Author: jwappett@gmail.com

Okay.  So, I’m late again.  Been busy.  We just got back from our nephew’s wedding in Portland, Oregon.  I am now watching the movie Gettysburg, that I normally view over the three days of the battle, each year.  I’m a few days late, but Tom Berringer, Jeff Daniels, and Martin Sheen waited patiently.  This movie serves to remind us of the valor and sacrifice of the American soldier, on both sides.  We can condemn the motives and the causes, but the courage of the soldiers cannot be denied.

Which brings me to this month’s topic.  I am writing about a recent article in Stars and Stripes newspaper.  Stars and Stripes is the independent newspaper available to all branches of the U.S. military throughout the world.  I used to read it when I was serving.  I remember several occasions when Glens Falls, NY was listed as having the nation’s low temperature during the winter.  Glens Falls was ten miles from my hometown of Lake George.

This particular article was describing two studies that found that the families of servicemen were often living in the status of food insecurity, whether stationed stateside or overseas.  The high cost of living and high spousal unemployment were two major factors in this situation.  This, of course, was leading to a national security concern.  Afterall, how focused can a serviceman (or woman) be when their family is going hungry?

I recall the situation being similar when I served in the late 1970’s.  In Europe, the gasoline prices were so high that we were issued monthly books of coupons that we could redeem at many local gas stations for fuel.  Then, as now, the frequent reassignments and movements of personnel, made it nearly impossible for spouses to find jobs to help support their families.

During the weekend, thinking about this newsletter and travelling through the Portland area and seeing the massive number of tents and tarps, I wondered if we oughtn’t spend a bit more time and effort taking care of our citizens and a bit less time being beastly to one another in the name of political factionalism.  If we all were to focus on goals such as this and spent less time being contrary to those whose political loyalties differ from our own, we might make some progress that we could all take some pride from.

Just a thought.

May 2022 Newsletter

Perhaps I should not have taken a month off from my newsletters.  The last 6o days have been nothing short of ghastly.  Ukraine, baby formula, mass shootings, gas prices…Need I go on?

How about I talk a bit about something uplifting, that is not from some nitwit talking head?

As I sit here, Tropical Storm Agatha has socked us in with the threat of lots of rain (9 inches or more predicted) and high winds.  So, instead of my normal run, I opted for our exercise bike and watched a TV show that I have grown to love, as it was recommended to me by my four grandchildren, ages 3-8.  It provides inspiration and instruction valuable for all ages and could not possibly be offensive to anyone.

“Bluey” is an Australian cartoon series about a family of anthropomorphized dogs.  (Like the big word?)  The four dogs, parents and two young girls, live in a suburban house and speak with obvious Australian accents and vocabulary.  The episodes last about six minutes each and focus on some game or other interaction that they have with one other or their friends.

The genius of these episodes is how they show the children learning to get along and play with one another and how the parents can play too, all the while imparting gentle lessons to their children.

Although humorous, “Bluey” is not written to elicit laughs.  And our grandchildren all latched onto it and soak it in, so much so that one day I was lying on the floor when my grandson and his sister spontaneously began to reenact an episode where the two children, Bluey and her sister Bingo become doctor and nurse to treat their father who claimed to have a stomach ache.

Like the characters in the episode entitled “Hospital”, the two of them poked me, claiming to be giving me shots, examined a piece of paper (supposedly an Xray), and announced that I had a cat in my belly that had gotten in there by chasing a mouse, which also resided there.  Then, like the cartoon, my granddaughter pretended to hold cheese over my mouth, which was enthusiastically pried open by her brother, to lure the mouse out.  This, of course, then resulted in the cat coming out to chase the mouse.  I then received several more shots (pokes with a wooden block), for reasons unknown.  All the while I am helplessly laughing at their remarkable memories and attention to detail, having seen and recalled the episode.

Then, a few months later, while visiting our other granddaughters, I learned that they too, loved “Bluey”.  When their mother called out to them to pick up their toys before dinner, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the younger one call out “All right peasants, back to work!”  Her older sister promptly responded, “Yes, my Lord.”

I immediately recognized that as a direct quote from the father in “Bluey” in an episode where he was playing the part of a king.  Once again, I was taken with the level of attention that the two girls, who had played right along, had given to this cartoon.

You may ask, “so what is the takeaway?”

At ground level, we have a TV series that every child and every adult who deals with children can learn something important and fun from.  Watching it with the children is excellent!

For me, there was an additional gift.  A chance to see something that had an agenda that was pure, simple, good, and magnanimous (not self-serving).  The writers of this show are not pushing anything on anyone that shouldn’t be there anyway.  When was the last time you witnessed that?

And from this show, if something doesn’t go your way you can just say “Oh, biscuits!”

Take care, all!

P.S. “Bluey” is on Disney Plus.  It may be accessible elsewhere, but I don’t have access to a twelve-year-old to show me where it is.

March 2022 Newsletter

Our grandparents and parents seemed to be stronger than us.  After all, they included “The Greatest Generation”.  This may be true or not, but the reason why it may be correct is music.  That’s right!  Music.

In the very early part of the 20^th century, the only way to hear music in your home was to play it yourself or turn on a radio where someone else decided what you should hear, or you could lug around a bulky gramophone which you had to sit next to, to hear.  At least you could choose the songs you would hear on that contraption, first with cylinders that would spin, then with something different, the record. 

In 1930s and 1940s, the fitness trend really came about as people began buying and playing records of popular bands and singers.  Big, thick, and heavy vinyl records.  These circular beasts would play one, brief song while turning at 78 RPMs (revolutions per minute) and then must be picked up and flipped over to play a second song or replaced with another platter.

If you were a fan of a particular musician or band you might buy a batch of these things and carry them around in a large, hard-backed book with sleeves for each of the records.  This packaging, which appeared like books that stored photos, became known as the record album.  The name stuck.  I have such an album, with three records of Glenn Miller, totaling six songs and weighing several pounds.

Laziness returned in the 50s with the advent of the “45” (so named for its RPM speed), a much smaller, lighter record.  It also featured one song per side, but you didn’t need an ox cart to transport your collection to your best friend’s party. 

Soon afterward, the old record album morphed into the LP (long-playing 33 RPM) album, that featured five or more songs per side and, in the 1960s, stereo sound appeared.

Records never lent themselves for use in a car or outdoor setting, so we went through stages of portable music recording including eight tracks, cassettes, and finally CDs that offered all the benefits of the previous forms in one light and compact disc.

Apparently, these were still too heavy and bulky for us, so more recently the trend seems to have us going back to the beginning and having someone else choose and play our music for us via Pandora, Sirius, Spotify, and what have you.  The artistry that developed in creating multiple songs that told a story, e.g., Tommy or Aqualung has largely died out.

I can assure you that I, along with others in the Rebel Alliance, still maintain our collection of LPs and CDs.  I may not be fitter as a result, but I can pretend that I am.

Given the overwhelming news coverage of the war in Ukraine, I thought about skipping this month’s newsletter other than to suggest that we all offer up a prayer for the victims of this ongoing atrocity.

However, the news articles included some mention of blacks and others of color being denied access to trains evacuating refugees.  There was even a quote attributed to someone in a position of authority that they should walk to the border.

The temptation is to simply ignore this given the greater tragedy unfolding.  But, as a follower of European soccer, I have come across many examples of this sort of behavior directed at black players, often in games in Eastern Europe.  Given that the news is telling us that all Ukrainians are helping and supporting one another, I wonder why this might not apply to minorities.

Then, today I read an article in the Guardian that really got me thinking about the intensity of support for the Ukrainians and concern for their civilian refugees, as compared with those who have suffered in conflicts elsewhere in the world, as in Myanmar, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

I won’t get on my high horse about this, other than to repeat my comment from last month that we all have prejudices, but it is how we deal with them that determines the kind of person we are.

Please read this article.

https://apple.news/AuVzdWlj7T7GcaYNQ_gnvJg

https://apple.news/AuVzdWlj7T7GcaYNQ_gnvJg

I had a little bit of free time before I had to bundle up again and face the Blizzard of 2022 and snow blow the driveway. But that free time disappeared, as it seems to do, so we are back, and I am writing this.We came up from Florida to babysit our Norwell, Mass. grandkids while their parents celebrated their anniversary on the beach in Puerto Rico. It also included my 70^th birthday. Naturally, this coincided with what may be the biggest ever snowfall in this area in years. There were four go-arounds on their very steep driveway and 22,000 steps later, and I was done.

I understand that this was considered a significant birthday, and it called for some introspection, but I’m not inclined to do that here. Instead, I want to sit and smile at all blessings I’ve received but never deserved and all the friends and family who sent me birthday greetings. As I said on Facebook, I am amazed at how many people a: remember me, and b: don’t hold a grudge. 

I also thank all those who taught and influenced me as I grew up. I am not brilliant by any stretch, but I have decided that the best way to celebrate this and all future birthdays is to leave some legacy behind.

I have decided to encourage people, including my grandchildren, to always think for themselves and never allow anyone to influence them by playing on their fears or prejudices. Perhaps the clearest example of this is the recent report that a butterfly preserve in Texas had to shut down because of death threats to the personnel. It seems that the callers were acting on information given to them by some online influencers that the butterfly preserve was a front for child trafficking. I repeat, a butterfly preserve!

I want my grandchildren and others to know that the important thing is how we deal with our prejudices. Yes, the only people who can say they have no prejudices or biases are saints and liars.

Until next month, please be safe.

It is January 1, and I expected to just wish you a Happy New Year and leave it at that.

But then today, I came across an article in The Guardian about beauty filters.

Apparently, via Tik Tok and other sources, teens (especially girls) are being invited to submit a selfie that will then be digitally retouched to make her look like she should look.  More than makeup or clothing, the app will rejig her lips and even her jawline to attain an improved image.

Holy Shit!!

“Many of the popular filters that have crept into the popular libraries that have crept into app libraries also change the face’s proportions, generally to fit female, European beauty standards, with thinner faces, smaller noses, and plump lips.”  The Guardian. 

Selfies submitted to Tik Tok with these enhancements can explode audiences.  I would call that the “hook”.  How irresponsible is this to do to a forming personality?  Is high rates of teen suicide really a worthy goal?

Now, let’s take this a step further.  The Chinese government is presently spending tens of billions of dollars to mine the social media internet for information on individuals, groups, and organizations.  Not only are they seeking information on those speaking against them (which means they will now have me on their radar) but they are looking for weaknesses in individuals of interest to them.  Say that a young girl a few years ago got interested in one of these beauty filters.  As a result, she made some bad decisions regarding medications, surgeries, drugs, or what have you. 

Now she holds a significant and confidential position with a Defense contractor.  She is still afflicted with the inferiority caused by the beauty filters.  Would it be all that difficult for a government to manipulate her by providing her with the surgeries she craves, or threatening to reveal what she has already done to attain her unrealistic goals?

The basic rule is that a person can become a spy through M.I.C.E.,  Money, Ideology, Compromise and Ego.  The target can be offered money to become the person they believe they should be (Money). They can be convinced that they are already that person (schmoozing) (Ego), or they can be confronted with the things they’ve done to achieve their goals and told that if they don’t play ball, they will be exposed. (Compromise)

I don’t know about you, but this whole mess terrifies me.  What is worse is that there seems to be absolutely no regulation of this social media activity at all.  If this was attempted through printed news ads or articles all hell would break loose.

On that joyous note, Happy New Year!

December 2021 Newsletter

It is January 1, and I expected to just wish you a Happy New Year and leave it at that.

But then today, I came across an article in The Guardian about beauty filters.

Apparently, via Tik Tok and other sources, teens (especially girls) are being invited to submit a selfie that will then be digitally retouched to make her look like she should look.  More than makeup or clothing, the app will rejig her lips and even her jawline to attain an improved image.

Holy Shit!!

“Many of the popular filters that have crept into the popular libraries that have crept into app libraries also change the face’s proportions, generally to fit female, European beauty standards, with thinner faces, smaller noses, and plump lips.”  The Guardian. 

Selfies submitted to Tik Tok with these enhancements can explode audiences.  I would call that the “hook”.  How irresponsible is this to do to a forming personality?  Is high rates of teen suicide really a worthy goal?

Now, let’s take this a step further.  The Chinese government is presently spending tens of billions of dollars to mine the social media internet for information on individuals, groups, and organizations.  Not only are they seeking information on those speaking against them (which means they will now have me on their radar) but they are looking for weaknesses in individuals of interest to them.  Say that a young girl a few years ago got interested in one of these beauty filters.  As a result, she made some bad decisions regarding medications, surgeries, drugs, or what have you. 

Now she holds a significant and confidential position with a Defense contractor.  She is still afflicted with the inferiority caused by the beauty filters.  Would it be all that difficult for a government to manipulate her by providing her with the surgeries she craves, or threatening to reveal what she has already done to attain her unrealistic goals?

The basic rule is that a person can become a spy is M.I.C.E.  Money, Ideology, Compromise and Ego.  The target can be offered money to become the person they believe they should be. (Money)  They can be convinced that they are already that person (schmoozing) (Ego), or they can be confronted with the things they’ve done to achieve their goals and told that if they don’t play ball, they will be exposed. (Compromise)

I don’t know about you, but this whole mess terrifies me.  What is worse is that there seems to be absolutely no regulation of this social media activity at all.  If this was attempted through printed news ads or articles all hell would break loose.

On that joyous note, Happy New Year!

November 2021 Newsletter

OMG!  (And, yes, I know what it stands for.)

I am late again, and I don’t have much of anything to write about for you.  The delay and my blank mind are, I maintain, the result of tryptophan from too much turkey and preoccupation with my book promotion coming up on December 10 through the 17^th.  As I now have 45 five-star ratings and excellent reviews on “Rage In The Woods”, I am cautiously optimistic.  You have to admit that it would be fun for me to actually have a significant promotion.  Last Spring, I ran a free promotion and for a couple of hours, “Rage” was actually in the top 100 of all free books offered by Amazon worldwide.  It didn’t earn me a nickel directly, but it was exhilarating.

I assume that by year’s end, I will be over whatever euphoria or crushing disappointment may be coming my way and will give you lot a more appropriate newsletter.

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas!

October 2021 Newsletter

I know, I know.  A few days late.  I’ve been pulling together the outline of my next book, working title, “Cries In The Woods”.

My wife and I attended my 50th (plus one due to COVID) high school reunion a couple of weeks ago.  I won’t recount the whole weekend, although it was a lot more fun than you might think.

There was a table display of the class photos for all of the thirteen years at the main event dinner.  We had a small, homogenous class, with most of the students having been together from kindergarten through graduation.  In addition to learning from the teachers depicted in the class pictures, we also learned from one another as we grew up.  The memories brought to my mind by those class pictures seemed to me to reflect that.  One such memory was from November 1963.  Our class was walking on a sidewalk, led by our teacher, when another teacher pulled up in her car and called out the news that the president had been shot.  Now that was a shared experience!

I then remembered how last Fall, my grandson had gone from the excitement of choosing a backpack and supplies for kindergarten to being told at the last minute that in-person learning was canceled at his school.  Instead, our little man attended school sitting alone at a small table in front of a laptop on the sundeck, taking in sounds and images of those described to him as his teachers and fellow students, none of whom he had ever laid eyes on.  Watching his boredom and frustration was sad beyond description.  While certainly not the worst consequence of COVID, I wondered about the long-term effects on so many youngsters. 

My classmates and I had learned so much about our own behavior and that of others by being in the classroom together.  Will the present crop of kids be able to make up the ground this year and next?

September 2021 Newsletter

I recently created an archive for these newsletters on my website.  As I uploaded my past newsletters onto it, I realized that I had shortchanged you readers by not giving you the answers to my TV Western trivia quiz.  So here it is:

1. What did the show Shane and the show Kung Fu have in common?

David Carradine starred in both.

• Which member of the Cartwright family of Bonanza appeared in the first episode of The Rebel?

Dan Blocker (aka Hoss) as a bad guy.

• Who sang the theme song to The Rebel?

Johnny Cash

• Who played the lead in The Deputy?

Henry Fonda

• What was the unique weapon in Wanted Dead or Alive, and what was the name given to it?

It was Winchester rifle, cut down on both ends.  It was called the Mare’s Leg.  (I had a toy version of it as a kid.)

• What was Sugarfoot’s favorite drink when he walked into a saloon?

Sarsaparilla

• What was the image in the center of Paladin’s calling card in Have Gun, Will Travel?

The black horse chess piece.  The knight.

Have Gun Will Travel is the mark of a man

A knight without armor in a savage land

• Who was Marshall Dillon’s first deputy?  (This one is a gimmie!)

Chester, played by Dennis Weaver.  His horse, Barney was retired to Frontier Town in Pottersville, NY when Weave left the show.

• What company was the sponsor of Death Valley Days?

20 Mule Team Borax

1. Who played Cousin Beau in Maverick?

Roger Moore (who also played The Saint and was James Bond for a time.

See you next month.  Stay safe!