Following twisty passages….

Posted on December 17, 2018 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“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 ~~

The bar at Shelbourne Public House, Cork, Ireland…

I missed posting again for another day, but, it (mostly) wasn’t my fault. Smart Bee, my database of quotes, was acting a bit fractious, & it took until late in the afternoon before I assembled sufficient pearls to make up the final section. As they say across the pond, c’est la vie, amis; or, as they say downtown, too bad, so sad. Or, more aptly, as I have been known to say, so be it. At this juncture, I’m just happy it’s done, even if I still have yet to write anything resembling a rant, or discussion of anything more than the immediate needs of the moment. And, right there, it’s another ‘so be it’…..

In fact, I’m going to continue in the current vein, & just get on with the posting process, before I lose either my nerve, or the prevailing wind. ‘Tis simple enough to accomplish, as you may or may not know. All I have to do is this….

Shall we Pearl?

“For a man can lose neither the past nor the future;
for how can one take from him that which is not his?
So remember these two points:
first, that each thing is of like form from everlasting
and comes round again in its cycle,
and that it signifies not whether a man shall look upon the same things
for a hundred years or two hundred, or for an infinity of time;
second, that the longest lived and the shortest lived man,
when they come to die, lose one and the same thing.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, ii, 14 ~~

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

Celtic Symbol

This is one of my default musical choices, to which I generally retreat two or three times per week, to listen to while puttering, or working at something constructive (a rare occasion, admittedly… SIGH). It always serves to give me the best chance to think…. well, I think it does. I hope you enjoy it as well…

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

Illusory Time

Viewed from askance, the river is long;
deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift and strong.
In duality, perception creates our only reality;
such faux metaphoric paradox enforces mutability.

By two we perceive, both zero, and one;
digital, binary, on or off, such fun.
Separate, melded, we exist, knowing not what we know
ego, striving to be solitary, looking above, seeing below.

Furiously asleep, cultural anomaly claims a victim of choice;
validly unconscious, nobody speaks, nary a voice.
Potential escapees stir in dreams, fighting to wake,
until taking the wheel, for their own bloody sake.

Pots boil in due time, when the fire’s hot,
time exists to our advantage; or, not.
The solitary warrior, head bent in pain,
fights on, with, or without gain.

Night fell, day after day it persisted;
of those who knew, none showed any care, or resisted
Angels, ministers, none had any defense, nor grace;
all that remains is a face.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/22/2016

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

Naked Pearls

Ponderous points….

*******

“Any idiot can face a crisis.
It’s this day-to-day living that wears you out.”

~~ Anton Checkov ~~

********

“All our decisions are made
in a state of mind
that is not going to last.”

~~ Marcel Proust ~~

********

“If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.”

~~ Baba Ram Dass ~~

********

“We shall never cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

~~ T. S. Eliot ~~

********

“In comparison with heaven and earth, man is like a mayfly.
But compared to the great Way,
heaven and earth, too, are like a bubble and a shadow.
Only the primal spirit and the true nature overcome time and space.”

~~ Lu Yen (fl. 800 A.D.) ~~

********

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision
for the limits of the world.”

~~ Arthur Schopenhauer ~~

********

“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”

~~ Basho ~~

********

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

See? That didn’t hurt at all, did it? What’s more, it may have even been beneficial, in some abstruse fashion. Rather than dwell upon what cannot be altered, or even fully defined, let us move on to the rest of this fairly fine morning, just as if we had some silly reason to do so. I shall try to post again soon; I may even write something more than the usual drivel. As it always does, time will tell, the blabbermouth…. Y’all be well, happy as you may be, and, for goodness sake, be as strange as you can be; it really is your best defense against the world’s own version of strange,…. See ya, ffolkes..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A direct correlation to oblique references….

Posted on January 4, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“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, by A.A. Milne ~~

Outside Trinity College Gate, Dublin, Ireland

Hajime…. Abandoning all hope of dreaming, the old man arises, muttering, to stumble forth, falling into routine with a sigh of relief, which lasts until realizing ’tis, once more, shy of 3 AM. Accustomed to the darkness, he finds his way to the computer, where he sits, to begin another day, in search of the remaining tatters of sanity to be found in the darker corners of the mind.

Then, of course, he realized what a stupid idea that was, so, he started over. Good morrow, ffolkes. And how are y’all? Good. As you can tell by now, my mind is a pretty blank slate…. I’m pretty sure I’m also out of chalk with which to write on it. But, here I am anyway, typing away just as if I had some clue as to what to put here. I could go with some nonsense, or try to salvage the almost clever opening lines, but, it all seems a bit superfluous, when I realize I’m already done, & none of this will make any difference, other than how I feel about it… That, of course, isn’t relevant, either, but, we’ll pretend it is, just to finish off this paragraph with a touch of certainty, an article thus far absent.

How’s that? I think it’s going to have to do for today; keeping at this, when there’s nothing in there to pull out, would be even more useless a pastime than even we can pull off with any aplomb. (Another hard-to-find article around here…) Rather than continue to torment y’all, and myself, I think I’ll just get on with it, so we can get this posted by the time I’ve set for a deadline. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Now, if only I could lay claim to having a clue as to where to go, we’d be all set. Since I can’t in good conscience do so, I’ll do this instead, providing proof of the pudding, as so eloquently stated by Mssr. Heywood, just below….

Shall we Pearl?

“Better is halfe a lofe than no bread.”

~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) ~ Proverbes, Part i, Chap. xi ~~

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

Ana Popovic

Image from myspace.com via Google Images

A friend sent me a video of this young artist yesterday, after listening to the Bonnie Raitt video I used. Needless to say, I’m impressed, and have a new crush… Enjoy, ffolkes, this woman can play….

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

Ana Popovic Live

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

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

Premises, premises….

Tricked, I stumble, and I fall
dreaming, through an abandoned palace.
Frightened and wary, unheard my call
fading into memory, no cup, no argent chalice.

The people, crushed, cry out to be freed
asking only to take part, or travel.
Nascent oaths spotlight such bursting need
fed by treachery, deep from our well.

Only the wicked shall find their way blocked
justice seeks them, snug in their hole.
Faint praises never touched, but naked, stalked
singing no gospel, no soul, no rock and roll.

Only the promised will remember the way
from unforgiven trails of sorrow.
To live life, and give death no sway,
saving grace for our only tomorrow.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/6/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Pungently obscure, but, tasty….

*******

“How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb?”

“A tree in a golden forest.”

~~ Sardonic Bee ~~

*******

“He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.”

~~ Rafael Sabatini ~~

*******

“A clown is a clown and will always be a clown.”

~~ Babbaluche the cobbler ~~

*******

“There are some things that are so serious that you have to laugh at them.”

~~ Niels Bohr ~~

*******

“If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.”

~~ Edith Wharton ~~

*******

“Once you can accept the universe
as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something,
wearing stripes with plaid is easy.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn.”

~~ Hacker proverb ~~

*******

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

The only thing about which we may feel any sort of accomplishment today is to realize it’s done. Rather than beat this particular horse any more, now it’s dead, I’ll just take my leave, with all the dignity I can muster. I will, with some trepidation, but, much hope, try this again, maybe even tomorrow. Wish me luck, ffolkes; I’ve a feeling I’ll need it this time….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Too early for desperate measures….

Posted on December 9, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.
Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue.”

~~ Barry Goldwater ~~

Violet Moore & sons, circa 1917….

Image from the Moore Family archives….

Hajime…. The people you see in the above photo are my relatives, to wit: My grandmother, my father, and his younger brother, one of two he had. When the photo was taken, I believe my grandfather was still off fighting in WWI, somewhere in Europe. I love it, and not just because they’re my ‘people’, as they’d say in the South. It’s a great snapshot of the time, & given the personal connection, tells me a lot about the people who are in it. In particular, though I didn’t know her until much later in her life, the expression on my grandmother’s face tells me a story, and enhances what I know of her, with her kindness, humor, and patience obvious for anyone with wit to see….

As an old fart with broken emotions, just looking at this picture makes me a little weepy, but, in a good way. I guess the old saw among women, regarding tears, is true; some tears are happy tears, that come when one feels so much love, it has to come out, and the tears are how they can be shared. Maybe it’s not true, but, it feels true…. So be it. It’s family, and needs no excuse for love to be felt…

I guess such an emotional opening rather limits the direction we can take from here. Rather than try to find one that will efficiently segue into the material below, I’ll just use the “fade away” method to move us along to where we need to go. Such indulgence isn’t at all normal, but, when have we ever worried about being normal? To be honest, I wouldn’t know quite how to react if anyone ever accused me of being so… but, that’s another story, for another time. For now, we’ll just do this, and be done with it….

Shall we Pearl?….

“But first, are you experienced?”

~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~

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

I spent a lot of time this morning, pre-pearl, to write a friend to whom I owed a letter; unfortunately, this pushed me over into time I needed to spend to get this done. The end result of this is not having the time to… wait a minute! I’ve got a Tardis! What was I thinking? Okay, never mind. We’ve got classical music today, simply because I like it. Deal with it; I must, and so must y’all…. Try to enjoy it, anyway… It is, after all, some of the best music ever played, y’know?….

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

Mozart Symphonies 1-20

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

Confidentially Paranoid

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

2/25/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Fun with Karma….

*******

“…The Universe is thronged with fire and light,
And we but smaller suns, which, skinned, trapped and kept
Enshrined in blood and precious bones, hold back the night.”

~~ Ray Bradbury ~~

*******

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”

~~ Moliere ~~

*******

“Everyone who lives dies, but not everyone who dies has lived.”

~~ No Fear ~~

*******

“You can’t just feel happy; to feel anything you have to feel everything.”

~~ Callan Williams ~~

*******

“If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

“We’re tossed by the winds of fate, Maggie Mae.
Once we end where they blow us, we make of ourselves what we will.”

~~ Niall Feeney, in Nora Roberts’ “Born In Fire” ~~

*******

“It’s so much more friendly with two.”

~~ Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~

*******

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

Well, there you go… or, rather, there ’tis. Done, and done in time, if not comfort. So far today, I’ve written a long letter, had two cuppas, and faked a routine. I’ve also completed a Pearl, for what it’s worth. To me, it’s worth what I paid for it, if nothing else. Y’all will have to make up your own minds as to whether the cost was worth it, or not. Me, I’m outta here. Of course, I’ll be back, but, I don’t want to scare anybody…. See ya, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Up to some very old tricks….

Posted on October 16, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Let ignorance talk as it will, learning has its value.”

~~ J. de La Fontaine (1621-1695) ~~

~~ The Use of Knowledge, Book viii, Fable 19 ~~

I swear it went inside here….

Hajime…. Thanks to goodness knows what, I’m running late. This is both good, and bad, like most things human. We do tend to try to strip it down to bare bones when possible; today’s post will, no doubt, require us to do so rather ruthlessly, if we hope to find our way to any sort of conclusive resolution. Of course, that also implies we actually know what we’re looking for, or where we’re going, neither of which approaches the truth of Reality in any portion. Go figure that one, eh?

There. That should make it clear you’ll get nothing rational out of me today. That happens to me consistently, I’m afraid, though you wouldn’t know it to watch me perform my antics. I’ve now had an officially long time to practice making it look normal, and, much as the effort costs, it seems worth it to keep those around me from worrying, or, for that matter, from bursting into flames when I look at them. Always a bonus out in public to avoid being noticed for such happenings. I can assure you, I don’t miss the drama….

Okay, that’s all you get today. I’m clean out of fresh ideas, at least for now, so, I’ll bite the bullet, and get this done, so I can say I did without lying about it. I do hate to have to lie, about anything; for us humans the facility comes too easily. I prefer to try to meet Reality on its own terms, which won’t work if we don’t use the rules. Another go figure, but, hey, we’re used to that. I’m going to stop tormenting all of us now, and use this very ruthless technique to get us down the page to where we need to be…. Watch closely, or you’ll miss it….

Shall we pearl?….

“Arouse the mind without resting it on anything.”

~~ Diamond Sutra ~~

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

Today I feel like some classical music. I also want to hear the guitar, so, what better way than to hear over two hours of some of the finest classical guitar ever played, by the acknowledged master of the genre, Andres Segovia…. I hope you enjoy it; it will be hard not to do so, since its probably some of the best music ever created by humans… Abondanza!….

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

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 ~~

9/19/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Warning: thinking caps required….

*********

“I certainly wasn’t happy.
Happiness has to do with reason,
and only reason earns it.
What I was given was the thing you can’t earn,
and can’t keep, and often don’t even recognize at the time;
I mean joy.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

*********

“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 by A.A. Milne ~~

*********

“How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness
is in fact for most men at all times
the secret motive of all they do,
and of all they are willing to endure.”

~~ Dean William R. Inge ~~

*********

“There is, nevertheless, a certain respect
and a general duty of humanity that ties us,
not only to beasts that have life and sense,
but even to trees and plants.”

~~ Michael de Montaigne, Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty ~~

*********

“Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old;
seek what they sought.”

~~ Matsuo Basho ~~

“Good taste is always an asset.”

~~ Rudy Bakalov ~~

*********

“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”

~~ Steven Stills ~~

*********

“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

~~J.K. Rowling, The Man with Two Faces, ~~
~~ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997 ~~
~~ spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore ~~

*********

“Aw Mom, you act like I’m not even wearing a bungee cord!”

~~ Calvin ~~

*********

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

Despite some rather spirited competition from the cat, I got it done. I’m going to cut my losses at this point, since, by posting, I win. Of course, it’s only myself I beat, but, hey, gotta take the kudos where you find ’em, or, you might not get ’em at all. I will, as consistently threatened, be back to do this again tomorrow, I imagine…. Odds are running even right now, but, they’ll improve; bet on it. See ya…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The labels are peeling off….

Posted on July 26, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It takes a very long time to become young.”

~~ Pablo Picasso ~~

Late spring at Sonoma Creek

Hajime…. Since the deadline for posting just went flying past my head, I suppose I’d best get started on today’s Pearl. Considering the fact virtually none of it is done, we’ll be lucky to see one today. Hope does exist, as I’ve begun, & don’t intend to stop until done. But, that could change, of course, well before getting there. Once again, the Metaphorse has stepped in, to apply the duality of nature to our undertakings, as is the Universe’s wont.Why we should wish the Universe to even HAVE a wont, I haven’t a clue, but, I suppose it really doesn’t matter for our purposes here today.

To our complete surprise, we find we have written a relatively normal first paragraph, (‘normal’ in that it is of a certain length, says nothing particularly worthwhile, and, is properly punctuated), we look up, to find ourselves deep in the second paragraph, still without any direction, or hint of a direction, in which to make our effort. It probably doesn’t matter anyway; what with the lack of anything resembling rational thought currently inhabiting my brain, there is little chance of finding anything we can use, without serious alteration, or padding, neither of which we are equipped to handle today. Damn! Y’all know what this means, don’t you? No. Well, if you don’t know, I probably shouldn’t say…

Having thus created the proper frame of stultified indignation, we can get this slow on the toad. What, you may ask, the hell does that mean? Well, if I knew, or cared, I might consider relaying that information. Since I don’t, and, I don’t, we’ll just use it as another fine excuse to go on, before this gets any stranger, and we start losing our audience…. like we ever had one. For all I know, nobody’s out there, and nobody will ever see this but me, and a couple die hards who come every day. But, whether anyone is there, or ever reads this, it still has to get done, or I melt down worse than usual…. So be it. Let’s do it….

Shall we pearl?….

“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.
Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this;
the only right is what is after my own constitution;
the only wrong what is against it.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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

I’m running late, as usual, so we’ll go with something easily available that fits my mood…. Since I feel like I should, or want to be, on the road to anywhere, we’ll take a little trip to the islands, imagining ourselves right onto some beach, where you’ll find us sipping margaritas, & dancing away…. Abondanza!….

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

Jimmy Buffett
Live at Jones Beach

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

“How happy is he born or taught,
That serveth not another’s will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!”

~~ Sir Henry Wotton — The Character of a Happy Life ~~

I’m very late today, in terms of getting done, and posted. To save the time needed, we’re going to the archives. Don’t worry, it’s a rather light piece, just taking some random shots at some of the world’s biggest fools…. I’m sure I had fun, and you will too… Enjoy!….

From 2/11/2015:

INFIDEL, n. In New York, one who does not believe in the Christian religion; in Constantinople, one who does. (See GIAOUR.) A kind of scoundrel imperfectly reverent of, and niggardly contributory to, divines, ecclesiastics, popes, parsons, canons, monks, mollahs, voodoos, presbyters, hierophants, prelates, obeah-men, abbes, nuns, missionaries, exhorters, deacons, friars, hadjis, high-priests, muezzins, brahmins, medicine-men, confessors, eminences, elders, primates, prebendaries, pilgrims, prophets, imaums, beneficiaries, clerks, vicars-choral, archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, preachers, padres, abbotesses, caloyers, palmers, curates, patriarchs, bonezs, santons, beadsmen, canonesses, residentiaries, diocesans, deans, subdeans, rural deans, abdals, charm-sellers, archdeacons, hierarchs, class-leaders, incumbents, capitulars, sheiks, talapoins, postulants, scribes, gooroos, precentors, beadles, fakeers, sextons, reverences, revivalists, cenobites, perpetual curates, chaplains, mudjoes, readers, novices, vicars, pastors, rabbis, ulemas, lamas, sacristans, vergers, dervises, lectors, church wardens, cardinals, prioresses, suffragans, acolytes, rectors, cures, sophis, mutifs and pumpums. — Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

This space left unused for anything.

This space used for gold.

This space folded over into a ring.

This space remained untold.

No, I have not a single clue where the hell that came from, nor will you ever catch me asking, myself, or anyone else. In fact, I am going to state here and now, I didn’t say that, and you can’t prove I did.

I actually did leave this space blank, but, that was because I sort of intended to write a fresh rant this morning; I’ve got plenty of angst built up, trust me, what with crossing blades with large soulless corporate entities, butting heads with power-hungry local yokels, and dealing with my own personal inner demons as a result, well… trust me., I have more than enough about which to rant. But I’m tired of it all, and want something a bit more light hearted…. Let’s see what happens if I do this…..

Soft, intimate notes of romantic violins fills the air, while cooling breezes lift curtains to swirl and wave against the cerulean sky, peeking brightly through the tall windows. Mellow voices murmur quietly, spilling through the balcony doors, standing open to allow the elegantly dressed crowd pass in and out, enjoying the night air. As a young couple strolled hand in hand through the open passageway, a sudden scream rang out, stilling the crowd, piercing through the music as a hot knife through butter. Silence fell over the room, until a loud voice rings out, “Don’t worry, folks. She saw one of the clowns….”

Hmm… No, I don’t think that’s going to do it…. How about we go for an old-school pearl? I think, maybe, it’s the only chance we have left…. Since this is the ranting section, let’s see if SB can find us some nice, funny pokes to take at some of our favorite targets, shall we? (That is a rhetorical question, as, obviously, it’s now our ONLY chance…)…. Come on, we’d best get to it…. Oooh, here’s a good one to start….

We can’t really be wrong if we’re just following Gods orders
You know,
He wrote this book here
And in this book
He says that He made us to be just like Him
So if we’re dumb, then God’s dumb
(and perhaps a little ugly on the side)

~~ Frank Zappa ~~

Not too shabby for a beginner…. let’s see if we can finish this off with some style, or, maybe even some humor….

“I have no problem with God. It’s his fan clubs I hate.” — Smart Bee

“Yow! And then we could sit on the hoods of cars at stop lights!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“Now playing: “Man of La Muncha”” — Hannibal Lecter Dinner Theatre

“It is only the superficial qualities that last. Man’s deeper nature is soon found out.” — Oscar Wilde

(Oops. Sorry, Oscar slipped that one by me…. It’s not too far out there, so, it stays…)

“Rush Limbaugh: The Pillsbury Doughboy on acid.” — Smart Bee

“Ooops.” — Captain of Titanic

“If God is so great, how come everything he makes dies?” — George Carlin

Well. That was…. something. Not exactly your average mind numbing, brain-blowing experience, was it? Oh well. I guess we should go do something else now…. Oh. I see the problem now. How could I have forgotten THIS?

“When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” — Mark Twain

Duh….

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

“Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get,
they’re things which get you.
And all you can do is go where they can find you.”

~~ Winnie-the-Pooh, ~~

~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~

Is It Alive?

Fighting into the light, words push hard to exist
each step closer to real brings another unique twist.
Shedding meaning for meaning, until bright, alone, and right
sculpting useless shapes, yet undefined, in pale morning’s light.

Never knowing the face is part of the lasting charm
bringing elegant focus, before sounding the alarm.
Advantageous time sends out messages, fears finding voice,
mulling options for flexibility, virtually without choice.

Fortunate man, who embraces the power of change;
’tis magical knowledge, bonding common to strange.
Weaving words of wonder, made strong by love and duty,
into a tapestry of life, and everlasting beauty.

~~ gigoid ~~

1/10/2013

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

Naked Pearls

It sucks, AND, it blows….

*******

“I can handle reality in small doses,
but as a lifestyle it’s much too confining.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

*******

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”

~~ ee cummings `~~

*******

“As for courage and will –
we cannot measure how much of each lies within us,
we can only trust there will be sufficient
to carry through trials which may lie ahead.”

~~ Andre Norton ~~

*******

“Entropy has us outnumbered.”

~~ Solomon Short ~~

*******

“Really, Crito, why should we care so much
about what ‘most people’ believe?”

~~ The character Socrates, in Plato’s “Crito”, 44d ~~

*******

“Remember: Silly is a state of Mind,
Stupid is a way of Life.”

~~ Dave Butler ~~

*******

“Pardon me, but do you know what it means
to be TRULY ONE with your BOOTH!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

Color me amazed. It’s done, and, not too shabbily, either, if I do say so meself. Before I do something dumb, like try to be witty, we’ll bring this to a somewhat dilatory end. I can’t say it’s the worst ever, but, it certainly isn’t the best. Y’all can decide for yourselves just what you think about it, and, share if you must. Me, I’m gonna go back to bed; it’s supposed to be really hot today, & I’ll need my energy to keep fanning the cat…. Hah! See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; consider that all the warning you’ll get….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Gravy made with drippings….

Posted on May 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.”

~~ Agent Rogersz, Repo Man ~~

No, it’s not a myth. It’s melting….

Hajime…. Our opening quote is quite appropriate, especially since it happened, to me. Well, not quite an explosion; more like a strong earthquake in my head. I’m not exactly certain of the details, as, for some reason, I seem to have lost my reason. Wait. That isn’t accurate; I still have it, but, it seems so pointless, and I can’t find the emotional energy to persuade it to even try to put a couple simple factoids together, just for fun, with no mention of profit or loss. If it doesn’t come back soon, I may have to go mundane, & start eating Cheetos, or something. I HATE Cheetos, too….

Okay, I’ll stop. I had thought perhaps a bit of nonsense might loosen up the old grey cells, but, nothing doing. It’s a conundrum, to be sure. Here I am, prepared to create a Pearl, and there is so much nothing in my mind, it’s just plain scary in there. I mean, a full paragraph to lead up to a punch line, and all I can come up with is Cheetos. Pathetic, even if I do hate them. To tell the truth, I used to eat ’em a lot, but, something about the orange glow-in-the-dark color of the tongue after just two of them started to make my eyes water… That & the sharp, bitter taste of chemicals they leave behind, after the faux-cheesy flavor goes wherever a fake flavor goes, started to make me think about just what was in them…. I don’t recommend it…. or them…

Since there’s nothing useful in my head, we’ll have to cheat again, as I’m up late, and starting even later. So be it. At least it will be all be fresh cheating, performed this morning for your reading pleasure. Or, a close approximation of same. We’ll take what we can get. In order to do so, I think, given our essentially useless mental state, we’ll just forgo further idiocy in this section, & use what little wherewithal we have to go look for some coherence further down the page. As justification, I will retreat into a pearl, with a strong statement on the efficacy of personal choice from a surprising, if not completely unlikely source, to wit: “Did you ever notice how ‘why not?’ is always the right decision?” — Marilyn Monroe

Shall we Pearl?….

“I have been a stranger in a strange land.”

~~ Old Testament, Exodus ii, 22 ~~

~~ gigoid, April 2016 ~~

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

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

I’m cheating today. That, of course, means we go to default for today’s music. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt….. Try to enjoy it, anyway, okay?…. Hey, if nothing else, know I pick the one with the coolest picture, so, at least you can look at that while you listen….

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

Classical Music

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

https://youtu.be/Y4xRlnO7-Ps

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

Everybody knows, and, apparently, loves Winnie the Pooh. And, why not, I may ask? Well, let me tell ya…. Pooh’s got a darker side, one A.A. Milne never suspected. It has recently been discovered Pooh had another life, one the public was never allowed to see. I’ve managed to collect some of the things he’s said, and/or done, that might give you an idea of what Pooh is REALLY like…. Enjoy!….

From 10/24/2012:

WARNING: X-Rated Material below…. If the following offends you, well, hey, don’t read it…. I happen to think it’s funny, so, deal with it…. *wink*

I know I’ve spoken to you before about the darker side of Pooh…. He’s actually, for a Bear with Very Little Brains, a pretty swinging guy, and stays active in a part of town that I’m don’t even go to…. In fact, he has been caught en flagrante delecto on numerous occasions, and has never shown a bit of regret, or a shred of remorse. He is an incorrigible sex addict, which is, when you stop to think about it, really, really sick…. I give you now more examples of just how nasty he has been known to be….

— Bother! said Pooh, as he lured the young girl into the bushes.

— Bother! said Pooh, with a sexy grin, as he tied up his favorite redhead!!

— Bother! said Pooh, as Macgyver ran to him with his pants down.

— Bother! said Pooh, when Christopher Robin came in his mouth.

— Bother! said Pooh, as Piglet pulled out the Anal Intruder.

— Bother! said Pooh, as he rolled over and lit a cigarette.

And, worst of all…..

— Bother! said Pooh, as he flashed a group of nuns.

I wouldn’t have believed it, if I didn’t see them there in black and white….. Hey, it’s not any harder to believe this, than it is to believe some of the shit coming out of Mitt the Twitt’s mouth, now, is it?….

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

Accentuated Lessons

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

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

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

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

Peace lies within, always…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Stuff to Remember

*******

“Happiness is the only good,
reason the only torch, justice the only worship,
humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.”

~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~

*******

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

~~ William Shakespeare ~~

*******

“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.”

~~ Cynthia Nelms ~~

*******

“Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.”

~~ Juvenal, Satires ~~

*******

“He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”

~~ Elrond ~~

*******

“One final paragraph of advice:
Do not burn yourselves out.
Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast…
a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic.
Save the other half of yourselves
and your lives for pleasure and adventure.
It is not enough to fight for the land;
it is even more important to enjoy it.
While you can.
While it’s still here.
So get out there and hunt and fish
and mess around with your friends,
ramble out yonder and explore the forests,
encounter the grizz, climb the mountains,
bag the peaks, run the rivers,
breathe deep of that yet sweet and lurid air,
sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness,
that lovely, mysterious and awesome space.
Enjoy yourselves,
keep you brain in you head and your head firmly attached to the body,
the body active and alive,
and I promise you this much:
I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies,
over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safety deposit box
and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators.
I promise you this:
You will outlive the bastards.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

I did it. That, in and of itself, is a minor miracle. At this point, trying to explain or justify such a remark would be foolish, and, I can tell you, for sure and for certain, Sarge & Mom didn’t raise no fool. Okay, honesty rules here, so, y’all should know I just had to delete three lines of BS that might have kept us here for much too long. After all, this IS the closing paragraph, and, by golly, we’re gonna close this thing, and, now… See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; if I don’t stop now, we’ll be here until then. Don’t fret, I’ll be back, and so will you…. See ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Platypae are indefatigable….

Posted on March 17, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“He who possesses most must be most afraid of loss.”

~~ Leonardo Da Vinci ~~

Practicing dignity at an early age….

Hajime…. Having engaged last night in an epic battle for sleep, (which I fought to a draw), I greet the new day with some anticipation, if only for the passing of the night. A small bonus; it’s St. Paddy’s Day, a day when every Irishman in the world goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to, while pulling at a Guinness or five. It’s also said an Irishman is the only man alive who will step over ten women to get a bottle of stout, but, then I never did believe that one. I am, after all, part Irish, and I hate stout….

I see I’ve managed to lose my way with my usual efficiency in such matters. ‘Tis of little consequence today; I’m late, I’m tired, I hurt, and the day stretches out ahead of me with a promise of more. C’est la vie, as they say in Burgundy and the Cote du Rhone, which are across the channel from Cork/Cobh, hiding behind the Isle of Guernsey. Well, I guess the Cote du Rhone is also on the other side of France, but, hey, I’m talking mostly to Americans, who are famous for NOT knowing any geography. And, now, I’ve managed to insult my own audience…. SIGH…. Today, that’s a big, West Counties sigh, complete with huge indrawn breath, and a sad expression of sympathy.

Such dramatic expression is handy, as well; for example, it got me this much further down the page without much effort, with the possibility of leading us in yet another direction. Since to do so would be to lose our way even more so than we already have, I think we should pass on that, and go directly on to the oyster beds, before I completely lose my way. It shouldn’t take long, as Luigi decided to start his St. Paddy’s Day binge a bit early, like yesterday, and Guido had to be called in to get us on our way. I guess we should probably do something about Luigi; he’s getting a bit unreliable…. Ah, well, that’s for later…. For now….

Shall we Pearl?

“I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties
through my love for truth – and truth rewarded me.”

~~ Simone de Beauvoir ~~

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

Riverdance-Cloudsong-Photographer-Jack-Hartin

Riverdance

Image from thriftynorthwestmom.com via Google Images

Here is my celebration for Saint Patrick’s Day. I’ve seen this company’s show three times now; it gets better every year, and that is saying something. For your enjoyment, here is a full show, well worth it just for the music; the dance and joy is a bonus…. Enjoy!….

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

Riverdance

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

https://youtu.be/gdVF2pefNpg

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

Given my battle during the night, you probably knew we were going to the archives today…. I’ll try to keep it light….

From 2/9/2014:

“The essence of Christianity is told us in the Garden of Eden history. The fruit that was forbidden was on the tree of knowledge. The subtext is, All the suffering you have is because you wanted to find out what was going on. You could be in the Garden of Eden if you had just keep your fucking mouth shut and hadn’t asked any questions.” — Frank Zappa Playboy Interview, April 1993

Hmm…. Frank’s take on matters are such that I generally find myself in complete agreement with what he says. Here, he has again put his finger on one of the more obvious facets of Christianity, one that defies all logical explanation in lieu of subservient belief, to wit: faith vs. knowledge, and the Christian’s unfortunate tendency to embrace the former, without any appeal to the latter….. To my way of thinking, that is not only foolish, but cowardly….. but, perhaps, that’s just me….

The fruit of the tree of knowledge gives mankind the go-ahead to use the brain with which we were furnished at birth; the preachers would have us abrogate that use, having us, instead, give over all our power of belief into the hands of the faithful, who, naturally, have only our best interests at heart….. Sure they do…. NOT. I’m sorry, but, no matter how many times these folks say so, I am not going to accept that they know better than I what is best for me…. Nope, not even if there were twenty Bibles out there, all proclaiming how true they are…. Oh wait, there are twenty of them, aren’t there?…. Oh, well, you know what I meant….

Why do people fall for this? I cannot understand how people, who are normally reasonably intelligent, will, by conscious choice, bury their heads in the sand to buy into this, without ever taking even one moment to examine any of it for truth, or even logical assumption. Is there some kind of mind-control drug in that incense? Maybe in the sacramental wine…. Whatever it is, it turns normally competent, intelligent people into mindless slaves, and does so with their complete agreement and approval….. To my mind, it is one of history’s saddest, most incomprehensible features, when I look at just how easily people fall for such egregious, and so obviously self-serving idiocy, as most of the dogmatic proclamations of the major religions tend to offer up.

“I hope I never get so old I get religious.” — Ingmar Bergman

I am compelled to add, “Me, too!” to this sentiment…. In the recent past, I’ve been taking a lot of shots at religions, and need to make clear that I do not hate Christians, or Buddhists, or Muslims, or the followers of any religion. I think they are being silly, deliberately and evilly so, at worst, or at best, misguidedly so, but I don’t hate, or fear them, as is the case on their part whenever they consider me, or my criticisms of their beliefs. I don’t hold that against them, either, as it is logically consistent for them to do so, given the limitations of their dogmatic position. Since, however, the fervor with which they will often defend their position can reach a rather fevered pitch, I tend to treat many of them like a stinging insect, so I will move, and speak, slowly and carefully, so as not to frighten them more than they already are….

Ethical and moral behavior is not confined to those who follow the precepts of one religion or another, despite what any of the proponents of those religions will try to tell you. In fact, if you look closely, the number of folks who are believers have a much higher percentage of failure in that area than do the non-believers, which only makes sense…. The believers all have a sense of entitlement that gives them the idea that the rules of behavior don’t always apply to them, in terms of how they treat people who are not of the same faith, so, to those who are not of their own sect, they don’t bother being truthful, or honest, or ethical, as those people don’t count, in their eyes. People who make their own moral codes tend to follow them, and are much more tolerant of those who do not share their beliefs.

Basic human nature dictates these responses in people; thus, one can see how dangerous it is to remain ignorant, in the Biblical sense. Those who choose to buy into the myth of the Garden of Eden, giving up all their personal independence of mind for the comfort and safety of dogma, will always fail to act according to their own morality much of the time, generally acting, instead, out of their sense of entitlement, and the belief that all of their sins will be forgiven, merely by the act of confessing them. Only those who consciously choose their moral code have the courage to act it out, it seems, except for those few people who actually try to live according to the morality that is espoused, and is seldom embraced by their less ethical peers.

Having the strength of mind to make one’s own moral code also implies the courage to act it out…. This is why I choose to deny the dogma I’ve been exposed to all my life, as being illogical, and, ultimately, immoral…. It makes more sense to me to make my own decisions on such matters, and tell the busybodies who assume they know best for all to go jump in a lake…. Even better, just shut the hell up, and get out of the way, so the rest of us can get something relevant done, without having to put up with all the nonsense from that quarter….

“What is a church? Our honest sexton tells, ‘Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells.” — Crabbe

Note from 2014: Since the validity of the above remains strong, I leave you with the following pearl, to finish off this discussion with the proper tone of accusation, and indictment, of those guilty of this sort of crime against humanity….

“The impression somehow prevails that the true believer, particularly the religious individual, is a humble person. The truth is that the surrendering and humbling of the self breeds pride and arrogance.” — Eric Hoffer

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

Finisterre

This was the land’s end: the last fingers, knuckled and rheumatic,
Cramped on nothing. Black
Admonitory cliffs, and the sea exploding
With no bottom, or anything on the other side of it,
Whitened by the faces of the drowned.
Now it is only gloomy, a dump of rocks —-
Leftover soldiers from old, messy wars.
The sea cannons into their ear, but they don’t budge.
Other rocks hide their grudges under the water.

The cliffs are edged with trefoils, stars and bells
Such as fingers might embroider, close to death,
Almost too small for the mists to bother with.
The mists are part of the ancient paraphernalia —-
Souls, rolled in the doom-noise of the sea.
They bruise the rocks out of existence, then resurrect them.
They go up without hope, like sighs.
I walk among them, and they stuff my mouth with cotton.
When they free me, I am beaded with tears.

Our Lady of the Shipwrecked is striding toward the horizon,
Her marble skirts blown back in two pink wings.
A marble sailor kneels at her foot distractedly, and at his foot
A peasant woman in black
Is praying to the monument of the sailor praying.
Our Lady of the Shipwrecked is three times life size,
Her lips sweet with divinity.
She does not hear what the sailor or the peasant is saying —-
She is in love with the beautiful formlessness of the sea.

Gull-colored laces flap in the sea drafts
Beside the postcard stalls.
The peasants anchor them with conches. One is told:
“These are the pretty trinkets the sea hides,
Little shells made up into necklaces and toy ladies.
They do not come from the Bay of the Dead down there,
But from another place, tropical and blue,
We have never been to.
These are our crêpes. Eat them before they blow cold.”

~~ Sylvia Plath ~~

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

Our final pearl today is an eclectic, slightly humorous random, harlequin version of an old-school pearl. I hope you enjoy it, for it is one of my better efforts in a while….

The lake rises above the trees:
The image of Preponderance of the Great.
Thus the superior man, when he stands alone,
Is unconcerned,
And if he has to renounce the world,
He is undaunted.

~~ I Ching ~

“It really doesn’t matter if you’re the prey or the predator, if you want to live to see the sunset, you’ve got to start the day running.” — Realist Bee

“Are we THERE yet?” — Zippy the Pinhead

“Brains first and then Hard Work.” — Eeyore, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

“A life lived in fear is only half lived.” — Spanish proverb

“You can observe a lot just by watchin’.” — Yogi Berra

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

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

“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself
(I am large, I contain multitudes).”

~~ Walt Whitman, Song of Myself ~~

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

Well, it’s done, in spite of some severe demands for attention from our resident familiar, who, for some reason, seems to think today is HER day. Maybe she’s Irish, mixed in with the very apparent Siamese; must be the Calico in her. At any rate, it’s done, and pretty damn fresh, aside from the rant and the poem, which speak for themselves. I’m going to take this opportunity to take my leave, as it were, so, I’ll leave you with my usual caveat, to wit: See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. Consider it a matter of submitting to the inevitable….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Winsome wiggling only on Tuesdays….

Posted on March 16, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It has been said that man is a rational animal.
All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

Irish Famine Victims Memorial ~ Galway

Hajime…. Fortunately for me, the process I’ve developed over the years continues to stand in good stead for my muse, who is, apparently, on sabbatical. Until she/he/it has returned, I’m on my own, a sure recipe for disaster, let me assure you. To avoid any such less than optimal outcome, I’ve put together a relatively heavy (don’t worry, heavy in weight, not intensity) Pearl, which, though it may take some time to wade through, will nonetheless provide ample food for thought, and some damn find music, if naught else. Where else could you get all that for this price, eh?

I think, before anyone actually comes up with an answer to that query, I’ll use my recently discovered brevity bone to take us out of the intro in a hurry. I’ve found that doing so will, at the very least, put a damper in any pending lawsuits; something out the air at the oyster beds keeps the process servers away…. Of course, the air there HAS been rated by government agencies as “miasma”, so, perhaps they have something about which to complain…. not that we care at all, but, it gives them something to do besides pick at each other.

Now, where was I, before I so rudely interrupted myself? Oh, right. We’re outta here…. See ya down the page ffolkes, and, I’d suggest you use the conveniently located handholds on the wall…. It’s gonna get bumpy…..

Shall we Pearl?

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult
words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”

~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~

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

Playing For Change

Today, I feel generous; hence, a double shot of love, from some of the world’s best street musicians and singers, all with one message of peace. Enjoy!….

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

One Love

Blues of People

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

https://youtu.be/4xjPODksI08

https://youtu.be/dXO_0BJdU84

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

I’m still working on a new rant, so, bear with me, as we go with one from about two years ago, which, as with all of my rants, seems to be still valid, in all it says…. Enjoy!….

From 3/16/2014:

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

Before we begin, please read the article attached to the link below; it contains information that will be necessary to a full appreciation/understanding of the discussion to follow…..

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/FDIC-sues-16-big-banks-that-set-key-rate-5318301.php

After reading this article all the way through, I came perilously close to puking, only resisting the urge, strong as it was, because I wasn’t in a place where it would have been convenient….. However, I WAS able to determine, immediately upon completion of the article, that I would definitely be ranting on this one, for sure and for certain…. This CRIES out to discussed, and, who am I to destroy the wishes of such a plaintive, compelling cry for social justice?

Did you catch the key points in the report on these asshole bankers and their naked avarice? To me, one of the key points in the article, which shows just how ridiculous the whole thing becomes when examined in ANY light, is the sentence imposed on the banks for admitting their guilt…. Essentially, the decision says this: a) the banks were guilty of defrauding their customers (again)…. they admitted it without a qualm; b) they only have to pay back PART of what they stole by doing so, and c) they don’t have to go to jail, they get to stay in business, and keep ALL of the profits they made by this theft.

You know, it makes me wonder…. I’d wager serious money (if I could cover the bet…. I’m not a bank, and I bet with honor….)….. very serious money, that the banks, when they planned out their campaign of theft in this instance, included in their plans a certain amount of money to set aside to pay the legal fees involved in defending themselves once they got found out and sued for the fraud…. I BET they knew before they started that, eventually, the SEC and their counterparts (ie, government thieves….) in the BRC would catch them in their thievery, and take them to court, so they set aside a percentage of the profits to be made to cover that, and proceeded with the plan to steal from their customers, (i.e. US, you and me, and all the other little investors whose money they steal on a regular basis….), knowing ahead of time that they’d never do any time in jail, and could count on a certain amount of profit on the deal…

I don’t think anyone would take that bet, unless they’re stupider than they look….. Ffolkes, how much more proof is necessary? How many times do we have to let these assholes fuck everyone else in the world, and let them get away with it, before we do something about stopping it? Personally, I’ve about had it up to here (makes motion at neck…) with their sheer gall, to carry out a scheme like this, in full view of the public, knowing they’ll be able to not only get away with it without ever spending any time in jail for their crimes, but will make a decent profit by doing so…. a profit they, of course, feel is their RIGHT to make, just because they want it…..

It’s not the money…. though, of course, it would help a lot of people if it wasn’t stolen…. No, it’s the sheer effrontery, the gall, the entitlement that gives these assholes the idea they can do this with impunity that bothers me the most…. It’s the kind of thing calculated to piss me off enough to take some action, even if that action isn’t necessarily the one that will help the most…. No, I’m tempted, almost beyond control, to go buy a gun, and a LOT of bullets that go with the gun, so I could start picking off bankers, and politicians, and judges, and police officers, and all the other assholes who dump their loads of BS all over everyone else in the pursuit of their own agendas, never caring at all how many others they harm in the process…

Yep, ffolkes, the time is drawing nigh when my patience will be at an end, and I’ll actually DO something that will, if nothing else, make me feel as if I’d helped in a small way to put a stop to the bullshit going on all around us…. It may not change society, but I’ll damn sure feel a lot better, you betcha….

Bah, humbug! Writing about this has gotten me as worked up as reading the article did originally; I’m sitting here vibrating with anger at the corporate assholes who are constantly degrading life for the rest of us, and wishing there were some way to speed up the time until I can afford to buy a decent weapon (by “decent” I mean, of course, that it will do all I want it to do….)…. I have a feeling it won’t be terribly long now until that day actually arrives…. and I can’t wait, to tell the truth….

I’m too worked up to rant further about this, though I can feel a lot more inside me that needs to be released…. So, I’ll finish off with a little five-star pearl, using as a parameter the same subject upon which we’ve been gnawing…. Hey, it’s a quick, legitimate way to bring this to a dignified, if choppy, ending….. Enjoy….

— How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? Four, one to change it and the other three to deny it. — Smart Bee

“Dealing with the government is like kicking a 300-pound sponge.” — Finagle’s Law of Government Contracting

“We are hypnotized into believing that two TV sets will make us twice as happy as one TV set.” — Laura Huxley (wife of Aldous)

“The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.” — John E.E. Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), — “The History of Freedom in Antiquity”

“I don’t want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap.” — Spanish Proverb

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

Penance, Made Simple

After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.

Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.

Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.

Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.

Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/23/2012

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

Since the beginning, I’ve known some pearls are more, well, coherent than others. This one is, in the final analysis, pretty transparent, while simultaneously exhibiting a certain dignified sobriety, which, to me, enhances the message it carries, as a whole. But, then, I created it, so, who’s to say if any of that will be so? I suppose, as always, that may be taken as part of the point of this exercise…. A clue: this is all stuff seldom considered, but, all fairly significant, in its way…. Don’t worry, you’ll see….

“And sometimes the bear eats you.” — Realist Bee

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx, 1890-1977

“Sleeping alone, except under doctor’s orders, does much harm. Children will tell you how lonely it is sleeping alone. If possible you should always sleep with someone you love. You recharge your mutual batteries free of charge.” — Marlene Dietrich

“Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know them you must find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and
hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That’s the fun part.” — Drew Marold

“No matter where you go, there you are.” — Buckaroo Banzai, Buckaroo Banzai – Across the 8th Dimension

“I’m the one who’s got to die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” — Jimi Hendrix

“The only people for me are the mad ones.” — Jack Kerouac

“All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.” — Edgar Allen Poe, from the poem “A Dream Within a Dream”

“You have taken yourself too seriously. Knock it off.” — Cheeky Bee

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

I’m a bit surprised to have finished this with as much aplomb as has been the case. Rather than make the seriously bad mistake of trying to explain that comment, I’ll leave you in suspense, thus obeying the old adage about leaving ’em with something to think about. I will, in spite of all attempts to stop me, or dissuade me, be back tomorrow, to do this again…. I can’t seem to stop myself….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Sitting right and tight….

Posted on February 11, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

There is great beauty in going through life without anxiety or fear.
Half our fears are baseless, and the other half discreditable.

~~ Bovee ~~

Winter Memories

Hajime….. Since my life has evolved into one long session of being domesticated by a female cat, producing Pearls has assumed a smaller size and shape, at least in terms of how much time I am allowed to spend in the creative mode necessary to do so. In fact, I’m slipping in this intro section during a time I had to enforce as being time to type; otherwise, I’d be playing ‘chase the mouse’ or ‘roll the balls’ until one of us dropped… and, I think we all know which of us would drop first…..

Given the state of affairs in which I find myself, it becomes thus even more significant to have completed ANY of the material you’ll find below today. I’ve been bleeding it out in small pieces, as I find the time, much like those times in Hell when my pain makes it impossible to either sit, stand, walk, hold still, or twiddle a finger. So, you see, I actually already possess the necessary skills to do this; maybe that’s why I continue to do so. Or, maybe it’s the ever-present specter of insanity and darkness that threatens to engulf me when I DON’T get this out of my system…. Who knows? If I did, I’d probably be doing something else, so, I may as well go with the flow…. right?

Ah, hell, there I go again, waffling. Since I promised myself to stop that, I’ll play nice, & finish this torturous beginning so we can get something a bit more constructive, if not enlightening, done before they bring in my medications…. Oops. Did I say that out loud? Crap. Oh, well, there goes the credibility gap again…. Fuck it, I’m outta here, and so are y’all, because, hey, closed cabin…. Better hang on, Luigi’s back….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

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

I was trying to decide what kind of music to include today, when I realized I wanted to hear the ‘best’ of whatever type I felt like hearing…. That, naturally, led me to think of this organization, for the music I hear every time is, without doubt, the best I’ve heard in my life, for it is ALL straight from the human heart…. every note, every voice, every instrument is played with love, and joy….. so, enjoy!….

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

One Love
Playing For Change

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

https://youtu.be/4xjPODksI08

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

The piece upon which I’ve been working is still incomplete; hence, yet another archived post. Here is a discussion of perception, and how it affects our daily lives, in a political/social sense…. Enjoy!….

From 1/12/2014:

Perception is, perhaps, the most elementally intricate quality we possess as living creatures. Through the five-plus senses we bring to the process, we receive information from the universe that gives us what we require, in order to be able to interact with Reality, (another term for the Universe… for the purposes of this discussion, anyway….) in some sort of way that is meaningful to us. This information comes to us in a variety of forms, and our minds must utilize the complex, yet subtle qualities of imagination, reason, logic, and all those mental functions that our minds have discovered to organize the information, functions whose etiology are basically unknown to us, as part of our basic nature. We don’t think about, or feel in any way, the process of seeing, or smelling, or touching, except in the context of the sense itself…. We just DO it….

Yet each sense is such that it works WITH all the others, in ways we don’t really understand, to give us the pictures in our heads that show us how our minds perceive the world outside us…. We, being the imaginative creatures we are, have evolved all sorts of ways to organize and utilize our perceptions, all of which are again connected (remember that complexity part…) to another facet of Reality, which is our motivation for what we do, an outgrowth of our judgments of what we perceive…. We perceive, we judge, we act on that judgment, all according to our basic outlook on life, and how we choose to accept, and use, what we perceive….

This subject, I know, is a bit esoteric for such a venue, but, I’m leading up to a point, which is this…. We all perceive the world differently, but, that doesn’t mean the world takes that into any account…. It’s one of our hardest lessons to accept when we are forced to admit that the Universe, in all its majestic glory, couldn’t give a tiny little crap for us, or for what we think of the way things are…. If we choose to interact with it in such a way that we are breaking the basic rules that everything works by, then we will have to pay the price, in the only way that the Universe uses to exact payment, to wit: extinction….

Now, given that, it seems to me that my ranting about all of this*** is a bit like that ant crawling up the elephant’s leg, with belligerent intentions…. In short, it’s not really a productive way to achieve whatever it is I’m trying to do, as I can see only one possible outcome, which, the odds, and logic, would tend to dictate doesn’t include any need for any worry on the part of the elephant…. All that is a long winded, pedantic way of saying that my rants, while satisfying on a personal level for the release they provide, are mostly a waste of breath, in a practical sense…. Nothing will change because I rant, in spite of the need for change being the whole purpose behind the rant…

The major part of that reason, I think, lies in the fact that I’m preaching to the choir…. None of the ffolkes, or folks, who read my blog, (with the possible exception of any bored NSA drones who may be assigned to do so merely because of my anti-government stance, shown by the use of key phrases indicating my opposition….), are in any position to make any of the changes themselves, even though many of them would be willing to do so, I think…. But, the people who inhabit the halls of our government in Washington, and in other capitols around the world, DON’T read my blog, nor do they agree with most of the things about which I rant….

Why is that, do you think? Why don’t the people who govern us agree with any of what I say in my rants? It’s all stuff that can be proven, and is certainly important enough to all of us to warrant discussion… But, they don’t agree… They have their own agendas, which don’t look like anything that anyone in the great unwashed masses could come up with, even though they supposedly represent US…. These are our representatives, ffolkes…. I found this short comment in an old Pearl, which I think sums up most of my point pretty well…..

(From May 12, 2012):

“Such bickerings to recount, met often in these our writers, what more worth is it than to chronicle the wars of kites or crows flocking and fighting in the air?” — John Milton (1608-1674) — The History of England, Book iv

Did you ever wonder why a group of crows is called a congress? I didn’t. It makes perfect sense to me…. Dark, sinister looking creatures who act in odd ways, even for birds. Their behaviors tend to lean toward stealing shiny objects from wherever, or stealing the food of people or other animals and birds. When they speak, it is in a voice that grates on the ear like fingernails on a slate. In groups, they mill around, cackling and grumbling and jostling each other, until they all fly off to different areas to carry out whatever nefarious schemes they have hatched among themselves.

No, I have no problem envisioning a congress of crows; in fact, I believe they are in session, now, in Washington, D.C. …. Why, look! Here’s a list of them now!…..

http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2014/01/10/congress-is-mostly-full-of-millionaires-but-who-are-the-richest/#19551101=0

Them’s some affluent crows, ain’t they?…. That’s what happens when any politician is given the keys to the treasury….. One last query…. Who gets to say how much money members of Congress get paid? Answer: They are authorized to set that themselves…. Okay, one more… Who authorized them? Why, they authorized that themselves, of course….

I’m tired now…. I’ve managed to spout off now about the Asininnies, or, at least, about the 545 of them who inhabit the top levels of OUR democratic bureaucracy, for a good, oh, thousand words or so, and once again, it will end up being read by those who mostly agree… (I’m making the assumption, reluctantly, but, with confidence, that if they DIDN’T agree, they’d leave a comment to say so…. I know MY Gentle Readers would do so….), so, I’m perfectly aware that no changes will happen because of what I’ve written….

I don’t feel any better, either, damn it!….. 😦

*** It must be noted that “all of this” should be understood to include: global warming, and the impending ecological disaster, overpopulation, criminality of the Asininnies, most especially the egregiously selfish actions of the Beloved Ruling Class, the Shadowy Corporate Masters, Snakeheads in general, (human predators…. pimps, slavers, pedophiles, and the ilk…), and the Priestly Hierarchies….. Oh, yes, and, on the rare occasion, exposing Pooh’s evil twin….

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

Fatal Supplication

But what becomes of our deepest dangerous dreams?
Does fantasy rescue any part of life’s imperiled favor?
Reality becomes but silvery pairs of mismatched teams,
Dining with affable elegance, such diffident waste to savor.

Who decides what sorrows to carry bravely to term?
Will fragrant moments of sanity make hasty manifestation?
Only Time’s patient mutability sends messages so firm,
Yet salient impersonal vexation lends credence to ripe imagination.

Can folly bring out sadness and rampant visions of beauty?
What kindness can be found in distant open relations?
With countless faces the dead disturb with dire impunity,
From separate caches of wisdom come simple stylish privations.

Shall shallow emotion serve to provide such explanations?
When does avaricious intensity assume primary focus?
Plain answers slide softly through with multiple mitigations,
While conceptually indignant concepts engage a fatally personal locus.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/20/2012

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

Naked Pearls

The Search for Meaning

*********

“Though leaves are many, the root is one ;
Through all the lying days of my youth,
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun.
Now I may wither into the truth.”

~~ W B Yeats ~~

“I am, therefore I am.” — Akira

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” — ee cummings

“Become what you are.” — Buddha

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

“Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” — Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xii

“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better or worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

“Once upon a time, I dreamed of becoming a great man. Later, a good man. Now, finally, I find it difficult enough and honor enough to be–a man.” — Edward Abbey

“The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.” — Albert Einstein

“If you can see a thing whole… it seems that it’s always beautiful. Planets, lives…But close up, a world’s all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life’s a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. You need distance, interval. The way to see how beautiful the earth is, is to see it as the moon. The way to see how beautiful a life is, is to see it from the vantage point of death.” — Ursula K. Le Guin, Dispossessed

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

Having completed my chosen duty, I shall, forthwith, take my leave, as is my wont upon finishing. Go figure…. I’m on cat time now, so, I’d best be on my way, with the usual caveat, a warning, as it were, that I’ll be back tomorrow to try again…. Go figure…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Idiosyncratic lizards pull less weight….

Posted on January 9, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The world is ruled by feelings, not reason.”

~~ Zen-ish Bee ~~

Dusk at Murphy’s Bar

Spanish Arch, Galway

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl may be a bit choppy, both in appearance and overall impact. Can’t be helped. No excuses offered, nor, most likely, desired, or, if offered, accepted. ‘S okay by me. I’m too strange today to worry about it. The nice thing, sometimes, about being so fucking weird nobody else understands you is: nobody asks for favors. Nor, with good reason, do they approach one unnecessarily, and the ‘necessary’ is the part I get to decide. Goodie for me….

So, how y’all been? Me, I’ve been getting stranger all the time, and, I like it. Of course, it does get a bit lonely at times, but, believe me, the perks outweigh the burden of solitude. Besides, solitude is only a burden when one has a fear of being alone; I, like most curmudgeons and, for that matter, Smart Bees, have no such fear, having long ago come to terms with such ignorant reactions to childish fears. I treasure my solitude, for it makes the time spent with those I love that much more poignant, and sweet.

All that said, to little purpose, as usual, we’ll shorten your torture, and get on with the slow, as per the instructions on the package. Should you find yourselves without merit or direction, well, you’re on your own. But, if you need a hand, ours will be there, held out for you to grab. We hope. That we would if we could is a given; whether we are able is yet another question we cannot answer. Life is full of disappointments, so, we’d all best get used to it. Since that is the case, let us be off, without further nonsense from the aforesaid deponent, who prefereth to sayeth not…. at least, not any more….

Told ya I was strange today….

Shall we Pearl?….

“If man evolved from the ape, how come there are still apes around?”

“Some of them were given choices.”

~~ Johnny Hart’s comic strip B.C. ~~

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

The Yardbirds

Image from http://www.almusic.com via Google Images

The forerunner of all future supergroups, the Yardbirds were composed of five musicians, all of whom went on to become superstars in their own right…. These guys were the pioneers of modern rock & roll, ffolkes, and, they were hot…. Enjoy… How can you not, with Clapton, Page, Beck, and the boys showing their genius, at an early age….. Just look at those baby faces!…..

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

The Yardbirds Live
Full Album

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

https://youtu.be/0tp1MSsSOBo?list=PL1KqX2f10oFjrL3Bv9scP6wjo1sbTYkhZ

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

I began a long, wandering introspective piece yesterday, but, have not finished it; proper self-examination cannot be hurried. So, here is a relatively short rant, on our old buddies, the assholes who comprise our Beloved Ruling Class, (thanks for that term to Joel Rosenberg)…. Enjoy! Hell, why not? I did….

From 2/3/2013:

“A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks.” — Johann L. Uhland (1787-1862) — Speech, May 27, 1836

Mr. Uhland is correct in his observation, if a bit slow in making it. The usurpation of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights began within moments of its adoption as law, and has been continuing on a daily basis ever since. In the fight against that usurpation, a major battle was lost sometime around the middle of the 19th century, around 1836 or so, when a corrupt federal judge, at the insistence of his corporate masters, approved a legal decision that gave corporations the same rights as people, opening the door to further machinations by which the banks and corporations could, have, and continue to, steal from the public without consequence…..

Today, there is a new push to reform some of the laws that enable the moneylenders to control society as they do; the concept of corporate personhood is under fire by an enraged public, tired of the endless cycle of working to try to get ahead, only to find that there is no path visible to go anywhere but down. As that astute social philosopher, George Carlin, pointed out, they (the bankers and corporate rogues) don’t want a populace capable of critical thinking; they just want workers smart enough to operate the machines, but not smart enough to wonder why they are doing so for so little compensation.

Modern technology has, thanks to the Internet, made keeping this issue out of the public eye impossible, and the corporate stranglehold on society is being challenged much more often. In one sense, this new-found spread of information is holding back the needed changes, as a lot of energy is dissipated in the public discourse that might otherwise build up into the kind of frustration that leads to revolution, and societal upheaval. But, it is also making it much harder for the miscreants who want to control everyone else keep their machinations out of the public eye. There are too many holes for them to plug….

The power these self-serving assholes hold over the rest of us is accustomed to being able to hide from public scrutiny, and I’m sure there will be attempts made to curtail some of the information they are concerned about making common knowledge. In fact, according to some of my latest email updates from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), there are a number of bills trying to get forced through Congress, without public discussion when possible, that are intended to limit the freedom of speech that is currently unrestricted, for the most part. A recent setback occurred when an honest judge (i.e., one that stayed bought….) rewarded his corporate masters with a decision regarding cell phones that is a serious threat to a number of technological freedoms…. In other words, the fight continues today, and it is just as important today as it was back in 1776, and 1836, when the battle was joined…

The Beloved Ruling Class, and their corporate owners, will do all they can to limit the public’s awareness of what they are doing, and they will continue to try to erode the rights of the common man. They have, by their historical behavior, and their current actions, indicated their intent quite clearly… and that intent is to arrange matters so that what they want is law, and the rest of us can go fuck ourselves silly…. because they don’t care. These people are not concerned with anything that does not serve their own ends, and will lie, cheat, steal, and kill to maintain their power…. This is not supposition, this is fact, based on history, and on observation of current events….

I guess the only real question to be answered is, how long are the rest of us going to allow them to have their way? They are killing us all with their indifference to anything but their own purposes, and we are letting them do it. Myself, I’m getting a bit tired of it, and would like to see society become a bit more active in the resistance shown to the chicanery toward the rest of us, all perpetrated by the Powers That Be… up to and including revolution…. But, then, that’s me…. I’m a bit impatient, and I’m tired of their shit….. I’m hoping more people are getting that way, as our only hope of survival in the long run is to kick the bastards out…..

“All the world over, I will back the masses against the classes.” — William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898)

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

Dead Hands,Typing…

Puzzled anew by anomalous blocks of pain
caught, bemused, chained to routine, insane.
Stilled within breathless beauty
Engaging epiphany, insistent, called to duty.

Knees bent in lieu of a faithful rendition
suffuses, confuses, locked into stale perdition.
Clearing corrosion with hands encased in stone
Singular frozen follicles, masked by bone.

Partial focus brings unfiltered flavors to light
coloring each particle in simple delight.
Forlorn, novel conceptual artists singing in tune
nine notes in harmony, soft as the moon.

Honed blades of carbon steel flash in rhyme,
filling sensual receptors well past closing time.
Borrowed from neighbors in a week-old game
still bloody, without a proper name.

No flooded memories can justify such cost
no simple stationery, bilious, afraid, lost.
Ten times ten will never be enough
To fill so empty a stolen trough.

Bartering simplicity takes well into the night
solidly temporary pillars turned bright.
Unknown to all the pretty children who came
none were called, none had any remaining flame.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/25/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Consensus at Large

*********

“I count life just a stuff
To try the soul’s strength on.”

~~ Robert Browning — In a Balcony ~~

*********

“The truth is incontrovertible.
Malice may attack it.
Ignorance may deride it.
But in the end, there it is.”

~~ Winston Churchill ~~

*********

“Courage is the willingness of a person
to stand up for his beliefs in the face of great odds.
Chutzpah is doing the same thing
wearing a Mickey Mouse hat.”

~~ Yiddish Bee ~~

*********

On Monday, when the sun is hot,
I wonder to myself a lot;
‘Now is it true, or is it not,
‘That what is which and which is what?’

“On Tuesday, when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows
That hardly anybody knows
If those are these or these are those.”

“On Wednesday, when the sky is blue,
And I have nothing else to do,
I sometimes wonder if it’s true
That who is what and what is who.”

~~ A.A. Milne, Winnie The Pooh ~~

*********

Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practices it will have neighbors.

~~ Confucius ~~

*********

The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.

~~ George Eliot ~~

*********

“Every animal knows more than you do.”

~~ Nez Perce Proverb ~~

*********

“Now I’m having INSIPID THOUGHTS about the beautiful, round
wives of HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MOGULS encased in PLEXIGLASS CARS
and being approached by SMALL BOYS selling FRUIT..”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*********

“All in favor say aye.”

~~ Chairman Bee ~~

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

Having completed my chosen duty, I’ll forgo any further torturous, winding exclamations, in favor of this short, sweet fare-the-well…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. it seems there is no way to prevent me from doing so, short of killing me, and, so far, nobody big or bad enough has shown up to give it a shot….. Hah!…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

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

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Winnie the Pooh

Following twisty passages….

A direct correlation to oblique references….

Too early for desperate measures….

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