Support Reading - Boycott HarperCollins

Although this blog reviews things other than books, and indeed, at times I stray off track into various different subjects, it is primarily a site about books. Ones that I have read in the past, as well as ones that I am currently reading. So, it would be remiss of me to overlook the news item that caught my eye this morning concerning HarperCollins and their plan, make that policy, to charge libraries a fee for each time an e-book is lent out after the 26th time. The impact that this would have on the Public Libraries as a whole, at a time in which library funds are being slashed across the country, is staggering. The libraries, underfunded as they are, will have no choice but to pass the fees along to their patrons. Many will be unable to afford the fees. Let's examine that scenario for a moment.

Back when Benjamin Franklin began the library system, books were very expensive and not many people could afford them. That was the impetus behind creating a Public Library to begin with. It was a way to help the public learn, to broaden their horizons and soar among the words of the great philosophers, poets and essayists. It was a noble endeavor embarked upon by the need to have an educated populace, as ignorance serves no legitimate purpose in any society.

Fast forward a few hundred years to the 20th Century. Libraries were built with the help of the wealthy, for use by the less fortunate. Andrew Carnegie, pictured above, comes to mind as a prime example. For my entire life, and that of our parents, the Public Library has always been there for us. They have rolled with the times, adding music and videos to their collections, reflecting the changing culture of the times. And it has worked out rather well. There are now more literate people than at any time in our previous history. And we were able to accomplish that without charging fees.

Let's look at it this way, the average classroom size is about 35 students. Let's say the class is assigned to read "To Kill A Mockingbird." There are 4 copies of the book in the school library, 3 paper copies and 4 e-books in the Public Library. That's 11 copies for one class to share. Wait! I forgot! There's more than one school in the area of the library. So, that means that most of the students will have to purchase the book to satisfy the assignment. Not a very promising outlook, is it?

One can't help but wonder where this will all lead. As traditional paper books give way to the e-book, what will happen to those who can't afford the fees to read? What future is in store for a society in which books are reserved for those with money? Victorian England and Charles Dickens both come to mind. Remember the part in "Oliver Twist" when Oliver is charged with the theft of a book from a bookseller - there were no public libraries in England at the time - is that where we are heading?

Perhaps HarperCollins will be doing away with printed materials altogether, eschewing them in favor of a new technology which will reward them handsomely? It's not unthinkable that eventually HarperCollins will take their entire inventory to e-books, thus eliminating many titles from the Public Libraries, replacing them with e-books which will generate a greater profit.

I called HarperCollins in New York about 2 hours ago. I was passed along to 2 voice mails, and then upon my insistence was permitted to speak with a live human being, at no additional charge. This person took my name and number and promised to pass my message along. I will print the response here, should I ever receive one.

In the meantime, if you care about books, libraries and reading in general, do us all a favor and make the call to HarperCollins. Let them know how you feel about this new policy. You can reach them at 212-207-7000. And if you are reading anything by Sarah Palin, Michael Crichton or Anne Rice, please contact them and let them know it is time to change publishers.

The Boston Public Library, founded in the 1850's, was really the first library intentionally founded to lend books for free. And they got it right when they stated their mission and goals;

•There is a close linkage between knowledge and right thinking;

•The future of democracy is contingent on an educated citizenry;

•There is a strong correlation between the public library movement and public education;

•Every citizen has the right of free access to community-owned resources.

"One Meat Ball" - Depression Era Songs

This is the Josh White version of the song "One Meat Ball" which was recorded during the Depression and chronicles the troubles of a man who has only 15 cents for a meal. His heart is set on meatballs, but he only has money enough for one. Unfortunately for him, "..you get no bread with one meatball..." There are several versions of this song. The first time I heard it was on a 78 RPM when I was about 4 years old. I believe it was by the Andrew Sisters.

ONE MEAT BALL
(L. Singer / H. Zaret)

Little man walked up and down,
To find an eatin' place in town.
He looked the menu thru and thru,
To see what fifteen cents might do.

CHORUS:
One meat ball,
One meat ball,
One meat ball,
All he could get was one meat ball.

He told that waiter near at hand,
The simple dinner he had planned.
The guests were startled one and all,
To hear that waiter loudly call.

Repeat CHORUS

Little man felt so ill at ease,
He said: "Some bread Sir, if you please."
The waiter hollered down the hall:
You get no bread with your one meat ball.

Little man felt so very bad,
One meat ball is all he had.
And in his dreams he can still hear that call
You get no bread with your one meat ball.

I've been cruising You Tube looking at, and listening to, some of the old songs that my parents had in the house. Kind of a trip down memory lane. "She Had To Go and Lose It at The Astor" is another record that I remember, and though I didn't know who played the song, through the magic of You Tube I have found it and am posting it here below. This song concerns a young society lady who stays out all night, much to the chagrin of her family. And when she does come home, she has lost the one thing most important to all young ladies of good breeding. Just who took it from her is the mystery.



SHE HAD TO GO AND LOSE IT AT THE ASTOR
(Don Ray / Hugh Prince)

Harry Roy & His Orch. (vocals: Bill Currie & Harry Roy) - 1939

SPOKEN: We'd like to tell you a story about a young girl, about
eighteen years old, about five feet two, and about to go out. Now,
her Mother, realising it was her first time out with a young man,
called her into the bedroom and said, "Minnie, you're all dressed
up in your finery, your very best clothes, and you look beautiful,
you're gorgeous, you're alluring (you look swell, baby), and now
Minnie I want you to remember everything I've always told you, and
above all I want you to be very, very careful.....

But she had to go and lose it at the Astor
She didn't take her mother's good advice.
Now there aren't so many girls today who have one
And she'd never let it go for any price

They searched the place from penthouse to the cellar
In every room and underneath each bed.
Once they thought they saw it lying on a pillow
But they found it belonged to someone else instead.

But she had to go and lose it at the Astor,
She didn't know exactly whom to blame
And she couldn't say just how or when she lost it
She only knew she had it when she came.

They questioned all the bellboys and the porter
The chef appeared to be the guilty guy
And the doorman also acted quite suspicious
But he coyly said, "I'm sure it wasn't I"

But she had to go and lose it at the Astor
It nearly killed her mother and her dad
Now they felt as bad about the thing as she did
After all it was the only one she had

They just about completed all their searching
When the chauffeur walked up with it in his hand
All they did was stand and gape, there was Minnie's sable cape,
And she thought that she had lost it at the Astor.

These old recordings take me back to my earliest years, when I had no cares of any kind, at least none of which I was aware. One day blended into the next with a certainty that can never be described to those who have not felt that way. My parents had stacks of old 78's which I devoured by the time I was 6. These songs were the stories which gave voice to the images in my mind. I saw, rather than merely heard these songs.

Listening to these old recordings reminds me of one of life's great truths; that though those days may be long gone, the sounds and memories, and the songs themselves, will live for a long, long time. Because they just don't write them like this anymore...

Happy Birthday Grant Pensinger!

Grant Pensinger, Sue's Dad, was 80 years old yesterday, and celebrated it with a big party in Westminter, Maryland today. About 80 people showed up, and Grant was clearly delighted with the attention, and affection, with which he was showered.

Happy 80th Grant! See you at the next one!

Gasoline - Rising Prices, Same Old Schemes

There is a new scheme making the rounds on the Internet to force the oil companies to lower their prices. It is, of course, pure folly. It is a variation on the old "don't buy gas for a day" protest that has been circulating for years now. This one was supposedly "thunk up" by a retired Coca Cola executive, probably the one who was responsible for the idea of changing Coca Cola a few years back, only to be forced to re-introduce "Classic" Coke when the plan failed.

Sorry to tell you, but it won't work- most of us don't buy Exxon or Mobil directly to begin with. I use a local station that charges a few cents less per gallon. If everyone stops buying from Exxon-Mobil, then Exxon-Mobil's cost of providing a gallon of gas will rise, and they will pass it on. The smaller companies, seeing a rise in their customer demand for fuel will do exactly as Exxon-Mobil would do, raise the prices in lockstep with one another. Besides which, gasoline is what is known as a fungible commodity, that is, one which is transferrable. So boycotting one company will do little more than cause the fuel not sold by that company to be bought by another company, and the cost of the transfer will go directly to the consumer, compounding the problem. Here is the link to the "scheme" and the analysis of it on Snopes.com;

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

The same thing is happening all over the country now with water bills. The less you use - the more you pay- due to the added cost of having water treatment plants. The cost to run one is static, no matter the quantity of clean water produced and consumed. The only alternative is rationing, car pooling or getting a sense of urgency about developing alternative fuels that equals the way we got back in the car market after Japan blindsided us in the 1970's. (None of this happened after 9/11 so don't expect it to happen now.)

At this point, I would have to say that we are dancing to the fiddler's tune. Until the day that we are all willing to ration our use of gasoline, or car pool, as the country did in World War Two; the prices will continue to rise as an ever growing populace struggles to compete with an ever shrinking resource. Not to mention the politics, and money, involved.

In the meantime my 1996 Mitsubishi gets 30 mpg and has 195,000 miles on it. Long may she run!

Ten Cents A Dance - Ruth Etting

If you've ever seen the movie "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" then you know about the dance marathons of the 1930's, where people who were desperate for money would literally dance until they dropped, the last couple standing being the winner.

There was also another kind of dancing that went on in the days of the Depression. These dances were held in dance halls, where there was a band playing, and women were available for dancing at the price of 10 cents. Sometimes these brief 10 cent dances became the precursor to a more sordid, physical type of transaction. The women who worked in these halls were, for the most part, normal, ordinary women looking to survive in abnormal economic times.

Ruth Etting captured the pathos of these women, and the times in which they lived, in her 1930 recording of the song "Ten Cents A Dance", written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. I couldn't find a video of her singing, but have posted the recording at the bottom of this page. Here are the sad and poignant lyrics to the song;

"Ten Cents a Dance" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

I work at the Palace Ballroom,
but, gee that Palace is cheap;
when I get back to my chilly hall room
I'm much too tired to sleep.

I'm one of those lady teachers,
a beautiful hostess, you know,
the kind the Palace features
at exactly a dime a throw.

Ten cents a dance
that's what they pay me,
gosh, how they weigh me down!
Ten cents a dance
pansies and rough guys
tough guys who tear my gown!

Seven to midnight I hear drums.
Loudly the saxophone blows.
Trumpets are breaking my eardrums.
Customers crush my toes.

Sometimes I think
I've found my hero,
but it's a queer romance.
All that you need is a ticket
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance.

Fighters and sailors and bowlegged tailors
can pay for a ticket and rent me!
Butchers and barbers and rats from the harbors
are sweethearts my good luck has sent me.

Though I've a chorus of elderly beaux ,
stockings are porous with holes in the toes.
I'm there till closing time,
Dance and be merry, it's only a dime.

Ten cents a dance
that's what they pay me,
gosh, how they weigh me down!
Ten cents a dance
pansies and rough guys
tough guys who tear my gown!

Seven to midnight I hear drums.
Loudly the saxophone blows.
Trumpets are breaking my eardrums.
Customers crush my toes.

Sometimes I think
I've found my hero,
but it's a queer romance.
All that you need is a ticket
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance.

ERA - The Amendment That Never Was

I have been asking women for several months now if they thought that the ERA was a law. Most replied with either "yes", or, "I'm not really sure." Only a few knew that the law had been passed by Congress but not yet Ratified by the Senate. It was only 6 votes short of Ratification in 1973, and can be recalled for a new vote at any time.

Forgive me, for I am just a man, ignorant of many things. But I can no longer remain quietly on the sidelines while the major parties get ready to spilt the masses, once again, on issues of morality. Their focus would be better employed on fixing the economy, but that's another story.

This is the story of the Amendment that never was, and how it can be easily accomplished now, and why it is important that we do so in the year ramping up to the coming elections. The story begins in 1972, at a time when women were burning bras and demanding their rights concerning abortion and job opportunities. They got the former via Roe v. Wade, but the latter seems to have eluded them, and the frightening thing is this - the ones that don't know, don't seem to care, even after you tell them.

Right now the ERA sits, already passed by the House, and can be recalled at any time for ratification by the Senate. It was only 6 votes shy of Ratification in 1973. There are now 17 women serving in the Senate. Why have none of them called for a vote? And more importantly, why haven't the women's rights groups, like NOW, been withholding campaign contributions from these candidates, who should be trumpeting the cause of the ERA? Why are women afraid, or indifferent to, the prospect of being declared equal? As I said, I am but a man, and such questions are beyond my abilities to provide answers.

But I can tell you this, the wording of the ERA, as it now stands, encompasses people of ALL sexual persuasion, thus nullfying the debates over Gay Marriage and Rights. The bill, as written, is not gender specific. Perhaps that is what makes it too hot an issue to touch? I have printed it here before, and do so now, with the hope that you will read it;

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

That's it! That's the entire earth shaking amendment which every one is afraid of!Can you imagine if this were passed before the election? The economy would become the issue, rather than the window dressing issues of morality encompassed within this propsed Amendment. Women Senators,of both parties, who enjoy EEO protection and equal pay under Federal Law, should be lobbying for this bill to be voted upon for the benefit of their Constituents. And those Constituents should be demanding to know why they have not.

Here is a link listing all the Senaors by State, and their contact numbers, give them a call, and tell 'em "Rooftop" sent ya'.


http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Farewell, Jane Russell...

Farewell to Hollywood legend Jane Russell. Born in Minnesota on June 21, 1921, she was an "Army Brat" who moved to California after her Dad retired from the Army sometime prior to 1940. She attended Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles before working as a receptionist in a dentist office. It was there that she was first noticed by one of the patients, Howard Hughes. She had been to drama school, and at the urging of her mother, as well as Howard Hughes, she was signed to make "The Outlaw" in 1941. The film would not be released until 1943 and launched her career in film.

It would be 5 more years until she made another film. Hughes had her under a 7 year contract and featured her only in films that showed off her body and not her talent as an actress. In 1952 she was starred opposite Robert Mitchum in the classic film "Macao." She plays a woman traveling from Hong Kong to Macao who does a little bit of "grifting" to get her through the lean times. When Robert Mitchum sees her in a violent altercation with another man, he steps in to help her and a reluctant alliance is formed.

That film, produced by Joseph Von Sternberg, also featured legendary character actor William Bendix, who played a police detective on the trail of some jewelry smugglers that have murdered a policeman in New York City. Robert Mitchum is mistakenly identified by the smugglers as the undercover detective and targeted for death. Feeling guilty about having picked his pocket, which leaves him with no proof of who he really is, Ms. Russell, now employed as a singer in the gambling club owned by the smuggler, is compelled to come to his aid. This puts both of their lives in jeopardy and forms the basis of their relationship, which turns romantic.

In this film, as well as the "Las Vegas Story", co-starring my favorite piano player/songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, Ms. Russell gets to show off her talent as a singer. This is a link to the two songs from the film "Macao", the first being "You Kill Me." Watch her as she moves to the music and check out those eyes! This is one of my all time favorite movie songs. I have it on my flash drive and listen to it frequently in the car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xury-hYO6gM

In 1953 Ms. Russell forever cemented her name in show business history with her role opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." In 10 years she had made the transition from a $50 per week contract player to a $400,000 fee playing a lead in one of the most famous movies of all time.

A "Born Again" Christian for decades, she lived in Santa Maria, California. She was very vocal about her political views, which were unashamedly both Right Wing and Conservative. She described herself as being "politically uncorrect." Her candor did not diminish with her age and she still found herself viable in the field of entertainment as late as 2006. Both her political views and personal story are well chronicled in the self penned autobiography "My Path and My Detours." The book was released in 1986.

Married 3 times, Ms. Russell retired to Santa Maria, California in 1999 after the death of her third husband. This move also allowed her to remain close to her youngest son.

In 2004 she met with Leonardo DiCaprio, at his request, to learn more about the real Howard Hughes, whom he was about to portray in "The Aviator." And as late as 2006 she was still putting together local shows for the seinor citizens in Santa Maria.

Farewell, Ms. Russell. You have given us a whole lot of entertainment to look back upon and enjoy. And "Macao" is still one of my all time favorite movies.