The gods of irony are laughing….

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Ffolkes,

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.”

~~ Mohandas K., ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi ~~

where is it

I know I left it in here….

Hajime…. To say so may engender comments, or, at least, the general impression, that my curmudgeon status is in full force, but, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of discomfort and chagrin for much of yesterday, as I observed a large portion of humanity celebrating their particular form of madness, in the form of a paroxysm of common delusion, sharing the apparent unconscious joy of surrendering their rationality for a promise of supernatural intervention after they die. I suppose it is only fitting to also observe a world on the brink of a nuclear holocaust, as those most lacking in rationality lead the mass of their unwitting accomplices to extinction….

But, nonetheless, that’s the way I see it, & it wouldn’t be honest to not say so. Regardless of anyone’s beliefs, reality has come to a cusp for our species, & I can’t see much, or, for that matter, any evidence we will alter our rush to our own demise, for there are not nearly enough of us who can see the problem we face, or help the rest realize their failure to reason. Moreover, though it is difficult to accept, there is little reason to think reality will allow us to deny our own nature any longer, but, will assert its prerogatives in a way we will have no choice but to accede. In short, we’re pretty well up the creek, and there’s no paddle in sight.

Rather than dwell on that which I cannot personally change, I think I’ll just put together a Pearl, with some of what I see, and can guess, as some of the elements; this, while not likely to cause anyone to turn activist, or reformer, or any other possibly helpful state of mind, will have the simple effect of keeping me from hurrying anyone along the path we are already treading; I have to keep reminding myself it isn’t my job, or, my destiny, to fix anything; it’s only my task to observe, and report. So be it. It may not be the most ethical path, but, ’tis the one I can choose without abandoning all I know to be true….

That’s a bit cryptic, & possibly depressing, as well, but, such is life, sometimes. Wait a minute! What’s this?

A gray, bent old man just appeared; he’s wandering about the room, touching my stuff, & giggling to himself, somewhat madly….. Suddenly, he says, “Don’t you have something you’re supposed to be doing?”…. SIGH…. He’s right, so, we’ll go ahead, now, & just do it…..

Shall we Pearl?

“You can’t get wet from the word ‘water’.”

~~ Alan Watts ~~

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JANIS_JOPLIN_pearl_album_cover__

I’m in the mood for some old-time rock & roll, & for a blog that posts Pearls, what better music to turn to than that of this lady? She was, after all, known for a time as ‘Pearl’….. The video I’ve included is part of a collection of most of her live concert videos…. Enjoy, ffolkes; Janis had a voice that arrowed straight into the bones, & made itself felt….

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Janis Joplin Live

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Comedy_Tragedy

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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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Notes on Transcendence….

*******

“It’s that moment of dawning comprehension I live for.”

~~ Hobbes ~~

*******

“In order to make an apple pie from scratch,
you must first create the universe.”

~~ Carl Sagan, “Cosmos” ~~

*******

“Never let the future disturb you.
You will meet it, if you have to,
with the same weapons of reason
which today arm you against the present.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ~~

*******

“I say love, it is a flower; and you, it’s only seed.”

~~ Bette Midler. “The Rose” ~~

*******

“Education is an admirable thing,
but it is well to remember from time to time
that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

*******

“Time present and time past
are both perhaps present in time future.
What might have been and what is
all point to the same end,
that which is always present.”

~~ T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton” ~~

*******

“You only live twice:
Once when you’re born,
Once when you look death in the face.”

~~ Ian Fleming ~~

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Well, it’s done, in spite of having to resort to literary trickery, just to free ourselves from the burgeoning rant in the intro section. All the elements are present, so, we’ll go ahead & post this, just as if it were worthy. I’ll make it a point to try again, perhaps tomorrow…. Until then, y’all be careful out there, & stay alert. Things are becoming even more strange than we can imagine….. Imagine what THAT is going to be like, if you dare….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

But, it DOES float….

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Ffolkes,

“Any road followed to its end leads precisely nowhere.
Climb the mountain just a little to test it’s a mountain.
From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain.”

~~ Bene Gesserit proverb ~~

Ireland 076

Mirrored trees, River Corrib, Galway, Ireland

Hajime…. In the quiet of the pre-dawn darkness, the old man sits, bent with age & care, pecking away industriously at the keyboard of an old, beat-up laptop computer. Focused intently on his task, he doesn’t notice me watching him, in perfect comfort, wondering, again, just how this illusion worked. Putting that thought aside as irrelevant, I turn to my own task, involving the management, (or, mis-management, as the case may be….), of several congruent, yet separate levels of reality. It’s not an easy task, especially given the operational handicaps implied by having to manage reality, at all, but, as a chosen duty, it remains imperative to do so, even if only to assuage my own sense of guilty pleasure, so sweet, yet so tart….

Y’all may find today’s Pearl a bit obscure, if not completely esoteric. Hopefully, you’ll also find it erudite, and, if I can do it right, even illuminating. That, as always, is probably somewhat optimistic, but, I can’t help that; it’s just the way I am, in direct contrast to how I seem, which is, I am told, somewhat cynical and depressive. I’ve been working, off & on, as my tolerance for sitting dictates, on a discussion of those very characteristics in myself, and the world at large, but, it keeps growing, as is often the case when I bite off more than can be easily chewed in one sitting. I’m hoping it will come together, & be ready soon, but, it will happen as it does, without my having much to say about that part of it….

This is because, for me, the creation process is rather unconscious, or, as much as I can make it so; my conscious mind has very little to do with it, other than to stay out of the way. I’ve found this necessary, in order to be able to persuade what roils and boils around inside my head to put itself into consumable forms, that can be transcribed onto the computer, as opposed to the traditional paper. I can’t necessarily recommend it as a method to be used by any & all, but, it works for me, so, who am I to mess with what works?

It works well enough, I suppose; most of what is in my head makes it onto the screen, one way or another. Though I cannot, and will not, lay claim to any particular brilliance, it works as intended, which is to keep all that crap from building up in my head, to the point the sheer weight of thoughts makes them intractable. So, I keep on keepin’ on, as we used to say in the sixties, and hope for the best. Today, as a major holiday for most of the western, Christian world, I would say the process into which this quest for sanity has evolved is my best defense against the angst I would normally garner in reaction to watching much of the world display their delusional symptomatology, in an orgy of what I consider psychotic smarm. SIGH…

I think, at this point, I’d best get on with the rest of today’s mess, before I write something offensive; the urge to poke at the mundanes becomes quite strong on days such as this, so, we’ll just use one of those efficiently ruthless techniques we keep in this drawer to move us along, & go on to different, if not better things. At this rate, unless I do so now, we could be here for a long time. Instead, watch this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Humans hardly ever learn from the experience of others.
They learn – when they do, which isn’t often – on their own, the hard way.”

~~ Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love ~~

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royalty-free-clip-art-vector-logos-of-black-and-orange-floral-acoustic-guitars-by-seamartini-graphics-6573

I’m not sure just why I seem to display this laziness of mine most often on ‘holidays’, but, there it is, just like the hive of bees living in my head. Nonetheless, I do, so, here is our typical choice when faced with this issue, to wit: a collection of classical music designed for reading & studying…. I hope it’s a good one, and enhances your reading experience here today…. If it doesn’t, oh, well…. But, I do hope it does…. Abondanza!….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

Pure Truth: Elsewhen

Everything I say and do, I’m sure,
only comes from what I know.
If what I’ve said or done is pure,
I can say it’s not just for show.

Sometimes people don’t quite get me.
It can be a pain, for sure.
I try not to let it keep me from being free,
especially when thought becomes a sinecure.

In fact, I try quite hard most of the time,
to keep from hurting folks.
If culture occasionally approached the sublime,
I wouldn’t have to take so many pokes.

Now I’ll make another sacrifice, for y’all,
not just for karma, or, not merely so….
To save yet another downfall,
I’ll stop here. Ensign, make it so….

~~ gigoid ~~

6/2/2014

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Diving deep….

*******

“At the bottom no one in life can help anyone else in life;
this one experiences over and over in every conflict and every perplexity:
that one is alone.
That isn’t as bad as it may first appear;
and again it is the best thing in life that each should have everything in himself;
his fate, his future, his whole expanse and world.”

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~

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“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”

~~ Descartes ~~

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“I was never here.”

~~ Kilroy ~~

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“Most people are on the world, not in it…”

~~ John Muir ~~

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“He who has the courage to laugh
is almost as much a master of the world
as he who is ready to die.”

~~ Giacomo Leopardi ~~

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“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”

~~ Confucius ~~

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“Only the madman is absolutely sure.”

~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~

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“Today for show and tell
I’ve brought a tiny marvel of nature: a single snowflake.
I think we might all learn a lesson
from how this utterly unique and exquisite crystal
turns into an ordinary, boring molecule of water,
just like every other one, when you bring it in the classroom.
And now, while the analogy sinks in,
I’ll be leaving you drips and going outside.

~~ Calvin, “Calvin and Hobbes” ~~

*******

“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle — will you come and join the dance?

“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!”, and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.

“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France —
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.”

~~ Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” ~~

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I’ve done it again, though I can’t honestly say how it turned out….. It’s hard to see the forest when one is amongst the trees. But, as the Giant said, a path is formed by placing one stone, then the next…. This then, is our final stone for the day, & I herewith place it at your feet. I’ll be back to try again, hopefully tomorrow, though I’m not promising anything. Time, that blabbermouth, will tell, and we’ll listen, if we are smart. For now, adieu, & have a safe holiday, as the world engages in its sublime madness…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Exposing random consistency….

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Ffolkes,

“One cannot live without inconsistency.”

~~ C. G. Jung ~~

full moon 9-8-14

Full moon rising…. 2014

Hajime…. My first remarks today are an apology, of sorts, to those of my Gentle Readers whose blogs I have seemingly boycotted in recent days. Generally, if I can sit for any appreciable length of time after posting the Daily Pearl, I will go to those sites, & leave comments, most of which have sublimated my ranting urges, enough to keep me from having to expunge that urge here. But, lately, I have been both unable to sit for long, and, unable to face commenting on issues in which I see so little reward for trying to join a dialogue. Perhaps it is because of the general sense of futility so prevalent in today’s world, where no good deed goes unpunished; perhaps it is just my own sense of the world’s state, which, needless to say, is NOT particularly hopeful of any reasonable resolution… Either way, I haven’t been commenting, & wish to relate my apology for that failure….

As for today, I have completed putting together today’s offering, but, cannot promise to pursue any surfing, or commenting later; I’m fighting a cold, (my own fault, as it always is, for waiting too long to begin the battle…. ), and spent yesterday on public transportation, (via ferry, train, & bus….) to travel to SF & back, to take care of some important business. Mission accomplished, but, given my only partially healthy state, put me well over my limits, enough to make today a slow recovery day. So be it. I can’t change the past (a lesson now well-learned….), so, I’ll just do what I can today to meet as many duties as I can, & not fret the rest.

To assist myself in that task, we’ll cut this short, (well, as short as it can be, having already meandered through a couple hundred words of blather….), & get on with the rest of today’s mess. I’ll even go so far as to do so without undue fuss, or any unreasonable delay. I do that, of course, like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“When the fox gnaws — smile.”

~~ Lazarus Long in Robert A. Heinlein’s Time Enough For Love ~~

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dixie last fm

Image from lastfm.com via Google Images

Today, I feel like some erudite modern rock, which this band does as well as anyone…. Enjoy!….

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Dixie Chicks
Live in Denver, 2016

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Comedy_Tragedy

Joe Friday’s lament

Life is short, and though I’m odd, they say
it really doesn’t bother me
to realize there is no God, per se.

Though other folks will disagree
and tell me I’m wrong
I won’t believe it, with naught to see.

Liars called padre tell me, have humility,
and do as the authorities say,
then fondle little boys with facility.

They also tell me to share the wealth
and give them a 10% tithe
so they don’t have get it by stealth.

So spare me the delusions, please
don’t bother with such a tale;
I’m nobody that needs such a tease.

Keep your fantasies under your hat
and out of my face;
I don’t need them, they’ll make me fat….. headed.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/8/2013

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Further notes on process & program….

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“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, –that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

~~ John Keats — “Ode on a Grecian Urn” ~~

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“Fear is sharp-sighted,
and can see things under ground,
and much more in the skies.”

~~~ Miguel de Cervantes — Don Quixote, Part i, Book iii, Chap. vi ~~

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“We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him.”

~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~

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“The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self-mastery.”

~~ Reinhold Niebuhr ~~

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“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~

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A man said to the Universe: “Sir, I exist!”

“However,” replied the Universe, “the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.”

~~ Stephen Crane, “War is Kind”, 1899 ~~

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“The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.”

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

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Today’s Pearl has been thrown together with some dispatch, though it may seem relatively smooth from the outside. It does have the one primary characteristic for which we continually aim, to wit: it’s done. To complement the relative efficiency shown in the intro, I’ll use the same technique to bring it to a rapid close. How rapid? Well, how’s this? See ya, ffolkes; I’ll be back, relatively soon, I’m sure. Until then, be strange; I find it to be a compellingly satisfying way to keep people on their toes….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Deeply sincere confusion, in short pants….

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Ffolkes,

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.
Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow.
Let reality be reality.”

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

Not today

I ate the mouse….

Hajime…. Usually, when my nose gets red, round, and begins to run, I am merely being a Bozo, a very large clan of humans. Today, however, my bozoid tendencies are merely the root cause of said runny redness. Though I know a natural method of avoiding the worst effects of a cold, I neglected to apply it when the symptoms began to appear, thus ensuring I would feel the full effect of my folly for at least a week, if not more, rather than a mild misery for a couple days. I can hear the loud honking, even in my sleep; well, I can when I’m not sneezing, anyway….

Oh, well; I’m the one who blew the technique off, so, I can’t complain about the consequences. I could, of course, but, what would be the point? Mere self-indulgence, from which I am attempting to refrain, as much as possible. It doesn’t work well with mindfulness, &, in fact, makes such a state damn near impossible to attain. Since I am not going to give in to such weakness, having already given in too far, I’ll just leave this where we find it, & go on to more productive, if less co-dependently soothing malapropisms. Shoot! Who’d a thunk we’d have to resort to such despicable indulgence so early in the day? Not me, but, then, thinking, at this time of the morning, isn’t always my strongest suit, a statement I think we may assume applies to most of us humans.

Gosh, that’s chatty, & informative, as far as it goes, I suppose, but, I’m not sure it’s exactly what I had in mind when I envisioned today’s opening section. Ah, well, so be it; it’s not as if I ever have a clue as regards the content that will end up here; it’s pretty much a random event, as such events go. Rather than challenge the way it came out, why don’t we employ a bit of ruthless efficiency, & be done with it. I have the feeling this Pearl will be better for it, & that’s all I really care about at this point. I’ll even use our most efficient method for getting down the page, which works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth,
more than ruin, more even than death….
Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible,
thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit.
Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid.
Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world,
and the chief glory of man.”

~~ Bertrand Russell (1872-1967), “Selected Papers” ~~

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Yield_Logo

Playing For Change

I’m running a bit late, so, we’re going with one of our default musical selections. The video you see is one of many by the Playing For Change organization, of which I am a proud member…. In my less than humble opinion, the music you hear from these artists is the freshest, most original you can find, anywhere…. We’ll begin your exploration today with a classic tune of Bob Marley’s, played & sung by artists from around the world…. Enjoy!…..

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Playing For Change
One Love

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Comedy_Tragedy

Rainbow Connection

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions
rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thoughta’ that and someone believed it —
look what it’s done so far.
What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell
we know that it’s probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I hear them calling my name.
Could it be the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice may be one and the same.
Well I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it
it’s somethin’ that I’m s’posed to be.
And someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.”

~~ Kermit the Frog ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Reminders….

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“All life is an experiment.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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“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” ~~

*******

“There is nothing with which every man is so afraid
as getting to know how enormously much
he is capable of doing and becoming.”

~~ Soren Kierkegaard ~~

*******

“Whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and purpose,
and whose actions have been burnt by fire-of-knowledge,
him the wise call a sage.”

~~ Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 19 ~~

*******

“If you never assume importance you never lose it.”

~~ Lao-tzu ~~

*******

“A person needs a little madness,
or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.”

~~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~~

*******

“Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*******

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I shan’t trouble you further; I’ve probably done all the damage available to be done. I’ll even forgo my usual nonsense, & just say, see y’all tomorrow, hopefully. This cold may make that problematic, but, such is life, eh? 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Skipping the hard parts….

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Ffolkes,

“The Journey is the Reward,
Not the Destination.”

~~ Zen Koan ~~

g-ville-012

Idyllic solitude….

Hajime…. Though I fully agree with our opening lines, I can’t say today’s journey to our destination has provided me with much reward, beyond the most basic, that of being, finally, done. SB went on semi-strike this morning, forcing me to practically bludgeon it to pull out seven pearls for the old-school section; even those I found were somewhat of an obscure grouping, even for me. Hence, the title chosen to direct your thoughts as you read them; it will take some rather extensive flexibility to ‘get it’ today, but, that’s okay by me. The harder the better, as Murphy so often reiterates for us…..

Naturally, having to take so long to put this together, I am left short on the time available to compose this intro, or the closing section…. & I don’t want to hear that’s an advantage from anybody in the peanut gallery. Besides, any of my usual Gentle Readers know better than to have too many expectations as to what they’ll find here on any particular day; hell, I don’t know what to expect. How could they have any? Well, they, like me, ARE human, so, I guess that answered itself. Perhaps it would be best for me to just go on to the next paragraph, before I really stick my foot in it….

In truth, the way this is developing, I believe I’d better take it in hand, with a firm grip, before I write myself right into a corner with no exits. Yeah, that’s a good idea, since everything else that is floating up into my mind to put down is looking a bit bedraggled, with wild hair & bugged eyes. To avoid any possible litigation, or nausea, I’m utilizing an old #4, which has saved our sorry ass many times in the past, simply because it works quickly…. How quickly? Well, it’s like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“One way or another, we all have to find
what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life,
and dedicate ourselves to that.”

~~ Joseph Campbell ~~

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royalty-free-clip-art-vector-logos-of-black-and-orange-floral-acoustic-guitars-by-seamartini-graphics-6573

Thanks to SB’s recalcitrance this morning, I’m quite late getting posted; y’all know what that means. Yep. Default music today, the You Tube selection of 50 of the most popular pieces of classical music in their database…. Works for me, today. Enjoy, if you will; there’s some grand stuff included, for sure….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

Life as we know it….

As we grow and learn to be, in this sad, yet joyous parade,
we only have our Self with which to face life;
small, we are, and weak,
but, smart.

Reality, in studied contrast, is an invisible, ubiquitous shade
dispassionate ambivalence brings us mostly strife.
It’s never enough to seek.
Take part.

The universe won’t make a compromise, but will make a trade.
Give away your fear for knowledge, and a reasoned life.
It often requires a tweak;
live Art.

Love is an essential part of our own particular charade
without it, life can be filled with strife.
Souls perch high on a peak;
sweet, tart.

Pain always balances with joy, the price has to be paid;
for us humans, each must be equal in life.
To know one, the other must speak.
Never apart.

We are all actors, playing parts we’ve chosen to have portrayed;
the director’s absence produces endless strife.
Trying to make sense brings only pique.
Go. Start.

~~ gigoid ~~

11/27/2015.

********************************

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

gigoid’s folly….

*******

“What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea.
It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience,
something that never has been
and never could have been experienced by anyone else.”

~~ Joseph Campbell ~~

*******

“Belief is not the beginning but the end of all knowledge.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

“I am made from the dust of the stars, the oceans flow in my veins.”

~~ Rush, “Presto” ~~

*******

“I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line.
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.”

~~ the Indigo Girls, “Closer to Fine” ~~

*******

“Only that in you which is me can hear what I’m saying.”

~~ Baba Ram Dass ~~

*******

“It is a curious thought,
but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous
that you realize just how much you love them.”

~~ Agatha Christie ~~

*******

” Attention, attention, there are monkey-boys in the complex.”

~~ — Buckaroo Banzai (the film) ~~

*******

********************************

I did it. It’s done. I can’t say exactly how that came to be, but, we all know the old saw about gift horses, of which this is a clear example. I’ll even show some dignified acceptance, (always a good policy with the heavy hand of reality at the wheel), & just get on with whatever comes to mind to get us out of here….. Hmm. Well, nothing comes up right away, so, I guess I’ll just say, see y’all next time, hopefully tomorrow, if reality doesn’t get any stranger than it is today…. Odds seem to be running even, so, we’ll see. Be cool, stay strange, & for goodness’ sake, stay alert….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Oblique references to metaphoric events….

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Ffolkes,

“To him that waits all things reveal themselves,
provided that he has the courage not to deny,
in the darkness,
what he has seen in the light.”

~~ Coventry Patmore ~~

lets talk leelu

Okay, so, we need to talk….

Hajime…. Yesterday, for unknown reasons, while productive, was a wash in terms of satisfaction, as each task completed bore its own particular individual issues making it more difficult than either anticipated, or desired. I got it all done, but, was exhausted by 10 AM, & ended up NOT making it to the blogs I wanted particularly to get caught up on. Ah, well, such is life in the big city; everything we do has its piece of dissatisfaction, as we struggle to make sense of an insane world….. I’m reminded, at times like this, of Charlie Chaplin’s movie, Modern Times; not necessarily of the actual events, but, the overall feeling of something being wrong with this picture….

As an elder member of a species whose primary survival skill is adaptability, I’ll utilize all I have learned through the years to throw off that feeling, so I can, if nothing else, complete this Pearl & get on with another day of dealing with reality as best I can. I still have tasks to complete out in the Big Blue Room, so, I’ll see if what I’ve managed thus far will work again for today. In the meantime, rather than explore personal idiosyncracies, such as the need to make sense of things that make no sense, I’ll use my recently-honed skills in time management, mainly comprised of the ability to be ruthless in the act of ‘throwing out the dross’, to move this along as swiftly as possible…. Not my favorite new skill, but, handy at such times as these….

I could choose from among a number of different methods to accomplish this, but, I think I’ll just use the one that works best, to wit: the Drop. It isn’t always the most comfortable, to use or to experience, but, it does the job better than all the others, combined. Which one is it? Easy; this one….

Shall we Pearl?

“The notion that faith in Christ
is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss,
while a dependence upon reason, observation, and experience
merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation,
and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture
of insanity and ignorance called “faith”.”

~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~

***********************************

bonnie (2)

This morning, I feel like rocking, & one cannot find anyone who can do that better than this lady and her band. From 1989, introduced by Bill Graham at the Oakland Coliseum theater, here is my own choice for redhead of the century (twentieth, if it matters; there’s a different award-winner chosen for this century; if she reads this, she’ll know to whom I refer….)….. Enjoy!….

********************************

Bonnie Raitt Live

********************************

********************************

********************************

Comedy_Tragedy

Manifesto, sotto voce

In retrospect, I’ve gotta say,
it’s all been rather a muddle.
Life is tough, so ‘they’all say,
Lots of misery, not much cuddle.

Me, I’ve found life a bit different
than ‘they’ seem to have done.
It’s all been rather excellent;
I’ve had loads & loads of fun.

Sure, there’s been some bad shit.
Who can’t say that?
All of that pales, all of it
when one hugs a dog, a child, or a cat.

I’ve seen, fought, and felt, more than my share,
the presence of evil in life.
The pain that remains often seems unfair;
I ask why I chose to deal with such strife.

I can always find the answer in the same place,
right where it has ever resided.
All we need to do is embrace
the joy we’ve given, and been provided.

Simple is good.
Balance is good.

Life can be both.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/19/2015

********************************

pearls_3

After composing this old-school pearl, comprised of nine most subtle thoughts from a wide variety of people who have long been considered to be among humanity’s most respected minds, I found myself breathless, from the massive illumination it induced. Each individual pearl, which points a particular way, is part of the idea which came to me as I pondered them, one by one, each leading me deeper into the idea, until it became a near epiphany…. To try to fully explain that idea here would require a long dissertation, so, I’ll leave its expression as an exercise for the Gentle Reader…. Allow your mind dwell upon it, as you read, & perhaps you can find it, too…. Enjoy!….

*******

“A man may love a paradox without either losing his wit or his honesty.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“An ancient buddha said,
Mountains are mountains; waters are waters.
These words do not mean mountains are mountains;
they mean mountains are mountains.”

~~ Dogen ~~

*******

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

~~ Chinese proverb ~~

*******

“In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.”

!! Yun-Men !!

*******

“Illusion is the first of all pleasures.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*******

“Whence come I and whither go I?
That is the great unfathomable question,
the same for every one of us.
Science has no answer to it.”

~~ Max Planck ~~

*******

“Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called ‘Ego’.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

*******

“The farther you go, the less you know.”

~~ Lao Tzu, “Tao Te Ching”

*******

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.”

~~ Kahlil Gibran, “The Prophet” ~~

*******

********************************

Well, there you go. It’s done, & I have to say, it ain’t bad, all things considered…. I’m off now, though being ‘off’ is nothing new. I’m also going to take my leave, forthwith. Now, seeing that, you might think I have more to say before leaving you, but, you’d be wrong. Not only am I done saying stuff, I’m, as we say downtown, outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as reality doesn’t intrude again….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Dozer

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Trapped in porcine orbs of vision….

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Ffolkes,

Events in the BBR have conspired to prevent me from completing a Pearl for today, but, I found this one, which was not only one of the best in terms of quality, but, got quite a bit of traffic, as well. It will do for my purposes today, as I have a bunch of catching up to do on other blogs, which I’ve neglected for some days now…. I’ll be back tomorrow with fresh material, come hell or high water, In the meantime, enjoy this little birthday blurb from about four or so years ago, if you will… If not, well, oh, well… So be it…. See ya, ffolkes….

gigoid

gigoid's avatargigoid

Ffolkes,
Herein is set forth the last will and testament of Ned Russell Moore…. Not really, but it is, perhaps, fitting to begin today’s Pearl with that opening line. I am now, as of some hours ago this morning, sixty-two (62) years old, or young, take your pick. The opening line is actually there as a reminder, that I have yet to take care of that little chore, i.e., making a will. Being a non-materialist for virtually all my life (I decided at age 12 I had no interest in getting rich…. seriously, that’s when it happened, because I remember making a conscious decision about it, as it kind of determined the path I would take, academically….), I won’t have a lot to leave, but, there are personal items to bequeath to my children, such as my father’s bronze star, and my books, and hopefully, before I check out, I’ll…

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Bung ho, lads! Got truffles?….

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Ffolkes,

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

leaving galway

Leaving Galway by the Dublin train….

Hajime…. I had a great time yesterday with my granddaughter, but, doing so didn’t leave a lot of time to finish the Pearl for today. Thankfully, Smart Bee cooperated this morning, if one may count the odd bunch of pearls with which I was presented as cooperation. The group that materialized is a bit, shall we say, different? But, it all works, as well as can be expected on a Monday morning; I think we’ve all learned to show a bit of patience & tolerance to what happens on that particular day of the week. Though that isn’t as strong in me as it once was, it’s still relevant, as the rest of the world still has to get up & go back to work….

Since I did manage to get it done, or, as close to done as it needs to be, I’ll just go with the flow, & get it posted. To do so with the least amount of fuss is, I think, the most courteous thing I can do, to help the rest of humanity get the week going on a good foot. (What does that mean?…. Ah, well, that’s best left alone for now, I think….) I’ll also show some rather unusual benevolence, by bringing this intro to a rapid conclusion, sans the standard degree of smarm and/or nonsense one usually finds here in the A.M. It isn’t that I’m any more benevolent; I’m just tired, & will help myself, as well as y’all, by doing so with some dispatch. In fact, I’ve already called dispatch, & the cab is on the way, so, let’s get started, so we won’t be running to catch up the rest of the day…. As we have previously demonstrated, that looks like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion
— i.e., none to speak of.”

~~ Lazarus Long ~~

***********************************

mozart2

Today, I feel like some Mozart, so, here is a playlist from You Tube with what I believe to be all of them for your listening pleasure…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….

********************************

Mozart Piano Concertos

********************************

********************************

********************************

Comedy_Tragedy

I know I’m in the now, if only…..

Oh, there it is again, fiddle faddle;
Begone, I said, vamoose, skedaddle!
It looked at me as if I were insane:
Scoffed, it did, filled me with pain.

Where does it come from?
Where does it live?
I’d stick out my thumb,
if I had more to give.

If only, should, would, could it be?
It went away again, this time free.
It will be back again, this I know;
or I’m wrong, and it won’t show.

Who cares?
Who hears?
Such goings on wobble the sphere,
I wish it wouldn’t do that here.

I’ve been wrong before…..

~~ gigoid ~~

4/19/2013

********************************

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Oddly enough….

*******

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect
but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.
The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.”

~~ Carl Jung ~~

*******

“YOU PICKED KARL MALDEN’S NOSE!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

~~ HAL 9000 ~~

*******

“A man who can fool chiefs, and even gods,
must still face the monsters he himself created.”

~~ Old Maori saying ~~

*******

” A civilized society is one which tolerates eccentricity
to the point of doubtful sanity.”

~~ Robert Frost ~~

*******

“If there are twelve clowns in a ring,
you can jump in the middle and start reciting Shakespeare,
but to the audience, you’ll just be the thirteenth clown.”

~~ Adam Walinsky ~~

*******

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane
by those who could not hear the music.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

*******

********************************

Okay, I did it. The mere fact it is done is, at the very least, an astounding piece of luck, or, stubbornness; take your pick. Rather than dwell on any such denigrative conceptual conundrums, we’ll just pretend it’s supposed to be this way, & be done with it, always a good policy when one feels the presence of inimical iconic forces of entropy hovering near, just waiting for one to make a mistake in mindfulness. Given my predilection for just that sort of failing, or, as we call it, idiosyncrasy, I’ll leave you now, to dress any wounds in private. Me, I’m gonna go for a walk in the morning dark & cold, to see what there may be to see out there…. I’ll do my best to return tomorrow, with the caveat I change my mind alla damn time, so, take that with a dose of salt. Meantime, be well, be happy, & be strange. For a lot of us, it’s our only reliable defense against the insanity…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 12589

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Distracted by a classic diversion…. cinnamon-glazed potato cakes….

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Ffolkes,

Aside from my habitual laziness, at least two factors have conspired to prevent a fresh Pearl for today. First, SB went on strike again yesterday; six tries at it garnered three pearls, not nearly enough to finish, or even come close. Second, an impending visit today, with my granddaughter, had me “kid-proofing” my house for a two-year-old. I get to keep her most of the day while my son takes care of other business, details of which are irrelevant at this point. Suffice to say, I’m jazzed, & have made plans, involving a park, a playground, and a shopping trip, all designed to keep her busy & happy, & hopefully, tired enough to nap for part of the visit, so I can catch my breath from trying to keep up with a 2 year old little girl’s enthusiasm for life…. Can’t wait….

To keep from feeling too much guilty angst, here’s a damn decent Pearl from early in 2014, when I was still an opioid addict, on the cusp of being ripped off them, & sent to Hell for a year to get rid of them. For what it is, it’s pretty good, & I hope you enjoy it, as much as I intend to enjoy my time with my g-d….

I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some fresh material, though that remains, as always, up to the whim of the gods, such as they are…. Have a great Sunday, ffolkes, & I’ll see y’all tomorrow….

gigoid

gigoid's avatargigoid

Ffolkes,

Soft, puffy, pristine white clouds scudded lazily across the morning sky, looking like nothing so much as huge balls of cotton, tumbling through the blue vastness, dazzling in the bright sun. The chirping calls of thousands of awakening birds echo through the trees, as the mundane creatures of the night silently retreat to their dens, giving way to those who hunt by day….

One of these predators, walking on two legs, is up, moving through the dappled light between the trees…. With rapid steps, he heads east, toward the sun, moving silently between the trees as the bright orb rises slowly, higher and higher, laying a blanket of oppressive heat over the landscape, stirred by the gentlest of breezes, enough only to make one wish for more….

Whoever that is, walking through the tropical forest (it’s too hot, too early to be anywhere but tropical…) is on their own…

View original post 2,257 more words

Searching for syllogistic integrity….

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Ffolkes,

“Brave men were living before Agamemnon.”

~~ Horace (65-8 BC) — Odes, iv, 9, 25 ~~

ignoring me

I’m ignoring you….

Hajime….

“I have here only made a nosegay of culled flowers,
and have brought nothing of my own but the thread that ties them together.”

~~ Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592) — Essays, Book iii, Chap. xii ~~

Perfect! I couldn’t have said it any better, in answer to the question of what I do here each time I post. Funny how so many writers/philosophers from the past have expressed human nature, and its means of expression, so accurately it remains valid today, nearly five hundred years later. It almost makes one feel superfluous, if not for the personal value it provides me as a means of self-therapy. Of course, such therapy is most effective when it is applied consistently, but, consistency isn’t always either available, or advisable. Too much of it, & one becomes hidebound, thus invalidating the positive nature of the effect. Ah, well, one can only do one’s best, n’est pas?

My best, today, is probably closer to ‘okay’ than to ‘most excellent’, so, we’ll atone for any lack of brilliance by shortening the exposure time. One of the best ways to do that is to make a serious attempt to curtail any use of excessive nonsense. Of course, any such limits need to be applied quickly, before the volume grows beyond my means of control. There are days, (of which today is one….) when the volume to be released is simply too much to keep from bursting out of any artificially applied boundaries. I can feel it in there, tons & tons of sheer idiocy & fun, straining at the edge of control so laboriously gathered for the purpose…..

Hell…. this means there’s only one way to keep this from getting away from me, & that is to apply an emergency method of egress. Happily, I found one in the nearest drawer, only two steps away in the kitchen, so, there’s still a chance to salvage this. The only hard part of it is the abrupt nature of its operation, so, I suggest you put down any adult beverages, & grab the closest stanchion, while I try to keep us from complete disaster…. You see, it works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Ignorance is the soil in which belief in miracles grows.”

~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~

***********************************

betty-boop-1934

I doubt very much there is any need to introduce this young lady to the Gentle Reader, unless said G. R. has been living in a cave for the past century…. This collection of her cartoons comprises more than an hour of her adventurous episodes, but, if that isn’t enough, just follow the links embedded in the player to find all you could wish for, including those that were banned due to ‘culturally questionable’ morals…. Have fun!….

********************************

Betty Boop

********************************

********************************

********************************

Comedy_Tragedy

Elemental, dear Watson….

Don’t worry,
it’s not
me
you hear
screaming.

It is
only
my bones,
giving in,
to
cowardly,
pathologically,
repetitive,
fucking,’
complaints
of
past abuse,
and
all the fun
we had.
playing,
hard.

I don’t mind
too much;
I can spend my
TIME
in another space
in my head,
pretending
my bones
don’t
exist….

It
is,
indeed,
a shame
they
always
come
back….

Fuck.

It
hurts.

More proof,
I guess,
either
God isn’t,
or,
He is.

IF

He isn’t?
Oh,
Well….

Ante up.
Deal.

IF

He is?
Then,
I don’t fucking care
who
doesn’t like it,

I say,

He
is
a bully,
a coward,
a hypocrite,
and,
truly,
an enormous asshole.

I suppose,
God
is
what comes,
to,
and
from,
People,

because

they
feel
a need,
for
someone
to
blame,
for
a
Universe
they
cannot
understand
or
accept.

I
will
take the complaints.

After all,
they
are
my bones.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/14/2014

********************************

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Connecting some of the dots….

*******

“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.
Good and bad are but names
very readily transferable to that or this;
the only right is what is after my own constitution;
the only wrong what is against it.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*******

“Enter freely and leave some of the happiness you bring behind.”

~~ The Insidious Wu Han ~~

*******

“I love those who yearn for the impossible.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust ~~

*******

“A person’s maturity consists in having found again
the seriousness one had as a child, at play.”

~~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche ~~

*******

“At some point your heart will tell itself what to do.”

~~ Achaan Chah ~~

*******

“Grain grows best in shit.”

~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~

*******

“You cannot face it steadily, but this thing’s for sure,
That time is no healer: the patient is no longer here.”

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

*******

********************************

Well!…. That was….. interesting. Rather than try to analyze what just occurred here, I’m going to use up some of my curmudgeonly currency, & drop y’all here like a hot potato. If that causes any severe injury, or excessive loss of blood, so be it; you’ll find first aid supplies in the hampers under the seats. As for me, I’m off to lick my wounds in private, so as to delegitimize any pertinent or possible litigation. I will, however, try to be back tomorrow, so, y’all may file any charges then. Until then, stay weird, be cool, and try to remain alert…. 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 2780

À bientôt, mon cherí….