Serendipity strikes….

Posted on March 14, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“True silence is the rest of the mind.
It is to the spirit what sleep is to the body
–nourishment and refreshment.”

~~ William Penn ~~

Harold & Violet, circa 1910

Hajime…. In summary of the past five plus days, let me just say, whew! What a ride! It has taken me nearly 48 hours of near catatonia, and about 20 hours sleeping, to approach the near-human state I have awakened to this morning. I managed to finish a Pearl over that time, by working at it in spurts, as more energy became available. I can’t say it’s the most compelling Pearl ever created, but, it’s pretty good, all things considered. Any summary of the time leading up to today should also include two comments, to wit: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, (shout-out here to Chuck Dickens….), and “Regardless of our perceptions, the universe remains in balance.”

I realize those may be a bit obscure, in terms of details which might explain their relevance, but, any such relation of details will have to wait for tomorrow, and/or other Pearls yet to be composed. I will say this now: it was one of the most illuminating periods of time I’ve ever experienced. During the time I spent traveling, and during my stay in Oregon to fulfill death duty, I connected with more new, and old friends than in any previous comparable time in my entire life. Though I am a trifle sad at the passing of my friend, his change of path was accomplished with love, and dignity, and compassion, so, in that, I am content.

I am also more than merely content at the serendipity I found in traveling. On both legs of the train ride to my destination in Oregon, I met people with whom I became incredibly connected, about whom I shall speak in time. Suffice to say, I met one of our species’ Great Souls, one of the most influential men of the 20th and 21st centuries, whom I met when I helped him navigate his way through the coach section in which we found ourselves to the dining car for dinner.

He is 85 years of age, though he appears to be in his 60’s, and spent much of the latter half of the 20th century pursuing his interests on the highest level stages of world events/history, starting with his invitation to come to the US from his home in India to participate in the Manhattan Project. He was traveling in Coach, because he wished to meet new people, to help him achieve a sense of balance lost at his wife’s death the year before. We spent, literally, hours and hours exchanging ideas, and our histories, and our contact information, to ensure we would meet again.

I also met two very intelligent, passionately alive young men, one traveling for pleasure, the other on his way to a Zen Buddhist institute to study advanced Zen mysticism, with whom I debated the existence of God for most of the last night on the train…. Since it is almost impossible for me to sleep on the train, it helped pass the long night in both directions. I’m just now getting over the exhaustion I incurred over the four day trip, having slept very little, but, cannot regret a single moment of the time spent awake, for my mind feasted on joyful cogitation, and discovery, the entire time I was gone…

Now, I’m back, and note I have rambled & blathered quite enough for one intro…. I’m sure I’ll relate more of the trip, as I am still processing all that occurred… In the meantime, let’s get on with today’s mess, so we can all get on with the rest of the day…. See ya down the page, ffolkes… Hang on, we’re goin’ in fast & hard….

Shall we Pearl?

“A man can do something for peace without having to jump into politics.
Each man has inside him a basic decency and goodness.
If he listens to it and acts on it,
he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most.”

~~ Pablo Casals ~~

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

Image from You Tube via Google Images

I first became aware of this group last year when Leonard Cohen passed away, whereupon a number of artists covered his works in tribute. This A Capella singing group performed Lenny’s “Hallelujah” in a video, with excellent innovative passion. I found this via a link from a friend on FB, & thought it was perfect for today, to honor the passage of my friend, Dennis, and, offer some hope for the future of humanity…. If naught else, it’s grand craic, and, if you can’t appreciate its genius, you are in need of some cultivation of your basic humanity…. Enjoy!….

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Pentatonix

“Imagine”

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

A Dubiously Soft Morning

Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.

Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.

Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.

Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.

~~ gigoid ~~

7/26/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large….

*********

“All beginnings are hard.”

~~ Chaim Potok, “In The Beginning”, 1975 ~~

*********

“Big, undreamed-of things.
The people on the edge see them first.”

~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr ~~

*********

“Only through time time is conquered.”

~~ T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton” ~~

*********

“Think of everyone as a idiot.”

~~ MSgt. R. H. Moore, Driving Rule #1 ~~

*********

“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.
The question is: what are we busy about?:”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

*********

“To a rational being it is the same thing
to act according to nature and according to reason.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, vii, 11 ~~

*********

“You think your pain and your heartbreak
are unprecedented in the history of the world,
but then you read.
It was books that taught me
that the things that tormented me most
were the very things that connected me
with all the people who were alive,
or who had ever been alive.”

~~ James Baldwin ~~

*********

“If you are stopping now, then stop.
If you are seeking a time when you finish,
there will never be a time when you finish.”

~~ Zen Koan ~~

*********

“If you get confused, listen to the music play.”

~~ Robert Hunter ~~

*********

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

It’s been a number of years since my mornings were so infused with positive energy to any appreciable degree; to feel such again is nothing less than a joy, which I can only work to extend as far as I can. I guess by seeking the balance it brings with it, that can be made real. In point of fact, that’s the plan for the day, and the coming days. Let’s go get a start on it, shall we? I’ll do my best to return tomorrow, with another fine Pearl of Virtual Wisdom, and hope all of y’all have as fine a day as I am having, and intend to maintain…. Be well, be happy as you may, and, remember to stay mindful, and, alert. Things really do work out better that way, y’know….

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….

Bartering incunabula with panache….

Posted on November 7, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily.
All other “sins” are invented nonsense.
(Hurting yourself is NOT a sin–just stupid.)”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

Mendenhall Glacier Ice, escaping to sea….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl comes to you through the auspices of cultural delusion in action. The faux time change our government insists upon foisting upon the public twice each year has caused a reaction in me, similar to that one experiences through long-distance travel. In short, I’m jet-lagged, without having had the pleasure of traveling anywhere. Since Sunday, when the change took place, I’ve been arising at about 3 AM., unable to sleep any longer. SIGH…. Oh, well, at least it got a Pearl done for today….

Can you feel it? Do you feel the tension in the air? The world is on a cusp, ffolkes, and the election tomorrow will have a definitive effect on how that tension plays out in reality. A lot of sensitive people are aware of what is happening, and they are all, including myself, nervous about what may happen tomorrow. My own unease is related to the simple fact that, whichever of the two candidates most likely to carry the day wins, it isn’t going to bode well for anybody, as they both have personal agendas in place that have nothing at all to do with their avowed duty, to help the American people. No, I’m afraid they both are much more selfish, and deluded, that that. I can’t see ANY good coming from the results, so, I’m holding my breath, to some degree, awaiting some indication of what direction to jump.

All that said, I’ve put together a Pearl without any real direction, or purpose, other than to maintain my own sanity, and to provide y’all with, perhaps, the only non-manipulative information you’ll be bombarded with today. Anything you see regarding the election, you may be sure, is only designed to get you to do what someone else wants. If nothing else, this won’t do THAT…. for we don’t want anything but your polite attention, and, if you wish to give it, a bit of appreciation. Or, argument. Doesn’t matter, if it keeps us both from having to think about an event which has already proven its irrelevance.

On that cheerful note, let’s get on with it. Ruthlessness coming; hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“What’s madness but nobility of soul
At odds with circumstance?”

~~ Theodore Roethke, “In a Dark Time” ~~

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

Yep. You guessed it. Today’s musical selection automatically went to default, since I hadn’t made any decision at post-time… Go figure, eh?…. Try to enjoy it, anyway; people have been doing so for centuries, so, it CAN be done…. *grin*….

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Classical Music

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Somehow, the day before our election this year, this one seems appropriate….

Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday

A baleful lump of ironic introspection
sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.

Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.

Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.

Too many culprits exist to count just one;
all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.

Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.

Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/3/2015

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

Naked Pearls

How’s that again?….

*******

“By letting go, it all gets done.”

~~ Tao Te Ching ~~

*******

Dilige et “uos vis fac.”
[Love and do what you will]

~~ St. Augustine ~~

*******

“Dreams are real while they last. Can we say more of life?”

~~ Havelock Ellis ~~

*******

“Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself.”

~~ Ausionius ~~

*******

“Always tell the truth–if you want to make trouble.”

~~ Honest Bee ~~

*******

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”

~~ Charles Darwin ~~

*******

“How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb?”
“None. The Universe spins the bulb, and the Zen master stays out of the way.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

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

Well, it’s done. I am going now to make sure my ammo is dry, and all is ready for whatever may happen. It’s tough preparing for the worst, for, as humans, our ‘worst’ is pretty fucking unpredictable, not to mention terrifyingly, well, terrible. In any case, I’d suggest y’all stay alert. Things are going to get really ‘interesting’ out there in the Big Blue Room, and they’re going to get there soon…. I hope to see y’all tomorrow; if the internet is still up, then so will I be…. See ya, ffolkes, sans the advent of Armageddon….

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….

Ample reason to remain sidereal….

Posted on October 23, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It is never too early or too late to care for the well-being of the soul.”

~~ Epicurus ~~

Late summer bloom….

Hajime…. In human experience, it is clear that the subject of ‘delayed gratification’ is associated closely with a great many of our difficulties. Taking the short-term view, while gratifyingly immediate, can often lead to long-term consequences, very few of which are as beneficial as our intentions would have them. In short, we screw our own pooch, regularly. I would say this is not an arguable conclusion, as the evidence is overwhelming.

Now, one might assume, from the professorial tone of the previous paragraph, today’s post will be another long diatribe against the machine. And, you’d be right. However, my diatribe, which has, in segments, been ongoing for several years, won’t be our major feature. In fact, there’s no rant, at all, in any real sense. There is material in that section today, but, you won’t find it hard to get through, as it turned old-school. We have music, we have a new poem, and a damn fine group of excellently polished pearls for your edification. You could say, this one has it all, and be correct. Go ahead, say it….

Okay, so, the obligatory nonsense is in place, we’ve got some rational dialogue, and we’re three paragraphs in; couldn’t ask for better progress. I mean, after all, Dave Letterman coined the perfect phrase to describe us, when he said, “Hopelessly lost, but, making good time….”. That’s us, to a T. Or, if necessary, to a Z. Whatever either of those means. I don’t believe I ever really ‘got’ that one, but, hey, it’s embedded in the language, so, gotta use it now and again, or it goes bad. Words do that, you know….

I think that, right there, is a good indicator, showing us it’s definitely time to get on with this, before it all goes wonky. I’ll be rational, and executive-like, & make the decision to cut this off, ruthlessly. How’s this for ruthless?….

Shall we pearl?….

“As great scientists have said and as all children know,
it is above all by the imagination
that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

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

I had no intention of ranting today, though the urge often occurs. I’m trying to keep from that sort of indulgence for the time being. Sometimes, when looking for pearls for the old-school, Naked Pearls section, I do come across pieces such as these, which I can only describe as perfect pearls, for they create an entire discussion in one’s own head, in order to ascertain the full import of the relatively few words used. In short, they compose a pearl of virtual wisdom, which can, in its essence, only be considered a rant, against all the elements of human nature that cause us so much misery, and keep the bulk of us from feeling or experiencing life as it CAN be lived. I hope you enjoy this trip into the minds of a number of rather smart people….

*******

Thoughts on the Human Condition….

*******

“For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered.
But for those of us who can’t readily accept the God formula,
the big answers don’t remain stone-written.
We adjust to new conditions and discoveries.
We are pliable.
Love need not be a command or faith a dictum.
I am my own God.
We are here to unlearn
the teachings of the church, state,
and our educational system.
We are here to drink beer.
We are here to kill war.
We are here to laugh at the odds
and live our lives so well
that Death will tremble to take us.”

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

*******

“…there is no poison on earth more potent, nor half so deadly,
as a partial truth mixed with passion.”

~~ Michael Jay Tucker~~

*******

“The entire world is being driven insane by this single phrase:
‘My religion alone is true.'”

~~ Ramakrishna ~~

*******

“There is no nonsense so arrant
that it cannot be made the creed of the vast majority
by adequate governmental action.”

~~ Bertrand Russell, “An outline of Intellectual Rubbish” ~~

*******

“And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon Gods they’d made.”

~~ Paul Simon ~~

*******

“The more laws and order are made prominent,
the more thieves and robbers there will be.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

“… But when he [the people’s champion]
has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty,
and there is nothing to fear from them,
then he is always stirring up some war or other,
in order that the people may require a leader.”

~~ Plato, “The Republic” ~~

*******

“What happens to your fist when you open your hand?”

~~ Zen Buddhism ~~

*******

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Image from lastfm.com via Google Images

I finished a poem last night; don’t know why, but the last three stanzas just bled out in about an hour. In honor of poetry, here’s a performance by one of the greatest musician/songwriter/poets of the modern era. I consider his “Sound of Silence” the definitive poem/song of the latter part of the previous century; I know it’s just my opinion, but, go listen, then tell me it doesn’t nail modern society with one swift bullet. In any case, this is a pretty decent collection of his work, in a good studio, with good sound, and, his usual collection of great musicians to play with him…. Enjoy!….

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Paul Simon
BBC Sessions ~ 2006

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Illusory Time

Viewed from askance, the river is long;
deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift, 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, looks above, sees 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

Serenity’s arcane art….

*********

I’m going to happydance among the stars and wear my stripes any way I want to.”

~~ Stripes the tiger ~~

*********

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”

~~ Lucius Anneaus Seneca ~~

*********

“To dare is to lose your foothold for a moment.
Not to dare is to lose your self.”

~~ Soren Kierkegaard~~

*********

“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~

*********

“Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it,
you will live along some distant day into your answers.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

*********

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow,
you gotta put up with the rain.”

~~ Dolly Parton ~~

*********

“Take a breath of the new dawn and make it a part of you.

~~ Hopi proverb ~~

*********

“Change is inevitable, growth is intentional.”

~~ Glenda Cloud~~

*********

“The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I must follow if I can.
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way.
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”

~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~

*********

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

Boy! That’s a big one, isn’t it? So big, I’ll forgo further torment, and just say, see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I believe we can safely say it is now an obsession, without being inaccurate. So be it….

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….

Oblique references to imaginary events….

Posted on September 18, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“But groundless hope, like unconditional love, is the only kind worth having.”

~~EFF co-founder John Perry Barlow ~~

~~ “Cynthia Horner’s Eulogy”, Apr. 1994 ~~

Signs of autumn….

Hajime…. Though it is true that hope springs eternal, it is also true that Murphy lies in wait. I’d hoped, when I sat this morning to begin, there would be time, and wherewithal, to put together an entire, modern Pearl, as seen here a mere two months ago. However, SB decided to go wonky on me, which slowed down the pearling process from the get-go. Then, I tried to find enough angst to rant, and was both pleased and dismayed to find none. That, ffolkes, is a first, and positive evidence of Murphy’s intransigent sense of humor. Hmph….

Since the original intent is now irrelevant, I suppose I’ll just do what I can to put together a good, solid, old-school pearl for your perusal, and call it a day. Hey, it’s a Sunday; I can pretend I’m taking a day off. Of course, I’ve already pulled the covers on that, but, what do you think? Is it worth a shot? In today’s world, truth doesn’t seem to possess much value, in terms of getting what one wants; fulfilling one’s desires seems to be our cultural goal as humans, seems to me.

Since I’m fully in the grasp of the wisdom of Epictetus today, I’ll forgo joining the cultural parade, by NOT lying to get what I want. Instead, I’ll merely observe how to obtain the ultimate human goals, to wit:

Sounds like good advice. How about we follow it, & get on with the rest of today’s mess? I think that’s fine idea, and so do you….

Shall we pearl?….

“The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”

~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~

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

Naked Pearls

Koans on parade….

*******

“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me.
Neither of us liked what we saw.”

~~ Zen Bee ~~

*******

“What is reason?
Knowledge informed by sympathy, intelligence in the arms of love.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“We cannot unthink unless we are insane.”

~~ Arthur Koestler ~~

*******

“Life without the courage for death is slavery.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*******

“Not to laugh, not to lament, not to curse, but to understand.”

~~ Spinoza ~~

*******

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

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~

*******

“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”

~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~

*******

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

I’d say that is just about as done as it can be. Given my position as the blog’s author and administrator, that means, hey, it’s done. How ’bout that, eh? I think, at this point, it would be best to take our leave, before anything untoward can take place. I will offer the standard caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, so, stay alert. As they say, mindful is good…. Well, they say it around here, anyway…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Can’t seem to find a valid reason to stay away….

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….

Corpuscular ambiguity, gift wrapped….

Posted on June 13, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown?

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

Need more proof?….

Hajime…. Whatever you find here today should be taken with a measure of reserve; the conditions under which my life has proceeded for a couple of days now have been rather stressful, in the sense my own mind has been consuming itself, with some relish, I might add. Not the pickle kind, either. I am unsure as to the reason for such a meltdown, but, it hardly matters at all, as the end result is just as miserable, no matter how it came to be. And, regardless of why it happens, the answer to getting past it is always located in the same place, to wit: inside my own mind/heart/being.

At this moment, I do feel a bit better, as I just hung up after talking with an eminently rational friend, who lives in England. Having spent much of yesterday in a funk, wandering the house, annoying the cat and desperately casting about for distraction from my own thoughts, I needed some rational conversation before beginning this task. We chatted for almost an hour, and I feel much more connected than I did beforehand. Yay, me, and thanks to my friend for being a friend; it may have given me enough balance to be able to finish this, with, possibly, some grace and style. Of course, that would be a first, so, let’s not get excited yet.

In fact, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves at all; for a change, we’ll try to show some forethought, and tact, by making this introductory section an actual introduction, rather than yet another opportunity to blather. There’s been enough blather in the last few days. Instead, I’ll get on with this, as best I may, so we can all get on to bigger things. (Note I did not say better; we try to maintain a small degree of hope….) Some of it was already done, thankfully, so, we might even get this posted at a reasonably appropriate time. Or, close, anyway.

I won’t even use any tricks. We’ll just go on, leaving this section to fend for itself. It’s really rather a simple technique; all I have to do is say this….

Shall we Pearl?….

” If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intention
of doing you good, you should run for your life.”

~~ Thoreau’s Law ~~

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

Cakehole Presley

Image from twitter.com via Google Images

Today’s musical selection is a band from the British Isles, specifically Cardiff, Wales. Fronted by Chris Ridgeway, one of the most talented singer/songwriters in today’s musical world, their music is raw, intense, and political, which hits all the right notes for this old hippie…. Thanks to Lady P. for the referral…. Make sure you listen to their song written for the 2015 election in Britain, called “Don’t let the bastards grind you down….” Brilliant!…

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

Cakehole Presley

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

https://youtu.be/2L_SfIpzE80?list=PL64CE9B8E7A91CF7E

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While speaking with my friend this morning, I made a statement regarding religion(s), which I’d like to repeat… I said, “The entire concept of religion has been humanity’s most egregious obstacle to ever achieving our true potential; all of them need to just GO AWAY!” The more I look at what is happening in the world, the more firmly I believe this. With the concomitant other delusions under which society suffers, to wit: money and government, religion has done nothing for us but keep us from finding any real truth, about ourselves, or reality…. If you don’t agree, I can only invite you to say so, in the comments, or, via email, and we can discuss it at length. For now, here is a relatively short, but cogent discussion of this from a few years ago….

As you can see from the material below, this is not a new idea for me. So, if you wish to discuss it, bring some strong arguments; I’ve been thinking on this for a while, and know whereof I speak…. I hope you enjoy this, or, alternately, I hope it makes you think…. Don’t worry, it may hurt, but, it won’t actually hurt you in any permanent way….

From 6/15/2012:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” — Genesis 1:28

Is it any wonder that our society is falling apart? Given the above, I think that any doubts one may have about who and/or what is responsible for the mess in which we find ourselves are pretty well dispelled. This decree of Entitlement is taken seriously by every priest, every preacher, and every politician who ever trod American soil (the phenomenon is world-wide, but for now let’s just concern ourselves with our problems here at home….). Did you ever hear a clearer statement of justification for hatred, bigotry, and prejudice? If you can answer yes, I’d be interested in hearing it, as this is just about as clear an expression of elitism as any I’ve ever heard….

Perhaps it is just me, but I find this to be disgusting. It is a clearly false assumption, based entirely on hearsay that was uttered by men who wanted to have control over others, and wanted to establish in the minds of those others the idea that God gave them the right to do so. I’m not sure just how they got everyone to believe them, to buy into the delusion, as it seems completely obvious to me that it is a lie of major proportion. But, they did, and for well over two millennia this idea of Mankind being the Lords of Creation has led us down a primrose path, straight to the edge of extinction…. The efforts of sages, philosophers, and clear-thinkers throughout the ages has not been sufficient to convince the majority of Mankind that our entire societal make-up is based on a lie, in spite of the simple fact that it is true….

As long as the majority of people in this country, or any other, for that matter, accept this lie, this entitlement, then the changes necessary to survival for our species are never going to happen. This sort of separation from the remainder of the Circle of Life is what will keep us from ever becoming part of that Circle. Our species will not survive, if we do not choose to join the rest of reality; we cannot survive alone, and every action taken to divide us from the other inhabitants of Earth pushes us further down the path to extinction. It pisses me off no end to know that this inevitable end is all because the majority chooses to embrace a lie, a delusion, rather than having the courage to face the universe as we are….

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

Unbidden, treasure unfolded…

Taken by surprise, Psyche sits numb
Amidst tall phrases worn of elder time
Seeking a not-new place from which to come
No shiny new horizon, nor altered paradigm.

Sudden regrets shape dreams as times maintain
Shades of memories bring poignant clear sight
Visions of duty, each chosen wild campaign
Shouts echoing clamors to enfold the night.

Arisen from less than eternal havens of sleep
Facing moments created in torment and pain
Destiny weighs upon those chosen to keep
As the sparrow flies now to sever the twain.

Faded pathways lead away, hazy and long
Burned out verges, so long unknown
Images of yesterday, clear and strong
Bleed into today, though t’is but my own……

~~ gigoid ~~

6/13/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large

*******

“To be alive is to take risks;
to be always safe and secure is death.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“Know that joy is rarer, more difficult,
and more beautiful than sadness.
Once you make this all-important discovery,
you must embrace joy as a moral obligation.”

~~ Andre Gide, “Fruits of the Earth “~~

*******

“A heart is not judged by how much you love
but by how much you are loved by others.”

~~ The Wizard of Oz ~~

*******

“All teachings are mere references.
The true experience is living your own life.
Then, even the holiest of words are only words.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

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

~~ Zen proverb ~~

*******

“Be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflections the silly
world may make upon you, for their censures are not in your power,
and consequently should not be any part of your concern.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

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

Considering my state of being at the start of today’s effort, it can be considered a victory to find myself here at the end, finished. So, I will do so, with some satisfaction. Beyond that, deponent sayeth no more, lest fate be tempted to take it all away. Rather than torture y’all, and myself, any further, we’ll go on, with my good wishes for y’all to experience a bountiful day. I will, however, warn y’all of my imminent return, tomorrow, same time, same place, relatively speaking. (The planet will be in another part of space, as will the solar system, the galaxy, and all the rest….) with yet another offering at the altar of self-abuse. See y’all then, ffolkes; I’ll be greatly surprised if you don’t….

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….

Reason to be aloof….

Posted on June 2, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Everything in excess!
To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks.”

~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~

Ketchikan, Alaska, before the invasion….

Hajime…. In my experience, the most difficult part of the continued presence of PTSD in my life is what occurred yesterday. I call it SOD, or, sudden onset depression, a euphemistic acronym, which makes it sound all official and clean, when, in truth, it’s a dirty fucking mess. I’ll be cruising along, & will see, or hear, or experience some sort of stimulus, the nature of which is always unclear before it shows itself. This time, I saw a picture/story on FB, about an abused animal, & before I knew it, tears were flowing down my cheeks, and my mood plummeted into the depths….

Not a happy time, especially since it coincided with the onset of some pretty heavy pain. Go figure, eh? Murphy had a field day with me yesterday; he’ll be gloating for months. And I? I have spent the last 24 or so hours in a deep funk, fighting my way toward some light, only to find myself still grumpy and feeling mean today. Leelu and I are at odds, and I can’t find it in me to bring myself to any sort of quiet, safe harbor, where I could at least look for my center, with some hope of finding it. I tell ya, ffolkes; this ain’t no fun….

I did write a poem while in the throes of misery; I can’t say how it will seem, but, it sure is an accurate description of how I felt at the time, so, we’ll let it stay, & call it confession, which, they say, is good for the soul. I’ll have to take their word for it, as confession has always seemed like a cop-out to me, a way to avoid taking responsibility. But, that’s just me, and, if it helps get this done today, I’ll take it.

I’ll help myself, too, I guess, by ceasing this litany of woe, in favor of getting on with today’s mess. It’s a typical Pearl, but, with some rather ‘different’ material with which to contend; I’d suggest an adult beverage, or good strong coffee, preferably Irish, at minimum. The rest of y’all should think about insurance. Me, I’m going to just get on with this, so, I can go to my room and pout…. Let’s get it done….

Shall we Pearl?….

He said, “Dance for me” and he said,
“You are too beautiful for the wind
To pick at, or the sun to burn.” He said,
“I’m a poor tattered thing, but not unkind
To the sad dancer and the dancing dead.”

~~ Sidney Keyes, “Four Postures of Death” ~~

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

Damn! That’s one big cowboy!

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

After my dad retired from the US Army, we moved to a small town in central California, where raising cattle, and/or, growing alfalfa to feed cattle, were the primary industries. As might be imagined, they listened to a lot of country & western music. I spent much of my teen years at dances where the mix of music ran from the Doors, to the Stones, to the Beatles, and, to this band, who have long been an iconic western swing band. It’s straight out, down-home Texas style swing, ffolkes. Lots of twang, but some of the best dancing music to be found… The picture sucks, but the sound’s pretty good….. Enjoy!….

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

Asleep At The Wheel

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

https://youtu.be/CziPAbs3ROY

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

“Six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century:
Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others;
Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected;
Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it;
Refusing to set aside trivial preferences;
Neglecting development and refinement of the mind;
Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.”

~~ Cicero ~~

“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

For several days now, I’ve been saving this quote for a rant. Naturally, the intended targets are those assholes who have managed to establish a world-wide oligarchy, which is busy destroying the world as we know it, in complete ignorance of anything that doesn’t serve their narcissism. While pondering the issue, I was brought down, down to the ground, by the sudden onset of depression. This, as you may imagine, rather killed whatever rant was brewing. To sublimate for today, here is an old school pearl, which covers most of what I might have said. I hope you enjoy this ‘savior’ pearl, which has saved you from yet another rant by gigoid…. I’ll even add an extra pearl at the end, from one of the first philosophers to take shots at the concept of government…. Enjoy!….

From 8/9/2012:

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

Then came the churches,
then came the schools,
then came the lawyers,
then came the rules.

~~ Mark Knopfler ~~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note from the future; here’s your bonus round, to finish off our indictment of the BRC….

“… But when he [the people’s champion] has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.), “The Republic”

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

What the fuck is this?

Insanity waits patiently for me, sitting
in the corner, quietly knitting a psyche knot,
for my throat.

Depression is sitting on the couch, close
by the window, sulking over a broken pot;
he broke it.

Loneliness dogs my solitude, madly barking
into my left ear, while I trot,
half-heartedly, at best.

All my old friends have come to visit today;
a party, at which I was not
wanted, nor invited, .

What if I just ignore them all, I think;
even if it never worked before.
Oh, well.

The darkness fills the day, then carries into night,
until time has passed, until it feels just right.
No peace, no common dreams of light,
no escape, nor safety in flight.

Even poetry hurts.

~~ gigoid ~~

6/1/2016

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

Naked Pearls

Obscurely Subtle

*********

“He took his vorpal sword in hand
Long time the manxom foe he sought
Till rested he by the tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought”

~~ Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll ~~

*********

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

~~ The Little Prince, chapter XXI ~~

*********

“The supreme triumph of reason is to cast doubt upon its own validity.”

~~ Miguel de Unamuno ~~

*********

“When you drink the water, remember the spring.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

*********

“If you are distressed by anything external,
the pain is not due to the thing itself,
but to your own estimate of it;
and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~

*********

“Entropy requires no maintenance.”

~~ Amanda Walker ~~

*********

“It is in the shelter of each other that people live.”

~~ Irish proverb ~~

*********

“When friends ask, there is no tomorrow.”

~~ Ancient Human Proverb ~~

*********

“What happens to your fist when you open your hand?”

~~ Zen Buddhism ~~

*********

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

I’m a crazy old fart, I guess. (The fact I am sitting here, weeping as if my dog died yesterday seems like rather conclusive proof to me….) But, I’m happy-go-lucky, too, so, that’s something. I’ll be back tomorrow, ffolkes. I’ll offer no opinions of how that might look, nor any assurances of any sort of quality literature. But, I’ll be here, with a Pearl for your perusal. You see, THIS is what brings me back from the edge. This is what saves my sorry ass from ending up in jail, or dead…..What you have seen today is what keeps me from taking the bit between my remaining teeth, hoisting Henry’s black flag, and slitting the nearest throats. Believe it. So, I’ll see y’all tomorrow; it’s more important than you know…. to 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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Brokering unvalidated envelopes for charity….

Posted on April 17, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

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

~~ Philoxenos ~~

gigoid and Charlie C. in Portobello Road, London

Hajime…. I’ve decided sleep is a good thing again. For some time, it’s been rather a hit or miss proposition, leaning heavily toward the ‘miss’, so I had placed it in one of the less accessible files where I put such stuff so it doesn’t clutter up my RAM. But, with persistent perseverance (is there another kind?), I’ve finally ascertained the proper material to consume at the appropriate hour, to both improve my overall pain levels, and, help me get drowsy enough to fall out. I’ve now enjoyed five straight days with six hours or more sleep, which has improved everything. So, yay me, and we can now get on with other stuff I find more compelling.

Shoot. I’ve left myself high and dry again; maybe I should have extended the chat time for a while. This vast, featureless plain which now inhabits my creative imagination is somewhat daunting in its scarcity of intelligible offerings I might use; all I see are a couple of semi-transparent circles, and a couple of tricks. Not what I was hoping, to be sure. I think, instead, we’ll use the new brevity button I had installed in the Tardis (yes, we have alteration permission, as long as we avoid anachronistic designs, or incompatible fittings…..). It’s pretty cool; watch what happens when I push it, like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I fill MY industrial waste containers
with old copies of the “WATCHTOWER”
and then add HAWAIIAN PUNCH to the top…
They look NICE in the yard–“

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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

Young Dubliners

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

When I went to pick music for today, I was feeling a bit Irish. Since I’ve enjoyed this band for a while, they were a natural choice. I hope you enjoy this live cut of a cover of a traditional Irish tune. The sound quality isn’t the best, but, live cuts on YT often are not; there are any number of similar choices at the end of this cut, which may provide a better sound…. Let the ceili begin….

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

Young Dubliners
Foggy Dew

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

https://youtu.be/lRUOi3MGLQ0

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

Since I slept later than usual, the rant I am working on didn’t get finished in time. Here, instead, is a discussion of matters with which we frequently concern ourselves here at ECR, about issues that need attention if we are to survive with any dignity, or virtue, as a species….

From 124/2012:

“Free enterprise ended in the United States a good many years ago. Big oil, big steel, big agriculture avoid the open marketplace. Big corporations fix prices among themselves and drive out the small entrepreneur. In their conglomerate forms, the huge corporations have begun to challenge the legitimacy of the state.” — Gore Vidal

In his book, “Friday”, Robert Heinlein details a society of humanity’s possible future, one in which corporations have continued to grow beyond the boundaries of mere countries, until their interests become paramount even over that of the state, as observed by Mr. Vidal. We, of the society here on Earth in the early 21st century are witnessing that growth, as I write, and as you read…..

The small enterprise markets still exist, but only on the fringes of the economy, the major portion of which is busy manipulating the population into serving the economic trends that the corporations control, in the essential markets that cover everyone… In other words, the corporations monopolize most of the economy, allowing the fringe markets to exist to provide exotic, alternative toys and entertainments for the working classes.

Mr. Heinlein’s character, a young woman with designer genes, genius IQ, and Heinlein’s innate sardonicism, as part of an assignment, is required to perform a research and analysis of how the corporations affected the political and economic scenes of their society, obliquely referring, of course, to the one we have now. It is a very interesting part of a very good book, and well worth a read, not only for its perspicacity in explaining the piracy we are seeing today, but because Heinlein was a master storyteller, who created fascinating characters in fantastic situations, making it all seem perfectly normal and real.

“The phenomenality of organic, conscious existence should, could have made impossible the sadism, the unending hurt of our ways. The impotent fury, the guilt that master and surpass my identity carry with them the working hypothesis, the ‘working metaphor’, if you will, of ‘original sin’. To this expression, I am unable to attach any reasoned, let alone historical substance. On the pragmatic-narratological plane, stories of some initial crime and inherited culpability are universal fables — uncannily profound and lasting. Nothing more. Yet in the presence of the beaten, raped child, of the horse or mule flogged across its eyes, I am possessed, as by a midnight clarity, by the intuition of the Fall.” — Rudolf Steiner, Errata: An examined life, Phoenix — (a division of Orion Books), London, 1998), p. 169

At first, this quote may not seem to be related to the first. However, it is this “original sin” of which he speaks that is the root cause of the problems with corporations in society. Those humans who reject commonality with the rest of humanity are the villains in this play that passes for modern culture, for they do not accept their debt to the rest of the species, and have determined that they will use whatever means they need to become ascendant over the rest of us. Greed is only the most obvious of the ills that this group has subjected our culture to, with cruelty, dishonesty, and lack of compassion as side attractions. Through the actions of their corporate entities, they work to maintain their power and control of others, all for the sake of their own aggrandizement….

These are the men who run the trade in human trafficking, abducting and abusing children and women, for sex and slavery. These are the men who run the brothels, and the underground casinos, and the money-lending, and the protection rackets, and the drug dealing rings. What many folks don’t realize is that they are also the men who run for political office, or become preachers/priests, and the bankers, and the CEO’s, and other corporate officers, who make their decisions based on self-interest, never on altruism. They seem, and act like, they are the leaders of society, when, in fact, they are the very reason our society is headed for extinction….

Unfortunately, these men (and they are almost ALL men….) will not give up their power and control without a fight. They will not respond to reason, giving up all their wealth and perceived power, to benefit the rest of mankind. They will not suddenly see the light, and give it all back. They will have to be rooted out like weeds, tough, hardy weeds, and destroyed, if we are to have any chance of survival…. It is unfortunate, but no other method will work, and it brings with it the danger of falling into the same kind of behavior by which they operate. But, I can see no other way to solve the issue, since they will not cooperate with the rest of us for the benefit of all….

1. If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.

2. What you settle for is what you end up with.

3. If you think that worrying about a problem is the same thing as solving it,
then you must live in some other universe where different laws pertain.

~~ Smart Bee~~

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

Seeing is Conducive to Belief

Folly sits so comfortably upon my fevered brow
one would easily believe that I would know how
to look at Life with a jaded, weary eye
seeing enough, and more, to know Why.

Such seems the case, as I will it to be,
an open book of a face, it looks so like me;
what’s known to be so, needs no close attention
familiar sights require no minding, nor mention.

The eye is drawn at once to the stark and new,
and sent back to sleep by successful review.
Once we find evidence we feel we understand,
curiosity languishes, dismissed at command.

Ancient sages knew the insidious value of illusion,
preachers and pundits know the power of confusion.
Each pair of eyes contains its own point of reference,
each mind sets its own standards of preference.

Seeing is believing, for those who live in thrall,
accepting what is perceived is all they ever recall.
Unknown to them, reality follows another set of rules,
Deeper, more dangerous, and no place for fools.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/11/2012

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

Naked Pearls

All you need to know….

*********

“You cannot give away kindness, it always comes back to you.”

~~ Zen Bee ~~

*********

“The best laid plans of mice and men are usually about equal.”

~~Blair’s Observation ~~

*********

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

~~ Heywood Brown, journalist ~~

*********

“Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare.”

~~ Japanese proverb ~~

*********

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

~~ Herman Melville ~~

*********

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others, can not keep it from themselves.”

~~ Irish blessing ~~

*********

“Anything is possible, but nothing is easy.”

~~ Bill Gray ~~

*********

“To be “matter of fact” about the world is to blunder into fantasy….
and dull fantasy at that,
as the real world is strange and wonderful.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

*********

“Here. Have a jelly baby.”

~~ Doctor Who ~~

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

Today’s effort is one I can use in the future, as a reminder this process will stand up to the test of time. I’m beginning to think there is something to this evolution stuff. On that cryptic note, I shall leave you until the morrow, when you will find me here, spouting off, once more. I don’t think there is any way to stop me now…. Bwahahahahaha!…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes…. Fair warning….

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….

Free kind rice….

Posted on April 7, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”

~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~

Did someone say ‘mouse’?….

Hajime…. Thank the Doctor for today’s post. Without having the Tardis to use, it might never have been completed, much less posted on the correct day. Without going into details of a subject I’m not happy about to begin with, I’ll say this: FUCKING ASSHOLE!

That little outburst was not aimed at y’all, naturally. It’s reserved for our resident asshole, Murphy, and his damned ubiquity. Now we’ve properly labeled him, hopefully to his regret, we can go on to bigger, if not better things. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve put together a particularly outstanding Pearl for today; hell, I’m not sure it’s going to get done at all at this point. But, it WILL be better than anything you might have seen had I not taken the time to roundly curse the iconic force of nature responsible for much of our difficulty. It doesn’t fix anything, but, I feel better, and, as with any true human, that’s pretty much all we care about.

There…. How’s that for a one-paragraph mini-rant? Not too shabby, and, timely, too! But, then, when one has the power of a Tardis to use, that part is easy. I think, though, I’ve risked disaster long enough; I’m going to quit fooling around in the intro, and move on down the page into the meat of today’s post. It’s not a heavy meal today, so, you shouldn’t require the antacids. We’ll also be offering some bubbly drinks you’ve never tried before, so, save some room for that, okay? For now, we’ll merely flip this little switch right here, and get on with this mess….

Shall we Pearl?….

“In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.” — Aristotle

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

Yep; classical music again. I’m up late, & tired, so, go figure, eh? As usual, this compilation was chosen simply because I like the picture it shows on You Tube…. Enjoy!….

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Classical Music

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https://youtu.be/hyHl0Ysteg8

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“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture.
Just get people to stop reading them.”

~~ Ray Bradbury ~~

I’ve made no secret of my thoughts on the general level of ignorance I see amongst the population of the USA, in spite of all the warnings we received from our founding fathers regarding our education as citizens. In fact, the attitude of most people I meet regarding education is rather limited in scope; they don’t believe what they learned in school actually applies to their lives. I’m often asked why I think it does, and this little aphorism from Ray Bradbury is a perfect example of how to answer.

Why? Because it describes modern society perfectly; our nation does NOT read, unless it comes in a comic book (excuse me, graphic novel….), or dumbed down into a summary, as one may find in Reader’s Digest in any particular month. Moreover, the populace of this country does not trust what they read; they’d rather get all their information in short, shiny bursts, complete with catchy jingles to make it easy to remember what they’ve been programmed to buy….

I almost weep at times, just thinking of how stupid the people of this country have become, and cannot help but feel ashamed, and saddened, by the ignorance so aptly named as nemesis by our forefathers. And, it’s all so damned unnecessary! But, the power of words, and ideas has fallen out of favor; I am not capable of fixing the issue all by myself, unless, for some reason, all these folks come to their senses, and learn to see the power of an idea, expressed in a way that passes on the wisdom of the ancients so it can be easily remembered, and used…. To demonstrate just how it can be of service, here is very old pearl from the early days here on ECR, that shows exactly how one idea can help us in Life at Large….

From 9/27/2012:

“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control. And some things are not.” — Epictetus

This statement, and its reappearance in front of me at this exact moment in time, reminded me of why I do this. Making Pearls. Reading, and serendipitously finding a piece of wisdom from a sage of past age that speaks directly to me and my current status in re: dealing with reality without biting myself or anyone else…. Since the start of the morning, to this point, my thoughts and emotions were unreasonably and unexpectedly dragged along on a roller-coaster ride of some proportions, courtesy of, well, let’s just say, a party that I had not expected to be forced to consider as a liability. In fact, I had every expectation of the opposite.

Then, Eureka! On seeing this quote pop up, I realized that my morning’s distress was exactly what I deserved for expecting…. anything. My expectation of how reality would behave is the only problem; without it, I would not be upset…. As I’m accustomed to regular adjustment and deletion of expectations, I have now done so….

So, thank you, Epictetus, for saving me from my own folly…. now, I can get on with the day….

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

Today, I feel like something gritty and real. Nobody does gritty and real better than this poet…. Well, I think so. Enjoy!….

Beasts Bounding Through Time

Van Gogh writing his brother for paints
Hemingway testing his shotgun
Celine going broke as a doctor of medicine
the impossibility of being human
Villon expelled from Paris for being a thief
Faulkner drunk in the gutters of his town
the impossibility of being human
Burroughs killing his wife with a gun
Mailer stabbing his
the impossibility of being human
Maupassant going mad in a rowboat
Dostoyevsky lined up against a wall to be shot
Crane off the back of a boat into the propeller
the impossibility
Sylvia with her head in the oven like a baked potato
Harry Crosby leaping into that Black Sun
Lorca murdered in the road by Spanish troops
the impossibility
Artaud sitting on a madhouse bench
Chatterton drinking rat poison
Shakespeare a plagiarist
Beethoven with a horn stuck into his head against deafness
the impossibility the impossibility
Nietzsche gone totally mad
the impossibility of being human
all too human
this breathing
in and out
out and in
these punks
these cowards
these champions
these mad dogs of glory
moving this little bit of light toward us
impossibly.

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large

*********

“I happen to believe you make your own destiny.”

~~ Momma Gump ~~

*********

“When one shuts one eye, one does not hear everything.”

~~ Swiss Proverb ~~

*********

“Men learn while they teach.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*********

“A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit.”

~~ Thomas Jefferson ~~

*********

“Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable.
It is disastrous to confuse them.”

~~ Madeleine L’Engle ~~

~~ An Acceptable Time~~

*********

“If the doors of perception were cleansed
every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”

~~ William Blake ~~

*********

“If you cannot find happiness along the way,
you will not find it at the end of the trail.”

~~ Zen Bee ~~

*********

“Saying is one thing, doing another.”

~~ Michael de Montaigne

~~ Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxi, Of Anger ~~

*********

“But pain…seems to me an insufficient reason not to embrace life.
Being dead is quite painless.
Pain, like time, is going to come on regardless.
Question is, what glorious moments can you win from life
in addition to the pain?”

~~ Lois McMaster Bujold ~~

~~ Barrayar ~~

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

I’m not entirely sure just how, but, it’s done. I’ll take it. Even better than that, I won’t crow about it, or prattle on about quality, or timeliness, or any of that other nonsense; instead, I’ll just get on with the day, and leave you to yours. I hope, all in all, it’s a good one. Me, I’ll be back tomorrow; just try to stop me… I dare ya….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Scrap all the intricate filigree…

Posted on February 13, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.”

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

The Original Angry Bird

Hajime….. Since we begin with a such a cogent quote from one of our society’s most prolific and long-lived bards, I’ll have to try to keep this within the parameters thus implied. We’ll see how that goes, what with insomnia, curmudgeonly reaction to same, and an extended period of cat training yesterday, I’m in a bit of an odd mood. Sometimes that works well to improve the results here; other times, not so much. Whichever it might be, we’ll use our advanced sage training to make it palatable…. You know, good & bad don’t exist but in our minds, that sort of thing…

Of course, that presupposes I have the chutzpah and general wherewithal to pull of that kind of advanced philosophizing; the hour of the day can affect that heavily. I guess I just wait for the correct moment to apply the fix; once I’ve got enough coffee on board, that should be an obvious jumping-off point we can use to our advantage, such as we may. Otherwise, what happens could turn on us, making it hard to cash your checks, er, get y’all home in one piece….

Having thus assured us all the bozoid tendencies upon which we rely are firmly in place, we can, I think…. no, make that we must, I think, get ourselves out of this convoluted mess I call an intro, and on to the oyster beds, before it gets any more slippery/slimy than it has already gone. In fact, I’m going to use one of the new tricks I found in another drawer in the Tardis…. It’s pretty cool; all it does is this…..

Shall we Pearl?….

“To be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough;
the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.”

~~ Descartes ~~

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

The Death of Socrates

Image from en.wikipedia.org via Google Images

Today’s video selection is not musical, but, rather a sublimation for ranting, as it were. The social phenomenon that is Last Week Tonight showed, in the recent past, how powerful a tool the internet and media can combine to fashion, a tool that can actually change the course of societal events. I’ve included a link to the show’s You Tube page, where about 50 or more of the episodes are listed; the one with which we begin is a recent show, dealing with some of the issues we are seeing in today’s news…. I won’t say enjoy; I will say, pay the fuck attention…. It’s all stuff you’ll do better for knowing….

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

John Oliver
Last Week Tonight

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

https://youtu.be/umqvYhb3wf4?list=PLmKbqjSZR8TbfAMV9bLy4beDh4vrze5kc

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

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Professor Bernardo de la Paz

I am not sure when I first read the above statements from the professor, but, I know it was before the age of twenty. Even then, it struck a deep chord of familiarity, as if it were something I had always known. For sure and for certain it is I have lived my life by this standard, ever since my earliest memories…. It may have come from my family environment, or, perhaps it’s just a lucky gift of nature; I don’t much care, nor, worry over how it came to be, for it has made my life, if nothing else, my own, which, as far as I can see, is pretty rare.

I have a feeling it came from my father and mother, who taught us about personal responsibility; this was enforced by having four siblings, all of whom insisted on their own brand of individuality. Since we had the example set by our parents to follow, we all learned to accept life as it came, without the more obvious problems that can arise…. Oh, not to say it was paradise; no Army family of seven is ever completely peaceful. But, none of us ever suffered injustice or dishonesty from anyone at home, which gave us armor against those dangers in the world away from home.

Having this ‘advantage’, it makes it easy for me to see how lacking such a background could cause problems for people, both as individuals, and for society at large…. But, having put off completing this piece too long, I no longer have the urge, or the time to explain that statement…. For today, and now, let it suffice to say, the lack of ability to take personal responsibility for one’s actions, without causing undue inner struggle or conflict, is the primary reason our species cannot seem to find any peace. I see this failure of morality/ethical training as our single most telling flaw, one which, if we do not/can not discover how to negate, will eventually kill us all.

As I see reality, we have a choice. We can change our ways, and assume the weight of responsibility for our acts, and find a way to survive the coming cataclysmic environmental events. Or, we can die, ignobly, as the poet said, not with a bang, but a whimper. To my mind, it is that simple. Not, by any means, a simple task, but, a simple choice…. I’m not sanguine about which choice we’ll make…. For now, here are a few pearls which speak to the matter, in their own way…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s easier than listening to another of my interminable rants….

“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits… For my part I would as soon be descended from [a] baboon… as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies … treats his wives like slaves … and is haunted by the grossest suspicions.” — Charles Darwin

“Despite its suffix, skepticism is not an “ism” in the sense of a belief or dogma. It is simply an approach to the problem of telling what is counterfeit and what is genuine. And a recognition of how costly it may be to fail to do so. To be a skeptic is to cultivate “street smarts” in the battle for control of one’s own mind, one’s own money, one’w own allegiances. To be a skeptic, in short, is to refuse to be a victim.” — Robert S. DeBear, “An Agenda for Reason, Realism, and Responsibility,” — New York Skeptic — (newsletter of the New York Area Skeptics, Inc.), Spring 1988

He’s not a politician. He’s just ethically challenged.” — Morality Bee

“Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.” — John Adams

“Humanity has in the course of time had to endure from the hands of science two great outrages upon its naive self-love. The first was when it realized that our earth was not the center of the universe, but only a speck in a world-system of a magnitude hardly conceivable… The second was when biological research robbed man of his particular privilege of having been specially created, and relegated him to a descent from the animal world.” — Sigmund Freud

Okay…. I’m feeling generous; five is enough…. We’ll speak on this again, trust me…. For now, go enjoy the poem….

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

It’s been a while since we heard from this poet; it’s time…. Enjoy! He’s a bit crusty, but, always hits people where it counts….

air and light and time and space

‘-you know, I’ve either had a family, a job, something
has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have a place and
the time to
create.’
no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your
body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquakes, bombardment,
flood and fire.
baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

~~ Charles Bukowski ~~

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

Today’s final pearl, old-school variety, is special, but, don’t ask me why. Instead, read it, let it percolate a bit, then, decide for yourself why I might say that. I even gave y’all a clue, at the top of the section. If you require it, call it homework, or a challenge. Anything you want….. I call it

Esoterica/Life at Large

“You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” — Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 596

“Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, viii, 51

“We are being educated when we know it least.” — David Gardner

“All conversations with a potato should be conducted in private.” — Wilner’s Observation

“The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.” — Shirley MacLaine

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” — Zen proverb

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

“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.” — Antoine de Saint Exupery

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” — Anais Nin

“But my dear man, reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.” — Alan Watts

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,
None but ourselves can free our minds.

~~ Bob Marley ~~

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

What an ordeal! Suffice it to say, again, it’s done. It was such an ordeal, I’ll not bore you further, but, will take my leave, stage virtual. I will, however, leave you with the knowledge of my return, tomorrow, should Fate be kind…. Of course, we make our own Fate, so, well, you get the picture…. If nobody stops me, I’ll be back…. 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….

Wobbling in illegal pants….

Posted on January 11, 2016 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

A man who has faith must be prepared
not only to be a martyr, but to be a fool.

~~ G. K. Chesterton, “Heretics”, 1905 ~~

Sez who?

Irish Gull w/attitude, Galway

Hajime…. This morning, it isn’t morning. Well, actually, it is, when you will see this, in my time zone, anyway. The time in your own may well be different, but, for convenience, we’ll go with morning. Especially since it’s actually yesterday, and you’re reading this courtesy the power of the Tardis, which delivered it to this time, per instructions, sometime in either the past, or the future; I have a hard time deciphering that manual page. All I know is, the post will end up in the right place, at the right time, just as if the Doctor himself were in the house, and, at the controls.

Now we’ve begun the day appropriately, with a fair bit of nonsense and fantasy, why don’t we try something more, oh, cerebral? Hmm… perhaps that isn’t the best idea…. I think, as Calvin once remarked, my cerebellum just fused, when confronted with an arithmetic conundrum from his teacher. So, yep, cerebral is out. How about a bit of comedy? Ah, I see. The obvious attempts already made have turned y’all a bit green; maybe I should open this window over here…. Oops. Forgot, pressurized cabins shouldn’t be opened in flight. Better not. Last time I forgot, half the seats went flying out in the suction, with Gentle Readers still attached….

Okay, I’ll stop. It must be too early for this sort of playfulness; perhaps it’s from not having my third cuppa until AFTER I got up. But, it could be the shoes. We’ll never know now, because I’m making an executive decision, and getting us all the hell out of here, before I hurt myself, or anybody else, in my thrashing about…. Actually, that’s the easy part; this part is harder than it looks….. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Accurate reckoning — the entrance
into the knowledge of all existing things
and all obscure secrets.”

~~ Ahmes the Scribe (17th cent. B.C.) ~~

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

Young Donovan Leitch

Image from Pinterest.com via Google Images

Donovan Leitch, who performed using his given name only, was, in many ways, the most influential musician of his era. A legendary songwriter, excellent guitarist/musician, and, a model of the ideals by which my generation had become enamored during the famous/infamous 60’s. He influenced me, and many others of my age, to embrace openness, honesty to self and others, and, the concept of humanity as a whole living together in love and peace. It’s idealistic, and romantic, and, it’s still represents a way of living with which I can find no argument as having value…..

This video is of a live show from 2012, after he finally was elected to the R&R Hall of Fame…. The sound quality isn’t the best, and, his voice isn’t quite as strong as it once was, but, you can always go listen to one of the albums to hear that….. You gotta love this man, for he has shared all his love with the world, in his music…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. I will, for sure, and, why not?…. What’s not to like, eh?….

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

Donovan

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

https://youtu.be/Q4ykfZZf2ig

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

While searching through the archives yesterday, looking for something else entirely, I came across this piece, from almost three years ago. It made me laugh, so, rather than ranting about shit, again, which I can’t currently change, I’ll subject y’all to some sarcasm/sardonicism re: our old friends, the Dogma Dogs, and be done with it…. I’ve changed the formatting a bit, to match my current style, and, corrected a couple grammatical errors I found. I hope you enjoy it; I did, writing it, and, reading it again….. But, then, perhaps I’m prejudiced in the matter….

From 1/30/3013:

“Theology is never any help;
it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight
for a black cat that isn’t there.
Theologians can persuade themselves of anything.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

I had an idea, but it went away…. They do that sometimes. The idea was connected somehow to this quote from Bob Heinlein, and, as might be expected, was intended to serve as the springboard for yet another episode of raking Christianity, and/or religious institutions in general, over the proverbial coals. Since the clever concept I had thought of originally has deserted me, I have absolutely no idea of where to go with this…. I mean, it’s a simple enough matter to turn it into a rant; I have no problem coming up with a newly sharpened stick to poke at the priesthood whenever needed, or merely wished for. But, having bellied up to that bar already this week, I hadn’t intended to go there…. Let’s see what happens now….

“And on the seventh day, while He was resting, He created snack cakes. And He saw that they looked good, and He did bite into one, at which time he realized that they tasted like something that had been sitting on a shelf wrapped in cheap plastic for decades. He had too much goop on His fingers to blast them into the void from which they had come, and therefore He drove them out until they had left the Promised Land and were stuck in a cheap, tacky display on the end of the aisle.” — Haagendasz 3, 12-15

While I am firmly convinced that this makes as much sense to me as it does to read in the Bible from, oh, say, the Book of Leviticus, or even Genesis, I am not sure it will make a proper ranting platform. I mean, it IS as easily proved as any of the real stuff in the Bible, and certainly holds the same amount of logic to its assertions. But, somehow, it just isn’t SERIOUS enough to soothe the ranting urge… No, we’ll just have to keep looking….

“One would like to stroke and caress human beings,
but one dares not do so,
because they bite.”

~~ Vladimir Lenin ~~

Ah, now THAT is a sentiment I can get behind. It shows deep insight into human nature, and in a small way, says something about how that nature is self-destructive. A fine little aphorism, but, not really suited for ranting, as it is so true and complete in itself….. We’ll keep looking….

“Forgive us, for we know not what we do.
Not that we CARE or anything.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

Aha! Now, that’s the kind of pearl that can start off a grand rant! It’s a perfect perversion of the Christian insistence on keeping their believers buried deeply in ignorance and fear, and ironic enough to please the most discriminating of critics. I love the ending line; it’s just so….. Christian! At least, by every measure I’ve ever seen, it is…. Now, there are Christians out there, I’m certain, who will take some offense at that, but, I would ask them to stop a moment and think…. There, there, now, darlings, I know it hurts, but it will get better the more you do it….

“All religions are founded on the fear of the many
and the cleverness of the few.”

~~ Stendhal ~~

See? I don’t discriminate!…. Now that your mind is loosened up a bit, so you won’t strain it, consider this…. In the Christian world, once one has been granted admittance to the group, becoming a member of the Church, how much effort do those members make to become better people? How much do they actually use the precepts of their dogma to influence their behavior BEFORE they act? How many of them actually try to weave the teachings of Jesus into the fabric of their lives?…. My own observations tell me the number is pretty small, compared to the whole…..

Christians make a big fuss about making sure it is understood how compassionate and forgiving Jesus is/was, as he meant for all his followers to be; then they go and drop bombs on a bunch of short brown people, because those people aren’t Christian…. Oh, the stories and fantasies given in justification always point to some other reason, but the bottom line is, because those other people are “heathens”, they aren’t entitled to any of that compassion or forgiveness. Only their co-members are entitled to consideration as something other than dirt…..

What often makes me the angriest, when I see this behavior, is the outrage expressed by those self-appointed Chosen Ones when their entitlement is challenged, in pieces such as this one. The entire weight of the Church is often called into play to respond to any criticisms leveled against it in public, much like a dragon protects its stolen gold, reacting with fire and destruction to any perceived threats. It pisses me off because their manipulation of others, and their stated wish to be of service, is all based on LIES and hypocrisy, delivered with a smarmy smile that just says to me, “Snake!”, and makes me want to look around for a shovel to pound it with….

If an article in a newspaper that is critical of the Church is widely read, there will be, guaranteed, a fire-storm of heated responses from the Church’s mouthpieces, all heaping abuse, and accusations of discrimination against the critics. The making of such accusations is the typical, almost knee-jerk response of the Church whenever it is called to task for its shortcomings; they learned long ago that the best way to distract the membership from the truth of any criticisms is to make their own false accusations in return, but louder, and for a longer time…. They know that any lie, repeated loudly and repeatedly, will be accepted as truth, especially by their members, who are already predisposed (read: brainwashed…) to believe whatever the preachers/priests tell them….

“Ignorance can be compounded, made denser,
until the light of our spirits is smothered.”

~~– Deng Ming-Dao ~~

I’ve given up arguing with the faithful; it’s a pastime that is endlessly amusing, but, ultimately, saddening. Kind of like the frustration of wrestling with a pig; you just get dirty, and the pig likes it….. It is hard for me to watch people continually make the choice to be ignorant, to be cowards, afraid to face the universe on its own terms: it is even more frustrating to see them consistently tell others what they should think, and how they should live, based solely on their own standards.

Trying to get most folks to see reason is much like banging one’s forehead against a brick wall…. not terribly amusing, and the blood is hard on one’s clothing, as well as the insult to the forehead….. Since I’m not a fool, I have ceased trying to get them to see beyond their own misapprehensions, and just use what I see as fodder for these posts….. Less frustrating, to be sure, if no less depressing….

I seem to have ranted myself into a corner again; I don’t see a way to continue this without becoming either vitriolic, or boring (some might say “more” boring…. all I can say to them is “thptttttt!”….); I’d guess it’s probably too late to avoid being rude. Since there is still some ways to go before we can call it a day, I think I’ll close this off, and go in search of an appropriate poem for the day…. As a final word of caution and warning, in the unending struggle against ignorance, let me leave you with these….

“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion,
mankind would be no more justified
in silencing that one person than he,
if he had the power,
would be justified in silencing mankind.”

~~ John Stuart Mill ~~

“All a man can betray is his conscience.”

~~ Joseph Conrad ~~

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

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 ~~

5/13/2013

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

Naked Pearls

Pooh and the Buddha Nature

*********

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain,
and you Think of Things,
you find sometimes that a Thing
which seemed very Thingish inside you
is quite different when it gets out into the open
and has other people looking at it.”

~~ A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner ~~

*********

“They are too green,” he said,
“and only good for fools.”

~~ J. de La Fontaine ~~
~~ The Fox and the Grapes, Book iii, Fable 11 ~~

*********

Our characters are the result of our conduct.

~~ Aristotle ~~

*********

“Virtue is but heroic bravery,
to do the thing thought to be true,
in spite of all enemies of flesh or spirit,
in despite of all temptations or menaces.”

~~ Albert Pike (1809-1891) ~~

*********

“If we attend continually and promptly
to the little that we can do,
we shall ere long be surprised
to find how little remains that we cannot do.”

~~ Samuel Butler ~~

*********

A gentleman does things no gentleman should do
in a way only a gentleman can.”

~~ Luigi Barzini ~~

*********

Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum:
“I think that I think,
therefore I think that I am.”

~~ Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary” ~~

*********

When Po-chang was asked about seeking for the Buddha nature:
“It’s much like riding an ox in search of the ox”

~~ Zen koan from Po-chang ~~

*********

“In the dark time
will there also be singing?”
“Yes, there will be singing
about the dark time.”

~~ Bertolt Brecht ~~

*********

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

Done, and, in Tardis time. Funny how that works…. Rather than prattle any further, I’ll play nice, & simply bid thee adieu, until another day, most likely tomorrow, given a fair wind and a rising tide…. See y’all then, fer sure…

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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Tag Archives: Zen Buddhism

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