Ffolkes,
“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
Reluctantly poised….
Hajime…. We humans are weird. While such a statement could be construed as critical, in this case, it is more of an observation, based on personal experience. To fully comprehend the depth and meaning would require more time than I’m willing to spend today, so, y’all will once more have to deal with any disappointment on your own, cuz I ain’t talkin’…. Don’t worry, it’s nothing untoward, merely, well, weird, and it won’t delay the production of today’s Pearl any more than it already has with this paragraph.
Of course, this means we don’t have anything more to put here in the intro, a not unusual conundrum. One might think, after two days of sloughing off the work, I’d be a bit more organized, but, then, thinking can often lead to inaccurate conclusions, especially when the subject matter, i.e., me, is rather an ambiguous figure, to say the least. If we said more than the least, we could be sued rather heavily, which is why we never do. And, yes, we have now devolved, rather suddenly, I might add, into complete blather & nonsense. It’s our default when we are thus challenged, as you may remember.
Our Pearl today will be okay, anyway. I finally put together a decent rant, stimulated by, of all things, a question somebody asked me on Facebook. The rest is pretty standard, and, if I don’t get started putting it together, it won’t get done. To make that happen, I’ll end this now, here, so there won’t be any further forays into the outer reaches. Hell, at this point, I’m thinking, if I don’t do this right now, the end results will be completely unpredictable, never a good thing for us….. Let’s just get the hell out of here, while we can….
Shall we pearl?….
“By definition, when you are investigating the unknown,
you do not know what you will find.”
~~ The Ultimate Principle ~~
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Herself, Ms. Raitt
Some days, it’s just got to be the best. Here’s a session I haven’t heard yet, so, let’s have a listen, shall we?….
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Bonnie Raitt
BBC Four Sessions
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********************************
********************************
“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
In the most recent months, my thoughts have begun crystallizing, in a large sense. By ‘large’, I refer to Life at Large, the panorama of human experience on Planet Earth, in all its hideously insane, yet, somehow, vividly fascinating glory. In a cosmic sense, we humans haven’t been around very long; it’s only been about 10 or so thousand years since we left off living on the land full time, without the civilizing (?) influence of writing, gunpowder, and the concept of religion. (Thank you to Tom Carlyle…). Yet, in that minuscule portion of close to five billion years of known Universal history, we have come to the rather grandiose opinion we are the pinnacle of the whole shebang, the highest form of life as we know it, with all the attendant privileges and rights, whatever we conceive those to be.
So, here we are, a motley, unrestrictedly reproductive organism, in season all year round, barely past the time of sleeping on soft leaves in a cave lit by torches, wandering over the face of the planet, even probing our proboscis’ all over the solar system, in our search for new places to fuck. By ‘fuck’ I mean fuck in all its incarnations. We are always looking to fuck; each other, other species, the environment, space/time, biologic creation, the physical universe, the moon, other planets, etc. We want to fuck with, around, on, and up against damn near everything we encounter, from dirt, to atoms, to practically anything our wicked, inventive imaginations can think of, and/or turn into reality….
See, that’s our problem, too. We can’t seem to stop ourselves for any appreciable time from fucking with everything, yet, our overactive, innovative imagination is too powerful for us to keep up with, being the simple animals we really still are, in terms of our nervous systems, perceptive and cognitive abilities, and, some of our physical characteristics, which, in and of themselves, can override any of the other talents/abilities/natural characteristics we may possess. For example, certain smells can literally stop your entire metabolism, instantly creating urges to run, vomit, scream, or otherwise indicate systemic panic; the same can happen with a subliminal perception, which, under given circumstances, can send the bravest, strongest human running in terror, without even knowing why they have panicked.
But, we think we are so cool; Terry Pratchett, I think, described it well when he accused us of being so primitive we still thought digital watches were cool. In truth, we are simply out of our depths, for the most part, though it may seem otherwise, if you listen to TV, or, mostly, anyone else who has an opinion. The only REAL truths we now can depend on are the ones we find within our selves, for everything in the world we have created around us is based on false data and conclusions, which, in the face of their relation to actual physical reality, become delusional, and thus, dangerous to us.
One of the most commonly notions regarding human nature is our Ego, which I have capitalized, for that is how it affects us. However, to promote a more productive frame of mind I have found to be of value, I will forgo further capitalization, to encourage each one reading to devalue the importance of how ego drives your bus, so to speak…. You see, we are more than merely a mind, or, and ego. In fact, the ego may only be a hallucination, as some philosophers AND neuroscientists have suggested. Our existence is also greatly affected, in reality, by physical forces, not all of which we directly perceive, and, by spiritual forces, which are also not necessarily easily identified. Yet, each of those two forces, physical, and spiritual, can instantly assume greater significance than anything our mind perceives, up to and including the potential loss of life…
For example, in the physical world, there are many forces we don’t perceive directly; magnetic, gravitational (other than as motion induced by its presence), certain wavelengths of light and electromagnetic, and, others we can only perceive by instruments. Any of these, sufficiently strong, can be dangerous to us. Spiritually, who can deny the power of what happens to us under the influence of love? Or fear of losing love? There are also many spiritual/emotional forces in our makeup we don’t perceive, or comprehend at all….
However, the ego, due to its own nature as part of us, believes in itself so strongly, it acts as if none of that is anything it cannot overcome to achieve its own ends…. To my current way of thinking, this is a bit grandiose, given our history of success at making reality do what we want. Yes, we have made great technological advances, but, none of them have improved the human condition a whit, and, in fact, are now becoming a danger to the entire species, by continuing to treat the universe as its own toy…. simply because we deny our own nature, which remains divided, unaware of the potential progress to be made by ‘merging the three parts…. which, in truth are but two, the mental and the physical; the spirit is the bridge between them, upon which we refuse to walk…
This discussion was provoked by an exchange I had on Facebook yesterday, prompted by a not unusually provocative statement by a friend (Red, the Fabulous), who is, in my estimation, one of the five smartest people alive. And, yes, I know y’all might think that’s hyperbole, but, it isn’t. In any case, the following exchange took place, which I reproduce now because it is a fine summary of all I’m trying to say here today, in just a few lines…. To wit:
Red: “I want to live in a world where people know how to merge. ”
Me: “If you’re talking traffic, you;re dreaming. If you’re talking life, well, it might be some time yet… *wink* ”
Red: “Yes.”
T.C: “Physically, mentally or spiritually? ”
Me: “They are all three the same exact thing; our inability to ‘merge’ them is a big part of all the troubles you see in the world… I, too, would like to live in such a world, in which we all could look past our ego’s need to divide them, and us… ”
That’s the word I needed… divided. We have a divided nature. It’s natural, in a universe that exists in duality. But, we let one part of our nature overmaster the rest of what the universe has to tell us; by doing so, we create our own inner conflict, which is reflected into the society we have created. Until we learn to ‘merge’ the different parts of our nature, to see the connections there are in life, then we will remain separated, from ourselves, from each other, and from our own universe. In doing so, we condemn ourselves to our only real hell, which is living disconnected from life…. and the love that is possible when we are part of everything…
Serendipitously, I have already shown the exactly right pearl with which this discussion should be closed… Here, then, is the correct path, as indicated by, naturally, a poet….
“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
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A Failure to Germinate
Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.
Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.
Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.
I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.
My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.
Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
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I couldn’t, in good conscience, call this one a Naked Pearl grouping; it’s just too odd. It starts oddly, ends oddly, and uses an odd path to get where it ends up. The best I can call it is to say it’s a random harlequin pearl, and let it go at that…. For one thrown together in jig time, it’s really not bad…. Enjoy!…
*******
“To be, or what?”
~~ Sylvester Stallone ~~
*******
“There’s no easy quick way out,
we’re gonna have to live through our whole lives,
win, lose, or draw.”
~~ Walt Kelly ~~
*******
“Self-improvement is a dangerous form of vanity.”
~~ Alan Watts ~~
*******
But where shall I start?
The world is so fast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own.
But my country is so very large, I had better start with my town.
But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street.
No, my home.
No, my family.
Never mind,
I shall start with myself.”
~~ Elie Wiesel ~~
*******
“Depend not on fortune, but on conduct.”
~~ Publius Syrus ~~
*******
It is the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It is the dream afraid of waking
that never takes a chance.
It is the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live.”
~~ Bette Midler, The Rose ~~
*******
“A child of five would understand this.
Send someone to fetch a child of five.”
~~ Groucho Marx ~~
*******
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This is pretty late getting done, compared to our usual time to post; oh, well. Such is life in the fast lane, ffolkes, so, we may as well just deal, and get on with the day. Hopefully, this will help make that go better than it otherwise might. Then again, perhaps not. Time will tell, as it always does, the mouthy bastard. I, personally, shall merely say, see y’all tomorrow…. and, that’s all the warning you’ll get….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid, the dubious
The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.
PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.
“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch
À bientôt, mon cherí….
gigoid 
I like the Rilke quote. I find it difficult to love “humans”. They smell, are full of shit, believe in stupid lies, are mean, selfish, and brutal. I find it to be a spiritual practice just to tolerate most people. On the other hand, those i love and like are treasures.
While I know exactly how you feel, perhaps the trick we need to learn is to extend our feelings of compassion, as we feel for those of whom we approve, to include the others, as well… Not an easy task, I admit, especially for those narcissistic sociopaths who prey upon others. But, in this universe, unless we all can learn to row the boat together, we all will drown, the sociopaths included.
I guess we’ll see what happens, eh? Been a hell of a ride, that’s for sure….
gigoid
I actually used, and still use, the Buddhist teachings on how to become compassionate. You just do it, force yourself to do it, even if it feels contrived and fake. Eventually it becomes real. Yes, it worked for me, in the sense that I am more accepting of others now, etc.
And yes, it’s been quite a ride.
Bonnie…a little blues for a Thurs morn….not bad. “Humans live through their myths and only endure their realities.” (Dunno) We humans spend too much time trying to impress….most humans are just meat socks….damn! I am not in the best mood am I? chuq
Well, if such a mood makes for “Humans live through their myths and only endure their realities.”, maybe it’s not so unwelcome… To me, it sounds like something Joseph Campbell might have said; he spoke a lot about humans and their myths….
*smile*
Bonnie always hits a spot, doesn’t she?
Hope you feel better; just don’t let it improve your mood…
*grin*
See ya in a bit over at IST….
gigoid, the dubious
I am arguing with the college about a course for the Fall….these a/holes piss me off….I watch for you later….chuq
Oh,Dear….and to think I have had a good day!
Better hide,before ‘humanity’ finds me……
I’ve been around all sorts today…the smellier the better….does wonders for my ego…
I am Pristine…well, after the deodorant went on….
Good post the dubious one…and chuq my advice…tolerance is over rated…
Go tell some one to poke it!
😉
Pretty much what was said today…may have shot myself in the foot…LOL
“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
Jesus F. in Christ
ain’t that the truth
and some folks can’t seem
to get it through tHeir thick
and or covered skulls
that when the Golden
rule including that part
about Loving the rest of
Nature the same as
you and doing
no harm
to the rest
oF it other than
giving more than
taking and sharing
and giving.. well yeah..
that’s a little more than the
Golden rule but change is good too..
and the rest mostly falls into place way..
anyWay.. i liked your most current post
first and i haven’t read it yet.. ’cause history
repeats itself anyway and there is like almost
100% chance i’ll like it as i’ve liked all the rest..
and that’s kinda how fearless love works when
unconditional and real and true but it only works
100% of the time when driven by human reason
and relative WiLL.. as those other con-social emotions
are pArt of hUman Nature too.. and why there will always
have to be a practice of WiLL over fearless love with Reason
to continue to perfect it in practice over the course of liFE now..
yeah.. Bullshit.. we practice perfect.. we are not born perfect but
it sure is nice to be born happy.. and not all are born happy either..
it IS A tapestry..
and the fibers
are different
that paint the
beauty whole..
some are dArk.. some
are liGht or tHeRe would be
no contrast for the colors of Love..
in fearless way of what paints iS..:)
To save time, I read this comment, then your next, on tomorrow’s post. Then I grinned, as your first lines of the second comment nailed my thoughts on the first…. to wit: Rainer MR had the advantage over Lao Tzu of more than 2500 years of the gathering of facts, and knowledge, of the universe, if not ourselves. Thus, Rainer’s shows the seemingly more humanistic insight, yet, as you examine it next to Lao Tzu, one sees how right Lao is to separate them… for that is the ego’s job, it seems, for humans… to separate us from our connections. If not the design intent, it is how we’ve used it….
Both comments are, as always, great poems… so, the alphabet, while part of our problem, is also one of our glories…
Hmm… more duality being expressed, I suppose…
See ya, bro. I’ve been a bit hit & miss with your comments, but, always read them… Just can’t keep up to your typing, or head, speed… you mutant you… *grin*
Just know, I’m always there, & always your friend….
Love, to Katie, too…
gigoid
SMiLes.. my FriEnd..
i am the breeze that
flies and catches highs when
they come and rarely thiNks of
lows.. and always appreciates hi’s
when they come and Love is always
a great say of Life my FriEnd.. hehe..
you know the psychiatrist says this IS A
Disorder.. all this writing.. no different than
Lewis Carroll.. his Alice And Wonderland.. and
the general clinical label of Hypergraphia out of
the cultural norm.. per se.. iS Wonderland for me..
as it is something i enjoy that stimulates me
that bRinGS mE greAT Bliss
it’s kinda like sex
but never ever
messy and
the only
thing that
gets pregnant
are the pages
with millions more
thots per se as more
words comes next inthoth
pLay.. EmoTions empower
uS and the beauty of the alphabet
iS when iT iS used as a tool to spRead
those EmoTions wider to other folks as
Energy Force to defeat Entropy as the
Force oF EmotioN inspiRed through
words can be used over and over
through written words even when
i am asleep.. hehe.. or dead as
a door nail.. outside a cross..
i have certain advantages
that other folks never had..
Anyway.. the psychiatrist suggested
Epilepsy drugs to shut me up.. if he had
suggested a lobotomy.. i would have said
no too.. is it any wonder there are much fewer
Beethovens.. Michelangelos.. really original works
of art.. like Alice and Wonderland too.. why.. now it’s
basically a copy and paste of what the greats did before..
weLL.. creativity
is dead in pills
my friend.. there is
great challenge in the
madness of creativity…
but the reward is for others..
that can last for centuries and
that is what real humans do.. they
sacrifice for other folks in more important
ways than just dying on a cross with a golden
rule or two that can be found in another book..
but after all as i’ve often said and Saint John
too.. Jesus predicted that so the Beatles
as i often say too.. just fulfilled that
prophecy too.. along with
Einstein and all the
other super
men and
women
too..
with crazy
ass mutant
brains that FucKinG
fly BeyOnd that place of
Star TreK Real.. oH.. creativity..
you SinG A SonG of challenge
i Love you.. ’cause you never FucKinG geT old..
You offer a treaSure here my friend.. the hi’s are
juSt icing on the cake of what you give.. smaLL
talk is nice.. but deep ShIT is more like me.. hehe..
i plan to go so deep that God WiLL be the only one
inside me to understand me here on earth.. chances
are
i’ve
done that
iT seems.. heHE..
and sure by far.. i ain’t
the first or the last for thAT..
Yeah.. my way of looking at God is
more like this.. the Facebook Profile status
photo i just added that has always inspired me
so much at a Biloxi pier that some homeless guys
nailed to the place they lay their heads there at night..
and sure these homeless folks understand that God lives
in them and Nature as that is where they live.. no different
than any other wild and free human being in nature one.. whole
all natural and free.. where baths come when the rain or rivers
SinG with skin.. and you can smell people over perfume and
plastic and stuff like that.. anyway.. it is a stone statue
with the bottom part missing away from a man
representing Jesus against a cross with no
nails in his feet or hands.. instead there
is an older more mature version
of him holding him up
and surrounding
all around him..
and there is a
Dove at the top
that connects to
Nature whole of course..
this is how i see God and how
i feel and sense God.. thaT i tHat
is pArt of Nature one thaT is beyond
ego I as actor of director i.. i has a much
deeper voice than I.. at least i did for many
years.. but now i’s voice sounds just like I
as self and ego are one.. unless ego acts
as directed by i.. just for fun.. or whatever
the situation may dictate for teaching
purposes.. say if i am going to
act the role of the village
idiot/clown/fool etc..
with dead
pan face
to keep
’em guessing
and thinking too..
anyway.. when this
i that is wrapped around I
is one with Nature with Spirit
as that exclamation point ! i like
to use as ! to indicate the interconnectedness
and interdependent relationship of all of nature
one WE.. as all of US toGeTher aS oNe Force
as pArt of Nature wHole too that iS Dove or
sEaGull that flies so high allone while
i and I and ! rest on a cross of
floating fearless Love..
of course there
are infinite
other
metaphors
i could use
to say the
same God daM
thing.. but now
is just the flavor
of now of what iS
iS foR Now.. with
sMiLEs and loVE
aS WeLL mY FriEnd..
the best thing about a
super epic Devil’s advocate
is he or she or whatever can
now be a best God dAM Joker
advocate for NatUre aLL/GOD..
wHere folks have the opportunity
to be exposed to Jack out of the BOX..
or off
a naiLED
cross and
FReED..
to rest a
CROSS FREE..:)
Perhaps this one is the start of your latest… which I’d call Kokopelli’s Dance
*grin*
See ya, ami
Ned
WiNks.. i think
the theme SonG
for the words
catches the
!
🙂
And per Legend..
it’s true.. i ‘tricked’
the Village beauty
into having sex with me..
And i can prove it.. as
she never ages.. oh..
when Alice in Wonderland
iS
FucKinG
REaL..;)
Followed by the second principle: One does not know one doe not know until one discovers what one does not know.
As a purveyor of pheromones, I fully endorse your declaration of the ability of the simplest odor to halt all production, especially with reproduction.
Some asshat decided to spread the propaganda, you can do anything. To be frank, we allow machines to do and trust we know the results to be accurate even when we have no viable way to test such results. Makes me wonder how many named celestial bodies were actually a picture of dust on the scope lens. Harrumph. Humans are an infestation.
I have the discussion on the regular of pointing out someone’s reaction to a force and their response being they know neither the force nor the reaction. The human animal is best used as a pack animal, not in the way of the beloved canine but in the typical way of an ass, a befitting moniker in lieu of a proper name to most humans you meet on the street.
My answer to the query remains correct. Yes. There should be no delineation between the three, as they are as inseparable as the lungs, heart and brain which house the ever-adulated (and adulating) ego.
I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.
Of course we mellow with age,
the trail overgrown in thorned foliage.
Abraded soul skin from the constant abuse
from those who erstwhile have no other use.
~ Red
How simple Walt’s quote is, so obvious. Leave it to the mongrels to complicate it.
Elie had the only right answer. How shameful it took such arguing.
Must love Groucho! Truly! View the prism as a child and see the reality creating the rainbow without getting enamored with the color or bogged down with why the color pollutes the view.
Bon soir, mon ami. My fractured wrist is making typing a nightmare.
xxx
As always, your comments are an excellent adornment to a mundane post… But, talk about burying a lead… you fx’d your wrist? Pobrecita…. I’ll make a guess, & figure it came from tumbling off a bike…. Ah well…. try to keep from using it long enough to heal, ‘kay….
Thanks, milady, it’s good to see you here….
Love
xoxo
gigoid
What could have been an epic crash up and over a fallen 150 yo tree earned me the name “Ricochet Rabbit”. I did not fall. I pushed off an uprightish branch from said tree, sped off (a touch too fast, as was the problem) into the brush and came to a stop hugging a sapling with my broken wrist. Wolf videoed it. Giggles. Another 8 seconds of Internet fame. On the upside, I never came off the bike.
Xxx
I’ll have to go look at the vid, if he posted it; just reading your summary has me in stitches… Maybe you need to reconsider believing you’re a ‘toon? Or maybe get one of those kevlar body suits… with an exoskeleton for extra padding…
But, come to think of it, Red, the Ricochet Rabbit is probably the most accurate moniker for you, considering your proclivities… *grin*
Heal fast….
xxx
He posted it to one of the FB groups. Not sure how private it is, but If I can tag you, I shall.
FYI, your mobile site is enough to drive me to drink. I used it for my last comment, so I had more accurate voice-to-text. #WPFail’s #1 advertiser is net neutrality. It only popped up 6 tabs in the space of the foregoing comment.
Indeed, it is a nickname I have earned on multiple fronts. *wicked, naughty grins*
xxx
lol…. One good reason I don’t do FB on mobile… or, anything much on mobile… just too confusing & a hassle, as yet…Someday, tech will catch up to standards…
Not sure what tagging involves, but, go ahead… You have my permission to do anything to me you wish… especially given your nickname….
*grin*
xoxo