Bloomsday in May

I attended the absolutely free 2008 KC Literary Festival yesterday. I really enjoyed, "James Joyce’s Ulysses Scene Adaptations" which began at O’Dowd’s Little Dublin Pub, progressed to the Plaza Sidewalks, and then a finale on the Main Stage. It was performed by costumed local equity actors in 19th century dress acting out selected scenes of Lary Optiz's Bloomsday: 16 June 1904 an adaptation of James Joyce’s classic novel, Ulysses.

Bloomsday is a commemoration observed annually on 16 June in Dublin and elsewhere to celebrate the life of Irish writer James Joyce and relive the events in his novel Ulysses, all of which took place on the same day in Dublin in 1904.

I also heard Deborah Rodriguez, author of Kabul Beauty School and Larry Kirwan, author of Green Suede Shoes discuss non-fiction writing; And Stanley Lombardo, an American professor of Classics at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lombardo is a fairly talented guy. Fluent in Greek and Latin, he has translated the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. His translations are unique in that they are rendered with an oratory style.

Since I didn't arrive until 5:00, I missed Bill Yenne, author of GUINNESS: The 250 Year Search for the Perfect Pint, talk about the world famous brewery. And I did not attend the event about blogging, featuring local blogger, Rita Arens.

Over three hours of entertainment and I didn't spend a dime. I guess I should kick a sawbuck to the organizers, BOOK-A-FRIEND.

Does Begging Ever Work?

I'm at CVS pharmacy and the piped in music is George Benson's "Turn Your Love Around" and I wonder why I never noticed that this song could be about a guy trying to talk his women into trying some new moves in bed:

Turn your love around
Don't you turn me down
I can show you how
Turn your love around

Then there is Corona Boy's interpretation:

Obama: Coalition of the Squishy Goo Goo's?

Chris Bowers at Open Left has a post about Barack Obama and how he represents a changing of the guard for the Democratic Party. Totally unscientific, but I think he has it about right.

After years of observation and concern about the deleterious effects of the campaign to slash and burn our political landscape with conservative talk radio barkers like Rush Limbaugh, I am witness to people with a more progressive bent countering this force by using the Internet as a pivotal tool to field a viable candidate like Obama.

Occasionally, there are benefits to having age and experience.

Dirty Limerick Contest

This dirty limerick contest is open to anyone who has ever been frustrated by a Microsoft product.

I humbly submit:

There once was an OS named Vista,
Which screwed everything, including your sister.
There were demands for redress,
But Redmond failed to impress,
When they nicknamed Service Pack One, "Fista"

Submissions accept by e-mail, or any method you choose. I will update this post as they arrive.

It ain't easy being near Barry Road

For those who find it tough being on Barry Road:


Way back when,
In ninety-three.
You were the dandy,
Of gamma chee.
Sweet things from KC,
So young and willing,
All pledged at the Sororities.
Hell yea, cha ching!
Hey 662 nineteen,
Didn't need to dance together.
Didn't need to talk at all.
Just took them along,
Once you knew they would slide on down.

Hey 662 eighteen,
That's Monkey Ward
You don't remember,
The king of retail.
You can't believe how hard
it is to travel without the perpetual Blockbuster, Target, PetSmart, Chipotle,
market-tested spiel.

Hey 662 fifteen,
Have we got anything in common?
Can we can talk at all?
Why don't you invite me along,
As you head south on US 69?

The patrol cars trimmed in gold
The undocumented Columbians.
Still don't get why 95th and Nall's such a wonderful thing.

No you can't chance us being seen together.
No we can't talk at all.

Coming Soon: KC Gruite Ale Blog

Update on a previous post concerning an issue of utmost concern to beer snobs: A must read story featured in the Austin Chronic by one of our favorite beer bloggers, Lee Nichols. Here's the money quote from Brock Wagner, founder of Saint Arnold Brewing Co:

"Cascade hops [...] can't be bought at any price."

(On a side note: Lee, is Austin Nichols, the actor who played the surfer-dude named "John" on HBO's "John from Cincinnati" any relation?)


Other signs of the impending apocalypse found on the web:

• Alternative Brewing, a home brewer supply site, has posted a plea to home brewers due to concerns about panic buying.
• Midwest Homebrewing is no longer taking advance orders for hops rhizomes
• One Vermont brew pub owner tells Fox Business he may start brewing a unhopped drink called gruit ale.
  
  
  
  

Cambridge Brewing Co describes gruit ale (pronounced "grew-it") thusly:

Gruit is primarily a combination of three herbs: sweet gale (Myrica gale), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and wild rosemary (Ledum palustre). Additionally, individual brewers would add other herbs and spices as they liked to produce unique flavors and aromas in their beer. These herbs were known for their mildly stimulating properties, and when added to fermented beer were known to have said inebriating qualities amplified. I will make a bold statement now: Gruit Ale may be highly intoxicating and aphrodisiacal when consumed in significant quantity. Historically, it has been said to stimulate the mind, create euphoria, and enhance sexual drive.
[...]
It has an interesting and pleasant aroma and flavor of green- (think good Japanese Sencha) with overtones of herbal- tea (think Echinacea/mint/chamomile/licorice). Of course, this is balanced by the faithful familiarity of Scottish and British pale and dark caramel malted barley, along with wheat malt and oats. It is medium in body, and deep amber in color. Full, rich, and malty on the palate and smooth in the finish.

Gruit ale will clearly never be confused with an IPA, but hey, it might be a dandy aphrodisiac to help get your date in the mood.

Contest: What Do You Call a Gathering of Bloggers?

In the spirit of the recent KC Bloggers meetup, I propose we have a contest to determine what to call a gathering of bloggers.

The field is wide open as a search on google will show.

So, make your submissions in the comments or send me an e-mail. I'll gather them together and make one of the those blog "thawng" polls and we'll see who wins. Prizes will be involved.