Certain redundancies are valid….

Ffolkes,

“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

~~ Yogi Berra ~~

new-view

Wow! Great view up here!….

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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pearls_3

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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

10,000 maniacs won’t be enough; triple it….

Ffolkes,

“The believer is happy. The doubter is wise.”

~~ Hungarian proverb ~~

african-parakeet

And, your point is…?

Hajime…. The good news is two-fold; I’m definitely feeling better, well enough to sit, with proper alignment, for up to 15 or 20 minutes. Also, I can feel a poem in there, percolating. The other face of these events, sad to say, is less positive; sitting remains problematic after a time, and the poem isn’t ready to bleed out yet. I figure Murphy’s got his eye on things, and will screw them up, best he can, but, not going to worry about that, since that’s par for the course. I’ll try to be patient, & stay with the program, just in case there’s an opportunity to stick it to HIM for a change. Fat chance, right?

I’m unsure as to how much time I’ve got to get this done; my back is good to go, but, always on edge to complain. To forgo having to give up altogether, I’m going to piece this together quickly, & be done with it for the day, hoping for more time tomorrow. Not like me to depend on chance, but, what can one do in the face of such conundrum? Going with the flow seems like the safest path to take, and, by gosh, we’re taking it. Not only will we do so, we’ll do it now, for luck…. Luck’s about the only chance we have, so, let’s go find it…..

Shall we pearl?….

“The function of an ideal is not to be realized but
like that of the North Star, to serve as a guiding point.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Sublimated Rant

*******

“A short saying oft contains much wisdom.”

~~ Sophocles — Aletes, Frag. 99 ~~

*******

“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*******

“…You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

~~ Bob Dylan, from “Subterranean Homesick Blues” 1967 ~~

*******

“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”

~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~

*******

“They begin with making falsehood appear like truth,
and end with making truth itself appear like falsehood.”

~~ Shensione ~~

*******

“The human mind is a dangerous plaything, Boys.
When it’s used for Evil, watch out!
But when it’s used for Good, things are much… nicer.”

~~ the Tick ~~

*******

“I know a lot of people without brains who do an awful lot of talking.”

~~ The Scarecrow, Wizard of Oz ~~

*******

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Comedy_Tragedy

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

12/6/2013

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One of these days, I’m going to learn HTML; the things it does might just make more sense if I knew the language. SIGH…. Formatting issues aside, hopefully fixed, it’s done. To keep from blowing it up entirely, I’ll end it here, with the usual caveat. I’ll be back, and that’s all the warning you’ll get…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 9678

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Use the inflatable version, please….

Ffolkes,

“If you are out of trouble, watch for danger.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

Glasgow-Greenock Port 029

View from the heights, Greenock, Scotland

Hajime…. I faded away yesterday, having decided to honor the holiday by refusing to do any work. Yes, I’m an odd duck. Nonetheless, I’m back today, though without any real clue as to why I’m so inclined. However, blogging is much like being president of this country, though without the need to lie with every other word. Ooh, that was almost mean; too bad my insult button is worn out, isn’t it? I think I’ll just eat some worms.

I seem to have lost my muse; it’s that, or I’m rusty from disuse. I suppose the only thing to do is get on with the pearls for today, & be done with it. Considering the amount of material I’ve posted in the last five years, a few short Pearls won’t alter the overall picture much. To save us all some time, and probably money, (not that I care a whit), we’ll get on with that right now. Since trimming the format, no tricks are needed to get us where we need to go. Now, I just say this….

Shall we pearl?….

“There is no system so perfect no one needs to be good.”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Stuff to remember….

*******

“Inquiry is fatal to certainty.”

~~ Will and Ariel Durant ~~

*******

“There is nothing new under the sun,
but there are lots of old things we don’t know yet.”

~~ Ambrose Bierce ~~

*******

“Happiness is the only good,
reason the only torch,
justice the only worship,
humanity the only religion,
and love the only priest.”

~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~

*******

“A good example is the best sermon.”

~~ H. Jackson Brown ~~

*******

“A good laugh is sunshine in a house.”

~~ William Makepeace Thackeray ~~

*******

“Know how to listen,
and you will profit
even from those who talk badly.”

~~ Plutarch ~~

*******

“If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence,
try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.”

~~ Bix Bender ~~

*******

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

Having reached the minimum standards, we’ll cease and desist. Y’all never thought to see such efficiency here, did you? I know I didn’t. But, regardless of any such minor considerations, I’m determined to go ahead & post it anyway. Go figure, right? You see, this gives me the chance to say, yet again, I’ll be back. In fact, I don’t think there’s much anyone can do to stop me; I am my only enemy. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, given a fair wind & a rising tide…..

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pomegranates in lime coulis, to go….

Ffolkes,

“Grain grows best in shit.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Dinner in Beijing ~~ Two Dollars Each

Hajime…. This morning, I find myself in an odd state of mind. I managed to get some sleep, though I couldn’t tell you why it happened. Since it did, I’ve got a bit more than my usual amount of energy; can’t say it’s exactly topped off, but, hey, better than the alternative, right? Then, as I sat to begin, I saw the opening quote, which I used yesterday on FB as a status report. To me, the small aphorism from Ms. LeGuin is one of the deepest pearls ever created; think a while on it, and you will see why….. It stimulates deep thinking, in me, anyway, and I tend to go into an introspective mode…. This is both a good and a bad thing, in re: writing….

Good, because it’s always good to look inside; bad, because what one finds isn’t always writable. Today, the latter is the case; I went deep inside, only to find issues not ready for public consumption. I did manage to leak out a poem yesterday, though it’s one of the oddest poems I’ve done. I’ve also repeated myself on the music today, simply because I spent much of the day listening to the artists on P4C, and wanted to share it. The old-school section turned out pretty well, too, so, perhaps we should just get on with this mess, before I wander into uncharted territory, & find myself with no way back…. I think, in fact, we’d best do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Never cry over spilt milk. It could’ve been whiskey.”

~~ “Pappy” Maverick ~~

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Yield_Logo

Playing For Change

I spent an hour or more listening to the playlist for P4C, and decided to go with it again today. You can’t miss, ffolkes; it’s all good stuff. Enjoy!….

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Sittin’ On The Dock o’the Bay

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https://youtu.be/Es3Vsfzdr14

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Morning muse

Morning Muse

Our discussion today comes from the archives. In actuality, when it first appeared, this was an intro section. At that time, I was spending a lot of time writing, so, much of what is there is rather long & involved. This one is a discussion of why I Pearl, so, I thought it might create some little bit of understanding, about me, and what keeps me doing this every damn day…. Well, I guess, in truth, that’s another story altogether, which we’ll save for another day, as this one is quite long enough for our purpose. Enjoy!….

From 2/28/2014:

Ffolkes,

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

One of the reasons I like aphorisms so much is demonstrated perfectly by this one, from our old friend Seneca, whose contributions to historical wisdom frequently grace these pages. Without fuss, without bother, and with great clarity, he delivers one short, pithy statement, that serves to provide the reader with a piece of knowledge that will serve them well their entire life, if they are able to absorb it, meld it into their own beliefs, and use it as a guide for moral, ethical, or merely honorable behavior…. In other words, good advice in a few words…..

It isn’t as simple, or as easy as it appears; I know, I’ve tried…. I’ve come up with a few, but, I’ve noticed that even those are a matter of recycling knowledge that has been part of human lore for generations. There is good reason behind the old adage about “nothing new under the sun”…. I find countless examples of statements from historical figures, like Seneca, or Plutarch, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, or any of their contemporaries, where the same idea has been re-stated, sometimes in a better way, others not so much….

But, no matter who said it, or how well it was said, many of these sages gave us pearls, of Real wisdom, that have proved their worth by their survival into the present, with the same degree of truth and relevance they held when they were first uttered. They also demonstrate another point that comes up here at ECR regularly, which is how little human nature has changed over the centuries since mankind first began making observations about himself as a species….

Each of the names I mentioned above, at one time or another, has given us some statement that describes a problem they faced in their society, usually from the pre-Christian era, which makes it well over 2000 years ago. I find that virtually every kind of issue that was described as being a problem for them remains as troublesome today, for us, as it was for them….

Mostly, those things are involved with how people get along, or not, i.e. the results of how they treat each other…. It seems we’ve always been plagued with a certain percentage of assholes in the demographics of our populations, whether we were living in caves, or in magnificent cities….. The assholes have always been with us, and have always made their presence known in such a way that we still hear about it today….

This is the primary reason for my own skepticism about the future; if we haven’t been able to find any viable, permanent solutions to the actions of those few of us who don’t give a shit about the others in the 5000 years or more we’ve been talking about it, then what makes us think we’ll be able to solve those issues now? Well, nothing, really…. I don’t think we will be able to solve that issue, and I don’t think we’re going to make it, in the long run…. not without making some major changes, and I don’t see any way that will happen….

All of this, I suppose, was a long winded, rantish sort of way to try to find something interesting to write about for an opening…. I didn’t really intend to come to such a moribund, morbid conclusion, at least, not so early, and not without some more lucrative ranting (lucrative in terms of venting more angst than this mild-mannered outburst could ever provide….), but, I suppose logic dictated the outcome more than desire, so, we’ll just have to deal….

I note, however, with some small degree of pride and satisfaction that yes, we DO have enough to call this an intro, even if it really doesn’t resemble one much at all…. For today, it’s the best I’ve got, and it will have to do…. I’ll try to be a bit more optimistic in what comes after, okay?…. More like the original pearl from Seneca….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Those whom true love has held, it will go on holding.” — Seneca

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Blue chameleon

It’s hot today, with chances of pain & rain.
So it says on the news.
Guess there’s nothing to do again
unless it’s sing the blues.

The blues are gettin’ old, though.
So I say, & I should know.
I been singin’ the bloody songs, y’know?
For what seems a long row to hoe.

S’pose it could get better someday.
I’ve heard that tune before.
Always seemed out of tune anyway;
I ain’t waitin’ any more.

Bang those drums & kick the cans.
May as well raise some hell.
Clang together some old pots & pans;
It hides the little voices so well.

Never worry, don’t you fear at all.
We’ve got certificates of note.
Bureaucratic protections, officially small.
Non carborundum illegitimi, he wrote.

Time, and circumstance, wrote me today.
It came in the daily mail from home.
It said I shouldn’t write unless I say
you’ll be charged for the distance you roam.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/28/2016

Hmm…. strange poem. But, there it is…. I’ll think about it tomorrow….

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Life Lived Well, Ed to Ed

*******

“Perfection is a minor virtue.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

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

~~ Sophocles — Antigone, 706 ~~

*******

“Bear, do not blame, what cannot be changed.”

~~ Publius Syrus ~~

*******

“In answer to the question of why it happened,
I offer the modest proposal that our Universe
is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.”

~~ Edward P. Tryon ~~

*******

“He only earns his freedom and his life
Who takes them every day by storm.”

~~ Goethe, from Faust ~~

*******

There is no w”ealth but life.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

*******

“We live in the kind of world where courage is the most essential of virtues;
without courage, the other virtues are useless.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

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

Well, there you go. It’s a Pearl; no doubt about that. Moreover, it’s done, our favorite state to find them. I think, today, we’ll leave it just as it is, & go post it before I lose my nerve. I shall, as always, return tomorrow, if my luck holds…. It’s worked so far, so, we’ve got a good chance…. See ya….

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Intimate moments of inane prattle….

Ffolkes,

“Life, as we know it, does not exist.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

Spring in the creek

 Spring, springing….


Hajime…. My morning routines are evolving again. I’ve had to set the deadline for getting the Pearls done in the morning an hour or two ahead, as I’m now able to sleep, and not up every morning about 3 AM. Yay, me…. In addition, it’s good to know my age is not keeping me from undergoing changes needed to keep on a balanced, steady course. Once we lose the ability to change, our time here is done, pretty much, for only the dead do not change. Well, as pointed out to me once, they do rot, which is change, but, it no longer concerns them, does it now? Right.

Hmm…. I can’t say that’s the most gripping, or compelling opening I’ve done, but, I can say it’s not even close to being either one. I’d delete it & start again, but, I’m already later than I’d hoped to be this morning, so we’ll just pretend it’s fine, and get on with it. I still have three sections to complete, & we won’t get there if I keep waffling. Of course, the question as to whether or not ‘getting there’ is a worthwhile pastime is one we won’t bother to justify with a response. That would be both self-serving, and inefficient, and we do try to avoid both of those, when we can…. Today, that’s looking a bit iffy….

Ah, well, so much for vaulting ambition; I think even moderate ambition, or modest, will also be out of our purview, so, let’s not even go there, okay? Instead, I’ll stop fooling around with this, & get on with it. After all, it’s only a matter of time until none of much anything will really matter to us, so, really, what’s the point, eh? Of course, that’s giving in to despair, but, we’re getting rather adept at that, so…. I think, most likely, this would be a good time for me to push this button, which will take us where we need to be, without any further idiocy from the author, who has completely lost his way, and is now stuck speaking in a completely different person. Damn it…. Fuck it, I’m pushing it now….

Shall we Pearl?….

“To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.”

~~ Plutarch ~~


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bonnie (2)

    I couldn’t think of anything new and different, and we just did classical yesterday. So, today, I’ll please myself. Here is my favorite female artist. Red hair, hot guitar licks, and a voice that can send chills up your spine…. The video I chose was the latest I could find, from 2013 BBC sessions she preformed…. Enjoy, ffolkes; I will, for sure….

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Bonnie Raitt Live

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Dont keep calm

“The only way to combat criminals is by not voting for them.”

~~ Dayton Allen ~~


In the past couple weeks, I’ve avoided ranting extensively here. I’ve been putting most of that angst into comments on other blogs, so there hasn’t been enough left here to stimulate my outrage, even though there is more than enough in the news to do so. What I see there only convinces me my bad feelings about what may happen in the next few years are not unjustified….. In fact, the above quote mirrors much of my thought process, for I’ve come to the conclusion that that longer we encourage the idiots who are ostensibly in charge of society, by voting, by paying taxes, by allowing their lies to be truth, the longer the trouble we face will be with us, eventually leading us inexorably to our extinction.

Rather than try to force out all that is in there, boiling over, I’ll throw out some pearls, from which you can build your own rant in your mind. Oh, it’s not hard; don’t be afraid. Just follow the bouncing ideas, and you’ll see how much fun it can be to take the Asininnies for a spin down Insult Lane…. Here, then, for your viewing pleasure are today’s pearls, to string together & throw at the Beloved Ruling Class, the Dogma Dogs, the Faceless Mrymidons, and all the other Asininnies we have come to know and, hate so well….

“All riches come from iniquity, and unless one has lost, another cannot gain. Hence that common opinion seems to be very true, “the rich man is unjust, or the heir to an unjust one.”  Opulence is always the result of theft, if not committed by the actual possessor, than by his predecessor.” — St. Jerome (340?-420)

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

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.” — Laurence J. Peter

“Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war.” — Plutarch — Life of Caius Marius

” When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl!” [When cryptography is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy!”, ROT-13 encrypted]  — Brad Templeton of ClariNet

“We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” — Titus Livius

“Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.” — New Testament — Matthew vii, 13

Lions in the street and roaming,
Dogs in heat, rabid, foaming,
A beast caged in the heart of the city.
The body of his mother lying in the summer ground,
He fled the town.
Went down south across the border,
Left the chaos and disorder
Back there, over his shoulder.
One morning he awoke in a green hotel,
A strange creature groaning beside him.
Sweat oozed from its shiny skin.
Is everybody in? The ceremony is about to begin.

~~ Jim Morrison, “Celebration of the Lizard” ~~


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

Comedy_Tragedy

    I’ve been feeling as if there’s a poem in me, percolating, but, it has not yet reached the stage where I can open a vein to let it out. Here, instead, is the last one I wrote, not so long ago…. I hope you enjoy it…..

Augmentation: Inner Aye

Distant, peals of thunder, vividly.
Closer, a patter of rain, falling gravidly.
Between the light and the darkness of fear
find merely the remnants of one lonely tear.

Do not hate us, though we have not sinned;
eager for courage, upon whom all hope is pinned.
Tales of insolence, hatred, or fallen virtue
fill us up, not down, in such pristine foreign venue.

Capable hands severed, able hands tied;
the future is angry, all but now denied.
Multiple times, warnings sounded across the pale
nobody heard, nobody came to tell the tale.

Gifted by time, salience fails in epic rhyme;
watchmakers watching, each a separate crime.
Logical solutions refuse to emulsify
forever pretending to cruelly crucify.

Blood will fly alongside pertinent composure,
never seeking, never finding tea, or closure.
Falsely laid trails on mountains of gold
imply no happy endings, no fortunes told.

Ages past have no time for repetition;
further chances only lead to perdition.
Destiny feels a shameful portion of guilt,
for a thousand sand castles, never built.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/2/2016


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Dragon Bookends/Random Thoughts

*********

“Safety is on the shore, but the pearl is in the ocean.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

*********

“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

*********

“Clouds come floating into my life,
no longer to carry rain or usher storm
but to add color to my sunset sky.”

~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~

*********

“Art has an obligation to offend.”

~~ Edward Albee ~~

*********

“When I was a lark, I sang; when I was a worm, I devoured.”

~~ Theodore Roethke ~~

*********

“Man needs, for his happiness,
not only the enjoyment of this or that,
but hope and enterprise and change.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

*********

“No falsehood lingers into old age.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

*********

“If you can, help others.  If you can’t, at least don’t hurt others.”

~~ the Dalai Lama ~~

*********
“Enjoy yourself–it’s later than you think.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~


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

Well, I beat the odds, though slowly. It’s all fresh though, except for the poem, which is about as fresh as I can do. Regardless of aught else we might say, it’s done, so, I’ll be nice, and end it here, and now. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody comes up with a better plan….

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Too shy to prance….

Ffolkes,

“One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.”

~~ James Russell Lowell, Shakespeare Once More ~~

pontius rhea

“It all moves ~~ nothing stands still.” — Heraclitus

Sonoma Creek, Spring 2016


Hajime…. Today’s Pearl will be another truncated version of the usual post. Reality continues to demand my attention during the time when I generally put together these pieces; since trying to change reality is a rather fruitless pastime, we’ll go with what we can do, and be done with it. Moreover, I don’t feel I can even spend the time to be silly, or tricky, or even odd, to any significant degree, so, I’m also cutting this intro off at one paragraph, at whose end we have already arrived. What you will see below will be all we can do; as you well know, around here, we are firm believers in doing all we can do, for, after all, all you can do, is all you can do….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The deadliest bullshit is odorless and transparent.”

~~ William Gibson ~~


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

    Y’all must have known, after seeing the intro, what kind of music we’d have today. Obviously, we’re going to our default on that, so, enjoy!….

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Classical Music

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buddah-out-to-lunch_s

“I remember now.
I remember how it started.”

~~ Queensryche ~~


In truth, I do remember…. But, this rant grew on me, until, at the last, it fell apart on me. I suppose I got too ambitious, but, I can explain. You see, I found the pearls you will find below, which seemed to me to be a fine outline for an ultimate rant, one that would cover all the ideas I hold regarding human nature, and how it has contributed to the problems we face in the world today…. That, apparently, was too much to put together…. So, I decided to trust the process again, since I’m short of time and material for today, and go with the pearls themselves, in old-school style, and let the Gentle Readers create their own rant in the comfort and safety of their own mind…. Slick eh?

So, here are the pearls; it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what I would have written; they’re pretty clear to me…. I hope you enjoy this little cheat. Hey, it’s better than a thousand more of my words on what is essentially ‘bad stuff’, right? Right…. Let’s do this, ffolkes, and get on to the poem for today…..

“You are a slave!”

~~ Morpheus, The Matrix ~~

*******

“There’s nothing more demoralizing than money.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

*******

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

~~ Aristotle, Politics ~~

*******

“In God We Trust.”
I don’t believe it would sound any better if it were true.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

“Security is the individual’s responsibility.”

~~ Reality Bee ~~

*******


“True myth may serve for thousands of years as an inexhaustible source of intellectual speculation, religious joy, ethical inquiry, and artistic renewal. The real mystery is not destroyed by reason. The fake one is.  You look at it and it vanishes. You look at the Blonde Hero–really look–and he turns into a gerbil.  But you look at Apollo, and he looks back at you. The poet Rilke looked at a statue of Apollo about fifty years ago, and Apollo spoke to him. ‘You must change your life,’ he said. When the true myth rises into consciousness, that is always its message. You must change your life.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

*******


“Hardly a pure science, history is closer to animal husbandry than it is to mathematics, in that it involves selective breeding.  The principal difference between the husbandryman and the historian is that the former breeds sheep or cows or such, and the latter breeds (assumed) facts. The husbandryman uses his skills to enrich the future; the historian uses his to enrich the past.  Both are usually up to their ankles in bullshit.” — Tom Robbins

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Comedy_Tragedy

Platitudes for Attitudes

Platitudes shake us, attitudes break us.
Life can be a real pain, y’know?
Still, if we don’t fight where it takes us,
it’s a pretty straight row to hoe..

A lot of what we see and hear
isn’t always in the best of taste.
Life at large can be one long frisson of fear.
Making an effort often seems a huge waste.

Pundits, dogma dogs, myrmidons, oligarchs & pimps;
assholes and predators every one.
Twisted, sick, anti-humans; anomalous, ignorant wimps.
Logic says, every time, lobotomize ’em, & be done.

Illusions, delusions, confusions, a dedicated data dump,
bilious, divisive, spicy with hatred and fears.
Inflation, immigration, promises from the clownish Trump
Leaving even our basest survival heavy with tears.

Ancient sages left signs on the path to peace,
for those with wit to see.
No need for undue effort, no quest for golden fleece.
All we ever need to do, is be.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/29/2015


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Thoughts on Life at Large

*******

“There is no wealth but life.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

*******

“A propensity to hope and joy is real riches;
one to fear and sorrow real poverty.”

~~ Hume ~~

*******

“To laugh often and love much,
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give of oneself;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sing with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier:
this is to have succeeded.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“One doesn’t discover new lands
without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

~~ Andre Gide ~~

*******

“It is never too early or too late to care for the well-being of the soul.”

~~ Epicurus ~~

*******

“How can I lose faith in the justice of life, when the dreams of those
who sleep upon feathers are not more beautiful
than the dreams of those who sleep upon the earth?”

~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~

*******

“It can’t rain all the time
The sky won’t fall forever
And though the night seems long
Your tears won’t fall forever.”

~~ The Crow ~~

*******


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Well, I did it, in spite of myself. Don’t ask, & I won’t be compelled to tell an untruth to protect my ego, okay? It’s silly enough without garnering attention for such indulgence. I’m thinking, given our state of mind, it’s time to shut this down, & try again tomorrow. Maybe I’ll find some wherewithal, or perhaps  bit of coherent thought hiding in a far corner of my mind to share. If not, well, we’ll see what we can do. In any case, we’re done for today, which I am sure is a great relief to all. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should reality fail to stop me, 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Barrels of wobbly weasels….

Ffolkes,

“A short saying oft contains much wisdom.”

~~ Sophocles, Aletes, Frag. 99 ~~

Greenock Port

Greenock, Scotland, from the Celebrity Infinity


Hajime…. Strange times are not merely coming; they are upon us. Still, we sleep, wake, and live, in spite of the impending time of trouble that is to come. So be it. This morning, I am feeling my roots, so to speak, deep in the ancient Earth, and the antics of mankind are of little consequence, against the backdrop of Eternity. Our time here is nearly done; we are destined to join the auk, the dodo, and the mastodon as experiments in Life that did not make the grade… In our own case, it will be due to our innate need to search for immortality, not realizing we already possessed that gift. Ah, well, again, I say, so be it, for it is too late to change our nature into something kind enough to survive….

For an early morning mini-rant, that’s not too shabby. To conserve some of the elegance it shows, I’m going to make the unusual executive decision to stop the intro from getting overzealous, ending it in this paragraph, long before we normally give up on the morning dose of blather and nonsense. I think I can make up for it below. Whatever the case may be, we are going on right now; what’s more, there is nothing any of us can do about it now…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~


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Prince

Prince

Image from http://www.factmag.com via Google Images


Normally, I don’t do tributes here, other than as simple admiration for genius. Since this man was such, it’s only fair he be included. I came across this video on a new Twitter site I’m following. It’s a cut from the 2004 Rock Hall of Fame ceremony, with a number of other artists playing the classic guitar piece by George Harrison (whose son plays along with the group), “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

Ffolkes, I have to say, in the last two minutes, Prince puts on what I believe may be the best ever virtuoso guitar solo I’ve ever seen. Eric Clapton played with George to create the original; this takes their genius at least two steps higher. All I can say is, wow. He just kills it, and makes it look easy, like all he did musically. I never got into his music much; it’s a bit esoteric for my taste. But, I have always realized it was my own ear that could not appreciate him, for he is, and always was, one of the best who ever made music, of any kind…. Moreover, he was an artist of integrity, in that he refused to be anything but himself, and true to his own art…. Not many are truly original; he was completely so.

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Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood,
Jeff Lynne and others
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

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Yin-Yang-symbol-sun-and-moon

    The rant isn’t done yet; as I have been writing it, it keeps widening in scope. Here is a discussion on reality from 2012 that will do nicely as a sublimation. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s not too long, or too complex, though it does not lack depth in which to explore….

From 11/22/2012:

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them.  That only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality.” — Lao-Tzu

I’m not sure how to take this…. I found this quote from Lao Tzu AFTER writing the above intro, and AFTER writing the third section’s pearl below. As always, Lao Tzu makes obvious the reason why I am feeling my discomfort, and points out how to get past the pain, caused, as usual, by my own perceptions, and my reaction to them. But, at the same time, this time, it occurs to me that although we cannot force reality to do what we want it to do, there does seem to be a rather unbalanced percentage of results that favor the bad guys, rather than evidence that supports an even, or even random, set of chances. I mean, yes, this does parallel my own philosophy’s axiom #2, almost exactly, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to me when the universe does present us with natural and spontaneous changes.

And, really, it is not. But, from what I can see, objectively, it seems easier for the bad guys to take advantage of the system as it exists, and for them to achieve the results they desire. It seems that if the universe were truly a random deal, then those chances of success would be equal for both the rich and the poor; seems only fair to me…. But, then, I am not the universe, and most simply put, I care, and it doesn’t. That is what makes the difference, and is why the bad guys win so much more often…. If one is the kind of person who cares about others, then fairness becomes an issue. If one doesn’t care about others, then it is not an issue, and one can use all the advantages the universe offers to those who would lie, hurt others without compunction, and cheat their own mothers, (well, who knows… they MIGHT feel guilty about it, but they would still do it….) to achieve their own ends. This is why the world is like it is, quite frankly…. because there are two types of folks in the world, and one of them insists on playing fair….

You know what, though? I don’t care, ultimately, how unfair it is….. Each of us has to make a decision about how we are to approach life, and whether or not we will be the kind of person who will take advantage of others to get what we want. To do so is to give in to the Dark Side of the Force, in my mind, and I just won’t do it…. Yes, I could have a lot more, and be a lot more comfortable, physically…. I could be rich, if I didn’t care about other folks…. But, I do, and I also enjoy being able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning without any shame…. I mean, doing that is already a dangerous occupation, as my face is far from what I’d call pretty, or even handsome…. but, it is an honest face, and that is what I care about….

So be it…. Let reality  be reality, ffolkes, and let the chips fly where they may…. All we can do is all we can do, anyway, right? Right……

“You cannot believe in honor unless you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” — George Bernard Shaw

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Comedy_Tragedy

Dawlish Fair

Over the hill and over the dale,
And over the bourn to Dawlish–
Where gingerbread wives have a scanty sale
And gingerbread nuts are smallish.

Rantipole Betty she ran down a hill
And kicked up her petticoats fairly;
Says I I’ll be Jack if you will be Gill–
So she sat on the grass debonairly.

Here’s somebody coming, here’s somebody coming!
Says I ’tis the wind at a parley;
So without any fuss any hawing and humming
She lay on the grass debonairly.

Here’s somebody here and here’s somebody there!
Says I hold your tongue you young Gipsey;
So she held her tongue and lay plump and fair
And dead as a Venus tipsy.

O who wouldn’t hie to Dawlish fair,
O who wouldn’t stop in a Meadow,
O who would not rumple the daisies there
And make the wild fern for a bed do!

~~ John Keats ~~


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ankh

    Our final pearl today is not a typical pearl, nor particularly old-school, as the old-school didn’t have graphics. I’d like to give y’all a short little piece on what I consider to be one of the more significant failures of our society, to wit; raising boys to be men. In my opinion, very few fathers today have the necessary ability themselves to do the job properly. For one thing, they talk too much, and act too little. They also mostly do not take the responsibility for their own life, or decisions about ethics, or much of anything, preferring to deny their own intelligence, accepting anything they are told, no matter how egregiously wrong or unethical it may be.

That, of course, is my opinion, but, I think there is plenty of evidence to support those assertions. I’m not the only one who thinks so, at all; sadly, very few are trying to do anything about it. To give an idea of what I believe has contributed to the issue, here is one pearl, and one graphic, which will show what I believe to be the way an adult human male ought to be; what he needs to believe, and, needs to be, in order for our species to have any chance of becoming adult at all….

“Boys become men by watching men, by standing close to men. Manhood is a ritual passed from generation to generation with precious few spoken instructions. Passing the torch of manhood is a fragile, tedious task. If the rite of passage is successfully completed, the boy-become-man is like an oak of hardwood character. His shade and influence will bless all those who are fortunate enough to lean on him and rest under his canopy.” — Preston Gilham

rules of a gentleman

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Well, it’s done. I’m sure it’s a bit choppy, and truncated in spots, but, it’s going to have to do, cuz it’s all I’ve got today. I’m tired, and grumpy, and want to go back to sleep. Fortunately, being retired, I can do that, and will, as soon as I figure out a way to stop typing. Whew! Thought that period would never show up. Okay, I’m done. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, come hell, or high water, both of which are in our future, along with my return here in the morning….

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Organized reserves of flippancy….

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~

captive

Captive Beauty


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

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

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

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

Shall we Pearl?

A wise man once said …”I don’t know.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~


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

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

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Classical Music

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About Hopi Indian Symbols

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

From 2/8/2013:

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

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ Willie Wonka ~~


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

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

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Comedy_Tragedy

Notes of process and program…

Poems, alas, don’t chase through my head,
bumping and pushing each other like brothers at dinner.
They’re more ripped out of my innards, instead.
Time and circumstance reveal no ultimate winner.

Simmering and bubbling near my unconscious mind
these maddening rhymes blind me sans glimmer.
Building until bursting as if to be dined and wined,
the remaining denizens appear much slimmer.

Fiery visions retain such glorious fatal dimension,
in retrospect, yet fail to leave a permanent scar,
until blessed, or cursed, with focused attention,
singing, crying, bleeding, fast as a movie star.

Pretty soon can’t be soon enough, she said
to a chameleon colored thief bathed in moonlight.
Fancy candles in stripes of blue, gold, and red
foster honest dreams in shades of white.

Passage to daylight is problematic, at best:
beastly ghosts of insomniacs cast no shadow.
Even judges with robes can pass the wrong test
while the rest of us go with what we know.

~~ gigoid ~~

1/3/2013


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Good Stuff to Remember

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

~~ Seneca ~~

*******

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

~~ Sophocles — Antigone, 706 ~~

*******

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

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

*******

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

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

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

~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~

*******

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

~~ Erasmus ~~

*******

“Tanstaafl!”

~~ Ancient Sage Bee ~~

*******


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

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

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 2780


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Fluffy pieces of hydrated carbon steel….

Ffolkes,

“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”

~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~

yellow rose

By any other name…


Hajime…. Well, I’m here. It’s been a tough week here at ECR, and in Northern Cali, as the rain continues to move in and out, bouncing the barometer around like a super-ball, keeping me in the throes of inflamed arthritic joints for hours & days on end…. Ah, well, such is life for us old farts, at times; it’s a good thing we’ve had lots of practice by now, or nothing would get done at all. But, I digress, as usual…. I’ve been working on a discussion for the rant section, but, it’s grown so epic it’ll need to wait, so, you’ll see an older pearl there today. Otherwise, it’s all as normal as we get around here, and pleasant as white bread toast.

Naturally, having begun today’s mess with a chatty, informative tone, we’ll need to find a different direction to take, to get us toward the oyster beds we prefer to inhabit during our time together. Y’all wouldn’t have any ideas, would you? No. Okay, well, let’s see. Oh, I suppose I could…. no, just did that. Hmm, how about this one? Nope, look, it’s broken. Well, I guess I’ll just have to use the Tardis, and have it washed tonight. Yeah, that’s the ticket….

Okay, if y’all will just file out of the cabin, and head over into the Tardis, we’ll get this slow on the toad for the day. I appreciate your flexibility, and your patience in waiting for me to get my act together enough to put one of these things together. C’est marvellieux! As a thank you, I have entered all your names in our contest, for a chance to win a chance to stay behind next time. Bonus! Okay, I’m done…. Well, I can’t think of any more nonsense, so, that’s the same thing…. Look, what’s that?…. Duck! No, goose!…. Ah, hell with it; Luigi, throw that switch….

Shall we Pearl?

“Thoughts are mightier than strength of hand.”

~~ Sophocles — Phaedra, Frag. 854 ~~


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Yield_Logo

Playing For Change


I discovered this organization a few months ago, and have been nearly obsessed with taking part in their quest, as it fits in perfectly with my own views of how we can possibly achieve some kind of harmony in the world at large. Laughter, music, and love are the answer to all our problems, if freely felt, and given without regard for any delusions that demean humanity, such as religion, politics, or the seriously negative concept of money. None of them are necessary for people to live, as long as we live, as we always need to, in the shelter of each other….

As I listened yesterday to the first couple videos, which I got when I joined the organization as one of their contributing Ambassadors, my resolve to follow this path was strengthened, especially when I chose to listen first to Imagine, John Lennon’s summary of human wisdom, and then One Love, Bob Marley’s matching manifesto, two of the PFC’s iconic statements of purpose, in song…. The film’s participants exhibit such joy, such freedom of spirit, I weep, every time I watch, as musicians from all around the world join to play the tunes, together… I suggest listening to as many as you can, then, join, begin to share the music, and the love it creates….. Enjoy!….

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Playing For Change

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Plato-Aristotle

    Here is a discussion of the principles of personal security, from 2014. It’s a bit long, but, pretty good in spots; I hope you enjoy it….

From 5/5/2014:

I found these two articles yesterday, after posting the Pearl…. As you’ll see, they provide the perfect jumping point for what follows…. I suppose that, as always, ‘perfect’ is a question-begging word to use, but, hey, I calls ’em as I sees ’em…. when I can find my glasses….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/03/everyone-is-under-surveillance-now-says-whistleblower-edward-snowden

I had originally intended to have some words regarding this article, as it speaks to some rather important points…. but, then, I saw the following article, and my angst went right through the roof, stimulating the rest…. Now, read this one…. & just include it all together; it’s all of a piece, anyway….

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/18/cia-torture-architect-enhanced-interrogation

Here, then, is an excellent example of the definition of ‘gigo’, (garbage in-garbage out), from the psychologist responsible for the design and codification of many of the torture methods, including “water boarding”, used by the CIA at Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere around the world….. His comments, which I will examine below, are so egregiously INSANE, I had to read the article in pieces, as I found myself shouting at him, every time he opened his mouth to make one of the reported statements…

I cannot BELIEVE this man was found to be an adequate psychologist, passing his tests and arguing his doctoral thesis, without having at least the basic innate ability to display even an ounce of compassion; I also don’t understand, at all, how he could be considered anything other than the US’s version of the Nazi scientist, the one at Auschwitz, who sent the Jews into the ovens….

Ah, yes, Josef Mengele…. the infamous, iconic mad doctor, the real version, the model for what all the comics use as the ultimate villain so often, whose insanity threatens the entire world, and everyone in it…. I tell you, ffolkes, those people  in Washington, D.C. are totally out of control….  I’m not kidding; the current crop of elected officials, as well as the appointees put in place by those (I stared at this point for a long time, and still  cannot, for the life of me, think of an expletive that it harsh enough…, so we’ll go with a classic….) assholes, all exhibit every single symptom of the violently insane, who believe their own twisted version of reality is the only real one, who hold on to their paranoid delusions so tightly, nothing, and nobody, can tell them differently….

Hell, I don’t even need, in this case, to resort to my special knowledge and experience, of working with the violently insane as a therapist for over 20 years…. These guys lay it out so clearly, right out in public, there’s no need for me to have to explain…. Their own words convict them whenever they condescend to open their mouths about what they truly believe….

Here, let me show you a couple of examples from the second article listed… The comments in quotes are by the protagonist in this drama, James Mitchell, (Piled High and Deep), Ph.D., formerly of the CIA, the psychologist regarded as the architect of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program…. a description taken straight from the article…. You’ll be able to recognize my comments by the anger and vulgarity the statements produce in me….

“The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time,” he said. “You can’t ask someone to put their life on the line and think and make a decision without the benefit of hindsight and then eviscerate them in the press 10 years later.”

You  can’t? Why not? These people were in no danger; there is no danger, no life on the line, when someone tortures another; only the one being tortured is in danger. And if you do something so obviously WRONG, it doesn’t fucking matter a bit how long it is, you SHOULD be vilified in the press. There is no reason on this Earth why anyone shouldn’t KNOW torturing another human being, for ANY FUCKING REASON AT ALL, is NOT morally defensible.  This principle is true even in cases where the ultimate goal is considered good; you’ve no doubt heard the saying, “the end does not justify the means.”

If they didn’t know it was wrong, why didn’t they do it out in the open, where everyone could see what they were doing? Fucking assholes think that their own parafuckingnoia should excuse anything they do….

“Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

“I’m skeptical about the Senate report, because I do not believe that every analyst whose jobs and promotions depended upon it, who were professional intelligence experts, all them lied to protect a program? All of them were wrong? All of these [CIA] directors were wrong? All of the people who were using the intel to go get people were wrong? And 10 years later a Senate staffer was able to put it together and finally there’s clarity? I am just highly skeptical that that’s the truth.”

This one’s easy….and so obvious, I again shouted this at the screen, hoping the asshole would hear me, “Why, yes, you bloody idiot, they CAN, and WERE, all wrong…. and every damn one of them WOULD lie to protect a program, which, in their minds, equals money, or influence….” Then, of course, I realized I was shouting at my computer, so, I sat, tried to calm down, & began to type, to try to release some of the venom and bile that collected so quickly in the face of such evil insanity…. It started when the assbite used the phrase, “Senate staffer” as if that position was held only by persons of dubious character…

When you start from a premise that is wrong, there is no way to make it come out right, and every damn one of those directors started with the idea that whatever they did, right or wrong, shouldn’t be made public knowledge, and that such clandestine prevarication is justified by their goal (which they refuse to consider as anything other than right…. perfect “ipse dixit” logic….)

“If you get the first one in the wrong hole, you’ll never get all buttoned up right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This, of course, is completely contrary to the values upon which our nation was supposedly founded; thus, any acts that indulge in that sort of paranoia, which were made on the basis of that idea, are, from the start, WRONG…. It really is that simple ffolkes, and I don’t understand quite WHY the public doesn’t get that, when listening to these lying, insane fools who pursue their delusional fantasies at the expense of the rest of us….

I reiterate….  “Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater

Bloody fucking assholes, every damn one of them…..

“If I had a large amount of money I should found a hospital for those whose grip upon the world is so tenuous that they can be severely offended by words and phrases yet remain all unoffended by the injustice, violence and oppression that howls daily about our ears.” — Stephen Fry

I’d say the good doctor Mitchell would be one of the first admissions…. I’ll leave you to consider the following, which pretty much sums up what I see happening in the world today, just about everywhere I look…..

“It is okay to be ignorant in some areas, but some people abuse the privilege.” — Smart Bee

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Comedy_Tragedy

Momentary Terror

Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
   leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.

Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
   shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.

Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
   save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.

Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
   such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..

~~ gigoid ~~

12/27/2013


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Esoterica

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“Books aren’t written to be believed in, but to be questioned.”

~~ Umberto Eco ~~

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“If a man take no thought about what is distant,
he will find sorrow near at hand.”

~~ Confucius ~~

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“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

~~ Sir Edmund Hillary ~~

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“Never fear shadows.
They simply indicate there’s a light shining close by.”

~~ Fearless Bee ~~

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“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

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“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

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“Where pain predominates, agony can be a valued teacher.”

~~ Frank Herbert ~~

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

~~ Voltaire ~~

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“OVER the underpass!
UNDER the overpass!
Around the FUTURE and BEYOND REPAIR!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


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I did it. I had my doubts, as is my wont, but, it’s done, with some minor cheating. I hope y’all enjoyed today’s effort, which, believe me, was an effort. I shall make another attempt at this tomorrow, if all goes well. If not, well, you’ll hear from me….

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 6975


À bientôt, mon cherí….

Inculcating indefatigable purposes for fun and potential profit….

Ffolkes,

“Don’t get hit.”

~~ First rule of fighting ~~

flowers 001

Spring breaking free of winter’s prison….


Hajime….. Wait! What’s that? OMG! It’s morning! That’s the sun, bringing light and warmth to our winter’s day, and, here I am, barely awake, sans coffee (still brewing), making the probable mistake of trying to type before having any. Actually, that’s a lie; I AM human, you know, and lies trip off my tongue with the same facility all us humans can bring to the task, just like a politician, who practices more, but, has not a corner on the chutzpah, or, lack of integrity market…. We ALL, at times, use lies to make ourselves more comfortable with reality; it’s our fatal flaw, and will probably kill us, eventually. But, I digress…

Sorry, didn’t mean to fall into ranting mode; it’s the lack of caffeine, I’m sure…. Since I hear the coffee going off, I’ll go get some and see if, maybe, this might get a bit easier, or, at least, more coherently organized. Hang tight, order your own adult beverage, whatever; I’ll be right back….

Ahhh….. now, that’s how I spell good morning!…. Okay, brain switched on, in just a moment or two, we should be ready to take this puppy to the limits of reality, and back, no sweat. Well, not much, anyway; we don’t like to sweat TOO early in the day; we use cheap deodorants. But, maybe that could change, if the plan in place works the way it’s designed to work…. Don’t want to spill the beans too early, but, it it works, things should improve around here quite a bit…. or, not. In essence, who cares, right? Only me, and, I’m stuck with it. So be it. On that cryptic, yet obscure note, I think I’ll use this button over here, to do this…. Pay close attention, now, or, you’ll miss the transition….

Shall we Pearl?….

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

~~ Mark Twain ~~


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Morning muse

    For many of us who lived during/through the 60’s, memories of the time can, in some cases, be rather untenable as to accuracy. But, every minute I spent listening to live music is embedded in my memory, as the best, most fulfilling times of my life. Today’s video is a jam, with Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards all playing off and with each other, in one of the happiest times I’ve ever seen…. Chuck was on fire, having the time of his life, playing rock & roll with some of the best, and the others couldn’t fail to feel the joy, and put it into their music….. On the page where you may find and watch it, there are a number of great jams by artists who don’t usually play together… all worth a listen…. Enjoy!….


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Super Jams

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Plato-Aristotle

    I have made no secret of my opinion of the insubstantiality, not to mention the veracity, of those institutions/concepts upon which our human society is founded…. Or, perhaps, is foundering would be a more accurate phraseology, for, due to what I can only consider a firm belief in a trio of delusions to be the basic, defining characteristic of that society, and, in the end, will be the root cause of how the question of whether or not we will survive as a species will be answered. If we, as a species, cannot recognize the ultimate end of the path we are on, and choose another direction, it is my belief the Earth will soon be rid of us… Moreover, by ‘soon’ I mean, damn near immediately, cosmically speaking….

I have ranted in the past, some might say interminably, about this trio of delusions, to wit: government, money, and religion. Our society’s basic beliefs are founded upon these three ideas, all of which, in my mind, are merely ideas of little worth, all demeaning to the human spirit, and, all of which attempt to control people by the power of their lies and illusions, none of which have any evidential basis in Reality. Each of them, in conjunction with the others, have been used to manipulate the ignorant and weak-minded for thousands of years, to the benefit of a very small portion of the species, and, to the detriment of the rest of us.

As far as I am concerned, until a significant percentage of humanity learns to put these ideas aside, we will continue on the path chosen by the few, all the way to its logical end, in the extinction of the entire species; moreover, in the process of killing ourselves, it seems we will, in our ignorance, be killing off a great many other species, as well, simply because we do not understand either our own nature, or our place in the overall scheme of things as they exist in this Universe.

However, to save y’all from having to listen to me expound on this any further, I’ll switch to an old-school indictment, with some pearls highlighting some of the issues, and, some of the possible solutions…. sort of. You’ll see…. Hey, it’s better than listening to yet another two-thousand word diatribe from me, right? Right… Enjoy, ffolkes…. for as long as we may….

“During my eighty-seven years I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or for the ability to think.” — Bernard M. Baruch

“When a place gets crowded enough to require ID’s, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.” — Robert A. Heinlein, “Time Enough For Love”

“Man is quite insane. He wouldn’t know how to create a maggot, and he creates gods by the dozen.” — Montaigne

“The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase: ‘My religion alone is true.'” — Ramakrishna, Hindu saint & reformer

“Justice and liberty die quietly, because men first learn to ignore injustice and then no longer recognize it.” — Charles Morgan

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

“Give me health and a day, and I will make ridiculous the pomp of emperors.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“Universe: All-purpose poem.”

~~ Ray Hand ~~

Comedy_Tragedy

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012


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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Hodgepodge of Life

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“As knowledge increases, wonder deepens.””

~~Charles Morgan ~~

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“He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other.
He who chooses the beginning of a road
chooses the place it leads to.
It is the means that determine the end.”

~~ Harry Emerson Fosdick ~~

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“Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves.”

~~ Joseph P. Thompson ~~

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“After all there is but one race – humanity.”

~~ George Moore ~~

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“Kindness it is that brings forth kindness always.”

~~ Sophocles ~~

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“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others,
can not keep it from themselves.”

~~ Irish blessing ~~

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“There’s no reality except the one contained within us.
That’s why so many people live an unreal life.
They take images outside them for reality
and never allow the world within them to assert itself.”

~~ Hermann Hesse ~~

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“There are souls in this world which have the gift
of finding joy everywhere
and of leaving it behind them when they go.”

~~ Frederick Faber ~~

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“A human being is a part of the whole,
called by us Universe,
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings
as something separated from the rest
a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison,
restricting us to our personal desires
and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free from this prison
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole nature in its beauty.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~


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Well, it’s done. I’ve annoyed the cat no end, for, in my haste to finish, her cuddle time was put off; now I must deal with a grumpy cat. C’est la vie; sacrifices must be made, at times, to fulfill duty. She’s young; she’ll learn. For now, we shall take our leave, with the usual warning and disclaimer…. I’ll be back, even if somebody tries to stop me…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; it’s inevitable….

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

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….