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 ...
June 24, 2013 - 10:46 a.m.
My life is ugly at the moment so I'll write about art that is beautiful.
This apartment is not air conditioned. It's unbearably hot even when it isn't that hot outside, so what do you think I did yesterday. That's right I went to the movies. I had that voucher for a free movie from the AMC on 42nd Street so I didn't even check to see what was playing and headed down there. I thought of seeing Man of Steel I love Superman, but that isn't the direction I took. I went for something with nutritional value, Much Ado About Nothing. I didn't know what to think of it going in. I've just finished watching Dollhouse which highlighted all of Joss's weaknesses. Joss is pathologically anti-science. You know the climate deniers that say that global warming is a huge conspiracy by scientists out for grants? That's much milder than Joss's view. Artistically he changes characters to fit plot needs instead of having the develop naturally.
The film has lots of reasons for me to not like it. I don't like anachronistic Shakespeare, I don't like films in Black and White when there isn't a good reason for them to be in Black and White.
So after all that � I loved the film. As You Like It or A Midsummer Night's Dream is my favorite Shakespeare Comedy. It�s the platonic ideal of a sitcom. Despite my criticisms I'm a huge fan of Joss. As long as he was in direct control for Buffy the Vampire Slayer it was the best show on TV, one of the best ever. Angel was not far behind with the same caveat; when he was in direct control, His greatest talent is holding the bird in his hand without killing it or letting it escape. he has the gift of touch. He knows exactly how far to go. The mixture of humor and seriousness is close to perfect. That's what the film needs. He throws in sight gags that make you laugh out loud AND fit in with the characters and plot. They are not a distraction.
Joss cast his stock company. it was worth watching Dollhouse just so I could know all the actors, though there were some from each of his TV series. I loved seeing Tom Lenk aka Andrew, aka Tucker's Brother from Buffy, Has he done anything since then?
Has anyone else noticed that a Shakespeare Comedy is like a Jane Austen Novel taking place at a breakneck pace? It's all about smart people fooling themselves. Here is my dream; Joss Whedon making a musical version of Pride and Prejudice. How many of you just said, "Hell yes!!" at the thought of that? They are too old for the roles but I could totally see Amy Aker and Alexis Denisof playing Elizabeth and Darcy.
Talking about artistic fantasy how come Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn never made a movie of Much Ado?. That would have been perfect.
I committed a crime against cinephilia when the film was done. I didn't stay for all the credits. I had to race down to Rockwood Music Hall to see the riveting Roosevelt Dime. I got there a few minutes before they started. Most people were standing so I found the seat I always sit at for John Platt's On Your Radar. I got a "Hi" from Bruce from the stage. Then a little later I heard my name over the sound system. I wasn't sure that was where it was from. I looked all around me. I couldn't see who said it. It was Tony, the drummer, in the back. I'm easily fooled about these things.
The band did something I've never seen before. They did all the songs off one album. Oh I've seen that. But not when it's the album they are about to record. It was a dry run of the recording session. It makes a lot of sense. They can see the audience reactions and get direct meaningful feedback. So here's mine. I'm going to buy the album.. OK I knew that before I went to the show. They are such a great band. They fit into my musical universe as high energy get my body moving music with musical sophistication. Their songs work on the mind, not just the body. They come at you from lots of directions and take their influences from everywhere. They did a cover of one of my super short list of favorite songs, St. James Infirmiry. Seth's clarinet made me think "klezmer." Was it klezmer? Was this deliberate? I didn't get a chance to ask. But it's what I heard.
I saw Molly Venter standing in the corner. You might know her from Red Molly, She also has a duo with Eben Pariser from Roosevelt Dime. I don�t' think I'm telling tales out of school to say that she's also his partner romantically. So it wasn't surprising that she was there but then she joined them on stage and sang with the band. No surprise, that worked great.
Roosevelt Dime is going to be in he Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase. As soon as I heard that I invited them to the Budgiedome. I missed their return email. I asked last night and they are playing. I love having such talented friends.
So speaking of talented friends I wasn't going anywhere when Roosevelt Dime finished. They were followed by a Monkey Rock presents show. The one I cared about was Emily Elbert. It seems that every time I see Emily it's a revelation. I first knew her as a 19-year-old girl with a guitar. Her classic pose was barefoot sitting cross-legged. She was the exactly what you'd expect to see playing campfires at Falcon 'Ridge. She played the Budgiedome, I saw her a few times after that in that incarnation. Then she graduated college and traveled the world. I remember seeing pictures of her with elephants on Facebook. She came back and clearly in her travels and clearly had gone to the crossroads. For now she had a band, played jazz that blew me away. She still looks cute and adorable but that isn't what her music is. Her music is bold and brash and brilliant. She still played her acoustic guitar but was now backed by band, and the show was a band show. Their playing was as highlighted as hers. She was a bandleader not a vocalist with people backing her up. She went from being someone I liked a lot to being someone whose music I loved with a passion.
So last night she comes out with an electric guitar. It was the first time she's ever performed with it. She just recently took it up. But what did I notice? Not that it was electric but how great her guitar playing was. Imagine after she's practiced for a while. I'm going to have to invent new adjectives to describe her.
There are bands that I complain have no there, there. There is a vast there in Emily's music. it's like entering the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. You are immersed in a constant stream of sensations and ideas. She could play the same song over and over again and I'd find new things each rendition.
If she named her band it should be Cognitive Dissonance. You look at little adorable Emily and think you are going to hear someone like Melanie. Then she plays and little and adorable are the furthest things from your mind. That just adds to the enjoyment.
To make things even more impressive this isn't a band that she travels with. They don't play together all the time. They just sound like they do. I am supposed to remember the name of the sax player. I was introduced to her before the show. She was sitting at my table. Of course I'm not surprised that I forgot. I'm surprised that I remembered it five minutes ago. But now it's lost. Something is telling me that it started with an H. Am I right Emily? I hate not having a brain.
OK it's boiling now. I have to get dressed and go to my office where there is AC before I go to therapy. I'm not going to even make breakfast. It's shower, get dressed, and get out of here.
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
creative commons
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Horvendile June 24, 2013
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