Mad Macedonian

Honoring American Vets with Guest Blogger Bill Mauldin

I had planned to be elsewhere today but a lingering cold kept me home.

I still wanted to do something to honor our brave military Vets and the sacrifices they have made to keep us free.

Orange County Register columnist Gordon Dillow reminded me that the way to do so was sitting on my bookshelves.

His column, this morning, reminds his readers that one of the most famous veterans of WW2 lived and died in the OC.

Mr. Dillow gets a lot of unsolicited items in the mail, not to mention the tons of e-mail from readers, but the other day something arrived that prompted him to write a column:

a biography of an old World War II soldier who died in Orange County almost five years ago – and since today is Veterans Day, maybe it's an appropriate time to tell you about it.

The old soldier's name was Bill Mauldin.

If that name isn't instantly recognizable to you, it would be to your grandparents, or maybe your great-grandparents. Bill Mauldin was the most famous cartoonist of World War II, a young Army infantryman who drew cartoons about the war and military life for "Stars and Stripes," the GI newspaper, and eventually was syndicated in newspapers across the country.

The GIs loved him. His two main characters were a couple of dirty, unshaven dogface infantrymen named Willie and Joe, whose gripes about life in foxholes and jibes about rear-echelon troops and senior officers spoke for the millions of citizen-soldiers for whom the war wasn't a path to glory, but simply a miserable if necessary job.

After you read the rest of the column I hope you will return here because I am turning the rest of the post over to the spirit and memories of Bill Mauldin.

Over the summer I rescued two first edition hardcovers from the Tustin Library $2 a bag sale, their covers the worse for wear (Nothing a little mailing tape couldn't handle!), but otherwise a treasure trove to be read slowly and lingered over, the better to savor their pleasures.

What Bill Mauldin wrote and drew paid tribute to the daily lives and struggles of the Greatest Generation during and after the war, as well as paying attention to events in Europe as the Cold War  began to heat up, even speaking to those of us who follow in ways very relevant to events in the headlines of the 21st century.

Without further ado, lets hear from Willie and Joe, and their comrades:

Published in 1945, the then 23 year old authors book took America by storm.

ON THE LEFT: "You'll get over it, Joe. Oncet I wuz gonna write a book exposin' the army after th' war myself."

ON THE RIGHT: "Must be a tough objective. Th' old man says we're gonna have th' honor of liberatin' it."

BILL MAULDIN on these pages: "Since hanging around many different divisions, I've just about come to the conclusion that when 15,000 men from 48 states are put together in an outfit, their thinking and their actions are going to be pretty much like those of any other 15,000. The efficiency and their accomplishements are altered to a certain extent by the abilities of their commanders, but the guys themselves are pretty much the same."

OUR ALLIES 1: "You blokes leave an awfully messy battlefield."

BILL MAULDIN on this cartoon: "There was a standing joke for a while between the British division at Anzio and one of the American divisions. The Americans, noted for their wealth of materiel, often littered the area with discarded euipment, and the thrifty British who relived them just couldn't understand it. if a British colonel draws an unneccessary pair of shoes for his regimental supply, he's likely to get a court-martial out of it, and God help the Tommy who loses his Enfield rifle.

So the British used to accuse the Americans of leaving a messy battlefield, and I drew a picture of a Tommy telling that to two dogfaces. The British up there seemed to like it okay, and the doggies at Anzio caught it. But the British brass in Naples made a complaint. They didn't understand the picture, but they were certain it was anti-British."

OUR ALLIES 2: "Some of you may not come back. A French convoy has been reported on the road."

BILL MAULDIN on his Quartermaster cartoons: "...the French army started tearing up the roads, and they made our worst quartermaster drivers seem like timid old ladies. All a Frenchman knows about a truck is the general location of the foot throttle. French convoys stop simply by smashing into one another's bumpers."

Eventually the war ended and the troops came home.

How I Sent Sean Hannity on a World Tour

Last month I wrote about the Web phenomenon known as BookCrossing and you will notice the LINK in the sidebar.

It is there because I love the idea of this site and joined myself.

This is a follow-up.

BookCrossings members love books enough to let them go.

The idea is to release them "into the wild" to be found by other Bookworms.

Book Sharing is fun, in all its more familiar forms, such as donating to your former school, passing a cherished book down through the generations and other ways, but there is a new way that is very exciting, thoughtful and even quite challenging.

BookCrossing has a goal:

Simply, to make the whole world a library. BookCrossing is a book exchange of infinite proportion, the first and only of its kind.

You know the feeling you get after reading a book that speaks to you, that touches your life, a feeling that you want to share it with someone else? BookCrossing.com gives you a simple way to share books with the world, and follow their paths forever!

The rules are simple:

1. Read a book, or not! I have a chosen mission in which a spend a few dollars a month rescueing very old books from thrift store, yard sales, or library sales.

2. Register it, with an intro about what you thought of it if you read it. Even rate it.

I include a picture, links to any info I learn online about the author and publisher, and info about any thing written, or left in the book.

3. "Release" the little darling back into "circulation". (I take pictures of most of the places I leave a book for inclusion in journal entries.)

Release it for someone else to read ( leave it on a park bench, donate it to charity, "forget" it in a coffee shop, the possibilities are endless), and get notified by email each time someone comes to BC and records journal entries for that book. And if YOU make Release Notes on the book, others can Go "Hunting" for it and try to find it!

It's an intriguing experiment in fate, or whatever one cares to call what happens between people and their encounters with a book.

You don't even have to reveal your true identity to the public.

On the main page of the site people can see recent "releases" and recently "caught" titles,including the people who did each, then click on links to learn more, about that books journey and the people who have been releasing and finding the book. Even their history of finds and releases.

There is even a lively Community on the site with forums, e-mail Lists,  Meet-ups and Official Crossing Zones.

This last is a fascinating concept:

Do you have a favorite cafe, coffee shop, bookshop, laundromat, classroom, or other location that would make a perfect place for people to release and find books on a permanent basis? If so, you can possibly start a Crossing Zone there and watch it grow.

And that brings me back to the Sean Hannity World Tour.

My last post was the exciting, risk-filled, story of how I rescued a book by Sean from oblivion.

What follows is the rest of the adventure.

The time had come to allow Sean's book to continue its journey.

My own contribution to the ongoing Hannitization of America and the World! ;-D

On a rainy March 2005 day I grabbed my umbrella and headed south, by bus, and train, with a mission to complete deep in the heart of San Diego.

Last month I wrote about the Web phenomenon known as BookCrossing and you will notice the LINK in the sidebar.

It is there because I love the idea of this site and joined myself.

This is a follow-up.

BookCrossings members love books enough to let them go.

The idea is to release them "into the wild" to be found by other Bookworms.

Book Sharing is fun, in all its more familiar forms, such as donating to your former school, passing a cherished book down through the generations and other ways, but there is a new way that is very exciting, thoughtful and even quite challenging.

BookCrossing has a goal:

Simply, to make the whole world a library. BookCrossing is a book exchange of infinite proportion, the first and only of its kind.

You know the feeling you get after reading a book that speaks to you, that touches your life, a feeling that you want to share it with someone else? BookCrossing.com gives you a simple way to share books with the world, and follow their paths forever!

The rules are simple:

1. Read a book, or not! I have a chosen mission in which a spend a few dollars a month rescueing very old books from thrift store, yard sales, or library sales.

2. Register it, with an intro about what you thought of it if you read it. Even rate it.

I include a picture, links to any info I learn online about the author and publisher, and info about any thing written, or left in the book.

3. "Release" the little darling back into "circulation". (I take pictures of most of the places I leave a book for inclusion in journal entries.)

Release it for someone else to read ( leave it on a park bench, donate it to charity, "forget" it in a coffee shop, the possibilities are endless), and get notified by email each time someone comes to BC and records journal entries for that book. And if YOU make Release Notes on the book, others can Go "Hunting" for it and try to find it!

It's an intriguing experiment in fate, or whatever one cares to call what happens between people and their encounters with a book.

You don't even have to reveal your true identity to the public.

On the main page of the site people can see recent "releases" and recently "caught" titles,including the people who did each, then click on links to learn more, about that books journey and the people who have been releasing and finding the book. Even their history of finds and releases.

There is even a lively Community on the site with forums, e-mail Lists,  Meet-ups and Official Crossing Zones.

This last is a fascinating concept:

Do you have a favorite cafe, coffee shop, bookshop, laundromat, classroom, or other location that would make a perfect place for people to release and find books on a permanent basis? If so, you can possibly start a Crossing Zone there and watch it grow.

And that brings me back to the Sean Hannity World Tour.

My last post was the exciting, risk-filled, story of how I rescued a book by Sean from oblivion.

What follows is the rest of the adventure.

The time had come to allow Sean's book to continue its journey.

My own contribution to the ongoing Hannitization of America and the World! ;-D

On a rainy March 2005 day I grabbed my umbrella and headed south, by bus, and train, with a mission to complete deep in the heart of San Diego.

How I Rescued Sean Hannity

Well, ok, I didn't rescue Sean, the person, but let's not quibble and risk spoiling a good story. ;-D

The week that President Reagan died and was buried, in 2004, was a moment in the Brief History of Time, caught on TV so Americans, present, and future, could ponder the many Cosmic Questions that, with understanding, will help us learn the true meaning of the Legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

One  afternoon I took a load of trash out to the dumpster, a huge monstrosity with an appetite for man's detritus seemingly as big as The Hungry Ocean itself.

This day it was gorging itself on the unwanted overflow from an abandoned abode and I approached with careful wariness as I tried to find a spot to toss my offering.

It was with curiosity that I noticed several books in amongst the bags of trash and, visible but buried half hidden from view under a box of empty beer cans were 3 words on the spine of a trade size paperback:

LET FREEDOM RING

Those red, white and blue words seemed familiar somehow and not just from a song, or speech.

I tried to move the box and as the book fell deeper into the Jaws of this metal monstrosity, ants liberally sprinkled, here and there, around it, I saw the smiling face of Sean Hannity looking up at me, seemingly imploring me to save him from an inglorious demise so he could continue telling America how it can win the war of Liberty.

As loud and clear as the tolling of those bells for The Great Communicator, I heard Sean's distinctive voice calling out to me...

Save me, save me...

so I leaped up onto the rim of the dumpster, leaned far inside, tossing aside books, bags and beer and, beating the crap out of a few dozen (a conservative estimate to be sure) persistent insects grabbed Mr. Hannity by the front cover and pulled him quickly to safety.

It was a glorious moment, worthy of story and song, long to be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to witness it...

Too bad I was alone at the time.

Damn it! Where is a snooping tabloid reporter with a camera, or camcorder, when you need one? ;-D

Ah well, I saved a books life, and that's the important thing.

The book came through its ordeal without a scratch and took its place on my shelf next to dozens of other books.

Continue on to: How I Sent Sean Hannity on a World Tour. 

Well, ok, I didn't rescue Sean, the person, but let's not quibble and risk spoiling a good story. ;-D

The week that President Reagan died and was buried, in 2004, was a moment in the Brief History of Time, caught on TV so Americans, present, and future, could ponder the many Cosmic Questions that, with understanding, will help us learn the true meaning of the Legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

One  afternoon I took a load of trash out to the dumpster, a huge monstrosity with an appetite for man's detritus seemingly as big as The Hungry Ocean itself.

This day it was gorging itself on the unwanted overflow from an abandoned abode and I approached with careful wariness as I tried to find a spot to toss my offering.

It was with curiosity that I noticed several books in amongst the bags of trash and, visible but buried half hidden from view under a box of empty beer cans were 3 words on the spine of a trade size paperback:

LET FREEDOM RING

Those red, white and blue words seemed familiar somehow and not just from a song, or speech.

I tried to move the box and as the book fell deeper into the Jaws of this metal monstrosity, ants liberally sprinkled, here and there, around it, I saw the smiling face of Sean Hannity looking up at me, seemingly imploring me to save him from an inglorious demise so he could continue telling America how it can win the war of Liberty.

As loud and clear as the tolling of those bells for The Great Communicator, I heard Sean's distinctive voice calling out to me...

Save me, save me...

so I leaped up onto the rim of the dumpster, leaned far inside, tossing aside books, bags and beer and, beating the crap out of a few dozen (a conservative estimate to be sure) persistent insects grabbed Mr. Hannity by the front cover and pulled him quickly to safety.

It was a glorious moment, worthy of story and song, long to be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to witness it...

Too bad I was alone at the time.

Damn it! Where is a snooping tabloid reporter with a camera, or camcorder, when you need one? ;-D

Ah well, I saved a books life, and that's the important thing.

The book came through its ordeal without a scratch and took its place on my shelf next to dozens of other books.

Continue on to: How I Sent Sean Hannity on a World Tour. 

Newspapers versus Blogs over Future of Journalism

John Seiler spent 19 years as an editorial writer for the OC Register and he's wondering if  the Orange County Register and its parent company will be sold by the Hoiles family that has owned the paper since 1935.

I remember the paper expending a lot of ink celebrating its long history, a while back, and found this essay quite interesting.

He feels that the "New Media", including blogging, "not only are the future, but the present, of the news business."

He finds comparisons in the problems of the NY Times, and Freedom Communications.

I, for one, hope that his notion that "Newspapers will be remembered nostalgically" will be proven wrong.

As much as I rely on the internet news sites, blogs and FOX News on cable, for my news, being a lifelong book lover and reader, I strongly believe that, as with a good book (the more pages the better!), there is nothing like sitting down with the newspaper, especially with the hefty sunday edition.

In this last regard I agree with Thomas Anthony Gordon, of Orange Juice (Thanks for spreading the word about this story!).

The place of newspapers in our daily lives is evolving, there is no doubt, but I believe it will not disappear completely.

If you want to understand why I believe this then you owe it to yourself to read this book.

It is the story of the "Bloggers" of the founding century of our nation, the "rowdy beginnings of American Journalism", and how it adapted and evolved, especially between the end of the War of Independence and the death, in a famous duel with Aaron Burr, of a co-founder of the New York Post (Yes, THAT New York Post!)...

the incomparable Alexander Hamilton, in 1804.

When you read these books you will thrill to the discovery that not only was a he politician, but he  was also one of the most outspoken and partisan journalists of his day. 

Read: Newspapers’ decline: Will the Orange County Register and its parent company be sold?

***UPDATE - 11AM***

There is a column, on the California City News Blog (Now listed in the sidebar!),  by Frank Simpson of Petaluma 360, dealing with the role of bloggers and their impact in the media world.

There are, of course, many types of bloggers covering many topics.  Just look at the variety of bloggers on Petaluma 360 alone.

A few weeks ago, someone forwarded a blog link talking about the role of "political bloggers" in today's society. "Local Political Blogs are Here to Stay"
 
Frankly, it caught me off guard -- Me! A political blogger?

I am still mulling it over...not really comfortable with the appellation.

One observation he makes is a really powerful one:

One aspect of using the Internet to communicate, whether it is by blogging or web pages, does warrant special mention--the digital camera. In a manner of minutes (dare I say seconds?) a photo can be online generating comments and e-mails from around the world.  It still gives me pause...

I love my camera!

My Camera is my friend! ;-D

Read - Guest Column: I didn't mean to do it! It was an accident...Stop me before I blog again!

***END UPDATE***

I am still mulling it over...not really comfortable with the appellation.

BookCrossing: A Worldwide Community of Book Lovers

1st there was Phototag.org for tracking the travels of disposable cameras and Where's George, for keeping track of those globetrotting gents named George, Andrew, Abe and Ulysses and the rest of their Currency Commrades.

Then there is the very cool, very stimulating and edumicational community of BookCrossing.

As the site says: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single release."

In April 2001 Ron Hornbaker launched a website to share his love of a good book.

The idea is a simple one: Read a book, then instead of tossing it in the trash, giving it to the library, or to a friend, or relative, pass it on to a total stranger!

Do this by leaving it on a park bench, in the breakroom at work, on a bus, or train seat, in an office waiting room, a public restroom, or in any number of other public places where the little, or not so little, darling will be found.

Outfitted with a special bookplate, tracking number and a note explaining the concept so the next person will know what to do if so inclined, the book can be tracked as it randomly travels from city to city and even nation to nation, around the world.

Over 598,000 people have "released" over 4.2 million books "into the wild" and the term "bookcrossing" has its own category in the Google Directory, as well as being listed in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

This award winning community is one of the most respected and popular gathering places online.

When a book is "Caught" the finder follows notification instructions and can leave a journal entry and the person who released the book can get notified by e-mail about the books latest encounter.

One of the many fun aspects is that you can be a "Hunter".

There is a list of countries with books "in the wild." After registering and releasing a book, members have the option of making Release Notes, specifying where exactly (or approximately) they left a book. 

There are actually people traipsing around looking for a particular book!

This is very similar to those folks leaving, finding and cataloging, hidden items in the wilderness, in the activity called Geocaching.

While membership is free there is a supply store for purchasing Official bookplates of various types and cost if you don't want to make one of your own.

There are also Bookcrossing Conventions and Monthly Meetings in cities everywhere.

There is much more to this endeavor.

In my sidebar is a special section for BookCrossing and related links to websites created by my fellow members.

Please visit BookCrossing and consider joining as I did in 2005.

Bookwormicus Americana: Is the Species Alive and Well?

There was an interesting article on CNN.COM a few years ago, about the reading habits of the species Bookwormicus Americana, a critter that some researchers periodically think is nearing extinction but always seems to get in the mood for procreation and rebounds quite nicely, thank you very much!

According to this article (No longer accessable, sad to say.) Book Clubs are sprouting like weeds on the lawn but some folks are asking if Americans are reading more, or do they just want you to think they are?

As a Bookworm of impeccable credentials and long standing I have seen the ups and downs of the business and the ever changing tastes of the reading public.

Most of the books in my own collection are more than 400 pages long and some are twice that, so it amuses me when I see the look of fright on some folks faces at the thought of reading something more than 250 pages long, and /or more complex than a Stephen King novel. :-D

I started out reading Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew books, then mysteries and horror, then Star Trek.

As my interest in history, politics and then movies, took hold my tastes in reading changed accordingly.

I think CLUBS are a great way to stimulate folks interest in reading and the more folks actually read the books they buy then the better. :-D

Come on folks! They won't bite, honest! :-D

Trust me (heh, heh)...

There was an interesting article on CNN.COM a few years ago, about the reading habits of the species Bookwormicus Americana, a critter that some researchers periodically think is nearing extinction but always seems to get in the mood for procreation and rebounds quite nicely, thank you very much!

According to this article (No longer accessable, sad to say.) Book Clubs are sprouting like weeds on the lawn but some folks are asking if Americans are reading more, or do they just want you to think they are?

As a Bookworm of impeccable credentials and long standing I have seen the ups and downs of the business and the ever changing tastes of the reading public.

Most of the books in my own collection are more than 400 pages long and some are twice that, so it amuses me when I see the look of fright on some folks faces at the thought of reading something more than 250 pages long, and /or more complex than a Stephen King novel. :-D

I started out reading Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew books, then mysteries and horror, then Star Trek.

As my interest in history, politics and then movies, took hold my tastes in reading changed accordingly.

I think CLUBS are a great way to stimulate folks interest in reading and the more folks actually read the books they buy then the better. :-D

Come on folks! They won't bite, honest! :-D

Trust me (heh, heh)...