“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”
~~ Han Suyin, “A Many Splendored Thing” ~~
Ben from the other side….
Hajime…. It’s going to be a busy day here in the neighborhood, I think. Yesterday, both Leelu and I spent most of the day in desert predator mode, holding as still as possible, for as long as possible, in order to deal with the oppressive heat with which our planet is currently gifting us. ‘Twas only around 90, but, the humiture was so high, the sweat wouldn’t evaporate; this neutralizes our personal cooling systems, putting us at the mercy of the layer of still, hot air….. I had to go nudist, just to cope, which isn’t a mental image I’d wish on anyone…. Today is supposed to be cooler, but, we’ll see what Murphy has to say on that before committing to any feelings of relief….
That said, to our usual lack of clear purpose, and, given the reluctance my dB is showing today, we’d best get on with the rest of this, before all chance of getting done has gone wherever such things go. I did manage to put together a decent old-school pearl for your enjoyment/confusion, so, all will be well as it can be, as long as Reality doesn’t overreact. It happens sometimes, but, let’s plan for the worst, and hope for the best, ‘kay? ‘Kay!… On that particularly weird note, let’s get on with it….
Shall we pearl?….
“It’s like deja-vu, all over again.”
~~ Yogi Berra ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Turn left at Death….
*******
“The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.”
~~ Publius Syrus — Maxim 511 ~~
*******
“Living Dead
the path is chosen,
to live forever is to die forever.
To not know when you’ll die
is to find life
wherever you are.”
~~ Alagad ~~
*******
“(Someone once said) …time is the fire in which we burn.”
~~ Soran, Star Trek: Generations ~~
*******
“By concentrating the thoughts, one can fly.
By concentrating the desires, one falls.”
~~ Leonardo Da Vinci, “The Secret of the Golden Flower” ~~
*******
“Get up one more time than they knock you down…
Don’t just stand there.”
~~ Steadfast Bee ~~
*******
“Truckin’, like the do-dah man
Once told me “Gotta play your hand.
Sometimes your cards ain’t worth a dime
If you don’t lay’em down.”
Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me;
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it’s been.”
~~ Truckin’ by Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Hunter ~~
*******
“Faboo!, Would you like to see me make bubbles with my spit?””
~~ Wakko Warner
*******
********************************
Well, it’s done, and, done as well as can be expected, under the circumstances, which are too complex to relate, but, compelling nonetheless. At this point in time, I feel my hold on reality slipping, so, let’s go post, so I can fade back into a less-than-fully-conscious state of mind, which seems to work best for enduring the heat….. In spite of the obvious handicaps under which we operate, we fully intend to return tomorrow, sans the royal ‘we’…. See ya, ffolkes…. Be cool; it’s strange out there….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“But groundless hope, like unconditional love, is the only kind worth having.”
~~EFF co-founder John Perry Barlow ~~
~~ “Cynthia Horner’s Eulogy”, Apr. 1994 ~~
Signs of autumn….
Hajime…. Though it is true that hope springs eternal, it is also true that Murphy lies in wait. I’d hoped, when I sat this morning to begin, there would be time, and wherewithal, to put together an entire, modern Pearl, as seen here a mere two months ago. However, SB decided to go wonky on me, which slowed down the pearling process from the get-go. Then, I tried to find enough angst to rant, and was both pleased and dismayed to find none. That, ffolkes, is a first, and positive evidence of Murphy’s intransigent sense of humor. Hmph….
Since the original intent is now irrelevant, I suppose I’ll just do what I can to put together a good, solid, old-school pearl for your perusal, and call it a day. Hey, it’s a Sunday; I can pretend I’m taking a day off. Of course, I’ve already pulled the covers on that, but, what do you think? Is it worth a shot? In today’s world, truth doesn’t seem to possess much value, in terms of getting what one wants; fulfilling one’s desires seems to be our cultural goal as humans, seems to me.
Since I’m fully in the grasp of the wisdom of Epictetus today, I’ll forgo joining the cultural parade, by NOT lying to get what I want. Instead, I’ll merely observe how to obtain the ultimate human goals, to wit:
Sounds like good advice. How about we follow it, & get on with the rest of today’s mess? I think that’s fine idea, and so do you….
Shall we pearl?….
“The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Koans on parade….
*******
“I stared into the abyss. The abyss stared into me.
Neither of us liked what we saw.”
~~ Zen Bee ~~
*******
“What is reason?
Knowledge informed by sympathy, intelligence in the arms of love.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“We cannot unthink unless we are insane.”
~~ Arthur Koestler ~~
*******
“Life without the courage for death is slavery.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“Not to laugh, not to lament, not to curse, but to understand.”
~~ Spinoza ~~
*******
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret;
it is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~
*******
“If you understand, things are as they are.
If you do not understand, things are as they are.”
~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~
*******
*******************************
I’d say that is just about as done as it can be. Given my position as the blog’s author and administrator, that means, hey, it’s done. How ’bout that, eh? I think, at this point, it would be best to take our leave, before anything untoward can take place. I will offer the standard caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, so, stay alert. As they say, mindful is good…. Well, they say it around here, anyway…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes. Can’t seem to find a valid reason to stay away….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!”
~~ (The Beatles) I Am The Walrus ~~
A well-earned rest….
Hajime…. Apparently, the muse responsible for stimulating my creativity didn’t get the memo. I’m now capable of sitting long enough to do a bit of writing, but, can she be found? No. I’m pretty sure she got sidetracked by Murphy, who delights in seeing me experience frustration; he probably talked her into a week in Mexico, or somewhere else far away from wherever I’m sitting. Now, here I am, once again staring blankly at a screen covered in a vast white plain of fear, wondering what the hell I’m going to do now…..
Ah, well, so be it. I refuse categorically to go back to tricks, or traps, or nonsense, or even Piffle, to fill up this intro section; don’t ask me why. Not that I wouldn’t tell you, but, we’d be here forever trying to justify that which cannot be justified. But, then, reality doesn’t much care about justification; we humans are the only ones who seem to put any credence in it. But, I digress, as usual…
Screw it, he said, with feeling. Let’s just get on with it, since there isn’t a lot to get to. The poem I’m gestating isn’t ready, apparently, so, we’ll all have to make do with the handful of pearls I found, & be happy with that. Since there is now hope for more time to write, I’ll show a bit of faith in the process, (unnatural as it may be, for me), & hope for more in the near future… For now, let’s just do this….
Shall we pearl?….
“The only people for me are the mad ones,
the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved,
desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars…”
~~ Jack Kerouac, “On the Road” ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Finding the center…
*******
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“”I say that a man must be certain of his morality
for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, 8/4/06 ~
*******
“The question was put to him, what hope is;
and his answer was, “The dream of a waking man.”
~~ Diogenes Laertius — Aristotle, xi ~~
*******
“Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way in the answer.”
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~
*******
“All virtue is summed up in dealing justly.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
*******
********************************
Well, ffolkes, there you have it. A classic style Pearl, short, sweet, but complete. I hold out hope for the future, so, let’s go out and find it, shall we? I’ll be back to try this again, perhaps with a bit more to say. One may hope, after all…. See ya….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. I no longer have a routine. In fact, this whole process seems to have lost its basic structure, leaving me adrift on a sea of words. Add in the physical & mental issue with which I’ve come to accept as my lot in life, & one begins to see a pattern of change, from a life lived large, to one lived along defined lines of limitation, in a physical sense, if in no other. Hmph. Can’t say I’m real happy about it, but, once the bees are in the hive, the honey’s going to flow, right?
Now I’ve created a completely nonsensical metaphor, or euphemism, take your pick, I think today’s collection of pearls is going to have to carry the day. I don’t know exactly what they’re trying to say, but, it must be worthwhile, for they just wouldn’t go away, no matter how many times I tried to make them. One of the lessons I’ve learned is not to fight with reality so much, so, we’re just going to let it go, as is, & hope for the best. In fact, that’s probably a good way to describe today’s Pearl, altogether. So be it….. In fact, so be it, now….
Shall we pearl?….
“Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth.
When perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed;
nor has anyone who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth,
any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.”
~~ Tacitus ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Follow the bouncing ideas…
*******
“If I am Sophocles, I am not mad; and if I am mad, I am not Sophocles.”
~~ Sophocles — Vit, Anon, p. 64 (Plumptre’s Trans.) ~~
*******
“An honest god is the noblest work of man.
… God has always resembled his creators.
He hated and loved what they hated and loved
and he was invariably found on the side of those in power.
… Most of the gods were pleased with sacrifice,
and the smell of innocent blood has ever been considered a divine perfume.”
~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~
*******
“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?”
~~ Leia to Luke during first rescue. (Star Wars) ~~
*******
“Although our information is incorrect, we do not vouch for it.”
~~ Satie ~~
*******
“Happiness is not a reward-it is a consequence.
Suffering is not a punishment-it is a result.”
~~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~~
*******
“Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore
avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.”
~~ Socrates ~~
*******
.. here I am in 53 B.C. and all I want is a dill pickle!!
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
*******
********************************
Well, there you go. It’s all clear as a bell to me, so, y’all can figure it out, or let it percolate until it’s done, whereupon it will slap you upside your head, & be on it’s merry way. In the meantime, I’m going to go look for a routine to follow. I’ll let you know how it goes, upon my return, tomorrow…. You may regard that as a threat, or a promise, your choice. I’ll see you then, ffolkes, either way….
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 need anything just whistle.
You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve?
Just put your lips together and blow.”
~~ Lauren Bacall, “To Have and Have Not” ~~
Condescending to pose….
Hajime…. It’s a Sunday today, not that it means much to me. Since retiring, and being handed the controls to my schedule, which day of the week we currently inhabit isn’t particularly relevant, other than how it affects where I might go, as many businesses aren’t open. Beyond that, it really has no meaning for me, in terms of how I need to deal with real time decisions. In today’s reality, it only means this is the day I should have been able to visit my grandson; the reality of my physical status has once again made it moot, as I have been forced into the conclusion I am no longer physically able to drive a car.
Oh, I can still perform the necessary actions; the problem lies in how that affects my spine and hips, to wit: it causes severe, sharp pain in both, after only a mile or two of in-town driving. I could try to adjust, but, it seems clear it just isn’t in the picture any longer, for the price I pay to do it is way more than I can afford to pay. An hour’s drive time doesn’t seem worth three days in bed, somehow…. So, I’m again compelled to find new ways to do things I used to do without having to think about it at all. Pain in the bloody arse, that’s for damn sure….
Now I’ve offered up my complaints, I’ll forgo further such indulgence, in favor of completing today’s Pearl. It’s not quite what it used to be, but, it’s not bad, I think. Y’all make the decision on that, anyway, so, all I have to do it get it online to find out. Since sitting isn’t my friend, I’ll get that done, so I can deal with the resultant consequences in private. Today, that means a bit of sadness, at having to miss yet another visit…. SIGH…. getting old’s getting old, y’know?…..
Shall we pearl?….
“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe,
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings
as something separated from the rest
–a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison,
restricting us to our personal desires
and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free from this prison
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.”
~~ Albert Einstein ~~
********************************
Naked Pearl
All you really need to know, right here….
“The world, Govinda, is not imperfect or slowly evolving along a long path to perfection. No, it is perfect at every moment; every sin already carries grace within it, all small children are potential old men, all sucklings have death within them, all dying people — eternal life. It is not possible for one person to see how far another is on the way; the Buddha exists in the robber and the dice player; the robber exists in the Brahmin. During deep meditation it is possible to dispel time, to see simultaneously all the past, present and future, and then everything is good, everything is perfect, everything is Brahman. Therefore, it seems to me that everything that exists is good–death as well as life, sin as well as holiness, wisdom as well as folly. Everything is necessary, everything needs only my agreement, my assent, my loving understanding; then all is well with me and nothing can hurt me. I learned through my body and soul that it was necessary for me to sin, that I needed lust, that I had to strive for property and experience nausea and the depths of despair in order to learn not to resist them, in order to learn to love the world, and no longer compare it with some kind of desired imaginary world, some imaginary vision of perfection, but to leave it as it is, to love it and be glad to belong to it. These, Govinda, are some of the thoughts that are in my mind.” — Hermann Hesse, _Siddartha_
********************************
Blithely Untitled
A poem came to me today, willy, nilly,
along with a sharp blow to the head.
Since it left me feeling just a bit silly,
anything that rhymes should lessen the dread.
Manifesting destiny into a small, insidious group
we push on toward sanity, concentrating hard.
Full engaging moments spent navigating the loop
shall ever make a difference to victims found in the yard.
Still corpses of creatures, straight out of nightmare
fill up the corners of our tortured minds.
While ever saddened, the iconic male, most debonair,
gazes softly, ironically, at all the mutual interest he finds.
Moronic public statutes compel outbreaks of sanity,
responding to momentary impulses toward inducing peace.
Still, the motions get completed, in fertile stages of inanity
while the bulk of our inmates can find no surcease.
Reluctant motivation to continue is unbound,
striving to ascertain how far there yet remains to go.
No precognitive guesswork will make any less of a sound
to soften the final strains, or teach us to truly know.
~~ gigoid ~~
9/10/2014
********************************
The title of today’s Pearl is more relevant than usual, if only because it is the simplest way for me to express my feelings of mistrust toward our ‘governors’. In essence, it is a mini-rant, in one pithy statement, implying both the problem, and the solution. I guess that makes this a rather special Pearl, in its own quiet way…. I’ll take it. And, so will you, at least for now. I’ll try again tomorrow, most likely. I don’t seem to be able to stop myself…. See y’all then, mes amis….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
Hajime…. The good news is two-fold; I’m definitely feeling better, well enough to sit, with proper alignment, for up to 15 or 20 minutes. Also, I can feel a poem in there, percolating. The other face of these events, sad to say, is less positive; sitting remains problematic after a time, and the poem isn’t ready to bleed out yet. I figure Murphy’s got his eye on things, and will screw them up, best he can, but, not going to worry about that, since that’s par for the course. I’ll try to be patient, & stay with the program, just in case there’s an opportunity to stick it to HIM for a change. Fat chance, right?
I’m unsure as to how much time I’ve got to get this done; my back is good to go, but, always on edge to complain. To forgo having to give up altogether, I’m going to piece this together quickly, & be done with it for the day, hoping for more time tomorrow. Not like me to depend on chance, but, what can one do in the face of such conundrum? Going with the flow seems like the safest path to take, and, by gosh, we’re taking it. Not only will we do so, we’ll do it now, for luck…. Luck’s about the only chance we have, so, let’s go find it…..
Shall we pearl?….
“The function of an ideal is not to be realized but
like that of the North Star, to serve as a guiding point.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Sublimated Rant
*******
“A short saying oft contains much wisdom.”
~~ Sophocles — Aletes, Frag. 99 ~~
*******
“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”
~~ Voltaire ~~
*******
“…You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
~~ Bob Dylan, from “Subterranean Homesick Blues” 1967 ~~
*******
“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”
~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~
*******
“They begin with making falsehood appear like truth,
and end with making truth itself appear like falsehood.”
~~ Shensione ~~
*******
“The human mind is a dangerous plaything, Boys.
When it’s used for Evil, watch out!
But when it’s used for Good, things are much… nicer.”
~~ the Tick ~~
*******
“I know a lot of people without brains who do an awful lot of talking.”
~~ The Scarecrow, Wizard of Oz ~~
*******
********************************
Accentuated Lessons
Bold statements of calculated intent
Become common rule of the malcontent.
Avarice assumes such attractive wear
Beguiling deception, illusory and fair.
Grasping and pulling with ghostly hands
Legally proper in all the signatory lands.
Seeking and finding each vulnerable soul
Anguish as payment for exacting the toll.
Wraiths of commerce’s invisible dead guards
Still haunt the dreams left in sad empty yards.
While absentee nobles sit in stiffly elegant splendor
Served by sad-faced detainees in abject surrender.
Escape from reality is illusory at best
Often we falter and fail its daily test.
Only when focused on inner strength
Does peace stay with us for any length.
Peace lies within, always…..
~~ gigoid ~~
12/6/2013
********************************
One of these days, I’m going to learn HTML; the things it does might just make more sense if I knew the language. SIGH…. Formatting issues aside, hopefully fixed, it’s done. To keep from blowing it up entirely, I’ll end it here, with the usual caveat. I’ll be back, and that’s all the warning you’ll get…. See ya, ffolkes….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”
~~ Basho ~~
Enjoying it WAY too much….
Hajime…. It’s late getting posted, and, it’s not much, but, hey…. it got done, & that’s what counts in the blog world. Plus, it gives me the chance to post this picture, one I find much solace in having taken myself. I’m not even sure WHY it is such a good feeling; must have something to do with the elegance of the elephant’s pose; the sheer dignity overwhelms my sense of irony, I guess. Whatever the case may be, there it is, and ain’t she just the picture of fun? Well, she’s having fun, anyway….
Speaking of fun, let’s go post this, and try to get out there to have some it it ourselves today; what do you say? Sound like a plan? Well, alrighty then…. Since I can’t hear your responses anyway, I guess I’ll quit the bullshit, and go get this slow on the toad. Yeah, that’s the ticket….
Shall we pearl?….
“Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Stolen Child” ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Just stuff to remember….
********
Freedom begins between the ears.
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
*******
“What we do for ourselves dies with us.
What we do for others and the world
remains and is immortal.”
~~ Albert Pine ~~
*******
“There is no method except yourself.”
~~ Harold Bloom ~~
*******
“It is the mark of an educated mind
to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
*******
“Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.”
~~ Grace Hansen ~~
*******
********************************
Since I seem unable to rant, whether because of inability to sit long enough, or, lack of organization, matters not; it’s not getting done. Here’s a poem I wrote earlier this year to sublimate the urge to rant, which serves nicely today, to fulfill our need…. I hope you enjoy it….
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
********************************
That will have to do for today, ffolkes. Though the process seems to hold up to our new format, there are still some bugs that need to be worked out. I’ll try to work on that, in time to return tomorrow, same Bat-time, same Bat-station…. Count on it….
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…. I faded away yesterday, having decided to honor the holiday by refusing to do any work. Yes, I’m an odd duck. Nonetheless, I’m back today, though without any real clue as to why I’m so inclined. However, blogging is much like being president of this country, though without the need to lie with every other word. Ooh, that was almost mean; too bad my insult button is worn out, isn’t it? I think I’ll just eat some worms.
I seem to have lost my muse; it’s that, or I’m rusty from disuse. I suppose the only thing to do is get on with the pearls for today, & be done with it. Considering the amount of material I’ve posted in the last five years, a few short Pearls won’t alter the overall picture much. To save us all some time, and probably money, (not that I care a whit), we’ll get on with that right now. Since trimming the format, no tricks are needed to get us where we need to go. Now, I just say this….
Shall we pearl?….
“There is no system so perfect no one needs to be good.”
~~ T. S. Eliot ~~
********************************
Naked Pearls
Stuff to remember….
*******
“Inquiry is fatal to certainty.”
~~ Will and Ariel Durant ~~
*******
“There is nothing new under the sun,
but there are lots of old things we don’t know yet.”
~~ Ambrose Bierce ~~
*******
“Happiness is the only good,
reason the only torch,
justice the only worship,
humanity the only religion,
and love the only priest.”
~~ Robert G. Ingersoll ~~
*******
“A good example is the best sermon.”
~~ H. Jackson Brown ~~
*******
“A good laugh is sunshine in a house.”
~~ William Makepeace Thackeray ~~
*******
“Know how to listen,
and you will profit
even from those who talk badly.”
~~ Plutarch ~~
*******
“If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence,
try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.”
~~ Bix Bender ~~
*******
********************************
Having reached the minimum standards, we’ll cease and desist. Y’all never thought to see such efficiency here, did you? I know I didn’t. But, regardless of any such minor considerations, I’m determined to go ahead & post it anyway. Go figure, right? You see, this gives me the chance to say, yet again, I’ll be back. In fact, I don’t think there’s much anyone can do to stop me; I am my only enemy. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, given a fair wind & a rising tide…..
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“I know who I am. Sometimes you go away, but I’m still here.”
~~ Everyone, always… ~~
Sunrise/Sunset
Hajime…. All things considered, this might just work. Some ruthlessness is called for, but, being human, that’s not an issue. The pearls, naturally, take care of themselves. Provided I can come up with just enough to say, this should do well, or, at minimum, do. Nothing more to do but, smile, smile, smile, and be on our way, sans delay. It’s day one of a new beginning, so, what say we head out, and start enjoying it? I think that’s a SWELL idea…
Shall we pearl?….
“Few people have the imagination for reality.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
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“Belief is the death of intelligence.”
~~ Robert Anton Wilson ~~
*******
“As the tempest and the thunder affect not the sun or the stars,
but spend their fury on stones and trees below;
so injuries ascend not to the Soul of the great,
but waste themselves on such as are those who offer them.”
~~ Akhenaton? (c. B.C. 1375) ~~
*******
“The problem with aging
is that you stuffing starts to come out.
You don’t have the youth, looks and energy
to keep stuffing the feelings you tried to hide.
To grow old is to face who you are
behind the mask you created in youth
face the spirit which lives in a decaying body.”
~~ Callan Williams ~~
*******
“I dreamed a thousand new paths… I woke and walked my old one.”
~~ Chinese proverb ~~
*******
“For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
It is never too late to start doing what is right.
Never.”
~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~
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“Is an atheist church a non-prophet organization?”
~~ Smart Bee ~~
That should do for a first try. I like the last quote from SB; it’s a good ending, don’t you think? No? Oh well. So be it. We’re done here, so, regardless of anyone’s contrary opinion, we’re outta here. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, as long as the center holds….
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.
“It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that.”
~~ G. H. Hardy ~~
Random Kirk ~~ Greenock, Scotland
Hajime…. Evolution is an implacable process, regardless of what point on the scale at which one resides. Those who have the most experience in observing the process, as we all must, from the inside, have no distinct advantage over those brand new to its principles of reality based requirements, otherwise known as parameters. In short, age is no defense against the universe; the laws which regulate its operation are equally applicable to the young, the old, and the foolish. Go figure, eh?
During this most recent vacation from blogging, I’ve been forced to read more, stand more, and write less, as the time needed to transfer my thoughts onscreen has been too much to tolerate. This morning seems to have brought me a bit of space, hence this intro section, composed while I am able….
This inability to spend any consistent time at writing continues; what you see above is from two days ago. As is patently clear by now, it’s making it hard to keep the material from looking and feeling weird to me, chopped up & rustic, rather than smooth and elegant. Of course, elegance is a goal for which I often shoot, but, seldom hit; it sounds good though, doesn’t it?
The above, in retrospect, teaches me this; things will have to change, if I intend to continue blogging. How those changes look has yet to be discovered. For now, we’ll go with what I’ve managed to put together, and, hope for the best…. Without further discussion, we’ll go do that now….
Shall we pearl?….
“I leapt headlong into the sea,
and thereby have become better acquainted
with the soundings, the quicksands, and the rocks,
than if I had stayed upon the green shore,
and piped a silly song, and took tea and comfortable advice.”
~~ John Keats ~~
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Having listened to this concerto many times, I can attest it is perfectly suited for reading with blogs…. So, enjoy!…..
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W.A. Mozart Concerto for Flute & Harp
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“All warfare is based on deception.”
~~ Sun Tzu (ca. 500 BC) ~~
For more than three weeks now, I’ve been unable to sit long enough to write. Moreover, it isn’t looking as if that is ever going to change; if it does, it won’t be soon. This acknowledgment of reality is hard for me, but, inescapable. Not being able to vent is, without doubt, a serious conundrum, about which I haven’t a clue as how to fix; the building pressure is becoming dangerous, & not just to me. Critical mass is approaching, and nobody likes nuclear explosions….
The quote you see above from The Art of War is, in many ways, always a good place to begin a rant, yet, I am unable to take advantage long enough to put anything together, thanks to the onset of excruciating pain after about three minutes of sitting, requiring me to get up, & move about until it passes, or, worse, to lie down until the pain is manageable. It’s making a serious dent in my serenity, to be sure. It is also making it necessary to once again transform Pearls of Virtual Wisdom into a new, or, rather, old configuration….
“He knew that insofar as one denies what is, one is possessed by what is not, the compulsions, the fantasies, the terrors that flock to fill the void.” — Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Lathe of Heaven”
I cannot deny the pain; I must adjust. So, long story short, from this day forward, until further notice, the Pearls you see will resemble the first one published here; an introductory statement or two, followed by the day’s selection of pearls for your edification and glad consumption. Until my condition allows me to sit long enough to actually compose, that’s about all I can promise to get done. It’s not up to the standards I’ve since adopted, but, those standards no longer apply.
Otherwise, I would have to stop writing completely; I’m not ready to give that up, nor am I willing to give up the people I’ve met here, who have become like family…. So, I’ll be around, if less often, and less copiously…. All you can do is all you can do, as we know….
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s introspective, and hope y’all will continue to drop in now & again to say howdy, or just enjoy the pearls. For the nonce, that will have to do, for all of us….
gigoid has spoken….. So be it….
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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 ~~
9/26/2012
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large
*******
“Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
*******
“It is ridiculous to lay the blame of our wrong actions upon external causes,
rather than on the facility with which we ourselves are caught by such causes.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
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“Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Beauty.”
~~ Ancient Hippie proverb ~~
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“Really to see the sun rise or go down every day…would preserve us sane forever.”
~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~
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“Good enough is never good enough.”
~~ AB Guthrie ~~
*******
“Kindness is more important than wisdom,
and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.”
~~ Theodore Isaac Rubin ~~
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Well, it took two weeks to put this together, but, it’s done. Hopefully, with the changes in format I’m planning, more Pearls will be forthcoming. Our elegant invention, Time, will tell, I’m sure. Since I’m nearing my three-minute limit, I’m going to end this & go post, before I am unable to do so, again. I WILL be back; that’s a promise, which is never made lightly. Hopefully, I’ll also be able to go surfing soon, to make up for all the time I’ve lost visiting my friends’ blogs…. For now, we’ll take our leave, with our usual caveat, to wit: even reality has to take a breath now and then. Whatever that means…. 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 