Ffolkes,
“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that balances are correct.”
~~ from “Manual of Maud’Dib” by the Princess Irulan ~~
~~ From “Dune” by Frank Herbert ~~
This picture, together with the two previous pictures here at the top, were taken in Templeton, CA, at the cemetery where my friend Carol was laid to rest. This particular shot shows the very spot where her remains were buried, straight ahead in the exact center of the photo…. It was only a couple of weeks after the service, so no headstone had been placed as yet…. It’s a nice quiet spot, and suits Carol’s simple, beautiful soul. It is where she always wished to be, home in Templeton, where we grew up….
Beginning a Pearl with a reminiscence is always dangerous, as it can so easily bring me to tears; since it is a nice, quiet picture of a soothing scene, as well, we’ll just let it rest…. perfectly appropriate, under the circumstances, and go on to the rest of today’s effort. As the opening quote says, beginnings are delicate times; we will now proceed to be delicate, as far as we are able….
I should probably give a small warning, and disclaimer. Today’s Pearl is a long one, as I found some very relevant material for the rant section, so much so, it grew to be HUGE…. but, as it states, it’s important material, to me, and to everyone else, too, even if they don’t know it… Since it IS so long, I’ll show more of my ruthlessness, a lesson learned hard, to send us on to the rest of the mess…. In fact, I’ll take the advice from Tom J. at the end of this section, and do that now…
Shall we Pearl?……
“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” — Thomas Jefferson
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I found this GREAT concert video from a performer, and band, popular for a long time, though now neither is as prominent now…. It’s some great music, and some funny dialog, as the band members, and Allison, spend a lot of time sharing funny stories and affectionate tales of each other’s talents and personalities…. a very intimate concert, lasting over two hours…. Also, the link has more examples of their work, along with some similar artists…Enjoy!
Alison Krauss & Union Station Live Louisville 2002
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Today’s Pearl is a special one, and, to my chagrin, one of the longest I’ve ever put together…. But, it’s all material that is important to me to convey to the world, whether or not they ever make up their minds to listen to it… I last posted today’s rant(s) in 2012, as a Pearl with three sections, of the variety that had a rant/poem/old school pearl format. At the time, I didn’t think it would be all that valuable in the future, but, with the way things are going, the next election for the major offices in 2016 will be a replay of the 2012 fiasco….
The most likely scenario I see coming up, in this period of time leading up to the next national election, in 2016 shows us we will probably end up making a decision between a pair of Republican Über-Conservative candidates, competing against a Woman of Destiny/Charming Liberal ticket on the Democratic side, with a severely confused, polarized, mostly ignorant and/or gullible, amorphously diverse mob of adult-sized naked apes, making up the congregation of more than a hundred and twenty million voters, all of whom will be under the (false) impression they are to decide who will be responsible for the rapine and pillaging of the public treasury for the next four to eight years…..
Trust me, ffolkes, it’s going to be a disgusting mass of extreme vituperation, rampant sleaze, thinly veiled misogyny, sycophantic pandering to special interest groups, and, simply, sheer insanity, with an overall circus-like atmosphere, replete with high drama, and low comedy…. which makes the following all that much more relevant…. Now, isn’t that the saddest damn thing you’ve ever heard?…. I think so….
From 9/26/2012:
SIGH…. the only reason I did not write this in 1988 is that I did not see the article from which it was taken until today, when I found it in some dark, nearly invisible, obscure corridor of the Internet….. I firmly believe it is never a good policy to suffer a fool gladly, thus, my code of honor demands a response…. Today’s missive begins the tale, but, by no means ends it….. Be warned, and be nervous, if not terrified…..
“I don’t know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.” — George Bush in Free Inquiry magazine, Fall 1988
The depths of ignorance displayed by this statement, by a man formerly holding the highest office in this country, is, quite simply, appalling…. The only response possible, for anyone who has actually read the Constitution of the United States, would run something like this….
Actually, George, if you weren’t a complete horse’s ass, you would already know, the Pledge of Allegiance has no legal standing, in relation to the Constitution of this country, or for that matter, in relation to what our forefathers were thinking when they founded the nation. In fact, what yoi said here, as such an upstanding Constitutional scholarly type, is, in reality, completely contrary to everything that makes a true patriot, or, for that matter, an American citizen, whose duty requires them to study and know what the Constitution says, and means.
The part in the pledge, which was originally written in the early twentieth century, (and, which no one at all is legally required to take, or state…), with the words, “under God”, was only added in the middle of the twentieth century, by the same Congressional idiots who perpetrated McCarthyism, and the Red Scare, on the American public. Before that time, it read, “one nation, indivisible… etc.”, not “one nation, under God, indivisible…” as it is now (unjustifiably) reads…
The pledge itself is not legally required by the Constitution, and in fact, could be construed as a Constitutionally illegal statement, considering the intended separation of church and state that is the backbone of what our forefathers wished us to have as our legacy…. That consists of true freedom, not the Christian usurpation of freedom…..
A person’s religious belief, or lack thereof, is protected by the Constitution, and a patriot is one who supports the Constitution, not a church, or a corporation, and doesn’t require statement of loyalty to a symbol….. Thus, logically, and legally, a true patriot is one who objects to such usurpation, and believes in the meaning of the document, not the false image of loyalty implied by the pledge…
And if his name be George, I ‘ll call him Peter;
For new-made honour doth forget men’s names.
— William Shakespeare (1564-1616), King John — Act i, Sc. 1
(I know, I don’t much like Will’s stuff, but, law of averages, remember?….. Give me a break, it was the only George quote I could find….)
This kind of thinking from the Shrub, whichever one it was, Junior or Senior, is the same kind of narrow-minded fundamentalism that the colonists were escaping from in England back in the 16-1700’s when they came to the New World. The churches and corporations, both of which were singled out as dangerous to the republic by Jefferson, Franklin, Paine, Adams, Hamilton, and many of the other founding fathers, have tried to usurp the Constitution ever since it was ratified. Numerous letters and communications amongst our founding fathers, from one to another, as well as in public venues and statements, were filled with precautionary admonitions about allowing corporations and preachers to have access to, or influence over, members of government.
Their fears were well justified, as we now are facing just the situations they predicted….. Corporations/bankers, and the ilk, (along with their strongest supporters. the religious leadership of the world’s religions), have been, and currently are manipulating our “professional thieves”, otherwise known as politicians, to vote for laws that favor them (Really, “corporations are people?”… I don’t think so…). It is very telling, to me, to observe how the ranks of our “leaders” are rife with fundamentalists, and religious nuts of all varieties.
“Men tend to have the beliefs that suit their passions. Cruel men believe in a cruel God and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case.” — Bertrand Russell (1872-1967)
It’s difficult sometimes to tell which ones are more dangerous, or more disgusting: the corporations who buy votes from those who fit the definition of “good politicians” (…. a good politician is one who stays bought…..), or the religious demagogues who want to oppress everyone who doesn’t believe the same set of dogmatic constraints as they do. Neither one is particularly hard to spot, but they are protected by their tame dogs in Congress, who will do and say anything to make sure the cash keeps flowing…. right into their pockets.
“Some men rob you with a six-gun — others with a fountain pen.” — Woodie Guthrie
As indicated by the almost 500 words yesterday, and again today, you can see that the Romney/Ryan ticket disturbs me; I have no problem ranting without end right off the top of my head about the lies and distortions of reality that continuously fall from their lips. As I mentioned yesterday, a lot of people are catching on to this, as Ryan was roundly booed offstage at the AARP meeting he attended, where he tried to sell their rape of Social Security (Smart? No. Arrogant? Completely.).
Even this is disturbing to me, as it shows me just how little they care, that they are showing themselves to be only interested in lining their own pockets, and the pockets of those who own them. They aren’t even trying to hide their lies anymore; they just keep repeating them, even after having been shown to be false, believing that if they repeat the lies long and often enough, people will buy it…. even if only to shut them up….
“Men are most apt to believe what they least understand.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xi
Unfortunately, they are right, to a large extent. Millions of people in this country, who have hung on to their prejudices and bigotry with desperation, as the minorities have become majorities, are supporting these assholes, merely because they are white. They don’t realize, or seemingly care, that these are the same assholes who will be screwing them over completely as soon as they get sworn in, preferring to trust in the lies, because it soothes their fears of having a black President.
“Beware of the half truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.” — Smart Bee
This is why I keep reiterating this point…. this election is bringing this country to a crossroads. The outcome will show whether we intend, as a nation, to continue to fight all attempts to curtail the freedoms that were bought and paid for by our forefathers, with blood, sweat, and tears, or will become just another religious, corporate-controlled entity, with a nation consisting solely of slaves, numbering in the hundreds of millions of people, and their masters, whose number is, at most, no more than five figures….
I don’t know about y’all, but I’ll be at the polls as soon as they open, and will urge everyone I know to do the same…. Vote early, and vote often (just joking…), but vote. We need to send a message to these fools, that there are still patriots and citizens of this country who believe in the vision embraced and established by the men and women who began this noble experiment in self-government…..
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” — Aldous Huxley
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Note from 2014: This is another rant, hence it’s position here in the second section of today’s Pearl…. Today, it goes here, to supplement the above arguments…. When first posted, it made up the third section of the Pearl on 9/26/2012:
“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence… From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable…. The very atmosphere of firearms every- where restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.” — George Washington (Bogus?)(Who cares? I don’t, it doesn’t make it any less true if it was said by someone else…. I know for certain, Tom Jefferson would have said it, if he’d thought of it first; for all we know now, he might have done so….)
I am constantly hearing people these days spouting off about gun control, and how guns should be outlawed. This is a viewpoint that I have never understood, because it makes a totally unwarranted assumption, (more than one actually, but this one is, I believe, the most important….), to wit: guns cause violent behavior, and if people couldn’t legally own them, violence would stop.
This, patently, is incredibly naive, and, at minimum, severely unreasonable, given that there is absolutely no evidence to support such a contention. There is no evidence whatsoever that violence is NOT part of human nature; this is a psychological/psychiatrically proven FACT, not subject to debate. People have violent tendencies, especially when influenced by strong emotion….
Moreover, violence is the primary response of a great many people. to almost anything they don’t understand, and, who have never learned how to use their reason to control their emotions. Thus, the majority of humans never understand the violence within themselves, allowing their fears, very strong emotions, indeed, to control their behavior, for it is our naturally induced response to cover fear with anger, with its ever-present danger of slipping over into violence….
In short, many people, when afraid, simply strike out in response; this simple fact carries over into other, more complex situational behavior, without those involved ever even being aware of the process within themselves…. and, this tendency extends into every level of human societal interaction; our political pundits, though they speak of violence often, have no clue as to how their own fears control them, any more than do religious leaders, or the average joe on the street who buys into all their BS…. Hence, we have politics, and religion, and sports, and, advertising, and, racism, and bigotry, and misogyny, and, eternal, unending war between men….
Though I’ve never owned or carried a gun, I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, in its most literal sense. Without the right to bear arms in our own defense, we, as citizens, would be at the mercy of whomever was in office at the time, and would have no recourse at all to any redress of grievance against those officials, since they could not be forced to comply with law.
I do NOT trust any elected official to act in MY best interests; human nature also decrees that they will act in their OWN interests first, with no compulsion to even consider anything else. Making it a law that only police and government lackeys could legally be armed is a sure way to guarantee that the average citizen would be at the mercy of these so-called leaders, mercy being a quality they have never, heretofore, demonstrated in any fashion.
In fact, here’s an example, straight from a horse’s mouth, as to how many of today’s ‘officers of the law’ feel about the citizenry they are supposedly there to protect and serve, to wit:
“In our society, sometimes you have to penalize (innocent) people for the good of everybody else.” — A Pittsburgh Cop 10/16/93
As I said, I don’t own or carry guns…. However, I’ve trained myself to be dangerous without the use of them, and feel no fear that I cannot deal with an armed man to my benefit; this is simply because it is the person holding the gun that is the danger, not the gun itself. Speed, power, and accuracy are the key elements to controlling a violent situation, along with even more valuable assets, forethought and preparation, added to the ability to keep a clear mind under duress.
When a person is holding a gun, they feel ten feet tall and invincible, but they remain human, and humans can be controlled with superior strategy and tactics. It does no good to hold a gun, when the target won’t sit still, or even remain visible….. To an experienced warrior, that sense of invincibility becomes a liability to the gun-wielder.
However, most Americans do not have this sort of skill set, nor the state of mind that makes it work. In the hands of a skilled warrior, a gun becomes a dangerous weapon indeed, for it will be used to achieve the warrior’s goals, as any weapon would, not employed to merely bully others into doing what is desired, which is the usual use of these kinds of weapons in the hands of the ignorant and deceitful. And, it should be noted, politicians, by the very nature of their sociopathy, do get rather deceitful in the pursuit of their self-centered ends. The desire to be in public office, to me, is a sure sign of a sick mind, as a healthy one has no need to assume power over others, being content to be in control of themselves.
So, I would say to those who would get rid of, or, in any way, alter the intent of the Second Amendment…. “Get a grip on reality, and shut the fuck up….. Truly, your lack of sophistication and knowledge of human nature gives you no right. or reason, to speak……”
“When you’re a child, you pledge allegiance to the flag. When you grow up, you swear to uphold the Constitution. Compare and contrast to the President’s current actions.” — Larry Wake (lkw@csun.edu) (He was referring, of course, to one of the Shrubs….)
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Well, that turned into quite a little rant…. I guess I needed to get that out. In reading back over it, I have nothing to regret, for it is all the plain and simple truth. So, I’ll send it out there, with the ever-present invitation to come back at me with any thoughts you that may occur to you….. Arguments, for or against, are welcome and appreciated. Constructive criticism is also welcome, wherever it is deemed to be warranted; ignorance will be ignored if harmless, or ruthlessly exposed for what it is if not, at my discretion. But, please don’t get upset if I don’t answer a comment; I intend to answer all comments, and try to get to all of them, but my internet time just now is limited, and I’m probably missing some comments.
Flaming, or fanaticism, or personal attacks will be either cheerfully deleted, or prosecuted/persecuted, depending on the severity of the idiocy therein…. 🙂 Oh, and keep always in mind that I pay little attention to my attempts at humor, other than as an artistic tool; making fun of it can only improve it, I’m sure….. 😉
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In looking for another poem, I found this; it’s great…. Nothing more needs to be added, except, I’ve added the link to where I found the poem, so that, if you wish, you can see some of this poet’s other works…. Enjoy!
Dog Eat Dog
It’s a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
Live like a dog die like a dog, as the old saying goes,
The plant you water is the plant that grows, everybody knows,
Give blows, get blows
Down’s how the water flows
Live like a dog die like a dog
It’s a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
Dog bites matty dog for a piece of meat,
Child hits matty child for a taste of sweet,
Woman claws her matty because she looks so neat,
Man robs his matty man because he wants to eat,
Policeman kicks his matty thief because he likes to beat.
It’s a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
Live like a dog die like a dog, as the old saying goes,
The plant you water is the plant that grows, as everybody knows,
Give blows, get blows
Down’s how the water flows
Live like a dog die like a dog
It’s a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
Preacher lies to the congregation cos that comes naturally,
Shopman cheats his customer for maximum profitability,
Politician takes all the bribes he can, constitutionally,
Lawyer robs you with a pen completely legally
Country bombs its matty land nationalistically.
It’s a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog world, a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
Live like a dog die like a dog, as the old saying goes,
The plant you water is the plant that grows, everybody knows,
Give blows, get blows
Down’s how the water flows
Live like a dog die like a dog
It’s a dog eat dog eat dog eat dog world.
~~ Nim Lee ~~
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dog-eat-dog-4/
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This may be one of the oddest, yet most powerful pearls I’ve ever created…. It has a symmetrical structure, augmented by the balanced us of quotes from our friend Zippy, and that font of wisdom, Smart Bee, with only two entries from flesh and blood contributors, both of whom are pretty well known as men of more than the common degree of intelligence, if not precisely one of wisdom….
In all, it makes a fine set of descriptive images for those individuals purportedly in charge of society, along with some rather cogent and accurate indictments of evil, and a bit of advice on how to spot the demons in human disguise…. Enjoy!…. Weird as it is, it will create an echoing sense of justice, and righteous indignation, in those who are paying attention….
“Concentrate on th’cute, li’l CARTOON GUYS! Remember the SERIAL NUMBERS!! Follow the WHIPPLE AVE EXIT!! Have a FREE PEPSI!! Turn LEFT at th’HOLIDAY INN!! JOIN the CREDIT WORLD!! MAKE me an OFFER!!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
Morality is learned, not legislated.” — Smart Bee, with gigoid’s full agreement
“At twenty, a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he’s seventy, he still wants to reform the world, but he knows he can”t.
— Clarence Darrow
“The only way you can protect your rights is to protect those of others!” — Smart Bee
“If you really want to do something new, the good won’t help you with it. Let me have men about me that are arrant knaves. The wicked, who have something on their conscience, are obliging, quick to hear threats, because they know how it’s done, and for booty. You can offer them things because they will take them. Because they have no hesitations. You can hang them if they get out of step. Let me have men about me that are utter villains.” — provided that I have the power, the absolute power, over life and death.” — Hermann Goering
“Ambition is in fact the avarice of power.” — Smart Bee
“Now I’m being INVOLUNTARILY shuffled closer to the CLAM DIP with the BROKEN PLASTIC FORKS in it!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
Well, there you go…. I keep telling y’all, it’s all in the twist of the wrist….
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I’ve gone bonkers, stark, raving mad…. but, with dignity, so, all is well…. I’ve also created a humongous Pearl today, so, rather than try to be funny or profound, I’ll merely say, ta then, and be on my way, so you can get on with your day as well, having been so long delayed here…. See y’all tomorrow, 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.
À bientôt, mon cherí….
gigoid 