Weekend Steam: What's Happening To Number 9?

The Georgetown Loop will be running Number 9 on their Colorado railroad for the next ten years, and daily tourist runs require that the engine be in top mechanical condition.  Go to the Midwest Central Railroad Blog and read the posts from March 10, and March 7 for a closeup look at the working parts of this Shay, and the crew that is performing a serious overhaul.

Almost Missed This; Not My Victrola Century Special

Victrolaman posted Alexendar today, on the 100th anniversary of this Irving Berlin classic. Victrolaman's Notes: "Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Alexander's Ragtime Band, here is the Ragtime era Comedy Recording Duo of Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan on an original 1911 Victor First Prize Record. The Song was written by Irving Berlin and later published and Copyrighted by the Ted Snyder Co. of 112 West 38th Street, New York City on March 18, 1911. Irving Berlin picked the name Alexander, since it was one of the most common names used in many other Ragtime era "Coon" songs of that era. Although the song was not written to a Ragtime Beat, its immense popularity is considered by many to have stimulated a "Revival" of Ragtime Music Compositions in the United States. According to Berlin: "the greater portion of the song was written in ten minutes" - and then it sat around for months waiting to be finished. And even then his friend and publisher, Ted Snyder, didn't care for it. It was too long (32 bars, twice the length of a traditional 16-bar chorus), too rangey (an octave and four), and the verse and chorus were in different keys - which no popular pop song had ever attempted. Nevertheless, Berlin said that was the way he wanted it: He had concluded, entirely correctly, that the chorus was the most memorable part of a song. Therefore, if you made the chorus longer a song would be even more memorable. And thus did Irving Berlin help effect the biggest-single change in pop music in the early 20th century: the demise of the Victorian-style ballad with short 16-bar choruses and multiple story verses, and the rise of the 32-bar popular song with merely an introductory and entirely optional verse. Thank's to Mark Steyn for providing this historic information about this Irving Berlin Classic on its' 100 Birthday."

Crankin' It Up

Here is the flip side of last week's record;  Frank Crumit performing Moonlight, on April 22, 1921.

St. Patrick's Day Not My Victrola Special! With A Bonus!

FuzzBear uploaded this John McCormack favorite that is perfect for today. It is interesting to note that our Favorite Irish Tenor recorded this song in 1916, well beyond the reach of current US copyright laws, but YouTube is putting ads on this video. That tells us that someone has claimed rights even though the record should be copyright free. I have the same thing happen with YouTube whenever I post an Al Jolson or John McCormack record. Other artists seem to be off of YouTube's radar, up until around 1930.  You do have to be careful to watch your YouTube account if you post old records.  Some of the YouTube channels that share record collections have been cancelled due to copyright infringement complaints.



We posted this old Columbia a couple years ago, and this seems like a good day to haul it out again. Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Emergency Appeal From Patti Patton-Bader at Soldiers' Angels

This came in my e-mail today, and I am passing on, knowing that many readers will want to help.

"Dear Soldiers’ Angel ,


Right now I have 10,000 Soldiers’ Angels Relief Packs designated for the USS Ronald Reagan, the aircraft carrier heading to Japan as part of the U.S. relief efforts following the recent tragic earthquake.

And I’m hoping these 10,000 Relief Packs are the first of many more that we’ll send in a second wave.

Our troops will fly them from the carrier group to shore, to be distributed by our servicemen and women as part of our official “Operation Tomodachi” - - Japanese for “friendship.”

I’m sure your heart was broken, as mine was, at the sight of the terrible ruins, the loss of life, and the hundreds of thousands now without a home.

I’m thankful that our troops are leading the way in the relief efforts, and I’m also thankful that we’ve been asked to be a key part.

I had to act quickly. There was no time to mail a letter and wait for enough response to see if we could help or not. Those poor people are desperate and just can’t wait.

So I had to act first and pray you and my other good friends will help me pay for these first 10,000 Relief Packs and hopefully many more to come.

Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation for the Relief Efforts in Japan.

Each Soldiers’ Angels Relief Pack has a blanket and some basic food and drink supplies for those who have lost almost everything.

Each of these Relief Packs costs about $16, including the cost of getting them out to the USS Ronald Reagan. So I need to raise this $160,000, and I’m hoping we’ll raise enough extra to send even more help.

So now I’m in financial trouble. But wouldn’t you do the same thing I did?

I need to recover the funds I spent, and of course we need to keep all our other worthwhile Soldiers’ Angels projects going.

I didn’t know what else to do but write my most loyal and generous friends and supporters.

This is an emergency appeal for your help.

I am writing to ask you to make your very best tax-deductible contribution for this massive relief effort to Japan while keeping the other Soldiers’Angels programs going.

Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation for the Relief Efforts in Japan.

I realize I’m asking you to make a personal sacrifice.

But I’ve gone out on a limb to get these first 10,000 Relief Packs to Japan, and now I need to pay for them plus future Relief Packs.

I must have your immediate help.

In fact, there is so much more that needs to be done, so much more we could do if we just had the resources.

Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation for the  Relief Efforts in Japan.

The big question on my mind is this: Can we go forward with all we’re doing, and even more?

The answer to this question will be decided by the response I receive to this message, which I’m sending to our most loyal supporters - - friends like you I feel I can count on when the need is truly urgent.

This is certainly one of those times. Please send your best contribution today. We can’t succeed without you.

Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation for the Relief Efforts in Japan.

Thank you so much for attending today to this matter of urgent importance!

Sincerely,

Patti Patton-Bader

Founder, Soldiers' Angels

P.S. Our troops will be distributing the first 10,000 Soldiers’ Angels Relief Packs to the Japanese devastated by the record 8.9 scale earthquake.

I desperately need your help to pay for this first shipment, keep our other programs going, and hopefully send more Relief Packs as we can.

You have been such a loyal friend to the Soldiers’ Angels and me. I am counting on you to come through again. Please help!

Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation for the Relief Efforts in Japan.

Gravity Wins!

This interesting accident was next to IL Highway 15 in Jefferson County, Illinois recently.  I could see as I drove by that the cutter had planned on the tree falling parallel to the fence, but the tree saw things differently and fell 90 degrees the wrong way.

A close look at the stump and the butt end of the tree reveals that the cutter left no hinge when he cut this tree, but he did make an opening in the direction he wanted the tree to fall, and he also angled his back cut, which people often do, thinking that the stump will somehow push the tree in the right direction.  You can see that the tree was severed except for some fibers in the middle, which pulled out of the butt log.  Those fibers are pulled over in the direction the tree fell when it let loose.

The cutter attached a rope to the tree to pull it in the right direction, so he probably recognized that the tree had weight the wrong way.  Ropes and cables are useful to bring a tree over when they are pulling 180 degrees to the lean, but if a tree wants to go 90 degrees to the side, they do no good at all.

At least there was plenty of room for the tree to fall without hurting anything.  As you put your chainsaw skills to use, and push your limits, remember to push those limits only where no harm can come from your plan falling apart. 

Links to posts about your falling plan and making trees go where you want are on the left side, just above the FTC disclosure.

Biathlon Rifles; Courtesy of Ruger Firearms

I don't expect to ever do any shooting while on skis, but it is great to learn about this sport. Note how these competitors use their bones and a sling to support their rifles rather than relying on muscle power. That is an important lesson for all shooters.

Inspiration For The Work Week!

Back To The Old Grind!

Many Thanks to Victrolaman for posting this gem!

GBR Is Coming! Start Planning!

Derek, The Packing Rat is the unofficial photographer for the Gun Blogger Rendezvous every year, and he does a great job documenting the good times in Reno. He graciously allows me to use his photos for slide shows to promote the event, and this collection is from GBR V, which was held last September.  GBR VI will be September 8-11, 2011, and you should mark it in your datebook right now and start making your travel plans.  The Rendezvous gets better every year, and Mr. Completely says that this year is going to be a big one!  Watch for regular updates on his blog, and on the Gun Blogger Rendezvous blog to keep yourself informed. 

As Mr. C says, "You don't have to be a Gun Blogger to attend, or even a blogger at all, but if you enjoy shooting, shooting sports, guns, 2nd. Amendment and Right to Carry issues, or even if you'd just like to meet and hang out for a couple of days with the Gun Bloggers you read regularly, you are more than welcome to attend."

Not My Victrola

This is just too beautiful for words to describe. Shared with us by Pax41.  The artist is Alice Nielsen.

Weekend Steam

Emperor100 posted this nice little video of a roller over in the UK. 

Info from Emperor100's comments:  David & Ritta on their steam roller in North Wales UK. 
... the roller was buried for many years in the playground untill a group decided to restore her and ownership passed on to the Black family in North Wales.

...officially they were 10 ton rollers and had a brass plaque to state this, this could have been a legal weight limit but I understand that with a full load of water and coal they weigh in at 12 tons, imperial tons that is!

While The Media Covers Sheen and Lohan...

they ignore the people looking out for us.