Bush, Democrats bicker over soaring energy prices???

OK! This Yahoo headline By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent caught my eye and I had to check it out.

Bush, Democrats bicker over soaring energy prices

As if the rest of the Republican party hasn't said a word for the past ten or twenty years. After all. What do the 'people' called 'conservatives' count for when it comes to little issues like this? Issues better handled by the environmentalists.

The article states:

President Bush on Saturday tried to pin the blame on Congress for soaring energy prices and said lawmakers need to lift long-standing restrictions on drilling for oil in pristine lands and offshore tracts believed to hold huge reserves of fuel.

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(What? In the middle of an online news article? Will capitalism ever lower it's ugly head?)

"It's time for members of Congress to address the pain that high gas prices are causing our citizens," the president said. "Every extra dollar that American families spend because of high gas prices is one less dollar they can use to put food on the table or send a child to college. The American people deserve better."

But then we read:

With gasoline prices above $4 a gallon, Bush and his Republican allies think Americans are more willing to allow drilling offshore and in an Alaska wildlife refuge that environmentalists have fought successfully for decades to protect. Nearly half the people surveyed by the Pew Research Center in late June said they now consider energy exploration and drilling more important than conservation, compared with a little over a third who felt that way only five months ago. The sharpest shift in attitude came among political liberals.

Oh? Is some o' dem lunkheads in this country startin' to wake up? Quick! Give 'em a gun and drag 'em to church!

Democrats say they are for drilling, but argue that oil companies aren't going after the oil where they already have leases. So why open new, protected areas? they ask. Democrats say there are 68 million acres of federal land and waters where oil and gas companies hold leases, but aren't producing oil.

Little known secret is that leases to drill are no good without the LICENSE to go with it. AND most of the leases are so old they will run out before any company could really pull a profit from them. (see unabashed Yahoo advertisement line above)

So that is why we can read:

"Americans are fed up every time they go to fill up and they're right to demand action. But instead of a serious response, President Bush and his allies simply repeat the same old line more drilling," Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in the Democrats' radio address.

"Democrats support more drilling," he said. "In fact, what the president hasn't told you is that the oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres of federal lands with the potential to nearly double U.S. oil production. That is why in the coming days congressional Democrats will vote on 'Use It or Lose It' legislation requiring the big oil companies to develop these resources or lose their leases to someone else who will."

and they add:

"But we know that drilling by itself will not solve the problem of high gas prices," Van Hollen said. "We cannot drill our way to energy independence."

The Dems say this as if drilling will not do ANYTHING to lower prices. LISTEN UP YOU FOOLS THAT VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS! DRILLING FOR OIL WILL NOT FIX THE "ENTIRE PROBLEM" BUT NOT DRILLING WILL KEEP THE STATUS QUO!

So what is the solution according to the Democrats that have our best interest at heart?

He cited Democrats' calls to tap the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, because it is full and "America's rainy day is now." And he said the country must focus on new energy policies that focus on alternatives to oil.

RIIIIGGGHHT! (to quote Bill Cosby) - Lets take the reserves (some say 30 days worth) that would militarily protect this country (We do have enemies still) and use 'em up lickety split. If the 70% of imported oil resources we now depend on dries up before we really need them it would leave America defenseless! Wunnerful, wunnerful! Not to mention we would have to replace that oil we use at higher prices. Bright Idea!

Bush said that Democrats are at fault and that "Americans are increasingly frustrated with Congress' failure to take action.

"One of the factors driving up high gas prices is that many of our oil deposits here in the United States have been put off-limits for exploration and production. Past efforts to meet the demand for oil by expanding domestic resources have been repeatedly rejected by Democrats in Congress."

Bush repeated his call for Congress to lift the restrictions, including a ban on offshore drilling. A succession of presidents from George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton to the current president have sided against drilling in these waters as has Congress each year for 27 years, seeking to protect beaches and coastal states' tourism economies.

Notice the word "REPEATED" in the previous bit.

Note too backing up a bit in the article the environmentally friendly Democrats said, "Democrats will vote on 'Use It or Lose It' legislation requiring the big oil companies to develop these resources or lose their leases to someone else who will."

Who is that gonna be HUH??? The Iranians or the Saudis??? Maybe the Chinese...

Remember the lease is not a license.

Last line in the article sez:

(This version CORRECTS that Bush and allies think Americans 'more willing to allow' drilling. Moving on general news and financial services. AP Video.)
End of article

Wonder what it said before they corrected it?

The idiotic liberals that are MORE WILLING TO ALLOW Obama to be president are going to, in effect, vote for higher gas prices. Obama has guaranteed it in his speeches. They have the same sort of stars in their eyes that Helen Thomas had for Tony Snow.

I know this might not seem the right place for it but I don't think Tony Snow would disapprove.

R.I.P. TONY SNOW

You will be missed in this world but heaven is glad to have you as a spokesman for truth and righteousness.

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Smash the Eggshells

I don't think I'm the only one who is getting fed up with with the so called race baiters. Some of them are more than ridiculous. They are down right stupid. I could at this point bring up Jesse Jackson and his, Obama is "talking down to black people." remark but I won't. After all Obama is talking down to all people not just blacks.

An example of what I'm going off about here is shown by what happened in a Dallas County (TX) commissioners meeting on Jul 07, 2008. As reported by Kevin Krause in the Dallas City Hall Blog section of the Dallas Morning News:

A special meeting about Dallas County traffic tickets turned tense and bizarre this afternoon.

County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."

That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

Mayfield shot back that it was a figure of speech and a science term. A black hole, according to Webster's, is perhaps "the invisible remains of a collapsed star, with an intense gravitational field from which neither light nor matter can escape."

Other county officials quickly interceded to break it up and get the meeting back on track. TV news cameras were rolling, after all.

Some people are overly sensitive and as a result they will have an outburst of umbrage at unexpected moments. This can be seen in the blog posting above where both Commissioner John Wiley Price and Judge Thomas Jones showed the world how severely overly-sensitive they are. It reaches the point of absurdity and I for one find their antics to be asinine. Not to mention I refuse to walk on eggshells around people like them any longer.

Perhaps I should rephrase that last sentence and put it in the past tense. I call people on it. I've done so in times past and will again do it when necessary.

It is not hard to call people on their being overly sensitive. Simply tell them that they are being overly sensitive, that it is a personal defect they need to work on and they need to learn to "get over it". It is time for them to grow up and mature a little. Not everyone in the world cares to follow a prescribed set of verbal rules when dealing with them and not everyone is out to offend them while trying to convey thoughts and ideas.

Tell them if they really feel it necessary to interrupt another's conversation for clarification of a term used then fine, but don't jump on another person's back because something inside them rises up like bile from a sour stomach. That is something that is inside of the protester not something inside of the innocent speaker.

This doesn't go for just black and white. I think this needs to be said to everyone that jumps on the "OFFENDED BANDWAGON" for whatever cause. Be they 'Native Americans' upset over the name of a baseball team, Mexicans over the Taco Bell Chihuahua or the Frito Bandito advertisements, or an atheist's self centered crying at the Cross on Mount Soledad in La Jolla, Calif. - (I'm willing to bet that Frito's would have sold a bunch if they had advertised for those people to shut up and played the song in their face.)

Bunch of jerks every one of them and we do a disservice to these people by not telling them to either grow up or shut up.

The only alternative is to keep on listening to them whine and after that to keep on listening to them whine. They will always find something else to snivel about if we just give in the first time.

As a P.S. to this posting I'd like to give a big WAY-TO-GO! and two ATTABOY'S! (no racial slur intended) to Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield for not backing down. Give him the Mayor's slot in the next election.


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Hat tip to Warner Todd Huston's Publius Forum
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Obama and His Changes

As Obama entered the Oval Office a sense of satisfaction rose up in his breast and filled him with pride. The time line called for 3 years but everything rolled right along and fell into place more quickly that they had imagined. Little did he know that it would be only a year and a half after being elected and taking the oath of office that the plans for change would be completed.

Well, not quite completed. there was still a bit of work to be done. Engage the new Congress. All of the new members were ready to step in months ago. - Present the new Constitution. Hard to believe it was written in the 70's and although never implemented (Yet!) it withstood the test of time and needed no revisions. - Convince the people that all of the changes are, of course, for their own benefit. "After all. They elected me for 'Change'." he thought.

What changes there had been! Nationalizing the health care system, the energy system, communications systems and the transportation industries. All government controlled and he was in charge of the government. People had clamored for him to fix things and soon all would be running with a precision that only a well run government could implement.

The people that REALLY elected him wanted socialism. He had made clear his agenda to all who cared to look beneath the political veneer. Now they would have it and he would make sure they got the best socialistic country in the world. None of this namby pamby stuff like the Danes and the French. America would be a true socialism run BY THE PEOPLE and FOR THE PEOPLE.

Suddenly the door opened and two of his top advisers and friends entered followed by 3 men in uniform with weapons at the ready.

"What's this about?" said Obama.

"C'mon" said one of them. "Did you really think that you would end up on top of the pile when these changes were fulfilled? We've people with much more intelligence than you that will be running things."

"WHAT?" Obama exclaimed.

"We've set up a nice out of the way place in a beautiful Caribbean banana plantation for you. There are still a lot of rural people clinging to their guns and religion out there and we think it best you be protected from them. Plus you will get a lot of exercise and stay in shape by picking bananas. It will be your contribution to this whole new world. Don't worry. I'll take care of the country for you. After all, I am Your Biggest Fan."


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WHO IS BIFF LANE?

Note update and comment by Judy that was brought to the top. (MosquitoXperts.com)

Suddenly through my SiteMeter I see people visiting this Blogspot site after Google searching "Biff Lane". - Biff gets 313,000 hits without quotes and 23 Google hits with quotes. The link above leads to the poem, "Margin of Profit" from "Poetry to Remember" by Sara Webb Keaton. The reason for the visits/Google hits I've been getting.

The poem is based on a mythical character.

Evidently most all the other Biff Lane's listed by Google are mythical characters also.

What amazes me is that Biff Lane seems to be all over the place giving the near same TESTIMONIAL for all sorts of products and services.

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again. You made using our yard a wonderful experience. You were patient, knowledgeable, flexible, and your quality of work exceptional. Our guests constantly compliment us when we entertain...We would recommend you to all our friends and family because our experience was that good."
- Biff Lane and Laura Bluff Hill - www.mosquitoxperts.com/id6.html
- Mosquito Xperts, Corporate Headquarters, 2210 Page Rd, Suite 108, Durham, NC 27703

***UPDATE***
Judy of "Mosquito Xperts" has taken the time to comment and explain:
This template is part of the web hosting on Register.com. Our site is still under construction and partially completed. You can see that some of the last pages are not updated with our information as yet. It is a "do it yourself" web template.

Thanks for bringing this defect to my attention. We have plenty of legitimate referrals that we just haven't placed on that site as yet.
Judy Mosquito Xperts | Homepage |
***End Update***

Thanks Judy! I thought it only fair to bring your comment to the top. Hope this link brings you some business.

and

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again. You made securing our home a wonderful experience. You were patient, knowledgeable, flexible, and your quality of work exceptional. We would recommend you to all our friends and family because our experience was that good."
- Biff Lane - http://www.bestsecurity.us/id6.html
- ALARMKC.COM 12906 E 50th Terr Independence, MO 64055

and

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again. LRL made our office look wonderful. You were patient, knowledgeable, flexible, and your quality of work is exceptional. Our clients constantly compliment us on the cleanliness of our office...We would recommend you to all our friends and family because our experience was that good."
- Biff Lane and Laura Country-Lane - http://www.lrlcleaning.com/id6.html
- LRL COMMERCIAL CLEANING, INC. 129 CHESTERFIELD INDUSTRIAL BLVD
CHESTERFIELD, MISSOURI 63005

and

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again. You made our home a wonderful experience. You were patient, knowledgeable, flexible, and your quality of work exceptional. Our guests constantly compliment us on our home...We would recommend you to all our friends and family because our experience was that good."
- Biff Lane and Laura - http://www.nationalroofingco.net/id6.html
- National Roofing Company * P O Box 774 * Taunton * MA * 02780

and

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again. You made building our home a wonderful experience. You were patient, knowledgeable, flexible, and your quality of work exceptional. Our guests constantly compliment us on our home...We would recommend you to all our friends and family because our experience was that good."
- Biff Lane and Laura Country - http://all-careservices.com/id6.html
- All-Care Services Inc. * Transit Road* Amherst, NY *

Should I go On? - There are more...

WOW! Biff and Laura sure get around don't they! Plus Laura seems to change her last name a bit. Perhaps she is in a witness protection program or something.

And Rhonda Lerche has her picture that remains the same on these sites but her name also changes occasionally. She gets around too. Where Biff gets only 12 hits with quote marks Rhonda gets a whopping 742 websites. One of which sells dirty panties. No pic of Rhonda there but she still gives her testimonial about how much she enjoys the dirty panties she bought. - Forget it. I'm not linking to that one.

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Apparently all the sites are manufactured and registered through some outfit that has a cookie cutter way of doing business. - The companies listed above most likely are legit and I'm pretty certain the owners are a touch ignorant of the internet and how it works. I do wonder however about their allowing for phony testimonials. Couldn't they have gotten a few real customers to say something nice about them and used initials if they didn't want their name used on the internet?

Someone want to do the work and find out who is at the root of this I'll be glad to take the name from comments and post the name right up here in the body of this posting along with a link to your site and a big ATTABOY!.

Oh! here was one more fancy one that they put up. I'd be more impressed if I didn't know that Biff Lane originally came from a poet's imagination.
http://tbwarranty.com/site.swf


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A Whole New World

The Aladdin song says:

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you

Little did we know how prophetic those words would be, 16 years later, for this particular day and age.

"WAY UP HERE ... IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR"

(The pic above is supposedly the Bart Station at the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station - Pic stolen from Wiki)

Little did we know that when the song appeared in 1992 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song it was really speaking of books.

Why do I say that?

Here is a news flash. (Dated: 05.28.2008)

BART has teamed up with the Contra Costa County Public Library system to set up a novel automated book-lending system that will launch Thursday at the Pittsburg/Bay Point station.

A vending-like machine located at the station will hold some 400 books that can be checked out for free by anyone with a valid Contra Costa County library card. A patron will insert the card, get access to the available titles and check out up to three books. A robotic arm will retrieve the books.

They must be returned to the book-lending machine within three weeks.

Now people no longer have to sit in a train on their way to work. They can travel the world and indeed the universe...

That is if the system provides Science Fiction...

That is if the riders enjoy books...

Be careful Contra Costians. Don't ride past your stop...

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Hat Tip to Anirvan at BookFinder.com Journal
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Liberal Jerk Calls ALL Anti-Obama Voters Racist!

Already the Pro-Obama camp is working to instill guilt into the hearts of those that oppose their candidate. Won't work with me and I'm certain that most voters going to the polls in November won't be fooled by it either.

Andrew Greely wrote in "A Fall election hinges on race"

And surely some of the explicit chatter during the campaign was racist, especially the obsession with the various clergy who mounted the pulpit of his church. By what stretch of sick logic could the candidate be responsible for what his clergy said and did?

And

The point is that racism permeates American society and hides itself under many different disguises. The nomination of an African-American candidate was a near-miracle. Only the innocent and the naive think that the November election will not be about race.

For one thing the church Barack Hussein Obama attended was and is racist. That is a fact and most blacks (as well as whites) that haven't had their minds twisted by their racist rhetoric will say so also. He could have gone down the street and found a church that preached the love of God instead of the hate of whitey. - Barak is not responsible for what his clergy said and did but he is responsible for sitting through it.

The excuses he has given while throwing his uncle pastor under the bus are weak at best.

The coming election will be about race in Andrew Greely's mind and also in the minds of people like him. These reverse racists think that they are the righteous ones because they "say" they see beyond the color of ones skin and ignore all flaws in the person. Who was it that said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I've judged the character of Obama and see a politician who lies. No different from Bill and Hillary. I look at Obama and I see a man who wants to drive our nation deeper into socialism. No different from Bill and Hillary. I look at Obama and I see a man who is not qualified and is lacking in judgment and common sense. At least Bill and Hillary have some of both.

No Mr. Greely I will not be voting for Obama. Call me a racist if you will but unreasoned hatred is not one of the reasons. I do not hate Barak nor does the majority of voters on the right. The man doesn't know what he has signed up for, totally lacks experience and the direction he wants to take the country is far from what the founding fathers had in mind for this great and wonderful land.

It has nothing to do with the color of his skin!

P.S. to Mr. Greely. When I had the chance I voted for Alan Keyes and not because he happens to be black. Did you?

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Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Saw the Intelligent Design vs. Evolution film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed and as I was leaving I asked another patron of the theater (unknown to me) what he thought of the film. His words were, "I thought it was brilliant."

I thought of the line in Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Ben Stein travels and interviews people from both sides of the theory aisle (evolution versus intelligent design) simply asking questions that show both sides have questions and many of their answers are couched in terms like "maybe" and "if".

Basically the film shows that the evolution crowd has pushed the ID'ers out of the classrooms and laboratories blackballing them from scientific research and research grants. Some evolutionists are sitting around wearing earmuffs and blinders and this while they are still forced to say "maybe" and "if" when questioned about the origins of life...

I saw it as showing the power struggle for control of the cash. - But then I'm a cynic.

Did a bit of running around the net before posting this and I came up with a couple spots that are worth viewing.

Six Things in Expelled That Ben Stein Doesn't Want You to Know... is a Scientific American article by John Rennie and Steve Mirsky which says in it's opening paragraph,

"In the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, narrator Ben Stein poses as a "rebel" willing to stand up to the scientific establishment in defense of freedom and honest, open discussion of controversial ideas like intelligent design (ID). But Expelled has some problems of its own with honest, open presentations of the facts about evolution, ID—and with its own agenda."

- It does raise some good points but on the other hand lines like this in the article, "Thousands of other biologists across the U.S. who all know evolution to be true are also still religious." makes me wonder when they threw out the word "theory" when talking of evolution. Tsk, tsk. And this from a scientific journal.

I like this one:

Welcome to Expelled Exposed, a detailed look at the Ben Stein movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. We'll show you why this movie is not a documentary at all, but anti-science propaganda aimed at creating the appearance of controversy where there is none.

Excuse me? There is no controversy? Oh! OK! I'll just go back to sleep...

The film shows that there is a controversy and that in the end the origins of life cannot be explained to the opposing layman's or scientist's satisfaction by either side. Ultimately the question is, should both sides be presented in public schools at taxpayers expense? Or should the views of one side be squashed and tossed into the outer darkness.

The Intelligence Design side is not looking to expel the Evolutionist's from the schools, They want both sides taught, yet the Evolutionists have expelled the ID'ers. Free debate is the issue and the film shows if taken to it's ultimate conclusion scientists would find themselves having to form a hypothesis after the world view of evolutionists as opposed to facts seen through a microscope.

What cracked me up in the film is seing scientists saying perhaps life started on Earth (Gaia) by aliens from other planets seeding it or that life started off on the backs of crystals. - Of course this makes much more sense than thinking that God IS and that He created, designed life and used materials common to all life to create different forms, species etc.

Oh! I forgot. There is no controversy. I forgot I was on my way to take a nap...

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Clinging to Religion

Barack Hussein Obama, Jr's statement was:

"it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

I sort of have a problem with this statement. That is because it is a general statement that has no qualifying words to modify it to make it true. The word 'some' thrown in would have cut the fuse of the bomb it has become for Barack. Do we need a president that makes errors as simple as this?

Laying that aside I'd like to address the words (taken out of context) "they cling to ... religion..."

The way it was stated Barack makes it sound like a bad thing to want to cling to religion. Of course we do need to define religion and can have no way of knowing Barack's definition. There is more than one way to look at religion. One comparison could be either man bringing God (or gods) down to his level or God bringing man up to His. - I prefer the second.

Man can stretch his arms to drag God down and it will be to no avail. God has stretched His Arm down and given man the gift of his Son. As a gift Jesus now only needs to be received or rejected just as a child might do between a toy or a sweater.

As for me I'll 'cling' to my religion and I'll make no apologies for it. But then again, I'm a "Born Again" Christian not a "Social" Christian. Yes, good works, as Barack has been doing, are necessary but before that there needs to be a relationship with the Living God. With statements like the one Barack has made I question his relationship. Faith without works is dead but so is works without faith.

Slamming his brothers and sisters in the Lord is not a good way to generate votes.

But he never did have mine...

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Acres of Books in Long Beach to Sell and Move

Looks like it is 'near' official - Acres of Books, a longtime hangout of bookaholics is searching for new digs. 240 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach California will be turned over to redevelopers (the City of Long Beach Redevelopment Agency is brokering the deal) for "commercial space, housing and an art center where local works can be displayed and art-related events can be hosted".

2.8 million is the reported purchase price of the property which was owned by the store as opposed to their renting.

Evidently to the city a book store is not suitable for 'commercial space'. - Nor are books to be considered art...

"We are not planning on absolutely closing down," said Smith, co-owner of Acres of Books along with her husband Phil. "We are looking for a new location."

Their website posted:

Dear Customers and Friends of Acres of Books,

Jackie and I have negotiated the sale of our property, building and land at 240 Long Beach Blvd. Acres of Books has been there since my grandfather, Bertrand Smith, moved there in 1964. We still own the book store business, Acres of Books.

We had no choice but to deal with the City of Long Beach, Redevelopment Agency. Craig Beck and Carl Morgan, whom we worked very closely with, treated us in a business like manner, and helped to get us thru some very important issues.

The City is going to let us stay in their building one more year. This will give us a chance to have a couple of stock reduction sales, while we continue to look for a place to buy. We will not be able to have as much stock in a new building, even if we find one as big as we have now. The aisles will have to be twice as wide and not near as high. Oh well.

So, please continue to visit us, just to look around and hopefully find something you have been looking for, at a fair price. As my grandfather, Bertrand, (Pop, as we called him) said when a customer found an under priced gem, “I made my money at that price, that’s enough.”

Let us know your name and address, and we will let you know when we have a sale, and you can save a lot of money.

Come in and say hello to Jackie, Ron, Aaron, Steve, Amber, Mary, David, Sean, Megan, Cheyenne and Chloe. Don’t forget to give Penny, the bookstore cat a pat and rub, or a hug.

Thank you so much, and we hope to see you soon,
Phil and Jackie Smith

The deal is not quite final. The RDA will take up the 'issue' for 'approval with the RDA Board' April 21, 08.

Gazette.com reports,

At a recent downtown neighborhoods meeting, Mayor Bob Foster and City Manager Pat West were implored to save Acres of Books.

But the purchase of the Acres of Books site, and the block that surrounds it, is designed to clear the way for another project that has long been sought in the downtown - and "art exchange."

"We’re trying to create an art-themed building," Beck said. "We've talked with the community about an art exchange where artists could live and have galleries to sell their work, where there would be a residential component. We have talked to (California State University, Long Beach) about maybe doing some art student housing."

The goal of all of that would be to have a building that links the core of downtown with the East Village, Beck said.

He said that the RDA offered to have Acres of Books be a part of that, but Smith said that was not going to be a good fit. She said it was an emotional decision to move on.

Student Housing??? - Well with the students they are turning out these days they should have negotiated keeping the picture books...

The City of Long Beach, California might have utilized the term, 'Eminent Domain' in their negotiations with owners Phil and Jackie Smith or they might not have. I didn't see the words used in the news articles but I did see the methods cities have cultivated through the years to 'purchase' properties for 'pet projects'.

prying1 sez:
'Pet projects' cost taxpayers dollars they can't afford and give only limited returns.

Where is the Supreme Court on the issue of cities taking property against property owners wishes?

Probably taking a nap...

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What Would Jesus Do?

Recent brouhaha caused by the Barak Hussein Obama/Rev Wright comradeship has me wondering why it the broohaha recent? - Only because the MSM has not been doing their job concerning him.

20 years Barak has been going to the church and he is just now finding out how inflammatory his (now ex?) pastor is.

Gimme a break.

Non church goers might believe him but not people who regularly attend services. It's like a Muslum saying of his mosque, "I didn't know they spewed hate America and Jihadist teachings there. I just went to hear the music."

Once again we have a politician saying anything he thinks the people want to hear in order to be elected.

Fortunately fewer people are believing him.

What Would Jesus Do?

He'd come clean and fess up. He always did prefer the truth.

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Once Again! The Lost Poetry Corner

Listed a bunch of "Unknown and Lost Poets" this weekend. I really mean UNKNOWN!!! - Googled the names of both books and authors, separate and together with quotes, without quotes and most didn't even register.

They used a vanity press and did not know how to market themselves. The copies I got are all like new 'review copies' that were sent to Dion O'Donnol because he did promote poets and poetry through various means. Newsletters, clubs etc... - All published in 1980.

Even so, after 28 years of no promotions, being manufactured prior to the Internet explosion these names are virtually unknown. So if I expect to sell the books I better promote them. - To quote Ralph Kramden, 'And Away We Go'.

The following Lost Poem comes from "Poetry to Remember" by Sara Webb Keaton - Publisher: Dorrance and Company - 1980 (First Edition, not stated) - All I could find other than the copy I have listed at my book store is three copies stuck in the bowels of Higher Education Libraries. (Saw them through WorldCat)

A bunch of different subjects are poeticized in this book but I'm a slow typist and am only going to give you one. This is one I liked.

Margin of Profit

"I'll trade my dog for your wagon,"
Said Tommy to big Biff Lane.
"And I'll throw in my football too
And also my watch and chain."

"I'll trade." said Biff, "I like your dog.
Come! Flash, old boy, now you're mine."
Little Tommy smiled, he had a new ball,
and the watch didn't keep good time.

"Flash had always come back,"
Tommy mused as he happily rolled away.
"Gee! this was great, it was real fun,
He couldn't help it if Flash wouldn't stay."

He had traded before for this thing and that
And always came out ahead.
He was getting tired, it was time to go home,
But he must wait on Flash instead.

Morning came and still no dog.
Biff Lane must have him on a leash.
Now Flash was no longer his,
This had gone far beyond his wish.

With tear stained eyes he traded back
And paid extra a 'bit of cash'.
But never again did he speculate
Or trade off his good dog Flash.

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Self Promotion of Your Website

Trying to promote your website can be time consuming. I know because I haven't been working on it and my hits have dropped off. Part of that drop for this blog is my irregularity in posting. People come by for a week and see the same posting they stop coming by. Especially if your last posting was a poem on "The Hammer Throw".

Anyway. I was over at Bookshop Blog's Forum and posted the 'Self Promotion - Networking' thread the following piece. Rereading it before clicking 'post' I saw that this idea can be applied to websites and blogs other than just book sales.

Hope you can use this:

I listen to talk radio and on occasion call in. Only once have I had a chance to do it but ask the radio show host if you can promote/plug your website/bookstore over the air.

Don't just call in to plug away. Have a legitimate question or statement to make concerning the present topic being discussed on the show. Make sure it is legitimate because listeners can tell and you don't want them thinking you are just a self promoting jerk.

I find it best to make a couple notes with the show host's name, (don't want to mess that up!) any greeting the regular callers use, and your statement or question. - DON'T read off the paper into the telephone. It just doesn't work.

It also helps if the question or statement is semi-intelligent.

Weekends are a good time because they have shows of many topics and it is easier to get through when you call in. Find one that really interests YOU. You might find religious shows, computer shows, pet shows, cooking shows where you tie in your plug with some book titles you might have. You want to pick a show that interests you just in case the show host decides to engage you in conversation.

You might want to have a list handy of some 'tie in titles' just in case you get to talk books after the plug...

To make sure you don't get cut off before the plug and that you do get it in you can start the conversation with, "I've a question and if you don't mind I'd like to plug my website." (my business, my store, etc...) - Most show hosts will be gracious and let you do it.

- If you work it right the conversation might turn to books for a minute or so. You might want to have a list handy of some 'tie in titles' just in case you get to talk books after the plug... -

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The Hammer Throw Poetry by William Lindsey

From "The Little Book of Sports". Poetry compiled and edited by Wallace and Frances Rice. published by The Reilly & Britton Co, in 1910.

I offered to type this out in comments to my previous post on this book. Cary Cartter agreed to let me. Here it is...

We are the children of the strong god Thor
We hurl his hammer through the hollow sky;
No task is this for feeble hands to try:
This is the sport that men and gods adore.

A giant race are we, who each in turn
Step in the magic circle's narrow ring
Around our heads the old god's hammer swing,
And send it whirling where the sunbeams burn.

Our fingers twine the handle tightly round,
Firm as a mountain oak we plant our feet,
With one long breath, filling each cell complete,
We lift and swing the dead weight from the ground.

Around our heads we swing with quickening speed,
The hot blood pressing in each swollen vein,
Each muscle corded with its mighty strain,
The handle bending like a river reed.

A step, a turn, and staggering, we hurl
The heavy hammer whistling through the air;
We watch it in the sunbeams fly and flare;
We see it settle with a thud and whirl.

All can not win; our giant game is o'er;
'T is better to be last in such a test,
Than in a little sport to rank the best;
We are the children of the strong god Thor.

~ ~ ~ ~ William Lindsey ~ ~ ~ ~

Feel free to comment.




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Little Book of SportsSports Poems from The Little Book Series

Came across a jewel of a book today. It combines two of my least favorite things. Poetry and Sports.

Well maybe 'least favorite' is overstated. Cleaning up after my dog is way above each of those.

Really, poetry is OK if it rhymes and says something. If I have to think about what it says it has lost me as a customer. But some people like that 'New Verse' so to each his own... I loved Hiawatha for example. Read the whole thing twice in my life. Might read it again someday. - And sports like baseball, basketball and football is great to watch if I'm tied in a chair with toothpicks holding my eyes open. I do like to watch gymnastics and snow skiing so I'm not against all sports...

Anyway. The pick of the week for my poetry posting is a neat little book called "The Little Book of Sports". Poetry compiled and edited by Wallace and Frances Rice. published by The Reilly & Britton Co, in 1910 and as stated in the title of this posting part of "The Little Book Series" whose other titles I've listed at the bottom of this post.

Thirty-two different sports listed in the Index of Sports and forty names listed in the Index of Authors. Seventy-seven poems total.

Some of the sports are Baseball (Casey at the Bat of course with 5 others.), Football (5), Hammer Throwing (1), Fishing (3), and Golf (8). Some are funny, some serious. - Of course I like the funny ones.

Here is a quick one on Cycling by John Joy Bell that shows that at the turn of the last century there was a different set of traffic problems...

I'd rather be a cyclist
Than any other beast,
For though he slays he never stays
upon the slain to feast.

It's pleasant to remember,
While lying on the stones,
How though you're dead, you needn't dread
That he will pick your bones.

He comes! You fall! He's gone! That's all!
He Doesn't mind the least.
Oh I'd rather be a cyclist
Than any other beast.

~ ~ ~ John Joy Bell ~ ~ ~
1871-1934

Other titles listed on the back page of this book:

Little Book of Love
Little Book of Kisses
Little Book of Friendship
Little Book of Brides
Little Book of Sports
Little Book of Out of Doors
Little Book of Cheer
Little Book of Lullabies
Little Book of Laughter
Little Book of Schooldays
Little Book of Bohemia
all edited and compiled by Wallace and Frances Rice.
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Cold in L.A. California? Time To Use the Fireplace

Once in awhile it gets cold in L.A. This is how I handled it this year.

The temperature has been dropping into the 50's at night and this house seems to get even colder than it is outside at times. Well I figured it was just about time to do one of my husbandly duties. Something Wifeypoo will forever leave for me to do in spite of the Romantic Implications the Disney cartoon gives to the job.

Clean out the fireplace.

Now I know that this is something I should have done at the beginning of spring after the last time it was used and I would have done it too except the timing just didn't seem right to me somehow. Besides I wasn't sure, at the time, WHEN would be the VERY last time it would be used.

Plus I have the enviable ability to put things off and since I like people to envy me I figured this was just one more way to accomplish just that.

So! Now the timing was right.

Break out the SHOP-VAC!

Drag it into the house. (Sure glad it has wheels! It must weigh 8 pounds!) Junk drawer for extension cord. Move the screen aside, tilt the grate up and back, plug in the SHOP-VAC.

Contact!

Switch on!


(Whirring sound starts here!)

Suck up the ashes!


Wonder if Tim Allen could soup this baby up? - Whoa! - Don't think he'd need to. Look at this machine just suck the bricks clean!

Sure am glad that that last year I didn't use any wood with nails in it. When I cleaned it out last fall I had to deal with nails clogging the hose. This is great. Cinderella should have one of these pig machines. Then she wouldn't have to complain about working so hard and maybe even her evil and wicked step-sisters would be envious enough to do it for her. This is almost like fun. The corners need a bit more work than the middle. I should have done this last spring but then people would have said I don't have the enviable ability to put things off. I am raising a bit of ashes though. Not enough to worry about. 99.99% is going down the tube. But it is getting hard to breath with my head stuck in the fireplace. Maybe I should take a bit of a break.

OH NO!!!

What the???

I forgot to put the filter in the stupid shop-vac the last time I cleaned it!

Scheesh! What-a-mess!!!

Wow!

Good thing Wifeypoo and I have a deal.

I clean out the fireplace and she cleans the rest of the house...

Epilogue
Most of this story is true. I did stray a bit from reality while my head was stuck in the fireplace and I imagined the filter being off the shop-vac. At this point I looked behind me, was relieved to see all was OK and carried on with the work. The last sentence was what I imagined I would say to Wifeypoo.

We all know how that would have gone over.

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Update - I should have and forgot to mention that this posting is a result of my visit to a special blogsite and a posting that got me going to tell this story - Thanks to Chris at - Book Hunter's Holiday -

Who then was this Gustave Dore?

The Terrible Gustave Dore by Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt - Apparently only two printings. - Marchbanks Press, NY, NY, 1943 & Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn, 1976 -

"Originated as a lecture given before the Groller Club in New York City on December 14, 1939" -

On the first page the author, Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt asks the question, "Who then was this Gustave Dore?" He goes on to ask, "What sort of life did he live? Was he a happy man and his life a rich one? What were his ambitions, his hopes and fears? What caused his early death?"

These are questions Helmut asked and sought answers for. He had grown up seeing and admiring pictures by Gustave in the Bible and Perrault Fairy tales long before he could read.

Dante and the Lion

Hellmut says in the paragraph after his questions, "On the following pages I have tried to answer these questions. My search has brought me close to Gustave Dore. He has become a friend. Perhaps you too will discover a friend in him."

25 Illustrations, some full page and some in text are scattered through the book plus there is a sample of his handwriting. A very good biography. - Quite a good book. -

- prying1 -

The above picture is just a portion of the work. I had to crop it for this posting.

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A few copies are available and can be found through Bookfinder.com.

Hat Tip to WorldCat.org for their resources.
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The Virgin of Waikiki by Don Blanding

Here is a review of the poem/book "The Virgin of Waikiki" - A Torrid Tragedy of the Tropics by Don Blanding.

Don Blanding is well known for his tropical poetry and this little volume is a good example of his humorous verse writing abilities.

A nearing 40's spinster is the 'hot' topic of this steamy tropical ballad.

From the DJ:
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Every Author has his flippant moments, and it was such a mood that the Virgin of Waikiki was created. As the author explains "A tragedy as Poignant as Virgin Annie's could only be treated frivolously, thus sparing the heart strings of the reader".

Those who seek may find a Moral in this tale - - We say "may".
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Quite a fun read until the "tragedy" part at the end. Can't say any more without spoiling it.

The forward by H.M.S. (Henry M. Snyder) says:

"At a recent dinner of the Wampus Club in Los Angeles, the author, Don Blanding of Honolulu was called upon to contribute to the entertainment. In responding he read his original poem, The Virgin of Waikiki.

It was felt that a number of appreciative souls who were not present at the reading of the poem were deserving of the pleasure which this rare and piquant piece affords to Epicurean literary tastes. For the benefit of this small circle of the cognoscenti an edition was privately printed "upon the altar of fellowship." This edition was quickly exhausted as was also a second printing. The present edition with illustrations by A. B. Butler, Jr. is the publisher's response to what seems to be a steadily growing demand for further copies.

What Lady Lou did for Alaska; what Kipling's Mandalay did for India, perhaps, indeed, this rollicking epic ballad of Virgin Annie may do for Hawaii."

In the back of the 1933, Henry M. Snyder edition there is a yellow envelope pasted in.

It has printed on it, "For sundry reasons the astonishing consummation of the ballad must be withheld, temporarily only -we hope- from further enjoyment of the reader." and two drawings of little angels (one obviously Hawaiian) with ukuleles.

It is my guess that the envelope was pasted in because the printery, Country Life Press, Garden City New York, discovered too late the omission of the copy and they had the unused envelopes on hand. - The DJ appears to be of the same material as the envelopes. I wonder if they had both bits of stock on the shelf and were glad to get rid of them. (8-P

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WorldCat Network

The Bookshop Blog posted an article titled, "The fine art of Book Pricing."

Quite a good read for any bookseller and it has a few tips for books that are "one of a kind". - I've come across a few that I just can't find through Google or Yahoo. Just a couple days ago I found I own "Hooray for a Roue'" by H.R. Washburne. Could only find a single reference that was really a dead link from some joker of a booksales site that had the title listed but no book for sale.

Well that told me that someone else out there had at least heard of the book. I wasn't holding a figment of my imagination. I saw the title on the internet so I knew it must exist. It is book of poetry that I will soon be listing. Unless I misplace it in one of my stacks...

I started working on the author's name and in my search I came across WorldCat.org.

I was too slow in getting this resource I've found over to the good folks at The Bookshop Blog for them to post it in the article so I left the following in their comments.

Here is another Handy Dandy Book Resource I found just recently.

http://worldcat.org/

They have a toolbar search engine you can load on to the top of your browser page. Just type in the tile or author and it takes you to the page you want. - Lists Libraries that carry the book and tabs can (hopefully) take you to other info that is helpful.

Sign up and in your profile you can link to your website and blogsite. Create lists of books you like and check out profiles of other people with similar tastes. That is if they don’t have their profile private which you can do too if you prefer the anonymity.

As occasion and time permits you can add to their site the table of contents and/or a short synopsis/review of a book which might (or might not) get people to check your profile and go to your website.

I’ve seen some books where they give the printing history which can be very helpful too.

So far I’ve found it helpful and have found a couple books listed that it was difficult and/or impossible to find on Google or Yahoo.

Hope to see you there.

WorldCat has a lot of growing to do and needs a bit of help in doing so. It is a good resource and those who love books can make it even better. I encourage book sellers and book buyers to visit, Sign up, try the toolbar, and join the fun.


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The Angel and The Star By Ralph Connor

Came across a little book that I thought I'd share. The Angel and the Star by Ralph Connor and Illustrated by Cyrus Cincinnatto Cuneo - Copyright 1908 - Fleming H. Revell Company.

A well written Christmas story giving personality and dialog to the descriptions found in Luke. It is divided into two sections. The first called,

"The Angel" and the second, (you guessed it!) The Star.

The first section is the story as told from the shepherd's point of view and the second of the Magi as they travel through Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem.

Throughout the book there are nine color illustrations in line with the stories. (1908 Fleming H. Revell Company hardcover - Can't speak for all editions)

Paintings reproduced through the letterpress process have been bound in with the pages. The pictures are by Cyrus Cincinnatto Cuneo (1879 - 1916), whose work has drawn over $30,000 at auction, and they add quite a bit of character to this little volume.

A few copies are available online for reasonable prices. If you decide to purchase a copy you may want to write to the sellers in advance and make sure that the issue they are selling has all 9 pictures in it. There was both an American and Canadian printing and I have only the American one in hand.

I hope to post a few pics a bit later. Time for me to go to work...

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2008 Messiah Concert in Temecula / Murrieta CA

For your consideration

In Murrieta California

- Sunday - December Seventh - 2007, at 4:00PM (Sharp)-
*** Get there early for a good seat. (See below)

The
RANCHO MUSIC ASSOCIATION
presents

Handel's Messiah

with 60-70 Voice Chorus
Symphonic Orchestra and Inspiring Vocal Soloists!

Hosted by

Temecula United Methodist Church
42690 Margarita Rd.
Temecula, CA 92592

FREE ADMISSION

A freewill offering will be taken.


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My wife and I will be in the chorus. She sings soprano and I sing bass so we stand on opposite ends of the platform.

***Get there EARLY if you can make it. Otherwise you might be shunted to a room with a big screen TV and speakers. Not quite the same as being in the Auditorium Proper.

This is an annual program so consider it for next year if you cannot make it this time. Please consider too, donating to catch any left over expenses and for next years program. Thanks!

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