I'm just glad to be here!

Subject: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Slider (inactive)
Date: 03 Feb 99 - 10:27 PM

I've only been on line for 48 hours and I can't believe I've found a place like this! What can I say? 20+ years ago a friend of mine played a R.Johnson album for me and things haven't been the same since. I was a harp player for some time before that but I soon switched to guitar. I couldn't believe two hands could play something like that! I've been a fingerpicker ever since and I try to learn something new every year, but at the ripe old age of 42 it seems I spend a lot of my playing time trying to keep what "chops" I have. I don't have the time to explain what the Delta Blues means to me, but let me just say that it came along at a crucial time (a crossroads? sorry I couldn't resist.) and gave me something that filled a need. I'm just glad to be here!

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 Feb 99 - 11:50 PM

I'm another relative newcomer, and as such, I understand your enthusiasm about this sight. And the best thing is,blues and folk are merely a jumping-off point for the inspiring, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain weird postings of the eclectic folks who dwell here.I say "Welcome Slider!"...LEJ

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 12:20 AM

Glad to have you Slider. As a favor to yourself, spend some time reading old threads on the forum. Put in a word in the body and see what threads you get. Pick out the names of frequent posters too and enter them. You really get a feel for the place. There are a bunch of great folks here with extensive knowledge that can take the simplest thing and turn it into a fun and often rollicking discussion. Set your refresh back to 7 days and check out some of the thread subjects recently covered. I think you'll be amazed. Plus, there are some famous types around here ...you'll find them. And ...feel free to put your thoughts right in there too!

Everyone here can agree/disagree without a lot of hurt feelings...mainly because this is a place where feelings are valued. Welcome to Mudcat, greatest place on the net!!!

catspaw

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 12:50 AM

Slider & Lonesome,

Slider,

WELCOME from Illinois. Mudcat is a fine place to hang out. Just good folks. For me it's been a real oasis. (If you've ever seen Peru, IL you know what I mean.)

LEJ,

I guess I (and others) have written some strange posts and started some bizarre threads over the last year or so. I was use to just sayin' what came into my mind on stage, and in this cyberstuff some can't tell when I'm making a joke. (Carol, my wife, can't either.) Anyhow, if I have offended sensibilities, I'm sorry. Probably won't quit, but I am, at least, sorry. It's sort of like mental gas; justs busts loose.

As Hunter Thompson said, "When the going gets tough, the weird turn pro!"

Art

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 02:04 AM

Hey Art! No offense intended. "Weird" is often no more than creativity channelled in an unexpected direction.As the Poe memorial at West Point states, "Nothing achieves True Beauty that has not some Degree of Strangeness in the mix."Or words to that effect. Sail on, Sailor!

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: ML Ivey
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 09:12 AM

This is a great site! I just found it the other day. (I was asking about Suo Gan. Thanks, by the way.) I come from a musical family and I've grown up on Newfy and French Canadian folk songs (at least, as much as I have grown up), but we're pretty well cut off from civilisation and good music sources up here in the North country. I'm not online all that often, but I'll come here when I get the chance. -ML

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Allan C.
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 09:18 AM

We are glad you found us! Catspaw said in an earlier posting:
"As a favor to yourself, spend some time reading old threads on the forum. Put in a word in the body and see what threads you get. Pick out the names of frequent posters too and enter them."
She was referring to the "Forum Search" box which can be accessed by clicking on those words at the top/left of the main forum page. Often you will find that your thoughts and questions have already been discussed. Of course, that doesn't stop us from re-tilling plowed ground!

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Bert
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 12:27 PM

Hi Guys,

Welcome aboard.

Bert.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 12:51 PM

When you're reading those old threads, be sure to add anything you'd like to the existing thread. That brings the old thread to the top and continues the discussion where we left off - this is much better than starting a new thread, dontchathink?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 01:54 PM

Hey Allen...by the way, my wife will be surprised to find out that I've had a sex change. I am a househusband and part time luthier but let me run into the bathroom and check this out........................................

I'm back and the original equipment is still there!!!

catspaw

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Alice
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 03:11 PM

catspaw, good for you... now if we can just keep from getting confused between you and katlaughing.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: rick fielding
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 04:03 PM

Catspaw. How unusual for a luthier to keep his equipment (no matter how original) in the bathroom.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Anne Lee
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 09:49 PM

Hey! I'm another newcomer. I can't get over how friendly and genuine everyone is...and all but one("What have schools done to folk music" Mr. Anon) are upbeat. What a relief after 10+ hours at school. Yup, most of us teachers work reeeaal hard, ja, you betcha. Love almost ev'ry minute.

I have always enjoyed music but lack a folk collection because I don't know who sung what when. Where should I start? What are the types of music considered in the Folk genre?

My largest folk backgound is German, since that's where from my parents immigrated. How can I purchase Northern German folk? No schwabisch, please.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 10:05 PM

Ah you caught me Rick...It's true that I used to keep it in my pants, but when that damn purfling knife slipped it made me jump, causing the plane to shave off my right kneecap, causing me to stumble backward into an electrical outlet that lined up perfectly with the plug from the bending iron, which came on and heated the shellac pot and my ass to unreasonable temperatures, whereupon I did an improvised jig, spilling the shellac pot over me Willy! Then things really got bad.......

By the way ...It's the end of the day now and I'm still crackin' up over "Pedro." Fielding my friend, you need to post that sucker on a new thread titled "Short Time Instrument Disasters" or somethin'!!! I can see it as clearly as watching a sitcom...and that's funnier than any scene I've seen lately. Probably a lot have had disasters, but Pedro has to take the cake. Say I forced you into it at groundhog point.

catspaw

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 05:18 AM

Hey there...All you 'Catters......Rick Fielding NEEDS you help. I've decided to hold him at groundhog point until he starts the thread mentioned above.

Now as I don't wanna' be holding on to blunt end of this groundhog any longer than necessary, start adding a line to Rick in your posts on every thread so as I ain't gotta' pull the trigger on this groundhog.............Aw geez, I just found the trigger and that's REALLY disgusting. C'mon, help me out here before this thing goes off.

catspaw

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Allan C.
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 09:15 AM

Sorry, catspaw, I suppose I will forever think of all cats as being "she"'s - however unreasonable that may be. Similarly, all dogs are "he"'s until proven otherwise. I will try to look more closely in the future.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 09:42 AM

Anne Lee, Reinhard Zierke's site is full of links to North German folk. It might be a start though I do not know whether you'll end up with an address for shopping.
What I have seen of German folk music to buy in other countries is from my point of view awful.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: rick fielding
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 05:06 PM

I'm trying to get it out "paw" but it just comes back saying "error", and I'm not a computer type guy so I just look at it and say ..Duh!! I'll try again tomorrow.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Mo
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 07:03 PM

We want Pedro! We want Pedro! We want Pedro!!

Mo

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 07:14 PM

Say, Rick what is this about Pedro, and if you can't start a thread about it, puhleeeze just post it here!

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: rick fielding
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 08:08 PM

Mo and Barbara. The (true ) story of "Pedro's short life is in the "12 string" thread, and as I have been trying to tell "Catspaw", the computer, or the website, or the astrological configurations are preventing me from getting a "Personal Instrument Disasters" thread out there to the mudcat. I'll keep trying however.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Rois
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 08:19 PM

This site really is great - I have been having a great time reading up on ballads I haven't heard in ages. Special thanks to Joe Offer who gave me assist in the proper posting of a search - I still have no bites on the Jane McWilliams ballad but I know it much out there somewhere - Rois

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Slider (inactive)
Date: 05 Feb 99 - 09:23 PM

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement. A note to Anne-Lee: I seem to remember a Big Bill Broonzy quote that when he was asked what folk music was he said something like "All music is folk music. I ain't never heard no horse sing no song!" This was obviously before Mr. Ed.

Subject: RE: I'm just glad to be here!
From: Anne Lee
Date: 07 Feb 99 - 01:34 PM

Wolfgang:

Danke sehr for the information on German Folk music. The LAG site has probably what I am searching for the most. They have kindermusik plus music from particular regions. My parents originally are from the Pommern area, that's why the interest in german music. Thanks again,

Anne Lee