Houses of the Holier-Than-Thou: Rock and Roll Crashes Washington’s Elite Holiday Party

By Lori Spencer

Contributing Editor

This Can’t Be Happening!

According to the National Archives, one item has been requested more than any other over the past forty two years; more than the Bill of Rights or even the Constitution of the United States. Yes, it’s the iconic photograph of Elvis Presley shaking hands with President Richard M. Nixon on the occasion of Presley’s visit to the White House. December 21, 1970.

It was a few days before Christmas, 1970, and Elvis Presley was suddenly obsessed with a strange notion. Not another late-night private shopping spree for Lisa Marie, or a cross-country hamburger run this time. No, what Presley had in mind was far more important: the trumpet of destiny was once again beckoning him to her siren call. It had been decided somehow in his drug-addled mind that the King of Rock and Roll should meet the President of the United States. Not next week; not next year, or in the next decade: this had to happen right now.

Within hours, and without telling anyone in his Memphis Mafia entourage, Elvis was on a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C. – alone. Before Vernon Presley could say, “has anybody seen Elvis?” (thus setting off a full-scale panic back at Graceland), Presley had arrived at the White House gates uninvited, asking to see the president.

Elvis explained to an astonished security guard that he knew the president was very busy, but that he would just like to say hello and give him a gift (a commemorative World War II .45 caliber pistol). He also bore in his hand a six-page handwritten requesting – incredulously enough –  to be appointed a “Federal Agent-at-Large” in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Once it had been determined that the letter was genuine and that this heavily armed, velvet and suede-clad man at the gate really was THE Elvis Presley, phones began ringing frantically all over the White House. “What the hell do we do with this guy?” was the question of the day. Elvis waited patiently in his three-room suite back at the Hotel Washington while the president’s men scrambled to accommodate his bizarre request.

In a staff memo fired off quickly to Nixon’s Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, the president’s Special Assistant Dwight Chapin suggested that “if the president wants to meet with some bright young people outside of the government, Presley might be a perfect one to start with.”

Haldeman scribbled in the margins of the memo, “you must be kidding.”

Nevertheless, he approved the visit, and Presley was finally allowed entry into an inner sanctum that no rock-and-roller before him had ever penetrated: the oval office.

That groundbreaking summit brought a new whiff of respectability to rock and roll music, and yet even by the early 1980′s, rock bands still weren’t exactly welcome visitors on Washington’s elite holiday party circuit. Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior James Watt memorably banned the clean-cut, all-American Beach Boys from the annual July 4th Concert on the Mall in 1983.

Watt had announced that all rock bands attracted “the wrong element,” and that the Reagan administration opted for a “wholesome” program with Wayne Newton. “We’re not going to encourage drug abuse and alcoholism,” Watt sniffed, “as was done in the past.”

Secretary Watt was apparently unaware that the Beach Boys had played the White House just a month before in June, at Ron and Nancy Reagan’s personal request. Watt later apologized to the Beach Boys after learning the Reagans were fans of the band. Reagan gave James Watt a “shoot yourself in the foot” award over the embarrassing incident and invited the Beach Boys back in 1985 to play his second Inaugural concert. The times they were a-changin’, but still…not that much.

YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME

Had you told me then – some thirty years ago during the waning years of the long, Cold War – that a Russian ballerina, a black bluesman from Lettsworth, Louisiana, and the English kings of debauch, Led Freaking Zeppelin, would be honored at the White House by the nation’s first black president within our lifetimes, I would have told you to dream on and fuck off.

But there they were: ballerina Natalia Makarova, blues legend Buddy Guy, Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, all sitting quietly in the distinguished East Room of the White House on December 3, 2012. Unlike previous visits by Elvis Presley and The Beach Boys, these artists were not unexpected visitors or performing court jesters; they were honored guests of the president.

As I listened intently to president Obama singing their collective praises – along with their fellow Kennedy Center Honorees Dustin Hoffman and David Letterman – I could only shake my head in amazement and think to myself, “this can’t be happening!”

L to R: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Natalia Makarova, David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, Buddy Guy, and President Barack Obama.

On more than a few occasions during the ceremony I saw that same “look how far we’ve come” grin spread across the faces of several attendees, including one Jimmy Page, who later called the whole experience “surreal, like a dream.”

When asked if they had ever been invited to the White House before, Robert Plant exploded in a cackle of laughter. “Naaaah, you’re joking, right?” Reflecting back in time, Plant’s face suddenly turned stoic, and a hint of bitterness crept into his tone.

“We were hardly the toast of the American political establishment back then,” Plant pointed out sharply. “Your government and police certainly were interested in us, but not for our music. But we were being questioned quite often!”

The native British band expressed great excitement (and perhaps some befuddlement) at being chosen for this prestigious award, because the Honorees are recognized for making unique contributions to American culture. Of the 178 recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors over the past three and a half decades, only one other British rock band has been chosen: The Who in 2008.

Led Zeppelin guitarist and sonic architect Jimmy Page considers the selection of Led Zeppelin in 2012 to be “a terrific honor.”

“We owe such a massive debt to American music,” Page said. “It’s a thing that definitely seduced us all to be want to be part of the music.”

“Everything that we talk about is American, from our music tastes more or less (and maybe north African and Egyptian).” Plant agreed. “Our mutual love of and absolute and total influence by American music whether its from Mississippi or Chicago in 1982 – it’s great because we’re sort of Americans but…not – of course.”

Although Plant is still a British citizen, he now lives part-time in Austin, Texas with his musical partner and lady love Patty Griffin. “I do consider myself an American in many ways,” Plant said. “Austin feels like home to me now.”

“So the fact that we get to go to this thing and meet the most dynamic and charismatic American outside of America – Obama – bar none is a great, great privilege.”

A short time later Plant, Page, and Jones were shaking the president’s hand during a White House reception preceding the Kennedy Center Honors. In a wildly mixed crowd that included celebrities such as Morgan Freeman, Lenny Kravitz and Page’s old school chum Jeff Beck, there were still plenty of old-guard Washingtonians propped up on their walkers and canes, casting disapproving glances at these gray haired, tuxedo-clad hippies actually being honored in the East Room. There goes the neighborhood, indeed.

President Obama roasted the members of Led Zeppelin in his remarks to the Kennedy Center Honorees at the White House.

DAZED AND CONFUSED

“It’s been said that a generation of young people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a Led Zeppelin album,” President Obama said in his remarks to the Honorees. “And a generation of parents wondered what all that noise was about.

“But even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing — and we all I think appreciate the fact — the Zeppelin legacy lives on,” Obama proclaimed. “The last time the band performed together in 2007 — perhaps the last time ever, but we don’t know — more than 20 million fans from around the world applied for tickets. And what they saw was vintage Zeppelin. No frills, no theatrics, just a few guys who can still make the ladies weak at the knees, huddled together, following the music.”

The president’s speechwriters couldn’t resist that niggling temptation to rib the members of Led Zeppelin over their party-boy reputations.

“Of course, these guys also redefined the rock and roll lifestyle.  We do not have video of this,” President Obama quipped. “But there were some hotel rooms trashed and mayhem all around.  So it’s fitting that we’re doing this in a room with windows that are about three inches thick and Secret Service all around. So just settle down, guys…these paintings are valuable.”

·    The Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS December 26. Part Two of TCBH’s coverage takes us to the Kennedy Center for an all-star tribute to the 2012 Honorees, and more with the members of Led Zeppelin.

 

 

 

Occupying America: Sowing the Seeds of a Second American Revolution

OCCUPYING AMERICA:

Sowing the Seeds of a Second American Revolution

By Lori Spencer

Originally published on ThisCantBeHappening.net

#1 user-rated story on OpEdNews.com for week of Oct. 21, 2011 and redistributed on more than 78,000 websites

Sign posted inside an Occupy OKC protester's tent, Oklahoma City. (Photo: Lori Spencer)

“There are combustibles in every state which a spark might set fire to.”

– George Washington’s letter to General Henry Knox offering his view of Shay’s Rebellion, 1786

One month ago, a group of some 1000 demonstrators gathered in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to protest the pillaging of the nation’s economy by powerful corporations and international houses of high finance. While these young activists were entirely peaceful, they also made it clear that this would be no hippie-dippy flower-twirling love-in, sit-in, teach-in, or even a camp-in; this was an occupation. The demonstrators announced that they intended to Occupy Wall Street 24/7, staying until hell freezes over if need be.

The New York City police welcomed them warmly with pepper spray and more than a few violent smack-downs, even going so far as to arrest some 700 protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge who were lured into a position where they could be charged with blocking traffic.

After video of these outrages went viral on the Internet, a wave of righteous indignation swept the land. Hastily-formed Occupy groups proclaiming themselves in solidarity with the NYC protesters began to spring up in big cities and small towns across America. At first it was just a handful: 20-30 groups in the first week, growing to a few hundred in the second week, then rapidly mushrooming to today’s current total of 1,947 cities around the globe.

The most common critique leveled against the Occupy demonstrators is that they don’t seem to have a plan. “Disorganized,” “unfocused,” and “aimless” are buzzwords the movement’s detractors — both liberal and right-wing – like to toss around. Last week former President Bush’s key political adviser Karl Rove cynically opined in the Wall Street Journal that Democrats should distance themselves from the Occupy Wall Street movement to avoid alienating potential voters in 2012.

And it’s true that even those Americans who are in fact part of the 99% and generally support OWS’s principles are themselves unclear as to what the protesters ultimately want and how exactly they are going to accomplish it. What are their demands? How long are they going to keep this up? Have they proposed any concrete solutions? But that’s an awful lot of pressure to put upon a spontaneous social movement that is only little over a month old.

Certainly these are valid questions. In defense of the revolutionaries, though, remember that the last time we had a revolution in this country , it took 20 years to start it, eight years to fight it, and still another six years to fully secure and implement a new government. If the Occupy movement is indeed the genesis of a Second American Revolution, we should not expect its progenitors to simply cough up a prefabricated quick fix. After all, if our elected representatives couldn’t seem to figure out how to correct the country’s multitude of problems over a few decades, is it reasonable to expect a loosely-organized band of citizen activists to offer the solutions within just a few months? We may be sowing the seeds of a revolution now, but let’s not forget that it usually takes many years to reap the harvest.

History shows that revolutions do not occur overnight. Reasonable humans always prefer to work out their differences through lawful avenues and communication whenever possible. It is only after many years of futile petitioning that the oppressed are left with no other choice but to revolt. Some 236 years ago, the American colonists signed a Declaration of Independence – prepared to back it up through force of arms if necessary – but that unforgiving line in the sand was only drawn after 22 years of peaceful attempts to negotiate with Britain had failed.

The seeds of the American Revolution were planted not in 1776, but in 1754 during the French and Indian War. Colonists became further disenchanted when taxes were levied upon them to pay the costs of that war. A number of other encroachments added fuel to the fire: restrictions on settlement of the West, increased duties on imported goods, the Stamp Act, the banning of colonial currency, outlawing town meetings, quartering British troops among the citizenry, and closing Boston Harbor, just to name a few. Discontent festered for nearly 20 years whilst the Loyalists and Patriots argued amongst themselves as to whether or not they dared to overthrow British rule.

When the first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, only one-third of colonists supported the cause. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but it took another year for all the delegates to actually sign their John Hancocks, quite literally putting their lives on the line for what they believed in. Although the final battle was fought in 1782, the state of war did not formally end until the Treaties of Paris and Versailles were ratified in 1784. The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 but was not ratified until 1789. This delay was the result of ongoing debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over just how much power the new national government should have. Debates were so heated in fact that they frequently turned into armed skirmishes, standoffs, and deadly showdowns with authorities. One resonant example was Shay’s Rebellion, a populist uprising of debt-ridden New England farmers who had served their country in  the war, only to come home and have their lands foreclosed upon. (A scenario all too familiar for today’s veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the returned veterans of practically every war in the 20th century).

One citizen's petition for a redress of grievances. Placard from the Occupy OKC demonstration in Oklahoma City, October 16, 2011. (Photo: Lori Spencer)

“You say you want a revolution…well, you know…we’d all love to see the plan.”

– The Beatles, “Revolution”

Revolutions are a process of trial and error, of discarding what doesn’t work and eventually figuring out what does. Of course you can always count on revolutionaries to make some massive screw-ups along the way (such as George Washington’s bright idea to exclude blacks from the Continental Army, thus driving more than 20,000 African Americans to pick up guns for the British and turn them against their countrymen, for example). In truth, the original 13 American colonies were rarely in agreement on anything. While everyone could agree that the country was out of joint, reaching consensus on what to do about it proved far more difficult.

Even when all 13 colonies finally signed on the dotted line in 1776, they still didn’t have a plan for a new system of government to replace the old. And while the Declaration may have been a poetic statement of collective principles and grievances, it offered nothing in terms of solutions.

The Continental Army was a ragtag, disorganized, unruly band of volunteers who seemingly didn’t stand a snowball’s chance against the crushing might of Britain’s superior forces. These men fought an eight-year war without so much as a blueprint for what the hell they were going to do with their hard-earned freedom should they emerge victorious. Once the war was won, it took another six years of bickering, compromise, and re-tooling the Constitution before we finally had a supreme law of the land. All the while, Congress ran the United States because there was no leader; the new nation didn’t elect its first president until 1789.

All in all, the process of the American Revolution comprised 35 years–a generation.

What is happening in the streets today is being hailed by some as the Second American Revolution, and it may very well be that our tree of liberty is beginning to bloom anew. By that historical comparison, the agitators who are taking it to the streets would be the modern day Patriots. The majority who tell them to just sit down, shut up, get a job, and stop whining already are the Loyalists. All of these empty arguments being made today against the Patriots as a bunch of naive, ungrateful, disorganized fools are nothing new under the sun. We Americans have heard that old saw somewhere before. Washington, Adams, Jefferson and even Tom Paine didn’t have all the answers in the beginning, either.

Not until 1774 did the First Continental Congress convene to draft an official list of grievances, a statement of principles, and plans for organized resistance to England within the colonies. This bold first step towards independence had been 20 years in the making.

Today’s revolutionaries actually seem to be moving forward much, much faster. Already, an Occupy Wall Street working group is calling for the election of a National General Assembly to meet on July 4, 2012 in Philadelphia. According to the 99% Declaration, “870 Delegates shall set forth, consider and vote upon a PETITION OF GRIEVANCES to be submitted to all members of Congress, The Supreme Court and President and each of the political candidates running in the nationwide Congressional and Presidential election in November 2012.” Now that sounds like a plan!

It took many decades of unsustainable excess and deep-rooted corruption for America to reach this critical stage of mass unrest. So no one should expect us to get out of this mess tomorrow.

We’re done with trusting politicians to sort it out for us. We have finally come to the inevitable conclusion that if we want the job done right, we’ll have to do it ourselves. We The People will fix this, even if we don’t know quite how to do it just yet. We will win some, lose some, fall on our faces sometimes, and learn from our mistakes as our forefathers did. If it took them at least 35 years to come up with a system that worked. Instant gratification is not something we can expect this time around, either. Give it time. Better yet, roll up your sleeves and help if you want change to happen faster. Many hands make light work, and we’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do.

To borrow from President Kennedy, who outlined the New Frontier’s goals for the 1960s in his inaugural address and called his fellow Americans to action: ”All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.”

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About the Author:
Lori Spencer is a veteran journalist and musician based in Austin, Texas. She spent 25 years in the trenches of radio and print newsrooms by day while playing her music by night. Most recently she became one of the 99% when the mega media corporation she worked for laid off more than 7,000 writers and editors, informing them via a cold and impersonal email that their services would no longer be needed. Now just another unemployed journalist, she’s hitting the road to document the occupation as it spreads across the American heartland. You may find her visiting your city soon. If you see Lori at a rally and would like to help fund her quest for reporting the truth, please toss some spare change in her guitar case.

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Popular Dances of the 1950s

By Lori Spencer

 

In the 1950s, teens often congregated after school to drink soda pop, spin records, also known as “platters,” and learn the latest dances. They would show off their moves at the local Sock Hop, an informal dance event that was usually held in the high school gym; to avoid scratching up the gymnasium’s varnished floor, students were ordered to take off their shoes. US music and culture had a strong influence around the world in the 1950s, as different types of music flourished during this decade, advances in technology made that music more easily available, and US servicemen stationed overseas brought the music with them. Popular dances included the limbo, the twist, the slop, and the Lindy hop, all of which…

Read the whole story here http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-re-create-dances-from-the-1950s.htm

Characteristics of a Fanfare

By Lori Spencer

 

A fanfare is a bold and brief piece of music used to announce the coming of an important person or event. You’ll hear them at sporting competitions like the Olympics, at military and official government ceremonies, and often in movies or TV shows as opening theme music.

Featuring dotted rhythms, repeated patterns and a harmonic series of notes, fanfares are generally brass- and percussion-dominant. This is both to get the listener’s attention and impart a sense of importance to the event…

 

 

Continued at http://www.ehow.com/list_7465874_characteristics-fanfare.html

How to Take Care of 78 RPM Records

By Lori Spencer

 

Collectors of 78 rpm records treat their old shellac discs like rare and precious jewels, as often they are worth a great deal of money. Even the casual collector can learn much about caring for their 78s by talking to an experienced professional collector, curator, or trader of vintage records. Old 78 rpm shellac platters are extremely fragile, vulnerable to chips, cracking and breakage. They require special care and handling at all times and must be stored in conditions conducive to preservation.

Cleaning

Step 1

Use a damp terrycloth lint-free towel to remove surface dust and dirt. Never apply alcohol cleaning products to shellac discs — this strips the surface. For general cleaning, water works just fine. If the disc is really dirty, mix some mild dish-washing liquid with the water.

Step 2

Rub gently in the direction of the grooves. To prevent cracking of the disc, do this on a soft flat surface like a bed or sofa.

Step 3

Rinse or replace the towel frequently if cleaning more than just one or two records.

Step 4

Follow the cleaning towel with a dry towel.

Step 5

Lay the record out to dry overnight. Do not place it back in the sleeve until completely dry.

Storage

Step 1

Store your records clean. Dirt and dust in the grooves can scratch the records when the box is moved around. Organic compounds react with the shellac, attracting insects such as silverfish. These little critters love to eat paper sleeves and record labels.

Step 2

Keep your record boxes high and dry. Humidity above 85% promotes mold growth and porous 78 record sleeves absorb moisture. Store them off the floor in the event of a flood or plumbing leak.

Step 3

Avoid storing 78 rpm records flat; this puts pressure on the records. Store them upright, on edge, in clean new sleeves. Do not allow the records to lean as this causes warping. If storing them in a box, make sure the discs are fully upright and flat against each other, held in place with a divider if necessary.

Step 4

Monitor the temperature where the records are stored. High temperatures will warp 78s, especially if they are not stored flat and upright. Room temperature should not exceed 75 degrees.

Playback

Step 1

Use a fresh new needle for every record if you’re planning to play the 78s on a vintage Victrola. Bear in mind that the heavy tonearm and steel needles on these older record players wear down the grooves much faster than modern equipment.

Step 2

Invest in a high-quality modern turntable with a 78 rpm speed setting. (These are still available from specialty retailers.) If you have very rare or valuable 78s, it is strongly recommended that you only play them on modern electric turntables, not old Victrolas.

Step 3

Copy your 78s to a digital format, such as burning them to CD or to your computer. This saves wear and tear on the original records, while allowing you the pleasure of listening to them as often as you like.

Tips

When it comes to vintage recordings, 78 rpm collectors are merely stewards of historical artifacts. Much like a museum curator, your goal should be to do as little damage as possible and preserve them for future generations.

Warnings

Take extra special care of the record label: collectors and 78 rpm record buyers will pay top dollar for labels that are in excellent condition. Labels that are torn, stamped, marked or damaged reduce the value of your record significantly. Never immerse your records in water or wet the label when cleaning; this will cause labels to bubble or peel.

Key Concepts

• 78rpm record collecting
• 78rpm record care
• 78rpm record cleaning
• 78rpm record storage
• playing 78rpm records
• 78rpm record preservation

References

• 78rpm: Frequently Asked Questions [http://www.78rpm.com/faq.htm]
• The 78rpm Home Page: Repair Tips [http://78rpmrecord.com/repair.htm]
• Tim’s Phonographs and Old Records: Assessing the Condition of Old 78rpm Discs [http://www.gracyk.com/assess.shtml]

Resources (Further Reading)

• Kix: Vinyl Record Collecting Resources [http://kixsoftware.com/vinylresources.html]
• 78rpm Records [http://78rpmrecord.com]
• Garage-A-Records: Record Cleaning Products for 33, 45, and 78rpm Records [http://www.garage-a-records.com/cleaner.html]

User Bio

Lori Spencer has written professionally since 1986. She is the author of three nonfiction books, is writing her fourth and provides content for eHow and LIVESTRONG.COM. She also produces and hosts a weekly radio show. Her subjects of expertise include history, media, music, film and the performing arts.

Different Types of African-American Fiction

By Lori Spencer

African American fiction encompasses many different genres of popular literature. Numerous best-selling mystery novels, Westerns, historical dramas, romances, and short stories have been penned by black authors. Anthologies of classic African American fiction are also consistently strong sellers in the trade books marketplace. Traditionally, American black fiction has been divided into four distinct categories: Colonial Literature (1740s – early 1900s), Harlem Renaissance (1917 – 1940), Post-Harlem Renaissance (1940 – 1980), and Contemporary Fiction (1980 – present).

Read more at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-african-american-fiction.htm

What Is Grand Opera?

By Lori Spencer

Grand opera dominated the theater in 19th century Paris, and it is a term frequently used to reference productions of the Paris Opera House. These serious, often tragic history plays were lavishly produced, complete with a ballet, live orchestra and a large cast of world-renowned singers. Stage designs, costumes and sets were always quite spectacular, making these productions comparable to today’s Hollywood blockbuster movies. Although primarily associated with French composers, this musical genre also includes seminal works by Italian and German artists who were drawn to the creative culture in Paris at the time.

Continued at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-grand-opera.htm

What Are the Rocky Mountains?

By Lori Spencer

The majestic Rocky Mountains begin in New Mexico and stretch all the way to Canada, at points rising some 14,000 feet (4,267 m) into the clouds. Mount Elbert, Colorado is the tallest point in the Rocky Mountain range, at an elevation of 14,433 feet (4,402 m), while Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs reaches 14,110 feet (4,300 m) above sea level. Pike’s Peak attracts more than a million tourists per year, making it the second most visited peak in the world. Wildlife enthusiasts, adventurers and mountaineers travel from around the globe to explore, ski and climb these massive peaks.

Continued at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-rocky-mountains.htm

What Is the Columbia River?

By Lori Spencer

The Columbia River is the fourth largest river in the United States, and the largest river in North America’s Pacific Northwest region. Traveling from the Rocky Mountains’ northern ranges in British Columbia, Canada, the 1,243 mile (2,000 km) long river flows down into Washington state and through Oregon before reaching the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia’s largest tributary is the Snake River, which runs through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Because of the Columbia River’s heavy flow and steep gradient, it produces more hydroelectric power than any other river in North America. The river also provides breathtaking scenery, historic tourism and recreation options to the millions of visitors who travel to the Pacific Northwest annually.

Continued at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-columbia-river.htm

What Are the Different Types of Wholesale Books?

By Lori Spencer

Buying wholesale books in bulk is a cost-effective solution for book resellers, educators, churches, libraries and charities. When buying wholesale, businesses can purchase large orders of books at 30 to 70% off the cover price. These deep discounts are especially helpful to religious and educational organizations operating on limited budgets. Books generally available through wholesalers include textbooks, kid’s books, trade paperbacks, and religious texts, as well as audio and visual teaching materials. Wholesale outlets typically only sell to businesses with government-issued reseller’s licenses and nonprofit organizations with proof of tax-exempt status.

Continued at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-wholesale-books.htm