Dude , your ebay is showing

The quintessential American dictionary is the Webster’s Second International unabridged. If I stranded on some exotic island it would be more likely than not my choice for a single book to take with me. T

he 1934 edition that I am referencing has three thousand two hundred ten pages and weighs in at over thirty pounds. What sets this second edition apart from those subsequent editions is the inclusion of many arcane and older usage words that have since been deleted from the third edition hence forth.

One word that is very much to my sorrow in constant usage today is the noun of unknown origin "dude."

Described by Webster as follows:

1.] A man who is over fastidious in dress and manner; an ultra fashionable and often, affected man: a fop; a dandy.

Affected?
A fop?
A dandy?

An affected man is pretentious in nature, a fop or dandy is another example of vanity in dress or personal mannerisms in perhaps a larcenous fashion. In any event, I cringe when some dull-witted sop refers to me as a "dude," and left with always having to consider the source of the vocal chords who uttered the phrase "dude" directed at me in the first place.

Often this source does resemble a "dude" in the fashion of Webster’s definition. I certainly do not, deriving the majority of my clothes in a second hand fashion, and though I can be vulgar when necessary, a "dude," I am not!

It is much to my chagrin also to find the constant usage of this noun "dude" in the dead tree industry these days.

The local fish wrap, da pd , seems to demand the usage of this noun "dude" on an everyday basis .As in "hey , dudes check out this new hot bar, blah , blah , blah.

What ever happened to addressing potential readers by gender and in a socially correct fashion?

Not in the small town style book of da pd.

When overhearing women refer to each other as "dude" , I really do start to get a bit curious concerning what may exist beneath their collective feminine cloth?

Enough said on this subject, save that I never met anyone who liked to be refereed to as "boy" either , and I place the constant usage of the word "dude," on that level.

Another four-letter word that is currently the rage in America is the online auction concern of eBay. No other single American online business deserves more scrutiny and regulation than this company eBay does today!

eBay when utilized in an honest fashion is a great and possibly profitable alternative to taking out your trash by placing it online for auction via eBay.

For all the thousands of honest users of this online concern I have no beef. It is always a few bad apples that spoil a box, and the thieves and fences that utilize the quick ability of an eBay auction to sell items procured in an ill-begotten fashion that serve as a wake up call for this eBay enterprise!

Do not expect much traditional media coverage of the criminal aspects of the unscrupulous users of the eBay auction enterprise as means of fencing stolen goods. eBay spends lots of advertising dollars with these media concerns, and as with most advertisers expect little or no negative coverage from the media lilies they gild in return for the dollars spent.

eBay also has a great presence via the k Street lobby gangs that haunt and influence peddle in Washington today. For the first two Centuries in America auctions were regulated in both a Federal and State fashion for obvious reasons.

The seller’s potential for fraud being the paramount reason, selling stolen materials the other major concern. What really becomes necessary is a more scrupulous regulation of this still nascent online auction industry. Extent the actual length of these online auctions to perhaps a minimum of thirty days before goods change hands, and prior to the exchange of currency for goods install some stringent safeguards to protect both buyer and seller.

I know how UN-American it seems to have to wait awhile for anything, much less an item that a consumer desires.

Immediate gratification is the operative impulse that rules this industry, and it would appear prudent to slow down this monster, before it rolls over the idea of property and law altogether.

I have attended hundreds of live auctions in my lifetime, and observed many odd occurrences. To my knowledge every live auction I attended was conducted by a State licensed auctioneer, and I never experienced any real fraudulent behavior on the part of the auction concern, save perhaps stretching out a bidding process a bit too long, or the auctioneer going to the gavel a bit too quick to satisfy a friend.

The online auction industry is currently rife with criminal activities from both the buyer and seller, and should be a great candidate for accordingly strong legislation. Write your Congressman, Senator, or elected official to this regard today.

Had a great conversation with my friend Kim last evening, and he provided me with some great advice.

Back to the past, and the issuing of specific catalogues describing books for sale.
We issued hard copy catalogues in the 1980's and 1990's with some success, and will attempt the same activity to generate sales in the 21st century.

Thanks Kim! -- And thanks for the second schnecken as well!

Book Selling Time!

A rare volume that we purchased at a small rural auction years ago is the highly collectible early volume of MEMORABLE AMERICAN SPEECHES by John Vance Cheney.

Published in 1907 by The Lakeside Press in Chicago, Illinois, this series of notable books in American history and letters remain to this day as one of the most sought after series of American books. One of the earliest titles, bound in green cloth, this rare volume is a great addition to any collector of Americana.

Best wishes to my Family and friends this coming New Years!

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