To little purpose, but great gain….

Posted on December 20, 2018 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If we are not stupid or insincere when we say
that the good or ill of man lies within his own will,
and that all beside is nothing to us,
why are we still troubled?”

~~ Epictetus, Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxv ~~

Leelu, temporarily cooperative….

I am fuddled, properly, but, remain unrepentant for being so, also properly. The essential elements to complete and post this Pearl were all present by yesterday afternoon, but, my will failed, & it didn’t get done as it might have. My fuddled state arises from the failure of will, for which I have neither explanation, nor the remotest clue as to where one might be procured. Such a state can often produce this degree of concern, but, in this case, I believe I shall let it pass relatively without further remark, if only to save what little peace of mind I yet have; no sense in chewing on myself over what’s already past, & I have no desire to beat myself over my fast-balding pate any more than is absolutely necessary to maintain civility….

While I’m on the subject, BOY, I REALLY HATE WINDOWS 10!

There, I’m glad that’s out of my system, if only for the moment. This latest version of Bill Gates’ classic operating system has grown to such gargantuan proportions, it gets in its own way, not to mention mine. Without going into details, I’ll just say there are so many damn bells & whistles, one can’t find the chalk, or often, the chalkboard. Time after time, it frustrates me by its slowness, and its decided lack of obviously intelligent design. SIGH…. So be it. At least it gets to where I need to go, eventually. Okay, end of mini-rant….

Which leads us to the actual purpose here today, to post yet another set of my own (non)sense and/or vulnerability disguised as aplomb. Fear not, my covers are intact, according to my ill-favored and unreliable perceptive abilities…. enough so I’ll probably even do this again in the relatively near future. For the none, allow me to forgo further diatribes or even lyrical phraseology, in favor of just getting the damn thing posted. This, by the way, is how we do that…..

Shall we Pearl?

“There are places I remember
all my life, though some have changed,
some forever, not for better,
some have gone and some remain.

All these places had their moments
with lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life I’ve loved them all.”

~~ The Beatles ~~

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

The Delta Saints

Image from Wikipedia via Google Images

My daughter turned me on to this band, which plays a variety of musical styles, though certainly all with a southern rock attitude. I’ve been enjoying exploring their work for a few weeks now, & have like all I’ve heard. I hope you enjoy them as well….

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Blithely Untitled

A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.

Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.

Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.

Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.

Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.

~~ gigoid ~~

2/7/2014

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

Naked Pearls

Obscure, but quite cogent….

*******

“From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

~~ Dr. Seuss ~~

*******

“But Memory blushes at the sneer,
And Honor turns with frown defiant,
And Freedom, leaning on her spear,
Laughs louder than the laughing giant.

~~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, “A Good Time going” ~~

*******

“In solitude, where we are least alone.”

~~ Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iii, Stanza 90 ~~

*******

“All growth is a leap in the dark,
a spontaneous, unpremeditated act
without the benefit of experience.”

~~ Henry Miller ~~

*******

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose
that makes your rose so important.”

~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~

*******

“One can endure sorrow alone, but it takes two to be glad.”

~~ Elbert Hubbard ~~

*******

“All philosophy lies in two words: sustain and abstain.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

********

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

Well, there you have it, yet again. One of these days, I might end up exhibiting more than mere pedantry, by including some philosophical discourse; it would be good to do before my vision is entirely gone (not too far off, I’m afraid….), & I can no longer see the keyboard, or anything I’ve written…. boy wouldn’t THAT piss off spellchecker, eh? Anywho, for today, we’re done, so, y’all be well, & happy as you may be…. Blind or not, I intend to remain strange…. too late to turn back now, eh?…. Ta, then, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Pythagoreans, screaming in unison….

Posted on September 25, 2018 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“For neither men nor angel can discern hypocrisy
– the only evil that walks invisible.”

~~ Milton, “Paradise Lost”, iii:682-684 ~~

Sunrise near Greenock, Scotland….

I cannot seem to figure out why it’s taking me so long to achieve a daily rhythm on this blog; moreover, I can’t seem to work up much angst over it, either. I’m also not sure why I can’t figure out why, which brings me right back into the endless loop of silliness that’s been chasing around my head for a couple weeks now. I’m beginning to think trying to come back wasn’t in my best interests, as it all seems so pointless. But, for the nonce, I have committed to it, if only in my own fantasy, so, I’m left with little choice but to keep at it until it’s done, again….

Of course, that pre-supposes there will be something in my head worth writing down when the time comes, which, as is perfectly clear by now, is a supposition without corroborating evidence of possibility. I’m lucky I’ve found what you see, I think, because I don’t see much of anything more laying about; my head seems to be leaking faster than I can type, & I’m very close to the literary equivalent of “fainting in coils”, or some such other nonsense. To prevent any toxic build-up, that can lead to explosions of vitriol & bile, let’s go see what I have cobbled together, & try again some other day…. That, in & of itself is easy enough…. I just have to do this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Virtue is not hereditary.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

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Today’s musical selection combines my two favorite types of music, to wit: classical guitar music. Also, if one wishes to listen to music at all, why not go for the best available? Hence this compilation of the works of Andres Segovia, acknowledged by many as the consummate master of the genre. I hope you enjoy it as much as do I….

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I remember well the night I wrote this poem…. ‘Twas near the beginning of most of a year spent in & out of Hell, as I fought with the AMA, and Big Pharma, to rid myself of the opioid addiction to which they had so blithely subjected me to in their ignorance and greed. It speaks, in metaphor, both obscurely AND plainly, of the pain & misery which can be the ONLY result of trying to get free of it…. It got worse, and helped produce, in its own malignant fashion, further instances of poetry, as my tortured mind & body fought for survival…. I hope y’all enjoy it, non-pretty as it may be….

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

Many paths, one destination….

*******

“There are things that are known, and things unknown,
and in between are the doors of perception.”

~~ Aldous Huxley, “The Doors of Perception” ~~

*******

“Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

*******

“Insofar as love expresses itself,
it is not expressing itself in terms of socially approved manners of life.
That’s why it is all so secret.
Love has nothing to do with social order.
It is a higher spiritual experience than that of socially organized marriage.”

~~ Joseph Campbell ~~

*******

“In any weather, at any hour of the day or night,
I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too;
to stand on the meeting of two eternity’s, the past and the future,
which is precisely the present moment; to toe at that line.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

*******

“There’s plenty of pain here – but it don’t kill.
There’s plenty of suffering here, but it don’t last.
You see, happiness ain’t a thing in itself
– it’s only a contrast with something that ain’t pleasant.”

~~ Mark Twain, “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven” ~~

*******

“If we are not stupid or insincere when we say
that the good or ill of man lies within his own will,
and that all beside is nothing to us,
why are we still troubled?”

~~ Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxv ~~

*******

“He said, “Dance for me” and he said,
“You are too beautiful for the wind
To pick at, or the sun to burn.” He said,
“I’m a poor tattered thing, but not unkind
To the sad dancer and the dancing dead.”

— Sidney Keyes, “Four Postures of Death”

*******

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

There you have it, ffolkes. I’ve done all the damage I can do in one sitting, so, I’ll just take my leave, with the usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back to try this again, apparently in two days, if recent history is any indication. Whatever happens, y’all be well, happy as you may be, and keep to the strange….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Yet another feast for fools….

Posted on April 1, 2018 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“After you have exhausted what there is
in business, politics, conviviality, and so on
– have found that none of these finally satisfy,
or permanently wear – what remains?
Nature remains.”

~~ Walt Whitman ~~

A dreary day at the marina….

Hajime…. It is perhaps apropos this fresh Pearl is appearing on the Feast of All Fools, aka April Fool’s Day. Far be it from this writer to ever challenge Murphy’s right to his own day; I’d rather give him/her/it a sober nod of acknowledgment & let it go at that…. Anything more might justs draw attention, which would defeat the entire exercise, yes? I see you see what I mean, so, good; we can go on to something with a bit more panache, or, at the very least, more inherent interest. I’d advise you to duck….

The process i employ to create fresh Pearls isn’t working quite the way it has in the past; I suppose the degree of angst I formerly felt much of the time had a lot to do with that, driving me to write, in order to experience some sort of sanity thereby. Since my angst now seems to run at a lower level, that compulsion is no longer so compelling. In short, my new paradigm doesn’t fit with the old process. SIGH… yet another paradigm change, I’m afraid…. So be it….

As it is written, so shall it be. It’s getting late in the day, & this still needs to be posted, so, I’ll cut short any further impulses to be cute, or clever, or even coherent, moving to another letter for the proper adjective, to wit: efficient. Or, as close as we ever come to it…. See y’all down the page a ways….

Shall we Pearl?….

“The word “dog” does not bite.”

~~ William James ~~

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

Due to the breakdown of the process, we’re going with a default selection for today’s music. I went so far as to choose my favorite pieces from my favorite composer of all time…. Yep, Wolfie strikes again, so, gird your grids for a long period of mental and spiritual stimulation…. It’s also good to read by, in my humble opinion… Abondanza!….

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concertos

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

Absently Gestalt

After the echoes of silence are faded away
Comes the cacophony which accompanies dismay.
Apocalyptic thoughts and emotions run free
Spreading fear enough to fill the holy see.

Speak softly to the beloved ruling class
Deathly darts sunk deep are painful, and crass
Sloth and ignorance are commonly shared
By those who would rule, alone or au paired.

Images and opinions are sullenly forlorn
Yet hope shines bright wherever ’tis borne.
Feeble strengths hide many objective flaws
For reality bites, with hard, vicious jaws.

Can you stand up and state your own name?
Will you hide in a handle, behind a great flame?
No hole and no mind is so deep and so wide
As to furnish safe haven in which to hide.

Bring out the weapons of your reluctant choice
Bring them to bear on the sound of their voice.
Silence the ignorant, and muzzle the fear
Make reason the only message you hear…..

~~ gigoid ~~

9/5/2016

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

Naked Pearls

Curve balls, all in the strike zone….

*******

“A man is a very small thing,
and the night is very large and full of wonders.”

~~ Lord Dunsany, “The Laughter of the Gods” ~~

*******

“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.
That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand-in-hand.”

~~ Emily Kimbrough ~~

*******

“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”

~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~

*******

“Nothing determines who we will become
so much as those things we choose to ignore.”

~~ Sandor McNab ~~

*******

“An intelligent mind is a mind which is not satisfied
with explanations, with conclusions;
nor is it a mind that believes,
because belief is again another form of conclusion.
An intelligent mind is an inquiring mind,
a mind that is watching, learning, studying.”

~~ J. Krishnamuti ~~

*******

“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 ~~

*******

“I am what I am and that’s all that I am.”

~~ Popeye ~~

*******

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

Never let it be said I did not fulfill my word. It’s done, & a damn good thing, too, as I’m about done sitting for the day. Hopefully, so are y’all; go forth, into the day, and seize all the joy you can find, or create. Me, I’m goin’ walkabout…. See y’all in a day or two, or possibly three. No foolin’….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Clearly a full half-bubble off plumb….

Posted on December 13, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it,
but what he becomes by it.”

~~ John Ruskin ~~

Foggy Golden Gate….

Hajime…. Well, here I am, as I promised yesterday, even though doing so has proved problematic. I spent the entire day off doing BBR stuff, & didn’t find or make the time to complete this completely. Awkward as my phraseology may or may not be (I kinda like it), getting this posted has proved to be rather an extended effort, made more complex by the apparently empty head with which I awoke. The poem which has been percolating has gone awry, & I had to abandon it altogether, to allow myself time to find the thread that broke, & try to mend it enough to allow the poem to blossom. I know, that’s probably as unclear to y’all as it often is for me, but, ultimately, it doesn’t matter, ’cause it ain’t done. SIGH….

Rather than complain further about my own failings at maintaining any consistency (not necessarily always a good thing, as you may know), I’ll just use some executive-style decision making expertise, otherwise known as ruthless trimming. Most of the trimming, as is proper, shall be right here in the intro section, where I’ll forgo the blather, nonsense, and/or idiocy which is the standard faire, in favor of merely saying, let’s get this done, shall we? I’m thinking that is probably the most efficient way to accomplish our primary purpose, which is to get a fresh Pearl up on line while I can. Since, if I spend any more time trying to explain, or excuse myself, it will not only fall apart, but, look terrible doing so. Rather than allow any of that, I choose to do this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“We have two ears and one mouth
so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

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

Grace Davies

Image fram Twitter.com via Google Images

This year, for the first, and, no doubt, last time ever, I watched the entire 2017 season of th X-factor talent competition (on You Tube uploads, not on TV itself), from auditions to the final show. The young woman you see pictured above, a 20 year-old singer/songwriter from northern England, became one of the two finalists, while performing primarily original songs. She blew the audience and judges away, time after time, with the material she wrote, a feat nearly matched by the other finalists, a group of young modern rapper/singers in a four-man group, who also used original songs to make their way into the final. Popular voting by the more populous southern England brought their band, Rak-Su, the victory, which I found to be a clear indication of the caliber of public taste, preferring show over substance.

Snarky opinions aside, Ms. Davies ended as the runner-up, but, by producing eight original hit songs, made a name for herself in the industry, where I am certain she’ll continue to shine for years to come, as she has been writing songs for about six years, and has many more to offer the world. I enjoy her writing skills, which she pairs with a unique singing style, and a crystal clear voice with excellent range. Below, I’ve included the compilation of all her X-Factor performances this year, giving a good look at one of the future stars of the musical world at large. I hope you enjoy it. As for me, I have, and will continue to do so, though, I can promise, I won’t be following a TV show again…. The saccharine & obvious manipulation got pretty tiresome, saved only by good original musical talent…. Abondanza!….

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

Grace Davies
X Factor UK 2017 Journey

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

Dreaming of Calliope

La belle dame sans merci speaks aloud through endless night,
torturing dreams, with powerful words and stentorian phrases.
Manifest visions bathed in unbearable grace and light,
destroying all direction, standing lost, in unfathomable mazes.

Fate plays a part, one that will never face denial,
as fear and courage eternally vie for ascendancy.
Conflict becomes valid, gifting strength in open trial,
but honest emotion wears no costume so fancy.

Blood, sweat, and tears stroll on avenues of gold,
unlikely heroines heralding as in ancient lore;
Sharp, competent knives cut through tales untold,
eternally shifting reality past the naked shore.

Drifting toward origin, bereft of mandate or cause,
finished, nay, abandoned, tied with a figurative bow.
No simple gift from muses to give comfort or pause,
save that all we need to know, we already know…..

~~ gigoid ~~

12/13/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Points to ponder: being human….

*******

“I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.”

~~ Theodore Roethke ~~

*******

It is not the one with many possessions who is rich,
but the one who has no needs.”

~~ Philoxenos ~~

*******

“The true worth of a man
is not to be found in man himself,
but in the colours and textures
that come alive in others.”

~~ Albert Schweitzer ~~

*******

“The bright senses, sight & hearing,
make a world patent and ordered,
a world of reason, fragile but lucid.
The dark senses, smell & taste & touch,
create a world of felt wisdom,
without a plot, unarticulated, but certain.”

~~ Crowley ~~

*******

“There are those among us
who live in rooms of experience
that you and I can never enter.”

~~ John Steinbeck ~~

*******

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost;
he who sows courtesy reaps friendship,
and he who plants kindness gathers love.”

~~ Saint Basil ~~

*******

“This is the true joy in life –
being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap;
being a force of nature
instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances,
complaining that the world will not devote itself
to making you consistent.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

*******

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

Well, finally, it’s done. I won’t promise to have another one soon, as the events currently on tap in the BBR portend the necessity to spend more time there than on my ass, typing. But, I can no more stop writing than I can stop breathing, so, I WILL return, not so very long from now. In the meantime, y’all continue practicing mindful weirdness and deliberate kindness. Do that, and, all will be well. See y’all soon enough, & thanks for stopping by….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Chafing at the proverbial bit….

Posted on December 7, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“True dignity is never gained by place,
and never lost when honors are withdrawn.”

~~ Phillip Massinger ~~

Glory Street….

Hajime…. One might think, given my recent spate of absence here on WP, any Pearls I manage to post with fresh material would be, at the base, well-constructed, even witty, with some obvious thought put into the material included; so much for expectations, eh? Not only do I not feel that kind of confidence in what you’ll find today, I’m not sure I can come up with anything much more erudite that what you’ve already seen, which is, admittedly, not up to my usual standards, low as they are. But, I shall persist nonetheless, if only to rid myself of the nagging, dragging feeling of having not completed a chosen duty. Yes, I’m odd, or strange, or weird, take your pick…. but, so be it…..

With the caveat now out of the way, which does not excuse my lack of excellence, but, rather, seeks to mitigate its harshness, I can get on with the rest of the mess I’ve thrown together. It is, to say the least, not the finest collection of material I’ve posted, but, it falls far short of being the worst. In fact, for what it is, it’s not too shabby. Good music to listen to while reading, one of my older, better poems, and a fine collection of old-school pearls in the final section turned what might have been a train wreck into merely a bumpy ride. And, once again, I can, and will say, so be it. For now, it’s the best I can do without making myself any crazier than usual, and, as we are wont to say around here, all you can do is all you can do.

Now I’ve whined & dinned sufficiently for one day, I shall proceed to go post this mess, before I lose the nerve, and the will necessary to get it done. Both of those particular qualities have been sublimated of late, dealing with real human interaction issues out in the Big Blue Room. In fact, today, I’ll be testing my resolve, by going on an actual date, with a real person of the fairer sex. Terrified, I am, as it’s been at least a dozen years since I tried this with anyone but my son or daughter…. I can only hope I remember the proper protocols and interactive skills to keep from either looking or feeling like a fool…. Of course, as a Bozo of long standing, that may be a forlorn hope, but, we do what we can…. In any case, it promises to be an interesting day, hopefully not in the old sense implied by the Chinese curse….

So, with that outpouring of angst, and the hope to survive not only the day, but, the night, I’ll get on with what’s needed to get this done, & begin getting ready for another day of walkabout, followed by what I hope to be a pleasant evening in the company of a charming woman…. I can’t wait….

Shall we Pearl?….

“There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man.
The true nobility is in being superior to you previous self.”

~~ Samuel Johnson ~~

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

Though I’ve had several days to decide, I still couldn’t find it in me to choose anything for today; hence this typical retreat into music I know will fit whatever agenda one may have. Some of the finest music ever written, played on acoustic guitar by the acknowledged master of the instrument, should fill the bill nicely. If you can’t find any of this you enjoy, your sense of music needs some refinement… I’m just sayin’…. In any case, I do hope you enjoy it…..

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

Classical Guitar Music
Andres Segovia

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

Bulletin

Patterns exist to bring sanity, if illusory, at best;
follicular, reality seems to slip and slide.
Still, formal insanity consistently fails the ultimate test,
why place faith in answers. from which truth can hide?

Following the music brings us back in good time;
forever seemingly retreats from relevance.
Crazy, time stands still with yet another innovative rhyme,
no burgeoning intentions for sale, to shimmy. or dance.

Folly sits easily upon this brow;
fateful and afraid, entropy bows in shame.
Into the river of time, slowly, forgetful of how
courage gives strength, no matter the game.

Capricious, the muse demands obedient attention
at risk of exhibiting true durance vile.
Bereft, single copies sit unused, despite all intention;
while singular examples of fate pass at the stile.

Seminal events bring their own weight;
no scale necessary, no guessing by eye, or hand.
Only one lesson to learn, just pay the freight;
the music is playing, and you’re part of the band.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/6/2016

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

Naked Pearls

Notes on Process & Program….

*******

“In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain, nor anything of this kind
is the real cause of our doing or not doing any action,
but our inward opinions and principles.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap xi ~~

*******

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

~~ Steven Stills ~~

*******

“An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine,
but because people refuse to see it.”

~~ James Michener, “Space” ~~

*******

“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~

*******

“But where shall I start?
The world is so fast, I shall start
with the country I know best, my own.
But my country is so very large,
I had better start with my town.
But my town, too, is large.
I had best start with my street.
No, my home.
No, my family.
Never mind, I shall start with myself.”

~~ Elie Wiesel ~~

*******

“It was when I found out I could make mistakes
that I knew I was on to something.”

~~ Ornette Coleman ~~

*******

“Yield to Temptation … it may not pass your way again.”

~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~

*******

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

Having completed all the required elements, I can, thankfully, declare this a finished product, such as it is. I’ll be back, possibly in the near future, to try this again. As we have seen, things don’t always work out just the way we plan them, but, I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think I could do it. So, keep a weather eye out for that in the next few days. I can promise I will do my best to make it worth reading, as is, I hope, always the case. In any case, that’s all I’ve got for today, so, I will bid thee adieu, with the hope you remain well, and happy as you may be. Me, I’m gonna stay strange, as it’s what I do best…. See ya, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Soft landings not included….

Posted on October 18, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Love isn’t love until you give it away.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

Curtola Parkway in early fall….

Hajime…. For me, the process of blogging has, for the past six-plus years, served as a means of staying within shouting distance of normalcy. Oh, not that I ever wanted to BE normal; I just enjoy being around it, as the world is less unpredictable in that neighborhood. Actually being normal, myself, was never part of the issue, which, in the final analysis, is a good thing, for trying to join the ranks of those who practice such habits would be futile; you see, I am not normal, by any stretch of the imagination…. This is not just mouthing platitudes, it’s an aspect of reality of which I have always been aware; moreover, I’ve always accepted it as my lot in life, without resentment. In fact, I rather enjoy my differences. for variety is, indeed, the very spice of life, as many noted philosophers have noted….

In my own case, being NOT normal comes with a price tag, expressed in reality’s only currency, to wit, challenges to our balance and stability… in short, to maintain any semblance of sanity, one must learn to wrestle with demons… & not just any demons, but, the most vicious & dangerous sort, to wit: the demons we create ourselves. I’ve always enjoyed the relevance of the following meme, a picture with a poem that expresses much of the “look and feel” of what I am attempting to describe….

Yesterday, as some gentle readers noted, I blew off blogging altogether, for the simple reason the stress of recent days apparently bled out of my head into reality, & I spent the day fighting a series of personal demons. While not an unfamiliar process, it is time-consuming enough to keep me from any sort of creative activity, other than creating new ways to both torture myself, and to fight the urge to do so. In such times, there is almost nothing I can do to distract myself from the task at hand, to wit: keeping myself from falling into one of the deep holes with which I find myself surrounded. Sadly, since I am a rather over-educated warrior, my demons can draw upon my own depth of knowledge to formulate their attacks, making it a tricky process, indeed, to formulate a defensive strategy, much less implement it against a foe who knows my every weakness….

It all sounds rather complex and distressing, to be sure, and, I can attest, it is very much so. So much, the only thing which saved my ass long enough to get this far today was putting together today’s messy, yet critical post. If you need to ask why it is ‘critical’, well, perhaps you need to pay closer attention. But, that’s neither here, nor there, as it turns out, and would be impolite to discuss any further. In fact, I have the feeling, if I don’t get this done, starting now, it won’t ever get done. So, I am going to pull this plug, rather abruptly, I’m afraid. Y’all had best hang on; the ride could be a bit rough today, as I have been compelled to pilot this vehicle myself…. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced, so, I suggest exercising some caution….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Every moment is precious. And precarious.”

~~- Edward Abbey ~~

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

French composer Camille Saint-Saens

On a day in which all is defaulted to paradigm, we, of course, go with a default choice for our musical selection. This compilation is from one of my favorite composers, and, one to which I listen on an almost daily basis…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….

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

Camille Saint-Saëns

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

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

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

Naked Pearls

Esoterica….

*******

Though one must first learn skill and ethics thoroughly,
one must come to embody them so completely
that they become subconscious.
Reacting to a situation
by asking what is right and wrong
is already too slow.”

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

“What is the first business of one who studies philosophy?
To part with self-conceit.
For it is impossible for any one to begin to learn
what he thinks that he already knows.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book ii, Chap. xvii ~~

*******

“The greatness of a man can nearly always be measured
by his willingness to be kind.”

~~ G. Young ~~

*******

“The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.”

~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~

*******

“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

~~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet ~~

*******

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

~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~

*******

“I am going a long way
With these thou seest–if indeed I go
(For all my mind is clouded with a doubt)–
To the island-valley of Avilion,
Where falls not hail or rain or any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly; but it lies
Deep-meadow’d, happy, fair with orchard lawns
And bowery hollows crown’d with summer sea,
Where I will heal me of my grievous wound.”

~~ Alfred Tennyson, “The Passing of Arthur” ~~

*******

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

That’s all, ffolkes. I have nothing else, literally. I’ll do my best to find some balance, and hope to return soon. Y’all take care, & stay tuned to this channel for further announcements, as they become appropriate. Be alert, be strange, and, be happy as you may…. Sometimes, that’s the best you can hope for; expecting it doesn’t work, as reality resists all attempts to predict with any reliability…. See ya…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Sneering, he went bald….

Posted on September 14, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“I have realized that the past and future are real illusions,
that they exist in the present,
which is what there is and all there is.”

~~ Alan Watts ~~

Hazy day on SF Bay….

Hajime…. My regular Gentle readers may have noted my complete absence yesterday; others may not. Nonetheless, it’s so; I blew the day off completely, to avoid any display of the insanity which characterized my day. I can’t really say why, or, even how, the day got that way. I only know I sat to begin composing in the early hours of the morn, & realized it wasn’t going to happen…. With a dispatch unusual for me, I got up, & left the computer behind for a couple hours, going for an early walk, & spending time with Leelu, who is feeling better, but, still a bit clingy. We had a quiet day, in which I visited a couple blogs I’d missed lately, but, otherwise spent only the minimum of time online, sufficient only to keep my inbox clear of dross.

I also managed to put together a decent enough Pearl for today, with some excellent music & a rather fine old-school pearl for the final section. The new poem did leak out a few more verses, but, isn’t ready for consumption, so, I went with one from a while back, during my stint in opioid hell. For what it is, and was during its creation, it’s pretty decent, too. All in all, it’s right & tight enough to post, so, that’s what I’m going to do, as soon as I quit fooling around with this intro…. In a quick survey of what has occurred thus far, I’m thinking it would be well to do that now. Quit fooling around, that is….

So, I will. In fact, I’ll be unusually kind, & do that right now, or, as soon as I figure out which one of these exit techniques will work the best. Oh, look, here’s one we haven’t used in quite some time; it’s always been a favorite, too, so, why not bring it back for an encore today? It’s a pretty cool method, & works very simply. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“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 ~~

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

Lettice Rowbotham

Image from the mirror.com via Google Images

I discovered this artist during a recent binge of watching old talent show auditions. She competed during the 2014 Britain’s Got Talent show, placing in the top 7 finalists. A brilliant violinist with a sparkling, roguish personality, she set the British entertainment scene on fire with her flamboyant attitude, and brilliant showmanship. I found her charming, and a better violinist than most will realize. I’ve included the links to her You Tube page, and her own website, where you can find a large number of videos of her playing live gigs and collaborations with other artists. She also is, as the videos show, a superb improvisational violinist…. I hope you enjoy her music; indeed, she is an artist like no one else in the world….

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

Lettice Rowbotham

http://www.letticemusic.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLetticeRowbotham/videos

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

Measures of Intent

Hell is never far away; it slips in, then out,
like a ninja, bent on stealth and death.
Living metamorphoses, in the space of a breath,
sordid entropy fills us, within, and without.

Tide turns again; back and forth it tumbles,
like those little wind up toys, yet never stays.
All our efforts, all our silly little ways,
disappear like seaweed, as sanity crumbles.

The duality of reality in which we are firmly caught,
seems to inhabit every part of our natural selves.
Nothing is ever still, nor can it be placed on shelves;
we are dark, and light; balance must be taught.

Life is lived only one moment at a time,
past and future have no power to alter this at all.
We can choose to fly, or choose to fall;
finding truth, and beauty, can never be a crime.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/14/2015

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

Naked Pearls

Beginning to end….

*******

“I exist as I am, that is enough.”

~~ Walt Whitman ~~

*******

“Curiouser and curiouser!”

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

*******

“The thinking that we are has brought us
to where we have already been.
In order to go somewhere else,
we must think in a different way.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“There is an educative and purifying power in danger
that is to be found in no other school.”

~~ A. F. Mummery ~~

*******

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxvii ~~

*******

“All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good;
And spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite,
One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.”

~~ Alexander Pope — Essay on Man, Epistle i, Line 289 ~~

*******

“Come…
Dry your eyes, for you are life,
rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg;
the clay in which the forces that shape all things
leave their fingerprints most clearly.
Dry your eyes…
And let’s go home.”

~~ Watchmen ~~

*******

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

As I’ve managed well over 1000 times, it’s done. The Pearl, I mean. I’m also pretty well done; been up only a bit over an hour, & already whooped. (Don’t bother looking it up; it’s just an Americanism, & hopefully isn’t IN any dictionaries…. Expressive, though, eh?) My sense of duty will drive me to get it posted, then, I think, I’m done for this part of the day. Most likely, I’ll take a morning walk in the cool, & indulge myself in a bit of a nap. Some time in there, I might even work on the poem, & a fresh Pearl for tomorrow. Or, maybe not; I’m feeling rather unpredictable these days…. plus, I never know when I will be called on to act as a hammock for a cat…. such as I am being summoned for now…. See ya, gotta go; the empress doesn’t like to wait….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Brief moments of rationality….

Posted on August 26, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time;
serenity, that nothing is.”

~~ Thomas Szasz ~~

Attitude….

Hajime…. It seems one truly can never expect the unexpected…. I was standing on my back porch, when my mind settled into a train of thought which led to an epiphany, of a deep, and abiding truth. Without detailing what led to this, (because now, it seems so obvious, the triggering perception is unimportant…. it’s in the past….), it can be said thus: The universe in which we live, which we have determined to exist in duality of nature, begins where it ends, with the very process, and concept, of creation. The simple most critical point of this duality thus demands that creation MUST simultaneously destroy. That’s it; everything else we perceive, as well as any and every thing we can imagine, by its birth, destroys the universe that existed prior to its inception…

The implications of this idea are staggering in scope; thus far, I cannot think of any part of reality that does not obey this injunction, nor any part that suggests anything that can alter it, without altering the very nature of reality. Go figure, eh?…. Exquisitely simple, as is life, when one can learn to accept things as they are, without any need, or desire, to change anything other than one’s self; they are the only changes that can alter our own reality, for they change, at once, our perception, and our ability to attain serenity and clarity of mind in the balance, the ambiguity, in the very imbalanced balance of the universe. Death. The concomitant fears that go along with the certain knowledge of our own ‘end’, lose their power to affect us, for we know, for certain, all is as it is meant to be… for WE are the ones who supply the meaning, with the expression of our spirit in the poem/song/dance that we create by living.

Is this sinking in? Every living creature, here, or anywhere in the universe we can perceive, is continuously engaging in the process of creation, destroying the present by the existence of a potential future; each moment of our lives is a note in a song, a word in rhyme, a step in the dance of living. Each second of living, each creature is making itself new, and destroying its old self in the process…. Every rock, every mountain, every atom, all change, made new each second by every life it surrounds and supports, as the other side of the coin of existence…. Pretty cool, eh?….

Wow… Did that just happen? Hmm… As I still observe the lines above, it appears so. It seems the time I’ve spent recently, immersed in music, has provided me with some rather cogent ideas for cogitation…. I am thinking, at this point, the intro section was probably not the right place to let all that out; what’s more, it obviously isn’t done; there’s a lot more to be said… but, I think it’s going to be a poem. While considering what to include in today’s poetry section, I found a poem I wrote about a year ago, which seems to echo, from the past, some of the stimulation for these ideas; they’ve clearly been percolating a while. The final group of pearls has many of my favorite contributors, all in one fine common thread….

In any case, it’s probably a good time to go to the rest of today’s Pearl. I’ve put some work into it, including finding what I think is the absolutely perfect accompanying music for today… Before reading further, turn it on; it makes it all better…. Now, let’s see what there is to see….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Rock gives reality to the otherwise abstract notion of transhuman time.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

To anyone over the age of 30 who knows anything about music, this artist needs no introduction. Those of us listening when he began playing his song to the world, and to literally millions upon millions of people around the world, this album’s songs will be not merely familiar, but, loved. It also works very well to go along with reading damn near anything; in fact, I can’t think of a time, or a task, it would not enhance…. If you haven’t ever heard it (unlikely, but, possible in today’s world….), you’re in for a treat…. Enjoy!….

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

Van Morrison
Moondance

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

“I have thought many times since that if poets
when they get discouraged
would blow their brains out,
they could write very much better when they got well.”

~~ Mark Twain ~~

Hmm… A bit prosaic, eh, Mark? Perhaps, one who wrote only prose felt a bit jealous? Perhaps…. but, it seems to work for me, so, maybe he’s right….

Absently Gestalt

After the echoes of silence are faded away
Comes the cacophony which accompanies dismay.
Apocalyptic thoughts and emotions run free
Spreading fear enough to fill the holy see.

Speak softly to the beloved ruling class
Deathly darts sunk deep are painful, and crass
Sloth and ignorance are commonly shared
By those who would rule, alone or au paired.

Images and opinions are sullenly forlorn
Yet hope shines bright wherever ’tis borne.
Feeble strengths hide many objective flaws
For reality bites, with hard, vicious jaws.

Can you stand up and state your own name?
Will you hide in a handle, behind a great flame?
No hole and no mind is so deep and so wide
As to furnish safe haven in which to hide.

Bring out the weapons of your reluctant choice
Bring them to bear on the sound of their voice.
Silence the ignorant, and muzzle the fear
Make reason the only message you hear….

~~ gigoid ~~

9/5/2016

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

Naked Pearls

“Let the buyer beware…”

*******

“Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth.”

~~ Socrates ~~

*******

“Everyone who becomes conscious of
even a fraction of his unconscious
gets outside his own time and social stratum
into a kind of solitude.”

~~ Carl Jung ~~

*******

“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

*******

“No man is free who is not master of himself.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“If there is a sin against life,
it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life
as in hoping for another life
and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

“The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same.”

~~ Heraclitus ~~

*******

“There are as many nights as days,
and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course.
Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,
and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning
if it were not balanced by sadness.”

~~ Carl Jung ~~

*******

“Don’t hit me!! I’m in the Twilight Zone!!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

*******

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

Well…. Not too shabby, even considering how long it took me to put it all together. As they say downtown, I’ll take it. And, so will you. I’ll try to return in a timely fashion; ‘timely’, of course, is relative, but, so be it. For now, I am content, & such moments should be savored. To best do so, I’m goin’ back to bed awhile. Afterward, I’ll go see what sort of trouble I can cause…. hopefully, for anyone but me…. Y’all might consider doin’ the same; never can be too much trouble of that sort…. I’ll be back, so, stay alert….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Plaster casts aren’t for fishing….

Posted on July 24, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“If you pray hard enough, water will run uphill.
How hard?
Why, hard enough to make water run uphill, of course!”

~~ Robert Heinlein ~~

Wild sunflowers….

Hajime…. I had intended this Pearl to be rather a bit more ‘together’, so to speak. However, I’ve been co-opted for babysitting again today, and had to cobble this together fast, while my granddaughter is napping (a pastime I’d love to emulate, but for duty….). I’ve shoved it into basic shape, and all the parts are there, just not with the usual degree of consideration or planning… So be it…

In fact, I am in such a hurry, lest she awaken before I’m done & posted, I’m giving up on any more of an intro; instead, I will now proceed to dump y’all unceremoniously down the page, with no compunction, & no regrets. As noted…. So be it…. I do hope you enjoy today’s effort; it was rushed, but, it’s all there….

Shall we Pearl?….

“A master programmer passed a novice programmer one day.
The master noted the novice’s preoccupation with a hand-held computer game.
“Excuse me”, he said, “may I examine it?”
The novice bolted to attention and handed the device to the master.
“I see that the device claims to have three levels of play:
Easy, Medium, and Hard”, said the master.
“Yet every such device has another level of play,
where the device seeks not to conquer the human,
nor to be conquered by the human.”
“Pray, great master,” implored the novice,
“how does one find this mysterious setting?”
The master dropped the device to the ground and crushed it under foot.
And suddenly the novice was enlightened.”

~~ Geoffrey James, “The Tao of Programming” ~~

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

Incredibly late, d/t babysitting duties, thus, default is de rigeur, naturally…. Enjoy!….

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

Classical Music

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

For The Blind Poet, Embraced

I sit to open a vein, exposed in public places,
happy to be written, judging by the faces.

None can see the price so willingly paid,
at the feet of imagination is that cost weighed.

Still shadows of reality shine quite as well
to hide all the bleeding as if under a spell;

While visions and fantasies vie for attention,
hoping to win once-hoped-for final mention.

Technology may or may not rue its day
never knowing or caring its part to play.

All the precious moments of inspiration
Fall ever short of our own imagination.

~~ gigoid ~~

9/30/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Like it, or, not….

*******

“Sometimes there’s no point in giving up.”

~~ Louis Wu. in “The Ringworld Engineers” by Larry Niven ~~

*******

“Be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflections
the silly world may make upon you,
for their censures are not in your power,
and consequently should not be any part of your concern.”

~~ Epictetus ~~

*******

“Change your opinions, keep to your principles;
Change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*******

“And though mine arm should conquer twenty worlds,
There ‘s a lean fellow beats all conquerors.”

~~ Thomas Dekker, “Old Fortunatus” ~~

*******

“Death is the only inescapable, unavoidable, sure thing.
We are sentenced to die the day we’re born.”

~~ Gary Mark Gilmore ~~

*******

“Life without the courage for death is slavery.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*******

“and what i want to know is how do you like your blueeyed boy Mister Death”

~~ ee cummings, “Buffalo Bill” ~~

*******

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

There you go; that’s all you get, because that’s all I’ve got…. I may or may not be back tomorrow morning; depends a lot on whether or not I’m needed again to ‘sit in’, as it were… I’ll be back, ffolkes; the question of “when?” shall remain unanswered until the appropriate time…. I shall, as you may expect, see you then…. Be well, be strange, and be alert…. all will be well, if you can do so….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Rampant displays of misguided altruism….

Posted on June 30, 2017 by gigoid

Ffolkes,

“It is the ability to choose which makes us human.”

~~ Madeleine L’Engle , “Walking on Water)” ~~

East Brother Light Station, SF Bay….

http://www.ebls.org/ Photo by gigoid….

Hajime…. Though up late, & mildly overhung, somehow, all the properly aligned elements of a standard Pearl (modern version) are present & accounted for, if not justified by any rational means. To support such inordinate efficiency, as well as to applaud the will power displayed, I’ll truncate this intro, rather unmercifully, compressing & editing it to within an inch of insanity. Getting close to that is, for me, a snap, as I usually hang out right around the corner, anyway. You may ask yourself, why bother at all, but, then, you’re not the one who has the obsession to get this done, before attempting any other of Life’s activities of daily living, as to do so tempts Murphy, and Fate, neither of whose kind attentions are well-liked in these parts…..

You may also ask yourself how I intend to extract myself from what has already turned viciously overblown, when I can’t even seem to find the wherewithal to stop typing such gratuitous nonsense without the appropriate degree of shame…. and, you’d probably be right to ask…. But, I do happen to have, right here in my bag, a trick, a touch of sleight of hand, so to speak, which should settle matters quite nicely. What is it? Why, it goes like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“What you see is from outside yourself,
and may come, or not, but is beyond your control.
But your fear is yours, and yours alone, like your voice,
or your fingers, or your memory, and therefore yours to control.
If you feel powerless over your fear,
you have not yet admitted that it is yours,
to do with as you will.”

~~ Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen” ~~

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

Today’s musical selection, while default in nature, was still picked purposefully, mostly because I like this version of Bob Marley’s song… I hope you enjoy it, & consider making a donation to this organization; I do, for they are doing good work…. Abondanza!….

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

Playing For Change
One Love

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

A Failure to Germinate

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

9/27/2012

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

Naked Pearls

Further notes on Life at Large

*******

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book iii, Chap. xxiii ~~

*******

“Trust your hunches.
They’re usually based on facts filed away
just below the conscious level.”

~~ Dr. Joyce Brothers ~~

*******

“Life is the sum of all your choices.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

It was not like taking the veil.
No solemn adjuration of the world.
I only went out for a walk
and finally decided to stay till sundown.
For going out I found that I was really going in.”

~~ John Muir ~~

*******

“Everything is leaf,
and through this simplicity
the greatest diversity becomes possible.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~

*******

“The power to stand alone
is worth acquiring
at the expense of much sorrowful solitude.”

~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~

*******

“Those who are mentally and emotionally healthy
are those who have learned
when to say yes,
when to say no, and
when to say whoopee!”

~~ Willard S. Krabill ~~

*******

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

Some day, I’ll do this, and will NOT hear that little voice in the back of my mind, saying, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Stanley”, if only because my name is not Stanley. On that cryptic, yet simple-minded note, I will take my leave for another day, with the usual caveats…. As they ARE usual, I won’t even add them. Instead, I’ll just say, see ya, ffolkes, & leave you to your own devices for the remainder of the day…. So be it…. Be well, be happy as you may, and for pity’s sake, be real….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….

gigoid

Ned Moore, aka gigoid, is a 70 year-old, (!!!… When did that happen?….), retired dilettante, who would rather read than eat, most days. His first blog, "gigoid’s folly", has been emailed out to folks he knows for about 18 years now. He still considers it his best defense against angst, and the ever-present specter of sheer insanity..... Due to rigorous curmudgeon training requirements, he has discontinued his Facebook presence, but still indulges in the occasional Twitter session... In essence, he's socialized, but, not overly sociable; all labels and stereotypes are forbidden in his presence... and he doesn't care what anyone thinks about that..... In fact, he doesn't want to talk anymore.... If you feel you MUST contact gigoid, his email address is: alphagigoid@gmail.com You can go read now.... Go on, beat it.... gigoid, the dubious

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gigoid

Exploring Consensual Reality

Tag Archives: Epictetus

To little purpose, but great gain….

Pythagoreans, screaming in unison….

Yet another feast for fools….

Clearly a full half-bubble off plumb….

Chafing at the proverbial bit….

Soft landings not included….

Sneering, he went bald….

Brief moments of rationality….

Plaster casts aren’t for fishing….

Rampant displays of misguided altruism….

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