Tag Archives: Zippy the Pinhead

Choosing to be….

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Ffolkes,

“We’re all in this together — by ourselves.”

~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

Day the next 013

Sunset near the Orkney Isles, off the coast of Scotland….

The elements of today’s Pearl have been in place for a couple of days, but, sadly, the consistency I once had in posting seems to be no longer part of my skill set. SIGH…. Ah, well, he said, again…. So be it. Some of it’s a bit strange, but, that’s not particularly odd for around here; in fact it might be said ALL of what I do these days has the flavor of strange. But, that’s just who I am, I suppose, & we’ll all just deal with it as we do, however that may be. Me, I’m not even going to make any attempt to either justify, or excuse it, as neither approach offers much chance of flying….

Since rational explanations are not forthcoming, and I have experienced the usual lack of purpose or direction in composing an introduction, it’s probably best for me to just go post it, as best I can, & be done with it. All one can do, is, after all, all one can do. So, enjoy today’s mess, if you will, & I’ll see y’all in the closing section for a final word. For now…..

Shall we Pearl?

“Belief gets in the way of learning.”

~~ Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough for Love” ~~

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gordon lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot

Image from Wikipedia via Google Images….

Today’s musical selection is one of the greatest & most iconic folk singer/songwriter of my time, a man whose music has inspired everyone who ever heard his smooth, intimate, & melodic songs, including most of his fellow artists. I’ve included a video with his album of best hits which gives an idea of the breadth of his work, as well as a video of a live concert from last year. I hope you enjoy his music as have millions of people across the world for more than 50 years…. Abondanza!….

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Comedy_Tragedy

Early Observations

Until I knew there was more,
I wanted to know God.
They said he was a nice guy,
and would let me live forever.

All I had to do, they said,
was live my life for Him,
always living by scripture
cleaving only to his Way.

But, everyone I saw in church,
acted different at home.
Living wild, cussin’ and fussin’,
nobody lived like they said.

Still, I tried to be like Jesus,
he was sort of cool.
He never hurt nobody
and walked on the right path.

‘Course they killed him for that,
they couldn’t stand his example.
Turned him into a martyr,
hid his real words among their own.

Then I found the Buddha,
and met Lao Tzu at the gate.
They saw things real different,
showed me how to see straight.

Right thought, and right action
replace blind obedience and faith.
Reality becomes manageable,
fear retreats, the universe expands.

Brother John said it pretty well,
“Imagine there’s no heaven,
it’s easy if you try.”
Sounds like he knew why.

Day to day, life is grand,
we walk in eternal beauty.
Open your eyes and hearts,
find yourself already immortal.

~~ gigoid ~~

6/21/2014

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Purely Random Notes….

*******

“.. I wonder if I ought to tell them about my PREVIOUS LIFE
as a COMPLETE STRANGER?”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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“Bion used to say that the way to the shades below was easy;
he could go there with his eyes shut.”

~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD), “Bion, iii” ~~

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“Among unequals what society
Can sort, what harmony, or true delight?”

~~ John Milton, “Paradise Lost”, Book viii, Line 383 ~~

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“If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.
If you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.”

~~ Senegalese proverb ~~

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“In the dark time will there also be singing?
Yes, there will be singing about the dark time.”

~~ Bertold Brecht ~~

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“I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”

~~ William Butler Yeats, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” ~~

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“Don’t ask me where I’m going,
Just listen when I’m gone
And far away you’ll hear me singing softly to the dawn”

~~ Pippin ~~

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Once more, I’ve managed to spew out enough to soothe my angst, for now. I shall do so again in the relatively near future, of that you may rest assured. Well, perhaps the thought of it isn’t all that reassuring, but, there ’tis…. and, as I noted in the intro, all one can do is all one can do. Since that is exactly what I’ve done, I’m outta here for today. Y’all be well, & happy as you may be; staying strange is also recommended, especially for those of us to whom it is more than merely a state of mind. For some of us, it’s damn necessary…. See ya, ffolkes…..

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 8118

À bientôt, mon cherí….

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Reason isn’t always reasonable….

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Ffolkes,

“Over my mask
is your mask of me.”

~~ Mitsuye Yamada ~~

leelu chillin

Leelu Magicat, chillin’ with gigoid….

I find myself at a loss for words. Given the nature of this enterprise (i.e., blogging), that is certainly problematic, not to mention inconvenient in the here and now. However, if I don’t at least make an effort to put together enough words in a logical manner, I’ll feel even worse for wear. And, yes, that gives an indication of just how screwed up my head has been of late, as I have been touting a lack of angst over not posting, an outburst which, clearly, is a lie told to myself. When that happens, I can no longer fail to acknowledge the truth, painful as it must be….

The sad truth is, I have been under attack from the most perfidious and most dangerous of my personal demons, to wit: myself. To be more precise, ’tis a demon of my own making, which brings to bear my own unnamed fears upon my serenity/stability, with all that implies. Long story short, it uses my own skills and thoughts to undermine my peace of mind, with convincing authority, as it all comes from within. To be completely honest, it’s scary, and infuriating, to realize how vulnerable we are to ourselves… More infuriating is knowing it’s all bullshit, just personal weakness in the face of introspection. Nonetheless, bullshit or not, it’s kept me from writing, or thinking clearly, which, in my world, pretty much screws the pooch…. & if I have to explain that one, well, guess what? It ain’t happenin’, cuz I don’t wanna go there…

Since none of the above has any real bearing on anything but my own discomfort, I’ll make the adult decision to move past it without further comment; I’ll just have to come to my own terms with myself. Maybe, if I could find the wherewithal to get a poem down on paper (yes, I know, but, there’s no equivalent digital phrase that describes it so well…), some of this angst would bleed off, & I could spend a bit of time on what I WANT to do, rather than what my inner lack of balance ends up trapping me into doing…. SIGH…. Ah, well the hell with it…. Let’s just get this slow on the toad for the day, & try again another day….

Shall we Pearl?

“Time destroys the speculations of man,
but it confirms the judgment of nature.”

~~ Cicero ~~

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eric unplugged

Image from residentmusic.com via Google Images….

In my world, this particular musical set represents what I consider the best representative example to be found of Eric Clapton’s work. I listen to this while working, while relaxing, while reading… whatever I may do, it provides a smooth, brilliant background, without becoming tiresome or redundant. It shows off his skills in every style he has learned to play, & his band mates are some of the best to ever play, IMHO…. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do….

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Comedy_Tragedy

Meander….

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

10/5/2016

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Extra cheese, please….

*******

Before I speak, I am master of the words;
After, the word is master of me”

.~~- Ibn Gabriol ~~

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“The first place that I can well remember
was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it.”

~~ “Black Beauty”, by Anna Sewell, 1877 ~~

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“By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

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“Don’t take the bull by the horns, take him by the tail;
then you can let go when you want to.”

~~ Josh Billings ~~

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“The present contains nothing more than the past,
and what is found in the effect is already in the cause.”

~~ Henri Louis Bergson (1859-1941) ~~

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“Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow–
You are not wrong who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.”

~~ Edgar Allan Poe, “A Dream Within A Dream” ~~

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“Th’ MIND is the Pizza Palace of th’ SOUL”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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Well, ffolkes, there you have it, such as it is. It’s not Pulitzer-worthy, to be sure, but, it’s all as fresh as I could make it, & it’ll have to do for the nonce. It will be at least a day or two before I post again, as I have committed to doing a small piece of work in collaboration with a friend, & that will garner all my attention for at least a day or two. Until I return, fear not; the universe is proceeding as it should, in spite of how we deal with it, or form opinions on how it may be to our perception….

Hmm…. I see even this little bit of composition is enough to stimulate my pedantry; so be it. I’m done for now, so, I’ll merely say, be well, be happy as you may be, and, keep up the level of strange, if only in self-defense…. I know I will….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 15674

À bientôt, mon cherí….

The importance of portability….

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16

Ffolkes,

“Indifference is isolation.
In difference is texture and wonder.”

~~ Edwin Schlossberg ~~

day-the-next-006

“Sfera con sfera” (Sphere within a sphere)

Sculpture by Arnald Pomodoro, @ Trinity College Dublin….

In what is no doubt a vain hope, the old man sits to write, in spite of the vast plain of nothing that fills his nearly vacant mind. Such a vacuum is not surprising, given the hour (0530 on a Sunday morning), following the previous nine hours of sleepless tossing & turning. No rational, or irrational reason can be identified for such a night; no serious pain & no serious stress in life at large seem to be the order of the day. Probably, I could obsess over it much of the day, but, since that seems as unproductive as the night just spent, I decided to just start writing & see what happens….

As you probably noted by now, I’m ignoring the previous two day absence from this space; since all I did was spend the entire time wandering around my head, alternating that relatively pointless occupation with binge-watching old TV shows (mostly Have Gun Will Travel, from the 1950’s, or My Favorite Martian, from a few years later….), there’s no point in detailing that time any further, as I don’t intend to offer any excuses. I did manage to cobble together the necessary pieces to complete this Pearl, but, had absolutely no motivation to write the intro, or the exit lines; thus the short hiatus, and the resultant necessity for this mini-diatribe, such as it is….

When I began this intro, I had intended to at least make an attempt to make it, if nothing else, funny, and/or, rational; by now, you can probably tell, as can I, neither of those two states are possible; I’m just too tired & weirded out to get there. In fact, I have a feeling if I don’t bring this to a rapid conclusion, we may never get out of here at all. Rather than lose another day, I’ll perform what has become, of late, our default technique, to wit: the hot potato drop, which works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“Death tugs at my ear and says: “Live, I am coming.””

~~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. ~~

Me, too, & if you’ve ever had you ear tugged by Death, you’d know, as Oliver and I do, you pay attention, & get on with living life large…. Hence, my tendency toward absence from cyberspace more often than not…. SIGH…. Choices, choices….

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leokottke-npr

Leo Kottke

Image from npr.org via Google Images

In 1969, while attending UC Berkeley, I got tickets to see this artist. I’d never before seen or heard such fine guitar work, & was, by accident, introduced to an entire world of music heretofore unknown to me. Leo, John Fahey, and a slough of fine young (at the time) guitarists gave me the inspiration to learn to play myself, & though I’ve never come even close to this sort of expertise, it gave me, literally, music in my own soul, for there is no better feeling I’ve encountered in Life than the one I get from making my own music…. Please enjoy, if only in memory of my own youthful enthusiasm….

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Comedy_Tragedy

Cognitive Abstinence

Ever affable, serendipity calls on random days
bringing gifts, wrapped in flesh and bone.
Tempting fate, color springs from intricate stone;
singing, laughing, poised to amaze.

In metaphoric haste, clues gather to confer;
graceless, with absently casual frivolity;
fraught with severely limited civility,
lead yet into realms where hope may infer.

Allegory has faded, past all disrepute;
indelible, entropy holds the field today.
Honorable, the children stand, resolute,
justice is spent, the old-fashioned way.

Temporary measures no longer apply
to foster dreams; endless nightmares parade.
Forlorn, empty, the unwashed masses cry,
while time slips away, sleeping in the shade.

Wondrous moments continue to accumulate
odd gestures of indignant fortitude.
Destiny embraces no desire to illuminate;
with such a cavalier attitude.

Pale, afraid, the joker sits to compose
one final ode to reason.
Such grandiose dreams, a dying rose,
dragged along from season to season.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/1/2016

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

On being human….

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“I’m having an emotional outburst!!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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“Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.”

~~ Basho ~~

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“That’s right, yes, you’re going, you’re gone for ages,
already gone, you’re still here, just arrived, haven’t even met you yet.
It all depends on who you are and how you look at it.
Strange business, time.”

~~ Doctor Who, “Dragonfire” ~~

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“The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.”

~~ Christopher Morley ~~

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“Cogito, ergo sum presupposes “I”-ness.”

~~ Smart Bee ~~

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“Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love.”

~~ Lao-Tzu ~~

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“God has no religion.”

~~ Mahatma Gandhi ~~

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Well, another one bites the dust. Once the dust settles, you’ll be able to see the bite marks, and will know just what it was all about. Or, not. In either case, it’s done, & I’m outta here…. Given my recent lack of consistency, my only remark will be, I don’t know exactly when, but, I’ll be back. I hope y’all continue to enjoy whatever it is I do here; if not, well, I’ll try to do better…. Be well, be happy as you may be, and stay strange; believe me, it’s your best defense….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 2780

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Time, in a small bottle….

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FFolkes,

“People wish to be settled:
only as far as they are unsettled
is there any hope for them.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Circles” ~~

Day 5 023

The Shelbourne Public House, Cork, Ireland….

The past few days, since acquiring Bob (my new computer), have been a blur of ‘flow’, while I navigate the learning curve for a new O/S, and go about rebuilding my pile of resources for writing this blog (pictures, quote databases, templates, ad nauseam….). While mostly fun, it has its drawbacks, some of which are connected to the re-establishment of the necessary routines to manage time, and to my need for exercise (away from this chair); I’m not going back to my former degree of ill-health. For the preponderance of time, however, the challenges and distractive nature of intellectual endeavor have provided me with what my Irish friends/ancestors might call ‘grand craic’, or, in American slang, a helluva a good time….

So far, my only disappointment has been the time NOT spent writing down my own thoughts & feelings; I’ve begun two discussions, but, both have been handicapped by the time needed simply to figure out how this damn computer works with the new O/S. I guess complaining about it won’t get them done, so, rather than go any further down that road, I’ll just say this: it’s in the works, but, without deadline. For now, I am content to cobble together these Pearls minus the bonus of my own blather. And, please, no raspberries from the cheap seats; this isn’t an excuse, because there’s no mandate; it’s just a filler, so the intro doesn’t appear too anemic.

Now I’ve pulled my own covers, let’s just go on to what we’ve got today, without any attempts to justify, or excuse the content, or lack thereof. In short….

Shall we Pearl?

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mozart2

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

As y’all have probably noticed by now, my musical tastes run to older stuff, whether ’tis rock & roll, jazz, popular, or classical in genre. While perusing choices on You Tube (my go-to source for any human activity), I found this excellent compilation of the works of Wolfie Mozart, beginning with one of his finest piano pieces. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…. Abondanza!…..

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Comedy_Tragedy

A dream, weeping….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~ gigoid ~~

8/30/2014

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Signposts on the Path….

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“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”

~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~

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“Common sense is instinct, and enough of it is genius.”

~~ Josh Billings ~~

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“Do thou restrain the haughty spirit in thy breast,
for better by far is gentle courtesy.”

~~ Homer ~~

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“Every man is a divinity in disguise,
a god playing the fool.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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“If one does not know to which port one is sailing,
no wind is favorable.”

~~ Seneca (the Younger) ~~

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“You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.”

~~ Oliver Goldsmith ~~

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“I’m sitting on my SPEED QUEEN..
To me, it’s ENJOYABLE..
I’m WARM..
I’m VIBRATORY..”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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I suppose it’s not Ibsen, but, it’s art, anyway, such as it is. Ah, well, we do what we can do, & as I’ve said, any number of times, all you can do is all you can do. Having done so, I’ll quit bothering y’all with any further displays of personal angst, & take my leave. In fair warning, I’ll be back, with more of what I cannot describe. Perhaps, one day…. but, then, perhaps not, as well. On that ambiguous note, I leave you with our common wish, to be well, be happy, and, well, you know….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Featured Image -- 8561

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Counting to infinity….

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1

Ffolkes,

“Dragon? What dragon?”

~~ Famous Last Words ~~

viansa entrance

Winery entrance road, Sonoma Valley….

Hajime…. Elements of style & grace notwithstanding, there is a lot to be said for virtuous industry, even if the root cause remains an anomaly. In the larger sense, this implies a certain responsibility, to find purpose wherever it may hide itself, allowing no stray miscreants opportunity to fail, hirsute as they may be. Untidy, as a descriptive adjective, falls consistently short of successful parody, while an old, broken pantheon of forgotten gods sits, weeping silent tears, in memory of faded glory. All remains dark on the horizon, where the sun has forgotten to rise, again….

There. That, I think, is a sufficiently strange opening paragraph, which demonstrates both my erudition, and my insanity. The latter, in particular, holds me at ransom this morning, in spite of waking in a relatively common manner. The oddity of my own mind’s path often washes me up on the shore like this, leaving me high & dry with nothing but what passes for thinking to consume. As you may guess, it can be somewhat tricky to deal with reality, &, as the opening paragraph clearly shows, that’s no small feat. Since the only way to get past all of it is to let it flow out of my head as quickly, & ruthlessly as possible, such displays of perversion become the norm.

Ah, well, one can’t have everything, can one? No, of course not. Where would one put it all? Moreover, one remains responsible for one’s own words, no matter how oddly they strike the psyche of the world. My own manner of coping, as you can plainly see, is to take it to the limit, where the boundaries of sanity are stretched past their own belief; only there can I find my own balance, teetering in jeopardy, but, safely insane…. So be it….

I did manage to put this Pearl together, though without the new poem, which continues to dribble out, rather than gushing. Since all the proper elements are in place, and, we have sufficient blather accumulation here in the intro, why don’t we just cut our losses, & get on with it, so we can all move on to bigger, or better things…. It should be easy today; I’ve already softened the edges of reality, right in front of your eyes, so, the transition should be pretty seamless…. Watch and learn….

Shall we Pearl?….

“Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.”

~~ Roy Goodman ~~

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bonnie (2)

I had a hard time deciding on music today; eventually, I went with my own preferences, which is why y’all are being treated to one of the finest musicians alive today, who has been entertaining millions of people for several decades. Fine, fine blues & slide guitar, a voice like an angel, a red-haired beauty…. what’s not to love about her? Here she is, ffolkes, live in Oakland in 1989, it’s Bonnie….

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Bonnie Raitt
Live in concert 1989

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Comedy_Tragedy

Neurons/Parade Rest

Forlorn, he thought, but, then,
no, not really so.
Old, sad, strong; polluted by time’s red pen.
Nowhere left, to be, nor to go.

Tricks, not treats, forever remote,
strike fear into hearts fettered in fog.
Biting deep, stinging, we simper by common rote,
mired eternally in such bilious bog.

Torturous vision, bloody, capitulates in duplicate;
don’t ask for whom the spell trolls.
Ambiguity is real, impossible to extricate,
that’s how it rocks, then rolls.

Spiteful instruments offer no respite, patently.
Filigree lacks properly significant doubt.
Alternative answers formulate motivation, elegantly,
portraying reality as a vulgar lout.

Poltroons, there’s a good word,
for idiotic farmers, enthusiasts who borrow
time, filled with the blood of a bird;
solitary, the trickster cannot follow.

Affable moments trip the light, fantastic;
salacious intimacies fill a shimmering bower.
Night falls, eventually, monastic;
eternity calls with irresistible power.

~~ gigoid ~~

8/11 – 8/15/2016

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Living & dying in 3/4 time….

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“Dum vivimus, vivamus.”

(While we live, let us live…)

~~ Latin proverb ~~

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“You see things, and you say “WHY?”
But I dream things that never were,
and I say “WHY NOT?”

~~ George Bernard Shaw, “Back to Methuselah” ~~

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“In the bigger scheme of things,
the universe is not asking us to do something,
the universe is asking us to be something.
And that’s a whole different thing.”

~~ Lucille Clifton ~~

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“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

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“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else,
you will have succeeded.”

~~ Maya Angelou ~~

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“I feel better about world problems now!”

~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~

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“Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me.
That means nothing.
People like us, who believe in physics,
know that the distinction between past, present, and future
is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

~~ Albert Einstein ~~

*******

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

I am not too sure what happened today, but, it happened, so, I’ll be content with that. And, so will you. By the power vested in me as a human in good standing, I declare this version of the Daily Pearl to be complete. I’ll even forgo the usual nonsense, & merely say, see y’all soon. I’m going walkabout….

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

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

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí….


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Particularly practical in several respects….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				4			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“Hateful to me as are the gates of hell, is he who,

hiding one thing in his heart,

Utters another.”


~~ Homer (c. 700 B.C.) ~~


isle bnb


Brothers Island Light Station B & B, Point Richmond…


Hajime…. All the elements of a fresh Pearl are in place, with standard adjustments to the lineup necessitated by the new poem NOT getting done. We also went with default music, but, there’s a fresh old-school pearl, which, though a trifle obscure, has its own charm. No rant, either, but, that’s nothing new for these days; ranting just doesn’t seem to cut the mustard for me of late. I guess I’d rather confine myself to less antagonistic matters, which has the advantage of producing less angst, which I can only applaud.


In truth, my mind is elsewhere; if I knew exactly where that ‘else’ might be, this would be simpler. But, having depended heavily upon the process for too long now, it’s all I can do to keep doing so; whether it will continue to function as intended remains to be seen. I think, in today’s case, I’m not going to even look; that way I won’t see if it doesn’t do what it should. And, yes, I’m now thoroughly confused; if you are not, well, good for you. That means you’ve learned to take whatever you read here with a healthy dose of doubt, sufficient to keep from investing any belief, which is always a good thing. We do love our doubts ’round here….


I can feel this getting away from me; much of that last paragraph will require some metaphoric translation to process; unfortunately, the translator is unplugged, as it consumes far too much power to justify its use in such non-critical instances. But, I digress, not an uncommon practice, but, inconvenient. Rather than beat this moribund soft-hoofed ungulate any more, why don’t we just get on with it. Maybe, if we do, we might even make it to the end by breakfast time. Even if we don’t, it will look better on the official record…. Hang on, I’m going in hot….


Shall we Pearl?….


“One of the most perverse things about the universe

is that it doesn’t care  what you believe.”


~~ Subtle Bee ~~


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


Yield_Logo


Playing For Change Ambassador Logo


I had too much music to choose from, so, we’ll go with one of our default choices today. Here’s one of my favorite cuts from the Songs Around The World collection; to listen to more, just put the Autoplay function in You Tube to run, & you’ll be treated to as much music as you like, all of the finest kind…. Enjoy!….


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






One Love

 Songs Around The World






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Bulletin


Patterns exist to bring sanity, if illusory, at best;

follicular, reality seems to slip and slide.

Still, formal insanity consistently fails the ultimate test,

why place faith in answers. from which truth can hide?


Following the music brings us back in good time;

forever seemingly retreats from relevance.

Crazy, time stands still with yet another innovative rhyme,

no burgeoning intentions for sale, to shimmy. or dance.


Folly sits easily upon this brow;

fateful and afraid, entropy bows in shame.

Into the river of time, slowly, forgetful of how

courage gives strength, no matter the game.


Capricious, the muse demands obedient attention

at risk of exhibiting true durance vile.

Bereft, single copies sit unused, despite all intention;

while singular examples of fate pass at the stile.


Seminal events bring their own weight;

no scale necessary, no guessing by eye, or hand.

Only one lesson to learn, just pay the freight;

the music is playing, and you’re part of the band.


~~ gigoid ~~


8/6/2016


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Watch that last step….


*******


“Welcome back to (or from) reality!”


~~ Subtle Bee, the comedian ~~


*******


“A man should be upright, not be kept upright.”


~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iii, 5 ~~


*******


“The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.”


~~ Susan Sontag ~~


*******


Everything that irritates us about others

can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”


~~ Carl Gustav Jung ~~


*******


“Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye.”


~~ Austin O’Malley ~~


*******


“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love.”


~~ Sophocles ~~


*******


“YOW!!  I’m in a very clever and adorable INSANE ASYLUM!!”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


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


Well, I made it here to the end; just lucky, I guess. To avoid picking up any penalty points, I’m gonna go post this, & be done with it for another day. I’m planning a few changes to the basic routines around here, in preparation for going into full training. More on that another time; for now, I’ll just say, see y’all soon, (tomorrow, if all goes well), & let the rest of the day take care of itself…. Be well, & happy as you may….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 14532


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Trudging through real-time….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

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Ffolkes,


“If you are out to describe the truth,

leave elegance to the tailor.”


~~ Albert Einstein ~~


old friends


Friends of long standing….


Hajime…. Though this Pearl is being posted very late, it’s all relatively fresh, as I hadn’t done anything more than pick the opening picture when I arose today, also late. I can, therefore, consider it a moral victory, which as we know, humans are liable to do at the drop of a cliché. I also have the option of telling myself, better late than never, but, that would be a value judgment, probably not appropriate in this instance. In fact, I’d hesitate to make any sort of value assessment of this one, at all; I’m not terribly fond of assuming great risks for little reward. In fact, we’re ALL a bit cowardly about that sort of thing, probably a left-over impulse from our past; stepping outside the cave posed some rather compelling dangers to out well-being, & I guess we still remember that….


Regardless, it’s done, such as it may be, & I’m not going back & doing it over. In fact, I’m going to get myself out of here, & on down the page, before I lose my nerve, or, regain my senses. I’ll just use this old method I found laying here, which works pretty well, if I remember correctly. It’s pretty much a gimme, since it drops us all like a hot, well, you know. Watch closely, or you’ll miss it, & then where would you be? Right…. Careful, the next step’s a bit steep….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body,

although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism.”


~~ Albert Einstein ~~


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


sam bailey


Sam Bailey


Image from pinterest.com via Google Images


In 2013, this singer walked onto the audition stage of the X Factor UK, appearing to be exactly what she was, a 35 year old mother of 3, working as a prison officer, married to a laborer. She proceeded to blow away the room, singing a cover of a very difficult song by a major star. She went on to win the talent contest that year, delivering performances that brought standing ovations from the crowds, and the judges, time after time…. I’ve embedded a collection of all her performances, each of which will blow you away with the power of her voice. She reminds me a lot of Kate Smith, the most powerful voice I ever heard, rivaling many operatic singers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do; she has the kind of voice that can bring chills, or tears, or any other emotion as strongly as anyone I’ve heard…. Abondanza!


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






Sam Bailey






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












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


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


“Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.”


~~ Kahlil Gibran ~~


Comedy_Tragedy


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


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Hmm… That’s funny….


*******


“A civilized society is one which tolerates eccentricity

to the point of doubtful sanity.”


~~ Robert Frost ~~


*******


“Should I get locked in the PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE today

— or have a VASECTOMY??”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


“To err is human, to forgive is unusual!”


~~ Sardonic Bee ~~


*******


“I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace…

The rest is only hearsay.”


~~ Edward Abbey ~~


*******


“Impropriety is the soul of wit.”


~~ W. Somerset Maugham ~~


*******


“Live for those private moments of wild abandon!”


~~ Opus ~~


*******


“Whatever you are, be a good one.”


~~ Abraham Lincoln ~~


*******


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


Well, there you have it. I’ll be nice, simply because I must; there’s no other options at this point. I’ll even forgo the usual caveats, or trite euphemisms, in favor of a rapid exit, stage left. How do I know it’s left? Because, obviously, it isn’t right. See y’all next time, when I take another shot at whatever it is I’m shooting for…. Don’t ask because I’m sure I don’t know…..


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Dozer


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Brief moments of rationality….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				3			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time;

serenity, that nothing is.”


~~ Thomas Szasz ~~


Leelu w-attitude


Attitude….


Hajime…. It seems one truly can never expect the unexpected…. I was standing on my back porch, when my mind settled into a train of thought which led to an epiphany, of a deep, and abiding truth. Without detailing what led to this, (because now, it seems so obvious, the triggering perception is unimportant…. it’s in the past….), it can be said thus: The universe in which we live, which we have determined to exist in duality of nature, begins where it ends, with the very process, and concept, of creation. The simple most critical point of this duality thus demands that creation MUST simultaneously destroy. That’s it; everything else we perceive, as well as any and every thing we can imagine, by its birth, destroys the universe that existed prior to its inception…


The implications of this idea are staggering in scope; thus far, I cannot think of any part of reality that does not obey this injunction, nor any part that suggests anything that can alter it, without altering the very nature of reality. Go figure, eh?…. Exquisitely simple, as is life, when one can learn to accept things as they are, without any need, or desire, to change anything other than one’s self; they are the only changes that can alter our own reality, for they change, at once, our perception, and our ability to attain serenity and clarity of mind in the balance, the ambiguity, in the very imbalanced balance of the universe. Death. The concomitant fears that go along with the certain knowledge of our own ‘end’, lose their power to affect us, for we know, for certain, all is as it is meant to be… for WE are the ones who supply the meaning, with the expression of our spirit in the poem/song/dance that we create by living.


Is this sinking in? Every living creature, here, or anywhere in the universe we can perceive, is continuously engaging in the process of creation, destroying the present by the existence of a potential future; each moment of our lives is a note in a song, a word in rhyme, a step in the dance of living. Each second of living, each creature is making itself new, and destroying its old self in the process…. Every rock, every mountain, every atom, all change, made new each second by every life it surrounds and supports, as the other side of the coin of existence…. Pretty cool, eh?….


Wow… Did that just happen? Hmm… As I still observe the lines above, it appears so. It seems the time I’ve spent recently, immersed in music, has provided me with some rather cogent ideas for cogitation…. I am thinking, at this point, the intro section was probably not the right place to let all that out; what’s more, it obviously isn’t done; there’s a lot more to be said… but, I think it’s going to be a poem. While considering what to include in today’s poetry section, I found a poem I wrote about a year ago, which seems to echo, from the past, some of the stimulation for these ideas; they’ve clearly been percolating a while. The final group of pearls has many of my favorite contributors, all in one fine common thread….


In any case, it’s probably a good time to go to the rest of today’s Pearl. I’ve put some work into it, including finding what I think is the absolutely perfect accompanying music for today… Before reading further, turn it on; it makes it all better…. Now, let’s see what there is to see….


Shall we Pearl?….


“Rock gives reality to the otherwise abstract notion of transhuman time.”


~~ Edward Abbey ~~


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


Moondance - Van Morrison - (1970) - (freeallmusic.me)


To anyone over the age of 30 who knows anything about music, this artist needs no introduction. Those of us listening when he began playing his song to the world, and to literally millions upon millions of people around the world, this album’s songs will be not merely familiar, but, loved. It also works very well to go along with reading damn near anything; in fact, I can’t think of a time, or a task, it would not enhance…. If you haven’t ever heard it (unlikely, but, possible in today’s world….), you’re in for a treat…. Enjoy!….


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






Van Morrison

 Moondance






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












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


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


“I have thought many times since that if poets

when they get discouraged

would blow their brains out,

they could write very much better when they got well.”


~~ Mark Twain ~~


Comedy_Tragedy


Hmm… A bit prosaic, eh, Mark? Perhaps, one who wrote only prose felt a bit jealous? Perhaps…. but, it seems to work for me, so, maybe he’s right….


Absently Gestalt


After the echoes of silence are faded away

Comes the cacophony which accompanies dismay.

Apocalyptic thoughts and emotions run free

Spreading fear enough to fill the holy see.


Speak softly to the beloved ruling class

Deathly darts sunk deep are painful, and crass

Sloth and ignorance are commonly shared

By those who would rule, alone or au paired.


Images and opinions are sullenly forlorn

Yet hope shines bright wherever ’tis borne.

Feeble strengths hide many objective flaws

For reality bites, with hard, vicious jaws.


Can you stand up and state your own name?

Will you hide in a handle, behind a great flame?

No hole and no mind is so deep and so wide

As to furnish safe haven in which to hide.


Bring out the weapons of your reluctant choice

Bring them to bear on the sound of their voice.

Silence the ignorant, and muzzle the fear

Make reason the only message you hear….


~~ gigoid ~~


9/5/2016


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


“Let the buyer beware…”


*******


“Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth.”


~~ Socrates ~~


*******


“Everyone who becomes conscious of

even a fraction of his unconscious

gets outside his own time and social stratum

into a kind of solitude.”


~~ Carl Jung ~~


*******


“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”


~~ George Bernard Shaw ~~


*******


“No man is free who is not master of himself.”


~~ Epictetus ~~


*******


“If there is a sin against life,

it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life

as in hoping for another life

and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.”


~~ Albert Camus ~~


*******


“The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same.”


~~ Heraclitus ~~


*******


“There are as many nights as days,

and the one is just as long as the other in the year’s course.

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,

and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning

if it were not balanced by sadness.”


~~ Carl Jung ~~


*******


“Don’t hit me!!  I’m in the Twilight Zone!!!”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


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


Well…. Not too shabby, even considering how long it took me to put it all together. As they say downtown, I’ll take it. And, so will you. I’ll try to return in a timely fashion; ‘timely’, of course, is relative, but, so be it. For now, I am content, & such moments should be savored. To best do so, I’m goin’ back to bed awhile. Afterward, I’ll go see what sort of trouble I can cause…. hopefully, for anyone but me…. Y’all might consider doin’ the same; never can be too much trouble of that sort…. I’ll be back, so, stay alert….


Y’all take care out there,

and May the Metaphorse be with you;

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

and everyone else, too…


When I works, I works hard.

When I sits, I sits loose.

When I thinks, I falls asleep.


Which is Why….


Sometimes I sits and thinks,

and sometimes,

I just sits.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


dozer3


À bientôt, mon cherí….



					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
There are no plans to wobble in the lobby….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				Reply			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“To teach men how to live without certainty,

and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation,

is perhaps the chief thing philosophy can still do.”


~~ Bertrand Russell ~~


Day the next 013


Sunrise/Sunset….


Hajime…. Never seen, but, known well. Known, but, never seen well. Oft, in simpler days, this was enough. Now, it failed the test of existence, only to return, dead, as the night wore on into day. No one cares, no one feels, and all the pretty flowers have turned to dust & ashes. But, we still have our health….


Enough! Crying foul won’t alter reality, but, if I can just make it to one more…. YES! I made it out of whatever that was….


‘Tis I, gigoid, the dubious, attempting, yet again, to come up with an opening that will titillate, or, at least, exonerate. I’m pretty sure what you see in the first, short paragraph is a combination of words never seen previously…. nor, if we’re lucky, ever again. That provides no excuses, but, if considered in the appropriate light, will distract sufficiently to allow us to move on to the next, yet-to-be-instigated paragraph, where, maybe, just maybe, we can find a shred of the rationality with which we awoke.


Fat chance of that, I admit, but, hope springs eternal, & it got us into the third paragraph, still without any significant injury, so, I must be doing something correctly. I will also admit it isn’t going to be enough, not to prevent what seems to be threatening, which I shan’t go into, to prevent panic. Not yours, mine. Of course, I’ve been in a panic state for about five minutes, so, I guess that’s also a wash. In fact, it’s looking pretty grim right now, in terms of any sort of rescue. Maybe, if I try this new device, we might get on with this, before I ruin everything completely.


Hmm…. I wonder what happens if I push this button?…..


Shall we Pearl?


“Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live;

death is nigh at hand:

while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good.”


~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — Meditations, iv, 17 ~~


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


david bromberg


Image from You Tube via Google Images


I was listening to this concert yesterday, & realized I’d forgotten just how good a musician David is; along with three of his band members, he shows virtuosity on every instrument he picks up. For him, that includes guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, just in this concert. The last third of this show, the band, with a bit of help from Phoebe Snow on a torrid blues tune, is some of the finest improvisational music I have EVER heard…. They made magic on this night, & I am very glad I heard it…. You will be too, if you enjoy good music at all….


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






David Bromberg Band

Capitol Theater, 4/15/77






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Savory


Blown across steppes of imagination, a spore

finds a niche, takes root,

tries to live longer than now, before

chaos/peace descends, and desire is moot.


Feathered into fecundity, another possibility

builds a nest, hatches kin,

aims at immortality, sans responsibility,

chance manifests, as it does, again.


Leading toward peril, entropy saves creativity,

making tools, and lazy time;

solid signs imply such simple nativity,

as another snitch drops his dime.


Subtle compassion billows, passion to unfold,

covering hearts bloodied by time,

burning flesh made valid, unwaveringly bold,

turning love to brilliant rhyme.


Years weigh lightly, supported by youth,

gaining weight with each year,

only the old men know the actual truth,

peace comes only when we lose our fear.


~~ gigoid ~~


4/9/2013


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Listen up….


*******


“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.”


~~ Katherine Hepburn ~~



*******


“How a person masters his fate

is more important than what his fate is.”


~~ Wilhelm von Humboldt ~~



*******


“Dreams are real while they last. Can we say more of life?”


~~ Havelock Ellis ~~


*******


“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.”


~~ Bertolt Brecht ~~



*******


“I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear friend,

to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart

and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms

and like books written in a very foreign tongue.

Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you,

because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is, to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps you will then gradually,

without noticing it,

live along some distant day into the answer.”


~~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~~



*******


“It’s the RINSE CYCLE!!

They’ve ALL IGNORED the RINSE CYCLE!!”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~



*******


“And now there is merely silence, silence, silence, saying all we did not know.”


~~ William Rose Benet ~~



*******


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


After looking back over today’s effort, I am compelled, by logic, and intuition, to cease and desist without further delay. The tricks used above, in the intro, won’t work here at the end, so, I’ll just say, see ya, ffolkes, & let it go at that…. Who’d a thunk 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.


gigoid, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


Featured Image -- 13293


À bientôt, mon cherí….

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Indications of imminent three-part harmony….

			
						

				Posted on   by  			

			
						

				7			

					


				

			
Ffolkes,


“Our greatest glory is not in never failing,

but in rising up every time we fail.”


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~


3 mice look


“Where’s the 3 blind mice?….”


Hajime…. In truth, the pearls you see bookending the intro section today would suffice as a complete Pearl, as is often the case with Ralph Waldo’s thoughts. But, since I’ve already cobbled together the rest of today’s mess, I guess we’ll go ahead & post it, just to be able to say we did. Can you say the word, ‘fatalistic’? Sure, you can…. Of course, you’ll probably do well to duck, immediately, as the irony monitors are armed & irritable, to say the least. In today’s world, they get a little testy, what with all the overtime they must put in….


Now I’ve established the proper tone for today, I’ll play nice, & drop y’all here, like the proverbial hot potato. Why do I say nice? Well, because it is. Trust me, that’s all you want to know about it; details would be both superfluous, and, dangerous. Providence forfend we should ever subject y’all to both of those at once, by gosh. Instead, we’ll just go on, & let the brilliance of today’s chosen authors & philosophers (what else can one call Zippy?….) speak for itself. Better that way; it all goes wonky when I try to intervene, so, we’ll pretend we never even thought of it.


That’s all I’ve got for today, ffolkes. Well, other than what you’ll find below. I do hope you enjoy it, or, at the very least, find no cause to regret it. In any case, it’s time to go, before we do anything we can’t fix….


Shall we Pearl?


“The man of genius should occupy the whole space between God or pure mind,

and the multitude of uneducated men.

He must draw from the infinite Reason, on one side;

and he must penetrate into the heart and sense of the crowd, on the other.

From one, he must draw his strength; to the other, he must owe his aim.

The one yokes him to the real; the other, to the apparent.

At one pole, is Reason; at the other, Common Sense.

If he be defective at either extreme of the scale,

his philosophy will seem low and utilitarian;

or it will appear too vague and indefinite for the uses of life.”


~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Literary Ethics” ~~


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


phish-theline-freedownload-fuegodownload-2014phishtour


I’ve always preferred to hear live music; it is always more real than any studio sound can possibly be. I discovered this band a couple years ago; they are, in my opinion, one of the finest groups of improvisational musicians to have ever played together. The bassist, Mike Gordon, is a legendary performer, (you saw him here a short while ago, playing a set with the legendary Leo Kottke), & the lead guitarist, Trey Anastasio, is playing with the reincarnated Grateful Dead band now on tour, improvising Jerry Garcia’s guitar riffs as well as anyone ever has…. I hope you enjoy it….


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






Live Phish

Riviera Maya, Mexico, 2017






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












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


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


Comedy_Tragedy


Time, and again….


Life, and/or love, will seldom fit

into any box we keep for them to sit.

Loose and limber, without any reason,

always somewhat out of season.


Surprise, surprise, they seem to say,

we can’t help it, it’s just our way.

If only you would learn, instead of know,

maybe you’d find yourself with one to show.


Deal, just the way it is, now and here,

follow the path, on the other side of fear.

Finding the future isn’t all blood, sweat, and pain,

far, far more than mere joy we stand to gain.


The sages all say not to try, just do,

sounds as simple as putting on a shoe.

I’d say we could really go places,

if we could but learn to tie up the laces….


~~ gigoid ~~


11/1/2013


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


pearls_3


Naked Pearls


Notes on Life at Large….


*******


“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 ~~


*******


“When washing your face, can you see your true self?

When walking, can you feel the rotation of heaven?

When speaking are your words without guile?

When you shop are you aware of your needs?

When you meet the suffering, do you help?

When you meet conflict, do you work toward harmony?”


~~ Deng Ming-Dao ~~


*******


“Let yourself be open and life will be easier.

A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable.

A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”


~~ Buddha ~~


*******


“Is this going to involve RAW human ecstasy?”


~~ Zippy the Pinhead ~~


*******


“Don’t brood. Get on with living and loving.

You don’t have forever.”


~~ Leo F. Buscaglia ~~


*******


“Why is the universe the way we see it?

If it had been any different, we would not be here!”


~~ Stephen Hawking ~~


*******


“If you understand, things are as they are.

If you do not understand, things are as they are.”


~~ Gensha, Zen Master ~~


*******


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


Well, I did it again. Don’t ask why, or we’ll never get out of here. In fact, don’t do anything, & we can all get this done, & get on with the rest of today. It’s been, well, as real as I could make it, & since I’m done, so are you. I leave you with this thought: Are you experienced? Replies may be submitted to the proper authorities, at your convenience…. We now return you to your own version 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, the dubious


The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.


PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.


“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch


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À bientôt, mon cherí….