I got distracted yesterday, dealing with events in the BBR, so, no fresh Pearl today. To sublimate, here is a rather fine Pearl from early in 2015, with some good philosophizing, good poetry (not mine; I went for the best on this day…), some grand pearls, and a video tribute…. It got some good traffic, but, is good enough to deserve another shot…. I hope you enjoy it, & I’ll be back fresh in the very near future….
Niagra Falls, February, 2015 ~~ Photo from Weather.com
Today’s intro section will be just that, and nothing more. I’m tired of trying to figure it out, so I’m taking a hiatus from doing so…. Our only purpose here today is to get this done, so we can get on with it. Too much going on to even explain, so, in the interests of maintaining honesty, we’ll go immediately into emergency exit #4, which, as y’all know, works like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Pardon him, Theodotus, he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.” — George Bernard Shaw
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Spock passed from this world yesterday…. Leonard Nimoy, who became Spock in the eyes and minds of the world, died at…
“Each of us visits this Earth involuntarily, and without an invitation.
For me, it is enough to wonder at the secrets.”
~~ Albert Einstein ~~
Identifiably California….
Hajime…. I can’t remember off-hand, & am too lazy to go find the answer this early, but, I believe it was Plato who once related, “If everyone were to bring their troubles to a common pile, upon seeing them all, most would be happy to take their own, and go away.” On this blog, that particular phrase has found its, perhaps, most genuine believer…. Each of us, in our own way, thinks the pain and difficulty we encounter is the worst; subjectivity lends, apparently, a focusing eye to such matters, much in the way a magnifying glass focuses the small into the large for the ease of our eye…. Yet, when viewed in light of the problems we find others to have, they automatically shrink, in importance, and impact.
My trouble yesterday, which prompted me to blow off the entire day, was merely physical, & self-inflicted, to boot; to be honest, I over-indulged the night before, with a short, but, intense conversation with my old friend Jack Daniels, & spent the day recovering my equilibrium, with 3 naps…. felt good, too….. The only thing I managed to get done was to feed the cat, & find a few pearls for this Pearl, so that, whenever it gets posted, it will go smoothly…. Of course, as we all know, that’s tempting Murphy to take a hand, but, since he usually does, anyway, what the hell…. we’ll take the risk, & the consequences, just like a big boy…..
I am, after all, quite familiar with Murphy’s antics, & know not to offer him much with which to work his ‘magic’. When he does manage to poke us, it’s a good idea to just smile, shake one’s head, & take the lumps; nothing else seems to help any more than that, & is essentially fruitless, anyway, so, why not go with the flow? Today, the flow is down…. down the page, & on into cyberspace, where you’ll find all the elements of an average Pearl, with above average music, average poetry, & some fine thoughts on Life at Large. All for the cost of an internet connection, & a few moments of your time & mental energy. What a bargain, eh?….
Shall we Pearl?
“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.”
~~ Akiro Kurosawa ~~
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One of my blogger friends enjoys classical guitar music, & mentioned a while back he was listening to this artist. Since I hadn’t heard any flamenco in quite some time, I figured he would be a good choice for today. Here is a play list with 200 videos to choose from, featuring the brilliant guitar work of Carlos Montoya…. Abondanza!….
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Carlos Montoya
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Augmentation: Inner Aye
Distant, peals of thunder, vividly.
Closer, a patter of rain, falling gravidly.
Between the light and the darkness of fear
find merely the remnants of one lonely tear.
Do not hate us, though we have not sinned;
eager for courage, upon whom all hope is pinned.
Tales of insolence, hatred, or fallen virtue
fill us up, not down, in such pristine foreign venue.
Capable hands severed, able hands tied;
the future is angry, all but now denied.
Multiple times, warnings sounded across the pale
nobody heard, nobody came to tell the tale.
Gifted by time, salience fails in epic rhyme;
watchmakers watching, each a separate crime.
Logical solutions refuse to emulsify
forever pretending to cruelly crucify.
Blood will fly alongside pertinent composure,
never seeking, never finding tea, or closure.
Falsely laid trails on mountains of gold
imply no happy endings, no fortunes told.
Ages past have no time for repetition;
further chances only lead to perdition.
Destiny feels a shameful portion of guilt,
for a thousand sand castles, never built.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/2/2016
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Naked Pearls
Yep, all true….
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“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
~~ Seneca ~~
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“True dignity is never gained by place,
and never lost when honors are withdrawn.”
~~ Phillip Massinger ~~
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“A good example is the best sermon.”
~~ H. Jackson Brown
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“When the fight begins within himself,
A man ‘s worth something.”
~~ Robert Browning — Men and Women, “Bishop Blougram’s Apology” ~~
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“Anybody remotely interesting is mad,
in some way or another.”
~~ Dr. Who ~~
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“Intellect annuls fate.
So far as a man thinks, he is free.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
~~ Oscar Wilde, “Lady Windermere’s Fan” ~~
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I hope y’all enjoyed today’s journey through the backwash of my mind; I did, if only because now I don’t have to feel guilty for not meeting my self-imposed task. In today’s world, that’s pretty much more than one may expect, so, I’m gonna take it, and run for the border…. which seems to be right here…. Y’all stay strange, ffolkes. It may not always be comfortable, but, it certainly makes things more interesting…. See ya tomorrow, if all goes according to plan….
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.
“A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world’s torrent.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
Ebb tide on the Strand, Galway Bay, Ireland….
Hajime…. I write because I found, early on in life, it helps me to organize my thoughts; in doing so, it aids in maintaining a relative degree of what is often termed ‘sanity’. At this point in my life, a fair piece down the road, I might add, I am ambiguously happy to report, it hasn’t worked too well at all. Now, I will agree, that’s a pretty ambiguous statement, as well, but, it’s accurate, for all it may be ironic, or more pointedly, sardonic. I’m happy to be insane, but, ambiguously, because it’s not a sane world, which rather makes the whole exercise somewhat of a conundrum. I suppose, if I stop to think for long about it, that’s not only a fair assessment, but, shows clearly, my sanity bears little resemblance to what others might accept as such….
I have related the above, not because I am particularly proud of it, or even concerned by it. No, I only do so to demonstrate for y’all, in graphic clarity, a set of thoughts that, if considered with gravity and compassion, can provide some understanding of why it often gets a bit strange around here. It doesn’t necessarily excuse it, or even attempt to justify any of it; it only offers an opportunity to process the strangeness, so it can be assimilated into your own understanding of consensual reality, at least well enough not to laugh outright at any of this. Well, I guess laughing is okay; I do try to be humorous. But, it also will, hopefully, help y’all to see why I’m so fucking weird, which can only help. Right? Right…..
Now we have that completely squared away, as far as it will ever be, I think I’ll get on with the rest of what I’ve cobbled together for today. I am aware enough this morning to be able to realize, if I don’t, it may never happen. Wouldn’t want that; I’d be mentally constipated all day. Instead, let’s go consume some fibrous material for the mind, such as it may be.
What? No, we’re all out of rationality, so, don’t ask. Instead, just hang on, & before you know it, you’ll be on your way to your next scheduled stop…. I would suggest, however, you fasten your restraining belts; it might get a little turbulent….
Shall we Pearl?
“He that respects himself if safe from others;
He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.”
~~ Henry Wordsworth Longfellow ~~
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I am in need of soothing music, as is often the case in the midst of creation. Today’s selection was chosen, as is also often the case, because I like the picture it displayed on You Tube. I hope you enjoy this hour-long selection of classical pieces, put together by a random computer user…. Abondanza!….
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Classical Music
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Fine and Good, Good and Fine
A pig in a poke’s got nothing on me,
cuz I’m as confused as a man can be.
This ol’ world’s got me spinnin’ around
cussin’ and spittin’, a penny for a pound.
Forty ‘leven times since I was a kid, well,
I’ve fallen in love, ‘least too close to tell.
Every damn time, it all went to crap,
Forty ‘leven times I’ve felt like a sap.
‘Course, each time it happens, I forget the last;
why not? I’m havin’ such a blast….
Livin’ in each moment, filled with joie de vivre,
’til it’s all gone away again, nothin’ left up my sleeve.
Don’t want y’all to think I’m sad or blue,
life’s full of sorrow, lots for me, and/or you..
T’other side of that coin, we can be glad,
is joyful love, and that ain’t at all bad.
My road’s been littered with parts o’my heart,
each one colored with trust, which ain’t always smart.
Yet, long as I don’t lose my connection to joy,
I’ll find my own true love, and be a happy boy.
It’s been some kinda fun, even when I’d take a fall,
and doin’ it over makes no sense at all, at all
Day after day, I keep on keepin’ on, as it’s said;
Guess I’ll keep on doin’ that ’til I’m dead.
‘Nuff said….
~~ gigoid, tongue firmly in cheek ~~
3/23/2013
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Naked Pearls Notes on Life at Large….
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“All that glitters is not gold”
is from “Parabolae”, a book of poems written circa 1175
by Alanus de Insulis, a French monk:
“Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum”
= “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold”.
It was Englished by Chaucer in the “Canterbury Tales” (1389) as:
“But al thyng which that shyneth as the gold
Nis nat gold, as that I have herd it told.”
~~ Smart Bee ~~
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“A day dawns, quite like other days;
in it, a single hour comes, quite like other hours;
but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us.”
~~ Maltbie Babcock ~~
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“So seek the wolf in thyself
Shape shift – nose to the wind
Shape shift – feeling I’ve been
Move swift – all senses clean
Earth’s gift, back to the meaning of wolf and man.”
~~ Metallica “Of Wolf and Man” ~~
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“Not all those who wonder are lost.”
~~ J. R. R. Tolkien ~~
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“In the moment between stimulus and response lies freedom.”
~~ Steven Covey ~~
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“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”
~~ Will Foley ~~
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“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 that small slate-coloured thing!”
~~ William Butler Yeats, “Fergus and the Druid” ~~
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Well, there you have it. While I wouldn’t call it classical literature, I would say, it’s done. I’ll add, thank goodness for that. This one should probably never have happened, but, who am I to argue with consensual reality? Rather than belabor such an obvious point, I’ll just say, see y’all next time, and let you be until then…. 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.
Hajime…. When I arose today, I had hoped to be able to put together this Pearl, & get it posted in a timely fashion. So much for hope. I’ve been up since 3 AM, thanks to the ongoing emotional morass currently engaging my attention at inconvenient moments. Suffice to say, I’m not happy, with myself, or my own responses to what is going on inside. I can only surmise, and, again, hope, this inner conflict will provide me with sufficient opportunity to find the path I seek. We’re all aware, I think, adversity makes us stronger; I can add, I hope it can also make us wiser….
Regardless of the progress of the battle, the Pearl still needs to get done, so, I’m pushing on, sans full knowledge of what direction I may take, simply to be able to say I did it, & put a check mark on a completed task. If nothing else, that will provide some hope of its own, enough so to keep up a good front long enough to get done. Sometimes, faking it can be helpful, for us humans; we depend on our imagination so much, we become comfortable with unreality. But, I digress….
It’s all there, below; good music, a brand-new poem, ripped out of my plethora of angst, (I still don’t know what it says, but, it often takes some time for the metaphor & allegory to sink in….), and a pretty decent set of old-school pearls, with the usual message of relevance. The only part to be finished is this intro, and the close, which generally goes fast. At this juncture, it is patently clear none of it will happen, at all, unless I do it now, so….
Shall we Pearl?
“Men freely believe that what they wish to desire.”
~~ Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) ~~
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A few days ago, I included a concert from these artists, from 1988. As an update, here is a concert from 2015, to demonstrate how their artistic growth never stopped; they only get better with time…. Enjoy!….
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Electric Hot Tuna
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Stealing breath….
Drained of all pertinent apathy, the sleeper rubs away
metaphor from dry colorless eyes, curiously content.
Called to answer, in stentorian tones of patient gray,
evicted, having never paid any rent.
Days go by, followed by endless night;
multiple failures of spirit have been kept on the bubble.
A terrible awareness imparts notice, right & tight,
while dreams fill an empty bower, sans fate, or trouble.
Around and about, reality fades into permanence,
with only a small whimper, no time for fears.
Bumper cars, and spicy gumbo, give us ample evidence
of missed opportunities, but, with attendant tears.
A full moon shines alike upon all who see, yet
offers no resistance, or favor, to the blind.
Life portrays a gravidly salient zenith, hedging its be
tsinking into a future where only death is kind.
~~ gigoid ~~
6/9/2017
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Naked Pearls
Paying attention….
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“Our care should not be to have lived longas to have lived enough.”
~~ Seneca ~~
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“It’s got to be the goin’,Not the gettin’ there that’s good.”
~~ Harry Chapin ~~
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“To achieve the impossible,it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought.”
~~ Tom Robbins, “Jitterbug Perfume” ~~
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“A wise man first determines what is within his control;all else is then irrelevant.”
~~ Epictetus ~~
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“Excess on occasion is exhilarating.It prevents moderation
from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.”
~~ W. Somerset Maugham ~~
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“Fantasy tells us every wish will come true,
Magic says we can make it come true,
Reality proves every wish does not necessarily come true,
Life is not a fairy tale and magic is only from Hollywood,
The real thing requires patience and determination,
Grit and persistence, desire and vigor,
All applied in very liberal doses.”
~~ James W. King, 1994 ~~
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“If you are beginning to doubt what I am saying,you are probably hallucinating.”
~~ The Firesign Theatre, “Everything you know is Wrong” ~~
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It’s done, & so am I. That also means, so are you. Whether you find that a matter of comfort, or, irritation, is of small matter; though we all tend to think otherwise, how we feel about things has no real effect on them. It can be rather disconcerting, I know, but, it’s the same for us all, & it’s something we all need to accept. Just like we need to accept the time to stop the blather has arrived. In spite of the obvious risks, I’ll do this again. Given my state of mind, trying to predict when would be foolish, & I’m trying to avoid that today; I’ve got enough to deal with without that. See ya, ffolkes….
Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you;
While I am feeling more stable, in general, today, I feel lazy. Go figure, eh? Also, achieving what ‘together’-ness I have to this point took some rather extended, and extensive, effort. Hence, the aforementioned laziness has struck, & I just don’t feel like rushing to post today. I did, however, manage to find a pretty damn good replacement, with some rather good ranting, and a large number of excellent pearls to go with. In fact, it may be one of the best all-around Pearls I’ve done, as it includes one of my best poems, as well. In any case, it will do for my purpose today, & I hope you enjoy it.
For the first time in my entire life, a significant period of time, it is raining in California, in June. I honestly cannot remember that EVER happening before, but, hey, global warming & climate change are a myth, right? Well, the president thinks so (yes, I did not capitalize it; such respect must be earned…). Any who, I’m gonna go walk in it, then try to catch up to some of the stuff I’ve been postponing due to angst…. See y’all tomorrow, if all goes according to plan….
Having long been cognizant of the danger involved in living a life of free will, I accept that danger, without qualm or resentment, as the just cost it represents for the boon of living free. As our favorite Founding Father, Tommy J, was fond of saying, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance; it’s cost is counted only in the blood of its defenders.” Well, I think he said it; it might have been one of the others…. but, it SOUNDS like mi amigo Tomas, so I’m going with that. The danger, as it turns out, is not from the world at large, so much as from the Australopithecan inhabitants of that world, specifically a certain small part of the impossibly fecund group of naked, hairless apes who infest the surface of the planet with me….
Now, this may sound as if I have a rather poor opinion of…
Hajime…. For two days now, I’ve been engaged in pursuing my lifelong quest for truth; unfortunately, my search often leads me to places where, not only have I previously been there, but, left for good reason, even if those places were deep in my own soul. In truth, it is becoming increasingly clear that the truth resides there, as it does for each of us, though our culture and its demands upon us tends to attempt to deny this simple truth. We all have a tendency to play fast and loose with our connection to what is real, believing, deep in our innermost ego, we can alter Reality itself by the power of our imagination.
Reality, of course, is not so inclined, which leaves us living, much of the time, in a state of conflict with the world around us, and, as a reflection of this tension, in conflict with ourselves. As might be surmised, this often leaves us in a confused state of mind, which is not the most efficacious method for dealing with what is real. In my own case, this has led me to a point in life where the motivation to continue to struggle becomes difficult to find, much less employ to any advantage. In short, I just can’t find it in me to give much of a crap about what is happening in the world; there just doesn’t seem to be any good reason to do so. As you might imagine, this is not a particularly comfortable, or comforting, state of mind in which to dwell….
Over the past two days, since falling into the well of depression, I’ve managed to cobble together the elements of a Pearl for today; if I can continue a bit longer, I’ll even manage to post it. I’ve done this, not for any logical or identifiable reason, but, simply because, for my own sanity, it’s what I do. This is how I organize & codify my thoughts, and carry out the process of evaluating my thoughts in the light of reality; the process helps me to stay in a relatively stable frame of mind. Without it, I get even more depressed; expression of what we feel is critical for us humans. We get blocked up, mentally, when we try to shut ourselves off from such expression. So, I write, not to share, but, to vent….
Now I’ve shared my inner conflict, to little advantage, I’m sure, I’m going to go post this, knowing full well it won’t mean anything much to anyone but me. I can’t seem to get on with any other business until I do, so, that’s what I’m gonna do. So be it. There will be no tricks, no ups, & no extras today; all there is are these pearls, and my own sense of angst, set free….. Let’s quit fooling around, then, shall we, & get on with it….
Shall we Pearl?
“What embitters the world is not excess of criticism,but an absence of self-criticism.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton, Sidelights on New London and Newer New York ~~
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Yep. The original Hot Tuna…. Enjoy! In case you’d forgotten, or never knew, these guys can PLAY!…..
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Hot Tuna Live, 3/4/88Fillmore Auditorium
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Banishing demons….
Endless nights lead inexorably into endless days
while the battle for peace rages.
Lost arts find new meaning used in new ways;
to burn, yearn, and turn all the new pages.
Darkness falls heavily on bowed shoulders, contrite;
fireworks travel fast in nervous tissue.
The pace is kept, clean, but, never erudite;
such a pale tale of ancient issue.
Peering in terror down long, long halls of night
brings only confusion, destitute in sorrow.
Cannot time become our enemy, eager to fight
on the side which may never see tomorrow?
The longing gaze of passion, for reason to live,
must fall ever more faithfully into sedition,
else the clinging visions we claim to give,
shall not prevent reaching inevitable perdition.
Rising up, clarity of purpose shines the light of day
upon such a desolate landscape of absent release.
There is no escape, no furthering of the way.
Time never knows how to grant peace.
~~ gigoid ~~
11/23/2015
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
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“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
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“It is important to do what you don’t know how to do.
It is important to see your skills
as keeping you from learning what is deepest and most mysterious.
If you know how to focus, unfocus.
If your tendency is to make sense out of chaos, start chaos.”
~~ Carlos Casteneda ~~
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“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up people together to collect wood
and don’t assign them tasks and work,
but rather teach them
to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
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“There’s no reality except the one contained within us.
That’s why so many people live an unreal life.
They take images outside them for reality
and never allow the world within them to assert itself.”
~~ Hermann Hesse ~~
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“Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?”
~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~
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“One does what one is;
one becomes what one does.”
~~ Robert Musil, c. 1930 ~~
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Let us endeavour to live that when we come to die
even the undertaker will be sorry.”
~~ Mark Twain, from Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar (1894)~~
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There you have it, such as it is. I’ve got nothing else to say, so, I won’t say it. I’ll see y’all in a day, or maybe two. Be well, be safe, & be real. That’s all you can really do, ultimately, & that is something we all have to live with. Ta, then, luvs….
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 teach men how to live without certainty,
and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation,
is perhaps the chief thing philosophy can still do.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Sunrise/Sunset….
Hajime…. Never seen, but, known well. Known, but, never seen well. Oft, in simpler days, this was enough. Now, it failed the test of existence, only to return, dead, as the night wore on into day. No one cares, no one feels, and all the pretty flowers have turned to dust & ashes. But, we still have our health….
Enough! Crying foul won’t alter reality, but, if I can just make it to one more…. YES! I made it out of whatever that was….
‘Tis I, gigoid, the dubious, attempting, yet again, to come up with an opening that will titillate, or, at least, exonerate. I’m pretty sure what you see in the first, short paragraph is a combination of words never seen previously…. nor, if we’re lucky, ever again. That provides no excuses, but, if considered in the appropriate light, will distract sufficiently to allow us to move on to the next, yet-to-be-instigated paragraph, where, maybe, just maybe, we can find a shred of the rationality with which we awoke.
Fat chance of that, I admit, but, hope springs eternal, & it got us into the third paragraph, still without any significant injury, so, I must be doing something correctly. I will also admit it isn’t going to be enough, not to prevent what seems to be threatening, which I shan’t go into, to prevent panic. Not yours, mine. Of course, I’ve been in a panic state for about five minutes, so, I guess that’s also a wash. In fact, it’s looking pretty grim right now, in terms of any sort of rescue. Maybe, if I try this new device, we might get on with this, before I ruin everything completely.
Hmm…. I wonder what happens if I push this button?…..
Shall we Pearl?
“Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live;
death is nigh at hand:
while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 17 ~~
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Image from You Tube via Google Images
I was listening to this concert yesterday, & realized I’d forgotten just how good a musician David is; along with three of his band members, he shows virtuosity on every instrument he picks up. For him, that includes guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, just in this concert. The last third of this show, the band, with a bit of help from Phoebe Snow on a torrid blues tune, is some of the finest improvisational music I have EVER heard…. They made magic on this night, & I am very glad I heard it…. You will be too, if you enjoy good music at all….
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David Bromberg Band Capitol Theater, 4/15/77
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Savory
Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.
Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
chance manifests, as it does, again.
Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
as another snitch drops his dime.
Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
turning love to brilliant rhyme.
Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
peace comes only when we lose our fear.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/9/2013
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Naked Pearls
Listen up….
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“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.”
~~ Katherine Hepburn ~~
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“How a person masters his fate
is more important than what his fate is.”
~~ Wilhelm von Humboldt ~~
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“Dreams are real while they last. Can we say more of life?”
~~ Havelock Ellis ~~
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“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.”
~~ Bertolt Brecht ~~
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“I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear friend,
to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms
and like books written in a very foreign tongue.
Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you,
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually,
without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“It’s the RINSE CYCLE!!
They’ve ALL IGNORED the RINSE CYCLE!!”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“And now there is merely silence, silence, silence, saying all we did not know.”
~~ William Rose Benet ~~
*******
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After looking back over today’s effort, I am compelled, by logic, and intuition, to cease and desist without further delay. The tricks used above, in the intro, won’t work here at the end, so, I’ll just say, see ya, ffolkes, & let it go at that…. Who’d a thunk it?….
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.
“E’en from the tomb the voice of nature cries,
E’en in our ashes live their wonted fires.”
~~ Thomas Gray, “Elegy in a Country Churchyard”, Stanza 23 ~~
Bravery….
Hajime…. Once again, I find myself with the elements of today’s Pearl ready, but for the opening, and closing sections. As is generally the case, inspiration deserts me just when needed, so, here I sit, vainly typing away, hoping some sort of opportunity to find a direction will present itself. Often, I can find such chances before ending the opening paragraph, but, it’s looking pretty grim right now for the home team. Ah, well, so be it. It will just have to be one of ‘those’ days; I’m not in the mood to fight with that particular demon this morning, so, we’re going to utilize our recently acquired ruthlessness to save the bacon, which I can no longer chew, but, use for soups….
Soup. Now, there’s an opportunity, one which, sadly, presents itself too late for our purpose. I’m done searching for my muse, & the day outside in the BBR promises to be a good one for a photo safari, so, this is all you’re going to get here. In fact, I am preparing to exercise executive authority; otherwise, we’re stuck with broth instead of soup. While you’re trying to figure out if that is a true, or merely metaphorical statement, I’m sending out the command to cease and desist. Hang on to your beverages, ffolkes, we’re going in hot….
Shall we Pearl?
“Ignorance is the ally of deception.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
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SIGH…. I’ve fallen in love with another redhead with an angelic voice…. This one is Canadian, by birth, though she, like most enlightened people, would probably consider herself, as did Socrates, Einstein, and others, a citizen of the world. I can only say, she is an example of how bright a human can shine….
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The Journey So Far Loreena McKennitt
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Tuesday’s Child, from an Oblique Angle
When I really stop to think, it isn’t too much to expect
a warm bed, a bite of food, a loving smile to reflect.
We all need such comfort and supportive attention,
so basic to our soul, there is no real need to mention.
Life often offers us opportunities disguised very well,
illusions are rampant, what is real can be hard to tell.
To honor old ties may seem like the only thing one can do,
but evidence is real, despite one’s wish it were untrue.
Those who love us truly, without thought of any gain,
hate for us to experience life’s portions of pain.
They also know we each must follow our own chosen way,
for the lessons we learn, we all have our own price to pay.
Still, wishing and hoping can’t do any true harm
and wishing good things to friends feels welcome, and warm.
The pageant of society will pass on to the next day
what new sights and sounds it will bring me, I thankfully can’t say.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/5/2012
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Naked Pearls
Daily Tautology Lesson….
*******
“It is always best to start at the beginning.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“Every one is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.”
~~ Phaedrus ~~
*******
“Depend not on fortune, but on conduct.”
~~ Publius Syrus ~~
*******
“True, we love life, not because we are used to living,
but because we are used to loving.
here is always some madness in love,
but there is also always some reason in madness.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” ~~
*******
“No matter where you go, there you are.”
~~ Buckaroo Banzai, “Buckaroo Banzai – Across the 8th Dimension” ~~
*******
“I better be going. I have to get up sometime tomorrow.”
~~ Jim from Taxi ~~
*******
***************************************
The sun is already shining, the birds are chirping madly, & the day is calling. I’m outta here, and, therefore, so are you. I’ll try again, hopefully soon. If not, well, then, not. But, I will return, of that you may rest assured. I do like to give fair warning. Until then, be well, be happy, & stay strange….
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.
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing,
but in rising up every time we fail.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
“Where’s the 3 blind mice?….”
Hajime…. In truth, the pearls you see bookending the intro section today would suffice as a complete Pearl, as is often the case with Ralph Waldo’s thoughts. But, since I’ve already cobbled together the rest of today’s mess, I guess we’ll go ahead & post it, just to be able to say we did. Can you say the word, ‘fatalistic’? Sure, you can…. Of course, you’ll probably do well to duck, immediately, as the irony monitors are armed & irritable, to say the least. In today’s world, they get a little testy, what with all the overtime they must put in….
Now I’ve established the proper tone for today, I’ll play nice, & drop y’all here, like the proverbial hot potato. Why do I say nice? Well, because it is. Trust me, that’s all you want to know about it; details would be both superfluous, and, dangerous. Providence forfend we should ever subject y’all to both of those at once, by gosh. Instead, we’ll just go on, & let the brilliance of today’s chosen authors & philosophers (what else can one call Zippy?….) speak for itself. Better that way; it all goes wonky when I try to intervene, so, we’ll pretend we never even thought of it.
That’s all I’ve got for today, ffolkes. Well, other than what you’ll find below. I do hope you enjoy it, or, at the very least, find no cause to regret it. In any case, it’s time to go, before we do anything we can’t fix….
Shall we Pearl?
“The man of genius should occupy the whole space between God or pure mind,
and the multitude of uneducated men.
He must draw from the infinite Reason, on one side;
and he must penetrate into the heart and sense of the crowd, on the other.
From one, he must draw his strength; to the other, he must owe his aim.
The one yokes him to the real; the other, to the apparent.
At one pole, is Reason; at the other, Common Sense.
If he be defective at either extreme of the scale,
his philosophy will seem low and utilitarian;
or it will appear too vague and indefinite for the uses of life.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Literary Ethics” ~~
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I’ve always preferred to hear live music; it is always more real than any studio sound can possibly be. I discovered this band a couple years ago; they are, in my opinion, one of the finest groups of improvisational musicians to have ever played together. The bassist, Mike Gordon, is a legendary performer, (you saw him here a short while ago, playing a set with the legendary Leo Kottke), & the lead guitarist, Trey Anastasio, is playing with the reincarnated Grateful Dead band now on tour, improvising Jerry Garcia’s guitar riffs as well as anyone ever has…. I hope you enjoy it….
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Live Phish Riviera Maya, Mexico, 2017
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Time, and again….
Life, and/or love, will seldom fit
into any box we keep for them to sit.
Loose and limber, without any reason,
always somewhat out of season.
Surprise, surprise, they seem to say,
we can’t help it, it’s just our way.
If only you would learn, instead of know,
maybe you’d find yourself with one to show.
Deal, just the way it is, now and here,
follow the path, on the other side of fear.
Finding the future isn’t all blood, sweat, and pain,
far, far more than mere joy we stand to gain.
The sages all say not to try, just do,
sounds as simple as putting on a shoe.
I’d say we could really go places,
if we could but learn to tie up the laces….
~~ gigoid ~~
11/1/2013
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
*******
“I leapt headlong into the sea,
and thereby have become better acquainted with
the soundings, the quicksands, and the rocks,
than if I had stayed upon the green shore,
and piped a silly song, and took tea and comfortable advice.”
~~ John Keats ~~
*******
“When washing your face, can you see your true self?
When walking, can you feel the rotation of heaven?
When speaking are your words without guile?
When you shop are you aware of your needs?
When you meet the suffering, do you help?
When you meet conflict, do you work toward harmony?”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“Let yourself be open and life will be easier.
A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable.
A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”
~~ Buddha ~~
*******
“Is this going to involve RAW human ecstasy?”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“Don’t brood. Get on with living and loving.
You don’t have forever.”
~~ Leo F. Buscaglia ~~
*******
“Why is the universe the way we see it?
If it had been any different, we would not be here!”
~~ Stephen Hawking ~~
*******
“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”
~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~
*******
***************************************
Well, I did it again. Don’t ask why, or we’ll never get out of here. In fact, don’t do anything, & we can all get this done, & get on with the rest of today. It’s been, well, as real as I could make it, & since I’m done, so are you. I leave you with this thought: Are you experienced? Replies may be submitted to the proper authorities, at your convenience…. We now return you to your own version of reality….
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.
“Those who live in a land of illusion
are unaware that there IS a land of illusion…”
~~ Hasidic saying ~~
The first clue….
Hajime…. During the recent past, one of the most telling things which my struggles have impressed upon me is this; everything that happens in our reality, whether we are aware of it, or not, is a lesson, & learning to pay attention to what is being taught can be not only important to us, but, critical to any further progress. This lesson, versions of which I now see everywhere, every day, seems to be, perhaps, the most critical to achieving any sort of balance in life…. In short, you snooze, you lose….
Funny how our most compelling truths seem to lend themselves to such brevity of expression, almost as if the universe conspires to make it easy for us, but, laughingly watches as we silly-ass monkeys blow the lesson off, repeatedly, thus making our own pot of insanity in which to boil…. As is patently clear from the picture I’ve chosen to adorn the top today, Leelu is a constant source of opportunity for reality to apply the lesson; damn near every day, she does something to remind me I am not paying enough attention to the moment, having, as usual, gone off somewhere in my head, losing the thread reality spins for us to hold onto, & presenting Murphy with countless opportunities to fuck with me….
Go figure, eh? Just when I thought it was safe to put my head up & look around, the bullets begin to fly…. Thus far today, I’ve lost it twice, & found my way back close to the center only through sheer will power; one more time will probably kick me over the edge. I’d best be careful from this point; if I go over the edge, it’s liable to affect the very fabric of the space-time continuum, as the pressure is enormous. Ah, well, so be it; I seriously doubt reality would suffer much, though a number of the local denizens would be inadvertently troubled by a feeling of doom. Like all of us, they’ll just have to learn to live with the ambiguity.
As for me, I’m busy, jealously guarding what remnants of rationality I can keep in one place; I’m hoping to find enough of it to make it through to full daylight; with some light on the subject, there’s a small chance I can pull it all back into line. If not, well, so much for another day, eh? I’m old enough now to be relatively fatalistic about anything that might happen, so, in essence, it all breaks even. Let’s hope, given the status of the rest of reality, as on the edge of insanity, rapidly turning into a headlong rush to total psychosis, we can find a reason compelling enough to make an effort to resist. For now, let’s go see what the rest of today’s mess can do to help find such a reason. Watch that bottom step….
Shall we Pearl?
“If anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway.”
~~ Murphy’s Fifth Law ~~
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My day began badly, (my own fault); to repair the damage, this is what I put on the speakers, as I knew it would bring me closer to serenity than anything else I might try…. I hope you enjoy it as well….
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Complete Violin Concertos
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Unheralded Sagacity…
To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.
Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.
Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.
No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.
Illumination…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/17/2013
***************************************
Naked Pearls
Notes on Process & Program….
*******
“Let him that would move the world, first move himself.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
“Unknowingly, we plow the dust of stars,
blown about us by the wind,
and drink the universe in a glass of rain.”
~~ Ihab Hassan ~~
*******
“Just by choosing where you stand,
You alter your destiny.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
~~ Lucius Anneaus Seneca ~~
*******
“A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid;
it is only deferred, and we must come back
and settle the account at last.”
~~ Joseph F. Newton ~~
*******
“A man’s work is nothing
but this slow trek to rediscover,
through the detours of art,
those two or three great and simple images
in whose presence his heart first opened.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
“I say love, it is a flower; and you, it’s only seed.”
~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~
*******
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I offer no apologies; I make no excuses. It’s done, and, that is, perhaps, the most one can say of it. Saying more would just be cruel, & that is against our policies, not to mention being downright rude. See, even nonsense is beyond me. I’m outta here, before I make a bigger fool of myself than I’ve already managed. See y’all again, ffolkes, if I can find my way back…. Odds are about even, 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.
gigoid 