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

September 03, 2015 - 12:06 p.m.

I'll Tell Mama If I Want To

It's late but at least it's before 11:00. I'm not at my best this morning, I'm blue and listless. Writing often helps so I'll write.

So do people want to hear about me screwing up breakfast? I cook grits fairly often, grits ala Horvendile is on my breakfast rotation, there are still things about cooking them that I don't get. First off it's supposed to take 20 minutes to make grits. I find that they get overcooked after about 16 minutes. Now I make them a bit strange as I add an eggs after 12 or 13 minutes then cook for another 3 or four. I had been mixing the eggs right into the grits but of late I've left them whole and essentially poached them in grits. What happens too often is that they get too dry and cake on the bottom of the pot. No way I could let them cook 20 minutes. But that’s not how I screwed them up. That I can't help. I forgot to add the cheese. That's just being an idiot.

I had a fun conversation with Morandir yesterday. What kind of name is Morandir? It's Sindarin of course. Now don't tell me that you don't know what Sindarin is. It's the Elven tongue of the Eldar that remained in Beleriand, duh. Do I need to explain what French is? I mean you should recognize the name from the common roots, Mor as in Morder, the black land, and andir as in Mithrandir, the grey pilgrim or grey wanderer. OK we got that out of the way? I wish you people would get a basic education so I wouldn't have to explain this stuff. He's a friend of ilyAIMY, now that can't shock you. I noticed his name on a comment on something Rob wrote, asked him about it, and we connected. Guess what we discussed? Yes Lord of the Rings. Well actually Arda the world where the Tolkien works take place. Middle Earth is just a part of Arda. I finally had someone to discuss the burning question of how the hell did the Elves feed themselves? There were cities in forests and no farms.

OK enough geekology. People like when I write about music. So what? I write for inner needs not to cater to My Gentle Readers. What did I do last night? Oh yeah, I went out to hear music. It was when of those nights I needed to split myself in two; the electrifying Eilen Jewell was playing right here in Brooklyn. At the same time Christine Lavin and Don White were inaugurating a new songwriters series at Don't Tell Mama in on Restaurant Row. Their first guest was the jewel, Julie Gold. I had seen Eilen this summer and I haven't seen Julie or Chris in ages so they won. When I told Julie my dilemma after the show she said, "But is Eilen going to talk about you from the stage?" Nope, she wouldn't. This was a home game.

The Facebook event said that it started at 7:00. It's right across the street from Joe Allen, the restaurant where I usually meet Erika so I can time this well. I wanted to get there early left at 5:50 knowing I'd get there at 6:35 or so. But shortly after I got on the train my alarm went off. I had it listed as starting at 6:00. I didn't remember even putting it in my calendar but I know that if I do something like that it means that's when doors open. I wanted to be there early for that, both to get a good seat and to hang out with Chris, Julie, and whoever else I knew there. Good thing this is not the kind of thing I get anxious about. I wouldn't miss the show, I'd still be early so could hang out, and there was nothing I could do about it so I just accepted it.

I got there just when I expected to and guess what. Doors weren't open. Well actually there was no door, there was a velvet rope. I asked someone else if that meant that doors weren't open yet and she said yes but I could just jump over the rope. Then she just unhooked the rope and we all went in. This was pretty informal. When I walked in Ilene Weiss saw me and gave me the "I know you, now what's your name?" She knew I was the Jeopardy guy. When I gave my first name she knew the last. Facebook does that. I know her name because she used to take part in the Roches' Christmas shows. I had an unfair advantage. Who else did I know? David Massengill, that was easy, Hey I also first saw him in a Roches' Christmas show. Peter Bliss, I forgot his name but remember it now. I don't remember the name of the lovely woman who I've met many time who was with him. Hey I'm an idiot. That's my social get out of free card.

The format for the show was Chris did a set, then Julie, then Don. Then there was a "Short ten-minute break." Am I the only one that misses a beat when hearing something like that? Can you have a long ten-minute break? Those kinds of redundancies always bother me. After the break they did a round robin, Chris did songs with both of the other.

Both Chris and Don had less emphasis on funny songs than usual. At the break someone said, "I thought this was going to be a comedy show." That person was still enjoying it and said so. He was just surprised. I was less surprised as I've seen them so many times I know things vary. The round robin set was heavier on the funny songs. Julie and Chris did the Jeopardy theme song so I of course had my moment in the spotlight. As usual I hammed it up.

Something truly remarkable happened. I did not go on stage to be part of the Sensitive New Age Guys chorus! Chris called up all the singers in the audience to join them, David Massengill, David Ippolito, Peter Bliss, and some I didn't know. As they can all actually sing I decided that discretion is the better part of euphony and stayed seated.

It was a long show which is good except that I hadn't eaten and first started to cook when I got home. I roasted those tiny potatoes I just bought. As I thought they were extra good for that. Then I was good and had fruit for dessert. Of course I had a double dose, Clementines and a banana.

Damn, I didn't finish this before noon like I wanted to. Oh well. One of these days I'll get back in the groove and write earlier and faster. I've been listening to Folk Alley while I wrote this. I made a list of everyone I heard that I got excited about.

Boxcar Lilies
Kate Rusby
Taj Mahal
Le Vent du Nord
Eilen Jewell
John Prine
Not as many people from the NERFAverse as they sometimes have been still a great mix.

Writing did make me better though I still have anxiety and some Jurgen's Shadow. I'm going to see Jill Sobule tonight. If I'm smart I'll go out for a walk before then. Of course I'm an idiot so might not be smart.


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 03, 2015
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