Ex Mentis Bill Ackerbauer

I've just heard that AOL will be shutting all of its blogs and personal Web pages down, so this is officially the end of Ex Mentis Bill Ackerbauer.

I won't shed any tears over it. For the past six months, I've been doing all of my serious blogging over at www.leaderherald.com anyway. Look me up over there under BLOGS and "Bill's Broadsides."

Via con huevos,

Bill

smokinbill at 11:21:40 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Here's an example of what you're missing over at "Bill's Broadsides," my blog on www.leaderherald.com:

Mysterious trousers

(posted June 10, 2008)

Another random observation from my commute to work on the F,J&G Rail Trail:

On my way in to Gloversville yesterday morning, I passed a pair of pants. They were laid out on the trail rather conspicuously, as if waiting for their owner to come along and put them back on at a quarter to six in the morning.

Even stranger, when I passed the same spot on my way home in the afternoon, the pants had vanished. So, one would conclude, either the original wearer of the pants returned to claim them (after what sort of pre-dawn pantsless adventure, I can't imagine), or some other person wandered upon the scene and thought to himself or herself, "Hey! Free pants!"

Either possibility boggles the mind.

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The Gloversville Farmers Market will open for the season this Saturday, May 17, 2008. (Which happens to be the 2nd anniversary of the day I started this blog.) I'll be playing solo and unplugged there from 9 a.m. to noon.

The market will be in its fancy, new pavilion on Elm Street (near Bleecker Street, behind the former Methodist church). Should be sweet.

...

OK, I'll admit it: I've been neglecting this blog. I've been doing most of my blogging over at www.leaderherald.com. You can check out what I'm up to by going to that site and clicking on "BLOGS" (what else?).

 

smokinbill at 7:06:26 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Just fooling around with a fiddle tune on harmonica. This is called "The Tombigbee Waltz." Fiddle guru Jay Ungar says it's named after a river in Alabama (and I imagine the river is named after one Thomas Bigbee, but I've never heard of the guy).

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The Gloversville Public Library will host an event this month with storyteller Karen Pillsworth. I will open for her with a short set of music, mostly ballads and other sorts of story-songs.

 

Stories and songs

with Karen Pillsworth and Bill Ackerbauer

Time: 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.

Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Place: Gloversville Public Library, East Fulton Street, Gloversville, NY

Free and open to the public

 

smokinbill at 3:12:37 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

I've started writing a new blog for The Leader-Herald, which might result in me posting less and less frequently on this site. We'll see how it goes. Check out my LH blog, "Bill's Broadsides," by going to www.leaderherald.com and clicking on "BLOGS."

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I played and sang some songs with the kids in my son Liam's kindergarten last month. The school put a little photo of us on its Web site:

 

smokinbill at 8:09:25 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Spread the word: I'm looking for a couple of acoustic musicians interested in playing old-timey music and country blues on jug band/string band instruments.

I play guitar, harmonica, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, etc., but I can't play them all at the same time! If someone you know plays an acoustic instrument (portable and not requiring electricity) and is interested in roots/old-time/pre-WII/traditional/hokum/ragtime blues styles, urge them to get in touch with me at smokinbill@aol.com.

I'd like to start practicing in January and be ready to start playing gigs by summer.

smokinbill at 9:51:58 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

 

Now that Liam's in kindergarten, he says he's ready to start writing his own blog. He's not techinically a writer yet, but he's a heck of a storyteller. Check out his tales by clicking the link below:

From Liam's Mouth

smokinbill at 11:05:23 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Here's a little video for you. It's my way of letting summer go out with a bang ... er, a splash.

smokinbill at 4:51:09 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own