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

August 24, 2013 - 3:24 p.m.

Small Town Music

It's a little after noon, do I write or do I eat? The earlier I write the more Gentle Readers I have. But I'm hungry and food wins. Food always wins.

I'm back and it wasn't just food. It was Gordon food. OK what did I make? You should know. Come on this is an easy one. Yes, you're right, a peanut butter omelet. I was going to say it was the ultimate Gordon breakfast but it isn't. That would be a peanut butter and bacon omelet. I have never made that because it involves using two frying pans and too much cleanup. Can you make bacon in a George Foreman grill? I could microwave it, that's what I do with sausages. Maybe I'll try that. Honor gave me a microwave bacon maker. It is shaped like a pig.

Wow a peanut butter omelet puts me in a very good mood. I have tons of energy. I feel like Underdog after he takes his Underdog Super Energy Pill.

This is very different than yesterday when I complained how bad I felt. It was worse than I thought. It wasn't just lack of sleep, I was having a Crohn's attack. I felt bad that I didn't recognize that. I'm usually much better in tune with my body. I blame the lack of sleep for that. After I updated I went to eat and as soon as I thought about that I realized I was having the attack. I took my 20 mg of prednisone and took a nap. When I woke up a few hours later I was greatly improved though I ended up not feeling up to eating breakfast till 4 PM. I often eat brunch as my first meal but not brinner. Or is that brupper?

I figured that would keep me in all day but after I took another nap I was totally refreshed and decided to go out. Good thing my plans were for late night. Alex Mallett had a set at Freddy's in Park Slope at 10 PM. I didn't get up and dressed till 8:30. I got to Freddy's at 9:15. I knew there were acts before him and I told Katherine I'd be there and she said she might go with her friends. She lives just a few blocks away.

I hadn't realized that I had been there before, oddly enough it was with Katherine and right after we saw Alex at the Roots Caf�. Alan, her bandmate from Bobtown had a gig there with another band. Alan is musically promiscuous. I didn't recognize the place when I walked into the bar but I did when I got to the backroom, which is not in the back but in the basement.

I said hi to Alex who introduce me to Alan, no not Alan, Alex's bandmate Alan. Then I went to take a seat when I heard my name called. It was Carolyn and Peter. They were one table away from where I was about to sit. I joined them. This is why I moved to Brooklyn, it's a small town, of 2.6 million people. I knew Carolyn lived in Park Slope not that far away. I've been to her home many times but that was driving or by subway, I never put it in geographic context.

They were there because they know the mother of the woman that was on before Alex. Sorry I forgot her name. She had unusual instrumentation, she played the keyboard and had a second keyboard player and a drummer. Lots of keyboard. The thing is they didn't really take advantage of that .I think one good keyboard player could have played everything by herself. She also used a looper, not something to do if you are planning on endearing yourself to me. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't bad at all. She can sing. It just didn't excite me.

This wasn't an Alex Mallett Band show. This was Alex Mallett and friends. Alex is musically promiscuous too. he has a lot of friends. I was a bit afraid as that's how it was billed that I'd have to play or sing. Everyone who played was his friend, but all his friends didn�t have to play. The friends I know are Sara Bouchard who is Union Street Preservation Society with him and his girlfriend Sammi.

Union Street is self described as a genre bending string band. Alex and friends doesn't pretend to have a genre. It cannot be put in a box, not even a big box. There's always strings, Alex plays clawhammer banjo and guitar, but the music knows no bounds. Sure they do traditional sounding string band. When it was Alex, Alan, and Sara, they could have been the Stray Birds. But when it was Sarah and Sammi it sounded like 60s pop. On some songs Alex strips down the music so you can concentrate on the lyrics including what's going to be my theme song, "I'm going to live forever." I probably got the title wrong but you get the gist of it. So you know how some people's music is not as interesting as they are? Alex is not one of those people. Sara did one of her songs. I need to hear more of her solo material. She isn't one of those people either. She's good.

It struck me that one thing the whole set reminded me of was the Ramones. What the Ramones? Proto-punk rock? Is he nuts? But yes the Ramones. Why? the Ramones were not great playing their instruments. They did not write complex masterpieces. What made the Ramones fun was that their goal was to get up on stage and have fun. Alex and friends and bands can play their instruments but they are so clearly up there to have a good time. They aren't catering to pop sensibilities. They aren't trying to make "important" music. They are out to make good music and have a good time while doing it. There is no posturing and trying to fit everyone's tastes.

I didn't get out of there till midnight and didn't get home to almost 1 AM. But I slept late this morning, 9:30 I so got some sleep. Not enough I didn't get to bed till close to two and then was up again at 3 for another half an hour. But it left me feeling good. Now I really should try and go out and enjoy this beautiful day.


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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 August 24, 2013
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