A long lesson in humility….

Ffolkes,

“For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it.
For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it.
For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.”

~~ Ivan Panin ~~

Colors of dusk

Colors of dusk on San Francisco Bay….

Hajime…. For close to seven years, the early hours of the day, before dawn, were the most productive time I spent, in terms of writing. Now I’ve achieved a degree of physical capability impossible for me during that time, I have rejoined the world of the diurnal, going to bed later at night, and arising well after dawn, just like most of the people in the world. While I find the advances in physical well-being quite elevating, I do miss the productive aspects, and some extent, the ‘oddness’ of nocturnal existence. In any case, I have returned, so to speak, to the world of living, and find it intriguing, if not fully exciting. In the words of the dubious one, so be it.

This Pearl, while fresh, and relatively coherent, still lacks any new material, other than the usual suspects, to wit: the old-school pearl section has all freshly chosen elements, as always. The poem, while one of my better ones, is included here today merely to fill in for the half-completed poem which continues to leak out of my head at a ridiculously snail-like pace. The relatively incomplete nature of what has transpired today can be considered as the result of trying to write while actively engaged with Reality…. In short, it’s not working out quite the way I’d hoped. It is, however, done enough to suit my always low standards; while acceptable, it’s not excellent. Well, perhaps that’s hasty, but, feelings don’t care much about that….

Rather than belabor such a less than useful point any further, why don’t we get on with the rest of today’s mess? I know, we’ll use my favorite fill-in phrase to indicate efficient progress is necessary, with whimsy and fervor…. Ffolkes, let’s get this slow on the toad…. BEFORE it implodes, injuring us all….

Shall we Pearl?….

“And as we stand on the edge of darkness
Let our chant fill the void
That others may know
In the land of the night
The ship of the sun
Is drawn by
The grateful dead.”

~~ Tibetan “Book of the Dead” ca. 4000 BC. ~~

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Eric_Clapton_Unplugged

No introduction should be necessary for this artist; anyone who doesn’t know who he is has been living in a dark bubble for many moons. He’s played with just about every famous band and/or musician with a guitar in the world, getting better & better all the time. This is one of my favorite concerts, over an hour of some of the best music you’ll ever hear. Enjoy!

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Eric Clapton
MTV Unplugged 1992

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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

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Signs on the Path to being Human….

*******

“Everything that has a beginning has an ending.
Make your peace with that and all will be well.”

~~ Buddha ~~

*******

“My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool;
it gives me all the world and exiles me from it.”

~~ Ursula K. Le Guin ~~

*******

“The Master doesn’t talk, he acts,
when his work is done, the people say,
“Amazing: We did it all by ourselves!”

~ Tao Teh Ching ~~

*******

“Not to decide is to decide.”

~~ Harvey Cox ~~

*******

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.”

~~ Voltaire ~~

*******

“Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough.”

~~ Seneca ~~

*******

“To see the world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”

~~ William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence” ~~

*******

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

Since I managed to get the intro done in short order, I’m going to apply similar techniques here to bring it home. Besides, at this point in the day, I’m fresh out of anything else to say, or, do…. Rather than play the fool, I’ll play the odds, & leave it at that. I’ll be back in a day or three, with bells on. Maybe. In any case, y’all be well, be as happy as you may be, and remember…. The easy way is always the hardest, so, buckle down & face life, head on…. 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

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Exquisitely intricate twine….

Ffolkes,

“Food, sleep, fear, propagation;
each is the common property of men with brutes.
Virtue is really their additional distinction;
devoid of virtue, they are equal with brutes.”

~~ The Hitopadesa (600?-1100? A.D.) ~~

Defiant Beauty

Defiant Beauty….

Hajime…. It’s been a week or more (I’m too lazy to actually stop to figure out the exact interval…) since I last posted a fully fresh, fully filled-in Pearl, & I said I’d post, so, to avoid any significant build of inner angst (some folks call it ‘guilt’, but, not me, nosiree…. too personal….), I’m going to go ahead with what I’ve cobbled together, so I can work on a properly constructed piece of work, one with which I can be content. With this one, I am, if not content, then, tolerantly bemused. There’s a good older poem of mine, some fine music (three centuries of music enthusiasts can’t be ALL wrong….), and a number of excellent pearls strung together to make up the final, always odd finishing section of old-school pearling. Not bad, given the severe shortage of time spent at the computer in creating it….

Whatever my reasoning, or, euphemisms used, it’s going to have to serve, because I’m too invested in playing in the real world to stop at this point, with so much of the world still to explore. I’ll work hard to finish off the new poem, if only to get it out of my head, so, it won’t be long before the next fresh Pearl shows up. I’m sure, by now, y’all are thrilled to hear that. Well, perhaps ‘thrilled’ puts a strain on your credulity, but, you know what I mean, right? If not, boy, I’ve been doing something wrong, or, have been gone too often for my irony to register. SIGH…. Oh, well, that’s Life, y’know? Delicious ambiguity….

For now, let’s quit fooling about, & get on with what I have for y’all to enjoy today. I’ll even refrain from employing any of the customary BS, & just say this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Just being weird is enough.”

~~ Truthful Bee ~~

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mozart2

We’re going with a default selection today, to save time and cognitive angst which builds up the longer I take to make a decision on it. We’re also going with my personal favorite composer, for similar reasons… I do hope you enjoy it; I intend to do so as well…. Abondanza!….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

The new poem isn’t done; it’s leaking out in small pieces. Here is one of my better efforts from 2013….

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

Further Notes on Life @ Large….

*******

“It is in changing that things find repose”

~~ Heraclitus ~~

*******

“Anyone can hate. It costs to love.”

~~ John Williamson ~~

*******

“If you want to be happy, be.”

~~ Leo Tolstoy ~~

*******

“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.”

~~ Anne Sexton ~~

*******

“The Soul is born old, but it grows young;
that is the comedy of life.
The Body is born young and grows old;
that is life’s tragedy.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

*******

“Be not anxious about what you have, but about what you are.”

~~ Pope St. Gregory I ~~

*******

“How admirable,
he who thinks not,
‘Life is fleeting’,
When he sees the lightning!”

~~ Basho ~~

*******

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

I did it. Again. I don’t know how, or why, and don’t wish to tempt fate by trying to figure it out. I’m just going to be happy with what there is, & move on to different, if not better things. Y’all enjoyed it, I hope; if not, well, as Epictetus said, happiness & freedom begin with a clear understanding that some stuff isn’t within our control Cute, eh? And, just tricky enough to be true. I’ll see y’all in a day or two…. Be well & happy, 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

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….


Mundane or extraordinary; you choose….

Ffolkes,

“Anyone with an active mind lives on tentatives  rather than tenets.”

~~ Robert Frost ~~

irish cheese factory

Irish cheese factory workers….

Hajime…. All the necessary elements of a fresh Pearl have been completed, but for the introduction and closing sections. At this point in the process, it falls to me to figure out what sort of introduction to make, a task complicated by the usual vast blank space with which I begin the day in my mind. The absence of sufficient caffeine seems to preclude any functional imagination, making the choice of how to begin rather problematic. I am compelled to choose from a fictional opening to a story that will never be written, an outburst of nonsense and/or blather from my silly side, or, as I have opted to use today, a short, honest, and mostly boring discussion of the inherent difficulty of writing something fresh & interesting on a consistent basis….

No matter which way it went, it always seems to be a matter of Hobsen’s Choice, i.e., the most expedient method will get chosen, due to impatience, and/or, a lack of will power, however one chooses to view it. In any case, it’s all moot now, as we’ve made our foray out of the darkness, into the light of day, & for better or worse, it’s gonna go the way it goes. I think, given the severe lack of functioning neurons with which I have to work this morning, we’ll opt for the old ruthless efficiency technique to get us where we need to go, to wit: further down the page. It’s not our most popular method, but, it certainly is efficient. You see, it works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

Asked what he gained from philosophy, he answered,
“To do without being commanded what others do from fear of the laws.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) — Aristotle, xi ~~

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leonard cohen

Leonard Cohen

Image from Rolling Stone via Google Images

I am, of course, known far & wide as ‘the dubious one’, (well, wide, anyway, if not far), but, I have little doubt at all that this man needs introduction. He passed away a few months ago, but, fortunately for us all, left a good body of work to remember him by…. Enjoy!….

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Leonard Cohen
Greatest Hits

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Comedy_Tragedy

Meander….

Inimitable, grieving, garnering mere bargains, to taste;
naked apes, priapic by nature and choice,
filled up the only valid chalice, laid it to waste,
nobody asked, nor ever raised a single voice.

Formidable, dreams becoming so real;
clearly extraordinary, in a tawdry sense.
Deals to make, illusions to steal,
busy, busy, building fence after fence.

True nature’s existence, so to speak,
rests interiorly, as well as in your face.
Duality’s persistent insistence ain’t weak;
ignorance of reality leaves not a single trace.

Herds of commonality congregate before portals
shaking each other by the collar as they dance.
Chasing their illusionary dreams, as if they weren’t mortals,
born believing they ever had a chance.

Irony lives deep in the human soul, part, parcel, post;
holding four aces, betting a pair of jacks, or queens.
Expedience beckons toward mendacity, at most,
fox mocking grapes, while it dances and preens.

The wheel turns, inevitable, ponderously mundane,
grinding grain, chaff, and dust.
Bolstering connections aids those who may abstain
from the paltry tale of the bold, and just.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/5/2016

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

“Will change the pebbles of our puddly thought
To orient pearls.”

~~ Du Bartas (1544-1590) ~~

~~ Divine Weekes and Workes, Second Week, Third Day, Part i ~~

*******

“The great question of life
is not the question of death but the question of life.
Fear of death shames us all.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

*******

“And can you teach me to how to dance real slow?”

~~ Don McLean, “American Pie” ~~

*******

“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

*******

“One must never lose time
in vainly regretting the past or in complaining
against the changes which cause us discomfort,
for change is the essence of life.”

~~ Anatole France ~~

*******

“You take your life in your own hands,
and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame.”

~~ Erica Jong ~~

*******

“Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.”

~~ Steven Stills ~~

*******

“Listen hard.  Choose with no regret.  Continue to learn.”

~~ Sagacious Bee ~~

*******

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Not too shabby, given the essential nature of what it is…. In fact, this one could be considered a fine example of a Pearl, if it weren’t destined to be surrounded by re-blogs, thus hiding it’s freshness behind a wall of relative rot. SIGH… Ah, well, so be it. Life goes on, & gigoid’s goin’ walkabout again…. Cold or no, it’s just too nice out of doors to remain inside. (Ref: see anything written by John Muir….) I hope all remains well with y’all; be happy as you may, and I’ll see y’all in a couple days…. Oh, and, don’t forget to be strange….

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….


					

Frivolous avocados wearing spats….

Ffolkes,

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden ~~

deigning to pose

Condescending to pose….

Hajime…. As a general rule, I would say the vast majority of humankind does not spend a lot of time in introspection; for the most part, when they do, they find it so uncomfortable, they find excuses to avoid such self-examination. This reaction to the need to understand ‘self’ is, in my opinion, part of the root cause of all the issues we find in today’s society that cause human suffering, for, ignorance, whether of self, or of the rest of creation, always leads us into difficulty with reality; the universe cares not a whit whether we make the attempt to grow, or choose to follow a shorter, less serene path to the inevitable death which awaits us all.

In recent days, as I walk about in the world, I find myself also walking the inner path to self-examination, for, when you walk in the world, not only does the world get bigger, but, our entry to the inner world expands, beckoning us to follow to a better understanding of ourselves; even time slows down, along with the speed of our steps, the more we learn to be ‘in the moment’, wherever we are.

One of the ideas which passed into my awareness was this: our Ego forms preferences in life according to our emotional reaction to what occurs. Those experiences which make us feel ‘good’, in my opinion, seem to be those which bring us closer to the connection we always have to the Source, to the knowledge of reality which is our heritage, and our legacy as a form of Life. ‘Bad’ experiences are those which cause us to lose the connection, and, along with it, the feeling of being in the place we belong, of being safe. The events of the real world, of having to deal with others whose ‘preferences’ are different than our own, distracts us from any time for self-examination, so, we react according to our own preferences, without any understanding of why our positions are different, or how we even came to have them. This ignorance puts us at a disadvantage, for we are reacting to the world, rather than interacting with it.

Hmm…. I see I’ve gotten rather deep into a discussion which ultimately leads us into areas of thought which can be, not just uncomfortable, but, actively disturbing. In my experience, such discussions often lead to strong reactions, for everyone has their own ideas about what is real, and what is important; seldom do humans come to an agreement over reality without first encountering conflict, all the result of our Ego-driven emotional response to Life, and our own lack of understanding of our own nature. Since we are still in the intro section, I am hesitant to take this any further; it is a subject which lends itself to long dissertation, to be sure. As well, since I really didn’t plan to begin with such an esoteric subject, I am not sure where I need to go with it. So, we’ll do the most human thing, and just quit.

Not to say we’re quitters, or that I make a habit of such cowardly mien; I just don’t think I’m awake enough to take it where it should go. Moreover, at this juncture, I don’t even KNOW where it should go, so, we’ll just go with getting today’s mess posted, and try not to think about the loss of potential understanding. I mean, it’s not like history is full of grand examples of mankind’s rationality; history is more a list of mankind’s failings of virtue than a list of ethical victories. But, in any case, I do have a Pearl, which I promised to get posted this morning, & if I don’t get started on that, it could get put off again, which would give me guilty fits for days. Wouldn’t want that, so, let’s go on, & continue this train of thought another time. In short….

Shall we Pearl?….

“I think too much or not at all.”

~~ Isaac Asimov ~~

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muddy-waters

Muddy Waters

For anyone who likes the blues, no introduction is necessary for this man. For anyone else, I will merely say, listen, and enjoy….

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

Muddy Waters
Live in Dortmund, Germany
10/29/1976

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Comedy_Tragedy

A dream, weeping….

“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said
with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.
“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….
what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”

So, we plucked up our dreams of old,
to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,
stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,
for luck, and perfect proof against charms.

Storms follow the sun,  but, never stay;
lessons round every corner, all free.
Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,
the journey becomes the reason to be.

Simple kindness manifests untold riches,
in defiance of common cause’s demise.
Bold courage, hanging in stitches,
mends wounds that come as no surprise.

Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.
Too much pain cannot apprehend
the salient, sharp points of epiphany,
nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.

Folly dogs even the simplest truth,
fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,
alienated as a loose rotten tooth;
it often hides itself, for a long while.

Sought after eons ago, we cried out,
to believe, to suffer no more doubt.
But found instead good reason,
for love, and truth, from season, to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

— 8/30/2014 —

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Randomly Subtle….

*******

“There are those among us
who live in rooms of experience
that you and I can never enter.”

~~ John Steinbeck

*******

“If there is a sin against life,
it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life
as in hoping for another life and in
eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.”

~~ Albert Camus ~~

*******

“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”

~~ Erica Jong ~~

*******

“Counting time is not so important as making time count.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

“Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision.
But Today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this Day.”

~~ Sanskrit proverb ~~

*******

“Things ain’t what they used to be and never were.”

~~ Will Rogers ~~

*******

“Is that funny?   Is that a joke?”

~~ Data ~~

*******

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

In the eternally appropriate words of Hassan the Moor, from the movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, I have fulfilled my vow. In some ways, it’s an iconic Pearl, with something for everyone, I would say. But, then, I’ve been known to say some pretty outrageous stuff over the years, and this could be merely another example of that. Who am I to say? For the nonce, it will suffice. I’ll be back in a day or two; not long, for reality is keeping me home more for a few days, under compulsion not worth explanation. Simply stated, I’ll be back, probably sooner than later. Y’all be well, remember to be happy as you may be, and, for goodness’ sake, be strange…. See ya, ffolkes….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 15397

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Watching the parade with eyes closed….

Ffolkes,

“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things
which escape those who dream only by night.

~~ Edgar Allan Poe, “Eleonora” ~~

penguin attitude

Penguin with an attitude….

Hajime…. Sometimes, it’s strange, these days, to sit down to write, & fall prey to the same blankness and trepidation that were commonly the case when I was working hard to post every day. But, there it is; my mind is as blank as the screen upon which I am trying to fill up. I’m sure there are any number of explanations which might clarify the conundrum, but, it would be both indulgent, and wasteful of time, to try to get into that at this point. Instead, I’ll pretend no such conundrum exists, which allows me to ignore the entire issue without angst, or even guilt. Go figure, eh? Who’d a thunk mere denial would be so bloody useful?

However, having now thunk it, I guess I should take advantage of the space it creates to get back into this intro, which, as is clear, is already suffering from a lack of direction, if not completely lacking in proper intent. As we know, good intentions often fail the test of reality. Well, I know; if you don’t, by now, I don’t think my telling you again will make much difference; that’s one of those lessons Life only allows us to answer by ourselves, once we have encountered the evidence enough times for it to sink into our rather thick brain-pans. Whether we subsequently use the knowledge to our advantage is yet another of those sticky questions, the answer to which is often even stickier…. SIGH…. Life can be so hard….

Having thus set the tone for today, let us forgo further blather, & go on to see what I’ve managed to cobble together for your perusal. I can’t say it’s the best Pearl ever, but, it’s done, and, as is very often the case, that’s all I need to overcome any reluctance to post it. Don’t ask why, or we’ll never get out of here. Just accept it, as one must often do in Life, regardless of how we may feel about it, or, what we may have to do to get past the conflicts such mental gymnastics may offer as a result. In short, that’s the way it is, so, deal with it. I have to, so, the rest of y’all will just have to play along….

I’ll make that a bit easier, like this. Watch close, and hang on; it can get a bit bumpy….

Shall we Pearl?….

“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.
The question is:  what are we busy about?”

~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~

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jim croce

Jim Croce

Image from YouTube via Google Images

This artist is one who died young, but, not before making a name for himself by releasing a series of hit records during the late sixties and seventies, almost all of which you will hear today, should you choose to listen. I often forget him, for a long period of time, only to rediscover his work time and again, each time with more bemusement, for, each time, I wonder why I forget. His music is fun, light-hearted (for the most part), and perfectly pertinent to everyone’s life and experience, for he sings of times, feelings, and events which are common to all. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always do, when I find him again…. Abondanza!….

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Jim Croce
Greatest Hits

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Comedy_Tragedy

Savory

Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore
finds a niche, takes root,
tries to live longer than now, before
chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.

Feathered into fecundity, another possibility
builds a nest, hatches kin,
aims at immortality, sans responsibility,
chance manifests, as it does, again.

Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,
making tools, and lazy time;
solid signs imply such simple nativity,
as another snitch drops his dime.

Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,
covering hearts bloodied by time,
burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,
turning love to brilliant rhyme.

Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,
gaining weight with each year,
only the old men know the actual truth,
peace comes only when we lose our fear.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/9/2013

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Properly bozoid behavior….

*******

“Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.”

~~ Burton Hills ~~

*******

“Everybody’s gotta be someplace.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

“When you drink the water, remember the spring.”

~~ Chinese Proverb ~~

*******

“Not loving is but a long dying.”

~~ Wu Ti ~~

*******

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

~~ Jimmy Buffet ~~

*******

“Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man,
–yesterday in embryo,to-morrow a mummy or ashes.
So for the hair’s-breadth of time assigned to thee
live rationally, and part with life cheerfully,
as drops the ripe olive,
extolling the season that bore it
and the tree that matured it.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 48 ~~

*******

“As God is my witness – I am that fool!”

~~ Gomez Addams ~~

*******

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

For what it’s worth, it’s not bad. I’d say it’s standard, if not iconic, and, given my current mental status, that is more than acceptable. Moreover, it has the added charm of being done, our most critical requirement. Since further blather can’t enhance its flavor, I’ll take the bull by the horns, & finish it off with a bang. BANG!…. See ya, ffolkes, possibly sooner than later…..

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 -- 15383

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Pillows should be soft….

Ffolkes,

“The great tragedy of life is not that men perish,
but that they cease to love.”

~~ W. Somerset Maugham ~~

Alaska Grand Adventure 081

Whale watch in Glacier Bay, near Hoonah….

Hajime…. On walkabout, even when attempting to remain in the moment, mindful of all that one is walking through, one naturally becomes somewhat introspective. Since I’ve been walkabout a LOT recently, this means I’ve spent a lot of time in my own head. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, nor would I wish to label it as either. I regard such episodic occurrences as part of my persona, having spent more time in my head, or, in my own company, than is so for many people for all my days here on this old ball o’mud. It’s just what I do as a default, which makes me a bit odd, but, it’s okay; I’m quite comfortable with oddness.

Having spent so much time inside lately has led to some rather deep thoughts, not all of which I’m ready to discuss here. Not that it wouldn’t make for a fine discussion; I’m just not certain, as yet, I have brought it all to a ‘discussable’ state…. (I know, that’s not a word; spellchecker went nuts over it… but, it fits, so, get over it, okay?….) When I do, I will share it, as it seems to all be pretty well universal in its application for us humans. A rather sweeping claim, I realize, but, let’s just accept it as a given, & look forward to that discussion with some anticipatory glee, if only for the opportunity to make fun of my thoughts…. Of course, that will be the case only if I’ve managed to muddle it up; if it comes out right, I think y’all will be quite happy with it. I know I will…

With that ringing endorsement (well, perhaps not a loud ringing….), let us get on with the rest of the mess I’ve managed to cobble together for today. There’s good music, a decent recent poem (from last year), and a collection of fine, if odd, pearls for your perusal…. Rather than belabor any of today’s points, let’s just get on with it, lickety-split…. which looks like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“What kind of conflict do you like?
Where will you jump in and fight the good fight —
body, heart, mind or spirit?

If you say you don’t like conflict at all,
then you have stopped growing,
because it is only through engaging differences
to find common ground or to triumph
that we become new and invigorated.

Pick your battles,
but always have some place you embrace conflict.”

~~ Callan Williams ~~

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young_dubliners

Young Dubliners

It’s been so long since I played, or listened to, this band, I found an entire album I hadn’t heard yet, so, this will be a treat for me as well as y’all. I hope it’s as good as their previous work; if so, it’s grand craic…. Enjoy!….

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Young Dubliners
With All Due Respect

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Comedy_Tragedy

Obscure Empathy

Twisting the tail of reality, again, unrepentant,
as a pale moon rises in the west, unnoticed.
Sensing imminence, evicting the remaining tenant;
dispensing false empathy, well-practiced.

Metaphor becomes allegory, critically sane,
as humanity wells up, conflicted, bedeviling time;
experience assumes an old cut, with virgin pain,
a solitary ambient poet dies, in shame, sans rhyme.

Patterns form inside an intricate space, forlorn,
abiding, with reluctant patience, only to learn
of dispassion’s inelegant cost, basely shopworn;
forgotten verses, delicately done to a turn.

Previously spoken standards shall not apply;
forsworn, soaked in cruel imagination,
questing egos neglect to ask, why?
Purely natural law demands speculation.

Twice-told tales assume mythical profundity
casting shadows into night’s bower.
Artful, enticing, a lure for serendipity
passing time in a lonely tower.

~~ gigoid ~~

4/4/2017

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Random Notes on Life @ Large….

*******

“I travel with the wind & listen to it’s voices.”

~~ Dan Sakers, “A Voice in Every Wind” ~~

*******

“Childhood ends, the moment you know you’re going to die.”

~~ The Crow ~~

*******

“Anyone who has begun to think places some portion of the world in jeopardy.”

~~ John Dewey ~~

*******

“In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

*******

“What use is magic if it can’t save a unicorn?”

~~ Peter S. Beagle, “The Last Unicorn” ~~

*******

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing,
of just going along,
listening to all the things you can’t hear,
and not bothering.”

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

*******

“It’s so clean.
It’s certainly uncontaminated by cheese.”

~~ Monty Python, The Cheese Shop Sketch ~~

*******

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

Well, it’s done, and, thank goodness. It’s a bit late going up, but, it’s here, and complete, so, I’m letting it fly. I’m already working on another fresh entry for a day or two down the line, so, I hope y’all will come back & join me in my “reeling, writhing, & fainting in coils”…. I also hope you enjoyed today’s rather esoteric mess; sometimes, it’s best not to question much, but, take it all in without worrying about the final result. With my stuff, that’s probably the best bet to get through it with sanity intact. Well, intact as it ever gets around here. I’ll be back in a short while; in the meantime, y’all be well, and happy as you may be…. 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

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Chilling the bones of metaphor….

Ffolkes,

“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world
is to be in reality what we would appear to be;
all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves
by the practice and experience of them.”

~~ Socrates (BC 469-399) ~~

glacier melt

Glacier melt in Tracy Arm Fjord….

Hajime…. At my age, I should have learned not to expect rational, or even polite, behavior from any of my fellow humans; I’ve certainly witnessed enough evidence of the absence of either quality in the majority of those who call themselves ‘people’ during my time here on this planet. But, as has been noted by many, hope springs eternal, so, I keep making the attempt to relate to people, only to find disrespect and entitlement without reason. It seems the act of common courtesy has become lost from society, in the simplest of interactions between the members of that group. The most obvious is in the area of basic communication habits, such as those involving the use of a telephone….

In today’s culture, damn near everyone I can find uses their “smart” phone to screen calls; nobody, except, apparently, me, actually answers their phone. Instead, they let it go to a voice mail box, to leave messages that apparently don’t get listened to, for nobody returns calls, unless it suits their own needs or purposes. The simple courtesy of a timely response seems to have been displaced by narcissistic entitlement, and the disrespect that is implied when communication is ignored. It has become, in my experience, an event of noteworthiness when someone actually answers the phone when I call, even businesses. Nobody wants to actually speak with anyone else; texting, which removes the responsibility of exchanging emotional cues from speech, is the default response, and that is often ignored as well…. and, I just don’t get it….

I could continue in this vein for a long time, but, I don’t believe anyone else cares enough to either read it, or respond to such complaints… which, ultimately, also says a lot about the state of modern culture. Also, I have noted a distinct drop in the traffic here on ECR, due, no doubt, to my own absences, from here, and from visiting other blogs. Of the registered 700+ followers of this blog, perhaps 10 or 12 still stop by with any consistency, and only two or three even let me know they’ve been by by leaving a “Like” or a comment. It seems there are still a small percentage of people out there who care to demonstrate the respect of acknowledgment without first receiving it; mostly, I have no idea how many ffolkes drop in, unless I want to chase down the stats in one of the WP admin pages.

It’s early in the morning, about 0430, pre-dawn here in California, and I’ve been up a couple hours dealing with a resurgence of PTSD symptoms, brought on by assaults upon my tender sensibilities by a series of rude responses I have received during attempts to connect with people. At this point. a statement I made yesterday in response to a Facebook query to describe how I felt right then is still appropriate; I stated I was feeling ‘indiscriminately homicidal’…. Today, perhaps, it is even stronger, so, I guess I’ll be avoiding the rest of my species today, if only to avoid the inconvenience of having to dispose of the corpses that might conceivably accrue by daring to go out & try to relate with any of them. SIGH…. ah, well, so be it….

At least the angst built up by this war with my inner demons has stimulated me enough to post some fresh material; hell, this is the first time I’ve ranted in a couple months. Though I can’t say it felt very good to release all this deitrus, I suppose it will eventually show some positive effects. One may hope, may one not, even if hope is a futile pastime? One may…. so, I shall. I shall also show a bit of the courtesy I so desperately miss in others, by cutting off any further blather, in favor of getting on with the rest of today’s mess. I hope you enjoy it, futile as it may have been as a form of therapy…. In any case, let’s do this, eh?….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Kindness is more important than wisdom,
and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.”

~~ Theodore Isaac Rubin ~~

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

Today’s musical selection is, for me, an obvious one. I need the soothing sounds of a classical nature; it’s my default, and today, it’s also yours. I hope you enjoy it as much as I intend to…. Abondanza!….

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Classical Music

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Comedy_Tragedy

Further Proof

No evidence exists, no rumored promise
of a guide on the path we seek.
Salient information lies hidden, seeking solace;
each possibility lost, no longer unique.

The past cascades through today, resolute;
finished and gone, by all reputable report.
Common failings decry any fever in the root,
as pillars of salt offer up little retort.

Longitude has latitude, one dimension to the next;
truth and lies, mirrored, transform on first exposure.
Born in chaos, living in change, by guile and pretext;
artful insanity, with no rational cure.

‘Tis no wonder, some do say now and then,
such creatures are doomed, by their own hand.
Cursed by the force of their very own ken,
until only the leaving seems very grand.

Perhaps, but, then, say those who doubt,
it’s all part of how it works, in fact.
We can’t know, really, what it’s all about
without completing the final act.

Is there any hurry?

~~ gigoid ~~

6/23/2016

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Yep….

*******

“Any fool can know.
The point is to understand.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“Anywhere is walking distance, if you’ve got the time.”

~~ Steven Wright ~~

*******

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength
which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius ~~

*******

“In the moment between stimulus and response lies freedom.”

~~ Steven Covey ~~

*******

“Before you can be creative, you must be courageous.
Creativity is the destination, but courage is the journey.”

~~ Joey Reiman ~~

*******

“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”

~~- Edwin Hubbell Chapin ~~

*******

“Do not speak of what men deserve.
For we each of us deserve everything,
every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead Kings,
and we each  of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger.
Have we not eaten  while another starved?
Will you punish us for that?
Will you reward us for  the virtue of starving while others ate?
No man earns punishment, no man  earns reward.
Free your mind of the idea of *deserving*, of *earning*,
and  you will begin to be able to think.”

~~ Odo, “The Prison Letters” (by Ursula LeGuin, “The Dispossessed”)

*******

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

Well, it’s done. I can’t say, nor will I attempt to say, anything about how it may have turned out; I’ll leave that to anyone else who cares to make note of it. I’m going walkabout, before the rest of the world around here gets up, so I won’t have to talk to any of them. I’ll see y’all, probably fairly soon, as writing does help me stay moderately sane, or, at minimum, less insane than the usual case. On that less than positive, but, realistic note, I shall bid thee adieu, until we meet again. 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 -- 15355

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Pulchritude has intrinsic value….

Ffolkes,

“Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book
known to him by his heart,
and his friends can only read the title.”

~~ Virginia Woolf ~~

Alaska taxi

Alaskan Taxi off to Juneau, or the interior….

Hajime…. I skipped posting anything at all yesterday, & frankly, I can’t work up any particular emotion about that. Even a couple months ago, going even a day or two without writing or posting would have prompted an outburst of creative angst sufficient to produce any number of words, most of which could be construed as purposeful, if not elegantly literate. But, these days, I’m lucky to produce a complete, even sparsely filled out Pearl; hell, the poem I’ve been trying to write has gone & disappeared entirely, no dregs of it to be found anywhere…. SIGH. Even that, I’m afraid, doesn’t stimulate any guilt, which tells me, at least on one level, my sanity no longer depends on this process, though, I have to admit, it is soothing in some way to have written an entire paragraph, even one as choppy & pungent as this one…. Hey, it’s all fresh, so, whattya want? Ibsen on demand? Jackson Pollock at a moment’s notice? Hah…. Not here, ffolkes….

That isn’t to say I don’t have a Pearl for today. But, it’s being posted late, without a fresh poem, and it’s not going to get any better, or, any less fulfilling for me, so, I’m gonna post it, late as it is. It’s only late because I now sleep normally, arising at a time when I’d have been up writing, & getting ready to post for at least two hours. Hell, it’s already light outside, which isn’t normal for this process at all. But, despite my new ability to actually sleep for a normal period, thus resuming a diurnal existence rather than an insomniacal one (well, one equally nocturnal as diurnal, anyway….), it can’t be called anything but nearly normal, a phrase I thought never to apply to any of this. Normal just hasn’t been in the works for a very long time, & I’m not certain I like it….

But, there it is, in all its mundane glory, so, we’ll post it & see how it flies. In fact, we’ll do that now, so I don’t lose what little nerve I have remaining. We’ll use one of our oldest, most reliable techniques, too, just to keep things moving in the proper direction. It’s very simple, & works like this….

Shall we Pearl?….

“To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than  luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never,
in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony.”

~~ William Henry Channing ~~

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

chase goehring

Chase Goehring

Image from Facebook.com via Google Images

This young singer/songwriter is another fine talent, a finalist in the 2017 America’s Got Talent competition, playing all original songs for his performances. He made it to the Finalist list, but, didn’t receive enough votes to make the Top 5. I think he is going to one day be well-known, for his songwriting skills and originality will ensure him a place in the music industry. I thoroughly enjoy his music, and hope you do as well….

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

Chase Goering
AGT 2017

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

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Comedy_Tragedy

Augmentation: Inner Aye

Distant, peals of thunder, vividly.
Closer, a patter of rain, falling gravidly.
Between the light and the darkness of fear
find merely the remnants of one lonely tear.

Do not hate us, though we have not sinned;
eager for courage, upon whom all hope is pinned.
Tales of insolence, hatred, or fallen virtue
fill us up, not down, in such pristine foreign venue.

Capable hands severed, able hands tied;
the future is angry, all but now denied.
Multiple times, warnings sounded across the pale
nobody heard, nobody came to tell the tale.

Gifted by time, salience fails in epic rhyme;
watchmakers watching, each a separate crime.
Logical solutions refuse to emulsify
forever pretending to cruelly crucify.

Blood will fly alongside pertinent composure,
never seeking, never finding tea, or closure.
Falsely laid trails on mountains of gold
imply no happy endings, no fortunes told.

Ages past have no time for repetition;
further chances only lead to perdition.
Destiny feels a shameful portion of guilt,
for a thousand sand castles, never built.

~~ gigoid ~~

3/2/2016

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

pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Further notes on Life @ Large….

*******

“Each of us visits this Earth involuntarily, and without an invitation.
For me, it is enough to wonder at the secrets.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

“A man is a very small thing,
and the night is very large and full of wonders.”

~~ Lord Dunsany, The Laughter of the Gods ~~

*******

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me.
If I find them tolerable,  I tolerate them;
if I find them too obnoxious, I break them.
I am free  because I know that
I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

~~ Professor Bernardo de la Paz ~~

*******

“It is something to be able to paint a particular picture,
or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful;
but it is far more glorious to carve and paint
the very atmosphere and medium through which we look,
which morally we can do.
To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), “Where I Live”

*******

“Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.”

~~ Things We Can Learn From Dogs ~~

*******

“… denn da ist keine Stelle, die dich nicht sieht.
Du musst dein Leben andern.”

(… for there is no place that does not see you.
You must change your life.)

~~ Rainer Maria Rilke, “Archaic Torso of Apollo” ~~

*******

“Nothing endures but change.”

~~ Heraclitus (540?-480? B.C.) ~~

*******

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

Well, there you have it, such as it is. I’ll be back in a day or three, hopefully with more creative material than today’s mess… which is okay, but, I wouldn’t call it an iconic Pearl…. It’s just a Pearl, of Virtual Wisdom, at that, so, use it with care. Be well, be happy, be strange, and, damn it, stay alert…. I’ll be back, as the saying goes….

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 -- 15342

À bientôt, mon cherí….

 

Total eclipse of the smart….

Ffolkes,

“A wise player ought to accept his throws and score them, not bewail his luck.”

~~ Sophocles (496-406 BC) — Phaedra, Frag. 862 ~~

Galway early morn

Early morning in Galway….

Hajime…. Aha! It isn’t 0 and 1… it’s 0 and infinity! Or, rather, ‘twould be, if we were able to perceive reality with more discrimination. Mostly, we’re not, so, we stumble around this old ball o’mud with our mouths open & our minds shut, pretending we are the lords of creation, when what we are, at base, is a pack of over-active, under-achieving apes with aggressive tendencies, and very little consideration for the other inhabitants who live here with us. SIGH…. Such promise, too. Ah, well, perhaps in our next incarnation, our species will have learned, as well as ‘earned’, a bit more of the basic understanding which might do well to ease our path away from self-destruction, seemingly our most developed talent….

As might be construed, my thoughts have turned maudlin again, in spite of having hovered close to what feels like a major epiphany for some days now, under the impetus and influence of my current reading, difficult as has been to perform the act of reading itself. It seems age is catching up to me again, in the worst way I can imagine. My eyes are giving out, & make it very hard to read for long, or well, at all. Even the act of typing/writing is becoming more problematic, as the letters swim around, mixing & melding with each other until the whole mess is nearly incomprehensible. Not to say it isn’t always so, but, not being able to make out the individual letters does complicate the process, slowing it considerably, not to mention increasing the threat of typographical inaccuracy, always a risk for us self-styled philosophers…. BIG SIGH….

Nonetheless, I have persevered, long enough to complete a freshly constructed Pearl for your perusal, and for the release of my angst. Bingo…. I love two for one. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to work our way around the maudlin starting phase, into the proper outcome, to wit, moving down the page to the rest of the material. I think I know how to do that; it’s actually fairly simple, really. All I actually have to do is this… Watch close, or you’ll miss the turn….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.
One brave deed is worth a thousand books.”

~~ Edward Abbey ~~

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

This won’t hurt. Those familiar with the process here on ECR will recognize the icon atop this section as our indicator of default musical choice, to wit, classical music. They can reassure the rest of y’all who might otherwise be worried such music will be boring, or beyond their taste…. trust me, just listen while you read, and you’ll see… it truly doesn’t hurt, and, if given half a chance, can actually be soothing to the spirit…. Let’s have a listen, shall we?…

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

Classical Music

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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

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Random notes on Life @ Large….

*******

“Do you ever think about the end of the world as we know it?”

~~ Calvin, to Hobbes ~~

*******

“I am going to seek a great perhaps.”

~~ Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) ~~

*******

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”

~~ Zen proverb ~~

*******

“It’s not peace I want, not mere contentment.
It’s boundless joy and ecstasy for me.”

~~ Kugell ~~

*******

“Sometimes I think we’re alone.
Sometimes I think we’re not.
In either case, the thought is quite staggering.”

~~ R. Buckminster Fuller ~~

*******

“It matters not so much what you sing, but why”

~~ J.S. Bach ~~

*******

“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

*******

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

My sense of accomplishment, while probably unwarranted, is solid enough to be able to declare this one ‘done’. And thank goodness for that! My sociability is straining at the seams, & it’s probably just as well I’ve reached an ending point, which I shall proceed to take advantage of unmercifully. I shall try to post again in the near future, but, the way things seem to be going, it might be a few days before I can pull one together enough to suit my OCD need to get it right. However it works out, I will be back; on that you may rest assured. Y’all be well, & happy as you may be; I’m doin’ pretty much the same, with a strong dose of strange added in…. 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

dozer3

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

Syncopation is oddly soothing….

Ffolkes,

“To love someone deeply gives you strength.
Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

electric eye leelu

Focused meditation….

Hajime…. Since retiring from work, I have discovered the part of living in contact with much of the world I miss the least, & that is, quite simply, drama. The emotional turmoil in which much of the world seems to spend the majority of its time seems to me a complete waste of what little time we have here in this plane of existence, and I cannot understand why most people keep on walking on a path strewn with pain, and suffering caused by emotions, which are, after all, transient, by their nature. Because we are invested so heavily in EGO, we seem to find our own inner world, with its chaotic feelings, to be the way of the world, and our disappointment is intense when it proves not to be so.

All that, by the way, is the result of drama intruding upon my life, caused, as is generally the case, by others who are merely peripherally connected to me, by their connection to those I love. Without going into detail, I have to say, it’s more intense than I enjoy, and has no purpose beyond the fear felt by a narcissist, who then, according to their neurotic nature, pass their own fear and anger to everyone around them. These others are those to whom I am connected, so, some of the emotional chaos ends up at my door. Thankfully, I don’t have to engage in it, nor do I; it’s just hard to see those I love having no choice but to deal with it in all its intense, ‘in the moment’ importance, thus making their own journey through life more uncomfortable….

All has receded enough for me to finish this post, though not with the light-hearted humor with which I intended to start off. So, I’ll forgo trying to inject anything of that nature, as it would, no doubt, fall flatter on its face than a flounder, which is pretty flat. Instead, I’ll just mention how well I’ve coped with it, all in all, and get on with the process of posting. I didn’t manage to leak out the new poem yet; it’s blocked, somehow, by the presence of drama, at least until it’s all assimilated and processed into metaphor. But, I’ve included some most excellent music, a damn good older poem, and, a set of old-school pearls with which I am quite pleased. Good shit, as they say….

So, let’s go see what there is to see, eh? It can’t be any less thrilling than this has been, right? Right. We’re off now, so, hang on….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Everything in life is unusual until you get accustomed to it.”

~~ L. Frank Baum, “The Marvelous Land of Oz” ~~

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NinaSimone

Nina Simone, 1933 ~ 2003

Image from kcur.org via Google Images

There is a lot I could say about this artist, but, it would all be superfluous to the experience of just listening to her sing. To show respect for that, I’ll let y’all do just that, without any further words from me, except to say, enjoy….

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Nina Simone

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Comedy_Tragedy

Blue chameleon

It’s hot today, with chances of pain & rain.
So it says on the news.
Guess there’s nothing to do again
unless it’s sing the blues.

The blues are gettin’ old, though.
So I say, & I should know.
I been singin’ the bloody songs, y’know?
For what seems a long row to hoe.

S’pose it could get better someday.
I’ve heard that tune before.
Always seemed out of tune anyway;
I ain’t waitin’ any more.

Bang those drums & kick the cans.
May as well raise some hell.
Clang together some old pots & pans;
It hides the little voices so well.

Never worry, don’t you fear at all.
We’ve got certificates of note.
Bureaucratic protections, officially small.
Non carborundum illegitimi, he wrote.

Time, and circumstance, wrote me today.
It came in the daily mail from home.
It said I shouldn’t write unless I say
you’ll be charged for the distance you roam.

~~ gigoid ~~

5/28/2016

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Notes on Life @ Large….

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“Do you want to be a power in the world?
Then be yourself.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Trine ~~

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“If life seems jolly rotten,
there’s something you’ve forgotten,
and that’s  to laugh and dance and jump and sing.”

~~ Monty Python ~~

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“Live dangerously and you live right.”

~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Faust” ~~

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“If you haven’t found something strange during the day,
it hasn’t been much of a day.”

~~ John Wheeler ~~

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“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge
and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”

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

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“If you’re going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.”

~~ Subtle Bee ~~

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“Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art of ending…”

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~

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Though I can’t lay claim to any recent displays of brilliance, I am pleased with the last few ending pearls, for their completely apropos nature to what has gone before. In this case, Henry has it right, so, we’ll take his advice, and pursue our art as a properly brief ending. I’ll see y’all, or y’all will see me, soon enough, though how long it may be I cannot say at this time. Until I return, please be well, be happy as you may, and remember to utilize the one greatest characteristic nature allows us, to wit, be as strange as you can be. You may be sure, I shall. 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

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À bientôt, mon cherí….