July 27, 2010 Here's photo #103 in the continuing series Where Are They Then? That's a wire recorder there folks. It must have been fun packing that around through the jungles of Mexico. I haven't been able to google up much about Bob Ariss- wouldn't it be great to hear what these guys were playing? Sadly, it looks as if the gain on that mic was pretty low, considering the fact that he's holding it as close to the guitar as he can get it. (try the sound hole, Bob!) Also notice another bit of vanished culture here- Bob is described as a capital A Anthropologist. The magazine was Life, October 1950. Check out the Google books for more of this stuff. July 14, 2010 Sometimes those rich folks are alright. For whatever reason, Mr. Turner plays movies, without commercial interruption. It's the only television I can stand to watch. And the best thing is to stumble on something that is really good, old, but brand new- like Gun Crazy. Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo. Thanks, Ted! July 12, 2010 Just for fun here's some bird in my yard humming among the bee-balm. Humming Bird Feeding.mp3 Thanks to the Giraffe Gal for feeding these guys and bringing them to my microphone. July 03, 2010 Waddoyouknow? Dr Mo is still around. He stopped by last night and we recorded a back porch version of Pancho and Lefty. Pancho and Lefty.mp3 Now, I'm fairly new to this song, so my accordion playing isn't the best, but I thought Mo did a nice job singing. It's done using the i-Pod so the loud parts are distorted. Maybe someday we'll look back on these old recordings with a certain fondness. Or not.

July 20, 2010 We are doing some remote recording. This is a song by Dr Mo, recorded to the Micro-Trak, edited in Goldwave and uploaded via the new laptop. Midgett Monkey Bear Bop.mp3 That's number 2 out of 50... July 11, 2010 Time to begin posting songs from the final reel of Ron Cook recordings. Ron was a fiddler out in Waynesboro, PA back in the late 60's and 70's. He made a couple of tapes of the bands he was in, and here at the studio we were able to transfer them to digital formats. The release of these songs has been going on for months now. Eventually I'll be posting them in the catalogue for everyone to find in one place. The first bunch of songs had Ronnie and friends pretending to play a country radio show. This was followed by several songs from a different group of people in a more informal fashion. The "second reel" material continues like that, with folks calling out songs and joking about stuff. It's a real nice recording- monophonic, and somewhat lo-fi, but definitely created with skill. So here's the first song from the second reel- Your Cold Cold Heart. Ronnie Cook Cold Cold Heart.mp3 Ronnie Cook Cold Cold Heart.ogg July 01, 2010 Hey, come on guys! Changing the meanings of words is for us songwriters, not for the newspapers! Here's a report (.pdf) on how the government and the press changed torture to enhanced interrogation technique. It's a living... Thanks, Scott, for re-sponsoring! You help make it happen.

July 07, 2010 I know grown men and women who still believe that reducing taxes increases revenue.