“The truth is straight ahead so don’t burn yourself instead;
try to learn instead of burn–hear what I said.”
~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~
Study in light & shadow….
Hajime…. Well, he said, it’s finally done. Since it is, he added, let’s forgo any nonsense, & just get it posted, without any of the usual folderol (great word….). In fact, we’re probably going to cause a bit of surprise, if not outright shock, at the suddenness of the shifts and changes you’ll experience today. Just in case you feel some skepticism, watch closely….
Shall we Pearl?….
“If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,
whence everyone must take an equal portion,
most people would be contented to take their own and depart.”
~~ Socrates ~~
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Given the length of time I had to find something, I suppose it’s a bit of a letdown to find I’ve gone with a default selection. So be it; at least it’s done. Moreover, it’s done well, with some of the finest music ever written…. Enjoy!….
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Chopin Classical Music
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Though less troublesome of late, personal demon wars continue to be waged on occasion. This one is from a time when I was trapped in some of Hell’s lower regions…. Thank goodness THAT’S over & done…
Banishing demons….
Endless nights lead inexorably into endless days
while the battle for peace rages.
Lost arts find new meaning used in new ways;
to burn, yearn, and turn all the new pages.
Darkness falls heavily on bowed shoulders, contrite;
fireworks travel fast in nervous tissue.
The pace is kept, clean, but, never erudite;
such a pale tale of ancient issue.
Peering in terror down long, long halls of night
brings only confusion, destitute in sorrow.
Cannot time become our enemy, eager to fight
on the side which may never see tomorrow?
The longing gaze of passion, for reason to live,
must fall ever more faithfully into sedition,
else the clinging visions we claim to give,
shall not prevent reaching inevitable perdition.
Rising up, clarity of purpose shines the light of day
upon such a desolate landscape of absent release.
There is no escape, no furthering of the way.
Time never knows how to grant peace.
~~ gigoid ~~
Yep. It’s new. Written last night, 11/23/2015, amazingly enough, in between bouts of pacing & twitching. Oh, joy!…. It helps. A little…..
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Naked Pearls
Signposts….
*******
“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is,
the less noise it makes.”
~~ Lord Halifax (1633-1695) ~~
*******
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
*******
“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”
~~ Steven Stills ~~
*******
“Happiness follows sorrow,
sorrow follows happiness,
but when one no longer discriminates
between happiness and sorrow,
a good deal and a bad deed,
one is able to realize freedom.”
~~ Buddha ~~
*******
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”
~~ Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace ~~
*******
“By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like a dot;
by thought I encompass the Universe.”
~~ Pascal, Pensees, n. 265 ~~
*******
“Listen to the colour of your dreams.”
~~ John Lennon 1966 ~~
*******
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There you have it, ffolkes. Not the greatest Pearl ever written, but, it’s got all the correct parts, so, we’re gonna fly with it. I cannot say with any degree of accuracy how long I’ll be absent this time; sitting down has become not merely problematic, but, actively painful to an extreme, to the point where I’m actively reluctant to do so at all. C’est la vie…. no choice but to obey my body’s demands. I’ll do my best to keep in touch, but, I have a feeling my days of consistency in posting are well past…. Sorry for my absence from y’all’s web sites, too; reading is getting harder every day, as I continue to slowly lose visual integrity, (translation: I’m going blind…) SIGH. Ah well, life goes on, & the BBR is calling me. I’ll be spending more time there than here, but, will try to drop in to check in when I can…. Y’all be well & happy, & stay strange…. 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.
“If you have a skeleton in your closet, take it out and dance with it.”
~~ Carolyn MacKenzie ~~
Beauty escapes….
Hajime…. Having spent much of yesterday dancing with skeletons, it’s probably not surprising I’m a bit foggy this morning. Those guys just won’t give up, or slow down, no matter the cost to their terpsichorean partner. But, the alternative is too upsetting to consider, so, we’ll just put it into the kill file, for now, at least long enough to get this Pearl posted. The rest of the day can fend for itself…..
All the correct elements for today’s effort are in place; after all, I did have an extra day to get it done. I have to say, the old-school pearl today is rather good…. So good, in fact, I titled it in Greek, to honor the connection it displays to Peruaosophy, which it supports and clarifies, all at once. For those who aren’t familiar with Peruaosophy, it is my personal codec, my own creation, the axioms on which I have based my existence, so, you might see how this pearl shines so brightly, in my eyes. If not, oh, well; just take them at face value, and their relevance will make itself quite clear. Of course, you’ll also need to employ the power of metaphor, but, that’s de rigeur for us, anyway.
All that said, I’ll be nice, for a change, & bring this to a rapid close, so as to facilitate the rest of today’s demand for attention. Reality has a way of insisting upon precedence, & the consequences of ignoring, or trying to deny those demands, are much more negative than any of us care to deal with. Rather than even go near there, we’ll turn a hard left, (or, right, depending on where you’re sitting, I guess….), into the future, which will, if naught else, get us down the page to the closing section, where we need to be. Elegance, while tricky, is possible when courted with the proper attitude. Of course, we gave up on it long ago, but, hey, it sounds good, & looks good on a resumé.
What? You don’t think so? Hmph. Okay, I guess we’ll need to demonstrate. Watch this, and learn….
Shall we Pearl?
“Do not settle for less than the best your own excellence can command.”
~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~
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Probably, no explanation is necessary when one feels like hearing the blues. Here is a live concert from one of today’s finest blues guitarists, who is also pretty easy on the eyes…. Enjoy!..
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Ana Popovic Live
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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
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Naked Pearls
Τέλεια μαργαριτάρια
*******
“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.”
~~ Roger Miller ~~
*******
“There is no God.
But it does not matter.
Man is enough.”
~~ Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Conversation at Midnight” ~~
*******
“There is no conclusive evidence of life after death.
But there is no evidence of any sort against it.
Soon enough you will know.
So why fret about it?”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
*******
“Don’t be confused by surfaces; in the depths everything becomes law.
What is necessary, after all, is only this:
solitude, vast inner solitude.
Walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours
–that is what you must be able to attain.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“It is almost impossible systematically to constitute a natural moral law.
Nature has no principles.
She furnishes us with no reason to believe
that human life is to be respected.
Nature, in her indifference,
makes no distinction between good and evil.”
~~ Anatole France ~~
*******
“Wherever your journey takes you, there are new gods waiting there,
with divine patience – and laughter.
~~ Susan Watkins ~~
*******
That must be wonderful: I don’t understand it at all.
~~ Moliere~~
*******
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I guess it’s done. I don’t see how I can add, or take away anything that would make it any better, so, I’ll do the rational thing, & call it done. To augment & enhance that decision, I’ll end this quickly, so as to reinforce the idea we know what we’re about. I hope you enjoyed today’s mess; the cost to produce it was a bit high, as I would prefer to be. On that rather sardonic note, I shall bid thee adieu until next time, most likely tomorrow, when we’ll try once again to achieve perfection…. Hey, I know; it’s not possible, but, the effort to do so is the lesson, anyway, so….. See ya, ffolkes. Be strange; I am, & I can use the company…..
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.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.
Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue.”
~~ Barry Goldwater ~~
Violet Moore & sons, circa 1917….
Image from the Moore Family archives….
Hajime…. The people you see in the above photo are my relatives, to wit: My grandmother, my father, and his younger brother, one of two he had. When the photo was taken, I believe my grandfather was still off fighting in WWI, somewhere in Europe. I love it, and not just because they’re my ‘people’, as they’d say in the South. It’s a great snapshot of the time, & given the personal connection, tells me a lot about the people who are in it. In particular, though I didn’t know her until much later in her life, the expression on my grandmother’s face tells me a story, and enhances what I know of her, with her kindness, humor, and patience obvious for anyone with wit to see….
As an old fart with broken emotions, just looking at this picture makes me a little weepy, but, in a good way. I guess the old saw among women, regarding tears, is true; some tears are happy tears, that come when one feels so much love, it has to come out, and the tears are how they can be shared. Maybe it’s not true, but, it feels true…. So be it. It’s family, and needs no excuse for love to be felt…
I guess such an emotional opening rather limits the direction we can take from here. Rather than try to find one that will efficiently segue into the material below, I’ll just use the “fade away” method to move us along to where we need to go. Such indulgence isn’t at all normal, but, when have we ever worried about being normal? To be honest, I wouldn’t know quite how to react if anyone ever accused me of being so… but, that’s another story, for another time. For now, we’ll just do this, and be done with it….
Shall we Pearl?….
“But first, are you experienced?”
~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~
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I spent a lot of time this morning, pre-pearl, to write a friend to whom I owed a letter; unfortunately, this pushed me over into time I needed to spend to get this done. The end result of this is not having the time to… wait a minute! I’ve got a Tardis! What was I thinking? Okay, never mind. We’ve got classical music today, simply because I like it. Deal with it; I must, and so must y’all…. Try to enjoy it, anyway… It is, after all, some of the best music ever played, y’know?….
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Mozart Symphonies 1-20
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********************************
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Confidentially Paranoid
Only when the bright sunlight of dreams draws nigh
can the dark glass of reality factor true value..
Destiny’s horses run in fear as time goes dry,
for grappling with fate in such traitorous venue.
In pallid costumes made of graven cast-off tales,
fallen angels and demons show the measure of faith.
No sad transactions should escape these well-marked trails,
no angry relatives cast insults to a sedentary wraith.
Meaning can always hide in literal cold intent,
yet show mere facets of honor to perishable youth.
Sincere contentions leave with sorrowful bent,
while bastardly arguments fill in poorly for the truth.
Gone are moments filled with florid blasts of rhyme
left to molder on the shoulders of unreasonable hope.
Only courage can save these measures of unspoken time
to gather new issues, powerfully broad, painful in scope.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/25/2015
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Naked Pearls
Fun with Karma….
*******
“…The Universe is thronged with fire and light,
And we but smaller suns, which, skinned, trapped and kept
Enshrined in blood and precious bones, hold back the night.”
~~ Ray Bradbury ~~
*******
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
*******
“Everyone who lives dies, but not everyone who dies has lived.”
~~ No Fear ~~
*******
“You can’t just feel happy; to feel anything you have to feel everything.”
~~ Callan Williams ~~
*******
“If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“We’re tossed by the winds of fate, Maggie Mae.
Once we end where they blow us, we make of ourselves what we will.”
~~ Niall Feeney, in Nora Roberts’ “Born In Fire” ~~
*******
“It’s so much more friendly with two.”
~~ Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you go… or, rather, there ’tis. Done, and done in time, if not comfort. So far today, I’ve written a long letter, had two cuppas, and faked a routine. I’ve also completed a Pearl, for what it’s worth. To me, it’s worth what I paid for it, if nothing else. Y’all will have to make up your own minds as to whether the cost was worth it, or not. Me, I’m outta here. Of course, I’ll be back, but, I don’t want to scare anybody…. 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.
“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.”
~~ Halifax ~~
Morning Glory in Blue
Hajime…. Bozoid, or not, it’s got to be done. Since my degree of bozoid is rather highly developed, that will require an incredible amount of focus, and will, in order to fulfill our chosen duty. Given the last night’s draw, having fought for sleep until successful (well, to a degree… three sets of two hours isn’t too bad… that’s more down than up, so, hey, bonus….), and the concomitant extra smegs of energy, I have no real excuse for not getting it done, unless I retreat into whine and sour cheese. Therefore, what you see is what I’ve got, and it’s all you get.
Today, that isn’t an insignificant amount of material. In fact, there’s a rather extensive diatribe in the ranting section, with a seven-star pearl that grew to nine, and a complex poem from about 4 years ago. I also think you’ll enjoy today’s music; I know I did, and will again. So, in spite of any possible glitches, or, spanners in the works, we have a pretty good example of a Pearl of Virtual Wisdom for your reading pleasure. I know, that’s a bit presumptuous, but, hey, I think so, and, in the final analysis, that’s all that matters…. Deal with it, just as if it were a part of Reality As We Know It….
Now I’ve set the stage, so to speak, I think I’ll use my somewhat underused executive decision making powers, as held by law and custom, I’ll cut the intro down to a proper size, with the simple decree, “it’s enough, and, it’s done.” So be it. I hope you enjoy today’s mess; I enjoyed putting it together, mostly, so, that will probably show through. If not, well, you can ask for a refund. You won’t get one, but, you can ask. On that curmudgeonly note, I say we should be on our way, and, in this blog, what I say, necessarily, goes….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Dope will get you through times of no money
better that money will get you through times of no dope.”
~~ Freewheelin’ Franklin, “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” ~~
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Image from youtube.com via Google Images
Some days, you just need it to be as real as it can get. Today is such a day for me. When ‘real’ is called for, I call for Tom Waits….
I had a quote by Plato picked out, but, ranting is not in the picture for this morning; given the state of my mind, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Here for your reading enjoyment is a rather extensive discussion/diatribe, which pokes some rather cogent indictments against certain members of the BRC, or, as we like to call them, Asininnies…. Enjoy!….
From 2/1/2013:
“I wouldn’t recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” — Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), journalist
So, this is going to be fun…. I think. I have no idea what to put here today. I’m not ready to rant; besides which, there’s nothing particularly rantable on tap… Oh, there’s stuff to talk about, silly stuff, bad stuff, even some good stuff…. but, none of it tickles my rant bone…. So, I’m just going to use some links to subject matter, as well as links to today’s headlines, to make short, hopefully pithy comments, infused with with and wisdom, (well, insofar as I am capable of doing so…you can never tell just how that will work out….), thereby defusing the otherwise potentially explosive possibilities that arise when I don’t rant….
First, one of my gentle readers left me a link yesterday, that led to some rather interesting information, about a concept that, oddly enough, I’d never before encountered in all my reading…. though, come to think of it now, I did read the book in which the the first appearance of the idea appeared, according to the article, a tome by Philip K. Dick…. I must have passed over the concept as part of the book’s plot, because it is a deep one, and deserves some thought….
Pronoia…. the belief that there is a conspiracy on the part of the universe to make my life better…. It is the exact reverse state of mind of paranoia, the belief in a conspiracy by reality to do us harm; as such, the concept offers the best sort of contrast to that, contrast that outlines and reveals the true state of mind we need, in order to see ALL the picture that Reality presents to us… The state of mind that shows us how to be aware of the true nature of Reality, that of duality….
It’s also a very nice way to think about living, as one of the natural results of following this train of thought is to become more compassionate, and more tolerant of others…. more able to love, and be loved… If you need an example of someone who displays the characteristics of a pronoiac, think of Elwood P. Dowd, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in the movie, “Harvey”….. Elwood believed in acting just as if the world was a place that had no other purpose than to give him different opportunities to find happiness, and, as a result of his beliefs, he found it, everywhere he looked….
Read the article, ffolkes, it will give you something to think about other than the gloom and doom that is our usual fare, if nothing else….
In another example of how frigging CRAZY this world is, and just how little respect for the public the BRC has, I offer the following, which, though it appears to be encouraging, is actually quite scary, and I’ll tell you why…. after you read what he said….
While Barry claims to value net neutrality, his minions at the NSA and the US Cyber Security Forces are actively pursuing complete CONTROL of that internet, seeking to find ways to be able to access ANY computer ANYWHERE on the planet, as long as it is connected to the Net. When he was first elected, I sent an email to the White House, in answer to a call for opinions on some subject or another…. My hope, though small, was that someone would actually READ what I sent, and possibly, a response from an actual person would be elicited….
No such luck… I never have received anything from them via this contact other than obvious form letters, asking for donations, telling me I should join this movement, or support the president in some project or another…. Since sending that ONE email, I have been inundated with two, and sometimes three or four emails a day from the White House…. That’s every day, since 2009…. I get begging letters, letters to try to engage me enough to click on links to send me to places where they can present more attempts to brainwash me…. This administration has embrace the internet, social media, and email as marketing tools of the highest order, and obviously, have learned a lot from the spam industry about how to use email as a marketing tool…
Not only that, they are definitely mining me for whatever data they can find…. They know my name, and that I’ve never responded, because I keep getting emails from them telling me my name isn’t on their list as a supporter or a donor…. I would opt out of getting them, but, I believe in the old adage about keeping one’s enemies close enough to know what they’re up to, at least on the surface….
Immediately upon emailing the WH, I also got new, begging-type emails from a number of liberal causes, all of whom are big supporters of the pOTUS’s agenda…. Even Al Franken, a smart comedian turned Senator, started hitting me up for donations, along with the Human Rights Commission, MoveOn.org, Causes, Greenpeace, etc….. all are dunning me to get my spare dollars, and put my name, and computer address, into their database….
No, thanks…. I’ll keep accepting the emails, because it gives me a fair idea of what’s up in those arenas, but, I won’t ever respond again to them, even though I have no fear of the delete button, and can get rid of them without mercy, or regret…. which I do, every day…. But, damn, I wish I was a good enough hacker to be able to send back an email bomb, that would explode their database when my data got entered…. That would be too cool for words….
I see this statement by the president as a self-serving one, designed to make people believe he has the same concerns they have; but, at the same time, he is actively working to make the internet completely his to control…. and THAT’s dangerous, because, people are BELIEVING him….
Lastly today, here is an article which I am including, even though I won’t read it…. If this project gets passed, it will be a significant victory for the Asininnies in the fight to save the Arctic (Oh, yeah, I get emails about that, too…) from the oil companies’ limitless avarice. I have a feeling, though, even if passed, it will never get built, due to eco-terrorist sabotage…..Though not one of them, per se, I know there are a LOT of people out there who are VERY committed to stopping this pipeline, and won’t give up….
Seems to me, though I’ve never studied those particular warfare techniques, it wouldn’t be all that difficult to stop the pipeline from being built, considering the vulnerability of the areas through which it must pass…..Time will tell, but, I think the shadowy corporate masters may have bitten off a bite from a very bitter apple, which may end up being more than they can chew, this time….
Such articles tend to depress me, so I’m going to give this a rest now…. This will have to suffice as today’s rant, because, ffolkes, that’s all I’ve got in me today…. I’m pretty sure that most ffolkes would say it’s enough…. I’ll finish up with this short, five-star pearl, which seems appropriate to the above discussions….
“According to Descartes, Rush Limbaugh doesn’t exist.” — Smart Bee
“If good intentions are combined with stupidity, it is impossible to outthink them.” — Marion J. Levy, Jr.
“Prefer loss to the wealth of dishonest gain; the former vexes you for a time; the latter will bring you lasting remorse.” — Chilo
“Remember: it’s only American television.” — David Letterman
“Life, as we know it, does not exist.” — Smart Bee
********************************
A bit less than five years ago, after a hiatus covering nearly 40 years, I began writing poetry again. This one is one of those first attempts to stretch my mind a bit; it seems to have worked. Last night, for some unknown reason, while up in the middle of the night, the title floated up into my head. So, here it is, for, who am I to ignore messages from my own unconscious mind?
Fatal Supplication
But what becomes of our deepest dangerous dreams?
Does fantasy rescue any part of life’s imperiled favor?
Reality becomes but silvery pairs of mismatched teams,
Dining with affable elegance, such diffident waste to savor.
Who decides what sorrows to carry bravely to term?
Will fragrant moments of sanity make hasty manifestation?
Only Time’s patient mutability sends messages so firm,
Yet salient impersonal vexation lends credence to ripe imagination.
Can folly bring out sadness and rampant visions of beauty?
What kindness can be found in distant open relations?
With countless faces the dead disturb with dire impunity,
From separate caches of wisdom come simple stylish privations.
Shall shallow emotion serve to provide such explanations?
When does avaricious intensity assume primary focus?
Plain answers slide softly through with multiple mitigations,
While conceptually indignant concepts engage a fatally personal locus.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/20/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Guess….
*******
“Sure, understanding today’s complex world of the future is a little
like having bees live in your head. But there they are . . .”
~~ The Firesign Theater ~~
*******
“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”
~~ Carl Sagan ~~
*******
“Be loyal.”
~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~
*******
“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
“Sacred cows make the best hamburger.”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
*******
“Never be boastful; someone may come along who knew you as a child.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
*******
“It’s not only what we do,
but also what we do not do for which we are accountable.”
~~ Moliere ~~
*******
“Pain exists to measure pleasure by.”
~~ Tibetan Proverb ~~
*******
“The game isn’t over till it’s over.”
~~ Yogi Berra ~~
*******
********************************
It’s always a good feeling to complete a chosen duty; given my background, and my father, it’s about the best feeling there is in my world. I’m not sure I want to try to figure out what THAT means, so, we’ll take this opportunity to take our leave, before I do, or say, anything untoward. It happens. Instead, I’ll bid thee adieu for another day, with our usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back tomorrow, 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.
“There is no debt with so much prejudice put off as that of justice.”
~~ Plutarch — Of those whom God is slow to punish ~~
You said there would be treats….
Hajime….. Pale, sweaty, yet, undaunted by the demands of reality, he arises to begin the day, sans coherent thought, as is his wont. Still, the prospect of yet another day on this beautiful planet, with its immense complexity of life, and it’s uncommonly evocative vistas of uncompromising grandeur. Even considering the negative aspects of current reality, there remains the continual reminder of the immortal, eternal nature of the Universe at large, and the ever-present hope that lives in the human heart, with, or without reason.
Okay, that’s enough pedantry for one morning. I’m a bit late, having again slept reasonably well, so, I’m in a bit of a rush to maintain the schedule to which I try to keep, loose and flexible as it may be. I got a fair amount done yesterday, so, we’ll make it, with the help of the archives, if needed. For the time being, I’ll make the executive decision again to pursue a policy of brevity in expression, at least, here in the intro. It seems to work out better on such days when I do, so, hey, why not? It can’t be any more problematic than our usual blather, right? Right. So be it, and here we go….
Shall we Pearl?….
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
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Image from Photostock Royalty-free Images
On the page where I viewed a video yesterday, sent by a friend, I found these two videos. The first is a jam of “Why I Sing The Blues” with a group of performers that is hard to believe got together all in one place. Just about every blues player in American music history of the last 40 years was there; every one of them had a blast doing the song, as is clear by their expressions of joy the entire time… The second video is a compilation of a couple hours of blues, just for your enjoyment… so, enjoy!….
“There is no freedom without the power to defend it.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
I had intended to create a discussion based on the above assertion, but, didn’t have time; for y’all it’s probably a good thing, as this subject can push a couple thousand words out of me in no time. Instead, I’ll leave you today with the following observation, then include a discussion of personal responsibility/self-awareness from the archives, from 2012, which includes a verse we utilized yesterday…. I hope you enjoy this little break from fresh ranting… Me, I’m gonna go listen to some blues….
“The average man never really thinks from beginning to end of his life. The mental activity of such people is only a mouthing of cliches. What they mistake for thought is simply repetition of what they have heard. My guess is that well over 80% of the human race goes through life without having a single original thought. Whenever a new one appears the average man shows signs of dismay and resentment.” — H. L. Mencken: “Minority Report: H. L. Mencken’s Notebooks”
From 9/9/2012:
A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “The one I feed the most.” — George Bernard Shaw
This is a wonderful anecdote, and one I feel very firmly about, as it is one of the clearest lessons in self-awareness I have ever seen. This one is so simple an idea, that even the ignorant asses who make up the political scene in this country would be able to understand it. They probably couldn’t do it, as they never, ever think about themselves other than as an important person, who doesn’t need to make changes in himself. Anyone who does think of themselves would never, ever consent to be put into a public office…. the two things (introspection vs. public office) just don’t mix…. That is because of the following, from a pretty smart fella, who lived quite some time ago, but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders….
“Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom. For herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself; he has no desire for that of which he feels no want.” — Plato (428-348? B.C.)
“…he who is neither good nor wise” is a perfect description of anyone who wants to be President of this country. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again, because it bears repetition, that anyone, anyone at all, who actually WANTS to be President can be classified as clinically insane, usually a paranoid schizophrenic, with grandiose delusions of adequacy…. NOBODY is adequate for that job… nobody. And anyone who thinks they are is simply not all there…..
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 Phil Lesh & Robert Hunter ~~
Ah me…. politics and politicians are such an easy target. If it wasn’t so much fun, I might call it a naughty habit, and leave them to their devices, which surely are many….. Since we’re pressed for time today, we’ll leave them be, and just caution y’all to watch out, because their antics can be dangerous, if they are left without supervision for long….
********************************
A Sorcerer Bids Farewell To Seem
I’m through with this grand looking-glass hotel
where adjectives play croquet with flamingo nouns;
methinks I shall absent me for a while
from rhetoric of these rococo queens.
Item : chuck out royal rigmarole of props
and auction off each rare white-rabbit verb;
send my muse Alice packing with gaudy scraps
of mushroom simile and gryphon garb.
My native sleight-of-hand is wearing out :
mad hatter’s hat yields no new metaphor,
and jabberwock will not translate his songs :
it’s time to vanish like the cheshire cat
alone to that authentic island where
cabbages are cabbages; kings : kings.
~~ Sylvia Plath ~~
********************************
Today’s final pearl is a classic style old-school pearl, random harlequin style, with a somewhat subtle message for us. In fact, so subtle, I have yet to figure out what it may be… ‘S okay, we’ve got all day to try to reason it out, so…. have fun!….
“Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is because modern education is so seldom inspired by a great hope that it so seldom achieves great results. The wish to preserve the past rather that the hope of creating the future dominates the minds of those who control the teaching of the young.” — Bertrand Russell
“Fishing gives you a sense of where you fit in the scene of things. Your place in the universe. I mean, here I am, one small guy with a fishing pole on this vast beach and out there in the blue expanse of ocean are these hundreds of millions of fish… laughing at me.” — Anonymous Smart Bee
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” — Leonardo da Vinci
“As for myself, I always willingly acknowledge my own self as the principal cause of every good and of every evil which may befall me; therefore I have always found myself capable of being my own pupil, and ready to love my teacher.” — Giacomo Casanova
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“In the end, everything is a gag.” — Charlie Chaplin
********************************
Not too shabby for what I’d call a rush job, hurried. It seems to hang together, though, so, we’ll let ‘er fly solo, and see what happens. I shall, as is also my wont, return tomorrow, to give this ol’ horse another workout, to see if we can’t improve on our time, and the elegance of our ‘look and feel’. Fat chance, right? Okay, I’ll stop now, since we are in the closing section. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. I can’t figure out if it’s a gift, or an obsession, but, either way, I’ll be here….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“A man of quality is not threatened by a woman of equality.”
~~ Gentle Bee ~~
Best Shot Two
Hajime….. Time, Space, and Reality at Large can be a rather complex three-body problem to solve, especially when our routines for dealing with the chaotic world in which we live become less than reliable. To be honest, the changes that seem to be taking place aren’t unwelcome; it’s hard to complain about getting more sleep. But, adjusting the elements of Reality thus affected is not as simple as it may sound, or look. That said, I think it’s probably a good idea to let this subject die a natural death, by negligence. So be it.
Okay, we’ve managed to obscure the issue fairly well, so far. Let’s see if a bit of nonsense will help us get to our necessary jumping-off point, shall we? Zippy always enjoys it so much when we do. Why, look! There’s our spot now! Okay, we’d better go, so hang on….
Shall we Pearl?….
“A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party:
there is no battle unless there be two.”
~~ Seneca ~~
********************************
The process today is a bit choppy, but, I think we can get done, if I go with a default for this section. Classical music, of course, is our default, for it seems to soothe my fevered brow when I write, or read… Go figure…. Oh, and, enjoy, too, if you wish….
I mentioned, somewhere, I’m not into ranting for now; so be it. In keeping to that policy, here is an archived piece, an old-school pearl from another day I wasn’t up to the challenge of speaking out…. Ah, well, so be it…. Enjoy the break from routine, if you would; I intend to do so for an extended period of time…
From 12/5/2013:
Any ranting I do today will be related to the above subject, in order to keep the details fresh in what is left of my mind…. Plus, I haven’t kept up with what is happening out in the Big Blue Room, which tends to keep me from picking a current event to rag upon, more’s the pity….. That does mean a bonus for y’all, as I’ll naturally fall back into the default position here at ECR when this happens…. Yes, you know what it means, ffolkes, another old-school pearl, a group of small but tasty pearls, all in a certain direction, or implying a certain theme…. Sure, those themes may not be immediately apparent, even to the most discriminating of Gentle Readers, but, more often, they simply bash one over the brows, driving home the desired point with all the delicacy of a professional wrestler….
I am, as is already obvious, more than just a little verbose this morning, having not written ANYTHING for over four days…. but, I don’t think that will hurt this section, since I’m going to segue right into the remainder of this section’s contents by using the old magical phrase, “slick as Natty Bumpo’s Chevrolet sedan!”…. Or, as we like to say here on ECR… let’s dive…. Ooh, ooh, let’s go really old school, too, with poetry brackets and everything all mellow….
I knew, by the smoke that so gracefully curl’d
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near;
And I said, “If there ‘s peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”
~~ Thomas Moore — Ballad Stanzas ~~
“I readily relapse into my reflections on the uselessness of our education. Its aim has been to make us not good and wise, but learned; and in this it has succeeded. It has not taught us to follow and embrace virtue and wisdom, but has imprinted their derivations and etymologies on our minds. We are able
to decline ‘virtue’ even if we are unable to love it; if we do not know what wisdom is in fact and by experience, we are familiar with it as a jargon learned by heart.” — Michel de Montaigne, Essays
In the vacant places, we will build with new bricks.” — T.S. Eliot
“As long as we’re going insane, we might as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.” — Smart Bee
“Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor’s a good brooch to wear in a man’s hat at all times.” — Ben Johnson
“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch
~~ _Jabberwocky_, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~
********************************
Bluebird
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?
Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practices it will have neighbors.
~~ Confucius ~~
***********
“One of the greatest joys known to man
is to take a flight into ignorance
in search of knowledge.”
~~ Robert Lynd ~~
***********
Virtue is a habit of the mind,
consistent with nature and moderation and reason.
~~ Cicero ~~
***********
The mind ought sometimes to be amused,
that it may the better return to thought,
and to itself.
~~ Phaedrus ~~
***********
“Be a moving target.”
~~ Raoul Lionel Felder ~~
***********
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible,
but also for what we do not do.”
~~ Moliere ~~
***********
…for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.
— Erasmus
***********
Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules.
~~ Zen Bee ~~
***********
“May the Forces of Evil become confused on the way to your house.”
~~ George Carlin ~~
********************************
Well, that was something…. Interruptions by a cat insisting on cuddle-time, a call from a friend in Europe, and small coffee disaster made it even more of a struggle than usual. As is our wont today, to this we say, so be it. We are practicing our dispassion today. And, we shall see you tomorrow, when we shall try again to achieve some minor brilliance, and get this approximately right. We’ll also try to lose the royal ‘we’, if possible. See y’all then, ffolkes, as long as reality stays on course….
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.
Enjoy the present hour,
Be thankful for the past,
And neither fear nor wish
Th’ approaches of the last.
~~ Abraham Cowley (1618-1667) ~~
Please! Everybody take your seats so we can get started! Image from the UK Telegraph 8-4-2015
Those readers who have been here consistently will know right away something is up. Those who have not will merely feel a slight bit of uneasiness, without knowing why. Those who are here for their first taste of Consensual Reality, gigoid-style, are in for an epiphany, of sorts; the direction it takes is completely ruled by their own inner needs. The rest of us, well, we’re going out for breakfast….
Of course, breakfast will consist solely of a bit of smarmy dialogue, but, they don’t know that. I’ve decided, as is by now obvious, to sever all connections we had to normal reality, and spend the day out on the fringes. There wasn’t a damn thing to write about where we were, so, it became necessary to move the encampment out to the suburbs of sanity, where things start getting a bit random…. There’s more variety here to choose from, which appeals to my basic laziness….
Since there will be no rhyme (well, maybe one or two) nor reason (I think you’ll agree that won’t be a problem today…), perhaps we’d best not dally here in the intro. Randomness and silly, when combined in such quantities, can easily overwhelm the ballast pumps, causing us to wallow a bit. No wallowing allowed, of course, so, we’ll be monitoring that particular system closely today. All part of the service….
There, I think that brings us to the required point of insanity. Luigi is getting a bit impatient, so, let’s all tighten up those seat restraints, make sure all beverages have been placed in the appropriate holders, with lids firmly attached, apply makeup, and be on our way…. We’ve got a long way to go today, and Luigi always likes to go slow on Wednesdays…. Tuesday is his day off, and he’s always a bit sluggish the day after moulting….
Shall we Pearl?….
“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.” — Voltaire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you’ve been here before, you’ll know I love the guitar. Leo Kottke is a virtuoso of the instrument, most famous for his work on the 12 string. I’m not familiar with Mike Gordon, or Phish, as I’ve gotten a bit out of touch with modern artists and music, but, the band (Phish) has a good reputation, and, if Leo sat down to play with him, I imagine he’s pretty good; this should be a good little piece of entertainment for those of us who appreciate live music… and, who doesn’t?…. Enjoy, ffolkes…. there’s no reason NOT to do so….
I have, naturally, applied the science of dubiousity to this axiom, one I’m certain everyone has heard; hell, it’s so ubiquitous, I didn’t bother with any attribution…. I’m happy to say, after a period of serious cogitation upon the issue, it is possible to add a few words which would demonstrate this idea to be, if not false, at the very least, amenable to mitigation. Let’s try it this way:
“Money can’t buy happiness, unless spent in service to others.”
In other words, it is the act of gathering money, or, more accurately, the avarice which leads to gathering and hoarding money, with its attendant lure, of giving power over those who don’t, which absolutely precludes bringing happiness to those who acquire it for the purpose of serving themselves. Money is merely a symbol, of the value people place on their time; by giving it to others, these “normal people”, (I contend such philanthropy is the instinct of a ‘normal’ human being….), increase their positive karmic burden, thereby freeing themselves from ego, and the suffering so natural when one becomes attached to ‘things’.
Our world is currently embroiled in a conflict covering the entire planet, one which has been raging for centuries, since the very beginning of our first attempts to build a culture. The conflict is a direct result of the duality of human nature, and can be held responsible for every moment of suffering, and of joy, experienced by mankind. The very duality of our nature, which reflects the duality of reality, sets us at odds with each other, as the two sides of us war for dominance….
One side is our lust for life, the other is our reason; those who live by the dictates of the first are those who act from their ego, who desire money, and power over others in order to feel as if they are a success in life. Those who live by reason have no such appetites, understanding that it is only by helping one another, we all may survive the complexity of this terrible, yet wonderful Reality in which we have been dumped….
Dumped? Well, that’s a bit harshly phrased. and, I don’t mean to imply there is anyone responsible for that; no, I just meant we are here, and we don’t have any idea why, or how we got here. Truthfully, neither of these questions is really important, not to the Universe. But, for some reason, they are important to us humans, so, we have to discuss them endlessly, such as here, in blogs such as ECR…. Funny how that works, eh?…
Any who, we see, now, how the duality of our nature keeps us in conflict with each other; the two camps of human attitudes will be forever at odds, until one or the other has become ascendant…. If it is those who live by their base nature, by desire and ego, well, I don’t believe the species is long for this world…. I’m pretty sure, if we don’t turn the other way, toward reason and compassion toward life, well, we are ALL doomed, regardless of how much anyone WANTS it to be otherwise….
That’s enough darkness for one morning…. I actually didn’t plan to do this, but, hey, that’s life in the blogosphere, right? Right… I’ll leave you with a final thought, then we’ll wrap up the rest of this, forthwith….
“You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you ever risked disapproval? Have you ever risked a belief? I see nothing particularly courageous in risking one’s life. So you lose it, you go to your hero’s heaven and everything is milk and honey ’til the end of time, right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That’s not courage. Real courage is risking something that you have to keep on living with, real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one’s cliches.” — Tom Robbins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Painful candor
I sit, and ponder, then try to write…
seeking always to keep from sounding trite.
My record so far is less than grand;
we’ll not be striking up the hometown band.
Poems come to me, with cadence and rhyme,
that’s the easy part, every time.
Finding words of wisdom herein to include,
makes short shrift, however, of my attitude.
Still the words keep floating up in my head,
harbingers of danger, of wisdom, of dread.
Challenge is issued. in the weight of persuasion
Fey shadows of intent for any bright occasion.
Following along becomes habit and routine,
which naturally tells us where we have been.
New vistas beckon just out of sight
Pulling me forward, from day into night……
~~ gigoid ~~
Written 9/19/2012.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today’s final pearl is, at its core, perfect. I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. I was building a group based on the principles of Karma, and, lo and behold, what I got is Karma embodied… Even the final line, which may SEEM inappropriate, is perfect. All you have to do is think about it with the correct twist in your shorts…. and THAT makes it perfect for today’s Pearl….
“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” — Moliere
“He only profits from praise who values criticism.” — Heinrich Heine
“A thick head can do as much damage as a hard heart.” — Smart Bee
“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” — Josh Billings
“If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.” — Baba Ram Dass
“One should count each day a separate life.” — Seneca
“Say the secret word and the duck is yours.” — Groucho Marx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, well, that went pretty well. Since it did, I’m going to perform a rapid exit, virtual stage left, so as not to tempt fate. It’s been rather a good day, hasn’t it? Smooth as a baby’s bottom. On that odd note, I shall bid thee adieu for another day. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the ferry makes it across the channel….
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 