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

June 11, 2012 - 7:52 p.m.

Redesigning Madness

I think I've wasted enough time today so I can start writing. I didn't do much yesterday or today. Yesterday I didn't go out for breakfast till almost 5 PM., yes that's PM. I had trouble sleeping Saturday night. I had a panic attack and couldn't make the temperature comfortable. I ended up eating peanut butter around 3:30 or 4 AM so perhaps that counts as breakfast then I snacked a bit during the day on a banana and crackers. I got caught up watching the Met-Yankee game and couldn't leave till that was over then I had to shower.

I ate at IHOP. It was perfect for brinner (breakfast + dinner). I ordered the steak, eggs, and hash brown special for $7. When I got there I was immediately annoyed. I walked in and the hostess was doing something on a computer and didn't even acknowledge my existence. If she said, "Excuse me I'll be with you in a minute I'd have been fine. She didn't I was ignored. She just doesn't understand that the core of her job is dealing with the customers. It's basic civility. Don't they train these people? Didn't anyone ever teach her manners?

When I sat down I then had to wait a long time for my waiter. I had a feeling that wasn't the waiter's fault and as soon as I met him I know it couldn't be. He should have been te host. He was friendly. He went out of his way to look out for my needs. He made conversation. He treated me as a person the entire time. He even gave me extra food. He threw in some pancakes. He said, "they made them anyway so I grabbed them for you." When my poached eggs were overdone he said, "don't worry I'll bring you more. He didn't take the old ones back he just brought me two runny ones like I like them.

I stayed home and watched TV last night. TCM had a salute to Judy Garland. I tried once again but I just can't get into Meet Me In St. Louis or Easter Parade. Judy can sing but the films are forced and stagey.

Today I went to therapy. I ate at the University Caf� a block away but that meant I wasn't hungry afterward and didn't have my usual post therapy sausage. I missed it. Next week I eat early and have my sausage. Instead of the sausage I went to the Strand and actually got a couple of books. Then I was off to Trader Joe's, then back to Brooklyn. I filled my prescription at the local pharmacy for the first time then went back home.

But that's not what I came here to talk about. I want to tell you about the draft. No not the draft. What's the word? Oh right, I want to talk to you about Wise Madness. Yes self reference. My original plan was to deconstruct what I do. I haven't done that in ages and I've been thinking about it but now that it comes to actually writing it down I changed my mind. So instead of deconstructing I'm moving on to part two which is reconstructing. I haven't changed the layout of Wise Madness in ages. Cousin Jory always teases me how retro it looks. When I designed it my audience was mainly other people blogging on Diaryland. Now I'm the last man standing and hardly any of my friends blog at all. Those that do have blogs on specific topics and on other sites. I am going to update the Wise Madness to suit the needs of My Current Gentle Readers and I'm asking you for your input.

The Rings button is going. Has anyone ever found my blog through one? Do diary rings till exist?

Should I keep the Cast page? If I do I'll have to rewrite it to fit the current cast.

I'd like to keep the links but perhaps have them right on the main page. Right now I keep the content in the middle 800 pixels. I could put the links on the side. The problem is I don't want the page to be too busy. Mark Thoma's Economist's View is one of my favorite blog in terms of content but I hate the way it looks and functions. I'd rather keep things just as they are then switch to that.

I'm not in love with Diaryland but I don't want to move it unless I can keep the continuity. One thing I insist on is being able to start at the first entry and to be able to keep hitting "next" till you come to the most recent.

I'll probably keep the parchment background. This is my version of an old fashioned diary or journal. I want to evoke Thoreau my style is nothing like his but my purpose is.

I want to avoid bells and whistles. The emphasis should be on the content. I want the writing to use most of the space.

Eliot Bronson's I Don't Have the Words is the closest thing to what I want. Should I have a title image like he does? If so I'll have to design one. Any ideas?

I want to keep the quotes. I have to change the political messages at the end. Darfur is not even the story in Sudan anymore. Should I dump them? Should I get rid of the peace symbol? What should I add? What should I get rid of. I want to hear from you.


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 June 11, 2012
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