The Oppenheimer Report 2/22/21

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The Oppenheimer Report 2/15/21

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The Oppenheimer Report 2/8/21

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The Oppenheimer Report 2/1/21

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that time is passing much faster these days. It seems as if I was just watching the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving parade, and now, it’s February. Bell had their mental health fundraiser last week, with the intention of raising money to promote the awareness of mental illness. Right now, I’m reading Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s book about the factors that exacerbate dementia. In the book, he strongly suggests that, along with attention to diet and exercise, an active social life is crucial to staving off cognitive impairment. How do we do that when we’re all being told to self-isolate. Right now, connecting with others is more important than ever.

Every Monday, I am reminded of that movie, “Groundhog Day” wherein Bill Murray’s character relives the exact same sequence of events day after day. My weeks have become a blur, largely punctuated by my activities on behalf of Hunters Bay Radio, and the shows I produce. Last week, I remember writing my Oppenheimer Report about cartoons, playing Super Jackpot Radio Bingo, having dinner, and going to bed. The next thing I know, it’s Thursday, and I’m airing Lyrical Workers. Then, it’s Sunday, and I’m producing ET’s Martini Music show. The sun has now set 7 times and here I am back to another Monday, writing yet another report. I am beginning to realize how traumatized by hopelessness I have become by the last 4 years. They've taken a toll on my sense of wellbeing.

I suppose I’ve been in a state of denial, which is now evaporating as hope once again creeps in. It all got real during ex-President Rump's reign. While that little Swedish girl was presciently warning us about the consequences of our apathy towards Mother Earth, and the latest mass shooting reminded me that there are a lot of sick people out there, I was so busy learning to embrace the latest abbreviated form of communication on my computer or phone, that I simply ignored the inhumanity. The irony is, there has been a complete breakdown in communication as communication becomes more widespread. I know human decency exists; I feel it every time I speak to a friend.

Remember the good old days, when everyone was more concerned about existential crises like climate change? Now, who will be paying attention if Florida sinks into the ocean as the polar ice caps melt? OK, maybe the people in Florida will. I heard a remarkable “statistic” the other night on the news with reference to the increased severity of fall hurricanes. I heard that more rain fell in Houston, Texas during Hurricane Harvey back in 2017 than flows over Niagara Falls in a year. Yikes! The universe has thrown mankind a real curveball, reminding us that we are ALL vulnerable to the laws of nature. That reality in turn affects our mental health. I am not immune, and I’m definitely feeling it this week. Thankfully, I have Shauna with whom to share my isolation. Time to make another “are-you-ok?” call to a friend, for my own sake, that is. I need to remind myself that we are not alone in all of this.

Written by Jamie Oppenheimer ©2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Oppenheimer Report 1/25/21

 

The other day, my cousin Harry Lehman III sent me an old photograph. The post was addressed “to the residents of Frostbite Falls”. That made me smile, because while growing up, my favourite cartoon characters were Rocky and Bullwinkle. I’ll come back to them in a minute. If you were anything like me, you watched a lot of cartoons when you were younger. What were your favourites? I watched them all, and still do on occasion. The fact is, I never really grew up. To this day, I still cannot resist watching a Bugs Bunny or Roadrunner cartoon. I despised that cocky Roadrunner, and I always identified with Wile E. Coyote. By the way, remember how Wile E. was always receiving packages from ACME? It occurs to me that he might have been the first Amazon customer. Remember Foghorn Leghorn, the outspoken rooster? I loved his zingers, “Ah say, Ah say, that boy is about as sharp as a bowling ball!” While I gravitated to the Warner Bros. animations, I also watched a lot of Hanna Barbera cartoons. Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, The Jetsons (which was essentially The Flintstones set in the future), Scooby-Doo (who bears some resemblance to Astro from the Jetsons); all those cartoons were on my preferred playlist.

Does anybody remember Clutch Cargo, his pal Spinner, and his trusty Dachshund Paddlefoot? I used to watch “Clutch Cargo”, although it was perhaps the worst animation ever to air on national television. I also used to watch Felix The Cat, usually when it aired on The Commander Tom Show, broadcast on WKBW (Channel 7) in Buffalo. It was not until recently that I learned how old that cartoon is. A few years ago, I was looking for a file photo of an old Macy’s Day Parade for a Thanksgiving report, and I found the very old photograph of a giant Felix The Cat parade balloon. Upon further investigation, I learned that Felix The Cat was created in 1919. I had no idea Felix was that old. The old Disney cartoons evoke my earliest memories. Everybody is familiar with Mickey Mouse, but do you remember his predecessor, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit? I do, vaguely.

As I said above, my all-time favourite cartoon is “The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle”. Developed by Alex Andersen, the show evolved from a pilot project that never aired. It was entitled, “The Frostbite Falls Revue”. Then, in collaboration with producer Jay Ward, the more famous and successful cartoon was born. Clearly, Andersen and Ward had children AND adults in mind when they created that show. Largely due to the genius of head writer Bill Scott, the cartoon series was destined to be a hit for many decades to come. I still love watching episodes when I can find them on TV. While the series only ran from 1959 to 1964, it has lived on in reruns. I adore the quirky characters. Fun facts: Bullwinkle was first known simply as “Canadian Moose” in the original Frostbite Falls pilot, and the name Bullwinkle was derived from a car dealership in Berkeley, California called Bullwinkel Motors. The associated cartoons: “Dudley Do-Right”, “Mr. Peabody’s Improbable History”, and of course, “Fractured Fairy Tales” were all wonderful as well. I particularly enjoyed the stuffy narration. I think it is very possible that the “adult” cartoons that are so popular today, shows like “The Simpsons” and “South Park”, drew their inspiration, at least in part, from the sarcasm and intelligence, the zany zen if you will, of "Moose and Squirrel". Ah, the good old days. I miss them, sometimes.

Written by Jamie Oppenheimer ©2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED