Ordinary People Reading Extraordinary Books

Blogging can be a rewarding experience. Reading fiction books to write about, meeting people, making new friends, are all part of a new cognizance in my life. Amazing how books affect and effect our daily lives!

I was flabbergasted as Jennifer Solow author of "The Booster" visited Fiction Views and left a nice comment. Believe me this is not fiction, she agreed to an interview with "old joeB", which will be forthcoming.

Nora Roberts won the Quill Book of the Year Award last week, for her novel, Angels Fall. Roberts, who also won in the Romance category—the Book of the Year Award was selected by the reading public from among the night’s nominees and winners—capped off the event by saying that she was going to thank the appropriate people: Her fans. Having read two of her other works, Valley of Silence and High Noon, I'm looking forward to reading her latest.

Well so much for Monday's Musings, everyone have a fantastic week!

Sunday Salon Readings

Having started "Rage" by Jonathan Kellerman a few days ago, sundaysalon ideas for a Sunday read fit my time schedule well. Sunday Salon began today with Debra Hamel being the creator. Superlative concept! Join us today!

Taking a couple of hours away from the ol' football scene, I finished "Rage" and savored the quiet time with a fiction book! Jonathan Kellerman has been a favorite of mine for several years and this Dr. Delaware novel does not disappoint.

Two teenagers are accused of murdering a child and Dr. Delaware has to interview both to determine their mental state. Both young men are convicted of the heinous crime and are sent to prison. Troy, the youngest and a sociopath himself, is killed in prison. Rand, a slow-witted imposing young man, survives his eight years in prison and emerges with a pressing need: to talk again with psychologist Alex Delaware.

Milo Sturgis, LAPD homicide detective, and Dr. Delaware have to revisit the past crime that has now taken on some lethal and stupefying proportions. They find Rand dead after calling Dr. Delaware and every clue points to the child's father, Barnett Malley. Pursuing evidence leads Milo and Alex to uncover other murder's in addition to Rand's that are related to the death of Mr. Malley's daughter. There are unimaginable transgressions committed which must be answered for as well.

Both Alex and Milo seem to develop a certain cynicism during the novel, but this plays into the complexity of the storyline. Milo seems to want "glory", but Dr. Delaware wins the prize!

"Rage" is a scintillating, addictive work which I believe rates among the best for Jonathan Kellerman. A great Sunday Salon read!

Purchase "Rage" here!

The Booster by Jennifer Solow - Review

Given this book as a present of course draws the question, "Did you read the book I gave you?", and you just cannot lie to a relative can you? So reading a "girlie" book was my only option and guess what the novel "The Booster" was really enjoyable. An old man can learn something new!

When your life is falling apart, you turn to shoplifting? Well is seems Jillian Siegel started stealing to help compensate for her many life disappointments and her periods of loneliness. Growing up in an affluent lifestyle, her uncle Bingo (yes Bingo) owned Loevner's department store where many of the employees became her acting family. Her childhood spent among the displays and secret passageways modeling dresses for her uncle and partner.

Jillian's shoplifting comes to an end when caught in an upscale store and is sent to jail. She meets Shelly , a small-time crook, in jail and the two, while from vastly different lifestyles, strike a mutual admiration friendship. Shelly introduces Jillian to her "family", a shoplifting ring from Peru. The organization loves Jillian's talent and want to employ her.

The teacher, Jillian, and the pupil, Shelly, are looting merchandise from every store and Jillian motto is "It Is Mine." They treat each other to hot milk pedicures and sushi lunches. All goes well until they learn of the biggest hit for their employer is none other than Loevner's. Jillian's heart finally grasps her head and signs of maturity---just in the nick of time---unveil.

Jillian puts "on the Ritz" with a plan to capture the whole gang of thieves! Maybe now Ms. Jillian Siegel has a clear idea of who she is!

Written without so much of Jillian's character being the lover, career girl, or friends showing up, the novel is a study of a woman who entering her thirties does not have an idea of you she is or where she's going. While never being a shoplifter, I can relate to the many ups and downs of a young person's life. Discovering one's self is always a lot of "grins."

Recommend this one: The Booster purchase now!

Matrimony, by Joshua Henkin - Short Review

Marriage and relationships, what else is there? Isn't this what life is all about? Joshua Henkins' novel unfolds many of life's traditional struggles. Conflicts with peers, jealousy of friends, social class inequality, religious beliefs, husband and wife daily grinds, and do I know how love really predestines us how to think of our spouse, all these are brought forth in "Matrimony" by the author in a very deep psychological transfer to our own everyday life.

A very perceptual part of the novel for me was Mia's mother and her fight of cancer. My mother had a double mastectomy, and is a cancer survivor. Her relationship with her mom refreshed my memory as to my sister's struggle with my mother's illness.

Julian and Carter relationship was one of ups and downs as they both struggled with their girlfriends or wives who pressured them into jobs neither wanted. Julian never suspected his best friend had a sexual relation with his future wife. Displaying anger and a broken heart, Julian confronts Mia with a scenario all to familiar this day and time. Mia loves Julian but does not know how to handle the revealed affair. Success and affairs does not always support love!

A beneficial novel which focuses on the complex ways of hope, love, and speciousness of life as time passes raises and lowers us to new levels.

Joshua Henkin's, "Matrimony", is written by a young man who is very wise beyond his years. His ability to translate to his readers many difficulties yet at the end get us to an optimistic state about life, the readers may want to stay or get married!

Buy "Matrimony" from our bookstore!

Blog Flux Directory - Fact or Fiction

Hello joeB,
Your blog has not been added to the Blog Flux Directory. Due to the amount of submissions, we cannot explain the reasons for each. Most likely it is due to one of the following:
- blog is listed more than once in the directory
- site is not a blog
- blog is offline - blog is new (must contain 5 posts and be at least 7 days old due to excessive spammers submitting).
- site contains nudity
- site is a shill site intended to simply promote products/affiliates
- site construes something illegal

If you believe your blog should be added, please contact us (be sure to mention what your blog URL is).-Blog Flux Team

This blog meets all the requirements for Blog Flux, why the snub? Search their directory under books and ninety percent are not even active blogs, all carry ads, and some links are magazines.
Their supposed philosophy is the "more the merrier." I emailed them as they suggested, no response, I thought you should know! - joeB

Racism - Fact or Fiction

I am conscientiously disgusted!

Why are some people so stupid! James Watson a "brilliant" Nobel Prize winning scientist makes a statement and I quote: he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa"...." all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing say not really." What an offensive statement to make!
This kind of "intelligence" really shows me where the heart is.

My reason for writing on this subject is Mr. Watson was on a book tour touting his "Avoid Boring People: Lessons From A Life In Science." The title needs to be changed to " My Life As A Racist!" After reading some other facts about Dr. Watson, he also has claimed darker - skinned people have a higher sex drive and women should have the right to abort fetuses that may have a tendency toward homosexuality.

After this interview came public, Dr. Watson lost his job as chancellor of New York's Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. I say amen to that! Now, Watson, says he was "mortified about what has happened." Dr. Watson may I give you a piece of advice, use your head and do not speak from your heart, because yours is made of stone!

Other scientists are outraged by Dr. Watson's statements and some of their quotes I thought were good:

1. Scientific prestige is never a substitute for knowledge.

2. Dr. Watson's comments are completely inconsistent with the body of research literature in this area.

3. At a time when the scientific community is feeling threatened by political forces seeking to undermine its credibility, it is tragic that one of the icons of modern science has cast such dishonour on the profession.

One more quote that also shows the extreme heart condition of our society was given by Prof. Steven Rose of the Open University: " Dr. Watson is stirring up trouble to raise publicity for his new book." Prof come on now racist comments like this do not sell books ( I hope).

Yes, America racism is fact!

Nuclear Plants - Yes or No?

BLOG ACTION DAY

Knowing I only live 6.9 miles from the Sequoyah TVA nuclear plant, my decision was easy for Blog Action Day. I've been reading for two weeks now, newspaper articles, blogs, government reports, books, essays, and everything in between about nuclear plants and their effect on the environment. Yes, we need them or no we don't, there doesn't seem to be middle ground. Understandable knowing the effects on us and the environment.

Located on 525 acres beside Chickamauga Reservoir in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant consists of two Westinghouse pressurized-water reactors that can produce enough electricity to supply about 1.3 million homes a day. Sequoyah, TVA’s second nuclear power plant, is named in honor of a Cherokee Indian who lived in the area and invented an alphabet that was the tribe’s first written form of communication.

Operating history:

Groundbreaking took place in 1969. Major construction began in 1970.

Unit 1 began commercial operation on July 1, 1981.

Unit 2 began commercial operation on June 1, 1982.

The longest continuous operating run for Unit 1 is 478 days, 16 hours, and 5 minutes, from November 23, 2001, to March 17, 2003.

The longest continuous operating run for Unit 2 is 512 days and 16 hours, from November 18, 2000, to April 14, 2002.

Being a baby-boomer, I remember during the Cold War, going to school wondering if I would see my parents that afternoon or be melted by a Russian nuclear blast. It wasn't a comfortable way to start a school day! So ever since, talk of nuclear radiation has left me to ponder, do we need nuclear power?

The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1979, was the most serious in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history(1), even though it led to no deaths or injuries to plant workers or members of the nearby community. But it brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. It also caused the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to tighten and heighten its regulatory oversight. Resultant changes in the nuclear power industry and at the NRC had the effect of enhancing safety. The sequence of certain events - - equipment malfunctions, design related problems and worker errors - - led to a partial meltdown of the TMI-2 reactor core but only very small off-site releases of radioactivity. (US-NRC)

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel and without proper regard for safety. The resulting steam explosion and fire released at least five percent of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind. 28 people died within four months from radiation or thermal burns, 19 have subsequently died, and there have been around nine deaths from thyroid cancer apparently due to the accident: total 56 fatalities as of 2004. An authoritative UN report in 2000 concluded that there is no scientific evidence of any significant radiation-related health effects to most people exposed. This was confirmed in a very thorough 2005-06 study. (WNA)

This is a quote from James Lovelock a scientist, the creator of the Gaia hypothesis, and a member of EFN, : "Opposition to nuclear energy is based on irrational fear fed by Hollywood-style fiction, the Green lobbies and the media. These fears are unjustified, and nuclear energy from its start in 1952 has proved to be the safest of all energy sources. We must stop fretting over the minute statistical risks of cancer from chemicals or radiation. Nearly one third of us will die of cancer anyway, mainly because we breathe air laden with that all pervasive carcinogen, oxygen. If we fail to concentrate our minds on the real danger, which is global warming, we may die even sooner, as did more than 20,000 unfortunates from overheating in Europe last summer.
I find it sad and ironic that the UK, which leads the world in the quality of its Earth and climate scientists, rejects their warnings and advice, and prefers to listen to the Greens. But I am a Green and I entreat my friends in the movement to drop their wrongheaded objection to nuclear energy.
Even if they were right about its dangers, and they are not, its worldwide use as our main source of energy would pose an insignificant threat compared with the dangers of intolerable and lethal heat waves and sea levels rising to drown every coastal city of the world. We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger and has to use nuclear - the one safe, available, energy source - now or suffer the pain soon to be inflicted by our outraged planet".

Does this view justify my fears?

Patrick Moore helped to found Greenpeace in the early 1970's and has since changed his stance on nuclear energy. Starting with his thinking as nuclear = holocaust, he now believes this energy is the only source that can save our planet from the climatic change disaster. Some of his quotes are: "Look at it this way: More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 percent of U.S. emissions -- or nearly 10 percent of global emissions -- of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely. I say that guardedly, of course, just days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that his country had enriched uranium. "The nuclear technology is only for the purpose of peace and nothing else," he said. But there is widespread speculation that, even though the process is ostensibly dedicated to producing electricity, it is in fact a cover for building nuclear weapons. There are signs of a new willingness to listen, though, even among the staunchest anti-nuclear campaigners. When I attended the Kyoto climate meeting in Montreal last December, I spoke to a packed house on the question of a sustainable energy future. I argued that the only way to reduce fossil fuel emissions from electrical production is through an aggressive program of renewable energy sources (hydroelectric, geothermal heat pumps, wind, etc.) plus nuclear. The Greenpeace spokesperson was first at the mike for the question period, and I expected a tongue-lashing. Instead, he began by saying he agreed with much of what I said -- not the nuclear bit, of course, but there was a clear feeling that all options must be explored. Here's why: Wind and solar power have their place, but because they are intermittent and unpredictable they simply can't replace big base load plants such as coal, nuclear and hydroelectric. Natural gas, a fossil fuel, is too expensive already, and its price is too volatile to risk building big base load plants. Given that hydroelectric resources are built pretty much to capacity, nuclear is, by elimination, the only viable substitute for coal. It's that simple".

I still do not want to melt!

We've now heard from two sources as to why we need nuclear plants now here is a view from noted economist, Dennis Anderson saying that we should first explore the possibilities of renewables and other forms of energy. Quoting Mr. Anderson: "Let me take fossil fuels first, since there is a moral in this for both nuclear power and renewable energy. The United Nations "Atoms for Peace" conferences in 1955 and 1957, which set the stage for the expansion of the nuclear industry, were unambiguous about the need for nuclear power. The view was that fossil fuels would last for about 75 years and that, by the end of the 20th century, we would be faced with major energy crises unless we had nuclear power. The costs of fossil fuels would rise exponentially, while those of nuclear power would fall. However, the opposite has happened. Fossil fuels have proven to be abundant and less expensive than nuclear power. Estimates of fossil-fuel reserves are enormous, especially of gas. "Commercially proven" reserves - those that companies have access to and declare in their assets - are a poor guide to actual reserves, which include unexplored resources and unconventional resources such as tar sands, shale oils and gas hydrates. In terms of capacity and cost, it is thus difficult to make a good case for nuclear power. Fossil fuels are more than sufficient to meet the world's energy needs economically, not least in developing countries. Will environmental concerns change this? In response to successions of clean-air acts and environmental controls introduced in industrial nations, all sectors of the energy industry have made immense strides in reducing local and regional pollution per unit of energy consumption. With the partial exception of nitrous oxides, the development of "clean" technologies and fuels is enabling pollution per unit of energy use to be reduced by several orders of magnitude. We have seen major reductions in local and regional pollution where these technologies and practices have been introduced: reductions of smog, lead in fuels and acid deposition in Europe and the US being striking examples. The associated costs have, moreover, proved to be small compared with the overall costs of energy use, and have sometimes been negative, with the "clean" practice being more efficient than the polluting practice it displaced. Further reductions are still possible, with hybrid vehicles and fuel cells holding considerable promise. Countries taking advantage of these technological developments have been able to use more energy with less pollution and have found themselves economically better off. The fossil-fuel industry has thus responded remarkably well to local and regional pollution problems, and there is no reason why societies cannot enjoy the benefits of using these sources while striving to improve the local and regional environment".

After reading on nuclear plants and energy for the past two weeks, I still have to go with my heart and say "NO" to nukes! Fossil power, baby!

Blog Action Day was created by a group of bloggers concerned about our world's environment and have really made me think about issues I haven't addressed in years. My thanks to Collis Ta'eed (Eden Creative Communities), Cyan Ta'eed (FreeLance Switch), and Leo Babauta ( ZenHabits) for making this a blog day to remember!

Two New Treasures from Ray Bradbury

Two New Treasures from Ray Bradbury

The bad news is that Ray Bradbury, the prolific author of more than 30 books and hundreds of stories, will not be with us much longer. At 87, he is nearing the end of a life defined by a remarkable talent that infused his output of imaginative fiction.

The good news is that Bradbury has presented loyal fans with a double helping of that talent with two heretofore new books – one of them a 50-years-later sequel to his classic, Dandelion Wine.

Farewell Summer: A Novel

Now and Forever: Somewhere a Band Is Playing & Leviathan '99

In Farewell Summer, as he did in Dandelion Wine, Bradbury celebrates the joys of young boys in a small Illinois town in the 1920s, all of whose lives will soon translate into adulthood. It is the first of October and Douglas Spaulding, his young brother Tom, and their friends are determined to savor the waning days of summer with all of the enthusiasm that is characteristic of boys who are just beginning the sweet mysteries of their teenage years.

They know that a group of old men led by a Mr. Quartermain run their community of Green Town. They know also that the men would like nothing better than to see the boys abandon their exuberant activities and settle into becoming grownups who will take life with the same near-deadly seriousness as the old men.

The boys know that despite their desire to prolong summer – and in a way, their innocence – the passage of time will soon make the golden days of summer something that can only be savored as a distant memory.

As the story unfolds, readers can once again lose themselves in Bradbury’s poignant yet thought-provoking prose. He has a marvelous talent for evoking memories that will resonant with anyone who can fondly remember the joys of their youth. Even better, he conveys those joys with the lyrical talent that is a hallmark of his work, whether the subject is boys’ summertime lives in a small town – or the sinister world of censorship and repression, as in his Fahrenheit 451.


In Now and Forever, Bradbury presents us with two heretofore unpublished novellas, Somewhere a Band Is Playing and Leviathan ‘99, both of whose subject matter is starkly different from Farewell Summer. The stories are pleasurable yet thought-provoking excursions into two entirely different worlds.

In the first story, a writer is compelled by his dreams and poetry to Summerton, a small town in Arizona where, remarkably, there are no children and its residents do not grow older. In a way the story evokes several scenes in The Martian Chronicles (published in 1950), a novel about the first attempt by Earth people to colonize Mars. In those scenes the Martians, determined to discourage the colonization, transform themselves into members of the crew’s original families on Earth, many of whom had died years before. It was a way for Bradbury, in his remarkable style, to make the seeming impossible all the more intriguing.

In Leviathan ‘99, Bradbury re-imagines Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, a classic tale of a sea captain’s obsession with a great whale. The difference is that the action is set in 2099, and instead of a whale, the object of obsession is a comet capable of destroying whole worlds. Ishmael Jones, who carries the same name as the narrator in Moby Dick, is a crew member aboard Cetus 7, captained by an Ahab-like character relentlessly in pursuit of the giant comet.

Bradbury’s talent is supremely evident in these two new books, so much so that after finishing them many of his fans may be inclined to reread some of his earlier works. And what could be better than that? – Michael Loftin

Nobel Prize - I Hope to be Alive

Eighty - eight years young and still writing! Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize for literature Thursday as announced by the Swedish academy's esteemed Nobel judges. Her agent, Jonathan Clowes, made the following statement: " We are absolutely delighted and it's very well deserved". Ms. Lessing was supposedly out shopping and had not heard the news. She is most famous for a novel written in 1962 "The Golden Notebook" .

Harold Bloom, an American literary critic said and I quote: "Ms. Lessing at the beginning of her writing career had a few admirable qualities, I find her work for the past fifteen years quite unreadable ... fourth-rate fiction! (AP)

The Golden Notebook: Perennial Classics edition (Perennial Classics)

The fledgling feminist movement saw her book "The Golden Notebook" as a pioneering work in 20th century views on male and female relationships. Ms Lessing, as do other Nobel winners has a history of political contention. She was barred from entering South Africa because of criticism of the apartheid system. Lessing has also been active in campaigning against nuclear weapons. Also a member of the British Communist party in the 1950's, she later vacated their leftist ideology.

The Nobel Prize award carries a $1.5 million windfall and will be awarded by Sweden's king Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on December 10.

Wishing just to be alive at eighty-eight and then reading and then being able to write and then being able to go shopping, you get my point. Hello, Ms. Lessing can you be my illegitimate mother? Congratulation's!

Thursday Ramblings

Had a friend call from LaVergne, TN and was very sad about the closing of another distributor of small press publishers, BookWorld, closed their doors 9/28/07. Having worked there in the past, the inside scoop is the parent company located in Sarasota, FL, did not even notify any of its 104 publishers.


To the rescue came AtlasBooks located in Ashland, OH and publishers were able to get their books. The saving company had been in purchasing talks earlier with BookWorld, caught wind of the shut down and sent trucks to help offset the loss.



Changing the subject, I just finished reading the new novel by Joshua Henkin, "Matrimony", and will give you a review shortly.











Don't forget Blog Action Day is October 15 and thousands of us will be blogging about the environment !





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Columbus: Fact or Fiction

Columbus: Fact vs. Fiction

FICTION: COLUMBUS DID NOT DISCOVER THE AMERICAS. THE VIKINGS DID.

FACT: In 1950, a map surfaced in Europe that shows the “Island of Vinland” in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. The map’s text in Medieval Latin explains that Leif Erickson and his Vikings found Vinland in the year 1000 A.D.The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., dates the map’s parchment to around 1434 A.D. – nearly 60 years before Columbus’ first voyage. But when researchers at London’s University College used a laser technique to test the map’s ink, they found it contained a chemical substance called anatase, which was not synthesized until 1923, proving that the map is a forgery.Did Columbus “discover” America? In every significant way, he did. Even if others visited the continent sporadically before he did, their voyages had no historical significance.Columbus’ voyages, however, marked the end of thousands of years of isolation between the Western Hemisphere and the rest of the world. The recorded history of the Americas and the Caribbean starts with Columbus.

FICTION: COLUMBUS FOUND SOPHISTICATED NATIVE CIVILIZATIONS.

FACT: Most of the native tribes Columbus found were hunter-gatherers who engaged in bloody tribal wars and, in the case of the Arawaks, Caribs and Canibs, slavery, torture and cannibalism.To survive, the native populations depended on “slash-and-burn” cultivation of the land along with hunting, fishing and collecting edible wild plants, seeds and shell fish. They had no written language, history or literature. In their struggle for survival, these peoples were not the champions of the environment that they are often portrayed as today.

FICTION: COLUMBUS WAS A SLAVE-TRADER.

FACT: Columbus never owned any slaves or brought any to the Western Hemisphere from Africa.During his first voyage in 1492, Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). There, with the help of a tribe of friendly Taino Indians, he built a fort called Navidad and left 40 of his crew there when he returned to Spain in January 1493.On his return to Hispaniola in November 1493, he learned that all his men had been massacred by another Taino tribe. Columbus and his men fought with these Indians, capturing about 2,000 and in 1495, sent 500 of these prisoners of war (POW) to Spain to be sold as slaves, as was the custom in 15th century Europe. He sent another 30 Indian POWs to Spain the following year, but the Spanish monarchs ordered him to stop the practice and he never again sent Indians to Europe to be sold as slaves.

FACT: No evidence indicates that Columbus thought the islanders he met were racially inferior in any way.In fact, in the journal of his first voyage, Columbus describes the Tainos and other tribes as “well-made with fine shapes and faces...their eyes were large and very beautiful...straight-limbed without exception and handsomely shaped....” He praises their generosity, innocence and intelligence, saying they could“readily become Christians as they have a good understanding.”Initially, Columbus had friendly relations with the five Taino tribes he met during his first voyage. These relations soured with four of the five tribes after he found the colony of men he had left behind in the fort Navidad had been slaughtered.He became good friends, however, with one tribe of Tainos led by Chief Guacanagari, who helped Columbus build his fort and fought alongside Columbus against the Taino tribes that wanted to kill the Europeans. Guacanagari paid heavily for his friendship with Columbus. His village was burned; he was wounded in battle and fled to the mountains where he died.

FICTION: COLUMBUS COMMITTED GENOCIDE.

FACT: The destruction of the native populations of North and South America over the centuries is a complex historical tragedy. No one knows exactly how many people were here when the Europeans arrived.The numbers vary from 8 million to 145 million. Many researchers believe the number to be around 40 million.Columbus made four voyages to the Caribbean in a twelve-year period (1492-1504), spending from only seven months to two years and nine months (including the year he was ship wrecked on his fourth voyage.) It is inconceivable that he could have killed millions of people in so short a time.Responsibility for the deaths of many thousands of natives can justly be attributed to the Spanish conquistadors and other Europeans who followed Columbus here. But even in this case, since there were more natives than Europeans, the loss of millions of lives could not have been caused by the Spaniards’warfare and forced labor alone.In fact, most of the native populations perished because they lacked immunity to such diseases as small pox, typhoid and diphtheria as well as the non-fatal childhood diseases of measles and mumps that they caught from the Spanish explorers. These diseases were not transmitted deliberately and cannot be considered a tool of genocide. Scholars estimate that 80% of those who died were infected without ever seeing a white man.Tragic as this epidemic was, it also bears remembering that prior to the Europeans’ arrival, the Western Hemisphere was no Garden of Eden. New medical research on pre-Colombian mummies in Peru, Chile and remote areas far from the early European colonies reveals that tuberculosis, long thought European in origin, was rampant among the Indian tribes before the arrival of Columbus. Arthritis, periodontal disease and significant bone erosion also afflicted the native populations well before the voyages of Columbus and other Europeans. Most adults, only in their 20s and 30s, had terrible teeth or none at all. Very few lived past age 40. The native populations gave the early explorers syphilis, which they brought back to Europe. Clearly, blaming Columbus for the extermination of the native populations is as fair as blaming the native populations for killing people who die from using tobacco and cocaine, which the natives introduced to the Europeans.

FICTION: COLUMBUS DESTROYED THE BALANCE BETWEEN MAN & NATURE.

FACT: Columbus and the other Europeans brought with them Old World agricultural techniques, including crop rotation and animal breeding. They also introduced new tools (including the wheel) as well as new plants and domesticated animals, including the horse.These imports led to improved farming methods, a greater diversity of crops and a more dependable food supply that benefited the native populations. Perfected over the centuries, they have helped make the nations in the Western Hemisphere a significant source of food for the rest of the world.

FICTION: COLUMBUS AND OTHER EUROPEANS STOLE THE NATIVES’ LAND.

FACT: A sad fact of human civilization is that powerful nations usurp the land of the vanquished. The Spanish conquistadors who followed Columbus in the 16th and 17th centuries were establishing an empire through military conquest. They did what Egypt, Persia, Rome and China did before them in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.They also did what the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas and many North American Indians did in the Americas. “The Iroquois Federation in North America subjugated so many Indians,” writes Richard Gambino, “that historian Francis Parkman calls them ‘the Romans of the New World.’” But Columbus himself had no part in this. It is worth pointing out that the Europeans brought considerable benefits to Latin America. Their arrival gave the entire continent a common language, while in North America, land taken from the Iroquois and other tribes eventually became the United States, a haven for the poor and oppressed from all over the world, who find opportunities and freedoms here that their own countries deny them. And it all started with Columbus.

Why We Should Celebrate Columbus Day•

Columbus Day recognizes the achievements of a great Renaissance explorer who founded the first permanent European settlement in the New World. The arrival of Columbus in 1492 marks the beginning of recorded history in America and opened relations between the Americas and the rest of the world.•

Columbus Day celebrates the beginning of cultural exchange between America and Europe. After Columbus, millions of European immigrants brought their art, music, science, medicine, philosophy and religious principles to America. These contributions have helped shape the United States and include Greek democracy, Roman law, Judeo-Christian ethics and the belief that all men are created equal.•

Columbus Day is one of America’s oldest holidays. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century in this country. It was first celebrated on October 12, 1792, when the New York Society of Tammany honored Columbus on the 300th anniversary of his first voyage.•

Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. In fact, the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 in honor of the 400th anniversary of his first voyage. That year, President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day a legal holiday.•

The United States has long admired Columbus. America has more monuments to Columbus than any nation in the world, according to the Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia. These include a Columbus statue in Providence, R.I., cast by Frederic Auguste Bertholdi, who created the Statue of Liberty, and one in New York City, created by one of the six Piccirilli brothers who carved the Lincoln Memorial.•

The United States has a significant collection of Columbus memorabilia, including his desk, papers, and the cross he used to claim the New World for Spain. These are in the Columbus Chapel in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.•

In 1905, Colorado became the first state to declare Columbus Day a holiday. In 1971, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in all 50 states after Congress passed a law declaring the second Monday in October Columbus Day.• Columbus Day also commemorates the arrival on these shores of more than 5 million Italians beginning in 1880. Today, the children and grandchildren of these early Italian Americans constitute the nation’s fifth largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Prepared by:The Order Sons of Italy in America Commission for Social Justice219 E Street, N.E.Washington, D.C. 20002

Columbus: Fact vs. Fiction Sources & Recommended Bibliography•
Bowden, Thomas A., The Enemies of Columbus. The Paper Tiger, 1992; 2nd ed. 2003.•
D’Souza, Dinesh, “The Crimes of Columbus,” First Things 57, 1995.•
Gambino, Richard, “The Question of Columbus’ Historical Significance,”Italian Journal, Vol. VI, No. 4, 1992.•
Gambino, Richard, “Revisions of the Myth,” Columbus: Meeting of Cultures, 1992.•
Hart, Jeffrey, “Discovering Columbus,” National Review, Oct. 15, 1990.•
Henige, David, Numbers From Nowhere, University of Oklahoma, 1998.•
Medieval Source Book: Christopher Columbus: Extracts from His Journal.•
Meyer, Karl, “Columbus Was Not Eichmann,” NY Times, June 27, 1991.•
Morison, Samuel Eliot. Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A life of Christopher Columbus.Little, Brown. 1942.•
Paolucci, Anne. Cipango! (The Story). Griffon House Publications. 2004.•
Mullen, William, “Mummies’ Secret: Ills not all Columbus’ Fault,” Chicago Tribune,Nov. 29, 2001.•
Pickering, Keith A., Columbus & the Destruction of Native Peoples. (Web)•
Royal, Robert, 1492 and All That: Political Manipulations of History (1992).•
Taviani, Emilio, Cristoforo Colombo: Genius of the Sea, 1990.• “Vinland Map Is a Fake – Maybe,” Washington Post, Aug. 5, 2002.


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Movie Release Delayed

"Kite Runner" a fiction work by Khaled Hosseini, on the New York Times best seller list, has had the movie version delayed because of fears for the safety of three child actors.

Living in Kabul Afghanistan, the children may be in jeopardy because of some sexual scenes could cause violence. The story's main character witnesses the rape of his friend and does nothing to abort the attack.

One of the children's father, Ahmed Jaan Mahmidzada, was relieved to find out Paramount Pictures were trying to get the three children to the United States. But will they be safe here?

Seeking advice from regional experts, Paramount Vantage, was aware of the possibility of the danger ahead for the three young actors. Megan Colligan, head of marketing for Paramount Vantage, said, "Our position is, we're not going to do anything that jeopardizes the kids and we are going to make sure that they are safe throughout this process".

The release date was supposed to be November 2, but now has been changed to December 14. The children's school year in Kabul ends December 6 and hopefully they will be relocated to the United States and a safe place by release of the movie. Religious beliefs can be deadly!

This is a devastating book! Buy it from through this site at Fiction View's Book Store.
The Kite Runner

Banned Books Week - Sept. 29 thru Oct. 6

My Thursday ramblings are a bit hard when you work all night so I decided to include an excerpt from the American Library Association on Banned Books Week. We need to join this fight on censorship!


What You Can Do to Fight Censorship and Keep Books Available in Your Libraries


Stay informed. If you read or hear about a challenge at your school or public library, support your librarian and free and open access to library materials. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates they learn of only 20 to 25 percent of book challenges. Let us know if there is a challenge in your community. Find out what the policy is for reviewing challenged materials at your school or public library. Join the Intellectual Freedom Action News (IFACTION) e-list.


Get involved. Go to school board meetings. Volunteer to help your local school or public library create an event that discusses the freedom to read and helps educate about censorship—maybe a film festival, a readout, a panel discussion, an author reading or a poster contest for children illustrating the concept of free speech.


Speak out. Write letters to the editor, your public library director and your local school principal supporting the freedom to read. Talk to your neighbors and friends about why everyone should be allowed to choose for themselves and their families what they read. Encourage your governor, city council and/or mayor to proclaim "Banned Books Week - Celebrating the Freedom to Read" in your state or community.


Exercise your rights! Check out or re-read a favorite banned book. Encourage your book group to read and discuss one of the books. Give one of your favorite books as a gift. The 100 most challenged books of the 1990s is a good resource!


Join the Freedom to Read Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the legal and financial defense of intellectual freedom, especially in libraries. You can also support the cause by buying Banned Books Week posters, buttons and T-shirts online.

© Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 American Library Association.