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 ...
April 17, 2015 - 9:18 p.m.
Welcome to yet another sleep deprived edition of Wise Madness. I went in late today and thought it would be the day I got some sleep. It wasn't. I was out later that I planned then got up earlier than I planned. But I persevere because I do not want to disappoint My Gentle Readers.
Yesterday after my eleven plus hour shift volunteering I came home, I blogged, then went out again; this time to see Rod Picott and Jess Klein. When sleep is at a premium why did I go to the show? Easy, Rod and Jess are worth it. I saw Rod just a few months ago but it was way too long before then. I haven't seen Jess in years. That's just wrong. So went for the late night. They started at 10:00
They were at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3. That's my home away from home. One advantage is I can time the trip there perfectly. I arrived at 9:55. I found that the doors weren't open yet. Waiting at the top of the stairs , first in line to go in were Eliot and Howard. Those are perhaps the only two people I know who go to more shows than me. Somehow they had never met. I introduced them to each other. I neglected to say their names. They did that themselves. Have I ever told you that I'm an idiot?
Of course as I wanted to get home as early as possible and get to sleep the previous show let out late and their show started late. This has been happening too often at Rockwood. It is not fair to the audiences of the late show. That often means me.
We got downstairs and I didn't take my usual seat house left as Eliot and Howard sate stage right and I choose sitting with friends over ideal seats. I sat in the middle next to them.
Rod came on first. I saw him so recently but he had a bunch of new songs! One I particularly loved. It doesn't have a title yet. It totally connected with me. I asked him to send me the lyrics. Of course I haven't checked my email since then. I haven't been home much since then. It should send him an email but I'm still racing for time. Perhaps tagging him on the post will do. To be honest it's also an email anxiety issue. I hate when that happens.
I had to come up with an elevator talk about Rod this week trying to get someone to come to the show. I don't have a good elevator talk for Rod. I have to come up with one. I usually compare him to Springsteen and I hate that kind of description. I could use Rod's own self-description; his songs are about three things, welding, unemployment, and divorce. Perhaps I can use Shakespeare. He write about suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and taking arms against a sea of troubles. He does have one happy song, Angels and Acrobats. If you ask him to sing at your wedding that's what he'll sing. You should ask him. What Rod does is bring poetry to blue collar existence. He writes folk songs that expose the soul or singer/songwriter songs that are narratives. Put it how you may.
Now Jess. I have the best elevator talk for her. I just tell about the time she played SMAF, sang torch songs, and by the time she was done the entire audience felt that they needed to smoke a cigarette. Watching that audience reaction was one of my favorite concert experiences. I have never had the nerve to tell her that but I'm tagging her here. That's the beauty of the internet.
Jess didn't do torch songs last night but there was a common element. She conveyed the passions just as forcefully. Whether it was anger or love or politics there was conviction and power to it. It's enhanced by the difference when she's not singing. You look at her and see a cute young woman. You hear her talk and you hear a sweet cute young woman. She doesn't seem like someone with a tempest inside her .When she sings it's released. She's so different from the even younger woman I first saw in 1998 opening for Moxy Früvous. Then she seemed like another sensitive singer/songwriter. She did not make a big impression on me. Of course it might have something to do that I was on an awful date. But now it's "Wow!" My pattern is to miss her for years and each time she comes back she is better. Oh and she has a picture somewhere aging. Noticed that I called her a young woman while also telling you that I saw her 17 years ago.
You need to see them both and you can on Sunday. They are doing a House Concert in Hastings! Go to River Spirit Music for more information.
I got some great pics last night but I'm not taking time to edit them. I want to get to sleep early. I'm not going to waste time. I have to leave here by 6:05 AM. So have to get up by 5:45. So I want to be asleep by 9:45 and I want to eat first. It's now 9:13. Like the way I time things to the minute.
After the show I hung out a short time talking to Jess and Rod then headed home. I did not screw up this time but had to wait a long time for the trains. I got home near 1:30 then was up by 7:00.
I volunteered at WFUV today again but didn't get there till ten! Too bad it took me almost two hours to get there. I didn't take the MetroNorth. Nothing too much to report. I don't think I took a call, I supervised all day. Oh I did get trusted with a new duty, taking out the recycling.
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 April 17, 2015
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