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 newspa...
Nov 12, 2010•20 min
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 newsp...
Nov 11, 2010•9 min
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 newspa...
Nov 10, 2010•4 min
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 newspap...
Nov 09, 2010•8 min
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 w...
Nov 08, 2010•12 min
Fri Oct 29, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1800 Halloween is here, and in commemoration, we are presenting scary, but fun stories from Ambrose Bierce’s 1903 collection, ’Can Such Things Be?’ Actually, today’s story is one of the most frightening we’ve ever presented, about a duel, and a gag that backfired. It has the strange title of ‘The Middle Toe of the Right Foot.’ Time: approx twenty-two minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.htm...
Oct 29, 2010•22 min
Thur Oct 28, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1799 Halloween is approaching, and in commemoration, we are presenting scary, but fun stories from Ambrose Bierce’s 1903 collection, ’Can Such Things Be?’ Today’s tale is not about ghosts but is a horror tale of a “thinking machine” called ‘Moxon’s Master’ Time: approx twenty-five minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Index of Ambrose Bierce stories is located at: http://ronevry.co...
Oct 28, 2010•25 min
Wed Oct 27, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1798 Halloween is approaching, and in commemoration, we are presenting scary, but fun stories from Ambrose Bierce’s 1903 collection, ’Can Such Things Be?’ Today’s ghostly tale concerns a shopkeeper who never missed a day of work for over 30 years, and seems to have not let death break him of the habit. It’s called ‘A Jug of Sirup.’ This one should NOT be missed! Time: approx seventeen and a half minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: h...
Oct 27, 2010•18 min
Tue Oct 26, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1797 Halloween is approaching, and in commemoration, we are presenting scary, but fun stories from Ambrose Bierce’s 1903 collection, ’Can Such Things Be?’ Our tale today concerns mysterious happenings in the home of a doctor who disappeared ten years previously! It is called ‘A Diagnosois of Death.’ Time: approx ten 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 Ambrose B...
Oct 26, 2010•10 min
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1796 We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’ In Chapter Fourteen, while getting water to make steam, Johnny Brainerd meets a fierce giant of a man who doesn’t believe in the Steam Man. This is a pretty good chapter, entitled ‘The Huge Hunter.’ Time: approx ten minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html *There ...
Oct 25, 2010•10 min
Thur Oct 21, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1795 We have discovered an odd collection of fantastic tales from 1884 by Edward Eggleston called ‘Queer Stories For Boys and Girls’ So far we have presented stories of a little girl who grew old and wrinkled, and a talking teapot. Today we feature an extremely LONG but fascinating tale of a walking and talking cane! It is entitled ‘Mr. Blake’s Walking Stick.’ Time: approx fifty-two minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: http://ronevr...
Oct 21, 2010•52 min
Wed Oct 20, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1794 We have discovered an odd collection of fantastic tales from 1884 by Edward Eggleston called ‘Queer Stories For Boys and Girls’ Sometimes people are not really what they seem to be, as we discover about ‘The Funny Little Old Woman.’ Time: approx ten and a half 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 a...
Oct 20, 2010•10 min
Tue Oct 19, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1793 We have discovered an odd collection of fantastic tales from 1884 by Edward Eggleston called ‘Queer Stories For Boys and Girls’ Today, we join a bored man waiting for tea water to boil on a dismal October day in ‘What the Tea Kettle Said.’ Time: approx nine 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 B...
Oct 19, 2010•9 min
Mon, Oct 18, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1792 We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’ In Chapter Thirteen, Johnny Brainerd barely escapes death with his Steam Man, then encounters a strange situation back at Wolf Ravine, in ‘An Appalling Danger.’ Time: approx eight and a half 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...
Oct 18, 2010•9 min
Fri Oct 15, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1791 Edgar Wilson Nye, better known as Bill Nye, was perhaps one of the most beloved humorists in America. We are wrapping up a week of pieces from his 1887 collection, ‘Cordwood.’ When newspapers make mistakes, they usually print a correction the next day, especially when requested to do so by angry readers - as we learn about in ‘How Bill Nye Failed to Make the Amende Honorable - - A Pathetic Incident.’ Time: approx five and a half minutes The Mister Ro...
Oct 15, 2010•6 min
Thur Oct 14, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1790 Edgar Wilson Nye, better known as Bill Nye, was perhaps one of the most beloved humorists in America. This week, we are reading from his 1887 collection, ‘Cordwood.’ Orphaned at the early age of 300 years, we learn of the remaining six centuries and tobacco addiction of ‘Methuselah.’ 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 Bill Nye Index of stories c...
Oct 14, 2010•10 min
Wed Oct 13, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1789 Edgar Wilson Nye, better known as Bill Nye, was perhaps one of the most beloved humorists in America. This week, we are reading from his 1887 collection, ‘Cordwood.’ Today’s tale concerns a young boy who faces a choice between coming up with a dollar or getting a ‘licking.’ It’s called ‘Favored A Higher Fine.’ Time: approx five minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Bill Nye Ind...
Oct 13, 2010•5 min
Tue Oct 12, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1788 Edgar Wilson Nye, better known as Bill Nye, was perhaps one of the most beloved humorists in America. This week, we will be reading from his 1887 collection, ‘Cordwood.’ Today, he lets us all know just what voters want in ‘Bill Nye Preparing A Political Speech in Advance for a Time of Need.’ 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 Bill Nye Index of st...
Oct 12, 2010•9 min
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1787 We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’ In Chapter Twelve, we pick up from last week’s cliffhanger, where we left Johnny Brainerd stuck in a tree above ‘The Grizzly Bear.’ 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 *There is a nifty interview with Mister Ron in issue #59 iPron...
Oct 11, 2010•9 min
Fri Oct 8, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1786 We are wrapping up a week of brilliant pieces by Gelett Burgess from his 1901 book ‘The Romance of the Commonplace.’ Today, we discuss the dinner party and the exceptional guest - - a comet, if you will - - who makes ‘Dining Out’ a fascinating experience. 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 (...
Oct 08, 2010•10 min
Thur Oct 7, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1785 This week, we will be reading some brilliant pieces by Gelett Burgess from his 1901 book ‘The Romance of the Commonplace.’ The ancient Romans had a strange custom, where people would collect and take care of small statues known as ‘Lares.’ They apparently had no function, but people took pride in the number and quality of Lares they owned. In today’s tale, ‘The Tyranny of the Lares,’ Burgess discusses the uselessness of collecting things, and offers ...
Oct 07, 2010•10 min
Wed Oct 6, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1784 This week, we will be reading some brilliant pieces by Gelett Burgess from his 1901 book ‘The Romance of the Commonplace.’ While not as funny as might be assumed by the title, Burgess makes a fascinating analysis of what makes people laugh in ‘The Sense of Humor.’ Time: approx ten and a half 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 #...
Oct 06, 2010•11 min
Tue Oct 5, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1783 This week, we will be reading some brilliant pieces by Gelett Burgess from his 1901 book ‘The Romance of the Commonplace.’ Today we discuss the marvelous new invention, the telephone, and how it is such an aid to romance in ‘The Perfect Go-Between.’ This is one of the best we’ve read here! 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 *There is a nifty interview...
Oct 05, 2010•10 min
Mon, Oct 04, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1782 We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’ Today, we read Chapter Eleven, in which Johnny Brainerd and the Steam Man pursue and are pursued by wild animals in ‘The Steam Man on a Buffalo Hunt.’ Time: approx ten and a half 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 ...
Oct 04, 2010•11 min
Fri Oct 1, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1781 October 2, 2010 will be Groucho Marx’s 120th Birthday! In celebration, we will be bringing you Vaudevillian monologues from Groucho’s contemporaries, selected from the 1908 book ‘One Thousand Laughs from Vaudeville.’ We wrap up the week with a piece by Leo Donnelly, who drifted from being a newspaperman, a Vaudevillian, and movie actor. It’s called ‘The Monologue Man’s Troubles.’ Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron’s Basement Catalog can be foun...
Oct 01, 2010•8 min
Wed, Sept 29, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1779 October 2, 2010 will be Groucho Marx’s 120th Birthday! In celebration, we will be bringing you Vaudevillian monologues from Groucho’s contemporaries, selected from the 1908 book ‘One Thousand Laughs from Vaudeville.’ Today’s monologue is from Julius Tannen, an all-around storyteller and jokester, who made the transition from Vaudeville to sound film quite easily, and was in show business from 1905 until his death in 1965. Time: approx seven minutes...
Sep 29, 2010•7 min
Thur Sept 30, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1780 October 2, 2010 will be Groucho Marx’s 120th Birthday! In celebration, we will be bringing you Vaudevillian monologues from Groucho’s contemporaries, selected from the 1908 book ‘One Thousand Laughs from Vaudeville.’ Today’s monologue is from Stuart Barnes. Not much is known of Barnes these days, but he apparently was a popular actor, storyteller, and singer, who often received billing with travelling vaude shows around the world. Time: approx nine...
Sep 29, 2010•9 min
Tue, Sept 28, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement #1778 October 2, 2010 will be Groucho Marx’s 120th Birthday! In celebration, we will be bringing you Vaudevillian monologues from Groucho’s contemporaries, selected from the 1908 book ‘One Thousand Laughs from Vaudeville.’ Today’s monologue is from George ‘Honey Boy’ Evans, one of the most popular performers of the turn of the twentieth century, who undoubtedly shared the stage with the Marx Brothers many times. Time: approx twelve minutes The Mister Ron’...
Sep 28, 2010•12 min
Mon, Sept 27, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1777 We are continuing with our Monday Book Serialization, Edward S. Ellis’s 1868 Dime Novel, ‘The Steam Man of the Prairies.’ Today, we read Chapter Ten, in which Johnny Brainerd and the Steam Man are put on the lookout for the miners, in ‘Wolf Ravine.’ 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...
Sep 27, 2010•10 min
Fri, Sept 24, 2010 Mister Ron’s Basement # 1776 We are wrapping up a week of Fishing stories with a magnificent (and fun) 1884 story by the talented Frank R. Stockton. A city man goes out to the back woods and attempts angling the way the locals do in ‘Plain Fishing.’ Time: approx thirty-six 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 Mag...
Sep 24, 2010•36 min
