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 17, 2013 - 11:13 a.m.

Friction makes things warm including my heart

In three hours and 15 minutes I have to be on a train that takes me 15 minutes to get to tops and I already have a ticket so there shouldn't be time pressure but for me there is. 12:45 is when I'd normally starting to eat and before I shower on days that I don't have school. The only time I enjoy being in this room is in the mornings in bed. the rest of the time I want to be out of here.

On Friday night I bought challah and bacon and looked forward to a French toast breakfast yesterday. I made the bacon and cut the bread and went for the mixing bowl and it was gone! There is one person who lives in the rooming house that has no concept of how to share facilities. He will just take things from the kitchen and keep them in his room. God knows what he was using a mixing bowl for. Probably filled it with chips or something. I just made eggs and ate more bread that I wanted with it. When I got home last night the bowl had still not been replaced. I complained to the woman that owns the house and she felt terrible so then I had to console her and let her know that I don't blame her. apparently the guy who took the stuff has emotional issues and his behavior is sometime erratic. I don't notice it talking to him but that doesn't mean it's not true. One of the other tenants was furious and that made me calmer. I didn't want to follow her bad example. I am also getting my own refrigerator so I don't have to deal with him taking my food and using all the freezer space and crushing my stuff under bags of ice.

Ok now on to the fun stuff. Last night I went to First Acoustics to see Suzie Vinnick and Friction Farm. I was merching for Christine and Aidan aka Friction Farm. Confession, I have to double check how to spell Suzie and Aidan every time.

Christine and Aidan lived in New York for a while and as long as they did they were people that I'd see often socially. It's been over a year since I last saw them so I'd have gone to the show even if I didn't love the music.

Unusual for me the only people that I knew in the audience were Richard and Viki. It was a good sized house too.


Friction Farm

Christine and Aidan did an eclectic set with songs from all four of their albums. I didn't have their latest album so there were a few songs I never heard before. These are friends and geeks and what I tend to love most about their music is the clever songwriting. But last night I was sitting near the back with a tall person in front of me so I decided to listen with my eyes closed. On one song they harmonies were so full they sounded like three people! I love finding new ways of appreciating old favorites. It is of course typical for me that I notice the songwriting first and not the sound.

This was my first time seeing Suzie do a full set. I saw her at the Falcon Ridge emerging artists, NERFA, and John Platt's On Your Radar before this. She grabbed my attention doing just two songs at FRFF even while I wasn't paying full attention as I was walking up to the Budgiedome when she came on. But that's a long way from a full set. In a sense she was a new discovery last night. Hearing the breadth of her material was a revelation. She has a blues song about Oreos!

Who knows me well enough to know what I felt compelled to do after hearing that? I always see the same hands. I proposed of course. With her boyfriend James standing right there too. I did apologize to him first. But I am contractually obligated. I wonder why nobody ever accepts my proposals.


It is so nice seeing a show in a beautiful space. How can you not appreciate this?

I sat with Christine and Aidan during Suzie's set which brought back old times. I went to a lot of shows with Christine, and often Aidan when they lived here.

They unfortunately had to head out after the show so I then headed out on chores. I had to do some shopping so I went to Atlantic Center. While I was there I bought my LIRR ticket for today. I'm heading out to Gene and Isabel's to see Pesky J. Nixon in less than two hours. See how the time flies. There are still seats available. If you are anywhere near Merrick you should go. It's going to be a great show.

I better start making my breakfast. Let's see if the mixing bowl has been returned so I can make my French toast. If it hasn't you will hear my scream anywhere in the NERFA region.


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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 November 17, 2013
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