I’ve been busy with the three L’s (Living Life Large)…. Plus, SB’s in a weird place; the pearls it’s showing are all rather mundane. Here’s a pretty decent Pearl from 2013, while I was still an opioid addict, thanks to modern medicine… All over now, but, it made life interesting, to say the least…
I’ll be back tomorrow, with a reasonably complete Pearl; for today, this will have to do, for all of us….
The life I lead now is much different from the one that I had back in the day, prior to the advent of the chronic pain with which I now live. For example, before the pain became a contributing factor, I could pretty much do anything, physically, that I wished to do. Sports, martial arts, camping, driving, cooking, virtually all of the activities I once pursued without a thought to how it might affect me are now proscribed, as being too painful to pursue.
Even activities such as walking are now limited to how long I can go without stimulating more pain, or becoming fatigued, which is the most common precursor to the upper realms of pain, otherwise known as pure agony, a state clearly distinguishable from any ecstasy, let me assure you….
I am not relating this to garner sympathy; thanks, but no thanks. I’ve had plenty of…
“Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters to a Young Poet ~~
Who’s this ‘grumpy cat’ dude?….
Hajime…. Running, chased by gibbering demons, claws extended to rend my flesh, I pant in abject terror. Of course, then I wake up, generally, so, all is well; the nightmare of insanity passes quickly, as a rule. As a human, my mind naturally organizes my perceptions into an ordered framework, one with which it can deal, of which rules are an important part, delineating, as they do, the boundaries of our understanding. Yes, I realize, now, that’s probably a bit more complex & esoteric a thought than I should be trying to express at this point in time; hell, I’m barely awake, having had only one cup of coffee before starting to work on this Pearl….
Ah, well, so much for my application to join the real world. I didn’t really WANT it to be accepted, anyway; it all seems so pointless these days. The world itself is broken, and there’s little to be done now that would, or could, be of any significant help in fixing it; people have pretty much sewn up their future into a casket, ready for lowering six feet down into the ground. The evidence keeps piling up, and few will even look at it, so, my own sense of hope is pretty well eroded down to a nub. But, that’s too depressing a thought with which to start the day, so, how about we let it be, and get on with what I originally began, to wit: today’s Pearl of Virtual Wisdom….
A short reminder to my readers: Pearls, and pearls, as well as mere pearls, are kind of special to me. The collections I gather usually lead to a train of thought, always off the schedule, but, running on time. They are intended as a means of feeling uplifted to begin the day. The fact they don’t usually do that isn’t important; it’s the thought that counts, right? Right. On that cryptic, if transparent note, let’s get this slow on the toad. All I have today is a poem from a couple years ago, and a rather odd, Zippy-directed old-school pearl. It’s what I’ve got, and, as always, will have to do….
Shall we pearl?….
“Als das Kind noch Kind war, gab es diese Fragen:
Warum bin ich mich, und warum nicht dich?
Warum bin ich hier, und warum nicht dort?”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
********************************
A dream, weeping….
“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said
with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.
“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….
what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”
So, we plucked up our dreams of old,
to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,
stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,
for luck, and perfect proof against charms.
Storms follow the sun, but, never stay;
lessons round every corner, all free.
Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,
the journey becomes the reason to be.
Simple kindness manifests untold riches,
in defiance of common cause’s demise.
Bold courage, hanging in stitches,
mends wounds that come as no surprise.
Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.
Too much pain cannot apprehend
the salient, sharp points of epiphany,
nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.
Folly dogs even the simplest truth,
fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,
alienated as a loose rotten tooth;
it often hides itself, for a long while.
Sought after eons ago, we cried out,
to believe, to suffer no more doubt.
But found instead good reason,
for love, and truth, from season, to season.
~~ gigoid ~~
~~ 8/30/2014 ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Watch that last step….
*******
“A wide-eyed, innocent UNICORN, poised delicately in a MEADOW
filled with LILACS, LOLLIPOPS & small CHILDREN
at the HUSH of twilight??”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider
that the limit of our power of perception
is also the limit of all there is to perceive.”
~~ C. W. Leadbeater ~~
*******
“To develop a complete mind:
Study the science of art;
study the art of science.
Learn how to see.
Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
~~ Leonardo da Vinci ~~
*******
“If our behavior is strict, we do not need fun!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
— Louisa May Alcott ~~ ~~
*******
“It is good to have an end to journey toward,
but it is the journey
that matters in the end.”
~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~
*******
“When this load is DONE I think I’ll wash it AGAIN..”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you have it. No excuses; it is what it is. And, I’m done. Not merely done; I’m outta here. I will, however, be back to do this again, to as little purpose as ever. Thus far, nobody has figured out an effective way to stop 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.
Hajime…. As our opening quote from Lazarus signals, today’s Pearl might get a bit rambunctious. I seem to have entered a time bubble, or, perhaps, slipped through a worm-hole into an alternate universe. Whatever it may be, for four days, almost, I’ve been getting closer to a sort of balance, between all the hard places, and the soft. Not to imply it’s nearly so simplistic, but, let it suffice for now as a fairly close approach to my personal reality, and get on with the fun….
Yes, fun. I decided we/I don’t do fun enough; in fact, I remembered one can’t overdo fun, at all. So, today’s post has some whimsy, some grit, some entertainment, and a bunch of verbiage otherwise known as filler. What can I say? It’s a gift. Or, well, a talent, anyway. Still, it might be worse, you know…. I might have decided to rant again. Not only is there no new, fresh rant over which to fret, the one I chose to include, from the archives, is an abbreviated version, mostly old-school, with only a smidgen of necessary neuronic involvement. Afterward, of course, there’s a poem to ease y’all into the old-school section for our finale today…. Don’t forget, the price is right, right?….
What with all the tasks and events presented to me by Reality yesterday/today, I’m not sure how, but, what follows is a complete Pearl of Virtual Wisdom, with four complete sections. That, and the other tasks are done, and I’m glad…. I think I’ll go eat some worms…. Or, not. Perhaps, instead, we’ll do this….
Shall we pearl?….
“What happens to the wide-eyed observer
when the window between reality and unreality breaks
and the glass begins to fly?”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
********************************
In the interests of efficiency and elegance, today’s musical selection finds us with a collection of classical pieces, for study or relaxation. Since both are handy when reading here at ECR, you get them both, for we are nothing if not accommodating, eh?…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s all good stuff, and makes the reading go nice and smooth….
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********************************
********************************
From 7/20/2014:
I cannot tell a lie…. Well, that isn’t true. I can, but, I have a hard time justifying it to myself, so, I keep it to a minimum; mostly, I succeed… It’s not usual, I know, for people to even think about it, more’s the pity, but, that’s just the way I am…. So, since I can’t, I’ll tell you right now, I don’t have the wherewithal to rant any more this morning…. The intro took most of my angst away; the emotional power just isn’t there now, so, anything I did write would be a bit frail; I like my rants to be robust, if nothing else….
So, we’re going to do this…. Below is a link, to yet another example of A) how egregiously the governments of the world, ours, the Brits, and all of them, are bumbling around, spying on you, me, and each other, while the public sits and watches as they try to justify their insane paranoia by telling the public it’s all for their own good…. It’s bullshit, of course, but, that’s their story, and they are sticking to it….and B) how the lies aren’t even being addressed by those who are telling them, but, rather, are being labeled as legal, by the passing of legislation making it so….
Since I’m NOT going to rant about it, I’ll follow the link with a seven-star pearl that takes aim at those who are involved in the whole ugly mess at the top of the heap, which, in my mind, is beginning to resemble one of those snake pits we hear so much about…. Hiss, hiss, wriggle…..
Enjoy the pearls, ffolkes, and try not to let the article depress you any more than necessary…. If you must, you can be glad this is the BRITISH government that is being exposed in this article…. at least it’s not our own….. THIS time, anyway…. Of course, ours is busy with its own illegal spying programs, none of which have been shut down, or even restrained, in spite of all the hullabaloo over it…. Ah well, see you in the poetry section, ffolkes….
“This message has been personally tested and certified by Big Brother Bill, Senator Exon, and the Religious Right to be PC, containing only the best of family values, and Safe For The Children ™. Disclaimer: The caffeine made me do it.” — Smart Bee
“The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes and fears rather than with their minds.” — Will Durant
“Americans used to roar for Liberty, now they bleat for Security.” — Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
“Money will buy a pretty good dog, but it won’t buy the wag of his tail.” — Josh Billings (pseudonym of Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818-1885))
” — I’d love to, but…the President said he might drop in.” — 4 of 101 Easy Ways To Say NO
“It does take a perverse form of optimism to have any faith in the news media when almost every time they cover something you _know_ about, they get it wrong. Maybe they’re wrong that often covering subjects in which I’m not an expert? Naw, it just couldn’t be.” — Grant Edwards
“It ain’t me; it ain’t me; I ain’t no senator’s son!” — (Creedence Clearwater Revival) The Fortunate Son
Yep…. As I’ve noted previously, it’s all in the wrist….
********************************
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 ~~
9/6/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Ha, ha, ha….
*******
“Nothing unreal exists.”
~~ Kiri-Kin-Tha’s Law of Metaphysics ~~
*******
“Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke.”
~~ Hermann Hesse ~~
*******
“When the situation is desperate,
it is too late to be serious.
Be playful.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“A little nonsense now and then,
is cherished by the wisest men.”
~~ Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ~~
*******
“As for myself,
I always willingly acknowledge my own self
as the principal cause of every good and of every evil
which may befall me;
therefore I have always found myself
capable of being my own pupil,
and ready to love my teacher.”
~~ Giacomo Casanova ~~
*******
A monk said to Joshu,
“Your stone bridge is widely renowned,
but coming here I find only a heap of rocks.”
Joshu said,
“You see only the stones and not the bridge.”
The monk said,
“What is the bridge?”
Joshu said,
“What do you think we are walking on?”
~~ Zen Bee ~~
*******
“To see the world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”
~~ William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence” ~~
*******
********************************
Having completed my chosen duty, with some degree of efficiency, I shall take my leave without any more pathetic attempts at humor. In fact, I’ll be completely serious, and reiterate my intention to return tomorrow, to torment, er, challenge y’all again. See ya, ffolkes; be strange, it’s cool out there….
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.
Dharma: “What is the greatest mystery of all?”
Yudishthira: “That each day, death walks the earth,
and we continue to live as though we were immortal.”
~~ The Bhagvad Gita ~~
You said you had a deadline….
Hajime…. In my recent explorations of Reality, there seems to have arisen within me a large fog of apathy, regarding the state of the world….. My angst seems to have resolved itself into a big package of “I don’t give a shit”. This seems to have destroyed my outrage, and just in time, too. It was killin’ me….
But, I digress. Today, I have very little accomplished in the way of putting together a Pearl. There is a short, five-star necklace below, with a message I am not really sure of; it’s there, but, it’s a bit murky. Oh, well, such is Life in the big city, ffolkes; we’ll all have to deal with it, one way or another. I can’t say I’m particularly enthusiastic for our chances of a Pulitzer, or even making the WP front page (my use of expletives as ammunition keeps that off the table…. something about the word ‘fuck’ they don’t like….), but, at least there will be a post. So be it.
That’s all I’ve got. I’m trying to finish a task for a friend, so, tomorrow may again be a throw-together-if-not-throw-away version; we’ll see how efficiently I can multitask. I used to be pretty good at it, so, we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll also take this moment to apologize to my usual blog visits; I have been unable to find any angst with which to comment, and have been unusually silent. It’s no doubt the same falling angst levels previously mentioned, so, I’m not sure when I’ll be back in touch on that level. I haven’t forgotten anyone; the funk in which I’ve been mentally mired for weeks is starting to clear, and all will eventually be as well as it may be….
That’s my story, and, I’m sticking to it. For now, let’s get this slow on the toad…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Time…do you really believe the past arranges itself
for our convenience into those paltry little squares they print on calendars?”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Affordable wisdom….
*******
“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”
~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~
*******
“What you see is from outside yourself,
and may come, or not, but is beyond your control.
But your fear is yours, and yours alone,
like your voice, or your fingers, or your memory,
and therefore yours to control.
If you feel powerless over your fear,
you have not yet admitted that it is yours,
to do with as you will.”
~~ Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen” ~~
*******
“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future is a little
like having bees live in your head.
But there they are . . .”
~~ Firesign Theater, “I think we’re all Bozos on this Bus!” ~~
*******
“OMNIVERSAL AWARENESS?? Oh, YEH!!
First you need 4 GALLONS of JELL-O and a BIG WRENCH!!…
I think you drop th’WRENCH in the JELL-O
as if it was a FLAVOR, or an INGREDIENT…
…or…I…um…
HERE’S the WASHING MACHINES?”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“What the meaning of human life may be I don’t know;
I incline to suspect that it has none.”
~~ H. L. Mencken ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you go. That’s what we’ve got, ffolkes. I know, pretty pathetic, right? Oh, well. The good part is, I can try again, maybe even tomorrow. One way or another, I’ll be back, to make some more noise…..
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.
Much to do early in the day, so, a re-blog is in order. Here’s one from 2013, with a small, but, important notice, marking the passage of a friend…. I’ll be back tomorrow, with bells on. Or, off. I don’t know, and don’t care, cuz it’s tomorrow….
I may stop looking at the statistics for my blog altogether, after the lesson I was taught yesterday….. Two days ago, I wrote a very short Pearl, to say I was taking the day off, essentially. After weeks of seeing only 4to 6 people visit the blog, and only a few Likes, the short blurb garnered 11 Likes in the first 12 hours. I was astounded at that outburst of visitors, but, even more astounded yesterday….. I wrote what I thought to be an excellent Pearl, with a rant and everything…. I just now looked at it, and ONE person has seen it…. ONE. LMAO ROFL!…. as they say in the text world…. One regular reader came by and left their mark, and that was it… total = 1. I suppose this could also be expressed as a box score, to wit: Universe 1 – gigoid 0……
“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
Spare any fish, mister?….
Hajime…. As predicted yesterday, and many times previously, I’m back. That isn’t to say I am claiming any kudos, or expect any acknowledgment. It’s merely taking note of what exists, for now. In the final analysis, after all, we don’t have anything else but what exists now; yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is but a dream, right? Right. So, we take it as it comes, do the best we can, and move on down the road to the next moment, all with as much aplomb as we find comfortable…. Simple creatures, we are, in truth. We just don’t remember it often….
I don’t have a lot today; yesterday turned out pretty busy, in a good way. I spent the afternoon reconnecting with an old friend; we hadn’t seen each other for about 12 or more years, so, we had some ground to cover; it was good, especially when one considers all the possibilities that are engendered when two old farts start trading memories. We had a great time, and are both looking forward to staying in touch. Since all this was happening when my physical issues seem to be resolving positively, it turned into a fine day….
In the interests of not pushing our luck, I’m going with what I’ve got. It’s not too shabby; the new poem finished leaking onto the screen, and there’s a pretty fine old-school pearl to ponder. The poem’s a bit strange, but, then, so am I. Go figure, eh? Let’s get on with it, before I lose my nerve…. I say that, of course, in the hope I do have some nerve left…. Ha! Onward into the day, ffolkes. Hang on…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Truth, like surgery, may hurt. But it cures.”
~~ Han Suyin ~~
********************************
Meander….
Inimitable, grieving, garnering mere bargains, to taste;
naked apes, priapic by nature and choice,
filled up the only valid chalice, laid it to waste,
nobody asked, nor ever raised a single voice.
Formidable, dreams becoming so real;
clearly extraordinary, in a tawdry sense.
Deals to make, illusions to steal,
busy, busy, building fence after fence.
True nature’s existence, so to speak,
rests interiorly, as well as in your face.
Duality’s persistent insistence ain’t weak;
ignorance of reality leaves not a single trace.
Herds of commonality congregate before portals
shaking each other by the collar as they dance.
Chasing their illusionary dreams, as if they weren’t mortals,
born believing they ever had a chance.
Irony lives deep in the human soul, part, parcel, post;
holding four aces, betting a pair of jacks, or queens.
Expedience beckons toward mendacity, at most,
fox mocking grapes, while it dances and preens.
The wheel turns, inevitable, ponderously mundane,
grinding grain, chaff, and dust.
Bolstering connections aids those who may abstain
from the paltry tale of the bold, and just.
~~ gigoid ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
I yam what I yam….
*******
“Our quarrel with the world is an echo
of the endless quarrel proceeding within us.”
~~ Eric Hoffer ~~
*******
“It’s not denial.
I’m just very selective about what I accept as reality.”
~~ Calvin (“Calvin and Hobbes”) ~~
*******
“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along,
listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
*******
1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air
and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.
5. Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. Be loyal.
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
12. When someone is having a bad day,
be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
18. No matter how often you are criticized,
don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout.
Run right back and make friends.
~~ Things We Can Learn from a Dog ~~
*******
“Ah, fill the Cup: – what boots it to repeat
How Time is slipping underneath our Feet:
Unborn To-morrow, and dead Yesterday,
Why fret about them if To-day be sweet!”
~~ Omar Khayyam (fl. 1100) ~~
*******
“I exist as I am, that is enough.”
~~ Walt Whitman ~~
*******
“The supreme irony of life is hardly anyone ever gets out of it alive.”
~~ Robert Heinlein ~~
*******
********************************
That will have to do. Duty, and the events of the upcoming day are calling me. If you’ll pardon me, I shall now go forth, and ignore as much of that call as I can, as is our habit as humans. Y’all have a good one, ffolkes. I’ll see if I can’t put another one together for tomorrow…. 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.
“The mountain remains unmoved at seeming defeat by the mist.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
Laocoön and His Sons
Image from Wikipedia via Google Images
Hajime…. Putting this Pearl together has taken me about two weeks, mostly waiting for parts of me to heal sufficiently to type. During much of this period, it seems my life was ‘farmed out’ by Murphy, to Eris, that ancient nemesis of the Greeks. Who is Eris? Ah, you know her, even if you don’t…. Allow me to elucidate….
“:Eris: /e’ris/ n. The Greek goddess of Chaos, Discord, Confusion, and Things You Know Not Of; her name was latinized to Discordia and she was worshiped by that name in Rome. Not a very friendly deity in the Classical original, she was reinvented as a more benign personification of creative anarchy starting in 1959 by the adherents of {Discordianism} and has since been a semi-serious subject of veneration in several `fringe’ cultures, including hackerdom. See {Discordianism}, {Church of the SubGenius}. — from The on-line Hacker Jargon File V423
As may be surmised, it’s been different around here. Enough so it’s given me some new epiphanies to assimilate into my personal files, some of which are quite penetrating in their effects. Of course, they’re only of value if I take them in, so, we’ll see how that goes, eh? In the meantime, I have for you today a complete five part Pearl, with old-school galore, some great music/entertainment, a relevant exploration of modern times, and, a pretty decent poem…. I’m happy with it, so, y’all, in spite of any possible trepidation, will be happy with it, too, should you make it all the way to the rather distant end. To save us all a bit ot time, we’ll get right to that, okay? Okay….
Shall we pearl?….
“A wise man,
recognizing that the world is but an illusion,
does not act as if it is real,
so he escapes the suffering.”
~~ Buddha ~~
********************************
Pearl
We lost Pearl in 1970. Though with us for only a short while, her spirit shone bright. A friend’s blog acknowledged her passing, which showed some synchronicity, as I had already decided she was just right for this Pearl. Here is a live performance, one of only a few we have to see on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….
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********************************
********************************
As this Pearl evolved, it grew. Go figure. In the process, I decided to make it epic enough to be able to stop ranting altogether. It’s a manifesto, so to speak, of all I think is real, and true for today’s world. I don’t need to keep beating a horse that’s not coming back alive, so, this may be the very last one. It’s pretty complete, I think. You tell me….
“As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.”
~~ Josh Billings ~~
I suppose it is fortunate, for me, writing requires enough focus of attention to distract me from a lot of perceptive stimuli from external, or even internal sources. In short, I can concentrate sufficiently I don’t mind the 96º heat, as long as I’m perched within five feet of my only fan. I also can keep from thinking about pain, in my shoulders, hips, and back, or my hunger, from dieting, or any of the other silly little things we use to keep from actually thinking about stuff we don’t want to face, or deal with, or are painfully uncomfortable. That makes this act one of survival, as well as one requiring some rather merciless honesty, self- and, otherwise; without it, I don’t believe it will be worth it.
I am exceedingly weary of living in a culture/society which is based on deception, exemplifying what I believe to be the worst part of human nature, i.e. the ability to put our humanity aside to pursue our personal gain or agenda. To a small extent, we do it naturally, as a survival tool. However, in a larger sense, most of us don’t always base life on our own agenda; we feel connected to, and responsible to the rest of humanity. But, those who do choose self over species, as their primary focus of living, throughout history, have been allowed to order our society, based on false information and deception.
At this point, I feel I should explain my assertions, which are, in essence, three. My observations and study have led me to realize these three concepts, held to be true by the great majority of humanity, are all false in their basic assumptions of reality. This allows a distance between what is real, and what is seen to be real. This basic disconnection from true perception, in my mind, is what has caused most of the trouble and misery our species’ history has experienced for more than ten thousand years. The three concepts to which I refer are religion, money, and government.
Intermezzo:
At this point in this exploration, it becomes clear I have bitten off quite a bit more than can be adequately addressed in a single attempt, no matter how clear, or solid the connection between the three relevant elements. In truth, nobody will much care, anyway, but, that is irrelevant, as well. What remains relevant, to me, in essence, is to relate just how I think these three ideas/concepts/delusions have kept humanity from achieving our potential, and, in the process, the potential of our entire world. Together, given the nature of the human beast, the potential godhead, these three ideas have provided the means for our complete undoing, as a species, and, as a viable form of life.
I guess that’s a bit depressing, isn’t it? Okay, I’ll stop for now. I was going to stop ranting altogether, but, perhaps such an assertion would be premature. For now, let us go on, to this…..
During the research period while composing this, the following extensive collection of old-school pearls was amassed. Let this suffice for any further indictment of the three villains of human history. Besides, this just shows, I’m not the only one who has had second thoughts about all the bullshit we’ve been fed from the cradle. I’ve put them into three categories, for simple clarity…. Enjoy, ffolkes.
And, please. Think about it all, will you? Thanks….
*****
“In the beginning Man created God; and in the image of Man created he him.”
~~ Ian Anderson ~~
~~ Jethro Tull, Aqualung ~~
“The mistake began when God was created in a male image. Of course, women would see Him that way, but men should have been gentlemen enough, remembering their mothers, to make God a woman! But the God of Gods–the Boss–has always been a man. That makes life so perverted, and death so unnatural. We should have imagined life as created in the birth-pain of God the Mother. Then we would understand why we, Her children, have inherited pain, for we would know that our life’s rhythm beats from Her great heart, torn with the agony of love and birth. And we would feel that death meant reunion with Her, a passing back into Her substance, blood of Her blood again, peace of Her peace! Now wouldn’t that be more logical and satisfying than having God a male whose chest thunders with egotism and is too hard for tired heads and thoroughly comfortless?” — Eugene O’Neill, “Strange Interlude” [1928], Act II
“So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.” — Bertrand Russell
“Any system of religion which has anything in it which offends the mind of a child cannot be a true system.” — Thomas Paine
“Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was He before creation? How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression … Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end.” — The Mahapurana, Jinasena
“God is an invention of Man.
So the nature of God is only a shallow mystery.
The deep mystery is the nature of Man.”
~~ Nanrei Kobori, — late Abbot of the Temple of the Shining Dragon, Kyoto, Japan ~~
*****
“All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
“The value of money has an objective regulator only when it is linked to a real commodity, like gold, itself requiring the cost of human labor to be produced. By comparison, the value of inconvertible paper money has no objective regulator, its marginal cost of production being nearly zero.” — Lewis E. Lehrman (See? Nothing real… Only what we agree to hold so….)
“As far as I’m concerned, if something is so complicated that you can’t explain it in 10 seconds, then it’s probably not worth knowing anyway.” — Calvin
“I refuse to believe that trading recipes is silly. Tuna-fish casserole is at least as real as corporate stock.” — Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
“What do they call a comedian who doesn’t get any laughs? A philosopher.” — Phil Proctor
*****
“Power, like a desolating pestilence,
Pollutes whate’er it touches…”
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~~
“It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable.” — David Brin, The Postman
“Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.” — Giordano Bruno (1548- burned at the stake, 1600)
“As formerly we suffered from crimes, so now we suffer from laws.” — Tacitus
“He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and
ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.” — Albert Einstein
“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” — Bertrand Russell
********************************
I am working on a poem, which seems to be leaking out in a chaotic fashion; it looks good, though, so we’ll let it play out as it pleases. Here’s one that fits, today, and often. Especially when it is followed by an old-school pearl that carries its title…. Keep reading….
Notes of process and program…
Poems, alas, don’t chase through my head,
bumping and pushing each other like brothers at dinner.
They’re more ripped out of my innards, instead.
Time and circumstance reveal no ultimate winner.
Simmering and bubbling near my unconscious mind
these maddening rhymes blind me sans glimmer.
Building until bursting as if to be dined and wined,
the remaining denizens appear much slimmer.
Fiery visions retain such glorious fatal dimension,
in retrospect, yet fail to leave a permanent scar,
until blessed, or cursed, with focused attention,
singing, crying, bleeding, fast as a movie star.
Pretty soon can’t be soon enough, she said
to a chameleon colored thief bathed in moonlight.
Fancy candles in stripes of blue, gold, and red
foster honest dreams in shades of white.
Passage to daylight is problematic, at best:
beastly ghosts of insomniacs cast no shadow.
Even judges with robes can pass the wrong test
while the rest of us go with what we know.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/3/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
“Notes Of Process And Program…”
*********
“It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what’s cool.”
~~ Calvin & Hobbes ~~
*********
“We must beware of whatever insights we have into ourselves.
Our self-knowledge annoys and paralyzes our daimon
– this is where we should look for the reason Socrates wrote nothing.”
~~ E.M. Cioran ~~
*********
“”Human beings are perhaps never more frightening
than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.”
~~ Laurens Van der Post, The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958) ~~
*********
“Be prepared to go mad with fixed rule and method.”
~~ Horace (65-8 B.C.) ~~
*********
“Honor isn’t about making the right choices.
It’s about dealing with the consequences.”
~~ Midori Koto~~
*********
“Reality is in the eye of the beholder.”
~~ The Keeper, from Stargate ~~
*********
“When I was a lark, I sang;
when I was a worm, I devoured.”
~~ Theodore Roethke ~~
*********
“I’m pretty tired. Think I’ll go home now.”
~~ Forrest Gump ~~
*********
********************************
Well, ffolkes. There you have it. Not only do you have it, but, you’ve got ALL of it. I don’t believe I can do this any better, but, what the hell? I’ll be back again to try. Could take a bit of time, but, it seems the wait might be worth the effort. See y’all tomorrow, as long as the sun comes up….. Pretty good odds, I’d say….
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.
Hajime…. I’m tired of reblogging old Pearls, so, I’m putting this together with what I have ready, and, so be it. I’ll even be super-nice, and forgo any sort of long, rambling intro, in favor of just getting it done with as little hullabaloo as we can manage. That shouldn’t be hard, given the already overbearing handicaps under which I’m operating, as a matter of course, for the time being. This, of course, is superfluous to our purpose, but, then, little is not.
All that said, with the standard lack of direction fully acknowledged, if not compensated for, I’ll just get on with it, as it will be hard enough. I guess what I should, and will do, is pay attention to our final opening pearl’s advice, and put the damn stones down as they need to be…. Let’s go do that, ‘kay? ‘Kay!….
Shall we pearl?….
“Do not look for all the answers at once.
A path is formed by placing stones one in front of the other.”
~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~
********************************
Pensive early and late…
Endings aren’t always a new beginning
I’m sad to say.
Sometimes it’s just an ending
there’s always a price to pay.
Still, it’s only money, he said
watching it piss away
Did everything ‘cept meet Fred
‘n had a good time the whole way.
Even the bad stuff turned out well,
life lessons are just that way.
Knowing what’s right, you can’t always tell,
we don’t always know the right things to say.
I’ll take all the hard times, without complaint,
learning isn’t always easy to take.
Kindness, patience, and compassion without restraint,
are still the best decisions we can make.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/26/2013
********************************
Naked Pearls
Logic, untwisted….
*******
“It costs so much to be a full human being
that there are very few who have
the enlightenment or the courage to pay the price…
One must abandon altogether the search for security
and reach out to the risk of living with both arms…
One has to embrace the world like a lover…
One has to accept pain as a condition of existence…
One has to court doubt and darkness as the cost of knowing.
One needs a will stubborn in conflict,
but apt always to
total acceptance of every consequence of living and dying.”
~~ Morris L. West, “Shoes of the Fisherman” ~~
*******
“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.”
~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~
*******
“Belief gets in the way of learning.”
~~ Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love ~~
*******
“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”
~~ Steven Stills ~~
*******
“I looked more widely around me,
I studied the lives of the masses of humanity,
and I saw that not two, or three, or ten, but hundreds,
thousands, millions, had so understood the meaning of life
that they were both able to live and to die.
All these men were well acquainted with the meaning of life and death,
quietly labored, endured privation and suffering, lived and died,
and saw in all this, not a vain, but a good thing.”
~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~
*******
“Heaven embraces the horizon.
No matter how jagged the profile, the sky faithfully conforms.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“Comedy. Sudden, violent, comedy!”
~~ Monty Python ~~
*******
********************************
There. I feel a little better. It’s not epic, but, it’s a Pearl, so, I’ll take it. And, so will you, for the nonce. I will keep working at this, and may be able to resume steady production in the fairly near future. Yay, me. Or, not. Time will tell; always does. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, one way or another….
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.
I’m still unable to type for long; this getting old crap is getting old. Things just don’t heal like they once did…. Ah, well… Here’s a pretty decent old Pearl, from about 4+ years ago, with a pretty decent poem I wrote, and some fine explorations of reality. I hope you enjoy it; I’ll be back soon, I hope….
Ffolkes,
I am forced to confess that I’ve become an internet addict…. I can’t conceive of going back to the days before the entire repository of human knowledge, minus the traditional confidential security material, was available at request, in the blink of an eye. One can feed the elephant’s child for as long as they wish, in any field or subject, and never run out of material to learn. I miss what I now feel to be a necessity, a connection to the net at home, where I can fulfill any question or impulse to find out something at my whim. Being reduced to a limited time per day is somehow diminishing, and emotionally stressful…. hmm, maybe I could plead that to the cable company, to get my hook-up for a discount…. might be worth a try….
Meantime, I am reduced to creating my Pearls ahead of time, so that…
Soon, I’ll be able to type again; this is merely practice, to ascertain current limitations… Sad to say, the limit is still set on dead low. Ah, well, maybe the angst will build into a rant…. In the meantime, here’s a Pearl from 2014, with a bunch of older material, to boot. I hope you enjoy it….
Today’s Pearl will be an unusual offering, even for THIS blog…. I’m using almost ALL archived material, which includes this opening section… I found such a fine intro in a post from 2012, I’m using it, along with some other material I found there which meets today’s requirements, all of which are designed to give my hands a break from typing…. Cut and paste is about all I’ve got in me today…. But, it’s all good stuff, so, please, sit back, enjoy an adult beverage, and lose yourself for a while in the Adventures of gigoid in Consensual Reality….
Ffolkes, I am damned. In fact, I am damned by God Himself…. he told me, back when we were kids together in Jerusalem, oh, two or so thousand years ago…. You see…
gigoid 