A Good Day

Today I had intended to call a record store and order a CD by Long John Baldry, now deceased. Last week, on CBC Radio, there was in interview with Paul Meyer who has just completed a biolgraphy of Long John. Baldry spend most of his last twenty-five years in Vancouver. The bio sounds interesting and it is now on my Chapters list for the next AirMiles Gift Certificate.

Baldry is the Father of British Blues, creditied with the discovery of Rod Stewart and Elton John. Indeed, he saved Elton's life. The story is that Elton, uncomfortable with being Gay and seeing no answer, had his head literally in the gas stove when Baldry called up and convinced him that being out was the way to go.

During the interview, they played a few tracks, including "Don't Give Boogie Woogie to the King of Rock 'n Roll" and "It Ain't Easy". Both were produced by Stewart and the piano is from Elton John. So with that intention I stopped first at a small local thrift and cast my eye down the rows of cassettes they had for sale (Our van, Eggplant, has a cassette player, not a CD). There it was, "It Ain't Easy" by Long John Baldry, for all of $.25. Better yet, the version of "Boogie Woogie played on CBC did not have the voice over introduction, a long tale of Baldry's arrest in London for busking in London.

(Music wise, one of our best Saturday afternoon sets of CD's is of Chinese music, edited by Yoyo Mah. We recently found, at another thirft, a three CD set of African music which looks equally good. To my major disapointment no cuts by King Sunny Adda but that can be corrrected! King Sunny came to Vancouver years ago and put on a fantastic show at the old Commodore).

Having started the day with that find, it was over to Habitiant for Living, where I found a nice bi-fold door for our hallway, the louvered type which we wanted. I should be able to get that up tomorrow. Sonia's ensuite is complete but needed a medicine chest. The Sally Ann has a very nice one free for the taking, so I did. Wood trim, three shelves and two mirrored "wings". Just what the doctor ordered.

Arriving home, I saw the post office van just leaving and yes, the book order from Chapters was here. Yesterday brought signed bookplates form Olen Steinhaur, all the way from Hungary. Today brought the order with his last two books, "Liberation Movements" and "Victory Square". There are five books in his series, starting off the "Bridge of Sighs". They are mysteries (and spy thrillers) set in an un-named Eastern European country starting in 1948 and continuing to the demolition of the Berlin Wall. Highly recommended.

The third book was not fiction. "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" is by an Israeli historian and I had read some very good reviews of it.

For those who cleave to the mythology that the Palestinians left their homes in 1948 due to Arab radio urging, forget the myth and look at the truth. Documented truth by an Israeli scholar, Ilan Pappe. Pappe's purpose in writing this book is not to denounce his own
country, Israel. Rather, he states clearly that until such time as the
criminal actions of evicting the Palestinians is recognized by the world,
including Israel and the United States, there can be no peace.

Here is the true story - a deliberate plan to removed any Arab from the
territory of Palestine. Far from only isolated incidents of violence, this
was part of Plan "D", a very deliberate and calculated plan to remove
Palestinians from the lands they had occupied since Roman times. That Arab
radio played into the successful propagation of the myth is certain, but
that was well after Plan "D" had been formulated and was being executed.

This is no anti-Jewish screed. It is a well documented and historically
accurate rendering of the crime that continues to drive violence into the
Israel Palestinian conflict.

Most assuredly, if you read this book you will never, ever look at the
Palestinians in the same way. Their removal and subsequent treatment
including the settlements and outposts was and remains part of a plan the
world has ignored. As Pappe points out, others have been brought before War
Crime tribunals for the same acts that were carried on with impunity by the
founders of Israel.

And perhaps, just perhaps, reading this book will give some insight into the
reason why so many Muslims are mad at Israel and its unconditional backer,
the United States. The ethnic cleansing of Palestine forms the root of
Islamic fundamentalism as much as do the oppressive regimes supported by
American foreign policy. If you still believe that Islamofacists are out to
rule the world, especially your part of it, it might be nice to get to the
single issue that has driven that movement right from the state.
Uncomfortable as it may be, this book provides many answers.

Eh bien, not is the time to take of the old hallway doors and put up the new-to-us bifold. As one might expect, nothing goes totally well - it looks as if a half inch or so need be removed from the new door.