Sneakeasy's Joint

BookCrossing Inspires Poetry

A couple of my fellow BookCrossers have said in verse what BookCrossing means to them, and what it is all about:

book crossing a head

i was surfing the web
seeking books for my daughter
when to my surprise
i found in short order

a site that was based on
this curious thought
books can freely be given
not merely be bought

at first blush the notion
stood the world on its head
i read through the pages
with some sense of dread

for surely this concept
would create a schism
between sharing ideas
and capitalism

it's true that i frequent
the local library
so to borrow a book
is not at all scary

but this seems quite different
releasing a tome
out into the wild
quite freely to roam

without payment or credit
without return date
just bound to the mysteries
of fortune and fate

with no strings attached
just a simple i.d.
so the finder might tell
of their joined destiny

and if they so choose
pay back kindness in kind
freeing not just a book
but also a mind

'twas then i remembered
what first brought me here
my searching out tales
for my daughter to hear

in caring for her
i have learned to my pleasure
that life's greatest gift
is a love without measure

and after some thought
i'm compelled to agree
this realization
should hold more widely

whether at random
or through planned exchange
by chapter and verse
the world can be changed

so now into action
this thinking is led
and i'm sure that i see
a book crossing a head

perhaps one fine morning
i'll set out to free 'em
beside an art gallery
inside a museum

at park benches, cafes
on playgrounds at schools
at concerts and movies
and even bar stools

to all the book crossers
(those likewise inclined)
i hope in this process
much joy you will find

just say to a skeptic
if ever they see ya
you're simply embracing
a novel idea

let no one dissuade you
if this you believe
that truly 'tis better
to give than receive

and hold fast this adage
both simple and true
do unto others
as you'd have done to you

by robert-n-kate

Camera Catches Krispy Kreme Crazed Christian Collegians Cavorting!

One of the great things about living in Orange County is that you never know what strange things you may stumble upon as you travel around its cozy confines.

Last night, at 915pm, I approached the famous Block of Orange, and saw a sight straight out of a Chabad Telethon.

You know the scenes I'm talking about: Normally sober, serious, and respectable, adults, many of them older than I am, dancing joyously to a catchy tune.

Well, um, what I witnessed was like that.... but without the long beards, funny hats, and great music, plus I was more than twice the age of just about everyone present. ;-D

As I approached one of America's iconic dining establishments I saw what seemed like, at least, 100 young people singing, clapping, and dancing, in, and around, the drive-thru entrance.

And eating donuts... lots, and lots of donuts!

They all appeared to be caucasian ( It WAS dark, howeer, and I didn't attempt a head count, so that's just a guess, too. ), and that just made me more curious to learn what had set them off.

There they were, flushed with the pleasure of their dancing, and singing, but what were they singing, was there a meaning to their strange dance, and what planet did they come from, anyway?

After asking a few questions of several people who were not caught up in the frenzy, I finally got some answers.

As I watched, the spectacle unfolded before me:

A bunch of the crowd did a dance involving people moving forward, and back, in the circle they were in, as everyone else clapped, and hollered.

Then, as everyone sang 2 sentences, they turn their backs to the person next to them, or behind them in the crowd, and shake their behinds however much they can before turning around again to the center of the circle, all the while laughing, and singing, and getting generally all excited.

Whenever a car would approach the crowd would part and, to loud cheers, let the devotees of Krispy Kreme approach their shrine to worship. 

I pieced together the chant:

"Wag, wag, wag my Pony! This is how we do it!!"

If you don't know what the "Pony" is, you are on your own because I can't help you. ;-D

I originally thought someone had put something in the Donuts, but learned there was probably a more interesting explanation.

Further questioning revealed that the young people were incoming Freshmen/Freshwomen ( Freshpersons? Hee, hee! ) at the Christian Vanguard University, of Costa Mesa, right here in Orange County.

Ahhh, now, I thought, THAT explains it!

You see, this week is Welcome Week for the start of the new school year:

We're excited to welcome all of our FABULO(US) new students to the VANGUARD CAMP(US) community at Welcome Week 2007!

In August, you'll get to see what "The (US) Campaign" is all about and what God is up to at V(US)C.  We are honored that you have chosen to be a part of (US) during this MOMENTO(US) time in your life!

Okaayyyy, apparently part of what God is up to is introducing impressionable young people, unaccustomed to certain delecacies they are not familiar with where they come from, to said cuisine at one of the local Houses of Worhip, and letting nature, um, take its course. ;-D

Such an activity is apparently "guaranteed to assist you in your ADJ(US)TMENT to college life making your transition into the V(US)C community successful."

A perusal of the Events Schedule revealed all.

The day began with a communal breakfast, and 4 hours in Church.

Then came a communal lunch, a 3 hour event of some sort, followed by pizza, washed down with another 2 hours in Church afterward.

The highlight of the day was the evening nightcap at Krispy Kreme that had begun at around 845pm, and lasted until 11pm.

Check out the Schedule for yourself, it's all there.

Yes, they danced the whole time there, from what I later learned, when I passed by after an evening at the movies, at 1130pm.

Little did they know that a local Blogger ( Yours Truly! ) would happen upon the whole jouyous scene, and snap a couple of pictures for a story. ;-D

I watched for 20 minutes before heading off to the watch a movie.

People, like me, coming to the mall, or leaving, came by to observe the spectacle, and I got a chuckle out of 2 young black guys who shook their heads in disbelief at what they were witnessing.

1 offered the other $5 if he would join in, and his friend laughed, shook his head, and looked at him as if he was nuts. ;-D

Krispy Kreme no doubt made a killing. ;-D

People who watch certain TV Shows, expecting to get a glimpse into the REAL OC, need to get their behinds off the couch, and get out more.

I love this place! ;-D

NOTE: Elon Gold will host the 27th annual Chabad "To Life!" Telethon on Sunday, September 9, 2007 from 4-10 p.m. PDT.

You KNOW you want to watch at least a few minutes of the fun, don't lie! ;-D

Gay Wins Gold in 100 Meters!

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - A Gay is the world champion in one of the worlds premier athletic events.

In a 100-meters final that delivered a shock that no-one expected Sunday, this Gay was quick out of the blocks, and once his legs were pumping, he minced, and pranced past the great Asafa Powell to claim, quite possibly ( People more into statistics, and records, are free to enlighten this reporter. ), the first gold medal at a major international championship for one of his persuasion, in 9.85 seconds.

"After 60 meters I saw that no-one could catch me - and I just got all tingly, and excited," he said. "I stayed up, and alert, the rest of the way," he winked knowingly into the camera, as he was interviewed on TV.

For the full story go here. ;-D

NYPD Warns of Disaffected Muslim Youth

Is this something America should have seen coming years ago?

I think so.

Average citizens who quietly band together and adopt radical ways pose a mounting threat to American security that could exceed that of established terrorist groups like al-Qaida, a new police analysis has concluded.

The New York Police Department report released Wednesday describes a process in which young men — often legal immigrants from the Middle East who are frustrated with their lives in their adopted country — adopt a philosophy that puts them on a path to violence.

The report was intended to explain how people become radicalized rather than to lay out specific strategies for thwarting terror plots. It calls for more intelligence gathering, and argues that local law enforcement agencies are in the best position to monitor potential terrorists.

Read the Report ( PDF ).

Read the rest of the MSNBC story.

Analysis of the Report comes in a Commentary by Christopher Dickey, of Newsweek:

The Making of a Homegrown Terrorist: The real threat to the West is not from foreign jihadis but from ‘unremarkable’ civilians within our societies, says an insightful new report from the New York Police Department.

Dutch Bishop Off his Meds

A soon to be retiring Dutch Catholic Priest has sparked a controversy in The Netherlands with an idiotic suggestion:

Bishop Tiny Muskens, from the southern diocese of Breda, told Dutch television on Monday that God did not mind what he was named and that in Indonesia, where Muskens spent eight years, priests used the word "Allah" while celebrating Mass.

"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem."

All to foster "Understanding", and brotherhood, and... and 92% of 4,000 people questioned in a recent survey in the country think the idea is nuts. ;-D

That's the 1st sign of any sense in that country in years, as Muslims are causing all sorts of upheaval in that country, and the rest of Europe.

I agree with this guy:

Gerrit de Fijter, chairman of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, told the paper he welcomed any attempt to "create more dialogue", but added: "Calling God 'Allah' does no justice to Western identity. I see no benefit in it."

The AP report is here.

Heading Back to Santa Monica Tomorrow

No, not to take on the Peaceniks again, but to check out the Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, and a Cafe, without the distraction. ;-D

It's been several years since I was last out there. ;-D

Exposing Peace Moonbats in Santa Monica

Yesterday I went on a nice, long bike ride along the coast, and in the Santa Monica mountains.

Tired, but happy, I pedaled down the Bike Path along the beach, from Doheny Beach to the Santa Monica Pier, and upon my arrival encountered a spectacle that, every Sunday, takes up a good chunk of sand right next to the pier itself.

The minions of the World Allied Conspiratorial Kongress of Idiotarians Everywhere ( better known as W.A.C.K.I.E. ), with the complete support, and encouragement of those running the show in the Socialist Society of Santa Monica, use a public space, frequented by families with children, to spread propaganda, and misinformation, about the War Against Terror, and Radical Islam, and the ongoing Liberation of Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Admittedly, this is a very moving scene to witness, and walk through and, at 1st impression, a nice tribute to those who have sacrificed, and died, for our country.

But looks can be deceiving.

They describe their mission this way:

We established the "Arlington West Memorial" at Santa Monica Beach on February 15, 2004, and have maintained this weekly memorial, honoring those killed and wounded in Iraq, with thousands of white crosses, pictures of those killed, flowers, and hundreds of memorabilia left by family and friends representing the loss of their loved ones. This memorial has been featured in news stories around the world.

As I wandered among the displays of the names of the dead, pictures of the dead, and wounded, about war resistance, and military service avoidance, and about the costs, and blame, these people claim, and the table full of related merchandise for sale, and info for free, I overhear people espousing their misinformation, and propaganda, in friendly, earnest, reasonably sounding voices, to the gullible, and already ilinformed, moved by what they see around them.

Some of the people they talk to are Vets home from the war, who agree with them already for some misguided reason, others are people who know, or are related to, the names on the displays, and are easily manipulated by their emotions.

Most, however, are like me, people with no connection to those fighting for their country.

There is a display where you can "Write any messsage you choose" in honor of the troops who gave their lives, and even make a little sign, with your message, to take and attach to one of the crosses, to join other items of tribute, some left by family, and friends, to the dead.

I pulled out my pen, and finding ample space on a page, wrote a message that thanked our brave soldiers for their honorable service, and ultimate sacrifice, in the fight to liberate Iraq, and Afghanistan, and against Radical Islam, a threat to Western Civilization little understood by frighteningly far too many in the West, and signed my name, and this website url, to my message.

Arlington West, as this "Iraq War Memorial" is called Is a pet project of Veterans for Peace-Los Angeles, a chapter of the national Veterans for Peace.

What they don't tell anyone who wanders thru, and don't actively promote by the display of signs, or of free literature, are some of the orgnizations the national website links to, and who some of those sites link to, and thus, by this linkage, imply their support for the politics, and causes of:

When you dig deep enough you find:

Z Magazine

Counter Punch

Code Pink

Truthout

The Socialist Worker

International Answer

Yes, there's a link to Cindy Sheehan, but she's small potatoes compared to the above dangerous representatives of Radical Moonbatism.

I'm not linking to that trash, this time, because I want readers of this post to put in the effort to learn about these menaces themselves.

Running for Water

As regular readers know I walk... a lot. ;-D

I've discovered an interest in hiking, locally, to go with my interest in Bicycling, and have posted a couple of stories about hikes I went on.

I received an e-mail the other day from the folks in charge of publicity for the folks behind a very worthy cause:

Hi Kiril,

My name is Cara Mattleman and I am an associate account executive at GolinHarris. I have been reading sneakeasysjoint.com and I know of your interest in hiking, cycling and writing. I thought you and your readers might find it interesting to learn how 20 international runners are doing similar activities this summer in an effort to solve one of the world’s most pressing issues: the global water crisis.

On August 1, 20 international athletes will arrive in San Francisco as part of the 2007 Blue Planet Run.

This international athletic event, made possible by The Dow Chemical Company, is raising funds to deliver safe drinking water to 1.1 billion people who are currently without access. Dow’s commitment to this event is part of its 2015 sustainability goals, an ambitious program to improve people’s lives.

Since the run began from the United Nations in New York City on June 1st, the Blue Planet team has traveled relay-style 24 hours a day from the US to Europe and Asia, reaching as far as China.

Feel free to visit www.blueplanetrun.org for complete details on the 2007 Blue Planet Run and the global water crisis, as well as the run route, runners’ blog and videos. Best,

Cara Mattleman

www.golinharris.com

The things PR people will do to get their clients story out, I tell you. ;-D

With a daily audience in just double digits, and few of those regular, few posts on hiking, none on running, and all my current cycling stuff found on another Blog entirely, one would think I'd be the last Blogger to contact in an effort to spread the word. ;-D

The place doesn't even have many of the links it used to, in its sidebar, these days.

However, because she was apparently impressed enough with what she DID find to contact me, I checked out the links she gave me.

The message of the Blue Planet Run includes the following:

We run like water. We run FOR water.

We run to bring news to every person in every town we pass through—urgent news of a crisis that affects one in five of all of us on this earth.

We run to remember the sons and daughters, the mothers and fathers, the 6,000 human beings who die every day because they lack safe drinking water.

We run because time - and water, essential to our existence - is running out for all of us.

We run to tell a story that begins with suffering but ends with hope.

We run to include you in the story. You are the solution. Commitment is our only obstacle.

We run to tell a story that ends like this: twenty years from now we will have joined together to bring water – to bring life – to 200 million people around the world.

I found it all very interesting, especially the Blog, and all the photos, and videos.

If you have the time, and are interested, check them out.