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

November 23, 2014 - 10:21 a.m.

Trial by Jory

Who is writing this? It can't be me it's 9:11 AM and I didn't get home till midnight last night and wasn't asleep till near 2 and I can never start writing till I've wasted a few hours.

I have so little self-discipline; how have I managed to write this almost every day for the last 14 years? I started in November 2000. I missed the anniversary of the first entry. The Diaryland website is having issues and I can't check the exact date now. I started this to make Carey happy. I hope she's happy now. oO Are you happy now Oo. Don't I sing just like Shindell?

Last night there were a bunch of shows I wanted to see. Matt Turk played up at the Common Ground and Deni was joining him.

Phil Henry and the YaYas were playing at Karyn and Claude's house. I probably knew everyone in the audience. The only thing that could keep me away from that is family. But that's what I had planned, Jory Nash aka Cousin Jory was playing out east, pretty much Europe, Jack and Karen' house in Babylon. Good thing the LIRR goes to pretty much Europe. It still took me an hour and a half to get there.

It was a proper house concert with a pot luck dinner. I can't really make something and bring it all the way out there. I was going to get something from the Jamaican bakery but the line was out the door so I was boring and brought Dunkin' Donuts. That feels like failure. But they went.

I got there a bit late, half-way through the pot luck but fortunately people don't like to sit in the front row so I got a seat down front. I got a seat next to Vicky which worked out well as her maiden name is Nash. We were in the family section.. I wanted to get a picture of us and Jory and label it "Please Don't Eat the Daisy's." Anyone know why? It's about the Nash family

I met Jory at NERFA. He's from Canada and rarey plays around here so there was no way I would miss him even for good friends and favorite musicians. I just found out about the show at NERFA last week and immediately committed to going. It was a packed house.

What does Jory do? Very hard to characterize, so much of the best music is like that. He's very funny but most of his songs aren't There are a lot of story songs but not all. His covers can be anything from Gordon Lightfoot to the Temptations.

He plays:


guitar


Piano


banjo

The piano pic is my favorite I love the smirk. The banjo has a story. His parents are folkies. His first concert ever was Pete Seeger when Jory was 7. His father decided he wanted to learn to play banjo and wanted the same one as Pete Seeger. I never knew this, it has two extra frets. But it was too expensive so he ordered the separate parts and built it himself without any instructions. That' what Jory is playing. He plays one other thing, stories. Like Arlo story telling is a big part of the show. I don't have any picture of him doing talking. But I like this one where you can't see an instrument, well other than the guitar strap. Let's make believe he's telling a story.

Jory is something of a big macher. He makes things happen. He does a yearly Gordon Lightfoot tribute show at Hugh's Room in Toronto. It' a bit different that most tribute shows. It became so well known that Gordon Lightfoot asked to play in it and now does every year.

I got lucky, I never expected any City people would be at the show. Remember it was practically Europe. But Richard and Viki were there. I am shameless and asked them for a ride home. I am on their way. And they were willing to put up with me and give it to me. That was great. We got to do a NERFA recap, discuss who we liked. They are very much my people.

Speaking of my people I'm listening to John Platt as I write this. I always notice the first song he plays when I turn him on. Today it was Loudon Wainwright. The songs I was most excited about hearing this morning were Across the River from Bobtown's new CD A History of Ghosts, a new song by Christine Lavin that I haven't heard yet, and I Love Bacon with Everything by NERFA discovery Bumper Jacksons .

I bet I just offended someone by forgetting them. I have my all-purpose excuse, I'm an idiot.

OK I have to be out of here in less than an hour and I have to make breakfast.

I tested the title out on Richard and Viki. I got a laugh. If you don't like it blame them.


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 November 23, 2014
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