Update 1-28-03


Hey,

Some international thoughts:

First, from Zelda White Nichols:  I just came back from a spontaneous trip to Holland for a week.  My husband had to go on business, and I played tourist.  Sometimes, it really takes a trip like this to make us appreciate the USA more.  Standing in Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and envisioning the Nazis marching in front, really brought it all home for me.
      To answer Lynn Nudelman Villagran -- I marched in the 60's in the Boston protests.  That war was being fought by a US government that simply wanted to make money; the Vietnam War was not fought for freedom, and our country was not threatened.  What is going on in the world now is threatening our existence both here and abroad.  It was our country that was attacked on 9/11, and our citizens who were killed.  This was not a war on soldiers, but on innocent lives.  That in itself is abhorrent.  The people who used airplanes as weapons are not civilized, don't give a rat's #&% about ethics, morals, killing woman or children, let alone men, and are very willing to commit genocide to meet their warped goals.  They're very much like the Nazis in WWII.  I am not trying to get into a political debate here, but every time I fly now, I think of 9/11, I think about being Jewish in WWII, and I wonder if it is all going to happen again.  If something can be done to stop it in advance, I'm all for it.

Next, from Larry Rugen:  Yes, all those antiwar demonstrations were wonderful?  But I wonder how many people appreciate all those dead and wounded soldiers who made their sacrifices in order for us to preserve our freedoms?  I, for one, am not willing to take another hit, as we did on 9/11, in order to have a peaceful solution.  How much time should we give Saddam, another 10 years?  And how many American lives is that?  Just wondering.

(For perspective, from The New York Times, Friday, January 24th:  Although Mr. Bush has signaled that he is prepared to lead a war against Iraq without the support of the Security Council, nearly two-thirds of Americans said they wanted him to try to find a diplomatic solution to the Iraq situation, while 31 percent said the United States should resort to military force.  Even so, 64 percent said they approved of the United States taking military action to oust Saddam Hussein, while 30 percent said they disapproved.)

On less dramatic grounds, Larry Rugen and I have also been kicking around some information about Herta Apfel, South's German teacher when we were there.  She was particularly helpful to Larry, and he wanted to says "thanks."  An Internet search on her rather distinctive name showed that she might be a member of Congregation Beth Jacob in Oakland, California.  But contacting their office through e-mail, we discovered that, while she's on their mailing list, she's not a regular member.  Still, they're going to write her and see if she is our former teacher.  Larry figures she could be in her 90's, but I think she could be as young -- young? -- as 75.  In any case, we'll let you know.

Three fast bits from Paul DeMartino:  I've been corresponding with Booker Gibson now that we both found common ground through the music of Eva Cassidy.  As I've said before, she had a great blues sound.
      Also, I've been in contact with Ellen Epstein Silver and will be seeing her when I go to Dallas on business the week of February 10th.
       And please remind everyone about the next Lily Flanagan's gathering, in Rockville Centre on February 2nd at 1:00 PM.

Finally, from Allen Moss, the self-described Pine Tree State rep from the great Class of '65:
      Hey, Falcon Gang Members!  Greetings from COLD and SNOWY Maine.  This has turned out to be a great Maine winter -- as far as I'm concerned anyway.  We still have a huge ice and snow pack from our two big winter storms in late December, and we have been hovering in sub-zero and single digits for a while.  I look out to my backyard, and it appears like the Arctic movie set from Ice Station Zebra.  I expect to see a little submarine periscope pop up in the middle of the yard and look back at me!
      Being the good Jewish father, I have been feeding my little "pet" chipmunk that has been living under my deck.  I wondered on-and-off whether it would survive, but each day my huge pile of seeds is cleanly swept away near the entrance to his little nest.  I have visions of headlines from our major newspaper, The Portland Press Herald, something like:  400 POUND MUTANT CHIPMUNK TERRORIZES SMALL MAINE TOWN!  THOUSANDS FLEE IN PANIC!  BRUNSWICK NAVAL AIR STATION UNABLE TO STOP HIDEOUSLY OVERWEIGHT (AND HUNGRY) WILD RODENT!
      Heading down the field to goal post Africa:  less than three weeks now until my trip.  Cannot watch Out of Africa one more time, as it makes me nutty with excitement.  Glad I am very busy at work with lots of presentations and training to do.  They will make the time go faster.
      For those of you who remember my tribute to '50s television heroes and heroines when Irish McCalla (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle) died, I have some additional observations.  A colleague of mine at work, knowing my penchant for old TV shows, let me borrow some videotapes of some of the series that have become available in the last few years.  What a HOOT!
      My question is:  "How MANY times can Jon Hall, of Ramar of the Jungle, run past the camera in the EXACT same jungle set with the tree fallen across the path?  I counted five in a half-hour episode, but I could have missed some!
      I also watched Rocky Jones, Space Ranger with special effects far better than Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks -- uh, I don't THINK so!  Between seeing the piano wires on Rocky Jones' "lean, mean, power machine" (the Orbit Jet), and watching the set walls wobble when the "automatic" doors closed to the space chambers, I was stupefied by the existential dialogue from the crew, clearly rivaling the great written words of Aldous Huxley and Jean-Paul Sartre!
      Still, I have to say that, even with the obvious, cheesy effects and inane dialogue, the shows still had the power to draw out memories that certainly have not had center stage for a while.  Linda I. and Paul Z., do you remember our wonderful hours of fun emulating these series' icons?  Linda and I used to play on the huge construction site down the street from us on 7th street that later became the Sandalwood Estates (which, I believe, are still there).  Paul and I used to play in his backyard on a huge rooftop concrete slab that, I think, was the top of his garage.  I know we had cap guns, but I can't quite remember what show we were re-enacting.
      It's amazing how many of the old television shows have been found, restored, and are now available.  There is an incredible website on the Internet called Yesterdayland.com which has extensive information on these shows.  Everything from Fury to Andy's Gang.  One really sad note:  I recently read that almost every  episode of the original black-and-white Soupy Sales Show from the early '60s was destroyed by the studio because it was "taking up space."  Only a few of the later shows have survived.  Greg Kaplan and I spent many an afternoon after school watching Soup's total madness!  And I think Neil Guberman was there, too.
      Fast forward to 2003, and I hope this finds everyone well, healthy, and enjoying quality time with partners, family, and friends.  As for the obese chipmunk:  he will have to look to his own devices for three weeks, and I suspect he won't be any the less for wear -- especially around the middle!

The home page:   http://hometown.aol.com/falcons1965a


Rich