The Royce Files

G oodbye 2009 with all its problems and recession or depression. So long to all its murky moments and deaths Obama-rama thriller killer seeker flooded tiger cheater balloon boy hoaxionage bailout fallout health care messes economic recesses Farewell aughts, we've been good friends mostly Now the twenty-teen days are fast upon In with the retro and out with the new- I don't know which to eschew Let's go back to those much better days When we knew there would be- well, better days W ith that Royce Files say "Adeiu" to 2009 but not before I make rememberance of the wall of snow which plagued my return. At left you see the neighboring garage but it looks similar yet mine was a bit higher by right of exaggeration. Highlights of 2009 as the Royce Files saw it- The Great Flood had the most attention for the year and help propel the blog to historic entry levels after a slow start to the year. Not much Obama coverage. Others could do much better at praising o...

Over the Christmas holiday the Midwest found itself in a deluge of snow. I made it home all right but many others were stranded or unable to be with family and loved ones on Christmas. A stretch of the venerable I-94 was shut off from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day (December 26th) afternoon. The large snow accumulation kept plows busy. Unfortunately for me, when I return home to the Go ( best place to find a job as noted by CNN), a 7 foot by 3 foot high wall of snow prevented me from entering the garage. The parking lot was no better- 3 feet in most spots. Let the snow removal begin! The next morning I got ready to challenge the snow with the winter bike. Private sidewalks were pretty well cleared. The streets were decent but compacted snow was beginning to form in places and I have not put on the studded tires yet. Public walkways I use were largely disregarded. With the city planning on putting into effect sidewalk shoveling ordinances, it would be wise if the city also did its part...

Well it has finally arrived- Christmas 2009. It's been a busy run up for myself with the Radio Show fitted in with a talent show for work. I was just able to fit in a little caroling on Sunday which was a highlight for the season. I had not sung in chorus for years. As I have written before I especially enjoy the music of Christmas. I was the only male voice so I had a lot riding on my blending and harmonization. We did good. As I have pondered this holiday, I realize it tends to be about remembering. Remembering Christmases past and stuff. And even if the holiday was co-opted from previous celebrations at the start of winter, it certainly does fit the imagery of the old story. Yet, the imagery has certainly taken the driving wheel in this day so much so that it's lights, feasts, Santas, trees, gifts, and holly. The sacred has been watered down to be more pallible to those who consciously or unconsciously rather not remember the birth of Jesus. It can be a rare sight these day...

It's a musical time of year. I find it amazing how radio stations find enough Christmas music to keep up their 24 hour play lists. Much of it is tripe: mere filling for what apparently society originally sought to celebrate. Yeah, snow and Santa, gifts and more snow and then add a bit of nostalgia on top. There, you've got probably and unscientific 75% of the current cannon of Christmas songs. Heck, I'm evening re-writing one with snow and blizzards in it. I think I'll add some Christmas cheer to the mix and viola and new classic. Here, I'll make a new lyric up: It's snowing and the gifts keep coming Santa has been good to me Snowing gifts like Christmas in 1953 I think I must be dreaming Of a pleasant time next to my Christmas tree I am mostly a fan of the older music- the carols and hymns that have seen many generations. If there is a choir singing, I probably like it. I did 2 seasons of concert choir in college and the carol concerts were a great experience. ...

I t's probably pretty old news by now- Dylan has released a Christmas album entitled Christmas In the Heart . I went over to Amazon to listen to a few clips and read some of the reviews of it. It seems to get kind of a luke-warm reception. Either you love it or you think it's less than optimal Bob Dylan. Not being a Dylan-phob, I had nothing to compare to in my mind despite having beeb strangely influenced by his style yet never owning not listening to any of his music [rambling sentence]. Ok, I did hear the ones played on the oldies stations (Everybody Let's Get Stoned, Raining Day Woman?). Coming from a nearly unbiased view I think the album is sort of nostaglia covered with Bob Dylan vocals. The album takes a traditional approach with most of the songs. However, Dylan's distinctive voice attempting to do standards comes off as awkward. It reminds me of a cross between Louis Armstrong and Tom Waits. James agrees when I reached him for comment in the hall. "He...

It's nearly here. Just a few more hours. And for me a few more stressful hours. 2009 Christmas Show It's Christmas and who carols? 12th December 2009, 7PM 608 Main Ave Fargo, ND Just a few steps from the corner of Main and Broadway. Directions . It's a Christmas themed entertainment in the form of a live radio show with music and some audience participation. Plus, did I mention that people have said it's hilarious in past years. And I assure you it is still outrageously funny. And it's FREE . If your in the area you don't want to miss this uproarious evening (mostly because it won't be on the radio.) I've put a tremendous amount of work into the show as have my co-producers and the cast and musicians. Again you won't want to miss out. There will be refreshments following the show.

Most of us knew this could not go on for ever. Winter needed to make an appearance. December 1- No snow. Rather warm with some NW winds foreshadowing the next days' events. The winter bikes were ready and I just got winter bike #1 a major overhaul. Riding home on the 2nd of December would be the last day in 2009 the C-200 would be out. It was pretty crazy on the ride home. Dakotans did the typical thing in snow storms- they avoid the main roads and take side streeets. Never ceases to amaze me how the traffic jams on these days are within residence neighborhoods and not on Main or University or 25th. I brought out the m-200 (snow bike #2) to take on the snow since I want to put a pannier rack on #1. It is really unusual to think just a few weeks ago I was out running in shorts. The mild November afforded many such runs. However, running in the cold especially just after a light snow is very scenic. Especially when going through neighborhoods decked out with lights. With the temp...

Happy Thanksgiving. In the midst of the Civil War in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln had the nation set aside the 4th Thursday in November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." Thus began the modern version of the holiday still celebrated on the the 4th Thursday of November. Of course there were Thanksgivings long before 1863. The one we most look back towards is the 3 day feast at the Plymouth Plantation in 1621. We love the pilgrim epic. But I still don't get why they wore their belts on their hats! There are 2 other contenders for the 1st Thanksgiving: one in St. Augustine, FL in 1532 and another near Jamestown, VA at Berkley Hundred in 1619. Neither of these make the childrens' books. What began as a sacred state sanctioned holiday has over the many years become secularized or at the very least the prayer and praise part have fallen into disuse. Henry Ironside once said "We would worry less if we prais...

I was looking through the Chicago theater listings for what is playing over the holiday season. I was equally surprised and amazed by this rendition of the Nutcracker. That's right. Chicagoans can see The Nutcracker on horseback . The Noble Horse Theater is the only venue in North America performing it in this manner. According to history, this was how the play was first produced back in the 19th century. Not until 1892 did Tchaikovsky set it to music and it became a ballet. Not much on horseback theatrics on the interwebs so this theater must be a revival of a tradition long forgotten. Probably because we drive automobiles now.

The Par Ki musical of 1989 was George M! Pictured are Lynette, Mike, Rachel, and Peter. They possibly don't recollect ever being in this show. It's been 20 years since the production since the Par Ki production of George M! Can you believe it? Well, no. It's a rather forgettable show. However, old Georgie was the last of the great big D.O. productions. Yeah, he did do 42nd Street the following year but the production values of that show were vastly different than the epic George M! and had a different production staff. That was D.O's swan song. George M! was his War and Peace. George M! weighed in at just a smidgen under 3 hours as I recall. Ok maybe more like 2 and some change. But this was a monstrous musical in which much of the book was re-written or added on to to make it a somewhat coherent bio-musical of George M. Cohan. Out of the gate George M! was not that great a musical. It hardly garnered any plaudits in its Broadway run in the late 1960's. Joel Gr...

Star Wars Uncut - Scene 086 from Liam Royce on Vimeo . Now you can see what I've been up to in that month in video production. It's only about 15 seconds but I was pretty much my own production company. I'm hoping to make more as time is available.

I had a friend in high school who seemed to be a fan of George Burns . My friend's desire was to see George Burns perform on his 10oth birthday (not my friend but George) in Las Vegas. In those olden times, George was still alive and kicking. Just as he was about to celebrate his 100 years, his demise began. Well it actually it happened a few years before after a fall in the bathtub. The performances were cancelled. My friend never spoke of George again. But then again, I did not see him until my class reunion a number of years later. He may have spoken about George but who knows? Well, Pixar put out the movie UP! this summer which features a character that seemingly looks a little like George Burns. It may just be that all old men look alike. Nevertheless, Carl Fredricksen is an older gentleman. Another old man gives him his voice, the venerable Edward Asner . I find it odd that he has a few Star Wars credits. None of the movies but he plays Jabba the Hut in the radio version of ...

While I spent the weekend in the Twin Towns and watched an incredible hockey game at the Xcel Energy Center ( amongst other things ), the film project which I worked on as part of Testudo Studio got a screening at the Forx Film Fest. Testudo Studios filmed Mary Weatherby (MW) in late 2008 and early 2009 around the Go region. I was responsible for props and lended a hand as a gaffer occasionally during the shoots. Film making is a slow process. But if you film well, editing goes quicker. This movie featured the guy who played Brad Billups in Fantasy 10 from the 2008 48 Hour Film Project and a rabbi. Sounds like a joke, right? Nope. It's one of those behind the scenes things you'd only learn from the Royce Files. The rabbi in fact was very impressive. MW's premiere took place in June. Not sure who was responsible for getting MW into the Forx Film Fest , but I'd say it was an ex op even though it is hardly a blip on the map the way film festivals go. I can't find muc...

Now we come to the finale of our show and we pull all the stops on this final scene but we meet some interesting guests in this scene Finale - Gathering of the disguises- Clown man, Blindlike man with beads, Mr. Monopoly, Ron Burgundy, Poodle Skirter, Scary Hair (partially blocked), and Waldo. Why would this motley crew of peeps come together? For the money! They are attending a costume contest and believe there will be a large cash reward for the victorious one. However, being the devious individuals that they are, they come together in order to swipe the prize money. Unfortunately, Mr. Monopoly is named the winner and so decides to keep the prize for himself. Ron Burgundy will have none of this injustice amongst costumed crooks. So just as the prize is awarded, mayhem ensues and Mr. Monopoly runs away with the prize. Now the chase begins. Scary Hair lays the smack down on Mr. Monopoly but Waldo slips by unnoticed, swiping the prize. Using his unusual talent of hiding, Waldo cannot be...

Scene six- The Pinko It may be hard to distinguish this Pinkerton Detective from some ordinary joe with a bowler and mustache for an earlier time. James McParland had infiltrated the Molly Maguires and he hopes to stop you from doing anything that might be illegal. Although he may not be able to infiltrate your peer group, he may use other methods to prevent you from comitting a crime. He would stop at nothing to get you behind bars. Like him or not, McParland always gets his man (or woman if that be you.) No doubt he is on the tails of all the other denizens we have met in the dastardly disguises series. Cheers.

Late Hallows' Eve, I took for the downtown in search of disguises after donning myself in yet another costume. This time I went old timey: suit, bow tie, mustache, and bowler. Downtown I had a few people think I was Charlie Chaplin (wrong type of mustache) or Harry Houdini (never had a mustache). I thought I looked more like a Pinkerton Agent although I can find no photo evidence to prove it. Behind me you can see Brad Childress taking a break for love. Lots of sports oriented costumes. I think I saw England soccer stud Wayne Rooney, basketball players, Brett Favre. Zombies were pretty common too. As has been the trend the last few years, women are wearing less. I am surprised they are even out because of the cold. Some men too were also seen wearing less. Not any elaborate costumes from what I saw. I did see one abandoned costume- Chinese Take -Out. If you can't handle the bulk don't put it on. Easier said than done. I saw an odd electronic like piece of something that loo...

Scene 5- Gil T. Robot This robot (or should I say android) has a penchant for entering people's home and drinking their beer. This robot was caught in Phil's garage attempting to pilfer any beer. Unfortunately the robot ended up drinking diesel and picked up a slight flutter. He began berating us for getting him lost and marooned in a garage then warned us to not trust any little hooded creatures. Phil directed the robot into the closet. Eventually, Gil left but not after making a sparkling mess everywhere. He also doubled as Treepio in my part of Star Wars: Uncut. But that's another story, far, far away. There might be more dastardly disguises coming but that will depend on whether I go out tonight searching for them.

Scene 4 of the continuing series of dastardly disguises. And now scene 4- Dr. Hitech Though some may call him a mad scientist that is not entirely accurate. He is just mad at science. He tries the bend the rules but they just don't want to bend. Like his x-ray vision device he is holding. It's nothing but a bunch of plastic and an old Mountain Dew bottle. Probably the only thing you have to worry about from him is an accident. And you can't predict accidents. If you run into Dr. Hitech make sure you keep a safe distance.

Now for the 3rd installment of Dastardly Disguises. Scene 3- Chauncey the Hit Clown These days clowns don't get much respect. However, this clown does. Chauncey the Hit Man does freelance work for the mob ever since his fortunes under the big top went south. I've been told Chauncey only carries a toy gun and instead uses bad jokes and gags to get even with the people who have crossed his employers. Chauncey knows 3 kinds of mime and has tickled victims into submission. He favorite drink is the Lon Chaney, straight up, one cube of ice. He frequents rodeos where he attempts to recruit henchclowns.

When you prowl around the Pontiac Chieftain barefoot, you may want to stay out of the trunk. Its liable to close suddenly and unexpectedly upon your body. Ouch! Sort of reminds me of the scene from Back to the Future where Marty was thrown in the trunk. Of course he was fully inside but you get the idea. It's a really large trunk. You could fit many people in there if you desired which I do not. That's not my kind of gig. Instead we fit chairs, a cooler, a spare tire, umbrellas, and a table in there. Up front there is space for some fair young ladies and a backseat for another cache of friends, relatives, or acquaintances. The 1951 Chieftain is rare according to my non-scientific study of car shows. Usually you will find maybe 1 or even 2 of this model. In fact pre-muscle Pontiacs are scarce on the car show scene too. I usually end up photographing the Pontiacs at the shows. At the behemoth Back to the Fifties, I think I may have maxed out at a dozen out of something like 1151...

The second installment of the disguises series. New one everyday until the Eve of Hallows. Today- Disco King. The Disco King is a leader of a rogue organization - The 70's Preservation Society- which is bent on utilizing disco terrorism to control the world. The Disco King rules from his lair deep below the surface of an Andy Warhol warehouse. The King captures intelligent individuals and makes them create intricate maps of transit systems and walkways of major world cities. Utilizing a hypnotic disco beat he lures unsuspecting individuals to the the lair. The sounds of the Bee Gees, Village People, Boys Town Gang, and Rose Royce play constantly ensuring captives do not escape and makes for a pretty mean dance party.

The following series is a collection of disguises that could be used for the upcoming day of disguising. There will be short blurb about the character and perhaps even a description of the attire. Scene 1: Luchadorvis He scrambled through the apartment looking for Rey Mysterio but instead gave me the piledrive and raided my fridge of bananas and peanut butter. He left singing "Are you lonesome tonight" but not before applying the double claw on my wearied body. Some would say this is the reincarnated Honky Tonk Man with his Elvis-like jump suit. However, this grappler doesn't want the attention a pompadour will bring and masks his visage.

I t's a mid-fall break for me and once again I am up at Breezy Point- Captain Billy's north woods play land. Actually it's been quite a few years since the place has been known as such. Captain Billy was a publishing magnate as far as I can tell. One of his publishing holdings originated Captain Marvel and published the magazine Woman's Day in addition printing paperback novels. Today Fawcett is nearly forgotten except for the affections of history buffs and collectors. I own one Fawcett comic based on the TV show Emergency! I think the comic arm was eventually sold to DC. Enough with the past and on with the present. The last few times I've been at Breezy, I played golf. This week was no different. Weather improved dramatically on the weekend and my father and I hit the links twice. And on this occasion I had my own set of clubs. These clubs were obtained through my various thrift store shopping escapades. It is an incomplete set but has enough to get by. I playe...

This one's a hard one primarily because it is known in the US today as something else. Thomas Carling began homebrewing in 1818 in London, Ontario, Canada. In 1840 he built a brewery. In 1898 a Cleveland brewery purchases the rights to brew the Carling lager. Black Label beer slowly gets nationwide distribution. "Hey Mabel! Black Label." was a popular marketing slogan during one period. Eventually through numerous ownership changes this brand of beer is just known as Carling. What I didn't know was that this lager originated in Canada and not England. This brand is all over in Britain. They are shirt sponsors for the Old Firm- football teams Glasgow Celtic and Rangers. It seems as if this label's Canadian influence has been forgotten. Molson Coors owns the label (now called Carling) but they seem to market it as an import from England. Phil probably dislikes this kind of pretenion from a beer. Our sign, however, comes from the Heileman ownership days when it was...

Some friends and I were browsing an antique store last weekend and came across an interesting find. The discovery itself was not the tome by Dr. Peter Steincrohn. We had a good laugh trying to discern why this doctor wrote such a book. Most assumed it contained messages of which would divert the reader from suicide. Likely conclusion given the book's title, How to Stop Killing Yourself. Another idea assailed that it was a work of fiction about lonely people who eventually fall in love. Must not have sold many copies. The title is just not romantic enough. Eventually, the a hand written for shrimp cocktail caught our attention. Let me relate it to you: Mozola oil, chopped onions, salt. Mix with shrimp and chill. Simple enough. However, how did this recipe come to be written on the inside cover of this book? One could speculate that perhaps this work is non-fiction and one way to stop killing yourself would be to change your diet. Thus, I assume the author may advocate eating shrimp...

As a wilderness canoeing enthusiast I usually salivate over gear. Well, this huge piece of gear, the world's largest Duluth Pack , was displayed at the Minnesota State Fair. I think it holds about 39, 776 cubic inches. However, I bet it would be totally uncomfortable to portage except on the shortest of portages. It would require at least 2 people to lug this thing. Coming up this fall, I'll be relating this summer's solo canoe adventure during which I took with a much smaller Kondos portage pack. Also, if time permits, more belated State Fair tidbits.

I shop pawn shops from time to time. Ok, I usually stop in once a week if I have time. I've gotten a bike, some tools, a Xbox, and a few musical instruments by perusing the pawned goods. It's pretty rare you see an odd instrument in a pawn shop. Sure there's guitars, basses, even a random banjo from time to time but a ukulele? Maybe pawn shops in Hawaii. Well, I stopped by a local pawn shop and spied this guy- a baritone ukulele. I got it for $10. It needs strings and a minor repair but I won't let that detract from this bargain. Hopefully I can get it ready to go and do a few songs for the Net.

Last time we looked at Hamm's and this time we'll look at a rival beer brewed just a few miles away from the Hamm's brewery- Schmidt. I forgot where I discovered this sign, but I think that it was on Wabasha St S in St. Paul just before it collides with Ceasar Chavez St. Note the ghost sign that this Schmidt sign covers. I think it looks like Hamm's. Schmidt was brewed out West 7th Street, not far from where I spent the earlier years of my life. The brewery is sort of a landmark these days. Some of my relatives lived in the neighborhood behind it on the Mississippi river. My father claims beer used to be stored in the caves by the river. The beer is still around but it is brewed in Wisconsin.

At long last the final installment of the bike trip I took in July. N ot sure when I awoke in the Hunter park, but I did and embarked to points north. Points north, you ask? Yes. North is not the way home, but I wanted to add more mileage and the world's tallest structure was just along the way south of Blanchard. The tough part about seeking this tower out is that it is pencil on the horizon and only a few miles removed from the 2nd tallest mast in the world. Yep. The 2nd tallest tops off at 2060. So the masts can be hard to identify especially if you don't know where Galesburg is compared to Blanchard. (answer: Galesburg is SW of Blanchard.) I snapped a few photos and road onward. Moreover, as I now discover, the KVLY mast no longer holds that distinction of tallest structure. Some skyscraper in Dubai beat the tower's 2063 feet by a little over 600 feet recently. So now it is just the tallest mast I guess. However, when I saw the tower it may have still been the tallest s...

I was at the St. Cloud Saver's just perusing the stock on hand. In particular I was looking at golf clubs when I saw a blue tent bag. I picked it up and noticed it had embroidered on it - Sierra Designs Meteor Light CD. Hmmm. I checked the price. $4.99!!!! I took it immediately. It set it up back at home and the tent proved to be a championship purchase. Nothing missing and practically new. Moosejaw has the new redesigned one for $269. I think this is one of the best deals I've had this year. It also increases my the number of tents I own. So if there are any interested campers for this fall- I've got plenty of tents to share.

Martin Luther thought the brewed beverage was a way God showed us he loves us. Not sure of the accuracy of the quote. Here's an historical account of beer which Martin Luther would have imbibed. Here's a new feature for the blog- which I think Phil would wholeheartedly approved of- Signs of Beer. I hope to use this to display some odd or unusual or other stuff pertaining to the marketing of beer. Our first installment comes from an antique store in Hastings, MN. It is a a Hamm's Beer Sign. I remember seeing plenty of these as child before the demise of Hamm's. These type of signs have become highly collectible. This one was around $800. The one next to it was even more expensive and had the ever rare moving background. Hamm's tended to use woodsy type scenery to promote the brew. There was even a Hamm's song which intoned-"From the land of sky blue waters...."

It has been about 2 weeks since I last updated you on what's happening in my part of the world. With such a full August, September should be reserved for resting. It could be a great national mandate to go to a 25 hour work week. But, alas, the government is more interested in paying for our health care which mean we need to work, and work possibly more. A State Fair post is in the future. And the long promised finale to the bike adventure should go up soon. For now enjoy what I have to say in this digest. In this digest- The Place Where Dylan Slept, BisonTurf Soccer, Melrose Place, Deal Update, Gardening. The Place Where Dylan Slept Bob probably slept many places in his journeys around the globe. Those of us in the northland know the place where he grew up was not Poughkeepsie but Hibbing, Minnesota. I last stopped in Hibbing over a decade ago and found it a decent place. Last month I had the opportunity to stop through the city on Minnesota's Iron Range a month ago. Although ...

Haven't found time to write about the last leg of the bike trip but I did manage to take in a baseball game. The Red Hawks took on the Goldeyes at Newman Outdoor Field in the Northern League Playoffs. The RedHawks didn't do so good. It was a well fought game and there was even a point where it looked like both teams would be fighting in the middle of the field. Jeremiah Piepkorn and Carlo Cota both hit solo homers but it wasn't enough to erase Winnipeg's powerful 7th inning. With a little more offense and some consistant pitching the RedHawk could have won. Eventually the Goldeyes won 7-3. On and there was a condiment race, too! Ketchup won by a whisker. It appears Hawkeye, the RedHawks' mascot has tackled mustard.