“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”
~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~
Did someone say ‘mouse’?….
Hajime…. Thank the Doctor for today’s post. Without having the Tardis to use, it might never have been completed, much less posted on the correct day. Without going into details of a subject I’m not happy about to begin with, I’ll say this: FUCKING ASSHOLE!
That little outburst was not aimed at y’all, naturally. It’s reserved for our resident asshole, Murphy, and his damned ubiquity. Now we’ve properly labeled him, hopefully to his regret, we can go on to bigger, if not better things. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve put together a particularly outstanding Pearl for today; hell, I’m not sure it’s going to get done at all at this point. But, it WILL be better than anything you might have seen had I not taken the time to roundly curse the iconic force of nature responsible for much of our difficulty. It doesn’t fix anything, but, I feel better, and, as with any true human, that’s pretty much all we care about.
There…. How’s that for a one-paragraph mini-rant? Not too shabby, and, timely, too! But, then, when one has the power of a Tardis to use, that part is easy. I think, though, I’ve risked disaster long enough; I’m going to quit fooling around in the intro, and move on down the page into the meat of today’s post. It’s not a heavy meal today, so, you shouldn’t require the antacids. We’ll also be offering some bubbly drinks you’ve never tried before, so, save some room for that, okay? For now, we’ll merely flip this little switch right here, and get on with this mess….
Shall we Pearl?….
“In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.” — Aristotle
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Yep; classical music again. I’m up late, & tired, so, go figure, eh? As usual, this compilation was chosen simply because I like the picture it shows on You Tube…. Enjoy!….
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture.
Just get people to stop reading them.”
~~ Ray Bradbury ~~
I’ve made no secret of my thoughts on the general level of ignorance I see amongst the population of the USA, in spite of all the warnings we received from our founding fathers regarding our education as citizens. In fact, the attitude of most people I meet regarding education is rather limited in scope; they don’t believe what they learned in school actually applies to their lives. I’m often asked why I think it does, and this little aphorism from Ray Bradbury is a perfect example of how to answer.
Why? Because it describes modern society perfectly; our nation does NOT read, unless it comes in a comic book (excuse me, graphic novel….), or dumbed down into a summary, as one may find in Reader’s Digest in any particular month. Moreover, the populace of this country does not trust what they read; they’d rather get all their information in short, shiny bursts, complete with catchy jingles to make it easy to remember what they’ve been programmed to buy….
I almost weep at times, just thinking of how stupid the people of this country have become, and cannot help but feel ashamed, and saddened, by the ignorance so aptly named as nemesis by our forefathers. And, it’s all so damned unnecessary! But, the power of words, and ideas has fallen out of favor; I am not capable of fixing the issue all by myself, unless, for some reason, all these folks come to their senses, and learn to see the power of an idea, expressed in a way that passes on the wisdom of the ancients so it can be easily remembered, and used…. To demonstrate just how it can be of service, here is very old pearl from the early days here on ECR, that shows exactly how one idea can help us in Life at Large….
From 9/27/2012:
“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control. And some things are not.” — Epictetus
This statement, and its reappearance in front of me at this exact moment in time, reminded me of why I do this. Making Pearls. Reading, and serendipitously finding a piece of wisdom from a sage of past age that speaks directly to me and my current status in re: dealing with reality without biting myself or anyone else…. Since the start of the morning, to this point, my thoughts and emotions were unreasonably and unexpectedly dragged along on a roller-coaster ride of some proportions, courtesy of, well, let’s just say, a party that I had not expected to be forced to consider as a liability. In fact, I had every expectation of the opposite.
Then, Eureka! On seeing this quote pop up, I realized that my morning’s distress was exactly what I deserved for expecting…. anything. My expectation of how reality would behave is the only problem; without it, I would not be upset…. As I’m accustomed to regular adjustment and deletion of expectations, I have now done so….
So, thank you, Epictetus, for saving me from my own folly…. now, I can get on with the day….
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Today, I feel like something gritty and real. Nobody does gritty and real better than this poet…. Well, I think so. Enjoy!….
Beasts Bounding Through Time
Van Gogh writing his brother for paints
Hemingway testing his shotgun
Celine going broke as a doctor of medicine
the impossibility of being human
Villon expelled from Paris for being a thief
Faulkner drunk in the gutters of his town
the impossibility of being human
Burroughs killing his wife with a gun
Mailer stabbing his
the impossibility of being human
Maupassant going mad in a rowboat
Dostoyevsky lined up against a wall to be shot
Crane off the back of a boat into the propeller
the impossibility
Sylvia with her head in the oven like a baked potato
Harry Crosby leaping into that Black Sun
Lorca murdered in the road by Spanish troops
the impossibility
Artaud sitting on a madhouse bench
Chatterton drinking rat poison
Shakespeare a plagiarist
Beethoven with a horn stuck into his head against deafness
the impossibility the impossibility
Nietzsche gone totally mad
the impossibility of being human
all too human
this breathing
in and out
out and in
these punks
these cowards
these champions
these mad dogs of glory
moving this little bit of light toward us
impossibly.
~~ Charles Bukowski ~~
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large
*********
“I happen to believe you make your own destiny.”
~~ Momma Gump ~~
*********
“When one shuts one eye, one does not hear everything.”
~~ Swiss Proverb ~~
*********
“Men learn while they teach.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*********
“A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit.”
~~ Thomas Jefferson ~~
*********
“Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable.
It is disastrous to confuse them.”
~~ Madeleine L’Engle ~~
~~ An Acceptable Time~~
*********
“If the doors of perception were cleansed
every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
~~ William Blake ~~
*********
“If you cannot find happiness along the way,
you will not find it at the end of the trail.”
~~ Zen Bee ~~
*********
“Saying is one thing, doing another.”
~~ Michael de Montaigne
~~ Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxi, Of Anger ~~
*********
“But pain…seems to me an insufficient reason not to embrace life.
Being dead is quite painless.
Pain, like time, is going to come on regardless.
Question is, what glorious moments can you win from life
in addition to the pain?”
~~ Lois McMaster Bujold ~~
~~ Barrayar ~~
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I’m not entirely sure just how, but, it’s done. I’ll take it. Even better than that, I won’t crow about it, or prattle on about quality, or timeliness, or any of that other nonsense; instead, I’ll just get on with the day, and leave you to yours. I hope, all in all, it’s a good one. Me, I’ll be back tomorrow; just try to stop me… I dare 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.
“Do not settle for less than the best your own excellence can command.”
~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~
Gothic Architecture gone mad ~~ Belfast, Ireland
Hajime…. There was some confusion this morning when I awoke; I could have sworn this was a different universe than the one I went to sleep in last night. Of course, that one was rather sedate, thanks to some new, efficient mind-altering substances, but, that in itself wouldn’t cause a dimensional shift; it says so on the package. I guess their lab results don’t match what we have here in Reality; that can always cause problems. Lab rats always tend to trust their results too far; reality has a way of altering conditions in such a way as to be completely impossible to reproduce in a laboratory setting. But, they keep trying, so, you gotta admire their spunk.
Once I had managed to figure out which dimension I had landed in, it seemed like I should just get on with routine, and things might settle into some sort of recognizable configuration. It doesn’t seem to be happening though, and I’m not quite sure what to do about it? Do I continue to act as if I’m right at home, or should I start panicking soon? An uncomfortable conundrum for early morning, to be sure, but, I think we’ll just use the human trait so common among the mundanes, of being able to completely ignore any part of Reality we don’t understand. Works for me today, because, in spite of getting a bit of sleep, I can’t seem to cudgel my brain into any sort of creative mode. Ah, well, so much for vaulting ambition, eh?
So be it. Since I’ve got diddly-squat on board, I’ll just do my usual default sandbagging, and dip into the archives for part of today’s post. Expect to see something a bit crusty in the rant section, and a poem of mine from the past, as well. Other than that, hey, it’s as fresh as I can make it, and, y’all will just have to like it, or, lump it, as they used to say when I was a kid. Oh, they do? Well, how ’bout that! Okay, I’ve spewed enough bs for one morning, so, let’s get the hell down the page, before I get either maudlin, or, god forbid, smarmy from trying to be clever….
Shall we Pearl?….
“We must respect the other fellow’s religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.” — H. L. Mencken
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Today’s musical treat is just that; a live concert from the Playing For Change Band, from 2012, at the Internet Festival…. Enjoy!….
Today’s rant is yet another statement on the subject of rights, in particular, that right ostensibly protected in the Constitution for us by the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights, which states unequivocally Congress shall make no laws abridging the right of American citizens to bear arms in their own defense. I know we’ve covered this recently, but, it bears repeated discussion, in my opinion. Besides, this one fits in with today’s dimensional and Space/Time Continuum confusion, as it is a rant last posted in May of 2013, but, written in 2012…. and, now, reposted in 2016…. The sad part of that is, it’s still a question…. hence, the opening quote from Ralph Waldo….
“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays,”Self-Reliance”
From 5/8/2013:
This may be cheating, but, it’s a good sort of cheat….. This was a rant on gun control that I wrote last year, after one of the spate of incidents in which a bunch of innocent folks got blasted by some crazy man…. Since that particular question is still in the public eye, this is worth a re-run…. (Hmm… I realized my statement may seem a bit calloused… but, that’s merely my attempt to keep emotional distance from the feelings that such events can produce, of sadness and outrage, neither of which will help reach a solution to the problem…) Any who…. abondanza!
“Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the _real_ object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” — Patrick Henry
Here is a subject that is always worth a few words…. I’m a firm believer in the right to bear arms. I do feel that it is probably unnecessary for a private citizen to own, or feel they need, an automatic weapon such as a machine gun, or even an M-16 assault rifle. I can’t think of a lot of everyday situations where one might be called for, but, I wouldn’t want that to be a factor in whether or not I would be allowed to have one, because what Mr. Henry asks above remains valid today….”in whose can they be trusted.. with equal safety… as in our own hands.”
That simple question is one that MUST be answered to even CONSIDER the idea of disallowing citizens the ownership of firearms. It is a certain conclusion, with more than ample evidence, that the police, military, and government agencies and people that I know of, are NOT to be trusted to have the monopoly on guns. Nope, no way will those who seek entitlement and power over others in society ever be trusted fully by the likes of me….
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion of your walks.” — Thomas Jefferson — Encyclopedia of Thomas Jefferson, 318 (Foley, Ed. reissued 1967)
Tom may have gone a bit overboard in his enthusiasm for his personal artillery, but, it does reflect the environment in which he lived, and the culture of the time. In today’s world, of course, physical health needn’t depend on the environment, per se, to provide the exercise our bodies enjoy, and need, to stay healthy and strong. Now we have a fitness center, a faux gym, every third block in major cities, open all night for those insomniacs who want to obsess over their abs. We don’t need to go tramping through the woods with our forty pound musket, trying to spot something appropriate for dinner.
But, even without the need for the exercise involved, if one is going to have a gun, it needs to be used in order to retain its functionality, and one needs to practice occasionally, in order to maintain the skills needed to actually hit whatever at which one is aiming. Society, because of the average person’s fear of guns, and of violence in the whole, has made that more difficult for citizens as time has passed, as those who don’t want to have to deal with violence at all in their lives add the power of the common man’s fears to the effort by the beloved ruling class to take away our guns, which they’ve been trying to do regularly since the inception of this nation.
Our country is still one of the very few in the world where the government actually still has to keep in mind the fact that the citizens are well armed, and able to defend themselves…. Very few governing groups will allow that, and those in power in this country are still trying to get us to give ours up, too. It has been obvious since 1782, when the Constitution and the Bill of Rights came into effect, that those in power would prefer that the populace give up their weapons…. just check Congressional records to see how often a bill is introduced to that effect. To now, all of those attempts have been thwarted, until the latter half of the 20th century, when some limitations were placed on what kinds of weapons would be legal for citizens to own.
But, the effort by the beloved ruling class to disarm the populace continues, and every year I hear talk about new legislation designed to limit the citizen’s access to guns, and place that power monopoly in the hands of the government. I won’t have it, I tell you, and there are a LOT of people in this country who feel the same way…. I have not seen ANYTHING that convinces me at all that the people who run the government are to be trusted with that kind of power. I have seen many, many pieces of evidence to the contrary, especially in the actions of about half of the police forces in the country, who are filled with power hungry sociopaths, who believe they are above the law, and should be allowed to interpret the law to their advantage, and to the advantage of the people who buy them, er…. pay them……
Nope…. none of what I see in society is any evidence of the trustworthiness of the government, and until there is no question of their integrity, (like THAT will ever happen), you won’t be convincing me that they are worthy of my trust…. ESPECIALLY regarding guns…..
“So live that you can look any man in the eye and tell him to go to hell.” — Smart Bee
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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 ~~
12/6/2013
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Today’s final section, which, as y’all know, is reserved for showing off SB’s versatility, is another random, harlequin pearl, which came out a bit choppy, in my original estimation, but, after reflection, is a not-too-shabby little collection of advice on living life with some style and grace. Or, at least, some dignity, which often amounts to the same thing…. Enjoy!….
“Immortality lies not in the things you leave behind, but in the people your life has touched.” — Truly Wise Bee
“For my purpose holds… To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Franklin P. Jones
“It’s the most unhappy people who most fear change.” — Mignon McLaughlin
“Human nature is interesting not because it is human, but because it is nature.” — Aristotelian Bee
“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii
“Maybe you’re right, boss. It all depends on the way you look at it….Look, one day I had gone to a little village. An old grandfather of ninety was busy planting an almond tree. ‘What, granddad!’ I exclaimed. ‘Planting an almond tree?’ and he, bent as he was, turned round and said, ‘My son, I carry on as if I should never die.’ I replied, ‘And I carry on as if I was going to die any minute.’ Which of us was right, boss?” — Nikos Kazantzakis, “Zorba the Greek”
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Done again… whew! I was NOT certain, at all, I would be able to do it, but, have once again, by trusting the process, completed my self-directed duty. Yay! Now, I think, I’ll go back to be a while, if Leelu can postpone her play time…. Either way, the rest of the day, for me, and for y’all, begins now. I, with my usual caveats, will be back tomorrow, to try again. See y’all then, since I am just crazy enough to believe I should….
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.
“It has been said that man is a rational animal.
All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Irish Famine Victims Memorial ~ Galway
Hajime…. Fortunately for me, the process I’ve developed over the years continues to stand in good stead for my muse, who is, apparently, on sabbatical. Until she/he/it has returned, I’m on my own, a sure recipe for disaster, let me assure you. To avoid any such less than optimal outcome, I’ve put together a relatively heavy (don’t worry, heavy in weight, not intensity) Pearl, which, though it may take some time to wade through, will nonetheless provide ample food for thought, and some damn find music, if naught else. Where else could you get all that for this price, eh?
I think, before anyone actually comes up with an answer to that query, I’ll use my recently discovered brevity bone to take us out of the intro in a hurry. I’ve found that doing so will, at the very least, put a damper in any pending lawsuits; something out the air at the oyster beds keeps the process servers away…. Of course, the air there HAS been rated by government agencies as “miasma”, so, perhaps they have something about which to complain…. not that we care at all, but, it gives them something to do besides pick at each other.
Now, where was I, before I so rudely interrupted myself? Oh, right. We’re outta here…. See ya down the page ffolkes, and, I’d suggest you use the conveniently located handholds on the wall…. It’s gonna get bumpy…..
Shall we Pearl?
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult
words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
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Playing For Change
Today, I feel generous; hence, a double shot of love, from some of the world’s best street musicians and singers, all with one message of peace. Enjoy!….
I’m still working on a new rant, so, bear with me, as we go with one from about two years ago, which, as with all of my rants, seems to be still valid, in all it says…. Enjoy!….
From 3/16/2014:
“…when all government… in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821
Before we begin, please read the article attached to the link below; it contains information that will be necessary to a full appreciation/understanding of the discussion to follow…..
After reading this article all the way through, I came perilously close to puking, only resisting the urge, strong as it was, because I wasn’t in a place where it would have been convenient….. However, I WAS able to determine, immediately upon completion of the article, that I would definitely be ranting on this one, for sure and for certain…. This CRIES out to discussed, and, who am I to destroy the wishes of such a plaintive, compelling cry for social justice?
Did you catch the key points in the report on these asshole bankers and their naked avarice? To me, one of the key points in the article, which shows just how ridiculous the whole thing becomes when examined in ANY light, is the sentence imposed on the banks for admitting their guilt…. Essentially, the decision says this: a) the banks were guilty of defrauding their customers (again)…. they admitted it without a qualm; b) they only have to pay back PART of what they stole by doing so, and c) they don’t have to go to jail, they get to stay in business, and keep ALL of the profits they made by this theft.
You know, it makes me wonder…. I’d wager serious money (if I could cover the bet…. I’m not a bank, and I bet with honor….)….. very serious money, that the banks, when they planned out their campaign of theft in this instance, included in their plans a certain amount of money to set aside to pay the legal fees involved in defending themselves once they got found out and sued for the fraud…. I BET they knew before they started that, eventually, the SEC and their counterparts (ie, government thieves….) in the BRC would catch them in their thievery, and take them to court, so they set aside a percentage of the profits to be made to cover that, and proceeded with the plan to steal from their customers, (i.e. US, you and me, and all the other little investors whose money they steal on a regular basis….), knowing ahead of time that they’d never do any time in jail, and could count on a certain amount of profit on the deal…
I don’t think anyone would take that bet, unless they’re stupider than they look….. Ffolkes, how much more proof is necessary? How many times do we have to let these assholes fuck everyone else in the world, and let them get away with it, before we do something about stopping it? Personally, I’ve about had it up to here (makes motion at neck…) with their sheer gall, to carry out a scheme like this, in full view of the public, knowing they’ll be able to not only get away with it without ever spending any time in jail for their crimes, but will make a decent profit by doing so…. a profit they, of course, feel is their RIGHT to make, just because they want it…..
It’s not the money…. though, of course, it would help a lot of people if it wasn’t stolen…. No, it’s the sheer effrontery, the gall, the entitlement that gives these assholes the idea they can do this with impunity that bothers me the most…. It’s the kind of thing calculated to piss me off enough to take some action, even if that action isn’t necessarily the one that will help the most…. No, I’m tempted, almost beyond control, to go buy a gun, and a LOT of bullets that go with the gun, so I could start picking off bankers, and politicians, and judges, and police officers, and all the other assholes who dump their loads of BS all over everyone else in the pursuit of their own agendas, never caring at all how many others they harm in the process…
Yep, ffolkes, the time is drawing nigh when my patience will be at an end, and I’ll actually DO something that will, if nothing else, make me feel as if I’d helped in a small way to put a stop to the bullshit going on all around us…. It may not change society, but I’ll damn sure feel a lot better, you betcha….
Bah, humbug! Writing about this has gotten me as worked up as reading the article did originally; I’m sitting here vibrating with anger at the corporate assholes who are constantly degrading life for the rest of us, and wishing there were some way to speed up the time until I can afford to buy a decent weapon (by “decent” I mean, of course, that it will do all I want it to do….)…. I have a feeling it won’t be terribly long now until that day actually arrives…. and I can’t wait, to tell the truth….
I’m too worked up to rant further about this, though I can feel a lot more inside me that needs to be released…. So, I’ll finish off with a little five-star pearl, using as a parameter the same subject upon which we’ve been gnawing…. Hey, it’s a quick, legitimate way to bring this to a dignified, if choppy, ending….. Enjoy….
— How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? Four, one to change it and the other three to deny it. — Smart Bee
“Dealing with the government is like kicking a 300-pound sponge.” — Finagle’s Law of Government Contracting
“We are hypnotized into believing that two TV sets will make us twice as happy as one TV set.” — Laura Huxley (wife of Aldous)
“The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.” — John E.E. Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), — “The History of Freedom in Antiquity”
“I don’t want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap.” — Spanish Proverb
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Penance, Made Simple
After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.
Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.
Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.
Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.
Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/23/2012
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Since the beginning, I’ve known some pearls are more, well, coherent than others. This one is, in the final analysis, pretty transparent, while simultaneously exhibiting a certain dignified sobriety, which, to me, enhances the message it carries, as a whole. But, then, I created it, so, who’s to say if any of that will be so? I suppose, as always, that may be taken as part of the point of this exercise…. A clue: this is all stuff seldom considered, but, all fairly significant, in its way…. Don’t worry, you’ll see….
“And sometimes the bear eats you.” — Realist Bee
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx, 1890-1977
“Sleeping alone, except under doctor’s orders, does much harm. Children will tell you how lonely it is sleeping alone. If possible you should always sleep with someone you love. You recharge your mutual batteries free of charge.” — Marlene Dietrich
“Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know them you must find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and
hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That’s the fun part.” — Drew Marold
“No matter where you go, there you are.” — Buckaroo Banzai, Buckaroo Banzai – Across the 8th Dimension
“I’m the one who’s got to die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” — Jimi Hendrix
“The only people for me are the mad ones.” — Jack Kerouac
“All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.” — Edgar Allen Poe, from the poem “A Dream Within a Dream”
“You have taken yourself too seriously. Knock it off.” — Cheeky Bee
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I’m a bit surprised to have finished this with as much aplomb as has been the case. Rather than make the seriously bad mistake of trying to explain that comment, I’ll leave you in suspense, thus obeying the old adage about leaving ’em with something to think about. I will, in spite of all attempts to stop me, or dissuade me, be back tomorrow, to do this again…. I can’t seem to stop myself….
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.
“Hate has a reason for everything.
But love is unreasonable.”
~~ V. Raiuhes Ahaefvthe ~~
Future and Past
Hajime….. Life has again become ‘interesting’, in many ways. Fortunately, I’m up to the task of being fascinated by all the different ways things in reality can screw with our heads, so, all is reasonably well, in spite of lots & lots of pain, and a cat entering her first season. (Yep, she beat me; went into heat before I could get her to the vet…. SIGH. Murphy lives here….) She makes up for her yowling by being extra affectionate, enough to have prompted a new haiku you’ll see below…. Since reality is not in tatters, we’ll go ahead and post today….
Today’s poem is a paean to my pain, written a couple years ago, after a particularly bad day, like yesterday & the day before. It passes, but, sometimes, it just needs to be acknowledged with a few epithets, y’know? At any rate, today is better, as happens, so, we’ll quit the personal journal in favor of getting the slow on the toad…. In support of that, we’ll forgo any further nonsense, which I’m afraid is about all I’ve got this morning, if truth be known. Oh, well, he said. Let’s cover our tracks by making some…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“Who can all sense of others’ ills escape,
Is but a brute, at best, in human shape.”
~~ Juvenal ~~
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Here is the latest release from Playing For Change, one of the few worthy organizations I know of working for peace. This one is a rather excellent duet by a couple of guitarists from different countries, playing the blues together under a tree outside…. Enjoy, then, send them some money…. it’s a great cause….
“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
“All warfare is based on deception.”
~~ Sun Tzu (ca. 500 BC) ~~
Our opening quote states the issue we face as a species; the second states the resultant outcome, in terms of the direction in which human society has evolved since the days of Plato and Aristotle, who are obviously arguing the points.
We humans have a rather large opinion of ourselves, in relation to our place in this universe. That is, no doubt, a direct result of having both more intelligence than we need as a living creature, and, an imagination which leads us to believe our own thoughts have power over reality. Both of these, sadly, have brought us to our current situation here on Earth, as both have been completely misunderstood, and badly handled by almost everyone who ever possessed both qualities.
Oh, sure, history relates the many wise men who have passed on their wisdom to us; our society, however, does not reflect ANY of the wisdom they shared. It reflects, most sadly, the second quote’s implications, which directly reflects our own nature, as beasts, and, as creatures of imagination. As a species, we have always been irritable creatures, jealous of our territory and possessions, constantly “at war” with the environment to wrest from it the necessary elements to survive. We learned to kill other creatures for food, as do many earth animals; we, however, raised the skill to a level at which no other species can compete, thus assuming, in our minds, the top of the food chain…..
How little we actually understand, of ourselves, or the world around us. Even if we are on the verge of space, and, the frontiers of many scientific discoveries, we know so little of how it all ties together, and, our own place in it, we are in danger of venturing into areas for which we are not equipped to handle, in such a way as to have any good result. I am not speaking of scientific breakthroughs, but, rather of spiritual inadequacies. How can we expect a species which preys upon its own members to be able to create life, or conquer a Universe, without first destroying themselves?
I don’t believe we can. It seems clear to me reality is giving us very clear warnings of late, that we have overstepped the boundaries of what we understand about our own planet, and ourselves. We are NOT as powerful as we think, and our fumbling around in this environment without such understanding is resulting in planetary changes of drastic nature, which very few people have the courage, or the wit to either understand, or admit. Not only do the assumed “leaders” of society refuse to acknowledge how little they actually know, almost every person alive is, because of societal prejudices and behavioral training, unwilling to use what intelligence they have to even examine the issue.
Society, since it first began, has viewed life as a ‘war’. This attitude is embedded in every culture on Earth, save a couple isolated from the rest for long periods in the beginning of civilization. Every human is taught to think of life as a struggle, a war against the universe, one which we can win, or lose, according to our beliefs. This, of course, does reflect the duality of our nature, which, though we mostly don’t know or admit it, War, as it were, became our society’s most used form of approaching life, and all its problems and issues…. including relations between people, at every societal level.
Thus, we see the Art of War, Sun Tzu’s brilliant summarization of the basic principles of successful campaigning against an opponent, with its primary assertion, as stated, becomes all the more important as a tool for evaluating and understanding human society. The statement with which we began is absolutely true; as such, it has been taken to heart by every human predator since we began interacting in a societal manner. Since every interaction, in the eyes of some, is an act of war, they will use every part of their imagination to deceive whomever they perceive as any kind of threat to their own self-importance.
Over the course of history, what is the most persistent theme? Empire. Conquest. War. The victors write the history books, and the world continues to suffer at the hands of humans with no sense of humanity, who are willing to use whatever it takes to achieve their own ends, which almost always includes the power to control others, regardless of the inhumanity or unethical/immoral results that may occur to those innocents. In their blind lust for power and self-importance, is hidden their true motivation, fear of life as it exists in reality.
The same fear our distant forebears felt when lightning struck close by, or, an earthquake struck, or, a vicious storm flooded the land; fear of reality, which leads to anger, which leads to hatred, which leads to darkness and death. Because we now have the technological means and knowledge to understand these phenomena does not prevent our apish nervous systems from reacting to fear of the unknown; this is our fatal flaw, for only by accepting fear can it be overcome. Only by accepting our ignorance can we learn to face the world without flinching, freeing us to live without the necessity of always being on guard against disaster and pain.
But, we don’t, mostly. The entire species forgets it exists on a bell curve, and not all will see, or understand the world as others may. This has led to confusion, and, ultimately, will lead our species onto paths where there is only one destination, where we join all the other failed experiments of the evolution of the universe into whatever it may become. I have a feeling, very strong, supported unfortunately by reason and evidence, we will NOT be conquering the galaxy, as so many would believe we shall…. Our own nature is our worst enemy, and that is a war we cannot win, without learning to view the universe in a completely different way than we now perceive it. Trying to fight a war with reality seems, to me, a pursuit without any real purpose, or chance of winning. Reality makes the rules….. and, one of the most basic of rules is, unless we all win, everybody loses.
Rather than beat this horse any more, we’ll finish off with a few pearls, to sort of drive the points home, as it were…. I only wish one, or more of them, gave us some clear indication of what direction we need to take, with a truly viable chance of working…. Oh, well, all we can do, is all we can do….
“Money talks, but it is not obliged to tell the truth.” — MBA Bee
“…this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.” — John Adams, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1816
“Do not be afraid of enemies; the worst they can do is to kill you. Do not be afraid of friends; the worst they can do is betray you. Be afraid of the indifferent; they do not kill or betray. Yet only because of their silent agreement, betrayal and murder exist on earth.” — Bruno Yasienski, contemporary Soviet novelist
“Veni, vidi, vici” [I came, I saw, I conquered]. — Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) (See? How long before Caesar’s time was the Trojan War? Our history is rife with it…)
“If people get a kick out of running down pedestrians, you have to let them do it.” — Paul Jacobs, marketing director for a video game company
“The Book says BURN and DESTROY repent and redeem and revenge and deploy and rumble thee forth to the land of the unbelieving scum ’cause they don’t go for what’s in the Book and that makes ’em BAD.” — Frank Zappa
“25 states allow anyone to buy a gun, strap it on, and walk down the street with no permit of any kind: some say it’s crazy. However, 4 out of 5 US murders are committed in the other half of the country: so who is crazy?” — Andrew Ford
I’d say we are all getting pretty crazy, wouldn’t you?….
********************************
Life is much improved
when I can be a cat tree
for an hour, or so.
~~ gigoid ~~
***********
Elemental, dear Watson….
Don’t worry,
it’s not
me
you hear
screaming.
It is
only
my bones,
giving in,
to
cowardly,
pathologically,
repetitive,
fucking,’
complaints
of
past abuse,
and
all the fun
we had.
playing,
hard.
I don’t mind
too much;
I can spend my
TIME
in another space
in my head,
pretending
my bones
don’t
exist….
It
is,
indeed,
a shame
they
always
come
back….
Fuck.
It
hurts.
More proof,
I guess,
either
God isn’t,
or,
He is.
IF
He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….
Ante up.
Deal.
IF
He is?
Then,
I don’t fucking care
who
doesn’t like it,
I say,
He
is
a bully,
a coward,
a hypocrite,
and,
truly,
an enormous asshole.
I suppose,
God
is
what comes,
to,
and
from,
People,
because
they
feel
a need,
for
someone
to
blame,
for
a
Universe
they
cannot
understand
or
accept.
I
will
take the complaints.
After all,
they
are
my bones.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/14/2014
“I have thought many times since that if poets when they get discouraged would blow their brains out, they could write very much better when they got well.” — Mark Twain
********************************
Today, we’ll finish up with my version of being silly….. A classic seven-star pearl, with no other meaning than to observe and enjoy the irony in life, of which there is no lack….
“Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere.” — William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night — Act iii, Sc. 1
“Universe, n.: The problem.” — Andy Tannenbaum
“I think my new thing will be to try to be a real happy guy. I’ll just walk around being real happy until some jerk says something stupid to me.” — Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
“How are we to know whether we actually exist or only think we exist?” — Curious Bee
“The grass is always greener over the septic tank.” — Erma Bombeck
“Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, Where have I gone wrong? Then a voice says to me, This is going to take more than one night.” — Charlie Brown, _Peanuts_ [Charles Schulz]
“Sometimes, Number One, you just have to…bow to the absurd.” — Picard, “Up the Long Ladder”, stardate 42823.2
********************************
I’m glad I have learned to trust the process; this gets done more efficiently when I do. Not that the quality is in any way improved thereby, but, hey, we’re tryin’, right? Right. It’s close enough for me. It’s also done for today, so, without further machinations, contortions, or excessive verbiage (beyond the already copious quantities furnished), I’m outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I’m committed. Or, should that be, I should be committed? Ah, well, let me know later, okay?…. Ta, then…..
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 living world is a continuum in each and every aspect.”
~~ A. C. Kinsey, The Kinsey Report ~~
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside….
Hajime…. Okay, so, here’s the deal. I’ll write ’em, you read ’em. Deal? Deal.
Of course, this presupposes I will be able to come up with something to write. Since that, at the moment, seems a rather remote possibility, we’ll cut this intro off before it gets rolling, keeping us trapped here again. So short, you’ll need to keep the oxygen handy…. It looks like this…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“And those who were seen dancing
were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
********************************
I’m in a mood, & when I’m in a mood, this is who I listen to…. Today, you can listen, too…. Even if you’re not in a mood…… Enjoy!….
The quote from Ed Abbey is a perfect lead for a rant on a subject I can write about endlessly, apparently. I’ve related any number of times how humanity needs to grow up, give up the illusions of their fearful youth, and learn to face the damn universe with some courage…. But, has anyone listened, other than the choir who end up here, listening to me preach? No, not really, for they don’t wish to hear they need to stop acting like children….
To save y’all from any further haranguing on this, I decided to sublimate, with some thoughts from historical figures, all of whom have seen the same issues during their own time on Earth, and wished to give warning to those who will not see…. There are only nine, so, don’t fret too much; besides, I know my Gentle Readers could, using these aphorisms, create the same rant I might have written, had I gone with the urge to do so…. Enjoy, if only for its brevity…..
“I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: ‘The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that’s fair.’ In these words he epitomized the history of the human race.” — Bertrand Russell, Education and the Social Order
“There are more stars known to exist right now than the total number of all the grains of sand on every beach in the entire world. With those kinds of odds, it would seem downright naive for someone to go to a beach in, say, some out-of-the-way inlet in Baffin Bay, stoop to pick up only one tiny grain of sand, and declare that that grain alone was the only place where life could exist.” — Hugh Downs
“If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” — Anatole France
“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” — Noah Webster
“In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” — H.L. Mencken
“Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.” — Will Rogers
“Held to be a crime when committed by individuals, homicide is called a virtue when committed by the state.” — Obvious Bee
“Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on them [public offices], a rottenness begins in his conduct.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1799
“The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.” — Edward Abbey
“Is it not a noble farce, wherein kings, republics, and emperors have for so many ages played their parts, and to which the whole vast universe serves for a theatre?” — Michael de Montaigne — Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxvi, Of the most Excellent Men
********************************
As noted above, I’m in a mood. In this mood, only one poet will do…. In fact, we’ll overdo, with two….
Had we our senses
But perhaps ’tis well they’re not at Home
So intimate with Madness
He’s liable with them
Had we the eyes without our Head —
How well that we are Blind —
We could not look upon the Earth —
So utterly unmoved —
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
*********
Said Death to Passion
‘Give of thine an Acre unto me.’
Said Passion, through contracting Breaths
‘A Thousand Times Thee Nay.’
Bore Death from Passion
All His East
He – sovereign as the Sun
Resituated in the West
And the Debate was done.
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
********************************
Easy money here, ffolkes. It’s just a classic nine-star pearl about living life large…. Well, I think so; if not, you tell me what it says….
I care not, Fortune, what you me deny:
You cannot rob me of free Nature’s grace,
You cannot shut the windows of the sky
Through which Aurora shows her brightening face;
You cannot bar my constant feet to trace
The woods and lawns, by living stream, at eve:
Let health my nerves and finer fibres brace,
And I their toys to the great children leave:
Of fancy, reason, virtue, naught can me bereave.
~~ James Thomson. The Castle of Indolence, Canto ii, Stanza 3 ~~
“Let honor be as strong to us an obligation as necessity is to others.” — Pliny the Elder
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.” — Robert Cody
“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.” — Halifax
“Once, I read that a man be never stronger than when he truly realizes how weak he is.” — Jim Starlin, “Captain Marvel #31”
“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” — Confucius
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.” — George Bernard Shaw
Listen to the MUSTN’TS child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVE’S
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.
~ Shel Silverstein ~~
********************************
That went well, don’t you think? No? Well, I do, and guess who’s driving this bus? Yep. To keep with the tone set in the intro, I’m outta here. See y’all tomorrow, given the proper set of Time/Space coordinates….
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.
“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children.
One is roots.
The other is wings.”
~~ Hodding Carter, Jr. ~~
Pointing the Way
Hajime…. I’m up rather late, though I went to bed early. C’est la vie! It’s a new year, again, so, all can be forgiven, claimed merely as building new habits…. Sure, that’s it…. It’s my story, and I’m sticking to it….
Today’s mess is, for a Pearl, a bit choppy, from this end; it may look smooth and simple, but, believe me, it was not. That said, and, to begin new methods for a new year, I’ll curtail any urges to go silly, or weird, or anything other than efficient…. In truth, this is a ploy, to lull your sense of security into believing me; tomorrow will probably see a return to the general run of idiotic literary tricks and illusions we use to fill up space…. None of that today…. Nope, we’re going straight from here to the oyster beds, and be done with it…. How’s that for efficient? It works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“There’s nothing on my mind that couldn’t be expressed by a long insane outburst of hysterical rage.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
********************************
Image from beatchronic.com via Google Images
For the last couple of months, since hearing the first of many songs published by this organization, I have been trying to promote the ideas they espouse, as the only way, for the moment, I can show my support. The video I’ve included is a compilation of a large number of their songs, put up on You Tube since 2013, by one of their other admirers…. It gives a good feel for what they do, and the joy it creates wherever they do it….. Enjoy, and then, consider helping out by joining the organization…. It combines our two best weapons against the machine, to wit: Love, and Music….
“It is the mark of an educated mind
to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
The sense of touch, of which our skin is the primary perceptive organ is, when one stops to consider, the ONLY sense we actually possess as humans….. Hearing, taste, smell, sight, all are merely extensions of that one sense; more advanced, more complex ways of perceiving different types of energy/matter, of which the universe is composed, but, still, only a variation of what the skin does at its most basic level of nerve function.
Each of the organs we possess to collect those perceptions are based on increasingly small particles to be perceived, yet, all MUST be touched by those particles, little pieces of the universe, in order to function, at all. The tongue must have particles of food touch it before tasting; the ears are more finely tuned, to the touch of sound waves, molecules of air in motion. The nose is even more delicately tuned, to detect specific molecules in the air which signify what is perceived there; very delicate particles, indeed, as it can detect tiny, invisible molecules, such as pheromones from our glands, below the level of consciousness…
The eyes are the last, most complex organ, evolved to detect almost the tiniest of particles in the universe, light waves from an energy source in specific frequencies and amplitudes, below even the molecular level, also unconsciously…. (I say, ‘almost’, because, without aid, we cannot perceive at the atomic level, nor sub-atomic particles….) In point of fact, all the direction of our entire perceptive system is generally an unconscious process…. The brain we possess as humans has evolved, clearly, as a means of processing all that complex, fascinating data, all compiled by five varieties of ONE sense…..
This simplicity, combined with the dual nature of the complexity it mimics in Reality, is why we are constantly being fooled by the universe, because Reality isn’t limited to just one type of matter/energy to be perceived. If one can accept the inevitability of this proposition/assertion, it is only the simplest of logic to discover there are, most likely, many OTHER types of energy/matter for which we do not possess any sort of perceptive organ, capable of even detecting its existence, at all…. We are surrounded by a mystery whose limits, and/or existence, we cannot perceive, or possibly comprehend….
But, we humans, with this nearly unlimited imagination, caught in a small, insulated shell, with hardly more perceptive ability than the rocks upon which we so often founder, think we can dream up a God, and, read His mind, too…. Pathetic little monkeys is all we are, naked, hairless, and afraid, with a nature too fucking vicious and stubborn to even admit how small and unimportant we are in the scheme of things. For us to even believe we can see ever HALF of what REALITY really exists as, is the height of arrogance, and stupidity…. But, then, looking at history, what else is new?
“Science has made gods of us
before we were even worthy of being men.”
~~ Jean Rostand ~~
We humans seem to think our minds, and imagination, are proof against whatever Reality may come up with; how else to explain such arrogant foolishness in the face of an entire universe, which, clearly, barely registers OUR existence, at all. It certainly has no pity for us, or any other such emotional response; for fuck’s sake, ffolkes, the universe doesn’t care about humans any more than a star, & it blows them up on a regular basis. If there were living creatures on planets around such a star, do you believe the star wouldn’t blow because they were there?…. Pretty unlikely, from all the evidence available, I would say.
Yesterday, on the last day of the year, I took a walk, as I needed to get outside, and, off my ass for a while…. I set a nearby store as my goal; the round trip is about mile, and the weather was cold, but, clear…. Before I reached the half-way point, the store, I had witnessed three objects/events/indications of the failure of the American Dream, as epitomized in two statements, one from Thomas Jefferson, echoing wisdom he had read by our opening sage, Aristotle, to wit:
“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson
“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” — Aristotle
Both of these statements imply the necessity for each person in a democracy to take ‘personal’ responsibility very seriously, to educate themselves, and to monitor the activities of those they’ve chosen to govern…. Anything less will, and, sadly, has led us to the exact place we have come in America…. There is NO common feeling among the population which promotes or facilitates such responsibility; the signs are everywhere….
A block from my door, I came upon an open field, next to a building housing a printing company. The open area, next to the sidewalk, is now covered with trash, not merely bags or thrown down wrapping papers, but, broken couches, tables, torn clothing, and, literally, spoiling trash & food all over, covering a good half-acre of ground, all thrown there, obviously, from passing, or pausing vehicles….
At the next corner was further proof of people’s lack of ‘commhair’, (Gaelic for ‘community’), where I found, lying right next to the sidewalk on the corner, the body of a dog, obviously run over by a motorist, who had then pulled it off the street, & left it, covered partially with cardboard, (from the trash lying nearby), to rot, right on the street, where children, old folks, and animals walk daily…. By the time I got there today, it had been there about five days, without anyone reporting it, (I had tried several times, but, could never reach anything but recordings, at the police and city bureaucracies I called), or, burying it, at the very least….
On my way back, I stopped at the newspaper office, at the corner opposite the open field where the trash and corpse lay… I asked the receptionist if the paper had a number for the police or city where what I’d found could be reported for disposal…. She sent me back to the news room, where I explained the issue to a couple of reporters there, working on the next issue, I suppose….
They listened politely, with some slight empathy at what I described, but, didn’t seem to grasp the simple fact they were looking at a blockbuster story, if they chose to address the issues involved, i.e, the lack of community spirit prevalent in society, as well as the inability forced upon the public to seek help from those we elect to TAKE the responsibility for such things from us…. I had to smile, shake my head, and leave, having done all I could do to resolve my own sense of responsibility….
I went outside, & sat on a bus bench outside the paper’s office, & thought of what I had just experienced on my walk…. whereupon, I began to weep…. I felt such a strong sense of sadness, at the death of the American Dream, fought for so bravely by those founding fathers, and protected, sincerely, by thousands and thousands of true Americans since then, including my own father, against the depredations of those who would deny us our freedoms as secured by the Constitution…. I sat there, silently, with tears running down my face, for about five minutes before I could get up, cross the street to avoid the now-ripely-odoriferous canine corpse, to finish my walk….
It’s all dead, and nobody even realizes it, but for a few true Americans, who have educated themselves, and have watched, in pain and anguish, as our government has steadily been BOUGHT by corporate influence; in the courts, since the mid-nineteenth century, and for the entire twentieth century, as those inroads into one branch have spread, like the only true form of life Man has created, the computer virus, carrying its load of evil and selfishness into Congress, and, the White House, until none of those three branches have any interest in pursuing anything but their own agendas, none of which are concerned with securing anything for the people who live here…..
The general run of American has no courage, no education, and no actual freedom to do anything other than follow custom, which they do not even realize is a slave’s collar. The evil inherent in the philosophy of “me first” has killed the hopes of those who founded this country, as well as removing it from the reach of the average man, which, in essence, was the primary intent of the Bill of Rights, all of which are now merely a Bill of Suggestions…. as long as they don’t get in the way of the bottom line profits of the oligarchs who now run most of the world….
The courage to speak out against the madness, the courage of a child, to say, “Look! The Emperor is naked!”, is now gone from the American spirit, as well as from much of the world…. and, we all have heard what happens when evil goes unnoticed, allowed to remain in the dark, where it would have us all exist….
“Oppression can only survive through silence.”
~~ Carmen de Monteflores ~~
In a way, I hate starting the New Year with such a depressing rant…. yet, I have a feeling it is needed just now…. All of us, those who can see, as well as those who do not, need to begin anew, to face Life with more courage, and honest effort to show ourselves to be truly human… that is to say, Kind, Compassionate, Brave, and, with Honor as our standard of existence. Anything less than that just isn’t going to overcome the damage already done to society, and, the entire planet’s ecosystem….
“Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost.”
~~ John Milton — Paradise Lost, Book ix, Line 782 ~~
You may believe that, or not; the Universe doesn’t really care….
I do; I can’t seem to help myself, even though I know human nature all-too-well…. I love the silly critters; I am one. So, I’ll keep on spouting off, or, ranting, or, whatever I need to do to spread the Love I feel…. It is, in the final analysis, the only damn thing we have to fight back with….
gigoid has spoken, quite enough for one day….
So be it.
********************************
New Year Haiku
The old year is gone.
Who knows what the next will bring?
Glad to say, not me.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/31/2015, 8:05 PM
********************************
Our final old-school pearl today is, as is often the case, a bit obscure. It’s a classic seven-star bracelet of gems, with a message; my problem is I don’t know exactly how to express it….. I guess it’s kind of like a New Year; ya never know what’s gonna be up ahead, waiting for you to learn…. Enjoy!….
“All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.” — Kahlil Gibran (Sand and Foam)
“Every one is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.” — Phaedrus (c. 8 A.D.) — Book i, Fable 26, 12
“Charity sees the need not the cause.” — German Proverb
“How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved.” — Sigmund Freud
“The wishbone will never replace the backbone.” — Brave Bee
“Honesty is the best policy – there’s less competition.” — Van Roy’s Law
“Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?” — Kahlil Gibran
Aha! Got it! I think I have figured it out; hint…. it’s advice on how to approach new challenges…. 2nd hint: K.I.S.S…..
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I am done, thankfully. The new year seems to have brought a bit of attention from our old pal Murphy, who has a new trick; he’s fussing with the software, causing it to freeze every couple minutes, to wait for it to catch up to my commands…. SIGH…. Ah well, it’s done, so, we’ll press our luck a bit, & try to post it…. Wish me luck…. For the nonce, I shall bid thee adieu until tomorrow, when, hopefully, I’ll have fixed this, or, found a workaround…. Until then, ffolkes, y’all enjoy the day off, and all the festivities you can tolerate without getting homicidal…. Ta, then, until they figure out a way to stop me from doing this again….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Tough morning, following a tough evening, complete with full PTSD breakdown…. Fortunately for me, one of the five or six people in the world to whom I can speak for more than two minutes without either wanting to strangle them, or, causing them to either want to strangle me, or run for their lives. was home, and answered the phone…. Some time spent talking, connecting to another human, did the trick for me; I was able to regain some composure, and, get to sleep…. finally.
Today, I’m feeling a bit ragged, and fragile, which only proves part of what we discussed last night, i.e. getting old not only sucks, but, damn it, there is no fucking manual! There are only our observations about getting old, seeing old folks live around us, to gather information, unless we actually discuss it with someone who’s been there, done that. Most of us don’t, because, hey, we’re immortal, right? Age will never get US!
And, just as it does to every one of us, age gets us anyway. Now, we must learn a whole new way to approach living, that involves considering the fragility of our physical bodies, which never before caused us a single moment’s worry, since everything in it worked the way it was supposed, and it never complained unless we took it too far, too fast…. Nobody says anthing, or warns us about this new path we must learn to walk; not only that, but, we have to walk it ourselves anyway….
What a system! I’m beginning to believe that maybe there is a God, and, He/She IS very human-like, because, if this world, and the way it seems to work, with humans in it, quite frankly could have been better designed by my five-year old grandson with his Legos. The world as it exists today, with hairless apes infesting every corner of the globe, making a mess of everything, well, it just doesn’t seem like it was very intelligently designed; it’s that, or God got ripped of by a dishonest construction crew, who ended up using flawed material for making US.
That said, why don’t we do something else, a bit less depressing, if nothing else. I know for sure today’s musical selection pass any inspection, and, there’s a fresh rant below that will take us a while to get through. So, we’ll forgo any further tricks or stories or bullshit, and just get on with it. Here is how that looks….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.” — Lena Horne
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Stock image via Google Images
Personally, I don’t feel the need to introduce this artist, or her music; she’s been here before. Add in the fact I’ve loved her music, and her public persona from afar from the first time I heard her sing. A voice like angel, plays guitar with style and great skill, and beauty great as the iconic Helen…. what’s not to love?….. Here’s a live concert from the Oakland arena in 1992, I believe…. I defy anyone to NOT enjoy this…. Abondanza!
“Look at these three words written larger than all the rest, and with special pride never written before or since — tall words, proudly saying “We the people” .. these words and the words that follow … must apply to everyone or they mean nothing.” — James T. Kirk, “The Omega Glory,” stardate unknown.
I would suggest you all gird your grids….
While standing in front of the heater a few moments ago, (it is cold & rainy), all of a sudden, I began to weep….. I didn’t even know why. However having experienced this state any number of times in the past 15 years, it really wasn’t a surprise, as much as a puzzlement, for, it usually happens only when I am feeling strong emotion, & at the moment, all I was aware of was feeling cold….
For the two or three hours previous to this event, I had been exchanging emails with friends, and making & replying to comments on WordPress. I had written a LOT about my view of how the world is progressing, as a whole, a subject which always tends to stir my emotions. I’m a passionate guy, when all is said and done, and, what I see all around the world definitely has the tendency to fan the flames of my anger, and frustration, at the number of people who are suffering oppression everywhere, including right here in this country, which touts itself as the world’s most ethical government, protectors of Liberty…. What a load of horse shit, from the world’s largest seller of arms!
Anyway, my passion also includes a very strong love of people, though to read what I write, that might not come through very often…. I love every one of the ridiculous-looking, overly impressed with themselves, mostly appallingly ignorant hairless apes that runs around this poor, old planet, leaving messes wherever they go…. Every one of them…. Well, except maybe, those who prey on the others…. For them, I reserve the same regard as do the Sun and Moon. i.e. I couldn’t care less if they live, or die; in fact, I’d prefer the latter, especially if they die screaming in terror. However, I do try to be merely indifferent to their fate.
I believe my love for Humanity is merely a way to acknowledge, to myself, the connection to all of them I share, with the planet, the moon, the sun, stars, and all the other creatures and objects which exist in our complex, beautiful, and, oh, so dangerous Universe…. The danger, of course, comes from the simple fact the Universe itself doesn’t give a sorry shit whether any of us live, die, or go insane…. all of which we are periodically subject to.
I realized, as I stood before the heater, weeping, that I was weeping for Gaia…. for the planet, the people, and all the creatures in this world who suffer at the hands of Humankind, who are all paying the price for our insane entitlement, our lack of moral/ethical fiber, and our brutishly violent nature, complete with an ability to completely forgo the awareness of their own nature, or how they affect everything around them…. the stupid apes.
At this point my weeping turned to rage, & it was all I could do to keep from rushing out the door (after grabbing ALL my weapons….), heading for the nearest government or police agency, to begin the task of following the real wisdom in the old saying from an old friend (figuratively….)…. to wit:
Fortunately, for them, mainly, but, also for me, I managed to control the impulse, which is more than I can say about any of the politicians or police occifers (no worries, it’s a deliberate typo…. just a touch of sarcasm, don’t y’know?….), of my acquaintance or knowledge….. Instead, since Leelu, at the moment, is sleeping off a training session, I sat to write this piece for tomorrow….
Sometimes the urge to obtain a katana, a crossbow, and an Uzi, or similar tool, to take up the task of hunting I’ve dreamt of for so long is almost too strong to bear, or resist; so far, so good, though…. My choice of targets would be, of course, rather obvious, to any who read here often, as well as to the NSA, etc…. I’m sure, by now, those folks (note spelling) are well aware of my opinion of ALL of them, and their ilk…. so, there’s no need to go into that here. Let’s merely say I’m pretty positive I’d enjoy my hunting trip, should I ever actually LOSE my mind, and leave the house suddenly, sans all electronic devices, and, fully armed….
You see, I do know who is responsible for much of what is going on in the world. They’re actually pretty easy to spot, once one accepts their own nature; that is necessary to be able to see them, for they too accept theirs…. The difference is, they don’t have a certain set of neurons, or a gland, or whatever it is that helps us humans to control the beast within; in fact, they revel in their brutality, their cruelty, and their ability to lie, to create illusion, and take advantage of every other human alive. I, and, all too few others, who do have that gene (I settled on that word as the signifier of the most likely culprit for their lack of moral fiber), can see them, and, know very well how to be like them. The difference is, but, we refuse to do so….
“We, the people…” The men who used those words, and the words of the quote above from J.T. Kirk’s scriptwriters (doesn’t make the words less valuable, does it?) understood this about Humankind, and, made a valiant attempt to set up a system whereby those perverted, broken excuses for a human being would be unable to spread their lies, or influence the welfare of the general populace…. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they were aware of how lazy and stupid the average human can be, nor. the already ubiquitous power of the oligarchs then extant….
They did note the flaw after wards, and left warnings to future generations; Tom Jefferson is well-known for several statements warning Americans to stay informed, and to watch their government like hawks for signs of corruption…. For example:
“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” Thomas Jefferson
But, not enough people listened, and most were too lazy, or busy ‘pursuing happiness’ to notice what was happening to their rights as citizens, while they were being steadily eroded, starting within hours of the signing of the Constitution. Thus, today, NONE of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are intact; every one has been abrogated at least partially. Falsely generated flames of fear amongst the population now rage, caused by, and fanned by, that very government, in order to fool the people into giving up the last of those rights, to wit: the right to bear arms….
That final right has yet to be abrogated absolutely, at least in this country, where it has been protected for a long time, by the simple fact there are more guns among the populace than are in the hands of the government, and, they know it. So, the campaign to rid themselves of that threat has progressed slowly, by stages, as the elite use their control of media and elected officials to fan the flames of fear among those whom they have convinced it is too dangerous for people to have weapons; so, according to those who foster these illusions, more, and more, and more regulation and control over weapons is needed “to protect society.”
Did you spot the lie in their story? I hope so, because too few people do…..
I’m tired; weeping, then ranting isn’t easy on a 65 year-old who’s been ignoring pain, and cat, for about an hour now…. To finish, I’ll end with a very old Pearl, one I’ve used many times in the past, long before I retired, or began writing this blog.This particular pearl was put together to honor the author from whom I learned the most about real thinking, just by reading his novels… He spent his 80-some years on Earth doing a lot of it, very well….
Plus, most of these give us an idea of not only how to resist the oppression we ALL suffer, but, how to go about living well, in spite of it…. I hope y’all think about every one of them, but, pay particular attention to the last three….
From 9/20/2012:
Here are some true pearls of virtual wisdom from the acknowledged Grand Master of Science Fiction…… arrogantly solipsistic, delightfully honest, absolutely moral according to whim, and eminently useful in pursuing a full life of honor and joy…..
“The only real sin is hurting others unnecessarily. All other sins are made up nonsense…. (Hurting yourself is not sinful, just stupid.)” — Robert Heinlein
“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom… and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.”
“You butt into other people’s business. All the time.”
“Who said I was wise? I’m a professional bad example. You can learn a lot by watching me.” –Dr. Jubal Harshaw — Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
“Don’t store garlic near other victuals.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long
“The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of “loyalty” and “duty.” Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute — get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed.” — from The Notebooks of Lazarus Long
“There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it?” — Robert Heinlein
“The more you love, the more you can love — and the more intensely you love. Nor is there any limit on how many you can love. If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.” — Robert Heinlein
Last, but, far from least….. a statement that serves as an adjunct to Peruaosophy, and indeed, as part of the basis by which that philosophy was created…..
“Do not confuse “duty” with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect.
But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible. It is easier to deal with a footpad than it is with the leech who wants “just a few minutes of your time, please — this won’t take long.” Time is your total capital, and the minutes of your life are painfully few. If you allow yourself to fall into the vice of agreeing to such requests, they quickly snowball to the point where these parasites will use up 100 percent of your time — and squawk for more!
So learn to say No – and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to do your own work, and certainly no time for love and happiness. The termites will nibble away your life and leave none of it for you. (This rule does not mean that you must not do a favor for a friend, or even a stranger. But let the choice be yours. Don’t do it because it is “expected” of you.) ” — Robert Heinlein
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This one is from a morning much the one I’m having today, thus far…. I hope you enjoy it…. I didn’t, but, it fits….
A Dubiously Soft Morning
Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.
Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.
Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.
Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.
“If our behavior is strict, we do not need fun!” — Zippy the Pinhead
“Your education has failed you if you have not learned forgiveness, compassion, and love.” — Zen Bee
“We want the facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don’t, it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions.” — Jessamyn West
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” — Epicurus
“…and remember you’re a Man, not just god, and for you there aren’t and never will be any easy answers, only questions, and no reasons, only causes, and no meaning, only intelligence, and no destination and no kindly magic smiling down from above, and no fires to goad you from below, only Yourself and the Universe and what you make out of the interface between the two equals.” — Keith Laumer, _Night of Delusions_
“Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.” — Josephus Daniels
“All the magick of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.” — Magi
“If a person is to get the meaning of life he must learn to like the facts about himself — ugly as they may seem to his sentimental vanity — before he can learn the truth behind the facts. And the truth is never ugly.” — Eugene O’Neill
“Is he the MAGIC INCA carrying a FROG on his shoulders?? Is the FROG his GUIDELIGHT?? It is curious that a DOG runs already on the ESCALATOR.” — Zippy Bee
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That’s it. That’s all I’ve got, and it’s more than I expected to be able to finish. So be it. Today’s closing has no ups, no extras. See y’all tomorrow, hopefully in a better space in my head, and in our Consensual Reality….. The one I found this morning doesn’t cut it; well try again tomorrow….
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.
“(Someone once said) …time is the fire in which we burn.”
~~ Soran, Star Trek: Generations ~~
Leelu, casting protective enchantments….
Hajime…. Today’s mess is pretty messy, but, at least it’s all freshly made; it will take longer to begin to decay. Now, don’t go thinking that’s a dig at my own ‘stuff’; it’s just realistic. Everything decays with time; that’s how existence in this universe works. Nothing escapes the changes made mandatory by nature’s duality; light cannot exist without the dark. Nor can there be life without death. Or, as Yul Brynner once said, “Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera….”
If you had never been dead, how would you know you are alive?…. Answer that, and, you will understand…. Change is the one thing in this universe that will NOT change; entropy exists, and will not be denied. Moreover, no matter what any religious philosopher tells you, a supernatural creator is NOT necessary to explain any part of how the entire universe behaves, even if we don’t fully comprehend how it works…. Why should it be? Everything there is to perceive, that we CAN perceive with our meager five senses, is right out there, just there, waiting for us to perceive it…..
Okay, so, now we’ve eliminated the logical justification for most of the religions in the world, how should we round out the morning? Maybe a shot or two at the insane fallacies inherent in believing, as humans, we need a government? I’m not entirely sure I can come up with quite so damning an indictment as the one in the first two paragraphs; not in as few words, anyway. I think it’s pretty fair to say it isn’t easy to dismiss the relevance of the belief systems of 90% of the world’s population in under a hundred words; I’m positive I won’t be able to do it twice in a row, especially since, now, this paragraph has gotten involved in the whole issue, adding way too many useless, irrelevant words, in support of, (or, more likely, in search of….) rational thinking.
That said, to little purpose, as is our habit, I suppose we ought to think about wandering down to the meat of today’s material; it may not be lobster, but, it ain’t chicken!
Hmm…. Okay, it’s worse than I thought, ffolkes. We’d best be on our way, before anything untoward takes place….. I mean, other than merely being here, being weird, etc….. You know what I mean, and, if you don’t, so much the better for me and Luigi, who is driving today….
Luigi… Luigi! Damn it, he’s drunk again! Oh, well, it was probably Guido who got him that way; Guido loves to fly, and he’s not above screwing a friend (not my definition, his….) to get a chance to fly this bucket o’bolts…. Something about hours on retro planes, & his rep….. Any who, he’s already boarded, and going through the checklist, so, we’ll be on our way tout suite…. if my French is correct. If not, well, that’s okay; the only place I’ve ever spoken it is in the kitchen…. There’s the no-smoking light, so, see ya at the oyster beds, if we all live through it again….
Shall we Pearl?….
“We must become new people or be satisfied the way we are.
Either way we risk tragedy.
But by the first we choose life.
By the second we choose death.”
~~ Corita Kent ~~
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Stevie Ray Vaughan
Image from guitarworld.com via Google Images
Today’s video selection isn’t very long; considering the quality of what you’ll hear and see, I can’t help wishing it were longer. However, since Stevie plays just about the hottest licks I’ve ever heard, as he totally KILLS this song, we’re gonna play it anyway…. Any true fan of guitar work will be jazzed at this one….. By following the link to the page where I found it, you can hear lots more of Stevie, along with a number of other most excellent performers, with whom he played prior to his unfortunate early demise…. This, as we are wont to say ’round here, be some good shit, ffolkes….
“All history shows that every man who has authority is led to abuse it; he does not stop until he comes up against limitations…Things must be so arranged that one authority checks another.” — Montesquieu
The men who founded this country, based upon the ideas brought forth in the document you see above, obviously knew the principle, and flaw in human nature, outlined so clearly in this statement by Mssr. Montesquieu. The government they formed was designed in such a way, each of the three parts, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial, acts as a check to the power and authority of the other segments. It is an excellent design, with only one flaw, which the oligarchs spotted immediately…. That flaw can be most simply stated thus: The success of the system designed will fail if even one segment falls under the influence of outside interests. If ever one branch of the triad becomes corrupted, that corruption WILL spread to the others.
Guess what, ffolkes….. This process, corruption of the US governing bodies, began within HOURS of the signing of the final copy of the Constitution. Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, and others, took note, and wrote letters showing they were concerned at how banking interests had already made inroads into the corruption of elected officials…. In short, the battle between the people, and the oligarchy, began more than merely 200 years ago; the cause of its continued presence in our lives can be laid at the feet of the people themselves, as far, far too many of them never paid attention to the single most critical factor in assuring the defense of their legacy of freedom. They did not, and still do not, keep themselves informed as to what their leaders are up to….
“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson
Oh, it’ not all their fault, of course. The people who have usurped the halls of government are quite adept, having long experience, at keeping the general public unaware of their activities, in back rooms and alley ways, behind the curtains and closed doors, where they do their best work at corrupting officials. They have the complete assistance of every religious organization, too, all of which preach obedience to authority, whether it be secular, or religious….
From the cradle, people are conditioned to accept the words and ideas of their ‘elders’ and ‘teachers’, and ‘leaders, none of whom ever even KNEW the truth of Reality, but, have blindly passed on their own brainwashing to their children, without ever having looked at any of the concepts upon which they have based their lives, to see if it has any actual truth…. Those who do know the truth behind the lies, and tell them anyway, are, in my consideration, the very scum of the earth….
“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.” — Thomas Paine
“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson
When these two entities work together, as they have throughout the greater part of human history, most people really don’t stand a chance. Their brainwashing begins the moment they are born, as their own parents begin teaching them the delusions upon which their entire lives are based, to wit: money exists as more than just an idea, and is more important than people; second, they are taught there is a supernatural authority, which insists all of us believe whatever we are told, about it, or the world, without ever testing those ideas against reality, and what we actually know inside ourselves….
It’s small wonder the world we live in is in the state we find it today; the hairless apes have been having running around the planet for millennia, making a mess of things, as they have attempted to reconcile the bestiality of their nature, with the potentially civilizing power of their intellect and imagination. It is becoming increasingly obvious, every attempt made has been more than just a little disappointing…. As Arthur C. Clarke once observed, their is no evidence available which proves there is ANY survival advantage attached to intelligence…. not as we have employed it…. Now, it is just about time to pay the piper, and, sadly, almost nobody has even read the contract.
I think that’s probably enough for one morning; the people who need to see this will never do so, which leaves the only reason to keep on ranting as the desire to indulge my own need to purge my mind of this dross and drivel. I believe I’ve gotten enough onto the page to defray the cost of any angst built up…. I’ll finish this with a short set of pearls, a bracelet, as it were, all of which will have something to say on these matters….
See ya down the page a ways, ffolkes; please, if you take nothing else away with you today, let it be the resolution to wear your thinking caps all the time, and, encourage others to do the same. It may be the only chance we all have to see in the next century, as a species….
**********
“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.”
~~ Euripides ~~
**********
“He who is bent on doing evil can never want occasion.”
~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 459 ~~
**********
“It is wrong always, everywhere and for everyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
~~ W. K. Clifford, British philosopher, circa 1876 ~~
**********
“Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth,
so Truth be in the field, we do ingloriously,
by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength.
Let her and Falsehood grapple:
who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?”
~~ John Milton (1608-1674) — Areopagitica ~~
**********
“Human beings don’t live like this.”
~~ Humanist Bee ~~
*******************************
Measures of Intent
Hell is never far away; it slips in, then out,
like a ninja, bent on stealth, and death.
Life 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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Today’s final offering brings most welcome balance to the entire Pearl; note, please, we began in Fire; now, we end, in Fire….. Not bad for serendipity, eh? Not that we’d wish to come to depend on it, but, it is certainly most welcome when it appears…. Enjoy this one, ffolkes, I did, and do, strange as it is. I forget where exactly I got the picture, though I’m pretty sure it was stolen from Facebook long ago; it is here today because, well, it just works….
Oh Rose, thou art sick;
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy;
And his dark, secret love
Does thy life destroy.
~~ William Blake, “Songs of Innocence” ~~
“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors and miss.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”
“As you are, so shall you wish. As you wish, so shall it be.” — Pensive Bee
“Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
“There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.” — Confucius Analects
“If anything is certain, it is that change is certain. The world we are planning for today will not exist in this form tomorrow.” — Philip Crosby, Reflections on Quality
“PRESENT, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.” — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”
“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Realistic Bee
Avarice, envy, pride,
Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all
On Fire.
~~ Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy ~~
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Well, as Ollie used to say to Stan, a lot, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!” It is, no doubt, a good thing, from more vantage points than I care to contemplate just now. In fact, it is also, no doubt, a good idea we are at the close, else, we would be in more of a mess than we are now.
I believe that statement can only be followed by a Q.E.D. So be it. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; mark it down, if you don’t trust your memory, because, I like people to have a little warning before I mess with their heads…..
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.
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
~~ Hanlon’s Razor ~~
A meeting of minds Image of a Dukha tribesman,from themindunleashed.com via Google Images
Hajime…. I would trade almost any experience in my life, (save one or two…) to have the connection with nature, and the friendship of a bear. The man in the picture is a Dukha, a tribe which has lived in northern Mongolia since the dawn of time. They are so in tune with the land, and the creatures who live on it, I would consider them to be the highest example on the planet of the true purpose of being human, and how to live here in perfect comfort and harmony….. I don’t mean they are perfect; hell, they’re human, and I’m sure they have their individual faults, like all of us. But, the way they have learned to coexist with the total environment in which they live, to me, is how human beings SHOULD be, in attitude, with, or without technological advantages.
They ride caribou, for traveling, using them the same way other societies use horses and cattle. But, with some differences…. for example:
Attribution same as above
How many societies do YOU know of who will trust their farm animals to babysit for them? It seems to me, they have learned something that the rest of humanity passed by, to their everlasting disadvantage, I believe. What this tells me about their society is how well they understand their co-creatures, and, as well, how to create in those creatures the same sort of trust they place in their own species. Most societies have dogs to perform this sort of service, but, it seems to me, it might be to our advantage, as humans, to learn what it is this tribe has learned, to keep their connection to their natural side intact, a facet of personality which the rest of us seem to have lost….
Okay, subtle insult to the bulk of humanity thus delivered, as sugar-coated as I could make it, we can move on. That’s a good thing, because today’s Pearl is, if I say so myself, a good one. Without any spoilers, I can say it is one of my best efforts; I’ll let it speak for itself from this point…..
Uh, oh….. Shoot. (You will, of course, recognize as a euphemism for another word of similar spelling, and more odor….) Now what do I do with this intro? It started out as a sort of travelogue cum philosophical oddity, slipped over into honest discussion, and, now….. what? Hmm…. I suppose I’ll have to think up some weird, explosive literary surprise to distract everyone while we get the slow on the road. Damn, I knew I should have gone with the picture of Leelu!
Oh, well, okay…. Let’s see what we’ve got here in our bag of emergency exit methods. How ’bout a # 19? They’re always fun, though the dry-cleaning charges can get a bit steep. Okay, nope. Hmm, let’s see: hey, how about this one? It’s a # 23, and I don’t think I’ve tried this one yet. The only requirement is to make sure y’all have your thinking caps. Oh, you won’t need them ’til later on down the page, but, you WILL need them. Besides, this one is so fast, you might miss it, and then where would you be? Not at the oyster beds, that’s for sure…. Okay, here we go; hang on….
Shall we Pearl?….
“To regret one’s own experiences is to arrest one’s own development.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
********************************
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
I am not sure anyone ever completely understood The Doors. To see the quote upon which their name was chosen tells a LOT about them, if one is able to see clearly into human nature. I’m not as familiar with the band members, but, Jim Morrison was, in many ways, the heart and soul of the band, and to observe him was to observe a very, very complex human being, subject to very little comprehension he did not wish to allow. The band’s music also reflected his persona; complex, deep, often erotic and more sensual than was comfortable. He lived life in ways no one had ever thought of, much as any true artist, such as Picasso, or Dali, or, Michaelangelo lived…. without compromise.
Enjoy, ffolkes; if nothing else, the music of the Doors makes you FEEL life…..
“Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
When one considers the social background under which G.B. Shaw was raised and educated, much of what he wrote naturally demonstrates some of the prejudices common to his time. All in all, however, his thoughts on society, and human nature at large, were extremely accurate, and a better indicator of how his mind worked, and, in fact, how it excelled. In addition, short statements such as the one used today tell me he had a very sharp, and morally developed sense of humor about everything he witnessed in his life. He shows up a lot here, for that very reason, for his words are pointedly critical of Stupidity, Ignorance, and the sin of Expediency, which, even in his day, had become one of society’s most dangerous issues….
In his statement above, it is perfectly clear to me he could have been talking of the United States as it exists in 2015. Our country’s government is corrupted beyond repair; the bankers and corporate interests, such as Big Pharma, Big Oil, and the Angels of Death (Arms dealers & manufacturers), are in complete control of the White House, both Houses of Congress, and, to a significant degree, the Supreme Court….. If you doubt what I say, simply look at each of those persons mentioned in light of their yearly income. Then, tell me they represent the average man/woman in this country with a straight face. If you can do so, you are even stupider than they believe, which is pretty fucking stupid, believe me.
Harsh? Nah. Perfect truth. I can say, without fear of being wrong, 98% of the people in this country who are not involved in government, at any level, are completely ignorant of the degree to which their rights have already been taken away. Just ask anyone on the street if they believe they still have the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution and Bill of Rights; every one of them will tell you they do, without even pausing to think. The simple fact they are completely mistaken never enters their consciousness at all, a fact which the BRC, and the Asininnies in general not only know, but, take advantage of at every opportunity.
You could ask those same people on the street if they believed their leaders tell the truth to them, and they’d say “yes”, again without ever pausing to consider whether or not it might be true. They’ve been conditioned, by parents, by churches, by teachers, all their lives to accept what they are told by those in authority, and to believe them, NO MATTER HOW THEIR PERCEPTIONS DO NOT MATCH THE LIES! They are taught to adjust to whatever demands are placed on them, no matter how ridiculous or demeaning they may be, simply because their entire existence is based on maintaining the status quo, which they have never examined to even see if it can be changed for the better.
At this point, we will assume the mantle of a classic Jeffersonian, the political model which I have always preferred as my standard for judging today’s governmental participants, to wit; the BRC and the Asininnies…. I would like to begin this by noting how huge is the circle of ignorance that now comprises the American public, and, the first of many warnings of the consequences by Tom himself…..
“If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be … If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” — Thomas Jefferson
“I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.” — Thomas Jefferson
In today’s American cities and towns, we have libraries practically empty, in comparison to how many people SHOULD be using them. The American public, once graduated from school, never opens another book, contenting themselves with magazines, newspapers, and now videos, TV, and the internet, all of which, if not understood, are just another tool used to fortify and maintain their brainwashing, by directing their interests just where the BRC wants it to be…. which is generally focused on things to fear, or lust after.
Just today, I found how serious this issue has become. For the very first time in my life, I was requested to renew my library card, in the town where I live. In my entire life, I’ve never had a library request me to update any information; what is the need? Any citizen of this country, as far as I know, is free to walk into a library, and read, or use the facilities. There AREN’T supposed to be ANY conditions set on that freedom, (unless you wish to take a book home; then you must leave your name); yet, now, at the behest, I am sure, of the local police, with the power of the federal NSA organization behind it, want to know who has a card, their PHONE # (!!!), and where they live. This, of course, gives them access to my internet searches, all the books I check out, and a host of other information, NONE of which they have any right to gather……
But, that’s not the only front on which inroads against our rights are being made….
“Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” — Thomas Jefferson
“A monied aristocracy in our country … has already set the government at defiance.” — Thomas Jefferson
Our country was warned, by Jefferson, Paine, Mason, Franklin, Adams, and others, about the very things we now face in our lives. They predicted the takeover of the government by the bankers and corporate interests, in letters they wrote, in articles they published, all of which still can be accessed in libraries. But, no modern Americans would believe it if told, because they will not make the effort to go see for themselves. Nor will they ever believe they are not free, because they’ve been taught all their lives to accept illusion as reality…. What chance do they have at this late date to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing? Very little, I would say….
This is why I rant. This is why I cannot stop harping on the lies told to us, or about the fear they want us to feel, fear of threats which simply do not exist, except in the minds of those who believe them. The governments of all countries want their citizens to believe they can make them feel safe and secure, when in fact, that is simply not true. Life IS insecurity; there is no safety from the Universe, if it chooses to come after you. You can’t dodge an earthquake, nor a flood, nor any other natural disaster…. Nor can you deny that humans are violent, and will BE violent in trying to attain their desires. It has always been so, and always will be, until we figure out how to change human nature.
The myth of safety in living, which governments would have us believe they can supply, simply does not exist in Reality. As long as we are alive. we are in danger, and that is a simple fact of Reality not even a government can change, not by any means. But, they get people to believe they can, and, thus, have them under their power.
The only true way in this life to be safe is to remove fear from your responses to anything you experience. Fear is a reaction to “not knowing” the nature of what is occurring; it is easily dismissed, or let go, if one is willing to LEARN. But, this requires first that one learn how to learn, and that is something our schools stopped teaching long ago. Knowledge kills fear, yet people seem to prefer to NOT make the effort to learn about what they fear, instead accepting whatever they’re told, which is only designed to increase their misunderstanding, and prolong the fear. A person who is afraid does NOT think, and the BRC and Asininnies know this. That is why they trumpet doom and danger every time something bad happens; it serves their interests to keep the public afraid….
Obviously, I can keep on about this for a long time; in my time I’ve observed the process I’ve just described happening, with governments becoming more and more corrupt and dishonest, and more of the people’s hard-won rights abrogated, in a consistent dismantling of the Constitution of the United States, by corporate interests, until the world in which we now live can no longer be called anything but a true oligarchy. The rich have won, ffolkes, and unless we, all together, do something about it, they’ll keep tightening the screws until we can no longer freely breathe….
In fact, that is a literal statement…. I can see a time, not so far off, when, because of the climate changes that are now occurring, for which we know no way to stop, the atmosphere we breathe will become tainted, and require treatment before we can use it. What does anyone wish to bet, if that happens, the oligarchy will try to CHARGE people for the air they breathe? I can see it clearly, can you? Is that what you wish for YOUR grandchildren? I can honestly say, I do not.
“Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebels against anything that does not deserve rebelling against.” — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to James Madison, stated, “The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think it should have done. Calculate that one rebellion in 13 states in the course of 11 years, is but one for each state in a century and a half. No country should be so long without one.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), in letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787
In what was probably the same letter, he also said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Madison, 1787
I know, it’s a lot of TJ, but, damn it! He WARNED us, and we didn’t listen! You see, to summarize, he also said,” God prevent we should ever be twenty years without a revolution.”
Guess what, ffolkes? It’s now been 229 years since our last revolution in this country. I have a feeling the next one isn’t far off, given the false sense of entitlement growing so fast in the monied elite, and amongst their myrmidons. I have a feeling they forget a simple fact when they are making up their plans and agendas to continue their oppression of the world’s people…. There are now more than SEVEN BILLION of those people…. If they aren’t careful, they’re going to piss off ALL of them. If that happens, I don’t believe their money, or their technology, or their sense of entitlement will save them from being shredded, limb from limb, by angry mobs of formerly downtrodden human beings….
But, then, when that happens, I’ll just sit back, and say, “Oh well….. Just desserts, assholes.”
Thanks fer listenin’. I’ll leave you with one last thought from TJ, and final word from Pope, to close the circle… Then, I’ll leave you be, to digest how to deal with the truths you’ve just absorbed….
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” — Thomas Jefferson to A. Stuart, 1791
For forms of government let fools contest;
Whate’er is best administer’d is best.
For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.
In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all mankind’s concern is charity.~~ Alexander Pope ~~
~~ Essay on Man, Epistle iii, Line 303 ~~
********************************
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
********************************
Today’s final pearl is a perfect reflection of the rest of the effort today. To be frank, it was intense, and satisfying. This one has a pretty standard structure, and message, for that matter. But, it’s such a profound one, it fits right in with all of the above…. I hope you enjoy it, just as much as I hope you ‘get it’…..
“Whatever happens at all happens as it should; thou wilt find this true, if thou shouldst watch narrowly.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 10
“Common and vulgar people ascribe all ill that they feel to others; people of little wisdom ascribe to themselves; people of much wisdom, to no one.” — Epictetus
“A good man possesses a kingdom.” — Seneca (8 BC) — Thyestes, 380
“The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” — George Eliot
” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention of doing you good, you should run for your life” — Thoreau’s Law
“What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more.” — Seneca
“Before teaching others, before changing others, we ourselves must change. We must be honest, sincere, kind-hearted.” — The XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet, Address, 1982
“You’re not going crazy Arthur, you’re going sane in a crazy world.” — The Tick
“What then remains but that we still should cry
For being born, and, being born, to die?”
~~ Francis Bacon ~~
~~ The World ~~
********************************
Well, I did it. It’s done, and done as well as I can do it. Well enough, I shan’t trouble you here with any further nonsense, or sense, for that matter. I’ll just say, see y’all tomorrow, and be done with it.
Sure I will…. I’ll be back, ffolkes. That’s not a threat, unless you fear the truth….. Ta, then…..
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.
Miss Leelu the Giantess, A.A.L.I.H.O.M.*, Posing on her Tower
Hajime…. Oh, right. A.A.L.I.H.O.M.* = Already A Legend In Her Own Mind…. Wait ’till I figure out how post videos of her; you’ll either all be sick of her in no time, or she’ll become an internet sensation, make us both rich, and take us out of reach of the worst aspects of reality. Hey, who knows? It could happen, right? Sure.
Well, perhaps, until then, we’ll find something else to discuss. It might be tricky finding it in THIS brain, as I’m quite sure all the ones wobbling around in there just now are suspect, in some fashion or another. But, then, if not this brain, whose, may I ask? Why, nobody’s of course, or, in our case, everybody’s. Ooh, that’s subtle, isn’t it? I should be more careful; I could hurt myself with something that sharp so early in the process. I hate blood on the keyboard.
Why, golly…. I seem to be completely unable to find any sort of rhythm, direction, style, or mode that will get us anywhere. Everything so far has gotten us nowhere, if you don’t count further down the page. Even that is minuscule, in relation to, well, just about anything bigger than a doll’s severed head. Gotta be careful with those, too; they’ll talk to ya, try to fool ya into doing weird stuff. Better than leaving the head in place, though. You don’t want to know.
I’m certain now I don’t want to know anymore, either. In fact, if pressed, I’ll never admit I did, so don’t count on me as a corroborating witness, unless you’re talking about witnessing consistent examples of rampant stupidity, about which I’ll testify at the drop of a cliche. But, for now, you lucked out because I’m sick of this shit. It just won’t gel, and what’s a morning Pearls without a bit of gel, I ask you? So, without even waiting for Luigi to get here, I’m taking us out to the oyster beds myownself. Don’t worry, I’ve completed MOST of the course now; what could happen?
Shall we Pearl?….
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” — Erica Jong
********************************
“After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Jethro Tull was another iconic rock band from the 1960’s & early 70’s, famous for hard, driving, rambunctious shows led by their charismatic lead singer and legendary flutist, Ian Anderson. I hope you enjoy another trip down my memory lane; never got to see them live, but, never missed a broadcast of their concerts on fm radio…. A rocking good time, ffolkes…. As we said then, dig it….
Oddly enough, I got a little sleep last night, near dawn. But, I still don’t have the wherewithal to produce anything particularly cogent, so, I’m sublimating with something from the archives. It’s a long one, but, worth another read, if only because the same shit, but a different day, is still going on; only the dates have changed…..
From 10/17/2013, entitled “Forlorn moments of epistemological apprehension….”:
First, a word from the Founding Fathers….
“I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” — Thomas Jefferson
Now, a bit of insanity, on the identical subject, from a more modern source….
“By all accounts, though, an end seems near for the impasse that has once again exposed a government so divided that it sometimes borders on dysfunction. Though the House failed to muster sufficient support for a conservatives-only bill in the GOP-majority chamber on Tuesday, enough Republicans there seem likely to join House Democrats to approve a bipartisan version if it can be approved by the Senate and sent to them. ”
http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Senators-closing-in-on-deal-to-reopen-government-4895884.php
I was reading the news last night, online, and the latest reports from the capitol say that a deal will get done prior to today’s deadline…. as it always does…. The difference in the deals that get done and those that don’t get done are relatively insignificant, in terms of real life; they only make a difference to those involved in whatever struggle is current. Nobody really understands any of it anyway… not the politicians who spout all the platitudes and figures, not the experts who supply the detailed analysis of those figures, and certainly not the public, who don’t even WANT to understand the complexities…. which is something the pundits know well, and, in fact, depend on to assist them in their endeavors…
“Morality is a private and costly luxury.” — Smart Bee
Sadly, this statement, though found without attribution, was made by an observer who knows human nature well, one who has obviously observed our history closely, drawing from those observations the only possible conclusion…. Society, as exemplified by its leaders, in both the secular and clerical arenas, loudly and boldly tout the twin concepts of morality and ethics, laying claim to them as if they were a coat left lying about. The noise they make in making these claims is generally quite noisome, to my ears, but, serves to cover their asses when later accused of impropriety; they can point to their strident statements as being proof of sincerity, though, logically, sincerity and morality have no real connection.
However, sad as the statement is, it is accurate, and never more so when looking at the budget crisis that we are witnessing today. The assholes who inhabit Congress, especially the conservatives in the House of Representatives, ( an oxymoron, if I’ve ever heard one…. ), DO NOT represent the people who elected them, not even close…. They lie to them, they steal from them, they follow their own agendas, but, they DON’T represent them…
How can they? They are not even in the same economic class as most of them, and never have been…. and, please, DON’T try to tell me you don’t think we have economic classes in this society…. Sorry, ffolkes, but American society is NOT classless, and never has been…. It has ALWAYS been separated into classes, based primarily on economic factors, with those who have more money having more influence and, more importantly, more rights, than those with less money…. The most cursory examination of history, of the world, and of this country, will show this as a fact of little possibility of dispute.
The average US income (which doesn’t give a completely accurate picture, but is useful to make the point….) is somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars ($10, 001 to $99,999, somewhere between the two….). This translates into a basic demographic breakdown of being a very few people making more than they need to survive, as contrasted by a very large number of people who are struggling to even eat on a daily basis…. This accounts for 99% of the population, and about 1% of the actual money available to that 99%….
On the other side of that coin, we have a few thousand people, the remaining 1%, who have 99% of the money, all making more than a million dollars a year, on average…. Of this small percentage, we find that ALL of the Senators, about half of the House members, and the President, of course, are all part of that 1% of the population, a part that has never had to worry about where their next meal came from…. I wish that this were not true, but, these are facts, with the supporting evidence available to anyone with a library card, so they can go there to look up the numbers….
Of course, the fact that they are “more successful” in economic terms is only proof, in their minds, of their inherent right to make the decisions for everyone else in the country, even though they have no real grasp of the needs of those people. The fact of their disconnection from reality cannot penetrate their sense of entitlement, and they fully BELIEVE in their own mandate…. “Somehow, it never hurts to step back occasionally and ask yourself “Am I contributing to the solution of the problem or aiding in making a bigger problem?”…. this is a process, and a question, that never occurs to them…
This is why I call them delusional, and can honestly claim that I believe them to be clinically insane; a person so disconnected to what is real cannot be considered sane…. except, perhaps, in an insane society. Making assumptions about having the right to decide about the wants and needs of others is a sure sign that one has an unreasonable belief in their own importance to the universe, an assumption that can only be termed as a delusion. This kind of behavior is one society cannot afford to allow, because, if nothing else, these types of delusions are dangerous to the rest of us. Allowing these “crazies”, for wont of a more accurate term, to act out their fantasies in the real world tends to lead to trouble for more than just themselves…..
“Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying! I grant you I was down and out of breath; and so was he. But we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616), King Henry IV — Act v, Sc. 4
I’m down, and out of breath, from shouting into the wind, at the mountain… A futile task, at best, I know, but, what else can one do at 5 AM? Mountain moving is my specialty, after all…. The truth of the matter is, after two hours by Shrewsbury clock, I’m tired of shouting at the mountain; it’s hard work, to little effect. I suppose it’s all I can do, and that is why I do it…. It’s cheaper, and, in the long run, less troublesome to my spirit and karma, than going out, buying a gun, and making a list of targets…. Less chance of getting shot back at, too…
There comes a time, however, when even I must admit to the futility of this particular task, and grow a bit discouraged…. I’m just not the kind of person who can give up completely, though, so, I’ll be back to rant on this subject another time…. “They” are always out there doing something on which I can comment. For the time being, I’ll leave you with this final lament…
“The world has taken on a thickness of vulgarity that raises a spiritual man’s contempt to the violence of a passion.” — Charles Baudelaire
********************************
Made from broken bricks and spit….
I could dodge a bullet train, easy,
if I could find one to dodge.
They aren’t so easy to find, you know
in so unloaded a station as this.
It isn’t like I don’t appreciate the effort;
it isn’t much of a goal anyway.
I only made it up that way to see
if anyone was listening to me.
I never know, you see,
behind all these electrons.
I can only wish for magic to exist;
it’s the only wish I have left.
Wishes make me think of horses.
Funny, huh?
Maybe by the end of this stanza
I’ll find a poem.
Nah.
But I don’t care anymore.
If I did,
it would sing
like the moon in November
Mightier than the sword
I take up my pen.
Oops.
Sword bought a gun.
Try NOT to laugh.
~~ gigoid ~~
Kinda strange, huh?…. Well, you would be too, in my state…. Fuck it; I like it…. Does that make me perverse? So be it.
********************************
I like this one, and not just because it came together fairly easily (SB seems to be in a good space lately ~~ Yay!). No, it’s because it seems to be about the beautiful humor and sad irony that epitomizes so much in the average Life at Large of most human beings. As with any assessment, necessarily a generalization to some extent, this one probably has exceptions. But, I will point out that only helps to validate the connection there is to Truth in what I suggest. In any case, each one is worth the reading, so, that’s enough for me…..
This cowboy looked at me and said
With a sort of a smile,
A sorry hand is in the way all the time,
A good one just once in awhile.
~~- Cowgirl poet Georgie Sicking ~~
“Those who fear death most are those who enjoy life least.” — Edward Abbey
“If you turn on your side after the hour at which you ought to rise, it is all over. Bolt up at once.” — Sir Walter Scott
“A man is not old as long as he is seeking something.” — Jean Rostand
“In a fight you don’t stop to choose your cudgels.” — Skilled Bee
“Word is a shadow of deed.” — Democritus (400 BC)
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
“If you can’t solve it, it’s not a problem — it’s a reality that needs to be faced.” — Barbara Coloroso
“Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke.”
~~ Hermann Hesse ~~
********************************
Not bad at all, if one may consider all things, especially given my current mental state. Fragile is probably the kindest way to describe it, and, for the purpose of keeping to our purpose here, I won’t go into that any further. After all, this IS the ending, right? No time to start up new shit. I can say, though, I will be back again, because, in spite of how good this one may or may not be, it sure ain’t perfect yet…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; plenty of folks have tried to stop me, and all have died….
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 