Tag Archives: George Bernard Shaw

Clearly a full half-bubble off plumb….

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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 ggb

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 ~~

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grace davies

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!….

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Grace Davies
X Factor UK 2017 Journey

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Comedy_Tragedy

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

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pearls_3

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 ~~

*******

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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

Featured Image -- 4217

À bientôt, mon cherí….


			

			
								

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Counting to infinity….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Dragon? What dragon?”


~~ Famous Last Words ~~


viansa entrance


Winery entrance road, Sonoma Valley….


Hajime…. Elements of style & grace notwithstanding, there is a lot to be said for virtuous industry, even if the root cause remains an anomaly. In the larger sense, this implies a certain responsibility, to find purpose wherever it may hide itself, allowing no stray miscreants opportunity to fail, hirsute as they may be. Untidy, as a descriptive adjective, falls consistently short of successful parody, while an old, broken pantheon of forgotten gods sits, weeping silent tears, in memory of faded glory. All remains dark on the horizon, where the sun has forgotten to rise, again….


There. That, I think, is a sufficiently strange opening paragraph, which demonstrates both my erudition, and my insanity. The latter, in particular, holds me at ransom this morning, in spite of waking in a relatively common manner. The oddity of my own mind’s path often washes me up on the shore like this, leaving me high & dry with nothing but what passes for thinking to consume. As you may guess, it can be somewhat tricky to deal with reality, &, as the opening paragraph clearly shows, that’s no small feat. Since the only way to get past all of it is to let it flow out of my head as quickly, & ruthlessly as possible, such displays of perversion become the norm.


Ah, well, one can’t have everything, can one? No, of course not. Where would one put it all? Moreover, one remains responsible for one’s own words, no matter how oddly they strike the psyche of the world. My own manner of coping, as you can plainly see, is to take it to the limit, where the boundaries of sanity are stretched past their own belief; only there can I find my own balance, teetering in jeopardy, but, safely insane…. So be it….


I did manage to put this Pearl together, though without the new poem, which continues to dribble out, rather than gushing. Since all the proper elements are in place, and, we have sufficient blather accumulation here in the intro, why don’t we just cut our losses, & get on with it, so we can all move on to bigger, or better things…. It should be easy today; I’ve already softened the edges of reality, right in front of your eyes, so, the transition should be pretty seamless…. Watch and learn….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.”


~~ Roy Goodman ~~


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bonnie (2)


I had a hard time deciding on music today; eventually, I went with my own preferences, which is why y’all are being treated to one of the finest musicians alive today, who has been entertaining millions of people for several decades. Fine, fine blues & slide guitar, a voice like an angel, a red-haired beauty…. what’s not to love about her? Here she is, ffolkes, live in Oakland in 1989, it’s Bonnie….


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Bonnie Raitt

 Live in concert 1989






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Comedy_Tragedy


Neurons/Parade Rest


Forlorn, he thought, but, then,

no, not really so.

Old, sad, strong; polluted by time’s red pen.

Nowhere left, to be, nor to go.


Tricks, not treats, forever remote,

strike fear into hearts fettered in fog.

Biting deep, stinging, we simper by common rote,

mired eternally in such bilious bog.


Torturous vision, bloody, capitulates in duplicate;

don’t ask for whom the spell trolls.

Ambiguity is real, impossible to extricate,

that’s how it rocks, then rolls.


Spiteful instruments offer no respite, patently.

Filigree lacks properly significant doubt.

Alternative answers formulate motivation, elegantly,

portraying reality as a vulgar lout.


Poltroons, there’s a good word,

for idiotic farmers, enthusiasts who borrow

time, filled with the blood of a bird;

solitary, the trickster cannot follow.


Affable moments trip the light, fantastic;

salacious intimacies fill a shimmering bower.

Night falls, eventually, monastic;

eternity calls with irresistible power.


~~ gigoid ~~


8/11 – 8/15/2016


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Living & dying in 3/4 time….


*******


“Dum vivimus, vivamus.”


(While we live, let us live…)


~~ Latin proverb ~~


*******


“You see things, and you say “WHY?”

But I dream things that never were,

and I say “WHY NOT?”


~~ George Bernard Shaw, “Back to Methuselah” ~~


*******


“In the bigger scheme of things,

the universe is not asking us to do something,

the universe is asking us to be something.

And that’s a whole different thing.”


~~ Lucille Clifton ~~


*******


“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


*******


“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else,

you will have succeeded.”


~~ Maya Angelou ~~


*******


“I feel better about world problems now!”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


“Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me.

That means nothing.

People like us, who believe in physics,

know that the distinction between past, present, and future

is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”


~~ Albert Einstein ~~


*******


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


I am not too sure what happened today, but, it happened, so, I’ll be content with that. And, so will you. By the power vested in me as a human in good standing, I declare this version of the Daily Pearl to be complete. I’ll even forgo the usual nonsense, & merely say, see y’all soon. I’m going walkabout….


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….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time;

serenity, that nothing is.”


~~ Thomas Szasz ~~


Leelu w-attitude


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 ~~


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Moondance - Van Morrison - (1970) - (freeallmusic.me)


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!….


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Van Morrison

 Moondance






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“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 ~~


Comedy_Tragedy


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


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pearls_3


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


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Asymmetric consistency enhances any melody….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“We dwell at the bottom of the sky.”


~~ Subtle Bee ~~


famine memorial


Memorial of the Exodus, Galway…


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 ~~


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


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!….


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Classical Music






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Comedy_Tragedy


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


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pearls_3


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.”


~~ Alfred Tennyson, “Oenone” ~~


*******


“Each man reaps on his own farm.”


~~ Plautus — “Mostellaria”, Act iii, Sc. 2, 112, (799.) ~~


*******


“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.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Repeat performances….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


Today’s Pearl is a stealth re-blog; it’s from December of 2012, & I didn’t feel like finding it online, so, I went to my draft archives & pulled it out. Here then, for your viewing pleasure (we hope) is the entire Pearl posted on 12/15/2012, with a few minor alterations to make it look better in today’s format. I hope you enjoy it….


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Sandclock .jpg


From 12/15/2012:

Ffolkes,

I’m not sure I can do this….. not this way. I’m sitting on a complete Pearl, you see. The one that was completed for posting on the 13th has not made it to the Net, as I haven’t figured out yet whether it will work to edit the old post, or just add a new one with that material….. The title I came up with on the 13th was certainly one of the best I’ve done “Despite the disaster, yak butter was still on the menu….”  Brilliant, if I do say so myself, as it tells a whole story all by itself, without any supportive material, and I don’t know about y’all, but I get a mental vision of some poor sap in a dingy kitchen, struggling to chop vegetables, as he worries about the price of yak butter…. perhaps not quite Hemingway, but perhaps, Raymond Chandler?…. Okay, Steven King, and he’s my last offer….

Any who…. I’ve got all this material already finished, ready  to post, and can’t seem to settle enough to sit down to write a Pearl. I’ve got pieces in progress (who doesn’t?) but it all seems pointless, when I don’t have to do anything at all, and will still have stuff to put up. I had not realized just how tied into the routine I’ve become, I guess; I’m still human, it seems, and can fall prey to mundane habit-forming drills like anyone else, until it becomes the dreaded “routine”, harder to break than a five minute egg. (Five minute eggs won’t break; they just smoosh….) These can be fatal, if not treated at an early stage….

And the verbs! What will I do with the verbs? All my conjugation, so precisely aligned to the proper time frames and concomitant pronouns, all useless! How will I ever know what day it is, if I’m always a day ahead?


 


Since retiring, keeping track of what day it is has become hard enough; I don’t need any help in forgetting. But, it should be okay, in the end…. I’ve finally figured out the bus schedule, and it can tell me what day it is, just by what time the buses go by the house. Of course, that is assuming they are running anywhere close to on time, an event of scarcity during the major portion of the week…..

Enough blather…. I could produce such for hours, probably, if I ever gave myself the chance. But, since nobody is paying me for this, it doesn’t seem very productive, so I’ll take this opportunity to get on with today’s effort at composition, and dive on in. I must say, the water looks inviting today, all blue and refreshing…..

Shall we Pearl?…..

__________________________________


 


“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

When I first began creating Pearls of Virtual Wisdom, there was only one quote each day, with short comments by me, only to introduce, and perhaps provide a bit of background to, the pieces I chose, generally on the subject of Liberty, Freedom, Honor, Truth, etc. In those days, this pearl would have definitely made the grade, and, given that I don’t remember all the quotes I’ve used, it may have been used back then. It still makes the grade, so much so that I’m leaving it to stand alone, aside from the closing quote from Mr. Twain, which echoes the sentiment expressed by Mr. Shaw perfectly….

“Let us endeavour to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), from Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar (1894)]

__________________________________


 


“Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave.” — James Thomson (1700-1748) — The Seasons, Winter, Line 393

The only possible comment is the same word that made up the first thought in my head when I read this… WOW…. Such an incredibly powerful line, so gripping and real, it makes me as jealous as I allow myself to feel. To write such a phrase would be enough for me; I could die happy. I’ll do so anyway, (die happy, that is….), just to spite Murphy, but, if I can write one line half as strong as this, I’ll be content, for sure…. Here is something that came to me last night…. at least, it began last night…..

Territorial imperative….


Beauty must define, as augment to existence,  as life must be more than mere subsistence.Nature demands more.Truth helps.

~~ gigoid ~~


It ain’t long, but it’s much…. and better for being so, rather than the reverse….. Just as an afterthought to this section, I offer the following as proof that even genius can feel insecurity and jealousy….


“There are two ways of disliking poetry; one way is to dislike it, the other is to read Pope.” — Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)



__________________________________


 


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

Ever since being first exposed to the precepts of Taoism, back when I was in college in the late 60’s, it has always appealed to my sense of rightness, and makes the closest approach to what I personally believe about the Universe at large. Not the mystical parts, that cater to the religious order of the time it first was clarified by Lao Tzu, but the essence of the concept of reality, as being both within our perception, and unknown to us as beyond our understanding. We may not possess the necessary sense to be capable of receiving such information, whether about reality or fantasy, and if we assume the omnipotence of a god, then we would not be able to comprehend their existence, lacking the tools to perceive them with our five or six senses…..

This knowledge, however, is tempered by the deduction that, as a physical part of the universe, we are connected to it, and to every other part, if only by sharing that existence. The connection, intuitively, is deeper than merely the physical; it extends somehow into the spiritual plane, which, though not tangible, is nonetheless a proven part of our mental reality. (What IS the mind?) It is this very lack of the ability to explain by which we may know the connection exists, as it echoes the nature of reality itself, which cannot be explained in words. Goodness knows why I’m trying, to be sure…. this is getting pretty esoteric, although, so far, it is consistently rational, if not entirely illuminating.

“Since everything in life is but an experience perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.” — Long Chen Pa

And what better way to acknowledge and celebrate the perfection that we can see, or hear, feel, smell, taste, or imagine?…… It’s certainly preferable to a long, dusty discussion of esoteric concepts, and will encourage enlightenment just as efficiently, if not quite so verbally. In some way, I’m always looking for the perfect quote, the ultimate aphorism, that delivers that cosmic truth we are all seeking in one swell foop, and the above from Long Chen Pa comes very close to it, especially when considered in the light of what one concludes from considering the answers to the first two questions today. As a Westerner who has learned to appreciate what the East brings us, the following resonates very well….

“Somehow, in the midst of their horrid history, the best among the _gaijin_ learned a wonderful lesson.  They learned to distrust themselves, to doubt even what they were taught to believe or what their egos make them yearn to see.  To know that even truth must be scrutinized, it was a great discovery, almost as great as the treasure we of the East have to offer them in return, the gift of harmony.” — David Brin – Dr. Pak’s Preschool

There’s the key, ffolkes, right there in front of you…. Even truth must be scrutinized, or the universe will have its way with you, and you may never find the gift of harmony that is also there for the taking….. There, not so esoteric, after all…. not too shabby, eh what?…..

“The ancient Taoist sages were poised and alert…. like ice on the verge of melting.” — Taoist proverb


__________________________________

All things considered, this didn’t come out too badly. It’s going to have to do, as I now have more material ready to post than I’ve ever had previously, and I’m not sure quite what to do about it. I know what I’d like to do, but, I’m still waiting for the green light from SS on that, so…. I suppose I’ll just have to pretend it’s the day before tomorrow, when it’s really the day after yesterday….. if you see what I mean….

Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..


 


dozer3

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Rampant displays of misguided altruism….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


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


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


b and b on the bay


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” ~~


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


Yield_Logo


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






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


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


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


pearls_3


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


Featured Image -- 13694


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Certified balderdash, at random rates….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“‘Change’ is scientific, ‘progress’ is ethical;

change is indubitable,

whereas progress is a matter of controversy.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


rustic selfie


Chance, or design?….


Hajime…. As we all know, or, if not, should know, every day is new & different from any previous day. (We won’t go into any questions regarding the science of similarity….) I, for one, am fully aware of this, yet, after enough time, many days SEEM to be exactly like the rest of them, & change seems as a dream. But, then, I do consume large quantities of several types of chemicals which tend to alter consciousness, and, concurrently, perception. So, who’s to say what Reality really is, or means, or whether any of it actually exists as anything other than a fevered dream, of a self-aware monkey, lost in inner space….?


Whether or not I have any opinion on any of that (discount the mere fact I wrote it….), here we are, again, & once more, I’m both late, and clueless. But, I do have the answer to both of those, if only for a few moments; chutzpah. If you have to look it up, you won’t understand it, anyway; for those who know its meaning, or, more importantly, its implications, a complimentary cup of broth will be awarded, upon verification of your genome. For those who simply don’t want to make the effort, you win. It’s all nonsense, anyway, just to fill a bit more space, a tawdry distraction to keep you from realizing what crap this is….


Oh, well; so be it. I don’t really have anything to say, that either hasn’t already been said, or, would make any difference. To keep from getting distraught over what I am currently unable to change, or control, I’ll use my executive authority to call a halt to any further attempts at making y’all laugh, or cry, or whatever I can get. Instead, I’ll have mercy, & this is what we’ll do, in recompense….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Hatred is the coward’s revenge for being intimidated”


— George Bernard Shaw ~~


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


playing-for-change


As is the case often on such days (following an absence), I am, if not late, pretending to be, to keep myself cracking…. Yes, even I must, at times, resort to tricking myself into doing right…. Go figure, eh? Well, I AM human…. approximately…..


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






Playing For Change

 Gimme Shelter






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


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


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Hard lines….


*******


“He who despairs over an event is a coward,

but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.”


~~ Albert Camus ~~


*******


“The man who follows the crowd

will usually get no further than the  crowd.

The man who walks alone

is likely to find himself in places no  one has ever been.”


~~ Alan Ashley-Pitt ~~


*******


“No one is useless in this world

who lightens the burdens of another.”


~~ Charles Dickens ~~


*******


“The most pathetic person in the world

is a person who has sight

but has no vision.”


~~ Helen Keller ~~


*******


“For one human being to love another human being:

that is perhaps the most difficult task

that has been entrusted to us,

the ultimate task, the final test and proof,

the work for which all other work

is merely preparation.”


~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~


*******


“If you want to be loved, be lovable.”


~~ Ovid ~~


*******


“Life consists in penetrating the unknown,

and fashioning our actions

in accord with the new knowledge thus acquired.


~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~”


*******


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


“That’s all she’s got, Captain! The engine’s won’t take any more!” — Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott, on numerous occasions. If I am any judge, neither will my Gentle Readers, should any have lasted this far. Ah, well. Such is life. The best part of all this is, I get to try again. But, that can only happen if I stop this one, before it gets any further from anything resembling art, or, even phil. See ya, ffolkes, if the meds take effect….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Lightly flavored with lime….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				3			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”


~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”~~


gull gang


Gang of young Irish Seagulls, Galway….


Hajime…. When one makes the decision to battle internal demons, one takes on an opponent with special knowledge, of all one’s weak points, and avenues of attack. It also means one’s own skills and talents can be used against one; I can attest, it makes any battle sure to achieve epic proportion. I’m not complaining; the alternative is to live in Hell, & that just isn’t going to happen, not while I live. But, it also means any clear victory comes at a heavy cost, at a time my bank account is at a low ebb. SIGH….. It’s a good thing I’ve learned to accept that nothing worth doing is going to be easy….


As I have often related, I do this to stay sane; whether or not it works is probably an area of judgment I would rather not enter, lest the answer be too much to bear. So far, I have lived, and loved, for a long time, and have yet to break my vow to refrain from killing; in some circles, that can be enough. For me, it’s never enough; if I was satisfied with my own state, it would never change. So, I struggle on, to find the center, where change is welcome, for we are balanced enough there to adapt to any change.


Now I’ve thoroughly confused everyone who stumbles in today, with a healthy dose of obscurity, I think it’s best to get the rest of this mess done, & get on with another day in Paradise, or, wherever this is. I can’t say, with any degree of confidence, I can predict how it will go, but, that’s probably a good thing. Too much too easily becomes too much, indeed. Rather than tempt Murphy’s kind attentions, let us adjourn to the meat of the matter, where we may find another piece of the puzzle. If not, well, so much for another day; we can always try again tomorrow, right? Right. For now, let’s do this….


Shall we Pearl?


“Forget about likes and dislikes.

They are of no consequence.

Just do what must be done.

This may not be happiness, but it is greatness.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw~~


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


celtic design


When I went to look for inspiration for music today, this is what I found…. Given our opening lines, and the photo I chose, go figure, eh?. I guess you can take the boy out of the shamrock, but….


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






Irish Folk Music






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


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


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


pearls_3




Naked Pearls


Pieces of the whole….


*******


“To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves

and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows.

It’s easy to say no, even if it means dying.”


~~ Jean Anouilh ~~


*******


“Nothing matters very much,

and very few things matter at all.”


~~ Lord Balfour’s Contention ~~


*******


“Brains first and then Hard Work.”


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


*******


“Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: “I’m with you kid. Let’s go.””


~~ Maya Angelou ~~


*******


“In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth,

while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped

to deal with a world that no longer exists.”


~~ Al Rogers, Global SchoolHouse Network, at CUE ~~


*******


“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


*******


“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 ~~


*******


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


Well, Ollie; this is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into. Fortunately, it’s done, so we can just ignore any warning signs we may have encountered, & be on our way with a smile and a whistle. Well, we could, if I could whistle any more…. I guess I’ll just say, see ya, & let it go at that for today…..


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.


dozer3


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Still lazy after all these tears….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				5			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“Do not try to live forever. You will not succeed.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~


po purple flowers


Subtle Urban Beauty….


Hajime…. In the past here on ECR, when searching for inspiration, I have often faced a vast, frightening expanse of featureless nothing, promising naught but dismay for all my efforts. Some days, I will retreat into introspection, speaking of personal issues, or rumination on past events. Other times, depending on mood, I’ll hare off into nonsense, or, blather incessantly about whatever comes to mind, as long as it makes little sense. Still other days, I’ll make an attempt at writing something new & fictional, just to practice the skills involved in producing something readable, if not compellingly so. Today, however, I’m trying something else….


I can hear the groaning, so just stop it. All I’m going to do is be honest, and forthright about my lack of inspiration. I got nothin’, ffolkes. It’s a miracle a Pearl got done at all; I am surprised enough to not even examine any of the ‘how’ that may have been involved; it would just turn out to have been illegal, or, immoral, at the very least. But, it did, so, I’m going to post it. I’m just not going to say anything relevant beforehand, to preserve any potential intellectual value that may have accrued by accident. This is not only necessary for our purpose, it’s the only compassionate thing to do.


See? Even a surly old curmudgeon can be nice, as long as it isn’t expected. I’ll just use the accumulated expertise I found here on the desk to help us get to the proper configuration to augment the purpose, in what will probably be the most coherent part of all you’ve seen thus far. That looks, suspiciously, like this….


Shall we Pearl?


“Reality is useful: It occupies time between fantasies.”


~~ Heyoka Bee ~~


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


george_carlin_unraveling_a_free_speech_icon


Since I’ve got nothing, here’s someone who had it on a regular, consistent basis, & said it well…. I doubt he needs any more introduction than that, so, all that’s necessary now is for me to say, enjoy!….


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






George Carlin Live






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Early Observations


Until I knew there was more,

I wanted to know God.

They said he was a nice guy,

and would let me live forever.


All I had to do, they said,

was live my life for Him,

always living by scripture

cleaving only to his Way.


But, everyone I saw in church,

acted different at home.

Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,

nobody lived like they said.


Still, I tried to be like Jesus,

he was sort of cool.

He never hurt nobody

and walked on the right path.


‘Course they killed him for that,

they couldn’t stand his example.

Turned him into a martyr,

hid his real words among their own.


Then I found the Buddha,

and met Lao Tzu at the gate.

They saw things real different,

showed me how to see straight.


Right thought, and right action

replace blind obedience and faith.

Reality becomes manageable,

fear retreats, the universe expands.


Brother John said it pretty well,

“Imagine there’s no heaven,

it’s easy if you try.”

Sounds like he knew why.


Day to day, life is grand,

we walk in eternal beauty.

Open your eyes and hearts,

find yourself already immortal.


~~ gigoid ~~


4/12/2013


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


A small paradox….


*******


“I’m not a teacher

only a fellow traveller of whom you asked the way.

I pointed ahead

– ahead of myself as well as of you.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw, “Getting Married,” 1908 ~~


*******


“As I look at your image,

I see only the light which was not absorbed.”


~~ Mark Middleton ~~


*******


“He who wonders discovers that this in itself is wonder.”


~~ M C Escher ~~


*******


“Are you trying to somehow deal with the snake?”


~~ Curiously Subtle Bee ~~


*******


“… and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven.”


~~ Led Zeppelin ~~


*******


“And it’s just a box of rain

I don’t know who put it there

Believe it if you need it

Or leave it if you dare

And it’s just a box of rain

Or a ribbon for your hair

Such a long, long time to be gone

And a short time to be there”


~~ Box of Rain by Lesh, Hunter ~~


*******


“All this happened, more or less..”


~~ Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, 1968 ~~


*******


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


There you go, ffolkes. That’s all I’ve got, & it’s probably more than is wise to share. Oh, well. The good news is, it’s done. The other good news is, we get to try again, another day, maybe even tomorrow. The odds are getting a bit hard to figure, but, that’s okay, because the game is rigged, anyway. See ya, ffolkes…. Just try to stop me….


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….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Some scars never fade….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				7			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“In a cat’s eyes, all things belong to cats.”


~~ English Proverb ~~


May Day leelu d n a


Dangerous angel….


Hajime…. One would think, by this age, I’d know better. I had planned to…. well, it doesn’t matter, now, because the plan is defunct. Rather than bemoan the loss, I choose to ignore it altogether, & just get on with it. We’ll do this instead…. Yesterday was a wash; we had our first day of heat this year, & though it only got up a bit above 90º F, it was enough to drain all energy, & keep me prostrate in front of my little, life-saving fan. I didn’t surf, I didn’t FB, I didn’t do, at all. I breathed, & endured, emulating my cat, who spent the day supine in the coolest spots in the house. Desert creatures like us know that in such weather, the key to surviving is to move as little as possible…. so, that’s what we did.


This, sadly, didn’t help get this Pearl done for today; I was compelled to slam it together this morning, in fashion best described as ‘willy-nilly’. Not that this is anything out of the ordinary, or particularly surprising, but, I figure honesty is always the best policy, so, I’m just telling y’all the facts, so you won’t expect any surprises (Ha!….), or, for that matter, anything at all. What you see, today, is what you get. Moreover, all the evidence I can find of late tells me the ruthless methods I’ve been using here in the intro have nothing but a positive effect on the overall product, so, we’re going to use just a bit more of it, simply because we can…. Oops, there’s that damn royal ‘we’ again…. Shit.


Oh, well, too late now. In order to fulfill my prediction, I have to do this, which, may seem a bit harshly premature, but, nonetheless, is what we have today, so, deal with it. At this point, you may ask, “what the hell is he talking about now?” Well, let me tell ya….


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” ~~


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Vivaldi_Antonio


I’d planned to put a collection of classical music here today, but, came across this iconic piece from Antonio Vivaldi, The Red Priest, as I searched. It’s one of my favorites, as well as one of the best-known, finest pieces of music ever written, by acclamation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, every time I hear it…..


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The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi






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Comedy_Tragedy


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


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Subtle esoterica…


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“Sight is a faculty; seeing is an art.”


~~ George Perkins Marsh ~~


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“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.

Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.”


~~ Louis L’Amour, “Ride the Dark Trail” ~~


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“Even a single hair casts its shadow.”


~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 228 ~~


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“I’m not a teacher

only a fellow traveller of whom you asked the way.

I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as of you.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw, “Getting Married,” 1908~~


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“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out,

it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”


~~ Subtle Bee ~~


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“Truth is. Belief is not required.”


~~ Gerry Roston ~~


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“How he lies in his rights of a man!

Death has done all death can.

And absorbed in the new life he leads,

He recks not, he heeds

Nor his wrong nor my vengeance; both strike

On his senses alike,

And are lost in the solemn and strange

Surprise of the change.”


~~ Robert Browning, “After” ~~


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Gosh…. it’s done. How did that happen? Ah, I see. Okay, so be it. I am not sure just how this came to be, but, you know what they say about them silly gift horses, & all….. I’ll try again, & do better; I promise. Well, I promise to make the effort, hopefully tomorrow. But, if not, well, so be that. Until I do see y’all again, be well, be happy, & stay fucking alert, cuz you need to these days…. Ta, then….


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


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À bientôt, mon cherí….