Wednesday, January 30, 2002

web colors

Note to self: This is the site you like for color choosing.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

B.R., the sex kitty!

What kind of sex animal are you? (Take this quiz mom, I dare you!)

Take the What
animal best portrays your sexual appetite?? Quiz

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Nice wife, so sweet...

If you do a search on Google for nice wife, my page comes up #2. Pretty cool, huh honey?

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, January 28, 2002

New WFL L arm

Also, the nickel L-arm for my WFLs showed up today. And since I had Ron's camera, I took a new shot, complete with L arm and "new" matching floor tom.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Snares I own!

The Snares I Own page is now complete. All 7 snares are there, with new photos thanks to Ron, who lent me his camera. It's a fairly graphic intensive page, so it takes a little time to load.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Saturday, January 26, 2002

This and that, webmaster news, new page stuff.

At the advice of Barry, I drank a Guinness on Thursday night. It was yummy. Last Saturday, about this time, I bought a bottle of Knob Creek bourbon. I haven't opened it yet.

AS you can see on the right hand side, I've added a new Google search bar. This new search adds the following features:
1. It can search both billyrhythm.com, or the whole web.
2. If searching in billyrhythm.com, it brings up all of my pages, not just the journal pages.
3. The output of the seach is branded and colored for me. (Do a sample search on drums. The first page isn't a journal page, and you can see the cool colors and logo.)

Thanks to google for providing this cool service, free of charge. Also, thanks to Ron from Random Abstract for showing me this cool tool.

And, thanks to my dad, I may have another small web design client. (More like updating existing pages, but hey, it's drum money!)

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thursday, January 24, 2002

Beer Update #3

I had another beer from my gift basket from Jim, The educator of Left Turn Denied. It was a perenial favorite: Bass Ale. Now, Bass ale has the intials IPA (or India Pale Ale) on the label. I know it's true, 'cause I lost a bet on it. (Ironically, the web site calls Bass a pale ale, which is what I contended in my lost bet. But, it does say IPA on the label.) But it doesn't taste like and Inda Pale. Indias are very hoppy, and usually a little higher in alcohol content. Bass insn't like that. It's a very balanced ale, like the Britts would call a "session" ale. It's got good maltiness and just the right amount of hops. It's full bodied, but not bitter. For someone who is just getting into ales, Bass is a great all around ale.

Another interesting note: the Bass ale red triangle logo was the first registered trademark in Britain. The story goes that Bass had been using the red triangle for many years. When the time came for trademarks to be registered, an employee of Bass spent the night on the front steps of the registrar's office, to make sure they would be able to secure their own logo. They did not only that, but now get to claim the "first registered trademark in Britain."

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, January 22, 2002

Terry's chocolate orange

You know, I talk a lot about drums. But I have other hobbies as well, including beer, bourbon, chocolate, and coffee. I should mention these things that interest me, at least once and a while.

Terry's Chocolate Orange is a favorite of mine (or should I say favourite?!). The site is ok. Not much really, but they had some interesting facts. They used to make chocolate lemons and apples as well. I like the dark chocolate over the milk chocolate--funny that Terry's refers to them as "plain" and milk chocolate. Chocolate and orange go well together, and this little confection is a good way to try the combo.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, January 21, 2002

L-Arm Update

So my L-Arm arrived, and it was chrome. The rest of my set is in nickel. So I posted an ad over at Drum Center Forum, saying that I would trade my new chrome arm for a nickel one. About 2 hours later, I had someone who wanted to trade.

On Saturday I did a DJ gig. At the show was another Maine DJ, Tracy Carson. Now, I've known Tracy (by reputation) for years. He does good work. I knew he was there, but he didn't know I knew. At the end, he came to tell me I did a good job. He wainted 'til the end so I wouldn't be nervous. (I thought that was very nice of him.) Anyway, I asked if it would be ok if I gave out his name, you know, to people who need a DJ and I'm already booked. He says sure. I ask him how much does he get for a 4 hour gig? $750!!! I get $300. Ching a ching ching!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, January 18, 2002

Cymbal L-Arm

My cymbal L-arm arrived today. They normally sell for around $100. I got a steal on mine: $65. Sweet. My old WFLs are almost completed.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thursday, January 17, 2002

Root Canal

Today, I had a root canal. First time. It was not as bad as some would have you belive. I'll be leaving the office in about 5 minutes, and attending a Business After Hours shinding for the local Chamber of Commerce. It's going to be a ring-a-ding-ding time. A real gas, baby! We're talking coolsville. Probably the place will be full of dames and Charlies. Well, goodnight everyone!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Mac's dead, baby... Mac's dead.

My Mac at the office bit the dust. It was my main machine. All email is gone. Hard drives needed to be reformatted. It's going on 6 hours. Sweet. [/sarcasm]

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Just a boring update

I was without high speed wireless Internet for a day or two, so I didn't post much.

What's new? Well, I got that new Pearl African burl mahogany snare. I played it in Bethel this weekend. I looked ssssooooo good, and it sounded good too. At one point, Blind Al had me take it off the stand, and show it to the crowd. They "oooohhhheeddd" and "aaahhheedd." Also, special thanks to Jim The educator for comming to the gig. He and his lovely lady came all the way up from Rockland to see us. What a nice guy.

This same nice guy got me a basket of imported beers for my birthday. I drank the second one the other day. (Birthday was December 7th. What's that, 2 beers a month???) It was a Warsteiner. Their motto: life's too short to drink cheap beer. My motto: Life's too short to drink Warsteiner! Really now. I'm not a huge fan of German beers. German beers are usually lagers. I'm more of a British ale guy. Anyway, the color of this beer promised good things. It was a firey golden. Flashy! Almost rich looking, almost like it would be creamy. The problem I had was the taste. There was a bit of "corn" flavor going on. You sometimes see this in cheap American beers, where they sometimes use corn in the malt. But in checking out the website, Warsteiner says they comply with the Reinheitsgebot, or German purity law. That law says that beer can only be brewed with water, yeast, hops, and barely. Corn is not allowed. I don't know where this flavor came from, but there was some definite corn flakes things going on. I hope Jim doesn't feel bad. This isn't to make him feel bad. It's just an honest review of the beer. So the score is Sam Smith's Taddy Porter: A-. Warsteiner: D (I was, after all, able to drink the whole thing!). Jims gift: priceless.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, January 14, 2002

Dunnett Cocktail Drum

Happy Hour at Dunnett
In case you missed it, Ron Dunnett makes some mighty fine snares. In fact, he's on the list of snares I still need to own. Now, he's made a cocktail drum. Very nice.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, January 11, 2002

31 matches? and Pastry Garden

So if you do a search for "drum" in the "Search me, try me" box, you get 31 matches. Do I ever talk about anything else?

Well sure! Chocolate! That cake Carol gave me from the Pastry Garden? I can tell you what wasn't it it. Air! Lightness! Flour! Man, it was a rich, heavy, decadent, flourless cake-type fudge with chocolate on top, and more chocolate! Susan couldn't finish he piece. After eating my piece, I couldn't finish Sue's piece. Man, was it good! I don't think it's on her menu, but I dare say that that was the richest, dare I say chocolatey-est (?) dessert I have ever had. It was stupendous!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

The Life and Art of Bass Playing

This was sent to me by my buddy Harvey, manager of Northern Kingdom Music, retail division, the greatest and most complete music store in all the world. It was purportedly written by Tony Levin, a very, very yummy bass player.

"The Life and Art of Bass Playing"

In the beginning there was a bass. It was a Fender, probably a
Precision, but it could have been a Jazz - nobody knows. Anyway, it
was very old ... definitely pre-C.B.S.

And God looked down upon it and saw that it was good. He saw that
it was very good in fact, and couldn't be improved on at all
(though men would later try.) And so He let it be and He created a
man to play the bass. And lo the man looked upon the bass, which
was a beautiful 'sunburst' red,

And he loved it. He played upon the open E string and the note rang
through the earth and reverberated throughout the firmaments (thus
reverb came to be.) And it was good. And God heard that it was good
and He smiled at his handiwork.

Then in the course of time, the man came to slap upon the bass. And
lo it was funky. And God heard this funkiness and He said, "Go man,
go." And it was good.

And more time passed, and, having little else to do, the man came
to practice upon the bass. And lo, the man came to have upon him a
great set of chops. And he did play faster and faster until the
notes rippled like a Breeze through the heavens.

And God heard this sound which sounded something like the wind,
which He had created earlier. It also sounded something like the
movement of furniture, which He hadn't even created yet, and He was
not so pleased. And He spoke to the man, saying "Don't do that!"

Now the man heard the voice of God, but he was so excited about his
new ability that he slapped upon the bass a blizzard of funky
notes. And the heavens shook with the sound, and the Angels ran
about in confusion. (Some of the Angels started to dance, but
that's another story.)

And God heard this - how could He miss it - and lo He became
Bugged. And He spoke to the man, and He said, "Listen man, if I
wanted Jimi Hendrix I would have created the guitar. Stick to the
bass parts."

And the man heard the voice of God, and he knew not to mess with
it. But now he had upon him a passion for playing fast and high.
The man took the frets off of the bass which God had created. And
the man did slide his fingers upon the fretless fingerboard and
play melodies high upon the neck. And, in his excitement, the man
did forget the commandment of the Lord, and he played a frenzy of
high melodies and blindingly fast licks. And the heavens rocked
with the assault and the earth shook, rattled and rolled.
Now God's wrath was great. And His voice was thunder as He spoke to the
man.

And He said, "O.K. for you, pal. You have not heeded My word. Lo, I
shall create a soprano saxophone and it shall play higher than you
can even think of." "And from out of the chaos I shall bring forth
the drums. And they shall play so many notes thine head shall ache,
and I shall make you to always stand next to the drummer."

"You think you're loud? I shall create a stack of Marshall guitar
amps to make thine ears bleed. And I shall send down upon the earth
other instruments, and lo, they shall all be able to play higher
and faster than
the bass."

"And for all the days of man, your curse shall be this; that all
the other musicians shall look to you, the bass player, for the low
notes. And if you play too high or fast all the other musicians
shall say "Wow" but really they shall hate it. And they shall tell
you you're ready for your solo career, and find other bass players
for their bands. And for all your days if you want to play your
fancy licks you shall have to sneak them in like a thief in the
night."

"And if you finally do get to play a solo, everyone shall leave the
bandstand and go to the bar for a drink."
And it was so......

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thursday, January 10, 2002

Pearl Mahogany Snare is here!

My Pearl Masters Burl Mahogany snare with gold hardware arrived today. Wow! What a beaut! It's prettier than the pictures. Very, very nice.

I helped a friend move some equipment she bought into her pastry shop. In return, she made me some kind of very dense chocolate someting, covered in ganache, and topped with chocolate rosettes. It's slated for dessert tonight; a full report will be forthcomming.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, January 8, 2002

Goodbye, Dave...

So Dave Thomas of Wendys fame died. I've been trying to link to one of their cool promo sandwiches, like the bacon/cheddar lovers burger, but their site has been down a while. It's probably all clogged up, as are my arteries after said bacon burger.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Krispy Kreme

So in a way off-topic post in the drummers newsgroup, someone brought up Krispy Kreme donuts. The poster said, that after trying one, they didn't see what the fuss was all about. So Soulbelly asks "Was the hot light on?" The next poster says "Now I can't get Neil Diamond out of my head. I've gotta go listen to some Zappa."

"Turn on the hot light
Let it shine wherever you go
Let it make a happy glow
For all the world to see."

I really laughed out loud. Hard.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Saturday, January 5, 2002

The Holy Grail

This is of course the 6 1/2"X14" end of Billy Rhythm's quest. (Photo from file: not to be found for sale anywhere!)

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tama Rosewood Snare

Of course, the Tama Rosewood snare is the holy grail of snares to B.R. This one is a piccolo snare, and not as desired. Still, it's a very nice instrument.

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thursday, January 3, 2002

Webmaster for hire?

So, I took a small gig as someone else's webmaster. Here's a quick go at it: Day's Emporium: fine gifts in a vintage atmosphere!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, January 2, 2002

Holy Smokes, they can play!

I hear a lot of people tell me what a good drummer I am. When I tell them that, in actuality, I suck, they think I'm just being modest. For all you non-believers, download this. This is a drum battle between Buddy Rich, and another jazz legend (though not as well known) Max Roach. Buddy is in the left channel, and Max in the right. Now, those guys can play! I wish I had 1/10th Buddy's hands. Those single strokes on the snare are so fast, and so even... I can't even play double strokes that smooth!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, January 1, 2002

Am I Finnish?

Every New Year's day, my family has a roast beef dinner. Sue wasn't feeling well, so Julia and I made the trip down to Spruce Head for a yummy meal, compliments of Mom. While playing with Eben's remote controlled monster truck, we decided maybe we should take a dip in my parrent's hot tub. Dwane and I were elected. We donned some trunks and a robe, and went outside to the 27 degree cold. We stripped of the robe, and stuck our legs in. Boy, was it warm! Real warm! In fact, the water that was supposed to be 103 was 115! Yowza! Dad threw in a couple of buckets of cold water, bringing the temp to a managable 105. After hanging out in there for a while, I thought I try an old Finnish trick. So, I jumped out of the tub, and ran a lap around the house bare foot. Very exhilirating! In fact, I convinced Dwane to do it with me again! Dad laughed very hard to see Dwane booking it around the house in swim suit and a stocking cap! I'll be doing this again!

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]