The Real World again intervened, compellingly enough today’s fresh Pearl didn’t quite get done. I’ll try for tomorrow, if things don’t explode again… In the meantime, here’s one from 2015, with some decent ranting, and one of my best poems from the months I spent in Hell. Thanks for coming by & I will see y’all soon. On a cosmic scale, it won’t be long at all. Take care, and be well… Me, I’ll be practicing my strange, as if I needed it….
“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
Cedars of God, Lebanon ~ 4500+ years old Image from the UK Telegraph
Good morning…. Of late, I’ve been feeling something of an ethical/moral/social conundrum, over which I am apparently, well, dithering. Can’t seem to make a final decision on it, even though time is becoming a factor. I suppose I’ll have to suck it up here soon. Ah well, 2 AM is most likely not the best time to be making such a far-reaching decision, especially since there will be a definite effect on Reality, as well as a number of ffolkes, and a great many folks of lesser, shall we say, mindfulness? We shall….
That said, with what I am proud to say is a fine degree of obscurity (details are unimportant at this time…), which may, or may not, affect…
It’s not ready, damn it! But, here’s a pretty decent Pearl, with some poetry which were fresh on the day posted…. I’ll try real hard to get done for tomorrow… but, as always, that comes with a caveat, to wit: Murphy and the BBR may have other plans for me. Regardless, I’ll be back as soon as I can…. Take, & be well… I’ll be strange, in case you wondered…. See ya, ffolkes….
Ffolkes,
Oddly enough, I still don’t have any idea as to how I should go about starting these Pearls. After more than 12 years, one would think I’d have a clue about that, but, nope, I’m still fussing around with different approaches and styles, all of which work, at various times, and none of which work, some of the time….. It’s enough to drive a sane man to drink, or a sober man to go crazy, so it should certainly be enough to turn me into a blubbering idiot…. Of course, there are those who would say, (unkindly, I might add…) that I am both insane, and often drunk…. They’re just jealous, though….
Jealous of what, I don’t know, but, that’s the way it seems….. Maybe it’s because, in spite of how it may seem, I’m always doing exactly what I want to do…. That’s something not everyone can say…
A new Pearl is in the works, & coming along nicely. But, the BBR keeps interrupting the process with real-time issues, so, it’ll be a day or two more until it’s ready… As a sublimation, here is a pretty decent Pearl from a bit over five years ago (where DOES the time go?…. SIGH). I hope you enjoy it, & I’ll be back, soon…. Be well, be happy as you wish to be, and for God’s sake, be strange!…
Ffolkes,
Whew! A close call, but disaster was averted, narrowly. Lest I drive everyone away in the first paragraph, before we even get started, I’ll not supply the details, but, believe me, it was very nearly a nasty mess. Let’s just say, hallelujah, and leave it at that….. Well!….
Howdy….. It isn’t every day that begins with such excitement, thank goodness. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t deal with that kind of issue every morning, as I have a distinct dislike for Kleenex, and anything to do with them, due to an accident when I was a child, involving those unreliable tissues, a clown, a policeman, and several large piles of manure. They told me it would probably never go away, so I live in a tissue-free world…. I don’t mind, there’s always TP…..
Hmm…. I suppose that kind of talk might just drive y’all out, too, if I’m not careful…
“Food, sleep, fear, propagation;
each is the common property of men with brutes.
Virtue is really their additional distinction;
devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.”
~~ The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.) ~~
Defiant Beauty….
Hajime…. It’s been a week or more (I’m too lazy to actually stop to figure out the exact interval…) since I last posted a fully fresh, fully filled-in Pearl, & I said I’d post, so, to avoid any significant build of inner angst (some folks call it ‘guilt’, but, not me, nosiree…. too personal….), I’m going to go ahead with what I’ve cobbled together, so I can work on a properly constructed piece of work, one with which I can be content. With this one, I am, if not content, then, tolerantly bemused. There’s a good older poem of mine, some fine music (three centuries of music enthusiasts can’t be ALL wrong….), and a number of excellent pearls strung together to make up the final, always odd finishing section of old-school pearling. Not bad, given the severe shortage of time spent at the computer in creating it….
Whatever my reasoning, or, euphemisms used, it’s going to have to serve, because I’m too invested in playing in the real world to stop at this point, with so much of the world still to explore. I’ll work hard to finish off the new poem, if only to get it out of my head, so, it won’t be long before the next fresh Pearl shows up. I’m sure, by now, y’all are thrilled to hear that. Well, perhaps ‘thrilled’ puts a strain on your credulity, but, you know what I mean, right? If not, boy, I’ve been doing something wrong, or, have been gone too often for my irony to register. SIGH…. Oh, well, that’s Life, y’know? Delicious ambiguity….
For now, let’s quit fooling about, & get on with what I have for y’all to enjoy today. I’ll even refrain from employing any of the customary BS, & just say this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Just being weird is enough.”
~~ Truthful Bee ~~
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We’re going with a default selection today, to save time and cognitive angst which builds up the longer I take to make a decision on it. We’re also going with my personal favorite composer, for similar reasons… I do hope you enjoy it; I intend to do so as well…. Abondanza!….
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Classical Music
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The new poem isn’t done; it’s leaking out in small pieces. Here is one of my better efforts from 2013….
After the odyssey….
Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound
Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.
Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.
Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.
Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/10/2013
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Naked Pearls
Further Notes on Life @ Large….
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“It is in changing that things find repose”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
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“Anyone can hate. It costs to love.”
~~ John Williamson ~~
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“If you want to be happy, be.”
~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~
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“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.”
~~ Anne Sexton ~~
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“The Soul is born old, but it grows young;
that is the comedy of life.
The Body is born young and grows old;
that is life’s tragedy.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
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“Be not anxious about what you have, but about what you are.”
~~ Pope St. Gregory I ~~
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“How admirable,
he who thinks not,
‘Life is fleeting’,
When he sees the lightning!”
~~ Basho ~~
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I did it. Again. I don’t know how, or why, and don’t wish to tempt fate by trying to figure it out. I’m just going to be happy with what there is, & move on to different, if not better things. Y’all enjoyed it, I hope; if not, well, as Epictetus said, happiness & freedom begin with a clear understanding that some stuff isn’t within our control Cute, eh? And, just tricky enough to be true. I’ll see y’all in a day or two…. Be well & happy, 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.
I’ve been gone awhile, obviously; my recent forays into the world outside have been at once time-consuming, and quite ‘interesting’…. That’s a bit obscure, but, what else is new? Well, I’ll tell ya…. not much. I’m working on a fresh Pearl, but, haven’t been able to spend much time at the computer, for a number of compelling reasons, so, it’s going to be a couple more days before that will get posted…
I wanted, however, to let anyone at all interested to know, I WILL be back, in a couple days, to post what I’ve written (which will, I hope include a new poem). To sublimate the urge today, here is one of my poems, which may just be the best I’ve done… If naught else, the final line is a real zinger, & i hope you enjoy it…
“Anyone with an active mind lives on tentatives rather than tenets.”
~~ Robert Frost ~~
Irish cheese factory workers….
Hajime…. All the necessary elements of a fresh Pearl have been completed, but for the introduction and closing sections. At this point in the process, it falls to me to figure out what sort of introduction to make, a task complicated by the usual vast blank space with which I begin the day in my mind. The absence of sufficient caffeine seems to preclude any functional imagination, making the choice of how to begin rather problematic. I am compelled to choose from a fictional opening to a story that will never be written, an outburst of nonsense and/or blather from my silly side, or, as I have opted to use today, a short, honest, and mostly boring discussion of the inherent difficulty of writing something fresh & interesting on a consistent basis….
No matter which way it went, it always seems to be a matter of Hobsen’s Choice, i.e., the most expedient method will get chosen, due to impatience, and/or, a lack of will power, however one chooses to view it. In any case, it’s all moot now, as we’ve made our foray out of the darkness, into the light of day, & for better or worse, it’s gonna go the way it goes. I think, given the severe lack of functioning neurons with which I have to work this morning, we’ll opt for the old ruthless efficiency technique to get us where we need to go, to wit: further down the page. It’s not our most popular method, but, it certainly is efficient. You see, it works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
Asked what he gained from philosophy, he answered,
“To do without being commanded what others do from fear of the laws.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi ~~
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Leonard Cohen
Image from Rolling Stone via Google Images
I am, of course, known far & wide as ‘the dubious one’, (well, wide, anyway, if not far), but, I have little doubt at all that this man needs introduction. He passed away a few months ago, but, fortunately for us all, left a good body of work to remember him by…. Enjoy!….
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Leonard Cohen Greatest Hits
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Meander….
Inimitable, grieving, garnering mere bargains, to taste;
naked apes, priapic by nature and choice,
filled up the only valid chalice, laid it to waste,
nobody asked, nor ever raised a single voice.
Formidable, dreams becoming so real;
clearly extraordinary, in a tawdry sense.
Deals to make, illusions to steal,
busy, busy, building fence after fence.
True nature’s existence, so to speak,
rests interiorly, as well as in your face.
Duality’s persistent insistence ain’t weak;
ignorance of reality leaves not a single trace.
Herds of commonality congregate before portals
shaking each other by the collar as they dance.
Chasing their illusionary dreams, as if they weren’t mortals,
born believing they ever had a chance.
Irony lives deep in the human soul, part, parcel, post;
holding four aces, betting a pair of jacks, or queens.
Expedience beckons toward mendacity, at most,
fox mocking grapes, while it dances and preens.
The wheel turns, inevitable, ponderously mundane,
grinding grain, chaff, and dust.
Bolstering connections aids those who may abstain
from the paltry tale of the bold, and just.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/5/2016
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Naked Pearls
“Will change the pebbles of our puddly thought To orient pearls.”
~~ Du Bartas (1544-1590) ~~
~~ Divine Weekes and Workes, Second Week, Third Day, Part i ~~
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“The great question of life
is not the question of death but the question of life.
Fear of death shames us all.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
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“And can you teach me to how to dance real slow?”
~~ Don McLean, “American Pie” ~~
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“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”
~~ Lily Tomlin ~~
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“One must never lose time
in vainly regretting the past or in complaining
against the changes which cause us discomfort,
for change is the essence of life.”
~~ Anatole France ~~
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“You take your life in your own hands,
and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame.”
~~ Erica Jong ~~
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“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”
~~ Steven Stills ~~
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“Listen hard. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn.”
~~ Sagacious Bee ~~
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Not too shabby, given the essential nature of what it is…. In fact, this one could be considered a fine example of a Pearl, if it weren’t destined to be surrounded by re-blogs, thus hiding it’s freshness behind a wall of relative rot. SIGH… Ah, well, so be it. Life goes on, & gigoid’s goin’ walkabout again…. Cold or no, it’s just too nice out of doors to remain inside. (Ref: see anything written by John Muir….) I hope all remains well with y’all; be happy as you may, and I’ll see y’all in a couple days…. Oh, and, don’t forget to be 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.
The BBR continues to draw my attention with more interest than what I can find at the computer, so, the next Pearl didn’t quite get done. Here’s another re-blog from about four & a half years ago… Let’s see what was going around in my head back then, shall we…. What’s going on there now will save itself for later…. Y’all have a great day; be well, happy, and strange, and things will turn out fine. See ya, ffolkes….
Retreat, retreat, he cries in vain we cannot stand such pain! Another battle, another day’s fight Eternally at war, both day and night.
Storms within, crashing and thrashing about, filling each moment with fear and doubt. Cries of anguish, hopes for a swift end Denied with wounds that will not mend.
The crisis approaches, time will not wait. It marches on, driven madly by fate. We have no recourse, no other road to walk, No great power to whom we may talk.
Morning arrives, seemingly mild and free Until one considers all that must be An intro, some pearls, a photo or two Today’s magnificent Pearl, created just for you…..
~~gigoid ~~
I was looking for a particular date of an event from last year at around this time, and in the process, came across this poem, that…
Having gone walkabout a lot yesterday, there’s no fresh Pearl ready for today; I’d say it’s par for our recent course, but, that would probably be too metaphoric for this early in the day. Allegory sits better on a full stomach, or, at the very least, after coffee. I did find this Pearl, a fine example of the ancient style used then, with some pretty decent examinations of reality to peruse. It got some good traffic, and generated some good comments, which makes it a good read (well, for me, anyway….) I plan to visit some blogs today, to let my favorite ffolkes know I’m not dead yet, so, a Pearl for the morning is, as of yet, not guaranteed. But, I WILL return, soon enough… In the meantime, enjoy today’s walk through the past, be well & happy, and, for goodness’ sake, stay strange….
Ffolkes,
Having decided to forgo the usual nonsense, there will be no introductory section this morning. Yesterday’s near-disastrous hijacking of my keyboard has put me on edge, security-wise, and I think it is best if I just leave this section out, and go right into today’s dive….. oh. Wait. Hmm…… this is already an intro, isn’t it? Well, so much for that idea….
Well, since I can’t say, “I love it when a plan comes together!”, I guess I’ll just have to say, “WTF?” (See? I AM capable of tact….. I could have spelled it out, couldn’t I?…. all part of the service…..) The latter is more honest, at base, and expresses my normal state of mind in the morning much more accurately. I’m finding that displaying such personal foibles is preferable to humanity’s normal policy of insisting all is well, everything is fine, nothing to see here, move along……
“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden ~~
Condescending to pose….
Hajime…. As a general rule, I would say the vast majority of humankind does not spend a lot of time in introspection; for the most part, when they do, they find it so uncomfortable, they find excuses to avoid such self-examination. This reaction to the need to understand ‘self’ is, in my opinion, part of the root cause of all the issues we find in today’s society that cause human suffering, for, ignorance, whether of self, or of the rest of creation, always leads us into difficulty with reality; the universe cares not a whit whether we make the attempt to grow, or choose to follow a shorter, less serene path to the inevitable death which awaits us all.
In recent days, as I walk about in the world, I find myself also walking the inner path to self-examination, for, when you walk in the world, not only does the world get bigger, but, our entry to the inner world expands, beckoning us to follow to a better understanding of ourselves; even time slows down, along with the speed of our steps, the more we learn to be ‘in the moment’, wherever we are.
One of the ideas which passed into my awareness was this: our Ego forms preferences in life according to our emotional reaction to what occurs. Those experiences which make us feel ‘good’, in my opinion, seem to be those which bring us closer to the connection we always have to the Source, to the knowledge of reality which is our heritage, and our legacy as a form of Life. ‘Bad’ experiences are those which cause us to lose the connection, and, along with it, the feeling of being in the place we belong, of being safe. The events of the real world, of having to deal with others whose ‘preferences’ are different than our own, distracts us from any time for self-examination, so, we react according to our own preferences, without any understanding of why our positions are different, or how we even came to have them. This ignorance puts us at a disadvantage, for we are reacting to the world, rather than interacting with it.
Hmm…. I see I’ve gotten rather deep into a discussion which ultimately leads us into areas of thought which can be, not just uncomfortable, but, actively disturbing. In my experience, such discussions often lead to strong reactions, for everyone has their own ideas about what is real, and what is important; seldom do humans come to an agreement over reality without first encountering conflict, all the result of our Ego-driven emotional response to Life, and our own lack of understanding of our own nature. Since we are still in the intro section, I am hesitant to take this any further; it is a subject which lends itself to long dissertation, to be sure. As well, since I really didn’t plan to begin with such an esoteric subject, I am not sure where I need to go with it. So, we’ll do the most human thing, and just quit.
Not to say we’re quitters, or that I make a habit of such cowardly mien; I just don’t think I’m awake enough to take it where it should go. Moreover, at this juncture, I don’t even KNOW where it should go, so, we’ll just go with getting today’s mess posted, and try not to think about the loss of potential understanding. I mean, it’s not like history is full of grand examples of mankind’s rationality; history is more a list of mankind’s failings of virtue than a list of ethical victories. But, in any case, I do have a Pearl, which I promised to get posted this morning, & if I don’t get started on that, it could get put off again, which would give me guilty fits for days. Wouldn’t want that, so, let’s go on, & continue this train of thought another time. In short….
Shall we Pearl?….
“I think too much or not at all.”
~~ Isaac Asimov ~~
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Muddy Waters
For anyone who likes the blues, no introduction is necessary for this man. For anyone else, I will merely say, listen, and enjoy….
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Muddy Waters Live in Dortmund, Germany 10/29/1976
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A dream, weeping….
“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said
with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.
“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….
what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”
So, we plucked up our dreams of old,
to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,
stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,
for luck, and perfect proof against charms.
Storms follow the sun, but, never stay;
lessons round every corner, all free.
Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,
the journey becomes the reason to be.
Simple kindness manifests untold riches,
in defiance of common cause’s demise.
Bold courage, hanging in stitches,
mends wounds that come as no surprise.
Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.
Too much pain cannot apprehend
the salient, sharp points of epiphany,
nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.
Folly dogs even the simplest truth,
fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,
alienated as a loose rotten tooth;
it often hides itself, for a long while.
Sought after eons ago, we cried out,
to believe, to suffer no more doubt.
But found instead good reason,
for love, and truth, from season, to season.
~~ gigoid ~~
— 8/30/2014 —
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Naked Pearls
Randomly Subtle….
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“There are those among us
who live in rooms of experience
that you and I can never enter.”
~~ John Steinbeck
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“If there is a sin against life,
it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life
as in hoping for another life and in
eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
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“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”
~~ Erica Jong ~~
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“Counting time is not so important as making time count.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
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“Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision.
But Today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this Day.”
~~ Sanskrit proverb ~~
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“Things ain’t what they used to be and never were.”
~~ Will Rogers ~~
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“Is that funny? Is that a joke?”
~~ Data ~~
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In the eternally appropriate words of Hassan the Moor, from the movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, I have fulfilled my vow. In some ways, it’s an iconic Pearl, with something for everyone, I would say. But, then, I’ve been known to say some pretty outrageous stuff over the years, and this could be merely another example of that. Who am I to say? For the nonce, it will suffice. I’ll be back in a day or two; not long, for reality is keeping me home more for a few days, under compulsion not worth explanation. Simply stated, I’ll be back, probably sooner than later. Y’all be well, remember to be happy as you may be, and, for goodness’ sake, be strange…. 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.
It seems, at this point, I may have completely eradicated most of my followers. I posted a fresh Pearl two days ago, & it has seen very little traffic. Not to say many ffolkes still come by, anyway; I think, maybe, thirty to fifty people may still drop in, though I am listed as having over 700 followers on WP. I guess many people come by, hit follow, & expect others to follow them in return. Ah well, no matter; I never much cared, or worked at having a large following, since I was mostly writing for my own purposes, to stay sane during times of stress & worry during my adjustment to being retired. Now, there are about three to five people around the world who have stuck around through all my incarnations; not surprising (to me) most of them live in other countries… My most faithful followers, as evidence has shown, live in England, Cananda, Japan, India, with only a couple who show up regularly from this country… Go figure, eh? Ah well, as I said, I write for me, mostly, so, it doesn’t matter. But, I kind of miss the interaction of the comments, which can only come if I am here to read them, and, most of the time of late, I am not here online, or even in the house….and I can’t work up any guilt about it, as I am, as is everyone else, doing the best I can….
To let y’all know I AM alive, here’s a pretty good old Pearl, from 2015, which got some good comments, if not a lot of traffic. I am working on another fresh Pearl, which I hereby commit to posting tomorrow morning. Until then, y’all be well & happy as you may be…. I’m doing the same….
Hajime…. Between sleeping badly, from a bit of overdo, and computer issues in the morning, I’m incredibly late getting this started, much less done. Therefore, we’re going with another abbreviated intro section; so abbreviated I hated to use the word “abbreviated”, as it has too many letters to type for efficiency. Oh, well…. Here’s how that works….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Perfect valor is to do unwitnessed what we should be capable of doing before all the world.” — Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld
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The Band
Image from clashmusic.com via Google Images
Today’s musical selection is from one of the most respected bands to ever play rock & roll. Together since the late 60’s, famous for their versions of ‘The Weight’ and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, as well as for their…
In the light of day….
gigoid 