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
2003-01-13 - 10:39 p.m.
You can't tell the players without a program
Cast of Characters
Protagonist
Horvendile
Your humble diarist
Family
Mom
Horvendile�s mother
Alison
Horvendile�s oldest sister. Psychology professor that lives in New Paltz, NY
Max
Alison�s son
Sue
Horvendile�s sister. Middle child that lives in Plano, Texas
Mike
Sue�s Husband
Fr�heads
Betsy
Horvendile�s Favourite, a Hoosier
Carey
AKA Goovie. Musician stalker. Pilgrim Soul. Lives with Neal in Chicago
Emilie
Friend from across the pond. Visited the New World and my house in the summer of 04. Don�t let her near a store with shiny things.
Gella
Container Store Accolyte. Philosopher and do-gooder.
Heather
DC fastlaner, friend of presidents and batnoses
Jaci
Seattlite of Love, grad student. Chronic under-evaluator of self-worth
Joy
Slug lover, Swarthmore student, and Goovie in training
Lawrence
Computer geek, bridge player, deity. Lives in Arlington, Va.
Leah
Horvendile�s beloved beatific batnosed embryo and pseudo-daughter. Future singer and actress. She taught Emilie to be mean to me. "I love you because I can abuse you."
Lena
DVN�s stalker in chief. Mistress of Spanish, Arabic, and belly dancing
Lisa
Horvendile�s Fr�con and FRFF travel companion. Brooklynite still loyal to her native Bronx.
Lori
Mistress of the Budgiedome
Marti
Not So Recent College Grad, owner of best hair in the world. Lives in Connecticut
Melissa
Punster, joker, part of the New York Fr�crew
Neal
Carey�s beloved. Contantly on watch for piano�s being dropped on his head.