Malcolm R. Campbell's Blog, page 6

The AR-15 – my view

In general, it’s a mistake to use the 2nd Amendment to justify the purchase of military weapons by civilians.

If you believe you need one for self-protection, you have a big ego, are the member of a cartel or gang, or belong in the witness protection program.If you think you need it for hunting, you are no sportsman any more than a fisherman using hand grenades too “catch” fish is a sportsman.Your excitement at shooting such weapons at a firing range does not trump the danger of such weapons out in society where they can easily be the weapon of choice for a crime.

In my view, such weapons should be banned.

–Malcolm

Back pain: who knew something was broken?

Several weeks ago, my wife was out on the riding mower, and it got stuck in a ditch. That happens a lot since our yard is a former farm with lots of ruts in it. After we pulled it out, she had a sore back, an often-times occurrence after we cut the grass at our age.

But this time it wouldn’t go away. When it got to the point where she couldn’t move due to the pain, we called an ambulance. The ER was the usual disorganized chaos. It the end they found a small fracture in a vertebra. They kept her five days. The reason is that her BP was sky-high. We kept telling them they were causing the blood pressure spike by taking her off all the meds she’d been taking up to then.

Finally, they believed us after apparently thinking we were nuts. The BP came down and they discharged her with a back brace, saying this was better than surgery. A friend lent us a walker. Now we have physical therapists stopping by and helping her.

I doubt she’ll be out on that riding mower again soon.

Malcolm

Glacier Visitors: Here’s A Book For You

The iconic red buses of Glacier National Park have been part of the scene and the tradition for years. I’ve ridden on them many times. Since these 1930s buses are older than most of their passengers, they they take a lot of care. (Disclaimer: Ray and I know each other as members of the Glacier Park Foundation.)

From the Publisher

“The 1930s-era red buses that ply the roads of Glacier National Park in Montana were possibly its most “endangered species.” The 33 White Motor Company Model 706 buses make one of the oldest fleets anywhere in the world still in continuous service. But their future has not always been guaranteed. Repeatedly over the decades the red buses have been in danger of being pulled off the road. In delving into their history, author and historian Ray Djuff offers insight into their origin, operation and how the red buses were resurrected when faced with the threat of being tossed into the dustbin of history.”

–Malcolm

‘Sunset Boulevard’ – Billy Wilder’s Masterpiece

Every time I watch Billy Wilder’s 1950 black comedy “Sunset Boulevard,” I find myself nearly derailed when the numerous famous quotes from the film appear.  As Smash Negativity says, while the film “delves into the depths of obsession and despair, it also sprinkles moments of humor throughout. From Norma Desmond’s [Gloria Swandon] over-the-top theatrics to Joe Gillis’ [William Holden] sarcastic and cynical remarks, the film finds levity amidst the darkness. It reminds us that even in the most somber of circumstances, a touch of wit and laughter can bring much-needed relief.”

The quotes have been referenced in other films, as parodies or otherwise: “I am still big. It’s the pictures that got small.” “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.”

When strugggling screen writer William Holden, who is fleeing from the repo man, turns into a seemingly abandoned driveway leading to a seemingly abandoned mansion his first thought is hilding his car. But, he soon comes under the spell of nearly-forgotten film star Gloria Swanson  who lavishes him with attention and gifts while hoping that he can help her write her big comeback film. Things don’t gso as planned for either of them.

Pamela Hutchinson, in “Suset Boulevard: What Billy Wilder’s satire really tells us about Hollywood,” writes: “Former silent film star Desmond may be mad, but there is a grain of truth in what she says: Swanson was one of Paramount’s biggest stars even back when it was called Famous Players-Lasky, just as we are told Desmond was too. While Sunset Boulevard appears to attack the pretentions and excesses of the silent era, in fact its argument about the bad old days of Hollywood is more complicated than that. The horror at the heart of the film is that, as the studio system was starting to crumble, the beginnings of the industry were coming back to haunt it. Desmond’s pride mocks the fall of Hollywood just as it was teetering, rocked by the antitrust laws, the coming of TV and the communist witch-hunts.”

What the public saw in the films and their publicity was a bit different than what went on behind the scenes and corporate offices. If you haven’t lost your innocence about Hollywood already, watching “Sunset Boulevard” will take care of that transformation for you. As Huchinson says, “For all its humour, Sunset Boulevard is a bitter and queasy film, and the figure of Desmond is its greatest grotesque, a woman of 50 striving to be 25, surrounded by images of herself and entranced by her own face on a cinema screen.”

“They took the idols and smashed them, the Fairbankses, the Gilberts, the Valentinos! And who’ve we got now? Some nobodies!” – Norma Desmond

–Malcolm

 

I grew up thinking that pictures of Charles Lindbergh had the wrong guy

Stewart

I saw “The Spirit of St. Louis” (1957) when it came out and it was so convincing, that I thought that the “right guy” had to look like Jimmy Stewart even though he was really too old for the part. It’s said that Lindbergh liked Stewart in the role, in part because Stewart was a B-24 combat pilot from WWII.

Among other things, Stewart went on a crash diet before filming, one that was so extreme his health began to suffer. Stewart’s hair was dyed blond to make him look more like Lindbergh. The production company made several replicas of the original Spirit of St. Louis, one modified under Lindbergh’s supervision.

Time Magazine’s review of the film said, “Stewart, for all his professional, 48-year-old boyishness, succeeds almost continuously in suggesting what all the world sensed at the time: that Lindbergh’s flight was not the mere physical adventure of a rash young ‘flying fool’ but rather a journey of the spirit, in which, as in the pattern of all progress, one brave man proved himself for all mankind as the paraclete of a new possibility.”

Lindbergh

Lindbergh, who was 25, recounted his experience in his biography WE, which was published a few months after the historic New York to Paris flight and served as the film’s basis. Of course, a lot happened to Lindbergh between the time of his flight and the release of the film, including the 1932 kidnapping of his son and his widely publicized neutrality stance in discussions about the U.S. entering WWII. He apparently changed his mind after Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack.

My photo of the plane

Lindbergh died in 1974 at 72. Stewart died in 1997 at 89. I have often thought that in addition to Billy Wilder who directed the film, fate brought the two men together,

Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St Louis around the country to promote aviation before donating it to the Smithsonian (Air and Space Museum) where I saw it on display several years ago, still thinking that a giant photo of Jimmy Stewart needed to be posted next to it.

–Malcolm

‘The Long March Home’ by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton

Recent winner of the International Book Award in Historical Fiction, The Long March Home was released in May of 2023. The paperback edition came out in October.

From the Publisher

J[image error]immy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

From Publishers Weekly

“Brotherton and Lee masterfully capture what it was like for soldiers to face war’s atrocities, as well as the heartbreak of those waiting for them back home. This is a winner. ”

–Malcolm

Malcolm R.  Campbell is the author of the Vietnam War novel “At Sea.”

Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

I learned during the summer of 2023 that my diarrhea was due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Lots of people have it. Mostly staying on top of this annoying disorder is managing diet. I’m taking one prescription drug (Colestipol) and a mixture called Banatrol which is much better than gulping Immodium pills every day. (The Immoedium pills take a jackhammer to get out of the packaging.)

There’s a lot of info on line about IBS diets. Primarily, I have to avoid wheat products and dairy. I substitute Lactaid for milk. I avoid wine (100%) and drink only a few soft drinks.

If you have IBS, you can also get help at the IBS Center.  According to the center, “Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a gastrointestinal disorder that can affect people for a few months, a few years, or for their entire lives. According to statistics, IBS affects around 10% of the population with symptoms ranging from mildly uncomfortable to extremely painful.”

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday, and he was stunned when I told him that most of the symptoms were gone.

–Malcolm

‘Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again’ by Susan Solomon

This book, from the University of Chicago Press, was released today. According to Bookshop.org., Solomon  “is known for pioneering work on the Antarctic ozone layer and for landmark studies of the timescales of climate change.”  Amazon Link

From the Publisher

“A compelling and pragmatic argument: solutions to yesterday’s environmental problems reveal today’s path forward.

“We solved planet-threatening problems before, Susan Solomon argues, and we can do it again. Solomon knows firsthand what those solutions entail. She first gained international fame as the leader of an expedition to Antarctica in 1986, making discoveries that were key to healing the damaged ozone layer. She saw a path–from scientific and public awareness to political engagement, international agreement, industry involvement, and effective action.

“Solomon, an atmospheric scientist and award-winning author, connects this career-defining triumph to the inside stories of other past environmental victories–against ozone depletion, smog, pesticides, and lead–to extract the essential elements of what makes change possible.

“The path to success begins when an environmental problem becomes both personal and perceptible to the general public. Lawmakers, diplomats, industries, and international agencies respond to popular momentum, and effective change takes place in tandem with consumer pressure when legislation and regulation yield practical solutions. Healing the planet is a long game won not by fear and panic but by the union of public, political, and regulatory pressure.

“Solvable is a book for anyone who has ever despaired about the climate crisis. As Solomon reminds us, doom and gloom get us nowhere, and idealism will only take us so far. The heroes in these stories range from angry mothers to gang members turned social activists, to upset Long Island birdwatchers to iconoclastic scientists (often women) to brilliant legislative craftsmen. Solomon’s authoritative point of view is an inspiration, a reality check, a road map, and a much-needed dose of realism. The problems facing our planet are Solvable. Solomon shows us how.”

–Malcolm

Rest in Peace, William Anders

“A day after the tragic death of Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, the space exploration community is mourning the pioneer’s passing, with some crediting him for changing the world’s perspective on how we see Earth.

“NASA posted a video on Saturday highlighting Anders’ achievements, including the Apollo 8 mission, and being a backup pilot for the Gemini XI and Apollo 11 flights.” – Fox 13 Seattle

And thank you for Earthrise.

–Malcolm

MAJOR WRITERS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS AMONG OVER 380 AUTHORS CALLING ON SOUTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS TO REJECT RESTRICTIONS TO EVALUATE BOOKS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Proposal Could Lead to the Banning of Literary Classics and Acclaimed Contemporary Books

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2024Updated on June 6 to add additional publishers that signed the letter

(NEW YORK)— More than 380 authors joined major publishing houses and civil rights, anti-censorship, and writers advocacy groups today to raise alarm over new South Carolina education standards for assessing books and other materials for public schools.

In an open letter to state lawmakers urging them to block the new regulations, the groups, publishers, and authors argue the new standards could lead to the removal of literary classics and critically acclaimed contemporary novels, simply for a sexual reference.

Along with publishers Hachette Book Group, MacMillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster and Sourcebooks, signers include ACLU of South Carolina, Authors Against Book Bans, Every Library, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Women’s Law Center, PEN America, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, We Need Diverse Books, and notable authors of books for children and young adults, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Jodi Picoult, Katherine Paterson, Nikki Grimes, Daniel Handler, Elizabeth Acevedo, Peter Parnell, David Levithan, and Ellen Hopkins, among hundreds of others. Nearly 20 percent of the authors are South Carolina residents or have ties to the state.

The proposed regulations would impose a two-part test to evaluate if materials are age and developmentally appropriate and align with state instructional programs. The regulations will also create an appeal process to the State Board of Education, whose decisions on some books would affect all school districts. The regulations are slated to take effect on June 25.

The letter argues that the proposed regulations threaten free expression, the freedom to read, and the First Amendment, noting that librarians and educators are already “well placed” to curate library collections with appropriate books and materials.

“Adding government mandated ‘tests’ for age appropriateness will only chill speech and restrict access to literature for students across South Carolina,” the letter said.

“Bills like this allow the government to determine what can and can’t be read — not parents, not educators, not librarians, not the students who need these stories. We authors want to do everything we can to support the freedom to read, and the power that reading has to give context in an overwhelming world,” said David Levithan, bestselling author and one of the leaders of Authors Against Book Bans.

Similar language in Iowa resulted in mass book bans affecting classics, books used in advanced placement courses, and contemporary young adult novels.

The regulations’ explicit prohibition on “sexual conduct” is vague and broad, meaning books with sexual references are likely to be banned without considerations of context, purpose, or educational value. Experts on sexual violence have repeatedly reported that learning about the signs of abuse and what consent means helps young people to speak up in harmful situations, reach out for help, or recognize abuse they have experienced.

Since 2021, more than 100 books have been banned in South Carolina schools; the authors and organizations fear the new regulations will increase that number.

Across the country, book banning has spread at an alarming rate, ignited by local activists and parents. PEN America documented more than 10,000 bans between 2021 and 2023— an assault on the freedom to read, the lifeblood of democracy.

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