Saturday, April 30, 2005

Gretsch/Gladstone

Gretsch/Gladstone on ebay. If anyone other than me cares...


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, April 29, 2005

Image Quiz

OK, I stole this from the WOP, who stole it from someone else. Here's what you do. Read the question. Type the answer to the question into Google image search. Blog the first image, whatever it is. I added the third line, which is what my answer was. I did this because of the wood smoke/flowers answer/image. You would never of gotten my favorite smell is wood smoke from a bunch of flowers. Anyway, the answers are in the "get more here" section.


Set this day by the hand of Billy Rhythm [Link] [Get More Here]


My English Profile



Your Linguistic Profile:



50% General American English

35% Yankee

10% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern





According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

The Prude MI-5

How discussion like this came up at the office is beyond me. But one of these questions came up, and a quick poll ensued. I used it as a spring board, and now give you the "How prudish are you?" MI-5.

1. What do you wear to bed? Does it change depending on time of year?
During the summer, I wear just my boxers. In winter, I wear the pants to a pajama set. Before bed, when I'm still up and around, I'll either wear a robe (blue terry) or the top to the pajamas. I can't wear the top to bed, as it's too confining when I want to roll over. Very, very rarely will I sleep au naturel. Julia will still come into our bed when she has a nightmare, and I wouldn't want to make it worse for her!

2. You wake up in the middle of the night, and have to go to the bathroom/get a drink/whatever. You're sleeping nude. Do you put something on before you get up?
Yes. Either the top of the jammies goes on, or the robe does. Even now, when I get up with one of the boys, the top goes on. They love to tug at my chest hair, so I try to keep covered!

3. You're home alone. You need to use the bathroom. Do you close the door?
Yes. The bathroom door always gets closed. The only time I don't is when I'm at the office alone, and I need to use the bathroom. I leave the door open just a crack so I can here if someone comes in the front door.

4. You spouse/significant other is in the bathroom, actively using the commode. You need something in there. Do you go in?
No. Susan and I agree on this. There our some things that are too private, even for a married couple. Seeing one or the other on the can is one of those things.

5. You're home alone. No one is expected. A quiet evening is planned. What will you be wearing--clothes, jammies, nothing?!
I wear clothes until it's bedtime. I don't normally hang out in my jammies. And if you couldn't figure out from my previous answers, I wouldn't just be "hanging out" naked. (Pun intended!)


Feeling: Tired
Listening to: I Keep On Trying Trace Adkins

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Continued Custom Drum Madness

Man, things are weird for me in the custom drum world. It started with my Bearing Edge snare, Wellman. It was supposed to be ready in 4 weeks. It took 14.

Then came the Joyous Lake purpleheart snare that I ordered last June. It was supposed to be done late August/early September of last year. I'm still waiting...

Then Paul Mason came out with his quarterly clearance list. Paul's a cool guy, and he builds Tempus drums. They're made out of either carbon fiber or fiberglass. When he makes a drum, he makes these long cylinders. He then cuts the length the customer wants. But in the end, he's still got the other part of the cylinder left. So he sells them as plain shells to drum builders who put their own hardware on. When the list came out, there was a 7.5" X 13" dark bronze glitter carbon fiber shell. So I ordered it. And then I went and ordered 8 satin chrome lugs to put on it.

Then the trouble started.

Paul was in the midst of moving his entire manufacturing plant. And in the confusion, he sold the dark bronze glitter shell to three people! Too bad he only had one! So Paul agreed he'd build me another one, just like the one he had advertised. I, not wanting to put him out at all, decided I'd pick something else of the list.

So while I was contemplating that, I thought I'd find a supplier for some satin chrome hoops. More bad news. Only DW carries 13" satin hoops, and they take six lugs. (I ordered 8, remember.) Pearl and DW carry 14" satin hoops, and Tama carries satin nickel hoops, but they all take 10 lugs. Crap. So if I wanted satin, I'd have to order two more lugs (about $20), or have two left over. And, since I ordered the lugs to fit a 7.5" deep drum, I needed to order a shell that was deep.

So, I ended up ordering 8" X 14" gunmetal blue sparkle. (Described by Paul as "Superman's hair color.") I'll put 8 chrome lugs on it, with chrome hoops. I already have one 8 hole diecast hoop at home, so I'll probably use that. And chrome parts are much easier to come by than satin chrome/nickel, so things will just all around be easier. And I could really use something easy around now!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Chocolate Deacons

Oh, something I forgot to mention... I was elected a deacon at my church last week. Some things have been going on at church recently. The pastor resigned. My Dad, the elder deacon, of course can't serve as much as he once did. And since doctrine doesn't allow for divorced men to serve as deacons, the pool of available candidates was pretty small. I felt there was a need for some leadership. I had been asked to serve as deacon before, but didn't feel called to do it. But lately, there's been a tug. So I asked Dad if I wanted to become a deacon, what would the procedure be. He told me, and I decided not to put my name in. From the time Dad told me the procedure until the night of the vote was only three days, and I didn't think I'd have my spiritual act together in time. Well, Dad thought by me asking what the procedure was, that that meant I wanted the position. So at a business meeting (that I wasn't at), he put my name in, and I got voted in. So I guess I'm supposed to be there after all.

(For those interested in the qualifications for deacons, see here.

Also, crazy mad props to Jimmy T Thompson, who, for no reason, hooked me up with a 85% cocoa solids Lindt bar. See here for my impressions on this tasty treat about one year ago. (Note that in that post I also reference bourbon. Good thing deacons are not to be given to "much" wine, instead of "all" wine. So I can still have my taste every now and again. Unless of course that bothers you. Then I won't sip in front of you.)


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, April 25, 2005

Weekend Wrap Up

The weekend wrap-up

So, what all went down in Billy Rhythm land this weekend? Well, let's see, Friday night... Not much. I was home with the family. Well, not Julia, she was gone to her grandmothers. But Susan and the boys and I were home. Supper was going to be grilled steak salad. But we were too tired to bother firing up the grill. And as I posted on Friday, I had a headache, and it was in full force. I actually went to bed as soon as I got home, and took a nap for an hour or so. So once I got up, I should say, I didn't feel like grilling. So Susan ate some cereal. She went to bed around 10pm, I guess. Me, just having napped, stayed up until midnight.

6:30am on Saturday, and Matthew is up and ready to go. So I gave him his bottle, and watched a little MASH. Once he went down for his early morning nap, I started making the bacon for the omelets. Susan requested I make her an omelet, and if I must say, I make a pretty good one. This one was bacon, cheddar, swiss, and american. I also made a couple Jimmy Dean patties for myself. (Susan's not big on sausage.) A little kitchen cleaning, and then it was time to pack up for my DJ gig. I was supposed to be up and playing at 4pm, but the first guests arrived at about 20 after 3pm. I hadn't even changed into my dress clothes yet! Luckily, the rig was up and running, so I dashed into the bathroom, changed, and most were none the wiser. The party lasted until 9pm, and guests were still rockin'! They really enjoyed themselves. The entire time I was there, there was always someone on the dance floor. Usually you'll throw in a clunker or two that people don't want to dance to. Or it takes them a tune or three to get warmed up. But not this crowd. From the get-go they were on the floor. The remarked to me at the end of the night that she was on the floor for every song. I believe it!

Sunday. Breakfast was me again, this time, muffins. From a mix, so no big whoop there. But it DOES save a bunch of time, and time on a Sunday morning is a rare commodity. Then church until noon. Lunch at the folks house: hamburgers in brown gravy with pasta. Yum. Then home. I have a chuch business meeting Wednesday night, so I rescheduled my Wednesday night lesson for Sunday afternoon. After that, I installed the water line for the new fridge. Then to church Sunday evening. Then KFC for a quick supper, then home to sleep. Aahhh...


Wearing: blue shirt and khakis
Listening to: a compilation CD with lots of versions of

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, April 22, 2005

Props to my Wife and Paddy

So I've forgotten to deal out some props this week. First to Susan. She kicked it into overdrive this week, and did a bunch of spring cleaning. The house looks scads better than it has the last nine months. Then , she did this sweet thing for me. With Julia on vacation from school, I didn't have to get up at my normal 6:30 wake-up. Instead, I could sleep until about 7am. In theory. But Matthew still got up somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30. Well yesterday morning, he woke up a little before 6, I think. Even though he's my responsibility (she looks after Nat in the night), she got up with him so I could have one day of sleeping "late."

Thanks to Paddy for his Yo-Yo generosity. He's given me three yo-yos, I think, the most recent being a yellow Duncan with the cowboy from Sugar Corn Pops on the back. He also fixed my original purple Duncan Imperial by putting a new back on it. (The old one had a little crack.) He got a purple Imperial in a lot of yos he bought, and he sacrificed the back for my old childhood yo. Thanks, Paddy.


Feeling: that headache is back

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Paddy's Way Back MI-5

It's Time Machine Time! Let's roll back the clock on:

1) Your TV. You can tune in any show from your childhood (through your teens), what do you watch?
Emergency. Man, I love that show. In fact, last night I had the Tivo unit look and see if it was playing anywhere. It isn't. Shucks. TV Land needs to bring that show back, that's for sure! During the commercials, though, I'd probably channel surf over to Johnny Quest. Not the new ones, mind. They stink. The old ones. The ones where the bad guy ends up dead at the end. Yeah! Those are the ones. Now, if anyone's got an early 70s Dodge utility bodied truck for sale, let me know!

2) Your body. You have the opportunity to start over at any point in your life from birth until now, what age do you pick? (meaning that you are living in 2005, but at the age you picked to roll back to)
Probably right out of high school. I was about 60 pounds lighter, much more in shape than now (though I was no marathon runner by any stretch), and really in my prime, I think.

3) Your career. Think you could do it better this time? Tell us where you'd (re)start:
I think I would've gone for a marketing/communications degree instead of English. At the time, though, I thought I wanted to teach. But I really like the P/R side of the work I've done, both for Wal-Mart and for MIS.

4) A relative. You have the choice of traveling back to witness one relative as they were at 18, 35 and 50 (if all apply). Who do you choose and why?
I'd like to visit my great-grandmother, known to me as Grammy. I think she probably saw the most change in the world, thus I would get to see the most differences between her respective ages.

5) A pet. You can go and bring one pet back from the past. Which lucky fluffball is it?
My basset hound, Nosy. (Hey, he was named when we got him!) I only had him like three months before he was hit by a car. And he was my only dog. The only other big pet I had of my own was Spike Virgil (my Aunt promised to buy him a toy if I stuck her name in there) Marmalade Batty. (Batty cats tend to have long names, starting with Candace Anne Elizabeth Marie Baitbag Batty III.) He was a good cat, loved the water, loved to swim, and loved cheese doodles. But we had many years together, which I didn't get with Nosy.


Feeling: I have a little headache
Listening to: Red Hot Chili Peppers

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

How Evil is my Site?

This site is certified 69% GOOD by the Gematriculator



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, April 18, 2005

Church and State Quiz

Church and State Quiz

Congratulations! You scored 18 correct out of 21! 18 - 21: Wow! First Amendment Scholar

Some items that are somewhat misleading, though. If I may...
"How many times does the Declaration of Independence refer to Christianity or Jesus? 0. There is no mention of Jesus, Christ, Christianity, religious persecution, or religious freedom in the Declaration of Independence."
True, but God and the Creature of Nature are both referenced.

"A president, being sworn in, is required to place a hand on the Holy Bible and say "so help me, God." False. The oath of office does not mention a deity or the bible."
That is true, but wouldn't it have been nice to note that every American president has added that phrase on their own, starting with George Washington. (FDR forgot it one year, but he added it the other years he took the oath.) The same is true for the president putting their hand on the Bible. It's not required, but most, have done it. (Only J.Q. Adams, using a law book instead.)



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, April 15, 2005

Rachael Ray, for my Sister

My sister is a big Rachael Ray fan. I bet she doesn't realize how much inuendo she slips into her daily cooking show. Luckily, Dirty Minute Meals reveals all. The site even points to some hottie style Rachael Ray pictures. Yow!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thanks to Design Guru Jimmy "T" Thompson

I've been working on this web site for Northern Kingdom Music. I had one design that I really liked. But I made three options, and they picked one, and it wasn't the one I liked. The one they picked was more plain. The one I liked had this nicer guitar header graphic that spanned the whole page. The guys were afraid the guitar might make people think they were a guitar only store, instead of the full featured music shop they are. I was bemoaning my fate to Jim one day, and he told me something he learned while studying design in college. His professor told him that if they had a design they were adamant about, they should explain to the client why it was better, and convince them to go with it. If they still wouldn't buy into the plan, the professor said you should scrap the idea altogether, and try something else. Don't put out a product you don't like, 'cause it's gonna have your name on it, and it'll follow you around. I took the advice, called NKM, made them some more sample pages, and showed them the layout I liked wouldn't scream "guitar shop." This time around, they agreed! So thanks Jim for the good advice!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Paddy's MI-5

"Finish the following sentences. Don't spend too much time thinking about it; just follow up with the first thing that pops into your head. Once you have done all five, go back and re-read each answer and then explain what you think you mean by what you wrote. You can think about the explanations."

If Van Gogh were alive today ... I'd ask him to play guitar so I could dance.
I think this comes from two song's I've listened to recently. The first is Counting Crows "Mr. Jones," where he sings "If I knew Picasso/I'd buy myself a greay guitar and play." The other is from a Lisa Loeb tune called "When All the Stars are Falling," she sings "and I've learned how to dance from a vincent van gogh." Hedgehog the two together, and you get my answer.

There is no reason why ... Only but to do and die.
Of course this is some crazy hedgehog of "Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die." Why it fell into my brain? Just must be a rhyming thing.

I've got to really start ... Getting the lead out.
Like I'm just sitting around doing nothing all time! Maybe I'm just thinking ahead to all the stuff I need to do, and that right soon. I need to get the cupboard above the fridge down, and replace with a new, smaller cupboard. And that cupboard still needs to be built! And then I need to get a water line installation kit for the new fridge, and get the basement cleaned up a little so I won't be embarassed when the plumber comes to install said line.

You should see the ... trouble I'm in.
I think this song was referenced in a MASH episode I watched last night; the one where Charles and Hot Lips eat a rancid canned pheasant.

No thanks, I'm... thirsty
I think at the time I answered, I was in fact thirsty.



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

My Day in Augusta

So after a day of tradeshow yesterday, today I spent another five hours on my feet "meeting" with with legislators, the soon to be public utilities commisioner, the governor, and George Mitchell. (Well, George walked by.)

This one person asked if they could have a mousepad. I told them of course they could. They said thank you. I said you're welcome.

"Who taught you to say that?" they asked.
"What?" I asked. (It was a little noisy.)
"Who taught you to say 'You're welcome'?"
"I guess my folks did."
"They're good people," he said. "You can always tell when a politician has something to hide. They never say 'You're Welcome.' They always say 'No, thank you.' You watch, and see how many people say 'You're Welcome.' Almost no one says it anymore."

Keep your ears open, and see what you find. Then, let me know.

Feeling: My knees hurt
Listening to: Dave Brubeck

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Trade Show Wrap-Up

Just in from the Rockland Chamber of Commerce trade show. Much flesh was pressed, much coffee consumed, many business cards exchanged, and no prizes won. I have band practice in about an hour, so this is all you get for today, I think. Unless I'm inspired after I get home tonight. My guess is, I won't be.

Feeling: tired and achy

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, April 8, 2005

MI-5, ripped from Mel and Given to Gina

1. Do you tend to have lots of friends or just a couple of good friends? Not counting your significant other, who would you consider to be your best friend and why? Fictitous names are fine.
I have a fair amount of "friends," but not to many "good" friends. I don't really have a "best" friend (other than Susan), but I do have a few who are high on the list. Jimmy T and I have been buds the longest, and we always seem to work through the hard times. And my Dad is a really good friend. He was my best man, in fact.

2. Did you have a “best” friend in school? If so, do you keep in contact with them now?
I had several, depending on the school. In grade school, Denny Davis was my best friend. In high school (up until Junior year) it was Nate Butler. Junior year and on it was Susan. I have no idea what Denny is up to. I saw him at a gig in So'West Harbor several years ago, and he was a commercial fisherman. Nate was working for LL Bean in there call center and working on a music/history degree when I saw him 2-3 years ago at his sister's wedding. I see Susan every day. :-)

3. Have you ever been surprised to find that someone, who you thought you’d never be friends with, is now someone you enjoy? If so, what were the circumstances that made them a friend?
I remember in grade school we used to pick on David Mahonen. I can remember chasing him down one day on the playground and knocking him down and taking his hat. I had to write on the board over and over "I will not take Dave's Hat." And then somehow we became friends. After that, all through grade school, we'd play together, sleep over, fish, that kinda thing. In junior high we weren't really in the same classes, so we grew apart afer that, but his family and our family are still friends.

4. In your grandparents (or great-grandparents) day, having close friends of the opposite sex was often frowned upon. What do you see as being the advantages and/or disadvantages of having close friends of the opposite gender?
I'm with Paddy on this one. Sometimes, a female friend can help you get into the mind of your wife/S.O. But you can't be too close, or then the wife will think something's going on. But I do have a couple of gals/girls/ladies/women I'd call freinds.

5. Tell us about a day or an event that you felt lucky to have the friend(s) you do.
Moving day. This shows who your true friends are.


Just finished: pastrami on rye with red onions, swiss, and spicy brown mustard. Man, will that clear out your sinuses!
Hearing in my head: Whitesnake

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Thursday, April 7, 2005

Nantucket Steamship

If you mix up Cleveland Steamer (gross PG-13 link, no images) with Nantucket Sleigh Ride, you come up with Nantucket Steamship. This phrase was invented by me months ago. I leave it hear for posterity. The phrase "Nantucket Steamship" means nothing, but when you start to hear it all over the country, realize that it started here. You are now free to disseminate the phrase as you see fit.

Examples:
"When I see him again, I'm gonna give him a Nantucket Steamship."
(In Mafioso voice) "Take Vinny and Guido, find that rat, and take him for a ride on the Nantucket Steamship."
"I saw this Honda Accord with glowing wiper blades and 6" exhaust pipe, all Nantucket Steamship-ed out!"
"Anyone wanna play a rousing game of Nantucket Steamship?"



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, April 6, 2005

Refrigerator Madness

So yesterday, after much cajoling, back-biting, misinformation, and sneaky underhandedness, we managed to have Cam and JP snag us some pizza from Ricetta's. I split a Ricetta's eponymous pie ( fresh tomato slices, prosciutto, sauteed scallions with garlic, ricotta cheese, and a sprinkling of mozzarella) with Paddy and his Abondanza (fire roasted peppers and onions with hot Italian homemade sausage on top of mozzarella and our homemade pizza sauce). It was 3pm by the time the pizza arrived here from Portland, so I had a very late lunch. After eating two slices of each variety, I decided to put the rest in the fridge for later. It was a tight squeeze getting the box in, so I opened the door all the way.

When I did, the door fell off.

Apparently, that little screw I swept up off the kitchen floor and threw away the other day was the screw that held the bottom hinge-pin on the fridge door. When I opened the door all the way, it went past the hinge stop, and the pin dropped out. Since the lower pin was now gone, there was nothing holding the door up. Except my shoulder. I exclaimed "Holy Cow!" or somesuch, and Susan said "What's wrong?"

"Well, honey, the door fell off the refrigerator."

I spent the last 1/2 hour of my lunch putting it back on. Even then, I missed a little washer, and now the door doesn't close as smoothly as it once did. I think we're going to break into the snare drum fund and grab a new black side-by-side.

Still working on: the Northern Kingdom website
Listening to: Lisa Loeb

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Gig Wrap Up!

So this weekend, I played up at Joshua's Tavern in Brunswick. It was the usual scenario. Friday night was packed, and the people couldn't care less about the music. It's a weird sounding room, and it always takes us the first night to get the sound dialed in well. And of course, since I leave straight from work and head right to the gig, by the end of the night I'm spent. Saturday night, though, was a different story. The place was less crowded, but there were a dozen or so people there who were genuinely interested in the music. And of course when they get excited, others get excited. And, as the winners of the poll, I played the Dynasonic as my main snare, and the green Phattie snare as an auxiliary snare. (And, I bet there were 3-4 people who mentioned the green snare, Eben. Glen the bass player even mentioned how much he liked it.)

The last time we played there, we met this guy Sal from Trinidad. We hung out on the breaks, and he mentioned he was a conga player. Low and behold, he walks in again this time. Glen motions to him from the stage, making little conga-playing movements with his hands, in a sense asking Sal (without words) if he brought his congas. Sal headed for the car. He played the whole second set! It was nice. We played a rippin' version of Santana's "Black Magic Woman," which then somehow morphed into Santana's "Jingo." During the song, I thew the snare wires off on the Phattie snare, and played this Puente-esque timbale style solo, complete with Tito's stick around the head schtick. After that little interlude, everyone dropped out, and I took a "for-real" solo, which garnered applause from the audience. Same thing happened last time at Joshua's. I took a solo on the second night, and people liked it enough to applaud. That feels nice. Then during the break, someone told me they like the solo, especially the "Tito Puente head-thing."

(Also, last time we played Joshua's, we ended the night with the Who's "My Generation." In an homage to Keith Moon--who was pretty hard on his equipment--I kicked over my hi-hat stand.)


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, April 4, 2005

Guy Steinberger?

Some of you may have seen the photo that presumes John Kerry and muppet game-show host Guy Smiley were switched at birth. I also just found out that the Guy Smiley doll looks like he could be the 1/2 brother of Joe Steinberger. No?


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, April 1, 2005

Power to the People!

I'm playing a gig at Joshua's Tavern tonight and tomorrow night. Tonight, I'm playing my Tama copper snare. Which snare should I play tomorrow night? Let me know!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

MI-5, courtesy of Mel

MOVING

1. Of all the places you've lived which was your favorite?
Probably when I lived in my parent's house. It was in Spruce Head, and I didn't have to pay for it. Nor did I have to do any upkeep. Food was free. Traffic was light enough that you could play football in the streets in the evening.

2. What do you love the most & the least about where you live now?
Well, what I like most is that it's my house. I can do as I want in/with it. What I like least is now that we've got three kids, it's small. I need to get Paddy to owner finance his Victorian. That oughta have enough room!

3. How many times have you moved in your lifetime?
Three. When I was 22, I moved out of my parents house to a trailer in St. George. For 10 whole days I was a swingin' bachelor in my own pad. Then Susan and I got married, and we lived there for two years. Then we bought our house, where we've been for almost nine years. (It'll be nine in August.)

4. What is the longest time you have ever lived in one house & what made you move?
Well, see above. I was 22 years in my parent's home. Once I graduated college I got out and got married!

5. If you could create your own town & live there what would it be like?
It would be near the ocean. About six months of the year it would feel like June in Maine, and the other six would feel like October. The fire station would have an Ahrens Fox, a '59 Lafrance built on an International frame, and an old Cadillac ambulance. There'd be one cop, and he'd drive a cool old cruiser. Most times, though, he'd be down at the store drinkin' an icy cold Coca Cola in a glass bottle.


Tonight's Snare: Tama Copper
Listening to: Los Lonely Boys (great disc)

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

 
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