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 ...
September 26, 2015 - 12:15 p.m.
It's only 10:02; this is my earliest writing start in ages. That's because I woke up way too early this morning. I only got about 5 hour sleep. I spent two hours trying to fall back to sleep without success. I am of course going out tonight. I hope the inevitable crash comes at some point this afternoon when I can afford it.
And now it’s 10:25. The chronoklepts are insidious. I really should get up and make coffee but then I'll never start writing let alone finish. I will power through; the secret compartment of my ring I fill with an Underdog super energy pill. Damn, just realized they would never do that in a cartoon today, they'd be afraid it would promote taking amphetamines. So kids just remember that my Underdog super energy pills are taken under a doctor's supervision. Never take them on your own.
OK so now it's 10:57. I hate when I do this so now down to business.
Now it's Monday. Nah just kidding.
I actually got myself out of the house to do laundry yesterday and it was just when I like doing it, around 2 PM. When I got to the laundromat there were only three other people there and almost all the machines were open. The three people were all young orthodox Jewish women, it must be some sort of pre-Shabbat thing. Makes sense. Or maybe like me they ran out of clean underwear. Yes that is the one thing that gets me to do laundry. Not always; sometimes I hand-wash enough to get me through a few more days. I have no idea the line of thought that led to it but I found myself singing Send in the Clowns on the way to the laundromat. Well actually as I don't know the lyrics what I found myself singing was:
Isn't it rich?
Isn't it grand?
You take a pig by the nose.
Not by the hand.
Send in the clowns.
Where are the clowns?
Train wreck with clowns.
I didn't notice what I was singing till after I sang "Not by the hand." Train Wreck with Clowns was the name of the Commedia dell'arte busking act that Carey. and I had. It started as a fictional act but we actually busked once so now it's real. But that's not why I'm writing this. What I noticed was that I liked the way I singing it. My voice sounded so clear and so on key. So I decided to record it and send it to Carey because it was her birthday. So I recorded it. As I sang it sounded great. Then I listened and my voice cracked and went off-key in ways I couldn't hear at all while singing. Yes I sing even worse than I think I do. I'm cursed with good ears and no talent. Of course it isn't the ears, it's the brain. Music only works one way with me, going in, going out, not so much.
So good thing I was planning on great music coming into it last night. Spuyten Duyvil was playing at Spiral Sounds Concerts. Both the band and the venue are such favorites they both get macros to insert links. Because of the popery, or is that potpourri, I was afraid there'd be delays so I left almost a half hour earlier than usual. When I got the subway station I felt wise as the 
that was in the station and according the info signs leaving in one minute never opened its doors and instead moved out of the station in the wrong direction. That's towards the yards.
A few minutes later a 
came and I took that. And that was the last delay. The train ran smoothly. I got to the World Trade Center and just made the PATH train. That was close. I had a clear path to the door and someone walked right in front of me, not getting on the train, just walking along the platform for some reason, and blocked me. And then door closed as I was blocked. I dived in and got my arm and shoulder in. They wouldn't open the doors for a while but finally relented. Then they opened them again and let a lot more people in. The train was unusually crowded. I wouldn't know but the people around me who are regular commuters told me. We thought that maybe the Pope was on the train.
I am always the first one to arrive at Spiral sounds. Well except for the last time when I was an idiot and got the time wrong. I'm always an idiot but usually I'm a punctual idiot. When I made my plans to leave early it was to assure I got there when doors opened. I wasn't worried about getting their before the music started. I have my pride. OK I just like hanging out with Gidge, Loyse, the band, and whatever friends are there. Because I had such good timing I was way earlier. I would have been even earlier if I hadn't walked a block too far along the Hudson and had to walk back a block. But I was still early. I was pretty confident they would be OK with that, I'm sort of a regular. I've only missed one of their shows. And I'm really cute. If I write that enough time people might start to believe it. That might work better if I didn't tell you my plan. I'm like a James Bond villain or Doctor Doofenshmirtz. I have to gloat and tell you my plan before. Doctor Who actually called the alien villain on that. It was the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. I believe in "Horror of Fang Rock." The alien threatened to kill him and the Doctor said something to the effect of, "And not gloat and tell me your plan first?"
993 words and I haven’t walked in the front door yet.
I rang the bell and Loyse let me in .She told me that when they heard the bell 20 minute early they said, "It must be Gordon." Yeah I have a reputation. I was going to save a seat for Fred but he arrived ten minutes later. He also couldn’t believe how easy the commute was. Talking to the band they couldn't believe how easy the drive there was. It seems like the Pope actually performed a miracle, he made the New York rush hour commute easy.
If I was half as funny as I think I am and half as cute as I'm trying to convince you I am I'd have women falling all over me. The actual fractions must be closer to 1⁄187.
So who else was at the show? Katherine and Karen, no not that Karen, Katherine's Bobtown bandmate, this was Karen from Flushing who I so often see at shows and travels even further to the Jersey City than I do. Is that it? Yes it was. I met people I even remember some names, Dan and Julia. I'm just showing off I remember names. I take my victories where I can find them.
Spuyten Duyvil was the band I saw the most last year. I love them and they are good friends. I have not seen them nearly as often this year. It's been long enough that I was getting antsy; I needed my fix. I got it. They are always great but this was an even better show than usual. Katherine did some harmonies on the album and they asked her to come up to join them on Stewball. That's one of my favorites. It's how you do a cover. .They took a great trad song and discoed it up. It's so much fun. The first set was almost all songs for their most recent album, Social Music Hour which is renditions of old songs, for the most part traditional. Only one was not public domain.
I think I might have made something of a fool of myself bopping along to the music. No matter. They brought merch so of course I sold it. It's my natural habitat. I don’t usually do that at house concerts but I do for the bands that I always sell for.
The second set was heaven on songs from their second album New Amsterdam. That was nice. I found out that Judge Not was based on the Flushing Remonstrance! Karen's friend Moira let out a whoop when she heard that. She is a historian and lives in Flushing. Hey I cheered too, that's my old home turf. The Remonstrance is a landmark in Freedom of Religion. When Peter Stuyvesant tried to keep Quakers out of New Amsterdam the good people of Flushing complained to the Dutch government. Some people show their local pride by flying a confederate flag. I prefer to honor a clarion call for freedom.
I sold far more CDs after the show than before. I was going to go back to the PATH with Fred but I ended up staying later. I was asked to join Gidge, Loyse, Katherine and Gidge's college friend out on the patio for a while so I stayed another hour. They are such gracious hosts. The best house concerts are friendly. The ones I frequent, Spiral Sounds, Courthouse Concerts, Church Korner, River Spirit, House of Love, Kathryn's Place, all feel like friends getting together for a party. If it feels like you are running a business you are going about it wrong. So who did I forget in that list? I will add that one bad thing about not having a car is that it's now too hard to get to Lois and Greg's and to Brenda and George's house for shows. The people hosting these house concerts have all become dear friends, at least those that weren't dear friends before they started hosting house concerts.
Then I headed home. I once again had to dive through the closing train door. This time they gave me an easier time as most of me was in the car and the train was less crowed. I made great time getting home, it took just about an hour.
Tonight I'm heading up to Common Ground Community Concerts, it just got its own macro, to see Bobtown. I always merch for Bobtown. I always merch if I go to the Common Ground. I guess I'll be marching. I also do whatever other volunteering stuff is necessary there. I'm a parasite but I aspire to be a mutualistic symbiote. Of course I just invited myself up to Joe and Emily's for Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll just aspire to be a cute tapeworm. .
Now finally for breakfast. I think I'll go for an omelet. I don't have milk, let's see if half & half works.
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 September 26, 2015
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