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 12, 2014 - 11:57 a.m.
Of late this has been a music/mental health blog. That's not the commonest combination. But it's in line with what I've always done, combine my inner and outer lives. It's just that now the bugs in my brain are being a big colorful and hogging the spotlight. Software patches are being installed.
I keep forgetting to thank My Gentle Readers. In August I am pretty sure I set a record for readership, 1975 hits. I'm not going to get close to that this month as that was aided by the Falcon Ridge boost that more than makes up for not blogging for five days. As much as I write to fulfill inner needs it's nice to get external validation to know that somebody is out there. This is not a private journal. You get more pleasure fantasizing about winning the lottery if you bought a ticket. That's why I sometimes buy one. I know financially it makes no sense. What I'm buying is that pleasure which is as real as a tangible object. And I get more pleasure writing if I know there are people out there reading.
So after my usual daily lethargy I got myself out of the house for what else, music. I went to see the Brilliant Jonathan Byrd at Spiral Sounds Concerts in Jersey City. Gidge I'd have linked to the website if you had one. HINT! Gidge and Loyse are the hosts.
If I am forced to go to the barbarian land, Jersey City is the easiest place to get to. It's the subway to the PATH train. It is the opposite of Deepsst Darkest New Jersey. Spiral Sounds is about halfway between the Grove Street and Exchange Place stations. I take whichever Google Maps says will be faster. Last time it was Grove street, this time Exchange. For now on it's Exchange. Why? Because then I get to apprecieat the best thing about JC, the view of New York.
Of course even that view couldn't stop an anxiety/depression attack. For the second time it hit me as nausea. Sometimes a lifetime of Crohn's disease comes in useful. I know how to fight nausea.
The walk is also easier. There's only one turn. I'll never get lost going that way. Of course I did. I remembered the address wrong. I got to the one I thought was right and the door was open. I was about to walk in when someone said, "Can I help you?" Good thing he didn't take his gun out and shoot me. I'm joking but that does happen. Pretty much always a white person shooting someone who is not white. That happens more than people defending their homes from intruders.
I checked my phone and got the right address. I thought I was late. I was the second person there. Other people have different notions about these things than me. I grabbed my seat and went into the kitchen where they were running late and finishing dinner. I somehow managed to not recognize Jonathan from behind, he wasn't wearing his hate. I recognized Loyse, Laura, and Katherine. I'm not totally hopeless. I got the "I know you don't I? from Jonathan. I'm glad when I'm not the one doing that.
A few more friends showed up. First Karen. I sent her an invitation but that's now how she heard of the show. Then I was pleasantly surprised when Mya and Alex walked in. They live in Queens. Outer Boroughs represent! I ended up moving from the seat down front I grabbed to the back to sit with them. Don�t worry I haven't forgotten the food. There was this amazing salami. That was worth the trip by itself.
Now on to Jonathan.. Here's the thing. To my friends in the music tribe he's a household name. To the rest he's "huh?" In a just world he's a household name to everyone. He's way better than most of the "big names." He's as good as anyone. He has been to the crossroads. He can be as funny and charming. Hell I could be entertained hearing him talk about his son. He has songs that make you smile and songs that break your heart. He knows the difference between the right word and almost the right word. It's just him, his guitar accompanied by Johnny I forgot the last name on the electric guitar, but that's all he needs. The man can write songs. the man can sing songs. The man can talk between the songs. He's the total package.
Here's the problem. I don't have my usual brilliant insight into why he's great. I think it's because it's nothing stylistic. It's the simplest of all things. He has something to say and says it well. His songs are never generic. He's a sensitive person and a singer and a songwriter but he's not a sensitive singer/songwriter. He's not sharing his mundane feelings. He's sharing ideas. He's making you perceive feelings differently and understand where they came from. Hell just give him a listen.
After the show I walked to the PATH with Alex and Mya. Unfortunately they needed the Grove Street station so we went there. I didn't see the skyline at night. But I'll take good friends over a good view any day Why do I love Mya? She gets excited of the merits of dollar pizza and the crime of giant puffy bagels. Oh and Jonathan wrote a song, that's a paean to barbecue pig and Mya and I both thought to ourselves, "that's the theme song to Jews that Love Trayf." That's a FB group for us bad Jews.
Instead of waiting for the train to the WTC I took the Herald Square train with them and switched to the 
then 
home I don't think it took that much longer, saved me waiting for the train, and gave me company. Seemed like a smart thing.
The other day FB suggested I be friends with Cassis. Birgit Staudt. I just knew her as Cassis but she used to be one of my favorite musicians. Her band b-blush was one of the defining makers of neuromusic. I was just talking about her recently in that context and I thought I had mentioned her here last month. I hadn't but I talked about neuromusic and quoted old entries where I did talk about her. I sent a friend request but since there's no way she'd remember me I told her who I was and that I used to be a big fan. We started talking. She read my blog. And today she sent me a link to her soundcloud. What's she's doing now is totally different. She's writing film scores that are classical. They are still great. There are also tracks of her neuromusic and one by b-blush. Give it a listen Cassis on Soundcloud. I have had her on the entire time I wrote this and now i'm gonig back and saying more She's a master of many styles. The one common theme is that they are good. "Over the Moon" should appeal to the people that share my usual musical fare.
Writing this put me in a much better place. I woke up this morning thinking of a ridiculous dream I had about some Facebook list that Mark posted. Not a real list, it was just in my dream. So I had a dream that consisted of Facebook comments. But when I fully awoke my mine immediately switched to the wheel of fire. But now it isn't filling my brain. There's room for other things � like what am I going to have for breakfast? I think it's time for bacon and eggs again. Another house convert tonight, Mike and Ruthy! It's in Red Hook. It takes me as long to get there as Jersey City. I'm going to run to the my PO Box too. Maybe I'll walk through Central Park as long as I'm up there. If I want time or that I better post this
Damn, just remembered that Mya wants to know what pun I'll use in today's title. I have to come up with one now. If you don't get the reference listen to Honor Finnegan and Google it.
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 12, 2014
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