I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
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.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
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 ...
December 31, 2011 - 10:17 a.m.
I didn't get much sleep last night and of course tonight's New Year's Eve so I'm expecting to not get to bed till late. I'll have to take a nap today.
I didn't do much yesterday so today will be one of my year in review entries. I'm just not exactly sure what I'll cover. Well let's get the other things out of the way and see how I feel.
I went to get bagels yesterday. I called in my order in advance, that's the only way I can get a dozen salt bagels. As a side benefit I get them hot. When I got there the store was closed. There were still people inside and I knocked and the guy that knows me came to the window. Right after I called the oven broke! I can't blame them for that but I wasted a bus trip down there.
There's a bagel store in Kew Gardens I wanted to try so I took the bus back home then walked to that one; something of a hike but the weather was nice and I enjoyed the walk. When I got there the only had three salt bagels so I bought them and a twist and walked home through the cemetery. It is strange living someplace where the nicest looking neighborhood is a grave yard. I always enjoy it though. This time I noticed that there is a section for masons; they all have the compass and square on them. It made me think about Terry Pratchett. In medieval days Stone Masons fit Terry's definition of a magical person, someone that knows things that everyone doesn't know. I can expand that into an entire essay and maybe I will later this week, but not today.
I tried a new dish for dinner, curry-garlic mashed potatoes. As far as I knew I invented it but Lena told me it's been done already. I actually figured it had, it's too simple. I just added curry powder to the cream, butter, garlic mix I mash in with the potatoes. It was great but next time I'll use more curry. I used half a teaspoon. I made ham steak as my main course. I stopped making a glaze for that; it wasn't worth the value added. It tastes great just heating it on the skillet. I turned half the twist I bought into garlic bread. That was awesome.
Today I'm going to review my year in photography. That is not the same as the year in pictures. These aren't pictures of the most important things that happened to me but the best photographs I took. To prepare this I looked at every photo I posted on Picasa. That proved disappointing. I am not happy with what I saw. First I didn't go out enough just to take pictures. I have to do more photo essays in 2012. Even more disappointing was the quality of the photos I took. I know I take most of them in low light so there is not much I can do about them but I wish they were sharper. I'm usually proud of my photography but looking at them all at once in search of the best highlighted their failings to me. Still I know that lots of people use them on their websites and profiles so there has to be some good there. This isn't my top 10 photos or my top photo of each month; it's the list, as many as struck me, which I think represent the best.
Do you recognize who that is? It's The Kennedys. I took that at Coffee with Conscience on January 22. As you'll see I like taking pictures of shadows.
I don't even know his name just that he's in Jason Spooner's band. It's probably the best portrait I took in 2011. I hope Jason showed it to him. That was taken on March 8 at John Platt's On Your Radar.
Another shadow and I bet that many of you know who it is. It's the inimitable Abbie Gardner. Even her shadow can't be imitated. It was taken on March 19 at First Acoustics.
Don't say, "What another shadow?" This is a silhouetten That's Amanda Shires performing at Brenda and George's house on April 22.
That's half of Pesky J. Nixon and a third of We're About 9 aka Ethan, Katie, and Jake, on the lounge stage at Falcon Ridge on July 21.
I know it's grainy but it was taken under very low light at the Budgiedome. That's Erik Balkey and Annie Donohue. I knew I'd be using this one before I started looking.
Another silhouette, this one taken at the Huntington Folk Festival. I'm not sure who that is. It might be Mark Miller but it might be someone I don't know.
Amy Speace looks very intent at Common Ground in Hastings on September 2.
That's Carey and a typical Canadian in Toronto on October 28th.
The gas pump at a station in the Poconos on the way home from Toronto on October 29.
Anaïs Mitchell in Washington Square Park in the Occupy Greenwich Village portion of Hadestown on November 20.
Eric Lee performing with Anthony da Costa as the Postcrypt on December 10.
Laura Dunn two nights ago.
I still have some more lists for you. They will have to wait till next year.
I am going to have a busy weekend. I'm going to at least two parties and perhaps three. When did I become the kind of person that gets invited to two parties on New Year's Day? Right now I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open so I'm going to post this, make breakfast, and go back to bed. Oh yes breakfast is eggs, Taylor ham, and cheese on the other half of the twist.
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 December 31, 2011
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