Q: Okay, so where’d the name for the site come from?
A: Well, it’s a little complicated.
Q: Oh, great.
A: Calm down, I said a little. Anyway, the basic term, Byronic, comes from the poet Lord Byron. He wrote about a lot of characters who were deeply passionate, striving to do good, were often pretty funny, but usually fatalistic.
Q: Meaning?
A: They self-destruct. They crash on the rocks of their own passions; their own idealism.
Q: Wow, cheery.
A: They also frequently expose some vanity or foolishness of society. So that type of character, or person, is called “Byronic.”
Q: So it has nothing to do with irony?
A: Not really. There’s often irony in Byronism, but the rhyme is coincidence.
Q: Okay, wait – Byron. I remember him. He wrote that one poem, uh, whaddyacallit, “Tender Is The Night.”
A: No, Tender Is The Night is book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. You’re thinking of “She Walks In Beauty Like The Night.” That’s the poem by Byron that everyone reads in high school.
Q: Oh, yeah, right. So he’s one of those lovey-squishy-oogy poets?
A: No, not at all. People usually think that. That poem’s actually about a super sexy woman who might kill you.
Q: Really?
A: Yeah, think about it. The night’s definitely beautiful, but it’s also incredibly dangerous, and hides many secrets.
Q: Huh. And so you’re Byronic?
A: Well, yes, I suppose. There’s a definite theme in my life thus far of intense passion and creation followed by self-sabotage and/or crushed idealism. And jokes. But that’s not meant to be overly-grim – it just seems to be part of the story.
Q: What about the fact that it also sounds like “The Bionic Man”?
A: That sealed the deal for me, in terms of names for the site, honestly. Loved the show when I was a kid, seemed like a cool melding of classical imagery and pop culture. And the ideal of rebuilding one’s self – better, stronger.
Q: So you were a big Steve Austin, Six-Million-Dollar Man fan, eh?
A: Oh yeah. When I was about 6 I wanted to change my name to Steve. Actually that’s not entirely accurate: There were several names I wanted, and I couldn’t pick so finally I decided that I would change my name to ‘Jim Jack Joe John Steve.’
Q: Cute.
A: Yes it… it didn’t catch on.
Q: So basically you got so in to all of them that you wanted to hold onto it all, despite the fact that that was unrealistic, then it all fell apart because of it? Very Byronic.
A: There you go.
The Byronic Man 
August 25, 2011 at 12:57 pm
😀 This was very amusing. I read your Freshly Pressed bit and then your bio and now this…. I think I’ll add you to my list so that I can find a smile, should mine go missing.
August 25, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Well thanks, I appreciate the compliment, and thanks for subscribing!
September 8, 2011 at 3:51 pm
I like the cut of your jib. That’s something my grandfather used to say but I don’t know what it means. My grandfather used to say a lot of things. Mostly about the Kaiser.
September 8, 2011 at 6:58 pm
What, this old thing? Why, I only throw this on when I don’t care what my jib looks like!
January 5, 2012 at 7:04 pm
I say my good man, I’ve decided you deserve this…http://walterkittysdiary.com/2012/01/05/the-versatile-blogger-award/
January 6, 2012 at 6:14 am
Thanks! I will try to live up to it.
June 11, 2012 at 10:32 am
Really amusing, and I searched dictionary to know the meaning of your name before stumbling here.
June 12, 2012 at 11:17 am
I love Lord Byron and I love puns, so you basically have me as a subscriber now. 🙂 Fun stuff, can’t wait to start reading!
June 12, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Thanks for coming by!
June 14, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Well, this certainly sounds familiar, the characters of Lord Byron I mean. I really like your blog, very interesting to read. Keep it up!
July 25, 2012 at 9:49 am
Man, I am waaaay behind on comments, aren’t I? Thanks for coming by – obviously I probably won’t live up to my namesake, but then it wouldn’t be very byronic of me if I did, would it…
June 15, 2012 at 3:37 am
Please tell me you make that slow mo Bionic speed sound as well, which is way more cooler than an impression of Star Trek swishing doors…….I also used to want a pick up truck like the one Steve drove in The Stunt Man – I never wanted to be a bionic woman – sad but true.
July 25, 2012 at 9:49 am
Always. Especially when I’m jumping. I think the people at the gym really enjoy it.
June 15, 2012 at 12:43 pm
My friend Barbara and I used to meet for drinks after work at a lovely restaurant that had a beautiful and comfortable bar where we could drink martinis and catch up on the goings on in our lives. We (secretly) called our favorite bartender Byron. It made sense to us at the time.
June 15, 2012 at 9:05 pm
I did work in a bar for awhile…
June 16, 2012 at 8:53 am
Testing: What bourbon would you recommend?
July 25, 2012 at 9:47 am
Tough one. You can’t go wrong with Maker’s 46, though.
June 18, 2012 at 8:57 am
“Well what can I say, once in a while you stumble upon treasure and it seems that way with your blog. I found box full of humor which will keep company.” Saying that its abvious I liked your posts. Very well put togther, the humor, the thought behind the humor which makes you think twice.
I am glad I came across it and would love to follow the blog. Cheers!
June 18, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Well, great! Thanks for the comments.
June 27, 2012 at 7:27 pm
You have cake…that’s all I need to know!
July 2, 2012 at 5:58 am
Blogger of the Week?! I was informed via comment yesterday! DAMN! All my cheeks are blushing! I appreciate and am flattered by the kudos! (I should have written a post for today…)
July 19, 2012 at 2:45 am
Where did The Byronic Man Go, Byronic? Bring him back , . . I fear change.
July 30, 2013 at 6:27 pm
I’m not here to suck up to you. Read a few of your pieces, and I’m gonna give you a 30-day probationary period. If you don’t impress me every single time, I shall hit the (gasp!) dreaded Unfollow button, then you shall have more material for your next anti-Sally Fields “You don’t like me? You really don’t like me?!!???” post.
Just kidding. I’ll be around. But I’m very fickle. Ok, maybe not.
Cheers.
August 27, 2014 at 7:11 am
I was really intrigued by the blog name and now I am so glad I decided to check it out! I would enumerate the things that made me laugh but then we’d be here all day! Your posts are a real pleasure to read! I am a fan now!
March 20, 2015 at 5:50 am
I’m in Blogging 101 right now and your blog was cited as an example of a good blogroll (I think that was it… I’ve got click fever right now and am in memory overload.) After visiting, I thought and thought about whether or not to subscribe because your blog is so extensive it’s almost an Internet in itself, and I saw myself getting lost and not raising my head until the smoke from the house fire obscured the screen. Anyway, I decided it was worth the risk. So here I am, your 13,648th subscriber. P.S. You had me at the title: I’m an English Major.
April 6, 2015 at 9:52 am
Well thanks for all that! Sorry it’s taken so long to reply – as you can tell I’ve been dormant for a while. Hopefully I’m back to it, and hopefully worth your time.
May 31, 2015 at 5:37 pm
I saw the name of your blog and laughed so hard I accidentally snorted the chocolate milk I was drinking. It’s a brilliant little piece of wit and I salute you for your twisted genius.
June 1, 2015 at 7:24 am
Thanks for saying so! And thanks for stopping by.