Insignificant dreaming….

Posted on September 20, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A chief event of life is the day
in which we have encountered a mind that startles us.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

Monument for the Exodus, Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. The simple truth is, I’m becoming a reclusive hermit. From all I can determine, the world at large, in this country especially, has gone stark, raving mad, & I find the most satisfying way to deal with it to be to ignore it, and most of the people in it, as far as possible. I stopped watching TV several years ago; the only time I see what’s on is during my occasional trips to a lounge, on those relatively rare occasions I want to sip a nightcap & socialize to some degree with those others who retreat from the madness. Other than that, my socialization is limited to interacting with my familiar, who remains an enigma, like any Siamese cat, and to conversations with a few people over the internet, via email or comments on a blog. The only ranting I do these days is confined to those comment sections, which seems to be enough to assuage the urge to do so at all….

Perhaps the failure to connect is with me; I can’t seem to bring myself to care much. The more I ignore the world, the more satisfying Life seems; whenever I try to deal with some part of it, I am presented with ample evidence of the depths of insanity to which human culture has plumbed. In my defense, I’ll note I keep trying, interacting with all I meet, and, to be honest, I meet a lot of fine people, who, if they were not so deeply buried in odd misconceptions, which they possess due to the sheer weight of misinformation they’ve been taught all their lives, would otherwise be interesting. As it is, simply dealing with most of them becomes problematic, as their ignorance adds to the overall insanity so prevalent in every aspect of society, making it hard to elicit any sort of rational response from any of them.

You might think this makes me judgmental, but, I would say, no more so than anyone else human; we all judge, according to our own set of likes & dislikes. I like to think the standards by which I judge are loose, in terms of compassion & understanding compared to the average. I try to give people a lot of leeway, to be fair, and so I can honestly expect the same in return. Unfortunately, this is, apparently, too rational for most folks to deal with, making it even more problematic for me to connect with most humans on more than a surface level; when I get to know them more intimately, they too often turn to their ignorance, rather than their rationality, & I am, again, disappointed to find them unreachable by any rational means. SIGH…. silly humans.

I guess that all sounds like a complaint; it really isn’t. I guess I’m just saying I can only wish that I could find a small group of humans living in my vicinity who spent more time ‘thinking’, & less time ‘reacting’ to what goes on in the world. But, I’m old enough to realize I can’t make any changes in anyone else; I’m the only one I have any power to change. Since I’m already in the ongoing process of doing just that, I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with that, & forget about making a lot of ‘acquaintances’. I’ll hold out for those with whom I can call ‘friends’. I have several of those, and family, and that will have to be sufficient….

For now, I suppose I should cease the meandering ramblings, & get this posted. The poem I was working on disappeared; I think I accidentally deleted it during a cut & pasting session, & can’t seem to find it in my head. So, I’ve used an older poem; the rest is fresh, & relevant as I can make it, given my less than compelling urge to get anything at all written for this blog. The good news, for me, is I am now up to more than two miles a day walking; I’ll be doing three to four in no time at all, at this rate. My increased stamina is matched by other positive signs of physical healing of some of the problems brought by aging; I’m fully regular, and my sleep habits are approaching normality, as I’m averaging 7-8 restful hours each night, with no problems in falling into sleep…. That, by the way, is a BIG improvement over the past five to ten years….

Hmm… I see I’ve rambled rather extensively, & it’s getting late; I suppose I should get this posted before I decide to blow it off for another day. I also suppose I’ve rambled so much, I should do so without any further delay. Here’s how that one works….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Even while a thing is in the act of coming into existence,
some part of it has already ceased to be.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~

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

Angelina Jordan

Image from YouTube.com via Google Images

A bit over three years ago, this young singer, then age 7, won the “Norway’s Got Talent” competition, singing a series of jazz/r&b/ballads of vintage distinction, covering artists such as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Etta James, and others. She is now age 10, an internationally known artist; her YouTube page has received over 100 million views of her performance videos alone. She has appeared all over the world, on TV, in festivals, & can be considered, in my mind, one of the finest young talents to ever shine.

Her voice is incredibly rich, & not merely because of her tender age… She has a massive range, and her ‘feeling’ for the songs she chooses to sing is, simply, astounding; she is the living embodiment of an “old soul”. The link under her name is for her You Tube channel; the embedded video is of her singing a version of “Feeling Good” in the style of Nina Simone… You’ll see why people all over the world listen to her sing, myself among them…. If you don’t like this, well, you really should think about widening your scope of interests…. (*smile*), because she is amazingly good; I think she is a living example of what makes us human….

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

Angelina Jordan

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Pwa4nFvIPbtYVLcBGDpjA

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

Unconscious prophecy….

In the semblance of Time described below,
Circumstance plays its part.
Though Fate has its say,
only the most elemental of emotional responses
could conceivably hold sway before the throne of Reason.

As the light of Illumination grows stronger,
Fear retreats, hidden in shadowed halls behind the stairs,
while Serenity fills hearts and minds.
Gladly, the people sleep, unwary, unaware,
t’will be long before they woke….

Dreams, unnaturally natural, gently haunt slumber,
of course; how else to wander from various to sundry?
Angelic demons vie, posing as professional guides,
while demonic angels simply watch, impassively laughing.
Eternity, of a sudden, seems to yawn.

Twice now, Forever has come, gone; ah, look!
It came back, a bit bedraggled, to be sure.
(A little whiny, too…)
Perhaps, shifting reality into dreams is not such
a bad idea, after all.

If Time stops, how will you know?

~~ gigoid ~~

12/12/2016

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

Naked Pearls

“You are Here”….

*******

“I have an existential map.
It has ‘You are here’ written all over it.”

~~ Steven Wright ~~

*******

“If you want to know all about the sea,
you go and ask a sailor, or a marine biologist, or an oceanographer,
and they can tell you a lot about the sea.
But if you go and ask the sea itself, what does it say?
Grumble, grumble, swish swish.
It is too busy being itself
to know anything about itself.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

*******

“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

*******

“If there is a sin against life,
it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life as
in hoping for another life and
in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

Narim: What your mind doesn’t know, your heart fills in.
Carter: I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it’s beautiful.
Narim: Which is exactly what it means.

~~ from Stargate ~~

*******

“For him who has conquered the mind,
the mind is the best of friends;
but for one who has failed to do so,
his mind will be the greatest enemy.”

~~ Bhagavad Gita ~~

*******

It costs so much to be a full human being
that there are very few who have
the enlightenment or the courage to pay the price…
One must abandon altogether the search for security
and reach out to the risk of living with both arms…
One has to embrace the world like a lover…
One has to accept pain as a condition of existence…
One has to court doubt and darkness as the cost of knowing.
One needs a will stubborn in conflict,
but apt always to total acceptance
of every consequence of living and dying.”

~~ Morris L. West, “Shoes of the Fisherman” ~~

*******

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

I should think the five-plus paragraphs of blather found in the intro section would be enough for anyone’s taste, so, I’ll skip any more here at the end, in favor of getting posted before I lose the focus to do so. I hope you enjoyed today’s outburst, & that you’ll continue to drop in now & again to see what’s come up. I intend to continue my relative hiatus, but, can feel some stuff building up that will have to come out somewhere; it may as well be here. Until then, be well, be as happy as you may, and stay strange…. Trust me, life’s tastier that way…. See ya, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Needless worry over inadmissible enchiladas….

Posted on October 8, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Dharma: “What is the greatest mystery of all?”
Yudishthira: “That each day, death walks the earth,
and we continue to live as though we were immortal.”

~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~

You said you had a deadline….

Hajime…. In my recent explorations of Reality, there seems to have arisen within me a large fog of apathy, regarding the state of the world….. My angst seems to have resolved itself into a big package of “I don’t give a shit”. This seems to have destroyed my outrage, and just in time, too. It was killin’ me….

But, I digress. Today, I have very little accomplished in the way of putting together a Pearl. There is a short, five-star necklace below, with a message I am not really sure of; it’s there, but, it’s a bit murky. Oh, well, such is Life in the big city, ffolkes; we’ll all have to deal with it, one way or another. I can’t say I’m particularly enthusiastic for our chances of a Pulitzer, or even making the WP front page (my use of expletives as ammunition keeps that off the table…. something about the word ‘fuck’ they don’t like….), but, at least there will be a post. So be it.

That’s all I’ve got. I’m trying to finish a task for a friend, so, tomorrow may again be a throw-together-if-not-throw-away version; we’ll see how efficiently I can multitask. I used to be pretty good at it, so, we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll also take this moment to apologize to my usual blog visits; I have been unable to find any angst with which to comment, and have been unusually silent. It’s no doubt the same falling angst levels previously mentioned, so, I’m not sure when I’ll be back in touch on that level. I haven’t forgotten anyone; the funk in which I’ve been mentally mired for weeks is starting to clear, and all will eventually be as well as it may be….

That’s my story, and, I’m sticking to it. For now, let’s get this slow on the toad…..

Shall we pearl?….

“Time…do you really believe the past arranges itself
for our convenience into those paltry little squares they print on calendars?”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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

Naked Pearls

Affordable wisdom….

*******

“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”

~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~

*******

“What you see is from outside yourself,
and may come, or not, but is beyond your control.
But your fear is yours, and yours alone,
like your voice, or your fingers, or your memory,
and therefore yours to control.
If you feel powerless over your fear,
you have not yet admitted that it is yours,
to do with as you will.”

~~ Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen” ~~

*******

“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future is a little
like having bees live in your head.
But there they are . . .”

~~ Firesign Theater, “I think we’re all Bozos on this Bus!” ~~

*******

“OMNIVERSAL AWARENESS?? Oh, YEH!!
First you need 4 GALLONS of JELL-O and a BIG WRENCH!!…
I think you drop th’WRENCH in the JELL-O
as if it was a FLAVOR, or an INGREDIENT…
…or…I…um…
HERE’S the WASHING MACHINES?”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

“What the meaning of human life may be I don’t know;
I incline to suspect that it has none.”

~~ H. L. Mencken ~~

*******

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

Well, there you go. That’s what we’ve got, ffolkes. I know, pretty pathetic, right? Oh, well. The good part is, I can try again, maybe even tomorrow. One way or another, I’ll be back, to make some more noise…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Born to be mild….

Posted on May 26, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“What men really want is not knowledge but certainty.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

gigoid leaving his mark in Beijing, 2004….

Hajime…. To answer any untoward remarks before they occur, yes, my hair was short. In fact, this picture shows how I looked about a week after the very last haircut I got; I haven’t cut it since. The picture was taken during a short trip to China, where I tried, without notable success, to secure a job teaching English in their schools for a year, under contract. However, I mis-prepared, and was unable to secure a position before my savings got too small to stay….

I did spend 10 days in the capitol of China, where I met, and made some great friends, a couple of whom still communicate occasionally. This photo was taken by one of the other teachers seeking jobs, with whom I stayed, in a bar in some random alley, called hutongs, in which much of the street and night life takes place. This particular hutong was lined with about 20 or 30 bars, all with different themes of music and/or decor, to attract tourists and their Chinese fans, all of whom want to practice their English. There is a rather extensive community of expatriates and traveling young people who also tend to gather there, to mingle and find someone with whom to speak their own language

A bit of history is always good, right? So we are told, anyway. Good morrow, ffolkes. I am up, tired and late, again, but, have a Pearl to post, so, all will eventually be well. Well, it will be, if Leelu and I can come to terms today. She’s being a bit rude this morning; can’t say why. She’ll get over it, as will I, if I can get this done. To help with that, I’ll use the old red-tape scissors on the intro, & get us on our way without any further BS, or nonsense, or, well, anything at all…. It’s actually pretty easy, and works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I bid him look into the lives of men as though into a mirror, and
from others to take an example for himself.”

~~ Terence — Adelphoe, Act iii, Sc. 3, 61, (415.) ~~

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

Today I felt like hearing a ‘voice’. This lady’s voice is, quite simply, the best of my generation….. This is her 75th birthday celebration, which, naturally, she celebrated on stage, in New York. Enjoy, ffolkes; she’s the best…..

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

Joan Baez Live 2016
75th Birthday Celebration

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

https://youtu.be/4b0XeJNK-Sk

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

I’m still recovering from my trip, thanks to my advanced years, all of which seem to continually catch me unawares…. Here is a discussion from the archives, to sublimate today’s angst….. Enjoy!….

From 1/27/2013:

“Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.” — Native American Proverb (Blackfoot)

Right! What a wonderful pearl! Not only is it short and sweet, it’s just packed with insight and implied wisdom…. In my mind, when I read it, I get a vision of a fireworks fountain, spewing light and beauty into the air, in blazing, colorful sparks…. A bit fanciful, but that’s the impression I got upon seeing it the first time…. You see, I’ve been thinking a lot of late, about Death vs. Life, due most likely to the fact that my own time to face that specter is approaching, seemingly ever more rapidly, as it tends to do later in our lives. When we look back over the time we’ve had on this Earth, the time left seems so short….

But, it isn’t really any shorter, nor, I’ve come to believe, is there anything to fear from Death’s approach. We all get to live just one day at a time…. Nay, not even so much…. we live one moment at a time, and we can’t make it go faster, or slow it down. So, worrying about what might happen in the future is a waste of the moment, and not worth the effort of doing so. In addition, I’ve come to the conclusion that what happens after Death comes for us isn’t anything to fret over, either, because, logically, death is merely a transition phase, from one level of perception to another, with the other being a reality for which we do not possess the ability to perceive, lacking some organ, or some mental awareness that is needed to do so…..

There is no evidence at all that consciousness, as we understand it, persists on this level of reality after the body has died. On the other hand, there is also no evidence at all that it does not continue to exist, on some other level that we are not aware of; add to this the simple fact that in our universe, according to physical laws, energy, in ALL of its forms, cannot be destroyed, only changed in form. The Law of the Conservation of Energy has been proven many times, and is not a matter for dispute. When one considers consciousness, i.e., the MIND, as a form of energy, it makes perfect sense to assume that it changes forms when we die, but is not destroyed. It is the only logical answer, as far as I can see….

The wise women and men of the Blackfoot tribe apparently were aware of this, as well as being aware that the universe exists as a duality, with each characteristic of reality having its opposite complement, that defines and proves its very existence. We see the world in these opposites, so it is very easy to be fooled into thinking that what we see is the true nature of that reality…. but, it isn’t, because those two opposites are all part of the same grand scheme of things, and cannot be separated, not in reality…. only in our minds, where we separate them in order to comprehend them….

“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” — Murphy, courtesy of Smart Bee

Why does he do that? Why wait until I’ve spouted off for almost a thousand words before dropping these little bombs? Ah well, fuck him, and his bloody white horse! Everything I said above is the absolute truth, in my mind, so Murphy can just go f__k himself. Even though this aphorism is also true as the day is long, I don’t think I’ve gone so far astray that it applies… so, in spite of the Irish asshole, we’ll push on….

I have yet to discern any reason that can logically, or even speculatively, answer the question of why we don’t remember any of the time we’ve spent dead, or whatever it’s called when we’re busy not living on this plane of existence. You know, before you were born? And after we die? All of that is a long time, and since it is logical to assume the energy that makes up our consciousness is still in existence when we aren’t alive, in the classic sense, then it is also logical to assume that our minds are busy doing….. something else.

What that may be, well, your guess is as good as mine…. But, some folks’ guesses aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on…. I doubt seriously that the typical version of Heaven is a likely scenario, nor is Hell…. I regard those as just the unscrupulous concepts created by the BRC and/or priestly hierarchies to try to control the populace, not having any basis, or evidence to support them, in reality. In fact, there is ample evidence that shows otherwise, if one is open to perceiving it….. I figure what Robert Heinlein said once is the best way to look at it, “There’s no evidence that says we live after death; there is also no evidence saying we don’t. Soon enough, you will know, so why worry about it now?” (That may be slightly paraphrased, but the idea is precisely accurate….)

Ah well, this subject, due to its nature, is one that we, or I, could ramble on about all day, and, from the looks of things, almost have done so. Life and Death are popular subjects, understandably enough, and since we all are experts, there’s no lack of stuff to read about it; everybody’s talking, as Glenn Campbell said. But, since we have the rest of this Pearl to finish, I guess I’ll let this go for now….. Just keep in mind, ffolkes, Death isn’t anything to fear, because, if nothing else, Life itself is proof of our continued existence after it is gone…. Think about it….

“The adventure is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you.” — E. L. Konigsburg

“One never realizes how much and how little he knows until he starts talking.” — Louis L’Amour

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

Confidentially Paranoid

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

2/25/2015

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

Our final pearl today requires a bit of explanation. Well, more of an apology, really, but, we’ll go with the former, for dignity’s sake. These pearls all picked themselves; I had nothing to do with the choices. I found myself in an old, familiar state, wherein I cruise through the database, and let my hand on the mouse have free rein, connected only to my unconscious mind. The results are generally fairly subtle, but, this one reaches for new heights of obscurity. That’s fine with me; that always makes it a challenge to figure out the final conclusion, especially given the simple fact there isn’t always one to figure out. Sometimes, the mountain is just a mountain…. Enjoy, ffolkes; this one’s quite a ride….

Serendipity is where you find it….

*********

“The cold wind that blows before and after time.”

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

*********

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

~~ The Cowboy’s Guide to Life ~~

*********

The head thinks,
the hands labor, but it’s
the heart that laughs.

~~ Liz Curtis Higgs ~~

*********

I postpone death
by living,
by suffering,
by error,
by risking,
by giving,
by losing.

~~ Anais Nin ~~

*********

“It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another;
it is one damn thing over and over.”

~~ Edna St. Vincent Millay ~~

*********

“Dharma: What is the greatest mystery of all?
Yudishthira: That each day, death walks the earth,
and we continue to live as though we were immortal.”

~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~

*********

“Forward goes the vanguard of the lunatic fringe,
tickling the death clowns of normality.”

~~ HealNorm ~~

*********

“Change is disruptive–that’s the point!”

~~ Karen Bredfeldt ~~

*********

“Toes, knees, NIPPLES.
Toes, knees, nipples, KNUCKLES…
Nipples, dimples, knuckles, NICKLES,
wrinkles, pimples!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*********

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

I did it. I wasn’t entirely confident it would get done, but, after a short conversation with a friend in Europe, and some minor scuffles with Leelu, it’s finished, at least to the point I’m done with trying to get it to look any better. Once again, we’ll trust the process, and go post what we have. I will try again, as is my wont. Moreover, I’ll do that, and be back tomorrow; habits die hard. See y’all in the morning, ffolkes; I seem to have little choice in the matter….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Assemble the marigolds for debarkation….

Posted on January 19, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Become who you are.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

Dusk over Galway Bay

He sat in a squalid, empty room, engaged in passive questing through the reaches of time, searching for truth. Finding none, he turned away, saddened by the defunct nature implied in such a loss. “Still,” he thought to himself, with an ironic smile touching the corners of his mouth, “it could be worse. It could be raining.” With a poignant shake of the head, he slipped into a dream….

Rain poured down, filling the streets with rushing feet and pounding hearts. Beside the lamp post on the corner, he stood, dripping, with a small shadow of reality sticking to his shoe. Wiping it on the nearest centurion, as directed, he began to bail with the rest of the crowd, stopping periodically to clap his hand to his head, moaning, “Oh, for the boon of sanity!”, in stentorian tones, dulcet over the roar of water on the roofs.

Then, of course, he woke up, only to realize he was deep into the intro section already, without a plan, only a sadly over-rated trick of the trade, or two, to get him to the proper stance, where there exists a small chance of saving this from an early death, well before ever beginning to live. “What the hell is going on?”, he cried in dismay….

Strange, isn’t it, what will happen late at night, with nothing better to do than sit around making shit up in your head? I thought so, but, then, I’m the one who’s trying to find a way back to something resembling reality even slightly…. I think, perhaps, I’d best give up, and get on with the rest of today’s mess…. Whew, made it…. Not only made it, but, made it with room to spare…. Go figure….

Shall we Pearl?….

“What are the facts? Again and again and again–what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what ‘the stars foretell,’ avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable ‘verdict of history,’ –what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your only clue. Get the facts!” — Lazarus Long — Robert A. Heinlein

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

Image from photoalbum.bloguez.com via Google Images

Today’s music choice is a nod to two friends, who both expressed their appreciation of this band’s music…. Enjoy, ffolkes, these guys rock!…..

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

Little Feat
Dixie Chicken

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

https://youtu.be/FXvoRRMSSGU?list=PL94gOvpr5yt0sC0LG0F1Ombpb4syfFpD7

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

The discussion I’m working on is not ready, so here is a little discussion from the archives, with a message of hope, once you work your way to the end…. Enjoy!….

From 3/3/2013:

“As a draft-animal is yoked in a wagon, even so the spirit is yoked in this body.” — Upanishads (c. B.C. 800)

Each of us is faced at times with the consciousness of our own approaching encounter with Death, the moment in time when our yoke is removed, and our spirit is freed, to once more join the rest of the conscious minds in the universe in roaming through realms of Reality we cannot see in this form. This Reality we cannot see is much larger, in one sense, than the one we can now perceive; it has to be, to be able to accommodate all the souls that have gone before, and all that are now present on Earth, that will someday join the rest of them, when they die…..

Every human being alive must face their own Death (I am capitalizing the word to give it the proper respect as one of the most important concepts we have as humans….); this is a truism no one can deny, or refute. Many people have banded together, to assume the belief that our universe was created this way by a supernatural being, who, for some unknown, and unknowable (self-explanatory, I think….) reason, decided that we are “special”, and gave us, and only us, the knowledge we have, and our very lives. This, of course, is rather hard to believe, as it doesn’t really account for much of what is observable truth in Reality, being, as it is, complete speculation, devoid of any concrete evidence to support it…..

“There is no conclusive evidence that there is life after death. There is also no real evidence to the contrary. Soon enough, you will know. So, why fret about it?” — Lazarus Long, aka Robert A. Heinlein

I first read this aphorism when I was in my early teens; it codified, and made succinct, what I had already concluded about the major religions of the world, i.e., they’re a collection of unwarranted, and unproven, assumptions. What’s more, they are all highly unlikely, given the observable parameters of the real world. It became obvious to me, as it is to many, that what the religious folks were trying to get me to believe was intended merely to soften my mind, making it more amenable to suggestion, of which they have an endless supply. Preachers, priests, imams, nuns, all are quite willing to give other people advice and suggestions on how they should live, in exhaustive detail, for as long as they are allowed to do so….

Since I had very little desire to have other people decide for me how I should think, or live my life, I rejected the dogma they tried to force into my head, turning instead to other sources of thought about Life, Death, and Reality. I found an endless supply of folks who had thought long and deeply about all of these ideas, and gladly did I read all I could of everything I could find on the subject. In addition, I read science fiction, during the years when its popularity had just begun to climb to the heights it now occupies; sci-fi has always been literature that explored, and continues to explore, the very limits of thought, both in the real world, and the world of the mind.

As is seen by the first pearl above, these thoughts and ideas are not new with me; mankind has been thinking about these concepts since we first sat around the campfires, wondering at the beauty of the heavens we saw above our heads, and all around us. In all that time, no conclusions have been reached that seem to cover ALL of the questions we have about the universe. We still don’t have a clue as to “what is the mind”, or “what is thought”…. and if we cannot understand ourselves, what chance do we have of unraveling the secrets of the universe around us? Not much, would be my guess…

That, fortunately, does not mean it is impossible to know the truth, nor does it mean we are condemned to die in ignorance and fear…. I know this because I have learned in my time that our fear is a direct outgrowth of our ignorance; we fear what we do not understand. Now, if I were a God, why would I make people that way, unless for some ulterior motive, having to do with motivations that are human, not divine? No, it just doesn’t make sense to me to assume that we were put here with a deliberate handicap, just to see how we dealt with it; that seems more like an evil scientist at work than a compassionate deity.

“One must marry one’s feelings to one’s beliefs and ideas. That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one’s life.” — Etty Hilsum

Since I believe firmly in the Law of Conservation of Energy (proven true in this universe, to all our knowledge), and, I believe that our minds/souls are a form of energy we currently don’t fully understand, and cannot perceive directly, then the concept of Death is nothing to fear, as it merely means that my current state of energy will be replaced with another state, one I don’t currently have the ability to perceive. What that state may be like may be unknown, but that doesn’t mean it is something of which I should be afraid…. I prefer to look at it as the next great adventure….

So, when my father died, I asked him to leave me some trail-sign, to let me know how to find him in the next reality; he smiled at me, and said he would do that… and I was much comforted by that, knowing that our connection as family can never be severed, and that, someday, I would once more have the pleasure, and comfort, of his presence…. Now that’s something to look forward to, don’t you think?…. Much better than worrying that what I do now is going to determine what happens to me after I die, a silly proposition, at best……

“Do not think that man is but flesh, skin, bones and veins; far from it! What really makes man is his soul; and the things we call skin, flesh, bones and veins are but a garment, a cloak; they do not constitute man. When man departs this earth, he divests himself of all the veils that conceal him.” — Zohar

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

POETRY, n. A form of expression peculiar to the Land beyond the Magazines.

~~ Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary” ~~

Today’s poem is from T.S. Eliot. It’s a rather long poem, but, well worth reading; it is regarded as one of the most important poems of the twentieth century, with a marked influence on the poetry of the time, an influence which continues today…. I give you….

The Waste Land

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory out of desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in a forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176735

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

Naked Pearls

Observations on Life at Large

*********

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

~~ John Dryden, “All for Love, Prologue” ~~

*********

“Forget what you know and learn.”

— Roger von Oech

*********

“Irony is the hygiene of the mind.”

— Insightful Bee

*********

“Action should culminate in wisdom.”

~~ Bhagavad Gita ~~

*********

“The discipline of desire is the background of character.”

~~ John Locke ~~

*********

“As the tempest and the thunder affect not the sun or the stars,
but spend their fury on stones and trees below;
so injuries ascend not to the Soul of the great,
but waste themselves on such as are those who offer them.”

~~ Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375) ~~

*********

“The moment in which you confront your own death
is the moment in which you are most totally alive.”

~~ Solomon Short ~~

*********

“Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak to me,
why should you not speak to me?
And why should I not speak to you?”

~~ Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass ~~

*********

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

I’m not really sure what took place here today. That’s okay, though; we’ve been here before, haven’t we? Yep. Moreover, we were done, then, too, weren’t we? Yep again. So, what do we do now? We go away, like this, with nary an explanation, nor a clue…. See ya tomorrow, ffolkes; count on it, one way or another…. or, not. Choice is all we have, in the end, which this is….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Plus or minus, it doesn’t add up….

Posted on November 17, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

Dharma: “What is the greatest mystery of all?”

Yudishthira: “That each day, death walks the earth, and we continue to live as though we were immortal.”

~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~

The Crane Bar, Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. Since any sort of schedule seems to be currently inoperable, the hell with it. I’ll post late, and hope any of my Gentle Readers will understand…. You see, I slept. Normally, and for a full eight-plus hours. Leelu got worried at my usual time to get up, but, she’s a cat, and understands wanting to roll over and go back to sleep…. She settled right back down for another nap….

Now I’m up, with all this energy, let’s not fool around & waste it. I’ll see if I can cobble together some decent material, and let ‘er fly. In fact, we’ll go do that now. Luigi, fire it up. Yeah, I know, we’re early, but, we’re late, so, it’ll even out. Don’t worry that little head of yours; just fly the plane…. Here we go, ffolkes….

Shall we Pearl?….

“God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent- it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks, please. Cash, and in small bills.” — Lazarus Long

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

George Harrison

Image from clipartzebra.com via Google Images

George Harrison was one of rock & roll’s most beloved icons; the entire world mourned his death. This concert, put together by his friends, among whom numbered some of the world’s best musicians, of ALL types, was a fitting tribute to his memory. It still makes me weep to watch his son, who looks exactly as he did at that age, playing on stage with Clapton, Ringo, Paul, and a host of other famous rock stars who came to play for George. Enjoy, ffolkes, this one is unique….

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

Concert for George

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

https://youtu.be/LG5EdoxBVt0

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

Aristotle

“Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” — Laurens Van der Post, The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958)

I’m really sorry I don’t have the time or energy to rant on the above; it’s so perfectly apt for our current situation in America. But I don’t, so, we’ll make do with a short discussion from 2012, taking a few shots at one of our favorite targets…. our Beloved Ruling Class….

From 9/9/2012:

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “The one I feed the most.” — George Bernard Shaw

This is a wonderful anecdote, and one I feel very firmly about, as it is one of the clearest lessons in self-awareness I have ever seen. This one is so simple an idea, that even the ignorant asses who make up the political scene in this country would be able to understand it. They probably couldn’t do it, as they never, ever think about themselves other than as an important person, who doesn’t need to make changes in himself. Anyone who does think of themselves would never, ever consent to be put into a public office…. the two things (introspection vs. public office) just don’t mix…. That is because of the following, from a pretty smart fella, who lived quite some time ago, but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders….

“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom. For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)

“…he who is neither good nor wise” is a perfect description of anyone who wants to be President of this country. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again, because it bears repetition, that anyone, anyone at all, who actually WANTS to be President can be classified as clinically insane, usually a paranoid schizophrenic, with grandiose delusions of adequacy…. NOBODY is adequate for that job… nobody. And anyone who thinks they are is simply not all there…..

And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there~~ Box of Rain by Phil Lesh & Robert Hunter ~~

Ah me…. politics and politicians are such an easy target. If it wasn’t so much fun, I might call it a naughty habit, and leave them to their devices, which surely are many….. Since we’re pressed for time today, we’ll leave them be, and just caution y’all to watch out, because their antics can be dangerous, if they are left without supervision for long….

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

Retrospective, defined in folly….

Yesterday
I wrote a poem.

It bled out of my head,
like I’d been struck with
an axe,
right through the artery,
in the neck,
spraying blood around
everywhere,
like a pulsing garden hose….

It hurt, at first,
then came the feeling,

of quick relief,
of timeless beauty,

of pain avenged,
of lust aroused,

of outrage aflame,
of deep compassion,

of endless empathy,
of truest love….

Now it’s gone, cast away
like pearls before twine.

(Grin…)

You thought
I was going to call you
a pig,
didn’t you?

Hah!

Well, you’re not.
You’re a person.

I know, because
you’re reading this poem…
if that’s what it is.
I think it is,
so,
maybe it is.

Or, maybe,
it will be,
someday, when it
grows up,
and learns to rhyme.
Whew…
Just in time…..

That’s all.
Reality often sucks wind,
y’know?

S’okay, though….
It keeps us busy,
and out of some of the
mischief,
so much part
of our
nature.

We all can do
only what we
do.

Or, don’t.

Two sides, one coin.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 8/31/2014.

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

“I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word I am saying.” — Oscar Wilde

Sometimes, when constructing these pearls of virtual wisdom, I feel much as Oscar described; often it’s the fault of Smart Bee, which can be a fractious program (remind me to tell you about software sometime, and how it can act just like any other inanimate object, taking on the characteristics we give it with the application of our will upon it….), but, just as often, it’s my own fault, for letting my mind wander while collecting the pearls. Believe it or not, this process DOES take some focus, or it doesn’t work. Trust me. This one, in spite of my waffling, didn’t wobble, so, enjoy!….

“What’s hard is simple,
What’s natural, comes hard. Maybe you could show me,
How to let go,
Lower my guard,
Learn to be….free.

Maybe if you whistle…
Whistle for me.”

~~ Stephen Sondheim, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE ~~

“Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” — Erica Jong

“Ah, what a dusty answer gets the soul when hot for certainties in this our life!” — George Meredith

“It is not a man’s duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support. If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man’s shoulders. I must get off him first, that he may pursue his contemplations too.” — Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience

“Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.” — William Saroyan

“No pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage-ground of truth.” — Francis Bacon — Of Truth

“It’s easy to come and go… The hard thing is to remain.” — Subtle Bee

“It is a good thing to be rich and strong, but it is a better thing to be loved.” — Euripides

How small of all that human hearts endure
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
Still to ourselves in every place ensigned
Our own felicity we make or find.~~ Samuel Johnson ~~

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

Well, I did it. Not that I’m completely convinced of whether or not I SHOULD be doing this, but, hey, I was never one to pay much attention to ‘should’. Lazarus taught me at an early age, when he pointed out, quite accurately, that when you hear that word, it is ALWAYS something someone ELSE told you, or thinks you ought to do, or think, or be…. No thanks…. Instead, I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow; count on it….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pugilists do it with padded gloves….

Posted on November 9, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Why doesn’t everybody leave everybody else the hell alone?”

~~ Jimmy Durante ~~

Abbey Court B&B, London

Hajime…. ‘Hajime’, (Hah gee may) is the Japanese word for “begin”, used at the start of all martial arts matches…. I figured, since I have to go through a fairly brutal fight to get most of these done, it’s appropriate. And, if not, well, it gave us something to put at the top, right? Right. Now we can go on to even bigger, and, no doubt, better things…. I’m a natural optimist, you see….

I’m also a natural Bozo, though, so, it balances out, as all things must in the end. One must, after all, take such matters into account when deciding how to approach our Life at Large; otherwise, it all seems too complex to bother with. Trying to make sense of what we see, especially when it concerns the behavior of our own species, is usually more effort than the result is worth; that’s probably why we end up with all these religions, and governments, and other forms of unnatural bullshit. If nothing else, it’s a grand distraction from what we SHOULD be doing with ourselves….

Everyone, of course, has their own idea of what that SHOULD entails, which is why is gets so complex. Ah well, I guess we’re not going to make any sense out of it here in the intro; if ten thousand years of history hasn’t brought us any order out of the chaos, it’s certainly not going to happen in three or four paragraphs, especially paragraphs such as these seem to be, or, at least, were meant to be. Whatever THAT may mean….

Yep…. It’s pretty clear, isn’t it? I’ve lost it, completely. This means I’ll have to take a short break here, after wrapping up this section, to go find what’s left of my mind before continuing on…. For now, we’d probably just let Luigi have his head again; it sure is saving us a lot of time, and, around here, that’s a good thing…. Let’s do this, okay?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A child is a person who can’t understand why someone would give away a perfectly good kitten.” — Doug Larson

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

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

We’re having a bit of trouble today, which isn’t unusual…. Rather than fight it, we’ll just fall back on several centuries of classical music to find a bit of listening pleasure….. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/n_0Qix6qf5g

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

Today’s rant is from the archives, written during the period before the 2012 election here in the US. I like it, but, then I wrote it, which is more than I’m capable of today…. Enjoy!…

From 4/19/2012:

“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered.” — Deng Ming-Dao

As I read this pearl, my immediate thought was that it is a very clear, very accurate take on the 2012 election process that is currently unfolding before us in the daily news. The end of the political scale that is represented so raggedly by what is left of the Republican Party, and the mislabeled liberal end of the scale who claim to be Democrats, are both engaging in ongoing battles to see who can display the deepest ignorance.

The leading candidate for the “loyal opposition” to the party in power, Mr. Romney, seems to have a proclivity for alienating the very people from whom he is trying to win votes; women, immigrants and Hispanics, animal lovers, seniors, teachers and students, all have been told, in no uncertain terms, that they matter not at all to him. His plan? We’ll stop taxing the rich altogether, and that will fix everything…. Sometimes I wonder if he is getting all of his information on voter wants and issues of importance from old newspapers from the 1980’s, because he certainly hasn’t a clue as to what is happening out in America in this decade….

The other party, led by our first Black President, is busy hiding what the left hand is doing by distracting everyone with the tax and healthcare issues, to keep them unaware of how few of the Bill of Rights are left to us. “Executive Orders” signed by the POTUS this year, beginning on New Year’s Eve, while the voters were all busy celebrating the advent of the new year, include provisions that allow police to stop, search, and arrest any citizen of this country whom they suspect of any form of terrorism, or even of protest against the provisions of those orders.

These same police are not required to tell ANYONE that they have arrested and imprisoned a citizen, nor are they ever required to provide any evidence of their suspicions in a court of law. Even though there may be no evidence, they can subject these CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY to torture to obtain a confession, or whatever it is they are after. There is no oversight to these orders; they don’t go before Congress to be approved, nor are they reviewed by the courts. Both of those particular checks on the power of the Executive Branch are completely out of the loop on this…. and they aren’t even complaining about it!

Does it physically hurt to be that stupid? — Smart Bee

My guess at the answer to this is, No. It can’t hurt very much to be that stupid, as we continue to go out each time there is an election and vote these same lying, cheating, avaricious assholes back into the same positions from which they have been oppressing the American people for oh, a hundred or so years now. I’d say that around the time of the Depression was when the first real strangle-hold on the national throat was first achieved…. the pure bullshit the government was spewing back then can be seen to have been the first real time that the government’s outrageous lies were swallowed whole by a reluctant public, who had nothing else to eat, and thus nothing else to risk…

“He was born stupid, and greatly increased his birthright.” — Samuel Butler

So, how does it feel? Does it physically hurt to be so stupid as to be part of the crowd that continues to buy into all the bullshit lies that our own government heaps upon us every day? To keep going to the polls, just as if it really matters who gets elected? Get real, folks. You will not find a name on the ballot that belongs to someone who is not a willing tool of the powers of oppression, the money-changers who are the power behind the scenes of every government in the world. Not going to happen; they’ve been the real power in the world for centuries, and they’re not about to give up all they have, just to be nice, or because they’ve all of a sudden grown a heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty fucking tired of being lied to, and cheated, and looked at as just another idiot for them to shit on….. and I’m not going to put up with it for much longer, without some kind of return fire….. believe it…. I don’t think I am alone in this, either…. No way to tell for sure, but I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE is falling for all of it…. but, even if I’m alone in this, I refuse to knuckle under any further, and can only say that I will do all I can to see things turn in a direction that will return my Rights, and those of the rest of the American people…. or at least those not stupid enough to hand them over without a fight….

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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

Gently Came a Wounded Child

But you shall not escape my iambics.

Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.

Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.

Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.

Uncertainty will be our sole companion,
as the search for hope yields no result.
The lamentations of the gods
shall sound the elegy for Man,
who never learned to see the gift that was made,
so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past;
thus will we pass this plane of existence
as we came, baffled and afraid….

~~ gigoid ~~

written 2/2/2012.

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

Today’s final old-school pearl is what I’d call an Emily pearl; quiet, plain, unassuming, but, powerful and elegant, in its way. Oh, I do hope you like it!….

“All the knowledge in the world is not wisdom.” — Albert Einstein

“Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Words are the physicians of a mind diseased.” — Aeschylus (525-456 BC) — Prometheus, 378

“Virtue knowing no base repulse, shines with untarnished honour; nor does she assume or resign her emblems of honour by the will of some popular breeze.” — Horace (B.C. 65-8)

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.” — Marcus Aurelius

“Action should culminate in wisdom.” — Bhagavad Gita

“…life is long enough if it is well-spent.” — Erasmus

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

Done. As such, nothing further needs be said, or done, beyond this final outburst. Which, today, will be brief. How brief? This brief. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

If only it were visible….

Posted on October 28, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“While it is true that you are free to say what you think in this great land,

it should be said that it is helpful to think what you are going to say

before you do it.”

~~ Sardonic Bee ~~

Backyard Springing

Good morrow…. Somehow, it hardly seems worthwhile worrying too much about an introductory section; not knowing when, or, at this point, IF this will get posted precludes any sort of relevance, or, any solid connection to real-time in reality. So, I won’t. Worry much, that is, a state made patently obvious by the tenor of what you’ve thus far seen. So be it. If I don’t need to care, then, I won’t care…. Wowie! That means I can go right off the edge, and nobody can say anything!….

Okay, so, maybe I’ll save that for later; there’s always time to go insane in my world. That, however, being the case, perhaps we’d best not push our luck, taking this, instead, as an indicator of some rather unusual politeness by the Universe, reminding us just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do it. I’ve probably made a bad habit of choosing poorly in that respect, a number of times, so, maybe it’s time to admit I’m getting older, and make the choice to be sane, rather than heading out for the fringes immediately upon noting the open door…..

Damn! Sounds really boring…. But, what the hell? It can’t hurt to try it this once. Luigi, fire it up, but, take it nice and easy, okay? We’re gonna do it right for a change…. maybe. The rest of you, look busy, or, at least, interested….

Shall we Pearl?

“Science is a way of talking about the universe in words that bind it to a common reality. Magic is a method of talking to the universe in words that it cannot ignore. The two are rarely compatible.” — The Phantom Stranger, “The Books of Magic”, by Neil Gaiman

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

Image from jacksonville.com via Google Images

Here is a nice little piece to listen to while enjoying today’s Pearl; Emmylou is one of my favorites, and I think it’s a perfect start to the day…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

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

Emmylou Harris

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

https://youtu.be/NsyI1dpL7s8

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

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

I had thought to rant; however, being without internet service causes a dearth of fresh headlines; finding new events about which to rant is a bit problematic, as is patently obvious. But, the first quote below, which had been destined for a discussion, will instead be used to head a nine-star group of thoughts on our BRC, or, as they are known in the mainstream media, our “leaders”, as well as some more general thoughts on democracy, government as a whole, and some of the reasons things have gotten as ugly as they appear…. You’ll see, and, if any of it strikes a chord, well, feel free to comment, to which I will eventually respond…. Enjoy!….

“When I see a congressman giving his opinion on something, I always wonder if it represents his *real* opinion or if it represents an opinion that he’s designed in order to be elected. It seems to be a central problem for politicians. So I often wonder: what is the relation of integrity to working in the government?” — Richard Phillips Feynman (1918-1988), “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”

“The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.” — Albert Einstein

“To see what is right and not to do it is cowardice.” — Cervantes

“Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a congressperson can.” — Ridiculously Observant Bee, mimicking Mark Twain

“All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume.” — Noam Chomsky

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

“The devil is the father of lies, but he neglected to patent the idea, and the business now suffers from competition.” — Josh Billings

“Terrorism: deadly violence against humans and other living things, usually conducted by government against its own people.” — Edward Abbey

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.” — Dwight Eisenhower, April 16, 1953

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

Chaos of thought and passion, all confused;
Still by himself abused or disabused;
Created half to rise, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled,–
The glory, jest, and riddle of the world.

~~ Alexander Pope ~~

~~ Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 13 ~~

Above, in the ranting section, we spoke of political man; in his famous epic poem, Alexander Pope speaks of the whole man, and, as far as I’m concerned, nailed it with every last verse. It’s a very long work, so, to save space and time, I’ve only included the above excerpt to read here; the rest of it can be found at the link below. It’s worth reading, and thinking about, no matter how long it takes….

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/essay-on-man/

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

Seven stars, birth to death…. what more would a pearl need? Nothing…. Enjoy!….

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

“Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.” — W. Edwards Deming

“We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it – and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again, and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.” — Mark Twain

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

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.” — Voltaire

“Our virtues and vices spring from one root.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Dharma: What is the greatest mystery of all?

Yudishthira: That each day, death walks the earth, and we continue to live as though we were immortal.

~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~

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

By the time anyone sees this online, it will probably be tomorrow, relative to when it is actually being written; thank goodness for the Tardis, eh? We’ll carry over the discovery made in the intro, re: “don’t worry, it don’t matter”, and let this little spew serve as our closing thoughts. Hmm… risky, but, probably okay, given the state of entropy today. If the Space/Time Continuum can hold together, it’ll all be fine. I’ll see y’all on the other side of that decision, if it goes the way we hope; if not, well, most likely, nobody will notice, anyway….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pure, imported antedeluvian twaddle….

Posted on August 26, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“What I look forward to is continued immaturity followed by death.”

~~ Dave Barry ~~

Old Rocks, New Secrets

Good morning…. Well, that’s what I heard, anyway. I don’t believe it, though; I’ve found, to my regret, that there are many times people lie to me about little things like that. I suppose it’s human to wish to spare others any pain we feel they may not deserve, but, what good does it do, when the pain comes as a surprise? None. So, leave me out of that particular delusion, if you please…. I’d rather be grumpy than all wet….

Hmph. Grumpy is right. Well, you would be, too, if you were up in a chair half the damn night, twitching and fuming. That is all the complaint you will hear, but, you may have to deal with the resultant smarm, which generally follows after such a state of injustice has been endured. I don’t think anyone should have to go through what occurred, but, there is no specific target to be blamed, other than the insanity of the modern world. Not a lot I can do about that at 0430…. So, we’ll just go on, sublimating our need to kill into producing another in a long line of sublimated homicidal impulses. Hey, it’s better than fifteen to life, right? Well, I think so….

Regardless of the social advantages, or, more likely, disadvantages which may or may not be forthcoming in karmic reaction to our foolishness, I suppose we’d best be about our stated purpose today, which, though having never been stated out loud, nonetheless rules our actions. I’ll let you know if it ever gets published. Until such time, which will probably happen right about the same time we get the notice of a severe temperature drop in Hell, but, hey, we’re all trained to wait patiently, right? Sure we are; every corporate entity in the world makes us wait in line to obtain some sort of service, for which we are charged, so, don’t tell me you don’t know whereof we speak…. We know….

Since we do, we’ll let it slide, this time. That’s mainly because I’ve reached the end of my patience with this intro, and intend to issue an immediate cease and desist order, to get us the hell out of here. Luigi! Code Three! Stat!

Hang on, ffolkes; this one can be a bit painful if you don’t….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Everybody thinks himself so well supplied with common sense that even those most difficult to please. . . never desire more of it than they already have.” — Rene Descartes

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

Yesterday, I watched this documentary at another WP blogger’s site (link to that post is below). I was so entranced, I sat for the entire 54+ minutes. without pause, to watch it; as Mr. Spock would say, “Fascinating!”….. SIGH…. Also very disturbing in a personal sense, as now I have to add Rajasthan to my bucket list of places to visit in India, if I ever get a chance to go there…. This would sure make it worthwhile, to be able to spend some time living in and observing this culture up close and personal…. Of course, it might be a little hard to come by a soft bed, but, I’m sure I’d adjust, provided I live long enough…. By then, I will be able to live through just about anything, I think….. This life looks like a hard one, to be sure…. but, the people have made the most of what they have, and live as happily, and peacefully, as any culture I’ve seen…. Enjoy this little change of pace, thanks to Lou over at Tales, who found it for us…. You can find him and his co-blogger Genie, here:

https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/cobra-gypsies-full-documentary-5232/

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

Cobra Gypsies
Film by Rafael Treza

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

https://youtu.be/aNUYGRn3W9Q

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

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

Yep. You guessed it. I’m late, so, today’s rant will be from the archives…. Oh, quit yer bellyachin’…. You can always skip down to the poetry section, so, stop whining. The others may enjoy it…. I hope you do, actually, even if it’s not fresh. They’re usually pretty relevant, as not much changes over time in that respect; the revolution is still brewing….

From 12/9/2012:

“The need to be right is the sign of a vulgar mind.” — Albert Camus

Albert is right, but is obviously a proponent of saying what he has to say, then stopping. In this case, stopping does not give enough clarity to this idea, which is a central one to a complete and balanced outlook, or, if you will, a balanced mind. It is indeed vulgar, as well as ultimately unproductive, to NEED to be right. What should be more important is to KNOW, or be able to learn to know, what is right…. only then can a rational decision be made as to the correct action, or non-action to pursue. I think in this particular case, Mr. Camus was telling us something we should all know; he was not telling us all that he knew….

I find this to be true of much of his philosophy, in that it only goes so far before dumping the reader back into a place where they must use their own resources to figure out his exact meaning. I’m not sure if this is deliberate, a method to force people to think, or if it is just his own sense of independence and curmudgeonry that causes him to only share part of what he really understands. I suppose, in its way, it is a very effective technique to encourage others to think, an activity of which I wholeheartedly approve, and is also, I suppose, one of the reasons I’ve always liked his published statements, and use them fairly frequently in pearls, or rather, as pearls….

In my world, the search for Truth is pretty much the backbone of all that I do. Even the mundane activities I perform are in some way in support of that search, or, at least, I’d like to think they are…. because the Truth is very important to me, and how I feel about the world. The use of it for manipulation, or its suppression for the same purpose, infuriates me, and makes me want to carve out of any human I see doing so, that part of their soul that makes them misuse the Truth for their own purposes, or allows them to believe that they have any right to do so…. To me, it is the simplest interpretation of the Golden Rule…. If I expect myself to honor the Truth, then I would expect others to do the same….

Sadly, that is MY belief, and very few of the people in the world who are in positions of power over others have any investment at all in promoting Truth, as it doesn’t suit their self-interest…. The statement that started this discussion is, in fact, one of the best ways to identify those in society who tend to act in their own interests before those of others. The need to BE right implies that one need not necessarily be IN the right; in fact, it is often to their advantage to be wrong, and lie about what is right, twisting facts and circumstance to suit their purpose. If someone insists on being right, you can usually bet they are not being entirely truthful….

“If what the philosophers say be true,–that all men’s actions proceed from one source; that as they assent from a persuasion that a thing is so, and dissent from a persuasion that it is not, and suspend their judgment from a persuasion that it is uncertain,–so likewise they seek a thing from a persuasion that it is for their advantage.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xviii

Human nature, and the flaws that are part of that nature, afford an endless opportunity for dissection. It’s really too bad that my mind is not in a place to go any further today….. Oh, sure, I could come up with any number of examples of the kind of deliberate selfishness and cupidity that characterizes that part of our tribe that preys on the rest of us; the news is full of their lies and shenanigans every day. But, I’m already exhausted by today’s effort to be rational, and since it is Sunday, have decided to give my mind the rest of the day off, and hope that my emotional state can go with the flow…… If not, well, I can always splurge, spend five bucks on whiskey, and sleep really good tonight…. But, that’s just hiding, and it’s indubitably not a good idea to bust the budget so early in the month….

I wish I COULD offer some simple explanation for why people can be such assholes….. but, I can’t. I guess we’ll all just have to deal with them the best we can, each in our own way….. and hope for the best……

“I feel like I’m in a Toilet Bowl with a thumbtack in my forehead!!” — Zippy the Pinhead

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

Since I’m up late, we’ll go with another archived poem, to spare any embarrassment for any other poets who don’t deserve such treatment….

Random Exposure

If I only knew what I was doing here,
I could give others a clue.
Reality gets stranger every year,
and I’m not sure what I should do.

Singing happy old tunes, in an old, gravely voice,
gives me a lot of pleasure.
I’m only glad I can still make a choice,
to look at life, to take its measure.

Memorable moments keep passing by
gilded, framed in precious emotion.
I never have to ask anyone why,
no need for a stronger potion.

Everything in life is clear, to me
there is no doubt, no misunderstanding.
We’re all good, as you can see,
members of Life, in good standing.

Life can be hard, or it can be great fun;
the right path is there for each of us to take.
That choice is often a difficult one;
pay close attention to the choice you make.

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 4/22/2013.

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

Nine pearls of ancient/modern human wisdom; one pearl of virtual wisdom, using the process laboriously developed over the past 15 years. What can be said of such insouciance? Such panache? Very little, I’m sure, but, one may always enjoy, especially when the final bit of advice comes from our old friend, the Zipster…. He is just SO cute!….. Enjoy, ffolkes; even Zippy couldn’t completely screw this one…..

Dharma: What is the greatest mystery of all?

Yudishthira: That each day, death walks the earth, and we continue to live as though we were immortal.

~~ The Bhagavad Gita ~~

“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.” — Socrates (BC 469-399)

“A beautiful eye makes silence eloquent, a kind eye makes contradiction an assent, an enraged eye makes beauty deformed. This little member gives life to every part about us; and I believe the story of Argus implies no more, than the eye is in every part; that is to say, every other part would be mutilated, were not its force represented more by the eye than even by itself.” — Addison

“Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” — Mark Twain

“At once it struck me what quality went to form a man of achievement, especially in literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously — I mean negative capability, that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” — John Keats

“A plough that works glisters, but the still water stinks.” — Proverb

“Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Our minds possess by nature an insatiable desire to know the truth.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero

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

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

Today’s Pearl is a tribute to the process of Pearling, and, no, I’m not going to explain anything here in the closing section; it’s against the rules anyway. I think we can just all be glad this is done, and, nobody died, and nobody bled. I’d call that a good thing, but, I know better. In spite of everything, I think I’ll probably be back tomorrow, if only to see what happened as a result of today’s mess…. Until then, just do as I do, and deny, deny, deny…. Hey, it works for the BRC! See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless someone comes up with an effective way to prevent it…. The odds are on my side there….

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

You’re our only dope, Obi-wan!….

Posted on June 18, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

What? You don’t like green?

Good morrow…. Well, that may be a bit premature, given the state of affairs I find upon arising….. It seems there was a party in my house while I was asleep…. Y’all will have to excuse me, while I deal with a group of quite unrepentant semi-sentient appliances, who seem to have decided to make a play for independence…. SIGH…. I knew that Siri was going to cause trouble…. Put one smart phone in with those old toasters, ovens, reefers, and long-suffering kitchen appliances, and you’ve got a revolution….

Oh well, I guess it won’t hurt to sit down & negotiate with them…. But, that means I won’t have as much time to get this done… So, y’all will just have to settle for whatever happens, okay? Okay….

Let’s see what will happen if I do this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Purity engenders Wisdom, Passion avarice, and Ignorance folly, infatuation and darkness.” — Bhagavad Gita (c. B.C. 400)

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

Right around the year 1970, this band released an album with their name as the title; that album catapulted them to instant stardom, lasting only a few short years, but, leaving behind a body of work definitive of the era…. Enjoy, ffolkes, this is part of our history, like it or not….

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

It’s A Beautiful Day

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

https://youtu.be/RwvcICa-a3c

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

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

Image stolen from Twitter

Today’s ranting section has been usurped by impulse…. Instead, you’ll find below some links, and pictures, detailing one of the current space projects pursued by mankind…. The Philae Comet lander, which landed in a spot originally thought to be poor, has awakened after several months of hibernation, which it entered to save power…. It woke up, having stored enough solar power to operate, and has been in contact with Earth to say it is ready to continue its mission….

I’ve included pictures below from the mission, along with a couple others, one from a mission currently going on near the orbit of Pluto, where the dwarf planet Ceres is being investigated…. Also, a couple other shots of space I thought were cool….

One of the links will take you to a photo essay describing much of the mission, with more pictures…. I hope you enjoy today’s break from the usual routine…. This kind of activity is what gives me what small bit of hope for survival I hold for mankind; our ONLY hope is to establish colonies on other worlds, or moons, or asteroids, before we make this planet uninhabitable, as seems to be our intent…. Maybe you’d like a vacation home on a comet? Cruising through space, visiting different parts of the solar system as the comet rides around the sun in its long orbit…. Not bad, eh?….

All the pictures were taken from Space.com, or the NASA website, or various news articles on the web. I don’t own any of them, I just like them….

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/14/rosetta-mission-hibernating-philae-lander-spacecraft-wakes-up

http://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2014/nov/12/rosetta-mission-lands-philae-probe-on-67p-comet-in-pictures

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

When life calls, ready or not….

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

Written 9/10/2012.

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

The pearls for this final section have been coming to me in a rather odd fashion; that may be why so many of them turn out a bit odd…. Today’s final pearl is no exception. It’s all good advice, or a fine way to look at Life; in one case it’s a warning. It all adds up to a pretty good pearl…. Enjoy!…. Or, not, as is your preference….

“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“If “everybody knows” such and such, then it ain’t so, by at least ten thousand to one.” — Lazarus Long

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” — Marvin Gaye

“We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.” — Aristotle

“The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood at this moment.” — Rabindranath Tagore

“The sunlights differ, but there is only one darkness.” — Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Dispossessed”

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

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

Well, it’s done; it’s different, if nothing else…. I’m gonna let if fly, because I don’t have the time, or, the inclination to go back & do it over…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as I can’t think of any reason not to do so….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

No tango tonight for you, Mortimer….

Posted on May 26, 2015 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“A man’s happiness, — to do the things proper to man.”

— Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ~~

~~ Meditations, viii, 26 ~~

Just as if they had been dotted on top of the myriads of glowing suns in the Milky Way, this image depicts some of the brightest stars of the southern sky: on the right, in a rhomboidal shape reminding that of a kite, are the four stars of the constellation Crux, the Southern cross; in the lower left part, instead, shine the two most brilliant stars of the constellation Centaurus, the Centaur.

The Southern Cross

Image from Space.com

Good morning…. It’s a big world out there, and our last outpost of sanity is under continuous attack, by the forces of Entropy and Chaos…. This…. whatever this is, keeps them at bay in my little corner of Space/Time, as it has for close to four years now…. Join me now, as I once again take up the gauntlet, to do battle with every ounce of reason and rationality I can find…. Often it isn’t much, as is patently obvious…. But, we, or rather I, persevere, though there are times when we wonder why I bother….

Then, I look in the mirror, and see the dregs of sanity lurking there, and I am content…. It’s still a long road before me, so, I’d best get started…. As you might be able to tell from the state of this introductory section, it could be rather an uphill journey today…. Luigi, tell the tower we’re taking off, and not to worry about the fighter escort today. I’m feeling MEAN….

Shall we Pearl?

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.” — C. G. Jung

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

Image from radiofreeamsterdam.com via Google Images

Yesterday we visited the days of old; today we’re returning to the same era, to listen to another all-time great…. Fats was the MAN, when I was young…. Nobody did it quite the same…. Enjoy, ffolkes; Fats is another cultural icon worth remembering….

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

Fats Domino

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

https://youtu.be/Z4vbSKOw-0g

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

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

Last year, in 2014, I came up with some pretty decent rants…. Here is one from August of that year, simply because I can, and I’m lazy today….(Whattyamean, today?….)(Oh, hush…) Enjoy, ffolkes….

From 8/31/2014:

“Stupid is as stupid does.” — Mama Gump

Yesterday, during a rant in section one of the Daily Pearl, I made a comment, wherein I accused Bill Clinton of being an idiot, and a husband, in the same breath…. While his persona exhibits elements of both adjectives, neither one fits completely comfortably; if it was a suit, you’d think it was poorly tailored. He IS an idiot of course; letting one’s lust control their actions while in the White House as the President, is kind of a give-away on that…. and he IS a husband; it says so right on the license available for anyone to see somewhere in what, oh, yeah, Arkansas, or Alabama, or wherever it was they got married… Who knows, maybe it was in D.C. after they left Little Rock, or whatever… But, obviously, he isn’t terribly good at either one….

Any who, I wanted to clarify that, while also acknowledging that, in truth, Bill is a VERY smart guy…. I don’t care who you are, you don’t get to be a Rhodes Scholar if you don’t have a few neurons to bump together… He also plays a pretty mean sax, which is also an indicator of superior, or at least multi-talented, intelligence…. All of which goes to prove that intelligence alone has little, if any, survival value. Possessing a high IQ does not give one the ability, necessarily, to USE it in a way that helps one advance, in any respect….

Ethically, morally, or in terms of worldly success, as in being rich, famous, or celebrated in some fashion, smart guys don’t always win against the mundanes, simply because they are often not paying attention to what is important to those with less on their minds… In Bill’s case, he tried to take his multi-tasking to a new level, and failed, miserably…. Common sense often escapes the most intelligent members of this species; they tend to be a little less balanced out on the fringes of the bell curve…. too much going on in their heads, that ends up distracting them from what they’re doing in the real world, and that they are being watched, always…

That’s all…. just sayin’….. Smart don’t mean smart, if you know what I mean…. Sometimes, a little bit of street cred, a little low animal cunning, as it were, can go a long way to being more useful than having a degree, or being able to quote poetry…. Unfortunately, when someone like that learns the law, then turns to politics, there is no end to the harm they can cause…. Witness just about every president in my lifetime…. Most of them weren’t the most intelligent, though smart enough to get through law school; they are definitely the most corrupt, and the most vicious sociopaths, that is for sure and for certain, but, overly intelligent, they were NOT…..

Sorry, but, I just calls ’em as I sees ’em, ffolkes, and that’s the way it’s been for my life; I can count, on fewer than the fingers on only ONE of my hands, the number of presidents I respect, at all, and only one of those is still alive…. That one will go down in history as an ineffective president, because he had the unfortunate quality of possessing both intelligence, and integrity, not to mention compassion…. which are three qualities that no other president since 1962 has possessed. to any appreciable degree, and definitely not together in the same man, other than the one…. If you disagree, fine…. comment, and tell me why, so we can discuss it…. But, please, make it worth my time, because there isn’t a lot of evidence I’m aware of for you to choose from..

Any who, that’s it…. just wanted to make clear why I thought Bill was an idiot husband…. I’ll avoid any comments as to WHY he is uncomfortable as a husband, married to a woman who is just as sociopathic as he is…. a woman completely lacking any sort of real compassion for others, because it is subsumed in the vast furnace of their ambition….

There is no room for compassion in one who wishes to lead a nation, especially one with the power and resources of this one, along with the historically traditional imperative, and true national pastime, of proselytizing democracy, and our twisted versions of Christianity, on anyone in the world who doesn’t have them…. whether they want them, or not….

Sometimes, that interference in the lives and interests of other nations in the world in the guise of business, to spread our capitalist markets, which require constant expansion to prevent collapsing under their own weight…. Or, our insistence on playing busybody is justified with the pretense of humanitarianism, with rationalizations ranging from saving them from godless communism, to fighting the evil of “muslim extremists, and/or rebel insurgents” who are fighting terrorist civil wars, “killing their own people, including, gasp, children and old people!”

These wars, though being fought over what seem to me to be all-too-familiar sounding, minute, yet firmly idiotic differences of interpretation of scripture, are still CIVIL wars, even if religiously motivated …. I won’t comment on this scripture, allegedly also “divine” in origin, in the book of collected dogmatic delusions that were left to guide them by their version of a mortal, yet, somehow, also immortal, and, thus, divine, (by the time-tested use of “ipse dixit” reasoning) prophet of the ONLY god, or Allah, or Baha’u’lah, or whomever they worship/idolize/follow/are enslaved by…. Well, I wasn’t planning to comment, but, I suppose I just did….

However, my point remains valid, despite my opinion of Islam, or Christianity, or Hinduism, or Buddhism, or any other religion…. As far as I’m concerned, they are ALL the possessors of a SMALL piece of the Truth about Reality in this Universe, but, they have erroneously chosen to misinterpret the meaning of their piece, and have beaten their dead horses, killed by that error, into a sad, bloody pulp, unrecognizable, and useless for anything other than making everyone’s life more difficult, and divisive…. I can’t say it much clearer than that, about religion, or politics, either….

Instead I’ll say that it’s a shame there is probably no one to run against Hillary who can win, because she’ll be, unfortunately, as cruelly self-serving, as dishonest as, well, a politician, as unaware of, and as little concerned with the plight of the common man, and as falsely “transparent” in their actions and words, as any man who has ever held the office…. including Tricky Dicky and LBJ, who were about as underhanded, and corrupt as any politician who ever lived….

The scary part of that, if not the scariest part of the whole shebang we call the future? If there IS anyone who can win against her, things in this sad old country, and, no doubt, the rest of this sad, old world, will go from bad, to very much worse, in a very short time…. Think about it….

Just watch…. I hate being right in these cases, but, my track record is, sadly, practically unblemished, as I have called just about every election at the national level, for all those years of repetitive foolishness I’ve witnessed….

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward

“…there are periods of history when the visions of madmen and dope fiends are a better guide to reality than the common-sense interpretation of data
available to the so-called normal mind. This is one such period, if you haven’t noticed already.” — The Illuminatus! Trilogy — Robert Anton Wilson

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

Three final notes on this subject from 2015, as it becomes more relevant each day:

“If you ever see me getting beaten by the police, put down the video camera and come help me.” — Bobcat Goldthwait

“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. — Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke (1729-1797), in a letter to William Smith

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

As noted in the previous section, I’m feeling a bit lazy today; hence this antiquated poem from the archives…. Enjoy, for what it’s worth… Written sometime in 2013, it’s one of my favorites, such as they are….

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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

Today’s final old-school pearl is a tricky one…. All of the following are observations on Life at Large, in a manner of speaking…. At least one of them is a trick pearl…. It looks okay, and sounds okay, but, when one stops to look more closely at the concept, it turns silly on you…. which, somehow, doesn’t detract from its rightness…. Go figure, and, of course, which pearl that may be is left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…. You should KNOW you never get out of here without having to use at least three neurons!…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

“Fear always springs from ignorance.” — Smart Bee, paraphrasing the Bhagavad Gita

“Cato said the best way to keep good acts in memory was to refresh them with new.” — Francis Bacon (1561-1626) — Apothegms, No, 247

“It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.” — Goethe

“With two hearts do people live; a small one of deep softness, the other of steel. And kindness is too often a shield, generosity too often a sword.” — Kahlil Gibran

“I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.” — Richard Feynman

“You’re never too old to learn something stupid.” — Smart Bee

“The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost

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

Today’s process of creation felt a little choppy, but, hey…. we’re done. Y’all know what that means right? You’re on you own again…. Go do something constructive, or, at minimum, patently explainable in small words, of three or fewer syllables. Wouldn’t want to confuse anyone, now, would you? No, of course not…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if I can dodge the bullets….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

View Full Profile →

	katiemiafrederick on Are those Foster Grants to blo…
	katiemiafrederick on Funk-o-matic accessories are o…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on Dodge those taxes with dignity…
	katiemiafrederick on But…. but…. what a…

gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: The Bhagavad Gita

Insignificant dreaming….

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: