Ffolkes,
~~ Goethe ~~
Leelu watching for wormholes….
Hajime…. Today’s Pearl has an Easter Egg in it…. Sort of. I’ve used one quote today quite extensively…. Your task, should you accept the mission, is to guess which it is, and, naturally, noting how many times you see it…. That said, and, in the interests of total honesty, Leelu isn’t watching for wormholes, this time. She was watching an ant…. which, sadly, had brought friends…. Windex took care of them for now, but, it’s nice to know she’ll notify me if any more plan to come in to spend any time…. Hmph….
Mornin’…. Well, it’s morning here, anyway…. Where you are, it’s likely to be another time, but, we’ll do our best not to confuse anyone, with any tricky anachronisms, or, excessive use of the Tardis we have on loan. I know it can be a bit confusing around here, but, hey, that’s Life, right? Right.
Okay, then….. I decided last to give up watching movies; it’s too hard on my emotional state. I was watching a scene in a movie I enjoy watching occasionally, which I have on my comp. In the scene, a seriously injured young man’s condition is discovered by his father and twin brother suddenly; as I watched, I myself. suddenly, and surprisingly, as I’ve watched a number of times without such happening, assumed internally the emotions of the twin; shock, sadness, fear, anger, all coursed through me with such force I began to weep….
It stopped almost immediately, as I realized they weren’t my feelings; they are merely close to those I experience when thinking of my own brother, who is fighting cancer. It also helped to know the scene breaks the tension shortly, with a terrible pun…. Nonetheless, I will now have to watch old movies I’ve seen with greater mindfulness of my own state, so as to side-step this bloody nuisance caused by my own subconscious mind, which I sometimes believe has not yet forgiven me for certain failures to act in the past, even though my actions were ethical…. It, the subconscious, doesn’t give a rat’s hind end for ethical; it wants what it wants, when it wants it, and has a large assortment of ways to express its displeasure when we make a rational decision to forgo those desires….
Boy, this Ego stuff is hard shit…. I gotta get rid of the damn thing… Of course, if/when I do, I’ll need to find some word other than “I” to express my thoughts, without the Ego getting in the way…. I guess, if I can figure out the first part, finding the word won’t be much of a challenge as it might have been…. Ya think?
On that esoterica, I think we’ll head out for the oyster beds…. I’ve got a new trick; wanna see how it works?…..
Shall we Pearl?….
“An artist is a creature driven by demons. He don’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why. He is completely amoral in that he will rob, borrow, beg, or steal from anybody and everybody to get the work done . …. If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate; the “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is worth any number of old ladies.” — Mark Twain
All I can say to that is, damn skippy! I’ll take the Urn, every time…. Dad might get upset, but, he’ll get over it….
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Yesterday, one of the ffolkes who commented mentioned he’d been listening to the blues, Janis Joplin, to be precise. Ever since, I haven’t been able to think of anything else to post for today, unless it was some EXCELLENT blues. I had to drag through my whole memory bank, practically, then I remembered this one…. From 1966, when all these gentlemen still mostly didn’t shave every day yet, (‘cept for the one at the left center, of course. who merely trimmed…) (the one on the right center was still not sure if he should grow a beard, or not; I think that’s Eric. at a VERY young age.)… Ffolkes, I give you, the Bluesbreakers….
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
with Eric Clapton
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“My only religion is kindness.”
~~ The Dalai Lama ~~
Today, I had intended to rant about religion; since it’s a couple days from the celebration of the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, (a date having no actual basis in reality; there are no conclusive records from that time…. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can say they know for sure….), I figured I’d explore some of the fallacies inherent in the whole system of beliefs….
Then, I was sent a Tweet from a friend, with another of the Dalai Lama’s wise quotes, to wit: “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot live without human affection.” To my way of thinking, that just about sums up all we need to know about the entire concept of religion….
Because of that, my need/desire (Aha!….) to rant disappeared, as seeing the quote on Twitter brought to mind the quote with which we opened this section…. So, I decided to forgo ranting, in favor of some pearls of virtual wisdom from various famous authors, thinkers, and/or, just ffolkes…. I figure it’s following my own injunction re: playing nice with others….
To all my readers, who may not believe as I do, I wish you a happy season of kindness, no matter what religion you may believe in…. My opinion of that, I hope, shall not spoil, or demean, or in any way garner my approbation; nor do I intend to give any offense to anyone’s sincere belief…. I wish the Christians a Merry Christmas, the Tribe members a Joyous Hanukkah, and the believers of any other faith, for whom I don’t know a proper phrase of seasonal appropriateness, a peaceful winter, filled with happiness, and all the things you desire, especially if it a desire to help others in some way….
I hope nobody takes any of the following personally; I am, admittedly, a cynic, who is dubious of ALL of the religious philosophies, regarding them as delusions/illusions, fostered on the unlearned, in order to fulfill the own personal ends of their proponents, or often, their founders; remember, if you will, how the ineffable Peter altered (read: perverted…) Christ’s words and ideas to create the Catholic Church, just a few months after the crucifixion….
But, that’s just me…. Everyone else is entitled to their own belief system, as long as they keep it out of my face, unless they have some concrete, verifiable evidence I haven’t seen before…. which is unlikely as I’ve been thinking, reading, and studying about this issue almost all my 65 years, since the very first time I heard the story of the crucifixion, and, could not believe my ears…. It just never made any sense, even at age 4….
I’ll leave you with this thought, from one our most well-known free-thinkers…
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Now, let’s have a little fun, shall we?
Dear friend, all theory is gray,
And green the golden tree of life.
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust ~~
**********
“Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant? Is it not a spectacle to make the angels laugh?We are a company of ignorant beings, feeling our way through mists and darkness, learning only be incessantly repeated blunders, obtaining a glimmering of truth by falling into every conceivable error, dimly discerning light enough for our daily needs, but hopelessly differing whenever we attempt to describe the ultimate origin or end of our paths; and yet, when one of us ventures to declare that we don’t know the map of the universe as well as the map of our infinitesimal parish, he is hooted, reviled, and perhaps told that he will be damned to all eternity for his faithlessness…
~~ Leslie Stephen (1832-1904) ~~
~~ “An agnostic’s Apology”, Fortnightly Review, 1876 ~~
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“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
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“Satanism is a Christian religion”
~~ Sardonic Bee ~~
**********
“I admire the serene assurance of those who have religious faith.
It is wonderful to observe the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
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“How many Christian fundamentalists does it take to change a light bulb?
None. The Bible doesn’t mention light bulbs.”
~~ Smart Bee ~~
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“In anything at all, perfection is finally attained,
not when there is no longer anything to add,
but when there is no longer anything to take away.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery , Wind, Sand & Stars ~~
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“It is not necessary to fall into a well to know its depth.”
~~ Smart Bee, channeling gigoid ~~
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The biologist thinks he is a chemist,
The chemist thinks he is a physicist,
The physicist thinks he is a God,
And God thinks She is a mathematician.
~~ Paula Thompson ~~
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Today’s selection is from another WP blogger, one I consider one of my closest friends online, as well as a wildly talented poetess and artist in general…. The poem is an expression of joy, which made me smile, and weep, all at once…. The picture that follows from the same post, is, in my opinion, sheer genius wisdom, and deserves to be included here….. Here then, from a soul trooper, fighting the ultimate fight, to be herself, whole and happy….
For many years
debilitating thoughts
made a home in my mind
No room at the inn, door locked
…confined
I smiled in silence
To an oblivious room
All the while
My throat screaming
For all the bad memories
All the unfair nights
All the damn hurt!
the effects
…and the cause
Life played out and my lips
….Obediently paused
Until
The drink of belief
Made her way
From my mouth to my feet
Like a waking alien
I have found my home again
And all that was shrunken inside
Lost the urgency to cling and hide
Rising in hope
Yes this freedom speaks
Oh honey…
This freedom sings!
She flys on flames atop of wings
And the music is sweeter than ever
My voice, my speakers
Reign out
Bleeding a glorious color
Onto white corners
of my
…Newly born feathers.
~~ Souldiergirl ~~
12/21/2012
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Life, at Large….
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“If you cannot find happiness along the way, you will not find it at the end of the trail.”
~~ Zen Bee ~~
**********
“He would be the finer gentleman that should leave the world
without having tasted of lying or pretense of any sort,
or of wantonness or conceit.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, ix, 2 ~~
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“The truth is our most valuable commodity.
It would probably be a way better world if people didn’t use it so economically.”
~~ Personal Journal of Doogie Howser, M.D.~~
~~ from the TV show, Doogie Howser ~~
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“But some emotions don’t make a lot of noise.
It’s hard to hear pride. Caring is real faint – like a heartbeat.
And pure love – why, some days it’s so quiet, you don’t even know it’s there.”
~~ Erma Bombeck ~~
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“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang van Goethe ~~
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“We usually get what we order from life.”
~~ Limon ~~
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“All perception of truth is the detection of an analogy.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~
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“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
~~ Mahatma Gandhi ~~
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“How many Great Souls does it take to change a light bulb?
None; the light from within illuminates all around them.”
~~ gigoid, following a theme ~~
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Well, I like it…. Now, I’ll go see how the WP editor likes my workaround for the new crap they added to their editing function, that I have yet to figure out. Time, as it always does, will tell; damn thing won’t keep its mouth shut. Regardless, I’ll be back tomorrow, to take another shot at some Asininnies, or, at least, kill a few of the myths people buy into. Try to be happy; give a bit of yourself to another of Earth’s creatures, human, or otherwise, & you’ll find it helps yourself, too…. Plus, the happiness will be there inside when you are done…. Truth…. See ya….
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
gigoid 
Ten Years After…always a good choice as well….may I suggest some Bo Diddley as well….the REAL king of rock……my grandfather use to say…” the only belief one truly needs is the belief in one’s self”….chuq
😉
I’ll put both on the list for posts down the line…. Know and love both…. Haven’t thought of Ten Years After in at least thirty years, so, it’s time to bring them back for a review….
Thanks…. & your granddad was “a corker”, for sure….
😆
Ned
The old guy taught me a lot…I will always thank him for his guidance…glad to help…the oldies are always the best…..chuq
With the introduction of Air Conditioning..
loss of front porches.. and screens replacing faces..
blogs are certainly replacing front porches in at least
a virtual way.. and that is good.. as who knows/FEELS
eventuAlly ‘we’ may be motivated to build
front porches in ‘real life’ again..
And i suppose that is wheRe words
that are more than facts
can lead
back to
the
heARt
of human.. again..
When we find that is truly what
we share in common.. being human…
Being..
And hmm..
i leave religion at the Beach
and it stays with
me then now
as Jonathan
Living
ston as
Seagull
Freer now
and higher
with never a
world of words
to hold me back
from flying free
on land
alive
again..
but sure i
come back
to words.. as
sometimes flying
can be poeTry too.. sMiLes
and thanks for the free flying
inspiration you do sing here..:)
There is no doubt in my mind that
heARt is real as a metaphor of human
FEELING emoTioN.. that spiRit is real as
connecting emoTioN to other
expresSinG humans
and the rest of
Nature as inter
connect
ing
Force of
ALLTHATIS
in what can be
m e t a p h o r
for GOD and
of Human Being
SoUls as metaphor
for BalanCinG BEinG
in MiNd and BoDy
ways of
regulaTinG
emoTioNs
and integrating
senses in moving
Art the way our
ancestors capture
prey and avoid predators
without breaking a leave
of sound.. in invisible
ways of yes..
again.. now
human balance
with the rest of Nature
in action.. consequence..
either dark or light
as positive
or negative
consequence
that comes now
or then.. but yes..
the bottom line is
we are here.. and
sure this is a nice
front porch friend
to shoot the
breeze
however
the feather
may fly
in Peace
in Love
of just floating
around and free now..
Anyway considering the stresses
of modern mechanical cognition life,,
highest rates of suicide in places
like South Korea.. where
technology reigns
highest.. now
in the so-
called
developed
world.. now
this E-world
must find a source
of human heARt..
SpiRit and soUl
to have any
chance of
surviving
as human BEinG
aGaiN.. and poeTry
and blogs are a staRt
back to human being..
as Lord knows that
is wheRe i find
my hUman
again..
and tHere
is meaSure
of treaSure
kNoWn to humaN
being like a free flowing
mind and body in balance
holding hands in heArt..
SpiRit.. and SoUL in
Balance..
at least
for me
anyWay..
so thanks again
for your treasure here..
friend gigoid.. no price
to measure human SoUl..:)$
And yeah.. if i wanna find
wisdom.. i’ll go see
someone who
spends decades
helping folks
in a psych-
ward
and
care
center..
verses
a monk
in a monastery..
or priest or pastor
in a seminary.. for sure..
no.. there is nothing
dubious
about
that my
friend @ALL..;)
As usual, a beautiful, honest poem in response to my mundane prose…
😉
All TRUTH, too, which stims my HearT/MinD…. to borrow a style of yours…
Stay cool, bro, it’s getting strange out there….
gigoid
SMiLes.. Strange is still a home for me.. As stranger.. He He..;)
As Robert Heinlein noted in a title of his, we are all Strangers in a Strange Land….
Piece….
😉
gigoid
🙂
When you are sitting in one position fir any length if time it always hurts when you try to get up
To beg, borrow and steal
The one thing you have to remember is
That you never get caught
Find another movie and when that one no longer works
Find another
That’s what’s so good
There’s so many to pick from
Sheldon
Truth, my friend…. eventually, movement is mandatory… and, if the movies on my comp, or the net run dry, there’s always my memories…
Or, imagination; dealing w/pain teaches us how to retreat there at will, to enter a different reality than the one our body inhabits….
Infinite choices, if we can remember where to look…
Thanks for the reminder…
gigoid
Bet you Leelu was staring at the spider who rudely invaded you all’s home.
It appeared on in the middle of the kitchen floor, moving fast toward the carpet in the next room, where it could hide… Leelu noticed it moving (cats see ANY movement; hunters, they are, and movement means prey….), and was playing with it with her paw… She wouldn’t kill in on purpose, but, it is also a predator, and they fight back when threated, so, it might have bitten her, also without any evil intent…. I couldn’t save them both from harm, so, I picked Leelu…. It’s still a tough ethical decision to make….
gigoid
OH dear! Now don’t feel too badly.
You honor me so much my kindred soul. I wish I could hug you. I am soul hugging you gigoid or do you prefer Ned? I prefer kindred soul :)) you mean so much to me. Thank you
Reblogged this on gigoid and commented:
Ffolkes,
My walkabouts are somewhat restricted right now, as this part of the world is currently being drenched with all the rain it HASN’T dropped this winter…. So, being trapped indoors for the time being, I’ll try to get a fresh Pearl done for tomorrow. For now, please enjoy this one from about 2.5 years ago, with one of the earliest appearances of the Naked Pearl section, which is now a regularly appearing standardized portion of a complete Pearl of Virtual Wisdom. I hope you enjoy it, & I’ll see y’all soon….
Be well and happy; the alternative sucks….
gigoid, the dubious
😎