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 03, 2012 - 12:31 p.m.

Powered Up!

How did it get so late? It's almost noon and I haven't eaten or started to write. Know what. I'm going to eat first. I'll be back. Wait for me. It will be worth it. Never mind the kitchen is being used. I'll write first.

WE HAVE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only do we have power but it came on way earlier than it was scheduled to. we were told it would be by 11 PM on Saturday. Instead it came on at 5:45 yesterday. I wish I had known that. What did I do earlier in the afternoon? First I carried 15 lbs of ice up to the tenth floor to keep the fridge cold. Then I carried two gallons of water up to the tenth floor so I could flush the toilets. Then I headed up to Columbus Circle to check my PO Box. There was nothing. Once I was up there I saw that the movie theater across the street was open. My original plan was go to back to Christopher Street but by then it was too late. If I had done that I would have seen the power was back and stayed home and enjoyed the electricity. Instead I texted Mini-Hagrid and asked if she wanted to go see In Search of Sugarman with me. She said that she had already seen it. I am not crazy about going to the movies alone but I didn't want to spend another evening in the lobby of the Hotel New Yorker so I bought myself a ticket. Then I went to eat at Whole Foods. That was pretty good. I tried the coffee which wasn't. I'm not sure if it was flavored and they didn't tell me or if it was just bad coffee.

Then I went to the theater. I like to sit in the fourth row center. That was taken so I sat in the fifth row just off center. The person in the center seat seemed to object to my sitting next to him. He had stuff on my seat which he reluctantly removed then kept his elbow on my side of the divider. He kept turning and glaring at me. It isn't like I had plenty of seat to choose from. It was sit next to him or the person to my left. I had to sit next to somebody and chose to sit near the middle. I eventually moved my elbow against his till he moved it.

Right after I sat down Mini-Hagrid texted me to tell me we had our power back. I was both delighted and annoyed. I had wasted so much effort and wasn't home to enjoy it and be the first one in the laundry room. I rushed home after the film was over.

Bad Carey had raved to me about Searching for Sugarman, I should have realized that was a bad sign. For those of you that haven't heard of it it's a documentary about an American singer/songwriter from Detroit that was a flop here but became a "superstar" in South Africa even though nobody there knew who he was and they thought he was dead.

The film had Mitt Romney's attitude towards facts, that they shouldn't get in the way of a good story. We were just told things were true with no evidence. One record company exec said, "I don't know how many records Rodriguez sold, it must have been half a million." This was a supposedly one of the biggest records in South Africa, It was a major label. They keep records. It isn't that hard to look them up. We were told royalties were paid though they never go to Rodriguez. Were they based on guesses? Of course not, a little research would have shown how many were sold. Why wasn't it done? I'm guessing far fewer records were sold than the film made out. It said that he was far huger in South Africa than the Rolling Stones. That finding he was alive would be like Americans finding that Hendrix was alive. If that were true you'd think he's play at a venue that holds more than 5,000 people and didn't seem full. Everything was simply stated by the filmmakers. There were no numbers. No thought of giving facts.

The first half is a detective story of how they found Rodriguez. They went through the lyrics with a fine tooth comb, or so they said. Why didn't they just go to the info given on the record jacket of who worked on the production and the studio it was recorded at. We were told these were major players that worked with all the big stars. None of it hung together for me. Most of the cinematography was stock footage from the era, the 70s, nothing whatsoever to do with what was happening. His daughter said how they moved 26 times but later we are told that Rodriguez still lives in the same house he has lived in the last 40 years. I'm sorry I'm part of the reality based community. I don't accept things because it would be inspiring if it were true.

One thing I'll say for the blackout. It was good for my health. I got plenty of exercise. I'd walk up those steps three or more times and walk several miles a day. I have to keep up the walking. I of course usually do which is why I wasn't strained climbing those stairs.

When I got home the first thing I did was head down to the laundry room. One washer was open so I did my laundry in consecutive loads. I now have clean clothes.

When Mini-Hagrid got home I talked to her and got rid of what spoiled in the fridge. It smelt worse than it was. All the odor came from spoiled coconut milk. The only stuff I threw out was the chicken breasts that I wasn't sure of. I'll do some shopping today.

I then turned on my computer and enjoyed homemade internet. It's so much more satisfying than public WiFi.

I knew I'd spend this morning in my room online. I loved not having to rush out to use a bathroom.

I also love having Mini-Hagrid back. I got used to having company.

Today I'm heading up to Dobbs Ferry for a Swing Dance! Abbie Gardner, her dad Herb, and their band is playing. I'm doing the merch. You should go to. You can get more info at Common Ground Community Concerts. I'm taking Metro North up and Carter will pick me up. It's part of his vast Westchester Folk Empire. I love the guy but always having to keep my head lower than his can get a big wearing.

I almost forgot to write the most important thing. All hail the conquering heroes of Con Ed. Praise them with great praise. They restored the power in only four days. Considering the devastating that's amazing. Imagine if your house was totally flooded with salt water. How long would it take to get everything dried out and put into working order? That's pretty much what happened across the entire city. The conduits were filled with salt water. Every switch and transformer was affected. The big transformer at the substation on 14th street exploded. That had to be replaced. Don't think of that as a piece of equipment, it is more akin to a building. The old one had to be removed and a new one shipped in, I'm guessing by barge, and replaced. People worked around the clock to get that done.

So what did I hear people say before the power came back? "They are getting it done on Saturday because the Marathon is on Sunday." Right because it is so helpful for politicians to leave people without power and water. I guess they felt that Con Ed and the City could suspend the laws of physics. That the workers could have worked more than around the clock. Maybe they could work 36 hours a day. Oh and as for the Marathon the alleged reason things were done; it was canceled. Is anybody reexamining their thinking in light of them actually getting power back on Friday and the Marathon being canceled. I very much doubt it. People that want to see evil schemes will continue to see evil schemes. Then they will decry others for doing exactly the same thing when the people they like are accused of the conspiracy.

Overall Con Ed, the City, the State, and the Federal Government did a great job. I had a beef with them taking so long to set up water stations and shelters in the City but it's hard to do everything at once. Yes it could have been done but the people doing the planning can only work 24 hours a day too. I'll forgive them some slipups. Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo, and President Obama; Praise them with great praise.

Let's see if the kitchen is free. If so it's poached eggs for me. I couldn't make them when we didn't have water.


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 03, 2012
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