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 ...
September 24, 2012 - 12:26 a.m.
I don't know if I'll have time to finish this before I have to leave. I probably won't because I'm me. Is it Wise Madness if it doesn't have the diversions?
Before I write anything else I have to write about three Space Invaders I encountered on one trip that I forgot to write about in my last entry. What's a Space Invader? It's a person that isn't aware that he or she takes up space and so invades the space of other people. I encountered all three on the trip from the friend I was crashing with to my temporary apartment. Keep in mind that I was juggling four pieces of luggage at the time and I was running late and in a big rush.
When I got to the subway I had to rearrange the luggage to get through the turnstile. Standing/sitting in one of the turnstiles was young man. He wasn't going through the turnstile mind you. He just thought it was a good place hang out. He wasn't in front of the turnstile he was actually in it. While I was rearranging my bags a other people came in, the other turnstiles were used and a young woman asked him to move so she could use the one he was blocking. He slowly got out the way. Then as soon as she was gone he went right back into the turnstile. Have you ever seen anyone do that? Why would someone do that? When I got my bags in order the other turnstiles were open so I went through one of them.
Then when I got to the 4 train I had to walk down a flight of fairly narrow stairs. Normally there is just room for two people to walk on it in opposite directions. Because of my bags there wasn't room for someone to pass me on it. On the other side of the banister there was another stair where two other people could walk. I train pulled right before I got there so I had to move quickly to catch it. After I start walking down a fairly large man got to the bottom of the stairs. He looked up. He saw me. He decided to go up my stair not the empty one on the other side of the banister. When he reached me I had to stop walking and turn sideways so he could pass. Then when I got to the bottom someone already on the platform decided that the one place he just had to stand was blocking the bottom of the stair I was on with his back to me. I got to the bottom and was so tempted to just shove him out of the way so I could make my train but of course I didn't. I said, "excuse me." He moved but of course you know what happened I just missed my train. I did what you never supposed to do, "Great place to stand blocking the stair." He didn't say anything back.
OK I got that out of the way. It took me 500 words to write that and now I really should be moving. I have to make a train. I'm going out to Queens Village where Lori not LORi and Joe are going to pick me up and take me to my storage. I need clothes.
I'm back. I have clothes but that will wait. I have to write about last night. Oy, I keep getting the blue screen of death. It looks like I'm going to have to get a new laptop. It's amazing how fast a laptop went from being a luxury to a necessity.
OK now I'll finally write about last night. There were at least three concerts I wanted to see last night, Roosevelt Dime and Honor Finnegan at First Acoustics, Coco's coffeehouse (try saying that three times fast), Laura Dunn at the PostCrypt, not sure who is running it now. I wonder if it's Anthony, and SONiA at the People's Voice Caf�, run by nobody I know. All the others live in NY and play here often so I opted for SONiA. I only go to the People's Voice to see SONiA. I haven't even heard of most of the other performers on their schedule. The atmosphere there is very old school left wing Jewish political which is funny as it is held in a church. I'm guessing the Church is left wing, I doubt it is Jewish.
I got there a bit early but they let me in anyway as sound check was over. I'm guessing I could have gotten in even if it weren't as the first thing I did, before I paid, was give Terry, SONiAs manager and significant other a hug. The next thing I did was give Elaine Romanelli a hug. What was she doing there? She joined SONiA on a few songs. They had met at SERFA. Of course we know she was really there to stalk me. I promised myself I was not going to say that but I can't resist a running gag and I've been trying to indulge myself to make up for everything else going on.
After Elaine I went back to the Merch table to say hi and give a hug to Nancy. Then I saw SONiA was at the stage so she was next. Yes I might have just as well gone there for hugs instead of music. Getting both is a bonus.
There is generally nobody I know at SONiA shows here so I just grabbed a seat up front to sit by myself. At some point, I don't remember when, I saw there was somebody I know, Karen was selling the snacks. I must have discovered that at the break when I got coffee. That's me, everyone I knew was either performing, in the performer's entourage, or volunteering. Actually there is one person I usually know at SONiA's shows, someone I only see at SONiA's shows. I was surprised she wasn't there but saw today on Facebook that she was seeing Springsteen so she's forgiven.
The opening act was a poet. I don't in general like poets as performers even when I like the poetry. I didn't like the poetry. He was of the "if I phrase things weirdly, write everything in the present tense, and leave out connecting phrases that makes it poetry" school. I had planned on writing part of this entry in his style but it's getting late now. Oh hell I'll give it a shot.
You walk into the room.
High school gymnasium but with a stage.
You give and get hugs.
Grab your seat.
You listen to a bad poet
And try to not show you're bored to tears.
You plan on writing a poem in his style but with jokes
You forget the jokes
You hope you haven't lost your entire audience.
I should have put some profanity in there but it wasn't worth it. I don't like using profanity even when quoting unless it greatly improves the piece.
Elaine said she liked what I wrote about SONiA last time I saw her back in June when she played Christopher Street. That puts pressure on me and I can't just repeat what I said.
First off SONiA is totally adorable. I don't think it's possible for me to not like her. Remember adorable means capable of being adored. Most of the adorable musicians I like are gentle folkies, think Cary Cooper, Sharon Goldman, Julie Gold, and Laura Dunn. SONiA can folk with the best of them but she also rocks out. She plays an electric guitar that looks like it came out of the Jetsons. Some of her songs could have been written by Buddy Holly or Born in the USA era Springsteen. She can rock out or sing biting Phil Ochs style political folk and still be adorable.
She is never annoying. That�s tough when you sing as many political message songs as she does. Her songs are never political speeches that rhyme. She writes about what's important to her and sometimes it's politics but often it isn't. It can be about love or families or dancing.
Just hear her sing "Me Too" and you'll see what I mean.
SONiA is proof that family values do not have to mean conservative politics. Here in one song is love of family and gay rights and peace and respect for those that disagree with you. If everyone had SONiA's values the world would be a better place. If everyone had her talent it would be a much better place.
About my only regret for the evening was that I didn't get to talk to SONiA much after the show. Back in June when I had just gotten over my last bout of homelessness she was one of the best people to talk to.
I'd love to write more but I have to get to bed.
I'll write about today's adventures tomorrow.
Remind me that I have to write about Rincewind too.
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 September 24, 2012
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