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 ...
December 02, 2006 - 11:28 a.m.
I have to get moving. My sister's 60th birthday party is this afternoon and I have to drive up to Connecticut for it. I'd feel guilty about not getting her present yet but I haven't gotten my birthday present from her yet and my birthday is in July. I'll probably end up getting her something at one of the holiday markets.
This is how I handled the student that cheated. I didn't call the dean. I have a feeling he'd have just told me to handle it. That seems to be the way my school works. When I reported the student that had made the threatening remarks on the test he handed in the dean didn't do a thing about it. I decided to make the plea bargain with her. I ran into her before class and asked to speak to her.
"Do you have something to tell me?"
"What?"
"About the test."
This received a blank stare so I added, "I know what you did."
"You mean my copying?" In a total matter of fact tone of voice.
She didn't seem to realize that this was a major offense and that she was in big trouble. She seemed to feel that the fact that she needed to pass the course was a good excuse. I offered her the plea bargain; I;d just fail her and not report her to the school if she gave me a written confession. It took her a while to understand that there was no way she could pass the course. I told her that she didn't have to answer me that minute. I had to get to class and I left it at that.
She didn't come to class but afterwards she came to me with the letter. It was written on a computer and she didn't sign it. Doesn't she watch Law and Order?. I made her sign it and put it in my folder. Do you think it is appropriate for me to quote it here? Are you interested in reading it? Let me know.
Last night I went to see Zoë Lewis at the Garden Stage in the Unitarian Church in Garden City. That is only about 20 minutes from my house. That's as convenient as concerts ever get for me. The funny thing is the last time I saw her was at the other concert series in Garden City.
What is really unusual is whom I saw her with. It wasn't by myself and it wasn't with one of my Frëhead friends or n WFUV volunteer. It was with Aubrey and Diana. I never do this kind of thing with them. I asked them because the show wasn't far from their house and I thought their kids would love Zoë. They asked their oldest kid and he didn't want to go so it was just them. They didn't know what time Aubrey would get home from work so the plan was for me to get there and grab some seats. Doors were at 7:15 and I got there a few minutes after that. I was the first one there. Aubrey and Diana arrived around 7:35 and they were the second ones there. I now know there is no reason to get to concerts early there. While I was waiting for Aubrey and Diana I schmoozed with Joanne, the woman that runs the series. I told her to book Iain!
We sat right up front of course and became part of the show. It might have been because of where we were sitting and it might have been because she knows me but Zoë made us part of the show. On Gringo she said she needed a rhythm section and tossed us a shaker. Aubrey caught it but he looked sort of lost and Diana took it from him and gave it to me. When Zoë saw me with it she said, "You both need shakers" and got her bag of tricks from out back and tossed one to Aubrey. This is what is scary; I have more rhythm than Aubrey. Of course I have a lot more practice clapping to music than he does. Zoë even gave us a shaker solo. I don't think I was awful. I was happy that Diana bought one of Zoë's CDs. They really liked the show. The Kennedys are playing there in April should I ask Aubrey and Diana to go with me?
At one point I jotted down a note in the little notebook I usually carry, the one with my name on it. Diana asked what I was doing and I said I was just writing something down so I'd remember it. She wanted to know why and I told her it was for my diary. I then made the mistake of telling her I keep a blog. I had told Aubrey years ago but he never looked at it. I don't think I feel comfortable with them reading this. Not many people from my real life do. I wouldn't tell Diana where I keep it.
The note I jotted down was "Prince of Love." That's enough to remind me what I wanted to write. Zoë told about meeting this strange man in New Orleans that came up to her in a bar and introduced himself as The Prince of Love. I'd have thought he was trying to pick her up but he wasn't. He told her that he could do magic and bless her love life. She asked what it would cost and he told her $5. She took the money and he did his juju and gris gris. When she got home to Provincetown she talked to a friend of hers and found that he did it for her for only $2. She might not have been ripped off. Perhaps she received a $5 blessing and her friend only got a $2 blessing. I think she and her friend need to compare their love lives to see who got the better value.
The reason I wrote this down was because of what this got me thinking about. Zoë tells lots of stories about interesting characters like The Price of Love. I don;t think she is making them up. What do these things happen to her? The answer is that she is open to them. If The Prince of Love came up to most people they'd get annoyed or scared and turn their backs and otherwise totally ignore him so he'd go away. Zoë talks to them and sometimes uses them as fodder for songs. Pete and Maura also talk to these people. They don't normally sing about them but they do talk about them. They always have stories about the people they meet. I see it when I'm with them. They talk to the strange people that I would avoid. The thought that really scares me is that I'm one of those people. Am I a weirdo that creeps most people out but that they talk to? I don't know if i want you to answer that.
I better go now. I have to shower then see if I can give my car a boost from my mother's car so I can take it to the party. Did I mention that my car's battery is dead? Anyway that's it for today. Good night and good news.
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 December 02, 2006
| site search by freefind | advanced |
Follow on Feedly
