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 24, 2014 - 11:45 a.m.

The Skies Were Clear and So Was The Water

Bah, I was going to start writing two hours ago and didn't. So I won't waste time. It's on to Clearwater on Sunday. Once again I didn't want to set up camp myself and joined somebody. This time it was Dan and his family. That was easy as he was volunteering at the entrance and could just show me where we were sitting. Nobody joined me on the ride up so I read and took pictures of the Hudson. I'll have a nice photo essay in a few days. I was far from the stage and hardly took any pictures at the festival.


Dan with his girlfriend Erin being silly. Michael his father is in the baseball cap behind him.


This is what I look like at a festival in the sun

I finally remembered to bring a book that I've wanted to give Joe for months. I found him at the WfUV booth with Lori not LORi. She hates me so kept lying about where their blankets were so I couldn't sit with them. That or they have the secret of invisibility.

OK so who did I see? I was going to start with Vanover Caravan again but decided that I saw them on Saturday and watched Rory Block. She wasn�t exciting and spent a lot of time name dropping.

Next up was Lake Street Dive who are exciting. They put on a great set. Then I found Carter and he and I went to lunch and had a great talk then I went to the dance stage for the Klezmatics. That's become a festival highlight for me. I love Jewish dancing. I don't have to find a partner! Everyone circles around and doesn't know what they are doing. It's total chaos and wonderful. Most of the dancers were not Jewish but were honorary Jews and lost all sense of rhythm. I danced with two friends, Rona and Barbara. Barbara and I actually faked a waltz. I wanted to say hi to Lisa Gutkin the fiddler but couldn't as I had to run to the Rainbow Stage to see David Bromberg. That was the Jewish segment o the day.

Somehow I spent to long talking to someone so I missed Tom Paxton on the Family Stage and went over to the Sloop Stage with Fred. the last few years I've spent most of my time at the smaller sloop stage and circle of storm as the main stages got more pop. This year I loved the main stage people and this was my only time at the Sloop. It was to see Arc Iris and was the highlight of the day I had seen them at Jalopy but wasn't prepared for how great they are. They totally blew Fred and me away. Jocie Adams is incredibly talented. She sang played guitar, two kinds of keyboards, trumpet, and what else? There was more. She and the entire band were filled with energy and musical chops. She also has a sense of showmanship


The stage couldn't hold her

That was the only set I was close enough for pics. Good thing they were photogenic OK now for their music. There ae two kinds of music. Good music and the other kind. They don't play the other kind. It's harder to put in words what they do play. Each song was different. I heard elements of psychedelic pop, prog rock, new grass, and much that is nothing I've ever heard before. There was pure chaos as Jocie and a bandmate didn�t battle but made war on the keyboards. You could power a small country on the energy while they were was musical virtuosity. Fred and I hard hooked. Oh and Jocie is a witch because it was hot and she didn't collapse from the heat while wearing that outfit.

Then we moved back to the Rainbow Stage for Puss and Boots, That's the trio of Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper. I've seen Norah and Sasha.. I've seen them together. But this was the official debut of the trio. They have played gigs at New York bars. They called them dive bars..

So here's the thing They were great I knew they'd be great. But it didn't have the effect of Arc Iris on me. it might be because they were so far away that they were too small for me to see with my bad eyes. It might just be the distance hinders the immediacy and visceral impact. Not that I'd pass up a chance to see them again. Ill try for their next dive bar gig.

I was tired and went home after that even though it meant missing a favorite, Lucinda Williams. Even my energy has it's bounds.

I don't remember what I did for dinner. Oh right, I just went to Popeye's

Yesterday was therapy of course. From there I went to meet Heather. I got to where we were meeting and told her I was there She told me that we were supposed to meet today. I'm an idiot. But she invited me over and we hung out for a while and played bananagrams. I won this time. Can I hear a cheer? I thought not.. Then I went to Trader Joe's and got a fresh bratwurst. Usually I get the cooked ones. This is better. That was a nice dinner.

No commuting stories but I took the subway, MetroNorth, and a bus. I have to keep my public transit cred.

I thought of something great to write about and forgot it. Know why? I'm an idiot.

I am an idiot! I just realized that Arc Iris should have played the Rainbow Stage. I you don't see why it's because you don't know an obscure fact and that isn't stupid. Knowing it and not having it click is being an idiot. Just look up "iris" in the dictionary and you'll get it.


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 24, 2014
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