“Those who live in a land of illusion
are unaware that there IS a land of illusion…”
~~ Hasidic saying ~~
The first clue….
Hajime…. During the recent past, one of the most telling things which my struggles have impressed upon me is this; everything that happens in our reality, whether we are aware of it, or not, is a lesson, & learning to pay attention to what is being taught can be not only important to us, but, critical to any further progress. This lesson, versions of which I now see everywhere, every day, seems to be, perhaps, the most critical to achieving any sort of balance in life…. In short, you snooze, you lose….
Funny how our most compelling truths seem to lend themselves to such brevity of expression, almost as if the universe conspires to make it easy for us, but, laughingly watches as we silly-ass monkeys blow the lesson off, repeatedly, thus making our own pot of insanity in which to boil…. As is patently clear from the picture I’ve chosen to adorn the top today, Leelu is a constant source of opportunity for reality to apply the lesson; damn near every day, she does something to remind me I am not paying enough attention to the moment, having, as usual, gone off somewhere in my head, losing the thread reality spins for us to hold onto, & presenting Murphy with countless opportunities to fuck with me….
Go figure, eh? Just when I thought it was safe to put my head up & look around, the bullets begin to fly…. Thus far today, I’ve lost it twice, & found my way back close to the center only through sheer will power; one more time will probably kick me over the edge. I’d best be careful from this point; if I go over the edge, it’s liable to affect the very fabric of the space-time continuum, as the pressure is enormous. Ah, well, so be it; I seriously doubt reality would suffer much, though a number of the local denizens would be inadvertently troubled by a feeling of doom. Like all of us, they’ll just have to learn to live with the ambiguity.
As for me, I’m busy, jealously guarding what remnants of rationality I can keep in one place; I’m hoping to find enough of it to make it through to full daylight; with some light on the subject, there’s a small chance I can pull it all back into line. If not, well, so much for another day, eh? I’m old enough now to be relatively fatalistic about anything that might happen, so, in essence, it all breaks even. Let’s hope, given the status of the rest of reality, as on the edge of insanity, rapidly turning into a headlong rush to total psychosis, we can find a reason compelling enough to make an effort to resist. For now, let’s go see what the rest of today’s mess can do to help find such a reason. Watch that bottom step….
Shall we Pearl?
“If anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway.”
~~ Murphy’s Fifth Law ~~
***************************************
My day began badly, (my own fault); to repair the damage, this is what I put on the speakers, as I knew it would bring me closer to serenity than anything else I might try…. I hope you enjoy it as well….
***************************************
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Complete Violin Concertos
***************************************
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Unheralded Sagacity…
To many, who will not see beyond their nose
the world becomes a dangerous place,
a bullet in every gun, a thorn with every rose,
no magic comes to save us, reality leaves no trace.
Minds closed, wrapped tight in manufactured fears,
men become clay, easily molded into complacent form.
No chains needed, held in thrall for years,
lies become gospel, when dishonesty is the norm.
Shed the chains you wear in durance, in kind;
Oh, ye of little faith, and much doubt
Strength is found in an unfettered mind,
Cry “freedom” with a great shout.
No help from any gods can hinder so much
as our own lack of confidence;
finding the light within, knowing it as such
confirms us, becoming consequence.
Illumination…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/17/2013
***************************************
Naked Pearls
Notes on Process & Program….
*******
“Let him that would move the world, first move himself.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
“Unknowingly, we plow the dust of stars,
blown about us by the wind,
and drink the universe in a glass of rain.”
~~ Ihab Hassan ~~
*******
“Just by choosing where you stand,
You alter your destiny.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*******
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
~~ Lucius Anneaus Seneca ~~
*******
“A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid;
it is only deferred, and we must come back
and settle the account at last.”
~~ Joseph F. Newton ~~
*******
“A man’s work is nothing
but this slow trek to rediscover,
through the detours of art,
those two or three great and simple images
in whose presence his heart first opened.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
“I say love, it is a flower; and you, it’s only seed.”
~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~
*******
***************************************
I offer no apologies; I make no excuses. It’s done, and, that is, perhaps, the most one can say of it. Saying more would just be cruel, & that is against our policies, not to mention being downright rude. See, even nonsense is beyond me. I’m outta here, before I make a bigger fool of myself than I’ve already managed. See y’all again, ffolkes, if I can find my way back…. Odds are about even, I’d say….
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.
“People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
Willows, weeping….
Hajime…. I’ve been plowing my way through Aldous Huxley’s essay on The Doors of Perception, a personal exploration of his experiences in taking mescaline during the initial phases of research into its psychic properties, i.e., how it affected the human mind. Extremely interesting discussion, for sure, one which has helped me during my own battles on the mental battlefield we humans often encounter in our own minds (my own battles are the result of 11 plus years of working in a job where violence was a daily risk; that’s a story for another time….). Though the details of his inward journey differ from my own experiences, his observations have assisted me to come closer to a better understanding of my own reactions.
During one of the battles yesterday, to gain some breathing room, I read from the essay, where Huxley’s words stimulated a train of thought regarding our perceptions, leading to a strong confirmation of what I have always known regarding reality, to wit: the universe in which we live exists in a state of duality, which is echoed in our own ability to perceive its qualities. All our senses of perception are predicated on this duality; we see due to the presence or absence of light; we hear due to the presence or absence of sound waves. The same is true for them all; touch, taste, smell, all depend on the duality of existence, which we observe because of that very duality. Naturally, this has implications for our ability to perceive, as well as our ability to act on what we perceive.
To go further along this line of thought is, without doubt, a long and complex exploration, one ill-suited to the intro section of an otherwise innocent blog post. Probably, I shouldn’t have even begun the discussion, knowing full well it wouldn’t receive the treatment, or the resolution required for full understanding. But, that’s okay. What I’ve already stated should provide y’all with enough to think about, and, perhaps, come to some conclusions of your own, which you may share, or not, as suits you. For me, it’s enough to have brought it forth; dropping it on you like this, there’s no guilt for having strained anyone’s synapses so early in the day. Perhaps, it will help you as much as it does me, to distract me from the issues so persistently part of my reality long enough to re-enter the fray with a fresh mind, and new methods of coping.
All that being said, to the usual little purpose, other than to move us along in the process, we’ll move along. It’s done so quite well, you’ll note; here we are, with going on four paragraphs of reasonably interesting blather, patently enough to pronounce as sufficient unto the day. I’ll cease & desist this exploration, which, if continued, could end up as a massive philosophical discussion of the different levels of reality we all know & love so well. Instead, we’ll be grateful, for having smoothly begun what might otherwise been another chaotic example of the power of entropy, which is always enjoyed far too much by Murphy for my taste.
Now I’ve made the obligatory reference to the powers of chaos, which obliquely provides us with proof of our own innocence, we can move on, to the rest of today’s mess, which you’ll find in its usual place as you scroll down the page. I hope you enjoy it; I worked on it for, literally, minutes & minutes. (What? You expected some marathon effort? Get real; it’s just a blog….) Let’s take this opportunity, which is rushing upon us very quickly, to get on with it. That, of course, looks like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Do not be afraid of enemies; the worst they can do is to kill you.
Do not be afraid of friends; the worst they can do is betray you.
Be afraid of the indifferent; they do not kill or betray.
Yet only because of their silent agreement,
betrayal and murder exist on earth.”
~~ Bruno Yasienski, contemporary Soviet novelist ~~
********************************
Image from guitarplayer.com via Google Images
What can I say? I just feel like listening to some hot, rockin’ blues. Nobody does it better than Stevie did…. The picture above is from his MTV Unplugged show, but, the music is from Montreux in 1985…. Enjoy!….
*************************************
Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at Montreux 1985
*************************************
*************************************
********************************
Accentuated Lessons
Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.
Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.
Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.
Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.
Peace lies within, always…..
~~ gigoid ~~
9/27/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
Notes on Process & Program
*******
“No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made.
Destiny is made known silently.”
~~ Agnes De Mille ~~
*******
“Nothing endures but change.”
~~ Heraclitus ~~
*******
“Je plie et ne romrs pas.”
(I bend and do not break.)
~~ Jean de la Fontaine ~~
*******
“Walking makes the world much bigger
and therefore more interesting.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“A wise man first determines what is within his control;
all else is then irrelevant.”
~~ Epictetus ~~
*******
“Don’t look for the right person; be the right person.”
~~ Will Limon ~~
*******
“I postpone death
by living,
by suffering,
by error,
by risking,
by giving,
by losing.”
~~ Anais Nin ~~
*******
********************************
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone but me, but, hey! We’re done. Not unexpectedly, to be sure; I did take an extra day to get this done. Nonetheless, it’s done, and glad to be so. Me, too. Y’all will have to make your own decision on that. To assist you in doing so in a timely fashion, I’m outta here, for the nonce (which just means until tomorrow…). Y’ll take it easy. Or, hard, or however it may come; just take, & enjoy it, whatever it may be. It is, after all, better than the alternative, for most of us. See ya, ffolkes; I’m gonna go play with fire…
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 nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”
~~ Han Suyin, “A Many Splendored Thing” ~~
Ben from the other side….
Hajime…. It’s going to be a busy day here in the neighborhood, I think. Yesterday, both Leelu and I spent most of the day in desert predator mode, holding as still as possible, for as long as possible, in order to deal with the oppressive heat with which our planet is currently gifting us. ‘Twas only around 90, but, the humiture was so high, the sweat wouldn’t evaporate; this neutralizes our personal cooling systems, putting us at the mercy of the layer of still, hot air….. I had to go nudist, just to cope, which isn’t a mental image I’d wish on anyone…. Today is supposed to be cooler, but, we’ll see what Murphy has to say on that before committing to any feelings of relief….
That said, to our usual lack of clear purpose, and, given the reluctance my dB is showing today, we’d best get on with the rest of this, before all chance of getting done has gone wherever such things go. I did manage to put together a decent old-school pearl for your enjoyment/confusion, so, all will be well as it can be, as long as Reality doesn’t overreact. It happens sometimes, but, let’s plan for the worst, and hope for the best, ‘kay? ‘Kay!… On that particularly weird note, let’s get on with it….
Shall we pearl?….
“It’s like deja-vu, all over again.”
~~ Yogi Berra ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Turn left at Death….
*******
“The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 511 ~~
*******
“Living Dead
the path is chosen,
to live forever is to die forever.
To not know when you’ll die
is to find life
wherever you are.”
~~ Alagad ~~
*******
“(Someone once said) …time is the fire in which we burn.”
~~ Soran, Star Trek: Generations ~~
*******
“By concentrating the thoughts, one can fly.
By concentrating the desires, one falls.”
~~ Leonardo Da Vinci, “The Secret of the Golden Flower” ~~
*******
“Get up one more time than they knock you down…
Don’t just stand there.”
~~ Steadfast Bee ~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“Faboo!, Would you like to see me make bubbles with my spit?””
~~ Wakko Warner
*******
********************************
Well, it’s done, and, done as well as can be expected, under the circumstances, which are too complex to relate, but, compelling nonetheless. At this point in time, I feel my hold on reality slipping, so, let’s go post, so I can fade back into a less-than-fully-conscious state of mind, which seems to work best for enduring the heat….. In spite of the obvious handicaps under which we operate, we fully intend to return tomorrow, sans the royal ‘we’…. See ya, ffolkes…. Be cool; it’s strange out there….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“But groundless hope, like unconditional love, is the only kind worth having.”
~~EFF co-founder John Perry Barlow ~~
~~ “Cynthia Horner’s Eulogy”, Apr. 1994 ~~
Signs of autumn….
Hajime…. Though it is true that hope springs eternal, it is also true that Murphy lies in wait. I’d hoped, when I sat this morning to begin, there would be time, and wherewithal, to put together an entire, modern Pearl, as seen here a mere two months ago. However, SB decided to go wonky on me, which slowed down the pearling process from the get-go. Then, I tried to find enough angst to rant, and was both pleased and dismayed to find none. That, ffolkes, is a first, and positive evidence of Murphy’s intransigent sense of humor. Hmph….
Since the original intent is now irrelevant, I suppose I’ll just do what I can to put together a good, solid, old-school pearl for your perusal, and call it a day. Hey, it’s a Sunday; I can pretend I’m taking a day off. Of course, I’ve already pulled the covers on that, but, what do you think? Is it worth a shot? In today’s world, truth doesn’t seem to possess much value, in terms of getting what one wants; fulfilling one’s desires seems to be our cultural goal as humans, seems to me.
Since I’m fully in the grasp of the wisdom of Epictetus today, I’ll forgo joining the cultural parade, by NOT lying to get what I want. Instead, I’ll merely observe how to obtain the ultimate human goals, to wit:
Sounds like good advice. How about we follow it, & get on with the rest of today’s mess? I think that’s fine idea, and so do you….
Shall we pearl?….
“The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Koans on parade….
*******
“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me.
Neither of us liked what we saw.”
~~ Zen Bee ~~
*******
“What is reason?
Knowledge informed by sympathy, intelligence in the arms of love.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“We cannot unthink unless we are insane.”
~~ Arthur Koestler ~~
*******
“Life without the courage for death is slavery.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“Not to laugh, not to lament, not to curse, but to understand.”
~~ Spinoza ~~
*******
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret;
it is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”
~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~
*******
*******************************
I’d say that is just about as done as it can be. Given my position as the blog’s author and administrator, that means, hey, it’s done. How ’bout that, eh? I think, at this point, it would be best to take our leave, before anything untoward can take place. I will offer the standard caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, so, stay alert. As they say, mindful is good…. Well, they say it around here, anyway…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Can’t seem to find a valid reason to stay away….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!”
~~ (The Beatles) I Am The Walrus ~~
A well-earned rest….
Hajime…. Apparently, the muse responsible for stimulating my creativity didn’t get the memo. I’m now capable of sitting long enough to do a bit of writing, but, can she be found? No. I’m pretty sure she got sidetracked by Murphy, who delights in seeing me experience frustration; he probably talked her into a week in Mexico, or somewhere else far away from wherever I’m sitting. Now, here I am, once again staring blankly at a screen covered in a vast white plain of fear, wondering what the hell I’m going to do now…..
Ah, well, so be it. I refuse categorically to go back to tricks, or traps, or nonsense, or even Piffle, to fill up this intro section; don’t ask me why. Not that I wouldn’t tell you, but, we’d be here forever trying to justify that which cannot be justified. But, then, reality doesn’t much care about justification; we humans are the only ones who seem to put any credence in it. But, I digress, as usual…
Screw it, he said, with feeling. Let’s just get on with it, since there isn’t a lot to get to. The poem I’m gestating isn’t ready, apparently, so, we’ll all have to make do with the handful of pearls I found, & be happy with that. Since there is now hope for more time to write, I’ll show a bit of faith in the process, (unnatural as it may be, for me), & hope for more in the near future… For now, let’s just do this….
Shall we pearl?….
“The only people for me are the mad ones,
the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved,
desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars…”
~~ Jack Kerouac, “On the Road” ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Finding the center…
*******
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“”I say that a man must be certain of his morality
for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, 8/4/06 ~
*******
“The question was put to him, what hope is;
and his answer was, “The dream of a waking man.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius — Aristotle, xi ~~
*******
“Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way in the answer.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“All virtue is summed up in dealing justly.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
*******
********************************
Well, ffolkes, there you have it. A classic style Pearl, short, sweet, but complete. I hold out hope for the future, so, let’s go out and find it, shall we? I’ll be back to try this again, perhaps with a bit more to say. One may hope, after all…. See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. The good news is two-fold; I’m definitely feeling better, well enough to sit, with proper alignment, for up to 15 or 20 minutes. Also, I can feel a poem in there, percolating. The other face of these events, sad to say, is less positive; sitting remains problematic after a time, and the poem isn’t ready to bleed out yet. I figure Murphy’s got his eye on things, and will screw them up, best he can, but, not going to worry about that, since that’s par for the course. I’ll try to be patient, & stay with the program, just in case there’s an opportunity to stick it to HIM for a change. Fat chance, right?
I’m unsure as to how much time I’ve got to get this done; my back is good to go, but, always on edge to complain. To forgo having to give up altogether, I’m going to piece this together quickly, & be done with it for the day, hoping for more time tomorrow. Not like me to depend on chance, but, what can one do in the face of such conundrum? Going with the flow seems like the safest path to take, and, by gosh, we’re taking it. Not only will we do so, we’ll do it now, for luck…. Luck’s about the only chance we have, so, let’s go find it…..
Shall we pearl?….
“The function of an ideal is not to be realized but
like that of the North Star, to serve as a guiding point.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Sublimated Rant
*******
“A short saying oft contains much wisdom.”
~~ Sophocles — Aletes, Frag. 99 ~~
*******
“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”
~~ Voltaire ~~
*******
“…You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
~~ Bob Dylan, from “Subterranean Homesick Blues” 1967 ~~
*******
“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”
~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~
*******
“They begin with making falsehood appear like truth,
and end with making truth itself appear like falsehood.”
~~ Shensione ~~
*******
“The human mind is a dangerous plaything, Boys.
When it’s used for Evil, watch out!
But when it’s used for Good, things are much… nicer.”
~~ the Tick ~~
*******
“I know a lot of people without brains who do an awful lot of talking.”
~~ The Scarecrow, Wizard of Oz ~~
*******
********************************
Accentuated Lessons
Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.
Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.
Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.
Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.
Peace lies within, always…..
~~ gigoid ~~
12/6/2013
********************************
One of these days, I’m going to learn HTML; the things it does might just make more sense if I knew the language. SIGH…. Formatting issues aside, hopefully fixed, it’s done. To keep from blowing it up entirely, I’ll end it here, with the usual caveat. I’ll be back, and that’s all the warning you’ll get…. 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.
“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!”
~~ The Beatles, “I Am The Walrus ~~
Foxy the Stump….
Hajime…. Today is…. blank? Hmm. As I sat to begin, my mind felt full of relatively creative urges; when I began to type, it all went away. This, of course, tells me our old friend Murphy is hanging somewhere about the premises, looking for trouble. This isn’t to say we can do much about it, except to try to be mindful, so he doesn’t catch us completely flat-footed. It does mean I should speed up this intro a bit, in order to keep ahead of him as long as we can…
I suppose I could abandon all formality, & just dump y’all down the page. But, we’ve got some good stuff here today, so, I’ll ease you in as best I can, with a little prep. For your listening pleasure, I’ve included an hour of Wolfie Mozart, with two of his best pieces one after the other. Our ranting section today is filled with a most excellent guest piece, by our friend Dean Baker, with one of the finest takes on modern culture I’ve seen. Period. There’s also a rather nice old-school pearl, bringing us to the closing section with dispatch if not aplomb. Not bad for an old drunk curmudgeon, eh?
What? Oh, drunk… no, not now, but, much of last night was spent at some level of that condition; kind of fun, & makes sleep come quick…. I guess I could do without the mild hangover, but, the price has to be paid, one way or another, eh? A hot shower, a bit of mild walking, & I’ll be fine. To get moving toward completing some of that, I’ll end this here with my new-found sense of ruthlessness, which, though still a bit uncomfortable, works quite well for this sort of thing…. It works just like this, as you well know….
Shall we pearl?….
“It’s like brother Nietzsche said –being human is a complicated gig,
so give that dark night of the soul a hug and howl the eternal yes.”
~~ Chris, DJ, Northern Exposure ~~
********************************
Wolfie M….
Today’s musical selection is simple. The two symphonies you’ll hear are both from Wolfgang Mozart, the last two he wrote, considered two of his best. Together, they give us an hour of delightful noise, as fine as any ever produced by humans…. I hope you enjoy it….
Yesterday, after procrastinating a bit for a day or so, I finally checked out the post of an author/writer/poet/musician/scholar/curmudgeon/magician named Dean J. Baker. I am privileged to be able to call him friend, as I consider him one of the finest artistic souls of our generation. (As a side note of some personal satisfaction, I can safely say I know at least three such souls, none of whom are celebrities in the normal sense, but, are those who, in my more than normal experience, exhibit the qualities I know to be, in human terms, eternal… I guess that will need to be explained further, but, that can be for another time…. To return to reality, real-time…
I found, upon relieving the stress of procrastinating, a literary gem. I’m going to reproduce it today, but, you can read the original at the link above. Considering the recent news, and all the hullabaloo in the news regarding violence in society between the police and the public (which I’ll point out is a mask/metaphor for the true battle, between the narcissist sociopaths and the rational humanists, comprising the two most influential segments of the human bell curve….), this is both an extremely timely examination, as well as both exacting an indictment, and offering a potential direction to take…. I give you, Dean Baker….
Suicide Citizens, and Lethal Force
How stupid do you have to be to get shot by the Police?
Things are obvious. You get stopped. Stopped, not interrupted. Stopped by legal representatives of the Law who are empowered to shoot, and kill you.
They are not going to wait or hesitate to see if you have a gun, if you make a movement. They aren’t saying to themselves, ‘Hey, maybe this guy or girl is reaching for a gummi bear to alleviate their tension at being stopped, so maybe they won’t fire off a quick shot and if they do maybe I won’t get hit.’
Whether or not they’re mean themselves or generally helpful outside the situation has nothing to do with anything. You’re stopped, you stop.
Whether or not the situation dictates that they should shoot you a few more times once you’re down is a legitimate reason for a fast debate since there is reason from examples that they not only shoot to stop you from shooting them, but that they shoot to kill you.
But really, what kind of special retard do you have to be to move, shift, disobey directions meant to keep you safe, them safe, and prevent you from being shot?
Consider this: you likely have one or two .40 caliber guns pointed right at you. In less than five seconds, you can be dead. The news is full of unlawful victims, righteous shootings, and the use basically of lethal force.
Are you an idiot who cannot read? Are you blind that you cannot see these? Or maybe you climbed off the Special Bus that says ‘none of that real world stuff applies to me.’
Then consider the fact that on the side of the Police there is likely an assumption that you are half way intelligent, and/or aware.
And then you move..
Certainly the rules of, and teachings for, policing may need to be reviewed immediately – and more than casually.
I’m not in favor of getting shot, certainly. I detest the idea that people, stupid or not, are getting shot, resulting in trauma all around. What’s going to happen? A citizen-ruled committee that says we must trust that you are a well-intentioned person who may or may not have made an error, so we’ll wait to see.
Duh, no.
The entire idea of policing in regards to stops is to establish bona fides, or not.
The vulnerability rests in the fact that in this society there is a built-in idiot factor.
Doctors won’t inform on a colleague who may be doing irreparable harm. Schools won’t fire a teacher who likely ought to be taking, not teaching, classes. Bureaucracies employ idiots.
You know what I mean – you probably have a relative or friend you know who needs being replaced.
And cops won’t say yeh, some of us are true assholes who ought to be arrested because with their training and knowledge they’re more dangerous than some ignorant citizen.
Until that idiot factor is corrected you’re going to have wrong doing on both sides of the law.
The other side of that idiot factor is punishment that does not fit the crime.
When it’s light, there’s outrage. When it doesn’t exist, and seems to cater to authority, even greater outrage.
People do talk about justice, but make no mistake: there’s also a need for vengeance legally administered. The only real debate is on whether the degree is sufficient to satisfy the counter balanced requirement for justice and revenge combined.
And yes, there are morons who merely want their criminals to say they’re sorry. They’re all sorry they got caught, and those fools who require only acknowledgment are victims-in-waiting.
As for incidents where there are a group of police and one antagonist with a knife, I would think citizens would say ok, disarm the crazy, although from recent reports the Police would say, screw that, kill them.
Citizens would hope that their Police would make an effort to beanbag, taser, or beat the perpetrator. Not simply shoot, then shoot again when they are down as has happened too many times.
If a citizen can defend against such a crazy by shooting them, where’s the difference between them and the Police who do the same if they are in a group?
That sounds and looks like Police rules, not law.
Cops ought to have greater and more useful methods and manners of dealing with the wild ones, most especially if they are contained by being surrounded, or trapped in a vehicle unable to get out because they’re surrounded.
Otherwise, let’s admit to a truth: if you have a knife, and may or may not be crazy, and there is a group of Police around you, rather than finding a way to disarm you, they will kill you instead – all the talk and persuasion is a false idea of Police work when the end result is no different from what a citizen can accomplish.
Let’s at least recognize the idiot factor so changes can be effected, even if it would be stupid to assume people will alter their inclinations.
And as for the retard instigators who are merely glorifying themselves – establishing the fact that they need an authority to rebel against – know that they are simply the other side of authority, without the empowerment, and without the knowledge and practical applications, and thus even more dangerous than what they protest.
Where are they before any incidents? Are they stupid, waiting for a mess to occur before they channel their outrage when it’s more than likely it won’t be organized and thus effective at change? At most that is intellectually lazy and at least it’s a passive violence. Are they really self-servingly waiting for an excuse to exact a self-righteous rage, and thus not to be taken seriously?
However, if they choose the proper channels, establish a grouping of citizens to establish a fair protest against unfair rules and rulings, then to challenge authorities afterwards is as legitimate as the method in which this nation was founded.
Don’t be a tool of the media which enflames for its own end.
Nor the billionaires who fund movements for their own selfish reasons: which are never to the good of the individual citizen. You’re being manipulated by the self-righteous who are getting paid.
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” — Robert Frost
Placidly falling in amber waves: old friends
Whiskey, oh, whiskey, I’d forgotten thy balm,
thy loving spread of lassitude, and nature’s own calm.
Misery and pain flee in squalid disorganization,
leaving mirth, happily embraced, in just consolation.
James, old friend, thou has not abandoned me at all,
steadfast and loyal, ever ready to answer my softest call.
Ephemeral illusions of normality come at your instigation
blessed moments of peaceful joy, sans vilification.
Gasps of coherence pound at the door to conscious thought,
muffled explosive memories of battles already fought.
Malleable as the changeable airs of time and circumstance
plaintive calls to reason stand not a single, honest chance.
Sober again, reality’s cold reign brings a new day
ringing in old changes in a new-fashioned way.
To know true freedom’s release from our everyday pain
Is worth a bit of headache, even in the cold, pouring rain.
~~ gigoid, two sheets to the wind, and back ~~
“You will find poetry nowhere, unless you bring some with you.” — Joseph Joubert
12/2/2012
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Naked Pearls
Simple Truths
*********
“You can observe a lot by just watching.”
~~ Berra’s Law ~~
~~ Yogi Berra [Brooklyn Dodger’s Catcher & Major League Philosopher] ~~
*********
“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”
~~ Chinese Proverb~~
*********
“Safety is on the shore, but the pearl is in the ocean.”
~~ Chinese Proverb ~~
*********
“The character of human life,
like the character of the human condition,
like the character of all life, is “ambiguity”:
the inseparable mixture of good and evil,
the true and false, the creative and destructive forces —
both individual and social.”
~~ Paul Tillich ~~
*********
“If there is no wind, row.”
~~ Latin Proverb ~~
*********
“Remember that what pulls the strings is the force hidden within;
there lies the power to persuade, there the life,
–there, if one must speak out, the real man.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, x, 38 ~~
*********
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
~~ Confucius (551-479 BC) ~~
*********
“Costing not less than everything. “
~~ T.S. Eliot ~~
*********
“Love;
While you have life to give
Live;
While you have love to give.”
~~ Piet Hiem ~~
*********
********************************
Thankfully, this came together well, in spite of my hung over state, and the ubiquitous threat of Murphy hanging about. To show my appreciation in the most relevant way, I’ll end it now, here. I will, however, be back tomorrow to torment, er, try this again. See ya, ffolkes; take that as you will….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Today’s opening section has a lesson. The lesson possibly, or even probably, appears more often than not without my mindful appreciation; this too is part of the lesson, one designed to teach us/me how to apply that mindfulness more consistently. To read the lesson, which also requires some thought to identify, one need only look at the two quotes at the bookend position for this section, one after the other, in any order. One is a perfect tautological piece of insight regarding our own mind; the other is a warning, as to how we use that mind. Taken together, the contrasting concepts seem, to me, to provide a pathway toward light, if not full illumination….
This lesson is particularly valuable today for me; it gives me some hope the hole into which I continue to tumble all too regularly may be filling itself in, to some degree. That’s a good sign, as I’ve been getting tired of cleaning up the scrapes and bruises I keep acquiring when it opens up in front of me, and I end up bloody & battered at the bottom, gazing at a small strip of blue or black at a great distance above me. Not much fun when one has plans to fly, and the cost of bandages is becoming prohibitive, to say the least. Total bummer, dudes & dudettes, allow me to assure you. But, with this therapeutic sign grasped firmly in hand, I’ll get on with the slow, & try to get it on the toad…..
Not only will I sally forth with some extra impetus, I’ll do it now, so I don’t lose any of the emotional impact. It comes in handy when energy flags, you know. At any rate, we’ll see if we can come up with something worth spending your time reading, whereupon I will head off to find some clean air, and dirt to play in. Sometimes, when your a human male, getting dirty is a basic need, so, I’ll go back to my simian roots for a time & see if it helps. It should; I’m due….. On that cryptic note, let’s go see what kind of trouble we can find below…..
Shall we pearl?….
“Who sees all beings in his own Self,
and his own Self in all beings,
loses all fear.”
Okay, so, maybe trouble was the wrong word to use. This lady’s music certainly won’t give us any of that, will it? I also don’t believe she needs very much introduction, as one of today’s most popular artists. All I’ll say now is, enjoy!…..
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Sheryl Crow Live
********************************
********************************
********************************
“Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your own generation. Think of continuing generations of our families, think of our grandchildren and of those yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the ground.” — Peacemaker, founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, (ca. 1000 AD)
I had originally intended to use this quote as the opening thought for a rant; instead, I’ll take it more to heart, by forgoing a new rant in favor of an old one. Here’s a pretty damn good religirant from the archives; it’s more than three and a half years old, but, still on the mark… Enjoy!…..
From 12/12/12:
“He who proselytizes in the cause of unbelief is basically a man in need of belief.” — Eric Hoffer
This is true…. you never see an atheist going door to door, trying to convert the pious to their unbeliefs. However, I would go further on this train of thought, and add that, “He who proselytizes, in any cause, in basically a man in need of a life.” I’m sure it occurred to Mr. Hoffer, but he was too busy trying to explain this statement to somebody who didn’t understand the word ‘proselytize’….. For my own case, I have never, ever understood why people feel compelled to go door to door to try to get other people to believe what they believe; it’s one of the most persistent delusional systems I’ve ever witnessed, to believe that anyone wants to hear what they have to say, much less they will find their beliefs palatable to others, or find anyone who believes them to be superior to their own…..
“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying they made them.” — Smart Bee
Humans seem to have an immense blind spot when it comes to their own actions and beliefs. Most of them never seem to question the things they are told, even when those things are presented with no evidence other than faith. Of course, the people who are invested in the religious system, to wit: the preachers, begin their indoctrination when their constituents are very young, when they are still prone to accept whatever an adult says as truth. This ensures a life-long predilection for being simple to control…. or, in short, mental slavery, if you will. Unless there is some sort of rebellion of spirit, where new knowledge is injected, these poor saps will spend their entire lives believing that what they have been told is real, when, in fact, they are fitting themselves with shackles, that will forever imprison their minds, and their imagination…..
“To defend one’s self against fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.” — James Baldwin
In my life-long quest for the truth, I’ve come to believe that religions, while originally intended to benefit people, (by their iconic progenitors, anyway…. I’m sure Jesus was a quite nice man, and wanted the best for those to whom he preached his own philosophy of compassion….), have historically been taken over by the predators who live to control others.
To be fair, some of those who become priests, or any of the other varieties of religious fanatic that prevail in our society, may indeed believe that their beliefs are true, and act accordingly, but the majority are, as far as I can tell, only concerned with maintaining status quo, thereby benefiting themselves, while never actually allowing any REAL progress in the development of the human condition. They would have society behave as if we were still living in caves, in essence, still cowering in our meager shelter while the storms and lightning are raging outside, terrified of the power of what we do not understand, and, therefore, allow ourselves to fear….
“A universe of death, which God by curse
Created evil, for evil only good;
Where all life dies, death lives,
and Nature breeds Perverse,
all monstrous, all prodigious things,
Abominable, unutterable and worse
Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived,
Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire.”
~~ Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II ~~
(Side note: I’ll bet Milton had a hard time sleeping….)
The Universe is a big place, and there is a lot to learn. Fearing that knowledge, or fearing what changes that knowing will always bring, is the act of a coward, to my mind, and should not be encouraged. Supernatural beings of unlimited power are not a required component to the understanding of Nature and the Universe; we need not fear that our lack of knowledge of how things work is unattainable. Just because we do not understand a part of reality does not mean that whatever it is, is beyond our understanding.
It is not necessary to ask for exemptions, or intervention by our own personal gods, for us to achieve happiness, or even contentment; that is completely within our own power, if we but acknowledge that part of us that is free, and connected to everything else we can perceive. The connections may not be fully understood, but they are there, and if we can only learn to recognize it, the power to change reality lies within us, all the time…. As Epictetus said, “Happiness lies in learning to accept a simple truth. There are some things you can change. And there are some things you cannot.” It’s really quite that easy, you know, once one learns to accept this fact of life…. No dogma required…..
“If brains were outlawed, nothing would change.” — Smart Bee
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Serendipity Morning
My mind wants to fly,
my soul wants to hold close, the source,
strong, the moments of time;
each as precious as golden thread,
binding together such elements of longing desire.
Love hovers, always patient,
seeking the open heart,
reaching for the promise of tomorrow…..
only for one, only for now, only what is real….
Dreaming, the morning calls,
heavy with mordant belief,
replete, and eternally alive…..
~~ gigoid ~~
4/1/2013
********************************
Today’s final, old/new-school pearl is one for the books, for sure, and for certain. (My standard disclaimer for those ideas/events which, in my estimation, are something on which it is safe to place belief, even bordering on faith, up to and including the wagering of serious money, whichever may be appropriate….) Some days, even, or, especially, when I am not really focused on it, I’ll cruise through my source(s) without first setting any parameters. Generally, I think of it as a random harlequin style pearl, and that works just fine, both for the process, and to describe today’s effort.
The difference is, today’s results are particularly well directed. They form a continuous train of thought, sort of, loosely (as ever), but, if followed, leads to some rather valuable concepts, all of which can be applied to our examination of consensual reality with better than average results, in re: personal serenity/happiness/all good things…. If it doesn’t quite do that for you, well, that’s okay; there are only three, maybe four people in the world I know of who would/will get that far in their thinking. If there are more, they’ve never contacted me, or come into my ken, which includes a veritable shit-load of people, what with reading, experience, and all.
In my mind, this one is a self-directed rant, a journey to enlightened thought, an odd sort of poem/song/dance (try reading it out loud to your pet/companion…), and good clean fun. Hell y’all might even like it…. Enjoy!…
Naked Pearls
‘The Head….’
*********
“Neither the water nor the moon make any effort to achieve a reflection.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
*********
“The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
*********
H = R – E
“Happiness equals Reality minus Expectations”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*********
“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.”
~~ Quintus Ennius ~~
*********
“He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.”
~~ Cicero ~~
*********
“Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral?
It is because we are not the person involved”
~~ Mark Twain ~~
*********
“In the beginning, God created the Earth and he said, “Let there be mud.”
And there was mud.
And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud,
so the mud can see what we have done.”
And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man.
Mud-as-man alone could speak.
“What is the purpose of all this?” man asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all of this,” said God.
And He went away.”
~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu” ~~
*********
“Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches,
and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divination,
perhaps we would then endure our sorrows with greater confidence than our joys.
For they are the moments when something new has entered us,
something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity,
everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes,
and the new, which no one knows,
stands in the midst of it and is silent.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*********
“C’mon then. My log does not judge.”
~~ Margaret, the Log Lady, from Twin Peaks ~~
*********
********************************
Well, it’s late, and it’s epic, but, most importantly, it’s done. Just in time, too; my deadline angst alarm went off some time ago. I’ll be nice again, & forgo any further tricks, traps, or bullshit, & just say, see y’all tomorrow, when I’ll try again to reach an island of sanity in an insane world….. Ta, then, luvs….
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.
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength
which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~
Wind Spinner
Hajime…. To avoid getting either maudlin, or whiny, I’ll forgo relating how I’ve spent the past three days, three days in which no Pearl was posted, for the first time in five years. Suffice it to say, I’ve not been having fun, nor have I been frantically writing down the thousands of irreverent, or psychotic, take your pick, thoughts that have paraded past my inner censors, without ever seeing the light of day. No doubt, that sentence will bring beads of sweat to the brow of anyone trying to decipher any real meaning, for it wound its way tortuously to a bad end. This, perhaps, more than anything else, should tell you how its been around here….
Nevertheless, here I am, bad syntax & all. I’m going to post this, come Hell or High Water, so, I suppose it would be best to just get on with it. If I take the time to compose a thorough introductory section, I have a feeling we’d never get out of here, or, get anywhere close to finishing this in time to even post it with today’s date. To make a long story short, I’m pretty frigging off the rails right now, without a clue as to why, or even why not. When I have a clue, I’ll be okay, but, right now, the price for one is out of my range, so, I’ll just have to fake it, as I have been now for three days. So be it.
Since, in spite of all planning I managed to find a somewhat cryptic note, we’ll use it to twist our way down the page, in the interests of fair play, while simultaneously pretending it’s not unusual. How’m I doing? No? Well, okay. We’ll just go on, without any further bullshit…. Hmm. Let’s do this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“If nothing went wrong today, you’re probably dead.”
~~ Murphy’s Last Law ~~
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For a return to routine, default is perfectly appropriate, not to mention, lovely. Enjoy, ffolkes, if you wish. Hard not to with such music….
I’m working on a rant, which, naturally, isn’t done, as I haven’t written at all in three days. To fill in for today, here’s a relatively light piece from a couple years ago…. Enjoy!….
From 3/11/2014:
As iterated above, there will be no rant today…. However, having found the first quote in this group on the very first try today, I believe I can put together an old school variety pearl that will serve as well to take a few telling shots at the dignity of the BRC, as well as pulling as many of their covers as I can grab hold of…. Enjoy…..
“Governments are the world’s real terrorist organizations. They function by means of inducing fear in their victims to gain compliance.” — Westley F. Deitchler
(Now, if that isn’t the most truthful, most logical, and most accurate quote I’ve seen in many moons, then, nothing at all fits that description…. This is the absolute truth, ffolkes, and something EVERYONE ALIVE should be made aware of…. let’s hope the rest of what Smart Bee finds for us is as potent….)
“I could not milk the cow and leave it thirsty.” — Munyawera, current volunteer and former client — of Christian Children’s Fund — on why he donates his time to CCF.
(Now, if only we could find a politician who felt this way….)
“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.” — Gore Vidal
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
— T. S. Eliot, Choruses from the Rock
(Nowadays, we KNOW where our information is, don’t we? And, if we don’t, we have the NSA, who tracks and collects all of it for us….)
“Is being an idiot like being high all the time?” — Janeane Garofolo
(I’m not sure of the answer, but I figure we could just ask any elected official to find out….)
“No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.” — Jacob Bronowski, in “Encounter”, 1971
And, lastly, just because we can….
“How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.” — Petrarch
Now, THAT’S what I’m talking about…..
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Gently Came a Wounded Child
But you shall not escape my iambics.
Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.
Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.
Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.
Uncertainty will be our sole companion,
as the search for hope yields no result.
The lamentations of the gods
shall sound the elegy for Man,
who never learned to see the gift that was made,
so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past;
thus will we pass this plane of existence
as we came, baffled and afraid….
~~ gigoid ~~
written 2/2/2012
********************************
Naked Pearls
It only seems like a joke….
*******
“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west;
people create distinctions out of their own minds
and then believe them to be true.”
~~ Buddha ~~
*******
“There is no sun without shadow
and it is essential to know the night.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
*******
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
Don’t let yourself indulge in vain wishes.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
*******
“He who searches for truth must not appease his urge
by giving himself up to the narcotic of belief.”
~~ Hans Reichenbach ~~
*******
“Here is the world,
sound as a nut, perfect,
not the smallest piece of chaos left,
never a stitch nor an end,
not a mark of haste, or botching, or second thought;
but the theory of the world
is a thing of shreds and patches.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
*******
“Do not look for all the answers at once.
A path is formed by placing stones one in front of the other.”
~~ The Giant from Twin Peaks ~~
*******
“So this is what it feels like to be potato salad”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
********************************
It’s done. We’ll treat it like a gift horse, & go post it before I can change my mind. I’ll try to do this again tomorrow, but, at this point, I’m not making any guarantees. Most likely, I’ll be here tomorrow; odds are once again in our favor. Until then, be strange, because it’s cool out there….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others;
to be, not to seem.
~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~
~~ Essays, Book ii, Chap. xxxvii, ~~
Bar at the Old Swan, London
Hajime…. Of the nearly 80 hours I spent in London in 2013, many were spent in the public house you see pictured today at the top of this page. The Old Swan, established in 16something, was about as typical a pub as you’ll find anywhere in England. Since it was located about one block from my B&B in Kensington, I spent many a happy hour observing the day and night life of the Londoners who frequented the old pub. This morning, I chose the picture simply for the good memories it brings, of a trip I’d dreamed of my entire life.
Today, I appreciate the memories, as they are a welcome change from the OTHER memories recently flooding my brain, of other times and places that bring back an entirely different kind of memory, the kind that will drop one right into the morass of depression in a heartbeat. Bugger that today, as they would say in the Old Swan; I’ve got other plans. Since I do, why don’t I curtail this intro yet again, thus preventing further maudlin introspection, in favor of moving things along to their natural end. Sounds a bit more productive, as well as comfortable. Well, as close to comfortable as I get, these days….
Doing just that has become much easier, now I’ve managed to figure out all the toys in the Tardis. Since I have, I’m going to apply this one, which may be the most efficient one I’ve come across. It’s pretty simple, really, and works like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.”
~~ William Arthur Ward ~~
********************************
The Man
By now, most of y’all have heard the sad news regarding Eric Clapton. He has begun to suffer from degenerative neuropathy, which will make it progressively more painful, and difficult to play his guitar. Since I’ve regarded him as the best player alive for most of his, and my life, this is bad news for all who appreciate good music, and those who play it with such heart and soul. Here is a mix of live cuts compiled by another fan of his, which I hope you enjoy as much as I will….
Since I’m up a little late, here is a rant from the archives, on a subject important to ALL of us…. Still trying to get the message to those who need it….
From 6/14/2012:
“We shall never understand the natural environment until we see it as a living organism. Land can be healthy or sick, fertile or barren, rich or poor, lovingly nurtured or bled white. Our present attitudes and laws governing the ownership and use of land represent an abuse of the concept of private property…. Today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see and nobody calls the cops.” — Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness (1971)
This statement is now over 50 years old, according to the attribution. From what I can see in the real world, it remains as true today as it was when uttered. We are killing our planet, or rather, we are killing ourselves, and making the planet suffer in the process. No matter how God-like we believe our powers to be, I don’t believe we can quite destroy a whole planet. But, we can sure make it a tough place to survive, and we are doing that rapidly…. I refer to to the World Clock once again….
Why are we doing this to ourselves? I’m not the only citizen who is asking this question; there are actually millions of people like me who are aware of how bad things have gotten, and I’ve seen a lot of printed material on the subject. The problem is that nobody with any power to make changes to society at large is at all concerned with the problem, because A) They tend to deny it, as it doesn’t match their delusional view of reality, and B) They don’t care…..
The first reason, denial, is rooted in the avarice and selfishness of those who seek political and/or religious power. Their purpose in life is to “get” as much as they can, gathering resources, money, and power over others to their bosoms like a mother cradles her babe. This purpose keeps them focused on their own goals, and denial is the simplest way to deal with any ideas that are contrary to those goals. There is a popular saying these days, that I’ve heard many, many times, most often with a smile and a wink, to show that the person wants us to believe they are kidding, when they really are not…. that saying goes, “He who dies with the most toys, wins….” That’s America, all over….
The second reason, indifference, was taught to these folks by the Christian religion. That’s right, religion is responsible, fully and completely, for most of what is wrong in today’s society. This statement will no doubt cause some consternation among those believers who are still buying into that shell game, but it is nonetheless true. It is difficult to build a rational institution when one’s beliefs are based on a basic untruth. More simply, false conclusions are the only possible result of beginning with a false assumption….
The common dogma [of fundamentalists] is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence.” — G Gaia
What, you ask, is this false assumption? Well, I hate to be the one to break it to them, but hey, Mankind is NOT the top of the food chain. Mankind is NOT superior to the other animals, and plants, that live here with us. Mankind is NOT the “owner”, or the “steward”, or the “ruler” of this world. We are not the “Lords of Creation”, nor do we either deserve or actually possess the entitlement so many of our beloved ruling class feels, or claims. We are nothing more than a fortunate (for us) accident of Nature, no less than any other creature, but no more, for certain….
Here the free spirit of mankind, at length,
Throws its last fetters off; and who shall place
A limit to the giant’s unchained strength,
Or curb his swiftness in the forward race?
~~ William Cullen Bryant — The Ages, xxxiii ~~
It is unfortunate in the extreme that so many people believe this prideful boast! Being able to reason hasn’t improved our morality. Being able to imagine has not increased our empathy, or our compassion, though it should. As a species, looked at from an outside viewpoint, we are much less efficient as an animal than are almost any of the other animals we know of; dogs and cats are far superior morally, ethically, and operationally than are humans; I would add they are more intelligent as well, but the humans out there won’t believe that, even though it is obvious to me. I mean, who is feeding who here? Although still subject to the cruelty to which humans so often resort, dogs and cats control their humans pretty well, as a rule…..
“Dogs are animals that poop in public and you’re supposed to pick it up. After a week of doing this, you’ve got to ask yourself: Who’s the real master in this relationship?” — Anthony Griffin
All this goes back to the same old message that I’ve been sending out for years. If this species, Australopithecus modernus, does not make a change in it’s mental viewpoint, in our morality and how that makes us deal with the world, we’ll all be dead within 200 years. The planet will recover; all the poisons we’ve pumped into the environment will be neutralized, and the damage we’ve done will heal over time. But, we will be gone, if we don’t figure out how to change the whole way we deal with reality, from the top of society down…. I hate to be a cynic, but I don’t see it happening, and that is just sad…..
“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”
~~ Cicero ~~
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Off the proverbial cuff….
I never meant to kill that period of time,
it didn’t give me any choice.
It tried to hem me in without reason, or rhyme,
refused me any vote, or any voice.
You have to admit, I buried it deep and fast,
just as if I cared.
I knew, though, it would never last,
or ever be fully repaired.
No news, no pictures can bring it back,
once is all we get.
No pleas of public good, or even public lack;
in stone the past is set.
Futuristic visions now occupy my dreams,
I’m ready to go on.
Look! It fills up the screen, and it gleams!
Where’s the moment I’m sitting on?
Now, I remembered, at long, long last,
is all we really can hold.
Every moment goes by so bloody fast,
we’d best fill them all with beauty, warm and bold.
~~ gigoid ~~
4/30/2013
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Naked Pearls
Further Notes on Life at Large
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“Put forth your effort
With no thought of gain.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
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“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
~~ Walter Winchell ~~
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“Self-pity is the worst poverty.”
~~ Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufi writer) ~~
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“He who boasts of his ancestry praises the merits of another.”
~~ Seneca ~~
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“Perseverance is more prevailing than violence;
and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together,
yield themselves up when taken little by little.”
~~ Plutarch — Life of Sertorius ~~
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“Education is not a preparation for life;
Education is life itself.”
~~ John Dewey ~~
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“Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 191 ~~
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Knowledge is gained by learning; trust by doubt;
skill by practice; and love by love.”
~~ Thomas Szasz
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“What fools these mortals be.”
~~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca ~~
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Having submitted my usual outpouring of blather & nonsense, I shall forgo further torturous prattle, to bid thee adieu for another diurnal period. Little did we know, when we began, just how strange it would get, but, as they’re fond of saying downtown, what the hell? It’s finished, and, around here, that’s all that’s required. Well, we also try to do this each day…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes; such is our lot, and we welcome it. Go figure….
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 