But, today, I found my center, and my balance, almost immediately, thanks, no doubt, to the more than usual amount of rest I was able to get before the advent of the gods of lust broke the spell. So, here I am, with a different sort of picture to adorn the opening section today. It’s there to give me the opportunity to stare off into the depths of space, to find that spot inside where I can stay balanced. Funny how that works, eh? But, for me, it works like a charm, since the far reaches of space, in my mind, are as familiar to me as my own backyard. In my youth, I spent hours a day there, wandering through the galaxies and nebulae on the other side of the Universe, and imagining all the wonderful new things there are to see and learn.

The upshot of all this blather is to inform y’all today’s Pearl is being started somewhat early/late, (depending on one’s time zone and degree of slavishness to the clock), which means some, if not most, will be from either the archives, or straight out of my emergency stock of bullshit tricks to distract the Gentle Reader from realizing how much we are cheating. It rather has the feeling of being a politician when I do this, but, hey, sacrifices must be made to Art, right? I think sacrificing a few politicians would help reality a lot, so, why not, I say…. especially if it kept them busy with something other than thinking up new ways to screw the public.

Now, having set the table, so to speak, we’ll begin the meal. No, we’re not serving snacks, or appetizers. We’re just going to go find some pearls, and see if we can string them together in a reasonably recognizable shape, to stimulate some thought, or, at minimum, some confusion that will lead to asking questions. Yes, that’s lowering the standards a trifle, but, we do what we must according to the dictates of reality, and, our almost non-existent conscience when it comes to Pearls. In short, what you’ll see is what you’ll get, and you’ll like it, or lump it. Up to you, and that’s reality, so, deal….

On that relatively grumpy note….. Shall we Pearl?….

From 9/19/2012:

“Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.” — George Santayana

This observation by Mssr. Santayana seems to me to explain most of the movies that come out of Hollywood, or anywhere else. Each of us, though we cannot always say what we see as beautiful, knows what it looks like when we encounter it; every movie made is an attempt to attract people with visions of commonality, beauty that all can agree on, and, of course, pay money to see. It’s a manufactured market, only there because people want to experience those feelings, and are convinced that they can by participating in the public viewing of someone’s idea of beauty (or comedy, or evil, or any other intriguing related emotional experience)….

It reminds me of the concept of perfection…. We all have heard that “nobody is perfect”, or “nothing is perfect”, and there are numerous philosophical treatises that attempt to prove that perfection is beyond human attainment. My question for these people is this: if there is no such thing as perfection, then why do we have its image in our minds? It seems more logical to me that perfection is merely very rare, but examples of it are bound to occur, just by the law of averages, and when it does, we have the perceptive ability to see it, to acknowledge and appreciate its perfection….

The statement also can be viewed as another way of looking at the nature of reality, or the Tao of life. Is not the very first line of the Tao Teh Ching a paraphrase of the above? “The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao.” It touches on the very base of natural law, of how reality is not what we can say of it; it is more than just the description of it. By observing what is real, our perceptions remove the part of what has occurred that gives it body and substance, what makes it real…. If Albert Einstein’s God is the true one, then He left clues to this aspect of reality all over, but especially in physics, as noted by the famed Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which so poignantly points out the folly of placing one’s total faith in what is perceived…. because by seeing it, it has already changed, to suit another of reality’s aspects, Change….

Axiom # 2 of Peruaosophy states: “The Nature of the Universe is Change. Unpredictable, innovative transformation of Reality is the Norm. If you have a problem with this, you are in for a rough ride.”  Since Peruaosophy is my own philosophy, I can tell you, without fear of lying, that the axiom is absolutely true. It has been tested by every method I could think of, all through my life, and I can assure you that it is a factual statement. Trust me….

Okay, so you don’t have to take my word for it…. test it yourself. If you can find a single time when you can say that it is untrue, you document that, and send it to me. I’ll check it out, if any are sent in, but I have serious doubt that I’ll get any replies, as I’m confident of the axiom and its veracity. It doesn’t mean it is better, or more real than any other viewpoint or world view, but I’d wager it stands up to any of them without flinching or looking away….

Now see what I’ve done? I’ve talked myself into a corner, and can’t figure out how to tie all this mental meandering together with any aplomb. I’m sadly short of quotes, so we’ll have to make do with whatever I can come up with on short notice….. let it suffice to say that I believe in beauty, as little as it can be described, and I believe in perfection, in reality, and in the nature of everything…. After all, to be perfect, one would need to also be perfectly imperfect, else how would one tell?  And I know for a fact that many of us are imperfect; at times, I am so myself, on rare occasions…..  🙂  Besides, nature itself is full of examples of perfect beauty, anyway…. just take a walk in a garden when it is blooming with roses, and you will find any number of physical examples of the concept……

Whew! Who knew this could be so much work? It’s probably just as well nobody is paying me to do this, for no matter how much it was, it wouldn’t be enough. So be it. It’s done, and, given the status quo around here just now, that is a minor miracle. It does, however, offer one positive note, for me, at least, which is, being done, I can try again tomorrow to do it better. (As if….) Hey! No sotto voce allowed in the closing section! Boy, some people….

Never mind, ffolkes, I’ll stop tormenting y’all, and, myself, and bring this to a complete, if contentious, close. See y’all tomorrow, lads & lassies; at least one of us has no choice in the matter, so, perhaps I’ll see you in the morning, or, whenever you drop by…. Ta, then….