Tag Archives: Walden

Little is less attractive than boastful origami….

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Ffolkes,

“Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Supermoon September 2015 rising over Medal Bridge, Wales

Image from gizmodo.com


Good morning…. Hmm…. So, this is what Hell looks like. Nice wallpaper, dude…. Oh, it’s paint? Even better…..

What in the world was that about? Moreover, who gives a fuck? I certainly don’t. In fact, I can’t think of a single thing, beyond, perhaps, my children (who aren’t children now), about which I can say I give a single fuck. You may ascribe this curmudgeonly attitude to whatever you like; I happen .to know exactly why it’s here, for what that’s worth. I’m not going to complain about it, but, it sure is fucked up….

It is now 0410 AM. I’ve been up three times, getting only about five minutes of actual sleep, having spent the rest of the time in bed tossing, turning, twitching, and cursing. Now, I’ve given up for the time being, and, rather than complain, I am trying to be constructive; what I’m actually being is vulgar and irritable, with a side order of pissy. Not the attitude most likely to help me make new friends, but, then, there aren’t too many candidates hanging around at this time of day…. Hell, we haven’t had a new application in months!….

Now, conceivably, I could turn this into a positive experience. Sure I could. But, fuck that, I don’t want to. I want to feel negative, and I don’t care what anybody says, or thinks about it. You see, IT’S NOT MY FUCKING FAULT!

Oops; sorry, didn’t mean to shout at y’all. I suppose that’s an indication I’m well out of bounds. Big surprise, eh, what? It occurs to me I should probably get on with this, before I lose all sense of perspective, and fall into full-on asshole mode. Nobody has any fun when that happens. I think…. well, no, I’m actually not capable of that just now, so, I’ll just say, let’s do this, instead of what would logically follow if I continue in this vein….

Shall we Pearl?….

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

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laurel-and-hardy-clipart

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Image from publicdomainpictures.net via Google Images

What can I say? I need a little humor, and this pair will certainly provide us with that…. Enjoy, ffolkes…..

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Laurel & Hardy
1943 Comedy Classic

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Dont keep calm

“No slave is ever freed, save he freeth himself.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~


Here is a piece of ancient wisdom, so ubiquitous Google didn’t know who first said it; hence the SB attribution. It’s a concept our species realized not long after first engaging in the nasty habit. The flip side of the statement is this, which is more to the point; a man can only be made a slave with his approval, tacit or otherwise. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but, it is equally true as the former, and, in fact, is the most practical solution to dealing with the issue altogether. A man who is truly free cannot BE enslaved. You can beat him, injure him, or kill him, but, he will never give in to oppression.

I was born in a country in which liberty was the norm. I’ve watched for almost 65 years as the powers that be, all proven liars and thieves, have steadily eroded that liberty, enforced by violence and the power of lies. Now, to assert one’s rights is to take one’s life into one’s hands, in the face of a government which views people as the enemy, a resource to be duped and utilized, but, not respected. My father would be appalled, as are most of the people left who can, and do, think of anything beyond their own little world….

I could, and have, ranted on this subject for a long time; I think I’ve proved that before. But, I’m tired, having spent most of the night trying unsuccessfully to get within hailing distance of slumber, so, I’ve put together another old school pearl to sublimate the urge, which is quite strong, in spite of my fatigue. Here then is a true gem of a pearl, with Ed Abbey’s wisdom comprising 33% of a diverse group, showing much of what I believe to be wrong, with a bit of how to make it right…. Well, you’ll see… It will do for our purposes today….

“Grown men do not need leaders.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~


“Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything.” — Frank Dane

“Deceit in the conduct of war outweighs valor and is worthy of merit.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

“We need excellence in public education and if the teachers can’t do it, we’ll send in a couple of policemen.” — Frank Rizzo, Philadelphia Bulletin, Oct 19, 1973

Authority intoxicates,
And makes mere sots of magistrates.
The fumes of it invade the brain,
And make men giddy, proud and vain;
By this the fool commands the wise
The noble with the base complies.
The sot assumes the rule of wit,
And cowards make the base submit.

~~ Butler ~~


“All governments need enemies. How else to justify their existence?” — Edward Abbey

“…I am opposed to all attempts to license or restrict the arming of individuals…I consider such laws a violation of civil liberty, subversive of democratic political institutions, and self-defeating in their purpose.” — Robert A. Heinlein, in a 1949 letter concerning “Red Planet”

“Whatever power you give to the good cops, goes to the bad ones, too. Never forget that.” — Phillip J. Birmingham

“I am an enemy of the State. But isn’t everyone?”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~


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Comedy_Tragedy

Elemental, dear Watson….

Don’t worry,
it’s not
me
you hear
screaming.

It is
only
my bones,
giving in,
to
cowardly,
pathologically,
repetitive,
fucking,’
complaints
of
past abuse,
and
all the fun
we had.
playing,
hard.

I don’t mind
too much;
I can spend my
TIME
in another space
in my head,
pretending
my bones
don’t
exist….

It
is,
indeed,
a shame
they
always
come
back….

Fuck.

It
hurts.

More proof,
I guess,
either
God isn’t,
or,
He  is.

IF

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

IF

He is?
Then,
I don’t fucking care
who
doesn’t like it,

I say,

He
is
a bully,
a coward,
a hypocrite,
and,
truly,
an enormous asshole.

I suppose,
God
 is
what comes,
to,
and
from,
People,

because

 they
feel
a need,
for
someone
to
blame,
for
a
Universe
they
cannot
understand
or
accept.

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~


Written 9/6/2012

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    Today’s final pearl is what I like to call a harlequin…. It’s got a little bit of everything, all pointed at giving y’all some ideas to use when approaching Life At Large, which all of us must do at one time or another, like it or not…. These can help, used correctly. Be careful, though; used improperly, you can cause yourself no end of misery. Just remember I said so, and you’ll be fine. If not, well, that’s what insurance is for….

“All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. 
Now I see that I should have been more specific.”

~~ Jane Wagner, “The Search For Intelligent Life In The Universe” ~~

~~ [Performed by Lily Tomlin] ~~


“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head. -” — Pooh in Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne, English author (1882-1956)

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden

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

“We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.” — Blaise Pascal

“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.” — Sigmund Freud

“Life’s fulfillment finds constant obstacles in its path; but those are necessary for the sake of its advance. The stream is saved from the sluggishness of its current by the perpetual opposition of the soil through which it must cut its way.  It is the soil which forms its banks. The spirit of Fight belongs to the genius of Life.” — Rabindranath Tagore

“We are all born mad. Some remain so.” — Samuel Beckett

And it’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it’s just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there

~~ Box of Rain by Lesh, Hunter ~~


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What a struggle! But, it’s done, and in spite of Leelu’s insistence on having my undivided attention, I’m going to go post it now. I’ll be back eventually, ffolkes; I can’t seem to stop myself….. See y’all then, if I can get my eyes all the way open….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Dozer


À bientôt, mon cherí….



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Ffolkes,




“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.”


~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~


spitzer20150820


NASA Spitzer Telescope Calendar Pictures for 2016






Good morning…. The cat finally let me pick a name for her. She has reacted to only one name, and, as is the usual case, it’s a perfect fit. She is Leeloo; pronounced just as spelled, it’s the name of the female lead character in a Sci-Fi movie, The Fifth Element. The whole movie was a very long drawn out metaphor for the concept that Love is the final element of harmony in our Universe, so, considering the cat’s personality, it fits the metaphor quite well….


The character in the movie was very catlike, anyway, so, it’s all good…. She has signaled her approval of her name by settling down on the edge of the mouse pad to doze while I’m typing this…. Of course, that doesn’t mean a flood of words is filling my head, encouraging me to choose just the right ones to thrill and amaze y’all with my new-found brilliance; in fact, nothing of the sort is happening in this head, or any other head in the immediate neighborhood. Even Leeloo has gone to sleep, finding this missive, thus far, to be less than stimulating….


I’m afraid I’ve been thrust into the grasp of a new learning curve, and will be manipulated into adjusting even more of my writing habits to suit the needs and/or desires of a small creature who is fascinated by every move I make at this computer. Already, as is patently obvious, the content has expanded exponentially, to include her antics, and progress in the molding of the household to her standards. SIGH…. I was JUST getting comfortable the way I was….. Axiom #2 in action, I would say….


Now we’ve received the morning metaphor from the Universe, it might be a good idea to get this slow on the road…. I know, let’s do this….


Shall we Pearl?….


“I’ve reached that age when a good day is one when you get up and nothing hurts.” — H. Martin


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Leeloo




Milla Jojovich as LeeLoo in The Fifth Element



Image from http://www.moviedata.net via Google Images




The movie from which LeeLoo’s name was chosen is still protected, so, to see it, you’ll need to find a copy yourself… I’ve included a You Tube exploration of some of the movie’s lesser known anomalies, on a page where you can see any number of clips from the movie, to get an idea of why I’ve named my cat after a fictional genetically enhanced goddess, in the role of a metaphor for the power of human love…. Enjoy!….




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9 Things You Didn’t Know about The Fifth Element

















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le penseur-rodin




    I’ve spent a lot of time, and words, detailing what I believe to be wrong with human nature, and, with the loss of integrity, honor, and sense of personal responsibility displayed by the vast majority of Americans, both in and out of government. I’m not in the mood to rant about it, because I’m in a lot of pain, and it might color my words to the point of irascibility, which detracts from its power of persuasion…. Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Here, instead, is a short, seven-star pearl to accomplish the same purpose; each of these is something either missing from the American character, or, is all-too-present to do anyone any good….


“Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!” — Albert Einstein


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


“You’ll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.” — George Bernard Shaw


“I know of no book which has been a source of brutality and sadistic conduct, both public and private, that can compare with the Bible.” — Lord Paget


“One of the most frightening things in the Western world, and in this country in particular, is the number of people who believe in things that are scientifically false.  If someone tells me that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, in my opinion, he should see a psychiatrist.” — Francis H.C. Crick


“One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty in finding someone to blame your troubles on.And when you do find someone, it’s remarkable how often their picture turns up on your driver’s license.” — P. J. O’Rourke


“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein


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Comedy_Tragedy




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 ~~




Written 27/2014.


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pearls_3




From 2/28/2013:




Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled

  About the center of the silent Word.


~~ T.S. Eliot ~~




I’ve always been fond of this little snippet from T.S.; it has a certain charm to it. I find to be pleasantly complex, while yet describing a very basic idea. Of course, it’s not a rantable item, nor particular helpful in any sort of self-improvement activities. But, I don’t much care, I just like it, so there….


Actually, I’ve included it where it is as a filler; Smart Bee is being particularly uncooperative this morning. It’s almost as if it were suffering from what I am, and is trying to tell me, to wit:


” — Bother! said Pooh, as his fur turned gray and he began losing his memory.” — Smart Bee


So, in the face of such obstruction, I have only one defense, and that is to go old-school, reverting back to the type of pearls as demonstrated in section one today…. I give you therefore, the next in a seemingly endless parade of aphorisms, all pointed in one direction, or at least, one dimension….. Let’s see what we find….




Content if hence th’ unlearn’d their wants may view,

The learn’d reflect on what before they knew.


~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Criticism, Part iii, Line 180 ~~




“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” — William Jennings Bryan


“Our genetic heritage endows each of us with a series of emotional set-points that determines our temperament. But the brain circuitry involved is extraordinarily malleable; temperament is not destiny.” — Daniel P. Goleman


“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” — C. W. Leadbeater


“I have learned this at least by my experiment: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”


“Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment – that’s how you train dogs, not develop people.” — Deng Ming-Dao


“There was once a man, Harry, called the Steppenwolf. He went on two legs, wore clothes and was a human being, but nevertheless he was in reality a wolf of the Steppes. He had learned a good deal of all that people of a good intelligence can, and was a fairly clever fellow. What he had not learned, however, was this: to find contentment in himself and his own life.” — Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf


Not bad, a seven star pearl, in less than a hundred clicks…. I’ll take it, and run…..


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This process has become even more of a struggle to complete; perhaps it will settle down a bit as the kitten requires less attention, though, that may take a while. Ah well, it’s done, and only about 3 hours later than usual… I must say, it’s nice to have LeeLoo sleeping on the mouse pad as I write, even if I have to move the mouse elsewhere…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, come what may….




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
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Ffolkes,




“I’m afraid of no man, and very few women.”


~~ Smart Bee, speaking for gigoid ~~


DSCN0038


Ironic Tulips in Oregon






Good morning…. In the perhaps misguided hope of continuing to be able to use that assessment, I’m NOT going to relate any of the events which took place yesterday during my foray into the BBR. Suffice it to say, my lawyer tells me I should be able to escape prosecution, since none of the participants died, or received any lasting injuries. Also, the two poor wee myrmidons are expected to fully recover from their confusion, so, there’s no way they can hold me responsible, since I wasn’t the one who called them. Besides, they got the fire out without any injuries or real damage to their silly war wagon; it wasn’t my fault they tried to…. well, never mind, you can read about it in the news….


Believe me, it was quite a day, and I was really glad to get home. Too bad it got me all worked up, & sleep became impossible. Did you know it’s really dark outside at 3 AM? Who knew?


Ah well, fudge it. Luigi, fire it up & let’s hit it; I’m in the mood to go rogue!…..


Shall we Pearl?….


“Anytime I see a person fleeing from reason and into religion, I think to myself, there goes a person who cannot stand being so goddamned lonely anymore.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.


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




    I’m tired, which translates as ‘lazy’, so, here is today’s video selection, with a couple hours of classical music, in a collection the uploader called “The Most Relaxing Music in the Universe”. You will tell me if you think it is so, yes?…. Enjoy!….




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Classical Music Mix















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socrates




    I was cruising through Smart Bee’s database, on a search for stimulation to distract myself, when I came across the following quote…




“Among the many handicaps of old age which must be lived with is wisdom.” 


~~ Smart Bee ~~




The attribution was given to SB after performing a search for the author; anvari.org, the largest dB I know of for such searches, had none listed, so it goes, as is our policy to SB…. On the same page was a quote along the same lines by a frequent visitor here, our old mentor, Henry L. Mencken, who wrote his thoughts around the turn of the twentieth century, having lived from 1880 until 1956. I’ve enjoyed many of his quotes, as he seemed to have a very clear view of reality, with no fear of saying exactly what he thought, without regard for who might be offended. If it was truth, as he saw it, he told it…. The quote he contributes today is as follows:


“The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.” — H. L. Mencken


Now, since I’m getting to an age where I might consider myself to have entered my “golden years”, I can attest to the accuracy of each of these statements; now we’re going to explore why….


Why would I look at wisdom as a handicap? Actually, that part is easy…. Wisdom, if you will, has the particular quality of bringing with it the ability to see things very clearly, to recognize motivation, or causes, with much more skill and accuracy than anyone younger is capable of achieving, simply because the experience of growing older provides us with those skills. They do not come naturally; only the passage of time will bring them to anyone…. It also isn’t anything that is subject to change; there is no other way to gather experience, except by existing over time….


But, then, one day, soon after acquiring this ability to see clearly those parts of reality which signal change, it becomes clear also, there is a reason for the old saying we’ve all heard, “Ignorance is bliss.” The reason for this is simple; we expected our knowledge to make our lives simpler, and more comfortable. In the most basic sense, it does so, of course, by showing us how to avoid trouble, thus saving time & energy dealing with it, and with its aftermath, often more terrible. It also, however, shows us, time after time, and in every place we look, just how dangerously stupid are the general run of people, and how their lack of awareness of their own place in the scheme of things, makes the world a more dangerous place for everyone….


If I have to explain why that is true, then I’m preaching to the wrong choir…. Nonetheless, it’s true; for me, it’s the part of being aware of Reality which makes it both a blessing, and a curse, thus reflecting Reality itself.


“Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky


This idea can be seen to explain virtually everything wrong in today’s world. The simple fact of its veracity allows those with no morals or compassion to justify to themselves any sort of behavior at all, no matter how viciously immoral, or how it may affect anyone else. It also allows them to take advantage of all those who cannot bring themselves to look the Universe directly in the face, preferring to hide behind ignorance and lack of will, letting those with more boldness and strength determine the course of their lives for them. This pattern was established in the very first culture humanity created, when the first asininnies discovered just how gullible the rest of humanity was….


I’m not sure, at this point, exactly where this is taking us. I intended to speak about aging, and using what we learn to make our life more worthwhile, according to our own standards…. It has, apparently, degenerated into the beginning of a rant against the asininnies and our current societal mess, but, I really don’t feel like going there today; I’m too close to the edge of rage already, from the events of yesterday. If I started on all that now, I’d probably end up going out again, fully armed…. Probably not the best idea in this frame of mind….


So, I’m going to do something I almost never do…. I’m dumping this whole section. What you see is what you get, and we’ll come back tomorrow with something a bit more entertaining, if not more compelling. This one, obviously, is a wash, start to finish…. Ah well, so much for good intentions, eh? I’ll leave y’all with the following thought, which, somehow seems to say what needs to be said at this juncture…;


“And I said to myself be still, wait without hope. For hope would be hope of the wrong thing. Wait without love. For love would be love of the wrong thing. Wait without faith. For the faith and the hope and the love are all in the waiting.” — T.S. Eliot


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Comedy_Tragedy




    Here’s an older poem, from 2012, which I had slotted for use a couple days down the line…. It will do nicely for today, instead….




Semblance of Time


The dreams and visions of modern times are pallid and pale

filled with fear and loathing instead of joy and wonder.

Reality is aging poorly, submitting less data to loudly regale

Sad faded images lacking substance, or proof of thunder.


Sisters and brothers of nightly performance speak in spite

building up scars to protect, or keep a semblance of sanity.

Knowing illusion is near and dear, steeped in muscular delight

while compassion and intelligence get smothered by humanity.


Loneliness soon became the friend of many sizes of fools

stealing through mazes of social tests as if truly wise, or old

while companies of sterile opportunity are hiding their tools

from anyone who might be feeling even a little bit bold.


Painful momentary flashes seem to outline society’s fate

until soft, heavy monuments to elder gods fall from grace.

We’re all getting tired of being told we’re far too late

and never ever nearing tolerance, nor regaining any face.


A hard message awaits us all when we dare to even stay

of life’s uncaring disposition and curmudgeonly faux heart

Only with the strength of a hero may such tales make way

Only a poet may turn such pain into a valid work of art.


~~ gigoid ~~




Written 10/5/2012.


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buddah-out-to-lunch_s




    It was a struggle to decide which of the various icons to use today to adorn this section. I’m not even sure why I chose the laughing Buddha, but, it seems to fit the ‘look and feel’ of how this pearl came out…. I forgot to give SB any parameters, which can be a good, or a bad thing. In this case, I think it came out pretty well. It seems to be a collection of thoughts on one’s best approach to Life, with a bit of humorous insight thrown in…. sort of….. Hell, you tell me; I think it works…..




Virtuous and vicious every man must be,–

Few in the extreme, but all in the degree.


~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 231 ~~




“Be not anxious about what you have, but about what you are.” — Pope St. Gregory I


“The way up and the way down are one and the same.’ — Heraclitus


“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” — Buddha


“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”


“Anacharsis said a man’s felicity consists not in the outward and visible favours and blessings of Fortune, but in the inward and unseen perfections and riches of the mind.” — Plutarch (46-120 AD) — The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men, 11


“In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” — Christopher Morley


“Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way in the answer.” — Rainer Maria Rilke




“To thine own self be cool.”   


~~ Smart Bee ~~




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In gazing back over what has occurred today, I’m struck by only one thought; it’s done. Thankfully, I will take that as a sign to use the most efficient method for ending this, which looks a lot like this…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, since I will still be crazy after all these years, and, I can’t think of any reason not to do so…




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Omigosh! It’s muddling again!….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Th’ MIND is the Pizza Palace of th’ SOUL”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


pannacotta_478x345_tcm13-22636


Pannacotta


Or so it said. Looks more like Zabaglione to me….




Good morning…. Here we are again…. Since I don’t have anything particularly compelling to say right now, we’ll just get on with the scheduled mess, without any feeble attempts at wit so early in the day…. In fact, we’ll do that right now….


Shall we Pearl?


“Though one must first learn skill and ethics thoroughly, one must come to embody them so completely that they become subconscious. Reacting to a situation by asking what is right and wrong is already too slow.” — Deng Ming-Dao


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






Doc-Watson-RIP


Image from blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org via Google Images




When the best guitar players in the world get together, it isn’t easy to get them to agree on much of anything. But, when you ask any of them to name the best flat-picker who ever lived, the only name you will ever hear is this man’s…. He was, before his death a few years ago, the acknowledged Master of that style of playing, with, literally, no one else who came close….. Enjoy, ffolkes…..




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Doc Watson















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Dont keep calm




“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the rights of the people by the gradual & silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” — James Madison, Virginia Convention 1788


I am still not quite full of enough angst to prompt a fresh rant…. To sublimate my always-present anger at the BRC, however, I’ve found a pearl from a couple years ago to fill in. It’s a rather fun old-school indictment of the pathological liars who inhabit our governments hallowed halls these days, as Mr. Madison warned us about, having abridged the rights of the people by their “gradual & silent encroachments” upon the basis of our freedom. In short, the assholes have already screwed us….


Gee, I guess there IS a bit more angst in there…. Ah well, this will help…. Enjoy!…


From 8/6/2013:


Yesterday, Smart Bee was a bit off center at times, but, with good grace, and a willing heart, it managed to get me what I needed, and threw in a few extras for today’s post, which I dutifully saved, recognizing them as the lustrous gems they were…. I’ll now go search out a few more, to fill out the dimensions for a proper indictment of the beloved ruling class, and the panorama of human folly we call “politics”, which, as, I believe, Ambrose Bierce pointed out, is a combination word, coming from “poly” meaning “many”, and “tics” meaning “blood sucking insects”….. a perfect description of the general run of that sport’s participants….


“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” — H.L. Mencken, “Little Book in C major”, 1916


“Can there be a republic that does not slump under the weight of so much human desire?” — Michael Scully


“Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. . . . the human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive.” — Frank Herbert, Dune


“‘Tis better to be alone than in the company of fools.” — Bobby Matherne, American Philosopher (1940-)


“I had too much to dream last night.” — Electric Prunes


“In our society, the Republicans set out to prove that the Democrats can not  be trusted to run the government. And the Democrats set out to prove that the Republicans can not be trusted to run our government. The real problem here is that both the Democrats and the Republicans have come up with  something which is absolutely true and perfectly correct. This means that the people get to pull some sort of horrible trick on themselves and live with their choice for four years.” — Smart Bee


“Now I’m concentrating on a specific tank battle toward the end of World War II!” — Zippy the Pinhead


Okay, silly, I know…. but, look closely, and you’ll see how true all of them really are, when compared to reality…. Here, if it’s that big a deal for y’all…. here is a final word, that pretty much says it all… but, without the buffer of humor….


“…when all government… in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1821


—————————–


Note from 2015: There…. doesn’t that feel better? To finish off this indictment, here is one last thought on our beloved leaders, an actual FACT, of which they are all fully aware, utilizing to their advantage on a regular basis….


“Crime does not pay … as well as politics.” — Alfred E. Newman


There you go….


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Comedy_Tragedy




    Here’s one of mine we haven’t seen for a couple years….. Enjoy!….




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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ankh




    Today’s finals pearl is what I’d call an esoteric pearl about Life, (hence the ankh). Each of the individual pearls speaks to a part of Life important to living well, but, from a direction one often doesn’t remember to view….. Enjoy!…..


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


“Although war is cruel and brutal, it is also dangerous and stupid.” — Yakko Warner


“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.” — Alexandre Dumas


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


“A bone to the dog is not charity.  Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” — Jack London


“Doth perfect beauty stand in need of praise at all? Nay; no more than law, no more than truth, no more than loving kindness, nor than modesty.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 AD) — Meditations, iv, 20


“For a man needs only to be turned around not once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost…. Not til we are lost…. do we begin to find ourselves.” — Thoreau, Walden


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I have fulfilled my vow…. Well, at least, for another day. I’m tired now. I think I’ll go back to bed, & start again in a couple of hours…. Hopefully, this short episode of creative reverse peristalsis won’t have gone sour by then…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, provided Fate doesn’t have other plans for me…..




Y’all take care out there, 

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

   and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch








dozer3




À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Oh, Jim, where’s your squeegee?….

			
						

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Ffolkes,




“Work is not an end in itself; there must always be time enough for love.” 


~~ Robert Heinlein ~~




test shotss 002


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Oh, right. Christmas…. which means most everyone in this country is on holiday mode, and most likely won’t be dropping in to spend a lot of time reading my nonsense, or even my somewhat better than nonsense prose. This is probably a good thing, as I’m feeling pretty lazy myself, though not for the same reasons, obviously. I’ve made no bones about how I feel about Christianity, and the people who go in for such delusional systems; in my mind, they are all living a lie, one they’ve chosen to believe in, rather than having the courage to face up to those parts of reality they don’t understand, and, thus, fear…. In short, they are living in fear, allowing fear to control their every decision in life….


What a waste! But, nobody wants to listen, especially to the kind of real wisdom that means they would have to actually think for themselves, such as the quote at the end of this section…. Such insight into human nature, sadly, presupposes the one using it will have the courage to become lost; in my experience, the greatest proportion of humanity does not wish to ever become lost in this way. They would rather buy into a set of beliefs someone else has told them is true, in spite on never once being able to present any physical, or even logical, reasons to do so…. But, that is the way of the world, the same way it has been wobbling along for over 5000 years….


Ah well, it doesn’t do me any good to rant here in the intro; it’s just so hard NOT to say what I see as real…. I spent most of my life keeping these thoughts to myself, as they always tended to cause difficulties with other folks; after a while in Life, I decided, if they WANT to live in a delusional state, who am I to stop them? So, I said nothing, and allowed people to wander through their lives, in the dark, never realizing there is an entire universe of beauty and grandeur out there, just waiting for them to see it, if only they would take off the blinders they put on at age 5…. I guess that silence was my own adjustment to compensate; in short, it’s my way of giving in to expediency, a very bad habit, and one I no longer cultivate.


This probably explains why there are only about 20 people who come by to read this on a regular basis…. and, since I have over 463 followers on WordPress, and another hundred or so on Twitter, that number is a good representation of the breakdown of humanity’s state of mind re: laziness, and wisdom…. I know that reading this blog take time, and effort, and I know it isn’t the easiest task to take on, not on a daily basis…. Hell, it’s hard enough writing it all; it CAN’T be much easier to read it all every day….. But, I don’t worry about it; I just appreciate the ffolkes who come by regularly, a lot….


That is no doubt enough rambling and complaining for one day…. I did manage to cut off the rant, but, this still grew beyond its original intended size, so, I’ll break out the ol’ ruthless bone, and hit myself over the head with it, so we can get on with the rest of this mess…. Hold on, while I smack the pilot on the head with this ruthless bone, so he’ll take this next exit point, okay? Here now, stay in your seats! We’re going in!….


Shall we Pearl?




“For a man needs only to be turned around not once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost…. 


Not ’till we are lost…. do we begin to find ourselves.”


~~ Thoreau, Walden ~~




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Since we’ve started the day so soberly, let’s move to an entirely different domain, shall we? Here is some of the finest nonsense ever to come out of Hollywood, with four of the world’s greatest comedians filling the screen with their particular brand of sarcasm and wit…. Speaking of wit, we’re referring, naturally, to the one, the only, Marx Brothers, ffolkes…. Enjoy….







A Day at the Races (1937) 


































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“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.” — Demosthenes


Boy, what a great opening for a rant! I sure wish I had the wherewithal to write this one; it could take me a long way…. But, I don’t have such, so, we’ll have to go with an archived piece…. Enjoy, ffolkes, I tried to find a good one; it’s definitely worth a read….


From January 20, 2013:


“Nothing unreal exists.” — Kiri-Kin-Tha’s Law of Metaphysics


For the uninitiated, this is from Star Trek, a line from the fourth movie, The Voyage Home. It is the answer, and question, posed to Spock by the computer, near the beginning of the movie, just before it asks him, “How do you feel?” Though the quote, and its author, are part of a fictional story, and do not, as far as I know, exist in real life, the idea is nonetheless a potent philosophical assertion, and deserving of some meditation upon its implications, and ramifications. I like it, as it creates a series of doorways, one after another opening for welcome, inviting me to come in and examine its furnishings for their value…. A bit fanciful, perhaps, but then, it IS from Star Trek….


“Trekkies” have always taken the concept behind the show and movies much more seriously than most of us, and have created an entire panorama of alternate universe stories, legends, and characters as an adjunct to the original tales. I am certain that some fan, somewhere in the world, has put together a book that lays out Kiri-Kin-Tha’s philosophy for study, complete with Laws, Axioms, and Arguments. They probably even included material from other fictional works from the ST venue, weaving them into a coherent treatise, all of which is completely fabricated…. People can be pretty amazing when they are obsessed, indeed….


“Nothing unreal exists.”….. fascinating, as Spock would say. It is reminiscent, in a backwards fashion, of the question posed by the door to Ravenclaw Tower, in the final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows, when Professor McGonagall is queried, “Where do Vanished objects go?” by the door, in order to gain entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. “Into non being, which is to say, everything.”, she answers immediately. “Nicely phrased”, replied the door…. I say backwards only because the ST movie came first in real time, by about 25 years or so…. As can be seen, however, the concepts involved in the two similar episodes are more than mere ideological throw-aways, but have some valid basis for their existence….


This is the power of Imagination at its finest, in my mind. People will take a good idea, and run with it into landscapes where it has never before been conceived, turning it into passionate variations on the original theme whose quality rivals that of it progenitor. At the height of the frenzy over the Harry Potter movies, a few years ago, I visited a site called MuggleNet.com, curious as to what the fans of the movie and stories were doing.


I was completely astounded by the prolific writings by fans, who wrote entire novels, short stories, and alternative plots by the dozens, all populated by the characters from the books by J.K. Rowling. Romances between the various characters abounded in the imagination of the fans, as well as the creation of new characters, and inventive new kinds of magical spells, objects, and creatures. The variety and depth of talent displayed is incredible, and goes to show how powerful is the influence of obsession on our imagination.




And hence one master-passion in the breast,

Like Aaron’s serpent, swallows up the rest.


~~ Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — Essay on Man, Epistle ii, Line 131 ~~




Of course, obsession has the unfortunate tendency to go beyond the bounds of reasonable action in pursuit of its object of attention. It can easily consume all of the mind’s available store of common sense, submerging it in the raging river of passionate belief in whatever idea has emerged as the passion of choice. Pope was speaking no more than simple truth when he wrote these lines, which point again to the same fatal flaw that exists in other areas of human nature, the weakness of will that makes us choose paths that are self-destructive in their intensity, or in their ultimate logical end. Too many of us tend to make our choices in life without using even the most basic of mental tools we have, including imagination; the use of those tools can be hard, in the sense that it is harder to think than it is to allow others to think for you….


Thus, we come to another point where the subject under discussion can be expanded, and further explored. Or, we can leave it here, with the ideas already discussed as a springboard for private consideration. I have a feeling it could get a bit esoteric from this juncture, and I’d lose a lot of ffolkes to the fatigue factor. I am feeling that a bit meself, having now been sparring with this Pearl for a bit over three hours. I should have eaten some philosophical oatmeal, to increase the fiber content of my output, I guess….


Rather than go any further down that road, we’ll bring this pearl to a close…. Perhaps you can take a bit of what we discussed with you, and chew on it later…. it doesn’t seem to get any less crunchy over time, so it can’t hurt…. Fewer calories than jerky, and it won’t require flossing afterward….


“You can get anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant (‘ceptin’ Alice).” — Arlo Guthrie


Note from the future, i.e. 12/25/2014: Since it’s Christmas, I’ll be nice and only say this, in support of the above, and, as a final word on the subject for the day….


“A physician is not angry at the intemperance of a mad patient, nor does he take it ill to be railed at by a man in a fever. Just so should a wise man treat all mankind, as a physician treats a patient, and look upon them only as sick and extravagant.” — Seneca


That is EXACTLY how I feel when writing these rants….


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As mentioned, laziness is the order of business today; hence, a bit of whimsy, as it were, from a poet OTHER than me…. Enjoy!…






The Loser


Mama said I’d lose my head

if it wasn’t fastened on.

Today I guess it wasn’t

’cause while playing with my cousin

it fell off and rolled away

and now it’s gone.


And I can’t look for it

’cause my eyes are in it,

and I can’t call to it

’cause my mouth is on it

(couldn’t hear me anyway

’cause my ears are on it),

can’t even think about it

’cause my brain is in it.

So I guess I’ll sit down

on this rock

and rest for just a minute…


~~ Shel Silverstein ~~




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Okay, so, what we have here is a fresh pearl, with some strange parameters…. Looking in general for comments on Life at Large, SB gave me the following seven stars, which seem to hold together well, with some flexibility on your part…. Along with these it served up five or six other pearls which were perfect for other pieces, either planned, or completed… I guess it’s Smart Bee’s way of apologizing for the recalcitrance shown over the last week or so…. Whatever, it works for me, as it gets this done…. Yay!….


“One should always prefer the probable impossible to the improbable possible.” — Aristotles Dictum.


“Good generally conquers evil. Unless, of course, good is stupid.” — Smart Bee


“Books aren’t written to be believed in, but to be questioned.” — Umberto Eco


Narim: What your mind doesn’t know, your heart fills in.

Carter: I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it’s beautiful.

Narim: Which is exactly what it means.


— from Stargate


“The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make.” — Smart Bee


“A good reputation is more valuable than money.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 108


“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” — H. L. Mencken


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Well, there you have it…. Time has become the enemy, for the moment, so, we’ll leave it as it is, and get on with the day…. See y’all after the holiday, ffolkes….. Hope you have a good one….




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….





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
….even with his own hands!…

			
						

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Ffolkes,

And then I woke up….. which, considering the fact that I actually slept, is a good thing, even if it happened at 0300 again. I fell out last night when, all of a sudden, at 7 PM or so, heavy fatigue came crashing down on me, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. It was all I could do to clean up dinner and get coffee made, before I literally fell into bed, and to sleep in no time. 


What a great feeling! Even though I’m up again so early, I feel good, and almost back on the Time Zone schedule I should be on. I’m alert, my pain level is reasonable, and all is right in my world…. Well, I wish Patricia felt better, but I think her cold is finally on the downhill side, and I’m thinking, and hoping, she’ll feel better today….


Without going in to detail, Murphy has presented me with my conundrum for the day, and it’s a doozy. One I’ll have to deal with without delay, and which will probably slow down all I want to do today. So much for not being broken….. At least, for y’all, it’s a bonus, because it means I won’t be rambling on forever with this intro, as I need to go do other stuff, and want to get this Pearl mostly done before the world and it’s demands intrude. In short…. Shall we Pearl?….


“In the midst of this chopping sea of civilized life, such are the clouds and storms and quicksands and thousand-and-one items to be allowed for, that a man has to live, if he would not founder and go to the bottom and not make his port at all, by dead reckoning, and he must be a great calculator indeed who succeeds. Simplify, simplify.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden

__________________________________


What do you think? Is it time for a rant, perhaps, a religirant? I think so…. They haven’t done anything particularly stupid in public of late; some of the fundamentalists must have broken down and started listening to their lawyers. They’ve been careful lately about saying stuff that not only infuriates the rest of the country, but are probably legally actionable as slander. But, they’ll still ask you to send money, so they can afford to carry on God’s work…..


“They say give your money to God, but they give you THEIR address.” — Smart Bee


On my recent trip to Texas, I went by a church by the highway, and did a complete and classic double-take when the name on the sign registered. I don’t know if it is the one that keeps getting itself in the news, but it said it was the Westboro Baptist Church, home of the world’s most clueless, hateful, and ignorant preacher. Well, the sign didn’t say the last part, that was mine, but it’s still true, if it is the church that has, for the last three or four years, made itself famous, and the target of every other Christian in the US, for dragging the good name of Christians in general through some pretty dark mud, and flinging the rest of the mud on everyone it can see…..


These folks, and the idiot who leads them into their idiocy, are perhaps the stupidest people on the planet, if a willingness to display that stupidity, time after time, on national TV, is any indication, all in spite of the constant and strident statements from the entire rest of the world that they are not just wrong, but stupidly wrong, in each and every one of their stated objectives. Wrong, that is, according to every other interpretation of the Bible’s words by every Christian scholar in the world, except themselves. 


They just refuse to even look at what they are doing, and have no clue of how ridiculous they appear to everyone else in the world. In a way, it is really sad, except for their vicious vindictiveness, and the vulnerability of their victims, the people they label as blasphemers and devils, just for being different in some way. In their ignorant blundering around like bulls in a china shop, they hurt the feelings of people who are already suffering, and do so deliberately…. Not just stupid, the assholes, but cruelly so….


“Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse, wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes. Who does not see the folly of this? If there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.” — St. Frances de Sales


This is their justification, their rationalization for their actions, which they KNOW to be wrong; no one breathing could possibly be THAT stupid as to not know their own cruelty. But, like all Christians do, to at least some degree, in order to maintain faith, they can rationalize anything, as long as it supports their belief in their own rightness…. This is a necessary attribute for anyone attempting to live in reality according to the rules dictated by a delusion, and, in fact, is most likely a purely human characteristic, common to the believers of ANY religion.


“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” — Martin Fraquhar Tupper


At this point in this discussion, I think this final quote can point the way out of such a distasteful subject. My hands already will need to be washed thoroughly after this stuff, so I may as well close it by saying this…. The people in the world who have decided to allow fear to dictate their entire approach to Life, have submerged their intelligence in the pursuit of an idea that has no real connection to the real world, in order to spare themselves the effort of dealing with life directly, using their own minds. 


That being said, I can finally give them their precise due, and no longer consider them, at all…. which means I don’t have to waste my time talking about them either….. Bully good news for y’all, don’t you think?…. I’m going now, see, I’m already gone…..


“To perceive is to suffer.” — Aristotle, De Anima

__________________________________




THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

 

The broad-backed hippopotamus 

Rests on his belly in the mud; 

Although he seems so firm to us 

He is merely flesh and blood.   


Flesh-and-blood is weak and frail, 

Susceptible to nervous shock; 

While the True Church can never fail 

For it is based upon a rock.   


The hippo’s feeble steps may err 

In compassing material ends, 

While the True Church need never stir 

To gather in its dividends.   


The ‘potamus can never reach 

The mango on the mango-tree; 

But fruits of pomegranate and peach 

Refresh the Church from over sea.   


At mating time the hippo’s voice 

Betrays inflexions hoarse and odd, 

But every week we hear rejoice 

The Church, at being one with God.   


The hippopotamus’s day 

Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts; 

God works in a mysterious way– 

The Church can sleep and feed at once.   


I saw the ‘potamus take wing 

Ascending from the damp savannas, 

And quiring angels round him sing 

The praise of God, in loud hosannas.   


Blood of the Lamb shall wash him clean 

And him shall heavenly arms enfold, 

Among the saints he shall be seen 

Performing on a harp of gold.   


He shall be washed as white as snow, 

By all the martyr’d virgins kist, 

While the True Church remains below 

Wrapt in the old miasmal mist.


~~ T. S. Eliot ~~


__________________________________


No ups, no extras, just the fax, ma’am…. Here is a pearl of the old school, ripped screaming from the archives, from somewhere; early twenty-first century, I think…. Yes, I’m lazy, but there are compelling reasons for it this morning, so, please, allow me my little diversions… I’m in a hurry…. thanks, and Enjoy!….


Hmm… I guess not so much of a hurry as I thought…. but, I think it will work for me, in a strange way, and that is normal, so…. Here is what I found at Pearl Central…. These short, early form Pearls were written at work, sent via email to about 350 people at Napa State Hospital, Monday through Friday, sometime in about 2007 or 08, I can’t be sure…. but, they’re pretty good, in my estimation, and if nothing else, fun for the entire family….


Just plain brutal….


Ffolkes,

Monday’s can be that way, even the best of them. I’m not certain, at least in my own case, just where the motivation to get up & get moving is coming from. Routine is powerful enough to take us in to work, but what then? Coffee only goes so far, then something stronger must come into play, or the week just goes all to  >@#%! (Supply your own curses)  It can be difficult to find a substitute; drugs are illegal, and so is theft. So what do we do? We rely on luck!…..


“Indifference is the strongest force in the universe. It makes everything it touches meaningless. Love and hate don’t stand a chance against it.” — Joan Vinge


Life is short. Get it right.


Those who can, do. Those who can’t, write.

Those who can’t write go to the State Department (of Mental Health).


That’s the ticket….motivation means caring…..Recently on the radio, Hoyt touted a book, and challenged us to send in our own version of what it was about, to wit: describe your life in six words. I liked mine…


“Looked for love, found it everywhere”……six on the button, neh?


Y’all take care out there…..



No, really….


Ffolkes,

….the computer ate my pearl. This is already the third time I’ve rebooted this morning, and the last one ate my quotes; they were all picked out & on the clipboard, when the durn machine went wonky & wouldn’t see the network. Now I have to be creative….so, we will delve once more into the old bag of Trix….


Do not underestimate the power of the Force.


Duct Tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together. The only difference is that “May The Force be with you” sounds a lot nicer than “May you be covered in duct tape.”

— Carl Swanzig


— Bother! said Pooh,

and discorporated.


Believe it or not, there is a lesson here….left, of course, as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…. Y’all take care out there……


Grace notwithstanding…


Ffolkes,

You may or may not have perceived by now that I am, shall we say, not unfamiliar with strange. Whimsy can strike at any time, and though the resulting consequences are survivable, it often requires extra scrubbing to get clean. Today is Wednesday, but it feels like a Tuesday. Hence the following….


“I’m afraid I’m not personally qualified to confuse cats.” — Monty Python


How do I set my Laser Printer to “Stun”?


“The case has, in some respects, been not entirely devoid of interest.” — Sherlock Holmes


The strangest part is, all of these make perfect sense to me, both individually and together. It’s all in the wrist….. y’all take care out there….


Floppy risks….


Ffolkes,

…don’t fret, it’s just a typo. Amazing what one letter can change, eh? I kinda like the image this stimulates….floppy risks. Hmmm….well, where were we? Oh, here we are…..it’s Thursday but it feels just like a Thursday to me. As further proof of my familiarity with things strange, allow me to present more images to round out your mental image of Pooh The Bear (excerpted from “Pooh, the years before Christopher Robin” by Itolda

Lai)  Enjoy!….


Always speak the truth quietly, listen with an open mind when others speak, and remember the peace that may be found in silence.– unknown


— Bother! said Pooh,

as the French Nuclear Testing blew his head off.


— Bother! said Pooh,

as he was reborn as an amoeba.


— Bother! said Pooh,

as Piglet acquired all four Railway stations.


— Bother! said Pooh,

and proceeded to install OS/2 Warp.


— Bother! said Pooh,

Beavis and Butthead are barbecuing Barney!


— Bother! said Pooh,

as he gave Ted Kennedy another driving lesson.


— Bother! said Pooh,

as he switched between Animaniacs and Star Trek.


I always think it’s good to know things about iconic figures, don’t you?  Y’all take care out there…..


never say your true name….


Ffolkes,

It’s an odd morning, and coming from me, that’s saying something! Been following routine, but it feels not quite right somehow. Hmmm…..must be the shoes. They’re probably too tight  and are cutting off the blood flow to my head. Ah well, no big loss, some would say….. here are some humorous observations I found. Not the most inspiring humor, but funny nonetheless…..see ya Monday…..


Baby on board. Just means five more points.


The other planets are laughing at us.


I am serious.  And don’t call me Shirley.


They just pretend to pay us, so we just pretend to work.


You know you’re getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate.


Y’all take care out there……(like it or not, you must, because you can’t care for others if you don’t take care of yourself…basic logic, y’know.)


__________________________________


Well, Stan and Ollie would be proud of me. It’s another fine mess I’ve created, and just think, only three days home, and I’m already in full psychotic mode! What fun the next few days will be! Be sure to tune in for the latest news from insanity’s fringes, ffolkes. I can feel a big one coming, and I hope y’all, and the rest of the world, is ready…. I’m not sure I am, but having no choice in the matter, I will be…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….




—

Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes

I just sits.


gigoid


dozer3