Since I started selling books on the street full time, I've come to respect more than ever those in business for themselves. The floating book shop is not a real business. Its primary purpose is to sell my own books, its secondary is pocket money that keeps me from visiting an ATM more often than I'd like. Since I began collecting Social Security four years ago, I've been able to fund my simple lifestyle without having to tap into my retirement money, which I keep as disaster insurance. My focus is publishing and promoting my books. Little else matters. To get back to the point of all this, I respect those who operate a business, especially those folks whose efforts support a family. Knowing how cranky a session of minimal or zero returns can make me, I can imagine the pressure small business owners experience when things slow down. The creep who murdered and wounded all those people in Orlando purchased his weapon legally. I would hope, were I a gun shop owner, that I would not sell a gun to someone with a Muslim name. I would hope I would say the background check prevented it. If the prospective customer complained, I hope I would tell him to petition the government. I wonder if the man who sold the murder weapon has lost any sleep, if the anguish of the families of the dead haunts him. Although I support the second amendment, I am not comfortable around guns, but I'm glad others are. I've said this before -- if a fanatic ever starts shooting in my presence, I hope there will be an armed citizen nearby to take him out. Here is one of the more interesting posts I've seen on Facebook since the massacre: "Why are we told that we shouldn't blame innocent Muslims for the actions of a few nutcases, whereas we're told we must blame innocent gun owners for the actions of a few nutcases?" This is a difficult issue. The anger of gun rights opponents is understandable, particularly when it comes to the sale of assault weapons. The age-old question remains: would a ban decrease such attacks? I doubt it. An individual can do a lot of damage with a couple of glocks, explosives or fire. The NRA and its supporters believe a ban will begin an unstoppable erosion of gun rights just as fervently as activists believe a ban on partial birth abortions will lead to an erosion of that right. Each group wants a buffer. Americans are fortunate to be living in a society that allows freedom, but that freedom occasionally is problematic, contentious and scary.
I got my report from the doctor this afternoon. All is well except for my BP, 140/94. I was prescribed a mild pill available in generic form. It's my first prescription drug. I'd been taking grape seed extract three times daily for the past ten days. If it helped, what the heck was my BP before it? During the drive to and fro, I listened to a CD a woman gave me the other day. Since her husband is the lead singer of Western Caravan, I was certain she couldn't possibly be objective about it. Whether she is or isn't is irrelevant, I am so impressed, not only by the singing but the musicianship and songwriting. I'd swear I was listening to a broadcast of the Grand Ol' Opry. One song is about Bessie, a cow. Since it was my first listen and I was driving through Brooklyn traffic, I may be wrong in saying that the cow in question is a metaphor for a woman. One couplet blew me away: "...my cousin Jethro, who's on death row." Now that's country! Here's a link to the band's website:
http://www.westerncaravan.com/band.html
My thanks to the gentleman who purchased a book of non-fiction on art forgeries.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
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