Ornate displays of prurience….

Ffolkes,

“In the bigger scheme of things,
the universe is not asking us to do something,
the universe is asking us to be something.
And that’s a whole different thing.”

~~ Lucille Clifton ~~

Trinity square

Southern entrance, Trinity College, Dublin….

Hello, again. I’m back, after taking a day to completely vegetate; don’t know why, I just did. It may have something to do with waking up to an ant invasion yesterday, which completely ruined my morning. After the battle was over for the time being, my mood had gone into the dumpster, so, I spent the day just puttering & staring at various mind-numbing old TV shows (Have Gun, Will Travel, old British drawing-room mysteries, etc….). While entertaining, it wasn’t very conducive to writing….

My mood has improved, enough so to finish the little Pearl I had begun, so, I’m going to get it posted, sans any further attempts to try to write anything coherent or compelling, just so I can feel I got SOMETHING done today, thus consigning yesterday to the trash heap, where it belongs. I won’t even try any tricks here in the intro, to either garner your sympathy, or to rationalize my absence, or my return. We’ll merely say, it is what it is, and so be it. To make completely sure it doesn’t get away from me, we’ll also do this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Gird your grid for a big one!”

~~ Firesign Theater, “I think we’re all Bozos on this bus!” ~~

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angelina jordan fb

Angelina Jordan

Image from Facebook via Google Images

A bit over a year ago, while cruising You Tube for new artists, I came across this young girl’s videos. In 2014, at the age of 7 years, she entered & won Norway’s Got Talent, & has continued to amaze audiences wherever she performs ever since. In contrast to the other young artist I included some days ago, this young lady sings jazz, R&B, & soul music with such passion, her soul must be a thousand years old…. Here is a video of her at age 10, performing the Nina Simone version of “Feelin’ Good”…. amazing talent…. Enjoy!

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Comedy_Tragedy

This is the last poem I wrote, more than four months ago; I’ve been unable to write any more since then. I’m posting it today in the hope of breaking that pattern, so, please bear with me. I hope you enjoy it….

The Journey Becomes The Destination

We eat life, with every glance, every breath,
purposefully consumed to fill our amorphous need;
Every taste inebriates imagination, subtle as death,
waiting for us all, echoing life’s passionate greed.

Who wants to live forever?
Why do we think it matters?
We all live forever;
we always have.

Entropy becomes serendipity, grace made real;
intricately simple, infinitely complex instants are born,
passing review only until freed, fluid stainless steel
flowers, upon ancient crowns, never shorn.

All that is,
always was;
all that is,
shall always be.

Metaphor, and all its ilk, becomes lost in mystery’s lure,
until illumination consumes the capacity for truth.
Adversely, reaction sits in, replacing true rapture
with sad remnants of one old telephone booth.

Only in darkness
can we see the light.
Only in silence
can we hear the music.

An ancient muse seeks proper language, forever remote;
within the within, without entering without.
Improvising life works as if learned by rote,
the same as in dreams, no doubt.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/10/2018 to 4/9/2018

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Points to Ponder….

*******

“Humankind cannot stand very much reality.”

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

*******

“The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so.”

~~ Boileau ~~

*******

“I slept and drempt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was duty.
I acted and beheld that duty was joy.”

~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~s
*******

Narim: “What your mind doesn’t know, your heart fills in.”
Carter: “I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it’s beautiful.”
Narim: “Which is exactly what it means.”

~~ from Stargate ~~

*******

“Certainly, virtue is like precious odors,
most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed,
for prosperity doth best discover vice,
but adversity doth best discover virtue.”

~~ Bacon (1561-1626), Of Adversity ~~

*******

“…happiness is the highest good,
being a realization and perfect practice of virtue,
which some can attain, while others have little or none of it…”

~~ Aristotle ~~

*******

“Even a fool knows that you can’t touch the stars,
but it doesn’t stop a wise man from trying.”

~~ Judge Harry T. Stone ~~

*******

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Thankfully, that went fairly well, given the extant handicaps, all of which are self-inflicted. I promise, the next Pearl you see will show some improvement, if only to the content, if not the intent. For now, I’ll just say, be well, be happy as you may be, and present the world with your best version of strange; it’ll thank you for it. Ta, ta, then, 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 -- 15630

À bientôt, mon cherí….

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Searching for sufficiency….

Ffolkes,

“You cannot conquer a free man, the most you can do is kill him.”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

fiery sunset

Sonoma County Sunset On Fire….

Hajime…. R.D. Laing, a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on the experience of psychosis,  once said, “Insanity — a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world.” Considering my own experiences in living in today’s world, I can but agree, wholeheartedly. In fact, my recent extensive forays into the world at large have been little else than a continuing series of solid evidence supporting this idea. It also has been verification of my own decision to embrace and enjoy my own reaction to most of what occurs in my presence… In short, I no longer suffer from my tendencies to retreat into unreality; instead, I have embraced it, and learned to appreciate the irony that punctuates every insane act I see around me, as well as those I commit myself….

Oh, fear not, gentle reader; I haven’t gone completely off the rails; it only LOOKS that way. Mostly, I am using the unique perspective I find to be so useful for mitigating the angst that would otherwise build up to the point of explosion, leaking it out, instead, in tiny bursts of laughter (which, admittedly, can startle the natives, confusing them unmercifully….) and random acts of kindness and generosity, which few understand, but make me impervious to the ill effects of self-denigration. If that’s unclear, well, so be it. I find myself less concerned with what others think of me than has long been the case, and the sense of liberation is exquisite….

I suppose this is all a long-winded attempt to explain some of my absence, but, in looking back over what I’ve written thus far, I see it falls short of clarity. Since we’re already three paragraphs into this intro, it might be prudent to cease attempting to explain, or, even worse, justify my recent lack of production, & get on with what we have for today’s mess, if only to save a bit of time. Of course, saving time is merely another of our illusions; time is what we use to keep track of all that stuff that isn’t happening NOW, & cannot really be ‘saved’, or ‘lost’; those are merely distinctions important only to our human egos…. In truth, time just is; we only have a view of the present, with the past as immutable, and the future unborn. No wonder we’re confused.

Therefore, let us make an honest attempt to reduce our confusion, if only for a short time, by, moving on to the rest of today’s little mess, where you’ll find, if naught else, something different than this display of ill-conceived verbiage. Hell, you might even find something you enjoy; hope always springs eternal, even for those of us who have lost all hope. Well, lost all faith in hope, anyway, as happens with any failure of imagination. On that esoteric, if depressing, note, let us find our way down the page….

Shall we Pearl?….

“You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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dubliners

The Lads from Dublin, 40 years later….

At some point in your life, you’ve heard these lads play their music, which they’ve been making together since the middle of the last century. Whether one is a fan of Irish/Celtic music, or not, watching one of their shows is an education in both Irish culture, and musicianship. I’ve been listening to them for almost my entire life, and still find their music to be a source of joy…. I hope you do as well…. Drink Life, and, slainté!….

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The Dubliners
40th Year Reunion Concert

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Comedy_Tragedy

The new poem upon which I’ve been laboring is still not done; it’s dribbling more than actually leaking. To sublimate, here is a poem I wrote about 5.5 years ago, one of the first I wrote after a 40 year hiatus. I like it, and I hope you do, as well….

A Failure to Germinate

Marking the days in elements of sad disarray
only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.
With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel
pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.

Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light
breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.
Just below the surface they patiently hide
to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.

Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand
while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.
Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state
until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.

I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild
only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.
In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold
with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.

My search finds little to support any hope of relief
far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.
The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded
until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.

Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime
of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.
The last answer we think of is always the best
as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Did you know….?

*******

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

*******

“A man should be greater than some of his parts.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

“When mind soars in pursuit of the things conceived in space,
it pursues emptiness.
But when the man dives deep within himself,
he experiences the fullness of existence.”

~~ Meher Baba ~~

*******

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

~~ Mark Twain~~

*******

“How would you know you are alive, unless you had once been dead?”

~~ Subtle Bee, (with thanks to Carl Jung…) ~~

*******

“Who is more foolish:
the child afraid of the dark or
the man afraid of the light?”

~~ Maurice Treehill ~~

*******

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art of ending…”

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

*******

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I hope y’all will take note of the final pearl in the last section, which was placed there simply because of the appropriate nature of its message, in re: today’s offering. I find it both ironic, and satisfyingly smarmy. Y’all, of course, may make your own decisions; we are nothing if not tolerant in the face of absurdity. Since we have now used the one word most applicable to this entire process (from at least two perspectives….), I shall bid thee adieu, until I can manage to cobble together another fresh Pearl for your pleasure. Be well, be happy as you may, and, be just as strange as you can stand…. I guarantee, I will….

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….


					

Mundane or extraordinary; you choose….

Ffolkes,

“Anyone with an active mind lives on tentatives  rather than tenets.”

~~ Robert Frost ~~

irish cheese factory

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

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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Comedy_Tragedy

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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pearls_3

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 ~~

*******

“The great question of life
is not the question of death but the question of life.
Fear of death shames us all.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“And can you teach me to how to dance real slow?”

~~ Don McLean, “American Pie” ~~

*******

“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

*******

“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 ~~

*******

“You take your life in your own hands,
and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame.”

~~ Erica Jong ~~

*******

“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”

~~ Steven Stills ~~

*******

“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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Emulations of wonder….

Ffolkes,

“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

Sonoma scenery

Post-harvest wine country scenery….

Hajime…. As is sometimes the case, we begin today with an appropriate pearl of virtual wisdom; our selection is, in actuality, part of the composite pearl found in today’s final section, but, it fits in too well by itself in this locus to preclude using it twice….

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon
in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”

~~ Lin Yutang ~~

Those familiar with the way my mind works, (a challenge, for sure, but, not impossible, given enough exposure here on ECR….), will understand now why I use the word ‘appropriate’, as they will have noticed my complete absence from yesterday. Not a single word written, not a single email read, & only one blog visited, to leave a note for a friend in the hospital. In fact, the only time I spent on the computer yesterday was spent watching old movies, or listening to music. I am, as is also sometimes the case, unsure of just why I avoided all cyber contact, as it seemed an instinctual imperative more than anything else. I don’t feel even a smidgen of guilt, or even angst over not posting, and that, by itself, is a telling fact. To me, anyway…. It tells me blogging has assumed a lesser importance to my overall state of mind, replaced by the mere act of walking in the fresh air to be found out in the Big Blue Room….

So, my absence may have future repercussions for Exploring Consensual Reality. Not that my own explorations will cease; those words probably describe my life better than any others…. No, it merely bodes ill for consistent posting, or, for that matter, consistent writing, as my mind seems to prefer the more physically oriented rumination I find while walking in the wide world, seeking, and finding, moments of wonder wherever I go. As much as I enjoy the contact with others in the blogging world, (many of whom have become good friends, though never meeting in the flesh), it all seems less real than, well, the real world….

I have a problem with reality, I guess; the totality of what I perceive it to be often varies by a large degree from what others report, & I, like everyone else, tend to prefer my own perceptive ability’s take on it. This, as it does for us all, tends to create the potential for conflict, which, in my life, has been far too ubiquitous for my taste. I suppose that’s also the way everyone else feels about it, but, having dealt with what I consider to be more than my share of such issues, I am reluctant to enter into potentially contentious interactions, which is a long-winded way of saying I avoid people in general…. Go figure, eh?

I’m wandering, I know; it’s hard not to when wandering is what I have mostly been doing, in my head, for quite a long time. For now, I guess I’ll just stop, & go get this posted, as all the parts are in place…. I can’t say what will happen in the future, but, for us humans, that’s probably for the best, as our predictive abilities are no match for the vagaries of reality’s wondrous unpredictability…. Life is filled with ambiguity, so, for now, I’m going with the flow. I’ll let y’all know if I come up with any particularly valuable conclusions…. Until then….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Seeing death as the end of life
is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean”

.~~ David Searls ~~

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

Today’s music is a default selection, chosen to accompany your reading today for the simplest of reasons; I’m lazy. That’s it. I just didn’t feel like searching out anything else, for this always hits the mark, as far as I’m concerned…. I do hope you enjoy it….. Really, I do, so why shouldn’t you?…. Abondanza, ffolkes….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

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

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

More notes on Life at Large….

*******

As for courage and will
– we cannot measure how much of each lies within us,
we can only trust there will be sufficient
to carry through trials which may lie ahead.”

~~ Andre Norton ~~

*******

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon
in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”

~~ Lin Yutang ~~

*******

It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes,
rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

*******

“Anybody remotely interesting is mad, in some way or another.”

~~ Dr. Who ~~

*******

“The virtue of all achievement is the victory over oneself.
Those who know this can never know defeat.”

~~ A.J. Cronin ~~

*******

“There are two sentences inscribed upon the Delphic oracle,
hugely accommodated to the usages of man’s life:
“Know thyself”,
and “Nothing too much”;
and upon these all other precepts depend.”

~~ Plutarch — Consolation to Apollonius ~~

*******

“There is a great deal of human nature in people.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

*******

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Such as it is, so shall it be. On that rather final note, I bid thee adieu until the next time, which lies in the relatively distant future. Not really, in a cosmic sense; in fact, it could conceivably happen tomorrow, or even again today. Who the hell knows? Not me, but, when I do, y’all will be the first to know. See ya, ffolkes; I’m off on walkabout for another day…..

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 -- 14996

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Distant signs of wonder….

Ffolkes,

“All nature is but art unknown to thee.”

~~ Alexander Pope ~~

morning glory

Peeking Beauty….

Hajime…. Today’s post is a testament to the power of either my sense of duty, or, OCD take your pick. Having mentioned in yesterday’s re-blog I would post today, I am caught, by my own rather compelling need to live up to my words. I’m not particularly interested in knowing wherefrom the impulse may have arisen, but, there ’tis, in all its intense glory. So, I’ve cobbled this Pearl together, almost literally out of thin air, in order to live up to my statement, ill-advised though it may have been. I’m a Bozo, to be sure, but, an honest Bozo, and can be trusted to live up to my own word, if naught else. Sarge wouldn’t like it if I didn’t….

Life of late has been full; it’s strange, in many ways, to experience the aging process while my mind still feels young & strong. In many ways, getting old resembles the experience of being young, for I am continually learning new paradigms under which I must live, if I am to live with any elegance (a deliberately chosen word, I would add; I decided long ago Life should be approached as if we were creating a fine work of art, to embody the grace we seek to include in our living, to match the implacable grandeur so amply displayed by Nature and the Universe…..). Achieving any significant degree of such elegance, I find, becomes not harder, but, more involved & complex, as we grow older. We know HOW to do most things, but, in ways that assume a certain degree of physical capability no longer available to our aging bodies; our task thus becomes the process of learning HOW all over again….

I suppose that all sounds a bit convoluted, but, it is nonetheless the case. Rather than spend any more time trying to explain the Why of it, I’ll just get on with the show, just as if it made any difference in the overall scheme of things. Besides, the weather today is looking rather fine, & the wide world is calling me to take my camera, & go find some beauty to record, so it can be shared. It’s not a grand plan, but, ’tis my own; this process, though still necessary, has become a secondary impulse, with the need to go walkabout assuming a primary importance, no less compelling than my need to maintain sanity. It’s all relative, ain’t it? On that true, if obscure note, I think I’ll flip this switch over here, which will take us abruptly to where we need to be….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Experience is not what happens to you.
It is what you do with what happens to you.”

~~ Aldous Huxley, in “Reader’s Digest”, 1956 ~~

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playing-for-change

This weekend, specifically yesterday, was/is the yearly Playing For Change Day, during which musicians all over the world gather at street corners, in large venues, such as festivals, to play & sing for peace throughout the world. I hope y’all will consider taking part, as well as consider contributing to the cause, which helps children and communities in many countries come together to learn to play & sing, and to work together as people do best to make change in the world…. I hope you enjoy today’s selection, and that you enjoy taking part in humanity’s saving grace…. making music….

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Playing For Change
Redemption Song

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Comedy_Tragedy

Back in 2012, I had just applied to SS for my benefits, but, was still living in relative poverty until it arrived, with no chance or hope of being able to travel further than the nearest grocery store on payday. But, I dreamed of it all the time, particularly of going to Ireland, where I’ve been called ever since a child. I made it, eventually, and have been there twice now, with plans to go back as soon as I can figure it out. This poem explains my urges in this respect quite well, if with a bit of mild corn…. I hope you enjoy it….

Days and Nights of Eire

Comforting, a dream creeps oft into my mind
On the elven hills of Eire lives the vision I find.
Elegant, gracious, everlastingly draped in beauty
Just payment of simple homage lives as joyous duty.

Fairies and druids walk abroad in ghostly parade
Gracing each hearth with its own welcoming shade.
Castles and heroes yet live in tale and song
Proving love for the land in each heart strong.

From cold of winter into glorious young spring
Brown, and gray, to emerald green songs to sing
Soft rains always follow winter’s great tempest
Eire dons its emerald coat from east to west.

Old and strong, connections call out in dreams
Nothing that was known remains as it seems.
Immersion in ancient runes and battle hymns
Offering sanity in place of grievous whims.

Time and place can tell a much different tale
Judgment should never be a final sale.
Yet something solid and real calls me to go see
Where dreams of loving beauty may actually be….

~~ gigoid ~~

11/3/2012

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

“I find your faith in reality rather amusing….”

*********

“If you really knew me,
you would know that all your assumptions are wrong.”

~~ Ann Muir Thomas ~~

*********

“Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Epilogue to the Satires, Dialogue i, Line 136 ~~

*********

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.”

~~ Mohandas K. Gandhi ~~

*********

“Integrity is when
what you say,
what you do,
what you think,
and who you ARE
all come from the same place.”

~~ Madelyn Griffith-Haynie ~~

*********

“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”

~~ Aristotle (384-322BC) ~~

*********

“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

*********

“Look back on time with kindly eyes,
He doubtless did his best;
How softly sinks his trembling son
In human nature’s west!”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

*********

“For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”

~~ Lewis Carroll ~~

*********

“All I kin say is
when you finds yo’self wanderin’ in a peach orchard,
ya don’t go lookin’ for rutabagas.”

~~ Kingfish ~~

*********

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

Well, ffolkes, there you have it. I’ll be back in a day or two, hopefully having finished the half-done poem still in the process of leaking out of my head. If it continues to dribble, I’ll think of something. In the meantime, I suggest y’all be all you can be, even if you’ve never been in the army. Probably better if you haven’t, I should think, though no more or less of a lesson. In any case, I’m outta here, and so are you. Be well, & be happy as you may….

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….


					

A bevy of mimsey borogroves….

Ffolkes,

“If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.”

~~ Baba Ram Dass ~~

summer night

Summer Night by the Bay….

Hajime…. Hello, there, ffolkes. I am, for the moment, back from the abyss, though not without a degree of trepidation for the potential cost. But, cost is irrelevant in cases of introspective combat; if I had the option of giving up, it might prove less troublesome. But, Sarge never did teach us how to do that, so, I guess I’m stuck until I figure it all out. Hmm… sometimes, I amaze myself; that could easily be a coherent statement on how life works, right down at the core. I suppose that means the answers are there to be found, so, maybe I’ll follow down that path awhile….

Before I do so, however, I intend to post this Pearl. It has certainly cost me enough to put it together, & it would be a shame to see it wasted. Not that it is the best ever done, but, I really do hate waste, especially when it’s my own effort being trashed. Besides, it doesn’t fit in with the whole ‘no giving up’ idea very well, does it? No. Hence my decision, appropriate or not, to get it posted. All the correct elements are present, though at least one is a default choice. The rest is all mine, such as it is, & I hope you enjoy it.

As for me, I’m off to the battle zone, once again; sometimes it seems as if I’m making some headway (like this morning), but, given the pattern I’ve seen so far, that will soon be followed by a vicious attack by some rather nasty, tricky personal demons, who have the distinct advantage, as ‘personal’ demons, of knowing just where, and when to attack. As Luke Skywalker, and all heroes learn, we are our own worst enemy. The battle for control of self is like no other, but, the reward, true freedom, is well worth the risk and effort. So they say, anyway; I’ve yet to find out for myself, though there have been positive indicators.

In any case, that’s what’s what in gigoid’s little world; now, we’ll go do as promised, & get posted. I’ll see y’all down the page, okay? Okay….

Shall we Pearl?

“Entropy is not what it used to be.”

~~ Spaulding ~~

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

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

Default music for a default day; go figure, eh? Try to enjoy it, anyway, ffolkes. It’s bound to be pretty decent, as all the best classical music we see and/or hear is what has survived the test of time for us to hear…. Well, we’re hoping that’s so; ‘twould be horrendous if it were not, wouldn’t it?…. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

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

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Honorable Request

Days, filled to a brim with fluff and time, pass
dimly into memory, bit by combative bit;
ever mournful, yet loud with life and sass,
only in dream do we meet, and dance, and flit.

Souls, spinning ’round in gleeful wonder, comply
as they must, never given a reason;
somberly proper, yet limber and quite spry,
dancing on to greet each bright new season.

Storms, angered by apathetic care, rage
proceeding into ministerial glare, unknown;
clothed in colors, purified solely with sage,
past an infinite future, already flown.

Life, plumbed to its depths and secrets, keeps
flowing with currents, strong and fairly found;
love stands, asking release, as it slowly weeps,
seeking refuge unasked, to stay honor bound.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/13/2012

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Third star to the left, & straight on to morning….

*******

“Sometimes you have to be silent to be heard”

~~ Stanislaw J. Lec ~~

********

“Surely there is something in the unruffled calm of nature
that overawes our little anxieties and doubts:
The sight of the deep-blue sky, and the clustering stars above,
seems to impart a quiet to the mind.”

~~ Jonathan Edwards~~

********

“The cold wind that blows before and after time.”

~~ T.S. Eliot ~~

********

“Life is not the way it is supposed to be.
It is the way it is.
The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.”

~~ Virginia Satir ~~

********

“The individual has always had to struggle
to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened.
But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

********

“No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

********

“…. I think I’d better go back to my DESK
and toy with a few common MISAPPREHENSIONS…

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

********

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

I would say, at this point, Zippy has the floor, with the most cogent suggestion for maximizing our time. I’ll follow his example, though on my own path, which leads out into the BBR today, where events of late have provided more than sufficiently adventuresome activities for our amusement. The trick is to stay amused. I guess I’ll go work on that. See ya, ffolkes; it might even be soon….

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….

Elemental key lime pie….

Ffolkes,

“The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some people will hear today.”

~~ St. Francis of Assisi ~~

cat colors

Calico in sepia….

Hajime…. There is a little place in my head where ideas form; it seems to live between the state of full mindful consciousness and dreams, though the exact location remains mysterious, as it, like everything else, moves around a lot. Some days, I can find it easily, & the words flow like good wine at a bacchanal. Other days, of which today seems to be one, I can wander for what seems to be weeks in the empty hallways of the mansions of my mind without ever encountering even a whiff of fresh thought. When I sat to begin today, I had intended to discuss the process, but, as the hours, and days passed in my head, I realized such an intention would only make the gods laugh….

Finally, I gave up, as you see by the exposition which opens our missive. Not terribly compelling, but, honest. If there were any way, at this juncture, to go back & start over, I’d consider it well; since there doesn’t seem to be anything, in my head, or in the surrounding locus, that might offer such an opportunity, I may as well just get us down the page, where there is some great music, and an interesting group of rather inscrutable pearls, for y’all to chew on. It ain’t Ibsen, but, it’s art, I suppose. Y’all may, of course, make your own judgment on that, but, for now, it’s our story, & we’re sticking to it.

I don’t believe this horse is going to come back to life, so, I’ll quit beating on it, so we can get on with the rest of this mess. If I had any true compassion, I’d offer my apologies for this intro, but, I don’t. Not at this time of the morning, anyway. But, I do have my sense of ruthlessness, which has saved us many times in the past. That, of course, works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Bother!”, said Pooh, as time unraveled around him.

~~ Anonymous Bee ~~

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

bonnie at ogwt 1976

While cruising old You Tube videos the other day, I came across this old recording from back in the day (1976, in this case), which gives a very clear idea of why I fell in love with this artist’s work, and have carried that torch for all the intervening years. The only reason she is not my favorite redhead in the world is because I know another one personally. She can’t sing, or play guitar like Bonnie, but, she’s even more talented, in her own way…. Bonnie, who plays and sings like an angel, always makes me smile, and sigh…. and dance….

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

Bonnie Raitt
Old Grey Whistle Test
1976

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

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

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

“All men are poets at heart.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“All poets are mad.” — Robert Burton

Comedy_Tragedy

Ah Ain’t Sho, but Mebbe So….

Fried eggs got nuthin’ on me
Ah’m not even sure of mah name,
or how Ah come to be;
no idea from where Ah came.

Ah does like a mystery tho’,
puzzlin’ things out so’s Ah knows,
good from bad fo sho,
Ah sho don’t want no rock pillows.

If’n Ah cain’t figure out what’s best,
Ah just falls back on mah Daddy’s words,
seems he knowed just whut’d stand the test,
‘n how to gentle the scaredest birds.

‘Course, he’d lived a good long time,
‘n had lots of stuff go on by;
Went to a war, n’ lost a piece or two,
never once used it fer an alibi.

He tol’ me once Ah’d best learn to learn,
school’s only cool if ya ain’t already a fool.
Yer own good measure you can earn,
by startin’ yer learnin’ with the Golden Rule.

Always seemed to me as Ah growed up,
he mostly only spoke if it wuz true,
‘n by doin’ that clued me to what’s up,
kept me from stuff that’d a made me blue.

Without ever sayin’ the word itself,
Ah learned ’bout honor, ‘n helpin’ others
not some fake stuff from some shelf,
but, knowin’ whut’s right, ‘n that we’re all brothers.

Ah’ve been around long enough now, Ah think
to get around the block at least two times.
I s’pose long as my head don’t shrink
Ah’ll keep on doin’ right, ‘n makin’ these rhymes…..

~~ gigoid ~~

4/6/2013

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Yet Another Path….

*********

“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”

~~ Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace ~~

*********

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing,
of just going along,
listening to all the things you can’t hear,
and not bothering.”

~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~

*********

“He who is unable to live in society,
or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself,
must be either a beast or a god.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

********

“Without the difficulty of being hemmed in,
the tree in the forest would not be forced to marshal its power
to grow toward the light.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*********

“If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*********

“In human intercourse the tragedy begins,
not when there is misunderstanding about words,
but when silence is not understood.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

*********

“Heaven embraces the horizon.
No matter how jagged the profile, the sky faithfully conforms.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*********

“All men should strive to learn before they die
what they are running from, and to, and why.”

~~ James Thurber ~~

*********

“Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know.
But I do not approve.
And I am not resigned.”

~~ Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music” ~~

*********

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

Having fulfilled the minimum standards for a Pearl, I declare it done. So done, I can’t think of anything to say that would improve matters; in fact, it all feels like the slightest wrong move will bring it tumbling down around my ears. I’ll just end it here, quickly, & take my chances it will fly. Y’all have a good day out there in the BBR, as best you may. I’ll do the same, & maybe, tomorrow, we can do this again. Worth a shot, right? 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.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured image

À bientôt, mon cherí….

A wind out of the west….

Ffolkes,

“For some, reality is an illusion.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

tam sunset

Sunset behind Mt. Tamalpais….

Hajime…. Some of y’all may have noticed my absence for the past two days, & yes, that’s smarmy, but, I really don’t have it all together yet, so, bear with me, if you will. I cannot entirely explain what has been happening, except to say I am lost, far afield in the vast emptiness passing for my mind. I’m wandering in hallways I’ve never seen, as well as forging new pathways into previously neglected areas of thought, of which there are, apparently, an infinitude of untouched territory. For one who had thought he’d been around, I’m feeling a bit sheepish to find so many paths down which I’ve never walked in my mind.

Evolution of present reality also continues unabated, which complicates my own search for balance, as nothing stands still long enough for us to examine it closely. I’d thought, or been programmed to think, the world would simplify as I grew older, to reflect what I’ve learned of reality…. not so. The degree of ambiguity we all experience as part of a universe with entropy doesn’t recede over time, but, rather, maintains the pace it has set for all time and space. It’s not terribly amenable to alteration, either, at least, not from its basic nature as fluid, as much as rock. I suppose one must learn to deal with it the same as we deal with the hive of bees that live in our heads…. there they are, ffolkes, so, deal.

Such thoughts, however, in today’s culture, also have their cost, for we humans have behaved so atrociously toward other life, the bees are going extinct, a sad thought, especially considering, if they do, so do we, for we, and they, are part of a system in which ALL the parts are necessary for proper functioning; without the inherent balance we have disturbed with our insane desire to alter reality to suit our inner visions, none of it can function as it has evolved. Our own egoistic machinations will be our undoing, & we’ll be taking a lot of other forms of life down with us. A sad picture, painted by our own ignorance & willful fears….

But, all of it matters not at all, in the larger picture. This, too, is an idea we find it hard to accept; we wish ourselves, always, to be more than we are, an ambition reality will deny to us, as acting against not only our own nature, but, the very nature of reality itself. I have not, in my time here, been able to figure out either why we do it, or what can be done to change it, and, currently, have given up trying. We’re going down, & there’s nothing I can do about it, without the rest of humanity’s cooperation, not forthcoming. Hence, my inner turmoil, my own version of the reality being played out on the more universal scale….

I guess that’s all I’ve got for now; I’m uncertain, as is patently clear, of where to go from here; I only know I must find a new path, if I am to find the balance I seek. This, unfortunately, is playing hell with the consistency I’ve tried to create here on gigoid’s folly. Ah, hell…. Since I can’t seem to find any point to any of it, let’s just get on with what I’ve put together for today, & be done with it, okay? Okay….

Shall we Pearl?

“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes,
rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

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

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

It’s a default music day, so, here are some cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, played by the modern master of cello (pre-Yo Yo Ma…), Sr. Pablo Casals. Enjoy!….

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

J. S. Bach/Six Cello Suites
Pablo Casals

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

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

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Blue chameleon

It’s hot today, with chances of pain & rain.
So it says on the news.
Guess there’s nothing to do again
unless it’s sing the blues.

The blues are gettin’ old, though.
So I say, & I should know.
I been singin’ the bloody songs, y’know?
For what seems a long row to hoe.

S’pose it could get better someday.
I’ve heard that tune before.
Always seemed out of tune anyway;
I ain’t waitin’ any more.

Bang those drums & kick the cans.
May as well raise some hell.
Clang together some old pots & pans;
It hides the little voices so well.

Never worry, don’t you fear at all.
We’ve got certificates of note.
Bureaucratic protections, officially small.
Non carborundum illegitimi, he wrote.

Time, and circumstance, wrote me today.
It came in the daily mail from home.
It said I shouldn’t write unless I say
you’ll be charged for the distance you roam.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/28/2016

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Connective tissue….

*******

“Nature is indifferent to our love, but never unfaithful.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“It is important that man dreams,
but it is perhaps equally important
that he can laugh at his own dreams.”

~~ Lin Yutang~~

*******

“Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go;
it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.”

~~ Alice M. Swaim ~~

*******

“We have art that we do not die of the truth.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

*******

“What use is magic if it can’t save a unicorn?”

~~ Peter S. Beagle, “The Last Unicorn”~~

*******

“From the persistence of noise comes the insistence of rage.
From the emergence of tone comes the divergence of thought.
From the enlightenment of music comes the wisdom of… silence.”

~~ Visions of Gregorian Chants ~~

*******

“In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.”

~~ Pliny the Elder ~~

*******

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

Pliny the Elder, Aristotle, Socrates…. all have spoken of the uncertainty of natural law, in terms of what humans may know. In order to learn, we must first accept that we do not know already. After all this time on Earth, I’m still learning…. thank goodness! For now, I’m done; I am unsure of when I may be back; all is too changeable just now for me to predict with any confidence. All I know for now is, I will be back, if I can find my way to any point stable enough from which to think…. No matter what, I gotta keep looking; Sarge didn’t have any ‘give-up’ in him, & neither do any of his sons…. 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

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Telling curious tales, in situ….

Ffolkes,

“In’I no expect to be justified by the laws of men.”

~~ Bob Marley ~~

near sunset

Near sunset on SF Bay….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is another in a long line of oddnesses I’ve managed to engender over the years I’ve been doing this. It’s complete, in terms of the current formatting & content standards I’ve established, though it does tend to be a bit obscure in spots. That, I would guess, is nothing new for what one generally sees on this site. It’s also quite late, compared to when I usually get posted; that is simply due to my duties yesterday, while babysitting, having kept me from working on any of it until this morning, when I decided, yet again, not to worry about how much time it took, or how late it got posted…. The mere fact it is done, and will get posted, is the most exemplary part of its charm, if any can be claimed at all….

All that, having been said, to our usual lack of concrete purpose, ‘twould, no doubt, behoove me to do what is needed to just “do it”. Far be it from me to deny the critical implications of using the word “behoove”; we’ll just pull up our pants, roll up our sleeves, set our faces with grim resolve, & get it done, just as if that were the original plan. Who’s gonna know, right? Only me, & I ain’t tellin’…. I am, however, finding it easier every time I use it to employ the ruthlessness I’ve developed in truncating this intro section of late. Today, that looks like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“To live only for some future goal is shallow.
It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.”

~~ Robert M. Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” ~~

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

cream 2005

Cream ~~ 2005, Royal Albert Hall Reunion

Whenever I’m in a ‘mood’, I seem to turn to old rock & roll for soothing. Since the concerts this group put on in 2005 for their reunion contained some of the very best live performances ever seen on a stage, it ends up on my speakers a lot. I figured, since I definitely am in the proper ‘mood’, why not? And, indeed, why not listen to the best?….. Enjoy, ffolkes; if you know anything about musicianship, you’ll enjoy this….

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

Cream ~ Live Reunion
2005

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

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

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

Comedy_Tragedy

Neurons/Parade Rest

Forlorn, he thought, but, then,
no, not really so.
Old, sad, strong; polluted by time’s red pen.
Nowhere left, to be, nor to go.

Tricks, not treats, forever remote,
strike fear into hearts fettered in fog.
Biting deep, stinging, we simper by common rote,
mired eternally in such bilious bog.

Torturous vision, bloody, capitulates in duplicate;
don’t ask for whom the spell trolls.
Ambiguity is real, impossible to extricate,
that’s how it rocks, then rolls.

Spiteful instruments offer no respite, patently.
Filigree lacks properly significant doubt.
Alternative answers formulate motivation, elegantly,
portraying reality as a vulgar lout.

Poltroons, there’s a good word,
for idiotic farmers, enthusiasts who borrow
time, filled with the blood of a bird;
solitary, the trickster cannot follow.

Affable moments trip the light, fantastic;
salacious intimacies fill a shimmering bower.
Night falls, eventually, monastic;
eternity calls with irresistible power.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/11 – 8/15/2016

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life at Large….

*******

“Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right actions arises by itself?”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”

~~ Aristotle ~~

*******

“Between the vision and the act lies the shadow.”

~~T. S. Eliot ~~

*******

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*******

“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed,
and in such desperate enterprises?
If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau, “Walden” ~~

*******

“There are worlds out there
where the sky is burning and the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream;
people made of smoke and cities made of song.
Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice,
somewhere else the tea’s getting cold.
Come on Ace, we’ve got work to do…”

~~ The Doctor, “Survival” [Last lines of last episode] ~~

*******

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

I’m not sure if this isn’t the latest I’ve posted a Pearl, ever; if not, it’s damn close to it. Which, of course, means nothing, in the larger picture; it just means I have a choice. I can end it here, and, now, with some aplomb. Or, I can draw it out for some time longer with some of the bullshit I keep handy. Since I’m in a “mood”, (not always a bad thing; today’s version isn’t particularly negative, just ‘odd’…. if that word still has any meaning around here….), I’ll choose the former, mainly because I can then apply the word ‘aplomb’ to myself. That’s enough incentive for anyone, I’d say. Works for me, anyway. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as reality refrains from getting too fractious…..

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

Kowabunga!

À bientôt, mon cherí….

In the courtyards of Balliol….

Ffolkes,

“What UNIVERSE is this, please??”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

winter sailing

Winter on San Francisco Bay….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is yet another truncated version, for the simple reason I don’t have time to put it all the way together the way I prefer. I make no excuses for it; I’m once again the designated babysitter for my granddaughter for the day. Simple excited anticipation prevented much of what you won’t see today, and may be considered no great loss. Believe me, I’m not sweating over it. Yesterday was a good day; got to talk to a friend halfway across the world via Skype, which always gives the geek in me a thrill, quite aside from the pleasure of talking with a like mind…. the glow of inner joy kept me going all afternoon.

Well, that’s all the chatty conversation I’ve got today; I’m gearing up for the physical effort I know is coming; my granddaughter, at two, is a bundle of energy, which my aged body must strain to keep up with. Fortunately, I’ve done this before, & know it’s just a matter of using my head & being mindful, not hard to do with a two-year-old’s mind to enjoy. It’s such a joy to watch it learn to learn…. and soak up perceptions like an ocean sponge. Since I only have what you see below, I suppose I should get to it, & figure out how to get started on a Pearl for tomorrow…. Ah, well, it’s all grist for the mill, right?

I found a new technique for getting this intro done, too. Wanna see it work? Watch….

Shall we Pearl?

“Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yield!
Against stupidity the very gods
Themselves contend in vain. Exalted reason,
Resplendent daughter of the head divine,
Wise foundress of the system of the world,
Guide of the stars, who are thou then, if thou,
Bound to the tail of folly’s uncurb’d steed,
Must, vainly shrieking, with the drunken crowd,
Eyes open, plunge down headlong in the abyss.”

~~ Johann Christian Friedrich von Schiller, “The Maid of Orleans” ~~

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Conclusions are left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader….

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“Everything that irritates us about others
can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

~~ Carl Gustav Jung ~~

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“If you regard discomfort as a normal condition
you are not likely to be troubled by want.”

~~ Ieyasu’s maxims ~~

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“If our behavior is strict, we do not need fun!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

~~ William Butler Yeats ~~

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“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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“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure
without being more sensitive to pain.”

~~ Alan Watts ~~

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“A hard beginning maketh a good ending.”

~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part i, Chap. iv ~~

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Well, there you have it, in its entirety. I’ll offer no complaints, nor any encouragement; only empathy is available, at a reasonable fee. Probably, the best idea, for all of us, is for me to just say, see ya, ffolkes. I’ll be back when I’ve got this back under some sort of control; shouldn’t take long…. Be well, be strange, be alert….. All are good to be….

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

Kowabunga!

À bientôt, mon cherí….