Be the first to get the question right

The image above depicts the name of chapter 50 of my book, "Cooking The Books"

Be the first person to answer what the name of the idiom dealing with crime depicted by the above picture is and you will win a 1st edition hard cover copy of  "Cooking The Books" when it gets released later this year.

Send your answers in by clicking on the comment button below and enter your answer.  The first one with the correct response wins!

Please, only one entry per person.

"The Proof Is In The Pudding"

"Stop the presses" refers to stopping the printing process so that late breaking news can be inserted before distribution. Now, what does that have to do with my book, "Cooking The Books," and more relevant to this blog, what does stopping the presses have to do with the title of the blog, "The Proof Is In The Pudding."

As you faithful readers know, my passion is writing about the origin and meaning of phrases, proverbs, idioms and quotes. The meaning of this phrase (most sources say the complete expression has the addition words, in the eating, at the end) is that the true value or quality of something can only be judged when it's put to use. The origin dates to at least 1605 and is found in Cervantes' Don Quixote.

Now, what the heck does this expression [the shorter version can be considered an idiom because proof and pudding together don't make any sense] have to do with my book? Simply put, if I were to let my printer "go to presses" with the current proof [of the book] I would look like I didn't know how to write or spell very well. My research of the expressions dealing with white-collar crime and the quotes that accumpany all the chapters I am pleased with, but the the mistakes of grammer, puncuation and spelling throughout the manuscript, leaves me dissatisfied with what would have been the final product.

The quality of the finished product must be the author's responsibility so that the readers of my book have a elegant work that is worth their money and both educates and entertains them, so therefore I am "stopping the presses" until the "poof is in the pudding." What I am asking, for all of you that read this latest blog, is to point out any mistakes in gramer, puncuation and spelling that you see in this blog. PME

Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intellingent direction and skillful exection, it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. --William A. Foster

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Full "Paper" Jacket

Does anybody remember "Full Mental Jacket," a 1980 film by Stanley Kubrich? Those that follow this blog know how much I enjoy writing about the origins and meanings of all sorts of expressions, phrases, sayings; whatever you call these utterances that radiate from our mouths on a daily basis. The first one in my book; "cooking the books," is an idiom and it's modern meaning is accounting fraud, and the last one is a phrase; "that's all folks!" which comes from the funny cartoons by Warner Brothers called, Looney Tunes. Full paper is as far from full metal as you can get. A cover of a hardbound book is called a "dust jacket," versus the outside of a softcover book is called, duh, a "cover." (I took the liberty of changing "dust" to "paper" so I could incorporate this phrase in comparing it with the Kubrich film.) Full metal jacket is a bullet designed by Lt. Eduard Rubin of the Swiss Army in 1882 and was used as standard ammunition in 1886 for the French Mle [Rifle]. The last process I had to check and double check was the dust jacket for my book and it's lucky I did. I found two significant things that needed to be corrected before my book went to press and the picture at the right is the final product. The next event will be the printing process. Halaula!

Presses will be rolling!

The final proof has been approved by me and in about 3-4 weeks I will have books in hand for my first speaking engagement at my Rotary club (So. Hilo). I have just secured a TV spot with a station in Pleasanton, Ca. that broadcasts to over 300,000 households in the Livermore Valley. The reason I love Jay Leno's humor (I have two quotes in my book-one on the back cover) is that his jokes "just crack me up." Here is one from this week by Leno that was on my favorite site, http://www.politicalhumor.about.com/: "President Obama has been meeting with voters in what he calls 'backyard chats.' He's held these in real people's backyards. You know something, I think all politicians should talk to people in their backyards. Then you could take what they say and spread it on the lawn." Stay tuned for the next update from me on the completion date for the book from the pinter, Publishers Graphics, Chicago, Il.

Back cover of "Cooking the Books"

The Picture you see is the back jacket of my book and was taken in a kitchen of a friend. This was exactly the look I was seeking for the back cover-that of a kitchen with hanging pots, pans and an assortment of utensils. I wanted to have this scene look like an old kitchen instead of the austere, aluminum, squeaky clean appearance of restaurant kitchens I looked at for the back cover scene. Cooking The Books is now at my printer (Publishers Graphics, Chicago) and I will have "books in hand," late October, early November and then the marketing part begins. I have a speaking tour set up with eight Rotary clubs (with more to come) from Hawaii to Northern and Central California, between December 1st and February 16th. Now is my time to start getting the word out on my book and I can greatly use your help. (a great number of any book sells by word of mouth, and what better way than to ask my family and friends to spread the word "far and wide".) I will have the web site http://www.theycookedthebooks.com/ up and running by then that will show you how to order the book. Only if you like it, do I ask you to do this "word of mouth" promotion for me. The other favor I will ask is it is important for my book if you would write a comment on my blog and/or become a follower. Both are simple to do. Click on the word comment at the end of any posting you would like to comment on. Become a follower-it's easy-just click on the follower button on the right side. This blog address is www.theycookedthebooks.blogspot.com. I am willing to refund both your postage and handling if you don't like it, but I guarantee that this will be one of the most enjoyable books you have read in a long time. Thank you, Patrick