“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
Willamette River, Oregon…
Hajime…. Today, you are witnessing technology in action, which, as Arthur C. Clarke once noted, can appear to be magic. When this appears online, (hopefully), I will be off grid, as far as I can be in today’s world. I’m currently traveling, to make a last visit to one of my brothers from another mother, who went into hospice yesterday; I can only wish to get there in time to see him before he goes on. I’m leaving my computer at home, & turning off my smart phone, to practice dealing with life, again, without any robotic assistance. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
I’ll be gone a few days, so, this post is simply to let y’all know I’m not dead, yet, when several day’s posts fail to appear. Since I also won’t be on FB, or Twitter, or Skype, or anywhere else virtual in nature, a few ffolkes might notice, & I don’t want them to worry I’ve gone completely bonkers, or underground on a mission. I’m just gonna catch up on some reading, and conversation, & take some pix. That’s it….
I now must go figure out how to make this magic happen, so, I’ll leave this, sans inclusions, sans closing lines… I’ll just say, I will be back, unless it’s just too much fun to give up…. I imagine it might even provide some inspiration, as I’ll definitely be giving my muse a chance to connect with me, on new levels… So, in a sense, I’ll still be out there, Pearling… just in a new venue for the time it lasts…. I’m off now….
Shall we Pearl?
He who searches for truth must not appease his urge
by giving himself up to the narcotic of belief.”
~~ Hans Reichenbach~~
~~ “The Philosophy of Matter in the Atomic Age” ~~
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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.
Once more, events in Reality precluded working on a Pearl for today. I did manage to pick out this one to re-blog; it’s actually pretty decent, for what it is, & since it, like yesterday’s fresh Pearl, didn’t get much traffic, I’m providing it with another opportunity for fame, or, whatever passes for such in these parts. My day is still problematically unpredictable, so, tomorrow remains the same. I will, you may be sure, be back, in time; time, however, moves without our influence, so, we’ll just have to take what we find. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy today’s reiteration, odd as it may seem in toto. See ya, ffolkes….
I can’t have what I want, so, I’ll take what I can…. There, that marks me as an American, don’t you think? It’s a typically American male attitude, for sure; just go watch freeway traffic for a while, & you’ll see what I mean…. But, I’m not here to rant (not in THIS section, anyway…), so perhaps I should begin today’s Pearl in a slightly different fashion…. that is, if you can call this fashion…. more like the direct opposite of fashionable, I’d say…. But, then, I AM a cynic, mostly, so, that, too, might be suspect to some people….
Well, that was certainly a wash, wasn’t it? Not a single compelling phrase to be found…. Hell, one of those is probably not to be found in the vicinity, though we do like to pretend they can be…. Unfortunately for me, today, that could conceivably have an effect on…
Hajime…. I spent yesterday geeking with my computer, but, found it still confused this morning. I managed to get it up & running, and am only here long enough to get this posted. I will be infrequently present for the next few days, & don’t know if or when I’ll have time to write, or post. I will try to at least re-blog each day, but, can’t promise anything, as I have some critical business to deal with out in the BBR, that cannot wait.
Since I will be busy most of today, dealing with all of it, I’ll forgo any trickery here in the intro; even today’s old-school pearl is truncated to five entries, as I don’t have time to find another pair to fill it out. So be it. There IS a new poem, which I hope you enjoy, &, as always, some rather fine music, to go with the first section’s journey into a past Pearl to share some personal views on living…. That’s it, though, and all you’ll get for a while. I’ll be traveling, to see a friend who went into hospice, so, I won’t be worrying much about anything else, until I’ve seen him, & made contact before he travels on to the next world….
For now, that’s all I’ve got, ffolkes. I’ll see you in a day or two, or, whenever I can get back to relative normality…. Onward….
Shall we Pearl?
“A human being should be able to change a diaper,
plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building,
write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying,
take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations,
analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,
cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.”
~~ Robert A. Heinlein, “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long” ~~
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From 6/9/2012:
My life, described in six words….
“Looked for love, found it everywhere.” — gigoid, to KDFC DJ Hoyt Smith, 2009….
While listening to the radio one day, the DJ was talking about a meme activity he had been told about via an email earlier that day from a listener. The challenge was to describe your life in exactly six words; he gave several examples of those who had already responded, and asked the listening audience to call in with their own. After a couple of moments the above six words floated to the surface of my mind, almost unbidden, so I called in, and, to my surprise, my call was taken, and my quote was put out over the air.
For life, with all it yields of joy and woe,
And hope and fear (believe the aged friend),
Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,–
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is.
~~ Robert Browning ~~
(1812-1890) — A Death in the Desert
Considering that what I said to Hoyt in the above six words, upon reflection, is something I can, and still do, say is as true as the day, it felt kind of good to have it shared over the air…. Fortunately, it didn’t lead to any more than 15 seconds of fame, the time it took to say my name, and my contribution…. It isn’t as if I was hoping it would lead to an appearance on Letterman or anything, but it did feel pretty good, as I am proud of the quote…. (Still am, in fact, and it still rings true…. gigoid, from the future, which is now the present, but used to be the… Oh, never mind….)
Of course, though finding love has never been difficult, I’ve never found the rest of the secret, the other part, about getting love to stay, other than that love between friends that is so important. Our culture, so tenuous in its support of monogamy, provides people with so many ways to leave a relationship without penalty, no one seems interested in making them last an entire lifetime any more. It’s like, “Oh well, that didn’t work… there’s lots of fish in the sea….”, and off they go into the dating world again…. Frankly, it makes me dizzy….
I can’t say I know what the problem is in society that dooms relationships these days; if I did, then it wouldn’t be a problem, as I’d know what to avoid…. What I do know is that on (at least) five occasions in my life, I’ve given my heart to a woman, and spent all my energy giving my all to that relationship, faithfully and fully. On all of those occasions, the woman eventually decided, for their own personal reasons, that they didn’t want to continue, and left. I guess they like Will Shakespeare more than I do… as they seemed to take on his attitude…..
“I dote on his very absence.” — William Shakespeare ( Though I hold most of his work to be crap and nonsense, even he came up with something coherent occasionally….)
I’ve been fortunate, I guess, in that, of those five times, only three were painful in their intensity, leaving my heart shattered, my life in tatters; two of them were relatively amicable breakups. (Sure they were; that’s what I keep telling myself….) But, I’ve just gotta say, it hurts when a woman I’ve loved for 23 years, and intended to die with, decides she’d rather pursue other options; it hurts, and it hurts a lot…. I can testify, from the evidence of a more recent nature, it also hurts when a woman has said she loved me for ten years, and has been lying the whole time…. That kind of betrayal brings a very lasting pain, and is slow to pass…
I hear you reproach, “But delay was best,
For their end was a crime.” Oh, a crime will do
As well, I reply, to serve for a test
As a virtue golden through and through,
Sufficient to vindicate itself
And prove its worth at a moment’s view!
. . . . . .
Let a man contend to the uttermost
For his life’s set prize, be it what it will!
The counter our lovers staked was lost
As surely as if it were lawful coin;
And the sin I impute to each frustrate ghost
Is–the unlit lamp and the ungirt loin,
Though the end in sight was a vice, I say.
~~ Robert Browning ~~
(1812-1890) — The Statue and the Bust
Pain is an old friend of mine, though, in all its various guises, and I know it always passes in time. Now I am looking for love again, in my own time, still trying to find that one woman who can be both loving and honest. The ones I’ve known so far have all had a problem with that last part…. it’s not something our society teaches well. But, until I find her, I’ll have to make do with the pain…. But, I know she is out there, somewhere….. There’s got to be some woman who would enjoy being worshiped by an old, fading, but faithful, romantic curmudgeon with a soft spot for dogs, cats, kids, & a good laugh, along with a severe case of wanderlust to complicate the issue….
In the desert a fountain is springing,
In the wide waste there still is a tree,
And a bird in the solitude singing,
Which speaks to my spirit of thee.
~~ Lord Byron ~~
(1788-1824) — Stanzas to Augusta
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This was found along with the above discussion; it’s too good to NOT include, so, you get it today, as a bonus pearl…. It’s pretty much a stand-alone anyway, requiring nothing to make it whole and complete….
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings.
~~ The Buddha ~~
I can’t think of a single thing that needs to be added here, so I won’t….. As Nike says, “Just do it….”
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I’m in a hurry, as noted, so, here is one of our default music selections to help move us along the necessary path…. Enjoy!
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Playing For Change
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Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave.
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know.
But I do not approve.
And I am not resigned.
— Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music”
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Motif en passant…
Death becomes me, I shouldn’t wonder;
or, perhaps, she merely beckons?
Ah, well, perhaps ’tis both, or, neither;
knowing how, now, might give pause,
or rise to such crescendo
exposing the crack in reality’s mask.
Such a burden to bear only comes
to those who wear the dark’s mark;
murder, slain by Cain’s evil twin,
on a Tuesday, of course;
Mondays have always been reserved
for expedience, the blessing of the coin.
Allegory chases metaphor around the parlor table
as eternity scoffs at such paltry buffoonery;
for those waiting upon the latest schedules
intricate mazes with traces of sincere regret
forgive the sins of all who travel, bereft
of any claim to legitimacy.
Patterns in simple fabrics wear better,
whenever reality intrudes.
Fabulous notions simply will not make the grade
until fashion completes a viable task.
All the petty reasons devised in haste
fall gently into place, softly saving grace.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/5/2027
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Naked Pearls
Five notes on Life at Large….
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“He that will not reason is a bigot.
He that cannot reason is a fool.
He that dares not reason is a slave.”
~~ William Drummond, “Academical Questions” ~~
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“I wonder why. I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder.
I wonder _why_ I wonder why
I wonder why I wonder!”
~~ Richard P. Feynman ~~
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“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs
as clothes do against cold.
For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases,
it will have no power to hurt you.
So in like manner you must grow in patience
when you meet with great wrongs,
and they will be powerless to vex your mind.”
~~ Leonardo da Vinci ~~
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“It is easier to pull down than to build up.”
~~ Latin Proverb ~~
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“A hug is a heart to heart talk.”
~~ Bobby Matherne ~~
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Not only am I in a hurry, I’m in a big hurry. So, I’ll merely say, see y’all later, & leave it at that. Be well, be as happy as you may, and, be cool. There’s no sense go out without some dignity, & that is about all we humans have left….
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.
“To be willing to die for an ideal is to set a rather high price on conjecture.”
— Anatole France ~~
B&B, Galway Bay, Ireland…
Hajime…. Yesterday morning, I tried to update a program that was asking me to do so. This, apparently, was a mistake, for ever since clicking the button to agree, my computer has been giving me fits. Long story made short, it’s still doing so. To keep from becoming any more pissed off than I’ve already managed thus far, I’m cutting the intro short, filling in where necessary to complete the parts of today’s post, and getting on with the rest of the day, which will, I imagine, involve a lot of geeking to try to bring the computer back into full functionality. Usually, that’s great fun for me, but, so far, it hasn’t been, as all I’ve done seems to have worsened the problem, as yet unidentified…. SIGH…. damn Microsoft!…
As noted above, this will be short. How short? Precisely this short….
Shall we Pearl?
“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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☬
From 6/9/11:
Ffolkes,
Since Frank and Ernie couldn’t make it today, you’ll have to settle for my drivel. Of course, it isn’t drivel to me, but that’s subjective, and you are under no obligation, either expressed or by warranty, to consider it anything more than dross. Defining what happens here could be problematic anyway,and we don’t really want to get the lawyers involved, now do we? I didn’t think so….. Now that’s settled, we can get on to what really matters. And that is nothing! Nothing matters, and if it did, we wouldn’t care! We are invincible in our ignorance, and we like it! Life is way too complicated to get involved in it; I’ve decided to just ignore the whole ball of wax. Taking up the mantle of recluse gladly, I go now to dwell among the beasts of the field, who shall be my only companions.
Enough…..letting my mind loose this early in the morning can get out of hand quickly; last time I ended up in some dive in MexiCali, with a bad hangover and a new tattoo. We’d best get down to business before anything similar happens.
Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite historical figures, and ends up on these pages fairly frequently, because he had a unique view of the world at large, and a wonderful way of expressing that view. Today, we present an all-Oscar group, just because he’s so cool……..
“Reality is a crutch for people who can’t handle buttons.” — Smarmy Bee (Whoops, how did that get there?……oh well, just go on….pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…..)
“I suppose there are now few survivors among the people who had the delight of hearing Oscar Wilde talk. Of these I am one… That his talk was mostly monologue was not his own fault. His manners were very good; he was careful to give his guests or his fellow-guests many a conversational opening; but seldom did anyone respond with more than a very few words. Nobody was willing to interrupt the music of so magnificent a virtuoso. To have heard him consoles me for not having heard Dr Johnson or Edmund Burke.” — Max Beerbohm
“The basis for optimism is sheer terror.” — Oscar Wilde
“I can believe anything, provided it is incredible.” — Oscar Wilde
“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” — Oscar Wilde
After the first night of one of Oscar Wilde plays, an ill-wisher handed him a cabbage. Unruffled, Wilde sniffed it appreciatively and said: “Thank you, my dear fellow. Every time I smell it, I shall be reminded of you.”
“Long engagements give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which is never advisable.” — Oscar Wilde
“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” — Oscar Wilde
“Experience is the name that everyone gives to their mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde
“Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others.” — Oscar Wilde
Whoa! I didn’t realize how many of his gems I had stored away…..but hey, well worth it. I only wish I could have been around to hear him hold forth……. y’all take care out there….
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Due to the aforementioned computer issues, we’re going with default where necessary. It turns out, necessary extends into nearly every function I ask it to complete. Hence, our choice today to include another collection of classical tunes. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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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 ’tis but my own……
~~ gigoid ~~
6/13/2012
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Thanks to the computer issues of which we have already spoken, Smart Bee, and Arthur, too, are being persnickety, to the point of obtuseness. To keep us on track, it became necessary to raid old Pearls for today’s post. Here is one from WAY back in time, before I had a clue how to deal with WP…. I’ve edited it a bit, just to format it into the current motif. I hope you enjoy it, cuz it’s what there is today….
☬
From 6/8/11:
Ffolkes,
The morning light pours over the far hills, warming air gone still in the night’s cold, with amber drops of dew glistening along the branches of awakening trees, gilding the edges of the day. Birdsong trills, insects hum, as a meandering brook winds through the forest, rushing along in its’ desperate race to the sea. The water babbles as it moves, all the voices blending together into a continuous stream of just-unheard secrets, gravid with meaning. The air begins to move, heated by the burgeoning warmth to swirl through the leaves, adding its’own thoughts, dreams to the chorus thus formed. Thus does the world turn, unheralded, implacable, real. Thus is another pearl born; ask me not how, or why, for I no longer know. Knowing I must is all I know, or need to know….
“If you want to know all about the sea, you go and ask a sailor, or a marine biologist, or an oceanographer, and they can tell you a lot about the sea. But if you go and ask the sea itself, what does it say? Grumble, grumble, swish swish. It is too busy being itself to know anything about itself.” — Ursula K. LeGuin
Leave the past behind;
leave the future behind;
leave the present behind.
Thou are then ready to go to the other shore.
Never more shalt thou return to a life that ends in death.
~~ The Dhamapada (c. B.C. 300) ~~
“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” ~~
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be “happy.” I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” — Leo C. Rosten
It may not be Art, but it is Frank, and Earnest….. y’all take care out there…..
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Well, I did it, though I couldn’t say exactly how it happened. I’ll take it, though, and run. Hopefully, I’ll have a successful day in geekland, which will allow us to return tomorrow, when I will have a new, freshly leaked poem, and whatever else I can cobble together to make up the rest of this mess. For now, I’m outta here, & off to geekland…. See ya, ffolkes; wish me luck, if you will… If you won’t, well, so be it…. Ta, then….
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.
Reality’s habit of asserting its prerogatives can be disconcerting, to say the least. Suffice it to say, elements of a very real nature have precluded a fresh Pearl today. It also made the search for an appropriate re-blog fairly extensive, but, no worries; so are my archives. Though it took more time & effort to find one, it seems worthwhile, as this one is fairly decent, though it didn’t see much traffic. Those who did so seemed to enjoy it, so, here ’tis once again, to garner a bit more attention before sliding back into obscurity.
As winter has made a return engagement the past two days, I should be able to go fresh by tomorrow; that isn’t a promise, though, as I’m too old to predict much of anything with certainty. Let’s just say, I will return, tomorrow if possible… Y’all take care out there, & try to enjoy the time we humans have left, which could be a much shorter time than any of us believe….which isn’t a prediction, just an observation….
….. And, then, I woke up…. only to find the same white screen staring me in the face, with, again, absolutely no idea what to put on it, to relieve the vast, frightening, vacant blankness….. I am faced with what is becoming my signature struggle, to come up with something catchy, or startling, or any other adjective that would lend itself to getting people to read this, and to providing some sort of incentive for them to come back for more….
It seems that much of the traffic I end up with are folks who are attracted by the title, which as y’all know, has nothing at all to do with what is in these Pearls…. It also seems likely that those who haven’t been here before, and drop in because of what the title promises, might be disappointed to find that, for example, Papal edicts do offer wholesale…
“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are for.”
~~ John A. Shedd ~~
Kirk windows, Greenock, Scotland….
Hajime…. In the last two or three days, between bouts of business out in the BBR, and the inconvenience of an inconsistently gurgling gut, I managed to put together a rather extensive Pearl. There is old stuff, new stuff, and some middle-of-the-proverbial-road stuff, all of which, while often obscure or allegorically impure, is nonetheless cogent for all that. Since that sentence, alone, is quite murky enough to suit the censors, I’ve decided to just let it fly, & take whatever consequences reality may bring. Scary, but, that’s life, right?….
In case it isn’t clear yet, this is what I call an ‘off-the-cuff’ intro, meaning all of it has been made up, on the spot, by allowing my overburdened head let out what it has to release, willy nilly. Such arrogance on my part is, I’m afraid, natural; I am human, after all. But, it is tempered somewhat by my reluctance to speak ill, whether of the dead, or the living. Well, okay, so, it’s not, really. I just couldn’t figure out any other way to get this going, having found the usual vast empty spaces facing my astonished gaze this morning, as I took my first peek inside, searching for inspiration, or, at the very least, reason to live….
Facing conundrums so early in the day is de rigeur for this process, so, rather than dwell upon that which cannot be altered, I’ll go on, to things not bigger, or better, but, in the final analysis, different. At this point, such an attitude comprises the proof of our pudding, to wit: all we can do is all we can do. Moreover, we’ve done it, and, thankfully, we are allowed to use that as excuse, if not justification. The law is very strange, is it not?
Okay, I’ve lost my way, & haven’t enough coffee on board to offer any possibility of finding it. I can’t think of anything else, so why don’t we just do this?….
Shall we Pearl?
“History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.’
~~ Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning” ~~
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Old friends….
I’ve decided to make use of some older material, written before I began blogging on WordPress. I’d been creating Pearls for several years, but, mostly published via email to my list of subscribers… long story. The material I found is several months of Pearls from the SFGATE website, where I posted them for a few months… For the next period of time, until I run out, or get tired of it, I’ll be including some of them here in the first section,, where many of my rants used to appear; some of the older Pearls fit that description, anyway, so, it works for me. Y’all can let me know what you think in the comments, if you wish. I’m gonna do it anyway, but, feel free…. *grin* Abondanza!…
From 8/20/2011:
Ffolkes,
And so it begins again. It’s enough to make you just want to rant sometimes. The news every day bombards us with the craziness going on in the world, providing us with the mental equivalent of dried dung in such quantities the Berbers could make a fire lasting all night. Politicians speak out every day, spewing tons of the most amazing crap, proving with every word just how insane they are, and people keep lapping it up like ice cream. The media that reports all this possibly plays the worst part in the charade, as they continue to report on the most trivial BS they can find. They don’t seem to care whether it is dignified, or if it makes any sense; they just want to increase ratings, and bad news does that better than good.
Oh well, I could rant on this forever, and it’s not going to make any difference. It’s unfortunate, because I’m beginning to believe that it is too late for us humans; we passed the turnoff to sanity a while back, and nobody noticed. Our beloved ruling class has decided that they are not going to buy into the idea that we are killing ourselves, and will hold that opinion all the way to the graveyard.
I’m also of the opinion that we little people only have one choice left, and that is revolution. The conditions which produced the first American Revolutionary War are fully present today; government is NOT responsive to the will of the people. Hell, they could care less about the people; to them it’s all about what they can get before getting caught, and even then they don’t get prosecuted. How many bankers and Wall Streeters were put in jail for stealing all that money a few years ago? None…instead we gave them bailout money.
Ah hell, that’s enough for one morning; if I continue I’ll end up with indigestion, and I’ve only been up for a half hour. F….. ’em, they’re not going to ruin my day….today’s Pearls were picked out when I had this on my mind, so they may reflect that…..they’re still a pretty good group….
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” — Francis Bacon
“When forced to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. This was the object of the Declaration of Independence.” — Thomas Jefferson
“I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary notices I have read with pleasure.” — Clarence Darrow
(How long is YOUR list?…..mine runs to three or four pages….and the first two are just the politicians (most of whom began as lawyers) and preachers).
“I don’t mind if you don’t like my manners. I don’t like them myself. They’re pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings.” — Humphrey Bogart to Lauren Bacall, in The Big Sleep
Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.
“The seeker after truth must, once in the course of his life, doubt everything, as far as is possible. What is doubtful should even be considered as false. This doubt should not, meanwhile, be applied to ordinary life.” — R. Descartes, “1-3rd Principles of Human Knowledge”
Well, I feel a little better…..reading pearls always helps me regain my equilibrium. Hopefully, they do the same for you….. y’all take care out there…..
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Albert & Stevie
I feel like the blues today; not my mood, just my wants…. Since it doesn’t get any better than these two, we’ll go with their finest session…. Enjoy!….
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Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session
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Platitudes for Attitudes
Platitudes shake us, attitudes break us.
Life can be a real pain, y’know?
Still, if we don’t fight where it takes us,
it’s a pretty straight row to hoe..
A lot of what we see and hear
isn’t always in the best of taste.
Life at large can be one long frisson of fear.
Making an effort often seems a huge waste.
Pundits, dogma dogs, myrmidons, oligarchs & pimps;
assholes and predators every one.
Twisted, sick, anti-humans; anomalous, ignorant wimps.
Logic says, every time, lobotomize ’em, & be done.
Illusions, delusions, confusions, a dedicated data dump,
bilious, divisive, spicy with hatred and fears.
Inflation, immigration, promises from the clownish Trump
Leaving even our basest survival heavy with tears.
Ancient sages left signs on the path to peace,
for those with wit to see.
No need for undue effort, no quest for golden fleece.
All we ever need to do, is be.
~~ gigoid ~~
8/29/2015
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Naked Pearls
“But soft, what light breaks….”
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“Nothing can bring lasting peace,
but you have it already
if you just stop disturbing it.
It is there always.”
~~ Sri Swami Satchidananda ~~
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“I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze
than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor,
every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”
~~ Jack London, Jack London’s Tales of Adventure ~~
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“You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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All truly wise thoughts have been thought already
thousands of times;
but to make them truly ours,
we must think them over again honestly,
till they take root in our personal experience.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
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“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.
Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.
We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
~~ Maya Angelou ~~
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“Be your own reason.”
~~ Levis ~~
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“Being human is a complicated gig”
So give that ol’ dark night of the soul a hug.
Howl the eternal yes.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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It’s done, though I can’t claim to fully comprehend exactly how it happened. Since it’s dead, we won’t beat it any more; instead, I’ll use this opportunity to take our leave until the next time. I am hoping that will be tomorrow, but, given the instability we are witnessing on all levels of society, I’d rather not make any promises I might not be able to keep. I can promise to try, and, I shall. For now, I’ll merely say, see y’all later, ffolkes. Seize the day before it slips 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.
Good morrow…. Events out in the BBR today are legion… Well, not exactly, but, ’tis enough to keep me busy from now until I’m done with it. This leaves me not enough time to complete the Pearl started yesterday, so, I’m re-blogging again, simply because I can. This Pearl is a pretty decent one from 2014,which didn’t get much traffic, though it’s not shabby at all. I gave up trying to figure out why that happens, but, will give it another chance today to see if it won’t do better. I’ll be back tomorrow, come hell or high water. Until then, I hope you enjoy today’s interlude…. Have a good Saturday, in any case….
It’s one of those Heyoka days, as the Sioux used to say…. I think it was the Sioux, or one of the other tribes from the Midwest plains, who had the Heyoka concept in their pantheon of beliefs…. Heyoka most easily translates as “opposite” or “contrary to an extreme”…. A Heyoka woman, in their tribe, would always say yes, when she meant no, & no when she meant yes; she would walk backwards, talks backwards, and generally behave in a manner that was completely reversed from normal…. As can be imagined, it made for some interesting times around the old tipi….
I’m up at the usual time, but, so is everyone else, which isn’t all THAT unusual, just odd… The cat is happy, anyway, to have all her human toys awake and available to torment play with; for her, it’s cat heaven. I’m unused to having anyone around while…
“The one unforgivable sin,
the offense against one’s own integrity,
is to accept anything at all simply on authority.”
~~ Maureen Johnson Long ~~
Buskers in the Spanish Arch, Galway, Ireland…
Hajime…. My understanding of the human condition occasionally brings to light certain characteristics of being a member of this species which do not reflect well upon us. Such is the case today. I have arisen at a normal time (for me, 0300 is normal), & attempted to pursue the normal routine. The problem is, I just don’t feel like it is getting me anywhere I want to be. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s merely inconvenient, when one has stuff to get done, yet lacks the motivation to do any of it. This Pearl, sadly, falls into that category, a conundrum indeed, for it is nearly done, in spite of my lack of motivation….
Of course, it wouldn’t be anywhere near done if I hadn’t lucked out, finding a poem I had completely forgotten, hiding in a nearly-five-year-old Pearl. Default music, a new/old poem, and some odd but cogent pearls for the old-school section, & we’re all good to go. All that is required at this point is for me to come up with a compelling intro, and a closing section that both stimulates and soothes. I know, it’s all too ambitious, but, such is life, you know. As is apparent by this whiny opening, we do what we must, if only to keep from biting our own ass. Currently, my ass is bloody, but, who’s counting?
Alright. So be it. If I can’t do it, I can’t do it, & there’s no sense in complaining. Moreover, I believe continuing in this vein could conceivably lead to some relatively serious nausea, if only in my own mind. Hell, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself moving past mere dithering, into sheer, unadulterated blather. Before we arrive at such an ignominious estate, let us adjourn to the latter portion of today’s program. I get the distinct feeling, if we don’t, we may cause a crack in Reality. Wouldn’t want that today; I’m low on duct tape…. Instead, I’ll do this, which seems to be my only hope for saving this from complete disaster. What? Nah, we couldn’t possibly already have reached such a…. Hmm…
Y’know? Maybe you’re right. Let’s be on our way, before an unexpected explosion occurs…. Around here, such blasts can be, shall we say, intrusive? Let’s avoid all that, like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“I am pleased to see that we have differences.
May we together become greater than the sum of both of us.”
~~ Surak of Vulcan, “The Savage Curtain,” stardate 5906.4. ~~
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I’m a bit lazy today; this isn’t new, or even infrequent, though it is inconvenient at times. Today, it just means we go default for our musical selection. As always in such cases, this collection was chosen by the picture that caught my eye….. Enjoy, if you will….
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Classical Music
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While searching through the archives, I found a poem I wrote almost five years ago; somehow, it got overlooked when I consolidated all my poems into the folder in which they now reside… It’s really not too shabby, so, here ’tis, in the light of day once again…. I hope you enjoy it….
Absently Gestalt
After the echoes of silence are faded away
Comes the cacophony which accompanies dismay.
Apocalyptic thoughts and emotions run free
Spreading fear enough to fill the holy see.
Speak softly to the beloved ruling class
Deathly darts sunk deep are painful, and crass
Sloth and ignorance are commonly shared
By those who would rule, alone or au paired.
Images and opinions are sullenly forlorn
Yet hope shines bright wherever ’tis borne.
Feeble strengths hide many objective flaws
For reality bites, with hard, vicious jaws.
Can you stand up and state your own name?
Will you hide in a handle, behind a great flame?
No hole and no mind is so deep and so wide
As to furnish safe haven in which to hide.
Bring out the weapons of your reluctant choice
Bring them to bear on the sound of their voice.
Silence the ignorant, and muzzle the fear
Make reason the only message you hear…..
~~ gigoid ~~
9/5/2012
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Naked Pearls
What? What? Oh….
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“The easy way is always the hardest way.”
~~ Murphy’s Paradox ~~
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“No human thing is of serious importance.”
~~ Plato ~~
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“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
~~ Socrates ~~
“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.”
~~ Frank Herbert ~~
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“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”
~~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau ~~
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“Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is boring without it.”
~~ Pearl S. Buck ~~
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Today’s Pearl cost a lot, but, the price is right, as always. I’m not going to comment on quality, nor quantity, nor any other judgmental characteristic. What I WILL do is this…. See ya, ffolkes. I ain’t go no more to 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.
“Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.”
~~ Clarence Darrow ~~
Cat skill training….
Hajime…. Good morrow…. As I suspected, events in the real world prevented completing this Pearl, until this morning. Upon arising, more changes in my(our) morning routine were called for to deal with events taking place while I slept. In spite of all that, I find myself sitting here, adjusting like crazy, with just enough time and chutzpah to get it done, with a couple of minor cheats. To maintain the week’s strategy, of ‘going with the flow’, I shall trim ruthlessly, beginning right here in the beginning; it seems my best shot to fulfill my intention, as well as a logical way to do so… Who’d a thunk it? Begin at the beginning, & go on…. Sheer genius, eh?
Well, perhaps not. Nonetheless, I’ll do what I can, which, though probably less than perfect, will be all I can do. Which, naturally, leads into another use of my own favorite axiom, to wit: all you can do is all you can do. On that brief, yet cogent note, I will employ our latest version of the abrupt ending, right here at the beginning, just as if I knew it was the right thing to do….
Shall we Pearl?
“That that is is not that that is not.”
~~ Subtle Bee humor ~~
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Old Guys, Rockin’….
To ensure a pleasant, if not overwhelmingly exciting experience here in our music section, I checked out the included concert by Hot Tuna yesterday…. I can attest, it’s another example of how well these guys’ music has aged over the years. They just keep gettin’ better, in my humble opinion…. Listen, and see if you don’t agree….
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Hot Tuna Live
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I’m tired of my own poetry, & since I’m sure y’all are, as well, here is a classic poem, from a classic author, whose name requires no introduction. It’s one of my favorites of his, but, that means little in regards a poet who wrote so many of my favorites. Arguably one of the best ever, in my opinion, which I would say is shared by anyone who reads poetry…. Enjoy!…
Fergus And The Druid
Fergus. This whole day have I followed in the rocks,
And you have changed and flowed from shape to shape,
First as a raven on whose ancient wings
Scarcely a feather lingered, then you seemed
A weasel moving on from stone to stone,
And now at last you wear a human shape,
A thin grey man half lost in gathering night.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. This would I Say, most wise of living souls:
Young subtle Conchubar sat close by me
When I gave judgment, and his words were wise,
And what to me was burden without end,
To him seemed easy, So I laid the crown
Upon his head to cast away my sorrow.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. A king and proud! and that is my despair.
I feast amid my people on the hill,
And pace the woods, and drive my chariot-wheels
In the white border of the murmuring sea;
And still I feel the crown upon my head
Druid. What would you, Fergus?
Fergus. Be no more a king
But learn the dreaming wisdom that is yours.
Druid. Look on my thin grey hair and hollow cheeks
And on these hands that may not lift the sword,
This body trembling like a wind-blown reed.
No woman’s loved me, no man sought my help.
Fergus. A king is but a foolish labourer
Who wastes his blood to be another’s dream.
Druid. Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams;
Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round.
Fergus. I See my life go drifting like a river
From change to change; I have been many things —
A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light
Upon a sword, a fir-tree on a hill,
An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,
A king sitting upon a chair of gold —
And all these things were wonderful and great;
But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.
Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow
Lay hidden in the small slate-coloured thing!
~~ William Butler Yeats ~~
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Naked Pearls
Finding the Way…
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“When something is wrong with the river, I will not blame the rock.”
~~ Chris Pirillo~~
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“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then
to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
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“Be careful or be roadkill.”
~~ Calvin, “Calvin and Hobbes” ~~
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“Things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining.”
~~ Frankl ~~
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“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
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“He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”
~~ Confucius. ~~
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“Where the map differs from the terrain, believe the terrain.”
~~ Swedish Army Manual ~~
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Hmm…. Not too shabby. It may be tempting fate to say so, but, it seems Murphy is taking a short break. Before he wakes up & decides to stick his pointy nose into our affairs, I’ll maintain today’s ruthlessly efficient technique by finishing this off quickly. How so? Easy. Watch this….
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.
As I suspected, events yesterday precluded using any time to Pearl; hence another re-blog from the archives. I’ve gone all the way back to 2012 to find one worth doing over; this one seems to work. It got some good traffic, and some Likes, too; having perused it quickly, I can say there’s good reason, as it’s not bad for early work. I’ll try to work on one for tomorrow, but, as related, busy week going on. I do hope you enjoy the mess I’ve chosen for your morning whirl through my head; it’s still better than a poke in the eye with a stick..
On that odd, but, probably true note, I’ll leave you to your fate. See y’all tomorrow, with as much fresh material as I can squeeze out of today…. Blessed Be my friends….
Ffolkes,
What an odd sensation I’m experiencing this morning! I am awake, almost fully, it seems, but every bone and muscle in my body wants me to go back to sleep….. I can barely hold my head up from what feels like fatigue (after almost 10 hours in bed….), but my mind is alert and ready for the day, so to speak. Weird…. I’m typing while leaning on my right arm, and my back is bowed, all because I’m tired, or feel that way. I know I shouldn’t be tired, but, there you go…. More gifts from an aging body, I guess, and not one I’m going to worry about, or give in to. Not that I’m bursting with creativity or anything like that this morning…. I’m just tired of giving ground, and I’m not ready for my rocking chair yet….
gigoid 