I should have introduced myself at the beginning of my membership in
these two magnificent lists, but failed to do so, and I need to make an
apology also.  Good things first, then the apology.

My Email name is <flix>, and it refers to my continual interest in
playing for silent movies, collecting same, and maintaining and
distributing where wanted old movie posters , machines, and such to
genuine interested parties.

I received a number of degrees in foreign languages, a masters in Music,
and with the help of the military, an Aggregee en Philosophie from Louvain
and four years in the University of Vienna, spending more time on the
Canovagasse (Canova Alley) watching the Bosendorfer 200's or 290's coming
off the assembly line. (Actually now, that can be done in a similar
fashion in Haverhill, Massachusetts with Mason and Hamlin, who have gone
back into business.  Setting up a "Lavender Hill Mob", maybe a few Mason
and Hamlin double B's could disappear (grin).)

My main activity now that I had to retire early is to substitute for our
theatre organists who need a few weeks off every summer to get around for
a vacation. I have a twelve room Victorian manse on the Hudson which
recently burned to the ground and burned my automatic instrument
collection, and also three theatre pipe organs.

My charity work consists of two things. I do all I can to get an organ,
pipe or electronic into a church or not for profit organization into a
situation like this where it is needed, and I take no tax write-offs or
such for this activity. I do accept contributions.  A dear friend of mine,
who is also retired, with a degree from Juillard have just established an
educational opportunity center for repair and maintenance of pipe and
theatre organs, mechanical music instruments and piano and reproducing
mechanisms.

We do not charge for instruction, ..our invited instructors do not
charge, and the students may possibly buy or supply their own materials
and have an opportunity to acquire the instruments they work on.  WE were
fortunate to find a large building in the country where an erecting room
could be set up for this purpose, and each year we see at least half a
dozen needful adults apprentice themselves in this music trade that does
not have too many maintenance personnel in it.

One of these students will have finished a complete refurbishing of a
large Wurlitzer which is to be used for concerts in the summer. He is
proud, the job is great, and that is what we do in our spare time. This
summer will be our first summer adding midi keyboards to pipe organs and
working on items like Disklaviers, and Pianomation installations.

As for the apology, in a recent note about the four L's, in last Sundays
MMD, I backed into my extensive work in philology and "language
corruption" and attempted to explain pronunciation of "ei" and "ie" in
German (which may have been taken wrongly), and also explaining the use
of the words Gebruder and Bruder (Brueder) in German, and an equivalent
Dutch derivation. It added up that Gebruder would be a joint corporate
type of venture (a collective noun like Smith Brothers or Smothers
Brothers) and Brueder (a plural of Brother) for just what it is -- a group
of brothers.

In referring to handbooks for travelers, the reference to the German book
by Gertrude Wissenbesser, I called it a "terrible pseudonym" as it was
handbook (funny) of German you did not learn in school. It does exist, as
does one in French and German, and anyone who wants the ISDN numbers.  I
will be glad to post them. Yes, the German handbook by Bessenwisser was
called "Scheisse", not" Schiesse", see above for pronunciation.

Thank you, for letting me introduce myself, an Irishman mistaken for an
Austrian at times, and don't forget our work with the educational
opportunities for technicians.

If you have an instrument that is dying or you need to get rid of, let me
know. It is not a repair service, it is a training service for new folk
working in our hobby, who get that training from the best folk we can
find, who would spend weeks with the students. My email on this if you
have any input is   <flix@cellone.com> and Thanks!  Alles gut! and
Servus!

I only need one thing now if anyone has it, besides any donations
etc.  Does any one have a red roll Welte of that great "Eugene d'Albert"
playing the Paderewski's minuet ?  My grandchildren want to give it to
their grandmother!  Will be pleased to pay for it, of course.

Bill Ryan

 [ The book is "Scheisse! -- The Real German You Were Never Taught in
 [ School", by Gertrude Besserwisser, (C) 1994 by Daniela Serowinski,
 [ Plume Books, ISBN 0-452-27221.  The nom de plume "Besserwisser" means 
 [ a Know-It-All or Smart Alec.  The book is very jolly, and well-written
 [ by Ms. Serowinski, a fine teacher who loves the German language.  I
 [ gave copies to my teachers and several classmates, so that we students
 [ could inject a few colorful phrases in our class writings.  Most other
 [ books I see on "the real spoken language" just seem to be repetitious
 [ gutter-talk.  A foreign traveler doesn't need that.  -- Robbie