Five days into this urgent appeal and we're almost at the one-third mark in our emergency donation drive. I know it's a pain to keep hearing it over and over, but this is serious and I'm afraid if we don't raise the bare-bones minimum in order to stave off what is shaping up to being a disaster, we'll cease to exist.

What's at stake is a lot. As you all know, Newstalgia is a site based on my archive of sounds and voices going back to the 1890's and continuing up to today. Recordings, some of them one-of-a-kind, are all part of that archive. It is a huge task to keep running and rents have been increasing in order to house the collection. Since Newstalgia as a site isn't making any money from advertising, or day to day support, I have been faced with a situation where there is no money to pay the rent and no money to keep the site up and running - unless you help.

Many of you have pitched it. I am beyond grateful for the donations that have come in so far. A lot of you have been very generous and many more of you have given what you can. It is all desperately needed and it is all profoundly appreciated. The amount doesn't matter. The fact that you are willing to support what I've been trying to do here the past three years means an incredible amount to me.

So I'm asking you to please consider making a donation to keep Newstalgia the diverse and vital website it has come to be. I have tried, in my way, to make a difference by offering a historic take on current events - letting you know that history is very much a living thing. I have tried to offer a wide range of historic and cultural posts as a way of expanding your point of view of the world. As it has mine over the years.

If you enjoy it and have, in some way benefitted from it or gained a different perspective on our present world because of it, please consider helping keep it going by making a donation.

Any amount is gratefully appreciated. We're getting closer. Our goal is $5,000.00 and we're 1/3 of the way so far. We can do it. We can make it happen.

Gordon

Hat in hand, tin cup, on one knee - beggin' beggin' beggin'. Day Number 3 of the Newstalgia Fund Drive. It's going to a completely worthy (and, somewhat noble I might add) cause; keeping the Archives alive and keeping Newstalgia up and running. The costs are horrific and the bills are mountainous. We're broke and history can be expensive.

I wish I had coffee mugs and t-shirts like our sister site C&L has, but no. Newstalgia can't offer anything but more rare stuff, more complete news and speeches (not like the clips you hear everywhere else - a big 30 seconds worth), and more stuff you just won't hear anywhere else, maybe on the planet.

Let's put it this way - where else can you go where you can hear Adlai Stevenson and Father Coughlin Monday through Friday, some Mahler on Wednesday, Radiohead on Saturday and Miles Davis on Sunday?

Yeah, I thought so - no place. That's what Newtalgia is all about. Trying in our weird way to make your life a little more interesting, a little more involved and a little more informed.

But I really need your help doing that. Anything you can do is appreciated. And a big round of applause to the people who have already made contributions. You're making a difference and I'll be around as long as you're around.

And while you're mullin' it over and kickin' the tires, Roscoe has a word or two . . .

It's that time again. It's always a pain asking for money to keep this site going, but I have to. Unfortunately, it costs to keep everything running. The archive (where all the sounds for most all the stories you see) is a pretty expensive proposition to keep up. The building is expensive and the time and labor it takes to digitize the library is time consuming. It all takes money to keep happening and most of the time there just isn't enough. Rent gets late and landlords get crazy. Equipment breaks down (especially all the vintage recording gear that costs a lot just to keep running) and I have to either get it repaired or look for replacements.

The average story takes anywhere from 4-14 hours to put together, and unfortunately it's just me doing the writing, the editing, the digitizing, the cataloging, the layout - the whole works.

It's a labor of love, but sometimes love needs to pay the bills.

So anything you can give all goes straight to keeping Newstalgia and the Archives up and cranking. I'm doing my best to keep history alive and sometimes it needs a boost.

Thanks for all your help and support in the past - you've made a huge difference. Hit the Donate button if you like and if you can and help me keep Newstalgia going.

As always,

Gordon Skene
Newstalgia
Gordon Skene Sound Collection

(yup, Newstalgia is passing the hat)

(. . . Or you can turn the page)

As much as you hate reading about it is about as much as I hate asking, but the fact of the matter is - Newstalgia really needs your help.

It's been very difficult of late to maintain the blog, keeping bills paid and staying current with the rent. I wish this was the only thing I did every day, but sadly it's not.

This summer has been a dismal time, coupled with the current economy even freelancing has stopped. And we are often tempted to throw our hands up and walk away, but the fact of the matter is, the archive (where all the material you hear comes from) just can't be abandoned. It's reason for existence is because most all of these materials were tossed in the trash and destined for destruction in the first place. I have devoted a goodly part of my life and resources preserving this collection so that people like yourselves can benefit from it, not only now but for years to come.

Many of you have been generous in the past and my gratitude is heartfelt and sincere - it has made a enormous difference and has allowed me to carry on.

But money dissipates and bills accumulate. And putting off that phone call no longer works.

At present we need to raise $10k in order to pay back rent and keep the electricity on. There is no realistic way that amount can be raised via Newstalgia - right now it's really just a matter of what ever can be raised will be of great help.

This is a tough time for a lot of us - now more than ever before it seems. If you can make a donation, no matter how small - it would be lifesaving. If you can't, I more than understand.

No matter what, Newstalgia will continue and strive to give you the best of history presented in the best sound, with no "sound bites" or excerpts where possible. The best and most complete available.

Because . . .well, that's just what we do.

Peace,

Gordon

No doubt, some of you have been wondering where Newstalgia has gone. Well, it's gone. After 3 years it's time to move on and test new waters. Some of you have noticed another site, Past Daily, which has been running posts quite similar to this. Well, that's who we are now and that's where we've set up shop for the past couple of weeks. Same history, same historic audio, same concerts, same rarities - only a new site, a new look and a new audience. We're working on the look and tweaking features here and there. In essence, we're still moving in.

A lot of you have been very supportive over the years, and I would like to say it's sad to leave. But in truth, nothing has changed, only the location. So if you like me as Newstalgia, you'll like me as Past Daily. And I will be continuing to offer you rare material you won't hear anywhere else. So nothing has really changed, only I am now no longer affiliated with Crooks and Liars.

It's been fun. It started as an experiment, and for the most part it worked. Now it's time to move on.

Drop by Past Daily if you get a chance and say hi. I still take requests and I still read e-mails.

A special thanks to my pals at C&L - you made it all fun and interesting and I was proud and delighted to be part of the team, especially Neiwert, Karoli, Blue Gal, Susie and Nicole.

And like I always say - you ain't seen the last of me.

Be well and stay sane,

Gordon Skene

Okay. Hate to do this, but we need your help. Running this site costs money. Keeping the Archives going costs money. All the stuff you hear on Newstalgia comes from one place - me. And the upkeep on the archive of over a quarter-million recordings, the vault space, the equipment, the day to day, costs a ton of money. And there's no advertising, no secret foundation, no trust-fund - no nothing, to keep this thing up and running. And the money has run out.

And so that's where you come in.

Between now and May 1st we have to raise $5,000.00. More would be great. Less, we'll have to live with. But we've got to raise some money in order to keep this going. And frankly, it's crunch time. The bills are due, the notices have been received, the landlords aren't happy.

So whatever you can do; pennies, nickels, a few bucks, a hundred bucks - whatever you can give to keep Newstalgia up and giving you the best, will be gratefully appreciated.

Like I said, we have until the end of the month so I'll lay in a few reminders from time to time.

For now though, thanks so much for your help and support!

You rock,

Gordon

A taste of mid-1950's Big Band by way of Woody Herman and His Third Herd.

Big Bands were starting to lose favor with audiences by this time, but the inventiveness of the Big Band sound is clearly evident on this live concert, recorded at The Royal Grove of Peony Park on September 24,1954.

Day Two. Many grateful thanks to the folks who have pitched in so far. We still need to keep this thing going though. The bills haven't gone away and the locks haven't come off the vault yet. But we're working on it and whatever you can do to help will be eternally appreciated.

98% of the stuff you hear on Newstalgia comes from my own archive. Of that, probably 90% of it has never been heard before since the day it first happened. You are getting a wealth of information and history and its all free. But it costs to digitize and it costs to keep the vintage equipment running so the preservation can continue. And the place all of this is stored in costs a lot and the rent keeps rising. At the moment rent has fallen behind and there's a very real threat of losing the entire collection. And like I said before, that would be really tragic because this is history that was abandoned the first time around and it's been my mission to save and preserve all this so it doesn't become forgotten, doesn't have a chance to be rewritten and doesn't have a chance to be denied.

The tough times continue but so does the appeal for help.

Give what you can, and know it's going for the sake of preserving history so that others can learn and benefit.

The site is as good as the support it's given. I would hate to give it up.

Peace,

Gordon

(A Heaping Helping of Americana today)

Since it is Thanksgiving and a traditional American holiday, I thought I would toss out a large helping of Americana by way of a concert with The Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Howard Hanson, featuring all American composers of the early 20th Century - most of whom you've probably never heard of before.

The concert (actually two concerts - one from April 1945 and the other from February 1953) features music by Quincy Porter, Bernard Rogers, John Alden Carpenter, Aron Copland, Leo Sowerby and David Diamond.

Almost an hour of unfamiliar music. I understand it goes well with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving from the crew at Newstalgia!

(If only . . . .)

Day 3 and my sincerest, deepest thanks to those who have donated so far. I know times are tough, and it seems like everyone is on a fund drive of some sort - the dollars are needed now more than ever by a lot more people. And believe me, if it wasn't for trying to keep this blog alive and the archives functioning, I wouldn't be doing it.

But it's needed and very badly at this moment. And anything you can do to help is more than appreciated. The goal is rather large, but even a small amount makes a huge difference. Your support is crucial right now. But if you can't, I'd rather you kept visiting and getting your dose of history on a daily basis than lose you.

But if you can . . . .

Peace,

Gordon