I always find it interesting to note how our society/culture observes the various events of community, i.e. holidays, festivals, & celebration of important dates. The passing of the old year, & celebration of the New Year (why is one capitalized & the other not?…. I don’t know, but, that’s how I’ve always seen it done….) is one of those holidays, one whose origins are lost in ancient times, subject only to speculation as to why the event came to be an important day. Much of what I’ve noticed is how the various religions prevalent in each part of the world determines what is important, as well as what version of time, and calendar, is used to mark those days to be celebrated. Since I subscribe to none of them, it’s all a fascinating example for me of how little humans really understand themselves, and their own motivation for much of what they find themselves doing….
Fascinating to me, yet also frustrating, for it is our human lack of understanding which leads us into most of the trouble we encounter in society; we believe we know what is real, but, lacking mindfulness of the moment in which we exist tends to cause many of the issues that arise to torment each other, and create problems for all of society…. In modern slang terms, we think we’re all that, but, we ain’t. We’re mostly a large number of silly monkeys, pretending to be cultivated, but, still reacting to the real world as if we still lived in caves, or in trees….
Now, some folks, & even some ffolkes, may call me negative, or curmudgeonly for such an analysis, but, I just calls ’em as I sees ’em. Since most of the society in which I find myself believes in greeting the New Year with positivity, I will forgo any further curmudgeonry in favor of merely getting posted with the little bit of entertaining fluff I’ve cobbled together for your edification/elucidation. I shall also approach that with a higher degree of efficiency than thus far exhibited, by the simplest method, to wit:
Shall we Pearl?
“I am always doing that which I cannot do,
in order that I may learn how to do it.”
~~ Pablo Picasso ~~
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For today’s musical interlude, I’ve chosen a set of six concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach, for several reasons, which are, most simply put, not particularly relevant. Suffice to say these are some of my favorites, since first hearing them years ago. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…. Abondanza!….
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Measures of Intent
Hell is never far away; it slips in, then out,
like a ninja, bent on stealth and death.
Living metamorphoses, in the space of a breath,
sordid entropy fills us, within, and without.
Tide turns again; back and forth it tumbles,
like those little wind up toys, yet never stays.
All our efforts, all our silly little ways,
disappear like seaweed, as sanity crumbles.
The duality of reality in which we are firmly caught,
seems to inhabit every part of our natural selves.
Nothing is ever still, nor can it be placed on shelves;
we are dark, and light; balance must be taught.
Life is lived only one moment at a time,
past and future have no power to alter this at all.
We can choose to fly, or choose to fall;
finding truth, and beauty, can never be a crime.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/14/2015
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Naked Pearls
What did you say?….
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“If you are beginning to doubt what I am saying,
you are probably hallucinating.”
~~ The Firesign Theatre, “Everything you know is Wrong” ~~
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“Imagine there’s no heaven… it’s easy if you try.”
~~ John Lennon, “Imagine” ~~
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“”Curioser and Curioser!” cried Alice.”
~~ from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ~~
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“Nature is not human-hearted.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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“Whatever occurs from love is always beyond good and evil.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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“As great scientists have said and as all children know,
it is above all by the imagination
that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.”
~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~
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“Prais’d be the fathomless universe,
for life and joy,
and for objects and knowledge curious.”
~~ Walt Whitman ~~
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Well, there you have it, such as it is…. I’ll continue my stated intention to be efficient, in hopes such will continue to guide my writing in the coming year; that, you may be certain, is as much of a resolution you’ll get from me, as it’s one I can keep as well as I ever do. Rather than belabor such a delicate point, (too much potential for sarcasm & curmudgeonry… ), I’ll leave y’all with the usual caveat, to wit: be well, be happy as you may be, & stay strange. It’s worked so far, so, why fuss with it? See you soon, 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.
“Truth is sacred;
and if you tell the truth too often
nobody will believe it.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton, ILN, 2/24/06 ~~
The CEO….
Hajime…. I’ve managed to cobble together a fairly decent Pearl, in only one day, so, I’ll post it, & hope for the best. My recent absences have, I think, caused some Gentle Readers to not come by very often…. SIGH. Oh, well; so be it. Since I do have this one ready, I guess I’ll post it right away. In order to do so in a timely fashion, I’ll even condescend to forgo all tricks, traps, sudden turns, or nonsensical forays into my head, opting instead to call this an intro, & be done with it. It’s actually one of my favorite openings, if only because I don’t have to come up with anything in particular, beyond what you already observe. Yep, I’m often lazy, but, then, I am human, aren’t I? Why, yes, yes I am. See y’all in the closing section….
Shall we Pearl?….
“To make up a great action there are no subordinate mean ones.”
~~ Thoreau ~~
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No introduction needed today; the music I’ve chosen is of a genre everyone knows, as it is, perhaps, the single most ancient form of sharing music, other than by singing. Humans have played guitars, or an instrument like it, since the days we hung out in caves to stay dry during inclement weather. In my opinion, anyone who does NOT like classical guitar simply hasn’t learned how to be fully human…. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music Guitar
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Blue chameleon
It’s hot today, with chances of pain & rain.
So it says on the news.
Guess there’s nothing to do again
unless it’s sing the blues.
The blues are gettin’ old, though.
So I say, & I should know.
I been singin’ the bloody songs, y’know?
For what seems a long row to hoe.
S’pose it could get better someday.
I’ve heard that tune before.
Always seemed out of tune anyway;
I ain’t waitin’ any more.
Bang those drums & kick the cans.
May as well raise some hell.
Clang together some old pots & pans;
It hides the little voices so well.
Never worry, don’t you fear at all.
We’ve got certificates of note.
Bureaucratic protections, officially small.
Non carborundum illegitimi, he wrote.
Time, and circumstance, wrote me today.
It came in the daily mail from home.
It said I shouldn’t write unless I say
you’ll be charged for the distance you roam.
~~ gigoid ~~
5/28/2016
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
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“An it harms none, do what thou will.”
~~ Wiccan Credo ~~
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“Man shall not live by bread alone.”
~~ New Testament, Matthew iv, 4; Deuteronomy viii, 3 ~~
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“Forget the cake, go for the icing.”
~~ from Observations on Life From Children ~~
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“All’s fair in love and war – What a contemptible lie.”
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
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“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves;
otherwise we harden.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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“It is a fundamental law of nature that nothing ever quite works out.”
~~ Murphy’s Seventh Law ~~
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“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future
is a little like having bees live in your head.
But there they are . . .”
~~ The Firesign Theater, “I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus!” ~~
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There you have it, ffolkes. To make the closing section rather more of a match for the intro, I shall bring it to a rapid close, without the usual caveats, contortions, or blather. Makes for a nice change, don’t you think? Whatever…. I’ll be back tomorrow, if reality doesn’t intrude in its inimitable fashion. Until then, be well, & happy as you may be. I’m heading out into the BBR today, for a bit of guitar practice meself. Don’t step on any myrmidons; it irritates their sense of entitlement…. 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.
Two bridges, one strait….(the Carquinez, if you must know…)
Hajime…. In my defense, there are reasons for being so late, as well as for my recent inconsistency in posting. Since going into detail would be both indulgent, and pandering, I’ll skip all that, & just go with ‘there are reasons’…. So be it. All the proper elements of a complete Pearl are in place; it’s all fresh, though not particularly so, since all but the final section includes previously used sources of material. The final, old-school pearl is a good one, though, with some rather telling metaphoric sarcasm shaping the conclusion to be inferred. I like it, and so will you….
Not only am I late in posting today, I’m in a rather strange mood, even for me. It feels as if anything I write could turn on me, should I, even for an instant, lose track of my balance, which, though solidly embedded, nonetheless seems delicate. To head off any outbursts of sanity before they occur, we’ll cut this intro short, so as to maintain the illusion we’ve worked so hard to establish, that of a mind in control of itself, if only for this moment in time. In that vein, I appeal to your sense of compassion, or empathy, whichever works best, to allow some leeway before judging us too harshly. If, for some reason, your own sense of balance is shaky, well, try harder…. I’ve done, as is my wont, all I can do, & that, as you know, is all one can do.
Shall we Pearl?….
“To lead the people, walk behind them.”
~~ Lao-Tzu ~~
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French composer Camille Saint-Saens
In the relatively recent past, I’ve experienced a number of times when my anger… no, my rage… has gotten the better of me, thanks to a combination of physical issues aggravating PTSD symptoms, so generously provided by my broken mind, as a result of past choices in work. Without going into superfluous detail, let’s just say, the music of this man, Camille Saint-Saëns, has helped me to find my way back to some balance more than any other music, save perhaps Bonnie’s, or Eric’s (if I have to include surnames, y’all haven’t been paying attention sufficiently….). In any case, it always hits the right notes, so, please, enjoy….
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Camille Saint-Saëns Symphonies
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Early Observations
Until I knew there was more,
I wanted to know God.
They said he was a nice guy,
and would let me live forever.
All I had to do, they said,
was live my life for Him,
always living by scripture
cleaving only to his Way.
But, everyone I saw in church,
acted different at home.
Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,
nobody lived like they said.
Still, I tried to be like Jesus,
he was sort of cool.
He never hurt nobody
and walked on the right path.
‘Course they killed him for that,
they couldn’t stand his example.
Turned him into a martyr,
hid his real words among their own.
Then I found the Buddha,
and met Lao Tzu at the gate.
They saw things real different,
showed me how to see straight.
Right thought, and right action
replace blind obedience and faith.
Reality becomes manageable,
fear retreats, the universe expands.
Brother John said it pretty well,
“Imagine there’s no heaven,
it’s easy if you try.”
Sounds like he knew why.
Day to day, life is grand,
we walk in eternal beauty.
Open your eyes and hearts,
find yourself already immortal.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/12/2013
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Naked Pearls
A metaphoric précis of Human History….
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“Yes, many primitive people still believe this myth…
But in today’s technical vastness of the future,
we can guess that surely things were much different.”
~~ The Firesign Theater ~~
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“One never realizes
how much and how little he knows
until he starts talking.”
~~ Louis L’Amour ~~
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“Ancient custom has the force of law.”
~~ Wise Bee ~~
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“When the need arises — and it does —
you must be able to shoot your own dog.
Don’t farm it out —
that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse.”
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
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“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
~~ Anais Nin ~~
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“It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.”
~~ Arthur C. Clarke ~~
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“Ward, I’m worried about the Beaver.”
~~ June Cleaver ~~
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I’ve checked to make sure, & all the parts are where they’re supposed to be; on a morning such as this, that’s more than merely satisfying, moving right past that into edifying, as well as encouraging. I’ll take it, and run. See y’all next time, whenever that may be; it’s too iffy today to make a prediction. I’ll shoot for tomorrow, & with a bit of luck & perseverance, we’ll see y’all then. Be well, be alert, be strange, and…. well, you know the rest…. Don’t worry; if you don’t, reality will provide you with clues…. so, pay attention!….
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.
“A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.”
~~ William Wordsworth ~~
George Orwell’s Home, London….
Hajime…. Nearly a week has passed since the last fresh Pearl of Virtual Wisdom was posted. In that week, I’ve seen this country, and the world, edge ever closer to either a civil war, or a world war, take your pick, as both scenarios are receiving some attention in the available news, whether fake, real, or just out there. Since there is little, at this point, I can do about any of that, beyond what I already have done to prepare myself, I find myself rather bored by it all, sort of Oscar Wilde-ish in my impatience with the tedious nature of most of my species. The very worst of human behaviors are on full public display, as the ignorance of the American people is played out on the world stage in the most appalling manner. SIGH… ah, well, bell curve, is all I can say….
I am working on a rant, but, even the degree of angst I’ve built up watching the nonsense going on all around me isn’t quite enough to have it ready, given the physical and emotional wars I’m waging on a daily basis. Suffice it to say, the rant may get outrageous, so, we’ll save it until it’s fully developed, to savor any potential impact it may produce. In the meantime, over the past four or five days, in the few moments per day allotted to me for sitting in a chair, I’ve managed to string together the basic elements of a fresh Pearl, which I now present for your viewing/reading pleasure. Of course, only you can decide whether it produces the desired effect, but, I’m sure you’ll let me know, if only by completely ignoring it. What the hell, I’ve blogged here on WP for more than six years now; I know better than to worry about how many will see what I produce; basically, it’s a crap shoot, & I never did figure out the odds on craps..
All that said, with the standard lack of purpose or justification, I’m going to be a trifle rude, & drop y’all right here, so I can get this finished & posted in a timely manner. Lots still to do out in the BBR today, laying in supplies for the coming month/times, & generally avoiding the rain as much as possible. Not that I mind the rain; I spent four years living in the state of Washington as a boy, & the rain is just a part of life, one you learn to enjoy, or suffer all the damn time. I like to control my suffering, so, I choose to enjoy the rain. It’s not hard, it’s just cold. So be it. And so be this intro, which I now declare done. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?
“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, I am a citizen of the world.”
~~ Socrates ~~
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French composer Camille Saint-Saens
Camille Saint-Saëns
Today, I feel like some classical music; by my personal experience, one cannot choose better than this man’s work, no matter what particular type of orchestral arrangement wishes to hear. Here are two plus hours of violin concertos, to ease your way into the day…. Enjoy!….
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Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concertos
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Stray Cats
The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.
Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.
Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.
Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..
~~gigoid~~
4/12/2013
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large
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“Death tugs at my ear and says: “Live, I am coming.”
~~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. ~~
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“We should consider every day lost
on which we have not danced at least once.”
And we should call every truth false
which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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“Perfect valor is to do unwitnessed
what we should be capable of doing before all the world.”
~~ Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld ~~
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“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future
is a little like having bees live in your head.
But there they are . . .”
~~The Firesign Theater ~~
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“If you understand, or if you don’t.
If you believe, or if you doubt.
There is a universal justice
and the eyes of truth are always watching.”
~~ Enigma ~~
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“My life is light, waiting for the death wind,
Like a feather on the back of my hand.”
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
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“What I tell you three times is true.”
~~ Lewis Carroll, “The Hunting of the Snark” ~~
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Well, there you go. I can’t think of anything else this needs, so, I’ll forgo any tricks, traps, or distractions, & merely say, see y’all soon. Not sure when a fresh Pearl will next appear, but, I can guarantee it will, as long as I survive long enough. Until then, be well, and happy as you may… In the infamous words of the Terminator, I’ll be back….
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.
Hajime…. As one whose life and experience has left him with a number of opinions and beliefs uncommon to the major portion of humanity, I tend to regard the current crop of holidays with a large dollop of skepticism, as being more accurately defined as distractions, designed to keep the ignorant mundanes busy chasing illusions & dreams, spending money they can ill afford to spend on frivolity, to join in what is purported to be a celebration of new possibilities, presented to them in shiny, colorful packages of short duration, which will keep them busy and happy doing exactly what they cannot afford to be doing….
But, that’s just me; everybody else takes it as a chance to drown the sorrows of the past year, in hopes the next will be different, though they will make no particular effort to make any changes in themselves, this being the only thing that might produce changes in the lives they lead… or, more accurately, are led through, by the nose… an organ which, if properly employed, COULD be a valuable tool for them, in sniffing out the lies and illusions they so readily adopt as their own… Then again, I don’t suppose it’s easy to alter a lifetime habit of NOT using their innate abilities in ways that might help them, having been trained since birth to deny they even have them….
Ah, well, so passes another year, in a fashion arbitrarily decided upon by the narcissistic sociopaths who manipulate our society on Earth for their own benefit, to their own purposes, at the expense of all those mundanes who refuse to consider their own ignorance a handicap, thus handing control of their minds to the unscrupulous scoundrels, who possess no humanity, and no concern over the consequences of their actions upon anyone, or anything other than themselves. But, it’s their lives, and, if they want to spend them as a mental slave to delusions fostered upon them by clever assholes, well, that’s their choice…. The problem is, they don’t realize it IS their choice, having been convinced at an early age to surrender their right to choose… In my mind, this is what makes a human being, and NOBODY is going to take my choices from me…
I really didn’t intend to rant first thing this year, but, what the hell? Why not, eh? And, now, I’m done, & we can move on to something less disturbing to anyone’s sense of guilt or regrets. Hopefully, anyway. Why don’t I use this old trick, so we can do that without further delay?…. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?
“The greatest sin is to be unconscious.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
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Since it’s a new year, why not start it out with some of the best music I know? In my experience, it doesn’t get much better than what came out of this event in 2002, when a great many of the world’s best musicians got together to pay tribute to another of their peers, one who left an indelible mark on the world, in more ways than merely artistically…. Enjoy, if you will, Ravi Shankar, his daughter, and a fine Indian orchestra, who join some of the biggest names in entertainment for a tribute to George Harrison…
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Concert for George 2002
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Seeing is Conducive to Belief
Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.
Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.
The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.
Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.
Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/11/2012
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Naked Pearls
Basic lessons in living large….
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“The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”
~~ Keanu Reeves ~~
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“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment
to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”
~~ Charles DuBois ~~
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“Is dishwater dull?
Naturalists with microscopes have told me
it teems with quiet fun.”
~~ “The Spice of Life” — The Listener (1936)
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“Entropy requires no maintenance.”
~~ Amanda Walker ~~
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“Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.”
~~ Jules de Gaultier ~~
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“Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.”
~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
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“How can you be two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?”
~~ Firesign Theater ~~
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“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”
~~ Will Foley ~~
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“Most of all, I’ve learned that
a good time to laugh is anytime you can.”
~~ Linda Ellerbee ~~
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I am suffused with a sense of accomplishment, not without a certain degree of pride; it’s done, and done pretty well, all things considered, (a list which includes some standard confusion, cat-hammock duties, and, a demon or two, as well as a number of picayune PITA’s of no particular value…), for which I can be grateful to my own stubborn nature. I believe I’ll start the year off right, & leave it at that, so as to make at least one effort to change something in the new year…. I doubt seriously my nose will grow less round, or less red, and, it certainly won’t quit honking, so, don’t worry. Normality, while not encouraged, always seems to find its way into our lives, like it, or not. Around here, it’s mostly not, but, we’ll see how it goes tomorrow, when I’ll try this again…. See ya, ffolkes; stay alert, it’s getting pretty strange out there….
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.
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 ~~
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Naked Pearls
Affordable wisdom….
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“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”
~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~
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“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” ~~
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“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!” ~~
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“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.
“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.”
~~ Halifax ~~
Morning Glory in Blue
Hajime…. Bozoid, or not, it’s got to be done. Since my degree of bozoid is rather highly developed, that will require an incredible amount of focus, and will, in order to fulfill our chosen duty. Given the last night’s draw, having fought for sleep until successful (well, to a degree… three sets of two hours isn’t too bad… that’s more down than up, so, hey, bonus….), and the concomitant extra smegs of energy, I have no real excuse for not getting it done, unless I retreat into whine and sour cheese. Therefore, what you see is what I’ve got, and it’s all you get.
Today, that isn’t an insignificant amount of material. In fact, there’s a rather extensive diatribe in the ranting section, with a seven-star pearl that grew to nine, and a complex poem from about 4 years ago. I also think you’ll enjoy today’s music; I know I did, and will again. So, in spite of any possible glitches, or, spanners in the works, we have a pretty good example of a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom for your reading pleasure. I know, that’s a bit presumptuous, but, hey, I think so, and, in the final analysis, that’s all that matters…. Deal with it, just as if it were a part of Reality As We Know It….
Now I’ve set the stage, so to speak, I think I’ll use my somewhat underused executive decision making powers, as held by law and custom, I’ll cut the intro down to a proper size, with the simple decree, “it’s enough, and, it’s done.” So be it. I hope you enjoy today’s mess; I enjoyed putting it together, mostly, so, that will probably show through. If not, well, you can ask for a refund. You won’t get one, but, you can ask. On that curmudgeonly note, I say we should be on our way, and, in this blog, what I say, necessarily, goes….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Dope will get you through times of no money
better that money will get you through times of no dope.”
~~ Freewheelin’ Franklin, “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” ~~
********************************
Image from youtube.com via Google Images
Some days, you just need it to be as real as it can get. Today is such a day for me. When ‘real’ is called for, I call for Tom Waits….
I had a quote by Plato picked out, but, ranting is not in the picture for this morning; given the state of my mind, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Here for your reading enjoyment is a rather extensive discussion/diatribe, which pokes some rather cogent indictments against certain members of the BRC, or, as we like to call them, Asininnies…. Enjoy!….
From 2/1/2013:
“I wouldn’t recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” — Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), journalist
So, this is going to be fun…. I think. I have no idea what to put here today. I’m not ready to rant; besides which, there’s nothing particularly rantable on tap… Oh, there’s stuff to talk about, silly stuff, bad stuff, even some good stuff…. but, none of it tickles my rant bone…. So, I’m just going to use some links to subject matter, as well as links to today’s headlines, to make short, hopefully pithy comments, infused with with and wisdom, (well, insofar as I am capable of doing so…you can never tell just how that will work out….), thereby defusing the otherwise potentially explosive possibilities that arise when I don’t rant….
First, one of my gentle readers left me a link yesterday, that led to some rather interesting information, about a concept that, oddly enough, I’d never before encountered in all my reading…. though, come to think of it now, I did read the book in which the the first appearance of the idea appeared, according to the article, a tome by Philip K. Dick…. I must have passed over the concept as part of the book’s plot, because it is a deep one, and deserves some thought….
Pronoia…. the belief that there is a conspiracy on the part of the universe to make my life better…. It is the exact reverse state of mind of paranoia, the belief in a conspiracy by reality to do us harm; as such, the concept offers the best sort of contrast to that, contrast that outlines and reveals the true state of mind we need, in order to see ALL the picture that Reality presents to us… The state of mind that shows us how to be aware of the true nature of Reality, that of duality….
It’s also a very nice way to think about living, as one of the natural results of following this train of thought is to become more compassionate, and more tolerant of others…. more able to love, and be loved… If you need an example of someone who displays the characteristics of a pronoiac, think of Elwood P. Dowd, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in the movie, “Harvey”….. Elwood believed in acting just as if the world was a place that had no other purpose than to give him different opportunities to find happiness, and, as a result of his beliefs, he found it, everywhere he looked….
Read the article, ffolkes, it will give you something to think about other than the gloom and doom that is our usual fare, if nothing else….
In another example of how frigging CRAZY this world is, and just how little respect for the public the BRC has, I offer the following, which, though it appears to be encouraging, is actually quite scary, and I’ll tell you why…. after you read what he said….
While Barry claims to value net neutrality, his minions at the NSA and the US Cyber Security Forces are actively pursuing complete CONTROL of that internet, seeking to find ways to be able to access ANY computer ANYWHERE on the planet, as long as it is connected to the Net. When he was first elected, I sent an email to the White House, in answer to a call for opinions on some subject or another…. My hope, though small, was that someone would actually READ what I sent, and possibly, a response from an actual person would be elicited….
No such luck… I never have received anything from them via this contact other than obvious form letters, asking for donations, telling me I should join this movement, or support the president in some project or another…. Since sending that ONE email, I have been inundated with two, and sometimes three or four emails a day from the White House…. That’s every day, since 2009…. I get begging letters, letters to try to engage me enough to click on links to send me to places where they can present more attempts to brainwash me…. This administration has embrace the internet, social media, and email as marketing tools of the highest order, and obviously, have learned a lot from the spam industry about how to use email as a marketing tool…
Not only that, they are definitely mining me for whatever data they can find…. They know my name, and that I’ve never responded, because I keep getting emails from them telling me my name isn’t on their list as a supporter or a donor…. I would opt out of getting them, but, I believe in the old adage about keeping one’s enemies close enough to know what they’re up to, at least on the surface….
Immediately upon emailing the WH, I also got new, begging-type emails from a number of liberal causes, all of whom are big supporters of the pOTUS’s agenda…. Even Al Franken, a smart comedian turned Senator, started hitting me up for donations, along with the Human Rights Commission, MoveOn.org, Causes, Greenpeace, etc….. all are dunning me to get my spare dollars, and put my name, and computer address, into their database….
No, thanks…. I’ll keep accepting the emails, because it gives me a fair idea of what’s up in those arenas, but, I won’t ever respond again to them, even though I have no fear of the delete button, and can get rid of them without mercy, or regret…. which I do, every day…. But, damn, I wish I was a good enough hacker to be able to send back an email bomb, that would explode their database when my data got entered…. That would be too cool for words….
I see this statement by the president as a self-serving one, designed to make people believe he has the same concerns they have; but, at the same time, he is actively working to make the internet completely his to control…. and THAT’s dangerous, because, people are BELIEVING him….
Lastly today, here is an article which I am including, even though I won’t read it…. If this project gets passed, it will be a significant victory for the Asininnies in the fight to save the Arctic (Oh, yeah, I get emails about that, too…) from the oil companies’ limitless avarice. I have a feeling, though, even if passed, it will never get built, due to eco-terrorist sabotage…..Though not one of them, per se, I know there are a LOT of people out there who are VERY committed to stopping this pipeline, and won’t give up….
Seems to me, though I’ve never studied those particular warfare techniques, it wouldn’t be all that difficult to stop the pipeline from being built, considering the vulnerability of the areas through which it must pass…..Time will tell, but, I think the shadowy corporate masters may have bitten off a bite from a very bitter apple, which may end up being more than they can chew, this time….
Such articles tend to depress me, so I’m going to give this a rest now…. This will have to suffice as today’s rant, because, ffolkes, that’s all I’ve got in me today…. I’m pretty sure that most ffolkes would say it’s enough…. I’ll finish up with this short, five-star pearl, which seems appropriate to the above discussions….
“According to Descartes, Rush Limbaugh doesn’t exist.” — Smart Bee
“If good intentions are combined with stupidity, it is impossible to outthink them.” — Marion J. Levy, Jr.
“Prefer loss to the wealth of dishonest gain; the former vexes you for a time; the latter will bring you lasting remorse.” — Chilo
“Remember: it’s only American television.” — David Letterman
“Life, as we know it, does not exist.” — Smart Bee
********************************
A bit less than five years ago, after a hiatus covering nearly 40 years, I began writing poetry again. This one is one of those first attempts to stretch my mind a bit; it seems to have worked. Last night, for some unknown reason, while up in the middle of the night, the title floated up into my head. So, here it is, for, who am I to ignore messages from my own unconscious mind?
Fatal Supplication
But what becomes of our deepest dangerous dreams?
Does fantasy rescue any part of life’s imperiled favor?
Reality becomes but silvery pairs of mismatched teams,
Dining with affable elegance, such diffident waste to savor.
Who decides what sorrows to carry bravely to term?
Will fragrant moments of sanity make hasty manifestation?
Only Time’s patient mutability sends messages so firm,
Yet salient impersonal vexation lends credence to ripe imagination.
Can folly bring out sadness and rampant visions of beauty?
What kindness can be found in distant open relations?
With countless faces the dead disturb with dire impunity,
From separate caches of wisdom come simple stylish privations.
Shall shallow emotion serve to provide such explanations?
When does avaricious intensity assume primary focus?
Plain answers slide softly through with multiple mitigations,
While conceptually indignant concepts engage a fatally personal locus.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/20/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Guess….
*******
“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future is a little
like having bees live in your head. But there they are . . .”
~~ The Firesign Theater ~~
*******
“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”
~~ Carl Sagan ~~
*******
“Be loyal.”
~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
*******
“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
“Sacred cows make the best hamburger.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
*******
“Never be boastful; someone may come along who knew you as a child.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
*******
“It’s not only what we do,
but also what we do not do for which we are accountable.”
~~ Moliere ~~
*******
“Pain exists to measure pleasure by.”
~~ Tibetan Proverb ~~
*******
“The game isn’t over till it’s over.”
~~ Yogi Berra ~~
*******
********************************
It’s always a good feeling to complete a chosen duty; given my background, and my father, it’s about the best feeling there is in my world. I’m not sure I want to try to figure out what THAT means, so, we’ll take this opportunity to take our leave, before I do, or say, anything untoward. It happens. Instead, I’ll bid thee adieu for another day, with our usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back tomorrow, ffolkes. Just try to stop me….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
By any other name…
Hajime…. Well, I’m here. It’s been a tough week here at ECR, and in Northern Cali, as the rain continues to move in and out, bouncing the barometer around like a super-ball, keeping me in the throes of inflamed arthritic joints for hours & days on end…. Ah, well, such is life for us old farts, at times; it’s a good thing we’ve had lots of practice by now, or nothing would get done at all. But, I digress, as usual…. I’ve been working on a discussion for the rant section, but, it’s grown so epic it’ll need to wait, so, you’ll see an older pearl there today. Otherwise, it’s all as normal as we get around here, and pleasant as white bread toast.
Naturally, having begun today’s mess with a chatty, informative tone, we’ll need to find a different direction to take, to get us toward the oyster beds we prefer to inhabit during our time together. Y’all wouldn’t have any ideas, would you? No. Okay, well, let’s see. Oh, I suppose I could…. no, just did that. Hmm, how about this one? Nope, look, it’s broken. Well, I guess I’ll just have to use the Tardis, and have it washed tonight. Yeah, that’s the ticket….
Okay, if y’all will just file out of the cabin, and head over into the Tardis, we’ll get this slow on the toad for the day. I appreciate your flexibility, and your patience in waiting for me to get my act together enough to put one of these things together. C’est marvellieux! As a thank you, I have entered all your names in our contest, for a chance to win a chance to stay behind next time. Bonus! Okay, I’m done…. Well, I can’t think of any more nonsense, so, that’s the same thing…. Look, what’s that?…. Duck! No, goose!…. Ah, hell with it; Luigi, throw that switch….
Shall we Pearl?
“Thoughts are mightier than strength of hand.”
~~ Sophocles — Phaedra, Frag. 854 ~~
********************************
Playing For Change
I discovered this organization a few months ago, and have been nearly obsessed with taking part in their quest, as it fits in perfectly with my own views of how we can possibly achieve some kind of harmony in the world at large. Laughter, music, and love are the answer to all our problems, if freely felt, and given without regard for any delusions that demean humanity, such as religion, politics, or the seriously negative concept of money. None of them are necessary for people to live, as long as we live, as we always need to, in the shelter of each other….
As I listened yesterday to the first couple videos, which I got when I joined the organization as one of their contributing Ambassadors, my resolve to follow this path was strengthened, especially when I chose to listen first to Imagine, John Lennon’s summary of human wisdom, and then One Love, Bob Marley’s matching manifesto, two of the PFC’s iconic statements of purpose, in song…. The film’s participants exhibit such joy, such freedom of spirit, I weep, every time I watch, as musicians from all around the world join to play the tunes, together… I suggest listening to as many as you can, then, join, begin to share the music, and the love it creates….. Enjoy!….
Here is a discussion of the principles of personal security, from 2014. It’s a bit long, but, pretty good in spots; I hope you enjoy it….
From 5/5/2014:
I found these two articles yesterday, after posting the Pearl…. As you’ll see, they provide the perfect jumping point for what follows…. I suppose that, as always, ‘perfect’ is a question-begging word to use, but, hey, I calls ’em as I sees ’em…. when I can find my glasses….
I had originally intended to have some words regarding this article, as it speaks to some rather important points…. but, then, I saw the following article, and my angst went right through the roof, stimulating the rest…. Now, read this one…. & just include it all together; it’s all of a piece, anyway….
Here, then, is an excellent example of the definition of ‘gigo’, (garbage in-garbage out), from the psychologist responsible for the design and codification of many of the torture methods, including “water boarding”, used by the CIA at Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere around the world….. His comments, which I will examine below, are so egregiously INSANE, I had to read the article in pieces, as I found myself shouting at him, every time he opened his mouth to make one of the reported statements…
I cannot BELIEVE this man was found to be an adequate psychologist, passing his tests and arguing his doctoral thesis, without having at least the basic innate ability to display even an ounce of compassion; I also don’t understand, at all, how he could be considered anything other than the US’s version of the Nazi scientist, the one at Auschwitz, who sent the Jews into the ovens….
Ah, yes, Josef Mengele…. the infamous, iconic mad doctor, the real version, the model for what all the comics use as the ultimate villain so often, whose insanity threatens the entire world, and everyone in it…. I tell you, ffolkes, those people in Washington, D.C. are totally out of control…. I’m not kidding; the current crop of elected officials, as well as the appointees put in place by those (I stared at this point for a long time, and still cannot, for the life of me, think of an expletive that it harsh enough…, so we’ll go with a classic….) assholes, all exhibit every single symptom of the violently insane, who believe their own twisted version of reality is the only real one, who hold on to their paranoid delusions so tightly, nothing, and nobody, can tell them differently….
Hell, I don’t even need, in this case, to resort to my special knowledge and experience, of working with the violently insane as a therapist for over 20 years…. These guys lay it out so clearly, right out in public, there’s no need for me to have to explain…. Their own words convict them whenever they condescend to open their mouths about what they truly believe….
Here, let me show you a couple of examples from the second article listed… The comments in quotes are by the protagonist in this drama, James Mitchell, (Piled High and Deep), Ph.D., formerly of the CIA, the psychologist regarded as the architect of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program…. a description taken straight from the article…. You’ll be able to recognize my comments by the anger and vulgarity the statements produce in me….
“The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time,” he said. “You can’t ask someone to put their life on the line and think and make a decision without the benefit of hindsight and then eviscerate them in the press 10 years later.”
You can’t? Why not? These people were in no danger; there is no danger, no life on the line, when someone tortures another; only the one being tortured is in danger. And if you do something so obviously WRONG, it doesn’t fucking matter a bit how long it is, you SHOULD be vilified in the press. There is no reason on this Earth why anyone shouldn’t KNOW torturing another human being, for ANY FUCKING REASON AT ALL, is NOT morally defensible. This principle is true even in cases where the ultimate goal is considered good; you’ve no doubt heard the saying, “the end does not justify the means.”
If they didn’t know it was wrong, why didn’t they do it out in the open, where everyone could see what they were doing? Fucking assholes think that their own parafuckingnoia should excuse anything they do….
“Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater
“I’m skeptical about the Senate report, because I do not believe that every analyst whose jobs and promotions depended upon it, who were professional intelligence experts, all them lied to protect a program? All of them were wrong? All of these [CIA] directors were wrong? All of the people who were using the intel to go get people were wrong? And 10 years later a Senate staffer was able to put it together and finally there’s clarity? I am just highly skeptical that that’s the truth.”
This one’s easy….and so obvious, I again shouted this at the screen, hoping the asshole would hear me, “Why, yes, you bloody idiot, they CAN, and WERE, all wrong…. and every damn one of them WOULD lie to protect a program, which, in their minds, equals money, or influence….” Then, of course, I realized I was shouting at my computer, so, I sat, tried to calm down, & began to type, to try to release some of the venom and bile that collected so quickly in the face of such evil insanity…. It started when the assbite used the phrase, “Senate staffer” as if that position was held only by persons of dubious character…
When you start from a premise that is wrong, there is no way to make it come out right, and every damn one of those directors started with the idea that whatever they did, right or wrong, shouldn’t be made public knowledge, and that such clandestine prevarication is justified by their goal (which they refuse to consider as anything other than right…. perfect “ipse dixit” logic….)
“If you get the first one in the wrong hole, you’ll never get all buttoned up right.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This, of course, is completely contrary to the values upon which our nation was supposedly founded; thus, any acts that indulge in that sort of paranoia, which were made on the basis of that idea, are, from the start, WRONG…. It really is that simple ffolkes, and I don’t understand quite WHY the public doesn’t get that, when listening to these lying, insane fools who pursue their delusional fantasies at the expense of the rest of us….
I reiterate…. “Everything you know is wrong.” — The Firesign Theater
Bloody fucking assholes, every damn one of them…..
“If I had a large amount of money I should found a hospital for those whose grip upon the world is so tenuous that they can be severely offended by words and phrases yet remain all unoffended by the injustice, violence and oppression that howls daily about our ears.” — Stephen Fry
I’d say the good doctor Mitchell would be one of the first admissions…. I’ll leave you to consider the following, which pretty much sums up what I see happening in the world today, just about everywhere I look…..
“It is okay to be ignorant in some areas, but some people abuse the privilege.” — Smart Bee
********************************
Momentary Terror
Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.
Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.
Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.
Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..
~~ gigoid ~~
12/27/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Esoterica
*********
“Books aren’t written to be believed in, but to be questioned.”
~~ Umberto Eco ~~
*********
“If a man take no thought about what is distant,
he will find sorrow near at hand.”
~~ Confucius ~~
*********
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
~~ Sir Edmund Hillary ~~
*********
“Never fear shadows.
They simply indicate there’s a light shining close by.”
~~ Fearless Bee ~~
*********
“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”
~~ Lily Tomlin ~~
*********
“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
*********
“Where pain predominates, agony can be a valued teacher.”
~~ Frank Herbert ~~
*********
“Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.”
~~ Voltaire ~~
*********
“OVER the underpass!
UNDER the overpass!
Around the FUTURE and BEYOND REPAIR!!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
********************************
I did it. I had my doubts, as is my wont, but, it’s done, with some minor cheating. I hope y’all enjoyed today’s effort, which, believe me, was an effort. I shall make another attempt at this tomorrow, if all goes well. If not, well, you’ll hear from me….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Late again, dammit! Ah well, such is life in the big city, I suppose. Since there is little to say without going into issues not appropriate for a family blog…. Wait a minute! Who said this was a family blog? Fuck that! I don’t intend to alter my language for anyone’s false sense of propriety, thank you very much…. But, then, I gave up on making the front page of WP long ago; one ‘fuck’ and that was history. So be it, he said, with a smarmy grin….
The smile fades, though, as he realizes he is, once more, lost in the intro…. Nowhere to go from here but down, it seems, so, we may as well bail early again. How about it, ffolkes? Let’s do this…. we’ll just pretend none of it happened, at all, and get on with the rest of today’s mess, just as if we intended it to go this way…. That looks like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Inside myself is a place where I live all alone,
and that’s where you renew your springs
that never dry up.”
~~ Pearl S. Buck ~~
********************************
The Four Seasons
Today’s musical selection is one I listen to regularly, for it is one of the most delightful pieces ever written. It also gave me a chance to use the fine picture you see, which I stole from another blogger, who just laughed when I asked permission…. ‘S okay, she was joking, right? At any rate, it’s worth listening to, if only for how it makes you feel…. Enjoy!….
The discussion upon which I’m working isn’t done yet, so, we’ll go back about two years for a strange little discussion of life at large in today’s world, such as it is…..
From 1/23/2014:
I am bound and determined (what a clunky, awkward phrase! How did it ever survive in the English language for so long?….)… any who, I am firmly invested in having a laugh or two now, even if I have to resort to picking on my own bozoid tendencies…. There are certainly enough of those to go around, which any of my exes would be happy to tell you…. Bozoid tendencies? What are those? Well, really, ffolkes, do you need for me to explain that? The very words are pretty self-explanatory…. but, I guess it’s been awhile since I expounded on my version** of this theory, so, to answer, quickly….
Bozoid tendencies are those human characteristics that are embedded in our species’ persona, hard-wired, as it were, into our psyches, that can only be described as being “clownish”, and cannot be suppressed, no matter how dignified or stuffy one tries to be…. It can be best expressed vocally by the phrase, “I came, I saw, I screwed up.”…..
At some point in life, each and every one of us will do something really stupid, right in front of the most embarrassing group of people possible, such as family, or an entire stadium of excitable fans, or a restaurant full of strangers…. Often it is something as simple as forgetting a wife’s birthday, or forgetting to close a zipper, ensuring a wardrobe failure at the wrong time, or it could be as compelling a moment as running the wrong direction in a Super Bowl…. but, we all do it at one time in our lives, without exception…. Hence, the theory of Bozoid Tendencies….
** Inspired by the metaphoric brilliance of the Firesign Theater’s audio improvisational album, “I Think We’re All Bozo’s On This Bus!”, the Theory of Bozoid Tendencies was first discussed and codified in Berkeley in 1969…. This is the period when gigoid (that’s me….) spent a lot of time in such discussions with other burgeoning social philosophers, all UCB students of various vintages, in various dark, smoky venues, in various stages of mindfulness due to either extreme use of sober imagination and logic, to the often brilliant scintillation of drug induced excitement of the imagination, whether the drug was wine, beer, MJ, or something more exotic, if infrequent. Having obviously survived the experiences intact, the Theory has been shown to be valid in many, many instances over the years, in myself, and in the world at large…. with most of such proof provided in the daily news…. when not in the mirror….
With all of that in mind, we’ll now search for some pearls that can make me laugh…. you’re on your own, this one will be according to MY sense of what is funny, and what isn’t…. So there…. I TOLD you we all have a sense of entitlement, didn’t I?….. Besides, if nothing else, YOU can laugh at MY sense of entitlement, or my humorous standards, if you so desire, and I can laugh at myself (I’m easily amused….)…. just for making the effort, which goes to the evidence folder for the theory’s validity….
“A guinea pig is not from Guinea but a rodent from South America. A firefly is not a fly, but a beetle. A giant panda bear is really a member of the raccoon family. A black panther is really a leopard that has a solid black coat rather then a spotted one. Peanuts are not really nuts. The majority of nuts grow on trees while peanuts grow underground. They are classified as a legume-part of the pea family. A cucumber is not a vegetable but a fruit. — Smart Bee
(Just a few of the reasons I love the English language…. and the English mind, which is completely twisted…..)
“I think you ought to know I’m feeling terribly depressed.” — Douglas Adams — The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Marvin
(And I think I have very good reason to be depressed, don’t you?….. So much so, I have to laugh, so I don’t cry….)
“The education of a man is never completed until he dies.” — Robert E. Lee
(Don’t know exactly why, but this, to me, is funny…. perhaps more funny, strange, because of the irony, than funny ha ha, but, funny….)
“Life isn’t fair.” — L.J. Smith
(This reminds me of my favorite line to try to gently remind someone they are whining for no reason; simply ask, “Who was the one who lied to you?” “Who was who?” “The one who told you life would be fair.”…. First heard from my father, at a young age….)
(Okay, so, I’m not funny today…. I’ll quit with the comments, and find a solid final threesome of pearls for ya….)
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read.
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandias” (1819) ~~
“Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that’s down can come up.” — George Burns (1896-1996)
You know it’s going to be a bad day, when you find a note on your door that says, “Knocked, you weren’t in. — Opportunity” — Smart Bee
You may well ask yourself why I felt compelled to include the excerpt by Shelley in there, but, I, being the curmudgeon that I am, will only say that I know that my Gentle Readers will be able to look at that, in juxtaposition with everything else I wrote today, and see why I fell over laughing when I saw it come up on the screen, and why it’s a particularly funny joke right now…. The others, well, as I said, you’re on your own…. I laughed….
😆
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“Poetry–even bad poetry–may be our final hope.”
~~Edward Abbey ~~
Rhyming is better than lying….
It’s all too, too much, he cried
I can take no more!
It’s all crazy, my brain is fried,
battered, bloody, and sore.
Talking heads shout out hatred and fear
jam for my morning toast.
Pointing fingers far, middle, and near
enemies everywhere, almost.
Women, gays, and seniors fall prey,
easy targets, slow and weak.
Convenient fools, wanting only to play,
used, and abused, even as we speak.
It enough to drive me floridly insane,
or want to buy a gun.
I may end up in jail, or in massive pain,
but, oh, it would be fun….
~~ gigoid ~~
4/1/2013
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Today’s final section is comprised of a seven-star classic, with a subtle message for those who enjoy life as it is…. Trust me….
Living Dead
the path is chosen,
to live forever
is to die forever.
To not know
when you’ll die
is to find life
wherever you are.
~~ Alagad ~~
“You see things, and you say “WHY?” But I dream things that never were, and I say “WHY NOT?” — George Bernard Shaw, “Back to Methuselah”
“All life is based on death. Nothing exists except by feeding on something else. Even photosynthesis depends on the heat-death of the sun. Humanity is not
exempt. Embalming doesn’t cheat the worms, it cheats the system. But only temporarily.” — Solomon Short
“Because you’re not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.” — Madeleine L’Engle
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” — Abraham Lincoln
“Do not eat your heart.” — Pythagoras
“A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind…” — Kahlil Gibran
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It’s done. That is all you’ll ever hear me say of it, as it was slapped together with great rush, and, I won’t be held responsible for the results, not without a warrant. Since it IS done, I’m going to do the expedient thing, so highly prized in today’s world, and bail. See y’all tomorrow, with the usual caveats in play….
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.
“The cat would eate fish, and would not wet her feete.”
~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) ~~
~~ Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi ~~
Leelu in Berserker Mode
Hajime…. Life sure can be funny. Since I’m a complex sorta guy, that’s actually a complex statement, as the word ‘funny’ can be construed to mean a lot of different sorts of things about life, not all of which are at all funny, or fun. It’s also why English is such a powerful tool for communicating, as well as a barrier to the same communication. Two people with a different understanding of, and, skill in using the language, may very well not be able to understand each other, at all, though they both share intimate knowledge of it, having grown up using it. Environment, background, education, intelligence, imagination, all can play a part in how the language is used by anyone, and, no two people share the exact same degree of similarity in ANY of those categories.
All of which being said, I am compelled by my own nature to wonder, how the fuck we ever wandered this far out of the trees? C.S. Lewis, I believe, once made the lament,
“Five senses; an incurably abstract intellect; a haphazardly selective memory; a set of preconceptions and assumptions so numerous that I can never examine more than minority of them – never become conscious of them all. How much of total reality can such an apparatus let through?” — C. S. Lewis
Add in this most-accurate assessment of the human mind’s ability to perceive the universe, and one has to feel a sense of astonished surprise, not only that we have created a world-wide society, but, have done so without ever achieving any sort of world-wide understanding of our own nature….. To observe the antics of the naked apes who infest the surface of this planet, is very similar, in “look and feel”, to watching an old Roadrunner cartoon on Saturday morning. In fact, watching the Roadrunner makes much more sense than much of what I see passing as socio-political activity around the world….
Did y’all ever wonder, as I did, about the two most puzzling things to me about Wile E. Coyote? First, why, when he was obviously the stupidest creature on the planet, was he called “wily”, a word which, even at age four, I understood couldn’t possibly apply to the stupid beast….. I mean, even if he WAS indestructible, (our first lesson in the fiction vs. reality issue…. How many of US could live through a 5000 foot fall, followed by the arrival of a five ton rock on our head? Hell, it would give Superman a moment of pain, if he couldn’t fly….
Second… Why didn’t the idiot ever just start ordering FOOD from the Acme Co.? It seemed to me, as a young, already half-trained consumer, if the company made that many different products, of such amazing variety and complexity, how easy would it be for them to deliver some fried chicken, or even fried rattlesnake, which, I am told, tastes like chicken… But, then, doesn’t everything but beef and lamb taste like chicken?….
But, NOOOO…. Mr. Smart Guy Coyote keeps ordering weapon after weapon, none of which ever worked the way he expected. Which comprised our second lesson in reality vs. fiction, though, as it turns out, that’s pretty much how ANY corporation operates….. S’trewth, swear to god….
SIGH…. I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Ranting in the intro, when I tried to start out looking for ironic humor…. See where good intentions will get you? Oh, well, next I’d have to move on to more lamentations about human nature, and how virtue has all but disappeared from the public arena… Hell, I even found the perfect pearl to go with such a discussion, showing EXACTLY what happened, at least, here in the US…. It is also from C.S. Lewis, one of the more flexible-minded, and, honest Christians to ever pick up a pen… He said, regarding virtue, this:
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.” — C.S. Lewis _The Screwtape Letters_
But, that’s a rant for another day, unless, of course, we pick this up in the third section. Who knows at this point? If I did, well, I’d say so; that means simply that I haven’t decided yet. Nonetheless, and, notwithstanding, such is now moot, as Guido has entered the cockpit (don’t even think it….), and we’ll be taking off any moment…. Let’s just do so quietly, and calmly, just as if we knew what we were doing here, okay?….
Shall we Pearl?….
“A gentleman is one who doesn’t demand a lady prove that she is.”
~~ Solomon Short ~~
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Though I have plenty of energy, I’m lazy. Since that is true, I’m going with my own default choice of music, which, if you’ve been reading here for any time, you’ll know what that means; you’re gonna hear some classical music…. It was about twenty or more years ago I got fed up with the current crop of music bombarding the airwaves and musical venues. I began to listen to classical music, and have felt the rightness of the decision ever since. Rather than listening to the last 65-plus years of what has been produced (some of which is good, but, mostly, it’s crap…. see Sturgeon’s Law….), I now have several centuries worth of music to explore, from all over the world….. Sturgeon’s law still applies, but, the statistical universe of available music has been filtered for quality for a LONG time; what’s left is a much higher percentage of the good stuff….
Bonus!….. Enjoy, ffolkes…. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt, even if you have perfect pitch…… As is my habit, the compilation I picked simply had the most attractive picture, for my taste….
What do we do? We have lost our way.
From afar, the Demon cries out,
He is leading us astray.
…
Skyward soar the whirling demons,
Shrouded by the falling snow,
And then the plaintive, awful howling
Fills my heart with dread and woe.
~~ Alexander Pushkin ~~
Gee…. I wonder if that means more ranting about the present state of world affairs? What do you think? Should we continue in the vein in which I began today’s Pearl, or veer off in another direction? Hmm… Let’s see what the magic 8-ball says….
Oops. Forgot; broke my 8-ball a long time ago. Oh, well. I think I’m not in a mood to rant at the moment. Hang on, & I’ll go see if I can find something to tip the scale in one direction, or another… Don’t worry, I’ve got a Tardis, and this isn’t real…. so, it’s like, you’ll never notice I was gone….
Okay, got it. That actually didn’t take long at all…. Of course, I COULD be lying, but, we wouldn’t want to pick up any bad habits…. It took only a moment, to find this:
“The land of the free! This is the land of the free! Why, if I say anything that displeases them, the free mob will lynch me, and that’s my freedom. Free? Why I have never been in any country where the individual has such an abject fear of his fellow countrymen. Because, as I say, they are free to lynch him the moment he shows he is not one of them.” — D. H. Lawrence
Now, if THAT isn’t a great start to pick up where we left off above, I don’t know an oyster from a mussel. And, I do. Know the difference, I mean. In fact, I also know, being a chef, while mussels, steamed in white wine, fish stock, garlic, and a bit of butter, lemon juice, & parsley, is as close as people ever really get to heaven, only oysters, those ugly, yet somehow noble bivalves, can make pearls. Besides, the only way the oysters themselves are REALLY edible, is breaded, deep fried, and smothered with a LOT of Tartar, or seafood cocktail sauce. Otherwise they’re a lot like eating old shoe leather, unless eaten at ONE specific moment upon cooking. Before, or after that moment, they are virtually inedible… Even for those with ALL their teeth…
But, hey, pearls, you know? Which brings us back to the completion of this section today. I’ll quit fooling around, amusing as it may be, (or not; not my call….), and get to the meat of today’s piece. I’ll start with an old graphic pearl from one of my most consistent sources for wise, witty comments, to wit:
This statement is possibly the clearest I know, to describe WHY our world is the way it is today. Albert put his finger on the root cause of every problem we face today, i.e., courage in the face of evil. Personally, I have given up any hope of making enough changes in society to protect us from ourselves…. Hope, as Emily D. pointed out, is something that, being human, never goes away…. But, my hope is about gone, for I don’t see us humans finding the understanding which can save us before the planet itself kills us for our effrontery……
Rather than expose y’all to any more of my own negative conclusions, I’d like y’all to read the following article, which my news reader provided to me, and with which I can only agree wholeheartedly. It’s brilliant, to be honest, and, if there is any justice in the world, will go viral quite soon…… It’s by an author named Elizabeth West, and she has hit upon some strong truths…. Don’t try to decide from reading the title; just trust me, & go read it. You won’t regret it…. Not even if I close out the section with my own take/interpretation, (though voiced with a power of expression I can only dream of achieving some day….) of the most probable, ultimately final decision Reality is going to make about the human race… Ms. West might convince you otherwise…..
This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
Not with a bang but with a whimper.
~~ T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men” ~~
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Choosing a Theme
Powerful words playing hide and seek in my mind,
teasing with subtle cruelty, pretending to be kind.
Grand visions and flowery verses of beauty and truth
evaded my inner eye all through the days of my youth.
Affable interludes interspersed with allegorical wit
softened the crimes, against all reason, to finally acquit.
Time became at once an enemy, and an ally
Never once compelled to provide an answer why.
Giving gifts of simple kindness are their own pay,
spreading ripples of compassion are felt far and away.
Love given freely is precious, we are ever told,
increasing love received, more than a hundred fold.
Living long and with passion has centered my soul,
allowing me room, and time, to choose my own goal.
Now I’ve gone past any need to pretend
I love everything in life, even knowing it will end.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/21/2012
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Naked Pearls IV
*********
“Everything you know is wrong.”
~~ The Firesign Theater ~~
*********
“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
~~ Edwin Hubbel Chapin ~~
*********
“Virtue is beauty.”
~~ Shakespeare ~~
*********
“There are two kinds of egotists: 1) Those who admit it; 2) The rest of us.”
~~ Psyche Bee ~~
*********
“Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as it is leaping.”
~~ Julius Hare ~~
*********
“In war and life, either fight to win or don’t fight.”
~~ Warrior Bee ~~
*********
“She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, …. or, internal difficulties.”
~~ Michel de Montaigne — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty ~~
*********
“A misery is not to be measured from the nature of the evil, but from the temper of the sufferer.”
~~ Joseph Addison ~~
*********
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
~~ Hugh Downs ~~
*********
“Don’t worry about a thing because every little thing is gonna be alright.”
~~ Bob Marley ~~
*********
However many holy words you read,
However many you speak,
What good will they do you
If you do not act on upon them?
~~ Buddha ~~
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Well, it’s done. All that remains is to go post it, which will be harder than usual today…. I put a lot into this one, even though the poem isn’t new, and the major rant belongs to another author. Nonetheless, I don’t believe I can do this any better than this turned out, so, I hope y’all enjoyed consuming it as much as I enjoyed putting it together…. I’ll be back tomorrow, to see if I can do it this well one more time….Why not? That would make a total of at least four, over four years…. Not bad, for an amateur…
Spoiler alert: Things ’round here may change some in the near future…. Y’all stay alert, y’hear?…. It could mean your sanity, and mine…. Oops. Maybe not yours…. really. I mean that, or, rather, I didn’t mean that…. Well, never mind, you’ll see….. Just, be careful, okay?…. C Ya.
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 