Mister Ron's Basement II
Exploring the Universe of Public Domain Humor, featuring the greatest writers in the world, seven days a week! Indexed at http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
Thu, Dec 25 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1246

Our special Christmas Episode features the original 1921 F. Scott Fitzgerald story 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.'

A wonderful motion picture adaption of this story starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is being released to movie theaters right now. It is a great movie. But the original Fitzgerald story is a work of genius, and the movie differs from it dramatically.

We had considered serializing it across the span of a week, but instead offer the lengthy tale in its entirety. It is almost an hour long. Please download this, relax, and enjoy. Your feedback is especially welcome. Please write to: revry@panix.com

Time: approx fifty-five minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-25.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:45am EDT

Wed, Dec 24 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1245

SUNDAY SALAD offers up a special Spoopendyke Christmas story from 1880 that was possibly done special for the Washington Post at the time (yes, we know that we thought there were no more of Spoopendykes, but we stumbled into this one).

Stanley Huntley had previously been the Post's first City Editor back in 1877-78, and was good friends with the paper's founder, Stilson Hutchins. Today's story also sheds some light on who Huntley modeled Mrs. Spoopendyke after.

Enjoy then, 'Mrs. Spoopendyke's Christmas Gift.'

Time: approx eight minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Spoopendyke_Stories.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-24a.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:42pm EDT

Wed, Dec 24 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1244

We are wrapping up a short week (technical difficulties) of stories from George Fitch's 1916 collection, 'Vest Pocket Essays' with a fascinating, fun view of 'Cigarettes.'

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-24.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:40am EDT

Thu, Dec 18 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1243

We are continuing with a second week of stories from George Fitch's 1916 collection, 'Vest Pocket Essays.'

Today we get the scoop on a friend of humanity -- 'The Dollar.'

Time: approx five minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-18.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:38am EDT

Tue, Dec 16 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1242

We are continuing with a second week of stories from George Fitch's 1916 collection, 'Vest Pocket Essays.'

Feeling lucky? Then don't miss today's essay, 'Luck.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-16.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:37am EDT

Mon, Dec 15 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1241

For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Five of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- Where the Boss learns exactly what qualifications a candidate must have to become a military officer in 'A Competitive Examination.'

Time: approx twenty-six minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Twain.html

The Mark Twain Connecticut Yankee Novel Index of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Connecticut.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-15b.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:33pm EDT

Mon, Dec 15 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1240



SUNDAY SALAD offers a truly intriguing, if somewhat lengthy piece by Stanley Huntley from 1882, relating his experiences aboard a Pilot Boat, one of many that brought big ships in to New York's harbor from the High Seas back then. This colorful tale showcases Huntley's unique talents as a newspaper feature writer, and may be one of the best stories we have ever read in the Basement.

It's called 'Life On A Pilot Boat; the Men who go Down to the Sea After Ships.'

Time: approx thirty minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Spoopendyke_Stories.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-15a.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:28pm EDT

Mon, Dec 15 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1239

'Mr. Bowser Does the Wash' by C. B. Lewis, from 1890. What else needs to be said?

Time: approx nine minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/quad.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-15.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:26am EDT

Sat, Dec 13 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1238

George Helgesen Fitch wrote a popular syndicated newspaper column in the early twentieth century called 'Vest Pocket Essays.' He collected the best of these in a 1916 book of the same name, which we have been reading from this week. Today we offer a treat for the bugs -- 'Picnics.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-13.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:24am EDT

Thu, Dec 11 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1237

George Helgesen Fitch wrote a popular syndicated newspaper column in the early twentieth century called 'Vest Pocket Essays.' He collected the best of these in a 1916 book of the same name, which we are reading from this week. Today, we take a whiff of a tasty treat -- 'Cabbages.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-11b.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

Thu, Dec 11 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1236

George Helgesen Fitch wrote a popular syndicated newspaper column in the early twentieth century called 'Vest Pocket Essays.' He collected the best of these in a 1916 book of the same name, which we are reading from this week. Today, we explore the great American way of not doing business -- 'Committees.'

Time: approx three and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-11a.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:17am EDT

Thu, Dec 11 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1235

George Helgesen Fitch wrote a popular syndicated newspaper column in the early twentieth century called 'Vest Pocket Essays.' He collected the best of these in a 1916 book of the same name, which we will read from this week. Today's essay gives us the straight scoop on 'Menus.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-11.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:55am EDT

Wed, Dec 10 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1234

For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Four of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- 'A Rival Magician'' -- in which the Boss faces some unexpected competition...

Time: approx twenty-two minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Twain.html

The Mark Twain Connecticut Yankee Novel Index of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Connecticut.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-10.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:51am EDT

Sun, Dec 07 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1233

SUNDAY SALAD offers up TWO Stanley Huntley pieces today. Sorry, neither one features the Spoopendykes. We may never find another Spoopendyke story again (but we will keep looking).

Both stories are from 1881 -- the first is a grim tale of a tragic journey on the Fulton Ferry in Brooklyn entitled 'The Unfortunate Cruise of the Union.' Then the Father of the Bride offers a news story to the Eagle editor in 'After A Notice.'

Time: approx nine minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Spoopendyke_Stories.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-07b.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:49pm EDT

Sun, Dec 07 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1232

Our favorite old crank slaps up some wallpaper in C. B. Lewis's 1908 story, 'Bowser the Artist.'

Time: approx ten minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/quad.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-07a.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:46am EDT

Sun, Dec 07 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1231

In 1893, James Barr edited a collection called 'The Humor of America' for British readers. Today's tale explores a terrible feud started by a washtub, in 'Tempest in a Tub' by James M. Bailey.

Time: approx six minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The James M. Bailey Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/jamesmbailey.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-07.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:43am EDT

Thu, Dec 04 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1230

In 1893, James Barr edited a collection called 'The Humor of America' for British readers.

L. Gaylord Clark, the long-time editor of the Knickerbocker Magazine (often publishing Washington Irving's tales), had included his story for today in an 1852 collection himself. It's called 'A Railroad Recussant.'

Time: approx five minutes

The amazing folks at SFFAudio have been steering listeners to great Audio Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Crime fiction for a long time. Now you can hear an extended unedited interview with Mister Ron himself on the SFFAudio Podcast! It's Podcast Number 013, and can be found at: http://www.sffaudio.com/?cat=1559.

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-04.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:39am EDT

Wed, Dec 03 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1229

In 1893, James Barr edited a collection called 'The Humor of America' for British readers. W. L. Alden was an American who was immensely popular in England in the 1890s. Today we hear of his great solution for noisy felines, entitled 'Cat-Fishing.'

It's quite funny.

Time: approx eight and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/alden.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-03.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:35am EDT

Tue, Dec 02 2008

Mister Ron's Basement #1228

In 1893, James Barr edited a collection called 'The Humor of America' for British readers. Today's piece from that book is called 'Baked Beans and Culture' by Eugene Field.

Time: approx eight minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-02.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:17am EDT

Mon, Dec 01 2008

MIster Ron's Basement #1227

For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Three of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- 'Restoration of the Fountain' -- where the Boss treats the multitude to a spectacular fireworks show!

Time: approx eighteen minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Twain.html

The Mark Twain Connecticut Yankee Novel Index of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/Connecticut.html

Direct download: revry-2008-12-01.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:14am EDT