Connect (part 1) : The Pepe Connection

 

Wikipedia/Skunk

Pepe Le Pew

A favorite Bugs Bunny (Warner Bros.) cartoon was a suave, overly romantic French skunk with a thick accent, Pepe Le Pew. This polecat definitely had a very high opinion of his lady-killing charm.

Typical plot formula: A female tuxedo cat (later named Penelope Pussycat) accidentally gets a white stripe painted down her back. Then Pepe would see her--love at first sight. He ardently pursues her with florid, romantic declarations and advances, such as wanting her to run off with him to the Casbah.

(This was an age before the #MeToo movement.)

Meanwhile, the unwilling pussycat is fighting to get away from the odor of this skunk. But Pepe believes she is flirting and playing hard-to-get, and he enjoys the thrill of the chase.

Where did the idea of this cartoon come from?

https://youtu.be/HMnbNTv_D3A?si=HeC0m7qtCZtMFVFY

Go back a few years, before World War Two to the introduction of another character.

Pepe le Moko

In the first half of the 20th century, one of the movie heartthrobs was Charles Boyer. He was a lady-killer with a French accent, which could make his female fans swoon.

In 1938, an American crime/romance drama Algiers, made the big screen starring Charles Boyer as Pepe le Moko. This suave Frenchman was the inspiration for Pepe Le Pew, no doubt.

This Pepe was a notorious French jewel thief, hiding in the Casbah (the native quarter) of Algiers, where he was virtually untouchable. Yet, it was an effective prison of his own making. Meanwhile, French police were determined to arrest him, and they waited for the right moment to pounce. 

The girls in the Casbah were wild about Pepe. But he had developed a strong attraction for one beauty, Gaby, unhappily married to a wealthy man, who was visiting the Casbah. 

Gaby reminded Pepe of the Paris life and freedom he can no longer have. In the end, Pepe was drawn toward risking everything to leave the Casbah for Gaby. When he ran to Gaby's departing ship, the police pounced and shot him.

Not so happy ending for this paramour.

 https://youtu.be/vGFFItr9_8I?si=5GIz8NGQ39bkRiPj

One note: Hedy Lamarr made her Hollywood debut as Gaby, the woman Pepe died for. 

This is the same Hedy Lamarr who was the co-inventor of a frequency-hopping technology during World War Two. Later, this tech would be an important foundation for wireless communications such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi--which is how you are reading this blog.

That will be a connection for another story.

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Write Stuff (part 8) - The Far Side Storytelling

 

drawing/wikipedia

Brevity is the Soul of Wit

~Hamlet

So wrote one of the greatest storytellers of all time: William Shakespeare

Cartoonists, likewise, are storytellers who make a point with drawings and minimal dialog or narratives. 

One of the greatest storytellers in the 20th century, The Far Side's Gary Larson, fits the bill of brevity and wit.

https://youtu.be/jQjGW5Mxk58?si=qkD4NlM7cNjJjPq3

Here is a sample of his wit: The Far Side

https://youtu.be/a991fNPAcqQ?si=IeufiD8dTL4Cgcqq

To my writer friends in 2026, tell your stories--whatever the size, whatever the format.

Write on!

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America 250 (part 4) : A Tale of Two Revolutions - America and France

Revolution/wikipedia

The latter half of the 18th century spawned two notable revolutions: 

* The American Revolution

* The French Revolution

One replaced a monarchy with a successful republic, whose continuing form of government is in place to this day. The other replaced a monarchy with the guillotine, the Reign of Terror, anarchy, then an emperor followed by several types of government.

What went right? What went wrong?

https://youtu.be/7tpy6T2Cg5w?si=euGxoXzgIVwoinMh

The different results of each social experiment can be summed up by these three reasons:

1. Understanding of human nature:

America: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Inalienable rights protect the people from the tyranny of government. The worldview was based on the Judeo-Christian concept of human nature as flawed. Government needs checks and balances, be bound by law, and be subject to religious instruction to restrain corruption.

France: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

The leaders of the new republic despised religion, with a worldview that reason alone could remake society from the ground up. But forced Equality does not permit liberty or fraternity. Liberty was turned to revenge, resulting in the Reign of Terror and the guillotine.

2. Quality of Leadership

America: 

Leaders rose to greatness as the occasion demanded, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton.

George Washington saw himself as a servant of the republic, resigned his commission at the end of the war, served as president when called upon by the people, and retired after two terms.

France: 

Leaders like Maximilien Robespierre, Jean Paul Marat, and Louis de Saint-Just installed a Reign of Terror that inspired monsters, such as Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky. 

The republic descended into anarchy, replaced by a strong man, Napoleon.

3. Experience of Self-Government

America:

Before the revolution, the colonies experienced two centuries of self-government. Hence, at that time, these colonies were the freest in the civilized world, least governed, least taxed, and least bound by class distinction

France:

Before the revolution, class was destiny, most denizens were heavily taxed, and social mobility was impossible. The people had no experience of self-government. In the end, the monarchy was replaced by an emperor. 

In conclusion:

The American Revolution since King George III changed the world for the better. This constitutional republic has the oldest written national constitution still in continuous use. (reference: legalknowledgebase.com)

The French Revolution changed the world for the worse. And since Luis XVI, France has had 10 to 13 forms of government, from republics to empires to monarchies to puppet governments under Nazi occupation.

Happy 250th, America!

America's 250th: America 250 Years in the Making

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America 250 (part 3): Native Americans love America?

 

wikipedia/ww2natives

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, may we remember the people who were here before the pilgrims, colonialists, and settlers.

Native Americans

In so many ways, the diverse tribes contributed to the tapestry of our unique American culture, which is protected by freedom in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Here is a Navajo tribute to America:

https://youtu.be/x3tRLWF10ms?si=45A0z_t-0xBbEnXm

Native born or immigrant, Americans come from all over the world.

It's no wonder one of the United States mottos is the Latin phrase:

E Pluribus Unum 

which translates

 Out of Many, One.

Happy 250th, America!

America's 250th: America 250 Years in the Making

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What a Ham I am (part 7) - Ham Radio, where are you?

 

Polish Ham/wikipedia

It's been a while since I've posted on this subject--Ham Radio.

In the early days, ham radio had been the cutting edge of tech and worldwide communications. Hearing a voice or a signal on the other side of the planet seemed like a miracle.

But the times are changing, especially with the ubiquitous cell phones and the internet. And during these times, ham radio with its old demands of morse code and passing tests to operate seems to be on the outs.

https://youtu.be/uOTaNbsRRNg?si=sgRQAEr0R3MWgpb7

Or is it?

Yet, the hobby is alive and well for over 100 years with over 750,000 licensed operators in America.

https://youtu.be/C9WATiN2vsw?si=BKbVLbvMEwdpFI5j

When cell towers go down and power is out, ham radio can still get through with messages on emergency power. And the thrill of making contact with evolving innovations still draws many to the hobby.

There is an annual exercise to prepared for a worst-case disaster scenario. It's called Field Day, coming up every fourth weekend of June: Field Day - ARRL

Also, amateur radio operators convene throughout the year:  Hamfests and conventions

Ham radio operators are a fraternity/sorority. In my area, the local club, CPREG, Cloud Peak Radio and Electronics Group: Join Our Ham Radio Club Today!

Meanwhile...

Keep Calm
and
Ham Radio
On

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Signs of the Times (part 11) - Keep Calm and Carry On

 

wikipedia/keepcalm

The early days of World War II have been described as England's darkest hour. 

Yet, there was a plan to encourage the people and help them cope in case the unthinkable happened. But that plan was suppressed as the Allies won the war, and it was almost forgotten. 

After September 11, 2001, and the turmoil that followed, the message was resurrected and struck a chord with our darkest hours.

Here is the rest of the story ....

https://youtu.be/EDsrkpPNCnA?si=jAWV5TSZzb3uweiH

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,
but see to it that you are not alarmed.
Such things must happen,
but the end is still to come.

Matthew 24:6 (NIV) 

Those are ....

Signs of the Times

Remember in your darkest hours that the message is true today as it was over 80 years ago. 

Keep Calm and Carry On

We'll get through this.

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STEM (part 3) - How to Study like Marie Curie

 

Marie Curie/wikipedia

Marie Curie was phenomenal.

She was a renowned scientist in the late 19th to early 20th century, an era when it was difficult for women to pursue these fields. Yet, not only was she the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize, but also awarded it in two different scientific fields, Physics and Chemistry. To date, no one else has accomplished that. 

What was the secret to her genius?

Here are some tips any of us can follow to pursue excellence in our chosen field of study:

https://youtu.be/ebtrQmOFub4?si=nBqHksyTzxA_sMct

In a nutshell:

(1) Cultivate an Obsession with Why?

(2) Embrace Ruthless Persistence

(3) Learn in Experiment Mode

(4) Insist on Precision

(5) Keep a Lab Notebook for Your Brain

Genius isn't a gift...it is built. 

Now take on the world!

For more information about Marie Curie: Biography 

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