Tag Archives: UK Guardian

Deep cracks in the Wall of Reality….

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Ffolkes,

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

ISS

The International Space Station

I’m so late getting up, this will never be posted on time; this you already know, if you’ve hung around here much. That, of course, is a dual-edged sword…. It means the material will be a bit more organized, possibly even more competently written. It also means, and this is the good thing, I don’t have time to worry over this intro, or it will never get done….

Therefore, today, you get a REAL intro section, merely here to brings us down the page far enough to stumble into the next section. We’ll even refund today’s fee for the pilot and vehicle, as we didn’t use them…. What could be fairer than that? Now, though, we must get on with the show, so….

Shall we Pearl?

Do everything with a mind that lets go.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world will have come to an end.

~~ Achaan Chah ~~


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

Image from logos.com via Google images

Leo Kottke is a legendary guitarist, not among the mainstream, but, definitely among other musicians, and his many, yet, eclectic group of fans…. A master of the twelve-string guitar, he has amazed audiences around the world for a long time. Here, he sits down with a younger, modern star, the guitar player from “Phish”, to carry on the tradition of music…. The You Tube page where the link leads also has him playing with a great many other legendary musicians, so, take a look around…. Enjoy, ffolkes….


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Mike Gordon (Phish) and Leo Kottke LIVE – 09/16/05 – Complete

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Dont keep calm

Image stolen from Talesfromtheconspiratum.com


Thanks, Tales!…


Today, rather than ranting, I decided to just provide y’all with some of what CAUSES me to rant…. Below you’ll find five links to different news stories I picked out from the news reader I use, which collates the news from a large number of outlets for me to peruse at my leisure…. This group of links will give the latest from the mainstream news on what’s going on out there in the BBR that could conceivably affect us all…. It’s all pretty crazy ffolkes, so, you may want to pop a Xanax or something beforehand…


Now, I think you can understand why I get so worked up…. Let’s go on, shall we?….

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Comedy_Tragedy

    Here is one of my most recent poems, written in February of 2014….

Blithely Untitled

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~


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About Hopi Indian Symbols

Kokopelli, Navajo Trickster Spirit


Smart Bee is, apparently, on strike. I’m giving it one more chance today to come up with some good pearls, usable for a last section old-school entry; it’s had four chances so far, coming up with ZIP!…. If it doesn’t happen, you’ll see one from the archives…. Either way, try to enjoy it, whichever variety/flavor we end up with; they’re all pretty tasty with mustard….

Still on strike, so…

From 2/7/2014:

Well, it came out… such as it is…. I think it may get some editing done on it, some day… for now, it’s fresh poetry, so treat it nicely, ‘kay?…. In the meantime, my ranting ability for today is rather limited, I think, since I can’t sit very long before having to get up to take a break… makes it hard to follow a close line of reasoning, necessary for a good rant…. So, we’re going back to an old-school variety pearl, just because I can, and I want to…. Besides, I think today, it’s for the best….

On previous occasions when I’ve tried to rant after writing a poem, or, in the mood I’m in, terrible things have happened, and regardless as to whether or not it may or may not happen again, I don’t care to take that risk today…. mostly because I’d be tempted to just leave the dead bodies where they laid, giving them no respect or burial…. Then, two days from now, I’ll regret it because of the irrevocable odoriferous nature of dead bodies after two days…. With THAT lovely image in your head, allow me to just move out of the way, as y’all stampede the bathroom, to give it up at the throne….

All back? All serene? Good, sorry ’bout that, won’t happen again…. Just enjoy the pearls, ffolkes, it’s the best way to get this done so you can get out of this mess….

“A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires.” — Henry Ward Beecher

“For it is mutual trust, even more than mutual interest that holds human associations together. Our friends seldom profit us but they make us feel safe… Marriage is a scheme to accomplish exactly that same end.” — H. L. Mencken (1928)

“Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.” — Pythagoras (BC 582-507)

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“One should always be a little improbable.” — Oscar Wilde

“A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires sooner or later always leads to bitter disappointment.” — Albert Einstein

“It’s a lot of fun being alive…  I wonder if my bed is made?!?” — Zippy the Pinhead

Okay, well, I like it…. so, it stays….

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Such as it is, it is done, and can now be posted, thank goodness…. I’ll even shorten this final part of the show to this…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Ham-handed & stupid? Sir, I resemble that remark!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Nadie tiene mas imaginacion que la realidad.”


(Nodody has more imagination than reality.)


~~ Miguel de Unamuno, “El Espejo de la Muerte”, 1941 ~~


Mars One 2025 settlement

Artist’s rendition of Mars One Colony, picture from Space.com






Today’s post is going to be a strange one, though, not to any degree unheard of in our case. That being said, we will also notify y’all we will NOT be engaging in any of our usual angst over the intro, since there won’t be one…. at least, not in any ordinary sense. What you see is all you get today, as I am operating under extreme conditions of hurry-up, without even the opportunity to explain why we are altering Reality in such an arbitrary fashion… In fact, we have to leave, now…


That’s all, ffolkes…. anything else is just going to have to wait…. For now, we are outta here, and on to the meat of the matter, such as it is….


Shall we Pearl?


“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” — Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) — Churchill’s Commentary on Man


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This video is one of my favorite pieces of musical tribute, with good reason, as it contains music from a great many of the world’s finest modern composers and musicians, all in tribute to a world cultural icon…. Plus, it was handy, making it quick, and perfect for today…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it doesn’t get any better than this…..






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Concert for George [2003] 











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Dont keep calm


    Since I don’t have time to rant, here are enough headlines from the last few days to depress anyone…. Y’all can fill in your own nasty remarks regarding the BRC and the Asininnies you may see in the following articles from the mainstream media…. I won’t say enjoy, but, I will say, stay alert…. You might even find a surprise!….




http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/02/los-angeles-police-shoot-dead-homeless-man-after-street-altercation?CMP=ema_565





http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/03/the-results-are-in-study-reveals-average-penis-size



That’s all, ffolkes…. any more would ruin the whole day…. Sorry ’bout that last one; I couldn’t resist….


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In the interests of speed, one of mine will have to do….






Savory 


Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore

   finds a niche, takes root,

tries to live longer than now, before

   chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.


Feathered into fecundity, another possibility

   builds a nest, hatches kin,

aims at immortality, sans responsibility,

   chance manifests, as it does, again.


Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,

   making tools, and lazy time;

solid signs imply such simple nativity,

   as another snitch drops his dime.


Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,

   covering hearts bloodied by time,

burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,

   turning love to brilliant rhyme.


Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,

   gaining weight with each year,

only the old men know the actual truth,

   peace comes only when we lose our fear.


~~ gigoid ~~




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This is the other group of pearls introduced yesterday in the fifth, old-school section of the Daily Pearl; chosen with carefully random parameters, this one seems to be a group of observations/instructions on life, very powerful taken together, with no little degree of snark to add some flavor, without actually detracting from the otherwise solidly dignified advice…. or, something like that….


In truth, as always, any true conclusions are left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…. As you may have observed, everything I have to say is generally either the whole and complete truth, the occasional false trail, or blather…. Hey, it’s better than ending on a rant, right?….


“Do not be overly emotional. All people have emotions, but do not be overcome by them as children are. Always guide your energy in the right channel without rushing over the rim.” — Ni Hua Ching


“Live your own life, for you will die your own death.” — Latin Proverb


“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.” — Thomas Carlyle


“The best rule of friendship is to keep your heart a little softer than your head.” — George Santayana


“When an opponent come forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.” — Morihei Ueshiba


“One sits down first, one thinks afterwards.” — Ah Yes, famous Dubioid scholar


“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.” — Aristophanes


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Well, I feel…. soiled and unclean…. I cheated so much, I’m going to have to go shower off when I finish…. Oh well, it’s done, which is all I care about just now…. I’ll do better tomorrow, ffolkes. Well, I’ll do it, anyway…. One way or another…. See ya….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3




 À bientôt, mon cherí….







		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Stories from the blank pages of history….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Primum vivere, deinde philosophari.”


[First comes life, only after that philosophy.]


~~ Latin for everyday occasions ~~


Lights over Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland-UK- Owen Humphrey-PA

Northern Lights over Dustanburgh Castle, Northumberland


UK Guardian, February 2015, Owen Humphreys PA






Damn! Damn, damn, damn!….. and, damn, again….


Nope, it didn’t help, though, it should have. Seldom has a series of epithets, so powerfully expressed, been found to be so useless. Today, such vituperation apparently offers nothing; nothing, at least, to relieve the frustration built up by thirty minutes of staring at the blankest damn page I’ve ever seen…. or, maybe it’s just my mind that is so blank….


Hmm….I see the vast, empty white space, filling my mind with terror, has spread all the way to the title today…. THAT’s when we know it’s too late…. when what is in my head leaks over into the title, it means we’re in big trouble, right here in little China…. or, was that River City? Good movie, either way…


Also either way, it’s another day in the canoe, riding familiar waters of a well-known creek, without the proverbial, or, even a literal paddle… Of course, many of us are becoming accustomed to such days; anyone can come to accept, if not exactly appreciate, even the foulest, most odoriferous of environments, if that is the only type gracing our nostrils…. (Wow, what an awkwardly phrased sentence!…. it’s amazing it got all the way to the end of the sentence….)  People are odd that way; we can get used to almost anything, if we must endure it for long…. There are far too many examples in history to think otherwise; such stories are plentiful, though, not on the blank pages….


Hmph…. Imagine that. A small spark of inspiration just struck me; no worries, there’s no blood. But, it did remind me I DO have things I could relate in this section, as I had a visit yesterday with the grandkids…. I’m not so cruel, however, as to subject y’all to hearing how big they’ve gotten, or the latest cute stuff they’re learning to say, to my son’s total embarrassment…. You see, the little spark also lit up a small additional piece of information, regarding intros, and the ever-popular emergency exit method #4, which we’ve been forced to apply two or three times of late….


How does that work? Easy, just like this…..


Shall we Pearl?




“What you cannot enforce, do not command.”


~~ Socrates ~~




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Today’s video choice has three superstars of the classical world playing together…. If this doesn’t fill you up, you need to learn to relax a bit more…. Exquisite!…..




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Beethoven: Triple Concerto (Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim, 15.02.1995) 
















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I got nothin’…. nada, zip, zilch, not a damn thing wandering around in there…. Y’all know what THAT means…. a trip to the archives… Today, we’ll go for something a bit lighter than the usual faire…. Ah, just right…..


From 9/7/2011:





Morning muse


A Morning Muse




Sometimes, when I’m alone for a long while (it happens pretty often these days), I admit that I talk to myself. I’ve heard all the cliché responses to that remark, having worked in the mental health industry for many years, so let’s just sail right on past those and consider what I actually mean by that. I think all of us do it, though many would say they probably would enjoy it more if they didn’t answer back. However, giving that the attention it’s due, what I’m talking about are, more or less, complete conversations, with all three of the sides part of any argument being expounded by yours truly, unashamedly, often with elaborate accents and voices.


It’s really okay. I’m not crazy; who would know better than me, right? One day, I just realized, only when I talked to myself could I really relax, and be myself. I mean, who understands me better than me? Who can better formulate rational and reasoned theories to explain even the most outrageous questions I can ask myself? Who won’t be offended by even my most base and bestial impulses? Who won’t be mean if I ask a dumb question, or make an obvious mistake out of ignorance, or, advancing senility? And, who will ever make me laugh at myself, if I don’t? Of course, the only question that ever really gets answered is, “If I don’t talk to myself, who else is likely to do so today?” And I know the answer to that one already.


Now maybe this is all illusory; in reality, I’m not really having those self-induced delusions of adequacy. Maybe I’m channeling for some ancient Egyptian priestess and her demon lover, who are trying to steal my body, sending my soul to hell for all eternity. No, wait, that was an episode of Charmed.


Well, see? There you have it, first hand. The boy has finally and truly slipped around the bend. I HATED that show; after three minutes, the plot was apparent, with only special camera effects of which to take note thereafter, in between the 4-5 minutes of commercials between vignettes (well, and, who doesn’t take note of the witches’ wardrobes, or lack thereof?….). The very idea that I’ve been hiding that little  time-bomb in some dark corner of my mind makes me shudder to think what else might be in there somewhere.


Then of course, as we all might guess, Reality always asserts its’ presence. When we start to wander too far afield, it gleefully steps up next to our shoulder to administer a sharp slap to that really delicate spot right behind the ear. You know that one, right? The spot that just explodes pain into the side of your head, to remind us forcefully of what actually is something we must  not only believe in, but deal with, no matter our pitiable opinions of fair and unfair. Therein lies my challenge every day, when I ask myself when I wake up each day if I really want to get out of bed at all…..or will the demon lover take over my body, casting my soul into hell for all eternity, laughing, laughing at the poor, pathetic human? I suppose I’ll have to get up to find out….


Note from 2015: Naturally, Zippy has provided us with the perfect closing pearl for such an astute discussion, to wit:


“Will this never-ending series of PLEASURABLE EVENTS never cease?” — Zippy the Pinhead


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One of my own poems will do today; this one was written during the 2013 NaPoWriMo challenge, to write a poem a day for the month of April, 2013…. I made it through the challenge, with only minor cheating…. I like this one, though I don’t really know why…. I hope you like it as well….




Funny Bones


Dreaming the way home, lost, unseen,

from the dance, where

he felt so free, and clean.

Sorrow couldn’t find him there.


Waiting, filling up the hours, hoping,

some connection can be found

keeping busy as bees, coping.

Love creeps in, without a sound.


Fat days, skinny nights, passionate

visions of semi-conscious entities,

cannot seem to fully illuminate

or hide our innermost frailties.


Resolute, find the perfect sense, codify

simple rules with every breath

never waiting, anxious to modify.

fear nothing in life, not even Death.


~~ gigoid ~~




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Smart Bee is on strike today, apparently; nothing at all came out when I asked for an old-school pearl…. Rather than fight with it, here is a pearl from the archives, to save the day, and a bunch of time we can find a use for later….


From April of 2013:


Having ranted today once, I’ll not subject y’all to another…. though there’s more in there to rant about, for sure…. I just don’t want to make y’all think I’m insensitive, or have become overly personal, or judgmental (read: boring….). So, we’ll fall back into default position, and put together a fresh pearl, with some kind of point, yet to be determined by my subconscious mind…. I just let that happen as it happens, as you know…. If you get the point today, be aware it’s worth extra points, and this one WILL be on the Quiz…..




we can never be born enough.

We are human beings;

for whom birth is a supremely welcome mystery,

the mystery of growing:

the mystery that happens only and whenever

we are faithful to ourselves.


~~ e.  e.  cummings. ~~




“The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination — but the combination is locked up in the safe.” — Peter DeVries


“One day with life and heart is more than time enough to find a world.” — James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) — Columbus




I see my life go drifting like a river

From change to change; I have been many things –

A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light

Upon a sword, a fir tree on a hill,

An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,

A king sitting upon a chair of gold –

And all these things were wonderful and great;

But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.

Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow

Lay hidden in that small slate-coloured thing!


 ~~ William Butler Yeats, “Fergus and the Druid” ~~




” Never eat anything bigger than your head.” — Kliban’s First Law of Dining


“I may not understand what you say, but I’ll defend to your death my right to deny it.” — Albert Alligator, in Pogo, 26 September 1951


“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” — Bhagavad-Gita (and Robert Oppenheimer)


Well, there you go…. If that isn’t obvious, I’m doing something wrong…. it’s not your fault, so don’t hurt your brain trying to figure it out. My insurance company refuses to cover self-inflicted mis-comprehension…. I do have some nice tea, though, if that will help…..


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As I sat today to begin, I was not at all sure how it would go; happily, with a bit of struggle, it went reasonably well, all things considered. To show my appreciation for such politeness from the Universe, I’ll not torment y’all any further today, but, will take my leave in a dignified, timely fashion… In fact, I’ll do that right now…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3






À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Off with their Keds!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Education is the best provision for old age.”


~~ Aristotle ~~


Germany moon

Supermoon over Germany, January 2015 (UK Guardian POTD Feature)




It’s nice to know I was already following Aristotle’s advice before I even read his quote. Sometimes, we get lucky…. In this case, I think what happened with me is the best, and most important piece of luck we humans can encounter in our lives, for it takes place before we have any real chance of understanding the bet, or the nature of the risk in gambling, much less the name of the game in which we are already involved…


Like all of us, we start out in the game without any idea of the rules, or who the banker/dealer might be, or exactly how we got into the game. We are playing a game with our very lives as the only currency, in a dark room, in a game with hidden rules, and a dealer who just sits there with his marked deck of cards, and most of the bank, smiling, smiling, smiling…. The game is rigged ffolkes, and most of us don’t know how to play anything more complex than 52 pick-up….. Even if we learn to play by whatever rules we can discover, the deck is marked, and the dealer has a mirror behind your chair. The odds are not good….


Cute, I suppose, but, hardly the way to life anyone’s spirits right off the bat, is it? It’s getting harder, each day, to keep from ranting here in the introductory section; the world has gone mad, mad, mad. I pride myself, generally, on being phlegmatic, when it comes to END GAME scenarios. An old scientific saying comes to mind a lot these days, as conspiracy theories abound; there is so much believable evidence of conspiracy, by the same group of people, over and over again, it’s hard not to bring to mind, to wit: “Never ascribe to evil what can be attributed to stupidity.” There are other variations, but, it is a concept that must be considered when coming to any conclusions.


Even that paragraph is probably too much for an intro, and, all it did was try to explain the paragraph before. SIGH, this sure can get out of hand quickly, can’t it? I’m not sure why; it must have something to do with writing left to right, and down… I think the “down” part influences reality in such a way that the first section of any piece tends to droop, as gravity pulls it down the page…. I don’t know for sure. but, that SOUNDS like it might be true, so that’s what we’re going with…. See, it’s not my fault!…. It’s gravity!


Okay, I apologize. That much pure, unadulterated silly is probably also too much. I guess I’ll give up again, and use #4 to get us out of here, before this goes somewhere we can’t get back from…. In fact, we’re bailing, NOW….


Shall we Pearl?


“In specifications, Murphy’s Law supersedes Ohm’s.” — Klipstein’s Law of Specification


Oh. No wonder, then….


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I found this video the other day when I used the one about the Pool Party, with all the Labradors having a ball in the water…. This one is even cuter, if possible….. and very relaxing, to boot…. We all need plenty of that these days….




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One Hour of Funny Dogs














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Dont keep calm



“Democracy is, by the nature of it, a self-canceling business: and gives in the long run a net result of zero.” — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish historian — Chartism (1839)


“I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.” — Thomas Carlyle


“Three elements of modern civilization: Gunpowder, Printing, and the Protestant Religion.” — Thomas Carlyle


At first, when I first heard the latter quote, (literally heard; I first encountered it in a BBC mystery movie, quoted by characters in Gaudy Night), I thought Mr. Carlyle was being completely straight-faced and serious, marking him as one of those who partake in all three, which are the tools, and the means by which the elite ruling class has achieved practically complete domination of the entire world. However, given the first two quotes, also attributed to the learned gentleman, it may be he was speaking in a rather more critical vein, as it should be.


Those three elements provide all that is needed to control almost every person in the world, in one respect or another. For those who subscribe to the philosophy of those in power, with their ability to rationalize any action to suit their own needs, regardless of the effect on ANY other entity, no act of cruelty, manipulation, or abuse of trust is unthinkable. In point of fact, all three of those qualities are rewarded; the more one is able to assume, and collect resources and power by lying, cheating, or otherwise breaking trust with others, the higher in the echelons of court sycophants they rise, becoming ever more removed from other people, and their own humanity.


Gunpowder to provide the physical means to intimidate, to abuse, to kill, in the name of the state, or a religion, or other principle which serves the purposes of those who make the money by keeping the world in conflict. The more wars that occur, the richer they become, because the own or control the armories, the manufacturing plants, the marketing to buyers of weapons of mass destruction. One small statistic: the US spent $750,000,000 per day to bomb the ISIS group in the middle east. That is the amount for ONE day, in ONE war, by ONE country to wage war, which sounds like a fair number to use as a base line cost for a day of war between nations, UN recognized, or not….


First, who got the money our taxes were spent on to buy guns, bombs, etc.? Why, the arms dealers, and bankers, of course. Second, multiply that huge, insane number of dollars by the number of days in the year, and the number of wars happening around the world, to get a number that will astound you…. That’s just ONE year….., and ONE day’s take. If more than one war is going on at once, well, that might add up even faster, now, wouldn’t it? Or, is my math off somehow? I was always pretty good at basic arithmetic, which is all this is…


Printing has helped the predators in our species without limit. You see, they know the power of a lie, and they know how gullible the average human is…. so, printing allows them to spread their lies farther and faster than they had ever been able to do before, in all of recorded history. Now, with the advent of computers, the misinformation and obfuscation of which they are capable becomes literally incalculable… In this process, their most favored, and most efficient, AND effective cadre of supporters, sycophants, and, quite simply, snake-oil salesmen, and shills have always come in the form of religion, of which the Protestant Religion has done more to enslave mankind than any previous organization of that nature, except perhaps the Catholic Church….


Need some proof? Hell, one of them gave us a pretty clear example of how they do it, about a couple hundred years ago. It is a statement almost everyone has read, in school, yet, nobody ever seems to remember it as it keeps happening, over, and over, and over, and over, and, well, you get the picture…. This asshole, the highest ranking member of the Church of his time, after the Pope, said once:




“If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, 


I will find something in them to hang him.”


~~ Cardinal de Richelieu ~~




Uh oh…. I think I just heresied on several important religions. Oh well, such is Life. Onward….


The Protestants, though, were the strong right arm of the elite during the Dark Ages, then, continued their complete over-mastery of the public mind in the Renaissance, into the modern era; no church has ever been so strongly allied with the governments of the time, save the aforementioned Catholics… but, the Catholic Church concentrates on robbing the poor, in such a way they remain such their entire lives, all for the promise of Heaven in the next life. The Protestants do the same for the middle classes, as well as for those of the upper classes, who are directly under the spell of those actually in charge, who manipulate them all…


  I saw an interesting graphic picture the other day on my buddy Lou’s site, (https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/impressive-vs-very-impressive-gates-and-rothschild/) showing the real story behind the story of the income gap we are hearing so much about these days; the monied classes, having secured as much power as they feel they need to secure THEIR future, are not hiding their machinations quite so much, (it has become a bit harder to do with the Internet available to so many people now, which can expose those pieces of clear evidence which indicate the true state of affairs).




Check out a rather scary piece of reality, ffolkes….




Bill and Evelyn

Click to enlarge, to read the fine print. You need to read it all.




I don’t know, what do you think? Is that obscene? Or nauseating? Maybe… No, most certainly, it must be BOTH obscene, and nauseating. As well as nauseatingly obscene. Obscenely nauseating also fits…. I swear, if either one of these assholes ever showed their face in my immediate vicinity, well, there wouldn’t be as MUCH of a problem left to deal with… except, I’m sure, the Baron, no doubt, has a relative or two that will also need to be evacuated from the gene pool…. The sooner, the better, if you ask me….


Enough for one day.Ta then, ffolkes….




“If it should become necessary to fight, 


could you locate me some rocks to throw at them?”


~~ Riker, “Contagion”, stardate 42609.1 ~~


We the People...


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


This isn’t a poem, in the traditional sense. But, knowing something about the Hopi, I would imagine the message is intended to be sung, in a ceremony over a course of time, with attendant sobriety and dignity. So, it probably SOUNDS like a poem, even if it isn’t exactly what we would think of in that way…. Of course, those of us who read this blog are, if not exactly all lily-white, we ARE English speaking; that does give us a handicap in understanding reality, from the Hopi/Anasazi/Aleuts/Apache/Chiricawa/Cheyenne/Cherokee, okay… a LOT of other tribes’. point(s) of view, which tend to be quite dissimilar to any Western European, or any other cultural point of view, from ANYWHERE else in the world….




About Hopi Indian Symbols

Message from A Hopi Elder


 Oraibi,Arizona


“You have been telling people that this is the eleventh hour.


Now you must go back and tell people that this is the hour!


And there are things to be considered:


Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in right relation?

Where is your water?

Know your Garden.


It is time to speak your truth.


Create your community.


Be good to yourself.


And not look outside of yourself for a leader.


This could be a good time!


There is a river flowing very fast.


It is so great and fast that there are those who will be afraid.


They will hold on to the shore.


They will feel that they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.


Know that the river has its destination.


The elders say that we must let go of the shore,


push off into the middle of the river,


keep our eyes open,


and our heads above the water.


See who is in there with you and celebrate.


At this time we are to take nothing personally,


least of all, ourselves.


For the moment that we do,


our spiritual growth comes to a halt.


The time of the lone wolf is over.


Gather yourselves!


Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.


All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.


We are the ones that we have been waiting for.”




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


Strange. Very strange, indeed. I’m not even going to comment on this one, at all…. Just play it as it lies; don’t work too hard at deciphering the meaning, and, all will be well…..


“It is more than a crime; it is a political fault,” — Joseph Fouche (1763-1820) — Memoirs of Fouche


“Get off the cross, Bob.  Somebody else needs the wood!” — Smart Bee


“A myth is a religion in which no one any longer believes.” — James Feibleman, “Understanding Philosophy”, 1973


“Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on.” — Steven Stills


“If you learn something by watching the mistakes of others, it just seems fair to make some effort to return the favor.” — Smart Bee


“Accomplishment is its own reward. Pride obscures it.” — Major Briggs, from Twin Peaks


“Every institution I’ve ever been associated with has tried to screw me.” — Stephen Wolfram


“I have found some of the best reasons I ever had for remaining at the bottom simply by looking at the men at the top.” — Frank Moore Colby


“Healthy mindedness is inadequate as a philosophical doctrine, because the evil facts which it refuses positively to account for are a genuine portion of reality; and they may after all be the best key to life’s significance..” — William James


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


One of my blogging friends sometimes laughs at me, calling me the champ of parenthetical remarks. Whenever she does, I think of this line:


“Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.” — Frank L. Visco, How to Write Good


I tell her, though, I’m not listening to someone who mangles English grammar & vocabulary so powerfully, (especially in ONE line), no matter how true the remark…. Also, I’m stubborn, (pretty damn serious about it, too….), so, no doubt, I’ll ignore it, and just plan on keeping her in stitches every time she stops by to read… So there…. Take THAT, milady!….


Now that I’ve completed the childish portion of the program, I’d best take my leave, before anything sillier comes over me. Y’all know how much Murphy enjoys spoiling my day. Before I become truly paranoid, let us be off, even further than we started the day…. Let us carpe that old diem!….. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3




 À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
A period of swiftly diminishing returns….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” 


~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~


Zack at Christmas 12-28-2012 003


     Gosh…. now that I really look at it, that’s a pretty nice picture, isn’t it? I put it there just because I had it, sort of; I took it a few days ago while on the way to visit with my grandson for Christmas…. a more memorable occasion than it sounds, as it is the first time I’d had the opportunity to see him at Christmas since he was born. I’m glad the picture turned out so nicely…. Now, when I get my printer up & running again, I can print a copy of this, as a reminder of the day….  The short video I shot will also be nice to have to look at when I think of him, or of my son, and our first holiday together as a family with three generations…. That’s a nice piece of serendipity….


Such a nice surprise helps; I’m still a bit unsteady, but, after a good talk with a friend, and a semi-successful battle yesterday, I feel somewhat more centered today…. There is more turbulence to come though, so, I’m not making any promises as to how much longer I’ll feel like doing this…. At the moment, I can see there is still too much inside me that will do better out than in (as almost everything is….), so, we’ll complete this Pearl before we make any binding decisions…. 


I can’t say for sure if that is good news, or bad news for y’all…. I suppose you’ll have to take Hobson’s choice, and be happy with it, won’t you? Besides, you’re stuck now…. We’ve already left the terminal, and are now 11,000 feet in the air…. Not a good time to head back to the ticket stand…


I won’t even bother to make any predictive statements as to whether or not I can pull this off…. I’m no politico, who will lie to you, straight-faced, without ever having any intention of doing what I say. Nor am I a bozo, (at the moment…. that may change at any time….), who will try to distract you with humor, or a mess, or a snack. I am, however, a realist, and a gentleman, so, that’s something, I suppose…. You can call me a fool, you can call me a radical, you can call me a cab, and that’s okay…. just don’t call me late for dinner….


“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” — Willie Wonka


It is an established fact that nonsense has saved my sanity on a number of occasions, too, so, we’re rather fond of it around here…. Not that we depend on it very often, but, it serves us well, and is always welcome…. In this particular case, it has saved us from the ignominious display of maudlin reminiscence, or otherwise mildly embarrassing emotionally-charged crap that might otherwise have ensued…. Whew! It may not be apparent, ffolkes, but, we just dodged a big bullet, I think…. So big, I think we’d best get on with this, if we have any hope of ever getting done…..


Shall we Pearl?


“He who knows does not speak, He who speaks does not know.” — Lao Tzu


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


In an attempt to maintain some balance, let’s go with a bit more nonsense, okay?…. Okay!…. This is just about as much nonsense as can be found; these fools need no introduction, I should think…








The Three Stooges — Three Little Pirates (1946)


































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


“The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.” — Oscar Wilde, _Intentions_, “The Critic as Artist.”


I would bet that 99% of Americans alive today are completely unaware that they are at war, not with any foreign powers that wish to destroy our way of life, but, with various branches of their own government, which has been treating them as adversaries since the end of WWII, when the NSA first began its ongoing campaign to monitor ALL communications between ALL people in the ENTIRE world….


At this point, they have been approximately, (from what I can surmise from what information is available…) 75% effective in learning methods to intercept and utilize the information that is exchanged between people, via telephone, snail mail, email, internet data transfers, even private conversations, face to face, in almost any place, anywhere in the world, if they so desire…. It takes extreme measures to communicate with anyone without them having access to the information that is sent and received; a very few encrypted systems, and a very few physical places on the planet which are safe from their eyes, ears, and electronic surveillance technology….


Be afraid…. be very afraid..


Still not convinced?…. Try reading this, and some of what has come before in this saga….


http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/26/aclu-nsa-documents-christmas-eve-lessens-impact


Well, duh! Of course they did…. After the article, there is a group of good articles summarizing timeline events in the ongoing saga of the NSA, and its ongoing war against the American public…. as well as the people of the entire world…. Nobody is safe from their prying, at all, and they continue to distract, hide, and fight any attempts to either rein them in, or shut them down…. But, then, what did we expect? Moral, ethical behavior? From the same people who have been doing this for over 65 years?…. I think it’s more than a bit naive to expect any such thing….


I wish I could come up with a solution that didn’t involve killing them all; that only plays into their strengths, and puts me at their level, karmically speaking…. Not going there, yet…. The day may come, but, for now, I’ll keep on shouting out whenever I see their chicanery, and encourage any and all trouble we can give them in return, without abrogating my own standards…. a tough row to hoe, but, been there, done that, so, oh well….


I had thought to let this go at this point, but, the following article caught my eye, as more proof of the lies, and the disregard for our rights that has been the hallmark of this “transparent” administration, under which we have lost more of our freedoms, than under any previous president…. and that, sadly, includes BOTH of the Shrubs…. This article describes how little they care anymore; they aren’t even bothering to pretend not to be hiding information….


http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/the-nsas-ongoing-effort-to-hide-its-lawbreaking/384079/?single_page=true


Excerpted from the article:


“These actions do not represent mere violations of NSA policies… but willful violations of the law… If you, citizen, were caught illegally using an NSA database to check up on that girl you met on OkCupid, what do you think would happen?


Do you reckon that you’d get a cease-and-desist letter — or that you’d be scooped up by a team of thick-necked men with very short haircuts and dumped in the darkest oubliette Uncle Sam has available? …This is an inversion of the right order. In a sane society, people entrusted with state power — from NSA agents down to traffic cops — would be held to a higher standard rather than a lower one, and sanctioned more severely for wrongdoing rather than less.”


“The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power.” — Daniel Webster


Unfortunately, ffolkes, it’s too late; this happened a few years ago, when the Supreme Court sided with Wall Street, and approved the formation of Super PAC’s as legitimate organizations, with full sanction to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the election process…. The Supremes, you see, were one of the first branches to fall under the influence of corporate money, back in the 1800’s when they first approved the laws that made corporations “people”, ensuring that corporate rights would be preserved over those of humans….


Oh well…. Since there’s nothing to be done now, unless I want to buy a gun, I guess I’ll just go have a whiskey, or twelve, and try to forget it for a while…. Well, that, or I’ll find more articles, and be back again to rail against the assholes who are killing us all, and don’t care, as long as they can get theirs….


“How many Kennedys does it take to change a light bulb? None, at least until we get some corroborating witnesses.”– Smart Bee


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


This is another of my own poems, recently rediscovered, so to speak…. I thought at first this was a different poem, but, the title is a metaphor, which I’d forgotten…. It refers to Asininnies, and their shenanigans on the public stage, not the weather….


From 9/18/2012:






November Dreams of Spring


Crass and cold, the beggar finds me swollen, so frail and fat 

with painful stepping motions, running, like a Republicrat.

Building with straw and spittle, should artists come aground,

we all pay heavily, a billion for a bloody pound.


Too desperate, too ashamed to play such a part

We ask for belief, and sweet liberty, dressing up so smart.

It falls between the simple cracks, always in a hurry

To find a shrunken ego, ashen, swift, and full of worry.


Never there was a more penitent group, such a sterling way

To fast in luxury, making sure the guilty enter, but do not stay.

Forgotten gods can find their diffident suitors tonight

With dream-fitted convention, and a natural sense of delight.


For all the silken babies cried, to see the broken dreams of power

forgiven moments of certitude serve, filling up the maiden’s bower.

All the patient, loving veterans of ancient foreign time,

give up their first impressions, dying, dying for a rhyme.


~~ gigoid ~~




Odd, isn’t it, how we sometimes fall into a trance to write…. or, maybe that’s just me…. ah well, regardless, enjoy!….


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


The pearl you see below is one of the special ones… I know because it picked itself, so to speak…. It’s a bit hard to describe, sometimes, exactly how that works, but, the point to this one is pretty much made clear, if nowhere else, at the ending…. Enjoy, ffolkes, it’s all pretty good food for thought…. Personally, I like number five, too….


“Fear is strange soil. Mainly it grows obedience like corn, which grows in rows and makes weeding easy. But sometimes it  grows the potatoes of defiance, which flourish underground.” — Terry Pratchett, _Small Gods_


“Freedom is found in no form of government; it is in the heart of the free man. He takes it with him everywhere. — Smart Bee


“Alienation without must be accompanied by alienation within; that is the law for every social level, even individuals. To harm one’s fellows, even one’s enemies, harms you, takes away some essential element from your self-respect and self-image.” — Greg Bear


“We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery


“How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Odyssey of Homer, Book xiii, Line 375


“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.” — Edward Abbey


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


It’s done, and, while it remains a surprise, I’m going to take my leave, post haste, stage left, taking my sanity, such as it is, with me…. Not that it is of much use out here in the Big Blue Room, but, at least it’s safe in my pocket…. If things continue to look up, I’ll see y’all tomorrow…




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Visions of twisted shorts….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”


~~ Montaigne ~~


pluto-new-horizons-art


     In the past two weeks, or a bit more, I’ve been experiencing an entirely new kind of pain, to add to the already ample amount I have each day from my back, and hips…. The weather seems to aggravate the arthritis, so, during the times when the barometer is reflecting the conditions which bring us precipitation, my hands, shoulders, and skeleton at large have begun to ache, severely, for long periods of time, ultimately reaching what seems to be a crescendo of pain, where my entire skeleton sings to me of its agony, in no uncertain terms…..


This pain is quite rude, too, in that it pretty much ignores anything I take for it…. The only help seems to come from edible cannabinoids, which is problematic, in that the dose needed to deter some of the effects of the aching joints is sufficient to make me very drowsy, and ready to sleep…. That might be okay, but, it happens in the middle of the day just as often as at night, and I can only sleep so much before even THAT causes more pain, from lying down too long….


Getting these Pearls done has been a nightmare of some proportion, much of the time…. I work on them a day ahead, doing as much as I can before the morning, so I don’t have to do much but write a few lines of introduction, then cut & paste the rest into the right formats for email, and for WordPress…. It seems to me to be a choppy way to compose, but, it’s been working, mostly, so, and, since I don’t have any choice, I’m good with it, as long as my readers are…. Not that there are so many of them it would cause a huge reaction, should I cease to write altogether…. my reason for writing isn’t for them, anyway…. I still don’t know where I’d be if not for this blog; getting a lot of this stuff out of my head has kept me sane for some time now….


So, why am I relating all this, which is probably TMI, anyway? I’m not sure, unless it’s to warn y’all I may not post every day from now on…. If I don’t, it will be because I am unable to write, not unwilling; I just wanted to make that clear…. It isn’t anything anyone should worry about; my pain is here to stay, so, it’s just something I must learn to deal with, no matter how bad it gets….. There is no cure for what ails me, as it goes along with aging…. and there’s no turning back the clock…. I don’t intend to let it keep me from doing what I want to do, so, I’m the one who must learn to cope with its effects….


That said, anyone out there who feels I should do things differently is welcome to say how; I probably won’t listen, but, you’re welcome to chime in with any suggestions you may have…. I’m of an age, and curmudgeon enough, I’ll most likely ignore anything that doesn’t fit in with what I already am doing, but, I’m compassionate enough to know it is well-intended, and will try not to make fun, or be derogatory in my responses…. It’s hard to be nice right now, much of the time, so, I do try to mitigate my responses to reflect less of my mood….


This much typing has taken me almost an hour, in short spurts, and I see I could keep going for almost ever…. but, I won’t…. I’ll mention that the picture, from Space.com, is an artist’s rendition of the Pluto research satellite, which NASA launched years ago; the craft has just been awakened from its hibernation to begin its research, as it is approaching the fly-by range of its cameras, coming ever closer to Pluto, and its companion moon/satellite, Charon after a long voyage from Earth orbit, through the entire solar system…. We humans are on the verge of real space travel, with the only question remaining the question of whether or not we will be extinct before we can get there….


For now, though, I’ve got a Pearl to finish, though it be made much of older, archived material…. which is all my hands will allow today….


Shall we Pearl?


“Slight not what’s near through aiming at what’s far.” — Euripides


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


Just a bit of easy listening to get me through the morning….







50 Golden Moments of Classical Music – The Best of Baroque – Klassische Musik 


































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




Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat,

Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe

That all was lost.


~~ John Milton (1608-1674) — Paradise Lost, Book ix, Line 782~~




http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/09/us-usa-cia-torture-idUSKBN0JM24I20141209?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/09/truth-guantanamo-torture-abu-wael-dhiab


Due to my inability to write enough to rant today, here is a shortened rant/old-school pearl from the archives, to highlight the idiocy/insanity implied in the above two articles, just two of hundreds on the subject in the news yesterday…. SIGH…. Same shit, different day….


From 8/9/2012:


Since I have already ranted, I’ll save you from another right away by giving this old school pearl…. These quotations all point in the same direction, and will lead eventually to yet another fine reason to mistrust the beloved ruling class…..




Then came the churches,

 then came the schools,

 then came the lawyers,

 then came the rules.


~~ Mark Knopfler ~~




“A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), “The Picture of Dorian Grey”, 1891


“People are always talking about tradition, but they forget we have a tradition of a few hundred years of nonsense and stupidity, that there is a tradition of idiocy, incompetence and crudity.” — Hugo Demartini, in “Contemporary Artists”, 1977


“People are very open-minded about new things  — as long as they’re exactly like the old ones.” — Charles F. Kettering


The Government is my shepherd, I shall not work. It maketh me to lie down on good jobs. It leadeth me beside the still factories. It destroyeth my initiative;  It leadeth me in the paths of the parasite for politics sake; Yea, though I walk in the valley of Deficit Spending, I will fear no evil, For the Government is with me; its doles and its vote-getters they comfort me.  It prepareth an Economic Utopia for me by appropriating the earnings of my grandchildren.  It filleth my head with baloney, my inefficiency runneth over;  Surely the Government shall care for me all the days of my life And I shall live in a Fool’s Paradise forever. — The Government’s 23rd Psalm


“By definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more.” — Albert Camus


No matter how you vote, a government still gets elected. — Smart Bee


That should about do it, I think….. if nothing else, one may get a clear picture of how I feel about government…..


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


To go along with the above (not a) rant, and today’s apparent theme(s), here is another fine poem from Ogden Nash, telling it like it is….




À Bas Ben Adhem


My fellow man I do not care for.

I often ask me, What’s he there for?

The only answer I can find

Is, Reproduction of his kind.

If I’m supposed to swallow that,

Winnetka is my habitat.

Isn’t it time to carve Hic Jacet

Above that Reproduction racket?


To make the matter more succinct:

Suppose my fellow man extinct.

Why, who would not approve the plan

Save possibly my fellow man?

Yet with a politician’s voice

He names himself as Nature’s choice.


The finest of the human race

Are bad in figure, worse in face.

Yet just because they have two legs

And come from storks instead of eggs

They count the spacious firmament

As something to be charged and sent.


Though man created cross-town traffic,

The Daily Mirror, News and Graphic,

The pastoral fight and fighting pastor,

And Queen Marie and Lady Astor,

He hails himself with drum and fife

And bullies lower forms of life.


Not that I think much depends

On how we treat our feathered friends,

Or hold the wrinkled elephant

A nobler creature than my aunt.

It’s simply that I’m sure I can

Get on without my fellow man. 


~~ Ogden Nash ~~




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


This is the only fresh pearl today; even this was picked out in that haphazard fashion necessitated by dealing with unrelenting pain…. It didn’t come out too badly for all that, I think…. but, you can make your own judgment on that, can’t you?….


“Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance.” — G. K. Chesterton, The Speaker, 12/15/00


“Our virtues and vices spring from one root.” — Goethe (1749-1832)


“The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.” — Shirley Maclaine


“It is not the one with many possessions who is rich, but the one who has no needs.” — Philoxenos


“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson


“A noble spirit disdaineth the malice of fortune; his greatness of Soul is not to be cast down.” — Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375)


“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” — Seneca


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


I suppose I should finish this…. By the time I finished that last pearl, I had to take a long break, to feel my hands again…. Never mind…. I’m done, and I can’t, at this point, say whether or not I’ll be back tomorrow…. I hope so, but, I’m not going to get my hopes up…. if you know what I mean…. See ya, ffolkes, some time or another…. maybe….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Absolutely more fun than clotted cream….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“How you do anything is how you do everything.”


~~ Zen proverb ~~


11 001


         I don’t know about y’all, but, I am certain I’ve never seen an airplane make the maneuver you see in the above picture, ever, unless in a movie, or perhaps a military air show…. The g-force involved in a high-speed 90º turn, without slowing at all, is tremendous; without a calculator handy, I’d guess it to be in excess of 10 gravities, which makes it unlikely to be a passenger jet…. Yet, an hour after seeing it, there is no word on the internet about a mid-air chase by one of our jets…. nor, if jets were scrambled to chase, there would have been more than one….


I’ve watched the skies above this bay for over a year from this spot, and have never seen two jets so closely aligned in path, both on a path I’ve almost never seen any planes travelling…. Nor have I EVER seen any plane, of any kind, make such a hard turn at such speed, a speed, and a turn of which only a few planes are capable…. all military fighter jets.


It will be interesting to see if anyone else noticed it, and what explanations may surface to explain the anomalous flights…. More later on this….


Interesting, if a bit disturbing…. No word at all, not that I could find via Google. I’ll take a look through the news later, but, I don’t know what to think…. I guess, for now, I’ll treat it this just like an American faced with news from the Congressional front…. In short, I’ll close my eyes, sigh, and prepare to deny, deny, deny…. Oops, that’s ranting, isn’t it? Okay, so, I’ll just roll my eyes in frustration, and get on with life, another American habitual response to anything unpleasantly similar to thinking, or taking responsibility….


Oh, gosh, I did it again, didn’t I…. Hmm… well, it seems as if I’m not going to be able to finish this intro section without a short rant…. But, rather than give in so easily, I’m going to use an old technique, still present, but little used…. It’s called ownership…. Yep. I own this blog, lock, stock, and domain name, so, that means I’m in charge, right? Right. So, if I say we’re outta here, that means, we’re outta here…. And, that’s just what I’m saying….. So, we’re outta here, ffolkes…. Remember to hang on tight, and don’t offer your hand to any of the denizens you meet while on this boat, okay? You may  not get it back….


Shall we Pearl?


“It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” — Aeschylus


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


I shall now pull one of my covers…. I’m a Deadhead. Have been for many years. Oh, don’t worry, it doesn’t even show any more, and, it’s been years since I’ve felt the urge to wear tie-dye shirts. But, I still am a member at Dead Net, a registered user there, and still give the occasional Steal Your Face logo cup or t-shirt for gifts…. In addition, I have a large collection of live Dead cuts, taken by their fans at concerts throughout the years, all downloaded from Dead.Net, often during November, which is the month they give away a free download song, or cut (often long jams over 25 minutes….), every day during the month…. I’ve collected them  now for three years, and have a wonderful collection of some of their finest shows….


Here then, instead of a video link, which I’ve provided before…. is the link to the page where you’ll find the 30 days of the Dead, with all of the free downloads available via their own link….


It may not be your type of music, but, there are songs that everyone will enjoy, Deadhead or not, so, it’s worth a look, and a listen….. Enjoy!….










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


“Things which you do not hope happen more frequently than things which you do hope.” — Plautus (254-184 BC) — Mostellaria, Act i, Sc. 3, 40, (197.)


Yesterday, it was a Monday….  I made the mistake of updating my RSS feed reader, then compounded my error by spending some time reading the news around the Net…. I should have known better, but, I didn’t think;, before I could stop, I’d read article after article, each one more horrifyingly insane than the last, describing real events from different reporter’s viewpoints, all of which served to turn my stomach even more than the vertigo that accompanied my getting up to write…


So, I decided to collect a bunch of them, to put together a new-style pearl, complete with my own comments on the contents of the articles…. I’ll try to keep it short, but, as often happens with this kind of pearl, the size will depend on a) how much insanity is reported, and b) how much I can stomach before reaching my limit of self-abuse…. Let’s see what’s going on out there in the Big Blue Room….


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/nyregion/police-tactic-scrutinized-after-accidental-shooting.html?partner=rss&emc=rss


This tragic death can be charged directly to society’s refusal to acknowledge the basic flaws in how police are viewed, and trained, as well as to the failure by society to equalize opportunity for the disadvantaged, preferring, as it always has, to counter poverty with lip-service and charity to keep them quiet,  and disenfranchisement of the marginalized, to keep them poor, rather than actually trying to equalize opportunities for all…. There can be no winners in such a society, unless one calls moral and ethical bankruptcy winning….


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/24/us-usa-missouri-shooting-idUSKCN0J80PR20141124?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


More of the same, with the additional insanity of the Asininnies dragging it all out, making the situation more problematic for those in Ferguson; meanwhile, they are preparing the troops to handle the expected outcome when the usual denial of reality produces its inevitable dissatisfaction…. Even if charges are filed, they won’t be adequate, or just, and the public outcry, no matter what happens, will be activated, thus furthering the divisive reactions sure to envelop both sides of the issue…. In short, again, there can be no winners here….


http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/24/cleveland-fatal-shooting-fake-guns-brightly-coloured


So, what is society’s response to issues like this one, where another child is killed by a cop without the expertise to tell a real gun in the hands of a dangerous person from a child with a toy…. Why, we’ll blame the guns…. which has previously been likened to blaming wet streets for the rain…. Anything but fixing the problem, which can only be accomplished with by an application of knowledge, not ignorance…. SIGH… I despair often for the human species….



http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/23/suicide-bomber-kills-at-least-40-volleyball-match-afghanistan


Do I even need to comment on the degree of ignorance, particularly deliberate ignorance, plainly evident in every aspect of this story…. It is ALL a fucking demonstration of how dangerous such insanity can become if untreated, or left to its own devices by the tacit approval implied by denial of its existence…. Another huge SIGH escapes me, as I contemplate the depths of human perversity, and simple stupidity….


“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” — Bertrand Russell


In a separate issue, here is a discussion of a problem I addressed in a rant some few days ago, to wit: Bill Cosby and the societal-wide denial of misogynist behavior in society, including the failure of the media to report accusations against celebrities….



http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/business/media/calling-out-bill-cosbys-media-enablers-including-myself.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0


“A wise fellow who is also worthless always charms the rabble.” — Euripides, Hippolytus 428 BC


Gee, I hate to say it, but, I did mention the media bias against reporting bad news against celebrities, long ago…. But, then, not many folks read this blog, do they? S’okay, I’ll keep mentioning it, until it changes (not likely to happen soon, in other words….)….


There is a SOME good news, regarding some parts of society who are paying attention to how women get treated as a matter of course in this world…. to wit: abusively, especially for naming their abusers…. as this situation demonstrates clearly….



http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/11/24/3596159/oklahoma-high-schoolers-protest/


According to the author of the following article, there remains some hope of overcoming the flaws in human nature that have led us, and continue to lead us today, into ever deeper levels of depravity and insanity as a society…. He talks a good talk, but, I am not sure his conclusions are completely valid, given the stranglehold on reality held by those in the seats of power and wealth…. They will not give up their supremacy without a struggle…. nor do I see them changing their nature at this late date…. But, he (the author….) is young, and not yet worn down as much as I from having observed this circus for so much longer….


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/24/grotesque-inequality-greed-human-nature-capitalism


“Most people in this society who aren’t actively mad are, at best, reformed or potential lunatics.” — Susan Sontag


Now, to finish this mess (what else can we call it by now?….), here is an article that, quite simply, proves positively the world we live in has gone stark, raving nutters…. I kid you not, there is nothing you could possibly tell me to convince me otherwise, when our society blithely accepts the validity of a public discussion of vaginal odors….


If you can stop laughing long enough, feel free to comment…. I’m not sure I’m able to say anything profound at all in the face of such….. hell, I can’t even think of a word for how fucking stupid this is…. See for yourself…. I’ll confess, I gave up reading in paragraph four, as I had to pause for a rush to the commode, just in case I lost my breakfast….


http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/24/sweet-peach-vagina-smell-like-fruit-taste-diet-coke-probiotic


In light of such proof of insanity, I leave you with the following, an old observation from one of history’s acknowledged sages, a thought it would do us all well to remember in these trying times….


“No human thing is of serious importance.” — Plato


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


Since everything so far included today is fresh, we are compelled to go with one of my poems, again, to avoid any backsplash onto anyone else’s reputation…. Here is the latest poem I wrote, just a couple of months ago, that seems to fit in with today’s efforts….




A dream, weeping….


“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said

with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.

“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….

what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”


So, we plucked up our dreams of old,

to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,

stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,

for luck, and perfect proof against charms.


Storms follow the sun,  but, never stay; 

lessons round every corner, all free.

Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,

the journey becomes the reason to be.


Simple kindness manifests untold riches,

in defiance of common cause’s demise.

Bold courage, hanging in stitches,

mends wounds that come as no surprise.


Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.

Too much pain cannot apprehend

the salient, sharp points of epiphany,

nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.


Folly dogs even the simplest truth,

fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,

alienated as a loose rotten tooth;

it often hides itself, for a long while.


Sought after eons ago, we cried out,

to believe, to suffer no more doubt.

But found instead good reason,

for love, and truth, from season, to season.


~~ gigoid ~~




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


Below you’ll find a pearl that can only be described as “strange, but, wonderful”…. I am completely clueless as to its provenance; SB picked them out. Nor do I have any idea what it may mean, but, hey, it all SOUNDS good, so, we’re letting it fly solo…. Enjoy, or not, as you wish…


” … for these truths hold good for everything that is, and not for some special genus apart from others.  And all men use them, because they are true of being qua being …  For a principle which everyone must have to understand anything that is, is not a hypothesis …  Evidently then, such a principle is the most certain of all; which principle this is, let us proceed to say. It is, that the same attribute cannot at the same time belong and not belong to the subject in the same respect.” — Aristotle


“I know! I’ll transcribe the conversations between the voices in my head and send them to you!!!” — David Borenstein


“Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma.” — Smart Bee


“I hear the madness comes slower in the light…” — Killian


“By letting go, it all gets done.” — Tao Te Ching


“As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 1




How admirable, he who thinks not, 

Life is fleeting, 

When he sees the lightning!


~~ Basho ~~




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


So be it…. gigoid has spoken.


Moreover, he’s done so quite enough for one day…. To continue in that vein, we’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Patterns of immoderate concern….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“All cruelty springs from weakness.” — Seneca


Inverness and Invergordon 007





Having slept, I arise. Rising, I begin to think… or, a reasonable facsimile thereof. It doesn’t help, just as expected, but, with admirable perseverance, I booted up the computer anyway…. You may thank me, either now, or later, but, have no doubt, you will do so, either for what I’ve said, or for having stopped in the telling. It will be, as always, your choice, though, I’m guessing, it won’t make the decision any simpler, or cause any less fear in your heart…. though “fear” may not be the exact word to describe the depth of your feelings about what has transpired….


There, are y’all nervous now? If not, I’ve done this wrong…. Since the intro today isn’t normal, by any means, I suppose I should try to explain. But, I won’t, because I don’t understand what is happening any more than y’all do; my fingers seem to by doing just fine without my input. I would guess it has something to do with today’s rant, which is a subject of large importance in my world…. Whatever the reason for it, it’s playing hell with this morning’s routine, which was already a bit off kilter due to yesterday’s bout of shoulder and hand pain, which reached some new highs….


Today, though, is not as bad as that, so far, but, I’d hoped to begin differently…. So much for my obviously mistaken idea of being in control of this process; my subconscious has clearly decided to assume its own degree of control, without bothering to let me know here on the conscious level, where I had THOUGHT we were to spend the day…. But, NOOOOO, there has to be a new direction, chosen without any conscious input, which is guaranteed to piss me off…. I mean, it isn’t too smart to think it could put it past me like this, without at least making a token effort to give me a head’s up…. I AM in charge of this ship, even if there is some doubt in some quarters as to the veracity of that statement…. I’ve got it in writing, so there….


Yes, yes, I know it’s getting a bit thick in here; tell it to the monitors…. I’m just trying to wrest back the steering wheel from my subconscious, which has the erroneous idea it’s going to be in charge today…. In fact, it’s being so insistent, we’re going to have to take a moment here, so I can draw it aside, to let it know, in no uncertain terms, what will happen if it doesn’t straighten up and fly right…. In fact, I’m going to do that now, as it is the perfect moment to retake control…. Hang on a moment, please, while we go into the other room to discuss this….


Okay, I’m back, and everything is squared away…. We’ll get the message out as to the rant my subconscious has in mind, but, I will be the one directing the bus, not my subconscious, which, though it believes otherwise, has no talent at all for driving a bus of this size and complexity…. Driving a toy version isn’t sufficient training, not when there are others involved, whose presence on the bus my subconscious tends to discount, or resent…. It isn’t their fault; they just don’t spend enough time in Reality to have a good grip on what is needed to survive there…. which is why they call it the SUB conscious mind, after all…


Okay, now that we’re fairly well lost, I’ll take over, and get us off this path, and back on the correct one to lead us where we need to go today…. Hopefully, it didn’t take so long we lost our morning group of Gentle Readers…. In any case, I see our opening coming up, so, let’s get on with it, okay? I need to get this slow on the road…..


Shall we Pearl?


“We who revel in nature’s diversity and feel instructed by every animal tend to brand Homo sapiens as the greatest catastrophe since the Cretaceous extinction.” — Stephen Jay Gould


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


I’m in the mood for some classic rock, and there is no better example than this album, from the glory days of that genre….. This album is considered by aficianados to be one of the best examples of a live concert album ever created…. not to mention the tour, which was considered to be one of the best all-time performances by a live band…. On the page where this is found on You Tube, there are a number of fine albums from the period, which should provide y’all with some great music for your day…. Enjoy!…..






The Grateful Dead Europe ’72 /Disc One (November 5,1972)




































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


jimmy sez

In the last week, one of America’s most revered cultural icons, Bill Cosby, has been revealed as a serial rapist…. Now, there are many people out there, even some reading this, who might think it is premature to name him as such, given the lack of legal convictions, or even charges brought against him in the past…. However, I am of a mind with Abe Lincoln, one of of many who famously believed, “if it looks like a dog, it smells like a dog, barks like a dog, AND, as an added bonus, wags its tail, then it’s a pretty sure bet it IS a dog”…. Let’s be realistic, ffolkes….


Even if only one woman had come forward, or two, it would still be a charge worth investigating, since it DOES, in spite of long-term denial by most of society, comprise the single worst crime I can think of; when more than ten women all tell the same story, with little variation in spite of years between incidents, there seems to me to be little doubt they are telling the truth, given what I know to be true of human nature, and the unwillingness of society to acknowledge the depth of this problem…. (See the comment above, by Jimmy Carter….)


Having known a great many women who were raped, in my work as a psychiatric technician, I know it is all too common for those victims of rape to never report the crime, because American society, long run by men, with men’s rules, immediately begins a campaign to implicate the victim in their own crime, by implying, complete with snide accusations, the woman invited her attack…. I’ve read record after record after record, all with the same story, of a woman sexually abused, multiple times in their lives, yet never believed…. Whenever I hear a man saying a woman is responsible for being raped, in any fashion, I immediately suspect anything that man says…


If anyone out there can provide me with ANY evidence to refute the above allegations, feel free to say so in the comment section; I defy ANYONE to find proof my contention is erroneous. This society is sick, sick, sick, in the way women in general are treated…. Moreover, it is frightened, childish petulant MEN who have infested society with their ignorant, cowardly misogyny, writing their lies and rationalizations right into the fabric of the laws they claim protect the weak and innocent…. when, in fact, most laws are designed to protect ONLY the rights of men, largely regarding property, which includes, in most men’s eyes, women….


Fucking assholes…. Here are two articles, from a UK news outlet; I also perused another British organization, which also had complete coverage of the ongoing issue with Fat Albert’s alter ego, and his serial victimization of young/old/he wasn’t picky, seems like, women…. Almost every international news organization had coverage, while the American media, as you’ll see below, has, as far as they could, tried to ignore it, or play it down, for the most part…. The only article I found this morning was in the NY Times, written by a woman, and I’m thinking the only reason it made it past the editors of the Times was that it was about jokes, and the TV media coverage of the issue, which, so far, has been pretty mild, and careful not to offend Dr. Huxatable’s image….


I did see where some hack quoted one of the child stars of that show, who said he never bothered her…. but, then, predators usually don’t hunt in their own pack; they go elsewhere for their prey….


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/21/bill-cosby-rape-accusers-women-stories


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/20/bill-cosby-acused-sexual-assault-seventh-woman


I checked the NY Times, Time Magazine, Yahoo, and Reuters News Services, where this was the ONLY article about the subject…. It makes me think the American media is avoiding the issue altogether, while most of the cultural outrage and shock is discussed openly outside the borders of Bill’s influence….







Oops…. I should have refreshed earlier…. though I don’t back away from what I’ve already said about media coverage, I did find one more reasonable discussion of the Cosby issue, from what seems to be a reasonably rational man…. Of course, we all should remember this IS the internet, so, someone’s actual existence is not proven until we can touch them ourselves…. But. this is well written, and well-thought out, so, it is worth a read, if only to add information relevant to the discussion….


http://time.com/3599400/cosby-rape-black-icons/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29


Later in the day, more updates, with the American media finally chiming in to add to the numbers (now there are *at least* 17 accusers identified in the press around the world, all of whom indicated a similar pattern of stories, and further implications of the serial nature of the offenses….)


http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/bill-cosby-rape-accusers-speak-out-the-publics-mind-will-be-blown-20141121?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=112114_16&utm_medium=email&ea=YWxwaGFnaWdvaWRAZ21haWwuY29t


Of course, Bill isn’t the only sexual predator, or the only one in society who assumes it is normal to abuse women; society itself allows a culture to be fostered which encourages sexual abuse, such as rape, by consistent denial of the problem, made worse by official tacit approval of acts of individual oppression, by refusing to punish offenders, as well as allowing victims to suffer further abuse for speaking out…. and I am not the only one who is tired of it….


http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/rape-at-uva-readers-say-jackie-wasnt-alone-20141121?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=112114_16&utm_medium=email&ea=YWxwaGFnaWdvaWRAZ21haWwuY29t


Our male-dominated society makes it difficult for anyone who feels differently to make themselves heard; the way it accomplishes this ties right into the same methods used to oppress women, or any other group of vulnerable individuals, with denial, ridicule, and derisive verbal attacks from the ignorant and cruel as the primary weapons used against anyone who dares to speak out against men, or politicians, or police, or any of the protected members of the Asininnies… The very laws we live by were written by men, for the benefit of men only…. women, children, animals, and the planet at large are of no concern to these selfish assholes….


The following final link is just ONE example of how they maintain the atmosphere of fear that keeps the general public in line….



http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/20/police-legal-action-snooping-journalists


“There’s a tendency today to absolve individuals from moral responsibility and treat them as victims of social circumstance.  You buy that, you pay with your soul.  It’s not men who limit women, it’s not straights who limit gays, it’s not whites who limit blacks.  What limits people is lack of character.  What limits people is that they don’t have the fucking nerve or imagination to star in their own movie, let alone direct it.” — Bernard Mickey Wrangle


I see this rant has become a bit disorganized; this is partially due to the ubiquitous nature of the problem, which infests every level of society. It is such an infuriating subject for me, I tend to devolve into verbal abuse myself, though aimed at the perpetrators of these offenses, rather than the usual targets, the victims…. I get so angry, the only response I can come up with to resolve my anger at men in general is to go out, buy a weapon, and start the process of removing the culprits from this plane of existence, one by one…. It probably wouldn’t work very well, for very long, but, I’d sure feel a lot better for having relieved some of my anger against those who deserve it the most….


For now, though, I’ll let y’all get on with your day…. But, I’ll ask that you at least think about this, and try to see how the tacit approval of the problem by those who will not speak out is the basis of how the problem might be solved…. which will NOT happen until all those who now remain silent begin to speak up in defense of the weak and vulnerable among us…. In short, YOU, and I will have to make the changes, for those in power will never change, until they are made to do so by the rest of us….


Albert E & true sin


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


Here is a poem of mine that goes perfectly with the above rant; it was written with the subject matter firmly in mind….




Rhyming is better than lying….


It’s all too, too much, he cried

   I can take no more!

It’s all crazy, my brain is fried,

   battered, bloody, and sore.


Talking heads shout out hatred and fear

   jam for my morning toast.

Pointing fingers far, middle, and near

   enemies everywhere, almost.


Women, gays, and seniors fall prey,

   easy targets, slow and weak.

Convenient fools, wanting only to play,

   used, and abused, even as we speak.


It enough to drive me floridly insane,

   or want to buy a gun.

I may end up in jail, or in massive pain,

   but, oh, it would be fun….


~~ gigoid ~~




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


I’ve been so involved this morning in completing the rant, I feel like I need to shower before continuing to write…. Instead, I’ll sublimate by asking SB to find some pearls that are somewhat more optimistic about Life, and show human nature in a somewhat more attractive light…. There has to be SOME kind of redeeming quality to our nature, else why would we have all this potential goodness within us?…. Let’s see what we can see….


“Food, sleep, fear, propagation; each is the common property of men with brutes. Virtue is really their additional distinction; devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.” — The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.)


“It is an unhappy lot which finds no enemies.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 499


“If a man has talent and cannot use it, he has failed.” — Thomas Wolfe


“Remember what Simonides said,–that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD)

— Rules for the Preservation of Health, 7


“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)


“One man with courage is a majority.” — Thomas Jefferson


“[Freedom is] the power to live as you will.  Who then lives as he wills?” — Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.)


“Have in readiness this saying of Solon, “But we will not give up our virtue in exchange for their wealth.”” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — How to profit by our Enemies


“I must stand up in search of the truth, if I don’t I only roll with the flow of the lie and make it stronger.” — Sovereign


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


I’ve procrastinated to the limit allowed by law; being thus constrained, I shall yield to the demands of reality, to bring this to a close, ready or not…. I suppose, given what I’ve already done today, it is enough. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Soft reasons for hard times…

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“As empty vessels make the loudest sound, 


so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers.” 


~~ Plato (428-348? B.C.) ~~


scorpion





I am indeed a sucker for beauty, especially dangerous beauty, as this little piece of photographic art shows quite well…. Part of the London Daily Telegraph photo section feature, the Animal Pictures of the Week, from a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help saving it for my own files, so I could see it flash by now and again on my background, or screen saver, both of which use my photos as a slide show…. Such a tiny bundle of powerful destiny will always make a compelling subject for such a study, and serves to remind me of how dangerous life can be, both for those who seek out such beauty, and for the object of such beauty itself….


Since it is a bit early for such a deep subject, we’ll refrain from going any further in our exploration; damn good thing too, as I felt a huge rant there under the surface of those statements, just dying to come out to play…. Oops, time anomaly…. Duck!


Well, that was fun…. NOT! During a wrinkle in time that just happened here, I left the house to go attempt to persuade the Kaiser 24 hour pharmacy to give me my ordered medication and some diabetic test supplies. I spent over $20 and an hour and a half of my most productive time of day, for nothing but aggravation…. They refused to acknowledge any responsibility for their policies, and would NOT take the time to help me, though the evidence of their responsibility in the matter lay in the computer…


I am so angry, and frustrated, I can no longer contemplate writing today’s Pearl, beyond what is already done…. I’ve been working ahead a bit of late, so, most of it is done, but, it will just have to do as is, because I don’t have it in me to push past his anger right now…. So, if the rest of this mess looks a bit incomplete, or somewhat light relative to our usual product, well, sorry ’bout that, but, oh, well….


In fact, since there is an opening right there in front of us, we’re taking it…. I’ll try to at least proof what I’ve done so far, but, no promises…. Hold on a moment, ffolkes, we’re going in, so we can get done….


Shall we Pearl?


“According to my calculations, the problem doesn’t exist.” — Bumper Sticker


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


Today’s video choice will have to take the place of both section one’s usual video offering, and section two’s usual rant…. I’d write more on this subject, and will do so eventually, but, right now, this is what you get…. It’s actually good news, and actually gives me hope for a reasonable outcome from the FCC…. They’re under a lot of public pressure to get it right, and not cave in to big business…. Having the White House come out so strongly behind the people’s case will add a powerful voice to the cacophony…. I’ve included an article from the UK Guardian, which gives a decent rundown of the pertinent issues….







After receiving more than 4m comments from the general public, the FCC had reportedly been discussing a “hybrid” solution that would have allowed tiered services but imposed stricter rules to protect customers. The proposal met with stiff opposition from net neutrality supporters, who now have the backing of Obama.




President Obama’s Statement on Keeping the Internet Open and Free

































 




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You got it…. since I don’t want to take any time to search, it’s one of mine again…. deal with it….




Future Shocked:


Weeping, I wake; 

waking, I weep, I weep. 

I weep for the ages to be lost, 

for the children never to be born. 


Time comes calling, strident and spare, 

nudging us toward the future with bony hands. 

No pausing, no waiting, always away,

Frantic hearts unseen, unheard.


Spirits are dark, afraid. 

And the Beast hunts, hungry and cruel, 

seeking out the weak, and the foolish. 


We all weep now…..


~~ gigoid ~~




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THIS is a very odd pearl, with parameters unknown to me…. Smart Bee picked these out all by itself, and I haven’t a clue as to what it means….


“Philosophy, means, first, doubt; and afterwards the consciousness of what knowledge means, the consciousness of uncertainty and of ignorance, the consciousness of limit, shade, degree, possibility. The ordinary man doubts nothing and suspects nothing.” — Henri Frederick Amiel


“Juliet’s so happy and in love, but at the same time so sad and lonely. She’s totally neurotic. I could really relate.” — Alicia Silverstone, Actress, on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, 1995


“Perfection is a minor virtue.” — Edward Abbey


“A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind…” — Gibran


“If there is happiness on earth, it must be sought in the abode where we live.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) French Philosopher


“True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read; and in so living as to make the world happier and better for our living in it.” — Pliny the Elder


“And so the little freighter sat upon the sea, and, though Africa came closer day by day, the freighter never moved. She was old and weather-weary, and she had learned to let the world come round to her.” — Beryl Markham, West With the Night


Hmm… Well. There you go…..


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That’s all ffolkes… That’s all I’ve got in me, other than a shitload of anger, which y’all don’t need, don’t want, and won’t be burdened with, beyond this slight bit of whine here at the end…. I’m sure tomorrow will be, if naught else, different…. See ya…. I’m gonna do this before I lose my nerve….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
A Hound is on the scent…

			
						

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Ffolkes,


 


“The very flower of youth.”~~ Terence (185-159 BC) ~~~~ Act ii, Sc. 3, 28, (319.) ~~


surviving munchkins




     In the “very flower of youth”,  we find these seven people, who are, quite obviously, the surviving members of the Munchkins, of Munchkin Land, in Oz…. They had come, at great expense and effort, to Earth to be honored at the 75th anniversary of the release of The Wizard of Oz, the iconic movie with a young Judy Garland, and a cast of amazing versatility (the woman who played the Wicked Witch remains to this day the most well-known example of an evil witch in our culture…. no other comes close….). The surviving Munchkins, among them one of the Lollipop Guild, and the Lord Mayor of Munchkin Town, still appear to be enjoying life to the maximum…


Well, I guess the guy on the extreme left end does appear to be a bit constipated, but, hey, at their age, I can testify, and relate…. But, then, he’s also wearing what appears to be the costume of a religious figure, (note the bishop’s mitre on his head…), I suppose he’s a right to be bummed out…. or, maybe he’s just got some bad gas…. I’ll also note the huge grin on the Lollipop kid’s face should bring the old fella around; who can resist a face with such happy camaraderie in it? He certainly is enjoying being in the limelight again, even if only for a moment…. (The picture itself was taken from sfgate, but, I saw it all over the news at the time of the event…..)


Maintaining a happy outlook on life, when one stops to consider, is a very good attitude with which to approach getting old, especially if one is a Munchkin, or a dwarf in a society that places a premium on physical normalcy. I have no doubt that all of those actors spent many years struggling to make a living, at anything, much less acting; our society is not known for the morality, or the gentle hand, with which it treats the weaker members of the common group…. They would, no doubt, have suffered discrimination at the hands of those they probably call the Bigs, all of their lives, from the time it first became apparent they weren’t “normal”….


Having taken a vow to stop ranting in the intro section, I’ll stop that discussion there, before I’m tempted to speak further on the subject of societal morality, which, as we all know by now, is what might be called a shadow, in that it has little substance in the minds of most of society, and as much influence as the images we make when blocking the light, i.e., none to speak of…. That little blurb right there is edging too close to ranting, so, I’ll just use this opportunity to change the subject, before I get caught with my words down…..


That decision, sadly, leaves me no choice but to turn to my new-found, and newly established protocol of ruthlessness, which I’ve learned to embrace, at least for the times we encounter here, attempting to end these intro sections…. I’ve discovered such a hard line is completely necessary, and should have been instituted the first time it came before the board…. But, I’m stubborn, and hate to give up any right, even if the exercise of it is less than productive…. It’s just a bad habit to accept the abrogation of a right, any right at all, something those in our government would do well to remember….


Since I AM now a relatively ruthless person (compared to previously, anyway….), I will assume the stance, and proclaim the hour…. ‘Tis time to get on with this mess, or it will again take over, and we’ll never be able to show any influence over where we end up…. No telling where that might be, either. Since I see an opening, right over there, we’re going for it….. Sit back, and enjoy, ffolkes…. it looks like it will only take a triple-loop to get through the opening, so your seat belts should keep you safe….


Shall we Pearl?….


“If you understand, things are as they are. If you do not understand, things are as they are.” — Gensha, Zen Master


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I’m in the mood today for a bit of Sherlock and Watson….. Here is a good one, another story with horse racing as a basic element of the story….. Enjoy, ffolkes…. It’s a really relaxing way to spend an hour, and, it has NO commercials…. though there are pauses written in that indicate where they once were shoved upon the gentle viewer….


 


Sherlock Holmes – Season 5 episode 3 – Shoscombe Old Place





















 


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“I am quite sure that (bar one) I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed I know it. I can stand any society. all that I care to know is that a man is a human being – that is enough for me; he can’t be any worse.” — Mark Twain — Harper’s Magazine, September, 1899


After reading the following, it will be a good test of how alert, and informed, the Gentle Reader may be, to ask them if they are at all surprised by the information contained…. It’s a rather long article, as it covers a lot of obfuscation and chicanery by the corporate and governmental assholes involved; clarifying such murky waters can take a bit of care, and the article is quite thorough in presenting its arguments….. Read it, and weep….


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/intelligence-agencies-lawyer-client-abdel-hakim-belhaj-mi5-mi6-gchq?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2


In the article, you will find an embedded .pdf document, which, if all goes aright, you will see below, a scanned copy of the legal complaint against the spy agencies in the UK, where the suit against them is being pursued…. It clearly states which privileged legal communications between plaintiffs and their counsel were intercepted, and used (illegally) to build cases against those plaintiffs…. It’s pretty damning evidence, showing clearly the sheer disdain the governments of the US and the UK have for the privacy rights of the individuals who make up the population of their countries…..


 


 



 


Can you believe the sheer effrontery of the spies who cleared this shit? Sorry, vulgarity and expletives are necessary adjuncts to a rant like this one will be…. I’m relating, with evidence, the criminal acts of the very people who are supposed to protect our rights, and they are NOT going to like any of it…. They are creatures of the darkness; any light shone upon them hurts them, making them want to lie even louder, and scuttle off into the nearest crack in the wall or floor, to regain the shadowy confines of darkness, where they may plot, and plan their next round of abuse, and/or, theft….


I’m sick of these assholes…. Let’s go around the ‘Net, & see what else they’ve been up to, or into…. I’ll make a short comment on each, just below the links….


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342689/-South-Carolina-exit-poll-asks-whether-blacks-are-getting-too-demanding-over-equal-rights?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29


Once my mouth closed from it’s fully dropped-open-in-disbelief-and-shock position, all I could think when I saw this was, “Are you shitting me?”…. That was yesterday, when I first saw it; as I look upon it today, that is STILL my only reaction….


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342646/-Alabama-passes-law-banning-sharia-law-because-of-course-they-did?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29



As the title says, of course they did….. I think there must be a law on the books in Alabama that prohibits anyone with an IQ over 75 to live in the state…. which, if you think about it, is a good thing, as it keeps a large number of them all in one place, where they’ll be easier to keep an eye on, so they can be monitored for self-harm through ignorance….


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1342626/-Intensive-anti-voter-fraud-effort-finds-no-instance-of-actual-voter-fraud?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29


Yep…. out of more than a hundred MILLION votes cast at this election, the paranoid hate group monitoring the voting areas for fraud were planning to prove their pet theory, that the level of voting fraud was rampant, and a huge problem, which would justify both their paranoia, and their insistent efforts to take away the voting rights of the poor and disenfranchised citizens among us…. Working as hard as they could, they were able to come up, nation-wide, with eight instances they classified as fraud, five of which were a bit specious, as they dealt with broken voting machines, not fraud by any individual…. But, that was ALL they could find….


Let’s just look at that fractionally, which would be 8/120,000,000…. If we figure the percentage of occurrence of this HUGE problem, it comes out to a figure many thousands of times smaller than a single percent…. Boy, what a humongous problem THAT turned out to be….


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/06/1341593/-Cartoon-Christie-Cuomo-s-guide-nbsp-to-nbsp-Ebola?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29


The Cuomo/Christie fiasco surrounding “THE EBOLA CRISIS” explained, and made fun of quite well…


http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29950946


This article makes clear the police and intelligence agencies of the governments are working as hard as they can to penetrate the ‘Dark Net’, upon which the Tor Network is operated. The Tor Network (whose operation is explained in the article) is designed to be able to keep government snoops, hackers, or anyone wishing to look at private communications, from knowing where those communications come from, and where they go…. Naturally, this upsets the police. who want access to EVERYONE’s data, and computers…. They are apparently making progress, as this article relates how their latest attempts have gained them some ground in the quest to find a way to get into the dark net to follow all those who use it, so they can invade their privacy in their quest of complete power….



http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-binladen-seals-idUSKBN0IQ2RC20141107?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


I have to be honest. I didn’t read the last listed article, from the Reuters news feed, re: two ex-Marines, both of whom claim to be the one who killed bin Laden, simply because I didn’t wish to subject myself to the sheer ignorance, and complete cluelessness of the people involved in such a ridiculous argument… and, if I need to explain WHY, y’all haven’t been paying attention….


This is, perhaps, the single greatest public display of stupidity, not to mention amorality, EVER. Ever…. No body, in my extensive memory, or in my no less extensive store of  knowledge derived from reading, in history, has ever made such a completely asinine fool of themselves, right out where everyone can see and hear….


SIGH….. I believe I’ve made my point, ffolkes, so, let’s go on to something not so depressing…. Oh, shoot…. by saying that, I won’t be able to use one of MY poems!…. Oh well, I’ll cheat…. it’s easy, and y’all can’t see what I’m doing anyway….. or, can you?…. Hmm, I’ll have to think on that….. Meanwhile, onward….


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If you’ve been here a time or two, you’ll already know who today’s poet will be…. Since these are small, but chewy, we’ll have two….


 


A Cloud withdrew from the Sky

Superior Glory be

But that Cloud and its Auxiliaries

Are forever lost to meHad I but further scanned

Had I secured the Glow

In an Hermetic Memory

It had availed me now.Never to pass the Angel

With a glance and a Bow

Till I am firm in Heaven

Is my intention now. 


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~


——————————————


A Dying Tiger—moaned for Drink—

I hunted all the Sand—

I caught the Dripping of a Rock

And bore it in my Hand—


His Mighty Balls—in death were thick—

But searching—I could see

A Vision on the Retina

Of Water—and of me—


‘Twas not my blame—who sped too slow—

‘Twas not his blame—who died

While I was reaching him—

But ’twas—the fact that He was dead— 


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~






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Today’s old-school pearl came together yesterday afternoon, and it makes no apologies for any misconceptions regarding human nature it may puncture like the soap bubble they so closely resemble…..


“There was, I think, never any reason to  believe in any innate superiority of the male, except his superior muscle.” — Bertrand Russell, Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind (1950)


“I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have [no laws] at all than to have them in so prodigious numbers as we have.” — Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xiii


“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain


“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” — J.K. Rowling, Padfoot Returns, — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, spoken by the character Sirius Black


“A skunk is better company than a person who prides himself on being “frank.” — Smart Bee


“The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts.” — Edmund Burke, letter, April 3, 1777, to the Sheriffs of Bristol


INCOMPOSSIBLE, adj.  Unable to exist if something else exists.  Two things are incompossible when the world of being has scope enough for one of them, but not enough for both — as Walt Whitman’s poetry and God’s mercy to man.  Incompossibility, it will be seen, is only incompatibility let loose.  Instead of such low language as “Go heel yourself — I mean to kill you on sight,” the words, “Sir, we are incompossible,” would convey and equally significant intimation and in stately courtesy are altogether superior. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”


Well, of course it would….


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Some days, this process goes better than others; this one wasn’t bad at all, considering….. In any case, it seems to be done, except for the final part, where I go through and miss all the errors…. I’ll do that, and get it right out…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided nobody comes after me with a warrant, in which case, it is conceivable I could disappear for a while, until I can find safe haven…. For now, though, enough is enough….


 


Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest  Carole, Mark, and Theresa…

and everyone else, too…When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


Kowabunga!






À bientôt, mon cherí….