You think you have problems! Murphy lives with me!…. Actually, it only seems that way. I found the foregoing in Smart Bee this morning, as I cast about for something to start with, and since it fits so well with many of my previous introductory sections, I threw it out there for consumption. In reality, Murphy is apparently off somewhere, undoubtedly plotting something nasty for me… It’s the only explanation for ignoring me, apparently, for several days. Whenever I’ve had periods like that in the past, he was working on some complicated, and difficult problem to drop in my lap, preferably at a moment when I am least prepared to deal with it, as is his habit and preference….
I often forget that everyone else in the world is as familiar with him as I am; it’s a purely human reaction to do so, though, so I don’t feel…
My computer is in the shop, where it will stay for at least a week. I’ll either get a new one, or start posting from the library, as this posting from a phone is a PITA. I’ll be around when I can Y’all take care out there. ..
A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again.
~~ Alexander Pope ~~
(1688-1744)
— Essay on Criticism, Part ii, Line 15 —
Pretty little house & garden, eh? I thought so, which is why I took the picture; the colors, shapes, and overall effect have a balance that gives it a homey, lived in, comfortable appearance that appeals to me…. I guess, at heart, I’m just a traditional, romantic bozo, with a belief in home, and family. In my life, perhaps the only regret I have is not finding someone who felt strongly enough the same way to join me in making that happen….. I was able to give my children a home for the greater portion of their formative years, but, was not able to make it last…
“There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.”
~~ Michel Eyquem de Montaigne ~~
~~ Essays, Book i, Chap. xxx, Of Cannibals ~~
I’m busy; what’s YOUR issue?
Hajime…. I am up, but, thus far, without coffee, so, I wouldn’t expect a lot of sense right now, of ANY nature other than weird, or, confused. But, then, seldom do we ever approach even a tangential orbit to common sense at all, so, I don’t see how it will make any difference, in the final analysis. That, of course, is IF we can find anyone who’ll come here to make any such analysis; anyone who WOULD do it probably can’t be trusted to be either fair, or, competent to any real degree…. So, what the hell, we’ll wing it….
As if it wasn’t already obvious we’re doing so, no doubt, as a standard policy. That, frankly, would be untrue, and…
Hajime…. Though up late, & mildly overhung, somehow, all the properly aligned elements of a standard Pearl (modern version) are present & accounted for, if not justified by any rational means. To support such inordinate efficiency, as well as to applaud the will power displayed, I’ll truncate this intro, rather unmercifully, compressing & editing it to within an inch of insanity. Getting close to that is, for me, a snap, as I usually hang out right around the corner, anyway. You may ask yourself, why bother at all, but, then, you’re not the one who has the obsession to get this done, before attempting any other of Life’s activities of daily living, as to do so tempts Murphy, and Fate, neither of whose kind attentions are well-liked in these parts…..
You may also ask yourself how I intend to extract myself from what has already turned viciously overblown, when I can’t even seem to find the wherewithal to stop typing such gratuitous nonsense without the appropriate degree of shame…. and, you’d probably be right to ask…. But, I do happen to have, right here in my bag, a trick, a touch of sleight of hand, so to speak, which should settle matters quite nicely. What is it? Why, it goes like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“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” ~~
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Today’s musical selection, while default in nature, was still picked purposefully, mostly because I like this version of Bob Marley’s song… I hope you enjoy it, & consider making a donation to this organization; I do, for they are doing good work…. Abondanza!….
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Playing For Change One Love
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A Failure to Germinate
Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.
Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.
Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.
I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.
My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.
Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
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Naked Pearls
Further notes on Life at Large
*******
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. xxiii ~~
*******
“Trust your hunches.
They’re usually based on facts filed away
just below the conscious level.”
~~ Dr. Joyce Brothers ~~
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“Life is the sum of all your choices.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
It was not like taking the veil.
No solemn adjuration of the world.
I only went out for a walk
and finally decided to stay till sundown.
For going out I found that I was really going in.”
~~ John Muir ~~
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“Everything is leaf,
and through this simplicity
the greatest diversity becomes possible.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
*******
“The power to stand alone
is worth acquiring
at the expense of much sorrowful solitude.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
*******
“Those who are mentally and emotionally healthy
are those who have learned
when to say yes,
when to say no, and
when to say whoopee!”
~~ Willard S. Krabill ~~
*******
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Some day, I’ll do this, and will NOT hear that little voice in the back of my mind, saying, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Stanley”, if only because my name is not Stanley. On that cryptic, yet simple-minded note, I will take my leave for another day, with the usual caveats…. As they ARE usual, I won’t even add them. Instead, I’ll just say, see ya, ffolkes, & leave you to your own devices for the remainder of the day…. So be it…. Be well, be happy as you may, and for pity’s sake, be real….
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.
” ‘He deserves death’.
‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death.
And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them ?
Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment.
For even the very wise cannot see all ends.’ “
~~ J. R. R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings ~~
Fog entering SF Bay via the Golden Gate….
Hajime…. It may or may not be apparent from what you will see, but, today’s Pearl was finished while coping with a massive bout of rage, brought on by my reaction to yet another example of how our culture’s sense of ethics has deteriorated over time. My life, and my physical condition have been complicated, yet again, by a person calling themselves a doctor, who believes in their own infallibility, and their entitlement… Since I am responsible for my own health, and insist on taking that responsibility, these shills for Big Pharma have a hard time dealing with me, retreating into their delusions of adequacy & acting like an ass.
Going into details would be both indulgent, and futile, so, I’ll skip all that, in favor of getting posted without any more delays instigated by anger. It’s my own damn fault, anyway, as I’m the one who allowed myself to formulate expectations of rationality, when my experience was telling me to have a care…. Oh, well. So much for expectations, eh? Let’s go see what I’ve been able to cobble together for this morning, & go on to the next day; perhaps, if I can get a grip on my rage, it will all get better…. If not, well, maybe I can turn it into a poem, to soothe my fevered breast…. I now know better than to hold out any hope for changes in human nature…. Hope is a sucker’s bet, anyway, y’know? Better to just take the world as it is, pimples and all….
Fuck it. Let’s do this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can,
because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.”
~~ Lena Horne ~~
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A friend mentioned this artist a few days ago, in a comment noting George B. Shaw as her second favorite George. My own opinion parallels hers; I consider George Carlin to have been the most cogent, most accurate, and most intelligently caustic social critic in this country for much of the twentieth century…. IMHO, he was the funniest, too, but, that’s a personal judgment… but, then, I would defy anyone to suggest a funnier man….
Nobody saw our society more clearly, and absolutely no one was more fearless in exposing the chicanery of those who would be known as ‘leaders’ in government. Nobody has ever nailed them as consistently, or as humorously, as did this man; his words carry a message for today’s world all Americans should listen to…. and, need to hear…. Enjoy this compilation, if you will, of some of his more revolutionary performances in the latter half of the 20th century….
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George Carlin
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Internal{Vicissitude}External
Life has come, and gone rushing by,
pretty much as expected.
The only surprises I saw, as time flew by,
lay in the choices,
of which fears were to be protected.
Not to say, not even once,
my interest hasn’t been engaged.
I’ve waited patiently, for the nonce
for those moments
of love and glory, but, never got paged.
I looked all over for love,
….found it everywhere I sought.
What I never found, nor ever came aware of,
was one person
who would stay, leaving for naught.
Still, it’s been a wonderful time
filled with laughter, love, and grand craic.
I wouldn’t change a moment, nor a rhyme.
If those I love stay happy,
I can die in peace, for honor’s sake.
I’ve walked the warrior’s path
since first standing at my father’s knee.
Duty, honor, a dip in love’s warm bath
keeps me strong and content.
Today’s a good day to die, if I’m free.
~~ gigoid ~~
11/29/2015
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Naked Pearls
Metaphoric stew….
*******
“My life is light, waiting for the death wind,
Like a feather on the back of my hand.”
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
*******
“Be always displeased with what thou art,
if you desirest to attain to what thou art not;
for where thou hast pleased thyself, there thou abidest.
But if thou have enough thou perishest.
Always add, always walk, always proceed.
Neither stand still, nor go back, nor deviate.”
~~ St. Augustine ~~
*******
“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
*******
“He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other.
He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to.
It is the means that determine the end.”
~~ Harry Emerson Fosdick~~
*******
“Nature is not benign. Natural laws have no pity.”
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
*******
“It is the individual’s task
to differentiate himself from all the others
and stand on his own feet.
All collective identities… interfere with the fulfillment of this task.
Such collective identities are crutches for the lame, shields for the timid,
beds for the lazy, nurseries for the irresponsible….”
~~ C. G. Jung, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” ~~
*******
“Life is full of little surprises”
~~ Pandora ~~
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Well, there you have it, such as it is. I am, still, trying to regain some balance, but, at least, now, I can focus fully on dealing with that, without the added impetus of deadline anxiety. I’ll try again, as is my wont; y’all are welcome to come on back & see how it went…. For the nonce, I’m outta here, and so are you…. See ya, ffolkes….
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 border between the Real and the Unreal is not fixed,
but just marks the last place where rival gangs of shamans
fought each other to a standstill.”
~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~
Tacking for home on SF Bay, near China Camp…
Hajime…. Most mornings, when I sit to begin this introductory section, I am faced with a blank screen to match my generally blank mind; today’s conundrum is the opposite. I have too many things going ’round in my head from which to choose, any of which would do, making the decision that much harder for someone accustomed, as I am, to waffling in the morning. (I won’t define ‘waffling’; if you don’t know, you don’t want to know, trust me….) I suppose it’s just one more piece of evidence as to the truth of the old saw about the donkey who starved between the pile of hay, and the pile of oats, for lack of the power to choose….
If I choose to speak of most of what I have to use, this section could grow beyond the bounds of reason, shooting right toward epic, or even massive; I have found such to be ‘interesting’, mostly, if somewhat unwieldy. Boring, too. So, we’ll avoid all that, by falling back on our old standard, to wit: blather & nonsense. We’re good at that….
But, wait! There’s more…. In addition to my lack of ability to choose, I find myself with a complete absence of ‘give a shit’; this, fortunately, will save the day, for I’ll use that to simply dump the intro altogether, leaving all of us in a dither. Dithering is preferable to waffling, marginally, so, we’ll settle for that, & just get on with the rest of today’s mess. It’s pretty standard, all in all, but, the old-school section may provide some chuckles, and/or, furrowed brow moments. One may hope, though hope is a delusion, as well as a denial of reality. Ah well, it’s far too late for philosophizing, even if we stood half a chance of doing so with any aplomb. Instead, let’s just do this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“I would not enter on my list of friends
(Though graced with polish’d manners and fine sense,
Yet wanting sensibility) the man
Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.”
~~ William Cowper ~~
~~ The Task, Book vi, Winter Walk at Noon, Line 560 ~~
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Though, in reality, there is plenty of time to find some good music, the fact is, I’m lazy, and, I like classical music. So, we’re going with that today, simply to indulge my whimsical nature…. Well, perhaps ‘whimsical’ is a tad optimistic for an old curmudgeon, but, hey, we do what we can, right?… Today’s selection was chosen simply for the picture that first caught my eye…. Enjoy!
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Classical Music
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A Dubiously Soft Morning
Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.
Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.
Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.
Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.
~~ gigoid ~~
7/26/2013
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Naked Pearls
Items from the manual….
*******
“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 598 ~~
*******
“Live for those private moments of wild abandon!”
~~ Opus ~~
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“If a little knowledge is dangerous,
where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?”
~~ Thomas Henry Huxley ~~
*******
There is no wealth but life.”
~~ John Ruskin ~~
*******
“Life is never fair,
and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.”
~~ Oscar Wilde, “An Ideal Husband” ~~
*******
“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going,
because you might not get there.”
~~ Yogi Berra ~~
*******
“It is better to learn late than never.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 864 ~~
*******
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It took every bit of chutzpah I possess, but, it’s done. At this point, any further attempts at rationality, or even clarity, would be both superfluous, and futile. Rather than test the patience of the universe any further, I’ll issue our standard disclaimer, & be on my way back to consensual reality, to see what sort of mischief I can cause…. On days like today, it’s the only path to finding any balance open to me….
As for y’all, be well, be happy as you may, and, be alert. I can’t over-emphasize how important that last one is, ffolkes, but, trust me, the alternative is, to say the least, not something calculated to enhance your day…. Okay, I guess I’m done now; 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.
“‘Change’ is scientific, ‘progress’ is ethical;
change is indubitable,
whereas progress is a matter of controversy.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Chance, or design?….
Hajime…. As we all know, or, if not, should know, every day is new & different from any previous day. (We won’t go into any questions regarding the science of similarity….) I, for one, am fully aware of this, yet, after enough time, many days SEEM to be exactly like the rest of them, & change seems as a dream. But, then, I do consume large quantities of several types of chemicals which tend to alter consciousness, and, concurrently, perception. So, who’s to say what Reality really is, or means, or whether any of it actually exists as anything other than a fevered dream, of a self-aware monkey, lost in inner space….?
Whether or not I have any opinion on any of that (discount the mere fact I wrote it….), here we are, again, & once more, I’m both late, and clueless. But, I do have the answer to both of those, if only for a few moments; chutzpah. If you have to look it up, you won’t understand it, anyway; for those who know its meaning, or, more importantly, its implications, a complimentary cup of broth will be awarded, upon verification of your genome. For those who simply don’t want to make the effort, you win. It’s all nonsense, anyway, just to fill a bit more space, a tawdry distraction to keep you from realizing what crap this is….
Oh, well; so be it. I don’t really have anything to say, that either hasn’t already been said, or, would make any difference. To keep from getting distraught over what I am currently unable to change, or control, I’ll use my executive authority to call a halt to any further attempts at making y’all laugh, or cry, or whatever I can get. Instead, I’ll have mercy, & this is what we’ll do, in recompense….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Hatred is the coward’s revenge for being intimidated”
— George Bernard Shaw ~~
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As is the case often on such days (following an absence), I am, if not late, pretending to be, to keep myself cracking…. Yes, even I must, at times, resort to tricking myself into doing right…. Go figure, eh? Well, I AM human…. approximately…..
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Playing For Change Gimme Shelter
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Illusory Time
Viewed from askance, the river is long;
deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift and strong.
In duality, perception creates our only reality;
such faux metaphoric paradox enforces mutability.
By two we perceive, both zero, and one;
digital, binary, on or off, such fun.
Separate, melded, we exist, knowing not what we know
ego, striving to be solitary, looking above, seeing below.
Furiously asleep, cultural anomaly claims a victim of choice;
validly unconscious, nobody speaks, nary a voice.
Potential escapees stir in dreams, fighting to wake,
until taking the wheel, for their own bloody sake.
Pots boil in due time, when the fire’s hot,
time exists to our advantage; or, not.
The solitary warrior, head bent in pain,
fights on, with, or without gain.
Night fell, day after day it persisted;
of those who knew, none showed any care, or resisted
Angels, ministers, none had any defense, nor grace;
all that remains is a face.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/22/2016
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Naked Pearls
Hard lines….
*******
“He who despairs over an event is a coward,
but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
“The man who follows the crowd
will usually get no further than the crowd.
The man who walks alone
is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.”
~~ Alan Ashley-Pitt ~~
*******
“No one is useless in this world
who lightens the burdens of another.”
~~ Charles Dickens ~~
*******
“The most pathetic person in the world
is a person who has sight
but has no vision.”
~~ Helen Keller ~~
*******
“For one human being to love another human being:
that is perhaps the most difficult task
that has been entrusted to us,
the ultimate task, the final test and proof,
the work for which all other work
is merely preparation.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“If you want to be loved, be lovable.”
~~ Ovid ~~
*******
“Life consists in penetrating the unknown,
and fashioning our actions
in accord with the new knowledge thus acquired.
~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~”
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“That’s all she’s got, Captain! The engine’s won’t take any more!” — Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott, on numerous occasions. If I am any judge, neither will my Gentle Readers, should any have lasted this far. Ah, well. Such is life. The best part of all this is, I get to try again. But, that can only happen if I stop this one, before it gets any further from anything resembling art, or, even phil. See ya, ffolkes, if the meds take effect….
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 past two days have been what might be termed, ‘filled with lessons’; not anyone’s favorite pastime, I’m sure, but, nonetheless instructive, if not overly pleasant…. Rather than detail the hours in a veiled effort to excuse my lack of productivity, I will merely say, I didn’t get a Pearl even close to done, & leave it there. To keep y’all entertained today, I’ve re-blogged this Pearl from the early days here on ECR, before evolving into what is usually seen today. It’s got some decent discussions to enjoy, & one of my more honest, if strange, poems…. It will do for our purposes here today…. I shall return, tomorrow, if all goes well, with a fresh Pearl… well, as fresh as I can make it, anyway.
Y’all have a good one, if that’s in your power; if not, well, we get another chance at it tomorrow… Be well, be happy, & be strange; it’s still the best way to keep your balance….
“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
No flies on gigoid.
This is why.
‘Twill be sufficient unto the day to say this: Axiom # 2 is more right than even I had believed…. For those unfamiliar with Peruaosophy (my own response to Sartre, Plato, and the Stoics… If they can have their own philosophy, so can I…..), Axiom #2 says: “The nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you’re in for a rough ride in Life.” Boy, did I hit that one on the head, or what? (I should tell you: anyone who actually says, “what?” will be shot where they sit…. or stand….)
All of that being said, I’ll leave it at that, to create a bit of confusion, and/or, frustration in the…
“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”
~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~
Coit Tower, San Francisco
Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is epic. Not because of its size, or the scope of its contents, but, rather, because of the effort I had to expend to get it finished. Without going into superfluous, as well as gratuitously graphic detail, I will say, it was immensely problematic, & that’s about as gently obscure as I can make it. To complement such restraint, I’ll go further to note, the effort remains, well, effortful, simply to get an intro done, a closing, and, finally, posting, all completed in a fashion with which I can be content, if not thrilled. I figure, y’all may have to follow a similar pattern, to get out of this intact.
That said, to our common dearth of purpose, I will now proceed to the closing section, sans further blather, so I can move on to the next day’s issues. The issues extant today are simply more than I want, or am able to deal with, &, to be frank, I’m planning on a rebellion, if only to take myself to bed for a time, to hide. So be it. Doing so may look like cowardice, but, believe me, it’s merely a reaction to the massive control I must apply to NOT fly into an uncontrollable rage against the world at large… In short, don’t ask.
Instead, just take it with the usual multiple grams of salt, pass to the end, & get on with your own life, just as if it mattered. It does, but, finding the ‘why’ is a tough row to hoe. And, that, ffolkes, is about as philosophical as I can get today. To save y’all from any more such displays, I’ll use some of my legerdemain, & take us out of here before it all goes sour. Here, eat this spoonful of sugar, close your eyes, & hang on….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse,
wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes.
Who does not see the folly of this?
If there be any glory in such things,
the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.”
~~ St. Frances de Sales ~~
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Due to circumstances beyond my control, if not understanding, today’s musical selection falls into the default category…. The selection was made solely by whim…. I do hope you enjoy it, a state in which I currently find myself unable to join you, but, will listen to, for the potential relief it may provide….
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Classical Music Antonio Vivaldi
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Penance, Made Simple
After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.
Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.
Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.
Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.
Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/23/2012
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
*******
“A life without cause is a life without effect”
~~ Barbarella ~~
*******
“Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now,
lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words
that sometimes do you good.
His life may also have much sadness and difficulty,
that remains far beyond yours.
Were it otherwise,
he would never have been able to find these words.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“Between those who use their neighbors, and those who use a cane.
Between those in constant power, and those in constant pain.
Between those who run to evil, and those who cannot run.
Tell me which ones are the cripples, and which ones touch the sun.”
~~ Ceili’s Muse “What you do with what you’ve got” ~~
*******
Socrates thought that if all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence every one must take an equal portion,
most persons would be contented to take their own and depart.”
~~ Plutarch — Consolation to Apollonius ~~
*******
“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others; to be, not to seem.”
~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~
*******
“Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth;
that all deep, earnest thinking
is but the intrepid effort of the soul
to keep the open independence of her sea;
while the wildest winds of heaven and earth
conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore?”
~~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick ~~
*******
“The universe is moved by a power
which cycles endlessly from day to day.
Such greatness endures for all time.
As in heaven, so on earth.”
~~ I Ching ~~
*******
***************************************
Go figure…. I got so excited over getting to this point, I almost posted it without a closing section. Since I’m in a state where trying to make it good will, most likely, blow up in my face, this is all you get for that. I’ll merely say this: I will be back, in a better state…. Hell, it can’t get any worse just now; even knowing this, too, shall pass, isn’t helping it to taste any better. I know, I’ll spit it out…. How’s this for efficiency?….
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.
SIGH…. As noted in yesterday’s closing section, I went for a long walk. Somewhere along the way, I strained my back, & have spent the time since getting home trying to deal with some pretty severe pain. This, naturally, kept me from completing a Pearl for today. As sublimation, here is one from 2013 that is pretty decent, but, didn’t get much traffic; we’ll give it another chance to shine today… In the meantime, I’ll be dealing with dealing with life in pain, again. Easy money, really; I’m pretty familiar with this routine. Given my improved health, it also shouldn’t last too long; knowing how to handle it without worsening the issue also helps. Until I can get another fresh Pearl done, I hope you enjoy today’s post, and, whatever is happening in your neck of the woods… Be well, be happy, be strange, & it’ll all work out fine… See y’all soon, I hope….
I’ve never experienced this before…. Even MY coffee, which has been known to raise the long-time-dead, in a heartbeat, isn’t doing the trick this morning…. I grind French Roast beans, dark and savory, then put twice as much in the drip basket as is recommended, just for starters… then I add a teaspoon or two more, just to make it right…. I promise you, no coffee in the world, including espresso, is stronger, or has more of the life-giving caffeine than does what I make right here at home… It’s part of why I have such a hard time when traveling, as nobody can duplicate it in public, not without destroying their profit margin….
But, today, it ain’t happenin’…. I mean, I made it like usual, and in good time, too, before I tried to type. But, even now, after a good half-cup, I’m still dragging my ass, wondering…
I’m busy; what’s YOUR issue?
gigoid 