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 05, 2017 - 12:01 p.m.

Try Hiring Guards Next Time

I had plans last night. I was going to see Jess Klein at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3. I thought I didn't have to leave for about an hour but checked on Google Maps. It said it was going to take two hours, it never takes two hours. Then I saw why, the 6 train is not running to Pelham Bay Park, my station, all weekend. I don't mind the two hours getting there as much as the possible two and a half hours coming home. That takes longer as I can't time the once every half hour bus. I wrote Jess, let her know what happened so I couldn't merch and stayed home. That's goes down as a loss.

There were two silver linings, I got to make dinner at home and I had an evening with nothing planned so I could watch a movie on my computer. The dinner was not exciting but very tasty, cheddarbrats and hash browns. I was going to dive into Stranger Things but I can watch that in shorter chunks; that's why I wanted to watch a movie. I went to see what parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe I haven't seen yet that was available and found Iron Man 3. As always it was fun. These are my guilty pleasures. I should keep a list if stupid tropes that have become dramatic conventions. The film had one that I've seen in countless films and TV shows. There is some super-secret installation where something valuable is kept, in Ironman 3 it's "The Internet;" ignore how stupid that is; it's a separate issue. Sometimes it's a prisoner, something secret plans, or a priceless artifact. In the first Harry Potter book it was the Philosopher's Stone. Whatever it is there are "impenetrable" technological or magical defenses. What there isn't, is anyone around. Real things are guarded by real people, not just TV cameras that any fictional spy or thief can thwart. Armed guards with guns would be on any intruder, whether it's the Death Star or The Internet. It always bothers me though I've learned to live with it.

In Yesterday's entry I cutely asked for help with my IRS problem. I exaggerated a bit and said I was going to have to face a firing squad. I only face the loss of a hand. The person whose help I needed is Jane, she's a tax accountant. She knows the mysterious ways of the IRS and says that I should be OK even though the problem is ten years old. I am very good at avoiding things, it comes with the anxiety territory. Hey, Tony Stark had panic attacks in the movie. He's my people! I'm supposed to relate to that and be excited. I'm not. I was reminded of that because I avoided a panic attack by Buddha Breathing. Jane said it was easy peasy, but my anxiety rose. The important thing is that I did it anyway. That's progress.

Last night the clocks fell back in the fall. The thing is that the clocks I use the most often, the ones on my phone and computer, do it all by myself. I didn't bother to set my watch back as I only use it when I go out. Let's see if I remember to set back the one on the stove. I use that when I'm cooking. I still got my set the clocks back excitement. I put my phone on desk clock mode and watched it go from 1:59 AM to 1:00 AM. I live a wild life.

I spent some time on musical recommendations yesterday. I'm an advisor to the Hudson West Folk Festival. That's a bit time consuming as I like to write a bit about each act, telling why I think the act should play. Then I started sharing recommendations for people to check out at NERFA. I have always waited till I got there and asked people who I should check out. I decided to get a head start this year and give a leg up to the musicians that I love that are not as widely known as they should be. There are some artists that are in the conversation and others, just as good, that aren't. Spreading the world on them is one of my missions.

I'm not going to get into anything deep today. Tonight, I'm heading to Hastings-on-Hudson to see The End of America; don't get scared, I'm not talking about the Zombie Apocalypse, it's the name of one of my favorite bands.


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



creative commons
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Horvendile November 05, 2017
site search by freefind advanced


Follow on Feedly



about me - read my profile! read other DiaryLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!