President Obama and his Openness

Tonight I saw our new President Obama displaying leadership, openness, and passion in his long press conference. I saw in him and in his intelligent answers to the media questions a directness and openness that I don’t believe we’ve ever had before with our previous Presidents. It was refreshing and promising.

I liked this that he said:

“Now, despite all of this, the plan's not perfect. No plan is. I can't tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hoped, but I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis, as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans.

“Now, my administration inherited a deficit of over $1 trillion, but because we also inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression, doing little or nothing at all will result in even greater deficits, even greater job loss, even greater loss of income, and even greater loss of confidence.

“Those are deficits that could turn a crisis into a catastrophe, and I refuse to let that happen. As long as I hold this office, I will do whatever it takes to put this economy back on track and put this country back to work.”

~ Linda

Novel Writing, Character Flow

After completing my latest nonfiction ebook , How Thin the Veil! 150 Years of Spiritualism and the gift ebooks that go along with it, most in celebration of Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday this month, I began a new novel. I had intended to do some writing today but did not. Sunday evening is one night that I watch certain programs, my favorite being “Big Love” on HBO. The acting is tremendous on that show. Although the story line is unique, and may not seem to be approved of by many, you really learn immediately to overlook that with the incredible acting, not just by one or two of the characters but by every one on that show. My other favorite is “Brothers and Sisters.” And of course it is hard to let a Sunday night go by without watching what is happening on Wisteria Lane with those Housewives.

So tonight thanks to my DVR I was able to see the Grammy Awards and the three programs.

So, no writing tonight. I stopped late last night at page 98. I write at night for the most part as my days are too busy. I’m usually still going strong at 1:00 am or later. It seems with the writing of this story I have been getting into a character flow...where the character or characters take over the story and “write” it. As usual, I do not know where my story is going. I have this vague idea of the overall story, but that is about it. After all it is their story to tell, so hopefully it will continue to unfold at an even pace. I hope I can keep up this momentum with the manuscript. I go to bed thinking about it, have even dreamed about it. I usually listen to the radio, Coast to Coast AM, George Noory, which is on until 4:00 am. Often I fall asleep soon after going to bed, but when Coast to Coast goes off at 4, I almost always wake up about 4:10, when the infomercials are on.... special vitamins, herbal products, and there is something so irritating with the voices of the “doctor” and interviewer, and announcer for the 800 numbers. I turn the radio off and then about that time I hear the train whistle blowing.... and then I again think about my characters in my book and what they are doing next.... and sometimes have to talk myself out of getting up and going to the computer for more story telling.

So now instead of writing page 99 and more, late tonight, I decided to write this blog....and then go listen to the radio...and the rain.

~Linda

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The Music Doesn't Fade Away, 50 Years and Still With Us

On Feb. 3,1959, Rock and Roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed, along with pilot Roger Peterson, in the crash of a small private airplane near Clear Lake, Iowa as they were headed to the next stop in their singing tour. Richardson was the oldest of the four at 28. Buddy Holly was 22, Richie Valens was 17, and Peterson was 21.

I guess it is a sign of getting old when remembering events so vividly of 50 years ago. But those guys were very popular at the time and it was a tragic event.

Following their deaths, Don McLean wrote a ballad about the loss, American Pie, The Day the Music Died. But MSNBC contributor Michael Ventre said it well in his article yesterday, Sorry, Don McLean, but the music didn’t die. He’s right. The music lives on.

Buddy Holly’s song writing and singing had a big impact on Rock and Roll. Some of the songs of Buddy Holly and the Crickets were co-written by Buddy Holly and his drummer, Jerry Allison although Allison was not always given credit where due. Songs like, That’ll Be the Day, Peggy Sue, Not Fade Away, still sound great today. It’s the Rock-a-Billy sound that is memorable. We can be assured, Buddy Holly has not faded away, nor has the DJ singer, The Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace, or young Ritchie Valens' songs.

Lucky for us, music has a way of staying with us.

~Linda

For those who want to reminisce you might like reading the interview with Cricket drummer, Jerry Allison.

President Lincoln and His Pet Goats at the White House

Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley is one of the first memoirs by a White House insider, published in 1868. It is considered both a vivid slave narrative and an important source for Abraham Lincoln scholars. The press criticized Keckley for her intimate portrayal of the Lincoln family, especially for publishing numerous letters Mary Lincoln had written to her.

Here is another excerpt I found of interest regarding President Lincoln’s goats in Elizabeth Keckley’s book. I thought Lincoln’s comment about manipulation of the "grand machine" and "bounty-jumpers" and the "outrageous fraud" seemed so timely with what is happening currently in Washington. I think the bailout of banks and companies, fit the bounty-jumpers' tag very well, and yes, it is an outrageous fraud being manipulated by the grand government machine.

Mr. Lincoln was fond of pets. He had two goats that knew the sound of his voice, and when he called them they would come bounding to his side. In the warm bright days, he and Tad would sometimes play in the yard with these goats, for a hour at a time. One Saturday afternoon I went to the White House to dress Mrs. Lincoln. I had nearly completed my task when the President came in. It was a bright day, and walking to the window, he looked down into the yard, smiled, and, turning to me, asked:

"Madam Elizabeth, you are fond of pets, are you not?"

"O Yes, sir," I answered.

"Well, come here and look at my two goats. I believe they are the kindest and best goats in the world. See how they sniff the clear air, and skip and play in the sunshine. Whew! what a jump," he exclaimed as one of the goats made a lofty spring. "Madam Elizabeth, did you ever before see such an active goat?"

Musing a moment, he continued: "He feeds on my bounty, and jumps with joy. Do you think we could call him a bounty-jumper? But I flatter the bounty-jumper. My goat is far above him. I would rather wear his horns and hairy coat through life, than demean myself to the level of the man who plunders the national treasury in the name of patriotism. The man who enlists into the service for a consideration, and deserts the moment he receives his money but to repeat the play, is bad enough; but the men who manipulate the grand machine and who simply make the bounty-jumper their agent in an outrageous fraud are far worse. They are beneath the worms that crawl in the dark hidden places of earth."

His lips curled with haughty scorn, and a cloud was gathering on his brow. Only a moment the shadow rested on his face. Just then both goats looked up at the window and shook their heads as if they would say "How d'ye do, old friend?"

"See, Madam Elizabeth," exclaimed the President in a tone of enthusiasm, "my pets recognize me. How earnestly they look! There they go again; what jolly fun!" and he laughed outright as the goats bounded swiftly to the other side of the yard.

Just then Mrs. Lincoln called out, "Come, Lizabeth; if I get ready to go down this evening I must finish dressing myself, or you must stop staring at those silly goats."

Mrs. Lincoln was not fond of pets, and she could not understand how Mr. Lincoln could take so much delight in his goats.

Mrs. Kackley notes that after President Lincoln’s death Mrs. Lincoln gave away the goats he loved so well.

See my Sunday Blog for another excerpt of Elizabeth Kackley’s book. Also the book is downloadable.

~Linda

Thirty Years a Slave, Four Years in the White House as a Dressmaker

With my usual interest in Abraham Lincoln, and his upcoming bicentennial birthday celebration, and my recent publication of my newest ebooks, of which Lincoln is a big part, I discovered a book published in 1868, by Elizabeth (Hobbs) Keckley, a Black woman born into slavery in 1818. She suffered various abuses from a very young age.

She became free in 1855, partly due to her dressmaking skills. She then became a White House Seamstress for Mary Todd Lincoln and also Mrs. Lincoln’s confidante over a four year period during the Civil War. What I have read of her memoir is very interesting and Robert Todd Lincoln, eldest son of the Lincoln’s whose actions I’ve always questioned, had the book withdrawn from publication. (for what period of time, I do not know). Mrs. Keckley tends to show the controversial side of her friend Mary Lincoln, along with obvious understanding of Mary Lincoln’s personality. She seems to think highly of Abraham Lincoln.

Here is an excerpt from Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House By Elizabeth Keckley, Published by Stansil and Lee, 1868.My long-cherished hope was about to be realized, and I could not rest.

Tuesday morning, at eight o'clock, I crossed the threshold of the White House for the first time. I was shown into a waiting-room, and informed that Mrs. Lincoln was at breakfast. In the waiting-room I found no less than three mantua-makers waiting for an interview with the wife of the new President. It seems that Mrs. Lincoln had told several of her lady friends that she had urgent need for a dress-maker, and that each of these friends had sent her mantua-maker to the White House. Hope fell at once. With so many rivals for the position sought after, I regarded my chances for success as extremely doubtful. I was the last one summoned to Mrs. Lincoln's presence. All the others had a hearing, and were dismissed. I went up-stairs timidly, and entering the room with nervous step, discovered the wife of the President standing by a window, looking out, and engaged in lively conversation with a lady, Mrs. Grimsly, as I afterwards learned.

Mrs. L. came forward, and greeted me warmly. "You have come at last. Mrs. Keckley, who have you worked for in the city?"

"Among others, Mrs. Senator Davis has been one of my best patrons," was my reply.

"Mrs. Davis! So you have worked for her, have you? Of course you gave satisfaction; so far, good. Can you do my work?"

"Yes, Mrs. Lincoln. Will you have much work for me to do?"

"That, Mrs. Keckley, will depend altogether upon your prices. I trust that your terms are reasonable. I cannot afford to be extravagant. We are just from the West, and are poor. If you do not charge too much, I shall be able to give you all my work."

"I do not think there will be any difficulty about charges, Mrs. Lincoln; my terms are reasonable."

"Well, if you will work cheap, you shall have plenty to do. I can't afford to pay big prices, so I frankly tell you so in the beginning."

The terms were satisfactorily arranged, and I measured Mrs. Lincoln, took the dress with me, a bright rose-colored moire-antique, and returned the next day to fit it on her. A number of ladies were in the room, all making preparations for the levee to come off on Friday night. These ladies, I learned, were relatives of Mrs. L.'s,—Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Kellogg, her own sisters, and Elizabeth Edwards and Julia Baker, her nieces. Mrs. Lincoln this morning was dressed in a cashmere wrapper, quilted down the front; and she wore a simple head-dress. The other ladies wore morning robes.

I was hard at work on the dress, when I was informed that the levee had been postponed from Friday night till Tuesday night. This, of course, gave me more time to complete my task. Mrs. Lincoln sent for me, and suggested some alteration in style, which was made. She also requested that I make a waist of blue watered silk for Mrs. Grimsly, as work on the dress would not require all my time.

Tuesday evening came, and I had taken the last stitches on the dress. I folded it and carried it to the White House, with the waist for Mrs. Grimsly. When I went up-stairs, I found the ladies in a terrible state of excitement. Mrs. Lincoln was protesting that she could not go down, for the reason that she had nothing to wear.

"Mrs. Keckley, you have disappointed me—deceived me. Why do you bring my dress at this late hour?"

"Because I have just finished it, and I thought I should be in time."

"But you are not in time, Mrs. Keckley; you have bitterly disappointed me. I have no time now to dress, and, what is more, I will not dress, and go down-stairs."

"I am sorry if I have disappointed you, Mrs. Lincoln, for I intended to be in time. Will you let me dress you? I can have you ready in a few minutes."

"No, I won't be dressed. I will stay in my room. Mr. Lincoln can go down with the other ladies."

"But there is plenty of time for you to dress, Mary," joined in Mrs. Grimsly and Mrs. Edwards. "Let Mrs. Keckley assist you, and she will soon have you ready."

Thus urged, she consented. I dressed her hair, and arranged the dress on her. It fitted nicely, and she was pleased. Mr. Lincoln came in, threw himself on the sofa, laughed with Willie and little Tad, and then commenced pulling on his gloves, quoting poetry all the while.

"You seem to be in a poetical mood to-night," said his wife.

"Yes, mother, these are poetical times," was his pleasant reply. "I declare, you look charming in that dress. Mrs. Keckley has met with great success." And then he proceeded to compliment the other ladies.

Mrs. Lincoln looked elegant in her rose-colored moire-antique. She wore a pearl necklace, pearl ear-rings, pearl bracelets, and red roses in her hair. Mrs. Baker was dressed in lemon-colored silk; Mrs. Kellogg in a drab silk, ashes of rose; Mrs. Edwards in a brown and black silk; Miss Edwards in crimson, and Mrs. Grimsly in blue watered silk.

Just before starting down-stairs, Mrs. Lincoln's lace handkerchief was the object of search. It had been displaced by Tad, who was mischievous, and hard to restrain. The handkerchief found, all became serene. Mrs. Lincoln took the President's arm, and with smiling face led the train below. I was surprised at her grace and composure. I had heard so much, in current and malicious report, of her low life, of her ignorance and vulgarity, that I expected to see her embarrassed on this occasion. Report, I soon saw, was wrong. Is to queen, accustomed to the usages of royalty all her life, could have comported herself with more calmness and dignity than did the wife of the President. She was confident and self-possessed, and confidence always gives grace.

This levee was a brilliant one, and the only one of the season. I became the regular modiste of Mrs. Lincoln. I made fifteen or sixteen dresses for her during the spring and early part of the summer, when she left Washington; spending the hot weather at Saratoga, Long Branch, and other places. In the mean time I was employed by Mrs. Senator Douglas, one of the loveliest ladies that I ever met, Mrs. Secretary Wells, Mrs. Secretary Stanton, and others. Mrs. Douglas always dressed in deep mourning, with excellent taste, and several of the leading ladies of Washington society were extremely jealous of her superior attractions.

MRS. LINCOLN returned to Washington in November, and again duty called me to the White House. The war was now in progress, and every day brought stirring news from the front —the front, where the Gray opposed the Blue, where flashed the bright sabre in the sunshine, where were heard the angry notes of battle, the deep roar of cannon, and the fearful rattle of musketry; where new graves were being made every day, where brother forgot a mother's early blessing and sought the life-blood of brother, and friend raised the deadly knife against friend.

Oh, the front, with its stirring battle-seer es! Oh, the front, with its ghastly heaps of dead! The life of the nation was at stake; and when the land was full of sorrow, there could not be much gayety at the capital. The days passed quietly with me. I soon learned that some people had an intense desire to penetrate the inner circle of the White House. No President and his family, heretofore occupying this mansion, ever excited so much curiosity as the present incumbents. Mr. Lincoln had grown up in the wilds of the West, and evil report had said much of him and his wife. The polite world was shocked, and the tendency to exaggerate intensified curiosity. As soon as it was known that I was the modiste of Mrs. Lincoln, parties crowded around and affected friendship for me, hoping to induce me to betray the secrets of the domestic circle. One day a woman, I will not call her a lady, drove up to my rooms, gave me an order to make a dress, and insisted on partly paying me in advance. She called on me every day, and was exceedingly kind.

When she came to take her dress away, she cautiously remarked: "Mrs. Keckley, you know Mrs. Lincoln?"

"Yes."

"You are her modiste; are you not!"

"Yes."

"You know her very well; do you not ?"

"I am with her every day or two."

"Don't you think you would have some influence with her?"

"I cannot say. Mrs. Lincoln, I presume, would listen to anything I should suggest, but whether she would be influenced by a suggestion of mine is another question."

"I am sure that you could influence her, Mrs. Keckley. Now listen; I have a proposition to make. I have a great desire to become an inmate of the White House. I have heard so much of Mr. Lincoln's goodness that I should like to be near him; and if I can enter the White House no other way, I am willing to go as a menial. My dear Mrs. Keckley, will you not recommend me to Mrs. Lincoln as a friend of yours out of employment, and ask her to take me as a chambermaid? If you will do this you shall be well rewarded. It may be worth several thousand dollars to you in time."

I looked at the woman in amazement. A bribe, and to betray the confidence of my employer! Turning to her with a glance of scorn, I said: "Madam, you are mistaken in regard to my character. Sooner than betray the trust of a friend, I would throw myself into the Potomac River. I am not so base as that. Pardon me, but there is the door, and I trust that you will never enter my room again."

She sprang to her feet in deep confusion, and passed through the door, murmuring: "Very well; you will live to regret your action today."

"Never, never!” I exclaimed, and closed the door after her with a bang. I afterwards learned that this woman was an actress, and that her object was to enter the White House as a servant, learn its secrets, and then publish a scandal to the world. I do not give her name, for such publicity would wound the sensitive feelings of friends, who would have to share her disgrace, without being responsible for her faults. I simply record the incident to show how I often was approached by unprincipled parties.

It is unnecessary to say that I indignantly refused every bribe offered.

The first public appearance of Mrs. Lincoln that winter was at the reception on New Year's Day. This reception was shortly followed by a brilliant levee. The day after the levee I went to the "White House, and while fitting a dress to Mrs. Lincoln, she said:

"Lizabeth"—she had learned to drop the E— "Lizabeth, I have an idea. These are war times, and we must be as economical as possible. You know the President is expected to give a series of State dinners every winter, and these dinners are very costly; Now I want to avoid this expense; and my idea is, that if I give three large receptions, the state dinners can be scratched from the program. What do you think, Lizabeth?"

"I think that you are right, Mrs. Lincoln."

"I am glad to hear you say so. If I can make Mr. Lincoln take the same view of the case, I shall not fail to put the idea into practice."

Before I left her room that day, Mr. Lincoln came in. She at once stated the case to him.

He pondered the question a few moments before answering. " Mother, I am afraid your plan will not work."

"But it will work, if you will only determine that it shall work."

"It is breaking in on the regular custom," he mildly replied.

"But you forget, father, these are war times, and old customs can be done away with for the once. The idea is economical, you must admit."

"Yes, mother, but we must think of something besides economy."

"I do think of something else. Public receptions are more democratic than stupid State dinners—are more in keeping with the spirit of the institutions of our country, as you would say if called upon to make a stump speech. There are a great many strangers in the city, foreigners and others, whom we can entertain at our receptions, but whom we cannot invite to our dinners."

"I believe you are right, mother. You argue the point well. I think that we shall have to decide on the receptions."

So the day was carried. The question was decided, and arrangements were made for the first reception. It now was January, and cards were issued for February.

I may post more of this as I read more of her book. Lincoln was fond of poetry and her comment about the poetry confirms what I had discovered in many writings about him. And also he apparently was always very gracious and complimentry not only to his wife but to other women.

The book is available electronically.

~Linda

Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come, Jon Bon Jovi, Bettye Lavette

Today I again watched Obama’s Inaugural Concert. This song, A Change is Gonna Come, written in 1963 by popular gospel, R&B, and pop singer, Sam Cooke (1931-1964), was recorded in 1964. During the concert it was very well done by Bettye Lavette and Jon Bon Jovi.

And I think Jon and Bettye singing A Change is Gonna Come said it all. It brought forth the sentiments, the emotions, that so many of us were feeling with our new President and the change we are undergoing. The shift of energy, the acceptance of diversity that has been so evident.

Sam Cooke, a young talented black man, was active in the Civil Rights Movement and it was that and Bob Dylan’s Blowing in the Wind (Peter, Paul and Mary) that inspired his writing of A Change is Gonna Come. From 1957-65 he apparently had 29 Top Forty Hits. I loved his music. Probably my favorite of his was You Send Me. I remember playing the 45 rpm record over and over again. But I think I also loved every song he sang.

Read more about Sam Cook and listen to an award winning Documentary “Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come,” by radio station (90.3 WCPN) on his life and music. Funding provided by the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. It’s very good.

~Linda

Historic Inauguration of President Obama, and Vice President Biden

It was amazing to watch. Obama’s inauguration was so historic and emotional. It seems the significance of this goes much deeper than the historic event of having a bi-racial/Black President. (I loved he was sworn in on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible) I believe the bigger message or hope has been about positive change, acceptance, tolerance, diversity, and equality in all areas of life and that might be why it has hit so many of us a such a deep level...a soul level. And with that comes the emotion, the tears. I think our new President and Vice President will represent us well.

~Linda

American Prayer, written by Dave Stewart, Bono. Stewart explains why he wrote the song:
"People long for a connection-- whether it is to music, to their country, or to a big idea."

An Historic Journey by Train, Obama and Biden on the Obama Express

The Obama Express: From Philadelphia to Washington D.C., an historic journey, a duplication of part of a journey made by Abraham Lincoln to his own inauguration in 1861. Today our President-elect Barack Obama made that symbolic journey to Washington D.C. for his Tuesday inauguration, accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. They picked up Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, and family in Wilmington, Delaware.

Here is a bit of Obama's speech at a stop in Baltimore:

"And yet while our problems may be new, what is required to overcome them is not. What is required is the same perseverance and idealism that those first patriots displayed. What is required is a new declaration of independence, not just in our nation, but in our own lives - from ideology and small thinking, prejudice and bigotry - an appeal not to our easy instincts but to our better angels."

"That is the reason I launched my campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago. I did so in the belief that the most fundamental American ideal, that a better life is in store for all those willing to work for it, was slipping out of reach. That Washington was serving the interests of the few, not the many. And that our politics had grown too small for the scale of the challenges we faced. But I also believed something else. I believed that our future is our choice, and that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, north, south, east and west, black, white, Latino, Asian, and Native American, gay and straight, disabled and not - then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process."

"This is what I believed, but you made this belief real. You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to leave for Washington on a trip that you made possible, know that I will not be traveling alone. I will be taking with me some of the men and women I met along the way, Americans from every corner of this country, whose hopes and heartaches were the core of our cause; whose dreams and struggles have become my own. Theirs are the voices I will carry with me every day in the White House. Theirs are the stories I will be thinking of when we deliver the changes you elected me to make. "

I surprisingly found myself with tears in listening to his words today. So hopeful, so inspirational, so energizing. I can't help but associate Obama with Lincoln. Even did so before the Lincoln theme was created for the Inauguration. This is history being made. And it is exciting.

I better keep the Kleenex handy on Tuesday, because that is the way this is hitting me, deeply.

~Linda

Photo by Richard Perry, New York Times

Endings and Beginnings, Shifts of Energy, Miracles Do Happen

Counting the days! Five to go! GW Bush said goodbye to America tonight! Thank goodness. I don’t think he has a clue how unpopular he is, nor does he have any understanding of how he has harmed this country, outright failed it in so many ways. Maybe it’s called denial.

Let me count the ways. I don’t know where to begin, but probably the most outstanding event has to be the Iraq War, and the supposed weapons of mass destruction, and the thousands who have died as a result. Following that would be Katrina. It is still disgusting to see that things are far from normal in three and a half years. What a government failure that was! Swept under the rug?—you bet. Anybody want a cheap trailer full of mud, mold, formaldehyde, and other toxins? Rights taken away, torture, corruption, economic downfall.... it could go on and on...and thankfully it will be over with that bunch in five days. GW can sit and enjoy his beers.... and we won’t have to see him fall off couches, fall off bikes, or fall all over himself trying to give a speech...or... What a relief!

I personally feel very optimistic about the change taking place since the election. I’ve spoken with so many who feel it. I mean like feeling the energy shift that is happening. I spoke with a woman clerk today in a very nice department store, a company that filed for bankruptcy this week. We all hope that the small chain of stores will make it. And she was optimistic about that, and also mentioned this positive global shift happening now. Many feel it despite the economic crisis we’re in.

We know Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the rest of his administration really have their work cut out for them in getting our country back on track, and it may not happen overnight, so to speak, but it is in motion and has been for several months now. And that is exciting.

I was in the car today listening to the radio about New York’s Hudson River plane crash. What a miracle that was! Then I thought, why not. That’s the way things feel right now. Always nice to hear how people move forward to help others in a crisis. And thank goodness for a very skilled pilot, co-pilot and crew, and passengers who apparently kept their calm and did what had to be done.

Man, that water would be so cold.....!




~Linda

Elvis Presley Never Dies

As always, for many years now, it is hard to get through early January without thinking about Elvis Presley. January 8th, 2009 he would have been seventy-four. Those of us who grew up with Elvis and his early success can’t help but realize we are not too far behind that age.

I was listening to the radio show Coast to Coast AM the other night and a discussion by George Noory and his guests of the theory that Elvis never died. These gentlemen all concluded Elvis died. Funny, how after all these years since his death in 1977, there is still that conspiracy theory out there that he staged his own death to escape the public or that he was in the Federal Witness Protection Program. I was looking at a couple of youtubes about this theory. Facts can be easily distorted, and I saw nothing credible to indicate that Elvis was not dead. Isn’t it somewhat amusing that some, for whatever reasons, won’t give up on the idea that he faked his death.

Many of us who were fans of Elvis and his charismatic personality, his sensuality, his music, his spirituality, and all, are still fans. He’s a part of us. Part of who we are, who we were. President Jimmy Carter said it well shortly after Elvis’ death in August of 1977:

"Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture."

It’s interesting how certain events, certain people, stay in our minds: people we’ve never met, never known personally, but despite that, they become very much a familiar figure, a friend, a hero, even someone who gives us comfort in reading their words, or hearing their voices, seeing their image. Although it could be viewed as a one-sided relationship, each gain something from it on some level, conscious or unconscious.

A meeting of the minds, a meeting of the heart, a meeting of the soul.

You may want to read more of what I previously wrote of Elvis in my August 2007 archives.

~Linda

This song, Old Shep, written by Red Foley (1910-1968) is said to be the first song Elvis sang in public, at the age of ten.

And this song, The Wonder of You, was written by prolific songwriter Baker Knight (1933-2005).

"Republican" Palace in Iraq, Again?

The new American Embassy opened in Baghdad. Situated on the banks of the Tigris river, one mile south of Saddam Hussein's Republican Palace -- U.S. headquarters in Baghdad since 2003 -
the Embassy covers 104 acres and is the largest in the world, housing 1,200 U.S. diplomats, soldiers, and government staff from 14 federal agencies, according to a U.S. State Department news release.

The original price tag on the 27-building complex was $592 million, but a congressional report from 2007 -- citing State Department documents -- indicated the cost could end up $144 million higher. With the 2007 report that would mean $736 MILLION. How many millions tacked onto that since the report? When the figure figures appear will it be over One Billion?

A U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee report of 2006 indicated there were 21 buildings on the site. The embassy’s 104 acres is six times larger than the United Nations compound in New York, and two-thirds the acreage of Washington’s National Mall. Vatican City has a total area of 108.7 acres.

And it is the size of 80 football fields!

It seems our State Department's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, rejected one bid from an American Company, and then waived a law that requires open and competitive bidding. It awarded a sole-source contract for the unclassified portions of the new embassy complex to a Kuwait-based firm, First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting Co.

Embassy construction had missed several deadlines; several problems have emerged, including faulty electrical and firefighting systems; and the project has been subject of a criminal investigation. It appears that the company that has built our Embassy, leading supplier of low-paid laborers recruited from poor Asian countries to build and operate U.S. military camps in Iraq frequently as a subcontractor to guess who–Halliburton’s multibillion support services agreement.

So our government took down Saddam’s grand Republican Palace, and a mile away built the United States "Republican" Palace. Are there richly adorned vacation suites for Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld to enjoy while they overlook the Tigris while sipping a beer, the Tigris which flows with the blood of thousands of lives lost in the unnecessary Iraqi War; blood of military men and women, blood of innocent civilians, men, women, and children.

All done for revenge, oil, and power?

And why do we need this huge complex? It feels like more waste, more billions, more ego.

15 more days....thank goodness.

I came across this quote from our President-elect today that I really liked:

"As I said before, in my own sort of mental library, the Civil Rights movement has a powerful hold on me. It’s a point in time where I think heaven and earth meet. Because it’s a moment in which a collective faith transforms everything. So when I read Gandhi or I read King or I read certain passages of Abraham Lincoln and I think about those times where people’s values are tested, I think those inspire me." ~Barack Obama

And he inspires me.

~Linda

The Hands of History: Lincoln, Obama, Ream

From one hand on a Bible, that of Abraham Lincoln during his first Presidential inauguration in 1861, to one hand on the same Bible, that of the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, almost 148 years later.

That is not only history, but history in the making. All that Lincoln strived for in our country has come to be with the choice of our President-elect by voters.

I believe it is fitting that Obama has chosen to use Lincoln’s Bible to take his oath of office. President-elect Obama will be the first president to be sworn in using this Bible since Abraham Lincoln. Presidents are not constitutionally required to be sworn in using a Bible, though most choose to do so.

The Lincoln Bible, now in the Library of Congress, is burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim around the three outside edges of both covers. All its edges are heavily gilded. In the center of the top cover is a shield of gold wash over white metal with the words "Holy Bible" chased into it. The 1,280-page Bible was published in 1853 by the Oxford University Press and was purchased in 1861 by Supreme Court Clerk William Thomas Carroll for use in Abraham Lincoln's inauguration because the president-elect's family Bible was packed away in Illinois and was en route to Washington.

Today in doing research on Lincoln for my newest series of ebooks, I discovered information I did not previously know. And that had to do with women’s rights, and position in the mid 1800’s and with another pair of hands...the hands of Vinnie Ream, the young sculptor who did a marble bust of Lincoln and then after his death was awarded the commission to sculpt the statute of Lincoln which now stands in the Capitol Rotunda.

Although I had photographed the statue on a visit to the Capitol a few years ago, I did not know the history of the sculptor. And I was surprised to learn it was a very attractive young woman. At the time Lincoln sat for the bust she sculpted, she was 18 years of age, and then at 23, commissioned to do the Lincoln statue.

Vinnie Reams’ hands left an imprint on history, also.

She wrote: “Congress appropriated money to erect a marble statue of the martyred President in the Capitol, it never occurred to me, with my youth and my inexperience, to compete for that great honor; but I was induced to place my likeness of him before the committee having the matter under consideration, and, together with many other artists--competitors for this work--I was called before this committee. I shall never forget the fear that fell upon me, as the chairman (the Hon. John H. Rice, of Maine, who had a kind heart, but a very stern manner) looked up through his glasses, from his seat at the head of the table, and questioned and cross-questioned me until I was so frightened that I could hardly reply to his questions: "How long had I been studying art?'' and had I ever made a marble statue?'' My knees trembled and I shook like an aspen, and I had not enough presence of mind even to tell him that I had made the bust from sittings from life. Seeing my dire confusion, and not being able to hear my incoherent replies, he dismissed me with a wave of his hand, and a request to Judge Marshall, of Illinois, to kindly see the young artist home! Once there, in the privacy of my own room, I wept bitter tears that I had been such an idiot as to try to compete with men, and remembering the appearance before that stern committee as a terrible ordeal before unmerciful judges, I promised myself it should be my last experience of that kind."

"Judge then of my surprise and delight when I learned that, guided by the opinion of Judge David Davis, Senator Trumbull, Marshal Lamon, Sec. O. H. Browning, Judge Dickey, and many others of President Lincoln's old friends, that I had produced the most faithful likeness of him, they had awarded the commission to me-the little western sculptor. The Committee on Mines and Mining tendered me their room in the Capitol, in which to model my statue, because it was next to the room of Judge David Davis, and he could come in daily and aid me with his friendly criticisms. His comfortable chair was kept in readiness. He came daily, and suggesting ‘a little more here--a little on there--more inclining of the bended head--more angularity of the long limbs,’ he aided me in my sacred work by his encouraging words and generous sympathy.”

She wrote this after the unveiling of the Lincoln statue in January, 1871.

“This night when the Lincoln statue was unveiled in the rotunda of the Capitol was the supreme moment of my life. I had known and loved the man! My country had loved him and cherished his memory. In tears the people had parted with him. With shouts of joy and acclamations of affection they had received his image in the marble. Upon the very spot where a few years before they had gathered in sorrow to gaze upon his lifeless body lying there in state while a nation mourned, they had gathered again to unveil his statue. ‘The marble is the resurrection,’ say the old sculptors, and now the dead had arisen to live forever in the hearts of the people whom he loved so well.”

And I like what she wrote about Washington D.C. and the Capitol, which, of course, she had a special feeling for.

“We have a country the chosen of the earth, rich in the best of gifts and prosperous beyond all expectation. Our lines are cast in pleasant places. Those of us who live in Washington are particularly blessed. The sun has never shone upon a more lovely city. Beautifully situated, with healthful and favoring airs stealing up from the sea, between the picturesque banks of the Potomac, and with beautiful buildings rising on every side.”

"The grand old Capitol, with its majestic dome, towers above them all--a star by day and a pillar of fire by night. It is truly a picture for the artist always, whether in the sun, the storm, the rain, the mist or the moonlight. The Congressional Library is a never-failing fountain of knowledge. It is receiving now a new impetus and reaching out its arms in every direction. Its growth is so rapid that the Capitol cannot much longer contain it and it must soon build a temple unto itself. A storehouse of treasures is encompassed by the picturesque walls of the Smithsonian and the new museum will eventually become a second Kensington. The portals of art have been thrown wide open by the generous hand of Mr. Corcoran and the nation will preserve with gratitude and affection his noble gift: the Corcoran Art Gallery. We who live here cannot say that we lack advantages.”

"Our country's history and the grand destiny awaiting it, inspire us to action. Our beautiful Capitol will some day lay its proud head low, the grass will grow on our bright avenues and our pictures and statues will crumble into dust, but the recollection of great and good deeds will not die. Where are now the houses and the streets which the illustrious men of the past have inhabited? They have melted away into thin air. They have vanished, but the memory of these great men remains and the heart of youth beats high with aspiration and enthusiasm when listening to the recital of their glowing deeds. Let us all try to do something and do the very best we can. Some can make of themselves great men--all can be good men. Who can say there may not be in this very assemblage some boy who, striving to be good and great, may be revered in story and in song, when the ashes of centuries shall envelope this now fair city."

Vennie Ream lived from 1847-1914.

~ Linda

Choosing A Presidential Cabinet

Should a candidate for President, once he is nominated, tell the voters who will become members of his Cabinet, if he is elected? There has been quite some discussion over this subject. Does the general opinion seem to be that as a Cabinet has so much to do with the shaping of an Administration that advance information should be given? But apparently it is not done, although there have been some elections which cast tell-tale Cabinet selection shadows before them. All in all, it seems likely that the plan of the future will be one we have always followed, but in all cases to bend our energies to the selection of candidates whose judgment is to be relied upon in the making of wise Cabinet choices. It cannot be otherwise than true that a splendid Cabinet might make a success of a weak executive’s Administration. Such things have been witnessed by men and women still living.

When the Convention nominated the young man, he had not been well known, almost an unknown outside the Midwest and had not enjoyed a wide reputation among political activities. His term in Illinois politics—the Illinois legislature, an attorney—had been rather a short time. In going over very carefully the events of his career up to that time we can find no task which called forth the skill, the patience, tact and diplomacy which he has displayed in his picking of his Cabinet at a time when the country is as divided with such internal strife as we now face.

If some writers are to be believed, he picked his Cabinet members on Election night. But the Cabinet was not selected then, nor was the task so easily disposed of as some would have us believe. It actually took several weeks to pick his team, and for those persons to accept the positions offered them.

His reasons for picking his Cabinet seemed to be to combine experience, integrity, popularity, regional, and bipartisan.

If there is ever a time when this country of ours was on tip-toes over Cabinet-making, it was when the choice for Secretary of State was an outspoken opponent and a New Yorker, but was not Hillary Clinton, as you might think. Then, in 1860, it was William H. Seward, and the President choosing his Cabinet was Abraham Lincoln.

The above had been written about Abraham Lincoln’s selection of his first Cabinet of seven men, at a time when the country was being devastated by Civil War.

Sounds familiar, though, doesn’t it? I could have added Barack Obama, our President-elect, herein, but I was writing about our 16th President. Of course, I personally see such similarity between the two men, both going into the Presidency at a time of turmoil in the country, a time of needed change and excellent leadership. With Lincoln we had a man of vision, a man of compassion, honesty, and humor, and a man dedicated to his role as President. I believe we have those same qualities in Obama, and although he faces great challenges in getting our country back on track, and respected in the world, I feel confident that he can do so, and I feel confident with his Vice President Joe Biden and with the Cabinet choices.

I am optimistically looking forward to a swinging of the pendulum which has already began its movement with the historic election of Obama.

I do hope my grandchildren appreciate the historic event that has taken place. I look forward to the day when women’s rights, gay rights, and other issues of equality are no longer a political issue used by the Republican party. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a ways to go to achieve what every citizen deserves. And let’s hope years upon years do not have to go by before diversity and equality for all is accepted by all citizens of this country.

~Linda

“I happen temporarily to occupy this big White House. I am living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father's child has." ~Abraham Lincoln

The UFO Phenomena: The Cosmic SOS by Linda Pendleton

Linda Pendleton’s newest eBook, The UFO Phenomena: The Cosmic SOS

Are we alone in the universe? Many people do not believe we are. A recent U.S. National Roper Poll showed seventy-two percent believe that our government is not telling us all it knows about UFO activity. Another CNN-TIME Poll showed eighty-percent believed the government to be hiding knowledge of UFOs.

Nearly half of Americans believe UFOs have visited earth in some form. And a Roper Poll conducted by the SciFi Television Channel indicated one in seven has had a UFO Experience.

What do you believe? What do you know?

Now on sale. Purchase and Download and receive several free gifts, including:

Crop Circles in the Fields, Objects in the Skies, and Creatures in the Bedroom
by Linda Pendleton

This 97 page ebook is packed with a collection of compelling articles and credible firsthand accounts of sightings and experiences intended to shed light and insight into Crop Circles, UFOs, and abductions. Articles by Dr. John E. Mack; Nuclear Physicist and UFO Investigator, Stanton Friedman; Crop Circle Researcher Nancy Talbott; and more. Also find astonishing photographs of recent crop circles, courtesy of Lucy Pringle and others.

Have we been visited here on earth? If so, since when? Could Crop Circles be a message to us? If so, what might that message be? What are crop circles theories? How is a hoax (i.e., man-made) crop circle identifiable from the real thing? Has anyone or thing ever been caught in the act making crop circles? This eBook examines these questions and provide intriguing responses, as it explores life beyond this planet and contemplates our connection to it.

This 97 page ebook is free gift with the purchase of Linda Pendleton's UFO Phenomena: The Cosmic SOS, and additional ebook gifts, the 1898 novel War of the Worlds; The FBI FOIA Documents - Unidentified Flying Objects; Linda Pendleton's article on Peak Experiences.


"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real. It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit." ~ Dr. Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut, 2008

Purchase Here, Immediate Download

O. J. = Oh, Justice...

Many feel a sense of jubilance and celebration today (Friday) in hearing the words of Las Vegas, Nevada Judge Jackie Glass giving her sentencing order to O. J. Simpson. The Nevada Division of Parole and Probation recommended a minimum sentence of 18 years for the 12 felony counts he was convicted of.

More than thirteen years ago, O. J. Simpson got away with the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman when acquitted for the crimes in criminal court, but was then held responsible for their horrific deaths in civil court.

Watching the L.A. criminal trial, I was so disappointed when he was acquitted, even sick to my stomach that day. But following his acquittal on criminal double murder charges, I said one day he would do something wrong that would send him to jail. He was so arrogant, so sure of himself, until this trip to Las Vegas and his “stupidity” as he called it. I think most of us laughed at his court room speech today about how sorry he was–and stupid, and how he had been visiting Vegas since 1959–and had never been in trouble.

Judge Glass commented about the violence of his act, and also said, “it was much more than stupidity.” 15 years, maybe parole after nine years, and could be locked away for 33 years. Not bad. He’s not going to have a very good time in prison. The Judge also commented he was arrogant and ignorant.

She gave him about what I thought he would get. Good for her in following the law and good for the jury in bringing back a reasonable and just verdict for the criminal acts O. J. and his group committed in Vegas.

NBC/MSNBC’s Dan Abrams, who followed the Simpson case years back in Los Angeles, mentioned today how O. J. all these years “had publically mocked the Goldman family, again, again, and again.” When asked in so many words if O. J. “would fade away,” Abrams said, “The O. J. Simpson that we’ve seen today, the O. J. Simpson with the swagger is gone forever.”

I have to admit it was nice to see O. J. looking weary and defeated. Yeah, more than nice.

It was great to see Fred Goldman looking better than I’ve ever seen him over these years. I imagine these last few months of knowing O. J. Simpson was in jail and had little if any hope of getting out, and would surely be going to prison, finally gave Fred Goldman, his wife, Ron’s sister, Kim Goldman, and the rest of the family a sense of peace that justice has been accomplished in the name of their son and brother, Ron Goldman, and Nicole Brown. They may never receive any of the money, more than thirty-three million, owned their family and the Brown’s, but I hope for them, it no longer matters now that Ron’s killer is in prison.

Today Fred Goldman was asked by a reporter if this brought closure and Goldman answered, “There is never closure. Ron is always gone–what we have is satisfaction that this monster is now where he belongs, behind bars.”

I wish the Goldman’s peace knowing their stand for Ron all these years now has results. But isn’t it so ironic that O. J. had done something with many of those items years back in an effort to keep the Goldman’s from getting any monetary value from his things. He has said more than once, he would not give the Goldman’s a dime. Funny isn’t it, that his efforts to scam the Goldman’s led him to serious criminal acts to recover his items....but oh, O. J. said he thought he “was confronting friends” and didn’t know he “was doing anything wrong.” Yeah, sure.

A little bit of Karma that didn’t have to wait until another life-time.

~ Linda

Humor of Ellen and Chris Matthews...so funny!

This video is so darn funny! Two of my favorite people: Ellen and Chris Matthews. I'm still laughing as I put this up here. Ellen is really such a gifted talent....she can make you feel so good with her humor....

Linda

Don Pendleton's The Executioner Graphic Novel, The Devil's Tools

Comic graphic novel, Don Pendleton’s The Executioner: The Devil’s Tools, now available at book stores such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, other bookstores and comic bookstores.
I wrote the Introduction to the Graphic Novel, which begins:

Introduction by Linda Pendleton: "Don Pendleton’s Creation of Mack Bolan, The Executioner."

"Forty years ago, 1968, was an unsettling time in America. There was the Vietnam War and civil unrest on our city streets and college campuses, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. There were the psychedelic streets of San Francisco’s Height-Ashbury and Berkeley, love and flower power, and the long iniquities of the Mafia and organized crime. And that’s when The Executioner Mack Bolan series came to be.

"Our returning soldiers were treated badly and the events of this disturbing time in our American history inspired Don to write the first story for the Mack Bolan series. Don needed an enemy beyond redemption for Bolan and the criminal actions of the Mafia made them the perfect choice. After twelve years and thirty-eight books, the Mafia was fairly neutralized in real life. Since 1980 terrorists and international criminals have filled that role.

"My late husband had this to say some years ago about the development of his Executioner series: ‘When I wrote War Against the Mafia as a Vietnam statement, I didn’t expect much to come of it–but quite a bit came and it captured me. I continued the books to feed the obvious hunger that was there for heroic fiction.’"

To read more of my Introduction you will have to get the graphic novel....

This new original script of The Devil’s Tools is written by Douglas Wojtowicz, who has written several of Gold Eagles’ Executioner novels.

Cover art done by talented cover artist Michael G. Herring; Illustrated by S.I. Gallant; Colored by Luis Antonio Delgado; Edited by Thomas Waltz.

Published by IDW Publishing in conjunction with Harlequin’s Enterprises, Gold Eagle, World Wide Library. http://www.idwpublishing.com/

Read more about Don Pendleton at his official site:http://www.donpendleton.com/

~Linda

Share the Wealth, Donate to Heifer International

As we come upon the holidays and the year’s end, it is the ideal time to “share the wealth,” as our President-elect Barack Obama suggested. And one way to do that is to give a gift, but not the usual gift we might wrap in colorful paper and ribbons and bows to be put under the family Christmas tree, but a gift of love to help with hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

A flock of chicks for a $20 donation.
Each hen able to lay more than 200 eggs a year, allowing excellent protein and minerals–zinc and iron available to a family. Eggs to sell for needed income.

With your donation buy a share of a heifer, or a goat, to give a family needed milk, cheese and yogurt–or buy the whole animal with a few bucks more. This year my donation again went toward flocks of chicks, and this time, a goat, but there are other animals to choose from and even bees and trees.

Heifer International works with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. Since 1944, Heifer has helped 9.2 million families in 125 countries move toward greater self-reliance through livestock, training and "passing on the gift." By providing animals and training, Heifer enables families to overcome poverty and make lasting improvements in their quality of life.

Check out their website, and gift catalog and see how easy it is to feel joy by spreading wealth....and caring.

www.heifer.org or call 1-800-698-2511

~Linda

Marriage Equality Movement, Gay Marriage in CA

I was shocked to see that Proposition 8 passed here in CA, especially after we were inundated with a religious backed, (mainly Mormon, partly Knights of Columbus) commercial of falsehoods and scare tactics. Here locally in Northern CA it must have played every hour or two, and I got where I gritted my teeth each time I heard it.

It so happens that Proposition 8 was not about politics, not about taxpayers money, No. Proposition 8 was about equality, civil rights, and love. Why should anyone care that another chooses to marry–to join in love with another soul–and call the commitment marriage?

We’ve come a long way in our country in regards to civil rights, bigotry, and prejudices, ie., electing a black man by a landslide to our highest office, a man of vision, of humanity, intelligence, and a man with ideals to do good for our country and our place in the world.

Yet, apparently many who cast their vote for Obama here in CA, also cast a vote for Proposition 8. I am left wondering if they actually read the Proposition, or were taken in by the enormous amount of money that was used to advertise falsehoods of the Vote Yes on 8 group, nothing more than a religious agenda to take away rights.

There is now a grassroots movement, and legal moves, to cancel out this Yes vote, and even Governor Arnold... has spoken out to his surprise that it passed. This vote to change the state constitution will be defeated, and it sounds as if the recent legal marriages of gay couples that have take place will be valid.

I just saw the article reporting gay marriages are now taking place in Conn. Good for them.

I suppose it will just take a little more time for gay rights to be in full force, but it will happen. It will happen in much the same way as acceptance of interracial marriage and equality of races. We are a diverse country and those who find it offensive should save their worry and just get used to it. Everyone deserves equal rights, and it makes for a better place.

If you are interested in seeing what you can do to restore Marriage Equality and repeal Proposition 8, check out this link and group: http://www.couragecampaign.org/

Keith Olbermann said it well last night on Countdown:



~Linda