Tag Archives: Taoism

Primarily, we rely on palliative measures, not prophylactic….

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Ffolkes,

“Hey, you!”
“Yeah?”
“Pull over!”
“No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for noticing!”

Though that line is probably about as old as the hills in County Wicklow, I think it’s cool…. I first heard it, or a remarkably similar version of it, of course, many, many moons ago, but, saw it again recently on the internet, as the accompanying text to a picture…. of what seemed to be very drunk baby…. Most likely wasn’t, (drunk, that is….), merely good timing with the camera, to catch the baby with the silly expression, smiling, with eyes half-mast, wearing a cardigan, while standing on a picnic bench, with a pint of Harp in front of him…. I crack up hard every time it rotates through on my screen saver….

Any who, now that the most simple of old jokes are becoming viral internet memes, once someone’s perverted sense of humor combines with some geek juice, (hard to resist Photoshop and babies….), it’s hard to know when or where some old piece comes from, or what it once meant…. Not that I care, or anything like that, but, sometimes I think about that kind of stuff…. Pretty boring, eh? SIGH…..

I do sometimes wonder about word origins, though, which really isn’t a boring subject…. for some. I forget my own love of words sometimes can make things interesting for me that others don’t see at all, but, hey, we all tend to become self-centered when it comes to our own preferences…. I mean, that’s why we call them “personal” preferences, right? Now I’m defending self-centered behavior, and we’re only two and bit of a paragraph into this mess…. What the hell happened in that short amount of time? How did I lose control so quickly?…. Who’s in charge here, anyway? Because it’s apparently not me….

It’s tough to be me, on days such as this…. I know there is a certain level of quality I expect from myself when I write, so, I really have very little choice about how to approach all of this…. It takes ALL of my focus and concentration to make it come out right, so, my inability to sit for long, due to the unfortunate intrusion of physical discomfort of one sort or another (back and/or joint pain, stiffness, gas or abdominal bloat, arthritic swelling, etc…. without even going into PTSD symptoms that may manifest at any time….) makes an ordeal out of getting these done each day….

It’s weird, too, because there is very little I can do EXCEPT sit…. walking causes pain and/or numbness after a short distance anyway, and trying to do ANYTHING such as cooking while standing turns my back into a mahogany, two-by-four piece ofhard wood, complete with concomitant levels of pain…. Attempting to do any sort of kitchen work, as I used to do when I was a chef, can put me in bed for a couple hours if I push it too hard past the very short limit that now exists for me…. I can bear no weight at the end of my arms without straining the lower back, and causing it to react poorly…. In short, I’m a mess…. I’m merely 63, but my back and skeleton is 85 or 90…. according to one doctor, anyway….

But, I’m not alone in any of this, and I’m not really complaining, other than as a side note to what I’m trying to say here…. Of course, we also need to remember about moments like this, when I come to the realization that this intro has reached a point of viability, and I don’t have to keep on rambling incoherently about nothing much, just to fill up space…. In looking over what is above, I can only shake my head in chagrin, offer my apologies, and extend my assurances that the rest of today’s Pearl will be different…. I won’t say it will be better, because that sort of value judgment must come from the Gentle Reader…. I just hope I can write something that won’t make me nauseous, or want to hide….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.” — Jane Wagner, _The Search For Intelligent Life In The Universe_ — [Performed by Lily Tomlin]
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Below you will find, I hope, a pearl of virtual wisdom, random harlequin style…. I’m not setting any parameters for this one, since that seems to work pretty well for us…. My head is a bit off the exact center, and I’m having a bit of trouble connecting some of my neuronic pathways, because, hey, where are they?…. Nevertheless, we will continue, as I can use my new Acme Pathfinder to seek out new trails through the labyrinth of my mind; this should allow us to find our way, to somewhere in the vicinity of where we need to go, thus confounding the forces of evil that would keep us from our appointed tasks…. Or something like that….

“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” — Confucius

“Ignorance is not bliss — it’s oblivion.” — Phillip Wylie

“I just forgot my whole philosophy of life!!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” — East African Proverb

“There is no difference between theory and practice in theory, but there is often a great deal of difference between theory and practice in practice.” — Chuck Reid

“Whenever doubt can be called into question, do so.” — Smart Bee

“We find it hard to believe that other people’s thoughts are as silly as our own.” — James Harvey Robinson

Not bad for pot luck, eh?…. Onward, with new enthusiasm… Oh, wait, that’s not enthusi…. what the hell IS that?…… EEEEUWWW!! Yuck…. Oh, well, see you at the next section…. I’ll catch up to y’all after I clean this off…. I have no idea where THAT came from…
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Now that we’ve dealt with the obligatory episode of induced hallucination, let’s see if we can find a poem that won’t cause any real harm…. Better yet, lets go for something really good… Okay, here you go…. this fits that description exactly….. It’s a bit longer than is comfortable, perhaps, but, whoever said this would be easy?…. Not me….

On the Pulse of Morning

A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon.
The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.

But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow.

I will give you no more hiding place down here.

You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness,
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance.

Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter.

The Rock cries out today, you may stand on me,
But do not hide your face.

Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song,
Come rest here by my side.

Each of you a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.

Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.

Yet, today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more. Come,

Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the stone were one.

Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing.

The River sings and sings on.

There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock.

So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African and Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.
They hear. They all hear
The speaking of the Tree.

Today, the first and last of every Tree
Speaks to humankind. Come to me, here beside the River.

Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River.

Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveler, has been paid for.

You, who gave me my first name, you
Pawnee, Apache and Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of
Other seekers- desperate for gain,
Starving for gold.

You, the Turk, the Swede, the German, the Scot…
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought
Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare
Praying for a dream.

Here, root yourselves beside me.

I am the Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved.

I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours- your Passages have been paid.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon
The day breaking for you.

Give birth again
To the dream.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.

Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.

The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.

No less to Midas than the mendicant.

No less to you now than the mastodon then.

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes, into
Your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

~~ Maya Angelou ~~

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Perception is, perhaps, the most elementally intricate quality we possess as living creatures. Through the five-plus senses we bring to the process, we receive information from the universe that gives us what we require, in order to be able to interact with Reality, (another term for the Universe… for the purposes of this discussion, anyway….)  in some sort of way that is meaningful to us.

This information comes to us in a variety of forms, and our minds must utilize the complex, yet subtle qualities of imagination, reason, logic, and all those mental functions that our minds have discovered to organize the information, functions whose etiology are basically unknown to us, as part of our basic nature. We don’t think about, or feel in any way, the process of seeing, or smelling, or touching, except in the context of the sense itself…. We just DO it….

Yet each sense is such that it works WITH all the others, in ways we don’t really understand, to give us the pictures in our heads that show us how our minds perceive the world outside us…. We, being the imaginative creatures we are, have evolved all sorts of ways to organize and utilize our perceptions, all of which are again connected (remember that complexity part…) to another facet of Reality, which is our motivation for what we do, an outgrowth of our judgments of what we perceive…. We perceive, we judge, we act on that judgment, all according to our basic outlook on life, and how we choose to accept, and use, what we perceive….

This subject, I know, is a  bit esoteric for such a venue, but, I’m leading up to a point, which is this…. We all perceive the world differently, but, that doesn’t mean the world takes that into any account…. It’s one of our hardest lessons to accept when we are forced to admit that the Universe, in all its majestic glory, couldn’t give a tiny little crap for us, or for what we think of the way things are…. If we choose to interact with it in such a way that we are breaking the basic rules that everything works by, then we will have to pay the price, in the only way that the Universe uses to exact payment, to wit: extinction….

Now, given that, it seems to me that my ranting about all of this*** is a bit like that ant crawling up the elephant’s leg, with belligerent intentions…. In short, it’s not really a productive way to achieve whatever it is I’m trying to do, as I can see only one possible outcome, which, the odds, and logic, would tend to dictate doesn’t include any need for any worry on the part of the elephant….

All that is a long winded, pedantic way of saying that my rants, while satisfying on a personal level for the release they provide, are mostly a waste of breath, in a practical sense…. Nothing will change because I rant, in spite of the need for change being the whole purpose behind the rant…

The major part of that reason, I think, lies in the fact that I’m preaching to the choir…. None of the ffolkes, or folks, who read my blog, (with the possible exception of any bored NSA drones who may be assigned to do so merely because of my anti-government stance, shown by the  use of key phrases indicating my opposition….), are in any position to make any of the changes themselves, even though many of them would be willing to do so, I think…. But, the people who inhabit the halls of our government in Washington, and in other capitols around the world, DON’T read my blog, nor do they agree with most of the things about which I rant….

Why is that, do you think? Why don’t the people who govern us agree with any of what I say in my rants? It’s all stuff that can be proven, and is certainly important enough to all of us to warrant discussion… But, they don’t agree… They have their own agendas, which don’t look like anything that anyone in the great unwashed masses could come up with, even though they supposedly represent US…. These are our representatives, ffolkes…. I found this short comment in an old Pearl, which I think sums up most of my point pretty well…..

(From May 12, 2012):

“Such bickerings to recount, met often in these our writers, what more worth is it than to chronicle the wars of kites or crows flocking and fighting in the air?” — John Milton (1608-1674) — The History of England, Book iv

Did you ever wonder why a group of crows is called a congress? I didn’t. It makes perfect sense to me…. Dark, sinister looking creatures who act in odd ways, even for birds. Their behaviors tend to lean toward stealing shiny objects from wherever, or stealing the food of people or other animals and birds. When they speak, it is in a voice that grates on the ear like fingernails on a slate. In groups, they mill around, cackling and grumbling and jostling each other, until they all fly off to different areas to carry out whatever nefarious schemes they have hatched among themselves.

No, I have no problem envisioning a congress of crows; in fact, I believe they are in session, now, in Washington, D.C. …. Why, look! Here’s a list of them now!…..

http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2014/01/10/congress-is-mostly-full-of-millionaires-but-who-are-the-richest/#19551101=0

Them’s some affluent crows, ain’t they?…. That’s what happens when any politician is given the keys to the treasury….. One last query…. Who gets to say how much money members of Congress get paid? Answer: They are authorized to set that themselves…. Okay, one more… Who authorized them? Why, they authorized that themselves, of course….

I’m tired now…. I’ve managed to spout off now about the Asininnies, or, at least, about the 545 of them who inhabit the top levels of OUR democratic bureaucracy, for a good, oh, thousand words or so, and once again, it will end up being read by those who mostly agree… (I’m making the assumption, reluctantly, but, with confidence, that if they DIDN’T agree, they’d leave a comment to say so…. I know MY Gentle Readers would do so….), so, I’m perfectly aware that no changes will happen because of what I’ve written….

I don’t feel any better, either, damn it!…..   😦

***  It must be noted that “all of this” should be understood to include: global warming, and the impending ecological disaster, overpopulation, criminality of the Asininnies, most especially the egregiously selfish actions of the Beloved Ruling Class, the Shadowy Corporate Masters, Snakeheads in general, (human predators…. pimps, slavers, pedophiles, and the ilk…), Priestly Hierarchies, and the Ignorant Paramilitary Myrmidons….. Oh, yes…. Also, on the rare occasion, we like to expose Shakespeare, and Pooh’s evil twin….
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The afterglow that generally accompanies the completion of a Pearl just isn’t happening today…. Maybe if I just get on with the posting part, and stop fussing with this any more, I’ll start to feel a bit more in tune with Reality…. Can’t hurt, I guess…. See you tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Alloy sample #7 turned into fairy dust….

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Ffolkes,

“Hey, buddy!”
“Yeah?”
“How’s it going?”
“Who the f__ are you? And why do you keep asking me these stupid questions?”

Okay, so that particular method of opening up might not work any more… I might have guessed, as things have been going too smoothly in the intro section; such a lack of turbulence always makes me nervous when it manifests around here, because I’m forever wondering where and when the other shoe will drop…. I’ve sustained too many concussions from Murphy to feel comfortable with such a trouble-free process, or to expect him to leave us alone for very long…. Oh, shucks, and I was JUST beginning to like him….. Right, sure, that’s the ticket….. NOT!

Very well, since we can’t depend on what we know, we’ll have to rely on what we don’t know, because, hey, there’s a lot more of that than there is of that, anyway…. I’m pretty sure that’s how it is with most ffolkes, and I KNOW for certain that there are a great many folks out there whose relative amounts of each definitely register on the negative side; what THEY don’t know would astound other people…. Hell, sometimes I wonder how those folks get through the day, because Reality has a bad habit of wanting us to walk and whistle, at the same time…. frequently.

It always amazes me, actually, to look around the planet, where I see all the really, really dumb people wandering around, obviously without a clue about practically anything, just sort of there, taking up space… I often end up thinking about how different things might have been in today’s world if, way back in the day, society had made the choice to pick the smarter, (but handicapped by honesty and virtue), cave guy to lead the tribe, instead of the most slick and persuasive liar….

Ah well, too late now…. The dumber, more vicious ones, with the facile tongues, no hearts, and the big clubs, along with the willingness to use them on others, are already in control, and there’s no time to go back for any do-overs; the clock is already run down to the end time, and we’re going to have to deal with things the way they are….

I’m really not ranting here again… No, really, I’m not…. I was just thinking about all the people in the world who haven’t a clue as to what is going on in their own minds, much less what is happening out in the real world, and how they are going to look at all the chaos and upheaval that is coming in the future…. Well, I suppose I’ll find out, won’t I?  I certainly will, and so will y’all….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“Ignorance doesn’t kill you, but it makes you sweat a lot.” — Haitian proverb

Just like the native islanders, to worry about the sweat…. besides, in this case, the cumulative effects of all that time spent sweating has caught up to us, and it WILL kill us, sweating or not….
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Apparently, back in May of 2012, my mind was pretty well-tuned, if still struggling with the whole sleep issue, and I had nothing better to do than to spend a lot of time playing with it…. Kind of like now, come to think of it…. Any who here is another little discussion from that month, posted in a Pearl that produced four separate well-done pieces for me to re-use…. This one is not a rant, just a little self-revelation, with a taste of wistful hope…

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From May 12, 2012:

“It may be irrational of me, but human beings are quite my favorite species.” — Doctor Who, Ark in Space

It probably seems to most folks reading this blog that I don’t like people very much. I tend to spend a lot of time finding and pointing out the things I see in them that I don’t like, and discussing them at nearly interminable length, a habit that would seem to indicate a lack of affection for the species as a whole. In reality, the opposite is true…. I love people…. I love watching them, listening to them, thinking about them, writing about them…. They afford me no end of intellectual stimulation, entertaining comedic genius, and fertile fields of thought and endeavor to explore, virtually and actually.

Human society and culture is an incredibly beautiful, complex tapestry of emotion and creativity; nobility, cruelty, heroes, villains, puppies, cats, love, hate, and all the rest of the things that make people what they are unfolds before us every day, growing and adding length and breadth to that tapestry of existence.

I can’t think of anything more interesting than the drama/comedy that is human history in the making…. I might wish it to be a more compassionate world, with less tyranny and oppression, without slavery and starvation. I might wish that my life would not be so complicated by ignorance and intolerance, and I might wish that the small percentage of humanity that holds the remainder in the grip of their own avarice would die horrible deaths worthy of their own evil natures.

But, I wouldn’t trade a single part of reality for anything. Nor would I say that any of these changes that are needed are particularly apt to happen, not without many more people in the world taking an interest in them…. Most folks just go through life trying to get by, trying not be bothered with anything more complicated than tying shoes; one can’t really blame them, bless their cowardly little hearts…. My own method of dealing with how much I’d like to see reality change is to write about what I see, and what I think can be different, with the right set of attitudes.

This desire to see, and stimulate the changes I believe are necessary arises out of my love for my fellow man, not from indignation or outrage, though they’re present. But, what I write, and what I’m trying to accomplish, is to help folks deal with life in a way that allows them more freedom, of whatever kind they wish to have, whether monetary, intellectual, religious, or physical; my motivation is to share the strength and freedom of thought that I have worked so hard to achieve…. Mankind has much more potential than we are showing in our actions, and I would love to see more of it fulfilled, rather than stifled, as in current society…. We can be so much more….

“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.” — Albert Einstein
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Concluding notes: Having seen the latest evidence about how serious the global warming crisis has become, with the newest estimates as to our remaining time now set at much less than previously thought, (possibly as little as a few MONTHS), I am somewhat unsure of how to approach the future…. From what I can see, from my vantage point (of having an adequate scientific background to make an accurate judgment about how much time we have left, whether it is several months, or as much as fifty years), it seems clear that we are down to a very finite time, one much shorter than we had thought… This is now a fact, easily demonstrated to even the most cynical non-believer….

What this means for me is to experience ever increasing sadness, for all the future we will not see…. I’m saddened by the loss of the beauty that will never be seen, or created by the mind of Man. I’m saddened that my grandson will never have the chance to look forward, to a life of joy and passion….. He’ll never get to travel to see the world, or meet new people, or fulfill any of his own promise…. and, GOD, it’s so damn hard to type when one has tears pouring down one’s cheeks…. It’s so infuriating! Our own stupidity and baseness is killing us all, and nobody seems to care!

Bah, humbug! I’m getting closer all the time to breaking…. If I do, there will be a reckoning, you may be sure… For now, I need to go look for, and read, some poetry, to calm down… Sorry, but when I start thinking about the future, and how my grandson really doesn’t have one, it kind of sets me off, you know?….

As I said in the above, I love people, and all the drama and beauty that we can create…. It’s really too bad we aren’t going to be around very much longer to appreciate any of it….

“In the bigger scheme of things, the universe is not asking us to do something, the universe is asking us to be something. And that’s a whole different thing.” — Lucille Clifton
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I found this poem while looking through PoemHunter.com’s archives…. whereupon I cut, and pasted it in here before realizing just how perfectly it fits in with today’s apparent theme…. If I need to explain why it’s perfect, I’ve made an error in estimating my audience’s basic intelligence; it should be glaringly obvious to anyone how this applies to the current issues in our world, especially those I’ve been discussing today… If not, well, it’s still an enjoyable piece of verse, so, enjoy, okay?…..

Children’s Party

May I join you in the doghouse, Rover?
I wish to retire till the party’s over.
Since three o’clock I’ve done my best
To entertain each tiny guest.

My conscience now I’ve left behind me,
And if they want me, let them find me.
I blew their bubbles, I sailed their boats,
I kept them from each other’s throats.

I told them tales of magic lands,
I took them out to wash their hands.
I sorted their rubbers and tied their laces,
I wiped their noses and dried their faces.

Of similarities there’s lots
Twixt tiny tots and Hottentots.
I’ve earned repose to heal the ravages
Of these angelic-looking savages.

Oh, progeny playing by itself
Is a lonely little elf,
But progeny in roistering batches
Would drive St. Francis from here to Natchez.

Shunned are the games a parent proposes,
They prefer to squirt each other with hoses,
Their playmates are their natural foemen
And they like to poke each other’s abdomen.

Their joy needs another woe’s to cushion it,
Say a puddle, and someone littler to push in it.
They observe with glee the ballistic results
Of ice cream with spoons for catapults,

And inform the assembly with tears and glares
That everyone’s presents are better than theirs.
Oh, little women and little men,
Someday I hope to love you again,

But not till after the party’s over,
So give me the key to the doghouse, Rover

~~ Ogden Nash ~~

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“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” — Charles Lamb

There, now, none of the irony dripping from this got on your clothing, did it? Mr. Lamb makes here an assertion that he has, no doubt, been forced to defend, physically, in more than one bar…. especially in those bars near the courthouse…. Actually, any OTHER bars would most likely appreciate this, and reward him with a groan, or even a chuckle or two, (in some parts of town, they’d even buy him a drink….) even though most folks tend to become angry and depressed when thinking about lawyers….It goes with the territory, you see. 

Lawyers, as all of us are aware, come in only two varieties, one of which is socially acceptable, and one that is socially outcast…. a distinction based upon how they approach their practice of law….

One type of lawyer is the kind who goes into the law because they believe in it; they like justice, they like to see that justice work….. These barristers try to help others find justice, even when the system of law is obstructive to that purpose, by the intent and influence of the OTHER kind of lawyers who inhabit the field. These good people use their knowledge of the ins and outs of the legal system to help others find their way through it, motivated by impulses of a morally superior nature….

The second type of lawyer is that group of people who make it through law school, with the sole purpose making the law work FOR them, to furnish them with power, money, and control over others, whether as a lawyer, a judge, a politician, or a banker, which are the four ways that most lawyers choose to use their education….. They are motivated by avarice, entitlement, and self-love, and have no investment at all in helping others, unless that somehow advances their own agenda….

Now I’m depressed, and pissed off…. I have had my own experiences with both kinds of lawyers; I even count one of them among my long-time friends, mostly because he is a person who spends a lot of time agonizing over the motivations involved in pursuing the law, and his own struggles with dealing with the other type in the system…. He would have been the first kind of lawyer, had he stuck with it; as it is, he is not currently practicing, and is much better off for it, IMHO….

But, there are so fucking many of the other kind, who are in it for what they can get out of it, they tend to seem like the ONLY kind…. It also seems as if every one of the lawyers in that group is involved in the government of this country, at one level or another, which, arguably, is a fucking nightmare for the rest of us…. These Asininnies have penetrated to all levels of society, taking over in positions that require their expertise, thus cementing their own part in keeping the status quo intact…. From the White House, to the halls of Congress and Senate, to the Supreme Court, our country is in the hands of assholes with law degrees, all vying for the primary position of power, and not a single one of them concerned AT ALL with anyone else in the country….

It’s been this way for a good long while now, and shows no signs of ever becoming different…. because people have stopped noticing, or don’t care, because they’re too busy trying to stay alive in the impossible world that has been created for us…. I could rant here about how this is going to kill us all, but, you’ve heard me on that subject before, and it won’t change anything to go over it now…. I don’t see that there are a lot of options left in the world for any of us, not without some seriously revolutionary spirit developing, enough to actually fight back AGAINST all those who would maintain things as they are….

That’s the issue, ffolkes, right there…. The people now in power want the status quo to be maintained, as long as they possibly can, so they resist all efforts to educate the world about the need for change. They won’t quit doing that, unless someone else MAKES them stop… and, honestly, do you see anyone at all who will do that? Neither do I….. I am willing to help, if I could see anyone at all who had any chance at making any changes, but, I just don’t see it anywhere….

“THEY” have too much control, and “THEY” are willing to let things go on the way they are as long as their profit margin doesn’t fall below their expectations…. Add to that the fact that “THEY” don’t give a shit about what anyone else wants, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of where we stand, here, January 11, 2014, in America, as well as on Planet Earth at large…. You can thank the Asininnies, and you can thank yourselves, as I do, for we all played our part in the story line….

And of course, No soap, radio….

(The Joke: Two elephants are sitting in a bathtub, scrubbing away. One elephant pauses and cries out to the other, “Pass the soap!” And the other elephant shouts back, “No soap! RADIO!” All the kids burst out laughing at the hilarious rejoinder and they slap one another on the back with glee. The sucker in the group cracks up, too and exclaims how funny it is — only to be mocked by the rest because there is no joke.)

Get it, ffolkes? This is no joke…..
_____________________________

Now that I’ve spent the entire morning depressing myself, and anyone who stumbles onto this little bit of curmudgeonry, I suppose I should try to do something a bit more on the positive side of the scale, to balance out the day…. otherwise, it could throw everything out of balance, and hasten the point where I crack like a cold vase in hot water…. The world isn’t ready for that, and neither am I….

That, having been said, shall be recorded, and remembered when the time comes to tally up one’s score, at the end of the game…. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for the Asininnies, there’s still enough time left for me to fulfill some of what I consider to be my “honorable intentions” before the curtain rings down for the final time…. I’m done here for today, though, so….  See ya…

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

All of that, in marmalade shoes?…..

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Ffolkes,

“Hey, mister!”
“Yeah, kid?”
“What time is it?”
“Crying time….”

What? What’s that you say? Hold on, let me turn this off…. Okay, that’s better…. Now, what was that? Oh, that? I don’t know…. some random bozo left it on screen, and it kind of fit in, so…. Huh? No, not me, no way…. Oh, alright, I’ll confess, I did it…. I actually kind of like that little conversation at the beginning…. I don’t know, it just appeals to me, and it seems to be fairly flexible, as I’ve used it several days now, and it’s still coming across okay…. I’d ask y’all for opinions, but, I’ve never done well working by committee, and I don’t play well with others most of the time, so, it’s probably best for me to NOT ask for help with this….

I’m not sure exactly what I’m doing up this morning, anyway….I’m up way early…. I lost track of my pill timing in the night, and ended up missing a dose of my pain pill… This is not a good thing, generally, and tonight was no exception…. I wake up, with my pain increasing slowly, and a feeling of disturbance, a kind of edgy feeling, as if my nerves are vibrating…. This, of course, is the precursor to the dreaded dyskinesia, a side effect that occurs when the medication level in my blood falls too far below the optimum level, lasting until a pill is taken, and the blood level rises again into a therapeutic range. Until it passes, I am unable to do much but pace, or sit and vibrate…. Grand craic…. NOT….

Once I had figured it out, and taken the pill that went AWOL, all I had to do was get up, and try to keep from moaning and groaning so much I wake up Pat…. Well, and wait for coffee, so I don’t bite the cat…. Actually, I think it might be a good time to start a rant, as my anger level is perfect for letting out on some deserving asshole… I’ve got beau coups material below, what with the re-emergence of the Asininnies from their year-end hiatus from the news….

The politicians are starting to talk again, so we’ll have some good stuff to go over later…. Then there’s the news from the courts, regarding the half-hearted attempts to curb the bankers, trying to make them toe the line the rest of us stand on…. Of course, then I won’t have anything to do later, so, maybe I’ll wait on that…. Actually, I’m sort of wandering around in my head as much as I am on screen, trying to find some sort of direction… Maybe, the routine will need to adjust this morning; I can see now, this is going nowhere, and getting there fast….

Instead of any more of this nonsense, lovely as it may be, Shall we Pearl?…..

“It matters little what you believe, so long as you don’t altogether believe it.” — Bertrand Russell

“Thought and theory must precede all salutary action; yet action is nobler in itself than either thought or theory.” — William Wordsworth
_____________________________

http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2014/01/06/house-democratic-leader-nancy-pelosi-says-edward-snowden-should-come-back-and-face-the-music-for-leaks/

Sometimes, I really do wonder how these people get to be as old as they are, much less understand how they go about convincing other people they are competent, intelligent human beings, who can count all the way to three without stopping, and tie their own shoes, in those cases where they are allowed to have them…. Nancy Pelosi, echoing the bullshit rationalizations that the administration has spewed from the start, yesterday made the completely idiotic suggestion that Eric Snowden should come back to the US and surrender himself for prosecution, or, in the words of the people who have been lying, and spying on their own citizens, he should “face the music”….. Music THEY want to play, and you can bet it is a funeral march….

What a completely asinine, idiotic statement! It’s as if they don’t have a clue as to their own duplicity and hypocrisy, to make such a suggestion, knowing full well that this man could no more receive a fair trial in this country than Bradley Manning got, or, everyone’s favorite whistleblower, Julian Assange, of Wikileaks, who, though admittedly an asshole himself, at least TRIES to help the common man, rather than siding with the Powers That Be automatically, as they would like us to do…. Nancy Pelosi, especially with quotes like this, and her compatriot, Dianne Feinstein, who has been parroting the exact same talking points, are becoming excellent examples of how out of touch our Congressional pundits are with their voting base….

I would wager that over 60% of the American voting public, especially here in California, is grateful to Mr. Snowden, considering him to be a whistleblower, a patriot, and a brave man, if not a hero…. Yet, in spite of the almost universal support for Mr. Snowden’s actions,  both of the elected Senator bozoettes from California continue to parrot the administration’s rote message, one of revenge, with no mercy, on this “outlaw” who exposed them as the criminals they are…. I know of very few people on the streets, those that I speak with, anyway, who believe he did wrong…. If anything, most folks I speak with feel he is a very brave man who made a tough decision, and is now paying the price….

The thing is, how stupid do these people have to be? How can Pelosi make such a completely obtuse statement, and expect it to have any positive effect at all? This whole scenario seems to have locked all of them, the politicians, into the same, inflexible mode of mind, where they just keep on saying the same thing, over and over, no matter how many times it takes, until they get their way…. I know that experience has taught them they can do this, and it will eventually work, but, it seems so foolish to me to continue the charade, especially when the opposition is so strong in his favor….

A lot of very influential people and organizations have already come forward to support the idea of clemency for him, and it seems to me that the administration would have the commons sense to see the way the wind is blowing, especially when it is blowing against their chosen direction…. But, then, they’ve had a lot of practice at getting people to ignore their chicanery in the past, and they have no doubt they can do so in this instance as well…. However, I think, this time, they may have underestimated the depth of the anger that many Americans feel at being spied upon, and lied to, by their own elected officials….

You see, THAT, to me, is the core principle here, and one that the public needs to stay aware of….. These assholes, the POTUS, the Congress, the bankers, and all those shadowy supporters of the status quo are spying on you, lying to you about that spying, and about almost everything they are doing, supposed on your behalf, and in your name…. The administration of this country is in the hands of 545 people, men mostly, who have ONLY their own agendas to follow, and have no interest whatsoever in any of the things that the American people want for themselves…. All they want is to secure their own power, their own entitlement, and their own control over everyone else….

If you believe anything else to be the case, I’d welcome hearing your evidence…. But, I’ve looked at all of it, and what I see is a small group of selfish, greedy assholes who are running the world for their own benefit, and leaving the scraps for everyone else…. In this case, they’re angry at a man who pulled their covers, and they want their revenge on him for daring to show them up….

This entire scenario is just that simple, ffolkes;  anything else you read, or hear, from almost anyone in the public eye, will make a bit show of outrage and indignant blather, in a blatant attempt to draw your attention away from that simple FACT…. They’re mad because they got caught, and now they’re scrambling around in anger, and will stop at nothing to bury the one they hold responsible for that, for they will never admit any of their own responsibility….. Hell, not only do they NOT take responsibility for what they’ve done, they’re trying to convince everyone they were RIGHT to do what they’ve done…. Assholes, every one of them….. and, now, they’re talking through those self-same defecatory orifices, if what is coming out is any indication…..

When I saw the following quote, I thought to myself, “I didn’t know Bertrand Russell was a seer.” This comment from the past could very well be taken as a very accurate description of the Obama administration’s response to the revelations about their spying…. It’s a perfect ending pearl for this rant, summing up a large part of my argument in one line….

“Conventional people are roused to fury by departures from convention, largely because they regard such departures as a criticism of themselves.” — Bertrand Russell  “The Conquest of Happiness” (1930)

There you have it for now, ffolkes, another in a long line of indictments of our Beloved Ruling Class, all polished up for your enjoyment…. As a retired chef, I can tell you, these rants will go best with a blueberry muffin, and a strong cup of coffee, sweet & light, as they say back East….
_____________________________

On ranting days, I often turn to this poet, to soften the mood a bit….. Enjoy!….

The Loser

Mama said I’d lose my head
if it wasn’t fastened on.
Today I guess it wasn’t
’cause while playing with my cousin
it fell off and rolled away
and now it’s gone.

And I can’t look for it
’cause my eyes are in it,
and I can’t call to it
’cause my mouth is on it
(couldn’t hear me anyway
’cause my ears are on it),
can’t even think about it
’cause my brain is in it.
So I guess I’ll sit down
on this rock
and rest for just a minute…

~~ Shel Silverstein ~~

_____________________________

http://news.yahoo.com/jpmorgan-chase-pay-2-0-bn-madoff-probe-100825763.html

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/JPMorgan-settles-Madoff-fraud-claims-for-1-7B-5120459.php

Normally, I wouldn’t rant twice in one day, but, these two articles made it imperative that I respond, at least to one part of what I read in there…. That part was this….. This is two quotes, both from the second article, on SFGATE….

“The nation’s largest bank will forfeit a record $1.7 billion to settle criminal charges, plus pay an additional $543 million to settle civil claims by victims. It also will pay a $350 million civil penalty for what the Treasury Department called “critical and widespread deficiencies” in its programs to prevent money laundering and other suspicious activity.”…….  “The settlement includes a so-called deferred prosecution agreement that requires the bank to acknowledge failures in its protections against money laundering but also allows it to avoid criminal charges. No individual executives were accused of wrongdoing.  ”

2.5 billion dollars….. Two point five billion dollars…. Two and a half BILLION dollars! That’s it…. They were responsible for allowing over 300 BILLION dollars get ripped off from the public, and they only have to agree to give up 2.5 of the profits they made to get out of any prosecution for their part in the scheme…. There was another point in the first article, in Yahoo, that mentioned that Chase had “put aside” 23 Billion dollars for legal defense funds on this issue alone…. 23 billion dollars folks, just to make sure none of their precious money-makers would be sued, or for that matter, be discomfited in any way…..

Now, normally, this wouldn’t set me off, as it’s a pretty common tale, but, what with all the other shit going down in the world today, the fact that these corporate assholes can buy their way out of trouble, well, it makes me pretty angry…. especially when a solitary brave man has to suffer persecution, and possible prosecution, for telling the truth about a government gone mad, while the corporate masters who have manipulated the whole world scenario to suit their own agendas can hide behind their mountains of money, and never suffer a moments angst or worry over what may happen to them….

The world has gone mad, ffolkes, and there isn’t a damn thing any of us can do about it at this point…. There are just too many battle fronts, too many serious issues, any one of which can, and will, bring society to the edge of either revolution, or self-destruction… According to all the evidence I can gather, and all I can extrapolate from that evidence, one of those two actions is pretty sure to come to pass in the next few years, if not months, and I’m getting a bit worried about how far I’ll be able to jump when the bang comes…..

Ah well, so much for one day’s efforts…. All I can do today is rant, and cry…. Cry for my people, and for a future that will never be…..

“If God hadn’t wanted me to be paranoid, He wouldn’t have given me such a vivid imagination.” — Smart Bee
_____________________________

“They seem to have learned the habit of cowering before authority even when not actually threatened.  How very nice for authority.  I decided not to learn this particular lesson.” — Richard Stallman

Well, nobody can say that today’s Pearl isn’t fresh…. It’s also probably enough to get me arrested, if anyone from the government really worried about my blathering indictments…. I haven’t read EVERY word of the NDAA regs, but, the administration seems well able to bend those regulations as they see fit, if they wish to do whatever it is they wish to do…. If they wanted me, they’d probably have enough legal reason to come and get me, or try, anyway….

Fortunately, the quote above is the perfect truth, and I’m ready and willing to discuss the matter with them, ANY WAY, ANY TIME, as long as it is in public… If they want to make me disappear, well, they may be able to do that, too, but, I guarantee, it won’t be as easy, or as simple, as they might think…. and, in order to maintain the security of those precautions I may or may not have taken… (they’ll never know, will they?….), that is all I’ll say on that…. other than, come on down, folks…. let’s dance….

As for this Pearl, it’s done, in every respect, and in every way I can make it done…. Hence, my decision to take my leave makes perfect sense, yes? You betcha…. See you mañana, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Post-apocalyptic sticky buns for sale or mutilation….

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Ffolkes,

“Hey, pal…”
“Yeah?”
“Got a match?”
“My butt, your face….”

Okay, so, this little furry, black alarm clock came stealing into our room this morning, loudly voicing its misguided insistence on company at 0430 in the morning, enforcing its tiny will with sharp claws to the mattress…. Since I was ready to get up, anyway, I let it have its way, to keep from awakening my partner, thus minimizing the damage to the furniture at the same time….

She (the cat…) has only begun this behavior in the last few days, having apparently taken this long, (four months since we moved in here…) to figure out my morning routine…. Or, she finally connected it in her head, to the coffee machine, which goes off at the same time each day, followed shortly by my ascent into the day….

Cats are funny about routines…. Once they are established in one, they do NOT like to have them change, either all of a sudden, or over time….. Any and all attempts to alter the routine are generally met with their full range of displeasure signs, including loud howling, pacing, scratching furniture, tail-whipping, and, the ultimate sign of anger from a cat, using your shoes as a litter box….

Of course, this doesn’t include the other worst type of cat reaction…. some of them are the nervous type, and a change in their environment, minor or major, will cause them to toss their cookies, in the most annoying and inconvenient places, such as behind your dresser, or under the bed….

Any who, since I was up, I went ahead and started this Pearl, with the nice little gift of a subject for the intro, provided most kindly by my small psycho kitty….. Now that I’m this far in, though, I’m wondering just how this is working…. Damn me, and my insistence on quality…. If I could get over trying to be “good” it would go a lot faster, and easier, that’s for sure…. Oh well, giving up is out of the question, given my father, and how I was raised, so, I may as well find something more amenable to complain about…. Perhaps the weather?…. No, that’s too crazy now, what with global warming playing its part….

I suppose I could go for some humor, but, it may too late for anything to save this…. Hell, I even started off today with a bit of mild, old humor (Very, very old…. I first heard this one BEFORE high school, though by the time I was IN high school, it was considered the highest form of humor…. especially if it could be scored off someone….), as sort of a visual, and mental, distraction, hoping to set the tone right away…. That seems to have worked alright… it’s the rest of it I’m not so sure about…. I suppose, though, now that it’s all done, there’s nothing more to be done about it…. not without starting over, and it’s far too late for that….

No, we’ll just have to take this in the manner in which we find it, and get on with our day the best we can….. Shall we Pearl?….

“Aha!  Pronoun trouble!” — Daffy Duck
_____________________________

http://news.yahoo.com/video/nsa-code-breaker-090826676.html

“The National Security Agency is building a computer capable of breaking encryptions used to protect medical, banking, business and government records around the world. ”

Doesn’t this just make you proud? Does it make you happy, all tingly with excited pleasure, that your government, with the tacit, if not overt, approval of the public, is now trying to totally eliminate all privacy from the world, (in a race with the other governments, of course….), to make it impossible for anyone to hide from them anything they feel entitled to know about anyone….

Other governments, of course, are now trying to do the same, so, what they have created, with their unbridled, unchecked fanaticism based on paranoia, is a world-wide effort to find two things…. a way to encrypt data so it CAN’T be broken, and a machine that CAN break any encryption…. Once we have those, boy, think of all the neat stuff we can find out!…..

Oh, wait, we don’t want them to find out that stuff, do we…. No, no we don’t, because they don’t have any idea what it means, beyond their own small, paranoid interpretations…. We are talking, of course, of the Asininnies, those idiots who WANT the world to be insane, so that it fits their own perverted vision of how things are, as long as it meets all of THEIR needs, and the hell with anyone else…. These fools are out of control, ffolkes, and we need to rein them in, quickly, or they’re going to get the idea they can do this kind of stuff whenever they want….

In fact, it just might be time to get pissed off, and begin the process of dumping them altogether, in a way that ensures they won’t return to cause more trouble…. Yes, I’m suggesting it is time for the Second American Revolution, ffolkes…. I, for one, am very tired of hearing about shit like this, where the Powers That Be are acting out their fantasies on the real world, with the rest of us are paying the price….

The planet is on the verge of killing us, as the only viable way to stop our nonsensical, insane pollution of the atmosphere, a process our species developed and began years ago, with no regard for any of the other creatures who share this world with us…. We, as a species, are showing all the signs of advanced mental illness, and in these cases, there is no other certain cure, but death….

I’m ready when anyone else is, to take away the reins of power from those who want it, and start putting it in the hands of those who are the most qualified…. I’m thinking, the first requirement for being elected ought to be that the person doesn’t WANT the job, but, will do so if elected…. We can provide incentive by telling them they can get out early if they do a good job…. (Thanks to Arthur C. Clarke for the idea…) Only then will we begin to see government by those who are capable of governing with intelligence, and compassion, rather than ambition and fear…..

There are a number of videos on the page link shown above, many of which cover different aspects of this particular issue, so it might be a good way to see just how far these assholes have gone in their quest to become the world’s information pirates, to effectively corner the entire market for their own purposes…..

As an American, I am not just ashamed of my government, but appalled by their sheer selfishness and paranoid entitlement…. Fuck them, and the damn white horses they THINK they rode in on!….. It’s time we, as Americans, stood up and actually acted like free men, rather than the pale imitation of formerly free men that now inhabit this land…

“Do you know Presidents talk to the country the way men talk to women?  They say, Trust me, go all the way with me, and everything will be all right.    And what happens?  Nine months later, you’re in trouble!” — Murphy’s Discovery

Hmph! These days, in light of the state of global warming, and the erosion of the air we breathe, the gestation period is down to just a few weeks or months, and, most likely, not even nine of them, once the process of melting permafrost is firmly established….

We are literally looking at a matter of a few MONTHS until we can no longer breathe, if certain scientific scenarios are correct…. I can only hope that, this time, out of all the times they have been right, they might be wrong…. We may then have one last chance to throw out the assholes, and begin to save our sorry little asses from our own stupidity…..
_____________________________

Back in my school days, we read a few of this woman’s poems, in English classes, but, beyond that, I never really looked into her work…. until recently, when I came across a fragment from one of her poems, in Smart Bee, and it sent me off to find more from her pen…. I’m really glad I went to look for more, for she is indeed a wonderful poet, worthy of all the fame she has enjoyed for the past two centuries…. Here is one that illustrates that quite well…. Short, to the point, and just plain brilliant….

Although they are

Although they are
only breath, words
which I command
are immortal

~~ Sappho ~~


One just isn’t quite enough, is it? Here is another, to soothe the urge for more….

He is more than a hero

He is more than a hero
he is a god in my eyes–
the man who is allowed
to sit beside you — he

who listens intimately
to the sweet murmur of
your voice, the enticing

laughter that makes my own
heart beat fast. If I meet
you suddenly, I can’t

speak — my tongue is broken;
a thin flame runs under
my skin; seeing nothing,

hearing only my own ears
drumming, I drip with sweat;
trembling shakes my body

and I turn paler than
dry grass. At such times
death isn’t far from me

~~ Sappho ~~

_____________________________

The rant above, while somewhat mild in its execution (no blood involved being the main requirement to achieve “mild” status….), does fulfill my daily obligation, at least from a technical standpoint…. In this section, I’m going to go a little off wire, combining an old-school pearl with a previously written religirant…. Together, I think, they form a quite nice little scalpel-like instrument with which to poke at the Priestly Hierarchies, those Asininnies responsible for a great deal of the misery in this world….. Boy, I get so mad, when I stop to think about where Mankind COULD HAVE BEEN, had we not been handicapped by these assholes and their personal delusions of adequacy….

That being said, I offer the following five-star pearl, with a side of religirant from very early last year…. post election, pre-outing of the NSA…. The old-school section is quite sharp, so use care when handling….

“…this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.” — John Adams, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1816

“I would not attack the faith of a heathen without being sure I had a better one to put in its place.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
(Such arrogance and ignorance, in one phrase! Enough to fill the world!….)

“The missionaries go forth to Christianize the savages–as if the savages weren’t dangerous enough already.” — Edward Abbey

“…and so — for weeks after — you won’t be able to swing a dead CAT in Jerusalem without hitting someone descended from the house of David… anointed by a close relative… riding into town on a donkey.” — The tantalizing tail end of the Judge’s soliloquy, from CEREBUS

“If a ferret bites you it is nearly always your own fault.” — Phil Drabble

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From 2/13/13:

“The essence of Christianity is told us in the Garden of Eden history. The fruit that was forbidden was on the tree of knowledge. The subtext is, All the suffering you have is because you wanted to find out what was going on. You could be in the Garden of Eden if you had just keep your fucking mouth shut and hadn’t asked any questions.” — Frank Zappa Playboy Interview, April 1993

Hmm…. Frank’s take on matters are such that I generally find myself in complete agreement with what he says. Here, he has again put his finger on one of the more obvious facets of Christianity, one that defies all logical explanation in lieu of subservient belief, to wit: faith vs. knowledge, and the Christian’s unfortunate tendency to embrace the former, without any appeal to the latter…. To my way of thinking, that is not only foolish, but cowardly…. but, perhaps, that’s just me….

The fruit of the tree of knowledge gives mankind the go-ahead, to use the brain with which we were furnished at birth…. The preachers would have us abrogate that use, having us, instead, give over all our power of belief into the hands of the faithful, who, naturally, have only our best interests at heart…. Sure they do…. NOT…. I’m sorry, but, no matter how many times these folks say so, I am not going to accept that they know better than I what is best for me…. Nope, not even if there were twenty different Bibles out there, all proclaiming how true they are…. Oh wait, there are twenty of them, aren’t there?…. Oh, well, you know what I meant….

Why do people fall for this? I cannot understand how people, who are normally reasonably intelligent, will, by conscious choice, bury their heads in the sand to buy into this, without ever taking even one moment to examine any of it for truth, or even logical assumption. Is there some kind of mind-control drug in that incense? Maybe it’s something in the sacramental wine….

Whatever it is, it turns normally competent, intelligent people into mindless slaves, and does so with their complete agreement and approval…. To my mind, it is one of history’s saddest, most incomprehensible features, when I look at just how easily people fall for such egregious, and so obviously self-serving propaganda, as most of the dogmatic proclamations of the major religions tend to offer up.

“I hope I never get so old I get religious.” — Ingmar Bergman

I am compelled to add, “Me, too!” to this sentiment…. In the recent past, I’ve been taking a lot of shots at religions, and need to make clear that I do not hate Christians, or Buddhists, or Muslims, or the followers of any religion. I think they are being silly, deliberately and evilly so, at worst, or at best, misguided, but I don’t hate, or fear them, as is the case on their part whenever they consider me, or my criticisms of their beliefs.

I don’t hold that against them, either, as it is logically consistent for them to do so, given the limitations of their dogmatic position. Since, however, the fervor with which they will often defend their position can reach a rather fevered pitch, I tend to treat many of them like a stinging insect; I move, and speak, slowly and carefully, so as not to frighten them more than they already are….

Ethical and moral behavior is not confined to those who follow the precepts of one religion or another, despite what any of the proponents of those religions will try to tell you.  In fact, if you look closely, the number of folks who are believers have a much higher percentage of failure in that regard than do the non-believers, which only makes sense….

The believers all have a sense of entitlement that gives them the idea that the rules of behavior don’t always apply to them, in terms of how they treat people who are not of the same faith, so, to those who are not of their own sect, they don’t bother being truthful, or honest, or ethical, as those people don’t count, in their eyes. People who make their own moral codes tend to follow them, and are much more tolerant of those who do not share their beliefs.

Basic human nature dictates these responses in people, so one can see how dangerous it is to remain ignorant, in the Biblical sense. Those who choose to buy into the myth of the Garden of Eden, giving up all their personal independence of mind for the comfort and safety of dogma, will fail to act according to their own morality much of the time, out of their sense of entitlement, and the belief that all of their sins will be forgiven, merely by the act of confessing them. Only those who consciously choose their moral code have the courage to act it out, it seems, except for those few people who actually try to live according to the morality that is espoused, but seldom embraced, by their less ethical peers.

Having the strength of mind to make one’s own moral code implies the courage to act it out…. This is why I choose to deny the dogma I’ve been exposed to all my life, as being illogical, and, ultimately, immoral…. It makes more sense to me to make my own decisions on such matters, and tell the busybodies, who assume they know best for all, to go jump in a lake…. Even better, just shut the hell up, and get out of the way, so the rest of us can get something relevant done, without having to put up with all the nonsense from that quarter….

“What is a church? Our honest sexton tells, ‘Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells.” — Crabbe
_____________________________

Well, there you have it…. another Pearl, in a long series of such…. such as they are….. I have no regrets, nor do I fear retribution or angst; all I fear is indifference, and ignorance, which often go hand in hand…. Lest we join those ranks unknowingly, I’m outta here…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Fat chances at skinny odds….

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1

Ffolkes,

Since the White Rabbit’s progenitor seems to have dictated how this morning’s events should transpire, I’m going to do what I do best when a crisis hits…. take a break…. In case it isn’t clear, that’s a joke, ffolkes…. My first reaction at the initial signs of trouble is NOT to cut and run, unfortunately. My life would have been a LOT different if that were the case, and that is for sure and for certain….. The more than 750 times I got into a major altercation with some insane, violent mental patient might never have had the effect on me that it did, had I not been the kind of person who did NOT run away when confronted with danger…..

Today, however, I’m going with the flow, such as it is, and taking a break, first off…. not to relieve tension, or difficulty, but to gather resources, to find the center, if it is anywhere to be found…. I’ll be back shortly, when I’ve made an honest effort to get it together…. Maybe then, I could come up with something original, and fun to read, rather than this personal chatty shit that seems to have me under its spell of late…. Any who, I’ll be back…. and you won’t even notice I’m gone….

Whereas I, intimately connected to all I do, naturally, noticed the exact moment I returned, which is not this one, or this one…. It is, however, this one, so, let’s get back to the reality for which we so diligently yearn…. You’ll be pleased to know, I’m sure, I DID find the center, and, yea, verily, I speak to you now from the serenity of its confines…. Well, I’m near there, anyway; I can see it, and it’s beautiful, too…. But, I’m okay over here, sort of off center, but, near enough to feel the balance it provides by its mere existence…. Yah, sure, he said, remembering at last it was time to take those pesky medications they make me take to keep me quiet and happy…. Mmmm, yum!

So, I was taking a break outside, as I normally do about this time, and it was very strange…. NOTHING happened. The usual traffic, of course, and joggers with dogs, and brisk morning breezes to keep me on my toes….. Otherwise, nada, zip, zilch…. It made it quite nice, in truth, as it gave me some good cogitation time, which I spent judiciously on a number of subjects close to my heart and mind (what else would I think about?….). One of the ideas that struck me, (this one was quite bloody for a moment, opening up that vessel over the eye that bleeds like a stuck pig at the slightest blow….), in fact, should be good for a pearl or two, which means I can afford the replacement blood….

Still, I think that this morning’s attempt at introducing today’s pearls is sufficiently strange to serve the intended purpose, which, sad to say, I am not at liberty to divulge at this time. Doing so would involve too many alterations to reality as it already has been configured for the day; such alterations have a high risk of disturbing the balance of the entire space-time continuum in ways completely new and unknown… That risk is just too high to allow such knowledge, so, you’ll just have to wait until the end, when the purpose becomes not just apparent, but justifiably protected….

Hey, that argument seems to be good enough for the White House, so, as a citizen, it’s good enough for me…. Shall we Pearl?…..

“Support your local church or synagogue. Worship at Bank of America.” — Smart Bee
_____________________________

Above, in the intro section, I referred to an idea that occurred to me while I sat in the morning air, engaging in my favorite pastime, random thinking about Stuff…. This idea is a delicate one, and needs to be explored a bit more deeply on my part before I bring it out into the light of day…. I’ll just say this: it has to do with the Internet, the Asininnies, and You/Me(Us)…. and it’s a bit disturbing….. In case you don’t recall, Asininnies are those humans on planet Earth who live by the code of Me First, regardless of what other people or animals may have to say about it…

They are the Beloved Ruling Class, those professional politicians (parasites) who claim to lead, but more accurately, crave power; the Shadowy Corporate Masters, those bankers and old money warmongers who buy and sell the world at their whim, including the loyalty of the BRC, and those others who are also Asinine by nature…. There are more… The entitled Police and Military Goons, The Athlete Rock Stupid Role Models, The Media Cowards, who unconsciously help the Asininnies accomplish their manipulations by parroting their lies without complaint, or exposure….

Most heinously, which adjective I use deliberately, these Asininnies are all supported by the efforts of the last group in the category…. the  Priestly Hierarchies, those deliberately delusional fanatics who live by faith rather than reason (though they would claim the opposite….) By encouraging their constituencies to follow their lead, and accept all that the worldly authorities tell them to do in their lives, they teach the people how to obey, both by example, and by designed application of guilt over original sin….

What a scam! Convince people they are bad because of what some original member of the tribe did, which may or may not have happened in truth, then, use the ensuing manufactured sense of guilt to cause behavioral changes at direction…. Willing mental slaves, all for the price of a good story line…. gotta love those early Christians and Muslims, eh? They knew human nature, with its susceptibility to the lie, and its gullibility to the apparent truth….. What ticks me off is that it continues unabated after thousands of years…. It goes a long way toward proving Robert Heinlein’s statement on the subject, by his character Lazarus Long, to wit: “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.”

That, then, is the current scenario we have in the world today, as I pointed out above…. Internet, Asininnies, and Us…. In the near future, I’ll expand on the idea that occurred to me, but, I’ve taken enough time and energy this morning to make sure all the players are known, and clearly…. I don’t want any confusion about any of that after I begin my rant, whenever that may be…..

For now, I’ll just put together a short five-star pearl, which, hopefully, will give y’all a preview of the rant that is to be…. Let’s see what SB can do about that…..

“I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge of the man.” — Seneca (8 BC) — On a Happy Life, 2, (L’Estrange’s Abstract, Chap, i.)

“Now that the government is going to balance the budget, it is up to the rest of us to budget the balance. Some folks think we are getting too much  government these days. They should be very happy that we are not getting all of the stuff we are paying for.” — Smart Bee

“The devil knew not what he did when he made man politic.” — William Shakespeare

“We are locked into a system of “fouling our own nest,” so long as we behave as independent, rational free-enterprisers.” — Garrett Hardin

“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” — Ann Landers

Perfect…. Good enough to go on, for sure…..
_____________________________

I’ve seen this poet’s name and work all my life, but never took the time to explore it…. Now, I will….

On what is best
Some celebrate the beauty
of knights, or infantry,
or billowing flotillas
at battle on the sea.
Warfare has its glory,
but I place far above
these military splendors
the one thing that you love.

For proof of this contention
examine history:
we all remember Helen,
who left her family,
her child, and royal husband,
to take a stranger’s hand:
her beauty had no equal,
but bowed to love’s command.

As love then is the power
that none can disobey,
so too my thoughts must follow
my darling far away:
the sparkle of her laughter
would give me greater joy
than all the bronze-clad heroes

~~ Sappho ~~

_____________________________

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you just might miss it.” — Matthew Broderick — in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, screenplay by John Hughes

The movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, is a cult classic with good reason, & not just for this little gem…. Too much to go into now, just suffice it to say that it’s worth a look, and worth thinking about a lot of what is portrayed in there about society, and human interaction…. Any who, I’m tired, still recovering from my illness, and find myself willing and ready to cheat already this year…. But, with good reason…. While looking for material, this relatively short piece from the Pearl posted on New Year’s Day of last year jumped up, & demanded to be included in a Pearl of more recent vintage…. If not today, then soon…. I decided to just go ahead and let it have its way, as it is well worth another read…. Enjoy, if you dare…..    😉
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From the Pearl posted 1/1/13:

“Life isn’t weird; it’s the people in it.” — Smart Bee

This is one of the reasons I love Smart Bee, for its cheery reminders to look at reality from different perspectives; it always helps me to gain a wider understanding. It is also fitting to begin the New Year with one of its little gems, especially when it fits into my own world view so seamlessly. Weirdness, to my mind, is what gives people their snap (or, in at least one case, their Snaap!). Those who fight against weirdness, who try to conform as much as possible to what society wants of them, are dull, listless, and have leeched all the color from their existence, choosing to live in reality’s version of limbo, a world painted all in grey, quiet, and depressing. It is those ffolkes who embrace the strangeness in life who have found the secret of filling life with color, music, and beauty….

“Believe me!  The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900)

SIGH…. I must be getting old…. This year, for the time being, at least, I’m counting my refusal to make any resolutions as living dangerously. Normally, (there’s that word again…. I should stop using it, since it has little relevance around here….), in my checkered past, I’d do something a bit more flamboyantly dangerous, like go out drinking on New Year’s Eve, or maybe go out drinking on New Year’s Day morning. Or, when I was a Dad with teens, I’d try to keep track of my kids on New Year’s Eve…. boy, now that’s dangerous! This year, since nothing of what I intend for my life can happen until my SS disability is awarded, I am on HOLD, unwilling to partake of anything particularly complicated because I am….. and that makes me feel OLD….

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along and not bothering.” — Winnie the Pooh

Perhaps it is an indicator of some sort, to base much of one’s behavior, or at least intended behavior, on the philosophy of a teddy bear, but this little idea from Pooh, in his Uncarved Block mode, is probably one of the most valuable pieces of advice one can take, even if not used consistently. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t mind if people consider me weird for feeling or thinking that way; in fact, it is rather a compliment, to my way of looking at things. But, then, having been raised in a family where ‘weird’ was encouraged, I suppose that isn’t a surprise…..

“Life treats all of us like dirt; it is how we react to being dirt that determines our own worth.” — gigoid

I imagine, nay, I’m pretty certain, this thought is not original; only the words I’ve used to express it in this form are mine. It is, however, perhaps the most important lesson that I have learned in my life, and I do not say that lightly. The four pearls in this pearl (don’t fret, just flow…), if put together as an old school pearl, would say the same thing they are saying with my comments, which is to say, a very important idea for anyone who wishes to live life well, with dignity and honor.

Sure, we are all going to have moments of pain, moments of joy, and more than plenty of moments of nothing much going on….. but, how that makes us feel is completely up to us. We can, as the Navajo say, “walk in beauty”, or we can trudge through life with our heads down, plugging on toward the cemetery, oblivious to the beauty by which we are surrounded…. The choice is our own…..

“Truth does not change, although your perception of it may vary or alter drastically.” — John & Lyn St. Clair Thomas, “Eyes of the Beholder”
_____________________________

“Some people are quick to criticize cliches, but what is a cliche? It is a truth that has retained its validity through time. Mankind would lose half its hard-earned wisdom, built up patiently over the ages, if it ever lost its cliches.” — Marvin G. Gregory

Good news for gigoid! Cliches are ‘in’ again! Yay! This brings a whole new level of opportunity to this blog, doesn’t it? Yes, yes it does, he chortled with glee, as I am, if nothing else, very, very familiar with cliches…. In fact, I’ve spoken cliche since my early teens, having been raised on commercials during the 50’s and 60’s, when cliches were getting created every minute for a new products advertised on TV….. It’s all quite “old hat” for me, don’t y’know?…..

Alright, I’m done now…. Let’s look at today’s mess….. Well, considering the amount of material I’ve written, one can say with fair certainty that “I’ve done worse”…. I can also say I haven’t done a lot better, either, without feeling too bad about it, so, it’s good to go….. See you tomorrow….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

 

gigoid

dozer3

Statistical universes encourage the use of pets….

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Ffolkes,

You can expect no desperate whining, nor any trepidation at the blank screen this morning; the date, in all its glorious singularity, is subject enough for anyone to latch onto, providing all of us would-be authors and columnists with ample fodder for our grist, or grist for our mill, or more simply, lots to write about…..

The end of another year, for some reason, seems to put society into nostalgia mode, with year-end sales, year-end parties, year-end lists, and all sorts of activities designed to bring more attention to what just happened, thus avoiding both living in the moment, and preparing for the future, both of which would doubtlessly serve us better than gazing into our checkered past….

In this sense, we can see that all of the end of the year contortions people go through every damn year are just another method of avoiding anything that MIGHT resemble intelligent or productive living. Society would rather spend all their time going over the past year, with all of its problems and triumphs, than it would discussing what may be wrong now, or trying to prepare for a potentially fatally grim future, one very much likely to be less than a stable, peaceful path, but, rather, a short, violent one that leads to, shall we say, a less than desirable outcome, in a very short time…..

Last year, I wrote the following, as the beginning to the last Pearl of 2012…. I think it’s pretty good, so let’s see how it reads today….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From 12/31/2012:

Exploring consensual reality means more than just talking about what people see as real; it means being real, and learning to accept the reality of others, while at the same time rejecting all those realities that are harmful in some way. It means speaking up against all the cruelty and evil that we see, refusing to join the masses who try to ignore what they cannot understand, and therefore, fear. It means exposing those who live their lives without regard for anyone else. It means taking responsibility for one’s own actions, and insisting that others do the same. It means, to me, that even though there is little hope of changing human nature at this late date, a small chance exists that we can survive, provided we learn to embrace ALL of life with honest regard, and can find a way to bring out the best in human nature, rather than allowing the worst to run rampant….

And that, pompous as it is, is ALL we will say about the future, or the past year, for the time being. Everyone else will, I’m sure, cover that adequately, and it would be a waste of my time to add to what is already a massive outpouring of material to read. I’d much rather provide something a bit different, and shall endeavor to do so, post haste…. Sorry, once pomposity sets in, it’s hard to put down….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not too bad, and certainly worth using again this year….. Now, if I could only figure out what the hell to write about today, I could fulfill my given task here at ECR with no fuss or muss…. But, as per normal around here, it looks like it will take some effort to get anything worthwhile to come out of this messy process….. This intro, as can be seen, is yet another experiment, this one thrown together and applied on short notice, as the day snuck up on me, so to speak… Well, actually, the idea snuck up on me, and…. oh, never mind….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“The answer to the question “why was I born trans?” is not in the past, but in the future. When we move beyond asking how we got here and ask what we should do with what we have we answer why we are here.” — Callan Williams

Believe me, this is a much more appropriate pearl than you may think upon first read….. and is much, much deeper than it may first appear….. Just think on it, and it will become clear why this is here, and what it means to all of us, not just the “trans”…..
_____________________________

Not only was the opening of the Pearl from last year on this date a good one, but there was a religirant in there that is well worth reprinting today…. It is still completely valid, in all respects, remaining both an indictment of those who would foist this nonsense upon an unsuspecting society, and as a call to think about the dogma that is impressed upon the believers of what I consider to be delusional material… i.e. strong beliefs held in the absence of evidence or tangible proof….. In short, an indictment of preachers and priests, imams and sadhus, and all the other religious pundits who try to manipulate mankind by the application of massive guilt, and the concept of original sin…. the greatest scam of all time….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also from 12/31/2012:

Forgiveness. How does a person without faith in a higher power obtain this boon? Certainly not from themselves…. I know, if I have done something for which I feel the need, or desire, to be forgiven, then I most likely don’t deserve it, and refuse to give in to self-indulgence. According to the preachers, God forgives all, but damn me if I can see any reason to do so, no matter how ‘merciful’ he/she/it might be. How can anyone expect moral behavior, if even our most grievous sins are forgiven? Because of the promise of reward for compliance, or threat of punishment for refusal to conform? I agree with Albert Einstein, that any such philosophy is not realistic, and certainly not moral,,..

“In his private heart no man much respects himself.” — Mark Twain

All of us, without exception, have things we hide inside ourselves, secrets that nobody else will ever be told. Whether it is a memory of an act one is not proud of, or a bit of severe foolishness, or something so shameful that to share it would be to become a pariah, all of us humans have secrets. I would guess that almost all of them are akin to what is described in the first paragraph, to wit: acts that need forgiveness, but do not deserve it. I believe that this may be a method by which one can tell another person’s outlook on religion, for almost all religions are based on this principle, of divine forgiveness. Even though we may do things in life that are unforgivable, the gods, or God, for the monotheistic among us, are so merciful, that they will do so, if you but acknowledge their divinity, and admit they are your higher power….

It’s a good deal, all in all, if one buys it. Myself, I’m a bit sanguine about it, since I only have the word of the preachers that it is so; there is no real evidence to be found that supports the theory, and the scientist in me wants at least a little bit of proof before accepting something as truth. I’m not going to buy anything just on someone else’s word, or assertion of truth; I’ve been alive long enough to know that doing things like that can only lead to losing something, if only the advantage of self-respect.

“His ignorance covers the world like a blanket, and there’s scarcely a hole in it anywhere.” — Mark Twain

Wait, I thought we were talking about religion, not the last Republican President…. Sorry, couldn’t resist…. Any who, it all comes back to the basic idea of how we view reality, in terms of the concept of God, or a power greater than ourselves, that is responsible somehow for everything that exists, and thus, for us. By giving away that responsibility, I think, we are showing our own cowardice; I’m not willing to do that, not without more compelling evidence than hearsay.

I’m not blind to the other evidence that many religionists claim as being proof of God and his will; I’ve burst into tears myself at the sight of a particularly vivid sunrise, without knowing why, other than the beauty of it was so arrestingly powerful. I’ve seen good things happen everywhere, in human interaction, and in Nature. I’ve witnessed what priests like to call “grace”, and will admit that such events are not explainable by ordinary means.

I’ve also witnessed the other side of existence, where human nature turns dark and cruel, while Nature reveals its own complete indifference for human suffering; I cannot accept that the same entity would dare to assume, or want responsibility for such a wicked universe, even if the balance of good and evil is maintained by the presence of the other.

That assumption is purely human, and thus does not qualify, in my mind, as evidence of divinity in the form of God, by any of the visions held by any of the churches of Mankind. Unless, of course, one goes beyond doctrine, into philosophy, where the above contradictions do not apply, or can be explained by one further assumption. That assumption is a hard one for most humans, as it involves taking responsibility for EVERYTHING that they do, and for everything that happens to them. (Yep, that’s a paraphrase of the basic principle of Karma…)

In other words, as Robert Heinlein put it so aptly, in his epic statement of philosophy, Stranger In a Strange Land, “Thou art God.”  I know, it’s blasphemous, but, hey, been there, done that, let’s get past it…. It is the only explanation that fits ALL the facts in evidence, and even if a bit grandiose, really isn’t, because we are, after all, just a bunch of bozos on the bus.

Being God, though, would be a really boring job, the way the job descriptions in all the churches read, and I don’t think I want to take that on, particularly. It may be the only way I can find any forgiveness for those things I’ve done in my long life of which I am not proud, but, since I don’t feel that I SHOULD be forgiven for them, I think I’ll just accept the responsibility, along with the consequence, a certain lessening of my self-esteem, and try to act in the future in ways that won’t make me feel that way….

It really isn’t hard to be good, in reality, as long as you care…. The problem is, not enough people care, or even think about stuff like this…. Me, I can’t help myself…. Caring, to me, is what being human is about; those who don’t care aren’t fully human, and won’t be until they do….

“I am covered with pure vegetable oil and I am writing a best seller!”  — Zippy the Pinhead
_____________________________

Once again, I’m forced to resort to my own poetry, for honor’s sake…. It’s one of my strongest held beliefs, that no one else should ever get any of the blame for what happens here, so, there are times when I must use my own, to protect the names of the innocent….. I hope you enjoy it, as it was picked out to match today’s mood….

Stray Cats

The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
 may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.

Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
 that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.

Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.

Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..

~~gigoid~~

_____________________________

Since it IS the last day of the year, I will condescend to create one fresh section of today’s Pearl, even if it is only an old-school variety pearl, which I can throw together in my sleep…. No comments from the peanut gallery on that one, please…. In truth, Smart Bee has been really, really good at what it does of late, so I’m kind of trusting it to pull my fat from the fire, in a manner of speaking, as I have yet to really do much today, beyond blather, a form of literature at which I am gaining some expertise….. So, let’s see if SB can pull off another serendipitous grouping of wisdom in small pieces, eh?….

“A people who expect to be ignorant and free expect what never will,  and never can, be.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Politics is for people who have a passion for changing life but lack a passion for living it.” — Tom Robbins

“For insurance purposes, an act of God is defined as something which no reasonable person could possibly have anticipated. In this same sense, Catholic theologians speak of the creation of humanity as an act of God! If carried to the logical conclusion, we might even find some sort of reason for your ordinary parking meter.” — Smart Bee

“We’re not afraid, its just that we have this thing about death.” — Smart Bee

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.  (Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.) — William of Occam, Occam’s Razor

“I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.” — William H. Mauldin, “Up Front” 1944 *

“My face is new, my license is expired, and I’m under a doctor’s care!!!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

A bit obscure, but, you wouldn’t want it to be easy, now, would you? I think not…. You’ll take it the way it is, and like it….
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* “Up Front” 1944, by William H. “Bill” Mauldin This is a GREAT book…. I read it as a young child, because it was in my parent’s library, and we were always encouraged to look at the books. It was a series of cartoons, with two ordinary US Army joes as the ‘heroes’. It pictured the life of an average soldier, on the front lines during WWII in Europe, from the standpoint or these two typical Americans, Willie and Joe, following them with extremely realistic cartoon-like sketches, more portraiture than cartoons, like a comic book, in black and white for publishing in the newspapers of the time….

The sketches/cartoons took the reader with Willie and Joe through battles, life on post, life in the field, encounters with the locals overseas, fear, homesickness, illness, and all the trials and joys that are found in such times…. The text, which I read later, in my early teens, was simple and compelling, written by the author, a political cartoonist/journalist, who traveled around with the soldiers all over during the war years…. A great read…. It educated me at a young age about war, and how average people behaved at those times in history…. very enlightening re: human nature, as I recall…. and funny as hell, even to a five or six year old….

Well, for a final go, this certainly has some bulk to it…. Not a bad way to roll over into a new year, artificial as that distinction may be (What calendar do YOU follow? Gregorian? Orthodox? Mayan? Aztec? Chinese? It makes a difference, you know….). I suppose most of the ffolkes who would be reading this, as English speakers, even if not native, (NOT a handicap, I assure you….) are following the one that celebrates tonight as the crossing from one year to the next in line…..

Thus, as the Universe encourages us all to embrace Change, as acknowledged by Axiom #1 of Peruaosophy, I can say “Happy New Year” without any sense of embarrassment or guilt for being politically incorrect…. not that I give a shit, of course, but, hey, I try to be nice some of the time…. See ya next year, ffolkes… It’s been Real…. Now, if only we all could agree on how that Reality should proceed….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

That ghost just flattered Nadine!….

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Ffolkes,

As the end of another year passes in this weird society of ours, we are all encouraged to become nostalgic, looking back over the past year, assessing, weighing, seeking meaning in what has transpired in our lives. All sorts of year-end retrospectives begin to appear, and the lists come out to play…. Yes, the year end-lists….

The Year’s Best Photos, The Year’s Best Music, The Year’s Best Movies, The Damn Year’s Bloody Best This, That, and/or the Frigging Other, all begin to shout from the covers of magazines, grab us from the internet pages we visit, blare out over the radio, or inundate us with visuals in the latest videos, all for the BEST of whatever is currently in vogue on the editor’s tiny mind….

I’m not sure how this little tradition became so ubiquitous; we used to see it just a bit, in the newspapers, when I was a kid, and maybe a little bit on the radio…. When TV started to become the media of choice for most households, in the late 50’s & early 60’s, the news departments of the TV stations were tasked with coming up with new lists every year, and the race to find the most egregiously stupid list possible was on!….. Ever since then, we are bombarded each December with whatever ideas for new lists that the idiots in those departments can come up with, trying to get the lion’s share of the viewers to tune in to them, rather than to the competitors….

Actually, what I mentioned above, that I don’t know how this started, is an inadvertent falsehood; I DO know why we get deluged with all of these asinine judgments of EVERYTHING they can think of to list….. It occurs to me that I’ve really ALWAYS known what’s behind the whole scenario…. In fact, it’s really quite obvious why we are subjected to all of this hoopla during this last week of the year…..

Christmas, the biggest shopping spree of the year, is officially over, and the shadowy corporate masters of society, fresh from their latest gorging on the public’s outpouring of cash, but, still greedy, want the REST of the money y’all have squirreled away, so they can squeeze out every little iota of profit from 2013, in preparation for the new assaults on your pocketbook in 2014…. They like to make sure they get it all, and balance their books before starting on the new set….

Yep, ffolkes, it’s all just another mind game, a scam, brought to you, whether you wish it or not, by those avaricious capitalists who use their shadowy influence to direct the wishes and desires of the great unwashed masses, who never even stop to think about whether or not any of what they are seeing or doing has any real benefits for them….

These well-trained consumers are blind to how they are manipulated into spending money they don’t really have, to keep up with the competition with their neighbors and peers, to acquire useless, expensive toys that have no real purpose in their lives….. Magic shoes, electronic wonders, terminally cute icons, sexy cars, all are presented in such ways as to make their acquisition seem to be a necessity, removing it from the realm of luxury into need….

I mean, really, ffolkes, do we NEED to have the year’s hottest selling doll for our own child, just because they are manipulated into wanting it? Is that the correct way to teach our children about giving? About love, or about life? I don’t think so, myself, but, then, I’m strange, as we know…. I never felt the crushing need to have a new car every year that seems to be the ultimate desire of a great many Americans….

Nor do I feel the pressing need to buy gifts for people once a year, when I should be interacting with them, showing them love and compassion, throughout the year…. Being compassionate toward my fellow man isn’t something that should be confined to one season, yet that is how we are taught to view the world by those assholes who have their attention focused on our money, and  their own rapacious desires for power and control…..

Well, when I began this little bit of discussion, I hadn’t intended to rant; this is, after all, the introduction section…. But, it just sort of grew into what it is according to what it said, and how that made me feel as I wrote…. I got madder and madder as I progressed, until I had to take a short break, to find the center again….

Unfortunately for us all, that center slipped quite a bit off course, by a matter of over 120 degrees, at least, and it has taken me an inordinate amount of time to find my balance again…. Bloody damn assholes…. Every time I start to think about all the SHIT they hand out to the unwitting masses of people out there, I get incensed, and want to go buy a gun….

Ah well, at least this came at an opportune time today…. I can now use this as my rant, as well as a much more than adequate introduction, and go on about the rest of my business as if none of it happened…. Of course, that doesn’t get the BRC & PTB off the hook, necessarily…. I’m sure I can still find a verbal bullet or two in my vest, to reload and take a couple more shots before I’m done today…. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even rant again…. Since I have no written agenda, merely an outline, empty of subjects, I can do what comes naturally…. And, most of the time, I do…. Like now, for instance….

Shall we Pearl?…..

“The world is not to be put in order, the world is order incarnate. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order.” — Henry Miller
_____________________________

One of my blogging friends, Professor Chuq, over on his site, In Saner Thought, informs me he is working on a piece on “The Second American Revolution”, and will inform me when it is done…. I’m looking forward to it, as that concept has been in my own mind frequently of late, a concept that I believe warrants more attention than it is currently receiving from the public.

It is patently true that if we wish for things to change, we must go about creating those changes ourselves. The Powers That Be, the beloved ruling class and their shadowy corporate masters, are not going to allow any changes that don’t include their supremacy, not without a struggle, but, if we wish to survive, as a species, there is no other choice but to make changes in the way things are being done…..

In my opinion, any Second American Revolution will need to be more of a spiritual revolution than a physical one, and, in the case of our species, an evolutionary change as well, for it is human nature which MUST change…. It is clear to almost anyone who has a functioning brain cell, one that isn’t focused on remaining ignorant, that we cannot wait any longer to make the changes that will keep our planet from bursting at the seams with the garbage we have dumped EVERYWHERE, sickening us, and all the other creatures with whom we live, killing many of them, and making irrevocable changes to the delicate planetary balance, a biochemical balance that keeps the whole shebang working as it does….

In short, and as clearly as I can put this, if we don’t get smart, NOW, we are all going to die…. it is that simple.  The IMMINENCE of these events is very much more than it can possibly appear to be… If that isn’t clear, let’s just say that we should have made the first steps 40 years ago… and we only have about 10 left until the game gets much more serious, much more quickly….

Damn my pomposity! Ffolkes, if we don’t make these changes, and do it in the next few years, we are all going to die, horribly, painfully, and with no dignity whatsoever….. That famous line about the world ending not with a bang, but with a whimper, will become yet another example of Art imitating Life, or, in this case, Death….

Here I am ranting again, and it’s only six AM in the morning, during the slowest news week of the year….. what a life, eh? Ah well, it could be worse…. I’m not clear as to just HOW it could be worse right now, what with global warming, overpopulation, and imminent extinction for all life as our current set of issues to deal with, but, I’m sure I could think of something that could send some chills down your spine. But, I’m tired of being gloomy and upset, even if my targets deserve all I can throw at them….

Since I’m crapping out on another extended rant, I’ll go old-school, to finish out the thoughts we’re discussing…. I’m looking forward to the Professor’s take on the necessity for changes in this country, and to the dialogue I’m sure it will create…. In the meantime, let’s see what Smart Bee can find for our amusement and/or edification….

“It seems a little silly now, but this country was founded as a protest against taxation.” — Smart Bee

Beauty is truth, truth beauty, –that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

— John Keats (1795-1821) — Ode on a Grecian Urn

“Politicians are the same all over.  They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.” — Nikita S. Khrushchev (1894-1971)

“All censorships exist to prevent any one from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorships.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

“Society can only pursue its normal course by means of a certain progression of changes.” — John, Viscount Morley

“Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.” — Pliny the Younger (61-105 AD) — Letters, Book i, Letter xviii, 5

Ah…. a good one, as it turns out. Eclectic, obscure, subtly ironic, viciously mendacious, yet never mundane, or despairing… just the way I like them….
_____________________________

I’m not sure how it worked, but I actually picked this out yesterday to run today, not knowing, at that time, that it would fit in this well…. which, IMLTCHO*, it does…. Enjoy!…..

Seeing is Conducive to Belief

Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.

Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.

The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.

Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.

Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.

~~ gigoid ~~


*IMLTCHO = In My Less Than Completely Humble Opinion
_____________________________

Okay, that didn’t work…. The first three lines I wrote here were incredibly dumb, and were deleted soon after hitting the screen…. Seriously, I don’t think I could have written anything more mundane or, hell, just say it, plain old bad…. Let’s try this, instead….

I’ve ranted, sort of, and made a pearl of the older variety. I’ve poemed. (That’s a word I just made up, meaning I included a poem, either mine, fresh or old, or someone else’s, ditto…..) I’ve cogitated, I’ve composed, and I’ve drunk some coffee. My feet stink, my back hurts, and I don’t even love Jesus…. No, wait, that’s a Jimmy Buffet song…. I think…. No, that was, “my breath stinks, my feet hurt, and I don’t even love Jesus”…. Maybe…. I forget… Oh well… you get the picture….

Never mind. Any who, to get on with it…. It’s still early, and I’m about done, but, I don’t feel up to anything complicated…. so, I’ll foist off another piece from the archives on y’all, my compassionate, understanding, indulgent, unsuspecting audience, no matter how tiny, or huge…. (In numbers, not size…. I have no idea how big or small any of y’all are, do I? No, of course not….)

What I found for y’all today is a simple piece, and much shorter than usual for me, so there’s a small bonus, eh? You can’t say I don’t consider my readers, can you?…. Well, maybe it’s best if we don’t even THINK about that concept right now, okay?…. Here, this is better, for all of us….

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

From April 2012:

During his 1956 presidential campaign, a woman called out to Adlai E. Stevenson “Senator, you have the vote of every thinking person!” Stevenson called back “That’s not enough, madam, we need a majority!”

Obviously, this implies he was part of the minority, along with not enough voters…. Mr. Stevenson was perhaps the last truly rational man to run for the highest office our country offers, hindered only by his commitment to honesty. I’ve seen a number of articles about that campaign, and it’s clear in my mind that his very rationality is what gave the election to the other candidate.

He made every attempt he could to try to engage the minds of Americans, naively, as it turns out. His opponent, Eisenhower, just mostly kept his mouth shut and let his slogans speak for him, such as “I like Ike!”, and other such intellectual standards, that appealed directly to the American public’s misplaced sense of national pride.

After four years of post WWII and the Korean war economic boom(s), it wasn’t hard for the Republicans to rest on their laurels, firmly attached to the coattails of a war hero…. There was, and still is, no place on the political scene in this country for rationality, obviously, as Ike and his ilk won in a landslide…. So much for the opportunity to see what a “thinking man’s president” might be able to accomplish….

The chances of such a man being elected today are even slimmer, considering that, in today’s media-frenzied world, those candidates who can be the most sly, underhanded, and completely dishonest, are those who catch the eye, and the votes, of the great unwashed, uneducated masses who now comprise the voting public….

“It has been said that man is a rational animal.  All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.” — Bertrand Russell
_____________________________

Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow;
He who would search for pearls must dive below.

— John Dryden (1631-1700) — All for Love, Prologue

It is apparent to me, and most likely, to the most casual observer, that today, I’ve covered the complete gamut of surface errors to lustrous pearls from far below…. Far be it from me to stand in the way of progress, so, with no further fuss or muss, I’m outta here…. Well, until tomorrow…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

A delicate motif, in gold filigree….

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Ffolkes,

Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit. : “There is no great genius without a tincture of madness.” — Seneca (8 BC) — De Tranquillitate Animi, 17

This is a truism, in my world, which extends itself to include “all the nicest folks I know”; in this way, it lives up to the same piece of wisdom, first told to me by my own father, who told me while I was still quite young, “Son, all the nicest folks I know are just a little bit tetched….” Though he was from Illinois by birth, he said it in a very Georgian, or Texan, accent, with a big smile, and a twinkle in his eyes….. These, of course, were the non-verbal signals to let me know that, though said in the spirit of fun(ny), he was quite serious, and believed it to be an absolute truth…..

I’ve found this to be true in my own life, for certain; just about all of the nicest, most intelligent, most compassionate people I’ve known were all just a little strange…. or, as in my own particular case, pretty damn strange altogether, by intent….. Meeting, and knowing, these people is different than other folks one meets; it reminds me of the difference between some tap waters in various cities…. Some have more flavor than others, such as the water from my old home town, Templeton, which, because of its situation on the Salinas River, had water with a much higher content of minerals and other substances, not to be duplicated in other areas…. It actually tasted great, compared to most of the other towns and cities we traveled to….

People, like water, it seems, need the same addition of various things to make their personalities more flavorful, and a little bit of strange goes a long way, like a good, strong herb does to the right food dish….. Like basil in tomato soup, it can make a big difference in how that person tastes, personality-wise….. We all know a lot of people who tend to try to avoid most of Life, by hiding, or shyness, or fear of interactions, or whatever other reasons they have…. These folks go through life trying to protect themselves from getting too wet, from getting too hot in the sun, and generally missing out on most of what Life has to offer in the way of joy, because they are trying to avoid the pain that comes with it….

As is patently obvious to most observant of ffolkes, avoiding the pain in Life isn’t possible, and trying to do so often will block us from receiving, or perceiving, any of the very real joy that is very often in the same vicinity. In trying to miss the hard parts, these people seem to shut themselves off from finding any of the easy parts…. It often causes them to be bitter, and, in the typical way of the fearful, gun-shy, afraid to come out of their shell of ignorance….. They never seem able to see that by getting past the fear, there is joy to be found….

Ah well, Life is not fair, I suppose, and even as we try to do what we can to make it a more level field of play for all, the universe is going to crap on us whenever it wishes…. It is our place to deal with that, without get all worked up at how discriminatory it seems…. Life craps on us all; only our personal reaction to that FACT is what makes us different….

Having exposed themselves more often to this process, the people I’ve known in Life who handle this the best are those who embrace the hard parts, who make strangeness their friend; moreover, they use it as a tool, to perceive it all without taking it personally, as the universe is completely indifferent to how we feel about whatever happens…..

Now that I’ve expounded mercilessly upon a very odd point, for the entire purpose of justifying my own oddity, we’ll somewhat hastily, if long-windedly acknowledge the point in question, and get on with other business…..

Today’s introduction has been brought to you by the “Animal” (from Sesame Street) Fan Club, by the letter S, and by the number 13….. Portions of this morning’s outburst were created in a studio, and have no connection with reality; the rest of it is fairly normal in intent if not origin…. We hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip into nonsense and back, and urge you to buckle up, and try enjoy the rest of the ride…. One never knows where we’ll end up around here, or what kind of strange turbulence we’ll encounter along the way….. Good thing, too…. I wouldn’t deal with normal very well…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

“If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.” — Mark Twain
_____________________________

I’m not sure just now whether to spend some energy on a rant, or just go old-school…. I know, I’ll look at the headlines, then make a decision, when I see if there is something in this morning’s news at which to get some outrage going….. Be right back…..

http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Federal-judge-rules-NSA-phone-surveillance-legal-5096126.php

“How come you never see a politician laugh? Because they know what they’re getting away with, and if they started laughing, they’d never stop.” — Smart Bee

Naturally, since this is a left-leaning area of the country, this was buried near the bottom, but, it was there…. I’m a bit disappointed in the reported decision, for the simple reason that it was made, as explained by the judge, according to the idea that expediency is an acceptable reason to abrogate personal liberties, and that his own interpretation of the program and its capabilities, including its intent, is superior to the public’s knowledge, making him entitled to decide for them which of their rights are acceptably abrogated when expediency demands it…. I can only hope the next court to look at the issue finds a bit more intelligence within themselves to avoid basing their rulings on personal beliefs that are based on demonstrably false assumptions….

But, that’s just me…. This one, though egregiously down-played by the media source where I found it, is bound to cause a lot of noise over the next few days, as the country begins to wake up from the holiday brain freeze that seems to invade and disable the minds of the nation this time of year….

Don’t forget, this is the same time of year when our beloved leader, the POTUS, signed the NDAA in 2010, or whenever it was, handily utilizing the absence of Congress to make it an Executive Order, thus bypassing that silly public and congressional approval requirement in the Constitution…. That year, the New Year’s holiday session was over a weekend, so even the TV and news outlets were less active than usual, as they were involved in holiday reporting, while the public could be counted on to remain inebriated and ignorant.for the four day period…. Slick timing, don’t you think?

I’ve noted it in the headlines, and, in the little bit of TV I’ve watched, and on the internet chatter….. The world, at this time of the year, seems to want to NOT think very much…. about anything more important than how much egg nog they have on hand in case the neighbors should drop by, or whether to walk the dog, or take a bath. Which is fine…. I have no objections to anyone taking a day or two off from stuff…. but, weeks? Oh well, I suppose it’s just practicing their skills at turning off their perceptions, to be able to adequately ignore whatever they may need to in the coming year…..

Snideness aside, this doesn’t exactly fill me with sufficient angst or outrage to rant today…. at least, not more than I just did….The mood of the world is contagious, I guess… In fact, I’m feeling so lazy, I’m not even going to give Smart Bee any parameters to follow in the search for this first pearl…. Nope, not me, and don’t you say anything, either…. THAT would really make a mess!…..  Oh, don’t fret, I’ve done this before, lots of times; plus, I’m an uncertified professional, so, no worries….

“Indifference is isolation.  In difference is texture and wonder.” — Edwin Schlossberg

“There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.’ — Russian proverb

“Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is present we no longer exist.” — Epicurus

“Where does weight go when you lose it?” — Smart Bee

“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” — Baruch’s Observation

“Because you’re not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.” — Madeleine L’Engle

“I’m just here for moral support. Ignore the gun.” — Smart Bee

See? What did I tell you? Not only did no one get hurt, or even splashed, it turned out to be quite an excellent pearl…. go figure…..
_____________________________

As with any of this woman’s poems, no adornment is required…. only your willingness to open yourself to her vision…..

Thereon Rose a Serpent

I dreamt the mists of morning masked the mall
Where silent sentinels stand stolidly.
I wandered lonely in a listless lea,
Where spirits moaned a mantic madrigal.
This scene was like to art by some Chagall
When thereon rose a serpent from the sea,
Who lolled upon that shore complacently,
As there spread ebon darkness over all.

I sought my Sarah in the standing stones
Once raised by people of the Pleistocene.
It’s here a ghostly shaman still intones
Odd chants and runes beyond Death’s thinnest screen.
I know for certain that she is most near,
I wait and hope that she will soon appear.

~~ Sylvia Plath ~~

_____________________________

As iterated above, I’m not outraged enough at any of the usual subjects, OR suspects, in my pantheon of villains to produce a fresh rant, beyond the mere hints of such furnished in the same ‘above’ as is/was noted at the beginning of this sentence, which, please note, is a veritable gem of punctuational and lexicographical brilliance….

I’m also not going to subject y’all to another random pearl, which not all may appreciate so early in the day…. For some, two can cause over-active imagination to chip in with distracting irony the rest of the day; this has been reported to cause some embarrassing moments in check-out lines full of people with no sense of humor…. Any who, what I’ve dredged up is a fairly small, though patently longer than necessary, discussion of, well, stuff…. I hope you enjoy it, but, if not, remember what it cost in a real sense, not counting your time….

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

From December 1, 2012:

“The sage wears clothes of coarse cloth but carries jewels in his bosom; He knows himself but does not display himself; He loves himself but does not hold himself in high esteem. Thus he rejects the latter and takes the former.” — Lao-Tzu

In spite of how it must appear, there is a small degree of organization to this blog’s contents. Most days I try to make sure that the first and third sections, while possibly related, are essentially about different concepts. The second section is, of course, reserved for whatever poetry strikes my fancy that day, whether classic, humorous, or original (Though it does seem that my recent outpouring of original poems has run dry, I don’t think I’m done with that, yet….).  It seems to work for me…. well enough, at least, to keep my internal critics quiet most of the time.

Today, it seems that most of what I’m seeing for pearls are related somehow to what I spoke of peripherally in today’s first section, to wit: the importance of integrity in human life. Integrity…. hmm…. not the precise word, or the characteristic I am thinking of, actually; it’s more than merely integrity. I suppose one could say the concept to which I’m referring is too mystical an idea to be presented clearly, and not be too far off the mark….

However, not being one to ignore a challenge to my vocabulary, I’ll take a few unseen moments here and find the correct word to facilitate further discussion, because, hey, if I can’t, no discussion, right? Right…. Be right back…. instantly, by all you will know and see….  Well, the challenge is a strong one, and I think best answered with more than one word to describe what I’m trying to say. Those words are all contained in Axiom #7 of Peruaosophy, to wit: Do your Duty. Honor the Truth. Respect Life. Share your Love.

I know that it is my own philosophy, and some may think that is cheating, but, not so. All that I hold to be true is in that axiom, and it represents the four cornerstones of my personal foundation. I find that when I am able to live up to all of these concepts, when I am able to use their direction in guiding my actions, my life is much smoother, and my moments of joy are plentiful, to balance the pain that life brings all of us in turn. This, to me, is the best way to advance the human condition, little by little, with the efforts of each man and woman adding its weight to the forward momentum.

Yes, the actions and discoveries that the best of history’s minds bring to us are wonderful, and work to make the lives of every human better…. It is the everyday efforts of each man, though, that takes that wisdom and turns it into reality, by using ideas, and integrity, to add their experience to that of the rest of society. Since there is a large number of folks who do NOT subscribe to this kind of ethical behavior, choosing to make their own self-interest their primary concern, it is the duty of those who do believe in these ideas to carry them out as best they may, so that the world can retain some semblance of harmony. It doesn’t always work, and, in fact, is in constant jeopardy of not working at all, but, it is the only way that will make the changes our society needs to survive…. which is another discussion for another time….

“And now there is merely silence, silence, silence, saying all we did not know.” — William Rose Benet
_____________________________

It’s been an interesting morning, to say the least…. Without going into details at this late stage, let me just say the last two and a half hours are some I wouldn’t trade for anything at all…. It’s been a peaceful, productive period of time, and those are precious moments indeed, in a reality that often takes us in directions not of our choosing, without notice or concern…. As such, they should be cherished…. From what I can see, this is done; I don’t think I can do any further damage, nor would I wish to, given my already heavy karmic burden…..  See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Don’t pry, MacDuff, it’s clan business….

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Ffolkes,

“If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us.” — Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955), when asked what his Theory of Relativity was– by William Randolph Hearst’s mistress — during a visit to Xanadu, the Hearst mansion

When my mind is this achingly empty, it hurts….. a lot. On such mornings, it becomes imperative to supply it with something that will ease the pain, while simultaneously filling some of the sheer emptiness that echoes for what seems to be forever….. Fortunately, one of my first steps in the morning routine is to turn on the computer, which is trained to open up the database of quotes I use frequently, Smart Bee….. It can then randomly supply me with such gems as the two above, which have served me well this morning, easing my mental hunger…. for it was shockingly empty, and the pain was fierce….

I like the above pearls, and not just because they saved the morning for me…. I’ve  been looking back at the history of the US in the last century for some time now, trying to figure out just when it started to go bad for us…. Mostly, I’ve found that the roots of the problems we are facing go back quite a bit further than the twentieth century, although much of the worst that has come to light seems to have taken place since the beginning of that last  hundred years; this, though, is merely a matter of observing the effects, over time, of the policies that are causing the issues to manifest….

In short, the bad habits we have displayed as a species, which have been running without much interference for a couple of thousand years, thus shaping the mental attitudes of almost all those living in our culture, (some of us seem to be more resistant than others….), are now coming to fruition, in terms of the long-term effects of our behaviors, effects we had not the wit to see, or understand….

Our continuous, constant rape and pillaging of the planet’s dwindling, and certainly finite, resources has reached a point where our filthy habit of pouring smoke into the air, as if it would have NO effect at all, is going to kill us all, in a surprisingly short amount of time. In spite of all my research into the matter, I’m still not sure exactly WHY we have ignored this for so long, other than to say that we all must have been blinded by what is wishful thinking; regardless of whether or not that is true, we HAVE ignored it, and the effects of that neglect are now catching up to our continued display of ignorance….

I’ve been ranting about this for a week or so, since I saw the report in the Nation that summarized some of the latest reports from climate scientists…. reports that show exactly how late it is, and how little time we have to make the needed changes in how we make use of the planet’s resources….. I have, unfortunately, been made aware, by the lack of reaction to what I’ve written by almost ANYONE else, that the season has played a part in how few have seen or reacted to my sense of urgency about all of this. In short, my angst has been usurped by the seasonal atmosphere of “Oh, it’ll wait ’til after the holidays! Have another egg nog!”….

So, I can see that whatever campaign I might wish to begin, to try to alter the course of history in today’s world, isn’t going to make very much headway until the New Year….. Thus, I may as well relax, and try to have a bit of fun until then…. I am not looking forward to the next fifty years, should I survive that long, as they promise to be more than just a bit “interesting”….Even if mankind DOES wake up, and start to make some kind of effort to halt the environmental damage, and alter the course on which we are now locked, it isn’t going to be simple, or easy, and there will be a great many people who complain vociferously about the changes, which they don’t want, and can barely understand….

The world that is coming, ffolkes, won’t be very much like the one we have now, not once the atmosphere becomes a danger to us…. There will be SUCH a scramble, to see who will be saved, and who will be condemned to die, that all the revolutions and wars we have seen throughout history will pale in comparison…. Governments will try to blame each other, and lie to protect themselves (just as they do now….), but, it won’t matter who is to blame, because Mother Nature really doesn’t give a shit WHO did it…. her reaction will be the same…. Clear the decks, kill them all, and start over…. from Her viewpoint, it’s much easier than trying to get us to change our nature…..

Changing human nature has been our species’ most important goal for most of our history, as well as the one that is resisted most strongly by any to whom it is applied….. Those who have power and resources do not want to give them up easily, and see very little in it for them….. and that has been the problem right from the start….. These people (and I use the term loosely, as they do not accept many of the rules and customs that actual ‘people’ live by, which, in my opinion, removes their right to be included as part of the species at large….), who have set themselves up as the ‘leaders’ of humanity, are in truth merely thugs and thieves, willing to lie, cheat, and steal to make sure that they are in control, of other people, and of the wealth of the community….

We have yet to figure out how to keep them from doing that, and, unless we, as a larger group set against them, are willing to use the same degree of force that they are capable of using, we won’t do so…. until it’s too late, and the ignorance and idiocy of the lifestyle they’ve chosen so blindly will end up killing them…. and, sadly, us along with them…. I guess, if there were a way to figure out how to make the universe JUST, things might work out better…. But, until there is some way for the behavior shown by the BRC to be rewarded by killing ONLY those who show it, well, then, the rest of us are going to end up paying for their foolishness…..

There, now that I’ve completely depressed myself, and anyone else who stumbled in this morning, I guess I can go on to more lucrative pursuits…. Or, at least, more lucrative in the sense of being more enjoyable, and less depressing…. It isn’t every day I start off the day with a nine or ten paragraph rant on the End of Days Scenario, so we should, if for no other reasons than sheer exuberance and silliness, celebrate such flippancy and sang-froid, with some funny, heartwarming pearls, all of a lighter nature than this discussion…. In short….

Shall we Pearl?….

And the angels, all pallid and wan
Uplifting, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy ‘MAN’
And its hero Conqueror Worm

— Edgar Allan Poe “The Conqueror Worm”
_____________________________

Having ranted above, sufficient unto the day, the following shall have no excuse, nor any pity…. This pearl, ffolkes, is about politicians, and the way they look at life…. Some may just show how they speak, or show of what they think about in crisis, but all demonstrate, somehow, just what assholes they are, providing ample justification for how little we like them…..

“The higher you climb, the more you show your ass.” — Alexander Pope, “The Dunciad

“You can fool all of the people some of the time; you can fool some of the people all of the time; and that should be sufficient for most purposes.” — Smart Bee — Found on a plaque, set in the wall beside the doorway into the Congressional offices…..

Chang: “‘Cry havoc!  And let slip the dogs of war!'” — “STVI:TUC”, Stardate 9523.8

“The greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong.  If the Government or magistrates think an individual is right, no one will interfere with him; but when agitators talk against the things considered holy, or when radicals criticize, or satirize political gods, or question the justice of our laws and institutions, or pacifists talk against war, how the old inquisition awakens, and ostracism, the excommunication of the church, the prison, the wheel, the torture-chamber, the mob, are called upon to suppress the free expression of thought.” — Harry Weinberger, letter to the editor, — New York Evening Post, April 10, 1917

One, two, three, four
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn.
Next stop is Vietnam.
Five, six, seven, eight
Open up the pearly gates.
Ain’t no time to wonder why
Whoopie!  We’re all going to die.

— Country Joe and the Fish

“When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.” — Harry S. Truman, 1959

I might have guessed, had I thought of it, but, I didn’t…. so, it doesn’t matter. Nonetheless, I’ll say it anyway…. this final pearl took quite a while,and quite a complicated search, to find just the right candidate to finish this off correctly…. The effort was worth it, for it’s absolutely perfect…. Here, look….

“There is no force more potent in the modern world than stupidity fueled by greed.” — Edward Abbey

See? I can’t think of ANY statement that matches the concept of politics as we know them better than this, a pearl that helps to form a, (yes, I’ll say it again…), perfect ending to a fine indictment…..
_____________________________

Today’s post is freshly made, so, this means the poem will also be mine, though not fresh….. Nobody else will get any blame for any of this, I promise….

Penance, Made Simple

After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.

Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.

Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.

Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.

Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.

~~ gigoid ~~

_____________________________

So that no one can ever say I’m not equal opportunity in my criticism, here are some pearls that have a bit to say about the preachers/priests…. You know,those delusional busybodies who insist on having everyone share in their delusions, which mostly involve a prophet commonly found in the desert, fasting and hallucinating, a supernatural love triangle involving rape and incest, and soliciting the promise to give them 10% of all you earn…. You know, those guys…. Any who, these are some pearls that have something to say about those who would not be king, but, rather, would rather serve that king to help keep you in thrall… for free housing, guaranteed income, and a good tax shelter, of course….

“No man with any sense of humor, ever founded a religion.” — Robert G. Ingersoll

Proof that Bill Gates is the devil ; The real name of the Bill Gates is William Henry Gates III. Nowadays he is known as Bill Gates (III), where III means the order of third (3rd.) By converting the letters of his current name to the ASCII-values and adding his (III), you get the following:

B       66
I       73
L       76
L       76
G       71
A       65
T       84
E       69
S       83
I        1
I        1
I        1
————–
666 !!!

Some might ask, How did Bill Gates get so powerful? Coincidence? Or just the beginning of mankind’s ultimate and total enslavement???

— Smart Bee

“A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag about it to persons who will never get there.” — H. L. Mencken

“Since everything in life is but an experience perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.” — Long Chen Pa

“You do nothing but steal men’s souls and make them your slaves. Your words are are nothing but empty lies.” “The same could be said for any religion…” — Simon Belmont being utterly destroyed by Count Dracula

“God isn’t dead, She was never born.” — Smart Bee
_____________________________

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man except one thing: the last of the human freedoms— to choose one`s own attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Victor Frankl

I think, in coming years, this will be an important attitude to cultivate, and, a mental direction that will provide the one who follows it to live in the most comfort possible…. in their own mind, anyway…. If what I see in the evidence comes true, as I sincerely hope it does NOT, we all will need the ability to retreat into our minds for comfort, because there won’t be any to be found, not out in the real world…. But, time will tell, and who knows? Maybe the One who has the genius to figure out the answers is being born as I speak, and in twenty years or so, will condescend to figure out how to save the world…. Ah well, we’re all looking for a magic bullet, aren’t we?….. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3

Crafty solutions work well for hybrids….

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Ffolkes,

There…. now I’ve got time galore to get this going, and/or done…. It isn’t often I re-blog another writer’s work, but one of the blogs I follow had a great post, that fit so well into what I see and believe, I just had to put it up on my site for ffolkes to see…. It’s a good take on modern society, and a grand indictment of the BRC, whom the author of the piece, quite accurately in my mind, defines as the 545 members of the US government, (POTUS + Congress + Senate + Supremes = 545). I really did enjoy the way he placed the logical responsibility for current events in their lap, right where it belongs…. Please read, and enjoy, and then spread it around to others…. thanks….

I’m up, and have finally realized how badly I’ve timed my rants on global warming, and the imminent nature of the problems it will cause us in the coming years….. The time of year has defeated me in that respect, as there are only a few die-hards hanging around WP, from what I can see. Everyone else is probably out celebrating with family, or doing whatever else it is people do at this time of year, instead of reading radical, potentially offensive diatribes against the government, and those responsible for our position. If I still had a nuclear family, I’d probably be hosting them myself, or at least getting together at some point, to make the contact with family…..

My own kids make me proud; it was nice of them yesterday to take the time to drive all the way to where I live to see me, so my son could give me his presents, and visit for a time…. They may have thought I didn’t appreciate it, as we didn’t visit for long, but, I really do enjoy the very compassionate natures that both of them show to the world, in everything they do…. They may not always hear it often from me, but, I am very proud of them, and how they live their lives…. and, I hope they see this little piece today, so they know it firsthand….

I’m not sure what to do today… I still have a lot of angst and outrage built up from my last few days of thought regarding the newest global warming reports, which would easily translate into a rant, or even two….. but, it would be to little avail, as there aren’t very many ffolkes out there to read it…. Of course, I can always use my new friend Chuq’s method, of rating my blog to determine success, which would encourage me to disregard how many people read it, as long as they receive it…. which is fine, but doesn’t allow me to complain, so I won’t go there for now….

Besides, I’ve already managed to blather enough at this point to legally get on with today’s effort, from a creative standpoint, anyway. I’ve gotten pretty good at just diving in, and wandering around until an intro is done, don’t you think? Haven’t had a panic attack over that in months… It’s amazing to me how far just a little bit of smarm can be spread around into so many different places, all without getting any of it on one’s clothing…. After a while, one might tend to think it’s the normal course of things, but, I think we’re far too sophisticated for that to ever happen…. don’t you?

No? Oh…. well, so much for that idea…. I suppose there’s nothing left for me to do in this venue, so….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Everyone has to be somewhere, so you might as well be here.” — Smart Bee
_____________________________

http://fkuverymuchandhavaniceday.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/227/

I know that I reblogged the post attached to the above link, in order for it to get its own referrals, but, I’m including a link to the post here in section one, prior to the upcoming, old-school pearl, so that ffolkes won’t miss their opportunity to see what I consider to be an important read….. or, if nothing else, a read of great brilliance, with no punches pulled…. To honor the post, below are seven pearls of great luster, all in the same line of indictment, of immorality on the part of those who would be king….. Or, in short, here is a seven-star pearl, aimed right at the heart of the Beloved Ruling Class…..

“We have our spasms of revolt, our flarings up of peekaboo waists, free love and “art,” but a mighty backwash of piety fetches each and every one of them soon or late.” — H. L. Mencken, The Butte Bashkirtseff

“The people always have some champion whom they set over them and nurse into greatness…. This and no other is the root from which tyranny springs.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”

“No matter how often a lie is shown to be false, there will remain a percentage of people who believe it is true.” — Law of the Lie

“Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated.” — G. K. Chesterton

“Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let’s not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emissions standards from man-made sources.” — Ronald W. Reagan, quoted in “Sierra”, 10 September 1980

“The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war.  Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin.  But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists.” — Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961)

“…. I don’t know why but, suddenly, I want to discuss declining I.Q. LEVELS with a blue ribbon SENATE SUB-COMMITTEE!” — Zippy the Pinhead
_____________________________

The placement of poetry in this section today is not an indication that I consider myself to be on a par with T.S. Eliot as a poet….. But, these two snippets from him were perfectly formed to act as brackets to this poem, it seems to me, so, who am I to quarrel with an episode of artistic insistence by Art itself?…. I think it works, and so do you….

You cannot face it steadily, but this thing’s for sure,
That time is no healer: the patient is no longer here.

 — T.S. Eliot

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

Future Shocked:

Weeping, I wake;
waking, I weep, I weep.
I weep for the ages to be lost,
for the children never to be born.

Time comes calling, strident and spare,
nudging us toward the future with bony hands.
No pausing, no waiting, always away,
Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.

Spirits are dark, afraid.
And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel,
seeking out the weak, and the foolish.

We all weep now…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

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

_____________________________

“If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be: a Christian.” — Mark Twain

Since I’m not going to rant today, no matter how much provocation I receive, here is a mini-religirant from the archives, written and posted just over a year ago, to be precise…. S’okay, for the next, oh, hundred years or so, there will still be a number of tomorrows in which to get to writing another diatribe against the guilty ones…. After that hundred years, though, all bets are off…. It’s looking much like our tomorrows will be coming to an abrupt ending, in the not-so-distant future…. Oh well, rather than be too sad about it now, let’s see if we can pull a smile or two out for our pleasure, even if it’s only on a temporary basis….

From 12/5/12:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One day, a gate breaks down between heaven and hell. So St. Peter arrives on the scene and calls out for the devil.

And the devil saunters over and says, “What do you want?”

And St. Peter says, “Satan, it’s your turn to fix it this time.”

And the devil says, “I’m sorry. But my men are too busy to worry about fixing a mere gate.”

And St. Peter says, “Well, then, I’ll have to sue you for breaking our agreement.”

And the devil says, “Oh yeah? Where are you going to get a lawyer?”

– Soupy Sales

It occurs to me, Soupy’s next line from St. Peter would have to be…. “I don’t need one, I’ve got a fix in with the judge….”  That would give not only balance to the argument, but would accurately reflect the actual level of corruption implied in the picture of the universe painted by the Judeo-Christian model of religion. It would also probably more closely reflect Soupy’s sense of humor, which was much more pointed than he got credit for…. People just thought he was a little strange sometimes, not recognizing lines that were making active fun of the establishment (as we old hippies were wont to call the mainstream of American society….).

In reality, this joke is another example of the bad press that the Devil always gets; it isn’t often you’ll see a joke that ends up with Satan coming out on top. No, he is always given the role of the asshole, the manipulator, the one who wants to drag us down into Hell for eternal torment. Everyone seems to forget that they have ascribed omnipotence, and omniscience to God, and that He is the one who a) made the Devil the way he is, and b) could change it if he wished…. which seems to indicate that he DOESN’T wish to rid us of Satan, but prefers he be around to tempt and distract us…. That sounds to me like just a bit of manipulation in itself; how ’bout y’all?….

The preachers would have us believe that God allows Satan to exist out of his sheer benevolence, forgetting this is the same God who, in the Old Testament, sent forty bears to a town to kill all the children, just because a few small boys made fun of one of His prophets. He is also the one who threw Satan out of Heaven for objecting to some of what He had done on Earth, then turned around and allowed him free access to us humans, just so He would have a ready-made way to test us at His convenience. Just a little self-serving, don’t you think? This God, as generally presented in most versions of the Bible, to my way of thinking, acts more like a spoiled little kid than a deity capable of creating universes….

Okay, I’ll quit now. It’s really too easy to shoot at dogma; it never tries to hide; it just stands there, looking dumb, as you sight in on its forehead. But, hey, it’s a necessary job, and somebody’s got to do it…. Boy, it sure would be nice, though, to see humanity grow up, and learn to face reality without crutches, and without having to invent a supernatural being to explain away the stuff that isn’t clearly understood…. But, I guess it’s job security, in that sense, because it means I’ll always have something about which to write….

“I’m RELIGIOUS!!  I love a man with a HAIRPIECE!! Equip me with MISSILES!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
_____________________________

“Baby, after considerable thought I’ve reached the conclusion that the only conceivable legitimate answer to the Universe as constituted is a peal of hysterical laughter.” — Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_

Which is why, when all is said and done, you see me at the end of the day, weak from being out of breath, laughing as hard as I can, because I’m so tired of weeping…. Today’s Pearl is an unusual one, for a lot of reasons, none of which would be profitable to discuss right now…. However, let it be said that, due to the re-blog of the great post by my WP compatriot, and the odd structure that this Pearl seemed to dictate for itself, this turned out a bit strange, which is saying a LOT around here…. Let’s take a quick look at the damages….

Well, I think, unless one has completely unlimited hit points, this one should be able to shave off a few of them to have at least some effect, even if only for today…. It’s a start, and I’ll take it…. I’m not sure what that means, but, it sounds good, so, hey, anything that works that well should be included…. I’m losing all credibility now, I know it, so, I’m outta here, ffolkes…. See you soon, I’m sure…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid

dozer3