Hajime…. What we have here, is a failure to cogitate. Yes, I know that’s mostly a stolen line, but, who cares? ‘Twas a great movie, & a better line, so, it’s fair game, for any poet or writer in need of it. It says so, right here…. or, maybe it was over there. Anyway, I’m using it, if only because it perfectly describes this morning’s progress so far. The Pearl I’ve cobbled together was half-done when I arose, & I fiddled around for much too long, waffling about finishing it, or blowing off another day here on ECR. The result of my waffling will become apparent, the further down the page you proceed…. Yes, you can blame me, though your blame won’t hurt a bit, for, quite frankly, I can’t find it in me to care, at all…
If that sound fatalistic, so be it. I’m in a mood, & don’t fell at all compelled to get out of it. Sometimes, it does a body good to NOT care, you know, & today, it’s definitely going to be a big part of the day’s program. That being said, I’ll add, it’s no doubt a good thing I have no plans to go out into the public, where my mood would most certainly contribute to the overall level of chaos already so well known to us all in today’s world. If I do, the odds are too high for conflict, & though I’m in the perfect state to deal with such, it’s best for us all if I refrain. So, I’ll stay home, & try not to take it out on my neighbors….
In fact, I’ve managed to work myself into a state in which strong emotions are bubbling, just below the surface of my consciousness; I can feel them waiting, hoping to find a release point, a chink in my armor, which would allow it all to come out, in a gigantic explosion of rage & anger…. At this point, I can’t say where it came from, but, I can say it’s probably for the best if I spend the day figuring out how to keep it from happening. It’s happened in the past, & the results are always negative, to put it mildly. Better for all if I keep it all to myself, I think….
So be it. This is, essentially, done, so, I’ll get on with finishing & posting it, & begin my self-imposed diurnal exile, where I, and the world at large, will find a better solution than any I might otherwise attempt…. Why don’t I quit fussing, & get to that?….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The best years of your life
are the ones in which you decide
your problems are your own.
You do not blame them on your mother,
the ecology, or the president.
You realize that you control your own destiny.”
~~ Albert Ellis ~~
***************************************
There is always more music to find & share on You Tube; I’ve come to believe a great deal of the greatest treasure of mankind is now on You Tube, where one may search for, and usually find, virtually any artist or group of artists, playing much of history’s finest compositions, as well as just about any sort of modern music one wishes to hear. For today, I’ve merely included some of the best classical music, which has already stood the test of time…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it’s our legacy….
***************************************
Classical Music
***************************************
***************************************
***************************************
“Gli arcobaleni d’altri mondi
hanno colori che non so.
Ma lungo i fiumi d’altri mondi
nascono fiori che non ho.”
[The rainbows of other worlds
have colors I don’t know.
But along the rivers of other worlds
flowers are born that I don’t have.]
~~ Fabrizio De Andre ~~
Illusory Time
Viewed from askance, the river is long;
deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift and strong.
In duality, perception creates our only reality;
such faux metaphoric paradox enforces mutability.
By two we perceive, both zero, and one;
digital, binary, on or off, such fun.
Separate, melded, we exist, knowing not what we know
ego, striving to be solitary, looking above, seeing below.
Furiously asleep, cultural anomaly claims a victim of choice;
validly unconscious, nobody speaks, nary a voice.
Potential escapees stir in dreams, fighting to wake,
until taking the wheel, for their own bloody sake.
Pots boil in due time, when the fire’s hot,
time exists to our advantage; or, not.
The solitary warrior, head bent in pain,
fights on, with, or without gain.
Night fell, day after day it persisted;
of those who knew, none showed any care, or resisted
Angels, ministers, none had any defense, nor grace;
all that remains is a face.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/22/2016
***************************************
Naked Pearls
Subtle Notes on Process & Program….
*******
“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
*******
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”
~~ Plutarch ~~
*******
“Doing it the hard way is always easier.”
~~ Murphy’s Paradox ~~
*******
“We live as we dream. Alone.”
~~ Joseph Conrad ~~
*******
“Do not eat your heart.”
~~ Pythagoras ~~
*******
“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns.
I am thankful thorns have roses.”
~~ Alphonse Karr ~~
*******
“When the night has been too lonely,
and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun’s love,
in the spring becomes The Rose.”
~~ Amanda McBroom, “The Rose” ~~
*******
***************************************
Having thus completed the necessary tasks, I declare this Pearl done. To avoid any potentially unpleasant aftereffects, I’ll also declare it ready for posting, which allows me to do just that. I’ll get to that with no further self-abuse, too. See y’all in the relatively near future, should I successfully navigate the time which separates us from now to then…. I’m off to find my equilibrium, if it is there to be found….
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…. Well, here we are again. Rather late, if y’all hadn’t noticed; so late, in fact, there’s no time to explain any of the reasons, none of which could be considered either justifiable, or rational, other than existing as rationalization. So, we’ll skip all that, & get on with today’s mess, which was thrown together, helter-skelter, in just under an hour. This is, unfortunately, much less time than I typically spend on a Pearl, so, I’ll forgo any nonsense about the quality, & merely acknowledge ’tis done…
It is, to my credit, completely fresh & original; the old-school pearl, composed of seven fine gems, came together in, if not record time, a remarkably adequate fashion. There is our usual musical compromise, with some of the world’s greatest music collected for your listening pleasure by some random You Tube user. And, there is a new poem, finished this morning under extreme pressure, the extremity of which I found necessary to get it down on the screen before the blood loss reached a critical level. Go figure, eh? Sometimes, it’s easier than others, so, I hope you enjoy it…. Personally, I think it’s not bad, but, I often don’t really ‘get it’ myself until the metaphors have circled around my head for a while….
Okay, chatty rationale aside, I’d best get posted, before the reality of the day’s agenda strikes home. To do so with dispatch, I’ll employ an old, old literary technique, which I call ‘the dump’…. You’ve seen it before; it works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds
on the heel that has crushed it.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
***************************************
Those familiar with our habits here on ECR will know just why I chose classical music today; those not so in tune may merely enjoy it, without knowing I’m ‘going with the flow’… Either way, it’s good stuff to read by…. Abondanza!….
***************************************
Classical Music
***************************************
***************************************
***************************************
Whispers in the Dark
Contrast burgeons, each moment we exist,
drawing perception, offering simply delicious ambiguity;
imagination gives reality an emotional twist,
we create the dance, step by step, in perpetuity.
Glorious, spinning with uninhibited glee,
joyous in well-fitted shoes, alive in every atom;
Death itself smiles, in gentle wonder, to see
such pure illumination, deeper than any fathom.
Myrmidons stand, helmeted heads shaking in sad confusion,
unable to comprehend the complex notion of simplicity;
multitudes gaze hypnotically into depths of crass illusion
totally ignorant of their own vile duplicity.
Precluded from taking flight in silent wonder, we fight
to preserve all we believe, ever falling short of kindness.
Beauty remains; we walk through it to the light,
a glimpse of druidic insight leaves us wishing for blindness.
~~ gigoid ~~
8/21/2017
***************************************
Naked Pearls
Notes on Process and Program….
*******
“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.”
~~ Confucius ~~
*******
“In memory everything seems to happen to music.”
~~ Tennessee Williams ~~
*******
“Have the courage to act instead of react.”
~~ Earlene Larson Jenks ~~
*******
“I am not the rose, but I have lived near the rose.”
~~ H. B. Constant ~~
*******
“Because right is right, to follow right
Were wisdom in the scorn of consequence.”
“Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage
— it can be delightful.”
~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~
*******
***************************************
I can honestly say I don’t know how I did it, so, I won’t. I will note, however, it’s done, and a damn good thing, as my OCD is building up angst, the later it gets. Over two hours past the artificial, yet compulsory, time I set for myself, & I’m still typing. How about I stop here, & go get this posted? Okay…. See y’all in a day or so, when I find some space in my head to make the effort to ‘pull it together’. Let’s not get into how long that might be; let’s just say, blessed be, & be on our merry, if less than perfectly sane way….
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 ~~
***********************************
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!….
********************************
Classical Music
********************************
********************************
********************************
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
********************************
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 ~~
*******
“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
~~ Descartes ~~
*******
“I was never here.”
~~ Kilroy ~~
*******
“Most people are on the world, not in it…”
~~ John Muir ~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”
~~ Confucius ~~
*******
“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” ~~
*******
********************************
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.
“Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.”
~~ Clarence Darrow ~~
Cat skill training….
Hajime…. Good morrow…. As I suspected, events in the real world prevented completing this Pearl, until this morning. Upon arising, more changes in my(our) morning routine were called for to deal with events taking place while I slept. In spite of all that, I find myself sitting here, adjusting like crazy, with just enough time and chutzpah to get it done, with a couple of minor cheats. To maintain the week’s strategy, of ‘going with the flow’, I shall trim ruthlessly, beginning right here in the beginning; it seems my best shot to fulfill my intention, as well as a logical way to do so… Who’d a thunk it? Begin at the beginning, & go on…. Sheer genius, eh?
Well, perhaps not. Nonetheless, I’ll do what I can, which, though probably less than perfect, will be all I can do. Which, naturally, leads into another use of my own favorite axiom, to wit: all you can do is all you can do. On that brief, yet cogent note, I will employ our latest version of the abrupt ending, right here at the beginning, just as if I knew it was the right thing to do….
Shall we Pearl?
“That that is is not that that is not.”
~~ Subtle Bee humor ~~
********************************
Old Guys, Rockin’….
To ensure a pleasant, if not overwhelmingly exciting experience here in our music section, I checked out the included concert by Hot Tuna yesterday…. I can attest, it’s another example of how well these guys’ music has aged over the years. They just keep gettin’ better, in my humble opinion…. Listen, and see if you don’t agree….
*************************************
Hot Tuna Live
*************************************
*************************************
********************************
I’m tired of my own poetry, & since I’m sure y’all are, as well, here is a classic poem, from a classic author, whose name requires no introduction. It’s one of my favorites of his, but, that means little in regards a poet who wrote so many of my favorites. Arguably one of the best ever, in my opinion, which I would say is shared by anyone who reads poetry…. Enjoy!…
Fergus And The Druid
Fergus. This whole day have I followed in the rocks,
And you have changed and flowed from shape to shape,
First as a raven on whose ancient wings
Scarcely a feather lingered, then you seemed
A weasel moving on from stone to stone,
And now at last you wear a human shape,
A thin grey man half lost in gathering night.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. This would I Say, most wise of living souls:
Young subtle Conchubar sat close by me
When I gave judgment, and his words were wise,
And what to me was burden without end,
To him seemed easy, So I laid the crown
Upon his head to cast away my sorrow.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. A king and proud! and that is my despair.
I feast amid my people on the hill,
And pace the woods, and drive my chariot-wheels
In the white border of the murmuring sea;
And still I feel the crown upon my head
Druid. What would you, Fergus?
Fergus. Be no more a king
But learn the dreaming wisdom that is yours.
Druid. Look on my thin grey hair and hollow cheeks
And on these hands that may not lift the sword,
This body trembling like a wind-blown reed.
No woman’s loved me, no man sought my help.
Fergus. A king is but a foolish labourer
Who wastes his blood to be another’s dream.
Druid. Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams;
Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round.
Fergus. I See my life go drifting like a river
From change to change; I have been many things —
A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light
Upon a sword, a fir-tree on a hill,
An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,
A king sitting upon a chair of gold —
And all these things were wonderful and great;
But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.
Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow
Lay hidden in the small slate-coloured thing!
~~ William Butler Yeats ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Finding the Way…
*******
“When something is wrong with the river, I will not blame the rock.”
~~ Chris Pirillo~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“Be careful or be roadkill.”
~~ Calvin, “Calvin and Hobbes” ~~
*******
“Things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining.”
~~ Frankl ~~
*******
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
*******
“He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”
~~ Confucius. ~~
*******
“Where the map differs from the terrain, believe the terrain.”
~~ Swedish Army Manual ~~
*******
********************************
Hmm…. Not too shabby. It may be tempting fate to say so, but, it seems Murphy is taking a short break. Before he wakes up & decides to stick his pointy nose into our affairs, I’ll maintain today’s ruthlessly efficient technique by finishing this off quickly. How so? Easy. Watch this….
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.
“Life, like a dome of many-colored glass, stains the white radiance of eternity.”
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelly ~~
Late blooming rose…
Hajime…. It has been well over a week since I posted a fresh Pearl; my psyche is feeling the buildup of angst quite frequently. Physically, I am still unable to sit for more than a few minutes before the conditions I’m working to improve tell me it’s time to get up again. There is some slow improvement, and a strong hope/plan to see more. For now, it’s all I’m able to do to spend five minutes at the computer before I’m compelled to go do something less sedentary, in a different gravitational configuration than the one sitting places us automatically. It makes writing, as might be guessed, a bit problematic; reading & surfing are also relatively hard to accomplish standing up for any length of time, so, I’m necessarily finding other things to do, all of which are healthier for me, though not as mentally soothing, in the sense of the release it gives my fractured psyche.
As this is being written in short spurts of sitting, I’m hoping to manage to keep this intro smooth, without exhibiting too much of the the broken timing so obviously a part of such a routine. To promote that hope, I’ll quickly issue an apology for missing so many of the posts of those I follow; I hope to be able to get back to it eventually. But, if I wish to live, with any degree of independence, re-establishing my health is of primary importance; I’ve still much to do before my time here is up, & I’d best be getting to it, before that time runs out. I hope to publish a bit more often, but, if not, I hope y’all can forgive me for being selfish to this degree….
I can’t think of any tricks, and I need to get up & move, so, I’ll end this here, & go close it off so I can get it posted. I’ll try to get by some other blogs today, if my time here in the chair doesn’t become too onerous. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the mess I’ve thrown together for your perusal… For the nonce, we’ll do this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Truckin’, like the do-dah man
Once told me “Gotta play your hand.
Sometimes your cards ain’t worth a dime
If you don’t lay’em down.”
Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me;
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it’s been.”
~~ Truckin’ by Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Hunter ~~
********************************
I believe this organization is doing as much as anyone in the world to promote peace and goodwill among men. I support them with a monthly donation, and feel I get my money’s worth every time I listen to a new tune…. Nothing better than live music ffolkes, and no better way to spend your time, or money than to hear/buy this music…. Enjoy!….
*************************************
Playing For Change
*************************************
*************************************
********************************
To fill in this space without resorting to the work of others, thus avoiding any embarrassment for them, here is a poem I wrote exactly five years ago yesterday. Since it’s been raining here for about two weeks straight, it fits right in…. I hope you enjoy it….
An Old Man, Snoring….
Winter arrives with gusts of wind and rain,
clover spreads green amongst the hedges.
Urban gardens quiver, and dream of spring again,
gargoyles stoically crouch on corniced ledges.
Umbrellas sprout over heads shrouded and hatted,
dotting the sidewalks in colorful profusion.
Urban denizens pose sketches, framed and matted,
adding casual beauty to fill the illusion.
Hissing tires, swishing along with the wipers
join nature’s orchestra smoothly, as percussion.
Dripping gutters sound gong tones, true pipers,
a sudden roar of wind hushes all discussion.
Dreams of summer heat form the crux of desire
as winter chills our souls from without.
Sitting in warmth, gazing into an imaginary fire;
content to know spring will come, no doubt.
~~ gigoid ~~
12/21/2012
********************************
This pearl came together over several days, managing to maintain its original shape and purpose the entire time. Here then, for your reading pleasure, is a rather classic old-school pearl, with a fine message…. Enjoy….
*******
“A life without cause is a life without effect”
~~ Barbarella ~~
*******
You can be happy or you can be miserable – the choice is yours.
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”
~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
*******
“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”
~~ Steven Stills~~
*******
“For water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.”
~~ Plutarch — Of the Training of Children~~
*******
“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”
~~ Confucius ~~
*******
“Death is every man’s final critic. To die well you must live bravely.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
********************************
Having completed my task, I shall bid thee adieu, until next time, which, hopefully, will be relatively soon. Compared to recent times, that’s a pretty good bet. See ya when I am able, ffolkes…. Stay strange; it’s cool out there….
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…. Bitter whimsy, indeed, my friends. It’s been at least three days since I last sat to compose a Pearl, though I’ve spent a little time collecting pearls to use. Most of my time, sadly, has been spent feuding with the powers that be, in the guise of banks, and robotic zombies in service to soulless corporations. As usual, the conflicts in which I’ve been compelled to engage have ended in what can best be called a draw; I get what I need, the myrmidons get confused, and we both feel a bit unsettled afterward. Mostly, it works, though there seems to be little point to any of it.
In fact, if you consider our opening lines from Confucius (the real one, not the one with the weird fake accent everyone uses… this is from the books he actually wrote, back in the days of Lao Tzu and the emperors of various dynasties in China…), taken together with the intro closing quote from Bert Russell, it gives the flavor of how my time out in the BBR has gone, for the most part. Relatively productive in terms of task completion, but, with the concomitant angst and stress from having to deal with mundanes, myrmidons, zombies, and simple idiots, to go along with the more rarely encountered true human, those who are able to display rational behavior, and a human ability to display empathy toward others.
I miss the conversations involved in blogging; in the past six or so years, I’ve met some of the best ffolkes I’ve ever known; several have become very good friends, and I am reluctant to completely give up the time I spend connecting with them. But, I am finding, also, I am less filled with the background of tension that comes from having to soak up so much bad juju, which is hard to avoid if one follows current events. There are literally dozens of issues being played out in the world today, all of which are relatively critical in nature; the failure to meet some of the challenges necessary to resolve those issues will have serious effects on the entire world, including our own species, effects which conceivably lead to our demise as a species. It ain’t pretty, ffolkes; humanity has been ignoring the basic rules of reality for a long time, hoping against hope the delusions/illusions upon which we have based our existence are powerful enough to withstand conflict with the real world. I’m unhappy to report, they aren’t….
But, that’s a rant for another time, yes? Yes. For now, I’m going to once again slough it all onto a back burner, & throw together a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom, just because I can, and, probably should, given the alternative, which none of us should contemplate without a better handle on things…. For now…
Shall we Pearl?
“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 ~~
********************************
Image from LIVEmusicblog.com via Google Images
Leo Kottke has been a legendary performer on the 12-string guitar for most of my life; I first saw him in concert in my first year at UC Berkeley, where he blew me, and the rest of the audience, right out of our shoes. Mike Gordon is much younger, but, no less a phenomenon, as a studio bassist, and for the popular rock band, Phish, with Trey Anastasio complementing his bass licks on lead guitar with his improvisational genius. Leo and Mike got together prior to Phish, to play in concert, also making a number of albums treasured by aficionados of great improvisational music…. Enjoy, ffolkes; these are two of the best, having fun together….
*************************************
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon Live
*************************************
*************************************
********************************
Adjectives of Quality ~~ Bloody Friday
A baleful lump of ironic introspection
sits upon my shoulder today
leaving traces of fey reflection
with a smattering of true dismay.
Resistance may be futile, many have said,
belief didn’t necessarily follow.
Abnegation of fear marks all bills paid,
leaving such empty threats hollow.
Symbolic courage never sleeps so deeply
as when delusion holds sway.
Bartered virtue, sold far too cheaply,
stands in shame, until honor fades away.
Too many culprits exist to count just one;
all of us bear obvious blame.
Evil is as evil does, only, when it’s done,
it begins again, all same-same.
Nobody seems to care enough to deny the lies.
Ignorant fear rules humanity’s masses.
When evil passes unremarked, innocence dies;
silence equals guilt, leaving only hope’s ashes.
Reality screams; tales of terror unfold,
flames fanned with purposeful malice,
insidious dangers hide beneath atrocity untold
as Gaia weeps into an empty chalice.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/3/2015
********************************
Naked Pearls
Odd, but, true….
*******
“Everything can be filed under “miscellaneous”.”
~~ Dilbert, Scott Adams ~~
*******
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth:
(1) not going all the way; and
(2) not starting.”
~~ Buddha ~~
*******
“Freedom is not free. Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves
as the sole cause of all our adversities.
~~ Sophocles ~~
*******
“As I look at your image,
I see only the light which was not absorbed.”
~~ Mark Middleton ~~
*******
“It will not out of the flesh that is bred in the bone.”
~~ John Heywood (c. 1565) — Proverbes, Part ii, Chap. viii~~
*******
“What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?”
~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~
*******
********************************
‘Tis now 0510, which means this process has done its job admirably; I’m still relatively sane, and nobody died in my vicinity, whether due to my action, or inaction. Plus, compared to the general run of mundanes, I’m still sane, and as free as anyone in this sad old world can be. Rather than entertain any opinions of a different nature, I’ll just ease my way off screen, & get on with the re-ordering of my personal reality. It’s a tough job, but, who else will do it, if I don’t? No one. Since that remains the case, I’ll see y’all later; the exact date remains, at this point, a mystery, but, don’t fret, it won’t be too long… It seems to keep pulling at me…. 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.
Hajime…. It probably comes as no surprise to anyone who has been here more than once to learn the methods used to create these Pearls of Virtual Wisdom are, at the base, as random as can be tolerated. That is to say, the result is random; my approach is anything but, though to look at it from the outside, that probably doesn’t hold true. Nonetheless, when I am searching for pearls, or thinking about using a pearl as the basis for ranting, or, especially, when writing poetry, the process is allowed to proceed in a semi-conscious manner, with randomness as the only parameter. In short, it’s all done with a direct connection to the unconscious, as I’ve known forever most of my REAL thinking goes on there. What happens out here in the harsh light of reality is merely the reflection of that….
Why, you may ask, is he rambling on about such meaningless drivel? Gosh, do ya think it might be going along the lines of that parameter? I hope so, because it damn well is, and I’d hate to start your day out by forcing a hard reboot; it could get expensive in coffee. Not to worry, though, there won’t be any charges added on your bill for the service, should it have to be applied. I suppose it would be polite, at this point, to actually tell you why all this is so ‘in your face’ at such an hour. However, I gave up being polite for Halloween, and guess what today is? Yep, that’s right. It’s the day before the least important, yet significant day of the year. I speak, of course, of the Day of the Dead….
Yes, November 1st, El Dia de los Muertos in many places around the world, always my favorite holiday (well, sort of a holiday; hard to attach much frivolity and/or lightheartedness to the day, but, it’s fun, in a macabre sense….), not only for its honesty, but, because it’s also my birthday. I will turn old, officially, tomorrow about 3:30 AM, when it will have been exactly 66 years since my parents welcomed me into the world. It’s a big milestone, in this country, as it marks the age where one is allowed to begin collecting the money that society forced us to pay into Social Security, in my case, for shortly more than 50 years. My only remark on that, for now, is to note the relevance of the Grateful Dead line, to wit: “What a long strange trip it’s been!….”
But, that’s tomorrow, and, right now, it’s still today. My sense of duty is telling me to get posted, while my randomness gene is laughing at such nonsense. I’ll use the distraction of the argument to go ahead & get this done, while the various parts of my mind are busy elsewhere. It ain’t the most extensive Pearl ever, but, it’s sufficient unto the day. It will have to be, because, well, it will. On that fatalistic note, I think it’s time to move on….
Shall we pearl?….
“Life is cruel? Compared to what?”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
********************************
That’s right; it’s more classical music. That’s because it’s what I want to hear today, so, you’ll just have to go along with it. Or, go read the poem. Either way, it’s good stuff, so, in a paraphrase of Frank Zappa, ‘Shut up & listen’…..
********************************
Classical Music
********************************
********************************
********************************
Unwrapped Morning
A jewel of deepest green, sparkles by firelight
Held fast by time, and space
Leaves only passive passion, pale and bright
Naught but grief, yet but a trace.
In morning’s bright parlor, burning for hate
Unspent moments fall, seeking pain
Spilling blood forlornly, cowed by fate
Left with nothing, life in vain.
Pallid purpose calls, to that fallow ground
In bold fashions, aflame
Conscience falls aside, value unbound
Death calls, forever lost, the game……
~~ gigoid ~~
8/21/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
An odd collection, but, mine own….
*******
“I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.”
~~ Confucius (551-479 BC) ~~
*******
“All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”
~~ Lennon/McCartney, “Blackbird” ~~
*******
“You know you’ve achieved perfection in design,
Not when you have nothing more to add,
But when you have nothing more to take away.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
“The only thing that makes life possible
is permanent, intolerable uncertainty;
not knowing what comes next.”
~~ Ursula K Le Guin ~~
*******
“Love not what you are, but what you may become.”
~~ Miguel de Cervantes ~~
*******
“In ancient times there were great Taoist Sages.
Their way of living was so deep, so subtle, it cannot be directly explained.
Instead, here is how they looked:
Cautious, as if crossing the ford of a stream in Winter
Alert, as if surrounded by danger
Polite, as if they were always a guest
Yielding, like ice that is on the verge of melting
Sincere, like an uncut block of wood
Receptive, like a valley
Opaque, like muddy water “
~~ Chapter 15, Tao Teh Ching ~~
*******
“Ne te confundant illegitimi”
(Don’t let the bastards get you down)
~~ Latin for everyday occasions ~~
*******
********************************
I guess they can’t ALL be perfect gems. But, it’s done, and it ain’t too shabby, so, let’s go post it, and take our lumps like men, ‘kay? I don’t suppose I need to mention I’ll be back tomorrow, if I live through the celebration. You needn’t wish me luck; it wouldn’t help, anyway. But, the odds are still good, so, I’ll be here….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!”
~~ The Beatles, “I Am The Walrus ~~
Foxy the Stump….
Hajime…. Today is…. blank? Hmm. As I sat to begin, my mind felt full of relatively creative urges; when I began to type, it all went away. This, of course, tells me our old friend Murphy is hanging somewhere about the premises, looking for trouble. This isn’t to say we can do much about it, except to try to be mindful, so he doesn’t catch us completely flat-footed. It does mean I should speed up this intro a bit, in order to keep ahead of him as long as we can…
I suppose I could abandon all formality, & just dump y’all down the page. But, we’ve got some good stuff here today, so, I’ll ease you in as best I can, with a little prep. For your listening pleasure, I’ve included an hour of Wolfie Mozart, with two of his best pieces one after the other. Our ranting section today is filled with a most excellent guest piece, by our friend Dean Baker, with one of the finest takes on modern culture I’ve seen. Period. There’s also a rather nice old-school pearl, bringing us to the closing section with dispatch if not aplomb. Not bad for an old drunk curmudgeon, eh?
What? Oh, drunk… no, not now, but, much of last night was spent at some level of that condition; kind of fun, & makes sleep come quick…. I guess I could do without the mild hangover, but, the price has to be paid, one way or another, eh? A hot shower, a bit of mild walking, & I’ll be fine. To get moving toward completing some of that, I’ll end this here with my new-found sense of ruthlessness, which, though still a bit uncomfortable, works quite well for this sort of thing…. It works just like this, as you well know….
Shall we pearl?….
“It’s like brother Nietzsche said –being human is a complicated gig,
so give that dark night of the soul a hug and howl the eternal yes.”
~~ Chris, DJ, Northern Exposure ~~
********************************
Wolfie M….
Today’s musical selection is simple. The two symphonies you’ll hear are both from Wolfgang Mozart, the last two he wrote, considered two of his best. Together, they give us an hour of delightful noise, as fine as any ever produced by humans…. I hope you enjoy it….
Yesterday, after procrastinating a bit for a day or so, I finally checked out the post of an author/writer/poet/musician/scholar/curmudgeon/magician named Dean J. Baker. I am privileged to be able to call him friend, as I consider him one of the finest artistic souls of our generation. (As a side note of some personal satisfaction, I can safely say I know at least three such souls, none of whom are celebrities in the normal sense, but, are those who, in my more than normal experience, exhibit the qualities I know to be, in human terms, eternal… I guess that will need to be explained further, but, that can be for another time…. To return to reality, real-time…
I found, upon relieving the stress of procrastinating, a literary gem. I’m going to reproduce it today, but, you can read the original at the link above. Considering the recent news, and all the hullabaloo in the news regarding violence in society between the police and the public (which I’ll point out is a mask/metaphor for the true battle, between the narcissist sociopaths and the rational humanists, comprising the two most influential segments of the human bell curve….), this is both an extremely timely examination, as well as both exacting an indictment, and offering a potential direction to take…. I give you, Dean Baker….
Suicide Citizens, and Lethal Force
How stupid do you have to be to get shot by the Police?
Things are obvious. You get stopped. Stopped, not interrupted. Stopped by legal representatives of the Law who are empowered to shoot, and kill you.
They are not going to wait or hesitate to see if you have a gun, if you make a movement. They aren’t saying to themselves, ‘Hey, maybe this guy or girl is reaching for a gummi bear to alleviate their tension at being stopped, so maybe they won’t fire off a quick shot and if they do maybe I won’t get hit.’
Whether or not they’re mean themselves or generally helpful outside the situation has nothing to do with anything. You’re stopped, you stop.
Whether or not the situation dictates that they should shoot you a few more times once you’re down is a legitimate reason for a fast debate since there is reason from examples that they not only shoot to stop you from shooting them, but that they shoot to kill you.
But really, what kind of special retard do you have to be to move, shift, disobey directions meant to keep you safe, them safe, and prevent you from being shot?
Consider this: you likely have one or two .40 caliber guns pointed right at you. In less than five seconds, you can be dead. The news is full of unlawful victims, righteous shootings, and the use basically of lethal force.
Are you an idiot who cannot read? Are you blind that you cannot see these? Or maybe you climbed off the Special Bus that says ‘none of that real world stuff applies to me.’
Then consider the fact that on the side of the Police there is likely an assumption that you are half way intelligent, and/or aware.
And then you move..
Certainly the rules of, and teachings for, policing may need to be reviewed immediately – and more than casually.
I’m not in favor of getting shot, certainly. I detest the idea that people, stupid or not, are getting shot, resulting in trauma all around. What’s going to happen? A citizen-ruled committee that says we must trust that you are a well-intentioned person who may or may not have made an error, so we’ll wait to see.
Duh, no.
The entire idea of policing in regards to stops is to establish bona fides, or not.
The vulnerability rests in the fact that in this society there is a built-in idiot factor.
Doctors won’t inform on a colleague who may be doing irreparable harm. Schools won’t fire a teacher who likely ought to be taking, not teaching, classes. Bureaucracies employ idiots.
You know what I mean – you probably have a relative or friend you know who needs being replaced.
And cops won’t say yeh, some of us are true assholes who ought to be arrested because with their training and knowledge they’re more dangerous than some ignorant citizen.
Until that idiot factor is corrected you’re going to have wrong doing on both sides of the law.
The other side of that idiot factor is punishment that does not fit the crime.
When it’s light, there’s outrage. When it doesn’t exist, and seems to cater to authority, even greater outrage.
People do talk about justice, but make no mistake: there’s also a need for vengeance legally administered. The only real debate is on whether the degree is sufficient to satisfy the counter balanced requirement for justice and revenge combined.
And yes, there are morons who merely want their criminals to say they’re sorry. They’re all sorry they got caught, and those fools who require only acknowledgment are victims-in-waiting.
As for incidents where there are a group of police and one antagonist with a knife, I would think citizens would say ok, disarm the crazy, although from recent reports the Police would say, screw that, kill them.
Citizens would hope that their Police would make an effort to beanbag, taser, or beat the perpetrator. Not simply shoot, then shoot again when they are down as has happened too many times.
If a citizen can defend against such a crazy by shooting them, where’s the difference between them and the Police who do the same if they are in a group?
That sounds and looks like Police rules, not law.
Cops ought to have greater and more useful methods and manners of dealing with the wild ones, most especially if they are contained by being surrounded, or trapped in a vehicle unable to get out because they’re surrounded.
Otherwise, let’s admit to a truth: if you have a knife, and may or may not be crazy, and there is a group of Police around you, rather than finding a way to disarm you, they will kill you instead – all the talk and persuasion is a false idea of Police work when the end result is no different from what a citizen can accomplish.
Let’s at least recognize the idiot factor so changes can be effected, even if it would be stupid to assume people will alter their inclinations.
And as for the retard instigators who are merely glorifying themselves – establishing the fact that they need an authority to rebel against – know that they are simply the other side of authority, without the empowerment, and without the knowledge and practical applications, and thus even more dangerous than what they protest.
Where are they before any incidents? Are they stupid, waiting for a mess to occur before they channel their outrage when it’s more than likely it won’t be organized and thus effective at change? At most that is intellectually lazy and at least it’s a passive violence. Are they really self-servingly waiting for an excuse to exact a self-righteous rage, and thus not to be taken seriously?
However, if they choose the proper channels, establish a grouping of citizens to establish a fair protest against unfair rules and rulings, then to challenge authorities afterwards is as legitimate as the method in which this nation was founded.
Don’t be a tool of the media which enflames for its own end.
Nor the billionaires who fund movements for their own selfish reasons: which are never to the good of the individual citizen. You’re being manipulated by the self-righteous who are getting paid.
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” — Robert Frost
Placidly falling in amber waves: old friends
Whiskey, oh, whiskey, I’d forgotten thy balm,
thy loving spread of lassitude, and nature’s own calm.
Misery and pain flee in squalid disorganization,
leaving mirth, happily embraced, in just consolation.
James, old friend, thou has not abandoned me at all,
steadfast and loyal, ever ready to answer my softest call.
Ephemeral illusions of normality come at your instigation
blessed moments of peaceful joy, sans vilification.
Gasps of coherence pound at the door to conscious thought,
muffled explosive memories of battles already fought.
Malleable as the changeable airs of time and circumstance
plaintive calls to reason stand not a single, honest chance.
Sober again, reality’s cold reign brings a new day
ringing in old changes in a new-fashioned way.
To know true freedom’s release from our everyday pain
Is worth a bit of headache, even in the cold, pouring rain.
~~ gigoid, two sheets to the wind, and back ~~
“You will find poetry nowhere, unless you bring some with you.” — Joseph Joubert
12/2/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Simple Truths
*********
“You can observe a lot by just watching.”
~~ Berra’s Law ~~
~~ Yogi Berra [Brooklyn Dodger’s Catcher & Major League Philosopher] ~~
*********
“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”
~~ Chinese Proverb~~
*********
“Safety is on the shore, but the pearl is in the ocean.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
*********
“The character of human life,
like the character of the human condition,
like the character of all life, is “ambiguity”:
the inseparable mixture of good and evil,
the true and false, the creative and destructive forces —
both individual and social.”
~~ Paul Tillich ~~
*********
“If there is no wind, row.”
~~ Latin Proverb ~~
*********
“Remember that what pulls the strings is the force hidden within;
there lies the power to persuade, there the life,
–there, if one must speak out, the real man.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, x, 38 ~~
*********
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
~~ Confucius (551-479 BC) ~~
*********
“Costing not less than everything. “
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
*********
“Love;
While you have life to give
Live;
While you have love to give.”
~~ Piet Hiem ~~
*********
********************************
Thankfully, this came together well, in spite of my hung over state, and the ubiquitous threat of Murphy hanging about. To show my appreciation in the most relevant way, I’ll end it now, here. I will, however, be back tomorrow to torment, er, try this again. See ya, ffolkes; take that as you 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.
At least I thought I was dancing, ’til somebody stepped on my hand.
~~ J. B. White ~~
Trinity College, Dublin
Hajime…. Generally, I don’t make any attempt to connect the opening quote to anything below; that space is for a general concept to lead into the day. Today’s selection, as it turned out, matches perfectly with my current state of mind, so, serendipity strikes again….. The past couple weeks have been a trial for me, in at least two senses. I suspect it is the barometer’s up & down dance over that time that is causing the greater part of the pain I’ve been experiencing, as the weather does it’s spring thing. Since that pain has been so ubiquitous, my PTSD decides to chime in, threatening to send me into the abyss that ever waits on the edges of my perception, down into the dark hole of my mind, where nothing seems to have any color, or life…..
Since I also have reality to deal with, which currently involves planning a trip, executing it, and maintaining the rest of my life simultaneously, time becomes an enemy, as my mind wanders in lost corridors, and things don’t get done. For one who prefers to live with some dignity and direction, it only adds weight to that which must be carried while climbing out of the abyss. The upshot of this, at least here on WP, is that my writing suffers from stultification, and, I don’t go out online to visit all those sites I like to follow, to provide the mental stimulation my mind craves. For this part, I can apologize, and say, have patience with me, as I will eventually make it by to comment, and interact.
All that said, in apology, and in hopes of climbing another step up the wall, I’ll try to put together a Pearl, which will, no doubt, get posted late, but, done. It won’t be too fresh, but, we’ll do what we can. In order to give myself the time to do so, we’ll forgo any fooling around here, and be on our way, post haste….. In fact, we’ll go right now. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“‘Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare
“You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.”
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.
When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark:
But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,
His voice has a timid and tremulous sound.”
~~ Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” ~~
********************************
Yep, you guessed it. The intro should have been enough to tell you we’d be going default today. But, don’t worry, even if you missed it, you can still enjoy the music…. Abondanza!…
As noted above, there isn’t anything in my head worth putting on paper, or screen. Instead, here is a collection of pearls I’ve been putting together for a rant, which, taken by themselves, work fairly well to lead one on their own private rant, in their heads. Just follow the bouncing ideas, to the obvious conclusion you find at the end…. Or, just laugh along at the Asininnies, as we take our best shots…..
“There are some jobs in which it is impossible for a man to be virtuous.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
Good Question….
“The words of the prophets were written on the subway walls.”
~~ Simon & Garfunkel ~~
“Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?” — Ramsey Clark
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.” — Dwight Eisenhower, April 16, 1953
“Do not be afraid of enemies; the worst they can do is to kill you. Do not be afraid of friends; the worst they can do is betray you. Be afraid of the indifferent; they do not kill or betray. Yet only because of their silent agreement, betrayal and murder exist on earth.” — Bruno Yasienski, contemporary Soviet novelist
“All governments require enemy governments.” — Edward Abbey
“As a man can drink water from any side of a full tank, so the skilled theologian can wrest from any scripture that which will serve his purpose.” — Bhagavad Gita
“Real eyes realize real lies”
~~ wall graffiti in Palestine ~~
********************************
Dead Hands,Typing…
Puzzled anew by anomalous blocks of pain
caught, bemused, chained to routine, insane.
Stilled within breathless beauty
Engaging epiphany, insistent, called to duty.
Knees bent in lieu of a faithful rendition
suffuses, confuses, locked into stale perdition.
Clearing corrosion with hands encased in stone
Singular frozen follicles, masked by bone.
Partial focus brings unfiltered flavors to light
coloring each particle in simple delight.
Forlorn, novel conceptual artists singing in tune
nine notes in harmony, soft as the moon.
Honed blades of carbon steel flash in rhyme,
filling sensual receptors well past closing time.
Borrowed from neighbors in a week-old game
still bloody, without a proper name.
No flooded memories can justify such cost
no simple stationery, bilious, afraid, lost.
Ten times ten will never be enough
To fill so empty a stolen trough.
Bartering simplicity takes well into the night
solidly temporary pillars turned bright.
Unknown to all the pretty children who came
none were called, none had any remaining flame.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/25/2015
********************************
Naked Pearls
Random Thoughts on Life
*******
“Although it is tempting to resent disaster,
there is not much use in doing so…
Whether we remain ash or become the phoenix is up to us.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”
~~ Confucius ~~
*******
“Love isn’t love until you give it away.”
~~ Buddha Bee ~~
*******
“Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself,
for he shall never cease to be entertained.”
~~ John Powell ~~
*******
“Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
*******
“It is good for a man to eat thistles and to remember that he is an ass.”
~~ E. S. Dallas ~~
*******
“Faboo!, Would you like to see me make bubbles with my spit?”
~~ Wakko Warner ~~
*******
********************************
Well…. I’m pretty sure it’s done; I’ll check, but, it feels okay; today, that will have to do. I can’t say if I will get around to visiting other sites today; I am still teetering on the edge, and have a lot to do to prepare for my upcoming trip. If I don’t please know I will return, and I’m not ignoring anyone; just gotta do what must be done. I will, for the sake of my own sanity, try again tomorrow to put a Pearl together, hopefully with less trouble and effort than was required today. Regardless, I’ll be back…. and, sorry for parroting a bad actor. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; odds remain good….
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…. ‘Tis morning again here in Northern California. Today, that’s more of a pill to swallow than a treat to consume, I’m afraid. I’ve got so much nothin’, I’m having a hard time keeping my feet on the ground, as there isn’t enough in me to attract any gravity. I know the problem, which can be traced directly to my PTSD, and, the absence of Leelu, who went into the vet’s yesterday afternoon for her spay appointment. I didn’t realize how closely we had bonded; it choked me up something fierce when I actually had to leave her there, compelling me to walk off the upset by hoofing it home, about 2 miles…. My sleep was disturbed, due to the aching hips produced by the longest walk I’ve taken in some time, and the tweak in my back, adding the glory of spasms to the mix…. A lovely night, reminiscent of far too many like it last year….
My resultant lack of energy is not being assuaged by this intro, and none of the sections below are done, to any significant degree. So, no Pearl today, other than the old-school group you’ll find below, which I’d already put together. I may not even be back tomorrow; hard to say, as I don’t pick up Leelu until tomorrow morning, and, don’t know yet how the day is going to go today…. Ambiguity is part of life, but, it sure sucks, y’know?
Ah, well, so be it. Below, you’ll find a pearl, made of pearls, and that’s all the Pearl you get today. To get the slow on the toad, we’ll go do that now, and be done with it for today….. Why look, here’s our opening right here! We’ll take it….
Shall we Pearl?….
“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
~~ Confucius ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Randomness is Truth
*******
“Appearances to the mind are of four kinds.
Things either are what they appear to be;
or they neither are, nor appear to be;
or they are, and do not appear to be;
or they are not, and yet appear to be.
Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man’s task.”
~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxvii ~~
*******
“Invincibility depends on one’s self; The enemy’s vulnerability on him.”
~~- Sun Tzu ~~
*******
“My skin, my bones, my heretic heart are my authority.”
~~ Catherine Madsen ~~
*******
“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth
the first time he bites off more than he can chew.”
~~ Herb Caen ~~
*******
“Don’t look back — something might be gaining on you.”
~~ Satchel Paige ~~
*******
********************************
I know; it’s pretty short, isn’t it? Oh, well. So be it. I hope to be back tomorrow, but, time will tell. Time always does; it’s a gossip & can’t help itself. See ya ’round the planet, 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 