Sneering in bafflement, he punted….

Posted on December 10, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The cat would eate fish, and would not wet her feete.”

~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) ~~

~~ Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi ~~

Leelu in Berserker Mode

Hajime…. Life sure can be funny. Since I’m a complex sorta guy, that’s actually a complex statement, as the word ‘funny’ can be construed to mean a lot of different sorts of things about life, not all of which are at all funny, or fun. It’s also why English is such a powerful tool for communicating, as well as a barrier to the same communication. Two people with a different understanding of, and, skill in using the language, may very well not be able to understand each other, at all, though they both share intimate knowledge of it, having grown up using it. Environment, background, education, intelligence, imagination, all can play a part in how the language is used by anyone, and, no two people share the exact same degree of similarity in ANY of those categories.

All of which being said, I am compelled by my own nature to wonder, how the fuck we ever wandered this far out of the trees? C.S. Lewis, I believe, once made the lament,

“Five senses; an incurably abstract intellect; a haphazardly selective memory; a set of preconceptions and assumptions so numerous that I can never examine more than minority of them – never become conscious of them all. How much of total reality can such an apparatus let through?” — C. S. Lewis

Add in this most-accurate assessment of the human mind’s ability to perceive the universe, and one has to feel a sense of astonished surprise, not only that we have created a world-wide society, but, have done so without ever achieving any sort of world-wide understanding of our own nature….. To observe the antics of the naked apes who infest the surface of this planet, is very similar, in “look and feel”, to watching an old Roadrunner cartoon on Saturday morning. In fact, watching the Roadrunner makes much more sense than much of what I see passing as socio-political activity around the world….

Did y’all ever wonder, as I did, about the two most puzzling things to me about Wile E. Coyote? First, why, when he was obviously the stupidest creature on the planet, was he called “wily”, a word which, even at age four, I understood couldn’t possibly apply to the stupid beast….. I mean, even if he WAS indestructible, (our first lesson in the fiction vs. reality issue…. How many of US could live through a 5000 foot fall, followed by the arrival of a five ton rock on our head? Hell, it would give Superman a moment of pain, if he couldn’t fly….

Second… Why didn’t the idiot ever just start ordering FOOD from the Acme Co.? It seemed to me, as a young, already half-trained consumer, if the company made that many different products, of such amazing variety and complexity, how easy would it be for them to deliver some fried chicken, or even fried rattlesnake, which, I am told, tastes like chicken… But, then, doesn’t everything but beef and lamb taste like chicken?….

But, NOOOO…. Mr. Smart Guy Coyote keeps ordering weapon after weapon, none of which ever worked the way he expected. Which comprised our second lesson in reality vs. fiction, though, as it turns out, that’s pretty much how ANY corporation operates….. S’trewth, swear to god….

SIGH…. I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Ranting in the intro, when I tried to start out looking for ironic humor…. See where good intentions will get you? Oh, well, next I’d have to move on to more lamentations about human nature, and how virtue has all but disappeared from the public arena… Hell, I even found the perfect pearl to go with such a discussion, showing EXACTLY what happened, at least, here in the US…. It is also from C.S. Lewis, one of the more flexible-minded, and, honest Christians to ever pick up a pen… He said, regarding virtue, this:

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.” — C.S. Lewis _The Screwtape Letters_

But, that’s a rant for another day, unless, of course, we pick this up in the third section. Who knows at this point? If I did, well, I’d say so; that means simply that I haven’t decided yet. Nonetheless, and, notwithstanding, such is now moot, as Guido has entered the cockpit (don’t even think it….), and we’ll be taking off any moment…. Let’s just do so quietly, and calmly, just as if we knew what we were doing here, okay?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A gentleman is one who doesn’t demand a lady prove that she is.”

~~ Solomon Short ~~

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

Though I have plenty of energy, I’m lazy. Since that is true, I’m going with my own default choice of music, which, if you’ve been reading here for any time, you’ll know what that means; you’re gonna hear some classical music…. It was about twenty or more years ago I got fed up with the current crop of music bombarding the airwaves and musical venues. I began to listen to classical music, and have felt the rightness of the decision ever since. Rather than listening to the last 65-plus years of what has been produced (some of which is good, but, mostly, it’s crap…. see Sturgeon’s Law….), I now have several centuries worth of music to explore, from all over the world….. Sturgeon’s law still applies, but, the statistical universe of available music has been filtered for quality for a LONG time; what’s left is a much higher percentage of the good stuff….

Bonus!….. Enjoy, ffolkes…. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt, even if you have perfect pitch…… As is my habit, the compilation I picked simply had the most attractive picture, for my taste….

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gigoid’s Musical Default

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https://youtu.be/R0kl9xFVSnI

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What do we do? We have lost our way.
From afar, the Demon cries out,
He is leading us astray.
…
Skyward soar the whirling demons,
Shrouded by the falling snow,
And then the plaintive, awful howling
Fills my heart with dread and woe.

~~ Alexander Pushkin ~~

Gee…. I wonder if that means more ranting about the present state of world affairs? What do you think? Should we continue in the vein in which I began today’s Pearl, or veer off in another direction? Hmm… Let’s see what the magic 8-ball says….

Oops. Forgot; broke my 8-ball a long time ago. Oh, well. I think I’m not in a mood to rant at the moment. Hang on, & I’ll go see if I can find something to tip the scale in one direction, or another… Don’t worry, I’ve got a Tardis, and this isn’t real…. so, it’s like, you’ll never notice I was gone….

Okay, got it. That actually didn’t take long at all…. Of course, I COULD be lying, but, we wouldn’t want to pick up any bad habits…. It took only a moment, to find this:

“The land of the free! This is the land of the free! Why, if I say anything that displeases them, the free mob will lynch me, and that’s my freedom. Free? Why I have never been in any country where the individual has such an abject fear of his fellow countrymen. Because, as I say, they are free to lynch him the moment he shows he is not one of them.” — D. H. Lawrence

Now, if THAT isn’t a great start to pick up where we left off above, I don’t know an oyster from a mussel. And, I do. Know the difference, I mean. In fact, I also know, being a chef, while mussels, steamed in white wine, fish stock, garlic, and a bit of butter, lemon juice, & parsley, is as close as people ever really get to heaven, only oysters, those ugly, yet somehow noble bivalves, can make pearls. Besides, the only way the oysters themselves are REALLY edible, is breaded, deep fried, and smothered with a LOT of Tartar, or seafood cocktail sauce. Otherwise they’re a lot like eating old shoe leather, unless eaten at ONE specific moment upon cooking. Before, or after that moment, they are virtually inedible… Even for those with ALL their teeth…

But, hey, pearls, you know? Which brings us back to the completion of this section today. I’ll quit fooling around, amusing as it may be, (or not; not my call….), and get to the meat of today’s piece. I’ll start with an old graphic pearl from one of my most consistent sources for wise, witty comments, to wit:

This statement is possibly the clearest I know, to describe WHY our world is the way it is today. Albert put his finger on the root cause of every problem we face today, i.e., courage in the face of evil. Personally, I have given up any hope of making enough changes in society to protect us from ourselves…. Hope, as Emily D. pointed out, is something that, being human, never goes away…. But, my hope is about gone, for I don’t see us humans finding the understanding which can save us before the planet itself kills us for our effrontery……

Rather than expose y’all to any more of my own negative conclusions, I’d like y’all to read the following article, which my news reader provided to me, and with which I can only agree wholeheartedly. It’s brilliant, to be honest, and, if there is any justice in the world, will go viral quite soon…… It’s by an author named Elizabeth West, and she has hit upon some strong truths…. Don’t try to decide from reading the title; just trust me, & go read it. You won’t regret it…. Not even if I close out the section with my own take/interpretation, (though voiced with a power of expression I can only dream of achieving some day….) of the most probable, ultimately final decision Reality is going to make about the human race… Ms. West might convince you otherwise…..

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/04/abandon-all-hope/

This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
Not with a bang but with a whimper.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men” ~~

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Choosing a Theme

Powerful words playing hide and seek in my mind,
teasing with subtle cruelty, pretending to be kind.
Grand visions and flowery verses of beauty and truth
evaded my inner eye all through the days of my youth.

Affable interludes interspersed with allegorical wit
softened the crimes, against all reason, to finally acquit.
Time became at once an enemy, and an ally
Never once compelled to provide an answer why.

Giving gifts of simple kindness are their own pay,
spreading ripples of compassion are felt far and away.
Love given freely is precious, we are ever told,
increasing love received, more than a hundred fold.

Living long and with passion has centered my soul,
allowing me room, and time, to choose my own goal.
Now I’ve gone past any need to pretend
I love everything in life, even knowing it will end.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/21/2012

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Naked Pearls IV

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“Everything you know is wrong.”

~~ The Firesign Theater ~~

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“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”

~~ Edwin Hubbel Chapin ~~

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“Virtue is beauty.”

~~ Shakespeare ~~

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“There are two kinds of egotists: 1) Those who admit it; 2) The rest of us.”

~~ Psyche Bee ~~

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“Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as it is leaping.”

~~ Julius Hare ~~

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“In war and life, either fight to win or don’t fight.”

~~ Warrior Bee ~~

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“She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, …. or, internal difficulties.”

~~ Michel de Montaigne — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty ~~

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“A misery is not to be measured from the nature of the evil, but from the temper of the sufferer.”

~~ Joseph Addison ~~

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“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”

~~ Hugh Downs ~~

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“Don’t worry about a thing because every little thing is gonna be alright.”

~~ Bob Marley ~~

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However many holy words you read,
However many you speak,
What good will they do you
If you do not act on upon them?

~~ Buddha ~~

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Well, it’s done. All that remains is to go post it, which will be harder than usual today…. I put a lot into this one, even though the poem isn’t new, and the major rant belongs to another author. Nonetheless, I don’t believe I can do this any better than this turned out, so, I hope y’all enjoyed consuming it as much as I enjoyed putting it together…. I’ll be back tomorrow, to see if I can do it this well one more time….Why not? That would make a total of at least four, over four years…. Not bad, for an amateur…

Spoiler alert: Things ’round here may change some in the near future…. Y’all stay alert, y’hear?…. It could mean your sanity, and mine…. Oops. Maybe not yours…. really. I mean that, or, rather, I didn’t mean that…. Well, never mind, you’ll see….. Just, be careful, okay?…. C 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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Saved by the smell of a bell….

Posted on November 8, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion

— i.e., none to speak of.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of NGC 7049 in the constellation of Indus, in the southern sky. A family of globular clusters appears as glittering spots dusted around the galaxy halo. Astronomers study the globular clusters in NGC 7049 to learn more about its formation and evolution. The dust lanes, which appear as a lacy web, are dramatically backlit by the millions of stars in the halo of NGC 7049.

Constellation Indus, NGC 7049

Click to see enlarged image

Buenos dias, gente…. In my most egregiously avaricious dreams, I’ve never really wanted much; to live about 200 years, and, to see my kids happy is about what it has boiled down to. Beyond that, I’m pretty content with what I’ve got, and what I’ve always had…. Money, other than as a tool, has never entered into anything I’ve wanted. It’s probably due to having heard, somewhere from someone, before the age of 11, “If you wish a life of trouble, fill your house with treasure.” For some reason, that struck a chord in my young mind, so, I thought about it pretty long and hard, considering. The result was a firm conviction to never seek treasure, or possessions, or more than I needed to survive relatively comfortably.

Of course, I didn’t think it quite that way at 11; some of that evolved over time, as I learned to apply it to my life over the years…. Now I’m an OOF, I can look back, and feel pretty good about it all; you see, other than those times I’ve made bad internal decisions, same as any human, I’m happy with all I’ve done, and have now…. In looking back over HISTORY (all caps intentional, giving it oomph, to imply ALL of it….), I can honestly say I’ve lived my life at least as honorably as I could, (not to mention, a good deal more honorably than many of histories more famous figures) given the handicaps implied in having the unfortunate luck to have a Human nature, which pushes us all to find and take the easiest way much of the time, rather than the right way…. It’s a basic flaw in all of us; male, female, skin color, whatever, we all are inherently lazy(*), and, it’s gotten us in trouble for centuries now….

(*) About the hard stuff in life, anyway…. stuff such as physical work, morality, ethics, emotional growth, cultural growth…. You know, nothing most folks can’t do without, as long as nobody asks them to be responsible for anything.

Gosh. That’s sort of heavy, isn’t it, for an intro? I don’t know exactly what happened, other than to say, sorry, if appropriate, for engaging too many neurons right off the bat, especially after the light-hearted feel to the opening line from Lazarus. It all just flowed out; even Leelu was entranced…. Well, for a while…. She came up, sat & watched intently as I typed all of the above; she got up then, walked directly in front of my face, and went to lie elsewhere, a clear clue to change direction, I’d say. Especially since it’s NOT morning, nor is this even today’s Pearl I’m working on (I think; sometimes I can’t always remember where the Tardis has left me, especially when I’m writing….)

There. That should do it. We’ve successfully disengaged from the serious vein with which I started this mess; now, we can really start fucking things up, as is our usual habit this time of day. You know, we’ve had some good results from letting Luigi indulge his love of speed; I think we’ll try it again today. That means restraints are now optional, but, we insist you put your beverage in the holders provided…. Thanks…..

Luigi! They fell for it; take it away!….

Shall we Pearl?….

“What is life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

~~ last words of Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator [1890] ~~

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Itzhak Perlman

Image from palmbeachpost.com via Google Images

I tried to download the entire playlist, consisting of 98 videos, but, apparently, they’ll play, but not follow. Ah well, just let the music play; anything this man plays becomes better than originally intended by the composer. I first saw him play when he and I were both children, on the Ed Sullivan show, where I was astounded at the talent he displayed, playing some classical tune I don’t remember, but, with such obvious joy, it impressed me very strongly…. Witness now possibly the finest violinist of the twentieth century, and beyond, one of mankind’s treasures, and a testament to the power of the human will, to not merely overcome his handicaps, but, to show how truly insignificant they are in comparison to the human spirit…..

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Itzhak Perlman
Tango

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https://youtu.be/dsU9zmnZ37g?list=PL5EBFB25FBF920152

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Morning Muse

I’m having a bout of insomnia, thanks once more to my lovely personal physicians, may they always be infested with fleas…. Normally, or, as close as we ever come to normally, that would/could produce a rant of its own; tonight/today, however, it has stimulated merely some mild annoyance, and a wish for a bit of peace (some sleep would be nice, too…. SIGH…. Ya never know what you’re gonna miss until it’s gone, do ya?). We’ll deal with that in our default manner, with a short, meandering little pearl from 2012. Enjoy, please, or suffer the consequence, to wit: a short period of severe boredom….

From 9/8/2012:

“It is popularly supposed that between those who use the word “God” and those who do not there is some great gulf. But the gulf lies elsewhere. It lies between those who dogmatize, either positively or negatively, and those who recognize in great humility that something within them bears witness to realities which may be momentous in our lives, but which lie beyond the grasping net of our categories of thought.” — Smart Bee

Yet more proof of Murphy’s presence in Life…. or, in my life, anyway….. Yesterday I wrote about this subject, expounding as I am wont to do with no little enthusiasm, trying to bring some clarity to a naturally murky subject (it’s hard to pin down anything solidly when the subject under discussion is a matter of conjecture, not physically present to be examined….). Then, later in the day, I come across this one short paragraph, that summarizes my 3-400 words succinctly in three lines, and very clearly, for all its brevity. SIGH….. So much for originality, eh? Though I don’t know who said it, I salute them….

“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

Once more, I have to agree with the author, especially as it gives a sort of pat on the shoulder to the paragraph above, as if sharing an obvious point. Serendipity, I say, and well met….

“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” — Bernard Bailey

This one, when viewed in light of the previous two quotes, made me smile, big….. now, why is that? Because when he says a lot, he means, A LOT OF PEOPLE!…..

“And don’t tell me God works in mysterious ways, Yossarian continued There’s nothing mysterious about it, He’s not working at all. He’s playing. Or else He’s forgotten all about us. That’s the kind of God you people talk about, a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of Creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did He ever create pain?” — Joseph Heller, Catch 22

Funny how people under stress always get so close to the truth; it makes the one who hears it more nervous and upset than he who said it…. or it that just me? Of course it is…. Why shouldn’t it be me? What’s the matter with me? Don’t you like me?….. Sorry…. any who, let’s see what else the magic can find….

“Every sensible man, every honest man, must hold the Christian sect in horror. But what shall we substitute in its place? you say. What? A ferocious animal has sucked the blood of my relatives. I tell you to rid yourselves of this beast and you ask me what you shall put in its place?” — Voltaire

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

I’m not sure why, but this excerpt from T.S. Eliot seems to be the perfect finishing line for the above meandering treatise…. and it is as close to a verifiable point as we’re going to get today, I can tell…. so, best leave it be for now, and go on to something else…. Or, in this case, to something the same….

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On 9/8/2012, when I wrote and posted the above treatise, I also used this poem as the choice for the day. It still fits, and makes perfect sense, given the ending of the above section…. Enjoy!….

Portrait of a Lady

Among the smoke and fog of a December afternoon
You have the scene arrange itself–as it will seem to do–
With “I have saved this afternoon for you”;
And four wax candles in the darkened room,
Four rings of light upon the ceiling overhead,
An atmosphere of Juliet’s tomb
Prepared for all the things to be said, or left unsaid.
We have been, let us say, to hear the latest Pole
Transmit the Preludes, though his hair and fingertips.
“So intimate, this Chopin, that I think his soul
Should be resurrected only among friends
Some two or three, who will not touch the bloom
That is rubbed and questioned in the concert room.”
–And so the conversation slips
Among velleities and carefully caught regrets
Through attenuated tones of violins
Mingled with remote cornets
And begins.
“You do not know how much they mean to me, my friends,
And how, how rare and strange it is, to find
In a life composed so much, so much of odds and ends,
[For indeed I do not love it . . . you knew? you are not blind!
How keen you are!]
To find a friend who has these qualities,
Who has, and gives
Those qualities upon which friendship lives.
How much it means that I say this to you–
Without these friendships–life, what cauchemar!”

Among the windings of the violins
And the ariettes
Of cracked cornets
Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins
Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own,
Capricious monotone
That is at least one definite “false note.”
–Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance,
Admire the monuments,
Discuss the late events,
Correct our watches by the public clocks.
Then sit for half and hour and drink our bocks.

T. S. Eliot

I don’t care what anyone says…. this is some good stuff….. a worthy goal to shoot for, wouldn’t you agree?…… Not in hope of exceeding, but merely to equal the power of this man’s work is worthy of any effort…..

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You may wonder why the girl is laughing, and, sure enough I’ll tell you…. She’s laughing at me, for my emotional investment in how these come out; while this one was processing itself, I went through all sorts of mental contortions trying to decide what it meant, and, getting all worked up at HOW it came together….

It seemed at first as if it would go on forever; I had the first seven gems in place in no time. It then took a strange turn, and the pearls became rare as their counterparts in reality. Eventually, it sorted itself out, sort of; I still am unsure of exactly what it’s trying to say about Life at Large, beyond the obvious advice to use one’s mind to one’s best advantage…. Perhaps that’s enough…. Either way, the little girl had fun, and so did the camel….

Xenophanes speaks thus:–

And no man knows distinctly anything,
And no man ever will.

~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Pyrrho, viii ~~

“Better be ignorant of a matter than half know it.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 865

“Doth perfect beauty stand in need of praise at all? Nay; no more than law, no more than truth, no more than loving kindness, nor than modesty.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 20

“To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” — Thomas Jefferson

“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.” — Benjamin Franklin

“Look to the essence of a thing, whether it be a point of doctrine, of practice, or of interpretation.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, viii, 22

“It is not length of life, but depth of life.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go.” — La Fontaine

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Some days this process sort of runs itself; much of today’s post fits into that category easily. But, it has that one distinctive characteristic for which we constantly strive, to wit: it’s done. As such, we’ll go post it, and start on tomorrow’s mess, to get a running start at it, so to speak. Until then, y’all be chill, and good to each other…. I’ll be back, and we all know who said that….

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Baleful stares, tinged with envy….

Posted on November 7, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The company of just and righteous men is better than wealth and a rich estate.”

~~ Euripides ~~

Trained consumers on Portobello Road

Another day dawns, bringing with it the promise of change, as it does each morning…. How we meet that possibility can determine not only how goes the day, but, lest we find some alertness quickly enough, for many days to follow…. It would be swell if I could figure out a way to recapture the feeling of power and hope with which it has been my wont to greet the day; these days it’s more a feeling of resignation combined with the will required to actually move my aching bones out of bed….

Fortunately for me, and, quite frankly, for everyone else who may come into contact with me today, there is coffee. Also quite frankly, on the day anyone tells me I would have to give it up, or die, well, I’m afraid that’s the day I’d die, even if it were true. Harsh, maybe, but, true as the day. But, I digress….

Not bad for trivial, eh? How else to start such a grand day at the office. Oh, wait. Never mind. Well, the triviality part is true, so, we’re good, even if we don’t have to go into any office any more. Hey, look, it’s a literary device! What will he think of next to get out of actually coming up with a real introduction? Easy, duh…. Anything at all will do, since the only way to find out is to keep coming back to see. Hah!

Whoops. No teasing the GR’s, dude, or I’ll take away the time you’re allowed to access the keyboard. Who am I talking to? Why? Does it matter? It COULD be one of my alternate personalities, ala The Belle Jar. It could be robot I once used to write, the day I didn’t feel like it. Or, it could just be another device, which, for those of y’all who’ve been here before, is the surest bet for any real money. But, again, I digress.

Why look, ffolkes! It’s an intro. It’s of legal length, has been in and out of reality at least three times in four paragraphs, and is still at a point where it could fall into a mini-rant, had I less discipline. As it is, I’ll once again bow to the one fatal flaw we humans share, our tendency to go for what is most expedient, by using this as another plot device to get us the hell out of here, and, on with the slow, er, show…. What did you expect at these prices, eh?

Shall we Pearl?….

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

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The Divine Miss M in Flight

Image from wsj.com via Google Images

Okay, so, the recording quality on this one isn’t the best; You Tube can be inconsistent, depending on the age of the recording and the skill of the recorder. But, Bette’s laser voice is in clear evidence, and that’s good enough for me…. Enjoy, ffolkes; she’s one of the best performers ever, in my opinion, with one of the most expressive voices I’ve ever heard.

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Bette Midler
Kiss My Brass Concert
2004

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https://youtu.be/WyxY-Cl4XUM

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Having been offline so long, I’m still getting caught up to what’s been in the news of late (I don’t watch TV or listen to radio anymore….), my rants have little upon which to fix their focus, so, we’re dipping into the archives to sublimate…. Here’s one about the wealth gap, and the Asininnies, which I think remains relative…. Enjoy!….

From 1/31/2013:

“A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks.” — Johann L. Uhland (1787-1862) — Speech, May 27, 1836

Mr. Uhland is correct in his observation, if a bit slow in making it. In truth, most likely, the usurpation of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights began within moments of its adoption as law, and has been continuing on a daily basis ever since. In the fight against that usurpation, a major battle was lost sometime around the middle of the 19th century, around 1836 or so, when a corrupt federal judge, at the insistence of his corporate masters, approved a legal decision that gave corporations the same rights as people, opening the door to further machinations by which the banks and corporations could, have, and continue to, steal from the public without consequence…..

Today, there is a new push to reform some of the laws that enable the moneylenders to control society as they do; the concept of corporate personhood is under fire by an enraged public, tired of the endless cycle of working to try to get ahead, only to find that there is no path visible to go anywhere but down. As that astute social philosopher, George Carlin, pointed out, they (the bankers and corporate rogues) don’t want a populace capable of critical thinking; they just want workers smart enough to operate the machines, but not smart enough to wonder why they are doing so for so little compensation.

Modern technology has, thanks to the Internet, made keeping this issue out of the public eye impossible, and the corporate stranglehold on society is being challenged much more often. In one sense, this newfound spread of information is holding back the needed changes, as a lot of energy is dissipated in the public discourse that might otherwise build up into the kind of frustration that leads to revolution, and societal upheaval. But, it is also making it much harder for the miscreants who want to control everyone else keep their machinations out of the public eye. There are too many holes for them to plug….

The power these self-serving assholes hold over the rest of us is accustomed to being able to hide from public scrutiny, and I’m sure there will be attempts made to curtail some of the information they are concerned about making common knowledge. In fact, according to some of my latest email updates from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), there are a number of bills trying to get forced through Congress, without public discussion when possible, that are intended to limit the freedom of speech that is currently unrestricted, for the most part. A recent setback occurred when an honest judge (i.e., one that stayed bought….) rewarded his corporate masters with a decision regarding cell phones that is a serious threat to a number of technological freedoms…. In other words, the fight continues today, and it is just as important today as it was back in 1776, and 1836, when the battle was joined…

The Beloved Ruling Class, and their corporate owners, will do all they can to limit the public’s awareness of what they are doing, and they will continue to try to erode the rights of the common man. They have, by their historical behavior, and their current actions, indicated their intent quite clearly… and that intent is to arrange matters so that what they want is law, and the rest of us can go fuck ourselves silly…. because they don’t care. These people are not concerned with anything that does not serve their own ends, and will lie, cheat, steal, and kill to maintain their power…. This is not supposition, this is fact, based on history, and on observation of current events….

I guess the only real question to be answered is, how long are the rest of us going to allow them to have their way? They are killing us all with their indifference to anything but their own purposes, and we are letting them do it. Myself, I’m getting a bit tired of it, and would like to see society become a bit more active in the resistance shown to the chicanery toward the rest of us, all perpetrated by the Powers That Be… up to and including revolution…. But, then, that’s me…. I’m a bit impatient, and I’m tired of their shit….. I’m hoping more people are getting that way, as our only hope of survival in the long run is to kick the bastards out…..

“All the world over, I will back the masses against the classes.” — William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898)

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Old/New Glory

Political truth…
Oxymoronic, and trite.
Politics is crap.

~~ gigoid~~

written 7/29/2014

********

Confidentially Paranoid

Only when the bright sunlight of dreams draws nigh
can the dark glass of reality factor true value..
Destiny’s horses run in fear as time goes dry,
for grappling with fate in such traitorous venue.

In pallid costumes made of graven cast-off tales,
fallen angels and demons show the measure of faith.
No sad transactions should escape these well-marked trails,
no angry relatives cast insults to a sedentary wraith.

Meaning can always hide in literal cold intent,
yet show mere facets of honor to perishable youth.
Sincere contentions leave with sorrowful bent,
while bastardly arguments fill in poorly for the truth.

Gone are moments filled with florid blasts of rhyme
left to moulder on the shoulders of unreasonable hope.
Only courage can save these measures of unspoken time
to gather new issues, powerfully broad, painful in scope.

~~ gigoid ~~

written 2/25/2015

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This is what I’d call a pearl of destiny… Oh, not because I believe in destiny, naturally; way too constricting, especially if one attempts to account for reality. But, I digress. I call it that because it just sort of found its way to where it needed to be, all on its own. All I did is keep hitting the correct key to examine the next random oyster to find the right pearls. At first, it seemed to head one way, then veered off in another, finally settling in the form you see before you. Actually, I like the way it turned out, a lot; it has, if I may say so, a certain elegance, which can be a good indicator of the quality of the results…. You tell me, and, please, enjoy the exercise…..

“knowledge is a polite word for dead but unburied imagination….

think twice before thinking.”

~~ e.e. cummings ~~

“What kind of conflict do you like? Where will you jump in and fight the good fight — body, heart, mind or spirit? If you say you don’t like conflict at all, then you have stopped growing, because it is only through engaging differences to find common ground or to triumph that we become new and invigorated. Pick your battles, but always have some place you embrace conflict.” — Callan Williams

“In charity there is no excess.” — Francis Bacon

“Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; and at last some crisis shows what we have become.” — Brooke Foss Westcott

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

WARNING: The Meaning Of Life Is Subject To Change Without Notice. — Classic Smart Bee

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” — Albert Einstein

“The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them… Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will.” — Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592), 1580

“My life is light, waiting for the death wind,

Like a feather on the back of my hand.”

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

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Well, we’re up a bit late, so this is a bit late getting posted; oh, well…. Such is life in the blog world, so they say; of course, nobody listens, but, hey, they said it, and it’s got to count for something!…. Enough, she said. I’ll see y’all tomorrow; as I’ve noted previously, nothing seems to keep me from doing it, so, why not, eh? 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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Apt portrayals of St. Vitus’ Dance….

Posted on October 24, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“All reality is aspect dependent.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

The Major Oak, England

Image from the UK Guardian 8-6-15

Good morning…. As the tale goes, more kings were chosen while standing under this tree than in any other place in England; the tree is at least 1100 years old. I thought it made a nice opening shot, with a lot of history. But, then, we all know I’m a bit more than just a bubble off plumb, so, I suppose that could have contributed to the issue. Ah, well, it matters little, as it achieved its purpose, to give us something toward which we may address our beginning remarks. Not bad for an old tree, eh?…

Sadly, this leaves us with our other usual conundrum, to wit: where do we go from here? Hmm… I could whine a bit, but, I’m tired of hearing it myself, so, the rib will just have to complain quietly today. I suppose I could go with some nonsense; we’ve got unlimited supplies of it, as you know by now, so there’s no danger of bombing the inventory. Unfortunately, that sort of nonsense would require more chutzpah than I can currently summon for my use, so, we’ll have to go with one of our old escape clauses, I think….

Why look! There’s one right there, just waiting for us to find it. Ha! And, it’s a #4! Bonus….. That does mean y’all should grab a stanchion, or other stationary object, & hang on for dear life; the #4 can be a bit of a bumpy ride…. It works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

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

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Since this is being posted late, if at all, we’ll go with one of our standard default selections, one which I know will please the largest percentage of listeners….. Enjoy!…..

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Mozart: Who Else?

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https://youtu.be/E2LM3ZlcDnk

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“Not all politicians should be shot.
One should be saved for the archives.”

~~ Ruthless Bee ~~

In honor of the opening quote, which I hold to be one of the most perfect pearls to ever annoy an oyster, I’ll forgo a rant, in favor of the rather elegant 13 star pearl SB managed to help me create in lieu of such indulgence. It takes some rather unexpected turns, but, gets to a point I find rather hopeful, in a personal sense, if no other. Well, you’ll see…. or, you won’t, in which case, you still may enjoy the pokes taken at some of our favorite targets…. As a last resort, you can hate it, which will go directly onto your karmic spreadsheet…. Enjoy the workout on your neurons, at least….

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

“… But when he [the people’s champion] has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”

“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” — Charles de Gaulle

“Anarchy may not be the best form of government, but it’s better than no government at all.” — Logical Bee

“The forces of a capitalist society, if left unchecked, tend to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.” — Jawaharlal Nehru

“Government is the only known enemy of intelligent life.” — Sardonic Bee

“Government should be weak, amateurish, and ridiculous. At present, it fulfills only a third of the role.” — Edward Abbey

— Bother! said Pooh, as he found a politician in his honey pot.

“Richard Nixon: He told us he was going to take crime out of the streets. He did. He took it into the damn White House.” — Ralph Abernathy

“Each time that Americans hold another election, about the only thing they learn is that they did not learn much from the last election.” — Observant Bee, again

“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“When the need arises — and it does — you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out — that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”

“While the builders of the cages sleep with bullets, bars and stones,
they do not see your road to freedom that you build with flesh and bone.”

~~ True Patriot Bee ~~

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Making Room

Our souls, they say, are like shapeless, infinite bags
in which we put all our pain, all our joyous wonder.
Broken hearts and thrilling love, riches to rags,
endless perceptions of serenity, and thunder.

‘Tisn’t simple, this spiritual journey to peace
memory is fickle, easily led astray;
darkness, ever lurking, without surcease
turning innocence to harm, from simple play.

Balance is the key.

Timing is everything.

Good can change bad, bad can change good.

Pain makes room for more joy in our souls.

The only power we need is the power to change ourselves.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written in 2013.

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I had a great opening pearl for today’s final section, but, SB was NOT willing to cooperate sufficiently to go any further toward a new pearl. So, I went into the archives, and found this neat little semi-odd rant/old-school pearl on religion…. Since I didn’t rant above, why not? It’s not too long, and it’s a pretty good little indictment of the perpetrators of history’s most pernicious, persistent delusion….

From 9/8/2012:

It is popularly supposed that between those who use the word “God” and those who do not there is some great gulf. But the gulf lies elsewhere. It lies between those who dogmatize, either positively or negatively, and those who recognize in great humility that something within them bears witness to realities which may be momentous in our lives, but which lie beyond the grasping net of our categories of thought. — Smart Bee

“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

Once more, I have to agree with the author, especially as it gives a sort of pat on the shoulder to the paragraph above, as if sharing an obvious point. Serendipity, I say, and well met….

“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” — Bernard Bailey

This one, when viewed in light of the previous two quotes, made me smile, big….. now, why is that? Because when he says a lot, he means, A LOT OF PEOPLE!…..

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

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Well, there you go. A slap shot, to be sure, and, not what I’d consider my best work. Oh, well, it was worth it, and, for y’all, if nothing else, the price is right, yes? All it costs is a bit of your time, and see all you get for it? Great bargain, in anyone’s book. Now I’ve entered fantasyland again, we should probably go. See y’all next time, ffolkes, whenever that might be. Hell, it could even be tomorrow!…. Ya never know, and, what’s more, neither do I….

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Unwilling to swim, it sank….

Posted on October 1, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Confucius ~~

LeeLoo, hard at work.

Good morning.... We are not happy. In fact, we are not we, but, nonetheless, we aren't happy. Nor would you be, if your plans to garner a bit of sleep fell through as thoroughly as have mine. It is now 0129, according to the microwave clock. That's too frigging early, even for me. I had hoped to make it all the way to 0400, but, it seems my body prefers for me to experience TD q4h, whether I am ready for it or not. (TD = tardive dyskinesia, the bane of all opiate junkies and victims of medical abuse, to wit: me....) I don't know about y'all, but I just LOVE being up all fucking night, shaking and pacing! Can you think of a better way to lose weight?.... Well, actually, I can....

Ah, well, not long to go now.... My stay in Hell should only last another eight or nine days. Piece o'cake, ya think? And, hey, I've gone this long without ripping anyones tongue out with my bare hands, so, it's looking good for making it through this without any jail time. Bonus! Mom would have been proud.... Now, of course, I am in even deeper doo-doo.... How can I save this, without resorting to outright cheating, or perverse manipulation of the sort we all must endure from the BRC and those of their ilk? (I sure am glad I'm in a different ilk....) (Exactly what IS an ilk, anyway?.... Never mind....) I suppose I could write a quick fictional opening, but, the reality based crap at the top kind of aced that idea. How about some.... no, better not. That didn't work out well the last time we tried it. Maybe we could.... nope. Forgot; we lost our license for that. Hmm.... this is getting sticky, isn't it? Ah, I know. I'll break out an old #4. It works every time. It's also our cheapest method for getting us out of here, as it's simply too fast and effective to be illegal, thus saving us a small fortune in legal fees. As those of y'all who have been here before know, y'all should hang on to something solid, and, for heaven's sake, put down your drinks.... Luigi, it's a # 4; hold on!.... Shall we Pearl?.... "Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with." -- Mark Twain

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White Rabbit mode kicked in, for some reason; hence, the default musical selection for today reverts to our standard.... Enjoy!....

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Classical Music

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https://youtu.be/h3C81Wj5uac

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Pogo, by Walt Kelly

Those among you who have read the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig will know what I mean when I say I've been on a personal chautauqua, seeking the path to my own center of being. It's been a long journey, as I had apparently wandered much further than I had imagined, which, when one stops to think, is only natural, given the whole concept of losing one's way.... Any who, I'm getting closer, and can feel both poetry and prose percolating, with the promise of copious floods of nonsense, verbal trickery, and a bit of philosophy yet to come. For now, in place of the rant which would usually grace this section (a bit o ego there, yes?...), here is a nine-star pearl, with some thoughts on how it all got to be the way it is today, in this crazy old mode of existence we call Reality.... Enjoy, ffolkes....

"Humankind cannot stand very much reality. -- T.S. Eliot "And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the bible were used to beat plowshares into swords..." -- Alan Watts "Prejudice is the child of ignorance." -- William Hazlitt "The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible." -- Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals "The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase: 'My religion alone is true.'" -- Ramakrishna, Hindu saint & reformer "Most of the dogmatic religions have exhibited a perverse talent for taking the wrong side on the most important concepts in the material universe, from the structure of the solar system to the origin of man." -- George Gaylord Simpson "Any religion...is forever in danger of petrifaction into mere ritual and habit, though ritual and habit be essential to religion." -- T.S. Eliot, Selected Essays, 1927. "Before you have sex you have to be elected to a high government position." -- Zippy "Grown men, he told himself, in flat contradiction of centuries of accumulated evidence about the way grown men behave, do not behave like this." -- Douglas Adams

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When life calls, ready or not....

Memories are all we have sometimes
to keep our sanity intact,
with learned phrases and subtle rhymes
lessening life's vicious, vibrant impact.

Presently all seems composed and intent
in stark contrast to hollow day,
forlorn patchwork emotions of unheralded bent,
fill up night's bower, leaving hell to pay.

Such vigorous and elevated temper
brings us rare moments to ponder,
filled with lessons all need to remember
lest base perception lose valued wonder.

Laugh loud when entropy sticks fast
leaving shameless anger in its wake.
Let bygones pass quietly into the past
reaping only what is left to take.

Final words of wise imagination
tell us living well's the best revenge, it appears
ever eluding choirs and congregations
finally finding home, never buried in tears.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2015.

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Today's final old-school pearl speaks to our humanity, and, how to go about being the best human one can be.... Pay attention, ffolkes; this one is bound to be on the Quiz....

He not busy being born
Is busy dying.

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

"Anyone who has had a bull by the tail knows five or six more things than someone who hasn't." -- Mark Twain

"No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see." -- Taoist Proverb "Down in their hearts, wise men know this truth: the only way to help yourself is to help others." -- Elbert Hubbard "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need." -- The Rolling Stones "In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside." -- Epictetus -- Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxvi "No amount of ability is of the slightest avail without honor." -- Andrew Carnegie "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." -- Albert Einstein "It's like brother Nietzsche said--being human is a complicated gig, so give that dark night of the soul a hug and howl the eternal yes." -- Chris, the Philosophical DJ on the TV show, Northern Exposure ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since it's taken nearly three days to get this done, I'd best take it the way it now, before I decide to start over (no worries, not gonna happen....). In point of fact, I must go out today, into the BBR, to take LeeLoo to her first visit to the vet.... No telling when, but, I will be back.... Meanwhile, stay alert, keep your powder dry, and question authority; you know, the basics.... 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

À bientôt, mon cherí....

Ice the melon, warm the brandy….

Posted on September 17, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.”

~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~

NASA Spitzer Telescope Calendar Pictures for 2016

Good morning…. The cat finally let me pick a name for her. She has reacted to only one name, and, as is the usual case, it’s a perfect fit. She is Leeloo; pronounced just as spelled, it’s the name of the female lead character in a Sci-Fi movie, The Fifth Element. The whole movie was a very long drawn out metaphor for the concept that Love is the final element of harmony in our Universe, so, considering the cat’s personality, it fits the metaphor quite well….

The character in the movie was very catlike, anyway, so, it’s all good…. She has signaled her approval of her name by settling down on the edge of the mouse pad to doze while I’m typing this…. Of course, that doesn’t mean a flood of words is filling my head, encouraging me to choose just the right ones to thrill and amaze y’all with my new-found brilliance; in fact, nothing of the sort is happening in this head, or any other head in the immediate neighborhood. Even Leeloo has gone to sleep, finding this missive, thus far, to be less than stimulating….

I’m afraid I’ve been thrust into the grasp of a new learning curve, and will be manipulated into adjusting even more of my writing habits to suit the needs and/or desires of a small creature who is fascinated by every move I make at this computer. Already, as is patently obvious, the content has expanded exponentially, to include her antics, and progress in the molding of the household to her standards. SIGH…. I was JUST getting comfortable the way I was….. Axiom #2 in action, I would say….

Now we’ve received the morning metaphor from the Universe, it might be a good idea to get this slow on the road…. I know, let’s do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I’ve reached that age when a good day is one when you get up and nothing hurts.” — H. Martin

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Milla Jojovich as LeeLoo in The Fifth Element

Image from http://www.moviedata.net via Google Images

The movie from which LeeLoo’s name was chosen is still protected, so, to see it, you’ll need to find a copy yourself… I’ve included a You Tube exploration of some of the movie’s lesser known anomalies, on a page where you can see any number of clips from the movie, to get an idea of why I’ve named my cat after a fictional genetically enhanced goddess, in the role of a metaphor for the power of human love…. Enjoy!….

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9 Things You Didn’t Know about The Fifth Element

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https://youtu.be/EdKSKeBqmEw

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I’ve spent a lot of time, and words, detailing what I believe to be wrong with human nature, and, with the loss of integrity, honor, and sense of personal responsibility displayed by the vast majority of Americans, both in and out of government. I’m not in the mood to rant about it, because I’m in a lot of pain, and it might color my words to the point of irascibility, which detracts from its power of persuasion…. Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Here, instead, is a short, seven-star pearl to accomplish the same purpose; each of these is something either missing from the American character, or, is all-too-present to do anyone any good….

“Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!” — Albert Einstein

“Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others.His culture is based on “I am not too sure.” — H.L. Mencken

“You’ll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.” — George Bernard Shaw

“I know of no book which has been a source of brutality and sadistic conduct, both public and private, that can compare with the Bible.” — Lord Paget

“One of the most frightening things in the Western world, and in this country in particular, is the number of people who believe in things that are scientifically false. If someone tells me that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, in my opinion, he should see a psychiatrist.” — Francis H.C. Crick

“One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty in finding someone to blame your troubles on.And when you do find someone, it’s remarkable how often their picture turns up on your driver’s license.” — P. J. O’Rourke

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

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Blithely Untitled

A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.

Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.

Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.

Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.

Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 27/2014.

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From 2/28/2013:

Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled
About the center of the silent Word.

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

I’ve always been fond of this little snippet from T.S.; it has a certain charm to it. I find to be pleasantly complex, while yet describing a very basic idea. Of course, it’s not a rantable item, nor particular helpful in any sort of self-improvement activities. But, I don’t much care, I just like it, so there….

Actually, I’ve included it where it is as a filler; Smart Bee is being particularly uncooperative this morning. It’s almost as if it were suffering from what I am, and is trying to tell me, to wit:

” — Bother! said Pooh, as his fur turned gray and he began losing his memory.” — Smart Bee

So, in the face of such obstruction, I have only one defense, and that is to go old-school, reverting back to the type of pearls as demonstrated in section one today…. I give you therefore, the next in a seemingly endless parade of aphorisms, all pointed in one direction, or at least, one dimension….. Let’s see what we find….

Content if hence th’ unlearn’d their wants may view,
The learn’d reflect on what before they knew.

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Criticism, Part iii, Line 180 ~~

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” — William Jennings Bryan

“Our genetic heritage endows each of us with a series of emotional set-points that determines our temperament. But the brain circuitry involved is extraordinarily malleable; temperament is not destiny.” — Daniel P. Goleman

“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” — C. W. Leadbeater

“I have learned this at least by my experiment: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”

“Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment – that’s how you train dogs, not develop people.” — Deng Ming-Dao

“There was once a man, Harry, called the Steppenwolf. He went on two legs, wore clothes and was a human being, but nevertheless he was in reality a wolf of the Steppes. He had learned a good deal of all that people of a good intelligence can, and was a fairly clever fellow. What he had not learned, however, was this: to find contentment in himself and his own life.” — Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf

Not bad, a seven star pearl, in less than a hundred clicks…. I’ll take it, and run…..

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

This process has become even more of a struggle to complete; perhaps it will settle down a bit as the kitten requires less attention, though, that may take a while. Ah well, it’s done, and only about 3 hours later than usual… I must say, it’s nice to have LeeLoo sleeping on the mouse pad as I write, even if I have to move the mouse elsewhere…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, come what may….

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Abandon soap, all ye who enter here…

Posted on September 2, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes

Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question…
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”

~~ T. S. Eliot, “Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

Dublin, Ireland

Good morning, ffolkes. Last night, Wednesday night, I spent in Dublin, having flown from San Francisco on a flight with a connection in Washington D.C.. Total time from walking out my door (at 0630 Tuesday) to falling into a bed at 12 noon Wednesday for a nap, was about 29 hours, or a bit more. When I managed to get a bit of rest, and some dinner, I hit the rack at 7 PM to engage in my nightly battle to sleep, this time with the added complications of extreme fatigue, jet-lag, and no MMJ…. Ack!

I am happy to say, though it was a pitched battle, during which I think the bed took the greatest damage, I won. I slept until 0300, almost soundly, and feel much better, even though once again in the position of being up, waiting for the remainder of the world to wake up. Ah well, I’ve a full Irish breakfast to look forward to, so, I’m happy, and, full of anticipation for the day….

This is all you get today, as I need to get organized, plan some stuff, and acquire some necessary items; an ‘errand’ day, with research, handily handled by a reasonably good internet connection. Tomorrow, or the next day, I’ll try to get some pictures up, if I can get any good ones…. But, mainly, I’ll be out there in the BBR, meeting the people, and dancing the dance…. I don’t intend to spend a lot of time online, as I can do that anytime, anywhere, these days.

So, see ya in a couple days, or less, or more…. who knows, and who cares? I’m on the road 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

Kowabunga!

Cream pie has no observable limits….

Posted on August 23, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“My nose feels like a bad Ronald Reagan movie…”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

“Do ya think they’ll let us enter the Iditarod, Alonzo?”

Image from the UK Telegraph 8-4-2015

Good morning…. You may have noted the absence of the little pieces of ASCII art I was planning to include here from now on…. That’s because I don’t speak HTML, and couldn’t figure out how to enlarge them on the final viewing page of the posts; all I could get them to do was show up in their smallest incarnation, which was way too small…. So, they’re history, and I say that with gusto and aplomb, just as if anyone had really noticed, or gave a rat’s ass….

Oh! Wasn’t THAT lovely!…. Okay, ffolkes, I’m here, but, I don’t think I’d go any further than that. (And, probably shouldn’t even try….) But, I’m up, at 0230 again, so….. If I have to be here, somebody’s going to pay!…. I’ll try not to make it my Gentle Readers, but, I’d stay alert, if I were y’all. I’m afraid, in this mood, I can be a bit unpredictable….

Oh, nobody’s in any real physical danger (unless, of course, they panic at loud noises, or can’t find any appreciation at having to absorb a few minor blows to the head….), but, the stress levels have been known to top out the scale on occasion; it’s really no problem, as we offer Valium for those of our readers who need it, or, even, want it. We’re not your mother…

Nor are we particularly sane at this point in time (like that wasn’t already clear!…). Of course, sanity is a bit of a slippery concept around here, anyway, (hell, it’s not even included in the insurance!), so, none of that is of any particular significance…. Actually, I guess we COULD say that NONE of the above has any particular significance, and, we’d be right about that, too. We like being right, it’s so much easier, and cheaper, than being left.

Okay, that’s it. I’ve crossed the line, again. I’m making an executive (i.e., ruthless) decision, to get us the hell out of here before we manage to do something that could stimulate litigation. We HATE that! (Who doesn’t?…) Okay, I’m done. Let’s get on with this mess, okay?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.” — Knights of Pythagoras

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

Image from listal.com via Google Images

This will, no doubt, remove any covers I may have had for my romantic nature, which, due to extensive training as a curmudgeon, I try to conceal as best I can… This piece was sent to me a few days ago by a friend, and I was so enchanted, I decided to include it for the enjoyment of my Gentle Readers…. If you can’t find it in yourself to sigh a couple times, and to feel some joy at the music and story, well, y’all need to lighten up… Enjoy!….

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

Elvira Madigan -Piano Concerto No.21

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https://youtu.be/qi_J3_co3dQ

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

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

As the iconic picture above indicates to those Gentle Readers who inexplicably frequent this blog, we’ll be dipping into the archives today. It’s not that I don’t have time to write a fresh rant; in fact, I have one in progress. But, it’s looking as if it won’t be done soon enough, as it keeps growing on me. So, I’ll do the exact thing tomorrow’s rant will address, and cheat….. This is a little follow-up to a religirant from the day previous to the date you see below; it’s pretty light, all things considered, so, enjoy the day off from wearing your thinking caps….

From 9/8/2012:

“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

Once more, I have to agree with the author, especially as it gives a sort of pat on the shoulder to the paragraph above, as if sharing an obvious point. Serendipity, I say, and well met….

“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” — Bernard Bailey

This one, when viewed in light of the previous two quotes, made me smile, big….. now, why is that? Because when he says a lot, he means, A LOT OF PEOPLE!…..

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

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

Today’s poem was chosen merely because it’s the one which hasn’t been used for the longest time; last posted in 2013, this one is one of my personal favorites, no matter how it compares qualitatively with any of the others…. I hope you enjoy it….

Unheralded Sagacity…

To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.

Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.

Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.

No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.

Illumination…..

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 4/17/2013.

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

Today’s final pearl is pretty typical; it speaks about some of those things in life it can be important to remember, in order to live the life we choose to live…. Well, in one sense, I suppose we all do that, whether we choose or not; not choosing is also a choice…. But, I digress…. Enjoy, ffolkes; once you get past this, it’s a piece o’cake….

“If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.” — Smart Bee

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” — Henry Van Dyke

“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.” — Bertold Brecht

“To be able to say how much love, is love but little.” — Petrarch

It is a man”‘s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” — Buddha

“The choices we make dictate the life we lead. There is no destiny; you make your own fate.” — Smart Bee

“Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is boring without it.” — Pearl S. Buck

If of all words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are, `It might have been,’
More sad are these we daily see:
`It is, but hadn’t ought to be.’

~~ Francis Brett Harte ~~

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

Not only a piece o’cake, but, chocolate marble cake with a caramel-buttercream frosting!…. Yum! Unless, of course, you’d prefer the German Chocolate, which we keep on hand. No? Too early for that much sugar? No worries; it’ll keep. Having completed my self-inflicted duty, so will I, until tomorrow, when I’ll get up at goodness knows what hour to begin all this again…. Oh, yay. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; I don’t see any way I can get out of it….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The King’s horses are fond of egg salad….

Posted on August 15, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

You only live twice:
Once when you’re born,
Once when you look death in the face.

~~ Ian Fleming ~~

Quiet Day on the Delta

Good morning…. I had originally intended to compose a witty, scathingly funny opening this morning, but, then I thought to myself, “Nah! Fuck that!”, with my usual erudition. This, of course, is quite impossible, given the tools at hand. (Not to mention the rather disgusting images it generates…) Thus frustrated in my first thought, I decided, instead, to compose a silly, nonsensical paragraph or two, to lighten the weight of the day; too bad I don’t feel at all funny. Then I thought, “No, I’ll go with the most efficient, most honest opening, which reflects the general state of coherence available here in the morning, to wit:

[dignified silence]

But, that seemed too cheap, and we do like to give our readers a bit of a bang for their buck, even if they’re not spending any. I had also thought of a fictional opening, a fantasy piece, with fairies, and leprechauns, and happy cows. That went by the wayside when I realized my brain isn’t up to creativity, and probably won’t be for at least an hour, and three cups of coffee. So much for any of the normal (hah!) openings….

That does it, then. We’ll have to forgo any sort of opening at all. I don’t know how that will affect the overall quality of the process, or the resulting mess, but, it’s all we’ve got now. Oh, well, I suppose they can’t ALL be exciting and wonderful. It might be nice to come close to it just once, though. You’d think the universe would at least respect the effort we expend to get it done, but, NOOOO….

Okay, we’d best get on with this, before it turns ugly. I’m resorting to an old technique; it’s rather ruthless, so, please, don’t hold it against me. I’m only thinking of you…. Well, saving my own ass enters into it, but, hey, that’s what multi-tasking is all about, init?

Shall we Pearl?….

“Dying is a wild night and a new road.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

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

Ella and Louis

Image from indianapublicmedia.com via Google Images

I feel like something a little different today, so, here is one of my favorite albums, with two of the finest musical artists to ever play together. It may pull my covers a bit, but, I don’t care. Anyone who can’t appreciate music like this needs to find a new soul…. If you don’t like this, the one you now have is broken…. Enjoy!….

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

Ella and Louis

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

https://youtu.be/4VHWw9G6_UU

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

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

Since I’m so late getting up today, I’m going to cheat, and, yes, I know the mere fact of admitting my vice does not turn it into a virtue. I don’t care…. The day before this piece was posted, I’d written a religirant; this is, apparently, a follow up pearl on that piece. It’s good enough for our purpose here today…. Hell, I think it’s a good one, but, at this point, it matters little if it fills in the space…. Enjoy!….

From 9/8/2012:

“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

Once more, I have to agree with the author, especially as it gives a sort of pat on the shoulder to the paragraph above, as if sharing an obvious point. Serendipity, I say, and well met….

“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” — Bernard Bailey

This one, when viewed in light of the previous two quotes, made me smile, big….. now, why is that? Because when he says a lot, he means, A LOT OF PEOPLE!…..

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” ~~

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

I’m up late. Y’all know what that means…. Enjoy!….

Vague Glimpses of a Rainbow

All the sad notions of propriety had fled,
Screaming their anger for pausing in song,
Until late came the rabid fog, colored in red,
As serenity cried, unafraid to live so strong.

Fallow fields in faithful patience set free,
Dragged from birth, by their own nature cast
Saving each moment against fear yet to be,
Carved into silence, by ignorance held fast.

Historical forces plod slowly ’tis often said
Anxieties streaming stiffly, one epoch to the next.
Cultural mania stands nonchalant in its stead
No sadder epitaph has such bittersweet context.

Patterned bags of forgotten virtue lie in wait
Blessed by reminders whose souls value affinity
Frozen webs surround the fields in gravid state
Grasping passionately within obvious opportunity.

Passage to future realities isn’t guaranteed
Small favors for deities was left off the menu
No roses, nor manna, nor gallant aerial steed
Left traces of fatal, yet originally gracious venue.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/6/2012.

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

This is a tricky pearl; it sort of constructed itself. I began with a clear set of parameters, just collecting what sounded complete (don’t worry, it’s a gigoid thing; you wouldn’t get it…). After the first five, it began to look coherent, if a bit clumpy. (Again, don’t fret; it’s how it feels to me…) But, by the time the ninth pearl was in hand, it became clear we had something special. What it might be has yet to be determined, but, it’s definitely special…. Enjoy, but, don’t hurt yourself; there are some sharp turns, and, the ending is rather abrupt.

“Everything is simpler than you think and at the same time more complex than you imagine.” — Goethe

“It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away.” — Kenich Ohmae, The Borderless World

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.” — The Cowboy’s Guide to Life

“Hurting yourself is not sinful — just stupid.” — Robert Heinlein

“Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like the roads across the earth. For actually there were no roads to begin with, but when many people pass one way a road is made.” — Lu Hsun

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

“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” — Jack London

“It is good for a man to eat thistles and to remember that he is an ass.” — E. S. Dallas

“If you can’t say something nice, say something surrealistic.” — Zippy the Pinhead

There you go; what did I tell you? Someday, I’ll write a manual for people to create their own pearls, but, I don’t know if it will sell. You see, the entire process hinges on learning one simple thing; if you get that, it’s easy…. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it now, it’s all in the wrist….

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

I can’t explain why I slept for almost eight hours, unless it was the past few weeks catching up to me. Whatever. It’s done, and, for a throw-together-quickly piece, it ain’t bad. Hopefully, y’all will feel the same; if not, well, there’s always tomorrow. See y’all then, if I’m still capable of coherent thought…. (No snickering….)….

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

No, sorry. Wrong imaginary number….

Posted on July 25, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I’m afraid of no man, and very few women.”

~~ Smart Bee, speaking for gigoid ~~

Ironic Tulips in Oregon

Good morning…. In the perhaps misguided hope of continuing to be able to use that assessment, I’m NOT going to relate any of the events which took place yesterday during my foray into the BBR. Suffice it to say, my lawyer tells me I should be able to escape prosecution, since none of the participants died, or received any lasting injuries. Also, the two poor wee myrmidons are expected to fully recover from their confusion, so, there’s no way they can hold me responsible, since I wasn’t the one who called them. Besides, they got the fire out without any injuries or real damage to their silly war wagon; it wasn’t my fault they tried to…. well, never mind, you can read about it in the news….

Believe me, it was quite a day, and I was really glad to get home. Too bad it got me all worked up, & sleep became impossible. Did you know it’s really dark outside at 3 AM? Who knew?

Ah well, fudge it. Luigi, fire it up & let’s hit it; I’m in the mood to go rogue!…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“Anytime I see a person fleeing from reason and into religion, I think to myself, there goes a person who cannot stand being so goddamned lonely anymore.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

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

I’m tired, which translates as ‘lazy’, so, here is today’s video selection, with a couple hours of classical music, in a collection the uploader called “The Most Relaxing Music in the Universe”. You will tell me if you think it is so, yes?…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Music Mix

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

https://youtu.be/qfh7MwKQY7U

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

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

I was cruising through Smart Bee’s database, on a search for stimulation to distract myself, when I came across the following quote…

“Among the many handicaps of old age which must be lived with is wisdom.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

The attribution was given to SB after performing a search for the author; anvari.org, the largest dB I know of for such searches, had none listed, so it goes, as is our policy to SB…. On the same page was a quote along the same lines by a frequent visitor here, our old mentor, Henry L. Mencken, who wrote his thoughts around the turn of the twentieth century, having lived from 1880 until 1956. I’ve enjoyed many of his quotes, as he seemed to have a very clear view of reality, with no fear of saying exactly what he thought, without regard for who might be offended. If it was truth, as he saw it, he told it…. The quote he contributes today is as follows:

“The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.” — H. L. Mencken

Now, since I’m getting to an age where I might consider myself to have entered my “golden years”, I can attest to the accuracy of each of these statements; now we’re going to explore why….

Why would I look at wisdom as a handicap? Actually, that part is easy…. Wisdom, if you will, has the particular quality of bringing with it the ability to see things very clearly, to recognize motivation, or causes, with much more skill and accuracy than anyone younger is capable of achieving, simply because the experience of growing older provides us with those skills. They do not come naturally; only the passage of time will bring them to anyone…. It also isn’t anything that is subject to change; there is no other way to gather experience, except by existing over time….

But, then, one day, soon after acquiring this ability to see clearly those parts of reality which signal change, it becomes clear also, there is a reason for the old saying we’ve all heard, “Ignorance is bliss.” The reason for this is simple; we expected our knowledge to make our lives simpler, and more comfortable. In the most basic sense, it does so, of course, by showing us how to avoid trouble, thus saving time & energy dealing with it, and with its aftermath, often more terrible. It also, however, shows us, time after time, and in every place we look, just how dangerously stupid are the general run of people, and how their lack of awareness of their own place in the scheme of things, makes the world a more dangerous place for everyone….

If I have to explain why that is true, then I’m preaching to the wrong choir…. Nonetheless, it’s true; for me, it’s the part of being aware of Reality which makes it both a blessing, and a curse, thus reflecting Reality itself.

“Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

This idea can be seen to explain virtually everything wrong in today’s world. The simple fact of its veracity allows those with no morals or compassion to justify to themselves any sort of behavior at all, no matter how viciously immoral, or how it may affect anyone else. It also allows them to take advantage of all those who cannot bring themselves to look the Universe directly in the face, preferring to hide behind ignorance and lack of will, letting those with more boldness and strength determine the course of their lives for them. This pattern was established in the very first culture humanity created, when the first asininnies discovered just how gullible the rest of humanity was….

I’m not sure, at this point, exactly where this is taking us. I intended to speak about aging, and using what we learn to make our life more worthwhile, according to our own standards…. It has, apparently, degenerated into the beginning of a rant against the asininnies and our current societal mess, but, I really don’t feel like going there today; I’m too close to the edge of rage already, from the events of yesterday. If I started on all that now, I’d probably end up going out again, fully armed…. Probably not the best idea in this frame of mind….

So, I’m going to do something I almost never do…. I’m dumping this whole section. What you see is what you get, and we’ll come back tomorrow with something a bit more entertaining, if not more compelling. This one, obviously, is a wash, start to finish…. Ah well, so much for good intentions, eh? I’ll leave y’all with the following thought, which, somehow seems to say what needs to be said at this juncture…;

“And I said to myself be still, wait without hope. For hope would be hope of the wrong thing. Wait without love. For love would be love of the wrong thing. Wait without faith. For the faith and the hope and the love are all in the waiting.” — T.S. Eliot

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

Here’s an older poem, from 2012, which I had slotted for use a couple days down the line…. It will do nicely for today, instead….

Semblance of Time

The dreams and visions of modern times are pallid and pale
filled with fear and loathing instead of joy and wonder.
Reality is aging poorly, submitting less data to loudly regale
Sad faded images lacking substance, or proof of thunder.

Sisters and brothers of nightly performance speak in spite
building up scars to protect, or keep a semblance of sanity.
Knowing illusion is near and dear, steeped in muscular delight
while compassion and intelligence get smothered by humanity.

Loneliness soon became the friend of many sizes of fools
stealing through mazes of social tests as if truly wise, or old
while companies of sterile opportunity are hiding their tools
from anyone who might be feeling even a little bit bold.

Painful momentary flashes seem to outline society’s fate
until soft, heavy monuments to elder gods fall from grace.
We’re all getting tired of being told we’re far too late
and never ever nearing tolerance, nor regaining any face.

A hard message awaits us all when we dare to even stay
of life’s uncaring disposition and curmudgeonly faux heart
Only with the strength of a hero may such tales make way
Only a poet may turn such pain into a valid work of art.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 10/5/2012.

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

It was a struggle to decide which of the various icons to use today to adorn this section. I’m not even sure why I chose the laughing Buddha, but, it seems to fit the ‘look and feel’ of how this pearl came out…. I forgot to give SB any parameters, which can be a good, or a bad thing. In this case, I think it came out pretty well. It seems to be a collection of thoughts on one’s best approach to Life, with a bit of humorous insight thrown in…. sort of….. Hell, you tell me; I think it works…..

Virtuous and vicious every man must be,–
Few in the extreme, but all in the degree.

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 231 ~~

“Be not anxious about what you have, but about what you are.” — Pope St. Gregory I

“The way up and the way down are one and the same.’ — Heraclitus

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

“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”

“Anacharsis said a man’s felicity consists not in the outward and visible favours and blessings of Fortune, but in the inward and unseen perfections and riches of the mind.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men, 11

“In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” — Christopher Morley

“Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way in the answer.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

“To thine own self be cool.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

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

In gazing back over what has occurred today, I’m struck by only one thought; it’s done. Thankfully, I will take that as a sign to use the most efficient method for ending this, which looks a lot like this…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, since I will still be crazy after all these years, and, I can’t think of any reason not to do so…

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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: T.S. Eliot

Abandon soap, all ye who enter here…

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