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

December 14, 2017 - 12:04 p.m.

Winning Elections

My plan for yesterday worked out, I never left the house. There's something to be said for achievable goals. I watched too much TV but there was a long time I wasn't watching any TV and feel I'm making up for lost time. I did something I never do, I watched a show as it was being broadcast on my computer. It was the season premier of The Librarians. There were back-to-back episodes. I assumed it would be a two-parter, but it wasn't. I don't know why did it this way. I still love the show. It's nice to have a superhero show where their superpower is being smart and knowledgeable.

I started binge-watching a new show; Dark Matter. It was on my Netflix list, but I didn't know how it got there. It started with a great premise, six people wake up on a spaceship with know memory of who they are but their skills intact. I would have preferred an existential show that explores that but instead they find out their identities in the second episode and it became an adventure show with a mystery attached; how they lost their memory. There was one thing that bugged me it happens on many shows. It wasn't a scientific or logical mistake. In the beginning nobody knows who they are. They treat one person as a kid; won't give her a weapon and one character doesn't think she should be able to vote on what they do as she can't be more than 15. The thing is she doesn't look like a kid. Everyone acts like she is but to me she looked like she was in her early to mid 20s. I checked on IMBD, the actress was 21. She looks older not younger than her age.

I have a culinary question? Honey mustard is the queen of condiments; where do you buy it? I never see it next to the mustard at the supermarket. When a fast food restaurant has honey mustard packages I ask for more than I need and take them home. I would prefer to not have to depend on that. It's the best thing on a ham steak. That's what I had for dinner last night.

I have been lamenting the lost of Picasa and the problems with Google Photos. I have been playing with Microsoft Photos and One Drive and I hate to admit it, but Microsoft does a better job with photos than Google. That's where my hosting will be for now on. The editing is not as good as Picasa but it's adequate and it works far better as a host. That means you'll be seeing more pictures here. Last night I edited my photos from the last edition of John Platt's On Your Radar. I'll show you some of them.


Mary Scholz



Pete Mancini


Heathcote Hill

If this comes out nicely I'll start taking more pictures with my real camera. That's exciting; at least for me. A friend once said that what I do is document events, I blog, take pictures, and videos. I'm compiling annals.

The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has not made any official announcement but we know which emerging artists will be returning as Most Wanted next year. They told the artists who have announced it themselves. Every year 24 artists perform in a showcase, each getting 10 minutes. Then the attendees vote on which ones they want back. The top three are invited; if things are close it's the top four.

My record of late has been spotty; people I was sure would win didn't. I have not been voting for a high percentage of the winners. This year I voted for all thee of the winners; The End of America, Ryan Hood, and Heather Aubrey Lloyd. I knew the End of America would win; they are not only great and accessible they are from Philly and Brooklyn, so they have a fan base that goes to Falcon Ridge. Ryan Hood obviously had the mass appeal, but they are from New Mexico so hardly anyone knew them going in. I had discovered them at NERFA. Heather is not as well known, and her music is out of the mainstream. She's always going to do well with an audience of people like me, but I wasn't as sure of the mass appeal; I was delighted to find that has it.

All of them played the Budgiedome, and all were invited before I knew they'd be in the Emerging Artist Showcase. It's not like we invited many people in the showcase, the only other one was Emily Mure; I want to see how the voting went. I very much hope she came in 4th. It killed me that I could only vote for three. There were some others in showcase that had buzz and I thought might win but no, it was only Budgiedome performers and almost all of the Budgiedome performers. They are all invited back next year. I think I didn't give them a choice; I just said, "You're playing."

My candidates won the Most Wanted and Doug Jones beat Roy Moore; the electoral tide is turning. On the national level I see over-optimism on the left replacing the over-pessimism since Trump was elected. People read too much into narrow victories. They were discouraged by special elections where the Democrat lost but did far better than the districts' lean would suggest. People have trouble with gradations. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and lost the electoral because of very close races in several states. Many people interpreted that as a rejection of the Democratic party and saw nothing but defeat in the future; "the Democrats don't know how to win elections." Now people see a Democratic tide. It's fears and hopes not analysis. Things are looking better for the Dems. The Senate map is not a good one for them and Democratic clustering in cities, extreme gerrymandering, and vote suppression makes things tough in the House, but the signs are good and I'm optimistic. That's far from sure and it's far from despair. What will be will be. It's a cliché but one that exists because it’s true; all we can do is try our hardest and hope for the best.

The same goes for the next Falcon Ridge. Everyone that I've encouraged should submit to be in the Emerging Artists. If you make it make sure to contact me ASAP about playing the Budgiedome. I'd love another Budgiedome sweep. I'm not counting on it.



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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 December 14, 2017
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