tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59419682024-03-14T06:15:23.258-04:00So there I was, in the Congo...I'm going to buy a gun and start a war...Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1080251877114173742004-03-25T16:57:00.000-05:002004-03-25T17:01:25.903-05:00The Congo Has Moved!!!!!Please visit me at <a href="http://www.inthecongo.com">http://www.inthecongo.com</a> . See ya soon!Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1080072533261688822004-03-23T15:08:00.000-05:002004-03-23T15:14:00.186-05:00Check Out This Bad Mother Fucker!<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/mynewcamera.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10 ><p class="BigFirst">I am so excited. I just can't hide it... Oh wait, wrong post and/or song... Well I am excited none the less. Today I received my first heavy duty amateur camera. I have wanted to take up Photography for a while, see "Things To Do..." list, and now I have the chance. Soon there will be a companion photoblog to "In The Congo", as well as some other neat changes. My new camera consists of a <a href="http://nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25214">Nikon D-70</a> with a <a href="http://nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=4&productNr=4801">SB 800 Speedlight</a> and a <a href="http://www.tamron.com/special_xr/xr2.htm">Tamron AF28-300mm Ultra Zoom XR Lens</a> and a one gigabyte flash card. It is time to take some serious pictures. I am super psyched about the cool shots I can get at shows. Maybe if I hone my skills I can become a show photographer for some kind of magazine, newspaper/zine, or site! Like I said, get excited. B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079989022336437512004-03-22T15:57:00.000-05:002004-03-22T16:00:35.216-05:00Not Dr. Ruth, But Just As Old...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/oxysex.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">Yesterday I was over at Brie's apartment catching up on my watching of the new season of the Sopranos. Afterwards we happened across a show on Oxygen, <a href="http://www.oxygen.com/sexshow/?slot=nav">The Sunday Sex Show with Sue Johanson</a>. This is some seriously funny shit. Brie said she had seen it before. It looked scary, Sue (pictured above) is very old. I was skeptical and then I heard the first caller. A woman from Des Moines, IO called in and said that when she watches game shows with her family she wants to have an orgasm when she finds out who the winner is. This is possibly the funniest thing I have ever heard. So what does old Sue say? She tells the lady to get a silent vibrator and take care of it in the bathroom after watching the show. What!? Then she starts to model different vibrators. That is where I decided this was truly a different show. The old lady freaked me out, but it was some comical stuff. Usually I do not recommend channels like Lifetime and Oxygen, but this maybe worth watching... B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079706971996325242004-03-19T09:36:00.000-05:002004-03-19T09:39:32.576-05:00The Free Huey World Report...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/mostwanted150.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="Big First">I must admit, I am confused. Being an NPR junkie I get no shortage of news, of course during this day and age it is hard not to. One word I hear over and over again is "al-Qaida". This is where I get confused. Much like most of America, this is what I know: (1) al-Qaida is a "loosely knit network of terrorists organizations", (2) They are Muslim extremists, (3) Osama Bin Laden is their leader, and (4) They are responsible for everything that blows up anywhere in the world. I have questions. First off, How can a "loosely knit network' have a leader, and more importantly be responsible for everything? The proof behind their responsibility seems a little shaky to me. All someone has to do is blow up something and then send an anonymous letter to a newspaper claiming to be in al-Qaida and poof, al-Qaida did it. This would not hold up in any court in the land, at least I hope not, yet the American people are just taking it a face value and not questioning a damn thing. Well, not everybody. On top of that, how do you go after such an anamorphous organization as al-Qaida. The answer, you don't, because al-Qaida itself is not an organization, just a network. At least the drug cartels are clearly defined organizations. It just seems to me that al-Qaida has become the American Boogie Man and a great scapegoat. I bet GW wishes he could pass a law making himself president until we topple al-Qaida, because it is never going to happen. What do y'all think about al-Qaida and what we as a nation can do about terrorists. I am curious. B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079554963262319642004-03-17T15:22:00.000-05:002004-03-17T15:26:56.873-05:00Top O' The Mornin' To Ya!<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/clover-background_tn.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">I would like to wish everyone a very happy St. Patrick's Day. Being Irish Catholic and a lover of fine brew, this is my favorite holiday. I have been known to rank it slightly above Christmas, which falls slightly above my birthday. Needless to say it is a very important day. I am not quite sure what St. Pat chasing the snakes out of Ireland has to do with getting plowed, but who needs explanations? I hope all of you visitors to the Congo have an enjoyable and safe holiday, and be sure your wearing green. To paraphrase Riley "Escobar" Freeman from "The Boondocks" : "I'll be pinchin' fools just for livin"." May the luck of the Irish be with you all. B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079469251814921502004-03-16T15:34:00.000-05:002004-03-16T15:37:28.640-05:00My Favorite Artist...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/neiman-marylin-small.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">This honor goes to <a href="http://www.leroyneiman.com">Leroy Neiman</a>. Born on 1921, and still alive today, Neiman is called "The most popular and best known living artist in America". He also founded the modern school of American Impressionism. He is known for his capturing of popular culture, sports, and politics in brilliant colors and impressionistic style. His favorite medium is oil that is then silk screened onto limited prints called serigraphs. These prints retail for anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars. Neiman is a popular VIP at sporting events and can be found sketch pad in hand capturing the moment. My favorite paintings and etching of his are "Marylin" (pictured above), "John Lennon", "Howard Stern", "America's Cup", "Wine, Women & Cigars", "Desert Inn Baccarat", "Skier", "Sliding Home" (featuring the 1972 World Series Reds) and "Four Aces". The last three of which hang in my parent's house. Check out his site and see all the other wonderful work he has done. Neiman is an American treasure and will be missed when he is gone. If you are a fan of the Warhol celebrity portraits, wait until you see these. What do ya think? B. </p> Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079363778320708552004-03-15T10:16:00.000-05:002004-03-15T10:19:33.606-05:00Things To Do...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/redkayak.jpg'style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">Last Saturday Brie and I went with some friends to Birdy's to see some bands for a friend's birthday. We were unaware that it was a punk rock benefit night. We walked in and saw all the girls trying to be vamped out like <a href="http://www.bettiepage.com/">Bettie Page</a> and guys with leather and spiky hair. There was another group present that captivated my attention a couple tables away from us. There were two guys and three girls hanging out. The girls were vamped out like all the rest of the girls there, but the guys were different. The guys had 1950's greaser ultra-styled black hair with pointy side burns and were all tatted up. One guy was wearing a white t-shirt and the other guy was wearing a sky blue nylon jacket. On the shirt and jacket was written in script letters: "Emperors, Indianapolis" and in the middle of the words was a big crown looking emblem. I thought to myself, "These guys must be in an old-school Grease meets Hollywood Nights 50's style social club". I guess if retro fashion and furniture can come back, social clubs are fair game too. I saw this and instantly wanted to found one. I told this to Brie and she just kinda laughed. She told me: "Some people have no ideas, you have a new one everyday." I got to thinking about that and I decided to document my grand ideas. Very few of them ever get accomplished, so I have decided to make a "To Do List" on this blog of things I want to accomplish. Maybe I can get more motivated by seeing them everyday and getting feedback on them. Most people's to do lists are small like "take out the garbage" or "get a car wash". This list is on a grander scale. It includes perennial favorites like "Open a record store" and new ones like "Take up Kayaking". Tell me what you think of these goals and if you have any advice. Remember, dreams are only ideas without financial backing. Let's see what I can do. B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1079042823119484922004-03-11T17:07:00.000-05:002004-03-12T08:23:33.590-05:00Bootleggin In The New Millineum...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/capone.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">Being the complete music nut that I am, I freaked out today when a guy at work showed me this <a href="http://bootleg.freakin.nl/">site</a>. I have about one thousand disks of live shows, but this site has stuff I have never seen. The Tori Amos and Phish sections are both fantastic. As a matter of fact I am currently downloading the Tori show I saw last year at the Murat. Check it out. You will be amazed... B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078951506546293362004-03-10T15:45:00.000-05:002004-03-10T15:48:51.140-05:00That Little Yellow Fucker...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/yelloguy.gif' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">You all know who I am taking about. I was talking to Scott today and was reminded of one of my least favorite experiences on the phone. I was calling AOL to cancel a subscription that one of my siblings had signed up for. I had to call three times. I did not think the first 2 assholes would actually cancel it, so I hung up and called back. The third guy finally did it. Credit Card companies are the same way. When you call to cancel "free" services it takes forever. Has anyone else had problems like these? Feel free to vent... B </p> Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078866921150439232004-03-09T16:15:00.000-05:002004-03-09T16:18:28.560-05:00New Music Tuesday...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/cassettes.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="Big First">This week I am going to try out a new segment here in the Congo. Being as Tuesday is the nation record release day, I going to offer you up my opinions of some new wax fresh off the presses. I will not limit myself to music released today but all recent releases and advances are fair game. This week's album is Forget Cassettes <em>Instruments of Action</em>.<br>
<br /><a href="http://www.forgetcassettes.com/">Forget Cassettes</a> should be Forget The White Stripes. Cassettes has a similar 2 person girl/boy line up except the roles have changed. Anyone who says that The White Stripes are cool because Meg, a girl, plays the drums is just plain wrong. Nothing against her, but she sucks. Cassettes takes a harder edge to garage sound and Beth and Doni rock hard. Beth's hauntingly sweet yet edgy, and sometimes screaming with rage and anger, vocals and Doni's complex 5/4 beats with interesting and not over used double bass beats make for an great listen. The fact that they venture into more complex territory than their garage rock brethren really separates them from the pack. The debut album <em>Instruments of Action</em> has sleepy, lullaby lows and screaming, cathartic highs. Think of the Kinks at a hardcore show saying "hmmm, maybe we could do that...". In the beginning it is kind of strange but it works well. Song highlights include "Like Tiny Swords" and Beth's description of a May/December relationship in "Bruce Wayne". This album is fresh at a time when most everything is the same lo-fi rip off. Definitely check it out. B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078767018776117942004-03-08T12:30:00.000-05:002004-03-08T12:33:24.420-05:00Arranging Your Records Autobiographically...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/fidelity.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">There is a great scene in my favorite move, <em>High Fidelity</em>, in which Dick comes over to Rob's apartment and finds him depressed and sorting his records. Dick asks Rob if he is sorting them chronologically or alphabetically. Rob's response is that he is doing neither, he is sorting them autobiographically; if he wants to find Fleetwood Mac <em>Rumors</em> he has to remember that it is in the fall of '74 pile and that he bought it for someone else but kept it for personal reasons. Dick's response is a very appropriate: "No fucking way!" <br>
<br />The other day I was think about this because I am about to sort my album collection. This task takes no less than six to eight hours. I was also thinking about my top five favorite songs and what they are. I realized that my top five favorite songs, whatever they are at the moment, are so because they are extremely important autobiographically. These songs may not be the best or most representative, but they take me someplace long gone. Music maybe aurally stimulating, but some songs bring back all senses to a specific time and place. So, without further ado, here are my All Time Top Five Songs for Autobiographical Reasons:<br>
<br />5. Pearl Jam - Black - Year: 1994 - Memory: This was my first real girlfriend's favorite song. I was a young kid with long black hair in braids. We listen to it on headphones we were sharing on a bus to Old Indiana Amusement Park.<br>
<br />4. Phish - Sample in a Jar - Year: 1996 - Memory: I had been listening to a tape of the song I had made from Tim James and was really digging it. I some how managed to score tickets to see them at Deer Creek that summer. It was an amazing show and they encored with this song. I was a huge fan ever since. Over 52 shows later, that one is still my favorite. <br>
<br />3. Pharcyde - She Keeps Passin Me By - Year: 1996 - Memory: This is a story for another time. Trust me it's a good one. Sprunger, you where there...<br>
<br />2. Big Head Todd and the Monsters - Bittersweet - Year: 1997 - Memory: The band I was in at the time, At Random, or to some of the Proximity girls, The Bearded Seals, played this song all the time. I think it is a great song and it is a lot of fun to play. <br>
<br />1. Tori Amos - Winter - Year: 1995 - Memory: A girl that I had a huge crush on and was my best friend at the time introduced me to this song. She could play piano and sing very well and would play this all the time. I still get chills. <br>
<br />What are your top songs for autobiographical reasons? B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078433947249803202004-03-04T15:59:00.000-05:002004-03-04T16:02:07.186-05:00Another Promise Broken...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/tvads2.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">Once again GW has lied, not that I am surprised. Except this time it is a very tacky lie. In the wake of September 11, 2001 Bush said that he would not use the events for political gain. That is just plain not true. The first ads that he put out for his re-election campaign are all about 9-11-2001. Shocking, no. Tacky, yes. Everyone know that he was a joke before he became the political equivalent of Rambo on that day. It is no surprise that he would want to capitalize on it. So the guy made a few speeches and killed a couple thousand people, that hardly makes him a good president. I am sure every president ever wished he could have as good of a cop out as GW. Times get tough, say 9-11, people shut up. Sorry GW not this time. To view the ads go <a href="http://www.georgewbush.com/tvads">here</a>. What do you think? B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078345833198074572004-03-03T15:30:00.000-05:002004-03-03T15:33:32.110-05:00Unfashionable Wars...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/justsay.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst"> I was thinking the other day, what ever happened to the war on drugs? First there was the Cold War. That is how they scared our parents and grandparents. Then there was the War on Drugs. They used this one on us. Now our younger siblings and children have the War on Terror. The way I see it, we are fighting enough real wars, why do we need wars on things? Granted it could be good like LBJ's War on Poverty. I miss the WOD, okay that's a lie, but at least that didn't involve much fighting and killing, oh wait, that's a lie too. Politicians apparently like word "war". There must be some connotation about beating the shit out of a thing that makes we Americans like it. I mean you never saw Ghengis Kahn or Attila the Hun declare war on things and ideas. They we more concerned about war for survival, a novel concept and one I think we have completely forgotten. I guess the bottom line is that you can't win a war on a thing. There is no State to conquer, no leader to depose, no rebellion to quell. So what does this mean? As far as I can tell, it means the people in power have a blank check to do what they will in the name of vanquishing this idealized menace. War on people is easy, they are dead, you win. War on things is much harder. Maybe we still have a War on Drugs and it is just not cool enough for the media anymore. The War on Terror makes such better headlines. I think we should be politically retro and where red ribbons and just say no buttons, oh and don't forget your D.A.R.E. t-shirt. I mean come on how idie would that be? What are your favorite fictional/ idealistic wars? B. </p> Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078263096962895682004-03-02T16:31:00.000-05:002004-03-02T16:34:34.686-05:00Forget Napster...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/slsk_bird.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">I have good news for anyone who is sick of Kazza, Imesh, or paying for I-Tunes. Thanks to Mr. Er@serhe@d I have found a much better way to expand my music collection. It is called <a href="http://www.slsknet.org">Soul Seek</a>. Soul Seek is a new peer to peer client with an interesting twist. If you donate five dollars a month to their development effort you get to bypass the download queues. This mean a world of high speed, high quality music is instantly at your fingertips. I have been using it now for a couple of days and I am super impressed. I suggest all of you give it a try. The chat rooms are extremely funny. If you want a real laugh check out the "Inde" chat room. Pretenious bastards like you read about. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think of it. B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1078154080210375002004-03-01T10:14:00.000-05:002004-03-01T10:18:30.466-05:00And the winner is...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/Jackson.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">Last night, for the first time in the history of the world, the Oscars were right on. I agreed with every award given. Not to mention, I really enjoyed the show as well. Starting off it had me in stitches. The CGed intro for Billy Crystal was a little cheesy but when Michael Moore came out and said "Shame on you hobbits. This is a ficticious war!" I was rolling on the floor. Mitch and Mickey from <em>A Mighty Wind</em> performing their nominee for best song was also quite funny. I also learned a little about fashion last night, apparently beards are in and Tim Robbins and Peter Jackson showed it is cool to where buttons on your lapel. Although, Heath Ledger was a target for scorn. I was shocked he was with some on like Naomi Watts. I said that he was just like Aston Krutcher, but he had a little more class. Heath was also bearded. Adrian Brody's presentation of the Best Actress to Charlize Theron was also rather funny. The breath spray was a nice touch. Needless to say RTOK deserved everything it got. Sean Penn, Charlize Theron, Finding Nemo, Sofia Coppola, and Tim Robbins all were quite deserving as well. The Academy actually did well this year. My favorite part of the night was when Peter Jackson is accepting the award for Best Picture and he says that the Academy wisely overlooked <em>Meet the Feebles</em> and <em>Bad Taste</em>. I thought they were good. All in all a fine showing by fine talent. Lets hope next year can be this good. B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077832287077972962004-02-26T16:51:00.000-05:002004-02-26T16:58:35.200-05:00What the Hell Is Going On?<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/question-mark.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">The countdown has started. There are two hundred and fifty one days until the election. Bush and the conservative right see the end is coming. This must be why things are going to hell so quickly right now. Apparently they have decided that they need to cause as much damage as possible in the time they have left. At the very tip of the iceberg we have things like new media censorship and obscenity laws. I was pretty sure that Larry Flint and others went to court and jail many times to change those to what they are now. This is quickly changing. Howard Stern is gone, who knows who is next. CBS is apologizing for damn near everything and MTV is trying to be more family friendly. I think they are taking the "it takes a village" thing a little far. Next we have gay marriage. Bush is trying to get an amendment to ban this. This would be the first amendment to the Constitution since Prohibition that takes away as opposed to granting rights. We all saw how well Prohibition worked. On top of that we have new laws being passed about fetal rights, a not-so-slippery slope to the end of Abortion. And lastly we have a whole lot of people bitching about Mel Gibson's <em>The Passion of the Christ</em>. Everyone is saying how it is too graphic and, my favorite, the Marque de Sade's version of the death of Jesus. Last I checked Jesus was not beaten to death with down filled pillows. He died a horrible and gruesome death. For being a founding tenet of most of these critics beliefs they sure don't like to remember it. It is ok to say "Jesus died for us" or to hold up "John 3:16" posters at sports games, but if people actually see it they can't deal. What is a young liberal guy to do? The answer: Vote as soon as possible. Sure we can't get rid of the critics and the crazy right wingers, but maybe we can stop some of the other madness. The news these days is so depressing but you have to pay attention so you know what to fight. What are you outraged by these days? B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-107774351065305682004-02-25T16:11:00.000-05:002004-02-25T16:14:40.246-05:00You're Kidding, Right?<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/barofthemonth.jpg' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst">For some reason that I will never understand <a href="http://www.maximmag.com">Maxim Magazine</a> has chosen <a href="http://www.land-sharks.com">Landsharks</a> in Broad Ripple as the Bar of the Month. I am shocked, amazed, and horrified. Obviously they have never been to this bar. Although it is cool to have a bar from Indy in Maxim, why Landsharks? Anyone who was ever been there knows that it sucks. At best it is a sleazy meat market with a shitty dance floor and really bad live bands. I mean Ryan Jacobs played their regularly for God's sake. In the article they claim to have girls dancing on the bar and girls in bikinis, this is just a lie. Okay, the girl at the beer tub does wear a bikini top, but no girl has ever danced on the bar. I don't even think it is possible. Of all the bars in Indianapolis, let alone all the bars in the country, how did this shit hole get the nod? I respect Maxim. I respect what they have to say. I find it humorous and insightful, but this is over the top. Matt has said that he is going to write a letter to Maxim in hopes that they realize the grave mistake they have made. I say we start a letter writing campaign. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, anyone you know. Maybe we can get this place publicly shamed to point they have to close their doors forever. Granted the bars on the strip in Ripple are not known for their outstanding class, but there has to be something better than this. I like drinking. I like seeing live bands. I like dancing. There are a million places I would do these before Landsharks. We live in a sad world when this can happen. Does no one have standards anymore? Let me know what you think. B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077656976246401322004-02-24T16:09:00.000-05:002004-02-25T14:44:36.966-05:00The Color War...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/colorchart.gif' style="float:left" HSPACE=10><p class="BigFirst"> We do not live in a black and white world. We try tool fool ourselves sometimes with newspapers and arty photographs, but in real life we have color. Some people are born with a natural knack for color. Some people spends semesters of their collegiate life studying color theory. Some people are color blind and have an excuse. I am none of these. I am color illiterate. Things like shade, hue, tint, and saturation elude me. I live in a Roy G. Biv world. Unfortunately there are millions of other colors that I know nothing about. No wonder the majority of my wardrobe consists of greens and blues, with an occasional daring foray into a red, purple, or orange. I can not match colors in my clothes and I definitely can not decorate. I guess this is why I have spent all of my art energy in the black and white world of music and literature. This is my dilemma. I can not color coordinate my blog. I have tried, I hate everything I come up with. I have used sites with <a href="http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_colornames.asp">long lists of css color names</a>, <a href="http://www.webwhirlers.com/colors/wizard.asp">color wizards</a>, and <a href="http://html-color-codes.com/">web color wheels</a>. None of this has helped. So I am going to start a contest. The person who can come up with the best color scheme for my blog gets the prize and trust me it is a good prize. All suggestions are accepted, however if it is bad, you will be publicly humiliated. The only rule is no pink or lavender. Other than that anything goes. I know I have some artists friends out there, hell I am even dating an artist. I don't know how she can date a color-challenged person like myself. She must be very patient. I look forward to seeing everyone's cool ideas. The winner will be announced at the end of the week. Have fun! B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077565063189031602004-02-23T14:37:00.000-05:002004-02-23T14:40:29.606-05:00Monday Quiz...<p class="BigFirst">Hey Everyone! I've decided to change things up a little up a little and have a Monday Quiz today. Adriana sent me this and I thought it was kinda funny. Give this a whirl. Are you a <a href="http://www.chuckchamblee.com/dom/fun/yankee_dixie_quiz.htm">Yankee or a Dixie?</a> B. </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077308496852671172004-02-20T15:21:00.000-05:002004-02-20T15:25:25.420-05:00Oh, What a Day...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/BalloonPalmTree.jpg' style="float:left"><p class="BigFirst">As I sit here at work, beer in hand, I can just think of how much it needs to be five o'clock. This day and/or week has been kinda rough. Luckily I have had good tunes to help me through it. I am excited for some Hawaiian party action host by one of the famous <a href="http://closeproximity.blogspot.com">Proximity</a> bloggers. The overhaul of Prox and the Watts has given me some drive to change things around a bit too. If anyone has ideas on how to make it better please let me know. I may even experiment with some Micro fonts. We'll see. I hope everyone has a good and restful weekend. God knows I need it. B</p>
<br /><br>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077203734531036672004-02-19T10:15:00.000-05:002004-02-19T10:29:38.543-05:00Concert Announcements...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/pernicebrotherssmall.jpg' style="float:left"><p class="BigFirst">I have a couple quick concert announcements here in the Congo this morning for the Indy area. Just remember kids, you heard it here first. The Pernice Brothers are going to play Radio, Radio on April 4th. Better than that, the Long Winters are opening for them. Get excited two great bands in a super small club. Also on March 30th The Pushstars have been slated to join Great Big Sea at The Patio. Concert season is starting to swing into full bore, there is just nothing better than live music. Also next week do not forget Erica Badu or Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Monday February 23rd. If you are really adventurous check out The Big Wu at The Patio this evening. All of these shows are guaranteed to be a fun night of great music. Enjoy. B</p> Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077141855221229482004-02-18T17:04:00.000-05:002004-02-18T17:06:55.420-05:00Dean Out of Race, Kinda...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/dean.jpg' style="float:left"><p class="BigFirst">Today at 1:00 PM Howard Dean announced he was out of the race for the presidency. This is a shame, but we must move on. He did not endorse either John Kerry or John Edwards. He also is not running on a third party ticket. He said he will keep his organization together to start a grass roots effort. The main point of his speech was that the most important thing to do is to get Bush out of the White House. Dean will continue to be a strong voice in the Democratic party. His supporters are thought to go the Edwards camp, but nothing is sure yet. With Dean out there is no choice for the thousands of young people who felt he was their candidate. Me being one of them. I agree with Dean that the dethroning of Bush is the number one issue, but I would like to see someone go into the Oval Office with severe change in mind. Let's hope all of this hope is not lost. B Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1077046604148279192004-02-17T14:36:00.000-05:002004-02-19T10:29:50.293-05:00A Good Day In Music<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/cashunearthed.jpg' style="float:left"><p class="BigFirst">The past couple of days have been great for music. First I picked up "Cash Unearthed". Read my review at <a href="http://blogcritics.org">BlogCritics</a> to find out more. Needless to say, a fine set. I also found a new radio station on the Net that a friend told me about. <a href="http://www.woxy.com">WOXY</a> out of Cincinnati seems to be a real independent radio station. They play stuff like Modest Mouse, Sun Kil Moon, The Coral, The Bens, Primus, Outkast, among others. Definitely worth a listen. I also got play DJ last night at the Wellington. I got to subject the shirt and tie crowd to some Postal Service, Idlewild, Jets to Brazil, Gomez, and Badly Drawn Boy. It was alot of fun. We also played some of the new Johnny Cash set as well. I was in a music drought for a while now it is pouring down. I am convinced that the only thing better than your old favorites is new music. Check this stuff out, I am sure you guys will like it. B</p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1076965801271353762004-02-16T16:10:00.000-05:002004-02-17T07:51:06.903-05:00Bloggin' Cajun Style: Surviving Bourbon Street and the Aftermath...<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/444615/howl.jpg' style="float:left"><p class="BigFirst">I am back home in Indy after my short excursion to the Big Easy. For those of you who don't know, I was down there for a training class for work. I left Wednesday at noon at got back to town on Saturday at 5:00 in the afternoon. I maybe slept eight hours on the entire trip. When we last left our hero (me), he was about to venture to the French Quarter for the first time...
<br /><br>
<br />I met a guy from class at his hotel which was a block from Bourbon Street. He had been there before so he decided to show me around. We walked up and down Bourbon so I could check it out. I saw it all. The movies and television at best understate the party here. I thought people in Vegas knew how to party. Sin City has nothin' on the Big Easy. It is all true. It rained beads and large groups of people gathered around drunk topless women. I even saw the camera crew from Girls Gone Wild. If you look close you may see me in the background. There were all kinds. I saw your typical drunk frat boys, little kids, old couples, and my favorite: old business men in suits with girls a third their age in orange mohair miniskirts. Yeah pops you didn't pay her my ass. I was in shock and awe. We cruised around a little and decided we were thirsty. We went into the Howl at the Moon piano bar. Aside from drinks being a little expensive, it was a fun place. We heard all kinds of typical piano bar fair as well as stuff I did not expect like "Old McDonald" with a farm near a nuclear power plant and lisping snakes, narcoleptic pigs, and Turets Syndrome chickens. They also did a surprising good rendition of "Hey Ya!". That was a real treat. So after hanging out there and getting rock star drunk I caught a cab back to my haunted abode. I did not see any ghosts per say but there were creepy noises and rattling. I did walk through Lafayette cemetery Number 1 at night and that was super creepy. It is the cemetery that is in <em>Interview with a Vampire</em>. The next day I had class again and then back down to Bourbon for more of the same. That place is one hell of a party. There is even talk of going back this weekend. I have done Vegas and now Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras wins hands down. I will be returning for sure. Some things I have learned this week include: Never swim in fresh water in Alabama; If a young child bets you a dollar that he knows where you got your shoes you say "On my feet"; and don't walk too far down Bourbon Street if you are not a transvestite. All in all a great time and I even got to finish Don DeLillo's <em>White Noise</em>, look for a BlogCritics review soon. Also look for a picture post soon. B.</p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941968.post-1076637665654681252004-02-12T21:01:00.000-05:002004-02-12T21:03:37.796-05:00Bloggin' Cajun Style: Day 2<p class="BigFirst">Wow. This place is a serious trip. After a long day of drinking bourbon in airports I was prepared for an early night. I figured in bed by 10:00 at the latest. I could not have been more wrong. My friend Marianne gave me the name and numbers of a couple of her friends to call so I would have someone to hangout with. So I called Dan and we went out at 11:00. Later than I expected, but hell, when in Rome, right? We went to a super pretentious place called The Wine Loft. We were also with two girls and two guys from Ecuador, who by the way spoke Spanish to each other almost the entire night. So here I am with five people I have never met before, in a town I don't know, and at some high class wine bar. Just call me Raoul Duke. I bought this ticket, I might as well take the trip. It ended up not so bad. They were nice people and of course I managed to strike a music conversation. We agreed on Zepplin. Oh, and I was drinking Maker's Mark with a vengeance. I got back to the inn at 2:00 AM, tanked. Waking up at 7:00 AM this morning was rough. I was wicked hungover and maybe still a little drunk. So I take a shower, brush my teeth twice and jumped a trolley for class. Class was not so bad, aside from the massive pain. I learned a lot and I think the product is pretty great. After class I came back to the inn and took a light nap. I mean how does one sleep well in Haunted House? I woke up and was of to a steak house name Dickie Brennen's. I told the inn keeper this and she said not to go. She told me about a place called Charlie's and said that was the best bet. So off I go to Charlie's. What a trip. Imagine the worst VFW or American Legion you have ever been to. Now take that down another couple of notches. That is what this place looked like. The waitstaff was a few days older than God and a little younger that Oprah. There was also no menu. Now with all this I was a little apprehensive. What I got was some of the best food I have had, and arguably the best steak. They even have a step below rare, called "purple". Of course I had to go with this. The steak came out sizzling hot and super good. Never judge a book by it's cover. I am now about to rest before heading to the quarter for some jazz. I'll check in soon. Keep it real until then. B </p>Byronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09991755296855547704noreply@blogger.com