Today, I’m feeling a bit ragged, and fragile, which only proves part of what we discussed last night, i.e. getting old not only sucks, but, damn it, there is no fucking manual! There are only our observations about getting old, seeing old folks live around us, to gather information, unless we actually discuss it with someone who’s been there, done that. Most of us don’t, because, hey, we’re immortal, right? Age will never get US!

And, just as it does to every one of us, age gets us anyway. Now, we must learn a whole new way to approach living, that involves considering the fragility of our physical bodies, which never before caused us a single moment’s worry, since everything in it worked the way it was supposed, and it never complained unless we took it too far, too fast…. Nobody says anthing, or warns us about this new path we must learn to walk; not only that, but, we have to walk it ourselves anyway….

What a system! I’m beginning to believe that maybe there is a God, and, He/She IS very human-like, because, if this world, and the way it seems to work, with humans in it, quite frankly could have been better designed by my five-year old grandson with his Legos.  The world as it exists today, with hairless apes infesting every corner of the globe, making  a mess of everything, well, it just doesn’t seem like it was very intelligently designed; it’s that, or God got ripped of by a dishonest construction crew, who ended up using flawed material for making US.

That said, why don’t we do something else, a bit less depressing, if nothing else. I know for sure today’s musical selection pass any inspection, and, there’s a fresh rant below that will take us a while to get through. So, we’ll forgo any further tricks or stories or bullshit, and just get on with it. Here is how that looks….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.” — Lena Horne

I would suggest you all gird your grids….

While standing in front of the heater a few moments ago, (it is cold & rainy), all of a sudden, I began to weep….. I didn’t even know why. However having experienced this state any number of times in the past 15 years, it really wasn’t a surprise, as much as a puzzlement, for, it usually happens only when I am feeling strong emotion, & at the moment, all I was aware of was feeling cold….

For the two or three hours previous to this event, I had been exchanging emails with friends, and making & replying to comments on WordPress. I had written a LOT about my view of how the world is progressing, as a whole, a subject which always tends to stir my emotions. I’m a passionate guy, when all is said and done, and, what I see all around the world definitely has the tendency to fan the flames of my anger, and frustration, at the number of people who are suffering oppression everywhere, including right here in this country, which touts itself as the world’s most ethical government, protectors of Liberty…. What a load of horse shit, from the world’s largest seller of arms!

Anyway, my passion also includes a very strong love of people, though to read what I write, that might not come through very often…. I love every one of the ridiculous-looking, overly impressed with themselves, mostly appallingly ignorant hairless apes that runs around this poor, old planet, leaving messes wherever they go…. Every one of them…. Well, except maybe, those who prey on the others…. For them, I reserve the same regard as do the Sun and Moon. i.e. I couldn’t care less if they live, or die; in fact, I’d prefer the latter, especially if they die screaming in terror. However, I do try to be merely indifferent to their fate.

I believe my love for Humanity is merely a way to acknowledge, to myself, the connection to all of them I share, with the planet, the moon, the sun,  stars, and all the other creatures and objects which exist in our complex, beautiful, and, oh, so dangerous Universe…. The danger, of course, comes from the simple fact the Universe itself doesn’t give a sorry shit whether any of us live, die, or go insane…. all of which we are periodically subject to.

I realized, as I stood before the heater, weeping, that I was weeping for Gaia…. for the planet, the people, and all the creatures in this world who suffer at the hands of Humankind, who are all paying the price for our insane entitlement, our lack of moral/ethical fiber, and our brutishly violent nature, complete with an ability to completely forgo the awareness of their own nature, or how they affect everything around them…. the stupid apes.

Sometimes the urge to obtain a katana, a crossbow, and an Uzi, or similar tool, to take up the task of hunting I’ve dreamt of for so long is almost too strong to bear, or resist; so far, so good, though…. My choice of targets would be, of course, rather obvious, to any who read here often, as well as to the NSA, etc…. I’m sure, by now, those folks (note spelling) are well aware of my opinion of ALL of them, and their ilk…. so, there’s no need to go into that here. Let’s merely say I’m pretty positive I’d enjoy my hunting trip, should I ever actually LOSE my mind, and leave the house suddenly, sans all electronic devices, and, fully armed….

You see, I do know who is responsible for much of what is going on in the world. They’re actually pretty easy to spot, once one accepts their own nature; that is necessary to be able to see them, for they too accept theirs…. The difference is, they don’t have a certain set of neurons, or a gland, or whatever it is that helps us humans to control the beast within; in fact, they revel in their brutality, their cruelty, and their ability to lie, to create illusion, and take advantage of every other human alive. I, and, all too few others, who do have that gene (I settled on that word as the signifier of the most likely culprit for their lack of moral fiber), can see them, and, know very well how to be like them. The difference is, but, we refuse to do so….

“We, the people…” The men who used those words, and the words of the quote above from J.T. Kirk’s scriptwriters (doesn’t make the words less valuable, does it?) understood this about Humankind, and, made a valiant attempt to set up a system whereby those perverted, broken excuses for a human being would be unable to spread their lies, or influence the welfare of the general populace…. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they were aware of how lazy and stupid the average human can be, nor. the already ubiquitous power of the oligarchs then extant….

They did note the flaw after wards, and left warnings to future generations; Tom Jefferson is well-known for several statements warning Americans to stay informed, and to watch their government like hawks for signs of corruption…. For example:

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

But, not enough people listened, and most were too lazy, or busy ‘pursuing happiness’ to notice what was happening to their rights as citizens, while they were being steadily eroded, starting within hours of the signing of the Constitution. Thus, today, NONE of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are intact; every one has been abrogated at least partially. Falsely generated flames of fear amongst the population now rage, caused by, and fanned by, that very government, in order to fool the people into giving up the last of those rights, to wit: the right to bear arms….

That final right has yet to be abrogated absolutely, at least in this country, where it has been protected for a long time, by the simple fact there are more guns among the populace than are in the hands of the government, and, they know it. So, the campaign to rid themselves of that threat has progressed slowly, by stages, as the elite use their control of media and elected officials to fan the flames of fear among those whom they have convinced it is too dangerous for people to have weapons;  so, according to those who foster these illusions, more, and more, and more regulation and control over weapons is needed “to protect society.”

Did you spot the lie in their story? I hope so, because too few people do…..

I’m tired; weeping, then ranting isn’t easy on a 65 year-old who’s been ignoring pain, and cat, for about an hour now…. To finish, I’ll end with a very old Pearl, one I’ve used many times in the past, long before I retired, or began writing this blog.This particular pearl was put together to honor the author from whom I learned the most about real thinking, just by reading his novels… He spent his 80-some years on Earth doing a lot of it, very well….

Plus, most of these give us an idea of not only how to resist the oppression we ALL suffer, but, how to go about living well, in spite of it….  I hope y’all think about every one of them, but, pay particular attention to the last three….

From 9/20/2012:

Here are some true pearls of virtual wisdom from the acknowledged Grand Master of Science Fiction…… arrogantly solipsistic, delightfully honest, absolutely moral according to whim, and eminently useful in pursuing a full life of honor and joy…..

“The only real sin is hurting others unnecessarily. All other sins are made up nonsense…. (Hurting yourself is not sinful, just stupid.)”  — Robert Heinlein

“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom… and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.”
“You butt into other people’s business.  All the time.”
“Who said I was wise?  I’m a professional bad example.  You can learn a lot by watching me.” –Dr. Jubal Harshaw — Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein

“Don’t store garlic near other victuals.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of “loyalty” and “duty.” Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute — get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

“There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it?” — Robert Heinlein

“The more you love, the more you can love — and the more intensely you love. Nor is there any limit on how many you can love. If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.” — Robert Heinlein

Last, but, far from least….. a statement that serves as an adjunct to Peruaosophy, and indeed, as part of the basis by which that philosophy was created…..

“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.

But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible. It is easier to deal with a footpad than it is with the leech who wants “just a few minutes of your time, please — this won’t take long.” Time is your total capital, and the minutes of your life are painfully few. If you allow yourself to fall into the vice of agreeing to such requests, they quickly snowball to the point where these parasites will use up 100 percent of your time — and squawk for more!

“Your education has failed you if you have not learned forgiveness, compassion, and love.” — Zen Bee

“We want the facts to fit the preconceptions.  When they don’t, it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions.” — Jessamyn West

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” — Epicurus

“…and remember you’re a Man, not just god, and for you there aren’t and never will be any easy answers, only questions, and no reasons, only causes, and no meaning, only intelligence, and no destination  and no kindly magic smiling down from above, and no fires to goad you from below, only Yourself and the Universe and what you make out of the interface between the two equals.” — Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_

“Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.” — Josephus Daniels

“All the magick of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.” — Magi

“If a person is to get the meaning of life he must learn to like the facts about himself — ugly as they may seem to his sentimental vanity — before he can learn the truth behind the facts. And the truth is never ugly.” — Eugene O’Neill

“Is he the MAGIC INCA carrying a FROG on his shoulders??  Is the FROG his GUIDELIGHT??  It is curious that a DOG runs already on the ESCALATOR.” — Zippy Bee

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That’s it. That’s all I’ve got, and it’s more than I expected to be able to finish. So be it. Today’s closing has no ups, no extras. See y’all tomorrow, hopefully in a better space in my head, and in our Consensual Reality….. The one I found this morning doesn’t cut it; well try again tomorrow….