Tue Nov 30, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1816

We have uncovered a cornucopia of short, funny stories from Thomas L. Masson.

Today’s 1908 tale concerns a thrifty young man desiring to propose to a young woman in the park. It is called ‘A Woman’s Response.’

Time: approx six and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Thomas L. Masson stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/masson.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Mon, Nov 29, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1815

After missing last week, we are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’

In Chapter Seventeen, Mickey and Ethan almost come to blows arguing over who has the Best Girl Friend, in ‘Homeward Bound.’

Time: approx eleven minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Fri Nov 26, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1814

Back in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, Freak Shows at circuses and dime museums were all the rage, although most of the ‘freaks’ were pretty ordinary folks. In 1896 W. L. Alden published a collection of stories called ‘Among the Freaks.’

Our final tale from the book is both funny and heart-breaking all at once. It concerns an ill-fated romance between a Giant and ‘The Bearded Woman.’

Time: approx twenty-one minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of W. L. Alden stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/alden.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Thur Nov 25, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1813

Happy Thanksgiving!

Back in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, Freak Shows at circuses and dime museums were all the rage, although most of the ‘freaks’ were pretty ordinary folks. In 1896 W. L. Alden published a collection of stories called ‘Among the Freaks.’



Today we present an hilarious tale of revenge between a Nasty Dwarf, a Brittle Giant, and a Female Samson. It’s called ‘Major Microbe,’ and may be one of our funniest stories ever!

Time: approx seventeen and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of W. L. Alden stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/alden.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Wed Nov 24, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1812

Back in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, Freak Shows at circuses and dime museums were all the rage, although most of the ‘freaks’ were pretty ordinary folks. In 1896 W. L. Alden published a collection of stories called ‘Among the Freaks.’

While most people visited Dime Museums and Sideshows to see freaks like Giants and Bearded Ladies, a popular attraction was ‘The Lightning Calculator,’ which is also the name of today’s story. In the days before electronic calculators, people were amazed to see human beings instantly solve complex mathematical problems in their heads. Today we learn what happens when a michievous Lightning Calculator is replaced by a female with that unique talent.

Time: approx nineteen and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of W. L. Alden stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/alden.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Tue Nov 23, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1811

Back in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, Freak Shows at circuses and dime museums were all the rage, although most of the ‘freaks’ were pretty ordinary folks. In 1896 W. L. Alden published a collection of stories called ‘Among the Freaks.’

From that book, today we hear a tale called ‘How the Fat Woman Eloped.’



Time: approx seventeen and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of W. L. Alden stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/alden.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Fri Nov 19, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1810

When it comes to good funny stories that make no pretension of being anything but, we always turn to the gems from Max Adeler.

A husband takes advantage of his somnambulist wife’s sleepwalking activities, in Adeler’s 1873 tale, ‘A Justifiable Divorce.’

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Adeler stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/maxadeler.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Thur Nov 18, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1809

When it comes to good funny stories that make no pretension of being anything but, we always turn to the gems from Max Adeler.

Max Adeler often would publish a funny story, then re-write it later, often making the tales even funnier in the process. Today we offer two extremely similar stories from 1872 and 1873, involving a young man saving a drowning woman. We’ll call both tales ‘The Rescue.’

Time: approx five and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Adeler stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/maxadeler.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Wed Nov 17, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1808

When it comes to good funny stories that make no pretension of being anything but, we always turn to the gems from Max Adeler.

Today’s short piece appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1873 (actually, in the same issue as yesterday’s story), and it is a fine tale of confused Law Enforcement. We’ll call it ‘In His Pocket.’

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Adeler stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/maxadeler.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Tue Nov 16, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1807

When it comes to good funny stories that make no pretension of being anything but, we always turn to the gems from Max Adeler.

Today’s short piece appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1873, and it still brings laughs today. We’ll call it ‘The Alarm Clock.’

Time: approx three and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Adeler stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/maxadeler.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Mon, Nov 15, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1806

We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’

In Chapter Sixteen, Baldy and Brainerd take cover behind the Steam Man in a wild shoot-out. It’s called ‘The Repulse.’

Time: approx ten minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Fri Nov 12, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1805

At Mark Twain’s request, the first volume of his lengthy Autobiography has just recently been published, one hundred years after his death. One of the earliest pieces in the book is an interview with Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant.

Mister Ron was quite surprised to hear General Grant discuss his classmate at West Point, ‘Squibob,’ and tell some stories about him.

‘Squibob,’ of course, was the pen name of George Horatio Derby, who wrote humorous newspaper pieces while serving as a surveyor and draftsman in the army back in the 1850s. He also used the pen name of John Phoenix.

Derby died in 1861, and his book publisher never sent royalties to his widow. So in 1865, she published a collection of some unreprinted pieces called ‘The Squibob Papers.’ This week, we will be reading from that book.

Today, Squibob-Phoenix pays a visit to ‘New Orleans - Its Hotel.’

Time: approx nine and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Derby stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/derby.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Thur Nov 11, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1804

At Mark Twain’s request, the first volume of his lengthy Autobiography has just recently been published, one hundred years after his death. One of the earliest pieces in the book is an interview with Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant.

Mister Ron was quite surprised to hear General Grant discuss his classmate at West Point, ‘Squibob,’ and tell some stories about him.

‘Squibob,’ of course, was the pen name of George Horatio Derby, who wrote humorous newspaper pieces while serving as a surveyor and draftsman in the army back in the 1850s. He also used the pen name of John Phoenix.

Derby died in 1861, and his book publisher never sent royalties to his widow. So in 1865, she published a collection of some unreprinted pieces called ‘The Squibob Papers.’ This week, we will be reading from that book.

Today, Squibob-Phoenix pays a visit to ‘Boston - - A Moral City.’

Time: approx nine and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Derby stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/derby.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Wed Nov 10, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1803

At Mark Twain’s request, the first volume of his lengthy Autobiography has just recently been published, one hundred years after his death. One of the earliest pieces in the book is an interview with Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant.

Mister Ron was quite surprised to hear General Grant discuss his classmate at West Point, ‘Squibob,’ and tell some stories about him.

‘Squibob,’ of course, was the pen name of George Horatio Derby, who wrote humorous newspaper pieces while serving as a surveyor and draftsman in the army back in the 1850s. He also used the pen name of John Phoenix.

Derby died in 1861, and his book publisher never sent royalties to his widow. So in 1865, she published a collection of some unreprinted pieces called ‘The Squibob Papers.’ This week, we will be reading from that book.

Today we heaar of a boy who learns the ins and outs of relating the truth in ‘Never Told A Lie.’

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Derby stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/derby.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Tue Nov 9, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1802

At Mark Twain’s request, the first volume of his lengthy Autobiography has just recently been published, one hundred years after his death. One of the earliest pieces in the book is an interview with Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant.

Mister Ron was quite surprised to hear General Grant discuss his classmate at West Point, ‘Squibob,’ and tell some stories about him.

‘Squibob,’ of course, was the pen name of George Horatio Derby, who wrote humorous newspaper pieces while serving as a surveyor and draftsman in the army back in the 1850s. He also used the pen name of John Phoenix.

Derby died in 1861, and his book publisher never sent royalties to his widow. So in 1865, she published a collection of some unreprinted pieces called ‘The Squibob Papers.’ This week, we will be reading from that book.

In today’s tale Derby waxes eloquently with poetry about growing vegetables. It is called ‘Phoenix on Agriculture.’

Time: approx seven and a half minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Index of Derby stories is located at:

http://ronevry.com/derby.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!

Mon, Nov 8, 2010

Mister Ron’s Basement # 1801

Mister Ron’s Basement has returned after a week’s vacation!

We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’

In Chapter Fifteen, Baldy and the boys hide out from deadly enemies in a dark cave, in ‘The Attack in the Ravine.’

Time: approx twelve minutes

The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at:

http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

*There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iProng Magazine (now known as Beatweek Magazine) which can be downloaded at a new URL as a free pdf file here. 

*John Kelly of The Washington Post has written a lively piece about the Basement. You can read it here.

* Help Keep Mister Ron's Basement alive! Donate One Dollar: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Ron_Donate.html

A hint to new listeners - you can use the catalogs to find stories by specific authors, or just type their name in the keyword search field. To find some of the best stories in the Basement, simply click here!

-- By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can get the episode by either clicking on the word 'POD' on top of this section, or on the filename on the bottom where it says 'Direct Download' or by clicking on the Victrola picture, or by subscribing in iTunes.




When in iTunes, please click on 'Subscribe' button. It's Free! Thank you.      

Join us on Facebook!