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 ...
May 22, 2015 - 11:00 a.m.
Somewhere along the way I lost the will to edit photos before I write my blog .So now photos just show up on Facebook. I don’t like that but if it's what it takes to get me to write then I'll make the sacrifice.
I actually did things yesterday so writing this should be easy. Let's see if I'm write. I even remember a phrase I came up with last night. Let's see if I still remember it when I get to the appropriate point.
Yesterday was a Gordon day, it matched the expectations of others and me of what it means to be me. I went to two geographically and stylistically separated concerts with a stop for my kind of food in between. Do I need to write more? Yeah I do.
A few days ago Damon posted on Facebook that he had an extra ticket to see Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell at City Winery and asked if anyone wanted to go. It took me almost a attosecond to say yes. I was delighted to find that the show was early, 5 PM so it wouldn’t interfere with my plans to see Amy Rigby at Hi-Fi.
Doors were at 4 and Damon asked me to get there then. He couldn't make it that early. I failed! I made a bad commute. If I want to be proud of my commuting prowess I have to admit my failures. I had it all timed perfectly. Then without explanation the explanation the 
ran slow. Not a disaster as long as I had a decent connection to the 
at Fulton I'd only be a couple of minute late. That would be if I had gotten off at Fulton. I was reading the NY Times on my phone and I heard, "Next stop 14th Street Union Square." That meant I was at Brooklyn Bridge and had passed my stop. I actually had to race to make it off the train before the doors closed. Then I had to take a train downtown one stop to catch the . OK all this only cost me about 15 minutes but I still felt bad
I went in said and said I was Damon's plus one, they looked it up on the computer and led me to our table. It wasn't a good one. It was almost an obstructed view. We could see but the pillar was right there. Oh well. I could live with it. I put my hoodie and bag down and went to see who I knew in the audience. I found Marty right away and talked to him for a bit but then nobody other than WFUV staff. Oh I guess I should say that this was a WFUV Marquee show.
I went back to my seat and then Damon came over and said he had a better seat. No idea how that worked out. They were supposed to take me to Damon's seat. The new seats were much better and I was quite happy with them.
Five hundred and sixteen words in I'll start on the music. Emmylou is one of my touchstone artists, not so much recorded but live. There's just something in the way she sings that moves me like no other can. I came up with the perfect descriptions years ago. She doesn't sing like an angel, she sings like the voice of humanity. Or in a similar vein I can quote Tolkien. I was sure I used this before but I can't find it when I search. This is Frodo's reaction to hearing Goldberry, Tom Bombadil's wife, sing.
He stood as he had a time stood enchanted by fair elven-voices; but the spell that was now laid upon him was different: less keen and lofty was the delight, but deeper and nearer his mortal heart; marvelous and yet not strange.I often compared Annie Haslam to Lúthien, Emmylou is Goldberry.
I doubt I'd be excited over Rodney Crowell alone but I might be. I never saw him. But together it was magic. One of Emmylou's great skills is harmony singing. I first saw her backing up Bob Dylan. I was dancing in my seat, closing my eyes lost in the music and away from my problems living in the music. It was special
After the show I socialized more. John Platt was the Emcee and of course I talked to him, Corny was there too. I told them both that I was their colleague now as I played DJ on Monday night. I talked to Chuck and who else? Oh Jill and and and … OK there were too many people I can remember people I said hi to but I wanted to mention the ones I actually chatted with.
Then I walked over to Hi-Fi. It's not far, 1.6 miles across town. My plan was to stop somewhere for dinner. I figured I'd see what looked interesting. On MacDougal I found something, La Frite, a Belgian Fry place. I got an order with smoked bacon crisps and Aioli sauce. Yes there was bacon mixed in with the fries.
I actually sat down to eat as I had time. Then I walked through Washington Square Park. When I was near the fountain I heard my named called. It was Dan! It's funny as I asked him to go with me to see Amy and he couldn't because he as seeing Noah's other band. Yes Noah cheats on Dan. He isn't just a The Lords of Liechtenstein. They are polymusicalous. I actually keep a record of all the random meetings with friends I have. I will put it in the spreadsheet now. This was only my fourth of the year but my second in 11 days. I ended up stopping and talking for quite some time. Good thing I gave myself a lot of time.
I got to Hi-Fi 20 minutes before show time. There isn't a lot of good seating and I wanted one of the few seats with a back that faced the stage. I got one. I was sitting playing on my phone when I decided to get up and ask the bartender for Hi-Fi's Wi-Fi password. But as soon as I got up I saw Pete standing not far from me. I wasn't that surprised. Last week I was going to write Pete and Maura and ask if they wanted to go to see Amy with me but realized that had just gotten back from Europe. This was not far from where they lived and they had worked with Amy on the Nanci Griffith tribute album. Before I realized that I just figured she was someone they'd like. I'm me so I never got the password. I spent all the time before the show talking to Pete. He said Maura couldn't make it. He's always one of my fav people to talk to so that went well. When the show started I went back to my seat. I had left my bag on it. I found that somebody had moved my bag. I didn't mind. It was moved to the spot I actually most wanted to sit at, there's a better view of the stage. Someone was sitting there when I arrived.
Amy did a totally different show than last week. This was her rock show. She had a drummer and Eric on bass. The only issue was it was harder to hear her lyrics. But I was able to. It just required some effort. This inspired a new description of Amy, She sounds like the Ramones with lyrics by Noel Coward. All descriptions of Amy have to include hints of many levels. So once again I was dancing in my seat. This was much more dance music than Emmylou. I danced to Amy singing "Dancing with Joey Ramone." She is just so much fun. You really need to be there next week. Oh and she had special guests. First Lenny Kaye and then Syd Straw. Now last time I saw Syd was a show with the Kennedys and I immediately texted Carey. as I knew she'd be excited. When I talked to Syd after the show she said she going to yell at me for texting at the show but thought better of it. Carey is also a big fan of Amy and Carey has seen both of them with me. So I of course took a pic of them together and sent it to Carey. She wrote back, "Did Syd yell at you again?" Syd is playing someplace Saturday night. I should find out where and if it's not too late go.
After the show David said "Hi." He said he was going to go. And then I saw that Maura was there with Pete. She arrived a bit late .She thought she couldn't make it but she did. So I got to talk to her too. So not only did I hear a great concert but got to talk to three friends. I'm seeing Pete and Maura again tonight as it's the release show for Maura's new album, Villanelle. Yes I'm going to three shows in two nights. I told you I'm being me.
I finished this before eleven. Maybe I'll celebrate by making pancakes.
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 May 22, 2015
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