothing in life, not even Death.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


The following pearl is a nine-star comment on Life at Large, with a tilt toward how to do so with some dignity, or, at minimum, a degree of aplomb…. Really, that’s what it says…. Honest….


“Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live; death is nigh at hand: while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 17


“Virtue knowing no base repulse, shines with untarnished honour; nor does she assume or resign her emblems of honour by the will of some popular breeze.” — Horace (B.C. 65-8)


“A wise man never refuses anything to necessity.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 540


“The mightiest rivers lose their force  when split up into several streams.” — Ovid


“Tell the truth, and run.” — Yugoslav proverb


“He knows not when to be silent who knows not when to speak.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 930


“Life is too short to be taken seriously.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)


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


“Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win.” — Lazarus Long


See? I’ve been telling y’all for years…. it’s all in the wrist….


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


It is probably a good thing I don’t do this for anyone but myself; if I did, I would, no doubt, be liable for any damage I may have caused, whether inadvertently, or intentionally…. My own rules dictate I take responsibility, but, I do so with the known caveat, to wit: it’s a joke, damn it! Just because it isn’t always funny, doesn’t mean it’s not a joke…. believe me. I know. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless someone talks me out of it….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Supplicants in front, mendicants to the rear….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free.” 


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~


chandra-nasa-ngc2207_0

Colliding Galaxies, picture taken by NASA’s Chandra Deep Space Telescope




It’s no use. Nothing is going to help this morning; that much is already clear. Not the opening quote, nor the most excellent photo, illustrating the sheer size of our Universe, nor any of the weird, silly, and/or just plain odd thoughts running around in my head will serve to open up today’s post…. None of it is stimulating anything in my head other than reluctance, both to start, and to make a decision about WHERE to start…. It can make a huge difference in where we end up, obviously, so I do like to at least have some input….


Today, however. it isn’t going to work, not the way it usually works, anyway. Since I have no alternative opening ready to use, we may end up wandering around, listening to me panic, until we’ve managed to fill in enough to satisfy the monitors (whoever they are….). We could also try something new, and dangerous…. what do you think? Want to try it? The danger isn’t as much as we face any other day; it’s just more specific to the section than is normal, due to the strange laws concerning such matters, none of which are on the books, or even published…. They’re the unwritten laws that control all writers, which, if they knew of them, would doubtless drive them even crazier than they are….


Of course, that, too, is merely another figment, drawn from the depths of my insecurity, just so I could fill in a few more lines, thus, getting us further down the page…. Did they work? No? Ah, shit….


“I find myself beside a stream of empty thought.” — Smart Bee


Well, that sinks it…. Now, of course, I’m gonna have to step in, and settle this for once and all, or we could be stuck here for days…. Since the usual methods haven’t worked at all, I’m going to apply the ruthlessness which has saved us so many times already…. It’s amazing what tossing out the bullshit can do for one’s decision making abilities…. It sure is easy to make a decision when one only considers ONE set of expectations, i.e., one’s own…. It’s amazing how much more gets done…. Here, watch, it works like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“He that respects himself if safe from others; He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.” — Henry Wordsworth Longfellow


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


For some reason, when I went to find a video, I thought of this show, from my childhood; it was one of my favorites… How could it not be? Space flight, magic, and Barbara Eden, a young man’s fantasy woman…. all hit my interests right on the money…. When I went to look for episodes to watch, I was delighted to find an entire page with several seasons’ worth of shows to watch…. Yay! I know where I’ll be wasting my time for a few days….




I Dream of Jeannie Season 2 Episode 1-2





































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


Here is one from the archives, which fits in with some of our recent discussions quite nicely…. (I’m still saving my hands, a very good excuse to be lazy, I find…)….


From 12/12/12:


“He who proselytizes in the cause of unbelief is basically a man in need of belief.” — Eric Hoffer


This is true…. you never see an atheist going door to door, trying to convert the pious to their unbeliefs. However, I would go further on this train of thought, and add that, “He who proselytizes, in any cause, in basically a man in need of a life.” I’m sure it occurred to Mr. Hoffer, but he was too busy trying to explain this statement to somebody who didn’t understand the word ‘proselytize’…..


For my own case, I have never, ever understood why people feel compelled to go door to door to try to get other people to believe what they believe; it’s one of the most persistent delusional systems I’ve ever witnessed, to believe that anyone wants to hear what they have to say, much less they will find their beliefs palatable to others, or find anyone who believes them to be superior to their own…..


“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying they made them.” — Smart Bee


Humans seem to have an immense blind spot when it comes to their own actions and beliefs. Most of them never seem to question the things they are told, even when those things are presented with no evidence other than faith. Of course, the people who are invested in the religious system, to wit: the preachers, begin their indoctrination when their constituents are very young, when they are still prone to accept whatever an adult says as truth.


This ensures a life-long predilection for being simple to control…. or, in short, mental slavery, if you will. Unless there is some sort of rebellion of spirit, where new knowledge is injected, these poor saps will spend their entire lives believing that what they have been told is real, when, in fact, they are fitting themselves with shackles, that will forever imprison their minds, and their imagination…..


“To defend one’s self against fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.” — James Baldwin


In my life-long quest for the truth, I’ve come to believe that religions, while originally intended to benefit people, (by their iconic progenitors, anyway…. I’m sure Jesus was a quite nice man, and wanted the best for those to whom he preached his own philosophy of compassion….), have historically been taken over by the predators who live to control others.


To be fair, some of those who become priests, or any of the other varieties of religious fanatic that prevail in our society, may indeed believe that their beliefs are true, and act accordingly, but the majority are, as far as I can tell, only concerned with maintaining status quo, thereby benefiting themselves, while never actually allowing any REAL progress in the development of the human condition. They would have society behave as if we were still living in caves, in essence, still cowering in our meager shelter while the storms and lightning are raging outside, terrified of the power of what we do not understand, and, therefore, allow ourselves to fear….




“A universe of death, which God by curse 

Created evil, for evil only good; 

Where all life dies, death lives, 

and Nature breeds Perverse, 

all monstrous, all prodigious things, 

Abominable, unutterable and worse 

Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived, 

Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire.” 


~~ Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II ~~




(Side note: I’ll bet Milton had a hard time sleeping….)


The Universe is a big place, and there is a lot to learn. Fearing that knowledge, or fearing what changes that knowing will always bring, is the act of a coward, to my mind, and should not be encouraged. Supernatural beings of unlimited power are not a required component to the understanding of Nature and the Universe; we need not fear that our lack of knowledge of how things work is unattainable. Just because we do not understand a part of reality does not mean that whatever it is, is beyond our understanding.


It is not necessary to ask for exemptions, or intervention by our own personal gods, for us to achieve happiness, or even contentment; that is completely within our own power, if we but acknowledge that part of us that is free, and connected to everything else we can perceive. The connections may not be fully understood, but they are there, and if we can only learn to recognize it, the power to change reality lies within us, all the time…. As Epictetus said, “Happiness lies in learning to accept a simple truth. There are some things you can change. And there are some things you cannot.” It’s really quite that easy, you know, once one learns to accept this fact of life…. No dogma required…..


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


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


Today, you are getting one of my poems, simply because I’m too lazy to go find someone else’s…. So be it…. Here is one I haven’t used for a while, first created on a Friday in 2013…




A Dubiously Soft Morning


Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,

fill up the white, white screen on which I view

my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup

ambrosial remnants of anything new.


Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away

bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,

signs of one happy child, seriously at play,

blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.


Formidable cries of outraged simple justice

echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.

Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice

salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.


Creativity equals unquestioning farce, 

often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.

Instead, a blow is felt that no joy will soften,

accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


Whew! It’s a good thing I got up early today; today’s final pearl may be in the top five, on the list of pearls that took the longest time to complete…. Smart Bee appears to be in a mood… Ah well, all’s well that ends well, as we all know…. quite well… This one SEEMS abstruse, but, once you’ve finished it, you’ll see it really isn’t…. In fact, it’s quite transparent, in many respects…. Enjoy!….


“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii


“Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.” — Voltaire


“Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of two everlasting hostile empires, Necessity and Freewill.” — Carlyle (1795-1881)


“The miser is as much in want of that which he has, as of that which he has not.” — Publius Syrus


“Depend not on fortune, but on conduct.” — Publius Syrus


“Cato requested old men not to add the disgrace of wickedness to old age, which was accompanied with many other evils.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Roman Apophthegms, Cato the Elder




From ignorance our comfort flows.

The only wretched are the wise.


~~ Matthew Prior (1664-1721) ~~


~~ To the Hon. Charles Montague ~~




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


I know, already, without having gone back over this yet, it will be okay…. It may not ever be considered as one of the best Pearls ever, but, it will definitely do for our purposes today…. Hell, a lot of it is even fresh…. or, what passes for fresh these days…. Regardless of all my rationalizations and/or excuses, it’s done…. As I’ve been reduced to saying already today…. So be it…. gigoid has spoken…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. most likely….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
The princess is real, but, her jewelry is fake…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.”


~~ Edward Gibbon ~~


Belfast 005


     Thirty-five years ago today, I began the fulfillment of what I view as my primary duty in this life. At approximately 8 PM on this date in 1979, my son was born…. The legacy my father gave to me was thus passed on to a new generation, in the ages-old traditional way, by the birth of its next legatee. It has been the most fulfilling duty I have assumed, as well as the most challenging. It also is one that will not end until the day I pass on to the next adventure, escorted by Death, who awaits us all on the other side of life…


I now have the great pleasure, and poignant appreciation, of watching my son pass this legacy on to his own children; his own son is now four years old, and his lady is expecting a daughter this coming February. Since she also has two girls from a previous relationship, I am now the proud, if bemused, grandfather of four, with a Christmas budget blown out of the water by the news…. Good news, to be sure, but, a bit of a surprise, financially…. a point my son is, no doubt, experiencing for himself….


Life goes on, doesn’t it? Even if we are not paying close attention, the universe keeps trundling along, willy-nilly, playing havoc with any plans we might make, by the simple expedient of altering misconceptions to match the vagaries of reality…. In short, we may as well just sit back, and watch events with an attitude of amused appreciation, rather than one of frustrated angst; it saves a lot of wear and tear on the old emotions, and, in the long run, is a much more comfortable method of dealing with the alterations than trying to make reality fit our misguided expectations…


I suppose it’s easy to philosophize on such a day; births, deaths, and the legacy we leave are easy subjects when one casts one’s mind back in time to a specific event, especially a birth…. In addition, if I am not mistaken, (and, I almost never am….), talking about this has given us a clear path to the rest of today’s Pearl…. See it? Right over there, next to that field of rutabagas, the one with the feathered turnstile…. Yes, it does look a bit small, but, we’ve got a good pilot, and should make it through without a hitch…. Fasten your belts, anyway, ffolkes, it looks like there might be some turbulence…


Shall we Pearl?


“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” — Buddha


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


Day 3 and 4 008

Gee, guess what today’s video selection might be? Yep…. In this episode, the ending scene is once again the best part of the whole story…. Enjoy!




Sherlock Holmes – Season 5 episode 3 – Shoscombe Old Place
































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


Below you will find a discussion of mortality, which I first posted in 2013. I’ve gone over it, correcting where necessary, and polishing up the ideas and language to add clarity…. It’s been ‘punched up’, as we authors like to say…. when we’re feeling all smug and smarmy about our profession…. It’s still a good discussion, though…. Feel free to comment, should any of it strike you as questionable, or worthy of note….


From 3/3/2013:


“As a draft-animal is yoked in a wagon, even so the spirit is yoked in this body.” — Upanishads (c. B.C. 800)


Each of us is faced at times with the consciousness of our own approaching encounter with Death, that moment in time when our yoke is removed, and our spirit is freed, once more joining the rest of the conscious minds in the universe, in roaming through realms of Reality we cannot see in this form. This Reality we cannot see is much larger, in one sense, than the one we can now perceive; it has to be, to be able to accommodate all the souls that have gone before, and all that are now present on Earth, that will someday join the rest of them, when they die…..


Every human being alive must face their own Death (I am capitalizing the word to give it the proper respect, as one of the most important concepts we have as humans….); this is a truism no one can deny, or refute. Many people have banded together, to assume the belief that our universe was created this way by a supernatural being, who, for some unknown, and unknowable (self-explanatory, I think….) reason, decided that we are “special”, giving us, and only us, the knowledge we have, and our very lives. This, of course, is rather hard to believe, as it doesn’t really account for much of what is observable truth in Reality…. In truth, it is, patently, complete speculation, devoid of any concrete evidence to support it…..


“There is no conclusive evidence that there is life after death. There is also no real evidence to the contrary. Soon enough, you will know. So, why fret about it?” — Lazarus Long, aka Robert A. Heinlein


I first read this aphorism when I was in my early teens; it codified, and made succinct, what I had already concluded about the major religions of the world, i.e., they’re a collection of unwarranted, and unproven, assumptions. What’s more, they are all highly unlikely, given the observable parameters of the real world. It became obvious to me, as it is to many, that what the religious folks were trying to get me to believe was intended merely to soften my mind, making it more amenable to suggestion, of which they have an endless supply. Preachers, priests, imams, nuns, all are quite willing to give other people advice and suggestions on how they should live, in exhaustive detail, for as long as they are allowed to do so….


Since I had very little desire to have other people decide for me how I should think, or live my life, I rejected the dogma they tried to force into my head, turning instead to other sources of thought about Life, Death, and Reality. I found an endless supply of folks who had thought long and deeply about all of these ideas, and gladly did I read all I could of everything I could find on the subject. In addition, I read science fiction, during the years when its popularity had just begun to climb to the heights it now occupies; sci-fi has always been literature that explored, and continues to explore, the very limits of thought, both in the real world, and the world of the mind.


As is seen by the first pearl above, these thoughts and ideas are not new with me; mankind has been thinking about these concepts since we first sat around the campfires, wondering at the beauty of the heavens we saw above our heads, and all around us. In all that time, no conclusions have been reached that seem to cover ALL of the questions we have about the universe. We still don’t have a clue as to “what is the mind”, or “what is thought”…. and if we cannot understand ourselves, what chance do we have of unraveling the secrets of the universe around us? Not much, would be my guess…


That, fortunately, does not mean it is impossible to know the truth, nor does it mean we are condemned to die in ignorance and fear…. I know this because I have learned in my time that our fear is a direct outgrowth of our ignorance; we fear what we do not understand. Now, if I were a God, why would I make people that way, unless for some ulterior motive, having to do with motivations that are human, not divine? No, it just doesn’t make sense to me to assume that we were put here with a deliberate handicap, just to see how we dealt with it; that seems more like an evil scientist at work than a compassionate deity.


“One must marry one’s feelings to one’s beliefs and ideas.  That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one’s life.” — Etty Hilsum


Since I believe firmly in the Law of Conservation of Energy (proven true in this universe, to all our knowledge), I must, logically, also believe that our minds/souls are a form of energy we currently don’t fully understand, and cannot perceive directly. Thus, we see the concept of Death is nothing to fear, as it merely means that my current state of energy will be replaced with another state, one I don’t currently have the ability to perceive. What that state may be like may be unknown, but that doesn’t mean it is something of which I should be afraid…. I prefer to look at it as the next great adventure….


When my father died, I asked him to leave me some trail-sign, to let me know how to find him in the next reality; he smiled at me, and said he would do that… and I was much comforted by that, knowing that our connection as family can never be severed, and that, someday, I would once more have the pleasure, and comfort, of his presence…. Now that’s something to look forward to, don’t you think?…. Much better than worrying that what I do now is going to determine what happens to me after I die, a silly proposition, at best……


“Do not think that man is but flesh, skin, bones and veins; far from it! What really makes man is his soul; and the things we call skin, flesh, bones and veins are but a garment, a cloak; they do not constitute man. When man departs this earth, he divests himself of all the veils that conceal him.” — Zohar


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


I’ve been inundating y’all with my old poems, so, as a reward for your patience, here is a fairly appropriate choice to go with today’s apparent theme…. Metaphor is always nice and stretchable, y’know?…. Gotta love that…. Enjoy, ffolkes….




Shui Tiao Ko Tou


Will a moon so bright ever arise again?

Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.

I don’t know where the palace gate of heaven is,

Or even the year in which tonight slips by.

I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I

Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade

Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.

I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.

From life endured among men how far a cry!


Round the red pavilion

Slanting through the lattices

Onto every wakeful eye,

Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why

Insist in time of separation so th fill the sky?

Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;

The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is al, is less.

Perfection was never easily come by.

Though miles apart, could men but live for ever

Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!


~~ Su Tung-p’o ~~ 




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


Today’s final section will be the freshest of the lot; picked from the deepest levels of Smart Bee’s nearly unlimited database, these quotes form a picture in the mind, which leads to a point of living we all need to acknowledge now and again…. What that point may be was left entirely up to Smart Bee, so, your guess is as good as mine as to what it might be…. I’d advise y’all to keep your minds well lubricated from this point onward…. The relative potency of your lubrication is entirely up to you; adult beverages may be purchased in the lounge….




          But what am I?

  An infant crying in the night:

  An infant crying for the light,

And with no language but a cry.


~~ Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) ~~


~~ In Memoriam, liv, Stanza 5 ~~




“Have you clubbed an ignorant human today?” — Smart Bee


“He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.” — Kahlil Gibran


“Freedom begins between the ears.’ — Edward Abbey


“What awful irony is this? We are as gods, but know it not.” — Smart Bee


“Didn’t I buy a 1951 Packard from you last March in Cairo?” — Zippy the Pinhead




The fear o’ hell ‘s a hangman’s whip

  To haud the wretch in order;

But where ye feel your honour grip,

  Let that aye be your border.


~~ Robert Burns (1759-1796) ~~


~~ Epistle to a Young Friend ~~




Hmm…. Don’t ask…. I couldn’t tell you, even if I could….


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


I’m up later than usual, at least, the usual of late…. and, if you got that, you’re Gunga Din. That’s okay, though, because, I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can’t think of a reason to blow it off…




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
A few bricks shy of a wall…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“The question was put to him, what hope is; and his answer was, 


“The dream of a waking man.”


~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) ~~


~~ Aristotle, xi ~~


Glasgow-Greenock Port 011


     I’m marking today down on my calendar; this is the first morning all month I’ve awakened without the usual screaming in my hands and shoulder, and I can once again attest to the accuracy of the old saw that says, “true freedom is the release from pain.” Even though there is some lingering stiffness, and threat of further pain, the mere absence of the worst part of it is a welcome sign, hopefully of changes for the better…. Hope springs eternal, even when unjustified by reality’s indifference to our suffering….


That, as they say, though, is Life, so, there’s no point in getting all worked up over those parts of it we can’t change…. Our old friend, Epictetus, told us that, and, he was right…. So, I’m not going to complain about any possible pain in the future, as it is merely the lot of man, and woman, to have pain as a part of life…. Nor will I spend any longer celebrating its absence, as it will no doubt make an appearance again before the day is done…. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to be somewhere else when it gets here….


Right…. Now that I’ve gone back to my fantasy world, maybe we can figure out what we’re doing with this Pearl…. Of course, that would mean we’d need to figure out what we’re doing here in the intro, and, since that particular event has NEVER occurred, it’s rather doubtful we’d be able to pull it off today. We’ve already established the futility of trying to change anything, (well, other than my own attitudes, and those aren’t going anywhere until AFTER coffee….), so there is little point in even discussing any such useless ideas…. Instead, we’ll wait, to see if we can fool anyone into making a break for the border, and just follow them….


While we’re waiting for someone’s nerve to crack, I suggest we get on with the rest of today’s post; if we can work this correctly, paying attention to the currents, and the obvious markers on the banks of the river, we might be able to cross off one of our daily chores while we’re at it. And, if not, well, I don’t think anyone would notice, anyway, so, why not? It won’t make any difference in the final product, and I’m pretty sure we can do it without any major splashage…. It’s worth a try, n’est pas?…. I think so….  In fact, I’m convinced, so, hang on, & we’ll get right on that….


Shall we Pearl?


“Some people never learn anything because they understand everything  too soon.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744)


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


It’s another classical day, just because that’s what I feel like listening to…. and, so do you….




Best Classical Music Works Top 100














































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


“Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.” — Isaac Asimov


Isaac Asimov was one of mankind’s best, a shining example of how a life can be lived well, with honor, joy, and compassion foremost…. He possessed a powerful intellect, and an insatiable curiosity about EVERYTHING in the universe; combined with his seemingly limitless energy, and an abiding desire to share all he knew with others, this made him one of history’s most prolific authors, with well over 600 books, of both fiction, and non-fiction, published during his lifetime. He wrote more books of non-fiction than fiction, literally covering every science listed in the alphabet, and more….


He is credited with the coining of three of today’s most well-known words, each of which is having a huge effect on our culture; he created the word, and the concept of “robotics”, as well as “positronic brains”, another term for artificially intelligent computer/robots…. He also created the concept of “psychohistory”…. All of these are are now considered to be mainstream usage, words which describe concepts on the cutting edge of technology, and modern psychology…


His belief in Man’s future in the stars was firm, as stated above; for much of my life, I’ve been a willing proponent of the same idea, i.e, we humans MUST explore space, if we are to have any chance of living up to our potential in this universe…. This single planet is not enough to encompass our imagination, as evidenced by our entire history of literature, which explores the very boundaries of existence, not merely on this plane, but, in all dimensions, throughout the visible, and non-visible universe….


Isaac believed, as do I, as humans, if we can imagine it, we can do it…. Thus far, nothing of which we’ve dreamed has been found to be impossible, but, rather,  merely time-consuming, or currently not within our sphere of knowledge…. The only question that remains to be answered is whether our lack of moral/ethical maturity will prevent us from surviving long enough acquire the knowledge, to achieve that potential…. It is to this difficulty that Robert Heinlein referred, when he stated:


“Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.” — Robert Heinlein


Isaac also recognized the difficulties involved in getting ALL of mankind to realize our commonality…. In fact, he was a victim of the unwashed masses of the ignorant for much of his life…. as evidenced by the following:




Isaac Asimov



    The cult of ignorance is now in control of the US Senate, with a number of Republican Senators who have, as recently as the last election, expressed their disbelief in the theory of evolution, which has long been regarded as scientific fact; the same group tends to disbelieve in global warming, as well, which has also been found to be unassailable FACT…. These ignorant fools will now spend the next four years blocking any legislation put forth which might mitigate any of the effects of that warming, which is no longer deniable by any rational being over the age of three…


But, these assholes know they’re right, even if we don’t, and they’ll protect us from ourselves, you betcha…. The side effect of that, of course, is, we’re all going to die, but, hey, at least they’ll be rich when they die, right?…. Idiots…


I almost fell into ranting there, didn’t I? I promised myself I’d keep this positive, so, I’m going to leave this somewhat unfinished…. I’ll merely say this…. I believe our destiny is to go to the stars; colonizing this solar system is the first step to that destiny, and may, at this point, be our only hope of surviving our own idiocy long enough to get there…. I’d like to think that someday, my grandchild will stand on one of the moons of Saturn, looking up at the rings, and wondering if HIS grandchild will stand on the planet of another star…. Now, THAT is a dream worth dreaming….




Our destiny lies

in the stars above our heads.

‘Tis our last, best hope.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


This poem is one of my better efforts, if only for its relevance to reality…. It rhymes, too….






Seeing is Conducive to Belief


Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow

one would easily believe that I would know how

to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye

seeing enough, and more, to know Why.


Such seems the case, as I will it to be,

an open book of a face, it looks so like me;

what’s known to be so, needs no close attention

familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.


The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,

and sent back to sleep by successful review.

Once we find evidence we feel we understand,

curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.


Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,

preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.

Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,

each mind sets its own standards of preference.


Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,

accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.

Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,

Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


Much of yesterday is a fog in my memory, mostly due to the copious amount of drugs I consumed in the battle against my skeleton…. Somewhere in that fog, I apparently allowed Smart Bee to put together this pearl…. I’m not in the mood to figure out if it is just me, or if it is really a very deep, very useful pearl…. But, then, y’all are the only ones who can make any final judgments on that, as it is intended for y’all to consume, not me…. If it doesn’t make the grade, or, even if it does, somehow, manage to make a statement worth repeating, let me know…. Otherwise, you should probably just keep it to yourself, and let everyone else make their own decision…. I know I will…


“I exist as I am, that is enough.” — Walt Whitman


“Shall I show you the muscular training of a philosopher? “What muscles are those?”–A will undisappointed; evils avoided; powers daily exercised; careful resolutions; unerring decisions.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Wherein consists the Essence of Good, — Discourses, Book ii, Chap. viii


“Complaint always comes back in an echo from the ends of the world;  but silence strengthens us.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Father Brown Omnibus


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


“Whatsoever that be within us that feels, thinks, desires, and animates, is something celestial, divine, and, consequently, imperishable.” — Aristotle (B.C. 384-322)


“Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth.” — Socrates (470?-399 B.C.)


“The meaning of here and now is beautifully illustrated by a Zen story of a monk who was being chased by two tigers. He came to the edge of a cliff. He looked back – the tigers were almost upon him. Noticing a vine  eading over the cliff, he quickly crawled over the edge and began to let himself down the vine. Then as he checked below, he saw two tigers waiting for him at the bottom of the cliff. He looked up and observed that two mice were gnawing away at the vine. Just then, he saw a beautiful strawberry within arm’s reach. He picked it and enjoyed the best tasting strawberry in his whole life!” — Ken Keyes


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


I’m too old a hand at this to make any snap judgments, but, I can say this…. It’s done…. Having just gone back and proofed it, I can add this: it’s a damn good thing it IS done…. If I need to explain that statement, well, too bad, because, hey, it’s done…. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, if I can figure out a good reason to do so…. Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I always do….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Sleeveless jumpers won’t be warm enough….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




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


~~ Seneca, Epistles ~~


potd-bear-fish_3132092k


     It’s raining again here in NorCal; this makes typing somewhat impractical, as it probably bothers the neighbors to hear me screaming in pain as I type…. It’s a bit bothersome for me, as well; I don’t particularly enjoy the noise, either, even though it is MY noise…. Ah well, it’ll all be cut & paste today, ffolkes, you can take that to the bank…. Of course, the bank would tell you to take it home again, but, hey, you get the picture…. (The picture above, of the lucky grizzly bear, by the way, came from the Animal Pictures of the Week in the London Daily Telegraph…)


In spite of the now-expected relative agony of the arthritic pain in my joints, I don’t feel too badly today…. Of course, that will pass, as do all things. If only there were some way to stop the clock, just at that point when I’m feeling relatively normal, (or, as close as I get to that these days….), so I could actually spend some little period of time without the sensation of having my own skeleton screaming at me to MAKE IT STOP!  If only I could…. but, I can’t, so, it must be endured…


I like the opening line today, from Seneca. It is my best answer to all the crap that gets thrown at us by our beloved leaders, when they want us to stop thinking, and just be afraid…. Myself, I refuse to be terrified, of anything…. Terror is merely another name for fear, and fear can always be overcome, if faced, and dealt with in a rational fashion…. If we let it rule our lives, as Seneca points out, it takes over, and life becomes a burden, rather than a joy…. Terrible indeed, especially when one considers it is all a manufactured issue in the first place….


Since, however, we are IN the first place (i.e., the intro section), we shan’t rant about that now… In fact, I won’t be ranting at all today, as this little bit of typing here at the front is already causing problems…. My hands keep falling asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and I have to stop, shake them out, and regain the feeling before carrying on…. Not the easiest technique I’ve come up with, to be sure… In fact, it isn’t working for me at all today, and I’m done with it…. Hold on, ffolkes, this will be a sharp turn….


Shall we Pearl?


“Ignorance can be cured.  Stupid is forever.” — Smart Bee


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


Whenever I have an hour to spare, nothing provides me with more entertainment than one of these episodes from the old BBC series…. Jeremy Brett was born to play Sherlock, and, to my mind, appears to be having the time of his life whenever he is portraying the great detective…. He plays the part with such enthusiasm, it MUST have been great fun…. In turn, he makes it fun to watch…. Enjoy….




The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes – S07E02 – The Dying Detective





































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


Yesterday, I ranted against the Dogma Dogs…. Today, it’s raining; this precludes a fresh rant, as my hands are currently revolting, in more than merely one sense…. Here then, is an older rant, with the other major category of Asininnies as the primary target…. It’s as true today as it was almost two years ago, when it was fresh and new….


From 2/18/2013:


PRESIDENCY, n.  The greased pig in the field game of American politics. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”


You can’t see me, but I have this big smile on my face…. It has been there since I first read this, this morning, and has flashed on each time I see it…. I had forgotten just how funny, and how eerily accurate, as well as wonderfully sarcastic, the Devil’s Dictionary could be….. In either case, this is some funny stuff, and is a perfect example of how Ambrose somehow obtained a direct line to the future of this country, in order to be able to so exactly describe how our modern system has evolved, and demonstrate how it has become, rather than high comedy, an example of low farce….


Of late, you’ve seen me put out a lot of words on the Beloved Ruling Class (BRC), and the priestly hierarchies, those two entities I hold responsible for the miserable conditions that most of our society is forced to endure, and whom I also hold responsible for the danger of species extinction that we face… It is their narcissistic insistence on having it all for themselves that has put our entire species at risk, along with a large number of other species, who will also be affected by the mess we’ve created in the environment. I keep on shouting, even though it mostly feels as if I’m shouting into the wind, because, in all honesty, I don’t want to die…. I’d like my kids to have a chance to live their entire lives, too, and perhaps even have some hope of a future for their own children…. Currently, there isn’t much hope of that…..


Yes, ffolkes, there isn’t much time left to get this done…. Every second, more and more tons of particulate matter are being poured into the air, and the cumulative effects have actually, finally, reached the critical flash point that ecologists have predicted for years…. Soon, plants that provide oxygen to the air will begin to die, (actually, they are dying as I write this…. as I said, it is late in the game….) and the balance of oxygen and carbon monoxide in the air will start to rapidly change, until it is unbreathable for us, and for all the other mammals, sea creatures, and plant life-forms that are dependent on the levels of those substances as they are now…. This process isn’t unknown….. we have been warned about it, now, for going on 50 years, or more, since the effects were first noted….


But, nobody who cared to do anything about it was listening, and still today, there aren’t anywhere near enough of our BRC who are convinced of the risk, so virtually NOTHING has, or is being done to resolve the issue…. Instead, it is subjected to massive denial on the part of almost every government in the world. They, and most people, have no idea that the bill for our idiocy is about to be presented, and we left our wallet in our other pants….. I think it’s obvious the Universe doesn’t take checks, or give credit…..


I wish I knew the proper sequence of words to use, the words that would inflame the masses, that would inspire the world to rise up, and throw off the yoke of oppression that the 1% has fitted us with, to finally give them their just desserts, and save our own asses in the process…. Alas, I don’t seem to have them in me…. not yet, anyway…. There are probably a few ffolkes out there who agree with me, and would help, if they also knew what to do, or say, to get things started…. But, mostly, I think I’m either shouting into the wind, or preaching to the choir….


In either case, it doesn’t seem to be helping much, other than keeping me from losing my sense of perspective, and actively going out hunting, to try to at least thin the ranks of the ones who are causing the problems…. That would make me feel better, for sure, but, I’m not ready to live the rest of my life on the run, so, I’ll save that option for when things are even worse than they are now….


I’ll also keep shouting, even if it’s into the wind, because I’m also not ready to give in to despair, and loss of hope. Call me stubborn, call me irresponsible (you’d be wrong in that, but, hey, it’s a free country…. mostly….), but don’t call me late for dinner. Also, don’t call me to help you further any of the agenda items that I see on the part of those in power, because I can guarantee that would put me over the edge, and you would be right there, in the explosive field of destruction when I went off…. If you want help to work against anything they’ve started, I’m there….  In the meantime, keep your powder dry, and your field of fire clear…. This final pearl explains why….


“If we don’t survive, we don’t do anything else.” — John Sinclair


And one more, just because there must always be hope, or life isn’t worth living…


“In a just cause the weak o’ercome the strong.” — Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Oedipus Coloneus, 880


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


The poem in my head isn’t being cooperative about coming out, so, here is one from a few months ago, that seems to fit in well with the theme from today’s rant…. I know that when I wrote this, I felt MUCH better afterward…..






A Few Words of Note


In place of ranting and raving about assholes every day

maybe I’ll try something more fun.

Rather than throwing words at all the assholes on public pay

I’ll switch to shooting at them, with a gun….


Should I actually hit one, purely by mistake,

maybe it would wake them up.

Maybe, if they had to think, or actually cut us a break,

we’d see a chance to win at life, to take a step up. 


Our nation, such as it is today, was founded by men who told the truth;

that morality disappeared long ago.

Simple ethical strength so bright, so prevalent in our country’s youth

was soon corrupted, corporate interests now run the show.


Nothing would please me more than to fire off some rounds,

if only to gain their attention.

But, I can no longer run, I’ve gained too many pounds;

so, my keyboard and intellect must serve to fulfill my intention.


I won’t stop, of that you may be sure

I love my freedoms, and the philosophy from which it springs.

Tom, and Ben, and John, and Pat, those patriots pure

gave me their example, and the inner peace it brings.


If bullets won’t persuade our elected liars to toe the ethical line,

I’ll throw my most powerful words…..

If nothing else, it will make them wriggle to escape, or voice their pitiful whine,

thus exposing themselves for what they are…. plain and simple turds.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


Today’s final pearl is one that created itself, in a manner of speaking…. It is a truly old-fashioned pearl, comprised of five brilliant pearls of virtual wisdom which, together, lead one’s thoughts to a particular idea or concept worthy of contemplation…. Well, that’s the theory, anyway…. This one, brilliant as it is, is somewhat obscure, but, with the proper flexibility of mind, is well worth the effort to decode…. Enjoy, and, be aware… This one WILL be on the Quiz, which we all will be given, at the end of Time….


“As Caesar was at supper the discourse was of death,–which sort was the best. “That,” said he, “which is unexpected.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — Caesar


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


“It is important that man dreams, but it is perhaps equally important that he can laugh at his own dreams.” — Lin Yutang


“For himself doth a man work evil in working evils for another.” — Hesiod (c. 700 BC) — Works and Days, Line 265


“Anaxagoras said to a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, “The descent to Hades is the same from every place.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Anaxagoras, vi


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


Well, there you have it…. “A drunkard’s dream, if I ever did see one!” Since we seem to be somewhere up near Cripple Creek, without the proverbial paddle in hand, we’d no doubt be wise to take our leave, while we may…. This rain has to stop some time, doesn’t it? We ARE supposedly in the midst of a drought here in California… but, you couldn’t tell by the last week or so of weather. Ah well, Life goes on, until it doesn’t. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if’n we can find our way back here….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

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


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….