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 ...
June 29, 2014 - 12:14 p.m.
I'm working without a net here. I have lots of pictures and I'm not going to take the time and edit them before I write. Someday I'll do a catch up, "l.ook at all the pics and videos" I never showed you edition of Wise Madness.
On Friday I had to leave early to play bridge with Roy. I didn't even have time for breakfast I just grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Dunkin' donuts. Good thing they opened one on the way to the subway.
To me it was an easy commute but I realized it would not seem that way to most people. I took the 
to Atlantic Terminal. It's only 2 express stops. Then I took the LIRR express to Jamaica where I caught the train to Hicksville where Roy picked me up and drove out to Melville where the tournament was.
We used to play weekly, now this is our second time in two years. The first was a month ago and we did awful. You don't play just to win of course We entered the pairs game.. There are also team games. I could tell the first session went well. I was actually proud of how I played one hand. I'm usually good at the bidding but not the play The upshot was that after the first round we were first in our section in strat B and C We are strat C, the worst players.
We went out for lunch and discovered a new place, Zinburger. It's a burger and wine restaurant Can you get more foo foo and hipster? But guess what, they make terrific burgers. I had a bacon cheeseburger that they give the trendy name, Samburger. but it was so good I can forgive that. We split the Double Truffle Fries, it's made with truffle oil and parmesan cheese with truffle aioli to dip them in. Yes that's foo foo but tasted amazing.
The second session did not go as well but we finished second overall in strat C. We won something like 2.8 Gold Points. Not bad for bad players who hardly ever play. As usual we amused our opponents. Well accept for the sour pusses..
Yesterday I went up to American Roots Music Festival at Caramoor. Maggi, a musical soulmate, books it so my people can always be found playing there Here's the lineup for the daytime portion of the festival
- Matt Turk
- Spuyten Duyvil
- Cricket Tell the Weather
- Kim & Reggie Harris
- Miss Tess & the Talkbacks
- Joe Crookston & the Bluebird Jubilee with Peter Glanville
- Bruce Molsky, Tony Trishka & Michael Daves
Thanks to the wonders of anxiety I hadn't tried to arrange a ride there till the night before. I hadn't succeeded so my plan was to take the Metro North to Katonah and take a cab. Taking a cab is against my religion but I'm reformed so I can do it in an emergency. Then on the way up there Carter got my message and told me he'd pick me up at the station. I had some time before he showed up so I got breakfast. I ended up getting a huge Hungry Man Breakfast at the Katonah Restaurant. It was pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and home fries. It was yummy.
When we got to Caramoor and I discovered that I didn�t have my sun block. So I did what I do, depended on the kindness of friends. I went over to the WfUV booth and Janeen let me use theirs
There are two stages but it's hard to see everyone if you move so I stayed on the main stage most o the time. That's too bad as I actually prefer the acoustic sunken garden stage.
Of course between sets I walked around to look for friends. John Platt was the emcee so of course he was there. I also saw, Dan, Barbara, Danny, Michael, Rick, Mary Beth, Peter, Lisa, and the usual "friends I'm forgetting."
Next came my favorite part of the festival the Social Music Hour organized by Mark Miller All the performers did a song circle with everyone invited to join in. Yes I sang along. I did not play but last year Katherine gave me ukulele lessons during it. This year it was dedicated to Pete Seeger.
They set up folding chairs in a circle but I had my stadium sheet with me and sat right in front of them on the ground. Mark invited everyone to fill the circle with low chairs or sitting on the ground like me. A woman with a folding chair then comes up and sat up right next to me. We had this exchange.
I told her "no high chairs in the middle."
"There's no rule against it."
"Mark just said 'only low chairs in the middle.'"
"You'll just have to get used to it"
And she stayed there. This is the social music part of a folk festival. It's all about community and her attitude was "other people don't matter it's all about me." In the spirit if peace, love, and understanding, I let it go. She wasn't in my way anyway.
I had an existential angst attack earlier. Listening to great music did not dispel it. Singing did. Music is magic. Making music is even more magic.
Carter, Barbara, and I then had dinner at the Burgermeister truck. They do not know how to run a food truck. It took forever. They told Carter his burger would take 15 minutes but said my hot dog didn't have a wait. 15 minutes later I got my hot immediately before Carter's burger. We waited so long that we missed the beginning of the evening performance, The Lone Bellow then Rosanne Cash. I said, "We' can't be late, there's only one bellow and I don't want to miss it." I said that joke twice I do not know why I have friends. The one thing we definitely did not do is have a conversation about Barbara's boobs.
I was worried about going home because the trains don't run often. I wanted a ride from Brooklyn Then I realized that Cricket Tell the Weather and Miss Tess are from Brookyn. I asked Tess who I know better for a ride and she said yes! Like I said I rely on the comfort of friends. The problem was that my phone was dying and I didn't know where Tess was sitting. Before my phone went totally dead, it was at 2% I texted her where we were. I knew she might have to leave early. Of course right after texting her my phone died.
The Lone Bellow were good but not great. They didn't blow me away. Rosanne is not a superfavorite but I can still see that she's great. She did all the songs in order from her new album. That was certainly worth seeing and hearing. I loved the last song. She's an engaging performer, funny and moving if perhaps too rehearsed for my taste She was worth staying for.
I was afraid I missed my chance for the ride because my phone was dead when Matt, Tess's drummer tapped my shoulder as Rosanne finished the last song. So I got my ride home. It's always fun traveling with musicians. We were listening to swamp pop music then switched to Lee Hazelwood. Not my normal fair and all good. Lee did some very neuro songs about a cowboy in Sweden for some TV series
I was right on the way home for them so I didn't have to feel guilty about taking them out of their way.
OK maybe tomorrow I'll post a lot of pictures and videos.
Now what am I going to make for breakfast. I am thinking of sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel.
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 29, 2014
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