Well, allow me to throw a curve here. Speaking of baseball being an "American Institution," I'd have to say it's quite an institution over here in Tokyo. I monitor the list from my home in Kisarazu, Japan. I get chances to jam with many bluegrass musicians here in the area. They all know the Stanley Brothers and Ralph's music and play it with reverence and zeal--even if the lyrics don't come through quite so clearly. Bluegrass is waning compared to 30 years ago when McCoury, Monroe, and others invaded Japan, and college students were picking in droves. But it is still alive, and we're pickin' internationally.
BTW, mailing lists and BBSs always erupt in off-topic banter. It eventually dies down.
Long live Dr. Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
Jonathan in Japan
As my father used to say: "The truth is a rabbit in a bramble patch. All you can do is circle around and say it's somewhere in there." -Pete Seeger
