Sunday, April 29, 2007
Benefit for Thundering Paws
El Arroyo @ 3PM
at Bee Caves Rd and Hwy 71
Austin, TX

Join us for a fun afternoon Sunday, April 29, 2007, from 3pm to 5pm. Thundering Paws will have a benefit event at the El Arroyo restaurant in Bee Cave, near the intersection of Bee Cave Road and Highway 71. Marc Gunn is providing music from 3pm to 4pm, and we know you'll enjoy his combination of traditional Celtic tunes and silly cat lyrics. Anne, the directory of Thundering Paws, will tell happy stories about Thundering Paws animals. There will also be a silent auction, and you can order food and drinks from the full El Arroyo menu. Suggested donation is $10 for the event (does not include your food and drinks).

For more information, see the event flyer. If you can print a flyer and post it somewhere, that will help us get the word out about this event. Click here for the event flyer. (File size: 0.25 MB)

Wow! I haven't seen it yet, but I got an email from someone who told me about a feature for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. As he describes it ABC World News Video Podcast went out to find some popular podcast and my podcast was one that was picked for it!

Now if I can just download the video, I gotta see it! Look 15:15 minutes into the show. It's the 3/27/2007 show.

I know. I know. I don't need to start any more podcasts, but this is something that's been dear to my heart for a long time. So I thought I'd go ahead and start officially promoting it as such. It's called the Irish Songs & Lyrics Podcast. It began as just my Celtic lyrics directory on The Bards website, but kinda exploded outside of that.

Every Tuesday (or so), the podcast will feature one new Irish or Celtic song that you can download for free through the podcast and share with your friends. All the songs will pretty much be me solo on the autoharp. That's the easiest way to stay consistent with it.

To start off, I'm gonna duplicate songs from the Irish Stout thingy, but my Irish Drinking Songs: A Cat Lover's Companion CD is almost complete. Once it is all start releasing some of those songs and start recording some more.

What's the reason behind this? I'm sort of returning the favor to all those Celtic artists who I listened to and learned songs from. I'm a big proponent of keeping traditional music alive. So this is my chance to do just that. If you like, please share with your friends.

Meantime, you can subscribe by posting the following RSS feed into your podcatcher:
http://www.irish-song-lyrics.com/podcast.rss

Yesterday, Andrew and I were back in the studio working on Real Men Wear Kilts. It was a lighter workday than usual. Gigs are forcing us to take a step back. In April, we'll jump back into the studio with fervor, but too many gigs in March to do just that.

This weekend, we fly to New York for I-Con. The following weekend, we'll perform at Four Winds Renaissance Faire. With all the gigs, I can barely keep up with many podcasts. Heck! I can barely organize all my blog entries to find out which one to link to. hehe. Ah well...

Yesterday, I booked my flight to Ireland with a return trip via Rome. I also listened to more mixes for my Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion CD that Ari sent me. I'm still hoping that I'll have that done by the end of April. But we'll see. Still lots to do. Heck! I don't have a CD cover for that yet. Hmm...

Other things on my list to do:

• Order more copies of The Secret World of Celtic Rock
• Book some gigs in Italy and possible in England
• Book gigs in San Diego and near Costa Mesa, California
• Contact the Saxon Pub, Tipperary Inn, Cactus Cafe, and Mother Egan's about gigs
• Start looking into Colorado Tour and Tour to Shakespeare Festival in Tennessee
• Promotion for Bedlam Bard Shindig Tour
• Finish this week's Renaissance Festival Podcast shownotes
  
• Austin Celtic Meetup Tonight
  
• Pack CDs and clothes for trip to New York this weekend
• Listen to new Cat companion recordings
• Update Bards Shows on the website
• Update Cat Lovers T-Shirts
• Record Cat Lovers Podcast

I'm sure there's more to do, we'll stop there for now.

Every year for St. Patrick's Day, I compile a new list of St Patrick's Day MP3 downloads that are 100% free and legal. This year, I decided to present them in a new format. This year, all the files are compiled like a gigantic digital compilation CD. I ZIP the files up and you just need to download one file.

And if you were ever wondering what Song Henge is like. Well, now you have a better idea. Every month, I compile MP3 submissions into one of these ZIP files and send it out to hundreds of subscribers. Oh! And remember, at the end of the month, I'm switching to an annual fee. So you still have time to take advantage of the lifetime subscription fee for under twenty dollars.

Download "17 Celtic Music Downloads
for St. Patrick's Day" (73 MB)

(p.s. these MP3s will only be up for a month, so download them soon)

Burn Irish Music with Song Henge
100% Legal Burn Music CDs & MP3s for Free!

17 Free Irish & Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day

1. "Seven Drunken Nights" by Brobdingnagian Bards
   Scottish and Irish folk songs combined with the Lord of the Rings music and a wee bit o'Celtic fun. The Brobdingnagian Bards are The Original Celtic Renaissance music duo from Austin, Texas. Their unique brand of folk music on the autoharp, recorder, and mandolin has made them one of the most-popular Celtic music groups online where they give away thousands of free Celtic MP3 downloads daily. The Brobdingnagian Bards perform coast-to-coast, and in a given month might be at a Lord of the Rings Oscar Party, a Celtic festival, or a Science Fiction Conventions. However, they are an absolute favorite at Renaissance Faires where they add high-energy and wit to make every show a memorable experience.
   
   Buy CD: "The Holy Grail of Irish Drinking Songs"
   
   


2. "Lord of the Pounce" by Marc Gunn
   This was the fourth release off my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. It parodies "Lord of the Dance" and tells exciting tail of how cats were there since the beginning.
   
   Cats. Irish music. Drinking songs. Nowhere else but from the bright imagination of Marc Gunn would those three elements be so neatly integrated. Yet Gunn, sometimes called "the hardest working man in Celtic music" around his hometown in Austin, is an accomplished musician and entrepreneur who not long ago headlined at the Oscar party for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
   
   Buy CD: "Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers"
   
   


3. "The Polka Set" by Wild Clover Band
   Don't let the fact that The Wild Clover Band is based in Nebraska throw you from the fact that they play amazing music. Their CD was an instant favorite of mine when I got it last year. That was one of the reasons I decided to include them as the first track on my newly released Victims of Irish Music compilation CD.
   
   Because of this fusion of styles, The Wild Clover Band advertises themselves as "Irish Music and More." Playing in a local pub, the group began primarily as an instrumental group focusing on Irish and American fiddle tunes. They have now evolved into a group that specializes in Irish dance tunes, pub songs, and ballads and has played festivals, community concerts, pubs, and private functions throughout the state of Nebraska, as well as Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota.
   
   Buy CD: "Behind the Blarney"
   
   


4. "Princess Royale" by Thomas "Doc" Grauzer
   "Doc" Grauzer is a harper and storyteller in the Irish tradition. He is fascinated with the traditional harp music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. When performing live he throws in historical background, folklore or weird stories between the tunes.
   
   I first met Doc performing at Mother's Cafe in Austin where he has played three times a week for eight years! The sad tragedy is that Mother's recently had a fire. So for the first time in eight years there is no harp music there. So please help out an amazing Irish harper. Pick up a copy of this beautiful CD.
   
   Buy CD: "Infernal Harp Racket"
   
   


5. "Rakes of Mallow" from Men of Thunda
   Thundaing out of Kentucky, this group takes two of the earliest instruments known to man--the drums and the bagpipes--and pays tribute to an ancient form of Celtic musical entertainment.
   
   What makes Men of Thunda different from military pipe bands is that Men of Thunda is strictly a band of entertainers. They do not enter in competitions. What they do, however, is strive to bring fun to their audience through their music, composed of spirited renditions of traditional Highland bagpipe melodies accompanied by tribal drumbeats.
   It is a raucous good time for anyone who loves the pipes.
   
   


6. "Elevator" from Booze Brothers
   What emerges when you mix Irish music with punk rock? Shaken or stirred, the result is The Booze Brothers. Their sound is unlike other Celtic punk bands: more traditional than Flogging Molly and more rock than the Young Dubliners. Having heard a lot of Celtic rock groups, I always look for something exceptional and different. This band fits the bill!
   
   Buy CD: "Elevator"
   
   


7. "Alice's Reels " from The Tea Merchants
   The Tea Merchants were formed a few years ago by Chris, Charlie, and Rob as a method by which to procure grocery money and a free evening tab at the bar. They are my favorite band to watch here in Austin. And this year, they were honored as the second Celtic band in Austin (after the Brobdingnagian Bards) to win an Austin Music Award. In a town touted as the Live Music Capitol of the World, that is no easy task. A BIG congrats to these brilliant musicians and for the release of their brand new CD.
   
   Buy CD: "One Lump Or Two?" (coming soon)
   
   


8. "Scottish Ballade" by Christiane Cargill
   I always appreciate bands who go for an "intimate" sound. When I saw that description on Christiane's site, I had to explore further. An accomplished and agile pianist with a gift for melodies and a fluid, soulful voice, she begged to take piano and organ lessons at the tender age of 3, while her legs were still too short to reach the pedals. Later, she was classically trained only to be drawn to the music of Ireland and Scotland, with a gorgeous result.
   
   Buy CD: "Metamorphosis" (coming soon)
   
   


9. "The Skylark" from Culann's Hounds
   I'm always looking for larger than life music for my magazine and podcast. Culann's House is one of those bands. And the name is fitting to as they were named after one of the great warriors of Irish legend. They're masters of the San Francisco Celtic scene and while they describe their style as a punk-Irish-hoedown. The music goes way beyond that with a solid traditional sound that connects with the listener like most music doesn't.
   
   Buy CD: "The Year of the Dog"
   
   


10. "Bonnie Ship the Diamond" by Irish Stout
    This duo combines the Irish with piratey raucous Irish songs straight from the pub. They're taking the internet by storm with their free podcast, called Your Weekly Irish Stout, featuring free Irish songs every week. So go out and pirate their music. This entry sponsored by the letter Rrrrrr!
    
    Buy CD: A Collection of Irish Pub Songs
    
    


11. "The Willows/Three Ashes" from Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer
    Since the days when Muckle Flugga tore up the charts on MP3.com, I've been a fan of this talented Celtic duo. Currently taking the folk world by storm, Vicki is one of the best pipers in the business, able to seamlessly veer from soulful airs to driving, up-tempo tunes to set every foot tapping, and this is all aided by Jonny's brilliantly inventive, subtle yet strong guitar work.
    
    Although best-known for their instrumental skills, the duo have also added a healthy number of songs to their act, and have rightly established themselves as one of the best young duos around on the folk scene today!
    
    Buy CD: "Scatter Pipes"
    
    


12. "Maid on the Shore" from Ceili Moss
    Ceili Moss can be best described as "acoustic folk-rock with a Celtic-Pan-European edge that is not afraid of coloring a bit outside of the lines..." But if a band's description doesn't reel you in, then perhaps a personal testimony. I've been hearing people rave about this band for years. Sadly, it's only now that I actually found time to listen. And wow! Beautiful arrangements. I'll be listening to more of them in the future.
    
    Buy CD: "On the Shore"
    
    


13. "Madam I'm A Darlin'" by Queen's Gambit
    Based out of Oklahoma, Queen's Gambit not only performs in costume and in character, but also plays Celtic traditional folk music with a side of Renaissance Dance. Their style is appealing to people of all ages, and their on-site banter that flows during performances really brings their performances to life. But for me, it's a joy to see this fun band grow musically as they have done since I first met them many long years ago.
    
    Buy CD: "Off the Board"
    
    


14. "Mrs. McGrath" by HOMELAND
    Since 1999, HOMELAND has been rockin' the stage with their own style of music that is a conglomeration of new rock and old Celtic style, creating some "tricked out traditional" tunes since their origination. HOMELAND is one of those bands that will keep you on your feet, and keep your toes tappping.
    
    Buy CD: "We Never Got This Far Alone"
    
    


15. "Time Ticks Away" by Jigger
    Take a rowdy mandolin and guitar player who doesn't like sleeves on any of his shirts, combine that with a singer-songwriter obsessed with the themes of time, love, boats and drinking; slot in a wailing fiddle player who can't stay still; then add three part harmonies, a dash of larrikin humour and you get Jigger--an energetic three-piece who play spirited acoustic music. The music is lively with a hint of bluegrass and cool groove.
    
    Buy CD: "Time Ticks Away" EP
    
    


16. "Downtown Baghdad Blues" by Black 47
    They are a band that is best described as an unblinkingly political and thoroughly Irish form of rock 'n roll. Their songs cover a range of topics from the Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and unrest in contemporary New York. But what sets the band apart is that their music can be humorous, informative and always rockin'. They are by far one of my favorite Celtic bands of all time!
    
    Buy CD: "Elvis Murphy's Green Suede Shoes"
    
    


17. "Ar Sorserez (La Sorciere)/Muneira" by Rowan
    Rowan's music not only takes the listener through a spiritual journey through time, but also transcends genres. From the 17th Century English Faire to an 18th Century Jacobite uprising to the American Civil War to the 20th Century Belfast, their music calls forth what human beings share down through the ages and across borders. With a balanced mix of ballads and jigs, this band's music reflects their roots in the deep spiritual resonance of the Celtic lands, they acknowledge, praise, and validate all folk music from all lands in all periods. It will take you on a journey through time and leave you wanting more.
    
    Buy CD: "Tales Through Time"
    
    
    And just because I got carried away, here's one more bonus MP3...
    
    
18. "Lark in the Morning" by Maidens IV
    With the heartbeat of the bodhran, the spirit of the violin and viola, and the soft tunings of the guitar, Maidens IV is bringing a youthful vigor and class to Celtic and Folk sounds. These four sisters, Havilah, Heather, Abigail and Tabitha Justice have been performing classical and baroque music wih their nine siblings. With a new sound of their own, they formed Maidens IV, bringing a new sound and genre to the mix as they stoke the fire of the Celtic and Folk scene. I always loved this song and they execute it beautifully!
    
    Buy CD: "Four Aflame"
    

Well, I hope you have a brilliant St. Patrick's Day. Drink responsibly and Slainte!

Oh! And don't forget some of these MP3s are time sensitive. They are exclusive to this magazine for ONE MONTH ONLY!

---

Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and promoters as well as publisher of Celtic MP3s Music Magazine.

Reposted from the Celtic MP3s Music Magazines St. Patrick's Day Music Article.

AUSTIN, TX (March 15, 2007) - Indie Celtic music favorites the Brobdingnagian Bards were named Best "None of the Above" Band of 2006-07 at the prestigious Austin Music Awards held last night at the Austin Convention Center, kicking off the music portion of the international South By Southwest music conference. The AMA's are celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year and have long been the standard for recognizing the best musical talent coming out of one of the best music cities, Austin, TX.

Sponsored by the Austin Chronicle, the awards celebrate local bands, Austin based releases and individual musical performances. Categories range from Best Drummer to Best Experimental Performance and everything in between. The awards also sponsor an Austin Music Hall of Fame that includes past inductees such as the Killer Bees, the Butthole Surfers and Soulhat.

For more information on the awards and affiliated events go to http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicAwards.

***

The Bards, self describe their music as Scottish and Irish folk songs combined with the Lord of the Rings music and a wee bit o'Celtic fun. The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brob-din-nahg-EE-en) are The Original Celtic Renaissance music duo from Austin, Texas. Their unique brand of folk music on the autoharp, recorder, and mandolin has made them one of the most-popular Celtic music groups online where they give away thousands of free Celtic MP3 downloads daily.

The Brobdingnagian Bards perform coast-to-coast, and in a given month might be at a Lord of the Rings Oscar Party, a Celtic festival, or a Science Fiction Convention. However, they are an absolute favorite at Renaissance Faires where they add high-energy and wit to make every show a memorable experience.

ABOUT The Bards (Andrew McKee / Marc Gunn)

Andrew McKee played guitar and saxophone in high school. He grew up with a classical music background and found the transition from saxophone to recorder to be seamless which led him to perform on Marc Gunn's first solo album. He is entirely self-taught on the mandolin.

Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards, an internet music promoter, podcaster, poet, photographer and publisher of many, many things on and offline. Communicate with me through my websites:

-- Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
-- Marc Gunn's Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
-- Renaissance Festival Podcast - Music and Entertainment from Ren Faires

I was reading an article by Seth Godin called "Good Is Not Almost As Good as Great" where he mentions firing half of your sales force of "good" sellers and keeping the "great" ones. That really kinda struck home with me due to a recent experience.

We play at a convention where we have a regular group of sellers. They were good-hearted kind people who don't earn any money by helping us sell. They just get free entrance and some CDs. They love our music, but I'm not sure how great they are as sales people. It's kinda hard to say.

Well coming up soon is that same convention, but this time we will have our DragonCon sales team there. They are fantastic sellers! We'll find out just HOW fantastic at the convention.

I guess maybe if we were paying our sales team, maybe we should consider better sales people. But as we are using fans, who are unpaid, it's hard for me to not hire someone back if they are just "good" instead of "great", because they are fans and we have a history together. They 'may' not be great sellers, but they are great friends and fans. It's more about loyalty

I guess ultimately, that's a different dynamic to consider than when you're paying someone. For that, I think Seth is probably correct. And mayhaps if we wanted to continually improve our sales, we would hire great sales people and make up the sales difference through great help. But for now, I'm happy to have someone who loves our music selling our CDs and doing a "good" job at doing it.

From the Celtic History Newsletter:

It was about 11 thousand years ago that the last Ice Age started coming to a close, and the bare of Ireland was colonized quickly by plant species such as grasses, dock and meadowsweet, followed by juniper, willow, birch and hazel. It was about 10,000 years ago that the first know human inhabitants came to what would become Ireland.

Although the levels of the ocean were still lower than they are today, it is likely that there was already open water between Ireland and continental Europe. Thus the first peoples to arrive in Ireland would have had to come across by boat or raft, making the east coast of Ireland the most likely location for the first settlements.

Although probably at least semi-nomadic these mesolithic peoples seem to have settled primarily along river banks, lake shores and the coast. These areas probably provided a ready supply of food for a hunter-gatherer population. There were few large animals in Ireland at the time. The giant Irish deer (with a antler span as wide as 3 meters) became extinct in a resurgence of cold temperatures just before the end of the Ice Age. A smaller deer-like animal, as well as the red deer were present, but the surviving evidence suggests that wild pigs, in addition ton game birds were the primary quarry of the earliest inhabitants of Ireland. Hazelnuts were easy to store and probably an important resource over the winter until the salmon run began in spring.

It is believed that in similar settlements in Britain that the inhabitants may have used fire to clears sections of woodland in the hope of attracting animals who grazed in more open areas. In County Antrim there are layers in of soil dating to about 6000 B.C. that show charcoal layers and a change in plant pollen that suggest the earliest Irish may have done the same. However, it seems that they did not modify their environment to a great deal, but rather exploited the
existing resources.

Excavations on Mount Sandel in County Derry and overlooking the estuary of the Lower Bann have found the earliest know occupation of Ireland dated between 7000 and 6650 B.C. based on radiocarbon dating. Although centuries of farming and plowing fields may have destroyed much evidence, a number of post-holes were found in arcs which were centered around fire pits. These huts were about 6 meters across and seem to have been made of saplings set into the ground and probably woven together to make an inverted basket, or possibly a tepee-shaped
shelter.

Although animal bones do not often survive in the acidic soils of the Mount Sandel area, the inhabitants through a number of bones into their fires, and the surviving fragments give us a picture of the diet the residents. Over three hundred bones were found one from a dog, three from hares and although there were some bird and fish bones as well most of the rest came from wild pigs. It's not until the about the 4000 B.C. during the Neolithic period that the first evidence of farming appears in Ireland.

A little more on the earliest Irish peoples next month

-----------------------
If you enjoy our newsletter, please support it by visiting out our online stores, or seek us out at the events listed on our web sites.

The Celtic Croft & MacGregor Historic Games

And if you like Irish music, check out the Brobdingnagian Bards new CD, The Holy Grail of Irish Drinking Songs, Irish Stout's A Collection of Irish Pub Songs, or Victims of Irish Music. And if you're ready for more St. Patrick's Day music, check the link.

See! I told you I would post some more St. Patrick's Day quotations. Sure, it took me longer than I had expected, but hey! You take what you can get. The St. Patrick's Day Party is just beginning too! Five more days until my St. Paddy's Day birthday.

1. "Half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all."
   -- Irish Proverb
   
   
2. "Remember even if you loose all, keep your good name; for if you loose that you are worthless."
   -- Irish Proverb
   
   
3. "An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth."
   -- Irish Saying
   
   
4. "Don't be breaking your shin on a stool that's not in your way."
   -- Irish Saying
   
   
5. "Ireland is rich in literature that understands a soul's yearnings, and dancing that understands a happy heart."
   -- Margaret Jackson
   
   
6. "Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat."
   -- Alex Levine
   
   
7. "O Ireland isn't it grand you look--Like a bride in her rich adornin? And with all the pent-up love of my heart I bid you the top o' the mornin!"
   -- John Locke "The Exile's Return"
   
   
8. "In Ireland the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs."
   -- Sir John Pentland Mahaffy
   
   
9. "On she went, and her maiden smile In safety lighted her round the Green Isle; And blest forever was she who relied Upon Erin's honor and Erin's pride."
   -- Thomas Moore
   
   
10. "When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious."
    -- Edna O'Brien (1932– )
    
    
11. "Why should Ireland be treated as a geographical fragment of England . . . Ireland is not a geographical fragment, but a nation."
    -- Charles Stewart Parnell (1846—1891)
    
    
12. "Eternal is the fact that the human creature born in Ireland and brought up in its air is Irish. I have lived for twenty years in Ireland and for seventy-two in England; but the twenty came first, and in Britain I am still a foreigner and shall die one."
    -- George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950 )
    
    
13. "There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting."
    -- John Millington Synge (1871–1909)
    
    
14. "Anyone acquainted with Ireland knows that the morning of St. Patrick's Day consists of the night of the 17th of March flavored strongly with the morning of the 18th."
    -- Unknown
    
    
15. "We . . . are no petty people. We are one of the great stocks of Europe. We are the people of Burke; we are the people of Swift, the people of Emmet, the people of Parnell. We have created most of the modern literature of this country. We have created the best of its political intelligence."
    -- W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) speech in the Irish Senate, June 11, 1925

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Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2005) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danielle_Hollister

I just updated the Celtic Music CD Store with a Celtic CD news section to announce the latest CDs by my independent record label, Mage Records. It doesn't match the rest of the site yet, but it will.

Well, I already mentioned a bunch of St. Patrick's Day lyrics, but I thought I'd still specify that there are a lot of great St. Patrick's Day songs. These are some of my favorite Irish songs to sing, As well as just some of the popular Irish songs to sing by others. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch, but I'll add more in the future.

• An Irish Lullaby
• Danny Boy
• Fiddler's Green
• Finnegan's Wake
• Happy Birthday From Ireland
• Jedi Drinking Song (can't forget this one)
  
• Johnny Jump Up
• Old Dun Cow
• Patriot Game
• Rattlin' Bog
• Seven Drunken Nights
• The Leprechaun (You're No Irish Laddie)
• The Parting Glass
• The Scotsman
• The Unicorn Song
• When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
• Whiskey in the Jar
• Wild Mountain Thyme
• Wild Rover
  

And once again You can find more St Patrick's Day lyrics on my St. Patrick's Day Party website. So go ahead. Start printing out the lyrics and sing-a-long. You might even enjoy it!

Slainte! (pron. slawn-chuh, it means "cheers" or "to your health")

Read Part 1 of my Lasik Eye Surgery in Austin Review of the Eyes of Texas Laser Center here.

The rest of day of surgery I spent adding Artificial Tears to my eyes, occasionally adding the Anti-Biotic and Muro. Little by little my eyes stopped itching. It was tough to forget about the itching too because every thirty minutes I had to add more drops to my eyes. By 10pm I was ready to go to bed. Good thing too, my cellphone battery was dying.

I added the last drops to my eyes, climbed in bed and instinctively reached to take off my glasses. But no need. I then started to read. That was a wee bit bothersome. Thusfar, it looks like my reading vision is not as good as it was. But I could nevertheless read without assistance. Thirty minutes later I put the protective shields back over my eyes and fell asleep.

When I awoke, I didn't bother reaching for my glasses. I just looked up and saw that mysterious clock on the wall that you hear exists but never does with glasses. I read it perfectly. It was 8:37am. My eyes are no longer itching. Just a touch of dryness which means more drops every thirty minutes or so. In a few hours, I have the follow-up doctors appointment. Overall, I see significant improvement in my vision.

---

I was a little worried with all the Artificial Tears I was using that I would run out. So I took the plunge, got into the car and drove to HEB wearing my sunshades outside as Dr. Wong suggested. I was a little bit nervous about driving. But overall, my vision was great. There was a little bit of a hazy halo around things. So I figured this wouldn't be much of a problem for driving. And it wasn't.

I got back to my parents and just relaxed and read some more, adding Tears every thirty minutes. I think my book reading vision was improved too though it still looked a bit hazy. But then, as I recall, it always was hazy reading. Now it's just a different sort of haziness.

I took a wee nap and woke up around noon. I bid my step-mom farewell and thanked her for ALL her help. Then I drove back to Eyes of Texas Laser Center. On the drive, I noticed my left I had slightly better vision than the right eye. It still seemed like I couldn't see some road signs as clearly I had hoped, but really there were no problems reading the signs or whatnot. It was a safe drive.

I stopped at Starbucks and grabbed a Latte and looked around. It was pretty cool, I could see all the store signs. I got back in my car and continued my journey.

I arrived early at the Laser Center. They took me back in and asked me how my eyes were doing. I told them about the somewhat hazy reading and strength of my left eye over my right eye. They did a re-imaging of my eyes. Then I waited to talk to Dr. Wong.

Ten minutes later, right before I found out who was the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby, they admitted me into the eye exam room. Dr. Wong arrived a few minutes after. Again, I mentioned the couple o'issues with reading and eyes and he said things will clear up in a week. Just keep taking those drops. Very friendly as usual.

As I thought about my eyes leaving the center, I realized my eyes adjustment sorta feels like when I first got new glasses after a prescription changed. Things are extra sparkly. And at times a little tough to see perfectly. But even now as I've been typing this latest entry, I realize that I can see my computer screen a little bit better. Though I need to add some more eye drops in a wee bit.

So how was my overall experience?

They asked me that before I left the eye center. Overall, I was a bit nervous. But it was fairly easy to do. The toughest thing was focusing on little dots, but as that didn't last more than a minute or so, that was no big deal. The scratchy eyes were annoying, but those too cleared up after a day. Now my eyes feel great. No swimming any time soon, but overall great.

Doctor L. Shawn Wong and associates were wonderful as well. Kind and friendly. They talked a little fast for me to really absorb all the information, but they provided information sheets which helped me immensely to remember all I needed to do to take care of my eyes.

I'll be going back in July for a follow-up. And if my eyes aren't focused up by then, Eyes of Texas Laser Center offers a discount touch-up service so I can fix up those eyes and improve my sight.

Overall, I'm happy. I've been wearing glasses for at least twenty-five years. And now... I CAN SEE!

Kinda makes you wonder what else we can accomplish?

Find out more about the Eyes of Texas Laser Center at www.texas2020.com.


Read Part 1 or Part 2 of this update now.

It was back in 1994 when I ran into my friend Laura outside the tower at the University of Texas at Austin. I remember her from high school. He had had thick glasses. Not nearly as thick as her sisters, but thick just the same. She had no glasses on when I met her. We got to talking and she told me she just had her eyes corrected. I don't remember if it was LASIK, but having only hear occasional reports back then, I thought, "Cool! Maybe some day I'll trust laser eye surgery enough to do it myself."

Over thirteen years later, I finally decided to take the plunge. Today, I had LASIK performed on my eyes. And my vision is still improving. I thought it might be nice for others if I shared my experience.

I arrived with my step-mom at 8:00 am this morning for our 8:30 appointment at Eyes of Texas Laser Center over on Spicewood Springs Road. My mom and I had an early start. I'm sure it helped that I was pretty much awake when my parents got up this morning. I couldn't sleep much last night. The bed was uncomfortable. I was cold. And of course, I was thinking a lot about the surgery. I should have done more yoga before I went to sleep like I usually do to sleep better, but I didn't.

So when my dad knocked on the door this morning, it didn't take me much to get out of bed. I got up and put the last three eye drops in each of my eyes. They started me on those two days ago. One was an anti-biotic called Zylet, the other Muro (whatever that is) called Sochlor, and the third, Artificial Tears (Refresh Tears by Allergan). Afterward, my step-mom made me breakfast and we drove to the eye clinic.

After paying the piper, the first thing they did was give me some Valium. Then they took me into the optometrist room. The nurse instructed me on how to take the rest of my eye drops. She put doctors masks on me, covering my mouth, hair and shoes. Then she left me alone to wait. I took a much needed nap. When I awoke a few minutes later, I had trouble standing. The Valium must've kicked in.

The nurse held my arm as she took me into the laser room. She gave me a cough drop which I didn't expect would help keep me, Sir Coughs-A-Lot, from coughing, but it did. I sat down on the bed. Then when when Doctor L. Shawn Wong was he asked me to lie down.

Dr. Wong told me not to move. And I did my best. The left eye went first. The doctor taped back the eye lids and lashes. Then he applied some tool to keep my eyes open. It kinda pinched and hurt a little with insertion. But once it was in place, everything was fine. Meanwhile, the nurse held my hand. I was thankful about that, because I was still a bit nervous.

Then the doctor told me to stare at a green light. As I did that, I think this was when he pulled back the protective covering over the eye. Kinda weird, but it didn't hurt. When he pulled back the covering, things got really blurry. Then most of what I could see was red blobs. That was a bit disconcerting, because they moved some. He told me to stare at the center of the red blob, and I did as best I could. Doctor Wong was very reassuring and kept telling me I was doing great. That definitely helped me to relax a bit.

After maybe a minute, he put the eye covering back, and I *think* he sorta smoothed out the eye covering. Again, it didn't hurt at all. The tough part was to keep staring at the green light.

Next, he taped my left eye shut and did the same with the right eye. This eye had a stigma. So at some point I heard this machine make a zapping sound and smelled ozone. The nurse told me about this before the operation. It was normal. And better yet, I didn't feel a thing.

After that, the doctor went back to the left eye. And I think he was smoothing out the eye covering again. Then he added two or three different drops to my eyes. Once we were done, my eyes felt scratchy, sorta like there was some sleep in my eyes, or maybe as if I had contacts that were a bit messed up. My eyes were still watering so I had trouble seeing, but when I could see, things looked clearer than they used to.

My step-mom helped me back into the waiting room. We took five minutes as the Valium still made it difficult to walk. Then my step-mom guided me out to the car with sunshades on. We got in and drove for the next thirty minutes. I turned on my cell phone alarm and applied eye drops every five minutes of the trip. And I was seeing much better, signs, things around the car, you name it.

We got home. I applied the last required eye drops before I napped. Then I tapped my eyes shut, added some protective coverings, put on my sleep mask, turned on some celtic music and slept for a couple hours.

When I awoke around 1:30, my eyes were REALLY itchy. I drank a huge glass of water and started on the Artificial Tears every five minutes for the next two hours. After about thirty minutes, I started feeling relief. Two hours later, I've taken off my sunshades that I was wearing inside. My eyes are little itchy still but and there's a bit of a haze and halos around things. My dad, who also had Lasik done before I did, said that's normal, even for the next week.

So now I'm sitting at the dining room typing now. There's a mirror on the wall, and I can actually see myself. My eyes still itch, and they are watering so it's not super easy to see. But it's more than I've seen in over twenty-five years. Already things are looking good!

Read Part 2 and Part 3 of this update now.

St. Patrick's Day is getting closer. So I've been reading more about this Irish holiday of holidays. It's funny looking at most of the articles about St. Patrick's Day. Most of them are all shamrocks and leprechauns and green beer. It's seen as time to dress green and get drunk.

While I guess I'm not the best judge of such things since I play Irish drinking songs, in fact, I do encourage temperance. Getting totally pissed is both unattractive and not that much fun. To me, I'd rather be in control. Of course if you're gonna drink on St. Patrick's Day, have fun, but be gentle to your body (and others around you). Don't get plastered, drink so you actually might enjoy yourself, not so your vomiting green crap all over your friends.

This has been a public service announcement from Marc Gunn. hehe!

Oh! And if you want to be REALLY smart, stay away from green beer all together. That's just nasty. Guinness all the way!

Okay, here's some nice St. Patrick's Day quotes:

1. "It's not that the Irish are cynical. It's rather that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody."
   -- Brendan Behan(1923-1964) - Irish dramatist, author
   
   
2. "In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God."
   -- Stephen Braveheart
   
   
3. "St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."
   -- Adrienne Cook
   
   
4. "When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Ireland."
   -- J. P. Dunleavy
   
   
5. "This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever."
   -- Sigmund Freud (about the Irish)
   
   
6. "There is an Irish way of paying compliments as though they were irresistible truths which makes what would otherwise be an impertinence delightful."
   -- Katherine Tynan Hinkson
   
   
7. "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."
   -- Irish Proverb
   
   
8. "The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens."
   -- Irish Proverb
   
   
9. "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."
   -- Irish Proverb
   
   
10. "You never miss the water till the well has run dry."
    -- Irish Proverb

More quotes coming soon...

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From the Celtic History Newsletter:

I was planning on talking more about the earliest inhabitants of Ireland this month, but I’m moving that to next month. Since Tartan Day is coming up April 7th I decided to take a quick look at this new holiday to give people a little time to learn about, or organize their own local celebrations.

Since 1998, April 7th has been officially recognized by the US Senate as a day to celebrate the many ways in which Scottish-Americans have contributed to the history and prosperity of the United States.

The date for Tartan Day was selected to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, This document which asserted Scotland's independence from English claims is often interpreted as an early expression of 'popular sovereignty' – that kings could be chosen by the people rather than by God alone. It is also frequently said to have had an influence on the American Declaration of Independence.

During the 20-year Scottish War of Independence. Edward II of England was determined to take possession of Scotland, and England actually succeeded in persuading the Pope to excommunicate all of Scotland. In 1317 Pope John XXII sent two cardinals to England in an attempt to negotiate a truce, and in response to the papal intervention Robert the Bruce wrote two letters to the Pope. Accompanying the letters was the Declaration of Arbroath, a document drawn up by Scottish clergy and nobles, which formally set out Scotland’s case for independence. It was drawn up at Arbroath Abbey on 6 April, 1320, probably by the Abbot, Bernard de Linton, the Chancellor of Scotland.

The declaration explains Scotland’s struggle to become an independent state, and tries to persuade the Pope of the legitimacy of Scotland's case. It also warned the Pope that unless he accepted the Scottish argument, the war would continue, and any resulting deaths would be his responsibility. The history included in the declaration is a bit fantastical, or exaggerated, but the following line from the declaration continues to ring true down through the centuries: "It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

Read the text of The Declaration of Arbroath.

For more info on Tartan Day.

For information on Tartan Day events around the U.S..

Official Tartan Day site from the Scottish government.

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The Celtic Croft & MacGregor Historic Games

And if you like Scottish music, check out the Brobdingnagian Bards new CD, Real Men Wear Kilts.

I was digging through a bunch of recordings I made while I was in Virginia over Christmas. I listened to one that I called "The Hobbit Journey Home" and WOW! It is breath-taking! My mom started talking right when the song ended, but I think I was able to edit that out.

The song definitely seems to capture that journey quality of tragic heroes. I'm really pleased with the final recording.

"The Hobbit Journey Home"
Listen: LoFi
Recorded by Marc Gunn
From: A Tribute to Love (coming in August 2007)

Download MP3: 128 kbps
Buy MP3 for 99¢: 192 kbps
Donation: Make a Donation
Subscribe: http://www.pubsong.com/PubSongsPodcast.rss

I decided this song would make a nice addition to my CD A Tribute to LOVE!--love of home. Especially since at present, we have no plans of recording another Lord of the Rings CD. I mean, yes, I still would love to do a Hobbit Drinking Songs album. But I haven't made any more plans than that. And I still need to my hobbit birthday song on a CD. I mean I already have a website saying celebrating Bilbo's birthday and song! So why not add it to a CD. Hmm...

St. Patrick's Day is almost here. If you haven't ordered your favorite St. Patrick's Day CDs, what are you waiting for? If you need help picking CDs, here are my suggestions:

1. Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers by Marc Gunn
2. The Holy Grail of Irish Drinking Songs by Brobdingnagian Bards
3. The Tea Merchants by The Tea Merchants
4. A Collection of Irish Pub Songs by Irish Stout
5. The Secret World of Celtic Rock by Various Artists
6. Coventina's Well by Various Artists
7. Digital Flashbacks by Celtic Stone
8. One Spot on Earth by Heidi, Stef & Bow Triplets
9. A Pocketful of Lint by Kennedy's Kitchen
10. From the Ashes by Sarah Dinan
    

You can also still find a bunch of St. Patrick's Day lyrics on my website as well. I hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The North Texas Irish Festival is here once again. And sadly, I'm gonna miss it this year. I've only gone three times now, but I do enjoy the festival. Last year's festival was my favorite. They had an amazing lineup including quite a few Austin Celtic groups. Not as many Austin groups this year which is rather disappointing.

So thinking about NTIF, I decided to compile some of my past posts regarding the festival and a few links that you might find useful. But first, here are some special features from my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast that highlight many of the bands at last year's show.

• Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #15 - North Texas Irish Festival Wrap Up, Part 2
• Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #14, North Texas Irish Festival Wrap Up, Part 1

Some past reviews of the North Texas Irish Festival:

• North Texas Irish Festival (NTIF) 2005
• North Texas Irish Festival 2004 Review
• NTIF 2003 Review
• North Texas Irish Festival CDs 2006
• North Texas Irish Festival CDs 2005

Well, I may not be present, but I'm sure there'll be a lot of folks who are. So I can't wait to hear what people think of entertainment. Do check out Arabesque who are on my new Victims of Irish Music compilation CD. They sound Fantastic!