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

February 01, 2014 - 1:42 p.m.

Legion of Super Heroes

Have I mentioned that I'm an idiot. I should have, you can't understand me if you don't know that fundamental fact. I should have mentioned it but I might not have because I'm an idiot.

I only have one class on Friday. I was proud of myself. I planned on getting there around 2 for my 2:30 class and stopping at the library and photocopying the pages I needed to assign for homework as I still don't have a text book. But there was a delay on the train so I just did a really nice preparation for the class and figured I'd email them the homework after class. The class is in a different building than my office and as I approached it I ran into one of my students. She said, "We all just left." Why? Because class starts at 2:00 not 2:30.

Now I had to figure out what to do. Out of guilt I was very good and went to the library and got ahead in my preparations for my classes. Then I went home even though I had to come back to the City. I had to pay my landlord and I didn't want to wait till I got home late. I also got to change my coat. I knew it was warmer yesterday but then when I left the house I grabbed my warmest coat and hat. I got to switch to the coat and hat that I rarely wear but look the best. It was just the right temperature of them

I relaxed a bit then I was off back to the City to see the release show for Scott Wolfson and Other Heroes' New CD Life on Fire. Their guests on the bill were Bobtown and Marci Geller. This was very much a home game. The show was at the Map Room of Bowery Electric. That's not a large space so it was more like the stateroom scene from Night at the Opera

Did anyone not figure out that I was doing merch? I had my own little counter area to myself. It was a tight fit any time anyone joined me. It was the only place to store things so it was filled with stuff.

I took a lot of photos. I'll post a few hear and the slideshow at the end.

Marci was up. She was joined by Marshal on drums and Miah on guitar but just about everybody joined her at some point.

Next up was Bobtown. They two were joined by guests.

Last of all came Scott and the Other Heroes. Clever band name. Scott gets to call himself a hero without actually saying so. But if the rest of the band are "other heroes" he must be a hero too. Their superpower is making great music. You never need to ask yourself, "Why am I bothering to listen to Scott?" His music has his stamp on it. Nobody else could make it.. It might fool fools into thinking it's pop music but anyone who actually listens can hear that there's a there there. It's music that makes you think.

Unlike the other acts there are no cute girls in the other heroes but I still took pictures. And OK they were joined by cute girls but I'd have taken pictures anyway.

I even got one photo of the audience.

I was sort of stuck in my corner so I couldn't circulate much. People had to come to me. I saw Lisa, Alison, Pam, and Kay. Who else was there that I didn't see or that I'm forgetting. Because you know, I'm an idiot.

After the show I sold merch and managed to not get the different banks mixed up. There's a reason I get paid the big bucks. Well OK I got a CD. But what really matters is that I got to hear great music and hang out with my friends. It isn't even doing them a favor. It's pure hedonism for me.

And thinking about how people thank me for helping and in other situations won't accept help got me thinking.

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
Generosity is the same way especially when it is to someone you love. There's no clear divide between their pleasure and pain and your own. What makes our fiends happy makes ourselves happy. I've received many great gifts and acts of kindness but what I remember the fondest is when I've made someone else feel good. I've been depending a lot on the kindness of friends. I have had a lot of needs. And I need to remind myself that if the situation was reversed I know it would make me feel good to help.

I could go into this a lot more and the theory of pragmatic socialism but French toast is beckoning to me. I'll just say that letting someone do you a kindness, is doing a kindness.

Oh, I almost forgot the slide show. Only an idiot would do that.



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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 February 01, 2014
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