Thursday, December 11, 2003
Things I did today towards fulfilling my promise to Ellen: read lots of opinions at Mark Shea's blog, read Molly Ivins' article on why she is supporting Dean (need to back a winner not a quixotic loser). From what I can tell, Mark is against the US action in Iraq but in favor of Bush. So what's his answer? Still looking.
It took me only 10 minutes this time to log onto my blog but still... okay, Rae, go not to blogspot.com but to blogger.com ... or go to blogspot and click on the blog logo.
It took me only 10 minutes this time to log onto my blog but still... okay, Rae, go not to blogspot.com but to blogger.com ... or go to blogspot and click on the blog logo.
Double grrr, arrghhh. That was so easy it hurt. Okay, I'm off to read Mark Shea's blog. I'm on a Quest for My Own Political Opinions. I want to become a participating member of the polis. I promised Ellen Lebowitz and myself (myself numberless times, Ellen just once) that I would Make The Effort and Find Out What I Believe. We hold these truths to be self-evident - we're mired in a mid-east conflict, and I want to discover what as a citizen I can contribute not just to its resolution but to all the other complex problems of our techno-dream-nightmare civilization. The future is here. Even without the monorails...
Grrrr, arrghh. I spent the last 15 minutes writing my second serious blog entry, tried to publish it and lost it. Even though it says it is saved somewhere. Sigh. Okay let's try to post and publish this'n.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Book hunting. I scout for books for my used book business everywhere. Tonight I dropped off two boxes of books I am donating to the annual Wesley Foundation book sale. Marguerite picked me up in her car and we both did a bit of browsing to see what's going up for sale tomorrow morning at 11:00 am. As we were leaving, Janice Aitchley (sp) said to another worker, " Those two boxes are junk. We're giving them away." My ears perked up and I said, " Did you say you're giving what's in those two boxes away?" "Yes, they are damaged in one way or another." " Can I look through them now and maybe take one or two?" " Sure, go ahead."
So I looked through the box, badly damaged books all. Picked out two though that caught my eye: an old copy of House of the Seven Gables just because I liked the look and feel of the paper, the font it was in, etc. It turned out to be an 1899 copy from The Lake English Classics series of school books. I looked it up vaguely and the book's worth maybe $10-15 even in its poor condition. I didn't expect it to be worth anything, I just liked the look of it and I have wanted to reread the book for awhile. It's just the right size and weight for bedtime reading. I started it a couple of years ago but I was reading from a Complete Works of Hawthorne edition, way too unwieldy for reading in bed.
The second book, though, from Oxford University Press, turns out to have only three copies listed on all of Abebooks, one for $34, one for $75, and one for $100. My copy, unlike the Hawthorne book, is in miserable condition. The bottom edges and corners are so moldy and brittle they break off in the hand. But you know what? It is certainly readable, and if someone needs a copy of this book for their research, they'll buy it.
On the Abebooks discussion forum I am learning much about the side of the business that has always bored me - the collectible book business. Many of the Abebook sellers want to sell to collectors only, and want all booksellers to have a good education in bookselling terminology and collectibility value. I am only interested in books for their content, although of course I wouldn't kick a first edition ' Salem's Lot or The Stand out of bed. I discover to my amusement that Debbie and I are scum-of-the-earth booksellers - dollar sellers, low-ballers, ignorami who can't tell a gutter from a colophon. Luckily for rubes like us, the Abebooks site provides a nice glossary of terms. For example, "Bibliomaniac - A bibliophile in whom the love of books has become an obsession; many bookdealers and certain collectors." And certain writers in the Abebooks discussion forum.
Tomorrow John and Sandra DiMarco and son Robert come from Red Lion where they are visiting Sandra's brother. I have not seen John and Sandra since the wedding, and never seen Robbie at all. Tomorrow the Wesley Foundation book sale begins. Some days offer nothing to look forward to with pleasure - and some days my cup runneth over, like tomorrow.
So far so good in the brave new world of blogging. Maybe before the weekend is over I will figure out how to make links...
So I looked through the box, badly damaged books all. Picked out two though that caught my eye: an old copy of House of the Seven Gables just because I liked the look and feel of the paper, the font it was in, etc. It turned out to be an 1899 copy from The Lake English Classics series of school books. I looked it up vaguely and the book's worth maybe $10-15 even in its poor condition. I didn't expect it to be worth anything, I just liked the look of it and I have wanted to reread the book for awhile. It's just the right size and weight for bedtime reading. I started it a couple of years ago but I was reading from a Complete Works of Hawthorne edition, way too unwieldy for reading in bed.
The second book, though, from Oxford University Press, turns out to have only three copies listed on all of Abebooks, one for $34, one for $75, and one for $100. My copy, unlike the Hawthorne book, is in miserable condition. The bottom edges and corners are so moldy and brittle they break off in the hand. But you know what? It is certainly readable, and if someone needs a copy of this book for their research, they'll buy it.
On the Abebooks discussion forum I am learning much about the side of the business that has always bored me - the collectible book business. Many of the Abebook sellers want to sell to collectors only, and want all booksellers to have a good education in bookselling terminology and collectibility value. I am only interested in books for their content, although of course I wouldn't kick a first edition ' Salem's Lot or The Stand out of bed. I discover to my amusement that Debbie and I are scum-of-the-earth booksellers - dollar sellers, low-ballers, ignorami who can't tell a gutter from a colophon. Luckily for rubes like us, the Abebooks site provides a nice glossary of terms. For example, "Bibliomaniac - A bibliophile in whom the love of books has become an obsession; many bookdealers and certain collectors." And certain writers in the Abebooks discussion forum.
Tomorrow John and Sandra DiMarco and son Robert come from Red Lion where they are visiting Sandra's brother. I have not seen John and Sandra since the wedding, and never seen Robbie at all. Tomorrow the Wesley Foundation book sale begins. Some days offer nothing to look forward to with pleasure - and some days my cup runneth over, like tomorrow.
So far so good in the brave new world of blogging. Maybe before the weekend is over I will figure out how to make links...
Okay. After several attempts yesterday to host my new blog on mywebpages.comcast.net where I have file space, I decided to try to create a web hosted by blogspot. The downside is ads, the upside is that it works. I'll take it.
Why am I blogging? In the Catholic Writers Association mailing list the question arose, as it does every few months, as to whether any members kept blogs. My curiosity was piqued to action this time. Hence, I blog.
GOODBYE WORLD. FOR NOW.
Why am I blogging? In the Catholic Writers Association mailing list the question arose, as it does every few months, as to whether any members kept blogs. My curiosity was piqued to action this time. Hence, I blog.
GOODBYE WORLD. FOR NOW.
HELLO WORLD.
