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

November 15, 2013 - 4:21 p.m.

Where Were The Ziggurats?

I know I am not going to finish this before class but I'll give it a start. It turns out I am going to have to write one more NERFA entry, "NERFA Detritus" things I forgot to put in other entries. Can anyone tell me who I was watching jam Thursday or Friday nights? That's pretty much a blur. If I told you "I'm going to write about this conversation in my blog" can you remind me of it?

None of that is happening today though. I am at school with no NERFA notes. And I have a lot to write about today. Yesterday was fun with a capital PH. I was a Roadie for Bobtown, well at least for Katherine, the only one with lots of gear and no car. The concert was in Babylon and we had to take the LIRR There. I met her at Atlantic Terminal, she cabbed it to there. Then I took her 8 thousand pounds of gear and with my mighty thews carried it to the train.

We timed things perfectly and got on the train about as late as we could and easily find seats together. Fortunately we took it to the last stop so I didn't have to behead anyone taking it down from the overhead.

Thank to google maps we had no trouble finding American Legion Hall where the concert was. Alan was the only one there before us. He cheated and drove. The person doing sound came in when Katherine was out of the room and Alan was busy with equipment so he ended up introducing himself to the one person he wasn't going to be working with, me. No matter. I managed to not get in the way when everyone else was doing work. When Jen showed up with the merch I set it up. Then we went to dinner, greek food. I had souvlaki. That's when of those foods that I shouldn't like but do. This was pork, I think I usually have lamb. I just have a thing for spiced meat in little chunks, speedies, kabob, souvlaki, etc. I also have a thing about writing about food and commutes. Even writing about a great night I spend forever writing about them. Oh Katherine had dolma. There is zero intersection in our diets. No we both had pita!

I didn't find out till I got there that this was the same series where I saw RUNA in a bank and that Karen books it. There wasn't anyone else I knew there. The Long Island crowd has a very limited concept of a local show. This doesn't overlap with Huntington or Stony Brook Or Garden City. But I'll go out to all of them by LIRR. I'm planning on going back next month for Jean Rohe.

I discovered Bobtown just a year ago at NERFA. I saw them do the DJ showcase, three songs, and I was hooked. I was so sure I loved them I didn't see any of their other showcases confident I would see them in concert. I ended up kicking myself every time I saw someone else because they could never hold a candle to Bobtown. I didn't discover anything, I just missed great music. It then took a while for them to start playing at places I could go to. I missed them at the other series That Karen books the Eclectic Caf�. But since then I've seen every show and just wish there were more. They are one of the artists that I have the easiest time figuring out why I love them. They keep me totally engaged. There shows are fractal in nature. No matter how you zoom in there is more detail. I never get bored. The songs are never repetitious. The songs evolve with variations in melody, harmony, and arrangement. You do not sit there saying, "didn't I just hear that?" There is variety in each song and between songs. They can be byzantine and elaborate then switch to a simple a capella field holler, songs originally sung by slaves in the field. But even in those there are harmonies that come in out of left field and grab you. The music works on this intellectual level but at the same time they are so much fun. They'll pull kazoos and slide whistles out of a hat when you least expect them. The lyrics can be spiritual on one song inspired silliness on the next. Hell they are just fun to look at. It just hit me that the closest thing to the entire effect is another band I adore, Caravan of Thieves. Their musical styles are totally different but their sensibilities are kindred.

I�m taking suggestions. What should Bobtown fans be called. I like Bobbleheads. Any ideas?

Katherine warned me that she had work to do so she had to work on the train. So you know what happened, lots of talking and not much work. I told her that she hangs out too much with me and picks up my bad habits. Good thing I can rely on people never listening to me.

We had good timing coming home but it involved switching LIRR trains and then going on the subway. We got back sort of late and then I had to get back from Katherine's. So this was basically an extension of NERFA, great fun at the expense of sleep, a trade I'll make all the time. I'm actually doing pretty well today on my four and a half hours. I could have gotten six if I had gone straight to bed and slept till my alarm went off but that wasn't going to happen. I was wired. There was only decaf ready at the show when I got my coffee. I told them, "that's OK I'm seeing Bobtown, I don't need caffeine to stimulate me." I really should have said, "Caffeine? I don't need no stinkin' caffeine." I hope that didn't upset Lori not LORi too much.

OK now I have to figure out what to do. The concert I was going to is canceled. So now I am going to the PostCrypt to see
The Sea The Seat. But that isn't till 10:30 What to do till then. It's not far from school but I'd like to go home and relax. But the trip from home is not easy.

Oh well I'll figure it out. Sorry my pics and videos from last night aren't ready. Now to check my mailbox and relax for a bit.


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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 November 15, 2013
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