Arkansas

 

For some strange reason, a few states just don't get any respect.  And this is a dirty shame -- something that has to be addressed both locally and nationally.  Now let's mention a few:  Idaho, West Virginia, Arizona, New Jersey, Arkansas, and Vermont.  I exclude the larger states that people have definite ideas about, like Florida, Texas, California, and New York, because they are in their own ways very successful in achieving what they aspire to be.

 

But let's consider the case of Arkansas.  It's favored with beautiful smaller mountains (the Ozarks), lots of wildlife (marshlands along the Mississippi River and on the University of Arkansas campus), outstanding leaders who vaulted on the National scene (Bill and Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee), and wonderous sites like Toad Suck Park.

 

But Arkansas has its original French pronunciation, like Illinois.

 

Of course, as native Kansasans will tell you, "Arkansas" should pronounced ahr-KAN-suz.  And there have been a few rash individuals who have tried to make that pronunciation stick.  During the early days of statehood, Arkansas' two U.S. Senators were divided on the spelling and pronunciation. One was always introduced as the senator from "ARkanSAW" and the other as the senator from "Ar-KANSAS." In 1881, the state's General Assembly passed a resolution declaring that the state's name should be spelled "Arkansas" but pronounced "Arkansaw."

Supposedly, in the course of the deliberations, this was the telling argument in favor of the accepted pronunciation given by State Senator Cassius M. Johnson:
 

"Mister Speaker, God damn your soul," says he, I've been trying to get the floor for thirty minutes, but all you do is squirm around like a dog with a flea in his ass! I'm Senator Cassius M. Johnson from Johnson county, where we raise men with peckers on, and the women are glad of it. Why, gentlemen, at the tender age of sixteen them girls can throw their left tit over their right shoulder, and squirt milk up their ass-hole as the occasion demands! When I was fourteen years old my prick was as big as a roasting-ear, the pride and joy of the whole goddam settlement. Gentlemen, I could piss hall-way across the Ouachita!"

Everybody clapped when they heard that, but the Speaker begun to holler "Out of order! Out of order! and pound on his desk.

"You're goddam right it was out of order," says Senator Johnson, "Otherwise I could have pissed clear across the son-of-a-bitch! That's the kind of folks we raise in Johnson county, gentlemen, and we ain't never been dictated to by nobody. And now comes this pusillanimous, blue-bellied Yankee who wants to change the name of Arkansas. Why, Mr. Speaker, he compares the great state of Arkansas to KANSAS! You might as well liken the noonday sun in all its glory to the feeble glow of a lightning-bug's ass, or the fragrance of an American Beauty rose to the foul quintessence of a Mexican burro's fart! Can all the power of this Assembly enlargen the puny penis of a Peruvian prince to a ponderous pagan prick, or the tiny testicles of a Turkish tyrant to the bulky bollyx of a Roman gladiator? Change the name of Arkansas? Great God Almighty damn! No, gentlemen! Hell fire, no!

What the God dam hell is things a-coming to, anyhow? Why, gentlemen, it's got so a man can't take down his pants for a good country shit without getting his ass full of birdshot. Change the name of Arkansas? Great God Almighty damn! You may piss on Jefferson's grave, gentlemen. You may shit down the White House steps, and use the Declaration of Independence for a corncob. You may rape the Goddess of Liberty at high noon, and wipe your tallywhacker on the Star Spangled Banner. You may do all this, gentlemen, and more. But you can't change the name of Arkansas! Not while one Patriot lives to prevent such desecration! Change the name of Arkansas? Hell fire, no!"

Thus Senator Cassius M. Johnson jumped into the breach that day to save the Bear State from everlasting shame.  And that is why Arkansas is pronounced "ARkanSAW."

[This is an old Arkansas legend.  I hope Sen. Johnson's words cause no offense.]

 

 

 

Why Not State-Issued Letters of Marque?

Let's face it: when it comes to international diplomacy, we have to play nice.  That's why President Obama named John Kerry as Secretary of State rather than some fire-eater.  And it makes sense: we have hundreds of years of diplomatic history to go on: diplomacy involves a lot of pretend; but once Ambrose Bierce defined diplomacy as the "patriotic act of lying for your country."

Maybe we need to look back in history.  After all, Queen Elizabeth I used Sir Francis Drake and other pirates to fight the Spanish rather than doing it directly.  And, for hundreds of years, countries with insufficient navies issued letters of marque to private individuals to seize vessels, with or without the ceremonial walking of the plank for defeated adversaries.

An historical note: When Andrew Jackson referred to the pirates of Barataria as "hellish banditti," he was wrong.  Jean and Pierre Lafitte had letters of marque from the Republic of Carthagena to legalize their high seas dirty work.  And they made a tidy living on the side from smuggling as well.

So, here's my idea.  Congress needs to do its part, as well as a bunch of state legislatures.  (Kind of like herding cats, you know?)  Let's repeal the part of the Constitution that limits issuing letters of marque to the Federal government since they don't seem to be using it, and allow individual states to do so.

Of course, some states may adopt this as a revenue-enhancer much like a few already do with lotteries and legalized gambling.  After all, if such examplars of rectitude as Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi do it, it must be alright to have that kind of regressive form of taxation!

Think of this.  Let's say California or Massachuetts or Texas wants to have a style of spending beyond that which the citizenry can or will support.  So the state issues some letters of marque to some unemployed pirates or ninjas, and turn them loose on some country unfriendly to the U.S.A.  (Who knows, the Federals may communicate their wishes that this would take place through indirect channels.) 

Yes!  Imagine the PRNK suddenly beset by ninjas or privateers who are made legit by the state of California!  And all our freebooters have to do is give the state a cut of the take!   And the U.S. government is in the clear!  After all, it's not the Army or the Navy or Air Force being used, its some ragtag bunch that those naughty Californians licensed.

Arrr!  Maybe this is an idea to consider!  This might also serve as a great way for the gun nuts and the survivalists to drain off their surplus energies and worry the rest of us less by bothering real bad guys more.

Good Vibrations for Hysteria

Until 1952, hysteria was in the lexicon of the American Psychiatric Association.  As diagnosed, it included a mixed assortment of symptoms, including faintness, nervousness, sexual desire, insomnia, fluid retention, heaviness in the abdomen, muscle spasm, shortness of breath, irritability, loss of appetite for food or sex, and "a tendency to make trouble."  (Wikipedia)

Obviously, this was a grab bag of symptoms, and very open to be cited capriciously. 

Part of the problem was the lack of recognition of the sexual nature of women in the 19th  century.  It was widely believed (or assumed) that good women did not experience sexual desire, and this facile assumption regarding their sexual lives led to their being frustrated.

However, in the 19th century a reliable, socially acceptable treatment became popular.   Doctors would apply vegetable oil to women’s genitals and then massaged them with one or two fingers inside and the heel of the hand pressing against the clitoris. (Hopefully, gently!)  With this type of massage, women had orgasms and experienced sudden, dramatic relief from hysteria. But the doctors never, ever referred to these climaxes as orgasms. They called them “paroxysms” either beuse of their refusal to recognize clitoral orgasms, or because they were fooling themselves.  Or they just didn't want to admit to what the "treatment" was. 

Maybe some women even experienced multiple paroxysms!

Anyay, some physicians did a booming business providing their patients with these unrecognized happy endings!
 
The first mechanical vibrators were developed as a labor-saving device for these doctors.  Eventually, the mechanical vibrators were sold through catalogs and in drug stores.

Everything was swell until they figured out what the vibrators really did! 



http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201303/hysteria-and-the-strange-history-vibrators

Mooning

The practice of mooning is widespread in the English-speaking world; with the term itself arising about 1609.  The alternative use of "mooning," romantically pining, is no longer used.  Can you imagine anyone describing a teen girl as mooning over the likes of Justin Bieber?  The romantic pining is bizarre enough, in my opinion.

Anyway, strangely enough, the gesture itself was first recorded by Flavius Josephus, who told that a Roman soldier provoked a riot from Jewish pilgrims on the way to the Temple.  The Jews didn't care for the message, and holy hell in the form of a riot broke out.  The upshot of that was that thousands were killed between the rioters and the Roman army.

At Caen, during the Hundred Years War, some French soldiers mooned King Edward III's archers, who responded with a volley of arrows!  Sometimes it does not pay to turn the other cheek!

Mooning became popular on college campuses during the 1960's; apparently replacing panty raids and goldfish-swallowing.  The 1960's deserve revisiting by cultural students who wish to see the myriad forms of decadance and not go far back to the ancient Romans.

Apparently, mooning has the same significance in China.  During a border dispute between China and the Soviet Union, there was a lot of tensionbetween the guards of adjacent army posts.  The Chinese border guards would daily moon their Soviet counterparts.  The Soviet guards, in response, held up large portraits of Chairman Mao!  This stopped the Chinese border guards for a while. Things got worse with time, and there were exchanges of gunfire resulting in heavy casualties.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/china/peopleevents/pande06.html

And, of course, Californians in recent time feel encumbent to moon Amtrak.  This annual event in turn resulted in heavy ticket sales so that passengers can see hundreds of buttocks of varying quality on display!  The same Californians are not content merely to visit a beach, they need quantity.

Swimsuit styles play a part.  While a woman wearing a thong at South Beach would not be considered mooning or engaging in indecent exposure, this might not hold true in the Midwest or Bible Belt!  As a rule, if you're in Minneapolis or Boston, keep your tush covered!

Mooning has become an sex equal opportunity lately.  Perhaps this signifies that more women are comfortable with that part of their body than had been the case.  It's a by-product the exercise classes!

Finally, a Maryland circuit court interpreted mooning as a form of free speech expression.  It further distinguished it from indecency, which involves exposure of the genitals.  (No, the court did not touch female breast exposure!)  Now I question this free speech interpretation of mooning, unless somehow a flatus is part of the process!

Mooning Amtrak in California:
an annual ritual

Missy Reports on the Politician and the Stripper

Missy Chauvin, our Action News Reporter along with Al Gautreaux, heard a rumor circulating in the Quarter in Old New Orleans; and being the newshound that she was, decided to look into it.  After all, it was soon going to be Sweeps Week, and at the beginning  of the Silly Season!  And there's something even more 10 P.M. newsworthy than the usual ration of accidents, and perhaps a shooting or two.  Maybe sometimes river traffic can be held up by barge or tugboat problems, but that doesn't happen too often.

No, I will not be coy: there's nothing better for the news program ratings than the breaking of a sex scandal involving one or more of the local politicos.  Now Louisiana politics is venal; you might even say corrupt.  As Huey Long once oberved about a certain state senator: "We bought him like a sack of potatoes."

Rumor had it that one was visiting a House of Ill Repute.  As a former mayor Martin Behrman once observed, "You can make it illegal, but you can't make it unpopular."  So Missy asked Crazy Chester if knew any pols visiting the local parlor houses.  His take on it was, "No, the Country Club Set has made their services obsolete."

But he did have a hot tip: One of the Ward Bosses had a stripper for a girlfriend!!!  Oh joy, blessed scandal!  So, Missy had something to show for her effort; better than Al's reporting on the scarcity of shrimps and oysters at the French Market.

So she took up the idea and the supporting evidence with the Action News Director, thinking this was a sure-fire lead.

But the News Director was unimpressed.  "Only a Ward Boss?  Why old-timers remember when a former Governor and a Judge had stripper girlfriends.  And, years ago, Carl Hiassen wrote a comic novel called Strip Tease made into a movie with Demi Moore!  And Missy, details, details . . . .  What's her bra size?  At what club does she perform?  If you're going to report on lowlife in a whiskey and trombone city, you need to get all the tittillating facts!"

"Missy, the public is pretty desensitized to ill behavior from politicians.  Now, maybe if you look into an expose of a member of senior management of one of our competitiors or an oil company executive we might be able to play!"

Swisser Swatter

John Aubrey, in his book Brief Lives, gives us a singular anecdote regarding Sir Walter Ralegh:

“He loved a wench well; and one time getting up one of the Mayds of Honour up against a tree in a Wood (‘twas his first Lady) who seemed at first boarding to be something fearfull of her Honour, and modest, she cryed, sweet Sir Walter, what doe you me ask? Will you undoe me? Nay. sweet Sir Walter! Sweet Sir Walter! Sir Walter! At last, as the danger and the pleasure at the same time grew higher, she cryed in the extasey, Swisser Swatter Swisser Swatter."

Very clearly, Sir Walter may have engaged in very questionable wooing techniques; undeniably, she was reluctant to some degree. He possibly even ventured into what would be considered acquaintance rape today. Furthermore, the coital position was quite irregular: upright, against a tree!  The author, John Aubrey, seems in retrospection, to be very cavalier about it all.

Whatever might have been the wench's desires and motives, apparently he did bring her to orgasm.  And, according to the story recounted, she became with child.

However, Sir Walter did the right thing in Elizabethian lights: he married her.  Secretly, as she was a Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth, who didn't like such extracurricular activities.

But what is "swisser swatter"? Is that onomatopeia for coital intercourse sounds, or is that a slurring of "Sweet Sir Walter"?

 

A New French Stamp of Marianne

Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, has appeared in many guises since the Revolution.  Perhaps the most often seen representation in Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, featuring a slightly zaftig, bare-breasted maiden wearing a Phyrigan cap and carrying the tricoleur!

In recent times, Marianne has been modified, especially in the form of busts of this mythical figure placed in public buildings.  Let's face it: she changed with the tastes of the time.  For a while, Brigitte Bardot was the model for Marianne*; later Catherine Denevue and Laetitia Casta and others.  All did splendidly.

In a postage stamp publicly unveiled by President Xavier Hollande and issued recently, the newest reincarnation of Marianne was a composite figure, in which Ukrainian FEMEN leader Inna Shevchenko was the primary source of the image (according to the artist)!  FEMEN had developed an effective means of gaining attention by protesting various things while topless, often using guerilla methods and managing to have conflicts with legal authorities.

Predictably, this choice resulted in controversy.  Some of the right wing wants to boycott the stamp, while criticism was levied on having a non-Frenchwoman as the model, even though France granted her asylum.

The French know how to get worked up!

A FEMEN member protesting in Paris

FEMEN member chopping down a cross in Kiev 

http://www.france24.com/en/20130715-french-stamp-inspired-topless-feminist-causes-stir

 

The classic version by Delacroix:
one of the most dramatic works of art ever!

So what can be said?  Will this version of Marianne take hold, even if not bare-breasted, unlike the frequent representation?  It's ironical, as the French do not get as in an uproar over topless women, unlike Americans.  Also, she seems more winsome rather than resolute.  And, darn it, she lacks the crown of red, white, and blue flowers so often worn by FEMEN members, even though those are France's national colors!

Maybe we could take a page from the French on this, and find some modern incarnation of Lady Liberty.  But which actress or popular singer do you think should fill the part?  Any suggestions?

*Some of the Brigette Bardot Marianne busts were quite explicit!

Bondieuserie

There are two senses to the word Bondieuserie: one refers to ostentatious piety: directed primarily to the edification of others.  This is when the person tries to serve as a live moral example.

The other refers to religious art which is overtly sentimental and shoddy.

I think that we can look at bondieuserie as art that has lost its nerve.

For Camille Paglia, the spiritual quest defines all great art—all art that lasts.  But in our secular age, the liberal crusade against religion has also taken a toll on art. “Sneering at religion is juvenile, symptomatic of a stunted imagination,” Paglia wrote. “Yet that cynical posture has become de rigueur in the art world—simply another reason for the shallow derivativeness of so much contemporary art, which has no big ideas left.”

Historically the great art of the West has often used religious themes, either explicit or implicit. “The Bible, the basis for so much great art, moves deeper than anything coming out of the culture today,” Paglia declared. As a result of its spiritual bankruptcy, art is losing its prominence in our culture. “Art makes news today,” she writes, “only when a painting is stolen or auctioned at a record price.”

Now not all bondieuserie is bad.  Some may elicit a smile or a recognition of whimsy.  Those baroque statues of the Infant of Prague, for example.  Or those effeminant saints in 19th century cards, like of the St. Germain des Pres approach.

 

Or that old New Orleans standby: St. Expedité.  He is usually represented with the word "Hodie," (Today) as stepping on a crow, who is calling "Cras" (later).

 

 

What a Girl Wants -- It Depends . . . .

Some researchers have found evidence that women tend to change in their preferences for men depending on whether they are ovulating or not

.A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, according to recent research the value that women place on masculinity changes with context and with women’s reproductive cycles and immediate goals.  Previous research has shown that women view facial masculinity—square jaws and well-defined brow ridges—as good characteristics for short-term partners, while more feminine traits are perceived as better for long-term mates.

Anthony Little of the University of Sterling found that women during ovulation tend to be significantly more attracted to guys with especially strong masculine features.  They are more likely to have this preference if they consider themselves to be more attractive and if they are looking for a short-term fling.

Masculinity could be “sexy for the same reason that the peacock's tail is sexy,”  was an interpretation given by UCLA researcher Dave Frederick, who commented on but was not involved in this research directly. “Only males in good condition can generate these traits,” because they require a great deal of energy and can only be sustained in healthy individuals," he explained.

Men with hard bodies and sculpted jaws may there fore have better genes for producing better babies, so it would make sense for fertile women to be attracted to them.

More strongly manifested masculine features signal higher levels of testosterone; and this might be a precursor to these guys being more likely to stray from the marital (or other) bed.  This would make them more risky choices for a woman desirous of a long-term, stable relationship.

By way of contrast, men with less stridently masculine features tend to be seen as better long-term risks.  Research suggests that men who are less masculine tend to invest more in relationships, making them more appealing to women who are at the least fertile points in their menstrual cycle—a hormonal profile that mimics that of pregnancy, when mate investment in the relationship is crucial.

Questionable Interview or Workplace Costume

Just useful tip, it is a good strategy to prepare for a job interview by studying the potential employer, to learn what questions to ask and what not to ask, and to dress appropriately for the job interview.

For business and academic settings, this usually calls for a tailored business suit.  Dress conservatively; try to convey an aura of quiet competence and reliability.  Above all, try to look mousey and no trouble potential.  Many men are intimidated by take-charge women, who they perceive as bossy.  Instead, in choosing your ensemble, think of what kind of image the employer wishes to convey.  As a new hire, you are expected to contribute to the planned impression management of the company, its desired image.

However, certain types of settings might call for more ostentation.  Perhaps a position as a server in a breastaurant or as a receptionist for a with-it Silicon Valley company.  And occasionally this might work when applying for a realtor's position, if you specialize in renting apartments to fraternity guys.

Finally, this sort of interview dress might be effective in seeking employment with a civil engineering firm.  They tend naturally to gravitate towards problems involving forces and stresses.

 

 

Bubba's Hearing

Bubba went to a revival and listened to the preacher. After a while, the preacher asked anyone with needs to come forward and be prayed over.

To the preacher's surprise, Bubba got in line.

It takes awhile, but Bubba was very patient. When it was his turn the preacher said, "It's been a long time since you came in, Bubba."

Bubba simply nodded.

The preacher said, "What you want me to pray about?"

Bubba said, "Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing."

So the preacher put one finger in Bubba's ear and the other hand on top of his head and prayed for a while.

After a few minutes, he removed his hands and said, "OK, Bubba, how's your hearing now?"

"I don't know preacher," Bubba says. "It's not until next Wednesday."

------------------------------------------------------------

So much for sensory afflictions.  Some faith healers even do cosmetic work.

Using the Defaults On-line and In Other Settings

"It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing milkbone undies."  -- Comment by a friend.

I guess that caught your attention.  But I want to wite about defaults on choices that you might encounter in everyday life.

Let's face it: there is a Law of Conservation of Personal Energy.  We tend over time to find ways to cut corners, do things automatically, and so forth.  In my case, that's simple laziness.  And other people and businesses often offer those opportunities.  But, just like contracts written by their lawyers, they're slanted in favor of the offerer.

So, as the Ancient Romans said, "Caveat emptor" -- let the buyer beware.

Here's a few examples:

1.  Automatic renewal of magazine subscriptions,  Now, if you're like me, you might like a magazine at first, but begin to be jaded with it over time.  Some of those news and opinion magazines come to mind.  (Seriously, I got my fill of Atlantic and Cosmo very early.)  So,with a subscription offer, don't check automatic renewal; and don't give your credit card number.  Some mags may charge you for the renewal very early.  It's like they have ants in their pants, and don't want you to change your mind.

2.  'Final Offer' for subscriptions are almost never so.

3.  Does signing up for an on-line site have a default?  If it does, then look out for the cookies and 'helpful' messages in profusion.  Un-click them if you can.

4.  When using a public computer, never, never, never leave the box marked "remember my ID and password" clicked.  As a matter of fact, I never do it even on my own personal laptop.  It's bad enough to lose it without also making access to my funds wide open.

5.  Look for, and unclick, any box when you first log on to some internet site that asks you if they could be your homepage.  Some are okay, like MSN and Yahoo; others give you a lot of garbage.  If possible, read up on a site before you use it.  And if you make it your homepage, they control the ads you will be beset with.

6.  The same goes to tool bars.  How much clutter do you need at the top of your screen?

7.  Any situation that sets an unrealistic time constraint on your choice.  Seriously, if it is a good idea or a bargain, it will seem that way tomorrow.  Sleep on it.

I know that this makes me sound crabby; but I'm not PMS-ing.  This is just acquired skepticism.

For those interested, there is a book about good and bad defaults in everyday life:

Thayer, Richard H. and Sunstein, Cass R.  Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness.  New York: Penguin, 2008.

In Argentina, It's T or A, not T and A

In an Argentine research project, Bruno Dagnino, Joaquin Navajas, and Mariano Sigman explored which feminine features did males find to be most attractive or compelling; specifically, breasts or buttocks.*

In the first experiment, 184 male participants reported their preference between breasts and buttocks on a continuous scale, with the two extremes indicated a preference for breasts or buttocks, and the midpoint indicating an equal preference for both.  Dagnino et al. found that the men fell into two distinct groups: buttocks-focused or breast-focused.  Very rarely did these Argentine guys tend to view these traits as equally influential.  Interestingly, more Argentine guys were biased towards buttocks than breasts.

In a follow-up experiment, the researchers studied the eye movements of 25 male participants,  Their eye movements tended to be more toward the trait that they self-designated as being more important to them.

So, is there a lesson from this?  It may be that there are specific physical feminine traits that they focus on in assessing attractiveness that are culture-dependent.  It's worth wondering how this cultural differentiation came about, particularly why American preferences came to be where they presently are.  In this context, data from an breast cup size may be relevant.  Larger breasts are more prevalent in Scandanavia and in Russia; with the United States, Germany, Columbia, and Venezuela in the second tier.**

On the other hand, research by Viren Swami and Adrian Furnham in the United Kingdom indicated that both men and women tended to prefer smallish breasts, while buttock size did not play a significant role.  Apparently, UK women should not worry much about their final impressions as they walk down the street while Argentine women should be concerned about their exits!

While these studies are interesting, the work is necessarily sex-limited.  What about women's preferences for male pectorals versus buttocks?  Are there cultural differences, or do women throughout the world tend to emphasize more heavily certain features?

*It figures.  Three guys would think up this research project.
**The U.S., Columbia, and Venezuela have high rates of breast augmentation procedures.

National Bikini Day

July 5th has been recognized as National Bikini Day.  For the curious, here are some facts about this swimsuit:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4998198/national-bikini-day-celebration-with-facts.html

1.  It was first designed by Louis Reard, and named after an atoll where atomic testing had taken place.  Actually, the original one was rather unattractive.

2.  French Actress Brigitte Bardot gave it significant exposure at Cannes in 1953.

3.  In 1960, a novelty song "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" caused sales to soar,

4.  A Pope came out against the bikini after a contestant, Kiki Hakansson, wore one at a Miss World competition.  The bikini made no further appearances.

5.  This dental floss-style was developed by model Rose De Primallio.

6.  Florida banned thong bikinis from its beaches in 1990.

7.  The string bikini has become the most common style nowadays.

8.  Irish women tend to wear the least brief bikinis.

Happy Fourth of July

Let us give thanks for the privilege of
living in the
Land of the Free.
Thank a Vet!
Remember the Founding Fathers.
And exercise our citizenship rights responsibly!

And remember: our country name is
the UNITED States of America.

That means all of us, whatever politics or religion we prefer
and whatever race we are!

Fine Literature

It's time for a revival of fine literature of the past, that somehow became neglected as our public libraries became more digitized.  Here are some important works that originally appeared in paperback in an earlier time before paperbacks got fully respectable as trade editions.  Perhaps some of you bibliophiles might actively seek out this neglected literature in used book outlets or in attics.

Who says you can't tell a book by its cover?

An angel sometimes lacks angelicalness.

 

Millicent learns the fine points of package lifting
before starting work at FedEx.

  

Andrea finds the temptations of politics to be too much.

  

On the Road for ladies, with fashion advice
for the would-be travelers.

 

Trilby learned more than just how to sing due to hypnosis.

 

Tara, though old, can still learn new tricks.



Saunndra, Marilyn and Joan occupy Wall Street.

 

Another classic by Sheldon Lord.

Sheldon Lord rated another book with a better cover.

Megan joined the Liberterian Party to meet new friends.

 

Only seven?



Truly demented look.

Probably not a feminist tract.

All policemen have big feet,
Buy their shoes on Rampart Street.