“Every ordinary moment, every little detail should be
a celebration of your personal understanding.
Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.”
~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~
Hajime…. While the picture is quite accurately descriptive of my state of mind today, the quote remains far beyond my current ability to either achieve, or even fully embrace. Sometime during the day, yesterday, I fell back into the dark hole which is always hidden near my feet, ready to swallow me if I somehow step too close. No work got done, no resolutions were reached, and no hope was found, not that hope ever does us much good. In this frame of mind, hope merely offers another opportunity for disappointment & angst; most of us who dwell here often find it unbearable….
Needless to say, a fresh Pearl isn’t in the works for today. I will be, through out today, putting one together, as the process of doing so can help me climb a bit closer to the light…. Whether or not this will work well enough to help remains, as usual, unpredictable; the effort, if nothing else, will at least keep the worst of it at bay…. I’ll return, though probably not soon enough to suit my inner well of angst, which is always impatient with me. Go figure…. In any case, I’ve got nothing, beyond what you now see. ‘Twill have to do….
As is my wont to say at such times, so be it. Y’all stay well, & happy as you may be…. I’ll be back as soon as I can find my way back to relative stability…. No worries; I’ve been here before….
Shall we NOT Pearl?…. Aye, we’ll not….
“A time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
~~ Ecclesiastes 3:4 ~~
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Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“There are many intelligent species in the universe.
They are all owned by cats.”
~~ Encyclopedia Galactica ~~
Tower watch duty….
Hajime…. Although I did notice the stock market didn’t crash, I’m sure there was some sort of reaction to my total absence from the net yesterday. And, although that reaction wasn’t terribly noticeable, I’ll forgo any such event today, by posting this, in lieu of a complete Pearl…. Basically, what’s going on is a personal melt-down. Perhaps this old quote from Herr Nietzsche will help explain just why I have been so inconsistent of late in getting these Pearls done…. or, for that matter, anything else…. Just imagine the following as my Facebook status, & you’ll get the picture….
“He who fights with monsters might take care,
lest he thereby become a monster.
And if you gaze for long into an abyss,
the abyss gazes also into you.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil” IV, 146 ~~
Get the picture? No? Well, I’m afraid, for this once, that’s all you’re gonna get. I’m at a loss to explain that in which I am embroiled, not surprising, given that I’m also at a loss as to explain any of it to myself; I imagine that’s part of the problem here. Nevertheless, finding my way to some sort of stable ground on which to stand has become my priority, at least for today. I’ll say this; it’s not exactly what I’d call fun, but, it will, I suppose, keep me occupied for the time being. Let us hope that will be sufficient to maintain the integrity of the space-time continuum for another day or two, until I can get a better handle on things…. The alternative, as you well know, is unthinkable….
Normally, at this point, I’d say “Shall we Pearl?”, & we’d be off to the races. Today, we’re just off, with the standard caveat, to wit: I’ll be back. I can’t say exactly when that might be, but, it will happen, you may be sure…. I’ll find some serenity, and then the words can flow again… Until then, be well, & safe, & try to avoid what I’m going through, if you can; I can think of easier, better ways to find peace….
“Words are,
in my not so humble opinion,
our most inexhaustible source of magic,
capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”
~~ J. K. Rowling, spoken by Albus Dumbledore ~~
~~ Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows ~~
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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.
“To be willing to die for an ideal is to set a rather high price on conjecture.”
— Anatole France ~~
B&B, Galway Bay, Ireland…
Hajime…. Yesterday morning, I tried to update a program that was asking me to do so. This, apparently, was a mistake, for ever since clicking the button to agree, my computer has been giving me fits. Long story made short, it’s still doing so. To keep from becoming any more pissed off than I’ve already managed thus far, I’m cutting the intro short, filling in where necessary to complete the parts of today’s post, and getting on with the rest of the day, which will, I imagine, involve a lot of geeking to try to bring the computer back into full functionality. Usually, that’s great fun for me, but, so far, it hasn’t been, as all I’ve done seems to have worsened the problem, as yet unidentified…. SIGH…. damn Microsoft!…
As noted above, this will be short. How short? Precisely this short….
Shall we Pearl?
“Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better
Some other time it will all work out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer;
You know who you are and what you want.
There is no need to turn outside
For better seeing.
Rather abide at the center of your being
For the more you leave it
The less you learn.
Search your own heart and see
the way to do is to be.”
~~ Lao Tzu ~~
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☬
From 6/9/11:
Ffolkes,
Since Frank and Ernie couldn’t make it today, you’ll have to settle for my drivel. Of course, it isn’t drivel to me, but that’s subjective, and you are under no obligation, either expressed or by warranty, to consider it anything more than dross. Defining what happens here could be problematic anyway,and we don’t really want to get the lawyers involved, now do we? I didn’t think so….. Now that’s settled, we can get on to what really matters. And that is nothing! Nothing matters, and if it did, we wouldn’t care! We are invincible in our ignorance, and we like it! Life is way too complicated to get involved in it; I’ve decided to just ignore the whole ball of wax. Taking up the mantle of recluse gladly, I go now to dwell among the beasts of the field, who shall be my only companions.
Enough…..letting my mind loose this early in the morning can get out of hand quickly; last time I ended up in some dive in MexiCali, with a bad hangover and a new tattoo. We’d best get down to business before anything similar happens.
Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite historical figures, and ends up on these pages fairly frequently, because he had a unique view of the world at large, and a wonderful way of expressing that view. Today, we present an all-Oscar group, just because he’s so cool……..
“Reality is a crutch for people who can’t handle buttons.” — Smarmy Bee (Whoops, how did that get there?……oh well, just go on….pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…..)
“I suppose there are now few survivors among the people who had the delight of hearing Oscar Wilde talk. Of these I am one… That his talk was mostly monologue was not his own fault. His manners were very good; he was careful to give his guests or his fellow-guests many a conversational opening; but seldom did anyone respond with more than a very few words. Nobody was willing to interrupt the music of so magnificent a virtuoso. To have heard him consoles me for not having heard Dr Johnson or Edmund Burke.” — Max Beerbohm
“The basis for optimism is sheer terror.” — Oscar Wilde
“I can believe anything, provided it is incredible.” — Oscar Wilde
“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” — Oscar Wilde
After the first night of one of Oscar Wilde plays, an ill-wisher handed him a cabbage. Unruffled, Wilde sniffed it appreciatively and said: “Thank you, my dear fellow. Every time I smell it, I shall be reminded of you.”
“Long engagements give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which is never advisable.” — Oscar Wilde
“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” — Oscar Wilde
“Experience is the name that everyone gives to their mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde
“Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others.” — Oscar Wilde
Whoa! I didn’t realize how many of his gems I had stored away…..but hey, well worth it. I only wish I could have been around to hear him hold forth……. y’all take care out there….
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Due to the aforementioned computer issues, we’re going with default where necessary. It turns out, necessary extends into nearly every function I ask it to complete. Hence, our choice today to include another collection of classical tunes. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music
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Unbidden, treasure unfolded…
Taken by surprise, Psyche sits numb
Amidst tall phrases worn of elder time
Seeking a not-new place from which to come
No shiny new horizon, nor altered paradigm.
Sudden regrets shape dreams as times maintain
Shades of memories bring poignant clear sight
Visions of duty, each chosen wild campaign
Shouts echoing clamors to enfold the night.
Arisen from less than eternal havens of sleep
Facing moments created in torment and pain
Destiny weighs upon those chosen to keep
As the sparrow flies now to sever the twain.
Faded pathways lead away, hazy and long
Burned out verges, so long unknown
Images of yesterday, clear and strong
Bleed into today, though ’tis but my own……
~~ gigoid ~~
6/13/2012
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Thanks to the computer issues of which we have already spoken, Smart Bee, and Arthur, too, are being persnickety, to the point of obtuseness. To keep us on track, it became necessary to raid old Pearls for today’s post. Here is one from WAY back in time, before I had a clue how to deal with WP…. I’ve edited it a bit, just to format it into the current motif. I hope you enjoy it, cuz it’s what there is today….
☬
From 6/8/11:
Ffolkes,
The morning light pours over the far hills, warming air gone still in the night’s cold, with amber drops of dew glistening along the branches of awakening trees, gilding the edges of the day. Birdsong trills, insects hum, as a meandering brook winds through the forest, rushing along in its’ desperate race to the sea. The water babbles as it moves, all the voices blending together into a continuous stream of just-unheard secrets, gravid with meaning. The air begins to move, heated by the burgeoning warmth to swirl through the leaves, adding its’own thoughts, dreams to the chorus thus formed. Thus does the world turn, unheralded, implacable, real. Thus is another pearl born; ask me not how, or why, for I no longer know. Knowing I must is all I know, or need to know….
“If you want to know all about the sea, you go and ask a sailor, or a marine biologist, or an oceanographer, and they can tell you a lot about the sea. But if you go and ask the sea itself, what does it say? Grumble, grumble, swish swish. It is too busy being itself to know anything about itself.” — Ursula K. LeGuin
Leave the past behind;
leave the future behind;
leave the present behind.
Thou are then ready to go to the other shore.
Never more shalt thou return to a life that ends in death.
~~ The Dhamapada (c. B.C. 300) ~~
“It is the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It is the dream afraid of waking
that never takes a chance.
It is the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live.”
~~ Bette Midler, “The Rose” ~~
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be “happy.” I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” — Leo C. Rosten
It may not be Art, but it is Frank, and Earnest….. y’all take care out there…..
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Well, I did it, though I couldn’t say exactly how it happened. I’ll take it, though, and run. Hopefully, I’ll have a successful day in geekland, which will allow us to return tomorrow, when I will have a new, freshly leaked poem, and whatever else I can cobble together to make up the rest of this mess. For now, I’m outta here, & off to geekland…. See ya, ffolkes; wish me luck, if you will… If you won’t, well, so be it…. Ta, then….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.”
~~ Clarence Darrow ~~
Cat skill training….
Hajime…. Good morrow…. As I suspected, events in the real world prevented completing this Pearl, until this morning. Upon arising, more changes in my(our) morning routine were called for to deal with events taking place while I slept. In spite of all that, I find myself sitting here, adjusting like crazy, with just enough time and chutzpah to get it done, with a couple of minor cheats. To maintain the week’s strategy, of ‘going with the flow’, I shall trim ruthlessly, beginning right here in the beginning; it seems my best shot to fulfill my intention, as well as a logical way to do so… Who’d a thunk it? Begin at the beginning, & go on…. Sheer genius, eh?
Well, perhaps not. Nonetheless, I’ll do what I can, which, though probably less than perfect, will be all I can do. Which, naturally, leads into another use of my own favorite axiom, to wit: all you can do is all you can do. On that brief, yet cogent note, I will employ our latest version of the abrupt ending, right here at the beginning, just as if I knew it was the right thing to do….
Shall we Pearl?
“That that is is not that that is not.”
~~ Subtle Bee humor ~~
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Old Guys, Rockin’….
To ensure a pleasant, if not overwhelmingly exciting experience here in our music section, I checked out the included concert by Hot Tuna yesterday…. I can attest, it’s another example of how well these guys’ music has aged over the years. They just keep gettin’ better, in my humble opinion…. Listen, and see if you don’t agree….
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Hot Tuna Live
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I’m tired of my own poetry, & since I’m sure y’all are, as well, here is a classic poem, from a classic author, whose name requires no introduction. It’s one of my favorites of his, but, that means little in regards a poet who wrote so many of my favorites. Arguably one of the best ever, in my opinion, which I would say is shared by anyone who reads poetry…. Enjoy!…
Fergus And The Druid
Fergus. This whole day have I followed in the rocks,
And you have changed and flowed from shape to shape,
First as a raven on whose ancient wings
Scarcely a feather lingered, then you seemed
A weasel moving on from stone to stone,
And now at last you wear a human shape,
A thin grey man half lost in gathering night.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. This would I Say, most wise of living souls:
Young subtle Conchubar sat close by me
When I gave judgment, and his words were wise,
And what to me was burden without end,
To him seemed easy, So I laid the crown
Upon his head to cast away my sorrow.
Druid. What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?
Fergus. A king and proud! and that is my despair.
I feast amid my people on the hill,
And pace the woods, and drive my chariot-wheels
In the white border of the murmuring sea;
And still I feel the crown upon my head
Druid. What would you, Fergus?
Fergus. Be no more a king
But learn the dreaming wisdom that is yours.
Druid. Look on my thin grey hair and hollow cheeks
And on these hands that may not lift the sword,
This body trembling like a wind-blown reed.
No woman’s loved me, no man sought my help.
Fergus. A king is but a foolish labourer
Who wastes his blood to be another’s dream.
Druid. Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams;
Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round.
Fergus. I See my life go drifting like a river
From change to change; I have been many things —
A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light
Upon a sword, a fir-tree on a hill,
An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,
A king sitting upon a chair of gold —
And all these things were wonderful and great;
But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.
Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow
Lay hidden in the small slate-coloured thing!
~~ William Butler Yeats ~~
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Naked Pearls
Finding the Way…
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“When something is wrong with the river, I will not blame the rock.”
~~ Chris Pirillo~~
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“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then
to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
~~ Bertrand Russell ~~
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“Be careful or be roadkill.”
~~ Calvin, “Calvin and Hobbes” ~~
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“Things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining.”
~~ Frankl ~~
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“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
~~ Aristotle ~~
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“He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”
~~ Confucius. ~~
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“Where the map differs from the terrain, believe the terrain.”
~~ Swedish Army Manual ~~
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Hmm…. Not too shabby. It may be tempting fate to say so, but, it seems Murphy is taking a short break. Before he wakes up & decides to stick his pointy nose into our affairs, I’ll maintain today’s ruthlessly efficient technique by finishing this off quickly. How so? Easy. Watch this….
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 ~~
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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….
********************************
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.
“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.”
~~ Marilyn vos Savant ~~
Irish Cheese Factory, east of Galway…
Hajime…. Good morrow, Gentle Reader(s)…. ‘Twas a minor struggle, but, I have managed to put together a Pearl; while I can’t say it’s the best ever, it is up to snuff; ’nuff said on that. The rant upon which I am working continues to grow beyond all reason, & may require both editing and trimming before it’s ready for consumption. However, we’ve got some rather fine music today, to go along with a nicely obscure little old-school pearl, and a poem, which, though mine, isn’t too shabby. If nothing else, all the elements for an excellent Pearl are in place; whether such status has been reached is a judgment I’m not prepared to make, so, you will have to decide for yourselves….
With that being said, to cover my ass, if not my conscience, I think I’ll just get on with it. Such ruthlessness always seems to work out, though not necessarily with any better results, which remain just about as random as they can be. Go figure, eh? The truth hurts, much of the time; we all have to get used to that. Since this blog is, as far as I can make it, dependent upon truth, we’ll pretend we’ve learned our lesson well, and go with the flow, as indicated. That flow is a fast-running stream today, so, we’ll maximize our utilization practices, & get on with it; fighting the current never works well, anyway. I think we’ll use this old method, which just happens to be laying right over here. Watch this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
~~ William Butler Yeats ~~
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Image from Pinterest via Google Images
Today, I feel my age, thanks to the constant rain…. Well, I’m using that as an excuse, anyway. This pair of artists were both stars in their own right; together, they made magic….
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Ella and Louis
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A dream, weeping….
“Never a dull moment to spare”, he said
with a crooked grin, and a broad wink.
“Can’t keep Reality hanging by a thread….
what would Chaos, or Entropy think?”
So, we plucked up our dreams of old,
to carry us on, in dutiful, strong arms,
stuffed a candle in the remaining fold,
for luck, and perfect proof against charms.
Storms follow the sun, but, never stay;
lessons round every corner, all free.
Past fleeting doubts, in a sad disarray,
the journey becomes the reason to be.
Simple kindness manifests untold riches,
in defiance of common cause’s demise.
Bold courage, hanging in stitches,
mends wounds that come as no surprise.
Still, waters run deep, ’tis said by many.
Too much pain cannot apprehend
the salient, sharp points of epiphany,
nor, plainly, to wisdom aspire to pretend.
Folly dogs even the simplest truth,
fumes of toxic ignorance and bile,
alienated as a loose rotten tooth;
it often hides itself, for a long while.
Sought after eons ago, we cried out,
to believe, to suffer no more doubt.
But found instead good reason,
for love, and truth, from season, to season.
~~ gigoid ~~
8/30/2014
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Naked Pearls
Oddly enough….
*******
“In anything at all,
perfection is finally attained,
not when there is no longer anything to add,
but when there is no longer anything to take away.”
~~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery , Wind, Sand & Stars ~~
*******
“The farther it gets from the bench it was worked on,
the more real the real world becomes.”
~~ Todd Johnson ~~
*******
“You can’t wake a person who is pretending to be asleep.”
~~ Navajo Proverb ~~
*******
“Happy is he who can give himself up.”
~~ Naguib Mahfouz ~~
*******
“If the doors of perception were cleansed
every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.
For man has closed himself up,
till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.”
~~ William Blake, English poet, artist, and mystic ~~
*******
“Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.”
~~ Jean de la Bruyere ~~
*******
“Th’ MIND is the Pizza Palace of th’ SOUL”
~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~
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********************************
Having once again fulfilled the vow made to myself so many years ago, I’ll finish this off with some spare elegance. I will, if all goes well, be back again tomorrow to do this again; one of these days, I might even get it right! Time will tell, the blabbermouth. See ya, ffolkes; Ive got stuff to do, so, I’ll leave you to find your way out by yourselves…. Ta, then….
Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.
“Here pigs will fly, lightning will strike twice,
hell will freeze over, and eventually,
things will get really interesting…”
~~ Sardonic Bee ~~
East Brother Lighthouse B&B off Point Richmond, SF Bay….
Hajime…. Intricate patterns of sanity elude my search; the demons, if not winning, remain ahead in the score, reluctantly kept. Still, I battle on, for there is no one else who may do so for me. Surely, I think, it will change, if I only keep to the path…. but, each turning, each new fork presents more evidence of the battle yet to come, with no hope offered. Hope, of course, is a myth; there is no rescue from reality. So, I battle on, ever seeking peace of mind, if only long enough to catch my inner breath, to regroup, & resume the seemingly unending struggle….
Enough whining. I think it was Plato who remarked, if everyone were to bring their troubles, & place them on a common pile, most would be content, upon viewing the whole, to take their own and return home with them. Since I have, in my mind, done this any number of times, I know it to be true. So, I’ll take my demonic wars, along with my disgust at having to engage in them, at all, & put them into a place in my mind where they won’t bother us, long enough I can get this mess put together. It’s the only humane thing to do, so, I’ll do it….
As most of the elements necessary to do so are in place, I’ll cease any further potentially embarrassing pronouncements, & just get on with it. I’ve developed an excellent technique for just such an occasion, which I shall demonstrate forthwith. It works, oddly enough, just like this….
Shall we Pearl?
A chief event of life
is the day in which we have encountered
a mind that startles us.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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Image from Pinterest, via Google Images
‘Tis yet another day of rain here; having lived four years in the state of Washington, I’m perfectly content to deal with it, as long as it lasts. I must also confess to missing the sunlight, as I’ve always chosen to live in places where there is a preponderance of such days. To combat any discomfort brought on by being confined to quarters by the weather, here is some soothing classical music, my other default choice when out of ideas for what to include in this section. As is my habit, the collection was chosen according to the picture which drew my eye this morning…..Enjoy, if you will…..
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Classical Music
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Gently Came a Wounded Child
But you shall not escape my iambics.
Soft, sinuous patterns of unearthly beauty
blithely commune with sinking stars,
as pale shadows of former virtue hover
near, ever clean, ever tolerant.
These unbidden habits are worn with age and care,
ready now for dissolution,
welcoming gladly the kiss of Death’s handmaiden.
Unknown to all, the child stands aside,
weeping for the lost days of youth,
days that now shall never be,
nor yearned for ever after.
Only darkness shall lay upon the landscape,
cold, hard, eternal.
Such then are the signs and portents
as we enter into the unknown future,
they are grave indeed.
Uncertainty will be our sole companion,
as the search for hope yields no result.
The lamentations of the gods
shall sound the elegy for Man,
who never learned to see the gift that was made,
so many echoes ago, in the hopeful past;
thus will we pass this plane of existence
as we came, baffled and afraid….
~~ gigoid ~~
2/2/2012
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Naked Pearls
Diving deep, to swim in the shallows….
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.”
~~ Epictetus ~~
*******
“A man cannot speak but he judges himself
…no man thoroughly understands a truth until he has contended against it.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
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“There is only one blasphemy, and that is the refusal to experience joy.”
~~ Paul Rudnick ~~
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“The light is reached not by turning back from the darkness, but by going through it.”
~~ Leonard Roy Frank ~~
*******
“I would believe only in a god who could dance.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~~
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“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.”
~~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet ~~
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Given my state of mind upon arising today, it’s good to be done. To avoid spoiling what otherwise could be spoiled, I’ll abjure further attempts to create a compelling final statement, opting, instead, to save us all the bother, just as if it mattered to anyone. On that rather awkward note, I shall bid thee adieu, until tomorrow, when I hope to do better. All we can do is all we can do; since I’ve done all I can, I’m outta here…. See ya, ffolkes, given a fair wind and 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.
“Where there is much light there is also much shadow.”
~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~~
A moment of peaceful contemplation…
Hajime…. Below, y’all will find a Pearl. It’s a good Pearl. It’s been created in the past couple days, bit by bit, as the opportunity to sit arose, or was noted as necessary, if not exactly condoned. Suffice it to say, it’s done, and will do for the nonce. I don’t have anything else to say, really, so, I’ll forgo the usual amount of nonsense, & limit myself to this lone paragraph. Y’all can tell me sometime later whether you think it works, or, not. Of course, that makes the assumption, perhaps without warrant, that I’ll actually pay attention. But, life is full of uncertainty, isn’t it? Why, yes. Yes, it is. For now, what is certain is, I am done with this, and we can now get this slow on the toad…. Watch closely, or, it will shoot right past, without anyone noticing….
Shall we Pearl?
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams.
Who looks inside, awakens.”
~~ Carl Jung ~~
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Edie Brickell
Image from Pinterest via Google Images
Though I’ve heard this lady’s music on the radio, I never pursued any of it beyond that; I see now that was a mistake, for she’s done some rather fine work. In addition, she seems to find a lot of rather excellent musicians to play with her, as well as being married to Paul Simon, not a bad performer himself…. Ah, well, we can’t listen to it all, but, I’ll be listening to her more, for sure…. Enjoy!….
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Edie Brickell & Friends
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Dreaming of Calliope
La belle dame sans merci speaks aloud through endless night,
torturing dreams, with powerful words and stentorian phrases.
Manifest visions bathed in unbearable grace and light,
destroying all direction, standing lost, in unfathomable mazes.
Fate plays a part, one that will never face denial,
as fear and courage eternally vie for ascendancy.
Conflict becomes valid, gifting strength in open trial,
but honest emotion wears no costume so fancy.
Blood, sweat, and tears stroll on avenues of gold,
unlikely heroines heralding as in ancient lore;
Sharp, competent knives cut through tales untold,
eternally shifting reality past the naked shore.
Drifting toward origin, bereft of mandate or cause,
finished, nay, abandoned, tied with a figurative bow.
No simple gift from muses to give comfort or pause,
save that all we need to know, we already know…..
~~ gigoid ~~
12/13/2012
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Naked Pearls
Subtle notes on process & program….
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“First things first, but not necessarily in that order.”
~~ Doctor Who, MEGLOS ~~
*******
“Any fool can know.
The point is to understand.”
~~ Albert Einstein
*******
“We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”
~~ Robert Frost “The Secret Sits” 1936 ~~
*******
“Always store beer in a dark place.”
~~ Lazarus Long
*******
“Are all your stars shining?”
~~ JD Salinger ~~
*******
“I think it’s good that everyone becomes food.”
~~ Hobbes, the Tiger ~~
*******
“It’s a fool’s life,
a rogue’s life,
and a good life
if you keep laughing all the way to the grave.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
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Today’s Pearl is, in at least one respect, a most efficient, and iconic example of the genre. Moreover, I’ll not detract from that pristine nature by waxing overly philosophic, or extensively, here at the end. Instead, I’ll merely say, I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll do it again, soon as I can. Meantime, y’all be alert, stay as happy as you may, & all will be well. How else can it be, but what it is?…..
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.
“How often I found where I should be going
only by setting out for somewhere else.”
~~ R. Buckminster Fuller ~~
Cork, Ireland, looking Northwest
Hajime…. Yes, let it begin…. There are some of those reading this today who may not understand much of the following; there are others who may. All of y’all will need to bear with me, as I attempt to impart my meaning without getting overly pedantic, and, without giving away any information I cannot afford, at this time, to part with at all. This will stretch even my prodigious writing skills to the maximum, (hah! for the irony…), as well as most likely sounding relatively obscure. So be it….
As you may have noted, I was entirely absent yesterday; not only did I not post at all, I made no visits elsewhere to comment, and, other than a couple responses to a Twitter feed, spent very little time online at all. I’m busy dealing with the real world, as many more of us really should be doing. Trust me on this; the common human ability to deny reality will, sooner than anyone knows, or realizes, soon become more than merely an annoying characteristic, as it assumes its actual importance, to wit: our own intransigence is going to kill a very great number of us, sooner than any of us think. That’s a sweeping statement, I know, one many will reject out of hand; but, that’s my point, ffolkes.
You, and me, and every one of humanity’s members, have all been ignoring what is important in reality for a long time, and, the price is about to come due…. You might think I’m being overly worried about stuff that can’t be helped, but, that isn’t the case at all. What I am is pissed off, and sad, and very NOT amused any more. A small percentage of mankind has been misusing their own control of the planet’s resources, which they’ve spent millennia hoarding to assuage their own fears of inadequacy, to the point where they’ve, unilaterally, decided most of the planet’s life forms must die, as they’re just too much bother. Sounds odd when stated out loud, but, no odder than the simple fact they’ve actually managed to do it, right in front of the rest of the idiots who refused to pay attention to what is going on around them….
All that said, without ever coming to enough of a point, I’ll just say, my own absence here is due to my own feeble efforts to come to terms with, not just this, but, my own reaction to the knowledge I have accepted as the current new paradigm, which, like any paradigm, will cause much strife and pain when first changing; change, remember, starts with destruction of the old ways…. The world, like it or not, is going to change, drastically, over the next very short period of time; anyone not able to see, or understand this, is simply not paying attention to the things happening right in your own block. For goodness sake, ffolkes; wherever you are, just look outside; you’ll see the changes happening, as the weather goes madder with each passing month.
That’s enough for now. I don’t know if the time I will need to spend away from doing this will be of any help for anyone, but, I must do so to keep my own head up enough to meet my own eyes in the mirror. I may or may not be posting every day, and the contents will be rather random. But, I’ll be around, if only to continue to use this time, and space, to keep my own level of sanity at a point where it is, at least, my own, & not under the aegis of any other soul or group…. I know, obscure, but, trust me, accurate.
All I have today is what you see below. I’ll be back, when I can pull it together enough to do so…. For now, we’ll do this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Better clean death than dirty life.”
~~ Frank Herbert ~~
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Pearls of Virtual Wisdom
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“Nature does not bestow virtue; to be good is an art.”
~~ Seneca ~~
*******
“The more we study the more we discover our ignorance.”
~~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~~
*******
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play
than in a year of conversation.”
~~ Plato ~~
*******
“What we know is not as important as who we are.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“Courage is not the absence of fear,
but rather the judgment that something else
is more important than fear.”
~~ Ambrose Redmoon ~~
*******
“In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain,
nor anything of this kind is the real cause
of our doing or not doing any action,
but our inward opinions and principles.”
~~ Epictetus — Discourses, Book i, Chap xi ~~
*******
“No human thing is of serious importance.”
~~ Plato ~~
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I’m done for today. I have much to do out in the BBR, so, I’ll get to that. Y’all take care out there. My next post will, perhaps, explain a bit more than this obscure little ditty; we can hope for clarity, yes? Yes. Meantime, stay loose, stay alert, and keep your weapons close at hand…. You’re going to want them soon…..
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…. As noted in yesterday’s post, a battle rages at my house. There have been casualties, on both sides, with no clear victory. For the nonce, a truce has been negotiated, which we hope will last long enough to post this mess, before once again taking up our shields, to re-enter the fray. It’s a tough assignment I’ve assumed, but, nobody else can, or will do it. So, whatever happens here, and now, is what it is, & it will have to do. Hence, the title for today’s effort, which has more to do with reality than we generally allow, or prefer. As noted, it is what it is.
Further, that’s all it is. And, that’s all this is, which, as you see, is done. Well, the intro part, anyway. I’m using my temporary powers to move this along, before I give in to the temptation to try to actually write something memorable. In fact, I’m usurping all routine measures, & going straight to the executive scissors method, which is ugly, but, it’s fast, and leaves no traces. None we’ve been able to find anyway. For now, look over there, & you’ll see it working. Watch close, or you’ll miss it….
Shall we Pearl?
“Reality is a cliche from which we escape by metaphor.”
~~ Wallace Stevens ~~
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I used this collection a few days ago, and liked it so well, I’m using it again. If you listen all the way through, you’ll end up hearing music from most of the movies with which you grew up…. It’s all in there, ffolkes. Enjoy….
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Classical Music
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Platitudes for Attitudes
Platitudes shake us, attitudes break us.
Life can be a real pain, y’know?
Still, if we don’t fight where it takes us,
it’s a pretty straight row to hoe..
A lot of what we see and hear
isn’t always in the best of taste.
Life at large can be one long frisson of fear.
Making an effort often seems a huge waste.
Pundits, dogma dogs, myrmidons, oligarchs & pimps;
assholes and predators every one.
Twisted, sick, anti-humans; anomalous, ignorant wimps.
Logic says, every time, lobotomize ’em, & be done.
Illusions, delusions, confusions, a dedicated data dump,
bilious, divisive, spicy with hatred and fears.
Inflation, immigration, promises from the clownish Trump
Leaving even our basest survival heavy with tears.
Ancient sages left signs on the path to peace,
for those with wit to see.
No need for undue effort, no quest for golden fleece.
All we ever need to do, is be.
~~ gigoid ~~
8/29/2015
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Naked Pearls
A different path to the same place….
*******
“This is now. Later is later.”
~~ Subtle Bee ~~
*******
“Every beginning is a consequence.
Every beginning ends something.”
~~ Paul Valery, French poet ~~
*******
“We are all born mad. some remain so.”
~~ Samuel Beckett ~~
*******
“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 ~~
*******
“I’m not confused, just well mixed.”
~~ Robert Frost ~~
*******
“Morality is moral only if it is voluntary.”
~~ Lincoln Steffens ~~
*******
“To laugh often and love much,
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give of oneself;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sing with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier:
this is to have succeeded.”
~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~
*******
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Our introductory section today ended rather abruptly, for which I will not apologize. I shouldn’t need to, as, look where it got us. We are here, at the end, where we intended to be, without losing any passengers, or any essential pieces. That is good enough for me; it will have to be for the rest of y’all, for, that’s it. That’s all. We’re done, so, you can leave now, with our standard caveat, to watch out in the morning, so none of the usual splash heralding our arrival gets on your clothing. It’s been known to cause holes in the very fabric of reality….
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 