Tag Archives: Poetry

“Cut it out”, he said, sharply….

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Ffolkes,

“To live only for some future goal is shallow.
It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.

~~ Robert M. Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” ~~

Transamerica bldg

San Francisco Skyline from the ferry….

Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is getting posted rather late, according to my self-imposed deadline. Due partially to the half-hour of cat hammock time for which I was enlisted, just as I sat to compose the intro, as well as to the ongoing evolution of my personal diurnal habits (I awoke later than is commonly the case), I can offer no excuses, only explanations. Such is the life of a self-denigrating curmudgeon, when engaging in the purging of privately held insanity; I just figure, hey, it could be worse. In fact, it could be a LOT worse…. Trust me on this; it has done so in the past, and, shall do so again, I’m sure…

But, we’ll avoid falling into the self-indulgent, yet, somehow charming, habits in which we generally engage, by simply ignoring any possible implications to be found, & getting on with what may yet turn into something worthwhile. Not that we’ll hold out any hope for such; I can figure odds as well as the next guy, & those odds are NOT in our favor should we choose to fall into the trap of denial. Instead, I’ll nod my head sagely, mutter what sounds like some sort of incantation, & further distract you with a loud noise from off-stage…. Don’t let it throw ya; it’s only a recording, not a real explosion….

Can you tell I’m struggling here? No? Well, I am. Moreover, I’m tired of it, and have decided to quit trying to turn this into anything worthwhile, & just get on with the rest of today’s show, such as it is. All the elements are in place. so, I guess it’s time to go see they get into the proper alignment. Perhaps I can save this in the closing section; hard to tell, but, I think my chances may improve further down the page. Worth a shot, eh? Let’s see if this button will work….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Against boredom, even the gods themselves struggle in vain.”

~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”

~~ Ellen Parr ~~

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

I’ve used this compilation previously, as it is over 3 hours of most excellent music, beginning with one of my personal favorites, to wit: one of the Brandenburg Concertos by Bach. I hope it starts your day as well as it starts mine…. Abondanza!….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

Sharing the Wealth

Lucky are we who live with some adversity,
Such strife to bear leaves us strong and free.
Time is no better spent at a fine university
Teaching us the kind of person we wish to be.

We humans are such contrary creatures
Life lived in ease is our fondest intent.
New perceptions are our strongest features
Learning to cope with troubles we cannot prevent.

Lessons we learn at Trouble’s bent knee
Stay on top in the bag of tools we carry.
Knowledge so earned can keep us free
On our long, strange trip to Charon’s ferry.

Pain is the least favorite of our teachers
Yet such powerful lessons stay forever and a day.
No matter how life presents its features
Strength of will equals what life sends our way.

T’is well to consider such time-tested tools,
To carry them with us as we travel through Life.
Events are less likely to show us as fools,
as we deal with Reality, where peril is rife.

~~ gigoid ~~

11/14/2012

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Hidden in plain sight….

*******

“How are things?
Just as they are.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

********

“Happy is he who can give himself up.”

~~Naguib Mahfouz ~~

*******

“To walk, we have to learn to lean forward,
lose our balance and begin to fall.
We let go constantly of the previous stability,
falling all the time,
trusting that we will find a succession of new stabilities with each step.
Our experience of the past, and of those dear to us,
is not lost at all, but remains richly within us.”

~~ Robin Skynner,  British psychotherapist ~~

*******

“In music one must think with the heart and feel with the brain.”

~~ George Szell ~~

*******

“When a man takes an oath, Meg,
he’s holding his own self in his hands, like water.
And if he opens his fingers,
then he needn’t hope to find himself again.”

~~ Robert Bolt, “A Man For All Seasons” ~~

*******

“We cannot live only for ourselves.
A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men;
and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads,
our actions run as causes,
and they come back to us as effects.”

~~ Herman Melville ~~

*******

“Ah said, pay attention, boy!”

~~ Foghorn Leghorn ~~

*******

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In the words of Hassan, the Moor, played so well by Morgan Freeman in the Robin Hood movie, “I have fulfilled my vow.” It’s done, & damn!, I’m glad. This one gave me fits, & I’m more than content to let it go, & try again tomorrow. Perhaps, should fate grace us, I shall see you then. Until then, be well, and as strange as you can be…. I will, you can be sure….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 13793

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Intellectual side effects….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Better clean death than dirty life.”


~~ Frank Herbert ~~


rosey


Early morning rose….


Hajime…. Though this Pearl has been late getting posted, I feel no sense of urgency, since it’s done, & done as well as it is going to be. All the elements are in place, though not with the fresh poem I’d hoped to include; it seems reluctant to finish leaking out, no matter how widely I open the vein…. So be it. It can’t be forced, or, it will simply disappear. But, I found a suitable replacement, so, if I can cease dithering, we might just see it done today. One is allowed to hope, if not encouraged to indulge such weaknesses…


I have yet to come up with anything particularly new, or compelling, in the way of an intro section; not surprising, considering we’ve been unable to do that for about six years now. But, once again, wandering around in what passes for my brain seems to provide sufficient blather to fill up the emptiest of spaces, so, who am I to complain? In fact, I’m going to show some rather unusual compassion, by exercising my executive authority to call a halt to any further torturous involvement in this sort of inclement activity, & simply get on with our business for the day. What a novel concept!….


Not merely novel, either; it’s actually efficient. Watch this….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Experience is the only prophecy of wise men.”


~~ Alphonse de Lamartine ~~


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playing-for-change


I’m lazy today, so, you get more default music by which to read today’s mess. As usual, this one comes with a recommendation to support this organization, which promotes peace and cooperation world-wide with music as their weapon of choice…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it doesn’t get any fresher than this…


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Playing For Change

 One Love






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Comedy_Tragedy


Visible life


Forty-two days of pressure and internal rain,

leave marks of salvation, often in pain.

Such sharp reminders of yesterday’s remorse

fight heavily to keep a straight course.

Rash moments, bright, and routinely immense

Give us pleasure, bereft of common sense.


Still the night comes soft and eternally dear

to bring out wishful dreams so vitally clear.

Life’s myrmidons give freely in protest

lifting with skill, soul pieces first to infest,

Loudly brash, with no such voices to remain

Sealed in infamy, branded ugliness all too plain.


Now come brave signs of chapter and verse

Shielded by ignorance, irritable and terse.

Gravid portions of in-between retaliation

leave only pale marks of initial gestation

With hope even pallid warriors grow brave

Leading all humanity, to a warm, stale grave.


Hope never falters, nor leaves any trace

Yet lingers forever in a welcoming space.

Cheerful faces yet shine out of time

for tricking and fumbling sweet melody sublime.

Fill in the spaces with a long, strong retort

life is ever visible, if only as last resort.


~~ gigoid ~~


9/6/2012


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


More notes on Life at Large…


*******


“There’s nothing frightening in the dark if you just face it.”


~~ L.J. Smith ~~


*******


“Nothing is so difficult but that it may be found out by seeking.”


~~ Terence — Heautontimoroumenos, Act iv, Sc. 2, 8, (675) ~~


*******


“Clever people master life;

the wise illuminate it and create fresh difficulties.”


~~ Emil Nolde ~~


*******


“If life must not be taken too seriously, then so neither must death.”


~~ Samuel Butler ~~


*******


“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”


~~ Victor Hugo ~~


*******


“At any price that I can pay, let me own myself.

And the price is worth  paying if you keep what you have bought…

A man may apply his independence to what is called worldly advantage,

and discover too late that he  laboriously has made himself

dependent on a mass of external conditions

for the maintenance of which he has sacrificed himself.

So he may be  festooned with the whole haberdashery of success,

and go to his grave a castaway.

Some men hold that the risk is worth taking.

Others do not.

It is to those that I have spoken.”


~~ Rudyard Kipling ~~


~~ speech at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, 1923 ~~


*******


“Nobody ever said it was going to be easy, baby!”


~~ Boxcar Bertha. ~~


*******


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Dead average, I’d say; not the best, but, not the worst, by far. I’ll take it. Moreover, I’ll take it, and run. See y’all next time, ffolkes; that’s scheduled for tomorrow, but, I’m hesitant to predict the future, so, we’ll plan for the worst, & hope for the best. At this point, there’s little else we can do, having done all we can do… & as we all know by now, all you can do is all you can do. I’ve done it all for today, so, I’m outta here; be well, be alert, be strange, and, above all, be you…. Nobody can do it better….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13793


À bientôt, mon cherí….





		
	
					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Rampant displays of misguided altruism….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


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


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


b and b on the bay


East Brother Light Station, SF Bay….


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


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


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


Shall we Pearl?….


“What you see is from outside yourself,

and may come, or not, but is beyond your control.

But your fear is yours, and yours alone, like your voice,

or your fingers, or your memory, and therefore yours to control.

If you feel powerless over your fear,

you have not yet admitted that it is yours,

to do with as you will.”


~~ Marion Zimmer Bradley, “Stormqueen” ~~


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Yield_Logo


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


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Playing For Change

 One Love






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Comedy_Tragedy


A Failure to Germinate


Marking the days in elements of sad disarray

only holds me thrall, as I laugh while I may.

With cold, hard hands so impatient and cruel

pulling me to this vale of tears, a pathetic old fool.


Feelings sit silent, cast in shadows and light

breaking forth to implicate such vengeful might.

Just below the surface they patiently hide

to sally forth bravely, colors bright as they ride.


Tears and pain transform valued assets in hand

while comfort and serenity retreat to a far land.

Bold, bright patterns of hope garnish my ruinous state

until reality enters, full of disdainful portions of hate.


I sort out the illustrious measures of vision gone mild

only to find them transformed, now vicious and wild.

In my deepest desires I find myself calloused and cold

with faithless advocates whose souls have been sold.


My search finds little to support any hope of relief

far too much time has passed to bolster such belief.

The sad becomes real, and real becomes unfounded

until flights of such fancy are all dead, and grounded.


Nature has informed me of the newly hatched crime

of which reality boasted proudly, time after time.

The last answer we think of is always the best

as we come to terms with fate, our hope at rest.


~~ gigoid ~~


9/27/2012


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Further notes on Life at Large


*******


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


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


*******


“Trust your hunches.

They’re usually based on facts filed away

just below the conscious level.”


~~ Dr. Joyce Brothers ~~


*******


“Life is the sum of all your choices.”


~~ Albert Camus ~~


*******


It was not like taking the veil.

No solemn adjuration of the world.

I only went out for a walk

and finally decided to stay till sundown.

For going out I found that I was really going in.”


~~ John Muir ~~


*******


“Everything is leaf,

and through this simplicity

the greatest diversity becomes possible.”


~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~


*******


“The power to stand alone

is worth acquiring

at the expense of much sorrowful solitude.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~


*******


“Those who are mentally and emotionally healthy

are those who have learned

when to say yes,

when to say no, and

when to say whoopee!”


~~ Willard S. Krabill ~~


*******


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


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


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13694


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Deleterious side effects….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


” ‘He deserves death’.

‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death.

And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them ?

Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment.

For even the very wise cannot see all ends.’ “


~~ J. R. R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings ~~


golden gate fog


Fog entering SF Bay via the Golden Gate….


Hajime…. It may or may not be apparent from what you will see, but, today’s Pearl was finished while coping with a massive bout of rage, brought on by my reaction to yet another example of how our culture’s sense of ethics has deteriorated over time. My life, and my physical condition have been complicated, yet again, by a person calling themselves a doctor, who believes in their own infallibility, and their entitlement… Since I am responsible for my own health, and insist on taking that responsibility, these shills for Big Pharma have a hard time dealing with me, retreating into their delusions of adequacy & acting like an ass.


Going into details would be both indulgent, and futile, so, I’ll skip all that, in favor of getting posted without any more delays instigated by anger. It’s my own damn fault, anyway, as I’m the one who allowed myself to formulate expectations of rationality, when my experience was telling me to have a care…. Oh, well. So much for expectations, eh? Let’s go see what I’ve been able to cobble together for this morning, & go on to the next day; perhaps, if I can get a grip on my rage, it will all get better…. If not, well, maybe I can turn it into a poem, to soothe my fevered breast…. I now know better than to hold out any hope for changes in human nature…. Hope is a sucker’s bet, anyway, y’know? Better to just take the world as it is, pimples and all….


Fuck it. Let’s do this….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can,

because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.”


~~ Lena Horne ~~


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george_carlin_unraveling_a_free_speech_icon


A friend mentioned this artist a few days ago, in a comment noting George B. Shaw as her second favorite George. My own opinion parallels hers; I consider George Carlin to have been the most cogent, most accurate, and most intelligently caustic social critic in this country for much of the twentieth century…. IMHO, he was the funniest, too, but, that’s a personal judgment… but, then, I would defy anyone to suggest a funnier man….


Nobody saw our society more clearly, and absolutely no one was more fearless in exposing the chicanery of those who would be known as ‘leaders’ in government. Nobody has ever nailed them as consistently, or as humorously, as did this man; his words carry a message for today’s world all Americans should listen to…. and, need to hear…. Enjoy this compilation, if you will, of some of his more revolutionary performances in the latter half of the 20th century….


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George Carlin






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Comedy_Tragedy


Internal{Vicissitude}External


Life has come, and gone rushing by,

pretty much as expected.

The only surprises I saw, as time flew by,

lay in the choices,

of which fears were to be protected.


Not to say, not even once,

my interest hasn’t been engaged.

I’ve waited patiently, for the nonce

for those moments

of love and glory, but, never got paged.


I looked all over for love,

….found it everywhere I sought.

What I never found, nor ever came aware of,

was one person

who would stay, leaving for naught.


Still, it’s been a wonderful time

filled with laughter, love, and grand craic.

I wouldn’t change a moment, nor a rhyme.

If those I love stay happy,

I can die in peace, for honor’s sake.


I’ve walked the warrior’s path

since first standing at my father’s knee.

Duty, honor, a dip in love’s warm bath

keeps me strong and content.

Today’s a good day to die, if I’m free.


~~ gigoid ~~


11/29/2015


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Metaphoric stew….


*******


“My life is light, waiting for the death wind,

Like a feather on the back of my hand.”


~~ T.S. Eliot ~~


*******


“Be always displeased with what thou art,

if you desirest to attain to what thou art not;

for where thou hast pleased thyself, there thou abidest.

But if thou have enough thou perishest.

Always add, always walk, always proceed.

Neither stand still, nor go back, nor deviate.”


~~ St. Augustine ~~


*******


“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”


~~ Carl Jung ~~


*******


“He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other.

He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to.

It is the means that determine the end.”


~~ Harry Emerson Fosdick~~


*******


“Nature is not benign. Natural laws have no pity.”


~~ Lazarus Long ~~


*******


“It is the individual’s task

to differentiate himself from all the others

and stand on his own feet.

All collective identities… interfere with the fulfillment of this task.

Such collective identities are crutches for the lame, shields for the timid,

beds for the lazy, nurseries for the irresponsible….”


~~ C. G. Jung, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” ~~


*******


“Life is full of little surprises”


~~ Pandora ~~


*******


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Well, there you have it, such as it is. I am, still, trying to regain some balance, but, at least, now, I can focus fully on dealing with that, without the added impetus of deadline anxiety. I’ll try again, as is my wont; y’all are welcome to come on back & see how it went…. For the nonce, I’m outta here, and so are you…. See ya, ffolkes….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13694


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Poised, like ice on the verge of melting….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“The border between the Real and the Unreal is not fixed,

but just marks the last place where rival gangs of shamans

fought each other to a standstill.”


~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~


tacking


Tacking for home on SF Bay, near China Camp…


Hajime…. Most mornings, when I sit to begin this introductory section, I am faced with a blank screen to match my generally blank mind; today’s conundrum is the opposite. I have too many things going ’round in my head from which to choose, any of which would do, making the decision that much harder for someone accustomed, as I am, to waffling in the morning. (I won’t define ‘waffling’; if you don’t know, you don’t want to know, trust me….) I suppose it’s just one more piece of evidence as to the truth of the old saw about the donkey who starved between the pile of hay, and the pile of oats, for lack of the power to choose….


If I choose to speak of most of what I have to use, this section could grow beyond the bounds of reason, shooting right toward epic, or even massive; I have found such to be ‘interesting’, mostly, if somewhat unwieldy. Boring, too. So, we’ll avoid all that, by falling back on our old standard, to wit: blather & nonsense. We’re good at that….


But, wait! There’s more…. In addition to my lack of ability to choose, I find myself with a complete absence of ‘give a shit’; this, fortunately, will save the day, for I’ll use that to simply dump the intro altogether, leaving all of us in a dither. Dithering is preferable to waffling, marginally, so, we’ll settle for that, & just get on with the rest of today’s mess. It’s pretty standard, all in all, but, the old-school section may provide some chuckles, and/or, furrowed brow moments. One may hope, though hope is a delusion, as well as a denial of reality. Ah well, it’s far too late for philosophizing, even if we stood half a chance of doing so with any aplomb. Instead, let’s just do this….


Shall we Pearl?….


“I would not enter on my list of friends

(Though graced with polish’d manners and fine sense,

Yet wanting sensibility) the man

Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.”


~~ William Cowper ~~


~~ The Task, Book vi, Winter Walk at Noon, Line 560 ~~


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


Though, in reality, there is plenty of time to find some good music, the fact is, I’m lazy, and, I like classical music. So, we’re going with that today, simply to indulge my whimsical nature…. Well, perhaps ‘whimsical’ is a tad optimistic for an old curmudgeon, but, hey, we do what we can, right?… Today’s selection was chosen simply for the picture that first caught my eye…. Enjoy!


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Classical Music






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Comedy_Tragedy


A Dubiously Soft Morning


Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,

fill up the white, white screen on which I view

my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup

ambrosial remnants of anything new.


Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away

bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,

signs of one happy child, seriously at play,

blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.


Formidable cries of outraged simple justice

echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.

Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice

salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.


Creativity equals unquestioning farce,

often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.

Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,

accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.


~~ gigoid ~~


7/26/2013


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Items from the manual….


*******


“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.”


~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 598 ~~


*******


“Live for those private moments of wild abandon!”


~~ Opus  ~~


*******


“If a little knowledge is dangerous,

where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?”


~~ Thomas Henry Huxley ~~


*******


There is no wealth but life.”


~~ John Ruskin ~~


*******


“Life is never fair,

and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.”


~~ Oscar Wilde, “An Ideal Husband” ~~


*******


“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going,

because you might not get there.”


~~ Yogi Berra ~~


*******


“It is better to learn late than never.”


~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 864 ~~


*******


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


It took every bit of chutzpah I possess, but, it’s done. At this point, any further attempts at rationality, or even clarity, would be both superfluous, and futile. Rather than test the patience of the universe any further, I’ll issue our standard disclaimer, & be on my way back to consensual reality, to see what sort of mischief I can cause…. On days like today, it’s the only path to finding any balance open to me….


As for y’all, be well, be happy as you may, and, be alert. I can’t over-emphasize how important that last one is, ffolkes, but, trust me, the alternative is, to say the least, not something calculated to enhance your day…. Okay, I guess I’m done now; see ya….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13672


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Certified balderdash, at random rates….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


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

change is indubitable,

whereas progress is a matter of controversy.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


rustic selfie


Chance, or design?….


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


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


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


Shall we Pearl?….


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


— George Bernard Shaw ~~


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


playing-for-change


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


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






Playing For Change

 Gimme Shelter






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Illusory Time


Viewed from askance, the river is long;

deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift and strong.

In duality, perception creates our only reality;

such faux metaphoric paradox enforces mutability.


By two we perceive, both zero, and one;

digital, binary, on or off, such fun.

Separate, melded, we exist, knowing not what we know

ego, striving to be solitary, looking above, seeing below.


Furiously asleep, cultural anomaly claims a victim of choice;

validly unconscious, nobody speaks, nary a voice.

Potential escapees stir in dreams, fighting to wake,

until taking the wheel, for their own bloody sake.


Pots boil in due time, when the fire’s hot,

time exists to our advantage; or, not.

The solitary warrior, head bent in pain,

fights on, with, or without gain.


Night fell, day after day it persisted;

of those who knew, none showed any care, or resisted

Angels, ministers, none had any defense, nor grace;

all that remains is a face.


~~ gigoid ~~


10/22/2016


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Hard lines….


*******


“He who despairs over an event is a coward,

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


~~ Albert Camus ~~


*******


“The man who follows the crowd

will usually get no further than the  crowd.

The man who walks alone

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


~~ Alan Ashley-Pitt ~~


*******


“No one is useless in this world

who lightens the burdens of another.”


~~ Charles Dickens ~~


*******


“The most pathetic person in the world

is a person who has sight

but has no vision.”


~~ Helen Keller ~~


*******


“For one human being to love another human being:

that is perhaps the most difficult task

that has been entrusted to us,

the ultimate task, the final test and proof,

the work for which all other work

is merely preparation.”


~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~


*******


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


~~ Ovid ~~


*******


“Life consists in penetrating the unknown,

and fashioning our actions

in accord with the new knowledge thus acquired.


~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~”


*******


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


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


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Tattered remnants of decency….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”


~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~


coit tower


Coit Tower, San Francisco


Hajime…. Today’s Pearl is epic. Not because of its size, or the scope of its contents, but, rather, because of the effort I had to expend to get it finished. Without going into superfluous, as well as gratuitously graphic detail, I will say, it was immensely problematic, & that’s about as gently obscure as I can make it. To complement such restraint, I’ll go further to note, the effort remains, well, effortful, simply to get an intro done, a closing, and, finally, posting, all completed in a fashion with which I can be content, if not thrilled. I figure, y’all may have to follow a similar pattern, to get out of this intact.


That said, to our common dearth of purpose, I will now proceed to the closing section, sans further blather, so I can move on to the next day’s issues. The issues extant today are simply more than I want, or am able to deal with, &, to be frank, I’m planning on a rebellion, if only to take myself to bed for a time, to hide. So be it. Doing so may look like cowardice, but, believe me, it’s merely a reaction to the massive control I must apply to NOT fly into an uncontrollable rage against the world at large… In short, don’t ask.


Instead, just take it with the usual multiple grams of salt, pass to the end, & get on with your own life, just as if it mattered. It does, but, finding the ‘why’ is a tough row to hoe. And, that, ffolkes, is about as philosophical as I can get today. To save y’all from any more such displays, I’ll use some of my legerdemain, & take us out of here before it all goes sour. Here, eat this spoonful of sugar, close your eyes, & hang on….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse,

wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes.

Who does not see the folly of this?

If there be any glory in such things,

the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.”


~~ St. Frances de Sales ~~


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


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


Due to circumstances beyond my control, if not understanding, today’s musical selection falls into the default category…. The selection was made solely by whim…. I do hope you enjoy it, a state in which I currently find myself unable to join you, but, will listen to, for the potential relief it may provide….


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






Classical Music

 Antonio Vivaldi






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Penance, Made Simple


After all the dross is sent away

a celebration can begin,

time will face up to space, to stay

willing, to shine from within.


Anger and confusion come in to share

brushing reason aside,

eager to welcome all that is fair,

alert to danger, eyes wide.


Re-gift the wicked with their own pain

stand with the just;

fail to partake of the ill-gotten gain,

living in honor, the only must.


Standing fast in the face of wrong

is its own prize and reward.

Holding on to truth makes us strong,

well worth working toward.


Little is left to chance by fate

our lessons are never free of cost.

Seldom does reality make us wait

only when alone, are we lost.


~~ gigoid ~~


10/23/2012


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Notes on Life at Large….


*******


“A life without cause is a life without effect”


~~ Barbarella ~~


*******


“Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now,

lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words

that sometimes do you good.

His life may also have much sadness and difficulty,

that remains far beyond yours.

Were it otherwise,

he would never have been able to find these words.”


~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~


*******


“Between those who use their neighbors, and those who use a cane.

Between those in constant power, and those in constant pain.

Between those who run to evil, and those who cannot run.

Tell me which ones are the cripples, and which ones touch the sun.”


~~ Ceili’s Muse “What you do with what you’ve got” ~~


*******


Socrates thought that if all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap,

whence every one must take an equal portion,

most persons would be contented to take their own and depart.”


~~ Plutarch — Consolation to Apollonius ~~


*******


“Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others; to be, not to seem.”


~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~


*******


“Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth;

that all deep, earnest thinking

is but the intrepid effort of the soul

to keep the open independence of her sea;

while the wildest winds of heaven and earth

conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore?”


~~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick ~~


*******


“The universe is moved by a power

which cycles endlessly from day to day.

Such greatness endures for all time.

As in heaven, so on earth.”


~~ I Ching ~~


*******


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


Go figure…. I got so excited over getting to this point, I almost posted it without a closing section. Since I’m in a state where trying to make it good will, most likely, blow up in my face, this is all you get for that. I’ll merely say this: I will be back, in a better state…. Hell, it can’t get any worse just now; even knowing this, too, shall pass, isn’t helping it to taste any better. I know, I’ll spit it out…. How’s this for efficiency?….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Destructive impulses on permanent display….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”


~~ Jean-Paul Sartre ~~


table-ready-leelu


Poised for flight….


Hajime…. As is my habit, to begin this Pearl, I arise, stumble through my routine morning activities until some clarity settles, then turn to this introduction, as the first creative moments of the day. Generally, I don’t begin until I know the rest of the mess is ready to go; I’ve found this to be the most efficient method for the posting process, as well as providing the impetus, and opportunity, for some kind of imaginative opening. As a rule, though, I sit to begin, whereupon I encounter a huge blank space occupying most of my mind, as it casts about, almost in desperation, seeking inspiration, or, a note from the Muse, at minimum… Most days, I end up tricking myself, and y’all, in the search for quality and clarity….


Today, I have no dearth of material from which to choose; spending two days putting this together, in moments of pertinent capability (i.e, when I could sit long enough), afforded a number of instances pointed sufficiently to provide me with things I can use to open with. Naturally, reality intruded, as soon as I booted up, & drove all that saved material into oblivion. Instead, I’ve been dealing with a failed communication, with concomitant emotional overtones, as well as an uncommonly intrusive cat, to go along with the usual angst that formulates around this process, and the vicissitudes of life at large.


As can be seen by now, I’ve managed to get it all in order, in my head, if not in reality, enough to begin blathering, examining the morning in minute detail, to give me, if nothing else, a bit of space to decide what direction is best to lead into what I’ve prepared for today. I’ll get right to that, as it is patently clear, if I don’t, we’ll never get anywhere, In fact, lets abandon all attempts to disguise what is taking place as either willful, or, rationally intact, & just go for it. Hang on, it requires a sharp turn, here….


Shall we Pearl?….


“As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.”


~~ Publius Syrus (42 BC) — Maxim 1 ~~


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


duanes amazing grace


Duane “Skydog” Allman


Image from Metrolyrics.com via Google Images


Today’s music is a bit different than usual. The piece embedded here is the one I want y’all to hear first. I’ll only say, I wept, in joy, as I listened to it. For more music from Duane, use the button on the YT player which allows you to watch it on You Tube, where you will find as much of Duane’s work as you could wish for, much of which is just as fine as this….


When I mentioned to a friend I had wept in joy when listening to this, I was accused of sentimentality, as well as seeking solace in the past… Without knowing the answer, I would guess my friend does NOT play an instrument, for, my weeping was not a sentimental reaction to the song (Amazing Grace), but, rather, sheer unadulterated joy, generated by hearing the ‘music of the spheres’, knowing full well the artist playing the song was deeply immersed in that sphere, allowing the universe to flow through him, thus, essentially, playing in an unconscious state….. while playing, he WAS the music. Having felt that, though never with such force as his talent makes available to him, while jamming along with friends on the guitar, I can attest, nothing in Life brings us closer to the truth of our own existence as connecting to that universal sphere of joy, which hurts as much as it uplifts…..


All that being said, please, let if flow, and, enjoy!….


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






Duane Allman

 Amazing Grace






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


I have related how I spent a year, or more, in the Hell of withdrawal and cleansing of opioids from my body; this poem came pouring out in the period nearing the end, as I had begun to emerge from the haze of chemical oblivion into reality’s often as harsh, but, cleaner light. I’m rather fond of it, just for that…. Watch the metaphors; they’ll cut ya…


Increments


Meaning fades to distant reality

while gazing at such triviality.

An insane world, where utter finality

is reward for disability.


Metaphorically, as a matter of course.


Moment to moment, passion blooms,

swells, and fades, swept by new brooms.

Bitter dreams catch fire in empty rooms,

waiting for broken time, which never resumes.


Superficially, with great force.


Dire wolves stand snarling at the door

called to existence from a distant moor;

discordant strains sound a mad, sad roar,

a dirge for those who went before.


Morbidly, without vital recourse.


Honest effort fades from human ken

until entropy finds home in every when.

Illusory fear inundates imagination, then

buries hope, in its own ashes, hidden.


Cruelly, absolutely no remorse.


Silence falls until it shatters the night.

The universe has refused the fight.

Illusion is now reality, such a fey sight.

Who has courage to live in the light?


Really? It could be worse.


~~ gigoid ~~


2/15/2016


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Pearls both weird and subtle, all gems…


*******


“This is the strangest life I have ever known.”


~~ Jim Morrison ~~


*******


“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 (1845) ~~


*******


“The word good has many meanings.

For example, if a man were to shoot

his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards,

I should call him a good shot,

but not necessarily a good man.”


~~ G. K. Chesterton ~~


*******


“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”


~~ Mark Twain ~~


*******


“Fill your bowl to the brim

and it will spill.

Keep sharpening your knife

and it will blunt.

Chase after money and security

and your heart will never unclench.

Care about people’s approval

and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.

The only path to serenity.”


~~ Tao Te Ching ~~


*******


“All say, ‘How hard it is to die’

– a strange complaint  to come

from the mouths of people who have had to live.”


~~ Mark Twain ~~


*******


“I’m going to happydance

among the stars

and wear my stripes anyway I want to.”


~~ Stripes the tiger ~~


*******


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


The universe, in all its majestic indifference, still, will, occasionally, provide us with exactly what we need to accept, and embrace reality’s demands… In today’s instance, I was given some moments of peace and serenity, by being required to provide cuddle time for Leelu, who chose the moment I finished the intro to activate the “Cuddle Clause” in our contract, which we signed the day she arrived…. That clause gives her the right to come to me at any random moment, whereupon I am to modify my structure to that of a ‘cat hammock’, & hold her, pet her, & strengthen the bond we share for enough time for both of us to arrive at a peaceful inner state…. Today, that took about 25 minutes, making me late, and unconcerned to be so….


For today’s Pearl, it just means it gets posted a bit late. So be it. It’s done, & so am I, for the day. While it is still cool out in the BBR, I’m going for a long walk, maybe even a ferry ride… who knows? It’s a wide world, & I am still part of it…. Tell you what…. Let’s all go out in the BBR today, & see what there is to see…. See ya, as soon as the mud settles, & all becomes clear… Maybe that will be tomorrow; then, again, maybe not…. Be sure, I shall return, if only to dump more angst into the well of humanity’s regard, where it can join all the other stuff nobody really cares much about, but for those who place it there…. Hmm… a bit esoteric for a closer, but, ’twill have to do…. Ta, then….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13629


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Indications of future relevance….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“Love withers under constraint:

its very essence is liberty:

it is compatible neither with obedience, jealousy, nor fear.


~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~~


pink bush


Bursting with summer color….


Hajime…. The area of the world in which I reside, northern California, is currently experiencing an intense wave of heat. Yesterday, it reached 97ºF (36ºC) in the little seaside town where I hang, which put both Leelu and I into a state much akin to comatose. At 9 PM it was still 90º, so, sleeping was somewhat problematic. We survived, though, if uncomfortably. Since the coming week is predicted to be even hotter (Wow! But, climate change is a myth, right?), I’m considering spending it sitting in a tub of cool water….


If I were less empathetic, I’d turn on the fan for Leelu, & go find an air-conditioned place to hang for a while. But, that would be rather rude, making my familiar go through that alone. She’d live; her species evolved in the desert, & she’s well adapted, instinctively knowing how to deal with such temperatures, by, mostly, not moving. But, I’d feel guilty the whole time, knowing I was being selfish….If she liked to swim, I’d have her join me in the tub, but, though water fascinates her, it isn’t enough to make her want to immerse herself in it; she shares the usual cat philosophy, which prompts them to mostly refrain from having much to do with it, unless thirsty, or watching it run….


There, I think that should be enough chatty conversation for one day. I’m glad I got it all out at once; it’ll save time later, not having to meet the quota. Since I reached this plateau rather quickly, showing an unprecedented degree of efficiency for 5 AM, I’ll use the empathy I possess, what little of it there may be, to issue an order to cease & desist, with the additional hope my fingers get the message, before haring off into another tangential paragraph. To ensure compliance, I’ll resort to trickery. Look! Over there! Isn’t that Elvis?….. Okay, so, it’s just Leelu. It got us here, didn’t it? Sheesh… So much for trying something new….


Shall we Pearl?….


If six turned out to be nine, I don’t mind.


~~ Jimi Hendrix ~~


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


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


Though not, technically, late, yet, I’m feeling the pressure of deadline; probably it’s just my own, (well, not probably; ’tis undoubtedly mine…). In such cases, when I’m feeling a bit washed out, or, just lazy, this is our default choice. As is the usual case, as well, the one chosen had the picture that caught my eye…. Enjoy, if you will….


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






Classical Music






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Sublimation


In the deepest, darkest hours of the night,

horror drapes the shadow of fear on a tortured mind.

Endless, hopeless, wave after wave of fright

weave a tapestry shroud, stifling, brutally unkind.


Fear, then pain, trade off in durance vile,

offering only blackness as a temporal guide.

No moments of clarity, no comfort, no guile

with no respite, nor any safe place to hide.


Hour after hour, time stops dead in its tracks,

the path back to sanity ends, no big surprise.

Every passing second becomes new hope, dashed,

while our remaining strength fades and dies.


God shall never be forgiven, nor ever praised.

No such pale, sad illusion can explain such reality.

Any reasonable chance for joy to be raised,

requires more than mere ghostly personality.


Hope isn’t needed if one finds the center of the soul;

all the answers we ever need are there.

Killing fear, creating joy in life, for these there’s no toll.

Love, friendship, laughter, are ever the healthiest fare.


~~ gigoid ~~


12/1/2015


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Notes on Life at Large….


*******


“Read nature; nature is a friend to truth.”


~~ Edward Young ~~


*******

‘

The real questions are the ones that obtrude upon your consciousness

whether you like it or not,

the ones that make your mind start vibrating

like a jackhammer,

the ones that you “come to terms with”

only to discover that they are still there.

The real questions refuse to be placated.

They barge into your life at the times

when it seems most important for them to stay away.

They are the questions asked most frequently

and answered most inadequately,

the ones that reveal their true natures

slowly, reluctantly,

most often against your will.”


~~ Ingrid Bengis ~~


*******


“In order to be, never try to seem.”


~~ Subtle Bee ~~


*******


“The world is so constructed,

that if you wish to enjoy its pleasures,

you must also endure its pains.

Whether you like it or not,

you cannot have one without the other.”


~~ Swami Brahmananda ~~


*******


“When the situation is desperate,

it is too late to be serious.

Be playful.”


~~ Edward Abbey ~~


*******


“The truth knocks on the door and you say,

Go away, I’m looking for the truth,

and so it goes away.

Puzzling.”


~~ Robert Pirsig (quoted in “Zen To Go”, Jon Winokur) ~~


*******


“You are on a well traveled path.”


~~ Subtle Bee ~~


*******


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


A quick perusal of what happened above shows a relatively iconic Pearl; all the correct elements have been included, & the quality level is acceptable. Since it has the added attractive feature of being done, I suppose the best idea is to end it here. The closing section, after all, exists solely for that purpose; who am I to challenge destiny? Well, I guess, like any human, that’s not really relevant, since that particular habit seems ingrained in our species. Rather than explore such a deep well now, I’ll merely say, see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, should that destiny come to be. And, that’s a wrap….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13568


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Pontificating for fun and profit….

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage.”


~~ Thucydides ~~


impatient


Super Pom, on a mission from god….


Hajime…. If the science of meteorology has advanced to a point of reliability, today’s heat, again up into the mid-nineties (Fahrenheit, thankfully; if it were 90º C, we’d all be in serious trouble), will fade tomorrow, retreating for the next week into the low-to-mid-80’s. Since weather is one of those things we all pay attention to, but, have trouble accepting, I’d like to be the first to acknowledge, there isn’t much that we can actually DO about it, but, learn to enjoy it, no matter how it may otherwise feel about it. Feelings, after all, will not alter anything but our own attitudes….


Now we’ve cleared that up, with just a smidgen of smarmy curmudgeonry at the end, let’s move on to items of interest which may prove to be more amenable. It can’t be any less so, can it? No, didn’t think so. I realize it’s poor technique to retreat into such triteness so early in the day, but, try as I might, I couldn’t think of anything better. Some days ya got it, some days ya don’t. Since which of those we’ve seen thus far today is patently clear, I think it best if we just move on, pretending we’ve never seen that, and it didn’t happen.


Gosh, look at this! Three paragraphs in, & we haven’t actually said ANYTHING. Neither have I, for that matter. To avoid the conundrums which would otherwise naturally occur in such instances, I shall employ a heavy degree of pontification, combined with some sly misdirection, to get us out of what is turning, rapidly, into an unrecognizable pile of rubbish. Well, unrecognizable by any relevant authority, anyway. For us, it’s just the way it is, and, we’re pretty good at letting reality enforce its own policy standards. We have to be; one doesn’t reach such tender years without learning THAT one….


But, such frankness, in this situation, is indulgent, and could conceivably be actionable, under the proper conditions. Rather than test the truth of that, le’s do this, instead….


Shall we Pearl?….


“The old patterns of the hero’s quest still hold true.

The latest incarnation of Oedipus

is standing at the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street

waiting for the lights to change.”


~~ Joseph Campbell ~~


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loreena


Since discovering this artist some months ago, I’ve become rather attached to her music. I find myself listening to this concert a couple times a week, just for the joy of hearing her ensemble, and her voice, both of which attained near-perfection on this occasion. I hope it provides y’all with some of what I find in it, for it is a grand feeling, I can attest…..


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Loreena McKennitt

 Nights from the Alhambra






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Comedy_Tragedy


After the odyssey….


Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;

evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.

Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;

unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound


Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;

gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.

Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;

salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.


Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;

lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.

Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;

no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.


Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;

forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.

Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;

savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.


Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;

his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.

Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;

Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.


~~ gigoid ~~


3/10/2013


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pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Pathways are not always clearly marked….


*******


“Remember what the dormouse said…

FEED YOUR HEAD…”


~~ Grace Slick ~~


*******


“One’s action ought to come out of an achieved stillness;

not to be a mere rushing on.”


~~ D. H. Lawrence ~~


*******


“An it harms none, do what thou will.”


~~ Wiccan Credo ~~


*******


“A little Madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King.”


~~ Emily Dickinson ~~


*******


“Virtues are acquired through endeavor,

Which rests wholly upon yourself.

So, to praise others for their virtues

Can but encourage one’s own efforts.”


~~ Nagarjuna (c. 100-200 AD) ~~


*******


“He bids fair to grow wise who has discovered that he is not so.”


~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 598 ~~


*******


“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”


~~ Philip K. Dick ~~


*******


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Hmm…. All things considered, that went pretty well. It’s done, anyway, so, I’ll refrain from getting into the same sort of amorphous wandering we found in the intro, & end this before it can get away again. I will, if my efficiency at dealing with the heat allows, be back tomorrow, to try, once more to get this just right…. I don’t know what I’d do if it ever does, but, I’m willing to find out…. See ya, ffolkes; stay strange. If naught else, it FEELS really good….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….