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 06, 2017 - 4:00 p.m.

Walk Off To Look for the End of America

I have indigestion, not a Crohn's attack. I don't know what caused it. It's a bit of a distraction and I didn't get enough sleep last night. These are my excuses for this not being a Pulitzer Prize worthy entry. Feel free to contradict me on that and to award me the prize. There is a Pulitzer for blogging, right? Maybe I should shoot for the Nobel in literature.

I took a nap. The computer wasn't on my lap, so it was a conscious decision. It seems like a good one. I'm going to eat brunch then come back here and write. Till then go read my old blogs.

Many hours later and I'm ready to write. I ate but still have a bit of indigestion. Oh no, I know what it is. I had cashews, not enough to trigger an attack but enough to cause trouble. Why did I do that? The default, "I'm an idiot" doesn't cut it when it can have such severe consequences. But I am in idiot.

Yesterday's I ventured to The End of America which last night was in Hastings-on-Hudson. This was not the Zombie Apocalypse and not foretelling where the country is headed; it's the name of a band. They were playing at River Spirit Music aka Peter and Paula's house. I first saw the band at last year's NERFA, a week shy of a year ago. They have become one of my bands. It's not predictable how that will work out, some musicians I love fall off my radar; others I see often enough that I can use the possessive. They played the Budgiedome, that's a big part of it.

I was a little behind in my timing, I couldn't find clean socks, I went out wearing my slipper socks. Even then I had to run to the bus stop and just beat the bus by 30 seconds. If I had missed it, I'd have missed the train from University Heights to Hastings where I was getting picked up. The next train was not for an hour. Perry and Beth picked me up. They are stalking me. In the last few weeks I've seen them at their venue, Ethical Brew, The Common Ground, The Hudson West Volunteer Party, and now River Spirit. Beth suggested that maybe I'm stalking them, but I pointed out that no way would I be trying to see Perry that often. I have no idea why anyone is my friend.

I was surprised that I knew only one other person in the audience, Peter not River Spirit Peter. We have been running into each other at shows that are far afield. He's my people.

Before I talk about the music I must discuss something more important. There was an amazing chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache. That was worth the hour and a half trip up there.

I decided what I was going to write about the End of America at the show. I wondered if I had said it before but I'm not going to check. If I did it bears repeating. Don't complain to me.

There are actors that are so attractive that some people don't appreciate how well they can act. People look at them and figure that's why they are popular. I am prone to that prejudice with music, except it's not about physical appearance but sounding pretty. They have gorgeous harmonies and that is enough for many people. It's not enough for me. I get bored with that quickly. I need music with more there there. The End of America has that. The harmonies are not just beautiful, they are also varied. The songs don't serve the harmonies, the harmonies serve the songs. They are part of the content as are the elegant lyrics and melodies. The more intently you listen the more you get out of it.

This combination along with their affable stage manner makes them one of the easiest bands to recommend. The people who don't want to put in the effort will go, "pretty" and those that do will go, "deep."

It helps that I also love talking to James, Brendon, and Trevor. I did during intermission, but I couldn't hang out afterward as there was a train leaving in 14 minutes and the next was not for an hour. I asked, and someone could give Peter and I a life to the station. If we had missed it I found out that I could have waited just half an hour; that train misses my stop, University Heights but stops one stop above, Marble Hill. From there I can take the 1 train a few stops to the BX12 bus. It would just add a short subway ride and one stop on the bus to my trip. That's good to know for next time.

I just realized that when I said I wasn't talking about physical attractiveness that I was implying that they weren't attractive. My only yardstick for judging men is my well calibrated sense of how attractive Carey would find them. She would want to put them in her pocket and take them home.

When I got home I searched for movies to watch and discovered that HBO had X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I finally know his back story. I knew some of it but not how old he was, how he lost his memory, and that he is Saber Tooth's brother. I still don't know why someone with Mutant Claws is called Saber Tooth.

I went to listen to End of America's album and discovered to my dismay that it must have been on my hard drive not the cloud. I gave the disk to John as he missed NERFA last year. I'll have to get a copy from them at NERFA. I don't know how many other albums I lost that way.

I just realized that I can stay home today. I need eggs and coffee but I'm going out early tomorrow. I can stop at Trader Joe's. after lunch with Dan. It's yucky out, I hate going out when it's yucky, especially when I'm not feeling great. On Thursday I leave for NERFA. I'm thinking of bringing my computer. Even if I do I doubt very much that I'll blog, it takes too much time.

Now to relax and hope my stomach settles. Remind me to never eat nuts again no matter how good they look.


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 November 06, 2017
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