Sunset near the Orkney Isles, off the coast of Scotland….
The elements of today’s Pearl have been in place for a couple of days, but, sadly, the consistency I once had in posting seems to be no longer part of my skill set. SIGH…. Ah, well, he said, again…. So be it. Some of it’s a bit strange, but, that’s not particularly odd for around here; in fact it might be said ALL of what I do these days has the flavor of strange. But, that’s just who I am, I suppose, & we’ll all just deal with it as we do, however that may be. Me, I’m not even going to make any attempt to either justify, or excuse it, as neither approach offers much chance of flying….
Since rational explanations are not forthcoming, and I have experienced the usual lack of purpose or direction in composing an introduction, it’s probably best for me to just go post it, as best I can, & be done with it. All one can do, is, after all, all one can do. So, enjoy today’s mess, if you will, & I’ll see y’all in the closing section for a final word. For now…..
Shall we Pearl?
“Belief gets in the way of learning.”
~~ Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough for Love” ~~
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Gordon Lightfoot
Image from Wikipedia via Google Images….
Today’s musical selection is one of the greatest & most iconic folk singer/songwriter of my time, a man whose music has inspired everyone who ever heard his smooth, intimate, & melodic songs, including most of his fellow artists. I’ve included a video with his album of best hits which gives an idea of the breadth of his work, as well as a video of a live concert from last year. I hope you enjoy his music as have millions of people across the world for more than 50 years…. Abondanza!….
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Early Observations
Until I knew there was more,
I wanted to know God.
They said he was a nice guy,
and would let me live forever.
All I had to do, they said,
was live my life for Him,
always living by scripture
cleaving only to his Way.
But, everyone I saw in church,
acted different at home.
Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,
nobody lived like they said.
Still, I tried to be like Jesus,
he was sort of cool.
He never hurt nobody
and walked on the right path.
‘Course they killed him for that,
they couldn’t stand his example.
Turned him into a martyr,
hid his real words among their own.
Then I found the Buddha,
and met Lao Tzu at the gate.
They saw things real different,
showed me how to see straight.
Right thought, and right action
replace blind obedience and faith.
Reality becomes manageable,
fear retreats, the universe expands.
Brother John said it pretty well,
“Imagine there’s no heaven,
it’s easy if you try.”
Sounds like he knew why.
Day to day, life is grand,
we walk in eternal beauty.
Open your eyes and hearts,
find yourself already immortal.
~~ gigoid ~~
6/21/2014
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Naked Pearls
Purely Random Notes….
*******
“.. I wonder if I ought to tell them about my PREVIOUS LIFE
as a COMPLETE STRANGER?”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
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“Bion used to say that the way to the shades below was easy;
he could go there with his eyes shut.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD), “Bion, iii” ~~
********
“Among unequals what society
Can sort, what harmony, or true delight?”
~~ John Milton, “Paradise Lost”, Book viii, Line 383 ~~
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“If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.
If you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.”
~~ Senegalese proverb ~~
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“In the dark time will there also be singing?
Yes, there will be singing about the dark time.”
~~ Bertold Brecht ~~
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“I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”
~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” ~~
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“Don’t ask me where I’m going,
Just listen when I’m gone
And far away you’ll hear me singing softly to the dawn”
~~ Pippin ~~
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Once more, I’ve managed to spew out enough to soothe my angst, for now. I shall do so again in the relatively near future, of that you may rest assured. Well, perhaps the thought of it isn’t all that reassuring, but, there ’tis…. and, as I noted in the intro, all one can do is all one can do. Since that is exactly what I’ve done, I’m outta here for today. Y’all be well, & happy as you may be; staying strange is also recommended, especially for those of us to whom it is more than merely a state of mind. For some of us, it’s damn necessary…. 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.
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.”
~~ Seneca (BC 3-65 AD) ~~
Unexpected beauty….
The last time I posted here was 15 days ago; since that time I passed my 68th birthday, dealt with some rather emotionally wearing events, (a friend who had a stroke, family issues, etc….), and spent a lot of time seeking the conviviality of human interaction, with mixed results. None of what occurred acted to stimulate my need to write about any of it, other than this short summarization. This tells me my former consistency in writing is no longer a compelling factor in determining my choice of whether to spend time in the virtual world, or to spend it dealing with Consensual Reality. Moreover, it has become clear to me that the interaction fits in more closely with my current state of mind, such as that may be….
In short, I don’t feel any particular guilt, or loss, at having neglected the online community in favor of actual human interaction on a face-to-face basis. As I have previously noted, so be it. My only excuse, which isn’t one, is to quote Popeye, to wit: I am what I am, and that’s all what I am. At this point, all I can say for sure is I WILL write; it just won’t be as often as it once was, as it no longer plays such a critical part of my campaign to remain relatively sane. Not to say being so isn’t handy; it just isn’t as important as I once held it to be. In fact, I’m rather enjoying the delicious ambiguity of facing Life while standing on the edge…. and, for the nonce, that’s good enough.
For today, I’ve cobbled together three parts of a Virtual Pearl of Wisdom, which will suffice to deliver this update, and to move things onward to an acceptable degree…. I’m still available via email, and will check back to answer any comments; otherwise, I’ll be out in the BBR, facing Reality with the rest of the poor creatures here on Earth who must do the same, sans my own particular take on its relative importance…. which kinda describes what we all are going through in our own perceptive miasma. It may not have the clarity of Plato’s take, or the elegance of Sartre, or Voltaire, but, it’s way better than Machiavelli’s cynicism, as well as being much more palatable than any religion’s views on reality. I’ll take Peruaosophy any day over any of them. (To see Peruaosophy, check the About page listed on my home page…..)
That’s all I’ve got today for this; I’ll be finishing up the piece I’m working on for my friend, but, will otherwise emulate a lump of laziness for the rest of today, & see what tomorrow brings, just as we all shall do in the end…. For now,….
Shall we Pearl?
“One who is plenteously provided for from within needs but little from without.”
~~ Goethe ~~
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This is what I mostly listen to these days. If I need to tell you why, you weren’t paying attention…. S’okay, no worries… just listen, & enjoy….
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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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Naked Pearls
Experience teaches us….
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“Trails got to be here somewhere.”
~~ D. Boone ~~
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“When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.”
~~ George Fisher ~~
*******
“Pray to God, but keep rowing to the shore.”
~~ Russian proverb ~~
*******
“A little experience often upsets a lot of theory.”
~~ Cadman ~~
*******
“The thinking man’s approach to most problems is a good nap.”
~~ Sagacious Bee ~~
*******
“Everything in excess!
To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks.”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
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“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
~~ Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” ~~
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Rather than belabor any points at all, I’ll end this here, and now, with the usual caveat, to wit: I will be back, though ‘when’ remains uncertain. In the meantime, y’all be well, and happy as you may be. As should be eminently clear by now, I’ll be working on being as strange as reality will allow, a habit I thoroughly recommend be adopted by all…. 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.
“For neither men nor angel can discern hypocrisy
– the only evil that walks invisible.”
~~ Milton, “Paradise Lost”, iii:682-684 ~~
Sunrise near Greenock, Scotland….
I cannot seem to figure out why it’s taking me so long to achieve a daily rhythm on this blog; moreover, I can’t seem to work up much angst over it, either. I’m also not sure why I can’t figure out why, which brings me right back into the endless loop of silliness that’s been chasing around my head for a couple weeks now. I’m beginning to think trying to come back wasn’t in my best interests, as it all seems so pointless. But, for the nonce, I have committed to it, if only in my own fantasy, so, I’m left with little choice but to keep at it until it’s done, again….
Of course, that pre-supposes there will be something in my head worth writing down when the time comes, which, as is perfectly clear by now, is a supposition without corroborating evidence of possibility. I’m lucky I’ve found what you see, I think, because I don’t see much of anything more laying about; my head seems to be leaking faster than I can type, & I’m very close to the literary equivalent of “fainting in coils”, or some such other nonsense. To prevent any toxic build-up, that can lead to explosions of vitriol & bile, let’s go see what I have cobbled together, & try again some other day…. That, in & of itself is easy enough…. I just have to do this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Virtue is not hereditary.”
~~ Thomas Paine ~~
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Today’s musical selection combines my two favorite types of music, to wit: classical guitar music. Also, if one wishes to listen to music at all, why not go for the best available? Hence this compilation of the works of Andres Segovia, acknowledged by many as the consummate master of the genre. I hope you enjoy it as much as do I….
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I remember well the night I wrote this poem…. ‘Twas near the beginning of most of a year spent in & out of Hell, as I fought with the AMA, and Big Pharma, to rid myself of the opioid addiction to which they had so blithely subjected me to in their ignorance and greed. It speaks, in metaphor, both obscurely AND plainly, of the pain & misery which can be the ONLY result of trying to get free of it…. It got worse, and helped produce, in its own malignant fashion, further instances of poetry, as my tortured mind & body fought for survival…. I hope y’all enjoy it, non-pretty as it may be….
Dead Hands,Typing…
Puzzled anew by anomalous blocks of pain
caught, bemused, chained to routine, insane.
Stilled within breathless beauty
Engaging epiphany, insistent, called to duty.
Knees bent in lieu of a faithful rendition
suffuses, confuses, locked into stale perdition.
Clearing corrosion with hands encased in stone
Singular frozen follicles, masked by bone.
Partial focus brings unfiltered flavors to light
coloring each particle in simple delight.
Forlorn, novel conceptual artists singing in tune
nine notes in harmony, soft as the moon.
Honed blades of carbon steel flash in rhyme,
filling sensual receptors well past closing time.
Borrowed from neighbors in a week-old game
still bloody, without a proper name.
No flooded memories can justify such cost
no simple stationery, bilious, afraid, lost.
Ten times ten will never be enough
To fill so empty a stolen trough.
Bartering simplicity takes well into the night
solidly temporary pillars turned bright.
Unknown to all the pretty children who came
none were called, none had any remaining flame.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/25/2015
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Naked Pearls
Many paths, one destination….
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“There are things that are known, and things unknown,
and in between are the doors of perception.”
~~ Aldous Huxley, “The Doors of Perception” ~~
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“Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.”
~~ Robert Heinlein ~~
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“Insofar as love expresses itself,
it is not expressing itself in terms of socially approved manners of life.
That’s why it is all so secret.
Love has nothing to do with social order.
It is a higher spiritual experience than that of socially organized marriage.”
~~ Joseph Campbell ~~
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“In any weather, at any hour of the day or night,
I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too;
to stand on the meeting of two eternity’s, the past and the future,
which is precisely the present moment; to toe at that line.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~
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“There’s plenty of pain here – but it don’t kill.
There’s plenty of suffering here, but it don’t last.
You see, happiness ain’t a thing in itself
– it’s only a contrast with something that ain’t pleasant.”
~~ Mark Twain, “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven” ~~
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“If we are not stupid or insincere when we say
that the good or ill of man lies within his own will,
and that all beside is nothing to us,
why are we still troubled?”
~~ Epictetus (c. 60 AD) — Discourses, Book i, Chap. xxv ~~
*******
“He said, “Dance for me” and he said,
“You are too beautiful for the wind
To pick at, or the sun to burn.” He said,
“I’m a poor tattered thing, but not unkind
To the sad dancer and the dancing dead.”
— Sidney Keyes, “Four Postures of Death”
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There you have it, ffolkes. I’ve done all the damage I can do in one sitting, so, I’ll just take my leave, with the usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back to try this again, apparently in two days, if recent history is any indication. Whatever happens, y’all be well, happy as you may be, and keep to the 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.
“‘Change’ is scientific, ‘progress’ is ethical;
change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
Sonoma Creek, April 2016
Hajime…. I’ve only got a few minutes to get this posted, so I won’t be composing any long, involved intro, in spite of any need, or wish, to do so. Not that time is pressing, but, because I don’t know how long I can remain in a state of mind that allows me to concentrate even this much. Soon enough, I suppose, I’ll have some solid information on which to chew, once the vet is able to identify the problem with Leelu; until then, I’m still too antsy to maintain the illusion of competence necessary to compose anything worth reading.
Rather than carry on further in this vein, I’ll use some of the ruthlessness still extant in my spirit, one legacy of my humanity, to dump all of us out of the first section, & move on to the next. It’s actually a pretty simple technique, though it can be a disconcerting, if one isn’t quite ready for the rather tumultuous ride necessitated by the rapidity employed. Yes, I know that makes little, if any sense, but, don’t fret; that’s part of how it works. Just hang on to the nearest stanchion, & we’ll be on our way in a trice…. whatever that is….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Never appeal to a man’s “better nature.” He may not have one.
Invoking his self-interest gives you more leverage.”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
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Today’s musical selection brings us one of the most beloved iconic bands to ever play together. Brought together by chance, the six members all possess exemplary credentials as successful artists in their own right. They only released a small number of records, but each one is considered a classic. Jeff Lynne, (Electric Light Orchestra), Roy Orbison (needs no intro), Bob Dylan (also needs no intro), Tom Petty (of his band, the Heartbreakers), George Harrison (of Beatles fame, duh….), and Jim Keltner, a drummer who has played with nearly every good rock band for a LONG time (played with Clapton, in several of his bands, and MANY others….). The embedded video is one of five, a part of the collection on You Tube, a compendium of the videos the band made to go along with the songs. The link below their name is to their home site, where you may listen to all 3 of their albums, via various streaming services, or purchase them…. Enjoy!….
The veils that billow and fold
between dreams and reality
may sometimes part,
showing the visions of one to the other,
blending, bleeding as one,
only to bring us up short,
closely jammed against immovable fate.
Still, we keep our watch,
seeking to find the vision
that brings with it the mark of reality’s regard,
a humble mind, and a compassionate heart.
Events of broad impact draw us away again,
distracting with shiny glitter and tinny music,
leaving our feelings raw and bruised,
the victim of universal disregard.
Now, in the twilight of years, the music is fading,
and the glitter has all gone….
yet the memory of visions remains sharp and clear,
melancholy reminders of reality’s promises,
unkept…..
~~gigoid~~
4/12/2013
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Naked Pearls
A Harlequin Necklace….
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“He took his vorpal sword in hand
Long time the manxom foe he sought
Till rested he by the tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought”
~~ “Jabberwocky”, by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) ~~
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“It is important that man dreams,
but it is perhaps equally important
that he can laugh at his own dreams.”
~~ Lin Yutang ~~
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“Every day passes whether you participate or not.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
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“Clay is moulded to make a vessel,
but the utility of the vessel
lies in the space where there is nothing….
Thus, taking advantage of what is,
we recognize the utility of what is not.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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“There’s too much beauty upon this earth for lonely men to bear.”
~~ Richard Le Gallienne ~~
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“I had too much to dream last night.”
~~ Electric Prunes ~~
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“Clouds come floating into my life,
no longer to carry rain or usher storm but
to add color to my sunset sky.”
~~ Rabindranath Tagore ~~
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Well, it’s done, or, in today’s case, it’s a reasonable facsimile of done. It will have to do, ‘cuz that’s all I’ve got. I’ll get it posted, then continue my pacing & worrying until the vet arrives. I’ll try to get another done for tomorrow, but, no promises are likely until I know more. Let’s just say, see ya when I see ya, & leave it at that…. Be well, be strange, & stay alert, ffolkes…. I’ll be around eventually….
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.
“He that feareth is a slave,
were he never so rich, were he never so powerful.
But he that is without fear is king of all the world.”
~~ E. R. Eddison, “The Worm Ouroboros” ~~
Neighborhood scoundrel at play….
Hajime…. Yesterday, this sleepy little seaside town saw 103º F, which lasted through the night; it was still 85º at 10:00 pm. It’s 0630 now, & already pushing 80º, with a high predicted to reach 105º. But, climate change is just a myth, so, nothing to see here, move along. To watch people try to deal with such temps would be amusing, if it weren’t so pathetic, and, for many of society’s less capable or challenged individuals, dangerous to their health & well-being. Like Bert Russell once noted, sometimes one must be moved to a bottomless well of pity for the suffering of mankind…. I would share his sentiment, if it were not so clearly their own damn fault most of the time.
But, it’s too damn hot, and early, to rant; moreover, I really don’t want to do so very much, not any more. What’s the point, when virtually nobody listens, or makes any attempt to change their lives, or the way they approach it, which is, almost always, the root cause of all their suffering? Oh, well, I suppose some folks enjoy drama in their lives, though I can’t claim to understand why. I guess, when one suffers from a sense of helplessness and confusion, drama seems like a way to feel something other than dread and despair. SIGH…. Silly humans….
Rather than continue in such a fruitless vein, let’s do something else. Since I have most of this done, I suggest we move on down the page, listen to a bit of music, enjoy today’s poem choice, & some fine, if relatively obscure pearls of virtual wisdom, strung together on a common thread, together becoming greater than the sum of parts. Plus, if nothing else, it will serve to distract me from the ridiculous heat we’re experiencing around here, long enough to run a cool bath…. See y’all down the line….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Don’t ever become a pessimist, Ira;
a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist,
but an optimist has more fun
— and neither can stop the march of events.”
~~ Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough For Love” ~~
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Yesterday, we went with one default; today, we’re going with the other. I still donate every month to this organization, which pursues peace in the world through the application of music, and the teaching of human cooperation thereby…. Enjoy!….
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Ripple Song Around The World
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Today’s poem is for those living in the greater Pacific Northwest, who, with me, are suffering the heat; it’s a winter poem, & may provide a bit of cooling distraction, if only for the time it takes to read and consider…. Enjoy!….
A Seasonal Approach
Absolute stillness grips a frozen field,
anticipating dawn with such patient yield
morning burgeoning in dark winter’s hold
brings promise of tales yet to be told.
Lengthening days of pale sun unto night
slowly tell of time’s subversive flight
bringing such original songs of natural fire
with melodies complex in casual attire.
The months are certain they will always win
it is just the way it has always been.
None may argue, nor yet slow life down
Nor dim the eternal beauty of nature’s gown.
Winter evolves from fall into spring,
sending flocks and hearts ever awing.
Summer follows suit, t’other way ’round
Spring into fall, often without a sound.
Life is meant to be lived, beginning to end
choices abound, and change can be a friend.
Yielding with grace to reality’s compelling ploy
fills our plain existence with clean, honest joy.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/2/012
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Process & Program
*******
“But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible
is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.”
~~ Arthur C. Clarke ~~
*******
“If you view your problem closely enough
you will recognize yourself as part of the problem.”
~~ Ducharm’s Axiom ~~
*******
“An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered;
an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton, “On Running After Ones Hat, All Things Considered”, 1908 ~~
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And so the little freighter sat upon the sea,
and, though Africa came closer day by day,
the freighter never moved.
She was old and weather-weary,
and she had learned to let the world come round to her.”
~~ Beryl Markham, “West With the Night” ~~
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“People are strange when you’re a stranger.”
~~ Jim Morrison ~~
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“The true perfection of man lies,
not in what man has, but in what man is . . .
Nothing should be able to harm a man but himself.
Nothing should be able to rob a man at all.
What a man really has is what is in him.
What is outside of him should be a matter of no importance.”
~~ Oscar Wilde ~~
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“I know who I am. Sometimes you go away, but I’m still here.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
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Well, it’s late, but, it’s also done, so, I’m going for it. It’s already too hot to think deeply, so, I’ll forgo any more tricks, & just say, see y’all tomorrow, if’n I don’t melt first…. Stay strange, ffolkes; these days, it’s your best defense against the madness….
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.
“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”
~~ Albert Camus ~~
Sleeping Gaia…. Can you see her?….
Hajime…. Words flow, at times, like a melodic brook falling softly down a forest glen; still other times, they fade away, disappearing into the grey fogs swirling always at the edges of the mind. No matter which side of the universal coin they present, seemingly at the whim of fate, the need to use them, as the means of stilling the cacophony which builds up, in reaction to perception of our confusing, complex, beautiful world, remains an undeniable impulse. Better yet is to find the place inside where the words merge and meld into music, often as if meant for no other purpose; such moments are true epiphany, for me, for any truly human being….
I have to write; it’s no longer an option to keep from doing so, if only when I can physically tolerate the numerous repetitive actions, while seated, required to perform the very act, all of which puts stress on our bodies, so accustomed to activity. In the recent past, I’ve come to understand my time of introspection needs to turn toward action, in the sense I must now, as Joe Campbell would put it, ‘follow my bliss’…. So, I intend to try to meld my need to write with my love of music, & start practicing on my guitar, & trying to fit some of my poetry into the music I find in me…. I can’t say any of it will ever reach the stage of showing it to the world, but, the attempt itself will be a learning experience, so, we’ll see what I learn.
For the moment, which comes two days after composing the above paragraphs, we’ll jump right in to the effort I’ve made over the last few days of recovery, since last posting a fresh mess. It wouldn’t help to detail this particular morning’s events, as I am neither happy about them, nor content with my own state of being; I’ve been up since 0230, thanks to some negative behavior seeking by the resident fur-bearing extortionist, after a long day with 3 naps yesterday, trying to recover a bit of energy. Suffice it to say, the rest of the day has to go better, for it couldn’t have been much worse so far….
In fact, only concentrating on finishing this episode of my personal quest to find, or create, some rationality in an insane world has kept me from felinicide, or taxicide (fyi, the killing of cats & cabbies who never show up….), so, I’m going to get it posted, hopefully before I get arrested. I’ll even give up trying to explain anything, & get on with it, post haste…. That, of course, looks like this….
Shall we Pearl?….
“Freedom begins when you tell Mrs. Grundy to go fly a kite.”
~~ Lazarus Long ~~
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Jethro Tull
Image found on random Russian WordPress site via Google Images…
Today’s musical selection is a find of most excellent flavor. The video you’ll see below is called the ‘best version’ of the song played by the iconic band from the 60’s & 70’s… I have to agree with the title’s assumption, having seen or heard it many times, both live & on the radio of the day. Incredible performances by the entire band mark this as a truly iconic representation of the spirit that burgeoned during that era; the energy is incredible. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, & use the links in the player to listen to some of their more recent work, as they are still playing & living their music….
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Jethro Tull Aqualung, BBC 1977
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Life as we know it….
As we grow and learn to be, in this sad, yet joyous parade,
we only have our Self with which to face life;
small, we are, and weak,
but, smart.
Reality, in studied contrast, is an invisible, ubiquitous shade
dispassionate ambivalence brings us mostly strife.
It’s never enough to seek.
Take part.
The universe won’t make a compromise, but will make a trade.
Give away your fear for knowledge, and a reasoned life.
It often requires a tweak;
live Art.
Love is an essential part of our own particular charade
without it, life can be filled with strife.
Souls perch high on a peak;
sweet, tart.
Pain always balances with joy, the price has to be paid;
for us humans, each must be equal in life.
To know one, the other must speak.
Never apart.
We are all actors, playing parts we’ve chosen to have portrayed;
the director’s absence produces endless strife.
Trying to make sense brings only pique.
Go. Start.
~~ gigoid ~~
11/27/2015
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Naked Pearls
Yep, that about covers it…
*********
“And now, let the fun begin.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*********
“Then somebody spoke, and I went into a dream….”
~~ The Beatles, “A Day In The Life” ~~
*********
“There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.”
~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~
*********
“A desire not to butt into other people’s business
is at least eighty percent of all human wisdom…
and the other twenty percent isn’t very important.”
“You butt into other people’s business. All the time.”
“Who said I was wise? I’m a professional bad example.
You can learn a lot by watching me.”
~~ Lazarus Long & Ira Johnson, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” Robert A. Heinlein ~~
*********
“As great scientists have said and as all children know,
it is above all by the imagination
that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.”
~~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~~
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“If you don’t care where you are, you ain’t lost.”
~~ Rune’s Rule ~~
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“Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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“They can because they think they can.”
~~ Virgil ~~
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“Living Dead
the path is chosen,
to live forever is to die forever.
To not know when you’ll die
is to find life
wherever you are.”
~~ Alagad ~~
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I’ve gone over what is above, & found it to be all there; I’ll make no judgments regarding quality, as that is your task. Feel free to tell me what you think, though, I’ll note any critical comments will be cheerfully ignored…. or, at least as cheerfully as I can be, on a day that started like this one. No complaints, & no worries; the sun will come up again tomorrow, & we all get a new chance at it…. I’m hoping to see some small improvement; it doesn’t take much to smooth the waters, really…. I hope to have another fresh Pearl tomorrow, so, I guess I’ll see you then…. I promise I’ll be in a better mood; not hard, as it can’t get much worse today…. Blessed be, my friends….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“If you have a skeleton in your closet, take it out and dance with it.”
~~ Carolyn MacKenzie ~~
Beauty escapes….
Hajime…. Having spent much of yesterday dancing with skeletons, it’s probably not surprising I’m a bit foggy this morning. Those guys just won’t give up, or slow down, no matter the cost to their terpsichorean partner. But, the alternative is too upsetting to consider, so, we’ll just put it into the kill file, for now, at least long enough to get this Pearl posted. The rest of the day can fend for itself…..
All the correct elements for today’s effort are in place; after all, I did have an extra day to get it done. I have to say, the old-school pearl today is rather good…. So good, in fact, I titled it in Greek, to honor the connection it displays to Peruaosophy, which it supports and clarifies, all at once. For those who aren’t familiar with Peruaosophy, it is my personal codec, my own creation, the axioms on which I have based my existence, so, you might see how this pearl shines so brightly, in my eyes. If not, oh, well; just take them at face value, and their relevance will make itself quite clear. Of course, you’ll also need to employ the power of metaphor, but, that’s de rigeur for us, anyway.
All that said, I’ll be nice, for a change, & bring this to a rapid close, so as to facilitate the rest of today’s demand for attention. Reality has a way of insisting upon precedence, & the consequences of ignoring, or trying to deny those demands, are much more negative than any of us care to deal with. Rather than even go near there, we’ll turn a hard left, (or, right, depending on where you’re sitting, I guess….), into the future, which will, if naught else, get us down the page to the closing section, where we need to be. Elegance, while tricky, is possible when courted with the proper attitude. Of course, we gave up on it long ago, but, hey, it sounds good, & looks good on a resumé.
What? You don’t think so? Hmph. Okay, I guess we’ll need to demonstrate. Watch this, and learn….
Shall we Pearl?
“Do not settle for less than the best your own excellence can command.”
~~ Anne McCaffrey ~~
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Probably, no explanation is necessary when one feels like hearing the blues. Here is a live concert from one of today’s finest blues guitarists, who is also pretty easy on the eyes…. Enjoy!..
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Ana Popovic Live
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Illusory Time
Viewed from askance, the river is long;
deep, uncompromisingly intent, swift and strong.
In duality, perception creates our only reality;
such faux metaphoric paradox enforces mutability.
By two we perceive, both zero, and one;
digital, binary, on or off, such fun.
Separate, melded, we exist, knowing not what we know
ego, striving to be solitary, looking above, seeing below.
Furiously asleep, cultural anomaly claims a victim of choice;
validly unconscious, nobody speaks, nary a voice.
Potential escapees stir in dreams, fighting to wake,
until taking the wheel, for their own bloody sake.
Pots boil in due time, when the fire’s hot,
time exists to our advantage; or, not.
The solitary warrior, head bent in pain,
fights on, with, or without gain.
Night fell, day after day it persisted;
of those who knew, none showed any care, or resisted
Angels, ministers, none had any defense, nor grace;
all that remains is a face.
~~ gigoid ~~
10/22/2016
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Naked Pearls
Τέλεια μαργαριτάρια
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“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.”
~~ Roger Miller ~~
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“There is no God.
But it does not matter.
Man is enough.”
~~ Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Conversation at Midnight” ~~
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“There is no conclusive evidence of life after death.
But there is no evidence of any sort against it.
Soon enough you will know.
So why fret about it?”
~~ Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love” ~~
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“Don’t be confused by surfaces; in the depths everything becomes law.
What is necessary, after all, is only this:
solitude, vast inner solitude.
Walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours
–that is what you must be able to attain.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
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“It is almost impossible systematically to constitute a natural moral law.
Nature has no principles.
She furnishes us with no reason to believe
that human life is to be respected.
Nature, in her indifference,
makes no distinction between good and evil.”
~~ Anatole France ~~
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“Wherever your journey takes you, there are new gods waiting there,
with divine patience – and laughter.
~~ Susan Watkins ~~
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That must be wonderful: I don’t understand it at all.
~~ Moliere~~
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I guess it’s done. I don’t see how I can add, or take away anything that would make it any better, so, I’ll do the rational thing, & call it done. To augment & enhance that decision, I’ll end this quickly, so as to reinforce the idea we know what we’re about. I hope you enjoyed today’s mess; the cost to produce it was a bit high, as I would prefer to be. On that rather sardonic note, I shall bid thee adieu until next time, most likely tomorrow, when we’ll try once again to achieve perfection…. Hey, I know; it’s not possible, but, the effort to do so is the lesson, anyway, so….. See ya, ffolkes. Be strange; I am, & I can use the company…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Any road followed to its end leads precisely nowhere.
Climb the mountain just a little to test it’s a mountain.
From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain.”
~~ Bene Gesserit proverb ~~
Mirrored trees, River Corrib, Galway, Ireland
Hajime…. In the quiet of the pre-dawn darkness, the old man sits, bent with age & care, pecking away industriously at the keyboard of an old, beat-up laptop computer. Focused intently on his task, he doesn’t notice me watching him, in perfect comfort, wondering, again, just how this illusion worked. Putting that thought aside as irrelevant, I turn to my own task, involving the management, (or, mis-management, as the case may be….), of several congruent, yet separate levels of reality. It’s not an easy task, especially given the operational handicaps implied by having to manage reality, at all, but, as a chosen duty, it remains imperative to do so, even if only to assuage my own sense of guilty pleasure, so sweet, yet so tart….
Y’all may find today’s Pearl a bit obscure, if not completely esoteric. Hopefully, you’ll also find it erudite, and, if I can do it right, even illuminating. That, as always, is probably somewhat optimistic, but, I can’t help that; it’s just the way I am, in direct contrast to how I seem, which is, I am told, somewhat cynical and depressive. I’ve been working, off & on, as my tolerance for sitting dictates, on a discussion of those very characteristics in myself, and the world at large, but, it keeps growing, as is often the case when I bite off more than can be easily chewed in one sitting. I’m hoping it will come together, & be ready soon, but, it will happen as it does, without my having much to say about that part of it….
This is because, for me, the creation process is rather unconscious, or, as much as I can make it so; my conscious mind has very little to do with it, other than to stay out of the way. I’ve found this necessary, in order to be able to persuade what roils and boils around inside my head to put itself into consumable forms, that can be transcribed onto the computer, as opposed to the traditional paper. I can’t necessarily recommend it as a method to be used by any & all, but, it works for me, so, who am I to mess with what works?
It works well enough, I suppose; most of what is in my head makes it onto the screen, one way or another. Though I cannot, and will not, lay claim to any particular brilliance, it works as intended, which is to keep all that crap from building up in my head, to the point the sheer weight of thoughts makes them intractable. So, I keep on keepin’ on, as we used to say in the sixties, and hope for the best. Today, as a major holiday for most of the western, Christian world, I would say the process into which this quest for sanity has evolved is my best defense against the angst I would normally garner in reaction to watching much of the world display their delusional symptomatology, in an orgy of what I consider psychotic smarm. SIGH…
I think, at this point, I’d best get on with the rest of today’s mess, before I write something offensive; the urge to poke at the mundanes becomes quite strong on days such as this, so, we’ll just use one of those efficiently ruthless techniques we keep in this drawer to move us along, & go on to different, if not better things. At this rate, unless I do so now, we could be here for a long time. Instead, watch this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Humans hardly ever learn from the experience of others.
They learn – when they do, which isn’t often – on their own, the hard way.”
~~ Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love ~~
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I’m not sure just why I seem to display this laziness of mine most often on ‘holidays’, but, there it is, just like the hive of bees living in my head. Nonetheless, I do, so, here is our typical choice when faced with this issue, to wit: a collection of classical music designed for reading & studying…. I hope it’s a good one, and enhances your reading experience here today…. If it doesn’t, oh, well…. But, I do hope it does…. Abondanza!….
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Classical Music
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Pure Truth: Elsewhen
Everything I say and do, I’m sure,
only comes from what I know.
If what I’ve said or done is pure,
I can say it’s not just for show.
Sometimes people don’t quite get me.
It can be a pain, for sure.
I try not to let it keep me from being free,
especially when thought becomes a sinecure.
In fact, I try quite hard most of the time,
to keep from hurting folks.
If culture occasionally approached the sublime,
I wouldn’t have to take so many pokes.
Now I’ll make another sacrifice, for y’all,
not just for karma, or, not merely so….
To save yet another downfall,
I’ll stop here. Ensign, make it so….
~~ gigoid ~~
6/2/2014
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Naked Pearls
Diving deep….
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“At the bottom no one in life can help anyone else in life;
this one experiences over and over in every conflict and every perplexity:
that one is alone.
That isn’t as bad as it may first appear;
and again it is the best thing in life that each should have everything in himself;
his fate, his future, his whole expanse and world.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
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“Except for our thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
~~ Descartes ~~
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“I was never here.”
~~ Kilroy ~~
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“Most people are on the world, not in it…”
~~ John Muir ~~
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“He who has the courage to laugh
is almost as much a master of the world
as he who is ready to die.”
~~ Giacomo Leopardi ~~
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“If you cannot find it in yourself, where will you go for it?”
~~ Confucius ~~
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“Only the madman is absolutely sure.”
~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~
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“Today for show and tell
I’ve brought a tiny marvel of nature: a single snowflake.
I think we might all learn a lesson
from how this utterly unique and exquisite crystal
turns into an ordinary, boring molecule of water,
just like every other one, when you bring it in the classroom.
And now, while the analogy sinks in,
I’ll be leaving you drips and going outside.
~~ Calvin, “Calvin and Hobbes” ~~
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“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle — will you come and join the dance?
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!”, and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France —
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.”
~~ Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” ~~
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I’ve done it again, though I can’t honestly say how it turned out….. It’s hard to see the forest when one is amongst the trees. But, as the Giant said, a path is formed by placing one stone, then the next…. This then, is our final stone for the day, & I herewith place it at your feet. I’ll be back to try again, hopefully tomorrow, though I’m not promising anything. Time, that blabbermouth, will tell, and we’ll listen, if we are smart. For now, adieu, & have a safe holiday, as the world engages in its sublime madness…. 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.
Hajime…. My first remarks today are an apology, of sorts, to those of my Gentle Readers whose blogs I have seemingly boycotted in recent days. Generally, if I can sit for any appreciable length of time after posting the Daily Pearl, I will go to those sites, & leave comments, most of which have sublimated my ranting urges, enough to keep me from having to expunge that urge here. But, lately, I have been both unable to sit for long, and, unable to face commenting on issues in which I see so little reward for trying to join a dialogue. Perhaps it is because of the general sense of futility so prevalent in today’s world, where no good deed goes unpunished; perhaps it is just my own sense of the world’s state, which, needless to say, is NOT particularly hopeful of any reasonable resolution… Either way, I haven’t been commenting, & wish to relate my apology for that failure….
As for today, I have completed putting together today’s offering, but, cannot promise to pursue any surfing, or commenting later; I’m fighting a cold, (my own fault, as it always is, for waiting too long to begin the battle…. ), and spent yesterday on public transportation, (via ferry, train, & bus….) to travel to SF & back, to take care of some important business. Mission accomplished, but, given my only partially healthy state, put me well over my limits, enough to make today a slow recovery day. So be it. I can’t change the past (a lesson now well-learned….), so, I’ll just do what I can today to meet as many duties as I can, & not fret the rest.
To assist myself in that task, we’ll cut this short, (well, as short as it can be, having already meandered through a couple hundred words of blather….), & get on with the rest of today’s mess. I’ll even go so far as to do so without undue fuss, or any unreasonable delay. I do that, of course, like this….
Shall we Pearl?
“When the fox gnaws — smile.”
~~ Lazarus Long in Robert A. Heinlein’s Time Enough For Love ~~
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Image from lastfm.com via Google Images
Today, I feel like some erudite modern rock, which this band does as well as anyone…. Enjoy!….
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Dixie Chicks Live in Denver, 2016
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Joe Friday’s lament
Life is short, and though I’m odd, they say
it really doesn’t bother me
to realize there is no God, per se.
Though other folks will disagree
and tell me I’m wrong
I won’t believe it, with naught to see.
Liars called padre tell me, have humility,
and do as the authorities say,
then fondle little boys with facility.
They also tell me to share the wealth
and give them a 10% tithe
so they don’t have get it by stealth.
So spare me the delusions, please
don’t bother with such a tale;
I’m nobody that needs such a tease.
Keep your fantasies under your hat
and out of my face;
I don’t need them, they’ll make me fat….. headed.
~~ gigoid ~~
2/8/2013
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Naked Pearls
Further notes on process & program….
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“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, –that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
~~ John Keats — “Ode on a Grecian Urn” ~~
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“Fear is sharp-sighted,
and can see things under ground,
and much more in the skies.”
~~~ Miguel de Cervantes — Don Quixote, Part i, Book iii, Chap. vi ~~
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“We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him.”
~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~
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“The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self-mastery.”
~~ Reinhold Niebuhr ~~
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“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
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A man said to the Universe: “Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the Universe, “the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.”
~~ Stephen Crane, “War is Kind”, 1899 ~~
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“The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.”
~~ Bob Dylan ~~
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Today’s Pearl has been thrown together with some dispatch, though it may seem relatively smooth from the outside. It does have the one primary characteristic for which we continually aim, to wit: it’s done. To complement the relative efficiency shown in the intro, I’ll use the same technique to bring it to a rapid close. How rapid? Well, how’s this? See ya, ffolkes; I’ll be back, relatively soon, I’m sure. Until then, be strange; I find it to be a compellingly satisfying way to keep people on their toes….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. Today, along with the rest of this week, (and, the rest of the month, the way it is developing), is busy, with events taking place out in the BBR. It will take up most of the day, so, I have worked hard to complete this Pearl, as I am unsure when I’ll be able to get another fresh one done. The good news, for me, is, I finished the discussion/rant on which I’ve spent a week or more. It isn’t quite as planned, but, it’s definitely a feast for the mind, so, it will do. The rest is pretty much a throw-together, with another of my old poems, and an archived pearl of pearls for the last section. Since it all flowed together smoothly, I’ll take it, and be content. So, then, must you…. I mean, that’s what blogging is, right? Right….
All that being said, to our regular lack of defined purpose, I’ll make this intro a short one; they seem to work best for days such as the one in which we currently find ourselves. I shan’t apologize; I shall, however, issue a warning. To make it through this one, you’ll need to put on your thinking caps, if you have one; the following is NOT for the weak-minded, or, anyone who is afraid to challenge their own beliefs. It’s all about doubt, which remains our most relevant tool for finding our way in life…. a statement we’ll defend another time, if necessary. Today, we’re going elsewhere, with gusto….
That’ enough; we/I have a lot to do today. Let’s begin, while we are still fresh….
Shall we Pearl?
There is nothing like death. To it, everything is a metaphor.
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
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“You’re not ready for what I think.”
~~ Fox Mulder ~~
“History does not record anywhere at any time
a religion that has any rational basis.
Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough
to stand up to the unknown without help.
But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion
and spend time and money on it
and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it.”
~~ Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love (1972) ~~
The above passage from Mr. Heinlein happens to be one of my favorites, in all I have read, in more than 60 years of pursuing the truth in books. In that sixty years, I’ve read an average of a book every other day; I no longer claim one per day, though I managed that average for the first 45 years or so; I’ve slowed some, trading quality for quantity in these latter years. In all that time, I have found this to be the most tactful, sardonic, and accurate statement summarizing my own thoughts, and my own opinion on the matter of religion.
I know such a statement meets with knitted brow, (I can hear the needles clacking together…), showing obvious disapproval from the majority of humankind; I noticed that at age four, the first time I asked my Sunday School teacher to explain the nonsense I was hearing there. I have noted no lesser degree of disbelief from almost everyone in the ensuing years, though not so frequently as if I had not learned to avoid discussions of religion, at least without some observable indications of an open mind. Since turning 60, or so, I’ve given up caring if people get offended, as I simply no longer care what they think about it, and am prepared to discuss it with anyone who cares to risk it.
Moreover, I’m not alone in my distrust of religions, especially the one in which I was made the subject of attempted indoctrination, almost from birth. Quite a number of the men who led the struggle to formulate this country, whom we were raised to call our “Founding Fathers”, also shared this mistrust. For example, here are some of their thoughts on the matter, followed by a closing thought from a modern poet….
“But a short time elapsed after the death
of the great reformer of the Jewish religion,
before his principles were departed
from by those who professed to be his special servants,
and perverted into an engine for enslaving mankind,
and aggrandizing t heir oppressors in Church and State.”
~~ Thomas Jefferson, [letter?] To S. Kercheval, 1810 ~~
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“What is it the Bible teaches us? – rapine, cruelty, and murder.
What is it the Testament teaches us?
– to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery
with a woman engaged to be married,
and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.”
~~ Thomas Paine — The Age of Reason ~~
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“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish,
appear to me no other than human inventions,
set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
~~ Thomas Paine ~~
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“The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.
Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept
for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines,
and whole carloads of other foolish trumpery
that we find in Christianity.”
~~ John Adams ~~
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“…this would be the best of all possible worlds,
if there were no religion in it.”
~~ John Adams, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1816 ~~
*******
For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered.
But for those of us who can’t readily accept the God formula,
the big answers don’t remain stone-written.
We adjust to new conditions and discoveries.
We are pliable.
Love need not be a command or faith a dictum.
I am my own God.
We are here to unlearn the teachings
of the church, state, and our educational system.
We are here to drink beer.
We are here to kill war.
We are here to laugh at the odds
and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.”
~~ Charles Bukowski ~~
Let’s finish this part…. For just a moment, wrap your head around the following statement, without attaching any emotional or even intellectual importance to whether it is true, or, not: “There is no God, or gods. No Allah, no Jehovah/Yahweh, no Jesus, no Krishna, nor any supernatural force which created/controls the universe.”
Got that idea? Is it comprehensible, simply as a statement of alternative possibility? I contend this statement is the Truth of Reality; in fact, I contend there is no rational reason to suspect otherwise.
Further, the belief there is such an entity has caused more harm to our species than any other single idea. It has caused people to be divided from each other, over something that merely plays upon their fears of the unknown to manipulate them into serving purposes that have no benefit for them, beyond an ignoble death, at the hands of another person suffering from the same manipulation, by another name.
Even worse, this ‘belief’ predisposes humans to then transfer their ‘belief’ to other ideas that are not in their self-interest, such as believing one is better, or worse than any other human, simply because of where they were born, or the amount of pigment in their skin, or that money implies worth. Humans are not naturally hierarchal; we all die, so what is to make one ‘better’ than another? Yet we find it easy to believe in such hierarchal fantasies, to the point of offering up our lives for an idea we never thought ourselves, but, had planted in our head before we knew enough to be able to tell for ourselves….
You see, the idea that humans NEED a government to solve their issues between each other is yet another silly notion, not supported by reality. The concept of money as a part of reality necessary to our success is also a false idea; there is nothing hierarchal about Nature, of which money is NOT a part. Yet, because humans are easily convinced, by their training to believe ideas are real, people set themselves up to fail, to be manipulated to expend their efforts and their attention on matters which serve no useful (to them) purpose….
“Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
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“Some writers have so confounded society with government,
as to leave little or no distinction between them;
whereas they are not only different, but have different origins.
Society is produced by our wants,
and government by our wickedness;
the former promotes our happiness *positively*,
by uniting our affections,
the latter *negatively*, by restraining our vices.
The one encourages intercourse,
the other creates distinctions.
The first is a patron, the last is a punisher.
Society in every state is a blessing,
but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil;
in its worst state an intolerable one….”
~~ Thomas Paine, opening lines of _Common Sense_ 1776 ~
~~ *asterisks denote Paine’s use of italics* ~~
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“Money made a vow to itself, that no one who didn’t love it, would ever have it.”
Irish Proverb
As can be easily seen, merely by reading the history of our species, this trio of delusions, i.e., religion, government, and money, has caused more strife, conflict, and needless death, than any other single idea, for all the time since we began to gather in cities. It has been shown that humans lose their ability to function as a truly human animal when there are more than 200 or so sets of eyes; as we gather in towns, & cities, this number grows beyond our personal need for community, and the rules of engagement between people begin to fray, and those who have the need to control others, due to their own inner fears & perversions of spirit, begin manipulating the weak minded, and we see the development of rules and hierarchies to manipulate people into losing their own self-control of what serves their interests, in the mistaken belief it is necessary, when, in truth, what is necessary is increased personal responsibility, and self-reliance.
“The races of the Galaxy look towards mankind as the essential lunatic element.”
~~ Terry Pratchett, “Strata”, pg. 60 ~~
In sixty years of observing and studying human history, and humanity itself, both individually, and, as a species, I’ve come to two conclusions. First, our most compelling talent, as proven by any historical tome anyone has written, or read, is the ability to think of endless, inventive ways to kill each other, or anything else we come across in our wandering about the face of the earth. Second, almost everything we have invented, as weapons, is simply a more complicated method of throwing rocks, both sharp, and dull; most everything we have created as tools & systems/skills for use as non-weapons, is a response to this talent, in that it is designed to keep ourselves, in one way or another, from getting killed, mostly by each other….
Both sides of this talent, of course, stem from our imagination, which, in the most pure analysis, has been shown to be little more than an anomaly of our consciousness; neither can be quantified, or touched, or in any way seen to be a part of the reality we perceive through our physical senses. In short, it may be, as some speculate, merely a local phenomenon, in this small corner of the universe we perceive elsewhere, all around us, but too far to reach physically. This paradoxical sense, I think, is what gives most humans the tendency to ‘imagine’ themselves to be more than they actually are, denying completely the simple truth of reality as it exists, to assume that reality is what we imagine it to be. In short, we are able to deny our own nature….
Perhaps this is why so many are willing to believe in the lies and untruths on which our entire culture has been based for so long. In truth, we may never know; I probably won’t; if I haven’t been able to figure it out by now, I don’t think I have enough time left on this particular plane of existence to do so. Perhaps, after I have gone on to the next great adventure, the answers will be made clear; then again, anything, at all, can be no more than speculation, thus, exercising again that imagination… I’ve figured out enough to not believe anything that comes from that source; it tends to be less than real, at least as often as it is more so….
Enough, he cried, enough…. ‘Tis a feast, no more is needed.
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Finishing the rant/discussion above took up all the spare time I had, so, we go with default, as is our wont. This is the original video, which started the whole idea of the organization. All of it is great music, by street musicians, along with the occasional music star to add their talent to the mix. I hope you enjoy it, and take the time to support the organization, which spreads love, and joy, and human kindness in all its branches, now located around the world at their music schools… Check our their website, it’s worth the time….
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Playing For Change
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In case it isn’t clear, this poem, written over four years ago, is a rather complex version of the rant/discussion above, though, at the time, I didn’t know that…. *grin*…. I hope you enjoy it anyway….
Fatal Supplication
But what becomes of our deepest dangerous dreams?
Does fantasy rescue any part of life’s imperiled favor?
Reality becomes but silvery pairs of mismatched teams,
Dining with affable elegance, such diffident waste to savor.
Who decides what sorrows to carry bravely to term?
Will fragrant moments of sanity make hasty manifestation?
Only Time’s patient mutability sends messages so firm,
Yet salient impersonal vexation lends credence to ripe imagination.
Can folly bring out sadness and rampant visions of beauty?
What kindness can be found in distant open relations?
With countless faces the dead disturb with dire impunity,
From separate caches of wisdom come simple stylish privations.
Shall shallow emotion serve to provide such explanations?
When does avaricious intensity assume primary focus?
Plain answers slide softly through with multiple mitigations,
While conceptually indignant concepts engage a fatally personal locus.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/20/2012
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I’m in a bit of a hurry, for reasons I explained above, so, we’re filling in the final section with a group of pearls from an archived Pearl, which, oddly enough, fits right in with today’s post…. Go figure, eh? At any rate, it’s a good way to finish this off with some aplomb, if not complete dignity…. Enjoy!….
From 9/7/2012:
Having just spent three hours (okay, I exaggerated…. only two….) searching in vain for a pearl to finish with, I became incensed with frustration, and rather than scare my new neighbors with a verbal outburst, I calmly set a parameter, and collected the following pearls on one subject, to wit: human nature…. As far as I can tell, all of them rate a solid 10 on the truth scale….. As always, just follow the bouncing thought as it explores your own inner self….
“The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth–that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one.” — H. L. Mencken
“The ultimate evil is the weakness, cowardice, that is one of the constituents of so much human nature. When, rarely, unalloyed nobility does occur, its chances of prevailing are slim. Yet it exists, and its mere existence is reason enough for not wiping the name of mankind off the slate.” — John Simon
“We are all terrible little creatures.” — Martin Amis
“The tragedy and the magnificence of Homo sapiens together rise from the same smoky truth that we alone among the animal species refuse to acknowledge natural law.” — Robert Ardrey, _The Social Contract_
“Man, were he not corrupted by Governments, is naturally the friend of Man, and that human nature is not of itself vicious.” — Thomas Paine
“I think we’re all Bozos on this Bus!” — Firesign Theater
Now I feel better….. and I hope you do, as well….
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Okay!…. That went well, for a change. This is one I put a lot into; in a certain sense, it might be considered an iconic Pearl, a representative of all Pearls, with an example of all of what I do. Of course, I don’t see it addressing any of the ‘why’ I do it, but, hey, we can’t have everything. At least, not all at once; that’s a bit much to expect…. At this point, you may expect your day to continue, and, in that, you’d be right. You see, this one is at an end; at least, as far as I can make it so. Since I can feel it slipping away from me, I’ll just say this…. See ya, ffolkes. I’ll be back, in a day, or possibly two, depending on how efficiently I can deal with the demands upon me set by what is happening out in the Big Blue Room. Should be an interesting week; lets get started on it, ‘kay? ‘Kay! Be cool, be strange, be alert, and most of all, keep those thinking caps close at hand….
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 