It's been said that if you want a friend in Washington, you should buy a dog. Unfortunately, there's some truth to that: there are few places in the world where the turncoats and careerists are so highly rewarded and where loyalty is equated with stupidity. Luckily, another bit of wisdom about the Beltway is also true: the people in Washington aren't like the ones in the rest of the country. The American people treasure loyalty. They stick by a friend when he needs them. They forgive him when he's wrong. They understand the difference between politics and friendship. They are true to their ideals and their schools, loyal to their families and their God. In Stickin', the always colorful and insightful political strategist James Carville, who has been accused of being loyal, examines this much-maligned and misunderstood political good. Along the way, he looks at loyalty in the family and among friends, in theory and in practice. He praises some loyal people and skewers some deserving backstabbers. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Carville book if he didn't provide recipes for some good home cooking.

Writing has taken over my life.. in a good way. My thoughts continually are geared towards my next song. Sometimes I get a few lines in my head when I am driving and I have to pull over the car and write them down! No matter where I am, I get the urge to write. I could be talking to a neighbor, or be in the middle of mass at church and a word or phrase will pop into my head and whoa! -a new song is born! More than anything I love, love, love, the peace of mind songwriting allows me to have. Most of my lyrics take me 15 to 30 minutes to write. There was a time when I was writing 6-8 lyrics in a day. Sometimes I would sit there and stare at my pencil asking why did you stop? I swear at times the pencil kept moving like I wasnt even thinking of what to write. This is my first edition. I hope to continue with future editions as I am still writing new songs everyday. Someday I hope to put my lyrics to my own music and I recently started taking piano lessons. Hey, we all know life is a learning process; a learning curve, we need to experience the turns with the ride! I wish you all success with this book and look forward to seeing some of you with me when it comes to award times!

In the late 1950s there was a skiffle craze in Great Britain. With its strong beat and fast tempos, skiffle music challenged the emerging rock n roll. Estimates suggest that at the height of the craze there were upwards of 30,000 skiffle groups in the country. This book contains the full lyrics and guitar chords for 50 skiffle songs made famous by the likes of: the Vipers, Chas McDevitt, Lonnie Donegan, Ken Colyer, and the City Ramblers skiffle groups. Songs include: Rock Island Line ; Midnight Special ; Putting On The Style ; Maggie May ; Freight Train ; Don t You Rock Me Daddy-O ; Pick a Bale of Cotton ... and many other classics from the repertoires of professional and amateur skiffle groups of the era. Each song is presented over a double-page spread with chords above the lyrics. There is also instruction in how to strum the guitar when playing skiffle songs, and a valuable explanation of the three chord trick . All profits from this book are donated to Save the Children.

Steve's tell-all journal continues. The alien interpreter trainees move into the Human Habitat at the Embassy and they have a new instructor -- a Hoidan Zeday retired professional tongue wrestler. Steve meets Ceiling, his sexy-voiced guide on the personnel systems facilities interface. He also develops an obsessive hatred of soap dispensers and makes friends with the Hoidan Zeday plumber who is really a genetics engineer who grows equipment. The new Cricktou liaison has a run in with leftover sushi and the bureaucrats get ulcers. The trainees interpret for a joint task force rebuilding a fighter jet that the aliens damaged during first contact. Steve get adopted by the Hoidan Zeday and gets a new job. Babysitting. Plus! Lots of dancing and beer, blood letting and piercings, hypnosis and construction, a chicken and a cow!

“Everybody has to start somewhere. Businessmen start on the ground floor and try to work their way up the corporate ladder. Baseball players bide their time in the minor leagues wishing for an opportunity to move up and play in the majors. Musical compositions aren’t very different – some songs just don’t climb the charts the first time they’re recorded. However, with perseverance, the ideal singer, the right chemistry, impeccable timing, vigorous promotion, and a little luck, these songs can become very famous.” So writes Bob Leszczak in the opening pages of Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. In this third and final volume to the Who Did It First? series, readers explore the hidden history of the most famous, indeed legendary, rock songs and standards. Did you know that the Wild Ones had a “Wild Thing” before the Troggs? Were you aware that it took a second shot for “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love” to make the charts? Had you heard that Guy Villari and the Regents dated “Barbara Ann” five years before the Beach Boys? Were you privy to the fact that there was “Hanky Panky” going on with Ellie Greenwich and the Raindrops, as well as the Summits, before Tommy James and the Shondells made the song a number 1 classic? Some of the information contained within these pages will shock, rattle and roll you. You may fancy yourself a music expert, but this third and last in a series of titles devoted to the story of great songs and their revival as great covers is filled with eye openers. In many instances, one’s eyes will open even wider as a result of the list of cover artists (with Paul Anka’s remake of Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” leading the pack). Who Did It First?Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artistsis the perfect playlist builder. So whether quizzing friends at a party, answering a radio station contest, or just satisfying an insatiable curiosity to know who really did do it first, this work is a must-have.