User:Fred

From WWR

User:Fred/sandbox

Hi!

*My Name

My real name is Fred , I started hanging around here when Jim was still playing RIAA stuff back in September of 2002. The only other listener that is still around from when I first discovered WWR, as far as I can remember anyway, is Sol. Sol may be the actual 1st listener. When Jim decided to use user ID's and personalities I decided not to hide behind a pseudonyme. That is not to think I am some how special or better than those who do use them, just that I felt that if this place was to be real I had to be real. Since Jim and Esther used their real names I felt that entering into their parlor warranted the openness of a real name, (Jim adopted JimBob later but that was within character and part of the site evolution).

*Some Early WWR History

Right about that time the RIAA started "Protecting the Artists" , Ha Ha, Jim made, what I consider the best decision in music history, go to an all independent artist format. One of the questions that came up in a discussion among Jim and the listeners, was whether or not there were enough independent artists making recordings to support the effort. We decided that the only way to find out was for several of us to start searching the net for talent. It didn't take long to realize that there were more artists than we could review or even have the time to possibly play. After previewing an artist's music, we would send them an email explaining WWR and requested them to allow us to play their music with no royalties and to send a free CD to the station. Some were skeptical, but many of them could see the vision and were more than happy to send a CD to a little 12 x 12 cabin station. It wasn't long before the word started to get around among artists and soon they were readily volunteering to send CD's. Now days it isn't necessary to do a talent search like we did initially though I still look on occasion and send Jim something new.

As I'm typing this I am listening to one of my early finds and a favorite who still gets a lot of play time on WWR, Janet Klein. Eva Cassidy was one of Sols early finds and still a favorite. Of course we didn't have to look far for our very own Wheatie Sweetie, Esther Golton .

Some people may think I have basically abandoned WWR, NOT SO !!!!. True I don't get on the chat like I did the first couple of years, but I'm still here, sometimes just listening while off on some other web site, sometimes away, sometimes lurking, occasionally jumping in. The problem with the chat, for me anyway, was that I spent too much time there and got nothing else accomplished. A quadruple cardiac bypass operation kinda gets your attention and sets you to thinkin. So as you can see, I'm not total history yet.

*Alaska and Fred

I love places where the forces of nature have built rugged picturesque terrain. Even before the first time I went to Alaska I had read about it and poured over pictures of it. Then In 1962 while in the Coast Guard I was assigned to the Loran station at Attu Island. At the time the only way to get to Attu was aboard Reeve Aleutian Airlines which was started by one of Alaska's early Bush Pilots, Bob Reeve. His pilots were some of the best and would make an effort to bring whatever we would request from them on their next trip out. I can think of several occasions when they made it in after we had given up believing they would make it due to weather conditions. Nothing like seeing a DC6 sliding down the side of a mountain thru a hole in the overcast. That is not to say they were reckless. They just knew their equipment, the terrain and they could fly those planes with some real finesse.

As remote as that island is, I would go back in a minute, especially in a capacity that would let me do more exploring. Perhaps it is that inner thrill of seeing and being someplace few if any have been before.

From a historical point, some reader of this may not know that Attu has a unique share in American history. It was one of three places in US territory that the Japaneese invaded durring WWII, Kiska Island and Unalaska Island being the other two.

My next trip to Alaska was in the Spring of 2002 to visit my Daughter Leslie, her husband Chris and their new baby Avery. Having our own personal tour guides, we were treated to the sights around and mainly south of Anchorage. After returning from that trip I was searching thru the Winamp site and happened to notice the link to WWR. I tuned in and was immediately hooked on a broadcast from a 12 x 12 cabin in Talkeetna.

*Some other stuff about me

I grew up in the Rome, NY area where I graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1959. I then spent 8 years in the USCG stationed at Cape May, NJ; Groton, CT; Mobile, AL; Attu, AK; and back to Groton, CT as a Chief Electronics Technician. I then went to work for IBM as a Field Engineer, Field Support Rep., Diagnostic micro code programmer, and finally in test equipment development. In 1990 I left IBM and started doing electrical contracting. Since having cardiac bypass surgery a little over a year ago, I have given up the stress of running my own business. I'd love to say I'm retired, but not quite yet, I still have two daughters going to school.

My interests are sometimes boring to other people. I like fossils, but then us old fossils got to stick together, and climbing around in rock cuts looking for them. I am interested in volcanology, geology, anthropology, archeology, I guess if it has an ology, I probably am interested in it, earth sciences in general. I wouldn't call my self an environmentalist but have most of the same interest in the environment from a conservationist point of view. I like messing with my computer and have found a new interest in it since being infected with WWR virus. I have found a lot of satisfaction with automotive mechanics and restoration. I'm currently working on a 1983 Ford Bronco that I purchased from my son-in-law a few years ago. Though I don't currently fly I still maintain a strong interest in the subject. I have a Commercial Instrument pilots rating that is not current, flew aerobatics which I learned at the hands of Daniel Heligoin and Montaine Mallet the two best instructors I've ever known. Unfortunately they were both killed in a tragic accident while practicing together for an air show, I will miss them forever.

I like wandering around on foot in places like the Maine Down East coast area, love the ruggedness of the rocks and fairy like forests. I love taking pictures but I am definitely an amateur, more at the BROWNIE camera stage, my digital camera takes better pictures than I deserve and with the great photo software available, I can make up for a lot of my deficiencies.

*A few of my favorite pictures

*Credits

All spelling errors are the fault of my daughter Elizabeth who proof read my ramblings.

*Notes

If you were one of the listeners in September of 2002 don't be upset that I didn't include you. I am after all OLD and certain facts tend to slip away in that great big river of time, names being the worst. I can remember my own name because New York State was kind enough to give me a drivers license for reference.

Some other very early listeners that I remember, though I don't remember exactly when they started tuning in, are: Imbill, Bluesman, BooBoo, Connie Fay, Fine-line, Huna, Jondo-UK, Lalo, Louie, Mixerman, Musherman, Ms. Divvie, The Real ET, and VoGE.

The information below this line is from the Whole Wheat Radio databases and cannot be changed by editing this page. But you can add to or edit everything above this line!

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#	Song	Artist	Image	Album	Length	Played count	Last Played	Overall	You	Tags	Single Request
1	They're Not Normal Like Us	Small Potatoes		Waltz Of The Wallflowers (A Dysfunctional Duet)	5:16	29	Mar 8th, 2008	15 votes	You have to login to give your opinion about songs.	Country / Folk / Acoustic guitar / Highly produced / Acoustic / Electric / Band / Funny / Fingerstyle / Love
2	Palinka	Josh Lederman Y Los Diablos		The Town's Old Fair	3:09	13	Dec 6th, 2007	7 votes	You have to login to give your opinion about songs.	Rock / Accordion / Acoustic guitar / Mandolin / Toe tapper / Instrumental / Acoustic
3	Coming Home	Annalisa		Annalisa	4:15	32	Nov 20th, 2007	6 votes	You have to login to give your opinion about songs.
				Total Time	12:40

The current music queue contains 3 songs that will take 14 mins, 33 secs to play.

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