I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

June 15, 2014 - 4:22 p.m.

Columbia University Medical Center is an Idiot

A late and as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore edition of Wise Madness

Yesterday I had to take a friend to the ER This was the Columbia University Medical Center so it was a hike, an hour and a half trip. it was for a friend so I was happy to do it. As is often the case it took quite some but that's the nature of the beast and not the reason I'm as mad as hell.

Today I went to the New York Botantical Garden Big Backyard BBQ & Music Festival. The lineup were all my friends, Roosevelt Dime, Cricket Tell the Weather, and Miss Tess and the Talkbacks. I was excited and looking forward to my first festival of the season. It's a schlep, the Garden is up in the Bronx. It's just like going to WfUV, I take the to Grand Central then I take the Metro North one stop past Fordham. The music started at noon but I had to leave here around 9:30 to get there at 11:00. The next train would get me there at noon and I'd miss the start of the music.

I thought I might have trouble getting a good spot but nobody else had set up a tarp when I arrived. As I walked down to the stage Roosevelt Dime was sound checking and I heard, "Is that Gordon?" over the PA. Sometimes it's odd being me. OK it's always odd being me.

I hung out with LInda and Janeen in the WFUV booth. They told me there were huge lines at the Barbecue so I did go over to get food early. I had ribs. They were good. So was the cheddar bacon corn bread. OK I got commuting and food in there. What's left Oh right there was music too. Roosevelt Dime has lost a member, Seth on clarinet and sax, and gained one, Craig Akin on bass. Eben now plays guitar. I talked to Craig before they went on. I also talked to Jason from Cricket.

They were rocking and I was loving it. And then I felt my phone vibrate. Normally I'd ignore it but I had left my number with the hospital as my friend's contact. It recognized the exchange as the hospital so I actually walked away from the stage to get the message. They needed information from my friend's insurance card. I had all the possessions she brought with her. I have been to a zillion ERs with myself, my family, and my friends. I never saw one where they didn't photocopy the insurance card. I of course didn't have it with me. I called them and they said they'd tried to call her father to see if he had the information. I went back to hear the music and saw the lovely Lisa, my friend and RD's radio promoter sitting right behind where I was set up and I joined her. I left the table cloth that marked my spot and the rest of my corn bread and some other things where I was. Can you believe someone just grabbed them and was going to throw them out? He said "I didn't want the kids to fall on them It�s a festival, people leave there things out. You watch your kids, you don't just take other people's things.

My phone vibrated again. I saw I had a message. They couldn�t' reach my friend's father and I had to go home and get her insurance card. Ugh! I did get to hear the end of RD's set as I left. I told Lisa to tell the guys why I walked out on them. I'll tag the rest so they know why I bailed.

I called my friend and she said they they had called her father and gotten the info. I knew they called him but they told me they didn't reach him. I was on the platform and luckily the train was a bit late. So I called back the hospital and was told that the social worker I talked to was on the phone but that I needed to go home and get the card or they wouldn't be able to admit my friend. So of course I got on the train and went home. I got here, found her wallet, found the card and called them back. And� I was told that they had reached her father and didn't need it. I exploded. I asked why wasn't I called back? Why when I called back was I told that I needed to call home. There was no good reason given. "it's an honest mistake is not a reason. The person I called should have double checked. He didn't. I should have been called immediately. I wasn't. I told them I want to be reimbursed the price of the ticket to the festival. This was their screw up and I shouldn't be the only one to pay for it. I had my day ruined,. I shouldn't have to pay the financial cost too. She gave me the patient relations number. I called it. they aren't open in weekends. I'm going up there in a bit to visit my friend. If you hear about some violence there do not tell the police that it's me. OK I won't even joke about that. My revenge is the title of this entry. I know this will show up on Google for a while. Maybe they'll start photocopying insurance cards now.

OK, I have to go now. I promise there's no homicide in the works. Think more along the lines of Jesus driving the money changers from the Temple. Hey I'm just asking, "What would Jesus do?"

Of course as soon as I see the smile on my friend's face when she sees me I'll remember what's important.


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile June 15, 2014
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