“A wise player ought to accept his throws and score them, not bewail his luck.”
~~ Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Phaedra, Frag. 862 ~~
Early morning in Galway….
Hajime…. Aha! It isn’t 0 and 1… it’s 0 and infinity! Or, rather, ‘twould be, if we were able to perceive reality with more discrimination. Mostly, we’re not, so, we stumble around this old ball o’mud with our mouths open & our minds shut, pretending we are the lords of creation, when what we are, at base, is a pack of over-active, under-achieving apes with aggressive tendencies, and very little consideration for the other inhabitants who live here with us. SIGH…. Such promise, too. Ah, well, perhaps in our next incarnation, our species will have learned, as well as ‘earned’, a bit more of the basic understanding which might do well to ease our path away from self-destruction, seemingly our most developed talent….
As might be construed, my thoughts have turned maudlin again, in spite of having hovered close to what feels like a major epiphany for some days now, under the impetus and influence of my current reading, difficult as has been to perform the act of reading itself. It seems age is catching up to me again, in the worst way I can imagine. My eyes are giving out, & make it very hard to read for long, or well, at all. Even the act of typing/writing is becoming more problematic, as the letters swim around, mixing & melding with each other until the whole mess is nearly incomprehensible. Not to say it isn’t always so, but, not being able to make out the individual letters does complicate the process, slowing it considerably, not to mention increasing the threat of typographical inaccuracy, always a risk for us self-styled philosophers…. BIG SIGH….
Nonetheless, I have persevered, long enough to complete a freshly constructed Pearl for your perusal, and for the release of my angst. Bingo…. I love two for one. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to work our way around the maudlin starting phase, into the proper outcome, to wit, moving down the page to the rest of the material. I think I know how to do that; it’s actually fairly simple, really. All I actually have to do is this… Watch close, or you’ll miss the turn….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.
One brave deed is worth a thousand books.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
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This won’t hurt. Those familiar with the process here on ECR will recognize the icon atop this section as our indicator of default musical choice, to wit, classical music. They can reassure the rest of y’all who might otherwise be worried such music will be boring, or beyond their taste…. trust me, just listen while you read, and you’ll see… it truly doesn’t hurt, and, if given half a chance, can actually be soothing to the spirit…. Let’s have a listen, shall we?…
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Classical Music
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Penance, Made Simple
After all the dross is sent away
a celebration can begin,
time will face up to space, to stay
willing, to shine from within.
Anger and confusion come in to share
brushing reason aside,
eager to welcome all that is fair,
alert to danger, eyes wide.
Re-gift the wicked with their own pain
stand with the just;
fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,
living in honor, the only must.
Standing fast in the face of wrong
is its own prize and reward.
Holding on to truth makes us strong,
well worth working toward.
Little is left to chance by fate
our lessons are never free of cost.
Seldom does reality make us wait
only when alone, are we lost.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/23/2012
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Naked Pearls
Random notes on Life @ Large….
*******
“Do you ever think about the end of the world as we know it?”
~~ Calvin, to Hobbes ~~
*******
“I am going to seek a great perhaps.”
~~ Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) ~~
*******
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
~~ Zen proverb ~~
*******
“It’s not peace I want, not mere contentment.
It’s boundless joy and ecstasy for me.”
~~ Kugell ~~
*******
“Sometimes I think we’re alone.
Sometimes I think we’re not.
In either case, the thought is quite staggering.”
~~ R. Buckminster Fuller ~~
*******
“It matters not so much what you sing, but why”
~~ J.S. Bach ~~
*******
“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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My sense of accomplishment, while probably unwarranted, is solid enough to be able to declare this one ‘done’. And thank goodness for that! My sociability is straining at the seams, & it’s probably just as well I’ve reached an ending point, which I shall proceed to take advantage of unmercifully. I shall try to post again in the near future, but, the way things seem to be going, it might be a few days before I can pull one together enough to suit my OCD need to get it right. However it works out, I will be back; on that you may rest assured. Y’all be well, & happy as you may be; I’m doin’ pretty much the same, with a strong dose of strange added in…. 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.
“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 ~~
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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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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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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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 ~~
*******
“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.
“Only, as long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way.
A mere shred of sanity is of no value.”
~~ S. S. Van Dine ~~
Memorial for the victims & heroes of the Great Famine Exodus
Galway, Ireland
Hajime…. Opening with such a picture, when taken in the context of the quote preceding it, could, very easily, lead me into a very long rant. However, I seem to have burned off some of the built-in angst, generally so common to my persona, over the past six years of railing against the machine that passes for human society. For example, the truth of the Great Famine is, for the most part, ignored by most of the world, that truth being more shameful than most of humanity cares to contemplate; this alone could prompt at least five thousand harsh words from me, especially given my personal ties to Ireland. I’ll forgo any such rant, however, simply because I am weary of shouting into the wind, & having only a few people listen….
Ranting is also complicated, these days, by my basic inability to sit long enough to marshal the words necessary to produce a viable discussion; hard to think when one’s ass is constantly signaling its desire to get up & move, rather than submitting to gravity’s less than tender embrace. This brings out, naturally, my human tendency to allow expediency to influence our decision making process; in short, I won’t rant, simply because its too much trouble for little return. I suppose, in and of itself, that, too, is human.
It doesn’t make it any more comfortable to know this; it merely makes it tawdry, and pedestrian. Fortunately, memory is volitional, making it easy to deny the reality of any situation that challenges our morality…. Go figure, eh? No ranting is necessary to demonstrate; the act of NOT ranting, in this case, becomes an act of sublimation, designed simply to make us easier in our skin. Thus, our humanity, shameful as it may be, is verified.
Gosh…. That’s pretty much of a bummer, eh? Oh, well. I’d hoped to come up with something a bit more uplifting, but, such is life for us humans; we lift our eyes to the stars, only to have to stop to wipe our feet, having stepped in something unpleasant, from having our attention focused away from what is real. I suppose this is a pretty clear indicator of how our culture has gone so far off the rails, but, to dwell on that would, once again, lead us into the realm where ranting would become necessary, if only to keep from exploding from excessive irony…..
Since it’s way to early for that, why don’t we get on with the rest of today’s mess, before I stumble into a real rant…. We’ll do it this way, which seems to work out as well as anything else I’ve attempted over the years…. Watch your step, please; the sidewalk is rather bumpy….
Shall we Pearl?
“We shall never cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
~~ T. S. Eliot~~
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I arose later than usual, meaning we go with one of our default choices. Here is a relatively new cut from the organization, with an old country tune most of us know…. Enjoy! Then, go send them some money…. They’re doing good work….
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Playing For Change Take Me Home, Country Roads
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Unheralded Sagacity…
To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.
Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.
Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.
No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.
Illumination…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/17/2013
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Naked Pearls
One path of many….
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“He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”
~~ Elrond ~~
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“I have everything, yet have nothing;
and although I possess nothing, still of nothing am I in want.”
~~ Terence — Act ii, Sc. 2, 12, (243.) ~~
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“… denn da ist keine Stelle,
die dich nicht sieht. Du musst dein Leben andern.”
(“… for there is no place that does not see you.
You must change your life.”)
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke, “Archaic Torso of Apollo” ~~
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“My friend Data, you see things with the wonder of a child.
And that makes you more human than any of us.”
~~ Yar, “Skin of Evil”, stardate 41601.3 ~~
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“The problem with the future is that it keeps on becoming the present.”
~~ Calvin & Hobbes ~~
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“When in doubt, sing loud.”
~~ Robert Merrill ~~
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“For how much longer can I howl into this wind?”
~~ The Cure “A Thousand Hours” ~~
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Well, there you go…. I can’t say it’s the best Pearl ever, but, it ain’t bad, and will do for our purposes here today. I’ll be back, hopefully tomorrow, with more fresh, if strange, material. Ooh, there’s a cut, if I ever heard one. Ah, well, self-denigration is always a good technique; it makes people think you’re honest, if nothing else. Since I am honest, as humans go, I’ll just use this opportunity to say, thanks for dropping in, & I hope you’ve enjoyed our time together. We’ll do it again, soon…. Ta, for now….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. There are days here at ECR when the process by which the Pearls you see posted can only be described as ‘torturous’…. That’s not to say it isn’t a pleasant, uplifting experience, because it isn’t; it’s merely to say it can be fucking annoying. This attitude, patently, is not one that lends itself particularly well to the creative process; around here, that, in and of itself, is therapeutic, if nothing else. But, it is also an attitude which, given its patently less-than-constructive nature, can lead to hours and hours of guilt, if I ever felt guilt. Since I don’t, (gave it up long ago as a bad investment of time….), it’s probably for the best if we just move on to the next stop on the way to the closing section….
If I were really as smart as I believe myself to be, I’d use that paragraph as a jumping off point for any number of ideological forays; instead, I’m going to ignore it completely, by filling in the rest by the numbers. Number two, if we are counting correctly, is to proceed with our morning ramblings, but, on a completely new tack; it’s actually a pity I haven’t a clue as to how to proceed in that direction, without edging over into the realm of either fantasy, or, more likely, sheer insanity, a condition with which I am all too familiar. How, you may ask, can anyone be so calm about being insane? That one’s easy: practice…..
Yes, I am a practicing psychopath; the work is good, and never ending, but, the pay is lousy. Far be it from me to question the dictates of reality, though, so, I just try to ‘go with the flow’, so to speak, in order to maintain the illusion of competency so vital to living in a world gone mad. That, by the way, is an illusion fully 100% of humanity has experience in, to our everlasting regret, I’m sure. Of course, there are numerous reasons we spend so much time insane, each of which is implacable, as well as embedded in our nature. In short, our entire species is, simply, quite insane on at least three levels, of which two are incredibly vital to survival, while the third is critical only in our own estimation. Go figure, eh?
Having, quite clearly, demonstrated the assertion proposed, it becomes clear we may have screwed the pooch, a euphemism both obscure, and all-too-obvious. Rather than continue to beat a moribund equine, let’s do this…..
Shall we Pearl?
“The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror.
It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing.
It receives but does not keep.”
~~ Chuang Tzu ~~
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Today’s selection of classical music is for a blogging friend, who particularly enjoys classical guitar; I figure over six hours worth should hold him for a time…. I also hope the rest of our Gentle Readers enjoy the feast…. Abondanza!….
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Classical Guitar
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Off the proverbial cuff….
I never meant to kill that period of time,
it didn’t give me any choice.
It tried to hem me in without reason, or rhyme,
refused me any vote, or any voice.
You have to admit, I buried it deep and fast,
just as if I cared.
I knew, though, it would never last,
or ever be fully repaired.
No news, no pictures can bring it back,
once is all we get.
No pleas of public good, or even public lack;
in stone the past is set.
Futuristic visions now occupy my dreams,
I’m ready to go on.
Look! It fills up the screen, and it gleams!
Where’s the moment I’m sitting on?
Now, I remembered, at long, long last,
is all we really can hold.
Every moment goes by so bloody fast,
we’d best fill them all with beauty, warm and bold.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/30/2013
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Naked Pearls
A Polymath’s path….
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Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum —
“I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.”
~~ Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary” ~~
*******
“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.”
~~ The Beatles ~~
*******
“A man of genius makes no mistakes.
His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.”
~~ James Joyce, “Ulysses” ~~
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“We are all born mad. Some remain so.”
~~ Samuel Beckett ~~
*******
“How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown?”
~~ Bob Dylan ~~
*******
“Logic doesn’t apply to the real world.”
~~ Marvin Minsky ~~
*******
Calvin: “People think it must be fun to be a super genius,
but they don’t realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.”
Hobbes: “Isn’t your pants’ zipper supposed to be in the front?”
~~ Calvin (Bill Watterson, “Calvin and Hobbes”) ~~
*******
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Well, that was fun. Sort of. It’s done, anyway, so, I suppose I should find some way to gracefully close this mess. Hmm…. I guess ‘graceful’ isn’t on the agenda today. Oh, well….. This, then, will have to do, as I am now completely baffled as to any new direction to take. I know…. I’ll just drop y’all like the proverbial hot potato, which will get us all out of here, and, give y’all something about which you may unleash those pent up feelings you’ve been holding on to for too long. See, I can be nice. I can also be gone, and, I am…. See y’all next time, provided the universe cooperates…. I’d say we have even odds on that….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Framed in the doorway stood a giant…. No, that’s not going to do it.
The sun slowly rose over a grisly scene…. Nope. Try harder….
The old man sat, shivering in the cold, at a bus stop at the north end of town. He rose, stiffly, to board the bus as it pulled to a halt in front of him, shuffling aboard with his tattered valise. Fingers fumbled to push the fare into the turnstile, as the driver waited, impatiently drumming his own fingers on the wheel, as if to hurry the oldster along…..
That’s probably enough. It will have to be enough, because the effort it took to cudgel the above out of my head has already exhausted the small amount of energy/creativity I have this morning. Can’t say why I’m so tired, as I got a good 8 hours down; more age related bullshit, I imagine. Oh, well, at least I managed to put this Pearl together, even if there was no conscious contribution to the end result; the process pulled my blank mind all the way through without even a whimper of protest, or, for that matter, notice.
Since that’s the case, I’ll not bother to make any assumptions, or claims, as to either quality or quantity. It is what it is, and that’s all that it is; it’s a Popeye blog today. I can’t believe I just said that; hell, I’m not too happy I thought it, much less typing it. But, I’m honest, if not talented, so, it will have to do for today. Rather than continue to stumble around here in the intro, why don’t we go down, and stumble around the ending? I think that’s a fine idea….
Shall we Pearl?….
“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” ~~
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Yep. I’m feeling lazy today, so, naturally, I’ll be going with our default music. There’s a good reason for it; just listen, & you’ll know…. Enjoy!…
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Classical Music
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Serendipity Morning
My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.
Love hovers, always patient,
seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/1/2013
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Naked Pearls
Simple, basic stuff you need to know….
*******
“Everything flows and nothing abides;
everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
*******
“Honesty isn’t any policy at all; it’s a state of mind or it isn’t honesty.”
~~ Eugene L’Hote ~~
*******
“Little to little added, if oft done,
In small time makes a good possession.”
~~ Hesiod (B.C. 800?) — Works and Days ~~
*******
“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin;
what else does a man need to be happy?”
~~ Albert Einstein ~~
*******
“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”
~~ Lily Tomlin ~~
*******
“When in doubt, follow your heart.”
~~ Sagacious Bee ~~
*******
“A single event can awaken within us
a stranger totally unknown to us.
To live is to be slowly born.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
********************************
Well, since I made it this far, I guess I’ll go post this…. well, whatever it is. I’ll even do so without any particular contortions here at the end. Instead, I’ll merely say, see ya tomorrow, ffolkes. You might want to put that in your calendar….
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 like once people grow up, they have no idea what’s cool.”
~~ Calvin & Hobbes~~
Stained Glass Art in Greenock, Scotland….
Hajime…. Today’s opening pearl, above the picture, from our old friend, Calvin, is more relevant than is normally the case. You see, it fits right in with recent thoughts, wherein I have come to firmly believe the state of the world may be, at least partially, attributed to our human tendency to trust our parents a bit more than is either practical, or prudent. Now, I realize that’s a pretty controversial statement; however, as I hold it to be absolutely the truth, I must tell it as I see it. It is my firm belief that the major portion of our troubles as a human culture are rooted in the loss, before the age of four years, of the sensitive crap detector we all receive at birth as part of our legacy.
I’ve related in the past how this sad loss, of our most effective defense against untruth and/or manipulation by others, is deliberately downgraded, or removed altogether by those who had it taken from them at the same age, to wit: their own parents, who suffered their own loss in infancy, thus ensuring a new generation of easily manipulable slaves. It has been going on for several thousand years, since our species decided to come together into cities and towns, and build a human culture that now covers the planet from pole to pole. Sometimes, looking at the big picture, we appear more as an infestation than an augmentation to the circle of Life here on Earth.
All of this, you may note, constitutes a rant; perhaps, since it is so brief, we might call it a rantish outburst; in that form, we can call a halt to further lamentations, thereby regaining the trust of the Gentle Reader, that we won’t ever make them work too hard, at least not without furnishing a bit of levity, or even nonsense, to balance the scales of justice. Of course, that manages to avoid any mention of the potential for chaos that ensues every time we do so, but, we simply don’t give a single fuck about that, and will continue to tempt the power of entropy at every turn. You see, it’s just too much fun to watch things go wonky….
Okay, that’s about enough of that. I have completed a minimalist Pearl for your reading pleasure today. It shouldn’t tax anyone’s credibility too far, and the plastic restraints will make that safe enough. Before I start to go too far toward complete idiocy, I’m going to let y’all get to it, a necessary injunction designed to prevent spoilage. On that relatively cryptic, yet transparent note, I say we go on. I’ll remind y’all it is MY blog, when I say go, we go….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Trust the unexpected.”
~~ Robert J. Kriegel ~~
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Those who have been here frequently, or, enough to have seen my patterns unfold, will already know which sort of music they’d find here today. You see, in standard, default situations (i.e., I’m in a hurry), I almost always gravitate to this genre. Since today is what might be termed a refrigerator recipe Pearl, it fits right into our standard, default position. If you have learned to appreciate good music, it will do so for you, as well. Even if you hate classical music, you’re covered, because the selection I chose was made just for those who do so….. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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How It Works….
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 ~~
5/31/2012
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Naked Pearls
Short and Sweet….
*******
“A man that is young in years may be old in hours, if he has lost no time.”
~~ Francis Bacon ~~
*******
“He has no hope who never had a fear.”
~~ William Cowper ~~
*******
“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
*******
“Inquiry is fatal to certainty.”
~~ Will and Ariel Durant ~~
*******
“I err, therefore I exist.”
~~ St. Augustine ~~
*******
“If better is possible, good is not enough.”
~~ Logical Bee ~~
*******
“Drop the question what tomorrow may bring,
and count as profit every day that fate allows you.”
~~ Horace ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you have it. As I am still deeply involved in affairs out in the Big Blue Room, we’ll see how it goes for more fresh material. For now, it will be sufficient for me to merely say, I’ll be back. On that, you may rely, with confidence…. 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.
“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then
to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Break time, again….
Hajime…. Hmm… Well, here we are again, ffolkes. You’re out there, ready to read, hoping to find something of compelling interest. I’m sitting here, full of angst, anticipatory delight, and a complete absence of rational ideas about which to write. Status: normal. Since ‘normal’ is an anomaly for me, you can see this is not a good thing, with implications of impending potentially lethal consequences. Okay, so it’s only lethal to good literature; we can be as metaphoric as the next guy. Doesn’t mean we don’t bleed for it, internally…. It only means your hopes are pretty certain to go unfulfilled, once again.
SIGH…. Sorry ’bout that. I really didn’t have much to say, so, I said it the best I could. Screwed the pooch pretty good, didn’t I? Oh, well. I’ve done worse, and done it right here, so, such a measly little failure doesn’t impress me, scare me, or make me want to quit. I ain’t no quitter, which, in some cases, is more a matter of stubbornness than virtue. This, sadly, may be one of them; it’s beginning to look as if quitting wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Too bad I’m in the mood I’m in, or we could go that route. But, if I have to suffer, so will you….
I know, that’s a bit harsh, but, reality can teach us some hard lessons. Who am I to alter the ways of reality? Just another human with fancy ideas and a sense of self that manages to get in my way as much as it moves me along. And, I just realized, this is getting too abstract for manageability. In fact, I find myself lost in a corner of my mind I don’t recall encountering before. It’s a little dark, and there’s a lot of dust. No pictures on the walls, either. Boy, that must’ve been some wrong turn.
Rather than continue to wander around in the relative dark I suggest moving on, post haste, before this gets us somewhere we’ll have to break out weapons. I’m not sure I remembered to pack them, so, best we get this slow on the toad. Let’s use an old method, which we know works well…. It’s our old standard, #4, and it works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“I once wanted to save the world.
Now I just want to leave the room with dignity.”
~~ Lotus Weinstock ~~
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There’s a lot going on around here today, with still a lot of preparations to complete. Naturally, to make the time go smoothly, we turn to our default musical choice, for some classical gems. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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Momentary Terror
Absently casual, memories pester endlessly
leaving only bleeding remnants, amiable and loving.
Coming awake, I cry to still the pain, shamelessly.
Elsewhen, time gives surcease, if only to live,
shoring broken pilings, worn and gray.
Passing on, I laugh at the pain, accept all it will give.
Time will build a shelter, warm and ever safe
save for Fate’s busy hands.
Enduring, I follow the pain, knowing it will chafe.
Fixed against a darkened sky of starry black
such beauty brings us to our knees.
Entranced, I welcome the pain, ’tis all I lack…..
~~ gigoid ~~
2/4/2013
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Naked Pearls
Sagacious Silliness….
*******
“I’ve got to get back to Reality. Where IS that silly Blue Dragon?”
~~ Schizo Bill from Philly ~~
*******
“ARTHUR: Then who is your lord?
WOMAN: We don’t have a lord.
ARTHUR: What?
DENNIS: I told you.
We’re an anarcho-syndicalist commune.
We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.”
~~ The Quest for the Holy Grail (Monty Python) ~~
*******
“I’m gonna be a monkey, monkey monkey muuuunkey!”
~~ Stimpy ~~
*******
“When having a smackerel of something with a friend,
don’t eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out.”
~~ Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
*******
“There’s no problem so awful
that you can’t add some guilt to it and make it even worse.”
~~- Calvin and Hobbes ~~
*******
“I’m in direct contact with many advanced fun CONCEPTS.”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
“Most of all, I’ve learned that a good time to laugh is anytime you can.”
~~ Linda Ellerbee~~
*******
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Well, that went better than usual. I’m pretty sure it came out pretty well, too…. To keep from showing my complete surprise, I’ll pretend it happens all the time, and you can pretend you believe it. That way, we’re already both into the correct mode to go out & deal with whatever depredations and new insanity we find out in the BBR, all courtesy of your own Beloved Ruling Class, and the oligarchs, dogma dogs, and myrmidons who infest the halls of our government and churches. Such lovely creatures, filled with savagery and bile, always willing to lend a helping hand, complete with grasping claws… Ah, well, it’s probably too late to start ranting, so, I’ll just say, good luck, and see y’all tomorrow, when we’ll try again to achieve some sort of rationality, or, at minimum, relative sanity…. Can’t hurt to try, right?….
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.
“Let ignorance talk as it will, learning has its value.”
~~ J. de La Fontaine (1621-1695) ~~
~~ The Use of Knowledge, Book viii, Fable 19 ~~
I swear it went inside here….
Hajime…. Thanks to goodness knows what, I’m running late. This is both good, and bad, like most things human. We do tend to try to strip it down to bare bones when possible; today’s post will, no doubt, require us to do so rather ruthlessly, if we hope to find our way to any sort of conclusive resolution. Of course, that also implies we actually know what we’re looking for, or where we’re going, neither of which approaches the truth of Reality in any portion. Go figure that one, eh?
There. That should make it clear you’ll get nothing rational out of me today. That happens to me consistently, I’m afraid, though you wouldn’t know it to watch me perform my antics. I’ve now had an officially long time to practice making it look normal, and, much as the effort costs, it seems worth it to keep those around me from worrying, or, for that matter, from bursting into flames when I look at them. Always a bonus out in public to avoid being noticed for such happenings. I can assure you, I don’t miss the drama….
Okay, that’s all you get today. I’m clean out of fresh ideas, at least for now, so, I’ll bite the bullet, and get this done, so I can say I did without lying about it. I do hate to have to lie, about anything; for us humans the facility comes too easily. I prefer to try to meet Reality on its own terms, which won’t work if we don’t use the rules. Another go figure, but, hey, we’re used to that. I’m going to stop tormenting all of us now, and use this very ruthless technique to get us down the page to where we need to be…. Watch closely, or you’ll miss it….
Shall we pearl?….
“Arouse the mind without resting it on anything.”
~~ Diamond Sutra ~~
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Today I feel like some classical music. I also want to hear the guitar, so, what better way than to hear over two hours of some of the finest classical guitar ever played, by the acknowledged master of the genre, Andres Segovia…. I hope you enjoy it; it will be hard not to do so, since its probably some of the best music ever created by humans… Abondanza!….
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November Dreams of Spring
Crass and cold, the beggar finds me swollen, so frail and fat
with painful stepping motions, running, like a Republicrat.
Building with straw and spittle, should artists come aground,
we all pay heavily, a billion for a bloody pound.
Too desperate, too ashamed to play such a part
We ask for belief, and sweet liberty, dressing up so smart.
It falls between the simple cracks, always in a hurry
To find a shrunken ego, ashen, swift, and full of worry.
Never there was a more penitent group, such a sterling way
To fast in luxury, making sure the guilty enter, but do not stay.
Forgotten gods can find their diffident suitors tonight
With dream-fitted convention, and a natural sense of delight.
For all the silken babies cried, to see the broken dreams of power
forgiven moments of certitude serve, filling up the maiden’s bower.
All the patient, loving veterans of ancient foreign time,
give up their first impressions, dying, dying for a rhyme.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/19/2012
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Naked Pearls
Warning: thinking caps required….
*********
“I certainly wasn’t happy.
Happiness has to do with reason,
and only reason earns it.
What I was given was the thing you can’t earn,
and can’t keep, and often don’t even recognize at the time;
I mean joy.”
~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~
*********
“If possible, try to find a way to come downstairs
that doesn’t involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head. -“
~~ Pooh, in Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne ~~
*********
“How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness
is in fact for most men at all times
the secret motive of all they do,
and of all they are willing to endure.”
~~ Dean William R. Inge ~~
*********
“There is, nevertheless, a certain respect
and a general duty of humanity that ties us,
not only to beasts that have life and sense,
but even to trees and plants.”
~~ Michael de Montaigne, Essays, Book ii, Chap. xi, Of Cruelty ~~
*********
“Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old;
seek what they sought.”
~~ Matsuo Basho ~~
“Good taste is always an asset.”
~~ Rudy Bakalov ~~
*********
“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”
~~ Steven Stills ~~
*********
“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
~~J.K. Rowling, The Man with Two Faces, ~~
~~ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997 ~~
~~ spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore ~~
*********
“Aw Mom, you act like I’m not even wearing a bungee cord!”
~~ Calvin ~~
*********
********************************
Despite some rather spirited competition from the cat, I got it done. I’m going to cut my losses at this point, since, by posting, I win. Of course, it’s only myself I beat, but, hey, gotta take the kudos where you find ’em, or, you might not get ’em at all. I will, as consistently threatened, be back to do this again tomorrow, I imagine…. Odds are running even right now, but, they’ll improve; bet on it. 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.
“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
Spare any fish, mister?….
Hajime…. As predicted yesterday, and many times previously, I’m back. That isn’t to say I am claiming any kudos, or expect any acknowledgment. It’s merely taking note of what exists, for now. In the final analysis, after all, we don’t have anything else but what exists now; yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is but a dream, right? Right. So, we take it as it comes, do the best we can, and move on down the road to the next moment, all with as much aplomb as we find comfortable…. Simple creatures, we are, in truth. We just don’t remember it often….
I don’t have a lot today; yesterday turned out pretty busy, in a good way. I spent the afternoon reconnecting with an old friend; we hadn’t seen each other for about 12 or more years, so, we had some ground to cover; it was good, especially when one considers all the possibilities that are engendered when two old farts start trading memories. We had a great time, and are both looking forward to staying in touch. Since all this was happening when my physical issues seem to be resolving positively, it turned into a fine day….
In the interests of not pushing our luck, I’m going with what I’ve got. It’s not too shabby; the new poem finished leaking onto the screen, and there’s a pretty fine old-school pearl to ponder. The poem’s a bit strange, but, then, so am I. Go figure, eh? Let’s get on with it, before I lose my nerve…. I say that, of course, in the hope I do have some nerve left…. Ha! Onward into the day, ffolkes. Hang on…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Truth, like surgery, may hurt. But it cures.”
~~ Han Suyin ~~
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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 ~~
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Naked Pearls
I yam what I yam….
*******
“Our quarrel with the world is an echo
of the endless quarrel proceeding within us.”
~~ Eric Hoffer ~~
*******
“It’s not denial.
I’m just very selective about what I accept as reality.”
~~ Calvin (“Calvin and Hobbes”) ~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air
and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.
5. Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. Be loyal.
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
12. When someone is having a bad day,
be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
18. No matter how often you are criticized,
don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout.
Run right back and make friends.
~~ Things We Can Learn from a Dog ~~
*******
“Ah, fill the Cup: – what boots it to repeat
How Time is slipping underneath our Feet:
Unborn To-morrow, and dead Yesterday,
Why fret about them if To-day be sweet!”
~~ Omar Khayyam (fl. 1100) ~~
*******
“I exist as I am, that is enough.”
~~ Walt Whitman ~~
*******
“The supreme irony of life is hardly anyone ever gets out of it alive.”
~~ Robert Heinlein ~~
*******
********************************
That will have to do. Duty, and the events of the upcoming day are calling me. If you’ll pardon me, I shall now go forth, and ignore as much of that call as I can, as is our habit as humans. Y’all have a good one, ffolkes. I’ll see if I can’t put another one together for tomorrow…. 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.
“The mountain remains unmoved at seeming defeat by the mist.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
Laocoön and His Sons
Image from Wikipedia via Google Images
Hajime…. Putting this Pearl together has taken me about two weeks, mostly waiting for parts of me to heal sufficiently to type. During much of this period, it seems my life was ‘farmed out’ by Murphy, to Eris, that ancient nemesis of the Greeks. Who is Eris? Ah, you know her, even if you don’t…. Allow me to elucidate….
“:Eris: /e’ris/ n. The Greek goddess of Chaos, Discord, Confusion, and Things You Know Not Of; her name was latinized to Discordia and she was worshiped by that name in Rome. Not a very friendly deity in the Classical original, she was reinvented as a more benign personification of creative anarchy starting in 1959 by the adherents of {Discordianism} and has since been a semi-serious subject of veneration in several `fringe’ cultures, including hackerdom. See {Discordianism}, {Church of the SubGenius}. — from The on-line Hacker Jargon File V423
As may be surmised, it’s been different around here. Enough so it’s given me some new epiphanies to assimilate into my personal files, some of which are quite penetrating in their effects. Of course, they’re only of value if I take them in, so, we’ll see how that goes, eh? In the meantime, I have for you today a complete five part Pearl, with old-school galore, some great music/entertainment, a relevant exploration of modern times, and, a pretty decent poem…. I’m happy with it, so, y’all, in spite of any possible trepidation, will be happy with it, too, should you make it all the way to the rather distant end. To save us all a bit ot time, we’ll get right to that, okay? Okay….
Shall we pearl?….
“A wise man,
recognizing that the world is but an illusion,
does not act as if it is real,
so he escapes the suffering.”
~~ Buddha ~~
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Pearl
We lost Pearl in 1970. Though with us for only a short while, her spirit shone bright. A friend’s blog acknowledged her passing, which showed some synchronicity, as I had already decided she was just right for this Pearl. Here is a live performance, one of only a few we have to see on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….
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As this Pearl evolved, it grew. Go figure. In the process, I decided to make it epic enough to be able to stop ranting altogether. It’s a manifesto, so to speak, of all I think is real, and true for today’s world. I don’t need to keep beating a horse that’s not coming back alive, so, this may be the very last one. It’s pretty complete, I think. You tell me….
“As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.”
~~ Josh Billings ~~
I suppose it is fortunate, for me, writing requires enough focus of attention to distract me from a lot of perceptive stimuli from external, or even internal sources. In short, I can concentrate sufficiently I don’t mind the 96º heat, as long as I’m perched within five feet of my only fan. I also can keep from thinking about pain, in my shoulders, hips, and back, or my hunger, from dieting, or any of the other silly little things we use to keep from actually thinking about stuff we don’t want to face, or deal with, or are painfully uncomfortable. That makes this act one of survival, as well as one requiring some rather merciless honesty, self- and, otherwise; without it, I don’t believe it will be worth it.
I am exceedingly weary of living in a culture/society which is based on deception, exemplifying what I believe to be the worst part of human nature, i.e. the ability to put our humanity aside to pursue our personal gain or agenda. To a small extent, we do it naturally, as a survival tool. However, in a larger sense, most of us don’t always base life on our own agenda; we feel connected to, and responsible to the rest of humanity. But, those who do choose self over species, as their primary focus of living, throughout history, have been allowed to order our society, based on false information and deception.
At this point, I feel I should explain my assertions, which are, in essence, three. My observations and study have led me to realize these three concepts, held to be true by the great majority of humanity, are all false in their basic assumptions of reality. This allows a distance between what is real, and what is seen to be real. This basic disconnection from true perception, in my mind, is what has caused most of the trouble and misery our species’ history has experienced for more than ten thousand years. The three concepts to which I refer are religion, money, and government.
Intermezzo:
At this point in this exploration, it becomes clear I have bitten off quite a bit more than can be adequately addressed in a single attempt, no matter how clear, or solid the connection between the three relevant elements. In truth, nobody will much care, anyway, but, that is irrelevant, as well. What remains relevant, to me, in essence, is to relate just how I think these three ideas/concepts/delusions have kept humanity from achieving our potential, and, in the process, the potential of our entire world. Together, given the nature of the human beast, the potential godhead, these three ideas have provided the means for our complete undoing, as a species, and, as a viable form of life.
I guess that’s a bit depressing, isn’t it? Okay, I’ll stop for now. I was going to stop ranting altogether, but, perhaps such an assertion would be premature. For now, let us go on, to this…..
During the research period while composing this, the following extensive collection of old-school pearls was amassed. Let this suffice for any further indictment of the three villains of human history. Besides, this just shows, I’m not the only one who has had second thoughts about all the bullshit we’ve been fed from the cradle. I’ve put them into three categories, for simple clarity…. Enjoy, ffolkes.
And, please. Think about it all, will you? Thanks….
*****
“In the beginning Man created God; and in the image of Man created he him.”
~~ Ian Anderson ~~
~~ Jethro Tull, Aqualung ~~
“The mistake began when God was created in a male image. Of course, women would see Him that way, but men should have been gentlemen enough, remembering their mothers, to make God a woman! But the God of Gods–the Boss–has always been a man. That makes life so perverted, and death so unnatural. We should have imagined life as created in the birth-pain of God the Mother. Then we would understand why we, Her children, have inherited pain, for we would know that our life’s rhythm beats from Her great heart, torn with the agony of love and birth. And we would feel that death meant reunion with Her, a passing back into Her substance, blood of Her blood again, peace of Her peace! Now wouldn’t that be more logical and satisfying than having God a male whose chest thunders with egotism and is too hard for tired heads and thoroughly comfortless?” — Eugene O’Neill, “Strange Interlude” [1928], Act II
“So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.” — Bertrand Russell
“Any system of religion which has anything in it which offends the mind of a child cannot be a true system.” — Thomas Paine
“Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was He before creation? How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression … Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end.” — The Mahapurana, Jinasena
“God is an invention of Man.
So the nature of God is only a shallow mystery.
The deep mystery is the nature of Man.”
~~ Nanrei Kobori, — late Abbot of the Temple of the Shining Dragon, Kyoto, Japan ~~
*****
“All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
“The value of money has an objective regulator only when it is linked to a real commodity, like gold, itself requiring the cost of human labor to be produced. By comparison, the value of inconvertible paper money has no objective regulator, its marginal cost of production being nearly zero.” — Lewis E. Lehrman (See? Nothing real… Only what we agree to hold so….)
“As far as I’m concerned, if something is so complicated that you can’t explain it in 10 seconds, then it’s probably not worth knowing anyway.” — Calvin
“I refuse to believe that trading recipes is silly. Tuna-fish casserole is at least as real as corporate stock.” — Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
“What do they call a comedian who doesn’t get any laughs? A philosopher.” — Phil Proctor
*****
“Power, like a desolating pestilence,
Pollutes whate’er it touches…”
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~~
“It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable.” — David Brin, The Postman
“Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.” — Giordano Bruno (1548- burned at the stake, 1600)
“As formerly we suffered from crimes, so now we suffer from laws.” — Tacitus
“He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and
ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.” — Albert Einstein
“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” — Bertrand Russell
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I am working on a poem, which seems to be leaking out in a chaotic fashion; it looks good, though, so we’ll let it play out as it pleases. Here’s one that fits, today, and often. Especially when it is followed by an old-school pearl that carries its title…. Keep reading….
Notes of process and program…
Poems, alas, don’t chase through my head,
bumping and pushing each other like brothers at dinner.
They’re more ripped out of my innards, instead.
Time and circumstance reveal no ultimate winner.
Simmering and bubbling near my unconscious mind
these maddening rhymes blind me sans glimmer.
Building until bursting as if to be dined and wined,
the remaining denizens appear much slimmer.
Fiery visions retain such glorious fatal dimension,
in retrospect, yet fail to leave a permanent scar,
until blessed, or cursed, with focused attention,
singing, crying, bleeding, fast as a movie star.
Pretty soon can’t be soon enough, she said
to a chameleon colored thief bathed in moonlight.
Fancy candles in stripes of blue, gold, and red
foster honest dreams in shades of white.
Passage to daylight is problematic, at best:
beastly ghosts of insomniacs cast no shadow.
Even judges with robes can pass the wrong test
while the rest of us go with what we know.
~~ gigoid ~~
1/3/2013
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Naked Pearls
“Notes Of Process And Program…”
*********
“It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what’s cool.”
~~ Calvin & Hobbes ~~
*********
“We must beware of whatever insights we have into ourselves.
Our self-knowledge annoys and paralyzes our daimon
– this is where we should look for the reason Socrates wrote nothing.”
~~ E.M. Cioran ~~
*********
“”Human beings are perhaps never more frightening
than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.”
~~ Laurens Van der Post, The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958) ~~
*********
“Be prepared to go mad with fixed rule and method.”
~~ Horace (65-8 B.C.) ~~
*********
“Honor isn’t about making the right choices.
It’s about dealing with the consequences.”
~~ Midori Koto~~
*********
“Reality is in the eye of the beholder.”
~~ The Keeper, from Stargate ~~
*********
“When I was a lark, I sang;
when I was a worm, I devoured.”
~~ Theodore Roethke ~~
*********
“I’m pretty tired. Think I’ll go home now.”
~~ Forrest Gump ~~
*********
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Well, ffolkes. There you have it. Not only do you have it, but, you’ve got ALL of it. I don’t believe I can do this any better, but, what the hell? I’ll be back again to try. Could take a bit of time, but, it seems the wait might be worth the effort. See y’all tomorrow, as long as the sun comes up….. Pretty good odds, I’d say….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
gigoid 