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 18, 2014 - 12:30 p.m.

Rohe Call or Give Ries a Chance

I have tech friends. One of you write an app that can translate my thoughts to a word document so I can write Wise Madness as I think all day. Then I wouldn't forget things and I'd have an extra hour a day.

So let me start with something I forgot to write yesterday because nobody has invented that app yet. You all hate me. When I was in the audience of Ask Me Another I signed up to be a contestant. On Tuesday night when I couldn't sleep I checked my email and saw that they had written me and sent me a test. It was a word document and totally on the honor system. The thing is it seems that being funny is as important as knowing stuff. I think I did pretty well except I totally bombed on one section. But I did great on others. But the part that makes me most optimistic is that the last question was writing two limericks. I am pretty sure I do that better than most people. Who else is going to have the last line of a limerick be "Neil deGrasse Tyson?"

Last night I continued project "keep really busy so I don't think about what's causing my depression." Of course I'm not really depressed anymore but I know it can slip back any moment. Yesterday I went to see two of my favorite singer/songwriters, Jean Rohe and Rachel Ries at the Cornelia Street Caf�. Now that's nothing unusual for me. But what is unusual is that Dan saw I was going and asked if I wanted to go together and have dinner first. We ate at John's pizza a block away. There are no slices there so we split a very odd pie. Dan's a vegan so it was half veggies and no cheese and half cheese and pepperoni. If that pie can exist can't we all learn to live together. Look to the pizza I hope you all get the reference

Hell forget the pizza. Look at me and Dan. He's a creature of pure evil, he loves Dawes and doesn't like Dylan. But we can get along. I just have to excuse the fact that someone obviously put a spell on him so he's totally deluded about them. No sane person would like Dawes or dislike Dylan.

We had a great time. We bond over shared hatreds. I also talked about the things I'm trying to not think about. I can't blog about them which hurts because when I talk or write about them I can make them funny. That's not right. I don't make them funny but when I relate things it helps me find the inherent humor.

If you know the area and you know me you know where we went for dessert, Cones right next door. It is the best ice cream anywhere. Davey's gives it a good run for its money. If you prefer Davey's to Cones that's fine. I can respect it. It isn't a crime against nature like preferring Dawes to Dylan. I am a total saint to stay friends with Dan.

We were joined for the show by Dan's girlfriend Erin. Dan is one of the The Lords of Liechtenstein. You might think from their songs that he wouldn't have a girlfriend. But it's Noah that all girls are mean to. Of course once they find out about Dawes and Dylan all girls will be mean to him too. Sorry Dan for letting the cat out of the bag.

On the plus side Dan does know Jean and visa versa so maybe Jean's the saint and I'm just going along for the ride.

I have written about Jean approximately 7,324.8 times. If you don't know that I adore her you probably can't read so I can say anything mean about you I want as you aren't reading this. If someone asks you to read this to them please be kind and say, "he says that you rock."

This was a solo show which means different material including the one song I thought o something to write about, Pacific Street. The song is perfect. I'm not saying it's the greatest song ever written, probably something by Dylan, and I'm not even saying it's Jean's best song. What I'm saying is that any change you make to it will make it worse. Every note and every word is exactly the right one. It's a small song but it's a masterpiece.

I got a bit arty with my pics


Is that Jean through a window?

Yes she's in the next room.


Fooled you. It's a mirror.

Rachel I see far less often. She lives in Vermont now and they don't let her out

Want to know what Rachel's music is like? Look at that dress. All elements seem simple. It's nothing but black and white stripes, but the totality is disorienting. Things are not nearly as straightforward as they seem. Those straight lines are really curves and they take you in unpredictable directions.

There is nothing off the rack about Rachel's music. Or about Rachel for that matter. I wish more of my friends were there I should have asked her about NERFA. She someone that could be helped by it. She's so good but travels in different circles than most music people I know. You need to know her.


Rachel gets a mirror shot too


View from the back


Rachel plays piano

As we were on our way out I heard my name called, it was Stephanie Jenkins. I'd link to her website but she doesn't seem to have one. She is that old clich�, bluegrass banjo player/documentary maker. Yes yet another one. It's really sad that she spotted me first. She's strikingly beautiful yet her new glasses stopped my brain from picking her out of the background. It really is interesting how those things work. As I have pointed out before I get a happy when someone spots me who I haven't yet spotted and calls to me instead of trying to slip away unnoticed. Not that I'm insecure or anything. Odd but I'm secure enough to make myself vulnerable by telling you about this. That's part o why writing is good for me.

After the show Erin had to run home. I walked with Dan to the subway where we went in opposite directions. I stopped at Pathmark in Atlantic Terminal to buy Breathe Right strips. The store was open but for some reason they close the pharmacy aisles so I couldn't buy it I have to get them today I sleep so much better when I can breathe. I'm a big baby.

I never get around to writing about politics anymore. Next day I am not busy I'll try to. There's a whole universe going on out there outside of my head. Now sure it's less interesting than the one inside it but it deserves some attention.


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 September 18, 2014
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!