Good News and Bad News

The good news is that someone did have the correct answer for the origin and significance behind the wasp logo appearing on the cover of Necessary Assets. I regard it as bad news that our favorite sleuths Holmes and Watson failed in their effort. Watson somehow went down the wrong trail by reading Holmes’ monograph on bees and never came back. Holmes on the other hand got lost in ancient religious symbolism.

The correct link was provided by none other than Alan Ringgold who speaks several languages including some Italian. He noted that the wasp in Italian is a Vespa, the same spelling as the code name given to Maria Torino, the female leader of the modern Sicilian Mafia. It was “Vespa’s” sting that led to the discovery of The Engineer.

When I was discussing a possible logo with cover designer Leonard Massiglia, we initially both thought of the Italian motor scooter of the same name. However a draft cover with the image of a motor scooter for a logo just did not seem to fit the book. Mark Patrick on a motor scooter tracking down the terrorists just did not cut it.

I knew the motor scooter Vespa was named after the sound made by the very early model that “roared” down the streets of Rome. Its engine sounded like a wasp buzzing about your head. Hence the motor scooter was named a Vespa. It is now our logo.

More good news is all the positive feedback I have received from a cross section of readers commenting on Necessary Assets. Click Here to read some of the reviews on Amazon.

The bad news is the growing collection of lawmakers in Washington who seem to have lost all concept of the meaning of public service.