BALLAD-L forum?

Subject: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Stewie
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 10:25 PM

Does anyone know what is happening with the BALLAD-L forum? I am not a list member, but I do like to go there and browse. The last message was on 24 February from Bruce Olson. That is almost a month ago. Has it died, or what?

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 11:09 PM

Just sent a query, and if Don and Dolores haven't got to bed yet they'll probably answer soon about Ballad-L. I don't have their phone number any more (my FSGW directory is ancient and lost).

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 11:22 PM

Don Nichols says it appears to be dead, by which I assume it's not his software at the server causing problems.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 11:29 PM

I'll pop a note off to Ed Cray and see what he knows about it. I was counting on posting the news of my Frank Proffitt CD there soon. More than twenty good ballad folk offered to buy that CD when it became available, and I could use their support!

Sandy

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 11:46 PM

Stewie, there were several messages on the 26 and the 28, but I don't know how to find common time in headers. One I got on the 28th had Mar. 1 in the header. I thougth about Ed Cray, but he's not really a comptuer man. I thinks it's Marge Steiner, the list administrator, that's at Indiana U (where the server is) I don't know if it's true, but I was once told that she is blind, and has to wait for gratis help from however's free to give it for any problems.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 01:42 AM

Thanks, Bruce. Hopefully, it is only a temporary problem. I have learned quite a lot from reading the postings there.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 02:11 AM

For the record, this is the Ballad-L Archive (click).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 03:23 AM

I only learned a few months ago that there was an archive. I don't think Ballad-L compiles and maintains it. At any rate I hope its not a problem with mother of Ballad-L, Marge Steiner. I sure the ones I knew at Indiana U. are retired now so don't know how to check. I've only been there once, and that was probably before the majority of Mudcatters werre born.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 01:53 PM

I posted a query on Ballad-L at 1:50 PM USA Eastern Standard Time asking if it's still on line. Now we wait and see what happens. I should get a return copy if it goes thru. But there's a delay for reposting to members, and somtimes these seem get routed through many relay stations before they get back to the poster.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 02:01 PM

It's working! Got my return copy and a reply that nobody's got any new ballads to talk about..

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 04:03 PM

Happy now, Stewie? My simple query seems to have set off an explosion on Ballad-L.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 05:50 PM

Thanks again, Bruce. I too did not seek to stir any waters with my 'simple query'. When you're used to Mudcat, it is difficult to comprehend total inactivity for days on end.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 06:01 PM

I see there are quite a few there now for March, including a couple from you, Bruce. They were not there yesterday.

Sandy, I'll certainly be getting a copy of the Proffitt CD. Do you have any plans to reissue the Hobart Smith 'Old Timey Rap' album on CD - I have it on an old Topic LP that is practically worn out.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 12:40 AM

I recently secured a copy of tapes made at the home of prominent Chicago area folksingers. A mike under their couch caught some nice renditions by Hobart Smith.
Lord, where do the time go? That sure was a big number of years back now that I think about it !

Art

Subject: RE: BALLAD-L forum?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:13 AM

Robin has just about satisfied himself on the remastering of the Hobart Smith recording. We'll be adding at least one HOT guitar blues piece, and maybe a fine "Shady Grove" on banjo. As soon as I finish work on the "Songs and Ballads of Hattie Mae Tyler Cargill" CD booklet/traycard and get that project off to the printer, I will get going on the Hobart Smith one.

We got a huge boost yesterday in the Waterbury Republican newspaper. Almost the entire front page of their Arts section devoted to Dan Milner/Bob Conroy's new "Irish in America" CD. Since one of the ballads involves the story of an Irish lad coming to work in Scovill's Rolling Mill, part of the extensive brass industry in Waterbury, Connecticut, there was a lot of local interest in the CD. We've been fielding phone calls all day from folks telling us "My old man worked at Scovill's for forty years -- I gotta have a copy of that CD!"

Wonder if I wrote and recorded a ballad about the collapse of the stock market, the Wall Street Journal would... Nah, I guess not.

By the way, Marge Steiner, list mom of the BALLAD-L, is blind, and manages damned well with her computer using the "Jaws" program and Kurzweil software. This is the stuff my Caroline was given by the state Services for the Blind." The scanner does a pretty good job of reading printed material. Marge has been very encouraging and willing to help us get acquainted with the complex equipment. We're novices, and she's a pro! Her note to the BALLAD-L mentioned that the listserv at IU had been down for about a week, but now all is well. So it wasn't your fault, Bruce, although John Roberts wasn't the only one who understood almost nothing in your note about the music program on your web site. Go easy on us, lad! That was really heavy stuff!

Sandy