Sparadigm Press is our outlet for books, stories and various cyber stuff. You can check it all through the links found at the bottom of this page.
As folk music enthusiasts and children of the great depression of the 1930's, the name Sparadigm is a play on words (as in "Brother Can You Spare....") that holds special significance for us. These days, of course, it is "Brother, can you spare two bucks for a cup of coffee." Most people these days won't even bend down to pick up a stray dime on the sidewalk. (Walt still saves pennies).
READ ON AND SEE IF SPARADIGM PRESS HAS SOMETHING OF INTEREST FOR YOU:
SONG SWAPS
"Do you recall a song about-----" Do you have the lyrics for-----? The song swap section is where Phyl posts the e-mailed questions and the answers. Perhaps you know the lyrics to one of the songs that fall in the "still lookin''' category.
GRANDFOLKIES ROADMAP FOR CHANGE
Visualize a change, plan it, work out the transition details, and evaluate it. And do it all, right here, on Grandfolkies web site. We provide the Roadmap to help individuals and organizations in their efforts to bring about more effective and efficient changes.
The Roadmap is based on a successful management training program designed and used by Walt Robbins for some of his clients. As promoters and agents of change, Phyl and Walt provide some of their own insights gathered from their varied professional and life experiences.
SILLY SONG BOOK
Phyllis Robbins The Nonsensical, Preposterous, Ridiculous (as well as) Silly! Songbook was first published and printed in May, 1995 under the banner of Sparadigm Press. This spiral-bound, soft cover book is chock full of words, music, and illustrations to gladden the hearts of children of all ages. It includes simple piano and guitar chords for 62 silly songs.
Silly songs are, primarily, just that--silly, and for fun. But they can be used with young children, as an informal, natural approach to writing and reading.
You can order a copy of the book. You can also listen to and download music and lyrics for 15 of these songs on this web site.
BAGEL BOY STORIES
Sparadigm's Bagel Boy stories also appear on this site and are only available in electronic form. Walt Robbins told them as bedtime stories to his younger brothers during the late 1930's and early 40's. Bagels were a favourite food item in his house (yes, there were bagels back in the 1930's), and it was natural enough to transform them into characters in an ongoing series of completely "off the cuff" yarns.
His own three children were also treated to these doughy rolling characters and their exploits. For a time, his grandchildren and even some of his nephews demanded to hear a bagel boy story before finally retiring for the night.
The stories did evolve somewhat over the years to keep abreast of bagel making technology. Never did he dream that someday, plain bagels would be augmented by such improbable creatures as, for example, a peppermint bagel. A glance at a bagel display in your local bakery suggests that there really is no limit to the potential variety; but Walt draws the line at "square" bagels.
These stories are definitely based on his own and some of his younger brother's personal experiences during the depression era, growing up in Washington, D.C. Those were not altogether the most happy of times, and the stories do reflect some of the "angst" of those days.
Neverthless, kids seemed to enjoy hearing them and would frequently add their own versions and supply new endings; which is something to be nurtured and encouraged.
So, if you like anthropomorphic bagels (with or without seeds) you will enjoy the exploits of the bagel kids and their problems with their ancient enemies, the herring boys.
Here are some ideas for using the Bagel Boy stories with the younger folk
1. If you have a colour printer, you can print out the stories with the graphics as they appear on the screen. The 10 stories could be put into a notebook for the kids.
2. You can save the stories to disk, print them out, and encourage the kids to provide their own illustrations in the blank boxes which contained the graphics.
3. You could encourage young new readers to practice their reading skills with these stories.
4. You can encourage kids to make up their own bagel boy adventure stories.
LITTLE or Big, a story about TAMMY and TOMMY
"We're not little children, "We're not pussycats, "We're German Shepherd police dogs." Becoming a different animal each day, the twins keep their mother on her toes until one day everything changes. Illustrated and written by Phyl, this story can be used with young people in much the same way as the Bagel Boy stories.
Grandfolkies would love to hear from you about your experiences using these stories with children.
PENNSYLTUCKY & WHEREVER (P&W) HO GAUGE MODEL RAILROAD
This Phyl-Walt team effort occupies a goodly portion of Walt's office. Your "cyber tour" of the P&W HO gauge railroad includes pictures and commentary. If you live in a cold climate, this hobby is a great indoor "winter-works" project.
GREAT CANADIAN NUCLEAR WASTE SAGA
Worried about nuclear waste? You should be! Another Sparadigm Press electronic offering deals with a rather serious ecological issue--nuclear waste. Grandfolkies Sparadigm Press is pleased to present the full text (Books I, II and III) of Walt Robbins Great Canadian Nuclear Waste Saga. Book I of this text was originally published in paperback in 1984 as Getting the Shaft, The Radioactive Waste Controversy in Manitoba. Now out of print, it is regrettably no longer available in hard copy. But the nuclear waste about which the book was written, still exists, retaining its deadly properties. The trilogy updates the nuclear waste issue to 1997 and is currently offered free of charge, as a non-commercial, non-profit offering to the public. You are encouraged to download, save, read and share these books.
CURMUDGEON'S CORNER and FAVOURITE FIDDLE TUNES
What do these two items have to do with one another?
When Walt gets all steamed up over some current issue or problem, he writes an e-mail, fax or letter to some unlucky politician, editor or functionary. He then posts his writings in the Curmudgeon's Corner. This sort of work often brings about indigestion and unwelcomed agitation. Walt deals with this by playing some of his favourite fiddle tunes, and, if one sounds half-way decent, he records it and posts it in RealAudio as well as MP3 format on his "Phiddle Phaddle" page.
This is a modern version of fiddling while Rome burns.