My Blog

Off to Cali

ICoN — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:46:25 GMT

Attn all west coasters... I am coming in a few hours. I pretty much lost all phone numbers so if you are in cali, hit me up here with your number if you wanna get together.

Burning Mannnnnnnn

ICoN — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:54:31 GMT

Everything is set... Jen and I will be camping with "...and then there's only love" at 9:00 & Esplanade. Our flight leaves at 7:30am Sunday morning and we should arrive in Reno at 12:25pm. We're renting a car, getting our supplies, then heading into the desert. With any luck, they'll let us in a bit early :) See you there!!!!!!

Plane Ticket To Burning Man

ICoN — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:07:54 GMT

I need one... But I'm very broke at the moment. If anyone happens to find a good deal on a flight to either Reno or San Francisco or can help in any other sort of way, let me know. Thanks!

Dollar Store Ownz!

ICoN — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:25:53 GMT

God I love the dollar store. I went in today because I was ultra bored and figured I might find some decent buys... And did I ever! 2 Hula Hoops 8 small orange cones 4 17" skewers with handles 3 dozen clothes pins 140 feet of plastic rope Total - $9.54 Where else can you buy all this great stuff in one place and for such a great price? Shit, id probably pay over 9 bucks for the clothes pins alone at a fetish shop. This gives me an idea - I want to open a burner shop complete with blinkeys, fur outfits, fetish gear, fire and juggling props, records, local art, and booze! Who wants to invest?? :~)

Lullabye...

ICoN — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:30:58 GMT

Rock-a-bye, baby In the treetop When the wind blows The cradle will rock When the bough breaks The cradle will fall And down will come baby Cradle and all What kind of shit is that to sing to your kid? Sounds horrific. Why is the baby in a tree? Was there a tornado? I dunno for sure but I DO know that when a baby (and cradle) fall out of a tree, chances are slim the baby will survive. Lucky for me (I guess?) my mom sung Tora Lora Lora... Which is still kinda strange since I'm only a quarter irish... And not on my mom's side. Anyhow... Did anyone's mother used to sing Rocka-bye-baby to them? Are you totally wacko because of it or what?? :~)

Wild Vegetables

ICoN — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:43:05 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a strange thought. I realized that in my 25 years on this planet, I've never seen any wild vegetables. No broccoli, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, or anything. Certainly I've seen fruit of all types from berries to apples, lemons, and cherries and I've even come across some wild spices. Where the hell are all the vegetables though? Farms produce tons of vegetables but they had to come from somewhere... And where did it all go? I've brought this up to several people since I thought about it and yet no one has claimed to have seen any wild vegetables nor has anyone been able to give a reasonable explanation for this. I think it's a conspiracy.

Wow... An amazing piece of my history...

ICoN — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:51:13 GMT

So, I was going through my folder of text documents which I rarely do. I opened a file which had numbers as a name. What I found inside was my first contact with the Philadelphia Fire Arts. It is the conversation I had with Skip who was the one to invite me to the Philadelphia Fire Arts meetings. This was my doorway into the spinning community. Previous to this, I knew no one else who spun. Check it! PatchworkJester: Hello? oONyebrightOo: hi PatchworkJester: Yo. This is a fire spinner in Philadelphia. Are you still in Philly? I got your AIM off of Home of Poi. PatchworkJester: Hello? PatchworkJester: My name is Skip Walker. oONyebrightOo: "oh, for real? yo, what's up" sorry for not answering... we're playing with a video... PatchworkJester: Lol. PatchworkJester: Video? oONyebrightOo: yo... this is mike's friend erica... I met him thru home of poi too... actually, I'm here at his house... we just had a burn and I'm working on a promo video for Bonnaroo... PatchworkJester: Cool! You are both now required to come to the gathering! oONyebrightOo: huh? oONyebrightOo: what/when/where/ is the gathering? PatchworkJester: Thursdays and Saturdays behind the Art museums at 7:00 oONyebrightOo: fire gathering? PatchworkJester: Yup! oONyebrightOo: on fire? :-) hehehe PatchworkJester: Definitely. oONyebrightOo: Sunday is the free day for the museum, isn't it? I was wanting to go... was there last Monday... hell yeah.. fire are there lots of people that go? PatchworkJester: You guys can meet some of the best spinners in philly (Or show them up) and learn a gazillion things. PatchworkJester: We're up to a pretty regular 5 with 10 being our max. But it's VERY regular. oONyebrightOo: right on... I'm somewhat outside of the area... douglassville... here's mike... oONyebrightOo: Hey, this is Mike PatchworkJester: Hey mike. PatchworkJester: What up? PatchworkJester: www.pbase.com/patchworkjester oONyebrightOo: Not much, just trying to get this video stuff done PatchworkJester: Gotcha oONyebrightOo: Ill have to check that later but I definately will. I am very interested in these gatherings. oONyebrightOo: I got a few vids online of myself so Ill send you a link to that a lil later too oONyebrightOo: Ive been trying to find some fire spinners forever PatchworkJester: There are tons of us! oONyebrightOo: Well, Ill most likely be joining you :-) PatchworkJester: AWESOME. PatchworkJester: It's a great gathering. oONyebrightOo: Any gathering is great in my book. Specially when it comes to poi cuz Im the only one that I really know that does it... Besides this girl I have over right now, but we only met twice. PatchworkJester: Where in Philly are ya? oONyebrightOo: Im just outside Philly in a town called Bensalem. Im like 5 mins from Franklin Mills PatchworkJester: Yup! oONyebrightOo: Anyway, Im gonna go and finish this video stuff. Ill definately get in touch with you later. You on alot? And Erica wants to know if anyone you know is going to Bonnaroo? PatchworkJester: I have no clue what bonnaroo is. PatchworkJester: 555-555-5555 for info. oONyebrightOo: Its a festival in Tennesee. Whats that number for? PatchworkJester: That's my number. My name's skip walker. PatchworkJester: Info on the gatherings, jsut in case. oONyebrightOo: Ok, how late do you accept phone calls? PatchworkJester: Before midnight is best, but if the line is busy, email benbradaigh@hotmail.com oONyebrightOo: Ok, great. Nice talkin to ya, will keep in touch. PatchworkJester: Definitely. PatchworkJester: Take care This file is dated 5/18/2004. I found poi the day I registered on Home of Poi, 3/27/2003. I like finding this because it helps me piece together the details of my own spinning history I forgot about... I was spinning for over a year before I knew anyone else who did it. Now, I have no idea why I saved this conversation back then. Did I know it would be a piece of my history? Doesn't really sound like something I would do... And I have no idea how I never found this before. I really had no idea this existed. Fun fact: The first time I went to the Philadelphia Fire Arts meeting, I got rear ended on I-95 in the new car I had just gotten 2 weeks before >.<

Cali Trip...

ICoN — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:14:25 GMT

Yes, my trip to California was awesome and exactly what I needed to get myself back on track. I was pushed to do things I normally wouldn't have done, I was inspired to get back into some things I had lost touch with, and I had many memorable and special experiences with friends, new and old. There aren't words to express my appreciation and gratitude for the ability to take such a trip and all the people who made it possible. There are a few people I would like to thank in particular but before I do so, I would like to send out a mass thank you to everyone who crossed my path while I was out there, for everyone played an important role in making my trip special. Isa: You are AWESOME for opening your home to me for an entire month and putting up with my shit for so long. I can't thank you enough for the generosity you displayed both personally and professionally. You gave me opportunities which tested my abilities and allowed me to grow and you completely enabled me to have an experience without limits. You add deep value to my life and I love you dearly. Atreyu: The energy I felt when connecting with you was intense and it grew steadily as time went on. We shared many moments that are beyond description but when you pulled out the bottle of ashen dirt after Fire Drums, I was floored and almost wanted to cry. I don't know what else to say except that I will always be connected to you by that moment. Sky: Man... People keep using the word 'epic' to describe this year's Fire Drums and while I hate to sound like a broken record, I have to say that it is the only word I feel is appropriate. It was indeed epic. Just about every fire spinning personality I have ever admired (and then some) was there and the time I got to spend with them was more than I could have ever hoped for. I couldn't have made it any better if I were to create it in a dream. If you had a goal in mind as to what you wanted to make Fire Drums into, I believe this was probably far beyond that. You shall go down in history for this one, my friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Noel: You were also a huge part of what made Fire Drums so damn good. You worked hella hard and put up with a shit ton of crazy fucks for a long time to make it happen. With all that on your plate, you still made sure that even I had what I needed to be comfortable and happy. You shared your home, your food and drink, your room at the lodge, and much more. You even helped celebrate my birfday. Thank you, it all meant a lot to me. Draya: Funny how things happen sometimes. Perhaps you don't know just how funny it is... But trust me, yer pretty funny :~) Thanks for kidnapping me and becoming my friend. You also enabled me to have a few last good experiences before I left and I feel like we started a bond which will continue to grow stronger as days go by. Till next time... Yuta, Andy, Olive, Ronin, Arashi, Zan, Poki, Vatra, Tim, Rovo, Conway, and the Vulcan crew (in no particular order - possibly forgetting some): Thanks for being just the spinspiration I needed to find my passion for poi again. I had lost the drive to play with my poi some time over a year ago. One of my main goals for my trip to FD was to be reinspired so that I may once again inspire others myself. It was really great to hear some of these people tell me that my old videos helped them along their way. Funny how things have come full circle and those who I've inspired in the past are reinspiring me today. Lilly: Thanks for the sweet hair cut! You made me at least 400% better looking :~P Oh, and the 4/20 party at BMHQ was a cool experience too. I could go on forever cuz like I said... Everyone played a part in making my time out there special. If you are reading this and feel you did something especially cool but I forgot to mention you, I am sorry. It happens. You know what you did and you know I am extremely thankful. I can only hope that I did something some time that made you feel the same. I love you all. Namaste~

Just a Reflection

ICoN — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:16:28 GMT

There is always the antithesis. There will always be opposition. The stronger you are, the stronger it is. Take every challenge as a reflection of your own strength. Know that you can conquer it and when you do, you will come out stronger yet. It is the only way to grow. If you lose, it is only to yourself. You submit to the antithesis living inside your own head. Your power is indeed immense but do not be afraid. Do not be intimidated. Keep pushing through the waves and you shall learn to swim.

Day 10

ICoN — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:13:36 GMT

I woke up a little bit ago from a bad dream. I dreamt that I went out and bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked a few... Although, I didn't remember buying the cigarettes. It was like I was in a trance and snapped out of it while in the midst of smoking. I spent the next hour or so in and out of sleep saying to myself "I can't believe I smoked! Now I have to start all over again." Eventually, I woke up enough to realize I had been dreaming and didn't actually do this. I was much relieved so I went down stairs and ate a nice big helping of pot butter on toast for breakfast. God I love California :)

Ergh

ICoN — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:21:24 GMT

Day 5... I need to get out of my house ASAP. Sitting around alone is making me super depressed. I wish someone would answer or return my damn phone calls so I could do something... Anything... I just need to be active and not sitting here wishing I could smoke a cigarette. Fuck! And why is it that everyone decides to pick a fight with me during this past week? No one can just leave me be when I go out to relax and have fun. Stupid people bring up stupid shit and make me get defensive, then when I get angry they say "hes just upset because hes quitting smoking" which aggravates me even more. No, I was fine a second ago, Im upset because you're starting a fight with me. Wtf. Argh. Someone pull me from this bedroom!

The Plan

ICoN — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:10:52 GMT

I will arrive in California at Oakland Airport at 3:30pm on Saturday, April 12th. I leave California from Oakland Airport at 9:10am on Saturday, May 10th. April 14th, 17th, and 21st - Teaching classes @ Temple of Poi (See http://www.templeofpoi.com/workshops/icon.php for details!) April 26th - Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Expo April 29th - Birthday gig with Glitter Girl May 1st thru 4th - Fire Drums! I hear there is some good stuff going on in LA after Fire Drums so Im gonna try to hit that up. If anyone has any other info/events/stuff I might want to be part of, please post it!

3rd Day from the Butt

ICoN — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:58:58 GMT

At 6pm today, I will be on day 3 of no tobacco/nicotine. No gums, no pills, no inhalers... Im proud of myself. It has hardly been a fight. I feel the cravings (still) but there is not a question in my mind about weather or not I'll take a puff. I've had a single cigarette sitting on my computer desk for the past few days. It sits and begs to be smoked while I play on the net all day, but I resist its charms without a second thought. I wanted to thank all of you who responded to my last blog and gave me great words of encouragement and support. It means a lot to me to have such great and caring friends. You all definitely helped me get over the hump and know that I made the right decision.

Quit Smoking

ICoN — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:53:09 GMT

Recently Ive had some breathing problems and they got me super paranoid that Im dying. Thus, I have made the decision to finally quit smoking cigarettes. For the past week or so I have been cutting down - First from 1 pack per day to 10 in a day, then 4, then 2, then a few drags... And today it will be 0. At around 6pm today, I will have gone my first 24 hours without nicotine since I was 13 (Smoked for 12 years, currently about half of my life). I do indeed have cravings still but since I have stepped down gradually, they aren't horrible to deal with and I am surprisingly not a total bitch. The day that I cut down to 2 was the worst for me since in addition to cutting back so drastically, I spent 9 hours at the hospital with needles in my veins and electrodes on my chest. I was totally grumpy that day. I already miss it but not that much. Mostly, I miss the action of smoking as it was always my idle action while sitting on my computer or an easy excuse to take a break at work. Anyway, I plan to be fully done with tobacco and nicotine from here on out. Wish me luck as I'll probably need it over the next week or so.

This image

ICoN — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:03:49 GMT

Totally makes my eyes bug out!

I've fallen and I can't get up!!

ICoN — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:00:41 GMT

Gravity is a funny thing. For our entire existence we've used and manipulated it, conformed to its rules, and even suffered at its hand, yet, it wasn't until 1687(only 321 years ago) that we actually noticed it and put a label on it. Makes me wonder what else we overlook in our daily lives. I've always felt like it was one of my purposes in life, to stumble upon one of these things. So far, I've had no luck but I still keep hope that my randomly assigned 3rd grade report on Sir Isaac Newton was a foreshadowing to such a discovery.

Gas-B-Gon

ICoN — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:12:45 GMT

I was just out at Wal-Mart buying fuel for my show tonight. After a trip down the candle aisle for some Ultra Pure, I hit the camping section for white gas. After 15 minutes of searching to no avail, I talked to an employee who said they don't sell it anymore. What?? You don't sell white gas anymore!? Nope... No painball guns either. Damn! Looks like I'm gonna have to make 2 trips every time I need to restock my fuel now since K-Mart doesn't sell lamp oil and now Wal-Mart doesnt sell white gas >.<

More amazing stuff that often goes unnoticed...

ICoN — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:30:27 GMT

On a slightly darker note than my previous blog, this video is just as amazing IMO. Just goes to show you that even the worlds of fungi and ants are complex and full of obstacles. http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/fungi-ant-attack-p1.php?vid=11204

Dolphins Rock!

ICoN — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:35:24 GMT

I recently saw this video and wanted to share it with everyone. Dolphins are awesome and I wouldn't be surprised if they took over the world one day. Enjoy! http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2008/dolphins-bubble-rings-p1.php

A Call to Performers of All Tyles!

ICoN — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:44:46 GMT

So, I've been working on a big gig for January which will probably become a weekly event. The party will be called Eye Candy and the promoter asked me to gather up some other performers for the January (and possibly future) shows. He wants to make it a more up-scale Vegas style party with all sorts of crazy "eye candy." So, what I'm looking for are people to perform things. I'm looking for performers with a sexy or wild/crazy vibe. Stilt walkers, human statues, hoopers and dancers, etc. Anything sexy, cool, circusy, wild, or fun. Fire is pretty much spoken for. However, I am still looking for a sexy girl who wouldn't mind doing a fire contact set with me. Anyway, if you are interested or have any ideas, send me a message!

NY Decom Tix Needed!!!

ICoN — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:01:00 GMT

Need 2 tickets to NY Decom if possible... Can't believe they sold out this year. Been going every year since 2004 and don't want to miss it now. Someone help!

Movie Premiere - Oct 21- New Trailer!

ICoN — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:06:52 GMT

Hey friends, The Unholy Sideshow movie will be premiering at the Terror Film Festival in Rittenhouse Square on October 21st. Tickets are $8 and you can get them at the door or buy them online at www.terrorfilmfestival.com The movie 8 and I suggest pre-ordering your tickets if possible because it may sell out. You can see a new trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrvDR7aLL5s I'm going to a private screening on Wednesday to see it so I'll let you all know how it goes... But it should be GOOD! Hope to see you there.

Fire On The Radio!

ICoN — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:55:54 GMT

If you're in/around Philly this coming Monday and near a radio at about 7pm, tune in to Q102 (102.1FM) cuz I will be performing and interviewed on the Jessie Jordan show to "raise awareness of my unique talent". I did a gig with Q102 for their End of Summer Luau this past Sunday and Jessie liked it so much she invited me to come on her show. You could also come to the station to support me while I perform outside, just send me a message for details!

Poi Geek Apparel

ICoN — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:38:44 GMT

So, about 2 years ago I made an account on CafePress.com, a website that lets you upload your own t-shirt designs and they will sell them for you and give you a commission. Shortly after making my gear, I forgot all about it figuring no one would ever buy anything. However, I just remembered it and logged back in to find that I had a few sales. Funny... I would have loved to come across someone wearing one of my t-shirts... Or better yet, my thong! Anyhow, the reason I am posting this is to see if I can get a few more sales. Anyone want this stuff?? Cmon, you know you do... Its soo geeky! Every poi geek should have a poi geek t-shirt or at least a mouse pad. Ok, I know, its lame... But at least check it out and consider! http://www.cafepress.com/poigeek

New York City Here I Come

ICoN — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:29:03 GMT

Rita and I will be in New York for two weeks starting tomorrow (Sunday). Im looking to get into some stuff while Im there. Anyone got anything going on? Id really love to get in on some gigs if possible... Fire, hooping, or otherwise. Maybe teach a workshop or two if anyone is interested. Im also looking for other people to host us so we don't end up wearing out our welcome at Abject's place. If you think you can help me in any way, give me a hollar!