“Fear teaches us in the most graphic terms just what it is we value.”
~~ Limon ~~
Casual Symmetry….
Hajime….
At the eastern horizon, a pale sun rose, casting pallid light over the rocky landscape. As the sky lightened, vivid shadows leapt into evidence, casting their darkness away from the rising sun, to stain the white, white sand into gray. Nothing moved in the still, hot air, until, at the very edge of the visible, a small cloud of dust arose, moving slowly toward the sun’s point of ascent. As the wavering vision passed over the desert sand, the shadow of its passage trailed along behind, like a faithful dog. The heat, already stifling, mounted….
Not too bad for off the cuff, eh? And only one cup of coffee down; most encouraging. Yesterday taught me another new lesson on aging; hangovers are exhausting for us old farts. I did my best to act normally, even going so far as to walk the entire way home from my errand, a bit over a mile in one shot. Then, at about 6:30 PM, I faded, so rapidly, it was all I could do to prep coffee for the morning, and fall into bed, where I slept like a corpse for eight full hours (which may be a new record for the past ten years…). I feel a bit guilty, for blowing off all my regular blog visits, but, can’t argue with the energy 8 hours sleep will supply.
Since I’ve got all this energy, I’m gonna go use it up, then take a nap, just because I can. I’ve got a decent Pearl for you, with a four year-old poem, and a fresh old-school pearl to go with the most excellent musical choice of the day. Before my enthusiasm and energy gets me any more worked up, I’m going to go get this done, & posted, so I can use my energy more efficiently. I know, bozo talking, but, hey, I can dream, can’t I? In the meantime, let’s do this this way…. Watch your step, please….
Shall we pearl?….
“I would rather my ignorance be based on my understanding
than for my understanding to be based on my ignorance.
I would rather be a humorous fool than a serious jackass.”
Today’s music selection happened when I got a bit maudlin the day after my birthday celebration, during which I indulged in copious (for me) amounts of Jameson’s, attempting to verify the old saying about the Irish, to wit: an Irish man isn’t too drunk if he can still hold on to a single blade of grass and not fly off the planet. I discovered it is most likely true, though the details of the experimental process are a little fuzzy, and the data is a bit disorganized, so I have no proof, either true, or false. Given the results, I’d say this is a case of the belief being sufficiently accurate to convey the essence of the concept.
I’ve listened to the music of this group for over 50 years; my parents had several of their albums, which only stimulated my interest in that quarter of my heritage. Plus, these guys can flat-out play, sing, and, most importantly, engage with their audience, as you’ll plainly see, and hear…. Enjoy…
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The Dubliners
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A Seasonal Approach
Absolute stillness grips a frozen field,
anticipating dawn with such patient yield
morning burgeoning in dark winter’s hold
brings promise of tales yet to be told.
Lengthening days of pale sun unto night
slowly tell of time’s subversive flight
bringing such original songs of natural fire
with melodies complex in casual attire.
The months are certain they will always win
it is just the way it has always been.
None may argue, nor yet slow life down
Nor dim the eternal beauty of nature’s gown.
Winter evolves from fall into spring,
sending flocks and hearts ever awing.
Summer follows suit, t’other way ’round
Spring into fall, often without a sound.
Life is meant to be lived, beginning to end
choices abound, and change can be a friend.
Yielding with grace to reality’s compelling ploy
fills our plain existence with clean, honest joy.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/2/2012
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Naked Pearls
More notes on process and program….
*******
“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm,
you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
~~ Horace ~~
*******
“The true perfection of man lies,
not in what man has, but in what man is . . .
Nothing should be able to harm a man but himself.
Nothing should be able to rob a man at all.
What a man really has is what is in him.
What is outside of him should be a matter of no importance.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
*******
“If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence everyone must take an equal portion,
most people would be contented to take their own and depart.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”
~~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. ~~
*******
“It is better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.”
~~ Josh Billings ~~
*******
“It’s a fool’s life,
a rogue’s life,
and a good life
if you keep laughing all the way to the grave.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“And sometimes the bear eats you.”
~~ Realistic Bee ~~
*******
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Whoops! Almost forgot to close this off. I’ll be good, and just do it, sans fluff. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Deal with it….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. I no longer have a routine. In fact, this whole process seems to have lost its basic structure, leaving me adrift on a sea of words. Add in the physical & mental issue with which I’ve come to accept as my lot in life, & one begins to see a pattern of change, from a life lived large, to one lived along defined lines of limitation, in a physical sense, if in no other. Hmph. Can’t say I’m real happy about it, but, once the bees are in the hive, the honey’s going to flow, right?
Now I’ve created a completely nonsensical metaphor, or euphemism, take your pick, I think today’s collection of pearls is going to have to carry the day. I don’t know exactly what they’re trying to say, but, it must be worthwhile, for they just wouldn’t go away, no matter how many times I tried to make them. One of the lessons I’ve learned is not to fight with reality so much, so, we’re just going to let it go, as is, & hope for the best. In fact, that’s probably a good way to describe today’s Pearl, altogether. So be it….. In fact, so be it, now….
Shall we pearl?….
“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 ~~
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Naked Pearls
Follow the bouncing ideas…
*******
“If I am Sophocles, I am not mad; and if I am mad, I am not Sophocles.”
~~ Sophocles — Vit, Anon, p. 64 (Plumptre’s Trans.) ~~
*******
“An honest god is the noblest work of man.
… God has always resembled his creators.
He hated and loved what they hated and loved
and he was invariably found on the side of those in power.
… Most of the gods were pleased with sacrifice,
and the smell of innocent blood has ever been considered a divine perfume.”
~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~
*******
“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?”
~~ Leia to Luke during first rescue. (Star Wars) ~~
*******
“Although our information is incorrect, we do not vouch for it.”
~~ Satie ~~
*******
“Happiness is not a reward-it is a consequence.
Suffering is not a punishment-it is a result.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
*******
“Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore
avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
.. here I am in 53 B.C. and all I want is a dill pickle!!
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
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Well, there you go. It’s all clear as a bell to me, so, y’all can figure it out, or let it percolate until it’s done, whereupon it will slap you upside your head, & be on it’s merry way. In the meantime, I’m going to go look for a routine to follow. I’ll let you know how it goes, upon my return, tomorrow…. You may regard that as a threat, or a promise, your choice. I’ll see you then, ffolkes, either way….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Since the deadline for posting just went flying past my head, I suppose I’d best get started on today’s Pearl. Considering the fact virtually none of it is done, we’ll be lucky to see one today. Hope does exist, as I’ve begun, & don’t intend to stop until done. But, that could change, of course, well before getting there. Once again, the Metaphorse has stepped in, to apply the duality of nature to our undertakings, as is the Universe’s wont.Why we should wish the Universe to even HAVE a wont, I haven’t a clue, but, I suppose it really doesn’t matter for our purposes here today.
To our complete surprise, we find we have written a relatively normal first paragraph, (‘normal’ in that it is of a certain length, says nothing particularly worthwhile, and, is properly punctuated), we look up, to find ourselves deep in the second paragraph, still without any direction, or hint of a direction, in which to make our effort. It probably doesn’t matter anyway; what with the lack of anything resembling rational thought currently inhabiting my brain, there is little chance of finding anything we can use, without serious alteration, or padding, neither of which we are equipped to handle today. Damn! Y’all know what this means, don’t you? No. Well, if you don’t know, I probably shouldn’t say…
Having thus created the proper frame of stultified indignation, we can get this slow on the toad. What, you may ask, the hell does that mean? Well, if I knew, or cared, I might consider relaying that information. Since I don’t, and, I don’t, we’ll just use it as another fine excuse to go on, before this gets any stranger, and we start losing our audience…. like we ever had one. For all I know, nobody’s out there, and nobody will ever see this but me, and a couple die hards who come every day. But, whether anyone is there, or ever reads this, it still has to get done, or I melt down worse than usual…. So be it. Let’s do it….
Shall we pearl?….
“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 ~~
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I’m running late, as usual, so we’ll go with something easily available that fits my mood…. Since I feel like I should, or want to be, on the road to anywhere, we’ll take a little trip to the islands, imagining ourselves right onto some beach, where you’ll find us sipping margaritas, & dancing away…. Abondanza!….
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Jimmy Buffett Live at Jones Beach
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“How happy is he born or taught,
That serveth not another’s will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!”
~~ Sir Henry Wotton — The Character of a Happy Life ~~
I’m very late today, in terms of getting done, and posted. To save the time needed, we’re going to the archives. Don’t worry, it’s a rather light piece, just taking some random shots at some of the world’s biggest fools…. I’m sure I had fun, and you will too… Enjoy!….
From 2/11/2015:
INFIDEL, n. In New York, one who does not believe in the Christian religion; in Constantinople, one who does. (See GIAOUR.) A kind of scoundrel imperfectly reverent of, and niggardly contributory to, divines, ecclesiastics, popes, parsons, canons, monks, mollahs, voodoos, presbyters, hierophants, prelates, obeah-men, abbes, nuns, missionaries, exhorters, deacons, friars, hadjis, high-priests, muezzins, brahmins, medicine-men, confessors, eminences, elders, primates, prebendaries, pilgrims, prophets, imaums, beneficiaries, clerks, vicars-choral, archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, preachers, padres, abbotesses, caloyers, palmers, curates, patriarchs, bonezs, santons, beadsmen, canonesses, residentiaries, diocesans, deans, subdeans, rural deans, abdals, charm-sellers, archdeacons, hierarchs, class-leaders, incumbents, capitulars, sheiks, talapoins, postulants, scribes, gooroos, precentors, beadles, fakeers, sextons, reverences, revivalists, cenobites, perpetual curates, chaplains, mudjoes, readers, novices, vicars, pastors, rabbis, ulemas, lamas, sacristans, vergers, dervises, lectors, church wardens, cardinals, prioresses, suffragans, acolytes, rectors, cures, sophis, mutifs and pumpums. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
This space left unused for anything.
This space used for gold.
This space folded over into a ring.
This space remained untold.
No, I have not a single clue where the hell that came from, nor will you ever catch me asking, myself, or anyone else. In fact, I am going to state here and now, I didn’t say that, and you can’t prove I did.
I actually did leave this space blank, but, that was because I sort of intended to write a fresh rant this morning; I’ve got plenty of angst built up, trust me, what with crossing blades with large soulless corporate entities, butting heads with power-hungry local yokels, and dealing with my own personal inner demons as a result, well… trust me., I have more than enough about which to rant. But I’m tired of it all, and want something a bit more light hearted…. Let’s see what happens if I do this…..
Soft, intimate notes of romantic violins fills the air, while cooling breezes lift curtains to swirl and wave against the cerulean sky, peeking brightly through the tall windows. Mellow voices murmur quietly, spilling through the balcony doors, standing open to allow the elegantly dressed crowd pass in and out, enjoying the night air. As a young couple strolled hand in hand through the open passageway, a sudden scream rang out, stilling the crowd, piercing through the music as a hot knife through butter. Silence fell over the room, until a loud voice rings out, “Don’t worry, folks. She saw one of the clowns….”
Hmm… No, I don’t think that’s going to do it…. How about we go for an old-school pearl? I think, maybe, it’s the only chance we have left…. Since this is the ranting section, let’s see if SB can find us some nice, funny pokes to take at some of our favorite targets, shall we? (That is a rhetorical question, as, obviously, it’s now our ONLY chance…)…. Come on, we’d best get to it…. Oooh, here’s a good one to start….
We can’t really be wrong if we’re just following Gods orders
You know,
He wrote this book here
And in this book
He says that He made us to be just like Him
So if we’re dumb, then God’s dumb
(and perhaps a little ugly on the side)
~~ Frank Zappa ~~
Not too shabby for a beginner…. let’s see if we can finish this off with some style, or, maybe even some humor….
“I have no problem with God. It’s his fan clubs I hate.” — Smart Bee
“Yow! And then we could sit on the hoods of cars at stop lights!” — Zippy the Pinhead
“Now playing: “Man of La Muncha”” — Hannibal Lecter Dinner Theatre
“It is only the superficial qualities that last. Man’s deeper nature is soon found out.” — Oscar Wilde
(Oops. Sorry, Oscar slipped that one by me…. It’s not too far out there, so, it stays…)
“Rush Limbaugh: The Pillsbury Doughboy on acid.” — Smart Bee
“Ooops.” — Captain of Titanic
“If God is so great, how come everything he makes dies?” — George Carlin
Well. That was…. something. Not exactly your average mind numbing, brain-blowing experience, was it? Oh well. I guess we should go do something else now…. Oh. I see the problem now. How could I have forgotten THIS?
“When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” — Mark Twain
Duh….
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“Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get,
they’re things which get you.
And all you can do is go where they can find you.”
~~ Winnie-the-Pooh, ~~
~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
Is It Alive?
Fighting into the light, words push hard to exist
each step closer to real brings another unique twist.
Shedding meaning for meaning, until bright, alone, and right
sculpting useless shapes, yet undefined, in pale morning’s light.
Never knowing the face is part of the lasting charm
bringing elegant focus, before sounding the alarm.
Advantageous time sends out messages, fears finding voice,
mulling options for flexibility, virtually without choice.
Fortunate man, who embraces the power of change;
’tis magical knowledge, bonding common to strange.
Weaving words of wonder, made strong by love and duty,
into a tapestry of life, and everlasting beauty.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/10/2013
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Naked Pearls
It sucks, AND, it blows….
*******
“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”
~~ Lily Tomlin ~~
*******
“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”
~~ ee cummings `~~
*******
“As for courage and will –
we cannot measure how much of each lies within us,
we can only trust there will be sufficient
to carry through trials which may lie ahead.”
~~ Andre Norton ~~
*******
“Entropy has us outnumbered.”
~~ Solomon Short ~~
*******
“Really, Crito, why should we care so much
about what ‘most people’ believe?”
~~ The character Socrates, in Plato’s “Crito”, 44d ~~
*******
“Remember: Silly is a state of Mind,
Stupid is a way of Life.”
~~ Dave Butler ~~
*******
“Pardon me, but do you know what it means
to be TRULY ONE with your BOOTH!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
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Color me amazed. It’s done, and, not too shabbily, either, if I do say so meself. Before I do something dumb, like try to be witty, we’ll bring this to a somewhat dilatory end. I can’t say it’s the worst ever, but, it certainly isn’t the best. Y’all can decide for yourselves just what you think about it, and, share if you must. Me, I’m gonna go back to bed; it’s supposed to be really hot today, & I’ll need my energy to keep fanning the cat…. Hah! See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; consider that all the warning you’ll get….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Having been assaulted in my sleep by a small, fur-bearing extortionist, to the point of meltdown before I was even awake, I sit to write, only to find myself with no inspiration whatsoever. In fact, a complete meltdown remains a definite possibility for the rest of the day, I’d say. I can’t say why I’m so fragile this morning, but, hey, that’s PTSD for ya. A lot of generals, and armies, could take lessons from PTSD, regarding stealth; it seems to be masterful at sneak attacks….
Since finding something in my head about which to write seems futile, I think I’ll skip the intro altogether, giving it up as a bad investment of time. I can’t see it getting much better than what you’ve already seen, although the possibility of getting worse doesn’t seem out of the realm. In fact, I can feel it getting away from me the longer I type. In the interests of saving face, and time, I’ll end this now, before it gets to a point from which I cannot save it. I’m not sure what the regulations say about that, but, it probably fits into the rudeness category, if naught else….
Rather than risk relatively undeserved rudeness, I’ll go on. You’ll probably see some archived material below; fresh stuff probably isn’t on the agenda for today. But, that also means no further whining, so, it all balances out. Let’s see what I can find to make this semi-okay, or, at minimum, inoffensive…. Oh, wait. Too late for that, and it’s against policy. Oh, well. We’ll see what we can do….
Shall we pearl?….
“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction
that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide;
that he must take himself for better or worse as his portion;
that though the wide universe is full of good,
no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him
but through his toil bestowed
on that plot of ground which is given him to till.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance ~~
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Naturally, since I’m in default production mode, you, and I, get classical music for today’s selection. I hope you enjoy it; I intend to do so myself….
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Classical Music
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“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes, rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.” — Aristotle
As I predicted in the intro, we’re hitting the archives. The following is one of the longest, and harshest rants I’ve written. It’s a subject about which I feel strongly, so, since I have nothing today of my own, here is something from my past…
From 8/20/2014:
This is a long rant, ffolkes…. When I start on this particular subject, I have a hard time stopping…. this time, to the tune of over 2500 words…. I figured I should give fair warning; this is not an easy rant to read, nor will it give any quarter to those it targets as the evil protagonists…. If you don’t feel up to it, then you can skip it…. However, this is an extremely important subject, to me, so, I’m asking you to take the time to read it, think about it, and maybe pass it on…. This needs to change, for sure, and for certain…. I’ve even given it a title, in case I decide to publish it alone, elsewhere….
A True Plague upon Our Houses….
In which we take issue with those who would call themselves Men, having none of the qualities of a Man…..
“Resolved, that the women of this nation in 1876, have greater cause for discontent, rebellion and revolution than the men of 1776.” — Susan B. Anthony
As we know now, 1976 has come, and gone, along with 1776, and 1876; yet, the oppression and ongoing abuse of women continues, unabated and unchecked, in spite of any progress shown by society, which would be thanks to Ms. Anthony, and others, for having instigated, and overcome a number of the legal challenges involved in securing full rights for women, efforts resulting in SOME legislation that SEEMED to make some needed changes, not the least of which was voting rights…
In too many ways, unfortunately, things are worse, due to the ubiquitous attitudes, of misogyny and unreasoning fear of sexuality, which is so ingrained in both the male, and female members of society, there are few who even acknowledge the issue, unless pressed…. at which time, they generally become either defensive, feign indignation, or go into active denial…. This fear, based on ignorance, of course, is complicated by religious attitudes heaped upon men and women from birth, which only encourage such ignorance, in favor of dogma….. Now, 40 years into the next hundred years since the beginning of the women’s movement in America, the same can be said to be absolutely true….. Nothing below the surface has changed at all….
“You, you, you shouldn’t, you shouldn’t traumatize women with sexual intercourse. I should know, I’m a medieval doctor, I own a mansion and a yacht.” — excerpted from the AMA manual of advice for teens and newlyweds, 1910, 1926, 1933, 1947, 1955, and, every year since then, without changing a word….
Okay, so, it’s not really there…. but, it certainly would be, if they could get away with it…. and, is definitely there, in place, in the ingrained prejudices of virtually every male doctor alive…. This idiocy is an example of the attitudes of which I’m speaking; the hidden, slyly perverted belief that women are no more than the sum of the misguided and totally false characterizations placed on them by men, who insist on perpetuating the false image of women, in general and as individuals, as weak, feeble-minded, emotional, sex-crazed, or frigid, selfish creatures concerned only with using their beauty and sex to control men….
These claims are, of course, completely untrue in reality, but, the unreasoning, innate fear of their own sexuality, and the fear of being controlled by women, that permeates male attitudes, causes them all, or mostly all, to believe all of it, true or not… Thus, as the quote below from former President Jimmy C. notes, this belief in a full set of delusions, falsely accusing women of evil intent, is used to justify all of the pervasive objectification, abuse, and oppression of women throughout history, continuing today, no matter how much anyone says to the contrary….
Jimmy Carter sez:
He would know, wouldn’t he?…..
Below this paragraph, I am placing a link, to the web site/blog of a woman who rescued herself from sexual slavery; there is no other term that fits. She was forced, at a young age, to become a prostitute, and spent most of her childhood and teen years trapped in the sex trade…. Her experiences should never happen to anyone; when I read her writing, it takes ALL of my control to keep from jumping up, buying weapons, and going hunting, for human males…. I get so angry it wouldn’t even matter to me WHICH males I started wasting; all bear equal guilt, from at least one point of view…. Otherwise, why would the rest of us, we males who do NOT wish to oppress our species’ mates, ALLOW this to take place? How can we know of this, and not act?
Lack of honor is the only answer that occurs to me; there are not enough men, it seems, with sufficient honor to stem the tide of idiocy, gross perversion, and lack of moral fiber that infuses the greatest portion of humanity’s male members…. I would guesstimate that 98% of all males never even THINK about the issue of how women have been oppressed throughout history; most are perfectly happy to enjoy the lack of responsibility that such moral and ethical blindness allows; we are, as a species, after all, lazy by nature…. (Nothing wrong with lazy, as long as it’s not a way of life, but a tool, to make one look for smarter ways to do things….) But, to allow that laziness to act as an excuse for not acting in this respect, can only indicate a complete lack of what I call HONOR…..
This may sound like a harsh accusation; to that charge I say: Yes, it is and so fucking what? It’s a harsh world, and what men have been doing to women for millennia….. not years, not centuries, MILFUCKINGLENNIA, PEOPLE! No exaggeration or hyperbole is necessary or, in my case, desired….
Listen up, all of you men out there, because I am talking to YOU!…. It IS harsh, and I make the accusation without apology, because, I must in all honesty include myself in the group of those who have not done all they could to see the issue addressed; if it is never addressed, it can never be resolved…. I’ve done more than many, perhaps, and I do acknowledge the seriousness and urgency of the issue…. but, I, too, am guilty of NOT doing enough…. S’okay, it just makes me madder, & more determined to keep writing about this….
You see, the whole issue illustrates one small, but, critical facet of human nature that is part and parcel with those other character flaws in us which are leading us merrily down the road to hell, blithely wishing we had a bigger handbasket….. This tendency on the part of human males, to abandon honor and ethical behavior, in favor of allowing their fears and misapprehensions rule them, for our ENTIRE history, has held us back, from becoming all we have the potential to be, as rational creatures with an understanding and appreciation for what is good and beautiful in life.
Instead, we have witnessed, over those thousands and thousands of years, virtually unending wars, conflicts, slavery, abuse of women and children, or anyone considered weak and unable to defend their rights. We have seen people learn to use lying, cheating, aggressiveness, and self-interest as their primary tools for obtaining the resources needed to live, and to hoard what they have taken, by right or threat of force; this process is, in today’s world, considered to be a blueprint for successful living, with the ultimate goal in life being the fulfillment of one’s own personal goals and desires, at the cost of whatever it may take to wrest it from other people, and the world at large….
“Get it while you can!” Do unto others before they do unto you.” Bigger is better!” “One nation under God!” (It would be more honest if they just said what they REALLY believe which is, “As a Christian, I have more rights than anyone who isn’t….”)
Okay, so the last line, in parentheses, is one most people will only say under their breath; you can be sure, though, that every “Christian” alive believes they are the elite of the species, the only ones with the true answers…. This, you see, naturally gives them all a completely unwarranted and false sense of entitlement, one that really annoys the rest of us, who haven’t fallen under the spell of that particular delusion, and couldn’t care less who they think they are…. I GUARANTEE, even if there WERE a God, such as the figment they seem to believe in, I’m pretty sure, as an omnipotent entity, She wouldn’t want to have anything to do with such idiotic wastes of sperm….
Ooh! That was harsh, too, wasn’t it? Oh well… Again, I have to say, so fucking what? If people insist on showing their lack of intelligence in public, they are fair game for anyone who cares to come along and poke holes in their lack of logic, and/or foolishly naive belief in delusions that someone taught them before they could defend their own minds…. It isn’t my problem if they are offended; that is their own reaction, for which THEY bear ALL the responsibility….
I welcome dialogue, and will listen to any argument, as long as it is evidence based…. However, don’t even think about coming at me with something that has nothing more to verify its veracity than “ispe dixit”…. You will regret it to your dying day….. And, so will I, for I am not really mean, or cruel by nature; I just can’t abide people acting as if being stupid is better than ANYTHING else; it isn’t, and wishing won’t make it so…. But, it’s better to put such folks out of their misery, before their ignorance can spread to others….
Men and women are in this together, ffolkes; neither sex can possibly survive without the other, and why would anyone wish to? But, the way things are going now, if we don’t figure out, soon, how to take care of each other, instead of being at odds all the damn time (as all the people who spread jokes about the “war between men and women” keep yelling about, thus keeping the divisiveness alive, and actively harmful….), we will surely reach the point, in the not so very distant future, when our insistence on making the worst of our differences will result in the only possible ultimate end, to wit: our own extinction as a failed species.
The abuse of women, and anyone else; war; sales of drugs and/or arms; and the relative insanity of the divisive elitism as acted out by all organized religions….. All of these blights and plagues upon the spirit and growth of Man, carried out for thousands of years by those in our species who refuse to embrace any sort of beliefs that do not serve their own ends alone, all spring from one source in human nature; the expression of that negativity in our spirit has held sway since the beginnings of recorded history……
It is that part of our inner selves which compels us to use our innate talents for violence, treachery, and selfishness, using them to take advantage of others for our own benefit, using fear, and the threat of reward or punishment to control others, the use of which has led us to the impending threat of doom we face in coming days…. In order to survive, human nature MUST change…. Hmm…. not terribly good odds, I should guess….
I wish I had the ultimate answer; I wish I knew just the right words, and could say “THIS, THIS, and THIS…. just do that, and we’ll all be okay….” I don’t have them, though, any more than anyone else has had so far…. The worst part is, I know what needs to be done; but, due to the fact that I can only make changes to myself, I can’t just DO it, or even just SAY it…. It has to come from all of us, or it won’t work at all….
SIGH…. Damn if I know what to do…. I guess I’ll just go out, shoot a couple of pimps, and call it a day….. Oh, and if those pimps happen to be wearing a uniform of some sort, you may count on them being fully guilty as charged, with sentence carried out according to the dictates of justice…. in spite of any loud noises they might make to the contrary. Any noise they make in these situations is merely an automatic defense against the insistence on them taking responsibility for their actions….
Any lawyers who may try to involve themselves may try to make us feel differently, but, we can discuss that later, right? (We can decide what to do about them when we figure out where to dispose of the bodies….) For the moment, my day will be over, and justice done; it’s all I need to get to sleep….. especially knowing the women freed by my good aim will have the choice and opportunity to start the process of changing out of their slave clothes, into something a bit more free, and of their own choice….
Well, we all have our fantasies, right? Now, the trick is to remove all the above from the realm of speculation and imagination, and make it so, in Reality…. I guess we’ll see how it goes, eh?…. Later, ffolkes, & remember…. Free our sisters, and we free ourselves….
This took a long time to write, because it’s important to me…. Hence, I took a long time to pick a closing pearl, one that had the right feel to it, to express the depth of emotion involved, while still giving a nod to importance of addressing the issue’s less palatable aspects, such as the way women having to live in today’s world, or any world we have seen, are consistently, often brutally, abused, made to feel secondary, and at the very least, completely misunderstood, by their own alleged mates.
I am speaking of men who, in the final analysis, are failing their own species, not to mention failing to understand the concept, or to comprehend the importance, of such old-fashioned words as honor, compassion, and duty…. any one of which requires much more strength than any sort of aggressiveness, or shows of physical prowess…. Such behaviors are those of a child, based on fear, a child who never grew out of being selfish and/or afraid of girls, (i.e., afraid of their own sexuality, and of women’s….), refusing to grow up and truly BE a man…..
We need each other, men and women; nature’s other creatures have shown us how it is supposed to work, using the blueprint of nature’s design…. Each gender of a species is made to contribute certain characteristics to the solving of the puzzle of living, in concert with their opposite half, with the caveat being the simple FACT, that neither can survive, one without the other. Both are needed for the species to prosper, and grow…… It’s a shame there are so many men in the world who are so afraid of themselves, and of women, they can’t learn to act as men….
Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream:
The Genius and the mortal instruments
Are then in council; and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.
— William Shakespeare ~~
Julius Caesar — Act ii, Sc. 1
********************************
Between what I see and what I say
Between what I say and what I keep silent
Between what I keep silent and what I dream
Between what I dream and what I forget:
Poetry.
~~ Octavio Paz (1914-1998) ~~
*******
Shot in the dark….
Nothing old will do
to soothe such internal fire;
only new haiku.
Infernal chaos
bites with vicious teeth of steel.
Starts the day poorly.
Routines fill an hour
seeking a sort of balance.
Not easily found.
To bring serenity
is a task for a lifetime.
Today’s morning chore.
Five times seventeen
seems to have brought me some peace.
Counting words for hope.
~~ gigoid ~~
7/25/2016
********************************
Naked Pearls
A path to freedom…
*******
“He said that there was one only good, namely, knowledge;
and one only evil, namely, ignorance.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Socrates, xiv ~~
*******
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.”
~~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ~~
*******
“Before you can be creative, you must be courageous.
Creativity is the destination, but courage is the journey.”
~~ Joey Reiman ~~
*******
“To be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough;
the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.”
~~ Descartes ~~
*******
“The aim of life is to live,
and to live means to be aware,
joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.”
~~ Henry Miller ~~
*******
“I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years,
and I’m happy, Doctor, I finally won out over it.”
~~ Jimmy Stewart in Harvey, 1950 ~~
*******
“When I speak to you about myself,
I am speaking to you about yourself.
How is it you don’t see that?”
~~ Victor Hugo ~~
*******
********************************
The mere fact this is done should be recorded in the Book. But, it probably won’t be, and, that’s okay. It’s done, so, I win. For now. To maintain my record at that, I will warn y’all now, I’ll try again tomorrow, without any claims as to any sort of improvement, or even change. All I know is, I have to try. See y’all then, provided the meltdown has been averted, once again….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.”
~~ Marie Curie ~~
Leelu ~ The Early Days….
Hajime…. Properly speaking, this isn’t a blog; it’s a self-directed therapeutic activity, designed, from the start, as a means of maintaining a reasonable grasp on reality’s throat, in order to fulfill the implied promise we all make to our mothers, to do our best in Life, in thanks for the invitation. I’ve never spent much effort to promote it, simply because I don’t much care about the fame part of wanting to write. I do care about honesty, accuracy, and the sharing of what we have learned that may be of help to someone else. From a standpoint in view of honor, that’s all I need to worry about. Besides, since I’m retired on disability, I’m not allowed to make any money, lest it prove I can work after all…
That being said, to, as ever, little or no purpose beyond space-filling, the daily completion of what happens here is a rather randomly (un)predictable set of events, any of which, if missed or screwed up somehow, can alter the final results in a way I don’t much appreciate. But, it’s mostly fun, and relatively good for my level of angst to do the work. Now, if only I could find some way to ensure a sufficient degree of motivation each morning, I’d be all set. As it is, it’s a constant struggle to find either the energy, or the will, to get up, and focus on the screen, especially when engaged in a morning altercation with my familiar…. That struggle is lessening, as we adjust to each other’s routines, but, it can be a significant limiting factor….
Why am I going over all this? Ah, who the hell knows; not me, that’s for sure. I just began to type, and this is what came out. Since it’s now clear it isn’t really going much of anywhere, I think we can safely abandon any further examination of the idiosyncrasies of daily blogging, & try to get on with putting together something worthwhile for y’all to enjoy with your morning wake-up routine. Hell, I’ll even try to get something in there to stimulate some degree of cogitation, just to get the juices flowing. We do what we can, even if we cannot claim a full-service menu of offerings. For now, whatever happens will just have to do, because I’m out of stuff to blather…. Let’s do this, instead….
Shall we pearl?….
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”
Our featured artist today should need little introduction. For over forty-six years, this woman has made us laugh, sometimes to the point of blowing snot. She’d love to know that, too, I think…. Ffolkes, here is George Carlin’s nearest competitor for the best ever, in my opinion…. Her character, Ernestine, is iconic, as is she….. Enjoy! I’ve included audio versions of her stage performances, collected by a You Tube fan….
********************************
Lily Tomlin On Stage
********************************
********************************
********************************
“Think like a mountain.”
~~ Aldo Leopold ~~
To be honest, I have within me the power to rant today; I can feel the outrage and angst just sitting there, trembling with the urge to vent. But, I’m late again, thanks to evolving routines, so we’ll go instead with something from the archives, after a short statement on current reality…. The following short pearl, composed of three deep little pearls, makes a cogent comment on the culture which has evolved on this planet, which bears an uncomfortable resemblance to those societies described by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley in their frightening visions of our possible future. After the pearls, you’ll find an archived rant, just because I feel like some overkill…. Enjoy!….
“Abroad in the world today is a monstrous falsehood, a consummate fabrication, to which all social agencies have loaned themselves and into which most men, women, and children have been seduced … “the Eleventh Commandment”; for such, indeed, has become the injunction: You Must Adjust.” — Robert M. Lindner
“I’m frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life.” — Spock, “The Galileo Seven,” stardate 2822.3.
“Arguments derived from probabilities are idle.” — Plato
From 7/17/2014:
“Ignorance of one’s ignorance is the greatest ignorance.” — Smart Bee
Fucking brilliant….. No other lesser phrasing would be powerful enough to express how strongly I believe in what Mark has written here…. He is absolutely, 100% on target with his observations, and delivers a message that even the most hardened idiot has to hear…. of course, until they just get that glazed look on their face, and deny, deny, deny…. which they will do, immediately, by the millions, should they get even two paragraphs into this article…. Mark has a way with words like no one else, and he uses them here to once again skewer the GOP, and the group that I call the Asininnies, so well I’m tempted to say he did it perfectly…..
“Counts his sure gains, and hurries back for more.” — James Montgomery (1771-1854) — The West Indies, Part iii
Sniff…. It brings a tear of joy to my curmudgeonly soul to hear, and feel, the brilliantly sharp sardonicism Mark brings to bear, on the asininity, and the sheer stupidity that permeates the entire rich white Judeo-Christian fundamentalist, corporate mentality…. You know, the one that fills the halls of our government in Washington, all 50 state capitals, and every bloody church in this somewhat less than diversified land of ours….. The ranks of those who refuse to use their brains for anything beyond transporting their bowels from one toilet to another are bursting with politicians, lawyers, priests, preachers, quasi-military police, and corporate raptors, viciously dispassionate in their unending search for more power, and more resources to control…. all without any regard, or concern of any kind, for anyone whose lifestyle and/or beliefs do not match their own limited views….
It took me a while to compose the above paragraph; I tried to be as condemning as possible, without resorting to vulgarity…. I think it worked okay, in that it’s clear how I feel about those assholes…. but, due primarily to my own tendency toward pomposity, it could be better, and leads me to believe you just can’t replace a good round of swearing and cursing for delivering a message like this one…. I could have said most of that, and delivered the message, with a simple, “the bloody fucking assholes are doing it again”, with minor amplification for corroboration of details….
Shit flows downhill, you know, so, it’s best to fling it before we get any on ourselves…. Besides, with the way most of those in the 1% treat most everyone else, they deserve every bit of our disdain and vituperation, as well as our vulgarity…. THEY are the ones who live their lives in a vulgar manner…. What other word fits better than “vulgar”, to describe the likes of Rush Limbaugh, or Dick Cheney, or Karl Rove, three of the bastions of conservative thought?…. None I can think of, and my vocabulary is pretty extensive…. Just putting their images in my mind gives me a shudder of revulsion, worse than any I’ve ever gotten from snakes, lizards, or insects, let me tell you….
Once again, Mark has said it better than I am currently capable of doing, so, I’m going to soothe my fevered brow with an old school pearl, to vent some of the angst and anger that builds up in me whenever I consider the egregious immorality of those at the top of the societal pyramid of power…. those fucking assholes…. Here is a seven star old-school pearl, with parameters designed to find some sharp, pointed sticks, which we shall then envision to be flying directly at the lying eyes of the pundits….
“Government of the people, by the lawyers, for the conservatives.” — Smart Bee
“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” — Malcolm X
“We are doing the right thing and we do not see the bad things.” — Vice President Dan Quayle pretending he is one of the wise monkeys
“If you can’t get a job, get a senate appointment!!!” — Smart Bee
“Basically a dog person. I certainly, though, wouldn’t want to offend my constituents who are cat people, and I should say that being, I hope, a sensitive person, that I have nothing against cats, and had cats when I was a boy, and if we didn’t have the two dogs might very well be interested in having a cat now.” — Incoming Missouri Congressman James Talent, — responding to the question Are you a dog or a cat person? (Mr. Talent is a graduate, summa cum idiotum, of the Dan Quayle School of Political Science-Like Stuff)
“One can imagine a sane, healthy, cheerful human society based on no more than the principles of common sense, as validated each day by work, play, and
living experience. But this remains the most Utopian and fantastic of ideals.” — Edward Abbey
“If God had intended for politicians to ski, he would have made bullshit white.” — Smart Bee
This is an example of what I call a “rock-solid” pearl…. When you see quotes from Smart Bee at either end, and smack in the middle, you can trust that this pearl is one that will hold its shape under the most trying of circumstances, and can puncture the eye of a pundit without leaving a permanent mark….. It’s that solid, sharp, and real….
********************************
Some years ago, since retiring at the start of 2011, I spent a lot of time in pretty constant pain. Now I am using Phoenix Tears, it is much better, but, sometimes it’s good to go back & re-live it, to keep my feeling of progress intact…. Here’s a report I wrote after a particularly trying day, which gives a good idea of how it goes…. or, can go, some days, even now…. I’ve left it with the addendum I originally posted with it, which tells us why we write such poems….
Gauges of Pain
Consciousness devolves in pools of gripping fears
holding hostage any hope of serenity,
sharp stabbing motions and greedy tears
nary a moment passes without common calamity.
Always a surprise, nothing soothing ever found,
leaving only breathless clinging pain,
salvation seemingly absent, it muffles all sound,
bringing ever more sadness and rain.
Solitude is ever present to claim my time,
lonely hours and relentlessly long days,
no radio plays such music in secular rhyme
happy, vibrant voices belong to elder ways.
Life can be justified it seems to say,
by hopeful favored moments of pleasure,
seemingly friendly, pointing out the only way,
to bring back happiness in minimal measure.
Days of horror and embarrassing tears
serve ever to drive wretched hours to withhold
promising naught but sorrow in coming years,
black, bitter memories that never grow old.
Cold, cold the days fly by,
can it really be our only token?
Never to say, or know just why
the pain never stops, even when spoken…
~~ gigoid ~~
9/10/2012
(Yes, yesterday was NOT a good day…. why do you ask?…..)
Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.
— John Donne ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
This way to the lighted area….
*******
“To teach is to learn.”
~~ Japanese Proverb ~~
*******
“Should I start with the time I SWITCHED personalities
with a BEATNIK hair stylist
or my failure to refer five TEENAGERS to a good OCULIST?”
— Zippy the Pinhead
*******
“One doesn’t discover new lands
without consenting to lose sight of the shore
for a very long time.”
~~ Andre Gide ~~
*******
“What can we gain by sailing to the moon
if we are not able to cross the abyss
that separates us from ourselves?
This is the most important of all voyages of discovery,
and without it,
all the rest are not only useless,
but disastrous…”
~~ Thomas Merton ~~
*******
“Adventure is not outside a man; it is within.”
~~ David Grayson ~~
*******
“Every ordinary moment, every little detail
should be a celebration of your personal understanding.
Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“He declared that he knew nothing, except the fact of his ignorance.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius — Socrates, xvi ~~
*******
********************************
I’m not entirely sure how, (much less why….), but, it’s done. Since I blew off yesterday, I have to say, it’s not bad for one thrown together at the last minute. Regardless of how it may have turned out, we’re going with it, as it’s too late to do it over. I will, however, maintain our standard of honesty, to give you fair warning, I’ll be back tomorrow to try again; you might want to mark your calendars. Until then, y’all be strange, because, why not?…. See ya, ffolkes….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. My brain hurts. Well, I suppose that’s a bit dramatic; in truth, it only hurts if I try to use it. Since even the act of typing requires some minor neural activity, getting this intro done would be a literal pain. But, I have a solution, if only temporary in nature. Yesterday, while perusing one of the older pearls suggested at the bottom of each post by WP, I found an excellent intro section; I’ve decided to cheat unmercifully, so we’ll use it here…. I like it, and so will you….
From 1/4/2013:
Multiple choices should be outlawed in the early morning; they only lead to frustration and angst. Hell, even the simple choice of getting up or not, once awake, can be agonizing enough to ruin much of the subsequent day. Of course, having the choice to make is better than the alternative, for sure. I know I’d sure hate to wake up dead…… THAT would tend to spoil the best of days before it even got started, wouldn’t it?
I’m thinking it may be a good idea, at this point, to cease and desist traveling on this particular road. It comes to mind that I’m writing myself into a corner I won’t be able to get out of easily, so we’ll hare off in a new direction, to save myself the trouble later on. One of the few advantages to this aging process is the increased use of foresight to save trouble; I sure wish I’d started sooner, as it is an extremely handy, and efficient, habit to cultivate. It is hard to describe just how much time and effort it saves me, which, at this point in my life, makes it a most valuable habit, as well. I wouldn’t be able to get half as much done as I do without using it frequently…..
Silly me, though…. I got so busy patting myself on the back for having avoided a pitfall, I walked right into a subject change without any idea of where to go with it….. Hang on, this may take a moment or two, then we’ll be off again…. Okay, I’m back, with more proof of Murphy’s ubiquitous presence in reality. There I am, cruising along, writing this intro, and my own head takes me on a random trip through limbo, with only phantasmagoria as companion to visions of otherwise brilliant conversations. In other words, zip to write about….. Oh well, I got a paragraph out of it, so, it will have to do….
The morning dive for pearls has now assumed a more vital aspect, thanks to the above lackadaisical effort at erudition. It would no doubt be best for me to just chuck up the rest of this section, and hope the remainder of today’s material will carry the process home. I’m starting to believe that may be the ONLY hope there is left for today….. so let’s get with it….
Shall we Pearl?….
“He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost any HOW.”
Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to this band, which you will find below. I was so jazzed at finding a new band, especially a new (to me) Irish band, and, especially one so versatile in their style. I enjoyed the hell out of the following concert, and, so will you, unless you don’t like music….
I’m up a bit late today, thanks to having actually slept in a relatively normal fashion. The rant from the post which provided today’s intro section also had a most excellent rant, one which is far better than anything I could come up with on such short notice, so, here it is, to sublimate my sense of duty…. Enjoy, please….
From 1/4/2013:
“He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.” — Albert Camus
I like to think of myself as a positive sort of guy, at least in the sense that I have hope at all. Of late, however, I’ve come to think that this statement by Al might be more accurate than I had given it credit for at first. After a lifetime of observing people, including the Beloved Ruling Class, in all their public glory, I’m afraid he’s right. There doesn’t seem to be much remaining hope that human nature will alter itself sufficiently to save us before it kills us all, as there is no evidence of the needed alterations taking place, nor any indication that they will become amenable to such alteration over time. Those who have the power are not often, stop, make that, are never willing to give up their, to them, justifiably acquired power without a struggle. Doing so is the only way we, as a species, have any chance of surviving the next century; that much is clear……
“In the United States…politics is purged of all menace, all sinister quality, all genuine significance, and stuffed with such gorgeous humors, such inordinate farce that one comes to the end of a campaign with one’s ribs loose, and ready for “King Lear,” or a hanging, or a course of medical journals.” — H. L. Mencken
This is a pretty good description of the American political scene. The feeling one gets, after exposure to its machinations for even a relatively short period of time, can leave one with just the feelings brought out by Mr. Mencken; it can get worse, should one actually get involved in the political process themselves. The constant barrage upon the senses by the politicians during a campaign have been known to cause actual medical issues, especially hearing and comprehension problems; it has long been established that lies can have that effect, if not treated with alternate doses of truth on occasion. During a campaign, especially for a national office, the number and weight of the lies that are spewed forth enters the realm of the ridiculous, even the ludicrous, and over-exposure can be hazardous to health, of both your mind, and the nation at large…..
“He wants a shoe horn, the kind with teeth.” — Smart Bee
It took me a minute to realize just why I used this pearl…. It really doesn’t have anything to do with our discussion of politics, other than as a peripheral issue…. A shoe horn, with teeth, is something I’ve always wanted…. (Don’t ask why. It’s another story, and could conceivably lead to legal charges being filed, so we won’t go there….) As a semi-desirable consumer item, I think there is a market, and if history is any indication, we’ll be seeing them advertised on TV any day now. That’s because the BRC, with their supporters, the preachers and bankers, just love to sell us useless shit we don’t need. It keeps us occupied in anything other than looking at what they are really up to. How else to explain Pet Rocks, or Chia Pets? It’s almost as frightening as the whole “air guitar” phenomenon…..
“Picture the sun as the origin of two intersecting 6-dimensional hyperplanes from which we can deduce a certain transformational sequence which gives us the terminal velocity of a rubber duck …” — Smart Bee
Or, don’t, if you prefer. As you might be able to tell, I’ve lost the thread here…. Too bad, really. I love ranting about politicians, and it was progressing very well, until I decided to get humorous. That always seems to puncture the balloon of my outrage, and turn it to a less acidic form of ridicule. Politicians are nasty, vicious creatures in the wild state, and need to be accurately and completely defined, in order to maintain the kind of control over them we need; they’ll do their best to take over if one isn’t watchful, and ruthless in defense of our liberty, the elimination of which is the goal of all politicians. Making jokes about them encourages the proper amount of disrespect, but isn’t mean enough to affect them strongly enough to allow full control; you gotta put on a choke chain, and keep it tight around their necks…..
“A man gazing at the stars is proverbially at the mercy of the puddle in the road.” — Alexander Smith (1830-1867), in Dreamthorpe
That same man is at the mercy of politicians, because politicians thrive on living in the mud, which is, as we know, the primary characteristic of puddles in the road. It is all well and good to keep one’s eyes on the heavens, but eventually we must bring our gaze down to earth, if only to see the mud in which the politicians have mired our steps, binding us to the spot so they can ply us with lies, and more lies…. Bloody assholes, all of them….
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Random Exposure
If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.
Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.
Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.
Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.
Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/22/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Use it or lose it….
*******
“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
*******
“Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise
between the ideal and the possible;
but the world of pure reason knows no compromise,
no practical limitations, no barrier to the creative activity.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
*******
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
~~ Descartes ~~
*******
“My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool;
it gives me all the world and exiles me from it.”
~~ Ursula K. Le Guin ~~
*******
“Only those who will risk going too far
can possibly find out how far one can go.”
~~ T. S. Eliot ~~
*******
“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up people together to collect wood
and don’t assign them tasks and work,
but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
*******
********************************
Such as it is, ’tis done. I’m in a weird space, (this is news?), which is good news for you, since it means I won’t try any further tricks, traps, or even bad jokes. We’re done, and that’s the end of it. Well, until tomorrow, when I’ll take another shot at this. Maybe, someday, I’ll get it right. Tomorrow, you’ll find me here; that’s as close to a sure bet as you’ll ever find…. See ya, ffolkes…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“The shoe that fits one person pinches another;
there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
221B Baker Street, London
Hajime…. I am not certain exactly when, but, I’m coming up on five years here at WordPress, sometime in July, or August, I think. I should check. At any rate, it’s been a while. I’ve attempted to post every day, at least once; though I haven’t quite made that goal, I’ve come pretty damn close, with well over 1500 posts to my credit. While I can regard that as a satisfying accomplishment, I must be honest enough to say, not all of it is what might be called fresh, as I’ve recycled a fair amount of what I’ve written for new posts. I call it cheating, though, with the caveat I’m only stealing from myself. So be it.
Today, I’m still busy, and without my usual sense of unease with not making the deadline I’ve set for myself each day. This has allowed me to fall completely into cheat mode. Below you’ll find a fresh pearl, composed of material previously posted, including my longest-ever rant. It’s all fairly standard stuff, for around here, so, no surprises there. I’ll even go so far as to let it speak for itself from this point on, as I intend to cut this short, Moreover, I’m doing that now, before I lose my nerve. I’ll just push this button, right here, and….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Education is about the only thing lying around loose the world, and it’s about the only thing a fellow can have as much of as he’s willing to haul away.” — George Lorimer
George needs no introduction; quite simply, he was the best. Ever. You can argue if you like, but, that would not be a stellar use of time…. Instead, just listen to the proof…..
One of my Gentle Readers complained of no rant yesterday, so, today, I’m making up for all the rants I’ve missed the past week or so. This may be the longest rant I’ve done, though that’s a guess. It is pretty long, and, though written early in 2014, it all remains perfectly valid, as far as I can see…. I hope you read it all, and pay attention, because it’s all about stuff that affects you directly…. Enjoy!….
From 10/18/2014:
“He must needes goe whom the devill doth drive.” ~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. vii ~~
“As you know, I planned a trip out there for some time, so it fits in very nicely.” ~~ president George Bush, on his trip to LA after the riots ~~
“Nobody goes to bed hungry in America” — R. Reagan
“Politicians aren’t born, they are excreted.” — Cicero
“That it should come to this!” ~~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet — Act i, Sc. 2 ~~
The above five-star pearl is a lead-in group, mostly aimed at those with whom the following discussion is concerned. Below you’ll find two links to articles discussing two separate, but related issues from the news yesterday, found in the UK Guardian’s US edition online. They are both in-depth pieces, with a bit of egregiously egotistic back patting in the first one, but, both are more involved, in-depth, and in tune with the truth than any news organization from the US I can find, with the most important issues made clear, the culpability of the responsible parties made obvious, and the downright evil prevarication by the FBI director laid out for all to see….
After those first two articles, I’ve also included an excellent column on the same subject by one of the Guardian’s staff opinion writers, named Trevor Timm. He gives a good summary of the exact points I wish to cover in his opening paragraph, which I’ve included as an excerpt, below the link. After that, I’ll have a few comments, and we’ll see how it goes from there…. Hitch up your belts, & make sure your backpacks are secured ffolkes, this could take a while…. but, as Lord Peter has been known to say, “This ain’t a joke, Charles! It’s important. Damn important!”…..
“Whisper acknowledged that it researches the location of specific users it believes are posting newsworthy information, but emphasised it typically uses GPS data.
Whisper stressed the IP location data it uses for people who have asked not to be followed is rough and unreliable.
“We occasionally look at user IP addresses internally to determine very approximate location,” the company said. “User IP addresses may allow very coarse location to be determined to the city, state or country level.”
It added: “Whisper does not request or store any personally identifiable information from users, therefore there is never a breach of anonymity. From time to time, when a user makes a claim of a newsworthy nature, we review the user’s past activity to help determine veracity.”
The company strongly rejected any assertion of wrongdoing. “The Guardian’s assumptions that Whisper is gathering information about users and violating user’s privacy are false,” it said. “The privacy of our users is not violated in any of the circumstances suggested in the Guardian story.”
Four days later, Whisper rewrote large sections of its terms of service and introduced an entirely new privacy policy.
Whereas the previous terms and conditions described all of Whisper’s tracking of user location as “voluntary”, the new terms now warn users to “bear in mind that, even if you have disabled location services, we may still determine your city, state, and country location”.
Since becoming aware that the Guardian planned to publish its story, the anonymous app has also inserted a new line into its privacy policy.
It now warns users that turning on the app’s geolocation feature may “allow others, over time, to make a determination as to your identity”.
“…he recognised their embrace of encryption responded to “perceive[d]” market pressures in the wake of Snowden’s disclosures. But Comey suggested that end-to-end mobile device encryption amounted to a safe haven for criminals.
“Are we no longer a country that is passionate both about the rule of law and about their being no zones in this country beyond the reach of that rule of law? Have we become so mistrustful of government and law enforcement in particular that we are willing to let bad guys walk away, willing to leave victims in search of justice?” he said.
Comey acknowledged that the Snowden disclosures caused “justifiable surprise” among the public about the breadth of government surveillance, but hoped to mitigate it through greater transparency and advocacy.
Yet the FBI keeps significant aspects of its surveillance reach hidden even from government oversight bodies. Intelligence officials said in a June letter to a US senator that the FBI does not tally how often it searches through NSA’s vast hoards of international communications, without warrants, for Americans’ identifying information.
Comey frequently described himself as being technologically unprepared to offer specific solutions, and said he meant to begin a conversation, even at the risk of putting American tech companies at a competitive disadvantage.
“Where we may get is to a place where the US, through its Congress, says, ‘You know what, we need to force this on American companies,’ and maybe they’ll take a hit. Someone in some other country will say, ‘Ah, we sell a phone that even with lawful authority people can’t get into.’ But that we as a society are willing to have American companies take that hit. That’s why we have to have this conversation,” Comey said
“FBI director James Comey wants a US government-mandated backdoor into your iPhone and your Google account. But Comey doesn’t want to call his proposed privacy invasion a backdoor. He doesn’t understand how it would work. And he expects everyone who has been horrified by the NSA’s mass surveillance to just sit back, weaken their personal security and trust that the government will never abuse it.
Comey also claimed on Thursday that the “Post-Snowden pendulum” needs to swing back in favor of the government, neglecting to mention Congress has passed literally zero laws reigning in government surveillance. In fact, the main reason the major tech companies are pushing forward with encryption is because the government refuses to follow the will of the people and curtail the NSA’s powers at all. If Comey wanted a careful debate about the right balance of privacy and security before decisions like Apple’s are made, like he also said on Thursday night, maybe he should’ve advocated for that when the NSA was massively expanding their powers for years in complete secrecy.
Twitter tweet October 16, 2014: “Comey’s right: Deployment of strong crypto should be preceded by thoughtful debate. Which we had & correctly resolved 15 years ago.— Julian Sanchez (@normative)
So while we break out the world’s smallest violin as Jim Comey complains about the “Post-Snowden pendulum”, remember: the US government, through its own secret actions, brought this on themselves.”
“Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Star Wars”
I can’t say, with any degree of accuracy, but, I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard such a load of pure bullshit, straight from the bull’s butt, in a very, very long time…. When Richard Nixon raised his peace sign fingers, and stated, “I am not a crook.”, was probably the last time…. I swear, this man, this Comey, who heads up the FBI, obviously has the lowest opinion of the American public’s intelligence of almost anyone I’ve ever seen…. The demon-spawn from hell, Newt Gargoyle, or Gribble, or Grinch, Grngich, or whatever his weird-ass name was, came close on a regular basis, as did that ghoul, Dick Cheney, but, this Über-cop, this gestapo at the head of our nation’s largest domestic police force has, I believe. taken the cake….
Moreover, he implies that anyone who doesn’t support his, and the government’s, grab for power over every aspect of our lives is unpatriotic, a cowardly enemy of American principles, which, according to HIM, start (and, by implication, end…) with submissive respect for the “rule of law”, suggesting that the American public should feel privileged to allow them to have access to ALL of their private information…. Of course, the implied insult here is that only criminals and other unsavory characters should have something to hide from them, and their oh-so-perfect moral position….
What a crock of shit! I can’t say it any plainer than that…. and, I’ve probably said enough by now, anyway…. I’ll leave you with one last wake-up pearl, to think about when you’re assigning blame for what is happening in today’s world….. The FBI director, in his remarks, asks what he considers a rhetorical question, to wit:
“Have we become so mistrustful of government and law enforcement in particular that we are willing to let bad guys walk away, willing to leave victims in search of justice?”
I can only answer with a resounding “Yes, we have! We have lost ALL trust in the police. and the government, with good reason. I wouldn’t trust you to tell me the correct time!”
Well, I might not say that last part to his face, maybe, but, I can assure you, I’d want to, very badly, and would have to exert significant effort of will to refrain from doing so…. though, why I would bother, I don’t know…..
“Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Star Wars”
I was going to leave it at that, but, as I finished, I received an email from EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit activism organization made up of people, like me, and, hopefully, y’all, who are concerned with keeping the internet free of corporate influence and government oppression, to guarantee the open, free interchange of ideas and communication that characterizes how it is supposed to be, as intended by those who created it…. They are one of the entities who brought suit against the government about this issue, in a suit which is now about to be heard by the Supreme Court, along with several others they have supported, or helped to organize…
Below, I have included three links to articles on their home site, which speak to the information and issues of which we spoke above in this section. Each article clearly explains how the government and other entities are trying to subvert the internet, making it a tool for oppression, rather than a tool for expanding human knowledge and culture…. These explain how the government, and their myrmidons, the police, are working to take away the usefulness of having such a means to spread knowledge, wanting instead to keep it for their own use, which involves the control over our lives they so desperately desire….
Good info, ffolkes, well researched and written, very clearly presented…. I’ve donated to this one, which I don’t do, as a rule, but, they’re working hard to protect US, that is, YOU and ME, so, they deserve my support…. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of how the situation stands today….
“The best way to lose freedom is not to do anything.” — Smart Bee
********************************
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 no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.
~~ gigoid ~~
7/26/2013
********************************
Since we’re cheating full out today, here is an old, old-school pearl, with a rather ironic beginning, just to keep things confusing, as if today’s effort here weren’t enough. It’s a good one, though, so, enjoy!….
From 9/18/2014:
In order to say there is at least one fresh section today, I offer for your consideration the following old-school pearl, a random, harlequin style, with no obvious parameters…. often, these turn out to be the very best kind, so, we can hope…..
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they cannot find them, make them.” — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
“Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense.” — Robert Frost
“You can’t make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you’re doing is recording it.” — Art Buchwald
“Certum est quia impossibile est.” [It is certain because it is impossible.] — Tertullian (160-240 AD) — De Carne Christi, c. 5
“One truth stands firm. All that happens in world history rests on something spiritual. If the spiritual is strong, it creates world history. If it is weak, it suffers world history.” — Albert Schweitzer
“Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart – the dark apology for every error. The strong and virtuous admit no destiny. On earth conscience guides; in heaven God watches. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one and dethrone the other.” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton
“He declared that he knew nothing, except the fact of his ignorance.” — Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Socrates, xvi
Works every time…..
********************************
‘T is done, and, done to death, I’d say. I’ll skip the usual witty repartee, if such as this can be so labeled, and leave you to the rest of your day. I hope you enjoyed this little journey through the past. I’ll be back tomorrow, most likely, but, hopefully, with some material a bit fresher than today. In any case, we’re outta here, and now…. See ya, ffolkes. Count on it…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Fewer possess virtue, than those who wish us to believe that they possess it “
~~ Cicero ~~
Are you ever going to finish?….
Hajime…. For some time this morning, while working on what you’ll find below, I considered what might appropriately be used for an opening. Now the time has come to write one, it’s all gone. I’m a bit foggy today, having slept, again, more than expected; of course, my expectations for sleep are dead low, so…. Nonetheless, I don’t think my body, or mind, quite knows how to deal with it, which leaves me in a quandary of confused emotions. I can’t say that state is particularly uncommon, either, but, knowing that makes it no less uncomfortable. Hmph. So be it.
I confess to some nerves today, anyway; Leelu is going in to have her procedure to prevent kittens, an event for which I already am suffering guilt and remorse, even though I know it’s best for everyone. She’ll be at the vet’s until Saturday morning, so, it will be very quiet and subdued around here until then…. Can’t say now how it will sit with me; my PTSD can surprise me sometimes. But, we’ll all get through it, and, now, I’ve used up all there was in my head to put in the intro. Pretty clumsy, eh? Oh, well, we’ll just resort to a very old literary trick, and get where we need to be without further ado. It’s subtle, so, you’ll need to watch closely, or you’ll miss the change….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Mankind has become so much one family that we cannot insure our own prosperity except by insuring that of everyone else. If you wish to be happy yourself, you must also resign yourself to seeing others also happy.” — Bertrand Russell
********************************
Yep. You got it. Classical music, just because I like it, and it’s all I want to hear today…. Deal with it, or leave it off Or, enjoy….. please.
Our rant today will be from the archives, just because I said so. It is about a subject I call A Plague of Evil, which is a euphemism for the sexual abuse that men perpetrate on women every damn day, as a matter of course in this society, which is completely sexist, biased toward men. Our culture is based entirely on their cowardice, exhibiting that cowardice in every aspect of their insanely blind ignorance of themselves, and the world at large…. The simplest way to comprehend the basic flaw in the male of the species is best said this way: men are cowards at heart….
That probably won’t make me particularly popular with most men, but, that’s fine with me, because, quite frankly, I don’t like the assholes anyway…. Let me say this to any males reading this…. just read, and try to set aside your fears & prejudices, none of which you ever thought about before, and just listen up. Try to understand…. much as it strains those almost useless neurons…. And, if you have any questions or comments, use a bit of sense, and make them intelligent, okay? I don’t want to have to put it into the kind of physical message most of you understand best….
From 5/10/2012:
“I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round.” — John Lennon
Men are afraid of women… hence all the jokes about them taking over, over slyly ruling us without us knowing it. Men’s fears of just that thing are what cause him to hate women, because they do not understand them, and fear arises out of lack of understanding. Here are a few examples of such lies, the lies that perpetuate the war between the sexes…..
“My notion of a wife at 40 is that a man should be able to change her, like a bank note, for two twenties.” — Warren Beatty
A lady is one who only shows her underwear intentionally. — Smart Bee
— Yo momma……so fat she has to buy two airline tickets. — Smart Bee
“A beautiful woman is paradise for the eyes, hell for the soul, and purgatory for the purse.” — Smart Bee
“Passionate kiss like spider web, lead to undoing of fly.” — Confucius say (No, he didn’t, but liars don’t care….)
Really, really sexist and paranoid, yes? Yes….
The mere existence of these jokes, and others like them, indicates clearly what men are afraid of in women, and that is their sexuality. We… well, men, not necessarily we men, because not all of us hate them… No I don’t understand them, but that doesn’t make them any less fascinating or wonderfully different. I am aware of my own self, and my own powers, and they have naught to do with what women can do; I feel no need to compare the two, or to assume one is stronger or better. They are just different, and what is different about women is not to be feared, even if not understood. It is just to be learned, that’s all….and the learning is a totally awesome trip, I assure you….
But, back to the sexuality that men fear. It is because these men have never learned to understand themselves, or their place in the scheme of things, that makes them unable to understand women, and turns their ignorance to fear, from thence to hatred and abuse against them. Men cannot stand the thought that a woman might be more important than him, and that is a certain sign of lack of confidence, and of ignorance. Men who know their place in life, and who are confident of their own ability to cope with that place and its demands, have no need or desire to be more important than anyone; they are complete within themselves….
Too many men in this world don’t come anywhere close to this kind of self-knowledge; most go through life without exercising more than two neurons at once, and those tend to lose function whenever the blood goes elsewhere than the brain (such as during an erection). Most men are so afraid of women that they spend half their life telling jokes like the above, and spreading the nonsensical lies that perpetuate this atrocity.
Yes, atrocity, because it is this fear and loathing, of both themselves and women, that leads to issues such as domestic abuse, sex trafficking, prostitution, and abuse of children. The only women who are actively engaged in these activities are those who have been brainwashed to believe the crap they’ve heard all their lives, and who have given up their own humanity; they are very few in number. Otherwise, it is men who perpetrate these vile actions on women…. all because of their own fear and ignorance…. and I say, shame on them, for they are not men, in my world…. they are vicious, unredeemable beasts, and should be put down like the dangerous creatures they are…..
“In the dark colony of night, when I consider man’s magnificent capacity for malice, madness, folly, envy, rage, and destructiveness, and I wonder whether we shall not end up as breakfast for newts and polyps, I seem to hear the muffled cries of all the words in all the books with covers closed.” — Leo Rosten
********************************
A Seasonal Approach
Absolute stillness grips a frozen field,
anticipating dawn with such patient yield
morning burgeoning in dark winter’s hold
brings promise of tales yet to be told.
Lengthening days of pale sun unto night
slowly tell of time’s subversive flight
bringing such original songs of natural fire
with melodies complex in casual attire.
The months are certain they will always win
it is just the way it has always been.
None may argue, nor yet slow life down
Nor dim the eternal beauty of nature’s gown.
Winter evolves from fall into spring,
sending flocks and hearts ever awing.
Summer follows suit, t’other way ’round
Spring into fall, often without a sound.
Life is meant to be lived, beginning to end
choices abound, and change can be a friend.
Yielding with grace to reality’s compelling ploy
fills our plain existence with clean, honest joy.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/2/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Pay attention!
*********
“Be loyal.”
~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
*********
“Even if you’re on the right track,
if you stand still you’ll get run over by the next train.”
~~ Will Rogers ~~
*********
“Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*********
“The great thing about getting older is that
you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.”
~~ Madeleine L’Engle ~~
*********
“Don’t think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm.”
~~ Malayan Proverb ~~
*********
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
*********
“Often when he was looking on at auctions he would say,
“How many things there are which I do not need!”
~~ Diogenes Laertius — Socrates, x ~~
*********
“Deem not life a thing of consequence.
For look at the yawning void of the future,
and at that other limitless space, the past.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 50 ~~
*********
“Iyam what Iyam.”
~~ Popeye ~~
********************************
I can’t say how it happened, but, it’s done, so, we won’t complain, or even question. Instead, we’ll use the same trick we used in the intro, and be done with it for today. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless I figure out a way to stop myself….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
White’s Tavern, Belfast, Ireland Est. 1630 by Royal License
Hajime…. I slept, sort of. Since my lower back decided, right at bedtime last night, to go into sever spasming mode, I had to take a break, go to the local pub, and apply some C6H11O6 to the problem. It worked, naturally, even if I did have to walk home, due to no cabs being available. Not a problem when three sheets into the wind, I assure you. I then crashed, and actually slept for 6 solid hours, only to arise to the glory of the morning after….
SIGH…. Such is life in the big city, I guess. I haven’t got much today, so, other than the old-school pearl, we’ll be archive diving today. So be it. And, so be it, now. I am in such a state I don’t even have any tricks or traps I can use, so, we’ll just have to get on with the show without them. It’s a little ugly, but, that’s the deal…. Here’s how that looks….
Shall we Pearl?….
“My great mistake, the fault for which I can’t forgive myself,
is that one day I ceased my obstinate pursuit of my own individuality.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
********************************
Since we are in suppressed state, a bit of our default is in order. I hope you enjoy it; as usual, it was picked solely for the picture it showed….
Do not confuse ‘duty’ with what other people expect of you;
they are utterly different.
Duty is a debt you owe to yourself
to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily.
Paying that debt can entail anything
from years of patient work
to instant willingness to die.
Difficult it may be,
but the reward is self-respect.”
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
I had intended to write a discussion based on the above statement, which, if you’ve been here a lot, you have seen previously. But, upon reflection, this really needs no embellishment. According to what I was taught about being a Man, by my father, Sarge, this is exactly correct. He never said so, in so many words, but, this is how he lived, and my brothers and I knew, this was what he expected from us…. That’s enough for me.
So be it.
gigoid has spoken…..
********************************
When life calls, ready or not….
Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life’s vicious, vibrant impact.
Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night’s bower, leaving hell to pay.
Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.
Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.
Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well’s the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/10/2012
********************************
Oh, boy! Our final pearl today is my favorite kind. Strange, obscure, full of whimsy and ironic truths, it winds its way with unerring imprecision to the final pearl, which brings all of it together into a nice little package. The shape, size, and contents of that package are, to me, quite clear, but, then, all of what I said about the pearls fits me, too, so…. Enjoy!….
“If you’re going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.” — Whimsical Bee
“Ask a toad what is beauty?…a female with two great round eyes coming out of her little head, a large flat mouth, a yellow belly and a brown back.” — Voltaire
“Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul.” — Mark Twain
“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Organic life, we are told, has developed gradually from the protozoan to the philosopher; and this development, we are assured, is indubitably an advance. Unfortunately, it is the philosopher, not the protozoan, who gives us this assurance.” — Bertrand Russell
“Smoke a little dope and walk out in the air: the stars are all connected to the brain.” — The Who
“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“All of a sudden, I want to THROW OVER my promising ACTING CAREER, grow a LONG BLACK BEARD and wear a BASEBALL HAT!!… Although I don’t know WHY!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” — Scott Beach’s grandfather
********************************
Let it never be said I faded under pressure. It’s done, though I can’t say at all how it turned out. Nor will I make any further attempt to be coherent, as it is becoming rather an onerous task. In fact, I think I’m going back to bed. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as I’m still upright and semi-conscious….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.”
~~ Pliny the Younger — Letters, Book i, Letter xviii, 5 ~~
Shadow of a not-so-crooked old man….
Hajime…. As I sit to begin this morning, I am struck by just how important to my sanity this process has become. Of course, sanity is a question-begging term for most folks, Most ffolkes, too. For me, it’s not a question, at all, at all. I am crazy as a bed-bug, as the saying goes, but, rather than suffer from it, I tend to revel in it. But, then, I am strange, and have accepted it as reality. In fact, being ‘tetched’, as it were, has afforded me untold opportunities in Life, of which otherwise I might never have seen or heard, to my everlasting regret. Since I don’t believe in regrets, I chose insanity.
You see, insanity is not the boojum most folks would have us believe. It is merely another of the many states of mind we humans can adopt, a state which, in truth, is merely another method humans have developed to deal with a big, scary universe they don’t always understand. It isn’t, as we are told, a bad method, it’s merely strange, compared to what most people have experienced. Strange and different don’t always have to mean ‘bad’; if it works to help the person deal with life more effectively than their previous method, well, so be it, in my book. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
But, the rest of the world doesn’t much like strange and different; those two adjectives have, unfortunately, been given a bad rap, in my estimation, and needn’t be viewed askance any more than any other such superlatives. In fact, they offer many advantages the merely sane are unable to even perceive, and, in their own way, are honorable methods for dealing with Life at Large. Well, I find them so, anyway….
I think I’m lost. I haven’t a clue how we got to this point, other than by indulging my own talent for blather. Since we’ve gotten to this point without having any real direction, perhaps it would be best to get on with the show, before we reach the point of no return. We need the return, for the deposit. Therefore, I am calling a halt to any further nonsense, sense, or blather, and will now flip this little switch right over here, which should take us directly to the oyster beds, express-style…. Hang on….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Mongo only pawn… in game of life.”
~~ Alex Karras in “Blazing Saddles” ~~
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Bonnie Raitt
The musical selection for today is an example of pure self-indulgence. I feel like listening to something both soothing, and hot. I can’t think of a better artist to cover both. Here is a live concert from the Oakland Coliseum in 1989. It just doesn’t get any better than this, ffolkes, not in my world…. Enjoy, if you will….
Yesterday, for a time, before my back & shoulders began to react to the oncoming rain we’re expecting today, I spent time commenting on a friend’s blog. He posts mostly about politics and issues in the Middle East, and can be found here: https://lobotero.com/
My comments became rather a lengthy series of mini-rants, and, apparently, have cleared out any angst that had built up. So, in today’s section reserved for such ranting, you get an old-school pearl, designed to create more angst, or, as we like to call it sometimes, stimulating our rage against the Machine…. It isn’t the most pointed pearl ever, but, it gets rather esoteric and strange in spots…. As well, it’s got some rather tasty shots…. Enjoy!….
“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” — Aristotle
“In all levels of life, the sheep are safe only when the wolves are not hungry.” — F. J. Lovret
“If you have ever seen a four-year-old trying to lord it over a two-year-old, then you know what the basic problem of human nature is — and why government keeps growing larger and ever more intrusive.” — Thomas Sowell
“When I was seven years old, I was once reprimanded by my mother for an act of collective brutality in which I had been involved at school. A group of seven-year-olds had been teasing and tormenting a six-year-old. It is always so, my mother said. You do things together which not one of you would think of doing alone…. Wherever one looks in the world of human organization, collective responsibility brings a lowering of moral standards. The military establishment is an extreme case, an organization which seems to have been expressly designed to make it possible for people to do things together which nobody in his right mind would do alone.” — Freeman Dyson, Weapons and Hope
“A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” — Paul Simon
“King Arthur and his armored goons of the Round Table functioned as the Politburo of a slave state: Camelot. Of all who have written on the Matter of Arthur, from Malory to White, only Mark Twain understood this. But Mark Twain was a great writer.” — Edward Abbey
“How many Presidential family members does it take to screw in a light bulb in the White House? Two, Hillary for her office, Bill for the rest of the White House.” — Snarky Bee
“I am quite sure that (bar one) I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed I know it. I can stand any society. all that I care to know is that a man is a human being – that is enough for me; he can’t be any worse.” — Mark Twain — Harper’s Magazine, September, 1899
“If voting could change the system it would be illegal. If not voting could change the system it would be illegal.” — Schroedinger’s Cat
“Our subjectivity
Is a mirrored,
Spiked casket.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
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After the odyssey….
Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound
Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.
Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.
Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.
Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/10/2013
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Naked Pearls
Life according to Jimi
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“But first, are you experienced?”
~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~
*********
“[Freedom is] the power to live as you will.
Who then lives as he wills?”
~~ Marcus Tullius Cicero ~~
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“Make haste slowly.”
~~ Ben Franklin ~~
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“Where no hope is left, is left no fear.”
~~ Milton ~~
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“If you want to be loved, be lovable.”
~~ Ovid ~~
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“I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.”
~~ Calvin Coolidge ~~
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“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world
is to be in reality what we would appear to be;
all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves
by the practice and experience of them.”
~~ Socrates ~~
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“Use a mirror in difficult times:
You will see both cause and resolution.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*********
“If I don’t meet you no more in this world
Then I’ll see you in the next one.
Don’t be late”
~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~
*********
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Having fulfilled the minimum requirements for a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom, we shall take our leave. We shall, in the interim before our return, attempt strongly to rid ourselves of this damnable royal “we” into which we keep stumbling. We are hopeful of success. We are also outta there, until the morrow. Count on it….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 