never-ending gallery

This is for your own works!!!
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

>I am not sure who "said" that . . .
------------------------------------------
walter mosely's quote, according to google - but there is nothing in your message with which an educated mind could disagree, and the way someone writes, as well as the subject matter, of course, tells more about personality than any number of book spines. as you will know, anyone adept at social interaction knows that we communicate all the time, whether wittingly or not, and it is usually not difficult to steer a conversation so that the 'target' will reveal the make-up of their character.

for example, when listening to a person explain their feelings, it is often wiser to assume that their pain or delight might be deeper, rather than shallower, than it seems. in that way one gives a positive impression, and confidence in you will be enhanced. display congenial body language, always keep eye contact, nod regularly, let them do most of the talking, never interrupt or patronise (unless they are assessed to have only average to low IQ).

personally, the reason i look through other peoples' bookcases is twofold: firstly to see if there is anything worth 'borrowing', and secondly to locate a signpost pointing in the direction of a hidden personality - an area that interests me immensely. it is like aligning the pins in a tumbler lock, the satisfaction of eventually feeling the key rotate, allowing daylight to reveal the secrets within.

anyone who has studied clinical psychological science will know that natural human behaviour is a complex labyrinth of mental permutations, that the reasons 'normal' people act in a specific way are borne from multiple experiences and thoughts, conscious or otherwise. if we show zero interest in our neighbours, we risk becoming viewed as egoists. if we steam open their letters or look through their windows with binoculars, we risk being nosey. we have to walk a tightrope, find that middle territory - and looking at book shelves is a fun and acceptable way to gather information that could be useful when compiling a profile about them.
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

"my wife and i made love this afternoon. we hid together from the light of our desire, forehead to forehead. later she asked me:
- did i taste sweet for you?
- dear companion, you did!
this evening i watched with pleasure as she undressed and put on her flannel pyjamas. i held her closely until she went to sleep. then i closed the light and left the room carefully - and i came down here to you."
['death of a lady's man']
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

"you've got the touch. your work looks great, and you can quote me on that!"
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

at least someone liked my pictures :-)
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

"i didn't kill myself when things went wrong. i didn't turn to drugs or teaching. i tried to sleep, but when i couldn't sleep i learned to write. i learned to write what might be read on nights like this - by one like me."
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

"the reason i've stayed away from other people's material is mostly because i couldn't really learn the tunes of other songs. i would love to sing them, and if i could really sing well i'd sing everybody's songs, but i feel if i sing my own songs nobody can complain."
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LisaLCFan
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by LisaLCFan »

Geoffrey wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 7:38 pm "the reason i've stayed away from other people's material is mostly because i couldn't really learn the tunes of other songs. i would love to sing them, and if i could really sing well i'd sing everybody's songs, but i feel if i sing my own songs nobody can complain."

When I saw Leonard in concert in 2012 (the last time I ever saw him), the last song he sang that night was "Save the Last Dance for Me". It was somebody else's song, and I wanted to complain, because I would much rather have heard one more of his own wonderful songs at that concert. Therefore, I wish he had "stayed away from other people's material", then I would not have been compelled to complain. (It was otherwise an awesome concert, which I enjoyed immensely -- not least because he sang "Joan of Arc, which has always been a favourite of mine, and it was a rare treat, indeed, on that tour.)

That is a very nice picture of Leonard -- I like it very much. It conveys a genuineness, a simplicity, that is very appealing.

I also like the title -- one of my favourite Cohen lyrics comes from that song, not the one you chose, but, "If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn, they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem." I adore that line.
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

LisaLCFan wrote:
>When I saw Leonard in concert in 2012 (the last time I ever saw him), the last song he sang that night was "Save the Last Dance for Me". It was somebody else's song, and I wanted to complain, because I would much rather have heard one more of his own wonderful songs at that concert. Therefore, I wish he had "stayed away from other people's material", then I would not have been compelled to complain. (It was otherwise an awesome concert, which I enjoyed immensely -- not least because he sang "Joan of Arc, which has always been a favourite of mine, and it was a rare treat, indeed, on that tour.)
>
>That is a very nice picture of Leonard -- I like it very much. It conveys a genuineness, a simplicity, that is very appealing.


well, lisa, you know, many of these pictures are just scraps of paper, and not intended to be anything more than that, so it makes me feel very nice knowing that they can encourage a comment, encourage somebody to say something about themselves, especially somebody like you. it isn't at all in my nature to consider these images as being anything more than nonserious attempts at making a decent picture or two - a goal not often easy to hit.

that is no complaint, though; i am just grateful for whatever materialises, something changing from nothing to one, the 'grain of millet' paradox, pondering the great questions; what happened at the real beginning, before genesis? do i have to study euclidean quantum geometrics to know what god was doing before he/she/it created the universe? all so mysterious, leonard's solution being: "the only way to feel comfortable is to embrace it all and say 'look, i don't understand a fucking thing.' "

all we can do is brush our teeth every day, roll the toothpaste up until it's empty, smile one more time, and then it's done - our little winning streaks.

>one of my favourite Cohen lyrics comes from that song, not the one you chose, but, "If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn, they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem." I adore that line.

from one of stephen scobie's old books. sorry not a good photo :-(
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LisaLCFan
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Re: never-ending philosophy

Post by LisaLCFan »

Geoffrey wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 2:02 pm ...from one of stephen scobie's old books...

I am not familiar with that book. Is that a letter that you wrote to Leonard?

Why do you think that "God" has anything to do with it? If I notice the cruelty in the world, and the often tragic impermanence of the most beautiful things, it only seems to confirm that there is no god, for there is no conceivable reason nor explanation for such things beyond the basic facts of nature: it just is.

Of course, there are good things in this world, too, thus perhaps there is some sort of universal balance between light and dark, or at least, I like to think so. Not being a pessimist nor a person of negative disposition, I choose to try to focus on the light things, even if darkness stubbornly tries to intrude at every turn. I think it may be easier to succumb to darkness than to seek out and bask in lightness, but I have always found the rewards to be worth the effort.

There is an old saying: It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. This seems overly simplistic, for if one is in a very dark place, candles are not always readily at hand (let alone something with which to light them), thus it seems to be asking a lot. However, if that situation occurs, then perhaps one just has to look for candles, and even make one's own candles if necessary, unless one wishes to stay in the dark. I suppose there are those who may prefer the dark: cursing the darkness seems to be a mindset that I have often come across in other people, even those who are surrounded by candles and matches.

There are most definitely things (and people) that I will never understand, and learning to accept that is to light a very big candle.
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

can't get back, it's unbelievable what i'm going through right now! :(
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by Geoffrey »

LisaLCFan wrote:
>I am not familiar with that book. Is that a letter that you wrote to Leonard?

yes, i think most everybody wrote to him at one time or another.

>Why do you think that "God" has anything to do with it?

well, in this instance 'god' was being used as a clumsy synonym for 'mystery'. as you know, einstein irrefutably established that time and space are inseparably connected, making it logical to believe that before the 'big bang', or before galaxies began racing away from each other, producing the concept of 'time' - there must have existed a creative force (god/mystery) in an infinite timeless dimension. i was suggesting that a universe with no single point of origin could have no end either, making us like the frog that could never reach the edge of the puddle because it could only ever jump half of the remaining distance.

>If I notice the cruelty in the world, and the often tragic impermanence of the most beautiful things, it only seems to confirm that there is no god, for there is no conceivable reason nor explanation for such things beyond the basic facts of nature: it just is.

this is an area that will always be pondered upon, but if there is an entity called god - in the religious sense - then 'it' is certainly not always as merciful as parishioners might be lead to believe, and leonard knew as much. this is why i have carried his letter in my wallet all these years, to continually remind me that someone i deeply respect agrees that "god has a very dark and cruel side".

>Of course, there are good things in this world, too, thus perhaps there is some sort of universal balance between light and dark, or at least, I like to think so. Not being a pessimist nor a person of negative disposition, I choose to try to focus on the light things, even if darkness stubbornly tries to intrude at every turn. I think it may be easier to succumb to darkness than to seek out and bask in lightness, but I have always found the rewards to be worth the effort.

it sounds like you have a healthy way of looking at things, a good attitude. we endure unbearable pain, cry out alone at the loss of people we have loved. there is nothing at all good or positive about heartache, or innocence being rewarded with sadness - but at least we pick up experience, learn something, and can potentially have empathy with others who are suffering.

>There is an old saying: It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. This seems overly simplistic, for if one is in a very dark place, candles are not always readily at hand (let alone something with which to light them), thus it seems to be asking a lot. However, if that situation occurs, then perhaps one just has to look for candles, and even make one's own candles if necessary, unless one wishes to stay in the dark. I suppose there are those who may prefer the dark: cursing the darkness seems to be a mindset that I have often come across in other people, even those who are surrounded by candles and matches.

this makes me remember when i used to make candles as a 'moonie'. i had sort of infiltrated the cult out of curiosity. we had to make candles in polystyrene cups, then sell them on street corners to get money for a korean guy called sun myung moon. at the same time try to recruit people by inviting them to weekend workshops. there they would each be given a copy of 'the divine principles' to study, twelve chapters in all, and just when they thought they had finished, that's when the unwritten thirteenth chapter was sprung upon them - explaining why and how sun myung moon was the new messiah. by the time sunday arrived, and after being allowed little sleep, the most gullible in the class swallowed it and became indoctrinated - a very dark place to be.

>There are most definitely things (and people) that I will never understand, and learning to accept that is to light a very big candle.

i understand what you mean. a lit candle will put light into a dark room, but an unlit candle cannot put darkness into a room that is light, so i guess light is more influential than darkness - fortunately.

kind regards
-g

ps:
please feel no obligation to respond to this reply. i just want you, or anyone else, to relax, and never feel that i am expecting to see a follow-up :-)
---------------------------------------
"music is like bread. it is one of the fundamental nourishments that we have available." -leonard cohen
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LisaLCFan
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Re: never-ending enquiry

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Geoffrey wrote: Sun Aug 04, 2019 5:54 am ...as you know, einstein irrefutably established that time and space are inseparably connected, making it logical to believe that before the 'big bang', or before galaxies began racing away from each other, producing the concept of 'time' - there must have existed a creative force (god/mystery) in an infinite timeless dimension. ...

I was recently reading a book which does, if fact, refute Einstein and The Big Bang Theory (and those who propose and believe in it, e.g. Hawking, et al), for the very reason that their theories seem to necessitate (or at least to allow for, and even imply) the existence of a "creative force (god/mystery)" behind everything. The author of the book I read argues that what Einstein and these other scientists have proposed amounts to an alternative view of "Creationism", fully compatible with most biblical/religious viewpoints, which in many ways is a giant step backwards to an unenlightened time before science, when people devised mythical explanations for things that they could not otherwise explain.

What was particularly fascinating in this book I read is to learn that The Big Band Theory is actually fraught with problems and inconsistencies, and almost every time convincing new evidence is found that is in direct contrast to The Big Bang theory, the evidence is either buried or outright rejected (for no reason other than that it does not support The Big Bang), or, details of the Big Bang Theory itself are slightly altered/tweaked to explain away the conflicting evidence. Scientists who reject the Big Bang Theory and who propose alternative theories are quite effectively silenced insofar as they do not get (or keep) jobs at Universities, they are not invited to speak at conferences, their research is not published, etc..

Although the book I read presents what sounds like an elaborate conspiracy theory (and I realise that sometimes a conspiracy theory is only as real as the deranged brains of those who conjure them), I have to admit that I was quite persuaded by the evidence and the arguments it presented (and, being skeptical by nature, it takes a fair bit of good evidence to persuade me of anything). I now tend to believe, with the author, that there are very strong and influential forces of a human nature in this world, comprised of people who are determined to maintain the dominance of The Big Bang Theory (and their own roles in the establishment), and thus the dominance of their own Creationist theories, all of which are all very much compatible with the traditional notion of a "God" who created the universe, and regardless of other people who try to refute them with often very substantial evidence and counter-theories.

Geoffrey wrote: Sun Aug 04, 2019 5:54 am ...this makes me remember when i used to make candles as a 'moonie' ...

Your mention of the Moonies made me think of the similarities between a small cult and a massive and seemingly legitimate organisation, insofar as they both present a rather narrow perspective, dissenters are not tolerated, and after being fed a non-stop diet of dogma by all those in positions of authority, many succumb and fall victim to indoctrination. It is by no fault of their own that people become followers, particularly when the leaders are charismatic and persuasive, and the ideas are presented in such a manner as to seem logical, inevitable, and irrefutable. As Plato so insightfully discussed in his "allegory of the cave", an enlightened person who has finally seen things for what they really are will sound like a raving madman to those who still live in the dark and whose vision is shackled by the confines of narrow indoctrination.

Have a nice day!
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Geoffrey
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Re: never-ending enquiry

Post by Geoffrey »

i am of the opinion that lisa's reply was remarkable,
one that not very many people could have composed -
and i invite anyone here to join in and give a response,
as i intend to do when the right moment comes. :-)
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by its4inthemorning »

Yes, Lisa cogently reported on a book that only few would dare to pick up, and far fewer would be able to comprehend, and her result was readily readable. For me that would have been a time-consuming exercise; Lisa, please assuage my writer's ego and tell me it took a bit of effort to compose your post!

What is missing from Plato's allegory is an arbiter to determine which side of every issue is the enlightened one and which side is the one whose vision is shackled. But can there ever be a true arbiter? Geocentrism was the enlightened view until heliocentrism took its place, so the original arbiter screwed up. Perhaps the only answer lies in the Scientific Method, where truths remain so only until successfully refuted by factual evidence. But even then, who is to determine what are facts and what are dogma? Things were much simpler before I began thinking about them.
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LisaLCFan
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Re: never-ending gallery

Post by LisaLCFan »

Hi "4" -- thanks for responding to Geoffrey's challenge!
its4inthemorning wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:10 pm ...Lisa, please assuage my writer's ego and tell me it took a bit of effort to compose your post!...
Well, I suppose that I have an advantage in that I've been thinking about and writing about this sort of thing for years, so it didn't really take me all that long to jot down my thoughts. Please don't take it personally -- practice makes perfect, isn't that what people say?
its4inthemorning wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:10 pm ...What is missing from Plato's allegory is an arbiter to determine which side of every issue is the enlightened one and which side is the one whose vision is shackled...
I am not sure that such an arbiter could exist (nobody is omniscient), and Plato would disagree that one is needed, in that, if one is genuinely enlightened and finds true knowledge (knowledge of "the forms" -- being "things as they really are" -- pure truth), they will know it, and there will be no doubt. How one obtains such knowledge (or at least, gets closer to it) is through education and enquiry, the questioning of dogma and common beliefs, examining everything in depth and detail, so that, at the very least, one may shed light on false beliefs and discard them (this is "the Socratic Method").

There is a possibility (which Plato acknowledged or at least implied) that nobody will ever obtain knowledge of the forms (in one's corporeal lifetime, anyway), but by maintaining a healthy skepticism towards general knowledge and using the Socratic Method throughout one's life, by questioning and examining and assessing one's beliefs (and the beliefs of others), one can, as far as possible, not hold too many false beliefs, and one may even hold a few true ones (even if knowing with certainty is not possible).

Plato liked to use the term "justified belief" for a belief that one holds which is supported by evidence, solid and valid reasoning, etc., believing that such beliefs were more likely to be true (or closer to the truth) than an unjustified belief or a mere "opinion" (for Plato, an "opinion" is an ignorant point of view held by somebody who never bothers to question it).

I suppose there is a possibility that Plato was wrong about everything, but I doubt it! ;-)
its4inthemorning wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:10 pm ...Things were much simpler before I began thinking about them.
:D For me, that has always been the thrill of Philosophy -- questions that have no answers or that lead to more questions than answers, the depths becoming more complex as one ventures deeper! Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for that sort of thing, but I rather enjoy it!
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