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

January 21, 2015 - 9:54 a.m.

Skye's the Limit

This is a sleep deprived in pain edition of Wise Madness. I slept on my right side, not good for my bursitis ridden right shoulder and I'm out of acetaminophen. I need to buy some today. I have an ice pack on it now. As for sleep I got home at 2:20 AM and woke up at 8 AM. I got perhaps 5 hours sleep. But of course there must be a reason I got home so late so there's something to write about.

Before I get to that I'll talk about my afternoon. I did my laundry for the first time in too long. that meant I had a very heavy laundry bag. Also not good with bursitis. But I got it done. I rewarded myself with a good dinner. I grilled a steak and made mashed potatoes. I can't afford a good cut of steak but I can do wonders with even a cheap thin cut.

In the evening came the reason I was out so late, not that I was expecting it. I was at the CD release show for Skye Steele's new album Up From the Bitterroot. I was doing merch with Heather. And contrary to your expectations I was helping her not the other way around. Months ago Skye was looking for an intern to help him publicizing the album and such and I told Heather about it and she got the job. So last night I just tagged along and did some heavy lifting.

The show was at Littlefield which is really easy to get to. I planned on doing it with one train, the to Atlantic Terminal then walk half a mile But the was there as I walked by the platform so I took it one stop.

Now I wasn't expecting it to be a late night. The Facebook event said 8 PM. I got there at 7:30 to set up. I beat Heather there and Skye was soundchecking so I hung out in the bar area at first. I met an interesting guy Daniel that travels the world demonstrating Terrapan Handpans. It's a steel drum you play with your hands.

That's him. I meet interesting people. He's off to India and Bahrain next.

There was an art exhibit in the lobby by the brilliant Andrew Benincasa. I know him through Jean Rohe. He created the shadow puppet show that Jean used in her Christmas show in 2013 and the light box she used this past Christmas. His medium is cut paper. I hung out with him and Daniel till Heather arrived. Then we set up the merch. There was quite a bit, music, t-shirts, and posters by Andrew. Oh I didn't mention Andrew collaborated on the album. It was not released as a CD, though one is available, but a booklet with art by Andrew and a download code for the album. Skye plays violin in Jean's band. See it all comes together. In fact Jean played in Skye's band along with Liam and Ilusha who also play with Jean.

The reason the even went so late is that 8 was when doors were and there were two other acts. Sorry I forgot their names But they each had fairly long sets.Skye didn't go on till after eleven. I had expected to be home by then.

This is my first time seeing Skye with the full band and it's how he's best. He uses a broad palette, quite different from most of what I hear. If I were to describe Skye the two words I'd use are gentle and soft-spoken. His music is often the opposite. There's a lot of dissonance and dynamic range. My favorite song was New Mind/Old Mind which is cacophonous, eight instruments or so each going their own way yet all contributing to the whole.

After the show we sold merch and hung out for some time. We didn't leave till after 1 AM. I told you it was a late night. I must have been closer to 2. We stopped to get a bite to eat for Heather but I made great connections on the trains. The then the each came in less than five minutes. That's very lucky at that time of night. I hope Heather got home OK. She had a longer trip. She lives in Williamsburg and it's almost always easier to get there via Manhattan from the rest of Brooklyn

OK I'd like to write more but I'm already rushed. I have my usual Wednesday get my life in order date with Carolann. Is she my life coach? I hope not. I don't want to be a person with a life coach. But I am a person with a date and I have to make breakfast.


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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 January 21, 2015
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