NEXT MEETING - September 28, 2004. Usual time, usual place. By MCLC tradition, the proceeds of the TailTwister's nefarious efforts during their year are donated to a cause of the TT's choice. Last year's TT, DALE MUELLER, chose the Burn Center at UW Hospitals, and the check will be presented to a hospital representative at this next meeting. We will also hear a presentation on the Burn Center. Your editor was probably not alone in not knowing that the hospital had a Burn Center, so the program is bound to be informative. Some of us remember that DALE's son was critically burned several years ago, when a vandal left a firebomb concealed in a camp site fire pit in Arizona which blew up when his son lit a cooking fire.

Tail-Twister-Of-The-Month ROSS ROYSTER said that the table whose representative told the best joke would be excused from fines for the day. None of the jokes were either fit or funny enough to be repeated here. We should have paid double.

President LINDA BERGREN opened the meeting by directing the singing of "America", with help on the pitch from CRAIG "Fingers" BUTLER. The invocation was given by "Sparky" WATTS. JOHN JENSON reported that Past President DEAN JOHNSON is gravely ill. DEAN was included in the invocation, and in our thoughts.

DON NEVIASER announced that the annual Service Club lunch would be on November 17. Apparently those attending buy their own ticket. If either the price or the location were specified, your editor couldn't hear them, but the speaker will be Blair Savage. DON didn't seem too excited by that, but the speaker worked on a space telescope so those who go should hear some far-out stories.

JODI BURMESTER noted that our meeting on October 5 will be at the usual place, the Edgewater, but NOT at the usual time. It will be cash bar cocktails at 5:30, followed by "heavy hors d'oeuvres" which probably means you won't have to go to dinner afterward. It's primarily a social hour for Lions, spouses and friends, with some recognitions and Lion birthdays for a program. October used to be Membership Month, and so there should be a lot of birthday presents flying around. Come, bring your spouse or significant other, guests, and prospective Lions. Sounds like a good time.

PHIL STOWITTS has our Club's Bucky Books for sale. $35.00 each, on which we make $12. If you golf or eat out they are a real bargain. Our raffle is in full swing - there are about 80 tickets left, and if you need some call MELISSA NOVINSKI. This is one of our major fundraisers now, so let's get those tickets sold!

Board of Directors will meet next Tuesday evening, at a place called Howard Johnson's. At their last meeting they sent a gift to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation in memory of GORDIE YOUNG. There was also discussion about some Lions having reverted to the bad habit of leaving about the time the program is introduced. Let's face it, Lions, this is just plain rude. It embarrasses the Lion Program Host, who has invited the speaker to come, as well. All of us at times have conflicting appointments. We want everybody at meetings, but if you can only come for lunch, slip out unobtrusively before the program introduction. During the opening song is a good time.

JODI BURMESTER introduced the speaker, Terri Bischoff, co-owner of "Booked for Murder" stores, who told us some interesting information about their specialty, "Crime Fiction." That gives them more latitude than murder mysteries, but they are still their most important items. They bring in several authors each month for book signing and promotion, and new books are usually released early in the month. There are four "seasons" during the year for the release of new books, and they are previewed to the bookstores by catalog. The stores generally buy stock of new releases, and a specialty store like theirs has an obvious problem with volume price discounts versus the big stores. They make up for the price difference (which is not always as great as it seems if the buyer has to pay shipping) by having a wider stock of their specialty, more knowledge of what is available, and by providing the local "pick it up and scan it" buying ability. They sometimes get advance copies of new books, called "galleys", which are not in final form but can become collector's items if they are big sellers or from prominent authors. The store plans to recommend one book a month from lesser-known authors. She noted that murder mysteries come in types, from the Agatha Christie ones with little violence, bad language or sex (called "cosies" in the trade) to the other extreme from authors like Gresham. Many of their regular customers buy each book from a favorite author as they come out, and there are web sites that will give you all the books by a particular author, in order of publication. Interesting program, and a good example of a specialty store that will give you expertise and service you don't get in the "big boxes."