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

May 04, 2012 - 8:00 p.m.

RUNAmations

Wise Madness is emerging from the rabbit hole again. If I see my shadow it means 6 more weeks of winter. Or is that the other way around? Does anyone actually know? Isn't winter over? What does a shadow have to do with it anyway? Look! a bunny! Oh wait I'm in a rabbit hole; I'm supposed to see bunnies. Look! A platypus!

Platypodes make me happy. Saying the totally affected and pedantic plural "platypodes" makes me happy; at least when it's clear that I'm doing it as a joke. I'm going to get back to things that make me happy later. Actually, I'm going right into something that makes me happy.

Yesterday was the first Thursday of a month so I was at the Christopher Street Coffee House. The headliner was RUNA. As many of my Gentle Readers know I'm always threatening to follow RUNA around on tour in a psychedelic VW microbus. They even got me to emerge from the rabbit hole.

Christopher Street has joined the Budgiedome and WFUV as the places I am most at home away from home. I know I'll always be surrounded by friends. I always belong. I got to see Carolann, Catherine, Meg, Sharon, Honor, Tim, Peter, and Chip. Then I got to hang out with everyone in RUNA, Cheryl, Tomoko, Shannon, and Fionon. Then I got to talk to the people who were there to see RUNA, Annette, Laura, and Shannon's parents. This was my first time meeting her father Tom in person though we've been friends on Facebook for ages. What did we talk about? Music? Nope, baseball. He had the nerve to show up Phillies apparel! No better way to bond that to rank on each other's teams.

Some of the best moments were early before the crowd showed up. RUNA kept surprising me. I heard some classical violin in the sanctuary and thought someone was playing a recording then saw that it Tomoko off to the side. I've heard her play for RUNA and I know she primarily plays jazz but she was brilliant on the classical. Later she surprised me again by playing the church's harpsichord. Shannon step danced! I've seen her do it before but it still amazes me that I have friends that can do that. At one point I just had to say, "You guys make me happy."

RUNA gave me credit for getting the platform for Shannon to dance on but all I did was know that if you want something done at St. John's you ask Tim. He is all powerful in his domain. If we needed a platypus egg poacher I bet he'd find us one. Speaking of Platypodes Tim got all excited when he heard me tell Peter that he needs to see Phineas & Ferb which led to the two of us doing a P&F geekout. We have to get Love Handel, Tiny Cowboy, and of course Lindana to play Christopher Street. We do that and I bet Carey would fly in for the show.

The opening acts were two performers from the Open Mics at Christopher Street, Toby Fagenson and Rachel Weinstein. I didn't know the name but I had seem Toby before, I am pretty sure at the Minstrel Coffeehouse. This was Rachel's first gig outside of open mics, the birth of a new performer.

Have I finally run out of things to say about RUNA? I was going to say yes but I already said things about them. I said the most important thing; "they make me happy."

I had a romantic adventure. Part of my job as artist liaison is feeding the meter for the performers. I had to time it closely as I didn't want to put in more money than was needed but didn't want them getting a ticket either. I went out as a song ended then waited by their car to get the ticket from the muni-meter so it would run right till parking became free. While I'm standing there I was flirted with by someone attractive and half my age! I'm sure you know what's coming next. Yes it was a guy. That really isn't fair. Of course even if it were a woman in this case I'd have had to distrust her judgment. I was standing in the dark, wearing my black hoodie deep ever my face and was sort of hunched over the car. What could he see of me? A black shadow in the shadows? Maybe that's the best look for me.

After the show I of course had no hope for a quick getaway and didn't try to make one. I had too many people to talk to.

I'm not talking about it but I'm sure you've picked up that I'm having problems that I can't talk about here. I'm not handling them well. What I am trying to do is remind myself of the good things; the things that make me happy. I've talked about it before but I'll do it again. One of my favorite moments in the film The Natural is when Roy is talking to Iris and is overwhelmed with conflicting emotions and all he can get out is "I love baseball." Everything else was jumble but that was clear and true and something to anchor himself to in a shifting and unstable world. So when I have trouble writing here I can always fall back on, I love baseball. I love music. I love RUNA. I love the Christopher Street Coffee House. I love people but I can't start mention them because then I'll feel guilty about leaving out people. I love Phineas and Ferb I love writing Wise Madness.

Now I'll disappear back down the rabbit hole. Look! An Echidna!


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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 May 04, 2012
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